Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Reinforcement learning in multi-dimensional state-action space using random rectangular coarse coding and Gibbs sampling

This paper presents a coarse coding technique and an action selection scheme for reinforcement learning (RL) in multi-dimensional and continuous state-action spaces following conventional and sound RL manners. RL in high-dimensional continuous domains includes two issues: One is a generalization problem for value-function approximation, and the other is a sampling problem for action selection over multi-dimensional continuous action spaces. The proposed method combines random rectangular coarse coding with an action selection scheme using Gibbs-sampling. The random rectangular coarse coding is very simple and quite suited both to approximate Q-functions in high-dimensional spaces and to execute Gibbs sampling. Gibbs sampling enables us to execute action selection following Boltsmann distribution over high-dimensional action space. The algorithm is demonstrated through Rod in maze problem and a redundant-arm reaching task comparing with conventional regular grid approaches.
Analysis and proposition of a PV module integrated converter with high voltage gain capability in a non-isolated topology

Usually considered as one of the future solutions for grid connection of photovoltaic systems, module integrated converters were already the focus of several researches and projects. Most of the proposed approaches relied so far on the use of high frequency step-up transformers either in isolated operation or integrated in isolated dc-dc topologies. This paper analyses the possibility of using non-isolated topologies to achieve the necessary high-voltage gain for grid connection. Several circuits were analyzed and the best suited one for the current application was evaluated and optimized. Experimental results are presented in the final section.
The Origins of Disk Heating

By making spectral absorption-line observations of disk galaxies at intermediate inclinations, we have been able to determine the amplitude of their constituent stars' random motions in three dimensions. This full measure of the shape of the velocity ellipsoid is a useful diagnostic for determining the "heating" mechanism responsible for creating the random motions. The analysis implies that the main heating process varies with galaxy type, with minor mergers dominating the heating in early-type disk galaxies, and spiral density waves the most important mechanism in late-type systems.
Noisy SMS Machine Translation in Low-Density Languages

This paper presents the system we developed for the 2011 WMT Haitian Creole--English SMS featured translation task. Applying standard statistical machine translation methods to noisy real-world SMS data in a low-density language setting such as Haitian Creole poses a unique set of challenges, which we attempt to address in this work. Along with techniques to better exploit the limited available training data, we explore the benefits of several methods for alleviating the additional noise inherent in the SMS and transforming it to better suite the assumptions of our hierarchical phrase-based model system. We show that these methods lead to significant improvements in BLEU score over the baseline.
Genome-Wide Identification and Characterization of SPX Domain-Containing Members and Their Responses to Phosphate Deficiency in Brassica napus

The importance of SPX domain-encoding proteins to phosphate (Pi) homeostasis and signaling pathways has been well-documented in rice and Arabidopsis. However, global information and responses of SPX members to P stress in allotetraploid Brassica napus, one of the world’s major oil crops that is sensitive to P deficiency, remain undefined. We identified a total of 69 SPX domain-containing genes in the B. napus genome. Based on the domain organizations, these genes were classified into four distinct subfamilies—SPX (11), SPX-EXS (43), SPX-MFS (8), and SPX-RING (7)—that represented clear orthologous relationships to their family members in Arabidopsis. A cis-element analysis indicated that 2 ∼ 4 P1BS elements were enriched in the promoter of SPX subfamily genes except BnaSPX4s. RNA-Seq analysis showed that BnaSPX genes were differentially expressed in response to Pi deficiency. Furthermore, quantitative real-time reverse transcription PCR revealed that nine SPX subfamily genes were significantly induced by Pi starvation and recovered rapidly after Pi refeeding. A functional analysis of two paralogous BnaSPX1 genes in transgenic Arabidopsis indicated their functional divergence during long-term evolution. This comprehensive study on the abundance, molecular characterization and responses to Pi deficiency of BnaSPX genes provides insights into the structural and functional diversities of these family members in B. napus and provides a solid foundation for future functional studies of BnaSPX genes. Highlight: The genome-wide identification and characterization of SPX genes in B. napus and their responses to Pi deficiency provide comprehensive insights into the structural and functional diversities of the family members in B. napus and their potential in Pi homeostasis and signaling responsiveness to Pi stress.
A model for visual building SPARQL queries

LODeX is a Semantic Web tool that, leveraging a summarized representation of a LOD source structure (i.e. Schema Summary), helps users explore and query SPARQL endpoints by hiding the complexity of Semantic Web technologies. By leveraging Schema Summary of a LOD source, LODeX guides the user in composing visual queries that are automatically translated in correct SPARQL queries through a SPARQL compiler. In this work we inspected how LODeX can deal with the high expressivity of SPARQL. In particular, we propose a formal model that allow to define queries over the Schema Summary (i.e. Basic Query) and we analyze how this model can handle different join patterns used in SPARQL queries. Finally, we inspect how LODeX can satisfy real world users necessities by analyzing the query logs contained in the LSQ dataset. We show that LODeX could be able to generate the 77.6% of the 5 million queries contained in LSQ dataset.
Ventromedial prefrontal cortex activation is critical for preference judgments

&NA; Preference judgment, the process of selecting a response from several alternatives based on which alternative the subject likes best, is an important aspect of daily life. The current study examined whether neural substrates that are thought to be critical for generating somatic markers are involved in preference judgments. Fifteen healthy, right‐handed subjects performed a preference judgment task during functional magnetic resonance imaging. The medial frontal gyrus was significantly more activated during the preference judgment trials, relative to visual discrimination trials. Other areas that were also differentially activated included the posterior parietal cortex, the anterior cingulate and the left anterior insula. These findings are consistent with the role of the ventromedial prefrontal cortex in the representation of complex appetitive states.
Age and Ovariectomy Abolish Beneficial Effects of Female Sex on Rat Ventricular Myocytes Exposed to Simulated Ischemia and Reperfusion

Sex differences in responses to myocardial ischemia have been described, but whether cardiomyocyte function is influenced by sex in the setting of ischemia and reperfusion has not been elucidated. This study compared contractions and intracellular Ca2+ in isolated ventricular myocytes exposed to ischemia and reperfusion. Cells were isolated from anesthetized 3-month-old male and female Fischer 344 rats, paced at 4 Hz (37°C), exposed to simulated ischemia (20 mins) and reperfused. Cell shortening (edge detector) and intracellular Ca2+ (fura-2) were measured simultaneously. Cell viability was assessed with Trypan blue. Ischemia reduced peak contractions and increased Ca2+ levels equally in myocytes from both sexes. However, contraction amplitudes were reduced in reperfusion in male myocytes, while contractions recovered to exceed control levels in females (62.6±5.1 vs. 140.1±15.8%; p<0.05). Only 60% of male myocytes excluded trypan blue dye after ischemia and reperfusion, while all female cardiomyocytes excluded the dye (p<0.05). Parallel experiments were conducted in myocytes from ∼24-month-old female rats or 5–6-month-old rats that had an ovariectomy at 3–4 weeks of age. Beneficial effects of female sex on myocyte viability and contractile dysfunction in reperfusion were abolished in cells from 24-month-old females. Aged female myocytes also exhibited elevated intracellular Ca2+ and alternans in ischemia. Cells from ovariectomized rats displayed increased Ca2+ transients and spontaneous activity in ischemia compared to sham-operated controls. None of the myocytes from ovariectomized rats were viable after 15 minutes of ischemia, while 75% of sham cells remained viable at end of reperfusion (p<0.05). These findings demonstrate that cardiomyocytes from young adult females are more resistant to ischemia and reperfusion injury than cells from males. Age and OVX abolish these beneficial effects and induce Ca2+ dysregulation at the level of the cardiomyocyte. Thus, beneficial effects of estrogen in ischemia and reperfusion are mediated, in part, by effects on cardiomyocytes.
Translocation of a 190-kb mitochondrial fragment into rice chromosome 12 followed by the integration of four retrotransposons

A 190-kb mitochondrial DNA sequence interrupted by seven foreign DNA segments was identified in rice chromosome 12. This fragment is the largest mitochondrial fragment translocated into the rice nuclear genome. The sequence is composed of a 190-kb segment of mitochondrial origin corresponding to 38.79% of the mitochondrial genome, 45 kb comprising four segments of retrotransposon origin, and 13 kb comprising three segments of unknown origin. The 190-kb sequence shows more than 99.68% similarity to the current mitochondrial sequence, suggesting that its integration into the nucleus was quite recent. Several sequences in the 190-kb segment have been rearranged relative to the current mitochondrial sequence, suggesting that the past and present arrangements of the mitochondrial genome differ. The four retrotransposons show no mutual sequence similarity and are integrated into different locations, suggesting that their integration events were independent, frequent, and quite recent. A fragment of the mitochondrial genome present in the nuclear genome, such as the 248-kb sequence characterized in this study, is a good relic with which to investigate the past mitochondrial genome structure and the behavior of independent retrotransposons during evolution.
Emergent Functional Properties of Neuronal Networks with Controlled Topology

The interplay between anatomical connectivity and dynamics in neural networks plays a key role in the functional properties of the brain and in the associated connectivity changes induced by neural diseases. However, a detailed experimental investigation of this interplay at both cellular and population scales in the living brain is limited by accessibility. Alternatively, to investigate the basic operational principles with morphological, electrophysiological and computational methods, the activity emerging from large in vitro networks of primary neurons organized with imposed topologies can be studied. Here, we validated the use of a new bio-printing approach, which effectively maintains the topology of hippocampal cultures in vitro and investigated, by patch-clamp and MEA electrophysiology, the emerging functional properties of these grid-confined networks. In spite of differences in the organization of physical connectivity, our bio-patterned grid networks retained the key properties of synaptic transmission, short-term plasticity and overall network activity with respect to random networks. Interestingly, the imposed grid topology resulted in a reinforcement of functional connections along orthogonal directions, shorter connectivity links and a greatly increased spiking probability in response to focal stimulation. These results clearly demonstrate that reliable functional studies can nowadays be performed on large neuronal networks in the presence of sustained changes in the physical network connectivity.
Midlife plasma vitamin D concentrations and performance in different cognitive domains assessed 13 years later.

25-Hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) insufficiency is very common in many countries. Yet, the extent to which 25(OH)D status affects cognitive performance remains unclear. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the cross-time association between midlife plasma 25(OH)D concentrations and subsequent cognitive performance, using a subsample from the French 'SUpplémentation en Vitamines et Minéraux AntioXydants' randomised trial (SU.VI.MAX, 1994-2002) and the SU.VI. MAX 2 observational follow-up study (2007-9). 25(OH)D concentrations were measured in plasma samples drawn in 1994-5, using an electrochemoluminescent immunoassay. Cognitive performance was evaluated in 2007-9 with a neuropsychological battery including phonemic and semantic fluency tasks, the RI-48 (rappel indicé-48 items) cued recall test, the Trail Making Test and the forward and backward digit span. Cognitive factors were extracted via principal component analysis (PCA). Data from 1009 individuals, aged 45-60 years at baseline, with available 25(OH)D and cognitive measurements were analysed by multivariable linear regression models and ANCOVA, stratified by educational level. PCA yielded two factors, designated as 'verbal memory' (strongly correlated with the RI-48 and phonemic/semantic fluency tasks) and 'short-term/working memory' (strongly correlated with the digit span tasks). In the fully adjusted regression model, among individuals with low education, there was a positive association between 25(OH)D concentrations and the 'short-term/working memory' factor (P=0.02), mainly driven by the backward digit span (P=0.004). No association with either cognitive factor was found among better educated participants. In conclusion, higher midlife 25(OH)D concentrations were linked to better outcomes concerning short-term and working memory. However, these results were specific to subjects with low education, suggesting a modifying effect of cognitive reserve.
Design and development of portable fluorescence reader using silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) sensor

Fluorescent lateral flow assays (LFA) strips have gained popularity for medical diagnostics application by offering fast and reliable response in both qualitative and quantitative readout formats. The fluorescence emission is generated when excited with appropriate optical source, and is dependent on the analyte concentration in the sample spotted on the LFA strips. Quantitative detection requires a LFA reader to carry out accurate and precise measurements of the fluorescence emission. These readers can be of either benchtop or handheld type, and conventionally use either photo multiplier tube (PMT) or avalanche photodiodes (APD) or customized photo diodes. In addition to their proven benefits like high sensitivity, speed and gain, the availability of silicon photomultipliers (SiPM) in micro form factor makes them good choice for developing miniaturized LFA strip readers. In this study, a portable fluorescence reader using SiPM sensor has been designed, which records the fluorescence intensity of the spot on planar surfaces e.g. nitrocellulose membrane (NCM) packaged in the plastic cases. The design and operation details of the benchtop reader using SiPM sensor along with excitation source, focusing and collimating optics and power supplies integrated with general purpose microcontroller board in a mechanical housing are reported in this paper. The testing of the developed reader is done by using mercaptopropionic acid capped cadmium telluride quantum dots (MPA-CdTe QDs) as the fluorescent analytes spotted on NCM packaged plastic strips. The results obtained from the developed portable reader are compared with the standard fluorescence plate reader for QD concentration varying from 60 μg/mL to 420 μg/mL and are found to be in good accordance with the response and resolution of the conventional fluorescent plate reader. Further work is under development for testing the developed reader for disease diagnostic applications.
Determining backhaul bandwidth requirements for network MIMO

In systems employing coordinated base station transmission and reception (also known as network MIMO), information needs to be shared among clusters of coordinated bases. This information includes coherent channel state information, user data, and baseband received signals. The cost of leasing and maintaining a reliable backhaul to share this information will be the dominant operational expense for cellular systems with network MIMO. In this paper we analyze the bandwidth requirements for sharing information among coordinated bases for network MIMO as a function of the coordination cluster size and channel characteristics. We find that for moderate Doppler speeds, the channel state information is a negligible fraction of the overall backhaul bandwidth. We also show that sending linearly quantized baseband signals over the backhaul achieves a significant fraction of ideal unquantized sum rate performance for uplink network MIMO based on zero-forcing.
Physics-based modeling of nonplanar nanodevices (FinFETs) and their response to radiation

The paper presents details of our physics-based three-dimensional (3D) device modeling coupled in mixed-mode with external load circuit and parasitics, which enabled accurate simulation of single-event effects (SEEs) in nonplanar nano-scale devices, such as MultiGate Field Effect Transistors (MuGFETs) or FinFETs. We show the importance of correct device physics models, including mobility in different crystal planes of strained silicon, as well as effects of parasitics and load circuit modeling, for correct computation of both steady-state and transient characteristics of FinFETs. Mixed-mode coupling of a realistic load circuit, including experimental parasitics, with the 3D TCAD device model, is critical to be able to compute single-event transient current waveforms and charge collection characteristics that reflect well experimental results.
Formalizing the gene centered view of evolution

A historical dispute in the conceptual underpinnings of evolution is the validity of the gene centered view of evolution (Dawkins, 1989; Sober and Lewontin, 1982). We transcend this debate by formalizing the gene centered view as a dynamic version of the mean field approximation. This establishes the conditions under which it is applicable and when it is not. In particular, it breaks down for trait divergence which corresponds to symmetry breaking in evolving populations.
Drying Stability and Critical Height of Repeating Line/Space Structures

Analytical prediction of capillary pattern collapse is done by balancing the capillary forcesdue to the curved liquid interface with the elastic forces due to the bending of the structure. This paperintroduces a more realistic model where there is an array of repeating lines and spaces, and compares itto the traditional model of two single lines with liquid-filled space in between. This paper also includesthe influence of a non-vertical sidewall angle, and its effect on the overall elastic force. Results showthat the repeating structures and non-vertical sidewall angles both predict a higher critical height beforecollapse occurs compared to the traditional model.
Low-Voltage Consumption Coordination for Loss Minimization and Voltage Control

This work presents a strategy for minimizing active power losses in low-voltage grids, by coordinating the consumption of electric vehicles and power generation from solar panels. We show that minimizing losses, also reduces voltage variations, and illustrate how this may be employed for increasing the number of electric vehicles and photovoltaic systems in the grid without violating grid constraints.
Glycemia, Hypoglycemia, and Costs of Simultaneous Islet-Kidney or Islet After Kidney Transplantation Versus Intensive Insulin Therapy and Waiting List for Islet Transplantation

Background Long-term data of patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1D) after simultaneous islet-kidney (SIK) or islet-after-kidney transplantation (IAK) are rare and have never been compared to intensified insulin therapy (IIT). Methods Twenty-two patients with T1D and end-stage renal failure undergoing islet transplantation were compared to 70 patients matched for age and diabetes duration treated with IIT and to 13 patients with kidney transplantation alone or simultaneous pancreas-kidney after loss of pancreas function (waiting list for IAK [WLI]). Glycemic control, severe hypoglycemia, insulin requirement, and direct medical costs were analyzed. Results Glycated hemoglobin decreased significantly from 8.2 ± 1.5 to 6.7 ± 0.9% at the end of follow-up (mean 7.2 ± 2.5 years) in the SIK/IAK and remained constant in IIT (7.8 ± 1.0% and 7.6 ± 1.0) and WLI (7.8 ± 0.8 and 7.9 ± 1.0%). Daily insulin requirement decreased from 0.53 ± 0.15 to 0.29 ± 0.26 U/kg and remained constant in IIT (0.59 ± 0.19 and 0.58 ± 0.23 U/kg) and in WLI (0.76 ± 0.28 and 0.73 ± 0.11 U/kg). Severe hypoglycemia dropped in SIK/IAK from 4.5 ± 9.7 to 0.3 ± 0.7/patient-year and remained constant in IIT (0.1 ± 0.7 and 0.2 ± 0.8/patient-year). Detailed cost analysis revealed US $57,525 of additional cost for islet transplantation 5 years after transplantation. Based on a 5- and 10-year analysis, cost neutrality is assumed to be achieved 15 years after transplantation. Conclusions This long-term cohort with more than 7 years of follow-up shows that glycemic control in patients with T1D after SIK/IAK transplantation improved, and the rate of severe hypoglycemia decreased significantly as compared to control groups. Cost analysis revealed that islet transplantation is estimated to be cost neutral at 15 years after transplantation.