Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Automatic adjustment of selection pressure based on range of reward in learning classifier system

XCS (Accuracy-based learning classifier system) can acquire accurate classifiers on the basis of consistent reward, but it does not always receive the consistent reward in real world problems even if it provides the same output for the same input. Such a situation prevents XCS from reducing the number of overspecific accurate classifiers by the subsumption mechanism. This means that XCS finds it hard to acquire the optimal classifiers. For this issue, our previous research proposed XCS-MR (XCS based on Mean of Reward) which can reduce the number of classifiers even in the environments where the size of the rewards is uncertain. However, XCS-MR requires a large amount of learning data to correctly determine the accuracy of classifiers because XCS-MR needs to record the average and variance of the rewards in all input-output space. To overcome this problem, this paper proposes a new XCS that can reduce the number of the classifiers even in the uncertain reward environments without recording the average and variance of the rewards in all input-output space. This paper shows the effectiveness of the proposed XCS through the experiments.
Effects of Anatomy and Particle Size on Nasal Sprays and Nebulizers

Objective. To study the effects of nasal deformity on aerosol penetration past the nasal valve (NV) for varying particle sizes using sprays or nebulizers. Study Design. Computed mathematical nasal airway model. Setting. Department computer lab. Subjects and Methods. Particle deposition was analyzed using a computational fluid dynamics model of the human nose with leftward septal deviation and compensatory right inferior turbinate hypertrophy. Sprays were simulated for 10 µm, 20 µm, 50 µm, or particle sizes following a Rosin Rammler particle size distribution (10-110 µm), at speeds of 1, 3, or 10 meters per second. Nebulization was simulated for 1, 3.2, 6.42, or 10 µm particles. Steady state inspiratory airflow was simulated at 15.7 liters per minute. Results. Sprays predicted higher NV penetration on the right side for particle sizes >10 µm, with comparable penetration on both sides at 10 µm. Nearly 100% deposited in the nasal passages for all spray characteristics. Nebulizer predictions showed nearly 100% of particles <6.42 µm and more than 50% of 6.42 µm bypassing both sides of the nose without depositing. Of the nebulized particles that deposited, penetration was higher on the right at 10 µm, with comparable penetration on both sides at 6.42 µm. Spray penetration was highest at 10 µm, with more than 96% penetrating on both sides at 1 and 3 meters per second. Nebulization penetration was also highest at 10 µm (40% on the left, >90% on the right). Conclusion. In the presence of a septal deviation, sprays or nebulizers containing 10-µm particles may have good penetration beyond the NV. Nebulized particles <10 µm are likely to be respirable. Additionally, spray speeds above 3 meters per second may limit penetration.
Cyst Fluid Analysis in the Differential Diagnosis of Pancreatic Cysts A Comparison of Pseudocysts, Serous Cystadenomas, Mucinous Cystic Neoplasms, and Mucinous Cystadenocarcinoma

Pancreatic cystic lesions include inflammatory pseudocysts, benign serous tumors, and mucinous neoplasms, some of which are malignant. Clinical and radiologic indices are often inadequate to discriminate reliably among these possibilities. In an attempt to develop new preoperative diagnostic criteria to assist in decisions regarding therapy, the authors have performed cyst fluid analysis for tumor markers (carcinoembryonic antigen: CEA, CA 125, and CA 19.9), amylase content, amylase isoenzymes, relative viscosity, and cytology on 26 pancreatic cysts. The cases included nine pseudocysts, five serous cystadenomas, 4 mucinous cystic neoplasms, 7 mucinous cystadenocarcinomas, and one mucinous ductal adenocarcinoma with cystic degeneration. Carcinoembryonic antigen levels were high (>367) in all benign and malignant mucinous cysts, but were low (<23) in the pseudocysts and benign serous cystadenomas, an indication that CEA discriminates between mucinous and nonmucinous cysts (p < 0.0001). Values for CA 125 were high in all malignant cysts, low in pseudocysts, and variable in mucinous cystic neoplasms and serous cystadenomas. Levels of Ca 19.9 were nondiscriminatory. Cyst fluid amylase and iipase content were variable but were generally high in pseudocysts and low in cystic tumors. Amylase isoenzyme analysis was useful to differentiate pseudocysts from cystic tumors. Measurement of the relative viscosity in cyst fluid showed high (> serum viscosity) values in 89% of mucinous tumors and low values (< serum) in all pseudocysts and serous cystadenomas (p < 0.01). Cytologic analysis of cyst fluids was of limited value in differentiating pseudocysts from serous cystadenoma, but in seven of eight mucinous tumors provided useful diagnostic information and correctly classified three of five malignant tumors. The authors conclude that cyst fluid analysis can provide a preoperative classification of these diagnostically difficult lesions. The combination of viscosity, CEA, CA 125, and cytology can reliably distinguish malignant cystic tumors and potentially premalignant mucinous cystic neoplasms from pseudocysts and serous cystadenomas. Amylase content with isoenzyme analysis is useful to identify pseudocysts.
Immunoenhancing enteral and parenteral nutrition for gastrointestinal surgery: a multiple-treatments meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE Frequentist meta-analyses have demonstrated that immunoenhancing parenteral nutrition (IMPN) and enteral nutrition (IMEN) reduce the incidence of infection and shorten the length of hospital stays compared with standard parenteral nutrition (SPN) and enteral nutrition (SEN). The aim of this study was to evaluate which kind of nutrition-SPN, SEN, IMPN, and IMEN-is most efficacious for reducing the incidence of complications after gastrointestinal surgery. METHODS An English literature search was carried out for randomized controlled trials published from January 1990 to February 2013 that evaluated the clinical efficacy of 4 kinds of nutrition after gastrointestinal surgery. A Bayesian framework was used to calculate the odds ratio between each treatment and the rank order. RESULTS Seventy-four studies (7572 participants) were included. According to the surface below the cumulative ranking curve (SUCRA) ordering from the best to the worst, IMEN was ranked first for reducing the incidence of 7 complications-any infection (SUCRA = 0.86), overall complication (SUCRA = 0.88), mortality (SUCRA = 0.81), wound infection (SUCRA = 0.79), intra-abdominal abscess (SUCRA = 0.98), anastomotic leak (SUCRA = 0.79), and sepsis (SUCRA = 0.92). Also, IMEN was ranked second for pneumonia and urinary tract infection. IMPN was ranked first for pneumonia (SUCRA = 0.81) and urinary tract infection (SUCRA = 0.86), third for mortality, and fourth for both intra-abdominal abscess and anastomotic leak. SPN showed an inferior efficacy for almost all outcomes. CONCLUSIONS This study suggests that IMEN outperformed other nutrition types for reducing complications and IMEN should be considered the best available option.
Five years of sleep apnea treatment with a mandibular advancement device. Side effects and technical complications.

OBJECTIVE To determine the variation in prevalence of temporomandibular disorders (TMD), other side effects, and technical complications during 5 years of sleep apnea treatment with a mandibular advancement device. MATERIALS AND METHODS Forty patients diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea received an adjustable appliance at 70% of the maximum protrusion. The protrusion was then progressively increased. TMD (diagnosed according to the Research Diagnostic Criteria for TMD), overjet, overbite, occlusal contacts, subjective side effects, and technical complications were recorded before and a mean of 14, 21, and 58 months after treatment and analyzed by the Wilcoxon test (P < .05). RESULTS Fifteen patients still used the oral appliance at the 5-year follow-up, and no significant variation in TMD prevalence was observed. Subjective side effects were common, and a significant reduction was found in overjet, overbite, and in the number of occlusal contacts. Furthermore, the patients made a mean of 2.5 unscheduled dental visits per year and a mean of 0.8 appliance repairs/relines per year by a dental technician. The most frequent unscheduled visits were needed during the first year and were a result of acrylic breakage on the lateral telescopic attachment, poor retention, and other adjustments to improve comfort. CONCLUSIONS Five-year oral appliance treatment does not affect TMD prevalence but is associated with permanent occlusal changes in most sleep apnea patients during the first 2 years. Patients seek several unscheduled visits, mainly because of technical complications.
Theoretical analysis of vascular regulatory mechanisms contributing to retinal blood flow autoregulation.

PURPOSE To study whether impaired retinal autoregulation is a risk factor for glaucoma, the relationship between vascular regulatory mechanisms and glaucoma progression needs to be investigated. In this study, a vascular wall mechanics model is used to predict the relative importance of regulatory mechanisms in achieving retinal autoregulation. METHODS Resistance vessels are assumed to respond to changes in pressure, shear stress, carbon dioxide (CO2), and the downstream metabolic state communicated via conducted responses. Model parameters governing wall tension are fit to pressure and diameter data from porcine retinal arterioles. The autoregulation pressure range for control and elevated levels of IOP is predicted. RESULTS The factor by which flow changes as the blood pressure exiting the central retinal artery is varied between 28 and 40 mm Hg is used to indicate the degree of autoregulation (1 indicates perfect autoregulation). In the presence of only the myogenic response mechanism, the factor is 2.06. In the presence of the myogenic and CO2 responses, the factor is 1.22. The combination of myogenic, shear, CO2, and metabolic responses yields the best autoregulation (factor of 1.10). CONCLUSIONS Model results are compared with flow and pressure data from multiple patient studies, and the combined effects of the metabolic and CO2 responses are predicted to be critical for achieving retinal autoregulation. When IOP is elevated, the model predicts a decrease in the autoregulation range toward low perfusion pressure, which is consistent with observations that glaucoma is associated with decreased perfusion pressure.
Equity - and its relationship to citizenship education

'In the second half of the seminar, Professor Gorard will draw out the policy implications of some EU-funded research on pupils’ views on equity in schools and on the segregation of school intakes across different European countries. In particular, he will argue that in order to assess whether school systems are equitable we need to pay attention to the lived experience of pupils in schools, and that concerns about equality and quality in education need not be in tension with one another. Professor Gorard’s argument is that the use of school improvement models has led to an undue emphasis on the most visible indicators of schooling - examination results – which may marginalise other purposes and benefits of schooling. Social, ethnic and economic segregation between schools matters, but not primarily for the sake of test results because, for pupils, schools are their life and not merely a preparation for it. In general the lessons from international studies are that the mix of pupils between schools whether in terms of occupational class, income or sex has little impact on attainment. So policy makers can feel free to use criteria other than effectiveness for deciding on the pattern of intakes to schools including criteria related to equity'
Effect of the Coadministration of Daclatasvir on the Pharmacokinetics of a Combined Oral Contraceptive Containing Ethinyl Estradiol and Norgestimate

Background Daclatasvir is a highly selective NS5A replication complex inhibitor currently in development for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C infection. Daclatasvir is active at picomolar concentrations and demonstrates in vitro activity against a broad range of HCV genotypes. The primary objective of this study was to assess the effect of daclatasvir on the pharmacokinetics of a combined oral contraceptive containing ethinyl estradiol and norgestimate (Ortho Tri-Cyclen®). Methods In this open-label single-sequence study, 20 healthy female subjects received ethinyl estradiol and norgestimate for three cycles, with coadministration of daclatasvir in cycle 3. Pharmacokinetics of ethinyl estradiol and the active metabolites of norgestimate (norelgestromin and norgestrel) were assessed in cycles 2 and 3. Results Adjusted ratios of geometric means and 90% CIs were estimated for the maximum observed plasma concentration (ethinyl estradiol 1.11 [1.02, 1.20], norelgestromin 1.06 [0.99, 1.14] and norgestrel 1.07 [0.99, 1.16]) and area under the plasma concentration–time curve in one dosing interval (ethinyl estradiol 1.01 [0.95, 1.07], norelgestromin 1.12 [1.06, 1.17] and norgestrel 1.12 [1.02, 1.23]). Conclusions Coadministration of daclatasvir resulted in no clinically relevant effects on exposure to ethinyl estradiol, norelgestromin or norgestrel.
Cultural conceptions of research and informed consent.

AIDS has had a negative impact on developing countries. Because most developing countries cannot afford the new antiretroviral drug therapies, it has been suggested that preventive vaccines might reduce the spread of the HIV/AIDS epidemic (Bloom, 1998). The clinical trials of AIDS vaccines do, however, present with complex ethical issues such as informed consent. Informed consent is primarily grounded on the Western principle of respect for individuals as autonomous agents. This may be at variance, however, with African societies' emphasis on the social embeddedness of the individual. The current study forms part of the HIVNET vaccine trials to be conducted in Hlabisa, in Northern Zululand, under the auspices of the South African Medical Research Council. The main aim of the study was to explore key informants' cultural conceptions of research and informed consent in order to facilitate community consultation and cultural sensitivity. Maximum variation sampling was used to select twenty-three key informants, who are in leadership positions within Hlabisa. An interview guide was used to facilitate narrative disclosure of cultural conceptions of research and informed consent. Perceptions of research, conceptions of the informed consent process, and projected motivations for why individuals agree to participate in studies were explored during interviews. Results suggest that members of the Hlabisa community have a limited understanding of the Western research process. Community education about research is therefore warranted. Informants indicated that community members would value the establishment of a relationship characterised by mutual respect for cultural differences between researchers and participants. This was perceived as likely to facilitate shared decision-making, and the reduction of the power differentials that exist between researchers and participants. While the involvement of key community leaders and family members was recommended by most informants, a few informants felt that participants could also make individual decisions about participation. The theoretical implications of the study are considered last.
Physician Perspective on Propoxyphene as a Potentially Inappropriate Medication in Tennessee

Medicare Part D data from the Quality Improvement Organization's 9th Statement of Work drug safety indicator project under the direction of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services define the potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) list for Tennessee. These data reveal propoxyphene as the main contributor to the state's PIM rate. In Tennessee, PIM and drug-drug interaction (DDI) rates indicate propoxyphene as the most prescribed medication among elderly patients despite decades of attention for potentially adverse effects. During this project, physicians agreed that PIM rates are too high, but disagreed in approach preference, i.e., administrative limits and bans versus a proactive educational approach. Physicians were interested in participating in quality improvement by using individual pharmacy data to influence prescribing patterns. Exploring alternatives in research and survey, a potential and reachable point of intervention was found, a prescribing paradigm proposed by researchers to improve outcomes by reducing adverse effects in minimizing PIMs and DDIs.
Modulation of voltage-dependent K+ currents (IK(V)) in retinal bipolar cells by ascorbate is mediated by dopamine D1 receptors

Ascorbic acid (AA), a neuromodulator in the vertebrate CNS, is released from glutamatergic neurons in exchange with glutamate uptake and, in turn, modulates the release of both glutamate and dopamine. We have reported that voltage-gated K+ currents (IK(V)) in ON-mixed rod/cone bipolar cells (Mb) were suppressed 60% by 100–200 μM AA when added to an ascorbate-free solution. However, as the in vivo [AA]o in retina is about 200 μM, we studied the effects of changes in [AA]o on IK(V) when [AA]o was varied around a baseline concentration of 200 μM. Whole-cell currents were recorded with patch-clamp methods from goldfish Mb cells in retinal slices, bathed in a solution containing 200 μM AA. We found that (1) IK(V) was enhanced (180 ± 36%, n = 9) by increases of [AA]o less than 40 μM with an average latency of 8 min. (2) However, IK(V) was suppressed without an appreciable latent period by two conditions: increases more than 40 μM [AA]o and decreases by any amount greater than 10 μM. (3) Effects of Δ[AA]o on IK(V) were blocked by a D1 dopamine receptor antagonist, SCH 23390, but not by a D2 receptor antagonist, spiperone. Increased concentrations of a D1 agonist (SKF 38390) and dopamine had similar concentration-dependent effects on IK(V) as did AA, even in the presence of 200 μM ascorbate. Ascorbate has complicated concentration-dependent effects on IK(V) of Mb cells in vitro that were mediated by D1 dopamine receptors, suggesting that dopamine and ascorbate may be involved reciprocally in modulating IK(V), with consequences on the transmission of rod signals to the inner retina.
Modelos de formação do professor de educação especial: estratégias de consolidação da política educacional

This article aims to study the Special Education teacher, more specifically, the training models among the educational policies of the early twenty-first century. Therefore, we use as instruments analysis of official documents, the period from 2001 to 2011, expressing the special education policy in the inclusive perspective and academic production of the specific field. We emphasize three teacher models seized in the analysis of training: the generalist teacher, teacher specialist and Professor of specialized educational services. This distinction is one more element to the discussion on teacher retraining and the division of labor within schools, considering the special education as a constituent of education policy for Basic Education.
Time and cost interdependence in water supply system construction projects

AbstractTime and price of contracted construction as well as their overrun are among highly pronounced issues in the construction practice. Numerous studies indicate that there is a dependency between these parameters at various construction markets. The paper shows the results of a research conducted on a group of 40 projects related to water supply systems carried out in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina from 2001 to 2012. Collected data, obtained through interviewing chief engineers of construction companies, have been used as input parameters for implementation of single linear regression by applying the BTC (Bromilow time-cost) algorithm. The final result is a model in the form of an exponential equation. Whereas it was obtained based on effectuated values, it can be considered appropriate for assessing and testing the construction time in the early planning stage, as well as at work contracting. Since the parameter values in the model depend on circumstances of the specific area under conside.
Object Counts! Bringing Explicit Detections Back into Image Captioning

The use of explicit object detectors as an intermediate step to image captioning – which used to constitute an essential stage in early work – is often bypassed in the currently dominant end-to-end approaches, where the language model is conditioned directly on a mid-level image embedding. We argue that explicit detections provide rich semantic information, and can thus be used as an interpretable representation to better understand why end-to-end image captioning systems work well. We provide an in-depth analysis of end-to-end image captioning by exploring a variety of cues that can be derived from such object detections. Our study reveals that end-to-end image captioning systems rely on matching image representations to generate captions, and that encoding the frequency, size and position of objects are complementary and all play a role in forming a good image representation. It also reveals that different object categories contribute in different ways towards image captioning.
Governance and Economic Growth: The Case of Middle Eastern and North African Countries

Using a Two-stage Least Square (TSLS) regression for cross-sectional observations of 197 countries for the year 2009, the study estimates the impact of: i) an improvement in the quality of governance on per capita income, and ii) an increase in per capita income on the quality of governance. In line with previous empirical studies, the results suggest a positive, strong, and statistically significant causation from quality of governance to per capita income. In addition, the results suggest a statistically significant causation from per capita income to quality of governance. The estimation results are used to interpret the relationship between governance and growth for the 22 MENA countries. One of the striking results of the study is that, despite the relatively low performance of most of these countries in nearly all of the six measures of governance, their estimated levels per capita of income are higher than for the majority of the countries in the sample. This implies that most MENA countries have achieved a relatively high, but fragile, standard of living for their citizens in the face of poor governance. The fragility of the standard of living in most of these countries was demonstrated by the uprisings in Tunisia, Egypt, and Libya, which had economic grievances as one of their key motivating factors. The findings of the study have two major policy implications. First, development requires a strong effort to improve governance, and second, though to a lesser extent, improving governance requires an exogenous increase in income through means such as multilateral aid.