Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Threshold Saturation for LDPC Convolutional Code Ensembles

Low-density parity-check (LDPC) codes, originally invented by Gallager in 1963, are now well-known for their good performances. Their convolutional counterpart was introduced by Felström and Zigangirov in 1999 and have already been shown to be able to achieve the Shannon capacity under low-complexity iterative decoding algorithms. In principle, the belief-propagation (BP) threshold of the convolutional or spatially-coupled LDPC code ensemble can be increased up to the maximum a posteriori (MAP) threshold of the underlying uncoupled ensemble. In this write-up, we will focus on explaining this “threshold saturation” phenomenon for the binary erasure channel (BEC) in detail, and propose some future research plans.
Enterprise resource planning and organizational knowledge: patterns of convergence and divergence

This paper describes a qualitative research project involving a case study that was analyzed using grounded theory and cognitive mapping. It contributes to a theory that describes the impact of enterprise resource planning (ERP) on organizational knowledge. ERP systems produce effects that make business knowledge become more focused or “convergent” from the perspective of the organization and more wide-ranging or “divergent” from the perspective of the individual. Other important effects include changes to the organization’s core competencies and changes in the risk profile regarding the loss of organizational knowledge.
DEDUCTIVE DATABASES - WHERE TO NOW?

Deductive databases result from the integration of database and logic programming techniques. It combines the beneets of these two approaches, such as representational and operational uniformity, recursion, declarative querying, eecient secondary storage access, etc. However, signiicant problems remain inherent in this synthesis. There are four broad areas where problems are apparent. The rst problem area is how to naturally represent complex values consists of nested tuples and sets. The second problem area is how to incorporate object-oriented features into deductive framework. The third problem area is how to naturally deal with higher-order features in deductive databases. The last is the area of updates. This paper elaborates these problems, discusses some of the typical attempts that have been made towards solving them, and provides some perspective.
Proposed framework for automatic grading system of ER diagram

In this paper we present a preliminary research with proposed framework for automatic grading system of Entity Relationship (ER) Diagram. The proposed framework use ER Diagram in XML file format (XMI file) as an input to the system. There are two proposed approaches. First approach is using Tree Edit Distance algorithm to assess ER Diagram similarity. The output is similarity score and feedback for inputted ER Diagram. Second approach is using machine learning algorithm to build classifier that grade ER Diagram automatically. These two approaches will be implemented and evaluated in the next phase of research.
Convergence of a WMR to the source of unknown signal distribution in a cluttered environment

Many mechanical systems that suffer from non-holonomic constraints have attracted a lot of attention recently due to the theorem of Brockett. One such system is a wheeled mobile robot (WMR). Equipped with a proper sensors the robot has an advantage over a human since it can easily maneuver in dangerous environments, and could be rapidly modified or improved to fulfill any specific tasks. Thereby, it can be used to detect and track radioactive, chemical, thermal or any other signal in order to localize and approach its source. This work presents an extremum seeking controller designed with the main aim to safely drive the vehicle towards the source of radiated signal with no prior knowledge about the environment and analytical structure of nonlinear signal distribution. Sliding mode controllers are employed to control WMR during the obstacle free mode, and also while maneuvering within a cluttered environment. To assure the timely convergence to the source, Kalman filter is used to predict the future trajectory evolution over sufficiently long time interval.
Nonparametric Bayesian feature selection for multi-task learning

We present a nonparametric Bayesian model for multi-task learning, with a focus on feature selection in binary classification. The model jointly identifies groups of similar tasks and selects the subset of features relevant to the tasks within each group. The model employs a Dirchlet process with a beta- Bernoulli hierarchical base measure. The posterior inference is accomplished efficiently using a Gibbs sampler. Experimental results are presented on simulated as well as real data.
Connectivity of Tiger (Panthera tigris) Populations in the Human-Influenced Forest Mosaic of Central India

Today, most wild tigers live in small, isolated Protected Areas within human dominated landscapes in the Indian subcontinent. Future survival of tigers depends on increasing local population size, as well as maintaining connectivity between populations. While significant conservation effort has been invested in increasing tiger population size, few initiatives have focused on landscape-level connectivity and on understanding the effect different landscape elements have on maintaining connectivity. We combined individual-based genetic and landscape ecology approaches to address this issue in six protected areas with varying tiger densities and separation in the Central Indian tiger landscape. We non-invasively sampled 55 tigers from different protected areas within this landscape. Maximum-likelihood and Bayesian genetic assignment tests indicate long-range tiger dispersal (on the order of 650 km) between protected areas. Further geo-spatial analyses revealed that tiger connectivity was affected by landscape elements such as human settlements, road density and host-population tiger density, but not by distance between populations. Our results elucidate the importance of landscape and habitat viability outside and between protected areas and provide a quantitative approach to test functionality of tiger corridors. We suggest future management strategies aim to minimize urban expansion between protected areas to maximize tiger connectivity. Achieving this goal in the context of ongoing urbanization and need to sustain current economic growth exerts enormous pressure on the remaining tiger habitats and emerges as a big challenge to conserve wild tigers in the Indian subcontinent.
VARIAÇÃO ESPAÇO-TEMPORAL DA TEMPERATURA DO SUBSTRATO EM BANDEJAS DE PRODUÇÃO DE MUDAS

A temperatura do substrato nas bandejas é um fator variável no tempo e no espaço, que assume relevante importância nos processos físicos e nas trocas de energia com a atmosfera. Esta grandeza física interfere na germinação, crescimento radicular, absorção de água e nutrientes. Dessa forma, o conhecimento da dinâmica da temperatura do substrato é fundamental para a agricultura. Para tanto, essa pesquisa foi conduzida com o objetivo de verificar a variação espaço-temporal da temperatura do substrato em bandejas de produção de mudas. Foram utilizadas bandejas de polipropileno convencional (preta) e polipropileno pintada de branco. O registro da temperatura do substrato foi realizado em 48 células de cada bandeja, consecutivamente, às 8, 10, 12, 14 e 16 horas. Os dados foram analisados por meio da estatística descritiva e aplicadas técnicas de geoestatística para verificação da distribuição espacial da temperatura nas amostras. A amplitude da temperatura do substrato na bandeja preta foi maior, o que evidência maior desuniformidade de temperatura entre as células e possível heterogeneidade na qualidade das mudas.
Are COMPETants more competent for problem solving? The case of a multiple objective transportation problem.

In this paper we propose a multi-colony Ant System, where the colonies solve a multi-objective optimization problem concerned with goods transportation. The colonies differ from each other by the heuristic information, which guides their search through the solution space. Information exchange occurs as ants from one population observe the pheromone trails of other populations and decide whether or not to utilize this information. Furthermore, population sizes are adapted according to the relative fitness of the populations. The results show the advantages of this approach over common Ant System approaches.
Mutterschutzbedingte Reorganisationskosten des Arbeitgebers – eine international vergleichende Analyse gesetzlicher Schutzbestimmungen

Ökonomische Analysen der Wirkung von Mutterschutzregelungen befassen sich bislang einseitig mit den Kosten von Humankapitalverlusten. Die mit der zeitweiligen Freistellung von Müttern verbundenen Reorganisationskosten werden hingegen nicht betrachtet. Der vorliegende Beitrag stellt die Bedeutung dieser bislang vernachlässigten Kostenkategorie heraus und analysiert deren Determinanten. Neben der Dauer der Mutterschutzfristen, die in der vorliegenden Literatur als zentrale Einflussgröße der Kosten aus Humankapitalverlusten gilt, spielt für die Höhe der Reorganisationskosten insbesondere auch die Plan- bzw. Vorhersehbarkeit der Abwesenheitsdauer eine bedeutende Rolle. Zudem ist, was die Länge der Schutzfristen betrifft, nicht von einem linearen, sondern von einem U-förmigen Zusammenhang zwischen Mutterschutzdauer und Reorganisationskosten auszugehen. Die Berücksichtigung von Reorganisationskosten hat Konsequenzen für die ökonomische Analyse von Mutterschutzregelungen im internationalen Vergleich, der hier für die Länder Deutschland, Dänemark, Niederlande, Großbritannien, die USA und Japan unternommen wird.
The Effect of Foam Rolling Duration on Hamstring Range of Motion

Musculoskeletal health benefits from flexibility training and maintaining a functional, or sport specific, range of motion is important to one’s overall fitness. Commercial foam rollers are commonly used in gyms, therapy clinics and homes, yet data are lacking on the optimal rolling duration and effect on range of motion. Purpose : The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of varied durations of a commercial foam roller treatment on hamstring range of motion. Methods : The knee extension range of motion of 33 college aged men and women (age= 20±1.5y, mass= 72.2±10.8 kg) was assessed after a short (2 sets of 10s) and long (4 sets of 30s) duration of hamstring self-administered myofascial release using a commercial foam roller. A one way ANOVA was performed to compare the mean knee extension angle for each condition to baseline measures. Results : Results indicated that neither the short duration (67.30 ± 10.60 deg) nor long duration (67.41 ± 10.81 deg) rolling condition produced significant increases in knee extension compared to baseline (67.70 ± 9.90 deg). Conclusion : Self-administered foam rolling for a total duration of up to 2 minutes is not adequate to induce improvements in knee joint flexibility. Contributing factors may include the amount of pressure imparted by the commercial roller as well as duration of treatment.
DeepSpark: A Spark-Based Distributed Deep Learning Framework for Commodity Clusters

The increasing complexity of deep neural networks (DNNs) has made it challenging to exploit existing large-scale data processing pipelines for handling massive data and parameters involved in DNN training. Distributed computing platforms and GPGPU-based acceleration provide a mainstream solution to this computational challenge. In this paper, we propose DeepSpark, a distributed and parallel deep learning framework that exploits Apache Spark on commodity clusters. To support parallel operations, DeepSpark automatically distributes workloads and parameters to Caffe/Tensorflow-running nodes using Spark, and iteratively aggregates training results by a novel lock-free asynchronous variant of the popular elastic averaging stochastic gradient descent based update scheme, effectively complementing the synchronized processing capabilities of Spark. DeepSpark is an on-going project, and the current release is available at this http URL
Alectinib for choroidal metastasis in a patient with crizotinib-resistant ALK rearranged positive non-small cell lung cancer

Choroidal metastasis is rare in cancer patients. Small molecules of molecular targeted agents for lung cancer with actionable mutations were reported to be palliated for symptoms caused by choroidal metastasis. Visual disturbance by choroidal metastasis significantly decreases quality of life during the patient’s remaining lifespan; therefore, radiotherapy or laser photocoagulation is proposed with consensus. However, improvement in survival with matched molecular targeted agents for oncogenic driver mutations reminds us to also be concerned with late treatment toxicities. A 30-year-old female patient previously treated with crizotinib harboring ALK rearranged non-small cell lung cancer complained of visual disturbance, fever, and bone pains undergoing anti-PD-1 antibody treatment. A decreased proportion of ALK fusion was demonstrated by fluorescence in situ hybridization in liver metastasis compared to the primary site in a chemo-naïve state. She was diagnosed with low vision, choroidal metastasis and retinal detachment. Therefore, she started alectinib treatment and both her ocular and systemic symptoms were palliated in a week. Later, she temporarily discontinued alectinib because of skin rash although the choroidal metastasis and retinal detachment resolved and she regained low vision completely at 2 weeks. She obtained partial response with alectinib for more than 5 months after recovering from skin rash.
Efficient Deployment of Main-Memory DBMS in Virtualized Data Centers

Running emerging main-memory database systems within virtual machines causes huge overhead, because these systems are highly optimized to get the most out of bare metal servers. But running these systems on bare metal servers results in low resource utilization, because database servers often have to be sized for peak loads, much higher than the average load. Instead, we propose to deploy them within light-weight containers that allow to control resource usage and to make use of spare resources by temporarily running other applications on the database server using virtual machines (VMs). The servers on which these VMs would normally run can be suspended, to save energy costs. But current database systems do not handle dynamic changes to resource allocation well and accurate estimates on resource demand are required to maintain SLAs. We focus on emerging main-memory database systems that support the mixed workloads of today's business intelligence applications and propose an cooperative approach in which the DBMS communicates its resource demand, gets informed about currently assigned resources and adapts its resource usage accordingly. We analyze the performance impact on the database system when spare resources are used by VMs and monitor SLA compliance.
How do knowledge cycles happen in software development methodologies?

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to illustrate how knowledge takes effect in different software development methodologies by relating them to different knowledge cycles. Design/methodology/approach The results were find by conducing a general review about the topics of knowledge cycles and software development methodologies. Findings All software development methodologies have knowledge cycles. In Waterfall methodology, the cycle followed is I-Space. For “code and fix,” there is a parallel with March’s cycle. Scrum shows a parallel with SECI cycle. Among the methodological options, results show there an increase in hierarchy, documentation, processes and explicit knowledge. Research limitations/implications Identified parallels of each methodology with knowledge cycles; established which Scrum artifacts are performed at each stage of SECI, which Waterfall steps correspond to I-Space phases and which activities in “code and fix” deal with exploration and exploitation of knowledge; and features shown increase or decrease according to the adoption of each methodology. Practical implications Results help knowledge sharing implementations and foster inter-team knowledge sharing, with the identification of the correct methodology-cycle match and the personalization of the strategy for each team based on the adopted methodology. Training for knowledge initiatives can be improved by determining how knowledge-sharing activities are incorporated on the determined series of actions established by the methodologies adopted on the firm. Originality/value The identification of how knowledge is generated and shared among teams in each methodology, the optimum pairing of the methodology and the parallels with the other, and the differences that emerge from the adopted knowledge cycle show that software projects are embedded in a knowledge cycle.
Towards a Taxonomy of Cloud Recovery Strategies

Recovering from failures of sporadic operations such as rolling upgrade or migration is complicated by the fact that the application being upgraded or migrated must continue to provide service. This means that recovery strategies for sporadic operations must include facilities for recovering from normal operations as well. As a step in deriving methods for recovering from failures in sporadic operations, we classify existing methods into four categories according to their purposes and the life cycle phase for which they are applicable. Not only does this taxonomy facilitate the research on recoverability of cloud sporadic operations but also it can help better understand the existing cloud recovery strategies.
Roles of knowledge while designing and their implications for CAAD

This paper outlines some roles of knowledge while designing based on experimental results from studying novice and expert designers. The implications of these experimental results on future CAAD systems are discussed. 1. Design Knowledge The architectural design process can be categorized using various types of knowledge. Both qualitative and quantitative aspects of design knowledge are difficult to examine because of the varying definitions of knowledge itself. A number of knowledge-based design systems in computer-aided architecture design (CAAD) have been proposed and some of them are based on observations or retrospection of designers. However, there is still some distance from practical design knowledge to that included in computational models. Architectural design knowledge reuse requires it to be generic. This study examines the roles of design knowledge from the perspective of cognitive psychology in an attempt to provide some empirical data on design knowledge. The implications for knowledge-based CAAD are examined. In a recent study, Varejao et al. (2000) proposed an ontological framework for knowledge-based design systems in order to minimize misunderstanding and miscommunication in computer-aided design. This structure includes design requirements, artifact descriptions, and importantly the designing process in which five major design activities are applied in manipulating knowledge and generating end products. This very detailed structure of design knowledge raises a question: whether physical and perceptual aspects of the designing activities affect the
Fostering Insight and Collaboration in Long-Term Healthcare through Collection and Visualization of Qualitative Healthcare Data

The Care and Condition Monitor (CCM) is a tablet-based, networked visual analytics tool for collecting, structuring and analyzing informal and qualitative healthcare data. Building off research into application usability and best practices for communicating complex information, CCM illustrates how visual analytics tools coupled with social communication within teams of caregivers enables capturing of longitudinal informal data that would otherwise go unrecorded. This expanded scope of information can support medical decision making by making it possible to analyze informal and qualitative health care data,creating a multi-dimensional holistic picture of a person‟s health care and condition over time.
UNIDIRECTIONAL INTROGRESSION OF A SEXUALLY SELECTED TRAIT ACROSS AN AVIAN HYBRID ZONE: A ROLE FOR FEMALE CHOICE?

Abstract Hybridization can be an evolutionary creative force by forming new polyploid species, creating novel genetic variation or acting as conduits of potentially advantageous traits between hybridizing forms. Evidence for the latter is often difficult to find because alleles under positive selection can spread rapidly across a hybrid zone and sweep to fixation. In Western Panama, an avian hybrid zone between two species of manakins in the genus Manacus exists where the unidirectional introgression of bright, yellow plumage into a white population provides evidence for the importance of hybrid zones as conduits of advantageous traits. Several lines of indirect evidence suggest that sexual selection favoring yellow plumage drives this asymmetrical spread, but more direct evidence is lacking. Along the edge of the hybrid zone, both yellow- and white-collared manakins are found in the same mating arenas or leks and compete for the same females (“mixed leks”), providing us with a unique opportunity to understand the dynamics of yellow plumage introgression. We studied these mixed leks to determine whether yellow males have a mating advantage over white males and, if so, whether the mating advantage is driven by male-male interactions, female choice, or both. We found that yellow males mated more than white males, suggesting that sexual selection favoring yellow males can, indeed, explain the spread of yellow plumage. However, we found that this advantage occurred only in mixed leks where the frequency of yellow males is greater than white males. This suggests that the advantage of yellow males may depend on the presence of other yellow males, which may slow the rate of introgression in leks where yellow frequency is low such as in areas where yellow males are beginning to colonize the white population. This, along with the geographic barrier posed by major rivers in the hybrid zone, may initially limit or slow the spread of yellow plumage. Finally, we found that yellow and white males were similar in aggression and body size, and held comparable positions within leks. Because these traits or factors are often important in or dictated by aggressive male-male interactions, these comparisons indicate that male-male interaction is not the primary mechanism for the spread of yellow plumage. However, white and yellow males received similar numbers of courtship visits from females but differed in the number of matings, suggesting that females actively rejected white in favor of yellow males. Our results indicate that sexual selection by female choice has driven the unidirectional introgression of yellow plumage into the white population, providing a mechanism for how hybrid zones act as conduits of novel and advantageous traits.
Multi-Scale Descriptor for Robust and Fast Camera Motion Estimation

This letter presents a robust and fast 6D camera motion estimation system that combines a FAST detector with a Multi-scale Descriptor (MSD). For a robust and fast camera motion estimation system, the descriptor is an especially important component, as it is the most time consuming step in motion estimation. Furthermore, the properties of the descriptor significantly affect the precision of the estimated motion. In this letter, we present a descriptor that requires a low computational burden and offers high precision for robust and fast motion estimation. The descriptor provides high precision through the use of multi-scale gradient information and computational efficiency by employing 4 integral images and an intensity gradient. We conclude this letter with an evaluation of the proposed motion estimation in comparison with different types of descriptors in practical situations. The results show that the proposed motion estimation provides good performance over previous methods in terms of processing time and precision of estimated camera motion.