Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
AUTOMATING LEARNING AND CREATMTY THROUGH KNOWLEDGE INTEGRATION

At times a domain is sufficiently tractable that the situations arising within its bounds give rise to structured knowledge in the form of rules, principles, and guidelines. Even in such domains, however, the initial knowledge base usually consists of examples. For a decision maker, the formulation of effective behaviors depends on a judicious mix of principles as well as cases of deduction as well as induction. Learning and discovery are central features of creative problem wiving. To the extent that software can automatically detect known regularities in a knowledge base or through experience, it may be viewed as a learning system. And where the identified patterns were previously unknown to the user, the system may be regarded as engaging in discovery. A number of critical issues relating to creativity are discussed, as well as methodologies for their incorporation into software. The encapsulation of adaptive capabilities in software should elucidate the nature of human learning and creative behavior. In addition, the embodiment of such abilities in software will result in intelligent systems which can be used to enhance human decision making, or even automate certain tasks requiring creativity. For the sake of concreteness, much of the discussion is conducted in the context of creative problem solving in engineering design and control strategy.
The time averaged TeV energy spectrum of MKN 501 of the extraordinary 1997 outburst as measured with the stereoscopic Cherenkov telescope system of HEGRA

During the several months of the outburst of Mkn 501 in 1997 the source has been monitored in TeV -rays with the HEGRA stereoscopic system of imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes. Quite remarkably it turned out that the shapes of the daily -ray energy spectra remained essentially stable throughout the entire state of high activity despite dra- matic flux variations during this period. The derivation of a long term time-averaged energy spectrum, based on more than 38,000 detected TeV photons, is therefore physically meaning- ful. The unprecedented -ray statistics combined with the 20% energy resolution of the instrument resulted in the first detec- tion of -rays from an extragalactic source well beyond 10 TeV, and the first high accuracy measurement of an exponential cut- off in the energy region above 5 TeV deeply into the expo- nential regime. From 500 GeV to 24 TeV the differential pho- ton spectrum is well approximated by a power-law with an ex- ponential cutoff: dN=dE = N0 (E=1TeV) exp( E=E0), with N0 = (10:8 0:2stat 2:1sys) 10 11 cm 2 s 1 TeV 1 , =1 :92 0:03stat 0:20sys, and E0 =( 6:2 0:4stat( 1:5+ 2:9)sys)TeV. We summarize the methods for the evaluation of the energy spectrum in a broad dynamical range which covers almost two energy decades, and study in detail the principal sources of systematic errors. We also discuss several important astrophysical implications of the observed result concerning the production and absorption mechanisms of-rays in the emitting jet and the modifications of the initial spectrum of TeV radiation due to its interaction with the diffuse extragalactic background radiation.
Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase E Inhibits Signaling by Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases

Mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) mediate signaling from the cell membrane to the nucleus following their phosphorylation at conserved threonine and tyrosine residues within their activation loops. We show that protein tyrosine phosphatase e (PTPe) inhibits ERK1 and ERK2 kinase activity and reduces their phosphorylation; in agreement, ERK phosphorylation is increased in fibroblasts and in mammary tumor cells from mice genetically lacking PTPe. PTPe inhibits events downstream of ERKs, such as transcriptional activation mediated by Elk1 or by the serum response element. PTPe also inhibits transcriptional activation mediated by c-Jun and C/EBP binding protein (CHOP) but not that mediated by the unrelated NFkB, attesting that it is broadly active within the MAPK family but otherwise specific. The effect of PTPe on ERKs is at least in part indirect because phosphorylation of the threonine residue in the ERK activation loop is reduced in the presence of PTPe. Nonetheless, PTPe is present in a molecular complex with ERK, providing PTPe with opportunity to act on ERK proteins also directly. We conclude that PTPe is a physiological inhibitor of ERK signaling. Slow induction of PTPe and its lack of nuclear translocation following mitogenic stimulation suggest that PTPe functions to prevent inappropriate activation and to terminate prolonged, rather than acute, activation of ERK in the cytosol.
Two-Dimensional Time Coding in the Auditory Brainstem

Avian nucleus magnocellularis (NM) spikes provide a temporal code representing sound arrival times to downstream neurons that compute sound source location. NM cells act as high-pass filters by responding only to discrete synaptic events while ignoring temporally summed EPSPs. This high degree of input selectivity insures that each output spike from NM unambiguously represents inputs that contain precise temporal information. However, we lack a quantitative description of the computation performed by NM cells. A powerful model for predicting output firing rate given an arbitrary current input is given by a linear/nonlinear cascade: the stimulus is compared with a known relevant feature by linear filtering, and based on that comparison, a nonlinear function predicts the firing response. Spike-triggered covariance analysis allows us to determine a generalization of this model in which firing depends on more than one spike-triggering feature or stimulus dimension. We found two current features relevant for NM spike generation; the most important simply smooths the current on short time scales, whereas the second confers sensitivity to rapid changes. A model based on these two features captured more mutual information between current and spikes than a model based on a single feature. We used this analysis to characterize the changes in the computation brought about by pharmacological manipulation of the biophysical properties of the neurons. Blockage of low-threshold voltage-gated potassium channels selectively eliminated the requirement for the second stimulus feature, generalizing our understanding of input selectivity by NM cells. This study demonstrates the power of covariance analysis for investigating single neuron computation.
ANALYZING CERTAIN TEMPORAL DEPENDENCES IN NETFLIX DATA

Netflix (see http://www.netflix.com/), an American Internet-based movie rental company, uses data mining in their recommendation system. In October 2006 Netflix made a huge data base of their users and movie evaluations available to the community and announced a million dollars prize to the team that beats the accuracy of their recommen- dations by at least 10%. The data have since become an object of interest of the machine learning community. In this paper, we focus on one aspect of the data that, to our know- ledge, has been overlooked — their temporal dependences. We have looked at the impact of the day of the week, month of the year, length of membership, month from the start of Netflix, etc., on the average evaluation.
Turbo Joint Source-Channel Coding of Cycle-Stationary Sources in the Bandwidth-Limited Regime

In this paper we propose a novel one-layer coding/shaping transmission system for the bandwidth-limited regime based on singlelevel codes and sigma-mapping [1]. Specifically, we focus on cyclestationary information sources with independent symbols. High spectral efficiencies can be achieved by combine at the transmitter a Turbo code with a sigma-mapper. Furthermore, the encoded symbols are modulated by using an asymmetric energy allocation technique before entering the aforementioned sigma-mapper. The corresponding decoder iterates between the Turbo decoder and the sigma-demapper, which exchange progressively refined extrinsic probabilities of the encoded symbols. For the Additive White Gaussian Noise (AWGN) channel, simulation results obtained for very simple Turbo codes show that the proposed system attains low bit error rates at signal-to-noise ratios relatively close to the corresponding Shannon limit. These promising results pave the way for future investigations towards reducing the aforementioned energy gap, e.g. by utilizing more powerful Turbo codes.
Demonstration of mmWave systems and networks for the HetNet in 5G Mobile Communication

Latest success of open experiments of mmWave systems and networks for the Heterogeneous network in 5G Mobile Communication are reviewed. This is conducted in “wireless-fiber project” funded by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, Japan and high-speed wireless communication systems above Gb/s has been pursued by the collaborative team in Tokyo Institute of Technology as well as the industries for almost a decade.
A weighted least squares PET image reconstruction method using iterative coordinate descent algorithms

In this paper, we present an image reconstruction method for positron emission tomography (PET) based on weighted least squares (WLS) objective function. Unlike a usual WLS algorithm, the proposed method, which we call it ICD-WLS, minimizes the WLS objective function using iterative coordinate descent (ICD) method in a sequence of small "hidden" data spaces. Although ICD-WLS uses a strategy to update parameter sequentially just like common ICD method, however, the use of these small "hidden" data spaces makes the ICD-WLS method converge more faster and produce reconstructed images with greater contrast and detail than the usual WLS methods. The OS algorithm is also used to accelerate image reconstruction for ICD-WLS. The experimental results show that the proposed method is more effective even if the projection data include statistic noise.
Trajectory-tracking control of an input delayed omnidirectional mobile robot

This article describes the design of a linear observer-linear controller-based robust output feedback scheme for output reference trajectory tracking tasks in an input delayed omnidirectional mobile robot. The unknown, possibly state-dependent, additive nonlinearity influencing the tracking error dynamics, is modeled as an absolutely uniformly bounded, additive unknown “time-varying disturbance” input signal. This procedure simplifies the system tracking error description to that of three independent chains of second order integrators with, known, position-dependent control input gain matrix, while additively being perturbed by the unknown, smooth, time-varying signal. A GPI observer is the basis of a suitable perturbation prediction scheme, aimed at perturbation cancelation in the forward system, which allows to reduce the nonlinear delayed input control problem to that of a weakly perturbed linear delayed system. The approximate cancelation of the perturbation input facilitates the use of the classical Smith Predictor Compensator in the resulting dominantly linear problem. The results are implemented on a laboratory prototype.
(Inductive) Querying Environment for Predictive Clustering Trees

Inductive databases tightly integrate databases with data mining. Besides data, an inductive database also stores models that have been obtained by running data mining algorithms on the data. By means of a querying environment, the user can query the database and retrieve particular models. In this paper, we propose such a querying environment. It can be used for building new models and for searching through the database of previously built models. The models that we consider are so-called predictive clustering trees (PCTs). PCTs generalize decision trees and can be used for several prediction and clustering tasks, among others, (multi-objective) classification and regression. Our querying environment supports queries that contain size, error, and syntactic constraints on the PCTs and helps the user to quickly obtain the models of interest.
Frontal White Matter Tracts Sustaining Speech Production in Primary Progressive Aphasia

In primary progressive aphasia (PPA), speech and language difficulties are caused by neurodegeneration of specific brain networks. In the nonfluent/agrammatic variant (nfvPPA), motor speech and grammatical deficits are associated with atrophy in a left fronto-insular-striatal network previously implicated in speech production. In vivo dissection of the crossing white matter (WM) tracts within this “speech production network” is complex and has rarely been performed in health or in PPA. We hypothesized that damage to these tracts would be specific to nfvPPA and would correlate with differential aspects of the patients' fluency abilities. We prospectively studied 25 PPA and 21 healthy individuals who underwent extensive cognitive testing and 3 T MRI. Using residual bootstrap Q-ball probabilistic tractography on high angular resolution diffusion-weighted imaging (HARDI), we reconstructed pathways connecting posterior inferior frontal, inferior premotor, insula, supplementary motor area (SMA) complex, striatum, and standard ventral and dorsal language pathways. We extracted tract-specific diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) metrics to assess changes across PPA variants and perform brain–behavioral correlations. Significant WM changes in the left intrafrontal and frontostriatal pathways were found in nfvPPA, but not in the semantic or logopenic variants. Correlations between tract-specific DTI metrics with cognitive scores confirmed the specific involvement of this anterior–dorsal network in fluency and suggested a preferential role of a posterior premotor-SMA pathway in motor speech. This study shows that left WM pathways connecting the speech production network are selectively damaged in nfvPPA and suggests that different tracts within this system are involved in subcomponents of fluency. These findings emphasize the emerging role of diffusion imaging in the differential diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases.
Children exposed to intimate partner violence: impact assessment and guidelines for intervention

In recent years there have been significant changes in the system of protection of children and adolescents in Spain. One of the most important changes that has affected intimate partner violence (IPV) is the category of victims, which includes children who have been exposed to situations of gender-based violence among their parents. This study aims to analyze the impact that exposure to gender violence can have in children’s psychological development, specifically in the emotional and social areas. We recruited 132 children whose mean age was 9.54 years (SD = 2.18), 47.7% were girls. Of this sample, 66 participants reported being exposed to situations of gender violence and the rest had not been exposed. Psychological adjustment was assessed through the self-reported version of the Child and Adolescent Behavior Assessment System (BASC-S2). The results indicated that children who have been exposed to gender violence have higher scores on psychosocial disorders compared to children from non-violent families. In global terms, the results showed that children exposed to violence show greater adaptive and emotional difficulties. A reflection on the identified needs and their implications for evaluation and intervention is presented.
1D System identification of a 54‐story steel frame building by seismic interferometry

A 54‐story steel, perimeter‐frame building in downtown Los Angeles, California, is identified by a wave method using records of the Northridge earthquake of 1994 (ML = 6.4, R = 32 km). The building is represented as a layered shear beam and a torsional shaft, characterized by the corresponding velocities of vertically propagating waves through the structure. The previously introduced waveform inversion algorithm is applied, which fits in the least squares sense pulses in low‐pass filtered impulse response functions computed at different stories. This paper demonstrates that layered shear beam and torsional shaft models are valid for this building, within bands that include the first five modes of vibration for each of the North–South (NS), East–West (EW), and torsional responses (0–1.7 Hz for NS and EW, and 0–3.5 Hz for the torsional response). The observed pulse travel time from ground floor to penthouse level is τ ≈1.5 s for NS and EW and τ ≈ 0.9 s for the torsional responses. The identified equivalent uniform shear beam wave velocities are βeq ≈ 140 m/s for NS and EW responses, and 260 m/s for torsion, and the apparent Q ≈ 25 for the NS and torsional, and ≈14 for the EW response. Across the layers, the wave velocity varied 90–170 m/s for the NS, 80–180 m/s for the EW, and 170–350 m/s for the torsional responses. The identification method is intended for use in structural health monitoring. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Forward Variance Dynamics: Bergomi’s Model Revisited

Abstract In this article, we propose an arbitrage-free modelling framework for the joint dynamics of forward variance along with the underlying index, which can be seen as a combination of the two approaches proposed by Bergomi. The difference between our modelling framework and the Bergomi (2008. Smile dynamics III. Risk, October, 90–96) models is mainly the ability to compute the prices of VIX futures and options by using semi-analytic formulas. Also, we can express the sensitivities of the prices of VIX futures and options with respect to the model parameters, which enables us to propose an efficient and easy calibration to the VIX futures and options. The calibrated model allows to Delta-hedge VIX options by trading in VIX futures, the corresponding hedge ratios can be computed analytically.
A Two-Locus System Controls Susceptibility to Colitis-Associated Colon Cancer in Mice

We have previously shown that the differential susceptibility of A/J (susceptible) and C57BL/6J (B6, resistant) mouse strains to azoxymethane (AOM)-induced colorectal cancer (CRC) is controlled by the chromosome 3 locus, Ccs3. We report that A/J and B6 mice also show differential susceptibility to colitis-associated colorectal cancer (CA-CRC) induced by combined administration of AOM and dextran sulfate. This differential susceptibility is not controlled by Ccs3, but is under distinct genetic control. Linkage analyses in (A/J × B6)F2 mice detected a major CA-CRC susceptibility locus on chromosome 9 (Ccs4) which controls tumor multiplicity and tumor surface area. Susceptibility alleles at Ccs4 are inherited in a recessive fashion, with A/J alleles being associated with susceptibility. We also detected a second locus on chromosome 14 that acts in an additive fashion with Ccs4. Strikingly, F2 mice homozygous for A/J alleles at both loci (Ccs4 and chromosome 14) are as susceptible to CA-CRC as the A/J controls while mice homozygous for B6 alleles are as resistant as the B6 controls, thus supporting the role of two interacting loci in this CA-CRC model. This indicates that susceptibility to chemically-induced CRC and susceptibility to CA-CRC are under distinct genetic control in mice, and probably involve distinct cellular pathways.
Generation of antigen-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes and regulation of cytokine production takes place in the absence of CD3ζ

The TCR-associated protein CD3z plays a major role in regulating the state of responsiveness to peptide‐MHC complexes on the surface of antigen-presenting cells. In this paper the requirement of CD3z in the generation of cytotoxic T cells was compared with its requirement in cytokine gene activation in two mutant mice: ZKO mice with a disrupted CD3z gene and ZTG mice in which a truncated CD3z segment was expressed as a transgene on the ZKO background. Upon infection of ZTG mice with lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV), antigen-specific cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) responses were detected, identical to responses in wild-type mice. In addition, antigenspecific CTL responses to allogeneic class I and class II MHC in ZTG animals were indistinguishable from those in wild-type animals. However, CTL responses to the same major antigens were not detectable in ZKO mice. We conclude that the signal transduction pathways leading to CTL development and cytokine production can be triggered through TCR in the absence of functional CD3z, provided the remainder of the TCR‐CD3 complex is expressed at high levels on the cell surface. Surprisingly, IFN-g production in response to LCMV followed the same kinetics in ZKO, ZTG and wild-type mice. However, in vitro studies showed that cytokine production in general was abnormally regulated in T lymphocytes from ZKO mice, in contrast to ZTG T cells. Taken together, these studies support the hypothesis that development of CTL can take place in the absence of functional CD3z. However, CTL development requires stronger TCR-initiated signal transduction events than induction of cytokine genes.
An Improved A Priori MMSE Spectral Subtraction Method for Speech Enhancement

This paper presents a modification of conventional minimum mean squared error (MMSE) spectral subtraction algorithm by introducing an adaptive averaging factor to accurately estimate the a priori SNR. Performance of the modified a priori SNR is evaluated by comparing with conventional spectral subtraction algorithm. Improved results are obtained in terms of speech quality measures for various types of noise when the time-frequency varying averaging factor, proposed in this paper, is adapted in the conventional subtraction rules.
Development and Validation of a Silhouette Scale to Measure African-American Mothers’ Perception of the Body Size of Their Two to Four Year Old Children

Development And Validation Of A Silhouette Scale To Measure African-American Mothers‘ Perception Of The Body Size Of Their Two To Four Year Old Children. By Joan Buckley Advisor: Dr. Martha Whetsell Background: In the United States (U.S.), the Center for Disease Control (2011 – 2014) reported that onethird of adults and 17% of children between the ages of two and nineteen are obese. Obesity in the U.S. is higher in the African-American groups comprising 13.2 % of the U.S. population. With the link between obesity and chronic diseases, such as, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and some cancers there is a necessity to understand and reverse the consequences of obesity. There is a need to change the development of obesity/adiposity from childhood to adulthood in African-Americans. Exploring the parent‘s awareness of the weight of their children is an important issue when considering cultural aspects of an individual and their perspectives. Method: African-American mothers (N=15) volunteered their two to four year old children to be photographed and measured during ̳well‘ child visits. These photographs and measurements were used by an artist to draw the silhouettes for the ̳Buckley Toddler Scale‘ which was then tested for validity and reliability by one hundred and twenty experts. Findings: The ̳Buckley Toddler Scale‘ was a valid and reliable tool to measure an African-American mother‘s perception of her child‘s body size and as such, mothers were able to accurately describe in common terms: underweight, normal weight, and overweight.