Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Using Count Data Models in Travel Cost Analysis with Aggregate Data

In order to control for censoring and the integer nature of trip demand, the use of count ata models in travel cost analysis is attractive. Two such models, the Poisson and negative binomial, are discussed. Robust estimation techniques that loosen potentially stringent distributional assumptions are also reviewed. For illustrative purposes, several ount data models are used to estimate a county-level travel cost model using permit ata from the Boundary Waters Canoe Area.
Automatic Guidance of a Surgical Instrument with Ultrasound Based Visual Servoing

Visual servoing is a possible solution to assist the surgeon in performing tasks under ultrasound (US) imaging. To this aim, a system was developed that allows the surgeon to select a desired instrument location on a US image. Then a robot is programmed to automatically move the instrument towards the selected location. This approach requires robust tracking of the instrument in the US image, together with modeling of the overall system and implementation of a visual servoing loop. This paper presents geometrical and kinematic models of the system, as well as the control loop design, which is validated through both numerical simulations, and results of in vitro experiments.
Oligodendrocytes and Microglia Are Selectively Vulnerable to Combined Hypoxia and Hypoglycemia Injury in Vitro

The major classes of glial cells, namely astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, and microglial cells were compared in parallel for their susceptibility to damage after combined hypoxia and hypoglycemia or hypoxia alone. The three glial cell types were isolated from neonatal rat brains, separated, and incubated in N2/CO2-gassed buffer-containing glucose or glucose substitutes, 2-deoxyglucose or mannitol (both nonmetabolizable sugars). The damage to the cells after 6 hours' exposure was determined at 0, 1, 3, 7 days based on release of lactate dehydrogenase and counting of ethidium bromide–stained dead cells, double-stained with cell-type specific markers. When 2-deoxyglucose replaced glucose during 6 hours of hypoxia, both oligodendrocytes and microglia rarely survived (18% and 12%, respectively). Astroglia initially increased the release of lactate dehydrogenase but maintained 98% to 99% viability. When mannitol, a radical scavenger and osmolarity stabilizer, replaced glucose during 6 hours of hypoxia, oligodendrocytes rarely survived (10%), astroglia survival remained at 99%, but microglia survival increased to 50%. After exposure to 6 and 42 hours, respectively, of hypoxic conditions alone, oligodendrocytes exhibited 10% survival whereas microglia and astroglia were only temporarily stressed and subsequently survived. In conclusion, oligodendrocytes, then microglia, are the most vulnerable glial cell types in response to hypoxia or hypoglycemia conditions, whereas astrocytes from the same preparations recover.
Transgenic Plant Cells Lacking Mitochondrial Alternative Oxidase Have Increased Susceptibility to Mitochondria-Dependent and -Independent Pathways of Programmed Cell Death1

The plant mitochondrial electron transport chain is branched such that electrons at ubiquinol can be diverted to oxygen via the alternative oxidase (AOX). This pathway does not contribute to ATP synthesis but can dampen the mitochondrial generation of reactive oxygen species. Here, we establish that transgenic tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L. cv Petit Havana SR1) cells lacking AOX (AS8 cells) show increased susceptibility to three different death-inducing compounds (H2O2, salicylic acid [SA], and the protein phosphatase inhibitor cantharidin) in comparison with wild-type cells. The timing and extent of AS8 cell death are very similar among the three treatments and, in each case, are accompanied by the accumulation of oligonucleosomal fragments of DNA, indicative of programmed cell death. Death induced by H2O2 or SA occurs by a mitochondria-dependent pathway characterized by cytochrome c release from the mitochondrion. Conversely, death induced by cantharidin occurs by a pathway without any obvious mitochondrial involvement. The ability of AOX to attenuate these death pathways may relate to its ability to maintain mitochondrial function after insult with a death-inducing compound or may relate to its ability to prevent chronic oxidative stress within the mitochondrion. In support of the latter, long-term treatment of AS8 cells with an antioxidant compound increased the resistance of AS8 cells to SA- or cantharidin-induced death. The results indicate that plants maintain both mitochondria-dependent and -independent pathways of programmed cell death and that AOX may act as an important mitochondrial “survival protein” against such death.
Latency-optimal Uniform Atomic Broadcast algorithm

We present a new asynchronous Uniform Atomic Broadcast algorithm with a delivery latency of two communication steps in optimistic settings, which is faster than any other known algorithm and has been shown to be the lower bound. It also has the weakest possible liveness requirements (the Ω failure detector and a majority of correct processes) and achieves three new lower bounds presented in this paper. Finally, we introduce a new notation and several new abstractions, which are used to construct and present the algorithm in a clear and modular way.
An Empirical Examination of Moral Hazard in the Vehicle Inspection Market

Moral hazard arises in "diagnosis-cure" markets such as auto repair and health care when sellers have an incentive to misrepresent a buyer's condition in order to increase demand for the treatments they supply. This article examines the market for California vehicle emission inspections. Using transaction-level data, I investigate whether the market provides incentives that lead inspectors to help vehicles pass and how the behavior of inspectors varies with their firm's organizational characteristics. I find that consumers are generally able to provide firms and inspectors incentives to help them pass, and I find cross-firm differences that are consistent with agency theory.
Attentional Mechanisms for Socially Interactive Robots–A Survey

This review intends to provide an overview of the state of the art in the modeling and implementation of automatic attentional mechanisms for socially interactive robots. Humans assess and exhibit intentionality by resorting to multisensory processes that are deeply rooted within low-level automatic attention-related mechanisms of the brain. For robots to engage with humans properly, they should also be equipped with similar capabilities. Joint attention, the precursor of many fundamental types of social interactions, has been an important focus of research in the past decade and a half, therefore providing the perfect backdrop for assessing the current status of state-of-the-art automatic attentional-based solutions. Consequently, we propose to review the influence of these mechanisms in the context of social interaction in cutting-edge research work on joint attention. This will be achieved by summarizing the contributions already made in these matters in robotic cognitive systems research, by identifying the main scientific issues to be addressed by these contributions and analyzing how successful they have been in this respect, and by consequently drawing conclusions that may suggest a roadmap for future successful research efforts.
Probabilistic consistency analysis for gene selection

A great deal of recent research has focused on the problem of selecting differentially expressed genes from microarray data ('gene selection'). Recent theoretical work has shown that the effectiveness of a gene selection algorithm can be captured as a probability called 'selection accuracy'. Unfortunately, in practice, there tends to be relatively little known about the very features upon which selection accuracy depends, making it difficult to choose a suitable method. In this paper we present a 'consistency analysis' which allows the inference of posterior distributions over selection accuracy from data. The utility of our approach lies in the fact that it can be used to assess gene selection algorithms in a practical but principled manner, and thus choose an appropriate method for given experimental data.
On the Mechanism of MgATP-dependent Gating of CFTR Cl− Channels

CFTR, the product of the gene mutated in cystic fibrosis, is an ATPase that functions as a Cl− channel in which bursts of openings separate relatively long interburst closed times (τib). Channel gating is controlled by phosphorylation and MgATP, but the underlying molecular mechanisms remain controversial. To investigate them, we expressed CFTR channels in Xenopus oocytes and examined, in excised patches, how gating kinetics of phosphorylated channels were affected by changes in [MgATP], by alterations in the chemical structure of the activating nucleotide, and by mutations expected to impair nucleotide hydrolysis and/or diminish nucleotide binding affinity. The rate of opening to a burst (1/τib) was a saturable function of [MgATP], but apparent affinity was reduced by mutations in either of CFTR's nucleotide binding domains (NBDs): K464A in NBD1, and K1250A or D1370N in NBD2. Burst duration of neither wild-type nor mutant channels was much influenced by [MgATP]. Poorly hydrolyzable nucleotide analogs, MgAMPPNP, MgAMPPCP, and MgATPγS, could open CFTR channels, but only to a maximal rate of opening ∼20-fold lower than attained by MgATP acting on the same channels. NBD2 catalytic site mutations K1250A, D1370N, and E1371S were found to prolong open bursts. Corresponding NBD1 mutations did not affect timing of burst termination in normal, hydrolytic conditions. However, when hydrolysis at NBD2 was impaired, the NBD1 mutation K464A shortened the prolonged open bursts. In light of recent biochemical and structural data, the results suggest that: nucleotide binding to both NBDs precedes channel opening; at saturating nucleotide concentrations the rate of opening to a burst is influenced by the structure of the phosphate chain of the activating nucleotide; normal, rapid exit from bursts occurs after hydrolysis of the nucleotide at NBD2, without requiring a further nucleotide binding step; if hydrolysis at NBD2 is prevented, exit from bursts occurs through a slower pathway, the rate of which is modulated by the structure of the NBD1 catalytic site and its bound nucleotide. Based on these and other results, we propose a mechanism linking hydrolytic and gating cycles via ATP-driven dimerization of CFTR's NBDs.
Complex Geometry and Representations of Lie Groups

Let Z = G/Q be a complex flag manifold and let Go be a real form of G. Then the representation theory of the real reductive Lie group Go is intimately connected with the geometry of Go-orbits on Z. The open orbits correspond to the discrete series representations and their analytic continuations, closed orbits correspond to the principal series, and certain other orbits give the other series of tempered representations. Here I try to indicate some of that interplay between geometry and analysis, concentrating on the complex geometric aspects of the open orbits and the related representations.
Spatial distribution analysis of unigrams and bigrams of hindi literary document

In this paper the spatial distribution analysis of a very famous Hindi literary document “Godan” authored by the great novelist Munshi Premchand has been presented. We have attempted to perform a thorough and comprehensive spatial distribution analysis of different kinds of words (unigram) and word pairs (bigrams) in the document. Single words have been divided into stop words, keywords and non-keywords while word pairs have been divided into stop-phrases, key phrases and non-key phrases. Our proposition is that the nature of the spatial distribution pattern of different types of unigrams and bigrams in the text is different and there is a significant similarity between spatial distribution patterns for the unigrams and bigrams of same type. In this paper, we have selected a lot of example words from the text and generated their spatial distribution graphs to prove our assertion.
Refining PRNU-based detection of image forgeries

Photo Response Non-Uniformity (PRNU) noise can be considered as a spread-spectrum watermark embedded in every image taken by the source imaging device. It has been effectively used for localizing the forgeries in digital images. The noise residual extracted from the image in question is compared with the reference PRNU in a sliding-window based manner. If their normalized cross correlation, which servers as a decision statistic, is below a pre-determined threshold (e.g., by Neyman-Pearson criterion), the center pixel in the window is declared as forged. However, the decision statistic is calculated over the forged and the non-forged regions when the sliding window falls near the boundary of the two different regions. As a result, the corresponding pixels of the forged region are probably wrongly identified as genuine ones. To alleviate this problem, we analyze the correlation distribution in the problematic region and refine the detection by weighting the decision threshold based on the altered correlation distribution. The effectiveness of the proposed refining algorithm is confirmed through the results of detecting three different kinds of realistic image forgeries.
On AS-level path inference

The ability to discover the AS-level path between two end-points is valuable for network diagnosis, performance optimization, and reliability enhancement. Virtually all existing techniques and tools for path discovery require direct access to the source. However, the uncooperative nature of the Internet makes it difficult to get direct access to any remote end-point. Path inference becomes challenging when we have no access to the source or the destination. Moveover even when we have access to the source and know the forward path, it is nontrivial to infer the reverse path, since the Internet routing is often asymmetric.In this paper, we explore the feasibility of AS-level path inference without direct access to either end-points. We describe RouteScope-a tool for inferring AS-level paths by finding the shortest policy paths in an AS graph obtained from BGP tables collected from multiple vantage points. We identify two main factors that affect the path inference accuracy: the accuracy of AS relationship inference and the ability to determine the first AS hop. To address the issues, we propose two novel techniques: a new AS relation-ship inference algorithm, and a novel scheme to infer the first AS hop by exploiting the TTL information in IP packets. We evaluate the effectiveness of RouteScope using both BGP tables and the AS paths collected from public BGP gateways. Our results show that it achieves 70% - 88% accuracy in path inference.
Frequency-domain analysis of nonlinear and linear integrators

In this paper, frequency-domain analysis based on frequency sweep method is presented for a nonlinear double integrator and a new linear integrator. All the two types of integrators can estimate the onefold and double integrals of a signal synchronously. With respect to the linear double integrator, the nonlinear integrator has better estimation performance and stronger robustness. Importantly, the integrator parameters can be regulated from the frequency-domain analysis.
Design of the Electromagnetic Compatibility Detection and Diagnosis System Based on LabVIEW

The design and application of an electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) detection and diagnosis system are introduced in this paper. Combining the software platform based on LabVIEW and the hardware equipment, the system is used to detect and diagnose the EMC properties of the equipment under test (EUT) and also to detect the electromagnetic environment, which is of great significance for solving EMC problems and electromagnetic environment monitoring.
Parallel Implementation of Compressive Sensing Based SAR Imaging with GPU

The paper proposed a new scheme for parallel implementation of compressive sensing based SAR imaging on GPU with Iterative Shrinkage/Thresholding algorithm. To get a faster recovery speed, we modified the existed IST algorithm structure, and realized the fast implementation on GPU. The experiment result shows that parallel computing capabilities of GPU have a significant speedup in comparison with computing capability of CPU
Discovering Predictable Classifications

Prediction problems are among the most common learning problems for neural networks (e.g., in the context of time series prediction, control, etc.). With many such problems, however, perfect prediction is inherently impossible. For such cases we present novel unsupervised systems that learn to classify patterns such that the classifications are predictable while still being as specific as possible. The approach can be related to the IMAX method of Becker and Hinton (1989) and Zemel and Hinton (1991). Experiments include a binary stereo task proposed by Becker and Hinton, which can be solved more readily by our system.
Reporting Empirical Research in Global Software Engineering: A Classification Scheme

Increased popularity of global software engineering (GSE) has resulted in quite a number of research and industrial studies. As the area matures, an increased focus on empirically supported results leads to a greater potential impact on future research and industrial practice. However, since GSE scenarios are diverse, what works in one context might not directly apply in another. Thus it is necessary to understand, how GSE-related empirical findings should be reported to be useful for practitioners and researchers. Furthermore, itdasias important to summarize progress and get the big picture of published research to identify gaps and commonalities. In this paper we analyze differentiating factors of GSE scenarios and offer a classification scheme for describing the context of a GSE study. In addition, we report initial results of a systematic review on GSE-related empirical literature using papers from ICGSE 2006 and 2007, at the same time illustrating and evaluating the proposed scheme.
Micropuncture analysis of single-nephron function in NHE3-deficient mice.

The Na/H exchanger isoform 3 (NHE3) is expressed in the proximal tubule and thick ascending limb and contributes to the reabsorption of fluid and electrolytes in these segments. The contribution of NHE3 to fluid reabsorption was assessed by micropuncture in homozygous ( Nhe3 -/-) and heterozygous ( Nhe3 +/-) knockout mice, and in their wild-type (WT, Nhe3 +/+) littermates. Arterial pressure was lower in the Nhe3 -/-mice (89 ± 6 mmHg) compared with Nhe3 +/+ (118 ± 4) and Nhe3 +/-(108 ± 5). Collections from proximal and distal tubules demonstrated that proximal fluid reabsorption was blunted in both Nhe3 +/- and Nhe3 -/-mice (WT, 4.2 ± 0.3; Nhe3 +/-, 3.4 ± 0.2; and Nhe3 -/-, 2.6 ± 0.3 nl/min; P < 0.05). However, distal delivery of fluid was not different among the three groups of mice (WT, 3.3 ± 0.4 nl/min; Nhe3 +/-, 3.3 ± 0.2 nl/min; and Nhe3 -/-, 3.0 ± 0.4 nl/min; P < 0.05). In Nhe3 -/-mice, this compensation was largely attributable to decreased single-nephron glomerular filtration rate (SNGFR): 10.7 ± 0.9 nl/min in the Nhe3 +/+ vs. 6.6 ± 0.8 nl/min in the Nhe3 -/-, measured distally. Proximal-distal SNGFR differences in Nhe3 -/-mice indicated that much of the decrease in SNGFR was due to activation of tubuloglomerular feedback (TGF), and measurements of stop-flow pressure confirmed that TGF is intact in Nhe3 -/-animals. In contrast to Nhe3 -/-mice, normalization of early distal flow rate in Nhe3 +/-mice was not related to decreased SNGFR (9.9 ± 0.7 nl/min), but rather, to increased fluid reabsorption in the loop segment ( Nhe3 +/+, 2.6 ± 0.2; Nhe3 +/-, 3.6 ± 0.5 nl/min). We conclude that NHE3 is a major Na/H exchanger isoform mediating Na+ and fluid reabsorption in the proximal tubule. In animals with NHE3 deficiency, normalization of fluid delivery to the distal tubule is achieved through alterations in filtration rate and/or downstream transport processes.
Evolutionary modular neural networks for intelligent systems

The evolutionary approach to artificial neural networks has been rapidly developing in recent years and shows great potential as a powerful tool. However, most evolutionary neural networks have paid little attention to the fact that they can evolve from modules. This paper presents a hybrid method of modular neural networks and evolutionary algorithm as a promising model for intelligent systems. To build a neural network system that is rich in autonomy and creativity, some ideas of artificial life have been adopted. This paper describes the concepts and methodologies for the evolvable model of modular neural networks, which might not only develop spontaneously new functionality, but also grow and evolve its own structure autonomously. We show the potential of the method by applying it to a visual categorization task with handwritten digits. The evolutionary mechanism has shown a strong potential to generate useful network architectures from an initial set of randomly connected networks. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Stereoscopic Analysis of Optic Nerve Head Parameters in Primary Open Angle Glaucoma: The Glaucoma Stereo Analysis Study

Purpose The Glaucoma Stereo Analysis Study (GSAS), a cross sectional multicenter collaborative study, used a stereo fundus camera to assess various morphological parameters of the optic nerve head (ONH) in glaucoma patients and investigated the relationships between these parameters and patient characteristics. Subjects and Methods The study included 187 eyes of 187 subjects with primary open angle glaucoma or normal tension glaucoma (male: female = 100: 87, age = 61±9 years). Stereo pairs of ONH photographs were made with a stereo fundus camera (nonmyd WX). ONH morphological parameters were calculated with prototype analysis software. In addition to 35 standard parameters, we defined three novel parameters: disc tilt angle, rim decentering, and the absolute value of rim decentering. The correlation between each parameter and patient characteristics was analyzed with Spearman's rank correlation coefficient. Results Patient characteristics included refractive error of −3.38±3.75 diopters, intraocular pressure (IOP) of 13.6±2.6 mmHg, and visual field mean deviation (MD) of −4.71±3.26 dB. Representative ONH parameters included a horizontal disc width of 1.66±0.28 mm, vertical disc width of 1.86±0.23 mm, disc area of 2.42±0.63 mm2, cup area of 1.45±0.57 mm2, and cup volume of 0.31±0.22 mm3. Correlation analysis revealed significant negative associations between vertical cup-to-disc ratio (0.82±0.08) and MD (r = −0.40, P<0.01) and between disc tilt angle (10.5±12.5 degrees) and refractive error (r = −0.36, P<0.01). Seventy-five percent of the eyes had a positive value for rim decentering (0.30±0.42), indicating that rim thinning manifested more often as an inferior lesion than a superior lesion. Conclusion We used stereoscopic analysis to establish a database of ONH parameters, which may facilitate future studies of glaucomatous changes in ONH morphology.