Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Winning the Coin Toss and the Home Team Advantage in One-day International Cricket Matches

This paper provides a statistical analysis of 427 one-day international cricket matches played during the 1990's. Two general conclusions are obtained: (1) contrary to widespread opinion, winning the coin toss at the outset of a match provides no competitive advantage and (2) the advantage of playing on one's home eld increases the log-odds of the probability of winning by approximately . 5. The authors wish to thank all 3 referees for insightful comments that led to an improved paper.
The legitimacy of development nongovernmental organizations as global citizenship education providers in Korea

In an era of globalization, social demands for fostering global citizenship are increasing. Global citizens are those who have a critical understanding of interconnectedness, share values of responsibility, have respect for differences, and commit themselves to action. Global citizenship education has recently emerged as a prominent issue in Korea, a nation faced with the inflow of immigrants and international pushing for global citizenship education such as the Sustainable Development Goals. Development nongovernmental organizations have taken up the role of delivering global citizenship education. It is necessary to examine how development nongovernmental organizations’ pedagogic legitimacy has been constructed and exercised in the context of Korea. This article critically discusses development nongovernmental organizations’ roles in global citizenship education and suggests some improvements in the areas of ‘effectiveness and expertise, contextualization, and greater attention to human rights and action for social justice’ to be an alternative to the state-led global citizenship education, which is characterized as assimilation model and ‘us and them’ rhetoric.
A crowdsourceable QoE evaluation framework for multimedia content

Until recently, QoE (Quality of Experience) experiments had to be conducted in academic laboratories; however, with the advent of ubiquitous Internet access, it is now possible to ask an Internet crowd to conduct experiments on their personal computers. Since such a crowd can be quite large, crowdsourcing enables researchers to conduct experiments with a more diverse set of participants at a lower economic cost than would be possible under laboratory conditions. However, because participants carry out experiments without supervision, they may give erroneous feedback perfunctorily, carelessly, or dishonestly, even if they receive a reward for each experiment. In this paper, we propose a crowdsourceable framework to quantify the QoE of multimedia content. The advantages of our framework over traditional MOS ratings are: 1) it enables crowdsourcing because it supports systematic verification of participants' inputs; 2) the rating procedure is simpler than that of MOS, so there is less burden on participants; and 3) it derives interval-scale scores that enable subsequent quantitative analysis and QoE provisioning. We conducted four case studies, which demonstrated that, with our framework, researchers can outsource their QoE evaluation experiments to an Internet crowd without risking the quality of the results; and at the same time, obtain a higher level of participant diversity at a lower monetary cost.
The LOON in 2014: Test bed description

The interest in underwater communication has grown rapidly in the last few decades, as the ability to deploy assets at sea with increased levels of autonomy naturally led to the problem of getting data to and from them. Despite it's mature research topic status, underwater acoustic communications still faces high barriers when it comes to reaching consensus, not only on the communication processes but also on modelling and validation methodologies under which to perform objective comparison of methodologies. Having access to a persistent unattended infrastructure that enables long term testing of physical and logical underwater communications processes allows researchers to have access to precious real world data without the full cost of a sea trial and with the added bonus of potentially being able to capture variability on the seasonal scale. This paper presents the 2014 version of the Littoral Ocean Observatory Network (LOON): a test bed implemented by the NATO STO Centre for Maritime Research and Experimentation (CMRE), envisioned to foster cooperative development of underwater communications and networking. The data collection infrastructure provides a comprehensive data set of environmental, acoustic and packet measurements relevant to study the the communication processes for the physical and logical layers. This document focuses on the description of the test bed in its 2014 version, the expected benefits and the opportunities for the underwater communications research community.
Dynamic ceiling priorities and Ada 95

Ada 95 provides dynamic priorities for tasks but ceiling priorities for protected objects are statically assigned by means of a pragma. The semantic complexity as well as the potential inefficiency of any resulting implementation seem to have been the main objections to including dynamic ceilings in Ada 95. Nevertheless, in frequent scenarios such as multi-moded real-time systems, it is desirable for ceiling priorities to be dynamic, to accommodate the different priority assignments given to tasks in the different modes. This problem is usually worked around by applying the so-called ceiling of ceilings as a static ceiling for all modes, which may result in lower schedulability as extra blocking potentially occurs. In this paper we investigate on how to use a hypothetical Set_Ceiling dynamic operation, without incurring the risk of semantic ambiguities, and how a multi-moded system can benefit from its existence.
Tissue-specific splicing regulator Fox-1 induces exon skipping by interfering E complex formation on the downstream intron of human F1γ gene

Fox-1 is a regulator of tissue-specific splicing, via binding to the element (U)GCAUG in mRNA precursors, in muscles and neuronal cells. Fox-1 can regulate splicing positively or negatively, most likely depending on where it binds relative to the regulated exon. In cases where the (U)GCAUG element lies in an intron upstream of the alternative exon, Fox-1 protein functions as a splicing repressor to induce exon skipping. Here we report the mechanism of exon skipping regulated by Fox-1, using the hF1γ gene as a model system. We found that Fox-1 induces exon 9 skipping by repressing splicing of the downstream intron 9 via binding to the GCAUG repressor elements located in the upstream intron 8. In vitro splicing analyses showed that Fox-1 prevents formation of the pre-spliceosomal early (E) complex on intron 9. In addition, we located a region of the Fox-1 protein that is required for inducing exon skipping. Taken together, our data show a novel mechanism of how RNA-binding proteins regulate alternative splicing.
Well-organized association Pattern Mining using Multi-relational Data Cubes

A large class of data mining applications involves data sets that pertain to multiple entities and relationship. This has led to the suggestion of multirelational data mining (MRDM) that aims to incorporate and exploit the heterogeneous and semantically rich relationships that exist among entity types. Specially, given a database consisting of multiple tables linked through foreign key joins, a target table (that typically represents a certain realworld entity type) and, optionally, a target attribute (e.g. a class label attribute), MRDM aims to discover patterns and models spanning all the tables and links that either describe or predict the target entity or attribute. In this paper, we study one class of MRDM task, namely multi-relational association rule mining. For this task, we distinguish two types of target tables, namely entity and relationship target tables. For the case of entity target tables, we cast the computation of frequent patterns as multirelational iceberg cube com-putation and propose an ef cient algorithm for it. Then, we study the application and peculiar requirements of tar-get tables that are relationship tables. This study reveals a new mining task, dubbed linkage mining, where the mere instances of relationships are the objects of mining. We then show how our multi-relational iceberg computation algorithm is extended to do linkage mining. In the end, we present performance studies of our algorithms.
An approach to formalizing organizational open systems concepts

The view of organizations as open systems has recently received substantial attention. Under this view, an organization is a group of cooperative and competitive units working together to achieve certain individual and social goals. In this abrticle, we propose an approach to formaJize open systems concepts based on ontolo~, the branch of philosophy dealing with models of the world. Specifically, we propose a dual view of organizations – as wholes and as aggregates of components. This duality provides for viewing organizational units as both independently behaving components of the organization, and, in the same time, as subject to organizational constraints or laws. The laws force the components to cooperate, exchange information and coordinate their activities with other units. We conjecture that our proposed approach can provide precise formal definitions for open system concepts.
A framework for teaching software development methods

This article presents a study that aims at constructing a teaching framework for software development methods in higher education. The research field is a capstone project-based course, offered by the Technion's Department of Computer Science, in which Extreme Programming is introduced. The research paradigm is an Action Research that involves cycles of data collection, examination, evaluation, and application of results. The research uses several research tools for data gathering, as well as several research methods for data interpretation. The article describes in detail the research background, the research method, and the gradual emergence process of a framework for teaching software development methods. As part of the comprehensive teaching framework, a set of measures is developed to assess, monitor, and improve the teaching and the actual process of software development projects.
Solving the Correct-preex Property for Tags

We present a new upper bound for the computational complexity of the parsing problem for TAGs, under the constraint that input is read from left to right in a way that errors in the input are observed as soon as possible, which is called the correct-preex property. The former upper bound was O(n 9), which we now improve to O(n 6), which is the same as that of practical parsing algorithms for TAGs without the additional constraint of the correct-preex property. Thereby we show that the correct-preex property does not require signiicant additional costs.
A Novel Technique for Image-Guided Local Heart Irradiation in the Rat

In radiotherapy treatment of thoracic, breast and chest wall tumors, the heart may be included (partially or fully) in the radiation field. As a result, patients may develop radiation-induced heart disease (RIHD) several years after exposure to radiation. There are few methods available to prevent or reverse RIHD and the biological mechanisms remain poorly understood. In order to further study the effects of radiation on the heart, we developed a model of local heart irradiation in rats using an image-guided small animal conformal radiation therapy device (SACRTD) developed at our institution. First, Monte Carlo based simulations were used to design an appropriate collimator. EBT-2 films were used to measure relative dosimetry, and the absolute dose rate at the isocenter was measured using the AAPM protocol TG-61. The hearts of adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were irradiated with a total dose of 21 Gy. For this purpose, rats were anesthetized with isoflurane and placed in a custom-made vertical rat holder. Each heart was irradiated with a 3-beam technique (one AP field and 2 lateral fields), with each beam delivering 7 Gy. For each field, the heart was visualized with a digital flat panel X-ray imager and placed at the isocenter of the 1.8 cm diameter beam. In biological analysis of radiation exposure, immunohistochemistry showed γH2Ax foci and nitrotyrosine throughout the irradiated hearts but not in the lungs. Long-term follow-up of animals revealed histopathological manifestations of RIHD, including myocardial degeneration and fibrosis. The results demonstrate that the rat heart irradiation technique using the SACRTD was successful and that surrounding untargeted tissues were spared, making this approach a powerful tool for in vivo radiobiological studies of RIHD. Functional and structural changes in the rat heart after local irradiation are ongoing.
A new successively decodable coding technique for intersymbol-interference channels

For the Gaussian channel with intersymbol-interference (ISI), it is known that there is no loss in channel capacity if the receiver is an ideal minimum mean-squared error (MMSE) decision-feedback equalizer (DFE) with error-free feedback. However, combining the DFE with channel coding is problematic. Transmitter precoding and reduced-state sequence estimation are two common approaches. This paper introduces a new successively decodable coding technique that effectively combines channel coding with decision-feedback that is housed in the receiver.
An Integrated Approach to Automated Semantic Web Service Composition through Planning

The paper presents an integrated approach for automated semantic web service composition using AI planning techniques. An important advantage of this approach is that the composition process, as well as the discovery of the atomic services that take part in the composition, are significantly facilitated by the incorporation of semantic information. OWL-S web service descriptions are transformed into a planning problem described in a standardized fashion using PDDL, while semantic information is used for the enhancement of the composition process as well as for approximating the optimal composite service when exact solutions are not found. Solving, visualization, manipulation, and evaluation of the produced composite services are accomplished, while, unlike other systems, independence from specific planners is maintained. Implementation was performed through the development and integration of two software systems, namely PORSCE II and VLEPPO. PORSCE II is responsible for the transformation process, semantic enhancement, and management of the results. VLEPPO is a general-purpose planning system used to automatically acquire solutions for the problem by invoking external planners. A case study is also presented to demonstrate the functionality, performance, and potential of the approach.
Reproducibility and Validity of A-Mode Ultrasound for Body Composition Measurement and Classification in Overweight and Obese Men and Women

Identifying portable methods to measure body composition may be more advantageous than using body mass index (BMI) to categorize associated health consequences. Purpose: To compare the validity and reliability of a portable A-mode ultrasound (US) to a criterion three compartment model (3C) for the measurement of body composition. Methods: Forty-seven overweight and obese subjects participated in this study. Body composition was measured once via air displacement plethysmography for body density (Bd) and bioelectrical impedance spectroscopy for total body water (TBW) for the 3C calculations. Ultrasound measurements (BodyMetrix, Intelametrix) were made using an A mode, 2.5- MHz transmitter. All measurements were made on the right side of the body at 7 skinfold sites. The US software calculated percent body fat (%BF), fat mass (FM) and fat free mass (FFM) from the 7-site Jackson and Pollock equation. Results: %BF and FM, respectively, measured by the US (29.1±6.5%; 27.4±8.1 kg) was significantly lower compared to the 3C model (33.7±7.6%; 31.8±9.8 kg; p<0.0005). Fat free mass was significantly higher for the US (66.7±13.0 kg) compared to the 3C model (62.3±12.6; p = 0.001). The US demonstrated respectable reliability for %BF, FM, and FFM with intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) ranging from 0.84–0.98 and standard error of the measurement (SEM) values and 2.2%BF, 1.9 kg, 1.9 kg, respectively. Discussion: The US was found to under predict %BF and FM with large deviations from the criterion (n = 10>4%BF error). While the US was not valid in this population, it was reliable producing results with minimal error, suggesting this technique may be effective for tracking changes in a weight loss or clinical setting.
Patterns of Gene-Specific and Total Transcriptional Activity during the Plasmodium falciparum Intraerythrocytic Developmental Cycle

ABSTRACT The relationships among gene regulatory mechanisms in the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum throughout its asexual intraerythrocytic developmental cycle (IDC) remain poorly understood. To investigate the level and nature of transcriptional activity and its role in controlling gene expression during the IDC, we performed nuclear run-on on whole-transcriptome samples from time points throughout the IDC and found a peak in RNA polymerase II-dependent transcriptional activity related to both the number of nuclei per parasite and variable transcriptional activity per nucleus over time. These differential total transcriptional activity levels allowed the calculation of the absolute transcriptional activities of individual genes from gene-specific nuclear run-on hybridization data. For half of the genes analyzed, sense-strand transcriptional activity peaked at the same time point as total activity. The antisense strands of several genes were substantially transcribed. Comparison of the transcriptional activity of the sense strand of each gene to its steady-state RNA abundance across the time points assayed revealed both correlations and discrepancies, implying transcriptional and posttranscriptional regulation, respectively. Our results demonstrate that such comparisons can effectively indicate gene regulatory mechanisms in P. falciparum and suggest that genes with diverse transcriptional activity levels and patterns combine to produce total transcriptional activity levels tied to parasite development during the IDC.
Do Credit Rating Agencies Underestimate Liquidity Risk ? ∗

We test if credit ratings adequately reflect liquidity risk, i.e., the risk that the firm may face difficulty in refinancing its short-term debt. Consistent with credit ratings underestimating liquidity risk, we find that after controlling for credit ratings and other known determinants, long-term bonds of firms with a higher proportion of short-term debt trade at higher yields. Using multinotch downgrades to identify severe and unexpected rating downgrades, we find that firms with a higher proportion of short-term debt are more likely to experience multi-notch downgrades. The association between short-term debt and multi-notch downgrades is stronger in industries that experience a negative profitability shock, during recessionary periods and when credit conditions are tight. The relationship is robust to instrumenting the proportion of short-term debt. Overall, our results highlight that rating agencies underestimate liquidity risk, and offer a potential explanation for the failure of ratings to predict financial difficulties at firms such as Penn Central, WorldCom, Enron, Bear Stearns and Lehman Brothers. ∗We thank Long Chen, Paolo Fulghieri, Wei Xiong, and seminar participants at Washington University in St. Louis for helpful comments. †Olin Business School, Washington University in St. Louis. Campus Box 1133, 1 Brookings Drive, St. Louis, MO 63130. Email: gopalan@wustl.edu; Tel: (314)935-9196. ‡Smeal College of Business, Pennsylvania State University. University Park, PA 16802. Email: song@psu.edu; Tel: (814)863-4905. §Kelley School of Business, Indiana University. 1309 East Tenth Street, Bloomington, IN 47405. Email: vyerrami@indiana.edu; Tel: (812)855-2694. “Since ratings involve a judgment about the future, on the one hand, and since they are used by investors as a means of protection, on the other, the effort is made when assigning ratings, to look at ‘worst’ potentialities in the ‘visible’ future rather than solely at the past record and status of the present. They are not statistical ratings but an appraisal of long term risks, such appraisal giving recognition to many non-statistical factors. ” – Moody’s Public Utilities Manual (New York: Moody’s Investors Service, 1967)
Optimal Sampling of k-Space with Cartesian Grids for Parallel MR Imaging

D. Xu, M. Jacob, Z-P. Liang Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States INTRODUCTION Image quality in parallel MR imaging depends on three main factors: (1) coils’ sensitivity functions of the receiver system, (2) k-space sampling locations of the measured data, and (3) reconstruction methods. The problem of how to optimally sample k-space has received much less attention than the other two so far because of the complexity of the problem. Early parallel imaging methods, such as SMASH [1] and Cartesian SENSE [2], sample k-space using uniform Cartesian grids. It was soon recognized that non-uniform sampling can yield much better reconstructed images. SPACE-RIP [3], for example, can produce higher-quality images than the conventional SENSE by using heuristic k-space sampling patterns. A more rigorous approach was introduced recently in [4], where the desired image function is assumed to be a stationary Gaussian random process and the minimum mean-squared-error (MMSE) criterion is used to select the “optimal” k-space locations for collecting the phase-encoded data. This paper addresses the k-space sampling problem rigorously from a new perspective. Specifically, a signal-independent criterion was derived to guide the selection of optimal k-space locations for data collection, and a novel fast algorithm, based on sequential backward selection (SBS) [5], was proposed to solve the underlying optimization problem efficiently. Experimental results have demonstrated a significant improvement of the proposed method over SENSE and SPACE-RIP in terms of signal-to-noise-ratio (SNR) and aliasing artifacts. Theoretical analysis has also been carried out, which shows that the sampling patterns selected by the proposed algorithm are robust to small variations on the coils’ sensitivity functions.