Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An evolving view of retinogeniculate transmission

Abstract The thalamocortical (TC) relay neuron of the dorsoLateral Geniculate Nucleus (dLGN) has borne its imprecise label for many decades in spite of strong evidence that its role in visual processing transcends the implied simplicity of the term “relay”. The retinogeniculate synapse is the site of communication between a retinal ganglion cell and a TC neuron of the dLGN. Activation of retinal fibers in the optic tract causes reliable, rapid, and robust postsynaptic potentials that drive postsynaptics spikes in a TC neuron. Cortical and subcortical modulatory systems have been known for decades to regulate retinogeniculate transmission. The dynamic properties that the retinogeniculate synapse itself exhibits during and after developmental refinement further enrich the role of the dLGN in the transmission of the retinal signal. Here we consider the structural and functional substrates for retinogeniculate synaptic transmission and plasticity, and reflect on how the complexity of the retinogeniculate synapse imparts a novel dynamic and influential capacity to subcortical processing of visual information.
Crosslinked Polymer Ionic Liquid/Ionic Liquid Blends Prepared by Photopolymerization as Solid-State Electrolytes in Supercapacitors

A photopolymerization method is used to prepare a mixture of polymer ionic liquid (PIL) and ionic liquid (IL). This mixture is used as a solid-state electrolyte in carbon nanoparticle (CNP)-based symmetric supercapacitors. The solid electrolyte is a binary mixture of a PIL and its corresponding IL. The PIL matrix is a cross-linked polyelectrolyte with an imidazole salt cation coupled with two anions of Br− in PIL-M-(Br) and TFSI− in PIL-M-(TFSI), respectively. The corresponding ionic liquids have imidazolium salt cation coupled with two anions of Br− and TFSI−, respectively. This study investigates the electrochemical characteristics of PILs and their corresponding IL mixtures used as a solid electrolyte in supercapacitors. Results show that a specific capacitance, maximum power density and energy density of 87 and 58 F·g−1, 40 and 48 kW·kg−1, and 107 and 59.9 Wh·kg−1 were achieved in supercapacitors based on (PIL-M-(Br)) and (PIL-M-(TFSI)) solid electrolytes, respectively.
Author's Personal Copy Games and Economic Behavior on the Strategic Impact of an Event under Non-common Priors

In most cases authors are permitted to post their version of the article (e.g. in Word or Tex form) to their personal website or institutional repository. Authors requiring further information regarding Elsevier's archiving and manuscript policies are encouraged to visit: a r t i c l e i n f o a b s t r a c t This paper studies the impact of a small probability event on strategic behavior in incomplete information games with non-common priors. It is shown that the global impact of a small probability event (i.e., its propensity to affect strategic behavior at all states in the state space) has an upper bound that is an increasing function of a measure of discrepancy from the common prior assumption. In particular, its global impact can be arbitrarily large under non-common priors, but is bounded from above under common priors. These results quantify the different implications common prior and non-common prior models have on the (infinite) hierarchies of beliefs.
Cross-Modal Retrieval with Implicit Concept Association

Traditional cross-modal retrieval assumes explicit association of concepts across modalities, where there is no ambiguity in how the concepts are linked to each other, e.g., when we do the image search with a query "dogs", we expect to see dog images. In this paper, we consider a different setting for cross-modal retrieval where data from different modalities are implicitly linked via concepts that must be inferred by high-level reasoning; we call this setting implicit concept association. To foster future research in this setting, we present a new dataset containing 47K pairs of animated GIFs and sentences crawled from the web, in which the GIFs depict physical or emotional reactions to the scenarios described in the text (called "reaction GIFs"). We report on a user study showing that, despite the presence of implicit concept association, humans are able to identify video-sentence pairs with matching concepts, suggesting the feasibility of our task. Furthermore, we propose a novel visual-semantic embedding network based on multiple instance learning. Unlike traditional approaches, we compute multiple embeddings from each modality, each representing different concepts, and measure their similarity by considering all possible combinations of visual-semantic embeddings in the framework of multiple instance learning. We evaluate our approach on two video-sentence datasets with explicit and implicit concept association and report competitive results compared to existing approaches on cross-modal retrieval.
Historical processes enhance patterns of diversity along latitudinal gradients

One of the more vexing issues in ecology is how historical processes affect contemporary patterns of biodiversity. Accordingly, few models have been presented. Two corollary models (centre of origin, time-for-speciation) can be used to make quantitative predictions characterizing the tropical niche conservatism hypothesis and describe diversification as diffusion and subsequent cladogenesis of species away from the place of origin of a higher taxon in the tropics. Predictions derived from such models are: (i) species richness declines toward the periphery of the range of a higher taxon; (ii) taxa are more derived toward the periphery than the centre; (iii) ages of taxa are lower toward the periphery than the centre; and (iv) ages and measures of derivedness are less variable toward the periphery of the range of a higher taxon. I tested these predictions to better understand the formation of one of the most ubiquitous patterns of biodiversity—the latitudinal gradient in species richness. Results indicate well-supported predictions for New World leaf-nosed bats and that diversification has had strong influences on latitudinal gradients of species richness. A better understanding of how evolutionary diversification of taxa contributes to formation of patterns of species richness along environmental gradients is necessary to fully understand spatial variation in biodiversity.
Seismogenic structure and processes associated with magma inflation and hydrothermal circulation beneath the East Pacific Rise at 9°50′N

A dense ocean bottom seismometer array recorded more than 7,300 microearthquakes between October 2003 and April 2004 on the fast spreading East Pacific Rise at 9°50′ N. A previous initial analysis of these data revealed the general structure of an along‐axis oriented hydrothermal circulation cell, with an inferred down‐flow zone near a 4th‐order axial discontinuity, a horizontal band of seismicity overlying the axial magma chamber (AMC), and an upflow zone that correlates with activity patterns of hydrothermal vents. Here we present cross‐correlation‐based double‐difference hypocenter locations that reveal further insight into the detailed structure and kinematics that control seismic failure. We find that the majority of events within the inferred down flow pipe occur near the surface where the entrenched seawater presumably lowers the frictional strength of faults generated by local tectonic stresses. Beneath the eastern side of the ridge axis, just above the AMC at ∼1.4 km depth, we observe repeated shear failure along well defined steeply east dipping faults. Composite focal mechanisms indicate reverse motion, suggesting that slip on these faults is caused by AMC inflation and possibly injection of magma into a narrow sill. We resolve a small counterclockwise skew in the strike of the reverse faults relative to the direction of the ridge axis, consistent with Nuvel 1A spreading direction suggesting that the regional tectonic stress field may be controlling the seismogenic structures at depth. Earthquakes on the reverse faults occur preferentially during peak extensional tidal stresses, indicating that these faults are critically stressed.
Fe b 20 07 On the Progenitors of Two Type IIP Supernovae in the Virgo Cluster 1 2

Direct identification of the progenitors of supernovae (SNe) is rare because of the required spatial resolution and depth of the archival data prior to the SN explosions. Here we report on the identification of the progenitors of two nearby SNe in the Virgo cluster: SN 2006my in NGC 4651 and SN 2006ov in M61. We obtained high-quality ground-based images of SN 2006my with the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope, and are able to locate the site of the SN on pre-SN Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 images to a high precision (1σ uncertainty of ±0. 05). We pinpoint the site of SN 2006ov to within 0. 02 from HST Advanced Camera for Surveys images of the SN. We detected a red supergiant progenitor for each SN within the error circles, with an inferred zero-age main-sequence mass (MZAMS) of 10 +5 −3 M⊙ and 15 +5 −3 M⊙ for the progenitors of SNe 2006my and 2006ov, respectively. The mass estimates for the progenitors of both SNe confirm a suggested trend that the most common Type II-plateau SNe originate from low-mass supergiants with MZAMS ≈ 8–20 M⊙. Subject headings: supernovae: general – supernovae: individual (SN 2006my, SN 2006ov) – stars: massive – stars: evolution
ASR confusability measure and simulation of ASR errors

This paper presents an approach to simulate automatic speech recognition (ASR) errors from manual transcriptions and describes how it can be used to improve the performance of spoken language understanding (SLU) systems. In particular, we point out that this noising process is very usefull to obtain a more robust SLU system to ASR errors in case of insufficient training data or more if ASR transcriptions are not available during the training of the SLU model. The proposed method is based on the use of both acoustic and linguistic word embeddings in order to define a similarity measure between words dedicated to predict ASR confusions. Actually, we assume that words acoustically and linguistically close are the ones confused by an ASR system. By using this similarity measure in order to randomly substitute correct words by potentially confusing words in manual annotations used to train CRFor neuralbased SLU systems, we augment the training corpus with these new noisy data. Experiments were carried on the French MEDIA corpus focusing on hotel reservation. They show that this approach significantly improves SLU system performance with a relative reduction of 21.2% of concept/value error rate (CVER), particularly when the SLU system is based on a neural approach (reduction of 22.4% of CVER). A comparison to a naive noising approach shows that the proposed noising approach is particularly relevant.
Measuring the tensor to scalar ratio from CMB B-modes in the presence of foregrounds

Aims. We investigate the impact of polarised foreground emission on the performances of future CMB experiments aiming to detect primordial tensor fluctuations in the early universe. In particular, we study the accuracy that can be achieved in measuring the tensorto-scalar ratio r in the presence of foregrounds. Methods. We designed a component separation pipeline, based on the Smica method, aimed at estimating r and the foreground contamination from the data with no prior assumption on the frequency dependence or spatial distribution of the foregrounds. We derived error bars accounting for the uncertainty on foreground contribution. We used the current knowledge of galactic and extragalactic foregrounds as implemented in the Planck sky model (PSM) to build simulations of the sky emission. We applied the method to simulated observations of this modelled sky emission, for various experimental setups. Instrumental systematics are not considered in this study. Results. Our method, with Planck data, permits us to detect r = 0.1 from B-modes only at more than 3σ. With a future dedicated space experiment, such as EPIC, we can measure r = 0.001 at ∼6σ for the most ambitious mission designs. Most of the sensitivity to r comes from scales 20 ≤ � ≤ 150 for high r values, shifting to lower � ’s for progressively smaller r. This shows that large-scale foreground emission does not prevent proper measurement of the reionisation bump for full sky experiments. We also investigate the observation of a small but clean part of the sky. We show that diffuse foregrounds remain a concern for a sensitive ground-based experiment with a limited frequency coverage when measuring r < 0.1. Using the Planck data as additional frequency channels to constrain the foregrounds in such ground–based observations reduces the error by a factor two but does not allow detection of r = 0.01. An alternate strategy, based on a deep field space mission with a wide frequency coverage, would allow us to deal with diffuse foregrounds efficiently, but is in return quite sensitive to lensing contamination. In contrast, we show that all-sky missions are nearly insensitive to small-scale contamination (point sources and lensing) if the statistical contribution of such foregrounds can be modelled accurately. Our results do not significantly depend on the overall level and frequency dependence of the diffused foreground model, when varied within the limits allowed by current observations.
Ophthalmic Pyogenic Granulomas Treated With Topical Timolol-Clinical Features of 17 Cases.

PURPOSE Topical timolol has been increasingly demonstrated to be an effective treatment for pyogenic granulomas (PG). The authors review the treatment outcomes of 17 patients with ocular PG treated with topical timolol. METHODS Retrospective interventional study of 17 patients with ocular PGs treated with timolol 0.5% solution. Patient demographics, clinical features, treatment response, and recurrence were noted. RESULTS Nine females and 8 males with a mean age of 23 years (range, 3-67 years) were included. Mean duration of disease prior to treatment was 3.81 months (range, 0.25-11 months). Etiologies included chalazia (12 cases, 71%), postsurgical (4, 24%) and trauma (1, 6%). Five patients (29%) had treatment with topical steroids prior to presentation. Fifteen patients (88%) had PG located on the palpebral conjunctiva and 2 (12%) involving the bulbar conjunctiva. Mean lesion size was 5.06 × 6.06 mm (range, 3-8 × 3-18 mm). Fifteen patients (88%) had complete lesion resolution with a mean treatment duration of 3.07 weeks (range, 2-5 weeks) and no adverse events or recurrences with a mean follow up of 9.47 months (range, 6-27 months). Two patients (12%) underwent lesion excision after 6 weeks of timolol failed to yield resolution. CONCLUSION Topical timolol appears to be a well-tolerated nonsurgical treatment of ocular PG in both children and adults. Clinicians may wish to consider topical timolol to treat PG as opposed to topical steroids, given the inherent risk of steroid response ocular hypertension and the difficulty to measure intraocular pressure in younger children who require general anesthesia for excision.
Resolved Galaxies in the Hubble Ultra Deep Field: Star Formation in Disks at High Redshift

The photometric redshift distributions, spectral types, Sérsic indices, and sizes of all resolved galaxies in the Hubble Space Telescope Ultra Deep Field (UDF) are studied in order to understand the environment and nature of star formation in the early universe. Clumpy disk galaxies that are bright at short wavelengths (rest-frame λ < 5000 Å) dominate the UDF out to z ~ 5.5. Their uniformity in V/Vmax and comoving volume density suggest that they go even further, spanning a total time more than an order of magnitude larger than their instantaneous star formation times. They precede as well as accompany the formation epoch of distant red galaxies and extreme red objects. Those preceding could be the premerger objects that combined to make red spheroidal types at z ~ 2-3. Clumpy disks that do not undergo mergers are likely to evolve into spirals. The morphology of clumpy disks, the size and separation of the clumps, and the prevalence of this type of structure in the early universe suggests that most star formation occurs by self-gravitational collapse of disk gas.
Links between iron supply, marine productivity, sea surface temperature, and CO2 over the last 1.1 Ma

Received 3 July 2008; revised 9 October 2008; accepted 27 October 2008; published 14 February 2009. [1] Paleoclimatic reconstructions have provided a unique data set to test the sensitivity of climate system to changes in atmospheric CO2 concentrations. However, the mechanisms behind glacial/interglacial (G/IG) variations in atmospheric CO2 concentrations observed in the Antarctic ice cores are still not fully understood. Here we present a new multiproxy data set of sea surface temperatures (SST), dust and iron supply, and marine export productivity, from the marine sediment core PS2489-2/ODP Site 1090 located in the subantarctic Atlantic, that allow us to evaluate various hypotheses on the role of the Southern Ocean (SO) in modulating atmospheric CO2 concentrations back to 1.1 Ma. We show that Antarctic atmospheric temperatures are closely linked to changes in SO surface temperatures over the last 800 ka and use this to synchronize the timescales of our marine and the European Project for Ice Coring in Antarctica (EPICA) Dome C (EDC) records. The close correlation observed between iron inputs and marine export production over the entire interval implies that the process of iron fertilization of marine biota has been a recurrent process operating in the subantarctic region over the G/IG cycles of the last 1.1 Ma. However, our data suggest that marine productivity can only explain a fraction of atmospheric CO2 changes (up to around 40‐50 ppmv), occurring at glacial maxima in each glacial stage. In this sense, the good correlation of our SST record to the EDC temperature reconstruction suggests that the initial glacial CO2 decrease, as well as the change in the amplitude of the CO2 cycles observed around 400 ka, was most likely driven by physical processes, possibly related to changes in Antarctic sea ice extent, surface water stratification, and westerly winds position.
Balancing on the Edge: Transport Affinity without Network State

Content delivery networks and edge peering facilities have unique operating constraints which require novel approaches to load balancing. Contrary to traditional, centralized datacenter networks, physical space is heavily constrained. This limitation drives both the need for greater efficiency, maximizing the ability to absorb denial of service attacks and flash crowds at the edge, and seamless failover, minimizing the impact of maintenance on service availability. This paper introduces Faild, a distributed load balancer which runs on commodity hardware and achieves graceful failover without relying on network state, providing a cost-effective and scalable alternative to existing proposals. Faild allows any individual component of the edge network to be removed from service without breaking existing connections, a property which has proved instrumental in sustaining the growth of a large global edge network over the past four years. As a consequence of this operational experience, we further document unexpected protocol interactions stemming from misconfigured devices in the wild which have significant ramifications for transport protocol design.
UFLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS-Based Screening and Identification of Flavonoids and Derived Metabolites in Human Urine after Oral Administration of Exocarpium Citri Grandis Extract

Exocarpium Citri grandis (ECG) is an important Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) for the treatment of cough and phlegm, and the flavonoids contained were considered the main effective components. To date, the systematic chemical profiling of these flavonoids and derived in vivo metabolites in human have not been well investigated. ECG was extracted using boiling water and then provided to volunteers for oral administration. Following the ingestion, urine samples were collected from volunteers over 48 h. The extract and urine samples were analyzed using ultra-fast liquid chromatography/quadrupole-time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (UFLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS) system to screen and identify flavonoids and derived in vivo metabolites. A total of 18 flavonoids were identified in the ECG extract, and 20 metabolites, mainly glucuronide and sulfate conjugates, were screened in urine samples collected post consumption. The overall excretion of naringenin metabolites corresponded to 5.45% of intake and occurred mainly within 4–12 h after the ingestion. Meanwhile, another 29 phenolic catabolites were detected in urine. Obtained data revealed that flavonoids were abundant in the ECG extract, and these components underwent extensive phase II metabolism in humans. These results provided valuable information for further study of the pharmacology and mechanism of action of ECG.
Novel computational approaches characterizing knee physiotherapy

A knee joint's longevity depends on the proper integration of structural components in an axial alignment. If just one of the components is abnormally off-axis, the biomechanical system fails, resulting in arthritis. The complexity of various failures in the knee joint has led orthopedic surgeons to select total knee replacement as a primary treatment. In many cases, this means sacrificing much of an otherwise normal joint. Here, we review novel computational approaches to describe knee physiotherapy by introducing a new dimension of foot loading to the knee axis alignment producing an improved functional status of the patient. New physiotherapeutic applications are then possible by aligning foot loading with the functional axis of the knee joint during the treatment of patients with osteoarthritis.
MicroRNAs as Potential Mediators for Cigarette Smoking Induced Atherosclerosis

Smoking increases the risk of atherosclerosis-related events, such as myocardial infarction and ischemic stroke. Recent studies have examined the expression levels of altered microRNAs (miRNAs) in various diseases. The profiles of tissue miRNAs can be potentially used in diagnosis or prognosis. However, there are limited studies on miRNAs following exposure to cigarette smoke (CS). The present study was designed to dissect the effects and cellular/molecular mechanisms of CS-induced atherosclerogenesis. Apolipoprotein E knockout (ApoE KO) mice were exposed to CS for five days a week for two months at low (two puffs/min for 40 min/day) or high dose (two puffs/min for 120 min/day). We measured the area of atherosclerotic plaques in the aorta, representing the expression of miRNAs after the exposure period. Two-month exposure to the high dose of CS significantly increased the plaque area in aortic arch, and significantly upregulated the expression of atherosclerotic markers (VCAM-1, ICAM-1, MCP1, p22phox, and gp91phox). Exposure to the high dose of CS also significantly upregulated the miRNA-155 level in the aortic tissues of ApoE KO mice. Moreover, the expression level of miR-126 tended to be downregulated and that of miR-21 tended to be upregulated in ApoE KO mice exposed to the high dose of CS, albeit statistically insignificant. The results suggest that CS induces atherosclerosis through increased vascular inflammation and NADPH oxidase expression and also emphasize the importance of miRNAs in the pathogenesis of CS-induced atherosclerosis. Our findings provide evidence for miRNAs as potential mediators of inflammation and atherosclerosis induced by CS.