Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Some contributions to fixed-distribution learning theory

We consider some problems in learning with respect to a fixed distribution. We introduce two new notions of learnability; these are probably uniformly approximately correct (PUAC) learnability which is a stronger requirement than the widely studied PAC learnability, and minimal empirical risk (MER) learnability, which is a stronger requirement than the previously defined notions of "solid" or "potential" learnability. It is shown that, although the motivations for defining these two notions of learnability are entirely different, these two notions are in fact equivalent to each other and, in turn, equivalent to a property introduced here, referred to as the shrinking width property. It is further shown that if the function class to be learned has the property that empirical means converge uniformly to their true values, then all of these learnability properties hold. In the course of proving conditions for these forms of learnability, we also obtain a new estimate for the VC-dimension of a collection of sets obtained by performing Boolean operations on a given collection; this result is of independent interest. We consider both the case in which there is an underlying target function, as well as the case of "model-free" (or agnostic) learning. Finally, we consider the issue of representation of a collection of sets by its subcollection of equivalence classes. It is shown by example that, by suitably choosing representatives of each equivalence class, it is possible to affect the property of uniform convergence of empirical probabilities.
UWB propagation measurements in BAN scenarios

Ultra-wideband propagation measurement results for body area network scenarios are presented. We assumed several different scenarios for around-body and on-body propagations, and for each scenario, we conducted both time domain and frequency domain measurements in an anechoic chamber. For the around-body case, we investigated the effects of human body parts blocking line-of-sight, which could be accounted for by diffraction. On-body measurement results indicate a more complicated propagation mechanism exists in on-body propagation than in around-body propagation and antenna characteristics are affected.
Dietary vitamin D dose-response in healthy children 2 to 8 y of age: a 12-wk randomized controlled trial using fortified foods.

BACKGROUND Vitamin D is fundamental for bone health. A high proportion of Canadian 2- to 8-y-olds do not meet the Estimated Average Requirement (EAR) of 400 IU/d. OBJECTIVE The objective was to determine whether vitamin D intakes consistent with the EAR or Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA), through fortification of additional dairy products, would result in higher vitamin D status in young children. DESIGN Participants aged 2-8 y (n = 77; Montreal, Canada) were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 dietary vitamin D targets (control; EAR: 400 IU/d; or RDA: 600 IU/d) for 12 wk (January to April 2014). Anthropometric measurements, demographic characteristics, dietary intakes, fasting serum parathyroid hormone, 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D], and ionized calcium were compared by using mixed-model ANOVA. RESULTS Participants' mean ± SD age was 5.1 ± 1.9 y; 54.5% were boys with body mass index z scores of 0.50 ± 0.85. Compliance was 85% overall. No differences were observed in baseline dietary vitamin D intakes or serum 25(OH)D. At 12 wk, the EAR and RDA groups had significantly higher vitamin D intakes [median (IQR): control, 227 (184-305) IU/d; EAR, 410 (363-516) IU/d; and RDA, 554 (493-653) IU/d; P < 0.05] and serum 25(OH)D concentrations (control: 55.8 ± 12.3 nmol/L; EAR: 64.1 ± 10.0 nmol/L; and RDA: 63.7 ± 12.4 nmol/L; P < 0.05) than the control group. Ninety-six percent of children in the EAR and RDA groups and 67% of the control group had 25(OH)D concentrations ≥50 nmol/L. CONCLUSION Increasing the vitamin D intakes of young children through fortification of alternative dairy products results in significantly higher serum concentrations of 25(OH)D and a significantly greater proportion of children with serum 25(OH)D ≥50 nmol/L during periods of minimal ultraviolet B radiation exposure. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT02097160 and had Health Canada Temporary Marketing Authorization Letters for both products (TM-13-0432 and TM-13-0433).
Effect of Language Switching on Arithmetic: A Bilingual fMRI Study

The role of language in performing numerical computations has been a topic of special interest in cognition. The Triple Code Model proposes the existence of a language-dependent verbal code involved in retrieving arithmetic facts related to addition and multiplication, and a language-independent analog magnitude code subserving tasks such as number comparison and estimation. Neuroimaging studies have shown dissociation between dependence of arithmetic computations involving exact and approximate processing on language-related circuits. However, a direct manipulation of language using different arithmetic tasks is necessary to assess the role of language in forming arithmetic representations and in solving problems in different languages. In the present study, 20 English-Chinese bilinguals were trained in two unfamiliar arithmetic tasks in one language and scanned using fMRI on the same problems in both languages (English and Chinese). For the exact base-7 addition task, language switching effects were found in the left inferior frontal gyrus (LIFG) and left inferior parietal lobule extending to the angular gyrus. In the approximate percentage estimation task, language switching effects were found predominantly in the bilateral posterior intraparietal sulcus and LIFG, slightly dorsal to the LIFG activation seen for the base-7 addition task. These results considerably strengthen the notion that exact processing relies on verbal and language-related networks, whereas approximate processing engages parietal circuits typically involved in magnitude-related processing.
(GT)n Dinucleotide repeat polymorphism of haem oxygenase‐1 promotor region is not associated with inflammatory bowel disease risk or disease course

Haem oxygenase‐1 (HO‐1) up‐regulation was suggested to reduce mucosal tissue damage in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and an up‐regulation of HO‐1 expression in patients with Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) was demonstrated. A HO‐1 gene promoter microsatellite (GT)n dinucleotide repeat polymorphism was associated with regulation of HO‐1 in response to inflammatory stimuli. We therefore hypothesized that IBD patients might segregate into phenotypes with high or low HO‐1 inducibility. Ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid blood samples were obtained from 179 CD patients, 110 UC patients and 56 control patients without inflammation. Genomic DNA was purified and the 5′‐flanking region of the HO‐1 gene containing the (GT)n dinucleotide repeat was amplified. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) products were purified and the length of the PCR fragments was analysed. The number of (GT)n repeats in the population studied ranged from 13 to 42. The distribution of the allele frequencies was comparable in patients and controls for both the short and the long alleles. The frequencies of short‐, middle‐ and long‐sized alleles were not changed among the groups studied. No correlation was found between IBD and microsatellite instability detected in five individals. Our data indicate that (GT)n dinucleotide repeats of the HO‐1 promotor region have no significance for the pathophysiology and disease course of IBD.
Survey Article: Inter-Coder Agreement for Computational Linguistics

Abstract This article is a survey of methods for measuring agreement among corpus annotators. It exposes the mathematics and underlying assumptions of agreement coefficients, covering Krippendorff's alpha as well as Scott's pi and Cohen's kappa; discusses the use of coefficients in several annotation tasks; and argues that weighted, alpha-like coefficients, traditionally less used than kappa-like measures in computational linguistics, may be more appropriate for many corpus annotation tasks—but that their use makes the interpretation of the value of the coefficient even harder.
Food-allergic reactions in schools and preschools.

BACKGROUND Food allergies may affect up to 6% of school-aged children. OBJECTIVES To conduct a telephone survey to characterize food-allergic reactions in children (defined as those aged 3-19 years in this study) with known food allergies in schools and preschools and to determine mechanisms that are in place to prevent and treat those reactions. DESIGN The parents of food-allergic children were contacted by telephone and asked about their child's history of food-allergic reactions in school. The schools the children attended were contacted, and the person responsible for the treatment of allergic reactions completed a telephone survey. RESULTS Of 132 children in the study, 58% reported food-allergic reactions in the past 2 years. Eighteen percent experienced 1 or more reactions in school. The offending food was identified in 34 of 41 reactions, milk being the causative food in 11 (32%); peanut in 10 (29%); egg in 6 (18%); tree nuts in 2 (6%); and soy, wheat, celery, mango, or garlic in 1 (3%) each. In 24 reactions (59%), symptoms were limited to the skin; wheezing occurred in 13 (32%), vomiting and/or diarrhea in 4 (10%), and hypotension in 1 (2%). Also, 15 (36%) of the 41 reactions involved 2 or more organ systems, and 6 (15%) were treated with epinephrine. Fourteen percent of the children did not have a physician's orders for treatment, and 16% did not have any medications available. Of the 80 participating schools, 31 (39%) reported at least 1 food-allergic reaction within the past 2 years and 54 (67%) made at least 1 accommodation for children with a food allergy, such as peanut-free tables, a peanut ban from the classroom, or alternative meals. CONCLUSIONS It is common for food-allergic children to experience allergic reactions in schools and preschools, with 18% of children having had at least 1 school reaction within the past 2 years. Thirty-six percent of the reactions involved 2 or more organ systems, and 32% involved wheezing. Every effort should be made to prevent, recognize, and appropriately treat food-allergic reactions in schools.
Associations of acetylcholinesterase inhibitor treatment with reduced mortality in Alzheimer's disease: a retrospective survival analysis

Background dementia is increasingly recognised as life-limiting condition. Although the benefits of acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (AChEIs) on cognition and function are well established, their effect on survival is less clear. Objective to investigate associations between AChEI prescription and mortality in patients with Alzheimer's dementia (AD) in a naturalistic setting, using detailed baseline data on cognition, functioning, and mental and physical wellbeing. Methods we used a large mental healthcare database in South London, linked to Hospital Episode Statistics and Office for National Statistics mortality data, to assemble a retrospective cohort. We conducted a survival analysis adjusting for a wide range of potential confounders using propensity scores to reduce the impact of confounding by indication. Results of 2,464 patients with AD, 1,261 were prescribed AChEIs. We detected a strong association between AChEI receipt and lower mortality (hazard ratio = 0.57; 95% CI 0.51-0.64). This remained significant after controlling for a broad range of potential confounders including psychotropic co-prescription, symptom severity, functional status and hospital admissions (hazard ratio = 0.77; 95% CI 0.67-0.87). Conclusions in a large cohort of patients with AD, AChEI prescription was associated with reduced risk of death by more than 20% in adjusted models. This has implications for individual care planning and service development.
Heights of occupied patient beds: a possible risk factor for inpatient falls.

AIMS The aim of this study was to ascertain the average height of occupied patient beds in a general medical ward and to investigate the relationship between staff working-height for patient beds, time and whether the patient was on fall precaution. BACKGROUND The height of occupied patient beds can be an overlooked contributor to inpatient falls. Better physical design of hospital equipment such as patient beds may reduce patient falls and injuries. METHODS This study took place in an acute medical ward of a Michigan medical center. One researcher collected all the data and used the same metric for all the measurements. Univariate analyses were performed. RESULTS The average staff working-height measurement taken at the weekend was significantly higher than that taken on weekdays. The average height of patient beds on fall precaution was significantly higher than of those not on fall precaution. CONCLUSIONS A higher patient/nurse ratio at weekends than on weekdays may result in fewer bedside nursing hours and nurses being less conscientious about keeping beds in the low position after treatments. In an effort to prevent high-fall-risk patients from falling, nurses may have consciously or unconsciously kept their beds in higher positions. Relevance to clinical practice. If the patient bed can be manually or automatically adjusted, nurses must lower the height of the bed to the lowest position after completing treatments or tasks. This after-procedure activity should be enforced and monitored regularly as part of a hospital's patient fall prevention programme. Low beds should be used for patients at high risk of falling. Future research should investigate patients' and staff's views on hospital equipment to provide evidence-based information for policy-makers determining the design-regulation standard for hospital bedframes.
An empirical exploration of the zygonic model of expectation in music

Aspects of the ‘zygonic’ model of expectation in music (Ockelford, 2006) were tested experimentally. Forty subjects were played a diatonic melody, starting with the initial note only, then the first two notes, and so on. Each time, subjects were asked to sing what they considered to be the most likely continuation. The results were compared with the outputs of three algorithms derived from the zygonic model, which took into account adjacency (‘Z1’), adjacency and recency (‘Z2’), and adjacency, recency, and between-group projections (‘Z3’). Each algorithm modelled the perceptual responses with statistically distinct degrees of accuracy; Z3 was the most faithful to subjects’ expectations. Given the empirical data, potential refinements to the quantification of the zygonic model were considered. Additionally, it was found that men and women exhibited different patterns of expectation in relation to the stimuli that were presented, paralleling recent neuropsychological data suggesting that the location of music-structural processing in the brain may differ by gender.
Quantum field theory: Finiteness and Effectiveness

A new attempt is demonstrated that QFTs can be UV finite if they are viewed as the low energy effective theories of a fundamental underlying theory (that is complete and well-defined in all respects) according to the modern standard point of view. This approach works for any interaction model and space-time dimension. It is much simpler in principle and in technology comparing to any known renormalization program.Unlike the known renormalization methods, the importance of the procedure for defining the ambiguities (corresponding to the choice of the renormalization conditions in the conventional program) is fully appreciated in the new approach. It is shown that the high energy theory(s) or the underlying theory(s) in fact 'stipulates (stipulate)' the low energy and effective ones through these definitions within our approach while all the conventional methods miss this important point. Some simple but important nonperturbative examples are discussed to show the power and plausibility of the new approach. Other related issues (especially the IR problem and the implication of our new approach for the canonical quantization procedure) are briefly touched.
Infection with Classical Swine Fever Virus Induces Expression of Type III Interferons and Activates Innate Immune Signaling

Classical swine fever virus (CSFV) commonly infects the lymphatic tissues and immune cells of pigs and could cause a lethal disease in the animals. The process and release of cytokines like type III interferons (IFNs) is one of the important responses of the host innate immunity to viral infection. However, little information is available about type III IFN response to the CSFV infection. In this study, we investigated the expression of type III IFNs including interleukin-28B (IL-28B) and IL-29 in PK-15 cells and pigs following CSFV infection. We found that infection with CSFV was able to induce expression of IL-28B and IL-29 in PK-15 cells, although the increased levels of type III IFNs were limited. Importantly, up-regulation of IL-28B and IL-29 was further observed in CSFV infected animal tissues. The production of IL-28B and IL-29 was reduced by the inactivation of NF-κB in cells, indicating that activated NF-κB is required for efficient expression of type III IFNs induced by CSFV. Moreover, our experiments demonstrated that infection with CSFV strongly stimulated the downstream of STAT1 signaling in vitro and in vivo. In addition, several critical IFN-stimulated genes (ISGs) including IFITM3, OASL, OAS1, and ISG15 were significantly upregulated at both mRNA and protein levels in PK-15 cells and infected pigs. Together, these results reveal that CSFV can trigger host antiviral immune responses including production of type III IFNs, activation of STAT1, and induction of some critical ISGs.
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Are pre-service teachers really open to change? Are they prepared for the shifts in their roles that are likely to occur over the next few decades? Are they developing a critical consciousness, to better assume leadership roles in educational change? These questions framed this exploration which qualitatively investigated pre-service teachers' perceptions of their role as educators in relation to advanced technologies. Pre-service teachers were asked to respond to a reading identifying (via an open ended think paper assignment) what they liked and did not like about the future vision of education offered in the reading. Their responses indicate a strong conflict between the desire to work with motivated, responsible students who are actively engaged in their own learning and their notion of what a teacher s hould be, based on their own experiences in schools.
Contribution of postero‐anterior cephalometry in obstructive sleep apnea

Lateral cephalometry has been widely used to characterize facial and maxillary morphology in obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) patients. It is a useful tool to assess orthodontic and maxillofacial procedures, but transverse dimensions of the airway (e.g., nasal framework) have not been well described yet by cephalometry. We explored whether postero‐anterior cephalometry could refine the analysis of the facial morphology, with a special attention paid to nasal morphology. We validated cephalometric measurements relevant to the diagnosis of OSA.
Noisy video super-resolution

Low-quality videos often not only have limited resolution, but also suffer from noise. Directly up-sampling a video without considering noise could deteriorate its visual quality due to magnifying noise. This paper addresses this problem with a unified framework that achieves simultaneous de-noising and super-resolution. This framework formulates noisy video super-resolution as an optimization problem, aiming to maximize the visual quality of the result. We consider a good quality result to be fidelity-preserving, detail-preserving and smooth. Accordingly, we propose measures for these qualities in the scenario of de-noising and super-resolution. The experiments on a variety of noisy videos demonstrate the effectiveness of the presented algorithm.
Inhibition of CYP4A reduces hepatic endoplasmic reticulum stress and features of diabetes in mice.

BACKGROUND & AIMS Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress is implicated in the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus. ER stress activates the unfolded protein response pathway, which contributes to apoptosis and insulin resistance. We investigated the roles of cytochrome P450 4A (CYP4A) in the regulation of hepatic ER stress, insulin resistance, and the development of diabetes in mice. METHODS We used mass spectrometry to compare levels of CYP450 proteins in livers from C57BL/6J and C57BL/KsJ-db/db (db/db) mice; findings were confirmed by immunoblot and real-time PCR analyses. To create a model of diet-induced diabetes, C57BL/6J mice were placed on high-fat diets. Mice were given intraperitoneal injections of an inhibitor (HET0016) or an inducer (clofibrate) of CYP4A, or tail injections of small hairpin RNAs against CYP4A messenger RNA; liver tissues were collected and analyzed for ER stress, insulin resistance, and apoptosis. The effect of HET0016 and CYP4A knockdown also were analyzed in HepG2 cells. RESULTS Levels of the CYP4A isoforms were highly up-regulated in livers of db/db mice compared with C57BL/6J mice. Inhibition of CYP4A in db/db and mice on high-fat diets reduced features of diabetes such as insulin hypersecretion, hepatic steatosis, and increased glucose tolerance. CYP4A inhibition reduced levels of ER stress, insulin resistance, and apoptosis in the livers of diabetic mice; it also restored hepatic functions. Inversely, induction of CYP4A accelerated ER stress, insulin resistance, and apoptosis in livers of db/db mice. CONCLUSIONS CYP4A proteins are up-regulated in livers of mice with genetically induced and diet-induced diabetes. Inhibition of CYP4A in mice reduces hepatic ER stress, apoptosis, insulin resistance, and steatosis. Strategies to reduce levels or activity of CYP4A proteins in liver might be developed for treatment of patients with type 2 diabetes.
Depression and anxiety during pregnancy: A risk factor for obstetric, fetal and neonatal outcome? A critical review of the literature

Objective. Research from the past two decades has suggested a link between prenatal maternal psychological distress and adverse obstetric, fetal and neonatal outcome. Comparability of study results, however, is complicated by a diversity of definitions and measurements of prenatal maternal stress and different time points of assessment. Our aim was to critically review studies assessing maternal anxiety and depression during pregnancy and their impact on obstetric, fetal and neonatal outcome. Methods. We carried out a computerized literature search of PubMed, PsycLIT and EMBASE (1990–2005) and a manual search of bibliographies of pertinent articles. In total 35 studies were identified that fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Results. Elevated levels of depression and anxiety were found to be associated with obstetric outcome (obstetric complications, pregnancy symptoms, preterm labor and pain relief under labor), and had implications for fetal and neonatal well-being and behavior. However, prediction of the impact of mood and anxiety disorders during pregnancy is very limited due to methodological problems. Most notably, the majority of the studies included pregnant women with elevated symptoms of depressed mood and anxiety and did diagnose mood and anxiety disorders. Also, potentially confounding and protecting factors as well as biological mechanisms with a possible role in adverse outcome in pregnant women with depression and anxiety disorders have received little attention. Conclusions. Enhanced levels of depression and anxiety symptoms during pregnancy contribute independently of other biomedical risk factors to adverse obstetric, fetal and neonatal outcome. However, conclusions for women with mood or anxiety disorders are limited.