Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Efficient training of neural nets for nonlinear adaptive filtering using a recursive Levenberg-Marquardt algorithm

The Levenberg-Marquardt algorithm is often superior to other training algorithms in off-line applications. This motivates the proposal of using a recursive version of the algorithm for on-line training of neural nets for nonlinear adaptive filtering. The performance of the suggested algorithm is compared with other alternative recursive algorithms, such as the recursive version of the off-line steepest-descent and Gauss-Newton algorithms. The advantages and disadvantages of the different algorithms are pointed out. The algorithms are tested on some examples, and it is shown that generally the recursive Levenberg-Marquardt algorithm has better convergence properties than the other algorithms.
Pure directional transmission and reception algorithms in wireless ad hoc networks with directional antennas

We propose a novel medium access control (MAC) algorithm using pure directional transmission and reception for mobile wireless ad hoc networks with directional antennas. Recent research results show that there are significant gains in throughput to be realized with directional transmission and reception (compared with omnidirectional) (Su Yi et al., MobiHoc, 2003), however; no specific reservation/scheduling algorithms are presented. To the best of our knowledge, all previous work assumed omnidirectional reception at certain stages of the algorithms. However, the omni-receive requirement makes the protocol vulnerable to jamming. We assume no omni-antennas or omni-directional reception capability at all. The proposed algorithm exploits the beamforming capabilities of smart antennas to tailor resource access according to the services desired for individual traffic flows while limiting interference, probability of detection and jamming in the network. Specifically, we present a TDMA-based MAC algorithm for load-dependent negotiation of slot reservations. Our new protocol offers four significant advantages: (1) it assumes directional transmission/reception; (2) it is distributed, that is, it relies on local information only; (3) it allocates slots to different links dynamically based on demand; (4) power control is easily carried out during neighbor discovery and reservation, as well as the data transmission period, with very little overhead. We believe that it is the first work on pure directional transmission and reception in ad hoc networks. The algorithm can be used in many commercial and military applications.
The Tor Pathway Comes of Age

a r t i c l e i n f o Studies in a variety of model organisms indicate that nutrient signaling is tightly coupled to longevity. In nutrient replete conditions, organisms develop, grow, and age quickly. When nutrients become sparse as with dietary restriction, growth and development decline, stress response pathways become induced and organisms live longer. Considerable effort has been devoted to understanding the molecular events mediating lifespan extension by dietary restriction. One central focus has been on nutrient-responsive signal transduction pathways including insulin/IGF-1, AMP kinase, protein kinase A and the TOR pathway. Here we describe the increasingly prominent links between TOR signaling and aging in invertebrates. Longevity studies in mammals are not published to date. Instead, we highlight studies in mouse models, which indicate that dampening the TOR pathway leads to widespread protection from an array of age-related diseases. To say that caloric intake and aging are tightly coupled is not news. Calorie excess and an increasingly sedentary lifestyle have resulted in obesity on a grand scale, not only in first world countries but worldwide [1–4]. Obesity is a major risk factor for a range of age-associated diseases including, but not limited to, type II diabetes, cardiovascular disease and many forms of cancer [5,6]. Conversely, dietary restriction, defined as a reduction in caloric intake without malnutrition, results in lifespan extension and protection from many of the same diseases. Why are excess calories bad? This question has been debated for decades and is still not satisfactorily answered. One thing to remember, at least in regions where the obesity epidemic is occurring, is that humans (as mimicked by laboratory animals on ad libitum diets) now have access to cheap high calorie foods [7,8]. This, coupled with a transition to a sedentary lifestyle, has likely placed caloric intake out of register with much of our evolutionary past, when long periods of consistent access to high calorie diets are thought to have been rare. The human body is optimized for one range of caloric intake and exercise, but it is encountering another. Although they are under intense scrutiny, the mechanisms that underlie obesity-induced pathology or lifespan extension by dietary restriction have remained stubbornly refractory. Mechanistically, it is not clear that excess calories and dietary restriction are two ends of the same register. Obesity research will not be discussed in detail here. Instead, readers are referred to recent reviews on the topic …
How good is the science?

Ronksley and colleagues asserted that the association between moderate alcohol consumption and reduced mortality risk was “beyond question. ”1 We reviewed all 67 studies that generated the 84 articles in their meta-analysis. All but two had at least one of six serious methodological problems, and these two had mixed findings (figure⇓); see http://carbc.ca/Portals/0/News/FeatureSupplement201203.pdf for bibliography).
Cloning, nucleotide sequence, and regulation of the Bacillus subtilis gpr gene, which codes for the protease that initiates degradation of small, acid-soluble proteins during spore germination

The gpr gene, which codes for the protease that initiates degradation of small, acid-soluble proteins during spore germination, has been cloned from Bacillus megaterium and Bacillus subtilis, and its nucleotide sequence has been determined. Use of a translational gpr-lacZ fusion showed that the B. subtilis gpr gene was expressed primarily, if not exclusively, in the forespore compartment of the sporulating cell, with expression taking place approximately 1 h before expression of glucose dehydrogenase and ssp genes. gpr-lacZ expression was abolished in spoIIAC (sigF) and spoIIIE mutants but was reduced only approximately 50% in a spoIIIG (sigG) mutant. However, the kinetics of the initial approximately 50% of gpr-lacZ expression were unaltered in a spoIIIG mutant. The in vivo transcription start site of gpr has been identified and found to be identical to the in vitro start site on this gene with either E sigma F or E sigma G. Induction of sigma G synthesis in vivo turned on gpr-lacZ expression in parallel with synthesis of glucose dehydrogenase. These data are consistent with gpr transcription during sporulation first by E sigma F and then by E sigma G.
Human alpha-defensins inhibit Clostridium difficile toxin B.

BACKGROUND & AIMS Clostridium difficile toxins A and B are major virulence factors implicated in pseudomembranous colitis and antibiotic-associated diarrhea. The toxins are glucosyltransferases, which inactivate Rho proteins involved in cellular signaling. Human alpha-defensins as part of the innate immune system inactivate various microbial pathogens as well as specific bacterial exotoxins. Here, we studied the effects of alpha-defensins human neutrophil protein (HNP)-1, HNP-3, and enteric human defensin (HD)-5 on the activity of C difficile toxins A and B. METHODS Inactivation of C difficile toxins by alpha-defensins in vivo was monitored by microscopy, determination of the transepithelial resistance of CaCo-2 cell monolayers, and analysis of the glucosylation of Rac1 in toxin-treated cells. In vitro glucosylation was used to determine K(m) and median inhibitory concentration (IC(50)) values. Formation of defensin-toxin complexes was analyzed by precipitation and turbidity studies. RESULTS Treatment of cells with human alpha-defensins caused loss of cytotoxicity of toxin B, but not of toxin A. Only alpha-defensins, but not beta-defensin-1 or cathelicidin LL-37, inhibited toxin B-catalyzed in vitro glucosylation of Rho guanosine triphosphatases in a competitive manner, increasing K(m) values for uridine 5'-diphosphate-glucose up to 10-fold. The IC(50) values for inhibition of toxin B-catalyzed glucosylation by the alpha-defensins were 0.6-1.5 micromol/L. At high concentrations, defensins (HNP-1 > or = 2 micromol/L) caused high-molecular-mass aggregates, comparable to Bacillus anthracis protective antigen and lethal factor. CONCLUSION Our data indicate that toxin B interacts with high affinity with alpha-defensins and suggest that defensins may provide a defense mechanism against some types of clostridial glucosylating cytotoxins.
Early perceptions of an augmented home

In this paper, we focus on charting future ubiquitous computing use cases utilizing mixed reality (MR) in domestic environments, which has so far been an unexplored domain for MR. We describe our early user research, where during one week participants from 12 households were asked to brainstorm and assess their perceptions of imaginary mixed reality in their homes. During the one-week period this resulted in 167 user generated concept ideas. We focus on the thematic findings that emerged from the collected material, and describe how people most often related the potential of MR concepts with applications related to wellbeing, home-related information, communication and entertainment.
On the tip of the tongue: learning typing and pointing with an intra-oral computer interface

Abstract Purpose: To evaluate typing and pointing performance and improvement over time of four able-bodied participants using an intra-oral tongue-computer interface for computer control. Background: A physically disabled individual may lack the ability to efficiently control standard computer input devices. There have been several efforts to produce and evaluate interfaces that provide individuals with physical disabilities the possibility to control personal computers. Method: Training with the intra-oral tongue-computer interface was performed by playing games over 18 sessions. Skill improvement was measured through typing and pointing exercises at the end of each training session. Results: Typing throughput improved from averages of 2.36 to 5.43 correct words per minute. Pointing throughput improved from averages of 0.47 to 0.85 bits/s. Target tracking performance, measured as relative time on target, improved from averages of 36% to 47%. Path following throughput improved from averages of 0.31 to 0.83 bits/s and decreased to 0.53 bits/s with more difficult tasks. Conclusions: Learning curves support the notion that the tongue can rapidly learn novel motor tasks. Typing and pointing performance of the tongue-computer interface is comparable to performances of other proficient assistive devices, which makes the tongue a feasible input organ for computer control. Implications for Rehabilitation Intra-oral computer interfaces could provide individuals with severe upper-limb mobility impairments the opportunity to control computers and automatic equipment. Typing and pointing performance of the tongue-computer interface is comparable to performances of other proficient assistive devices, but does not cause fatigue easily and might be invisible to other people, which is highly prioritized by assistive device users. Combination of visual and auditory feedback is vital for a good performance of an intra-oral computer interface and helps to reduce involuntary or erroneous activations.
Larvicidal efficacy of Callistemon citrinus Skeels., against Culex quinquefasciatus (Diptera: Culicidae)

The larvicidal activity of hexane, ethyl acetate, acetone and methanol leaf extracts of Callistemon citrinus against the early fourth instar larvae of Culex quinquefasciatus was studied. Insecticidal susceptibility tests were carried out employing WHO standard method and the mortality was observed after 24 h exposure. The methanol leaf extract was found to be the effective larvicide with LC50 value of 251.7 mg/L after 24 h. The result indicates promising larvicidal activity of C. citrinus against Culex quinquefasciatus. Further investigations are needed to isolate and identify the active principles involved, level of toxicity and their mode of action.
IMMOBILIZATION OF GRIZZLY BEARS (URSUS ARCTOS) WITH DEXMEDETOMIDINE, TILETAMINE, AND ZOLAZEPAM

Abstract Safe and effective immobilization of grizzly bears (Ursus arctos) is essential for research and management. Fast induction of anesthesia, maintenance of healthy vital rates, and predictable recoveries are priorities. From September 2010 to May 2012, we investigated these attributes in captive and wild grizzly bears anesthetized with a combination of a reversible &agr;2 agonist (dexmedetomidine [dexM], the dextrorotatory enantiomer of medetomidine) and a nonreversible N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) agonist and tranquilizer (tiletamine and zolazepam [TZ], respectively). A smaller-than-expected dose of the combination (1.23 mg tiletamine, 1.23 mg zolazepam, and 6.04 µg dexmedetomidine per kg bear) produced reliable, fast ataxia (3.7±0.5 min, x̄±SE) and workable anesthesia (8.1±0.6 min) in captive adult grizzly bears. For wild bears darted from a helicopter, a dose of 2.06 mg tiletamine, 2.06 mg zolazepam, and 10.1 µg dexmedetomidine/kg produced ataxia in 2.5±0.3 min and anesthesia in 5.5±1.0 min. Contrary to published accounts of bear anesthesia with medetomidine, tiletamine, and zolazepam, this combination did not cause hypoxemia or hypoventilation, although mild bradycardia (<50 beats per min) occurred in most bears during the active season. With captive bears, effective dose rates during hibernation were approximately half those during the active season. The time to first signs of recovery after the initial injection of dexMTZ was influenced by heart rate (P<0.001) and drug dose (P<0.001). Intravenous (IV) injection of the reversal agent, atipamezole, significantly decreased recovery time (i.e., standing on all four feet and reacting to the surrounding environment) relative to intramuscular injection. Recovery times (25±8 min) following IV injections of the recommended dose of atipamezole (10 µg/µg of dexmedetomidine) and half that dose (5 µg/µg) did not differ. However, we recommend use of the full dose based on the appearance of a more complete recovery. Field trials confirmed that the dexMTZ + atipamezole protocol is safe, reliable, and predictable when administered to wild grizzly bears, especially during helicopter capture operations.
Hsp 27 may allow prediction of the response to single-agent vinorelbine chemotherapy in non-small cell lung cancer

One of the most valuable objectives for oncologists is the ability to predict patient response to chemotherapy before drugs are administered in order to maximise the therapeutic benefit of treatment whilst limiting the toxicity. This is particularly relevant in non-small cell lung cancer as the initial treatment decision is important due to the inherent drug resistance of many tumours and short survival times of patients. We established a homogeneous series of pre-treatment archival biopsy samples from patients receiving first-line single-agent vinorelbine for non-small cell lung cancer. Cases were selected following strict inclusion criteria and patient response was assessed using the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumours guideline. The expression of 7 proteins was investigated and correlated with response data. Chi-square analysis revealed no association between expression of Bcl-2, Bcl-XL, Bad, Bak, Bid or p53 proteins and response to vinorelbine therapy. There was a trend for Hsp27-positive tumours to show progression but this did not reach significance (p=0.068). The results suggest that Hsp27 expression may be useful as a predictor of response to single-agent vinorelbine chemotherapy in non-small cell lung cancer patients but a larger study is required to confirm this.
Predictors of poor response to methotrexate in polyarticular-course juvenile idiopathic arthritis: analysis of the PRINTO methotrexate trial

Objectives To determine whether baseline demographic, clinical, articular and laboratory variables predict methotrexate (MTX) poor response in polyarticular-course juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Methods Patients newly treated for 6 months with MTX enrolled in the Paediatric Rheumatology International Trials Organization (PRINTO) MTX trial. Bivariate and logistic regression analyses were used to identify baseline predictors of poor response according to the American College of Rheumatology pediatric (ACR-ped) 30 and 70 criteria. Results In all, 405/563 (71.9%) of patients were women; median age at onset and disease duration were 4.3 and 1.4 years, respectively, with anti-nuclear antibody (ANA) detected in 259/537 (48.2%) patients. With multivariate logistic regression analysis, the most important determinants of ACR-ped 70 non-responders were: disease duration >1.3 years (OR 1.93), ANA negativity (OR 1.77), Childhood Health Assessment Questionnaire (CHAQ) disability index>1.125 (OR 1.65) and the presence of right and left wrist activity (OR 1.55). Predictors of ACR-ped 30 non-responders were: ANA negativity (OR 1.92), CHAQ disability index>1.14 (OR 2.18) and a parent's evaluation of child's overall well-being ≤4.69 (OR 2.2). Conclusion The subgroup of patients with longer disease duration, ANA negativity, higher disability and presence of wrist activity were significantly associated with a poorer response to a 6-month MTX course.
De Novo Assembly and Characterization of the Transcriptome of the Chinese Medicinal Herb, Gentiana rigescens

Gentiana rigescens is an important medicinal herb in China. The main validated medicinal component gentiopicroside is synthesized in shoots, but is mainly found in the plant’s roots. The gentiopicroside biosynthetic pathway and its regulatory control remain to be elucidated. Genome resources of gentian are limited. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies can aid in supplying global gene expression profiles. In this study we present sequence and transcript abundance data for the root and leaf transcriptome of G. rigescens, obtained using the Illumina Hiseq2000. Over fifty million clean reads were obtained from leaf and root libraries. This yields 76,717 unigenes with an average length of 753 bp. Among these, 33,855 unigenes were identified as putative homologs of annotated sequences in public protein and nucleotide databases. Digital abundance analysis identified 3306 unigenes differentially enriched between leaf and root. Unigenes found in both tissues were categorized according to their putative functional categories. Of the differentially expressed genes, over 130 were annotated as related to terpenoid biosynthesis. This work is the first study of global transcriptome analyses in gentian. These sequences and putative functional data comprise a resource for future investigation of terpenoid biosynthesis in Gentianaceae species and annotation of the gentiopicroside biosynthetic pathway and its regulatory mechanisms.
Enhanced Processing of Threat Stimuli under Limited Attentional Resources

The ability to process stimuli that convey potential threat, under conditions of limited attentional resources, confers adaptive advantages. This study examined the neurobiology underpinnings of this capacity. Employing an attentional blink paradigm, in conjunction with functional magnetic resonance imaging, we manipulated the salience of the second of 2 face target stimuli (T2), by varying emotionality. Behaviorally, fearful T2 faces were identified significantly more than neutral faces. Activity in fusiform face area increased with correct identification of T2 faces. Enhanced activity in rostral anterior cingulate cortex (rACC) accounted for the benefit in detection of fearful stimuli reflected in a significant interaction between target valence and correct identification. Thus, under conditions of limited attention resources activation in rACC correlated with enhanced processing of emotional stimuli. We suggest that these data support a model in which a prefrontal “gate” mechanism controls conscious access of emotional information under conditions of limited attentional resources.
Overview of TASS 2015

This paper describes TASS 2105, the fourth edition of the Workshop on Sentiment Analysis at SEPLN. The main objective is to promote the research and the development of new algorithms, resources and techniques in the field of sentiment analysis in social media (specifically Twitter), focused on Spanish language. This paper presents the TASS 2015 proposed tasks, the contents of the generated corpora, the participant groups and the results and analysis of them.
State of the Art: Mobile Cloud Computing

Today, mobile devices such as smartphones, and tablets, have become primary computing devices for many users, replacing the conventional PCs. However, mobile devices have limited capabilities due to the computation power, memory, storage, and energy. Mobile Cloud Computing (MCC) will overcome these obstacles and will provide services to mobile users by offloading tasks and data on the Internet, rather than on individual devices, and will provide resources to a local client on demand. In parallel, the latest 4G wireless network technology, LTE/LTE-Advanced has just been rolled out in commercial use. The system characteristics of 4G and beyond 4G systems (5G) are high data rate (throughput), low latency (delay), high mobility (speed), and high capacity. These technological enhancements are expected to deliver new innovative multimedia services and applications that will benefit both end users and businesses. However many issues remain to be solved before mobile cloud computing could reach its true potential. The main obstacles are: battery life-time, interaction latency, Quality of Service/Experience (QoS/QoE), and seamless mobility. This paper provides a survey of the MCC including definition, architecture, services and applications, current research trends and issues, as well as future research directions of MCC.
Exercise protects the cardiovascular system: effects beyond traditional risk factors

In humans, exercise training and moderate to high levels of physical activity are protective against cardiovascular disease. In fact they are ∼40% more protective than predicted based on the changes in traditional risk factors (blood lipids, hypertension, diabetes etc.) that they cause. In this review, we highlight the positive effects of exercise on endothelial function and the autonomic nervous system. We also ask if these effects alone, or in combination, might explain the protective effects of exercise against cardiovascular disease that appear to be independent of traditional risk factor modification. Our goal is to use selected data from our own work and that of others to stimulate debate on the nature and cause of the ‘risk factor gap’ associated with exercise and physical activity.
Role-based Access Control

While Mandatory Access Controls (MAC) are appropriate for multilevel secure military applications, Discretionary Access Controls (DAC) are often perceived as meeting the security processing needs of industry and civilian government. This paper argues that reliance on DAC as the principal method of access control is unfounded and inappropriate for many commercial and civilian government organizations. The paper describes a type of non-discretionary access control-role-based access control (RBAC)-that is more central to the secure processing needs of non-military systems then DAC.