Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Beating the spin-down limit on gravitational wave emission from the Vela pulsar

We present direct upper limits on continuous gravitational wave emission from the Vela pulsar using data from the Virgo detector's second science run. These upper limits have been obtained using three independent methods that assume the gravitational wave emission follows the radio timing. Two of the methods produce frequentist upper limits for an assumed known orientation of the star's spin axis and value of the wave polarization angle of, respectively, $1.9\ee{-24}$ and $2.2\ee{-24}$, with 95% confidence. The third method, under the same hypothesis, produces a Bayesian upper limit of $2.1\ee{-24}$, with 95% degree of belief. These limits are below the indirect {\it spin-down limit} of $3.3\ee{-24}$ for the Vela pulsar, defined by the energy loss rate inferred from observed decrease in Vela's spin frequency, and correspond to a limit on the star ellipticity of $\sim 10^{-3}$. Slightly less stringent results, but still well below the spin-down limit, are obtained assuming the star's spin axis inclination and the wave polarization angles are unknown.
miRLocator: Machine Learning-Based Prediction of Mature MicroRNAs within Plant Pre-miRNA Sequences

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of short, non-coding RNA that play regulatory roles in a wide variety of biological processes, such as plant growth and abiotic stress responses. Although several computational tools have been developed to identify primary miRNAs and precursor miRNAs (pre-miRNAs), very few provide the functionality of locating mature miRNAs within plant pre-miRNAs. This manuscript introduces a novel algorithm for predicting miRNAs named miRLocator, which isbased on machine learning techniques and sequence and structural features extracted from miRNA:miRNA* duplexes. To address the class imbalance problem (few real miRNAs and a large number of pseudo miRNAs), the prediction models in miRLocator were optimized by considering critical (and often ignored) factors that can markedly affect the prediction accuracy of mature miRNAs, including the machine learning algorithm and the ratio between training positive and negative samples. Ten-fold cross-validation on 5854 experimentally validated miRNAs from 19 plant species showed that miRLocator performed better than the state-of-art miRNA predictor miRdup in locating mature miRNAs within plant pre-miRNAs. miRLocator will aid researchers interested in discovering miRNAs from model and non-model plant species.
Adaptive optics fundus images of cone photoreceptors in the macula of patients with retinitis pigmentosa

Background The purpose of this study was to examine cone photoreceptors in the macula of patients with retinitis pigmentosa using an adaptive optics fundus camera and to investigate any correlations between cone photoreceptor density and findings on optical coherence tomography and fundus autofluorescence. Methods We examined two patients with typical retinitis pigmentosa who underwent ophthalmological examination, including measurement of visual acuity, and gathering of electroretinographic, optical coherence tomographic, fundus autofluorescent, and adaptive optics fundus images. The cone photoreceptors in the adaptive optics images of the two patients with retinitis pigmentosa and five healthy subjects were analyzed. Results An abnormal parafoveal ring of high-density fundus autofluorescence was observed in the macula in both patients. The border of the ring corresponded to the border of the external limiting membrane and the inner segment and outer segment line in the optical coherence tomographic images. Cone photoreceptors at the abnormal parafoveal ring were blurred and decreased in the adaptive optics images. The blurred area corresponded to the abnormal parafoveal ring in the fundus autofluorescence images. Cone densities were low at the blurred areas and at the nasal and temporal retina along a line from the fovea compared with those of healthy controls. The results for cone spacing and Voronoi domains in the macula corresponded with those for the cone densities. Conclusion Cone densities were heavily decreased in the macula, especially at the parafoveal ring on high-density fundus autofluorescence in both patients with retinitis pigmentosa. Adaptive optics images enabled us to observe in vivo changes in the cone photoreceptors of patients with retinitis pigmentosa, which corresponded to changes in the optical coherence tomographic and fundus autofluorescence images.
Fabric defects automatic detection using Gabor filters

According to the gray intensity distribution difference in the spatial fields between the fabric defect images and the normal fabric images, a method of detecting the fabric defects automatically based on Gabor filters is present in this paper. It is based on the energy response from the convolution of Gabor filter banks in different frequency and orientation domains. Using the image fusion to combine all response feature images and finally the threshold of this fused image produces a simple binary image of defects. Experiments on a number of simulated defect fabric images have shown the effectiveness of the proposed method. This method has accurate location and fine detection of fabric defects.
Cancer Risk in Women Exposed to Diethylstilbestrol in Utero.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the overall cancer risk, primarily breast cancer, for women exposed to diethylstilbestrol (DES) in utero in France. METHODS A cohort of 3 436 prenatally DES exposed women and a comparable cohort of 3256 unexposed women were recruited retrospectively from voluntary responses to questionnaires, and cases were ascertained by medical history at the time of recruitment. RESULTS One hundred ninety-five cancers were observed in exposed women (136 breast cancers, and 59 in other sites) and 141 cancers in unexposed women (90 breast cancers, and 51 others). A significant increase of breast cancers was found in exposed women, with a multivariate incidence rate ratio of 2.10 (95% CI 1.60-2.76) when compared with unexposed women. When exposed women were compared with the general population in France, the standardized incidence ratio was 2.33 (95% CI 1.93-2.72). CONCLUSION Our results suggest a significant increase of breast cancer in prenatally DES exposed women when compared with unexposed women and with the general population. For other cancers, except clear cell carcinoma of the cervix or vagina, there was a global non-significant increase.
Which NoSQL Database? A Performance Overview

NoSQL data stores are widely used to store and retrieve possibly large amounts of data, typically in a key-value format. There are many NoSQL types with different performances, and thus it is important to compare them in terms of performance and verify how the performance is related to the database type. In this paper, we evaluate five most popular NoSQL databases: Cassandra, HBase, MongoDB, OrientDB and Redis. We compare those databases in terms of query performance, based on reads and updates, taking into consideration the typical workloads, as represented by the Yahoo! Cloud Serving Benchmark. This comparison allows users to choose the most appropriate database according to the specific mechanisms and application needs.
Accelerating Point-Based POMDP Algorithms through Successive Approximations of the Optimal Reachable Space

Point-based approximation algorithms have drastically improved the speed of POMDP planning. This paper presents a new point-based POMDP algorithm called SARSOP. Like earlier point-based algorithms, SARSOP performs value iteration at a set of sampled belief points; however, it focuses on sampling near the space reachable from an initial belief point under the optimal policy. Since neither the optimal policy nor the optimal reachable space is known in advance, SARSOP builds successive approximations to it through sampling and pruning. In our experiments, the new algorithm solved difficult POMDP problems with more than 10,000 states. Its running time is competitive with the fastest existing pointbased algorithm on most problems and faster by many times on some. Our approach is complementary to existing pointbased algorithms and can be integrated with them to improve their performance.
Cross-Cultural Adaptation and Validation of the Serbian Version of the ICS SF Male Questionnaire

Introduction. The objective of this study was to cross-culturally adapt and validate ICS male SF questionnaire to Serbian language. Materials and Methods. This study included 91 male patients with lower urinary tract symptoms and 24 men with similar age and with confirmed absence of LUTS. ICS male SF questionnaire was translated from English to Serbian language and then back-translated to English. Results. Internal consistency was high in both dimensions, voiding (Cronbach's alpha = 0.916) and incontinence (Cronbach's alpha = 0.763). Comparison of the average scores between patients and controls revealed significant differences in both dimensions: voiding (med = 8 versus med = 0; P < 0.001) and incontinence (med = 3 versus med = 0; P < 0.001). Interclass correlation revealed high testretest validity in both dimensions, voiding ICC = 0.992 (P < 0.001) and incontinece ICC = 0.989 (P < 0.001). Correlation analysis revealed high agreement between ICS male SF voiding dimension and IPSS questionnaire (ρ = 0.943; P < 0.001). Conclusion. The Serbian version of male ICS SF questionnaire showed acceptable reliability and validity. The ICS male SF questionnaire could be used in routine practice as an easy and comprehensive tool for assessment of LUTS.
A PLL-based approach to clock synchronization for trajectory rebuilding in event-triggered communication systems

In this paper the problem of the temporal characteristics preservation of a sampled trajectory when it is transmitted on a digital network from a master node to a slave node, that has to rebuilt it, is faced. An event-triggered philosophy is adopted for the communication without any kind of data time-stamping procedure. Moreover, the assumption of a connection oriented transmission channel is taken. After an initial analysis of the system and the signals of interest, a simple interface is developed able to overcome typical problems in real-time data communication, like drift, fitter and dataflow control. This interface implements a controller based on the well-known phase-locking technique to let the slave node achieve the right time-positioning of the received data for a correct trajectory rebuilding. At last, simulations show the efficiency of this approach.
Design Guidelines for Sensor-based Mobile Learning Applications

We present five design guidelines that we have developed from issues identified during our usability evaluations in a sensor-based citizen inquiry project. These have been compiled from existing literature, and after receiving feedback on use of the mobile application from participants through forum comments and survey responses, statistical analysis of the sensor measurements, and the researchers' observation and reflection. These guidelines aim to assist Technology-enhanced Learning (TEL) researchers and teachers who develop, modify or use mobile apps for their projects and lessons.
Fabrication of a Cylindrical Display by Patterned Assembly

We demonstrate the patterned assembly of integrated semiconductor devices onto planar, flexible, and curved substrates on the basis of capillary interactions involving liquid solder. The substrates presented patterned, solder-coated areas that acted both as receptors for the components of the device during its assembly and as electrical connections during its operation. The components were suspended in water and agitated gently. Minimization of the free energy of the solder-water interface provided the driving force for the assembly. One hundred and thirteen GaAlAs light-emitting diodes with a chip size of 280 micrometers were fabricated into a prototype cylindrical display. It was also possible to assemble 1500 silicon cubes, on an area of 5 square centimeters, in less than 3 minutes, with a defect rate of ∼2%.
Fast Transformation-Invariant Factor Analysis

Dimensionality reduction techniques such as principal component analysis and factor analysis are used to discover a linear mapping between high dimensional data samples and points in a lower dimensional subspace. In [6], Jojic and Frey introduced mixture of transformation-invariant component analyzers (MTCA) that can account for global transformations such as translations and rotations, perform clustering and learn local appearance deformations by dimensionality reduction. However, due to enormous computational requirements of the EM algorithm for learning the model, O(N2) where N is the dimensionality of a data sample, MTCA was not practical for most applications. In this paper, we demonstrate how fast Fourier transforms can reduce the computation to the order of N log N. With this speedup, we show the effectiveness of MTCA in various applications - tracking, video textures, clustering video sequences, object recognition, and object detection in images.
A query processor for prediction-based monitoring of data streams

Networks of sensors are used in many different fields, from industrial applications to surveillance applications. A common feature of these applications is the necessity of a monitoring infrastructure that analyzes a large number of data streams and outputs values that satisfy certain constraints. In this paper, we present a query processor for monitoring queries in a network of sensors with prediction functions. Sensors communicate their values according to a threshold policy, and the proposed query processor leverages prediction functions to compare tuples efficiently and to generate answers even in the absence of new incoming tuples. Two types of constraints are managed by the query processor: window-join constraints and value constraints. Uncertainty issues are considered to assign probabilistic values to the results returned to the user. Moreover, we have developed an appropriate buffer management strategy, that takes into account the contributions of the prediction functions contained in the tuples. We also present some experimental results that show the benefits of the proposal.
A real-time program trace compressor utilizing double move-to-front method

This paper introduces a new unobtrusive and cost effective method for the capture and compression of program execution traces in real-time, which is based on a double move to front transformation. We explore its effectiveness and describe a cost effective hardware implementation. The proposed trace compressor requires only 0.12 bits per instruction of trace port bandwidth, at the cost of 25 K gates.
QoE-aware resource allocation for mixed traffics in heterogeneous networks based on Kuhn-Munkres algorithm

This paper studies the resource allocation for the downlink transmission in a heterogeneous network with mixed traffics. From the users' side of view, the quality of experience (QoE) is a subjective measurement, based on which the network utility function is defined and taken as a valuation of the system performance. Because the macrocell and picocell are overlaid, the pico base station (PBS) compensates the performance loss of the macrocell by paying for the assigned subcarriers. For the subcarrier allocation, the weighted bipartite graph (WBG) is constructed and a revised Kuhn-Munkres (KM) algorithm is exploited to find the perfect matching. For the power allocation, the first-order derivative of the network utility function is discussed and the optimal power solution is achieved. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm always outperforms the average power allocation algorithm and the proportional fairness (PF) algorithm. In addition, this advantage becomes more obvious with the increasing of the cell radius. Moreover, as the cell radius increases, the normalized QoE performance becomes worse.
Trace & Unification Grammar

This paper presents Trace & Unification Grammar (TUG), a declarative and reversible grammar formalism that brings together Unification Grammar (UG) and ideas of Government & Binding Theory (GB). The main part of the paper consists in a description of many free word order phenomena of German syntax. It will be shown that the use of traces allows for an easier and more elegant way of description than competing approaches like ID/LP-format rules as used e.g. in GPSG and HPSG. Grammars written in the TUG-formalism can be compiled to a very efficient parser. The occurrence of head movement, wh-movement and scrambling in one sentence does not lead to any decrease in parsing efficiency.
Exploring nano-mechanics through thermal fluctuations

This memoire presents my current research interests in micro and nano-mechanics in a comprehensive manuscript. Our experimental device is first presented: this atomic force microscope, designed and realized in the Laboratoire de Physique de l'ENS Lyon, is based on a quadrature phase differential interferometer. It features a very high resolution (down to 10 fm/rtHz) in the measurement of deflexion, down to low frequencies and on a huge input range. The dual output of the interferometer implies a specific handling to interface common scanning probe microscope controllers. We developed analog circuitries to tackle static (contact mode) and dynamic (tapping mode) operations, and we demonstrate their performance by imaging a simple calibration sample. As a first application, we used the high sensitivity of our interferometer to study the mechanical behavior of micro-cantilevers from their fluctuations. The keystone of the analysis is the Fluctuation-Dissipation Theorem (FDT), relating the thermal noise spectrum to the dissipative part of the response. We apply this strategy to confront Sader's model for viscous dissipation with measurements on raw silicon cantilevers in air, demonstrating an excellent agreement. When a gold coating is added, the thermal noise is strongly modified, presenting a 1/f like trend at low frequencies: we show that this behavior is due to a viscoelastic damping, and we provide a quantitative phenomenological model. We also characterize the mechanical properties of cantilevers (stiffness and Elastic Moduli) from a mapping of the thermal noise on their surface. This analysis validates the description of the system in term of its normal modes of oscillations in an Euler-Bernoulli framework for flexion and in Saint-Venant approach for torsion, but points toward a refined model for the dispersion relation of torsional modes. Finally, we present peeling experiments on a single wall carbon nanotube attached to the cantilever tip. It is pushed against a flat substrate, and we measure the quasi-static force as well as the dynamic stiffness using an analysis of the thermal noise during this process. The most striking feature of these two observables is a plateau curve for a large range of compression, the values of which are substrate dependent. We use the Elastica to describe the shape of the nanotube, and a simple energy of adhesion per unit length Ea to describe the interaction with the substrate. We analytically derive a complete description of the expected behavior in the limit of long nanotubes. The analysis of the experimental data within this simple framework naturally leads to every quantity of interest in the problem: the force plateau is a direct measurement of the energy of adhesion Ea for each substrate, and we easily determine the mechanical properties of the nanotube itself.
The roto-extractor in pediatric ophthalmology.

The Roto-Extractor, designed by Nicholas Douvas, M.D., was used by the authors in 66 eyes for cataracts, secondary membranes, and persistent hyperplastic primary vitreous. The average age of the patients with congenital cataracts was 2.4 years, for traumatic cataracts 16.4 years. The pupil wal cleared well in 63 of these eyes. There was no vitreous to the wound in any of the eyes. Unplanned iridectomies and prolonged inflammation were the major complications.
Correction: One Plus One Makes Three (for Social Networks)

Members of social network platforms often choose to reveal private information, and thus sacrifice some of their privacy, in exchange for the manifold opportunities and amenities offered by such platforms. In this article, we show that the seemingly innocuous combination of knowledge of confirmed contacts between members on the one hand and their email contacts to non-members on the other hand provides enough information to deduce a substantial proportion of relationships between non-members. Using machine learning we achieve an area under the (receiver operating characteristic) curve (AUC) of at least 0:85 for predicting whether two non-members known by the same member are connected or not, even for conservative estimates of the overall proportion of members, and the proportion of members disclosing their contacts. Citation: Horvát E-Á, Hanselmann M, Hamprecht FA, Zweig KA (2012) One Plus One Makes Three (for Social Networks). PLoS ONE 7(4): e34740. doi:10.1371/ journal.pone. 0034740 Editor: Sergio Gómez, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Spain Received November 15, 2011; Accepted March 5, 2012; Published April 6, 2012 Copyright: 2012 Horvát et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Funding: EAH and KAZ are supported by the Heidelberg Graduate School of Mathematical and Computational Methods for the Sciences (http://www. mathcomp.uni-heidelberg.de/), University of Heidelberg, Germany, which is funded by the German Excellence Initiative (GSC 220). FAH and KAZ were supported by a fellowship of the Marsilius Kolleg (http://www.marsilius-kolleg.uni-heidelberg.de/), University of Heidelberg. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist. * E-mail: nina@ninasnet.de
Specific and nontoxic silencing in mammalian cells with expressed long dsRNAs

A number of groups have developed libraries of siRNAs to identify genes through functional genomics. While these studies have validated the approach of making functional RNAi libraries to understand fundamental cellular mechanisms, they require information and knowledge of existing sequences since the RNAi sequences are generated synthetically. An alternative strategy would be to create an RNAi library from cDNA. Unfortunately, the complexity of such a library of siRNAs would make screening difficult. To reduce the complexity, longer dsRNAs could be used; however, concerns of induction of the interferon response and off-target effects of long dsRNAs have prevented their use. As a first step in creating such libraries, long dsRNA was expressed in mammalian cells. The 250 nt dsRNAs were capable of efficiently silencing a luciferase reporter gene that was stably transfected in MDA-MB-231 cells without inducing the interferon response or off-target effects any more than reported for siRNAs. In addition, a long dsRNA expressed in the same cell line was capable of silencing endogenous c-met expression and inhibited cell migration, whereas the dsRNA against luciferase had no effect on c-met or cell migration. The studies suggest that large dsRNA libraries are feasible and that functional selection of genes will be possible.