Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Stochastic Bandit Models for Delayed Conversions

Online advertising and product recommendation are important domains of applications for multi-armed bandit methods. In these fields, the reward that is immediately available is most often only a proxy for the actual outcome of interest, which we refer to as a conversion. For instance, in web advertising, clicks can be observed within a few seconds after an ad display but the corresponding sale --if any-- will take hours, if not days to happen. This paper proposes and investigates a new stochas-tic multi-armed bandit model in the framework proposed by Chapelle (2014) --based on empirical studies in the field of web advertising-- in which each action may trigger a future reward that will then happen with a stochas-tic delay. We assume that the probability of conversion associated with each action is unknown while the distribution of the conversion delay is known, distinguishing between the (idealized) case where the conversion events may be observed whatever their delay and the more realistic setting in which late conversions are censored. We provide performance lower bounds as well as two simple but efficient algorithms based on the UCB and KLUCB frameworks. The latter algorithm, which is preferable when conversion rates are low, is based on a Poissonization argument, of independent interest in other settings where aggregation of Bernoulli observations with different success probabilities is required.
Comparative susceptibility of resident and transient hand bacteria to para‐chloro‐meta‐xylenol and triclosan

Aims: To determine the susceptibility of planktonic and biofilm‐grown strains of resident and transient skin bacteria to the liquid hand soap biocides para‐chloro‐meta‐xylenol (PCMX) and triclosan. Methods and Results: Freshly isolated hand bacteria were identified by partial 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Two resident and three transient strains, as well as four exogenous potential transient strains, were selected for biocide susceptibility testing. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentrations (MBC) of planktonic cells were determined. Resident and transient strains showed a range of susceptibilities to both biocides (PCMX, MIC 12˙5–200 mg l−1, MBC 100–400 mg l−1; triclosan, MIC 0˙6– > 40 mg l−1, MBC 1˙3– > 40 mg l−1). Strains were attached to polystyrene plates for 65 h in 96‐well microtitre plates and challenged with biocide to determine the biofilm inhibitory concentration and biofilm eradicating concentration. For all strains tested, biofilms were two‐ to eightfold less susceptible than planktonic cells to PCMX. Conclusions: Very few transients were detected on the hand. Transients were not more sensitive than residents to the biocides and susceptibility to PCMX and triclosan was strain dependent. Biofilm‐grown strains were less susceptible to PCMX than planktonic cells. Significance and Impact of the Study: The study provides increased knowledge about the susceptibility of skin bacteria to biocides present in typical liquid antibacterial hand soaps and suggests that the concentration of biocide employed in such products is in excess of that required to kill the low numbers of transient bacteria typically found on skin.
WILDCAT: Weakly Supervised Learning of Deep ConvNets for Image Classification, Pointwise Localization and Segmentation

This paper introduces WILDCAT, a deep learning method which jointly aims at aligning image regions for gaining spatial invariance and learning strongly localized features. Our model is trained using only global image labels and is devoted to three main visual recognition tasks: image classification, weakly supervised object localization and semantic segmentation. WILDCAT extends state-of-the-art Convolutional Neural Networks at three main levels: the use of Fully Convolutional Networks for maintaining spatial resolution, the explicit design in the network of local features related to different class modalities, and a new way to pool these features to provide a global image prediction required for weakly supervised training. Extensive experiments show that our model significantly outperforms state-of-the-art methods.
Initial characterization of an outbreed mouse model for male factor (in)fertility

We analysed an outbreed mouse line which was selected for the phenotype ‘high fertility’ for 158 generations. During this selection period the mouse strain increased the number of offspring per litter from 10.4 to 17.1 and the total litter weight up to ~160%. In this study, we initially characterize the reproductive phenotype of high fertility males. Surprisingly, male bucks of the fertility line (FL1) show reduced percentage of motile and progressive motile spermatozoa; however, other sperm motility characteristics (e.g. velocity parameters) are improved compared with an unselected control line. Cytometrical investigation of the testicular cell‐type composition indicated a significant increased concentration of diploid cells by a concomitant reduction in haploid cells in the testicular parenchyma of FL1. Furthermore, total testosterone concentrations in blood are dramatically increased in FL1 (>20 ng/mL). In line with increased testosterone levels, we observed increased expression rates of steroidogenic key enzymes Cyp11 and Cyp17 from FL1 testis samples. These data indicate that FL1 males have a manifest ‘high fertility phenotype’. Diallelic crosses imply that male‐only contribution largely determines the reproductive outcome in cross‐breeding experiments. FL1 therefore is a promising model for future investigations on male factor (in)fertility. Our observation might also offer valuable cues for human reproductive medicine.
Incidence and etiology of pancreatitis among alcoholic and non-alcoholic patients

Introduction: Etiology of Pancreatitis continues to stir up controversy. The incidence of acute pancreatitis has been reported to vary around the world in different studies. The etiological profile of pancreatitis may be different in different parts of the world and it is therefore important that experiences from different parts of the country be recorded. Alcohol was once thought to be most common etiology. Recent studies in western countries show that non-alcoholic causes include more than 50% of causes of pancreatitis. Aim: The aim this study was to know the etiological factors of pancreatitis and to compare the serum amylase, lipase levels in alcoholic and nonalcoholic patients. Materials and methods: This was a prospective observational study conducted in Gandhi Medical College and Hospital, Secunderabad from December 2012 to November 2014 with duration of 2 years. 75 patients were included in this study according to inclusion and exclusion criteria. Detailed history along with physical examination and laboratory investigations for confirmation of diagnosis and etiology were done. Results: In the present study, out of 75 cases, 40 had significant history of alcohol consumption, while 35 were found to be non-alcoholics. The age group of patients in our study was from 18yrs to 62 years. 20 out of 45 alcoholics were less than 40 years old while 21 out of 35 non alcoholics were less than 40 years old. Out of the 75 cases, 51 were males while 24 were females. In our study alcohol causes pancreatitis in 60% of the cases while non-alcoholic causes of pancreatitis included 40% of cases. Mean amylase, mean lipase and amylase: lipase ratio values were raised more in alcoholics than non-alcoholics. Recurrent pancreatitis was also observed in alcoholics than non-alcoholics. N L Varunmai, Mudumala Issac Abhilash, M Uma Devi, P Shravan Kumar. Incidence and etiology of pancreatitis among alcoholic and non-alcoholic patients. IAIM, 2017; 4(5): 117-121. Page 118 Conclusion: Within limitations of this study, concluded that alcohol remains to be most common cause of pancreatitis in south India (Telangana), incidence of recurrent pancreatitis was significantly high in alcoholics and Serum lipase: amylase ratio more in alcoholics than non-alcoholics.
Abstract 904: Obesity is an independent prognostic variable in colon cancer survivors

Proceedings: AACR 101st Annual Meeting 2010‐‐ Apr 17‐21, 2010; Washington, DC Purpose: Obesity is associated with an increased risk of colon cancer. However, the influence of body mass index (BMI) upon the prognosis of colon cancer survivors and its relationship to gender remains unknown. Experimental Design: BMI (kg/m2) was categorized in patients with TNM stage II and III colon carcinomas (n= 4,381) enrolled in 7 randomized trials of 5-fluorouracil-based adjuvant chemotherapy. Cox proportional hazards models were used to determine the association of BMI with disease-free (DFS) and overall survival (OS). Results: Among colon cancer patients, 868 (20%) were obese (BMI >30 kg/m2) of which 606 were class 1 (BMI 30-34 kg/m2) and 262 were class 2,3 (BMI >35 kg/m2). Obese versus normal-weight patients were more likely to be younger (p=0.038), have distal tumors (0.058), show intact DNA mismatch repair (MMR) (p=0.035), and have more lymph node metastases (p=0.017). In a multivariate analysis, BMI was significantly associated with both DFS (p=0.030) and OS (p=0.0017). Men with class 2,3 obesity showed reduced OS compared to normal weight men [HR 1.35 (1.02, 1.79); p=0.039]. Women with class I obesity had reduced OS [HR 1.24 (1.01, 1.53), p=0.045] compared to normal weight women. Overweight status was associated with improved OS in men (p= 0.006) and underweight women had significantly worse OS (p= 0.019). BMI was not predictive of therapeutic benefit. Conclusions: Obesity is an independent prognostic variable in colon cancer survivors and shows gender-related differences. These data suggest that obesity-related biological factors can influence clinical outcome. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 904.
Adolescents' attachment style with parents and conflict management with parents and best friend: An investigation of longitudinal associations and two mediational processes

The current dissertation examined the relation between attachment with each parent and conflict management with parents and close friends across adolescence. Adolescents (n = 205, M = 13 years, SD = 1.30 at T1) answered questionnaires assessing anxious and avoidant attachment with each parent (at ages 13, 15, and 17) and others in general (age 14), and conflict management with mother, father, and best friend (ages 15 and 17). Study 1 investigated the relation between attachment and conflict management with parents from age 15 to 17. Results indicated that the more adolescents were anxiously or avoidantly attached to their mother, the less they collaborated with her over time. Similar findings for avoidant attachment with father were for girls only. The more adolescents were avoidantly attached to their parents, the more they avoided conflict with them over time. Bidirectional relations were found for avoidant attachment and collaboration, as well as for attachment and conflict avoidance with father. Study 2 examined the relation between adolescents’ attachment with each parent at age 13 and conflict management with best friends three years later, testing two mediators for this relation, attachment with others in general and conflict management with each parent. The more adolescents were avoidantly attached with their parents, the less they collaborated with their best friend. This relation was fully mediated by avoidant attachment with others in general and collaboration with father, and, for girls only by collaboration with mother. The more boys were anxiously attached with their parents, the less they collaborated and the more they avoided conflict or used stalemate with their best friends. The relation between anxious attachment with mother and collaboration tended to be mediated by general anxious attachment, whereas the relation between boys’ anxious attachment with father and the use of negative conflict behaviours with friends was mediated by the use of those same conflict strategies with their fathers. Thus, anxious attachment with mother impacted boys’ positive conflict behaviours with friends by generalizing to close others, whereas anxious attachment with father impacted their use of negative conflict behaviours through the practice of these behaviours with father.
Dysphagia Rates after Anterior Cervical Diskectomy and Fusion: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Study Design Systematic review and meta-analysis. Objective Anterior cervical diskectomy and fusion (ACDF) is an effective surgical option for patients with cervical radiculopathy, myelopathy, or deformity. Although ACDF is generally safe, dysphagia is a common complication. Despite its high incidence, prolonged postoperative dysphagia is poorly understood; its etiology remains relatively unknown, and its risk factors are widely debated. Methods We searched MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, and Embase for studies reporting complications for cervical diskectomy with plating. We recorded dysphagia events from all included studies and calculated effect summary values, 95% confidence intervals (CIs), Q values, and I 2 values. Results Of the 7,780 retrieved articles, 14 met inclusion criteria. The overall dysphagia rate was 8.5% (95% CI 5.7 to 11.3%). The rate of moderate or severe dysphagia was 4.4% (0.4 to 8.4%). Follow-up times of <12, 12 to 24, and >24 months reported rates of 19.9% (6.0 to 33.7%), 7.0% (5.2 to 8.7%), and 7.6% (1.4 to 13.8%), respectively. Studies utilizing the Bazaz Dysphagia Score resulted in an increase in dysphagia diagnosis relative to studies with no outlined criteria (19.8%, 5.9 to 33.7% and 6.9%, 3.7 to 10.0%, respectively), indicating that the criteria used for dysphagia identification are critical. There was no difference in dysphagia rate with the use of autograft versus allograft. Conclusions This review represents a comprehensive estimation of the actual incidence of dysphagia across a heterogeneous group of surgeons, patients, and criteria. The classification scheme for dysphagia varied significantly within the literature. To ensure its diagnosis and identification, we recommend the use of a standardized, well-outlined method for dysphagia diagnosis.
FK506 suppression of heart and liver allograft rejection. II: The induction of graft acceptance in rats.

Lewis recipients of orthotopic ACI livers had permanent graft acceptance induced with 3 doses of i.m. FK506 in the early postoperative period. They were studied 100 and 300 days posttransplantation. The recipients rejected ACI as well as Brown Norway (BN) (third-party) skin grafts, and had lymphocytes with substantial reactivity by mixed lymphocyte culture testing against ACI and third-party (BN) alloantigens. Lymphocyte subset redistribution had not occurred in the peripheral blood or spleens of these animals, and there was no evidence of suppressor cell activation by in vitro and in vivo tests. Graft-versus-host reactivity in splenic lymphoid tissues of these recipients was demonstrated with the popliteal lymph node assay. Attempts at adaptive transfer with recipient lymphocytes were unsuccessful. Heart graft acceptance was far more difficult to accomplish than liver graft acceptance, and probably was never permanent. ACI heart graft prolongation in LEW recipients after a brief induction with FK506 lasted for no more than 3 months in most animals. The temporary heart graft acceptance was specific for hearts of the original ACI donor strain but not for ACI skin. Results of studies of lymphocyte subsets and suppressor cell activity were similar to those in the liver recipients. These studies illustrate how poorly graft acceptance is understood and how badly further work is needed to clarify its mechanism.
Mycobacterial infections in coal workers’ pneumoconiosis patients in South Korea

Coal workers’ pneumoconiosis (CWP) is the most common occupational disease in South Korea and is an important factor in the development of infections with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) and non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM). In the current study, we identified mycobacterial species that cause pulmonary infections in CWP patients, using rpoB DNA-PCR-restriction analysis. Among the 129 CWP patients studied, 35 (27.1%) were diagnosed as having mycobacterial infections. Among these, the proportion of NTM infections (21/35, 60.0%) was higher than that for MTB infections (14/35, 40.0%). Of the 21 NTM strains, the most common was M. intracellulare (6/21, 28.6%), followed by M. avium (5/21, 23.8%). We also compared the characteristics of CWP patients between the MTB and NTM infection groups. A higher proportion of CWP patients with NTM infections compared with those with MTB infections had a history of having been involved in rock work (38.1% vs 21.4%), and had complicated CWP (85.7% vs 35.7%) and a past history of TB treatment (61.9% vs 50.0%). We also discovered 3 MTB mutants that are resistant to first-line anti-TB drugs, in CWP patients. These results demonstrate the features of pulmonary mycobacterial infections with a predominance of NTM in CWP patients in South Korea.
Down regulation of CSL activity inhibits cell proliferation in prostate and breast cancer cells

The Notch receptor pathway provides a paradigm for juxtacrine signaling pathways and controls stem cell function, developmental cell fate decisions, and cellular differentiation. The Notch pathway is constitutively activated in human cancers by chromosomal rearrangements, activating point mutations, or altered expression patterns. Therefore, the Notch pathway is the subject of chemotherapeutic intervention in a variety of human cancers. Notch receptor activation results in the gamma‐secretase dependent proteolytic cleavage of the receptor to liberate the Notch intracellular domain that acts to mediate co‐activator recruitment to the DNA binding transcription factor, CSL (CBF‐1/RBP‐Jκ, Su(H), Lag‐1). Therapeutic targeting of the Notch pathway by gamma‐secretase inhibitors prevents NICD production and regulates CSL‐dependent transcriptional activity. To interrogate the loss of CSL activity in breast and prostate cancer cells, we used lentiviral‐based shRNA knockdown of CSL. Knockdown of CSL expression was assessed by decreased DNA binding activity and resulted in decreased cell proliferation. In contrast, gamma‐secretase inhibitor (GSI) treatment of these prostate and breast cancer cell lines resulted in minimal growth effects. PCR profiling of Notch pathway genes identified expression changes in few genes (Delta‐like‐1, Deltex‐1, LMO2, and SH2D1A) after CSL knockdown. Consistent with differential effects of GSI on cell survival, GSI treatment failed to recapitulate the gene expression changes observed after CSL knockdown. Thus, CSL inhibition may provide a more effective mechanism to inhibit Notch‐pathway dependent cancer cell proliferation as compared to GSI treatment. J. Cell. Biochem. 112: 2340–2351, 2011. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Near-duplicate video retrieval: Current research and future trends

The exponential growth of online videos, along with increasing user involvement in video-related activities, has been observed as a constant phenomenon during the last decade. User's time spent on video capturing, editing, uploading, searching, and viewing has boosted to an unprecedented level. The massive publishing and sharing of videos has given rise to the existence of an already large amount of near-duplicate content. This imposes urgent demands on near-duplicate video retrieval as a key role in novel tasks such as video search, video copyright protection, video recommendation, and many more. Driven by its significance, near-duplicate video retrieval has recently attracted a lot of attention. As discovered in recent works, latest improvements and progress in near-duplicate video retrieval, as well as related topics including low-level feature extraction, signature generation, and high-dimensional indexing, are employed to assist the process. As we survey the works in near-duplicate video retrieval, we comparatively investigate existing variants of the definition of near-duplicate video, describe a generic framework, summarize state-of-the-art practices, and explore the emerging trends in this research topic.
[Effects of cryptotanshinone in lowering androgens synthesis for the prenatally androgenized male rats].

OBJECTIVE To study the effects of cryptotanshinone on androgen synthesis for the prenatally androgenized male rats. METHODS On days 16-18 of pregnancy, rats were injected s. c. with testosterone propionas continuously for 3 days; male offspring were studied as subject. Serum concentrations of testosterone (T), 17a-hydroxy progesterone (17-OHP), blood glucose, and insulin were measured by radioimmunoassay. Then, the rats were treated with cryptotanshinone by gavage for 14 days, and the levels of serum T, 17-OHP and insulin were detected and the 17a-hydroxylase protein expression in interstitial cell was measured using the method of immunohistochemistry. RESULTS There was no difference between the male groups who were prenatally androgenized in serum levels of T, but the 17-OHP, fasting insulin levels and homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) elevated significantly (P < 0.05). Cryptotanshinone could lower the levels of 17-OHP (P < 0.05) but had no effect on 17a-hydroxylase. CONCLUSION Prenatally androgenized male rats exhibit elevated 17-OHP and diminished insulin sensitivity. Cryptotanshinone could decrease 17-OHP, but has no effect on insulin, indicating it may reduce androgen synthesis.
Development of conventional and real-time PCR assays for the rapid detection of group B streptococci.

BACKGROUND Group B streptococci (GBS), or Streptococcus agalactiae, are the leading bacterial cause of meningitis and bacterial sepsis in newborns. Currently available rapid methods to detect GBS from clinical specimens are unsuitable for replacement of culture methods, mainly because of their lack of sensitivity. METHODS We have developed a PCR-based assay for the rapid detection of GBS. The cfb gene encoding the Christie-Atkins-Munch-Petersen (CAMP) factor was selected as the genetic target for the assay. The PCR primers were initially tested by a conventional PCR method followed by gel electrophoresis. The assay was then adapted for use with the LightCycler(TM). For this purpose, two fluorogenic adjacent hybridization probes complementary to the GBS-specific amplicon were designed and tested. In addition, a rapid sample-processing protocol was evaluated by colony-forming unit counting and PCR. A total of 15 vaginal samples were tested by both standard culture method and the two PCR assays. RESULTS The conventional PCR assay was specific because it amplified only GBS DNA among 125 bacterial and fungal species tested, and was able to detect all 162 GBS isolates from various geographical areas. This PCR assay allowed detection of as few as one genome copy of GBS. The real-time PCR assay was comparable to conventional PCR assay in terms of sensitivity and specificity, but it was more rapid, requiring only approximately 30 min for amplification and computer-based data analysis. The presence of vaginal specimens had no detrimental effect on the sensitivity of the PCR with the sample preparation protocol used. All four GBS-positive samples identified by the standard culture method were detected by the two PCR assays. CONCLUSION These assays provide promising tools for the rapid detection and identification of GBS.