LLukas22/scidocs huggingface dataset:
Multimodal Unsupervised Image-to-Image Translation

Unsupervised image-to-image translation is an important and challenging problem in computer vision. Given an image in the source domain, the goal is to learn the conditional distribution of corresponding images in the target domain, without seeing any examples of corresponding image pairs. While this conditional distribution is inherently multimodal, existing approaches make an overly simplified assumption, modeling it as a deterministic one-to-one mapping. As a result, they fail to generate diverse outputs from a given source domain image. To address this limitation, we propose a Multimodal Unsupervised Image-to-image Translation (MUNIT) framework. We assume that the image representation can be decomposed into a content code that is domain-invariant, and a style code that captures domain-specific properties. To translate an image to another domain, we recombine its content code with a random style code sampled from the style space of the target domain. We analyze the proposed framework and establish several theoretical results. Extensive experiments with comparisons to state-of-the-art approaches further demonstrate the advantage of the proposed framework. Moreover, our framework allows users to control the style of translation outputs by providing an example style image. Code and pretrained models are available at https://github.com/nvlabs/MUNIT.
Measuring and modeling varia-tion in the risk-return tradeoff

Are excess stock market returns predictable over time and, if so, at what horizons and with which economic indicators? Can stock return predictability be explained by changes in stock market volatility? How does the mean return per unit risk change over time? This chapter reviews what is known about the time-series evolution of the risk-return tradeoff for stock market investment, and presents some new empirical evidence using a proxy for the log consumption-aggregate wealth ratio as a predictor of both the mean and volatility of excess stock market returns. We characterize the risk-return tradeoff as the conditional expected excess return on a broad stock market index divided by its conditional standard deviation, a quantity commonly known as the Sharpe ratio. Our own investigation suggests that variation in the equity riskpremium is strongly negatively linked to variation in market volatility, at odds with leading asset pricing models. Since the conditional volatility and conditional mean move in opposite directions, the degree of countercyclicality in the Sharpe ratio that we document here is far more dramatic than that produced by existing equilibrium models of financial market behavior, which completely miss the sheer magnitude of variation in the price of stock market risk; leading asset pricing paradigms leave a “Sharpe ratio volatility puzzleÔ that remains to be explained.
Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation Compared With Surgical Aortic Valve Replacement in Low-Risk Patients.

BACKGROUND
The proven efficacy of transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) in high-risk patients is leading to the expansion of its indications toward lower-risk patients. However, this shift is not supported by meaningful evidence of its benefit over surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR). This analysis aims to describe outcomes of TAVI versus SAVR in low-risk patients.


METHODS AND RESULTS
We compared the outcome after TAVI and SAVR of low-risk patients (European System for Cardiac Operative Risk Evaluation II [EuroSCORE II] <4%) included in the Observational Study of Effectiveness of SAVR-TAVI Procedures for Severe Aortic Stenosis Treatment (OBSERVANT) study. The primary outcome was 3-year survival. Secondary outcomes were early events and major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events at 3 years. Propensity score matching resulted in 355 pairs of patients with similar baseline characteristics. Thirty-day survival was 97.1% after SAVR and 97.4% after TAVI (P=0.82). Cardiac tamponade, permanent pacemaker implantation, major vascular damage, and moderate-to-severe paravalvular regurgitation were significantly more frequent after TAVI compared with SAVR. Stroke rates were equal in the study groups. SAVR was associated with higher risk of cardiogenic shock, severe bleeding, and acute kidney injury. At 3 years, survival was 83.4% after SAVR and 72.0% after TAVI (P=0.0015), whereas freedom from major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events was 80.9% after SAVR and 67.3% after TAVI (P<0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
In patients with low operative risk, significantly better 3-year survival and freedom from major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events were observed after SAVR compared with TAVI. Further studies on new-generation valve prostheses are necessary before expanding indications of TAVI toward lower-risk patients.
Effects of liraglutide on neurodegeneration, blood flow and cognition in Alzheimer´s disease - protocol for a controlled, randomized double-blinded trial.

INTRODUCTION
Type 2 diabetes (DM-2) increases the risk of developing Alzheimer´s disease (AD), and patients with AD are more likely to develop DM-2. DM-2 and AD share some pathophysiological features. In AD, amyloid-β (Aβ) is accumulated as extracellular plaques in the gray matter of the brain, while in DM-2 islet amyloid polypeptide (IAPP) is accumulated in the pancreas. Premature cellular degeneration is seen in both diseases. Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) reduces the amount of Aβ and improves cognition in animal studies. The present study tests the hypothesis that treatment with the long-acting GLP-1 receptor agonist liraglutide affects the accumulation of Aβ in patients with AD.


MATERIAL AND METHODS
This is a randomized, controlled, double-blinded intervention study with AD patients treated for six months with liraglutide (n = 20) or placebo (n = 20). The primary outcome is change in deposition of Aβ in the central nervous system (CNS) by Pittsburgh compound B positron emission tomography (PET). The secondary outcome is evaluation of cognition using a neuro-psychological test battery, and examination of changes in glucose uptake in the CNS by 18F-fluoro-deoxy-glucose PET. Finally, a perfusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging with contrast will be performed to evaluate blood flow.


CONCLUSION
No registered drug affects the deposition of Aβ in the brain of AD patients. Our goal is to find a new therapeutic agent that alters the pathophysiology in AD patients by decreasing the formation of Aβ plaques and thereby presumably improves the cognitive function.


FUNDING
The trial is investigator-initiated and investigator-driven and is supported by Novo Nordisk Scandinavia.


TRIAL REGISTRATION
ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01469351.
Adult haematopoietic stem cell niches

Stem cell niches are specialized microenvironments that promote the maintenance of stem cells and regulate their function. Recent advances have improved our understanding of the niches that maintain adult haematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). These advances include new markers for HSCs and niche cells, systematic analyses of the expression patterns of niche factors, genetic tools for functionally identifying niche cells in vivo, and improved imaging techniques. Together, they have shown that HSC niches are perivascular in the bone marrow and spleen. Endothelial cells and mesenchymal stromal cells secrete factors that promote HSC maintenance in these niches, but other cell types also directly or indirectly regulate HSC niches.
The mental health workforce gap in low- and middle-income countries: a needs-based approach.

OBJECTIVE
To estimate the shortage of mental health professionals in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).


METHODS
We used data from the World Health Organization's Assessment Instrument for Mental Health Systems (WHO-AIMS) from 58 LMICs, country-specific information on the burden of various mental disorders and a hypothetical core service delivery package to estimate how many psychiatrists, nurses and psychosocial care providers would be needed to provide mental health care to the total population of the countries studied. We focused on the following eight problems, to which WHO has attached priority: depression, schizophrenia, psychoses other than schizophrenia, suicide, epilepsy, dementia, disorders related to the use of alcohol and illicit drugs, and paediatric mental disorders.


FINDINGS
All low-income countries and 59% of the middle-income countries in our sample were found to have far fewer professionals than they need to deliver a core set of mental health interventions. The 58 LMICs sampled would need to increase their total mental health workforce by 239,000 full-time equivalent professionals to address the current shortage.


CONCLUSION
Country-specific policies are needed to overcome the large shortage of mental health-care staff and services throughout LMICs.
Refrigerant Flow Boiling Heat Transfer in Parallel Microchannels as a Function of Local Vapor Quality

Flow boiling of refrigerant HFC-134a in a multi-microchannel copper cold plate evaporator is investigated. The heat transfer coefficient is measured locally for the entire range of vapor qualities starting from subcooled liquid to superheated vapor. The test piece contains 17 parallel, rectangular microchannels (0.762 mm wide) of hydraulic diameter 1.09 mm and aspect ratio 2.5. The design of the test facility is validated by a robust energy balance as well as a comparison of single phase heat transfer coefficients with results from the literature. Results are presented for four different mass fluxes of 20.3, 40.5, 60.8, and 81.0 kg m s, which correspond to refrigerant mass flow rates of 0.5 to 2.0 g s, and at three different pressures 400, 550 and 750 kPa corresponding to saturation temperatures of 8.9, 18.7, and 29°C. The wall heat flux varies from 0 to 20 W/cm in the experiments. The heat transfer coefficient is found to vary significantly with refrigerant inlet quality and mass flow rate, but only slightly with saturation pressure for the range of values investigated. The peak heat transfer coefficient is observed for a vapor quality of approximately 20%.
An adaptive multilevel wavelet collocation method for elliptic problems

An adaptive multilevel wavelet collocation method for solving multi-dimensional elliptic problems with localized structures is described. The method is based on multi-dimensional second generation wavelets, and is an extension of the dynamically adaptive second generation wavelet collocation method for evolution problems [Int. J. Comp. Fluid Dyn. 17 (2003) 151]. Wavelet decomposition is used for grid adaptation and interpolation, while a hierarchical finite difference scheme, which takes advantage of wavelet multilevel decomposition, is used for derivative calculations. The multilevel structure of the wavelet approximation provides a natural way to obtain the solution on a near optimal grid. In order to accelerate the convergence of the solver, an iterative procedure analogous to the multigrid algorithm is developed. The overall computational complexity of the solver is O(N ), where N is the number of adapted grid points. The accuracy and computational efficiency of the method are demonstrated for the solution of twoand three-dimensional elliptic test problems.
Security and trust enhanced mobile agent based system design

This paper presents a security and trust enhanced mobile agent (SATEMA) architecture. It investigates some of the design decisions encountered during the development of the architecture and its implementation. In particular, we consider design issues such as security and trust policy management, support for mutiple applications as well as with single and multiple hop scenarios using the proposed architecture. We discuss the design choices and describe the solutions that have been adopted in the architecture. We have implemented two applications namely a travel application and an auction application using this proposed SATEMA architecture.
A profile of family medicine scholarship 1978-1995: an analysis of national presentations.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES
Presentations at the annual meetings of the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine were analyzed to determine trends in the content of the work and the types of work represented.


METHODS
All program presentations from 1979, 1986, and 1993-1995 were analyzed. Content classifications were based on historic analyses of family medicine literature. Classifications of types of scholarship came from a 1990 Carnegie Foundation report, Scholarship Reconsidered: Priorities of the Professoriate.


RESULTS
Results showed that a wide variety of scholarly activities were presented, but application of educational work was predominant. Many presentations crossed interdisciplinary boundaries, including behavioral science, faculty development, and health services.


CONCLUSIONS
Contributions of family medicine scholarship may be applicable to other medical fields. The variety of family medicine scholarship may warrant a redefinition of reward systems for faculty.
Extrasynaptic volume transmission and diffusion parameters of the extracellular space

Extrasynaptic communication between neurons or neurons and glia is mediated by the diffusion of neuroactive substances in the volume of the extracellular space (ECS). The size and irregular geometry of the diffusion channels in the ECS substantially differ not only around individual cells but also in different CNS regions and thus affect and direct the movement of various neuroactive substances in the ECS. Diffusion in the CNS is therefore not only inhomogeneous, but often also anisotropic. The diffusion parameters in adult mammals (including humans), ECS volume fraction alpha (alpha=ECS volume/total tissue volume) and tortuosity lambda (lambda(2)=free/apparent diffusion coefficient), are typically 0.20-0.25 and 1.5-1.6, respectively, and as such hinder the diffusion of neuroactive substances and water. These diffusion parameters modulate neuronal signaling, neuron-glia communication and extrasynaptic "volume" transmission. A significant decrease in ECS volume fraction and an increase in diffusion barriers (tortuosity) occur during neuronal activity and pathological states. The changes are often related to cell swelling, cell loss, astrogliosis, the rearrangement of neuronal and astrocytic processes and changes in the extracellular matrix. They are also altered during physiological states such as development, lactation and aging. Plastic changes in ECS volume, tortuosity and anisotropy significantly affect neuron-glia communication, the spatial relation of glial processes toward synapses, glutamate or GABA "spillover" and synaptic crosstalk. The various changes in tissue diffusivity occurring during many pathological states are important for diagnosis, drug delivery and treatment.
Associations Between Cognitive Performance and Pain in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Comorbidity with Fibromyalgia Does Matter.

BACKGROUND
In addition to the frequently reported pain complaints, performance-based cognitive capabilities in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) with and without comorbid fibromyalgia (FM) are significantly worse than those of healthy controls. In various chronic pain populations, cognitive impairments are known to be related to pain severity. However, to the best of our knowledge, the association between cognitive performance and experimental pain measurements has never been examined in CFS patients.


OBJECTIVES
This study aimed to examine the association between cognitive performance and self-reported as well as experimental pain measurements in CFS patients with and without FM.


STUDY DESIGN
Observational study.


SETTING
The present study took place at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel and the University of Antwerp.


METHODS
Forty-eight (18 CFS-only and 30 CFS+FM) patients and 30 healthy controls were studied. Participants first completed 3 performance-based cognitive tests designed to assess selective and sustained attention, cognitive inhibition, and working memory capacity. Seven days later, experimental pain measurements (pressure pain thresholds [PPT], temporal summation [TS], and conditioned pain modulation [CPM]) took place and participants were asked to fill out 3 questionnaires to assess self-reported pain, fatigue, and depressive symptoms.


RESULTS
In the CFS+FM group, the capacity of pain inhibition was significantly associated with cognitive inhibition. Self-reported pain was significantly associated with simple reaction time in CFS-only patients. The CFS+FM but not the CFS-only group showed a significantly lower PPT and enhanced TS compared with controls.


LIMITATIONS
The cross-sectional nature of this study does not allow for inferences of causation.


CONCLUSIONS
The results underline disease heterogeneity in CFS by indicating that a measure of endogenous pain inhibition might be a significant predictor of cognitive functioning in CFS patients with FM, while self-reported pain appears more appropriate to predict cognitive functioning in CFS patients without FM.
Hypoxia induces epithelial-mesenchymal transition via activation of SNAI1 by hypoxia-inducible factor -1α in hepatocellular carcinoma

High invasion and metastasis are the primary factors causing poor prognosis of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the molecular mechanisms underlying these biological behaviors have not been completely elucidated. In this study, we investigate the molecular mechanism by which hypoxia promotes HCC invasion and metastasis through inducing epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). The expression of EMT markers was analyzed by immunohistochemistry. Effect of hypoxia on induction of EMT and ability of cell migration and invasion were performed. Luciferase reporter system was used for evaluation of Snail regulation by hypoxia-inducible factor -1α (HIF-1α). We found that overexpression of HIF-1α was observed in HCC liver tissues and was related to poor prognosis of HCC patients. HIF-1α expression profile was correlated with the expression levels of SNAI1, E-cadherin, N-cadherin and Vimentin. Hypoxia was able to induce EMT and enhance ability of invasion and migration in HCC cells. The same phenomena were also observed in CoCl2-treated cells. The shRNA-mediated HIF-1α suppression abrogated CoCl2-induced EMT and reduced ability of migration and invasion in HCC cells. Luciferase assay showed that HIF-1α transcriptional regulated the expression of SNAI1 based on two hypoxia response elements (HREs) in SNAI1 promoter. We demonstrated that hypoxia-stabilized HIF1α promoted EMT through increasing SNAI1 transcription in HCC cells. This data provided a potential therapeutic target for HCC treatment.
Cost-effectiveness of percutaneous coronary intervention in optimally treated stable coronary patients.

BACKGROUND
The COURAGE (Clinical Outcomes Utilizing Revascularization and Aggressive druG Evaluations) trial compared the effect of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) plus optimal medical therapy with optimal medical therapy alone on cardiovascular events in 2287 patients with stable coronary disease. After 4.6 years, there was no difference in the primary end point of death or myocardial infarction, although PCI improved quality of life. The present study evaluated the relative cost and cost-effectiveness of PCI in the COURAGE trial.


METHODS AND RESULTS
Resource use was assessed by diagnosis-related group for hospitalizations and by current procedural terminology code for outpatient visits and tests and then converted to costs by use of 2004 Medicare payments. Medication costs were assessed with the Red Book average wholesale price. Life expectancy beyond the trial was estimated from Framingham survival data. Utilities were assessed by the standard gamble method. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio was expressed as cost per life-year and cost per quality-adjusted life-year gained. The added cost of PCI was approximately $10,000, without significant gain in life-years or quality-adjusted life-years. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio varied from just over $168,000 to just under $300,000 per life-year or quality-adjusted life-year gained with PCI. A large minority of the distributions found that medical therapy alone offered better outcome at lower cost. The costs per patient for a significant improvement in angina frequency, physical limitation, and quality of life were $154,580, $112,876, and $124,233, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
The COURAGE trial did not find the addition of PCI to optimal medical therapy to be a cost-effective initial management strategy for symptomatic, chronic coronary artery disease.
Biventricular pacing diminishes the need for implantable cardioverter defibrillator therapy. Ventak CHF Investigators.

OBJECTIVES
We sought to test the postulate that biventricular pacing diminishes the need for appropriate tachycardia therapy. We reviewed the frequency of therapy in patients, serving as their own controls, who were enrolled in the Ventak CHF (congestive heart failure) biventricular pacing study.


BACKGROUND
It is well established that both acute and chronic CHF contribute to the need for tachyarrhythmia therapy in recipients of an automatic implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD). Synchronized biventricular (BV) pacing is a new and promising therapy for symptomatic improvement of CHF in selected patients (low ejection fraction, intraventricular conduction delay). We postulate that this pacing therapy will diminish the need for tachyarrhythmia therapy.


METHODS
Participants in the Ventak CHF trial received a triple-chamber biventricular ICD with a transvenous right ventricular lead and a left ventricular (LV) lead placed via thoracotomy. Of 54 patients enrolled in the Ventak CHF trial, 32 could be analyzed, with each completing three blinded months programmed to BV VDD pacing and a second randomly assigned three-month period of no pacing.


RESULTS
Of the 32 patients, 13 (41%) received appropriate therapy for a ventricular tachyarrhythmia at least once in the six-month monitoring period postimplant. Five patients (16%) had at least one tachyarrhythmic episode while programmed to BV pacing, whereas 11 (34%) had at least one episode while programmed to no pacing. Three patients (9%) received therapy in both pacing periods, two with BV pacing only. The decrease in necessary tachycardia therapy during the BV pacing period was statistically significant (p = 0.035).


CONCLUSIONS
In patients with standard ICD indications who also have CHF, LV dysfunction, and an intraventricular conduction delay, ICD therapy is less common with BV pacing. The mechanism for this improvement is unclear but may be related to hemodynamic improvement in CHF. Although BV pacing does not obviate the need for an ICD, it does diminish the need for appropriate tachyarrhythmia therapy in selected patients.
MED: The LMU System for the SIGMORPHON 2016 Shared Task on Morphological Reinflection

This paper presents MED, the main system of the LMU team for the SIGMORPHON 2016 Shared Task on Morphological Reinflection as well as an extended analysis of how different design choices contribute to the final performance. We model the task of morphological reinflection using neural encoder-decoder models together with an encoding of the input as a single sequence of the morphological tags of the source and target form as well as the sequence of letters of the source form. The Shared Task consists of three subtasks, three different tracks and covers 10 different languages to encourage the use of language-independent approaches. MED was the system with the overall best performance, demonstrating our method generalizes well for the low-resource setting of the SIGMORPHON 2016 Shared Task.