Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Attenuate Locally, Win Globally: An Attenuation-based Framework for Online Stochastic Matching with Timeouts

Online matching problems have garnered significant attention in recent years due to numerous applications in e-commerce, online advertisements, ride-sharing, etc. Many of them capture the uncertainty in the real world by including stochasticity in both the arrival process and the matching process. The Online Stochastic Matching with Timeouts problem introduced by Bansal, et al., (Algorithmica, 2012) models matching markets (e.g., E-Bay, Amazon). Buyers arrive from an independent and identically distributed (i.i.d.) known distribution on buyer profiles and can be shown a list of items one at a time. Each buyer has some probability of purchasing each item and a limit (timeout) on the number of items they can be shown. Bansal et al., (Algorithmica, 2012) gave a 0.12-competitive algorithm which was improved by Adamczyk, et al., (ESA, 2015) to 0.24. We present an online attenuation framework that uses an algorithm for offline stochastic matching as a black box. On the upper bound side, we show that this framework, combined with a black-box adapted from Bansal et al., (Algorithmica, 2012), yields an online algorithm which nearly doubles the ratio to 0.46. On the lower bound side, we show that no algorithm can achieve a ratio better than 0.632 using the standard LP for this problem. This framework has a high potential for further improvements since new algorithms for offline stochastic matching can directly improve the ratio for the online problem. Our online framework also has the potential for a variety of extensions. For example, we introduce a natural generalization: Online Stochastic Matching with Two-sided Timeouts in which both online and offline vertices have timeouts. Our framework provides the first algorithm for this problem achieving a ratio of 0.30. We once again use the algorithm of Adamczyk et al., (ESA, 2015) as a black-box and plug-it into our framework.
Spatial Image Steganography Based on Generative Adversarial Network

With the recent development of deep learning on steganalysis, embedding secret information into digital images faces great challenges. In this paper, a secure steganography algorithm by using adversarial training is proposed. The architecture contain three component modules: a generator, an embedding simulator and a discriminator. A generator based on U-NET to translate a cover image into an embedding change probability is proposed. To fit the optimal embedding simulator and propagate the gradient, a function called Tanh-simulator is proposed. As for the discriminator, the selection-channel awareness (SCA) is incorporated to resist the SCA based steganalytic methods. Experimental results have shown that the proposed framework can increase the security performance dramatically over the recently reported method ASDL-GAN, while the training time is only 30% of that used by ASDL-GAN. Furthermore, it also performs better than the hand-crafted steganographic algorithm S-UNIWARD.
Evaluating HCI Research beyond Usability

Evaluating research artefacts is an important step to showcase the validity of a chosen approach. The CHI community has developed and agreed upon a large variety of evaluation methods for HCI research; however, sometimes those methods are not applicable or not sufficient. This is especially the case when the contribution lies within the context of the application area, such as for research in sustainable HCI, HCI for development, or design fiction and futures studies. In this SIG, we invite the CHI community to share their insights from projects that encountered problems in evaluating research and aim to discuss solutions for this difficult topic. We invite researchers from all areas of HCI research who are interested to engage in a debate of issues in the process of validating research artefacts.
Observation of many-body localization of interacting fermions in a quasirandom optical lattice

Making interacting atoms localize Disorder can stop the transport of noninteracting particles in its tracks. This phenomenon, known as Anderson localization, occurs in disordered solids, as well as photonic and cold atom settings. Interactions tend to make localization less likely, but disorder, interactions, and localization may coexist in the so-called many-body localized state. Schreiber et al. detect many-body localization in a one-dimensional optical lattice initially filled with atoms occupying alternating sites. Externally induced disorder and interactions prevented the system from evolving quickly to a state with a single atom on each site. Science, this issue p. 842 Disorder and interactions are tuned to induce nonergodic behavior in an atomic system in a one-dimensional optical lattice. Many-body localization (MBL), the disorder-induced localization of interacting particles, signals a breakdown of conventional thermodynamics because MBL systems do not thermalize and show nonergodic time evolution. We experimentally observed this nonergodic evolution for interacting fermions in a one-dimensional quasirandom optical lattice and identified the MBL transition through the relaxation dynamics of an initially prepared charge density wave. For sufficiently weak disorder, the time evolution appears ergodic and thermalizing, erasing all initial ordering, whereas above a critical disorder strength, a substantial portion of the initial ordering persists. The critical disorder value shows a distinctive dependence on the interaction strength, which is in agreement with numerical simulations. Our experiment paves the way to further detailed studies of MBL, such as in noncorrelated disorder or higher dimensions.
Multidimensional periodic scheduling: a solution approach

We present a solution approach to the multidimensional periodic scheduling problem. We introduce the concept of multidimensional periodic operations in order to cope with problems originating from loop hierarchies and explicit timing requirements. We present an iterative algorithm for the scheduling problem, based on an ILP approach for checking the constraints, and we show some experimental results. Finally, we extend the solution approach to handle parametric descriptions.
Older Adults Have a Low Capacity To Opsonize Pneumococci Due to Low IgM Antibody Response to Pneumococcal Vaccinations

ABSTRACT Since the 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPV23) is less effective for older adults than for young adults, it is important to investigate the immunologic basis for the reduced efficacy of PPV23 among older adults. We determined the effectiveness of PPV23 among young (n = 55) and older (n = 44) adults by measuring the serum IgG, IgM, and IgA concentrations and opsonic capacities against serotypes 14, 18C, and 23F. While young and older adults showed no difference in levels of IgG antibodies against pneumococcal polysaccharide (PPS), older adults had lower IgA and IgM antibody levels than young adults for all three serotypes. In both age groups, anti-PPS IgA or IgM antibody levels were much lower than anti-PPS IgG antibody levels. Young adults showed higher opsonic capacities than older adults for serotypes 14 and 23F. In order to determine the effects of anti-PPS IgA or IgM antibodies on the functional difference between young and older adults, anti-PPS IgA or IgM antibodies were removed from immune sera by affinity chromatography. The difference in opsonic capacity between young and older adults disappeared for serotypes 14 and 23F (but not for serotype 18C) when IgM antibody was removed. However, there was no significant difference between the two age groups when IgA antibody was removed. In conclusion, even though anti-PPS IgG antibody levels are high compared with anti-PPS IgM antibody levels, the low levels of anti-PPS IgM antibody alone can explain the functional difference observed between young and older adults immunized with PPV23 with regard to some pneumococcal serotypes.
On processor coordination using asynchronous hardware

We investigate an asynchronous model of concurrent computations, where processors communicate by shared registers that allow atomic read and write operations (but do not support atomic test-and-set). For this model, we define a general notion of processor coordination, and study the possibility and complexity of achieving coordination. Our definition includes, as special cases, mutual exclusion and asynchronous agreement. It is shown that the coordination problem cannot be solved by means of a deterministic protocol even if the system consists of only two processors. This impossibility result holds for the most powerful type of shared atomic registers and does not assume symmetric protocols. The impossibility result is contrasted by a variety of eficient randomized protocols, that achieve fast coordination for systems of arbitrary number of processors n. These protocols are all fairly simple, constructive, and their ezpectedrun-time is polynomial in n, even in the presence of an adaptive
The burden of smoking-related ill health in the UK

Background: Smoking is one of the biggest avoidable causes of morbidity and mortality in the United Kingdom. This paper quantifies the current health and economic burden of smoking in the UK. It provides comparisons with previous studies of the burden of smoking in the UK and with the costs for other chronic disease risk factors. Methods: A systematic literature review to identify previous estimates of National Health Service costs attributable to smoking was undertaken. Information from the World Health Organization’s Global Burden of Disease Project and routinely collected mortality data were used to calculate mortality due to smoking in the UK. Population-attributable fractions for smoking-related diseases from the Global Burden of Disease Project were applied to NHS cost data to estimate direct financial costs. Results: Previous studies estimated that smoking costs the NHS about £1.4 billion to £1.7 billion in 1991 and has been responsible for about 100 000 deaths per annum over the past 10 years. This paper estimates that the number of deaths attributable to smoking in 2005 was 109 164 (19% of all deaths, 27% deaths in men and 11% of deaths in women). Smoking was directly responsible for 12% of disability adjusted life years lost in 2002 (15.4% in men; 8.5% in women) and the direct cost to the NHS was £5.2 billion in 2005–6. Conclusion: Smoking is still a considerable public health burden in the UK. Accurately establishing the burden in terms of death, disability and financial costs is important for informing national public health policy.
Shooting bricks with orthogonal laser beams: A first step towards internal/external map labeling

We study several variants of a hybrid map labeling problem that combines the following two tasks: (i) a set A of points in a rectangle R needs to be labeled with rectangular labels on the right boundary of R using (axisaligned) orthogonal one-bend polylines called leaders to connect points and labels; (ii) a maximum subset B 0 of a set B of xed internal congruent rectangular labels in R needs to be selected such that B 0 is an independent set of labels and no leader intersects any label in B 0 . We also call the points in A aliens, the labels of B bricks, and the leaders laser beams. Then the problem translates into every alien shooting a laser beam so that in total as few bricks as possible are destroyed. We provide algorithms and NP-hardness results for dierent variants of the problem.
Raging waters: the rivergod of Narnia

SIGGRAPH 2008, Los Angeles, California, August 11–15, 2008. ISBN 978-1-60558-466-9/08/0008 Raging Waters: The Rivergod of Narnia Stephan Trojansky – troja@scanlinevfx.com Summary: This sketch presents how the Rivergod in Narnia – Prince Caspian was brought to life by controlling Flowline Fluidsimulations with a classic polygonal character-rig. We’ll also show how the complete rivergod was finally rendered in one single pass with the implicit surface render engine of Flowline.
Distribution of nine virulence-associated genes in Campylobacter jejuni and C. coli isolated from broiler feces in Shiraz, Southern Iran.

To investigate the prevalence of nine virulence and toxin genes of Campylobacter, a total of 90 Campylobacter strains including 48 C. jejuni and 42 C. coli were recovered from chicken feces by cultivation methods. The isolates were identified on the basis of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) detection of 16SrRNA and multiplex PCR for determining two species. For confirmed strains, PCR was carried out for the presence of virulence genes using specific primers. Data were analyzed by SPSS software, version 12.0. 1. The cadF gene and three genes associated with cytolethal distending toxin were present in 100% of isolates. Plasmid virB11 gene was not found in any of the Campylobacter isolates, and the prevalence of pldA, wlaN, iamA, and cgtB genes were 92.22%, 82.22%, 81.11%, and 22.22%, respectively. The findings revealed that the distribution of the majority of these genes were not dissimilar among Campylobacter species. The results emphasized that many of the pathogenic C. jejuni and C. coli may have these genes, and the Campylobacter strains with poultry origin have pathogenic potential properties for humans.
Performance Test Objectivity: A Comparison of Rater Accuracy and Reliability Using Three Observation Forms.

Abstract : The study examined two variables that may influence the consistency and accuracy of rater's judgments in evaluating job performance: (1) the precision with which behaviors to be observed and evaluated are specified on a performance observation form; and (2) the level of proficiency of the rater at the task being evaluated. Videotapes were prepared that depicted both passing and failing performances in the use of two types of electronic test equipments. The videotapes were observed in two experiments by raters who used a structured, semistructured, or unstructured performance observation form. Rater skill level was determined by the score the rater obtained on a performance test that consisted of the same types of electrical measurement problems as shown on the videotape. For both experiments, the presence of at least some structure in a performance observation form produced more accurate and reliable evaluations of job task performance than did a form with no structure. Within the range of rater skill tested, results showed that the level of skill proficiency that raters have with a particular type of electronic test equipment is largely independent of their ability to judge accurately and consistently the performance of others in using the same equipment. (Author)
SIRT1 Acts as a Modulator of Neointima Formation Following Vascular Injury in Mice

Rationale: Vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) proliferation and migration are crucial events involved in the pathophysiology of vascular diseases. Sirtuin 1 (SIRT1), a class III histone deacetylase (HDAC), has been reported to have the function of antiatherosclerosis, but its role in neointima formation remains unknown. Objective: The present study was designed to investigate the role of SIRT1 in the regulation of neointima formation and to elucidate the underlying mechanisms. Methods and Results: A decrease in SIRT1 expression was observed following carotid artery ligation. smooth muscle cell (SMC)–specific human SIRT1 transgenic (Tg) mice were generated. SIRT1 overexpression substantially inhibited neointima formation after carotid artery ligation or carotid artery wire injury. In the intima of injured carotid arteries, VSMC proliferation (proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA)–positive cells) was significantly reduced. SIRT1 overexpression markedly inhibited VSMC proliferation and migration and induced cell cycle arrest at G1/S transition in vitro. Accordingly, SIRT1 overexpression decreased the induction of cyclin D1 and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) expression by treatment with serum and TNF-&agr;, respectively, whereas RNAi knockdown of SIRT1 resulted in the opposite effect. Decreased cyclin D1 and MMP-9 expression/activity were also observed in injured carotid arteries from SMC-SIRT1 Tg mice. Furthermore, 2 targets of SIRT1, c-Fos and c-Jun, were involved in the downregulation of cyclin D1 and MMP-9 expression. Conclusions: Our findings demonstrate the inhibitory effect of SIRT1 on the VSMC proliferation and migration that underlie neointima formation and implicate SIRT1 as a potential target for intervention in vascular diseases.
The Graphics PARCUM * System: A 3D Memory Based Computer Architecture for Processing and Display of Solid Models

The concept of a computer architecture for processing and display of spatially ordered data is presented in this paper. The central part of the architecture is a memory cube in which the objects can be processed in their real shape as a three‐dimensional data array. The development has been rendered possible at reasonable costs through the rapid progress in the realm of VLSI‐memory technology.
Optimal feature retrieval for classification of non-stationary Power Quality disturbances

Since last few decades, Power Quality (PQ) issues has drawn the attention of both the utilities and the customers. This paper presents one of the most advanced signal-processing techniques i.e., Wavelet Transform (WT) to extract some of the important useful features of the non-stationary PQ signal. The features are then used to classify the nature of the PQ disturbance. The feature dimension is further reduced by selecting the optimal set of features using Genetic Algorithm (GA) to achieve a higher classification accuracy. The optimal features obtained using GA are used to train a Support Vector Machine (SVM) classifier for automatic classification of the Power Quality (PQ) disturbances. Nine types of PQ disturbances are considered for the classification purpose. The simulation results show that the combination of WT and SVM can effectively classify different PQ disturbances.
Coincidental loss of DOCK8 function in NLRP10-deficient and C3H/HeJ mice results in defective dendritic cell migration

Significance Understanding dendritic cell (DC) migration during an immune response is fundamental to defining the rules that govern T cell-mediated immunity. We recently described mice deficient in the pattern recognition receptor NLRP10 (NLR family, pyrin domain containing 10) with a severe DC migration defect. Using whole-exome sequencing, we discovered that this defect was due to mutation of the guanine nucleotide exchange factor Dock8 (dedicator of cytokinesis 8). DOCK8 regulates cytoskeleton dynamics in leukocytes, and loss-of-function mutations cause an immunodeficiency syndrome. Mutations in other Dock genes have been reported in mice lacking innate immune pathways, and we now report two more lines with Dock8 mutations resulting in impaired DC migration. These results clarify the role of NLRP10 in DCs and confirm the essential function of DOCK8 in the immune system. Dendritic cells (DCs) are the primary leukocytes responsible for priming T cells. To find and activate naïve T cells, DCs must migrate to lymph nodes, yet the cellular programs responsible for this key step remain unclear. DC migration to lymph nodes and the subsequent T-cell response are disrupted in a mouse we recently described lacking the NOD-like receptor NLRP10 (NLR family, pyrin domain containing 10); however, the mechanism by which this pattern recognition receptor governs DC migration remained unknown. Using a proteomic approach, we discovered that DCs from Nlrp10 knockout mice lack the guanine nucleotide exchange factor DOCK8 (dedicator of cytokinesis 8), which regulates cytoskeleton dynamics in multiple leukocyte populations; in humans, loss-of-function mutations in Dock8 result in severe immunodeficiency. Surprisingly, Nlrp10 knockout mice crossed to other backgrounds had normal DOCK8 expression. This suggested that the original Nlrp10 knockout strain harbored an unexpected mutation in Dock8, which was confirmed using whole-exome sequencing. Consistent with our original report, NLRP3 inflammasome activation remained unaltered in NLRP10-deficient DCs even after restoring DOCK8 function; however, these DCs recovered the ability to migrate. Isolated loss of DOCK8 via targeted deletion confirmed its absolute requirement for DC migration. Because mutations in Dock genes have been discovered in other mouse lines, we analyzed the diversity of Dock8 across different murine strains and found that C3H/HeJ mice also harbor a Dock8 mutation that partially impairs DC migration. We conclude that DOCK8 is an important regulator of DC migration during an immune response and is prone to mutations that disrupt its crucial function.
Multiview reconstruction of space curves

Is the real problem in resolving correspondence using current stereo algorithms the lack of the "right" matching criterion? In studying the related task of reconstructing three-dimensional space curves from their projections in multiple views, we suggest that the problem is more basic: matching and reconstruction are coupled, and so reconstruction algorithms should exploit this rather than assuming that matching can be successfully performed before reconstruction. To realize this coupling, a generative model of curves is introduced which has two key components: (i) a prior distribution of general space curves and (ii) an image formation model which describes how 3D curves are projected onto the image plane. A novel aspect of the image formation model is that it uses an exact description of the gradient field of a piecewise constant image. Based on this forward model, a fully automatic algorithm for solving the inverse problem is developed for an arbitrary number of views. The resulting algorithm is robust to partial occlusion, deficiencies in image curve extraction and it does not rely on photometric information. The relative motion of the cameras is assumed to be given. Several experiments are carried out on various realistic scenarios. In particular, we focus on scenes where traditional correlation-based methods would fail.
Functorial ML

We present an extension of the Hindley–Milner type system that supports a generous class of type constructors called functors, and provide a parametrically polymorphic algorithm for their mapping, i.e. for applying a function to each datum appearing in a value of constructed type. The algorithm comes from shape theory, which provides a uniform method for locating data within a shape. The resulting system is Church–Rosser and strongly normalizing, and supports type inference. Several different semantics are possible, which affects the choice of constants in the language, and are used to illustrate the relationship to polytypic programming.
Exponentiated Gradient LINUCB for Contextual Multi-Armed Bandits

We present Exponentiated Gradient LINUCB, an algorithm for con-textual multi-armed bandits. This algorithm uses Exponentiated Gradient to find the optimal exploration of the LINUCB. Within a deliberately designed offline simulation framework we conduct evaluations with real online event log data. The experimental results demonstrate that our algorithm outperforms surveyed algorithms.
Improving Interaction Quality Recognition Using Error Correction

Determining the quality of an ongoing interaction in the field of Spoken Dialogue Systems is a hard task. While existing methods employing automatic estimation already achieve reasonable results, still there is a lot of room for improvement. Hence, we aim at tackling the task by estimating the error of the applied statistical classification algorithms in a two-stage approach. Correcting the hypotheses using the estimated model error increases performance by up to 4.1 % relative improvement in Unweighted Average Recall.