Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An interior-point method for the Cartesian P * ( Κ )-linear complementarity problem over symmetric cones

A novel primal-dual path-following interior-point algorithm for the Cartesian P*(k)-linear complementarity problem over symmetric cones is presented. The algorithm is based on a reformulation of the central path for finding the search directions. For a full Nesterov-Todd step feasible interior-point algorithm based on the new search directions, the complexity bound of the algorithm with small-update approach is the best-available bound.
Asymptotically optimal regenerating codes over any field

The study of regenerating codes has advanced tremendously in recent years. However, most known constructions require large field size, and hence may be hard to implement in practice. In this paper, by using notions from field theory and matrix analysis to restructure known coding techniques, two explicit constructions of regenerating codes are obtained. These codes approach the cut-set bound as the reconstruction degree increases, and may be realized over any given field if the file size is large enough. Since distributed storage systems are the main purpose of regenerating codes, this file size restriction is trivially satisfied in most conceivable scenarios. The first construction attains the cut-set bound at the MBR point asymptotically for all parameters, whereas the second one attains the cut-set bound at the MSR point asymptotically for low-rate parameters.
Detection of negative emotions in speech signals using bags-of-audio-words

Boosted by a wide potential application spectrum, emotional speech recognition, i.e., the automatic computer-aided identification of human emotional states based on speech signals, currently describes a popular field of research. However, a variety of studies especially concentrating on the recognition of negative emotions often neglected the specific requirements of real-world scenarios, for example, robustness, real-time capability, and realistic speech corpora. Motivated by these facts, a robust, low-complex classification system for the detection of negative emotions in speech signals was implemented on the basis of a spontaneous, strongly emotionally colored speech corpus. Therefore, an innovative approach in the field of emotion recognition was applied as the core of the system - the bag-of-words approach that is originally known from text and image document retrieval applications. Thorough performance evaluations were carried out and a promising recognition accuracy of 65.6 % for the 2-class paradigm negative versus non-negative emotional states attests to the potential of bags-of-words in speech emotion recognition in the wild.
Reconfiguring and Fabricating Special-Purpose Tangible Controls

Unlike regular interfaces on touch screens or desktop computers, tangible user interfaces allow for more physically rich interactions that better uses the capacity of our motor system. On the flipside, the physicality of tangibles comes with rigidity. This makes it hard to (1) use tangibles on systems that require a variety of controls and interaction styles, and (2) make changes to physical interfaces once manufactured. In my research, I explore techniques that allow users to reconfigure and fabricate tangible interfaces in order to mitigate these issues.
Basic solution of four parallel non-symmetric permeable Mode-III cracks in a piezoelectric/piezomagnetic composite plane

The interaction of four parallel non-symmetric permeable cracks in a piezoelectric/piezomagnetic composite plane subjected to anti-plane shear stress loading was studied by the Schmidt method. The problem was formulated through a Fourier transform into four pairs of dual integral equations, in which unknown variables are jumps of displacements across the crack surfaces. To solve the dual integral equations, the jumps of displacements across the crack surfaces were directly expanded as a series of Jacobi polynomials. Finally, the relationships among the electric displacement, magnetic flux and stress fields near the crack tips were obtained. The results show that the stress, the electric displacement and the magnetic flux intensity factors at the crack tips depend on the lengths and spacing of cracks. It was also revealed that the crack shielding effect is present in piezoelectric/piezomagnetic composites.
Using Collocation Segmentation to Augment the Phrase Table

This paper describes the 2010 phrase-based statistical machine translation system developed at the TALP Research Center of the UPC in cooperation with BMIC and VMU. In phrase-based SMT, the phrase table is the main tool in translation. It is created extracting phrases from an aligned parallel corpus and then computing translation model scores with them. Performing a collocation segmentation over the source and target corpus before the alignment causes that different and larger phrases are extracted from the same original documents. We performed this segmentation and used the union of this phrase set with the phrase set extracted from the non-segmented corpus to compute the phrase table. We present the configurations considered and also report results obtained with internal and official test sets.
Parallel Mapping and Simultaneous Sequencing Reveals Deletions in BCAN and FAM83H Associated with Discrete Inherited Disorders in a Domestic Dog Breed

The domestic dog (Canis familiaris) segregates more naturally-occurring diseases and phenotypic variation than any other species and has become established as an unparalled model with which to study the genetics of inherited traits. We used a genome-wide association study (GWAS) and targeted resequencing of DNA from just five dogs to simultaneously map and identify mutations for two distinct inherited disorders that both affect a single breed, the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. We investigated episodic falling (EF), a paroxysmal exertion-induced dyskinesia, alongside the phenotypically distinct condition congenital keratoconjunctivitis sicca and ichthyosiform dermatosis (CKCSID), commonly known as dry eye curly coat syndrome. EF is characterised by episodes of exercise-induced muscular hypertonicity and abnormal posturing, usually occurring after exercise or periods of excitement. CKCSID is a congenital disorder that manifests as a rough coat present at birth, with keratoconjunctivitis sicca apparent on eyelid opening at 10–14 days, followed by hyperkeratinisation of footpads and distortion of nails that develops over the next few months. We undertook a GWAS with 31 EF cases, 23 CKCSID cases, and a common set of 38 controls and identified statistically associated signals for EF and CKCSID on chromosome 7 (Praw 1.9×10−14; Pgenome = 1.0×10−5) and chromosome 13 (Praw 1.2×10−17; Pgenome = 1.0×10−5), respectively. We resequenced both the EF and CKCSID disease-associated regions in just five dogs and identified a 15,724 bp deletion spanning three exons of BCAN associated with EF and a single base-pair exonic deletion in FAM83H associated with CKCSID. Neither BCAN or FAM83H have been associated with equivalent disease phenotypes in any other species, thus demonstrating the ability to use the domestic dog to study the genetic basis of more than one disease simultaneously in a single breed and to identify multiple novel candidate genes in parallel.
Nanotemplated polyelectrolyte films as porous biomolecular delivery systems

Biomaterials capable of delivering controlled quantities of bioactive agents, while maintaining mechanical integrity, are needed for a variety of cell contacting applications. We describe here a nanotemplating strategy toward porous, polyelectrolyte-based thin films capable of controlled biomolecular loading and release. Films are formed via the layer-by-layer assembly of charged polymers and nanoparticles (NP), then chemically cross-linked to increase mechanical rigidity and stability, and finally exposed to tetrahydrofuran to dissolve the NP and create an intra-film porous network. We report here on the loading and release of the growth factor bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP-2), and the influence of BMP-2 loaded films on contacting murine C2C12 myoblasts. We observe nanotemplating to enable stable BMP-2 loading throughout the thickness of the film, and find the nanotemplated film to exhibit comparable cell adhesion, and enhanced cell differentiation, compared with a non-porous cross-linked film (where BMP-2 loading is mainly confined to the film surface).
Hierarchical analysis of high frequency interconnect networks

Interconnect networks are analyzed using symbolic frequency domain analysis and an exact model of a distributed line. The analyzed network must have a tree structure and may contain transmission lines as well as other linear two-ports with specified transmission matrices. Any regular portion of the interconnect network is analyzed hierarchically with significant savings in analysis time. Numerical Laplace transform inversion is used to obtain time domain solutions. The event driven approach is adopted to reduce analysis time. Time complexity of the method depends on the regularity of the analyzed network, and can be as low as a logarithmic function of the number of elements for a hierarchically organized tree structure. >
Real-Time Distributed Control for Smart Electric Vehicle Chargers: From a Static to a Dynamic Study

At high penetrations, uncontrolled electric vehicle (EV) charging has the potential to cause line and transformer congestion in the distribution network. Instead of upgrading components to higher nameplate ratings, we investigate the use of real-time control to limit EV load to the available capacity in the network. Inspired by rate control algorithms in computer networks such as TCP, we design a measurement-based, real-time, distributed, stable, efficient, and fair charging algorithm using the dual-decomposition approach. We show through extensive numerical simulations and power flow analysis on a test distribution network that this algorithm operates successfully in both static and dynamic settings, despite changes in home loads and the number of connected EVs. We find that our algorithm rapidly converges from large disturbances to a stable operating point. We show that in a test setting, for an acceptable level of overload, only 70 EVs could be fully charged without control, whereas up to around 700 EVs can be fully charged using our control algorithm. This compares well with the maximum supportable population of approximately 900 EVs. Our work also provides engineering guidelines for choosing the control parameters and setpoints in a distribution network.
DNA-repair gene variants are associated with glioblastoma survival

Abstract Patient outcome from glioma may be influenced by germline variation. Considering the importance of DNA repair in cancer biology as well as in response to treatment, we studied the relationship between 1458 SNPs, which captured the majority of the common genetic variation in 136 DNA repair genes, in 138 glioblastoma samples from Sweden and Denmark. We confirmed our findings in an independent cohort of 121 glioblastoma patients from the UK. Our analysis revealed nine SNPs annotating MSH2, RAD51L1 and RECQL4 that were significantly (p < 0.05) associated with glioblastoma survival.
Revealing the competition between peeled ssDNA, melting bubbles, and S-DNA during DNA overstretching using fluorescence microscopy

Mechanical stress plays a key role in many genomic processes, such as DNA replication and transcription. The ability to predict the response of double-stranded (ds) DNA to tension is a cornerstone of understanding DNA mechanics. It is widely appreciated that torsionally relaxed dsDNA exhibits a structural transition at forces of ∼65 pN, known as overstretching, whereby the contour length of the molecule increases by ∼70%. Despite extensive investigation, the structural changes occurring in DNA during overstretching are still generating considerable debate. Three mechanisms have been proposed to account for the increase in DNA contour length during overstretching: strand unpeeling, localized base-pair breaking (yielding melting bubbles), and formation of S-DNA (strand unwinding, while base pairing is maintained). Here we show, using a combination of fluorescence microscopy and optical tweezers, that all three structures can exist, uniting the often contradictory dogmas of DNA overstretching. We visualize and distinguish strand unpeeling and melting-bubble formation using an appropriate combination of fluorescently labeled proteins, whereas remaining B-form DNA is accounted for by using specific fluorescent molecular markers. Regions of S-DNA are associated with domains where fluorescent probes do not bind. We demonstrate that the balance between the three structures of overstretched DNA is governed by both DNA topology and local DNA stability. These findings enhance our knowledge of DNA mechanics and stability, which are of fundamental importance to understanding how proteins modify the physical state of DNA.
Risk Assessment in Offenders With Intellectual Disability

In mainstream offender samples, several risk assessments have been evaluated for predictive validity. This study extends this work to male offenders with intellectual disabilities. Participants from high-, medium-, and low-security settings, as well as community settings, were compared on a range of risk assessments. The Violence Risk Appraisal Guide, HCR-20—Historical Scale, the Risk Matrix 2000-C (combined risk), and the Emotional Problems Scales—Internalising discriminated between groups, with participants from high security having higher scores than those in medium security, who had higher scores than those in the community. The Violence Risk Appraisal Guide, all HCR-20 scales, the Short Dynamic Risk Scale, and the Emotional Problems Scales (Internalising and Externalising) showed significant areas under the curve for the prediction of violence. The Static-99 showed a significant area under the curve for the prediction of sexual incidents. The discussion reviews the value of these various scales to intellectual disability services.
Enzymatic Activity of CaMKII Is Not Required for Its Interaction with the Glutamate Receptor Subunit GluN2B

Binding of the Ca2+/calmodulin (CaM)-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) to the NMDA-type glutamate receptor subunit GluN2B is an important control mechanism for the regulation of synaptic strength. CaMKII binding to GluN2B and CaMKII translocation to synapses are induced by an initial Ca2+/CaM stimulus, which also activates the kinase. Indeed, several mechanistically different CaMKII inhibitors [tatCN21 and KN-93 (N-[2-[[[3-(4-chlorophenyl)-2-propenyl]methylamino]methyl]phenyl]-N-(2-hydroxyethyl)-4-methoxybenzenesulphonamide)] and inactivating mutations (K42M, A302R, and T305/T306D) impair this interaction, suggesting that it requires CaMKII enzymatic activity. However, this study shows that two general kinase inhibitors, H7 [1-(5-isoquinolinylsulfonyl)-2-methylpiperazine] and staurosporine (Sta), which inhibit CaMKII activity by yet another mechanism, did not interfere with GluN2B binding in vitro or within cells. In contrast to a previous report, we found that Sta, like H7, inhibited CaMKII in an ATP-competitive manner. Nucleotide binding significantly enhances CaMKII/GluN2B binding in vitro, but the nucleotide competition by H7 or Sta did not prevent this effect and instead even mimicked it. H7 (700 µM) and Sta (2 µM) efficiently blocked enzymatic activity of CaMKII, both in vitro and within cells. However, neither H7 nor Sta prevented Ca2+-induced translocation of CaMKII to GluN2B in heterologous cells or to synapses in hippocampal neurons. Thus, activity of CaMKII (or of any other kinase inhibited by H7 or Sta) is not required for stimulation-induced GluN2B-binding or synaptic translocation of CaMKII, despite previous indication to the contrary. This shows that results with inhibitors and inhibiting mutants can be caused by structural effects independent from catalytic activity, and that detailed understanding of the mechanisms is required for their interpretation.
Real Time 3 D Vision for Humanoid Robots

Recent advances in humanoid robotics, such as the introduction of Honda’s Asimo robot, have brought humanoids to the forefront of robotics research. We propose to mount the CanestaVision EP camera onto a humanoid robot. The 3D sensing capabilities of the camera will enable significant improvements in the core behaviors of obstacle detection (which is important for reliable walking) and grasp planning (which is important for object manipulation). Our team is uniquely positioned because we have extensive experience in 3D computer vision and humanoid robot motion planning, and we have access to several of the world’s most advanced humanoid robots. This work will pave the way for additional applications, such as object recognition and 3D mapping.
Background and Purpose Experimental Approach Conclusions and Implications Linked Articles

The acute and long-term L-DOPA effects are independent from changes in the activity of dorsal raphe serotonergic neurons in 6-OHDA lesioned rats L-DOPA is still the most efficacious pharmacological treatment for Parkinson's disease. However, in the majority of patients receiving long-term therapy with L-DOPA, its efficacy is compromised by motor complications, notably L-DOPA-induced dyskinesia. Evidence suggests that the serotonergic system is involved in the therapeutic and the side effects of L-DOPA. Here, we investigate if long-term L-DOPA treatment alters the activity of the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) and its responses to serotonergic drugs. We measured the responses of serotonergic neurons to acute and chronic L-DOPA treatment using in vivo electrophysiological single unit-extracellular recordings in the 6-OHDA-lesion rat model of Parkinson's disease. The results showed that neither acute nor chronic L-DOPA administration (6 mg·kg À1 s.c.) altered the properties of serotonergic-like neurons. Furthermore, no correlation was found between the activity of these neurons and the magnitude of L-DOPA-induced dyskinesia. In dyskinetic rats, the inhibitory response induced by the 5-HT 1A receptor agonist 8-OH-DPAT (0.0625–16 μg·kg À1 , i.v.) was preserved. Nonetheless, L-DOPA impaired the ability of the serotonin reuptake inhibitor fluoxetine (0.125–8 mg·kg À1 , i.v) to inhibit DRN neuron firing rate in dyskinetic animals. Although serotonergic neurons are involved in the dopaminergic effects of L-DOPA, we provide evidence that the effect of L-DOPA is not related to changes of the activity of DRN neurons. Rather, L-DOPA might reduce the efficacy of drugs that normally enhance the extracellular levels of serotonin. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs License, which permits use and distribution in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, the use is non-commercial and no modifications or adaptations are made.
Desynchronization of cell divisions in the course of egg cleavage and an attempt at experimental shift of its onset.

There is considerable current interest in the study of regularities and modes of regulation of cell cycles in the course of development (Dettlaff, 1964; Graham, Arms & Gurdon, 1966; Chulitskaia, 1967 a ). The period of cleavage divisions is a very suitable object for such investigations. It consists of two different periods known as periods of synchronous and asynchronous cell divisions (Syngayewskaya, 1931; Balinsky, 1931; Costello, 1955; Sirakami, 1958; Neyfakh & Rott, 1959; Dan, 1960; Pankova, 1963; Agrell, 1964; Engelberg, 1964; Skoblina, 1965; Chulitskaia, 1967 b ; Rott & Sheveleva, 1968). Peculiarities of these two periods are known rather well but regularities of the transition from synchronous to asynchronous divisions are still imperfectly understood (Ruckert, 1899; Hoff-Jorgensen & Zeuthen, 1952; Agrell & Person, 1956; Neyfakh & Rott, 1959; Neyfakh, 1961; Agrell, 1961, 1962; Pankova, 1963; Brown, 1965; Bachvarova, Davidson, Allfrey & Mirsky, 1966; Timofeeva, Kafiani & Neyfakh, 1967; Chulitskaia, 1967 a , b ; Rott & Sheveleva, 1968).
An Adoption Model of Software as a Service (SaaS) in SMEs

Software as Service (SaaS) model of cloud computing is currently one of the most advanced technology innovations. Due to its scalability and network-based operation, SaaS offers opportunities for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to take advantage of the latest technology without costly investment on IT infrastructure and expertise. Despite its benefits, SMEs' adoption of SaaS is not prevalent. In this paper, by synthesizing Diffusion of Innovation theory, Technology-OrganizationEnvironment theory and Protection Motivation theory, we propose a conceptual model which explains adoption factors of SaaS in SMEs. Our proposed model extends focus on protection motivation of SMEs in assessing SaaS adoption risks in addition to technology, organisation, and environment factors.
Definition of target antigens for naturally occurring CD4+ CD25+ regulatory T cells

The antigenic targets recognized by naturally occurring CD4+ CD25+ regulatory T cells (T reg cells) have been elusive. We have serologically defined a series of broadly expressed self-antigens derived from chemically induced mouse sarcomas by serological identification of antigens by recombinant expression cloning (SEREX). CD4+ CD25+ T cells from mice immunized with SEREX-defined self-antigens had strong suppressive activity on peptide-specific proliferation of CD4+ CD25− T cells and CD8+ T cells. The suppressive effect was observed without in vitro T cell stimulation. Foxp3 expression in these CD4+ CD25+ T cells from immunized mice was 5–10 times greater than CD4+ CD25+ T cells derived from naive mice. The suppressive effect required cellular contact and was blocked by anti-glucocorticoid–induced tumor necrosis factor receptor family–related gene antibody. In vitro suppressive activity essentially disappeared 8 wk after the last immunization. However, it was regained by in vitro restimulation with cognate self-antigen protein but not with control protein. We propose that SEREX-defined self-antigens such as those used in this study represent self-antigens that elicit naturally occurring CD4+ CD25+ T reg cells.
A Novel Hybrid Excitation Flux Reversal Machine for Electric Vehicle Propulsion

A hybrid excitation flux reversal machine (HEFRM) is developed for application in electric vehicle (EV) propulsion. The proposed machine is a parallel hybrid excitation machine, which can not only exhibits superior overload and flux weakening capabilities, but also reduces the risk of PM demagnetization. The feasible slot-pole combinations of the HEFRM are introduced and optimized, and the influences of several key design parameters such as ratio of field winding to total winding, ferromagnetic pole arc, stator and rotor slot opening ratio on torque density and power factor are investigated by 2D finite element algorithm (FEA). A HEFRM prototype is under built and the experimental results will be shown in future publications.
Finite Element Analysis for Reliable Replication of Alignment Structures in Micro Hot Embossing

Numerical analysis to predict the flow behavior of polymers was conducted using commercial finite element software, DEFORM-2D. An alignment structure, a hemisphere-tipped post with an annular ring, was modeled to demonstrate the flow front of the polymer during molding. The cavity filling process was evaluated by measuring the heights of the molded posts and confirmed and validated by experimental data. Estimated and measured heights showed better replication accuracy with the increase of molding temperature and embossing force. Results exposed complete cavity filling at embossing forces of 600 and 900 N at a molding temperature of 137.5°C. The FEM prediction tool can be used to select the adequate process parameters for a high fidelity replication of polymer microstructures. © 2013 ASME