Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
High-precision mapping of protein–protein interfaces: an integrated genetic strategy combining en masse mutagenesis and DNA-level parallel analysis on a yeast two-hybrid platform

Understanding networks of protein–protein interactions constitutes an essential component on a path towards comprehensive description of cell function. Whereas efficient techniques are readily available for the initial identification of interacting protein partners, practical strategies are lacking for the subsequent high-resolution mapping of regions involved in protein–protein interfaces. We present here a genetic strategy to accurately map interacting protein regions at amino acid precision. The system is based on parallel construction, sampling and analysis of a comprehensive insertion mutant library. The methodology integrates Mu in vitro transposition-based random pentapeptide mutagenesis of proteins, yeast two-hybrid screening and high-resolution genetic footprinting. The strategy is general and applicable to any interacting protein pair. We demonstrate the feasibility of the methodology by mapping the region in human JFC1 that interacts with Rab8A, and we show that the association is mediated by the Slp homology domain 1.
SPASYN-an electromagnetic relative position and orientation tracking system

Two relatively remote independent body coordinate frames are related in both position and orientation (six degrees of freedom) using precise electromagnetic field measurements. Antenna triads are fixed in each body frame. Variously polarized excitations in one body are correlated with signals detected in the remote body. Near-field and far-field processing strategies are presented with applications.
Non-malleable Extractors with Short Seeds and Applications to Privacy Amplification

Motivated by the classical problem of privacy amplification, Dodis and Wichs [9] introduced the notion of a non-malleable extractor, significantly strengthening the notion of a strong extractor. A non-malleable extractor is a function nmExt : {0, 1}n × {0, 1}d → {0, 1}m that takes two inputs: a weak source W and a uniform (independent) seed S, and outputs a string nmExt(W, S) that is nearly uniform given S as well as nmExt(W, S) for any seed S' ≠ S that is determined as an arbitrary function of S. The first explicit construction of a non-malleable extractor was recently provided by Dodis, Li, Wooley and Zuckerman [7]. Their extractor works for any weak source with min-entropy rate 1/2+δ, where δ >; 0 is an arbitrary constant, and outputs up to a linear number of bits, but suffers from two drawbacks. First, the length of its seed is linear in the length of the weak source (which leads to privacy amplification protocols with high communication complexity). Second, the construction is conditional: when outputting more than a logarithmic number of bits (as required for privacy amplification protocols) its efficiency relies on a longstanding conjecture on the distribution of prime numbers. In this paper we present an unconditional construction of a non-malleable extractor with short seeds. For any integers n and d such that 2.01 · log n ≤ d ≤ n, we present an explicit construction of a non-malleable extractor nmExt: {0, 1}n × {0, 1}d → {0, 1}m, with m = Ω(d), and error exponentially small in m. The extractor works for any weak source with min-entropy rate 1/2 + δ, where δ >; 0 is an arbitrary constant. Moreover, our extractor in fact satisfies an even more general notion of non-malleability: its output nmExt(W, S) is nearly uniform given the seed S as well as the values nmExt(W, S1),. , nmExt(W, St) for several seeds S1,. , St that may be determined as an arbitrary function of S, as long as S ∉ {S1,. , St}. By instantiating the framework of Dodis and Wichs with our non-malleable extractor, we obtain the first 2-round privacy amplification protocol for min-entropy rate 1/2 + δ with asymptotically optimal entropy loss and poly-logarithmic communication complexity. This improves the previously known 2-round privacy amplification protocols: the protocol of Dodis and Wichs whose entropy loss is not asymptotically optimal, and the protocol of Dodis, Li, Wooley and Zuckerman whose communication complexity is linear.
Strength training effects of whole‐body vibration?

Whole‐body vibration (WBV) has been suggested to have a beneficial effect on muscle strength. Manufacturers of vibration platforms promote WBV as an effective alternative or complement to resistance training. This study aimed to review systematically the current (August 2005) scientific support for effects of WBV on muscle strength and jump performance. MEDLINE and SPORT DISCUS were searched for the word vibration in combination with strength or training. Twelve articles were included in the final analysis. In four of the five studies that used an adequate design with a control group performing the same exercises as the WBV group, no difference in performance improvement was found between groups, suggesting no or only minor additional effects of WBV as such. Proposed neural mechanisms are discussed.
A Comparison of GIS Approaches to Slope Instability Zonation in the Central Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia

To aid in forest management, various approaches using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) have been used to identify the spatial distributions of relative slope instability. This study presents a systematic evaluation of three common slope instability modeling approaches applied in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. The modeling approaches include the Qualitative Map Combination, Bivariate Statistical Analysis, and the Shallow Landsliding Stability (SHALSTAB) model. Historically, the qualitative nature of the first model has led to the use of more quantitative statistical models and more deterministic physically-based models such as SHALSTAB. Although numerous studies have been performed utilizing each approach in various regions of the world, only a few comparisons of these approaches have been done in order to assess whether the quantitative and deterministic models result in better identification of instability. The goal of this study is to provide an assessment of relative model behavior and error potential in order to ascertain which model may be the most effective at identifying slope instability in a forest management context. The models are developed using both 10-meter and 30-meter elevation data and outputs are standardized and classified into instability classes (e.g. low instability → high instability). The outputs are compared with cross-tabulation tables based on the area (m) assigned to each instability class and validated using known locations of debris flows. In addition, an assessment of the effects of varying source data (i.e. 10-meter vs. 30-meter) is performed. Among all models and using either resolution data, the Qualitative Map Combination correctly identifies the most debris flows. In addition, the Qualitative Map Combination is the best model in terms of correctly identifying debris flows while minimizing the classification of high instability in areas not affected by debris flows. The statistical model only performs well when using 10-meter data while SHALSTAB only performs well using 30-meter data. Overall, 30-meter elevation data predicts the location of debris flows better than 10-meter data due to the inclusion of more area into higher instability classes. Of the models, the statistical approach is the least sensitive to variations in source elevation data.
Use of the Modified Emotional Stroop Task to Detect Suicide Risk in College Students

It is a challenge to detect those who are at potential risk for suicide because the base rate of suicidal behaviors in non-clinical samples is low. The aim of the present study was to investigate the concurrent and predictive validity of the emotional Stroop task (EST) as a behavioral marker for suicidal behaviors in a college population. Eight hundred and twenty students were asked to perform the EST and to respond to suicide-related self-report measures and were followed up with18 months later. The results indicated that participants with past suicide attempts had longer response latencies to the word " suicide " as compared to non-attempters. Further, those with attentional bias toward suicide-related words at baseline were more likely to report suicidal behaviors during the follow-up period. The EST latencies were not affected by ethnicity, but a possible gender effect was detected. These results are discussed as they pertain to suicide risk assessment among college students.
Eating disorder diagnoses in general practice settings: Comparison with structured clinical interview and self-report questionnaires

Background. Accurate diagnosis of eating disorders may facilitate appropriate management of the conditions. Currently, little information is available regarding the accuracy of eating disorder diagnoses made in routine primary care. Aims. To evaluate the accuracy of eating disorder diagnoses made in primary care settings, and to compare the accuracy of primary care diagnoses with those generated using patient self-report questionnaires. Method. Participants were 212 consecutive referrals to an outpatient eating disorder programme, who were found to have a DSM-IV eating disorder upon assessment with the Eating Disorder Examination (EDE). Primary care diagnoses were taken from referral letters and forms. Self-report diagnoses were generated using self-report responses to the Eating Disorder Examination-Questionnaire (EDE-Q). Results. Primary care practitioners were accurate in identifying anorexia and bulimia nervosa, but inaccurate in identifying atypical presentations (e.g. eating disorders not otherwise specified [EDNOS]). Convergence between the EDE and the EDE-Q was modest, and the EDE-Q tended to overestimate the incidence of EDNOS. Conclusion. ‘Atypical’ eating disorder presentations tend to be misdiagnosed in primary care settings, although practitioners are generally accurate in distinguishing between anorexia-like and bulimia-like presentations. This has implications for the management of eating disorders in primary care settings.
Is this NE tagger getting old?

This paper focuses on the influence of changing the text time frame on the performance of a named entity tagger. We followed a twofold approach to investigate this subject: on the one hand, we analyzed a corpus that spans 8 years, and, on the other hand, we assessed the performance of a name tagger trained and tested on that corpus. We created 8 samples from the corpus, each drawn from the articles for a particular year. In terms of corpus analysis, we calculated the corpus similarity and names shared between samples. To see the effect on tagger performance, we implemented a semi-supervised name tagger based on co-training; then, we trained and tested our tagger on those samples. We observed that corpus similarity, names shared between samples, and tagger performance all decay as the time gap between the samples increases. Furthermore, we observed that the corpus similarity and names shared correlate with the tagger F-measure. These results show that named entity recognition systems may become obsolete in a short period of time.
Response to clozapine in a clinically identifiable subtype of schizophrenia.

BACKGROUND Genetic testing in psychiatry promises to improve patient care through advances in personalised medicine. However, there are few clinically relevant examples. AIMS To determine whether patients with a well-established genetic subtype of schizophrenia show a different response profile to the antipsychotic clozapine than those with idiopathic schizophrenia. METHOD We retrospectively studied the long-term safety and efficacy of clozapine in 40 adults with schizophrenia, half with a 22q11.2 deletion (22q11.2DS group) and half matched for age and clinical severity but molecularly confirmed to have no pathogenic copy number variant (idiopathic group). RESULTS Both groups showed similar clinical improvement and significant reductions in hospitalisations, achieved at a lower median dose for those in the 22q11.2DS group. Most common side-effects were similarly prevalent between the two groups, however, half of the 22q11.2DS group experienced at least one rare serious adverse event compared with none of the idiopathic group. Many were successfully retried on clozapine. CONCLUSIONS Individuals with 22q11.2DS-schizophrenia respond as well to clozapine treatment as those with other forms of schizophrenia, but may represent a disproportionate number of those with serious adverse events, primarily seizures. Lower doses and prophylactic (for example anticonvulsant) management strategies can help ameliorate side-effect risks. This first systematic evaluation of antipsychotic response in a genetic subtype of schizophrenia provides a proof-of-principle for personalised medicine and supports the utility of clinical genetic testing in schizophrenia.
Improving the Quality of Color Colonoscopy Videos

Colonoscopy is currently one of the best methods to detect colorectal cancer. Nowadays, one of the widely used colonoscopes has a monochrome chipset recording successively at 60 Hz and components merged into one color video stream. Misalignments of the channels occur each time the camera moves, and this artefact impedes both online visual inspection by doctors and offline computer analysis of the image data. We propose to restore this artefact by first equalizing the color channels and then performing a robust camera motion estimation and compensation.
Coseismic displacements of the MW = 6.1, July 9, 1998, Faial earthquake (Azores, North Atlantic)

On 9 July 1998 an earthquake occurred NE of Faial Island (Azores, North Atlantic). The Harvard CMT solution points to a sub‐vertical strike‐slip event corresponding to the strikes N241E and N151E. Here, we use GPS data to estimate the coseismic displacements and to constrain the geometry of the earthquake source. GPS observations collected between 1993 and 1999 are processed to separate the interseismic and coseismic movements. Additionally, a displacement field is derived from a denser GPS network of 30 stations. We model the coseismic movements by a dislocation in a homogenous elastic half space. The data do not allow to infer the fault strike direction, which have helped to understand the relationships with the regional geodynamics. However, the models give consistent figures for the fault surface (≈40 km2), the coseismic slip (1 m) and the depth of the upper and lower edges of the fault plane (2 and 6 km).
EMERGENCE OF COMMUNICATION IN TEAMS OF EMBODIED AND SITUATED AGENTS

In this paper we will describe the results of an experiment in which an effective communication system arises among a collection of initially non-communicating agents through a self-organization process based on an evolutionary process. Evolved agents communicate by producing and detecting five different signals that affect both their motor and signaling behavior. These signals identify features of the environment and of the agents/agents and agents/environmental relations that are crucial for solving the given problem. The obtained results also indicate that individual and social/communicative behaviors are tightly co-adapted.
Retrieval of remotely sensed sea surface salinity using MODIS data in the Chinese Bohai Sea

ABSTRACT Salinity dominates seawater density and directly affects physical and biochemical processes. Having a reliable retrieval model is essential to providing frequent and accurate sea surface salinity (SSS) data for marine research. Remote-sensing techniques provide alternatives for SSS data retrieval with its advantages of wide area surveys and real-time monitoring. In the present study, inverse relationship between SSS and coloured dissolved organic matter (CDOM) concentration in the Chinese Bohai Sea was verified. Thus, four simple band ratios of the original remote-sensing reflectance (Rrs) used to retrieve the CDOM concentration were compared and tested during SSS retrieval. Rrs (531)/Rrs (551) performed best among the four given band ratios. The model employed here can be applied to derive SSS with a root mean square error (RMSE) of 0.26 practical salinity units (psu) (R2 = 0.76). A calibration model was verified using a discrete dataset of the measured SSS and was tested further during mapping of SSS in the Chinese Bohai Sea during 2010–2014. The yielded spatial patterns of SSS were satisfactory and an inverse relationship between SSS and the Yellow River discharge was confirmed.
Compressed sensing under strong noise. Application to imaging through multiply scattering media

Compressive sensing exploits the structure of signals to acquire them with fewer measurements than required by the Nyquist-Shannon theory. However, the design of practical compressive sensing hardware raises several issues. First, one has to elicit a measurement mechanism that exhibits adequate incoherence properties. Second, the system should be robust to noise, whether it be measurement noise, or calibration noise, i.e. discrepancies between theoretical and actual measurement matrices. Third, to improve performance in the case of strong noise, it is not clear whether one should increase the number of sensors, or rather take several measurements, thus settling in the multiple measurement vector scenario (MMV). Here, we first show how measurement matrices may be estimated by calibration instead of being assumed perfectly known, and second that if the noise level reaches a few percents of the signal level, MMV is the only way to sample sparse signals at sub-Nyquist sampling rates.
An Algorithm for Feature Level Fusion in Multimodal Biometric System

The increasing demand for high secure and reliable authentication schemes, led to improvement in unimodal biometric system and hence multimodal biometric system has emerged as a mean of more secure and reliable authentication scheme. Multimodal biometric fusion is very promising process to enhances the strengths and reduce the weaknesses of the individual measurements. In multimodal biometrics, the classification results obtained from each independent biometric channel is fused to obtain composite classification is known as biometric fusion. The appropriate fusion scheme combines the processed information, which can be further used for authentication. In this paper, I propose an ensemble algorithm for feature level fusion in multimodal biometric system. The proposed feature level fusion algorithm is accomplished by normalizing feature point sets extracted independently from two modalities of user and making the two point sets compatible for concatenation and then performing feature selection on the concatenated vector.
Consistency analysis of authorization hook placement in the Linux security modules framework

We present a consistency analysis approach to assist the Linux community in verifying the correctness of authorization hook placement in the Linux Security Modules (LSM) framework. The LSM framework consists of a set of authorization hooks inserted into the Linux kernel to enable additional authorizations to be performed (e.g., for mandatory access control). When compared to system call interposition, authorization within the kernel has both security and performance advantages, but it is more difficult to verify that placement of the LSM hooks ensures that all the kernel's security-sensitive operations are authorized. Static analysis has been used previously to verified mediation (i.e., that some hook mediates access to a security-sensitive operation), but that work did not determine whether the necessary set of authorizations were checked. In this paper, we develop an approach to test the consistency of the relationships between security-sensitive operations and LSM hooks. The idea is that whenever a security-sensitive operation is performed as part of specifiable event, a particular set of LSM hooks must have mediated that operation. This work demonstrates that the number of events that impact consistency is manageable and that the notion of consistency is useful for verifying correctness. We describe our consistency approach for performing verification, the implementation of run-time tools that implement this approach, the anomalous situations found in an LSM-patched Linux 2.4. 16 kernel, and an implementation of a static analysis version of this approach.
Using Link Prediction to Estimate the Collaborative Influence of Researchers

The influence of a particular individual in a scientific collaboration network could be measured in several ways. Estimating influence commonly requires calculating computationally costly global measures, which may be impractical on networks with hundreds of thousands of vertices. In this paper, we introduce new local measures to estimate the collaborative influence of individual researchers in a collaboration network. Our approach is based on the link prediction technique, and its underlying rationale is to assess how the presence/absence of a researcher affects the link prediction outcome in the network as a whole. It is natural to assume that the absence of a researcher with strong influence in the network will cause negative impact in the correct link prediction. Scientists are represented as vertices in the collaboration graph, and a vertex removal and corresponding link prediction process are performed iteratively for all vertices, each vertex being handled independently. The SVM supervised learning model has been adopted as link predictor. The proposed approach has been tested on real collaboration networks relative to multiple time periods, processing the networks in order to assign more relevance to recent than to older collaborations. The experimental tests suggest that our measure of impact on link prediction has high negative correlation with standard vertex importance measures such as between ness and closeness centrality.
Dynamic power management for nonstationary service requests

Dynamic power management is a design methodology aiming at reducing power consumption of electronic systems, by performing selective shutdown of the idle system resources. The effectiveness of a power management scheme depends critically on an accurate modeling of the environment, and on the computation of the control policy. This paper presents two methods for characterizing nonstationary service requests by means of a prediction scheme based on sliding windows. Moreover; it describes how control policies for nonstationary models can be derived.
The impact of ditch blocking on fluvial carbon export from a UK blanket bog

We investigated the effects of ditch blocking on fluvial carbon concentrations and fluxes at a 5‐year, replicated, control‐intervention field experiment on a blanket peatland in North Wales, UK. The site was hydrologically instrumented, and run‐off via open and blocked ditches was analysed for dissolved organic carbon (DOC), particulate organic carbon, dissolved carbon dioxide, and dissolved methane. DOC was also analysed in peat porewater and overland flow. The hillslope experiment was embedded within a paired control‐intervention catchment study, with 3 years of preblocking and 6 years of postblocking data. Results from the hillslope showed large reductions in discharge via blocked ditches, with water partly redirected into hillslope surface and subsurface flows, and partly into remaining open ditches. We observed no impacts of ditch blocking on DOC, particulate organic carbon, dissolved carbon dioxide or methane in ditch waters, DOC in porewaters or overland flow, or stream water DOC at the paired catchment scale. Similar DOC concentrations in ditch water, overland flow, and porewater suggest that diverting flow from the ditch network to surface or subsurface flow had a limited impact on concentrations or fluxes of DOC entering the stream network. The subdued response of fluvial carbon to ditch blocking in our study may be attributable to the relatively low susceptibility of blanket peatlands to drainage, or to physical alterations of the peat since drainage. We conclude that ditch blocking cannot be always be expected to deliver reductions in fluvial carbon loss, or improvements in the quality of drinking water supplies.