Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Statistical Algorithms and a Lower Bound for Planted Clique

We develop a framework for proving lower bounds on computational problems over distributions, including optimization and unsupervised learning. Our framework is based on defining a restricted class of algorithms, called statistical algorithms, that instead of accessing samples from the input distribution can only obtain an estimate of the expectation of any given function on a sample drawn randomly from the input distribution. Our definition captures many natural algorithms used in theory and practice, e.g. moments-based methods, local search, MCMC and simulated annealing. Our techniques are inspired by (and generalize) the statistical query model in learning theory, which captures the complexity of PAC learning using essentially all known learning methods [Kearns, 1998]. For specific well-known problems over distributions, we give lower bounds on the complexity of any statistical algorithm. These include an exponential lower bounds for moment maximization in R, and a nearly optimal lower bound for detecting planted clique distributions when the planted clique has size O(n1/2−δ) for any constant δ > 0. Variants of the latter problem have been assumed to be hard to prove hardness for other problems and for cryptographic applications. Our lower bounds provide concrete evidence supporting these assumptions. ∗This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant #1019343 to the Computing Research Association for the CIFellows Project. †Research supported in part by NSF awards AF-0915903 and AF-0910584. ‡Research supported by a Simons Postdoctoral Fellowship. ISSN 1433-8092 Electronic Colloquium on Computational Complexity, Report No. 64 (2012)
A survey on various static and mobile base stations and wireless charging of sensor nodes in WSNs

A wireless sensor network (WSN) is a collection of a large number of sensor nodes that can be used in various application areas (e.g. home, military, and health). It is the result of the advancements in the field of WSNs that enabled the development of low-cost sensor networks. In this paper, we have discussed the past state of WSNs including single and multiple static base stations, and present state of WSNs including single and multiple mobile base stations. We have also points out the problem in WSNs and their efficient solutions. This paper also explored the different techniques used for wireless charging of sensor nodes in WSNs.
VHE γ-Ray Observation of the Crab Nebula and its Pulsar with the MAGIC Telescope

We report about very high energy (VHE) γ-ray observations of the Crab Nebula with the MAGIC telescope. The γ-ray flux from the nebula was measured between 60 GeV and 9 TeV. The energy spectrum can be described by a curved power law dF/dE = f0(E/300 GeV)[a+blog10(E/300 GeV)] with a flux normalization f0 of (6.0 ± 0.2stat) × 10−10 cm−2 s−1 TeV−1, a = − 2.31 ± 0.06stat, and b = − 0.26 ± 0.07stat. The peak in the spectral energy distribution is estimated at 77 ± 35 GeV. Within the observation time and the experimental resolution of the telescope, the γ-ray emission is steady and pointlike. The emission’s center of gravity coincides with the position of the pulsar. Pulsed γ-ray emission from the pulsar could not be detected. We constrain the cutoff energy of the pulsed spectrum to be less than 27 GeV, assuming that the differential energy spectrum has an exponential cutoff. For a superexponential shape, the cutoff energy can be as high as 60 GeV.
Comparative efficacy of aloe vera mouthwash and chlorhexidine on periodontal health: A randomized controlled trial

Background With introduction of many herbal medicines, dentistry has recently evidenced shift of approach for treating many inflammatory oral diseases by using such modalities. Aloe vera is one such product exhibiting multiple benefits and has gained considerable importance in clinical research recently. Aim To compare the efficacy of Aloevera and Chlorhexidine mouthwash on Periodontal Health. Material and Methods Thirty days randomized controlled trial was conducted among 390 dental students. The students were randomized into two intervention groups namely Aloe Vera (AV) chlorhexidine group (CHX) and one control (placebo) group. Plaque index and gingival index was recorded for each participant at baseline, 15 days and 30 days. The findings were than statistically analyzed, ANOVA and Post Hoc test were used. Results There was significant reduction (p<0.05) in the mean scores of all the parameters with Aloe Vera (AV) and chlorhexidine group. Post hoc test showed significant difference (p<0.000) in mean plaque and gingival index scores of aloe Vera and placebo and chlorhexidine and placebo group. No significant difference (p<0.05) was observed between AloeVera and chlorhexidine group. Conclusions Being an herbal product AloeVera has shown equal effectiveness as Chlorhexidine. Hence can be used as an alternative product for curing and preventing gingivitis. Key words:Aloe vera, chlorhexidine, dental plaque, gingivitis.
Evaluating the Hardware Performance of a Million-Bit Multiplier

In this work we present the first full and complete evaluation of a very large multiplication scheme in custom hardware. We designed a novel architecture to realize a million-bit multiplication architecture based on the Schönhage-Strassen Algorithm and the Number Theoretical Transform (NTT). The construction makes use of an innovative cache architecture along with processing elements customized to match the computation and access patterns of the FFT-based recursive multiplication algorithm. When synthesized using a 90nm TSMC library operating at a frequency of 666 MHz, our architecture is able to compute the product of integers in excess of a million bits in 7.74 milliseconds. Estimates show that the performance of our design matches that of previously reported software implementations on a high-end 3 Ghz Intel Xeon processor, while requiring only a tiny fraction of the area.
Variation-aware resource sharing and binding in behavioral synthesis

As technology scales, the delay uncertainty caused by process variations has become increasingly pronounced in deep submicron designs. In the presence of process variations, worst-case timing analysis may lead to overly conservative synthesis, and may end up using excess resources to guarantee design constraints. In this paper, we propose an efficient variation-aware resource sharing and binding algorithm in behavioral synthesis, which takes into account the performance variations for functional units. The performance yield, which is defined as the probability that the synthesized hardware meets the target performance constraints, is used to evaluate the synthesis result. An efficient metric called statistical performance improvement, is used to guide resource sharing and binding. The proposed algorithm is evaluated within a commercial synthesis framework that generates optimized RTL netlists from behavioral specifications. The effectiveness of the proposed algorithm is demonstrated with a set of industrial benchmark designs, which consist of blocks that are commonly used in wireless and image processing applications. The experimental results show that our method achieves an average 33% area reduction over traditional methods, which are based on the worst-case delay analysis, with an average 10% run time overhead.
Differences in quantification of DNA double-strand breaks assessed by 53BP1/γH2AX focus formation assays and the comet assay in mammalian cells treated with irradiation and N-acetyl-L-cysteine

The biological effect of ionizing radiation (IR) on genomic DNA is thought to be either direct or indirect; the latter is mediated by IR induction of free radicals and reactive oxygen species (ROS). This study was designed to evaluate the effect of N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC), a well-known ROS-scavenging antioxidant, on IR induction of genotoxicity, cytotoxicity and ROS production in mammalian cells, and aimed to clarify the conflicting data in previous publications. Although we clearly demonstrate the beneficial effect of NAC on IR-induced genotoxicity and cytotoxicity (determined using the micronucleus assay and cell viability/clonogenic assays), the data on NAC's effect on DNA double-strand break (DSB) formation were inconsistent in different assays. Specifically, mitigation of IR-induced DSBs by NAC was readily detected by the neutral comet assay, but not by the γH2AX or 53BP1 focus assays. NAC is a glutathione precursor and exerts its effect after conversion to glutathione, and presumably it has its own biological activity. Assuming that the focus assay reflects the biological responses to DSBs (detection and repair), while the comet assay reflects the physical status of genomic DNA, our results indicate that the comet assay could readily detect the antioxidant effect of NAC on DSB formation. However, NAC's biological effect might affect the detection of DSB repair by the focus assays. Our data illustrate that multiple parameters should be carefully used to analyze DNA damage when studying potential candidates for radioprotective compounds.
Socio-Economic Profile , Knowledge of Hygiene and Food Safety Practices among Street-Food Vendors in some parts of Accra-Ghana .

In this study, some food vendors in Accra were surveyed to assess their knowledge in food hygiene and best food safety practices. Data on demographics, food safety knowledge and practices were collected from 50 food vendors using a 31question standardized survey tool. Street food vending was the main income provider for 84% of the vendors. Eighty Percent of the questionnaire respondents were females, with the majority age group ranging between 25-50 years. Majority of the vendors lacked health certificates. Generally, food vendors proved to be quite aware of the knowledge of proper food handling practices. It was recommended that there is further need for health education to improve the knowledge of food vendors on food safety and hygiene.
Linear Time-of-Arrival Estimation in a Multipath Environment by Inverse Correlation Method

The Maximum Likelihood Estimator (MLE) is most often used to estimate the signal time delay in a multipath environment. There are various implementations of the MLE which can be divided into the time domain algorithms and the frequency domain algorithms. In this paper, the current time and frequency domain schemes are compared and analyzed in least square sense. Also novel solutions in both domains are developed to resolve the close-in multipath signals. They are tested by the Monte Carlo simulation and their performances are compared to the Cramer-Rao bound on the Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum (DSSS) signal.
ized mutualisms : Consequences of seed dispersers ’ body-size on for early plant recruitment

Extinction-driven, body-size reduction of seed dispersers (i.e. an ecological downsizing resulting from severe defaunation) can entail the loss of unique ecological functions, and impair plant regeneration. However, the manner in which the downsizing of mutualistic animals affects seed dispersal and plant recruitment remains understudied. Here, we took advantage of a natural experiment in the Canarian archipelago to document the consequences of lizards body-size reduction (Gallotia, Lacertidae) on the recruitment of Neochamaelea pulverulenta (Rutaceae), which relies exclusively on these frugivores for seed dispersal. Subsequent to the arrival of humans (ca. 2000–2500 yr BP), the extinction of large-bodied lizards generated a gradient of increasing defaunation on the three islands inhabited by this plant. We hypothesized a significant reduction, and eventually collapse, of early seedling recruitment mirroring the defaunation intensity of the frugivores. We sampled 42 populations spanning the whole geographic range of the plant to examine the quantitative (age structure pattern) and qualitative components (proportion of seedlings growing outside the canopy, number of seedlings established outside the canopy relative to the number of adults – effective recruitment rate, and seedling vigour) of plant regeneration. Our results show that the age structure patterns did not differ among the three contrasted insular scenarios. However, we found significant reductions in seedling recruitment outside the canopy, effective recruitment rate, and delayed negative effects on seedling vigour in populations hosting smallto medium-sized lizard species. Thus, extirpation of large seed-dispersers did not cause substantial reductions in quantitative components of seed dispersal, but determined declines in qualitative aspects impairing dispersal effectiveness. Our study highlights the importance of examining all components of the dispersal and recruitment process to properly document the regeneration outcomes of plants in defaunated, downsized ecological scenarios. , Stift g th t al. hav nam rig expe e de ized Harr h fra ing e © 2014 Geobotanisches Institut ETH
Absence of the Transcriptional Repressor Blimp-1 in Hematopoietic Lineages Reveals Its Role in Dendritic Cell Homeostatic Development and Function1

Dendritic cells (DCs) are important for the initiation and regulation of immune responses. In this study, we demonstrate that DC homeostatic development in peripheral lymphoid organs is negatively regulated by the transcriptional repressor, Blimp-1, which is critical for regulation of plasma cell differentiation and T cell homeostasis and function. Deletion of Prdm1, the gene encoding Blimp-1, in mouse hematopoietic lineages resulted in an increase in the steady-state number of conventional DCs (cDCs). Specifically, Prdm1 deletion increased immediate CD8− cDC precursors in peripheral lymphoid organs, causing selective expansion of the CD8− cDC population. Upon stimulus-induced maturation, Blimp-1 was up-regulated in bone marrow-derived DCs via the p38 MAPK and NF-κB pathways. Notably, Blimp-1-deficient DCs matured poorly upon stimulation in vitro and in vivo. Blimp-1 binds to the proinflammatory cytokine/chemokine genes, Il-6 and Ccl2, and negatively regulates their expression. Collectively, our findings reveal two new roles for Blimp-1: negative regulation of a select subset of cDCs during homeostatic development, and enhancement of DC maturation.
STATUS OF SOIL ELECTRICAL CONDUCTIVITY STUDIES BY CENTRAL STATE RESEARCHERS

Practical tools are needed to identify and advance sustainable management practices to optimize economic return, conserve soil, and minimize negative off-site environmental effects. The objective of this article is to review current research in non-saline soils of the central U.S. to consider bulk soil electrical conductivity (ECa) as an assessment tool for: (1) tracking N dynamics, (2) identifying management zones, (3) monitoring soil quality trends, and (4) designing and evaluating field-scale experiments. The interpretation and utility of ECa are highly location and soil specific; soil properties contributing to measured ECa must be clearly understood. In soils where ECa is driven by NO3-N, ECa has been used to track spatial and temporal variations in crop-available N (manure, compost, commercial fertilizer, and cover crop treatments) and rapidly assess N mineralization early in the growing season to calculate fertilizer rates for site-specific management (SSM). Selection of appropriate ECa sensors (direct contact, electromagnetic induction, or time domain reflectometry) may improve sensitivity to N fluctuations at specific soil depths. In a dryland cropping system where clay content dominates measured ECa, ECa-based management zones delineated soil productivity characteristics and crop yields. These results provided a framework effective for SSM, monitoring management-induced trends in soil quality, and appraising and statistically evaluating field-scale experiments. Use of ECa may foster a large-scale systems approach to research that encourages farmer involvement. Additional research is needed to investigate the interactive effects of soil, weather, and management on ECa as an assessment tool, and the geographic extent to which specific applications of this technology can be applied.
The Effects of Job Characteristics on Social Workers’ Self-Efficacy

This study examines the effects of job characteristics affecting selfefficacy. The study collected survey data from 155 social workers working at general community welfare centers in Seoul. The averages of job characteristics are task identity (3.92), skill variety (3.62) and autonomy (3.57); and the averages of social workers’ self-efficacy are client support efficacy, practice theory efficacy, practice skill efficacy, and research efficacy, in descending order. According to the results of hierarchical regression analysis, (1) task identity is an important variable that can predict all the four subcategories of self-efficacy; (2) autonomy has statistically significant effects on practice theory efficacy; (3) skill variety has no effects on self-efficacy.
Porous Si nanowires for highly selective room-temperature NO2 gas sensing

We report the room-temperature sensing characteristics of Si nanowires (NWs) fabricated from p-Si wafers by a metal-assisted chemical etching method, which is a facile and low-cost method. X-ray diffraction was used to the the study crystallinity and phase formation of Si NWs, and product morphology was examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). After confirmation of Si NW formation via the SEM and TEM micrographs, sensing tests were carried out at room temperature, and it was found that the Si NW sensor prepared from Si wafers with a resistivity of 0.001–0.003 Ω. cm had the highest response to NO2 gas (Rg/Ra = 1.86 for 50 ppm NO2), with a fast response (15 s) and recovery (30 s) time. Furthermore, the sensor responses to SO2, toluene, benzene, H2, and ethanol were nearly negligible, demonstrating the excellent selectivity to NO2 gas. The gas-sensing mechanism is discussed in detail. The present sensor can operate at room temperature, and is compatible with the microelectronic fabrication process, demonstrating its promise for next-generation Si-based electronics fused with functional chemical sensors.
Hardware/software interface for high-performance space computing with FPGA coprocessors

Complex real-time signal and image processing applications require low-latency and high-performance hardware to achieve optimal performance. Building such a high-performance platform for space deployment is hampered by hostile environmental conditions and power constraints. Custom space-based FPGA coprocessors help alleviate these constraints, but their use is typically restricted by the need for TMR or radiation-hardened components. This paper explores a framework that allows Earth and space scientists to use FPGA resources through an abstraction layer. A synthetic aperture radar application is used to demonstrate the power of the system architecture. The performance of the application is shown to achieve a speedup of 19 when compared to a software solution and is able to maintain comparable data reliability. Projected speedups, for the same case study executing on the proposed flight system architecture, are several times better and also discussed. This work supports the Dependable Multiprocessor project at Honeywell and the University of Florida, a mission for the Space Technology 8 (ST-8) satellite of NASA's New Millennium Program
Fitness, Exercise, and Coronary Calcification

Article, see p 1888 Both higher coronary artery calcification (CAC) scores and reduced cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) are independently strong predictors of future cardiovascular events. CAC is a direct measure of coronary atherosclerosis, the cause of most cardiovascular events. CRF, often measured by exercise treadmill time, is an estimate of maximal oxygen uptake and a surrogate measure of cardiac stroke volume. Rearranging the Fick equation demonstrates that maximal oxygen uptake is the product of cardiac output (heart rate × stroke volume) and the arterial-venous O2 difference. Because heart rate is largely age-determined and the arterial-venous O2 difference varies little among healthy individuals, maximal oxygen uptake, and therefore CRF, are proxies for stroke volume and cardiac performance. Consequently, it is not surprising that Radford and colleagues1 in this issue of Circulation demonstrate that higher levels of CRF are associated with decreased cardiovascular events across the spectrum of CAC scores. These authors followed 8425 men without cardiovascular disease, who had CRF and CAC scores determined at baseline and followed for an average of 8.4 years. Both total cardiovascular events (cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, stroke, and coronary revascularization) as well as “hard” cardiovascular events (death, myocardial infarction, and stroke) were analyzed. This is an important issue in CAC studies because high CAC scores could prompt testing and revascularization procedures. Subjects were divided into 4 groups based on CAC Agatston unit scores of 0, 1 to 99, 100 to 399, and ≥400. Only the results for men were analyzed because too few cardiovascular events occurred in women. CRF was measured in metabolic …
Resistance of cloned cytotoxic T lymphocytes to cell-mediated cytotoxicity

Cloned CTLs show an unusually high resistance to lysis by effector CTLs. Several cloned CTL lines in our laboratories are absolutely refractory to lysis by other cloned CTLs, either (a) directly, (b) in the presence of lectin, or (c) by PMA-induced CTLs. They can be lysed to some extent by primary CTL, although they are less than 5% as sensitive as target cells normally used to assay primary CTL lytic activity. Lysis of cloned CTLs by primary CTL effector cells is not enhanced by the presence of lectin, and cloned T cells are also highly resistant to lysis by primary lymphokine-activated killer cells. Cloned CTLs are highly resistant to lysis by isolated CTL granules that contain the membranolytic pore-forming protein (PFP or perforin), while non-CTL targets are highly susceptible to granule-mediated killing, indicating that cloned CTLs resist lysis not only at the intact effector cell level but also when soluble effector proteins are used. This resistance mechanism may explain how CTLs kill but spare themselves from being killed during the cytolytic event.
Do Homeowners Increase Consumption after the Last Mortgage Payment? An Alternative Test of the Permanent Income Hypothesis

The maturity date of a mortgage loan marks the end of monthly mortgage payments for homeowners. In the period after the last payment, homeowners experience an increase in their disposable income. Our study interprets this event as an anticipated increase in income, and tests whether households smooth consumption over the transition period as predicted by the rational-expectation life-cyclepermanent-income hypothesis. We find households do not alter nondurable-goods consumption in the period following the last mortgage payment. Instead, they increase both financial savings and savings in durable goods such as house furnishings and entertainment equipment in the year of the last mortgage payment.