Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
On the Brittleness of Bayesian Inference

With the advent of high-performance computing, Bayesian methods are becoming increasingly popular tools for the quantification of uncertainty throughout science and industry. Since these methods can impact the making of sometimes critical decisions in increasingly complicated contexts, the sensitivity of their posterior conclusions with respect to the underlying models and prior beliefs is a pressing question to which there currently exist positive and negative answers. We report new results suggesting that, although Bayesian methods are robust when the number of possible outcomes is finite or when only a finite number of marginals of the data-generating distribution are unknown, they could be generically brittle when applied to continuous systems (and their discretizations) with finite information on the data-generating distribution. If closeness is defined in terms of the total variation (TV) metric or the matching of a finite system of generalized moments, then (1) two practitioners who use arbitrarily close models and observe the same (possibly arbitrarily large amount of) data may reach opposite conclusions; and (2) any given prior and model can be slightly perturbed to achieve any desired posterior conclusion. The mechanism causing brittleness/robustness suggests that learning and robustness are antagonistic requirements, which raises the possibility of a missing stability condition when using Bayesian inference in a continuous world under finite information.
Development and Use of Fluorescent Protein Markers in Living Cells

The ability to visualize, track, and quantify molecules and events in living cells with high spatial and temporal resolution is essential for understanding biological systems. Only recently has it become feasible to carry out these tasks due to the advent of fluorescent protein technology. Here, we trace the development of highly visible and minimally perturbing fluorescent proteins that, together with updated fluorescent imaging techniques, are providing unprecedented insights into the movement of proteins and their interactions with cellular components in living cells.
SQL Azure as a Self-Managing Database Service: Lessons Learned and Challenges Ahead

When SQL Azure was released in August 2009, it was the first database service of its kind along multiple axes, compared to other Cloud services: shared nothing architecture and log-based replication; support for full ACID properties; providing consistency and high availability; and by offering near 100% compatibility with on-premise SQL Server delivered a familiar programming model at cloud scale. Today, just over two years later, the service has grown to span six hosting regions across three continents; hosting large numbers of databases (in the order 100s of thousands), increasing more than 5x each year with 10s of thousands of subscribers. It is a very busy service, clocking more than 30 million successful logins over a 24 hour period. In this paper we reflect on the lessons learned, and the challenges we will need to face in future, in order to take the SQL Azure service to the next level of scale, performance, satisfaction for the end user, and profitability for the service provider.
Reducing Basis Mismatch in Harmonic Signal Recovery via Alternating Convex Search

The theory behind compressive sampling pre-supposes that a given sequence of observations may be exactly represented by a linear combination of a small number of basis vectors. In practice, however, even small deviations from an exact signal model can result in dramatic increases in estimation error; this is the so-called “basis mismatch” problem. This work provides one possible solution to this problem in the form of an iterative, biconvex search algorithm. The approach uses standard ℓ1-minimization to find the signal model coefficients followed by a maximum likelihood estimate of the signal model. The algorithm is illustrated on harmonic signals of varying sparsity and outperforms the current state-of-the-art.
Primate motor cortex and free arm movements to visual targets in three- dimensional space. I. Relations between single cell discharge and direction of movement

We describe the relations between the neuronal activity in primate motor cortex and the direction of arm movement in three-dimensional (3- D) space. The electrical signs of discharge of 568 cells were recorded while monkeys made movements of equal amplitude from the same starting position to 8 visual targets in a reaction time task. The layout of the targets in 3-D space was such that the direction of the movement ranged over the whole 3-D directional continuum in approximately equal angular intervals. We found that the discharge rate of 475/568 (83.6%) cells varied in an orderly fashion with the direction of movement: discharge rate was highest with movements in a certain direction (the cell's “preferred direction”) and decreased progressively with movements in other directions, as a function of the cosine of the angle formed by the direction of the movement and the cell's preferred direction. The preferred directions of different cells were distributed throughout 3-D space. These findings generalize to 3-D space previous results obtained in 2-D space (Georgopoulos et al., 1982) and suggest that the motor cortex is a nodal point in the construction of patterns of output signals specifying the direction of arm movement in extrapersonal space.
The computational complexity of universal hashing

Summary form only given. Any implementation of Carter-Wegman universal hashing from n-b strings to m-b strings requires a time-space tradeoff of TS= Omega (nm). The bound holds in the general Boolean branching program model, and thus in essentially any model of computation. As a corollary, computing a+b*c in any field F requires a quadratic time-space tradeoff, and the bound holds for any representation of the elements of the field. Other lower bounds on the complexity of any implementation of universal hashing are given as well: quadratic AT/sup 2/ bound for VLSI implementation; Omega (log n) parallel time bound on a CREW PRAM; and exponential size for constant depth circuits. The results on VLSI implementation are proved using information transfer bounds derived from the definition of a universal family of hash functions. <<ETX>>
Two-Pulse C – V : A New Method for Characterizing Electron Traps in the Bulk of SiO 2 / high-κ Dielectric Stacks

SiO2/high-κ dielectric stack is a candidate for replacing the conventional SiO2-based dielectric stacks for future Flash memory cells. Electron traps in the high-κ layer can limit the memory retention via the trap-assisted tunneling, and there is a pressing need for their characterization. A new two-pulse C–V measurement technique is developed in this letter, which, for the first time, allows us to probe the discharge of electron traps throughout the SiO2/high-κ stack. It complements the charge pumping technique, which can only probe near-interface traps. It is demonstrated that a large number of electron traps, indeed, exist in the bulk of high-κ layer. Bulk electron traps also have different discharge characteristics from those near the SiO2/high-κ interface.
Contextual information for image retrieval systems

Images in web come with valuable contextual information, which is useful for indexing and retrieval systems. However, there is no current acceptable standard which define the boundary and region where this information is located. In this paper, we discuss the state of the art image retrieval systems and address the current problem with these systems. We then formulate a hypothesis that contextual information can be found within the region nearby the images and we conduct a user study to validate our approach.
UvA-DARE ( Digital Academic Repository ) The use of sexually explicit internet material and its antecedents : a longitudinal comparison of adolescents and adults

An implicit assumption in research on adolescents’ useofsexuallyexplicit internetmaterial (SEIM) is that theymay feel more attracted to such material than adults, given the ‘‘forbidden’’ character of SEIM for minors. However, systematic comparisons between adolescents’ and adults’ SEIM use and of its antecedents are missing. We conducted a two-wave panel survey among a nationally representative sample of 1,445 Dutchadolescentsandanationally representative sampleof833 Dutch adults. Adolescents’ and adults’ SEIM use was similar. When significant differences in the SEIM use occurred, they indicated that adults used SEIM more often than adolescents. Male adults were the most frequent users of SEIM. No difference in the antecedent structure of SEIM use emerged between adolescents and adults. In both groups,males, sensation seekers, as well as people with a not exclusively heterosexual orientation used SEIM more often. Among adolescents and adults, lower life satisfaction increased SEIM use. Our findings suggest that the frequency of SEIM use and its antecedents are largely the same among adolescents and adults.
International and comparative employment relations: globalisation and the developed market economies

International and Comparative Employment Relations in the Context of Globalization - Greg J Bamber, Russell D Lansbury and Nick Wailes An Introduction Employment Relations in Britain - Mick Marchington, John Goodman and John Berridge Employment Relations in the United States of America - Harry C Katz and Hoyt N Wheeler Employment Relations in Canada - Mark Thompson and Daphne G Taras Employment Relations in Australia - Russell D Lansbury and Nick Wailes Employment Relations in Italy - Serafino Negrelli and Peter Sheldon Employment Relations in France - Janine Goetschy and Annette Jobert Employment Relations in Germany - Berndt K Keller Employment Relations in Sweden - Tommy Nilsson, Tony Huzzard and Olle Hammarstr[um]om Employment Relations in Japan - Yasuo Kuwahara Employment Relations in Korea - Young-bum Park and Chris Leggett Conclusions - Greg J Bamber, Russell D Lansbury and Nick Wailes
Software architectural style for interoperable databases

We propose a layered and component based software architecture style which supports interoperability in multiple databases (DB). The architectural style's building blocks and its constraints are described and the deployment of two design patterns outlined. Components placed in our architectural layers exhibit a linear topology and request/reply processing style. The constraints include communications between components which are not in the adjacent architectural layers and extension of the intuitive many : one bindings between components towards many : many. We comment on similarities with mediation architectures and outline some implementation issues
Mutation spectrum of the 9q34 tuberous sclerosis gene TSC1 in transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder.

Deletions of the long arm of chromosome 9 are the most common genetic alteration in transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) of the bladder. Several regions of deletion on 9q have been mapped by loss of heterozygosity (LOH) analysis, one of which encompasses one of the two loci for tuberous sclerosis, TSC1, at 9q34. Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) is an autosomal dominant condition in which affected individuals develop benign tumors (hamartomas) in many organs. There is a small increase in risk of renal cell carcinoma (<2%), but the hamartomas are of stromal origin and patients do not develop an excess of epithelial malignancies. However, during a search for candidate bladder tumor suppressor genes within the 9q34 region of LOH, we previously found a small number of mutations of TSC1, raising the possibility that this represents a bladder tumor suppressor. Here, we have carried out mutation analysis of 62 bladder tumors and 33 bladder tumor-derived cell lines to establish the frequency and spectrum of TSC1 mutations in TCC. Twelve percent of samples contained mutations. We found 10 somatic mutations, 9 of which are novel mutations not found previously in TSC cases. Two of these were missense mutations, a type of change only rarely observed in the germ line in TSC. We also identified a bladder tumor patient carrying a germ-line mutation but with no symptoms of TSC. The tumor in this case and in two other cases with somatic mutations retained the wild-type allele. Thus 3 cases with mutation retained heterozygosity for TSC1 despite our selection of tumors mostly with 9q LOH (>80%) for the study. This may indicate that haploinsufficiency for TSC1 can contribute to the development of bladder cancer and, if so, that the LOH of TSC1 observed in >50% of TCCs is biologically significant.
Cs281 Final Project Requirements

Objective The objective of this final project is to explore new research in machine learning. The ideal outcome would be a paper that could be submitted to one of the top machine learning conferences, such as NIPS, ICML or AISTATS. A strong paper along these lines is one that develops a new or improved algorithm (runs faster, scales better, makes better predictions) that learns to generalize from experience, broadly defined. Such a paper would demonstrate theoretical and/or empirical improvements over the state of the art. One type of paper along these lines would introduce a new probabilistic model that captures important characteristics of data that had previously been unexplored. Another type of paper might propose a new algorithm for performing inference and learning in existing models. A third type of paper might consider models and learning algorithms in important settings of constrained resources, such as with limited memory, real-time performance requirements, or streaming data. Of course, such papers require innovative ideas about machine learning that may be difficult to come by in a single semester. It is helpful, therefore, to initially focus on a specific problem domain that you find important and exciting. Consider what the fundamental task is that needs to be solved and think about how it might map onto, e.g., regression or clustering. Catalogue the types of data that are available and consider how these might be exploited. What are the features that will help your algorithm make decisions or predictions? Don't be afraid to make assumptions that help establish an abstraction. Prefer abstractions and assumptions that may generalize beyond the immediate task at hand. The next step is critical: define quantitative metrics for success on held-out test data. Classification accuracy? Area under the ROC curve? Predictive log probability? Rand index? If you are focused on resource constraints, then perhaps your metrics will be curves that measure prediction as a function of, e.g., memory usage or CPU time. If possible, consider several possible metrics so that it will be easy for the eventual readers of your paper to map your algorithm onto their priorities. Once you have laid out the task, data and metrics, try to apply the dumbest, simplest possible algorithm first. Do not immediately try your new fancy idea. If you have a classification problem, try logistic regression first. Try things from the literature that seem like they would be applicable. Establish baselines for comparison …
Contributions of the I and EF Hand Domains to the Divalent Cation-dependent Collagen Binding Activity of the α2β1 Integrin*

The α2β1 integrin binds collagen in a Mg2+-dependent manner that is inhibited by Ca2+. Like the intact integrin, purified recombinant proteins containing the α2 integrin I domain, either alone or with variable numbers of α2 integrin EF hand metal binding sites, bound collagen in a Mg2+-dependent manner, and Ca2+ did not support binding. However, unlike the intact integrin, Ca2+ did not inhibit the Mg2+-dependent binding of any of the fusion proteins to collagen. Binding to collagen was saturable and blocked by the α2β1 function blocking antibody 6F1. Deletional analysis demonstrated that residues present within the amino-terminal 35 amino acids contribute to the 6F1 epitope and are required for Mg2+-dependent collagen binding. The results indicate that the I domain contains a Mg2+ binding site that is essential for collagen binding and that the I domain alone is sufficient for collagen binding. Binding is markedly enhanced in a divalent cation-dependent manner by the addition of the first EF hand motif. Mutation of the EF hand to an inactive form completely abrogated the effect. The sites necessary for Ca2+ inhibition are not present within the I domain or the adjacent region containing the three EF hand sites.
From Resilient Computing Architectural Concepts to Wireless Sensor Network-Based Applications (Short Paper)

Resilient computing is defined as the ability of a system to remain dependable when facing changes. To mitigate faults at runtime, dependable systems employ fault tolerance mechanisms such as replication techniques. These mechanisms have to be systematically and rigorously applied in order to guarantee the conformance between the application runtime behavior and its dependability requirements. To this end, we propose architectural concepts for developing resilient computing systems using component-based middleware. The development process of adaptive fault tolerance (AFT) is shortly presented. We then illustrate the benefits of AFT on a Wireless Sensor Network-based application for parking management.
Space-time block codes with rate >= 1 for power line channels

In this paper, the utilisation of space-time block codes (STBC) for high-speed communications over power line channels (PLC) affected by quasi-static flat Rayleigh fading and additive man-made asynchronous impulsive noise is presented. Although the diversity order is severely reduced in a 3-phase PLC environment with respect to wireless MIMO channels, our simulation results for a rate-1 real orthogonal STBC scheme demonstrate significant gains over an uncoded system operating with the same diversity advantage. In addition, taking advantage of the spatial orthogonality provided by the power line channel, a rate-3/2 real non-orthogonal space-time block code with reduced diversity order is constructed. It is shown that using the proposed high-rate code in a power line communication system yields good performance with very high spectral efficiency.
Finding Software Vulnerabilities by Smart Fuzzing

Nowadays, one of the most effective ways to identify software vulnerabilities by testing is the use of fuzzing, whereby the robustness of software is tested against invalid inputs that play on implementation limits or data boundaries. A high number of random combinations of such inputs are sent to the system through its interfaces. Although fuzzing is a fast technique which detects real errors, its efficiency should be improved. Indeed, the main drawbacks of fuzz testing are its poor coverage which involves missing many errors, and the quality of tests. Enhancing fuzzing with advanced approaches such as: data tainting and coverage analysis would improve its efficiency and make it smarter. This paper will present an idea on how these techniques when combined give better error detection by iteratively guiding executions and generating the most pertinent test cases able to trigger potential vulnerabilities and maximize the coverage of testing.
Towards disposable lab‐on‐a‐chip: Poly(methylmethacrylate) microchip electrophoresis device with electrochemical detection

A fully disposable microanalytical device based on combination of poly(methylmethacrylate) (PMMA) capillary electrophoresis microchips and thick‐film electrochemical detector strips is described. Variables influencing the separation efficiency and amperometric response, including separation voltage or detection potential are assessed and optimized. The versatility, simplicity and low‐cost advantages of the new design are coupled to an attractive analytical performance, with good precision (relative standard deviation RSD = 1.68% for n = 10). Applicability for assays of mixtures of hydrazine, phenolic compounds, and catecholamines is demonstrated. Such coupling of low‐cost PMMA‐based microchips with thick‐film electrochemical detectors holds great promise for mass production of single‐use micrototal analytical systems.
A hierarchical control strategy for the autonomous navigation of a ducted fan flying robot

This paper describes a control strategy to stabilize the position of a vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) in wind gusts. The proposed approach takes advantage of the cascade structure of the system to design a hierarchical controller. The idea is to separate the controller in a high level controller devoted to position control and a low level controller devoted to stabilization and attitude control. Both controllers are designed by means of backstepping techniques that allow the stabilization of the vehicle's position while on-line estimation of the unknown aerodynamic forces. The global stability of the connected system is proven, and simulations as well as experimental results are presented
Proposing a mechanism for reliably locking VIA communication memory in Linux

The Virtual Interface Architecture (VIA) is an industry standard specifying how user processes can access networking hardware directly in a protected manner. One characteristic of the VI Architecture is that it requires that all memory used for communication be locked down into physical memory. Above that, the VIA specification explicitly allows memory regions to be registered several times. However, all freely available VIA implementations for Linux either do not reliably lock the memory or they do not allow multiple registrations. We propose a mechanism for reliably locking VIA communication memory in Linux that meets all requirements. It is based on a recently introduced kernel mechanism, called kiobufs. Although the proposed locking mechanism has been developed for a VIA implementation it can be utilized for any type of user level communication.
Application of Relay Coding in Wi-Fi for 802.11s Standardization. (Application des Codes Relais au Wi-Fi en vue de la Standardisation IEEE 802.11s)

In this thesis, we show the realization and application of relay coding in the current WiFi system. For this purpose, the cooperative transmission model is introduced in Chapter 1 and we study the MIMO decoder technique for cooperative system in Chapter 2. Chapter 3 is dedicated to the study of the cooperative protocol, named Relay-SISO and its implementation in 5GHz IEEE802.11a standard. New frame structures are proposed by introducing new preamble fields that are essential to realize the cooperative mode. The simulation results show the advantage of this cooperaitve method to improve 802.11a system's performance. As far as we know, this is the first works concernning the applications of cooperation in WiFi system. In Chapter 4, a Relay-SISO based hybrid strategy is presented and it can improve the Relay-SISO performance. This hybrid mode operates by evaluating the cooperative link quality. In Chapter 5, we propose another physical layer optimization method that takes advantage of the partition chaine of Golden code. By simulations, a simple combinaison of this method and convolutional code can provide a coding gain thanks to the determinant gain of Golden code. In Chapter 6, we propose a new cooperative protocol Relay-MIMO. This cooperation mode is derived from the IEEE 802.11n based Wifi standard which is ratified in October 2009. In this protocol, we exploit jointly the MIMO diversity with the cooperative diversity.