Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Generation of and Debugging with Logical Pre and Postconditions

This paper shows the debugging facilities provided by the SLAM system. The SLAM system includes i) a specification language that integrates algebraic specifications and model-based specifications using the object oriented model. Class operations are defined by using rules each of them with logical pre and postconditions but with a functional flavour. ii) A development environment that, among other features, is able to generate readable code in a high level object oriented language. iii) The generated code includes (part of) the pre and postconditions as assertions, that can be automatically checked in the debug mode execution of programs. We focus on this last aspect. The SLAM language is expressive enough to describe many useful properties and these properties are translated into a Prolog program that is linked (via an adequate interface) with the user program. The debugging execution of the program interacts with the Prolog engine which is responsible for checking properties.
The Influence of Domestic and International Interest Rates on the ISEQ

We investigate the influence of international and domestic monetary policy shocks on the Irish stock market. Specifically, we analyse the impact of (un)expected changes in domestic, US, UK and German/euro area policy rates on the ISEQ between 1988 to 2002 in an event type study. Our decomposition of (un)expected changes in policy rates are based on futures markets and is akin to Kuttner (2001). In the absence of an Irish interest rate futures market, we use a more indirect method by appealing to the expectations theory of the term structure of interest rates. Overall, our results suggest that, with the exception of the US, unanticipated changes in domestic and international interest rates appear to have little significant influence on the Irish stock market.
DFKI’s SC and MT submissions to IWSLT 2011

We describe DFKI’s submission to the System Combination and Machine Translation tracks of the 2011 IWSLT Evaluation Campaign. We focus on a sentence selection mechanism which chooses the (hopefully) best sentence among a set of candidates. The rationale behind it is to take advantage of the strengths of each system, especially given an heterogeneous dataset like the one in this evaluation campaign, composed of TED Talks of very different topics. We focus on using features that correlate well with human judgement and, while our primary system still focus on optimizing the BLEU score on the development set, our goal is to move towards optimizing directly the correlation with human judgement. This kind of system is still under development and was used as a secondary submission.
Soft Classiication, A. K. A. Risk Estimation, via Penalized Log Likelihood and Smoothing Spline Analysis of Variance

We discuss a class of methods for the problem of `soft' classi cation in supervised learning. In `hard' classi cation, it is assumed that any two examples with the same attribute vector will always be in the same class, (or have the same outcome), whereas in `soft' classi cation, two examples with the same attribute vector do not necessarily have the same outcome, but the probability of a particular outcome does depend on the attribute vector. In this paper we will describe a family of methods which are well suited for the estimation of this probability. The method we describe will produce, for any value in a (reasonable) region of the attribute space, an estimate of the probability that the next example will be in class 1. Underlying these methods is an assumption that this probability varies in a smooth way (to be de ned) as the predictor variables vary. The method combines results from Penalized log likelihood estimation, Smoothing splines, and Analysis of variance to get the PSA class of methods. In the process of describing PSA we discuss some issues concerning the computation of degrees of freedom for signal, which has wider rami cations for the minimization of generalization error in machine learning. As an illustration we apply the method to the Pima-Indian Diabetes data set in the UCI Repository, and compare the results to Smith et al(1988) who used the ADAP learning algorithm on this same data set to forecast the onset of diabetes mellitus. If the probabilities we obtain are thresholded to make a hard classi cation to compare with the hard classi cation of Smith et al(1988), the results are very similar, however, the intermediate probabilities that we obtain provide useful and interpretable information on how the risk of diabetes varies with some of the risk factors.
2 D simulations of Hall thrusters

Closed-Drift (Hall) thrusters constitute an important electric propulsion technology for certain applications requiring low thrust levels, e.g. satellite station keeping and orbit transfer (Gulczinski and Spores, 1996). The thrust in Hall thrusters is generated by ions being accelerated through an annular plasma by the electric field set up between an anode and a cathode. This electric field is strongly coupled to an externally applied radial magnetic field which typically localizes the electric field near the channel exit. The ions are generated through electron-impact ionization of Xenon neutrals. Due to their large inertia, the ions are not magnetized, and stream out of the device without experiencing very many collisions. The electrons, on the other hand, collide with the background neutrals as they migrate to the anode across the magnetic field. The cathode is located a few centimeters downstream of the channel exit and provides enough electrons to supply much of the discharge current, ionize the incoming neutrals, and neutralize the beam of exiting ions. While the overall operational characteristics of Hall thrusters are understood, some key issues remain to be resolved. In particular, the relationship between the various types of fluctuations in these devices and the overall engine efficiency needs to be determined. Electron conductivity is critical in the operation of Hall thrusters since it impacts the ionization of neutrals and the potential drop which accelerates the resulting ions. However, it’s expected (classical) value, arising from electronneutral and Coulomb collisions, is far too low to account for the measured electron current (Morozov et al. 1972). Two mechanisms have been proposed to account for the enhanced electron transport (often termed ‘anomalous’ in the plasma physics literature): electron wall interactions and azimuthal fluctuations in electron density (Morozov et al. 1972). It is important that electron diffusion be accurately modeled if the essential physics of the thruster are to be represented by oneor two-dimensional computations. State of the art approaches (e.g. Fife et al. 1997) assume that the electron mobility is given by the ‘Bohm model’:
RNA∶DNA Hybrids Initiate Quasi-Palindrome-Associated Mutations in Highly Transcribed Yeast DNA

RNase H enzymes promote genetic stability by degrading aberrant RNA∶DNA hybrids and by removing ribonucleotide monophosphates (rNMPs) that are present in duplex DNA. Here, we report that loss of RNase H2 in yeast is associated with mutations that extend identity between the arms of imperfect inverted repeats (quasi-palindromes or QPs), a mutation type generally attributed to a template switch during DNA synthesis. QP events were detected using frameshift-reversion assays and were only observed under conditions of high transcription. In striking contrast to transcription-associated short deletions that also are detected by these assays, QP events do not require Top1 activity. QP mutation rates are strongly affected by the direction of DNA replication and, in contrast to their elevation in the absence of RNase H2, are reduced when RNase H1 is additionally eliminated. Finally, transcription-associated QP events are limited by components of the nucleotide excision repair pathway and are promoted by translesion synthesis DNA polymerases. We suggest that QP mutations reflect either a transcription-associated perturbation of Okazaki-fragment processing, or the use of a nascent transcript to resume replication following a transcription-replication conflict.
Zinc bioavailability in rats fed a plant-based diet: a study of fermentation and zinc supplementation

Background Zinc deficiency is a significant problem, in developing countries and in vegetarians, which can be caused by plant-based diets. Thus, dietary strategies, such as fermentation, to improve zinc bioavailability of diets should be investigated. Objective To improve zinc bioavailability in a plant-based diet by the inclusion of fermented food. Design Cassava tubers were fermented and made to replace the unfermented cassava in a basal plant-based diet, and compared with plant-based diets with and without zinc supplement. The zinc bioavailability of the diets was evaluated in Wistar rats that were fed these diets for 28 days. The evaluation was for zinc apparent absorption (ZnAA), serum zinc levels, and zinc deposits in liver and femur; in addition, the feed efficiency ratio (FER) of the diets and femur weight (FW) of the rats were evaluated. Results During the cassava fermentation, lactic acid increased and pH decreased (from 6.8 to 3.9), which is favorable for native phytase activity, resulting in a 90.2% reduction of phytate content in cassava. The diet containing fermented cassava showed significantly higher levels of ZnAA, FER, and FW (p<0.001). Moreover, the zinc levels in serum and femur were significantly higher (p<0.001) compared with the results of the diet with unfermented cassava. The results clearly show a higher zinc bioavailability in the diet containing fermented cassava and are comparable with the results obtained with the plant-based diet with zinc supplement. Conclusions In conclusion, the fermentation of cassava reduces the phytate content. The diet containing the fermented cassava represents a better nutritional alternative than the diet with unfermented cassava and is comparable with the zinc-supplemented diets.
Identification of a minimal transforming domain of p53: negative dominance through abrogation of sequence-specific DNA binding

Mutations in the p53 gene are most frequent in cancer. Many p53 mutants possess transforming activity in vitro. In cells transformed by such mutants, the mutant protein is oligomerized with endogenous cell p53. To determine the relevance of oligomerization for transformation, miniproteins containing C-terminal portions of p53 were generated. These miniproteins, although carrying no point mutation, transformed at least as efficiently as full-length mutant p53. Transforming activity was coupled with the ability to oligomerize with wild-type p53, as well as with the ability to abrogate sequence-specific DNA binding by coexpressed wild-type p53. These findings suggest that p53-mediated transformation may operate through a dominant negative mechanism, involving the generation of DNA binding-incompetent oligomers.
Send Orders of Reprints at Reprints@benthamscience.org the Wnt Pathway in Mood Disorders

Objectives: To review the evidence of the involvement of the Wnt signalling pathway in mood disorders and in the action of drugs used to treat these disorders. Methods: We performed a careful PubMed search using as keywords all possible terms relevant to the Wnt pathway and crossing them with each of four areas, i.e., developmental effects, behavioural effects, mood disorders, and drugs used in their treatment. Papers were selected on the basis of their content and their data used for discussion. Results: Neurodevelopmental and behavioural data point to the possibility of involvement of the Wnt pathway in the pathophysiology of mood disorders. Clinical and post-mortem data are not sufficient to corroborate a definite role for Wnt alterations in any mood disorder. Combining genetic and pharmacological data, we may state that glycogen synthase kinase is the key molecule in bipolar disorder, as it is connected with many other signalling pathways that were shown to be involved in mood disorders, while Wnt molecules in the hippocampus appear to be mainly involved in depressive disorders. Conclusions: Altered Wnt signalling may play a role in the pathophysiology of mood disorders, although not a central one. It is premature to draw conclusions regarding the possible usefulness of Wnt manipulations in the treatment of mood disorders.
Real-Time Damage Prognosis of High-Performance Fiber Reinforced Cementitious Composite Structures

High-performance fiber reinforced cementitious composites (HPFRCC) have the potential to provide civil structures with high ductility and damage tolerance. Low-cost wireless sensing networks are another emerging area that can monitor civil structures for signs of deterioration and damage. Developed in isolation of one another, these two promising technologies can be integrated to provide HPFRCC structural elements capabilities to accurately monitor their performance to highly demanding loading conditions such as those posed by seismic events. In particular, the computational core of a wireless sensing unit can be harnessed to screen HPFRCC components for damage in real-time. A seismic damage index initially proposed for flexural dominated reinforced concrete elements is modified to serve as an algorithmic tool that can rapidly assess the extent of damage in shear-dominated HPFRCC elements. Embedded in the core of a wireless sensing unit prototype, the model is used to interrogate the deformation history of an HPFRCC coupling beam loaded cyclically in the laboratory.
Comparing Six-and Twelve-Core Prostate Biopsy in Detection of Prostate Cancer

Objective: We compared the safety and efficacy of the 12-core biopsy with those of the conventional systematic 6-core biopsy with PSA levels between 4.1 and 20.0 ng/mL. Materials and Methods: This study included 428 patients who underwent a 6-core biopsy and 128 patients who underwent a 12-core biopsy. Biopsies were performed transrectally under ultrasound guidance. The 12-core biopsy scheme involved obtaining 6 far lateral cores. Results: For patients with PSA level between 4.1 and 10.1 ng/mL, 47 of the 265 patients who underwent 6-core biopsy and 32 of the 91 patients who underwent a12-core biopsy were diagnosed with prostate cancer (p = 0.0006). Among the patients with a PSA level between 10.1 and 20.0 ng/mL, 48 of 163 patients who underwent the 6-core biopsy and 16 of 37 patients who underwent the 12-core biopsy were diagnosed with prostate cancer (p = 0.0606). Three of the 95 patients who were diagnosed with prostate cancer through the 6-core biopsy and 12 of the 48 patients who were diagnosed through the 12core biopsy had cancer located in the anterior apex. The 12-core biopsy increased the diagnostic rate in the apex (p = 0.001). No statistically significant differences were found in incidence of complications. Conclusion: We concluded that the 12-core biopsy is a safe and more effective procedure for increasing the diagnostic rate of prostate cancer than the 6-core biopsy in patients with PSA level between 4.1 and 10.0 ng/mL, and the most useful anatomical area to be added was found to be cores from the anterior apex.
Ultraviolet background radiation from cosmic structure formation

We calculate the contribution to the ultraviolet background (UVB) from thermal emission from gas shock heated during cosmic structure formation. Our main calculation is based on an updated version of Press-Schechter theory. It is consistent with a more empirical estimate based on the observed properties of galaxies and the observed cosmic star formation history. Thermal UVB emission is characterized by a hard spectrum extending well beyond 4 Ryd. The bulk of the radiation is produced by objects in the mass range 10 11 -10 13 M ○. , i.e. large galaxies and small groups. We compute a composite UVB spectrum due to quasi-stellar object (QSO), stellar and thermal components. The ratio of the UVB intensities at the H and He Lyman limits increases from 60 at z = 2 to more than 300 at z = 6. A comparison of the resulting photoionization rates to the observed Gunn-Peterson effect at high redshifts constrains the escape fraction of ionizing photons from galaxies to be less than a few per cent. Near 1 Ryd, thermal and stellar emission are comparable, amounting to about 10, 20 and 35 per cent of the total flux at redshifts of 3, 4.5 and higher, respectively. However, near the ionization threshold for He II, the thermal contribution is much stronger. It is comparable to the QSO intensity already at redshift ∼3 and dominates at redshifts above 4. Thermal photons alone are enough to produce and sustain He II reionization already at z 6. We discuss the possible implications of our results for the thermal history of the intergalactic medium, in particular for He II reionization.
Pulsed Doppler signal processing for use in mice: design and evaluation

We have developed and evaluated a high-frequency, real-time pulsed Doppler and physiological signal acquisition and analysis system specifically for use in mice. The system was designed to provide sampling rates up to 125 kilosamples/s (ksps) with software controlled data acquisition and analysis in real-time. Complex fast Fourier transforms are performed every 0.1 ms (or longer up to 10 ms) to provide 0.1-ms time resolution and using 64-1024 sample segments of the Doppler audio signals resulting in frequency resolution ranging from 122-1953 Hz. The system was evaluated by its response to frequency swept signals with slopes (accelerations) and magnitudes (velocities) comparable to actual blood velocity signals in mice. Signals up to a maximum frequency of 125 kHz and a maximum acceleration of 20 MHz/s were processed and displayed. This corresponds to a maximum velocity of 480 (960) cm/s and a maximum acceleration of 750 (1500) m/s/sup 2/ when Doppler shifts are measured with a 20- (10-) MHz probe, thereby allowing us to measure high stenotic jet velocities. The directional transitions of the spectrogram across zero frequency and across Nyquist frequency (sampling rate/2) were smooth with no discernible artifacts. Signals with period as low as 2 ms were processed and displayed at sweep speed that is ten times that in clinical Doppler systems, so that measurements of small temporal events can be made with precision. Thus, the new system can measure higher blood velocities with higher spatial and temporal resolution than is possible using clinical Doppler systems adapted for use in mice.
STEREOVISION 3D TYPE WORKSPACE MAPPING SYSTEM ARCHITECTURE FOR TRANSPORT DEVICES

One of the effects of the exponential growth universally available computing power is decrease of the hardware cost especially multimedia components. This trend combined with integration of image acquisition hardware for multimedia applications for personal computers, enable to create new kind of vision systems - stereovision. The system presented on this paper using two synchronized cameras with USB type interface. In order to obtain an exact copy of the object in 3D type space is necessary to gather the information about projected points of the space onto the more than one image. The paper is focus on double camera stereovision system and calibration problem with image rectification. The target was achieved with use open source Computer Vision libraries and toolboxes. Practical implementation of presented basic stereovision system (based on two cameras) is addressed for transportation devices which are operating in fixed 3D type space and include for example: device movement trajectory controlling, possible events detecting and work space of material handling devices modeling. Paper contains the following key chapters: cameras calibration problem short discussion, single camera calibration approach, and stereovision system architecture and calibration approach.
Cognitive Abilities in Malawi Cichlids (Pseudotropheus sp.): Matching-to-Sample and Image/Mirror-Image Discriminations

The ability to recognize and distinguish between visual stimuli is fundamental for everyday survival of many species. While diverse aspects of cognition, including complex visual discrimination tasks were previously successfully assessed in fish, it remains unknown if fish can learn a matching-to-sample concept using geometrical shapes and discriminate between images and their mirror-image counterparts. For this purpose a total of nine Malawi cichlids (Pseudotropheus sp.) were trained in two matching-to-sample (MTS) and three two-choice discrimination tasks using geometrical, two-dimensional visual stimuli. Two out of the three discrimination experiments focused on the ability to discriminate between images and their mirror-images, the last was a general discrimination test. All fish showed quick associative learning but were unable to perform successfully in a simultaneous MTS procedure within a period of 40 sessions. Three out of eight fish learned to distinguish between an image and its mirror-image when reflected vertically; however none of the fish mastered the task when the stimulus was reflected horizontally. These results suggest a better discrimination ability of vertical compared to horizontal mirror-images, an observation that is widespread in literature on mirror-image discrimination in animals. All fish performed well in the general visual discrimination task, thereby supporting previous results obtained for this species.
Bilinear neuro-fuzzy modeling for adaptive approximation and indirect control of nonlinear systems

To cope with the indirect regulation of unknown affine in the control nonlinear systems, this paper proposes a method which is based on a recurrent Neuro-Fuzzy modeling. Initially, the components of the nonlinear plant are approximated by Fuzzy subsystems. Using appropriately defined “indicating functions”, it is shown that the initial dynamical fuzzy system can be converted to a dynamical neuro-fuzzy model, where the “indicating functions” are replaced by High Order Neural Networks (HONNS), trained by sampled system data. Assuming only parametric uncertainty, the parameters to be estimated are the weights of the HONNs and the centers of the output partitions, both arranged in matrices of appropriate dimensions and leading to a bilinear parametric model. Adaptive laws are derived based on this model and using a Lyapunov stability analysis of the error dynamic equations. The a-priori experts information required by the identification scheme is extremely low, limited to the knowledge of the signs of the center of the fuzzy output partitions. Once the system is identified around an operation point, it is regulated to zero adaptively using an appropriate controller that is built according to the neuro-fuzzy model. The weight updating laws guarantee that both the identification error and the system states reach zero exponentially fast, while keeping all signals in the closed loop bounded. Simulation on a well known benchmark illustrates the potency of the method.
New Perspectives on Political Economy Volume 1 , Number 2 , 2005 , pp . 1 – 31 Coase and the Economics of Crime

“The problem of social cost” is a major piece of Coase’s legacy. It constitutes the foundation of the neo-institutionalism movement. This article tries to provide a solution to situations characterized by disputes on the use of resources. We propose a libertarian and Rothbardian re-examination. In the first section, the Coase theorem is the object of a personal appraisal. The second section stresses the common points between the Coasian approach and the classical school of the economics of crime. The third section examines the consequences of both of these theories for public policy. ∗ Researcher at the French National Institute for Transport and Safety Research. He works for the GARIG department. He is also an associated researcher of the LAEP department of the University of Paris 1. A first version of this paper was delivered during the Austrian Scholars Conference in Auburn (Alabama), March 2004 for a session on Law and Economics with Walter Block, Peter Klein and Roy Cordato. The author would like to thank Nicolai Gertchev for his precious comments. The usual caveat applies. 2 New Perspectives on Political Economy