Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An Empirical Comparison of Automated Generation and Classification Techniques for Object-Oriented Unit Testing

Testing involves two major activities: generating test inputs and determining whether they reveal faults. Automated test generation techniques include random generation and symbolic execution. Automated test classification techniques include ones based on uncaught exceptions and violations of operational models inferred from manually provided tests. Previous research on unit testing for object-oriented programs developed three pairs of these techniques: model-based random testing, exception-based random testing, and exception-based symbolic testing. We develop a novel pair, model-based symbolic testing. We also empirically compare all four pairs of these generation and classification techniques. The results show that the pairs are complementary (i.e., reveal faults differently), with their respective strengths and weaknesses
Prox1 ablation in hepatic progenitors causes defective hepatocyte specification and increases biliary cell commitment

The liver has multiple functions that preserve homeostasis. Liver diseases are debilitating, costly and often result in death. Elucidating the developmental mechanisms that establish the liver’s architecture or generate the cellular diversity of this organ should help advance the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of hepatic diseases. We previously reported that migration of early hepatic precursors away from the gut epithelium requires the activity of the homeobox gene Prox1. Here, we show that Prox1 is a novel regulator of cell differentiation and morphogenesis during hepatogenesis. Prox1 ablation in bipotent hepatoblasts dramatically reduced the expression of multiple hepatocyte genes and led to very defective hepatocyte morphogenesis. As a result, abnormal epithelial structures expressing hepatocyte and cholangiocyte markers or resembling ectopic bile ducts developed in the Prox1-deficient liver parenchyma. By contrast, excessive commitment of hepatoblasts into cholangiocytes, premature intrahepatic bile duct morphogenesis, and biliary hyperplasia occurred in periportal areas of Prox1-deficient livers. Together, these abnormalities indicate that Prox1 activity is necessary to correctly allocate cell fates in liver precursors. These results increase our understanding of differentiation anomalies in pathological conditions and will contribute to improving stem cell protocols in which differentiation is directed towards hepatocytes and cholangiocytes.
AH4S: an algorithm of text in text steganography using the structure of omega network

This article introduces a new technique to hide text-in-text messages. The proposed mechanism uses the structure of omega network to hide and extract secret messages. The generation of secret message is made as follows, take every letter from the original message, use the omega network to generate two related letters from the selected letter, and finally search the dictionary for a suitable English cover word to hide the generated two letters. In order to increase the chance of find a suitable words, the generated two letters need not to be adjacent in the cover word. As a result, the white-space steganography is used in order to hide the position of the two letters in the selected cover word. The experiments show that the proposed mechanism gives a better execution time and better cover words than the current similar mechanisms especially when we are trying to hide long text messages. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
New Genetic Algorithm for the Travelling Salesman Problem

Given a collection of cities and the cost of travel between each pair of them, the traveling salesman problem is to find the cheapest way of visiting all of the cities and returning to starting point. The simplicity of the statement of the problem is deceptive, the traveling salesman problem is one of the most intensely studied problems in computational mathematics and yet no effective solution method is known for the general case. This problem is one of the most difficult problems in the NP-hard class, which implies that finding a polynomial time algorithm to solve it is unlikely. There are different methods ranging from exact to heuristic and metaheuristics. It takes a long time to have an optimum solution with exact algorithms, so several heuristics have been proposed for handling near optimum solutions. In this study, a genetic algorithm as a heuristic optimization technique and neighborhood approximation is developed. This new algorithm’s solvability in benchmark and symmetric traveling salesman problem instances is tested problems in the sense that traveling from city X to city Y costs just as much as traveling from Y to X, and results are listed.
Genomic and Molecular Profiling Predicts Response to Temozolomide in Melanoma

Purpose: Despite objective response rates of only ∼13%, temozolomide remains one of the most effective single chemotherapy agents against metastatic melanoma, second only to dacarbazine, the current standard of care for systemic treatment of melanoma. The goal of this study was to identify molecular and/or genetic markers that correlate with, and could be used to predict, response to temozolomide-based treatment regimens and that reflect the intrinsic properties of a patient's tumor. Experimental Design: Using a panel of 26 human melanoma-derived cell lines, we determined in vitro temozolomide sensitivity, O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) activity, MGMT protein expression and promoter methylation status, and mismatch repair proficiency, as well as the expression profile of 38,000 genes using an oligonucleotide-based microarray platform. Results: The results showed a broad spectrum of temozolomide sensitivity across the panel of cell lines, with IC50 values ranging from 100 μmol/L to 1 mmol/L. There was a significant correlation between measured temozolomide sensitivity and a gene expression signature–derived prediction of temozolomide sensitivity (P < 0.005). Notably, MGMT alone showed a significant correlation with temozolomide sensitivity (MGMT activity, P < 0.0001; MGMT expression, P ≤ 0.0001). The promoter methylation status of the MGMT gene, however, was not consistent with MGMT gene expression or temozolomide sensitivity. Conclusions: These results show that melanoma resistance to temozolomide is conferred predominantly by MGMT activity and suggest that MGMT expression could potentially be a useful tool for predicting the response of melanoma patients to temozolomide therapy.
Early childhood television viewing and adolescent behavior: the recontact study.

In this Monograph, we report the follow-up of 570 adolescents who had been studied as preschoolers in one of two separate investigations of television use. The primary goal of the study was to determine the long-term relations between preschool television viewing and adolescent achievement, behavior, and attitudes. Using a telephone interview and high school transcripts, we assessed adolescent media use; grades in English, science, and math; leisure reading; creativity; aggression; participation in extracurricular activities; use of alcohol and cigarettes; and self-image. In each domain, we tested theories emphasizing the causal role of television content (e.g., social learning, information processing) as contrasted with those theories positing effects of television as a medium, irrespective of content (e.g., time displacement, pacing, interference with language). The results provided much stronger support for content-based hypotheses than for theories emphasizing television as a medium; moreover, the patterns differed for boys and girls. Viewing educational programs as preschoolers was associated with higher grades, reading more books, placing more value on achievement, greater creativity, and less aggression. These associations were more consistent for boys than for girls. By contrast, the girls who were more frequent preschool viewers of violent programs had lower grades than those who were infrequent viewers. These associations held true after taking into account family background, other categories of preschool viewing, and adolescent media use. One hypothesis accounting for the sex differences is that early experiences, such as television viewing, have greater effects when they counteract normative developmental trends and predominant sex-typed socialization influences than when they reinforce them. Adolescents in the study used both television and print media to support ongoing interests. Television content (e.g., entertainment, sports, or world events) predicted extracurricular activities, role models, and body image. The only evidence for possible effects of television as a medium was the positive relation of total viewing to obesity for girls. The medium of television is not homogeneous or monolithic, and content viewed is more important than raw amount. The medium is not the message: The message is.
Investment Taxation and Portfolio Performance

We use the federal tax codes from 1926 through 2009 to construct the after-tax returns that individual investors, corporations, and broker–dealers would have generated on a set of benchmark portfolios. Portfolio strategies differ in the pace of capital gains realizations. This creates important heterogeneity in effective investment taxation beyond that implied by dividend yields. Tax burdens reduce the return premium that value portfolios earn over growth portfolios and the premium of small market capitalization portfolios over large market capitalization portfolios. Tax burdens exacerbate the equity premium puzzle, although they help explain mixed empirical results about the dividend preferences of high income and corporate investors.
Unsupervised Learning of Name Structure From Coreference Data

We present two methods for learning the structure of personal names from unlabeled data. The first simply uses a few implicit constraints governing this structure to gain a toehold on the problem --- e.g., descriptors come before first names, which come before middle names, etc. The second model also uses possible coreference information. We found that coreference constraints on names improve the performance of the model from 92.6% to 97.0%. We are interested in this problem in its own right, but also as a possible way to improve named entity recognition (by recognizing the structure of different kinds of names) and as a way to improve noun-phrase coreference determination.
Low-Rank Matrix Completion over Finite Abelian Group Algebras for Context-Aware Recommendation

The incorporation of contextual information is an important part of context-aware recommendation. Many context-aware recommendation systems adopt tensor completion to include contextual information. However, the symmetries between dimensions of a tensor induce an unreasonable assumption that users, items and contexts should be treated equally in recommender systems. In this paper, we address this by using matrices over finite abelian group algebra (AGA) to model context-aware interactions between users and items. Specifically, we formulate context-aware recommendation as a low-rank matrix completion problem over AGA (MC-AGA) and derive a new algorithm using the inexact augmented Lagrange multiplier method. We then test MC-AGA on two real-world datasets: one containing implicit feedback and one with explicit feedback. Experiment results show that MC-AGA outperforms not only existing tensor completion algorithms but also recommendation systems with other context-aware representations.
Polymer–filler interactions in a tire compound reinforced with silica

Elastomers, usually, are reinforced with reinforcing filler in order to improve their mechanical properties like tensile strength and abrasion resistance. The efficiency of this reinforcement is correlated with different factors like filler structure, surface area, and polymer–filler interactions. This study presents a methodology to quantify the bound rubber attached to the reinforcing filler silica using the thermogravimetric analyzer. Three typical rubber compounds used in tread tire were studied. In the samples tested, the silica content was kept constant, varying only the percentage of the coupling agents. Considering the results of the thermal analysis, physical, mechanical, and rheological tests, the thermogravimetric analysis has proved to be a very useful technique in evaluating the interaction of filler and polymer.
Factors influencing timing resolution in a commercial LSO PET camera

The CPS Accel is a commercial PET camera based on a block detector with 64 LSO scintillator crystals (each 6.75/spl times/6.75/spl times/25 mm) read out with 4 photomultiplier tubes. The excellent timing resolution of LSO suggests that this camera might be used for time-of-flight (TOF) PET, thereby reducing the statistical noise significantly. Although the Accel achieves 3 ns coincidence resolution (a factor of two better than BGO-based PET cameras), its timing resolution is nearly an order of magnitude worse than that demonstrated with individual LSO crystals. This paper quantifies the effect on the timing of each component in the Accel timing chain to identify which components most limit the camera's timing resolution. The components in the timing chain are: the scintillator crystal, the photomultiplier tube (PMT), the constant fraction discriminator (CFD), and the time to digital converter (TDC). To measure the contribution of each component, we construct a single crystal test system with high-performance versions of these components. This system achieves 221 ps FWHM coincidence timing resolution, which is used as a baseline measurement. One of the high-performance components is replaced by a production component, the coincidence timing resolution is re-measured, and the difference between measurements is the contribution of that (production) component. We find that the contributions of the TDC, CFD, PMT, and scintillator are 2000 ps, 1354 ps, 422 ps, and 326 ps FWHM, respectively, and that the overall timing resolution scales like the square root of the amount of scintillation light detected by the PMT. Based on these measurements we predict that the limit for the coincidence timing resolution in a practical, commercial, LSO-based PET camera is 528 ps FWHM.
A Fast servoing strategy for nonholonomic mobile robot with RGB-D sensing

In this paper, a servoing controller composing both homographic relation and direct depth information is designed without decoupling the depth as past contributions have done. The servoing strategy does not need homograghy matrix decomposing to get rotation and displacement, or massive depth data computing, leading to less complex in calculation and faster in operation. The wheeled mobile robot computes the vector normal of and the distance to the feature plane to obtain relative current pose with a fixed RGB-D sensor mounted in direction of the robot linear velocity. Simulation and experiment results are shown for feasibility verification of the RGB-D servoing strategy.
A First Course in Stochastic Models

tions. Bootstrap has found many applications in engineering field, including artificial neural networks, biomedical engineering, environmental engineering, image processing, and radar and sonar signal processing. Basic concepts of the bootstrap are summarized in each section as a step-by-step algorithm for ease of implementation. Most of the applications are taken from the signal processing literature. The principles of the bootstrap are introduced in Chapter 2. Both the nonparametric and parametric bootstrap procedures are explained. Babu and Singh (1984) have demonstrated that in general, these two procedures behave similarly for pivotal (Studentized) statistics. The fact that the bootstrap is not the solution for all of the problems has been known to statistics community for a long time; however, this fact is rarely touched on in the manuscripts meant for practitioners. It was first observed by Babu (1984) that the bootstrap does not work in the infinite variance case. Bootstrap Techniques for Signal Processing explains the limitations of bootstrap method with an example. I especially liked the presentation style. The basic results are stated without proofs; however, the application of each result is presented as a simple step-by-step process, easy for nonstatisticians to follow. The bootstrap procedures, such as moving block bootstrap for dependent data, along with applications to autoregressive models and for estimation of power spectral density, are also presented in Chapter 2. Signal detection in the presence of noise is generally formulated as a testing of hypothesis problem. Chapter 3 introduces principles of bootstrap hypothesis testing. The topics are introduced with interesting real life examples. Flow charts, typical in engineering literature, are used to aid explanations of the bootstrap hypothesis testing procedures. The bootstrap leads to second-order correction due to pivoting; this improvement in the results due to pivoting is also explained. In the second part of Chapter 3, signal processing is treated as a regression problem. The performance of the bootstrap for matched filters as well as constant false-alarm rate matched filters is also illustrated. Chapters 2 and 3 focus on estimation problems. Chapter 4 introduces bootstrap methods used in model selection. Due to the inherent structure of the subject matter, this chapter may be difficult for nonstatisticians to follow. Chapter 5 is the most impressive chapter in the book, especially from the standpoint of statisticians. It provides real data bootstrap applications to illustrate the theory covered in the earlier chapters. These include applications to optimal sensor placement for knock detection and land-mine detection. The authors also provide a MATLAB toolbox comprising frequently used routines. Overall, this is a very useful handbook for engineers, especially those working in signal processing.
Development of Self-Compatible B. rapa by RNAi-Mediated S Locus Gene Silencing

The self-incompatibility (SI) system is genetically controlled by a single polymorphic locus known as the S-locus in the Brassicaceae. Pollen rejection occurs when the stigma and pollen share the same S-haplotype. Recognition of S-haplotype specificity has recently been shown to involve at least two S-locus genes, S-receptor kinase (SRK) and S-locus protein 11 or S locus Cysteine-rich (SP11/SCR) protein. Here, we examined the function of S60, one SP11/SCR allele of B. rapa cv. Osome, using a RNAi-mediated gene silencing approach. The transgenic RNAi lines were highly self-compatible, and this trait was stable in subsequent generations, even after crossing with other commercial lines. These findings also suggested that the resultant self-compatibility could be transferred to commercial cultivars with the desired performances in B. rapa.
Outcomes of Adaptive Sports and Recreation Participation among Veterans Returning from Combat with Acquired Disability

The purpose of this study was to examine changes in quality of life, mood states, and sports related competence for veterans of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom who participated in a therapeutic adaptive sports and recreation program. The researchers hypothesized that participation would lead to increases in physical, psychological, social, and environmental QoL, increases in sports related competence, and reductions in mood disturbances such as depression and anger. A total of 18 veterans participated in one of three week-long therapeutic and adaptive sports programs in Sun Valley Idaho. Veterans responded on a pretest and posttest questionnaire. Because no control group was available, multiple paired sample t-tests with Bonferoni adjustments were used to look at the differences between the pretest and posttest scores. Results identified significant pre and posttest differences in psychological health, overall quality of life, mood states including tension, depression, anger, and vigor, and sports related competence. The results highlight the impact that therapeutic adaptive sports and recreation programs potentially have for combat veterans in areas of quality of life, reduction of mood disturbances, and sports related competence.
Carbon Nanotube Reinforced Intermetallic

Iron aluminides (Fe3Al) based composite with different amounts of multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWNT) have been prepared by using spark plasma sintering. Effect of MWNTs content on the mechanical properties was investigated. The compressive yield strength and fracture toughness of the 3 vol% MWNTs–Fe3Al composite, compared with the monolithic Fe3Al, were enhanced 73.6% and 40%, respectively. The main reinforced mechanisms include MWNTs pulling-out, crack deflection, bridging and MWNTs rupture. The defects and aligning direction of MWNTs in the matrix are also the factors that affect the mechanical properties of composites as prepared.
The Effect of Metabolism-Boosting Beverages on 24-hr Energy Expenditure

The effect of thermogenic meal replacement beverages (TMRB) containing 90 mg EGCG and 100 mg of caf- feine on resting energy expenditure (REE) was tested. Thirty adults (19 women, 11 men) were stratified into 3 groups: lean (n=10, BMI 21.5 ± 2.1); overweight/obese (OW) (n=10, BMI 29.8 ± 2.7); or weight maintainers (WM) (n=10, BMI 28.8 ± 4.0). Following an overnight fast, baseline measurements, including REE via indirect calorimetry, were performed. REE was repeated at 30, 60, 90, and 120 minutes after consuming a TMRB. Appetite was assessed via visual analogue scale at baseline, 30 minutes and 120 minutes after the TMRB. Mean 24-hour REE was increased 5.9 ± 2.5% overall (p=0.000), 5.7 ± 3.1% among lean subjects (p=0.0002), 5.3 ± 1.4% among OW subjects (p=0.000), and 6.8 ± 2.7% among WM (p=0.0007). Appetite was significantly reduced 30 minutes after the TMRB (p=0.0002). TMRB appear to be a prom- ising weight control tool.
Broadcast Flooding Revisited: Survivability and Latency

This paper addresses the dynamics of broadcast flooding in random wireless ad hoc networks. In particular, we study the subset of nodes covered by a flood as well as timing issues related to the first (latency) and the last time (duration of back-chatter) at which a broadcast is received by a fixed node. Notably, this analysis takes into account the MAC-layer as well as background traffic which both are often neglected in related studies. Assuming a protocol model for the transmission channel which accounts for carrier sensing and interference, we find bounds for the probability of survival of the flood and for its coverage probabilities. Moreover, under certain conditions on the parameters, we establish asymptotical linear bounds on the latency as the distance from the origin of the flood increases and show that the duration of the back-chatter is stochastically bounded. The analytical results are compared to simulation.
Minimizing Musculoskeletal Discomfort in the Workplace: An Age Based Approach

America’s work force is aging but very little is known about functional limitations (e.g., changes in vision, hearing, musculoskeletal system) and how that affects individual performance, productivity and the needs of aging workers. Four hundred eight employees at a college campus completed a web-based questionnaire. There was a significant difference between older and younger workers with regards to both mental and physical health compared to five years ago. Older workers (ages 45 and over) reported greater degrees of physical declines than younger respondents. The largest decline in older respondents was found in eyesight followed by upper/lower back strength and muscle strength. As for specific changes in mental health characteristics, older respondents showed greater degrees of decline in memory, reaction time, and learning ability. Workers that participated in ergonomics training were more likely to change their work environment to reduce discomfort and enhance their performance. Health promotion programs of this type should be encouraged by employers. © 2006 Californian Journal of Health Promotion. All rights reserved.