Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Social Anti-Percolation, Resistance and Negative Word-of-Mouth

We model dynamics of positive and negative word-of-mouth spread in a social network. The classic percolation model is modified by introducing local negative effects due to non-adoption. The resistant agents inform their neighbors, and as a result the neighborhood becomes less susceptible to the spreading product. We introduce two parameters, quantifying the effect on the direct neighbors (a) and on the neighbors of second degree (b). The increase in the percolation threshold is measured by simulating a product spread on regular square lattices. The local influence of non-adopting agents is the cause for the effectiveness of the negative word-of-mouth since the product spreads by means of a front propagating through the lattice, the resistance always affects the most “relevant” part of the network. A dramatic result is measured above certain levels of b, where a complete blocking of any product is achieved while affecting only 0% of the network.
Fixed point theorems for two new types of cyclic weakly contractive mappings in partially ordered Menger PM-spaces

In this paper, we introduce the concepts of cyclic weakly (ψ, φ)-contractive mappings and cyclic weakly (C,ψ, φ)-contractive mappings, and prove some fixed point theorems for such two types of mappings in complete partially ordered Menger PM-spaces. Some new results are obtained, which extend and generalize some fixed point results in metric and probabilistic metric spaces. Some examples are given to support our results. c ©2015 All rights reserved.
A CATALOG OF NEAR-INFRARED SPECTRA FROM TYPE Ia SUPERNOVAE

We present 41 near-infrared (NIR, 0.7–2.5 μm) spectra from normal Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) obtained at epochs ranging from 14 days before to 75 days with respect to the maximum light date in the V band. All data were obtained at the Infrared Telescope Facility using the SpeX instrument. We identify many spectral features, measure the Doppler velocities, and discuss the chemical distribution of explosion products in SNe Ia. We describe procedures for smoothing data, fitting continua, and measuring absorption features to ensure consistency for measurement and analysis. This sample provides the first opportunity to examine and compare a large number of SNe Ia in this wavelength region. NIR data are a rich source of information about explosion products whose signatures are blended or obscured in other spectral regions and NIR observations probe a greater radial depth than optical wavelengths. We analyze similarities and differences in the spectra and we show that the progressive development of spectral features for normal SNe Ia in the NIR is consistent with time. We confirm the presence of O i, Mg ii, Ca ii, Si ii, Fe ii, and Co ii in these SNe. Possible identifications are made for S i, Si iii, Mn ii, and Fe iii. There is no evidence in these data for H i, He i, C i, or C ii. As the explosion products expand and cool, progressively deeper layers are revealed. Thus, a time sequence of spectra examines the chemical structure and provides direct evidence of the physical properties of SNe Ia from the outer layers to deep inside the SN. Measured Doppler velocities indicate that burning products in SNe Ia are distributed in distinct layers with no large-scale mixing. Carbon is not detected in these data, in agreement with previous results with NIR data establishing very low limits on carbon abundance in SNe Ia. Carbon burning products, O and Mg, are plentiful in the outer layers suggesting that the entire progenitor is burned in the explosion. The data provide a resource for investigations of cross-correlations with other data libraries that may further constrain SN Ia physics and improve the effectiveness of SNe Ia as cosmological distance indicators.
Mobile phone identification using recorded speech signals

In this paper, we elaborate on mobile phone identification from recorded speech signals. The goal is to extract intrinsic traces related to the mobile phone used to record a speech signal. Mel frequency cepstral coefficients (MFCCs) are extracted from any recorded speech signal at a frame level. The sequences of the MFCC vectors extracted from each recording device train a Gaussian Mixture Model with diagonal covariance matrices. A Gaussian supervector is derived by concatenating the mean vectors and the main diagonals of the covariance matrices that is used as a template for each device. Experiments were conducted on a database of 21 mobile phones of various models from 7 different brands. The aforementioned database, that is called MOBIPHONE, was collected by recording 10 utterances, uttered by 12 male speakers and another 12 female speakers, randomly chosen from the TIMIT database. Three commonly used classifiers were employed, such as Support Vector Machines with different kernels, a Radial Basis Functions neural network, and a Multi-Layer Perceptron. The best identification accuracy (97.6%) was obtained by the Radial Basis Functions neural network.
Binding of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Gag to Membrane: Role of the Matrix Amino Terminus

ABSTRACT Binding of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) Gag protein precursor, Pr55Gag, to membrane is an indispensable step in virus assembly. Previously, we reported that a matrix (MA) residue 6 substitution (6VR) imposed a virus assembly defect similar to that observed with myristylation-defective mutants, suggesting that the 6VR change impaired membrane binding. Intriguingly, the 6VR mutation had no effect on Gag myristylation. The defective phenotype imposed by 6VR was reversed by changes at other positions in MA, including residue 97. In this study, we use several biochemical methods to demonstrate that the residue 6 mutation, as well as additional substitutions in MA amino acids 7 and 8, reduce membrane binding without affecting N-terminal myristylation. This effect is observed in the context of Pr55Gag, a truncated Gag containing only MA and CA, and in MA itself. The membrane binding defect imposed by the 6VR mutation is reversed by second-site changes in MA residues 20 and 97, both of which, when present alone, increase membrane binding to levels greater than those for the wild type. Both reduced and enhanced membrane binding imposed by the MA substitutions depend upon the presence of the N-terminal myristate. The results support the myristyl switch model recently proposed for the regulation of Gag membrane binding, according to which membrane binding is determined by the degree of exposure or sequestration of the N-terminal myristate moiety. Alternatively, insertion of the myristate into the lipid bilayer might be a prerequisite event for the function of other distinct MA-encoded membrane binding domains.
Design of sample and hold merged with 2.5 bit multiplying digital-to-analog converter

A design of a SHA merged with MDAC(SMDAC) which can be used in a 14 bit 80Msps pipelined analog-to-digital converter (ADC) is presented in this paper. A two-stage transconductance-controlled op-amp is used in the SMDAC to ensure the requirement of the resolution, speed and stability of the circuit when its feedback factor alternate between 1/2 and 1/4. Simulation by cadence based on Chartered 0. 18μ 1P5M CMOS process under 1.8V supply voltage shows 116dB loop gain, 1.05GHz unity gain bandwidth and 61° phase margin in two different feedback factors of the op-amp. The output signal of the S/H phase and MDAC phase can be settled to 14bit and 12bit accuracy in 5ns, respectively.
Postural Sway Complexity in Healthy Older Adults and Individuals with Asthma

i Acknowledgements . iv List of Figures. viii List of Tables . x Chapter 1: Introduction . 1 Loss of complexity with aging and disease . 3 Loss of complexity in the behavioral domain.8 Loss of complexity in postural control . 10 Loss of complexity and dependence of COP structure on task . 16 Loss of complexity and degree of integration within the postural control system . 17 Overview of the current project . 20 Chapter 2: Aging and Postural Control . 22 Chapter 3: Aging Experiment 1: Role of COP feedback . 25 Method . 26 Participants.26 Apparatus: COP measurement and visual feedback display . 28 Procedure . 30 COP and respiratory data processing.31 Data analysis approach . 35 Results . 36 Discussion.46 Chapter 4: Aging Experiment 2: Weight shifting. 56
Characteristics of Vowel Formants, Vowel Space, and Speech Intelligibility Produced by Children Aged 3-6 Years

Purpose: This study measured vowel formants and vowel space area from 3 to 6 year-old Korean children in Jeju Island to investigate their characteristics of vowel production and speech intelligibility. Methods: A total of 80 children (10 boys and 10 girls for each age) participated. For obtaining the formants, 7 Korean vowels (/a/, /e/, /i/, /o/, /u/, / m/, /^/) were used. Vowel space areas (triangular, quadrangular) and speech intelligibility were calculated and compared based on gender and age. Results: Results showed that F1 and F2 of / e/ and /i/ vowels were significantly different as age. In particular, front vowel /e/ and /i/ was significantly lower in 3 years of age but was gradually increased with age. For gender, F2 of vowel /a/ and /e/ were significantly higher in girls while F2 of vowel /i/ was significantly higher in boys (p < 0.05). With respect to vowel space area, significant differences were found in ages (p < 0.05) whereas no differences in gender (p > 0.05). Speech intelligibility was significantly different in age (p < 0.05) while no significant difference was observed in gender (p > 0.05). Significant relationships were found between triangular vowel space areas (r = 0.299, p < 0.01) or quadrilateral vowel space areas (r = 0.570, p < 0.01) and speech intelligibility. Conclusion: Accordingly, quadrilateral vowel space area composed of / i-e-a-u/ was more sensitive than triangular vowel space area composed of /i–a-u/, reflecting the vowel movement space and speech intelligibility objectively.
Multi-spectral image analysis and NURBS-based 3D visualization of land maps

This paper presents a novel technique to visualize in 3D objects extracted from multi-spectral satellite images. At the beginning, a thematic map of the original image is obtained by assessing the quality and correcting geometric errors. This map is then classified to identify the features of interest. A Non-Uniform Rational B-Spline (NURBS) surface is generated from this extracted feature in order to visualize the object in 3D. The results indicate an overall classification accuracy of eighty percent.
Evaluating CoDel, PIE, and HRED AQM techniques with load transients

In the past, networks have been mainly optimized for good system throughput but recently achieving low delay has also gained notable traction. Active Queue Management (AQM) has long been recognized necessary for operating Internet routers with shorter standing queues but only limited deployment has occurred. The recent interest in AQM has resulted in new AQM proposals. In this paper we evaluate CoDel (Controlled Delay) and PIE (Proportional Integral controller Enhanced), both being new AQM proposals, and compare the performance against an aggressive RED (Random Early Detection) variant called HRED (Harsh RED). We focus on AQM behavior during load transients typically occurring at the network edge with the common traffic types of today such as Web transactions. We discover that CoDel auto-tuning does not scale well with the load. With the high-end delays experienced, HRED is better than PIE and CoDel when more than a few simultaneous flows share the bottleneck.
OpenERP/Odoo - An Open Source Concept to ERP Solution

Enterprise Resource Planning [ERP] is a widely used system across all organizations regardless the size. The need for making rapid decision based on the analysis of the complex data lead to the use of ERP systems. In the beginning ERP systems were limited to large organizations. Later this trend has changed with the advent of open source ERP systems. With its added advantage, it started to take over the confidence across small, medium and large sized industries. There are lots of open source ERP systems currently available in the market. OpenERP is one of the prominent system. The beauty of framework, the open source technologies which they used in the system makes the OpenERP unique and efficient. By drawing a detailed comparison between OpenERP and other prominent ERP system, it became very clear that OpenERP meets the expectation above its competitors. And with the introduction of Odoo/OpenERP 8.0, the OpenERP have taken the ERP system to new dimension. They have incorporated a CMS, an e-commerce system and added business intelligence to the new system. But at the same time, the complexity of the system has risen which should be analyzed and addressed accordingly and that the current user should have compatibility to upgrade to new version.
Misunderstandings between experimentalists and observationalists about causal inference

Summary. We attempt to clarify, and suggest how to avoid, several serious misunderstandings about and fallacies of causal inference. These issues concern some of the most fundamental advantages and disadvantages of each basic research design. Problems include improper use of hypothesis tests for covariate balance between the treated and control groups, and the consequences of using randomization, blocking before randomization and matching after assignment of treatment to achieve covariate balance. Applied researchers in a wide range of scientific disciplines seem to fall prey to one or more of these fallacies and as a result make suboptimal design or analysis choices. To clarify these points, we derive a new four‐part decomposition of the key estimation errors in making causal inferences. We then show how this decomposition can help scholars from different experimental and observational research traditions to understand better each other's inferential problems and attempted solutions.
Epidermal growth factor receptor mutations in cells from non-small cell lung cancer malignant pleural effusions.

BACKGROUND The prevalence of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients is about 40-50% in Taiwan, and there are significant correlations between EGFR mutations and clinical responses after gefitinib treatment. For most patients with advanced disease, surgical intervention for tissue sampling is not feasible. We therefore conducted this study to survey EGFR mutations in cells from NSCLC malignant pleural effusions and to evaluate the clinical significance. METHODS In the present study, malignant pleural effusion cells from 29 NSCLC patients were studied for EGFR mutations. Exons 18, 19, 20, 21 of the EGFR gene were analyzed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and automated sequencing. For 11 patients who had received gefitinib therapy, correlations between gefitinib effect and EGFR mutations were also evaluated. RESULTS EGFR mutations were detected in 12 of 29 specimens (41%). In-frame deletion mutations in exon 19 (8 of 12 specimens, 67%) and missense mutations in exon 21 (3 of 12 specimens, 25%) were the most frequent mutations detected. The frequency of EGFR mutations was significantly higher in gefitinib responders (4/4) than non-responders (1/7) (p = 0.015). CONCLUSION Our results suggest that detecting EGFR mutations in cells from malignant pleural effusions is a feasible adjunct method to finding the subgroup with favorable response to gefitinib therapy among patients with advanced NSCLC.
Image capture of fibrous fracture surface based on BP-neural network and wavelet

A method is proposed for image capture of fibrous fracture surface based on BP-neural network and wavelet, which solved the problem of uneven luminosity image's obtaining. Firstly, the automatic focusing function of image acquiring system based on BP-neural network is realized in this method. Then get the best exposure value and choose several exposure values near the best exposure value to get more images. Finally, the images are fused based on wavelet. The practice proved that this method is a great way for image capture of fibrous fracture surface. It also can get high-brightness image and intact conservation of edge information.
Globally Coupled Maps: Almost Analytical Treatment of Phase Transitions

Bifurcations in a system of coupled maps are investigated. Using symbolic dynamics it is proven that for coupled shift maps the well known space--time--mixing attractor becomes unstable at a critical coupling strength in favour of a synchronized state. For coupled non--hyperbolic maps analytical and numerical evidence is given that arbitrary small coupling changes the dynamical behaviour. The anomalous dependence of fluctuations on the system size is attributed to these bifurcations.
Infliximab (Remicade) in the treatment of psoriatic arthritis

Elucidation of the cellular immunopathology and cytokine profile of psoriatic arthritis (PsA), a chronic inflammatory disease associated with psoriasis, has resulted in the development of a number of novel biologic therapies. Among these biologics, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) inhibitors have been used successfully to treat patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis or psoriasis. The pivotal role of TNF-α in the pathogenesis and progression of PsA suggested that anti-TNF-α agents could be effective in controlling PsA. The results from two large, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials in patients with moderate to severe PsA indicated that the anti-TNF-inhibitor, infliximab, can control both the joint and skin manifestations of the disease. This review focuses on the clinical development of infliximab as a treatment for PsA. The development of other anti-TNF-α biologics is also discussed.
Chondroitin Sulfate Synthase-2 Is Necessary for Chain Extension of Chondroitin Sulfate but Not Critical for Skeletal Development

Chondroitin sulfate (CS) is a linear polysaccharide consisting of repeating disaccharide units of N-acetyl-D-galactosamine and D-glucuronic acid residues, modified with sulfated residues at various positions. Based on its structural diversity in chain length and sulfation patterns, CS provides specific biological functions in cell adhesion, morphogenesis, neural network formation, and cell division. To date, six glycosyltransferases are known to be involved in the biosynthesis of chondroitin saccharide chains, and a hetero-oligomer complex of chondroitin sulfate synthase-1 (CSS1)/chondroitin synthase-1 and chondroitin sulfate synthase-2 (CSS2)/chondroitin polymerizing factor is known to have the strongest polymerizing activity. Here, we generated and analyzed CSS2−/− mice. Although they were viable and fertile, exhibiting no overt morphological abnormalities or osteoarthritis, their cartilage contained CS chains with a shorter length and at a similar number to wild type. Further analysis using CSS2−/− chondrocyte culture systems, together with siRNA of CSS1, revealed the presence of two CS chain species in length, suggesting two steps of CS chain polymerization; i.e., elongation from the linkage region up to Mr ∼10,000, and further extension. There, CSS2 mainly participated in the extension, whereas CSS1 participated in both the extension and the initiation. Our study demonstrates the distinct function of CSS1 and CSS2, providing a clue in the elucidation of the mechanism of CS biosynthesis.
Challenges in Parole Supervision: Views from the Field

ABSTRACT This article looks at parole supervision from the perspective of those most directly tasked with it, the parole field officers. The article draws on qualitative data (a focus group with parole officers) from one large state (Pennsylvania), collected as part of a larger inquiry following the imposition of a moratorium on all parole releases, which was triggered by a series of violent incidents involving recently released parolees. The special circumstances of the research allowed an in-depth investigation of the state’s parole processes. The perspectives of the parole field officers, discussed here, are particularly illumining about the challenges encountered in the day-to-day task of supervising parolees. The policy implications that emerged from considering the views of parole officers are also discussed.
Development of four-dimensional imaging spectrometers (4D-IS)

The incentive for the 4D-IS concept was driven by the need to adequately resolve all four dimensions of data (2D spatial, spectral, and temporal) with a single, radiometrically calibrated sensor. Very fast changing phenomena are of interest; including missile exhaust plumes, missile intercept events, and lightning strikes, hypervelocity impacts, etc. Present sensor capabilities are limited to imaging sensors (producing spatial image), spectrometers (that produce a mean signature over an entire field of view with no spatial resolution), radiometers (producing in-band radiance over an entire FOV), or imaging spectrometers (or hyperspectral sensors, tunable filter type, pushbroom scanning, imaging Fourier Transform, Fabry-Perot, or CTHIS type) that produce a data cube containing spatial/spectral information but suffer from the fact that the cube acquisition process may take longer time than the temporal scale during which the event changes. The Computer Tomography Imaging Spectrometer (CTIS) is another sensor capable of 4D data collection. However, the inversion process for CTIS is computationally extensive and data processing time may be an issue in real-time applications. Hence, the 4D-IS concept with its ability to capture a full image cube at a single exposure and provide real time data processing offers a new and enhanced capability over present sensors. The 4D-IS uses a reformatter fiber optics to map a 2D image to a linear array that serves as an input slit to an imaging spectrometer. The paper describes three such instruments, a VNIR, a MWIR, and a dual band MW/LWIR. The paper describes the sensors' architecture, mapping, calibration procedures, and remapping the FPA plane into an image cube. Real-time remapping software is used to aid the operator in alignment of the sensor is described. Sample data are shown for rocket motor firings and other events.
A Search for the X-Ray Counterpart of the Unidentified γ-Ray Source 3EG J2020+4017 (2CG078+2)

We report observations with the Chandra X-Ray Observatory of a field in the γ-Cygni supernova remnant (SNR 78.2+2.1) centered on the cataloged location of the unidentified, bright γ-ray source 3EG J2020+4017. In this search for an X-ray counterpart to the γ-ray source, we detected 30 X-ray sources. Of these, we found 17 strong-candidate counterparts in optical (visible through near-infrared) cataloged and an additional three through our optical observations. Based on colors and (for several objects) optical spectra, nearly all the optically identified objects appear to be reddened main-sequence stars: none of the X-ray sources with an optical counterpart is a plausible X-ray counterpart to 3EG J2020+4017—if that γ-ray source is a spin-powered pulsar. Many of the 10 X-ray sources lacking optical counterparts are likely (extragalactic) active galactic nuclei, based on the sky density of such sources. Although one of the 10 optically unidentified X-ray sources could be the γ-ray source, there is no auxiliary evidence supporting such an identification.
Gesture-based User Authentication for Mobile Devicesusing Accelerometer and Gyroscope

In this paper a user authentication mechanism for handheld mobile devices using hand gestures is presented. To authenticate a prior chosen hand gesture needs to be repeated. The mobile device uses a 3D-accelerometer and a 3D-gyroscope to measure the resulting device movement. With a user study it was shown, that the presented approach is feasible and has advantages with regard to usability over widespread knowledge-based authentication mechanisms like PINs and passwords on mobile devices. In a second study a realistic attack vector using video recordings was simulated. The results show that repeating an observed gesture similar enough is a very challenging task.