Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Using Deep Learning to Automate Feature Modeling in Learning by Observation

A primary advantage of learning by observation is that it allows non-technical experts to transfer their skills to an agent. However, this requires a general-purpose learning agent that is not biased to any specific expert, domain, or behavior. Existing domain-independent learning by observation agents generalize a significant portion of learning but still require some human intervention, namely, modeling the agent’s inputs and outputs. We describe a preliminary evaluation of using convolutional neural networks to train a learning by observation agent without explicitly defining the input features. Our approach uses the agent’s raw visual inputs at two levels of granularity to automatically learn input features using limited training data. We describe an initial evaluation with scenarios drawn from a simulated soccer domain.
Cross Talk between PML and p53 during Poliovirus Infection: Implications for Antiviral Defense

ABSTRACT PML nuclear bodies (NBs) are dynamic intranuclear structures harboring numerous transiently or permanently localized proteins. PML, the NBs' organizer, is directly induced by interferon, and its expression is critical for antiviral host defense. We describe herein the molecular events following poliovirus infection that lead to PML-dependent p53 activation and protection against virus infection. Poliovirus infection induces PML phosphorylation through the extracellular signal-regulated kinase pathway, increases PML SUMOylation, and induces its transfer from the nucleoplasm to the nuclear matrix. These events result in the recruitment of p53 to PML NBs, p53 phosphorylation on Ser15, and activation of p53 target genes leading to the induction of apoptosis. Moreover, the knock-down of p53 by small interfering RNA results in higher poliovirus replication, suggesting that p53 participates in antiviral defense. This effect, which requires the presence of PML, is transient since poliovirus targets p53 by inducing its degradation in a proteasome- and MDM2-dependent manner. Our results provide evidence of how poliovirus counteracts p53 antiviral activity by regulating PML and NBs, thus leading to p53 degradation.
Effect of age, gender, ethnicity, socioeconomic status and region on dispensing of CVD secondary prevention medication in New Zealand: the Atlas of Health Care Variation CVD cohort (VIEW-1).

BACKGROUND Triple therapy with anti-platelet/anti-coagulant, blood pressure (BP)-lowering, and statin medications improves outcomes in atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, in practice there is often a substantial evidence-practice gap, with sub-optimal initiation and longer-term adherence. Our aim was to enumerate a contemporary national cohort of people with significant CVD and report the variation in CVD secondary prevention dispensing by demographic variables. METHODS Using anonymised linkage of national data sets, we identified 86,256 individuals, alive and residing in New Zealand at the end of 2010, aged 30-79 years who were hospitalised for an atherosclerotic CVD event or procedure in the previous10 years. This cohort was linked to the national pharmaceutical dispensing dataset to assess dispensing of CVD prevention medications during the 2011 calendar year. Adequate dispensing was defined as being dispensed a drug in at least 3 of the 4 quarters of the year. Multivariate regression was used to identify independent predictors of adequate dispensing. RESULTS 59% were maintained on triple therapy, 77% on BP-lowering medication, 75% on anti-platelet/anti-coagulants and 70% on statins. From multivariate analysis, patients less than 50 years were about 20% less likely than older patients and women were 10% less likely than men to be maintained on triple therapy. Indian patients were about 10% more likely to be maintained on triple therapy than NZ European/Others. Those living in the Southern Cardiac Network region of New Zealand had slightly higher rates of triple therapy than National Cardiac Regions further north. CONCLUSIONS The significant under-utilisation of safe and inexpensive secondary prevention medication, particularly in younger people and women, provides an opportunity to improve CVD outcomes in this easily identifiable high-risk population.
ER-Phagy: Selective Autophagy of the Endoplasmic Reticulum

Throughout their life, cells must maintain homeostasis while facing constantly fluctuating demands on their different organelles. A major mechanism for the homeostatic control of organelle function is the unfolded protein response (UPR), a signaling pathway that triggers a comprehensive remodeling of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and the biosynthetic pathway according to need. We discovered that activation of the UPR in yeast also induces a new branch of macroautophagy that selectively targets the ER. We term this process “ER-phagy”, in analogy to pexophagy and mitophagy, the two other known forms of organelle-specific marcoautophagy. ER-phagy involves the generation of autophagosomes that selectively include ER membranes and whose delimiting double membranes also derive, at least in part, from the ER. This finding provides direct evidence that the ER can serve as a membrane source for autophagosome formation and indicates that ER-phagy entails engulfment of the ER by itself. ER-phagy could remove damaged or redundant parts of the ER and thus represent an important degradative functionality of the UPR that helps to afford homeostatic control. Addendum to: Autophagy Counterbalances Endoplasmic Reticulum Expansion during the Unfolded Protein Response S. Bernales, K.L. McDonald and P. Walter PLoS Biol 2006; 4: e423
Particle Swarm Optimization of detectors in Negative Selection Algorithm

This paper proposes a particle swarm optimization (PSO)-based detector optimization scheme in the negative selection algorithm (NSA). The NSA is a natural immune response inspired pattern discrimination method. In the new scheme, the NSA detectors are optimized by the PSO to collectively occupy the maximal coverage of the nonself space so that they can achieve the best anomaly detection performance. Two numerical examples including the discriminant analysis of Fisher's iris data are demonstrated to verify the effectiveness of our approach.
A description of the SENA robotic wheelchair

This paper describes a robotic wheelchair called SENA. It is based on a commercial powered wheelchair which has been endowed with several sensors and devices managed by an onboard laptop. The sensorial system of SENA entails a proximity laser scanner, a ring of infrared sensors, a camera mounted on a pan&tilt unit, and two rotating sonars. SENA is a long-term project aimed to cover the requirements needed to perform in daily indoor environments. Some experiences of the use of our robotic wheelchair are also described at the end of the paper
The Effects of Short-Term Liabilities on Profitability: A Comparison of German and US Firms

The paper adopts the methodology of the empirical finance literature to analyze a common question that liability maturity structure has an impact on firm performance. A comparison is made between two countries, the US and Germany, with different types of financial systems. We find that German firms that rely more heavily on short-term liabilities are likely to be more profitable. The link between liability maturity structure and profitability does not appear in the results from the US sample, which reflects the importance of institutional factors.
Evaluation of MTHFR677C>T Polymorphism in Prediction and Prognosis of Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Case-Control Study in a Northern Indian Population

Early diagnosis and better prognosis of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is still a challenge. Besides environmental risk factors, nutritional deficiencies have an established role in pathogenesis of ESCC. Folate deficiency and functional polymorphisms in folate metabolizing genes such as methylene tetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) 677C>T may have oncogenic role through disruption of normal DNA methylation pattern, synthesis, and impaired DNA repair. MTHFR677C>T or A222V (rs1801133) polymorphism has conflicting role in susceptibility to ESCC among different populations. Thus, we aimed to study the role of MTHFR677C>T polymorphism in susceptibility, survival, and interaction with environmental risk factors in ESCC patients from a northern Indian population. A case control study was performed in 208 ESCC incident cases (including 114 follow-up cases) and 223 healthy controls, and genotyping was done by PCR-RFLP. Our results show no significant association of MTHFR677C>T polymorphism with ESCC, tumor locations, or gender of subjects. However, we found a trend of decreased risk of ESCC due to interaction of MTHFR677CT genotype with smoking and alcohol intake. Kaplan Meier, and Cox regression survival analysis showed no prognostic impact of MTHFR677C>T polymorphism in ESCC patients. In conclusion, MTHFR677C>T polymorphism does not seem to have significant role either in susceptibility or survival of ESCC in a northern Indian population.
Implementing Alternative Assessment: Opportunities and Obstacles

Abstract The theoretical framework for using alternative assessment in the classroom includes considering learners as constructors of knowledge; finding authenticity in materials and activities; employing dynamic, ongoing evaluation tools; and empowering students. By putting these ideas into practice, individual attributes of initiative, choice, vision, self-discipline, compassion, trust, and spontaneity can be promoted in students. The opportunities and obstacles associated with implementing alternative assessment in the classroom, as seen through the eyes of a group of graduate students, are presented here.
NLP and Public Engagement: The Case of the Italian School Reform

In this paper we present PIERINO (PIattaforma per l’Estrazione e il Recupero di INformazione Online), a system that was implemented in collaboration with the Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research to analyse the citizens’ comments given in #labuonascuola survey. The platform includes various levels of automatic analysis such as key-concept extraction and word co-occurrences. Each analysis is displayed through an intuitive view using different types of visualizations, for example radar charts and sunburst. PIERINO was effectively used to support shaping the last Italian school reform, proving the potential of NLP in the context of policy making.
Pragmatic Perspective on Conservation Genetics and Demographic History of the Last Surviving Population of Kashmir Red Deer (Cervus elaphus hanglu) in India

The hangul (Cervus elaphus hanglu) is of great conservation concern because it represents the easternmost and only hope for an Asiatic survivor of the red deer species in the Indian subcontinent. Despite the rigorous conservation efforts of the Department of Wildlife Protection in Jammu & Kashmir, the hangul population has experienced a severe decline in numbers and range contraction in the past few decades. The hangul population once abundant in the past has largely become confined to the Dachigam landscape, with a recent population estimate of 218 individuals. We investigated the genetic variability and demographic history of the hangul population and found that it has shown a relatively low diversity estimates when compared to other red deer populations of the world. Neutrality tests, which are used to evaluate demographic effects, did not support population expansion, and the multimodal pattern of mismatch distribution indicated that the hangul population is under demographic equilibrium. Furthermore, the hangul population did not exhibit any signature of bottleneck footprints in the past, and Coalescent Bayesian Skyline plot analysis revealed that the population had not experienced any dramatic changes in the effective population size over the last several thousand years. We observed a strong evidence of sub-structuring in the population, wherein the majority of individuals were assigned to different clusters in Bayesian cluster analysis. Population viability analysis demonstrated insignificant changes in the mean population size, with a positive growth rate projected for the next hundred years. We discuss the phylogenetic status of hangul for the first time among the other red deer subspecies of the world and strongly recommend to upgrade hangul conservation status under IUCN that should be discrete from the other red deer subspecies of the world to draw more conservation attention from national and international bodies.
Cross‐National Differences in Political Discussion: Can Political Systems Narrow Deliberation Gaps?

Even though many researchers devoted considerable attention to political discussion and its individual-level antecedents and outcomes, insights are based on single-country studies. Cross-national variations were either never studied or implicitly equated to the U.S. context. This study integrates explanations from communication and comparative politics to test whether political system features (e.g., electoral competitiveness and multiple parties) affect the macrosupply of political information, and thus either amplify or diminish the effects of individual characteristics on discussion. Analyses of cross-national data show system features correlate with greater discussion frequency and moderate the contribution of individual differences to discussion. The potential of systems to narrow gaps in mass public discussion and implications for future research are considered in conclusion.
The spiritual dimension of the Montana vacation experience

Abstract This study explored the deeper meaning of a vacation experience in Montana. In‐depth interviews of non‐resident vacation visitors were conducted which asked visitors to describe their vacation and what it meant to them. Results revealed a previously unknown spiritual dimension associated with visiting Montana. Forty percent of the visitors portrayed their vacation experience in Montana using terms that connote spiritual meaning. This spiritual dimension was described with four themes: (1) creation perspectives; (2) nature‐based perspectives; (3) tranquility and transcendence; and, (4) re‐centering, refocusing, and getting away. Visitor expressions reflected a strong emotional reaction to the nature and landscapes experienced in Montana. Visitors’ unsolicited comments described feelings such as closeness to God, appreciation of the creator, a sense of peace and serenity, an appreciation of all things natural, and a feeling of being blessed. Previous research on leisure and spirituality has identified time, space, nature, and quiet as facilitators of spiritual experiences. This study confirmed that time available in a stress‐free environment (vacation and nature) facilitates spiritual expression.
Miniaturized composite right/left-handed coplanar waveguide antenna for dual-frequency operation

In this paper, a novel dual-band planar antenna based on the zeroth order resonator is presented. The key component of the antenna is the composite right/left-handed (CRLH) coplanar waveguide (CPW), which consists of series interdigital capacitors (IDCs) and shunt short-circuited stub inductors (SSIs). By relaxing the balance condition for the CRLH CPW structure, the proposed antenna can operate at the two zeroth order modes resulting in the desired dual-band characteristics. Using only three CRLH CPW unit cells, a miniaturized dual-band antenna is proposed and demonstrated to have similar input impedances, radiation patterns, and gains within the two bands.
Applicability of the hooper visual organization test to pediatric populations: Preliminary findings

Abstract The Hooper Visual Organization Test (VOT) has been widely used with adults to screen for brain pathology and assess visual-constructional abilities; however, there has been relatively little attempt to utilize this instrument with children. In the present study, normative data from children between the ages of 5 and 11 years (n = 207) and data from a mixed clinical group (n = 49) between the ages of 6 and 11 were obtained. In the normative sample, VOT scores were significantly correlated with age but not gender. The distribution and internal consistency of these normative VOT scores are discussed. Data obtained from the clinical group suggested that VOT scores were related to performances on measures of visual-spatial functions but generally not on tests of verbal skills. Similar to reports in the adult literature, a control group selected from the normative sample performed significantly better on the VOT than did the mixed clinical group. In general, these preliminary data suggest that the VOT .
A Lymphocyte-Generated Fragment of Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide with VPAC1 Agonist Activity and VPAC2 Antagonist Effects

Vasoactive intestinal peptide receptors 1 (VPAC1) and 2 (VPAC2) have been identified in humans. Cell lines expressing only VPAC1 (HT-29) or VPAC2 (Molt-4b) were identified using real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. Vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) and related peptides, VIP–6–28, VIP4–28, and VIP10–28, previously isolated from cultures of human leukocytes, were evaluated for their ability to bind to VPAC1 and VPAC2 and to increase the levels of cAMP in HT-29 and Molt-4b cells. VIP bound to membranes of HT-29 colon carcinoma cells and Molt-4b lymphoblasts with high affinity (KD = 1.6 ± 0.2 and 1.7 ± 0.9 nM, respectively). VIP4–28 also demonstrated high-affinity binding (KD = 1.7 ± 0.2 and 1.7 ± 0.7 nM in HT-29 and Molt-4b, respectively). VIP and VIP4–28 are potent VPAC1 agonists, inducing maximal 200- and 400-fold increases in cAMP, respectively. VIP demonstrated weak VPAC2 agonist activity, inducing a maximal 14-fold increase in cAMP. VIP4–28 had no VPAC2 agonist activity but demonstrated potent VPAC2 antagonist activity. VIP4–28 inhibited VPAC2-mediated increases in cAMP in Molt-4b cells up to 95%, but had no antagonistic effect on VPAC1. Lymphoblasts did not hydrolyze VIP4–28 to a form with VPAC1 antagonist activity. VIP4–28 thus is a lymphocyte-generated VIP fragment with potent agonist activity for VPAC1 and potent antagonist activity for VPAC2.
Cheating the I/O Bottleneck: Network Storage with Trapeze/Myrinet

Recent advances in I/O bus structures (e.g., PCI), high-speed networks, and fast, cheap disks have significantly expanded the I/O capacity of desktop-class systems. This paper describes a messaging system designed to deliver the potential of these advances for network storage systems including cluster file systems and network memory. We describe gms_net, an RPC-like kernel-kernel messaging system based on Trapeze, a new firmware program for Myrinet network interfaces. We show how the communication features of Trapeze and gms_net are used by the Global Memory Service (GMS), a kernel-based network memory system. The paper focuses on support for zero-copy page migration in GMS/Trapeze using two RPC variants important for peer-peer distributed services: (1) delegated RPC in which a request is delegated to a third party, and (2) nonblocking RPC in which replies are processed from the Trapeze receive interrupt handler. We present measurements of sequential file access from network memory in the GMS/Trapeze prototype on a Myrinet/Alpha cluster, showing the bandwidth effects of file system interfaces and communication choices. GMS/Trapeze delivers a peak read bandwidth of 96 MB/s using memory-mapped file I/O.
Fit of screw-retained fixed implant frameworks fabricated by different methods: a systematic review.

PURPOSE The aim of this study was to review the published literature investigating the accuracy of fit of fixed implant frameworks fabricated using different materials and methods. MATERIALS AND METHODS A comprehensive electronic search was performed through PubMed (MEDLINE) using Boolean operators to combine key words. The search was limited to articles written in English and published through May 2010. In addition, a manual search through articles and reference lists retrieved from the electronic search and peer-reviewed journals was also conducted. RESULTS A total of 248 articles were retrieved, and 26 met the specified inclusion criteria for the review. The selected articles assessed the fit of fixed implant frameworks fabricated by different techniques. The investigated fabrication approaches were one-piece casting, sectioning and reconnection, spark erosion with an electric discharge machine, computer-aided design/computer-assisted manufacturing (CAD/CAM), and framework bonding to prefabricated abutment cylinders. CONCLUSIONS Cast noble metal frameworks have a predictable fit, and additional fit refinement treatment is not indicated in well-controlled conditions. Base metal castings do not provide a satisfactory level of fit unless additional refinement treatment is performed, such as sectioning and laser welding or spark erosion. Spark erosion, framework bonding to prefabricated abutment cylinders, and CAD/CAM have the potential to provide implant frameworks with an excellent fit; CAD/CAM is the most consistent and least technique-sensitive of these methods.
Is Working Memory Working? The Fifteenth Bartlett Lecture

I am honoured and pleased to have been invited to give the Bartlett Lecture. I feel a particular debt of gratitude to Bartlett as he was instrumental in founding the Unit in which I have spent most of my professional life, a Unit that embodied many of Sir Frederic’s strengths, and which I hope continues to do so. When I arrived at the Unit as a young graduate research worker from University College London, Sir Frederic had already retired as Professor of Psychology and Director of the Unit. However, he still had a room at the Unit and maintained an interest in its activities, often bringing round visitors from abroad. In my own case my research stemmed from the attempt to design a postal code, and involved a series of very un-Bartlettian experiments on the learning of nonsense syllables, a perversion that Sir Frederic seemed to tolerate with a rather grandfatherly indulgence. Were he here today, I trust that he would at least approve of the fact that my lecture will contain relatively little work on nonsense material, while noting that I have not yet managed to kick the nonsense habit completely. The topic of my lecture is a direct continuation of research on short-term memory that, although not pursued by Bartlett himself, owed much of it’s early development to Bartlett’s students, Broadbent, Brown, and Conrad. I no longer use the term “short-term memory”, but I certainly regard my research on working memory as a continuation and elaboration of an existing tradition, rather than a rejection of old models for new, such as is occasionally suggested by colleagues who refer to the “demise of short-term memory” (Crowder, 1982). Although disposable concepts may have their attractions, as will become clear, my own inclinations are towards attempting to build in durability and ease of maintenance.
An IDBUTM Filter for the Removal of High Density Impulse Noise

Improved decision based unsymmetric trimmed median filter is one of the valuable methods that are capable to restore of gray scale images which have been enormously corrupted by Salt-and-Pepper noise. An Improved decision based unsymmetric trimmed median filter is proposed to enhance decision based unsymmetric trimmed median filter in term of its noise filtering ability as the images are highly degraded. In the case of high density noise, the presentation of the standard methods is very poor in terms of noise restraint and detail preservation. This filter has proved its supremacy in preserving edges and fine details over the other well-known filters. This algorithm shows better results than the Median Filter (MF), Progressive Switched Median Filter (PSMF), Adaptive Median Filter (AMF) and Modified Decision Based Unsymmetric Trimmed median filter (MDBUTMF) at high Impulse noise density. General Terms Filter.