Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Spectrum of large random reversible Markov chains: Heavy-tailed weights on the complete graph

We consider the random reversible Markov kernel K obtained by assigning i.i. d. non negative weights to the edges of the complete graph over n vertices, and normalizing by the corresponding row sum. The weights are assumed to be in the domain of attraction of an alpha-stable law, with alpha in (0,2). When 1<= \alpha <2, we show that for a suitable regularly varying sequence kappa_n of index 1-1/alpha, the limiting spectral distribution mu_alpha of kappa_n K coincides with the one of the random symmetric matrix of the un-normalized weights (Levy matrix with i.i.d. entries). In contrast, when 0< alpha <1, we show that the empirical spectral distribution of K converges without rescaling to a non trivial law wmu_alpha supported on [-1,1], whose moments are the return probabilities of the random walk on the Poisson weighted infinite tree (PWIT) introduced by Aldous. The limiting spectral distributions are given by the expected value of the random spectral measure at the root of suitable self-adjoint operators defined on the PWIT. This characterization is used together with recursive relations on the tree to derive some properties of mu_alpha and wmu_alpha. We also study the limiting behavior of the invariant probability measure of K.
Focused ion beam patterning to dielectrophoretically assemble single nanowire based devices

Direct-write processing is increasingly taking place in nanodevice fabrication. In this work, Focused Ion Beam (FIB), a powerful tool in maskless micromachining, is used for electrode patterning onto a silicon/silicon nitride substrate. Then a single palladium nanowire is assembled between electrodes by means of dielectrophoresis (DEP). The nanowire morphology depends on the electrode pattern when DEP conditions are fixed. FIB/DEP combination overcomes the problem of nanowire electrical contamination due to gallium ion bombardment and the as-grown nanowire retains its basic electrical properties. Single nanowire based devices have been fabricated with this novel approach and have been tested as hydrogen sensors, confirming the reliability of this technology.
Performance upper bound analysis and optimization of SGEMM on Fermi and Kepler GPUs

In this paper, we present an approach to estimate GPU applications' performance upper bound based on algorithm analysis and assembly code level benchmarking. As an example, we analyze the potential peak performance of SGEMM (Single-precision General Matrix Multiply) on Fermi (GF110) and Kepler (GK104) GPUs. We try to answer the question of how much optimization space is left for SGEMM and why. According to our analysis, the nature of Fermi (Kepler) instruction set and the limited issue throughput of the schedulers are the main limitation factors for SGEMM to approach the theoretical peak performance. The estimated upper-bound peak performance of SGEMM is around 82.5% of the theoretical peak performance on GTX580 Fermi GPU and 57.6% on GTX680 Kepler GPU. Guided by this analysis and using the native assembly language, on average, our SGEMM implementations achieve about 5% better performance than CUBLAS in CUDA 4.1 SDK for large matrices on GTX580. The achieved performance is around 90% of the estimated upper-bound performance of SGEMM on GTX580. On GTX680, the best performance we achieve is around 77.3% of the estimated performance upper bound. We also describe how to use native assembly language directly in the CUDA runtime source code.
SIGNAL-TO-INTERFERENCE-BASED POWER CONTROL FOR WIRELESS NETWORKS : A SURVEY , 1992 – 2005 1

This paper summarizes and explains the main results on signal-to-interference (SIR) based power control algorithms, which are used to increase network capacity, extend battery life, and improve quality of service in cellular wireless radio systems. The classic works of Aein, Meyerhoff, and Nettleton and Alavi attracted considerable attention in the nineties. The modern approach to the power balancing control problem in wireless networks, formulated by Zander in 1992, matured in the papers of Foschini and Yates and their coworkers in the latter part of the nineties. However, the field is still wide open for research as is indicated by the increasing number of papers published in the area each year. The most recent approaches to solving the mobile power distribution problem in wireless networks use Kalman filters, dynamic estimators, and noncooperative Nash game theory.
The Union Membership Wage-Premium Puzzle: Is There a Free Rider Problem?

Economists have long suggested that labor unions suffer a free rider problem. The argument is that, since union-set wages are available to all workers covered by unions irrespective of their union status, and union membership entails costs, workers will only join if they are coerced or are offered non-wage goods that they value above membership costs. Yet U.S. and British empirical research has found a substantial union membership wage premium among private-sector union-covered workers, implying that there is no free rider problem. The authors of this study hypothesize that these findings arise due to selectivity problems associated with identifying the union membership effect. Their analysis, which uses rich data from a new linked employer-employee survey for Britain and exploits the within-establishment variation in wages as a function of individual union membership status, demonstrates that the apparent wage premium for members is illusory. Hence, a potential free rider problem remains.
Using the false discovery rate approach in the genetic dissection of complex traits: a response to Weller et al.

WELLER et al. ([1998][1]) proposed controlling the “false discovery rate” (FDR) or the expected proportion of false rejections within the class of rejected null hypotheses when performing preliminary genome scans, adopting the method of Benjamini and Hochberg ([1995][2]; hereafter BH). The BH
Geographic Information Retrieval Involving Temporal Components

for information on the web involving both geographic ("where") and temporal ("when") components comprise a non- trivial percentage of overall searches. In this paper, we describe an approach to identifying specific documents within a collection that satisfy a set of geo-temporal queries. To test our approach, we submitted five runs to NTCIR-8 GeoTime, using the Indri search engine, on a three-year collection of English-language newspaper articles. Our five submitted runs achieved nDCG scores ranging from 0.5758 to 0.6233 and MAP ranging from 0.3517 to 0.3951 across twenty-five separate geo-temporal queries.
Maximal frequent itemset generation using segmentation approach

Finding frequent itemsets in a data source is a fundamental operation behind Association Rule Mining. Generally, many algorithms use either the bottom-up or top-down approaches for finding these frequent itemsets. When the length of frequent itemsets to be found is large, the traditional algorithms find all the frequent itemsets from 1-length to n-length, which is a difficult process. This problem can be solved by mining only the Maximal Frequent Itemsets (MFS). Maximal Frequent Itemsets are frequent itemsets which have no proper frequent superset. Thus, the generation of only maximal frequent itemsets reduces the number of itemsets and also time needed for the generation of all frequent itemsets as each maximal itemset of length m implies the presence of 2 m -2 frequent itemsets. Furthermore, mining only maximal frequent itemset is sufficient in many data mining applications like minimal key discovery and theory extraction. In this paper, we suggest a novel method for finding the maximal frequent itemset from huge data sources using the concept of segmentation of data source and prioritization of segments. Empirical evaluation shows that this method outperforms various other known methods.
CD4+ Lymphocyte-Mediated Suppression of Cytomegalovirus Expression in Human Astrocytes

ABSTRACT Cytomegalovirus-stimulated CD4+ lymphocytes from seropositive but not seronegative donors suppressed viral gene expression in primary human astrocytes. This suppressive activity was mediated through soluble factors. These findings suggest that CD4+ lymphocytes play a role in defense of the brain against cytomegalovirus.
Global coordination in adaptation to gene rewiring

Gene rewiring is a common evolutionary phenomenon in nature that may lead to extinction for living organisms. Recent studies on synthetic biology demonstrate that cells can survive genetic rewiring. This survival (adaptation) is often linked to the stochastic expression of rewired genes with random transcriptional changes. However, the probability of adaptation and the underlying common principles are not clear. We performed a systematic survey of an assortment of gene-rewired Escherichia coli strains to address these questions. Three different cell fates, designated good survivors, poor survivors and failures, were observed when the strains starved. Large fluctuations in the expression of the rewired gene were commonly observed with increasing cell size, but these changes were insufficient for adaptation. Cooperative reorganizations in the corresponding operon and genome-wide gene expression largely contributed to the final success. Transcriptome reorganizations that generally showed high-dimensional dynamic changes were restricted within a one-dimensional trajectory for adaptation to gene rewiring, indicating a general path directed toward cellular plasticity for a successful cell fate. This finding of global coordination supports a mechanism of stochastic adaptation and provides novel insights into the design and application of complex genetic or metabolic networks.
Reactive Oxygen Species and Nitric Oxide Mediate Actin Reorganization and Programmed Cell Death in the Self-Incompatibility Response of Papaver1[W][OA]

Pollen-pistil interactions are critical early events regulating pollination and fertilization. Self-incompatibility (SI) is an important mechanism to prevent self-fertilization and inbreeding in higher plants. Although data implicate the involvement of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and nitric oxide (NO) in pollen-pistil interactions and the regulation of pollen tube growth, there has been a lack of studies investigating ROS and NO signaling in pollen tubes in response to defined, physiologically relevant stimuli. We have used live-cell imaging to visualize ROS and NO in growing Papaver rhoeas pollen tubes using chloromethyl-2′7′-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate acetyl ester and 4-amino-5-methylamino-2′,7′-difluorofluorescein diacetate and demonstrate that SI induces relatively rapid and transient increases in ROS and NO, with each showing a distinctive “signature” within incompatible pollen tubes. Investigating how these signals integrate with the SI responses, we show that Ca2+ increases are upstream of ROS and NO. As ROS/NO scavengers alleviated both the formation of SI-induced actin punctate foci and also the activation of a DEVDase/caspase-3-like activity, this demonstrates that ROS and NO act upstream of these key SI markers and suggests that they signal to these SI events. These data represent, to our knowledge, the first steps in understanding ROS/NO signaling triggered by this receptor-ligand interaction in pollen tubes.
Modal spaces: spatial multiplexing to mediate direct-touch input on large displays

We present a new interaction technique for large direct-touch displays called Modal Spaces. Modal interfaces require the user to keep track of the state of the system. The Modal Spaces technique adds screen location as an additional parameter of the interaction. Each modal region on the display supports a particular set of input actions and the visual background indicates the space's use. This "workbench approach" exploits the larger form factor of display. Our spatial multiplexing of the display supports a document-centric paradigm (as opposed to application-centric), enabling input gesture reuse, while complementing and enhancing the current existing practices of modal interfaces. We present a proof-of-concept system and discuss potential applications, design issues, and future research directions.
Interpreting and Using CPDAGs With Background Knowledge

We develop terminology and methods for working with maximally oriented partially directed acyclic graphs (maximal PDAGs). Maximal PDAGs arise from imposing restrictions on a Markov equivalence class of directed acyclic graphs, or equivalently on its graphical representation as a completed partially directed acyclic graph (CPDAG), for example when adding background knowledge about certain edge orientations. Although maximal PDAGs often arise in practice, causal methods have been mostly developed for CPDAGs. In this paper, we extend such methodology to maximal PDAGs. In particular, we develop methodology to read off possible ancestral relationships, we introduce a graphical criterion for covariate adjustment to estimate total causal effects, and we adapt the IDA and joint-IDA frameworks to estimate multi-sets of possible causal effects. We also present a simulation study that illustrates the gain in identifiability of total causal effects as the background knowledge increases. All methods are implemented in the R package pcalg.
ICTCAS's ICTGrasper at TAC 2008: Summarizing Dynamic Information with Signature Terms Based Content Filtering

This paper presents our new, topic-oriented multi-document summarization system used in TAC 2008. To deal with the problem of summarizing changes of the dynamic information with time going, we propose a novel summarization method with signature terms based content filtering. We first present the definition of dynamic summarization according to temporal analysis and then propose the fundamental content filtering models for the identification of dynamic information, followed by a novel signature terms based re-ranking approach. The experimental results on the DUC 2007 update task indicate that significant improvements can be achieved through our proposed approaches as compared to the top performing systems in DUC tasks. We applied our proposed approach on the update summary task in TAC 2008 and achieved very competitive results.
Effectiveness of prevention programmes for obesity and chronic diseases among immigrants to developed countries – a systematic review

Abstract Objective To determine whether interventions tailored specifically to particular immigrant groups from developing to developed countries decrease the risk of obesity and obesity-related diseases. Design Databases searched were MEDLINE (1966–September 2008), CINAHL (1982–September 2008) and PsychINFO (1960–September 2008), as well as Sociological Abstracts, PsychARTICLES, Science Direct, Web of Knowledge and Google Scholar. Studies were included if they were randomised control trials, ‘quasi-randomised’ trials or controlled before-and-after studies. Due to the heterogeneity of study characteristics only a narrative synthesis was undertaken, describing the target population, type and reported impact of the intervention and the effect size. Results Thirteen studies met the inclusion criteria. Ten out of thirteen (77 %) studies focused on diabetes, seven (70 %) of which showed significant improvement in addressing diabetes-related behaviours and glycaemic control. The effect on diabetes was greater in culturally tailored and facilitated interventions that encompassed multiple strategies. Six out of the thirteen studies (46 %) incorporated anthropometric data, physical activity and healthy eating as ways to minimise weight gain and diabetes-related outcomes. Of the six interventions that included anthropometric data, only two (33 %) reported improvement in BMI Z-scores, total skinfold thickness or proportion of body fat. Only one in three (33 %) of the studies that included cardiovascular risk factors reported improvement in diastolic blood pressure after adjusting for baseline characteristics. All studies, except four, were of poor quality (small sample size, poor internal consistency of scale, not controlling for baseline characteristics). Conclusions Due to the small number of studies included in the present review, the findings that culturally tailored and facilitated interventions produce better outcomes than generalised interventions, and that intervention content is more important than the duration or venue, require further investigation.
Poincaré-Bendixson Theorem for Hybrid Systems

The Poincar\'e-Bendixson theorem plays an important role in the study of the qualitative behavior of dynamical systems on the plane; it describes the structure of limit sets in such systems. We prove a version of the Poincar\'e-Bendixson Theorem for two dimensional hybrid dynamical systems and describe a method for computing the derivative of the Poincar\'e return map, a useful object for the stability analysis of hybrid systems. We also prove a Poincar\'e-Bendixson Theorem for a class of one dimensional hybrid dynamical systems.
WSD2: Parameter optimisation for Memory-based Cross-Lingual Word-Sense Disambiguation

We present our system WSD2 which participated in the Cross-Lingual Word-Sense Disambiguation task for SemEval 2013 (Lefever and Hoste, 2013). The system closely resembles our winning system for the same task in SemEval 2010. It is based on k-nearest neighbour classifiers which map words with local and global context features onto their translation, i.e. their cross-lingual sense. The system participated in the task for all five languages and obtained winning scores for four of them when asked to predict the best translation(s). We tested various configurations of our system, focusing on various levels of hyperparameter optimisation and feature selection. Our final results indicate that hyperparameter optimisation did not lead to the best results, indicating overfitting by our optimisation method in this aspect. Feature selection does have a modest positive impact.
The Inhibition of Hepatic and Renal Glucuronidation of p-Nitrophenol and 4-Methylumbelliferone by Oil Palm Empty Fruit Bunch Lignin and Its Main Oxidation Compounds

Background: In order to develop oil palm empty fruit bunch (EFB) lignin as a nutraceutical and health supplement, the investigation of its potential in interacting with other drugs via inhibition of drug-metabolizing enzymes (DMEs) would ensure product safety. Objective: The study was aimed to investigate the in vitro effect of oil palm EFB lignin and its main oxidation compounds on phase II DME UDP-glucuronosyltransferases (UGTs) in rat liver and kidney microsomes. Materials and Methods: The p-nitrophenol (p-NP) and 4-methylumbelliferone (4-MU) were employed as probe substrates in glucuronidation assays. The effect of soda oil palm EFB lignin on Vmax, Km, CLint, Ki, and mode of inhibition of 4-MU glucuronidation in RLM was also determined. Results: The inhibitory potency of oil palm EFB lignin for both p-NP and 4-MU glucuronidation in rat liver microsome (RLM) and rat kidneys microsomes (RKM) was found to be in the rank order of soda > kraft > organosolv. However, the inhibitory potency of its main oxidation compounds were in the rank order of vanillin > syringaldehyde > p-hydroxybenzaldehyde. Soda oil palm EFB lignin exhibited mixed-type inhibition against 4-MU glucuronidation in RLM, showing the change in apparent Vmax and with only a minor effect on Km compared with control. Conclusions: The findings showed that effect of oil palm EFB lignin on both p-NP and 4-MU glucuronidation in RLM and RKM was enhanced by the presence of vanillin as well as flavonoids. Kinetic study showed that soda oil palm EFB lignin exhibited strong inhibition on UGT activity in RLM with mixed-type inhibition mode. Abbreviations used: p-NP: p-Nitrophenol, 4-MU: 4-Methylumbelliferone, EFB: Empty fruit bunch, DME: Drug-metabolizing enzymes, UGT: UDP-glucuronosyltransferase, Vmax: Maximal reaction velocity, Km: Michaelis-Menten constant, CLint: Intrinsic clearance, Ki: Dissociation constant of an inhibitor enzyme complex, 4-MUG: 4-Methylumbelliferone glucuronide, DMSO: Dimethyl sulfoxide, IC50: Half maximal inhibitory concentration, p-NPG: p-Nitrophenol glucuronide, RKM: Rat kidneys microsomes, RLM: Rat liver microsome, UDPGA: UDP-glucuronic acid, TCA: trichloroacetic acid, MPA: mycophenolic acid
Avoidance and suppression of compensation code in a trace scheduling compiler

Trace scheduling is an optimization technique that selects a sequence of basic blocks as a trace and schedules the operations from the trace together. If an operation is moved across basic block boundaries, one or more compensation copies may be required in the off-trace code. This article discusses the generation of compensation code in a trace scheduling compiler and presents techniques for limiting the amount of compensation code: avoidance (restricting code motion so that no compensation code is required) and suppression (analyzing the global flow of the program to detect when a copy is redundant). We evaluate the effectiveness of these techniques based on measurements for the SPEC89 suite and the Livermore Fortran Kernels, using our implementation of trace scheduling for a Multiflow Trace 7/300. The article compares different compiler models contrasting the performance of trace scheduling with the performance obtained from typical RISC compilation techniques. There are two key results of this study. First, the amount of compensation code generated is not large. For the SPEC89 suite, the average code size increase due to trace scheduling is 6%. Avoidance is more important than suppression, although there are some kernels that benefit significantly from compensation code suppression. Since compensation code is not a major issue, a compiler can be more aggressive in code motion and loop unrolling. Second, compensation code is not critical to obtain the benefits of trace scheduling. Our implementation of trace scheduling improves the SPEC mark rating by 30% over basic block scheduling, but restricting trace scheduling so that no compensation code is required improves the rating by 25%. This indicates that most basic block scheduling techniques can be extended to trace scheduling without requiring any complicated compensation code bookkeeping.
Application of mechanical model for natural fibre reinforced polymer composites

Abstract Mechanical models were often used to describe and predict synthetic fibre reinforced thermosetting polymers. However, natural fibre reinforced thermoplastic polymers were less mentioned. In this paper, the application of mathematical methods in natural fibre–polymer composite was reviewed. Typical mechanical models, such as the rule of mixtures, inverse rule of mixtures and Hirsch models, were presented. The advantages and disadvantages of each model were pointed out. Finally, a flax–wood–polypropylene composite was taken as an example. Some models were compared to describe this composite.