Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Network based model of social media big data predicts contagious disease diffusion.

Purpose– Predicting future outbreaks and understanding how they are spreading from location to location can improve patient care provided. Recently, mining social media big data provided the ability to track patterns and trends across the world. This study aims to analyze social media micro-blogs and geographical locations to understand how disease outbreaks spread over geographies and to enhance forecasting of future disease outbreaks. Design/methodology/approach – In this paper, the authors use Twitter data as the social media data source, influenza-like illnesses (ILI) as disease epidemic and states in the USA as geographical locations. They present a novel network-based model to make predictions about the spread of diseases a week in advance utilizing social media big data. Findings– The authors showed that flu-related tweets align well with ILI data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (p < 0.049). The authors compared this model to earlier approaches that utilized airline traffic, and showed that ILI activity estimates of their model were more accurate. They also found that their disease diffusion model yielded accurate predictions for upcoming ILI activity (p < 0.04), and they predicted the diffusion of flu across states based on geographical surroundings at 76 per cent accuracy. The equations and procedures can be translated to apply to any social media data, other contagious diseases and geographies to mine large data sets. Originality/value– First, while extensive work has been presented utilizing time-series analysis on single geographies, or post-analysis of highly contagious diseases, no previous work has provided a generalized solution to identify how contagious diseases diffuse across geographies, such as states in the USA. Secondly, due to nature of the social media data, various statistical models have been extensively used to address these problems.
High-resolution stratigraphy and zircon U–Pb geochronology of the Middle Triassic Buchenstein Formation (Dolomites, northern Italy): precession-forcing of hemipelagic carbonate sedimentation and calibration of the Anisian–Ladinian boundary interval

Orbitally forced cyclic variations in sedimentary sequences provide evidence for short-term fluctuations of Earth climate and a tool for high-resolution timescale calibration. We here present stratigraphic and geochronological evidence for precession-forcing in Middle Triassic hemipelagic limestones of the Buchenstein Formation (Dolomites, northern Italy). High-resolution stratigraphy of several correlative sections of the Buchenstein Formation documents a coherent cycle pattern. Isotope dilution thermal ionization mass spectrometry zircon U–Pb geochronology of tuffs bracketing the cyclic interval reveals an average cycle duration of 18.5 ± 2.1 kyr, consistent with a shorter climatic precession cycle in the Middle Triassic compared with today. This suggests a predominantly precession-controlled climate in this low-latitude setting of the western Tethys and allows high-precision calibration of the Anisian–Ladinian boundary interval. From integrating cyclostratigraphic and U–Pb geochronological constraints, our best estimate for the age of the Anisian–Ladinian boundary is 241.464 ± 0.064/0.097/0.28 Ma. We also provide precise estimates for lithostratigraphic boundaries, biostratigraphic markers and magnetic reversals within the boundary interval. Stratigraphic intervals with elevated sedimentation rate record a sub-Milankovitch signal that may be equivalent to patterns in adjacent carbonate platforms such as the Latemar platform. The origin of this sub-Milankovitch signal remains unknown but highlights the potential to investigate shorter-term climatic variations in Mesozoic sedimentary sequences. Supplementary material: Isotope dilution thermal ionization mass spectrometry U–Pb and laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry trace element data tables as well as the results of the Bayesian age modelling are available at https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare. c.3861817.
Large-System Estimation Performance in Noisy Compressed Sensing With Random Support of Known Cardinality—A Bayesian Analysis

Compressed sensing (CS) enables measurement reconstruction by using sampling rates below the Nyquist rate, as long as the amplitude vector of interest is sparse. In this paper, we first derive and analyze the Bayesian Cramér-Rao bound (BCRB) for the amplitude vector when the set of indices (the support) of its nonzero entries is known. We consider the following context: i) The dictionary is nonstochastic but randomly generated; ii) the number of measurements and the support cardinality grow to infinity in a controlled manner, i.e., the ratio of these quantities converges to a constant; iii) the support is random; and iv) the vector of nonzero amplitudes follow a multidimensional generalized normal distribution. Using results from random matrix theory, we obtain closed-form approximations of the BCRB. These approximations can be formulated in a very compact form in low and high SNR regimes. Second, we provide a statistical analysis of the variance and the statistical efficiency of the oracle linear mean-square-error (LMMSE) estimator. Finally, we present results from numerical investigations in the context of non-bandlimited finite-rate-of-innovation (FRI) signal sampling. We show that the performance of Bayesian mean-square error (BMSE) estimators that are aware of the cardinality of the support, such as OMP and CoSaMP, are in good agreement with the developed lower bounds in the high SNR regime. Conversely, sparse estimators exploiting only the knowledge of the parameter vector and the noise variance in form of a priori distributions of these parameters, like LASSO and BPDN, are not efficient at high SNR. However, at low SNR, their BMSE is lower than that of the former estimators and may be close to the BCRB.
Controlled Natural Languages for language generation in artificial cognition

In this paper we discuss, within the context of artificial assistants performing everyday activities, a resolution method to disambiguate missing or not satisfactorily inferred action-specific information via explicit clarification. While arguing the lack of preexisting robot to human linguistic interaction methods, we introduce a novel use of Controlled Natural Languages (CNL) as means of output language and sentence construction for doubt verbalization. We additionally provide implemented working scenarios, state future possibilities and problems related to verbalization of technical cognition when making use of Controlled Natural Languages.
The Identiication of Objects and Roles -object Identiiers Revisited

In this paper we investigate several concepts that are known in database research for some time but which are still surrounded by some confusion. We start with the concepts of object identiier, surrogate and key and list the diierences between these concepts, which in practice are often ignored. Sharpening these diierences allows us to analyze the distinction between objects and roles that recently surfaced in the literature. Distinguishing objects from roles helps to avoid migration of objects between classes and thus the problems associated with it. We show that this distinction requires the use of role identiiers that, just as object identiiers, should be globally unique and unchangeable. We next show that using role identiiers requires a distinction between two essentially diierent kinds of inheritance relationships, is-a inheritance and played-by inheritance. These are often both treated as if they were one and the same kind of is-a relationship. The result of the discussion is a set of clear modeling concepts, which are independent of a particular language or implementation.
Towards kinematic modeling of a multi-DOF tendon driven robotic catheter

This paper presents a recent study on kinematic modeling of a remote-controlled active catheter. The tip steering motion of the catheter is actuated in a tendon-driven manner. Two antagonistic groups of tendon actuation realize the distal tip deflecting with two-degree-of-freedom (2-DOF) allowing it to reach a considerable large spatial workspace without catheter shaft rotation. However, when modeling such bending deformation, the sequential rotation approach is easily misapplied. We address this problem and introduce a novel and unified modeling methodology based on the concept of simultaneous rotation and the use of Rodrigues' rotation formula. An accurate model is created for robotic catheters and also can be generalized to common multi-tendon-driven continuum manipulators. It is essential in achieving accurate control and improving autonomous execution of command tracking tasks.
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY OUTSOURCING AND NON-IT OPERATING COSTS : AN EMPIRICAL INVESTIGATION 1

Does information technology outsourcing reduce non-IT operating costs? This study examines this question and also asks whether internal IT investments moderate the relationship between IT outsourcing and non-IT operating costs. Using a panel data set of approximately 300 U.S. firms from 1999 to 2003, we find that IT outsourcing has a significant negative association with firms’ non-IT operating costs. However, this finding does not imply that firms should completely outsource their entire IT function. Our results suggest that firms benefit more in terms of reduction in non-IT operating costs when they also have higher levels of complementary investments in internal IT, especially IT labor. Investments in internal IT systems can make business processes more amenable to outsourcing, and complementary investments in internal IT staff can facilitate monitoring of vendor performance and coordination with vendors. We discuss the implications of these findings for further research and for practice.
Enhanced Auditory Evoked Activity to Self-Generated Sounds Is Mediated by Primary and Supplementary Motor Cortices

Accumulating evidence demonstrates that responses in auditory cortex to auditory consequences of self-generated actions are modified relative to the responses evoked by identical sounds generated by an external source. Such modifications have been suggested to occur through a corollary discharge sent from the motor system, although the exact neuroanatomical origin is unknown. Furthermore, since tactile input has also been shown to modify responses in auditory cortex, it is not even clear whether the source of such modifications is motor output or somatosensory feedback. We recorded functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data from healthy human subjects (n = 11) while manipulating the rate at which they performed sound-producing actions with their right hand. In addition, we manipulated the amount of tactile feedback to examine the relative roles of motor and somatosensory cortices in modifying evoked activity in auditory cortex (superior temporal gyrus). We found an enhanced fMRI signal in left auditory cortex during perception of self-generated sounds relative to passive listening to identical sounds. Moreover, the signal difference between active and passive conditions in left auditory cortex covaried with the rate of sound-producing actions and was invariant to the amount of tactile feedback. Together with functional connectivity analysis, our results suggest motor output from supplementary motor area and left primary motor cortex as the source of signal modification in auditory cortex during perception of self-generated sounds. Motor signals from these regions could represent a predictive signal of the expected auditory consequences of the performed action.
Matching shapes by eigendecomposition of the Laplace-Beltrami operator

We present a method for detecting correspondences between non-rigid shapes, that utilizes surface descriptors based on the eigenfunctions of the Laplace-Beltrami operator. We use clusters of probable matched descriptors to resolve the sign ambiguity in matching the eigenfunctions. We then define a matching cost that measures both the descriptor similarity, and the similarity between corresponding geodesic distances measured on the two shapes. We seek for correspondence by minimizing the above cost. The resulting combinatorial problem is then reduced to the problem of matching a small number of feature points using quadratic integer programming.
An Energy-aware Greedy Perimeter Stateless Routing Protocol for Mobile Ad hoc Networks

highlevel contribution of this paper is an ene rgyaware version of the wellknown positionbased Greedy Per imeter Stateless Routing (GPSR) protocol for mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs). In the proposed energyaware GPSR protocol , referred to as EGPSR, we optimize the greedy forwa rding mode as follows: a forwarding node first determines a candidate set of neighbor nodes - the nodes that lie closer to the destination than itself. The weight of each such candidate neighbor node is then computed to be the sum of the fraction of the initial energy currently available at the neighbor node and the progress (i.e., the fraction of the distance covered between the forwarding node and the destination) obtained with the selection of the neighbor node. The candidate neighbor node that has the largest weight value is the chosen next hop node to receive the data packet. This procedure is repeated at every hop where greedy forwarding is possible. In case, greedy forwarding is not possible, similar to GPSR, EGPSR switches to perimeter forwarding. With EGPSR, the fairness of node usage considerably improves compared to GPSR. Simulation results illustrate that the time of first node failure, due to the exhaustion of battery charge, increases significantly (as large as by 55%) with the use of EGPSR, whereas the hop count increases only as large as by 7%.
Revisiting the closed loop response of PWM converters controlled by voltage feedback

The closed loop response of voltage feedback converters was re-examined theoretically and tested by simulations and experiments. It was found that the classical second order representation of the closed loop response of a PID controlled system is incomplete due to the contribution of previously neglected factors, such as a closed loop zero and low loop gain, to the real response. Mathematical expressions of the closed loop responses that take into account these added factors were derived and the time domain attributes (rise time and overshoot) were extracted. The method is exemplified by an experimental buck and boost converters that were operated in voltage mode control using a lag-lead phase compensation network.
Optimum Power Allocation for Cooperative Systems with Orthogonal Space-Time Transmissions

We investigate the rate maximizing power allocation strategy for a system where the source and the decode-and-forward (DF) relays cooperate by utilizing a distributed space-time block coding strategy. Under the assumption that all transmitters have perfect knowledge of the link gains, we analyze two limit cases - the case of no-collaboration among relays and the case of ideal collaboration among relays - and we provide a polynomial-time algorithm that computes the maximum achievable rate for the distributed space-time coding system despite the fact that the optimization problem is not convex and it belongs to a class of problems with variational inequality constraints. Due to the orthogonal structure of the space-time block code designs, the proposed algorithm can also be used, with minor modifications, in the computation of the optimum power allocation for the case of DF relays with orthogonal transmissions
Internal Control for Nucleic Acid Testing Based on the Use of Purified Bacillus atrophaeus subsp. globigii Spores

Commonly used internal controls (ICs) to monitor the efficiency of nucleic acid testing (NAT) assays do not allow verification of nucleic acid extraction efficiency. Since microbial cells are often difficult to lyse, it is important to ensure that nucleic acids are efficiently extracted from any target organism. For this purpose, we developed a cellular IC based on the use of nonpathogenic Bacillus spores. Purified Bacillus atrophaeus subsp. globigii (referred to hereafter as simply B. atrophaeus) spores were added to vaginal and anal samples, which were then subjected to rapid DNA extraction and subsequent PCR amplification. The proof of concept of this cellular IC was made through the use of both manual and automated DNA extraction methods, using vaginal or anal samples spiked with B. atrophaeus spores, combined with a multiplex real-time PCR assay for the specific detection of group B streptococci (GBS) and B. atrophaeus. The performance of the cellular IC was compared to that of a standard IC plasmid added to PCRs. Approximately 500 B. atrophaeus spores per PCR was found to be optimal since this did not interfere significantly with GBS detection for either DNA extraction method and yielded reproducible amplification and/or detection of B. atrophaeus genomic DNA serving as an IC template. Performance of the cellular IC was comparable to that of the standard IC. This novel IC system using nonpathogenic and hard-to-lyse B. atrophaeus spores allowed validation of both the DNA extraction procedure and the amplification and detection process. Use of a spore-based control also provides a universal control for microbial cell lysis.
Estimating changes in free-living energy intake and its confidence interval.

BACKGROUND Free-living energy intake in humans is notoriously difficult to measure but is required to properly assess outpatient weight-control interventions. OBJECTIVE Our objective was to develop a simple methodology that uses longitudinal body weight measurements to estimate changes in energy intake and its 95% CI in individual subjects. DESIGN We showed how an energy balance equation with 2 parameters can be derived from any mathematical model of human metabolism. We solved the energy balance equation for changes in free-living energy intake as a function of body weight and its rate of change. We tested the predicted changes in energy intake by using weight-loss data from controlled inpatient feeding studies as well as simulated free-living data from a group of "virtual study subjects" that included realistic fluctuations in body water and day-to-day variations in energy intake. RESULTS Our method accurately predicted individual energy intake changes with the use of weight-loss data from controlled inpatient feeding experiments. By applying the method to our simulated free-living virtual study subjects, we showed that daily weight measurements over periods >28 d were required to obtain accurate estimates of energy intake change with a 95% CI of <300 kcal/d. These estimates were relatively insensitive to initial body composition or physical activity level. CONCLUSIONS Frequent measurements of body weight over extended time periods are required to precisely estimate changes in energy intake in free-living individuals. Such measurements are feasible, relatively inexpensive, and can be used to estimate diet adherence during clinical weight-management programs.
Integrated Flight Path Planning System and Flight Control System for Unmanned Helicopters

This paper focuses on the design of an integrated navigation and guidance system for unmanned helicopters. The integrated navigation system comprises two systems: the Flight Path Planning System (FPPS) and the Flight Control System (FCS). The FPPS finds the shortest flight path by the A-Star (A*) algorithm in an adaptive manner for different flight conditions, and the FPPS can add a forbidden zone to stop the unmanned helicopter from crossing over into dangerous areas. In this paper, the FPPS computation time is reduced by the multi-resolution scheme, and the flight path quality is improved by the path smoothing methods. Meanwhile, the FCS includes the fuzzy inference systems (FISs) based on the fuzzy logic. By using expert knowledge and experience to train the FIS, the controller can operate the unmanned helicopter without dynamic models. The integrated system of the FPPS and the FCS is aimed at providing navigation and guidance to the mission destination and it is implemented by coupling the flight simulation software, X-Plane, and the computing software, MATLAB. Simulations are performed and shown in real time three-dimensional animations. Finally, the integrated system is demonstrated to work successfully in controlling the unmanned helicopter to operate in various terrains of a digital elevation model (DEM).
Requirements for Vitamin D Across the Life Span

Adequate provision of vitamin D has been found, in ecological, cross-sectional, and observational studies, to be associated with reduction in the risk of many types of cancer, cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), autoimmune diseases, diabetes mellitus types 1 and 2, neurological disorders, several bacterial and viral infections, and adverse pregnancy outcomes in addition to the classical bone disorders of rickets and osteomalacia. Furthermore, investigators have found adequate repletion and increased intakes of vitamin D to be associated with reduced all-cause mortality rates. These findings have been supported by the limited number of properly conducted randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that used more than 400 IU/day of vitamin D. This review presents an overview of the role of vitamin D for the promotion of health for the more important vitamin D-related diseases and conditions. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations of 30—60 ng/ml, corresponding to oral intake or skin production of 1,000—4,000 IU/day of vitamin D, appear necessary in adults for avoidance of hypovitaminosis D-related ill health. People of all ages are encouraged to obtain more vitamin D from judicious exposure to sunshine (for ultraviolet B [UVB] irradiation) or from regular vitamin D supplements because dietary sources do not provide sufficient vitamin D to prevent any health risks other than those of rickets and osteomalacia.