Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
SIMPSON'S PARADOX IN ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND IN REAL LIFE

“Simpson's paradox,” first described nearly a century ago, is an anomaly that sometimes arises from pooling data. Dramatic instances of the paradox have occurred in real life in the domains of epidemiology and admissions policies. Many writers have recently described hypothetical examples of the paradox arising in other areas of life and it seems possible that the paradox may occur frequently in mundane domains but with less serious implications. Thus, it is not surprising that the paradox should arise in commonsense reasoning, that subarea of artificial intelligence that seeks to axiomatize reasoning in such mundane domains. It arises as the problem “approximate proof by cases” and the question of whether to accept it may well depend on whether we wish to construct performance or competence models of reasoning. This article gives a brief history of the paradox and discusses its occurrence in our own discipline. It argues that if the paradox occurs frequently but undramatically in real life, every uncertain reasoning system will have to deal with the problem in some way.
The temporal responses of protein synthesis, gene expression and cell signalling in human quadriceps muscle and patellar tendon to disuse

We hypothesized that rates of myofibrillar and patellar tendon collagen synthesis would fall over time during disuse, the changes being accompanied in muscle by decreases in focal adhesion kinase (FAK) phosphorylation and in gene expression for proteolytic enzymes. We studied nine men (22 ± 4 years, BMI 24 ± 3 kg m−2 (means ±s.d.) who underwent unilateral lower leg suspension for 23 days; five were studied between 0 and 10 days and four between 10 and 21 days. Muscle and tendon biopsies were taken in the postabsorptive state at days 0, 10 and 21 for measurement of protein synthesis, gene expression and protein phosphorylation. Muscle cross‐sectional area decreased by 5.2% at 14 days and 10.0% (both P < 0.001), at 23 days, i.e. 0.5% day−1, whereas tendon dimensions were constant. Rates of myofibrillar protein synthesis fell (P < 0.01) from 0.047% h−1 at day 0 to 0.022% h−1 at 10 days without further changes. Tendon collagen synthetic rates also fell (P < 0.01), from 0.052 to 0.023% h−1 at 10 days and then to 0.010% h−1 at 21 days. FAK phosphorylation decreased 30% (P < 0.01) at 10 days. No changes occurred in the amounts/phosphorylation of PKB–P70s6k–mTOR pathway components. Expression of mRNA for MuRF‐1 increased ∼3‐fold at 10 days without changes in MAFbx or tripeptidyl peptidase II mRNA, but all decreased between 10 and 21 days. Thus, both myofibrillar and tendon protein synthetic rates show progressive decreases during 21 days of disuse; in muscle, this is accompanied by decreased phosphorylation of FAK, with no marked increases in genes for proteolytic enzymes.
MLDA: a TCP-friendly congestion control framework for heterogeneous multicast environments

To avoid overloading the Internet and starving TCP connections, multimedia flows using non-congestion controlled UDP need to be enhanced with congestion control mechanisms. In this paper, we present a general framework for achieving TCP-friendly congestion control called MLDA. Using MLDA, multimedia senders adjust their transmission rate in accordance with the network congestion state. Taking the heterogeneity of the Internet and the end systems into account, MLDA supports layered data transmission where the shape and number of the layers is determined dynamically based on feedback information generated by the receivers. Performance tests of MLDA as well as comparisons to other congestion control schemes suggest that MLDA achieves TCP-friendly congestion control on the one hand and is able to accommodate the needs of heterogeneous receivers on the other.
MAC-layer interference mitigation in dynamic and distributed environment: dynamic graphic game with stochastic learning

In this paper, we investigate the problem of channel selection for MAC-layer interference mitigation in the dynamic and distributed environment, in which each user only has its local information, and each user is dynamically active due to its specific data service requirement. Accordingly, a dynamic interference graph is defined to capture the dynamic and local interaction. Based on the defined interference graph, the MAClayer interference mitigation problem is formulated as a dynamic graphic game. It is proved to be an exact potential game, in which the existence of the Nash equilibrium (NE) is guaranteed. Furthermore, we design a fully distributed, online adaptive, stochastic learning algorithm for the interference-mitigation channel selection, which converges to the NE of the formulated game. Finally, we conduct simulations to validate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm for MAC-layer interference mitigation in the dynamic and distributed environment.
PoWerStore: proofs of writing for efficient and robust storage

Existing Byzantine fault tolerant (BFT) storage solutions that achieve strong consistency and high availability, are costly compared to solutions that tolerate simple crashes. This cost is one of the main obstacles in deploying BFT storage in practice. In this paper, we present PoWerStore, a robust and efficient data storage protocol. PoWerStore's robustness comprises tolerating network outages, maximum number of Byzantine storage servers, any number of Byzantine readers and crash-faulty writers, and guaranteeing high availability (wait-freedom) and strong consistency (linearizability) of read/write operations. PoWerStore's efficiency stems from combining lightweight cryptography, erasure coding and metadata write-backs, where readers write-back only metadata to achieve strong consistency. Central to PoWerStore is the concept of ``Proofs of Writing'' (PoW), a novel data storage technique inspired by commitment schemes. PoW rely on a 2-round write procedure, in which the first round writes the actual data and the second round only serves to ``prove'' the occurrence of the first round. PoW enable efficient implementations of strongly consistent BFT storage through metadata write-backs and low latency reads. We implemented PoWerStore and show its improved performance when compared to existing robust storage protocols, including protocols that tolerate only crash faults.
A Study of Language Arts Curriculum Effectiveness with Gifted Learners

This study of language arts curriculum effectiveness presents data that lend support to the utilization of the Integrated Curriculum Model (ICM) with high-ability learners in various grouping contexts. Significant growth gains were demonstrated in literary analysis, persuasive writing, and linguistic competency for seven experimental classes using a unit of study modelled on ICM. Implications for heterogeneous classroom use include concerns for lack of differentiation of reading selections for students not classified as advanced readers and the degree of abstraction contained in specific performance tasks.
Winning, Losing and Satisfaction with Democracy

Previous research has shown that those who won an election are more satisfied with the way democracy works than those who lost. What is not clear, however, is whether it is the fact of winning (losing), per se, that generates (dis)satisfaction with democracy. The current study explores this winner/loser gap with the use of the 1997 Canadian federal election panel study. It makes a theoretical and methodological contribution to our understanding of the factors that foster satisfaction with democracy. At the theoretical level, we argue that voters gain different utility from winning at the constituency and national levels in a parliamentary system, and that their expectations about whether they will win or lose affect their degree of satisfaction with democracy. On the methodological front, our analysis includes a control group (non-voters) and incorporates a control for the level of satisfaction prior to the election. The results indicate that the effect of winning and losing on voters' satisfaction with democracy is significant even when controlling for ex ante satisfaction before the election takes place, and that the outcome of the election in the local constituency matters as much as the outcome of the national election. They fail to show, however, that expectations about the outcome of the election play a significant role in shaping satisfaction with democracy.
Effect of Personal Innovativeness, Attachment Motivation and Social Norms on the Acceptance of Camera Mobile Phones: An Empirical Study in an Arab Country

This study develops a model to assess the consumer acceptance of Camera Mobile Phone CMP technology for social interaction. While there has been considerable research on technology adoption in the workplace, far fewer studies have been done to understand the motives of technology acceptance for social use. To fill in this gap, this study develops a model that is based on the following theories: the technology acceptance model, the theory of reasoned action, the attachment motivation theory, innovation diffusion theory, and the theory of flow. The first research method used was a qualitative field study that identified variables that most drive CMP acceptance and build the research model using a sample of 83 consumers. The second method was a quantitative field study. Data was collected from a sample of 240 consumers in Kuwait and used to test the proposed model. The results reveal two types of use: "social use" and "use before shopping", explaining 32.3% and 30% of the variance respectively. Most importantly, the study reveals that personal innovativeness, attachment motivation and social norms have an important effect on CMP acceptance. The implications of this study are highly important for both researchers and practitioners.
Integrating Open and Closed Information Extraction: Challenges and First Steps

Over the past years, state-of-the-art information extraction (IE) systems such as NELL [5] and ReVerb [9] have achieved impressive results by producing very large knowledge resources at web scale with minimal supervision. However, these resources lack the schema information, exhibit a high degree of ambiguity, and are difficult even for humans to interpret. Working with such resources becomes easier if there is a structured information base to which the resources can be linked. In this paper, we introduce the integration of open information extraction projects with Wikipedia-based IE projects that maintain a logical schema, as an important challenge for the NLP, semantic web, and machine learning communities. We describe the problem, present a gold-standard benchmark, and take the first steps towards a data-driven solution to the problem. This is especially promising, since NELL and ReVerb typically achieve a very large coverage, but still still lack a fullfl edged clean ontological structure which, on the other hand, could be provided by large-scale ontologies like DBpedia [2] or YAGO [13].
Using focus groups and photography to evaluate experiences of social inclusion within rehabilitation adult mental health services

Tackling the social exclusion of people with mental health problems is a primary concern for contemporary mental health services. A social inclusion network was developed to co‐ordinate a small participatory project arising as part of a practice development initiative. It aimed to examine the experiences of involvement in the community from the perspectives of those using and working in rehabilitation adult mental health services.To gather information three different approaches were used. Networks between rehabilitation services and community resources were identified using a mapping tool whilst focus groups were used to gain more in‐depth perceptions from rehabilitation staff. Finally, a participatory photo project was conducted which involved working with people who use services to capture images of their involvement in their local community. This article reports on the outcomes of the focus groups and photography project.Findings suggested that services reported some success at developing partnerships within the community, but discrimination still remained a significant obstacle. For those people living in the units, social inclusion was an acutely subjective experience in which people continued to experience acceptance and inclusion within mental health services and had made active choices in defining this as their community.
INTRAVITREAL BEVACIZUMAB TREATMENT OF CHOROIDAL NEOVASCULARIZATION SECONDARY TO AGE-RELATED MACULAR DEGENERATION

Purpose: To describe the short-term anatomical and visual acuity responses after intravitreal injection of bevacizumab (Avastin, Genentech) in patients with choroidal neovascularization (CNV) secondary to age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Methods: We conducted a retrospective study of patients with CNV secondary to AMD who were treated with intravitreal injection of bevacizumab (1.25 mg) during a 3-month period. Patients underwent best-corrected Snellen visual acuity testing, optical coherence tomography, and ophthalmoscopic examination at baseline and follow-up visits. Results: There were 266 consecutive eyes of 266 patients who received injections, and follow-up information was available for 251 (94.4%). The mean age of the patients was 80.3 years, the mean baseline visual acuity was 20/184, and 175 (69.7%) had inadequate response to alternate methods of treatment. At the 1-month follow-up (data available for 244 patients), the mean visual acuity was 20/137 (P < 0.001 as compared with baseline), and 74 (30.3%) of patients had improvement in visual acuity as defined by a halving of the visual angle. At the 2-month follow-up (data available for 222 patients), the mean visual acuity was 20/122 (P < 0.001), and 78 (31.1%) of patients had visual improvement. At the 3-month follow-up (data available for 141 patients), the mean visual acuity was 20/109 (P < 0.001), and 54 (38.3%) of patients had visual acuity improvement. The mean central macular thickness at baseline was 340 &mgr;m and decreased to a mean of 247 &mgr;m at month 1 (P < 0.001) and 213 &mgr;m at month 3 (P < 0.001). At 1 month, two patients had mild vitritis, as did one patient at 2 months, who had a history of recurrent uveitis. No endophthalmitis, increased intraocular pressure, retinal tear, or retinal detachment occurred. The risk for thromboembolic disorders did not seem to be different than reported previously in studies concerning macular degeneration. Conclusion: There were no apparent short-term safety concerns for intravitreal bevacizumab injection for CNV. Treated eyes had a significant decrease in macular thickness and improvement in visual acuity. The follow-up was too short to make any specific treatment recommendations, but the favorable short-term results suggest further study is needed.
Gene Expression Profile and Functionality of ESC-Derived Lin-ckit+Sca-1+ Cells Are Distinct from Lin-ckit+Sca-1+ Cells Isolated from Fetal Liver or Bone Marrow

In vitro bioreactor-based cultures are being extensively investigated for large-scale production of differentiated cells from embryonic stem cells (ESCs). However, it is unclear whether in vitro ESC-derived progenitors have similar gene expression profiles and functionalities as their in vivo counterparts. This is crucial in establishing the validity of ESC-derived cells as replacements for adult-isolated cells for clinical therapies. In this study, we compared the gene expression profiles of Lin-ckit+Sca-1+ (LKS) cells generated in vitro from mouse ESCs using either static or bioreactor-based cultures, with that of native LKS cells isolated from mouse fetal liver (FL) or bone marrow (BM). We found that in vitro-generated LKS cells were more similar to FL- than to BM LKS cells in gene expression. Further, when compared to cells derived from bioreactor cultures, static culture-derived LKS cells showed fewer differentially expressed genes relative to both in vivo LKS populations. Overall, the expression of hematopoietic genes was lower in ESC-derived LKS cells compared to cells from BM and FL, while the levels of non-hematopoietic genes were up-regulated. In order to determine if these molecular profiles correlated with functionality, we evaluated ESC-derived LKS cells for in vitro hematopoietic-differentiation and colony formation (CFU assay). Although static culture-generated cells failed to form any colonies, they did differentiate into CD11c+ and B220+ cells indicating some hematopoietic potential. In contrast, bioreactor-derived LKS cells, when differentiated under the same conditions failed to produce any B220+ or CD11c+ cells and did not form colonies, indicating that these cells are not hematopoietic progenitors. We conclude that in vitro culture conditions significantly affect the transcriptome and functionality of ESC-derived LKS cells and although in vitro differentiated LKS cells were lineage negative and expressed both ckit and Sca-1, these cells, especially those obtained from dynamic cultures, are significantly different from native cells of the same phenotype.
Modified Swine Erysipelas Vaccine.

BIOLOGICAL PRODUCTS for the prevention of erysipelas in swine have been used for over 75 years. It appears that the first swine erysipelas vaccine was prepared by Pasteur' in 1882 as a living attenuated culture. Pasteur reduced the virulence of the organisms for this vaccine by serial passage through rabbits. The vaccine was administered in two doses, the second of which consisted of a somewhat less attenuated culture than the first. European workers developed the method of simultaneous inoculation of immune serum and virulent cultures, this became known as the Lorenz or simultaneous method of immunization against swine erysipelas. This method of immunization 2,3 has been widely used in the United States since 1942 when its use was officially sanctioned. While this method of immunization is usually successful it may perpetuate the disease by producing carriers which continue to contaminate their environment. Many inactivated vaccines or bacterins have been prepared but it is apparent that the bacterins produce a low grade immunity of short duration 4 The use of adjuvants in the bacterins has not increased the immunizing value to any extent and has resulted in local swellings at the site of inoculation. Hyperimmune horse serum has been used widely in the United States and in Canada for the control of this disease in areas where the infection rate is high. While the results have been satisfactory generally, the cost of passive protection has placed limitations on its use. Similarly, treatment of the disease with antibiotics, while highly effective in saving the life of the sick
Combined Analyses of the ITS Loci and the Corresponding 16S rRNA Genes Reveal High Micro- and Macrodiversity of SAR11 Populations in the Red Sea

Bacteria belonging to the SAR11 clade are among the most abundant prokaryotes in the pelagic zone of the ocean. 16S rRNA gene-based analyses indicate that they constitute up to 60% of the bacterioplankton community in the surface waters of the Red Sea. This extremely oligotrophic water body is further characterized by an epipelagic zone, which has a temperature above 24°C throughout the year, and a remarkable uniform temperature (∼22°C) and salinity (∼41 psu) from the mixed layer (∼200 m) to the bottom at over 2000 m depth. Despite these conditions that set it apart from other marine environments, the microbiology of this ecosystem is still vastly understudied. Prompted by the limited phylogenetic resolution of the 16S rRNA gene, we extended our previous study by sequencing the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of SAR11 in different depths of the Red Sea’s water column together with the respective 16S fragment. The overall diversity captured by the ITS loci was ten times higher than that of the corresponding 16S rRNA genes. Moreover, species estimates based on the ITS showed a highly diverse population of SAR11 in the mixed layer that became diminished in deep isothermal waters, which was in contrast to results of the related 16S rRNA genes. While the 16S rRNA gene-based sequences clustered into three phylogenetic subgroups, the related ITS fragments fell into several phylotypes that showed clear depth-dependent shifts in relative abundances. Blast-based analyses not only documented the observed vertical partitioning and universal co-occurrence of specific phylotypes in five other distinct oceanic provinces, but also highlighted the influence of ecosystem-specific traits (e.g., temperature, nutrient availability, and concentration of dissolved oxygen) on the population dynamics of this ubiquitous marine bacterium.
A double‐blind, placebo‐controlled trial of eicosapentanoic acid in rapid cycling bipolar disorder

Keck Jr PE, Freeman MP, McElroy SL, Altshuler LL, Denicoff KD, Nolen WA, Suppes T, Frye M, Kupka R, Leverich GS, Grunze H, Walden J, Post RM. A double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of eicosapentanoic acid in rapid cycling bipolar disorder. Bipolar Disord 2002: 4(Suppl. 1): 26–27. © Blackwell Munksgaard, 2002
Climbing up the Challenging Hill from Exclusion to Inclusion: Teachers and Administrators’ Attitudes towards Integration in Tanzanian Primary Schools

This study looked at the attitudes of regular and special education teachers towards school integration of children with special educational needs in Tanzanian primary schools. Specifically, the study aimed at finding out if length of service and teaching experience affected teachers’ attitudes. In addition, the study examined the differences in teachers’ attitudes when different disabilities are involved. A total of 288 respondents were involved in this study. The results showed that most respondents had positive attitudes, although the majority from every category did not support the idea of educating gifted, normal and mentally retarded children in the same class. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to determine whether there were differences in attitudes towards integration among teachers according to their length of service and experience. The results revealed that number of years of service had no significant effect on respondents’ attitudes. In addition, Scheffe test was used to determine whether respondents’ attitudes differed towards children with different disabilities. Scheffe test results revealed that there was a statistically significant difference between general education teachers and special education teachers on attitudes towards deaf children being in regular classrooms. General education teachers were more positive than were the special education teachers. It was concluded that there is need for intervention strategies that are focused on changing teachers’ attitudes towards integration, if success is to be achieved.
Low-rank Matrix Recovery via Iteratively Reweighted Least Squares Minimization

We present and analyze an efficient implementation of an iteratively reweighted least squares algorithm for recovering a matrix from a small number of linear measurements. The algorithm is designed for the simultaneous promotion of both a minimal nuclear norm and an approximately low-rank solution. Under the assumption that the linear measurements fulfill a suitable generalization of the null space property known in the context of compressed sensing, the algorithm is guaranteed to recover iteratively any matrix with an error of the order of the best $k$-rank approximation. In certain relevant cases, for instance, for the matrix completion problem, our version of this algorithm can take advantage of the Woodbury matrix identity, which allows us to expedite the solution of the least squares problems required at each iteration. We present numerical experiments which confirm the robustness of the algorithm for the solution of matrix completion problems, and we demonstrate its competitiveness with respect to other techniques proposed recently in the literature.