Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Spatial Coherence-Based Batch-Mode Active Learning for Remote Sensing Image Classification

Batch-mode active learning (AL) approaches are dedicated to the training sample set selection for classification, regression, and retrieval problems, where a batch of unlabeled samples is queried at each iteration by considering both the uncertainty and diversity criteria. However, for remote sensing applications, the conventional methods do not consider the spatial coherence between the training samples, which will lead to the unnecessary cost. Based on the above two points, this paper proposes a spatial coherence-based batch-mode AL method. First, mean shift clustering is used for the diversity criterion, and thus the number of new queries can be varied in the different iterations. Second, the spatial coherence is represented by a two-level segmentation map which is used to automatically label part of the new queries. To get a stable and correct second-level segmentation map, a new merging strategy is proposed for the mean shift segmentation. The experimental results with two real remote sensing image data sets confirm the effectiveness of the proposed techniques, compared with the other state-of-the-art methods.
Making Sense of Disparities in Mathematics Remediation: What is the Role of Student Retention?

Recent research on mathematics remediation in community colleges indicates that there are large differences in the rate of successful remediation between students of differing levels of initial math deficiency. One might presume that these “skill gaps” in successful remediation are a result of differing rates of student retention. That is, presumably poorer math skills are associated with a shorter duration of college attendance (lower persistence) and, in turn, a shorter duration of college attendance is associated with a lower likelihood of successful remediation. However, the limited prior evidence does not appear to support this explanation for the “skill gaps” in successful remediation. In an effort to make sense of this incongruity, I executed a detailed analysis of the relationship between level of math deficiency at college entry, persistence, and successful remediation in math. In contrast to the conclusions of prior work, I find that differences in persistence contribute strongly to the “skill gaps” in successful remediation, although this contribution is masked by the fact that the relationship between persistence and the likelihood successful remediation is neither proportional nor equal across levels of initial math deficiency, both of which were implicit analytical assumptions of prior work on this topic.
Compensation of neural delays in visual‐motor behaviour: No evidence for shorter afferent delays for visual motion

There are significant neural transmission and processing delays within the nervous system. How then are behaviours observed both in nature and high‐speed ball games, which require temporal accuracy to within several milliseconds, possible? Until recently, most investigators attributed the observed success in interceptive behaviours to learning or prediction built into motor programs that take these delays into account. Several investigators have proposed, however, that sensory mechanisms also contribute to compensation. Sensory compensation is particularly important when moving objects are the targets of interceptive behaviour, as in this case neural delays in the visual system could lead to errors in the communication of crucial position information of the object of interest. However, given the biological significance of visual motion the visual system could have evolved neural pathways optimized for the rapid transmission of motion signals. Alternatively, the visual system could take a sample of visual motion and compensate for the delays through prediction based on the sample. This mechanism is the visual analogue of the previously proposed “internal forward model” for motor control. We conducted four experiments using the flash‐lag effect to ask if the nervous system is naturally geared to processing moving items with a speed greater than stationary flashes. Our results show that the nervous system does not process moving items more quickly than stationary flashes.
Security Issues in Distributed Computing

As the computing world progresses towards open systems the potential of Information Systems is expanding rapidly. This and the process of open standardisation makes it imperative that security is built in to the these systems. There has also been substantial publicity concerning thèinformation superhighway' and the privacy of the information owing on it. It is the purpose of this paper to present the main security issues related to open and distributed systems, which includes authentication, delegation, expression of general access rights, authorization and global credentials. We will give a brief description of each area describing the current status of research.
Pyrotag Sequencing of the Gut Microbiota of the Cockroach Shelfordella lateralis Reveals a Highly Dynamic Core but Only Limited Effects of Diet on Community Structure

Although blattid cockroaches and termites share a common ancestor, their diets are distinctly different. While termites consume a highly specialized diet of lignocellulose, cockroaches are omnivorous and opportunistic feeders. The role of the termite gut microbiota has been studied intensively, but little is known about the cockroach gut microbiota and its function in digestion and nutrition, particularly the adaptation to different diets. Our analyses of the bacterial gut microbiota of the blattid cockroach Shelfordella lateralis combining terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism of their 16S rRNA genes with physiological parameters (microbial metabolites, hydrogen and methane emission) indicated substantial variation between individuals but failed to identify any diet-related response. Subsequent deep-sequencing of the 16S rRNA genes of the colonic gut microbiota of S. lateralis fed either a high- or a low-fiber diet confirmed the absence of bacterial taxa that responded to diet. Instead, we found a small number of abundant phylotypes that were consistently present in all samples and made up half of the community in both diet groups. They varied strongly in abundance between individual samples at the genus but not at the family level. The remaining phylotypes were inconsistently present among replicate batches. Our findings suggest that S. lateralis harbors a highly dynamic core gut microbiota that is maintained even after fundamental dietary shifts, and that any dietary effects on the gut community are likely to be masked by strong individual variations.
Interface structure and mechanics between graphene and metal substrates: a first-principles study

Graphene is a fascinating material not only for technological applications, but also as a test bed for fundamental insights into condensed matter physics due to its unique two-dimensional structure. One of the most intriguing issues is the understanding of the properties of graphene and various substrate materials. In particular, the interfaces between graphene and metal substrates are of critical importance in applications of graphene in integrated electronics, as thermal materials, and in electromechanical devices. Here we investigate the structure and mechanical interactions at a graphene–metal interface through density functional theory (DFT)-based calculations. We focus on copper (111) and nickel (111) surfaces adhered to a monolayer of graphene, and find that their cohesive energy, strength and electronic structure correlate directly with their atomic geometry. Due to the strong coupling between open d-orbitals, the nickel–graphene interface has a much stronger cohesive energy with graphene than copper. We also find that the interface cohesive energy profile features a well-and-shoulder shape that cannot be captured by simple pair-wise models such as the Lennard-Jones potential. Our results provide a detailed understanding of the interfacial properties of graphene–metal systems, and help to predict the performance of graphene-based nanoelectronics and nanocomposites. The availability of structural and energetic data of graphene–metal interfaces could also be useful for the development of empirical force fields for molecular dynamics simulations.
Attitude Change in Computer-Mediated Communication: Effects of Anonymity and Category Norms

The current research compared the effect of computer-mediated communication (CMC) and direct communication on attitude change. The social identity model of deindividuation effects (Spears & Lea, 1994) predicts that CMC results in behavior that is more in line with the salient level of self-categorization (compared to non-anonymous communication): in CMC salient social identity should lead to conformity to group norms whereas salient personal identity was expected to result in behavior that fits individual goals. Two experiments showed that when personal identity was salient and when social identity was salient and a category norm was explicitly given, CMC led to the predicted effects, whereas the lack of a social category norm led to lower attitude change in CMC compared to direct communication.
Inmate Social Ties and the Transition to Society

Despite increased scholarly and policy attention to prisoner reentry, much remains unknown about the factors that contribute to a successful transition from prison to society. The authors focused on a neglected but potentially critical factor, inmate visitation, that may reduce recidivism. The expectation of such an effect stems from prominent crime theories and an increasing body of work that stresses the importance of social ties to the reentry process. Using data from the Florida Department of Corrections, the authors tested hypotheses about the effects of visitation on recidivism. The measures of visitation included whether any visits occurred, the frequency and recency of visitation, and the type of visitor received (e.g., family member, friend). The authors also examined whether visitation effects varied by age, sex, race, type of instant offense, and prior incarceration. The findings indicate that visitation reduces and delays recidivism. Their implications for theory, research, and policy are discussed.
Adjuvant aromatase inhibitors for early breast cancer after chemotherapy-induced amenorrhoea: caution and suggested guidelines.

PURPOSE Aromatase inhibitors (AIs) are now established as adjuvant therapy for early hormone receptor-positive breast cancer in postmenopausal women. Their use is sometimes extended to younger women after chemotherapy-induced amenorrhoea; we have audited this in one institution's breast unit, and we propose guidelines for use in such circumstances. PATIENTS AND METHODS The use of aromatase inhibitors as adjuvant therapy in younger women age > or = 40 with hormone receptor-positive early breast cancer and chemotherapy-induced amenorrhea has been audited clinically and biochemically. Results A total of 45 such women were identified in the audit, with a median age of 47 years (range, 39 to 52 years). Twelve women (27%) showed a return of ovarian function (10 renewed menses, one pregnancy, one biochemically premenopausal) after starting an AI. Median age at restart of ovarian function was 44 years (range, 40 to 50 years). CONCLUSION AIs may promote recovery of ovarian function in some women with chemotherapy-induced amenorrhea and should be used with caution. Biochemical monitoring of ovarian function requires highly sensitive immunoassays. Guidelines for the selection and delivery of adjuvant endocrine therapy in such patients are proposed.
Microstrip stepped impedance resonator bandpass filter with an extended optimal rejection bandwidth

Bandpass filters with an optimal rejection bandwidth are designed using parallel-coupled stepped impedance resonators (SIRs). The fundamental (f/sub o/) and higher order resonant harmonics of an SIR are analyzed against the length ratio of the high-Z and low-Z segments. It is found that an optimal length ratio can be obtained for each high-Z to low-Z impedance ratio to maximize the upper rejection bandwidth. A tapped-line input/output structure is exploited to create two extra transmission zeros in the stopband. The singly loaded Q(Q/sub si/) of a tapped SIR is derived. With the aid of Q/sub si/, the two zeros can be independently tuned over a wide frequency range. When the positions of the two zeros are purposely located at the two leading higher order harmonics, the upper rejection band can be greatly extended. Chebyshev bandpass filters with spurious resonances up to 4.4f/sub o/, 6.5f/sub o/, and 8.2f/sub o/ are fabricated and measured to demonstrate the idea.
A taxonomy of visual scenes: Typicality ratings and hierarchical classification

3⁄4 675 workers participated in 52,068 trials on Amazon Mechanical Turk 3⁄4 Workers saw array of images with a category name and definition: Task 1. Select the image that matches the definition (4AFC) Task 2. Select the 3 best exemplars from a set of 20 images Task 3. Select the 3 worst exemplars from the same set of 20 images 3⁄4 Images were drawn randomly for each trial, with each image appearing 8-10 times across the experiment 3⁄4 Prototypicality score = ((“best” votes) 0.9*(“worst” votes)) / appearances
The gastrointestinal absorption of paracetamol in the rat

The absorption of [3H]paracetamol by rat small intestine, colon and stomach was studied in vivo and in vitro. Small intestinal in vivo studies, using a wide range of drug concentrations, showed that absorption was efficient and uniform throughout the small bowel, no site showing preferential absorption. Double reciprocal and direct plots indicated first order kinetics. The pattern was not observed when uptake was occurring from high concentrations of paracetamol in suspension. Gastric and colonic in vivo studies showed that there was appreciable absorption of [3H]paracetamol from these sites. In vitro studies using everted intestinal sacs showed no effect on paracetamol transfer when the incubation temperature was lowered to 10 °C or when iodoacetate (5 times 10−2m) and 2.4 dinitrophenol (5 times 10−4m) was added to the incubation medium. There was, however, a significant reduction in transfer of paracetamol against a concentration gradient of 10:1 applied across the mucosa. These data suggest that the uptake of paracetamol is by a passive transport process and confirm the efficiency of paracetamol absorption observed indirectly by others.
Harlequin Duck Histrionicus histrionicus distribution and stonefly nymph availability in the Maligne Valley watershed - A preliminary study

The relationship between Harlequin Duck Histrionicus histrionicus distribution and stonefly (Plecoptera) nymph availability in the Maligne Valley watershed, Jasper National Park, Canada, was investigated from 1999 to 2000. Invertebrate sampling and duck counts were concentrated in the Maligne Lake Outlet (MLO), Middle Maligne River and Lower Maligne River. Harlequin Ducks were more likely to use the two sites with high nymph availability (MLO and Lower Maligne) than the site with low nymph availability (Middle Maligne). The relationship between Harlequin Duck distribution and other invertebrates was less consistent. These results suggest that stonefly nymphs play an important role in the distribution of Harlequin Ducks in the Maligne watershed.
Unified quadratic programming approach for mixed mode placement

A complete placement system, UPlace, for mixed mode designs is presented, which consists of a force-directed global placement, and a zone-refinement based detailed placement. For global placement, a unified objective function capturing both wire length and cell distribution is proposed; quadratic programming is formulated to optimize the unified object function efficiently; a discrete cosine transformation method is devised to calculate the uneven cell distribution cost. A dynamic approach for decomposing multi-pin nets into two-pin nets is also introduced for better wire length modeling. Zone refinement method is used for a unified legalization and detailed placement process. Experimental results show that the placement algorithm is very promising.
Modeling and control of a high boost ratio PV module DC-DC converter with double grid-line ripple rejection

This paper derives the small-signal model and designs the controller for a high boost ratio dc-dc converter with the application for PV modules. A voltage controller with proportional-integral (PI) cascaded quasi-resonant (QR) controllers is presented for an inner PV voltage loop of maximum power point tracking (MPPT) control. Here, PI controller provides fast-tracking of voltage reference and maintains zero steady-state error, while QR controller with resonant frequency equal to double grid-line (DGL) frequency provides high rejection capability of DGL oscillation of PV module voltage. As a result, the MPPT control algorithm can be free from DGL ripple oscillation and the MPPT efficiency can be improved. Experimental results based on a 250W prototype board confirm the effectiveness of the modeling and the proposed control method.
Getting below the Surface of the Principal Recruitment ‘Crisis’ in New Zealand Primary Schools

Since 1989 in New Zealand, the work of the primary school principal has been transformed in official policy texts from that of leading professional to chief executive officer. Surveys document the changing nature of the role and the workload and other pressures that have resulted, particularly for principals with teaching responsibilities in smaller schools. There is a generally accepted crisis of preparation, recruitment, development and retention. Below the surface, however, are deeper-seated, structural difficulties: women comprise the majority of teachers, yet are a minority of principals and their career advancement is largely limited to small schools and those in poorer socioeconomic areas. This article reviews the situation and examines the reasons why dominant images of the primary school principalship may be both partial and counterproductive.
Using digital technology for collective ethnographic observation: an experiment on ‘coming home’

In this article, we use digital technologies (the Subcam and Webdiver) to capture, share and analyze collectively specific user experience. We examine the transition between ‘outside’ and ‘inside’ when people come home, and the steps needed to build the ‘being-at-home’ feeling. Understanding what ‘being at home’ means for the subject is part of our larger project of analyzing the impact of home automation. We provide a model which describes the relation between the home and its inhabitant as instrumental ‘functional coupling’, which, when achieved, provides the ‘at home’ feeling. This article illustrates how digital tools can make the ethnographic approach a collaborative analysis of human experience. Dans cet article, nous utilisons deux technologies numériques (la Subcam et le Webdiver) pour recueillir, partager et analyser collectivement l’expérience des utilisateurs dans un cadre domestique. Nous examinons la transition entre ‘le dehors’ et ‘le dedans’ lors du retour chez soi, et la manière dont se construit le sentiment ‘d’être chez soi’. Comprendre ce qu’être chez soi veut dire s’inscrit dans notre projet d’analyser l’impact de la domotique sur la relation au chez-soi. Nous proposons un modèle de la relation habitant—domicile comme un ‘couplage fonctionnel’ où le domicile a le statut d’instrument. Lorsque le couplage est réalisé, le sentiment d’être chez soi émerge. Cet exemple illustre la manière dont les technologies numériques peuvent augmenter l’approche ethnographique dans le sens d’une analyse collaborative de l’expérience humaine.
Microbiological Aspects of the Investigation That Traced the 1998 Outbreak of Listeriosis in the United States to Contaminated Hot Dogs and Establishment of Molecular Subtyping-Based Surveillance for Listeria monocytogenes in the PulseNet Network

ABSTRACT A multistate outbreak of listeriosis occurred in the United States in 1998 with illness onset dates between August and December. The outbreak caused illness in 108 persons residing in 24 states and caused 14 deaths and four miscarriages or stillbirths. This outbreak was detected by public health officials in Tennessee and New York who observed significant increases over expected listeriosis cases in their states. Subsequently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) began laboratory characterization of clinical isolates of Listeria monocytogenes by serotyping and restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). For the purpose of this investigation, outbreak-related isolates were defined as those that had a specific AscI-PFGE pattern and indistinguishable or highly similar (no more than 2 band difference in 26 bands) ApaI-PFGE patterns when their DNA was restricted by AscI and ApaI restriction enzymes. Timely availability of molecular subtyping results enabled epidemiologists to separate outbreak cases from temporally associated sporadic cases in the same geographic areas and facilitated the identification of contaminated hot dogs manufactured at a single commercial facility as the source of the outbreak. During the investigation of this outbreak, a standardized protocol for subtyping L. monocytogenes by PFGE was developed and disseminated to public health laboratories participating with CDC's PulseNet network; these laboratories were requested to begin routine PFGE subtyping of L. monocytogenes.
Osteoclastic activation is the principal mechanism leading to secondary osteoporosis in rheumatoid arthritis.

OBJECTIVE To use clinical measures and biochemical markers of bone turnover to investigate mechanisms of generalized bone loss in early rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS We studied 232 patients with RA of less than 2 years' duration and 72 healthy controls using serial dual x-ray absorptiometry scanning of lumbar spine and hips. Patients attended the clinic for clinical and laboratory assessment with storage of serum, urine, and plasma at each visit. Change in bone mineral density (BMD) was calculated for patients and controls and compared with baseline and mean serial values of bone markers over the same intervals. Serum was assayed for procollagen I carboxyterminal propeptide (PICP) and skeletal alkaline phosphatase (sALP); urine for pyridinoline and deoxypyridinoline corrected for creatinine; and plasma for interleukin 1 (IL-1) and IL-6. RESULTS Patients lost bone significantly faster than controls at all sites (p < 0.01 for all). At first visit patients had significantly lower PICP levels than controls (p < 0.05) and sALP correlated with initial BMD in both patients (p < 0.01, r > 0.35, all sites) and controls (p < 0.0001, r > 0.50, all sites). We rescanned 167 patients at one year and 121 patients at 2 years. Mean urinary pyridinoline and deoxypyridinoline levels correlated strongly with BMD change at all sites, were increased in patients with active disease (p < 0.005), and correlated closely with mean C-reactive protein (CRP) (p < 0.005, r > 0.41 for both). CONCLUSION This study suggests that osteoclastic activation, rather than suppression of bone formation, is the dominant process leading to bone loss in early RA. Although urinary pyridinoline and deoxypyridinoline were excellent markers of BMD change, CRP was found to be best overall. This provides a rational approach for selecting and treating patients with RA to reduce their established longterm risk of osteoporotic fracture.