Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Bias-Aware Inference in Fuzzy Regression Discontinuity Designs

Fuzzy regression discontinuity (FRD) designs occur frequently in many areas of applied economics. We argue that the confidence intervals based on nonparametric local linear regression that are commonly reported in empirical FRD studies can have poor finite sample coverage properties for reasons related to their general construction based on the delta method, and to how they account for smoothing bias. We therefore propose new confidence sets, which are based on an Anderson-Rubin-type construction. These confidence sets are bias-aware, in the sense that they explicitly take into account the exact smoothing bias of the local linear estimators on which they are based. They are simple to compute, highly efficient, have excellent coverage properties in finite samples. They are also valid under weak identification (that is, if the jump in treatment probabilities at the threshold is small) and irrespective of whether the distribution of the running variable is continuous, discrete, or of some intermediate form.
Inter-Tier Process Variation-Aware Monolithic 3D NoC Architectures

Monolithic 3D (M3D) technology enables high density integration, performance, and energy-efficiency by sequentially stacking tiers on top of each other. M3D-based network-on-chip (NoC) architectures can exploit these benefits by adopting tier partitioning for intra-router stages. However, conventional fabrication methods are infeasible for M3D-enabled designs due to temperature related issues. This has necessitated lower temperature and temperature-resilient techniques for M3D fabrication, leading to inferior performance of transistors in the top tier and interconnects in the bottom tier. The resulting inter-tier process variation leads to performance degradation of M3D-enabled NoCs. In this work, we demonstrate that without considering inter-tier process variation, an M3D-enabled NoC architecture overestimates the energy-delay-product (EDP) on average by 50.8% for a set of SPLASH-2 and PARSEC benchmarks. As a countermeasure, we adopt a process variation aware design approach. The proposed design and optimization method distribute the intra-router stages and inter-router links among the tiers to mitigate the adverse effects of process variation. Experimental results show that the NoC architecture under consideration improves the EDP by 27.4% on average across all benchmarks compared to the process-oblivious design.
Anodal tDCS Over the Right Temporoparietal Junction Lowers Overbidding in Contests

Overbidding, which means bidding over the Nash equilibrium, is commonly observed in competitive social interactions, such as a contest or auction. Recent neuroscience studies show that the right temporoparietal junction (rTPJ) is related to overbidding and associated with inferring the intentions of others during competitive interactions. The present study investigates the neural underpinnings of overbidding and how the rTPJ impacts bidding behavior by using tDCS to modulate the activation of the rTPJ. Participants completed a two-person proportional prize contest, in which overbidding was frequently observed and each participant's share of the prize was equal to the individual's expenditure divided by the aggregated expenditure. We observed a significant tDCS effect, i.e., participants' average expenditure and overbidding rate were significantly reduced in the anodal stimulation compared with the cathodal and sham stimulation. Possible explanations include that enhanced activity in the rTPJ via the anodal stimulation increased the accuracy of a participant's inference of the strategies of others, or a participant's concern for others, and thus helped the participant bid optimally. Our findings provide evidence supporting that the activation of the rTPJ in contests affects overbidding and bidding strategy, and further confirm that the rTPJ is involved in the inference of mental states in a competition context.
Dynamic Alterations in the Gut Microbiota of Collagen-Induced Arthritis Rats Following the Prolonged Administration of Total Glucosides of Paeony

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a common autoimmune disease linked to chronic inflammation. Dysbiosis of the gut microbiota has been proposed to contribute to the risk of RA, and a large number of researchers have investigated the gut-joint axis hypothesis using the collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) rats. However, previous studies mainly involved short-term experiments; very few used the CIA model to investigate changes in gut microbiota over time. Moreover, previous research failed to use the CIA model to carry out detailed investigations of the effects of drug treatments upon inflammation in the joints, hyperplasia of the synovium, imbalance in the ratios of Th1/Th2 and Th17/Treg cells, intestinal cytokines and the gut microbiota following long-term intervention. In the present study, we carried out a 16-week experiment to investigate changes in the gut microbiota of CIA rats, and evaluated the modulatory effect of total glucosides of paeony (TGP), an immunomodulatory agent widely used in the treatment of RA, after 12 weeks of administration. We found that taxonomic differences developed in the microbial structure between the CIA group and the Control group. Furthermore, the administration of TGP was able to correct 78% of these taxonomic differences, while also increase the relative abundance of certain forms of beneficial symbiotic bacteria. By the end of the experiment, TGP had reduced body weight, thymus index and inflammatory cell infiltration in the ankle joint of CIA rats. Furthermore, the administration of TGP had down-regulated the synovial content of VEGF and the levels of Th1 cells and Th17 cells in CIA rats, and up-regulated the levels of Th2 cells and Treg cells. The administration of TGP also inhibited the levels of intestinal cytokines, secretory immunoglobulin A (SIgA) and Interferon-γ (IFN-γ). In conclusion, the influence of TGP on dynamic changes in gut microbiota, along with the observed improvement of indicators related to CIA symptoms during 12 weeks of administration, supported the hypothesis that the microbiome may play a role in TGP-mediated therapeutic effects in CIA rats. The present study also indicated that the mechanism underlying these effects may be related to the regulation of intestinal mucosal immunity remains unknown and deserves further research attention.
TRAF3 Is Required for NF-κB Pathway Activation Mediated by HTLV Tax Proteins

Human T-cell leukemia viruses type 1 (HTLV-1) and type 2 (HTLV-2) share a common genome organization and expression strategy but have distinct pathological properties. HTLV-1 is the etiological agent of Adult T-cell Leukemia (ATL) and of HTLV-1-Associated Myelopathy/Tropical Spastic Paraparesis (HAM/TSP), whereas HTLV-2 does not cause hematological disorders and is only sporadically associated with cases of subacute myelopathy. Both HTLV genomes encode two regulatory proteins that play a pivotal role in pathogenesis: the transactivating Tax-1 and Tax-2 proteins and the antisense proteins HBZ and APH-2, respectively. We recently reported that Tax-1 and Tax-2 form complexes with the TNF-receptor associated factor 3, TRAF3, a negative regulator of the non-canonical NF-κB pathway. The NF-κB pathway is constitutively activated by the Tax proteins, whereas it is inhibited by HBZ and APH-2. The antagonistic effects of Tax and antisense proteins on NF-κB activation have not yet been fully clarified. Here, we investigated the effect of TRAF3 interaction with HTLV regulatory proteins and in particular its consequence on the subcellular distribution of the effector p65/RelA protein. We demonstrated that Tax-1 and Tax-2 efficiency on NF-κB activation is impaired in TRAF3 deficient cells obtained by CRISPR/Cas9 editing. We also found that APH-2 is more effective than HBZ in preventing Tax-dependent NF-κB activation. We further observed that TRAF3 co-localizes with Tax-2 and APH-2 in cytoplasmic complexes together with NF-κB essential modulator NEMO and TAB2, differently from HBZ and TRAF3. These results contribute to untangle the mechanism of NF-κB inhibition by HBZ and APH-2, highlighting the different role of the HTLV-1 and HTLV-2 regulatory proteins in the NF-κB activation.
A Concept of the Effective Surface Profile to Predict the Roughness Parameters of Worn Surface

A new concept of the effective surface profile is proposed to facilitate the prediction of the wear texture on a surface under linear sliding conditions. The effective surface profile is a 2D phenomenological height characteristic that consist of the asperities of surface superimposed on a plane perpendicular both to the mean surface plane and to the direction of sliding. We hope to present a clear and compelling argument favoring the use of the effective surface profile as a versatile tool for characterization of rough surface subjected to an abrasive wear, calculation of contact characteristic at the sliding friction and for prediction of evolution of roughness parameters from virgin to the worn surfaces that being formed due to the mechanical wear. The effective surface profile can be successfully applied as for investigations of sliding abrasive wear under dry or lubricated conditions.
Frequency of planets orbiting M dwarfs in the Solar neighbourhood

The most abundant stars in the Galaxy, M dwarfs, are very commonly hosts to diverse systems of low-mass planets. Their abundancy implies that the general occurrence rate of planets is dominated by their occurrence rate around such M dwarfs. In this article, we combine the M dwarf surveys conducted with the HIRES/Keck, PFS/Magellan, HARPS/ESO, and UVES/VLT instruments supported with data from several other instruments. We analyse the radial velocities of an approximately volume- and brightness-limited sample of 426 nearby M dwarfs in order to search for Doppler signals of cadidate planets. In addition, we analyse spectroscopic activity indicators and ASAS photometry to rule out radial velocity signals corresponding to stellar activity as Doppler signals of planets. We calculate estimates for the occurrence rate of planets around the sample stars and study the properties of this occurrence rate as a function of stellar properties. Our analyses reveal a total of 118 candidate planets orbiting nearby M dwarfs. Based on our results accounting for selection effects and sample detection threshold, we estimate that M dwarfs have on average at least 2.39$^{+4.58}_{-1.36}$ planets per star orbiting them. Accounting for the different sensitivities of radial velocity surveys and Kepler transit photometry implies that there are at least 3.0 planets per star orbiting M dwarfs. We also present evidence for a population of cool mini-Neptunes and Neptunes with indications that they are found an order of magnitude more frequently orbiting the least massive M dwarfs in our sample.
Interplay of Entorhinal Input and Local Inhibitory Network in the Hippocampus at the Origin of Slow Inhibition in Granule Cells

Neuronal activity from the entorhinal cortex propagates through the perforant path (PP) to the molecular layer of the dentate gyrus (DG) where information is filtered and converted into sparse hippocampal code. Nearly simultaneous signaling to both granule cells (GC) and local interneurons (INs) engages network interactions that will modulate input integration and output generation. When triggered, GABA release from interneurons counteracts the glutamatergic signals of PP terminals, scaling down the overall DG activation. Inhibition occurs at fast or slow timescales depending on the activation of ionotropic GABAA-R or metabotropic GABAB-R. Although postsynaptic GABAA and GABAB-R differ in their location at the synapse, mixed GABAA/B-R IPSPs can also occur. Here we describe a slow inhibition mechanism in mouse GCs recorded from either sex, mediated by GABAA/B-R in combination with metabotropic glutamate receptors. Short burst PP stimulation in the gamma frequency range lead to a long-lasting hyperpolarization (LLH) of the GCs with a duration that exceeds GABAB-R IPSPs. As a result, LLH alters GC firing patterns and the responses to concomitant excitatory signals are also affected. Synaptic recruitment of feedforward inhibition and subsequent GABA release from interneurons, also successfully trigger mixed GABA responses in GCs. Together these results suggest that slow inhibition through LLH leads to reduced excitability of GCs during entorhinal input integration. The implication of LLH in regulation of neuronal excitability suggests it also contributes to the sparse population coding in DG. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Our study describes a long-lasting hyperpolarization (LLH) in hippocampal granule cells. We used whole-cell patch-clamp recordings and an optogenetic approach to characterize this event. LLH is a slow inhibitory mechanism that occurs following the stimulation of the perforant pathway in the molecular layer of the dentate gyrus. We found that it is mediated via postsynaptic ionotropic and metabotropic GABA and metabotropic glutamate receptors. The duration of LLH exceeds previously described IPSPs mediated by any of these receptors. The activation of LLH requires presynaptic gamma frequency bursts and recruitment of the local feedforward inhibition. LLH defines prolonged periods of low excitability of GCs and a restrained neuronal discharge. Our results suggest that LLH can contribute to sparse activation of GCs.
Approximate Gradient Descent Convergence Dynamics for Adaptive Control on Heterogeneous Networks

Adaptive control is a classical control method for complex cyber-physical systems, including transportation networks. In this work, we analyze the convergence properties of such methods on exemplar graphs, both theoretically and numerically. We first illustrate a limitation of the standard backpressure algorithm for scheduling optimization, and prove that a re-scaling of the model state can lead to an improvement in the overall system optimality by a factor of at most O(k) depending on the network parameters, where k characterizes the network heterogeneity. We exhaustively describe the associated transient and steady-state regimes, and derive convergence properties within this generalized class of backpressure algorithms. Extensive simulations are conducted on both a synthetic network and on a more realistic large-scale network modeled on the Manhattan grid on which theoretical results are verified.
Creation of User Friendly Datasets: Insights from a Case Study concerning Explanations of Loan Denials

Most explainable AI (XAI) techniques are concerned with the design of algorithms to explain the AI's decision. However, the data that is used to train these algorithms may contain features that are often incomprehensible to an end-user even with the best XAI algorithms. Thus, the problem of explainability has to be addressed starting right from the data creation step. In this paper, we studied this problem considering the use-case of explaining loan denials to end-users as opposed to AI engineers or domain experts. Motivated by the lack of datasets that are representative of user-friendly explanations, we build the first-of-its-kind dataset that is representative of user-friendly explanations for loan denials. The paper shares some of the insights gained in curating the dataset. First, existing datasets seldom contain features that end users consider as acceptable in understanding a model's decision. Second, understanding of the explanation's context such as the human-in-the-loop seeking the explanation, and the purpose for which an explanation is sought, aids in the creation of user-friendly datasets. Thus, our dataset, which we call Xnet, also contains explanations that serve different purposes: those that educate the loan applicants, and help them take appropriate action towards a future approval. We hope this work will trigger the creation of new user friendly datasets, and serve as a guide for the curation of such datasets.
Gestural and Prosodic Development Act as Sister Systems and Jointly Pave the Way for Children’s Sociopragmatic Development

Children might combine gesture and prosody to express a pragmatic meaning such as a request, information focus, uncertainty or politeness, before they can convey these meanings in speech. However, little is known about the developmental trajectories of gestural and prosodic patterns and how they relate to a child’s growing understanding and propositional use of these sociopragmatic meanings. Do gesture and prosody act as sister systems in pragmatic development? Do children acquire these components of language before they are able to express themselves through spoken language, thus acting as forerunners in children’s pragmatic development? This review article assesses empirical evidence that demonstrates that gesture and prosody act as intimately related systems and, importantly, pave the way for pragmatic acquisition at different developmental stages. The review goes on to explore how the integration of gesture and prosody with semantics and syntax can impact language acquisition and how multimodal interventions can be used effectively in educational settings. Our review findings support the importance of simultaneously assessing both the prosodic and the gestural components of language in the fields of language development, language learning, and language intervention.
Golgi pH, Ion and Redox Homeostasis: How Much Do They Really Matter?

Exocytic and endocytic compartments each have their own unique luminal ion and pH environment that is important for their normal functioning. A failure to maintain this environment – the loss of homeostasis – is not uncommon. In the worst case, all the main Golgi functions, including glycosylation, membrane trafficking and protein sorting, can be perturbed. Several factors contribute to Golgi homeostasis. These include not only ions such as H+, Ca2+, Mg2+, Mn2+, but also Golgi redox state and nitric oxide (NO) levels, both of which are dependent on the oxygen levels in the cells. Changes to any one of these factors have consequences on Golgi functions, the nature of which can be dissimilar or similar depending upon the defects themselves. For example, altered Golgi pH homeostasis gives rise to Cutis laxa disease, in which glycosylation and membrane trafficking are both affected, while altered Ca2+ homeostasis due to the mutated SCPA1 gene in Hailey–Hailey disease, perturbs various protein sorting, proteolytic cleavage and membrane trafficking events in the Golgi. This review gives an overview of the molecular machineries involved in the maintenance of Golgi ion, pH and redox homeostasis, followed by a discussion of the organelle dysfunction and disease that frequently result from their breakdown. Congenital disorders of glycosylation (CDGs) are discussed only when they contribute directly to Golgi pH, ion or redox homeostasis. Current evidence emphasizes that, rather than being mere supporting factors, Golgi pH, ion and redox homeostasis are in fact key players that orchestrate and maintain all Golgi functions.
Physiological Effects of Dietary Amino Acids on Gut Health and Functions of Swine

Gut health has significant implications for swine overall health status and nutrient utilization, due to its various functions including digestion and absorption of nutrients, secretion of mucins and immunoglobulins, and selective barrier protection against harmful antigens and pathogens. Both the basic anatomical structure of the gut (such as epithelial cells) and its luminal microbiota play important roles for maintaining gut health and functions. The interactions between epithelial cells and luminal microbiota have significant impact on host nutrition and health through the metabolism of dietary components. Amino acids, which are major nutrients for pigs, are not only obligatory for maintaining the intestinal mucosal mass and integrity, but also for supporting the growth of microorganisms in the gut. Dietary amino acids are the major fuel of the small intestinal mucosa. Particularly, glutamate, glutamine, and aspartate are the major oxidative fuel of the intestine. Emerging evidence shows that arginine activates the mTOR signaling pathway in the small intestine. Utilization of glycine by the small intestinal mucosa to synthesize glutathione is a very important physiological pathway, and the role of glycine as a powerful cytoprotectant has also been recognized. The major end products of methionine and cysteine metabolism are glutathione, homocysteine and taurine, which play important roles in the intestinal immune and anti-oxidative responses. Threonine is highly utilized by the gut and is particularly important for mucin synthesis and maintenance of gut barrier integrity. Moreover, either a deficiency or an excess of dietary threonine can reduce the synthesis of intestinal mucosal proteins and mucins in young pigs. Various new functions of amino acids on gut health and functions have been discovered in recent years. Thus, this review is to provide some up-to-date knowledge for industry application of dietary amino acids in order to enhance swine gut health and functions, and also it is to provide a comprehensive reference for further scientific research in this regard.
Merkel Cells Release Glutamate Following Mechanical Stimulation: Implication of Glutamate in the Merkel Cell-Neurite Complex

Merkel cells (MCs) have been proposed to form a part of the MC-neurite complex with sensory neurons through synaptic contact. However, the detailed mechanisms for intercellular communication between MCs and neurons have yet to be clarified. The present study examined the increases in intracellular free Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) induced by direct mechanical stimulation of MCs. We also measured [Ca2+]i in the trigeminal ganglion neurons (TGs) following direct mechanical stimulation to the MCs in an MC-TGs coculture. The MCs were isolated from hamster buccal mucosa, while TGs were isolated from neonatal Wistar rats. Both cell populations showed depolarization-induced [Ca2+]i. Direct mechanical stimulation to MCs increased [Ca2+]i, showing stimulation strength dependence. In the MC-TGs coculture, the application of direct mechanical stimulation to MCs resulted in increased [Ca2+]i in the TGs. These changes were significantly suppressed by antagonists of glutamate-permeable anion channels (4,4′-diisothiocyanato-2,2′-stilbenedisulfonic acid; DIDS), and non-competitive antagonist of the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors (MK801). Apyrase, an ATP-degrading enzyme, and suramin, a non-selective P2 purinergic receptor antagonist, did not exert inhibitory effects on these [Ca2+]i increases in the TGs following MC stimulation. These results indicated that MCs are capable of releasing glutamate, but not ATP, in response to cellular deformation by direct mechanical stimulation. The released glutamate activates the NMDA receptors on TGs. We suggest that MCs act as mechanoelectrical transducers and establish synaptic transmission with neurons, through the MC-neurite complex, to mediate mechanosensory transduction.