Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Zerber+R: top-k retrieval from a confidential index

Privacy-preserving document exchange among collaboration groups in an enterprise as well as across enterprises requires techniques for sharing and search of access-controlled information through largely untrusted servers. In these settings search systems need to provide confidentiality guarantees for shared information while offering IR properties comparable to the ordinary search engines. Top-k is a standard IR technique which enables fast query execution on very large indexes and makes systems highly scalable. However, indexing access-controlled information for top-k retrieval is a challenging task due to the sensitivity of the term statistics used for ranking. In this paper we present Zerber+R -- a ranking model which allows for privacy-preserving top-k retrieval from an outsourced inverted index. We propose a relevance score transformation function which makes relevance scores of different terms indistinguishable, such that even if stored on an untrusted server they do not reveal information about the indexed data. Experiments on two real-world data sets show that Zerber+R makes economical usage of bandwidth and offers retrieval properties comparable with an ordinary inverted index.
Dislocation Density Effect on Thermal Diffusivity of AISI 316 Steel

AISI 316 steel samples have been investigated by infrared thermography (IRT) after introducing controlled degrees of plastic deformation by means of tensile tests. Microstructural examinations of the same samples showed that the progressive decrease of thermal diffusivity observed for successive steps of plastic deformation is due to the increase of dislocation density. Dislocations affect thermal diffusivity in two ways, by acting as centres of scattering and by inducing elastic stress fields. To evaluate the two contributions, IRT measurements have been also carried out in-situ, during tensile tests at progressively increasing strain. For relevant plastic deformation, the dislocations mainly affect the thermal diffusivity by scattering mechanism. On the basis of these results, it can be concluded that thermal diffusivity is significantly affected by the increase of dislocations density therefore locally resolved IRT measurements seem promising to detect states of local plasticization in mechanical components.
SPLINE ESTIMATION OF SINGLE-INDEX MODELS

For the past two decades, the single-index model, a special case of pro- jection pursuit regression, has proven to be an efficient way of coping with the high-dimensional problem in nonparametric regression. In this paper, based on a weakly dependent sample, we investigate a robust single-index model, where the single-index is identified by the best approximation to the multivariate prediction function of the response variable, regardless of whether the prediction function is a genuine single-index function. A polynomial spline estimator is proposed for the single-index coefficients, and is shown to be root-n consistent and asymptoti- cally normal. An iterative optimization routine is used that is sufficiently fast for the user to analyze large data sets of high dimension within seconds. Simulation experiments have provided strong evidence corroborating the asymptotic theory. Application of the proposed procedure to the river flow data of Iceland has yielded superior out-of-sample rolling forecasts.
Matrix pencil based toeplitz covariance matrix reconstruction approach for correlated weak source detection

In this paper, a matrix pencil characteristic equation-based source number estimator is proposed. An enhanced matrix is defined through partition-and-stacking process by the original data on the uniform linear array, and its covariance matrix is computed, which is proved to be a toeplitz conjugate symmetry matrix. The covariance matrix elements are aligned to from a vector. A measurement matrix is formed by this vector considering the characteristic equation. Gerschgorin disk estimator (GDE) is employed with the measurement matrix to estimate source number. As partition-and-stacking processing is equivalent to spatially smoothing averaging, and at the same time reduces the influence of noise, our method is efficient with correlated signals, and performs well when there are only few snapshots. Simulation results prove the efficiency of our method under severe conditions.
A Disposable Dispensing Valve for Non-Contact Microliter Applications in a 96-Well Plate Format

We present a miniaturized, disposable, normally-closed electromagnetic dispensing valve for the microliter range to process 96-well plates. The novel injection-molded valve is designed to fit into a 9 mm grid to realize an eight channel dispensing head, enabling the serial processing of well plates row-by-row. The presented dispensing valve design originates from a miniaturization study of a previously developed functional model. The outer diameter of the valve, including all actuating components, was reduced by 8 mm to an overall diameter of 8.5 mm without compromising the performance. Additionally, the actuation current of the valve could be reduced to 5 A. The valve is characterized for a volume range between 840 nL and 5.3 μL. The performance of the injection molded valve is competitive to commercially available dispensing valves, featuring the advantages of low fabrication costs, disposability, low mounting size, easy handling, and super silent actuation.
Negatively condition dependent predation cost of a positively condition dependent sexual signalling

Predation is considered as an important factor constraining the expression of sexual signals. Nevertheless, direct quantitative evidence for predation provoking significant viability costs on individuals signalling at high rates is scarce. Moreover, it is unclear whether high rate signallers are able to balance presumably increased predation costs. We examined whether a condition dependent audible sexual signal, drumming, makes Hygrolycosa rubrofasciata male spiders more prone to predation by pied flycatchers (Ficedula hypoleuca), and whether sexual signalling rate is related to escaping ability once attacked. When birds were given a choice between two spider males manipulated to drum either one or three bouts per minute using playbacks, naïve birds attacked the males randomly regardless of the drumming rate. However, experienced birds chose significantly more often the males with high signalling rate. When spiders were allowed to escape, males with high sexual signalling rate tended to be better at escaping attacks than males with low sexual signalling rate. This study provides evidence that high signalling rate increases the risk of predation, but simultaneously males with high mobility, which correlates positively with signalling rate seemed to be better at compensating this cost.
Cerebral Low-Molecular Metabolites Influenced by Intestinal Microbiota: A Pilot Study

Recent studies suggest that intestinal microbiota influences gut-brain communication. In this study, we aimed to clarify the influence of intestinal microbiota on cerebral metabolism. We analyzed the cerebral metabolome of germ-free (GF) mice and Ex-GF mice, which were inoculated with suspension of feces obtained from specific pathogen-free mice, using capillary electrophoresis with time-of-flight mass spectrometry (CE-TOFMS). CE-TOFMS identified 196 metabolites from the cerebral metabolome in both GF and Ex-GF mice. The concentrations of 38 metabolites differed significantly (p < 0.05) between GF and Ex-GF mice. Approximately 10 of these metabolites are known to be involved in brain function, whilst the functions of the remainder are unclear. Furthermore, we observed a novel association between cerebral glycolytic metabolism and intestinal microbiota. Our work shows that cerebral metabolites are influenced by normal intestinal microbiota through the microbiota-gut-brain axis, and indicates that normal intestinal microbiota closely connected with brain health and disease, development, attenuation, learning, memory, and behavior.
A framework for solving mixed-integer semidefinite programs

Mixed-integer semidefinite programs (MISDPs) arise in many applications and several problem-specific solution approaches have been studied recently. In this paper, we investigate a generic branch-and-bound framework for solving such problems. We first show that strict duality of the semidefinite relaxations is inherited to the subproblems. Then solver components such as dual fixing, branching rules, and primal heuristics are presented. We show the applicability of an implementation of the proposed methods on three kinds of problems. The results show the positive computational impact of the different solver components, depending on the semidefinite programming solver used. This demonstrates that practically relevant MISDPs can successfully be solved using a general purpose solver.
Automated microfluidic DNA/RNA extraction with both disposable and reusable components

An automated microfluidic nucleic extraction system was fabricated with a multilayer polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) structure that consists of sample wells, microvalves, a micropump and a disposable microfluidic silica cartridge. Both the microvalves and micropump structures were fabricated in a single layer and are operated pneumatically using a 100 µm PDMS membrane. To fabricate the disposable microfluidic silica cartridge, two-cavity structures were made in a PDMS replica to fit the stacked silica membranes. A handheld controller for the microvalves and pumps was developed to enable system automation. With purified ribonucleic acid (RNA), whole blood and E. coli samples, the automated microfluidic nucleic acid extraction system was validated with a guanidine-based solid phase extraction procedure. An extraction efficiency of ∼90% for deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and ∼54% for RNA was obtained in 12 min from whole blood and E. coli samples, respectively. In addition, the same quantity and quality of extracted DNA was confirmed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification. The PCR also presented the appropriate amplification and melting profiles. Automated, programmable fluid control and physical separation of the reusable components and the disposable components significantly decrease the assay time and manufacturing cost and increase the flexibility and compatibility of the system with downstream components.
Watermarking graph partitioning solutions

Trends in the semiconductor industry towards extensive design and code reuse motivate a need for adequate intellectual property protection (IPP) schemes. We offer a new general IPP scheme called constraint-based watermarking and analyze it in the context of the graph partitioning problem. Graph partitioning is a critical optimization problem that has many applications, particularly in the semiconductor design process. Our IPP technique for graph partitioning watermarks solutions to graph partitioning problems so that they carry an author's signature. Our technique is transparent to the actual CAD tool which does the partitioning. Our technique produces solutions that have very low quality degradation levels, yet carry signatures that are convincingly unambiguous, extremely unlikely to be present by coincidence, and difficult to detect or remove without completely resolving the partitioning problem.
EasyXplorer: A Flexible Visual Exploration Approach for Multivariate Spatial Data

Exploring multivariate spatial data attracts much attention in the visualization community. The main challenge lies in that automatic analysis techniques is insufficient in discovering complicated patterns with the perspective of human beings, while visualization techniques are incapable of accurately identifying the features of interest. This paper addresses this contradiction by enhancing automatic analysis techniques with human intelligence in an iterative visual exploration process. The integrated system, called EasyXplorer, provides a suite of intuitive clustering, dimension reduction, visual encoding and filtering widgets within 2D and 3D views, allowing an inexperienced user to visually explore and reason undiscovered features with several simple interactions. Case studies show the quality and scalability of our approach in quite challenging examples.
International Conference on Information Systems ( ICIS ) 1231-2002 Conceptualizing Time and Space : Information Technology , Work , and Organization

Discussions about new forms of work and organization are typically framed by time, space, and the roles played by information and communication technologies. However, the meaning of time, space, and technology is often taken-for-granted. In this paper, we explore these concepts by first developing a set of constructs and, second, presenting some initial theorizing on the relationships among these constructs. To do so we represent time and space as socially developed constructs of temporal and spatial relations. We conceptualize a functional view of information and communication technologies. And, we characterize work as varying by two characteristics: the level of worker interdependence and the degree of work autonomy. Integrating these five constructs into an initial framework allows us to theorize that new forms of work are moving toward four distinct forms, each with particular spatial, temporal, and information technology characteristics.
Bi-Directional Brillouin Optical Time Domain Analyzer System for Long Range Distributed Sensing

We propose and experimentally demonstrate a novel scheme of bi-directional Brillouin time domain analyzer (BD-BOTDA) to extend the sensing range. By deploying two pump-probe pairs at two different wavelengths, the Brillouin frequency shift (BFS) distribution over each half of the whole fiber can be obtained with the simultaneous detection of Brillouin signals in both channels. Compared to the conventional unidirectional BOTDA system of the same sensing range, the proposed BD-BOTDA scheme enables distributed sensing with a performance level comparable to the conventional one with half of the sensing range and a spatial resolution of 2 m, while maintaining the Brillouin signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and the BFS uncertainty. Based on this technique, we have achieved distributed temperature sensing with a measurement range of 81.9 km fiber at a spatial resolution of 2 m and BFS uncertainty of ~0.44 MHz without introducing any complicated components or schemes.
Online detection of vocal Listener Responses with maximum latency constraints

When human listeners utter Listener Responses (e.g. back-channels or acknowledgments) such as ‘yeah’ and ‘mmhmm’, interlocutors commonly continue to speak or resume their speech even before the listener has finished his/her response. This type of speech interactivity results in frequent speech overlap which is common in human-human conversation. To allow for this type of speech interactivity to occur between humans and spoken dialog systems, which will result in more human-like continuous and smoother human-machine interaction, we propose an on-line classifier which can classify incoming speech as Listener Responses. We show that it is possible to detect vocal Listener Responses using maximum latency thresholds of 100–500 ms, thereby obtaining equal error rates ranging from 34% to 28% by using an energy based voice activity detector.
Identifiability of isoform deconvolution from junction arrays and RNA-Seq

MOTIVATION Splice junction microarrays and RNA-seq are two popular ways of quantifying splice variants within a cell. Unfortunately, isoform expressions cannot always be determined from the expressions of individual exons and splice junctions. While this issue has been noted before, the extent of the problem on various platforms has not yet been explored, nor have potential remedies been presented. RESULTS We propose criteria that will guarantee identifiability of an isoform deconvolution model on exon and splice junction arrays and in RNA-Seq. We show that up to 97% of 2256 alternatively spliced human genes selected from the RefSeq database lead to identifiable gene models in RNA-seq, with similar results in mouse. However, in the Human Exon array only 26% of these genes lead to identifiable models, and even in the most comprehensive splice junction array only 69% lead to identifiable models. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Provenance-based dictionary refinement in information extraction

Dictionaries of terms and phrases (e.g. common person or organization names) are integral to information extraction systems that extract structured information from unstructured text. Using noisy or unrefined dictionaries may lead to many incorrect results even when highly precise and sophisticated extraction rules are used. In general, the results of the system are dependent on dictionary entries in arbitrary complex ways, and removal of a set of entries can remove both correct and incorrect results. Further, any such refinement critically requires laborious manual labeling of the results. In this paper, we study the dictionary refinement problem and address the above challenges. Using provenance of the outputs in terms of the dictionary entries, we formalize an optimization problem of maximizing the quality of the system with respect to the refined dictionaries, study complexity of this problem, and give efficient algorithms. We also propose solutions to address incomplete labeling of the results where we estimate the missing labels assuming a statistical model. We conclude with a detailed experimental evaluation using several real-world extractors and competition datasets to validate our solutions. Beyond information extraction, our provenance-based techniques and solutions may find applications in view-maintenance in general relational settings.
Fast deterministic pricing of options on Lévy driven assets

Arbitrage-free prices u of European contracts on risky assets whose log-returns are modelled by Levy processes satisfy a parabolic partial integro-differential equation (PIDE) . This PIDE is localized to bounded domains and the error due to this localization is estimated. The localized PIDE is discretized by the θ -scheme in time and a wavelet Galerkin method with N degrees of freedom in log-price space. The dense matrix for can be replaced by a sparse matrix in the wavelet basis, and the linear systems in each implicit time step are solved approximatively with GMRES in linear complexity. The total work of the algorithm for M time steps is bounded by O(MN( log(N))2 ) operations and O(N log(N)) memory. The deterministic algorithm gives optimal convergence rates (up to logarithmic terms) for the computed solution in the same complexity as finite difference approximations of the standard Black–Scholes equation. Computational examples for various Levy price processes are presented.
Reduction of FeO in EAF Steelmaking Slag by Blends of Metallurgical Coke and End‐of‐Life Tyre

The reduction of FeO‐containing slag by blends of metallurgical coke and end‐of‐life tyres (RT) have been investigated through experiments conducted in a laboratory‐scale horizontal tube furnace. Composite pellets of EAF slag (47.1% FeO) with coke, RT, and blends of coke/RT (in four different proportions) were rapidly heated at 1550°C under high purity argon gas and the off gas was continuously analyzed for CO and CO2using an online infrared (IR) gas analyzer. The extent of reduction after 10 min, level of carburization and desulfurization, and the total amount of CO2 emissions were determined for each carbonaceous reductant. The results indicate that the extent of reduction, level of carburization and desulfurization of the reduced metal are significantly improved when coke is blended with RT. Blending of coke with RT resulted in a decrease in direct CO2 emissions from the reduction reactions.
Cost-based decision analysis of postreduction imaging in the management of mandibular fractures.

IMPORTANCE Immediate postreduction imaging is a standard practice in the management of mandibular fractures at many hospitals. However, the literature suggests that postreduction imaging in maxillofacial fractures fails to influence clinical decision making significantly. OBJECTIVES To determine the cost-effectiveness of different clinical decision pathways regarding postreduction imaging as it relates to the experience of the surgeon, and to demonstrate that baseline postreduction imaging has utility based on the complication rate of the surgeon. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS We developed a decision tree model using commercially available software. The model accounted for cost of imaging modalities, adequacy of reduction, complication rate, cost of initial operating room time, and, if applicable, operative charges for revision surgery in the event of a complication. A review of the University of Virginia clinical data repository of 100 patients with recent mandible fractures was used to estimate the cost associated with running an operating suite for mandibular fracture repair. The University of Virginia billing system also provided costs associated with a single computed tomogram, panoramic radiography, and intraoperative 3-dimensional computed tomography. A sensitivity analysis determined how variation in complication rate affects the cost of the decision pathways. INTERVENTION Intraoperative imaging, postreduction imaging, or no imaging. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Sensitivity of the decision tree model to variation in complication rate. RESULTS Using current hospital charges, the model is sensitive to variability in the complication rate with a breakpoint of 17.7%. It is most cost-effective to obtain a post-reduction panorex if the surgeon's complication rate is above 17.7% and most cost-effective not to obtain any postreduction imaging if the complication rate is below 17.7%. Intraoperative computed tomography is not cost-effective at any complication rate. Two-way sensitivity analysis allowed the model to be generalizable to varied institutional costs and surgical complication rates. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE The utility of postreduction imaging from the standpoint of cost analysis depends on the complication rate of the facial traumatologist and institutional charge data. Based on this model, the facial traumatologist at our institution should obtain postreduction panorex imaging for patients with mandible fractures until their complication rate drops below 17.7%. The 2-way sensitivity analysis in this study allows the facial traumatologist to apply his or her complication rate and institutional cost data to determine whether routine postreduction imaging is necessary. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE NA.
Process for mounting and packaging of fiber Bragg grating strain sensors for use in harsh environment applications

In this paper, we report the development of a new bonding agent and method for the surface mounting of optical fiber Bragg grating strain and temperature sensors for use in harsh environments. The compound is based on a combination of ceramic fillers with an epoxy binder that is applied with a brush technique. Samples of optical fiber Bragg gratings were successfully encapsulated and mounted on metal shims. The packaged sensors were tested for strain (+/- 1000µε) and temperature (-20 to +120 °C) response. The encapsulated sensors display a linear response with an increase in the temperature sensitivity of the FBG, with a factor of 24.37pm/°C, and a strain gauge factor of 1.25pm/με.