Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Variation in Malaria Transmission Dynamics in Three Different Sites in Western Kenya

The main objective was to investigate malaria transmission dynamics in three different sites, two highland villages (Fort Ternan and Lunyerere) and a lowland peri-urban area (Nyalenda) of Kisumu city. Adult mosquitoes were collected using PSC and CDC light trap while malaria parasite incidence data was collected from a cohort of children on monthly basis. Rainfall, humidity and temperature data were collected by automated weather stations. Negative binomial and Poisson generalized additive models were used to examine the risk of being infected, as well as the association with the weather variables. Anopheles gambiae s.s. was most abundant in Lunyerere, An. arabiensis in Nyalenda and An. funestus in Fort Ternan. The CDC light traps caught a higher proportion of mosquitoes (52.3%) than PSC (47.7%), although not significantly different (P = 0.689). The EIR's were 0, 61.79 and 6.91 bites/person/year for Fort Ternan, Lunyerere and Nyalenda. Site, month and core body temperature were all associated with the risk of having malaria parasites (P < 0.0001). Rainfall was found to be significantly associated with the occurrence of P. falciparum malaria parasites, but not relative humidity and air temperature. The presence of malaria parasite-infected children in all the study sites provides evidence of local malaria transmission.
Integration of the Euro Equity Markets: An Empirical Analysis

In financial economics, co-movements between equity returns are generally interpreted as a measure of equity market integration. In line with this idea, this paper investigates whether the euro equity markets have become less segmented over the last decade referring to three different estimates of pair-correlations, i.e., unconditional correlations, ex-post rolling estimates of correlations and dynamic conditional correlations (DCC). The analysis shows that pair-correlations within the euro area have indeed increased, suggesting higher financial integration of the euro equity markets. Additionally, the paper addresses the related issue of which factors have driven this integration process. The finding is that the increase in integration is explained by the relaxation of restrictions to capital mobility and of institutional barriers and by the economic convergence in Europe, while Stage Three of EMU has not further boosted integration.
Depth-assisted Real-time 3D Object Detection for Augmented Reality

In this paper, we propose a novel method of real-time object detection that can recognize three-dimensional (3D) target objects, regardless of their texture and lighting condition changes. Our method computes a set of reference templates of a target object from both RGB and depth images, which describes the texture and geometry of the object, and fuses them for robust detection. Combining both pieces of information has advantages over the sole use of RGB images: 1) the capability of detecting 3D objects with insufficient textures and complex shapes; 2) robust detection under varying lighting conditions; 3) better identification of a target based on its size. Our approach is inspired by a recent work on templatebased detection, and we show how to extend it with depth information, which results in better detection performance under varying lighting conditions. Intensive computations are parallelized on a GPU to achieve real-time speed, and it takes only about 33 milliseconds for detection and pose estimation. The proposed method can be used for marker-less AR applications using real-world 3D objects, beyond conventional planar target objects.
Interpersonal Angular Relations between Players Constrain Decision-Making on the Passing Velocity in Futsal

The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of interpersonal interactions between players on the regulation of ball passing velocity in the team sport of futsal. For this purpose 28 sequences of play, in which passes were performed between outfield players, were selected from an elite futsal competition and analyzed using TACTO software. Relative angles between attackers and defenders were used to examine interpersonal coordination tendencies that emerged during performance. Results showed that ball passing velocity was constrained by the rate of change of the angle created by the following vectors: “ball carrier-ball receiver” and “ball carrier-ball receiver’s nearest defender”. Passing velocity remained the same when that angular value remained within a critical threshold range between ? 18.16°/s to 11.26°/s. Beyond those critical threshold values, angular relations between participants seemed to enter into a new critical state requiring the emergence of a new passing velocity for performance success. The findings of this study allowed us to conclude that passing velocity during competitive performance in futsal was regulated by the rate of change of an angle established by the interaction between the ball carrier to ball receiver vector with the ball carrier to ball receiver’s nearest defender vector.
Ribosomal protein S3 (rpS3) secreted from various cancer cells is N-linked glycosylated

Ribosomal protein S3 (rpS3) is a 243 amino acid component of the 40S ribosomal small subunit. It has multiple roles in translation and extra-ribosomal functions like apoptosis and DNA repair. RpS3 is secreted only in cancer cell lines. Presently, mass spectrometry analysis revealed rpS3 to be glycosylated at the Asn165 residue. A point mutation at this residue decreased secretion of rpS3 in cancer cell lines. Secretion was also inhibited by the endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-Golgi transport inhibitor Brefeldin A and by Tunicamycin, an inhibitor of N-linked glycosylation. N-linked glycosylation of rpS3 was confirmed as necessary for rpS3 secretion into culture media via the ER-Golgi dependent pathway. RpS3 bound to Concanavalin A, a carbohydrate binding lectin protein, while treatment with peptide-N-glycosidase F shifted the secreted rpS3 to a lower molecular weight band. In addition, the N165G mutant of rpS3 displayed reduced secretion compared to the wild-type. An in vitro binding assay detected rpS3 homodimer formation via the N-terminal region (rpS3:1–85) and a middle region (rpS3:95–158). The results indicate that the Asn 165 residue of rpS3 is a critical site for N-linked glycosylation and passage through the ER-Golgi secretion pathway.
Design automation challenges for scalable quantum architectures

Building a quantum computer that is sufficiently large for solving classically intractable computational problem instances is a grand challenge of today's science. The main fundamental obstacle to construction of scalable quantum computers is the vulnerability of their extremely fragile components to noise and decoherence due to environment interaction. This paper focuses on design of technology-independent quantum circuit architectures that are scalable and reliable as well as well-suited for physical implementation. The considered architectures will be protected against errors by state-of-the-art topological quantum error-correcting (TQEC) codes which combine a number of properties enabling the best scalability among all discussed alternatives. The theory of TQEC is very mature, the suitable hardware has made significant progress in recent years, and therefore the software challenges constitute the research gaps. We explain the abstraction levels which lay the foundation for systematic, top-down design automation methods for TQEC computers, discuss the appropriate optimization objectives and formulate a number of largely open design automation problems in this fields.
Technical Brief: Subretinal injection and electroporation into adult mouse eyes

Purpose Our goal was to improve and standardize the procedure for subretinal injection of mouse eyes. Also, we wished to optimize conditions for electroporation of retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells in the mouse eye with naked plasmids. Methods Mouse eyes were injected subretinally with reporter plasmid DNA, nanobeads, or buffer. A blunt needle was introduced across the cornea, through the pupil, into the vitreous, until it made contact with the neural retina. Gentle pressure was applied to the needle, forcing it to puncture the retina and enter the subretinal space. Fluid was injected subretinally, raising large blebs evident on the mouse fundus. Subretinal injection surgery and outcomes were monitored and evaluated by video recording. VidisicR aided in fundus examination of the blebs. Pores in RPE cells, across which the plasmid in the fluid could diffuse, were created by several short electrical bursts. Expression of the delivered gene, tdTomato, in the plasmid was examined under fluorescence microscopy to identify targeted cells. Electroporation conditions were varied from 0 to 200 V, 5 to 10 pulses, 0.1 ms to 100 ms duration of each pulse, and a space of 1.5 to 2 mm between electrodes on the cornea and sclera. Results A critical sign of surgical success was the appearance and persistence of three large blebs in the mouse eye. This was illustrated by video recordings from two different systems. Application of VidisicR to the cornea made immediate examination of the fundus possible at the end of the surgery. An 80% success rate was readily achieved by following this method. Once a successful subretinal injection technique was established, electroporation conditions were evaluated. Parameters of 50 V, 1 ms pulse duration, 5–10 pulses, 1 s apart and electrodes spaced 1.5–2 mm apart with the anode placed on the sclera in the vicinity of the blebs produced a tight pattern of RPE transfection at approximately 30% efficiency. Conclusions A standardized surgical method and a fast distinct indicator of successful surgery were essential to establishing a gene delivery system based on subsequent electroporation. With the surgery better controlled, electroporation was adequate to transfect a substantial number of RPE cells in a defined position in the globe.
Forecasting the UK Unemployment Rate: Model Comparisons

This paper compares the out-of-sample forecasting accuracy of time series models using the Root Mean Square, Mean Absolute and Mean Absolute Percent Errors. We evaluate the performance of the competing models covering the period January 1971 to December 2002. The forecasting sample (January 1996 – December 2002) is divided into four sub-periods. First, for total forecasting sample, we find that MA(4)-ARCH(1) provides superior forecasts of unemployment rate. On the other hand, two forecasting samples show that the MA(4) model performs well, while both MA(1) and AR(4) prove to be the best forecasting models for the other two forecasting periods. The empirical evidence derived from our investigation suggests a close relationship between forecasting theory and labour market conditions. Our findings bring forecasting methods nearer to the realities of UK labour market.
Symmetric Somewhat Homomorphic Encryption over the Integers

We describe a symmetric variant of homomomorphic encryption scheme by van Dijk et al. [DGHV10], semantically secure under the error-free approximate-GCD problem. We also provide the implementation of the scheme as a C/C++ library. The scheme allows to perform “mixed” homomorphic operations on ciphertexts and plain-texts, eliminating the need to encrypt new ciphertexts using the public key for some applications, speciﬁcally, in secure function evaluation setting. Compared to the original scheme and other homomorphic encryption schemes, the properties of the symmetric variant enable for smaller communication cost for applications like privacy-preserving cloud computing, and private information retrieval.
Regulatable Gutless Adenovirus Vectors Sustain Inducible Transgene Expression in the Brain in the Presence of an Immune Response against Adenoviruses

ABSTRACT In view of recent serious adverse events and advances in gene therapy technologies, the use of regulatable expression systems is becoming recognized as indispensable adjuncts to successful clinical gene therapy. In the present work we optimized high-capacity adenoviral (HC-Ad) vectors encoding the novel tetracycline-dependent (TetOn)-regulatory elements for efficient and regulatable gene expression in the rat brain in vivo. We constructed two HC-Ad vectors encoding β-galactosidase (β-gal) driven by a TetOn system containing the rtTASsM2 transactivator and the tTSKid repressor under the control of the murine cytomegalovirus (mCMV) (HC-Ad-mTetON-β-Gal) or the human CMV (hCMV) promoter (HC-Ad-hTetON-β-Gal). Expression was tightly regulatable by doxycycline (Dox), reaching maximum expression in vivo at 6 days and returning to basal levels at 10 days following the addition or removal of Dox, respectively. Both vectors achieved higher transgene expression levels compared to the expression from vectors encoding the constitutive mCMV or hCMV promoter. HC-Ad-mTetON-β-Gal yielded the highest transgene expression levels and expressed in both neurons and astrocytes. Antivector immune responses continue to limit the clinical use of vectors. We thus tested the inducibility and longevity of HC-Ad-mediated transgene expression in the brain of rats immunized against adenovirus by prior intradermal injections of RAds. Regulated transgene expression from HC-Ad-mTetON-β-Gal remained active even in the presence of a significant systemic immune response. Therefore, these vectors display two coveted characteristics of clinically useful vectors, namely their regulation and effectiveness even in the presence of prior immunization against adenovirus.
Study of 27 Aqueous Humor Cytokines in Type 2 Diabetic Patients with or without Macular Edema

The aim of the present study was to compare the changes in the levels of 27 aqueous humor cytokines between diabetic patients with macular edema (ME) and diabetic patients without ME. Undiluted aqueous humor samples were obtained from 68 consecutive type 2 diabetic patients without ME and 56 consecutive type 2 diabetic patients with ME. The concentrations of 27 cytokines in the aqueous humor samples were measured using a multiplex bead immunoassay. Compared with diabetic patients without ME, diabetic patients with ME had significantly higher concentrations of IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, IP-10, MCP-1, and VEGF in the aqueous humor. However, the concentrations of IL-10 and IL-12 were significantly lower in the diabetic patients with ME. The aqueous humor levels of IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, MCP-1, IP-10, and VEGF were closely correlated with retinal macular thickness, retinal macular volume and the severity of ME. In addition, the aqueous humor levels of IL-10 and IL-12 decreased with increasing the severity of ME. A variety of cytokines associated with inflammation and angiogenesis may contribute to the pathogenesis of diabetic macular edema, and both anti-inflammatory and antiangiogenic agents should be included in the treatment of ME simultaneously.
GKSH: Graph based Image Retrieval using Supervised Kernel Hashing

The explosive growth of the massive image database brings great challenge to the fast and accurate image retrieval. To address this issue, we propose a kind of supervised hashing method based on the graph representation of the images, which translates images into representative attribute structural graphs. Compared with the traditional supervised methods, this kind of structural graphs can consider the spatial relations among regions in the image, and integrate unsupervised properties of images and supervised information of labels by adopting hashing with graph kernel based on random walks. The learnt hash codes can be a good tradeoff among retrieval speed, memory requirements and retrieval accuracy. The experiments on three image datasets PASCAL, MNIST and HOLIDAY demonstrate that, with the hash codes of the same length, the proposed supervised hashing method can achieve a higher precision and a better efficiency.
Smart Objects for Attentive Agents

We present an extended framework for modelling agent-object interactions in virtual environments. Our framework is based on the concept of Smart Objects and provides agents with pre-programmed interaction information for the automatic generation of animations. The ability to generate such animations without human intervention is vital when constructing plausible, real-time agents. Unlike previous approaches, our model also contains information for directing the attention of agents when interacting with objects. Such information is useful for driving gaze behaviours, for example when grasping objects. Our framework supports both bottom-up (attention capture) and top-down, task driven, simulation of behavioural animation on a per-object basis. It also provides support for the management of the interactions of multiple agents with a single object. We show how objects are designed and provide a concrete example of using the modelling approach with a gaze controller in an animation system.
The H II Region KR 140: Spontaneous Formation of a High-Mass Star

We have used a multiwavelength data set from the Canadian Galactic Plane Survey (CGPS) to study the Galactic H II region KR 140, both on the scale of the nebula itself and in the context of the star-forming activity in the nearby W3/W4/W5 complex of molecular clouds and H II regions. From both radio and infrared data we have found a covering factor of about 0.5 for KR 140, and we interpret the nebula as a bowl-shaped region viewed close to face on. Extinction measurements place the region on the near side of its parent molecular cloud. The nebula is kept ionized by one O8.5 V(e) star, VES 735, which is less than a few million years old. CO data show that VES 735 has disrupted much of the original molecular cloud for which the estimated mass and density are about 5000 M☉ and 100 cm-3, respectively. KR 140 is isolated from the nearest star-forming activity, in W3. Our data suggest that KR 140 is an example of spontaneous (i.e., nontriggered) formation of, unusually, a high-mass star.
Sensor Fusion and Error Compensation Algorithm for Pedestrian Navigation System

This paper presents the pedestrian navigation algorithm and the error compensation filter. The pedestrian navigation system (PNS) consists of the MEMS inertial sensors, the fluxgate, and the small-size GPS receiver. PNS calculates the navigational information using the signal patterns of the accelerometers. And the navigational information is completed by integration of the patterns, the fluxgate, and the GPS information. In general, PNS can provide the better solution than the low-cost inertial navigation system.
THREE ESSAYS ON LABOR MARKET OUTCOMES

11 CHAPTER 1 Does Internet Job Search Result in Better Matches? 12 1.
Improving the Effectiveness of Mailings by Building a Response Model for Inactive Customers

GE Money Bank is a niche bank mainly specializing in unsecured personal loans, auto loans and retail sales finance. As main part of our marketing strategy, we send out a large number of postal information mails to our customers. Of these, 20% are event-triggered, e.g. by customers opening new loans, closing existing loans, or having their birthdays. The rest are regular mails to our customer base. Here, we distinguish between active customers who have an active contract with us at the point of the mailing, and inactive customers who have not. In this paper, we describe an approach yielding a model that predicts inactive customer mailing response, allowing us to get 30% more responses out of the same number of inactive customers mailed, thus optimizing our mailings. Furthermore, we investigated the effect of feature subset selection on model performance. The model has been deployed and found to perform significantly better than the random sampling approach used previously.
Autonomous delay regulation for multi-threaded internet servers

How to properly assign system resources to satisfy the Service Level Agreement (SLA) is a challenging research problem. Previous approaches include queuing model based feedback control strategies with queuing predictor for feed-forward delay prediction. However, ignorance of the multi-threaded nature can induce large model errors. To compensate this, previous approaches typically perform offline identification, thus making the system dependent on a particular workload and a specific Internet application. In this paper, we propose a novel framework for autonomous delay regulation for multi-threaded Internet servers. We formulate a processor-sharing queuing model for the multi-threaded server architecture to precisely predict service rate for worker threads. In addition, the proposed scheme uses the sleep actuator to properly assign resources based on the calculated service rate. We evaluate our techniques experimentally using an Apache web server test-bed. We demonstrate that the proposed strategy performs better than the previous approaches under a realistic workload.
Natural Interactive Communication for Edutainment NICE Deliverable D 7 . 2-2 Evaluation of the Second NICE Prototype 4 May 2005 Editors

Project acronym NICE Deliverable status Public after 15 June 2005 (this report includes data from submitted papers). Please only quote upon explicit permission from the partner who wrote a particular section. Author(s) Chapters 1 and 2: Niels Ole Bernsen (chapter 1, parts of chapter 2), Stéphanie Buisine (parts of chapter 2), Marcela Charfuelan (parts of chapter 2), Andrea Corradini (parts of chapter 2), Laila Dybkjaer (parts of chapter 2), Holmer Hemsen (parts of chapter 2), Svend Kiilerich (parts of chapter 2), Jean-Claude Martin (parts of chapter 2), Manish Mehta (parts of chapter 2), Abstract (for dissemination) This report, Deliverable D7.2-2 of the EC Human Language Technologies project NICE (Natural Interactive Conversation for Edutainment), presents results of the user evaluations of the second system prototypes, one for English conversation with fairytale author Hans Christian Andersen and one for Swedish conversation with some of his fairytale characters.
Full ETSI E-Band Doubler, Quadrupler and 24 dBm Power Amplifier

A GaAs pHEMT frequency doubler, a quadrupler and a power amplifier for E-band applications have been demonstrated to achieve useful output power and power added efficiency (PAE) over a wide bandwidth. The doubler and quadrupler circuits include medium power amplifiers to increase their gain and output power. The doubler has a measured output power greater than 15 dBm over the entire 15 GHz bandwidth of the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) E-band specification. The quadrupler has similar output power over the ETSI E bands with a maximum output power of 19.2 dBm. The power amplifier has a maximum measured output power of 24.2 dBm (265 mW) and exceeds 23 dBm (200 mW) over the ETSI E bands. This amplifier has a measured small signal gain of 15 dB and the input and output return losses exceed 15 dB. Its measured PAE is above 8% across the ETSI E bands. This is the highest saturated output power (Psat) and PAE for a power amplifier spanning the full 71 to 86 GHz span of the ETSI E bands for any semiconductor system. Good agreement is demonstrated between measurement and simulation.
ABS: Agent-Based Scheduling for Data-Intensive Workflow in Software-as-a-Service Environments

Efficient allocation and execution of data-intensive scientific workflows to reduce execution time and the data transferring overhead still remains enormous challenge for the adoption of cloud computing to execute data-intensive scientific workflows. To face such a challenge, in this paper, we introduce an agent-based scheduling approach, namely ABS, that automates the deployment of data-intensive workflows in Softwareas-a-Service (SaaS) environments considering two objectives: makespan and data transfer overhead. The algorithm ABS includes two phases: 1) planning phase, task agents in the same workflow form groups through cooperation to reduce data transfer among tasks, 2) scheduling phase, task groups will be assigned to VMs such that reducing makespans for workflows. The experiments conducted using real-world workflow applications demonstrate that our solution outperform the solution produced by the existing algorithm.