Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effort and Valuation in the Brain: The Effects of Anticipation and Execution

Neural representations of the effort deployed in performing actions, and the valence of the outcomes they yield, form the foundation of action choice. To discover whether brain areas represent effort and outcome valence together or if they represent one but not the other, we examined these variables in an explicitly orthogonal way. We did this by asking human subjects to exert one of two levels of effort to improve their chances of either winning or avoiding the loss of money. Subjects responded faster both when exerting greater effort and when exerting effort in anticipation of winning money. Using fMRI, we inspected BOLD responses during anticipation (before any action was executed) and when the outcome was delivered. In this way, we indexed BOLD signals associated with an anticipated need to exert effort and its affective consequences, as well as the effect of executed effort on the representation of outcomes. Anterior cingulate cortex and dorsal striatum (dorsal putamen) signaled the anticipation of effort independently of the prospect of winning or losing. Activity in ventral striatum (ventral putamen) was greater for better-than-expected outcomes compared with worse-than-expected outcomes, an effect attenuated in the context of having exerted greater effort. Our findings provide evidence that neural representations of anticipated actions are sensitive to the expected demands, but not to the expected value of their consequence, whereas representations of outcome value are discounted by exertion, commensurate with an integration of cost and benefit so as to approximate net value.
A Multicenter Study of Recombinant Factor VI11 (Recombinate): Safety, Efficacy, and Inhibitor Risk in Previously Untreated Patients With Hemophilia A

In July 1990, the Recombinate Study Group initiated a prospective, open-labeled investigation of recombinant factor Vlll (r-FVIII) to assess its safety and efficacy and to character- ize the natural history of inhibitor development in previously untreated patients (PUPS) with hemophilia A. All study subjects have severe FVlll deficiency (baseline Wlll level 52% of normal) and no history of blood product exposure before study entry. Following the first r-FVIII infusion, plasma was screened for inhibitors once every 3 months, and plasma recovery of r-FVIII at 30 minutes and 24 hours postinfusion was assayed at least once every 6 months. As of May 1993, 73 of 79 patients originally enrolled in the trial continue to participate. The median number of r-FVIII exposure-days for the 71 subjects who have received at least one r-FVIII infusion is 11. A total of 1,785 infusions have been administered to treat 810 bleeding events. Ninety-two percent of bleeding events responded as anticipated to one or two infusions. Two, nonrecurring, acute adverse reactions occurred coinci-HE Study design. This is an open-labeled study of r-FVIII (Recom- binate). Following enrollment, patients were treated on demand for acute bleeding episodes or for the prevention of bleeding. The loca-tion, type of hemorrhage, and the time of onset of symptoms were recorded for each new bleeding event. Each infusion of r-FVIII was monitored for significant changes in vital signs, other adverse signs or symptoms, and clinical response to treatment. The schedule and dose of r-FVIII administration for a given bleeding complication were individually determined at each participating hemophilia treatment center and followed generally accepted guidelines for the treatment or prevention of hemophilia A-related bleeding.
Amphotericin B liposomes with prolonged circulation in blood: in vitro antifungal activity, toxicity, and efficacy in systemic candidiasis in leukopenic mice

Pegylated amphotericin B (AmB) liposomes (PEG-AmB-LIP) were compared with laboratory-prepared nonpegylated AmB liposomes (AmB-LIP), a formulation with a lipid composition the same as that in AmBisome, as well as with industrially prepared AmBisome regarding their in vitro antifungal activities, toxicities, blood residence times, and therapeutic efficacies. Killing of Candida albicans (> 99.9%) during short-term (6-h) incubation was observed at 0.2 mg of AmB per liter for AmB desoxycholate, 0.4 mg of AmB per liter for PEG-AmB-LIP, 0.8 mg of AmB per liter for AmB-LIP, and 12.8 mg of AmB per liter for AmBisome. The maximum tolerated doses of PEG-AmB-LIP, AmB-LIP, and AmBisome were 15, 19, and > 31 mg of AmB per kg of body weight, respectively. In contrast to AmB-LIP, the blood residence time of PEG-AmB-LIP was prolonged and dose independent. In a model of systemic candidiasis in leukopenic mice at a dose of 5 mg of AmB per kg, PEG-AmB-LIP was completely effective and AmB-LIP was partially effective, whereas AmBisome was not effective. AmB-LIP at 11 mg of AmB per kg was partially effective. AmBisome at 29 mg of AmB per kg was completely effective. In conclusion, the therapeutic efficacies of AmB liposomes can be improved by preparing AmB liposomes in which a substantial reduction in toxicity is achieved while antifungal activity is retained. In addition, therapeutic efficacy is favored by a prolonged residence time of AmB liposomes in blood.
Survival and PSA response of patients in the TAX 327 study who crossed over to receive docetaxel after mitoxantrone or vice versa.

BACKGROUND The TAX 327 study compared 3-weekly docetaxel, weekly docetaxel or 3-weekly mitoxantrone, each with prednisone, for 1006 patients with metastatic hormone-refractory prostate cancer. Survival and symptom control were superior following 3-weekly docetaxel as compared with mitoxantrone. At progression, many patients were treated with the other drug. Here, we provide a retrospective report of survival and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) response after second-line therapy. METHODS The TAX 327 database provided information about treatment after progression on first-line therapy, and survival has been updated. Investigators were asked to provide information about crossover treatment and serial PSA values. RESULTS We identified 232 crossover patients. Median survival after crossover was 10 months and did not depend on direction of crossover. Data on PSA response are available for 96 patients: PSA response (> or =50% reduction) occurred in 15% of 71 men receiving mitoxantrone after docetaxel and in 28% of 25 men receiving docetaxel after mitoxantrone. Median PSA progression-free survival was 3.4 months for mitoxantrone after docetaxel and 5.9 months for docetaxel after mitoxantrone. CONCLUSIONS One quarter of men received crossover therapy and survival was similar in the crossover groups. The PSA response rate to docetaxel after mitoxantrone was higher than that for mitoxantrone after docetaxel.
Improved artificial potential field-based simultaneous forward search method for robot path planning in complex environment

Our previous studies have discussed an effective improved artificial potential field based simultaneous forward search method (an Improved APF-based SIFORS method) in known and static environment. This paper presents the proposed Improved APF-based SIFORS method for autonomous mobile robot path planning in an environment including partially known or unknown, and dynamic complex environments. It can program a valid, feasible and shorter solution from the robot location to the target position. We redefine repulsive potential field and improve the wall-following method to solve intrinsic fatal problems of previous methods, and to address local minima and oscillation problems of the proposed method when a robot moves in a partially or entirely unknown environment. Using the latest five steps to assess the moving tendency of the robot, and combine the proposed wall-following method to an assistant robot to move out of local minima and oscillatory movements. To demonstrate the applications of our proposed method, we simulated paths planning for a local sensing range of a robot, a dynamic target, and moving obstacles in complex environments.
Opportunities and Needs for Logged Usage Data Analytics of Complex Industrial Systems

Industrial information systems record and store data about the status and use of the complex underlying production systems and processes. These data can be analyzed to improve existing, and innovate new products, processes, and services. This work focuses on a relatively unexplored area of industrial data analytics – understanding of end-user behaviors and their implications to the design, implementation, training and servicing of industrial systems. We report the initial findings from a requirements gathering workshop conducted with industry participants to identify the expected opportunities and goals with logged usage data and related needs to support the aims. Our key contributions include a characterization of the types of data that need to be collected and visualized, how these data can be used to understand product usage, description of the business purposes the information can be used for, and experience goals to guide the development of a novel usage data analytics tool. Interesting future research direction could include the privacy issues related to using logged usage data when limited number of users are logged.
Robustness and evolvability: a paradox resolved

Understanding the relationship between robustness and evolvability is key to understand how living things can withstand mutations, while producing ample variation that leads to evolutionary innovations. Mutational robustness and evolvability, a system's ability to produce heritable variation, harbour a paradoxical tension. On one hand, high robustness implies low production of heritable phenotypic variation. On the other hand, both experimental and computational analyses of neutral networks indicate that robustness enhances evolvability. I here resolve this tension using RNA genotypes and their secondary structure phenotypes as a study system. To resolve the tension, one must distinguish between robustness of a genotype and a phenotype. I confirm that genotype (sequence) robustness and evolvability share an antagonistic relationship. In stark contrast, phenotype (structure) robustness promotes structure evolvability. A consequence is that finite populations of sequences with a robust phenotype can access large amounts of phenotypic variation while spreading through a neutral network. Population-level processes and phenotypes rather than individual sequences are key to understand the relationship between robustness and evolvability. My observations may apply to other genetic systems where many connected genotypes produce the same phenotypes.
From the Midwestern Vascular Surgical Society Comparison of EVAR and open repair in patients with small abdominal aortic aneurysms : Can we predict results of the PIVOTAL trial ?

Objective: Data from multicenter studies support observation of small abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) over open repair (OR), but the role of endovascular repair (EVAR) is unclear pending outcome of the Positive Impact of EndoVascular Options for Treating Aneurysm earLy (PIVOTAL) trial. Our goal was to predict the outcome of the trial by comparing results of small AAA repair using EVAR vs OR at a tertiary institution. Methods: Using selection criteria of PIVOTAL trial, we reviewed clinical data of 194 consecutive patients, who underwent EVAR or OR for 4.0-5.0 cm AAAs between 1997 and 2004. All-cause and aneurysm-related deaths, complications, reinterventions, ruptures, and conversions were documented; factors affecting outcome were analyzed using 2 tests, Wilcoxon rank-sum tests, logistic regression Kaplan-Meier method with log-rank tests, and Cox proportional hazards regression. Median follow-up was 3.9 years (range, 1 month to 9 years). Results: A total of 194 patients, 162 males, 32 females (mean age: 71 years, range, 46-86) underwent 162 OR and 32 EVAR. EVAR patients were older (mean 74 6 vs 71 7, P .002), had lower ejection fraction (mean 54 11 vs 61 13, P .0002), and less likely to have ever smoked (69% vs 85%, P .03) than OR patients. Thirty-day mortality was 1.3% (2/162) for OR and 0% for EVAR (0/33) (P not significant [NS]). There were 49 systemic complications (7 EVAR, 42 OR, P NS) and 10 local complications (3 EVAR, 7 OR, P NS). During follow-up, there were no conversions and no ruptures. Freedom from reinterventions at 5 years was 83.1% 6.9% for EVAR and 95.3% 1.8% for OR (P 0.02). There were 26 deaths (3 EVAR, 23 OR); but no procedure or aneurysm-related death was confirmed after 30 days (cause unknown in 16 deaths, 62%). Survival rates at 1-year were 96.6% 3.4% for EVAR and 97.4% 1.3% for OR; 5-year rates were 86.9% 7.2% EVAR and 86.9% 3.3% for OR (P 0.69). Multivariate analysis revealed age (hazard ratio 1.1 per year, P .0496) and AAA size (hazard ratio 13.8 per 1 cm, P .03) were associated with death but EVAR vs OR was not (P .23). Conclusion: For repair of small AAAs, results of EVAR vs OR are not different at 5 years at a tertiary institution. Multicenter studies confirmed OR were not superior to observation in these patients. We predict the PIVOTAL study will conclude EVAR is not superior to observation. (J Vasc Surg 2009;49:52-9.)
Teaching the Computer to Code Frames in News: Comparing Two Supervised Machine Learning Approaches to Frame Analysis

We explore the application of supervised machine learning (SML) to frame coding. By automating the coding of frames in news, SML facilitates the incorporation of large-scale content analysis into framing research, even if financial resources are scarce. This furthers a more integrated investigation of framing processes conceptually as well as methodologically. We conduct several experiments in which we automate the coding of four generic frames that are operationalised as a set of indicator questions. In doing so, we compare two approaches to modelling the coherence between indicator questions and frames as an SML task. The results of our experiments show that SML is well suited to automate frame coding but that coding performance is dependent on the way SML is implemented.
Lysosomal stability, superoxide dismutase and zinc deficiency in regenerating rat liver

1. Lysosomal stability was slightly increased in regenerating livers from rats receiving a zinc-deficient (< 0.5 mg/kg) diet for 10 d before surgery. 2. The activity of superoxide dismutase (EC 1.15.1.1) was significantly reduced in the same tissues. 3. The results do not support the view that increased lysosomal fragility represents a major biochemical consequence of nutritional Zn deficiency in animals.
Towards the optimization of automatic detection of design flaws in object-oriented software systems

In order to increase the maintainability and the flexibility of a software, its design and implementation quality must be properly assessed. For this purpose a large number of metrics and several higher-level mechanisms based on metrics are defined in literature. But the accuracy of these quantification means is heavily dependent on the proper selection of threshold values, which is oftentimes totally empirical and unreliable. In this paper we present a novel method for establishing proper threshold values for metrics-based rules used to detect design flaws in object-oriented systems. The method, metaphorically called "tuning machine", is based on inferring the threshold values based on a set of reference examples, manually classified in "flawed" respectively "healthy" design entities (e.g., classes, methods). More precisely, the "tuning machine" searches based on a genetic algorithm, for those thresholds, which maximize the number of correctly, classified entities. The paper also defines a repeat-able process for collecting examples, and discusses the encouraging and intriguing results while applying the approach on two concrete metrics-based rules that quantify two well-known design flaws i.e., "God Class" and "Data Class".
Applied Element Method Simulation of Fiber Reinforced Polymer and Polypropylene Composite Retrofitted Masonry Walls

In current research work, an attempt is made to simulate the behavior of a newly proposed composite material using 3-D Applied Element Method (AEM). Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) being a strong material provides a significant increase in shear strength. Polypropylene band (PP-band) not only holds the masonry wall system into a single unit but also provides a fairly high deformation capacity at a very low cost of retrofitting. A composite of FRP and PP-band is proposed and applied on the surface of masonry wall. Verification of the proposed numerical model is achieved by conducting experiments on twelve masonry wallets. Out of twelve, six masonry wallets were tested in out of plane bending test and six were tested under in-plane forces in the form of diagonal compression test. Same wallet retrofitting scheme was selected for in-plane and out of plane experiments and all of them were analyzed using proposed 3-D AEM numerical simulation tool. Proposed numerical model has served satisfactory and has shown a fairly good agreement with experimental results which encourages the use of 3D-AEM to numerically simulate the behavior of non-retrofitted and retrofitted masonry wallets.
Dipole-like fields for stabilization of systems with Pfaffian constraints

This paper introduces a framework that guides the design of stabilizing feedback control laws for systems with Pfaffian constraints. A new class of N-dimensional vector fields, the dipole-like vector fields is proposed, inspired by the form of the flow lines of the electric point dipole. A general connection between the dipole-like field and the Pfaffian constraints of catastatic nonholonomic systems is exploited, to establish systematic guidelines on the design of stabilizing control laws. The methodology is applied to the stabilization of the unicycle and of the nonholonomic double integrator. Based on these guidelines, switching control laws are constructed. The efficacy of the methodology is demonstrated through simulation results.
Radiation-induced defects and amorphization in zircon

The effects of self-radiation damage as a function of cumulative alpha-decay events in synthetic zircon doped with {sup 238}Pu and natural zircons damaged over geologic time are compared and interpreted in terms of the accumulation of both defects and amorphousness. The radiation-induced unit-cell expansion and amorphization result in macroscopic swelling that increases sigmoidally with cumulative decay events and saturates at a fully amorphous state. The derived amorphous fraction as a function of cumulative dose is consistent with models based on the multiple overlap of displacement cascades, indicating that amorphization in zircon occurs as a result of the local accumulation of high defect concentrations rather than directly within a displacement cascade. Annealing of point defects in the natural zircons suppresses initial swelling and delays the onset of amorphization. Full recrystallization of the zircon structure from the amorphous state occurs in two stages, with kinetics and activation energies consistent with the reported thermal stability of the amorphous state. This study further confirms that actinide doping is a viable accelerated technique to study or simulate radiation effects from alpha decay on geologic time scales.
POLYPROPYLENE FRC BRIDGE DECK SLABS TRANSVERSELY PRESTRESSED WITH CFRP TENDONS

Compressive membrane action in bridge deck slabs has been shown to considerably increase the failure loads of such slabs. Thus, the reinforcing requirement can be reduced if a system is configured to ensure development of compressive membrane action. Recent research has shown that the use of transverse prestressing in bridge deck slabs can achieve even greater savings by reducing slab thickness and reinforcing requirements while enhancing serviceability. This paper describes an investigation of a deck slab system totally devoid of steel reinforcement. A one-quarter-scale mode of a typical deck slab supported on three steel girders was constructed in the laboratory and transversely prestressed with carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic tendons. Polypropylene-fiber-reinforced concrete was used for temperature and shrinkage crack control. The deck slab panels in the model bridge were tested to failure under simulated concentrated wheel loads. The observed failure mode of all panels was that of punching shear, at loads in excess of the scaled Ontario Highway Bridge Design Code specified design service load. Load-deflection curves and failure loads are presented and compared. The test results show that transverse prestressing enhances, considerably, the punching failure loads of deck slabs. It was also observed that bridge deck slabs totally devoid of any steel reinforcement perform satisfactorily in both strength and deformation.
Automatic Appearance-Based Loop Detection from 3 D Laser Data Using the Normal Distributions Transform

We propose a new approach to appearance-based loop detectio n for mobile robots, using 3D laser scans. Loop detection is an important problem in the SLAM domain, and, because it can be seen as the problem of recognizing prev iously visited places, it is an example of the data association problem. Without a fla t floor assumption, 2D laser-based approaches are bound to fail in many cases. Two o f the problems with 3D approaches that we address in this paper are how to handle t he greatly increased amount of data and how to efficiently obtain invariance to 3D r otations. We present a compact representation of 3D point clouds that is still disc riminative enough to detect loop closures without false positives (i.e., detecting loo p closure where there is none). A low false positive rate is very important because wrong dat a association could have disastrous consequences in a SLAM algorithm. Our approach u ses only the appearance of 3D point clouds to detect loops and requires no pose in formation. We exploit the NDT surface representation to create feature histogram s based on surface orientation and smoothness. The surface shape histograms compress the input data by two to three orders of magnitude. Because of the high compression r ate, the histograms can be matched efficiently to compare the appearance of two scans . Rotation invariance is achieved by aligning scans with respect to dominant surfa ce orientations. We also propose to use expectation maximization to fit a Gamma mixtur e model to the output similarity measures in order to automatically determine th e t reshold that separates scans at loop closures from non-overlapping ones. We discus s the problem of determining ground truth in the context of loop detection and the d ifficulties in comparing the results of the few available methods based on range infor mation. Furthermore, we present quantitative performance evaluations using three real-world data sets, one of which is highly self-similar, showing that the proposed met hod achieves high recall rates (percentage of correctly identified loop closures) at low false positive rates in environments with different characteristics.