Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Fast and Accurate Inference of Plackett-Luce Models

We show that the maximum-likelihood (ML) estimate of models derived from Luce's choice axiom (e.g., the Plackett-Luce model) can be expressed as the stationary distribution of a Markov chain. This conveys insight into several recently proposed spectral inference algorithms. We take advantage of this perspective and formulate a new spectral algorithm that is significantly more accurate than previous ones for the Plackett-Luce model. With a simple adaptation, this algorithm can be used iteratively, producing a sequence of estimates that converges to the ML estimate. The ML version runs faster than competing approaches on a benchmark of five datasets. Our algorithms are easy to implement, making them relevant for practitioners at large.
Stability Analysis of RED Gateway with Multiple TCP Reno Connections

It has been observed that a bottleneck random early detection (RED) gateway becomes oscillatory when regulating a flow in multiple TCP connections. The stability boundary of the TCP-RED system depends on various network parameters, making the adjustment of the RED gateway a difficult task. Based on a fluid-flow model, analytical conditions were formulated that describe the stable boundary of the RED gateway depending on the number of TCP Reno connections. The proposed model accurately generates a stability boundary surface in a four dimensional space, which facilitates the adjustment of parameters for stable operation of the RED gateway. The accuracy of the analytical results has been verified using the ns-2 network simulations.
Chapter 10 Transmission and Storage 10.1 Overview

Until the late seventies, research in speech compression followed two di erent directions: vocoders (abbreviation of voice coders) and waveform coders. The two approaches substantially di er in their underlying principles and performance. Whereas the rst explore our knowledge of speech production, attempting to represent the signal spectral envelope in terms of a small number of slowly varying parameters, the latter aim at a faithful reproduction of the signal either in the time or frequency domains. They also represent two opposite choices in terms of the interleaving of the four main dimensions of the performance of speech coding: bit rate, speech quality, algorithm complexity and communication delay. Vocoders achieve considerable bit rate savings at the cost of
PARTICLE FILTERING IN PAIRWISE AND TRIPLET MARKOV CHAINS

The estimation of an unobservable process x from an observed process y is often performed in the framework of Hidden Markov Models (HMM). In the linear Gaussian case, the classical recursive solution is given by the Kalman lter. On the other hand, particle lters provide approximate solutions in more complex situations. In this paper, we propose two successive generalizations of the classical HMM. We rst consider Pairwise Markov Models (PMM) by assuming that the pair (x; y) is Markovian. We show that this model is strictly more general than the HMM, and yet still enables particle ltering. We next consider Triplet Markov Models (TMM) by assuming the Markovianity of a triplet (x; r; y), in which r is some additional auxiliary process. We show that the Triplet model is strictly more general than the Pairwise one, and yet still enables particle ltering.
An Adaptive Maximum Power Point Tracking Scheme Based on a Variable Scaling Factor for Photovoltaic Systems

An adaptive maximum power point tracking (MPPT) scheme employing a variable scaling factor is presented. An MPPT control loop was constructed analytically and the magnitude variation in the MPPT loop gain according to the operating point of the PV array was identified due to the nonlinear characteristics of the PV array output. To make the crossover frequency of the MPPT loop consistent, the variable scaling factor was determined using an approximate curve-fitted polynomial equation about linear expression of the error. Therefore, a desirable dynamic response and the stability of the MPPT scheme were maintained across the entire MPPT voltage range. The simulation and experimental results obtained from a 3-kW rated prototype demonstrated the effectiveness of the proposed MPPT scheme.
Sequence-dependent dynamical instability of the human prion protein: a comparative simulation study

The present study aimed to explore the most probable regions of the human prion protein backbone for which the initial steps of conformational transitions as a result of intrinsic and extrinsic perturbing factors on the protein structure can be assigned. A total of 0.3-μs molecular dynamics simulations on several analog structures of the protein have been performed. To mimic the impact of the extrinsic and intrinsic destructive parameters on the dynamical characteristics of the protein, mild acidic conditions and R208H mutation have been simulated. The findings indicated that distribution of conformational flexibilities along the protein chain was almost independent of the induced perturbing factors, and was mostly centralized on certain distinct parts of the structure comprising residues 132–145 and 187–203. Analyses also revealed that the segment comprising residues 187–203 may be considered as a peptide sequence, possessing high potential to start the initial steps of conformational rearrangements due to the induced physicochemical alterations. Sequence alignment and molecular dynamics data also revealed that segment 178–203 prefers to accommodate in extended structures rather than α-helices. Region 178–203 may be considered as a peptide switch capable of initiating the conformational transitions due to the introduced modifications and perturbing parameters.
The Association between Asthma and Allergic Symptoms in Children and Phthalates in House Dust: A Nested Case–Control Study

Global phthalate ester production has increased from very low levels at the end of World War II to approximately 3.5 million metric tons/year. The aim of the present study was to investigate potential associations between persistent allergic symptoms in children, which have increased markedly in developed countries over the past three decades, and the concentration of phthalates in dust collected from their homes. This investigation is a case–control study nested within a cohort of 10,852 children. From the cohort, we selected 198 cases with persistent allergic symptoms and 202 controls without allergic symptoms. A clinical and a technical team investigated each child and her or his environment. We found higher median concentrations of butyl benzyl phthalate (BBzP) in dust among cases than among controls (0.15 vs. 0.12 mg/g dust). Analyzing the case group by symptoms showed that BBzP was associated with rhinitis (p = 0.001) and eczema (p = 0.001), whereas di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) was associated with asthma (p = 0.022). Furthermore, dose–response relationships for these associations are supported by trend analyses. This study shows that phthalates, within the range of what is normally found in indoor environments, are associated with allergic symptoms in children. We believe that the different associations of symptoms for the three major phthalates—BBzP, DEHP, and di-n-butyl phthalate—can be explained by a combination of chemical physical properties and toxicologic potential. Given the phthalate exposures of children worldwide, the results from this study of Swedish children have global implications.
Evolving an improved axial structure for fibrillar collagen

D.E. Cairns Dept of Computing Science and Mathematics University of Stirling Stirling, U.K. FK9 0QL +44 (0) 1786 467445 dec@cs.stir. ac.uk G.J. Cameron Dept of Computing Science and Mathematics University of Stirling Stirling, U.K. FK9 0QL +44 (0) 1786 467447 gjc@cs.stir. ac.uk T.J. Wess School of Optometry and Vision Science Redwood Building Cardiff University Cardiff, CF10 3NB +44 (0) 29 2087 0117 wesstj@cardiff.ac.uk
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Accurate models for the calculation of bit-level switching activity in data-path operators, by combining the dual-bit type model with the entropy based calculation are presented. Given the input statistics the conditional entropy per bit is estimated by means of a sigmoidal model. A polynomial approximation to the entropy of the sign bits has been developed. Entropy and switching activity of primary inputs are used to estimate the output activity. The Triple-Bit Type (TBT) model is introduced to describe the behavior of the LSBs of the multiplier out-put, which do not behave as white noise. The error between the results of the proposed models and the measurements of entropy and switching activity is about 1% for signals with correlation factor less than 0.8.
An Empirical Study of Good-Turing Smoothing for Language Models on Different Size Corpora of Chinese

Data sparseness has been an inherited issue of statistical language models and smoothing method is usually used to resolve the zero count problems. In this paper, we studied empirically and analyzed the well-known smoothing methods of Good-Turing and advanced Good-Turing for language models on large sizes Chinese corpus. In the paper, ten models are generated sequentially on various size of corpus, from 30 M to 300 M Chinese words of CGW corpus. In our experiments, the smoothing methods; Good-Turing and Advanced Good-Turing smoothing are evaluated on inside testing and outside testing. Based on experiments results, we analyzed further the trends of perplexity of smoothing methods, which are useful for employing the effective smoothing methods to alleviate the issue of data sparseness on various sizes of language models. Finally, some helpful observations are described in detail.
Antagonism of Cell Adhesion by an α-Catenin Mutant, and of the Wnt-signaling Pathway by α-Catenin in Xenopus Embryos

In Xenopus laevis development, β-catenin plays an important role in the Wnt-signaling pathway by establishing the Nieuwkoop center, which in turn leads to specification of the dorsoventral axis. Cadherins are essential for embryonic morphogenesis since they mediate calcium-dependent cell–cell adhesion and can modulate β-catenin signaling. α-catenin links β-catenin to the actin-based cytoskeleton. To study the role of endogenous α-catenin in early development, we have made deletion mutants of αN-catenin. The binding domain of β-catenin has been mapped to the NH2-terminal 210 amino acids of αN-catenin. Overexpression of mutants lacking the COOH-terminal 230 amino acids causes severe developmental defects that reflect impaired calcium-dependent blastomere adhesion. Lack of normal adhesive interactions results in a loss of the blastocoel in early embryos and ripping of the ectodermal layer during gastrulation. The phenotypes of the dominant-negative mutants can be rescued by coexpressing full-length αN-catenin or a mutant of β-catenin that lacks the internal armadillo repeats. We next show that coexpression of αN-catenin antagonizes the dorsalizing effects of β-catenin and Xwnt-8. This can be seen phenotypically, or by studying the effects of expression on the downstream homeobox gene Siamois. Thus, α-catenin is essential for proper morphogenesis of the embryo and may act as a regulator of the intracellular β-catenin signaling pathway in vivo.
Civic Education and Knowledge of Government and Politics

This study examines the relationship of civic education to the acquisition of political knowledge. Specifically, this research examines the influence of civic education on knowledge levels generally as well as the effectiveness of particular types of curriculum approaches and activities. Using data from an original national probability survey and a survey of alumni of the We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution program, the study finds that civic education is positively related to political knowledge. Lecture and textbook approaches to civic education are associated with higher levels of factual knowledge about political institutions and processes. Innovative curriculum approaches, such as the use of current events, classroom activities, and community activities, can be effective in conveying political knowledge when they are not the dominant basis for the learning experience.
QUALITY INITIATIVES AND BUSINESS GROWTH IN AUSTRALIAN MANUFACTURING SMEs : AN EXPLORATORY INVESTIGATION

The principal objectives in this paper are to compare and contrast quality management initiatives for a longitudinal sample of 871 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the Australian manufacturing sector that have embarked upon different growth development pathways. It also examines possible connections between SME growth, and the implementation of quality-related practices. Statistical analysis reveals highly significant differences in the implementation and use of quality-related practices, across the low, moderate and high growth SME development pathways.
Sense and Nonsense

＂You know, you act as if this is a decision of mine. This really isn＇t. As Michelle points out, I did not carry 10 pounds in my belly. I think Michelle＇s general view is, we＇re done. ＂——今年早些时候奥巴马接受美国广播公司（ABC）新闻频道的采访．主持人问及他和第一夫人米歇尔是否打算再要一个孩子，或者要个男孩。 奥巴马回答说：“你问得好像这是一个我能决定的事情似的。 我真的说了不算。 就像米歇尔说的．我没有在肚子里面装过10磅的东西。 我想米歇尔大概是觉得差不多了吧。 ”奥巴马夫妇育有两个女儿．现年13岁的玛丽亚和10岁的萨莎。 奥巴马坦承．自己从政后经常不在家，陪伴和教育两个孩子的重担更多地落在妻子米歇尔的肩头，但他会尽量抽时间与家人相聚。
Role of SOX9 in the Etiology of Pierre-Robin Syndrome

Objective(s : Cleft lip/palate are common congenital anomalies, affecting approximately 2/1000 live births. Pierre Robin Sequence is a subgroup of the cleft palate population. Chromosomal abnormalities near the SOX9 gene disrupt the regulation of this gene and prevent the SOX9 protein from properly controlling the development of facial structures, which leads to isolated PRS. The present study was conducted to identify the role of the SOX9 gene in the etiology of Pierre robin syndrome and to study the association of SOX9 and PRS in regulating morphogenesis of the face in individuals with Cleft lip/Palate using the PCR technique and GTG banding. Materials and Methods: Molecular and cytogenetic analysis was performed in 27 subjects with cleft lip/palate and 13 age matched controls. DNA was isolated and PCR was performed for the amplification of the gene of interest and the products were run on a 2% Agarose gel and the band patterns were analyzed. The chromosomal abnormalities were analyzed from the cultured lymphocytes after GTG banding. Result: Out of 27 patients screened, deletion of the SOX9 gene was observed in 1 case for exon1 and in 2 cases for exon2. The cytogenetic analysis showed no structural or numerical abnormalities and all the patients showed normal karyotype. Conclusion: The results of molecular methods showed a positive association suggesting that the SOX9 gene is of particular importance, but the cytogenetic study didn’t seem to show a stronger association suggesting that, this method would not identify disease genes acting via other mechanisms of genetic dominance and also due to the fact that Cleft lip / palate has a multifactorial inheritance.
Pattern Prediction of Academic Success

USING patterns in prediction is more than simply taking into account a number of different predictors. Ordinary multiple regression techniques already provide the means for linearly weighting several measures in the prediction of some attribute or performance. As typically employed, however, this -technique falls short of utilizing pattern information because the weight assigned any particular variable remains fixed, independent of the level of other variables. For example, in predicting success in college mathernatics on the basis of high school mathematics grades and some test of quantitative aptitude, the contribution of a given grade average, say a “B,” is the same for students of low, medium, and high quantitative aptitude. All this is not to say, however, that patterns cannot be adapted to the multiple regression solution. There are two traditions regarding the use of pattern data in prediction studies. The first might be called the classification approach and is exemplified by the configural scale of Lubin and Osburn (1957) and by the significant pattern method of Forehand and RlcQuitty (1959). This approach emphasizes the unique assignment of each individual to one phttern. Pattern information over a given set of variables is assumed to be best represented by finding the single, most congruent pattern for every person. This assignment then substitutes for the original variables as the basis for prediction. McQuitty’s more recent work on typing and hierarchical typing (1966a, 19GGb) used this strategy. Attempts to use the classification approach for prediction have invariably led to severe shrinkage in cross-validation (Forehand and McQuitty, 1959; Lee, 1956).
Expression and purification of recombinant human SPARC produced by baculovirus.

SPARC (secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine/osteonectin/BM-40), a matrix-associated protein, disrupts cell adhesion and inhibits the proliferation of many cultured cells. We report the expression of recombinant human protein (rhSPARC) in a baculovirus expression system. This procedure routinely yields approximately 1 mg of purified protein per 500 ml of culture supernate. rhSPARC produced by insect cells migrates at the appropriate molecular weight under reducing and nonreducing conditions. The rhSPARC purified from insect cell media appeared structurally similar to SPARC purified from mammalian tissue culture by the criterion of circular dichroism. In addition, a series of anti-SPARC and anti-SPARC peptide antibodies recognized insect cell rhSPARC. We also show that rhSPARC produced in this system is glycosylated and is biologically active, as assessed by inhibition of endothelial cell proliferation and induction of collagen I mRNA in mesangial cells. Significant amounts of rhSPARC can now be generated in the absence of contaminating mammalian proteins for structure/function assays of SPARC activities.
8 Th Bled Econference Eintegration in Action Business Case Modelling for E-services

In this paper we show how business value modelling and enterprise architecture can blend into an integral approach for modelling e-services business cases. The approach, building upon e 3 value and ArchiMate, allows to link revenues and cost in a single model. The approach is illustrated on by the business case model of a virtual laboratory in the process industry. First experiences have shown significant value in the approach for different stakeholders (managers and engineers).
The voting model for people search

An expert search engine aims to assist users with their expertise need - instead of ranking documents, possible candidate experts in an enterprise organisation with relevant expertise are suggested in response to a query. This thesis investigates people search tasks such as expert search, and how persons can be ranked in response to a query, such that those with relevant expertise to the query are ranked first. The expertise areas of the persons are represented by documentary evidence of expertise, known as candidate profiles. The statement of this research work is that people search tasks in general and expert search in particular can be successfully and effectively modelled using a voting paradigm.
Multisite Phosphorylation of the Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factor Cdc24 during Yeast Cell Polarization

Background Cell polarization is essential for processes such as cell migration and asymmetric cell division. A common regulator of cell polarization in most eukaryotic cells is the conserved Rho GTPase, Cdc42. In budding yeast, Cdc42 is activated by a single guanine nucleotide exchange factor, Cdc24. The mechanistic details of Cdc24 activation at the onset of yeast cell polarization are unclear. Previous studies have suggested an important role for phosphorylation of Cdc24, which may regulate activity or function of the protein, representing a key step in the symmetry breaking process. Methodology/Principal Findings Here, we directly ask whether multisite phosphorylation of Cdc24 plays a role in its regulation. We identify through mass spectrometry analysis over thirty putative in vivo phosphorylation sites. We first focus on sites matching consensus sequences for cyclin-dependent and p21-activated kinases, two kinase families that have been previously shown to phosphorylate Cdc24. Through site-directed mutagenesis, yeast genetics, and light and fluorescence microscopy, we show that nonphosphorylatable mutations of these consensus sites do not lead to any detectable consequences on growth rate, morphology, kinetics of polarization, or localization of the mutant protein. We do, however, observe a change in the mobility shift of mutant Cdc24 proteins on SDS-PAGE, suggesting that we have indeed perturbed its phosphorylation. Finally, we show that mutation of all identified phosphorylation sites does not cause observable defects in growth rate or morphology. Conclusions/Significance We conclude that lack of phosphorylation on Cdc24 has no overt functional consequences in budding yeast. Yeast cell polarization may be more tightly regulated by inactivation of Cdc42 by GTPase activating proteins or by alternative methods of Cdc24 regulation, such as conformational changes or oligomerization.
CT image reconstruction on Intel Larrabee using half precision floating-point values

Computed tomography is a highly quantitative modality where the data values processed are of a high dynamic range and therefore computing CT images requires high accuracy and high precision during all processing steps. Nevertheless, memory bandwidth is one of the major bottlenecks in today's reconstruction algorithms and it would speed up the reconstruction process to represent a datum with only 16 bit instead of 32 bit. Intel's new Larrabee x86 architecture offers a promising processing of the half precision floating-point value that has the potential to be useful for CT image reconstruction. This study evaluates the image quality of CT image reconstruction based on such half values and compares the results to the standard case of using float values. Our findings are that it is possible to apply half precision data for rawdata and reconstructed volume if some conditions hold.
Computational Explorations in Cognitive Neuroscience: Understanding the Mind by Simulating the Brain

From the Publisher: The goal of computational cognitive neuroscience is to understand how the brain embodies the mind by using biologically based computational models comprising networks of neuronlike units. This text, based on a course taught by Randall O'Reilly and Yuko Munakata over the past several years, provides an in-depth introduction to the main ideas in the field. The neural units in the simulations use equations based directly on the ion channels that govern the behavior of real neurons, and the neural networks incorporate anatomical and physiological properties of the neocortex. Thus the text provides the student with knowledge of the basic biology of the brain as well as the computational skills needed to simulate large-scale cognitive phenomena. The text consists of two parts. The first part covers basic neural computation mechanisms: individual neurons, neural networks, and learning mechanisms. The second part covers large-scale brain area organization and cognitive phenomena: perception and attention, memory, language, and higher-level cognition. The second part is relatively self-contained and can be used separately for mechanistically oriented cognitive neuroscience courses. Integrated throughout the text are more than forty different simulation models, many of them full-scale research-grade models, with friendly interfaces and accompanying exercises. The simulation software (PDP++, available for all major platforms) and simulations can be downloaded free of charge from the Web. Exercise solutions are available, and the text includes full information on the software.