Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Data Visualization and Dimensionality Reduction Using Kernel Maps With a Reference Point

In this paper, a new kernel-based method for data visualization and dimensionality reduction is proposed. A reference point is considered corresponding to additional constraints taken in the problem formulation. In contrast with the class of kernel eigenmap methods, the solution (coordinates in the low-dimensional space) is characterized by a linear system instead of an eigenvalue problem. The kernel maps with a reference point are generated from a least squares support vector machine (LS-SVM) core part that is extended with an additional regularization term for preserving local mutual distances together with reference point constraints. The kernel maps possess primal and dual model representations and provide out-of-sample extensions, e.g., for validation-based tuning. The method is illustrated on toy problems and real-life data sets.
Crucible of Andean Civilization

The focus of the development of the first complex, centralized societies on the coast of Peru between 3000 and 1800 BC was a portion of the coast known as the Norte Chico, where more than 30 large Late Archaic sites with monumental platform mounds, ceremonial plazas, and residential architecture have now been identified. Differing theories have been offered to explain the emergence of complex polities in this region. New settlement and radiocarbon data suggest an alternative theoretical model that posits a regional sphere of interaction with a dominant political nexus in the Norte Chico region and participation by maritime fishing communities up and down the coast.
Overview of the EVALITA 2016 Named Entity rEcognition and Linking in Italian Tweets (NEEL-IT) Task

English. This report describes the main outcomes of the 2016 Named Entity rEcognition and Linking in Italian Tweet (NEEL-IT) Challenge. The goal of the challenge is to provide a benchmark corpus for the evaluation of entity recognition and linking algorithms specifically designed for noisy and short texts, like tweets, written in Italian. The task requires the correct identification of entity mentions in a text and their linking to the proper named entities in a knowledge base. To this aim, we choose to use the canonicalized dataset of DBpedia 201510. The task has attracted five participants, for a total of 15 runs submitted. Italiano. In questo report descriviamo i principali risultati conseguiti nel primo task per la lingua Italiana di Named Entity rEcognition e Linking in Tweet (NEELIT). Il task si prefigge l’obiettivo di offrire un framework di valutazione per gli algoritmi di riconoscimento e linking di entità a nome proprio specificamente disegnati per la lingua italiana per testi corti e rumorosi, quali i tweet. Il task si compone di una fase di riconoscimento delle menzioni di entità con nome proprio nel testo e del loro successivo collegamento alle opportune entità in una base di conoscenza. In questo task abbiamo scelto come base di conoscenza la versione canonica di DBpedia 2015. Il task ha attirato cinque partecipanti per un totale di 15 diversi run.
Non-markovian decay of a three-level cascade atom in a structured reservoir

The dynamics of a three-level atom in a cascade (or ladder) configuration with both transitions coupled to a single structured reservoir of quantized electromagnetic field modes is treated using Laplace transform methods applied to the coupled amplitude equations. In this system two-photon excitation of the reservoir occurs, and both sequences for emitting the two photons are allowed and included in the theory. An integral equation is found to govern the complex amplitudes of interest. It is shown that the dynamics of the atomic system is completely determined in terms of reservoir structure functions, which are products of the mode density with the coupling constant squared. This dependence on reservoir structure functions rather than on the mode density or coupling constants alone, shows that it may be possible to extend pseudomode theory to treat multiphoton excitation of a structured reservoir--pseudomodes being introduced in one-one correspondence with the poles of reservoir structure functions in the complex frequency plane. A general numerical method for solving the integral equations based on discretizing frequency space, and applicable to different structured reservoirs such as high-Q cavities and photonic band-gap systems, is presented. An application to a high-Q-cavity case with identical Lorentzian reservoir structure functions is made,more » and the non-Markovian decay of the excited state shown. A formal solution to the integral equations in terms of right and left eigenfunctions of a non-Hermitian kernel is also given. The dynamics of the cascade atom, with the two transitions coupled to two separate structured reservoirs of quantized electromagnetic field modes, is treated similarly to the single structured reservoir situation. Again the dynamics only depends on reservoir structure functions. As only one sequence of emitting the two photons now occurs, the integral equation for the amplitudes can be solved analytically. The non-Markovian decay of the excited state is shown for the same high-Q-cavity case of identical Lorentzian reservoir structure functions, and differs from that for the single reservoir situation. « less
Environment and host species shape the skin microbiome of captive neotropical bats

Background A wide range of microorganisms inhabit animal skin. This microbial community (microbiome) plays an important role in host defense against pathogens and disease. Bats (Chiroptera: Mammalia) are an ecologically and evolutionarily diversified group with a relatively unexplored skin microbiome. The bat skin microbiome could play a role in disease resistance, for example, to white nose syndrome (WNS), an infection which has been devastating North American bat populations. However, fundamental knowledge of the bat skin microbiome is needed before understanding its role in health and disease resistance. Captive neotropical frugivorous bats Artibeus jamaicensis and Carollia perspicillataprovide a simple controlled system in which to characterize the factors shaping the bat microbiome. Here, we aimed to determine the relative importance of habitat and host species on the bat skin microbiome. Methods We performed high-throughput 16S rRNA gene sequencing of the skin microbiome of two different bat species living in captivity in two different habitats. In the first habitat, A. jamaicensis and C. perspicillata lived together, while the second habitat contained only A. jamaicensis. Results We found that both habitat and host species shape the composition and diversity of the skin microbiome, with habitat having the strongest influence. Cohabitating A. jamaicensis and C. perspicillata shared more similar skin microbiomes than members of the same species (A. jamaicensis) across two habitats. Discussion These results suggest that in captivity, the skin microbial community is homogenised by the shared environments and individual proximities of bats living together in the same habitat, at the expense of the innate host species factors. The predominant influence of habitat suggests that environmental microorganisms or pathogens might colonize bat skin. We also propose that bat populations could differ in pathogen susceptibility depending on their immediate environment and habitat.
Towards automatic quality assurance in Wikipedia

Featured articles in Wikipedia stand for high information quality, and it has been found interesting to researchers to analyze whether and how they can be distinguished from "ordinary" articles. Here we point out that article discrimination falls far short of writer support or automatic quality assurance: Featured articles are not identified, but are made. Following this motto we compile a comprehensive list of information quality flaws in Wikipedia, model them according to the latest state of the art, and devise one-class classification technology for their identification.
ML Performance Achieving Algorithm With the Zero-Forcing Complexity at High SNR Regime

Although zero-forcing (ZF) detection is well-known for its low computational complexity in multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) communication systems, it suffers from significantly poor performance. The sphere decoder (SD) method, on the other hand, achieves the maximum likelihood (ML) performance yet imposes a high computational complexity. We propose a low-complexity detection scheme, concatenated with the SD method, which verifies the reliability of the ZF equalized observations via some predefined regions and thresholds obtained by the channel realization. We design the threshold analytically, such that the method achieves the ML performance. With the designed threshold, we prove that the method achieves the ML performance and the ZF computational complexity at the same time with probability one, at high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). The theoretical analysis is corroborated with numerical simulations. The simulation results also show that the proposed method achieves the ML performance very rapidly as the SNR increases.
Intelligent Frequency Control in an AC Microgrid: Online PSO-Based Fuzzy Tuning Approach

Modern power systems require increased intelligence and flexibility in the control and optimization to ensure the capability of maintaining a generation-load balance, following serious disturbances. This issue is becoming more significant today due to the increasing number of microgrids (MGs). The MGs mostly use renewable energies in electrical power production that are varying naturally. These changes and usual uncertainties in power systems cause the classic controllers to be unable to provide a proper performance over a wide range of operating conditions. In response to this challenge, the present paper addresses a new online intelligent approach by using a combination of the fuzzy logic and the particle swarm optimization (PSO) techniques for optimal tuning of the most popular existing proportional-integral (PI) based frequency controllers in the ac MG systems. The control design methodology is examined on an ac MG case study. The performance of the proposed intelligent control synthesis is compared with the pure fuzzy PI and the Ziegler-Nichols PI control design methods.
From Drought Sensing to Developmental Control: Evolution of Cyclic AMP Signaling in Social Amoebas

Amoebas and other protists commonly encyst when faced with environmental stress. Although little is known of the signaling pathways that mediate encystation, the analogous process of spore formation in dictyostelid social amoebas is better understood. In Dictyostelium discoideum, secreted cyclic AMP (cAMP) mediates the aggregation of starving amoebas and induces the differentiation of prespore cells. Intracellular cAMP acting on cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) triggers the maturation of spores and prevents their germination under the prevalent conditions of high osmolality in the spore head. The osmolyte-activated adenylate cyclase, ACG, produces cAMP for prespore differentiation and inhibition of spore germination. To retrace the origin of ACG function, we investigated ACG gene conservation and function in species that span the dictyostelid phylogeny. ACG genes, osmolyte-activated ACG activity, and osmoregulation of spore germination were detected in species that represent the 4 major groups of Dictyostelia. Unlike the derived species D. discoideum, many basal Dictyostelia have retained the ancestral mechanism of encystation from solitary amoebas. In these species and in solitary amoebas, encystation is independently triggered by starvation or by high osmolality. Osmolyte-induced encystation was accompanied by an increase in cAMP and prevented by inhibition of PKA, indicating that ACG and PKA activation mediate this response. We propose that high osmolality signals drought in soil amoebas and that developmental cAMP signaling in the Dictyostelia has evolved from this stress response.
New-Keynesian Macroeconomics and the Term Structure

This article complements the structural New-Keynesian macro framework with a no-arbitrage affine term structure model. Whereas our methodology is general, we focus on an extended macro-model with an unobservable time-varying inflation target and the natural rate of output which are filtered from macro and term structure data. We obtain large and significant estimates of the Phillips curve and real interest rate response parameters. Our model also delivers strong contemporaneous responses of the entire term structure to various macroeconomic shocks. The inflation target dominates the variation in the "level factor" whereas the monetary policy shocks dominate the variation in the "slope and curvature factors".
DISTRIBUTED CLUSTERING IN WIRELESS SENSOR NETWORKS USING A GAME THEORETICAL APPROACH N . Bagherzadeh

Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) consist of a large number of tiny and battery operated sensor nodes. Reducing energy consumption of sensor nodes and consequently prolonging the network lifetime with providing application-specific requirements is an important issue in WSNs. According to literature, clustered based routing protocols are one of the techniques for delivering data in an energy aware way in WSNs. Hence, in this paper, clustering of sensor nodes is modeled as a game and we utilized a game theoretical approach for prolonging network lifetime. Our proposed algorithm named Distributed Clustering by Game Theoretical approach (DCGT) considers parameters such as residual energy, distance to the base station, distance to neighbors and cost of being a cluster head for each sensor node to design a game table. Based on parameters in the DCGT, each node computes mixed strategies Nash equilibrium of game, which shows the probability of being the cluster, head. Simulation results prove the efficiency of the DCGT in prolonging network lifetime compare to the LEACH and another state of the art algorithm (CROSS).
LDL receptor-related protein-1 regulates NFκB and microRNA-155 in macrophages to control the inflammatory response

Significance We have identified the transmembrane receptor, LDL receptor-related protein-1 (LRP1), as a regulator of innate immunity and inflammatory responses in macrophages. LRP1 gene deletion in myeloid cells is proinflammatory in mice, as is LRP1 gene deletion in cultured macrophages. In LRP1-expressing macrophages, different LRP1 ligands have opposing effects on LRP1 activity, promoting or attenuating inflammatory mediator expression. NFκB is rapidly regulated by LRP1 ligands and responsible for the initial effects of LRP1 on macrophage gene expression. Regulation of microRNA-155 (miR-155) expression is a key downstream event, which may sustain or inhibit the macrophage inflammatory response. LRP1, NFκB, and miR-155 are thus members of a previously unidentified system, with the potential to control inflammation in a macrophage microenvironment-dependent manner. LDL receptor-related protein-1 (LRP1) is an endocytic and cell-signaling receptor. In mice in which LRP1 is deleted in myeloid cells, the response to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was greatly exacerbated. LRP1 deletion in macrophages in vitro, under the control of tamoxifen-activated Cre-ERT fusion protein, robustly increased expression of proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines. In LRP1-expressing macrophages, proinflammatory mediator expression was regulated by LRP1 ligands in a ligand-specific manner. The LRP1 agonists, α2-macroglobulin and tissue-type plasminogen activator, attenuated expression of inflammatory mediators, even in the presence of LPS. The antagonists, receptor-associated protein (RAP) and lactoferrin (LF), and LRP1-specific antibody had the entirely opposite effect, promoting inflammatory mediator expression and mimicking LRP1 deletion. NFκB was rapidly activated in response to RAP and LF and responsible for the initial increase in expression of proinflammatory mediators. RAP and LF also significantly increased expression of microRNA-155 (miR-155) after a lag phase of about 4 h. miR-155 expression reflected, at least in part, activation of secondary cell-signaling pathways downstream of TNFα. Although miR-155 was not involved in the initial induction of cytokine expression in response to LRP1 antagonists, miR-155 was essential for sustaining the proinflammatory response. We conclude that LRP1, NFκB, and miR-155 function as members of a previously unidentified system that has the potential to inhibit or sustain inflammation, depending on the continuum of LRP1 ligands present in the macrophage microenvironment.
A MIMO system with reciprocal transceivers for the time-division duplex mode

For the application of advanced smart antenna and MIMO techniques as joint transmission, channel inversion and Tomlinson-Harashima pre-coding in future radio systems, channel side information is required at the transmitter. In the time-division duplex mode, the reciprocal channel coefficients estimated in the uplink may in principle be reused in the downlink. In practice, the reciprocity must not be limited to the radio frequency channel between the antennas but it should be available also at the transceiver interfaces to the baseband signal processing. Here we propose a new transceiver design suitable for the application of these advanced techniques.
Molecular Characterization and Phylogenetic Analysis of New Variants of the Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus in Gansu, China in 2012

Between January 2012 and March 2012, the infection rates of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) increased substantially in vaccinated swine herds in many porcine farms in Gansu Province, China. The spike (S) glycoprotein is an important determinant for PEDV biological properties. To determine the distribution profile of PEDV outbreak strains, we sequenced the full-length S gene of five samples from two farms where animals exhibited severe diarrhea and high mortality rates. Five new PEDV variants were identified, and the molecular diversity, phylogenetic relationships, and antigenicity analysis of Gansu field samples with other PEDV reference strains were investigated. A series of insertions, deletions, and mutations in the S gene was found in five PEDV variants compared with classical and vaccine strains. These mutations may provide stronger pathogenicity and antigenicity to the new PEDV variants that influenced the effectiveness of the CV777-based vaccine. Our results suggest that these new PEDV variant strains in Gansu Province might be from South Korean or South China, and the effectiveness of the CV777-based vaccine needs to be evaluated.
Segmentation using a region-growing thresholding

Our research deals with a semi-automatic region-growing segmentation technique. This method only needs one seed inside the region of interest (ROI). We applied it for spinal cord segmentation but it also shows results for parotid glands or even tumors. Moreover, it seems to be a general segmentation method as it could be applied in other computer vision domains then medical imaging. We use both the thresholding simplicity and the spatial information. The gray-scale and spatial distances from the seed to all the other pixels are computed. By normalizing and subtracting to 1 we obtain the probability for a pixel to belong to the same region as the seed. We will explain the algorithm and show some preliminary results which are encouraging. Our method has low computational cost and very encouraging results in 2D. Future work will consist in a C implementation and a 3D generalisation.
Gene profiling reveals unknown enhancing and suppressive actions of glucocorticoids on immune cells

Glucocorticoids continue to be the ma‐jor immunomodulatory agents used in clinical medicine today. However, their actions as anti‐inflammatory and immunosuppressive drugs are both beneficial and del‐eterious. We analyzed the effect of glucocorticoids on the gene expression profile of peripheral blood mono‐nuclear cells from healthy donors. DNA microarray analysis combined with quantitative TaqMan PCR and flow cytometry revealed that glucocorticoids induced the expression of chemokine, cytokine, and comple‐ment family members as well as of newly discovered innate immune‐related genes, including scavenger and Toll‐like receptors. In contrast, glucocorticoids re‐pressed the expression of adaptive immune‐related genes. Simultaneous inhibitory and stimulatory effects of glucocorticoids were found on inflammatory T helper subsets and apoptosis‐related gene clusters. In cells activated by T cell receptor cross‐linking, glucocor‐ticoids down‐regulated the expression of specific genes that were previously up‐regulated in resting cells, sug‐gesting a potential new mechanism by which they exert positive and negative effects. Considering the broad and continuously renewed interest in glucocorticoid therapy, the profiles we describe here will be useful in designing more specific and efficient treatment strate‐gies. — Galon, J., Franchimont, D. , Hiroi, N. , Frey, G. , Boettner, A. , Ehrhart‐Bornstein, M. , O’Shea, J. J., Chrousos, G. P., Bornstein, S. R. Gene profiling reveals unknown enhancing and suppressive actions of glucocorticoids on immune cells. FASEB J. 16, 61–71 (2002)
Immune Activation and Collateral Damage in AIDS Pathogenesis

In the past decade, evidence has accumulated that human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-induced chronic immune activation drives progression to AIDS. Studies among different monkey species have shown that the difference between pathological and non-pathological infection is determined by the response of the immune system to the virus, rather than its cytopathicity. Here we review the current understanding of the various mechanisms driving chronic immune activation in HIV infection, the cell types involved, its effects on HIV-specific immunity, and how persistent inflammation may cause AIDS and the wide spectrum of non-AIDS related pathology. We argue that therapeutic relief of inflammation may be beneficial to delay HIV-disease progression and to reduce non-AIDS related pathological side effects of HIV-induced chronic immune stimulation.
Construction and Deconstruction of Hierarchical Event Streams with Multiple Hierarchical Layers

Compositional scheduling analysis couples local scheduling analysis via event streams. While local analysis has successfully been extended to include hierarchical scheduling strategies, event streams are still flat. In this paper, we formally define hierarchical event streams, which cannot only be constructed from flat event streams, but also from hierarchical streams allowing event streams with multiple hierarchical layers. We define an hierarchical event model and the operations to construct and deconstruct hierarchical events streams. Finally, we demonstrate how the model can be integrated in an existing analysis approach for distributed systems, enabling superior analysis results.
Feasibility analysis of recurring branching tasks

A new model for hard-real-time tasks-the recurring branching task model-is introduced, which is capable of modelling some restricted forms of conditional real-time process code. This model generalizes earlier models such as the sporadic task model and the generalized multiframe task model. It is shown that feasibility analysis in this model-determining whether a system of several recurring branching tasks that share a processor can all be scheduled to always meet all deadlines-can be performed efficiently, in pseudo-polynomial time.