Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Numerical and theoretical analysis of an alternate multiwavelength mode-locked fiber laser

The generation of alternate multiwavelength pulse trains in an actively mode-locked erbium-doped fiber laser containing an unbalanced Mach-Zehnder interferometer is analyzed using numerical simulations and a theoretical Gaussian pulse analysis. The results obtained allow the interpretation of recent experimental results reporting multiwavelength pulse laser operation and provide a clear physical description of the operation of the multiwavelength laser. Furthermore, the analysis and modeling also provide guidelines for experimental design.
Empirical analysis of plurality election equilibria

Voting is widely used to aggregate the different preferences of agents, even though these agents are often able to manipulate the outcome through strategic voting. Most research on manipulation of voting methods studies (1) limited solution concepts, (2) limited preferences, or (3) scenarios with a few manipulators that have a common goal. In contrast, we study voting in plurality elections through the lens of Nash equilibrium, which allows for the possibility that any number of agents, with arbitrary different goals, could all be manipulators. This is possible thanks to recent advances in (Bayes-)Nash equilibrium computation for large games. Although plurality has numerous pure-strategy Nash equilibria, we demonstrate how a simple equilibrium refinement---assuming that agents only deviate from truthfulness when it will change the outcome---dramatically reduces this set. We also use symmetric Bayes-Nash equilibria to investigate the case where voters are uncertain of each others' preferences. This refinement does not completely eliminate the problem of multiple equilibria. However, it does show that even when agents manipulate, plurality still tends to lead to good outcomes (e.g., Condorcet winners, candidates that would win if voters were truthful, outcomes with high social welfare).
Stem cell-like properties of human umbilical cord lining epithelial cells and the potential for epidermal reconstitution.

BACKGROUND AIMS Stem cells are particularly attractive for many cell-based therapeutic interventions because of their ability to self-renew and their capacity to differentiate into site-specific differentiating cells. Restoration of the integrity of epithelial continuity is an essential aspect of wound repair and tissue regeneration. We are currently looking at the potential of human umbilical cord lining cells as a source of epithelial stem cells with appropriate differentiation capacity for potential epidermal reconstitution. METHODS We isolated human umbilical cord lining epithelial cells (CLEC) and characterized their phenotype from the perspective of proliferative potential, telomere length, expression of epidermal differentiation markers, as well as stem cell-specific markers, and clonogenicity. Their potential for epidermal reconstitution was investigated in an organotypic culture model. RESULTS The results demonstrated that CLEC present a long telomere length and have a relatively high proliferative potential and passaging ability in culture. CLEC display some of the stem cell-specific markers for epithelial as well as pluripotent stem cells, including CK19, p63, OCT-4, SSEA-4, TRA-1-60, SOX2 and Nanog. CLEC are capable of generating a fully stratified epithelium in organotypic culture. CONCLUSIONS The potential of CLEC to be used in clinical applications for specialized epithelial reconstruction is still unexplored. The demonstration that CLEC have stem cell-like properties and are capable of generating fully stratified epithelium provides support for their potential clinical application in epidermal reconstitution.
Association of Aortic Knob Calcification with Intracranial Stenosis in Ischemic Stroke Patients

Background and Purpose Aortic knob calcification (AC) is associated with increased risks of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events. We evaluated the clinical importance of AC in ischemic stroke patients with intracranial (IC) stenosis using simple, non-invasive and routine chest radiography. Methods The presence of AC was assessed in a chest posteroanterior view in 307 acute ischemic stroke patients admitted from May 2009 to April 2010, and who underwent magnetic resonance angiography or distal subtraction angiography. The association of AC with IC stenosis was analyzed. Results Patient age (68.3±8.7 vs. 65.9±8.27 years, P=0.04), and the prevalence of IC stenosis (70.7 vs. 41.3%, P<0.01) were higher in patients with AC than in patients without calcification. After adjusting for age, gender and vascular risk factors, logistic regression analysis showed that AC (Odds ratio, 3.54; 95% confidence interval, 1.90 to 6.61, P<0.01) and age (Odds ratio, 1.79; 95% confidence interval, 1.01 to 3.19; P=0.04) were independent factors affecting IC stenosis. Conclusions AC appears to be a reliable predictor for IC stenosis, an important mechanism of ischemic stroke.
Deep Learning: A Generic Approach for Extreme Condition Traffic Forecasting

Traﬃc forecasting is a vital part of intelligent transportation systems. It becomes particularly challenging due to short-term (e.g., accidents, constructions) and long-term (e.g., peak-hour, seasonal, weather) traf-ﬁc patterns. While most of the previously proposed techniques focus on normal condition forecasting, a single framework for extreme condition traﬃc forecasting does not exist. To address this need, we propose to take a deep learning approach. We build a deep neural network based on long short term memory (LSTM) units. We apply Deep LSTM to forecast peak-hour traf-ﬁc and manage to identify unique characteristics of the traﬃc data. We further improve the model for post-accident forecasting with Mixture Deep LSTM model. It jointly models the normal condition traﬃc and the pattern of accidents. We evaluate our model on a real-world large-scale traﬃc dataset in Los Angeles. When trained end-to-end with suitable regularization, our approach achieves 30%-50% improvement over baselines. We also demonstrate a novel technique to interpret the model with signal stimulation. We note interesting observations from the trained neural network.
Interaction of the histone (H3-H4)2 tetramer of the nucleosome with positively supercoiled DNA minicircles: Potential flipping of the protein from a left- to a right-handed superhelical form.

We have studied the ability of the histone (H3-H4)2 tetramer, the central part of the nucleosome of eukaryotic chromatin, to form particles on DNA minicircles of negative and positive superhelicities, and the effect of relaxing these particles with topoisomerase I. The results show that even modest positive torsional stress from the DNA, and in particular that generated by DNA thermal fluctuations, can trigger a major, reversible change in the conformation of the particle. Neither a large excess of naked DNA, nor a crosslink between the two H3s prevented the transition from one form to the other. This suggested that during the transition, the histones neither dissociated from the DNA nor were even significantly reshuffled. Moreover, the particles reconstituted on negatively and positively supercoiled minicircles look similar under electron microscopy. These data agree best with a transition involving a switch of the wrapped DNA from a left- to a right-handed superhelix. It is further proposed, based on the left-handed overall superhelical conformation of the tetramer within the octamer [Arents, G. , Burlingame, R. W. , Wang, B. C. , Love, W. E. & Moudrianakis, E. N. (1991) Proc. Natl.Acad. Sci. USA 88, 10148-10152] that this change in DNA topology is mediated by a similar change in the topology of the tetramer itself, which may occur through a rotation (or a localized deformation) of the two H3-H4 dimers about their H3-H3 interface. Potential implications of this model for nucleosome dynamics in vivo are discussed.
Subprime Mortgages, Foreclosures, and Urban Neighborhoods

Abstract This paper analyzes the impact of the subprime crisis on urban neighborhoods in Massachusetts. The topic is explored using a dataset that matches race and income information from HMDA data with property-level transaction data from Massachusetts Registry of Deeds offices. With this data, we show that much of the subprime lending in the state was concentrated in urban neighborhoods, and that minority homeownerships created with subprime mortgages have proven exceptionally unstable in the face of rapid price declines. The evidence, in Massachusetts, suggests that subprime lending did not, as is commonly believed, lead to a substantial increase in homeownership by minorities, but instead generated turnover in properties owned by minority residents. Furthermore, we argue that the particularly dire foreclosure situation in urban neighborhoods actually makes it somewhat easier for policymakers to provide remedies.
The usefulness of small-sided games on soccer training

Abstract The specificity of collective sports training has evolved to adapt according to ecology stimuli inherent to the sport. In this sense, the coaches have adopted exercises based on the game, designated by small-sided games. In football practice this type of exercises triggers very receptivity on the part of coaches. In this sense, this paper analyzes the relevance of this type of exercise and as may be appropriate depending on the specific needs of the players. Task constraints as field dimensions, number of players for exercises or objectives of the task showed effects on physiological and technical variables of the players. Consequently this article will examine through a literature review, the effects related to the task constraints in order to emphasize the massive relevance of small-sided soccer games. Key words: Small-sided games, training, task constraints, soccer. Introduction Physiological, social, psychological, technical and tactical factors can influence the performance of soccer players (Bagsbo, 1994),
A resistive TCAM accelerator for data-intensive computing

Power dissipation and off-chip bandwidth restrictions are critical challenges that limit microprocessor performance. Ternary content addressable memories (TCAM) hold the potential to address both problems in the context of a wide range of data-intensive workloads that benefit from associative search capability. Power dissipation is reduced by eliminating instruction processing and data movement overheads present in a purely RAM based system. Bandwidth demand is lowered by processing data directly on the TCAM chip, thereby decreasing off-chip traffic. Unfortunately, CMOS-based TCAM implementations are severely power- and area-limited, which restricts the capacity of commercial products to a few megabytes, and confines their use to niche networking applications. This paper explores a novel resistive TCAM cell and array architecture that has the potential to scale TCAM capacity from megabytes to gigabytes. High-density resistive TCAM chips are organized into a DDR3-compatible DIMM, and are accessed through a software library with zero modifications to the processor or the motherboard. On applications that do not benefit from associative search, the TCAM DIMM is configured to provide ordinary RAM functionality. By tightly integrating TCAM with conventional virtual memory, and by allowing a large fraction of the physical address space to be made content-addressable on demand, the proposed memory system improves average performance by 4× and average energy consumption by 10× on a set of evaluated data-intensive applications.
Quasi-particle creation by analogue black holes

We discuss the issue of quasi-particle production by ‘analogue black holes’ with particular attention to the possibility of reproducing Hawking radiation in a laboratory. By constructing simple geometric acoustic models, we obtain a somewhat unexpected result: we show that in order to obtain a stationary and Planckian emission of quasi-particles, it is not necessary to create an ergoregion in the acoustic spacetime (corresponding to a supersonic regime in the flow). It is sufficient to set up a suitable dynamically changing flow. For instance, either a flow that eventually generates an arbitrarily small sonic region v = c, but without any ergoregion, or even a flow that just asymptotically, in laboratory time, approaches a sonic regime with sufficient rapidity.
Childhood maltreatment and DSM-IV adult mental disorders: comparison of prospective and retrospective findings.

BACKGROUND Prior research reports stronger associations between childhood maltreatment and adult psychopathology when maltreatment is assessed retrospectively compared with prospectively, casting doubt on the mental health risk conferred by maltreatment and on the validity of retrospective reports. AIMS To investigate associations of psychopathology with prospective v. retrospective maltreatment ascertainment. METHOD A nationally representative sample of respondents aged 16-27 years (n = 1413) in New Zealand completed a retrospective assessment of maltreatment and DSM-IV mental disorders. Survey data were linked with a national child protection database to identify respondents with maltreatment records (prospective ascertainment). RESULTS Childhood maltreatment was associated with elevated odds of mood, anxiety and drug disorders (odds ratios = 2.1-4.1), with no difference in association strength between prospective and retrospective groups. Prospectively ascertained maltreatment predicted unfavourable depression course involving early onset, chronicity and impairment. CONCLUSIONS Prospectively and retrospectively assessed maltreatment elevated the risk of psychopathology to a similar degree. Prospectively ascertained maltreatment predicted a more unfavourable depression course.
Child Abuse and Locus of Control

The present study investigated the relationship between child abuse, as measured by the Child Abuse Potential Inventory, and locus of control, as measured by the Rotter Internal-External Control Scale. 78 subjects, 43 parents “at risk” and 35 parents not “at risk,” took part in the study. 37 parents “at risk” completed both the inventory and the Rotter scale, while all 35 parents not “at risk” completed both inventories. Analysis indicated the abuse scale and the Rotter scale were significantly related, while the inventory's lie scale and the Rotter scale were not. Individuals who earn high child-abuse scores tend to have greater expectancies that events in their lives occur as a consequence of unrelated and random external factors rather than as a consequence of their own attitudes and behaviors.
A context-based model for Sentiment Analysis in Twitter

Most of the recent literature on Sentiment Analysis over Twitter is tied to the idea that the sentiment is a function of an incoming tweet. However, tweets are filtered through streams of posts, so that a wider context, e.g. a topic, is always available. In this work, the contribution of this contextual information is investigated. We modeled the polarity detection problem as a sequential classification task over streams of tweets. A Markovian formulation of the Support Vector Machine discriminative model as embodied by the SVM hmm algorithm has been here employed to assign the sentiment polarity to entire sequences. The experimental evaluation proves that sequential tagging effectively embodies evidence about the contexts and is able to reach a relative increment in detection accuracy of around 20% in F1 measure. These results are particularly interesting as the approach is flexible and does not require manually coded resources.
Use of Serial Analysis of Gene Expression Technology to Reveal Changes in Gene Expression in Arabidopsis Pollen Undergoing Cold Stress1[w]

We have characterized the global gene expression patterns of Arabidopsis pollen using Serial Analysis of Gene Expression (SAGE). A total of 21,237 SAGE tags were sequenced and 4,211 unique tags were identified. Interestingly, the number of unique tags in pollen was low compared with the SAGE library of the leaf constructed on a similar scale. The transcript profiles of pollen reflect accurately the characteristics of pollen as a reproductive organ. Functional classification of the expressed genes reveals that those involved in cellular biogenesis such as polygalacturonase, pectate lyase, and pectin methylesterase make up more than 40% of the total transcripts. However, genes involved in energy and protein synthesis, which are prevalent in leaves, were expressed at a relatively low level. The expression level of the great majority of transcripts was unaffected by cold treatment at 0°C for 72 h, whereas pollen tube growth and seed production were substantially reduced. Interestingly, many genes thought to be responsible for cold acclimation such as COR, lipid transfer protein, and β-amylase, that are highly induced in Arabidopsis leaves, were only expressed at their normal level or weakly induced in the pollen. The expression patterns of the cold-responsive transcripts identified by SAGE were confirmed by microarray analysis. Our results strongly suggest that poor accumulation of proteins that play a role in stress tolerance may be why Arabidopsis pollen is cold sensitive.
Optimized Structure of the Traffic Flow Forecasting Model With a Deep Learning Approach

Forecasting accuracy is an important issue for successful intelligent traffic management, especially in the domain of traffic efficiency and congestion reduction. The dawning of the big data era brings opportunities to greatly improve prediction accuracy. In this paper, we propose a novel model, stacked autoencoder Levenberg-Marquardt model, which is a type of deep architecture of neural network approach aiming to improve forecasting accuracy. The proposed model is designed using the Taguchi method to develop an optimized structure and to learn traffic flow features through layer-by-layer feature granulation with a greedy layerwise unsupervised learning algorithm. It is applied to real-world data collected from the M6 freeway in the U.K. and is compared with three existing traffic predictors. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that an optimized structure of the traffic flow forecasting model with a deep learning approach is presented. The evaluation results demonstrate that the proposed model with an optimized structure has superior performance in traffic flow forecasting.
B-cell depletion attenuates serological biomarkers of fibrosis and myofibroblast activation in IgG4-related disease

Objectives Fibrosis is a predominant feature of IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD). B-cell depletion induces a prompt clinical and immunological response in patients with IgG4-RD, but the effects of this intervention on fibrosis in IgG4-RD are unknown. We used the enhanced liver fibrosis (ELF) score to address the impact of rituximab on fibroblast activation. The ELF score is an algorithm based on serum concentrations of procollagen-III aminoterminal propeptide, tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinase-1 and hyaluronic acid. Methods Ten patients with active, untreated IgG4-RD were enrolled. ELF scores were measured and correlated with the IgG4-RD Responder Index, serum IgG4, circulating plasmablasts and imaging studies. Through immunohistochemical stains for CD3, CD20, IgG4 and α-smooth muscle actin, we assessed the extent of the lymphoplasmacytic infiltration and the degree of fibroblast activation in one patient with tissue biopsies before and after rituximab. Results The ELF score was increased in patients with IgG4-RD compared with healthy controls (8.3±1.4 vs 6.2±0.9; p=0.002) and correlated with the number of organs involved (R2=0.41; p=0.04). Rituximab induced significant reductions in the ELF score, the number of circulating plasmablasts and the IgG4-RD Responder Index (p<0.05 for all three parameters). Rituximab reduced both the lymphoplasmacytic infiltrate and myofibroblast activation. IgG4-RD relapse coincided with recurrent increases in the ELF score, indicating reactivation of collagen deposition. Conclusions The ELF score may be a clinically useful indicator of active fibrosis and the extent of disease in IgG4-RD. B-cell depletion has the potential to halt continued collagen deposition by attenuating the secretory phenotype of myofibroblasts in IgG4-RD lesions.
Importance of Heart Rate in Determining the Effects of Sympathomimetic Amines on Regional Myocardial Function and Blood Flow in Conscious Dogs with Acute Myocardial Ischemia

We examined the effects of dopamine (DP), dobutamine (DB), and isoproterenol (ISO) in 38 conscious dogs after coronary artery occlusion on measurements of overall left ventricular (LV) function (i.e., LV pressure, dP/dt, mean arterial pressure, and heart rate), while regional myocardial function was assessed, using an ultrasonic gauge to measure segment length (SL) in normal and ischemic areas of myocardium. We measured regional myocardial blood flow, using the radioactive microsphere technique. Coronary occlusion resulted in graded reductions of blood flow and function from the normal to severely ischemic zones. DP and DB, 4.0 μ/kg per min, and ISO, 0.03 μg/kg per rain, iv, increased LV dP/dt similarly; i.e., by 20%, and increased blood flow and systolic SL shortening in the normal zone. ISO increased heart rate (29.9 ± 4.6%) and decreased SL shortening and blood flow (32.9 ± 6.1%) in the severely ischemic zone. In contrast, we observed significantly different (P < 0.01) effects with these doses of DP and DB, which caused no increases in heart rate or decreases in blood flow or contractile function in the ischemic zone. DP and DB, 10 μg/kg per min, iv, increased LV dP/dt 3- to 4-fold more than with the lower dose, but still failed to elicit reductions in contractile function or blood flow in the severely ischemic zone when heart rate did not rise. In contrast, when the same doses of DP and DB increased heart rate in another group of dogs, blood flow and contractile function fell in the ischemic zone. Thus, /J-adrenergic agents do not always elicit a "coronary steal" or deleterious effects on ischemic myocardial function, despite coronary dilation in the normal zone. However, when inotropic stimulation is coupled with tachycardia, blood flow falls and contractile function deteriorates in the ischemic myocardium. Circ Res 45: 793-803, 1979
Assessing the Climate of the Playground and Lunchroom: Implications for Bullying Prevention Programming

Abstract A considerable number of bullying prevention and intervention programs are being implemented in elementary schools across the United States and worldwide. However, although the majority of aggressive interchanges between students occur in the playground and lunchroom contexts, many well-known outcome measures of bullying are not particularly sensitive to those unstructured settings. The authors used a participatory action research framework to partner with playground and lunchroom personnel and community members to conduct an extensive scale development study, which resulted in the creation of the Playground and Lunchroom Climate Questionnaire (PLCQ). An initial psychometric study of the PLCQ was conducted to assess school climate variables that may affect children's social and behavioral functioning at school from the perspective of playground and lunchroom personnel. Results from the study suggest that the PLCQ measures two school context variables: (a) structure for activities and monitoring, and (b) staff collaboration. Suggestions for combining the PLCQ with more traditional measures to guide bullying prevention and intervention programming are discussed.