Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Experiences on implementing PARMACS macros to run the SPLASH-2 suite on multiprocessors

In order to evaluate the goodness of parallel systems, it is necessary to know how parallel programs behave. The SPLASH-2 applications provide us with a realistic workload for such systems. So, we have made different implementations of the PARMACS macros used by SPLASH-2 applications, based on several execution and synchronization models, from classical Unix processes to multithreaded systems. Results have been tested in two different multiprocessor systems (Digital and Silicon Graphics). As parallel constructs in the SPLASH-2 applications are limited to those provided by PARMACS, we can easily study the overhead introduced by synchronization and parallelism management.
THE Na 8200 Å DOUBLET AS AN AGE INDICATOR IN LOW-MASS STARS

We investigate the use of the gravity sensitive neutral sodium (Na i) doublet at 8183 Å and 8195 Å (Na 8200 Å doublet) as an age indicator for M dwarfs. We measured the Na doublet equivalent width (EW) in giants, old dwarfs, young dwarfs, and candidate members of the β Pic moving group using medium-resolution spectra. Our Na 8200 Å doublet EW analysis shows that the feature is useful as an approximate age indicator in M-type dwarfs with (V − Ks) ⩾ 5.0, reliably distinguishing stars older and younger than 100 Myr. A simple derivation of the dependence of the Na EW on temperature and gravity supports the observational results. An analysis of the effects of metallicity shows that this youth indicator is best used on samples with similar metallicity. The age estimation technique presented here becomes useful in a mass regime where traditional youth indicators are increasingly less reliable, is applicable to other alkali lines, and will help identify new low-mass members in other young clusters and associations.
Evaluation of PCR, Culture, and Serology for Diagnosis of Chlamydia pneumoniae Respiratory Infections

ABSTRACT We prospectively studied 156 patients with a diagnosis of community-acquired pneumonia requiring admission. Several respiratory specimens were obtained for the detection of Chlamydia pneumoniae by cell culture and PCR. Three serum samples were obtained from each patient. Serological diagnosis of a C. pneumoniae infection was determined by the microimmunofluorescence (MIF) test, the complement fixation (CF) test, and recombinant lipopolysaccharide (LPS) enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA; referred to as the rDNA LPS ELISA). Twenty-three patients (15%) had serological results compatible with acute C. pneumoniae infection; nine (39%) of these subjects were C. pneumoniae PCR positive. Twenty-two patients (14%) had positive PCR results without serological evidence of an acute C. pneumoniae infection. An attempt was made to calculate the sensitivities and specificities of the MIF test, rDNA LPS ELISA, and PCR for the diagnosis of chlamydial community-acquired pneumonia. Several “gold standards” were defined. Generally, the sensitivities of the rDNA LPS ELISA and MIF were comparable, while the sensitivity of the CF test was shown to be very low. Independent of the gold standard used, the best PCR results were obtained with nasopharyngeal specimens. However, the predictive value of a positive C. pneumoniaePCR result for patients with community-acquired pneumonia remains unknown and may be low. Although a widely accepted gold standard is still lacking, the rDNA LPS ELISA may currently be the preferred tool for diagnosing acute respiratory Chlamydia infections in routine clinical practice. However, the MIF test remains the method of choice for determining the prevalence of C. pneumoniaeinfections in a given community.
Eigenfunctions of the Laplacian acting on degree zero bundles over special Riemann surfaces

We find an infinite set of eigenfunctions for the Laplacian with respect to a flat metric with conical singularities and acting on degree zero bundles over special Riemann surfaces of genus greater than one. These special surfaces correspond to Riemann period matrices satisfying a set of equations which lead to a number theoretical problem. It turns out that these surfaces precisely correspond to branched covering of the torus. This reflects in a Jacobian with a particular kind of complex multiplication.
Dynamics of a novel centromeric histone variant CenH3 reveals the evolutionary ancestral timing of centromere biogenesis

The centromeric histone H3 variant (CenH3) serves to target the kinetochore to the centromeres and thus ensures correct chromosome segregation during mitosis and meiosis. The Dictyostelium H3-like variant H3v1 was identified as the CenH3 ortholog. Dictyostelium CenH3 has an extended N-terminal domain with no similarity to any other known proteins and a histone fold domain at its C-terminus. Within the histone fold, α-helix 2 (α2) and an extended loop 1 (L1) have been shown to be required for targeting CenH3 to centromeres. Compared to other known and putative CenH3 histones, Dictyostelium CenH3 has a shorter L1, suggesting that the extension is not an obligatory feature. Through ChIP analysis and fluorescence microscopy of live and fixed cells, we provide here the first survey of centromere structure in amoebozoa. The six telocentric centromeres were found to mostly consist of all the DIRS-1 elements and to associate with H3K9me3. During interphase, the centromeres remain attached to the centrosome forming a single CenH3-containing cluster. Loading of Dictyostelium CenH3 onto centromeres occurs at the G2/prophase transition, in contrast to the anaphase/telophase loading of CenH3 observed in metazoans. This suggests that loading during G2/prophase is the ancestral eukaryotic mechanism and that anaphase/telophase loading of CenH3 has evolved more recently after the amoebozoa diverged from the animal linage.
In vivo quantification of a homogeneous brain deformation model for updating preoperative images during surgery

Clinicians using image-guidance for neurosurgical procedures have recently recognized that intraoperative deformation from surgical loading can compromise the accuracy of patient registration in the operating room. While whole brain intraoperative imaging is conceptually appealing it presents significant practical limitations. Alternatively, a promising approach may be to combine incomplete intraoperatively acquired data with a computational model of brain deformation to update high resolution preoperative images during surgery. The success of such an approach is critically dependent on identifying a valid model of brain deformation physics. Towards this end, the authors evaluate a three-dimensional finite element consolidation theory model for predicting brain deformation in vivo through a series of controlled repeat-experiments. This database is used to construct an interstitial pressure boundary condition calibration curve which is prospectively tested in a fourth validation experiment. The computational model is found to recover 75%-85% of brain motion occurring under loads comparable to clinical conditions. Additionally, the updating of preoperative images using the model calculations is presented and demonstrates that model-updated image-guided neurosurgery may be a viable option for addressing registration errors related to intraoperative tissue motion.
Minimal-mass blowup solutions of the mass-critical NLS

Abstract We consider the minimal mass m 0 required for solutions to the mass-critical nonlinear Schrödinger (NLS) equation iut + Δu = μ|u|4/d u to blow up. If m 0 is finite, we show that there exists a minimal-mass solution blowing up (in the sense of an infinite spacetime norm) in both time directions, whose orbit in is compact after quotienting out by the symmetries of the equation. A similar result is obtained for spherically symmetric solutions. Similar results were previously obtained by Keraani, [Keraani S. : On the blow-up phenomenon of the critical nonlinear Schrödinger equation. J. Funct. Anal. 235 (2006), 171–192], in dimensions 1, 2 and Begout and Vargas, [Begout P., Vargas A. : Mass concentration phenomena for the L 2-critical nonlinear Schrödinger equation, preprint], in dimensions d ≥ 3 for the mass-critical NLS and by Kenig and Merle, [Kenig C. , Merle F. : Global well-posedness, scattering, and blowup for the energy-critical, focusing, non-linear Schrödinger equation in the radial case, preprint], in the energy-critical case. In a subsequent paper we shall use this compactness result to establish global existence and scattering in for the defocusing NLS in three and higher dimensions with spherically symmetric data.
Optimizing query evaluation in n-gram indexing

In n-gram indexing widely used in Asian languages, because a long query word is divided into more than one n-gram, proximity constraints among ngrams need to be checked. And this checking degrades the retrieval speed. This paper proposes two optimizations of query evaluation: one selects a combination of n-grams whose processing cost is the minimum among all the possible combinations, and the other uses additional n-grams in finding potential documents whose proximity constraints need to be checked.
Generic Transformation of a CCA2-Secure Public-Key Encryption Scheme to an eCK-Secure Key Exchange Protocol in the Standard Model

LaMacchia, Lauter and Mityagin presented a strong security model for authenticated key agreement, namely the eCK model. They also constructed a protocol, namely the NAXOS protocol, that enjoys a simple security proof in the eCK model. However, the NAXOS protocol uses a random-oracle-based technique to combine the long-term secret key and the per-session-randomness; so-called NAXOStrick, in order to achieve the eCK security definition. For NAXOS-trick-based protocols, the leakage of per-session-randomness modelled in the eCK model is somewhat unnatural, because the eCK model leaks per-session-randomness, while the output of the NAXOS-trick computation remains safe. In this work, we present a standard model eCK-secure protocol construction, eliminating the NAXOS-trick. Moreover, our protocol is a generic constructions, which can be instantiated with arbitrary suitable cryptographic primitives. Thus, we present a generic eCK-secure, NAXOS-free, standard model key exchange protocol. To the best of our knowledge this is the first paper on generic transformation of a CCA2-secure public key encryption scheme to an eCK-secure key exchange protocol in the standard model.
Chirp Signal Generation Using Spectral Warping

Spectral warping is a technique that transforms a digital signal in the time domain by a warping of the frequency axis in its frequency representation. This corresponds to a mapping of the samples in the z-domain such that they are unevenly spaced around the unit circle. Spectral warping can be implemented with a network of linear all-pass filters. The Spectral Warping has a property that a time-shifted impulse function is transformed into a chirp function. This has useful applications in the electronic testing of mixed-signal (analog-digital) circuits. The properties of the spectral warping network, generation of the chirp signals, and their applications are discussed in the paper.
Half mode substrate integrated waveguide(HMSIW) bandpass filter using Cross-Coupling

A half mode substrate integrated waveguide(HMSIW) bandpass filter (BPF) using Cross-Coupling is presented in this paper. Compared with SIW filter, it has smaller size and lower cost owing to the half TE10 model. The cross-coupled structure is introduced to exhibit a single transmission zero near the upper passband at finite frequencies and high selectivity is obtained. Simulation is performed to validate the design of the proposed filter.
A Novel Nonuniform Division Strategy for Wearing Eyeglasses Face Recognition

In this paper, we propose a novel nonuniform division strategy for wearing-glasses face recognition based on Gabor filters and Local Binary Patterns (LBP) operator. The proposed method, which looks forward to weaking the effect of eyeglasses variation, divides a facial image into nonuniform regions, followed by using Gabor filters and LBP. Our experimental results on FERET and Yale database reveal that the proposed approach is validity and has better recognition performance than that obtained by using other traditional methods.
Reputation vs . Signaling in a Security Issuance Game

This paper considers a repeated security issuance game with reputation concerns. Each period, an issuer can choose to securitize an asset and publicly report its quality. However, potential investors cannot directly observe the quality of the asset and a lemons problem ensues. The issuer can credibly signal the asset’s quality by retaining a portion of the asset. Incomplete information about issuer type induces reputation concerns which provide credibility to the issuer’s report of asset quality. A mixed strategy equilibrium obtains with the following 3 properties: (i) the issuer misreports asset quality at least part of the time, (ii) perceived asset quality is a U-shaped function of the issuer’s reputation, and (iii) the issuer retains less of the asset when she has a higher reputation. I also document empirical evidence that subordination levels for commercial mortgage backed securities (CMBS) depend on issuer reputation in a manner consistent with the model.
Addressing omitted prior achievement bias in international assessments: an applied example using PIRLS-NPD matched data

Abstract Omitted prior achievement bias is pervasive in international assessment studies and precludes causal inference. For example, reported negative associations between student-oriented teaching strategies and student performance are against expectations and might actually reflect omitted prior achievement bias. Namely, that these teaching strategies are negatively correlated with unobserved prior achievement performance, because teachers offer more support to lower performing students, and not that these strategies cause lower performance. This paper examines omitted prior achievement bias in teaching effects with prior achievement data available for students in England participating in the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study. Further, it proposes an analytical approach to account for omitted prior achievement bias in international estimates. The paper argues that the bias is not simply a technical artefact, but reflects educational mechanisms unobserved in international assessment studies, which can be captured with matched assessment data-sets or with evidence from previous studies. Estimates of these mechanisms can be used to postulate scenarios of the bias across education systems and thereby adjust international estimates of teaching effects as if prior achievement were observed. Potentials and limitations of this approach for studying educational effectiveness with international assessment data are discussed.
Multicriteria approaches for predictive model generation: A comparative experimental study

This study investigates the evaluation of machine learning models based on multiple criteria. The criteria included are: predictive model accuracy, model complexity, and algorithmic complexity (related to the learning/adaptation algorithm and prediction delivery) captured by monitoring the execution time. Furthermore, it compares the models generated from optimising the criteria using two approaches. The first approach is a scalarized multi objective optimisation, where the models are generated from optimising a single cost function that combines the criteria. On the other hand the second approach uses a Pareto-based multi objective optimisation to trade-off the three criteria and to generate a set of non-dominated models. This study shows that defining universal measures for the three criteria is not always feasible. Furthermore, it was shown that, the models generated from Pareto-based multi objective optimisation approach can be more accurate and more diverse than the models generated from scalarized multi objective optimisation approach.
Optimal Reciprocal Collision Avoidance with mobile and static obstacles for multi-UAV systems

This paper presents a collision avoidance algorithm for multiple aerial vehicle systems to be applied in real-time. The proposed algorithm is based on the 3D-Optimal Reciprocal Collision Avoidance (ORCA) algorithm. Several improvements have been implemented such as considering dynamic constraints of the UAV model and static obstacles, so it can be used in realistic environments. The algorithm has been integrated in ROS framework and tested with up to eight Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). Several simulations in a realistic environment have been performed, including long endurance cooperative missions. A comparison with the ORCA algorithm is presented to analyze the improvements done.
Molecular Analysis of the Genes Involved in Aroma Synthesis in the Species S. cerevisiae, S. kudriavzevii and S. bayanus var. uvarum in Winemaking Conditions

The Saccharomyces genus is the main yeast involved in wine fermentations to play a crucial role in the production and release of aromatic compounds. Despite the several studies done into the genome-wide expression analysis using DNA microarray technology in wine S. cerevisiae strains, this is the first to investigate other species of the Saccharomyces genus. This research work investigates the expression of the genes involved in flavor compound production in three different Saccharomyces species (S. cerevisiae, S. bayanus var. uvarum and S. kudriavzevii) under low (12°C) and moderate fermentation temperatures (28°C). The global genes analysis showed that 30% of genes appeared to be differently expressed in the three cryophilic strains if compared to the reference strain (mesophilic S. cerevisiae), suggesting a very close cold adaptation response. Remarkable differences in the gene expression level were observed when comparing the three species, S. cerevisiae, S. bayanus var. uvarum and S. kudriavzevii, which will result in different aroma profiles. Knowledge of these differences in the transcriptome can be a tool to help modulate aroma to create wines with the desired aromatic traits.
Developmental Trajectories of Alcohol Use and Alcohol Use Disorder

DEVELOPMENTAL TRAJECTORIES OF ALCOHOL USE AND ALCOHOL USE DISORDER By Elizabeth C. Long, B.S., M.S. A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Philosophy at Virginia Commonwealth University. Virginia Commonwealth University, 2017. Major Director: Nathan Gillespie, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry Alcohol use (AU) and alcohol use disorder (AUD) are leading causes of morbidity, premature death, and economic burden. They are also associated with high levels of disability and many other negative outcomes. Twin and family studies have consistently shown that AU and AUD are complex traits influenced by both genetic and environmental factors. Although much has been learned about the genetic and environmental etiology of AU and AUD, significant gaps remain. These include the need for a more comprehensive understanding of the roles of risk and protective factors, and the nature of developmental trajectories underpinning the progression from AU to AUD. The aims of this dissertation are: (1) to examine the roles of resilience and personality disorders in the etiology of AU and AUD; (2) to investigate the nature of longitudinal
08 2 v 1 1 7 D ec 2 00 0 Semiclassical Casimir Energies at Finite Temperature

We study the dependence on the temperature T of Casimir effects for a range of systems, and, in particular, for a pair of ideal parallel conductors, l1 by l2, separated by a vacuum, a distance l3 apart, with l1 ≫ l3 and l2 ≫ l3. We study the Helmholtz free energy A T , combining Matsubara’s formalism, in which the temperature T appears as a periodic Euclidean fourth dimension of circumference lT = h̄c/kBT with the semiclassical periodic orbital approximation of Gutzwiller. The latter was shown to be exact for parallel plates at T = 0. By inspecting the known results for the Casimir energy at T = 0 in two cases of a rectangular parallelepiped, (l1 ≫ l3 and l2 ≫ l3, and l1 ≫ l2 and l1 ≫ l3), one is led to guess at the expression for A of two ideal parallel conductors, without performing any calculation. The result is a new form for A , namely, A = −(2h̄cl1l2l3/π ) ∑ ∞
Gaussian Noise Time-Varying Power Spectrum Estimation With Minimal Statistics

Given the spectrogram of an unknown signal embedded in a Gaussian noise, the Minimal Statistics Maximum Likelihood (MiniSMaL) estimator of the noise time-varying power spectrum is presented, and a method to tune one of its parameter is studied. The objective of the minimal statistics approach is to separate the signal of interest from the noise in order to estimate properly the probabilistic properties of the latter. Considering an initial time-frequency estimation neighborhood, the strategy relies on the selection of a minimal subset containing the time-frequency coefficients with the smallest values. Estimators of the noise are then sought from this minimal subset. In this work, the case of a spectrogram constructed from a finite-length discrete-time noisy signal is presented. This study extends previous works on minimal statistics on two aspects: first, the maximum likelihood estimate of the noise is formulated according to a clear analysis of the probability distribution of the time-frequency coefficients. Second, the choice of an optimal minimal subset is investigated. The signal versus noise discrimination property of the spectral kurtosis is used to select a minimal subset which ensures a fair trade-off between the bias and the variance of the estimator. The resulting performances are discussed and compared with those of other methods through numerical simulations on synthetic signals. The use of the MiniSMaL estimator in a time-frequency detection procedure is finally illustrated on a real-world signal.
Reactions to the Extra-organizational Deviance of Coworkers: Implications for Individuals in the Workplace

REACTIONS TO THE EXTRA-ORGANIZATIONAL DEVIANCE OF COWORKERS: IMPLICATIONS FOR INDIVIDUALS IN THE WORKPLACE Doctor of Philosophy, 2009 Katharine (Kate) Rowbotham Joseph L. Rotman School of Management University of Toronto Drawing on the labelling process in reactions to deviance, a model of the interplay of a coworker’s extra-organizational deviance and an individual’s reactions to that coworker has been developed. Three studies were conducted to further explore the model in order to more fully understand the phenomenon of extra-organizational deviance. The first study (n=12) was exploratory in nature. It established the relevance of extra-organizational deviance in individuals’ work lives and highlighted the detrimental effect that behaviours outside of work could have at work. It also highlighted the potential for beneficial outcomes in situations of positive extra-organizational deviance. The second study (n=120) was a vignette study that demonstrated significant differences when looking at positive and negative extra-organizational deviance for both attitudinal and behavioural reactions. In this study, when individuals learned of their coworker’s negative extra-organizational deviance, perceptions of trust, trustworthiness, and liking all decreased, as did helping. There were no corresponding significant results when individuals learned of their coworker’s positive extra-organizational deviance. The second study