Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Network decomposition and locality in distributed computation

The authors introduce a concept of network decomposition, a partitioning of an arbitrary graph into small-diameter connected components, such that the graph created by contracting each component into a single node has low chromatic number. They present an efficient distributed algorithm for constructing such a decomposition and demonstrate its use for design of efficient distributed algorithms. The method yields new deterministic distributed algorithms for finding a maximal independent set in an arbitrary graph and for ( Delta +1)-coloring of graphs with maximum degree Delta . These algorithms run in O(n/sup epsilon /) time for epsilon =O((log log n/log n)/sup 1/2/), whereas the best previously known deterministic algorithms required Omega (n) time. The techniques can also be used to remove randomness from the previously known most distributed breadth-first search algorithm. <<ETX>>
Using Intrinsic Flavoprotein and NAD(P)H Imaging to Map Functional Circuitry in the Main Olfactory Bulb

Neurons exhibit strong coupling of electrochemical and metabolic activity. Increases in intrinsic fluorescence from either oxidized flavoproteins or reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (phosphate) [NAD(P)H] in the mitochondria have been used as an indicator of neuronal activity for the functional mapping of neural circuits. However, this technique has not been used to investigate the flow of olfactory information within the circuitry of the main olfactory bulb (MOB). We found that intrinsic flavoprotein fluorescence signals induced by electrical stimulation of single glomeruli displayed biphasic responses within both the glomerular (GL) and external plexiform layers (EPL) of the MOB. Pharmacological blockers of mitochondrial activity, voltage-gated Na+ channels, or ionotropic glutamate receptors abolished stimulus-dependent flavoprotein responses. Blockade of GABAA receptors enhanced the amplitude and spatiotemporal spread of the flavoprotein signals, indicating an important role for inhibitory neurotransmission in shaping the spread of neural activity in the MOB. Stimulus-dependent spread of fluorescence across the GL and EPL displayed a spatial distribution consistent with that of individual glomerular microcircuits mapped by neuroanatomic tract tracing. These findings demonstrated the feasibility of intrinsic fluorescence imaging in the olfactory systems and provided a new tool to examine the functional circuitry of the MOB.
Studying both sexes: a guiding principle for biomedicine

In May 2014, the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced that it will ensure that investigators account for sex as a biological variable (SABV) in NIH‐funded preclinical research as part of the agency's rigor and transparency initiative. Herein, I describe in more detail the rationale behind the SABV policy component and provide additional detail about policy goals. In short, studying both sexes is a guiding principle in biomedical research that will expand knowledge toward turning discovery into health. NIH expects that considering SABV in preclinical research will help to build a knowledge base that better informs the design of clinical research and trials in humans. Integrating the practice of studying both sexes in preclinical research will, over time, expand our currently incomplete knowledge base that plays a critical role in informing the development of sex‐and gender‐appropriate medical care for women and men. —Clayton, J. A. Studying both sexes: a guiding principle for biomedicine. FASEB J. 30, 519‐524 (2016). www.fasebj. org
Livsic theorems, maximizing measures and the stable norm

In this paper we consider two results motivated by Livsic's well-known theorem that, for a hyperbolic system, a Hölder continuous function is determined, up to a coboundary, by its values around closed orbits. The first result relates to negative values around orbits and the second result to values for finitely many orbits. We also present some new results on maximizing measures and the boundary of the unit ball in the stable norm for a surface.
Advanced Simulations for Hydrodynamic Problems: Lattice Boltzmann and Dissipative Particle Dynamics

The contribution discusses two central models for polymer dynamics, the Rouse model and the Zimm model. The latter takes into account hydrodynamic interactions, and is hence appropriate for dilute solutions. In dense melts, the hydrodynamic interactions are screened, and the Rouse model is applicable (within limitations) as long as the chains are short enough to preclude reptation. The physics of this screening is discussed. The lecture then focuses on the methodological issue how to take hydrodynamic interactions into account in computer simulations. So far, the most successful methods are hybrid approaches where standard Molecular Dynamics for the polymer system is coupled to a mesoscopic model for momentum transport in the solvent. The most popular mesoscopic models are Lattice Boltzmann and Dissipative Particle Dynamics. These methods are briefly discussed and contrasted. We describe a recent application of such an approach to the problem of hydrodynamic screening.
Combination therapy with olmesartan and azelnidipine improves EDHF-mediated responses in diabetic apolipoprotein E-deficient mice.

BACKGROUND The endothelium modulates vascular tone by synthesizing and releasing several vasodilating factors, including vasodilator prostaglandins, nitric oxide (NO) and endothelium-derived hyperpolarizing factor (EDHF). In the present study, we examined whether an angiotensin-receptor blocker, a calcium-channel blocker or their combination improved EDHF-mediated responses in diabetic apolipoprotein E-deficient (ApoE(-/-)) mice. METHODS AND RESULTS We used male C57BL/6N (control) and streptozocin-induced diabetic ApoE(-/-) mice. The diabetic ApoE(-/-) mice were administered oral vehicle (untreated), olmesartan (OLM, 30 mgxkg(-1)xday(-1)), azelnidipine (AZL, 10 mgxkg(-1)xday(-1)), their combination (OLM + AZL), or hydralazine (HYD 5 mgxkg(-1)xday(-1)) for 5 weeks. In the untreated group, systolic blood pressure was significantly higher and both EDHF-mediated relaxation and endothelium-dependent hyperpolarization were markedly reduced as compared with the control group. Although EDHF-mediated relaxation was not significantly improved in the HYD, OLM and AZL groups, it was significantly improved in the OLM + AZL group, as was also the case with phosphorylation of Akt and endothelial NO synthase (eNOS). In contrast, the endothelium-independent relaxation response to sodium nitroprusside or NS-1619 (a direct opener of K(Ca) channels) was unaltered in any group. CONCLUSIONS OLM + AZL may improve the severely impaired EDHF-mediated responses in diabetic ApoE(-/-) mice, in which activation of the endothelial Akt - eNOS pathway may be involved.
Nonlinear Fourier analysis of deep-water , random surface waves : theoretical formulation and experimental observations of rogue waves

Unidirectional deep-water waves are studied theoretically and experimentally. Theoretically we apply the theory of the nonlinear Schroedinger equation (NLS) using the inverse scattering transform, a kind of generalized, nonlinear Fourier analysis. We discover from the theoretical study that there are essentially four kinds of physical effects that can lead to extreme waves: (1) the superposition of sine waves, (2) the Stokes wave nonlinearity, (3) the BenjaminFeir instability and (4) the wave/current interaction. In the context of nonlinear random wave trains, item (3) is of prime interest here and we discuss how the theory predicts the existence of unstable wave packets which constitute a second population of nonlinear waves, the first population being the weakly nonlinear superposition of sine waves (item (1)) together with the Stokes-wave correction (item (2)). The second population, unstable wave packets, which can rise up to more than twice the significant wave height, are a new nonlinear spectral component in nonlinear random waves. Do second population waves actually exist in water waves? To answer this question we conducted a number of random wave experiments at Marintek, Trondheim, and assessed the results in terms of the NLS spectral theory. We find that the second population waves not only exist, but they can also, under the circumstances discussed herein, dominate the energetics of the wave train leading to a condition we call a “rogue sea. ” Indeed, we also find in a companion paper (Onorato, Osborne, and Serio, 2005) that the extreme events associated with the Benjamin-Feir instability can also lead to a large enhancement in the tail of the Rayleigh distribution for crest and wave heights.
Using one-dimensional radiosity to model neutral flux in convex high aspect ratio structures

We present a computationally inexpensive framework to compute the neutral flux in high aspect ratio structures during three-dimensional plasma etching simulations. It is based on a one-dimensional radiosity approach and is applicable to simulations of convex-shaped rotationally symmetrical holes and convex-shaped trenches of infinite length. The framework is intended to replace the full three-dimensional simulation step required to calculate the neutral flux during plasma etching simulations. Especially for high aspect ratio structures, the computational costs of the full three-dimensional simulation of the neutral flux at the desired spatial resolution conflicts with practical simulation time constraints. Our results are in agreement with those obtained using reference three-dimensional ray tracing simulations for various convex geometries. Within this framework, we present a comprehensive analysis of the influence of the geometrical properties of high aspect ratio structures as well as of the particle sticking probability on the particle flux.
Node covering, error correcting codes and multiprocessors with very high average fault tolerance

Most previous work on fault-tolerant (FT) multiprocessor design has concentrated on deterministic k-fault-tolerant (k-FT) designs in which exactly k spare processors and some spare switches and links are added to construct multiprocessors that can tolerate any k processor faults. However, after k faults are reconfigured around, much of the extra links and switches can remain unutilized. We show how to use the node-covering principle of Dutt and Hayes (1992) and error correcting codes in order to construct probabilistic designs with very high average fault tolerance but low wiring and switch overhead. This design methodology is applicable to any multiprocessor interconnection topology. We also obtain the deterministic fault tolerance for these designs and develop efficient layout strategies for them. <<ETX>>
Magic for Teacher Work Groups

T he constant demands on teachers to adjust their teaching is true for teachers in both general and special education. Of course, it is not just challenges posed by students that confront teachers with demands to change; there are always new ideas, approaches, or procedures urged on teachers by various experts and reform initiatives. Despite growing consensus in some areas, there continue to be rapid changes in what are considered preferred practices throughout education (e.g., Bastian, Fruchter, Gittell, Greer, & Haskins, 1985; Biklen, Ferguson, & Ford, 1989; Goodlad, 1984; Lipsky & Gartner, 1989; National Commission on Excellence in Education, 1983; Will, 1987). Many teachers find themselves buffeted by competing (and occasionally contradictory) reform demands at all levels of their work. Given this climate of change, it seems likely that teachers will continue to practice in contexts dominated more by complexity, uncertainty, instability, uniqueness, and value conflict (Sykes, 1988) than by stability or predictability. In the meantime, efforts to reform the policies and structures of schooling from the top down will more quickly succeed in finding a coherence and single mission if they are supported by reform efforts from the bottom up. If they are given support, teachers, always the final arbiters of reform, can contribute directly to an emerging definition of quality education for all students. In so doing, they may begin to feel less buffeted, less powerless, or~
An integer programming based approach for diagnosing workflows

Workflow analysis is indispensable to capture modeling errors in workflow designs. While in the past several analysis approaches for workflows have been defined, these approaches do not give precise feedback, making it hard for a designer to pinpoint the exact cause of modeling errors. In this paper we introduce a novel approach for analyzing and diagnosing workflows based on integer programming (IP). Each workflow model is translated into a set of IP constraints. Faulty control flow connectors can be easily detected using the approach by relaxing the corresponding constraints. We show that this approach is correct, and illustrate it with realistic examples where the CPLEX tool is used to solve the IP formulations. Moreover, the approach is flexible and can be extended to handle a variety of new constraints, as well as to support new workflow patterns. Its features complement those of existing approaches.
EGG signal classification using statistical analysis

The method is used to register the laryngeal behavior indirectly by measuring change in the electrical impedance across the throat during speech or voice. In this Electroglottography (EGG) signal acquisition, the electrodes are made of steel. They have the form of rectangles covering an area of 10.75 cm2. It is designed as a ring electrode encircling each of the two other electrodes. The electrodes are mounted on a flexible band whose length is adjusted to hold the electrodes in a steady position and to still allow the subject to comfortably speak and breathe naturally. The electrodes are mounted on a small holder which is pressed against the throat by hand. A signal generator supplies an AC sinusoidal current usually ranging from 2 MHz. The RF carrier signal is amplitude modulated by the modulating speech/voice signal and the demodulated signal is extracted. The variations in the signal correspond to the vocal fold abduction/laryngeal movement. For normal and pathology conditions, the results are recorded. These values form a feature vector, which reveals information regarding pathology. Principal component analysis technique (PCA) is used for classification, giving successful results for the specific data set considered. Key words: Electroglottography, principal component analysis.
Complexity and infinite games on finite graphs

This dissertation investigates the interplay between complexity, infinite games, and finite graphs. We present a general framework for considering two-player games on finite graphs which may have an infinite number of moves and we consider the computational complexity of important related problems. Such games are becoming increasingly important in the field of theoretical computer science, particularly as a tool for formal verification of non-terminating systems. The framework introduced enables us to simultaneously consider problems on many types of games easily, and this is demonstrated by establishing previously unknown complexity bounds on several types of games. We also present a general framework which uses infinite games to define notions of structural complexity for directed graphs. Many important graph parameters, from both a graph theoretic and algorithmic perspective, can be defined in this system. By considering natural generalizations of these games to directed graphs, we obtain a novel feature of digraph complexity: directed connectivity. We show that directed connectivity is an algorithmically important measure of complexity by showing that when it is limited, many intractable problems can be efficiently solved. Whether it is structurally an important measure is yet to be seen, however this dissertation makes a preliminary investigation in this direction. We conclude that infinite games on finite graphs play an important role in the area of complexity in theoretical computer science.
Performance evaluation of different OFDM transmission schemes

Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) has been one of the well distinguished technologies in wireless communication in terms of its robustness and high delivery speed. In this paper, we have performed an effective comparison on the basis of various OFDM transmission schemes and our proposed scheme to examine the most effective one in terms of less amount of error. First of all, we have compared through the study of past OFDM schemes and inferred that two previous schemes Structured Compressive Sensing (SCS) and Compressive Sensing (CS) aided TDS-OFDM provide maximum spectral efficiency and also supports 256 QAM. However, on further comparison through our simulation we have concluded that our proposed scheme is better than previous schemes in terms of it's error performance measuring parameters like BER, MSE.
A quantitative ultrasound-based method and device for reliably guiding pathologists to metastatic regions of dissected lymph nodes

Our group is developing a method based on 3D high-frequency ultrasound (HFU) and 3D quantitative ultrasound (QUS) to help pathologists detect micrometastases in freshly-excised lymph nodes of patients with histologically-proven primary cancer. From a signal and image processing perspective, we report on our efforts to acquire and classify lymph-node tissue based on 3D QUS parameter estimates. We evaluated classifier performance against gold-standard histology. Using our database of 134 abdominal cancer-free nodes and 26 fully cancerous abdominal nodes, a conservative threshold gave a sensitivity and specificity of 99.3% and 73.1%, respectively. We also constructed a 3D cancer-likelihood map of a partially metastatic lymph node and compared that map with histology. This representation potentially can be useful for guiding pathologists to suspicious regions requiring histological evaluation.
Effects of Dual Task Training with Visual Restriction and an Unstable Base on the Balance and Attention of Stroke Patients

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of the visual restriction and unstable base dual-task training (VUDT), the visual restriction dual-task training (VDT), and the unstable base dual-task training (UDT) on the balance and attention of chronic stroke patients. [Subjects and Methods] The subjects were 38 chronic stroke patients, who were divided into two groups of 13 patients each and one group of 12 patients. They were given dual-task training for 30 minutes per session, three times a week, for eight weeks. Their balance was measured using the center of pressure (COP) migration distances, functional reach test (FRT), and Berg balance scale (BBS), and attention was measured with the Trail Making Tests and the Stroop test. [Results] In comparisons within each group, all the three groups showed significant differences before and after the training (p<0.05), and in the comparisons among the three groups, the VUDT group showed more significant differences compared with the other two groups in all tests (p<0.05). [Conclusion] Dual-task training applied with visual restriction and an unstable base in which the subjects attempted to maintain their balance was effective in improving the balance and attention of stroke patients, and the VUDT was more effective than VDT or UDT.
Universal Weighted MSE Improvement of the Least-Squares Estimator

Since the seminal work of Stein in the 1950s, there has been continuing research devoted to improving the total mean-squared error (MSE) of the least-squares (LS) estimator in the linear regression model. However, a drawback of these methods is that although they improve the total MSE, they do so at the expense of increasing the MSE of some of the individual signal components. Here we consider a framework for developing linear estimators that outperform the LS strategy over bounded norm signals, under all weighted MSE measures. This guarantees, for example, that both the total MSE and the MSE of each of the elements will be smaller than that resulting from the LS approach. We begin by deriving an easily verifiable condition on a linear method that ensures LS domination for every weighted MSE. We then suggest a minimax estimator that minimizes the worst-case MSE over all weighting matrices and bounded norm signals subject to the universal weighted MSE domination constraint.
An Examination of the Use of Open Source Software Processes as a Global Software Development Solution for Commercial Software Engineering

This paper outlines the phenomenon of Inner Source software development and places it in the context of existing open source literature. Our study includes an analysis of multiple case studies of Inner Source in use in large scale global software development companies. The lessons learned from these case studies help us to contrast traditional open source principles with Inner Source principles, and we then gather these lessons, to create our preliminary framework, in order to make sense of when and how firms can adopt Inner Source. Our framework helps to make sense of the practical issues of adopting and managing Inner Source. We have highlighted the emerging trends in the Inner Source phenomenon and surrounding areas. Awareness of this may be of great benefit to researchers in the area and industrial practitioners.
Contextual Suggestion from Wikitravel: Exploiting Community-Based Suggestions

This paper describes our participation in the TREC 2012 Contextual Suggestion Track. The goal of the track is to evaluate systems that provide suggestions for activities to users in a spe- cific location, at a specific time, taking into ac- count their personal preferences. As a source for travel suggestions we use Wikitravel, which is a community-based travel guide for destinations all over the world. From pages dedicated to cities in the US we extract suggestions for sightseeing, shopping, eating and drinking. Descriptions from positive examples in the user profiles are used as queries to rank all suggestions in the US. Our baseline approach merges the per-query rankings of all positive examples of all users. Our user- dependent approach merges the per-query rank- ings of the positive examples of a single user. The rankings suggestions are then filtered based on the location of the user. We ignore the temporal as- pects of the context. The user-dependent rank- ings are more effective for contextual suggestion than user-independent rankings. The two systems show similar perform on the geographical dimen- sion, but the user-dependent system provides more interesting suggestions. Our results show that in- formation on user preferences is valuable for pro- viding appropriate suggestions.
Stream grazers determine their crawling direction on the basis of chemical and particulate microalgal cues

This study aimed to determine the association between herbivore behavior and cues from producers. We used stream grazer Glossosoma larvae and determined their crawling direction in relation to chemical and visual cues from microalgae. The experimental treatments included control (no cue), particulate (chemical and particulate cues), and dissolved (chemical cue) cues from microalgae. The experimental water samples were randomly placed into either arm of a Y-shaped channel, and the crawling direction of the grazers was determined. Although the grazers crawled toward the arm containing either particulate or dissolved cues, they preferred the arm with particulate cues. This suggested that grazers responded well to both particulate (i.e., drifting algal cells) and chemical (algal smell) cues, and that particulate cues were more important for foraging. In natural habitats, grazers detect cues from producers and change their behaviors to maintain a balance between top-down and bottom-up cues.