Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Technical Reports Compilation: Detecting the Fire Drill anti-pattern using Source Code

Detecting the presence of project management anti-patterns (AP) currently requires experts on the matter and is an expensive endeavor. Worse, experts may introduce their individual subjectivity or bias. Using the Fire Drill AP, we first introduce a novel way to translate descriptions into detectable AP that are comprised of arbitrary metrics and events such as maintenance activities, which are mined from the underlying source code, thus making the description objective as it becomes data-based. Secondly, we demonstrate a novel method to quantify and score the deviations of real-world projects to data-based AP descriptions. Using nine real-world projects that exhibit a Fire Drill to some degree, we show how to further enhance the translated AP. The ground truth in these projects was extracted from two individual experts and consensus was found between them. Our evaluation spans three kinds of pattern, where the first is purely derived from description, the second type is enhanced by data, and the third kind is derived from data only. The Fire Drill AP as translated from description only shows weak potential of confidently detecting the presence of the anti-pattern in a project. Enriching the AP with data from real-world projects significantly improves the detection. Using patterns derived from data only leads to almost perfect correlations of the scores with the ground truth. Some APs share symptoms with the Fire Drill AP, and we conclude that the presence of similar patterns is most certainly detectable. Furthermore, any pattern that can be characteristically modelled using the proposed approach is potentially well detectable.
Analyzing admissions metrics as predictors of graduate GPA and whether graduate GPA mediates Ph.D. completion

An analysis of 1,955 physics graduate students from 19 PhD programs shows that undergraduate grade point average predicts graduate grades and PhD completion more effectively than GRE scores. Students’ undergraduate GPA (UGPA) and GRE Physics (GRE-P) scores are small but statistically significant predictors of graduate course grades, while GRE quantitative and GRE verbal scores are not. We also find that males and females score equally well in their graduate coursework despite a statistically significant 18 percentile point gap in median GRE-P scores between genders. A counterfactual mediation analysis demonstrates that among admission metrics tested only UGPA is a significant predictor of overall PhD completion, and that UGPA predicts PhD completion indirectly through graduate grades. Thus UGPA measures traits linked to graduate course grades, which in turn predict graduate completion. Although GRE-P scores are not significantly associated with PhD completion, our results suggest that any predictive effect they may have are also linked indirectly through graduate GPA. Overall our results indicate that among commonly used quantitative admissions metrics, UGPA offers the most insight into two important measures of graduate school success, while posing fewer concerns for equitable admissions practices.
Deep Cross-modal Hashing via Margin-dynamic-softmax Loss

—Due to their high retrieval efﬁciency and low storage cost for cross-modal search task, cross-modal hashing methods have attracted considerable attention. For the supervised cross-modal hashing methods, how to make the learned hash codes preserve semantic information sufﬁciently contained in the label of datapoints is the key to further enhance the retrieval performance. Hence, almost all supervised cross-modal hashing methods usually depends on deﬁning a similarity between datapoints with the label information to guide the hashing model learning fully or partly. However, the deﬁned similarity between datapoints can only capture the label information of datapoints partially and misses abundant semantic information, then hinders the further improvement of retrieval performance. Thus, in this paper, different from previous works, we propose a novel cross-modal hashing method without deﬁning the similarity between datapoints, called Deep Cross-modal Hashing via Margin-dynamic-softmax Loss (DCHML). Speciﬁcally, DCHML ﬁrst trains a proxy hashing network to transform each category information of a dataset into a semantic discriminative hash code, called proxy hash code. Each proxy hash code can preserve the semantic information of its corresponding category well. Next, without deﬁning the similarity between datapoints to supervise the training process of the modality-speciﬁc hashing networks , we propose a novel margin-dynamic-softmax loss to directly utilize the proxy hashing codes as supervised information. Finally, by minimizing the novel margin-dynamic-softmax loss , the modality-speciﬁc hashing networks can be trained to generate hash codes which can simultaneously preserve the cross-modal similarity and abundant semantic information well. Extensive experiments on three benchmark datasets show that the proposed method outperforms the state-of-the-art baselines in cross-modal retrieval task.
Deep Magnification-Flexible Upsampling Over 3D Point Clouds

This paper addresses the problem of generating dense point clouds from given sparse point clouds to model the underlying geometric structures of objects/scenes. To tackle this challenging issue, we propose a novel end-to-end learning-based framework. Specifically, by taking advantage of the linear approximation theorem, we first formulate the problem explicitly, which boils down to determining the interpolation weights and high-order approximation errors. Then, we design a lightweight neural network to adaptively learn unified and sorted interpolation weights as well as the high-order refinements, by analyzing the local geometry of the input point cloud. The proposed method can be interpreted by the explicit formulation, and thus is more memory-efficient than existing ones. In sharp contrast to the existing methods that work only for a pre-defined and fixed upsampling factor, the proposed framework only requires a single neural network with one-time training to handle various upsampling factors within a typical range, which is highly desired in real-world applications. In addition, we propose a simple yet effective training strategy to drive such a flexible ability. In addition, our method can handle non-uniformly distributed and noisy data well. Extensive experiments on both synthetic and real-world data demonstrate the superiority of the proposed method over state-of-the-art methods both quantitatively and qualitatively. The code will be publicly available at https://github.com/ninaqy/Flexible-PU.
Quantum simulation and computing with Rydberg-interacting qubits

Arrays of optically trapped atoms excited to Rydberg states have recently emerged as a competitive physical platform for quantum simulation and computing, where high-fidelity state preparation and readout, quantum logic gates and controlled quantum dynamics of more than 100 qubits have all been demonstrated. These systems are now approaching the point where reliable quantum computations with hundreds of qubits and realistically thousands of multiqubit gates with low error rates should be within reach for the first time. In this article we give an overview of the Rydberg quantum toolbox, emphasizing the high degree of flexibility for encoding qubits, performing quantum operations and engineering quantum many-body Hamiltonians. We then review the state-of-the-art concerning high-fidelity quantum operations and logic gates as well as quantum simulations in many-body regimes. Finally, we discuss computing schemes that are particularly suited to the Rydberg platform and some of the remaining challenges on the road to general purpose quantum simulators and quantum computers.
Know your foe: synanthropic spiders are deterred by semiochemicals of European fire ants

Many ants prey on spiders, suggesting that web-building spiders may avoid micro-locations near ant colonies or frequented by foraging ants. Here we tested the hypothesis that ant-derived semiochemicals deter synanthropic spiders. To generate stimuli, we exposed filter paper for 12 h to workers of European fire ants, Myrmica rubra, black garden ants, Lasius niger, or western carpenter ants, Camponotus modoc, and then offered select urban spiders in three-chamber olfactometer bioassays a choice between ant-exposed filter paper and unexposed control filter paper. Semiochemical deposits of M. rubra, but not of L. niger or C. modoc, had a significant deterrent effect on subadults of the false black widow, Steatoda grossa, the black widow, Latrodectus hesperus, and the hobo spider, Eratigena agrestis, as well as a moderate (but statistically not significant) deterrent effect on the cross spider, Araneus diadematus. The deterrent effect caused by semiochemical deposits of M. rubra may be attributable to the aggressive nature and efficient foraging of M. rubra in its invaded North American range, exerting selection pressure on community members to recognize M. rubra semiochemicals and to avoid micro-locations occupied by M. rubra.
Larval habitats impose trait-dependent limits on the direction and rate of adult evolution in dragonflies

Natural selection on juveniles is often invoked as a constraint on adult evolution, but it remains unclear when such restrictions will have their greatest impact. Selection on juveniles could, for example, mainly limit the evolution of adult traits that mostly develop prior to maturity. Alternatively, selection on juveniles might primarily constrain the evolution of adult traits that experience weak or context-dependent selection in the adult stage. Using a comparative study of dragonflies, I tested these hypotheses by examining how a species’ larval habitat was related to the evolution of two adult traits that differ in development and exposure to selection: adult size and male ornamentation. Whereas adult size is fixed at metamorphosis and experiences consistent positive selection in the adult stage, ornaments develop throughout adulthood and provide context-dependent fitness benefits. My results show that species that develop in less stable larval habitats have smaller adult sizes and slower rates of adult size evolution. However, these risky larval habitats do not limit ornament expression or rates of ornament evolution. Selection on juveniles may therefore primarily affect the evolution of adult traits that mostly develop prior to maturity.
The concomitant effects of self-limiting insect releases and behavioural interference on patterns of coexistence and exclusion of competing mosquitoes

Aedes aegypti is the dominant vector of dengue, a potentially fatal virus whose incidence has increased eightfold in the last two decades. As dengue has no widely available vaccine, vector control is key to reducing the global public health burden. A promising method is the release of self-limiting Ae. aegypti, which mate with wild Ae. aegypti and produce non-viable offspring. The resultant decrease in Ae. aegypti population size may impact coexistence with Ae. albopictus, another vector of dengue. A behavioural mechanism influencing coexistence between these species is reproductive interference, where incomplete species recognition results in heterospecifics engaging in mating activities. We develop a theoretical framework to investigate the interaction between self-limiting Ae. aegypti releases and reproductive interference between Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus on patterns of coexistence. In the absence of self-limiting Ae. aegypti release, coexistence can occur when the strength of reproductive interference experienced by both species is low. Results show that substantial overflooding with self-limiting Ae. aegypti prevents coexistence. For lower release ratios, as the release ratio increases, coexistence can occur when the strength of reproductive interference is increasingly high for Ae. albopictus and increasingly low for Ae. aegypti. This emphasizes the importance of including behavioural ecological processes into population models to evaluate the efficacy of vector control.
Drought-driven wildfire impacts on structure and dynamics in a wet Central Amazonian forest

While the climate and human-induced forest degradation is increasing in the Amazon, fire impacts on forest dynamics remain understudied in the wetter regions of the basin, which are susceptible to large wildfires only during extreme droughts. To address this gap, we installed burned and unburned plots immediately after a wildfire in the northern Purus-Madeira (Central Amazon) during the 2015 El-Niño. We measured all individuals with diameter of 10 cm or more at breast height and conducted recensuses to track the demographic drivers of biomass change over 3 years. We also assessed how stem-level growth and mortality were influenced by fire intensity (proxied by char height) and tree morphological traits (size and wood density). Overall, the burned forest lost 27.3% of stem density and 12.8% of biomass, concentrated in small and medium trees. Mortality drove these losses in the first 2 years and recruitment decreased in the third year. The fire increased growth in lower wood density and larger sized trees, while char height had transitory strong effects increasing tree mortality. Our findings suggest that fire impacts are weaker in the wetter Amazon. Here, trees of greater sizes and higher wood densities may confer a margin of fire resistance; however, this may not extend to higher intensity fires arising from climate change.
Checklist of oribatid mites (Acari: Oribatida) from two contrasting boreal fens: an update on oribatid mites of Canadian peatlands

Abstract A checklist of the oribatid mite species from two boreal fens in Northern Ontario, Canada is presented. 174 peat soil samples, collected between 2015–2020, yielded a heterogeneous assemblage of 80 species, 57 genera and 33 families. Species richness and diversity were significantly higher in a Sphagnum-dominated fen (69 species) compared to a Carex-dominated fen (51 species), and although 40 species were found at both sites, overall composition was significantly different between the two sites. We also present an update to the seminal work of Behan-Pelletier and Bissett (1994) on Oribatida of Canadian peatlands with 45 new species records for peatlands. Records for the parthenogenetic families Brachychthoniidae Thor, 1934 and Suctobelbidae Jacot, 1938 were considerably expanded, but other families such as Punctoribatidae, Thor, 1937 remain poorly represented in Canadian peatlands. Taken together, species richness estimates range from 86–105 species based on our sampling and the number of undescribed species recorded suggests that the oribatid mite fauna still need further examination to encompass their actual biodiversity in peatlands. We report that the oribatid mite fauna of Canadian peatlands comprise 186 species that includes all published records as of February 2021 and species presented here.
Taxonomic revision of five species groups of ebracteate-erect Myosotis (Boraginaceae) endemic to New Zealand, based on morphology, and description of new subspecies

Abstract. Macro-morphological data were analysed to assess the distinctiveness and revise the taxonomy of 14 species, varieties and tag-named taxa in five informal species groups of ebracteate-erect forget-me-nots endemic to New Zealand. The following nine species are recognised: Myosotis albosericea Hook.f. , M. brockiei L.B. Moore & M.J.A.Simpson, M. capitata Hook.f. , M. concinna Cheeseman, M. goyenii Petrie, M. laeta Cheeseman, M. monroi Cheeseman, M. rakiura L.B. Moore, and M. traversii Hook.f. Three species have two allopatric subspecies each in the South Island, distinguished by few, minor morphological characters, including Myosotis brockiei subsp. brockiei and M. brockiei subsp. dysis Courtney & Meudt subsp. nov., M. goyenii subsp. goyenii and M. goyenii subsp. infima Meudt & Heenan, and M. traversii subsp. cantabrica (L.B.Moore) Meudt comb. et stat. nov. and M. traversii subsp. traversii. Myosotis × cinerascens Petrie is hypothesised to be a rare natural hybrid involving M. traversii subsp. cantabrica and another species, possibly M. colensoi. Several vegetative and floral characteristics can distinguish the study taxa from one another and from other ebracteate-erect species. The nine species plus M. × cinerascens are included in the taxonomic treatment, and the key also includes other recently revised ebracteate-erect species.
An Econometric Investigation of Dynamic Linkages Between CO2 Emissions, Energy Consumption, and Economic Growth: A Case of India and China

The article investigates the co-integrating relationship between economic growth, energy, and environment for India and China for the period 1970–2014 (using log transformed yearly data). Whereas gross domestic product per capita is taken as the growth proxy, CO2 emissions per capita represents environmental degradation and fossil fuel consumption is the proxy for energy consumption. The methodology adapted is autoregressive distributed lag “F” Bounds test with single structural break. The results of the study showed that co-integrating relation was established among all the variables except when CO2 (China) is taken as dependent variable. The “error correction model” term was negative and significant in all the cases (except for CO2 China again). Further the speed of adjustment toward equilibrium was highest at 16% per annum (p.a.) for CO2 in India while it was between 3% and 8% p.a. for rest of the variables. Chow breakpoint test even confirmed that India CO2 emissions had a break in 1996.
Higher order functions and Brouwer’s thesis

Abstract Extending Martín Escardó’s effectful forcing technique, we give a new proof of a well-known result: Brouwer’s monotone bar theorem holds for any bar that can be realized by a functional of type (ℕ→ℕ)→ℕ in Gödel’s System T. Effectful forcing is an elementary alternative to standard sheaf-theoretic forcing arguments, using ideas from programming languages, including computational effects, monads, the algebra interpretation of call-by-name λ-calculus, and logical relations. Our argument proceeds by interpreting System T programs as well-founded dialogue trees whose nodes branch on a query to an oracle of type ℕ→ℕ, lifted to higher type along a call-by-name translation. To connect this interpretation to the bar theorem, we then show that Brouwer’s famous “mental constructions” of barhood constitute an invariant form of these dialogue trees in which queries to the oracle are made maximally and in order.
Deaf Activists and the Irish Sign Language Movement, 1980–2017

Abstract:There is a dearth of qualitative research concerning deaf people's experiences of participating in the Irish Sign Language (ISL) recognition movement, and this limits our ability to understand the opportunities and constraints they encountered as they negotiated their way toward the passing of the ISL Act 2017. While ISL is unique to Ireland, it is also of crucial importance to deaf people's identity and the quality of their social and educational life. The aim of this qualitative study is to reveal the primary findings derived from interviews with nine deaf activists who participated in this study. Framed within the social movement theory and the Freirean concept of critical consciousness, the study illuminates the background on how and why deaf activists managed to overcome some significant challenges during the ISL movement. The findings show that deaf activists successfully negotiated their way through the political and legal system to achieve their goal. Discussions and conclusions drawn from the findings suggest that deaf people have the potential to be both agents of social change and effective social movement activists. Finally, the article seeks to be added to the canon of literature on sign language studies and the emerging research on sign language recognition.
Establishing seed islands for native forb species on rangelands using N-Sulate ground cover fabric

ABSTRACT:Native forbs are an integral component of native rangelands in Western North America. Reseeding forbs in degraded rangelands can be difficult and costly with varying success. One method for reseeding rangeland vegetation is the creation of "islands. " Using this technique, seedings are concentrated in areas with the highest probability for success, creating self-sustaining populations of reproducing individuals. The purpose of our study was to establish islands of native forbs in big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata Nutt. [Asteraceae]) communities in central Utah. We used a lightweight ground cover fabric (N-Sulate) to increase soil moisture and temperature for enhancing seedbed conditions. Fourteen species of native forbs and 1 native grass were planted on 4 sites using a randomized block design with covered (N-Sulate ground cover fabric) and non-covered variations, replicated over 2 y. We collected species density and ground cover data 1 y, 2 y, and 5 y following implementation. Eight species exhibited increased first year seedling density with ground cover fabric; 5 species emerged equally well in both covered and non-covered plots. Overall, ground cover fabric did aid in emergence of some species but did not produce any long-term effects on native forb populations. This fabric increased cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum L. [Poaceae]) and annual weeds, especially on drier sites. Regardless of site, species, or ground cover fabric treatment, native forb islands did not establish long-term. Establishment success may be improved with herbicide application to control cheatgrass and annual weeds, and with a more careful species selection that matches ecological conditions of planting sites.
Panel Configurations in Shōjo Manga / 夏目房之介の評論: 少女マンガ のコマ構成 夏目 房之介

Abstract:Natsume Fusanosuke is a seminal scholar of Manga Studies whose influential works include How to Read Manga (Manga no yomikata, coauthored, 1995) and Why Is Manga So Interesting? Its Grammar and Expression (Manga wa naze omoshiroi no ka: sono hyōgen to bunpō, 1997). This essay, the near-culminating chapter of the latter book, presents, in streamlined language and condensed form, what Natsume deems the central aspects of panel constructions in shōjo manga (girls’ comics): the use of panel encapsulations and layering to liberate narratives from sequential time; the abolishment of the principle of compression (asshuku) and release (kaihō) to create a relaxed sense of freedom; and the development of blank white space (or, “the gutter”) into “break space” (mahaku) for symbolic use within narratives. Natsume describes these techniques and their development since the 1970s as reactions to classical approaches of panel organization defined by such 1960s artists as Ishinomori Shōtarō. Natsume sees shōjo manga artists’ playful deconstructions of standard panel configurations as another wave of creativity and development in the manga genre, making manga “interesting” (omoshiroi) and special in world comics. Natsume argues that, by the 1990s, artists across the manga industry were using shōjo-manga panel configurations, regardless of whether they were creating shōjo manga or boys’ or men’s comics (shōnen manga or seinen manga).