Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Manifold Regularized Discriminative Nonnegative Matrix Factorization With Fast Gradient Descent

Nonnegative matrix factorization (NMF) has become a popular data-representation method and has been widely used in image processing and pattern-recognition problems. This is because the learned bases can be interpreted as a natural parts-based representation of data and this interpretation is consistent with the psychological intuition of combining parts to form a whole. For practical classification tasks, however, NMF ignores both the local geometry of data and the discriminative information of different classes. In addition, existing research results show that the learned basis is unnecessarily parts-based because there is neither explicit nor implicit constraint to ensure the representation parts-based. In this paper, we introduce the manifold regularization and the margin maximization to NMF and obtain the manifold regularized discriminative NMF (MD-NMF) to overcome the aforementioned problems. The multiplicative update rule (MUR) can be applied to optimizing MD-NMF, but it converges slowly. In this paper, we propose a fast gradient descent (FGD) to optimize MD-NMF. FGD contains a Newton method that searches the optimal step length, and thus, FGD converges much faster than MUR. In addition, FGD includes MUR as a special case and can be applied to optimizing NMF and its variants. For a problem with 165 samples in R1600 , FGD converges in 28 s, while MUR requires 282 s. We also apply FGD in a variant of MD-NMF and experimental results confirm its efficiency. Experimental results on several face image datasets suggest the effectiveness of MD-NMF.
Factors predicting poor prognosis in ischemic colitis.

AIM To determine the clinical, analytical and endoscopic factors related to ischemic colitis (IC) severity. METHODS A total of 85 patients were enrolled in a retrospective study from January 1996 to May 2004. There were 53 females and 32 males (age 74.6+/-9.4 years, range 45-89 years). The patients were diagnosed as IC. The following variables were analyzed including age, sex, period of time from the appearance of symptoms to admission, medical history, medication, stool frequency, clinical symptoms and signs, blood tests (hemogram and basic biochemical profile), and endoscopic findings. Patients were divided in mild IC group and severe IC group (surgery and/or death). Qualitative variables were analyzed using chi-square test and parametric data were analyzed using Student's t test (P<0.05). RESULTS The mild IC group was consisted of 69 patients (42 females and 27 males, average age 74.7+/-12.4 years). The severe IC group was composed of 16 patients (11 females and 5 males, average age of 73.8+/-12.4 years). One patient died because of failure of medical treatment (no surgery), 15 patients underwent surgery (6 after endoscopic diagnosis and 9 after peroperatory diagnosis). Eight of 85 patients (9.6%) died and the others were followed up as out-patients for 9.6+/-3.5 mo. Demographic data, medical history, medication and stool frequency were similar in both groups (P>0.05). Seriously ill patients had less hematochezia than slightly ill patients (37.5% vs 86.9%, P = 0.000). More tachycardia (45.4% vs 10.1%, P = 0.011) and a higher prevalence of peritonism signs (75% vs 5.7%, P = 0.000) were observed in the severe IC group while the presence and intensity of abdominal pain were similar between two groups. Two patients with severe IC had shock when admitted. Regarding analytical data, more seriously ill patients were found to have anemia and hyponatremia than the mildly ill patients (37.5% vs 10.1%, P = 0.014 and 46.6% vs 14.9%, P = 0.012, respectively). Stenosis was the only endoscopic finding that appeared more frequently in seriously ill patients than in slightly ill patients (66.6% vs 17.3%, P = 0.017). CONCLUSION The factors that can predict poor prognosis of IC are the absence of hematochezia, tachycardia and peritonism, anemia and hyponatremia and stenosis.
Pharmacological interventions for self-injurious behaviour in adults with intellectual disabilities: Abridged republication of a Cochrane systematic review*

We aimed to determine clinical effectiveness of pharmacological interventions for self-injurious behaviour in adults with intellectual disability. We searched the following databases: CENTRAL; MEDLINE; EMBASE; PsycINFO; CINAHL; SCI; SSCI; Conference Proceedings Citation Index - Science; Conference Proceedings Citation Index – Social Science and Humanities; ZETOC; World Cat . We also searched ClinicalTrials.gov,ICTRP and the reference lists of included trials. We included randomised controlled trials that examined drug interventions versus placebo for self-injurious behaviour. We found five double-blind, placebo-controlled trials, which included a total of 50 people. Four trials compared the effects of naltrexone versus placebo and one trial clomipramine versus placebo. We did not identify any relevant placebo-controlled trials for other drugs. We presented a narrative summary, as meta-analysis was not appropriate due to differences in study designs, differences between interventions and heterogeneous outcome measures. There was weak evidence in included trials that any active drug was more effective than placebo for people with intellectual disability demonstrating self-injurious behaviour. Due to sparse data, an absence of power and statistical significance, and high risk of bias for four of the included trials, we are unable to reach any definite conclusions about the relative benefits of naltrexone or clomipramine compared to placebo.
Direct Facial-to-Hypoglossal Neurorrhaphy with Parotid Release.

OBJECTIVE Facial nerve paralysis or compromise can be caused by lesions of the temporal bone and cerebellopontine angle and their treatment. When the facial nerve is transected or severely compromised and primary end-to-end repair is not possible, hypoglossal-facial nerve anastomosis remains the most popular method for accomplishing three main goals: restoring facial tone, restoring facial symmetry, and facilitating return of voluntary facial movement. Our objectives are to evaluate the surgical feasibility and long-term outcomes of our technique of direct facial-to-hypoglossal neurorrhaphy with a parotid-release maneuver. DESIGN Prospective cohort. SETTING Academic tertiary care referral center. PATIENTS Ten patients with facial paralysis from proximal nerve injury underwent the facial-hypoglossal neurorrhaphy with a parotid-release maneuver. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES The Repaired Facial Nerve Recovery Scale, questionnaires, and photographs. RESULTS Facial-hypoglossal neurorrhaphy with parotid release was technically feasible in all cases, and anastomosis was performed distal to the origin of the ansa hypoglossi. All patients had good return of facial nerve function. Nine patients had scores of C or better, indicating strong eyelid and oral sphincter closure and mass motion. There was no hemilingual atrophy and no subjective tongue dysfunction. CONCLUSIONS The parotid-release maneuver mobilizes additional length to the facial nerve, facilitating a tensionless communication distal to the ansa hypoglossi. The technique is a viable option for facial reanimation, and our patients achieved good clinical outcomes with continual improvement.
Convolutional Neural Network-Based Finger-Vein Recognition Using NIR Image Sensors

Conventional finger-vein recognition systems perform recognition based on the finger-vein lines extracted from the input images or image enhancement, and texture feature extraction from the finger-vein images. In these cases, however, the inaccurate detection of finger-vein lines lowers the recognition accuracy. In the case of texture feature extraction, the developer must experimentally decide on a form of the optimal filter for extraction considering the characteristics of the image database. To address this problem, this research proposes a finger-vein recognition method that is robust to various database types and environmental changes based on the convolutional neural network (CNN). In the experiments using the two finger-vein databases constructed in this research and the SDUMLA-HMT finger-vein database, which is an open database, the method proposed in this research showed a better performance compared to the conventional methods.
Enhancement of Metacognition Use and Awareness by Means of a Collaborative Intervention

Current views on metacognition consider it a fundamental factor in learning and problem‐solving which in turn has led to interest in creating learning experiences conducive to developing its use. This paper reports on the effectiveness of a collaborative intervention in promoting college general chemistry students’ awareness and use of metacognition. The intervention starts with a cognitive imbalance experience as a trigger for metacognitive reflection, which is then followed by reflective prompting and peer interaction. A quasi‐experimental control and treatment design with 537 and 464 participants, respectively, was implemented. Assessment of metacognition was accomplished by using a multi‐method instrument that consists of a self‐report (Metacognitive Activities Inventory, MCAI) and a concurrent, web‐based tool (Interactive Multimedia Exercises, IMMEX). IMMEX has been shown to allow rapid classification of problem solvers according to their regulatory metacognitive skills. Compared to the control group, the treatment group showed a significant increase in metacognition awareness, as evidenced by the MCAI, increased ability in solving non‐algorithmic chemistry problems of higher difficulty, and with a higher per cent correctness (IMMEX). These findings are consistent with an overall increase in the use of regulatory metacognitive skills by the treatment group. We propose that the meaningful, purposeful social interaction and the reflective prompting instantiated by the intervention act as promoters of metacognition development. It is of particular relevance that these factors are not exclusive to the intervention employed here and can be embedded by practitioners in their instruction.
Relational and Item-Specific Encoding (RISE): task development and psychometric characteristics.

OBJECTIVES The Relational and Item-Specific Encoding task (RISE) was designed to assess contributions of specific encoding and retrieval processes to episodic memory in schizophrenia. This manuscript describes how a cognitive neuroscience functional imaging paradigm was translated for clinical research. METHODS The RISE manipulates encoding by requiring participants to decide whether stimuli are "living/nonliving" (item-specific) or whether one stimulus fits inside the other (relational) and estimates familiarity (F) and recollection (R) by examining receiver operator characteristics (ROC) and assessing item and associative recognition. Two studies examined psychometric characteristics and tested the hypothesis that patients have differential deficits in relational vs item-specific encoding and disproportionate impairments in recollection vs familiarity. RESULTS Study 1, using visual objects, provided support for the encoding hypotheses and revealed good internal consistency and alternate forms reliability, with small differences between test forms. ROC analysis revealed R and F deficits, with F deficits most prominent following relational encoding. Study 2 used word stimuli, which lowered item recognition, but patients had difficulty understanding task demands, and words were less desirable for non-English speaking clinical trials, leading to the decision to proceed with the original task. CONCLUSIONS The RISE is a valid and reliable measure of item-specific and relational memory that is well tolerated, with good psychometric characteristics and equivalent forms to facilitate treatment studies. Results indicate that episodic memory in schizophrenia is most preserved under conditions promoting item-specific encoding that is supported by familiarity-based recognition and is most impaired under relational encoding and recollection-based retrieval conditions.
Procuring Organ Donors as a Health Investment: How Much Should We Be Willing to Spend?

Background. This paper examines the benefits and costs that accrue when a cadaveric organ donor is procured. We estimate the cost per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) for donor procurement. Our objective was not only to see whether organ procurement is a “good” health investment, but also to clarify how much it is worth spending to obtain additional donors. Methods. We calculated the average number of kidney, heart, and liver transplants that a typical cadaveric donor generates. Relying primarily on reviewing the published literature, we estimated for each organ type the average number of QALYs that transplants add and the average medical costs they generate. We multiplied per organ benefits and costs by the number of organs from the typical donor, and summed the results to calculate the cost per QALY from procuring an additional donor. We conducted extensive sensitivity analyses of the assumptions. Results. Our central estimate indicates that the typical donor generates about 13 QALYs at an added medical cost of about $214,000, a cost of approximately $16,000 per QALY. Our high estimate is approximately $57,000. Conclusions. The implications of these findings depend upon how we choose to value QALYs. Most analysts agree that a figure of $100,000 is reasonable. At this value, the benefit obtained from one added donor would be $1.3 million (13 × $100,000) while the medical costs would be $214,000. The implication is that we should be willing to spend up to $1,086,000 ($1.3 million − $214,000) to obtain one more donor.
Psycho-spatial predictors of alcohol use among motor drivers in Ibadan, Nigeria: Implications for preventing vehicular accidents

Abikoye, G. E. (2012). Psycho-spatial predictors of alcohol use among motor drivers in Ibadan, Nigeria: Implications for preventing vehicular accidents. International Journal of Alcohol and Drug Research, 1 (1), 17-26. doi:10.7895/ijadr.v1i1. 32 ( http://dx.doi.org/10.7895/ijadr.v1i1.32 ) Aims: The study examined the roles of selected psychological, demographic and environmental variables in predicting hazardous drinking for both commercial drivers and private drivers. Design: The study was a cross-sectional survey. Setting: Data were collected at motor parks, auto workshops and car wash centers across the metropolis of Ibadan, Nigeria. Participants: A convenience sample of 566 drivers was recruited (241 commercial and 325 private drivers). Most drivers were male, and the mean age of the total sample was 35.70 years (±8.62 years). Measurements: The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) was used to measure hazardous drinking. Psychological variables included standardized measures of perceived drinking norms and optimistic bias. Demographic variables included age, sex, education, marital status, employment status and income. Environmental variables included proximity to alcohol vendors or selling points and neighborhood density. Findings: About 45% of commercial drivers and 25% of private drivers reported hazardous levels of alcohol consumption. Hazardous drinking was predicted by age, education, income, proximity to alcohol outlets, neighborhood density, optimistic bias and perceived drinking norms even when all variables were included in the regression model. These variables accounted for a substantial proportion of variance in predicting hazardous drinking. Conclusions: Psychological, environmental and demographic variables are important in understanding hazardous drinking among drivers and should be incorporated into intervention for reducing drivers’ hazardous drinking, including drinking and driving.
On the Fourier spectrum of monotone functions

In this paper, monotone Boolean functions are studied using harmonic analysis on the cube. The main result is that any monotone Boolean function has most of its power spectrum on its Fourier coefficients of degree at most O(√n) under any product distribution. This is similar to a result of Linial et al. [1993], which showed that AC 0 functions have almost all of their power spectrum on the coefficients of degree, at most (log n) O(1) , under the uniform distribution. As a consequence of the main result, the following two corollaries are obtained : -For any e > 0, monotone Boolean functions are PAC learnable with error e under product distributions in time 2 O((1/e) √ n) . -Any monotone Boolean function can be approximated within error e under product distributions by a non-monotone Boolean circuit of size 2 O(1/e √ n) and depth O(1/e √n). The learning algorithm runs in time subexponential as long as the required error is Ω(1/(√n log n)). It is shown that this is tight in the sense that for any subexponential time algorithm there is a monotone Boolean function for which this algorithm cannot approximate with error better than O(1/√n). The main result is also applied to other problems in learning and complexity theory. In learning theory, several polynomial-time algorithms for learning some classes of monotone Boolean functions, such as Boolean functions with O(log 2 n/log log n) relevant variables, are presented. In complexity theory, some questions regarding monotone NP-complete problems are addressed.
Enhanced Nonlinearity Tapered Chalcogenide Fiber for All-Optical Wavelength Conversion of 40 Gb/s Signals

Tapering As<sub>2</sub>Se<sub>3</sub> fiber for enhancing its nonlinearity to 2500 W<sup>-1</sup>km<sup>-1</sup>, enables near penalty-free, wavelength conversion of a 40 Gb/s optical signal via cross-phase modulation in a shorter device length that reduces dispersion impact for more broadband operation.
Staff Quality and Treatment Effectiveness: An Examination of the Relationship between Staff Factors and the Effectiveness of Correctional Programs

Although a growing body of research has focused on identifying the characteristics of effective interventions, relatively little research has looked at the impact that staff factors have on treatment effectiveness. The current research conceptualizes staff quality via three domains: staff characteristics, staff training, and staff supervision. Process and outcome evaluations of 54 community correctional facilities are used to examine the relationship between staff quality and reduced recidivism of program participants. The results suggest that measures of all three domains maintain substantively meaningful relationships with program effectiveness.
Investigating the photocatalytic degradation property of Pt, Pd and Ni nanoparticles-loaded TiO2 nanotubes powder prepared via rapid breakdown anodization

ABSTRACT The present study was performed to investigate the photocatalytic efficiency of the titania (TiO2) nanotubes (NTs) powder prepared via rapid breakdown anodization sensitized individually with Ni, Pd and Pt metal nanoparticles (NPs). The TiO2 NTs powder had the length of 5–6 μm, with the outer diameter between 20 and 25 nm and the wall thickness of 3–4 nm as observed in the scanning and transmission electron microscopes. The crystal structure analysis employing X-ray diffraction indicated the presence of Pt, Pd and Ni NPs in face-centered cubic phase over the anatase TiO2 NTs powder. The photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue (MB) was carried out with these photocatalysts. As a result, the performance of the 2 at. % Pt-loaded Pt–TiO2 NTs nanocomposite was determined to be superior on comparison to other photocatalysts under the current investigation. Fourier-transform infrared spectra confirmed the absence of any adsorption of MB or degraded products onto the surface of all the photocatalysts. The electron paramagnetic resonance analysis substantiated the e− transfer interaction from the conduction band of TiO2 NTs to Fermi level of Pt NPs has resulted in the better photodegradation process. The possible degradation mechanism using Pt–TiO2 NTs nanocomposites is discussed.
Grammatical relation probability: How usage patterns shape analogy

Abstract It has been argued speakers' knowledge of the probabilities of certain phones, words, and syntactic structures affects language production (Bell, Brenier, Gregory, Girand, & Jurafsky, 2009; Tily, Gahl, Arnon, Snider, Kothari, & Bresnan, 2009). This study provides evidence for effects of grammatical relation probabilities by identifying significant effects on verb morphology in the Spanish presentative [haber ‘there (be)’+ NP] construction stemming from nouns with varying proportion of use in subject function. In addition to this novel type of probability (grammatical relation), we present calculations that are not context-dependent but cumulative, reflecting speakers' overall experience with these nouns in the grammar. We conduct variationist analyses on corpora of spoken Puerto Rican Spanish. Our results reveal that nouns with a high probability of subject function promote the analogical leveling of haber by increasing the likelihood of reanalysis of the object as subject of the construction. We interpret these results as suggesting speakers possess lexicalized knowledge of grammatical relation usage patterns.
Using students' assessments to improve instructors' quality of teaching

This paper examines the relationship between quality of instruction of faculty members as assessed by students and the assessment periods involved. It is based on analysis carried out in Israel's largest public college. Our aim was to explore whether investments to improve the quality of instruction of faculty members are cost beneficial. The findings of this study confirm an improvement in all faculty members' ratings on assessment items as measured in instruction assessment surveys conducted at four points in time. Yet, the findings also indicate that improvements in teaching were not related to instructors' participation in teaching workshops or to any other steps taken by the college to improve quality of teaching. On the whole instructor's age was found to be an individual attribute variable of paramount importance. Seniority turned out to be another important professional attribute variable.