Benjamin Letham, Brian Karrer, Guilherme Ottoni, Eytan Bakshy.

Source: Bayesian Analysis, Volume 14, Number 2, 495--519.

Abstract:
Randomized experiments are the gold standard for evaluating the effects of changes to real-world systems. Data in these tests may be difficult to collect and outcomes may have high variance, resulting in potentially large measurement error. Bayesian optimization is a promising technique for efficiently optimizing multiple continuous parameters, but existing approaches degrade in performance when the noise level is high, limiting its applicability to many randomized experiments. We derive an expression for expected improvement under greedy batch optimization with noisy observations and noisy constraints, and develop a quasi-Monte Carlo approximation that allows it to be efficiently optimized. Simulations with synthetic functions show that optimization performance on noisy, constrained problems outperforms existing methods. We further demonstrate the effectiveness of the method with two real-world experiments conducted at Facebook: optimizing a ranking system, and optimizing server compiler flags.

Catherine Mankiw
May 24, 2017; 37:5221-5231
Development Plasticity Repair

Emeran A. Mayer
Nov 12, 2014; 34:15490-15496
Symposium

Steven Poser
Jun 1, 2003; 23:4420-4427
Cellular

Subhash Kulkarni
Oct 31, 2018; 38:9346-9354
Symposium and Mini-Symposium

Larry R. Squire
Oct 14, 2009; 29:12711-12716
40th Anniversary Retrospective

Adam J. Krause
Mar 20, 2019; 39:2291-2300
BehavioralSystemsCognitive

Barbara J. Weiland
Jan 28, 2015; 35:1505-1512
Neurobiology of Disease

Hedok Lee
Aug 5, 2015; 35:11034-11044
Neurobiology of Disease

Amanda Avona
May 29, 2019; 39:4323-4331
Systems/Circuits

John D. Cahoy
Jan 2, 2008; 28:264-278
Cellular

Christina Zelano
Dec 7, 2016; 36:12448-12467
Systems/Circuits

Christian Gaser
Oct 8, 2003; 23:9240-9245
BehavioralSystemsCognitive

Masaki Yamamoto
May 22, 2019; 39:4179-4192
Neurobiology of Disease

Gert Holstege
Oct 8, 2003; 23:9185-9193
BehavioralSystemsCognitive

Fiona Doetsch
Jul 1, 1997; 17:5046-5061
Articles

P Seguela
Feb 1, 1993; 13:596-604
Articles

John D. Cahoy
Jan 2, 2008; 28:264-278
Cellular

French translation of the press release about the Basel Committee publishing a discussion paper on "The regulatory treatment of sovereign exposures" (7 December 2017)

To determine whether Cav1.2 voltage-gated Ca²⁺ channels contribute to astrocyte activation, we generated an inducible conditional knock-out mouse in which the Cav1.2 α subunit was deleted in GFAP-positive astrocytes. This astrocytic Cav1.2 knock-out mouse was tested in the cuprizone model of myelin injury and repair which causes astrocyte and microglia activation in the absence of a lymphocytic response. Deletion of Cav1.2 channels in GFAP-positive astrocytes during cuprizone-induced demyelination leads to a significant reduction in the degree of astrocyte and microglia activation and proliferation in mice of either sex. Concomitantly, the production of proinflammatory factors such as TNFα, IL1β and TGFβ1 was significantly decreased in the corpus callosum and cortex of Cav1.2 knock-out mice through demyelination. Furthermore, this mild inflammatory environment promotes oligodendrocyte progenitor cells maturation and myelin regeneration across the remyelination phase of the cuprizone model. Similar results were found in animals treated with nimodipine, a Cav1.2 Ca²⁺ channel inhibitor with high affinity to the CNS. Mice of either sex injected with nimodipine during the demyelination stage of the cuprizone treatment displayed a reduced number of reactive astrocytes and showed a faster and more efficient brain remyelination. Together, these results indicate that Cav1.2 Ca²⁺ channels play a crucial role in the induction and proliferation of reactive astrocytes during demyelination; and that attenuation of astrocytic voltage-gated Ca²⁺ influx may be an effective therapy to reduce brain inflammation and promote myelin recovery in demyelinating diseases.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Reducing voltage-gated Ca²⁺ influx in astrocytes during brain demyelination significantly attenuates brain inflammation and astrocyte reactivity. Furthermore, these changes promote myelin restoration and oligodendrocyte maturation throughout remyelination.

For visually guided navigation, the use of environmental cues is essential. Particularly, detecting local boundaries that impose limits to locomotion and estimating their location is crucial. In a series of three fMRI experiments, we investigated whether there is a neural coding of navigational distance in the human visual cortex (both female and male). We used virtual reality software to systematically manipulate the distance from a viewer perspective to different types of a boundary. Using a multivoxel pattern classification employing a linear support vector machine, we found that the occipital place area (OPA) is sensitive to the navigational distance restricted by the transparent glass wall. Further, the OPA was sensitive to a non-crossable boundary only, suggesting an importance of the functional constraint of a boundary. Together, we propose the OPA as a perceptual source of external environmental features relevant for navigation.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT One of major goals in cognitive neuroscience has been to understand the nature of visual scene representation in human ventral visual cortex. An aspect of scene perception that has been overlooked despite its ecological importance is the analysis of space for navigation. One of critical computation necessary for navigation is coding of distance to environmental boundaries that impose limit on navigator's movements. This paper reports the first empirical evidence for coding of navigational distance in the human visual cortex and its striking sensitivity to functional constraint of environmental boundaries. Such finding links the paper to previous neurological and behavioral works that emphasized the distance to boundaries as a crucial geometric property for reorientation behavior of children and other animal species.

The USS Barb had an unusual target in its sights in 1945 - one that wasn't even in the water. It was a Japanese supply train on the island of Karafuto

Winds on WASP-76b blow gaseous iron into cooler regions, where it condenses and falls to the planet’s surface as liquid

The exact molecule behind the Minamata mercury disaster, caused by a chemical plant’s wastewater, remains a point of disagreement

Precious data points logged on paper are in dire need of a hero. Could it be you?

New research reveals the ancient symbiotic relationship behind geosmin, the chemical compound responsible for the scent of fresh rain

Researchers are attempting to teach eight dogs to detect the pandemic, which could help quickly screen large numbers of people in public places

Wood used to build the secret passageway came from a tree felled in 1874, according to a new analysis

A banded anole from the Amazon rainforest, these lizards live in the trees and rely on their excellent camouflage to stay safe.

Tucked away in southeastern Washington is an agricultural area with a unique topography. Known as the Palouse, this area is primarily noted for growing grains. This grain elevator located in Steptoe is one of the more popular subjects to photograph.

Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) have identified the person struck and killed by a train in Kenora on Wednesday as 18-year-old Tyrease Payash, of Kenora.

Provincial Police have a suspect in custody after a firearms incident Thursday morning at the hospital in the small northwestern Ontario community of Rainy River.

The Computer Emergency Response Team of Mauritius (CERT-MU) in collaboration with the Command and Control Centre of Kenya organised a 3-day training programme on Cyber Defense Monitoring and Forensics at Voilà Hotel, Bagatelle from the 27^th February – 1^st March 2018. The training course provided an introduction to Network Security Monitoring (NSM), Security Information and Events Management (SIEM), Malware Analysis and Digital Forensics. Major part of the course was hands-on case studies and analysis exercises using real world data. The main focus of the training programme was on intensive hands-on sessions on addressing key challenges faced by local organizations in all sectors/industries. A wide range of commercial and open source tools were used to equip cyber defenders with the necessary skills to anticipate, detect, respond and contain adversaries. The training programme was followed by 23 participants from the public and private sector. 


<span class="topsy_trackback_comment"><span class="topsy_twitter_username"><span class="topsy_trackback_content">Squeekville, model train amusement park, on display at Children's ...: Squeekville, model train amusement park, ... http://bit.ly/9x4oFS</span></span>

A protein shredder that occurs in cell membranes of brain cells apparently also indirectly regulates the fat metabolism.

A train killed 14 migrant workers who had fallen asleep on the track in India on Friday while they were heading back to their home village after losing their jobs amid the coronavirus lockdown, police said.

Terry Roggensack, The Hightower Report

Virginia McGathey, www.VirginiaMcGathey.com

Virginia McGathey, www.VirginiaMcGathey.com

Terry Roggensack, The Hightower Report

Virginia McGathey, www.VirginiaMcGathey.com

Terry Roggensack, The Hightower Report

Virginia McGathey, www.VirginiaMcGathey.com

Terry Roggensack, The Hightower Report

Virginia McGathey, www.VirginiaMcGathey.com

Terry Roggensack, The Hightower Report

Virginia McGathey, www.VirginiaMcGathey.com

Virginia McGathey, www.VirginiaMcGathey.com