Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Adding Semantic Annotation to the Penn TreeBank

This paper presents our basic approach to creating Proposition Bank, which involves adding a layer of semantic annotation to the Penn English TreeBank. Without attempting to confirm or disconfirm any particular semantic theory, our goal is to provide consistent argument labeling that will facilitate the automatic extraction of relational data. An argument such as the window in John broke the window and in The window broke would receive the same label in both sentences. In order to ensure reliable human annotation, we provide our annotators with explicit guidelines for labeling all of the syntactic and semantic frames of each particular verb. We give several examples of these guidelines and discuss the inter−annotator agreement figures. We also discuss our current experiments on the automatic expansion of our verb guidelines based on verb class membership. Our current rate of progress and our consistency of annotation demonstrate the feasibility of the task.
First Principles Calculations of Interfaces in Ultra High Temperature Ceramics

This work focuses on understanding the influence of temperature on correlations between thermal conduction and mechanical strength in material interfaces including a high temperature material interface. Analyses examine single crystal ZrB2, single crystal SiC, and a <0001>-<111> ZrB2-SiC interface using a framework based on Car Parrinello molecular dynamics (CPMD) ab-initio simulation method from 500 K to 2500 K. Analyses indicate that the strength reduction with increase in temperature is strongly correlated to phonon and electron thermal diffusivity change. With increase in temperature, phonon thermal diffusivity increases in the case of ZrB2 and reduces in the cases of SiC as well as the interface. Electron contribution to thermal diffusivity increases with temperature increase in the case of interface. Examination of change in thermal properties at different mechanical strain levels reveals that the mechanisms of strength and thermal property change with increase in temperature may be similar to the mechanisms responsible for property change with change in applied strain.
Surface Hardening of Spot-Welding Copper Alloy Electrode for Zinc Coated Steel

Zinc coated steel, spot-welding electrode, titanium carbide, titanium diboride, coating. Abstract: TiC and TiB2/Ni were coated on the surface of cupper alloy electrodes used for spot-welding of zinc coated steel sheets by electrospark deposition to improve its lifespan. The coatings structure and phase compositions were characterized by SEM and XRD, and their life spans were examined by spot-welding test. The results indicate the major phases of the coatings are TiC and TiB2 respectively, and copper diffuses from the substrate into the top surface of the coatings during electrosparking, forming an atomic bonding between the coatings and the substrate. The electrodes are hardened by coatings. Though cracks exist, the coatings can segregate the steel sheets and the substrate and prevent zinc in the surface of steel sheets and copper in the substrate from alloying. The coatings also reduce the deformation of the electrode during spot-welding. As a result, the spot-welding lives of TiC and TiB2/Ni coated electrodes are prolonged significantly by one and two times respectively.
Computational analysis of base composition pattern and promoter elements in the putative promoter regions in relation to expression profiles of 682 human genes on chromosome 22

The base composition pattern (BCP) in the putative promoter region (PPRs) up to 5 Kb lengths of 682 human genes on Chromosome 22 (Chr22) was examined. Two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) functions were designed to delineate the DNA base composition, with four major patterns identified. It is found that 17.6% genes include TATA box, 28.0% GC box, 18.9% CAAT box and 38.4% CpG islands, and approximately 10% genes have one of four putative initiator (Inr) motifs. The occurrence of the promoter elements is tightly associated with the base composition features in the promoter regions, and the associations of the base composition features with occurrence of the promoter elements in the promoter regions mediate tissue-wide expression of the genes in human. The occurrence of two or more promoter elements in the promoter regions is required for the medium- and wide-range expression profiles of the human genes on Chr22. Thus, the reported data shed light on the characteristics of the PPRs of the human genes on Chr22, which may improve our understanding of regulatory roles of the PPRs with occurrence of the promoter elements in gene expression.
High-gain and wide-band single-layer patch antenna for wireless communications

A technique employing the use of parallel feeds is applied to the recently proposed L-probe coupled patch antenna design. By employing only two L-probes, with proper separation, for feeding one single patch, a twin-L-probe coupled patch antenna is designed with both high-gain (10 dBi) and wide-band [25%, standing wave radio (SWR) /spl les/ 1.5] characteristics. In addition, the 1-dB-gain bandwidth is around 26%, which covers the impedance bandwidth. Furthermore, a noticeable suppression of cross-polarization radiation is observed. Simulation results are in good agreement with those noteworthy characteristics obtained from experiments. The proposed antenna is suitable for modern mobile communication applications.
Statistical inference and hypotheses testing of risk averse stochastic programs

We study statistical properties of the optimal value and optimal solutions of the Sample Average Approximation of risk averse stochastic problems. Central Limit Theorem type results are derived for the optimal value and optimal solutions when the stochastic program is expressed in terms of a law invariant coherent risk measure. The obtained results are applied to hypotheses testing problems aiming at comparing the optimal values of several risk averse convex stochastic programs on the basis of samples of the underlying random vectors. We also consider non-asymptotic tests based on confidence intervals on the optimal values of the stochastic programs obtained using the Stochastic Mirror Descent algorithm. Numerical simulations show how to use our developments to choose among different distributions and show the superiority of the asymptotic tests on a class of risk averse stochastic programs.
How Consumers' Assessments of the Difficulty of Manufacturing a Product Influence Quality Perceptions

This research shows that the perceived difficulty of manufacturing a product influences consumers’ perceptions of the firm’s other products. In three experiments (with 152 participants in Study 1, 86 in Study 2, and 91 in Study 3), participants received information about the quality of a firm’s product and then inferred the quality of another product from the firm. When participants believed that the initial product was relatively more difficult to manufacture than the second product, they inferred that the second product would be high in quality. However, when participants believed that the initial product was relatively easy to manufacture, they inferred that the second product would be low in quality. These effects occurred when perceived difficulty of manufacture was manipulated (Study 2) and occurred regardless of whether both products had dissimilar product benefits (Study 1) or whether brand names were present (Study 3).
An Analytical Model for Negative Bias Temperature Instability

Negative bias temperature instability (NBTI) in PMOS transistors has become a significant reliability concern in present day digital circuit design. With continued scaling, the effect of NBTI has rapidly grown in prominence, forcing designers to resort to a pessimistic design style using guard-banding. Since NBTI is strongly dependent on the time for which the PMOS device is stressed, different gates in a combinational circuit experience varying extents of delay degradation. This has necessitated a mechanism of quantizing the gate-delay degradation, to pave the way for improved design strategies. Our work addresses this issue by providing a procedure for determining the amount of delay degradation of a circuit due to NBTI. An analytical model for NBTI is derived using the framework of the reaction-diffusion model, and a mathematical proof for the widely observed phenomenon of frequency independence is provided. Simulations on ISCAS benchmarks under a 70nm technology show that NBTI causes a delay degradation of about 8% in combinational logic based circuits after 10 years (ap 3 times 108s)
Identification of nonlinear systems using misspecified predictors

Identification of nonlinear systems is an important albeit difficult task. This work considers parameter estimation, using the prediction error method, of the class of models that fit into a nonlinear state space formulation. Finding the optimal predictor for such nonlinear models, if at all possible, often requires significant effort. As an alternative, techniques from indirect inference are used to circumvent this problem. A misspecified predictor, parameterized by a new set of parameters, is used in lieu of the optimal predictor. These new parameters are found numerically by using simulations of the model to be identified. The proposed method is applied to simulation examples and real process data with encouraging results.
First record of leaf-hole shelters used and modified by leaf beetles (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae), with descriptions of two new Orthaltica Crotch species from southern India

Abstract Behavioural novelties observed in adult leaf beetles of two new Orthaltica Crotch species include: 1) the use of low cost leaf-hole shelters, either in pre-formed holes produced by larger beetles that fed on the same leaf, or artificially created holes as part of an experiment; and 2) the use of faeces to partition the hole. Two new southern Indian species of the genus Orthaltica are described and illustrated: Orthaltica syzygium and Orthaltica terminalia. Host plants are identified for both species. A key to the Indian species of Orthaltica is provided.
The Effect of Tax Reform in a Dynamic General Equilibrium Framework - Ramsey vs. Overlapping Generation Model

Based on a thorough comparison of the basic assumptions and economic underpinning of the Ramsey and over lapping generation (OLG) model, this study builds both static and dynamic computable general equilibrium tax policy models to analyze the effect of tax reform on Taiwan’s economy. The new tax structure considers mainly a replacement of some parts of labor and capital income taxes by consumption tax. The benchmark year of the model is 2001, and the economy is divided into four sectors. The modeling framework is implemented on top of MPSGE, which is a special module within the General Algebraic Modeling System (GAMS). Our simulation results show differential outcomes for static and dynamic models. The slower speed of transition inherent in OLG model has caused variables such as welfare, capital stock, and replacement consumption tax rate change less than that in the Ramsey model when the tax reform policy is imposed. And the intergeneration effects of different tax burden between young and old generations can be found in the OLG model but not in the Ramsey model.
A reduced load approximation accounting for link interactions in a loss network

This paper is concerned with evaluating the performance of loss networks. Accurate determination of loss network performance can assist in the design and dimen- sioning of telecommunications networks. However, exact determination can be difficult and generally cannot be done in reasonable time. For these reasons there is much interest in developing fast and accurate approximations. We develop a reduced load approximation that improves on the famous Erlang fixed point approximation (EFPA) in a variety of circumstances. We illustrate our results with reference to a range of networks for which the EFPA may be expected to perform badly.
A Self-Adjusting Approach to Change Detection Based on Background Word Consensus

Although there has long been interest in foreground background segmentation based on change detection for video surveillance applications, the issue of inconsistent performance across different scenarios remains a serious concern. To address this, we propose a new type of word based approach that regulates its own internal parameters using feedback mechanisms to withstand difficult conditions while keeping sensitivity intact in regular situations. Coined "PAWCS", this method's key advantages lie in its highly persistent and robust dictionary model based on color and local binary features as well as its ability to automatically adjust pixel-level segmentation behavior. Experiments using the 2012 Change Detection.net dataset show that it outranks numerous recently proposed solutions in terms of overall performance as well as in each category. A complete C++ implementation based on OpenCV is available online.
Measurement of the top quark mass at CDF using the "neutrino phi weighting" template method on a lepton plus isolated track sample

We present a measurement of the top quark mass with t-tbar dilepton events produced in p-pbar collisions at the Fermilab Tevatron ($\sqrt{s}$=1.96 TeV) and collected by the CDF II detector. A sample of 328 events with a charged electron or muon and an isolated track, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 2.9 fb$^{-1}$, are selected as t-tbar candidates. To account for the unconstrained event kinematics, we scan over the phase space for the azimuthal angles ($\phi_{\nu_1},\phi_{\nu_2}$) of neutrinos and reconstruct the top quark mass by minimizing a $\chi^2$ function in the t-tbar dilepton hypothesis. We assign $\chi^2$-dependent weights to the solutions in order to build a preferred mass for each event. Preferred mass distributions (templates) are built from simulated t-tbar and background events, and parameterized in order to provide continuous probability density functions. A likelihood fit of the preferred mass distribution in data to a weighted sum of signal and background probability density functions gives a top quark mass of $165.5^{+{3.4}}_{-{3.3}}$(stat.)$\pm 3.1$(syst.) GeV/$c^2$.
Morphology, Histology, and Ultrastructure of Human C31 Organ-Cultured Corneas

Our objective was to evaluate corneal structural modifications induced by corneal preservation in a C31 organ culture medium. Twenty-four postmortem human corneas preserved in C31 medium (CRTS, Besanc,on, France) for 2-21 days and 12 fresh postmortem human corneas were studied and evaluated by means of light microscopy, morphometry, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Endothelial cell loss during preservation averaged 9.2% (± 7.2%). Endothelial morphology displayed significantly more moderate alterations in the group of fresh corneas than in the group of preserved corneas. Endothelial morphometry resulted in a higher coefficient of variation (p=0.002) in the preserved group but showed no difference for the average figure coefficient and average cell area. The histological study showed corneal swelling and epithelial sloughing in the preserved group. TEM displayed moderate preservation injuries, such as numerous vacuoles, mitochondrial swelling, and increased cell thickness. These results are consistent with previous findings that indicated that C31 medium induces moderate preservation injuries.
A CHARACTERIZATION OF GOLD NANOPARTICLE UPTAKE BY MAMMALIAN CELLS

This study assessed the influence of the physical and chemical characteristics of gold nanospheres on their uptake by the mammalian cell line A549. A semi-factorial design was followed, examining three different particle sizes (roughly 5nm, 15nm and 50nm) modified by three different surface charges (anionic, cationic, and nonionic). The influence of particle concentration on cellular uptake was analyzed for 5nm and 50nm citrate-capped spheres over 24 h. Particle uptake increased as exposure concentration increased. The influence of particle size and surface charge on uptake was analyzed for each particle type over 2 h. With the exception of 50nm nonionic particles, uptake was charge dependent, as cationic particles were taken up to a greater extent than anionic particles, which were taken up more than nonionic particles. The uptake of gold nanoparticles was also dependent on particle size but this relationship may be a function of particle surface charge because particle uptake was greatest for larger negatively charged particles, and for smaller positively charged particles. Results may help to predict particle interactions with biological systems and facilitate future endeavors of quantifying the risk of particle release into the environment, as uptake cell is dependent on an array of particle characteristics.
iGesture: A General Gesture Recognition Framework

With the emergence of digital pen and paper interfaces, there is a need for gesture recognition tools for digital pen input. While there exists a variety of gesture recognition frameworks, none of them addresses the issues of supporting application developers as well as the designers of new recognition algorithms and, at the same time, can be integrated with new forms of input devices such as digital pens. We introduce iGesture, a Java-based gesture recognition framework focusing on extensibility and cross-application reusability by providing an integrated solution that includes tools for gesture recognition as well as the creation and management of gesture sets for the evaluation and optimisation of new or existing gesture recognition algorithms. In addition to traditional screen-based interaction, iGesture provides a digital pen and paper interface.
Track-to-track fusion using split covariance intersection filter-information matrix filter (SCIF-IMF) for vehicle surrounding environment perception

Vehicle surrounding environment perception is an important process for many applications. Nowadays, a tendency is to incorporate redundant and complementary sensors into an intelligent vehicle, in order to enhance its perception ability; then an essential issue arises naturally, i.e. what fusion architecture can be used to combine the data from multiple sensors? In this paper, we propose a new track-to-track fusion architecture using the split covariance intersection filter-information matrix filter (SCIF-IMF). The basic idea is to use the IMF (adapted for estimates in split form) to handle the track temporal correlation of each sensor system and to use the SCIF to handle track spatial correlation. The proposed architecture enjoys complete sensor modularity and thus enables flexible self-adjustment. A simulation based comparative study is presented, which shows that the track-to-track fusion architecture using the SCIF-IMF can achieve centralized architecture comparable performance.
Task Dominance Determines Backward Inhibition in Task Switching

Switching between tasks is assumed to be accompanied by inhibiting currently irrelevant, but competing tasks. A dominant task that strongly interferes with performing a weaker task may receive especially strong inhibition. We tested this prediction by letting participants switch among three tasks that differ in dominance: a location discrimination task with strong stimulus–response bindings (responding with left-hand and right-hand button presses to stimuli presented left or right to the fixation cross) was combined with a color/pattern and a shape discrimination task, for which stimulus–response mappings were arbitrary (e.g., left-hand button press mapped to a red stimulus). Across three experiments, the dominance of the location task was documented by faster and more accurate responses than in the other tasks. This even held for incompatible stimulus–response mappings (i.e., right-hand response to a left-presented stimulus and vice versa), indicating that set-level compatibility (i.e., “dimension overlap”) was sufficient for making this location task dominant. As a behavioral marker for backward inhibition, we utilized n-2 repetition costs that are defined by higher reaction times for a switch back to a just abandoned and thus just inhibited task (ABA sequence) than for a switch to a less recently inhibited task (CBA, n-2 non-repetition). Reliable n-2 task repetition costs were obtained for all three tasks. Importantly, these costs were largest for the location task, suggesting that inhibition indeed was stronger for the dominant task. This finding adds to other evidence that the amount of inhibition is adjusted in a context-sensitive way.
Nonexercise models for estimating VO2max with waist girth, percent fat, or BMI.

UNLABELLED Previously published nonexercise models using either percent fat or body mass index (BMI) as body composition measures provided valid estimates of VO2max. PURPOSE This study was conducted to investigate the use of waist girth (WG) as a body composition surrogate in the nonexercise models and to compare the accuracy of nonexercise models that include WG, %fat, or BMI. METHODS A total of 2417 men and 384 women were measured for VO2max by indirect calorimetry (RER > 1.1); age (yr); gender by M = 1, W = 0; self-report activity habit by the 11-point (0-10) NASA physical activity status scale (PASS); WG at the apex of the umbilicus; %fat by skinfolds; and BMI by weight (kg) divided by height squared (m). RESULTS Three models were developed by multiple regression to estimate VO2max from age, gender, PASS, and either WG (R = 0.81, standard error of estimate (SEE) = 4.80 mL.kg. min), %fat (R = 0.82, SEE = 4.72 mL x kg(-1) x min(-1)), or BMI (R = 0.80, SEE = 4.90 mL x kg(-1) x min(-1)). Cross-validation by the PRESS technique confirmed these statistics. Accuracy of the models for predicting VO2max of subsamples was supported by constant errors (CE) < 1 mL.kg. min for subgroups of gender, age, PASS, and VO2max between 30 and 50 mL x kg(-1) x min(-1) (70% of the sample). CE were > 1 mL x kg(-1) x min(-1) for VO2max < 30 and > 50 mL x kg(-1) x min(-1). CONCLUSIONS Waist girth is an acceptable surrogate for body composition in the nonexercise models. All models were similar in accuracy and valid for estimating VO2max of most adults, but with reduced accuracy at the extremes of fitness (VO2max < 30 and >50 mL x kg(-1) x min(-1)).
Circuit performance oriented device optimization using BSIM3 pre-silicon model parameters

We propose a circuit performance oriented device optimization methodology using pre-silicon parameters and critical paths which represent the performance of the chip. Based on our methodology, we successfully reduced the power consumption by 90% and, at the same time, increased the frequency by 30% from the initial design. The key to this optimization methodology is the pre-silicon parameter generation method, which can predict the device performance within 5% accuracy in a few minutes.
Log-Hilbert-Schmidt metric between positive definite operators on Hilbert spaces

This paper introduces a novel mathematical and computational framework, namely Log-Hilbert-Schmidt metric between positive definite operators on a Hilbert space. This is a generalization of the Log-Euclidean metric on the Riemannian manifold of positive definite matrices to the infinite-dimensional setting. The general framework is applied in particular to compute distances between co-variance operators on a Reproducing Kernel Hilbert Space (RKHS), for which we obtain explicit formulas via the corresponding Gram matrices. Empirically, we apply our formulation to the task of multi-category image classification, where each image is represented by an infinite-dimensional RKHS covariance operator. On several challenging datasets, our method significantly outperforms approaches based on covariance matrices computed directly on the original input features, including those using the Log-Euclidean metric, Stein and Jeffreys divergences, achieving new state of the art results.