Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Information Dissemination Network for Dynamic Target Location Pursuit

We study a network structure for efficient information dissemination that leverages location-based real-time applications operating in a distributed system. Gossip-based information dissemination is a promising method for a large-scale system to keep nodes in the network quickly updated with new information. The information dissemination efficiency depends strongly on the underlying network structure, so it is important to analyze how the network structure is optimized to achieve agile information dissemination, especially for time-sensitive applications, e.g., for dynamic pursuit of a moving target that requires frequent information updating. To this end, we construct a continuous-space network model extended from Kleinberg's small-world model so that it is applicable to location-based services. Analytical and simulation-based study shows that excellent information dissemination efficiency is achieved when the shortcuts overlaying a uniform cluster network are created nearly uniformly to nodes at all distance scales. We apply our model to the dynamic pursuit problem where a pursuer searches for a moving target. Monte-Carlo simulation shows that the network with well-structured shortcuts surpasses other types of networks in finding a moving target because the pursuer can steadily approach the target regardless of its location, and the network structure greatly influences the dynamic search ability in distributed systems.
Translation of Ontology Retrieval Problem into Relational Queries

Ontology as a knowledge base can provide different reasoning tasks, e.g. to check consistency of the ontology or to check whether a resource is instance of a concept or not. In this paper we want to focus on retrieval problem. There already exist systems resolving this problem, but they are not effective within large datasets. Our idea is to transform ontology into a relational database. We present particular algorithms of this transformation both on the scheme level and SQL level with special handling of functional roles and definitions. This enables to query such database by usual tools of SQL, i.e. to solve the retrieval problem.
High-Order Hidden Markov Model and Application to Continuous Mandarin Digit Recognition

The duration and spectral dynamics of speech signal are modeled as the duration highorder hidden Markov model (DHO-HMM). Both the state transition probability and output observation probabilities depend not only on the current state but also several previous states. Recursive formulas have been derived for the calculation of the log-likelihood score of optimal partial paths. The high-order state is expanded into several equivalent firstorder states and the token passing algorithm is used to implement an extended Viterbi decoding algorithm on our DHO-HMM continuous speech recognition system. Experimental results on continuous Mandarin digit recognition show that DHO-HMM can improve the recognition accuracy.
The effects of infrequent but difficult input conditions on N-version programming

The sofware reliability of a system based on N-version programming is dominated by how well frequent but difficult input conditions are handled. In traditional single version programming, these inputs are responsible for only a small percentage of software failures. As versions are added using N-version programming techniques, failures due to common and simple input conditions are quickly reduced. But failures due to infrequent but difficult conditions are only slightly reduced. For a system with a large number of versions, the vast majority of failures are due to infrequent but difficult input conditions. This complicates the prediction of sofware reliability and effects how an N-version programming system should be implemented.
Derivation of nearest-neighbor DNA parameters in magnesium from single molecule experiments

Abstract DNA hybridization is an essential molecular reaction in biology with many applications. The nearest-neighbor (NN) model for nucleic acids predicts DNA thermodynamics using energy values for the different base pair motifs. These values have been derived from melting experiments in monovalent and divalent salt and applied to predict melting temperatures of oligos within a few degrees. However, an improved determination of the NN energy values and their salt dependencies in magnesium is still needed for current biotechnological applications seeking high selectivity in the hybridization of synthetic DNAs. We developed a methodology based on single molecule unzipping experiments to derive accurate NN energy values and initiation factors for DNA. A new set of values in magnesium is derived, which reproduces unzipping data and improves melting temperature predictions for all available oligo lengths, in a range of temperature and salt conditions where correlation effects between the magnesium bound ions are weak. The NN salt correction parameters are shown to correlate to the GC content of the NN motifs. Our study shows the power of single-molecule force spectroscopy assays to unravel novel features of nucleic acids such as sequence-dependent salt corrections.
The social psychology of driving behaviour and the traffic environment: research on aggressive behaviour in traffic

This Dutch study attempted to determine whether it is possible to provide empirical support for the supposition that there is widespread aggression in road traffic. Concepts employed in the study are defined, the research methodology is described, and the conclusions drawn are presented. The actual behaviour of drivers was observed both in traffic and other situations and was followed by personal interviews. Drivers' behaviour was scored either as aggressive or not aggressive. Thus, verbal and actual behaviours were compared and variables related to aggression in the traffic situations were further investigated. The results were analyzed in terms of driver's sex, age, time and place of crossing, and the sex of the pedestrian walking across the crossing. It was found that drivers display aggressive behaviour in conflict situations on Dutch pedestrian crossings, and that it is particularly marked in the case of younger men and male pedestrians. Such behaviour is most frequent in the afternoon and during business and commercial driving. Cross cultural comparisons are made. It is suggested that respect for other road users is something that needs to be encouraged among Dutch drivers.
Performance Analysis of a Fixed-Complexity Sphere Decoder in High-Dimensional Mimo Systems

The performance of a new detection algorithm for uncoded multiple input-multiple output (MIMO) systems based on the complex version of the sphere decoder (SD) is analyzed in this paper. The algorithm performs a fixed number of operations to detect the signal, independent of the noise level. Simulation results show that it can be applied to high-dimensional MIMO systems presenting a very small bit error ratio (BER) degradation compared to the original SD. In addition, its deterministic nature makes it suitable for hardware implementation
Spectral analysis of Internet topology graphs

The discovery of power-laws and spectral properties of the Internet topology indicates a complex underlying network infrastructure. Analysis of spectral properties of the Internet topology has been usually based on the normalized Laplacian matrix of graphs capturing Internet structure on the Autonomous System (AS) level. In this paper, we first extend the previous analysis of the Route Views data to include datasets collected from the RIPE project. Spectral analysis of collected data from the RIPE datasets confirms the previously observed existence of power-laws and similar historical trends in the development of the Internet. Presented spectral analysis of both the adjacency matrix and the normalized Laplacian matrix of the associated graphs also reveals new historical trends in the clustering of AS nodes and their connectivity. The connectivity and clustering properties of the Internet topology are further analyzed by examining element values of the corresponding eigenvectors.
Parallel computing for sheet metal strain analysis

This paper describes an application of high performance computing for industrial sheet metal strain analysis. A grid pattern of small circles is first electrochemically etched on the surface of a sheet metal blank. The blank is then formed into the desired shape. After forming, a laser digitizer scans on the surface of the sheet metal part and collects (X, Y, Z) coordinate points with the laser beam reflected intensity data. The scan resolution is 10,000 points per square centimetre. Using parallel data processing, each deformed circle is extracted, grouped and fitted. The strains are computed by comparing the fitting result to the original grid element dimensions.
Test anxiety, susceptibility to distraction and examination performance

Examination stress is thought to prevent some individuals from reaching their academic potential. Explanations of this relationship include a proneness to ruminate and worry about examinations, as well as a tendency to be more susceptible to distraction. We therefore examined the relative roles that worry and distraction, assessed three months prior to examinations, have in predicting the academic grades of undergraduate students. Test–anxious worry was related to susceptibility to distraction, but not exactly as predicted. However, both worry and a proneness to be distracted by non-threatening, examination-irrelevant material were found to predict academic performance. These results are discussed in light of theories of test anxiety, as well as the potential for further research and interventions to manage examination stress.
Catch Crawler: Automatic Web Information Extractor Using Style Sheet

Dataset should be free from noise for carrying out tasks of Web mining well. Generally commercial Web pages have a lot of noise which are not relevant to main contents such as navigation panel, advertisements, copyright notices or other service links. In this paper, we present a new automatic Web information extractor called dasiacatch crawlerpsila which uses style sheet to extract interesting data on a target site. Style sheets are generally used for uniform presentation of Web pages in a commercial Web site. To execute catch Crawler, a user lets catch Crawler know the interesting data area by clicking the data on a Web page. The catch Crawler automatically perceives the class of style sheet for the data and generates dataset from the whole Web site following the same style sheet class. Experimental results show that our approach for extracting noiseless Web data gives over 90% of accuracy on average.
Determinants of ethical practices of public relations practitioners in Korea

The present study was designed to examine various determinant variables influencing public relations practitioners’ ethical practices. Six variables, consisting of idealism, relativism, age, gender, education, and awareness of ethics code existence, were utilized for this study. Results indicate that relativism and awareness of ethics code existence directly impact ethical practices, whereas age influenced ethical practices though relativism.
Maximum-likelihood Kalman filtering for switching discrete-time linear systems

State estimation is addressed for a class of discrete-time systems that may switch among different modes taken from a finite set. The system and measurement equations of each mode are assumed to be linear and perfectly known, but the current mode of the system is unknown. Moreover, we assume that independently normally distributed noises affect the dynamics and the measurements. First, relying on a well-established notion of mode observability developed ¿ad hoc¿ for switching systems, an approach to system mode estimation based on a maximum likelihood criterion is proposed. Second, such mode estimator is embedded in a Kalman filtering framework to estimate the continuous state. Under the assumption of mode observability, stability properties in terms of boundedness of the mean square estimation error are proved for the resulting filter. Simulation results that show the effectiveness of the proposed filter are reported.
Exploration of direct bi-manual interaction in digitally mediated stop-motion animation

In this paper we present the development of a digital system prototype for character animation, with the primary focus on enabling direct bi-manual interaction through the employment of haptic sense and gestural control. The aim of the research is to explore the design of digital animation systems that build upon and augment the rich tacit knowledge embodied in the traditional creative practice of stop-motion animation. A team of highly skilled stop-motion animators participated in the design process of the prototype system evaluating and reflecting upon the key aspects of the design. We describe our design approach and the methodology employed in two design key studies framed around the concepts of direct tactile manipulation and two-handed interaction. We identify the components that enabled immediacy and enhanced engagement with the new system. The outcomes of the studies illustrate the system's potential for enabling immersive physical interaction in a digital animation setting.
Expert Professionalism as Judged by Experts: An Empirical Pilot Study

We conducted a pilot study about the professionalism of opposing expert witnesses as perceived by subject experts. The investigated topics included opponents' disorganization; forgetfulness; failure to examine a relevant party or review relevant documents; ignorance of the legal standard; giving an opinion or espousing a theory beyond the case facts or the relevant science; and replacement of objectivity with advocacy. We also looked at perceptions of opposing experts as “hired guns” and at treating professionals serving as experts. Significant findings were: opposing experts' lack of professionalism was perceived by half of the sample; lack of professionalism was attributed to espousal of idiosyncratic theories and loss of objectivity; participants professed a high degree of certainty about these views. “Hired gun” status in opponents and treating professionals as opposing experts were viewed as rare events.
Graphoepitaxy of Self-Assembled Block Copolymers on Two-Dimensional Periodic Patterned Templates

Self-assembling materials are the building blocks of bottom-up nanofabrication processes, but they need to be templated to impose long-range order and eliminate defects. In this work, the self-assembly of a thin film of a spherical-morphology block copolymer is templated using an array of nanoscale topographical elements that act as surrogates for the minority domains of the block copolymer. The orientation and periodicity of the resulting array of spherical microdomains are governed by the commensurability between the block copolymer period and the template period and is accurately described by a free-energy model. This method, which forms high-spatial-frequency arrays using a lower-spatial-frequency template, will be useful in nanolithography applications such as the formation of high-density microelectronic structures.
Convexified Modularity Maximization for Degree-corrected Stochastic Block Models

The stochastic block model (SBM) is a popular framework for studying community detection in networks. This model is limited by the assumption that all nodes in the same community are statistically equivalent and have equal expected degrees. The degree-corrected stochastic block model (DCSBM) is a natural extension of SBM that allows for degree heterogeneity within communities. This paper proposes a convexified modularity maximization approach for estimating the hidden communities under DCSBM. Our approach is based on a convex programming relaxation of the classical (generalized) modularity maximization formulation, followed by a novel doubly-weighted $ \ell_1 $-norm $ k $-median procedure. We establish non-asymptotic theoretical guarantees for both approximate clustering and perfect clustering. Our approximate clustering results are insensitive to the minimum degree, and hold even in sparse regime with bounded average degrees. In the special case of SBM, these theoretical results match the best-known performance guarantees of computationally feasible algorithms. Numerically, we provide an efficient implementation of our algorithm, which is applied to both synthetic and real-world networks. Experiment results show that our method enjoys competitive performance compared to the state of the art in the literature.
The Historical Linguistics of Uto-Aztecan Agriculture

The Uto-Aztecan language family figures prominently in research on early agriculture in western North America. A central issue is the role that the members of the Proto-Uto-Aztecan speech community might have played in the diffusion of maize agriculture from Mesoamerica to the southwestern United States. Key to addressing this issue is determining whether an agricultural lexicon can be reconstructed for Proto-Uto-Aztecan, but despite several comparative studies of the agricultural lexica of the Uto-Aztecan languages, consensus remains elusive. A detailed reanalysis of these lexica indicates that an agriculture-related vocabulary can be reconstructed only for Proto-Southern Uto-Aztecan, supporting the conclusion that maize agriculture entered the Uto-Aztecan world after the division of the Proto-Uto-Aztecan speech community into southern and northern branches. Additional lexical and biogeographical data suggest that the Proto-Southern Uto-Aztecan speech community was located near the modern Arizona-Sonora border when its members began cultivating maize, a development that may have occurred around four thousand years ago, when the earliest evidence of maize agriculture appears in the archaeological record of the North American Southwest.
Investigation and Modeling of the Fatigue Damage in Natural Fiber Composites

The main objective of this preliminary investigation is to identify and characterize the damage evolution of angle ply ([±45]16) flax-reinforced epoxy composites using an energy-based damage model combined with Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) observations. The damage model’s parameters for the flax-reinforced epoxy composite were determined from quasi-static and fatigue tests. The preliminary results showed that the energy-based damage model is able predict accurately the damage rate in both longitudinal and transverse directions for loads. The mechanism of damage initiation in the flax/epoxy composites and the damage evolution, during each test, were monitored using SEM. A direct correlation between the microstructure of the flax-reinforced epoxy composites and the damage was obtained.
A longitudinal study on the stability over time of school and teacher effects on student outcomes

This paper reviews educational effectiveness theory, concentrating on the time stability of the teacher and school effect. The contribution of longitudinal studies investigating the long‐term effect of schools and teachers to modelling educational effectiveness is discussed. Findings of a longitudinal study on the progress of students (N=1681) in mathematics during their first four years at the primary school are presented. Results of this study reveal that traditional approaches of measuring educational effectiveness tend to overestimate the short‐term effects of teachers and student background factors and underestimate the long‐term effects of teachers and schools. Implications of findings for the theory of educational effectiveness and especially for the concepts of teacher and school effects and their stability are drawn. Finally, suggestions for establishing evaluation mechanisms to improve practice are provided.
Targeting Zfp148 activates p53 and reduces tumor initiation in the gut

The transcription factor Zinc finger protein 148 (Zfp148, ZBP-89, BFCOL, BERF1, htβ) interacts physically with the tumor suppressor p53, but the significance of this interaction is not known. We recently showed that knockout of Zfp148 in mice leads to ectopic activation of p53 in some tissues and cultured fibroblasts, suggesting that Zfp148 represses p53 activity. Here we hypothesize that targeting Zfp148 would unleash p53 activity and protect against cancer development, and test this idea in the APCMin/+ mouse model of intestinal adenomas. Loss of one copy of Zfp148 markedly reduced tumor numbers and tumor-associated intestinal bleedings, and improved survival. Furthermore, after activation of β-catenin-the initiating event in colorectal cancer-Zfp148 deficiency activated p53 and induced apoptosis in intestinal explants of APCMin/+ mice. The anti-tumor effect of targeting Zfp148 depended on p53, as Zfp148 deficiency did not affect tumor numbers in APCMin/+ mice lacking one or both copies of Trp53. The results suggest that Zfp148 controls the fate of newly transformed intestinal tumor cells by repressing p53 and that targeting Zfp148 might be useful in the treatment of colorectal cancer.
Plasmodium simium, a Plasmodium vivax-Related Malaria Parasite: Genetic Variability of Duffy Binding Protein II and the Duffy Antigen/Receptor for Chemokines

Plasmodium simium is a parasite from New World monkeys that is most closely related to the human malaria parasite Plasmodium vivax; it also naturally infects humans. The blood-stage infection of P. vivax depends on Duffy binding protein II (PvDBPII) and its cognate receptor on erythrocytes, the Duffy antigen receptor for chemokines (hDARC), but there is no information on the P. simium erythrocytic invasion pathway. The genes encoding P. simium DBP (PsDBPII) and simian DARC (sDARC) were sequenced from Southern brown howler monkeys (Alouatta guariba clamitans) naturally infected with P. simium because P. simium may also depend on the DBPII/DARC interaction. The sequences of DBP binding domains from P. vivax and P. simium were highly similar. However, the genetic variability of PsDBPII was lower than that of PvDBPII. Phylogenetic analyses demonstrated that these genes were strictly related and clustered in the same clade of the evolutionary tree. DARC from A. clamitans was also sequenced and contained three new non-synonymous substitutions. None of these substitutions were located in the N-terminal domain of DARC, which interacts directly with DBPII. The interaction between sDARC and PvDBPII was evaluated using a cytoadherence assay of COS7 cells expressing PvDBPII on their surfaces. Inhibitory binding assays in vitro demonstrated that antibodies from monkey sera blocked the interaction between COS-7 cells expressing PvDBPII and hDARC-positive erythrocytes. Taken together, phylogenetic analyses reinforced the hypothesis that the host switch from humans to monkeys may have occurred very recently in evolution, which sheds light on the evolutionary history of new world plasmodia. Further invasion studies would confirm whether P. simium depends on DBP/DARC to trigger internalization into red blood cells.
A Test of the Vroom-Yetton Model Using Manager and Subordinate Reports

Forty-four manager and subordinate pairs reported the situation faced and decision process used in a recent decision. Evidence of the validity of the Vroom-Yetton model (V. H. Vroom and P. W. Yetton, 1973) was found with manager data but not subordinate data. This difference may have been due to managers' and subordinates' different roles or to measurement difficulties. Future tests will be required to examine this problem.