Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
How Old are the Rove Beetles (Insecta: Coleoptera: Staphylinidae) and Their Lineages? Seeking an Answer with DNA

The phylogeny and related evolutionary history of rove beetles (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae) remain unclear. This study provides phylogenetic analyses for the family based on three genes (mitochondrial COI, nuclear protein-coding wingless and a portion of the ribosomal 28S rDNA) including 2413 bp for 104 taxa representing most major staphylinid lineages. The subfamilies Oxyporinae, Paederinae, Steninae, and Proteininae are all well-supported clades, as evidenced by all three inference methods, namely maximum parsimony, Bayesian inference, and maximum likelihood. From fossils available for calibration, the divergence time of the main lineages in the family is estimated based on an uncorrelated lognormal relaxed molecular clock analysis method. The molecular clock analysis suggests that the family Staphylinidae dates from approximately the Early Triassic epoch and the most lineages of the family started to radiate from the Late Jurassic to the Early Paleogene.
The Effect of Tetracycline Treatment on Chlamydial Salpingitis and Subsequent Fertility in the Mouse

The effect of tetracycline X HCl, administered for 14 days starting before or after intraovarian bursa inoculation of the mouse pneumonitis biovar of Chlamydia trachomatis, was examined in mice. Mice that received no antibiotic developed acute salpingitis and subsequent hydrosalpinx. Only one of ten mated mice at 42-51 days after inoculation showed a normal, bilateral pregnancy. Initiation of tetracycline treatment two days prior to inoculation completely prevented the pathology associated with tubal chlamydial infection and fertility was as high (eight of ten) as in mice inoculated with sterile tissue culture supernate (eight of 11). Initiation of treatment one week after inoculation prevented permanent tubal damage (two of 20 vs. 12 of 20; P = .001) and infertility (bilateral pregnancies, six of ten vs. one of ten; P = .027) in some, but not all, infected mice. Therapy began two weeks after inoculation resulted in a marginal improvement in the frequency of apparently normal oviducts (16 of 24 vs. eight of 20; P = .053) but not in fertility (bilateral pregnancies, four of 12 vs. one of ten; P = 0.19). This model may be of value in studies of the treatment of upper genital tract infection with C. trachomatis.
NLP2Code: Code Snippet Content Assist via Natural Language Tasks

Developers increasingly take to the Internet for code snippets to integrate into their programs. To save developers the time required to switch from their development environments to a web browser in the quest for a suitable code snippet, we introduce NLP2Code, a content assist for code snippets. Unlike related tools, NLP2Code integrates directly into the source code editor and provides developers with a content assist feature to close the vocabulary gap between developers' needs and code snippet meta data. Our preliminary evaluation of NLP2Code shows that the majority of invocations lead to code snippets rated as helpful by users and that the tool is able to support a wide range of tasks.
Botzone: a competitive and interactive platform for game AI education

This paper presents Botzone, a competitive and interactive platform for game AI education, aiming to simplify the teaching process of game AI courses and inspire self-study AI learners. Botzone is a universal online game AI platform, designed to evaluate different implementations of game AI by applying them to agents in a variety of games and compete with each other. It has been successfully used in various AI competition and courses in practice, and has the expandability to support more games and languages, as well as further usages such as researching machine learning on game AI. In this paper, we describe the structure and features of Botzone, and provide case studies of instances of applications.
Field Evaluation of Two Rapid Diagnostic Tests for Neisseria meningitidis Serogroup A during the 2006 Outbreak in Niger

The Pastorex® (BioRad) rapid agglutination test is one of the main rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) for meningococcal disease currently in use in the “meningitis belt”. Earlier evaluations, performed after heating and centrifugation of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples, under good laboratory conditions, showed high sensitivity and specificity. However, during an epidemic, the test may be used without prior sample preparation. Recently a new, easy-to-use dipstick RDT for meningococcal disease detection on CSF was developed by the Centre de Recherche Médicale et Sanitaire in Niger and the Pasteur Institute in France. We estimate diagnostic accuracy in the field during the 2006 outbreak of Neisseria meningitidis serogroup A in Maradi, Niger, for the dipstick RDT and Pastorex® on unprepared CSF, (a) by comparing each test's sensitivity and specificity with previously reported values; and (b) by comparing results for each test on paired samples, using McNemar's test. We also (c) estimate diagnostic accuracy of the dipstick RDT on diluted whole blood. We tested unprepared CSF and diluted whole blood from 126 patients with suspected meningococcal disease presenting at four health posts. (a) Pastorex® sensitivity (69%; 95%CI 57–79) was significantly lower than found previously for prepared CSF samples [87% (81–91); or 88% (85–91)], as was specificity [81% (95%CI 68–91) vs 93% (90–95); or 93% (87–96)]. Sensitivity of the dipstick RDT [89% (95%CI 80–95)] was similar to previously reported values for ideal laboratory conditions [89% (84–93) and 94% (90–96)]. Specificity, at 62% (95%CI 48–75), was significantly lower than found previously [94% (92–96) and 97% (94–99)]. (b) McNemar's test for the dipstick RDT vs Pastorex® was statistically significant (p<0.001). (c) The dipstick RDT did not perform satisfactorily on diluted whole blood (sensitivity 73%; specificity 57%). Sensitivity and specificity of Pastorex® without prior CSF preparation were poorer than previously reported results from prepared samples; therefore we caution against using this test during an epidemic if sample preparation is not possible. For the dipstick RDT, sensitivity was similar to, while specificity was not as high as previously reported during a more stable context. Further studies are needed to evaluate its field performance, especially for different populations and other serogroups.
Efficient, real-time tracking of public transport, using LoRaWAN and RF transceivers

This paper proposes an alternative to the conventional public transport tracking systems which uses GPS. The proposed model uses LoRa wireless transmission to communicate between the bus stops and a base station. The buses are equipped with RF transmitters, which sends out data regarding the bus identity, continuously. RF receivers placed in the bus stop, detects this bus when it is in range, and relays this information to the base station instantly thorugh LoRa communication. The LoRa receiver in the base station collects the transit information from all such bus stops in its range, modifies it as per requirement, and stores all necessary information in a database. The prototype built, only cost one-seventh of the cost required to implement a conventional tracking system, and consumed much less power as well. Such a system has minimal dependence on the number of buses being used. Hence, the system can be scaled at minimal costs.
Fast and Saturating Thrust Direction Control for a Quadrotor Helicopter

Abstract In this paper we design a continuous, nonlinear state feedback controller that aligns the body-fixed thrust direction of a quadrotor helicopter with a constant desired direction given in an inertial coordinate system. The controller is designed based on an energy shaping approach and is able to saturate the control torques. Almost global asymptotic stability of the desired thrust direction is proven for arbitrary unknown moment of inertia matrices. Performance of the closed loop system is verified by simulations. Zusammenfassung In diesem Beitrag wird ein kontinuierlicher nichtlinearer Zustandsregler entworfen, der die körperfeste Schubrichtung eines Quadrocopters mit einer gewünschten inertialen Richtung in Übereinstimmung bringt. Der Regler wird über einen energiebasierten Ansatz entworfen und ist in der Lage die Stellmomente zu sättigen. Für beliebige unbekannte Massenträgheitsmomente wird gezeigt, dass die Wunschrichtung asymptotisch stabil ist und der Einzugsbereich, abgesehen von einem Unterraum mit Maß Null, den gesamten Zustandsraum umfasst. Die Leistungsfähigkeit der Regelung wird in Simulationen verifiziert.
An Improved Gaussian Mixture Model based on NonLocal Information for Brain MR Images Segmentation

Brain image segmentation is an important part of medical image analysis. Due to the effect of imaging mechanism, MR images usually intensity in homogeneity, which is also named as bias field. Traditional Gaussian Mixed Model (GMM) method is hard to obtain satisfied segmentation results with the effect of noise and bias field. We propose a novel model based on GMM and nonlocal information. The improved method coupled segmentation and bias field correction that can manage the bias field while segmenting the image. In order to obtain a smooth bias field, we employed the Legendre Polynomials to fit it and merged it to the EM framework. We also use the non local information to deal with the noise and preserve geometrical edges information. The results show that our method can obtain more accurate results and bias field.
Vascular endothelial growth factor promotes proliferation of cortical neuron precursors by regulating E2F expression

Neurogenesis, or the production of new neurons, is regulated by physiological and pathological processes including aging, stress, and brain injury. Many mitogenic and trophic factors that regulate proliferation of nonneuronal cells are also involved in neurogenesis. These include vascular endothelial cell growth factor (VEGF), which stimulates the incorporation of bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) into neuronal precursor cells in vitro and in the adult rat brain in vivo. Using BrdU labeling as an index of cell proliferation, we found that the in vitro neuroproliferative effect of VEGF was associated with up‐regulation of E2F family transcription factors, cyclin D1, cyclin E, and cdc25. VEGF also increased nuclear expression of E2F1, E2F2, and E2F3, consistent with regulation of the G1/S phase transition of the cell cycle. The proliferative effect of VEGF was inhibited by the extracellular signal‐regulated kinase kinase (MEK) inhibitor PD98059, the phospholipase C (PLC) inhibitor U73122, the protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitor GF102390X, and the phosphatidylinositol 3‐kinase (PI3K) inhibitor wortmannin, indicating involvement of multiple signaling pathways. These findings help to provide a molecular basis for some of the recently identified neuronal effects of VEGF. Zhu, Y. , Jin, K. , Mao, X. O. , Greenberg D. A. Vascular endothelial growth factor promotes proliferation of cortical neuron precursors by regulating E2F expression. FASEB J. 17, 186–193 (2003)
Why A Statistics-based Face RecognitionSystem Should Base Its Recognition on thePure Face Portion : A ProbabilisticDecision-based Proof

Face recognition by de nition should be a recognition process in which recognition is based on the content of a face The problem is what is a face Goudail et al and Swets and Weng have recently proposed state of the art statistics based face recognition systems However they used face images that included hair shoulders face and background Our intuition tells us that only a recognition process based on a pure face portion can be called face recognition The mixture of irrelevant data may result in an incorrect set of decision boundaries In this paper we propose a statistics based technique to quantitatively prove our assertion For the purpose of evaluating how the di erent portions of a face image will in uence the recognition results two This work was supported by the National Science Council under grant no NSC E To whom correspondence should be sent hypothesis testing models are proposed We then implement the two above mentioned face recognition systems and use the proposed hypothesis testing models to evaluate the systems Experimental results re ected that the in uence of the real face portion is much less than that of the nonface portion This outcome con rms quantitatively that a statistics based face recognition system should base its recognition solely on the pure face portion
Escherichia coli RecX Inhibits RecA Recombinase and Coprotease Activities in Vitro and in Vivo *

In Escherichia coli the RecA protein plays a pivotal role in homologous recombination, DNA repair, and SOS repair and mutagenesis. A gene designated recX (ororaA) is present directly downstream of recA inE. coli; however, the function of RecX is unknown. In this work we demonstrated interaction of RecX and RecA in a yeast two-hybrid assay. In vitro, substoichiometric amounts of RecX strongly inhibited both RecA-mediated DNA strand exchange and RecA ATPase activity. In vivo, we showed that recX is under control of the LexA repressor and is up-regulated in response to DNA damage. A loss-of-function mutation in recX resulted in decreased resistance to UV irradiation; however, overexpression of RecXin trans resulted in a greater decrease in UV resistance. Overexpression of RecX inhibited induction of two din(damage-inducible) genes and cleavage of the UmuD and LexA repressor proteins; however, recXinactivation had no effect on any of these processes. Cells overexpressing RecX showed decreased levels of P1 transduction, whereasrecX mutation had no effect on P1 transduction frequency. Our combined in vitro and in vivo data indicate that RecX can inhibit both RecA recombinase and coprotease activities.
Flight turbulence: the stormy professional trajectory of trainee early years’ teachers in England

ABSTRACT This paper documents trainees’ ‘flight turbulence’ as they negotiate the complexities that lie between ‘the self’ and the securing of Early Years Teaching Status in England. Early Years Teachers, besides teaching, are expected to lead improvements to the quality of provision. However, drawing on interview data, an impasse is discerned where ideas meet instrumental policy in practice. Trainees are often unable to reshape the meeting of theory, policy and practice, and struggle in finding teaching approaches which they are comfortable with ethically. Drawing on Holland et al.’s concept of ‘figured worlds’, it is suggested that the development of theory-informed practice should not be seen as a solitary task for the student but as a dialogic though difficult conversation involving the student, university staff and placement practitioners. Dialogism is seen as requiring persistence but as offering opportunities for beginning early years’ teachers, with support from teacher educators and experienced practitioners, to negotiate the challenging spaces between policy, theory and beliefs as they seek to construct, deconstruct and reconstruct ethical professional identities for themselves.
Constructing an alternative pedagogy of Islam: the experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Muslims

Abstract There is growing media interest in how lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT) Muslims negotiate their seemingly incompatible religious and sexual identities. Thus, there is a need to investigate how some LGBT Muslims utilise Islam as a resource for alternative pedagogical strategies to reconcile their personal beliefs and values. Their strategies are especially significant given the prevalence of dominant Islamic teachings that forbid or condemn homosexuality and/or LGBT identities. This article draws upon qualitative research to illuminate how some members of Imaan, an LGBT Muslim group based in Britain, developed an educational tool to impart pro-LGBT interpretations of Islam. It then shows how this strategy enabled these LGBT Muslims to engage in wider dialogue to advance more inclusive interpretations of Islam. In this way, this article suggests that alternative pedagogies are part of a wider response by some Muslims towards the politicised spotlight on Islam, particularly regarding gender and sexuality.
CLT for eigen-inference methods in cognitive radios

This article provides a central limit theorem for a consistent estimator of the population eigenvalues of a class of sample covariance matrices. An exact expression as well as an empirical and asymptotically accurate approximation of the limiting variance is also derived. These results are applied in a cognitive radio context featuring an orthogonal-CDMA primary network and a secondary network whose objective is to maximise the coverage of secondary transmissions under low probability of interference with primary users.
MIXPLORATION: rethinking the audio mixer interface

A typical audio mixer interface consists of faders and knobs that control the amplitude level as well as processing (e.g. equalization, compression and reverberation) parameters of individual tracks. This interface, while widely used and effective for optimizing a mix, may not be the best interface to facilitate exploration of different mixing options. In this work, we rethink the mixer interface, describing an alternative interface for exploring the space of possible mixes of four audio tracks. In a user study with 24 participants, we compared the effectiveness of this interface to the traditional paradigm for exploring alternative mixes. In the study, users responded that the proposed alternative interface facilitated exploration and that they considered the process of rating mixes to be beneficial.
A Study on Generation of Synthetic Evolving Social Graph

Social networks are popular tools for communication, interaction, and information sharing on the Internet. The extreme popularity and rapid growth of these online social networks reveal to study, understand, and discover their properties. Social networks evolve gradually and the network structure varies as the network grows. Large-scale dynamic network analysis requires a large quantity of network data to be available for the experiments and using real data have restrictions due to the privacy issues. Synthetic data generation is an alternative way to overcome these problems. The challenge when generating synthetic data is having characteristics that are similar to real-world data. In this paper, we study on generating synthetic, but realistic, time-evolving social graphs. We describe two main classes of properties: static and dynamic. We analyzed real datasets and extracted their behavior using static and dynamic properties. Then, we generated synthetic graphs with different parameter settings using Barabasi-Albert model (Barabasi and Albert, 1999). Our work enables the creation of synthetic networks that reflect both static and dynamic characteristics of online social networks. Moreover, our generated data may lead to more accurate structural and growth models, which are useful for network analysis and planning.
Bilingual Dictionary Construction with Transliteration Filtering

In this paper we present a bilingual transliteration lexicon of 170K Japanese-English technical terms in the scientific domain. Translation pairs are extracted by filtering a large list of transliteration candidates generated automatically from a phrase table trained on parallel corpora. Filtering uses a novel transliteration similarity measure based on a discriminative phrase-based machine translation approach. We demonstrate that the extracted dictionary is accurate and of high recall (F1 score 0.8). Our lexicon contains not only single words but also multi-word expressions, and is freely available. Our experiments focus on Katakana-English lexicon construction, however it would be possible to apply the proposed methods to transliteration extraction for a variety of language pairs.
Chromosome instability induced by Mps1 and p53 mutation generates aggressive lymphomas exhibiting aneuploidy-induced stress

Significance Normal cells rarely missegregate chromosomes, but the majority of cancer cells have a chromosomal instability (CIN) phenotype that makes errors more common and results in abnormal chromosomal content (aneuploidy). Although aneuploidy promotes transformation via gain of oncogenes and loss of tumor suppressors, it also slows cell proliferation and disrupts metabolic homeostasis. Aneuploidy therefore represents a liability as well as a source of selective advantage for cancer cells. We provoked CIN in murine T cells by weakening the spindle-assembly checkpoint and then studied the consequences. We found that CIN dramatically accelerates cancer in a genetically predisposed background and that the resulting aneuploid cancers are metabolically deranged, a vulnerability that may open new avenues to treating aneuploid cancers. Aneuploidy is a hallmark of human solid cancers that arises from errors in mitosis and results in gain and loss of oncogenes and tumor suppressors. Aneuploidy poses a growth disadvantage for cells grown in vitro, suggesting that cancer cells adapt to this burden. To understand better the consequences of aneuploidy in a rapidly proliferating adult tissue, we engineered a mouse in which chromosome instability was selectively induced in T cells. A flanked by Lox mutation was introduced into the monopolar spindle 1 (Mps1) spindle-assembly checkpoint gene so that Cre-mediated recombination would create a truncated protein (Mps1DK) that retained the kinase domain but lacked the kinetochore-binding domain and thereby weakened the checkpoint. In a sensitized p53+/− background we observed that Mps1DK/DK mice suffered from rapid-onset acute lymphoblastic lymphoma. The tumors were highly aneuploid and exhibited a metabolic burden similar to that previously characterized in aneuploid yeast and cultured cells. The tumors nonetheless grew rapidly and were lethal within 3–4 mo after birth.
Dynamic typing in polymorphic languages

Abstract There are situations in programming where some dynamic typing is needed, even in the presence of advanced static type systems. We investigate the interplay of dynamic types with other advanced type constructions, discussing their integration into languages with explicit polymorphism (in the style of system F), implicit polymorphism (in the style of ML), abstract data types, and subtyping.
When Diversity Meets Speciality:Friend Recommendation in Online Social Networks

Online social networks improve social experience by connectingusers with common interests. Similar to real life,seeking good friends is much easier with recommendationsin online social networks. In this paper, we investigatea series of problems related to friendship formationin the hope of improving friend recommendation in socialnetworks. Specially, we seek to understand whether userswho contribute more are more popular among other users,whether users like to make friends with popular users andthe role difference of users with different diversity of individualinterests in friendship formation. We propose anovel approach based on topic modeling to characterizethe interest diversity degree of each user. The interestdiversity features are used to help predict friend relationshipsbetween users. The experimental results on threelarge-scale datasets demonstrate the effectiveness of ourmethod.