Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Domain decomposition preconditioners for multiscale problems

In this paper, we study domain decomposition preconditioners for multiscale elliptic problems in high contrast media. We construct preconditioners such that the condition number of the preconditioned system is independent of media contrast. For this purpose, multiscale spaces for the interpolation on the coarse grid is developed using a local weighted spectral problem. A main observation is that the eigenvalues of this spectral problem control the condition number. In the presence of high-contrast inclusions, there are small, asymptotically vanishing, eigenvalues, i.e., these eigenvalues decrease as we increase the contrast. We propose the coarse space that includes the eigenfunctions corresponding to these small, asymptotically vanishing, eigenvalues. We prove that domain decomposition preconditioners with this coarse space result to the convergence of the methods independent of the contrast. The coarse space constructed using the eigenfunctions of local spectral problem can be large if there are many isolated inclusions. We propose approaches to reduce the dimension of the coarse space. Numerical results are presented. We compare the proposed methods with domain decomposition methods where multiscale finite element basis or energy minimizing basis functions are used in constructing coarse spaces. We show that the number of iterations is smaller with proposed methods and they remain bounded as the contrast increases.
Thaipusam in Malaysia: A Psycho‐Anthropological Analysis of Ritual Trance, Ceremonial Possession and Self‐Mortification Practices

Of all the Malaysian religious festivals, the Indian celebration of Thaipusam is perhaps the most fascinating and dramatic. On this occasion Hindu devotees to Lord Murugan publicly offer prayers, sacrifice, and thanksgiving in fulfillment of vows for favors granted. Offerings may be simple, as in the instances of breaking coconuts or bearing pots of blessed milk. Most often, however, offerings are focused on kavadi bearing and are accompanied by ecstatic trance where devotees allow their bodies to be pierced and decorated with needles, hooks and skewers in an expression of faith and loyalty. ' Despite extensive piercing, most devotees rely on ritual trance for control of pain and bleeding and are able to complete the pilgrimage to Murugan's temple, carrying kavadis weighing up to 40 lbs. to fulfill vows and offer thanksgiving. Ritual trance as found in Thaipusam practices offers suitable data for the psychological study of altered states of consciousness (ASC) which has previously been criticized as unidimensional, superficial, and ethnocentric (Tart 1969; Ward 1982a). To con-
THE IMPORTANCE OF SUBWORD EMBEDDINGS IN SENTENCE PAIR MODELING

Sentence pair modeling is critical for many NLP tasks, such as paraphrase identiﬁcation, semantic textual similarity, and natural language inference. Most state-of-the-art neural models for these tasks rely on pretrained word embedding and compose sentence-level semantics in varied ways; however, few works have attempted to verify whether we really need pretrained embeddings in these tasks. In this paper, we study how effective subword-level (character and character n-gram) representations are in sentence pair modeling. Though it is well-known that subword models are effective in tasks with single sentence input, including language modeling and machine translation, they have not been systematically studied in sentence pair modeling tasks where the semantic and string similarities be-tween texts matter. Our experiments show that subword models without any pretrained word embedding can achieve new state-of-the-art re-sults on two social media datasets and competitive results on news data for paraphrase iden-tiﬁcation.
Deblurring-by-Denoising using Spatially Adaptive Gaussian Scale Mixtures in Overcomplete Pyramids

In a previous work, we presented an extension of the original Bayes least squares-Gaussian scale mixtures (BLS-GSM) denoising algorithm that also compensated the blur. However, that method had some problems: a) it could not compensate for some blurring kernels; b) its performance depended critically on having an accurate estimation of the original power spectral density (PSD); and c) it could not be easily adapted to a spatially variant description of the image statistics. In this work we propose a two-step restoration method that overcomes these problems by first performing a global blur image compensation, and then applying a spatially adaptive local denoising, in an overcomplete pyramid. Our method is efficient, robust and non-iterative. We demonstrate through simulations that it provides state-of-the-art performance.
Speaker adaptive training using shift-MLLR

In this paper a novel method for speaker adaptive training (SAT), based on Gaussian mean offset adaptation, so called Shift-MLLR, is presented. The method differs from previous SAT methods, where linear transformations of Gaussian means or features are utilized, in that only an offset vector is used for adaptation, but instead the number of regression classes is increased. This is shown to allow an efficient implementation. Furthermore, the use of word posterior confidence measures for Shift-MLLR is investigated, also in combination with the proposed SAT method. The presented methods are integrated into a state of the art speech recognition system, and performance is contrasted with Shift-MLLR without SAT, as well as with MLLR. Large and consistent improvements in word error rate are observed from the new SAT method, as well as from confidence based Shift-MLLR. The combination of the new speaker adaptive training method with confidence based estimation show consistent improvements.
Effective learning environments – the process of creating and maintaining an online continuing education tool

Continuing medical education (CME) is an indispensable part of maintaining physicians’ competency. Since attending conferences requires clinical absenteeism and is not universally available, online learning has become popular. The purpose of this study is to conduct a retrospective analysis examining the creation process of an anesthesia website for adherence to the published guidelines and, in turn, provide an illustration of developing accredited online CME. Using Kern’s guide to curriculum development, our website analysis confirmed each of the six steps was met. As well, the technical design features are consistent with the published literature on efficient online educational courses. Analysis of the database from 3937 modules and 1628 site evaluations reveals the site is being used extensively and is effective as demonstrated by the participants’ examination results, content evaluations and reports of improvements in patient management. Utilizing technology to enable distant learning has become a priority for many educators. When creating accredited online CME programs, course developers should understand the educational principles and technical design characteristics that foster effective online programs. This study provides an illustration of incorporating these features. It also demonstrates significant participation in online CME by anesthesiologists and highlights the need for more accredited programs.
Kinetic characterization of the recombinant ribonuclease from Bacillus amyloliquefaciens (barnase) and investigation of key residues in catalysis by site-directed mutagenesis.

Barnase, the ribonuclease from Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, has been cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli [Hartley, R. W. (1988) J. Mol. Biol. 202, 913-915], thus enabling the overproduction and site-directed mutagenesis of one of the smallest enzymes (Mr equals 12,382). As barnase is also composed of just a single polypeptide chain with no disulfide bridges and has a reversible folding transition, it affords a fine system for studying protein folding and design. We show here that the recombinant enzyme has properties identical with those of the authentic enzyme, characterize the basic kinetics and specificity of the enzyme, and, using site-directed mutagenesis, identify key residues involved in catalysis to provide evidence that supports the classic ribonuclease mechanism. The wild-type enzyme catalyzes the hydrolysis of dinucleotides of structure GpN. There is a prime requirement for G and a preference for A greater than G greater than C greater than U for N. The pH-activity curve for the transesterification step of dinucleotides is bell shaped with an optimum for kcat/KM and kcat at about pH 5. The enzyme is far more active toward long RNA molecules, and the pH optimum for kcat is at 8.5. The activity of barnase toward dinucleotide substrates is about 0.5% of that of the highly homologous T1 nuclease at pH 5.9, but barnase is twice as active as T1 toward RNA at pH 8.5. There must be important subsite interactions that contribute to catalysis in barnase in addition to those immediately on either side of the scissile bond. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Waiting time in relation to wait-list size at registration: statistical analysis of a waiting-list registry.

OBJECTIVE To examine the relationship between the length of a waiting list for elective vascular surgery and the delay before undergoing the operation. METHODS We undertook a prospective cohort study of patients registered on the waiting list for elective vascular surgery at an acute care hospital in Ontario. Regression analysis of wait times to express the admission rate in one group relative to another, with the ratio of rates being a measure of the difference between groups. RESULTS List length at registration was associated with length of wait (log-rank test 596.4, p < 0.0001). Patients who were registered when the list length exceeded the weekly service capacity had 70% lower conditional probability of undergoing surgery than those on a list with fewer patients (rate ratio 0.30, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.26-0.36) after adjustment for sex, age, procedure and period. Registering more than 5 patients when the list was short had an independent effect (rate ratio 0.61, CI 0.45-0.82). CONCLUSIONS The number of registrants on a surgical wait list has an effect on the length of delay in providing necessary treatment. Our results suggest that a regulated list-length policy may contribute to reducing waiting times. Hospital managers may also use the findings to reduce uncertainty in reporting expected waits given the current list size, thereby improving resource planning.
Applying Software Metrics to evaluate Business Process Models

In this paper, we define a set of metrics for the evaluation of conceptual models of business processes. The proposal supposes the adaptation and extension of the FMESP framework (Framework for the Modeling and Evaluation of Software Processes). This adaptation can be carried out thanks to the similarities that exist between both types of processes (software and business). FMESP includes a set of metrics, which provide the quantitative basis necessary to find out the maintainability of the software process models. This proposal has been used as the starting point in proposing a set of metrics for the evaluation of the complexity of business process models defined by BPMN (Business Process Modeling Notation). Moreover, the groups of metrics of FMESP have been extended. This is because the models of business processes represented in BPMN include quite a number of aspects of interest in this domain which are not considered in software processes modelled with SPEM (Software Process Engineering Metamodel).
Children's control of adult speech.

BOHANNON, JOHN NEIL, III, and MARQUIS, ANGELA LYNN. Children's Control of Adult Speech. CmHILD DEVELOPMENT, 1977, 48, 1002-1008. 2 studies were done to test the hypothesis that short simple sentences (Motherese) addressed to children are the result of children signaling noncomprehension for longer, complex utterances. Study 1 observed 15 adults converse with a 32month-old child, and later 5 adults interacted with the child when he was 36 months old. The results indicated that the child differentially comprehended adult utterances of different lengths in the predicted direction and that 19 of 20 adults reduced their length of utterance following a clear signal of noncomprehension by the child. Study 2 had 20 adults tell a story under 4 conditions: (1) to an adult (A), (2) to a pretend child (AC), (3) to a child accomplice who signaled comprehension (C), and (4) to the same accomplice who signaled noncomprehension (NC). While no differences in group mean length of utterance (MLU) occurred between the A and AC conditions, all the subjects used longer sentences in the C condition than in the NC condition. Briefly, the results of study 2 were A = AC > C > NC. It was concluded that children may limit the complexity of their linguistic environment through comprehension feedback.
Pharmacogenomics of Drug Response in Type 2 Diabetes: Toward the Definition of Tailored Therapies?

Type 2 diabetes is one of the major causes of mortality with rapidly increasing prevalence. Pharmacological treatment is the first recommended approach after failure in lifestyle changes. However, a significant number of patients shows—or develops along time and disease progression—drug resistance. In addition, not all type 2 diabetic patients have the same responsiveness to drug treatment. Despite the presence of nongenetic factors (hepatic, renal, and intestinal), most of such variability is due to genetic causes. Pharmacogenomics studies have described association between single nucleotide variations and drug resistance, even though there are still conflicting results. To date, the most reliable approach to investigate allelic variants is Next-Generation Sequencing that allows the simultaneous analysis, on a genome-wide scale, of nucleotide variants and gene expression. Here, we review the relationship between drug responsiveness and polymorphisms in genes involved in drug metabolism (CYP2C9) and insulin signaling (ABCC8, KCNJ11, and PPARG). We also highlight the advancements in sequencing technologies that to date enable researchers to perform comprehensive pharmacogenomics studies. The identification of allelic variants associated with drug resistance will constitute a solid basis to establish tailored therapeutic approaches in the treatment of type 2 diabetes.
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The Argument from the Poverty of the Stimulus (APS) still dominates a substantial part of the research in theoretical linguistics. While in generative approaches, the APS provides the foundation of the innateness hypothesis; in other paradigms (usage-based, interactionist, cognitivist) the argument is central because it is argued against it. Poverty of the stimulus arguments are indeed theoretical because they do little to empirically back their premises. Following Pullum & Scholz (2002) the logic of the argument has two premises. First, language is either genetically encoded or learned data-driven. The second premise, however, is meant to be empirical, that is, infants learn what is not given in the input. Since, by definition, data driven means that everything can be learned from the input, the empirical premise excludes data driven strategies as an option. Now, only one alternative remains in the initial premise. Thus one can deduce modus tollens the genetically encoded strategy as the correct alternative via exclusion. Although the conclusion is correct, the result can be questioned because the premises are far from plausible nowadays. Accepting that the two alternatives postulated in the first premise are somewhat sufficient, the empirical premise seems more problematic. Also known as lack of evidence, this premise is a simple assertion without a systematic and comprehensive proof. The assumption was certainly still acceptable at the time of its conception. Today, however, we have collected specific and representative corpora, developed a body of sophisticated methodologies for quantitative analyses, and used the computational power to carry out complex
Wideband Weyl symbols for dispersive time-varying processing of systems and random signals

We extend the narrowband Weyl symbol (WS) and the wideband P/sub O/-Weyl symbol (PoWS) for dispersive time-frequency (TF) analysis of nonstationary random processes and time-varying systems. We obtain the new TF symbols using unitary transformations on the WS and the P/sub O/WS. For example, whereas the WS is matched to systems with constant or linear TF characteristics, the new symbols are better matched to systems with dispersive (nonlinear) TF structures. This results from matching the geometry of the unitary transformation to the specific TF characteristics of a system. We also develop new classes of smoothed Weyl symbols that are covariant to TF shifts or time shift and scaling system transformations. These classes of symbols are also extended via unitary warpings to obtain classes of TF symbols covariant to dispersive shifts. We provide examples of the new symbols and symbol classes, and we list some of their desirable properties. Using simulation examples, we demonstrate the advantage of using TF symbols that are matched to the changes in the TF characteristics of a system or random process. We also provide new TF formulations for matched detection applications.
Cold-Induced Cysts of the Photosynthetic Dinoflagellate Lingulodinium polyedrum Have an Arrested Circadian Bioluminescence Rhythm and Lower Levels of Protein Phosphorylation1[C][W]

Protein hypophosphorylation may mediate the decrease of metabolic activities and the arrest of the circadian bioluminescence rhythm observed in cold-induced cysts of the photosynthetic dinoflagellate Lingulodinium polyedrum. Dinoflagellates are microscopic, eukaryotic, and primarily marine plankton. Temporary cyst formation is a well-known physiological response of dinoflagellate cells to environmental stresses. However, the molecular underpinnings of cold-induced cyst physiology have never been described. Cultures of the photosynthetic dinoflagellate Lingulodinium polyedrum readily form temporary cysts when placed at low (8°C ± 1°C) temperature and excyst to form normal motile cells following a return to normal temperature (18°C ± 1°C). The normal circadian bioluminescence rhythm and the expected changes in Luciferin Binding Protein abundance were arrested in L. polyedrum cysts. Furthermore, after excystment, the bioluminescence rhythm initiates at a time corresponding to zeitgeber 12, independent of the time when the cells encysted. Phosphoprotein staining after two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, as well as column-based phosphoprotein enrichment followed by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry, showed cyst proteins are hypophosphorylated when compared with those from motile cells, with the most marked decreases found for predicted Casein Kinase2 target sites. In contrast to the phosphoproteome, the cyst proteome is not markedly different from motile cells, as assessed by two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. In addition to changes in the phosphoproteome, RNA sequencing revealed that cysts show a significant decrease in the levels of 132 RNAs. Of the 42 RNAs that were identified by sequence analysis, 21 correspond to plastid-encoded gene products and 11 to nuclear-encoded cell wall/plasma membrane components. Our data are consistent with a model in which the highly reduced metabolism in cysts is achieved primarily by alterations in the phosphoproteome. The stalling of the circadian rhythm suggests temporary cysts may provide an interesting model to address the circadian system of dinoflagellates.
ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE AND VIRULENCE MARKERS OF CAMPYLOBACTER JEJUNI AND CAMPYLOBACTER COLI ISOLATED FROM RETAIL POULTRY MEAT IN POLAND

The occurrence of Campylobacter in poultry meat and subsequent antibiotic resistance profiles of the isolates were investigated. The prevalence of Campylobacter in 101 samples was 87.1%. Of these samples, 54.5% contained Campylobacter coli and 45.5% were contaminated with Campylobacter jejuni. Among the strains tested, resistance to ciprofloxacin and nalidixid acid was the most common, followed by tetracycline and streptomycin. On the other hand, all analysed isolates were susceptible to erythromycin and gentamycin. Moreover, the prevalence of several virulence marker genes among Campylobacter isolates was estimated. All strains showed the presence of the flaA and cadF factors, whereas the iam was identified only in C. jejuni, while the cdtA, cdtB, and cdtC genes were amplified almost in all C. coli isolates.
Determining scattering matrix of a three-port reciprocal network from one-port measurements

This paper describes a new reduced port method to obtain the scattering matrix of a three-port reciprocal network from a set of one-port measurements. By introducing two auxiliary circuits, all the nine scattering parameters could be determined without ambiguity. The experiment results of measuring a three-port reciprocal circuit using this method are shown in good agreement with those directly measured using a four-port vector network analyzer.
Constraint Split Bregman method combined with total variation for structural decomposition of breast DCE-MRI

Dynamic contrast enhanced magnetic imaging (DCE-MRI) is one of the most valuable methods for detecting breast lesions. The time intensity curve (TIC) acquired from a series of dynamic images is critical for distinguishing benign lesions and cancer. However, the TIC is often distorted by the original intensity of fine scale-details and the boundary of the normal tissue. In this paper, the constraint Split Bregman method combined with total variation (CSB-TV) is proposed to decompose the original image into texture part and structure part. A convex constraint item is introduced to ensure the consistence of texture images and convergence of algorithm. To accelerate the computational process, we employ the Split Bregman iteration algorithm. On a total of 60 breast DCE-MRI studies, the TICs obtained from the structure images acquired by CSB-TV are more consistent with three-time-point (3TP) method and pathological result. The main improvement of this algorithm is a significantly more accurate lesion classification (i.e., higher AUC) which turns out into better quality of TICs.
How To Get In? A Comparative Overview of Access to Higher Education.

In many countries, the transition from “elite” to “mass” higher education has provided a strong stimulus for putting access high on the political agenda. The accessibility of nine western European countries is explored on the basis of the concepts of selectivity and affordability. The nine countries concerned display a degree of variation in terms of relative selectivity, ranging from those with strong entrance selection procedures, such as Finland, Sweden, and the United Kingdom, to countries with an open system, such as Austria, Belgium (Flanders), and The Netherlands. In addition, there is a good deal of variation in the extent to which students can afford to attend higher education. In countries in which student support is predominantly given directly to the students through grants and loans, they are in a better position to meet their costs than in countries in which students are mainly subsidized with public support through their families
The information system as a competitive weapon

Avec l'aide de la technologie d'un systeme d'information, une compagnie peut devenir competitive dans toutes les etapes de ses rapports de consommateur. Le modele de cycle de vie de ressource du consommateur rend cela possible pour de telles compagnies, afin de determiner non seulement quand il existe des opportunites pour des applications strategiques mais aussi que des applications specifiques pourraient etre developpees