Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Selective Sampling with Co-Testing: Preliminary Results

We present a novel approach to selective sampling, cotesting, which can be applied to problems with redundant views (i.e., problems with multiple disjoint sets of attributes that can be used for learning). The main idea behind co-testing consists of selecting the queries among the unlabeled examples on which the existing views disagree. Selective sampling (Seung, Opper, & Sompolinski 1972), a form of active learning, reduces the number of training examples that need to be labeled by examining unlabeled examples and selecting the most informative ones for the human to label. We introduce co-testing, which is a novel approach to selective sampling for domains with redundant views. A domain has redundant views if there are at least two mutually exclusive sets of features that can be used to learn the target concept. Our work was inspired by (Blum & Mitchell 1998), who noted that there are many real world domains with multiple views. For example, in Web page classification, one can identify faculty home pages either based on the words on the page or based on the words in HTML anchors pointing to the page. Active learning algorithms ask the user to label an example that maximizes the information conveyed to the learner (we refer to such selected examples as ). In a standard, single-view learning scenario, this generally translates into finding an example that splits the version space in half, i.e., eliminating half of the hypotheses consistent with the training set. With redundant views, we can do much better. Co-testing simultaneously trains a separate classifier for each redundant view. Each classifier is applied to a pool of unlabeled examples, and the system selects a query based on the degree of disagreement among the learners. As the target hypotheses in each view must agree, co-testing can reduce the hypothesis space faster than would otherwise be possible. To illustrate this, consider a learning problem where we have two views, A and B. For illustrative purposes, imagine an extreme case where there is an unlabeled example that is classified as positive by a single hypothesis from the A version space; furthermore, assume that is classified as positive by all but one of the hypotheses from the B version space. If the
Clinical and genetic analysis of Korean patients with congenital insensitivity to pain with anhidrosis

Congenital insensitivity to pain with anhidrosis (CIPA) is a rare autosomal recessive disease characterized by anhidrosis, insensitivity to noxious stimuli, and mental retardation. Mutations in the NTRK1 gene are associated with the pathogenesis of CIPA. In this study, we performed a clinical and genetic analysis on the NTRK1 gene in four Korean patients with CIPA. All patients had typical clinical manifestations of CIPA, including anhidrosis, recurrent fever, absent pain perception, and developmental delay. Sequencing analysis revealed one predominant mutation, c.851‐33T>A, in four affected alleles and three novel mutations, including c.287+2dupT, c.2155G>A (p.Glu719Lys), and c.1218delC (p.Pro407ArgfsX), in each affected allele. For one patient, who was heterozygous for c.851‐33T>A, another mutation could not be identified, suggesting that a possible hidden intronic or large genomic mutation may have been present. This study extends the spectrum of mutations in the NTRK1 gene and confirms that Korean patients with CIPA have the same genetic background as other ethnicities. Muscle Nerve, 2009
Polymers in Drug Delivery

Polymers are being used extensively in drug delivery due to their surface and bulk properties. They are being used in drug formulations and in drug delivery devices. These drug delivery devices may be in the form of implants for controlled drug delivery. Polymers used in colloidal drug carrier systems, consisting of small particles, show great advantage in drug delivery systems because of optimized drug loading and releasing property. Polymeric nano particulate systems are available in wide variety and have established chemistry. Non toxic, biodegradable and biocompatible polymers are available. Some nano particulate polymeric systems possess ability to cross blood brain barrier. They offer protection against chemical degradation. Smart polymers are responsive to atmospheric stimulus like change in temperature; pressure, pH etc. thus are extremely beneficial for targeted drug delivery. Some polymeric systems conjugated with antibodies/specific biomarkers help in detecting molecular targets specifically in cancers. Surface coating with thiolated PEG, Silica-PEG improves water solubility and photo stability. Surface modification of drug carriers e.g. attachment with PEG or dextran to the lipid bilayer increases their blood circulation time. Polymer drug conjugates such as Zoladex, Lupron Depot, On Caspar PEG intron are used in treatment of prostate cancer and lymphoblastic leukemia. Polymeric Drug Delivery systems are being utilized for controlled drug delivery assuring patient compliance.
The Multishift QR Algorithm. Part I: Maintaining Well-Focused Shifts and Level 3 Performance

This paper presents a small-bulge multishift variation of the multishift QR algorithm that avoids the phenomenon of shift blurring, which retards convergence and limits the number of simultaneous shifts. It replaces the large diagonal bulge in the multishift QR sweep with a chain of many small bulges. The small-bulge multishift QR sweep admits nearly any number of simultaneous shifts---even hundreds---without adverse effects on the convergence rate. With enough simultaneous shifts, the small-bulge multishift QR algorithm takes advantage of the level 3 BLAS, which is a special advantage for computers with advanced architectures.
Noiseless Data Compression with Low-Density Parity-Check Codes

This paper presents a new approach to universal noiseless compression based on error correcting codes. The scheme is based on the concatenation of the Burrows-Wheeler block sorting transform (BWT) with the syndrome former of a Low-Density Parity-Check (LDPC) code. The proposed scheme has linear encoding and decoding times and uses a new closed-loop iterative doping algorithm that works in conjunction with belief-propagation decoding. Unlike the leading data compression methods our method is resilient against errors, and lends itself to joint source-channel encoding/decoding; furthermore it offers very competitive data compression performance.
Elucidating Factors that Can Facilitate Veridical Spatial Perception in Immersive Virtual Environments

Ensuring veridical spatial perception in immersive virtual environments (IVEs) is an important yet elusive goal. In this paper, we present the results of two experiments that seek further insight into this problem. In the first of these experiments, initially reported in Interrante, Ries, Lindquist, and Anderson (2007), we seek to disambiguate two alternative hypotheses that could explain our recent finding (Interrante, Anderson, and Ries, 2006a) that participants appear not to significantly underestimate egocentric distances in HMD-based IVEs, relative to in the real world, in the special case that they unambiguously know, through first-hand observation, that the presented virtual environment is a high-fidelity 3D model of their concurrently occupied real environment. Specifically, we seek to determine whether people are able to make similarly veridical judgments of egocentric distances in these matched real and virtual environments because (1) they are able to use metric information gleaned from their exposure to the real environment to calibrate their judgments of sizes and distances in the matched virtual environment, or because (2) their prior exposure to the real environment enabled them to achieve a heightened sense of presence in the matched virtual environment, which leads them to act on the visual stimulus provided through the HMD as if they were interpreting it as a computer-mediated view of an actual real environment, rather than just as a computer-generated picture, with all of the uncertainties that that would imply. In our second experiment, we seek to investigate the extent to which augmenting a virtual environment model with faithfully-modeled replicas of familiar objects might enhance people's ability to make accurate judgments of egocentric distances in that environment.
Automatically securing permission-based software by reducing the attack surface: an application to Android

In the permission-based security model (used e.g. in Android and Blackberry), applications can be granted more permissions than they actually need, what we call a “permission gap”. Malware can leverage the unused permissions for achieving their malicious goals, for instance using code injection. In this paper, we present an approach to detecting permission gaps using static analysis. Using our tool on a dataset of Android applications, we found out that a non negligible part of applications suffers from permission gaps, i.e. does not use all the permissions they declare.
Enabling spatial diversity and beamsteering with reduced RF-chains using reconfigurable transmitarrays

This manuscript introduces a new vision on the implementation of spatial diversity with beamsteering capability, by suppressing the typical beamforming networks of antenna phased arrays and replace them by Reconfigurable Transmitar-rays. Consequently, the radio frequency components, i.e. RF-chains that compose such systems, were replaced by a device with the capability to perform two-dimensional beamsteering relying on single antenna source, hence reducing the number of associated RF hardware in comparison with traditional phased array systems. By spatially distributing side-by-side more than one device, spatial diversity with beamsteering is enabled with an estimated reduction of 1:8 in the number of associated RF-chains. This new concept clearly demonstrates its merit by directly reducing the implementation costs„ RF-chain components and increasing the energy efficiency, specially in larger systems.
Submarine Basaltic Glass Colonization by the Heterotrophic Fe(II)-Oxidizing and Siderophore-Producing Deep-Sea Bacterium Pseudomonas stutzeri VS-10: The Potential Role of Basalt in Enhancing Growth

Phylogenetically and metabolically diverse bacterial communities have been found in association with submarine basaltic glass surfaces. The driving forces behind basalt colonization are for the most part unknown. It remains ambiguous if basalt provides ecological advantages beyond representing a substrate for surface colonization, such as supplying nutrients and/or energy. Pseudomonas stutzeri VS-10, a metabolically versatile bacterium isolated from Vailulu’u Seamount, was used as a model organism to investigate the physiological responses observed when biofilms are established on basaltic glasses. In Fe-limited heterotrophic media, P. stutzeri VS-10 exhibited elevated growth in the presence of basaltic glass. Diffusion chamber experiments demonstrated that physical attachment or contact of soluble metabolites such as siderophores with the basaltic glass plays a pivotal role in this process. Electrochemical data indicated that P. stutzeri VS-10 is able to use solid substrates (electrodes) as terminal electron donors and acceptors. Siderophore production and heterotrophic Fe(II) oxidation are discussed as potential mechanisms enhancing growth of P. stutzeri VS-10 on glass surfaces. In correlation with that we discuss the possibility that metabolic versatility could represent a common and beneficial physiological trait in marine microbial communities being subject to oligotrophic and rapidly changing deep-sea conditions.
Development of a high-throughput microsatellite typing approach for forensic and population genetic analysis of wild and domestic African Bovini.

Conservation management and forensic traceability of African buffalo and cattle rely on the timely provision of unbiased and accurate genetic information. An approach in which 17 cattle microsatellite markers are co-electrophoresed, following amplification in three core multiplex reactions was established for this purpose. Mean allelic richness per locus was 8.24 and 6.47, for buffalo and Bonsmara cattle, respectively, whilst an unbiased match probability of 6.5x10-17 and 1.03 x 10-16 was obtained for each. These results confirm the usefulness of this rapid, cost-effective typing approach for forensic, paternity and fine-scale genetic analyses of wild and domestic African Bovini tribe members.
Carbon-based smart nanomaterials in biomedicine and neuroengineering

The search for advanced biomimetic materials that are capable of offering a scaffold for biological tissues during regeneration or of electrically connecting artificial devices with cellular structures to restore damaged brain functions is at the forefront of interdisciplinary research in materials science. Bioactive nanoparticles for drug delivery, substrates for nerve regeneration and active guidance, as well as supramolecular architectures mimicking the extracellular environment to reduce inflammatory responses in brain implants, are within reach thanks to the advancements in nanotechnology. In particular, carbon-based nanostructured materials, such as graphene, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and nanodiamonds (NDs), have demonstrated to be highly promising materials for designing and fabricating nanoelectrodes and substrates for cell growth, by virtue of their peerless optical, electrical, thermal, and mechanical properties. In this review we discuss the state-of-the-art in the applications of nanomaterials in biological and biomedical fields, with a particular emphasis on neuroengineering.
The mouse interleukin (Il)33 gene is expressed in a cell type‐ and stimulus‐dependent manner from two alternative promoters

GenBank entries for mouse Il33 reveal the existence of two transcripts, Il33a and Il33b, with different 5′UTRs but coding for the same protein. We investigated expression of these transcripts in different mouse organs and cell types in basal and inflammatory conditions. Il33a and Il33b mRNAs start with different noncoding first exons, transcribed from different promoter regions, which both contain a consensus TATA‐like sequence. Constitutive Il33a mRNA expression was detected in mouse stomach, lung, spleen, and brain, whereas basal Il33b mRNA expression was observed only in the stomach. Expression of both transcripts increased after systemic LPS administration. In vitro, we observed high constitutive expression of Il33 transcripts in MEFs. Constitutive Il33a mRNA expression was observed also in BMDCs, where it was preferentially increased in response to poly(I:C), whereas LPS increased levels of Il33a and Il33b mRNA. In contrast, BMMs and Raw 264.7 cells did not express Il33 mRNA constitutively, and LPS stimulation selectively induced expression of Il33b mRNA in these cells. Our data indicate that the Il33 gene is expressed from two alternative promoters in the mouse and that the relative expression of Il33a and Il33b transcripts is cell type‐ and stimulus‐dependent.
What Drove the Increase in Idiosyncratic Volatility during the Internet Boom?

Abstract Aggregate idiosyncratic volatility spiked nearly fivefold during the Internet boom of the late 1990s, dwarfing in magnitude a moderately increasing trend. While some researchers argue that this rise in idiosyncratic risk was the result of changes in the characteristics of public firms, others argue that it was driven by the changing sentiment of irrational traders. We present evidence that the marketwide decline in maturity of the typical public firm can explain most of the increase in firm-specific risk during the Internet boom. Controlling for firm maturity, we find no evidence that investor sentiment drives idiosyncratic risk throughout the Internet boom.
Use of the GeneReader NGS System in a clinical pathology laboratory: a comparative study

Despite its successful use in academic research, next-generation sequencing (NGS) still represents many challenges for routine clinical adoption due to its inherent complexity and specialised expertise typically required to set-up, test and operate a complete workflow.This study aims to evaluate QIAGEN's newly launched GeneReader NGS System solution in a pathology laboratory setting by assessing the system's ease of use, sequencing accuracy and data reproducibility. Our laboratory was able to implement the system and validate its performance using clinical samples in direct comparison to an approved Sanger sequencing platform and to an alternative in-house NGS technology. The QIAGEN workflow focuses on clinically actionable hotspots maximising testing efficiency. Combined with automated upstream sample processing and integrated downstream bioinformatics, it offers a realistic solution for pathology laboratories with limited prior experience in NGS technology.
Finite Element Simulation of Shot Peen Forming

In this paper, both the impact model and the forming process simulation of the shot peen forming are introduced. In the impact model, effects of the shot diameter and velocity on the value and depth of the compressive stress and plastic layer arc analy~ed with dynamic explicit finite element method(FEM). A new equivalent thermal loading method is presented for the simulation of the shot peen forming process. The deformation of the standard Almen Stnp and a wing skin with ribs are simulated with the method using static implicit FEM software. Results show that the method is very effective if the relationships between thermal loads and the shot peening strength are suitably set up
Performance of Chemical Ionization Reaction Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry ( CIR-TOF-MS ) for the measurement of atmospherically significant oxygenated volatile organic compounds

The performance of a new chemical ionization reaction time-of-flight mass spectrometer (CIR-TOF-MS) utilising the environment chamber SAPHIR (Simulation of Atmospheric Photochemistry In a large Reaction Chamber – Forschungzentrum J ¨ ulich, Ger-many) is described. The work took place as part of the ACCENT (Atmospheric Com-5 position and Change the European NeTwork for excellence) supported oxygenated volatile organic compound (OVOC) measurement intercomparison during January 2005. The experiment entailed the measurement of 14 different atmospherically significant OVOCs at various mixing ratios in the approximate range 10.0–0.6 ppbV. The CIR-TOF-MS operated throughout the exercise with the hydronium ion (H 3 O +) as the 10 primary chemical ionization (CI) reagent in order to facilitate proton transfer to the an-alyte OVOCs. The results show the CIR time-of-flight mass spectrometer is capable of detecting a wide range of atmospheric OVOCs down to sub-ppbV mixing ratios with high accuracy and precision. It is demonstrated that the technique has rapid multi-channel response at the required sensitivity, accuracy and precision for atmospheric 15 OVOC measurements.
The Words of Warcraft: relational text analysis of quests in an MMORPG

As the growth in popularity of massively multiplayer online games and virtual worlds has correspondingly increased research interest in investigating culture in synthetic environments. One representation of culture in games is the narrative provided in MMORPGs’ quest sets. Quests -tasks given to players- provide a window into the traits of artificial cultures created for these environments, and researchers have used specific quests to advance arguments about game cultures. We expand on this work by trying to discern cultural traits expressed in the complete quest set for the MMORPG World of Warcraft, We subdivide this set into three corpora: two for the quests intended for players in one of the two in-game factions, one for those that can be completed by members of either faction. We then performed relational text analysis on these corpora, looking across them for shared textual relationships. We find that while all three corpora employ diverse terms, locations, and organizations, the only relationships present in any of the corpora at least 5% of the time are those emphasizing the relationships between players, enemies, and quest giving computercontrolled characters. Given the simplicity of these relations, we suggest that text is currently not a method used for sophisticated themes in game worlds, and designers should either rethink their use of it or rely on alternate methods if they wish to convey such themes.
Interactive Framework for Insect Tracking with Active Learning

Extracting motion trajectories of insects is an important prerequisite in many behavioral studies. Despite great efforts to design efficient automatic tracking algorithms, tracking errors are unavoidable. In this paper, we propose general principles that help to minimize the human effort required for accurate multi-target tracking in the form of applications that can track the antennae and mouthparts of a honey bee based on a set of low frame rate videos. This interactive framework estimates which key frames will require user correction, i.e. those that are used for user correction, which are used for 1) incrementally learning an object classifier and 2) data association based tracking. To this framework we apply a standard classification algorithm (i.e. naive Bayesian classification) and an association optimization algorithm (i.e. Hungarian algorithm). The precision of tracking results by our framework on real-world video data is above 98%.
Reliable P2P networks: TrebleCast and TrebleCast

Node churn can have a severe impact on the performance of P2P applications. In this paper, we consider the design of reliable P2P networks that can provide predictable performance. We exploit the experimental finding that the age of a node can be a reliable predictor of longer residual lifetime to develop mechanisms that organize the network around these more reliable nodes. We propose two protocols, TrebleCast and TrebleCast? , to implement reliable overlay networks. These protocols dynamically create reliable layers of peers by moving nodes with higher expected lifetime to the center of the overlay. These more reliable layers can then be called upon to deliver predictable performance in the presence of churn.
Analysis of Chaotic Resonance in Izhikevich Neuron Model

In stochastic resonance (SR), the presence of noise helps a nonlinear system amplify a weak (sub-threshold) signal. Chaotic resonance (CR) is a phenomenon similar to SR but without stochastic noise, which has been observed in neural systems. However, no study to date has investigated and compared the characteristics and performance of the signal responses of a spiking neural system in some chaotic states in CR. In this paper, we focus on the Izhikevich neuron model, which can reproduce major spike patterns that have been experimentally observed. We examine and classify the chaotic characteristics of this model by using Lyapunov exponents with a saltation matrix and Poincaré section methods in order to address the measurement challenge posed by the state-dependent jump in the resetting process. We found the existence of two distinctive states, a chaotic state involving primarily turbulent movement and an intermittent chaotic state. In order to assess the signal responses of CR in these classified states, we introduced an extended Izhikevich neuron model by considering weak periodic signals, and defined the cycle histogram of neuron spikes as well as the corresponding mutual correlation and information. Through computer simulations, we confirmed that both chaotic states in CR can sensitively respond to weak signals. Moreover, we found that the intermittent chaotic state exhibited a prompter response than the chaotic state with primarily turbulent movement.