Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Towards Domain-Speciﬁc Network Transport for Distributed DNN Training

Machine learning (ML) applications present rich characteristics to underlying network transport, yet little work has been done so far to systematically exploit these properties in transport design. This paper takes the initiative to pursue a domain-speciﬁc network transport, called MLT 1 , for distributed DNN training that fully embraces several unique characteristics of machine learning. At its heart, MLT employs three simple-yet-effective techniques to form a 3-step progressive scheme against long tail latency caused by transient packet drops and queueing. First, it leverages the independencies among gradient updates to enable per-packet load balancing to minimize network hotspots without worrying about packet re-ordering. Then, if hotspot arises,it performs priority queueing/dropping based on the layers and magnitudes of gradients to optimize the model convergence. Lastly, if drop occurs, it enables bounded-loss tolerance —a certain amount of gradient losses tolerated by the DNN training without affecting the model accuracy. MLT is readily deployable with commodity switches and imposes minimal modiﬁcations on various DNN training libraries (e.g., TensorFlow, MXNet and PyTorch) and communication routines (e.g., PS and Ring All-reduce). We show, via both testbed experiments and simulations, that MLT effectively optimizes network tail latency and delivers up to 62.2% better end-to-end training performance over prior work.
Pharmacokinetics of Ampicillin and Sulbactam in Pediatric Patients

ABSTRACT Intravenous ampicillin-sulbactam is effective in the treatment of various infections in adults, but little is known about the pharmacokinetics (PK) of ampicillin-sulbactam in children. The objective of this study was to determine the PK of ampicillin and sulbactam in pediatric patients with intra-abdominal infection, skin and/or skin structure infection, or periorbital-preseptal and facial cellulitis. Intravenous ampicillin and sulbactam (2:1), 40 to 80 mg/kg of body weight, were given every 6 h for 2 to 6 days to 28 pediatric patients. The ages ranged from 1 to 6 years for 10 patients, 6.1 to 10 years for 9 patients, and 10.1 to 12 years for 9 patients. Multiple blood samples were obtained and analyzed for ampicillin and sulbactam in plasma and serum by high-performance liquid chromatography. The mean maximum concentration of drug in serum ranged from 177 to 200 μg/ml for ampicillin and 82 to 102 μg/ml for sulbactam in the three age groups. The mean total clearance, steady-state distribution volume, and half-life were 4.76 ml/min/kg, 0.32 liter/kg, and 0.77 h, respectively, for ampicillin and 4.95 ml/min/kg, 0.34 liter/kg, and 0.81 h, respectively, for sulbactam. Dose or gender did not affect the PK of ampicillin or sulbactam. The PK of ampicillin and sulbactam in these patients were comparable to those reported in adults. The combination was well tolerated in pediatric patients.
Archipelago-izing or Re-continentalizing Africa: Oceanic Paradigms in Two Recent West African Novels

This article examines two contemporary African literary engage-ments with Black diasporic history and culture and the meaning of the diaspora for African identity. Freshwater by Akwaeke Emezi (2018) turns to diasporic cultures and the history of slavery in order to develop an understanding of its protagonist’s identity within Igbo cosmology and to seek a new wholeness achieved by shattering and mutilation: a process that might be described as archipelagic thought (Édouard Glissant). In contrast, The Sacred River by Syl Cheney-Coker (2014) eventually imagines the continent washed clean, purified of diasporic—particularly Haitian—influences, a paradigm that I, drawing on the work of Glissant in Philosophie de la Relation , call re-continentalization: both a forgetting of the influence of the diaspora in Africa and a reinstatement of origins, linearity
Anxiety After Cardiac Arrest/Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation: Exacerbated by Stress and Prevented by Minocycline

Background and Purpose— Stress is an important risk factor for cardiovascular disease; however, most of the research on this topic has focused on incidence rather than outcome. The goal of this study was to determine the effects of prior exposure to chronic stress on ischemia-induced neuronal death, microglial activation, and anxiety-like behavior. Methods— In Experiment 1, mice were exposed to 3 weeks of daily restraint (3 hours) and then subjected to either 8 minutes of cardiac arrest/cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CA/CPR) or sham surgery. Anxiety-like behavior, microglial activation, and neuronal damage were assessed on postischemic Day 4. In Experiment 2, mice were infused intracerebroventricularly with minocycline (10 &mgr;g/day) to determine the effect of inhibiting post-CA/CPR microglial activation on the development of anxiety-like behavior and neuronal death. Results— CA/CPR precipitated anxiety-like behavior and increased microglial activation and neuronal damage within the hippocampus relative to sham surgery. Prior exposure to stress exacerbated these measures among CA/CPR mice, but had no significant effect on sham-operated mice. Treatment with minocycline reduced both neuronal damage and anxiety-like behavior among CA/CPR animals. Anxiety-like behavior was significantly correlated with measures of microglial activation but not neuronal damage. Conclusions— A history of stress exposure increases the pathophysiological response to ischemia and anxiety-like behavior, whereas inhibiting microglial activation reduces neuronal damage and mitigates the development of anxiety-like behavior after CA/CPR. Thus, modulating inflammatory signaling after cerebral ischemia may be beneficial in protecting the brain and preventing the development of affective disorders.
Morphology and Aneuploidy of in vitro Matured (IVM) Human Oocytes

In vitro matured (IVM) human oocytes are very sensitive to culturing conditions. There are many external factors influencing their nuclear and cytoplasmic maturation, which can lead to morphologic or genetic abnormalities. Even oocytes themselves can possess some intrinsic abnormalities in biochemical cell cycle regulation which prevent them from reaching maturity in vivo. The following chapter will describe different morphological characteristics and their possible connection to aneuploidy, fertilization and embryo development. Also it will cover some aspects of oocyte IVM and describe mechanisms leading to aneuploidy. The second part of the chapter will be devoted to fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis of IVM oocytes and first polar bodies (PB1) with the emphasis on aneuploidy occurrence in oocytes with prolonged cultivation.
Urea Kinetics and Nitrogen Appearance Rates in Diabetic Patients on Peritoneal Dialysis

Objective We compared the relationship of protein intake (as measured by protein nitrogen appearance) and dialysis delivery in insulin-dependent diabetic (IDDM) and nondiabetic patients. Design One to two 24-hour dialysate and urine collections were obtained in 20 diabetic patients and 42 nondiabetic patients. The protein equivalent of nitrogen appearance (PNA) was calculated by the Randerson formula. KTN was determined using V obtained by the Watson formula. PNA was normalized using three different methods to determine body weight: first, by normal or ideal body weight according to the Metropolitan Table (nPNA); second, by standard body weight according to the NHANES Table (sPNA); and third, by V/0.58 (vPNA). Results The mean PNA was not different in diabetics and nondiabetics (53±21 g/day vs 60±14 g/day), nor was weekly KTN (2.1 ±0.6 vs 2.1 ±0.6). Mean normalized PNA was not different in IDDM versus non-DM regardless of the method. KTN correlated with nPNA in IDDM (r = 0.54, p = 0.002 and non-DM, r = 0.31, p = 0.03), and with vPNA in IDDM (r = 0.73, p < 0.00001, and non-DM, r = 0.45, p = 0.0009). KTN also correlated with sPNA in IDDM (r = 0.57, p = 0.001), but not in non-DM (r = 0.25, p = 0.08). The slope for normalized PNA versus KTN was steeper for IDDM than for non-DM. Conclusion KTN and PNA are more closely correlated in IDDM patients than in non-DM patients. Thus it is extremely important that IDDM patients receive an adequate level of dialysis.
Durations of Transmembrane Action Potentials and Functional Refractory Periods of Canine False Tendon and Ventricular Myocardium: Comparisons in Single Fibers

In vitro studies have shown that alterations in the ionic composition of the perfusion fluid, substitution of blood or plasma for Tyrode's solution, time lapse following removal of the cardiac preparation from the animal, and addition of varying amounts of acetylcholine and/or epinephrine, do not change differentially the functional refractory period and action potential duration of false tendon and papillary muscle fibers; false tendon values exceeded those of papillary muscle in all of the above conditions. Cycle length was the only variable found to influence differentially false tendon and papillary muscle functional refractory periods and action potential durations. At very short cycle lengths, produced by premature responses, the functional refractory period and action potential duration of false tendon and papillary muscle cells approached each other. In some experiments the functional refractory periods of premature false tendon responses were less than corresponding values for papillary muscle. The relationship between the action potential durations and functional refractory periods of canine epicardial and endocardial cells was investigated also. It was found that the epicardial cells had a shorter functional refractory period and action potential duration than endocardial units when studied at physiological rates.
Lund-Mackay score is predictive of bleeding in ethmoidectomy for nasal polyposis.

OBJECTIVES To assess the correlation between intraoperative bleeding during endoscopic ethmoidectomy for chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps and objective parameters of disease severity. STUDY DESIGN A prospective cohort of 40 patients with nasal polyposis treated by endoscopic ethmoidectomy was analyzed from January 2007 to July 2007. METHODS Polyp size and CT scan opacifications were noted. The surgical procedure was performed with a standardized protocol. Intraoperative blood loss was measured. The Spearman test was used to correlate these data. RESULTS On nasal endoscopy, the mean polyps' size score was 2.2 (+/- 0.65). On CT scan, the Lund-Mackay grading was 17.2/24 (+/- 5.8). The rate of flow of intraoperative bleeding was 0.077%/min (+/- 0.070%/min). A significant positive correlation was found between the CT scan score and the rate of flow of intraoperative bleeding for the patients who were surgically treated for the first time (n = 23, Spearman Rho = 0.411, p = 0.05). CONCLUSION The Lund-Mackay CT score is useful in predicting intraoperative bleeding during endoscopic ethmoidectomy. It could help to identify patients for whom specific measures like preoperative treatment with antibiotics and steroids, topical perioperative preparation of the nose or hypotensive anesthesia are required in order to reduce the risk of intraoperative complications.
Spontaneous and lectin-induced redistribution of cell surface receptors on embryonic chick neural retina cells.

The mobility of plant lectin receptors in the plane of the membrane is examined for cells prepared from embryonic chick neural retinas by a variety of procedures. Cells liberated from the intact tissue by trypsin treatment followed by mechanical dissociation are able to redistribute their receptors into 'caps' both spontaneously and in the presence of a multivalent lectin. These cells, dispersed by trypsinization, upon repair in culture for a suitable period of time lose their ability to redistribute lectin receptors. Cells dispersed by mechanical means without prior trypsin treatment are unable to undergo 'cap' formation. In addition, cells within intact tissues are also unable to redistribute their lectin receptors into 'caps. ' Based on these observations we propose that within solid tissues which have assumed their characteristic architecture, cell surfaces are immobilized, and that this phenomenon may be a critical parameter in determining the potential of a cell to undergo morphogenetic rearrangements.
Identification of Faces in a 2D Line Drawing Projection of a Wireframe Object

An important key to reconstructing a three-dimensional object depicted by a two-dimensional line drawing projection is face identification. Identification of edge circuits in a 2D projection corresponding to actual faces of a 3D object becomes complex when the projected object is in wireframe representation. This representation is commonly encountered in drawings made during the conceptual design stage of mechanical parts. When nonmanifold objects are considered, the situation becomes even more complex. This paper discusses the principles underlying face identification and presents an algorithm capable of performing this identification. Face-edge-vertex relationships applicable to nonmanifold objects are also proposed. Examples from a working implementation are given.
Virulence ranking of some Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Mycobacterium bovis strains according to their ability to multiply in the lungs, induce lung pathology, and cause mortality in mice

Three virulent strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (H37Rv, Erdman, and NYH-27) and two virulent strains of M. bovis (Ravenel and Branch) were compared in terms of their growth rates in the livers and the lungs of mice, their ability to cause lung pathology, and the time taken for them to cause death. In immunocompetent mice, all strains caused an infection that progressed for 20 days or more and then underwent resolution in the liver but not in the lungs. In the lungs, infection persisted and induced progressive pathology. According to host survival time, Ravenel was the most virulent strain, followed, in decreasing order of virulence, by Branch, H37Rv, Erdman, and NYH-27. The much longer survival times of mice infected with M. tuberculosis strains allowed time for lung histopathology to change from a histiocytic alveolitis to a chronic fibroblastic fibrosis that eventually obliterated most of the lung architecture. By contrast, in mice infected with M. bovis strains, the alveolitis that developed during early infection was rapid and expansive enough to cause death before chronic lung pathology became evident. In mice depleted of CD4+ T cells, increased growth of all virulent strains induced necrotic exudative lung lesions that rapidly filled most of the alveolar sacs with inflammatory cells. These mice died much earlier than infected control mice did. Attenuated strains had longer population doubling times in vivo and failed to cause progressive disease or pathology in the lungs or livers of immunocompetent mice.
Dataset-level Color Augmentation and Multi-scale Exploration Methods for Polyp Segmentation

—Automatic segmentation of polyps from colonoscopy images plays a critical role in early screening and treatment of colorectal cancer. Although deep learning methods have made significant progress, precise polyp segmentation faces two challenges: (1) the imbalance of color appearances in the limited training dataset hinders the generalization of the model, and (2) polyps have the diverse scales, locations and shapes with blurred boundary. To address the issues, Dataset-Level Color Augmentation (DLCA) and a Convolutional Multi-scale Attention Module (CMAM) are proposed. DLCA employs the dataset-level color knowledge and generate new color appearances, to avoid the model learning false associations with colors. Meanwhile, CMAM simultaneously explores the region and boundary clues and model multi-scale context, which improves the accuracy of polyp localization and fine-grained segmentation. We conduct comprehensive experiments and compare our network with state-of-the-art methods. The proposed model is superior on multiple polyp datasets, especially on ETIS, where mDice and mIoU reach 0.839 and 0.766. Furthermore, it’s validated that DLCA can be widely applied to most polyp segmentation methods, and CMAM is practical and plug-and-play. Finally, the model demonstrates promising generalization to breast ultrasound and skin lesion segmentation.
fMRI Responses to Video and Point-Light Displays of Moving Humans and Manipulable Objects

We used fMRI to study the organization of brain responses to different types of complex visual motion. In a rapid eventrelated design, subjects viewed video clips of humans performing different whole-body motions, video clips of manmade manipulable objects (tools) moving with their characteristic natural motion, point-light displays of human whole-body motion, and point-light displays of manipulable objects. The lateral temporal cortex showed strong responses to both moving videos and moving point-light displays, supporting the hypothesis that the lateral temporal cortex is the cortical locus for processing complex visual motion. Within the lateral temporal cortex, we observed segregated responses to different types of motion. The superior temporal sulcus (STS) responded strongly to human videos and human point-light displays, while the middle temporal gyrus (MTG) and the inferior temporal sulcus responded strongly to tool videos and tool point-light displays. In the ventral temporal cortex, the lateral fusiform responded more to human videos than to any other stimulus category while the medial fusiform preferred tool videos. The relatively weak responses observed to point-light displays in the ventral temporal cortex suggests that form, color, and texture (present in video but not point-light displays) are the main contributors to ventral temporal activity. In contrast, in the lateral temporal cortex, the MTG responded as strongly to point-light displays as to videos, suggesting that motion is the key determinant of response in the MTG. Whereas the STS responded strongly to point-light displays, it showed an even larger response to video displays, suggesting that the STS integrates form, color, and motion information.
The Role of Coupled North Paciﬁc Atmosphere–Ocean Interactions in Impacts of Tibetan Plateau Snow Anomalies on the Northern Hemisphere Winter Atmospheric Circulation

: Previous studies indicate observed in ﬂ uences of autumn and winter Tibetan Plateau (TP) snow-cover anomalies on the winter Paci ﬁ c – North American (PNA) teleconnection. This study simulates atmospheric and oceanic responses to persistent autumn – winter TP snow forcing using an atmospheric general circulation model (AGCM) and a coupled atmospheric-oceanic general circulation model (AOGCM), and quanti ﬁ es the role of atmosphere – ocean interactions over North Paci ﬁ c in TP snow effects. The AOGCM experiment induces a stronger and more realistic remote PNA response to heavy TP snow anomalies, and also a signi ﬁ cant winter horseshoe-like North Paci ﬁ c sea surface temperature (SST) pattern resulting from an anomalous equivalent barotropic cyclone, or a strengthened Aleutian low, with associated cyclonic wind stress anomalies. The horseshoe-like SST anomaly pattern is used as boundary forcing (without prescribed heavy TP snow) in another AOGCM experiment, which simulates an enhanced winter Aleutian low and a PNA-like response similar to the original AOGCM responses, indicating that that the direct Paci ﬁ c – North American atmospheric response to persistent TP snow forcing in the AGCM is ampli ﬁ ed in the AOGCM by the North Paci ﬁ c midlatitude atmosphere – ocean interactions. This suggests that the mechanisms of the winter PNA responses to TP snow forcing involve dynamical atmospheric processes such as horizontal propagation of Rossby wave energy and transient eddy feedbacks, and also North Paci ﬁ c atmosphere – ocean interactions, which provide a positive feedback on the development of the remote PNA teleconnection. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: The Tibetan Plateau has a 2.5 million km 2 area and a 4000 m average elevation, and is often called “ the third pole ” because of its polar-like climate in midlatitude Eurasia. A heavy Tibetan Plateau snow cover increases the albedo effect and causes tropospheric cold temperature and low height changes that can be carried or advected to the North Paci ﬁ c by the prevailing westerlies. The purpose of this study is to better understand how Tibetan Plateau snow anomalies in ﬂ uence the North Paci ﬁ c and the remote atmospheric circulation through numerical simulations. Our results ﬁ nd that those North Paci ﬁ c responses amply the direct atmospheric response to Tibetan Plateau snow-cover anomalies. This greatly improves our understanding of physical mechanisms of Tibetan Plateau snow impacts.
Delineating victims from perpetrators: Prosecuting self-produced Delineating victims from perpetrators: Prosecuting self-produced child pornography in Youth Criminal Justice Systems child pornography in Youth Criminal Justice Systems

Video recording technology advancements and accessibility has been paralleled by a growth in self-produced child pornography (SPCP). Although social and judicial attention has been given to instances of teenage sexting, Internet-based forms of SPCP, such as webcam/website sex tourism, have almost been ignored. While some of the proposed legislation reform has referenced video-based SPCP, the majority has focused on SPCP distributed through cellular phones; excluding that which is manifested online or through entrepreneurial efforts. The purpose of this article is to introduce non-sexting SPCP, using the case study of Justin Berry (in the United States), and to propose a broad punishment, education, and counseling response from youth criminal justice systems (YCJS). Recommendations are meant as a starting point, framed with multiple YCJS structures, the duality of victim and perpetrator, the justice and welfare approaches to juvenile justice, and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child in mind. __
Adult outcomes of pediatric recurrent abdominal pain: do they just grow out of it?

OBJECTIVE To determine whether medically unexplained recurrent abdominal pain (RAP) in childhood predicts abdominal pain, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), other somatic complaints, and psychiatric symptoms and disorders in young adulthood. METHODS A sample of 28 young adults evaluated for RAP between the ages of 6 and 17 years were compared with 28 individually matched former childhood participants in a study of tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy. RAP caseness was established by structured retrospective chart review requiring agreement by 2 independent reviewers. Standardized assessments of abdominal pain, IBS, other somatic symptoms, psychopathology, perceived health, and history of maltreatment were performed an average of 11.1 years after the index visit. RESULTS Former RAP patients were significantly more likely than controls to endorse anxiety symptoms and disorders, hypochondriacal beliefs, greater perceived susceptibility to physical impairment, poorer social functioning, current treatment with psychoactive medication, and generalized anxiety in first degree relatives. There were trends suggesting associations between childhood RAP and lifetime psychiatric disorder, depression, migraine, and family history of depression, but group differences on abdominal pain, IBS, other somatic symptoms, and history of maltreatment were not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS There is a strong and relatively specific association between childhood RAP and anxiety in young adulthood. Affected children may be at special risk to perceive physical symptoms as threatening, and should be evaluated for psychiatric disorder on initial presentation.