Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Disrupting the experience of control in the human brain: pre-supplementary motor area contributes to the sense of agency

The feeling of controlling events through one's actions is fundamental to human experience, but its neural basis remains unclear. This ‘sense of agency’ (SoA) can be measured quantitatively as a temporal linkage between voluntary actions and their external effects. We investigated the brain areas underlying this aspect of action awareness by using theta-burst stimulation to locally and reversibly disrupt human brain function. Disruption of the pre-supplementary motor area (pre-SMA), a key structure for preparation and initiation of a voluntary action, was shown to reduce the temporal linkage between a voluntary key-press action and a subsequent electrocutaneous stimulus. In contrast, disruption of the sensorimotor cortex, which processes signals more directly related to action execution and sensory feedback, had no significant effect. Our results provide the first direct evidence of a pre-SMA contribution to SoA.
Augmenting Trust Networks for Improved Recommendation Generation : A T-index Approach

Social Networks have dominated growth and popularity of the Web to an extent which has never been witnessed before. Such popularity puts forward issue of trust to the participants of Social Networks. Collaborative Filtering Recommenders have been among many systems which have begun taking full advantage of Social Trust phenomena for generating more accurate predictions. For analyzing the evolution of constructed networks of trust, we utilize Collaborative Filtering enhanced with T-index as an estimate of a user’s trustworthiness to identify and select neighbors in an effective manner. Our empirical evaluation demonstrates how T-index improves the Trust Network structure by generating connections to more trustworthy users. We also show that exploiting T-index results in better prediction accuracy and coverage of recommendations collected along few edges that connect users on a network.
Using tumour pathology to identify people at high genetic risk of breast and colorectal cancers

Summary Genes have been identified for which germline mutations are associated with high lifetime risks of breast, colorectal and other cancers. Identification of mutation carriers through genetic testing is important as it could help lower cancer incidence and mortality. The translation of genetic information into better health outcomes is expensive because of the costs of genetic counselling as well as laboratory testing. Approaches to triage for mutation screening of known genes which rely on cancer family history are not necessarily sensitive and specific or the most cost-effective. Recent population-based research has shown that the cancers and precancerous lesions arising in mutation carriers have specific molecular and morphological characteristics. People with colorectal cancer, especially those diagnosed at a young age, whose tumours exhibit microsatellite instability and some specific pathology and immunohistochemically-defined features are more likely to carry a germline mutation in one of four mismatch repair genes. Some morphological and immunohistochemically-defined features are associated with breast cancers arising in women who carry BRCA1 or BRCA2 germline mutations, especially if at a young age. Screening paradigms based on molecular and morphological features that predict mutation status, especially if focused on early-onset disease, have the potential to identify mutation carriers with greater sensitivity and specificity, and in a more cost-effective way, than those based on family history alone. Genetic testing results could help inform treatment if those affected are tested soon after diagnosis using pathology-led selection strategies to identify cases most likely to carry germline mutations. We propose how this new approach could be undertaken by having genetic testing and counselling prioritised to those with the greatest probability of carrying a germline mutation in these known cancer predisposition genes.
Novel breast cancer detection system combining both thermoacoustic (TA) and photoacoustic (PA) tomography using carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as a dual contrast agent

We report here a novel breast cancer scanner using microwave and light excitation and ultrasound detection. This combined thermoacoustic and photoacoustic tomography scanner is a nonionizing low cost system that can potentially provide high-resolution, dual contrast (microwave and light absorption) three dimensional images of the breast. Front breast compression will be used in this scanner to alleviate patient discomfort, experienced in side breast compression during traditional X-ray mammography. This scanner will use dry instead of gel ultrasonic coupling. We have also developed a carbon nanotube-based contrast agent for both thermoacoustic and photoacoustic imaging. In the future, targeted molecular photoacoustic and thermoacoustic imaging should be possible using this contrast agent.
Femtosecond infrared emission resulting from coherent charge oscillations in quantum wells.

We excite quantum beats in a quantum well using 12 fs optical pulses. The resulting coherent charge oscillation, in the tens-of-tetrahertz range, radiates a corresponding infrared electromagnetic wave which is monitored through heterodyne detection using as a reference a nearly singlecycle infrared pulse. The direct observation of this wave-packet oscillation yields information on the relaxation of intersubband coherence in quantum wells. Furthermore, the experiment yields simultaneously the femtosecond dynamics of both diagonal and off-diagonal matrix elements of the density operator. [S0031-9007(96)00349-3]
On the Power of Learning from k-Wise Queries

Several well-studied models of access to data samples, including statistical queries, local differential privacy and low-communication algorithms rely on queries that provide information about a function of a single sample. (For example, a statistical query (SQ) gives an estimate of Ex_{x ~ D}[q(x)] for any choice of the query function q mapping X to the reals, where D is an unknown data distribution over X. ) Yet some data analysis algorithms rely on properties of functions that depend on multiple samples. Such algorithms would be naturally implemented using k-wise queries each of which is specified by a function q mapping X^k to the reals. Hence it is natural to ask whether algorithms using k-wise queries can solve learning problems more efficiently and by how much. Blum, Kalai and Wasserman (2003) showed that for any weak PAC learning problem over a fixed distribution, the complexity of learning with k-wise SQs is smaller than the (unary) SQ complexity by a factor of at most 2^k. We show that for more general problems over distributions the picture is substantially richer. For every k, the complexity of distribution-independent PAC learning with k-wise queries can be exponentially larger than learning with (k+1)-wise queries. We then give two approaches for simulating a k-wise query using unary queries. The first approach exploits the structure of the problem that needs to be solved. It generalizes and strengthens (exponentially) the results of Blum et al. It allows us to derive strong lower bounds for learning DNF formulas and stochastic constraint satisfaction problems that hold against algorithms using k-wise queries. The second approach exploits the k-party communication complexity of the k-wise query function.
The Drosophila bZIP transcription factor Vrille is involved in hair and cell growth

Vri is closely related to bZIP transcription factors involved in growth or cell death. vri clonal and overexpression analyses revealed defects at the cellular level. vri clones in the adult cuticle contain smaller cells with atrophic bristles. The phenotypes are strictly cell autonomous. Clones induced in the eye precursor cells lead to individuals with smaller eyes and reduced number of ommatidia with an abnormal morphology and shorter photoreceptor cell stalks. Overexpression of vri is anti-proliferative in embryonic dorsal epidermis and in imaginal discs, and induces apoptosis. On the wing surface, larger cells with multiple trichomes are observed, suggesting cytoskeletal defects. In salivary glands, vri overexpression leads to smaller cells and organs. We also show that vri is involved in locomotion and flight and interacts genetically with genes encoding actin-binding proteins. The phenotypes observed are consistent with the hypothesis that vri is required for normal cell growth and proliferation via the regulation of the actin cytoskeleton.
RepFlow on node.js: Cutting Tail Latency in Data Center Networks at the Applications Layer

Data center networks need to provide low latency, especially at the tail, as demanded by many interactive applications. To improve tail latency, existing approaches require modifications to switch hardware and/or end-host operating systems, making them difficult to be deployed. We present the design, implementation, and evaluation of RepNet, an application layer transport that can be deployed today. RepNet exploits the fact that only a few paths among many are congested at any moment in the network, and applies simple flow replication to mice flows to opportunistically use the less congested path. RepNet has two designs for flow replication: (1) RepSYN, which only replicates SYN packets and uses the first connection that finishes TCP handshaking for data transmission, and (2) RepFlow which replicates the entire mice flow. We implement RepNet on {\tt node.js}, one of the most commonly used platforms for networked interactive applications. {\tt node}'s single threaded event-loop and non-blocking I/O make flow replication highly efficient. Performance evaluation on a real network testbed and in Mininet reveals that RepNet is able to reduce the tail latency of mice flows, as well as application completion times, by more than 50\%.
Efficient Bipedal Robots Based on Passive-Dynamic Walkers

Passive-dynamic walkers are simple mechanical devices, composed of solid parts connected by joints, that walk stably down a slope. They have no motors or controllers, yet can have remarkably humanlike motions. This suggests that these machines are useful models of human locomotion; however, they cannot walk on level ground. Here we present three robots based on passive-dynamics, with small active power sources substituted for gravity, which can walk on level ground. These robots use less control and less energy than other powered robots, yet walk more naturally, further suggesting the importance of passive-dynamics in human locomotion.
Using Integer Linear Programming for Content Selection, Lexicalization, and Aggregation to Produce Compact Texts from OWL Ontologies

We present an Integer Linear Programming model of content selection, lexicalization, and aggregation that we developed for a system that generates texts from OWL ontologies. Unlike pipeline architectures, our model jointly considers the available choices in these three text generation stages, to avoid greedy decisions and produce more compact texts. Experiments with two ontologies confirm that it leads to more compact texts, compared to a pipeline with the same components, with no deterioration in the perceived quality of the generated texts. We also present an approximation of our model, which allows longer texts to be generated efficiently.
Tumor-Educated Tolerogenic Dendritic Cells Induce CD3ε Down-Regulation and Apoptosis of T Cells through Oxygen-Dependent Pathways1

Defects in the CD3/TCR complex and impairment of T cell function are necessary for tumor evasion, but the underlying mechanisms are incompletely understood. We found that culture supernatants from several types of solid tumor cell lines drove human monocytes to become tolerogenic semimature dendritic cells (TDCs). Upon encountering T cells, the TDCs triggered rapid down-regulation of CD3ε and TCR-α/β and subsequent apoptosis in autologous T cells. Consistent with these results, accumulation of immunosuppressive DCs coincided with CD3ε down-regulation and T cell deletion in cancer nests of human tumors. The impaired T cell function was mediated by factor(s) released by live TDCs after direct interaction with lymphocytes. Also, the TDC-induced effect on T cells was markedly reduced by blocking of NADPH oxidase but not by inhibition of arginase, inducible NO synthase (iNOS), IDO, or IFN-γ. Moreover, we found that hyaluronan fragments constituted a common factor produced by a variety of human tumor cell lines to induce formation of TDCs. These observations indicate that tumor microenvironments, including hyaluronan fragments derived from cancer cells, educate DCs to adopt a semimature phenotype, which in turn aids tumor immune escape by causing defects in the CD3/TCR complex and deletion of T cells.
Induction of Caveolae in the Apical Plasma Membrane of Madin-Darby Canine Kidney Cells

In this paper, we have analyzed the behavior of antibody cross-linked raft-associated proteins on the surface of MDCK cells. We observed that cross-linking of membrane proteins gave different results depending on whether cross-linking occurred on the apical or basolateral plasma membrane. Whereas antibody cross-linking induced the formation of large clusters on the basolateral membrane, resembling those observed on the surface of fibroblasts (Harder, T., P. Scheiffele, P. Verkade, and K. Simons. 1998. J. Cell Biol. 929-942), only small ( approximately 100 nm) clusters formed on the apical plasma membrane. Cross-linked apical raft proteins e.g., GPI-anchored placental alkaline phosphatase (PLAP), influenza hemagglutinin, and gp114 coclustered and were internalized slowly ( approximately 10% after 60 min). Endocytosis occurred through surface invaginations that corresponded in size to caveolae and were labeled with caveolin-1 antibodies. Upon cholesterol depletion the internalization of PLAP was completely inhibited. In contrast, when a non-raft protein, the mutant LDL receptor LDLR-CT22, was cross-linked, it was excluded from the clusters of raft proteins and was rapidly internalized via clathrin-coated pits. Since caveolae are normally present on the basolateral membrane but lacking from the apical side, our data demonstrate that antibody cross-linking induced the formation of caveolae, which slowly internalized cross-linked clusters of raft-associated proteins.
Dimensionality of Subscales for Emotional Support in the Bosch Support Measure for Survivors of Domestic Abuse

Items from the Emotional Support Subscale of the Bosch Support Measure were administered in a small survey of 56 formerly abused rural women in the midwestern USA. Maximum likelihood factor analyses were performed on a total of 21 items. A 5-factor solution appeared to produce the best results, but only 3 factors suggested viable subscales with Cronbach alphas greater than . 80. Informal support networks in the rural areas studied here appeared to provide survivors of domestic violence with general emotional support to a greater extent than guidance on accessing professional resources and help.
Visual navigation of a quadrotor Aerial Vehicle

This paper presents a vision-based navigation strategy for a Vertical Take-off and Landing (VTOL) Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) using a single embedded camera observing natural landmarks. In the proposed approach, images of the environment are first sampled and stored as a set of ordered key images (visual path) and organized providing a visual memory of the environment. The robot navigation task is then defined as a concatenation of visual path subsets (called visual route) linking the current observed image and a target image belonging to the visual memory. The UAV is controlled to reach each image of the visual route using a vision-based control law adapted to its dynamic model and without explicitly planning any trajectory. This framework is largely substantiated by experiments with a X4-flyer equipped with a fisheye camera.
Prolonged Nonhydrolytic Interaction of Nucleotide with CFTR's NH2-terminal Nucleotide Binding Domain and its Role in Channel Gating

CFTR, the protein defective in cystic fibrosis, functions as a Cl− channel regulated by cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA). CFTR is also an ATPase, comprising two nucleotide-binding domains (NBDs) thought to bind and hydrolyze ATP. In hydrolyzable nucleoside triphosphates, PKA-phosphorylated CFTR channels open into bursts, lasting on the order of a second, from closed (interburst) intervals of a second or more. To investigate nucleotide interactions underlying channel gating, we examined photolabeling by [α32P]8-N3ATP or [γ32P]8-N3ATP of intact CFTR channels expressed in HEK293T cells or Xenopus oocytes. We also exploited split CFTR channels to distinguish photolabeling at NBD1 from that at NBD2. To examine simple binding of nucleotide in the absence of hydrolysis and gating reactions, we photolabeled after incubation at 0°C with no washing. Nucleotide interactions under gating conditions were probed by photolabeling after incubation at 30°C, with extensive washing, also at 30°C. Phosphorylation of CFTR by PKA only slightly influenced photolabeling after either protocol. Strikingly, at 30°C nucleotide remained tightly bound at NBD1 for many minutes, in the form of nonhydrolyzed nucleoside triphosphate. As nucleotide-dependent gating of CFTR channels occurred on the time scale of seconds under comparable conditions, this suggests that the nucleotide interactions, including hydrolysis, that time CFTR channel opening and closing occur predominantly at NBD2. Vanadate also appeared to act at NBD2, presumably interrupting its hydrolytic cycle, and markedly delayed termination of channel open bursts. Vanadate somewhat increased the magnitude, but did not alter the rate, of the slow loss of nucleotide tightly bound at NBD1. Kinetic analysis of channel gating in Mg8-N3ATP or MgATP reveals that the rate-limiting step for CFTR channel opening at saturating [nucleotide] follows nucleotide binding to both NBDs. We propose that ATP remains tightly bound or occluded at CFTR's NBD1 for long periods, that binding of ATP at NBD2 leads to channel opening wherupon its hydrolysis prompts channel closing, and that phosphorylation acts like an automobile clutch that engages the NBD events to drive gating of the transmembrane ion pore.
Satisfying Privacy Requirements Before Data Anonymization

In this paper, we study a problem of protecting privacy of individuals in large public survey rating data. We propose a novel (k,e, l)-anonymity model to protect privacy in large survey rating data, in which each survey record is required to be similar to at least k-1 other records based on the non-sensitive ratings, where the similarity is controlled by e, and the standard deviation of sensitive ratings is at least l. We study an interesting yet non-trivial satisfaction problem of the proposed model, which is to decide whether a survey rating data set satisfies the privacy requirements given by the user. For this problem, we investigate its inherent properties theoretically, and devise a novel slicing technique to solve it. We analyze the computation complexity of the proposed slicing technique and conduct extensive experiments on two real-life data sets, and the results show that the slicing technique is fast and scalable with data size and much more efficient in terms of execution time and space overhead than the heuristic pairwise method.
Building a Language Model for Local Coherence in Multi-document Summaries Using a Discourse-Enriched Entity-Based Model

Local Coherence is a very important aspect in multi-document summarization, since good summaries not only condense the most relevant information, but also present it in a well-organized structure. One of the most investigated models for local coherence is the Entity-based model, which has been successfully used, once it facilitates the computational approach for coherence measurement. Particularly, this model was used for the evaluation of local coherence in multi-document summaries, achieving promising results. In order to improve the potential of the Entity-based model, we propose the creation of a language model for multi-document summaries that integrates the Entity-based model with discourse knowledge, mainly from Cross-document Structure Theory. Our results show that this type of information enriches the Entity-based Model by capturing other phenomena that are inherent to multi-document summaries, such as redundancy and complementarily, which improves the performance of the original model.
Design and experimental evaluation of a 2.4 GHz-AoA-enhanced beamsteering algorithm for IEEE 802.11ad mm-wave WLANs

IEEE 802.11ad millimeter-wave (mm-wave) WLAN nodes achieve high throughput at the cost of the frequent re-steering requirement of highly directional antenna beams to establish and maintain links disrupted by beam misalignment, node mobility, or link blockage. Consequently, rapid and robust beamsteering algorithms are essential to enable seamless communication in mm-wave WLANs. In this paper we propose AoASteer, a beamsteering algorithm that speeds up the link establishment process in IEEE 802.11ad mm-wave WLANs by preferentially searching over a subset of mm-wave antenna sectors predicted by 2.4 GHz angle of arrival (AoA) estimation at the access point (AP). We experimentally evaluate the performance of AoASteer through extensive measurements in several indoor and outdoor locations, using 60 GHz USRP-SiversIMA packet radio transceivers to gather real mm-wave link information, and a 2.4 GHz USRP-based receiver with an 8-element uniform linear antenna array for AoA estimation, both implemented using GNU Radio. Our evaluation results, obtained for APs with different numbers of beams per sector, show that AoASteer typically selects a near-optimal LOS or NLOS link to establish communication, while significantly reducing the link establishment latency. For example, for 4-sector mm-wave antennas, AoASteer reduces the latency by 46 μs for 73% of our measurement cases compared to the IEEE 802.11ad beamsteering algorithm, while achieving the highest data rate of 6.7 Gbps for 92% of the cases.
Wave-domain adaptive filtering: acoustic echo cancellation for full-duplex systems based on wave-field synthesis

For high-quality multimedia communication systems such as teleconferencing or virtual reality applications, multichannel sound reproduction is highly desirable. While progress has been made in stereo and multichannel acoustic echo cancellation (MC AEC) in recent years, the corresponding sound reproduction systems still imply a restrained listening area ('sweet spot'). A volume solution for spatial sound in a large listening area is offered by wave field synthesis (WFS) or by ambisonics, where arrays of loudspeakers generate a prespecified sound field. However, before this new technique can be utilized for full-duplex systems, an efficient solution to the MC AEC problem has to be found. This paper presents a novel approach that extends the current state of the art of MC AEC and transform-domain adaptive filtering by reconciling the flexibility of adaptive filtering and the underlying physics of acoustic waves in a systematic and efficient way. To achieve this, the new framework of wave-domain adaptive filtering (WDAF) exploits the spatial information provided by densely sampled contours for both recording and reproduction. Experimental results with a 32-channel AEC verify the concept for both simulated and actually measured room acoustics.