Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Interplay among cGMP, cAMP, and Ca2+ in Living Olfactory Sensory Neurons In Vitro and In Vivo

The mechanism of cGMP production in olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) is poorly understood, although this messenger takes part in several key processes such as adaptation, neuronal development, and long-term cellular responses to odorant stimulation. Many aspects of the regulation of cGMP in OSNs are still unknown or highly controversial, such as its subcellular heterogeneity, mechanism of coupling to odorant receptors and downstream targets. Here, we have investigated the dynamics and the intracellular distribution of cGMP in living rat OSNs in culture transfected with a genetically encoded sensor for cGMP. We demonstrate that OSNs treated with pharmacological stimuli able to activate membrane or soluble guanylyl cyclase (sGC) presented an increase in cGMP in the entire neuron, from cilia-dendrite to the axon terminus-growth cone. Upon odorant stimulation, a rise in cGMP was again found in the entire neuron, including the axon terminus, where it is locally synthesized. The odorant-dependent rise in cGMP is due to sGC activation by nitric oxide (NO) and requires an increase of cAMP. The link between cAMP and NO synthase appears to be the rise in cytosolic Ca2+ concentration elicited by either plasma membrane Ca2+ channel activation or Ca2+ mobilization from stores via the guanine nucleotide exchange factor Epac. Finally, we show that a cGMP rise can elicit both in vitro and in vivo the phosphorylation of nuclear CREB, suggesting that this signaling pathway may be relevant for both local events (pathfinding, neurotransmitter release) and more distal processes involving gene expression regulation.
A guaranteed cost control for autonomous vehicle platoon with communication constraints

A guaranteed cost control method for autonomous vehicle platoon with communication constraints (such as quantization, time-delay and packet-losses) is developed in this paper. Firstly, a vehicle model is established for the platoon's longitudinal movement, which is shown to be a great improvement of the existing models in that networked communication constraints are considered. Then, a guaranteed cost control algorithm is presented to overcome the communication constraints on the platoon. Under this controller, the platoon can be stable. The effectiveness of the proposed robust controller is demonstrated by simulation studies.
Social Communities in Transitions: Young Danes’ Narratives on the Change and Maintenance of Social Communities

This article focuses on how the perceptions and functions of social communities in different social arenas change over the course of young people’s transition processes. It considers the perspectives of 12 young Danes at different life stages and based on their narratives about family, educational, and leisure communities, we identify different categories of social communities, which are affected differently by young people’s transition processes. On one axis some communities appear as taken-for-granted routine parts of the young people’s lives, while others appear to be labor and maintenance demanding. On another axis, communities are perceived as either essential and as the backbone of the young people’s lives or as more optional communities, which are nice to have but can be given up and replaced. Finally, we discuss how these findings correspond to the theories of change and continuity in the roles of communities.
Dynamic Fair Division of Multiple Resources with Satiable Agents in Cloud Computing Systems

Dynamic multi-resource fair allocation became an important topic for cloud resource management. We consider a generalized version of the dynamic multi-resource fair allocation problem, where an agent is satisfied when all tasks it submitted can be processed. We design a generalized dynamic dominant resource fairness mechanism, and develop a combinatorial algorithm to find a fair allocation. Experimental results show that the solution produced by the proposed mechanism is close to the optimal solution.
Cross-Modal Matching of Audio-Visual German and French Fluent Speech in Infancy

The present study examined when and how the ability to cross-modally match audio-visual fluent speech develops in 4.5-, 6- and 12-month-old German-learning infants. In Experiment 1, 4.5- and 6-month-old infants’ audio-visual matching ability of native (German) and non-native (French) fluent speech was assessed by presenting auditory and visual speech information sequentially, that is, in the absence of temporal synchrony cues. The results showed that 4.5-month-old infants were capable of matching native as well as non-native audio and visual speech stimuli, whereas 6-month-olds perceived the audio-visual correspondence of native language stimuli only. This suggests that intersensory matching narrows for fluent speech between 4.5 and 6 months of age. In Experiment 2, auditory and visual speech information was presented simultaneously, therefore, providing temporal synchrony cues. Here, 6-month-olds were found to match native as well as non-native speech indicating facilitation of temporal synchrony cues on the intersensory perception of non-native fluent speech. Intriguingly, despite the fact that audio and visual stimuli cohered temporally, 12-month-olds matched the non-native language only. Results were discussed with regard to multisensory perceptual narrowing during the first year of life.
The DBMS - your big data sommelier

When addressing the problem of “big” data volume, preparation costs are one of the key challenges: the high costs for loading, aggregating and indexing data leads to a long data-to-insight time. In addition to being a nuisance to the end-user, this latency prevents real-time analytics on “big” data. Fortunately, data often comes in semantic chunks such as files that contain data items that share some characteristics such as acquisition time or location. A data management system that exploits this trait can significantly lower the data preparation costs and the associated data-to-insight time by only investing in the preparation of the relevant chunks. In this paper, we develop such a system as an extension of an existing relational DBMS (MonetDB). To this end, we develop a query processing paradigm and data storage model that are partial-loading aware. The result is a system that can make a 1.2 TB dataset (consisting of 4000 chunks) ready for querying in less than 3 minutes on a single server-class machine while maintaining good query processing performance.
Approaches for candidate document retrieval

Plagiarism has become a serious problem mainly because of the electronically available documents. An online document retrieval is weighty part of a modern anti-plagiarism tool. This paper describes an architecture and concepts of a real-world document retrieval system, which is a part of a general anti-plagiarism software. A similar system was developed as a part of nationwide plagiarism solution at Masaryk University. The design can be adapted into many situations. Provided recommendation stem from experience of the system operation for several years. The proper usage of such systems contributes to gradual improvement of the quality of student theses.
Integrated Probabilistic Language Modeling for Statistical Parsing

This paper proposes a new framework of probabilistic language modeling that satises the two basic requirements of: (a) integration of part-of-speech n-gram statistics, structural preference and lexical sensitivity, and (b) maintenance of their modularity. Our framework consists of the syntactic model for part-of-speech bigram statistics and structural preference, and the lexical model for lexical sensitivity. As to the syntactic model, we argue that the LR-based language modeling, which was originally proposed by Briscoe and Carroll and signicantly rened by Inui et al., has good potential for its construction. The main issue we discuss in this paper is how to incorporate lexical sensitivity into the syntactic model while maintaining its mod-ularity. We propose the new notions of lexical dependency parameters and lexical contexts, which capture lexical dependency. A lexical dependency parameter measures the degree of the dependency between the derivation of the word, and its lexical context. We discuss how to incorporate lexical dependency parameters into the overall proba-bilistic language model. Further, we demonstrate that one can use a unication-based grammar as a means of collecting the lexical contexts for each lexical derivation.
Counting quadrant walks via Tutte's invariant method (extended abstract)

Extended abstract presented at the conference FPSAC 2016, Vancouver. International audience In the 1970s, Tutte developed a clever algebraic approach, based on certain " invariants " , to solve a functional equation that arises in the enumeration of properly colored triangulations. The enumeration of plane lattice walks confined to the first quadrant is governed by similar equations, and has led in the past decade to a rich collection of attractive results dealing with the nature (algebraic, D-finite or not) of the associated generating function, depending on the set of allowed steps. We first adapt Tutte's approach to prove (or reprove) the algebraicity of all quadrant models known or conjectured to be algebraic (with one small exception). This includes Gessel's famous model, and the first proof ever found for one model with weighted steps. To be applicable, the method requires the existence of two rational functions called invariant and decoupling function respectively. When they exist, algebraicity comes out (almost) automatically. Then, we move to an analytic viewpoint which has already proved very powerful, leading in particular to integral expressions of the generating function in the non-D-finite cases, as well as to proofs of non-D-finiteness. We develop in this context a weaker notion of invariant. Now all quadrant models have invariants, and for those that have in addition a decoupling function, we obtain integral-free expressions of the generating function, and a proof that this series is differentially algebraic (that is, satisfies a non-linear differential equation).
KPNA3 Variation Is Associated with Schizophrenia, Major Depression, Opiate Dependence and Alcohol Dependence

KPNA3 is a gene that has been linked to schizophrenia susceptibility. In this study we investigated the possible association between KPNA3 variation and schizophrenia. To investigate a wider role of KPNA3 across psychiatric disorders we also analysed major depression, PTSD, nicotine dependent, alcohol dependent and opiate dependent cohorts. Using a haplotype block-based gene-tagging approach we genotyped six KPNA3 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 157 schizophrenia patients, 121 post-traumatic stress disorder patients, 120 opiate dependent patients, 231 alcohol dependent patients, 147 nicotine dependent patients and 266 major depression patients. One SNP rs2273816 was found to be significantly associated with schizophrenia, opiate dependence and alcohol dependence at the genotype and allele level. Major depression was also associated with rs2273816 but only at the allele level. Our study suggests that KPNA3 may contribute to the genetic susceptibility to schizophrenia as well as other psychiatric disorders.
On the Effect of I/Q Imbalance on MIMO Transmit-Receive Diversity Systems

In practice, all I/Q signal processing receivers face the problem of I/Q imbalance. In this paper, we investigate the effect of I/Q imbalance on the performance of MIMO maximal ratio combining (MRC) systems that perform the combining at the radio frequency (RF) level, thereby requiring only one RF chain. Based on a system modeling that takes the I/Q imbalance into account, we evaluate the performance in terms of average symbol error probability (SEP), outage probability and system capacity, which are derived considering transmission over uncorrelated Rayleigh fading channels. Numerical results are provided to illustrate the effects of system parameters, such as the image-leakage ratio, numbers of transmit and receive antennas, and modulation order of quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM), on the system performance.
Jamming as a critical phenomenon: a field theory of zero-temperature grain packings.

A field theory of frictionless grain packings in two dimensions is shown to exhibit a zero-temperature critical point at a nonzero value of the packing fraction. The zero-temperature constraint of force balance plays a crucial role in determining the nature of the transition. Two order parameters, , the deviation of the average number of contacts from the isostatic value, and , the average magnitude of the force per contact, characterize the transition from the jammed (high packing fraction) to the unjammed (low packing fraction state). The critical point has a mixed character with the order parameters showing a jump discontinuity but with fluctuations of the contact force diverging. At the critical point, the distribution of phi shows the characteristic plateau observed in static granular piles. The theory makes falsifiable predictions about the spatial fluctuations of the contact forces.
Phoneme Classification Study for Thai Segment-Based Acoustic Models

This paper presents a study of a phoneme classification experiment in Thai language which is a part of our development of a segment-based speech recognition system. To make feature vectors capture segmental acoustic properties, the phoneme associated with a speech segment is represented using MFCCs extracted from different portions of that segment as well as its duration. The acoustic scoring in our probabilistic framework is composed of finding the probability of a segment belonging to one of a number of phoneme groups and the probability of that segment being a specific phoneme, given the grouping. Phoneme groups are categorized based on manners of articulation and confusions from classification results. Classification using linear discriminant analysis (LDA) with the use of prior probability yields the highest group classification accuracy of 88.5% . When the phoneme group is correctly chosen, the mean probability of a token belonging to that group obtained via LDA is around 0.8. The mean probability is clearly lower when it is incorrectly chosen. This shows that our acoustic scoring of phoneme group has a desirable property
The yeast dynein Dyn2-Pac11 complex is a dynein dimerization/processivity factor: structural and single-molecule characterization

Studying the role of accessory chains in dynein single-molecule motility shows that the dynein light chain (LC) and intermediate chain (IC) promote motor dimerization, increase velocity, and potentiate processivity. The crystal structure of the yeast LC–IC complex is determined, and the interaction is biochemically characterized.
A 45-GHz, 2-bit power DAC with 24.3 dBm output power, >14 Vpp differential swing, and 22% peak PAE in 45-nm SOI CMOS

A novel high efficiency, large output-power, 2-bit tuned mm-wave DAC realized in 45-nm SOI CMOS is demonstrated. A record breaking 24.3 dBm output power is achieved at 45 GHz with 18.3 dB saturated gain, >;14.5 Vpp differential output swing, a drain efficiency of 21.3% and 14.6% PAE. The best PAE is 22% at an output power of 23.5 dBm. Operation at 45 GHz with up to 2.5 Gbps BPSK and up to 1.25 Gbps ASK modulation is shown.
Computing Distances between Probabilistic Automata

We present relaxed notions of simulation and bisimulation on Probabilistic Automata (PA), that allow some error epsilon. When epsilon is zero we retrieve the usual notions of bisimulation and simulation on PAs. We give logical characterisations of these notions by choosing suitable logics which differ from the elementary ones, L with negation and L without negation, by the modal operator. Using flow networks, we show how to compute the relations in PTIME. This allows the definition of an efficiently computable non-discounted distance between the states of a PA. A natural modification of this distance is introduced, to obtain a discounted distance, which weakens the influence of long term transitions. We compare our notions of distance to others previously defined and illustrate our approach on various examples. We also show that our distance is not expansive with respect to process algebra operators. Although L without negation is a suitable logic to characterise epsilon-(bi)simulation on deterministic PAs, it is not for general PAs; interestingly, we prove that it does characterise weaker notions, called a priori epsilon-(bi)simulation, which we prove to be NP-difficult to decide.
Probabilistic MRI Tractography of the Optic Radiation Using Constrained Spherical Deconvolution: A Feasibility Study

Background and Purpose Imaging the optic radiation (OR) is of considerable interest in studying diseases affecting the visual pathway and for pre-surgical planning of temporal lobe resections. The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical feasibility of using probabilistic diffusion tractography based on constrained spherical deconvolution (CSD) to image the optic radiation. It was hypothesized that CSD would provide improved tracking of the OR compared with the widely used ball-and-stick model. Methods Diffusion weighted MRI (30 directions) was performed on twenty patients with no known visual deficits. Tractography was performed using probabilistic algorithms based on fiber orientation distribution models of local white matter trajectories. The performance of these algorithms was evaluated by comparing computational times and receiver operating characteristic results, and by correlation of anatomical landmark distances to dissection estimates. Results The results showed that it was consistently feasible to reconstruct individual optic radiations from clinically practical (4.5 minute acquisition) diffusion weighted imaging data sets using CSD. Tractography based on the CSD model resulted in significantly shorter computational times, improved receiver operating characteristic results, and shorter Meyer’s loop to temporal pole distances (in closer agreement with dissection studies) when compared to the ball-and-stick based algorithm. Conclusions Accurate tractography of the optic radiation can be accomplished using diffusion MRI data collected within a clinically practical timeframe. CSD based tractography was faster, more accurate and had better correlation with known anatomical landmarks than ball-and-stick tractography.
Non-LTE Radiative Transfer in Clumpy Molecular Clouds

We present some results of the simulation of radiative transfer in clumpy molecular clouds. For this study we have developed a program that can be used to calculate the observed molecular line profiles with one–, two– and three-dimensional model clouds. The three-dimensional models enable us to study the effect of small-scale density fluctuations on the observed molecular emission lines. The density distributions can be generated by using either fractal models or structure tree statistics. We have made some modifications to the traditional Monte Carlo simulation scheme. These changes can in some cases significantly speed up the simulation and e.g. enable efficient calculations of clouds with high optical depths. We shall describe the principles of the implemented algorithms and present some CS spectra calculated using different clumpy cloud models. The model calculations have confirmed that clumpy cloud structure combined with macroturbulent motions can decisively reduce self-absorption seen in molecular lines. Such effects indicate that the estimation of e.g. the column density is very uncertain without detailed knowledge of the density structure of the cloud.
The High-Velocity Gas toward Messier 5: Tracing Feedback Flows in the Inner Galaxy

We present FUSE and STIS E140M observations of the post-AGB star ZNG 1 in the globular cluster Messier 5 (l = 3.9°, b = + 47.7°; d = 7.5 kpc , z = + 5.3 kpc ). High-velocity absorption is seen in C IV, Si IV, O VI, and lower ionization species at LSR velocities of roughly –140 and –110 km s−1. We conclude that this gas is not circumstellar on the basis of photoionization models and path length arguments. Thus, the high-velocity gas along the ZNG 1 sight line is the first evidence that highly ionized HVCs can be found near the Galactic disk. We measure the metallicity of these HVCs to be [O/H] = + 0.22 ± 0.10, the highest of any known HVC. Given the clouds’ metallicity and distance constraints, we conclude that these HVCs have a Galactic origin. This sight line probes gas toward the inner Galaxy, and we discuss the possibility that these HVCs may be related to a Galactic nuclear wind or Galactic fountain circulation in the inner regions of the Milky Way.
Supporting Distributed Visualization Services for High Performance Science and Engineering Applications A Service Provider Perspective

The Science & Technology Facilities Council is home to international Facilities such as the ISIS Neutron Spallation Source ≪http://www.isis. rl.ac.uk≫, Central Laser Facility ≪http://www.clf. rl.ac.uk/≫ and Diamond Light Source ≪http://www.diamond. ac.uk/default.htm≫, the National Grid Service ≪http://www.grid-support.ac.uk/≫ including national super computers ≪http://www.cse. scitech.ac.uk≫, Tier1 data service for CERN particle physics experiment, the British Atmospheric data Centre and the British Oceanographic Data Centre at the Space Science and Technology department. Together these Facilities generate several Terabytes of data per month which needs to be handled, catalogued and provided access to. In addition, the scientists within STFC departments also develop complex simulations and undertake data analysis for their own experiments. Facilities also have strong ongoing collaborations with UK academic and commercial users through their involvement with Collaborative Computational Programme, generating very large simulation datasets. There is thus the need to support high resolution data analysis using distributed compute, data and visualization resources. At the same time, these requirements offer the computational and visualization scientists within STFC unique opportunities to advocate the take up of advanced visualization techniques and toolkits in distributed high performance, high resolution hardware environment. It gives an opportunity to understand the requirements and usefulness of distributed visualization. Given this seemingly advantageous position, the STFC vizNET ≪http://www.viznet. ac.uk/≫ partners have been actively pursuing visualization awareness activities and services aimed at application holders of various scientific disciplines. These activities include holding workshops, hands-on tutorials, show case demonstrations and the setting up of hardware based visualization services with technical support. This report provides details of these activities, the outcomes, the status and some suggestions as to the way forward.