Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Judicious setting of Dynamic Time Warping's window width allows more accurate classification of time series

While the Dynamic Time Warping (DTW) — based Nearest-Neighbor Classification algorithm is regarded as a strong baseline for time series classification, in recent years there has been a plethora of algorithms that have claimed to be able to improve upon its accuracy in the general case. Many of these proposed ideas sacrifice the simplicity of implementation that DTW-based classifiers offer for rather modest gains. Nevertheless, there are clearly times when even a small improvement could make a large difference in an important medical or financial domain. In this work, we make an unexpected claim; an underappreciated “low hanging fruit” in optimizing DTW's performance can produce improvements that make it an even stronger baseline, closing most or all the improvement gap of the more sophisticated methods. We show that the method currently used to learn DTW's only parameter, the maximum amount of warping allowed, is likely to give the wrong answer for small training sets. We introduce a simple method to mitigate the small training set issue by creating synthetic exemplars to help learn the parameter. We evaluate our ideas on the UCR Time Series Archive and a case study in fall classification, and demonstrate that our algorithm produces significant improvement in classification accuracy.
Evaluation of a Didactic Method for the Active Learning of Greedy Algorithms

An evaluation of the educational effectiveness of a didactic method for the active learning of greedy algorithms is presented. The didactic method sets students structured-inquiry challenges to be addressed with a specific experimental method, supported by the interactive system GreedEx. This didactic method has been refined over several years of use. Additional elements are lecture contents and the scheduling of classes and lab sessions. Learning gain in the topic of greedy algorithms was measured in the short term for two groups of students: an experimental group taught with the new didactic method, and a control group taught with a traditional approach. The results show a significant learning gain improvement in the experimental group, while the students taught with a traditional method had little learning gain. In addition, the levels of Bloom's taxonomy at which improvements occurred were identified. In the control group, improvements were found at the knowledge level. In the experimental group, however, improvements were found at the knowledge and the comprehension levels, although not at the analysis level. These results are encouraging and indicate directions for future research, as analysis skills are important in algorithm courses.
Towards Comprehensive Noise Detection in Automatically Created Knowledge Graphs

Knowledge Graphs (KGs) play a key role in many artificial intelligence applications. Large KGs are often constructed through a noisy automatic knowledge extraction process. Noise detection is, therefore, an important task for having high-quality KGs. We argue that the current noise detection approaches only focus on a specific type of noise (i.e., fact checking) whereas knowledge extraction methods result in more than one type of noise. To this end, we propose a classification of noise found in automatically-constructed KGs, and an approach for noise detection focused on specific types of noise.
SOPA : Selecting the Optimal Policy Adaptively for a cache system

With the development of storage technique, new caching policies are continuously being introduced, which makes it increasingly important for cache systems to select the optimal caching policy dynamically under varying workloads. This paper proposes SOPA, a mechanism to adaptively select the optimal policy and perform policy switching. First, SOPA encapsulates the functions of a caching policy into a module, and enables online policy switching by policy reconstruction. Second, SOPA selects the optimal policy dynamically by collecting and analyzing access traces, and reduces the decision-making cost by asynchronous decision. The simulation evaluation showed that no single caching policy could perform well under all of the different workloads, but SOPA could select the appropriate policy for each workload. The real-system evaluation showed that SOPA could reduce the average response time by up to 20.3% compared with LRU and up to 11.9% compared with ARC.
Long-latency Reflexes and Area Measurements of Corpus Callosum in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis

Objective: We aimed to establish the utility of long-latency reflex (LLR) examinations and area measurements of corpus callosum (CC) in the assessment of multiple sclerosis (MS) and determination of disability caused by axonal degeneration. Methods: This study was prospectively conducted with 23 MS patients with “definite MS” and a control group of 15 healthy individuals. Neurologic examination of the control group and MS patients were performed, and Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) scores were estimated. LLR examination and callosal area measurements were performed for all individuals. Results: In the MS group, LLR latencies were longer and callosum areas were smaller than that in the control group. There were no significant correlations between CC area and latency, latency difference, or amplitude in the MS group (p=0.606, p=0.736, and p=0.757, respectively). In the MS group, we found a significant correlation between EDSS and CC area. There was a significant negative correlation between the duration of disease and corpus callosum area (p=0.016). Only patients with mild deficits were included in this study, and nearly half the patients had normal LLR tests and corpus callosum area measurements. Therefore, the probability of finding a significant correlation between them was low. These findings revealed the need for other studies that would be performed with more patients. Conclusion: Long-latency reflex examination and CC area measurements may be used together or alone for the evaluation of patients with MS and for the estimation of disability as safe and easy tests.
On the Complexity of Optimization Over the Standard Simplex

We review complexity results for minimizing polynomials over the standard simplex and unit hypercube.In addition, we show that there exists a polynomial time approximation scheme (PTAS) for minimizing Lipschitz continuous functions and functions with uniformly bounded Hessians over the standard simplex.This extends an earlier result by De Klerk, Laurent and Parrilo [A PTAS for the minimization of polynomials of fixed degree over the simplex, Theoretical Computer Science, to appear. ]
An Active Testing Model for Tracking Roads in Satellite Images

We present a new approach for tracking roads from satellite images, and thereby illustrate a general computational strategy ("active testing") for tracking 1D structures and other recognition tasks in computer vision. Our approach is related to recent work in active vision on "where to look next" and motivated by the "divide-and-conquer" strategy of parlour games. We choose "tests" (matched filters for short road segments) one at a time in order to remove as much uncertainty as possible about the "true hypothesis" (road position) given the results of the previous tests. The tests are chosen online based on a statistical model for the joint distribution of tests and hypotheses. The problem of minimizing uncertainty (measured by entropy) is formulated in simple and explicit analytical terms. At each iteration new image data are examined and a new entropy minimization problem is solved (exactly), resulting in a new image location to inspect, and so forth. We report experiments using panchromatic SPOT satellite imagery with a ground resolution of ten meters.
The role of interpersonal accommodation in a theory of language change

Introduction In this chapter, we will discuss the available evidence for Niedzielski and Giles' claim that ‘accommodation theory should be one of the major frameworks to which researchers in language change should turn’ (1996: 338). We will investigate the validity of a model of the implementation of structural language change which is intricately linked to verbal communication in face-to-face situations, and which, if only for this reason, is highly appealing. In its prototypical version, the model stipulates the following (hierarchically ordered) components. 1st component . In face-to-face communication between speakers with more traditional speech habits and those who use an innovative form, the former accommodates to the linguistic behaviour of the latter. Accommodation may consist of either the adoption of the new feature and/or the abandonment of the older one(s). It is the first case which may, in the long run, lead to the expansion of the innovation in geographical and social space. Thus, interpersonal accommodation is seen as the root of any structural convergence or advergence (as it should more correctly be called since in the prototypical case it is unilateral). However, interpersonal accommodation does not always lead to language change, since it is restricted to the interactional episode at hand, i.e. it does not always have a lasting effect on the accommodating speaker's linguistic ‘habits’. In order to have such an effect, two further steps are necessary. 2nd component . Short-term accommodation becomes long-term accommodation as soon as it permanently affects the accommodating speakers.
Feeding the Preterm Infant

A preterm infant is an infant born before 37 completed weeks’ gestation. Missing some or all of the third trimester of pregnancy has a significant impact on an infant’s growth and development. Therefore, these infants have higher nutritional requirements than term infants and need to be managed appropriately. Physiological and metabolic stresses, such as respiratory distress or infection, will also increase additional nutritional demands, all of which need to be carefully and appropriately managed.2,3 Inadequate nutrition, particularly in preterm infants, can have shortand long-term health effects, including an association with longer stays in the neonatal unit, an increased risk of infection and worsened developmental outcomes.4 It is important that the multidisciplinary team assesses every infant before feeding is started.
Scientific Foundations of Clinical Assessment

Preface. Introduction to the Scientific Foundations of Clinical Assessment. Reliability. Validity. Applying Psychometric Evidence to Clinical Decisions. Clinical Utility and Decision-making. Understanding Patterns Among Measures Through Factor Analysis. The Conditional Nature of Psychometric Evidence. How to Evaluate Commonly Used Statistical Methods in Clinical Assessment Research. Using Multiple Sources of Data in Clinical Assessment.
One Pathway Can Incorporate either Adenine or Dimethylbenzimidazole as an α-Axial Ligand of B12 Cofactors in Salmonella enterica

ABSTRACT Corrinoid (vitamin B12-like) cofactors contain various α-axial ligands, including 5,6-dimethylbenzimidazole (DMB) or adenine. The bacterium Salmonella enterica produces the corrin ring only under anaerobic conditions, but it can form “complete” corrinoids aerobically by importing an “incomplete” corrinoid, such as cobinamide (Cbi), and adding appropriate α- and β-axial ligands. Under aerobic conditions, S. enterica performs the corrinoid-dependent degradation of ethanolamine if given vitamin B12, but it can make B12 from exogenous Cbi only if DMB is also provided. Mutants isolated for their ability to degrade ethanolamine without added DMB converted Cbi to pseudo-B12 cofactors (having adenine as an α-axial ligand). The mutations cause an increase in the level of free adenine and install adenine (instead of DMB) as an α-ligand. When DMB is provided to these mutants, synthesis of pseudo-B12 cofactors ceases and B12 cofactors are produced, suggesting that DMB regulates production or incorporation of free adenine as an α-ligand. Wild-type cells make pseudo-B12 cofactors during aerobic growth on propanediol plus Cbi and can use pseudo-vitamin B12 for all of their corrinoid-dependent enzymes. Synthesis of coenzyme pseudo-B12 cofactors requires the same enzymes (CobT, CobU, CobS, and CobC) that install DMB in the formation of coenzyme B12. Models are described for the mechanism and control of α-axial ligand installation.
Kif4 Interacts with EB1 and Stabilizes Microtubules Downstream of Rho-mDia in Migrating Fibroblasts

Selectively stabilized microtubules (MTs) form in the lamella of fibroblasts and contribute to cell migration. A Rho-mDia-EB1 pathway regulates the formation of stable MTs, yet how selective stabilization of MTs is achieved is unknown. Kinesin activity has been implicated in selective MT stabilization and a number of kinesins regulate MT dynamics both in vitro and in cells. Here, we show that the mammalian homolog of Xenopus XKLP1, Kif4, is both necessary and sufficient for the induction of selective MT stabilization in fibroblasts. Kif4 localized to the ends of stable MTs and participated in the Rho-mDia-EB1 MT stabilization pathway since Kif4 depletion blocked mDia- and EB1-induced selective MT stabilization and EB1 was necessary for Kif4 induction of stable MTs. Kif4 and EB1 interacted in cell extracts, and binding studies revealed that the tail domain of Kif4 interacted directly with the N-terminal domain of EB1. Consistent with its role in regulating formation of stable MTs in interphase cells, Kif4 knockdown inhibited migration of cells into wounded monolayers. These data identify Kif4 as a novel factor in the Rho-mDia-EB1 MT stabilization pathway and cell migration.
On the 'Dimensionality Curse' and the 'Self-Similarity Blessing'

Spatial queries in high-dimensional spaces have been studied extensively. Among them, nearest neighbor queries are important in many settings, including spatial databases (Find the k closest cities) and multimedia databases (Find the k most similar images). Previous analyses have concluded that nearest-neighbor search is hopeless in high dimensions due to the notorious "curse of dimensionality". We show that this may be overpessimistic. We show that what determines the search performance (at least for R-tree-like structures) is the intrinsic dimensionality of the data set and not the dimensionality of the address space (referred to as the embedding dimensionality). The typical (and often implicit) assumption in many previous studies is that the data is uniformly distributed, with independence between attributes. However, real data sets overwhelmingly disobey these assumptions; rather, they typically are skewed and exhibit intrinsic ("fractal") dimensionalities that are much lower than their embedding dimension, e.g. due to subtle dependencies between attributes. We show how the Hausdorff and Correlation fractal dimensions of a data set can yield extremely accurate formulas that can predict the I/O performance to within one standard deviation on multiple real and synthetic data sets.
Evolving Insights into Protein Trafficking to the Multiple Compartments of the Apicomplexan Plastid 1

ABSTRACT. The apicoplast is a relict plastid found in many medically important apicomplexan parasites, such as Plasmodium and Toxoplasma. Phylogenetic analysis and the presence of four bounding membranes indicate that the apicoplast arose from a secondary endosymbiosis. Here we review what has been discovered about the complex journey proteins take to reach compartments of the apicoplast. The targeting sequences for luminal proteins are well‐defined, but those routing proteins to other compartments are only beginning to be studied. Recent work suggests that the trafficking mechanisms involve a variety of molecules of different phylogenetic origins. We highlight some remaining questions regarding protein trafficking to this divergent organelle.
The Structure and Function of Male Thomas Langur Loud Calls

This study has addressed the acoustical structure of male loud calls and their function in Thomas langur social organisation. Thomas langurs are medium sized primate that lives in Sumatra, Indonesia. Ome of the characteristics of this species is the loud call of males. Several functions for loud calls have been suggested such as mate-defence, resource-defence and mate-attraction. In this study playback studies were applied to determine that loud calls function in between-group spacing and resource-defence. The function of loud calls in mate-attraction was not demonstrated directly, but an analysis of long-term data showed that females often choose newly adult males when the transfer between groups. These newly adult males have loud calls of shorter duration than adult males that already have associated with females and have offspring. This indicates that females may use loud calls as a cue to choose newly adult males. Since newly adult males are better in protecting offspring against infanticidal extra-group males and predators, it is functional for females to choose these males. In addition, it was shown that males show individual variation in loud call characteristics and that calls also differ between behavioural context, such as dawn chorus or alarm.
A computational study on brain tissue under blast: primary and tertiary blast injuries

In this paper, a biomechanical study of a human head model exposed to blast shock waves followed by a blunt impact with the surface of the enclosing walls of a confined space is carried out. Under blast, the head may experience primary blast injury (PBI) due to exposure to the shockwaves and tertiary blast injury (TeBI) due to a possible blunt impact. We examine the brain response data in a deformable finite element head model in terms of the inflicted stress/pressure, velocity, and acceleration on the brain for several blast scenarios with different intensities. The data will be compared for open space and confined spaces. Following the initial impact of the shock front in the confined space, one can see the fluctuations in biomechanical data due to wave reflections. Although the severity of the PBI and TeBI is dependent on the situation, for the cases studied here, PBI is considerably more pronounced than TeBI in confined spaces. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
ECOSYSTEM SERVICES: Benefits Supplied to Human Societies by Natural Ecosystems

Human societies derive many essential goods from natural ecosystems, including seafood, game animals, fodder, fuelwood, timber, and pharmaceutical products. These goods represent important and familiar parts of the economy. What has been less appreciated until recently is that natural ecosystems also perform fundamental life-support services without which human civilizations would cease to thrive. These include the purification of air and water, detoxification and decomposition of wastes, regulation of climate, regeneration of soil fertility, and production and maintenance of biodiversity, from which key ingredients of our agricultural, pharmaceutical, and industrial enterprises are derived. This array of services is generated by a complex interplay of natural cycles powered by solar energy and operating across a wide range of space and time scales. The process of waste disposal, for example, involves the life cycles of bacteria as well as the planet-wide cycles of major chemical elements such as carbon and nitrogen. Such processes are worth many trillions of dollars annually. Yet because most of these benefits are not traded in economic markets, they carry no price tags that could alert society to changes in their supply or deterioration of underlying ecological systems that generate them. Because threats to these systems are increasing, there is a critical need for identification and monitoring of ecosystem services both locally and globally, and for the incorporation of their value into decision-making processes.
The Double-Edged Sword of Autophagy Modulation in Cancer

Macroautophagy (autophagy) is a lysosomal degradation pathway for the breakdown of intracellular proteins and organelles. Although constitutive autophagy is a homeostatic mechanism for intracellular recycling and metabolic regulation, autophagy is also stress responsive, in which it is important for the removal of damaged proteins and organelles. Autophagy thereby confers stress tolerance, limits damage, and sustains viability under adverse conditions. Autophagy is a tumor-suppression mechanism, yet it enables tumor cell survival in stress. Reconciling how loss of a prosurvival function can promote tumorigenesis, emerging evidence suggests that preservation of cellular fitness by autophagy may be key to tumor suppression. As autophagy is such a fundamental process, establishing how the functional status of autophagy influences tumorigenesis and treatment response is important. This is especially critical as many current cancer therapeutics activate autophagy. Therefore, efforts to understand and modulate the autophagy pathway will provide new approaches to cancer therapy and prevention. (Clin Cancer Res 2009;15(17):5308–16)
Why Should Markedness Constraints be Relative? -- Four Case Studies in Tone Sandhi Directionality

UC Berkeley Phonology Lab Annual Report (2009) Why should Markedness Constraints be Relative? - Four Case Studies in Tone Sandhi Directionality 1 Te-hsin Liu liu.tehsin@berkeley.edu Abstract This paper presents a novel analysis on tone sandhi directionality, introducing a family of relative markedness constraints, i.e. M IN M OD (minimize modulation) and M IN A MP (minimize amplitude of contour tones), to account for the apparently ungoverned traffic of sandhi operations. A closer look at the data leads to the conclusion that tone sandhi directionality is not output-driven but directionality-driven. This observation echoes Hyman & VanBik’s analysis on Hakha-Lai, according to which output-based generalizations fail to capture the input-output relations (2002). Keywords: conflicting directionality, tone sandhi, Optimality theory. 1. Introduction The increasing interest in conflicting directionality has heightened the need for phonological theories to account for such complex and apparently unpredictable phenomena. The material targeted can range from segmental elements (i.e. palatalization in Japanese mimetic words), stress placement (i.e. stress patterns in Selkup) to directional tone sandhi (i.e. Hakha Lai, some Chinese dialects). The present study focuses on the third pattern of conflicting directionality, tone sandhi directionality. In some Chinese dialects, sandhi rules must apply from left to right to derive the outputs for some trisyllabic sequences and from right to left to account for the others. One common point among them is that morphosyntactic structures play no role, a left-branching string and a right-branching string generating the same surface form. The research presented in this paper, supported by Fyssen Foundation, is partly based on a talk given jointly with Joaquim Brandao de Carvalho at the Seventeenth Manchester Phonology Meeting held on May 28-30, 2009. I am grateful to Larry Hyman as well as the audience of the conference, especially Stuart Davis, Andrew Nevins, Marc van Oostendorp and Danial Hall, for their precious comments and feedback. All errors are of course my own responsibility.