Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Optical topographic reconstruction using photon measurement density function

The multi-channel NIR system can obtain the topographic image of brain function in the cortex. Since the light is strongly scattered in biological tissue, the spatial sensitivity of the source-detector pairs is broadly distributed in the brain cortex. This phenomenon causes poor spatial resolution of topographic imaging. In this study, the spatial sensitivity distribution of the source-detector pairs is incorporated into the reconstruction algorithm of the topographic image to improve the spatial resolution.
Single-Pass, Adaptive Natural Language Filtering: Measuring Value in User Generated Comments on Large-Scale, Social Media News Forums

There are large amounts of insight and social discovery potential in mining crowd-sourced comments left on popular news forums like Reddit.com, Tumblr.com, Facebook.com and Hacker News. Unfortunately, due the overwhelming amount of participation with its varying quality of commentary, extracting value out of such data isn't always obvious nor timely. By designing efficient, single-pass and adaptive natural language filters to quickly prune spam, noise, copy-cats, marketing diversions, and out-of-context posts, we can remove over a third of entries and return the comments with a higher probability of relatedness to the original article in question. The approach presented here uses an adaptive, two-step filtering process. It first leverages the original article posted in the thread as a starting corpus to parse comments by matching intersecting words and term-ratio balance per sentence then grows the corpus by adding new words harvested from high-matching comments to increase filtering accuracy over time.
Youtube traffic content analysis in the perspective of clip category and duration

In this work, we study YouTube traffic characteristics in a medium-sized Swedish residential municipal network that has - 2600 mainly FTTH broadband-connected households. YouTube traffic analyses were carried out in the perspective of video clip category and duration, in order to understand their impact on the potential local network caching gains. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time systematic analysis of YouTube traffic content in the perspective of video clip category and duration in a residential broadband network. Our results show that the requested YouTube video clips from the end users in the studied network were imbalanced in regarding the video categories and durations. The dominating video category was Music, both in terms of the total traffic share as well as the contribution to the overall potential local network caching gain. In addition, most of the requested video clips were between 2-5 min in duration, despite video clips with durations over 15 min were also popular among certain video categories, e.g. film videos.
The robot software framework ArmarX

Abstract With ArmarX we introduce a robot programming environment that has been developed in order to ease the realization of higher level capabilities needed by complex robotic systems such as humanoid robots. ArmarX is built upon the idea that consistent disclosure of the system state strongly facilitates the development process of distributed robot applications. We show the applicability of ArmarX by introducing a robot architecture for a humanoid system and discuss essential aspects based on an exemplary pick and place task. With several tools that are provided by the ArmarX framework, such as graphical user interfaces (GUI) or statechart editors, the programmer is enabled to efficiently build and inspect component based robotics software systems.
The Impact of Isoflurane During Simulated Ischemia/Reoxygenation on Intracellular Calcium, Contractile Function, and Arrhythmia in Ventricular Myocytes

Some of isoflurane’s cellular actions, such as interference with intracellular Ca2+ handling, inhibition of the respiratory chain, and the capability to produce oxygen radicals, could result in impaired cellular function during ischemia/reoxygenation (I/R). We investigated the effects of isoflurane applied during I/R on intracellular Ca2+, oxygen radical formation, arrhythmic events, and contractile function in rat cardiomyocytes. Single ventricular myocytes were subjected to 30 min of simulated ischemia followed by 30 min of reoxygenation. After baseline measurements, isoflurane-treated cells were exposed to 1 minimum alveolar concentration of isoflurane in air, whereas control cells were exposed to air only. Cytosolic Ca2+ overload was observed in the isoflurane group (P < 0.05). During ischemia, systolic cell shortening decreased in both groups. In the isoflurane group, arrhythmic events and hypercontracture occurred more often during I/R, and the recovery of contractility during reoxygenation was less marked (P < 0.05). Furthermore, increased oxygen radical generation was detected in isoflurane-treated myocytes during reoxygenation (P < 0.05). Isoflurane given during I/R in this study induced intracellular Ca2+ accumulation and impaired cell function. These potentially harmful effects were associated with a diminished Ca2+ clearance and an accelerated oxygen radical production.
A Fine Balance of Dietary Lipids Improves Pathology of a Murine Model of VCP-Associated Multisystem Proteinopathy

The discovery of effective therapies and of disease mechanisms underlying valosin containing protein (VCP)-associated myopathies and neurodegenerative disorders remains elusive. VCP disease, caused by mutations in the VCP gene, are a clinically and genetically heterogeneous group of disorders with manifestations varying from hereditary inclusion body myopathy, Paget’s disease of bone, frontotemporal dementia (IBMPFD), and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). In the present study, we examined the effects of higher dietary lipid percentages on VCPR155H/R155H, VCPR155H/+ and Wild Type (WT) mice from birth until 15 months of age by immunohistochemical and biochemical assays. Findings illustrated improvement in the muscle strength, histology, and autophagy signaling pathway in the heterozygote mice when fed 9% lipid-enriched diets (LED). However, increasing the LED by 12%, 30%, and 48% showed no improvement in homozygote and heterozygote survival, muscle pathology, lipid accumulation or the autophagy cascade. These findings suggest that a balanced lipid supplementation may have a therapeutic strategy for patients with VCP-associated multisystem proteinopathies.
Inhibition of Src Phosphorylation Alters Metastatic Potential of Osteosarcoma In vitro but not In vivo

Purpose: Pulmonary metastasis remains the major cause of mortality in osteosarcoma. Src tyrosine kinase is a key player involved in metastatic pathways in multiple human cancers. c-Src has been shown to be expressed and phosphorylated in osteosarcoma cell lines and inhibiting Src phosphorylation in these cells causes inhibition of the metastatic phenotype in vitro. We studied the effect of inhibition of Src phosphorylation in preventing the growth and development of pulmonary metastases in osteosarcoma. Experimental Design: Dasatinib, a dual Src-Abl kinase inhibitor, was used to study the effect of Src kinase inhibition on proliferation, adhesion, and invasion of osteosarcoma cell lines in vitro and in preventing the development of pulmonary metastases in a spontaneously metastatic mouse model. Results:In vitro, phosphorylation of Src and its downstream signaling molecules such as focal adhesion kinase, Crk-associated substrate, and c-Jun was inhibited at nanomolar concentrations of dasatinib. Dasatinib was not cytotoxic against the osteosarcoma cells with the IC50 ranging from 10 to 20 μmol/L but effectively inhibited the adhesion and migration of osteosarcoma cells at 10 to 100 nmol/L. However, in vivo, dasatinib did not inhibit the development of pulmonary metastases despite complete inhibition of Src phosphorylation in the primary tumors. No effect was seen in the primary tumor growth and the degree of apoptosis. Conclusions: These results suggest that Src kinase activation might not be the primary pathway involved in the development of pulmonary metastases in osteosarcoma.
Effectiveness of implicit methods for stiff stochastic differential equations

In this paper we study the behavior of a family of implicit numerical methods applied to stochastic differential equations with multiple time scales. We show by a combination of analytical arguments and numerical examples that implicit methods in general fail to capture the effective dynamics at the slow time scale. This is due to the fact that such implicit methods cannot correctly capture non-Dirac invariant distributions when the time step size is much larger than the relaxation time of the system. AMS subject classifications: 65L20, 65C30, 37M25
New standards of care in the management of the axilla

Purpose of review The management of the axilla in early breast cancer remains controversial. This review describes the current literature focussing on the management of the clinically negative axilla. Recent findings For women with isolated tumour cells or micrometastases [nodal deposit(s) >0.2–2 mm] in one or more axillary nodes, disease-free survival may be reduced, without a significant impact on overall survival. For macrometastases (node deposits >2 mm), the convention of axillary clearance has been challenged. Axillary clearance compared with no surgery in patients undergoing breast conservation in women with predominantly small, estrogen receptor-positive, low-grade cancers receiving systemic therapy demonstrated no difference in disease-free survival or overall survival. However, the confounding treatment by axillary radiotherapy (alongside breast radiotherapy) is in keeping with improved disease-free survival in conservation patients treated with breast and axillary radiotherapy compared with those treated with breast radiotherapy alone. Direct prospective comparison of axillary clearance and radiotherapy is eagerly awaited. Summary Further information is still required to define which patients with low-volume macrometastatic axillary disease may not require further local treatment and whether surgery or radiotherapy is equally effective in treating the node-positive axilla.
EffEctivEnEss of sharp-tailEd GrousE transplants in thE tobacco vallEy, Montana

Records extending back to 1861 document the presence of sharp-tailed grouse (Tympanuchus phasianellus) in the Tobacco Valley of northwestern Montana. However, following a similar trend throughout the species’ range, populations of sharp-tailed grouse in the Tobacco Valley declined sharply until only three males were observed on one lek by 1987. Seven years of transplanting birds (1987 to1997) increased the numbers of individuals on one lek and led to the establishment of a second lek that persisted for three years. After each of the transplant periods ended, the number of males counted at leks gradually declined until the last lek activity was recorded in 2000. Sharp-tailed grouse in the Tobacco Valley likely were extirpated by 2003.
U–Pb zircon geochronology of coesite‐bearing eclogites from the southern Dulan area of the North Qaidam UHP terrane, northwestern China: spatially and temporally extensive UHP metamorphism during continental subduction

Coesite‐bearing eclogites from >100 km2 in the southern Dulan area, North Qaidam Mountains (NQM) of western China, contain zircon that records protolith crystallization and ultra high pressure (UHP) metamorphism. Sensitive High‐Resolution Ion Microprobe (Mass Spectrometer) and Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry U–Pb analyses from cathodoluminescence (CL)‐dark zircon cores in a coesite‐bearing eclogite yield an upper intercept age of 838 ± 50 Ma, and oscillatory zoned cores in a kyanite‐bearing eclogite gave a weighted mean 206Pb/238U age of 832 ± 20 Ma. These zircon cores yield steep heavy rare earth element (HREE) slopes and negative Eu anomalies that suggest a magmatic origin. Thus, c. 835 Ma is interpreted as the eclogite protolith age. Unzoned CL‐grey or ‐bright zircon and zircon rims from four samples yield weighted mean ages of 430 ± 4, 438 ± 2, 446 ± 10 and 446 ± 3 Ma, flat HREE patterns without Eu anomalies, and contain inclusions of garnet, omphacite, rutile, phengite and rare coesite. These ages are interpreted to record 16 ± 5 Myr of UHP metamorphism. These new UHP ages overlap the age range of both eclogite and paragneiss from the northern Dulan area, suggesting that all UHP rock types in the Dulan area belong to the same tectonic unit. Our results are consistent with slow continental subduction, but do not match oceanic subduction and diapiric exhumation UHP model predictions. These new data suggest that, similar to eclogites in other HP/UHP units of the NQM and South Altyn Tagh, protoliths of the eclogites in the Dulan area formed in a continental setting during the Neoproterozoic, and then subducted to mantle depth together with continental materials during the Early Palaeozoic.
Hydrodynamics of a bathymetrically complex fringing coral reef embayment: Wave climate, in situ observations, and wave prediction

This paper examines the relationship between offshore wave climate and nearshore waves and currents at Hanalei Bay, Hawaii, an exposed bay fringed with coral reefs. Analysis of both offshore in situ data and numerical hindcasts identify the predominance of two wave conditions: a mode associated with local trade winds and an episodic pattern associated with distant source long-period swells. Analysis of 10 months of in situ data within the bay show that current velocities are up to an order of magnitude greater during long-period swell episodes than during trade wind conditions; overall circulation patterns are also fundamentally different. The current velocities are highly correlated with incident wave heights during the swell episodes, while they are not during the modal trade wind conditions. A phase-averaged wave model was implemented with the dual purpose of evaluating application to bathymetrically complex fringing reefs and to examine the propagation of waves into the nearshore in an effort to better explain the large difference in observed circulation during the two offshore wave conditions. The prediction quality of this model was poorer for the episodic condition than for the lower-energy mode, however, it illustrated how longer-period swells are preferentially refracted into the bay and make available far more nearshore wave energy to drive currents compared to waves during modal conditions. The highly episodic circulation, the nature of which is dependent on complex refraction patterns of episodic, long-period swell has implications for flushing and sediment dynamics for incised fringing reef-lined bays that characterize many high islands at low latitudes around the world.
Combining Single Class Features for Improving Performance of a Two Stage Classifier

We propose a feature selection--based approach for improving classification performance of a two stage classification system in contexts where a high number of features is involved. A problem with a set of $N$ classes is subdivided into a set of $N$ two class problems. In each problem, a GA--based feature selection algorithm is used for finding the best subset of features. These subsets are then used for training $N$ classifiers. In the classification phase, unknown samples are given in input to each of the trained classifiers by using the corresponding subspace. In case of conflicting responses, the sample is sent to a suitably trained supplementary classifier. The proposed approach has been tested on a real world dataset containing hyper--spectral image data. The results favourably compare with those obtained by other methods on the same data.
Arabic Part of speech Tagging using k-Nearest Neighbour and Naive Bayes Classifiers Combination

Part Of Speech (POS) tagging forms the important preprocessing step in many of the natural language processing applications such as text summarization, question answering and information retrieval syste m. It is the process of classifying every word in a given context to its appropriate part of speech. Differe nt POS tagging techniques in the literature have been deve loped and experimented. Currently, it is well known that some POS tagging models are not performing well on the Quranic Arabic due to the complexity of the Quranic Arabic text. This complexity presents sever al challenges for POS tagging such as high ambiguit y, data sparseness and large existence of unknown words. With this in mind, the main problem here is to f ind out how existing and efficient methods perform in A rabic and how can Quranic corpus be utilized to produce an efficient framework for Arabic POS taggi ng. We propose a classifiers combination experimental framework for Arabic POS tagger, by selecting two best diverse probabilistic classifiers used in numer ous works in non-Arabic language; namely K-Nearest Neighbour (KNN) and Naive Bayes (NB). The Majority voting is used here as the combination strategy to exploit classifiers advantages. In addition, an in- depth study has been conducted on a large list of feature s for exploiting effective features and investigati ng their role in enhancing the performance of POS taggers fo r the Quranic Arabic. Hence, this study aims to efficiently integrate different feature sets and ta gging algorithms to synthesize more accurate POS ta gging procedure. The data used in this study is the Arabi c Quranic Corpus, an annotated linguistic resource consisting of 77,430 words with Arabic grammar, syntax and morphology for each word in the Holy Quran. The highest accuracy in the results achieved is 98. 32%, which can be a significant enhancement for the state-of-the-art for Arabic Quranic text. The most effective features that yield this accuracy are a combination of w 0 (the current word), p 0 (POS of the current word), p -3 (POS of three words before), p -2 (POS of two words before) and p-1 (POS of the word before).
Iterative Optimization in the Polyhedral Model: Part I, One-Dimensional Time

Emerging microprocessors offer unprecedented parallel computing capabilities and deeper memory hierarchies, increasing the importance of loop transformations in optimizing compilers. Because compiler heuristics rely on simplistic performance models, and because they are bound to a limited set of transformations sequences, they only uncover a fraction of the peak performance on typical benchmarks. Iterative optimization is a maturing framework to address these limitations, but so far, it was not successfully applied complex loop transformation sequences because of the combinatorics of the optimization search space. We focus on the class of loop transformation which can be expressed as one-dimensional affine schedules. We define a systematic exploration method to enumerate the space of all legal, distinct transformations in this class. This method is based on an upstream characterization, as opposed to state-of-the-art downstream filtering approaches. Our results demonstrate orders of magnitude improvements in the size of the search space and in the convergence speed of a dedicated iterative optimization heuristic
NBER WORKING PAPER SERIES THE OPTIMAL TAXATION OF HEIGHT: A CASE STUDY OF UTILITARIAN INCOME REDISTRIBUTION N. Gregory Mankiw

Should the income tax include a credit for short taxpayers and a surcharge for tall ones? The standard Utilitarian framework for tax analysis answers this question in the affirmative. Moreover, a plausible parameterization using data on height and wages implies a substantial height tax: a tall person earning $50,000 should pay $4,500 more in tax than a short person. One interpretation is that personal attributes correlated with wages should be considered more widely for determining taxes. Alternatively, if policies such as a height tax are rejected, then the standard Utilitarian framework must fail to capture intuitive notions of distributive justice. N. Gregory Mankiw Department of Economics Littauer 223 Harvard University Cambridge, MA 02138 and NBER ngmankiw@fas.harvard. edu Matthew Weinzierl Harvard Business School Morgan Hall 262 Soldiers Field Boston, MA 02163 mweinzierl@hbs.edu The Optimal Taxation of Height: A Case Study of Utilitarian Income Redistribution N. Gregory Mankiw Matthew Weinzierl Harvard University Harvard University
Executive functions, impulsivity, and inhibitory control in adolescents: A structural equation model

Background. Adolescence represents a critical period for brain development, addressed by neurodevelopmental models to frontal, subcortical-limbic, and striatal activation, a pattern associated with rise of impulsivity and deficits in inhibitory control. The present study aimed at studying the association between self-report measures of impulsivity and inhibitory control with executive function in adolescents, employing structural equation modeling. Method. Tests were administered to 434 high school students. Acting without thinking was measured through the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale and the Dickman Impulsivity Inventory, reward sensitivity through the Behavioral Activation System, and sensation seeking through the Zuckerman–Kuhlman–Aluja Personali- ty Questionnaire. Inhibitory control was assessed through the Behavioral Inhibition System. The performance at the Wisconsin Card Sorting Task indicated executive function. Three models were specified using Sample Covariance Matrix, and the estimated parameters using Maximum Likelihood. Results. In the final model, impulsivity and inhibitory control predicted executive function, but sensation seeking did not. The fit of the model to data was excellent. Conclusions. The hypothesis that inhibitory control and impulsivity are predictors of executive function was supported. Our results appear informative of the validity of self-report measures to examine the relation between impulsivity traits rather than others to regulatory function of cognition and behavior.
Unlocking the climate riddle in forested ecosystems

Climate information is often used as a predictor in ecological studies, where temporal averages are typically based on climate normals (30-year means) or seasonal averages. While ensemble projections of future climate forecast a higher global average annual temperature, they also predict increased climate variability. It remains to be seen whether forest ecosystems will respond more to changes in mean climate conditions or changes in climate variability. Our objective was to compare the relative importance of climate mean versus variability metrics as predictors of tree mortality and regeneration. Using the 4-km PRISM and 32-km NARR climate datasets, both mean and variability metrics were derived for Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) plot locations across the eastern United States. Tree mortality and seedling abundance data were obtained from FIA plots that were visited twice in the years from 2000 to 2010. A number of statistical approaches (including correlation analysis, and an algorithmic method, Random Forests) were used to examine the relative importance of mean versus variability of climate data in the context of evaluating changes in tree and seedling attributes.