Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Recharge Oscillator Model for Interannual Variability in Venus’ Clouds

Sulfur dioxide is a radiatively and chemically important trace gas in the atmosphere of Venus and its abundance at the cloud tops has been observed to vary on interannual to decadal timescales. This variability is thought to come from changes in the strength of convection which transports sulfur dioxide to the cloud tops, although the dynamics behind such convective variability are unknown. Here, we propose a new conceptual model for convective variability that links the radiative effects of water abundance at the cloud‐base to convective strength within the clouds, which in turn affects water transport within the cloud. The model consists of two coupled equations which are identified as a recharge‐discharge oscillator. The solutions of the coupled equations are finite amplitude sustained oscillations in convective strength and cloud‐base water abundance on 3–9 years timescales. The characteristic oscillation timescale is given by the geometric mean of the radiative cooling time and the eddy mixing time near the base of the convective clouds.
PAL : Pretext-based Active Learning

The goal of active learning algorithms is to judiciously select subsets of unlabeled samples to be labeled by an oracle, in order to reduce the time and cost associated with supervised learning. Previously, active learning techniques for deep neural networks have used the same network for the task at hand (e.g., classification) as well as sample selection, which can be conflicting goals. To address this issue, we use a separate sample scoring network to capture the relevant information about the distribution of the labeled samples, and use it to assess the novelty of unlabeled samples. Specifically, we propose to efficiently train the scoring network using a self-supervised learning (pretext) task on the labeled samples. To make the scoring network more robust, we added to it another head, which is trained using the supervised (task) objective itself. The scoring network was paired with a scoring function that allows an appropriate trade-off between the two heads. We also ensure that the selected samples are diverse by selectively fine-tuning the scoring network in sub-rounds of each query round. The resulting scheme performs competitively with the state-of-the-art on benchmark datasets. More importantly, in realistic scenarios when some labels are erroneous and new classes are introduced on the fly, the performance of the proposed method remains strong.
The Physical Structure of Turbulent Flames

Abstract : This paper reports on measurements made in the mixing region of an axisymmetric turbulent propane/air jet issuing from a round nozzle into a low-velocity, low-turbulence intensity, unconfined co-flowing airstream. The exit velocity of the jet fluid and its turbulence intensity are sufficiently low to allow the formation of ring vortices within the mixing layer, bounded, on the inside, by the potential core of the jet and, on the outside, by the secondary airstream. High speed cine films show evidence of formation of vortices and flamelets at the interfaces. The changes in shape, movement and coalescence downstream of the nozzle are examined. Measurements of fluctuating velocity are made by a single particle-counting forwardscatter laser anemometer. Fluctuating temperature is measured with micro-thermocouples with 'in situ' measurement of time constant and direct compensation by digital signal recording and analysis. Variation in location and amplitude of peaks of velocity and temperature traces are directly associated with flame structures recorded by film. Signals from all probes are acquired and processed by PDP-8 and PDP-1103 Digital Equipment Corporation computers.
DistStat.jl: Towards Unified Programming for High-Performance Statistical Computing Environments in Julia

The demand for high-performance computing (HPC) is ever-increasing for everyday statistical computing purposes. The downside is that we need to write specialized code for each HPC environment. CPU-level parallelization needs to be explicitly coded for effective use of multiple nodes in cluster supercomputing environments. Acceleration via graphics processing units (GPUs) requires to write kernel code. The Julia software package DistStat.jl implements a data structure for distributed arrays that work on both multi-node CPU clusters and multi-GPU environments transparently. This package paves a way to developing high-performance statistical software in various HPC environments simultaneously. As a demonstration of the transparency and scalability of the package, we provide applications to large-scale nonnegative matrix factorization, multidimensional scaling, and $\ell_1$-regularized Cox proportional hazards model on an 8-GPU workstation and a 720-CPU-core virtual cluster in Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud. As a case in point, we analyze the on-set of type-2 diabetes from the UK Biobank with 400,000 subjects and 500,000 single nucleotide polymorphisms using the $\ell_1$-regularized Cox proportional hazards model. Fitting a half-million-variate regression model took less than 50 minutes on AWS.
Stenting to prevent esophageal stricture after circumferential endoscopic submucosal dissection: an experimental study

Abstract Background and study aims Circular ESD (CESD) is a treatment option for patients with extensive early esophageal cancer. Its major drawback is the development of a stricture. Stenting may represent an attractive prevention strategy. We designed an experimental study to assess the effect of stents covered with acellular biomatrix (AB) and a drug-eluting stent. Materials and methods Thirty-five 35 pigs underwent CESD and were randomized into six groups: G1 (control), G2 (SEMS), G3 (SEMS + AB), G4 (SEMS + AB + steroid-eluting layer), G5 (biodegradable stent [BD]), G6 (BD + AB). SEMS were placed alongside the post-CESD defect, fixed and removed after 21 days. The main outcomes were stricture development, severity, and histopathology. Results Pigs with BD stents (G5, 6) experienced severe inflammation and hypergranulation without biodegradation, therefore, these groups were closed prematurely. Significant strictures developed in 29 of 30 pigs (96.7 %). The most severe stricture developed in G2 and G4 (narrowest diameter (mm) 8.5 ± 3, 3 (G2) and 8.6 ± 2.1 (G4) vs. 17 ± 7.3 (G1) and 13.5 ± 8.3 (G3); P < 0.01. Signs of re-epithelization were present in 67 % and 71 % in G1 and G2 and in 100 % in G3 and G4. The most robust re-epithelization layer was present in G4. The inflammation was the most severe in G1 (mean score 2.3) and least severe in G4 (0.4). Conclusions Stenting did not effectively prevent development of post-CESD esophageal stricture. SEMS with AB resulted in improved re-epithelization and decreased stricture severity. Steroid-eluting SEMS suppressed inflammation. BD stents seem inappropriate for this indication.
Effect of anticoagulants on the risk of delayed bleeding after colorectal endoscopic submucosal dissection

Abstract Background and study aims In patients receiving antithrombotic therapy, the risks of delayed bleeding after endoscopic procedures for gastrointestinal neoplasms become a major problem. Few reports have shown the effects of delayed bleeding in patients taking anticoagulants after colorectal endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD). This study aimed to evaluate the delayed bleeding events after colorectal ESD in patients receiving anticoagulant therapy. Patients and methods We retrospectively analyzed 87 patients taking anticoagulants who underwent colorectal ESD from April 2012 to December 2017 at 13 Japanese institutions participating in the Osaka Gut Forum. Among these patients, warfarin users were managed with heparin bridge therapy (HBT), continued use of warfarin, a temporary switch to direct oral anticoagulation (DOAC), or withdrawal of warfarin, and DOAC users were managed with DOAC discontinuation with or without HBT. We investigated the occurrence rate of delayed bleeding and compared the rates between warfarin and DOAC users. Results The delayed bleeding rate was 17.2 % among all patients. The delayed bleeding rate was higher in DOAC users than in warfarin users (23.3 % vs. 11.4 %, P = 0.14), although no statistically significant difference was observed. In DOAC users, the delayed bleeding rates for dabigatran, rivaroxaban, apixaban, and edoxaban users appeared similar (30 %, 18.2 %, 22.2 %, and 25 %, respectively). The onset of delayed bleeding in both warfarin and DOAC users was late, averaging 6.9 and 9.4 days, respectively. Conclusions Among patients taking anticoagulants, the risk of delayed bleeding after colorectal ESD was relatively high and the onset of delayed bleeding was late.
Safety and efficacy of lumen-apposing metal stents versus plastic stents to treat walled-off pancreatic necrosis: systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract Background and study aims Lumen-apposing metal stents (LAMS) are increasingly used for drainage of walled-off pancreatic necrosis (WON). Recent studies suggested greater adverse event (AE) rates with LAMS for WON. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to compare the safety and efficacy of LAMS with double-pigtail plastic stents (DPPS) for endoscopic drainage of WON. The primary aim was to evaluate stent-related AEs. Methods In October 2019, we searched the Ovid (Embase, MEDLINE, Cochrane) and Scopus databases for studies assessing a specific LAMS or DPPS for WON drainage conducted under EUS guidance. Safety outcomes were AE rates of bleeding, stent migration, perforation, and stent occlusion. Efficacy outcomes were WON resolution and number of procedures needed to achieve resolution. A subanalysis including non-EUS-guided cases was performed. Results Thirty studies including one randomized controlled trial (total 1,524 patients) were analyzed. LAMS were associated with similar bleeding (2.5 % vs. 4.6 %, P = 0.39) and perforation risk (0.5 % vs. 1.1 %, P = 0.35) compared to DPPS. WON resolution (87.4 % vs. 87.5 %, P = 0.99), number of procedures to achieve resolution (2.09 vs. 1.88, P = 0.72), stent migration (5.9 % vs. 6.8 %, P = 0.79), and stent occlusion (3.8 % vs. 5.2 %, P = 0.78) were similar for both groups. Inclusion of non-EUS-guided cases led to significantly higher DPPS bleeding and perforation rates. Conclusions LAMS and DPPS were associated with similar rates of AEs and WON resolution when limiting analysis to EUS-guided cases. Higher bleeding rates were seen in historical studies of DPPS without EUS guidance. Additional high-quality studies of WON treatment using consistent outcome definitions are needed.
Optimal prediction of synchronization-preserving races

Concurrent programs are notoriously hard to write correctly, as scheduling nondeterminism introduces subtle errors that are both hard to detect and to reproduce. The most common concurrency errors are (data) races, which occur when memory-conflicting actions are executed concurrently. Consequently, considerable effort has been made towards developing efficient techniques for race detection. The most common approach is dynamic race prediction: given an observed, race-free trace σ of a concurrent program, the task is to decide whether events of σ can be correctly reordered to a trace σ* that witnesses a race hidden in σ. In this work we introduce the notion of sync(hronization)-preserving races. A sync-preserving race occurs in σ when there is a witness σ* in which synchronization operations (e.g., acquisition and release of locks) appear in the same order as in σ. This is a broad definition that strictly subsumes the famous notion of happens-before races. Our main results are as follows. First, we develop a sound and complete algorithm for predicting sync-preserving races. For moderate values of parameters like the number of threads, the algorithm runs in Õ(N) time and space, where N is the length of the trace σ. Second, we show that the problem has a Ω(N/log2 N) space lower bound, and thus our algorithm is essentially time and space optimal. Third, we show that predicting races with even just a single reversal of two sync operations is NP-complete and even W1-hard when parameterized by the number of threads. Thus, sync-preservation characterizes exactly the tractability boundary of race prediction, and our algorithm is nearly optimal for the tractable side. Our experiments show that our algorithm is fast in practice, while sync-preservation characterizes races often missed by state-of-the-art methods.
Safety and efficacy of endoscopic ultrasound-guided gastroenterostomy using double balloon occlusion methods: a clinical retrospective study in 36 patients with malignant gastric outlet obstruction

Abstract Background and study aims Gastric outlet obstruction (GOO) is common in the late stage of many malignant tumors of the digestive system. Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)-guided gastroenterostomy (EUS-GE) is commonly used for palliative treatment of malignant GOO. The objective of this study was to investigate the safety, efficacy, and prognosis of EUS-GE in treatment of malignant GOO in Chinese patients. Patients and methods This was a retrospective, single-center study with 36 consecutive patients with malignant GOO who were treated with EUS-GE. The main outcome measures were technical success rate, clinical success rate, incidence of adverse events (AEs), and median survival time. Results A total of 36 patients with malignant GOO underwent double-balloon-assisted EUS-GE between March 2017 and June 2019 in our hospital. GOO occurred mainly in elderly men (mean age 69.0 years, M:F 0.89). The most common etiology of GOO was pancreatic cancer (41.7 %). The most common obstruction site was the second part of the duodenum (63.9 %). The technical success rate was 100 % (36/36). The clinical success rate was 94.4 % (34/36). Median time for the total procedure was 52 minutes (range 34 – 156 min). Median time for determination of puncture site was 20 minutes (range 15 – 28 min). Median time between puncture and successful delivery of the stent was 38 minutes (range 19 – 128 min). The GOOSS score was 0.2 before EUS-GE. The GOO Scoring System (GOOSS) score was 2.2 at 15 days after the EUS-GE (P = 0.001). The GOOSS score was still higher than 2 during a median follow-up period of 89 days. AEs were observed in nine patients (25.0 %) and 13 total AEs occurred. One patient died as a result of delayed stent migration and bleeding. Mean length of hospital stay was 5.8 ± 4.7 days. The median survival period was 103 days. The rate of GOO recurrence was 2.7 % (1/36). Conclusion EUS-GE was associated with increased safety and efficacy for treatment of malignant GOO in Chinese Mainland.
Confocal endomicroscopy for evaluation of pancreatic cystic lesions: a systematic review and international Delphi consensus report

Abstract Background and study aims The aim of thi systematic review and consensus report is to standardize the practice of endoscopic ultrasound (EUS-guided needle-based confocal laser endomicroscopy (nCLE) for pancreatic cystic lesion (PCL) evaluation. Methods We performed an international, systematic, evidence-based review of the applications, outcomes, procedural processes, indications, training, and credentialing of EUS-nCLE in management of PCLs. Based on available clinical evidence, preliminary nCLE consensus statements (nCLE-CS) were developed by an international panel of 15 experts in pancreatic diseases. These statements were then voted and edited by using a modified Delphi approach. An a priori threshold of 80 % agreement was used to establish consensus for each statement. Results Sixteen nCLE-CS were discussed. Thirteen (81 %) nCLE-CS reached consensus addressing indications (non-communication PCL meeting criteria for EUS-FNA or with prior non-diagnostic EUS-FNA), diagnostic outcomes (improved accuracy for mucinous PCLs and serous cystadenomas with substantial interobserver agreement of image patterns), low incidence of adverse events (fluorescein-associated and pancreatitis), procedural processes (nCLE duration, manipulation of needle with probe), and training (physician knowledge and competence). Conclusion Based on a high level of agreement pertaining to expert consensus statements, this report standardizes the practice of EUS-nCLE. EUS-nCLE should be systematically considered when EUS-FNA is indicated for PCL evaluation.
Leachate chemistry at the Montour fly ash test cell: Interim report

The Montour test-cell leachate and pore-water composition data were analyzed using an equilibrium geochemical code (MINTEQ) to compute ionic activities of different species. The different types of aqueous samples studied all show similar activity relationships for a given element for measurements made at different sampling locations in the test cell, sample depths, or times of sampling, implying that the concentration-controlling reactions are uniform throughout the test cell. The comparison of the measured activities with those calculated from equilibrium reactions involving corresponding solid phases suggest that the concentrations of Al, Ba, Ca, Cr, Cu, Fe, S, and Sr are controlled by a solubility phenomenon. The solubility-controlling solid phases of these elements used for this comparison were Al(OH)3(am)/Al(OH)3(c), (Ba,Sr)SO4, CaSO4/CaSO4 /center dot/ 2H2O, Ba(S,Cr)O4, CuO, and Fe(OH)3(am). solid solutions appear to play an important role in controlling the concentrations of Ba, Cr, and Sr. Because of the lack of adequate fundamental data, aqueous concentrations of several trace elements (As, B, Cd, Mo, and Se) cannot currently be interpreted on a fundamental basis. The results of this study indicate that the mechanistic approach can be successful in describing and predicting chemical composition of coal ash leachates for several inorganic constituents in the field.more » 21 refs., 25 figs., 5 tabs. « less
High probability convergence bounds for stochastic gradient descent assuming the Polyak-Lojasiewicz inequality

Stochastic gradient descent (with a mini-batch) is one of the most common iterative algorithms used in machine learning. While being computationally cheap to implement, recent literature suggests that it may also have implicit regularization properties that prevent overfitting. This paper analyzes the properties of stochastic gradient descent from a theoretical standpoint to help bridge the gap between theoretical and empirical results. Assuming smoothness, the Polyak-Lojasiewicz inequality, and sub-gaussian stochasticity, we prove high probability bounds on the convergence rate, matching existing expected bounds. As an application of our convergence results, we combine them with existing uniform stability and generalization bounds to bound the true risk of the iterates of stochastic gradient descent. We find that for a certain number of epochs, the convergence and generalization balance in such a way that the true risk bound goes to zero as the number of samples goes to infinity.
Consumer regulation of the carbon cycle in coastal wetland ecosystems

Despite escalating anthropogenic alteration of food webs, how the carbon cycle in ecosystems is regulated by food web processes remains poorly understood. We quantitatively synthesize the effects of consumers (herbivores, omnivores and carnivores) on the carbon cycle of coastal wetland ecosystems, ‘blue carbon’ ecosystems that store the greatest amount of carbon per unit area among all ecosystems. Our results reveal that consumers strongly affect many processes of the carbon cycle. Herbivores, for example, generally reduce carbon absorption and carbon stocks (e.g. aboveground plant carbon by 53% and aboveground net primary production by 23%) but may promote some carbon emission processes (e.g. litter decomposition by 32%). The average strengths of these effects are comparable with, or even times higher than, changes driven by temperature, precipitation, nitrogen input, CO2 concentration, and plant invasions. Furthermore, consumer effects appear to be stronger on aboveground than belowground carbon processes and vary markedly with trophic level, body size, thermal regulation strategy and feeding type. Despite important knowledge gaps, our results highlight the powerful impacts of consumers on the carbon cycle and call for the incorporation of consumer control into Earth system models that predict anthropogenic climate change and into management strategies of Earth's carbon stocks. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Integrative research perspectives on marine conservation’.
Lichens and Bromeliads as Bioindicators of Heavy Metal Deposition in Ecuador

We evaluated heavy metal deposition in Parmotrema arnoldii and Tillandsia usneoides in response to air pollution in Loja city, Ecuador. We assessed heavy metal (cadmium, copper, manganese, lead and zinc) content in these organisms at nine study sites inside Loja city and three control sites in nearby forests. Concentrations of all studied heavy metals (i.e., cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), lead (Pb), manganese (Mn) and zinc (Zn)) were highest in downtown Loja. Our study confirms that passive monitoring using lichens and/or bromeliads can be an efficient tool to evaluate heavy metal deposition related to urbanization (e.g., vehicle emissions). We recommend these organisms to be used in cost-effective monitoring of air pollution in tropical countries.
Biomechanical evaluation of axial-loading simulated experiment in wrist fractures: a finite element analysis

Objective To assess the biomechanical properties that influence wrist fracture, so as to provide the theoretical basis for simulation experiments to aid the optimal design of wrist protectors. Methods Six cadaveric wrists were included as experimental specimens. Wrist specimens wearing wrist protectors formed the experimental group and unprotected wrist specimens formed the control group. The wrist specimens were axially loaded under physiological loads and the stress magnitude and distribution of the experimental and control groups were obtained. A three-dimensional wrist finite element model of a healthy volunteer was developed to verify the rationality and effectiveness of the cadaveric wrist models. Results Under normal physiological loads, the stress on the radioulnar palmar unit was high and manifested in the form of pressure, while the stress on the radioulnar dorsal unit was lower and manifested in the form of tension. The stresses on the radial distal palmar, ulnar distal palmar, radial distal dorsal, ulnar distal dorsal, radial proximal palmar and ulnar proximal palmar units in the experimental group were less than those in the control group. Conclusion Under physiological loads, wearing a wrist protector can reduce the stress on the radioulnar distal palmar, radioulnar proximal palmar and radioulnar distal dorsal units, while having no obvious effect on the radioulnar proximal dorsal units.
Fetal Cells May Produce Microbes

the framework of flipping a coin, potential flaws of statistical analysis - randomness and bias- have no effect on the accuracy of final outcome. As long as it is fair play without tricks it does not matter who flips the coin. Abstract Background: A plethora of evidence suggest pathways independent of contamination may produce microbial growth and infections. Objective: To prove that fetal cells may produce microbes. Methods: We searched the keywords fetal infections in Google scholar and pub med for articles and their references published in English from 2000 to 2017. We then applied the probability theory to calculate the probability of pathways independent of contamination to produce fetal infections. Results: Fetal cells may produce infections. The probability of certainty of this observation is 99.9998%. Conclusion: Fetal cells may produce infections.