Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Trajectories of Alcohol Use During the Transition to Adulthood

People’s alcohol use and abuse tend to increase, peak, and then decrease as they go through the transition to adulthood, a period that spans the late teenage years through the mid- to late twenties. However, more specific pathways, or trajectories, of alcohol use are embedded within the normative alcohol use pathway. Studying these trajectories of alcohol use can elucidate the origins and consequences of alcohol problems as well as guide prevention and treatment programs. Models of the average trend (i.e., normative trajectory approaches) are simpler than models that posit multiple trajectories and may replicate more consistently across samples and age spans. However, multiple-trajectory approaches allow for a more specific understanding of the origins, developmental course, and outcomes of alcohol use and abuse among adolescents and young adults.
The quality of French minority students' fictional texts: a study of the influence of a preferential cognitive style and writing strategy scaffolding

The object of this exploratory study was to test two hypotheses. The first was that a student's preferential cognitive style, sequential or simultaneous, can negatively affect the imaginative fiction texts that he or she produces. The second hypothesis was that students possessing a sequential or simultaneous preferential cognitive style would produce better texts if they were exposed to the teaching of nine explicit writing strategies (Cavanagh, M. (2007). Stratégies pour écrire un récit imaginaire. Montréal, Canada: Chenelière Éducation). To test these hypotheses, we determined the preferential (sequential/simultaneous) cognitive style of 45 Franco-Albertan subjects, 33 boys and 12 girls, 9 and 10 years old, by means of the Verbal Cognitive Aptitudes Test (Flessas, J., & Lussier, F. (2003). L’épreuve verbale d'aptitudes cognitives (EVAC). Paris: ECPA). In a pretest, the subjects were divided into two groups (experimental and control), both of which were asked to write fictional texts. Then, over a period of 12 weeks, only the experimental group subjects were taught the writing strategies. Lastly (in the post-test), the members of both groups were asked to compose a second fictional text. The results provided no significant evidence for the two hypotheses. Finally, we propose some promising avenues for future research in this area that would avoid certain methodological pitfalls that we encountered in this exploratory study.
Optimal sensor placement for Doppler shift target localization

A key component of cognitive radar is intelligent signal processing which encompasses an algorithmic decision-making process for adaptive transmitted waveform selection and online optimal path planning for moving radar platforms in order to deal with non-stationary and uncertain surrounding environments. This paper focuses on optimal radar trajectories in the cognitive radar context. In particular, the optimal sensor placement problem for stationary target localization by multiple moving Doppler-shift radars is considered. A solution based on maximizing the determinant of the Fisher information matrix is proposed and analyzed. The analytical findings of the paper are demonstrated by way of extensive simulations incorporating unmanned aerial vehicles equipped with Doppler radar in a number of different scenarios.
Zika Virus Seroprevalence, French Polynesia, 2014–2015

During 2013–2014, French Polynesia experienced an outbreak of Zika virus infection. Serosurveys conducted at the end of the outbreak and 18 months later showed lower than expected disease prevalence rates (49%) and asymptomatic:symptomatic case ratios (1:1) in the general population but significantly different prevalence rates (66%) and asymptomatic:symptomatic ratios (1:2) in schoolchildren.
Transcription of minute virus of mice, an autonomous parvovirus, may be regulated by attenuation

To characterize the transcriptional organization and regulation of minute virus of mice, an autonomous parvovirus, viral transcriptional complexes were isolated and cleaved with restriction enzymes. The in vivo preinitiated nascent RNA was elongated in vitro in the presence of [alpha-32P]UTP to generate runoff transcripts. The lengths of the runoff transcripts were analyzed by gel electrophoresis under denaturing conditions. On the basis of the map locations of the restriction sites and the lengths of the runoff transcripts, the in vivo initiation sites were determined. Two major initiation sites having similar activities were thus identified at residues 201 +/- 5 and 2005 +/- 5; both of them were preceded by a TATAA sequence. When uncleaved viral transcriptional complexes or isolated nuclei were incubated in vitro in the presence of [alpha-32P]UTP or [alpha-32P]CTP, they synthesized labeled RNA that, as determined by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, contained a major band of 142 nucleotides. The RNA of the major band was mapped between the initiation site at residue 201 +/- 5 and residue 342. We noticed the potential of forming two mutually exclusive stem-and-loop structures in the 142-nucleotide RNA; one of them is followed by a string of uridylic acid residues typical of a procaryotic transcription termination signal. We propose that, as in the transcription of simian virus 40, RNA transcription in minute virus of mice may be regulated by attenuation and may involve eucaryotic polymerase B, which can respond to a transcription termination signal similar to that of the procaryotic polymerase.
Time Variant RFI Suppression for SAR Using Iterative Adaptive Approach

Under the condition of time variant RFI, the limitation of training sample size causes great performance degradation of the conventional Radio Frequency Interference (RFI) suppression algorithm based on eigen-subspace projection (ESP) method. A novel RFI suppression method using iterative adaptive approach (IAA) and orthogonal subspace projection (OSP) method is proposed for synthetic aperture radar (SAR). Dispensing with parametric search and model order estimation, the proposed method estimates the RFI power spectrum adaptively and iteratively, utilizing few training samples and filtering the RFI based on the OSP method. Both the simulation and experimental results are provided to illustrate the performance of the proposed method.
Dealing with fragmented recollection of context in information management

It is important to find new ways to manage our personal digital information, because as the quantities of information we possess continue to grow, existing tools, which place burden on the user's memory systems will become progressively inefficient. This paper reports our work to develop a multi-dimensional interface for re-accessing objects within personal information spaces. We describe a small scale examination of the recollection of contexts in which photographs were taken or used. Our aim is to utilise contextual recollections as a means of making the re-accessing of information more intuitive and more akin to natural human recollection. This presentation outlines our theories and illustrates them in the context of a tool for the management of personal photographs. The ideas embodied by our tool show promise and raise a number of issues for further exploration. In future work, these ideas will be adapted to offer support for the management of other types of information object.
Perennial Debates and Tacit Assumptions in the Education of Gifted Children

For many years, educators of the gifted have debated topics central to the field such as definition, identification, and curriculum (Getzels & Dillon, 1973). This paper explores the possible relationships between gifted educators periodic debates and the philosophical war among advocates of differing perspectives of social science research. The authors discuss how the acceptance of a particular mode of inquiry embeds tacit ideas into the debate that make resolution difficult. The tacit assumptions of three modes of disciplined inquiry (empirical-analytic, interpretive, and transformative) are presented in conjunction with the accompanying reformulation and reconceptualization of issues (definition, identification, and curriculum) that occur with each mode of inquiry.
Novel Insights into the Regulatory Architecture of CD4+ T Cells in Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is the most frequent autoimmune chronic inflammatory disease of the joints and it is characterized by the inflammation of the synovial membrane and the subsequent destruction of the joints. In RA, CD4+ T cells are the main drivers of disease initiation and the perpetuation of the damaging inflammatory process. To date, however, the genetic regulatory mechanisms of CD4+ T cells associated with RA etiology are poorly understood. The genome-wide analysis of expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) in disease-relevant cell types is a recent genomic integration approach that is providing significant insights into the genetic regulatory mechanisms of many human pathologies. The objective of the present study was to analyze, for the first time, the genome-wide genetic regulatory mechanisms associated with the gene expression of CD4+ T cells in RA. Whole genome gene expression profiling of CD4+ T cells and the genome-wide genotyping (598,258 SNPs) of 29 RA patients with an active disease were performed. In order to avoid the excessive burden of multiple testing associated with genome-wide trans-eQTL analysis, we developed and implemented a novel systems genetics approach. Finally, we compared the genomic regulation pattern of CD4+ T cells in RA with the genomic regulation observed in reference lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs). We identified a genome-wide significant cis-eQTL associated with the expression of FAM66C gene (P = 6.51e−9). Using our new systems genetics approach we identified six statistically significant trans-eQTLs associated with the expression of KIAA0101 (P<7.4e−8) and BIRC5 (P = 5.35e−8) genes. Finally, comparing the genomic regulation profiles between RA CD4+ T cells and control LCLs we found 20 genes showing differential regulatory patterns between both cell types. The present genome-wide eQTL analysis has identified new genetic regulatory elements that are key to the activity of CD4+ T cells in RA.
A theory of dependent record types with structural subtyping

Type theory stemmed from the philosophical discussion on foundation of logic and set theory, and aroused interest from researchers in logic and formalism who gave it a clear format based on the λ-calculi. With the growth of the discipline of computing, various forms of type theory have brought in a common interest in developing computer-aided proof assistants. From this multi-disciplinary nature and development of type theory, it has clearly become a pluralistic subject of study that contains elements from philosophy, logic, foundation of mathematics, computing science, and even linguistics, etc. In this thesis, I present and study a type system of dependent record types. Dependent record types (DRTs) are types of records in which the type of a field may depend on the value of an earlier field. In this thesis, I prove several metatheoretic properties, such as structural properties, subject reduction, strong normalisation and Church-Rosser property of DRTs as defined with the logical framework LF, using the method of typed operational semantics first developed by Goguen. I also study how structural subtyping may be applied to DRTs, by extending the type theory LF and DRTs with coercive subtyping, and prove that the resulting set of coercions is coherent. This work makes dependent record types a possible theoretical basis for modelling module mechanisms in computer languages.
Kernel-based multi-task joint sparse classification for Alzheimer'S disease

Multi-modality imaging provides complementary information for diagnosis of neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease (AD) and its prodrome, mild cognitive impairment (MCI). In this paper, we propose a kernel-based multi-task sparse representation model to combine the strengths of MRI and PET imaging features for improved classification of AD. Sparse representation based classification seeks to represent the testing data with a sparse linear combination of training data. Here, our approach allows information from different imaging modalities to be used for enforcing class level joint sparsity via multi-task learning. Thus the common most representative classes in the training samples for all modalities are jointly selected to reconstruct the testing sample. We further improve the discriminatory power by extending the framework to the reproducing kernel Hilbert space (RKHS) so that nonlinearity in the features can be captured for better classification. Experiments on Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative database shows that our proposed method can achieve 93.3% and 78.9% accuracy for classification of AD and MCI from healthy controls, respectively, demonstrating promising performance in AD study.
Instance Driven Hierarchical Clustering of Document Collections

The global pattern mining step in existing pattern-based hierarchical clustering algorithms may result in an unpredictable number of patterns. In this paper, we propose IDHC, a pattern-based hierarchical clustering algorithm that builds a cluster hierarchy without mining for globally significant patterns. IDHC allows each instance to "vote" for its representative size-2 patterns in a way that ensures an effective balance between local and global pattern significance. The number of patterns selected for each instance is dynamically determined using a local standard deviation based scheme, and the rest of the cluster hierarchy is obtained by following a unique iterative cluster refinement process. By effectively utilizing instance-to-cluster relationships, this process directly identifies clusters for each level in the hierarchy, and efficiently prunes duplicate clusters. Furthermore, IDHC produces cluster labels that are more descriptive (patterns are not artificially restricted), and adapts a soft clustering scheme that allows instances to exist in suitable nodes at various levels in the cluster hierarchy. We present results of experiments performed on 16 standard text datasets, and show that IDHC almost always outperforms state-of-the-art hierarchical clustering algorithms in terms of entropy, and achieves better FScores in most cases, without requiring tuning of parameter values.
Auto Search Algorithm for Antenna Structure by Gradient Method Combined with Method of Moment

We propose a novel antenna design method consisting of the gradient method and method of moment is proposed. An antenna structure is represented by the combination of small segments. By regarding the 0/1 state segment variable as a real parameter, a matrix equation for the gradient method is derived. Fast computation causing of automatic decisions of simultaneous changing segments achieves practical design for various antennas, including large-scale antennas.
Phoneme classification using the Hartley phase spectrum

The phase of a signal conveys critical information for signal interpretation. However, signal phase extraction is not a straightforward process, mainly due to the discontinuities appearing in the phase spectrum. Previously, it was shown that for the application of audio classification, in case features of the processed phase spectrum are combined with magnitude related features they provide higher classification score compared to the case where features are extracted only from the signals’ magnitude content. Moreover, it was shown that the Hartley Phase Spectrum encapsulates the phase content of the signals more efficiently compared to its Fourier counterpart. In this work, the importance of phase and the properties of the Hartley Phase Spectrum are demonstrated for the application of phoneme classification.
Under Consideration for Publication in Theory and Practice of Logic Programming Test Case Generation for Object-oriented Imperative Languages in Clp

Testing is a vital part of the software development process. Test Case Generation (TCG) is the process of automatically generating a collection of test-cases which are applied to a system under test. White-box TCG is usually performed by means of symbolic execution, i.e., instead of executing the program on normal values (e.g., numbers), the program is executed on symbolic values representing arbitrary values. When dealing with an object-oriented (OO) imperative language, symbolic execution becomes challenging as, among other things, it must be able to backtrack, complex heap-allocated data structures should be created during the TCG process and features like inheritance, virtual invocations and exceptions have to be taken into account. Due to its inherent symbolic execution mechanism , we pursue in this paper that Constraint Logic Programming (CLP) has a promising application field in TCG. We will support our claim by developing a fully CLP-based framework to TCG of an OO imperative language, and by assessing it on a corresponding implementation on a set of challenging Java programs.
Formal verification of time-triggered systems

Fault-tolerant real-time distributed control systems are being developed for next-generation aircraft and automobiles. They employ numerous complex protocols; because their uses are safety-critical, the design and implementation of these protocols must be error-free. The following modeling considerations make the formal verification of these protocols difficult: faults, real-time constraints, distributed control, nonfunctional behavioral requirements, and intricate protocol interactions. We describe a methodology for the formal verification of time-triggered systems, a class of synchronized fault-tolerant control and communication architectures. The methodology centers around the distinct timing assumptions made in time-triggered systems. First, we describe a set of abstractions for specifying time-triggered protocols in an untimed synchronous model of computation that is particularly well suited for mechanical theorem-proving. The abstractions systematically abstract faults, data, communication, and fault-masking. An untimed synchronous specification simplifies the specification and verification overhead, but a large semantic gap exists between the timing characteristics of an untimed protocol specification and its implementation. We therefore extend previous work to formally demonstrate via mechanical theorem-proving that under certain assumptions, a simulation exists between a time-triggered implementation of a protocol and its untimed synchronous specification. We then use a combination of bounded model-checking and automated solvers to verify that realized protocol schedules satisfy the necessary time-triggered assumptions. Finally, some protocols do not satisfy the time-triggered model constraints due to the fact they execute when the system is unsynchronized, such as during startup or restart. We also use bounded model-checking and automated solvers to verify explicit real-time models of such protocols. The methodology is demonstrated by verifying NASA Langley's SPIDER fly-by-wire bus architecture.
Investigation of a MMP-2 Activity-Dependent Anchoring Probe for Nuclear Imaging of Cancer

Purpose Since matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) is an important marker of tumor malignancy, we developed an original drug design strategy, MMP-2 activity dependent anchoring probes (MDAP), for use in MMP-2 activity imaging, and evaluated the usefulness of this probe in in vitro and in vivo experiments. Methods We designed and synthesized MDAP1000, MDAP3000, and MDAP5000, which consist of 4 independent moieties: RI unit (111In hydrophilic chelate), MMP-2 substrate unit (short peptide), anchoring unit (alkyl chain), and anchoring inhibition unit (polyethylene glycol (PEGn; where n represents the approximate molecular weight, n = 1000, 3000, and 5000). Probe cleavage was evaluated by chromatography after MMP-2 treatment. Cellular uptake of the probes was then measured. Radioactivity accumulation in tumor xenografts was evaluated after intravenous injection of the probes, and probe cleavage was evaluated in tumor homogenates. Results MDAP1000, MDAP3000, and MDAP5000 were cleaved by MMP-2 in a concentration-dependent manner. MDAP3000 pretreated with MMP-2 showed higher accumulation in tumor cells, and was completely blocked by additional treatment with an MMP inhibitor. MDAP3000 exhibited rapid blood clearance and a high tumor accumulation after intravenous injection in a rodent model. Furthermore, pharmacokinetic analysis revealed that MDAP3000 exhibited a considerably slow washout rate from tumors to blood. A certain fraction of cleaved MDAP3000 existed in tumor xenografts in vivo. Conclusions The results indicate the possible usefulness of our MDAP strategy for tumor imaging.
Risk Factors for School Violence

This article reviews the history of violence in the schools, which is of significant concern, particularly in urban areas. Types and frequencies of violence in schools are presented, along with student, familial, and school factors that are related to school-based violence. Impacts on psychological functioning and the educational process for students are discussed. Strategies are then presented that administrators, teachers, support, and counseling staff can use to decrease the likelihood of violence.
A corpus-based singing voice synthesis system for mandarin Chinese

In this paper, the design and implementation of a corpus-based singing voice synthesis (SVS) system for Mandarin Chinese was introduced. The design rules of three corpora for singing voice synthesis were proposed. After that, two distance functions were defined and the Viterbi search algorithm was applied to identify the optimal combinations of synthesis units from the three corpora. For better performance, several sound effects with synthesized outputs were combined. Finally, we conduct a listening experiment to demonstrate the feasibility of this system.
Role of Relationship Norms in Processing Brand Information

In the present research, we propose relationship norms as a moderator of the specific information-processing strategy adopted by consumers when evaluating a brand. Two types of relationships are examined: communal relationships, in which concern for a partner's need is paramount, and exchange relationships, in which a matched benefit is expected back from the partner. Across three studies, we test the hypothesis that norms of a communal relationship lead to brand attributes being evaluated at a higher level of abstraction relative to those of an exchange relationship. Dependent variables ranging from product evaluations, memory measures, and feature listings provide converging evidence to support the overall hypothesis. (c) 2005 by JOURNAL OF CONSUMER RESEARCH, Inc.
CEBBIP: a parser of bibliographic information in chinese electronic books

Bibliographic information is essential for many digital library applications, such as citation analysis, academic searching and topic discovery. And bibliographic data extraction has attracted a great deal of attention in recent years. In this paper, we address the problem of automatic extraction of bibliographic data in Chinese electronic book and propose a tool called CEBBIP* for the task, which includes three main systems: data preprocessing, data parsing and data postprocessing. In the data preprocessing system, the tool adopts a rules-based method to locate citation data in a book and to segment citation data into citation strings of individual referencing literature. And a learning-based approach, Conditional Random Fields (CRF), is employed to parse citation strings in the data parsing system. Finally, the tool takes advantage of document intrinsic local format consistency to enhance citation data segmentation and parsing through clustering techniques. CEBBIP has been used in a commercial E-book production system. Experimental results show that CEBBIP's precision rate is very high. More specially, adopting the document intrinsic local format consistency obviously improves the citation data segmenting and parsing accuracy.