Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Exploring high throughput computing paradigm for global routing

With aggressive technology scaling, the complexity of the global routing problem is poised to rapidly grow. Solving such a large computational problem demands a high throughput hardware platform such as modern Graphics Processing Units (GPU). In this work, we explore a hybrid GPU-CPU high-throughput computing environment as a scalable alternative to the traditional CPU-based router. We introduce Net Level Concurrency (NLC): a novel parallel model for router algorithms that aims to exploit concurrency at the level of individual nets. To efficiently uncover NLC, we design a Scheduler to create groups of nets that can be routed in parallel. At its core, our Scheduler employs a novel algorithm to dynamically analyze data dependencies between multiple nets. We believe such an algorithm can lay the foundation for uncovering data-level parallelism in routing: a necessary requirement for employing high throughput hardware. Detailed simulation results show an average of 4X speedup over NTHU-Route 2.0 with negligible loss in solution quality. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first work on utilizing GPUs for global routing.
Speech Technology Project : Unsupervised Distributional Learning of Vowel Contrasts in L 2 Acquisition

This report describes a project on unsupervised learning of L2 vowel categories by three human learners and two learning algorithms. To test the learning progress we used a game-like testing tool to provide the learning samples and assess the categorization of vowels before and after the learning process. The two algorithms used were Time Driven Kernel Estimation (TDKE), developed by one of the authors, and Optimality Theory using the Gradual Learning Algorithm. Testing results suggest that there is some posttraining improvement for the human learners and the TDKE, but not for the Gradual Learning Algorithm.
The Importance of Dispersal for Bacterial Community Composition and Functioning

We conducted a metacommunity experiment to investigate the role of dispersal for bacterial community composition (BCC) and function of freshwater bacteria. Bacteria were dispersed from a common source pool into three different lake communities in their natural lake water. The experiment was conducted in dialysis bags to enable a decoupling between a change in the local environment and dispersal. BCC was determined by terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (tRFLP) of the 16S rRNA gene. We show that the greatest changes in BCC occurred between 10% and 43% of dispersal of standing stock per day. Functioning, measured as growth rate, was also affected by dispersal in all three communities but the qualitative pattern differed between communities, sometimes showing a hump-shaped relationship to dispersal and sometimes decreasing with increasing dispersal. In all waters, functioning was related to BCC. Our results show that dispersal does affect BCC and functioning but that high dispersal rates are needed. Further, the effect of dispersal on BCC and function seem to depend on the quality of the habitat to which bacteria disperse into.
Direct Demonstration of the Flexibility of the Glycosylated Proline-Threonine Linker in the Cellulomonas fimi Xylanase Cex through NMR Spectroscopic Analysis*

The modular xylanase Cex (or CfXyn10A) from Cellulomonas fimi consists of an N-terminal catalytic domain and a C-terminal cellulose-binding domain, joined by a glycosylated proline-threonine (PT) linker. To characterize the conformation and dynamics of the Cex linker and the consequences of its modification, we have used NMR spectroscopy to study full-length Cex in its nonglycosylated (∼47 kDa) and glycosylated (∼51 kDa) forms. The PT linker lacks any predominant structure in either form as indicated by random coil amide chemical shifts. Furthermore, heteronuclear 1H-15N nuclear Overhauser effect relaxation measurements demonstrate that the linker is flexible on the ns-to-ps time scale and that glycosylation partially dampens this flexibility. The catalytic and cellulose-binding domains also exhibit identical amide chemical shifts whether in isolation or in the context of either unmodified or glycosylated full-length Cex. Therefore, there are no noncovalent interactions between the two domains of Cex or between either domain and the linker. This conclusion is supported by the distinct 15N relaxation properties of the two domains, as well as their differential alignment within a magnetic field by Pf1 phage particles. These data demonstrate that the PT linker is a flexible tether, joining the structurally independent catalytic and cellulosebinding domains of Cex in an ensemble of conformations; however, more extended forms may predominate because of restrictions imparted by the alternating proline residues. This supports the postulate that the binding-domain anchors Cex to the surface of cellulose, whereas the linker provides flexibility for the catalytic domain to hydrolyze nearby hemicellulose (xylan) chains.
Self-stable Omnidirectional Walking with Compliant Joints

Bipedal walking is one of the most essential skills in humanoid robot soccer. A stable and fast gait gives teams a winning edge when their robots are the first at the ball, maintain ball control with sure feet, and drive the ball decisively towards the opponent goal. The most successful teams in the Humanoid League are typically characterized by reliably walking robots. In this contribution, we describe the omnidirectional gait of team NimbRo, one of the most successful robot soccer teams in the history of RoboCup. The walk algorithm is open-loop and model-free. It is based on highly configurable, centralpattern-generated rhythmic motion signals and combines well with a compliant servo setting to achieve a relatively high level of self-stability. We discuss the advantages of this approach in comparison with methods of other successful teams and support our argumentation with experimental results.
Mining Fine-grained Argument Elements

The paper discusses the architecture and development of an Argument Workbench, which supports an analyst in reconstructing arguments from across textual sources. The workbench takes a semi-automated, interactive approach searching in a corpus for fine-grained argument elements, which are concepts and conceptual patterns in expressions that are associated with argumentation schemes. The expressions can then be extracted from a corpus and reconstituted into instantiated argumentation schemes for and against a given conclusion. Such arguments can then be input to an argument evaluation tool.
Mutant Myocilin Nonsecretion In Vivo Is Not Sufficient To Cause Glaucoma

ABSTRACT Glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness, affecting over 70 million people worldwide. Vision loss is the result of death of the retinal ganglion cells. The best-known risk factor for glaucoma is an elevated intraocular pressure (IOP); however, factors leading to IOP elevation are poorly understood. Mutations in the MYOC gene are an important cause of open-angle glaucoma. Over 70 MYOC mutations have been identified, and they lead to approximately 5% of all primary open-angle glaucoma cases. Nevertheless, the pathogenic mechanisms by which these mutations elevate IOP are presently unclear. Data suggest that a dominant interfering effect of misfolded mutant MYOC molecules may be pathogenic. To test this hypothesis, we have generated mice carrying a mutant allele of Myoc that is analogous to a human mutation that leads to aggressive glaucoma in patients. We show that mutant MYOC is not secreted into the aqueous humor. Instead of being secreted, mutant MYOC accumulates within the iridocorneal angle of the eye, consistent with the behavior of abnormally folded protein. Surprisingly, the accumulated mutant protein does not activate the unfolded protein response and lead to elevated intraocular pressure or glaucoma in aged mice of different strains. These data suggest that production, apparent misfolding, and nonsecretion of mutant MYOC are not, by themselves, sufficient to cause glaucoma in vivo.
Implementing fault-tolerance in real-time programs by automatic program transformations

We present a formal approach to implement fault-tolerance in real-time embedded systems. The initial fault-intolerant system consists of a set of independent periodic tasks scheduled onto a set of fail-silent processors connected by a reliable communication network. We transform the tasks such that, assuming the availability of an additional spare processor, the system tolerates one failure at a time (transient or permanent). Failure detection is implemented using heartbeating, and failure masking using checkpointing and rollback. These techniques are described and implemented by automatic program transformations on the tasks' programs. The proposed formal approach to fault-tolerance by program transformations highlights the benefits of separation of concerns. It allows us to establish correctness properties and to compute optimal values of parameters to minimize fault-tolerance overhead. We also present an implementation of our method, to demonstrate its feasibility and its efficiency.
WISE: An Applying of Semantic IoT Platform for Weather Information Service Engine

— In this paper, we present the application case of semantic IoT platform technology to WISE project in Korea Meteorological Services. Current M2M platform technology applied to weather service is mainly focused on remote data collection. Therefore, it is difficult to analyze the domain context for decision support and provide the better customized semantic related weather information. In WISE project, big data such as high-resolution weather data and model data are collected. Moreover, it aims to support the interoperability and convergence of IoT data for urban and rural meteorology services.
A clean data set of EST-confirmed splice sites from Homo sapiens and standards for clean-up procedures

A clean data set of verified splice sites from Homo sapiens are reported as well as the standards used for the clean-up procedure. The sites were validated by: (i) standard cleaning procedures such as requiring consistency in the annotation of the gene structural elements, completeness of the coding regions and elimination of redundant sequences; (ii) clustering by decision trees coupled with analysis of ClustalW alignments of the translated protein sequence with homologous proteins from SWISS-PROT; (iii) matching against human EST sequences. The sites are categorised as: (i) donor sites, a set of 619 EST-confirmed donor sites, for which 138 are either the sites or the regions around the sites involved in alternative splice events; (ii) acceptor sites, a set of 623 EST-confirmed acceptor sites, for which 144 are either the sites or the regions around the sites are involved in alternative splice events; (iii) genuine splice sites, a set of 392 splice sites wherein both the donor and acceptor sites had EST confirmation and were not involved in any alternative splicing; (iv) alternative splice sites, a set of 209 splice sites wherein both the donor and acceptor sites had EST confirmation and the sites or the regions around them were involved in alternative splicing. A set of nucleotide regions that can be used to generate a control set of false splice sites that have a high confidence of being non-functional are also reported.
On the search algorithm for the output distribution that achieves the channel capacity

We consider a search algorithm for the output distribution that achieves the channel capacity of a discrete memoryless channel. We will propose an algorithm by iterated projections of an output distribution onto affine subspaces in the set of output distributions. The problem of channel capacity has a similar geometric structure as that of smallest enclosing circle for a finite number of points in the Euclidean space. The metric in the Euclidean space is the Euclidean distance and the metric in the space of output distributions is the Kullback-Leibler divergence. We consider these two problems based on Amari's α-geometry [1]. Then, we first consider the smallest enclosing circle in the Euclidean space and develop an algorithm to find the center of the smallest enclosing circle. Based on the investigation, we will apply the obtained algorithm to the problem of channel capacity.
Pax6 is essential for lens fiber cell differentiation

The developing ocular lens provides an excellent model system with which to study the intrinsic and extrinsic cues governing cell differentiation. Although the transcription factors Pax6 and Sox2 have been shown to be essential for lens induction, their later roles during lens fiber differentiation remain largely unknown. Using Cre/loxP mutagenesis, we somatically inactivated Pax6 and Sox2 in the developing mouse lens during differentiation of the secondary lens fibers and explored the regulatory interactions of these two intrinsic factors with the canonical Wnt pathway. Analysis of the Pax6-deficient lenses revealed a requirement for Pax6 in cell cycle exit and differentiation into lens fiber cells. In addition, Pax6 disruption led to apoptosis of lens epithelial cells. We show that Pax6 regulates the Wnt antagonist Sfrp2 in the lens, and that Sox2 expression is upregulated in the Pax6-deficient lenses. However, our study demonstrates that the failure of differentiation following loss of Pax6 is independent ofβ -catenin signaling or Sox2 activity. This study reveals that Pax6 is pivotal for initiation of the lens fiber differentiation program in the mammalian eye.
Counseling the procrastinator in academic settings

Procrastination, as a sporadic or chronic response to task engagement, is a pervasive problem for a large number of individuals in many societies. For example, researchers have estimated that in academic settings in North America, over 70 per cent of students exhibit this behavior. Many of these individuals are highly vulnerable to negative consequences such as poor performance, decreased subjective well-being, negative affect, and reduced life achievements. In Counseling the Procrastinator in Academic Settings, a number of recently designed practical counseling methods for use in academic settings are described with the aim of promoting new intervention that can lead to change. In doing so, the authors also present theories of procrastination and provide an overview of recent research. School counselors, psychologists, educators, and administrators will find this book invaluable as they look for ways to counsel others on procrastination, work habits, productivity, and self-regulation.
Cyst Size Indicates Malignant Transformation in Branch Duct Intraductal Papillary Mucinous Neoplasm of the Pancreas Without Mural Nodules

Objectives: In branch duct intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (IPMN) of the pancreas, the importance of the cyst size to predict malignancy is still controversial. Our aim was to elucidate the malignant potential of branch duct IPMN without mural nodules (flat branch duct IPMN). Methods: Seventy-three patients with flat branch duct IPMNs were studied in our institution. Results: There were 6 malignant IPMNs in this series, all of which were 30 mm or more in size, whereas there was no malignancy in IPMNs of less than 30 mm. Statistically significant predictors of malignancy were atypical cytological condition and main pancreatic duct (MPD) diameter of 5 mm or more. The cyst size of 30 mm or more tended to be associated with malignancy. The frequency of malignancy in flat branch duct IPMNs with the size of 30 mm or more and MPD diameter of less than 5 mm was 3.6%, whereas there were 5 malignant cases (26.3%) in flat branch duct IPMNs with the size of 30 mm or more and MPD diameter of 5 mm or more. Conclusions: We conclude that the size criteria (≥30 mm) to predict malignancy proposed in the international consensus guidelines is appropriate and resection or meticulous follow-up using cytological examination and MPD dilatation is needed in patients with flat branch duct IPMNs.
In situ analysis of capsule endoscopy images and preliminary results

Capsule endoscopy has been proved efficient in examining the small intestine. A lot of work has been devoted to the study of capsule videos to assist the diagnosis. Different from previous approaches which worked off-line and couldn't be applied in active capsule controls, in this paper we proposed an in situ capsule video analysis method, which operates in real-time and provides the first event detection-based scheme for capsule techniques. Specifically, first we established a theoretical computing framework. The method addresses two key points: one is to merge the surgeon's expertise into the system, and the other is to identify unusual events. Then we evaluated the method by some empirical experiments. The preliminary results verified the usefulness of the method.
Laryngealization and features for Chinese tonal recognition

It is well known that the lowest tone in Mandarin, a language without contrastive phonation, often co-occurs with laryngealization/creaky voice quality, and we provide evidence that this is also the case for the lowest tone in Cantonese. However, the effects of laryngealization on f0 feature extraction for tonal recognition, as well as the potential of laryngealization as a feature for improving tonal recognition, have not been well-discussed in the literature. We give evidence from a corpora of tonal production data for Cantonese and Mandarin that laryngealization is prevalent and significantly disturbs the extraction of f0 features, and suggest that laryngealization may in fact be a feature that could improve tonal recognition.
Analyse microéconomique de la périurbanisation : un modèle de localisation résidentielle

L'objet de cette these est de mettre en evidence les determinants microeconomiques de la periurbanisation, celle-ci etant definie comme un mouvement de relocalisation d'actifs, qui choisissent une localisation residentielle rurale au lieu d'emploi urbain. Cela necessite de mettre en oeuvre une analyse des choix residentiels des menages d'actifs. On fait appel aux analyses du choix d'un statut d'occupation dans le cadre de la theorie du cycle de vie, aux theories hedoniques du marche du logement et aux analyses de la mobilite residentielle. Mais surtout, les choix de localisation residentielle des menages periurbains peuvent s'analyser dans le cadre des modeles de localisation residentielle de la nouvelle economie urbaine. Aux hypotheses de base de ces modeles, peuvent etre ajoutees des hypotheses complementaires. L'existence d'une differenciation spatiale de l'offre de logements, la prise en compte du temps de transport et des attributs des lieux font partie des hypotheses qui permettent d'aboutir a un schema d'analyse des localisations residentielles periurbaines. Au centre de ce schema d'analyse, un modele de localisation residentielle specifique est construit sous forme d'un systeme d'equations simultanees, dont les estimations ont pour but de mesurer la part, dans le mouvement de periurbanisation, du poids des differents determinants. L'ensemble du schema d'analyse est alors confronte aux faits, a partir de donnees statistiques issues de l'enquete logement 1988 de l'INSSE a l'echelle des zones periurbaines, on montre le role de la taille du centre dans la determination des valeurs foncieres. La distance de localisation des menages serait fonction de leur niveau de revenu, l'augmentation du revenu induisant dans un premier temps un eloignement du centre puis, apres saturation de la demande de logement, un rapprochement. Mais elle serait aussi la consequence de demandes differenciees de terrain attenant au logement et d'equipement collectifs.
Mass Screening for Untreated Atrial Fibrillation: The STROKESTOP Study

Background— The aims of the present study were to define the prevalence of untreated atrial fibrillation (AF) in a systematic screening program using intermittent ECG recordings among 75- to 76-year-old individuals and to study the feasibility of initiating protective oral anticoagulant (OAC) treatment. Methods and Results— Half of the 75- to 76-year-old population in 2 Swedish regions were invited to a screening program for AF. Participants without a previous diagnosis of AF underwent intermittent ECG recordings over 2 weeks. If AF was detected, participants were offered OAC. During the 28-month inclusion period, 13 331 inhabitants were invited. Of these, 7173 (53.8%) participated. Of the participants, 218 (3.0%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.7–3.5) were found to have previously unknown AF, and of these, AF was found in 37 (0.5% of the screened population) on their first ECG. The use of intermittent ECGs increased new AF detection 4-fold. A previous diagnosis of AF was known in 9.3% (n=666; 95% CI, 8.6–10.0). Total AF prevalence in the screened population was 12.3%. Of participants with known AF, 149 (2.1%; 95% CI, 1.8–2.4) had no OAC treatment. In total, 5.1% (95% CI, 4.6–5.7) of the screened population had untreated AF; screening resulted in initiation of OAC treatment in 3.7% (95% CI, 3.3–4.2) of the screened population. More than 90% of the participants with previously undiagnosed AF accepted initiation of OAC treatment. Conclusions— Mass screening for AF in a 75- to 76-year-old population identifies a significant proportion of participants with untreated AF. Initiation of stroke prophylactic treatment was highly successful in individuals with newly diagnosed AF. Clinical Trial Registration— URL: http://www.clinicaltrials. gov. Unique identifier: NCT01593553.
Transplantation of Goat Spermatogonial Stem Cells into the Mouse Rete Testis

Assisted reproductive techniques involving isolation, culture, and transplantation of spermatogonial stem cells offer unique approach to manipulate the male germline. The application of these techniques in farm animals has been the subject of an increasing number of studies, mostly because of its potential as an alternative strategy in producing transgenic livestock with higher efficiency and less time and capital requirement than the current methods. The aim of this study was to assess the colonization and differentiation potentials of enriched goat spermatogonia into the mouse testes. Moreover, because stem cells may need to be preserved for several years before re-introduction to the recipient testes, we developed the efficient cryopreservation technique for type A spermatogonoa. The enzymatically isolated SSCs obtained from one month old goats’ testes were enriched by using discontinuous percoll density, and followed by cryopreservation protocol. After xenotransplantation of prepared goat testicular cells into the mouse rete testis, the proliferative activity and stemness potential of SSCs were evaluated and compared with in vitro culture condition. We demonstrated that the viability of testicular cells after cryopreservation was significantly lower than fresh cells, although these cells had normal structural and functional characteristics (P <0.001). Donor goat spermatogonia were able to survive and colonize in depleted recipient’s testis at 80 days after transplantation, but later stages of donor-derived spermatogenesis were not observed at this time. Although cross-species spermatogonial transplantation did not have the envisioned immediate practical application, it nonetheless provides a bioassay for stem cell potential of germ cells isolated from other species.