Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
On the utility of sparse neural representations in adaptive behaving agents

A number of unsupervised learning algorithms seeking to account for the receptive field properties of simple cells in the mammalian primary visual cortex have been proposed. Among these are principal component analysis and sparse coding. While it appears that the receptive field properties learned by sparse coding match those measured in cortical cells better than those learned by principal component analysis, it is still not clear why biological neural systems might prefer to use sparse codes. In this paper we explore another reason why sparse representations might be preferred over principal component analysis by studying the utility of different coding schemes in an adaptive behaving agent. We suggest that the qualitative properties of representations based on sparse coding are more stable in the presence of changes in the input statistics than those of representations based on principal component analysis. We demonstrate this by examining representations learned on binocular visual input with different disparity distributions. Our results show that in encoding retinal disparity, the properties of sparse codes are more stable, and that this has important implications in adaptive agents, where the statistics change over time. In particular, in an agent who jointly learns a representation for binocular visual inputs along with a vergence control policy, the learned behavior is unstable when actions are driven by PCA based representations, but stable and self-calibrating when driven by sparse coding based representations.
Clinical perspectives in the diagnosis of thyroid disease.

BACKGROUND The wide array of available thyroid diagnostic tests can help provide accurate diagnoses for most cases of thyroid disease but can be confusing and costly when used inappropriately. METHODS Published articles were reviewed and combined with the author's clinical experience and data collected from patients. RESULTS The discussions focus on confusing aspects of thyroid diagnostic tests, the use and limitations of the thyrotropin test to screen for thyroid dysfunction, biological factors that complicate the interpretation of this and other thyroid diagnostic tests, and a combined clinical and laboratory approach to (a) thyroid diseases with only one important dimension ("simplex" conditions) and (b) thyroid diseases with several important dimensions ("multiplex" conditions). CONCLUSION The optimal use of thyroid diagnostic tests is patient-specific and depends on the patient's specific thyroid disease, the stage of disease, and coexisting medical conditions.
A comparative evaluation of the Generative Topographic Mapping and the Elastic Net for the formation of Ocular Dominance stripes

In this paper we compare the self organising capabilities of the Generative Topographic Map (GTM) [1] and Elastic Net (EN) [2]. We analytically compare the two algorithms and examine the different ways in which they preserve topography by considering their respective `state space trajectories'. We present simulations that demonstrate the differences between the two algorithms. We conclude by using the GTM to simulate the formation of Ocular Dominance (OD) stripes and compare against earlier simulations using the EN. Our findings indicate that the GTM produces patterns with some of the required characteristics and match results obtained with the EN to a degree.
Blocking probaffity analysis of new and handover calls in cellular mobile networks with repeated attempts

It is known that ellieient call handling mechanisms can greatly improve cellular network performance. Bowerer, nuidern cellular mobile network dimensioning is often based an rough estimates than on realistic analytical models for the applied protocols and expected traffic behavior. The application of more detailed traffic models shows, that actual load and probabilktic traftic properties considerably differ from those used for ertima- tion. This can lead to inaccurate calculation of QaS pnrameters and network operator costs. In this paper we consider call han- dling schemes in cellular mobile networks based nn complete shar- ing and guard channels for lhe case of blocked call retries. We present a simple analytical method for approximate calculation of blocking probabilities for this case. As a part of the method we derive the average number of failed repeated attempts per one blocked call which we consider to he an important parameter in cost calculation.
Synthesizing intonation

This paper describes a computer program for synthesizing fundamental frequency (F0} contours for English, and sketches the theory which underlies it. The F0 contour is described as a series of targets within an envelope specifying F0 range; the F0 contour between targets is computed by transition rules. The use of nonmonotonic transitions permits a sparser specification of the contour than has been possible in most previous frameworks. ' The program generates a good synthesis of neutral declarative intonation. Unlike most previous F0 synthesis programh, it can also be used to synthesize a variety of non-nentral intonation patterns.
UBV RI Photometry and Multi-Band Maps

A new survey of star clusters in the SouthWest field of the M31 disk based on the high resolution Subaru Suprime-Cam observations is presented. The UBV RI aperture CCD photometry catalog of 285 objects (V 20. m 5; 169 of them identified for the first time) is provided. Each object is supplemented with multi-band color maps presented in the electronic edition of the Astrophysical Journal Supplement. Seventy seven star cluster candidates from the catalog are located in the Hubble Space Telescope archive frames.
Automatic Optical Inspection for PCB Manufacturing : a Survey

— As the rapid development in electronic industries based on Printed Circuit Board (PCB) designs and high volumes manufacturing capacities and the need for high quality products with minimum defect rate comes the importance of Automated Optical Inspection (AOI) technology. The basic objectives among different AOI system manufacturers are to improve lighting, computing capability, flexibility of part staging and vision software. These improvements make AOI products more intelligent, flexible, and with far more repeatable results that are superior to human visual inspection. For finding of errors in PCB many algorithms are proposed in literature. A variety of approaches for automated visual inspection of printed circuit have been reported over the last three decades. The last reported survey in this topic introduced by Moganti96 that is why the need to introduce this survey to cover reported work after 1996. Also Moganti survey covers solely bare PCBs visual inspection. In this survey, algorithms and techniques for the automated inspection of printed circuit boards are examined. A classification of these algorithms is presented and the algorithms are grouped according to this classification. This survey concentrates mainly on image analysis and fault detection techniques; these also include state-of-the-art algorithms.
New Developments in Iterative Methods for Device Simulation

We have investigated the performance of a variety of new algorithms for the solution of large systems of linear equations arising in multi-dimensional numerical device simulation. These algorithms include novel techniques for preconditioning and equation solution that are particularly suited for very ill-conditioned problems where conventional methods fail. In our software implementation, they can be combined in a modular fashion, permitting even an automatic way to solve a particular problem. As most stable algorithm, a special variant of CGS called Bi-CGSTAB, together with a new ILU drop tolerance preconditioned shows particular promise in handling even the worst-case problems.
Screening and cloning of differentially expressed genes in Dendrobium nobile induced by orchid mycorrhizal fungus promoting the growth

Appropriate mycorrhizal fungi could effectively promote plant growth and development. Our previous research results showed that the growth of Dendrobium nobile was obviously promoted under inoculating one orchid mycorrhizal fungi, Epulorhiza sp. AR-18. To understand the growth-promoting molecular mechanisms, differential displayed real time polymerase chain reaction (DDRT-PCR), reverse Northern blot and Southern blot were used to isolate and identify genes whose transcription were altered in cultured D. nobile plants that were treated with Epulorhiza sp. AR-18. Amplified by 8 primer combinations from one anchor primers and 8 random primers, a total of 14 complementary DNA (cDNA) fragments including 12 differentially expressed cDNA bands were isolated. Reverse northern blot analysis showed that only 2 genes were differentially displayed cDNA bands. One band was an especially expressed fragment, expressed in the treated group but not in the control; while another was a differentially expressed fragment, weak in the treated and strength in the control. Southern blot analysis demonstrated that the two gene fragments were from the plant and not from the fungus. Sequence analysis and database searches revealed no significant homology to any known sequences. The results suggested that the usefulness of messenger RAN (mRNA) differential display technique for the detection of differentially expressed genes in D. nobile whose growth could be promoted by mycorrhizal fungi. Keywords: Dendrobium nobile , differential displayed real time polymerase chain reaction (DDRT-PCR), orchid mycorrhizal fungus, Epulorhiza sp. , reverse northern blot
Probabilistic Sonar Scan Matching for Robust Localization

This paper presents a probabilistic framework to perform scan matching localization using standard time-of-flight ultrasonic sensors. Probabilistic models of the sensors as well as techniques to propagate the errors through the models are also presented and discussed. A method to estimate the most probable trajectory followed by the robot according to the scan matching and odometry estimations is also presented. Thanks to that, accurate robot localization can be performed without the need of geometric constraints. The experiments demonstrate the robustness of our method even in the presence of large amounts of noisy readings and odometric errors.
Prisoners and Politics: Western Hostage Taking by Militant Groups

ABSTRACT Hostage taking of Westerners by militant groups has increased since 9/11. Despite this rising problem, there has been little academic research on how a hostage’s individual characteristics influence the outcome of the incident. Using a newly collected dataset of over 1,000 individuals taken hostage in incidents involving terrorist groups since 2001, this article evaluates how individual, national, and group characteristics influence the likelihood that hostage incidents end with the release or execution of the hostage. The findings show that a hostage’s nationality and occupation are significant individual-level drivers of outcomes, while the nature of the militant group itself also matters.
Flexible shape measurement system for chemical plant using magnetic sensors

We propose a flexible computer vision system using magnetic sensors. The system enables a flexible free scanning of a CCD camera and a laser slit using 3D magnetic sensors. Many numbers of views of each model from different angles can be taken on measuring the configuration between a CCD camera and a laser slit projector simultaneously. The information of different views is combined to reconstruct the 3D object on a computer display. In this paper, the application for pipe measurement is introduced. Experimental results show the feasibility of our system.
Visualizing Social Roles - Design and Evaluation of a Bird's-eye View of Social Network Privacy Settings

The rising usage of Social Network Sites for interacting with contacts from multiple social spheres poses new privacy challenges and increasingly prompts users to manage their online identities. To convey a consistent image of the self when interacting with a group of contacts, at first awareness of previously used social roles is needed. However, existing tools on Social Network Sites to increase such awareness are often spread over different interfaces and the user is left to figure out which contacts have access to which shared items. To address these problems, we introduce the Access Policy Grid, a new visualization offering a bird's-eye view on defined privacy settings that allows identifying social roles and inconsistencies therein. To evaluate our visualization, we present the results of a laboratory experiment involving 32 participants in which we compare the Access Policy Grid to the native Facebook interface. For five out of six research questions, our results show that the APG outperforms the Facebook interface significantly in terms of at least one of the three investigated aspects (accuracy, confidence, and time-to-task completion).
CSAE WPS / 2005-04 Credit Can Precipitate Firm Failure : Evidence from Kenyan Manufacturing in the 1990 s

This paper models firm survival in Kenyan manufacturing with a particular emphasis on the effect of credit on firm resilience. The paper explores how firms coped with the challenging economic environment that prevailed in the 1990s particularly the effect of the dramatic increase in interest rates. The key finding is that the burden of past loans precipitated firm failure in the 1990s but overdrafts did not seem to have had a significant impact on firm failure. Furthermore, older firms appear to have resisted better than younger ones, but there is no evidence that large firms had higher survival rates. These results are robust to different specifications, namely probit models, Cox proportional hazard models and exponential, Gompertz and Weibull parametric hazard models. The main contribution of the paper is to highlight the role of credit in explaining firm failure in a shockprone developing economy. The study shows that the key factors explaining firm survival in developed economies, namely size and age, are not necessarily the most relevant determinants of firm survival in developing economies. Methodologically, this paper is one of the few that have applied hazard analysis to firms in developing economies.  This paper is based on Chapter 5 of my D. Phil thesis at Oxford University. I wish to sincerely thank Marcel Fafchamps, my supervisor, for his guidance. My thanks also go to Francis Teal and Jan W. Gunning for their comments on my thesis. This paper has also benefited from comments from Oxford University CSAEs seminar participants where an early version was presented. All remaining errors are my sole responsibility.
Global sensitivity analysis of DRAINMOD‐FOREST, an integrated forest ecosystem model

Global sensitivity analysis is a useful tool to understand process‐based ecosystem models by identifying key parameters and processes controlling model predictions. This study reported a comprehensive global sensitivity analysis for DRAINMOD‐FOREST, an integrated model for simulating water, carbon (C), and nitrogen (N) cycles and plant growth in lowland forests. The analysis was carried out for multiple long‐term model predictions of hydrology, biogeochemistry, and plant growth. Results showed that long‐term mean hydrological predictions were highly sensitive to several key plant physiological parameters. Long‐term mean annual soil organic C content and mineralization rate were mainly controlled by temperature‐related parameters for soil organic matter decomposition. Mean annual forest productivity and N uptake were found to be mainly dependent upon plant production‐related parameters, including canopy quantum use efficiency and carbon use efficiency. Mean annual nitrate loss was highly sensitive to parameters controlling both hydrology and plant production, while mean annual dissolved organic nitrogen loss was controlled by parameters associated with its production and physical sorption. Parameters controlling forest production, C allocation, and specific leaf area highly affected long‐term mean annual leaf area. Results of this study could help minimize the efforts needed for calibrating DRAINMOD‐FOREST. Meanwhile, this study demonstrates the critical role of plants in regulating water, C, and N cycles in forest ecosystems and highlights the necessity of incorporating a dynamic plant growth model for comprehensively simulating hydrological and biogeochemical processes. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
An analysis on recombination in multi-objective evolutionary optimization

Recombination (or called crossover) operators are a kind of characterizing feature of evolutionary algorithms (EAs). The usefulness of recombination operators has been verified empirically in many practical applications, and has also been theoretically studied in single-objective optimization. For multi-objective optimization, however, there lacks strong evidence on whether the recombination operators can lead to a better running time. In this paper, we establish some theoretical support to the use of recombination in multi-objective optimization. We analyze the running time of REMO, a simple multi-objective EA with a recombination operator, on two well-studied bi-objective problems, i.e., the LOTZ and the COCZ problems. Our analysis results disclose that the average running time of REMO on LOTZ and COCZ is Θ(n2) and Θ(n log n), respectively, improved from Θ(n3) and Θ(n2) as when the recombination operator is turned off, respectively. These results imply that the recombination operator is crucial for the efficiency of REMO on these two problems. The analysis also suggests that, generally, recombination operators can be helpful to multi-objective optimization as they may accelerate the filling of the Pareto front through recombining diverse solutions.
Resistive index as a predictor of renal progression in patients with moderate renal dysfunction regardless of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor or angiotensin receptor antagonist medication

Background Previous studies have shown that a higher resistive index (RI) on renal duplex ultrasonography was related with renal progression and acute kidney injury, especially in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) using an angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI) or angiotensin receptor antagonist (ARB). We evaluated whether a RI value is a predictive factor for renal progression regardless of ACEI or ARB medication in patients with moderate renal dysfunction. Methods We retrospectively analyzed 119 patients with moderate renal dysfunction that had been evaluated with renal duplex ultrasonography from February 2011 to April 2015. Moderate renal dysfunction was defined as a stage 3 to 4 CKD. Renal progression was defined as a doubling of the baseline serum creatinine (sCr), a decrease of baseline glomerular filtration rate by > 50%, or initiation of renal replacement therapy. Results The mean age was 64.7 ± 11.0 years and sCr level was 2.1 ± 1.2 mg/dL. The RI ≥ 0.79 group showed a higher incidence of renal progression (P = 0.004, log-rank test) compared with the RI < 0.79 group, irrespective of ACEI or ARB usage. In the Cox proportional hazard model, RI ≥ 0.79 was an independent prognostic factor after adjusting for age, sex, diabetes mellitus, sCr, proteinuria, and use of ACEI or ARB (hazard ratio, 4.88; 95% confidence interval, 1.06–22.53; P = 0.043). Conclusion RI ≥ 0.79 on the renal duplex ultrasonography can be a helpful predictor for renal progression in patients with moderate renal dysfunction, regardless of their ACEI or ARB usage.
The proper motion and energy distribution of the isolated neutron star RX J0720.4–3125

ESO 4 m class telescope and VLT deep imaging of the isolated neutron star RX J0720.4-3125 reveals a proper motion of µ = 97 ± 12 mas/yr and a blue U − B color index. We show that a neutron star atmosphere model modified to account for a limited amount of hydrogen on the star's surface can well represent both the optical and X-ray data without invoking any additional thermal component. The large proper motion almost completely excludes the possibility that accretion from the interstellar medium is the powering mechanism of the X-ray emission. It also implies that the proposed spin down is entirely due to magnetic dipole losses. RX J0720.4-3125 is thus very likely a middle aged cooling neutron star. Its overall properties are quite similar to some of the long period radio pulsars recently discovered, giving further support to the idea that RX J0720.4-3125 may be a pulsar whose narrow radio beam does not cross the Earth.
Electron-impact broadening of the 3 s – 3 p lines in low-Z Li-like ions

The collisional electron-impact line widths of the 3s–3p transitions in Li-like ions from B III to Ne VIII are calculated with the convergent close-coupling (CCC) method from the atomic collision theory. The elastic and inelastic contributions to the line broadening and their Z-scaling are discussed in detail, and comparisons with recent experimental and theoretical results are also presented. It is found that similar to our previous study of line broadening in Be-like ions, the di;erence between experimental and CCC results monotonically increases with the spectroscopic charge of an ion. 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
THE ABDUS SALAM INTERNATIONAL CENTRE FOR THEORETICAL PHYSICS GAUGE THEORY DESCRIPTION OF D-BRANE BLACK HOLES: EMERGENCE OF THE EFFECTIVE SCFT AND HAWKING RADIATION

We study the hypermultiplet moduli space of an N=4, U(Q1) x U(Q5) gauge theory in 1 + 1 dimensions to extract the effective SCFT description of near extremal 5-dimensional black holes modelled by a collection of D1- and D5-branes. On the moduli space, excitations with fractional momenta arise due to a residual discrete gauge invariance. It is argued that, in the infra-red, the lowest energy excitations are described by an effective c = 6, N=4 SCFT on T 4 , also valid in the large black hole regime. The "effective string tension" is obtained using T-duality covariance. While at the microscopic level, minimal scalars do not couple to (1,5) strings, in the effective theory a coupling is induced by (1,1) and (5,5) strings, leading to Hawking radiation. These considerations imply that, at least for such black holes, the calculation of the Hawking decay rate for minimal scalars has a sound foundation in string theory and statistical mechanics and, hence, there is no information loss.
Why Do Norwegians Increase Their Savings When the Interest Rate Is Cut

This note aims to shed light on the relationship between interest rates and household savings in Norway. To this end, I use a simple life-cycle model that accounts for actual debt levels of Norwegian households. The starting point is that since Norwegian households tend to have negative net financial wealth, a low interest rate makes them better off. In a nutshell, reduced interest rate payments can be viewed as a transitory income increase. When households wish to smooth consumption, only a small fraction of the transitory income gift will be consumed, while most of the reduced income payments will be saved for consumption in future periods. Hence, a life-cycle model is able to explain why households increase savings when interest rates are low. ∗I thank Gisle James Natvik, Fredrik Wulfsberg and the participants in the Norges Bank Household Project for contributions. The views expressed in this paper are those of the author and cannot be attributed to Norges Bank