Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Efficient Computation of Blue Noise Point Sets through Importance Sampling

Dart‐throwing can generate ideal Poisson‐disk distributions with excellent blue noise properties, but is very computationally expensive if a maximal point set is desired. In this paper, we observe that the Poisson‐disk sampling problem can be posed in terms of importance sampling by representing the available space to be sampled as a probability density function (pdf). This allows us to develop an efficient algorithm for the generation of maximal Poisson‐disk distributions with quality similar to naïve dart‐throwing but without rejection of samples. In our algorithm, we first position samples in one dimension based on its marginal cumulative distribution function (cdf). We then throw samples in the other dimension only in the regions which are available for sampling. After each 2D sample is placed, we update the cdf and data structures to keep track of the available regions. In addition to uniform sampling, our method is able to perform variable‐density sampling with small modifications. Finally, we also propose a new min‐conflict metric for variable‐density sampling which results in better adaptation of samples to the underlying importance field.
A general framework for accurate statistical timing analysis considering correlations

The impact of parameter variations on timing due to process and environmental variations has become significant in recent years. With each new technology node this variability is becoming more prominent. In this work, we present a general statistical timing analysis (STA) framework that captures spatial correlations between gate delays. The technique presented does not make any assumption about the distributions of the parameter variations, gate delay and arrival times. The authors proposed a Taylor-series expansion based polynomial representation of gate delays and arrival times which is able to effectively capture the non-linear dependencies that arise due to increasing parameter variations. In order to reduce the computational complexity introduced due to polynomial modeling during STA, an efficient linear-modeling driven polynomial STA scheme was proposed. On an average the degree-2 polynomial scheme had a 7.3 /spl times/ speedup as compared to Monte Carlo with 0.049 units of rms error with respect to Monte Carlo. The technique is generic and could be applied to arbitrary variations in the underlying parameters.
Singular or Plural? Exploiting Parallel Corpora for Chinese Number Prediction

We explore a novel approach to automatically predict noun number in Chinese by using a word-aligned Chinese-English parallel corpus. We ﬁrst map number information from English onto Chinese to create a dataset labeled with a POS tagset enhanced with number information, and then train a model to automatically predict noun number using a combination of lexical and syntactic features. We evaluate the quality of the automatically mapped data and show the mapping is largely adequate despite a small percentage of errors. Trained on a relatively small data set, our model achieves a 4% improvement in absolute accuracy over a majority baseline that considers all nouns to be singular.
Testing the capability of spectral resolution of the new multispectral sensors on detecting the severity of grey leaf spot disease in maize crop

Abstract In this study, we tested whether GLS field symptoms on maize can be detected using hyperspectral data re-sampled to WorldView-2, Quickbird, RapidEye and Sentinel-2 resolutions. To achieve this objective, Random Forest algorithm was used to classify the 2013 re-sampled spectra to represent the three identified disease severity categories. Results showed that Sentinel-2, with 13 spectral bands, achieved the highest overall accuracy and kappa value of 84% and 0.76, respectively, while the WorldView-2, with eight spectral bands, yielded the second highest overall accuracy and kappa value of 82% and 0.73, respectively. Results also showed that the 705 and 710 nm red edge bands were the most valuable in detecting the GLS for Sentinel-2 and RapidEye, respectively. On the re-sampled WorldView 2 and Quickbird sensor resolutions, the respective 608 and 660 nm in the yellow and red bands were identified as the most valuable for discriminating all categories of infection.
SPITZER SURVEY OF THE LARGE MAGELLANIC CLOUD, SURVEYING THE AGENTS OF A GALAXY'S EVOLUTION (SAGE). IV. DUST PROPERTIES IN THE INTERSTELLAR MEDIUM

The goal of this paper is to present the results of a preliminary analysis of the extended infrared (IR) emission by dust in the interstellar medium (ISM) of the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). We combine Spitzer Surveying the Agents of Galaxy Evolution (SAGE) and Infrared Astronomical Satellite (IRAS) data and correlate the infrared emission with gas tracers of H i, CO, and Hα. We present a global analysis of the infrared emission as well as detailed modeling of the spectral energy distribution (SED) of a few selected regions. Extended emission by dust associated with the neutral, molecular, and diffuse ionized phases of the ISM is detected at all IR bands from 3.6 μm to 160 μm. The relative abundance of the various dust species appears quite similar to that in the Milky Way (MW) in all the regions we have modeled. We construct maps of the temperature of large dust grains. The temperature map shows variations in the range 12.1–34.7 K, with a systematic gradient from the inner to outer regions, tracing the general distribution of massive stars and individual H ii regions as well as showing warmer dust in the stellar bar. This map is used to derive the far-infrared (FIR) optical depth of large dust grains. We find two main departures in the LMC with respect to expectations based on the MW: (1) excess mid-infrared (MIR) emission near 70 μm, referred to as the 70 μm excess, and (2) departures from linear correlation between the FIR optical depth and the gas column density, which we refer to as FIR excess emission. The 70 μm excess increases gradually from the MW to the LMC to the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC), suggesting evolution with decreasing metallicity. The excess is associated with the neutral and diffuse ionized gas, with the strongest excess region located in a loop structure next to 30 Dor. We show that the 70 μm excess can be explained by a modification of the size distribution of very small grains with respect to that in the MW, and a corresponding mass increase of ≃13% of the total dust mass in selected regions. The most likely explanation is that the 70 μm excess is due to the production of large very small grains (VSG) through erosion of larger grains in the diffuse medium. This FIR excess could be due to intrinsic variations of the dust/gas ratio, which would then vary from 4.6 to 2.3 times lower than the MW values across the LMC, but XCO values derived from the IR emission would then be about three times lower than those derived from the Virial analysis of the CO data. We also investigate the possibility that the FIR excess is associated with an additional gas component undetected in the available gas tracers. Assuming a constant dust abundance in all ISM phases, the additional gas component would have twice the known H i mass. We show that it is plausible that the FIR excess is due to cold atomic gas that is optically thick in the 21 cm line, while the contribution by a pure H2 phase with no CO emission remains a possible explanation.
The morphology and spatial arrangement of astrocytes in the optic nerve head of the mouse

We evaluated the shapes, numbers, and spatial distribution of astrocytes within the glial lamina, an astrocyte‐rich region at the junction of the retina and optic nerve. A primary aim was to determine how the population of astrocytes, collectively, partitions the axonal space in this region. Astrocyte processes labeled with glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) compartmentalize ganglion cell axons into bundles, forming “glial tubes,” and giving the glial architecture of the optic nerve head in transverse section a honeycomb appearance. The shapes of individual astrocytes were studied by using transgenic mice that express enhanced green fluorescent protein in isolated astrocytes (hGFAPpr‐EGFP). Within the glial lamina the astrocytes were transverse in orientation, with thick, smooth primary processes emanating from a cytoplasmic expansion of the soma. Spaces between the processes of neighboring astrocytes were spatially aligned, to form the apertures through which the bundles of optic axons pass. The processes of individual astrocytes were far‐reaching—they could span most of the width of the nerve—and overlapped the anatomical domains of other near and distant astrocytes. Thus, astrocytes in the glial lamina do not tile: each astrocyte participates in ensheathing approximately one‐quarter of all of the axon bundles in the nerve, and each glial tube contains the processes of about nine astrocytes. This raises the mechanistic question of how, in glaucoma or other cases of nerve damage, the glial response can be confined to a circumscribed region where damage to axons has occurred. J. Comp. Neurol. 516:1–19, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Queueing analysis of wireless network coding

We consider a wireless communication device that uses network coding and acts as a relay for two connections. We analyze a two-dimensional continuous-time queueing model of the system and show that steady-state performance can be expressed in the solution of a Riemann-Hilbert boundary value problem. From this solution we derive the expected energy consumption and expected packet delay.
Extratemporal, nonlesional epilepsy in children: postsurgical clinical and neurocognitive outcomes.

OBJECT Patients undergoing epilepsy surgery without evidence of a lesion on MR imaging and without a temporal source for seizure onset generally have less favorable outcomes than patients with structural lesions or temporal onset. However, many of these patients are viable candidates for invasive monitoring and subsequent resection or multiple subpial transections (MSTs). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the surgical treatment of pediatric patients with extratemporal, nonlesional epilepsy in order to better understand the clinical and neuropsychological outcomes expected in this patient group. METHODS Forty-three pediatric patients with negative results on MR imaging and lateralized, extratemporal findings on electroencephalography underwent invasive monitoring with grid and/or strip electrodes. Thirty-three subsequently had resection of an epileptogenic focus and/or MSTs. RESULTS Outcome was classified as Engel class I or II in 54.5% of the patients who underwent resection/MSTs and Engel class III or IV in 45.5%. Use of MSTs was associated with poor outcome. Neuropsychological evaluation showed significant improvement in immediate auditory attention following surgery and revealed several significant results on subgroup analysis. Complications occurred in 14% of patients (a 7% rate per procedure). Ten patients (23%) underwent invasive monitoring without proceeding to therapeutic surgery because no epileptogenic region was amenable to resection. Neuropsychological outcomes were generally stable. CONCLUSIONS Patients with extratemporal, nonlesional seizures are viable candidates for invasive monitoring with grid/strip electrodes, and good outcomes can be obtained with resective surgery. The use of MSTs may correlate with worse outcome. This study also provides additional data to assist in counseling patients on the risks of negative invasive monitoring, deficits resulting from resection/MSTs, and possible operative complications.
Hepatocytes maintain greater fluorescent bile acid accumulation and greater sensitivity to drug‐induced cell death in three‐dimensional matrix culture

Primary hepatocytes undergo phenotypic dedifferentiation upon isolation from liver that typically includes down regulation of uptake transporters and up regulation of efflux transporters. Culturing cells between layers of collagen in a three‐dimensional (3D) “sandwich” is reported to restore hepatic phenotype. This report examines how 3D culturing affects accumulation of fluorophores, the cytotoxic response to bile acids and drugs, and whether cell to cell differences in fluorescent anion accumulation correlate with differences in cytotoxicity. Hepatocytes were found to accumulate fluorescent bile acid (FBA) at significantly higher levels than the related fluorophores, carboxyfluorescein diacetate, (4.4‐fold), carboxyfluorescein succinimidyl ester (4.8‐fold), and fluorescein (30‐fold). In 2D culture, FBA accumulation decreased to background levels by 32 h, Hoechst nuclear accumulation strongly decreased, and nuclear diameter increased, indicative of an efflux phenotype. In 3D culture, FBA accumulation was maintained through 168 h but at 1/3 the original intensity. Cell to cell differences in accumulated FBA did not correlate with levels of liver zonal markers L‐FBAP (zone 1) or glutamine synthetase (zone 3). Cytotoxic response to hydrophobic bile acids, acetaminophen, and phalloidin was maintained in 3D culture, and cells with higher FBA accumulation showed 12–18% higher toxicity than the total population toward hydrophobic bile acids (P < 0.05). Long‐term imaging showed oscillations in the accumulation of FBA over periods of hours. Overall, the studies suggest that high accumulation of FBA can indicate the sensitivity of cultured hepatocytes to hydrophobic bile acids and other toxins.
The Oklahoma thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura-haemolytic uraemic syndrome Registry

Summary The Oklahoma Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura-Haemolytic Uraemic Syndrome (TTPHUS) Registry has a 24 year record of success for collaborative clinical research, education, and patient care. This article tells the story of how the Registry began and it describes the Registry’s structure and function. The Registry provides a model for using a cohort of consecutive patients to investigate a rare disorder. Collaboration between Oklahoma, United States and Bern, Switzerland has been the basis for successful interpretation of Registry data. Registry data have provided new insights into the evaluation and management of TTP. Because recovery from acute episodes of TTP has been assumed to be complete, the increased prevalence of hypertension, diabetes, depression, and death documented by long-term follow-up was unexpected. Registry data have provided opportunities for projects for students and trainees, education of physicians and nurses, and also for patients themselves. During our follow-up, patients have also educated Registry investigators about problems that persist after recovery from an acute episode of TTP. Most important, Registry data have resulted in important improvements for patient care.
Shortest paths in simple polygonswith polygon-meet constraints ✩

We study a constrained version of the shortest path problem in simple polygons, in which the path must visit a give polygon. We provide a worst-case optimal algorithm for this problem and also present a method to construct a subd the simple polygon to efficiently answer queries to retrieve the shortest polygon-meeting paths from a single-source to point. The algorithms are linear, both in time and space, in terms of the complexity of the two polygons.  2004 Published by Elsevier B.V.
Doodling: A Gaming Paradigm for Generating Language Data

With the advent of the increasingly participatory Internet and the growing power of the crowd, “Serious Games” have proven to be a fertile approach for gathering task-specific natural language data at very low cost. In this paper we outline a game we call Doodling, based on the sketch-andconvey metaphor used in the popular board game Pictionary, with the goal of generating useful natural language data. We explore whether such a paradigm can be successfully extended for conveying more complex syntactic and semantic constructs than the words or short phrases typically used in the board game. Through a series of user experiments, we show that this is indeed the case, and that valuable parallel language data may be produced as a byproduct. In addition, we explore extensions to this paradigm along two axes – going online (vs. face-to-face) and going crosslingual. The results in each of the sets of experiments confirm the potential of Doodling game to generate data in large quantities and across languages, and thus provide a new means of developing data sets and technologies for resource-poor languages.
Consideration of Billing Management Method for Cloud Computing Services

Business management using information-communication (info-communication) infrastructures such as broadband networks and data centers will become more and more important in the near future. Moreover, cloud computing services induce a lot of corporate alliances and this complicates customer-service management. In particular, billing management is very critical for both providers and customers. The creation of a billing management method that can quickly adjust to any business environment change is expected. Therefore, this paper first focuses on a customer-service management modelling method for info-communication services in terms of three view models, the service, cash-flow, and settlement. Then, the functions required to accomplish this are obtained for the billing management for future cloud computing services by combining these three view models. This methodology can contribute to the quick and exact provision of new info-communication services.
High Enough?: Explaining and Predicting Traveler Satisfaction Using Airline Reviews

Air travel is one of the most frequently used means of transportation in our every-day life. Thus, it is not surprising that an increasing number of travelers share their experiences with airlines and airports in form of online reviews on the Web. In this work, we thrive to explain and uncover the features of airline reviews that contribute most to traveler satisfaction. To that end, we examine reviews crawled from the Skytrax air travel review portal. Skytrax provides four review categories to review airports, lounges, airlines and seats. Each review category consists of several five-star ratings as well as free-text review content. In this paper, we conduct a comprehensive feature study and we find that not only five-star rating information such as airport queuing time and lounge comfort highly correlate with traveler satisfaction but also inferred features in the form of the review text sentiment. Based on our findings, we create classifiers to predict traveler satisfaction using the best performing rating features. Our results reveal that given our methodology, traveler satisfaction can be predicted with high accuracy. Additionally, we find that training a model on the sentiment of the review text provides a competitive alternative when no five-star rating information is available. We believe that our work is of interest for researchers in the area of modeling and predicting user satisfaction based on available review data on the Web.
Infinite Hidden Relational Models

In many cases it makes sense to model a relationship symmetrically, not implying any particular directionality. Consider the classical example of a recommendation system where the rating of an item by a user should symmetrically be dependent on the attributes of both the user and the item. The attributes of the (known) relationships are also relevant for predicting attributes of entities and for predicting attributes of new relations. In recommendation systems, the exploitation of relational attributes is often referred to as collaborative filtering. Again, in many applications one might prefer to model the collaborative effect in a symmetrical way. In this paper we present a relational model, which is completely symmetrical. The key innovation is that we introduce for each entity (or object) an infinite-dimensional latent variable as part of a Dirichlet process (DP) model. We discuss inference in the model, which is based on a DP Gibbs sampler, i.e., the Chinese restaurant process. We extend the Chinese restaurant process to be applicable to relational modeling. Our approach is evaluated in three applications. One is a recommendation system based on the MovieLens data set. The second application concerns the prediction of the function of yeast genes/proteins on the data set of KDD Cup 2001 using a multi-relational model. The third application involves a relational medical domain. The experimental results show that our model gives significantly improved estimates of attributes describing relationships or entities in complex relational models.
A psychophysical investigation of ocular expansion in human eyes.

PURPOSE To investigate spatial anisotropies in the peripheral visual field of axially myopic eyes, in an attempt to distinguish between models of isotropic and anisotropic ocular stretching. METHODS Stimuli consisted of two high-contrast Gaussian patches presented in one of four orientations (90 degrees, 180 degrees, 45 degrees, or 135 degrees). For each orientation, perceived separation was established relative to that for all other orientations. The experiment was conducted with central fixation and at 15 degrees in the nasal and inferior visual fields. Eleven myopes and nine emmetropes participated in the study. Biometric data were collected from all subjects. RESULTS For foveal fixation, the magnitude of the spatial anisotropy (approximately 5%) was consistent with the well-documented horizontal-vertical illusion (HVI), and unrelated to axial length. In the nasal visual field, much larger misperceptions were found (approximately 19%), the magnitude of which increased significantly with increasing axial length. Inferiorly, a reversal of the traditional HVI is found in most subjects (approximately 7%), with a tendency for a larger reversed illusion with increasing axial length. Differences between nasal and inferior misperceptions were significantly correlated with axial length. CONCLUSIONS Isotropic stretching, such as globe expansion, should preserve the aspect ratios of receptive fields, predicting a separation misperception which is independent of axial length. In contrast, the magnitude of the misperception is significantly correlated with axial length, supporting anisotropic stretching models of myopic growth.
Combining Connectionist and Symbolic Learning to Refine Certainty Factor Rule Bases

Abstract This paper describes RAPTURE—a system for revising probabilistic knowledge bases that combines connectionist and symbolic learning methods. RAPTURE uses a modified version of backpropagation to refine the certainty factors of a probabilistic rule base and it uses ID3's information-gain heuristic to add new rules. Results on refining three actual expert rule bases demonstrate that this combined approach generally performs better than previous methods.
Vectorization and parallelization of irregular problems via graph coloring

Efficient implementations of irregular problems on vector and parallel architectures are generally hard to realize. An important class of problems are Gaus-Seidel iteration schemes applied to irregular data sets. The unstructured data dependences arising there prevent restructuring compilers from generating efficient code for vector or parallel machines. It is shown, how to structure the data dependences by decomposing the underlying data set using graph coloring techniques and by specifying a particular execution order already on the algorithm level. Methods to master the irregularities originating from different types of tasks are proposed. An application is given and some open issues and future developments are discussed.