Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Modified Particle Swarm Optimization for Multi-Scale Kernel Function in SVM

Multi-scale kernel function learning is a special case of multi-kernel learning, namely combines several multi-scale kernels. This approach is more flexible. It provides more comprehensive choice of scale than the mixed kernel learning. In this paper, the model's parameters of multi-scale Gaussian kernel were used as elementary particles. The parameters of multi-scale Gaussian kernel were global optimized by modified particle swarm optimization algorithm (PSO). Finally the optimal prediction results can be found. Experimental results show that: modified PSO can much more preferably optimize the parameters of multi-scale kernel model. It influences and improves the performance of multi-scale kernel and enhances the final accuracy of classification.
Quantitation of bystander effects in nitroreductase suicide gene therapy using three-dimensional cell cultures.

The efficacy of cancer gene therapy depends critically on "bystander effects" by which genetic modification of tumor cells results in killing of unmodified cells in the local microenvironment. In gene-dependent enzyme-prodrug therapy, expression of a prodrug-activating suicide gene is used to generate a cytotoxic metabolite that diffuses to nontransduced cells. The objective of this study was to develop a physiologically relevant tissue culture model for quantifying bystander effects and to validate the model using as an example the activation of dinitrobenzamide prodrugs (e.g., CB 1954) by Escherichia coli aerobic nitroreductase (NTR). Bystander effects were measured in three-dimensional multilayer cocultures of NTR+ and NTR- cells by determining clonogenic survival curves for both cell types using V79, Skov3, or WiDr as parental cell lines. Bystander killing by CB 1954 was much more efficient in multilayers than monolayers at equivalent cell:medium ratios, whereas the chloromustard analogue of CB 1954 showed even greater efficiency. For a series of dinitrobenzamides, bystander killing in multilayers showed a positive correlation with prodrug lipophilicity and also correlated with the bystander effect in mixed tumor xenografts grown from the same NTR+ and NTR- WiDr cell lines (r(2) = 0.84; P < 0.001). The multilayer model identified a bromomustard prodrug (SN 24927) with superior therapeutic activity to CB 1954 that provided curative activity against WiDr tumors comprising 1:1 mixtures of NTR+ and NTR- cells. This study demonstrates the utility of the multilayer tissue culture model for quantifying and optimizing bystander effects in tumors and identifies a new lead prodrug for NTR gene-dependent enzyme-prodrug therapy.
Identification of Parkinsonian gait by means of inertial measurements units via metric learning algorithms

Identification of Parkinsonian gait by means of inertial measurements units via metric learning algorithms Dr Fabio Cuzzolin, Mr Michael Sapienza, Dr Patrick Esser, Prof Helen Dawes, Miss Marloes Franssen 1) Artificial Intelligence and Vision Group, Department of Computing and Communication Technologies, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford , UK 2) Movement Science Group, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, UK Contact details: Dr Fabio Cuzzolin Artificial Intelligence and Vision Group Department of Computing and Communication Technologies Oxford Brookes University, Wheatley campus Oxford, OX33 1HX United Kingdom Tel: +44 (0) 1865 484526 @: Fabio.cuzzolin(at)brookes.ac. uk
A Quantitative, High-Throughput Reverse Genetic Screen Reveals Novel Connections between Pre–mRNA Splicing and 5′ and 3′ End Transcript Determinants

Here we present the development and implementation of a genome-wide reverse genetic screen in the budding yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, that couples high-throughput strain growth, robotic RNA isolation and cDNA synthesis, and quantitative PCR to allow for a robust determination of the level of nearly any cellular RNA in the background of 5,500 different mutants. As an initial test of this approach, we sought to identify the full complement of factors that impact pre–mRNA splicing. Increasing lines of evidence suggest a relationship between pre–mRNA splicing and other cellular pathways including chromatin remodeling, transcription, and 3′ end processing, yet in many cases the specific proteins responsible for functionally connecting these pathways remain unclear. Moreover, it is unclear whether all pathways that are coupled to splicing have been identified. As expected, our approach sensitively detects pre–mRNA accumulation in the vast majority of strains containing mutations in known splicing factors. Remarkably, however, several additional candidates were found to cause increases in pre–mRNA levels similar to that seen for canonical splicing mutants, none of which had previously been implicated in the splicing pathway. Instead, several of these factors have been previously implicated to play roles in chromatin remodeling, 3′ end processing, and other novel categories. Further analysis of these factors using splicing-sensitive microarrays confirms that deletion of Bdf1, a factor that links transcription initiation and chromatin remodeling, leads to a global splicing defect, providing evidence for a novel connection between pre–mRNA splicing and this component of the SWR1 complex. By contrast, mutations in 3′ end processing factors such as Cft2 and Yth1 also result in pre–mRNA splicing defects, although only for a subset of transcripts, suggesting that spliceosome assembly in S. cerevisiae may more closely resemble mammalian models of exon-definition. More broadly, our work demonstrates the capacity of this approach to identify novel regulators of various cellular RNAs.
Psychosocial and behavioural contributors to health: Age-related increases in physical disability are reduced by physical fitness

The aging process is associated with increased risk for disease which can cause physical and economic burden for older adults. In a national longitudinal sample of 3910 participants aged 24–75 years (55% women), we examined psychosocial and behavioural factors associated with physical health in adulthood. With hierarchical regression analyses controlling for Time 1 values of the dependent variable and demographic characteristics, we found that participants reporting better social relations, a higher sense of control, a smaller waist circumference and greater physical activity at Time 1 reported better self-rated physical health (Adj. R 2 = 0.33, F (11, 3661) = 164.66, p < 0.001) and less physical disability (Adj. R 2 = 0.44, F (13, 3659) = 226.25, p < 0.001) 9 years later than their counterparts reported. Furthermore, significant interactions showed that smaller waist circumference and greater physical activity at Time 1 attenuated age-related increases in physical disability. Beneficial effects of physical fitness are considered within the context of lifespan theories of health, and implications for interventions are discussed.
HAT-P-3b: A Heavy-Element-rich Planet Transiting a K Dwarf Star

We report the discovery of a Jupiter-size planet transiting a relatively bright (V = 11.56) and metal-rich early K dwarf star with a period of ~2.9 days. On the basis of follow-up photometry and spectroscopy we determine the mass and radius of the planet, HAT-P-3b, to be Mp = 0.599 ± 0.026 MJup and Rp = 0.890 ± 0.046 RJup. The relatively small size of the object for its mass implies the presence of about 75 M⊕ worth of heavy elements (~ of the total mass) based on current theories of irradiated extrasolar giant planets, similar to the mass of the core inferred for the transiting planet HD 149026b. The bulk density of HAT-P-3b is found to be ρp = 1.06 ± 0.17 g cm-3, and the planet orbits the star at a distance of 0.03894 AU. Ephemerides for the transit centers are Tc = 2,454,218.7594 ± 0.0029 + N × (2.899703 ± 0.000054) (HJD).
Planning and Control of Robotic Juggling and Catching Tasks

A new class of control algorithms—the "mirror algorithms"— gives rise to experimentally observed juggling and catching behavior in a planar robotic mechanism. The simplest of these algorithms (on which all the others are founded) is provably correct with respect to a simplified model of the robot and its environment. This article briefly reviews the physical setup and underlying mathematical theory. It discusses two significant extensions of the fundamental algorithm to juggling two objects and catching. We provide data from successful empirical verifi cations of these control strategies and briefly speculate on the larger implications for the field of robotics.
Molecular cloning and expression of key gene encoding hypothetical DNA polymerase from B. mori parvo-like virus

BmPLV-Z is the abbreviation for Bombyx mori parvo-like virus (China isolate). This is a novel virus with two single-stranded linear DNA molecules, viz., VD1 (6543 bp) and VD2 (6022 bp), which are encapsidated respectively into separate virions. Analysis of the deduced amino acid sequence of VD1-ORF4 indicated the existence of a putative DNA-polymerase with exonuclease activity, possibly involved in the replication of BmPLV-Z. In the present study, a recombinant baculovirus was constructed to express the full length of the protein encoded by the VD1-ORF4 gene (3318 bp). In addition, a 2163-bp fragment amplified from the very same gene was cloned into prokaryotic expression vector pET-30a and expressed in E.coli Rosetta 2 (DE3) pLysS. The expressed fusion protein was employed to immunize New Zealand white rabbits for the production of an antiserum, afterwards used for examining the expression of the protein encoded by VD1-ORF4 gene in Sf-9 cells infected with recombinant baculovirus. Western blot analysis of extracts from thus cells infected revealed a specific band of about 120 kDa, thereby indicating that the full length protein encoded by the VD1-ORF4 gene had been successfully and stably expressed in Sf-9 cells.
Statistical methods for varying the degree of articulation in new HMM-based voices

This paper focuses on the automatic modification of the degree of articulation (hypo/hyperarticulation) of an existing standard neutral voice in the framework of HMM-based speech synthesis. Starting from a source speaker for which neutral, hypo and hyperarticulated speech data are available, two sets of transformations are computed during the adaptation of the neutral speech synthesizer. These transformations are then applied to a new target speaker for which no hypo/hyperarticulated recordings are available. Four statistical methods are investigated, differing in the speaking style adaptation technique (MLLR vs. CMLLR) and in the speaking style transposition approach (phonetic vs. acoustic correspondence) they use. This study focuses on the prosody model although such techniques can be applied to any stream of parameters exhibiting suited interpolability properties. Two subjective evaluations are performed in order to determine which statistical transformation method achieves the better segmental quality and reproduction of the articulation degree.
Curvature guided surface registration using level sets

We present a new approach for non-rigid surface-registration of 3D objects. By representing the surfaces as the zero-level of a signed distance function in 3D space, our algorithm becomes independent of topology. We propose an extension of Thirion’s Demons algorithm to register the distance images. Our extension includes the use of a curvature term to guide the registration in the direction tangential to the zero level set. Our experiments show that our algorithm is suitable to register objects of complex topology, such as human skulls. Further, the curvature term leads to better correspondence in comparison to the standard Demons algorithm.
FORECASTING EXCHANGE RATES : AN ECONOMETRIC ILLUSION

Since the breakdown of the Bretton Woods system in 1973, a large body of literature has arisen examining flexible exchange rates. In order to test long-run exchange-rate forecasting ability, we compare the performance of the three different classes of exchange rate models during the 1994-95 dollar crisis. During this period, wide fluctuations of the dollar were observed in financial markets. Each model provides us with insights into the behavioural patterns of exchange rates movements. In addition, our results provide evidence of the inadequacies of long-run models in generating optimal long-term forecasts.
A multiagent approach for musical interactive systems

The present work proposes a model for a Multiagent System capable to deal with music. Through such a Musical Multiagent System many Computer Music problems may appear. This proposal is based on a community of agents that interact through musical events (MIDI), simulating the behavior of a musical group. The result is the implementation of an intelligent accompaniment system, where agents "listen" and interact with each other. Agents with musical cognition were able to play their instruments with synchronism and satisfy their internal goals.
The Transformation of China ’ s Urban Entrepreneurialism : The Case Study of the City of Kunshan

This article examines the formation and transformation of urban entrepreneurialism in the context of China’s market transition. Using the case study of Kunshan, which is ranked as one of the hundred “economically strongest county-level jurisdictions” in the country, the authors argue that two phases of urban entrepreneurialism—one from the 1990s until 2005, and another from 2005 onward—can be roughly distinguished. The first phase of urban entrepreneurialism was more market driven and locally initiated in the context of territorial competition. The second phase of urban entrepreneurialism involves greater intervention on the part of the state in the form of urban planning and top-down government coordination and regional collaboration. The evolution of Kunshan’s urban entrepreneurialism is not a result of deregulation or the retreat of the state. Rather, it is a consequence of reregulation by the municipal government with the goal of territorial consolidation. Introduction There is no doubt that local authorities the world over play a crucial role in promoting economic development in the context of globalization (Harvey 1989; Brenner 2003; Ward 2003; Jessop and Sum 2000). On the one hand, globalization may cause huge unexpected job loss when investors decide to shut down their companies and move out. Capital flight may also create opportunities in a different site. To deal with these challenges and opportunities, local authorities become entrepreneurial in improving their regions, in the hopes of accommodating more business investment and attracting more quality human capital. This is what is called “phenomenon of urban entrepreneurialism. ”
Systematic Code Design for Combined Channel Estimation and Error Correction and Its Maximum-Likelihood Decoding

A traditional communication system uses separate training sequence for the estimation of channel state information (CSI) at the receiver. This channel estimation will then be used as a base for error correction through channel codes. In applications that channel estimation at the receiver is either of infeasibly high complexity or statistically impossible, noncoherent system design apparently becomes the due selection. At this background, we study the coding scheme that can be applied in an environment that the channel coefficients are completely unknown to both the transmitters and receivers. We subsequently investigate efficient decoding algorithms for our proposed codes. In fact, the coding technique that combines channel estimation and error correction has received attention recently, and has been regarded as a promising approach to counter the effects of multi-path fading. It has been shown by simulation that a proper code design that jointly considers channel estimation can improve the system performance subject to a fixed code rate as compared to a conventional system which performs channel estimation and error correction separately. Nevertheless, the major obstacle that prevents the practice of such iii coding technique is that the existing codes are mostly searched by computers, and subsequently exhibit no apparent structure for efficient decoding. Hence, the operation-intensive exhaustive search becomes the only decoding option, and the decoding complexity increases dramatically with codeword length. In this dissertation, a systematic construction is derived for a class of structured codes that support joint channel estimation and error correction. The extension designs that take into consideration the varying characteristic of channels and multiple-input multiple-output channels are also discussed. Simulations show that our codes have comparable performance to the best simulated-annealing-based computer-searched codes. Moreover, the systematically constructed codes can now be maximum-likelihoodly decoded with respect to the unknown-channel criterion in terms of a newly derived recursive metric for use by the priority-first search decoding algorithm. Thus, the decoding complexity is significantly reduced as compared with that of an exhaustive decoder.
Saving the Robot or the Human? Robots Who Feel Deserve Moral Care

Robots are becoming an integral part of society, yet our moral stance toward these non-living objects is unclear. In two experiments, we investigated whether anthropomorphic appearance and anthropomorphic attributions modulated people's utilitarian decision making about robotic agents. In Study 1, participants were presented with moral dilemmas in which the to-be-sacrificed agent was either a human, a human-like robot, or a machine-like robot. These victims were described in either neutral or anthropomorphic priming stories. Study 2 teased apart anthropomorphic attributions of agency and affect. Results indicate that although robot-like robots were sacrificed significantly more often than humans and humanlike robots, the effect of humanized priming was the same for all three agent types (Study 1), and this effect was mainly due to the attribution of affective states rather than agency (Study 2). That is, when people attribute affective states to robots, they are less likely to sacrifice them in order to save humans.
Structural Patterns of Rhamnogalacturonans Modulating Hsp-27 Expression in Cultured Human Keratinocytes

Polysaccharide extracts were obtained from chestnut bran (Castanea sativa), grape marc (Vitis vinifera) and apple marc (Malus spp.) and fractionated by size exclusion chromatography after endopolygalacturonase degradation. Compositional and linkage analyses by GC and GC-MS showed the characteristic rhamnogalacturonan structure with specific arabinan (apple marc) and type II arabinogalactan (chestnut bran, grape marc) side chains. Type II arabinogalactan rhamnogalacturonan from chestnut bran significantly stimulated the in vitro differentiation of human keratinocytes, giving evidence of a tight structure-function relationship. This molecule comprises short and ramified 3- and 3,6-β-d-galactan and 5- and 3,5-α-l-arabinan side chains, but also contains significant amounts of t‑Xyl and 4‑Xyl with a characteristic 2:1 ratio. Enzymatic hydrolysis of this polysaccharide produced fragments of lower molecular weight with unchanged xylose content which conserved the same ability to stimulate human keratinocyte differentiation. It could be then speculated that dimeric xylosyl-xylose and/or longer oligomeric xylose side chains attached to a galacturonan and closely associated to hairy rhamno-galacturonan domains are essential patterns that could determine the biological activity of pectins.
Culturally Responsive Practices in a School Closing the Achievement Gap: A Case Study.

The purpose of the study was to examine which culturally responsive practices, if any, were in a school that is closing an achievement gap between White and Black students. Through a qualitative case study, the researcher documented the use of culturally responsive practices school-wide, in a school making significant gains narrowing an achievement gap between White and minority students. The findings indicated all areas of the school program were enhanced with culturally responsive practices. These practices served to mitigate the imbalance of power and privilege that have been historically present in schools where African American students are educated. Practices were found in leadership, learning environment, pedagogy, home and community engagement, and cultural competency. Recommendations support a comprehensive approach to implementing culturally responsive practices as school reform rather than separate interventions. A conceptual framework for culturally responsive whole-school reform is proposed. The form and content of this abstract are approved. I recommend its publication. Approved: Dr. Dorothy Garrison-Wade
Hanging In, Stopping Out, Dropping Out: Community College Students in an Era of Precarity

Background/Context Sociologists of education have documented community college students’ high postsecondary aspirations and low persistence and college completion rates. Recent research suggests that community colleges can improve student outcomes by developing structural reforms: streamlining curricula, expanding vocational programs, and improving advising. The emphasis on structural reform overlooks the ways in which community college students—who are disproportionately disadvantaged—are constrained from benefiting from even the most progressive structural reforms. This research builds on structural models by examining both the conditions and constraints under which students endeavor to succeed in the community college. Research Question The research questions guiding this analysis are: (a) What keeps students from moving in smooth and uninterrupted ways through community college? (b) Do structural reform efforts alone make sense for community college students in general and a more diverse student body in particular? Research Design This study draws on in-depth interviews with 45 community college students at two California community colleges. Students represent a range of racial/ethnic groups, ages, and traditional and nontraditional backgrounds. Findings/Results The findings revealed that forms of institutional instability identified in previous research interact with unpredictability in students’ lives, leading students to engage in “security work” (Cooper, 2014) intended to accommodate their educations to precarious circumstances. Students engage in security work across two dimensions: managing income flow (including paid work and financial aid) and managing care of families, food, housing, and transportation. Conclusions/Recommendations Findings revealed a feedback loop between precarity in community colleges and precarity in students’ lives. This article contributes to theories of student persistence by arguing that the framework of precarity importantly complements structural explanations for student outcomes in community colleges.