Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Estimation of a Structural Vector Autoregression Model Using Non-Gaussianity

Analysis of causal effects between continuous-valued variables typically uses either autoregressive models or structural equation models with instantaneous effects. Estimation of Gaussian, linear structural equation models poses serious identifiability problems, which is why it was recently proposed to use non-Gaussian models. Here, we show how to combine the non-Gaussian instantaneous model with autoregressive models. This is effectively what is called a structural vector autoregression (SVAR) model, and thus our work contributes to the long-standing problem of how to estimate SVAR's. We show that such a non-Gaussian model is identifiable without prior knowledge of network structure. We propose computationally efficient methods for estimating the model, as well as methods to assess the significance of the causal influences. The model is successfully applied on financial and brain imaging data.
Quantitative Proteomic Study of Human Lung Squamous Carcinoma and Normal Bronchial Epithelial Acquired by Laser Capture Microdissection

Objective. To investigate the differential protein profile of human lung squamous carcinoma (HLSC) and normal bronchial epithelium (NBE) and provide preliminary results for further study to explore the carcinogenic mechanism of HLSC. Methods. Laser capture microdissection (LCM) was used to purify the target cells from 10 pairs of HLSC tissues and their matched NHBE, respectively. A stable-isotope labeled strategy using iTRAQ, followed by 2D-LC/Q-STAR mass spectrometry, was performed to separate and identify the differential expression proteins. Results. A total of 96 differential expression proteins in the LCM-purified HLSC and NBE were identified. Compared with NBE, 49 proteins were upregulated and 47 proteins were downregulated in HLSC. Furthermore, the expression levels of the differential proteins including HSPB1, CKB, SCCA1, S100A8, as well as S100A9 were confirmed by western blot and tissue microarray and were consistent with the results of quantitative proteomics. Conclusion. The different expression proteins in HLSC will provide scientific foundation for further study to explore the carcinogenic mechanism of HLSC.
Structure vs Combinatorics in Computational Complexity

Some computational problems seem to have a certain \structure" that is manifested in non-trivial algorithmic properties, while others are more \unstructured" in the sense that they are either \very easy" or \very hard". I survey some of the known results and open questions about this classication and its connections to phase transitions, average-case complexity, quantum computing and cryptography.
Evaluating a social media platform in a large-scale international company: A five action approach

This paper reports about a pilot study of a social media platform, based on Microsoft SharePoint 2010 within a large international company, having different sites in Europe, Asia and the US. The platform should enhance the communication between departments and interdepartmentally. The goal of this pilot study is to accompany the introduction of this social networking tool in order to increase acceptability and usage among the employees of the company. Five different actions have been taken for implementation: information kick-off workshops to raise awareness, a survey on success criteria, an expert evaluation on usability problems, collaborative use case definition, and a survey on benchmarking the tool in terms of user experience and acceptability. In this paper, we discuss the benefits and limitations of our approach and we will outline the future work, which will happen after the pilot phase.
Consensus for Linear Multiagent Systems With Time-Varying Delays: A Frequency Domain Perspective

This paper investigates the consensus problem for multiagent systems with time-varying delays. The bounded delays can be arbitrarily fast time-varying. The communication topology is assumed to be undirected and fixed. With general linear dynamics under average state feedback protocols, the consensus problem is then transformed into the robust control problem. Further, sufficient frequency domain criteria are established in terms of small gain theorem by analyzing the delay dependent gains for both continuous-time and discrete-time systems. The controller synthesis problems can be solved by applying the frequency domain design methods. Numerical examples are demonstrated to verify the effectiveness of the proposed approaches.
Towards an Interactive Voice Agent for Singapore Hokkien

Singapore Hokkien (SH) is the most commonly spoken non-Mandarin Chinese dialect in Singapore. It is an important language for many members of Singapore's pioneer generation, but much less so for the younger generation who prefer English. In recent years, the greying of this demographic has placed an increasing demand on for assistive devices to support them. We report ongoing efforts to build limited-vocabulary speech recognition, with the eventual goal of a conversational voice agent in SH that can support applications in home-automation or in-hospital use case scenarios. This process is challenging as sizeable SH speech corpora do not yet exist, and SH is sufficiently different from existing Mandarin or Minnan such that other corpora cannot be directly used. We document our efforts at building language resources -- audio corpora, pronunciation lexicons -- and present some preliminary findings on multilingual training.
Approximate Bayesian inference for latent Gaussian models by using integrated nested Laplace approximations

Summary. Structured additive regression models are perhaps the most commonly used class of models in statistical applications. It includes, among others, (generalized) linear models, (generalized) additive models, smoothing spline models, state space models, semiparametric regression, spatial and spatiotemporal models, log‐Gaussian Cox processes and geostatistical and geoadditive models. We consider approximate Bayesian inference in a popular subset of structured additive regression models, latent Gaussian models, where the latent field is Gaussian, controlled by a few hyperparameters and with non‐Gaussian response variables. The posterior marginals are not available in closed form owing to the non‐Gaussian response variables. For such models, Markov chain Monte Carlo methods can be implemented, but they are not without problems, in terms of both convergence and computational time. In some practical applications, the extent of these problems is such that Markov chain Monte Carlo sampling is simply not an appropriate tool for routine analysis. We show that, by using an integrated nested Laplace approximation and its simplified version, we can directly compute very accurate approximations to the posterior marginals. The main benefit of these approximations is computational: where Markov chain Monte Carlo algorithms need hours or days to run, our approximations provide more precise estimates in seconds or minutes. Another advantage with our approach is its generality, which makes it possible to perform Bayesian analysis in an automatic, streamlined way, and to compute model comparison criteria and various predictive measures so that models can be compared and the model under study can be challenged.
Hindi Subjective Lexicon: A Lexical Resource for Hindi Adjective Polarity Classification

With recent developments in web technologies, percentage web content in Hindi is growing up at a lighting speed. This information can prove to be very useful for researchers, governments and organization to learn what's on public mind, to make sound decisions. In this paper, we present a graph based wordnet expansion method to generate a full (adjective and adverb) subjective lexicon. We used synonym and antonym relations to expand the initial seed lexicon. We show three different evaluation strategies to validate the lexicon. We achieve 70.4% agreement with human annotators and â¼79% accuracy on product review classification. Main contribution of our work 1) Developing a lexicon of adjectives and adverbs with polarity scores using Hindi Wordnet. 2) Developing an annotated corpora of Hindi Product Reviews.
Iniparib Nonselectively Modifies Cysteine-Containing Proteins in Tumor Cells and Is Not a Bona Fide PARP Inhibitor

Purpose: PARP inhibitors are being developed as therapeutic agents for cancer. More than six compounds have entered clinical trials. The majority of these compounds are β-nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+)-competitive inhibitors. One exception is iniparib, which has been proposed to be a noncompetitive PARP inhibitor. In this study, we compare the biologic activities of two different structural classes of NAD+-competitive compounds with iniparib and its C-nitroso metabolite. Experimental Design: Two chemical series of NAD+-competitive PARP inhibitors, iniparib and its C-nitroso metabolite, were analyzed in enzymatic and cellular assays. Viability assays were carried out in MDA-MB-436 (BRCA1-deficient) and DLD1−/− (BRCA2-deficient) cells together with BRCA-proficient MDA-MB-231 and DLD1+/+ cells. Capan-1 and B16F10 xenograft models were used to compare iniparib and veliparib in vivo. Mass spectrometry and the 3H-labeling method were used to monitor the covalent modification of proteins. Results: All NAD+-competitive inhibitors show robust activity in a PARP cellular assay, strongly potentiate the activity of temozolomide, and elicit robust cell killing in BRCA-deficient tumor cells in vitro and in vivo. Cell killing was associated with an induction of DNA damage. In contrast, neither iniparib nor its C-nitroso metabolite inhibited PARP enzymatic or cellular activity, potentiated temozolomide, or showed activity in a BRCA-deficient setting. We find that the nitroso metabolite of iniparib forms adducts with many cysteine-containing proteins. Furthermore, both iniparib and its nitroso metabolite form protein adducts nonspecifically in tumor cells. Conclusions: Iniparib nonselectively modifies cysteine-containing proteins in tumor cells, and the primary mechanism of action for iniparib is likely not via inhibition of PARP activity. Clin Cancer Res; 18(2); 510–23. ©2011 AACR.
Sequencing of DSM-IV criteria of nicotine dependence.

AIMS To determine whether there is a sequence in which adolescents experience symptoms of nicotine dependence (ND) as per the DSM-IV. DESIGN A two-stage design was implemented to select a multi-ethnic target sample of adolescents from a school survey of 6th-10th graders from the Chicago Public Schools. The cohort was interviewed at home five times with structured computerized interviews at 6-month intervals over a 2-year period. PARTICIPANTS Subsample of new tobacco users (n = 353) who had started to use tobacco within 12 months prior to wave 1 or between waves 1 and 5. MEASUREMENTS AND STATISTICAL METHODS: Monthly histories of DSM-IV symptoms of ND were obtained. Log-linear quasi-independence models were estimated to identify the fit of different cumulative models of progression among the four most prevalent dependence criteria (tolerance, impaired control, withdrawal, unsuccessful attempts to quit), indexed by specific symptoms, by gender and race/ethnicity. FINDINGS Pathways varied slightly across groups. The proportions who could be classified in a progression pathway not by chance ranged from 50.7% to 68.8%. Overall, tolerance and impaired control appeared first and preceded withdrawal; impaired control preceded attempts to quit. For males, tolerance was experienced first, with withdrawal a minor path of entry; for females withdrawal was experienced last, tolerance and impaired control were experienced first. For African Americans, tolerance by itself was experienced first; for other groups an alternative path began with impaired control. CONCLUSIONS The prevalence and sequence of criteria of ND fit our understanding of the neuropharmacology of ND. The order among symptoms early in the process of dependence may differ from the severity order of symptoms among those who persist in smoking.
Large amplitude oscillatory shear of unmodified and modified bitumen

The current binder testing protocols in the oscillatory domain use peak stress–strain data for material characterisation. The viscoelastic linearity limits are also based on such data. For a rigorous characterisation of the viscoelastic response of the binder, it is necessary that one records the complete waveform of the material response during oscillatory testing. This paper reports the waveform recorded for unmodified, crumb rubber modified and Styrelf modified bitumen during oscillatory loading. The waveform was collected for strain amplitudes of 1% and 5% at 30°C, 40°C and 50°C temperature. The linear and nonlinear behaviour of the material was studied using the geometrical symmetry of Lissajous plots. It was found that the material response was nonlinear. An appropriate frame invariant nonlinear constitutive model was used to predict the waveform response of all the binders tested.
Cracking Mechanism of Long Concrete Bedding Cushion and Prevention Method

The long concrete bedding cushions are more vulnerable to cracking than the dam concrete, even the cushion is much shorter than the dam block, especially those constructed in hot season and the off period lasts long. The cracking mechanism of such cushion is studied and presented in this paper. There are several reasons contribute to the cracks of bedding cushion, but the thermal stress is the main factor. The temperature distribution is always unevenly during the construction period of bedding cushion. During the long off period, temperature drop in local high temperature zone, temperature fluctuation and temperature difference between inside and surface are the main factors causing cracks for bedding cushion without proper thermal control measures. Some thermal control measures are always used in practical engineering, but it can not always effectively prevent bedding cushion from cracking. Reasonable water pipes cooling measure, which can prevent local high temperature at the early age of construction, and effective heat preservation measures in cold season, which can reduce temperature difference between inside and surface and temperature fluctuation, are necessary to prevent cracking. One bedding cushion of concrete dam is numerically stimulated by 3D FEM, and effective temperature control measure is proposed in this paper.
Approximation Algorithm for Finding Protected Links to Keep Small Diameter against Link Failures

High reliability and performance are needed as the Internet becomes an important social infrastructure. Network delay is one of measures of performance of network. As delay between two nodes correlates roughly with the distance between them, the diameter of the network which is the maximum distance of all two nodes must be small. In addition, it is necessary to keep small network delay against network failures. Therefore, critical links whose failures significantly degrade the performance must be protected by rapid recovery so that failures cannot be detected over the IP layer. The number of these protected links must be small to restrict investment cost of facilities and operational cost for Internet service providers. Consequently, it is important to find the smallest number of links to be protected so that the diameter of a network is not more than a given integer even if a limited number of non-protected links fail. It was proved by the authors that this problem is NP-hard when the number of the simultaneous link failures, k, is more than or equal to three, and it can be solved in polynomial time when k is restricted to one. However, it was not known whether the problem is NP-hard or not when k = 2. Furthermore, no approximation algorithm was known for the NP-hard cases. In this paper, we solve these unsolved issues of this problem. First, we prove that the problem is NP-hard even if k = 2. Second, we present approximation algorithms with the approximation ratio of a fixed constant for the NP-hard cases. These results make clear the computational complexity of this problem theoretically and give the useful network design algorithms also from the practical viewpoints.
Managing simulation Workflow patterns using dynamic service-oriented compositions

Distributed simulation usage in industry has been limited due to its high cost in comparison to its returned benefits. A number of surveys of experts from different background suggested the need of distributed simulation features to overcome its challenges and cost. The RESTful Interoperability Simulation Environment (RISE) middleware, based on RESTful Web-services, deals with these issues. However, simulation assets also need to be part of a formal Business Process Management (BPM) to allow practical across-enterprise collaboration. The Workflow mechanism introduced here promises to help with this situation. Further, these workflows provide automation, repeatable and reusable simulation experiments. We present the design of a workflow component that is capable of managing and executing different workflow patterns across various simulation RISE servers. We further present in detail a number of simulation workflow patterns executed by the workflow component.
Adolescent Abstinence and Unprotected Sex in CyberSenga, an Internet-Based HIV Prevention Program: Randomized Clinical Trial of Efficacy

Context Cost-effective, scalable programs are urgently needed in countries deeply affected by HIV. Methods This parallel-group RCT was conducted in four secondary schools in Mbarara, Uganda. Participants were 12 years and older, reported past-year computer or Internet use, and provided informed caregiver permission and youth assent. The intervention, CyberSenga, was a five-hour online healthy sexuality program. Half of the intervention group was further randomized to receive a booster at four-months post-intervention. The control arm received ‘treatment as usual’ (i.e., school-delivered sexuality programming). The main outcome measures were: 1) condom use and 2) abstinence in the past three months at six-months' post-intervention. Secondary outcomes were: 1) condom use and 2) abstinence at three-month's post-intervention; and 6-month outcomes by booster exposure. Analyses were intention to treat. Results All 416 eligible youth were invited to participate, 88% (n = 366) of whom enrolled. Participants were randomized to the intervention (n = 183) or control (n = 183) arm; 91 intervention participants were further randomized to the booster. No statistically significant results were noted among the main outcomes. Among the secondary outcomes: At three-month follow-up, trends suggested that intervention participants (81%) were more likely to be abstinent than control participants (74%; p = 0.08), and this was particularly true among youth who were abstinent at baseline (88% vs. 77%; p = 0.02). At six-month follow-up, those in the booster group (80%) reported higher rates of abstinence than youth in the intervention, no booster (57%) and control (55%) groups (p = 0.15); they also reported lower rates of unprotected sex (5%) compared to youth in the intervention, no booster (24%) and control (21%) groups (p = 0.21) among youth sexually active at baseline. Conclusions The CyberSenga program may affect HIV preventive behavior among abstinent youth in the short term and, with the booster, may also promote HIV preventive behavior among sexually active youth in the longer term. Trial Registration NCT00906178.
Perioperative opioids aggravate obstructive breathing in sleep apnea syndrome: mechanisms and alternative anesthesia strategies

Purpose of review Opioids induce and increase the severity of most sleep-disordered breathing in all patients, but especially in morbidly obese patients. Discussed herein are the direct impact and mechanisms of opioids on inducing and exacerbating obstructive sleep apnea syndrome in normal and morbidly obese patients. Recent findings Respiratory depression is a larger problem than obstructive sleep apnea syndrome during the first night after an opioid anesthesia because of the reduced amount of deep sleep and rapid-eye-movement sleep. Acute tolerance to the analgesic effects of opioids can be observed after one anesthetic opioid dose, although tolerance to the side-effects of opioids develops more slowly. Therefore, it makes sense to avoid all opioids intraoperatively. A recently developed multimodal nonopioid anesthesia method may prevent development of acute tolerance and facilitate postoperative pain management with less opioids and sleep-disordered breathing. Summary A multimodal nonopioid anesthesia method avoids the necessity for intraoperative opioids, reduces the need for postoperative opioid use, and improves analgesia with less narcotic.
Are They Going to Cross? A Benchmark Dataset and Baseline for Pedestrian Crosswalk Behavior

Designing autonomous vehicles suitable for urban environments remains an unresolved problem. One of the major dilemmas faced by autonomous cars is how to understand the intention of other road users and communicate with them. The existing datasets do not provide the necessary means for such higher level analysis of traffic scenes. With this in mind, we introduce a novel dataset which in addition to providing the bounding box information for pedestrian detection, also includes the behavioral and contextual annotations for the scenes. This allows combining visual and semantic information for better understanding of pedestrians' intentions in various traffic scenarios. We establish baseline approaches for analyzing the data and show that combining visual and contextual information can improve prediction of pedestrian intention at the point of crossing by at least 20%.
Identification of RNA molecules by specific enzyme digestion and mass spectrometry: software for and implementation of RNA mass mapping

The idea of identifying or characterizing an RNA molecule based on a mass spectrum of specifically generated RNA fragments has been used in various forms for well over a decade. We have developed software—named RRM for ‘RNA mass mapping’—which can search whole prokaryotic genomes or RNA FASTA sequence databases to identify the origin of a given RNA based on a mass spectrum of RNA fragments. As input, the program uses the masses of specific RNase cleavage of the RNA under investigation. RNase T1 digestion is used here as a demonstration of the usability of the method for RNA identification. The concept for identification is that the masses of the digestion products constitute a specific fingerprint, which characterize the given RNA. The search algorithm is based on the same principles as those used in peptide mass fingerprinting, but has here been extended to work for both RNA sequence databases and for genome searches. A simple and powerful probability model for ranking RNA matches is proposed. We demonstrate viability of the entire setup by identifying the DNA template of a series of RNAs of biological and of in vitro transcriptional origin in complete microbial genomes and by identifying authentic 16S ribosomal RNAs in a ‘small ribosomal subunit RNA’ database. Thus, we present a new tool for a rapid identification of unknown RNAs using only a few picomoles of starting material.
A zero-sum game theoretic framework for jamming detection and avoidance in Wireless Sensor Networks

Wireless Sensor Networks have demonstrated successful applications for both civil and military tasks in recent years. However, sensor networks are susceptible to jamming attacks because they are randomly deployed in open and unprotected environments, and sensor nodes are always resource-limited. Therefore, it is necessary to utilize effective mechanisms to protect sensor networks against malicious jamming. In this paper, we propose a noncooperative zero-sum game theoretic framework for jamming detection and avoidance framework integrated for single-hop wireless sensor networks. Furthermore, we provide two utility function types and analyze the Nash Equilibrium of the proposed zero-sum game. Based on the analyzed results, our scheme can prevent jamming attacks on sensor networks efficiently.