Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Using Participatory Web-based Surveillance Data to Improve Seasonal Influenza Forecasting in Italy

Traditional surveillance of seasonal influenza is generally affected by reporting lags of at least one week and by continuous revisions of the numbers initially released. As a consequence, influenza forecasts are often limited by the time required to collect new and accurate data. On the other hand, the availability of novel data streams for disease detection can help in overcoming these issues by capturing an additional surveillance signal that can be used to complement data collected by public health agencies. In this study, we investigate how combining both traditional and participatory Web-based surveillance data can provide accurate predictions for seasonal influenza in real-time fashion. To this aim, we use two data sources available in Italy from two different monitoring systems: traditional surveillance data based on sentinel doctors reports and digital surveillance data deriving from a participatory system that monitors the influenza activity through Internet-based surveys. We integrate such digital component in a linear autoregressive exogenous (ARX) model based on traditional surveillance data and evaluate its predictive ability over the course of four influenza seasons in Italy, from 2012-2013 to 2015-2016, for each of the four weekly time horizons. Our results show that by using data extracted from a Web-based participatory surveillance system, which are usually available one week in advance with respect to traditional surveillance, it is possible to obtain accurate weekly predictions of influenza activity at national level up to four weeks in advance. Compared to a model that is only based on data from sentinel doctors, our approach significantly improves real-time forecasts of influenza activity, by increasing the Pearson's correlation up to 30% and by reducing the Mean Absolute Error up to 43% for the four weekly time horizons.
Distributed BitTorrent proxy for energy efficient mobile content sharing

This paper presents a distributed proxy solution that enables energy efficient BitTorrent downloads for mobile devices. Instead of using a single proxy, this work focuses on using multiple proxy servers to achieve better bandwidth utilization and thus smaller mobile energy consumption. We present an analytical model that can be used to experiment with different proxy setup and evaluate them from the energy perspective. In addition to the analysis, measurements with mobile devices were also carried out to validate the multiproxy concept and the analytical model.
Increasing adolescent life satisfaction and academic effort : appreciation and a positive model of integrity

This study examined the effects of two character strength exercises—an appreciation journaling exercise and a journaling exercise applying the new model of integrity—on life satisfaction, effort, attitude, and prosocial behavior, using trust as a mediator, in 863 young adolescents in a low to middle income grade six through eight middle school in the Western United States. Guided by transformational learning theory, conversations for change theory, and self-determination theory, the appreciation journaling intervention aimed to develop the strengths associated with the transcendence virtue, while the honoring one’s word intervention aimed to develop the strengths associated with the courage virtue. This study intended to add to the existing literature on positive psychology interventions and programs that use appreciation journaling, while also investigating and providing data on the new character strength intervention, using the new model of integrity. A quantitative design was used with a preand post-survey measuring the outcomes of interest. Thirty classes (10 for each condition) were randomly assigned to the appreciation exercise, the integrity exercise, or a control condition. Analysis determined that teacher and grade level clustering did not affect the results; hence, students were treated as randomly assigned and a fixed effects analysis without clustering effects was used. While the mean differences for life satisfaction, prosocial behavior, and trust increased for the honoring your word intervention, and the mean iv differences for life satisfaction and trust increased for the appreciation intervention, neither intervention produced statistically significant results for the outcomes of interest. Recommendations are discussed, to include using a qualitative or mixed methods design, improving teacher training and on-going teacher support, using a larger sample size, adding additional intervention contexts to support students practicing the virtue outside of the classroom, increasing the study length, and better investigating both how student outcomes changed during the interventions and why students answered the preand postsurvey questions positively or negatively.
Census of Monogyne and Polygyne Laboratory Colonies Illuminates Dynamics of Population Growth in Reticulitermes flavipes (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae)

Abstract One hundred and three laboratory colonies of the eastern subterranean termite. Reticulitermes flavipes (Kollar). ranging from 4 mo to 9 yr of age, were destructively sampled, and the numbers of eggs and other life stages were counted. Polygyny was maintained in 9.7% (n = 31) of the groups censused at four months, whereas monogyny was the only condition found thereafter. Polyandry was recorded in 17% of colonies sampled over a 2-yr period. Colonies set up with multiple males/females achieved similar rates of progeny (numbers, caste proportions, and biomass) compared with colonies initiated by a single royal pair. The soldier caste was present at the 4-mo census, whereas nymphs and neotenics first occurred in 2-yr-old groups. Primary queens reached a mean body mass of 7.06 mg (SD 2.4) after 2 yr and did not gain considerable weight between 2 and 4 yr. Two 6-yr-old queens weighed 17 and 18 mg, respectively, and produced the highest number of eggs per day. A simple computer model of colony growth, using both egg-laying rates obtained from our census and hypothetical egg-laying rates, revealed that the expected number of larvae matched the numbers censused in colonies up to 2 yr of age, although worker numbers were consistently overestimated. The data indicate that a monogyne colony of R. flavipes could not attain the population size occasionally described in field studies. Extrapolating laboratory data and potential reproductive mechanisms that can account for field data are discussed.
Transfer Learning of Visual Concepts across Robots: a Discriminative Approach

While there is a general consensus that autonomous robots should be able to learn continuously over time, the learning process is traditionally envisioned for each specific robot situated in a given environment. This does not consider the fact that robots performing similar tasks in similar settings would probably learn similar concepts. They would therefore benefit by sharing their prior experience with each other. In this paper we present a transfer learning algorithm that enables robots located in different places to take advantage of each other’s experience, boosting the learning process. We specifically assume to have robots equipped with a camera. We do not make any assumption on the type of camera, nor on where it is positioned. We also assume that the robots use the same feature descriptors and learning algorithms. Under these assumptions, we show that one robot can hugely benefit from what has been learned by peer robots performing similar tasks. The advantage concretely means a consistent boost in performance, especially when training data is scarce. Our algorithm is based on Least Square Support Vector Machine, and allows to determine automatically from where to transfer and how much to transfer: this makes it possible to take advantage of the prior when it is useful, while minimizing the risk of negative transfer when the priors are not informative. Thorough experiments on four different publicly available databases show the power of our approach.
No correlation between X chromosome inactivation pattern and autistic spectrum disorders in an Italian cohort of patients

Autistic spectrum disorders (ASD) occur more frequently in males, suggesting a major pathogenic role for genes located on the X-chromosome. The analysis of X chromosome inactivation (XCI) pattern may help to identify XCI skewing in those families in which such genes are involved, even without identifying the specific genetic mutation. In order to identify such families, we determined the XCI pattern in 40 females with ASD and 58 mothers of children with ASD, as well as in 80 matched control females. The X inactivation assay was carried out on genomic DNA extracted from peripheral blood. XCI was calculated for informative heterozygous individuals as the ratio of the peak area of two alleles of the highly polymorphic CAG repeat of the androgen receptor (AR) gene (Xq11-12). Our results indicate that there is no difference in XCI pattern both in ASD females and in the mothers of ASD patients when compared with the appropriate controls. These findings suggest that the contribution of X-linked genes to the etiology of ASD is still likely but it is not supported by X-inactivation patterns on peripheral blood cells.
Cross-coupled adaptation of eye and head position commands in the primate gaze control system

Primates orient visual gaze using different eye–head coordination strategies. To test how these strategies are formed, we trained a macaque monkey to perform ‘head-only’ gaze shifts looking through a 10° head-fixed aperture. When we suddenly relocated this aperture 15° downward, the animal could orient initial eye position toward the new aperture, but during large gaze saccades the eye was mistakenly driven back to the original (now occluded) aperture. More importantly, this was accompanied by an opposite head movement, such that gaze (although blocked) pointed correctly. We conclude that the gaze control system acquires new strategies through separate but interdependent eye–head controllers, designed primarily to ensure that gaze is placed in the correct direction.
GSTM1 and GSTP1 and respiratory health in asthmatic children exposed to ozone

Acute exposure to ozone has been related to a wide spectrum of health effects in susceptible individuals. Genetic factors may influence interindividual variation in ozone response. The current authors investigated the relationships between common polymorphisms in two genes involved in response to oxidative stress, i.e. glutathione S-transferases M1 (GSTM1) and P1 (GSTP1), and both respiratory symptoms and lung function in response to ozone among childhood asthmatics. A total of 151 asthmatic children, who were participants in a randomised controlled trial of antioxidant vitamin supplementation in Mexico City, were studied. Children were genotyped using PCR methods and followed from October 1998–April 2000. Increases in reported breathing difficulty were associated with ozone exposure in children with GSTM1 null (8%, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1–15%, per 20-ppb increase in 1-h maximum daily average over 7 days) or GSTP1 Valine/Valine (Val/Val) genotypes (14%, 95% CI 5–25%). In children with both GSTM1 null and GSTP1 Val/Val genotypes, the increase in breathing difficulty associated with a 20-ppb increase in ozone exposure was even greater (21%, 95% CI 5–39%). GSTP1 genotypes were not significantly associated with ozone-related lung function changes. In conclusion, asthmatic children with glutathione S-transferase M1 null and glutathione S-transferase P1 Valine/Valine genotypes appear more susceptible to developing respiratory symptoms related to ozone exposure.
A fast filtering scheme for capacitor voltages of a cascaded H-bridge multilevel converter based STATCOM

In this paper a capacitor voltage filtering scheme for a cascaded H-bridge (CHB) multilevel converter based STATCOM is proposed. The scheme is based on an analytic formula derived from the system model in order to cancel out the low frequency ripple of the capacitors voltages. The scheme remains effective even under high magnitude voltage ripple which would be present when lower capacitance film capacitors are used. Hence, the scheme would enable the use of reliable film capacitors instead of conventional electrolytic capacitors in the CHB multilevel converter based STATCOM system. Another advantage of the proposed scheme is that imposes only a negligible delay to the control system. Simulations on a 1100 W, single-phase, 7-level CHB converter based STATCOM confirm viability of the proposed filtering scheme.
Enhancement of Galileo and multi-constellation accuracy by modeling pseudorange noises

Satellite-based positioning systems do not offer accurate solutions in urban environments because of propagation disturbances noising measurements. Furthermore, usual positioning computation, like Extended Kalman Filter, relies on considering the noise as a Gaussian Centered distribution, which is unrealistic in constrained area. Moreover, today only the US system (GPS) is fully operational. Available satellite signals are not always sufficient to guarantee a continuity of service in all environments and more particularly in urban environment. However, new satellite navigation systems will appear in a couple of years. These new constellations will provide more satellites and signals. In this paper, at first, we highlight the improvement using GPS in complement with Galileo. Next, we propose a modeling of propagation noises function of the satellite state of reception, and we explain its use in the filtering process. And finally, we show some simulations results.
How IT project managers cope with stress

This research examines the level of stress experienced by IT project managers and determines the types of coping strategies used to handle their stress. Sixty-four South African IT project managers completed an online questionnaire. The findings indicate that IT project managers are highly stressed and tend to utilize maladaptive coping strategies more as their stress levels increase. These strategies included self-distraction, venting, self-blame, positive reframing, behavioral disengagement, substance use and denial. This contradicts prior research where the coping strategy was emotional support. In addition, the more experienced the IT project managers were, the higher their levels of stress. These findings could assist project managers to better understand the effects of stress on their productivity and to consider more appropriate coping strategies to assist them to reduce their stress.
Classification via kernel regression based on univariate product density estimators

We propose a nonparametric discrimination method based on a nonparametric Nadaray-Watson kernel regression type-estimator of the posterior probability that an incoming observed vector is a given class. To overcome the curse of dimensionality of the multivariate kernel density estimate, we introduce a variance stabilizing approach which constructs independent predictor variables. Then, the multivariate kernel estimator is replaced by the univariate kernel product estimators. The new procedure is illustrated in simulated data sets and real example, confirming the usefulness of our approach.
Contention-based Reliable Delivery Scheme for Wireless Sensor Networks

Providing efficient and reliable delivery in wireless sensor networks (WSNs) is a challenging problem. A kind of contention-based reliable delivery scheme (CRDS) has been proposed in this paper. By utilizing the characteristic of highly dense deployment of nodes in WSNs and broadcast feature of wireless channels, CRDS forwards the packet in the unit of cluster in the process of data transmission and it is implemented through collaboration among cluster members to improve the reliability of delivery. The number of cluster members is constrained to limit the number of forwarding nodes, which can effectively reduce the end-to-end delay and energy consumption caused by redundant forwarding. CRDS is contention-based geographic forwarding scheme, in which the cluster is elected through “back-off competition” mechanism before each hop of packet forwarding, and upon completion of forwarding task, the cluster automatically revoked. CRDS is assessed through ns-2 simulation. Performance results prove the advantages of the proposed solution in comparison with other existing protocols.
Suffix Tree Based Message Passing Algorithm

In Document Clustering, Phrase is very effective as compared to the clustering of words taken from the text. Here Suffix Tree Document (STD) model is used for the extraction of phrases from the text. Then weights of the phrases are found out through tf-idf weighting scheme to result in unique feature term in the Vector Space Document (VSD) model, document similarity is found out with the help of phrases.Phrase-based document similarities are applied to the message passing algorithm and develop a new document clustering approach.Our objective is to cluster a collection of text based on phrases so as to improve the speed and performance of clustering.The Performance of clustering algorithm is measured by F-measure,entropy and purity.
Capacity Expressions for Power-Controlled Multi-Class DS-CDMA Reverse Link with Antenna Diversity and Rake Combining

A DS-CDMAmobile communication system accommodating multi-class users is considered. The number of supportable users depends on the distributions of data rate and required communication quality among users. Simple expressions for the reverse link capacity with transmit power control, antenna diversity, and rake combining, are derived for a single-cell system and a multi-cell system. key words: DS-CDMA, transmit power control, antenna diver-
THE AUTOMATIC THOUGHTS IN SOCIAL SITUATIONS SCALE FOR ADOLESCENTS: FACTOR STRUCTURE AND PSYCHOMETRIC PROPERTIES

espanolEscala de Pensamientos Automaticos en Situaciones Sociales para Adolescentes: Estructura factorial y propiedades psicometricas. Debido a la importancia y dificultad en la evaluacion de los pensamientos automaticos en situaciones sociales, y la escasez de instrumentos en esta area para adolescentes, el objetivo del presente estudio fue explorar la estructura factorial y las propiedades psicometricas de la recien desarrollada Escala de Pensamientos Automaticos en Situaciones Sociales para Adolescentes. Una muestra de 1.095 adolescentes (de los 14 a los 18 anos), obtenida a partir de 17 escuelas del centro de Portugal participo en este estudio. Se utilizaron varios instrumentos de autoinforme. El analisis factorial exploratorio sugirio una estructura de 3 factores, que explico el 56.4% del total de la varianza. Esta estructura fue confirmada mediante un analisis factorial confirmatorio, asi como la invarianza en funcion del genero. Tambien se obtuvieron valores aceptablemente elevados de consistencia interna, elevada estabilidad temporal y buena validez convergente y discriminante. No se hallaron diferencias entre los generos en la distribucion de las variables. EnglishGiven the importance and difficulty of assessing automatic thoughts in social situations, and the scarcity of instruments in this area for adolescents, the aim of the present study was to explore the factor structure and psychometric properties of the newly developed Automatic Thoughts in Social Situations Scale for Adolescents. A sample of 1,095 adolescents (14-18 years old) obtained in 17 schools from the centre of Portugal participated in the study. Several self-report questionnaires were used. An initial exploratory factor analysis suggested a three-factor structure, responsible for 56.40% of the total variance. This structure was corroborated in the confirmatory factor analysis, and the model was invariant across genders. Acceptable to high internal consistencies for the factors and total, high temporal stability, and good convergent and discriminant validities were obtained. There were no significant differences in the distribution of the variables according to gender.
Viral Actions: Predicting Video View Counts Using Synchronous Sharing Behaviors

In this article, we present a method for predicting the view count of a YouTube video using a small feature set collected from a synchronous sharing tool. We hypothesize that videos which have a high YouTube view count will exhibit a unique sharing pattern when shared in synchronous environments. Using a one-day sample of 2,188 dyadic sessions from the Yahoo! Zync synchronous sharing tool, we demonstrate how to predict the video's view count on YouTube, specifically if a video has over 10 million views. The prediction model is 95.8% accurate and done with a relatively small training set; only 15% of the videos had more than one session viewing; in effect, the classifier had a precision of 76.4% and a recall of 81%. We describe a prediction model that relies on using implicit social shared viewing behavior such as how many times a video was paused, rewound, or fast-forwarded as well as the duration of the session. Finally, we present some new directions for future virality research and for the design of future social media tools.
SABIO-RK: Kinetic Data for Reaction Mechanism Steps

SABIO-RK is a curated database containing kinetic information not only for biochemical reactions but also for individual steps of the reaction mechanism manually extracted from literature. Data in SABIO-RK comprises information about reaction participants including enzyme properties, biological locations (organism, tissue etc.), kinetic parameters and rate equations determined for the reaction, and the experimental conditions used for the determination. To understand biochemical reactions and their kinetic behaviour not only reaction details and kinetic properties of the biochemical reactions but also details of the reaction mechanism are essential. To meet these requirements additionally to the kinetic data of the reactions SABIO-RK offers a graphical representation of the mechanism of a selected reaction as a survey and also a detailed listing of all individual reaction steps as separate entries.
Thematic Extractor

We have created a system that identifies musical keywords or themes. The system searches for all patterns composed of melodic (intervallic for our purposes) repetition in a piece. This process generally uncovers a large number of patterns, many of which are either uninteresting or only superficially important. Filters reduce the number or prevalence, or both, of such patterns. Patterns are then rated according to perceptually significant characteristics. The top-ranked patterns correspond to important thematic or motivic musical content, as has been verified by comparisons with published musical thematic catalogs. The system operates robustly across a broad range of styles, and relies on no meta-data on its input, allowing it to independently and efficiently catalog multimedia data.
Utilization and Customer Behavior: Smart Choices for the Smart Grid

The smart grid offers a wide array of opportunities to improve efficiency of the electricity grid via load management policies. This chapter reviews the current state of knowledge in the economics literature as it relates to time-varying pricing and to behavioral interventions, which together comprise a large portion of regulators’ policy choice set. The authors present evidence that consumers respond to financial incentives, but that these are not the only determinants of behavior. For example, consumers are often uninformed and inattentive, and exhibit a tendency to respond to non-monetary incentives as well as monetary. The authors conclude that time-varying pricing is an effective and essential policy instrument, while instruments designed to boost customer attentiveness and allow households to become better informed about their energy use play an important complementary role. Smart meters are crucial in making such a policy package feasible. The power of randomized experimental designs, which underlie much of the evidence that is presented, is also discussed. The authors highlight important areas for future research, and recommend that such future research efforts continue to leverage randomized designs.