Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Practical optimization using evolutionary methods

Many real-world problem solving tasks, including CFD problems, involve posing and solving optimization problems, which are usually non-linear, non-differentiable, multi-dimensional, multi-modal, stochastic, and computationally time-consuming. In this paper, we discuss a number of such practical problems which are, in essence, optimization problems and review the classical optimization methods to show that they are not adequate in solving such demanding tasks. On the other hand, in the past couple of decades, new yet practical optimization methods, based on natural evolutionary techniques, are increasingly found to be useful in meeting the challenges. These methods are population based, stochastic, and exible, thereby providing an ideal platform to modify them to suit to solve most optimization problems. The remainder of the paper illustrates the working principles of such evolutionary optimization methods and presents some results in support of their efficacy. The breadth of their application domain and ease and efficiency of their working make evolutionary optimization methods promising for taking up the challenges offered by the vagaries of various practical optimization problems.
Development of Multi-mode Biomimetic Robotic Fish Based on Central Pattern Generator

This paper presents the construction and motion control of a biologically inspired, multi-mode biomimetic robotic fish capable of three-dimensional locomotion. The mechanical configuration and the control system are described. The rhythmic movements of swimming are driven by the biological neural networks, called the central pattern generators (CPGs). The CPGs are modeled as nonlinear oscillators for joints and inter-joint coordination is achieved by altering the connection weights between joints. The CPG-based online gait generation method allows elegant and smooth transitions between swimming gaits, which result in multi-mode swimming to implement more lifelike locomotion. Several swimming modes can be obtained to mimic diverse actions of the real fish in nature, or designed according to special assignments by changing CPG parameters. The up-and-down motion can be implemented by adjusting the rotating angle of pectoral fins. The depth of the robotic fish is controlled utilizing a proportional-integral-derivative (PID) control algorithm according to the feedback of depth information measured by the sonar sensor installed at the bottom of the fish. The experimental results confirm the effectiveness of the control methods
UNDERSTANDING THE ADOPTION OF MOBILE BANKING SERVICES: AN EMPIRICAL STUDY Chayanis Witeepanich, Nisarat Emklang,

Mobile phone has currently become a vital part of our daily life. With the rapid changes of the technology, many firms offer a variety of services through mobile phones, such as mobile banking services. In this study, we adopt the Unified Theory of Acceptance and the Use of Technology (UTAUT) in order to examine factors influencing mobile banking adoption in Thailand. 500 Thai people living in Bangkok metropolitan area were investigated. Our findings show that five factors led to mobile banking adoption in Thailand are social influence, trust, facilitating conditions, user perception, and user demographic. The results of the study also reveal that the most important factor influencing mobile banking adoption is trust. This study provides very specific information that can assist Thai banking sectors for
On Positive Emotions and design: a Game Card tool to increase the participatory design activity

In interaction design, attention has shifted from quantified-self and monitoring interfaces to wider gamified systems that challenge people to heal their lifestyle. This change has forced the promotion of task accomplishments, and the quantification of daily achievements and social relationships. While fostering self-learning in some cases is the key to reinforce thoughts, actions and behaviours, it is less clear how to practically translate people digital engagement in a more effective daily life toward wellbeing. To understand how to favour people's creativity and a positive state of mind this contribution introduces DEmo game card as a participatory design tool and describes the fundamentals for applying it in a specific case of pre-performance stress. This contribution is a first step for exploring design possibilities and focusing on important aspects of the daily interactions between emotions, cognitive processes and effective actions.
The instrumental variable multichannel FAP-RLS and FAP algorithms

The LMS and affine projection algorithms (APA) and its fast version (FAP) may suffer convergence slowdown in the presence of strong correlation between the input samples (colored input signals). In the case multichannel adaptive filtering, this problem may be compounded by strong correlation between the channel signals. Recently, improved multichannel APA's have been introduced (without a FAP counterpart), involving decorrelation operations between the channels. We show a connection between the improved APA and a certain choice of instrumental variable (IV) in an IV version of multichannel APA. There is also a connection to fast Newton transversal filters (FNTF's). We suggest a particular choice for the IV that will make fast multichannel IV APA possible and derive multichannel IV FAPs for the case of IVs with the usual shift-invariance structure. Whereas we have introduced a single channel IV FAP before, based on the fast transversal filter (FTF) algorithm, we propose here a multichannel IV FAP based on the numerically more robust RLS algorithm.
Wt1, the mesothelium and the origins and heterogeneity of visceral fat progenitors

One major gap in adipocyte biology has been a lack of understanding of the developmental origins of the different visceral white adipose tissue (WAT) depots and subcutaneous WAT. In a recent study we showed that most visceral WAT but no subcutaneous WAT arises from cells expressing the Wilms’ tumor 1 (Wt1) gene late in mouse gestation.1 Wt1 continues to be expressed in visceral WAT progenitors into adult life. We also showed that visceral WAT is lined by a mesothelium and provided evidence that this structure is the source of adipocytes. Our study also adds to the growing body of evidence that there is heterogeneity in the visceral progenitors, such that there are Wt1-expressing and non-expressing subsets, the relative proportions of which vary between depots. This raises the enticing prospect that the adipocytes arising from these progenitor subsets may have different properties and our preliminary data support this notion. Finally, evidence from our study and one from Spiegelman's group2 suggests that Wt1 is not just a marker but regulates visceral WAT identity and the progenitor population. We discuss the implications of this work and some of the questions and future directions that arise from it.
Successful chemotherapy of experimental neuroendocrine lung tumors in hamsters with an antagonist of Ca2+/calmodulin.

The chemotherapeutic effect of B859-35, the (-)-enantiomer of dihydropyrine 3-methyl-5-3-(4,4-diphenyl-1-piperidinyl)-propyl-1,4-dihydro-2,6-dimethy l-4- (3-nitrophenyl)-pyridine-3,5-dicarboxylate-hydrochloride (niguldipine), was tested on tumors induced in Syrian golden hamsters by N-nitrosodiethylamine (DEN). Peripheral pulmonary adenomas/adenocarcinomas were induced in hamsters maintained under ambient air conditions by multiple s.c. injections of DEN for 20 weeks. We have reproducibly shown that within this time interval lung adenomas develop in a significant number of the animals. The carcinogen treatment was discontinued at this point and one group of these hamsters was given B859-35 intragastrically 5 days/week for 20 weeks while the second group of such tumor-bearing hamsters were kept for an identical time interval without further treatment. Neuroendocrine lung tumors were induced in hamsters maintained in an atmosphere of 60% O2 by multiple s.c. injections of DEN for 8 weeks. We have reproducibly shown that within this short time interval neuroendocrine lung tumors develop in a significant number of the animals. The carcinogen treatment was discontinued at this point and the animals were returned to ambient air conditions. One group of these tumor-bearing hamsters was then given B859-35 intragastrically 5 days/week for 20 weeks while a second group of these hamsters was kept untreated for an identical time interval. A control group was given s.c. injections of saline for 20 weeks under ambient air conditions. A dramatic and selective anticarcinogenic effect of B859-35 was observed on the neuroendocrine lung tumors and nasal cavity tumors induced by DEN/hyperoxia while tumors of larynx/trachea were not affected. B859-35 had no effect on peripheral adenomas/adenocarcinomas, nasal cavity tumors, papillary polyps of larynx/trachea, or liver tumors induced by DEN under ambient air conditions.
Offshore-Onsite Team Dynamics: Applications of the 24-Hour Knowledge Factory

Purpose: Starting from the observation that new types of distributed work arrangements across organizational and national borders are emerging, we decided to investigate a particular type of globally distributed team (GDT): the 24-hour knowledge factory, where individuals work around the clock or follow the sun. Our research question is: How do individuals share knowledge during hand offs and what are the factors that affect the hand off process in GDTs adopting the 24-hour knowledge factory model? Methodology/Approach: We conducted an interview based qualitative study to conduct detailed investigation of the internal processes of 8 GDTs using the 24-hour knowledge factory model, in Indian organizations involved in offshoring of knowledge intensive work with Western clients, and we coded our evidence using a grounded theory approach (Strauss and Corbin, 1998). Findings: Our grounded theory shows that, in GDTs adopting the 24-hour knowledge factory model, knowledge sharing during hand offs across locations is hampered by the emergence of status differentials across team members with similar expertise, position, organizational affiliation and ethnicity. The negative effect of status differentials is mitigated by the perception of closeness with an external party - the client. Practical implications: Our work has practical implications for organizations that want to adopt the 24-hour knowledge factory model to achieve a faster (and cheaper) development of products and services. To make a GDT work around the clock, an organization should not only place attention to technical issues (such as acquiring sophisticated and rich collaborative technologies), but also to potentially disrupting team dynamics that may emerge across subgroups. Originality/value of paper: Overall, this work contributes to a better understanding of the interplay between status differentials, synchronization, and knowledge transfer in globally distributed teams.
Theoretical and Experimental Study of Near-field Beam Properties of High Power Laser Diodes

— We present laser beam astigmatism results obtained by Near-field Scanning Optical Mi-croscopy. Measurements made with this technique on the high reflecting facet of a Graded Index Separate Confinement Heterojunction laser diode indicate the lateral beam waist is outside of the device structure, seemingly in contradiction to far-field measurements made on the low reflecting output facet of the device. Our attempts to resolve the discrepancy by invoking thermal lensing due to a temperature gradient across the mirror facet is capable of partly generating the fo-cusing required to explain the difference in observed beam waist position for the two separate measurements. Simulations which include inhomogeneities along the length of the device cavity may resolve the apparent discrepancy. This paper is eligible for best student paper.
Maintenance of the differentiated state in skeletal muscle: activation of v-Src disrupts sarcomeres in quail myotubes

We have used quail skeletal myotubes expressing a temperature-sensitive allele of the v-src oncogene to address the issue of the homeostasis of sarcomeric myofibrils in differentiated muscle cells. Reactivation of the v-Src tyrosine kinase by shifting the cultures to the permissive temperature leads within minutes to the formation of F-actin-containing bodies (ABs), that originate in the ventral region of the myotubes and increase in number concomitantly with the dismantling of the I-Z-I complex of the sarcomeres. This process is detailed by confocal and electron microscopy. Indirect immunofluorescence reveals that ABs contain muscle-specific protein isoforms associated with the I-Z-I complexes and vinculin, a component of the cytoskeletal network. Anti- phosphotyrosine antibodies label proteins in ABs and Z-discs. Evidence is presented indicating that this phenomenon specifically depends on the persistent activation of v-Src, rather than on a general increase in phosphotyrosine content such as that induced by vanadate. AB formation is prevented by activation of protein kinase C by phorbol ester or by treatment with the kinase inhibitor 2-aminopurine, without any detectable effect on tyrosine phosphorylation. Taken together these findings indicate that phosphorylation of specific target proteins by v- Src, although necessary, is not sufficient per se to induce AB formation. In addition, the signal transduction cascade that culminates in MAP kinase activation and its nuclear translocation is activated both by v-Src and phorbol ester, and is relatively unaffected by 2- aminopurine. These findings imply that both phorbol esters and 2- aminopurine operate, at least in part, at the level of alternative pathways that may diverge upstream of the MAP kinase and are presumably mediating the early effects of v-Src on the differentiated phenotype.
BMI may underestimate the socioeconomic gradient in true obesity

Body mass index (BMI) does not make a distinction between fat mass and lean mass. In children, high fat mass appears to be associated with low maternal education, as well as low lean mass because maternal education is associated with physical activity. Therefore, BMI might underestimate true obesity in children of low‐educated mothers.
SOME NOTES ON THE SHALLOW STRUCTURE HYPOTHESIS

Abstract Since the Shallow Structure Hypothesis (SSH) was first put forward in 2006, it has inspired a growing body of research on grammatical processing in nonnative (L2) speakers. More than 10 years later, we think it is time for the SSH to be reconsidered in the light of new empirical findings and current theoretical assumptions about human language processing. The purpose of our critical commentary is twofold: to clarify some issues regarding the SSH and to sketch possible ways in which this hypothesis might be refined and improved to better account for L1 and L2 speakers’ performance patterns.
The Path Planning for Mobile Robot Based on Voronoi Diagram

In order to get the shortest path of the mobile robot, Voronoi diagram has been introduced to the robot path planning in the paper. The paper uses the voronoi diagram method to model the work space, and obtained the global shortest path by the improved Dijkstra algorithm, besides, when dealing with the unknown static obstacles, the paper adopt one method of constructing the local Voronoi map of the environment, which can contribute to reduce computation time and satisfied the needs of robot's real-time path planning. Simulation results show that the method is simple and easy to implement.
Friendship Networks and Sexual Debut. A Study Based in Time-to-event Data

We study the relationships between the characteristics of friendship networks and the entry into sexual life. The friendship network of young adults shapes their behavior, by providing information, norms, and potential partners: the dynamics in the characteristics of friendship networks might also explain part of the observed changes at the macro level. Despite the importance of the issue, so far it has not been possible to have data on social networks and the entry into sexual life. A recent survey of Italian university students allows us to study the dynamics of the gender-segregation and conversational content of young adults' social networks and its impact on age at sexual debut. In this paper, the data concerning such dynamics are used as explanatory variables in order to estimate an hazard model on age at first intercourse. The transition from childhood friendship to adolescent friendship is marked by fluctuations in companionship and intimacy, asexuality and sexuality. There are changes in the degree of gender segregation in the friendship networks and in the development of affiliate relationships with other-sex friends and romantic partners. As the gender composition of friendship networks changes in early adolescence, opportunities to develop other-sex friendships and seek out romantic partners increase. Whereas same-sex friendships appear to dominate in childhood, a more gender-balance nature of the friendship network evolves throughout adolescence (Feiring, 1999; Crosnoe, 2000). Other-sex friends provide a pool of potential romantic partners and may serve to introduce adolescents to new other-sex peers who may become friends or lovers. Using a small-size longitudinal study of U.S. adolescents, Feiring (1999) indicates that having other-sex friends is related to the likelihood of having a romantic relationships. We hypothesize that adolescents with friendship networks with a larger share of othersex members are on the "early train" of romantic experience and therefore engage in
Tubular Surfaces Around Timelike Biharmonic Curves in Lorentzian Heisenberg Group Heis3

Abstract In this paper, we describe a new method for constructing a tubular surface surrounding a timelike biharmonic curve in the Lorentzian Heisenberg group Heis3. Firstly, we characterize timelike biharmonic curves in terms of their curvature and torsion. Also, by using timelike biharmonic curves, we give explicit parametrizations of tubular surfaces in the Lorentzian Heisenberg group Heis3.
Riskscapes: Strategies and Practices Along the Georgian–Abkhazian Boundary Line and Inside Abkhazia

ABSTRACT The Georgian–Abkhazian war in 1992–1993 caused the forced displacement of around half of the population of the former autonomous Abkhazian republic. Over 200,000 of them were ethnic Georgians, out of whom at least 46,000 have returned mainly to southern Abkhazia. Abkhazia today functions as a de facto independent state, and the Russian–Abkhazian border control along the administrative boundary line between Abkhazia and Georgia poses an obstacle to young people from returnee families who are studying in Georgia proper and want to visit their families in Abkhazia. This study focuses on young migrants navigating the consequences of war and ethnic conflict on human mobility in the border area. Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork and five in-depth qualitative interviews with young people aged 18–25 years, the aim is to examine the strategies and practices that the young respondents employ to cross the border. To reach their homes in Abkhazia they need to navigate through riskscapes—landscapes or physical settings embedded with multiple layers of risk. Depending on their social positions (gender, ethnicity, citizenship, age) different riskscapes are unfolded. To handle riskscapes these young people adopt preventive measures; they change routes and behavior.
Optimality of consensus protocols for multi-agent systems with interaction

This paper deals with consensus protocols for multi-agent systems with interaction. Each agent is driven by distributed control for achieving consensus, while it is simultaneously influenced by distributed disturbance for disturbing consensus. That is, two kinds of interconnections are considered, where the interconnections are assumed to be described as undirected graphs possibly different. A necessary and sufficient condition is stated for consensus achievement. A sufficient condition for optimality of the consensus is then presented as the key result of this paper, where it is shown that the distributed feedback can minimize a quadratic performance index under this condition. These two conditions are further investigated, and the graph topology desirable for consensus achievement is established from the viewpoint of inverse optimality.
Network traffic processing module for infrastructure attacks detection in cloud computing platforms

The paper presents the results of the design and implementation of a network data processing module for the security component protecting OpenStack cloud computing platform again DDoS attacks. The module processes both internal and external relative cloud infrastructure network traffic, and thus, enables security component to detect DDoS attacks the sources of which can be located inside or outside cloud infrastructure. The paper also presents the results of the module load testing that shows that the developed module is able to process volumes of network traffic exceeding the power of modern DDoS attacks.
Integer Programming and Nondictatorial Arrovian Social Welfare Functions

Following Sethuraman, Teo and Vohra ((2003), (2006)), we apply integer programming tools to the analysis of fundamental issues in social choice theory. We generalize Sethuraman et al.'s approach specifying integer programs in which variables are allowed to assume values in the set {0; 1/2 ; 1}. We show that there exists a one-to-one correspondence between the solutions of an integer program defined on this set and the set of the Arrovian social welfare functions with ties (i.e. admitting indifference in the range). We use our generalized integer programs to analyze nondictatorial Arrovian social welfare functions, in the line opened by Kalai and Muller (1977). Our main theorem provides a complete characterization of the domains admitting non- dictatorial Arrovian social welfare functions with ties by introducing a notion of strict decomposability.
Area-constrained technology mapping for in-memory computing using ReRAM devices

In-memory computing platforms, such as Resistive RAM (ReRAM), offer natural advantage to data-intensive applications. The benefits of data locality and capability to perform native Boolean operations is exploited for significant performance advantage in multiple contexts ranging across neuromorphic computing, associative memory-based computing, arithmetic benchmarks and general-purpose programmable logic-in-memory computing. Despite these advances, design automation tools supporting in-memory computing are still in a nascent phase. In this work, we investigate for the first time, the problem of minimizing delay under arbitrary area constraint of ReRAM devices. We formulate the problem of area-constrained delay minimization as an Integer Linear Programming (ILP) formulation and further propose heuristics that offers scalability as well as solution close to optimal performance. Area-constrained mapping technology mappings enables unlocking significantly large design space trade-offs.
DISCO: A Multilingual Database of Distributionally Similar Words

This paper 1 presents DISCO, a tool for retrieving the distributional similarity be- tween two given words, and for retrieving the distributionally most similar words for a given word. Pre-computed word spaces are freely available for a number of languages including English, German, French and Italian, so DISCO can be used off the shelf. The tool is imple- mented in Java, provides a Java API, and can also be called from the command line. The per- formance of DISCO is evaluated by measuring the correlation with WordNet-based semantic similarities and with human relatedness judgements. The evaluations show that DISCO has a higher correlation with semantic similarities derived from WordNet than latent semantic analysis (LSA) and the web-based PMI-IR.