Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Parallel Complexity of Computations with General and Toeplitz-Like Matrices Filled with Integers and Extensions

Computations with Toeplitz and Toeplitz-like matrices are fundamental for many areas of algebraic and numerical computing. The list of computational problems reducible to Toeplitz and Toeplitz-like computations includes, in particular, the evaluation of the greatest common divisor (gcd), the least common multiple (lcm), and the resultant of two polynomials, computing Pade approximation and the Berlekamp--Massey recurrence coefficients, as well as numerous problems reducible to these. Transition to Toeplitz and Toeplitz-like computations is currently the basis for the design of the parallel randomized NC (RNC) algorithms for these computational problems. Our main result is in constructing nearly optimal randomized parallel algorithms for Toeplitz and Toeplitz-like computations and, consequently, for numerous related computational problems (including the computational problems listed above), where all the input values are integers and all the output values are computed exactly. This includes randomized parallel algorithms for computing the rank, the determinant, and a basis for the null-space of an n × n Toeplitz or Toeplitz-like matrix A filled with integers, as well as a solution x to a linear system A x= f if the system is consistent. Our algorithms use O((log n) log (n log |A|)) parallel time and O(n log n) processors, each capable of performing (in unit time) an arithmetic operation, a comparision, or a rounding of a rational number to a closest integer. The cost bounds cover the cost of the verification of the correctness of the output. The computations by these algorithms can be performed with the precision of O(n log |A|) bits, which matches the precision required in order to represent the output, except for the rank computation, where the precision of the computation decreases. The algorithms involve either a single random parameter or at most 2n-1 parameters. The cited processor bounds are less by roughly factor n than ones supported by the known algorithms that run in polylogarithmic arithmetic time and do not use rounding to the closest integers. Technically, we first devise new algorithms supporting our old nearly optimal complexity estimates for parallel computations with general matrices filled with integers. Then we decrease dramatically, by roughly factor n1.376, the processor bounds required in these algorithms in the case where the input matrix is Toeplitz-like. Our algorithms exploit and combine some new techniques (which may be of independent interest, e.g., in the study of parallel and sequential computation of recursive factorization of integer matrices) as well as our earlier techniques of variable diagonal (relating to each other several known algebraic and numerical methods), stream contraction, and the truncation of displacement generators in Toeplitz-like computations; our development and application of these techniques may be of independent
Automated classification of alternative splicing and transcriptional initiation and construction of visual database of classified patterns

MOTIVATION Large-scale detection and classification of alternative splicing and transcriptional initiation (ASTI) is the first step towards detailed studies of the functional implication and mechanisms of these phenomena. RESULTS We have developed an algorithm that classifies all observed units of ASTI into an extendable set of distinct types (e.g. cassette type) by converting a collection of alignments between a genomic DNA sequence and cDNA sequences into binary description. This description system can uniquely and compactly encode not only typical patterns but also any rare patterns that are usually collectively assigned to 'others. ' More than 150 distinct ASTI types were found when this system was applied to genome-wide detection of ASTI units in human and five other eukaryotes. AVAILABILITY The data detected by this system are available through ASTRA (http://alterna.cbrc.jp/), a database equipped with a Java-based browser that can interactively reorganize the order of displayed splicing patterns on demand.
Differential School Effectiveness in Relation to Sex and Social Class: Some Implications for Policy Evaluation

This article reviews school effectiveness theory, concentrating on the unidimensionality of the school effect concept, and focuses on differential school effectiveness, by which is meant the capacity of the school to be effective with different groups of pupils. It presents findings from research exploring the associations between sex, social class, and school attended with Cypriot primary pupils’ progress in Mathematics. There was no evidence of significant differential effectiveness in relation to sex and social class, the gap between boys and girls, and between different social classes increased in all schools, reflecting the national picture. Implications for school self-evaluation are discussed.
Predicting the Quality of Answers Using Surface Linguistic Features

Considering the rapidly increasing mass of information on the Web, the quality of documents is a very critical issue in Web information retrieval. This paper presents the importance of surface linguistic features in predicting the quality of user generated documents. A machine learning approach to incorporating surface linguistic features in predicting of document quality is tested on a collection of answers gathered from a community-driven knowledge search service that allows users to ask and answer questions posed by other users. Experimental results show that the features are useful for predicting the quality of answers.
Conservation and Diversification of an Ancestral Chordate Gene Regulatory Network for Dorsoventral Patterning

Formation of a dorsoventral axis is a key event in the early development of most animal embryos. It is well established that bone morphogenetic proteins (Bmps) and Wnts are key mediators of dorsoventral patterning in vertebrates. In the cephalochordate amphioxus, genes encoding Bmps and transcription factors downstream of Bmp signaling such as Vent are expressed in patterns reminiscent of those of their vertebrate orthologues. However, the key question is whether the conservation of expression patterns of network constituents implies conservation of functional network interactions, and if so, how an increased functional complexity can evolve. Using heterologous systems, namely by reporter gene assays in mammalian cell lines and by transgenesis in medaka fish, we have compared the gene regulatory network implicated in dorsoventral patterning of the basal chordate amphioxus and vertebrates. We found that Bmp but not canonical Wnt signaling regulates promoters of genes encoding homeodomain proteins AmphiVent1 and AmphiVent2. Furthermore, AmphiVent1 and AmphiVent2 promoters appear to be correctly regulated in the context of a vertebrate embryo. Finally, we show that AmphiVent1 is able to directly repress promoters of AmphiGoosecoid and AmphiChordin genes. Repression of genes encoding dorsal-specific signaling molecule Chordin and transcription factor Goosecoid by Xenopus and zebrafish Vent genes represents a key regulatory interaction during vertebrate axis formation. Our data indicate high evolutionary conservation of a core Bmp-triggered gene regulatory network for dorsoventral patterning in chordates and suggest that co-option of the canonical Wnt signaling pathway for dorsoventral patterning in vertebrates represents one of the innovations through which an increased morphological complexity of vertebrate embryo is achieved.
On the Throughput Cost of Physical Layer Security in Decentralized Wireless Networks

This paper studies the throughput of large-scale decentralized wireless networks with physical layer security constraints. In particular, we are interested in the question of how much throughput needs to be sacrificed for achieving a certain level of security. We consider random networks where the legitimate nodes and the eavesdroppers are distributed according to independent two-dimensional Poisson point processes. The transmission capacity framework is used to characterize the area spectral efficiency of secure transmissions with constraints on both the quality of service (QoS) and the level of security. This framework illustrates the dependence of the network throughput on key system parameters, such as the densities of legitimate nodes and eavesdroppers, as well as the QoS and security constraints. One important finding is that the throughput cost of achieving a moderate level of security is quite low, while throughput must be significantly sacrificed to realize a highly secure network. We also study the use of a secrecy guard zone, which is shown to give a significant improvement on the throughput of networks with high security requirements.
Neural networks for computational neuroscience

Computational neuroscience is an appealing interdisciplinary domain, at the interface between biology and computer science. It aims at understanding the experimental data obtained in neuroscience using several different kinds of models, one of which being artificial neural networks. In this tutorial we review some of the advances neural networks have achieved in computational neuroscience, and in particular focusing on spiking neural networks. Several artificial neuron models, that are able to account for the temporal properties of biological neurons, are described. We also describe briefly data obtained using conventional neuroscience methods, and some artificial neural networks developed to understand the mechanisms underlying these experimental data.
Allozyme Diversity of Selected and Natural Loblolly Pine Populations

35 Summary Loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) megagametophytes and embryos were examined electrophoretically to compare the extent and distribution of genetic variability in allozymes of selected and wild populations. Range-wide collections of three different types were investigated in this study. These consisted of seed sampled from, 1. a provenance test established in 1953, 2. bulk seed sampled from collections obtained from natural stands, and 3. seed harvested from clones used to produce improved seed in a tree improvement program. All 18 loci tested were found to be polymorphic. The average number of alleles overall (N a ) was 3.8. Expected heterozygosities (H e ) varied from 0.193 in the 70-year old orchard clones, to 0.174 in the 40-year-old provenance test samples, to 0.163 in the embryos of the bulk collections. The maximum FST was 0.066 for the provenance test populations, which indicates that only a small proportion (6.6 %) of the total variation in allozymes was attributed to population differences. In spite of this, the populations were well differentiated in multivariate analysis. In controlled-pollinated progeny tests of the orchard selections, there was a negative association between growth and the presence of rare alleles in the parent. A rare allele at the IDH locus was associated with slower growth, probably because it indicated hybridization with the slower-growing shortleaf pine (P. echinata MILL.). Allozyme variation as well as variation in cortical monoterpenes and fusiform rust resistance suggests that loblolly pine resided in two refugia during the Pleistocene; one in south Texas / northeast Mexico and one in south Florida / Caribbean. The two populations migrated to the northern Gulf Coastal Plain at the beginning of the Holocene and merged just east of the Mississippi River.
The influence of exercise type and motivation on music preference

Music is employed rather ubiquitously in exercise settings and has been shown to contribute positively to exercise motivation. It would seem that individuals listen to music that is preferable to them for the duration of their exercise participation; however, the role of music preferences in the music-motivation-exercise relationship has remained largely unexplored. There is evidence to support significant differences in the music preferences of exercisers during different modes and intensities of exercise. The differential effects of music during various exercise types suggest that individuals may prefer different types of music depending on the psychological and physiological demands of the exercise. However, there is a dearth of literature on whether individuals have task-specific music preferences during exercise. The primary purpose of this study was to examine if music preferences differ significantly across four different exercise conditions of varying mode and intensity. Additionally, the exercise motivation of the participants was explored as a potential between-subjects factor in these analyses. Repeated-measures analyses of variance (ANOVA) were used to analyze the data. Results indicate that, overall, ‘Energetic & Rhythmic’ music was preferred among the participant sample regardless of exercise condition. Additionally, preferences for all music categories were significantly higher in the baseline condition than all of the exercise conditions. Preferences for ‘Upbeat & Conventional’ music were significantly higher in the ‘low’ motivation group than in the ‘high’ motivation group. In conclusion, the findings from this research did not support hypothesized differences, which may be due to limitations in the study and that research on music preferences in the exercise domain is still in its early stages. Continued exploration of this topic with a more diverse sample and methodological modifications may yield clearer results, which can contribute to the literature on motivational music and how music can be used to improve performance and exercise adherence.
Identification of master regulator candidates in conjunction with network screening and inference

We developed a procedure for identifying transcriptional Master Regulators (MRs) related to special biological phenomena, such as diseases, in conjunction with network screening and inference. Network screening is a system for detecting activated transcriptional regulatory networks under particular conditions, based on the estimation of graph structure consistency with the measured data. Since network screening utilises the known Transcriptional Factor (TF)-gene relationships as the experimental evidence for molecular relationships, its performance depends on the ensemble of known TF networks used for its analysis. To compensate for its restrictions, a network inference method, the path consistency algorithm, is concomitantly utilised to identify MRs. The performance is illustrated by means of the known MRs in brain tumours that were computationally inferred and experimentally verified. As a result, the present procedure worked well for identifying MRs, in comparison to the previous computational selection for experimental verification.
Observations on Rural Class Relations†

In recent volumes Latin American Perspectives has given considerable attention to agrarian questions. Three special issues on peasants (Summer 1978, Fall 1978, and Fall 1980) have surveyed problems of agricultural production, the situation of the rural population, agrarian reform, and the place of rural conflicts and events in broader national and regional struggles. Several countries (especially Mexico, Colombia, Bolivia, and Chile) with quite distinct rural settings have been dealt with. This issue continues this emphasis but sharpens the focus somewhat: its theme is rural class relations, particularly the process of proletarianization. It serves to introduce a larger topic, social classes in Latin America, that will be the subject, in this and sub-
Constructivism and accounting research: towards a trans‐disciplinary perspective

This paper speculates about the potential of the constructivism of Piaget and Morin to offer a framework which might go beyond dualisms and fragmentation in accounting research. These, it is argued, are because inter‐disciplinary research is still embedded in a hierarchical organization of human knowledge (“Encyclopaedia”). In pursuing this aim, this paper seeks to reformulate the subject‐matter of accounting in the trans‐disciplinary terms of the “knowledge of knowledge”. Such a theoretical framework will introduce the issues of trans‐disciplinarity, evolution and reflexivity into accounting research. Such issues have already been the concern of other disciplines within and outside the field of managerial studies, providing new insights for understanding organizational problems. However, they have not yet been given enough attention within accounting research.
Development of Low Cost Message Delivery Path for Mobile Agent Communication

The location management ability of a mobile agent system which enables a mobile agent to interact with others accurately by message passing beyond doubts stands important for the mobile agent system. At present, the location management of mobile agent consists of tracking phase and message delivery phase, both of which dutifully create or incur plenty of update messages and interaction messages separately in order to guarantee the effectiveness of mobile agent location management scheme. However, the transmission of messages not only affects the overall performance of mobile agent location management scheme, but also causes the network overhead. Previous studies have devoted to achieve a balance of the trade-off between the costs in tracking phase and message delivery phase in designing a mobile agent location management scheme. This paper argues that the interaction messages in message delivery phase produce the major overhead of overall performance. Therefore, it focuses on investigating how to reduce the performance overhead in message delivery phase and proposes an intelligent update algorithm, the I-Update, for this purpose. Simulation results show that keeping the length of a channel as short as possible leads to the optimum of overall performance.
Gender and the use of external business advice: a Swedish study

Purpose – The aim of this study is to examine whether there are significant differences between female and male entrepreneurs’ use of consultation during business start-ups. Design/methodology/approach – Using several statistical tools, including ANOVA and seemingly unrelated regressions, empirical analyses are conducted on a unique and firm-level panel database of 837 female- and 1926 male-owned active small firms. Findings – The results indicate that gender may be an important variable in the use of advice among small business owners in Sweden. Female owners in this study are shown to be more eager than male owners to use external business advice, and do so to a higher extent. Practical implications – One implication of this study is that firms may not be able to use all business advice types simultaneously during their start-up stage, so an ordered list of consultancy services would help them prioritize and adjust their needs accordingly. Because the use of business advice is context-based, the finding.
Creation of a Genetic Calcium Channel Blocker by Targeted Gem Gene Transfer in the Heart

Calcium channel blockers are among the most commonly used therapeutic drugs. Nevertheless, the utility of calcium channel blockers for heart disease is limited because of the potent vasodilatory effect that causes hypotension, and other side effects attributable to blockade of noncardiac channels. Therefore, focal calcium channel blockade by gene transfer is highly desirable. With a view to creating a focally applicable genetic calcium channel blocker, we overexpressed the ras-related small G-protein Gem in the heart by somatic gene transfer. Adenovirus-mediated delivery of Gem markedly decreased L-type calcium current density in ventricular myocytes, resulting in the abbreviation of action potential duration. Furthermore, transduction of Gem resulted in a significant shortening of the electrocardiographic QTc interval and reduction of left ventricular systolic function. Focal delivery of Gem to the atrioventricular (AV) node significantly slowed AV nodal conduction (prolongation of PR and AH intervals), which was effective in the reduction of heart rate during atrial fibrillation. Thus, these results indicate that gene transfer of Gem functions as a genetic calcium channel blocker, the local application of which can effectively modulate cardiac electrical and contractile function.
MR of carcinoma-specific monoclonal antibody conjugated to monocrystalline iron oxide nanoparticles: the potential for noninvasive diagnosis.

PURPOSE To determine if tumor-specific monoclonal antibodies conjugated to superparamagnetic monocrystalline iron oxide nanoparticles can be used to yield specific diagnoses with the use of MR imaging. METHODS Monoclonal antibodies conjugated to monocrystalline iron oxide nanoparticles were given to nude rats with intracranial tumors either by intravenous injection, intraarterial injection with osmotic blood-brain barrier disruption, or direct intratumoral inoculation. Either L6, a tumor-specific antibody, or P-1.17, a control isotype-matched antibody, was used. Coronal T1-weighted, T2-weighted, and spoiled gradient-recalled acquisition in the steady state images were obtained before, 30 minutes after, 6 hours after, and 24 hours after injection. RESULTS Intravenous injection of greater than 2 mg of the tumor-specific antibody showed a specific pattern of enhancement of the tumors with the largest concentration of antibody in the area with the greatest density of tumor cells. The control antibody showed nonspecific changes. After intraarterial injection with barrier disruption to increase delivery globally or direct inoculation to increase delivery focally, no specific enhancement pattern was seen. CONCLUSION Monoclonal antibodies conjugated with monocrystalline iron oxide particles may provide a method to obtain specific diagnoses with the use of MR imaging.
Nonlinear phase correction with an extended statistical algorithm

This paper presents a new magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) phase correction method. The linear phase correction method using autocorrelation proposed by Ahn and Cho (AC method) is extended to handle nonlinear terms, which are often important for polynomial expansion of phase variation in MRI. The polynomial coefficients are statistically determined from a cascade series of n-pixel-shift rotational differential fields (RDFs). The n-pixel-shift RDF represents local vector rotations of a complex field relative to itself after being shifted by n pixels. We have found that increasing the shift enhances the signal significantly and extends the AC method to handle higher order nonlinear phase error terms. The n-pixel-shift RDF can also be applied to improve other methods such as the weighted least squares phase unwrapping method proposed by Liang. The feasibility of the method has been demonstrated with two-dimensional (2-D) in vivo inversion-recovery MRI data.