Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Strategic Gaze : An Interactive Eye-Tracking Study 1

We present an interactive eye-tracking study that explores the strategic use of gaze. We analyze gaze behavior in an experiment with four simple games. The game can either be a competitive (hide & seek) game in which players want to be unpredictable, or a game of common interest in which players want to be predictable. Gaze is either transmitted in real time to another subject, or it is not transmitted and therefore nonstrategic. We find that subjects are able to interpret non-strategic gaze, obtaining substantially higher payoffs than subjects who did not see gaze patterns. If gaze is transmitted in real time, eye movements become more informative in the common interest games and players predominantly succeed to coordinate on efficient outcomes. In contrast, eye movements become less informative in the competitive game.
Ordinal Pooling

In the framework of convolutional neural networks, downsampling is often performed with an average-pooling, where all the activations are treated equally, or with a max-pooling operation that only retains an element with maximum activation while discarding the others. Both of these operations are restrictive and have previously been shown to be sub-optimal. To address this issue, a novel pooling scheme, named\emph{ ordinal pooling}, is introduced in this work. Ordinal pooling rearranges all the elements of a pooling region in a sequence and assigns a different weight to each element based upon its order in the sequence. These weights are used to compute the pooling operation as a weighted sum of the rearranged elements of the pooling region. They are learned via a standard gradient-based training, allowing to learn a behavior anywhere in the spectrum of average-pooling to max-pooling in a differentiable manner. Our experiments suggest that it is advantageous for the networks to perform different types of pooling operations within a pooling layer and that a hybrid behavior between average- and max-pooling is often beneficial. More importantly, they also demonstrate that ordinal pooling leads to consistent improvements in the accuracy over average- or max-pooling operations while speeding up the training and alleviating the issue of the choice of the pooling operations and activation functions to be used in the networks. In particular, ordinal pooling mainly helps on lightweight or quantized deep learning architectures, as typically considered e.g. for embedded applications.
An investigation of the relationship between the inflammatory response and outcome in patients with gastro-oesophageal cancer

The thesis reviews the literature regarding the relationship between the local and systemic inflammatory responses and outcome in patients with gastro-oesophageal cancer. The study chapters then examine the relationship between the systemic inflammatory response and survival, in operable and inoperable disease and within, a cohort treated with palliative chemotherapy. The local inflammatory response and its relationship with tumour related factors, the systemic inflammatory response and survival, was examined in patients who underwent potentially curative surgery Also, the clinical utility of a systemic inflammation based score (Glasgow Prognostic Score) as a part of clinical staging, was then examined. The importance of these studies in a scientific and clinical context are discussed. Future work is also discussed.
How to Use Social Media Data for Political Science Research

Citizens across the globe spend an increasing proportion of their daily lives on social media platforms. Their activities on the sites generate granular, time-stamped footprints of human behavior and personal interactions. This chapter offers an overview of existing research that uses social media data in the fields of Political Science and International Relations. We discuss two types of studies: those where social media is being used as a source of data to study, e.g. political networks or public opinion, and those focusing on how social media transforms different political phenomena, ranging from ideological polarization and misinformation to election campaigns. Our review also offers an in-depth analysis of the main challenges of this type of data, such as the different sources of bias that limit the generalizability of findings, the difficulty of connecting online and offline behavior, and concerns about reproducibility and ethics. To illustrate the opportunities and limitations of social media data, we also provide an applied example using Twitter as event data to study the dynamics of protest movements in Egypt and Bahrain in 2011.
Reproducibility of concentric and eccentric isokinetic strength of the knee flexors in elite volleyball players

The aim of this study is to define the test-retest reproducibility for measuring the peak torque of the knee flexors according to the isokinetic concentric and eccentric muscle action. The tests were done in two sessions at a 21 day interval. Ten healthy national-level volleyball players, 24.3 years old ± 3.9 were included. Tests took place after the competition season. Evaluation was carried out with a Cybex 6000 dynamometer and the reliability was calculated according to the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC 2.1). The protocol consisted of 5 isokinetic concentric contractions at 180°/s followed by 5 isokinetic eccentric contractions at 30 and 60°/s. Results show an excellent reproducibility for isokinetic concentric peak torque at 180°/s. (ICC: 0.94) and very good reproducibility for isokinetic eccentric peak torque at 30 and 60°/s. (ICC: 0.86; 0.83). These results indicate that knee flexion strength at these velocities may be used to estimate the performance of volleyball players.
Aicardi-Goutières syndrome: A cause of CSF chronic hyperlymphocytosis

Abstract Aicardi-Goutières syndrome (AGS) is a rare infantile encephalopathy characterized by basal ganglia calcifications, leukodystrophy, chronic pleocytosis and elevated levels of interferon-alpha in cerebrospinal fluid. AGS is a clinically and genetically heterogeneous syndrome. We report an early onset case of AGS. Consanguinity, similar picture in the family and course suggested a familial metabolic encephalopathy. Extended basal ganglia calcifications and leukodystrophic changes on cerebral imaging, cerebrospinal fluid lymphocytosis and high interferon-alpha level allowed to diagnose AGS. We reviewed the literature and discussed the pathophysiology, differential diagnosis and treatment of this disorder.
O ct 2 01 9 Prune and Replace NAS

While recent Neural Architecture Search (NAS) algorithms are thousands of times faster than the pioneering works, it is often overlooked that they use fewer candidate operations, resulting in a significantly smaller search space. We present PR-DARTS, a NAS algorithm that discovers strong network configurations in a much larger search space and a single day. A small candidate operation pool is used, from which candidates are progressively pruned and replaced with better performing ones. Experiments on CIFAR-10 and CIFAR100 achieve 2.51% and 15.53% test error, respectively, despite searching in a space where each cell has 150 times as many possible configurations than in the DARTS baseline. All of our code is available at https://github.com/cogsys-tuebingen/prdarts
IMT Institute for Advanced Studies Lucca From the SelectedWorks of Andrea Vindigni Summer June 2 , 2014 A Theory of Political Entrenchment

We develop a theory of endogenous political entrenchment in a simple two-party dynamic model of income redistribution with probabilistic voting. A partially self-interested left-wing party may implement (entrenchment) policies reducing the income of its own constituency, the lower class, in order to consolidate its future political power. Such policies increase the net gain that low-skill agents obtain from income redistribution, which only the Left (but not the Right) can credibly commit to provide, and therefore may help offsetting a potential future aggregate ideological shock averse to the left-wing party. We demonstrate that political entrenchment by the Left occurs only if incumbency rents are suffi ciently high and that low-skill citizens may vote for this party even though they rationally expect the adoption of these policies. We also discuss the case where the left-wing party may have the incentive to ex-ante commit to not pursue entrenchment policies once in power. Finally, we show that, in a more general framework, the entrenchment policies can be implemented also by the right-wing party. The comparative statics analyzes the effects of state capacity, a positive bias of voters for one party and income inequality on the incentives of the incumbent party to pursue entrenchment policies. The importance of our theory for constitutionally legislated term limits is also discussed. The theory sheds light on why left-wing parties or politicians often support liberal immigration policies of unskilled workers, are sometime in favor of free trade with less developed economies and of globalization more generally, or fail to reform plainly “dysfunctional”public educational systems damaging the lower classes.
Years of Life Lost Due to Road Traffic Injuries in Kermanshah Province

Background: Remarkably, one of the main causes of years of life lost due to premature death (YLL) is due to road traffic injuries (RTIs), which usually occurs at an earlier age in life. Objectives: This study aimed to determine the trend of YLL due to road traffic injuries in Kermanshah Province during the years 2009 2014. Methods: This study relied on census data from forensic medicine reports. YLL related to RTIs were calculated according to the global burden of disease (GBD) 2010 guidelines, and the age and sex demographics of the population were obtained from the Governor General’s Office records for 2009 2014. The external causes of death were determined using the international classification of diseases (ICD-10) codes. To assess the YLL trend and its significance, negative binomial regression through the use of Stata 11 was implemented. Results: The mean age of the 3,231 subjects studied was 39.83 ± 21.27 years. A total of 78.4% of the subjects were males. The average number of fatal RTIs in the six-year period was 27.8 per 100,000 persons. The YLL rate was 149,995 (76.5 per 1000) including both sexes. The YLL rates due to premature mortality were 118,393 (119.8 per 1000) for males, and 31,602 for females (32.5 per 1000). The highest YLL rates for both sexes were in the age group of 15 44 years. The six-year trend of YLL due to premature mortality was therefore descending; with respect to the incremental period of one year, the YLL decreased by 7% on average (β = 0.07; CI: 0.09, 0.05). Conclusions: Despite the decrease in the mortality and YLL rates due to TRIs in recent years, these figures are higher global numbers; therefore, there needs to be more serious intervention.
Exploring Work-Related Smartphone Dependency Among Young Working Adults in China : A Qualitative Approach

This study extends the application of media system dependency theory to explore the work-related dependency relations of young working adults with their smartphones and the antecedents of such smartphone dependency. By conducting semistructured interviews with 32 young employees in China, this study showed that Chinese young workers mainly depend on their smartphones for understanding (e.g., being updated of the events in their work), orientation (e.g., performing work-related actions), and communication (e.g., contacting and interacting with colleagues) at work. Three task attributes (i.e., task interdependence, task mobility, and time criticality) and organizational norms influence the work-related smartphone dependency of Chinese young workers. Implications for theories and practices are discussed.
degli Studi G . D ’ Annunzio , Chieti-Pescara September 9-10 2010 Youth Unemployment and the Impact of Financial Crises

The impact of last financial crisis (2007-08) and subsequent global recession (2008-09) has been deeper on the weakest segments of the labour market. In this paper, we mainly focus on the extent and persistence of the impact of (past and last) financial crises on youth (15-24) unemployment rate. After a review of the existing (theoretical and empirical) literature on the determinants of youth unemployment rate in general and at the occurrence of economic crises, we present empirical estimations on the impact of past financial crises on young workers. We empirically investigate the relationship between financial crises and youth unemployment rate by employing fixed effects panel estimation on a large panel of countries (about 70) around the world for the period 1980-2005. Gender specific effect of crises on young workers is also investigated. To analyse the severity of financial crises for economies at different levels of economic development, we re-estimate our model for sub-samples of high income OECD countries and other economies in the sample. For further robustness check and sensitivity analysis, alternative definitions of crises are considered. The "persistence" of the impact of financial crises for young workers is also investigated. Finally we also estimate the Arellano-Bond dynamic panel, confirming the significance of the results. Young people are far more affected by the employment crises than the elder; long term unemployment for young workers can be harmful and may result in “discouraged workers” effects and social exclusion from labour market. Notwithstanding some peculiarities of the last crisis, our econometric investigations can be useful to better assess its impact on youth unemployment. At the end of the paper, before presenting some final considerations and policy implications, very recent data on youth labour market dynamics are analysed and discussed. JEL Classification: G01, C23, J21, J29, J69
Experiences With Virtual Reality Based Therapy for Joint Attention : A Usability and Initial Feasibility Pilot of FloreoVR ’ s Joint Attention Module in a Special Education

Educational costs can be substantial for children with ASD. With the national cost of supporting children with ASD in the United States estimated at $61 billion in total, special education expenses have accounted for a large percentage of this estimate (Buescher et al, 2014). Per year, the economic burden of addressing the healthcare and education needs of children with ASD has averaged more than $17,000 per child. Students with ASD incurred higher school costs than their peers without ASD (Lavelle, Weinstein, Newhouse, Munir, Kuhlthau, and Prosser, 2014).
The Efficacy of the Three-Piece Intrusion ArchA Clinical Study

Background: A deep overbite can be corrected by extrusion of upper/lower posterior teeth, intrusion of upper/lower incisors, and combination. Since uprighting of incisors often lengthens the crown vertically and increases the amount of overbite, the use of three-piece intrusion can be taken to get satisfactory results. The aim and objectives of the study were to check the incisor tooth length using three-piece intrusion arch technique. Materials and Methods: This prospective study included five patients who were undergoing routine orthodontic treatment with the pre-adjusted edgewise appliance in the Department of Orthodontics, College of Dental Surgery, Saveetha University, Chennai. Results: The central incisors measured by the spiral computed tomography (CT) show a mean resorption of 0.52000 mm with a significance of 0.000. The lateral incisors measured by the spiral CT show a mean resorption of 0.61000 mm with a significance of 0.001. Conclusion: The force systems delivered by the appliance are very much predictable and easy to control by the practitioner, thus making it the appliance of choice for effective simultaneous intrusion and retraction of the maxillary incisor teeth.
Anti-ageing Medicine: Myths and Chances

The XXIst century technological development is revolutionizing medicine and health care bringing new hopes to human suffering by offering cures and treatments which were unthinkable a few decades ago. This is where anti-ageing medicine finds its niche. Anti-ageing medicine aims at slowing, arresting, and reversing phenomena associated with ageing by merging biotechnological innovation and engineered solutions. Ideally, through the newest medical technology, the ‘body machinery' should be kept fit and at peak performance all life long. Early detection of age-related dysfunction should thus be ‘fi xed' at any age through interventions such as metabolic fi ne tuning, enhancement, regeneration, restoration or replacement of ‘body parts' (i.e. organs, skin, bone or muscle). It covers a vast array of domains: from cell therapy to pharmaceutical interventions, from bio-surgery to aesthetic surgery, from human enhancement to fortified food, from smart housing and robots to toxic-free environments. Anti-ageing medicine holds promises but also significant risks and safety issues which this book addresses. It presents the latest scientific evidence on what works or does not work. It also provides public policy recommendations to ensure the protection and rights of consumers while encouraging research and development. This book is intended for academics, health professionals, business persons, consumers and policymakers interested in finding out the latest evidence and ethical issues about anti-ageing medicine. It helps to get a better view on the possible choices for optimizing a healthy life and better ageing through safe technology.
Measuring the Effects of Gender on Online Social Conformity

Social conformity occurs when an individual changes their behaviour in line with the majority's expectations. Although social conformity has been investigated in small group settings, the effect of gender - of both the individual and the majority/minority - is not well understood in online settings. Here we systematically investigate the impact of groups' gender composition on social conformity in online settings. We use an online quiz in which participants submit their answers and confidence scores, both prior to and following the presentation of peer answers that are dynamically fabricated. Our results show an overall conformity rate of 39%, and a significant effect of gender that manifests in a number of ways: gender composition of the majority, the perceived nature of the question, participant gender, visual cues of the system, and final answer correctness. We conclude with a discussion on the implications of our findings in designing online group settings, accounting for the effects of gender on conformity.
Client satisfaction with maternal health services comparism between public and private hospitals in Jos Nigeria

Background: One principal determinant of uptake and continued utilization of maternal health services is overall client satisfaction. The public and private sectors supply substantial portions of these services in developing countries, but face different challenges. This study aimed at determining the differences in the quality of maternal health services they offer in Jos metropolis of Plateau State, Nigeria, to assess how these quality differentials impact upon clients’ satisfaction and suggesting how to improve on the gaps. Methods: This was facility-based, cross-sectional study where 400 women accessing maternal health services and whose children came for first dose of DPT and subsequent vaccinations in selected public and private health facilities in Jos, Plateau State were recruited following informed consent. Data was collected using semi-structured, interviewer-administered questionnaires and analysed using Epi info software. Results: Ninety seven clients were sampled in the private and 204 in the public hospitals. Six (6.2%) of them in the private and 4(2%) in the public hospitals lived more than an hour from the facility. There were statistically significant associations; p<0.0001 between the groups with regards to waiting time, comfort and cleanliness of the waiting lounge.Utilization of maternal health services and level of satisfaction was most statistically significant; p<0.0001 in terms of health education, though in terms of antenatal and nursing care, these relationships were not statistically significant; p=0.112 and p=0.733. Conclusion: In both private and public facilities in Jos, clients were generally satisfied with maternal health services. Key Words: Client Satisfaction, Maternal Health Services
Full-field and time-resolved tomographic PIV of turbulent thermal convection inside a cylinder

Rayleigh-Bénard convection, the buoyancy-driven flow induced by temperature gradients parallel to the gravity, is relevant to a variety of processes spontaneously occurring in nature or used in technological applications. Understanding of its inherent chaotic evolution is possible only through measurement techniques that allow to access the unsteady, three-dimensional behavior of all the thermo-fluid dynamic quantities of the flow. This work presents full-field and time-resolved tomographic particle image velocimetry measurements of non-rotating and rotating Rayleigh-Bénard convection inside a slender cylinder with aspect ratio equal to 1/2 at Rayleigh and Prandtl numbers equal to 1.86×108 and 7.6.
Structural and functional dynamics of healthy and perturbed neuronal networks in vitro

Rapid advancement in the field of morphogenic neuroengineering has led to interesting research perspectives in the area of in vitro neural network modeling using human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC) derived neural lineage cells. When co-cultured with other cell types such as astrocytes, aspects of the in vivo environment are closely recapitulated so that hiPSCs can be maintained long term in vitro and retain their ability to differentiate and express neuron specific markers. Furthermore, hiPSC-derived neurons spontaneously form neural networks that have structural and functional relevance to in vivo systems. These networks exhibit dynamic spontaneous electrophysiological activity that can be monitored using state -of-the-art technologies such as microelectrode arrays (MEAs). This activity is highly stereotypical across multiple networks and is characterized by phase specific properties. In this study, we observed this stereotypical activity as an early primitive phase arising approximately between 07 and 14 days in vitro (DIV); a stable but complex phase of synchrony and network bursts; and finally, a decline phase. Furthermore, we perturbed the neural network via electrical stimulation that was applied through specific electrodes on the MEA. Results show that electrical stimulation completely disrupted endogenous global synchronicity immediately in the neural network as quickly as 20 minutes post perturbation. Furthermore, network synchronization with a distinct temporal structure similar to the applied stimulation persisted in the neural network up to 48 hours post repeated stimulation, thus suggesting an adaptive learning response, which may be indicative of an interplay between Hebbian plasticity, as well as homeostatic plasticity mechanisms. The overarching conclusion of this work is that in vitro models of neural systems on MEAs are relevant for the study of complex neural network behaviours and may be beneficial for studying the interrelated dynamics of Hebbian and homeostatic plasticity that work in tandem to sculpt network behaviour in response to perturbation.