Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Peer-design agents for reliably evaluating distribution of outcomes in environments involving people

In many domains, an autonomous agent needs to reliably predict the distribution of behaviors of a population rather than the behavior of a single agent. For example, when playing the ultimatum game against several unknown opponents from a large known population, the agent can perform better by extracting its best-response strategy based on the distribution of the acceptance value in that population. In this paper, we demonstrate the efficacy of Peer-Designed-Agents (PDAs) for producing a distribution of behaviors that highly resembles the distribution of actual behaviors of a specific population of interest. This is obtained through extensive experiments with more than 700 different individuals and 132 PDAs, using eight game variants from three different domains and two different statistical tests. The analysis of the results demonstrates that PDAs' technology is an effective means for generating a reliable distribution of behaviors of a population of interest, as long as the similarity between the group of PDAs' developers and the latter population is sufficiently high. Moreover, a comprehensive comparison with the results of Elicited-Strategy-Agents (ESAs) shows that there is much more to PDA technology than simply an expression of strategy.
Development of research continuous usage intention of e-commerce. A systematic review of literature from 2009 to 2015

This paper systematically reviews the literature on the continuous usage intentions from 2009 to 2015. From the review of literature on continuance usage intentions, some models have been put forward to explain the continuity of the e-Commerce. However, each model is extensively different from one another. Over the years, a considerable development in the literature of Continuous intentions. However, there is still a necessity to present a more comprehensive and integrative model for the continuance usage intention of e-commerce users than the models in existence at the moment. The Expectation Confirmation Model (ECM) has been widely accepted in general. In addition, many researchers stated that ECM model can be employed to look into e-commerce better than other existing models and theories.
New Results for Feature-Domain Reverberation Modeling

To achieve robust distant-talking automatic speech recognition in reverberant environments, the effect of reverberation on the speech feature sequences has to be modeled as accurately as possible. A convolution in the feature domain has been proposed recently in [1, 2, 3, 4] to capture the dispersion of the feature vectors caused by reverberation. These publications use a fixed representation of the acoustic path between speaker and microphone or an elementary statistical reverberation model based on simplifying assumptions. In this contribution, we propose a Monte-Carlo approach that allows for an explicit determination of the joint probability density function of a feature-domain reverberation model.
Low power BPSK modulator for the application of capsule endoscope

This paper presents the Binary Phase Shift Keying (BPSK) modulator for high data rate medical imaging for capsule endoscope. The BPSK modulator consists of a mixer and a ring oscillator. The ring oscillator provides carrier frequency of 433MHz and mix with the mixer to produce BPSK modulated signal. The modulator is designed using Silterra 0. 13μm CMOS process. For supply voltage of 1.2 V, data rate of 3.5Mbps the mixer has power consumption of 1.2mW and at output power of −10.7 dBm.
Optimal reconfiguration of provisioning oriented optical networks

Today and in the foreseeable future optical networks are and will be used to implement the transport layer in telecommunications networks. If in a distributed environment the arrivals of permanent (long lasting) optical channel demands are distributed and independent in time and space, the service must also be demand-driven and real-time. The applicable online provisioning algorithms, despite their efficiency, lead to a suboptimal network configuration, where the network performance strongly depends on the random arrival sequence of demands. To improve the capacity efficiency of the evolved network configuration a consolidation step must be applied after a certain number of demands arrived. The consolidation is a limited network reconfiguration to improve the capacity efficiency of the network configuration by means of changing pre-planned or on-line defined architectural parameters. The consolidation process can be based on the results of an off-line design algorithm, which may be either an exact or a heuristic method. The present paper summarizes the measures and algorithms of reconfiguration that can be found in the literature. Then the grounds and applicability of the consolidation approach is illustrated over two on-line optical channel provisioning strategies. The presented numerical results demonstrate the capacity gain achieved by means of the network consolidation step.
MicroRNA-96 Directly Inhibits γ-Globin Expression in Human Erythropoiesis

Fetal hemoglobin, HbF (α2γ2), is the main hemoglobin synthesized up to birth, but it subsequently declines and adult hemoglobin, HbA (α2β2), becomes predominant. Several studies have indicated that expression of the HbF subunit γ-globin might be regulated post-transcriptionally. This could be confered by ∼22-nucleotide long microRNAs that associate with argonaute proteins to specifically target γ-globin mRNAs and inhibit protein expression. Indeed, applying immunopurifications, we found that γ-globin mRNA was associated with argonaute 2 isolated from reticulocytes that contain low levels of HbF (<1%), whereas association was significantly lower in reticulocytes with high levels of HbF (90%). Comparing microRNA expression in reticulocytes from cord blood and adult blood, we identified several miRNAs that were preferentially expressed in adults, among them miRNA-96. The overexpression of microRNA-96 in human ex vivo erythropoiesis decreased γ-globin expression by 50%, whereas the knock-down of endogenous microRNA-96 increased γ-globin expression by 20%. Moreover, luciferase reporter assays showed that microRNA-96 negatively regulates expression of γ-globin in HEK293 cells, which depends on a seedless but highly complementary target site located within the coding sequence of γ-globin. Based on these results we conclude that microRNA-96 directly suppresses γ-globin expression and thus contributes to HbF regulation.
Processes Based on Predictions from a Regional Ocean Model Planning and Implementing Trajectories for Autonomous Underwater Vehicles to Track Evolving Ocean

Path planning and trajectory design for autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) is of great importance to the oceanographic research community because automated data collection is becoming more prevalent. Intelligent planning is required to maneuver a vehicle to high-valued locations to perform data collection. In this paper, we present algorithms that determine paths for AUVs to track evolving features of interest in the ocean by considering the output of predictive ocean models. While traversing the computed path, the vehicle provides near-real-time, in situ measurements back to the model, with the intent to increase the skill of future predictions in the local region. The results presented here extend preliminary developments of the path planning portion of an end-to-end autonomous prediction and tasking system for aquatic, mobile sensor networks. This extension is the incorporation of multiple vehicles to track the centroid and the boundary of the extent of a feature of interest. Similar algorithms to those presented here are under development to consider additional locations for multiple types of features. The primary focus here is on algorithm development utilizing model predictions to assist in solving the motion planning problem of steering an AUV to high-valued locations, with respect to the data desired. We discuss the design technique to generate the paths, present simulation results and provide experimental data from field deployments for tracking dynamic features by use of an AUV in the Southern California coastal ocean.
A Comparison of the Force Dynamics of the Precision Grip of Humans and Robots

In the field of robotics, many of studies have been published addressing the issue of grasping in robotic manipulators. A number of these discuss grasp force and present algorithms aimed at achieving the ‘optimal’ grasp force for given tasks. This paper seeks to make a comparison between these algorithms and the human grasping function. An apparatus and experimental protocol were designed to allow for the gathering of grip force data from human subjects presented with the task of keeping an object within a two-finger pinch grasp (between the thumb and index finger). This object was connected to the stylus of a PHANToM robot, which was programmed to apply various magnitudes of ‘step’ loads at random times and intervals throughout an individual trial. The object contained force sensors to measure the grip force employed by the human subject during each stage of the task. This data has been analyzed and compared to the results of the robotics algorithms for the specific task. The paper begins with background on the physiology and motor control of the hand, moves to relevant experiments in biomechanics, then touches upon some areas of cooperation between the fields of biomechanics and robotics. After this, research in robotics addressing the issue of grasping and grip force is reviewed. Finally, original research on the grip force response of human subjects to various step loads is presented and a comparison of the results to the relevant robotics algorithms is made.
A Model Validation Procedure

Statistical models can play a crucial role in decision making. Traditional model validation tests typically make restrictive parametric assumptions about the model under the null and the alternative hypotheses. The majority of these tests examine one type of change at a time. This paper presents a method for determining whether new data continues to support the chosen model. We suggest using simulation and the kernel density estimator instead of assuming a parametric distribution for the data under the hull hypothesis. This leads to a more versatile testing procedure, one that can be applied to test different types of models and look for a variety of different types of divergences from the null hypothesis. Such a flexible testing procedure, in some cases, can also replace a range of tests that each test against particular alternative hypotheses. The procedureâ€™s ability to recognize a change in the underlying model is demonstrated through AR(1) and linear models. We examine the power of our procedure to detect changes in the variance of the error term and the AR coefficient in the AR(1) model. In the linear model, we examine the performance of the procedure when there are changes in the error variance and error distribution, and when an economic cycle is introduced into the model. We find that the procedure has correct empirical size and high power to recognize the changes in the data generating process after 10 to 15 new observations, depending on the type and extent of the change.
Rhizopus oryzae Adheres to, Is Phagocytosed by, and Damages Endothelial Cells In Vitro

ABSTRACT Rhizopus oryzae is the most common cause of zygomycosis, a life-threatening infection that usually occurs in immunocompromised patients. A characteristic hallmark of zygomycosis is angioinvasion by the fungus, resulting in thrombosis and subsequent tissue necrosis. Interactions between R. oryzae and vascular endothelial cells are therefore likely of central importance to the organism's pathogenetic strategy. We studied the ability of R. oryzae to adhere to and damage human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) in vitro. We report that R. oryzae spores and germ tubes adhere to HUVECs, whereas only spores adhere to subendothelial matrix proteins. Additionally, R. oryzae damages endothelial cells. This endothelial cell damage requires direct contact and subsequent phagocytosis of the fungus. Surprisingly, R. oryzae viability was not required for damage, but phagocytosis was required for dead R. oryzae to cause damage. These results elucidate the nature of R. oryzae-endothelial cell interactions, which are likely central to the angioinvasion and tissue necrosis seen during zygomycotic infections. The fact that dead R. oryzae damage human endothelial cells may, in part, explain the lack of efficacy of fungicidal agents during clinical disease.
Invertebrate versus vertebrate neurogenesis: variations on the same theme?

INTRODUCTION The morphology of a vertebrate body appears very different from that of, for example, a worm or a fly. However, it has become obvious from molecular, genetic , and developmental studies that this apparent diversity does not necessarily reflect fundamental differences in the molecular mechanisms that underlie pattern formation in these different species [for review, see Laufer and Marigo, 19941. Indeed, many gene products that are conserved in structure and function throughout evolution have been identified and the animals that we study seem more similar every day [for Most recently, another striking example was added to a fast growing list of genes, as the Drosophila eyeless gene and its mammalian homologues Small eye/ Aniridia play similar key roles in eye development of fruitfly, mouse, and human [for review, see Hanson and Van Heyningen, 1995; Halder et al., 19951. Here, we review and compare recent knowledge about the molecular mechanisms underlying nervous system development in vertebrates and invertebrates. The molecular mechanisms that underlie early neu-rogenesis have been best characterized in Drosophila (this issue)]. In recent years, homo-logues of many invertebrate genes involved in neuro-genesis have been cloned in vertebrates [for review on (this issue)l, and it is now possible to initiate a critical and more systematic comparison of neurogenesis in these different phyla. This review focuses mainly on a comparison of neu-ronal determination and early differentiation in the peripheral nervous system (PNS) of invertebrates (flies and worms) and vertebrates (mice, chicken, zebrafish). The PNS is a more tractable system than the central nervous system (CNS) due to its simpler structure; our knowledge about PNS development is therefore more advanced. However, it should be noted that many of the genes that are involved in the development of the PNS are also involved in CNS development [A. Salzberg and H. Bellen, unpublished data]; hence the separation of CNS versus PNS is somewhat arbitrary. The PNS of worms, flies, and mice differ considerably in their anatomical features, In C. elegans, most neurons are generated in reproducible positions in the periphery. They arise from invariant cell lineages, and cell ancestry determines their fate [reviewed by Sul-ston, 19881. The strict classification into sensory receptors , inter neurons, or motor neurons is often not possible in C. elegans because single neurons can combine several functions [Ward, 19751. However, a mature PNS organ or sensillum (mechano-and chemorecep-tors) consists of three or more peripherally located cells: a neuron …
Pharmacological Rescue of Human K+ Channel Long-QT2 Mutations: Human Ether-a-Go-Go-Related Gene Rescue Without Block

Background—Defective protein trafficking is a consequence of gene mutations. Human long-QT (LQT) syndrome results from mutations in several genes, including the human ether-a-go-go-related gene (HERG), which encodes a delayed rectifier K+ current. Trafficking-defective mutant HERG protein is a mechanism for reduced delayed rectifier K+ current in LQT2, and high-affinity HERG channel-blocking drugs can result in pharmacological rescue. Methods and Results—We postulated that drug molecules modified to remove high-affinity HERG block may still stabilize mutant proteins in a conformation required for rescue. We tested terfenadine carboxylate (fexofenadine) and terfenadine, structurally similar drugs with markedly different affinities for HERG block, for rescue of trafficking-defective LQT2 mutations. Terfenadine rescued the N470D mutation but blocked the channels. In contrast, fexofenadine rescued N470D with a half-maximal rescue concentration of 177 nmol/L, which is ≈350-fold lower than the half-maximal channel block concentration. The G601S mutation was also rescued without channel block. Conclusions—Pharmacological rescue can occur without channel block. This could represent a new antiarrhythmic paradigm in the treatment of some trafficking-defective LQT2 mutations.
Improvement of Tone Intelligibility for Average-Voice-Based Thai Speech Synthesis

Problem statement: Tone intelligibility in speech synthesis is an important attribute that should be taken into account. The tone correctness of the synthetic speech is degraded considerably in the average-voice-based HMM-based Thai speech synthesis. The tying mechanism in the decision tree based context clustering without appropriate criterion causes unexpected tone neutralization. Incorporation of the phrase intonation to the context clustering process in the training stage was proposed early. However, the tone correctness is not satisfied. Approach: This study proposes a number of tonal features including tone-geometrical features and phrase intonation features to be exploited in the context clustering process of HMM training stage. Results: In the experiments, subjective evaluations of both average voice and adapted voice in terms of the intelligibility of tone are conducted. Effects on decision trees of the extracted features are also evaluated. By considering gender in training speech, two core experiments were conducted. The first experiment shows that the proposed tonal features can improve the tone intelligibility for female speech model above that of male speech model, while the second experiment shows that the proposed tonal features improve the tone intelligibility for gender dependent model than for gender independent model. Conclusion: All of the experimental results confirm that the tone correctness of the synthesized speech from the average-voice-based HMM-based Thai speech synthesis is significantly improved when using most of the extracted features.
Multilevel analysis of school anti-smoking education and current cigarette use among South African students

Introduction South Africa (SA) implemented the Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS) four times between 1999 and 2011. Data from the four surveys indicated that downward trends in cigarette use among students may have stalled. Understanding the effect of school anti-smoking education on current smoking among students within schools and variability across schools may provide important insights into policies aimed at preventing or reducing tobacco use among students. The objective was to assess the student- and school-level effects of students' exposure to school anti-smoking education on current cigarette use among the study population using the most recent wave of GYTS data in SA (2011). Methods An analytic sample of students 13-15 years of age was selected (n=3,068) from the SA GYTS 2011. A taxonomy of two-level logistic regression models was fit to assess the relationship of various tobacco use, control, and exposure predictor variables on current cigarette smoking among the study population. Results At the student-level in the full model, secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure, peer smoking, and ownership of a promotional item were significantly associated with higher risk of current smoking. At the school-level in the full model, average exposure to peer smoking was associated with significant increases in the prevalence of current cigarette use, while average family anti-smoking education was significantly associated with decreases in the outcome variable. School anti-smoking education was not a statistically significant predictor at the student- or school-levels. Conclusion in this study, exposure to school anti-smoking education had no association with current cigarette smoking among the study population. Consistent with previous studies, having peers that smoked was highly associated with a student being a current smoker. Interestingly, at the school-level in the multilevel analysis, schools with higher rates of average family anti-smoking education had lower prevalence of current smoking. This finding has potential implications for tobacco control in SA, particularly if the school-level, family-centered protective effect can be operationalized as a prevention tool in the country's tobacco control program.
Rap1 and Canoe/afadin are essential for establishment of apical–basal polarity in the Drosophila embryo

The small GTPase Rap1 and the actin-junctional linker protein Canoe/afadin are essential for the initial establishment of polarity in Drosophila, acting upstream of Bazooka/Par3 and the adherens junctions. However, feedback and cross-regulation occur, so polarity establishment is regulated by a network of proteins rather than a linear pathway.
Linear systems with chance constraints: Constraint-admissible set and applications in predictive control

Maximal constraint-admissible sets have been widely used in the study of linear systems with hard constraints. This paper proposes a generalization of the maximal constraint-admissible set to the case where chance or probabilistic constraints are present in a linear system. Properties of the probabilistic constraint-admissible set are discussed and it is shown that the maximal chance constraint-admissible set is not time invariant. An inner approximation to the maximal set is then proposed to ensure its invariance property. This approximate set is then applied in the design of a model predictive controller for a linear system with additive disturbances and chance constraints. Feasibility and stability of the resultant closed-loop system are discussed.
manAge: An agent architecture for manufacturing control

In this paper we introduce agent concepts to implement control algorithms and application architectures for flexible control in manufacturing. We list requirements for the implementation of the agent itself, assess existing concepts of agent architectures, and give a more detailed overview about the building blocks of an adequate agent system architecture by describing the “manAge” agent system implementation.
Markov State Models for Rare Events in Molecular Dynamics

Rare, but important, transition events between long-lived states are a key feature of many molecular systems. In many cases, the computation of rare event statistics by direct molecular dynamics (MD) simulations is infeasible, even on the most powerful computers, because of the immensely long simulation timescales needed. Recently, a technique for spatial discretization of the molecular state space designed to help overcome such problems, so-called Markov State Models (MSMs), has attracted a lot of attention. We review the theoretical background and algorithmic realization of MSMs and illustrate their use by some numerical examples. Furthermore, we introduce a novel approach to using MSMs for the efficient solution of optimal control problems that appear in applications where one desires to optimize molecular properties by means of external controls.