Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Performance Bounds in Lp-norm for Approximate Value Iteration

Approximate value iteration (AVI) is a method for solving large Markov decision problems by approximating the optimal value function with a sequence of value function representations $V_n$ processed according to the iterations $V_{n+1}=\mathcal{AT} V_n$, where $\mathcal{T}$ is the so-called Bellman operator and $\mathcal{A}$ an approximation operator, which may be implemented by a supervised learning (SL) algorithm. Usual bounds on the asymptotic performance of AVI are established in terms of the $L_\infty$-norm approximation errors induced by the SL algorithm. However, most widely used SL algorithms (such as least squares regression) return a function (the best fit) that minimizes an empirical approximation error in $L_p$-norm ($p\geq 1$). In this paper, we extend the performance bounds of AVI to weighted $L_p$-norms, which enables us to directly relate the performance of AVI to the approximation power of the SL algorithm, hence assuring the tightness and practical relevance of these bounds. The main result is a performance bound of the resulting policies expressed in terms of the $L_p$-norm errors introduced by the successive approximations. The new bound takes into account a concentration coefficient that estimates how much the discounted future-state distributions starting from a probability measure used to assess the performance of AVI can possibly differ from the distribution used in the regression operation. We illustrate the tightness of the bounds on an optimal replacement problem.
A study of germ cell morphology and duration of spermatogenic cycle in the baboon, Papio anubis

Biopsy and orchiectomy specimens were collected from two adult baboons (Papio anubis) at different intervals after intratesticular injection of H3‐thymidine. Zenker‐formol or Bouin's fixed materials were stained with PASWeigert‐Hematoxylin and radioautographed using the H.S. R. (Harleco Synthetic Resin) coating technique. Morphological features of most germ cells appeared similar to those of other monkeys, except that the spermatids in steps 9 to 11 showed a spike‐like projection of the acrosome. Also, the type A spermatogonia showed some resemblance to the human type A spermatogonia. The cell associations consisted of 12 stages and a large number of tubular cross sections showed the presence of two or more stages. In Papio anubis, the zygotene spermatocytes are formed in stage VIII, and spermatozoa are released during stages V and VI.
Initial validation of coaching behavior scales in volleyball.

Original scientific paper The main goal of this research was to validate two measuring instruments for assessing coaching behavior in volleyball: Coaching Behavior Scale for Sport (CBS-S) and Leadership Scale for Sport (LSS). The research was conducted on a sample of 273 youth and junior male and female volleyball players. By validating the questionnaires of perceived coaching behavior it has been established that the reliability was good in all 7 scales of CBS-S, as well as in 3 out of 5 scales of the LLS questionnaire. The reliability was not satisfactory only in scales of autocratic behavior and positive feedback. The distribution shape and symmetry indicators indicate good sensitivity of all scales, and having the item selection performed in particular scales, all scales have good homogeneity. In the process of making the CBS-S questionnaire the views of top athletes and coaches were taken into consideration. It is why CBS-S can be recommended especially to those researchers willing to analyze the field of top sport. However, this research also proves that CBS-S can be used for assessing the behavior of coaches of young age groups.
Probabilistic Boolean decision trees and the complexity of evaluating game trees

The Boolean Decision tree model is perhaps the simplest model that computes Boolean functions; it charges only for reading an input variable. We study the power of randomness (vs. both determinism and non-determinism) in this model, and prove separation results between the three complexity measures. These results are obtained via general and efficient methods for computing upper and lower bounds on the probabilistic complexity of evaluating Boolean formulae in which every variable appears exactly once (AND/OR tree with distinct leaves). These bounds are shown to be exactly tight for interesting families of such tree functions. We then apply our results to the complexity of evaluating game trees, which is a central problem in AI. These trees are similar to Boolean tree functions, except that input variables (leaves) may take values from a large set (of valuations to game positions) and the AND/OR nodes are replaced by MIN/MAX nodes. Here the cost is the number of positions (leaves) probed by the algorithm. The best known algorithm for this problem is the alpha-beta pruning method. As a deterministic algorithm, it will in the worst case have to examine all positions. Many papers studied the expected behavior of alpha-beta pruning (on uniform trees) under the unreasonable assumption that position values are drawn independently from some distribution. We analyze a randomized variant of alphabeta pruning, show that it is considerably faster than the deterministic one in worst case, and prove it optimal for uniform trees.
Effects of Astragalus Polysaccharide on Immune Responses of Porcine PBMC Stimulated with PRRSV or CSFV

Background Astragalus polysaccharide (APS) has been used as an immunomodulator that can enhance immune responses, whereas the immunomodulatory effects of APS on porcine peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) exposed to porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) and classical swine fever virus (CSFV) have not been investigated. Methodology/Principal Findings Porcine PBMCs were cultured in complete RPMI media in the presence of the R98-strain of PRRSV (5×104 TCID50/ml) or C-strain of CSFV (103 TCID50/ml) with or without APS. The expression of mRNA for CD28, cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen 4 (CTLA-4), transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β), interleukin 2 (IL-2) and IL-10 was assayed by TaqMan real-time RT-PCR. The expression of mRNA for CD28 and CTLA-4 increased at 24 h after stimulation of PBMCs with CSFV and the increased production of CTLA-4 was confirmed by western blot analysis, whereas the increases were inhibited by the addition of APS. In addition, APS alone upregulated IL-2 and TGF-β mRNA expression in PBMCs and the addition of APS had the capacity to prevent a further increase in IL-2 mRNA expression in PBMCs during CSFV or PRRSV infection, but had no effect on TGF-β mRNA expression. The production of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) increased at 12 h after stimulation with PRRSV or CSFV, but not with PRRSV plus APS or CSFV plus APS, whereas the addition of APS to PBMCs infected with PRRSV or CSFV promoted IL-10 mRNA expression. Conclusions We suggested that APS had immunomodulatory effects on cells exposed to PRRSV or CSFV. It might be that APS via different mechanisms affects the activities of immune cells during either PRRSV or CSFV infection. This possibility warrants further studies to evaluate whether APS would be an effective adjuvant in vaccines against PRRSV or CSFV.
The effect of trust in leader on job satisfaction and intent to leave present job in the context of the nursing profession.

THE EFFECT OF TRUST IN LEADER ON JOB SATISFACTION AND INTENT TO LEA VE PRESENT JOB IN THE CONTEXT OF THE NURSING PROFESSION William David Gibson March 23,2011 Three research questions made up the focus of the study. First, after controlling for demographic variables of age, gender, and tenure in organization, to what extent does trust in leader (nurse manager) relate to job satisfaction? Second, after controlling for demographic variables of age, gender, and tenure in organization, to what extent does trust in leader (nurse manager) and job satisfaction relate to intent to leave present job? Finally, are the effects of trust in leader (nurse manager) on intent to leave present job all direct effects, or are some or all of the effects indirect through the variable of job satisfaction? F or research question 1, results indicated, for the most part, that there was a significant positive association between trust in leader and job satisfaction controlling for demographic variables. The results suggest that the perception of trust in one's immediate leader does influence job satisfaction and vice versa. The results for the second research question suggest that after controlling for the demographic variables of age, gender, and years in organization, trust in leader and job satisfaction both influence intent to leave present job.
Higher Retail Prices of Sugar-Sweetened Beverages 3 Months After Implementation of an Excise Tax in Berkeley, California.

OBJECTIVES We assessed the short-term ability to increase retail prices of the first US 1-cent-per-ounce excise tax on the distribution of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs), which was implemented in March 2015 by Berkeley, California. METHODS In 2014 and 2015, we examined pre- to posttax price changes of SSBs and non-SSBs in a variety of retailers in Berkeley and in the comparison cities Oakland and San Francisco, California. We examined price changes by beverage, brand, size, and retailer type. RESULTS For smaller beverages (≤ 33.8 oz), price increases (cents/oz) in Berkeley relative to those in comparison cities were 0.69 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.36, 1.03) for soda, 0.47 (95% CI = 0.08, 0.87) for fruit-flavored beverages, and 0.47 (95% CI = 0.25, 0.69) for SSBs overall. For 2-liter bottles and multipacks of soda, relative price increases were 0.46 (95% CI = 0.03, 0.89) and 0.49 (95% CI = 0.21, 0.77). We observed no relative price increases for nontaxed beverages overall. CONCLUSIONS Approximately 3 months after the tax was implemented, SSB retail prices increased more in Berkeley than in nearby cities, marking a step in the causal pathway between the tax and reduced SSB consumption.
Metabolic alterations in tissues perfused with decalcifying agents.

It has long been known that calcium plays an important role in the adhesiveness of normal metazoan cells. By the use of calcium-free incubation media, it has been possible to obtain isolated viable cells from a variety of plant and embryonic animal tissues (Rinaldini, 1958). Anderson (1953) described a method for obtaining isolated cells from adult rat livers in high yield and apparently intact morphologically. The method consisted essentially of perfusion of the liver with a calciumsequestering agent (citrate or EDTA) followed by gentle mechanical separation of the cells. Metabolic studies of such cells, however, have shown them to differ markedly from tissue slices in various respects (Laws & Stickland, 1956; Lata & Reinertson, 1957; Kalant & Young, 1957; Branster & Morton, 1957; Zimmerman, Devlin & Pruss, 1960), thus throwing doubt on their functional, if not their morphological, integrity. In contrast, Ehrlich ascites-tumour cells exposed to the same decalcifying agent showed no alteration of succinoxidase activity (Kalant & Young, 1957), although Wu (1959) reported that EDTA increased the leakage of glycolytic enzymes from mouse ascitestumour cells. Because of these findings, and the reports (Coman, 1944; Lansing, Rosenthal & Kamen, 1948; DeLong, Coman & Zeidman, 1950) on the differences between normal and malignant tissue with respect to calcium-binding, it seemed of interest to explore further the connexion between calcium and normal tissue structure and metabolic patterns. The work reported here indicates that sequestration of calcium from normal adult mammalian tissues with citrate or EDTA results in a gross alteration of cell-wall permeability which in turn causes the observed changes in metabolic behaviour in vitro. Evidence has been presented by Leeson & Kalant (1961) that this treatment of the tissue does not result in mechanical breakage of the cell membranes. METHODS
Athlete's heart in women. Echocardiographic characterization of highly trained elite female athletes.

UNLABELLED OBJECTIVES; To define the expression of "athlete's heart" in women by determining the alterations in cardiac dimensions associated with long-term intense conditioning in elite female athletes. DESIGN; Prospective cardiovascular assessment conducted from 1986 through 1993. Subjects were evaluated using 2-dimensional, M-mode, and Doppler echo-cardiographic studies. SETTING Institute of Sports Science, Italian National Olympic Committee, Rome, Italy. PARTICIPANTS A total of 600 elite female athletes (mean age, 21 years; range, 12-49 years) who had participated in vigorous training (mean duration, 9 years; range, 2-32 years) and had competed in 27 sports, including 211 athletes at the international level and 389 at the national level. A control group consisted of 65 sedentary volunteer women (mean age, 23.7 years; range, 14-41 years) who were free of cardiovascular disease and who did not participate in regular athletic training. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Left ventricular end-diastolic cavity dimension and wall thickness. RESULTS Athletes demonstrated larger left ventricular end-diastolic cavity dimension (mean +/- SD) (49 +/- 4 mm) and greater maximal wall thickness (8.2 +/- 0.9 mm) than controls (46 +/- 3 mm and 7.2 +/- 0.6 mm; P < .001). These dimensions were 6% and 14% larger in athletes. Among athletes, left ventricular cavity dimension was 40 mm to 66 mm, exceeded normal limits ( > 54 mm) in 47 women (8%), and was within the range consistent with primary dilated cardiomyopathy ( > or = 60 mm) in 4 athletes (1%). Training for endurance sports, such as cycling, cross-country skiing, and rowing had the greatest effect on cavity dimension. Left ventricular wall thickness was 6 mm to 12 mm in athletes and did not exceed normal limits or extend into the borderline gray zone with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in any subject. Compared with data from 738 previously studied male athletes, female athletes showed significantly smaller left ventricular cavity dimension (11% less; P < .001) and wall thickness (23% less; P < .001). CONCLUSIONS Highly trained women athletes frequently demonstrate cardiac dimensional changes as an adaptation to physical training, although absolute left ventricular cavity size exceeding normal limits was evident in a minority (8%) of women athletes and was rarely (1% of athletes) within the range of dilated cardiomyopathy. Athletic training was not a stimulus for substantial increases in absolute left ventricular wall thickness, which was within normal limits for all women athletes. These findings suggest that the clinical differentiation of athlete's heart and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy appears to be a diagnostic dilemma that is limited to male athletes.
Effects of Different Subanesthetic Doses of (S)-Ketamine on Neuropsychology, Psychopathology, and State of Consciousness in Man

This is the first neuropsychological study using the S-enantiomer of the noncompetetive N-methyl-D-aspartate antagonist ketamine. In 2 randomized placebo-controlled trials we studied effects of two different doses of (S)-ketamine (low dose/high dose) on neuropsychological functions and psychopathology in 12 healthy male volunteers. Impairment was measured via standardized neuropsychological tests. Results indicate that both subanaesthetic doses produce only nonsignificant impairment in most of the tasks. Tasks involving divided and sustained attention as well as scores for objective and subjective psychopathology show significant impairment in a dose-dependent manner. Implications of these findings for the neuropsychology of attention and schizophrenia are discussed.
A Structural Model of Demand for Apprentices

It is a widely held opinion that apprenticeship training represents a net investment for training firms, and that therefore firms only train if they have the possibility to recoup these investments after the training period. A recent study using a new firm-level dataset for Switzerland showed, however, that for 60 percent of the firms, the apprenticeship training itself does not result in net cost. In this context it seems important to examine the question whether the potential net cost of training (during the training period) are a major determinant for the demand for apprentices. Different count data models, in particular hurdle models, are used to estimate the effect of net cost on the demand for apprentices. The results show that the net cost have a significant impact on the training decision but no significant influence on the demand for apprentices, once the firm has decided to train. For policy purposes, these results indicate that subsidies for firms that already train apprentices would not boost the demand for apprentices.
Test-retest reliability of a 1-minute walk test in children with bilateral spastic cerebral palsy

The test–retest reliability of a 1-min walk test at a child’s maximum walking speed was assessed in children with bilateral spastic cerebral palsy (BSCP). Twelve male and five female children (age range 3– 18 years, mean age 12 years 8 months) participated in the study. Children were classified as GMFCS level I (n = 5), level II (n = 8) and level III (n = 4). Results showed that for walk tests performed on different days, distances varied by no more than 13.1 m (for 95% of participants) and that a practice walk was vital for reducing systematic bias. The intraclass correlation coefficient was 0.94. A 1-min walk test is a reliable method of assessing function in children with CP but care must be taken when interpreting changes in individual patient data. 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
PIRVS: An Advanced Visual-Inertial SLAM System with Flexible Sensor Fusion and Hardware Co-Design

In this paper, we present the PerceptIn Robotics Vision System (PIRVS), a visual-inertial computing hardware with embedded simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) algorithm. The PIRVS hardware is equipped with a multi-core processor, a global-shutter stereo camera, and an IMU with precise hardware synchronization. The PIRVS software features a flexible sensor fusion approach to not only tightly integrate visual measurements with inertial measurements and also to loosely couple with additional sensor modalities. It runs in real-time on both PC and the PIRVS hardware. We perform a thorough evaluation of the proposed system using multiple public visual-inertial datasets. Experimental results demonstrate that our system reaches comparable accuracy of state-of-the-art visual-inertial algorithms on PC, while being more efficient on the PIRVS hardware.
Locomotor-Like Leg Movements Evoked by Rhythmic Arm Movements in Humans

Motion of the upper limbs is often coupled to that of the lower limbs in human bipedal locomotion. It is unclear, however, whether the functional coupling between upper and lower limbs is bi-directional, i.e. whether arm movements can affect the lumbosacral locomotor circuitry. Here we tested the effects of voluntary rhythmic arm movements on the lower limbs. Participants lay horizontally on their side with each leg suspended in an unloading exoskeleton. They moved their arms on an overhead treadmill as if they walked on their hands. Hand-walking in the antero-posterior direction resulted in significant locomotor-like movements of the legs in 58% of the participants. We further investigated quantitatively the responses in a subset of the responsive subjects. We found that the electromyographic (EMG) activity of proximal leg muscles was modulated over each cycle with a timing similar to that of normal locomotion. The frequency of kinematic and EMG oscillations in the legs typically differed from that of arm oscillations. The effect of hand-walking was direction specific since medio-lateral arm movements did not evoke appreciably leg air-stepping. Using externally imposed trunk movements and biomechanical modelling, we ruled out that the leg movements associated with hand-walking were mainly due to the mechanical transmission of trunk oscillations. EMG activity in hamstring muscles associated with hand-walking often continued when the leg movements were transiently blocked by the experimenter or following the termination of arm movements. The present results reinforce the idea that there exists a functional neural coupling between arm and legs.
Similar Motor Block Effects and Disposition Kinetics between Lidocaine and (±)Mepivacaine in Patients Undergoing Axillary Brachial Plexus Block during Day Case Surgery

The aim of this investigation was to compare the clinical effects and pharmacokinetics of lidocaine (one metabolite) and mepivacaine (two metabolites) in 2 groups of 15 patients undergoing axillary brachial plexus anaesthesia. The study had a randomised design. The 30 patients were divided into 2 groups. The patients received either lidocaine (600 mg = 2.561 mMol + 5 μg ml-1 adrenaline) or mepivacaine (600 mg = 2.436 mMol + 5 μg ml-1 adrenaline), injected via the axilla near the brachial plexus over a period of 30 s. Onset of surgical analgesia was defined as the period from the end of the local anaesthetic injection to the loss of pinprick sensation in the distribution of the ulnar, radial, and median nerve. Motor block was measured. Onset of motor block was similar for both drugs. Lidocaine is eliminated biexponentially with a t1/2α of 9.95 ± 14.3 min and a t1/2β of 2.86 α 1.55 h. Lidocaine is metabolised into MEGX (tmax 2.31 α 0.84 h; Cmax 0.32 α 0.13 mg l-1; t1/2β 2.36 α 2.35 h; total body clearance was 67.9 α 28.9 l h-1). Mepivacaine is eliminated rapidly and monoexponentially with a t1/2 of 4.78 α 2.38 h, a Cmax of 3.89 α 0.83 mg l-1, and a tmax of 0.41 α 0.19 h. The total body clearance of mepivacaine is 50% of that of lidocaine, 26.9 α 10.6 l h-1 vs. 67.9 α 28.9 l h-1, respectively (p <0.0001). (α)Mepivacaine is metabolised into (α)4-OHmepivacaine (Cmax 0.45 α 0.25 mg l-1; t1/2β 6.48 α 6.57 h) and (α)2,6-pipecoloxylidide (Cmax 0.56 α 0.30 mg l-1; t1/2b 1.48 α 0.74 h). For the axillary brachial plexus block, lidocaine and mepivacaine show similar pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic behaviour, despite the number of metabolites, and can therefore be used to the clinical preference for this regional anaesthetic technique.
Organization Science

T his paper extends the contextual perspective of network evolution to account for a more complete process of network evolution by showing that the impacts of fads and fashions on the formation and dissolution of interorganizational networks are asymmetric. Building on contact theory, this paper proposes that direct contact affords a flow of knowledge that counters tendencies to social conformity. Network dissolution differs from network formation in that partners have already obtained direct information. As a result, network dissolution is not as responsive to fads and fashions as network formation, and network structures induced by fads and fashions often survive beyond the life cycle of a fashion. An analysis of the interlocking ties of S&P 1500 firms with Internet companies from 1996 to 2006 supports the view that fads and fashions have asymmetric effects on the evolution of networks and also shows that (1) fads and fashions have a strong impact on the formation of networks but not on their dissolution, (2) the networking behaviors of organizations with direct contact are less induced by fads and fashions, and (3) the networks formed by organizations with direct contact during the heyday of a fashion survive longer.