Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Unsupervised Learning from Continuous Video in a Scalable Predictive Recurrent Network

Understanding visual reality involves acquiring common-sense knowledge about countless regularities in the visual world, e.g., how illumination alters the appearance of objects in a scene, and how motion changes their apparent spatial relationship. These regularities are hard to label for training supervised machine learning algorithms; consequently, algorithms need to learn these regularities from the real world in an unsupervised way. We present a novel network meta-architecture that can learn world dynamics from raw, continuous video. The components of this network can be implemented using any algorithm that possesses three key capabilities: prediction of a signal over time, reduction of signal dimensionality (compression), and the ability to use supplementary contextual information to inform the prediction. The presented architecture is highly-parallelized and scalable, and is implemented using localized connectivity, processing, and learning. We demonstrate an implementation of this architecture where the components are built from multi-layer perceptrons. We apply the implementation to create a system capable of stable and robust visual tracking of objects as seen by a moving camera. Results show performance on par with or exceeding state-of-the-art tracking algorithms. The tracker can be trained in either fully supervised or unsupervised-then-briefly-supervised regimes. Success of the briefly-supervised regime suggests that the unsupervised portion of the model extracts useful information about visual reality. The results suggest a new class of AI algorithms that uniquely combine prediction and scalability in a way that makes them suitable for learning from and --- and eventually acting within --- the real world.
The Australian election survey: the tale of the rabbit-less hat. Voting behaviour in 2007

This paper examines voter attitudes and behaviour at the 2007 Australian federal election, using data from the Australian Election Study. It considers socio-demographic factors as well as the role of policy issues and voter evaluations of the party leaders. The paper concludes that issues, such as the government's WorkChoices policy, as well as health and leadership contributed to Labor's victory.
Program Participants' Positive Perceptions

A common dilemma of evaluation researchers, that outcome findings do not confirm program adninistrators' and recipients' perceptions of benefits occurring, is related to a general proposition that participants will have positive perceptions of program effects, regardless of behavioral changes toward program goals. This phenomenon is shown to occur widely, and to be predictable from both behavioral and cognitive social psy chological theory, but has not been previously recognized explicitly. Implications are drawn for the policy planning process and for the methodology of program evaluation.
Predicting Retention in a Therapeutic Community for Incarcerated Substance Abusers

ABSTRACT In this paper, factors associated with retention in CREST, a therapeutic community for incarcerated substance abusers, are explored. Few studies have simultaneously examined different types of potential predictors that research has identified as important for retention. We do so here in an effort to clarify factors associated with retention. Retention is measured both in terms of program completion and days in treatment. The results indicate that only one predictor-frequent marijuana use prior to incarceration-is associated with completion status and days in treatment. Other factors, such as demographic variables, criminal history, psychological status, prior treatment, and legal pressure are significant predictors in some, but not all, models. Overall, more research on treatment retention is needed.
Nitric oxide response to shear stress by human bone cell cultures is endothelial nitric oxide synthase dependent.

Bone cells, in particular osteocytes, are extremely sensitive to shear stress, a phenomenon that may be related to mechanical adaptation of bone. In this study we examined whether human primary bone cells produce NO in response to fluid shear stress and established by RT/PCR which NOS isoforms were expressed before and after application of shear stress. One hour pulsating fluid flow (PFF; 0.7 +/- 0.02 Pa, 5 Hz) caused a rapid (within 5 min) 2 to 4-fold increase in NO production. NO release was only transiently increased during the first 15 min of exposure to PFF, and remained at control levels during a 1-24 hr postincubation period. In both control and PFF-treated cells, mRNA was easily detected for ecNOS, but not nNOS, and only minimal amounts iNOS were found. mRNA levels for ecNOS increased 2-fold at 1 hr after 1 hr PFF treatment. These results suggest that the rapid production of NO by human bone cells in response to fluid flow results from activation of ecNOS. PFF also leads to an increase in ecNOS mRNA which is likely related to the shear stress responsive element in the promoter of ecNOS.
Simultaneous Assessment of Uptake and Metabolism in Rat Hepatocytes: A Comprehensive Mechanistic Model

Kinetic parameters describing hepatic uptake in hepatocytes are frequently estimated without appropriate incorporation of bidirectional passive diffusion, intracellular binding, and metabolism. A mechanistic two-compartment model was developed to describe all of the processes occurring during the in vitro uptake experiments performed in freshly isolated rat hepatocytes plated for 2 h. Uptake of rosuvastatin, pravastatin, pitavastatin, valsartan, bosentan, telmisartan, and repaglinide was investigated over a 0.1 to 300 μM concentration range at 37°C for 2 or 45–90 min; nonspecific binding was taken into account. All concentration-time points were analyzed simultaneously by using a mechanistic two-compartment model describing uptake kinetics [unbound affinity constant (Km,u), maximum uptake rate (Vmax), unbound active uptake clearance (CLactive,u)], passive diffusion [unbound passive diffusion clearance (Pdiff,u)], and intracellular binding [intracellular unbound fraction (fucell)]. When required (telmisartan and repaglinide), the model was extended to account for the metabolism [unbound metabolic clearance (CLmet,u)]. The CLactive,u ranged 8-fold, reflecting a 11-fold range in uptake Km,u, with telmisartan and valsartan showing the highest affinity for uptake transporters (Km,u <10 μM). Both Pdiff,u and fucell span over two orders of magnitude and reflected the lipophilicity of the drugs in the dataset. An extended incubation time allowed steady state to be reached between media and intracellular compartment concentrations and reduced the error in certain parameter estimates observed with shorter incubation times. Active transport accounted for >70% of total uptake for all drugs investigated and was 4- and 112-fold greater than CLmet,u for telmisartan and repaglinide, respectively. Modeling of uptake kinetics in conjunction with metabolism improved the precision of the uptake parameter estimates for repaglinide and telmisartan. Recommendations are made for uptake experimental design and modeling strategies.
Causes of Intestinal Obstruction in Erbil Teaching Hospital Province -North of Iraq

BACKGROUND: Bowel obstructions are not uncommon should be suspected in any patient with persistent vomiting, distention, and abdominal pain because delayed diagnosis and treatment can have devastating consequences. Undiagnosed or improperly managed obstructions can lead to vascular compromise, which causes bowel ischemia, necrosis, perforation, sepsis, and death. OBJECTIVE: The object of this study is to focus attention on the causes of intestinal obstruction and the role of abdominal radiographs and imaging in the diagnosis and operative procedures undertaken. Setting: The study was conducted at the Department of Surgery, Erbil Teaching Hospital Erbil province (2.5 million populations) –Iraq, between years 1996 and 2005 inclusive. METHODS: A prospective study was carried out spread over 10-years, and involving 591 patients with intestinal obstruction, among them only 570 patients underwent operations included in this study and 21 patients with conservative management had been excluded. Of the 570 patients with intestinal obstruction, 411were male patients (72.1%) their mean ages were 51.25% and 159 were female patients (27.9%) their mean ages was 39.8%. RESULTS: The most common cause was the entrapment of bowel in an external hernia (30.7%). Postoperative adhesions accounted for obstruction in a third of our patients (28.7%), and (59%) of them followed appendectomy. The operative findings of all patients who presented obstructed hernias still account for the highest percentage of cases. Other minor causes constitute the rest of cases. All 570 patients with the diagnosis of IO underwent surgical procedures in 68 patients (11.9%)who developed serious complications in the form of Sepsis, Intra-abdominal abscess, Wound dehiscence, Aspiration, Short-bowel syndrome (as a result of multiple surgeries) Forty patients died (7%) mostly because of irreversible shock, pulmonary embolism, and multiorgan failure . CONCLUSION: entrapment of bowel in an external hernia and adhesions remain the leading causes of acute intestinal obstruction in our environment. Sustained efforts at elective repair of hernias and research aimed at reducing adhesions are likely ways to reduce the high mortality from intestinal obstruction.
Looking back on birth three years later: Factors associated with a negative appraisal in England and in the Netherlands

In 2003 research was conducted in England (n = 738) to further our understanding of factors that relate to women's longer‐term appraisal of their birth experience. Women's appraisals are likely to be influenced by the culture in which they give birth and the predominant norms at that time. To explore this further, the study was replicated in the Netherlands in 2004 (n = 1310), where a culture of birth at home is well established. It was hypothesised that Dutch women who had an emergency caesarean birth would look back more negatively on the experience than their counterparts in England. While there was some support for this hypothesis, more women in the Netherlands were found to look back negatively than women in England irrespective of mode of birth. Binary logistic regression models were constructed for each country and common factors for a negative appraisal were: emergency caesarean and instrumental birth; feeling that the baby's life had been in danger; negative perception of the staff; and major health problems since the birth. Induction of labour and feeling that her own life had been in danger were also predictive of looking back negatively for Dutch women.
Effects of γ-Aminobutyric Acid on Performance, Antioxidative Status and Biochemical Indices of Lactating Sows in Hot Weather

This study was carried out to determine the effects of γ-aminobutyric acid on the reproductive performance, antioxidative status and biochemical indices of lactating sows. Forty-two lactating sows (Landrace×Large White) were blocked by body weight, parity and backfat and randomly assigned to 6 treatments: 0 (control), 100, 200, 300, 400 and 500 mg γ-aminobutyric acid /kg diet. The average temperature and relative humidity were 30.5°C and 79.47% at 8:00 am while 38.5°C and 73.55% at 15:00 pm respectively during the 21 lactation period. Litter size was standardized to10 to12 piglets within 2 days after farrowing. Sow feed intake was measured daily. On days 1 and 21 of lactation, sow backfat and piglet weight were recorded, milk yield was measured by the weigh-suckle-weigh method, and milk and blood samples were collected for chemical analysis. The results showed that supplementation of 300 mg and 400 mg γ-aminobutyric acid/kg diet improved (P 0.05) in sow backfat loss during lactation, weaning to estrus interval, piglet survival rate and diarrhea index among treatments were observed in this trial. Milk contents of lactose, butterfat, milk protein, total solids and non-fat solids were generally similar (P>0.05) among treatments. The results also indicated that γ-aminobutyric acid improved the antioxidative status of sows in lactation. Addition of 300 to 500 mg γ-aminobutyric acid/kg diet led to an increase in serum levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSHPx) and a decrease of malondialdehyde (MDA) content in serum (P<0.05) compared with the control. Moreover, 200 to 500 mg/kg γ-aminobutyric acid generally decreased (P < 0.05) the serum contents of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), phosphokinase (CK) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). In conclusion, our data indicated that γ-aminobutyric acid improved, in a dose-dependent manner, reproductive performance, antioxidative status and biochemical indices of multiparious lactating sows in hot weather.
The role of institutionalization in cultural persistence.

Traditional approaches to institutionalization do not provide an adequate explanation of clultural persistence. A much more adequate explanation can be found in the ethnomethodological approach to institutionalization, defining acts which are both objective (potentially repeatable by other actors without changing the meaning) and exterior (intersubjectively defined so that they can be viewed as part of external reality) as highly institutionalized. Three levels of institutionalization were created in the autokinetic situation to permit examination of the effects of institutionalization on three aspects of cultural persistence: generational uniformity of cultural understandings, maintenance of these understandings, and resistance of these understandings to change. Three separate experiments were conducted to examine these aspects of cultural persistence. Strong support was foundfor the predictions that the greater the degree of institutionalization, the greater the generational uniformity, maintenance, and resistance to change of cultural understandings. Implications of these findings for earlier approaches to institutionalization are discussed.
Comparison of the yield of different screening approaches to detect chronic kidney disease.

BACKGROUND Screening for chronic kidney disease (CKD) has been advised in high-risk populations. The present study aims to compare the yields of four approaches to select high-risk subjects for CKD screening, which are defined as follows: Approach 1, history of cardiovascular (CV) disease, diabetes mellitus or hypertension (=high CV risk); Approach 2, high CV risk or age >55 years; Approach 3, urinary albumin concentration (UAC) ≥20 mg/L; or Approach 4, UAC ≥10 mg/L at pre-screening. METHODS The study population is a sample of the general population of Groningen, the Netherlands (n = 3398). UAC was measured (nephelometry) in a first morning void urine sample collected at home and sent to a laboratory by post. Information on demographics and the presence of CV risk factors was obtained by a questionnaire. The presence of CKD was determined during examination at an outpatient clinic. RESULTS At baseline, 12% of the subjects met the criteria of Approach 1, 33% of Approach 2, 8% of Approach 3 and 25% of Approach 4. CKD was diagnosed in 370 subjects (11%). Approach 2 detected the most CKD patients (sensitivity 65%), while Approach 3 resulted in the lowest number needed to screen (1.9). During a follow-up of 7 years, only the UAC pre-screening approaches detected CKD patients who had both significantly accelerated renal function loss and increased CV risk compared to subjects without CKD. Only 28% of CKD patients detected by the UAC approaches used antihypertensive/angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor treatment prior to screening. CONCLUSIONS This study suggests that pre-screening based on UAC should be favoured in comparison to screening based on CKD risk factors to detect CKD patients at high renal and CV risk.
Emergency care in 59 low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review

Abstract Objective To conduct a systematic review of emergency care in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Methods We searched PubMed, CINAHL and World Health Organization (WHO) databases for reports describing facility-based emergency care and obtained unpublished data from a network of clinicians and researchers. We screened articles for inclusion based on their titles and abstracts in English or French. We extracted data on patient outcomes and demographics as well as facility and provider characteristics. Analyses were restricted to reports published from 1990 onwards. Findings We identified 195 reports concerning 192 facilities in 59 countries. Most were academically-affiliated hospitals in urban areas. The median mortality within emergency departments was 1.8% (interquartile range, IQR: 0.2–5.1%). Mortality was relatively high in paediatric facilities (median: 4.8%; IQR: 2.3–8.4%) and in sub-Saharan Africa (median: 3.4%; IQR: 0.5–6.3%). The median number of patients was 30 000 per year (IQR: 10 296–60 000), most of whom were young (median age: 35 years; IQR: 6.9–41.0) and male (median: 55.7%; IQR: 50.0–59.2%). Most facilities were staffed either by physicians-in-training or by physicians whose level of training was unspecified. Very few of these providers had specialist training in emergency care. Conclusion Available data on emergency care in LMICs indicate high patient loads and mortality, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, where a substantial proportion of all deaths may occur in emergency departments. The combination of high volume and the urgency of treatment make emergency care an important area of focus for interventions aimed at reducing mortality in these settings.
Beyond barcodes: complex DNA taxonomy of a South Pacific Island radiation

DNA barcodes can provide rapid species identification and aid species inventories in taxonomically unstudied groups. However, the approach may fail in recently diverged groups with complex gene histories, such as those typically found on oceanic islands. We produced a DNA-based inventory of taxonomically little known diving beetles (genus Copelatus) in the Fiji archipelago, where they are a dominant component of the aquatic invertebrate fauna. Sampling from 25 localities on five islands and analysis of sequences from one nuclear (328 bp histone 3) and three mitochondrial (492 bp rrnL, 786 bp cox1, 333 bp cob) gene regions revealed high haplotype diversity, mainly originated since the Pleistocene, and subdivided into three major phylogenetic lineages and 22 statistical parsimony networks. A traditional taxonomic study delineated 25 morphologically defined species that were largely incongruent with the DNA-based groups. Haplotype diversity and their spatial arrangement demonstrated a continuum of relatedness in Fijian Copelatus, with evidence for introgression at various hierarchical levels. The study illustrates the difficulties for formal classification in evolutionarily complex lineages, and the potentially misleading conclusions obtained from either DNA barcodes or morphological traits alone. However, the sequence profile of Fijian Copelatus provides an evolutionary framework for the group and a DNA-based reference system for the integration of ecological and other biodiversity data, independent of the Linnaean naming system.
Strengthening Organizational Change Processes

Although the existing organizational change literature identifies the steps in organizational change, it has not conceptualized those steps to provide a comprehensive process model. In particular, the relationships between the change process at the organizational level and the change processes at the inherent individual and group levels have not been fully described. Using a case study and related data from a major organizational change effort in a corporate audit department of a U.S. bank, this article explores change processes by answering two questions: (a) What constitutes a comprehensive change process as initiatives move from the organizational level to the group and individual levels of implementation? and (b) What does an analysis of the individual and group change processes in large scale organizational change add to our understanding of organizational change processes? This article proposes a more detailed and complete change process model and provides further insight into the differences and transition among the change processes at the individual, group, and organizational levels.
Performance Analysis of Multi-Rate Capable Random Access Mac Protocols in Wireless Multi-Hop Networks

In this paper, we study an ad hoc wireless network system in which multiple access wireless channels are shared in accordance with a random access (ALOHA type) MAC protocol. We assume that a modulation/coding scheme (MCS) can be selected from a list of available such structures, each of which is associated with a transmission data rate and an acceptable SINR level that yields a prescribed BER value. The use of such different MCSs impacts the achievable value of the system's spatial reuse factor level and of the realized end-to-end lengths of flow paths. Consequently, as the traffic loading level increases, the use of such different schemes yields different throughput capacity levels. We present mathematical models that enable the selection of the MCS that yields the highest level of throughput performance. For the multi-hop network system, we demonstrate that the link range and the employed MCS can be jointly selected to yield the highest throughput capacity level. We show that for the system under consideration it is generally preferable for a node to use a high data rate MCS while jointly selecting its neighbours from a usually reasonably short range level
Quality of School Life: Development and Preliminary Standardisation of an Instrument Based on Performance Indicators in Scottish Secondary Schools

Improvement of the services offered by secondary schools in the UK has been a major concern for the educational authorities. One of the most widely accepted ways to test the quality of school services is the performance indicators approach. Performance indicators, as they stand, are quite complicated to use. Many of them could be criticised for not considering pupils views about their school but rather gathering adult-centred information, since it is teachers and not pupils who do the assessment. Therefore, a new student scale has been developed, based on performance indicators, and its properties are described as follows. The new Quality of School Life scale has shown good psychometric properties and it has proven easy to use and administer. It has been shown to reliably and validly measure pupils views about their quality of school life and school satisfaction. Results are discussed in relation to potential future use of the scale by educationalists.