Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Note onset detection using one semitone filter-bank for MIREX 2009

The presented onset detection approach is a very simple method described in [1]. An implementation in D2K was already submitted for MIREX 05 [2], yielding a relatively low success rate. However, probably there were some problems in the evaluation, as the mean distance between the detected and actual onsets was too high (about -22 ms, see [3]). Therefore, the system has been reimplemented in C++ and submitted again for evaluation. The methodology and parameters are the same than those described in [1] and [2]. The source code has also been released 1 for research purposes.
Anesthesia for Breech Presentation and Multiple Gestation

INTRODUCTION Breech presentation may increase the risks of morbidity and mortality to both the mother and fetus. A well-coordinated team approach involving the obstetric care providers, obstetric nurses, a neonatal resuscitation team as well as obstetric anesthesia may help to decrease the risks to both. It is imperative that the obstetric anesthesiologist understands the risks to both the mother and fetus and the role that anesthesia care can play in mitigating these risks.
Capturing and Using the Operational Semantics of Large Distributed Systems: Sharing Common Application Requirements in Virtual Organisations

Organisations may wish to use a standards-defined distributed system in a global sense but also have a requirement for non-standard local behaviour. This reflects the production of, and desire to use, organisational knowledge developed over time. The efficient and effective management of this knowledge can be a deciding factor in an organisation's success or failure. Virtual organisations, where members share a problem-solving purpose rather than a location-based or formal organisation, have no formal bodies to manage change requests and may be restricted in how they can apply their knowledge. These organisations are also the most likely to seek divergent local behaviour since their locale is formed by the members' desire to solve a particular problem and this problem-based approach may lead to user requirements that exist only in that virtual organisation. We describe a method for capturing and representing operational semantics so that global and local behaviour can co-exist without leading to operational impairment in either sphere. The approach applies to virtual and traditional organisations equally well as both entities can use it to integrate their local knowledge and requirements into a much larger framework and, potentially, share these with their collaborators. We illustrate our approach with reference to our implementation of an ontologically enhanced domain name system (DNS) server
The University of Birmingham ( Live System ) Inhibition and enhancement of contextual fear memory destabilization

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The Mouse Ms6-hm Hypervariable Microsatellite Forms a Hairpin and Two Unusual Tetraplexes*

The mouse Ms6-hm microsatellite consists of a tandem array of the pentamer d(CAGGG) n . This microsatellite is extremely hypervariable, showing a germ line mutation rate of 2.5%/gamete. The mechanism responsible for this instability is not known. The ability to form intrastrand structures is a conserved feature of many hypervariable sequences, and it has been suggested that the formation of such structures might account for instability by affecting DNA replication, repair, or recombination. Here we show that this microsatellite is able to form intrastrand structures as well. Under physiological conditions, the Ms6-hmmicrosatellite forms a hairpin as well as two different unusual intrastrand tetraplexes. The hairpin forms in the absence of monovalent cation and contains G·A, G·C, and G·G base pairs in a 1:1:1 ratio. In the presence of K+, a tetraplex is formed in which the adenines are unpaired and extrahelical, and the cytosines are involved in C·C pairs. In Na+, a tetraplex forms that contains C·C+ pairs, with the adenines being intrahelical and hydrogen-bonded to guanines. Tetraplex formation in the presence of Na+ requires both cytosines and adenines and might reflect the altered internal dimensions of this tetraplex, perhaps resulting from the ability of the C·C+ pairs to become intercalated in this sequence context. Our demonstration of the stabilization of tetraplexes by hydrogen bonding between adenines and guanines expands the hydrogen-bonding possibilities for tetraplexes and suggests that the category of sequences with tetraplex-forming potential may be larger than previously appreciated.
Reconfiguring Spirituality and Sexual/Gender Identity: “It's a Feeling of Connection to Something Bigger, It's Part of a Wholeness.”

In the context of religious and spiritual communities that may marginalize those who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer (LGBTQ), we explore how 11 women reconfigured potentially conflicting spiritual and sexual/gender identities. Interviews with women in Halifax, Nova Scotia, on Canada's East coast, indicated some used faith traditions to try to change themselves, but most found ways to disengage from or alter their spiritual relationships. Many losses were entailed as women rejected or were discarded by faith communities. In reconfiguring their spiritual lives, women drew from former traditions, explored new paths, and forged individual relationships to the spiritual.
Body shape differences in a pair of closely related Malawi cichlids and their hybrids: Effects of genetic variation, phenotypic plasticity, and transgressive segregation

Abstract Phenotypic differences may have genetic and plastic components. Here, we investigated the contributions of both for differences in body shape in two species of Lake Malawi cichlids using wild‐caught specimens and a common garden experiment. We further hybridized the two species to investigate the mode of gene action influencing body shape differences and to examine the potential for transgressive segregation. We found that body shape differences between the two species observed in the field are maintained after more than 10 generations in a standardized environment. Nonetheless, both species experienced similar changes in the laboratory environment. Our hybrid cross experiment confirmed that substantial variation in body shape appears to be genetically determined. The data further suggest that the underlying mode of gene action is complex and cannot be explained by simple additive or additive‐dominance models. Transgressive phenotypes were found in the hybrid generations, as hybrids occupied significantly more morphospace than both parentals combined. Further, the body shapes of transgressive individuals resemble the body shapes observed in other Lake Malawi rock‐dwelling genera. Our findings indicate that body shape can respond to selection immediately, through plasticity, and over longer timescales through adaptation. In addition, our results suggest that hybridization may have played an important role in the diversification of Lake Malawi cichlids through creating new phenotypic variation.
Cross-Environmentally Robust Intruder Discrimination in Radar Motes

Target discrimination in wireless sensor networks remains challenging when sensors have structured electronic noise and deployment settings have variable in-situ clutter. Datadriven learning of discrimination functions is especially hard when deployment sites are remote or hazardous, necessitating reliance on surrogate environments for data collection. The challenge is exacerbated if sensors are resource constrained. We present an intruder discrimination system that addresses these challenges in the context of a battery powered radar mote. The system robustly rejects clutter moving in-situ to trigger discrimination of humans versus other targets only when said targets displace across the scene. Its learning uses a new, generic extension to feature selection methods that leverages cross-environmental robustness instead of a random or bounded model of feature noise. We experimentally validate that our scheme improves the cross-environmental performance medians and dispersions of extant methods by up to 70% and 100% respectively. It achieves optimal performance with very few features given a modest number of diverse training environments, allowing for efficient mote-scale implementation. A mote mesh network has been deployed to detect poachers while rejecting cattle and other non-targets at a rhino reserve in South Africa.
Array Shadow State Compression for Precise Dynamic Race Detection (T)

Precise dynamic race detectors incur significant time and space overheads, particularly for array-intensive programs, due to the need to store and manipulate analysis (or shadow) state for every element of every array. This paper presents SlimState, a precise dynamic race detector that uses an adaptive, online algorithm to optimize array shadow state representations. SlimState is based on the insight that common array access patterns lead to analogous patterns in array shadow state, enabling optimized, space efficient representations of array shadow state with no loss in precision. We have implemented SlimState for Java. Experiments on a variety of benchmarks show that array shadow compression reduces the space and time overhead of race detection by 27% and 9%, respectively. It is particularly effective for array-intensive programs, reducing space and time overheads by 35% and 17%, respectively, on these programs.
A Comparison of x86 Computer Architecture Simulators

Simulation is used as a primary performance evaluation methodology in most computer architecture publications. There is not much literature dealing with the evaluation of simulators by comparing them to each other and to the state-of-the-art processors. The absence of performance validation of simulators may cause experimental errors that can lead to incorrect conclusions. This work provides a simulation accuracy and performance comparison of four modern x86 computer architecture simulators: gem5 [1], Sniper [2], MARSSx86 [3] and ZSim [4]. We configured these simulators to model one of Intel’s high-performance processor, Core-i7 Haswell microarchitecture based CPU. Then we quantified the experimental errors. The selected simulators for this study have diverse design strategies with respect to detail and abstraction. All of them are contemporary simulators with active development. Validation effort for gem5 simulator exists for ARM based systems [1, 5], however; no validation for x86 systems exists. Latest validation effort for Sniper was done for Intel Nehalem microarchitecure processor showing a single-core error of 11.1% for a subset of SPLASH-2 benchmarks [2]. ZSim has been validated against an Intel Westmere system showing an average error of 10% [6]. We did not find any rigorous validation effort for MARSSx86. Our previous work compared the accuracy and speed of some of the aforementioned simulators, and few others, for single core simulations only [7]. This work, compares more simulators for singlecore and multicore runs with real hardware platform runs. The experimental system that we used to test the four simulators is similar to Haswell microarchitecture (i7-4770 CPU, 3.40 GHz), see Table 1. As all the exact configurations for our target processor are not published by Intel, we tried our best to model similar features based on some Intel documentation [8] and other sources [9, 10, 11]. We compared the instruction per cycle (IPC), L1 data cache miss, L3 cache miss and branch misprediction values from the simulation results with that of real hardware runs for MiBench and SPEC-CPU2006 benchmark suites. Figure 1 shows single-core’s IPC, branch mispredictions and L1 data cache misses, and dual-core’s and quad-core’s IPC runs normalized to results obtained on real hardware, using hardware monitoring counters. For dual and quadcore runs, benchmark combinations are randomly selected from SPEC-CPU2006 benchmark suite. The figure shows
Localizing a gate in CFTR

Significance Cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR), albeit a bona fide member of the ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter superfamily, is an ATP-gated chloride channel. However, phylogenetic analysis has led to a popular conjecture that CFTR evolves from a primordial ABC exporter by simply degenerating the cytoplasmic gate. This degraded transporter hypothesis predicts that CFTR’s gate is located at the external end of the substrate translocation pathway as the one documented in the crystal structures of ABC exporters. Here we provide experimental data supporting the presence of a gate in CFTR at a segment that may also serve as the selectivity filter. This functional duality of a restrictive segment close to the middle of the pore axis distinguishes CFTR from its myriad brethren in the ABC protein family. Experimental and computational studies have painted a picture of the chloride permeation pathway in cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) as a short narrow tunnel flanked by wider inner and outer vestibules. Although these studies also identified a number of transmembrane segments (TMs) as pore-lining, the exact location of CFTR’s gate(s) remains unknown. Here, using a channel-permeant probe, [Au(CN)2]−, we provide evidence that CFTR bears a gate that coincides with the predicted narrow section of the pore defined as residues 338–341 in TM6. Specifically, cysteines introduced cytoplasmic to the narrow region (i.e., positions 344 in TM6 and 1148 in TM12) can be modified by intracellular [Au(CN)2]− in both open and closed states, corroborating the conclusion that the internal vestibule does not harbor a gate. However, cysteines engineered to positions external to the presumed narrow region (e.g., 334, 335, and 337 in TM6) are all nonreactive toward cytoplasmic [Au(CN)2]− in the absence of ATP, whereas they can be better accessed by extracellular [Au(CN)2]− when the open probability is markedly reduced by introducing a second mutation, G1349D. As [Au(CN)2]− and chloride ions share the same permeation pathway, these results imply a gate is situated between amino acid residues 337 and 344 along TM6, encompassing the very segment that may also serve as the selectivity filter for CFTR. The unique position of a gate in the middle of the ion translocation pathway diverges from those seen in ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters and thus distinguishes CFTR from other members of the ABC transporter family.
The Challenge of Whole Air Mission Modelling

Air mission modelli ng using graphical simulation provides a powerful means for development and evaluation of tactics. However, large models are particularly expensive and time-consuming to maintain and modify. Multi -aircraft full mission man-in-the-loop simulators will provide an even more complex programming environment. The dMARS software provides a suitable environment for the development of an air mission simulation model based on the concept of rational agents. This approach allows the analyst to work at a high level, formulating concepts and aims, while keeping the detailed computer programming hidden. This research and development project aims to provide the basis for an advanced multi -aircraft milit ary simulation called the Smart Whole AiR Mission Model (SWARMM). It is a simulation system that will be capable of simulating the physics of whole air missions and the pilot reasoning involved in such missions. AAII and DSTO-AMRL are the primary participants in this project in the CRC for Intelli gent Decision Systems. This system will provide DSTO with the abilit y to rapidly evaluate and test counterair tactics for the RAAF. It will provide high-fidelity simulation of combat aircraft, ground controlled intercept (GCI) controllers, and surveill ance aircraft, advanced reasoning capabiliti es for modelli ng the pilot's reasoning process, and sophisticated visualisation tools to enable a better understanding of whole air missions. It will enable DSTO to rapidly create and modify tactics used as part of the pilot's reasoning process as well as rapidly setting up a simulation scenario for operational studies.
An iterative algorithm for decomposition of speech signals into periodic and aperiodic components

The speech signal may be considered as the output of a time-varying vocal tract system excited with quasiperiodic and/or random sequences of pulses. The quasiperiodic part may be considered as the deterministic or periodic component and the random part as the stochastic or aperiodic component of the excitation. We discuss issues involved in identifying and separating the periodic and aperiodic components of the source. The decomposition is performed on an approximation to the excitation signal, instead of decomposing the speech signal directly. The linear prediction residual signal is used as an approximation to the excitation signal of the vocal tract system. Speech is first analyzed to determine the voiced and unvoiced parts of the signal. Decomposition of the voiced part into periodic and aperiodic components is then accomplished by first identifying the frequency regions of harmonic and noise components in the spectral domain. The signal corresponding to the noise regions is used as a first approximation to the aperiodic component. An iterative algorithm is proposed which reconstructs the aperiodic component in the harmonic regions. The periodic component is obtained by subtracting the reconstructed aperiodic component signal from the residual signal. The individual components of the residual are then used to excite the derived all-pole model of the vocal tract system to obtain the corresponding components of the speech signal. Experiments were conducted using synthetic speech. They demonstrated the ability of the algorithm for decomposition of a synthetic speech signal made of a mixture of periodic and aperiodic components. Application to natural speech is also discussed.
Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids and Heart Rate Variability

Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) may modulate autonomic control of the heart because omega-3 PUFA is abundant in the brain and other nervous tissue as well as in cardiac tissue. This might partly explain why omega-3 PUFA offer some protection against sudden cardiac death (SCD). The autonomic nervous system is involved in the pathogenesis of SCD. Heart rate variability (HRV) can be used as a non-invasive marker of cardiac autonomic control and a low HRV is a predictor for SCD and arrhythmic events. Studies on HRV and omega-3 PUFA have been performed in several populations such as patients with ischemic heart disease, patients with diabetes mellitus, patients with chronic renal failure, and in healthy subjects as well as in children. The studies have demonstrated a positive association between cellular content of omega-3 PUFA and HRV and supplementation with omega-3 PUFA seems to increase HRV which could be a possible explanation for decreased risk of arrhythmic events and SCD sometimes observed after omega-3 PUFA supplementation. However, the results are not consistent and further research is needed.
Small hepatocellular carcinoma: comparison of radio-frequency ablation and percutaneous microwave coagulation therapy.

PURPOSE To evaluate the effectiveness of radio-frequency (RF) ablation and percutaneous microwave coagulation (PMC) for treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). MATERIALS AND METHODS Seventy-two patients with 94 HCC nodules were randomly assigned to RF ablation and PMC groups. Thirty-six patients with 48 nodules were treated with RF ablation, and 36 patients with 46 nodules were treated with PMC. Therapeutic effect, residual foci of untreated disease, and complications of RF ablation and PMC were prospectively evaluated with statistical analyses. RESULTS The number of treatment sessions per nodule was significantly lower in the RF ablation group than in the PMC group (1.1 vs 2.4; P <.001). Complete therapeutic effect was achieved in 46 (96%) of 48 nodules treated with RF ablation and in 41 (89%) of 46 nodules treated with PMC (P =.26). Major complications occurred in one patient treated with RF ablation and in four patients treated with PMC (P =.36). During follow-up (range, 6-27 months), residual foci of untreated disease were seen in four of 48 nodules treated with RF ablation and in eight of 46 nodules treated with PMC. No significant difference in rates of residual foci of untreated disease was noted (P =.20, log-rank test). CONCLUSION RF ablation and PMC thus far have had equivalent therapeutic effects, complication rates, and rates of residual foci of untreated disease. However, RF tumor ablation can be achieved with fewer sessions.
Quickstep: A Data Platform Based on the Scaling-Up Approach

Modern servers pack enough storage and computing power that just a decade ago was spread across a modest-sized cluster. This paper presents a prototype system, called Quickstep, to exploit the large amount of parallelism that is packed inside modern servers. Quickstep builds on a vast body of previous methods for organizing data, optimizing, scheduling and executing queries, and brings them together in a single system. Quickstep also includes new query processing methods that go beyond previous approaches. To keep the project focused, the project's initial target is read-mostly in-memory data warehousing workloads in single-node settings. In this paper, we describe the design and implementation of Quickstep for this target application space. We also present experimental results comparing the performance of Quickstep to a number of other systems, demonstrating that Quickstep is often faster than many other contemporary systems, and in some cases faster by orders-of-magnitude. Quickstep is an Apache (incubating) project.
The Role of Humility in Exercising Practical Wisdom

Practical wisdom provides a powerful paradigm for understanding legal reasoning and adjudication. One of the primary insights of practical wisdom is that it recognizes a role for character as well as intellect in deliberation. Intellect alone may suffice to make one clever, enabling one to figure out how to achieve one's ends. As Aristotle notes, however, if the ends are wrong, cleverness may facilitate mere villainy. Virtue of character, together with experience, transforms cleverness into practical wisdom. Kronman's account of the virtues of character necessary for exercising practical wisdom -- sympathy (or mercy) and detachment (or justice) -- is helpful but incomplete. The (or at least a) missing ingredient is humility. Humility helps one to become more just and more merciful. It also aids deliberation and choice by one who is just and merciful, one who is trying to determine the appropriate course of action in a particular situation. For these reasons, humility is a virtue of character that we should especially seek and value in judges.
Nilpotent polynomial approach to four-qubit entanglement

We apply the general formalism of nilpotent polynomials (Mandilara et al 2006 Phys. Rev. A 74 022331) to the problem of pure-state multipartite entanglement classification in four qubits. In addition to establishing contact with the existing results, we explicitly show how the nilpotent formalism naturally suggests constructions of entanglement measures invariant under the required unitary or invertible class of local operations. A candidate measure of four-partite entanglement is also suggested, and its behaviour numerically tested on random pure states.