Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Contaminant source estimation in a two-layers porous environment using a Bayesian approach

Pollution source estimation based on groundwater concentration measurements is an ill-posed inverse problem in that several different sources can supply similar observations. Consequently, constraints on the source must be added. Most of the works in the literature regularize the problem either by introducing parametric source models or by penalizing undesir able solutions. In our work, we use both strategies. In this paper, we focus on point and instantaneous pollution source. Since the source depends on a small number of parameters, the inverse problem becomes over-determined. In addition, the use of prior probability on parameters is a way of dealing with difficult situations in which few observations are available. Information from observations and prior information are combined in a Bayesian framework. The approach leads to a posterior probability given the data that summarizes all the available information about the source. We explore the posterior law with a Markov Chain Monte Carlo sampling method and estimate the source characteristics by posterior mean. The proposed method is applied to a simulated case of pollution.
Distinct Populations of Forebrain Neural Stem and Progenitor Cells Can Be Isolated Using Side-Population Analysis

The absence of stem cell-specific markers has posed challenges to the identification and isolation of stem cells. We report the isolation of a discrete and highly enriched population of neural stem cells from clonally derived colonies of neural stem cell and progenitor cells (neurospheres) after exposure to the fluorescent DNA binding dye Hoeschst 33342 and subsequent analysis via dual wavelength flow cytometry. The low fluorescent side population comprised only 3.6% of all live cells sorted yet contained >99% of all the neural stem cells as assayed by the formation of neurospheres in culture. Most neurosphere-derived cells are progenitor cells, and these are found within the higher fluorescence (non-side population) fraction. The isolation of a highly enriched population of self-renewing, multipotential neural stem cells was seen from both adult- and embryonic-derived neurospheres; however, the relative percentage of cells comprising the side-population and the mechanism of dye efflux varied between adult and embryonic donor tissue. Combining the side-population analysis with markers recently shown to enrich for neural stem cells afforded no further enrichment in the case of peanut agglutinin expression and size criteria; however, when the side-population analysis was combined with Lewis X (LeX) expression, a slight enrichment was seen over side-population analysis alone.
On map matching of wireless positioning data: a selective look-ahead approach

Wireless Positioning Systems (WPS) are popular alternative localization methods, especially in dense urban areas where GPS has known limitations. Map-matching (MM) has been used as an approach to improve the accuracy of the estimated locations of WiFi Access Points (APs), and thus the accuracy of a wireless positioning system. Large-scale wireless positioning differs from satellite based positioning in at least two aspects: First, wireless positioning systems typically derive the location estimates based on war-driving access point (AP) data. Second, the locations of the AP beacons are not generally known at the same precision as that of the satellite locations. This results in lower accuracy and a lower confidence factor in the use of wireless positioning. This paper presents a fast selective look-ahead map-matching technique, called SLAMM. Existing MM algorithms developed for real-time location tracking of a moving vehicle are ill-suited for matching large collections of war-driving data due to the time complexity. Another unique feature of SLAMM is the map-matching of critical location samples in an AP trace to the road network before matching non-critical samples. Our experiments over a real dataset of 70 million AP samples show that SLAMM is accurate and significantly faster than the traditional MM approaches.
A Comparative Study of Dynamic Voltage Scaling Techniques for Low-Power Video Decoding

This paper presents a comparison of power-aware video decoding techniques that utilize Dynamic Voltage Scaling (DVS) capability. Three techniques were simulated and compared in terms of power consumption, accuracy, and deadline misses. The simulation results show that the dynamic per-frame technique, where the decoding time prediction adapts to the particular video being decoded, is the most promising approach due to its feasibility of implementation and comparable performance to the ideal case. Our findings also indicate that in general, as the number of available processor settings increases, the amount of power saving increases, but the number of deadline misses increases as well. More importantly, most of these deadline misses are within 10-20% of the playout interval and thus insignificant. However, video clips with high variability in frame complexities combined with inaccurate decoding time predictions may degrade the video quality. Finally, our results show that a processor with 13 voltage/frequency settings is sufficient to achieve near maximum performance with the experimental environment and the video workloads we have used.
Verbal and nonverbal discourse planning

We are designing a Conversational Agent that communicates at the same time by speech and expressive face. As we are engaged in face-to-face interaction or in any communicative acts where the visual modality is available along with the acoustic one, multimodal signals are at work. Our communicative acts are performed not only through words, but also through intonation, body posture, hand gestures, gaze patterns, facial expressions and so on. Thus, an important step is to define how the Agent’s communicative acts are expressed into a coordinated, either sequential or simultaneous, verbal and nonverbal message. In making an Autonomous Agent capable of communicative and expressive behavior, then, a relevant problem to be taken into account is how the Agent plans not only what to communicate, but also by what (verbal or nonverbal) signals, in what combination and how synchronized. This depends on several factors : (i) consideration of the available modalities (e.g., face, gaze, voice), (ii) cognitive ease of production and processing of signals (for example; in describing an object, a gesture may be more expressive than a word); (iii) expressivity of each signal in communicating specific meanings (for example: emotions are better told by facial expression than by words); (iv) appropriateness of signals to social situations (for example: an insulting word may be less easily persecuted than a scornful gaze). Finally, metacommunicative constraints may occur that, say, lead to use redundancy when information to convey is particularly important or needs to be particularly clear: this brings to use verbal and nonverbal signals at the same time. Since few years, multimodal conversational systems [2, 3, 5, 18, 1] have been proposed. These systems integrate verbal and nonverbal signals such as deictic gestures, gaze behavior, communicative facial expressions. Cassell and Stone [4] have designed a multimodal manager whose role is to supervise the distribution of behaviors across the several channels (verbal, head, hand, face, body and gaze). Our system is close to this last one. But we are also considering the context in which the conversation takes place. In this paper we first describe our enriched discourse generator explaining the 2 sets of rules (trigger and regulation) we have added. We also review the different types of gaze communicative acts. Finally we present the variables defining the context and how they modify the computation of the display of the communicative acts.
A highly stable low-RIN hybrid Brillouin/erbium amplified laser source

We demonstrate a low-noise all-fiber hybrid Brillouin/erbium amplified source consisting of a Brillouin/erbium fiber laser with a subsequent Brillouin amplifier to boost the power and reduce the noise. The same single-mode fibers used in the fiber laser and the amplifier lead to the same amount of Stokes frequency shifts in spite of the environmental variation, ensuring stable Brillouin amplification. The hybridly amplified source features temperature insensitivity, low noise, potentially high power, and low cost. The relative intensity noise of the hybridly amplified source is /spl sim/10 dB lower than that of the erbium-doped fiber amplifier (EDFA)-based source at radio frequencies >200 MHz due to the filtering characteristics of the Brillouin amplification. Compared with an EDFA amplified fiber system, the spurious-free dynamic range of an analog transmission system employing such a laser source is improved by 7.7 dB owning to the lower RIN.
Comparative Study of Subseafloor Microbial Community Structures in Deeply Buried Coral Fossils and Sediment Matrices from the Challenger Mound in the Porcupine Seabight

Subseafloor sedimentary environments harbor remarkably diverse microbial communities. However, it remains unknown if the deeply buried fossils in these sediments play ecological roles in deep microbial habitats, or whether the microbial communities inhabiting such fossils differ from those in the surrounding sediment matrix. Here we compare the community structures of subseafloor microbes in cold-water coral carbonates (Madrepora oculata and Lophelia pertusa) and the clay matrix. Samples were obtained from the Challenger Mound in the Porcupine Seabight at Site U1317 Hole A during the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program Expedition 307. DNA was extracted from coral fossils and the surrounding sedimentary matrix at 4, 20, and 105 m below the seafloor. 16S rRNA genes of Bacteria and Archaea were amplified by PCR, and a total of 213,792 16S rRNA gene-tagged sequences were analyzed. At the phylum level, dominant microbial components in both habitats consisted of Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Nitrospirae, Chloroflexi, and Miscellaneous Crenarchaeota Group (MCG) at all three of the depths examined. However, at the genus and/or species level (similarity threshold 97.0%), the community compositions were found to be very different, with 69–75 and 46–57% of bacterial and archaeal phylotypes not overlapping in coral fossils and the clay matrix, respectively. Species richness analysis revealed that bacterial communities were generally more diverse than archaea, and that the diversity scores of coral fossils were lower than those in sediment matrix. However, the evenness of microbial communities was not significantly different in all the samples examined. No eukaryotic DNA sequences, such as 18S rRNA genes, were obtained from the corals. The findings suggested that, even at the same or similar depths, the sedimentological characteristics of a habitat are important factors affecting microbial diversity and community structure in deep subseafloor sedimentary habitats.
Prediction of Cardiovascular Events With Aortic Stiffness in Patients With Erectile Dysfunction

Erectile dysfunction confers an independent risk for cardiovascular events and total mortality. Aortic pulse wave velocity (PWV) is an important predictor of cardiovascular events and all-cause mortality. We investigated whether PWV predicts major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) in patients with erectile dysfunction beyond traditional risk factors. MACEs in relation to PWV were analyzed with proportional hazards models in 344 patients (mean age, 56 years) without established cardiovascular disease. During a mean follow-up of 4.7 years (range, 1–8.5 years), 24 of 344 participants (7.0%) experienced a MACE. Subjects in the highest PWV tertile (>8.8 m/s) had a 4-fold higher risk of MACEs compared with those in the lowest PWV tertile (<7.6 m/s; adjusted hazard ratio, 3.97; P=0.035). A PWV value of 7.81 m/s was associated with a negative predictive value (ability to rule out MACE) of 98.1%. Addition of PWV to standard risk factor model yielded correct patient reclassification to higher or lower risk category by 27.6% (P=0.0332) in the whole cohort. Our results show that higher aortic stiffness is associated with increased risk for a MACE in patients with erectile dysfunction without known cardiovascular disease. Aortic PWV improves risk prediction when added to standard risk factors and may represent a valuable biomarker of prediction of cardiovascular disease risk in these patients.
Epigenetic mechanisms of irinotecan sensitivity in colorectal cancer cell lines

Irinotecan is a topoisomerase-I (Top-I) inhibitor used for the treatment of colorectal cancer. DNA demethylating agents, including 5-azacytidine (5-aza), display synergistic antitumor activity with several chemotherapy drugs. 5-Aza may enhance irinotecan cytotoxicity by at least one of the following mechanisms: (a) Top-I promoter demethylation, (b) activation of genes involved in Top-I transcriptional regulation (p16 or Sp1), and (c) modulation of the cell cycle and apoptosis after DNA damage. The growth-inhibitory effects of SN38, the active metabolite of irinotecan, 5-aza, and their combinations, were studied in four colorectal cancer cell lines. The effects of treatments on cell cycle were analyzed by flow cytometry, and apoptosis was measured by fluorescence microscopy. Top-I, Sp1, and p53 expression modulated by 5-aza were measured by real-time PCR. Methylation of Top-I, p16, 14-3-3σ, and hMLH1 promoters before and after 5-aza treatment were measured by MethyLight PCR and DNA bisulfite sequencing. Low-dose 5-aza significantly enhanced the apoptotic effect of irinotecan in all colorectal cancer cells, whereas a synergistic cytotoxic effect was observed only in p53-mutated cells (HT29, SW620, and WiDr). This synergistic effect was significantly correlated with Top-I up-regulation by 5-aza, and coupled to p16 demethylation and Sp1 up-regulation. p16 demethylation was also associated with enhanced cell cycle arrest after irinotecan treatment. In contrast, 5-aza down-regulated Top-I expression in the p53 wild-type LS174T cells in a p53-dependent manner, thereby reducing SN38 cytotoxicity. In conclusion, 5-aza modulates Top-I expression by several mechanisms involving Sp1, p16, and p53. If confirmed in other models, these results suggest that p16 and p53 status affects the 5-aza–irinotecan interaction. [Mol Cancer Ther 2009;8(7):1964–73]
Adding Counting Quantifiers to Graph Patterns

This paper proposes quantified graph patterns (QGPs), an extension of graph patterns by supporting simple counting quantifiers on edges. We show that QGPs naturally express universal and existential quantification, numeric and ratio aggregates, as well as negation. Better still, the increased expressivity does not come with a much higher price. We show that quantified matching, i.e., graph pattern matching with QGPs, remains NP-complete in the absence of negation, and is DP-complete for general QGPs. We show how quantified matching can be conducted by incorporating quantifier checking into conventional subgraph isomorphism methods. We also develop parallel scalable algorithms for quantified matching. As an application of QGPs, we introduce quantified graph association rules defined with QGPs, to identify potential customers in social media marketing. Using real-life and synthetic graphs, we experimentally verify the effectiveness of QGPs and the scalability of our algorithms.
Analysis of Iterative Channel Algorithm for MIMO OFDM systems using Doppler Spread

—Multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) system operating in high mobility scenarios, channel estimation becomes a challenging issue, due to fast channel variation and severe inter-carrier interference (ICI). This paper proposes a novel pilot-aided iterative receiver, based on pilot symbols and iterative soft-estimate of data symbols and parallel interference cancellation (PIC) scheme coupled with decision statistical combining (DSC) is used to cancel the ICI and to improve the data symbols detection. These data symbols are then utilized to refine the channel estimation further, iteratively. The simulation results of both methods are compared and values obtained depict that the PIC-DSC method improve channel estimation and its BER/SNR value remains stable.
The role of sleep and cytokines in the development of mechanical hypersensitivity in a mouse model of musculoskeletal sensitization

Study Objectives: Musculoskeletal pain in humans is often associated with poor sleep quality. We used a model in which mechanical hypersensitivity was induced by injection of acidified saline into muscle to study the impact of musculoskeletal sensitization on sleep of mice. Design: A one month pre-clinical study was designed to determine the impact of musculoskeletal sensitization on sleep of C57BL/6J mice. Methods: We instrumented mice with telemeters to record the electroencephalogram (EEG) and body temperature. We used an established model of musculoskeletal sensitization in which mechanical hypersensitivity was induced using two unilateral injections of acidified saline (pH 4.0). The injections were given into the gastrocnemius muscle and spaced five days apart. EEG and body temperature recordings started prior to injections (baseline) and continued for three weeks after musculoskeletal sensitization was induced by the second injection. Mechanical hypersensitivity was assessed using von Frey filaments at 1 The work presented in this chapter are accepted for publication: Sutton, B.C. & Opp, M.R. (2013) Musculoskeletal sensitization and sleep: Chronic muscle pain fragments sleep of mice without altering its duration. SLEEP, in press. 20 baseline (before any injections) and on days 1, 3, 7, 14, and 21 after the second injection. Results: Mice injected with acidified saline developed bilateral mechanical hypersensitivity at the hind paws as measured by von Frey testing and as compared to control mice and baseline data. Sleep during the light period was fragmented in experimental mice injected with acidified saline, and EEG spectra altered. Musculoskeletal sensitization did not alter the duration of time spent in wakefulness, non-rapid eye movement sleep, or rapid eye movement sleep. Conclusions: Musculoskeletal sensitization in this model results in a distinct sleep phenotype in which sleep is fragmented during the light period, but the overall duration of sleep is not changed. This study suggests the consequences of musculoskeletal pain include sleep disruption, an observation that has been made in the clinical literature but has yet to be studied using
Cloud Resource Provisioning to Extend the Capacity of Local Resources in the Presence of Failures

In this paper, we investigate Cloud computing resource provisioning to extend the computing capacity of local clusters in the presence of failures. We consider three steps in the resource provisioning including resource brokering, dispatch sequences, and scheduling. The proposed brokering strategy is based on the stochastic analysis of routing in distributed parallel queues and takes into account the response time of the Cloud provider and the local cluster while considering computing cost of both sides. Moreover, we propose dispatching with probabilistic and deterministic sequences to redirect requests to the resource providers. We also incorporate check pointing in some well-known scheduling algorithms to provide a fault-tolerant environment. We propose two cost-aware and failure-aware provisioning policies that can be utilized by an organization that operates a cluster managed by virtual machine technology and seeks to use resources from a public Cloud provider. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed policies improve the response time of users' requests by a factor of 4.10 under a moderate load with a limited cost on a public Cloud.
The effect of initial entry training on the moral and character development of military police soldiers

The Effect of Initial Entry Training on the Moral and Character Development of Military Police Soldiers by Kenneth R. Williams B.A., Ouachita Baptist University, 1981 M.DIV. , Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, 1984 M.S.L.E. , John Brown University, 2002 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Applied Management and Decision Sciences Walden University May 2009 ABSTRACT The U.S. Army conducts extensive training on its core values beginning with initial entryThe U.S. Army conducts extensive training on its core values beginning with initial entry training (IET), commonly referred to as basic training, in order to shape soldiers’ behavior and decision making in combat and noncombat situations. This mixed methods study addressed the problem of limited empirical research on the effects of U.S. Army IET on soldiers’ moral and character development. The purpose was to explore the effects of Military Police (MP) IET on soldiers in training through a mixed methods quantitative and qualitative model. The theoretical framework for this study was based on Rest’s four component model (FCM) of moral development, Hart’s model of moral identity, the schemas of the Defining Issues Test (DIT), and the U.S. Army’s moral code consisting of the Army values, the Soldiers Creed, and the Warrior Ethos. The DIT was administered at the beginning and conclusion of MP IET to determine change in soldiers’ moral judgment. Focus groups of MP IET soldiers identified perceptions of change in moral development. Data analysis using ANOVA and matched pair t tests of DIT scores revealed no significant changes in overall scores, no differences among age groups, and limited differences among genders and educational levels. Results showed significant decline in personal interest scores among females. Focus group results using qualitative content analysis revealed the relationship with drill sergeants as having a significant impact on moral development. This study provides feedback to trainers and leaders on designing effective moral and character education. Soldiers influence societies at home and abroad. This research shows that positive social change is more likely as soldiers receive moral and character education which focuses on developing moral expertise, not just memorization of rules, and which results in moral and trustworthy behavior. The Effect of Initial Entry Training on the Moral and Character Development of Military Police Soldiers by Kenneth R. Williams B.A., Ouachita Baptist University, 1981 M.DIV. , Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, 1984 M.S.L.E. , John Brown University, 2002 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Applied Management and Decision Sciences Walden University May 2009