Learning and Communications Co-Design for Remote Inference Systems: Feature Length Selection and Transmission Scheduling

In this paper, we consider a remote inference system, where a neural network is used to infer a time-varying target (e.g., robot movement), based on features (e.g., video clips) that are progressively received from a sensing node (e.g., a camera). Each feature is a temporal sequence of sensory data. The learning performance of the system is determined by (i) the timeliness and (ii) the temporal sequence length of the features, where we use Age of Information (AoI) as a metric for timeliness. While a longer feature can typically provide better learning performance, it often requires more channel resources for sending the feature. To minimize the time-averaged inference error, we study a learning and communication co-design problem that jointly optimizes feature length selection and transmission scheduling. When there is a single sensor-predictor pair and a single channel, we develop low-complexity optimal co-designs for both the cases of time-invariant and time-variant feature length. When there are multiple sensor-predictor pairs and multiple channels, the co-design problem becomes a restless multi-arm multi-action bandit problem that is PSPACE-hard. For this setting, we design a low-complexity algorithm to solve the problem. Trace-driven evaluations suggest that the proposed co-designs can significantly reduce the time-averaged inference error of remote inference systems.Comment: 41 pages, 8 figures. The manuscript has been submitted to IEEE Journal on Selected Areas in Information Theor

Application of PBL pedagogy based on virtual reality technology in the teaching of sports anatomy

Purposes To explore the teaching effect and value of virtual reality technology combined with PBL teaching method applied to sports anatomy. Procedures 119 undergraduate students majoring in physical education of Xianyang Normal University were selected as research objects. Randomly divided into experimental group (N=59) and control group (N=60). Methods The experimental group used virtual reality technology combined with PBL teaching method, and the control group used traditional teaching method to teach. At the end of the course, the test scores of the two groups and the evaluation results of self-learning effect were statistically analyzed. Results the test scores of the students in the experimental group were significantly higher than those in the control group (P<0.05); Most of the items in which the experimental students self-evaluated the learning effectiveness were also superior to the control group (P< 0.05), and the difference was statistically significant. Conclusions VR technology combined with PBL teaching method can improve academic performance, enhance students’ learning interest and independent learning ability, and cultivate students’ ability to find and solve problems. It is a teaching method worth promoting

Monitoring In-Home Emergency Situation and Preserve Privacy using Multi-modal Sensing and Deep Learning

Videos and images are commonly used in home monitoring systems. However, detecting emergencies in-home while preserving privacy is a challenging task concerning Human Activity Recognition (HAR). In recent years, HAR combined with deep learning has drawn much attention from the general public. Besides that, relying entirely on a single sensor modal-ity is not promising. In this paper, depth images and radar presence data were used to investigate if such sensor data can tackle the challenge of a system's ability to detect abnormal and normal situations while preserving privacy. The recurrence plots and wavelet transformations were used to make a two-dimensional representation of the presence radar data. Moreover, we fused data from both sensors using data-level, feature-level, and decision-level fusions. The decision-level fusion showed its superiority over the other two techniques. For the decision-level fusion, a combination of the depth images and presence data recurrence plots trained first on convolutional neural networks (CNN). The output was fed into support vector machines, which yielded the best accuracy of 99.98%.acceptedVersio

Internet gaming as a coping method among schizophrenic patients facing psychological distress

Background and aims: Patients with schizophrenia are known to use potentially addictive psychoactive substances as self-medication and to ease psychological distress. Other potentially addictive behaviors such as online gaming are also used to self-medicate and ease psychological distress. However, the role of online gaming and problematic gaming (in the form of internet gaming disorder [IGD]) has not previously been investigated for patients with schizophrenia facing distress. Methods: One hundred and four participants diagnosed with schizophrenia were recruited and completed a number of psychometric scales including the Personal and Social Performance Scale (PSPS), Internet Gaming Disorder Scale-Short Form (IGDS-SF9), Self-Stigma Scale-Short (SSS-S), and Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scale (DASS-21). Results: The results showed significant negative associations between PSPS, IGDS-SF9, and DASS-21, and significant positive correlations between the IGDS-SF-9, SSS-S and DASS-21. Moreover, IGD did not mediate the association between self-stigma and depression. However, IGD significantly mediated the association between self-stigma and anxiety, and the association between self-stigma and stress. In addition, (i) age and self-stigma were significant predictors for IGD; (ii) social function and self-stigma were significant predictors for depression; (iii) social function, self-stigma, and IGD were significant predictors for anxiety; and (iv) self-stigma and IGD were significant predictors for stress. Conclusion: The findings suggest that online gaming may be a coping strategy for individuals with schizophrenia with psychological stress and self-stigma and that for some of these individuals, their gaming may be problematic

Topoisomerase II beta interacts with cohesin and CTCF at topological domain borders

BACKGROUND: Type II DNA topoisomerases (TOP2) regulate DNA topology by generating transient double stranded breaks during replication and transcription. Topoisomerase II beta (TOP2B) facilitates rapid gene expression and functions at the later stages of development and differentiation. To gain new insight into the genome biology of TOP2B, we used proteomics (BioID), chromatin immunoprecipitation, and high-throughput chromosome conformation capture (Hi-C) to identify novel proximal TOP2B protein interactions and characterize the genomic landscape of TOP2B binding at base pair resolution. RESULTS: Our human TOP2B proximal protein interaction network included members of the cohesin complex and nucleolar proteins associated with rDNA biology. TOP2B associates with DNase I hypersensitivity sites, allele-specific transcription factor (TF) binding, and evolutionarily conserved TF binding sites on the mouse genome. Approximately half of all CTCF/cohesion-bound regions coincided with TOP2B binding. Base pair resolution ChIP-exo mapping of TOP2B, CTCF, and cohesin sites revealed a striking structural ordering of these proteins along the genome relative to the CTCF motif. These ordered TOP2B-CTCF-cohesin sites flank the boundaries of topologically associating domains (TADs) with TOP2B positioned externally and cohesin internally to the domain loop. CONCLUSIONS: TOP2B is positioned to solve topological problems at diverse cis-regulatory elements and its occupancy is a highly ordered and prevalent feature of CTCF/cohesin binding sites that flank TADs

Validity, reliability, and cross-validation of a new questionnaire developed using the Theory of Planned Behavior: the dating violence bystander help-giving intention questionnaire (DVBHIQ)

The present study aimed to develop and psychometrically test a scale by using the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) comprising two types of measurement (direct and belief-based [indirect]) to assess bystander help-giving intention to victims of dating violence among youth. A two-phase, mixed-method design was adopted. The primary source of the samples was five universities, each in the northern, central, southern, eastern, and outer islands regions of Taiwan. Phase I involved developing an instrument based on the TPB (n = 10) and pilot testing (n = 220). Phase II conducted the psychometric evaluation (n = 622). The study used item analysis, explanatory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, internal consistency, and cross-validation to examine the psychometric properties of the Dating Violence Bystander Help-giving Intention Questionnaire (DVBHIQ) with two types of measure (direct and belief-based). Explanatory factor analysis resulted in a four-factor solution (attitude/behavioral beliefs, subjective norms/normative beliefs, perceived behavioral control/control belief, and intention) of the direct and belief-based measures of the DVBHIQ, accounting for 72.67% and 76.62% of total variance respectively. Confirmatory factor analysis and cross‐validation confirmed the proposed four-factor model and demonstrated good internal consistency reliability. The two types of DVBHIQ had good validity, reliability, and measurement invariance which may help address the core cognitive determinants for bystander help-giving intention. Healthcare providers (e.g., school nurses) could use the DVBHIQ to evaluate how bystander education programs affect youth and conduct related research in the future

Diabetes causes marked inhibition of mitochondrial metabolism in pancreatic β-cells

Diabetes is a global health problem caused primarily by the inability of pancreatic β-cells to secrete adequate levels of insulin. The molecular mechanisms underlying the progressive failure of β-cells to respond to glucose in type-2 diabetes remain unresolved. Using a combination of transcriptomics and proteomics, we find significant dysregulation of major metabolic pathways in islets of diabetic βV59M mice, a non-obese, eulipidaemic diabetes model. Multiple genes/proteins involved in glycolysis/gluconeogenesis are upregulated, whereas those involved in oxidative phosphorylation are downregulated. In isolated islets, glucose-induced increases in NADH and ATP are impaired and both oxidative and glycolytic glucose metabolism are reduced. INS-1 β-cells cultured chronically at high glucose show similar changes in protein expression and reduced glucose-stimulated oxygen consumption: targeted metabolomics reveals impaired metabolism. These data indicate hyperglycaemia induces metabolic changes in β-cells that markedly reduce mitochondrial metabolism and ATP synthesis. We propose this underlies the progressive failure of β-cells in diabetes.Peer reviewe

Comparative analysis of the lambda-interferons IL-28A and IL-29 regarding their transcriptome and their antiviral properties against hepatitis C virus.

Specific differences in signaling and antiviral properties between the different Lambda-interferons, a novel group of interferons composed of IL-28A, IL-28B and IL-29, are currently unknown. This is the first study comparatively investigating the transcriptome and the antiviral properties of the Lambda-interferons IL-28A and IL-29. Expression studies were performed by microarray analysis, quantitative PCR (qPCR), reporter gene assays and immunoluminometric assays. Signaling was analyzed by Western blot. HCV replication was measured in Huh-7 cells expressing subgenomic HCV replicon. All hepatic cell lines investigated as well as primary hepatocytes expressed both IFN-λ receptor subunits IL-10R2 and IFN-λR1. Both, IL-28A and IL-29 activated STAT1 signaling. As revealed by microarray analysis, similar genes were induced by both cytokines in Huh-7 cells (IL-28A: 117 genes; IL-29: 111 genes), many of them playing a role in antiviral immunity. However, only IL-28A was able to significantly down-regulate gene expression (n = 272 down-regulated genes). Both cytokines significantly decreased HCV replication in Huh-7 cells. In comparison to liver biopsies of patients with non-viral liver disease, liver biopsies of patients with HCV showed significantly increased mRNA expression of IL-28A and IL-29. Moreover, IL-28A serum protein levels were elevated in HCV patients. In a murine model of viral hepatitis, IL-28 expression was significantly increased. IL-28A and IL-29 are up-regulated in HCV patients and are similarly effective in inducing antiviral genes and inhibiting HCV replication. In contrast to IL-29, IL-28A is a potent gene repressor. Both IFN-λs may have therapeutic potential in the treatment of chronic HCV