Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
LETI: Latency Estimation Tool and Investigation of Neural Networks inference on Mobile GPU

A lot of deep learning applications are desired to be run on mobile devices. Both accuracy and inference time are meaningful for a lot of them. While the number of FLOPs is usually used as a proxy for neural network latency, it may be not the best choice. In order to obtain a better approximation of latency, research community uses look-up tables of all possible layers for latency calculation for the final prediction of the inference on mobile CPU. It requires only a small number of experiments. Unfortunately, on mobile GPU this method is not applicable in a straight-forward way and shows low precision. In this work, we consider latency approximation on mobile GPU as a data and hardware-specific problem. Our main goal is to construct a convenient latency estimation tool for investigation(LETI) of neural network inference and building robust and accurate latency prediction models for each specific task. To achieve this goal, we build open-source tools which provide a convenient way to conduct massive experiments on different target devices focusing on mobile GPU. After evaluation of the dataset, we learn the regression model on experimental data and use it for future latency prediction and analysis. We experimentally demonstrate the applicability of such an approach on a subset of popular NAS-Benchmark 101 dataset and also evaluate the most popular neural network architectures for two mobile GPUs. As a result, we construct latency prediction model with good precision on the target evaluation subset. We consider LETI as a useful tool for neural architecture search or massive latency evaluation. The project is available at this https URL
Ratio of Products of Mixture Gamma Variates with Applications to Wireless Communications

In this paper, the statistical properties of the product of independent and non-identically distributed mixture Gamma (MG) random variables (RVs) are provided first. Specifically, simple exact closed-form expressions for the probability density function (PDF), cumulative distribution function (CDF), and moment generating function (MGF) are derived in terms of univariate Meijer's $G$-function. The statistical characterisations of the distribution of the ratio of products of MG variates are then derived. These statistics are used to analyse the outage probability (OP), the average error probability for different modulation schemes, the effective rate (ER) of communications systems and the average area under the receiver operating characteristics (AUC) curve of energy detection over cascaded fading channels. Additionally, the lower bound of secure outage probability (SOP$^L$) and probability of non-zero secrecy capacity (PNSC) of the physical layer and the OP of the multihop communications systems with decode-and-forward (DF) relaying protocol and co-channel interference (CCI) are studied by utilising the statistics of the ratio of the products. The derived performance metrics are applied for the Beaulieu-Xie and $\alpha-\lambda-\eta-\mu$ shadowed fading channels that have not been yet investigated in the literature. Accordingly, the equivalent parameters of a MG distribution for the aforementioned channels are given. A comparison between the numerical results and the Monte Carlo simulations is presented to verify the validation of our analysis.
A Cline's formula for the generalized Drazin-Riesz inverses

Let X be Banach space, A,B,C be bounded linear operators on X satisfying operator equation ABA = ACA. In this note, we show that AC is generalized Drazin-Riesz invertible if and only if BA is generalized Drazin Riesz invertible. So, we generalize Cline’s formula to the case of the generalized Drazin-Riesz invertibility.
DeepACC: Automate Chromosome Classification based on Metaphase Images using Deep Learning Framework Fused with Prior Knowledge

Chromosome classification is an important but difficult and tedious task in karyotyping. Previous methods only classify manually segmented single chromosome, which is far from clinical practice. In this work, we propose a detection based method, DeepACC, to locate and fine classify chromosomes simultaneously based on the whole metaphase image. We firstly introduce the Additive Angular Margin Loss to enhance the discriminative power of model. To alleviate batch effects, we transform decision boundary of each class case-by-case through a siamese network which make full use of prior knowledges that chromosomes usually appear in pairs. Furthermore, we take the clinically seven group criterion as a prior knowledge and design an additional Group Inner-Adjacency Loss to further reduce inter-class similarities. 3390 metaphase images from clinical laboratory are collected and labelled to evaluate the performance. Results show that the new design brings encouraging performance gains comparing to the state-of-the-art baselines.
Historical Language Models in Cryptanalysis: Case Studies on English and German

In this paper, we study the impact of language models (LM) on decipherment of historical homophonic substitution ciphers. In particular, we investigate if deci-pherment by using hill-climbing and simulated annealing can benefit from LMs generated from historical texts in general and century-specific texts in particular. We carry out experiments on homophonic sub-stitution ciphers with English and German as plaintext languages. We take into account ciphertext length as well as n-gram size of the LMs. We compare the results on decipherment based on historical LMs with large LMs generated from modern texts. The results show that using historical LMs in decipherment of homophonic substitution ciphers leads to significantly better performance on ciphertext produced in the 17th century or earlier, and century-specific language models yield better re-sults on longer and older ciphertexts.
Dark Matter and Neutrinos in the Foggy Universe

Dark matter is predicted to be the main contribution to the matter content in the universe, in addition to ordinary baryonic matter such as protons and neutrons. However, we are limited in our knowledge of the nature of this main content of matter and some of its characteristics, hence the term ”the Foggy Universe”. The majority of the work included in this thesis is related to dark matter. It includes an investigation of the characteristics of dark matter haloes – structures expected to hold the galaxies/clusters – and a proposal to effectively search for dark matter particles through dark matter annihilation products such as gamma rays. In the last part of the thesis, we include a novel large-scale effect of cosmological neutrinos on haloes in the universe that is dependent on the neutrino mass. In more detail, this thesis is a collection of the contributions we made to cosmological research regarding the nature of dark matter. Motivated by the non-existence of halo concentrations for small mass haloes due to the poor mass resolution of N-body simulations, we propose and verify the agreement of an analytical mass-concentration model using the ellipsoidal collapse theory and assuming the conservation of total energy. Thereafter, and guided by the success of this prediction, we use this model to make analytical calculations that may be relevant for the indirect detection of dark matter particles using gamma-rays as by-products of dark matter annihilation. We consider noise estimates to include the expected gamma rays due to the formation of stars in the galaxies hosted by these haloes and the presence of the isotropic gamma-ray background to predict a signal-to-noise ratio as a function of halo mass in a bid to pinpoint the most interesting halo masses that should be good targets for this detection. Given that neutrinos are the second most abundant particle in the universe after the photons, we finish off by quantifying the effect of dynamical friction from primordial neutrinos that may slow down haloes and presented how this effect may be extracted from galaxy surveys using different galaxy species in redshift space. Although independent of the number density of galaxies in the survey, the confidence level of this proposed detection is dependent on the survey properties – such as the number of galaxies, mean redshift of the survey – and the neutrino properties such as the mass and hierarchy of the species and could be greater than 3σ using an optimal survey.
#WeWill Fight COVID-19: A Campus Social Norms Campaign Case Study

This survey-based study examined a social norms campaign promoting mask-wearing among college students during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. More positive face mask perceptions, greater motivation to wear masks, and greater likelihood to wear masks in public were associated with respondents having seen the campaign messages and believing they were effective. Findings suggest targeting subpopulations of college students to increase message effectiveness. Practical implications include the development of campaigns that go beyond the traditional norms correcting approach.
Human liver microbiota modeling strategy at the early onset of fibrosis

To understand the pathophysiological impact of liver microbiota on the early stages of fibrosis we identified the corresponding microbiota sequences and overcome the impact of different group size and patient origins with adapted statistical approaches. Liver samples with low liver fibrosis scores (F0, F1, F2) were collected from Romania(n=36), Austria(n=10), Italy(n=19), and Spain(n=17). The 16SrDNA gene was sequenced. We considered the frequency, sparsity, unbalanced sample size between cohorts to identify taxonomic profiles and statistical differences. Multivariate analyses, including adapted spectral clustering with L1-penalty fair-discriminant strategies, and predicted metagenomics were used to identify that 50 % of liver taxa were Enterobacteriaceae and Pseudomonadaceae. The Caulobacteraceae, Flavobacteriaceae and Propionibacteriaceae discriminated between F0 and F1. The preQ0 biosynthesis and pathways involving glucoryranose and glycogen degradation were negatively associated with liver fibrosis F1-F2 vs F0. Altogether, our results suggest a role of bacterial translocation to the liver in the progression of fibrosis. This statistical approach can identify microbial signatures and overcome issues regarding sample size differences, the impact of environment, and sets of analyses.
Investigation of the Evolution of the Height Profiles of Rain Microphysical Parameters: A Seasonal Comparison at a Tropical Location

The present study reveals the role of atmospheric instabilities towards varied raindrop size distribution scenarios below and above the atmospheric boundary layer over a tropical location, Kolkata ($22.57^{\mathrm{o}}$ N, $88.37^{\mathrm{o}}$ E), India near the land-sea boundary. The investigation has been undertaken from a set of experimental measurements which includes impact type disdrometer, Ka-band micro rain Doppler radar, multi-frequency radiometer, along with the outputs of ERA-5 re-analysis data. A detailed statistical and case study analysis revealed that significant drop break-up above the atmospheric boundary layer induces deviations in the usual power law relationship exhibited by rain rate (R) and mass-weighted mean drop diameter $(D_{m})$. The enhanced drop break-up phenomenon is seen to be more significant during the pre-monsoon season compared to the monsoon season.
Metronidazole-Loaded Camphor-Based In Situ Forming Matrix for Periodontitis Treatment

Periodontitis is a widespread oral health problem caused by bacterial infections that lead to tooth loss and other systemic diseases. The aim of this study was to provide an alternative treatment for periodontitis by developing a metronidazole-loaded in situ forming matrix (ISM) using camphor as its matrix former. Five-percent w/w metronidazole dissolved in N-methyl pyrrolidone (NMP) with varying concentrations of camphor (30–50% w/w) and triacetin (0–25% w/w) were used. The physicochemical properties and antimicrobial activities of formulations were evaluated. Results showed that as the percentage of camphor increased, viscosity, density, contact angle, surface tension, and force of injection increased, while water tolerance decreased. The same trend was observed when increasing the triacetin concentration. The optimal metronidazole-loaded ISM was obtained at 40% w/w camphor and 5% w/w triacetin, which prolonged the release of metronidazole up to 6 days with Fickian diffusion release profile. The higher concentration of triacetin slowed down the phase inversion that led to an incomplete formation of the matrix and resulted in an inefficiently prolonged release of the metronidazole. Antimicrobial activities demonstrated that the developed formulation efficiently inhibited periodontitis-induced microorganisms including Porphyromonas gingivalis, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Candida albicans. The metronidazole-loaded camphor-based ISM has potential as a new drug delivery system for periodontitis treatment.
Biomarkers for Duchenne muscular dystrophy progression: impact of age in the mdx tongue spared muscle

Background: Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a severe form of muscular dystrophy without an effective treatment, caused by mutations in the DMD gene, leading to the absence of dystrophin. DMD results in muscle weakness, loss of ambulation and death at an early age. Metabolomics studies in mdx mice, the most used model for DMD, reveal changes in metabolites associated with muscle degeneration and aging. In DMD, the tongue muscles exhibit unique behavior, initially showing partial protection against inflammation but later experiencing fibrosis and loss of muscle fibers. Certain metabolites and proteins, like TNF-α and TGF-β, are potential biomarkers for dystrophic muscle characterization. Methods: To investigate disease progression and aging, we utilized young (1-month old) and old (21–25 months old) mdx and wild-type mice. Metabolite changes were analyzed using 1-H Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, while TNF-α and TGF-β were assessed using Western blotting to examine inflammation, and fibrosis. Morphometric analysis was conducted to assess the extent of myofiber damage between groups. Results: The histological analysis of the tongue showed no differences between groups. No differences were found between the concentrations of metabolites from wild type or mdx animals of the same age. The metabolites alanine, methionine, 3-methylhistidine were higher, and taurine and glycerol were lower in young animals in both wild type and mdx (p < 0.001). The metabolites glycine (p < 0.001) and glutamic acid (p = 0.0018) were different only in the mdx groups, being higher in young mdx mice. Acetic acid, phosphocreatine, isoleucine, succinic acid, creatine and the proteins TNF-α and TGF-β had no difference in the analysis between groups (p > 0.05). Conclusions: Surprisingly, histological and protein analysis reveals that the tongue of young and old mdx animals is protected from severe myonecrosis observed in other muscles. The metabolites alanine, methionine, 3-methylhistidine, taurine, and glycerol may be effective for specific assessments, although their use for disease progression monitoring should be cautious due to age-related changes. Acetic acid, phosphocreatine, isoleucine, succinate, creatine, TNF-α, and TGF-β do not vary with aging and remain constant in spared muscles, suggesting their potential as specific biomarkers for DMD progression independent of aging.
THE EFFECT OF AUDIT EXPERIENCE ON AUDIT FEES – Evidence from the Audit Market of Large Finnish Companies

This study investigates the relationship between an audit signee’s overall audit experience and audit fees. In contrast with most prior literature, the study uses a measure of the overall experience of auditors to examine this relationship as opposed to measures such as audit tenure or industry specialization. The study is motivated mainly by the dearth of literature on the effects of auditors’ personal characteristics on audit work and fees and the opportunity provided by the Finnish regulatory context to examine these issues. The study uses data from the financial statements of the 500 largest Finnish companies from the fiscal years 2012-2016 to test whether audit fees are positively associated with experience. To this end, three audit fee regression models are constructed with varying definitions of the experience variable. The models are applied to two samples: a sample consisting of all the firm-year observations that fit the initial criteria and a subsample consisting only of audits conducted by the Big Four audit firms. The results of the study indicate that audit fees are not, overall, positively associated with audit experience, in contrast with expectations based on prior literature. However, significant associations were nonetheless found between experience and fees with two of the three models in both samples. The pattern that emerged from these results suggests that auditors initially gain experience that translates into higher fees during the first years of their careers after authorization, with fees reaching their peak at 6-15 years of experience. However, afterwards there is a statistically significant drop from these peak levels in fees. No sharp drop-off in fees is found for the most experienced auditors (26-40 years of experience) compared with those who have 16-25 years of experience. This pattern is similar in both the full sample as well as the Big Four subsample. The study thus extends the research on auditors’ personal characteristics by providing evidence partly inconsistent with prior literature. Although a positive association is not found, the results indicate that a well-defined experience variable may significantly contribute to audit fee models. Further research is encouraged to establish a better understanding of this relationship.
Macrolide-Resistant Mycoplasma pneumoniae Infection, Japan, 2008–2015

We evaluated isolates obtained from children with Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection throughout Japan during 2008–2015. The highest prevalence of macrolide-resistant M. pneumoniae was 81.6% in 2012, followed by 59.3% in 2014 and 43.6% in 2015. The prevalence of macrolide-resistant M. pneumoniae among children in Japan has decreased.
Macrolide-resistant Mycoplasma pneumoniae prevalence and clinical aspects in adult patients with community-acquired pneumonia in China: a prospective multicenter surveillance study.

Background Drug resistant Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP) is a rising issue in the management of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). Epidemiological monitoring is essential for identifying resistant patterns of MP isolates against various antibiotics in adult CAP patients. Methods This is a prospectively designed multicenter study conducted on adult patients with CAP visiting six teaching hospitals in the cities of Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou between September 2010 and June 2012. Results A total of 520 adult patients (mean age: 45.7±26.2 years) with CAP visiting teaching hospitals in the cities of Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou were included. Of the 520 patients, only 75 (14.42%) were confirmed MP positive by means of culture and real-time PCR methods. Quinolones were the most common initially prescribed antimicrobial, followed by β-lactams and β-lactams plus quinolones. Macrolide resistance was as high as 80% and 72% against erythromycin (ERY) and azithromycin (AZM) respectively, which were associated with the A2063G transition mutation in domain V of the 23S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene. Six strains with mild to moderate ERY-resistant level were still susceptible to AZM. Tetracycline (TET), minocycline (MIN) and quinolones [moxifloxacin (MOX) and fluoroquinolones] had no signs of resistance. Conclusions High resistance was observed with macrolides, whereas, none of the MP strains were resistant to fluoroquinolones and TET. Hence, macrolide resistant MP (MRMP)_infections could be well treated with fluoroquinolones. However, few isolated strains had minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) values on the edge of resistance to quinolones, alarming a quinolone-resistant MP in the near future.
The Other Global City

Prologue and Acknowledgments 1. Introduction: Re-Reading Global Cities: Topographies of an Alternative Cosmopolitanism in Asia Shail Mayaram Section I: Cosmopolitanism and the State 2. Beneficence and Difference: Ottoman Awqaf and "Other" Subjects Engin F. Isin 3. Living Together in Lhasa: Ethnic Relations, Coercive Amity, and Subaltern Cosmopolitanism Emily T. Yeh 4. Intelligent City: From Ethnic Governmentality to Ethnic Evolutionarism Aihwa Ong Section II: Cosmopolitanism Compromised/Denied 5. Impossible Cosmopolis: Dislocations and Relocations in Beirut and Delhi Yasmeen Arif 6. Limiting Cosmopolitanism: Streetlife "Little India," Kuala Lumpur Yeoh Seng Guan 7. Invisibility and Cohabitation in Multiethnic Tokyo John Lie Section III: Cosmopolitan Microprocesses 8. Cairo Cosmopolitan: Living Together through Communal Divide, Almost Asef Bayat 9. Cosmopolitanism and the City: Interaction and Co-existence in Bukhara Caroline Humphrey, Magnus Marsden and Vera Skvirskaja
Entrepreneurial Finance: Equity Division & Expected Investment Returns with Risk-Averse Financiers and Search by Entrepreneurs

This paper studies how critical entrepreneurial finance outcomes such as the investment return and equity division are shaped by venture characteristics, financier risk preferences and competitive searching. Our analysis uses a double-hazard agency model in which financiers determine the equity division to maximize the expected utility of their investment return while entrepreneurs search for the best deal. Model results provide several novel insights on the role of risk, the venture funding cycle and coexistence of angels/VCs. The model provides theoretical justification for the pattern of venture funding activity by predicting that financiers with higher funding capacity (e.g. VC firms) will benefit by funding ventures at later stages of development as their expected investment return rises with the venture’s initial value and financier productivity. Its also shows that competitive searching by entrepreneurs enables financiers with a diverse set of risk preferences to coexist profitably by reducing the advantage (disadvantage) of lower (higher) risk-aversion financiers and making investment returns more similar. Lastly, the model’s prediction that the financier expected investment return will decline with venture risk means that only angels and VCs with lower levels of risk-aversion can profitably finance riskier projects (for risk-neutral financiers, venture risk has no affect on the equity division and expected return).