Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Harmless Overfitting: Using Denoising Autoencoders in Estimation of Distribution Algorithms

Estimation of Distribution Algorithms (EDAs) are metaheuristics where learning a model and sampling new solutions replaces the variation operators recombination and mutation used in standard Genetic Algorithms. The choice of these models as well as the corresponding training processes are subject to the bias/variance tradeoﬀ, also known as under-and overﬁtting: simple models cannot capture complex interactions between problem variables, whereas complex models are susceptible to modeling random noise. This paper suggests using Denoising Autoencoders (DAEs) as generative models within EDAs (DAE-EDA). The resulting DAE-EDA is able to model complex probability distributions. Furthermore, overﬁtting is less harmful, since DAEs overﬁt by learning the identity function. This over-ﬁtting behavior introduces unbiased random noise into the samples, which is no major problem for the EDA but just leads to higher population diversity. As a result, DAE-EDA runs for more generations before convergence and searches promising parts of the solution space more thoroughly. We study the performance of DAE-EDA on several combinatorial single-objective optimization problems. In comparison to the Bayesian Optimization Algorithm, DAE-EDA requires a similar number of evaluations of the objective function but is much faster and can be parallelized eﬃciently, making it the preferred choice especially for large and diﬃcult optimization problems.
Protecting South Asian Wheat Production from Stem Rust (Ug99) Epidemic

The Ug99 group of stem rust races (Puccinia graminis Pers. f. sp. tritici Eriks. & E. Henn.) has evolved and migrated. While the original variant overcame the widely deployed gene Sr31, and Sr21 (in Chinese Spring background), but not Sr21 in Einkorn, a new strain of Ug99, virulent on Sr24, was detected in 2006 and caused a severe epidemic in 2007 in Kenya. Forms virulent on Sr36 and Sr21 were identified in 2007. Likewise, an Ug99 variant virulent to both Sr21 and Sr24 was identified in 2008 in Kenya. Simultaneously, the original strain spread to Yemen and Sudan in 2006. Fears of a spread into Asia were confirmed when this race was detected in Iran in 2007. This has raised serious concerns that Ug99 could follow the same migratory route from Africa to Asia as Yr9 and cause major epidemics across the epidemiological region of South Asia. In 2005–06, screening in Kenya and Ethiopia of wheat materials from Asian countries revealed a very low frequency of lines resistant to Ug99 and its variants. Under the umbrella of the Borlaug Global Rust Initiative (BGRI), significant efforts have been made to counter the challenges posed by Ug99 and its derivative races. Diverse sources of resistance to the pathogen have been identified and incorporated in high-yielding wheat backgrounds. The most promising strategy has been to deploy spring wheat varieties possessing adult plant resistance (APR) in infested and bordering areas to decrease inoculum amounts and slow down the development of new virulence, for example four CIMMYT genotypes with Sr2+ have been released in Afghanistan and their seed is also distributed in region bordering Iran. For an immediate remedy, race-specific resistance genes can be deployed in combinations using marker-assisted selection. Several Ug99-resistant varieties have already been released in South Asian countries (Afghanistan, India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Pakistan), and seed dissemination is underway. The Ug99 risk in the region can be reduced to minimum levels by identifying, releasing and providing seed of high-yielding and resistant cultivars.
Acoustic Communication in Phaneropterinae (Tettigonioidea) - A Global Review with Some New Data

Abstract Phaneropterinae is the largest subfamily within the bush-crickets/ katydids (Tettigonioidea), with about 2451 species, and with a world-wide distribution. Its acoustic communication differs from all other tettigonioid groups in that females primarily and typically respond to the male calling song with their own acoustic reply, a behaviour referred to as duetting. This type of response seems to have been lost only in a few species with wingless females. According to our literature review, information about the song patterns of about 330 species of Phaneropterinae have been published world-wide. Included in this number are ca 170 species of Barbitistini, a flightless West Palearctic tribe, which are treated separately. In the present study we summarize information from the above 330 species. We examine the morphology of stridulatory and hearing organs, and analyze the acoustic signals for frequency, number of syllables and number of interval types. We also have examined if and how responding by sound may have influenced other aspects of the acoustic communication system, especially the structure of the male calling song. Overall, the songs of male Phaneropterinae are similar to those of other tettigonioids. However, some Phaneropterinae species with very long and complex songs are found on all continents, exceeding in these characters nearly all other Ensifera species. These songs contain several different types of syllables and intervals of various duration. Because of this high interspecific variability (reaching from very simple to extremely complex), male phaneropterine songs are by far more variable than those of other tettigonioid families. However, since there are so few data on the behaviour of most Phaneropterinae species, and especially for females, we still are limited in our understanding of the reasons behind the song variability. Sexual selection by females choosing to respond preferentially to certain song types could be an important evolutionary force, but probably only in combination with some unknown ecological and behavioural factors.
Bundle Pooling for Polygonal Architecture Segmentation Problem

This paper introduces a polygonal architecture segmentation problem, proposes bundle-pooling modules for line structure reasoning, and demonstrates a virtual remodeling application that produces production quality results. Given a photograph of a house with a few vanishing point candidates, we decompose the house into a set of architectural components, each of which is represented as a simple geometric primitive. A bundle-pooling module pools convolutional features along a bundle of line segments (e.g., a family of vanishing lines) and fuses the bundle of features to determine polygonal boundaries or assign a corresponding vanishing point. Qualitative and quantitative evaluations demonstrate significant improvements over the existing techniques based on our metric and benchmark dataset. We will share the code and data for further research.
Ischemic Neoangiogenesis Enhanced by β2-Adrenergic Receptor Overexpression

β 2 -Adrenergic receptors (β 2 ARs) are widely expressed, although their physiological relevance in many tissues is not yet fully understood. In vascular endothelial cells, they regulate NO release and vessel tone. Here we provide novel evidence that β 2 ARs can regulate neoangiogenesis in response to chronic ischemia. We used in vivo adenoviral-mediated gene transfer of the human β 2 AR to the endothelium of the rat femoral artery and increased β 2 AR signaling resulting in ameliorated angiographic blood flow and hindlimb perfusion after chronic ischemia. Histological analysis confirmed that β 2 AR overexpression also produced benefits on capillary density. The same maneuver partially rescued impaired angiogenesis in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR), whereas gene delivery of the G-protein–coupling defective mutant Ile164 β 2 AR failed to provide ameliorations. Stimulation of endogenous and overexpressed β 2 AR on endothelial cells in vitro was found to regulate cell number by inducing proliferation and [ 3 H]-thymidine incorporation through means of extracellular receptor-activated kinase and vascular endothelial growth factor. The β 2 AR also has novel effects on endothelial cell number through stimulation of proapoptosis and antiapoptosis pathways involving p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase and PI3-kinase/Akt activation. Therefore, β 2 ARs play a critical role in endothelial cell proliferation and function including revascularization, suggesting a novel and physiologically relevant role in neoangiogenesis in response to ischemia.
Detection of fungi in planta: effectiveness of surface sterilization methods

The effectiveness of surface sterilization methods were compared using root tissue of barley ( Hordeum vulgare ) colonized by two Chaetomium species in an aseptic plant growth system. The reliability of different sterilants to inhibit ascospore germination was tested. Ascospores on nitrocellulose membranes were either treated directly or ascospores adhering to axenic barley seedlings were treated on plant tissue. Inhibition of ascospore germination on nitrocellulose membranes was achieved with lower concentrations of sterilants than when the spores were on plant surfaces. A 10% peracetic acid treatment was necessary if experiments were conducted ad planta . The sterilants penetrated into epidermal root tissue and caused damage to this area, as shown by the vital dye DiOC 7 (3). It was concluded that effective surface sterilization techniques for ascospores adhering superficially to plant tissue were not appropriate for the detection of fungi growing within the epidermis.
CONFRONT ING OB J ECT I ON S TO P ERFORMANCE PAY : THE IMPACT OF IND I V I DUAL AND GA IN-SHAR ING

The increasing use of incentive pay schemes in recent years has raised concerns about their potential detrimental effect on intrinsic job satisfaction (JS), job security and employee morale. This study explores the impact of pay incentives on the overall JS of workers in the United Kingdom and their satisfaction with various facets of jobs. Using data from eight waves (1998–2005) of the British Household Panel Survey (BHPS) and a uniquely designed well-being dataset (EPICURUS), a significant positive impact on JS is only found for those receiving fixed-period bonuses. These conclusions are robust to unobserved heterogeneity, and are shown to depend on a number of job-quality characteristics that have not been controlled for in previous studies.
Blends of unrefined vegetable oils for functional nutrition

The unbalanced ratio of ω-3/ω-6 of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) causes a number of alimentary-dependent diseases, and the intake of capsulated forms as biologically active additives does not always take into account the established eating behavior of the population and the hedonic aspect of food consumption in general. The Saratov region is one of the leading agricultural regions in the Russian Federation, one of the leaders in the cultivation and processing of low-used but valuable oily raw material, such as seeds of mustard, milkthistle, camelina, safflower. The object of the study were the above listed oils and their food compositions obtained by blending. The functionality and biological efficiency of the initial oils were investigated by gasliquid chromatography. Applying the methods of mathematical modeling, new food systems with the specified characteristics were designed (achieving the optimal ratio of ω-3: ω-6 acids). The most promising samples were selected through sensory analysis. Functional and sensory properties were taken as reference points for selection. The developed mathematical model is applicable to this food system, which was proved by the study conducted empirically. As a result of the work performed, blends of elite unrefined vegetable oils with health-promoting properties were obtained; their use in nutrition is designed to contribute to the formation of a healthy and active longevity in general, as well as to the minimizing the deficit of essential factors of nutrition in the child's body, athletes in the popular sports and sports of records.
PENGENALAN SANDI MORSE DARI SINYAL ELECTROENCEPHALOGRAM YANG DIREKAM PERANGKAT NEUROSKY MINDWAVE MENGGUNAKAN DYNAMIC TIME WARPING

Communication occurs among human and verbal communication is used by human as a form of daily communication. However, there are people who suffered from severe disability and are not be able at doing communication. These people can not write and say the words they want because of the nerve system disruption, but many of them can control their eye movement well. So, there is a chance to build a method having ability to translate the eye blinking into words. One among the popular codification system is morse code. The choice of morse code is based on that the eye blinking can imitate the code pattern on the morse code system. In this research, electrooculogram (EOG) signals is extracted from electroencephalogram signals (EEG) recorded from a Neurosky Mindwave device. First, the system for receiving data from the device must be designed and implemented. Then, the acquired data is extracted using bandpass filter. Bandpass filter tend to give a good signals' trend result. The achieved signals’ trend is asumed as EOG signals. The size of acquired EOG signals will be stretched to speed up the classification process using k-nearest neighbor and dynamic time warping. The average of accuracy measurement with the use of dataset used in this research is 96,7%.
International Journal of Management Sciences and Business Research Volume 2, Issue 2- ISSN (2226-8235)

This study aims at examining the existence of herding behavior of investors in Pakistani stock market. KSE 100 is selected as a sample for the study as it represents almost 86% of Karachi Stock Exchange. Monthly data for companies has been gathered for analysis. Results obtained fail to find any evidence of herding in Karachi stock exchange with significantly positive values for dichotomous variables representing extreme market conditions. Similarly the value for squared market returns is also found negative but insignificant. The study concludes that Herding behavior does not exist in Karachi Stock Exchange analyzing monthly returns
The Nonthermal Therapeutic Effect of Pulsed Focused Ultrasound

Purpose: Many studies have been carried out on the use of high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) for tissue ablation and enhancement of drug delivery for various therapies. This work aims to investigate the nonthermal therapeutic effect of pulsed focused ultrasound (pFUS) for cancer treatment. Method: This study used a MR-guided HIFU system (InSightecExAblate 2000), which is integrated with a 1.5T GE MR scanner, for in vitro and in vivo experiments. Ultrasound parameters derived from previous studies were used to perform nonthermal sonications, keeping tissue temperatures below 42oC as measured in real time by MR thermometry. MCF-7, LNCaP and PC3 cells were used in the in vitro cell survival experiments and implanted in nude mice for in vivo studies. The tumor cells and the tumorbearing mice were treated with pFUS (5, 6 and 25W acoustic power; 1MHz frequency; 10% and 50% duty cycle; 60 sec duration). Implanted tumors were treated with 4-6 sonications guided by MR imaging. The clonogenic assay and trypan blue dye analysis were performed for treated tumor cells. High-resolution (0.2mm) MRI was used weekly to measure tumor growth for both treated animals and the control group. Results: The in vitro experimental results showed significant nonthermal cell damage by pFUS exposures. For LNCaP cells, 10.6 and 33.6% cell deaths were observed for 6 and 10W acoustic power, respectively. Significant tumor growth delay was observed in the pFUS-treated tumor-bearing mice. The mean tumor volume for the pFUS-treated mice was 20-30% smaller than that of the control mice one week after the pFUS treatment depending on the acoustic powers and duty cycles used. Conclusions: Our in vitro and In vivo experimental results have confirmed the nonthermal therapeutic effect of pFUS. More systematic studies are needed to derive optimal ultrasound parameters and fractionation schemes to maximize the therapeutic potential of pFUS. Further investigations are warranted to understand the mechanism of pFUS-induced nonthermal cell damage.
Demographic Determinants of Inpatient Complaining Behaviour

Demographic factors are the socioeconomic characteristics of a population expressed statistically such as age, sex, education level, income level, marital status, occupation, religion, etc. The actions resorted to by customers after a dissatisfaction episode have always been a topic of research. The broad area covered in this study is consumer satisfaction, dissatisfaction and complaining behaviour. The consumers considered are the inpatients who were dissatisfied with any service during their hospital stay. This study is an attempt to identify the type of demographics of inpatients who have the propensity to complain post dissatisfaction with the hospital services. A total of 312 inpatients who were admitted and discharged from 100+ bedded private and cooperative hospitals across nine districts belonging to northern, central and southern Kerala were surveyed. Their action after being dissatisfied was studied with a dichotomous scale and thus categorized as either complainers or non-complainers. Data pertaining to a total of eight sociodemographic variables were collected with categorical scales whereas their length of hospital stay and self assessment of medical awareness was collected with a continuous scale. The study revealed that except occupation, none of the other variables had an effect on the complaining behaviours of inpatients.
Dietary effects of Ca-zeolite supplementation on some blood and tibial bone characteristics of broilers

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of differing amounts of natural Ca-zeolite on bone and some blood parameters. A total of 240 day-old Ross 308 broiler chicks were assigned to four treatments with three replicates, each containing 20 day-old chicks of mixed sex. A clinoptilolite+mordenite type of zeolite was added in the broiler diets at levels of 0 g/kg, 10 g/kg, 30 g/kg, and 50 g/kg. Stocking density was 14 broilers/m 2 . During the six-week trial, blood parameters and bone characteristics were monitored. The inclusion of Ca-zeolite, at various levels, did not have any significant effect on the concentration of blood serum biochemical parameters; serum glucose, cholesterol, total protein, uric acid; concentrations of Ca, P, Na, K, Cl, and on tibial bone characteristics (tibia weight, ash, volume, specific gravity, and Ca and P contents) in the two sexes and mixed-sex between the groups at 21 and 42 days of age.
ICTIOFAUNA COMO INDICADOR DA INTEGRIDADE BIÓTICA DE UM AMBIENTE DE ESTUÁRIO

Inumeros metodos sao utilizados para calcular indices de integridade biotica (IIB) em diferentes regioes do mundo. Esse trabalho teve por objetivo calcular o indice de Integridade Biotica (IIB), para uma area estuarina no Sul do Brasil, a partir de dados da comunidade de peixes e avaliar suas flutuacoes ao longo dos anos. Neste estudo foram estabelecidos quatro pontos para amostragem da ictiofauna, no estuario Saco da Fazenda em Itajai-SC, em coletas mensais realizadas entre maio/2012 a abril/2013. As amostras foram triadas e os especimes identificados ate o nivel taxonomico de especie. O valor obtido para o Indice de Integridade Biotica incluiu 11 atributos, em quatro graus de degradacao ao longo de um ano de amostragem. Os valores do IIB foram calculados e classificados em diferentes niveis para reconhecer suas variacoes temporais e espaciais. Foi calculado tambem o IIB utilizando os dados historicos (2000 a 2005), para mostrar as alteracoes em comparacao com as investigacoes de campo recentes. O resultado para os anos de 2000-2002 indica uma integridade biotica pobre, sendo regular para os anos de 2003-2005 e regredindo para pobre nos anos de 2012-2013.
Mutations in HIV-1 RT Affect the Errors Made in a Single Cycle of Viral

word count: 238 25 Text word count: 8,976 26 27 JVI Accepts, published online ahead of print on 23 April 2014 J. Virol. doi:10.1128/JVI.00302-14 Copyright © 2014, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.
nCOV-19 peptides mass fingerprinting identification, binding, and blocking of inhibitors flavonoids and anthraquinone of Moringa oleifera and hydroxychloroquine

Abstract An rare pandemic of viral pneumonia occurs in December 2019 in Wuhan, China, which is now recognized internationally as Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), the etiological agent classified as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Corona Virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). According to the World Health Organization (WHO), it has so far expanded to more than 213 countries/territories worldwide. Our study aims to find the viral peptides of SARS-COV-2 by peptide mass fingerprinting (PMF) in order to predict its novel structure and find an inhibitor for each viral peptide. For this reason, we calculated the mass of amino acid sequences translated from the SARS-CoV2 whole genome and identify the peptides that may be a target for inhibition. Molecular peptide docking with Moringa oleifera, phytochemicals (aqueous and ethanolic) leaf extracts of flavonoids (3.56 ± 0.03), (3.83 ± 0.02), anthraquinone (11.68 ± 0.04), (10.86 ± 0.06) and hydroxychloroquine present therapy of COVID-19 in Pakistan for comparative study. Results indicate that 15 peptides of SARS-CoV2 have been identified from PMF, which is then used as a selective inhibitor. The maximum energy obtained from AutoDock Vina for hydroxychloroquine is –5.1 kcal/mol, kaempferol (flavonoid) is –6.2 kcal/mol, and for anthraquinone –6 kcal/mol. Visualization of docking complex, important effects are observed regarding the binding of peptides to drug compounds. In conclusion, it is proposed that these compounds are effective antiviral agents against COVID-19 and can be used in clinical trials. Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma
The Credit Rating-Capital Structure Hypothesis – Does CEO Overconfidence Matter?

In this paper, we look in to the impact of credit rating changes on the financing decisions of overconfident CEOs. Based on a sample of 817 US non-financial companies rated by Standard & Poor’s (S&P) in the period 2006-2018, we find that overconfident CEOs adjust their company’s financial structure to maintain a minimum credit rating. Specifically, they reduce net debt relative to net equity in response to a downgrade, but do not increase leverage in response to an upgrade. Furthermore, if their credit rating was upgraded the previous year, overconfident CEOs will rely more on internal cash flow to finance investment. CEOs who are not overconfident do not display this behavior. Our findings are robust to model specifications and to the self-selection bias. JEL classification: G24, G30, G32, G40, G41
Influence of Accounting Information on Stock Price Volatility in Nigeria

This study investigates the influence of accounting information on stock price volatility in Nigeria. The cross-sectional research design technique was adopted in the study. The population of the study consists of 186 companies listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange as at 31 st December, 2017, from which a sample size of twenty two (22) companies was determined judgmentally and selected using the simple random sampling technique. The secondary source of data collection method was used to generate data from the twenty two (22) annual reports and accounts of the sampled companies for a period of five years (20132017). Data generated from the annual reports and accounts were analyzed using descriptive statistic and Ordinary Least Square (OLS) regression. Our findings revealed that earnings per share and dividend per share have a negative and significant effect on stock prices while book value per share has a positive and significant effect on stock prices in Nigeria. The study therefore recommends that corporate accounting information disclosure should be more transparent, timely, and informative for investors’ to have improved confidence in accounting information presented by management for informed decision making.