Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Challenge Paper: The Vision for Time Profiled Temporal Association Mining

Ecommerce has been the market disruptor in the modern world. Organizations have been focusing on mining enormous amounts of data to identify trends and extract crucial information from the voluminous data. Data is collected in databases and they are transactional in nature. Millions of transactions are collected in a temporal context. Also, organizations are transitioning towards NOSQL databases. The transactions are distributed into timeslots. Such a transaction data is called as timestamped temporal data. Along with the focus on mining the temporal data, extracting patterns, trends, and information, the implicit focus is also on building an efficient algorithm that is accurate with a reduction in the time taken, memory consumed, and computational efforts to scan the database. Temporal associations discovered from timestamped temporal datasets [1, 2] are known as time profiled temporal patterns. From application perspective, time profiled temporal
Vibra: neural adaptive streaming of VBR-encoded videos

Variable Bitrate (VBR) video encoding can provide much high quality-to-bits ratio compared to the widely adopted Constant Bitrate (CBR) encoding, and thus receives significant attentions by content providers in recent years. However, it is challenging to design efficient adaptive bitrate algorithms for VBR-encoded videos due to the sharply fluctuating chunk size and the resulting bitrate burstiness. In this paper, we propose a neural adaptive streaming framework called Vibra for VBR-encoded videos, which can well accommodate the high fluctuation of video chunk sizes and improve the quality-of-experience (QoE) of end users significantly. Our framework takes the characteristics of VBR-encoded videos into account, and adopts the technique of deep reinforcement learning to train a model for bitrate adaptation. We also conduct extensive trace-driven experiments, and the results show that Vibra outperforms the state-of-the-art ABR algorithms with an improvement of 8.17% -- 29.21% in terms of the average QoE.
Controlling a variable geometry truss tetrobot with an isomorphic puppet controller

Humans are skillful. By building a bio-inspired manipulable snake-like controller that can be molded into a wide variety of shapes, we allow a human controller to telepresently specify complex shapes and shape changes. We constructed a tetrahelix consisting of seven tetrahedra made of adjustable-length members connected via 3D printed Song-Kwon-Kim joints which allow manual changes to the shape of the controller. These changes in length are digitized and organized via an Arduino and transmitted to more powerful computers where they may specify a shape to be animated or control a robot of similar shape, or simply specify relative positions in Cartesian space. Using the controller it is easy to control an isomorphic, but larger, 7-tet tetrobot, touch a target with an end effector, and pick up a weight with a hook. The controller allowed gait design that would otherwise have been very tedious. Although this research is basic, we hope it will eventually amplify human control of in vivo mechanical devices such as endoscopes, search-and-rescue robots weaseling into tight spaces, or general purpose tetrobots used for planetary space exploration as suggested by Prof. Sanderson and his students 20 years ago.
Distributed Graph Processing System and Processing-in-memory Architecture with Precise Loop-carried Dependency Guarantee

To hide the complexity of the underlying system, graph processing frameworks ask programmers to specify graph computations in user-defined functions (UDFs) of graph-oriented programming model. Due to the nature of distributed execution, current frameworks cannot precisely enforce the semantics of UDFs, leading to unnecessary computation and communication. It exemplifies a gap between programming model and runtime execution. This article proposes novel graph processing frameworks for distributed system and Processing-in-memory (PIM) architecture that precisely enforces loop-carried dependency; i.e., when a condition is satisfied by a neighbor, all following neighbors can be skipped. Our approach instruments the UDFs to express the loop-carried dependency, then the distributed execution framework enforces the precise semantics by performing dependency propagation dynamically. Enforcing loop-carried dependency requires the sequential processing of the neighbors of each vertex distributed in different nodes. We propose to circulant scheduling in the framework to allow different nodes to process disjoint sets of edges/vertices in parallel while satisfying the sequential requirement. The technique achieves an excellent trade-off between precise semantics and parallelism—the benefits of eliminating unnecessary computation and communication offset the reduced parallelism. We implement a new distributed graph processing framework SympleGraph, and two variants of runtime systems—GraphS and GraphSR—for PIM-based graph processing architecture, which significantly outperform the state-of-the-art.
Anatomical impact and notes on viviparous development related to infestation by neotenic females of Stylops advarians (Strepsiptera: Stylopidae) on adult female Andrena milwaukeensis (Hymenoptera: Andrenidae)

Abstract Stylops advarians Pierce (Strepsiptera: Stylopidae) is a prevalent parasite of adult Andrena milwaukeensis Graenicher (Hymenoptera: Andrenidae) in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. By dissecting adult bees and examining histological sections, we sought to determine how neotenic females of S. advarians impact female hosts of A. milwaukeensis anatomically. Adult bees with 1–3 females of S. advarians within their gasters were compared to nonstylopised bees (control). The presence of a single female parasite inhibited development of the host’s ovaries. The bee’s foregut shifted laterally when one parasite occupied the gaster and ventrally when two or three were present, thereby reducing the crop’s expandable capacity and the amount of nectar and pollen that stylopised bees can ingest. The midgut and hindgut were less significantly affected by stylopisation. Female parasites typically occupied the host’s gaster dorsolaterally, where each was supported by one of the host’s air sacs. If a third female parasite was present, she resided dorsally along the midline of the host’s gaster, mostly supported by the two female parasites to either side. Asynchronous development within neotenic female parasites was demonstrated, wherein mature first-instar larvae occupied the cephalothorax and abdomen at the same time that the adult female was still supporting multiple embryos.
Benefits of Open Architecture and Multi-Management in Real Estate Markets—Evidence from French Nonlisted Investment Trusts

Using a unique dataset of Sociétés Civiles de Placement Immobilier (SCPIs), the authors provide evidence that the French nonlisted real estate investment funds market exhibits a substantial level of dispersion in risk and return characteristics. The authors find several attributes to have meaningful explanatory power with respect to such differences in risk and performance. They also find that portfolios of nonlisted real estate investment funds exhibit a substantially lower level of volatility than the average fund in the panel and that 15 SCPIs are enough to capture over 90% of these diversification benefits. Taken together, these results suggest that substantial value can be added by selection and allocation decisions, which could form the basis for a welfare-enhancing open architecture multi-management approach to investment in unlisted real estate investment trusts. TOPICS: Real estate, developed markets, portfolio construction, performance measurement Key Findings ▪ Open architecture and multi-management are untapped sources of added value in the French unlisted real estate fund market. ▪ Through suitable selection and diversification decisions, investors in French real estate funds can achieve substantially higher risk-adjusted performance. ▪ These insights can be of potential relevance for other unlisted real estate investment trust markets.
A universal probabilistic spike count model reveals ongoing modulation of neural variability

Neural responses are variable: even under identical experimental conditions, single neuron and population responses typically differ from trial to trial and across time. Recent work has demonstrated that this variability has predictable structure, can be modulated by sensory input and behaviour, and bears critical signatures of the underlying network dynamics and computations. However, current methods for characterising neural variability are primarily geared towards sensory coding in the laboratory: they require trials with repeatable experimental stimuli and behavioural covariates. In addition, they make strong assumptions about the parametric form of variability, rely on assumption-free but data-inefficient histogram-based approaches, or are altogether ill-suited for capturing variability modulation by covariates. Here we present a universal probabilistic spike count model that eliminates these shortcomings. Our method builds on sparse Gaussian processes and can model arbitrary spike count distributions (SCDs) with flexible dependence on observed as well as latent covariates, using scalable variational inference to jointly infer the covariate-to-SCD mappings and latent trajectories in a data efficient way. Without requiring repeatable trials, it can flexibly capture covariate-dependent joint SCDs, and provide interpretable latent causes underlying the statistical dependencies between neurons. We apply the model to recordings from a canonical non-sensory neural population: head direction cells in the mouse. We find that variability in these cells defies a simple parametric relationship with mean spike count as assumed in standard models, its modulation by external covariates can be comparably strong to that of the mean firing rate, and slow low-dimensional latent factors explain away neural correlations. Our approach paves the way to understanding the mechanisms and computations underlying neural variability under naturalistic conditions, beyond the realm of sensory coding with repeatable stimuli.
Residual errors in visuomotor adaptation persist despite extended motor preparation periods

A consistent finding in sensorimotor adaptation is a persistent undershoot of full compensation, such that performance asymptotes with residual errors greater than seen at baseline. This behaviour has been attributed to limiting factors within the implicit adaptation system, which reaches a sub-optimal equilibrium between trial-by-trial learning and forgetting. However, recent research has suggested that allowing longer motor planning periods prior to movement eliminates these residual errors. The additional planning time allows required cognitive processes to be completed before movement onset, thus increasing accuracy. Here we looked to extend these findings by investigating the relationship between increased motor preparation time and the size of imposed visuomotor rotation (30°, 45° or 60°), with regards to the final asymptotic level of adaptation. We found that restricting preparation time to 0.35 seconds impaired adaptation for moderate and larger rotations, resulting in larger residual errors compared to groups with additional preparation time. However, we found that even extended preparation time failed to eliminate persistent errors, regardless of magnitude of cursor rotation. Thus, the asymptote of adaptation was significantly less than the degree of imposed rotation, for all experimental groups. Additionally, there was a positive relationship between asymptotic error and implicit retention. These data suggest that a prolonged motor preparation period is insufficient to reliably achieve complete adaptation and therefore our results provide support for the proposal that limitations within the implicit learning system contributes to asymptotic adaptation levels. New & Noteworthy Residual errors in sensorimotor adaptation are commonly attributed to an equilibrium between trial-by-trial learning and forgetting. Recent research suggested that allowing sufficient time for mental rotation eliminates these errors. In a number of experimental conditions, we show that while restricted motor preparation time does limit adaptation - consistent with mental rotation - extending preparation time fails to eliminate the residual errors in motor adaptation.
An experimental test of the effects of redacting grant applicant identifiers on peer review outcomes

Blinding reviewers to applicant identity has been proposed to reduce bias in peer review. This experimental test used 1200 NIH grant applications, 400 from Black investigators, 400 matched applications from White investigators, and 400 randomly selected applications from White investigators. Applications were reviewed by mail in standard and redacted formats. Redaction reduced, but did not eliminate, reviewers’ ability to correctly guess features of identity. The primary, pre-registered analysis hypothesized a differential effect of redaction according to investigator race in the matched applications. A set of secondary analyses (not pre-registered) used the randomly selected applications from White scientists and tested the same interaction. Both analyses revealed similar effects: Standard format applications from White investigators scored better than those from Black investigators; redaction reduced the size of the difference by about half (e.g. from a Cohen’s d of 0.20 to 0.10 in matched applications); redaction caused applications from White scientists to score worse but had no effect on scores for Black applications. The primary statistical test of the study hypothesis was not significant; the secondary analysis was significant. The findings support further evaluation of peer review models that diminish the influence of applicant identity.
Effects of melamine or urea-formaldehyde or their mixture on performance in laying hens

An experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of melamine or urea-formaldehyde or their mixture on performance in laying hens (19-34 wk of age). Three hundred and twelve ISA Brown laying hens were allocated into thirteen dietary treatments, with four replications and with six hens each were fed with feeding trial for 112 d (4 x 28 d period). The diets were formulated to contain four graded levels (0.25, 0.50, 0.75 and 1.00%) of melamine or urea-formaldehyde (UF) or an equal mixture of both and also with no added for negative control. There were no significant effects on feed intake and survival rate (P>0.05) among each group. Egg production (EP), egg weight (EW), egg mass (EM) and number of egg were decreased (P<0.05), with the greatest decrease in hens fed 1.00% melamine. EP, EW, EM and number of egg decreased linearly (P<0.05) with increasing levels of dietary melamine or UF or their mixture. Hens that are fed on three products were less efficient (P<0.05) in feed conversion ratio compared with the controls. These results indicated that dietary melamine or UF or an equal mixture of both when fed at the level of > 0.75% depressed egg performance in laying hens. 1Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand 1ภาควิชาสัตวศาสตร คณะเกษตรศาสตร มหาวิทยาลัยขอนแก น ขอนแก น 40002 2 Department of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine. Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand 2ภาควิชาอายุรศาสตร คณะสัตวแพทยศาสตร มหาวิทยาลัยขอนแกน ขอนแกน 40002 KHON KAEN AGR. J. 39 SUPPLMENT : 10-16 (2011). แก่นเกษตร 39 ฉบับพิเศษ : 10-16 (2554). ผลของก� เสริมเมล�มีนหรือยูเรียฟอร์ม�ลดีไฮด์หรือส่วนผสมของทั้งสองชนิดต่อ สมรรถนะก�รผลิตในไก่ไข่ Srisuda Sirilaophaisan Jowaman Khajarern and Bundit Tengjarernkul ศรีสุด� ศิริเหล่�ไพศ�ล เย�วม�ลย์ ค้�เจริญ และ บัณฑิตย์ เต็งเจริญกุล KHON KAEN AGR. J. 39 SUPPLMENT : 10-16 (2011). 11
Novel Bathymetry of Lake Afdera Reveals Fault Structures and Volcano-Tectonic Features of an Incipient Transform Zone (Afar, Ethiopia)

Lake Afdera is a hypersaline endorheic lake situated at 112 m below sea-level in the Danakil Depression. The Danakil Depression is located in the northern part of the Ethiopian Afar and features an advanced stage of continental rifting. The remoteness and inhospitable environment explain the limited scientific research and knowledge about this lake. Bathymetric data were acquired during 2 weeks expeditions in January/February 2016 and 2017 using an easily deployable echosounder system mounted on an inflatable motorized boat. This study presents the first complete bathymetric map of the lake Afdera. Bathymetric results show that the lake has an average depth of 20.9 m and a total volume of 2.4 km3. The maximum measured depth is 80 m, making Lake Afdera the deepest known lake in Afar and the lowest elevation of the Danakil Depression. Comparison with historical reports shows that the lake level did not fluctuate significantly during the last 50 years. Two distinct tectonic basins to the north and the south are recognized. Faults of different orientations control the morphology of the northern basin. In contrast, the southern basin is affected by volcano-tectonic processes, unveiling a large submerged caldera. Comparison between the orientation of faults throughout the lake with the regional fault pattern indicates that the lake is part of two transfer zones: the major Alayta–Afdera Transfer Zone and the smaller Erta Ale–Tat’Ali Transfer Zone. The interaction between these Transfer Zones and the rift axis forms the equivalent of a developing nodal basin which explains the lake’s position as the deepest point of the depression. This study provides evidence for the development of an incipient transform fault on the floor of the Afar depression.
Long Chain Fatty Acids as Modulators of Immune Cells Function: Contribution of FFA1 and FFA4 Receptors

Long-chain fatty acids are molecules that act as metabolic intermediates and constituents of membranes; however, their novel role as signaling molecules in immune function has also been demonstrated. The presence of free fatty acid (FFA) receptors on immune cells has contributed to the understanding of this new role of long-chain fatty acids (LCFAs) in immune function, showing their role as anti-inflammatory or pro-inflammatory molecules and elucidating their intracellular mechanisms. The FFA1 and FFA4 receptors, also known as GPR40 and GPR120, respectively, have been described in macrophages and neutrophils, two key cells mediating innate immune response. Ligands of the FFA1 and FFA4 receptors induce the release of a myriad of cytokines through well-defined intracellular signaling pathways. In this review, we discuss the cellular responses and intracellular mechanisms activated by LCFAs, such as oleic acid, linoleic acid, palmitic acid, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), in T-cells, macrophages, and neutrophils, as well as the role of the FFA1 and FFA4 receptors in immune cells.
Prevalence and Risk Factors Associated With Antimicrobial Resistance in Bacteria Related to Bovine Respiratory Disease—A Broad Cross-Sectional Study of Beef Cattle at Entry Into Canadian Feedlots

A broad, cross-sectional study of beef cattle at entry into Canadian feedlots investigated the prevalence and epidemiology of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in Mannheimia haemolytica, Pasteurella multocida, Histophilus somni, and Mycoplasma bovis, bacterial members of the bovine respiratory disease (BRD) complex. Upon feedlot arrival and before antimicrobials were administered at the feedlot, deep nasopharyngeal swabs were collected from 2,824 feedlot cattle in southern and central Alberta, Canada. Data on the date of feedlot arrival, cattle type (beef, dairy), sex (heifer, bull, steer), weight (kg), age class (calf, yearling), source (ranch direct, auction barn, backgrounding operations), risk of developing BRD (high, low), and weather conditions at arrival (temperature, precipitation, and estimated wind speed) were obtained. Mannheimia haemolytica, P. multocida, and H. somni isolates with multidrug-resistant (MDR) profiles associated with the presence of integrative and conjugative elements were isolated more often from dairy-type than from beef-type cattle. Our results showed that beef-type cattle from backgrounding operations presented higher odds of AMR bacteria as compared to auction-derived calves. Oxytetracycline resistance was the most frequently observed resistance across all Pasteurellaceae species and cattle types. Mycoplasma bovis exhibited high macrolide minimum inhibitory concentrations in both cattle types. Whether these MDR isolates establish and persist within the feedlot environment, requires further evaluation.
The Molecular Basis of Depression: Implications of Sex-Related Differences in Epigenetic Regulation

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a leading cause of disability worldwide. Although the etiology and pathophysiology of MDD remain poorly understood, aberrant neuroplasticity mediated by the epigenetic dysregulation of gene expression within the brain, which may occur due to genetic and environmental factors, may increase the risk of this disorder. Evidence has also been reported for sex-related differences in the pathophysiology of MDD, with female patients showing a greater severity of symptoms, higher degree of functional impairment, and more atypical depressive symptoms. Males and females also differ in their responsiveness to antidepressants. These clinical findings suggest that sex-dependent molecular and neural mechanisms may underlie the development of depression and the actions of antidepressant medications. This review discusses recent advances regarding the role of epigenetics in stress and depression. The first section presents a brief introduction of the basic mechanisms of epigenetic regulation, including histone modifications, DNA methylation, and non-coding RNAs. The second section reviews their contributions to neural plasticity, the risk of depression, and resilience against depression, with a particular focus on epigenetic modulators that have causal relationships with stress and depression in both clinical and animal studies. The third section highlights studies exploring sex-dependent epigenetic alterations associated with susceptibility to stress and depression. Finally, we discuss future directions to understand the etiology and pathophysiology of MDD, which would contribute to optimized and personalized therapy.
Structures of Pathological and Functional Amyloids and Prions, a Solid-State NMR Perspective

Infectious proteins or prions are a remarkable class of pathogens, where pathogenicity and infectious state correspond to conformational transition of a protein fold. The conformational change translates into the formation by the protein of insoluble amyloid aggregates, associated in humans with various neurodegenerative disorders and systemic protein-deposition diseases. The prion principle, however, is not limited to pathogenicity. While pathological amyloids (and prions) emerge from protein misfolding, a class of functional amyloids has been defined, consisting of amyloid-forming domains under natural selection and with diverse biological roles. Although of great importance, prion amyloid structures remain challenging for conventional structural biology techniques. Solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (SSNMR) has been preferentially used to investigate these insoluble, morphologically heterogeneous aggregates with poor crystallinity. SSNMR methods have yielded a wealth of knowledge regarding the fundamentals of prion biology and have helped to solve the structures of several prion and prion-like fibrils. Here, we will review pathological and functional amyloid structures and will discuss some of the obtained structural models. We will finish the review with a perspective on integrative approaches combining solid-state NMR, electron paramagnetic resonance and cryo-electron microscopy, which can complement and extend our toolkit to structurally explore various facets of prion biology.