Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Bayesian Framework for Least-Squares Support Vector Machine Classifiers, Gaussian Processes, and Kernel Fisher Discriminant Analysis

The Bayesian evidence framework has been successfully applied to the design of multilayer perceptrons (MLPs) in the work of MacKay. Nevertheless, the training of MLPs suffers from drawbacks like the nonconvex optimization problem and the choice of the number of hidden units. In support vector machines (SVMs) for classification, as introduced by Vapnik, a nonlinear decision boundary is obtained by mapping the input vector first in a nonlinear way to a high-dimensional kernel-induced feature space in which a linear large margin classifier is constructed. Practical expressions are formulated in the dual space in terms of the related kernel function, and the solution follows from a (convex) quadratic programming (QP) problem. In least-squares SVMs (LS-SVMs), the SVM problem formulation is modified by introducing a least-squares cost function and equality instead of inequality constraints, and the solution follows from a linear system in the dual space. Implicitly, the least-squares formulation corresponds to a regression formulation and is also related to kernel Fisher discriminant analysis. The least-squares regression formulation has advantages for deriving analytic expressions in a Bayesian evidence framework, in contrast to the classification formulations used, for example, in gaussian processes (GPs). The LS-SVM formulation has clear primal-dual interpretations, and without the bias term, one explicitly constructs a model that yields the same expressions as have been obtained with GPs for regression. In this article, the Bayesian evidence frame-work is combined with the LS-SVM classifier formulation. Starting from the feature space formulation, analytic expressions are obtained in the dual space on the different levels of Bayesian inference, while posterior class probabilities are obtained by marginalizing over the model param-eters. Empirical results obtained on 10 public domain data sets show that the LS-SVM classifier designed within the Bayesian evidence framework consistently yields good generalization performances.
Poisson Snake and Fragmentation

Our main object that we call the Poisson snake is a Brownian snake as introduced by Le Gall. This process has values which are trajectories of standard Poisson process stopped at some random finite lifetime with Brownian evolution. We use this Poisson snake to construct a self-similar fragmentation as introduced by Bertoin. A similar representation was given by Aldous and Pitman using the Continuum Random Tree. Whereas their proofs used approximation by discrete models, our representation allows continuous time arguments.
Cortical Oscillations in Auditory Perception and Speech: Evidence for Two Temporal Windows in Human Auditory Cortex

Natural sounds, including vocal communication sounds, contain critical information at multiple time scales. Two essential temporal modulation rates in speech have been argued to be in the low gamma band (∼20–80 ms duration information) and the theta band (∼150–300 ms), corresponding to segmental and diphonic versus syllabic modulation rates, respectively. It has been hypothesized that auditory cortex implements temporal integration using time constants closely related to these values. The neural correlates of a proposed dual temporal window mechanism in human auditory cortex remain poorly understood. We recorded MEG responses from participants listening to non-speech auditory stimuli with different temporal structures, created by concatenating frequency-modulated segments of varied segment durations. We show that such non-speech stimuli with temporal structure matching speech-relevant scales (∼25 and ∼200 ms) elicit reliable phase tracking in the corresponding associated oscillatory frequencies (low gamma and theta bands). In contrast, stimuli with non-matching temporal structure do not. Furthermore, the topography of theta band phase tracking shows rightward lateralization while gamma band phase tracking occurs bilaterally. The results support the hypothesis that there exists multi-time resolution processing in cortex on discontinuous scales and provide evidence for an asymmetric organization of temporal analysis (asymmetrical sampling in time, AST). The data argue for a mesoscopic-level neural mechanism underlying multi-time resolution processing: the sliding and resetting of intrinsic temporal windows on privileged time scales.
A relative theory of universal central extensions

Ministerio de Educacion y Ciencia under grant number MTM2006-15338-C02-02 (includes European FEDER support), by project Ingenio Mathematica (i-MATH) under grant number CSD2006-00032 (Consolider Ingenio 2010); Xunta de Galicia under grant number PGIDITI06PXIB371128PR; CMUC; FCT
Informational constraints on optimal sex allocation in ants

Workers of the ant Formica truncorum specialize in rearing females or males depending on the number of fathers of a colony. These split sex ratios increase inclusive fitness, but it has remained unknown how workers assess the number of patrilines in their colonies and to what extent their reproductive decisions are constrained by lack of information. By analysis of the quantitative variation in cuticular hydrocarbon profiles of workers of multiply mated queens, we show that the heritable component of recognition cues is low and that the extent of sex ratio biasing toward males is correlated with patriline differences in hydrocarbon profiles. Workers are thus able to capitalize on colony-level relatedness asymmetry, but their inclusive fitness is constrained by uninformative recognition cues. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that the occasional expression of nepotistic phenotypes favoring full-sisters over half-sisters maintains selection against informative recognition cues. We evaluate how inclusive fitness theory may be used to predict the number and kind of recognition cues in insect societies of a specific relatedness structure.
EMS Coverage of a Female-Only Event with 10,000 Attendees: Preparation and Implementation in One Week

Abstract This report describes the medical coverage provided for 10KSA, a charity event held in Saudi Arabia for breast cancer awareness. More than 10,000 women attended the event. A total of 41 attendees sought medical care; four patients (9.8%) presented directly to the clinic and 37 patients (90.2%) presented to the first aid units, mostly for check-ups. This report may be helpful for care providers arranging medical coverage for future events with similar challenging situations (women only, distant location). AlAssafWI. EMS coverage of a female-only event with 10,000 attendees: preparation and implementation in one week. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2017;32(6):694–698.
Risk-Taking and Self-Regulation

The purpose of this study was to investigate the juvenile justice intervention literature for the statistical consideration given the impact that age, as a marker of neuropsychosocial development, may have on delinquency outcomes. A systematic review of 117 studies published between 1996 and 2009 was conducted to assess the methods by which curvilinear and moderating effects of age were included in the analysis of delinquency outcomes. Ninety-one percent of studies may have underestimated intervention effects through the misspecification of the effect of age on delinquency outcomes. Of the 10 studies that did test for curvilinear and interaction effects, 80% had findings consistent with neuropsychosocial theories of age on delinquency. To account for age effects on delinquency, the regular use of multiple age groups in analysis may increase both the precision with which intervention effects are measured and the identification of specific age groups with whom individual interventions are most effective.
Targeted path profiling: lower overhead path profiling for staged dynamic optimization systems

We present a technique for reducing the overhead of collecting path profiles in the context of a dynamic optimizer. The key idea to our approach, called targeted path profiling (TPP), is to use an edge profile to simplify the collection of a path profile. This notion of profile-guided profiling is a natural fit for dynamic optimizers, which typically optimize the code in a series of stages. TPP is an extension to the Ball-Lams efficient path profiling algorithm. Its increased efficiency comes from two sources: (i) reducing the number of potential paths by not enumerating paths with cold edges, allowing array accesses to be substituted for more expensive hash table lookups, and (ii) not instrumenting regions where paths can be unambiguously derived from an edge profile. Our results suggest that on average the overhead of profile collection can be reduced by half (SPEC95) to almost two-thirds (SPEC2000) relative to the Ball-Larus algorithm with minimal impact on the information collected.
An Improved PDR/Magnetometer/Floor Map Integration Algorithm for Ubiquitous Positioning Using the Adaptive Unscented Kalman Filter

In this paper, a scheme is presented for fusing a foot-mounted Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) and a floor map to provide ubiquitous positioning in a number of settings, such as in a supermarket as a shopping guide, in a fire emergency service for navigation, or with a hospital patient to be tracked. First, several Zero-Velocity Detection (ZDET) algorithms are compared and discussed when used in the static detection of a pedestrian. By introducing information on the Zero Velocity of the pedestrian, fused with a magnetometer measurement, an improved Pedestrian Dead Reckoning (PDR) model is developed to constrain the accumulating errors associated with the PDR positioning. Second, a Correlation Matching Algorithm based on map projection (CMAP) is presented, and a zone division of a floor map is demonstrated for fusion of the PDR algorithm. Finally, in order to use the dynamic characteristics of a pedestrian’s trajectory, the Adaptive Unscented Kalman Filter (A-UKF) is applied to tightly integrate the IMU, magnetometers and floor map for ubiquitous positioning. The results of a field experiment performed on the fourth floor of the School of Environmental Science and Spatial Informatics (SESSI) building on the China University of Mining and Technology (CUMT) campus confirm that the proposed scheme can reliably achieve meter-level positioning.
Performance of Multiplex Commercial Kits to Quantify Cytokine and Chemokine Responses in Culture Supernatants from Plasmodium falciparum Stimulations

Background Cytokines and chemokines are relevant biomarkers of pathology and immunity to infectious diseases such as malaria. Several commercially available kits based on quantitative suspension array technologies allow the profiling of multiple cytokines and chemokines in small volumes of sample. However, kits are being continuously improved and information on their performance is lacking. Methodology/Principal Findings Different cytokine/chemokine kits, two flow cytometry-based (eBioscience® FlowCytomix™ and BD™ Cytometric Bead Array Human Enhanced Sensitivity) and four Luminex®-based (Invitrogen™ Human Cytokine 25-Plex Panel, Invitrogen™ Human Cytokine Magnetic 30-Plex Panel, Bio-Rad® Bio-Plex Pro™ Human Cytokine Plex Assay and Millipore™ MILLIPLEX® MAP Plex Kit) were compared. Samples tested were supernatants of peripheral blood mononuclear cells of malaria-exposed children stimulated with Plasmodium falciparum parasite lysates. Number of responses in range that could be detected was determined and reproducibility of duplicates was evaluated by the Bland-Altman test. Luminex® kits performed better than flow cytometry kits in number of responses in range and reproducibility. Luminex® kits were more reproducible when magnetic beads were used. However, within each methodology overall performance depended on the analyte tested in each kit. Within the Luminex® kits, the Invitrogen™ with polystyrene beads had the poorer performance, whereas Invitrogen™ with magnetic beads had the higher percentage of cytokines/chemokines with both readings in range (40%), followed by Bio-Rad® with magnetic beads (35%). Regarding reproducibility, the Millipore™ kit had the highest percentage (60%) of cytokines/chemokines with acceptable limits of agreement (<30%), followed by the Invitrogen™ with magnetic beads (40%) that had tighter limits of agreement. Conclusions/Significance Currently available kits for cytokine and chemokine quantification differ in reproducibility and concentration range of accurate detection. Luminex®-based kits with magnetic beads perform the best. Data highlights the importance of testing different kits before each study to choose the most appropriate, depending on the priority of the cytokines assessed.
The imprints of local superclusters on the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich signals and their detectability with Planck

We use high-resolution hydrodynamical simulations of large-scale structure formation to study the imprints of the local superclusters on to the full-sky Sunyaev–Zel'dovich (SZ) signals. Following Mathis et al., the initial conditions have been statistically constrained to reproduce the density field within a sphere of 110 Mpc around the Milky Way, as observed in the IRAS 1.2-Jy all-sky redshift survey. As a result, the positions and masses of prominent galaxy clusters and superclusters in our simulations coincide closely with their real counterparts in the local Universe. We present the results of two different runs: one with adiabatic gas physics only, and one also including cooling, star formation and feedback. By analysing the full-sky maps for the thermal and kinetic SZ signals extracted from these simulations, we find that for multipoles with l < 100 the power spectrum is dominated by the prominent local superclusters, and its amplitude at these scales is a factor of 2 higher than that obtained from unconstrained simulations; at lower multipoles (l < 20) this factor can even reach one order of magnitude. We check the influence of the SZ effect from local superclusters on the cosmic microwave background (CMB) power spectrum at small multipoles and find it negligible and with no signs of quadrupole–octopole alignment. However, performing simulations of the CMB radiation including the experimental noise at the frequencies which will be observed by the Planck satellite, we find results suggesting that an estimate of the SZ power spectrum at large scales can be extracted.
Subglacial and ice‐marginal landforms in south‐central Ontario: implications for ice‐sheet reconfiguration during deglaciation

Regional‐scale, high‐resolution terrain data permit the study of landforms across south‐central Ontario, where the bed of the former Laurentide Ice Sheet is well exposed and passes downflow from irregular topography on Precambrian Shield highlands to flat‐lying Palaeozoic carbonate bedrock, and thick (50 to >200 m) unconsolidated sediment substrates. Rock drumlins and megagrooves are eroded into bedrock and mega‐scale glacial lineations (MSGL) occur on patchy streamlined till residuals in the Algonquin Highlands. Downflow, MSGL pass into juxtaposed rock and drift drumlins on Palaeozoic bedrock and predominantly till‐cored drumlins in areas of thick drift. The Lake Simcoe Moraines, now traceable for more than 80 km across the Peterborough drumlin field (PDF), form a distinct morphological boundary: downflow of the moraine system, drumlins are larger, broader and show no indication of subsequent reworking by the ice, whereas upflow of the moraines, a higher degree of complexity in bedform pattern and morphology is distinguished. Discrete radial and/or cross‐cutting flowset terminate at subtle till‐cored moraine ridges downflow of local topographic lows, indicating multiple phases of late‐stage ice flow with strong local topographic steering. More regional‐scale flow switching is evident as NW‐orientated bedforms modify drumlins south of the Oak Ridges Moraine, and radial flowset emanate from areas within the St. Lawrence and Ottawa River valleys. Most of the drumlins in the PDF formed during an early, regional drumlinization phase of NE–SW flow that followed the deposition of a thick regional till sheet. These were subsequently modified by local‐scale, topographically controlled flows that terminate at till‐cored moraines, providing evidence that the superimposed bedforms record dynamic ice (re)advances throughout the deglaciation of south‐central Ontario. The patterns and relationships of glacial landform distribution and characteristics in south‐central Ontario hold significance for many modern and palaeo‐ice sheets, where similar downflow changes in bed topography and substrate lithology are observed.
Candidate Biomarkers of Extravascular Extracellular Space: A Direct Comparison of Apparent Diffusion Coefficient and Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced MR Imaging—Derived Measurement of the Volume of the Extravascular Extracellular Space in Glioblastoma Multiforme

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: ADC measurements have been shown to have an inverse relationship with tumor cell density. DCE-MR imaging modeling techniques can produce a measurement of the ve, which would also be expected to have an inverse relationship with cell density. The objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that areas of increased cellularity, and therefore low ADC, would be expected to have a small EES (low ve). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Nineteen patients with GBM were recruited. All imaging was performed before surgery on a 3T MR imaging scanner. Imaging included diffusion tensor imaging, T1-weighted DCE-MR imaging, and anatomic sequences. Tumor VOIs were defined on the anatomic images and modified to contain only enhancing voxels. Parametric maps of ADC and ve were generated. Statistical analysis of ADC and ve was performed on both a voxel-by-voxel basis and comparison of median values. RESULTS: No correlation was demonstrated between ADC and ve in either a voxel-by-voxel analysis or comparison of median values (P = .124). CONCLUSIONS: This study failed to demonstrate a correlation between ADC and ve. This is important because it suggests that though the mechanisms underlying these parameters are theoretically similar, they actually reflect different aspects of tumor microenvironment. Consequently ADC and ve should be considered to provide independent information about the properties of the EES.
Common and specific inhibitory motor neurons innervate the intersegmental muscles in the locust thorax

SUMMARY The inhibitory innervation of the intersegmental (body wall) muscles between the first and the second thoracic segment of the migratory locust, Locusta migratoria, was investigated using neuroanatomical, immunocytochemical and electrophysiological techniques. Three neurons located in the prothoracic ganglion show GABA-like immunoreactivity and project into the intersegmental nerve. Two are common inhibitors. One of those innervates the oblique intersegmental muscle M59 and two dorsal longitudinal muscles (M81 and M82). The second common inhibitor also innervates M59 and the ventral longitudinal muscle M60. The third neuron innervates M60 exclusively and, for that reason, has to be regarded as the first specific inhibitor ever observed in insect neuromuscular assemblies. According to their innervation pattern, we term these neurons CI59/60, CI59/81/82, and SI60. CI59/81/82 and CI59/60 appear to be segmentally homologous to CIa and CIb neurons, respectively, in the other body segments.
Evaluation of the immune response in BALB/c mice induced by a novel DNA vaccine expressing GRA14 against Toxoplasma gondii

Toxoplasma gondii can cause severe and even fatal disease in human beings and animals. Effective vaccines may contribute to control toxoplasmosis. GRA14, a novel secreted dense granule protein of T. gondii, has been proposed as a vaccine candidate due to its intervacuolar transport and unique topology in the parasitophorous vacuole membrane. In this study, we constructed a DNA vaccine encoding GRA14 of T. gondii. BALB/c mice were immunized intramuscularly three times at 2 week intervals and challenged with T. gondii RH strain 5 weeks later. The immune responses were evaluated using lymphocyte proliferation assay, cytokine and antibody measurements. In addition, the survival times and parasite load of mice challenged with the virulent T. gondii RH strain were evaluated. The results showed that the mice immunized with pcGRA14 induced both enhanced specific humoral and Th1 cellular immune responses, and also mice immunized with the pcGRA14 showed an increased survival time and decreased parasite load compared with control groups (P<.05). The results indicated, for the first time, that the GRA14 is a potential DNA vaccine against toxoplasmosis.
Development of a Synthetic Synovial Fluid for Tribological Testing

Wear tests of joint prostheses are usually performed using bovine calf serum. The results from different laboratories are hardly ever comparable as, for example, the protein concentration and the protein composition of the serum-based test liquids vary. In addition, the viscosity of these test liquids is similar to that of water and does not match the more viscous synovial fluid. The present work was aimed at developing a synthetic synovial fluid as an alternative to the existing test liquids. Improved consistency and reproducibility of results at a similar price were required. Hyaluronic acid (HA), the lyophilized proteins bovine serum albumin (BSA) and immunoglobulin G (IgG), the phospholipid lecithin (PL) and salts were applied in a stepwise approach to replace the actually used test liquid based on newborn calf serum. The in vitro results obtained with ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) pins sliding against CoCrMo discs revealed that the developed synthetic synovial fluid fulfils the set requirements: increase of viscosity, reasonable cost, improved consistency and wear particles which resemble the ones found in vivo. The developed synthetic synovial fluid with 3 g/L HA, 19 g/L BSA, 11 g/L IgG, 0.1 g/L PL and Ringer solution is a more realistic alternative to the used serum-based test liquid.
Auditory Feedback

Most theories and experiments involved in stuttering have been psychologically oriented. This study takes into consideration these factors but seeks to investigate auditory feedback as one physical, external factor which might cause stuttering. The reactions of stutterers and nonstutterers to pure tone signals were examined in order to determine if there is a time lag in the stutterer's reactions to certain sounds which might prove significant. Thirty males, 15 stutterers and 15 nonstutterers, were subjected to a random selection of pure tones at different frequency and intensity levels. Reaction time between signals was recorded through a Galvanic Skin Response. A . 95 second difference in time delay for stutterers proved significant at the P < . 01 level. This difference in reaction time strongly indicates that in certain cases stuttering may be the result of minute physical imperfections in the feedback loop of the hearing mechanism.
Young investigator challenge: Application of cytologic techniques to circulating tumor cell specimens: Detecting activation of the oncogenic transcription factor STAT3

The circulating tumor cell (CTC) field is rapidly advancing with the advent of continuously improving technologies for enriching these rare neoplastic cells from blood. CTC enumeration provides prognostic information, and CTC characterization has the potential to provide more useful information for the clinical decision‐making process in this era of personalized medicine and targeted therapeutics. Proof‐of‐principle studies have shown that CTC samples can be characterized with a variety of techniques in the research laboratory environment. The goal of the current study was to validate routine cytologic techniques and immunohistochemical markers in CTC samples in a clinical cytology laboratory, using inducible phosphorylated signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (pSTAT3) as a clinically important example and Ki‐67 as a positive control.