Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Search Engine Result Visualisation: Challenges and Opportunities

The rank-ordered list format is the prevailing result presentation format of all the major Internet search engine providers. The format itself has seen few changes over the course of the Internet’s history aside from the emergence of the snippet. However, there are indications that the result presentation format is undergoing some evolutionary changes. The discussion will examine primarily the structural aspects of alternative formats to the traditional list format and motivate a program of comparative evaluation. A summary of current structure templates provides a resource for designers of future result visualizations.
X-ray Emission from the Host Clusters of Powerful AGN

(Abridged) We report the detection of X-ray emission from the host cluster of the radio-quiet quasar H1821+643 with the ROSAT HRI, and the non-detection of the host cluster of the radio-loud quasar 3C206 using the EINSTEIN HRI. CL1821+643 has a rest-frame 0.1-2.4 keV luminosity of 3.74$\pm$0.57 h$_{50}^{-2}$ 10^45 ergs/sec, 38% from a barely resolved cooling flow component, which places it among the most X-ray luminous clusters known. The cluster emission complicates interpretation of previous X-ray spectra of this field; in particular, the observed FeK$\alpha$ emission can probably be attributed entirely to the cluster, and either the quasar is relatively X-ray quiet for its optical luminosity or the cluster has a relatively low temperature for its luminosity. We combine these data with the recent detection of X-ray emission from the host cluster of the `buried' radio-quiet quasar IRAS 09104+4109, our previous upper limits for the host clusters of two z$\sim$0.7 RLQs, and literature data on FR II radio galaxies and compare to the predictions of three models for the presence and evolution of powerful AGN in clusters: the low-velocity-dispersion model, the low-ICM-density model, and the cooling flow model. Neither of the latter two models can explain all the observations. We suggest that strong interactions with gas-containing galaxies may be the only mechanism needed to explain the presence and evolution of powerful AGN in clusters, consistent with the far-IR and optical properties of the host galaxies studied here. However, the cooling flow model cannot be ruled out for at least some objects, and it is likely that both processes are at work. Each scenario makes predictions for future X-ray and optical observations which can test their relative importance.
Defective Interference in the Killer System of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The K1 killer virus (or plasmid) of Saccharomyces cerevisiae is a noninfectious double-stranded RNA genome found intracellularly packaged in an icosahedral capsid. This genome codes for a protein toxin and for resistance to that toxin. Defective interfering virus mutants are deletion derivatives of the killer virus double-stranded RNA genome; such mutants are called suppressive. Unlike strains carrying the wild-type genome, strains with these deletion derivatives are neither toxin producers nor toxin resistant. If both the suppressive and the wildtype virus are introduced into the same cell, most progeny become toxin-sensitive nonkillers (J. M. Somers, Genetics 74:571-579, 1973). Diploids formed by the mating of a killer with a suppressive strain were grown in liquid culture, and RNA was extracted from samples taken up to 41 generations after the mating. The ratio of killer RNA to suppressive RNA decreased with increasing generations; by 41 generations the killer RNA was barely detectable. The copy numbers of the suppressive genome and its parental killer were virtually the same in isogenic strains, as were the growth rates of diploid strains containing either virus alone. Therefore, suppressiveness, not being due to segregation or overgrowth by faster growing segregants, is likely due to preferential replication or maintenance of the suppressive genome. Three suppressive viruses, all derivatives of the same killer virus (T. K. Sweeney et al., Genetics 84:27-42, 1976), did not coexist stably. The evidence strongly indicates that the largest genome of the three slowly suppressed both of the smaller genomes, showing that larger genomes can suppress smaller ones and that suppression can occur between two suppressives. Of 48 isolates of strains carrying the suppressive viruses, 5 had newly detectable RNA species, all larger than the original suppressive genomes. At least seven genes necessary for maintenance of the wild-type killer virus (MAK genes) were needed by a suppressive mutant. No effect of ski mutations (affecting regulation of killer virus double-stranded RNA replication) on suppressiveness was observed.
Exploitation of environmental constraints in human and robotic grasping

We investigate the premise that robust grasping performance is enabled by exploiting constraints present in the environment. These constraints, leveraged through motion in contact, counteract uncertainty in state variables relevant to grasp success. Given this premise, grasping becomes a process of successive exploitation of environmental constraints, until a successful grasp has been established. We present support for this view found through the analysis of human grasp behavior and by showing robust robotic grasping based on constraint-exploiting grasp strategies. Furthermore, we show that it is possible to design robotic hands with inherent capabilities for the exploitation of environmental constraints.
Leucine 332 influences the CO2/O2 specificity factor of ribulose‐1, 5‐bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase from Anacystis nidulans

The role of Leu 332 in ribulose‐1, 5‐bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase from the cyanobacterium Anacystis nidulans was investigated by site‐directed mutagenesis. Substitutions of this residue with Met, Ile, Val, Thr, or Ala decreased the CO2/O2 specificity factor by as much as 67% and 96% for the Ile mutant in the presence of Mg2+ and Mn2+, respectively. For the Met, Ile, and Ala mutants in the presence of Mg2+, no loss of oxygenase activity was observed despite the loss of greater than 65% of the carboxylase activity relative to the wild‐type enzyme. In the presence of Mn2+, carboxylase activities for mutant enzymes were reduced to approximately the same degree as was observed in the presence of Mg2+, although oxygenase activities were also reduced to similar extents as carboxylase activities. Only minor changes in Km(RuBp) were observed for all mutants in the presence of Mg2+ relative to the wild‐type enzyme, indicating that Leu 332 does not function in RuBP binding. These results suggest that in the presence of Mg2+, Leu 332 contributes to the stabilization of the transition state for the carboxylase reaction, and demonstrate that it is possible to affect only one of the activities of this bifunctional enzyme.
Evaluation and visualization of stress and strain on soft biological tissues in contact

This paper addresses evaluation and visualization of stress and strain on soft biological tissues in contact given three-dimensional models of reconstructed organs from magnetic resonance images (MRI), we use an anatomy-based kinematical model combined with a soft tissues model to represent their shape and behavior. Then, we compute resulting distribution of stress and strain on deforming surface when motion is simulated. The computed stress and strain are then effectively visualized using an interactive animation framework. Experimental results are illustrated in the case of the hip joint cartilage.
HDOV: an overlay network for wide area spatial data collection

In this paper, we propose an overlay network called HDOV, a hierarchical extension of Delaunay overlay network for data collection with multiple spatial resolutions. By using HDOV, spatial data with at least specified spatial resolution can be collected reducing the redundant messages for data collection from wide area peer-to-peer network. The proposal in HDOV consists of 1) uniform node selection method for multiple spatial resolution levels and 2) hierarchical overlay network construction methods for the selected nodes. The proposed node selection method in HDOV probabilistically adjusts geographical node densities of the overlay network levels according to the size of the Voronoi cell of each node. We propose two types of hierarchical overlay network construction method: the Selected-Nodes Leading method (SNL) and the Unselected-Nodes Leading method (UNL). Our simulation results show that the proposed method can construct overlay networks that collect data with specified uniform spatial resolutions. The simulation results also show that the UNL requires low network construction cost especially in the skewed node distribution environment and the SNL requires less network reconstruction cost when there are no adjoined node failures.
The Multibody Trifocal Tensor : Motion Segmentation from 3 Perspective Views

We propose a new geometric approach to 3-D motion segmentation from point correspondences in three perspective views. We demonstrate that after applying a polynomial embedding to the correspondences they become related by the so-called multibody trilinear constraint and its associated multibody trifocal tensor T . We first show how to linearly estimate T from point-point-point correspondences. Given T , we show that the derivatives of the multibody trilinear constraint at a correspondence enable us to transfer points and lines from two views to the other. We then show that one can estimate the epipolar lines associated with each image point from the common root of a set of univariate polynomials, and the epipoles by solving a plane clustering problem in R. The individual trifocal tensors are then obtained from the second order derivatives of the multibody trilinear constraint. Given epipolar lines and epipoles, or trifocal tensors, one can immediately obtain an initial clustering of the correspondences. We use this initial clustering to initialize an iterative algorithm that finds an optimal estimate for the trifocal tensors and the segmentation of the correspondences using Expectation Maximization. We test our algorithm on various real and synthetic dynamic scenes.
AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE IN MICE *

The NZB/BL (NZB) inbred strain of mice was originally bred for cancer research purposes on a basis of selection for black coat color. ’ The development of spontaneous autoimmune disease in this strain was quite unexpected. The animals develop a positive antiglobulin test and evidence of circulating antibodies after three months of age, and the full syndrome of hepatosplenomegaly, anemia with reticulocytosis and jaundice develops subsequently, with death ensuing after a variable interval of time. ’-3 The principal feature of the disorder is the development of an autoimmune hemolytic anemia of warm antibody type, which is progressive and, in the majority of instances, is the principal cause of death. The disorder closely resembles both hematologically and serologically the warm antibody type of autoimmune hemolytic anemia in humans. However, a proportion of animals (four per cent) can be shown to develop positive lupus erythematosus (L.E.) cell tests, and some may die with evidence of renal failure. Histological changes in the kidneys have been described as showing some features of human lupus nephritis. ’” These have been described as membranous glomerulonephritis by Holmes and B ~ r n e t . ~ We believe that three different but not necessarily separate forms of renal pathology are seen. 1. A dark, otherwise normal-looking kidney. This shows abundant hemosiderosis of the proximal tubules and the glomeruli may show minor hyaline thickening of the capillary walls (FIGURE 1). This form is usually seen in association with florid hemolytic disease. 2 . A n enlarged pale “white” kidney. This shows enlargement and distortion of the glomeruli, with varying degrees of hyaline change evenly distributed throughout the tufts (FIGURES 2 and 3). This change may progress to almost complete hyalinization of the glomeruli. The hyaline material is not fibrinoid, and does not have the staining characteristics or distribution typical of amyloid. For want of a better name we have described this as the “amyloid-like” kidney. The glomerular lesion is constantly associated with tubular casts. 3 . A normal-sized or slightly enlarged pale granular kidney. This is a caf6-au-lait in color and shows histological changes typical of lupus nephritis. The glomeruli show gross deformity with irregular hypercellularity of the
Non‐linear summation of excitatory synaptic inputs to small neurones: a case study in spinal motoneurones of the young Xenopus tadpole

1 We examined the steady‐state summation of postsynaptic potentials (PSPs) in small, electrotonically compact neurones with short dendrites, using a one‐compartment electrical equivalent model of the passive membrane with conductances to represent chemical synapses and electrotonic junctional connections to neighbouring neurones. 2 Our model shows that PSP summation is non‐linear and for small depolarizations is mainly determined by the increase in total neurone conductance due to the opening of synaptic channels. At bigger depolarizations the change in synaptic driving force becomes an equally important cause of non‐linearity. 3 Non‐linear summation of AMPA‐mediated PSPs was measured experimentally when two monosynaptic pathways to motoneurones were stimulated. The conductances underlying these PSPs were calculated relative to the resting neurone conductance using our model. These conductance ratios were hardly affected by the size of electrotonic coupling conductances. The non‐linearity in PSP summation could be predicted by the model provided that the depolarizations remained negative to potentials at which voltage‐dependent channels open. 4 The model was used to estimate the relative contributions of glutamatergic, cholinergic and electrotonic excitation to EPSPs measured in Xenopus tadpole spinal motoneurones during swimming. Estimates of synaptic conductances and electrotonic coupling to other motoneurones suggest that ligand‐gated conductance mediated by glutamate may be twice that due to acetylcholine. 5 We conclude that in small electrotonically compact motoneurones of the Xenopus tadpole, our simple model can predict the non‐linearity in PSP summation and may allow the conductances of different synaptic inputs to be compared. Furthermore, excitatory synaptic conductances can increase the resting neurone conductance significantly and limit depolarization. Our general model may also be applicable to other small neurones.
Fast set operations using treaps

We present parallel algorithms for union, intersection and difference on ordered sets using random balanced binary trees (treaps [26]). For two sets of size n and m (m ≤ n) the algorithms run in expected O(m lg(n/m)) work and O(lgn) depth (parallel time) on an EREW PRAM with scan operations (implying O(lg n) depth on a plain EREW PRAM). As with the sequential algorithms on treaps for insertion and deletion, the main advantage of our algorithms are their simplicity. In fact, our algorithms for set operations seem simpler than previous sequential algorithms with the same work bounds, and might therefore also be useful in a sequential context. To analyze the effectiveness of the algorithms we implemented both sequential and parallel versions of the algorithms and ran several experiments on them. Our parallel implementation uses the Cilk [5] shared memory runtime system on a 16 processor SGI Power Challenge and a 6 processor Sun Ultra Enterprise 3000. It shows reasonable speedup: 6.3 to 6.8 speedup on 8 processors of the SGI, and 4.1 to 4.4 speedup on 5 processors of the Sun.
Extensible sparse functional arrays with circuit parallelism

A longstanding open question in algorithms and data structures is the time and space complexity of pure functional arrays. Imperative arrays provide update and lookup operations that require constant time in the RAM theoretical model, but it is conjectured that there does not exist a RAM algorithm that achieves the same complexity for functional arrays, unless restrictions are placed on the operations. The main result of this paper is an algorithm that does achieve optimal unit time and space complexity for update and lookup on functional arrays. This algorithm does not run on a RAM, but instead it exploits the massive parallelism inherent in digital circuits. The algorithm also provides unit time operations that support storage management, as well as sparse and extensible arrays. The main idea behind the algorithm is to replace a RAM memory by a tree circuit that is more powerful than the RAM yet has the same asymptotic complexity in time (gate delays) and size (number of components). The algorithm uses an array representation that allows elements to be shared between many arrays with only a small constant factor penalty in space and time. This system exemplifies circuit parallelism, which exploits very large numbers of transistors per chip in order to speed up key algorithms. Extensible Sparse Functional Arrays (ESFA) can be used with both functional and imperative programming languages. The system comprises a set of algorithms and a circuit specification, and it has been implemented on a GPGPU with good performance.
Transnational Sex Politics, Conservative Christianity, and Antigay Activism in Uganda

In October 2009, a private member introduced the Anti-Homosexuality Bill to Uganda’s Parliament for consideration. This article analyzes the Bill within a broader context of transnational antigay activism, specifically the diverse ways that antigay activism in Uganda is shaped by global dynamics (such as the U.S. Christian Right’s pro-family agenda) and local forms of knowledge and concerns over culture, national identity, and political and socio-economic issues/interests. This article lends insight into how transnational antigay activism connects to and reinforces colonial-inspired scripts about “African” sexuality and the deepening power inequalities between the global North and South under global neoliberalism, and raises some important questions about how the racial and gender politics of the U.S. Christian Right’s pro-family agenda travel and manifest within the Ugandan context.
Applying recent secure element relay attack scenarios to the real world: Google Wallet Relay Attack

This report explains recent developments in relay attacks on contactless smartcards and secure elements. It further reveals how these relay attacks can be applied to the Google Wallet. Finally, it gives an overview of the components and results of a successful attempt to relay an EMV Mag-Stripe transaction between a Google Wallet device and an external card emulator over a wireless network.
A new weighting scheme and discriminative approach for information retrieval in static and dynamic document collections

This paper introduces a new weighting scheme in information retrieval. It also proposes using the document centroid as a threshold for normalizing documents in a document collection. Document centroid normalization helps to achieve more effective information retrieval as it enables good discrimination between documents. In the context of a machine learning application, namely unsupervised document indexing and retrieval, we compared the effectiveness of the proposed weighting scheme to the `Term Frequency - Inverse Document Frequency' or TF-IDF, which is commonly used and considered as one of the best existing weighting schemes. The paper shows how the document centroid is used to remove less significant weights from documents and how this helps to achieve better retrieval effectiveness. Most of the existing weighting schemes in information retrieval research assume that the whole document collection is static. The results presented in this paper show that the proposed weighting scheme can produce higher retrieval effectiveness compared with the TF-IDF weighting scheme, in both static and dynamic document collections. The results also show the variation in information retrieval effectiveness that is achieved for static and dynamic document collections by using a specific weighting scheme. This type of comparison has not been presented in the literature before.
Additive Co-Clustering of Gaussians and Poissons for Joint Modeling of Ratings and Reviews

Understanding a user’s motivations provides valuable information beyond the ability to recommend items. Quite often this can be accomplished by perusing both ratings and review texts, since it is the latter where the reasoning for specific preferences is explicitly expressed. Unfortunately matrix factorization approaches to recommendation result in large, complex models that are difficult to interpret and give recommendations that are hard to clearly explain to users. In contrast, in this paper, we attack this problem through succinct additive co-clustering. We devise a novel Bayesian technique for summing co-clusterings of joint Gaussian and Poisson distributions. With this novel technique we propose a new Bayesian model for joint collaborative filtering of ratings and text reviews through a sum of simple co-clusterings. Our model is non-parametric in the size of the co-clusterings and we offer a novel efficient sampling algorithm for learning the sum of Poisson distributions and the sum of Gaussian distributions. The simple structure of our model yields easily interpretable recommendations. Even with a simple, succinct structure, our model outperforms competitors in terms of predicting both ratings and reviews.
A Back End System for Digital Image Library Organization Based on Concept Learning

We present a back-end system which organizes digital image libraries according to a user-defined concept. The concept is extracted from a set of images that the user submits to the system as its representative instances. A relevance feedback procedure, implemented with SVM-based incremental learning algorithms, tunes a classifier that discriminates between concept-relevant and concept-irrelevant images. The system is fully developed and experimentally tested with success.
Lateral fusion of membranes in bacteroid-containing cells of leguminous root nodules.

Bacteroid-containing cells of leguminous root nodules (Pisum and Trifolium) provide an environment in which the membrane envelope surrounding each bacteroid can exhibit unusual properties. The bacteroids are crowded, and frequently neighbouring membrane envelopes come into close contact. In such cases the two envelopes can fuse laterally to give a symmetrical tripartite membrane, probably consisting of a composite inner layer sandwiched between the outer leaflets of the two parent membranes. The expanse of fused membrane forks at its periphery, i.e is confluent with both of the envelopes from which it is derived, and seems to be relatively stable.
Learning an Imposed Timing in a Sequential Arm Movement

The possibility of learning an imposed timing in a sequential arm movement was investigated as such observations could have important implications for learning in sport. The experimental task was performed by 26 women and 19 men on a vertical digitizer and required a movement made of four segments, different in both length and direction. To impose a timing very different from a spontaneous one, the spontaneous temporal organization on this task had first to be characterized. Then, during the learning, visual and auditory information about the imposed timing was given to subjects on each trial. Analysis showed that subjects accurately learned the imposed timing; moreover, the learning was a discontinuous process. Finally, it was obvious that the learned timing could be transferred to a reversed spatial pattern.