Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Clustering Sentences with Density Peaks for Multi-document Summarization

Multi-document Summarization (MDS) is of great value to many real world applications. Many scoring models are proposed to select appropriate sentences from documents to form the summary, in which the clustering-based methods are popular. In this work, we propose a unified sentence scoring model which measures representativeness and diversity at the same time. Experimental results on DUC04 demonstrate that our MDS method outperforms the DUC04 best method and the existing clustering-based methods, and it yields close results compared to the state-of-the-art generic MDS methods. Advantages of the proposed MDS method are two-fold: (1) The density peaks clustering algorithm is firstly adopted, which is effective and fast. (2) No external resources such as Wordnet and Wikipedia or complex language parsing algorithms is used, making reproduction and deployment very easy in real environment.
DIAL: serendipitous DIAlectic Learning

Killer applications, such as Excel and others, may be retrospectively considered as potential excellent learning environments in different specific domains and also in meta-cognitive skills,even if there is no learning intention either in the designer or the user. We briefly present a patented methodology for knowledge acquisition and construction, which has been widely and successfully used for five years, and interpreted as a learning environment for users engaged in domain-dependent interactions.
A simple micro electret power generator

We developed a novel, yet simple, micro electret power generator prototype for low-frequency energy harvesting applications. In this prototype, two electrodes of the power generator are placed on the stator. The rotor is only a plate with metal strips of half of the spatial frequency of the stator plate. The packaging is to simply fix the stator to a container and put the rotor directly on top of the stator. CYTOP, a MEMS-compatible perfluoropolymer, served as the electret material and charged with corona charging. The power output was 2.267 muW at 60 Hz.
The Clinical Validation of Psychoanalytic Theory

Professor Griinbaum's ([14]) interpretations of some pieces of psychological evidence are open to criticism, but it is difficult to contest his main conclusions. As a result, this commentary will assess the consequences of Griinbaum's conclusions, and consider alternative ways of evaluating the validity of psychoanalytic theories. One of Griinbaum's most important conclusions is that "the epistemological liabilities of the clinical transaction interdict its probative elevation above the laboratory. " This conclusion is so firmly based that it will be taken for granted in this commentary. Instead, attention will be devoted to the possibility of introducing methods of control that might help to salvage the rich clinical material generated in psychoanalytic sessions. (Like Grunbaum, I will deal mainly with clinical validation as that procedure is most beset with obstacles; some parts of the theory are open to conventional experimental analyses, e.g., [7], [16], [20]). In order to provide the appropriate framework for this undertaking, it is necessary to rehearse some of the major objections and difficulties raised by Grunbaum. Before doing so however, it should be said that these difficulties, considerable though they may be, are exceeded by the difficulties encountered in attempting to validate psychoanalytic theories of childhood development and the effects on children of psychoanalytic treatment. There are several reasons why psychoanalytic theories of childhood should be taken seriously and why Grfinbaum's arguments should be extended to incorporate this branch of psychoanalytic theory. In the first place, the psychoanalytic theory of child development has had
Inhibition of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis Caused by Bacteria Isolated from the Skin of Boreal Toads, Anaxyrus (Bufo) boreas boreas, from Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, USA

The chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis is a significant cause of the worldwide decline in amphibian populations; however, various amphibian species are capable of coexisting with B. dendrobatidis. Among them are boreal toads (Anaxyrus (Bufo) boreas boreas) located in Grand Teton National Park (GTNP) in Wyoming, USA. The purpose of this study was to identify cultivable bacterial isolates from the skin microbiota of boreal toads from GTNP and determine if they were capable of inhibiting B. dendrobatidis in vitro, and therefore might be a factor in the toad's coexistence with this pathogen. Isolates from 6 of 21 genera tested were found to inhibit the growth of B. dendrobatidis. These bacteria represent diverse lineages such as the Gammaproteobacteria, the Betaproteobacteria, and the Bacteroidetes/Chlorobium groups. We propose that these bacteria compete via microbial antagonism with B. dendrobatidis.
Molecular Basis for Preventing α-Synuclein Aggregation by a Molecular Tweezer*

Background: The molecular tweezer, CLR01, binds to Lys and prevents aggregation of α-synuclein. Results: CLR01 binds directly to monomeric α-synuclein near the N terminus and changes the charge distribution in the sequence, swelling the chain, and increasing the protein reconfiguration rate. Conclusion: Aggregation is inhibited by making the protein more diffusive. Significance: The most effective aggregation inhibitors may change monomer dynamics rather than structure. Recent work on α-synuclein has shown that aggregation is controlled kinetically by the rate of reconfiguration of the unstructured chain, such that the faster the reconfiguration, the slower the aggregation. In this work we investigate this relationship by examining α-synuclein in the presence of a small molecular tweezer, CLR01, which binds selectively to Lys side chains. We find strong binding to multiple Lys within the chain as measured by fluorescence and mass-spectrometry and a linear increase in the reconfiguration rate with concentration of the inhibitor. Top-down mass-spectrometric analysis shows that the main binding of CLR01 to α-synuclein occurs at the N-terminal Lys-10/Lys-12. Photo-induced cross-linking of unmodified proteins (PICUP) analysis shows that under the conditions used for the fluorescence analysis, α-synuclein is predominantly monomeric. The results can be successfully modeled using a kinetic scheme in which two aggregation-prone monomers can form an encounter complex that leads to further oligomerization but can also dissociate back to monomers if the reconfiguration rate is sufficiently high. Taken together, the data provide important insights into the preferred binding site of CLR01 on α-synuclein and the mechanism by which the molecular tweezer prevents self-assembly into neurotoxic aggregates by α-synuclein and presumably other amyloidogenic proteins.
New adaptive fuzzy sliding-mode control system for SISO nonlinear system

A new adaptive fuzzy sliding-mode control (FSMC) scheme was proposed, which incorporated the fuzzy logic into sliding-mode control using fuzzy logic to approximate the equivalent control and the upper bound of uncertainty which involved the disturbance and approximation error, thus the influence of modeling error was reduced and the gain of sliding-mode control part was more fitting, such that the chattering effects could be alleviated . Besides, inspired by the thought of fully tuned RBF neural networks, a fully tuned fuzzy logic was proposed which enhanced the approximating ability of fuzzy logic system. Lyapunov stability theorem was used to prove the stability of the system and the adaptive laws were deduced. Finally, simulation results of some BTT missile were included to illustrate the effectiveness of the adaptive fuzzy sliding-mode control scheme.
Listing all the minimum spanning trees in an undirected graph

Efficient polynomial time algorithms are well known for the minimum spanning tree problem. However, given an undirected graph with integer edge weights, minimum spanning trees may not be unique. In this article, we present an algorithm that lists all the minimum spanning trees included in the graph. The computational complexity of the algorithm is O(N(mn+n 2 log n)) in time and O(m) in space, where n, m and N stand for the number of nodes, edges and minimum spanning trees, respectively. Next, we explore some properties of cut-sets, and based on these we construct an improved algorithm, which runs in O(N m log n) time and O(m) space. These algorithms are implemented in C language, and some numerical experiments are conducted for planar as well as complete graphs with random edge weights.
Incidence of ethambutol-related visual impairment during treatment of active tuberculosis.

BACKGROUND Recent World Health Organization guidelines recommend the addition of ethambutol (EMB) throughout standardised treatment of new cases of active tuberculosis (TB) in populations with increased prevalence of isoniazid resistance to reduce the risk of creating multidrug resistance. This could expose patients to the risk of blindness. METHODS We searched Cochrane, Embase and PubMed electronic databases from 1965 to February 2011 for original studies that prospectively followed all patients treated with EMB for active TB, and routinely ascertained the occurrence of visual toxicity using standard methods. Pooled estimates, overall and stratified by major covariates, were calculated using random effects meta-analysis. RESULTS Pooled cumulative incidence of any visual impairment in all patients was 22.5 per 1000 persons treated with EMB (95%CI 10.2-35), and permanent impairment was 4.3/1000 (95%CI 0.3-9.0). After restricting the analyses to arms in which the average dose was 27.5 mg/kg/day or less and treatment was for 2-9 months, the incidence of any visual impairment was 19.2/1000 (95%CI 5.8-33), and permanent impairment was 2.3/1000 persons (95%CI 0-6.1) treated, as the majority of episodes were reversible. In reversible cases, resolution of impairment occurred after an average of 3 months. CONCLUSIONS In this review, any visual impairment occurred in 22.5/1000 persons receiving EMB at standard doses for up to 9 months, and permanent impairment in 2.3/1000-an important risk. However, these estimates are imprecise, and the studies were of variable quality and the results heterogeneous. Well-designed prospective studies with repeated measurements of multiple visual parameters that clearly describe the degree of permanent impairment are needed.
Towards Efficient Maintenance of Continuous MaxRS Query for Trajectories

We address the problem of efficient maintenance of the answer to a new type of query: Continuous Maximizing RangeSum (Co-MaxRS) for moving objects trajectories. The traditional static/spatial MaxRS problem finds a location for placing the centroid of a given (axes-parallel) rectangle R so that the sum of the weights of the point-objects from a given set O inside the interior of R is maximized. However, moving objects continuously change their locations over time, so the MaxRS solution for a particular time instant need not be a solution at another time instant. In this paper, we devise the conditions under which a particular MaxRS solution may cease to be valid and a new optimal location for the query-rectangle R is needed. More specifically, we solve the problem of maintaining the trajectory of the centroid of R. In addition, we propose efficient pruning strategies (and corresponding data structures) to speed-up the process of maintaining the accuracy of the Co-MaxRS solution. We prove the correctness of our approach and present experimental evaluations over both real and synthetic datasets, demonstrating the benefits of the proposed methods.
An Efficient Hardware Matching Engine for Regular Expression with Nested Kleene Operators

In this paper, we propose a systolic pattern-independent hardware regular expression matching (REM) engine which handles nested Kleene operators used in virus patterns. Pattern-independent systolic REM engines are suitable to network intrusion detection systems for quick updating of virus pattern. In the proposed engine, we introduce a compact pattern-independent NFA circuit, which can handle any small regular expression patterns, into a systolic REM engine to handle nested Kleene operators. Experimental results show that the extended engine implemented on an FPGA handles nested Kleene operators with efficient circuit size and high performance (2.17Gbps).
Embedding software measurement in a soft systems approach

This paper is the result of reflection upon a series of software measurement exercises that have been carried out in a telecommunications engineering environment. These exercises were conducted in a manner which attempted, as far as possible, to follow recognised good practice. It is argued that while approaches such as the Goal/Question/Metric paradigm and the framework for the validation of software measurements suggested by Kitchenham et al. have rightly been very influential, they have not always offered useful advice because they have been based either on traditional engineering paradigms and/or have used unhelpful analogies from physical science. We argue that software development involves human activity systems (HAS) and following on Bell et al suggest the use of soft systems methods (SSM). Unlike Bell et al, we put forward the view that there is no need to merge SSM with other methodologies, but that measurement can naturally be embedded within the general SSM approach to problemsolving.
Early dynamic changes in pulse oximetry signals in preterm newborns with histologic chorioamnionitis

Objective: No reliable clinical markers of histologic chorioamnionitis (HCA), a major and often subclinical cause of prematurity leading to high neonatal morbidity and mortality, are available to date. Increasing evidence indicates myocardial dysfunctions in affected fetuses and newborns. We sought to assess the value of nonlinear dynamics from pulse oximetry signals in identifying affected newborns. Design: Prospective case-control study. Setting: Tertiary level neonatal intensive care unit, Brindisi Hospital. Patients and Intervention: Pulse oximetry–derived signals (pulse rate, oxygen saturation, and perfusion index), recorded within the first 1.5 hrs of life, were analyzed for 110 very low-birth-weight infants, of whom 54 had histopathological evidence of HCA. Measurements and Main Results: Four different time series parameters were determined for nonlinear dynamical (NLD) analysis. Significantly decreased Lempel-Ziv, Lyapunov largest exponent, and correlation dimension, with significantly increased Hurst values for heart rate and perfusion index (p < .00001), were observed in newborns with HCA. Heart rate Lempel-Ziv ≤0.218 showed 100% sensitivity (95% confidence interval, 98.8–100) and 100% specificity (95% confidence interval, 98.6–100) in distinguishing cases from controls, with positive and negative predictive values of 100% and 95.7%, respectively. Conclusions: Our findings indicate that early autonomic tone balance abnormalities are present in newborns with HCA and suggest that early dynamic analysis of pulse oximetry signals could be useful in identifying affected infants.
Early technology assessment of new medical devices

Objectives: In the United States, medical devices represent an eighty-billion dollar a year market. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration rejects a significant number of applications of devices that reach the investigational stage. The prospects of improving patient condition, as well as firms' profits, are thus substantial, but fraught with uncertainties at the time when investments and design decisions are made. This study presents a quantitative model focused on the risk aspects of early technology assessment, designed to support the decisions of medical device firms in the investment and development stages. Methods: The model is based on the engineering risk analysis method involving systems analysis and probability. It assumes use of all evidence available (both direct and indirect) and integrates the information through a linear formula of aggregation of probability distributions. The model is illustrated by a schematic version of the case of the AtrialShaper, a device for the reduction of stroke risk that is currently in the preprototype stage. Results: The results of the modeling provide a more complete description of the evidence base available to support early-stage decisions, thus allowing comparison of alternative designs and management alternatives. Conclusions: The model presented here provides early-stage decision-support to industry, but also benefits regulators and payers in their later assessment of new devices and associated procedures.
The Organization of Human Language Cortex: Special Adaptation or Common Cortical Design?

Understanding the neural basis of language is one of the oldest and most difficult pursuits in neuroscience. Despite decades of accumulated data on aphasic subjects with cortical damage, we still know relatively little of how language functions are represented within the neural circuitry of the brain. A major issue of debate is whether language is a species-specific adaptation built into the neocortex, or a by-product of neocortical expansion. Cognitive studies emphasizing the universal nature of language abilities, the consistencies of language structure, and the consistent time course of language development have all indicated that language abilities are innate and must be built into the brain by evolutionary forces. Comparative studies of primates are equivocal since we have little evidence indicating that primate communication is homologous to human language systems. Much of this confusion is related to a lack of information regarding the neural basis of human communication. Recent anatomical data from human brains indicates that left hemisphere regions can have unique types of organization that may be responsible for functional specialization.
A Hands-on Modeling Approach to Evolution: Learning about the Evolution of Cooperation and Altruism Through Multi-Agent Modeling - The EACH Project

This paper presents a hands-on approach to learning about evolution; specifically, the evolution of altruistic and cooperative behavior. The classical view of individual selection stresses the importance of competition between individuals for resources and survival. On this view, altruistic and cooperative behavior appear to be disadvantageous for evolutionary success. However, looking at evolution as a complex system, altruism and cooperation can be seen as valuable traits for individual survival. The EACH project developed hands-on materials that enabled students to engage and test their intuitions about the fitness and evolutionary success of altruistic behavior. The primary materials consisted of a set of multi-agent models (written in StarLogoT) and associated activities that guided students in exploring evolutionary scenarios. Through their involvement in the EACH project, many students who had started with an understanding of evolutionary fitness as a trait of isolated individuals came to appreciate the complexity of environmental and social factors in the evolutionary process.
Capacity allocation for balancing cost and fairness in a imaging facility setting

Due to expensive procurement cost and high operating cost, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is usually one of bottleneck resources in hospitals. As MRI is shared by multi-types of patients with different requirements of examinations, setup time is needed to change coil between different patient types. Therefore, the same type patients are arranged in a sequential order to reduce setup time. This paper proposes an integer linear programming model based on a long sample path of patient arrivals for optimizing the capacity allocation. The problem consists in determining the amount of capacity allocates to each type with the objective of balancing total cost and medical service fairness. Numerical experiments with various machine daily working time and setup time are performed to show the efficiency of the proposed approach and demonstrate that the proposed capacity allocation solution is better than the widely used capacity pooling solution.
Comparative Genomic and Transcriptomic Characterization of the Toxigenic Marine Dinoflagellate Alexandrium ostenfeldii

Many dinoflagellate species are notorious for the toxins they produce and ecological and human health consequences associated with harmful algal blooms (HABs). Dinoflagellates are particularly refractory to genomic analysis due to the enormous genome size, lack of knowledge about their DNA composition and structure, and peculiarities of gene regulation, such as spliced leader (SL) trans-splicing and mRNA transposition mechanisms. Alexandrium ostenfeldii is known to produce macrocyclic imine toxins, described as spirolides. We characterized the genome of A. ostenfeldii using a combination of transcriptomic data and random genomic clones for comparison with other dinoflagellates, particularly Alexandrium species. Examination of SL sequences revealed similar features as in other dinoflagellates, including Alexandrium species. SL sequences in decay indicate frequent retro-transposition of mRNA species. This probably contributes to overall genome complexity by generating additional gene copies. Sequencing of several thousand fosmid and bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) ends yielded a wealth of simple repeats and tandemly repeated longer sequence stretches which we estimated to comprise more than half of the whole genome. Surprisingly, the repeats comprise a very limited set of 79–97 bp sequences; in part the genome is thus a relatively uniform sequence space interrupted by coding sequences. Our genomic sequence survey (GSS) represents the largest genomic data set of a dinoflagellate to date. Alexandrium ostenfeldii is a typical dinoflagellate with respect to its transcriptome and mRNA transposition but demonstrates Alexandrium-like stop codon usage. The large portion of repetitive sequences and the organization within the genome is in agreement with several other studies on dinoflagellates using different approaches. It remains to be determined whether this unusual composition is directly correlated to the exceptionally genome organization of dinoflagellates with a low amount of histones and histone-like proteins.
Linear Scalability on Decision Support Systems : Cray CS 6400

Decision Support Systems (DSS) manipulate and analyze information to highlight previously un-explored relationships in large Gigabyteor Terabytesized databases. They are emerging as an area of strategic value to many customers in the merchant RDBMS market who need to explore all of their data. In the past, lack of performance has prompted users to sample or to summarize data for DSS processing [1], however, sampling can hide valuable information. Insight can be gained by knowing the detail in the large database that summary data obliterates. Parallel processing enables completely scanning large database for this accurate detailed information in a reasonable time. New powerful Solaris SMP systems, such as the 64-processor CRAY SUPERSERVER 6400 (CS6400), provide practical platforms that are scalable and flexible enough to handle large databases. The CS6400 is Cray's SPARC-based SMP System that runs the Solaris 2.4 operating system and is fully SPARC binary compatible. The combination of the CS6400 and the parallel features of Oracle7 provide scalable performance for DSS operations. This paper presents results that show near-perfect linear scalability on many of the basic tasks representative of parallel DSS queries (full table scans, nested loop joins, sort merge joins, index creation, etc.) using Oracle7 on the CS6400. These basic tasks are the components of more complex queries. Optimization of these components improves "real world" user performance. The key to high delivered performance on DSS is taking advantage of the important application characteristics and focusing on the important system parameters in the complete system.