Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
When Turing Meets Deutsch : A Confrontation between Classical Computing and Quantum Computing

After a blitz evolution of about fifty years, computer science would today seem to be a stable discipline without – some would say – any real new challenges. All solvable problems are solved, some problems turned out to be far more complicated than expected and NP is still its old obnoxious self. Computer science research consists in some people’s minds of finding new permutations of existing nuggets of knowledge. The main concern of computer science teaching would seem to be instilling undergraduate students with a minimum of historical consciousness so that they do not go around eternally reinventing the wheel. This bleak – and obviously exaggerated – view on the field of computer science does however highlight one particular issue: is the future of computer science a smooth extrapolation of the past or is there some revolutionary new technology waiting around the corner to turn everything upside down? An adventurous streak – present in every human being – makes us root for the second option; and if we had to place bets there seems to be only one choice: the quantum. The past ten years have seen quantum computation evolve from science fiction into something tangible: theory is being confirmed by experiment and extremely modest trials are actually conclusive. These limitations – far from dampening our fantasy – inspire us to imagine full-fledged quantum computers – and of course the software and associated programming paradigms for these machines. Which brings us to the theme of this paper: if quantum computation is to be taken seriously, shouldn’t we start thinking about bringing theoretical physics and computer science much closer together than they are today? What about the obsession with formalism of the former and the complacency of the latter? We would like to propose a gedanken experiment: confronting a theoretical physicist and a computer scientist, and exposing them to the qubit through queries from an historically conscious veteran. The following two sections an introduction to quantum computing and a close inspection of a quantum search algorithm try to accomplish two goals. First of all there is the obvious goal of introducing the state of the art in quantum computing. Additionally, we try to communicate some results of our experiment which mostly involved knowledge transfer from the physicist to the computer scientist and vice versa. In this process we identified correspondences between the two disciplines as well as concepts that are hard to grasp and explain. These insights are used in the next two sections to cut some corners and provide a tailored briefing on quantum computing for computer scientists. In the last section we express some conclusions about our experiment.
Formation control of mobile agent groups based on localization

In this paper, we study localization based formation control of mobile agent groups by using relative and partial measurements. Though formation control and localization are linked to each other, they have separately been addressed in the literature. As a novel approach, we propose a formation control strategy based on localization information for single- and double-integrator modeled agent groups. Subsequently, we show that the formation of a single-integrator modeled agent group globally exponentially converges to the desired formation with the estimated formation globally exponentially converging to the actual formation up to translation if and only if the interaction graph of the group contains a spanning tree. Furthermore, we provide a necessary and sufficient condition for the global exponential convergence of the formation of a double-integrator modeled agent group to the desired formation. Simulation results validate the effectiveness of the proposed strategy.
The use of a new computer-based intervention to aid facial emotion recognition in children with high functioning autism

Children with Autistic Spectrum Conditions (ASC) experience difficulties in critical areas of social communication and facial emotion recognition (FER) deficits are argued to underlie these social impairments. Currently available interventions to teach FER to ASC children see gains that are often limited to improved recognition of emotions from taught stimuli only (faces used in the interventions). These interventions fail to resolve the problem of enabling distant generalisation (the transference of acquired skills to real life situations) in ASC. This thesis enabled the design and evaluation of an innovative serious game, Emotiquest, to improve the basic FER abilities of young ASC children. Emotiquest uniquely capitalises on three known preferences and strengths of people with ASCs (i.e., the synthetic (cartoon) face advantage, hyper-discrimination ability and hyper-systemising cognitive style) in order to remove a potential barrier to learning (training solely with human faces) and apply a potential facilitator to learning by incorporating discrimination and categorisation training strategies. The pre-post intervention evaluation study investigated the effect of using Emotiquest for 12 weeks by comparing the FER scores of ASC children who played the game with ASC children who did not. Results demonstrated improved FER for children who played the game compared to the ASC control group. Furthermore, generalisation of acquired FER skills to faces not included in the game was evident. Results suggest that the combination of discrimination training strategies and a tri-stimulus approach (training with synthetic and human faces) via a serious game, collectively improves FER in ASC children. The study’s limitations are discussed along with suggestions for future work.
Identification of MEF2B and TRHDE Gene Polymorphisms Related to Growth Traits in a New Ujumqin Sheep Population

2 SNPs were discovered in our previous genome-wide association study (GWAS): s58995.1 (rs420767326 A>G) in MEF2B gene and OAR3_115712045. 1 (rs401775061 A>C) in TRHDE gene, which were significantly associated with post-weaning gain in sheep. Herein, we performed a replication experiment to investigate single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within the MEF2B and TRHDE gene exons, the 5′untranslated regions (within 1000bp), the 3′ untranslated regions (within 1000bp) and their associations with Ujumqin sheep growth traits in 4-month age and 6-month age, respectively. Finally,3 SNPs were selected to be investigated including 1 SNP in 3′untranslated regions in MEF2B gene (rs417014745 A>G) and 2 SNPs in TRHDE gene (rs426980328 T>C and rs430810656 G>A). The χ2 test showed all the 3 variations were in Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium (P>0.05) status. Association analysis suggested that rs426980328 T>C was significantly associated with body weight and chest girth in 4-month age (P<0.05). rs430810656 G>A exhibited extremely significant association with body weight and chest girth in 4-month age (P<0.01). rs417014745 A>G was extremely significantly associated with body weight and chest girth in 4-month age and chest girth in 6-month age (P<0.01), and it was also significantly associated with body weight in 6-month age (P<0.05). Combined effect analysis indicated significant associations between the combinations of rs426980328-rs417014745, rs430810656-rs417014745 and several growth traits (P<0.05). These results suggested MEF2B and TRHDE genes affected growth traits in Ujumqin sheep and the combination effect of the two genes also played a significant effective role. These SNPs might have potential value as genetic markers for growth traits and it could be used in Ujumqin sheep breeding in future. Further studies are necessary to confirm our findings.
Sensors Deployment Enhancement by a Mobile Robot in Wireless Sensor Networks

An inherent concern for a wireless sensor network(WSN)is the coverage problem. Sensors are usually deployed in the wild to create a network of sensors intended to monitor or control a target area: Sensor networks are assumed unattended in various environments such as disaster areas, hazard fields, or battle fields. However, random node deployment often makes initial sensing holes inside the deployed area inevitable even in an extremely high density network. Furthermore, enhancing coverage is important for sensor networks to provide continuous sensing services. The most challenging aspects of the studies conducted on this topic have been supporting autonomous system with self maintenance capability where sensors and robots work together. This paper proposes to use a mobile robot to assist the initial sensors deployment and to improve sensing coverage and connectivity of monitored area. Given a set of points of interest on the surface, we study how to guide the robot to effectively eliminate coverage holes and collect redundant sensors. We propose a set of heuristics for this problem and we will verify the performance through simulation. The superior coverage and connectivity efficiency of the proposed approach is demonstrated by conducting a comparative analysis and simulation with a greedy approach.
The Neuroscience of Intelligence

This new edition provides an accessible guide to advances in neuroscience research and what they reveal about intelligence. Compelling evidence shows that genetics plays a major role as intelligence develops from childhood, and that intelligence test scores correspond strongly to specific features of the brain assessed with neuroimaging. In detailed yet understandable language, Richard J. Haier explains cutting-edge techniques based on DNA and imaging of brain connectivity and function. He dispels common misconceptions – such as the belief that IQ tests are biased or meaningless. Readers will learn about the real possibility of dramatically enhancing intelligence and the positive implications this could have for education and social policy. The text also explores potential controversies surrounding neuro-poverty, neuro-socioeconomic status, and the morality of enhancing intelligence for everyone.
A Node Design and a Framework for Development and Experimentation for an Information-Centric Network

SUMMARY Information-centric networking has been touted as an alternative to the current Internet architecture. Our work addresses a crucial part of such a proposal, namely the design of a network node within an information-centric networking architecture. Special attention is given in providing a platform for development and experimentation in an emerging network research area; an area that questions many starting points of the current Internet. In this paper, we describe the service model exposed to applications and provide background on the operation of the platform. For illustration, we present current efforts in deployment and experimentation with demo applications presented, too.
Intrathoracic airway trees: segmentation and airway morphology analysis from low-dose CT scans

The segmentation of the human airway tree from volumetric computed tomography (CT) images builds an important step for many clinical applications and for physiological studies. Previously proposed algorithms suffer from one or several problems: leaking into the surrounding lung parenchyma, the need for the user to manually adjust parameters, excessive runtime. Low-dose CT scans are increasingly utilized in lung screening studies, but segmenting them with traditional airway segmentation algorithms often yields less than satisfying results. In this paper, a new airway segmentation method based on fuzzy connectivity is presented. Small adaptive regions of interest are used that follow the airway branches as they are segmented. This has several advantages. It makes it possible to detect leaks early and avoid them, the segmentation algorithm can automatically adapt to changing image parameters, and the computing time is kept within moderate values. The new method is robust in the sense that it works on various types of scans (low-dose and regular dose, normal subjects and diseased subjects) without the need for the user to manually adjust any parameters. Comparison with a commonly used region-grow segmentation algorithm shows that the newly proposed method retrieves a significantly higher count of airway branches. A method that conducts accurate cross-sectional airway measurements on airways is presented as an additional processing step. Measurements are conducted in the original gray-level volume. Validation on a phantom shows that subvoxel accuracy is achieved for all airway sizes and airway orientations.
Emotion-focused couples therapy

ABSTRACTEmotion-focused therapy for couples (EFT-C) is an empirically validated approach that views affect as the central force organizing couple’s interactions. Specifically, affect works through three primary systems of motivation: attachment, identity/validation and attraction/liking. This article outlines the theoretical framework of EFT-C, its intervention strategies and includes a review of research studies that support the efficacy of the approach, as well as the research that has focused on the process of change in EFT-C.
Gas-Phase Ambient Air Contaminants Exhibit Significant Dioxin-like and Estrogen-like Activity in Vitro

Several adverse health effects, such as respiratory and cardiovascular morbidity, have been linked to exposure to particulate matter in ambient air; however, the biologic activity of gas-phase ambient organic air contaminants has not been examined as thoroughly. Using aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR)–based and estrogen receptor (ER)–based cell bioassay systems, we assessed the dioxin-like and estrogenic activities of gas-phase organic ambient air contaminants compared with those of particulate-phase contaminants using samples collected between seasons over 2 years from an urban and a rural location in the Greater Toronto Area, Canada. The concentration of the sum (∑) of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which was highest in the gas phase, was 10–100 times more abundant than that of ∑polychlorinated biphenyls, ∑nitro-polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and ∑organochlorine pesticides, and 103 to 104 times more abundant than ∑polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins/dibenzofurans. Gas-phase samples induced significant AHR- and ER-dependent gene expression. The activity of the gas-phase samples was greater than that of the particulate-phase samples in the estrogen assay and, in one case, in the AHR assay. We found no strong associations between either summer or winter seasons or urban or rural locations in the relative efficacy of the extracts in either the ER or AHR assay despite differences in chemical composition, concentrations, and abundance. Our results suggest that mechanistic studies of the health effects of ambient air must consider gas and particulate phases because chemicals present in both phases can affect AHR and ER signaling pathways.
Algorithmic characterization of signed graphs whose two path signed graphs and square graphs are isomorphic

A signed graph (or sigraph, in short) is an ordered pair S = (S<sup>u</sup>,σ), where S<sup>u</sup> is a graph G = (V,E), called the underlying graph of S and σ : E→ {+,-}is a function from the edge set E of S<sup>u</sup> into the set {+,-}, called the signature of S. A sigraph is also denoted as S = (V;E,σ). A two path sigraph (S)2 = (V,E',σ') of a sigraph S = (V,E,σ) is formed by taking a copy of the vertex set V(S) of S, and joining two vertices in copy by a single edge e' = uv whenever there is a u-v path of length two in S and then by defining its sign σ'(e') = - whenever in all the u-v path of length two the edges are negative, positive otherwise. A square sigraph S2 = (V,E',σ) of a sigraph S = (V,E,σ) is defined as a sigraph with V(S<sup>2</sup>) = V(S) with uv adjacent in S<sup>2</sup> whenever there exist a path of length two or less in S. And σ'(uv) = σ(uv) if there does not exist a uv path of length two σ'(uv) = - if all the uv paths of length two are negative σ(uv) = + otherwise.
Region-specific changes in the immunoreactivity of Atg9A in the central nervous system of SOD1(G93A) transgenic mice

Autophagy is a eukaryotic self-degradation system that plays a pivotal role in the maintenance of cellular homeostasis. Atg9 is the only transmembrane Atg protein required for autophagosome formation. Although the subcellular localization of the Atg9A has been examined, little is known about its precise cell and tissue distribution. In the present study, we used G93A mutation in superoxide dismutase 1 [SOD1(G93A)] mutant transgenic mice as an in vivo model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and performed immunohistochemical studies to investigate the changes of Atg9A immunoreactivity in the central nervous system of these mice. Atg9A-immunoreactivity was detected in the spinal cord, cerebral cortex, hippocampal formation, thalamus and cerebellum of symptomatic SOD1(G93A) transgenic mice. By contrast, no Atg9A-immunoreactivity were observed in any brain and spinal cord region of wtSOD1, pre-symptomatic and early symptomatic mice, and the number and staining intensity of Atg9A-positive cells did not differ in SOD1(G93A) mice between 8 and 13 weeks of age. These results provide evidence that Atg9A-immunoreactivity were found in the central nervous system of SOD1(G93A) transgenic mice after clinical symptoms, suggesting a possible role in the pathologic process of ALS. However, the mechanisms underlying the increased immunoreactivity for Atg9A and the functional implications require elucidation.
Multiscale geometric analysis based image quality assessment

In reduced-reference (RR) image quality assessment (IQA), the visual quality of distorted images is evaluated with only partial information extracted from original images. In the proposed framework, MGA (multiscale geometric analysis) is utilized to decompose images and then extract features to mimic the multi-channel structure of HVS based on hybrid wavelets and directional filter banks (HWD) transform. Different transforms capture different types of image geometric information. CSF is applied to weight coefficients obtained by MGA to simulate the appearance of images to observers by taking into account many of the nonlinearities inherent in HVS. JND is finally introduced to produce a noticeable variation in sensory experience. Experimental results illustrate that even with low data rate; the proposed framework has still good consistency with the subjective perception.
Performance and Robustness of Cellular Automata Computation on Irregular Networks

We investigate the performances of collective task-solving capabilities and the robustness of complex networks of automata using the density and synchronization problems as typical cases. We show by computer simulations that evolved Watts–Strogatz small-world networks have superior performance with respect to several kinds of scale-free graphs. In addition, we show that Watts–Strogatz networks are as robust in the face of random perturbations, both transient and permanent, as configuration scale-free networks, while being widely superior to Barabasi–Albert networks. This result differs from information diffusion on scale-free networks, where random faults are highly tolerated by similar topologies.
Visual Spatial Attention Has Opposite Effects on Bidirectional Plasticity in the Human Motor Cortex

Long-term potentiation (LTP) and long-term depression (LTD) are key mechanisms of synaptic plasticity that are thought to act in concert to shape neural connections. Here we investigated the influence of visual spatial attention on LTP-like and LTD-like plasticity in the human motor cortex. Plasticity was induced using paired associative stimulation (PAS), which involves repeated pairing of peripheral nerve stimulation and transcranial magnetic stimulation to alter functional responses in the thumb area of the primary motor cortex. PAS-induced changes in cortical excitability were assessed using motor-evoked potentials. During plasticity induction, participants directed their attention to one of two visual stimulus streams located adjacent to each hand. When participants attended to visual stimuli located near the left thumb, which was targeted by PAS, LTP-like increases in excitability were significantly enhanced, and LTD-like decreases in excitability reduced, relative to when they attended instead to stimuli located near the right thumb. These differential effects on (bidirectional) LTP-like and LTD-like plasticity suggest that voluntary visual attention can exert an important influence on the functional organization of the motor cortex. Specifically, attention acts to both enhance the strengthening and suppress the weakening of neural connections representing events that fall within the focus of attention.
Does End-of-Life Planning Help Partners Become Better Surrogates?

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY This study investigates the role of surrogates' involvement in their partners' end-of-life care planning, focusing on the relationship between the extent and type of end-of-life planning in which surrogates have been involved and the accuracy of their substituted judgments. DESIGN AND METHODS The data come from an internet survey collected by Knowledge Networks and the National Center for Family and Marriage Research. The national sample is comprised of 1,075 opposite-sex American couples aged 18-64. A series of multilevel negative binomial regression analyses were conducted. RESULTS Surrogates' involvement in multiple types of planning helped them to make accurate substituted judgments, whereas surrogates' involvement in informal discussions helped them to make accurate estimations primarily when they wanted limited care for themselves. IMPLICATIONS This study highlights the importance of engaging in both advance directives and informal discussion. The findings also suggest that surrogates who want extensive care for themselves may need extra attention when practitioners assist them in making a substituted judgment.
Discovering User Access Pattern Based on Probabilistic Latent Factor Model

There has been an increased demand for characterizing user access patterns using web mining techniques since the informative knowledge extracted from web server log files can not only offer benefits for web site structure improvement but also for better understanding of user navigational behavior. In this paper, we present a web usage mining method, which utilize web user usage and page linkage information to capture user access pattern based on Probabilistic Latent Semantic Analysis (PLSA) model. A specific probabilistic model analysis algorithm, EM algorithm, is applied to the integrated usage data to infer the latent semantic factors as well as generate user session clusters for revealing user access patterns. Experiments have been conducted on real world data set to validate the effectiveness of the proposed approach. The results have shown that the presented method is capable of characterizing the latent semantic factors and generating user profile in terms of weighted page vectors, which may reflect the common access interest exhibited by users among same session cluster.
International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity Walking Behaviours from the 1965–2003 American Heritage Time Use Study (ahtus)

Background: The American Heritage Time Use Study (AHTUS) represents a harmonised historical data file of time use by adults, amalgamating surveys The objectives of time-use studies have ranged from evaluating household and other unpaid production of goods and services, to monitoring of media use, to comparing lifestyles of more and less privileged social groups, or to tracking broad shifts in social behaviour. The purpose of this paper is to describe the process and utility of identifying and compiling data from the AHTUS to describe a range of walking behaviours collected using time-use survey methods over almost 40 years in the USA.