A Hybrid Framework for Sequential Data Prediction with End-to-End Optimization

We investigate nonlinear prediction in an online setting and introduce a hybrid model that effectively mitigates, via an end-to-end architecture, the need for hand-designed features and manual model selection issues of conventional nonlinear prediction/regression methods. In particular, we use recursive structures to extract features from sequential signals, while preserving the state information, i.e., the history, and boosted decision trees to produce the final output. The connection is in an end-to-end fashion and we jointly optimize the whole architecture using stochastic gradient descent, for which we also provide the backward pass update equations. In particular, we employ a recurrent neural network (LSTM) for adaptive feature extraction from sequential data and a gradient boosting machinery (soft GBDT) for effective supervised regression. Our framework is generic so that one can use other deep learning architectures for feature extraction (such as RNNs and GRUs) and machine learning algorithms for decision making as long as they are differentiable. We demonstrate the learning behavior of our algorithm on synthetic data and the significant performance improvements over the conventional methods over various real life datasets. Furthermore, we openly share the source code of the proposed method to facilitate further research

Etudes on iurids, VI. Further revision of \u3ci\u3eCalchas\u3c/i\u3e Birula, 1899 (Scorpiones: Iuridae), with a description of a new genus and two new species.

Several new Calchas populations are studied from Turkey, including specimens from Hakkari Province, which borders the northern edge of Iraq. A new genus, Neocalchas, gen. nov., and two new species, Calchas anlasi, sp. nov. and C. kosswigi, sp. nov., are described. The two genera, Calchas and Neocalchas, are diagnosed by their hemispermatophore structure, chelal finger dentition, telson morphometrics and setation, and trichobothrial topology of the pedipalp chela. Genus Calchas Birula, 1899 includes four species: C. anlasi, sp. nov., C. birulai, C. kosswigi, sp. nov., and C. nordmanni; genus Neocalchas, gen. nov., includes one species, N. gruberi, comb. nov. New diagnoses for genera Calchas and Neocalchas are provided as well as a key to the species of Calchas

Etudes on iurids, III. Revision of the genus \u3cem\u3eIurus\u3c/em\u3e Thorell, 1876 (Scorpiones: Iuridae), with a description of two new species from Turkey

This revision is based on a comprehensive analysis of largely new, very extensive material encompassing 341 specimens (58 from Greece and 283 from Turkey). The type species Iurus dufoureius (Brullé, 1832) is restricted to Greece. Iurus asiaticus Birula, 1903 is confirmed as a distinct species, limited to eastern Anatolia. Most widespread in southern Turkey is another species, Iurus kraepelini von Ubisch, 1922, which is here restored from synonymy. We also describe two new species from Turkey: Iurus kadleci, sp. nov. from Antalya and Mersin Provinces (sympatric with I. kraepelini), and Iurus kinzelbachi, sp. nov. from İzmir and Aydın Provinces; therefore, fauna of Turkey includes four species of Iurus. Neotypes of I. dufoureius and I. kraepelini, and lectotype and paralectotypes of I. asiaticus are designated. Status of Iurus populations from the eastern Aegean islands of Greece (Fourni, Karpathos, Kasos, Rhodes, Samos, Saria) remains to be determined. A map of the distribution of Iurus is presented, based on 198 localities (79 in Greece and 119 in Turkey)

Turkish Accession and Defining the Boundaries of Nationalism and Supranationalism: Discourses in the European Commission

The European Union in general and the European Commission in particular are characterised by supranational governance. The enlargement policy gives the Commission the opportunity to export and promote supranational norms and define the boundaries of Europe as a supranational polity through the conditionality of membership and intensive contact with the candidate countries. This article analyses the discourses of the Commission on Turkey and gives us insights into how well Turkey fits the supranational model in the eyes of Commission officials. It demonstrates how the boundaries of supranationalism are set and even challenged by the prospects of Turkey’s accession