Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
High-Performance Training of Conditional Random Fields for Large-Scale Applications of Labeling Sequence Data

Conditional random fields (CRFs) have been successfully applied to various applications of predicting and labeling structured data, such as natural language tagging & parsing, image segmentation & object recognition, and protein secondary structure prediction. The key advantages of CRFs are the ability to encode a variety of overlapping, non-independent features from empirical data as well as the capability of reaching the global normalization and optimization. However, estimating parameters for CRFs is very time-consuming due to an intensive forward-backward computation needed to estimate the likelihood function and its gradient during training. This paper presents a high-performance training of CRFs on massively parallel processing systems that allows us to handle huge datasets with hundreds of thousand data sequences and millions of features. We performed the experiments on an important natural language processing task (text chunking) on large-scale corpora and achieved significant results in terms of both the reduction of computational time and the improvement of prediction accuracy.
They Cried to the Lord: The Form and Theology of Biblical Prayer

They Cried to the Lord: The Form and Theology of Biblical Prayer, by Patrick D. Miller. Minneapolis: Fortress, 1995. Pp. xvi + 464. $40.00/$24.00. Patrick D. Miller's previous works have contributed to our understanding of the Psalms and the theology of the Hebrew Scriptures. In this volume, he makes a significant contribution to our understanding of the biblical tradition of prayer, a subject that has sparked renewed interest among biblical scholars in recent years. The introduction to Miller's volume begins with the assertion, "No single practice more clearly defines a religion than the act of praying. " Miller also believes that prayer and theology are intimately related. In this volume, Professor Miller presents not so much a constructive theology of prayer as a treatment of the form and theology of biblical texts related to prayer. He tells his readers that most of the volume relates to the Old Testament, though he does attend to New Testament texts. He writes for a broad audience in both the academic world and the church. The first chapter presents the broad setting of biblical prayer by exploring the various types of prayers from the nations neighboring ancient Israel. The chapter is organized (as is the remainder of the volume) so that the reader may make connections. Miller's approach to the relationship between the Hebrew Bible and related Near Eastern materials is a balanced one. He notes the differences in polytheistic and monotheistic faiths but also presents the continuity between prayer in ancient Israel and among other ancient Near Eastern peoples. The second chapter considers the terminology for prayer in the Hebrew Scriptures. Miller's treatment is quite helpful in organizing the usage of the terms. The chapter concludes with a discussion of the time and place of prayer and gestures associated with the act. The central section of the book is chapters 3-5, in which Miller follows the biblical path through the prayer for help to divine response to thanksgiving. He is here indebted to studies on the Psalms, especially the work of Claus Westermann. In the chapter's discussion of the basic form of the prayer for help, three items are noteworthy. One is the presence of praise in the address to God. Miller shows that the sharp distinction some have drawn between Mesopotamian and Hebrew prayers at this point is not satisfactory. A second helpful insight is the distinctions Miller draws between complaint and lament. A third especially insightful dimension of the chapter is the attention to the language of the psalmic petitions (pp. 97ff.). In the chapter on the response of God, Miller rehearses the biblical evidence that there is divine response to prayer. He then provides a full and balanced treatment of the oracle of salvation as a significant form of response. The chapter concludes with theological implications. The fifth chapter, "Doxology and Trust," considers the connections of praise and thanksgiving and various themes in the biblical prayers of thanksgiving. …
Michigan's District Focus Gets Traction: Partnership with Comprehensive Centers Provides Momentum.

Introduction Hitching a ride on an automotive metaphor comes easily when Michigan is at the center of the story. After the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) spent a couple years noodling in the design shop about the optimum drivers of school improvement, its education engineers were convinced that the local school district was positioned to shift the process into high gear. How, then, did MDE provide the right fuel and a reliable road map? How did the concept become a test car, and the refined prototype move to mass production? Michigan needed a functional design, and the districts needed an owner’s manual.
An Enhanced Chemiluminescence Enzyme Immunoassasy for Serum Oestradiol

Oestradiol in serum was determined with a simple enhanced chemiluminescent enzyme immunoassay. The assay is based on oestradiol labelled with horseradish peroxidase and the IgG fraction of an oestradiol antiserum coated on a black polystyrene microtitre plate. The enzyme activity of bound label was determined using a p-hydroxycinnamic acid-enhanced chemiluminescent reaction. The assay was sensitive (1·8 fmol/well), precise (intra- and inter-assay CV 4–10% and 8–12%, respectively for sample concentration in the range 122–1330 pmol/L) and showed good agreement with conventional radioimmunoassays (r=0·99).
High linearity performances of GaN HEMT devices on silicon substrate at 4 GHz

In this letter, we demonstrate that, for high linearity application, GaN devices benefit from their high drain-source bias voltages. An improvement up to 20 dB in intermodulation ratio can be observed at high power levels compared to usual GaAs PHEMT devices. This study demonstrates that the high bandgap GaN devices are ideal candidates for the applications requiring high power and linearity simultaneously.
The role of private renting in France and the Netherlands compared

After the Second World War the proportion of private rental dwellings in the housing stock of the Western European countries varied from 44 per cent (1955) in France to nearly 60 per cent (1947) in the Netherlands.1 In the post-war period, great shifts occurred in the market share of the various tenure categories in many Western European countries. Often the market share of the private rental sector declined as a result of multiple reasons: demolition of existing, poor-quality private rental dwellings; conversion of private rental dwellings into owner-occupied or social rental units; and strict rent regulation and tenant security which characterized the private rental sector in many European countries, sometimes up until the 1980s.2 In the last two decades, this situation has changed somewhat as in several countries, the decline of the private rental sector was stopped by virtue of new (policy) initiatives.3 Policy-makers also seem to have rediscovered the potential of the private rental sector. Increasingly, the sector is seen as an alternative for other tenures. This trend seems to have intensified since the start of the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) with the fall of
Integration of Auxin and Salt Signals by the NAC Transcription Factor NTM2 during Seed Germination in Arabidopsis1[W]

Seed germination is regulated through elaborately interacting signaling networks that integrate diverse environmental cues into hormonal signaling pathways. Roles of gibberellic acid and abscisic acid in germination have been studied extensively using Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) mutants having alterations in seed germination. Auxin has also been implicated in seed germination. However, how auxin influences germination is largely unknown. Here, we demonstrate that auxin is linked via the IAA30 gene with a salt signaling cascade mediated by the NAM-ATAF1/2-CUC2 transcription factor NTM2/Arabidopsis NAC domain-containing protein 69 (for NAC with Transmembrane Motif1) during seed germination. Germination of the NTM2-deficient ntm2-1 mutant seeds exhibited enhanced resistance to high salinity. However, the salt resistance disappeared in the ntm2-1 mutant overexpressing the IAA30 gene, which was induced by salt in a NTM2-dependent manner. Auxin exhibited no discernible effects on germination under normal growth conditions. Under high salinity, however, whereas exogenous application of auxin further suppressed the germination of control seeds, the auxin effects were reduced in the ntm2-1 mutant. Consistent with the inhibitory effects of auxin on germination, germination of YUCCA 3-overexpressing plants containing elevated levels of active auxin was more severely influenced by salt. These observations indicate that auxin delays seed germination under high salinity through cross talk with the NTM2-mediated salt signaling in Arabidopsis.
Multiagent -Learning for Aloha-Like Spectrum Access in Cognitive Radio Systems

An Aloha-like spectrum access scheme without negotiation is considered for multiuser and multichannel cognitive radio systems. To avoid collisions incurred by the lack of coordination, each secondary user learns how to select channels according to its experience. Multiagent reinforcement leaning (MARL) is applied for the secondary users to learn good strategies of channel selection. Specifically, the framework of -learning is extended from single user case to multiagent case by considering other secondary users as a part of the environment. The dynamics of the -learning are illustrated using a Metrick-Polak plot, which shows the traces of -values in the two-user case. For both complete and partial observation cases, rigorous proofs of the convergence of multiagent -learning without communications, under certain conditions, are provided using the Robins-Monro algorithm and contraction mapping, respectively. The learning performance (speed and gain in utility) is evaluated by numerical simulations.
LSTM networks for data-aware remaining time prediction of business process instances

Predicting the completion time of business process instances would be a very helpful aid when managing processes under service level agreement constraints. The ability to know in advance the trend of running process instances would allow business managers to react in time, in order to prevent delays or undesirable situations. However, making such accurate forecasts is not easy: many factors may influence the required time to complete a process instance. In this paper, we propose an approach based on deep Recurrent Neural Networks (specifically LSTMs) that is able to exploit arbitrary information associated to single events, in order to produce an as-accurate-as-possible prediction of the completion time of running instances. Experiments on real-world datasets confirm the quality of our proposal.
Effect of overload training procedures upon velocity and accuracy of the overarm throw.

Abstract The study had two aspects: To determine the effect of warm-up throwing drills (employing “systematic overload”) upon subsequent speed and accuracy of the overarm throw in subjects with widely differing maximum velocities, and to determine the effect of a 6-week overload training (in which the speed and accuracy emphases were systematically varied) upon the speed and accuracy of the overarm throw. The 60 subjects in the short-range phase of the study, examining the immediate effect of overload warm-up, received experimental treatments consisting of 10-oz. , 15-oz. , and regulation ball warm-up. The 48 subjects who participated in the long-range or training phase of the study received progressive overload in conjunction with various speed and/or accuracy emphases. Computer services for this study were granted by the University of Wisconsin Research Committee through funds provided by the National Science Foundation and the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation. The results of the study indicated that .
A single-chip 36-38 GHz 4-element transmit/receive phased-array with 5-bit amplitude and phase control

A 4-element 36-38 GHz SiGe BiCMOS phased array capable of both transmit and receive operation with 5-bit phase and amplitude control is presented. The design is based on an All-RF approach and results in very small chip area and low power consumption. The array results in a measured average gain of ∼0 dB per channel, a noise figure of 8–9 dB, P1dB of −16 dBm, and output P1dB of +4 dBm over an instantaneous bandwidth of 2 GHz. The array consumes 171 and 142 mW in the Tx and Rx modes from 1.8 V, and occupies an area of 2.0 × 2.02 mm2. To our knowledge, this is the smallest and lowest power consumption on-chip Ka-Band phased-array to-date.
Nationwide Investigation of Extended-Spectrum β-Lactamases, Metallo-β-Lactamases, and Extended-Spectrum Oxacillinases Produced by Ceftazidime-Resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa Strains in France

ABSTRACT A nationwide study aimed to identify the extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs), metallo-β-lactamases (MBLs), and extended-spectrum oxacillinases (ES-OXAs) in a French collection of 140 clinical Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates highly resistant to ceftazidime. Six ESBLs (PER-1, n = 3; SHV-2a, n = 2; VEB-1a, n = 1), four MBLs (VIM-2, n = 3; IMP-18, n = 1), and five ES-OXAs (OXA-19, n = 4; OXA-28, n = 1) were identified in 13 isolates (9.3% of the collection). The prevalence of these enzymes is still low in French clinical P. aeruginosa isolates but deserves to be closely monitored.
Mini-Laparotorny Cholecystectomy in the Era of Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy: A Community-Based Hospital Perspective

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is clearly the gold standard for symptomatic cholelithiasis. Open cholecystectomy is now reserved for difficult and problematic cases. The purpose of this paper is to propose that mini-laparotomy cholecystectomy (minicholecystectomy) can be as effective as laparoscopic cholecystectomy. This paper compares the two techniques in well-matched patients. In addition mastery of this technique is practical and rewarding and should be part of the repertoire of the general surgeon. We conducted a retrospective review of the experience of a single surgeon at a community-based teaching hospital over a 2-year period for minicholecystectomy and laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Sixty-six patients were matched for age, sex, body surface area, and Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score. The absolute cost was lower for the minicholecystectomy group than for the laparoscopic cholecystectomy group. The operating room times were not significantly different in the two groups (P value 0.79). The average length of stay and the average amount of intramuscular analgesia required for the two groups were also not significantly different (P values 0.69 and 0.35, respectively). Although subjective postoperative satisfaction was equal for both groups the minicholecystectomy group had no complications whereas the laparoscopic group had two (myocardial infarction and cystic duct stump leak) complications. We conclude that minicholecystectomy can be used as a viable alternative to laparoscopic cholecystectomy especially in patients who cannot tolerate laparoscopic procedures and in areas where cost containment is critical.
A Reliability Enhancing Mechanism for a Large Flash Embedded Satellite Storage System

In this paper, we propose an embedded satellite storage architecture based on the MLC NAND flash memory chips. We focus on data reliability and enhance it by adapting the RAID5 mechanism to the flash technology. This adaptation takes into account both the application and the technology characteristics : the specific access profile determines the striping granularity and the specific flash technology determines the data placement/management policy. It results an efficient mechanism, simple to implement at the FTL (flash translation layer) level without any use of the garbage collection. Thus, improving reliability using this mechanism leads to improving performance in the particular on-board satellite storage context.
A proposed framework for full automation of software testing process

Writing software is a difficult and expensive task. The large volume of software, lack of or partial software requirement and frequent update in software requirement makes software vulnerable without rigorous testing. Manual testing is infeasible in such an arena and lead to unwanted changes in code and specification. Because of increasing use of software in industry, automation of the software testing process has thrown a challenge to the researchers in this field. In this paper, we have presented a comprehensive guideline to tackle the challenge.
Impact of Existent Culture on the Performance of Mobile Telecommunication Companies in Nigeria.

The study identified the culture that existed in mobile telecommunication companies in Nigeria. The population for the study comprised all employees of eight telecommunication companies in Southwestern Nigeria namely Mtn, Globacom, Etisalat, Airtel, Visafone, Odua Network, Starcomms and Multilinks. The study used of two-stage sampling technique. At the first stage, purposive sampling technique was used to select three companies namely Mtn, Glo, and Etisalat because of their wider network coverage. Also, purposive sampling technique was used to select Lagos, Oyo and Osun States in Southwestern Nigeria where major offices of these selected companies were located. At the second stage, convenience sampling was used to select 90 employees from Mtn, 80 employees from Globacom and 30 employees from Etisalat and this was stratified into three categories (senior, middle and junior). Primary data and Secondary data were used in the study. The responses to the questionnaires were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS), which generated the frequency distribution, means, Standard deviation and Durbin Watson statistics among other responses. The hypothesis of this research was tested at 0.05 level of significance using Durbin Watson Statistics hinged on factors influencing the culture of mobile telecommunication companies. The study found out that teamwork spirit, effective communication, creative synergy, viable business strategy; among others will help in improving performance of mobile telecommunication companies. The study also found out that there are some factors which could influence the existence culture of mobile telecommunication companies in Nigeria. These include National culture; Government policies; Industry norms; Macroeconomics; and their Legal system. This study however recommended that managers should endeavour to strengthen the existent culture in their companies and employees should ensure conformity with its usage. Keywords: Impact, Organization, Existent Culture, Business Performance, Mobile Telecommunication Companies. DOI : 10.7176/EJBM/11-5-10
New selective anodization process for Nb Josephson junction with AlO/sub x/ barrier

One of the most important factor of the superconducting tunnel junction for a particle and radiation detection is the sub-gap leakage current. An anodization of a junction edge is an effective method to reduce the sub-gap leakage current. In a new fabrication process of a Nb/Al-AlO/sub x/-Al/Nb junction, the sputtered Al/sub 2/O/sub 3/ layers with 10 nm thickness are used as not only the protection layer for the upper surface of both the base and counter electrodes in the anodization process, but also the etching stop layer for the formation of the contact hole by reactive ion etching process.
Hk/T: A Novel Server-Side Web Caching Strategy for Multimedia Applications

Server-side Web caching is an important technique used to reduce the user perceived latency (UPL). In large-scale multimedia systems, there are many Web proxies, connected with a multimedia server, that can cache some most popular multimedia objects. Multimedia objects have some particular characteristics, e.g., strict QoS requirements. Hence, even some efficient conventional caching strategies based on cache hit ratio, meant for non-multimedia objects, will confront some problems in dealing with the multimedia objects. If we consider additional resources of proxy besides cache space, say bandwidth, we can readily observe that high hit ratio may deteriorate the entire system performance. In this paper, we propose a novel placement model for networked multimedia systems, referred to as Hk /T model, which considers the combined influence of arrival rate, size, and playback time to select the objects to be cached. Based on this model, we propose an innovative Web cache replacement algorithm, named as ART-greedy algorithm, which can balance the load among the proxies and achieve a minimum average response time (ART) of the requests. Using an event-driven simulation, we evaluate the performance of our proposed algorithm under several situations. Our experimental results conclusively demonstrate that ART-greedy algorithm outperforms the most popular and commonly used LFU (least frequently used) algorithm significantly.
Co-Offending and the Diversification of Crime Types

There is theoretical and empirical support for co-offending being important not only for understanding current offending but also subsequent offending. The fundamental question is—why? In this article, an aggregate analysis is performed that begins to answer this question. Disaggregating solo- and co-offending by single year of age (12-29 years) and crime type in a largely metropolitan data set from British Columbia, Canada, 2002 to 2006, it is shown that the distribution of co-offences is significantly more varied than the distribution of solo offences. This more varied distribution of co-offences favors property crimes during youth but fades as offenders age.
GAS SUPPLY.

D.1 Gas Supply A tank containing liquid CO2 supplies the gas for the carriage. The tank is mounted in a vertical position with the outlet at the top. This ensures a desirable configuration for steady gas flow. During operation, the tank must sit in a warm water bath to keep the tank temperature from dropping too quickly. If the temperature drops too low and too quickly, dry ice chunks will form inside the tank, and not only will some of the gas be unavailable for use, but the flow path could be restricted and the supply pressure could drop. A bath of hot tap water is sufficient to keep this from happening.
Classification of Agricultural Emissions Among OECD Countries with Unsupervised Techniques

Agricultural emissions represent greenhouse gas emissions from crop and livestock production. There are various estimates on agricultural emissions, however on average about 14 to 25 percent of total global emissions comes from agriculture. The main goal of this paper was to present distribution of agricultural emissions among OECD countries with the help of clustering analysis. Clustering analysis is one of the tools used in the field of exploratory data mining. Two methods were used in the analysis: K-means and HDBSCAN algorithms. Both techniques are part of unsupervised learning tasks, which group data into multiple clusters. Finally, an appraisal of obtained classifications was performed.