Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Macroscopic 1/f behavior of fractal signals generated by additive substitution

We analyze the structure of the discrete Fourier transform of a particular class of self-similar discrete signals which are iteratively generated by an additive substitution procedure, starting from a finite generator sequence. The amplitude spectra of such signals obtained from different generators have a similar form. The amplitude spectrum contains several affine branches, the number of which depends on the iteration level, on the size of the generator, and on the spectrum's symmetry. It has a macroscopic 1/f-characteristic.
Morphometric Analysis of Offin River Basin using Remote Sensing and GIS Technology in Ghana

The paper examined morphometric characteristics of Offin River Basin in Ghana using Remote Sensing (RS) and Geographic Information System (GIS) techniques. Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) data with 30 m spatial resolution was used for the study. Different morphometric parameters including stream order, stream length, bifurcation ratio, relief ratio, drainage density, stream frequency, drainage texture, form factor, circularity ratio, elongation ratio, infiltration number and ruggedness number and their impact on hydrological processes such as infiltration, runoff, peak flow, overland flow and erosion in the Offin River Basin were discussed. The result revealed that Offin River Basin exhibited a dendritic drainage pattern with higher values of drainage density (13.02 km/km), drainage texture (9.60), infiltration number (8.07) and ruggedness number (7.26). These values make the basin prone to structural control, high surface runoff and more susceptible to soil erosion and recurrent flooding. Morphometric study of the five major watersheds in the basin also indicated that the watersheds are prone to soil erosion and high runoff generation associated with flatter peak flow creating conductive environment for watershed conservation measures. The results obtained in the Offin River Basin and it watersheds could serve as a valuable empirical data for building a robust physical soil and water resources conservation structures and management plan for sustainable basin and watershed management.
Particulate Nitrate Measurement Using Nylon Filters

Abstract Nylon filters are a popular medium to collect atmospheric fine particles in different aerosol monitoring networks, including those operated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Interagency Monitoring of Protected Visual Environments (IMPROVE) program. Extraction of the filters by deionized water or by a basic aqueous solution (typically a mixture of sodium carbonate and sodium bicarbonate) is often performed to permit measurement of the inorganic ion content of the collected particles. Whereas previous studies have demonstrated the importance of using a basic solution to efficiently extract gaseous nitric acid collected using nylon filters, there has been a recent movement to the use of deionized water for extraction of particles collected on nylon filters to eliminate interference from sodium ion (Na+) during ion chromatographic analysis of inorganic aerosol cations. Results are reported here from a study designed to investigate the efficiency of deionized water extraction of aerosol nitrate (NO3 −) and sulfate from nylon filters. Data were obtained through the conduct of five field experiments at selected IMPROVE sites. Results indicate that the nylon filters provide superior retention of collected fine particle NO3 −, relative to Teflon filters, and that deionized water extraction (with ultrasonication) of collected NO3 − and sulfate is as efficient, for the situations studied, as extraction using a basic solution of 1.7 mM sodium bicarbonate and 1.8 mM sodium carbonate.
Characterizing the Use of Program Vulnerability Factors for Studying Transient Fault Tolerance in Multi-core Architectures

Semiconductor transient faults (soft errors) are a critical design concern in the reliability of computer systems. Most recent architecture research is focused on using performance models to provide Architecture Vulnerability Factor (AVF) estimates of processor reliability rather than deploying detailed fault injection into hardware RTL models. While AVF analysis provides support for investigating new fault tolerant architecture techniques, program execution characteristics are largely missing from determining periods of soft error susceptibility. The primary problem with AVF is that software periods of vulnerability substantially differ from micro-architecture periods of vulnerability. As research trends dictate finding ways to selectively enable software-based transient fault tolerant mechanisms, runtime and off-line experimental techniques must be guided equally by program behavior and hardware. To address issues with AVF as well as the efficiency of fault injection studies, we examine elements of Program Vulnerability Factor (PVF) in the context of multi-core architectures. PVF has previously been introduced to consider program behavior in the form of memory/register vulnerability, however we explore static and profile based techniques for extending the work. By leveraging PVF we explore some initial contributions to the area of computer architecture research. First, we demonstrate that a more efficient fault injection campaign can be constructed and the outcome of fault injections in application execution can be accurately predicted. Second, compiler optimizations can be applied to better understand how the compiler affects fault susceptibility and program behavior. Finally, we motivate the need for developing a PVF metric for program data that is communicated between cores.
Active Learning with Clustering

Active learning is an important field of machine learning and it is becoming more widely used in case of problems where labeling the examples in the training data set is expensive. In this paper we present a clustering-based algorithm used in the Active Learning Challenge. The algorithm is based on graph clustering with normalized cuts, and uses kmeans to extract representative points from the data and approximate spectral clustering for efficiently performing the computations.
Placement-driven technology mapping for LUT-based FPGAs

In this paper, we study the problem of placement-driven technology mapping for table-lookup based FPGA architectures to optimize circuit performance. Early work on technology mapping for FPGAs such as Chortle-d[14] and Flowmap[3] aim to optimize the depth of the mapped solution without consideration of interconnect delay. Later works such as Flowmap-d[7], Bias-Clus[4] and EdgeMap consider interconnect delays during mapping, but do not take into consideration the effects of their mapping solution on the final placement. Our work focuses on the interaction between the mapping and placement stages. First, the interconnect delay information is estimated from the placement, and used during the labeling process. A placement-based mapping solution which considers both global cell congestion and local cell congestion is then developed. Finally, a legalization step and detailed placement is performed to realize the design. We have implemented our algorithm in a LUT based FPGA technology mapping package named PDM (Placement-Driven Mapping) and tested the implementation on a set of MCNC benchmarks. We use the tool VPR[1][2] for placement and routing of the mapped netlist. Experimental results show the longest path delay on a set of large MCNC benchmarks decreased by 12.3% on the average.
Outcome-driven Evaluation Metrics for Treatment Recommendation Systems

Treatment recommendation systems aim to providing clinical decision supports, e.g. with integration of Computerized Physician Order Entry (CPOE). One of the most significant issue is the quality of recommendations which needs to be quantified, before getting the acceptance from physicians. In computer science, such evaluations are typically performed by applying appropriate metrics that provides a comparison of different systems. However, a big challenge for evaluating treatment recommendation systems is that ground truth is only partially observed. In this paper, we propose an outcome-driven evaluation methodology, and present five metrics (i.e. precision, recall, accuracy, relative risk and odds ratio) with highlight of their statistic meanings in clinical context. The experimental results are based on the comparison of two well-developed treatment recommendation systems (one is knowledge-driven and based on clinical practice guidelines, while the other is data-driven and based on patient similarity analysis), using our proposed evaluation metrics. As a conclusion, physicians are less prone to comply with clinical guidelines, but once following guideline recommendations, it is much more likely to get good outcomes than not following.
Mutational analysis of Rift Valley fever phlebovirus nucleocapsid protein indicates novel conserved, functional amino acids

Rift Valley fever phlebovirus (RVFV; Phenuiviridae, Phlebovirus) is an important mosquito-borne pathogen of both humans and ruminants. The RVFV genome is composed of tripartite, single stranded, negative or ambisense RNAs. The small (S) segment encodes both the nucleocapsid protein (N) and the non-structural protein (NSs). The N protein is responsible for the formation of the viral ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complexes, which are essential in the virus life cycle and for the transcription and replication of the viral genome. There is currently limited knowledge surrounding the roles of the RVFV nucleocapsid protein in viral infection other than its key functions: N protein multimerisation, encapsidation of the RNA genome and interactions with the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase, L. By bioinformatic comparison of the N sequences of fourteen phleboviruses, mutational analysis, minigenome assays and packaging assays, we have further characterised the RVFV N protein. Amino acids P11 and F149 in RVFV N play an essential role in the function of RNPs and are neither associated with N protein multimerisation nor known nucleocapsid protein functions and may have additional roles in the virus life cycle. Amino acid Y30 exhibited increased minigenome activity despite reduced RNA binding capacity. Additionally, we have determined that the N-terminal arm of N protein is not involved in N-L interactions. Elucidating the fundamental processes that involve the nucleocapsid protein will add to our understanding of this important viral protein and may influence future studies in the development of novel antiviral strategies.
Striving for Excellence Sometimes Hinders High Achievers: Performance-Approach Goals Deplete Arithmetical Performance in Students with High Working Memory Capacity

We tested whether the goal to attain normative superiority over other students, referred to as performance-approach goals, is particularly distractive for high-Working Memory Capacity (WMC) students—that is, those who are used to being high achievers. Indeed, WMC is positively related to high-order cognitive performance and academic success, a record of success that confers benefits on high-WMC as compared to low-WMC students. We tested whether such benefits may turn out to be a burden under performance-approach goal pursuit. Indeed, for high achievers, aiming to rise above others may represent an opportunity to reaffirm their positive status—a stake susceptible to trigger disruptive outcome concerns that interfere with task processing. Results revealed that with performance-approach goals—as compared to goals with no emphasis on social comparison—the higher the students’ WMC, the lower their performance at a complex arithmetic task (Experiment 1). Crucially, this pattern appeared to be driven by uncertainty regarding the chances to outclass others (Experiment 2). Moreover, an accessibility measure suggested the mediational role played by status-related concerns in the observed disruption of performance. We discuss why high-stake situations can paradoxically lead high-achievers to sub-optimally perform when high-order cognitive performance is at play.
Integrating X‐ray mapping and microtomography of garnet with thermobarometry to define the P–T evolution of the (near) UHP Międzygórze eclogite, Sudetes, SW Poland

Detailed X‐ray compositional mapping and microtomography have revealed the complex zoning and growth history of garnet in a kyanite‐bearing eclogite. The garnet occurs as clusters of coalesced grains with cores revealing slightly higher Ca and lower Mg than the rims forming the coalescence zones between the grains. Core regions of the garnet host inclusions of omphacite with the highest jadeite, and phengite with the highest Si, similar to values in the cores of omphacite and phengite located in the matrix. Therefore, the core compositions of garnet, omphacite, and phengite have been chosen for the peak pressure estimate. Coupled conventional thermobarometry, average P–T, and phase equilibrium modelling in the NCKFMMnASHT system yields P–T conditions of 26–30 kbar at 800–930°C. Although coesite is not preserved, these P–T conditions partially overlap the coesite stability field, suggesting near ultra‐high–pressure (UHP) conditions during the formation of this eclogite. Therefore, the peak pressure assemblage is suggested to have been garnet–omphacite–kyanite–phengite–coesite/quartz–rutile. Additional lines of evidence for the possible UHP origin of the Międzygórze eclogite are the presence of rod‐shaped inclusions of quartz parallel to the c‐axis in omphacite as well as relatively high values of Ca‐Tschermak and Ca‐Eskola components. Late zoisite, rare diopside–plagioclase symplectites rimming omphacite, and minor phlogopite–plagioclase symplectites replacing phengite formed during retrogression together with later amphibole. These retrograde assemblages lack minerals typical of granulite facies, which suggests simultaneous decompression and cooling during exhumation before the crustal‐scale folding that was responsible for final exhumation of the eclogite.
Development and performance analysis of real‐world applications for distributed and parallel architectures

Several large real‐world applications have been developed for distributed and parallel architectures. We examine two different program development approaches. First, the usage of a high‐level programming paradigm which reduces the time to create a parallel program dramatically but sometimes at the cost of a reduced performance; a source‐to‐source compiler, has been employed to automatically compile programs—written in a high‐level programming paradigm—into message passing codes. Second, a manual program development by using a low‐level programming paradigm—such as message passing—enables the programmer to fully exploit a given architecture at the cost of a time‐consuming and error‐prone effort. Performance tools play a central role in supporting the performance‐oriented development of applications for distributed and parallel architectures. SCALA—a portable instrumentation, measurement, and post‐execution performance analysis system for distributed and parallel programs—has been used to analyze and to guide the application development, by selectively instrumenting and measuring the code versions, by comparing performance information of several program executions, by computing a variety of important performance metrics, by detecting performance bottlenecks, and by relating performance information back to the input program. We show several experiments of SCALA when applied to real‐world applications. These experiments are conducted for a NEC Cenju‐4 distributed‐memory machine and a cluster of heterogeneous workstations and networks. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Identification of a Novel Bacterial Outer Membrane Interleukin-1Β-Binding Protein from Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans

Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans is a gram-negative opportunistic oral pathogen. It is frequently associated with subgingival biofilms of both chronic and aggressive periodontitis, and the diseased sites of the periodontium exhibit increased levels of the proinflammatory mediator interleukin (IL)-1β. Some bacterial species can alter their physiological properties as a result of sensing IL-1β. We have recently shown that this cytokine localizes to the cytoplasm of A. actinomycetemcomitans in co-cultures with organotypic gingival mucosa. However, current knowledge about the mechanism underlying bacterial IL-1β sensing is still limited. In this study, we characterized the interaction of A. actinomycetemcomitans total membrane protein with IL-1β through electrophoretic mobility shift assays. The interacting protein, which we have designated bacterial interleukin receptor I (BilRI), was identified through mass spectrometry and was found to be Pasteurellaceae specific. Based on the results obtained using protein function prediction tools, this protein localizes to the outer membrane and contains a typical lipoprotein signal sequence. All six tested biofilm cultures of clinical A. actinomycetemcomitans strains expressed the protein according to phage display-derived antibody detection. Moreover, proteinase K treatment of whole A. actinomycetemcomitans cells eliminated BilRI forms that were outer membrane specific, as determined through immunoblotting. The protein was overexpressed in Escherichia coli in both the outer membrane-associated form and a soluble cytoplasmic form. When assessed using flow cytometry, the BilRI-overexpressing E. coli cells were observed to bind 2.5 times more biotinylated-IL-1β than the control cells, as detected with avidin-FITC. Overexpression of BilRI did not cause binding of a biotinylated negative control protein. In a microplate assay, soluble BilRI bound to IL-1β, but this binding was not specific, as a control protein for IL-1β also interacted with BilRI. Our findings suggest that A. actinomycetemcomitans expresses an IL-1β-binding surface-exposed lipoprotein that may be part of the bacterial IL-1β-sensing system.
Negative bias in fast emotion discrimination in borderline personality disorder

Background The ability to decode emotional information from facial expressions is crucial for successful social interaction. Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is characterized by serious problems in interpersonal relationships and emotional functioning. Empirical research on facial emotion recognition in BPD has been sparsely published and results are inconsistent. To specify emotion recognition deficits in BPD more closely, the present study implemented two emotion recognition tasks differing in response format. Method Nineteen patients with BPD and 19 healthy subjects were asked to evaluate the emotional content of visually presented stimuli (emotional and neutral faces). The first task, the Fear Anger Neutral (FAN) Test, required a rapid discrimination between negative or neutral facial expressions whereas in the second task, the Emotion Recognition (ER) Test, a precise decision regarding default emotions (sadness, happiness, anger, fear and neutral) had to be achieved without a time limit. Results In comparison to healthy subjects, BPD patients showed a deficit in emotion recognition only in the fast discrimination of negative and neutral facial expressions (FAN Test). Consistent with earlier findings, patients demonstrated a negative bias in the evaluation of neutral facial expressions. When processing time was unlimited (ER Test), BPD patients performed as well as healthy subjects in the recognition of specific emotions. In addition, an association between performance in the fast discrimination task (FAN Test) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) co-morbidity was indicated. Conclusions Our data suggest a selective deficit of BPD patients in rapid and direct discrimination of negative and neutral emotional expressions that may underlie difficulties in social interactions.
SoundXY4: Supporting Tabletop Collaboration and Awareness with Ambisonics Spatialisation

Co-located tabletop tangible user interfaces (TUIs) for music performance are known for promoting multi-player collaboration with a shared interface, yet it is still unclear how to best support the awareness of the workspace in terms of understanding individual actions and the other group members actions, in parallel. In this paper, we investigate the effects of providing auditory feedback using ambisonics spatialisation, aimed at informing users about the location of the tangibles on the tabletop surface, with groups of mixed musical backgrounds. Participants were asked to improvise music on "SoundXY4: The Art of Noise", a tabletop system that includes sound samples inspired by Russolo's taxonomy of noises. We compared spatialisation vs. no-spatialisation conditions, and findings suggest that, when using spatialisation, there was a clearer workspace awareness, and a greater engagement in the musical activity as an immersive experience.
Technological integration: evidence of processes of structuring in governmental organizations

In this paper we study the reciprocal interaction between a specific technological construct of contemporary times, namely Information Systems (IS) for e-Government and the way human agents conceive of this construct and employ it in their daily conduct. We build our analysis around case studies concerning two European e-Government research and development projects and try to unravel the subtle threads that form this interaction. It is our position that technology affects our every-day experiences not more than it is shaped by them through recurrent processes of structuring. Finally, we draw on concepts and ideas from past attempts to conceptualize technological artifacts, from our personal experiences and from Structuration Theory to define the concept of "technological integration".
Spatial Interference and Individual Differences in Looking at Nothing for Verbal Memory

People tend to look at uninformative, blank locations in space when retrieving information. This gaze behaviour, known as looking at nothing, is assumed to be driven by the use of spatial indices associated with external information. We investigated whether people form spatial indices and look at nothing when retrieving words from memory. Participants were simultaneously presented four words. During retrieval participants looked at the relevant, blank location, where the probe word had appeared previously, longer than the other blank locations. Additionally, word presentation was sometimes followed by a visual cue either co-located or not with the probe word. Valid cues functioned as visual reinforcement while invalid cues caused interference. Finally, participants with better visuospatial memory looked less at the relevant, blank location, suggesting a dynamic relationship between so-called “external” and “internal” memory. Overall findings suggest an automatic, instantaneous spatial indexing mechanism for words and a dynamic looking at nothing behaviour.
Handling cross-tier interference in underlay macrocell system for future small cell networks

Spectrum sharing technology optimizes the usage of li- censed spectrum. Macrocell underlaid with femtocells constitutes a typical two-tier network for improving spectral efficiency and indoor coverage. Considering the end-user access control over a femtocell base station (FBS), with shared usage of the macrocell’s spectrum, we propose a cross-tier interference management be- tween the FBS and the macrocell base station (MBS). Our proposal uses the network infrastructure for interference cancellation at the FBS. Besides, we profit from terminal discovery to derive the inter- ference level from the femtocell to the macrocell. Thus, addition- ally we propose a power control method without cooperation from the MBS. Through simulation results and analysis, our proposal improves the underlay network performance for future advanced small cell networks.