Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
End-to-end learning of energy-based representations for irregularly-sampled signals and images

For numerous domains, including for instance earth observation, medical imaging, astrophysics,. , available image and signal datasets often involve irregular space-time sampling patterns and large missing data rates. These sampling properties may be critical to apply state-of-the-art learning-based (e.g., auto-encoders, CNNs,.), fully benefit from the available large-scale observations and reach breakthroughs in the reconstruction and identification of processes of interest. In this paper, we address the end-to-end learning of representations of signals, images and image sequences from irregularly-sampled data, i.e. when the training data involved missing data. From an analogy to Bayesian formulation, we consider energy-based representations. Two energy forms are investigated: one derived from auto-encoders and one relating to Gibbs priors. The learning stage of these energy-based representations (or priors) involve a joint interpolation issue, which amounts to solving an energy minimization problem under observation constraints. Using a neural-network-based implementation of the considered energy forms, we can state an end-to-end learning scheme from irregularly-sampled data. We demonstrate the relevance of the proposed representations for different case-studies: namely, multivariate time series, 2D images and image sequences.
Continuous Peripheral Nerve Block as an Adjunct to Opioids for Postoperative Pain Management in Foot and Ankle Surgery : A Literature Review

Over the last few decades, there has not only been an increase in opioid prescribing but also an increase in prescription opioid related deaths. In Ohio, the opioid epidemic has played a major role in the recent development of OARRS and physician guidelines for opioid prescribing. Many physicians, including surgeons, have turned to alternative pain management methods, including continuous peripheral nerve block catheters for postoperative pain management. Single peripheral nerve blocks are already commonly utilized for immediate postoperative analgesia. However, limitations to single peripheral nerve block injection include less than 24 hours of analgesia with rebound pain, not always controlled by prescription opioids when the block wears off. The utilization of continuous peripheral nerve block catheters with portable infusion pumps may be beneficial in reducing postoperative pain, and subsequently the amount of postoperative opioid use. Bupivacaine and ropivacaine are the most commonly infused local anesthetics used for peripheral nerve blocks, with a recommended infusion rate for popliteal peripheral nerve catheters as 4-6 mL/h [23]. Peripheral nerve blocks have a low incidence of complications, with similar complication rates seen between single injection and continuous peripheral nerve blocks. Much of the reviewed literature suggests that continuous peripheral nerve blocks allow effective analgesic therapy to be delivered at home, which leads to decreased hospital stays, decreased emergency room visits or hospital readmissions, and decreased reliance on opioids for pain relief, ultimately benefitting the patient.
The 2016 – 2017 peak luminosity of the pre-main sequence variable V 2492

Context. V2492 Cyg is a young pre-main sequence star presenting repetitive brightness variations of significant amplitude (∆R ≥ 5 mag) whose physical origin has been ascribed to both extinction (UXor-type) and accretion (EXor-type) variability, although their mutual proportion has not been clarified yet. Recently, V2492 Cyg has reached a level of brightness ever registered in the period of its documented activity. Aims. We aim to derive the variation of the mass accretion rate between lowand high-state and to get new insights on the origin of the variability of V2492 Cyg. Methods. Optical and near-infrared (NIR) photometry and spectroscopy have been obtained in October 2016 and between March and July 2017. The source has remained bright until the end of May 2017, then it started to rapidly fade since the beginning of June at a rate of ∼0.08 mag/day. On mid-July 2017 the source has reached the same low-brightness level as two years before. Extinction and mass accretion rate were derived by means of the luminosity of the brightest lines, in particular Hα and Hβ. A couple of optical high-resolution spectra are also presented to derive information on the gas kinematics. Results. Visual extinction variations do not exceed a few magnitudes, while the mass accretion rate is estimated to vary from less than 10−8 up to a few 10−7 M yr−1. This latter is comparable to that estimated on the previous high-state in 2010, likely occurred under more severe extinction conditions. Conclusions. The combined analysis of the optical and NIR observations extends to the present event the original suggestion that the V2492 Cyg variability is a combination of changing extinction and accretion.
Mortgage Finance in the Face of Rising Climate Risk

With increasing natural disaster risk and declining flood insurance take-up, homeowners in coastal areas may be at increasing risk of mortgage default. Banks have the ability to screen and price mortgages for flood risk. Banks also retain the option to securitize some of these loans. Bank lenders may have an incentive to sell their worse flood risk to the GSEs. Unlike lenders, the GSEs follow observable rules for the purchase and the pricing of securitized mortgages. This paper uses the impact of one sharp rule, the conforming loan limit, on securitization volumes. Results suggest a substantial increase in mortgage securitizations for loan amounts right below such limit after a billion-dollar natural disaster. Such increase is larger in neighborhoods when the disaster is “new news”: lenders may learn about local risk. Con- forming loans are more likely to default. A structurally estimated model of mortgage pricing and securitization suggests that bunching at the conforming loan limit is an increasing function of perceived disaster risk. A simulation of increasing disaster risk with and without the GSEs suggests that the GSEs may act as a substitute for the declining National Flood Insurance Program.
Running Head: Satisfaction with CBT for Psychosis

a1 Psychological Interventions Clinic for Outpatients with Psychosis (PICuP), South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, UK a2 Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscien e, King’s College London, Department of Psychology, UK a3 Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscien e, King’s College London, Department of Biostatistics, UK a4 Department of Applied Health Research, University C ollege London, UK. a5 NIHR Biomedical Research Centre for Mental Health, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, UK a Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, UK
X-Ray Spectral Characterization of the Young Cygnus OB2 Population

We analyze the X-ray spectra of the ∼8000 sources detected in the Cygnus OB2 Chandra Legacy Survey (this focus issue), with the goals of characterizing the coronal plasma of the young low-mass stars in the region and estimating their intrinsic X-ray luminosities. We adopt two different strategies for X-ray sources for which more or less than 20 photons were detected. For the brighter sample we fit the spectra with absorbed isothermal models. In order to limit uncertainties, for most of the fainter Cygnus OB2 members in this sample we constrain the spectral parameters to characteristic ranges defined from the brightest stars. For X-ray sources with <20 net photons we adopt a conversion factor from detected photon flux to intrinsic flux. This was defined, building on the results for the previous sample, as a function of the 20% quantile of the detected photon energy distributions, which we prove to also correlate well with extinction. We then use the X-ray extinction from the spectral fits to constrain the ratio between optical and X-ray extinction toward Cyg OB2, finding it consistent with standard “Galactic” values, when properly accounting for systematics. Finally, we exploit the large number of sources to constrain the average coronal abundances of several elements, through two different ensemble analyses of the X-ray spectra of low-mass Cyg OB2 members. We find the pattern of abundances to be largely consistent with that derived for the young stellar coronae in the Orion Nebula Cluster.
Title Linking tree physiological constraints with predictions of carbon and water fluxes at an old ‐ growth coniferous forest Permalink

Old-growth coniferous forests of the Pacific Northwest are among the most productive temperate ecosystems and have the capacity to store large amounts of carbon for multiple centuries. To date, there are considerable gaps in modeling ecosystem fluxes and their responses to physiological constraints in these old-growth forests. These model shortcomings limit our ability to understand and project how the old-growth forests of the Pacific Northwest will respond to global climate change. This study applies the cohort-based Ecosystem Demography Model 2 (ED2) to the Wind River Experimental Forest (Washington, USA), a well-studied old-growth Douglas-fir–western hemlock ecosystem. ED2 is calibrated and validated using an extensive suite of forest inventory, eddy covariance, and biophysical observations. ED2 is able to reproduce observed forest composition and canopy structure, and carbon, water, and energy fluxes at the site. In the simulations, the effect of limited water supply on ecosystem carbon fluxes is mediated primarily by the forest’s gross primary productivity (GPP) response, rather than its heterotrophic respiration response. The simulation indicates that stomatal conductance is mainly determined by soil moisture during periods of low vapor pressure deficit (VPD). However, when VPD is high, stomatal conductance is greatly reduced regardless of soil moisture status. During summer droughts, reduced soil moisture and increased VPD result in considerable stomatal closure and GPP reduction, which in turn decreases net carbon uptake. Cohort-based scheme integrates all canopy layers (species) that have distinct sensitivity to microclimate and respond distinctly to drought. This study is an initial first step to explore the potential importance of cohort-based model in simulating forest with complex structure, and to lay the foundation for applying cohort-based model at regional scales across the Pacific Northwest.
Pilot study on perceived sleep acceptability of low-frequency , amplitude modulated tonal noise

The global expansion of wind farm facilities has been associated with community complaints regarding sleep disturbance. This may be related to the presence of amplitude modulation (AM) in wind turbine noise (WTN), which has been shown to result in increased annoyance. However, at present, it is unknown whether acceptability for sleep is judged differently to annoyance or if AM may be more problematic for sleep than other noise types. Previous studies have also focused predominantly on ‘swish’ noise rather than tonal AM, where the latter has been more consistently measured at several wind farms in South Australia at distances greater than 1 km. Therefore, this study investigated the perceived sleep acceptability of WTN containing low-frequency tonal AM through listening tests involving 13 participants. A total of 13 noise stimuli were synthesised based on real recordings of WTN. The tonal audibility and AM depth were varied within a range relevant to the AM depth measured in field recordings. Participant responses were highly variable, but in self-reported noisesensitive individuals, an increase in the AM depth at a tonal audibility of 12 dB(A) was associated with lower acceptability for sleep.
IMPACT OF TEMPERATURE ON THE STABILITY OF SILKWORM COCOON FIBERS

In this study raw and processed silkworm (Bombyx mori) cocoons were investigated using confocal Raman spectroscopy in conjunction with differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) in order to examine the effect of temperature on the molecular conformation of silk fiber structures. Using DSC, a broad endothermic curve was observed at moderate temperatures, shedding light on the vaporization of both raw and processed cocoons, a phenomenon that could also indicate a strong interaction between silk fibroin and water molecules. Over the temperature range set for this study, Raman spectra of raw and processed cocoons were compared at different excitation radiations after drying both kinds of cocoon in an oven at 80 and 125 oC for 60 minutes. By correlating the intensity ratios of the deconvoluted Raman bands using the broad bands characteristic of amide I and III, it was possible to evaluate the conformational changes in both materials. At excitation radiation of 532 nm, the deconvoluted Raman spectra for the amide III band indicated that, for both samples, there was a reduction in β-sheet conformation compared to α-helix conformation, and this structural disruption was driven by increased temperature. At radiation of 785 nm, the bands attributed to amino acid residues in the side chains increased in intensity, and by deconvoluting the amide I band, increased temperature was found to induce a transition from β-sheets to β-turns in both materials.
Effect of geothermal soil warming on needle morphology of Picea sitchensis in southwest Iceland

This study aims to evaluate how soil warming will affect needle morphology of Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis) and was conducted at the ForHot research site, a geothermal gradient area in south Iceland that represents realistic conditions of soil warming and acts as a proxy for warmer soil temperatures due to climate change. Specific needle area (SNA), needle density, and curved needle length of the most recent year of growth (2016) were assessed as a representation of growth, soil nutrient availability, and external stressors in three strata of trees grown in soil temperature treatments ~ +0 (control), 1, 3, 5, and 10˚C. Using linear regression and in comparison with soil warming, I only found significant changes in the needle density of the lowest stratum and in curved needle length of the highest stratum, with no significant changes in SNA. Although no overarching conclusions could be drawn, I was able to conclude there was no change in soil nutrient status with warming, the increased soil temperatures aided the growth of needles in the lower canopy even if it was due to the thinning of other trees, and that there is some unknown stressor affecting the trees specifically at the top of the canopy. To gain a better understanding of these results, studies should continue investigating soil warming effects on Sitka spruce needles in high latitudes since Sitka spruce is found throughout the worlds subarctic boreal forests and temperate rainforests, can potentially grow large quickly, and could produce profound effects with warming.
OCCURRENCE AND FATE OF 17 β-ESTRADIOL IN WATER RESOURCES AND WASTEWATER IN AHVAZ

Estradiol is known as the indicator of the presence of hormones as Endocrine Disruptor Compounds (EDCs) in water and wastewater. The entrance of these compounds into water resources through daily liquid wastes of societies as well as pharmaceutical industries, ranching, and pathology laboratories leads to an increase in their concentrations in these resources. Consequently, due to the metabolic properties of these substances they can cause adverse effects on consumers and aquatics. The main purpose of this research is to determine the occurrence and the fate of estradiol as indicator of endocrine-disrupting compounds in drinking water, surface water, and wastewater in Ahvaz, Iran. 17β-estradiol was detected in 37.5% of samples obtained from drinking water and 68.75% of samples from the Karun River. In the urban drinking water and Karun River, the mean concentrations of 17β-estradiol were 2.96 and 13.66 ng l, respectively. In the domestic and industrial wastewater, the concentrations of 17β-estradiol were higher than that detected in the drinking and surface waters. The mean concentrations of this hormone in these wastewaters were 57.46 and 70.6 ng l, respectively. The highest amount of 17β-estradiol was measured in the hospital wastewater. The fate of 17β-estradiol in the slaughterhouse wastewater treatment plant, in which a septic tank, an anaerobic pond, and an aerobic tank were used for wastewater treatment, was higher than 75%. The highest level of removal in the aerobic stage was also obtained by breaking estradiol down to other metabolites.
Intellectual Property Rights ( IPRs ) and Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Organizations ' Business Performance

The purpose of the study is to investigate the influence of Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) on Jordanian Pharmaceutical Manufacturing (JPM) Organizations’ Business Performance (BP). Practical data were used in the empirical analysis collected from 126 managers out of 250 managers of the mentioned organizations, by means of a questionnaire. Statistical techniques such as descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA test, correlation, multiple regressions, and stepwise regressions were employed. To confirm the suitability of data collection instrument, a Kolmogorov-Smirnov (K-S) test, Cronbach’s Alpha and factor analysis were used. The results of the study indicated a positive significant relationship between IPRs and Pharmaceutical Organizations’ business performance. The use of a single industry study design limits its generalisability to other industries. The research results might help both academics and practitioners to be more ready to understand the components of IPRs and provide insight into developing and increasing them within their organizations. IPRs are an important source of organizations’ wealth and therefore it should be taken into serious consideration when formulating the JPM Organizations’ strategy. This study extends prior research’s viewpoint about the linear relationship between IPRs and organizations’ BP with empirical evidence.
Algorithms above the noise floor

Many success stories in the data sciences share an intriguing computational phenomenon. While the core algorithmic problems might seem intractable at first, simple heuristics or approximation algorithms often perform surprisingly well in practice. Common examples include optimizing non-convex functions or optimizing over non-convex sets. In theory, such problems are usually NP-hard. But in practice, they are often solved sufficiently well for applications in machine learning and statistics. Even when a problem is convex, we often settle for sub-optimal solutions returned by inexact methods like stochastic gradient descent. And in nearest neighbor search, a variety of approximation algorithms works remarkably well despite the "curse of dimensionality". In this thesis, we study this phenomenon in the context of three fundamental algorithmic problems arising in the data sciences. * In constrained optimization, we show that it is possible to optimize over a wide range of non-convex sets up to the statistical noise floor. " In unconstrained optimization, we prove that important convex problems already require approximation if we want to find a solution quickly. * In nearest neighbor search, we show that approximation guarantees can explain much of the good performance observed in practice. The overarching theme is that the computational hardness of many problems emerges only below the inherent "noise floor" of real data. Hence computational hardness of these problems does not prevent us from finding answers that perform well from a statistical perspective. This offers an explanation for why algorithmic problems in the data sciences often turn out to be easier than expected. Thesis Supervisor: Piotr Indyk Title: Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Corpus Local Consistent Extraction Global Cohesiveness Error Pruning Head Entity Predicate Tail Entity Cohesiveness

Extracting entities and their relations from text is an important task for understanding massive text corpora. Open information extraction (IE) systems mine relation tuples (i.e., entity arguments and a predicate string to describe their relation) from sentences. These relation tuples are not confined to a predefined schema for the relations of interests. However, current Open IE systems focus on modeling local context information in a sentence to extract relation tuples, while ignoring the fact that global statistics in a large corpus can be collectively leveraged to identify high-quality sentence-level extractions. In this paper, we propose a novel Open IE system, called ReMine, which integrates local context signals and global structural signals in a unified, distant-supervision framework. Leveraging facts from external knowledge bases as supervision, the new system can be applied to many different domains to facilitate sentence-level tuple extractions using corpus-level statistics. Our system operates by solving a joint optimization problem to unify (1) segmenting entity/relation phrases in individual sentences based on local context; and (2) measuring the quality of tuples extracted from individual sentences with a translating-based objective. Learning the two subtasks jointly helps correct errors produced in each subtask so that they can mutually enhance each other. Experiments on two real-world corpora from different domains demonstrate the effectiveness, generality, and robustness of ReMinewhen compared to state-of-the-art open IE systems. ACM Reference Format: Qi Zhu, Xiang Ren, Jingbo Shang, Yu Zhang, Ahmed El-Kishky, Jiawei Han. 2019. Integrating Local Context and Global Cohesiveness for Open Information Extraction. In The Twelfth ACM International Conference on Web Search and Data Mining (WSDM’19), February 11–15, 2019, Melbourne, VIC, Australia. ACM, New York, NY, USA, 9 pages. https://doi.org/10.1145/ 3289600.3291030
Oil Exploitation and Agricultural Commodity Export in Nigeria : An Empirical Evaluation of the Extent and Impact of the Dutch Disease

The study examined the impact of crude oil discovery, exploitation and exportation on the agricultural commodity export (AGO) in Nigeria in the period 1970-2011. Specifically, the study sought to evaluate how the discovery and exportation of crude oil has impacted on the production and export of agricultural output. Annual time series data sourced mainly from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) statistical bulletins for various years were analyzed using co-integration and vector error correction model in a bid to delineate the long run relationship between (AGO) and oil export (OX). Our results show that in the long run, Dutch disease (DD) is present in Nigeria. A 1% increase in OX will depress AGO by 16%, that is, the more Nigeria produces and exports oil, the lower the output and less competitive the traditional tradable sector (AGO) becomes. The paper recommends that policy makers should make considerable investments in developing other economic sectors, re-channel the extra revenue from oil to accumulate income-producing foreign assets, and come up with a number of tax and import duty waivers, import substitution and diversification measures in order to boost productivity in the “lagging” traditional tradable sector and develop other agro-allied industries to improve the value chain.
Community effects on fertility behavior during the demographic transition in Sweden : A multi-level analysis using micro census data

This paper aims at studying the contextual effects on fertility in order to find empirical evidence that the community where people lived had an independent effect on their fertility behavior over and above their individual characteristics. This aim connects with hypotheses on the importance of innovation-diffusion in the process of fertility decline. Using micro-census data for Sweden 1880, 1890, and 1900, we use multilevel analysis to estimate measures of variance over time. Our findings show that it is who you are rather than where you live that explains fertility behavior during the transition.
CHARACTERIZATION OF CYTOKINE INDUCTION AND EFFECTS OF Approved: ANTIVIRAL TREATMENT IN FOUR MURINE MODELS OF POXVIRUS INFECTION

11 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS . iv LIST OF TABLES . vi LIST OF FIGURES . vii