LLukas22/scidocs huggingface dataset:
Unsupervised Language Acquisition

Children are exposed to speech and other environmental evidence, from which they learn language. How do they do this? More specifically, how do children map from complex, physical signals to grammars that enable them to generate and interpret new utterances from their language? This thesis presents a computational theory of unsupervised language acquisition. By computational we mean that the theory precisely defines procedures for learning language, procedures that have been implemented and tested in the form of computer programs. By unsupervised we mean that the theory explains how language learning can take place with no explicit help from a teacher, but only exposure to ordinary spoken or written utterances. The theory requires very little of the learning environment. For example, it predicts that much knowledge of language can be acquired even in situations where the learner has no access to the meaning of utterances. In this way the theory is extremely conservative, making few or no assumptions that are not obviously true of the situation children learn in. The theory is based heavily on concepts borrowed from machine learning and statistical estimation. In particular, learning takes place by fitting a stochastic, generative model of language to the evidence. Thus, the goal of the learner is to acquire a grammar under which the evidence is “typical”, in a statistical sense. Much of the thesis is devoted to explaining conditions that must hold for this learning strategy to arrive at the desired form of grammar. The thesis introduces a variety of technical innovations, among them a common representation for evidence and grammars that has many linguistically and statistically desirable properties. In this representation, both utterances and parameters in the grammar are represented by composing parameters. A second contribution is a learning strategy that separates the “content” of linguistic parameters from their representation. Algorithms based on it suffer from few of the search problems that have plagued other computational approaches to language acquisition. The theory has been tested on problems of learning lexicons (vocabularies) and stochastic grammars from unsegmented text and continuous speech signals, and mappings between sound and representations of meaning. It performs extremely well on various objective criteria, acquiring knowledge that causes it to assign almost exactly the same linguistic structure to utterances as humans do. This work has application to data compression, language modeling, speech recognition, machine translation, information retrieval, and other tasks that rely on either structural or stochastic descriptions of language. Thesis Supervisor: Robert C. Berwick Title: Professor of Computer Science and Engineering
The Effect of Cotrimoxazole Prophylactic Treatment on Malaria, Birth Outcomes, and Postpartum CD4 Count in HIV-Infected Women

BACKGROUND
Limited data exist on cotrimoxazole prophylactic treatment (CPT) in pregnant women, including protection against malaria versus standard intermittent preventive therapy with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (IPTp).


METHODS
Using observational data we examined the effect of CPT in HIV-infected pregnant women on malaria during pregnancy, low birth weight and preterm birth using proportional hazards, logistic, and log binomial regression, respectively. We used linear regression to assess effect of CPT on CD4 count.


RESULTS
Data from 468 CPT-exposed and 768 CPT-unexposed women were analyzed. CPT was associated with protection against malaria versus IPTp (hazard ratio: 0.35, 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 0.20, 0.60). After adjustment for time period this effect was not statistically significant (adjusted hazard ratio: 0.66, 95% CI: 0.28, 1.52). Among women receiving and not receiving CPT, rates of low birth weight (7.1% versus 7.6%) and preterm birth (23.5% versus 23.6%) were similar. CPT was associated with lower CD4 counts 24 weeks postpartum in women receiving (-77.6 cells/ μ L, 95% CI: -125.2, -30.1) and not receiving antiretrovirals (-33.7 cells/ μ L, 95% CI: -58.6, -8.8).


CONCLUSIONS
Compared to IPTp, CPT provided comparable protection against malaria in HIV-infected pregnant women and against preterm birth or low birth weight. Possible implications of CPT-associated lower CD4 postpartum warrant further examination.
Fluticasone furoate: once-daily evening treatment versus twice-daily treatment in moderate asthma

BACKGROUND
Inhaled corticosteroids are the recommended first-line treatment for asthma but adherence to therapy is suboptimal. The objectives of this study were to compare the efficacy and safety of once-daily (OD) evening and twice-daily (BD) regimens of the novel inhaled corticosteroid fluticasone furoate (FF) in asthma patients.


METHODS
Patients with moderate asthma (age ≥ 12 years; pre-bronchodilator forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) 40-85% predicted; FEV1 reversibility of ≥ 12% and ≥ 200 ml) were randomized to FF or fluticasone propionate (FP) regimens in a double-blind, crossover study. Patients were not permitted to have used any ICS for ≥ 8 weeks prior to enrolment and subsequently received doses of FF or FP 200 μg OD, FF or FP 100 μg BD and matching placebo by inhalation for 28 days each. Primary endpoint was Day 28 evening pre-dose (trough) FEV1; non-inferiority of FF 200 μg OD and FF 100 μg BD was assessed, as was superiority of all active treatment relative to placebo. Adverse events (AEs) and 24-hour urinary cortisol excretion were assessed.


RESULTS
The intent-to-treat population comprised 147 (FF) and 43 (FP) patients. On Day 28, pre-dose FEV1 showed FF 200 μg OD to be non-inferior (pre-defined limit -110 ml) to FF 100 μg BD (mean treatment difference 11 ml; 95% CI: -35 to +56 ml); all FF and FP regimens were significantly superior to placebo (p ≤ 0.02). AEs were similar to placebo; no serious AEs were reported. Urinary cortisol excretion at Day 28 for FF was lower than placebo (ratios: 200 μg OD, 0.75; 100 μg BD, 0.84; p ≤ 0.02).


CONCLUSIONS
FF 200 μg OD in the evening is an efficacious and well tolerated treatment for asthma patients and is not inferior to the same total BD dose.


TRIAL REGISTRATION
Clinicaltrials.gov; NCT00766090.
Determining employee awareness using the Human Aspects of Information Security Questionnaire (HAIS-Q)

It is increasingly acknowledged that many threats to an organisation’s computer systems can be attributed to the behaviour of computer users. To quantify these human-based information security vulnerabilities, we are developing the Human Aspects of Information Security Questionnaire (HAIS-Q). The aim of this paper was twofold. The first aim was to outline the conceptual development of the HAIS-Q, including validity and reliability testing. The second aim was to examine the relationship between knowledge of policy and procedures, attitude towards policy and procedures and behaviour when using a work computer. Results from 500 Australian employees indicate that knowledge of policy and procedures had a stronger influence on attitude towards policy and procedure than selfreported behaviour. This finding suggests that training and education will be more effective if it outlines not only what is expected (knowledge) but also provides an understanding of why this is important (attitude). Plans for future research to further develop and test the HAIS-Q are outlined. Crown Copyright a 2014 Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Caring for country: The development of a formalised structure for land management on aboriginal lands within the Northern Land Council region of the Northern Territory

In Australia, Aboriginal people constitute 2.1% of the total population and own 14% of the landmass while in the Northern Territory (NT), Aboriginal people constitute 28.5% of the population and own over 40% of the landmass with a further 10% under claim.
CDV / DT INDUCED TURN-ON IN SYNCHRONOUS BUCK REGULATORS

Cdv/dt induced turn-on of the synchronous MOSFET deteriorates performance in synchronous buck regulators. We will discuss this problem and provide several solutions that can reduce the effects. SYNCHRONOUS BUCK REGULATOR Synchronous buck topology is becoming popular in powering ultra-fast CPU cores. A standard buck circuit is shown in Figure 1(a) and a synchronous buck is shown in Figure 1(b). As shown in Figure 1(b), by replacing the freewheeling diode with a MOSFET, the standard buck regulator is converted into a synchronous buck topology. This topology will provide higher efficiency than the standard buck circuit. Typically a Schottky diode is paralleled with MOSFET Q2 but is omitted from this paper because it is not required to understand and solve the Cdv/dt induced turn-on problem. Ideal synchronous buck regulator waveforms are illustrated in Figure 2(a). The control MOSFET Q1 is used to regulate the output voltage by adjusting its duty factor. When Q1 is turned off, the inductor current of Lout continues to flow through either the synchronous MOSFET Q2 or its body diode. Figure 1. (a) Standard buck topology. (b) Synchronous buck topology. Figure 2. (a) Ideal waveforms in a synchronous buck voltage regulator; (b) waveforms due to Cdv/dt induced turn-on at Q2. Dead-times, td12 and td21 as shown in Figure 2(a) are introduced to prevent the cross conduction that would occur if Q1 and Q2 gate drive signals were overlapped. During the dead time, only the body diode of Q2 conducts and the drain voltage of Q2 is clamped to minus one diode
Color brings relief to human vision

In natural scenes, chromatic variations, and the luminance variations that are aligned with them, mainly arise from surfaces such as flowers or painted objects. Pure or near-pure luminance variations, on the other hand, mainly arise from inhomogeneous illumination such as shadows or shading. Here, I provide evidence that knowledge of these color–luminance relationships is built into the machinery of the human visual system. When a pure-luminance grating is added to a differently oriented chromatic grating, the resulting 'plaid' appears to spring into three-dimensional relief, an example of 'shape-from-shading'. By psychophysical measurements, I found that the perception of shape-from-shading in the plaid was triggered when the chromatic and luminance gratings were not aligned, and suppressed when the gratings were aligned. This finding establishes a new role for color vision in determining the three-dimensional structure of an image: one that exploits the natural relationships that exist between color and luminance in the visual world.
Chinese Word Segmentation by Classification of Characters

During the process of Chinese word segmentation, two main problems occur: segmentation ambiguities and unknown word occurrences. This paper describes a method to solve the segmentation problem. First, we use a dictionary-based approach to segment the text. We apply the Maximum Matching algorithm to segment the text forwards (FMM) and backwards (BMM). Based on the difference between FMM and BMM, and the context, we apply a classification method based on Support Vector Machines to re-assign the word boundaries. In so doing, we use the output of a dictionary-based approach, and then apply a machine-learning-based approach to solve the segmentation problem. Experimental results show that our model can achieve an F-measure of 99.0 for overall segmentation, given the condition that there are no unknown words in the text, and an F-measure of 95.1 if unknown words exist.
Boundaries of VP and VNP

One fundamental question in the context of the geometric complexity theory approach to the VP vs. VNP conjecture is whether VP = VP, where VP is the class of families of polynomials that are of polynomial degree and can be computed by arithmetic circuits of polynomial size, and VP is the class of families of polynomials that are of polynomial degree and can be approximated infinitesimally closely by arithmetic circuits of polynomial size. The goal of this article is to study the conjecture in (Mulmuley, FOCS 2012) that VP is not contained in VP. Towards that end, we introduce three degenerations of VP (i.e., sets of points in VP), namely the stable degeneration Stable-VP, the Newton degeneration Newton-VP, and the p-definable one-parameter degeneration VP*. We also introduce analogous degenerations of VNP. We show that Stable-VP ⊆ Newton-VP ⊆ VP* ⊆ VNP, and Stable-VNP = Newton-VNP = VNP* = VNP. The three notions of degenerations and the proof of this result shed light on the problem of separating VP from VP. Although we do not yet construct explicit candidates for the polynomial families in VP \VP, we prove results which tell us where not to look for such families. Specifically, we demonstrate that the families in Newton-VP \VP based on semi-invariants of quivers would have to be non-generic by showing that, for many finite quivers (including some wild ones), any Newton degeneration of a generic semi-invariant can be computed by a circuit of polynomial size. We also show that the Newton degenerations of perfect matching Pfaffians, monotone arithmetic circuits over the reals, and Schur polynomials have polynomial-size circuits.
Abortion and medicine: A sociopolitical history

“(T)here is every indication that abortion is an absolutely universal phenomenon, and that it is impossible even to construct an imaginary social system in which no woman would ever feel at least compelled to abort [1].” So concluded an anthropologist after an exhaustive review of materials from 350 ancient and preindustrial societies. Beyond the stark fact of its universality, abortion throughout history exhibits a number of other distinctive features. First is the willingness on the part of women seeking abortion and those aiding them to defy laws and social convention; in every society that has forbidden abortion, a culture of illegal provision has emerged. Second, to a far greater degree than is the case with most other medical procedures, the status of abortion has been inextricably bound up with larger social and political factors, such as changes in women’s political power or in the population objectives of a society. Finally, the mere fact of legality does not necessarily imply universal access to abortion services. Crucial factors in the availability of abortion include the structure of health care services, and especially the willingness of the medical profession to provide abortion. With these points in mind, this chapter presents a brief historical overview of abortion provision, including the role of social movements among physicians and other clinicians in both facilitating and impeding the availability of abortion services.
Supporting Cancer Patients in Illness Management: Usability Evaluation of a Mobile App

BACKGROUND
Mobile phones and tablets currently represent a significant presence in people's everyday lives. They enable access to different information and services independent of current place and time. Such widespread connectivity offers significant potential in different app areas including health care.


OBJECTIVE
Our goal was to evaluate the usability of the Connect Mobile app. The mobile app enables mobile access to the Connect system, an online system that supports cancer patients in managing health-related issues. Along with symptom management, the system promotes better patient-provider communication, collaboration, and shared decision making. The Connect Mobile app enables access to the Connect system over both mobile phones and tablets.


METHODS
The study consisted of usability tests of a high fidelity prototype with 7 cancer patients where the objectives were to identify existing design and functionality issues and to provide patients with a real look-and-feel of the mobile system. In addition, we conducted semistructured interviews to obtain participants' feedback about app usefulness, identify the need for new system features and design requirements, and measure the acceptance of the mobile app and its features within everyday health management.


RESULTS
The study revealed a total of 27 design issues (13 for mobile apps and 14 for tablet apps), which were mapped to source events (ie, errors, requests for help, participants' concurrent feedback, and moderator observation). We also applied usability heuristics to identify violations of usability principles. The majority of violations were related to enabling ease of input, screen readability, and glanceability (15 issues), as well as supporting an appropriate match between systems and the real world (7 issues) and consistent mapping of system functions and interactions (4 issues). Feedback from participants also showed the cancer patients' requirements for support systems and how these needs are influenced by different context-related factors, such as type of access terminal (eg, desktop computer, tablet, mobile phone) and phases of illness. Based on the observed results, we proposed design and functionality recommendations that can be used for the development of mobile apps for cancer patients to support their health management process.


CONCLUSIONS
Understanding and addressing users' requirements is one of the main prerequisites for developing useful and effective technology-based health interventions. The results of this study outline different user requirements related to the design of the mobile patient support app for cancer patients. The results will be used in the iterative development of the Connect Mobile app and can also inform other developers and researchers in development, integration, and evaluation of mobile health apps and services that support cancer patients in managing their health-related issues.
Preventing Adolescent Suicide.

The adolescent at risk `or suicidal preoccupation and behavior has become an increasing concern for schools and communities. This paper presents some of the causes of teen suicide, things adults should know about adolescent suicide prevention, and what can be done to help such youth. The transition to adolescence is a complex time when many values may be questioned. Family dysfunctions, such as poor communication skills, resistance to grieving, difficulties with single parenting, and abusive interactions can further confuse this already difficult period. Likewise, environmental pressures, such as academic achievement, constant mobility and the availability of drugs, can lead to depression and the inability to cope with stress. It is emphasized that knowledge is the most effective tool in preventing suicide. Adults should be aware of the myths associated with suicides, such as the myth that adolescents who talk about suicide never actually attempt suicide or that suicide is hereditary. Adults also must be able to recognize the profile of the suicidal adolescent so that referral and intervention can take place. Included in this profile are behaviors, such as a lack of concern about personal welfare, verbal cues, and altered behavioral patterns and personality traits. Adults can help an adolescent who manifests an interest in suicide by expressing their concern for the child, developing a rapport, and facilitating a meeting with a counselor or crisis team member. (RJM) *********************************************************************** * Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made * from the original document. * *********************************************************************** PREVENTING ADOLESCENT
Association between gastrointestinal events and persistence with osteoporosis therapy: analysis of administrative claims of a U.S. managed care population.

BACKGROUND
A large proportion of patients do not persist with osteoporosis (OP) therapy. Gastrointestinal (GI) events (e.g., gastroesophageal reflux disease and nausea/vomiting) are common among OP patients receiving OP therapy and may impact persistence with treatment.


OBJECTIVE
To examine the association of GI events and persistence with OP therapy.


METHODS
Using a large U.S. administrative claims database, we studied women aged ≥ 55 years who received oral bisphosphonate (BIS) as their first OP therapy from 2002-2009. The index date was the first pharmacy claim date recorded for oral BIS therapy; the baseline period was 12 months pre-index, and follow-up was 12 months post-index. Patients were considered persistent with therapy if they had continuous refills of the index drug class without additional drug therapy from a different drug class from the index date until the end of the follow-up period with no gaps in supply greater than 45 days. Discontinuation was defined as the first gap greater than 45 days during which there was no evidence of refills of OP medication. The association between post-treatment GI events and the risk of discontinuation or switching was modeled with Cox regression stratified by presence of baseline GI events and adjusted for baseline clinical and demographic characteristics.


RESULTS
Of the 75,593 women who met eligibility criteria, 59.9% discontinued BIS; 39.3% were persistent; and 0.5% switched to non-BIS. GI events were diagnosed in 20,073 patients (26.6%) during baseline and in 21,142 (28.0%) in the post-treatment period (12-month follow-up post-index). Patients with post-treatment GI diagnosis were 35.6% more likely to discontinue or switch treatment (HR = 1.356, 95% CI = 1.318-1.396) during the 12-month follow-up compared with those without post-treatment GI diagnosis. GI events that occurred closer to treatment discontinuation or switching were associated with a greater risk of discontinuation or switching: 37.9% (HR = 1.379, 95% CI = 1.338-1.421) for GI events within 6 months of discontinuation or switching and 45.6% (HR = 1.456, 95% CI = 1.408-1.505) for GI events within 3 months of discontinuation or switching.


CONCLUSIONS
Among women aged 55 years or older in a U.S. managed care population, post-treatment GI events were associated with a higher risk of discontinuation of oral BIS or switching to non-BIS.
Topic Detection and Tracking

The Topic Detection and Tracking (TDT) research program has been running for five years. starting with a pilot study and including yearly open and competitive evaluations since then. In this chapter we define the basic concepts of TDT and provide historical context for the concepts. [n describing the various TDT evaluation tasks and workshops. we provide an overview of the technical approaches that have been used and that have succeeded.