Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An Asynchronous Distributed Data Collection Approach for Mobile Group Consumption

Mobile group consumption refers to that a group of people such as couples, colleagues, etc. use mobile devices to query commodities and perform consumption. To support the marketing of it, a proper data collection system is needed. Existing such systems are centralized, which suffers from performance bottleneck, one-point failure, overhead of server, etc. Moreover, existing systems are based on synchronous clock, which is often impossible due to hardware constraint or privacy concerns, or at least incur large synchronization overhead. In this paper, we propose an asynchronous distributed approach to collect data of mobile consumption for the first time. We formally build the system model of mobile group consumption in a distributed way and without synchronized clock. Then we propose a three-layer solution for distributed procession, including the procession for local sub-regions, consecutive sub-regions, and multiple sub-regions. After that, a detailed approach is proposed to analyze the causality of two marketing events happened in the system based on pure message exchange. Extensive simulation results show that the proposed approach is effective for data collection of mobile group consumption and is complementary to the classic method based on synchronized clock.
Third order asymptotics of a phase-field model

A third order asymptotic analysis of a phaseeld model of solidi cation is presented in the limit of vanishing di use interface thickness . Agreement with the sharp interface formulation is investigated for general functions modeling the release of latent heat. It is shown that for the originally proposed fth degree polynomial a thin interface correction [A. Karma and W. -J. Rappel, Phys. Rev. E 53 R3017 (1996)] can be employed to eliminateO( )-errors. From analysis and numerical computation it is concluded that if there are polynomials eliminating O( )-errors they must be of degree ten or higher. For computation one would prefer not to use polynomials of such high degree, and for practical purposes there is a bound on the accuracy of the phaseeld model.
Alteration of NMDA NR1 Receptors Within the Paraventricular Nucleus of Hypothalamus in Rats With Heart Failure

Abstract— One of the pathophysiological characteristics of chronic heart failure (HF) is elevated sympathetic drive, which is a major factor contributing to the morbidity and mortality of HF. Resent evidence points to a central mechanism that contributes to the sympathetic abnormality in HF. The paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of the hypothalamus is an important site that integrates sympathetic nerve activity. Studies have shown that glutamate elicits excitatory effects on neurons in the PVN through the NMDA receptor. The goal of the present study was to examine the role of NMDA receptors in the altered sympathetic nerve activation during HF. The left coronary ligation-induced heart failure model in the rat was used. In &agr;-chloralose and urethane anesthetized rats, microinjection of NMDA into the PVN (50 to 200 pmol) produced dose-dependent increases in renal sympathetic nerve discharge (RSND), arterial blood pressure (BP), and heart rate (HR). This response to NMDA was significantly potentiated (27±7%) in HF compared with sham rats. On the other hand, microinjection of the NMDA receptor antagonist AP-5 (4 to 16 nmol) into the PVN caused significant decreases in RSND, BP, and HR only in rats with HF but very slight changes in sham rats. Furthermore, using microdialysis and HPLC in combination with electrochemical detection techniques, we found that the glutamate level in the PVN was not increased significantly in HF compared with sham rats. However, using RT-PCR, Western blot, and immunofluorescence techniques, it was found that NMDA NR1 subunit mRNA expression and protein level in the PVN were significantly increased in HF compared with sham rats. These data suggest that the increased glutamatergic activity on sympathetic regulation, due to the upregulation of NMDA NR1 receptor subunits within the PVN may contribute to the elevated sympathoexcitation during HF.
Results on ECG compressed sensing using specific dictionaries and its validation

The paper presents a new method and results regarding the compressed sensing (CS) and classification of ECG waveforms using a general dictionary as well as specific dictionaries built using normal and pathological cardiac patterns. The proposed method has been validated by computation of the distortion errors between the original and the reconstructed signals and by the classification ratio of the reconstructed signals obtained with the k-nearest neighbors (KNN) algorithm.
Media, Pundits and the U.S. Presidential Election: Quantifying Political Leanings from Tweets

Media outlets and pundits, at least those in the US, have been quick to embrace online social networks to disseminate their own opinions. But pundits’ opinions and news coverage are often marked by a clear political bias, as widely evidenced during the ercely contested 2012 U.S. Presidential elections. Given the wide availability of such data from sites like Twitter, a natural question is whether we can quantify the political leanings of media outlets using OSN data. In this work, by drawing a correspondence between tweeting and retweeting behavior, we formulate political leaning estimation as an ill-posed linear inverse problem with regularization. The result is a simple and scalable approach that does not require explicit knowledge of the network topology. We evaluated our method with a dataset of 119 million electionrelated tweets collected from April to November, and used it to study the political leanings of prominent tweeters and media sources.
Reconstructing randomly sampled multivariate polynomials from highly noisy data

Sudan and others have considered the problem of reconstructing a bounded-degree polynomial f : F” + F from n data-points, only t of which are guaranteed to be consistent with f. For t << n/2, the solution may not be unique; but it may be possible to find a small set of candidates for f. Here we extend this work, proving results including the following: Pick 2(l), . ,? tn) E,, F”. Generate data-points (Z(l), f(Z(l))), . , (Z! (“l, f(Z(“))), and allow an adversary to corrupt any n t of them. We require t to be greater than a bound on the order of n*; we also require a lower-bound on IFI. Then, with high probability, we may reconstruct from the corrupted data a small set of candidates for f. Our results improve on past research in several respects. First, our bound on t is lower. Second, we allow for weaker restrictions on the distribution of Z(l) gradt;, . 7 2tn): in particular, as in the previous parawe allow for the familiar case of learning a polynomial from its values at random locations. Third, we go on to prove that, if noise is assumed to be random in a specified sense, then a polynomial may be uniquely reconstructed from highly noisy data.
Robust Bayesianism : Imprecise and Paradoxical Reasoning

We are interested in understanding the relationship between Bayesian inference and evidence theory, in particular imprecise and paradoxical reasoning. The concept of a set of probability distributions is central both in robust Bayesian analysis and in some versions of Dempster-Shafer theory. Most of the literature regards these two theories as incomparable. We interpret imprecise probabilities as imprecise posteriors obtainable from imprecise likelihoods and priors, both of which can be considered as evidence and represented with, e.g., DS-structures. The natural and simple robust combination operator makes all pairwise combinations of elements from the two sets. The DS-structures can represent one particular family of imprecise distributions, Choquet capacities. These are not closed under our combination rule, but can be made so by rounding. The proposed combination operator is unique, and has interesting normative and factual properties. We compare its behavior on Zadeh’s example with other proposed fusion rules. We also show how the paradoxical reasoning method appears in the robust framework.
iTest: testing software with mobile crowdsourcing

In recent years, a lot of crowdsourcing systems have emerged and lead to many successful crowdsourcing systems like Wiki-pedia, Amazon Mechanical Turk and Waze. In the field of software engineering, crowdtesting has acquired increased interest and adoption, especially among personal developers and smaller companies. In this paper, we present iTest which combines mobile crowdsourcing and software testing together to support the testing of mobile application and web services. iTest is a framework for software developers to submit their software and conveniently get the test results from the crowd testers. Firstly, we analyze the key problems need to be solved in a mobile crowdtesting platform; Secondly, we present the architecture of iTest framework; Thirdly, we introduce the workflow of testing web service in iTest and propose an algorithm for solving the tester selection problem mentioned in Section 2; Then the development kit to support testing mobile application is explained; Finally, we perform two experiments to illustrate that both the way to access network and tester's location influence the performance of web service.
Targeting of incoming retroviral Gag to the centrosome involves a direct interaction with the dynein light chain 8

The role of cellular proteins in the replication of retroviruses, especially during virus assembly, has been partly unraveled by recent studies. Paradoxically, little is known about the route taken by retroviruses to reach the nucleus at the early stages of infection. To get insight into this stage of virus replication, we have studied the trafficking of foamy retroviruses and have previously shown that incoming viral proteins reach the microtubule organizing center (MTOC) prior to nuclear translocation of the viral genome. Here, we show that incoming viruses concentrate around the MTOC as free and structured capsids. Interestingly, the Gag protein, the scaffold component of viral capsids, targets the pericentrosomal region in transfected cells in the absence of any other viral components but in a microtubule- and dynein/dynactin-dependent manner. Trafficking of Gag towards the centrosome requires a minimal 30 amino acid coiled-coil motif in the N-terminus of the molecule. Finally, we describe a direct interaction between Gag and dynein light chain 8 that probably accounts for the specific routing of the incoming capsids to the centrosome prior to nuclear import of the viral genome.
Repeat Domain Diversity of avrBs3-Like Genes in Ralstonia solanacearum Strains and Association with Host Preferences in the Field

ABSTRACT Genes homologous to avrBs3 of Xanthomonas were detected in 309 strains of Ralstonia solanacearum biovars 3, 4, and 5 but not biovar 1 or 2. A statistically significant association between the originating plant species and internal repeats of the gene was found. Sequences of repeats and variation between nearly clonal strains revealed evidence of frequent recombination.
Concrete and Asphalt Runway Detection in High Resolution Images Using LBP Cascade Classifier

Automatic object recognition in digital satellite images is not a simple task due to several variations present in the capture process and object appearance and pose, consequently, different general purpose techniques have been proposed. In this paper, an approach with LBP boosted cascade classifier for automatic runway detection in high resolution satellite imagery is analyzed. Promising results are obtained with the methodology presented in this work, considering objects with variations of scale, rotation and images obtained by different sensors.
Experiments with ClueWeb09: Relevance Feedback and Web Tracks

Abstract : In this paper, we report on our TREC experiments with the ClueWeb09 document collection. We participated in the relevance feedback and web tracks. While our phase 1 relevance feedback run's performance was good, our other relevance feedback and web track submissions' performances were lacking. We suspect this performance difference is caused by the Category B document subset of the ClueWeb09 collection having a higher prior probability of relevance than the rest of the collection. Future work will involve a more detailed error analysis of our experiments.
CREATING ROUTINES FOR INNOVATION: INSIGHTS FROM AN ORGANISATIONAL EXPERIMENT

While organisational routines and innovation may se em to be antithetical, there is a long association in the literature between them, explori ng both the routinisation of innovation activities, and innovation in routines themselves. However, progress has been somewhat sidetracked by disputes over the definitio n and purpose of routines, to the neglect of understanding where they come from and how they develop. Moreover, there are few empirical examples that explicitly attempt to trace the formation and development of organisational routines. This paper outlines evidence from a year-long ethnographic study of a recently formed company that was established to implement small-scale innovation projects. It offered a natu ral experiment through which attempts to establish new routines for innovation could be o bserved. To help structure these observations, the paper revisits the original disti nction between the cognitive, motivational, and normative dimensions of routines made by Nelson and Winter (1982) and explores the dynamics between them.
Topology Robust Intrinsic Symmetries of non-rigid shapes based on Diffusion Distances

Abstract : Detection and modeling of self-similarity and symmetry is important in shape recognition, matching, synthesis, and reconstruction. While the detection of rigid shape symmetries is well established, the study of symmetries in non-rigid shapes is a much less researched problem. A particularly challenging setting is the detection of symmetries in non-rigid shapes affected by topological noise and asymmetric connectivity. In this paper, we treat shapes as metric spaces, with the metric induced by diffusion distances, and define non-rigid symmetries as self-isometries with respect to the diffusion metric. Experimental results show the advantage of the diffusion metric over the previously proposed geodesic metric for exploring intrinsic symmetries of bendable shapes with possible topological irregularities.
Prologue: Free Association

In this issue, we are pleased to present a number of operational descriptions of the method of free association, an inescapable topic in any discussion of therapy and theory. We also offer a rainbow of opinions for and against, reflecting the concord and conflict all along the history of psychoanalysis as a method and a movement, i.e., establishment. But in this context, a major difference leaps to mind: Disagreement about theory, e.g., the sexual theory of neurosis, has been the cause of ideological splits and cruel and costly internecine wars between orthodox Freudians and neo-Freudian heretics, as between Freud and Adler and Freud and Jung over the libido theory (Lothane, 1997a). Such rivalry was also seen in the past polarization between the American Psychoanalytic Association and the American Academy of Psychoanalysis or between the Deutsche Psychoanalytische Gesellschaft (DPG) and the Deutsche Psychoanalytische Vereinigung (DPV). The disagreements about free association have been rather civil, compared to those over theory. To associate means to place together, to connect, in action or in thought. The activity of associating takes place all the time in every sphere of psychological life: in sense-perception (both as cognition and re-cognition), imagination, memory, habit formation, problem solving, scientific (Helmholtz, Poincaré) and literary creativity, and, last but not least, in every conversation—it is that basic. Intellectualist approaches to associating usually leave out feelings and emotions; however, verbal and nonverbal communication of emotions is an integral part of the flow of associations. Associative thinking has been discussed by philosophers since Aristotle; by psychologists, e.g., William James’ “stream of thought” (1890, Chapter IX) and Charles Peirce in 1902: “If after any thought, the current of ideas flows freely, it follows the law of mental association” (cited in Buchler, 1955, p. 233); and illustrated by writers, e.g., James Joyce’s Ulysses (1922). In the psychoanalytic setting, called free association, it is basic to the process of interchanges between the analysand and analyst in a special state of mind called free-floating attention. In approaching association in therapy, Freud distinguished reflection, utilizing conscious and preconscious thinking mediated by purposive associations, from free association: the latter was to tap unconscious, i.e., repressed, content and intent. The rational and voluntary labor of conscious introspection and reflection harks back to Aristotelian criteria of contiguity, comparison (similarity), and contrast (dissimilarity) of associations. As noted by Claparède (1903), both experimental psychologists and Freud demonstrated the process “reproduction inconsciente” of associations (p. 184). Creative writers advocated free association as a method to foster creativity. In 1900 Freud quoted from Schiller’s letter to Körner of December 1, 1788:
Hypolipidemic and antioxidative effects of curcumin on blood parameters, humoral immunity, and jejunum histology in Hy-line hens

Objective: Turmeric (Curcuma Longa Linn) is a medicinal plant that contains curcumin. There is a growing interest in using curcumin powder (CP) as feed additives for antioxidative and antimicrobial properties to improve human health. This study was conducted to determine the appropriate levels of CP on blood parameters, immunity, and histology of jejunum in hens. Materials and Methods: A total of 200, 58-wk-old Hy-line hens were randomly distributed into 4 treatments (0%, 0.5%, 1.5%, and 2.5% CP or 0, 5, 15, and 25 g/kg feed, respectively) with 5 replicates (10 birds each) for 8 weeks using the completely randomized design. Blood samples were taken from 2 birds per replicate at weeks 61 and 65 to evaluate blood parameters. On weeks 63 and 65, two birds from each replicate received 0.5 ml SRBC (25%) injection in breast muscle and 7 days later, blood samples were collected to evaluate total Ig, IgG, and IgM titers in serum. Two hens were sacrificed at week 65 for the histological study of jejunum. Results: Curcumin reduced triglycerides at 1.5% and 2.5% and cholesterol and LDL at 2.5% (p<0.05). Improvement of total Ig and IgG titers after the 1st and 2nd injections were observed. Muscle thickness in jejunum increased (p<0.05) at 1.5% curcumin and the length and surface area of villus were enhanced as well. Conclusion: Our results demonstrate that curcumin can be used as an antioxidant at 1.5% and antilipidemic agent at 2.5% in diet.
Development of a fuzzy logic based microscopic motorway simulation model

Reports on progress in the development of a new microscopic model of interurban traffic, uses fuzzy modelling techniques to describe behavioural processes. Emphasis is placed on work undertaken in establishing, implementing and calibrating a new set of driving rules for both car following and lane changing, using both 'traditional' and new methods, such as the use of an instrumented vehicle.
Effect of pulsed electromagnetic field on the proliferation and differentiation potential of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells

Pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMFs) have been used clinically to slow down osteoporosis and accelerate the healing of bone fractures for many years. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of PEMFs on the proliferation and differentiation potential of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMMSC). PEMF stimulus was administered to BMMSCs for 8 h per day during culture period. The PEMF applied consisted of 4.5 ms bursts repeating at 15 Hz, and each burst contained 20 pulses. Results showed that about 59% and 40% more viable BMMSC cells were obtained in the PEMF‐exposed cultures at 24 h after plating for the seeding density of 1000 and 3000 cells/cm2, respectively. Although, based on the kinetic analysis, the growth rates of BMMSC during the exponential growth phase were not significantly affected, 20–60% higher cell densities were achieved during the exponentially expanding stage. Many newly divided cells appeared from 12 to 16 h after the PEMF treatment as revealed by the cell cycle analysis. These results suggest that PEMF exposure could enhance the BMMSC cell proliferation during the exponential phase and it possibly resulted from the shortening of the lag phase. In addition, according to the cytochemical and immunofluorescence analysis performed, the PEMF‐exposed BMMSC showed multi‐lineage differentiation potential similar to the control group. Bioelectromagnetics 30:251–260, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Eecient Pipelining of Level-clocked Circuits with Min-max Propagation Delays

In this paper we present a polynomial-time algorithm for pipelining two-phase, level-clocked circuits in order to operate correctly with a given clocking scheme under the bounded delay model. In this model, the propagation delay of each combinational logic element v is assumed to have a minimum value (v) and a maximum value d(v). Our algorithm runs in O(LV E) steps, where L is the desired number of pipeline stages, and V and E are the number of gates and wires in the circuit, respectively. Our procedure is the rst provably correct algorithm in the literature for solving this problem in polynomial time.
Color Onsets and Offsets, and Luminance Changes Can Cause Change Blindness

It has recently been demonstrated that people often fail to detect between-view changes in their visual environment. This phenomenon, called ‘change blindness’ (CB), occurs whenever the perceptual transient that usually accompanies a change is somehow blocked, or made less salient. In the well-known flicker paradigm, the transient is blocked by inserting a blank screen between the original and changed scenes. We tested whether transients that do not involve the appearance or disappearance of visual objects would also produce CB. Therefore we tested whether the appearance or disappearance of color information, and increments or decrements in luminance, could cause CB. In three experiments, subjects searched for changes in natural scenes. We found that both color transients and luminance transients significantly reduced change detection (by ∼30%) relative to a no-transient condition.
Usability of Musical Digital Libraries: a Multimodal Analysis

has been substantial research on technical aspects of musical digital libraries, but comparatively little on usability aspects. We have evaluated four web-accessible music libraries, focusing particularly on features that are particular to music libraries, such as music retrieval mechanisms. Although the original focus of the work was on how modalities are combined within the interactions with such libraries, that was not where the main difficulties were found. Libraries were generally well designed for use of different modalities. The main challenges identified relate to the details of melody matching and to simplifying the choices of file format. These issues are discussed in detail.