Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Complex loss optimization via dual decomposition

We describe a novel max-margin parameter learning approach for structured prediction problems under certain non-decomposable performance measures. Structured prediction is a common approach in many vision problems. Non-decomposable performance measures are also commonplace. However, efficient general methods for learning parameters against non-decomposable performance measures do not exist. In this paper we develop such a method, based on dual decomposition, that is applicable to a large class of non-decomposable performance measures. We exploit dual decomposition to factorize the original hard problem into two smaller problems and show how to optimize each factor efficiently. We show experimentally that the proposed approach significantly outperforms alternatives, which either sacrifice the model structure or approximate the performance measure, and is an order of magnitude faster than a previous approach with comparable results.
Robust LPV H∞ gain-scheduled hover-to-cruise conversion for a tilt-wing rotorcraft in the presence of CG variations

This paper describes the development and analysis of gain-scheduled, multi-variable Hinfin control law for the conversion of a linear parameter varying (LPV) model of a high-speed autonomous rotorcraft vehicle (HARVee), an experimental tilt-wing aircraft. Tilt-wing aircraft combine the high-speed cruise capabilities of a conventional airplane with the vertical takeoff and station keeping abilities of a helicopter by rotating their wings at the fuselage. Changing between cruise and hover flight modes in mid-air is referred to as the conversion process, or simply conversion. A nonlinear aerodynamic model was previously developed that captures the unique dynamics of the tilt-wing aircraft. An Hinfin design methodology was used to develop linear controllers along various operating points of a conversion trajectory. The development of these control systems was governed not only by performance specifications at each particular operating point, but also by the unique requirements of a gain-scheduled conversion control system. The performance of the resulting conversion closed-loop systems is analyzed in the frequency and time domains. Performance robustness with respect to variation in the location of the center of gravity (eg) has been studied.
{bs,hr,sr}WaC - Web Corpora of Bosnian, Croatian and Serbian

In this paper we present the construction process of top-level-domain web corpora of Bosnian, Croatian and Serbian. For constructing the corpora we use the SpiderLing crawler with its associated tools adapted for simultaneous crawling and processing of text written in two scripts, Latin and Cyrillic. In addition to the modified collection process we focus on two sources of noise in the resulting corpora: 1. they contain documents written in the other, closely related languages that can not be identified with standard language identification methods and 2. as most web corpora, they partially contain low-quality data not suitable for the specific research and application objectives. We approach both problems by using language modeling on the crawled data only, omitting the need for manually validated language samples for training. On the task of discriminating between closely related languages we outperform the state-of-the-art Blacklist classifier reducing its error to a fourth.
Boundary-Seeking Generative Adversarial Networks

Generative adversarial networks (GANs) are a learning framework that rely on training a discriminator to estimate a measure of difference between a target and generated distributions. GANs, as normally formulated, rely on the generated samples being completely differentiable w.r. t. the generative parameters, and thus do not work for discrete data. We introduce a method for training GANs with discrete data that uses the estimated difference measure from the discriminator to compute importance weights for generated samples, thus providing a policy gradient for training the generator. The importance weights have a strong connection to the decision boundary of the discriminator, and we call our method boundary-seeking GANs (BGANs). We demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm with discrete image and character-based natural language generation. In addition, the boundary-seeking objective extends to continuous data, which can be used to improve stability of training.
Representations of the caregiver–child relationship and of the self, and emotion regulation in the narratives of young children whose mothers have borderline personality disorder

Abstract Borderline personality disorder (BPD) represents a severe distortion in the development of attachment, self, and emotion regulation. Study of children at high risk of developing BPD may inform precursors to BPD. In a low socioeconomic status sample of 30 children aged 4–7 whose mothers have BPD and 30 normative comparisons, representations of the caregiver–child relationship and of the self, and emotion regulation were assessed with a story-stem completion measure. In contrast to comparisons and controlling for major depressive disorder, children whose mothers have BPD told stories with the following: (a) more parent–child role reversal, more fear of abandonment, and more negative mother–child and father–child relationship expectations; (b) more incongruent and shameful representations of the self; and (c) poorer emotion regulation indicated by more confusion of boundaries between fantasy and reality and between self and fantasy, more fantasy proneness, less narrative coherence, and marginally more intrusion of traumatic themes. In the sample as a whole, (a) a maladaptive caregiver–child relationship composite was associated with maternal identity disturbance and self-harm; (b) a maladaptive self-composite was associated with maternal self-harm; and (c) a maladaptive emotion regulation composite was associated with maternal identity disturbance, negative relationships, and self-harm. Results are discussed in terms of putative precursors to BPD and preventive interventions.
Nucleocytoplasmic movement of fluorescent tracers microinjected into living salivary gland cells

The permeability of the nuclear envelop of a somatic cell, the C. thummi larval salivary gland cell, was studied by intracellular microinjection of fluorescent molecular tracers. As shown previously in oocytes (4,5,15,16), the envelop is permeable to a wide variety of materials, including molecules which are large enough to possess condiderable biological specificities and to play important roles in regulation of cellular activities. The envelop exhibits transport selectivity on the basis of size in the range of naturally occurring intracellular materials and it may thus perform important controlling functions in nucleocytoplasmic exchange. The nucleus to cytoplasm movement of in vivo ribonucleoprotein particulates in these synthetically active cells probably requires conformational changes in the particulates and/or the envelope pore complexes; morphological evidence exists for such processess in these cells (20).
Amplitude and Phase in the MüLler-Lyer Illusion

It has previously been claimed that the Müller-Lyer illusion is the result of low-pass spatial filtering. One way to understand this would be that the distribution of amplitudes is what generates this illusion. This possibility was investigated by computing the 2-D Fourier transforms of the two Müller-Lyer stimuli and extracting their phase and amplitude spectra. These spectra were combined to create hybrid spectra having the phase of one Müller-Lyer figure and the amplitudes of the other. Images were then created by computing the inverse Fourier transform of the hybrid spectra. Except in cases where the analysis was performed patchwise on very small patches, the figures generated with the phase spectrum of the stimuli having outward-pointing fins appear the longer. This was also the case when stimuli were generated with flat amplitude spectra. Because they show that the Müller-Lyer illusion does not depend on any particular distribution of amplitudes, these demonstrations do not support the theory that the Müller-Lyer illusion is the result of low-frequency filtering.
The necessity for the coating of perfluorodecalin-filled poly(lactide-co-glycolide) microcapsules in the presence of physiological cholate concentrations: Tetronic-908 as an exemplary polymeric surfactant

Recently, we demonstrated that biodegradable poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) micro- and nanocapsules with a liquid content of perfluorodecalin are principally useful for the development of artificial oxygen carriers. In order to solve a decisive and well-known problem with PLGA microcapsules, i.e. the spontaneous agglomeration of the capsules after depletion of the emulsifying agent (i.e. cholate), coating with the ABA block copolymer, Tetronic-908 was studied. After Tetronic-908 treatment at concentrations that were harmless to cultured cells, the clustering of the microcapsules was prevented, the adsorption of opsonins was decreased and the attachment to cells was inhibited, but the oxygen transport capacity of PLGA microcapsules was even increased. The present data clearly show that perfluorodecalin-filled PLGA microcapsules must be coated before decreasing the emulsifying agent cholate to physiological concentrations, in order to develop a solution that has the capabilities to function as a potential artificial oxygen carrier suspension.
Oxygen Sensing in Health and Disease Facilitation of dopamine and acetylcholine release by intermittent hypoxia in PC 12 cells : involvement of calcium and reactive oxygen species

Kim, Dong-Kyu, Niranjana Natarajan, Nanduri R. Prabhakar, and Ganesh K. Kumar. Facilitation of dopamine and acetylcholine release by intermittent hypoxia in PC12 cells: involvement of calcium and reactive oxygen species. J Appl Physiol 96: 1206–1215, 2004. First published December 2, 2003; 10.1152/japplphysiol.00879. 2003. —We have investigated the effects of preconditioning pheochromocytoma (PC12) cells with intermittent hypoxia (IH) on transmitter release during acute hypoxia. Cell cultures were exposed to either alternating cycles of hypoxia (1% O2 5% CO2; 30 s/cycle) and normoxia (21% O2 5% CO2; 3 min/cycle) for 15 or 60 cycles or normoxia alone (control) for similar durations. Control and IH cells were challenged with either hyperoxia (basal release) or acute hypoxia (PO2 of 35 Torr) for 5 min, and the amounts of dopamine (DA) and acetylcholine (ACh) released in the medium were determined by HPLC combined with electrochemical detection. Hypoxia augmented DA ( 80%) but not ACh release in naive cells, whereas, in IH-conditioned cells, it further enhanced DA release (ranging from 120 to 145%) and facilitated ACh release ( 30%). Hypoxia-evoked augmentation of transmitter release was not seen in cells conditioned with sustained hypoxia. IH-induced increase in DA but not IH-induced ACh release during hypoxia was partially inhibited by cadmium chloride (100 M), a voltage-gated Ca channel blocker. By contrast, 2-aminoethoxydiphenylborate (75 M), a blocker of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3) receptors, and N-acetyl-L-cysteine (300 M), a potent scavenger of reactive oxygen species, either attenuated or abolished IH-evoked augmentation of transmitter release during hypoxia. Together, the above results demonstrate that IH conditioning increases hypoxia-evoked neurotransmitter release from PC12 cells via mechanisms involving mobilization of Ca from intracellular stores through activation of IP3 receptors. Our findings also suggest that oxidative stress plays a central role in IH-induced augmentation of transmitter release from PC12 cells during acute hypoxia.
The complexity of advice-giving

Advice-giving about personal problems is a common form of human interaction. However, an open question is whether there is an abstract and general logic that explains how advice-giving works. In this study, we addressed this question from the perspective of dynamical systems. We measured the nonlinear dynamics of advice-giving by using recurrence quantification analysis. Analyzing 600 texts of request for advice and the advice given, our results uncover a typical logic of advice-giving, and suggest that advice-giving may be understood as a dynamic manipulation of perspective-taking. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Complexity 2009
Admixture mapping of male nuptial colour and body shape in a recently formed hybrid population of threespine stickleback

Despite recent progress, we still know relatively little about the genetic architecture that underlies adaptation to divergent environments. Determining whether the genetic architecture of phenotypic adaptation follows any predictable patterns requires data from a wide variety of species. However, in many organisms, genetic studies are hindered by the inability to perform genetic crosses in the laboratory or by long generation times. Admixture mapping is an approach that circumvents these issues by taking advantage of hybridization that occurs between populations or species in the wild. Here, we demonstrate the utility of admixture mapping in a naturally occurring hybrid population of threespine sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus) from Enos Lake, British Columbia. Until recently, this lake contained two species of sticklebacks adapted to divergent habitats within the lake. This benthic–limnetic species pair diverged in a number of phenotypes, including male nuptial coloration and body shape, which were previously shown to contribute to reproductive isolation between them. However, recent ecological disturbance has contributed to extensive hybridization between the species, and there is now a single, admixed population within Enos Lake. We collected over 500 males from Enos Lake and found that most had intermediate nuptial colour and body shape. By genotyping males with nuptial colour at the two extremes of the phenotypic distribution, we identified seven genomic regions on three chromosomes associated with divergence in male nuptial colour. These genomic regions are also associated with variation in body shape, suggesting that tight linkage and/or pleiotropy facilitated adaptation to divergent environments in benthic–limnetic species pairs.
Loneliness and Social Dissatisfaction in Turkish Adolescents

Abstract The present study is an investigation of the relationships of sociometric status, gender, and academic achievement to loneliness levels of Turkish adolescents. Participants were 370 secondary school students (186 girls and 184 boys). Data on loneliness and social dissatisfaction levels of students were collected with the Turkish version of S. R. Asher and V. A. Wheeler's (1985) Loneliness and Social Dissatisfaction Scale. Sociometric data were gathered by using a rating scale and a positive nomination measure devised by S. R. Asher and K. A. Dodge (1986) in which participants were classified into one of four groups (popular, rejected, neglected, and controversial). The scores obtained from these measures were treated by a method similar to that of J. D. Coie, K. A. Dodge, and H. Coppotelli's (1982) standard score approach. Results revealed that sociometric status was significantly related to loneliness and social dissatisfaction as a function of peer relations. Members of the rejected group reported significantly higher levels of loneliness and social dissatisfaction than did members of the controversial, popular, and neglected groups. The controversial group was also significantly different from the popular group in loneliness level. No significant gender differences were found. Results also revealed a significant negative relationship between achievement scores and loneliness, indicating that as the level of loneliness increased, academic achievement decreased.
Compliance with hand hygiene practice in pediatric intensive care

Objective To determine the frequency and predictors of compliance with hand hygiene (HH) practice in pediatric intensive care. Design Observational, prospective cohort study performed from February to April 2000. Setting Three intensive care units at a tertiary care children’s hospital. Participants Nurses, physicians, respiratory therapists, and other healthcare workers. Methods During 156 30-min daytime observation periods, an unidentified observer monitored 2811 opportunities for HH during patient care and recorded HH compliance. Measurements and Main Results Average HH compliance was 34% (946/2811). It was higher (p < 0.001) among respiratory therapists (68%; 171/251) than physicians (37%; 157/426) or nurses (29%; 587/2031). Contact with body fluid secretions was associated with the highest compliance (77%; 46/60), and contact with wounds (71%; 10/14) or indwelling devices (66%; 110/167) were associated with somewhat lesser compliance. The following were important predictors of compliance (all p < 0.01): being a respiratory therapist (odds ratio [OR], 5.1); working in the neonatal intensive care unit (OR, 1.6); and contact with invasive devices (OR, 2.5), wounds (OR, 6.9), or body fluids (OR, 11.5). Compliance was lowest after interrupted patient-care activities (9%; OR, 0.15). Surprisingly, decreased patient-to-nurse ratio (mean, 1.3 ± 0.3) or opportunities per hr of care (mean, 37 ± 7) were not independent predictors of compliance. Conclusions Average HH compliance was low, but it increased during high-risk patient-care activities. Intensified efforts are necessary to increase caretakers’ compliance and the awareness of the risk of bacterial contamination after interrupted patient-care activities.
Capsule Endoscopy: New Technology, Old Complication

Wireless capsule endoscopy is a new tool in the armamentarium of the gastroenterologist to evaluate the small bowel non-invasively. It allows improved diagnostic yield with low complication rates relative to traditional modalities. But this new technology has its own set of complications, some which can lead to significant morbidity. Here, we present a case of complete small bowel obstruction following a capsule endoscopy. A 65-year-old female with a long standing history of anemia and obscure gastrointestinal bleed presented to the Emergency Department 72 hours after a wireless capsule endoscopy procedure complaining of worsening abdominal pain, distension, and frequent vomiting. An X-ray was suggestive of complete distal small bowel obstruction with the capsule at the transition point of dilated proximal and collapsed distal small bowel. The patient was resuscitated and taken up for an explorative laparotomy where a short segment stricture was noted with the capsule endoscope caught proximal to it. The segment was resected and patient made an uneventful recovery. Wireless capsule endoscopy is now becoming the preferred method to image the small bowel. Our report illustrates the importance of appropriate patient selection and evaluation of functional patency of the small bowel may be with a contrast series prior to wireless capsule endoscopy to avoid any post procedural morbidity.
Slc:Wistar outbred rats show close genetic similarity with F344 inbred rats

Although Slc:Wistar rats are used widely in biomedical research as outbred rats, close similarities in growth curves, survival rates, and immunological and biochemical phenotypes have been reported between Slc:Wistar and F344 inbred rats. We reported previously that nine genetic variations that were fixed in Slc:Wistar rats had identical genotypes in F344 rats. Here, we examined the genetic characteristics of Slc:Wistar rats using 27 simple-sequence length polymorphism (SSLP) markers and compared them with other Wistar stocks available in Japan and with some F344 strains. Among 27 SSLP loci, 23 (85%) were fixed in the Slc:Wistar rats, which was the highest among the other Wistar stocks. The 23 fixed loci shared identical genotypes with corresponding loci in F344 rats. Further, the predominant allele types in the unfixed loci had allele frequencies as high as 80%, and these alleles were identical in the F344 rats. When the nine genetic variations reported previously are added, a total of 32 (89%) out of the 36 loci examined were fixed and identical in the Slc:Wistar and F344 rat genomes. These findings indicate the low genetic variation in Slc:Wistar rats and the high genetic similarity between the Slc:Wistar and F344 inbred rats. This study demonstrates the importance of characterizing outbred rats and the need to pay ample attention to the genetic characteristics the Slc:Wistar rats for their proper use.
Optimal stimulus duration for the H reflex

Authorities advocate different stimulus durations to produce an H reflex. In order to find the optimal stimulus duration for recording H reflexes, the recruitment curves for H reflexes and M responses were studied in 10 healthy subjects. The H reflex was recorded in the upper and lower extremities, and the durations of the electrical stimulus used ranged from 0.1 to 3 msec. The amplitude of the H reflex and the relation between the H reflex and M response changed with stimulus duration. H reflexes are brought out to advantage using a stimulus duration between 0.5 and 1 msec.
Medical Anthropology in Romania – Medical Anthropology on Romania?

A discipline becomes established in a particular national context if it is institutionalised. is institutionalisation includes teaching courses and programmes, research projects, groups and institutes, as well as academic societies and conferences in the discipline. Medical anthropology in Romania had the same diffi culty in institutionalising itself at the national level as did social and cultural anthropology more largely. While, since the beginning of the 90s, the latter disposes of an academic society, of master’s programmes and undergraduate courses off ered at diff erent universities around Romania, it still does not have a full undergraduate programme. e situation of medical anthropology is even more precarious. No courses at any level are currently off ered on the subject, and there is only one researcher, Valentin-Veron Toma, based at the „Fr. I. Rainer” Institute of Anthropology in Bucharest, who has developed, over the last twelve years, a number of research projects in medical anthropology. However, interest in medical anthropology topics has grown in recent years, as several PhD students have taken them up in Bucharest and Cluj universities.
Effect of Cold Water on Esophageal Motility in Patients With Achalasia and Non-obstructive Dysphagia: A High-resolution Manometry Study

Background/Aims Swallowing of cold liquids decreases amplitude and velocity of peristalsis in healthy subjects, using standard manometry. Patients with achalasia and non obstructive dysphagia may have degeneration of sensory neural pathways, affecting motor response to cooling. To elucidate this point, we used high-resolution manometry. Methods Fifteen healthy subjects, 15 non-obstructive dysphagia and 15 achalasia patients, after pneumatic dilation, were studied. The 3 groups underwent eight 5 mL single swallows, two 20 mL multiple rapid swallows and 50 mL intraesophageal water infusion (1 mL/sec), using both water at room temperature and cold water, in a randomized order. Results In healthy subjects, cold water reduced distal contractile integral in comparison with water at room temperature during single swallows, multiple rapid swallows and intraesophageal infusion (ratio cold/room temperature being 0.67 [95% CI, 0.48-0.85], 0.56 [95% CI, 0.19-0.92] and 0.24 [95% CI, 0.12-0.37], respectively). A similar effect was seen in non-obstructive dysphagia patients (0.68 [95% CI, 0.51-0.84], 0.69 [95% CI, 0.40-0.97] and 0.48 [95% CI, 0.20-0.76], respectively), whereas no changes occurred in achalasia patients (1.06 [95% CI, 0.83-1.29], 1.05 [95% CI, 0.77-1.33] and 1.41 [95% CI, 0.84-2.00], respectively). Conclusions Our data suggest impairment of esophageal reflexes induced by cold water in patients with achalasia, but not in those with non obstructive dysphagia.