Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Emotion Recognition from Facial Expressions using Multilevel HMM

Human-computer intelligent interaction (HCII) is an emerging field of science aimed at providing natural ways for humans to use computers as aids. It is argued that for the computer to be able to interact with humans, it needs to have the communication skills of humans. One of these skills is the ability to understand the emotional state of the person. The most expressive way humans display emotions is through facial expressions. This work focuses on automatic facial expression recognition from live video input using temporal cues. Methods for using temporal information have been extensively explored for speech recognition applications. Among these methods are template matching using dynamic programming methods and hidden Markov models (HMM). This work exploits existing methods and proposes a new architecture of HMMs for automatically segmenting and recognizing human facial expression from video sequences. The novelty of this architecture is that both segmentation and recognition of the facial expressions are done automatically using a multilevel HMM architecture while increasing the discrimination power between the different classes. In the work we explore person-dependent and person-independent recognition of expressions.
Defect tolerance in nanodevice-based programmable interconnects: Utilization beyond avoidance

This work focuses on defect tolerance for nanodevice-based programmable interconnects of FPGAs. First, we show that the stuck-closed defects of nanodevices have a much higher impact than the stuck-open defects. Instead of simply avoiding the stuck-closed defects, we use them by treating them as shorting constraints in the routing. We develop a scalable algorithm to perform timing-driven routing under these extra constraints. We also enhance the placement algorithm to recover logic blocks which become virtually unusable due to shorted pins. Simulation results show that at the up-to-date level of nanodevice defects (108-1011x higher than CMOS), compared to the simple avoidance method, our approach reduces the degradation of resource usage by 87%, improves the routability by 37%, and reduce the degradation of circuit performance by 36%, at a negligible overhead of tool runtime.
Sensory gating and alpha‐7 nicotinic receptor gene allelic variants in schizoaffective disorder, bipolar type

Objectives: Single nucleotide allelic variants in the promoter region of the chromosome 15 alpha‐7 acetylcholine nicotinic receptor gene (CHRNA7) are associated with both schizophrenia and the P50 auditory evoked potential sensory gating deficit. The purpose of this study was to determine if CHRNA7 promoter allelic variants are also associated with abnormal P50 ratios in persons with schizoaffective disorder, bipolar type. Methods: P50 auditory evoked potentials were recorded in a paired stimulus paradigm in 17 subjects with schizoaffective disorder, bipolar type. The P50 test to conditioning ratio was used as the measure of sensory gating. Mutation screening of the CHRNA7 promoter region was performed on the subjects' DNA samples. Comparisons to previously obtained data from persons with schizophrenia and controls were made. Results: Subjects with schizophrenia, regardless of allele status, had an abnormal mean P50 ratio. Subjects with schizoaffective disorder, bipolar type and a variant allele had an abnormal mean P50 ratio, whereas those schizoaffective subjects with the common alleles had a normal mean P50 ratio. Normal control subjects had a normal mean ratio, but controls with variant alleles had higher P50 ratios. Conclusions: In persons with bipolar type schizoaffective disorder, CHRNA7 promoter region allelic variants are linked to the capacity to inhibit the P50 auditory evoked potential and thus are associated with a type of illness genetically and biologically more similar to schizophrenia. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Similarity-Based Bayesian Learning from Semi-structured Log Files for Fault Diagnosis of Web Services

With the rapid development of XML language which has good flexibility and interoperability, more and more log files of software running information are represented in XML format, especially for Web services. Fault diagnosis by analyzing semi-structured and XML like log files is becoming an important issue in this area. For most related learning methods, there is a basic assumption that training data should be in identical structure, which does not hold in many situations in practice. In order to learn from training data in different structures, we propose a similarity-based Bayesian learning approach for fault diagnosis in this paper. Our method is to first estimate similarity degrees of structural elements from different log files. Then the basic structure of combined Bayesian network (CBN) is constructed, and the similarity-based learning algorithm is used to compute probabilities in CBN. Finally, test log data can be classified into possible fault categories based on the generated CBN. Experimental results show our approach outperforms other learning approaches on those training datasets which have different structures.
The impact of atmospheric infrared sounder (AIRS) profiles on short-term weather forecasts

The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS), together with the Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit (AMSU), represents one of the most advanced space-based atmospheric sounding systems. Aside from monitoring changes in Earth's climate, one of the objectives of AIRS is to provide sounding information with sufficient accuracy such that the assimilation of the new observations, especially in data sparse regions, will lead to an improvement in weather forecasts. The combined AIRS/AMSU system provides radiance measurements used as input to a sophisticated retrieval scheme which has been shown to produce temperature profiles with an accuracy of 1 K over 1 km layers and humidity profiles with accuracy of 10-15% in 2 km layers in both clear and partly cloudy conditions. The retrieval algorithm also provides estimates of the accuracy of the retrieved values at each pressure level, allowing the user to select profiles based on the required error tolerances of the application. The purpose of this paper is to describe a procedure to optimally assimilate high-resolution AIRS profile data in a regional analysis/forecast model. The paper focuses on a U.S. East-Coast cyclone from November 2005. Temperature and moisture profiles-containing information about the quality of each temperature layer-from the prototype version 5.0 Earth Observing System (EOS) science team retrieval algorithm are used in this study. The quality indicators are used to select the highest quality temperature and moisture data for each profile location and pressure level. AIRS data are assimilated into the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) numerical weather prediction model using the Advanced Regional Prediction System (ARPS) Data Analysis System (ADAS), to produce near-real-time regional weather forecasts over the continental U.S. The preliminary assessment of the impact of the AIRS profiles will focus on intelligent use of the quality indicators, analysis impact, and forecast verification against rawinsondes and precipitation data.
Binary corrected X-ray light curve of Cygnus X-3: Implications for the timing properties of the compact binary system

We study the binary corrected X-ray light curve of Cygnus X-3 using the RXTE-ASM (All Sky Monitor) data and RXTE-PCA data. We find that the X-ray template derived from the EXOSAT observations adequately explains the binary variations. Using the recently determined quadratic binary ephemeris we correct the RXTE-PCA lightcurve and obtain the power spectrum which shows distinct features of shifting towards the low frequency regime vis-a-vis the Galactic X-ray binaries. The power spectrum doesn't vary from the hard to the soft state. We also obtain the binary corrected RXTE-ASM monitoring lightcurve and examine the previously obtained correlation between soft X-ray (2-12 keV from RXTE ASM), hard X-ray (20-100 keV from CGRO-BATSE) and radio (2.2 GHz from GBI) after the binary correction. We find that the correlation time scale is less than a day.
Appendix I - A review of the literature on the ex-post assessment of merger decision

I.2 Much of the recent debate on the need to perform an ex-post assessment of the effectiveness of the antitrust law enforcement has been spurred by a provocative paper by Crandall and Winston (2003). In this paper the authors offer a rather pessimistic view on the impact of the US antitrust policy on consumer welfare. Crandall and Winston review some literature on monopolization, collusion, and mergers enforcement and conclude that in all these areas the effect for consumers has been negative.
Neimark-Sacker Bifurcation in a Discrete-Time Financial System

A discrete-time financial system is proposed by using forward Euler scheme. Based on explicit Neimark-Sacker bifurcation (also called Hopf bifurcation for map) criterion, normal form method and center manifold theory, the system's existence, stability and direction of Neimark-Sacker bifurcation are studied. Numerical simulations are employed to validate the main results of this work. Some comparison of bifurcation between the discrete-time financial system and its continuous-time system is given.
Successful Inhibition of Tumor Development by Specific Class-3 Semaphorins Is Associated with Expression of Appropriate Semaphorin Receptors by Tumor Cells

The class-3 semaphorins (sema3s) include seven family members. Six of them bind to neuropilin-1 (np1) or neuropilin-2 (np2) receptors or to both, while the seventh, sema3E, binds to the plexin-D1 receptor. Sema3B and sema3F were previously characterized as tumor suppressors and as inhibitors of tumor angiogenesis. To determine if additional class-3 semaphorins such as sema3A, sema3D, sema3E and sema3G possess anti-angiogenic and anti-tumorigenic properties, we expressed the recombinant full length semaphorins in four different tumorigenic cell lines expressing different combinations of class-3 semaphorin receptors. We show for the first time that sema3A, sema3D, sema3E and sema3G can function as potent anti-tumorigenic agents. All the semaphorins we examined were also able to reduce the concentration of tumor associated blood vessels although the potencies of the anti-angiogenic effects varied depending on the tumor cell type. Surprisingly, there was little correlation between the ability to inhibit tumor angiogenesis and their anti-tumorigenic activity. None of the semaphorins inhibited the adhesion of the tumor cells to plastic or fibronectin nor did they modulate the proliferation of tumor cells cultured in cell culture dishes. However, various semaphorins were able to inhibit the formation of soft agar colonies from tumor cells expressing appropriate semaphorin receptors, although in this case too the inhibitory effect was not always correlated with the anti-tumorigenic effect. In contrast, the anti-tumorigenic effect of each of the semaphorins correlated very well with tumor cell expression of specific signal transducing receptors for particular semaphorins. This correlation was not broken even in cases in which the tumor cells expressed significant concentrations of endogenous semaphorins. Our results suggest that combinations of different class-3 semaphorins may be more effective than single semaphorins in cases in which tumor cells express more than one type of semaphorin receptors.
Proteome Analysis of the Effect of Mucoid Conversion on Global Protein Expression in Pseudomonas aeruginosa Strain PAO1 Shows Induction of the Disulfide Bond Isomerase, DsbA

ABSTRACT Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains that cause chronic pulmonary infections in cystic fibrosis patients typically undergo mucoid conversion. The mucoid phenotype indicates alginate overproduction and is often due to defects in MucA, an antisigma factor that controls the activity of sigma-22 (AlgT [also called AlgU]), which is required for the activation of genes for alginate biosynthesis. In this study we hypothesized that mucoid conversion may be part of a larger response that activates genes other than those for alginate synthesis. To address this, a two-dimensional (2-D) gel analysis was employed to compare total proteins in strain PAO1 to those of its mucA22 derivative, PDO300, in order to identify protein levels enhanced by mucoid conversion. Six proteins that were clearly more abundant in the mucoid strain were observed. The amino termini of such proteins were determined and used to identify the gene products in the genomic database. Proteins involved in alginate biosynthesis were expected among these, and two (AlgA and AlgD) were identified. This result verified that the 2-D gel approach could identify gene products under sigma-22 control and upregulated bymucA mutation. Two other protein spots were also clearly upregulated in the mucA22 background, and these were identified as porin F (an outer membrane protein) and a homologue of DsbA (a disulfide bond isomerase). Single-copy gene fusions were constructed to test whether these proteins were enhanced in the mucoid strain due to increased transcription. The oprF-lacZ fusion showed little difference in levels of expression in the two strains. However, the dsbA-lacZ fusion showed two- to threefold higher expression in PDO300 than in PAO1, suggesting that its promoter was upregulated by the deregulation of sigma-22 activity. AdsbA-null mutant was constructed in PAO1 and shown to have defects predicted for a cell with reduced disulfide bond isomerase activity, namely, reduction in periplasmic alkaline phosphatase activity, increased sensitivity to dithiothreitol, reduced type IV pilin-mediated twitching motility, and reduced accumulation of extracellular proteases, including elastase. Although efficient secretion of elastase in the dsbA mutant was still demonstrable, the elastase produced appeared to be unstable, possibly as a result of mispaired disulfide bonds. Disruption ofdsbA in the mucoid PDO300 background did not affect alginate production. Thus, even though dsbA is coregulated with mucoid conversion, it was not required for alginate production. This suggests that mucA mutation, which deregulates sigma-22, results in a global response that includes other factors in addition to increasing the production of alginate.
Speaker identification experiments under gender De-identification

The present work is based on the COST Action IC1206 for De-identification in multimedia content. It was performed to test four algorithms of voice modifications on a speech gender recognizer to find the degree of modification of pitch when the speech recognizer have the probability of success equal to the probability of failure. The purpose of this analysis is to assess the intensity of the speech tone modification, the quality, the reversibility and not-reversibility of the changes made.
Introduction to the product-entity recognition task

The task of named entity recognition is to locate and classify words and phrases in text into predefined categories, which is an important first step for many of these larger information management goals. A framework for Product-entity recognition in Chinese was presented using Conditional Random Fields with a variety of traditional and novel features in this paper. Experimental results show that this approach can achieve an overall F-measure around 89.96, which seems to achieve the current state-of-the-art performance. However, due to the imperfect of Domain Ontology and the complication of reviews texts, the recognition for product named entity may not be better than the research of the traditional named entity recognition.
Quantitative MRI volumetry of the entorhinal cortex in temporal lobe epilepsy

The entorhinal cortex (Brodmann's area 28) is located at the anterior aspect of the parahippocampal gyrus ventral to the amygdala and the hippocampus. It is reciprocally interconnected with the hippocampus via glutamatergic pathways. We investigated whether the entorhinal cortex is damaged in human temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). The volume of the entorhinal cortex was measured using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in 36 patients with cryptogenic TLE and in 21 controls. The mean volumes of the entorhinal cortex on the focal side did not differ from controls. In 11 of 36 patients, however, the entorhinal cortex volume was reduced by 25%. Entorhinal volume correlated with hippocampal volume in TLE (ipsilaterally, r= 0.454, P<0.01; contralaterally, r = 0.340, P<0.05). Further, 64% of patients with 25% entorhinal cortex damage had ipsilateral hippocampal atrophy. On the other hand, right focal TLE patients with hippocampal atrophy had a 19% volume reduction of the ipsilateral entorhinal cortex (P<0.05). The volume of the entorhinal cortex correlated with the duration of TLE (r= -0.335, P< 0.05). The present study indicates that the entorhinal cortex might be damaged in a subpopulation of patients with cryptogenic TLE. In most cases, volume reduction was associated with hippocampal damage. These data suggest that entorhinal damage contributes to the symptomatology in TLE.
A Fast and Reliable Hybrid Algorithm for Numerical Nonlinear Global Optimization

Highly nonlinear and ill-conditioned numerical optimization problems take their toll on the convergence of existing res- olution methods. Stochastic methods such as Evolutionary Algorithms carry out an efficient exploration of the search- space at low cost, but get often trapped in local minima and do not prove the optimality of the solution. Deterministic meth- ods such as Interval Branch and Bound algorithms guaran- tee bounds on the solution, yet struggle to converge within a reasonable time on high-dimensional problems. The contri- bution of this paper is a hybrid algorithm in which a Differen- tial Evolution algorithm and an Interval Branch and Contract algorithm cooperate. Bounds and solutions are exchanged through shared memory to accelerate the proof of optimal- ity. It prevents premature convergence toward local optima and outperforms both deterministic and stochastic existing approaches. We demonstrate the efficiency of this algorithm on two currently unsolved problems: first by presenting new certified optimal results for the Michalewicz function for up to 75 dimensions and then by proving that the putative mini- mum of Lennard-Jones clusters of 5 atoms is optimal.
MiR-124 governs glioma growth and angiogenesis and enhances chemosensitivity by targeting R-Ras and N-Ras.

BACKGROUND Glioma is one of the most aggressive and lethal human brain tumors. Accumulating evidence shows that microRNAs play important roles in cancers, including glioma. Previous studies reported that miR-124 levels were downregulated in glioma specimens. Here, we further investigate the potential role of miR-124 in glioma. METHODS The expression levels of miR-124 were detected in glioma specimens by quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR. The direct targets of miR-124 were identified by bioinformatics analysis and were further validated by immunoblotting and luciferase reporter assay. The effects of miR-124 on glioma cell proliferation and chemosensitivity to temozolomide were analyzed by Cell-Counting Kit 8 assay. Apoptosis was evaluated by fluorescence activated cell sorting analysis. A xenograft model was used to study the effect of miR-124 on tumor growth and angiogenesis. RESULTS Expression levels of miR-124 were greatly downregulated in glioma specimens. related Ras viral oncogene homolog (R-Ras) and neuroblastoma Ras viral oncogene homolog (N-Ras) were identified as direct targets of miR-124. MiR-124 inhibited glioma cell growth, invasion, angiogenesis, and tumor growth and increased chemosensitivity to temozolomide treatment by negatively regulating the Ras family and its downstream signaling pathways: phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase/Akt and Raf/extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2. Furthermore, overexpression of R-Ras rescued the inhibitory effects of miR-124. Meanwhile, overexpression of R-Ras and N-Ras restored miR-124-inhibited vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) transcription activation. In clinical glioma specimens, protein levels of R-Ras and N-Ras were upregulated and inversely correlated with miR-124 expression levels. CONCLUSIONS Taken together, these results revealed that miR-124 levels in tumor tissues are associated with glioma occurrence, angiogenesis, and chemoresistance and that miR-124 may be used as a new diagnostic marker and therapeutic target for glioma in the future.
Communal Orientation Predicting Flourishing of Married Individuals: Mediation of Emotion Expressivity

Abstract Expression of emotions may arbitrate the connections between communal orientation and psychological flourishing of married individuals that may lead to optimal functioning within a marital relationship. By using cross-sectional research design, the present study measures multiple dimensions of psychological flourishing (relationship and individual) in conjunction with communal orientation and emotion expressivity. Among married individuals from Pakistan aged 20–80 years, the authors examined the mediating effect of each spouse's emotional expression (positive, negative, and impulse strength) on the association between communal orientation and psychological flourishing. Findings highlight that communal orientation significantly predicts psychological flourishing. Positive Communal Orientation positively predicts relationship dimension as well as the Individual dimension of psychological flourishing. On the other hand, Negative Communal Orientation negatively predicts the Relationship dimension of psychological flourishing. However, Negative Communal Orientation positively predicts the Individual dimension of psychological flourishing. Furthermore, positive expressivity, negative expressivity and impulse strength significantly mediate the relationship between communal orientation and psychological flourishing. Moreover, gender differences were also found in the exercise of communal orientation and level of flourishing among husbands and wives. The evidence from the present study can be utilised to design relationship measure that can capture all the ingredients of optimal functioning of marital relationship.
The Experiential Carrying Capacity of a Barrier Island: A Norm-Based Approach at Cumberland Island National Seashore

Balancing the demands for recreational use against the need to preserve places is one of the most contentious and fundamental challenges of coastal area and barrier island management. This creates an inherent need to address the carrying capacity of barrier islands in a thoughtful, deliberate, informed, and defensible manner. This article describes research that assessed the experiential carrying capacity of Cumberland Island National Seashore (CUIS), which is Georgia's largest and southern-most barrier island. Continued demand for visiting this unique island has created a situation where the island's existing management quota of 300 visitors per day, established in 1984, is often reached during the peak season. Two visitor surveys, using norm-based visual research methods, were administered at CUIS to identify experiential indicators and to quantify related thresholds. Results show that the level of crowding at main attraction sites and the beach were primary indicators of the visitor experience and could inform the development of an experiential carrying capacity. Thresholds derived from survey results indicate that the current number of people within view at main attraction sites and the beach are acceptable to most visitors. This suggests that acceptability thresholds for the number of people at the site have not been violated, and therefore the number of visitors to CUIS could be modestly increased without unacceptably degrading the experience of most visitors. The management quota of 300 people per day set in 1984 now seems outdated, and the methods and results presented in this article provide some of the information needed to accurately set and manage the experiential carrying capacity of CUIS now and in the immediate future.