Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Characterization of a Family of Algorithms for Generalized Discriminant Analysis on Undersampled Problems

A generalized discriminant analysis based on a new optimization criterion is presented. The criterion extends the optimization criteria of the classical Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA) when the scatter matrices are singular. An efficient algorithm for the new optimization problem is presented.The solutions to the proposed criterion form a family of algorithms for generalized LDA, which can be characterized in a closed form. We study two specific algorithms, namely Uncorrelated LDA (ULDA) and Orthogonal LDA (OLDA). ULDA was previously proposed for feature extraction and dimension reduction, whereas OLDA is a novel algorithm proposed in this paper. The features in the reduced space of ULDA are uncorrelated, while the discriminant vectors of OLDA are orthogonal to each other. We have conducted a comparative study on a variety of real-world data sets to evaluate ULDA and OLDA in terms of classification accuracy.
Space-Time Equalization for Asynchronous Multiuser Bit-Interleaved Coded OFDM

For a multiuser bit interleaved coded OFDM (BICOFDM) system, we study the methods of time domain equalization and per-subcarrier maximum likelihood (ML) frequency domain equalization when there is timing asynchronism among the users. For the time domain equalizer structure, a coded pairwise error probability (PEP) approximation is derived, which leads to a training-based space-time design method that takes the error rate performance into consideration. We compare the time domain equalization and per-subcarrier ML frequency domain equalization methods, and conclude that at high SNR's, the time domain equalization approach is preferable.
Classes as Assertions

How do we formally specify the relation between a base class and a derived class? This question has two parts, a syntactic one, and a semantic one. The syntactic part is of course the easier of the two and the answer to that part is the standard contra/covariance requirement on the arguments and result of any base class method redefined in the derived class. Our concern in the current paper is with the semantic part of the question, i.e., how do we specify the behavioral relation between the base class and the derived class? We show that the standard answer –which is the semantic counterpart of contra/co-variance– is too rigid, and does not allow some natural and common forms of inheritance. We then propose a more flexible way to specify the relation, and show how different types of behavioral relations between base classes and derived classes may be specified using our notation.
Social Network Analysis of University Online Forum

To describe the social network in online forum ? BBS? of university, social network analysis and data mining method was used to investigate the network relationship of community under the help of UCINET software and ID3 algorithm. Characteristic of community network, formation of opinion leader’s position and the relationship between initiative and other attributes of community members were also explored. On this basis, we proposed some advice in order to solve key problems of the community, for example how to get more better communication in the university online forum, how to make the students are more positive, how to make students learn more knowledge here.
Enhanced Context Searching Based on Structured P2P

Most of context aware systems are based on client-server model which has some limitations, e.g. a bottle neck problem, single point of failure. The most disadvantage of client-server model is when all nodes need to update their context information frequently and quickly; it will cause massive information flooding in a system. By applying P2P model to context aware system, this problem can be reduced. However, it will create other problems, e.g. context searching will take more time when a number of hops are large, ontology distribution issue, problems of storing ontology and reasoning process. In this paper, we have proposed MF-P2P (Multi Finger P2P Table) which can reduce a context searching time in P2P model. Our design is based on Chord mechanism. By distributing processes to peers, we have shown that the system can perform a fast searching on high complexity of ontology and context.
Evaluation of Wuchereria bancrofti GST as a Vaccine Candidate for Lymphatic Filariasis

Background Lymphatic filarial parasites survive within the lymphatic vessels for years despite the complex immune environment surrounding them. Parasites possibly accomplish this by adopting various immunomodulatory strategies, which include release of glutathione-S-transferases (GSTs) that counteract the oxidative free radicals produced by the host. Since GSTs produced by parasites appear to be critical for the survival of parasites in the host, several studies evaluated the potential of parasite GSTs as vaccine candidates especially against schistosomiasis, fascioliasis and Seteria cervi. However, vaccine potential of GSTs of lymphatic filarial parasites has not been evaluated before. Methods/Principal Findings In the present study, the GST gene was cloned from the third stage larval (L3) cDNA libraries of Wuchereria bancrofti, and recombinant GST (WbGST) was expressed and purified. Serum samples from individuals living in an endemic area were analyzed for their reactivity with rWbGST. These findings showed that sera from endemic normal individuals (EN) carry significant levels of anti-WbGST IgG antibodies compared to subjects who are microfilaraemic (Mf) or show symptoms of clinical pathology (CP). Isotype analysis of the anti-WbGST IgG antibodies showed a predominance of IgG1 and IgG3 antibodies in EN individuals. Subsequent functional analysis of the rWbGST showed that the rWbGST protein retained the enzymatic activity of GST and the antibodies in EN sera could inhibit this enzymatic activity. Similar results were obtained when anti-rWbGST antibodies raised in mice were used in the neutralization assay. Brugia malayi GST and WbGST show significant sequence similarity. Therefore, to evaluate the vaccine potential of rWbGST, we used B. malayi L3 as challenge parasites. Vaccine potential of rWbGST was initially evaluated by confirming the role of human and mice WbGST antibodies in an antibody dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) assay. Subsequent vaccination studies in a jird model showed that approximately 61% protection could be achieved against a B. malayi L3 challenge infection in jirds immunized with rWbGST. Conclusions Results of this study show that rWbGST is a potential vaccine candidate against lymphatic filariasis. Nearly 61% protection can be achieved against a B. malayi challenge infection in a jird model. The study also showed that the WbGST protein retained the enzymatic activity of GST and this enzymatic activity appears to be critical for the survival of the parasite in the host.
Mycorrhizal specificity in the fully mycoheterotrophic Hexalectris Raf. (Orchidaceae: Epidendroideae)

Mycoheterotrophic species have abandoned an autotrophic lifestyle and obtain carbon exclusively from mycorrhizal fungi. Although these species have evolved independently in many plant families, such events have occurred most often in the Orchidaceae, resulting in the highest concentration of these species in the tracheophytes. Studies of mycoheterotrophic species’ mycobionts have generally revealed extreme levels of mycorrhizal specialization, suggesting that this system is ideal for studying the evolution of mycorrhizal associations. However, these studies have often investigated single or few, often unrelated, species without consideration of their phylogenetic relationships. Herein, we present the first investigation of the mycorrhizal associates of all species of a well‐characterized orchid genus comprised exclusively of mycoheterotrophic species. With the employment of molecular phylogenetic methods, we identify the fungal associates of each of nine Hexalectris species from 134 individuals and 42 populations. We report that Hexalectris warnockii associates exclusively with members of the Thelephoraceae, H. brevicaulis and H. grandiflora associate with members of the Russulaceae and Sebacinaceae subgroup A, while each member of the H. spicata species complex associates primarily with unique sets of Sebacinaceae subgroup A clades. These results are consistent with other studies of mycorrhizal specificity within mycoheterotrophic plants in that they suggest strong selection within divergent lineages for unique associations with narrow clades of mycorrhizal fungi. Our results also suggest that mycorrhizal associations are a rapidly evolving characteristic in the H. spicata complex.
Design and architecture for an embedded 32-bit QueueCore

Queue based instruction set architecture processor offers an attractive option in the design of embedded systems by providing high performance for a specific application. This work describes the design results and methodology of a queue processor core, named QueueCore, as a starting point for application-specific processor (ASP) design. By using simple and common base queue instruction set, the design space exploration is focused on the application-specific aspects of performance. In any new architecture, verification, which usually requires complicated and lengthy software simulation of an emulated model, is an important aspect. We show how cooperative hardware emulation, based on programmable logic, can be integrated into a co-design flow to evaluate the performance of the novel QueueCore processor and to verify the functional correctness of a specific benchmark on the system core. To avoid duplication of the design effort, different target implementations are derived from a common source. We present the evaluation results of the QueueCore for three different platforms.
Beyond . a pacemaker ’ s entrainment limit : phase walk-through

maker's entrainment limit: phase walk-through. occurs when a pacemaker is externally stimulated at too high a rate, beyond the entrainment limit. One may then observe phase walk-through: the pacemaker and stimulus phase dif'ference, rather than lock to a fixed pattern, may cycle repeatedly through all values. By means of a simple but nonlinear one-variable model we describe qualitatively the properties of entrainment, loss of entrainment, and phase walk-through for rhythmically stimulated pacemakers. We obtain an expression for the cycle length (beat period) of the repetitive phase walk-through. This shows, in contrast to the simplest treatment, that in general beat frequency is not a simple linear function of the difference between the pacemaker and stimulus frequencies. Our results are illustrated in the context of a model experimental pacemaker, the rhythmically flashing firefly. We discuss how these modeling results apply in a much more general setting. desynchronization; phase-locking; biological oscillators; beat frequency; firefly NUMEROUS EXAMPLES (2, 5, 13, 15, 16) illustrate the ability of an external periodic stimulus to entrain a. biological pacemaker. One-for-one entrainment is typically observed over a range of stimulus frequencies that includes the pacemaker's intrinsic frequency. When the stimulus frequency is tuned beyond the pacemaker's entrainment limit, desynchronization may occur. In many cases this loss of entrainment is only transient, and the pacemaker may again lock into a fixed-phase relationship with the stimulus but not in a one-for-one fashion. In other cases, e.g., for a weaker stimulus, de-synchronization may persist. The pacemaker and stimulus phase difference, rather than lock to a fixed simple pattern, may cycle repeatedly through all values. This has been called phase walk-through (5). We will focus on this latter phendmenon and present, a simple but nonlin-ear, one-variable model that qualitatively describes the properties of entrainment, loss of entrainment, and phase walk-through for rhythmically stimulated pacemakers. Moreover we obtain a quantitative expression R102 (Eq. 4), for the cycle length (beat period) of the repetitive phase walk-through. We illustrate these results in the context of a model experimental pacemaker, the rhythmically flashing firefly (2, 3, 5). The modeling results we present are robust. They apply in a much more general setting for the case of a weak periodic stimulus acting on a strongly attracting oscillator. Since this treatment does not include the special case of a weakly nonlinear oscil-lator that is weakly driven, we do not find the desyn-chronization phenomenon of " phase-trapping " (see 7). …
Psychological and Social Factors related to Physical Activities and Everyday Activities among South Asian High School Girls in the Toronto Area

Background: South Asian girls have reported low levels of physical activity (PA) compared to other Canadian adolescents. Potential explanations include omissions in existing PA measures that don’t capture all types of PA, and factors discouraging PA in this group. Purpose: This study examined the quality and quantity of PA; compared PA participation using two self-report methods; and, examined psychosocial and cultural factors associated with PA in adolescent South Asian girls. Methods: 113 participants were recruited from community sources in Toronto. Data were collected using a structured electronic diary (3 weekdays; 2 weekend days) and a selfadministered online questionnaire that included the Leisure Time Exercise questionnaire. Diaries were content analyzed and compared to PA reports in the questionnaire. Bivariate and multivariate regression analyses identified factors associated with PA. Results: Diaries revealed that when a range of PA types were captured, like walking activities and chores, PA levels were similar to representative data for Canadian youth. 92% of respondents reported at least 30 minutes of PA per day across their diary entries. However, 19% did not report any PA at the vigorous intensity level, and PA levels were lowest on weekends.
Iranian Journal of Basic Medical Sciences Intrauterine Programming

In mammals, the intrauterine condition has an important role in the development of fetal physiological systems in later life. Suboptimal maternal environment can alter the regulatory pathways that determine the normal development of the fetus in utero, which in post-natal life may render the individual more susceptible to cardiovascular or metabolic adult-life diseases. Changes in the intrauterine availability of nutrients, oxygen and hormones can change the fetal tissue developmental regulatory planning, which occurs genomically and non-genomically and can cause permanent structural and functional changes in the systems, leading to diseases in early years of life and those that particularly become overt in adulthood. In this review we take a brief look at the main elements which program the fetal system development and consequently induce a crucial impact on the cardiovascular, nervous and hormonal systems in adulthood.
Children designing together on a multi-touch tabletop: an analysis of spatial orientation and user interactions

Applications running on multi-touch tabletops are beginning to be developed to enable children to collaborate on a variety of activities, from photo sharing to playing games. However, little is know as to how children work together on such interactive surfaces. We present a study that investigated groups of children's use of a multitouch tabletop for a shared-space design task, requiring reasoning and compromise. The OurSpace application was designed to allow children to arrange the desks in their classroom and allocate students to seats around those desks. A number of findings are reported, including a comparison of single versus multiple touch, equity of participation, and an analysis of how a child's tabletop position affects where he or she touches. A main finding was that children used all of the tabletop surface, but took more responsibility for the parts of the design closer to their relative position.
QRS Detection Using Wavelet Transform

The paper has been inspired by the need to find an efficient method for QRS detection which is simple and has good accuracy and less computation time. Our heart acts as the representative of the physiological changes of our body. Electrocardiography (ECG) is the electrical signature of the heart and thus one of the important indicators of our pathological condition. In this paper the Discrete Wavelet Transform is used to detect QRS complex. The DWT approach is found to be better and more accurate than the other common methods when evaluated on MIT/BIH ECG database and the database borrowed from NIT Jalandhar.
Metaphors we Program By: Space, Action and Society in Java

A corpus analysis of the standard Java documentation revealed the range of conceptual metaphors shared by library authors and users of packages such as java.util and java.bean. These metaphors included the expected mental models of internal program behaviour, but also consistent references to a spatial image-world with material properties and flows. More surprisingly, program components are metaphorically understood as actors with beliefs and intentions, working together according to social relationships. Rather than mechanical imperative models or mathematical declarative ones, it seems that one of the most widespread bases for conceptual models of programming is of social entities that act as proxies for their developers. This may have significant implications for the design of new programming languages and environments.
Change in Hepatitis A Seroprevalence among U.S. Children and Adolescents: Results from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2003–2006 and 2007–2010

To examine changes in seroprevalence of antibodies to hepatitis A virus (HAV) during a period in which universal vaccine recommendations for all U.S. children were implemented, results from serologic testing from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 2003–2010 were analyzed among 7,989 participants age 6–19 years, born in the U.S. in two birth cohorts (1986–1996 and 1997–2004). Overall prevalence increased over time from 24.4% in 2003–2006 to the highest ever reported (37.6%) in 2007–2010. Specifically, increases reached statistical significance in the birth cohort born in the years after implementation of vaccine recommendations (1997–2004), among those of race/ethnicity other than white, non-Hispanic, and among states where recommendations were implemented later. The greatest increase over time was among the subgroup of persons in states with early implementation who were of race/ethnicity other than white, non-Hispanic. Geographic region and birth cohort based on vaccine recommendations as well as race/ethnicity were the main predictors of seropositivity in 2007–2010. The increase in Hepatitis A seroprevalence occurred during a time of decreasing incidence and increasing vaccination, however race/ethnic disparities persist.
Menstrual and Reproductive Factors and Risk of Lung Cancer among Chinese women, Eastern Gansu Province, 1994-1998

There are suggestions that women have higher relative risks of lung cancer than men given similar levels of tobacco exposure, implying that sex-related hormones may influence lung cancer risk. We evaluated the association between lung cancer risk and menstrual and reproductive factors on a subset of self-responding females in a population based case-control study in Eastern Gansu Province, China, 1994-1998. The analysis included 109 incident lung cancer cases and 435 controls selected from the census list and frequency matched to cases on age and prefecture. Odds ratios were lower for later ages at menarche (trend, P = 0.015) and later ages at menopause (trend, P = 0.074). Despite limitations, these findings suggest a possible role of hormones in the etiology of lung cancer in females.
Structural plasticity of perisynaptic astrocyte processes involves ezrin and metabotropic glutamate receptors

The peripheral astrocyte process (PAP) preferentially associates with the synapse. The PAP, which is not found around every synapse, extends to or withdraws from it in an activity-dependent manner. Although the pre- and postsynaptic elements have been described in great molecular detail, relatively little is known about the PAP because of its difficult access for electrophysiology or light microscopy, as they are smaller than microscopic resolution. We investigated possible stimuli and mechanisms of PAP plasticity. Immunocytochemistry on rat brain sections demonstrates that the actin-binding protein ezrin and the metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) 3 and 5 are compartmentalized to the PAP but not to the GFAP-containing stem process. Further experiments applying ezrin siRNA or dominant-negative ezrin in primary astrocytes indicate that filopodia formation and motility require ezrin in the membrane/cytoskeleton bound (i.e., T567-phosphorylated) form. Glial processes around synapses in situ consistently display this ezrin form. Possible motility stimuli of perisynaptic glial processes were studied in culture, based on their similarity with filopodia. Glutamate and glutamate analogues reveal that rapid (5 min), glutamate-induced filopodia motility is mediated by mGluRs 3 and 5. Ultrastructurally, these mGluR subtypes were also localized in astrocytes in the rat hippocampus, preferentially in their fine PAPs. In vivo, changes in glutamatergic circadian activity in the hamster suprachiasmatic nucleus are accompanied by changes of ezrin immunoreactivity in the suprachiasmatic nucleus, in line with transmitter-induced perisynaptic glial motility. The data suggest that (i) ezrin is required for the structural plasticity of PAPs and (ii) mGluRs can stimulate PAP plasticity.
Experimental analysis of the effects of social relations on mobile application recommendation

—In this paper, we empirically analyze the effects of social relations on the recommendation of mobile applications in a community of students at a university. We identify three social relations by questionnaires and two relations by students properties, and examine their effects from a wide variety of perspectives in the framework of top-N recommendation by user and item based collaborative ﬁltering with two re-ranking mechanisms. In the analysis, we assess the difference of the effects by the origin and strength of social relations as well as by the methods of collaborative ﬁltering and re-ranking mechanisms. As a result of the analysis, we conﬁrm that appropriate social relations can signiﬁcantly improve the performance of recommendation, in terms of increasing diversity and novelty with keeping high accuracy, especially for the late adopters.