Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Informed Lifting for Message-Passing

Lifted inference, handling whole sets of indistinguishable objects together, is critical to the effective application of probabilistic relational models to realistic real world tasks. Recently, lifted belief propagation (LBP) has been proposed as an efficient approximate solution of this inference problem. It runs a modified BP on a lifted network where nodes have been grouped together if they have — roughly speaking — identical computation trees, the tree-structured “unrolling” of the underlying graph rooted at the nodes. In many situations, this purely syntactic criterion is too pessimistic: message errors decay along paths. Intuitively, for a long chain graph with weak edge potentials, distant nodes will send and receive identical messages yet their computation trees are quite different. To overcome this, we propose iLBP, a novel, easy-to-implement, informed LBP approach that interleaves lifting and modified BP iterations. In turn, we can efficiently monitor the true BP messages sent and received in each iteration and group nodes accordingly. As our experiments show, iLBP can yield significantly faster more lifted network while not degrading performance. Above all, we show that iLBP is faster than BP when solving the problem of distributing data to a large network, an important real-world application where BP is faster than uninformed LBP.
Digital Preservation of Cultural Heritage through Constructive Modeling

The issues of digital preservation of shapes and internal structures of historical and cultural objects are discussed. An overview of existing approaches to computer modeling of shapes is presented and corresponding problems are considered. We propose a digital preservation paradigm quite different from the currently popular "scan and mesh" approach yielding visible surface models. Our approach is based on constructive modeling that reflects the logical structure of modeled shapes. Constructive Solid Geometry (CSG) and Function Representation (FRep) are examined and practically applied as mathematical representations which fit the purposes of long term digital preservation. Examples of CSG based reconstruction of historical temples and FRep based modeling of traditional lacquer ware are given.
Student and teacher responses to violence in school: The divergent views of bullies, victims, and bully-victims

School bullying is a worldwide worrisome phenomenon that occurs within a broad context in which pupils and teachers can either reinforce or undermine violent behavior through interaction. Based on a nationally representative sample of students in Israel, this study examined patterns in student perceptions of student and teacher responses to school violence and differences in perceptions according to bully/victim participation (bullies, victims, bully-victims, and not involved). Student perceptions of responses to school violence, safety, not attending school due to fear of violence, and students’ sense of the severity of the violence problem in their school were examined. Findings indicated students and teachers did not actively accelerate violent episodes, but were reluctant to respond positively by intervening to stop violence. Positive responses to violence were related to positive school experiences among students. Students who were not involved in school bullying had the best perceptions of positive responses to violence. However, significant differences were not found among the three other groups (bullies, victims, and bully-victims). Findings suggested any participation in school violence involves a significant decrease in perceptions of positive responses. The importance of promoting a safe school environment and positive climate through increased awareness, involvement and supervision, and clear rules and strong norms against violence is discussed.
Transmission of Staphylococcus aureus From Mothers to Newborns

Background: The study objective was to define the risk factors and the route of Staphylococcus aureus transmission between mother and newborn. Methods: Women at late pregnancy were screened for nasal and vaginal S. aureus colonization. Newborns were screened for nasal, auricular, umbilical, and rectal colonization at birth and before discharge. Carrier mothers and their newborns were rescreened at 1 month. Pulse-field gel electrophoresis was used to assess strain genetic relatedness. Results: Of the 208 women screened, 34% were colonized with S. aureus. Overall, by 72–100 hours after birth, the cumulative incidence of S. aureus acquisition was 42.6/100 newborns of carrier mothers versus 7.4/100 newborns of noncarrier mothers (adjusted risk ratio = 5.7; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.3–13.9). The risk to acquire a maternal strain was significantly higher than nonmaternal strain (adjusted risk ratio = 1.5; 95% CI, 1.3–1.9); Newborns to carrier mothers were also at a risk to acquire nonmaternal S. aureus strains compared with newborns to noncarrier mothers (adjusted risk ratio = 2.9; 95% CI, 1.6–5.4). The cumulative incidence of S. aureus acquisition was similar among newborns delivered by cesarean versus vaginal delivery (24.5 vs. 23.0/100 cases). At 1-month follow-up, the cumulative incidence of S. aureus acquisition reached 69.7/100 newborns of carrier mothers. Genetically identical strains were isolated in 32/40 (80%) mother-newborn pairs, among these, the source of the newborn strain was a maternal nasal strain in 29/32 (90%). Conclusions: Newborns of carrier mothers are at risk to acquire S. aureus colonization. Most newborns of carrier mothers are colonized within the first month of life. Horizontal transmission from the mother is probably the major source for S. aureus carriage in newborns.
Tissue-Specific Expression of the Chicken Calpain2 Gene

We quantified chicken calpain 2 (CAPN2) expression in two Chinese chicken breeds (mountainous black-bone chicken breed [MB] and a commercial meat type chicken breed [S01]) to discern the tissue and ontogenic expression pattern and its effect on muscle metabolism. Real-time quantitative PCR assay was developed for accurate measurement of the CAPN2 mRNA expression in various tissues from chickens of different ages (0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12 weeks). Results showed that the breast muscle and leg muscle tissues had the highest expression of CAPN2 compared to the other tissues from the same individual (P < .05). Overall, the CAPN2 mRNA level exhibited a “rise” developmental change in all tissues. The S01 chicken had a higher expression of the CAPN2 mRNA in all tissues than the MB chicken. Our results suggest that chicken CAPN2 expression may be related to chicken breeds and tissues.
SALL4, a Stem Cell Factor, Affects the Side Population by Regulation of the ATP-Binding Cassette Drug Transport Genes

Our previous work shows that the stem cell factor SALL4 plays a central role in embryonic and leukemic stem cells. In this study, we report that SALL4 expression was higher in drug resistant primary acute myeloid leukemic patients than those from drug-responsive cases. In addition, while overexpression of SALL4 led to drug resistance in cell lines, cells with decreased SALL4 expression were more sensitive to drug treatments than the parental cells. This led to our investigation of the implication of SALL4 in drug resistance and its role in side population (SP) cancer stem cells. SALL4 expression was higher in SP cells compared to non-SP cells by 2–4 fold in various malignant hematopoietic cell lines. Knocking down of SALL4 in isolated SP cells resulted in a reduction of SP cells, indicating that SALL4 is required for their self-renewal. The SP phenotype is known to be mediated by members of the ATP-binding cassette (ABC) drug transport protein family, such as ABCG2 and ABCA3. Using chromatin-immunoprecipitation (ChIP), quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and electrophoretic mobility shift assay(EMSA), we demonstrated that SALL4 was able to bind to the promoter region of ABCA3 and activate its expression while regulating the expression of ABCG2 indirectly. Furthermore, SALL4 expression was positively correlated to those of ABCG2 and ABCA3 in primary leukemic patient samples. Taken together, our results suggest a novel role for SALL4 in drug sensitivity, at least in part through the maintenance of SP cells, and therefore may be responsible for drug-resistance in leukemia. We are the first to demonstrate a direct link between stem cell factor SALL4, SP and drug resistance in leukemia.
Architectural evolution of legacy systems

The purpose of this paper is to gain experience in solving real problems faced by a company. We first specify the system architecture of the AFS Master System (R) using our Component Specification Language (CSL). We then identified various problem evident in the current architecture of the AFS Master System (R). Based on an analysis of the architecture and these problems, we proposed a modification to the software architecture that addressed out of the seven main problems identified. The engineers made the appropriate changes to the software system (about one week of effort) and have noted a 25% improvement in efficiency as well as an improved system organization that can be more easily changed to meet future demands. We believe the type of architectural change described in this paper will prove useful to developers using similar technologies as described in this paper.
Cross-sectional Associations between Exposure to Persistent Organic Pollutants and Leukocyte Telomere Length among U.S. Adults in NHANES, 2001–2002

Background: Exposure to persistent organic pollutants (POPs) such as dioxins, furans, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) may influence leukocyte telomere length (LTL), a biomarker associated with chronic disease. In vitro research suggests dioxins may bind to the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) and induce telomerase activity, which elongates LTL. However, few epidemiologic studies have investigated associations between POPs and LTL. Objectives: We examined the association between 18 PCBs, 7 dioxins, and 9 furans and LTL among 1,330 U.S. adults from NHANES 2001–2002. Methods: We created three summed POP metrics based on toxic equivalency factor (TEF), a potency measure including affinity for the AhR: a) non–dioxin-like PCBs (composed of 10 non–dioxin-like PCBs; no AhR affinity and no TEF); b) non-ortho PCBs (composed of 2 non–ortho-substituted PCBs with high TEFs); and c) toxic equivalency (TEQ) (composed of 7 dioxins, 9 furans, 2 non–ortho-substituted PCBs, and 6 mono–ortho-substituted PCBs; weighted by TEF). We tested the association between each metric and LTL using linear regression, adjusting for demographics, blood cell count and distribution, and another metric with a different TEF (i.e., non-ortho PCBs and TEQ adjusted for non–dioxin-like PCBs; non–dioxin-like PCBs adjusted for non-ortho PCBs). Results: In adjusted models, each doubling of serum concentrations of non-ortho PCBs and TEQ was associated with 3.74% (95% CI: 2.10, 5.40) and 5.29% (95% CI: 1.66, 9.05) longer LTLs, respectively. Compared with the lowest quartile, the highest quartile of exposure was associated with 9.16% (95% CI: 2.96, 15.73) and 7.84% (95% CI: –0.53, 16.92) longer LTLs, respectively. Non–dioxin-like PCBs were not associated with LTL. Conclusions: POPs with high TEFs and AhR affinity were associated with longer LTL. Because many dioxin-associated cancers are also associated with longer LTL, these results may provide insight into the mechanisms underlying PCB- and dioxin-related carcinogenesis. Citation: Mitro SD, Birnbaum LS, Needham BL, Zota AR. 2016. Cross-sectional associations between exposure to persistent organic pollutants and leukocyte telomere length among U.S. adults in NHANES, 2001–2002. Environ Health Perspect 124:651–658; http://dx.doi. org/10.1289/ehp.1510187
Representations of women’s active embodiment and men’s ritualized visibility in sport

The embodied woman is central to much marketing communication imagery and, in contemporary discourses the physically active body is portrayed as the healthy role model in much social marketing. From a periodization of women’s access to physical activities, three significant shifts in perception and representation are proposed: the Restricted body, the Malleable body and the Viewed body. Women activists and advertisers connected the freedom to engage in physical activity with social freedoms. A closer examination of second wave feminism reveals the inadequacies of sex role theory, and the limitations of liberal feminist dualisms. In contemporary culture, the interconnected nature of media representations, marketing communications and postfeminism becomes evident. The mobilization of bias through ritualized visibility is introduced to explain the unabated valorization of hegemonic masculinity through images of men’s active embodiment. Further, it is asserted that the inequalities of the neo-liberal identity project are obscured by ‘new traditionalism’. The paper concludes that marketing’s theorization of women would benefit from further consumer research into both the portrayal of physically active women and their experience of active embodiment.
Novel Algorithms for Improved Pattern Recognition Using the US FDA Adverse Event Network Analyzer

The medical review of adverse event reports for medical products requires the processing of "big data" stored in spontaneous reporting systems, such as the US Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS). VAERS data are not well suited to traditional statistical analyses so we developed the FDA Adverse Event Network Analyzer (AENA) and three novel network analysis approaches to extract information from these data. Our new approaches include a weighting scheme based on co-occurring triplets in reports, a visualization layout inspired by the islands algorithm, and a network growth methodology for the detection of outliers. We explored and verified these approaches by analysing the historical signal of Intussusception (IS) after the administration of RotaShield vaccine (RV) in 1999. We believe that our study supports the use of AENA for pattern recognition in medical product safety and other clinical data.
The utility of background knowledge in learning medical diagnostic rules

Abstract Inductive learning algorithms have frequently been applied to the problem of learning medical diagnostic rules. Most learning algorithms use an attribute-value language to describe training examples and induced rules. Consequently, the background knowledge that can be used in the learning process is of a very restricted form. To overcome these limitations, the inductive learning system LINUS incorporates attribute-value learners into a more powerful logic programming framework in which background knowledge can be used effectively. This paper describes the application of LINUS to the problem of learning rules for early diagnosis of rheumatic diseases. In addition to the attribute-value descriptions of patient data, LINUS was given background knowledge provided by a medical specialist. Medical evaluation of the rules induced by UNUS using the CN2 attribute-value learner and measurements of their performance in terms of classification accuracy and information content show that the use of background .
Main Memory Database Systems

The recent advances in processor technology - soon hundreds of cores and terabytes of DRAM in commodity servers - have spawned the academic as well as the industrial interest in main-memory database technology. In this panel, we will discuss the virtues of different architectural designs w.r. t. transaction processing as well as OLAP query processing.
Intercarrier interference self-cancellation scheme for OFDM mobile communication systems

For orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) communication systems, the frequency offsets in mobile radio channels distort the orthogonality between subcarriers resulting in intercarrier interference (ICI). This paper studies an efficient ICI cancellation method termed ICI self-cancellation scheme. The scheme works in two very simple steps. At the transmitter side, one data symbol is modulated onto a group of adjacent subcarriers with a group of weighting coefficients. The weighting coefficients are designed so that the ICI caused by the channel frequency errors can be minimized. At the receiver side, by linearly combining the received signals on these subcarriers with proposed coefficients, the residual ICI contained in the received signals can then be further reduced. The carrier-to-interference power ratio (CIR) can be increased by 15 and 30 dB when the group size is two or three, respectively, for a channel with a constant frequency offset. Although the redundant modulation causes a reduction in bandwidth efficiency, it can be compensated, for example, by using larger signal alphabet sizes. Simulations show that OFDM systems using the proposed ICI self-cancellation scheme perform much better than standard systems while having the same bandwidth efficiency in multipath mobile radio channels with large Doppler frequencies.
Scalability Issues with the Hierarchical Feedback Aggregation for Large-Scale IPTV Systems

Hierarchical feedback aggregation is an enhancement to the RTP/RTCP (Real Time Protocol/Real Time Control Protocol) when the SSM (Source-Specific Multicast) is employed. The main purpose of feedback transmission is to provide information about media delivery and information needed for RTP/RTCP session management. This paper deals with a tree structure for hierarchical feedback aggregation specifically designed for use in large-scale IPTV systems. This tree consists of end nodes and feedback targets. A feedback target collects feedback from a group of nodes, which are either end nodes or other feedback targets. The feedback gathering process continues up to the main feedback target, which is the top of the tree. The maximum number of nodes below a feedback target in the tree hierarchy should be known in order to avoid overloading the feedback target. For the purpose of estimating this maximum number, we used PlanetLab. The use of PlanetLab allowed us involving many more nodes spread around the globe in measurement. Finally, we propose the maximum recommended number of nodes below a feedback target in the tree hierarchy.
Crossing Divides

This article has two aims. First, it seeks to raise awareness about three competing frameworks that are currently dominating the debate about consumption and globalization: 18th-century global exchanges; Americanization; and consumerism. These have tended to operate in virtual isolation and ignorance from each other. Second, through a critical discussion of recent research, the article sets out to complicate conventional chronologies of tradition/modernity/late modernity that continue to underpin much research on consumer cultures. Instead of a linear progression from diversity to standardization, from gift-exchange to commodity-exchange, and from public engagement to privatized materialism, the article points to the dynamic interaction between these forms across time. An appreciation of these longer, deeper, and more variegated histories means that it is problematic to equate consumer culture with the `age of affluence' after the Second World War. In turn, it calls on critics of consumerism to adopt a more realistic and historically sensitive approach that engages with the longer evolution of consumer culture and avoids idealized images of a recent pre-consumerist past.
Diagnosing interdental decays in mouth radiography images using Kernel Fuzzy C means segmentation and cascade object detector

Mouth radiography is one of the common ways of diagnosing tooth decays. Especially for interdental decays which are hard to be examined by naked eyes. In this paper, we present a method for diagnosing internal decay in real word mouth radiography images, which have been gathered in Tabirz Sina dental clinic. Firstly, we will use Kernel Fuzzy C-Means (KFCM) algorithm, which is modifying the objective function in the fuzzy C-means algorithm using a kernel-induced distance metric, as an image segmentation method. Then, the processed images are labelled with decay and are then employed to a cascade object detector for diagnosing purposes. In order to show the efficiency of the employed method the performance is tested on testing mouth radiography image data set. The results indicate that this method composed of KFCM and cascade object detector structures is successful in detecting interdental decays.
Resetting the Shot Clock

In this paper, we examine how employee mobility impacts the human capital of both those who are new to the organization (movers) and those who are existing members (incumbents). Employee mobility events can disrupt both the location-specific and the colleague-specific components of human capital and thus have different impacts on overall human capital. We test our theory on the disparate effects of location change and personnel change on human capital in the highly interdependent context of the National Basketball Association. We find that movers experience adverse performance shocks after mobility events that are moderated when moving as a group, and we also find that group mobility events hinder the performance improvement of incumbents. Our findings are consistent with the limited transfer of location-specific human capital and the disruption of colleague-specific human capital after mobility events.
Realist histories? When form clashes with function

Historians often accuse linguistic-turn type theorizing à la Hayden White of doing away with the justifications for continuing to write histories. The rather naive interpretation is that if there is nothing in the record of the past to justify valuations in the present – no entailment, as Keith Jenkins nicely formulates it, between fact and value, between the past and emplotments of it – then there is no difference between history and fiction. In this article, I try to go beyond the polarized debate about whether history is fact or fiction not by rejecting textualist theory but by delving deeper into the theoretical assumptions made by parties on both sides of that debate. I consider two crucial but still largely neglected issues: the question of the artifice involved in constructing realistic representations and the limiting effects of the genre commitments that historians abide by in order to remain historians. Taken together, these considerations highlight a strong contradiction between the form and the function of history as presently conceived; a contradiction that manifests itself as what I present as the ‘materiality’ of the historical referent – the resistance that historians’ generic and institutional commitments create on the level of the text. I also briefly discuss some ways in which historians might make use of this materiality or resistance instead of domesticating it with purportedly realist forms.