Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Self-Controlled Cell Selection and Loading System for & microfluidic systems

In this paper, we presented a design for an automated cell supply system that can be used with complex microfluidic applications requiring single cell loading such as the current nuclear transplantation method. The aim of the system is to automatically transfer mammalian donor (∼15µm) or egg (∼100µm) cells one by one from a container to a PDMS micro-channel and then transport them to other modules. The system consists of two main parts; a single cell suction module, and a PDMS-based microfluidic chip controlled by an external pump. The desired number of vacuumed cells can be directed into the microfluidic chip and stored in a docking area. From the batch, they can be moved to next module by activating pneumatic pressure valves located on two sides of the chip.
A New Evaluation Protocol and Benchmarking Results for Extendable Cross-media Retrieval

This paper proposes a new evaluation protocol for cross-media retrieval which better fits the real-word applications. Both image-text and text-image retrieval modes are considered. Traditionally, class labels in the training and testing sets are identical. That is, it is usually assumed that the query falls into some pre-defined classes. However, in practice, the content of a query image/text may vary extensively, and the retrieval system does not necessarily know in advance the class label of a query. Considering the inconsistency between the real-world applications and laboratory assumptions, we think that the existing protocol that works under identical train/test classes can be modified and improved. This work is dedicated to addressing this problem by considering the protocol under an extendable scenario, \ie, the training and testing classes do not overlap. We provide extensive benchmarking results obtained by the existing protocol and the proposed new protocol on several commonly used datasets. We demonstrate a noticeable performance drop when the testing classes are unseen during training. Additionally, a trivial solution, \ie, directly using the predicted class label for cross-media retrieval, is tested. We show that the trivial solution is very competitive in traditional non-extendable retrieval, but becomes less so under the new settings. The train/test split, evaluation code, and benchmarking results are publicly available on our website.
What Drive Market Interest Rates in China?

China’s interest rate market is unique because its central bank sets a term structure of official interest rates on bank deposits and loans as well as money supply. In this paper we explore both theoretically and empirically how market interest rates in China are related to economic fundamentals, bond demand and supply, and official interest rates and money supply. We first develop a theoretic model with both preferred habitat investors and arbitrageurs and show how the short term and long term market interest rates are related to these factors, and then empirically test their relationships. Different from the interest rate market in the U.S., we find that while the short-term rate in China is closely tied to the official interest rates and bond demand, it has a weak relationship with economic variables. In contrast, we find that the long-term rates are sensitive to the industrial production growth and inflation rate as well as the official interest rates and bond demand. We attribute these results to the unique monetary policy system in China.
Fitting U.S. Trend Inflation: A Rolling-Window Approach

The role of trend inflation shocks for the U.S. macroeconomic dynamics is investigated by estimating two DSGE models of the business cycle. Policymakers are assumed to be concerned with a time-varying inflation target, which is modeled as a persistent and stochastic process. The identification of trend inflation shocks (as opposed to a number of alternative innovations) is achieved by exploiting the measure of trend inflation recently proposed by Arouba and Schorfheide (2011, American Economic Journal: Macroeconomics). Our main findings point to a substantial contribution of trend inflation shocks for the volatility of inflation and the policy rate. Such contribution is found to be time-dependent and highest during the mid-1970s to mid-1980s.
Tumor angiogenic endothelial cell targeting by a novel integrin-targeted nanoparticle

Angiogenesis is an important process in cancer growth and metastasis. During the tumor angiogenic process, endothelial cells express various cell surface receptors which can be utilized for molecular imaging and targeted drug delivery. One such protein receptor of interest is the integrin αvβ3. Our group is involved in the development of molecular imaging probes and drug delivery systems targeting αvβ3. Based on extensive lead optimization study with the integrin antagonist compounds, we have developed a new generation of integrin αvβ3 compound (IA) which has superior binding affinity to αvβ3. Utilizing this IA as a targeting agent, we have developed a novel integrin-targeted nanoparticle (ITNP) system for targeted drug delivery and imaging of cancer angiogenesis. When multiple copies of the IA were conjugated onto the nanoparticle surface, strong and selective binding to the integrin αvβ3 was observed. These ITNPs also were rapidly taken up by cells that express αvβ3. The ITNPs accumulated in the angiogenic vessels, after systemic administration in a murine squamous cell carcinoma model. This novel intergrin targeted ITNP platform will likely have an application in targeted delivery of drugs and genes in vivo and can also be used for molecular imaging.
Statically-typed value persistence for ML

We present a set of extensions to the OCaml language which add support for statically generating typed accessor functions for persisting and communicating a large subset of OCaml types. The extensions do not require any compiler modications and are implemented using the camlp4 AST transformer. We describe our utility libraries which permit analyzing OCaml values and type declarations from library code without the complexity of a fully-staged system such as MetaOCaml.
An adaptive approach to network resilience: Evolving challenge detection and mitigation

It is widely agreed that computer networks need to become more resilient to a range of challenges that can seriously impact their normal operation. Challenges include malicious attacks, misconfigurations, accidental faults and operational overloads. As part of an overall strategy for network resilience, a crucial requirement is the identification of challenges in real-time, followed by the application of appropriate remedial action. In this paper, we motivate and describe a novel solution that enables the progressive multi-stage deployment of resilience strategies, based on incomplete challenge and context information. Policies are used to orchestrate the interactions between various resilience mechanisms, which incrementally identify the nature of a challenge and deploy appropriate remediation mechanisms. We demonstrate the benefits of this approach via simulation of a resource starvation attack on an Internet Service Provider infrastructure. By initially using lightweight detection and then progressively applying more heavyweight analysis, a key contribution of our work is the ability to mitigate a challenge as early as possible and rapidly detect its root cause. The approach we propose in this paper has the flexibility, reproducibility and extensibility needed to assist in the identification and remediation of various network challenges in the future.
Method to Detect and Track Moving Object in Non-static PTZ Camera

—This paper relates to a method for detecting moving objects and track them while the PTZ camera is moving. To ensure that the acquired images are free from blur effect, we have proposed a method to estimate the blur level of the image. For the moving object detection part, we have combined the Wroskian's change detection method to detect the moving pixels and refine the result by utilizing the neighbor pixels concept to reduce the noise resulted from imperfect alignment of successive images. The detection noise is further reduced by analyzing the detection consistency across successive image frames. This approach has effectively detects the moving object while reducing the noise.
Threshold and RAD analysis of adjusted counter-based broadcast in MANETs

Broadcasting is a vital operation in mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs) and it is crucial to enhance its efficiency to ensu re successful deployment. Although flooding is ideal for broadcast operations due to its simplicity and high reachability it suffers from high packet colli sion which can degrade network performance severely. Counter-based broadca st schemes have been introduced to alleviate the limitations of flooding . This study introduces an enhancement to counter-based broadcast by adjusting the threshold value and the Random Assessment Delay (RAD) using minimal nei ghbourhood information. Simulation results of this study show that the new dynamic scheme provide good performance levels compared to the exi sting solutions.
Metamodel matching techniques evaluation and benchmarking

During the last decades, the matching operation has been thoroughly studied in database systems and ontology development. Matching is critical in many application domains such as semantic web, schema and data integration, data translation. In the Model Driven Engineering (MDE) context, matching techniques between two metamodels are the centerpiece of a semi-automatic transformation process. Metamodel matching allows discovering mappings between two metamodels and then generating transformation rules. In this paper, we propose an approach for metamodel matching techniques evaluation and benchmarking. This approach firstly provides a benchmark for metamodel matching and, secondly prepares to semi-automate the transformation process according to the Model Driven Architecture (MDA). A benchmark is useful to compare the strengths and weaknesses of different metamodel matching techniques. Experimental results comparing the effectiveness of the application of various implementations of four recent techniques (Similarity Flooding, ModeICVS, SAMT4MDE andAML) on real-world metamodels are given.
Dasu: Pushing Experiments to the Internet's Edge

We present Dasu, a measurement experimentation platform for the Internet's edge. Dasu supports both controlled network experimentation and broadband characterization, building on public interest on the latter to gain the adoption necessary for the former. We discuss some of the challenges we faced building a platform for the Internet's edge, describe our current design and implementation, and illustrate the unique perspective it brings to Internet measurement. Dasu has been publicly available since July 2010 and has been installed by over 90,000 users with a heterogeneous set of connections spreading across 1,802 networks and 147 countries.
Pareto Frontier Construction. A GA vs Gauss-Newton Optimization for Normalized Normal Constraint Method

Important efforts have been made in the last years to develop methods for the construction of Pareto frontiers that guarantee uniform distribution and that exclude the non Pareto and local Pareto points. Nevertheless, these methods are susceptible of improvement or modifications to reach the same level of results more efficiently. This paper presents GA optimization as alternative for normalized normal constraint method. Moreover a compare between Gauss-Newton and GA methods is presented. The results presented in this paper show the suitable behavior of the GA method compared to classical Gauss-Newton methods
The CogALex-IV Shared Task on the Lexical Access Problem

The shared task of the 4th Workshop on Cognitive Aspects of the Lexicon (CogALexIV) was devoted to a subtask of the lexical access problem, namely multi-stimulus association. In this task, participants were supposed to determine automatically an expected response based on a number of received stimulus words. We describe here the task definition, the theoretical background, the training and test data sets, and the evaluation procedure used for ranking the participating systems. We also summarize the approaches used and present the results of the evaluation. In conclusion, the outcome of the competition are a number of systems which provide very good solutions to the problem.
Multilingualism and language practices of Nigerien migrants in Ghana

ABSTRACT This paper aims at examining language socialisation practices of members of two groups of migrants of Nigerien origin living in Ghana, i.e. Tamasheque-speaking beggars in Accra and Hausa/Zambarima/Buzu-speaking hawkers at the Akuapem Ridge. We examine the migrants’ language practices in various domains, such as work and home, interrogate whether such practices reflect the level of socioeconomic integration they experience and ascertain the role that members of the host communities play in their language socialisation. The Communities of Practice (CofP) framework, an ethnographic approach (which involves long-term observation and unstructured recorded interviews) is employed in the collection of data on the migrants’ language practices. However, two sets of data, from questionnaire surveys in Accra and the Akuapem Ridge, were collected to help describe these host communities’ language practices, which the migrants are expected to encounter. Batibo’s triglossic structure model was relied on in conducting those surveys and in interpreting the data. This study finds that there is strong correlation between a migrant group's socioeconomic integration and their sociolinguistic integration: while adult Tamasheque-speaking beggars are generally unable to learn any new languages in Ghana because they choose to remain marginalised, their children, who are the ones who beg and are the bread winners, as well as the hawkers, who sell wares roaming streets along the Ridge, typically get to learn at least Akan, the dominant local language of their host communities.
Introduction to Myths and Realities Associated with Research and Theorizing for Human Development

The five papers in this issue address myths and realities associated with human development research and theorizing. The papers represent diverse perspectives on sexual minority youth, resilience and risk for youth in high achieving schools, a reconceptualization of hostility in African American parenting styles, a critical examination of diversity and contact for students attending racial/ethnically diverse schools, and a thoughtful consideration of contextual factors associated with aggressive attitudes and prosocial behaviors in African American males. The authors of each of these papers challenge human development researchers to consider new and/or alternative ways of examining empirical studies and conceptualizing new ones.
Age-Related Changes in the Functional Network Underlying Specific and General Autobiographical Memory Retrieval: A Pivotal Role for the Anterior Cingulate Cortex

Age-related changes in autobiographical memory (AM) recall are characterized by a decline in episodic details, while semantic aspects are spared. This deleterious effect is supposed to be mediated by an inefficient recruitment of executive processes during AM retrieval. To date, contrasting evidence has been reported on the neural underpinning of this decline, and none of the previous studies has directly compared the episodic and semantic aspects of AM in elderly. We asked 20 young and 17 older participants to recall specific and general autobiographical events (i.e., episodic and semantic AM) elicited by personalized cues while recording their brain activity by means of fMRI. At the behavioral level, we confirmed that the richness of episodic AM retrieval is specifically impoverished in aging and that this decline is related to the reduction of executive functions. At the neural level, in both age groups, we showed the recruitment of a large network during episodic AM retrieval encompassing prefrontal, cortical midline and posterior regions, and medial temporal structures, including the hippocampus. This network was very similar, but less extended, during semantic AM retrieval. Nevertheless, a greater activity was evidenced in the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) during episodic, compared to semantic AM retrieval in young participants, and a reversed pattern in the elderly. Moreover, activity in dACC during episodic AM retrieval was correlated with inhibition and richness of memories in both groups. Our findings shed light on the direct link between episodic AM retrieval, executive control, and their decline in aging, proposing a possible neuronal signature. They also suggest that increased activity in dACC during semantic AM retrieval in the elderly could be seen as a compensatory mechanism underpinning successful AM performance observed in aging. These results are discussed in the framework of recently proposed models of neural reorganization in aging.
Residential Segregation Across Metro St. Louis School Districts: Examining the Intersection of Two Spatial Dimensions

The present study employs a geospatial analytical approach to studying the evenness-clustering and isolation-exposure dimensions of segregation in the context of the St. Louis, Missouri, metropolitan region. In contrast to global indicators of segregation, this approach focuses on the evenness and isolation dimensions at the local level to visualize how they interact across neighborhoods. While not traditionally thought of as a method for theory testing, geographic information systems (GIS) can contribute to the validation process by displaying how constructs interact when applied in an actual geographic context. We examined separately the segregation dimension of racial evenness-exposure and its intersection with Black isolation and poverty isolation. The study used data from 446 census tracts that represent 65 St. Louis area school districts. When visualizing segregation dimensions through spatial mapping, it becomes apparent that communities that appear diverse may have neighborhoods where individuals or groups remain isolated.
Motion tracking of sea ice with SAR satellite data

Sea ice, motion tracking, SAR, kinematics, pattern matching, earth observation. - For the last thirty years, sea ice kinematics have been studied continuously over large areas, but with coarse spatial resolutions. In the framework of this dissertation, the author implemented and modified an algorithm for the observation of high resolution sea ice motion from satellite imagery. Employing the algorithm he shows that sea ice can change its drift patterns completely within less than a day if wind conditions are highly variable. Furthermore, the author compares the ice drift derived from satellite imagery with model simulations. Another part of this thesis focuses on the automated evaluation of the retrieved drift data, since sea ice regions are often difficult to access, in-situ measurements to validate the calculated ice drift are sparse. Here, a new reliability estimate is introduced, combining the correlation coefficient with measures of selected texture parameters and the results of a reversed drift calculation.
Papuq: a Coq assistant ?

We describe an extension to CoqIDE called Papuq, targeted at students learning the basics of mathematical reasoning. The extension tries to bridge the gap between natural language used to teach proofs during the university course and the artificial language of Coq proofs. We believe it will give the students the possibility to practice writing proofs by themselves and at the same time to learn writing precise proofs in natural language.
Simultaneous Support of Multiple Security Protocols in a Group Communication Gateway

This paper presents first results of a project developing a specialized gateway for supporting the simultaneous use of two different kinds of security protocols. The gateway needs to work within a given architecture with deployed devices, restricting the choice of possible solutions to achieve interoperability between the devices. The major challenge is the application of group communication methods supporting highly dynamic group behavior and multicast transmissions. The solution presented in this paper is a gateway that is connecting two virtual domains, each representing network stations using one of the security protocols. In one domain, IPsec is deployed protecting the traffic between devices on the network layer. Traffic in the other domain is secured with an application layer protocol, which needs to stay compatible with non-IP networks. The concept is usable for securing both voice and data traffic, but this paper focuses on voice traffic. Support of data traffic is integrated but not addressed within this document
A Probabilistic Relaxation Labeling (PRL) Based Method for C. elegans Cell Tracking in Microscopic Image Sequences

Automatic cell tracking for 3D time-lapse images plays an important role in studying of live cell, which allows investigation of biological processes in vivo at the single cell resolution. In this paper, we propose a method for cell tracking during C. elegans embryogenesis based on probabilistic relaxation labeling (PRL). Instead of relying on the absolute cell position, we make use of the cell-to-cell relative position with two compatibility coefficients to achieve cell tracking. The tracking results obtained with this method are highly accurate with temporal resolution of one minute. In addition, our method can also been realized on multi-core CPUs, therefore providing an effective tool for analysis of large-scale data consisting of 3D time-lapse live cell images.
Improving an automatically extracted corpus for UMLS Metathesaurus word sense disambiguation

Anotar a mano un conjunto de ejemplos para entrenar metodos de aprendizaje automatico para desambiguar anotaciones con conceptos del UMLS Metathesaurus no es posible debido a su elevado coste. En este articulo, evaluamos dos metodos para mejorar la calidad de un corpus obtenido de manera automatica. El primer metodo busca terminos especificos y el segundo filtra falsos positivos. La combinacion de los dos metodos obtiene una mejora de 6% en F-measure y un 8% en recall, comparado con el corpus original extraido de manera automatica.