Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Stochastic Model Predictive Control for Linear Systems Using Probabilistic Reachable Sets

In this paper, we propose a stochastic model predictive control (MPC) algorithm for linear discrete-time systems affected by possibly unbounded additive disturbances and subject to probabilistic constraints. Constraints are treated in analogy to robust MPC using a constraint tightening based on the concept of probabilistic reachable sets, which is shown to provide closed-loop fulfillment of chance constraints under a unimodality assumption on the disturbance distribution. A control scheme reverting to a backup solution from a previous time step in case of infeasibility is proposed, for which an asymptotic average performance bound is derived. Two examples illustrate the approach, highlighting closed-loop chance constraint satisfaction and the benefits of the proposed controller in the presence of unmodeled disturbances.
Generalizing Point Embeddings using the Wasserstein Space of Elliptical Distributions

Embedding complex objects as vectors in low dimensional spaces is a longstanding problem in machine learning. We propose in this work an extension of that approach, which consists in embedding objects as elliptical probability distributions, namely distributions whose densities have elliptical level sets. We endow these measures with the 2-Wasserstein metric, with two important benefits: (i) For such measures, the squared 2-Wasserstein metric has a closed form, equal to a weighted sum of the squared Euclidean distance between means and the squared Bures metric between covariance matrices. The latter is a Riemannian metric between positive semi-definite matrices, which turns out to be Euclidean on a suitable factor representation of such matrices, which is valid on the entire geodesic between these matrices. (ii) The 2-Wasserstein distance boils down to the usual Euclidean metric when comparing Diracs, and therefore provides a natural framework to extend point embeddings. We show that for these reasons Wasserstein elliptical embeddings are more intuitive and yield tools that are better behaved numerically than the alternative choice of Gaussian embeddings with the Kullback-Leibler divergence. In particular, and unlike previous work based on the KL geometry, we learn elliptical distributions that are not necessarily diagonal. We demonstrate the advantages of elliptical embeddings by using them for visualization, to compute embeddings of words, and to reflect entailment or hypernymy.
XOGAN: One-to-Many Unsupervised Image-to-Image Translation

Unsupervised image-to-image translation aims at learning the relationship between samples from two image domains without supervised pair information. The relationship between two domain images can be one-to-one, one-to-many or many-to-many. In this paper, we study the one-to-many unsupervised image translation problem in which an input sample from one domain can correspond to multiple samples in the other domain. To learn the complex relationship between the two domains, we introduce an additional variable to control the variations in our one-to-many mapping. A generative model with an XO-structure, called the XOGAN, is proposed to learn the cross domain relationship among the two domains and the ad- ditional variables. Not only can we learn to translate between the two image domains, we can also handle the translated images with additional variations. Experiments are performed on unpaired image generation tasks, including edges-to-objects translation and facial image translation. We show that the proposed XOGAN model can generate plausible images and control variations, such as color and texture, of the generated images. Moreover, while state-of-the-art unpaired image generation algorithms tend to generate images with monotonous colors, XOGAN can generate more diverse results.
Oncogenic PKC-ι activates Vimentin during epithelial-mesenchymal transition in melanoma; a study based on PKC-ι and PKC-ζ specific inhibitors

ABSTRACT Melanoma is one of the fastest growing cancers in the United States and is accompanied with a poor prognosis owing to tumors being resistant to most therapies. Atypical protein kinase Cs (aPKC) are involved in malignancy in many cancers. We previously reported that aPKCs play a key role in melanoma's cell motility by regulating cell signaling pathways which induce epithelial-mesenchymal Transition (EMT). We tested three novel inhibitors; [4-(5-amino-4-carbamoylimidazol-1-yl)-2,3-dihydroxycyclopentyl] methyl dihydrogen phosphate (ICA-1T) along with its nucleoside analog 5-amino-1-((1R,2S,3S,4R)-2,3-dihydroxy-4-methylcyclopentyl)-1H-imidazole-4-carboxamide (ICA-1S) which are specific to protein kinase C-iota (PKC-ι) and 8-hydroxy-1,3,6-naphthalenetrisulfonic acid (ζ-Stat) which is specific to PKC-zeta (PKC-ζ) on cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration and invasion of two malignant melanoma cell lines compared to normal melanocytes. Molecular modeling was used to identify potential binding sites for the inhibitors and to predict selectivity. Kinase assay showed >50% inhibition for specified targets beyond 5 μM for all inhibitors. Both ICA-1 and ζ-Stat significantly reduced cell proliferation and induced apoptosis, while ICA-1 also significantly reduced migration and melanoma cell invasion. PKC-ι stimulated EMT via TGFβ/Par6/RhoA pathway and activated Vimentin by phosphorylation at S39. Both ICA-1 and ζ-Stat downregulate TNF-α induced NF-κB translocation to the nucleus there by inducing apoptosis. Results suggest that PKC-ι is involved in melanoma malignancy than PKC-ζ. Inhibitors proved to be effective under in-vitro conditions and need to be tested in-vivo for the validity as effective therapeutics. Overall, results show that aPKCs are essential for melanoma progression and metastasis and that they could be used as effective therapeutic targets for malignant melanoma.
Comparative efficacy of four ansethetics on common carp Cyprinus carpio L.

Anesthetics are often used to immobilise fishes in research. Many chemicals have been tested in anesthetisation of fishes and each chemical has its own merits and demerits. In the present study, four anesthetics namely, 2-phenoxyethanol, quinaldine, MS-222, and benzocaine were selected to test the efficiency in anesthetisation of common carp Cyprinus carpia. Results indicated that the induction time of the fish exposed in four anesthetic solutions significantly (P < 0.05) decreased with increasing concentration but recovery time was independent to concentration. The effective concentration which produced anesthesia within 3 minutes and allowed recovery within 5 minutes in common carp were 600 mm3/dm3 (2-phenoxyethanol), 6 mg/ dm3 {quinaldine), 50 mg/ dm3 (MS-222), and 50 mg/ dm3 (benzocaine). A brief comparison about the advantages and drawbacks of the four anesthetics are given in Tab. 4.
Individual approach to the treatment of obese copd patients can reduce anthropometric indicators, the level of systemic inflammation and improve the quality of life.

OBJECTIVE Introduction: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and obesity are major causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide, and according to current estimates, the global burden of these conditions will be even greater. The basis for COPD treatment is bronchodilator therapy and non-pharmacotherapy approaches, such as respiratory rehabilitation and dietary counseling. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of lifestyle modification on anthropometric indices, markers of systemic inflammation, quality of life in patients with COPD and obesity. PATIENTS AND METHODS Materials and methods: 53 patients with COPD in stable condition with BMI - 30.0-39.9 kg/m2 were included in the study. The patients were divided into 2 groups: the first group - obese COPD patients with lifestyle modification (n=26) and the second group (n=27) -without lifestyle modification. Lifestyle modification involved: nutritional correction and regular physical exercise. The duration of the study was 9 months. We evaluated body mass indices (BMI), waist circumference (WC), actual nutrition, dyspnea by the mMRC scale, quality of life (QL), 6-minute walking distance test (6MWD), spirometry, serum levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) and sputum level of interleukin-26 (IL-26). RESULTS Results: After 9 months in obese COPD patients with lifestyle modification we found a decrease in body weight and BMI by 1.16 times (p <0.0001), WC by 1.07 times (p<0.0001), the basal metabolic rate by 1.07 times (p=0.02), the actual energy value of consumed food per work day and weekend by 1.19 times and 1.23 times, respectively (p<0.0001), the level of dyspnea by 1.42 times (p <0.0001), systemic inflammation markers decreased - serum CRP by 2.06 times (p < 0.0001), IL-26 level in the induced sputum by 1.65 times (p <0.0001); increased the walked distance by 9.38% (p = 0.0004) and QL (p <0.0001). CONCLUSION Conclusions: Application of individually developed therapeutic measures incorporating the nutrition correction, taking into account the indicators of the basic metabolism in patients and regular physical activity against the background of inhaled basic therapy, allows us to the reduction of WC, BMI, activity of the inflammatory process, increase tolerance to physical activity and improvement of life quality.
Reversible Cognitive Dysfunction in Elderly-onset Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, Successfully Treated with Aggressive Immunosuppressive Therapy

A 70-year-old Japanese woman presented to our hospital with gait disturbance and cognitive dysfunction. Since she had arthritis, lymphopenia, hypocomplementemia, and anti-nuclear and anti-double-stranded DNA antibodies, she was diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging revealed bilateral hyperintensities in the putamen. Based on her cognitive impairment, muscle rigidity, and high levels of interleukin-6 in the cerebrospinal fluid, we believed she had developed a complication of a neuropsychiatric disease and administered corticosteroids and intravenous cyclophosphamide therapy. Her cognitive function fully recovered, and her gait disturbance improved. Attending to cognitive impairment in elderly SLE patients is necessary.
PROCEEDING E 2 F 1-deficient NOD / SCID mice are an experimental model for dry mouth

Saliva contains a wide variety of secretory proteins, including -amylase, lysozyme, peroxidase, immunoglobulins, and mucins. Hyposecretion of saliva and consequent dry mouth will lead to severe dental caries, periodontal disease, and mucosal infections, resulting in degrade of quality of life. Polyposia development is one of sign usually seen in dry mouth patients. However, little is reported in dry mouth-model animal regarding the entire process of polyposia development. We investigated the behavior of polyposia in E2F1-deficient non-obese diabetic/severe combined immunodeficiency disease (NOD/SCID) mice, as a dry mouth-model. E2F1-deficient NOD/SCID mice secreted small amount of saliva under the stimulation with a cholinergic agonist, pilocarpine, compared with control mice. The frequency of water intake by E2F-1-deficient NOD/SCID mice was more than that by control mice. These results suggest that E2F-1-deficient NOD/SCID mice show a behavior similar to polyposia and are very useful experimental model of dry mouth patients. J. Med. Invest. 56 Suppl. : 260-261, December, 2009
[Percutaneous transforaminal endoscopic discectomy combined with Coflex interspinous process dynamic reconstruction system in treatment of youth lumbar disc herniation].

Objective To evaluate the effectiveness of percutaneous transforaminal endoscopic discectomy (PTED) combined with Coflex interspinous process dynamic reconstruction system for the treatment of youth lumbar disc herniation (LDH). Methods The clinical data of 52 patients with LDH treated by PTED combined with Coflex were retrospectively analyzed between February 2013 and March 2015. The involved segments were L 4, 5 in 30 cases and L 5, S 1 in 22 cases. In 30 patients at L 4, 5 level, there were 18 males and 12 females with an average age of 25 years (range, 18-34 years) and a mean disease duration of 10 months (range, 6-16 months). In 22 patients at L 5, S 1 level, there were 10 males and 12 females with an average age of 25.5 years (range, 19-32 years) and a mean disease duration of 12 months (range, 6-18 months). The operation time and intraoperative blood loss were recorded. Oswestry disability index (ODI) and Japanese Orthpoaedic Association (JOA) score were used for effectiveness assessment. Radiograpic indexes were calculated on X-ray films before operation and final follow-up, including ventral intervertebral space height (VH), dorsal intervertebral space height (DH), intervertebral foramen height (IFH), the range of motion (ROM) of involved segment, and the ROM of upper adjacent segment. Results The operations were successfully completed in 52 patients. The operation time and intraoperative blood loss were (89.7±16.5) minutes and (42.7±11.3) mL in patients at L 4, 5 level, and were (94.6±18.2) minutes and (47.6±13.4) mL in patients at L 5, S 1 level. Incisions healed by first intention. All patients were followed up 12-18 months (mean,16 months) in patients at L 4, 5 level and 12-20 months (mean, 17 months) in patients at L 5, S 1 level. At final follow-up, ODI, and JOA score were significantly improved when compared with preoperative ones in all patients ( P<0.05). X-ray films showed no complication of Coflex loosening, spinous process fracture, or articular process fracture occurred. At final follow-up, VH, DH, and IFH were significantly improved when compared with preoperative ones in all patients ( P<0.05), and the ROM of involved segment was significantly reduced compared with preoperative one ( P<0.05), but the ROM of upper adjacent segment showed no significant difference when compared with preoperative one ( P>0.05). Conclusion PTED combined with Coflex is a safe and effective minimally invasive surgery in treating youth LDH; however, it still needs further clinical studies.
Epidemiology, susceptibility, and risk factors for acquisition of MDR/XDR Gram-negative bacteria among kidney transplant recipients with urinary tract infections

Background Multiple drug resistant/extensively drug resistant (MDR/XDR) Gram-negative urinary tract infections (UTIs) represent a growing threat to kidney transplant recipients. This retrospective study aimed to assess the incidence and microbiological profile of MDR/XDR Gram-negative UTIs, to identify drug susceptibility of MDR/XDR bacteria, and to determine the potential risk factors for MDR/XDR UTIs in kidney recipients. Materials and methods During the study period, 1569 patients underwent consecutive kidney transplantation in two transplantation centers. We studied the demographics, clinical characteristics, and urine culture data from kidney recipients with MDR/XDR Gram-negative UTIs, and verified the risk factors associated with MDR/XDR infections. Results Eighty-one kidney recipients yielded 88 episodes of MDR/XDR Gram-negative UTIs with five patients (6.2%) succumbing to all-cause in-hospital mortality. The most frequently isolated bacterium was Escherichia coli (62.5%). Almost all MDR/XDR Gram-negative bacteria were resistant to first- and second-generation cephalosporin, and monocyclic beta-lactam. They were relatively sensitive to meropenem, amikacin, and tigecycline. As for the 12 XDR bacteria, all of them were resistant to meropenem and 25% of them were resistant to tigecycline. All XDR Acinetobacter baumannii and E. coli were susceptible to tigecycline. Nosocomial infection (odds ratio [OR] = 11.429, 95% CI = 1.311–99.625, P = 0.027) was the only independent predictor of MDR/XDR Gram-negative UTIs. Non-fermenting bacterial infection (OR = 20.161, 95% CI = 3.409–119.240, P = 0.001), polycystic kidney disease (OR = 39.871, 95% CI = 1.979–803.384, P = 0.016), and serum creatinine level > 1.5 mg/dL (OR = 8.688, 95% CI = 1.354–55.747, P = 0.023) were significantly different between XDR and MDR Gram-negative UTIs. Conclusion Meropenem, amikacin, and/or tigecycline can be prescribed for MDR/XDR Gram-negative infections. Tigecycline can also be prescribed for XDR A. baumannii and E. coli. Nosocomial infection was a risk factor for MDR/XDR Gram-negative UTIs, while XDR UTIs were associated with non-fermenting bacterial infection, polycystic kidney disease, and impaired renal function.
D S ] 9 A pr 2 01 8 The streaming k-mismatch problem

We consider the streaming complexity of a fundamental task in approximate pattern matching: the k-mismatch problem. It asks to compute Hamming distances between a pattern of length n and all length-n substrings of a text for which the Hamming distance does not exceed a given threshold k. In our problem formulation, we report not only the Hamming distance but also, on demand, the full mismatch information, that is the list of mismatched pairs of symbols and their indices. The twin challenges of streaming pattern matching derive from the need both to achieve small working space and also to guarantee that every arriving input symbol is processed quickly. We present a streaming algorithm for the k-mismatch problem which uses O(k logn log n k ) bits of space and spends O(log n k ( √ k log k+log n)) time on each symbol of the input stream, which consists of the pattern followed by the text. The running time almost matches the classic offline solution [5] and the space usage is within a logarithmic factor of optimal. Our new algorithm therefore effectively resolves and also extends an open problem first posed in FOCS’09 [37]. En route to this solution, we also give a deterministic O(k(log n k + log |Σ|))bit encoding of all the alignments with Hamming distance at most k of a length-n pattern within a text of length O(n). This secondary result provides an optimal solution to a natural communication complexity problem which may be of independent interest.
Development of a Hemodynamic Model Using Routine Monitoring Parameters for Nociceptive Responses Evaluation During Surgery Under General Anesthesia

Background Routine hemodynamic monitoring parameters under general anesthesia, such as heart rate (HR), systolic blood pressure (SBP), and perfusion index (PI), do not solely reflect intraoperative nociceptive levels. We developed a hemodynamic model combining these 3 parameters for nociceptive responses during general anesthesia, and evaluated nociceptive responses to surgical skin incision. Material/Methods We first retrospectively performed discriminant analysis using 3 values – HR, SBP, and PI – to assess response to skin incision during tympanoplasty, laparoscopic cholecystectomy, and open gastrectomy to determine if combined use of these parameters differentiates nociceptive levels among these 3 surgeries. Secondly, ordinal logistic regression analysis was applied using the 3 parameters to develop an equation representing nociceptive response during general anesthesia, and then evaluated its utility to discern nociceptive responses to skin incision. Results We developed the following hemodynamic model as calculated nociceptive response= −1+2/(1+ exp(−0.01 HR −0.02 SBP +0.17 PI)), and prospectively determined that calculated nociceptive responses to small skin incision for laparoscopic surgery were significantly lower than responses to large skin incision for laparotomy. Conclusions Our hemodynamic model using HR, SBP, and PI likely reflects nociceptive levels at skin incision during general anesthesia, and quantitatively discerned the difference in nociceptive responses to skin incision between laparoscopy and laparotomy. This model could be applicable to assess either real-time nociceptive responses or averaged nociceptive responses throughout surgery without using special equipment.
Corporate Governance Deviance

We develop the concept of corporate governance deviance and seek to understand why, when, and how a firm adopts governance practices that do not conform to the dominant governance logic. Drawing on institutional theory, coupled with both the entrepreneurship and corporate governance literature, we advance a middle-range theory of the antecedents of corporate governance deviance that considers both the institutional context and firm-level agency. Specifically, we highlight the centrality of a firm’s entrepreneurial identity as it interacts with the national governance logic to jointly create corporate governance discretion (i.e., the latitude of accessible governance practices) within the firm. We argue that as a firm’s governance discretion increases, it will be more likely to adopt overconforming or underconforming governance practices that deviate from established norms and practices. Moreover, we propose that adopting a deviant corporate governance practice is contingent on the governance regulatory en.
Understanding the inheritors: The perception of beginning-level students toward their Spanish as a Heritage Language program

EN How do students perceive their Spanish as a Heritage Language (SHL) program at a large southwestern university? Student perceptions of their language classes may be linked to affective needs and motivation (Tse, 2000) and a resolution of the potential mismatch between the perceptions of educators and students can lead to greater engagement and student satisfaction (Beaudrie, 2015). This study reports on the perspective of beginning-level students in 35 interviews conducted by the authors in order to gain insight into how participants conceive of the SHL program. The findings show that the participants respond positively to and comprehend the value of a pedagogical approach that values students’ home varieties. They also recognize both the social importance and pedagogical potential of exploring bilingual community practices, such as code-switching. The findings support an approach that fosters engagement with the participants’ speech communities as a valuable source of linguistic and cultural input.
Fatty acid pro fi le of plasma NEFA does not re fl ect adipose tissue fatty acid pro fi le

Adipose tissue (AT) fatty acid (FA) composition partly reflects habitual dietary intake. Circulating NEFA are mobilised from AT and might act as a minimally invasive surrogate marker of AT FA profile. Agreement between twenty-eight FA in AT and plasma NEFA was assessed using concordance coefficients in 204 male and female participants in a 12-month intervention using supplements to increase the intake of EPA and DHA. Concordance coefficients generally showed very poor agreement between AT FA and plasma NEFA at baseline SFA: 0·07; MUFA: 0·03; n-6 PUFA: 0·28; n-3 PUFA: 0·01). Participants were randomly divided into training (70 %) and validation (30 %) data sets, and models to predict AT and dietary FA were fitted using data from the training set, and their predictive ability was assessed using data from the validation set. AT n-6 PUFA and SFA were predicted from plasma NEFA with moderate accuracy (mean absolute percentage error n-6 PUFA: 11 % and SFA: 8 %), but predicted values were unable to distinguish between low, medium and high FA values, with only 25 % of n-6 PUFA and 33 % of SFA predicted values correctly assigned to the appropriate tertile group. Despite an association between AT and plasma NEFA EPA (P= 0·001) and DHA (P= 0·01) at baseline, there was no association after the intervention. To conclude, plasma NEFA are not a suitable surrogate for AT FA.