Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Robust sampling of decision information during perceptual choice

Significance When making decisions, humans and other primates move their eyes freely to gather information about their environment. A large literature has explored the factors that determine where the eyes fall during natural scene perception and visual search, concluding that deviant or surprising perceptual information attracts attention and gaze. Here, we describe a sampling policy that paradoxically shows that in a decision-making task, the eyes are attracted to expected rather than unexpected information: When classifying the average of an array of numbers, human observers looked by preference at the numbers that were closest to the mean. This policy drove a behavioral tendency to discount the influence of outliers when making choices, leading to “robust” choices about the stimulus array. Humans move their eyes to gather information about the visual world. However, saccadic sampling has largely been explored in paradigms that involve searching for a lone target in a cluttered array or natural scene. Here, we investigated the policy that humans use to overtly sample information in a perceptual decision task that required information from across multiple spatial locations to be combined. Participants viewed a spatial array of numbers and judged whether the average was greater or smaller than a reference value. Participants preferentially sampled items that were less diagnostic of the correct answer (“inlying” elements; that is, elements closer to the reference value). This preference to sample inlying items was linked to decisions, enhancing the tendency to give more weight to inlying elements in the final choice (“robust averaging”). These findings contrast with a large body of evidence indicating that gaze is directed preferentially to deviant information during natural scene viewing and visual search, and suggest that humans may sample information “robustly” with their eyes during perceptual decision-making.
Quetiapine versus haloperidol in the treatment of delirium: a double-blind, randomized, controlled trial

Background Atypical antipsychotic drugs may have low propensity to induce extrapyramidal side effects in delirious patients. This study aimed to compare the efficacy and tolerability between quetiapine and haloperidol in controlling delirious behavior. Methods A 7-day prospective, double-blind, randomized controlled trial was conducted from June 2009 to April 2011 in medically ill patients with delirium. Measures used for daily assessment included the Delirium Rating Scale-revised-98 (DRS-R-98) and total sleep time. The Clinical Global Impression, Improvement (CGI–I) and the Modified (nine-item) Simpson– Angus Scale were applied daily. The primary outcome was the DRS-R-98 severity scores. The data were analyzed on an intention-to-treat basis. Results Fifty-two subjects (35 males and 17 females) were randomized to receive 25–100 mg/day of quetiapine (n = 24) or 0.5–2.0 mg/day of haloperidol (n = 28). Mean (standard deviation) doses of quetiapine and haloperidol were 67.6 (9.7) and 0.8 (0.3) mg/day, respectively. Over the trial period, means (standard deviation) of the DRS-R-98 severity scores were not significantly different between the quetiapine and haloperidol groups (−22.9 [6.9] versus −21.7 [6.7]; P = 0.59). The DRS-R-98 noncognitive and cognitive subscale scores were not significantly different. At end point, the response and remission rates, the total sleep time, and the Modified (nine-item) Simpson–Angus scores were also not significantly different between groups. Hypersomnia was common in the quetiapine-treated patients (33.3%), but not significantly higher than that in the haloperidol-treated group (21.4%). Limitations Patients were excluded if they were not able to take oral medications, and the sample size was small. Conclusion Low-dose quetiapine and haloperidol may be equally effective and safe for controlling delirium symptoms. Clinical trials registration number clinicaltrials.gov NCT00954603.
Digitizing, Securing and Sharing Vehicles Life-cycle over a Consortium Blockchain: Lessons Learned

Nowadays, vehicles odometer fraud is becoming a growing problem internationally, and is costing European consumers between 5.6 to 9.6 billion euros per year. This is partly due to the lack of unified vehicles life-cycle management, and to the fact that vehicles data are currently spread across multiple stakeholders that do not trust each other or collaborate together. In this paper, we propose a Blockchain- backed Vehicles Data and Processes Ledger framework to streamline the management of vehicles life-cycle and data history, and hence to provide more transparency and collaborations between the involved stakeholders. The architecture and lessons learned from the first implementation phase are discussed, followed by future research challenges.
Shear Transfer in Reinforced Concrete

Presents a study of shear transfer in reinforced concrete, that is, the transfer of shear across a plane, such as at the interface between a precast beam and a cast-in-place slab. Thirty-eight pushoff specimens were tested, some with, some without a pre-existing crack along the shear plane. The shear-friction theory was found to give a conservative estimate of the shear transfer strength of initially cracked concrete. A method is presented for the calculation of shear transfer strength in initially uncracked concrete, based on the Zia envelope to Mohr circles representing failure conditions for concrete.
Impact of MLC leaf width on volumetric‐modulated arc therapy planning for head and neck cancers

This dosimetric study investigated the impact of multileaf collimators (MLC) leaf width in volumetric‐modulated arc therapy (VMAT) for head and neck cancers (HNC), either with a “standard” simultaneously integrated boost technique (S‐SIB) or with a “dose painting” SIB technique (DP‐SIB). HNC patients were planned either with an S‐SIB comprising three dose levels, from 56 to 70 Gy (16 patients), or with a DP‐SIB comprising five dose levels, from 56 to 84 Gy (8 patients), in 35 fractions. Two VMAT plans were calculated for each SIB technique using two Elekta MLCs: MLCi2 with 10 mm leaf width and Beam Modulator (BM) with 4 mm leaf width. Dose distributions were evaluated by comparing doses on PTVs, main OARs, and healthy tissue, and by comparing conformation indexes. Treatment efficiencies were evaluated by comparing the number of monitor units and the number of needed arcs. Comparisons of the two MLCs depending on the two SIB techniques showed: i) Regarding PTVs: Dmean and D2% on lower doses PTV decreased respectively by 0.5 Gy (p=0.01) and 0.9 Gy (p=0.01) with BM than with MLCi2 for S‐SIB; no significant difference was found for DP‐SIB; ii) Regarding OARs: for spinal cord and brainstem, D2% decreased respectively by 1.2 Gy (p=0.03) and 4.2 Gy (p=0.04) with BM than with MLCi2 for S‐SIB; for controlateral parotid, D50% decreased by 1.5 Gy (p=0.01) with BM than with MLCi2 for S‐SIB; iii) Regarding treatment efficiency : the number of monitor units was 44% (p=0.00) and 51% (p=0.01) higher with BM for S‐SIB and DP‐SIB, respectively. Two arcs were more frequently needed with BM to reach an acceptable dose distribution. This study demonstrated that Beam Modulator (4 mm leaf width) and MLCi2 (10 mm leaf width) MLCs from Elekta provided satisfactory dose distributions for treatment delivery with VMAT technique for complex HNC cases with standard and dose painting prescriptions. OAR sparing was better with BM, mainly for brainstem and spinal cord. However, delivery efficiency of VMAT plans was better with MLCi2. PACS numbers: 87.56. N‐, 87.56. nk, 87.55. D‐
Evaluation of the uncertainty in an EBT3 film dosimetry system utilizing net optical density

Radiochromic film has become an important tool to verify dose distributions for intensity‐modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) and quality assurance (QA) procedures. A new radiochromic film model, EBT3, has recently become available, whose composition and thickness of the sensitive layer are the same as those of previous EBT2 films. However, a matte polyester layer was added to EBT3 to prevent the formation of Newton's rings. Furthermore, the symmetrical design of EBT3 allows the user to eliminate side‐orientation dependence. This film and the flatbed scanner, Epson Perfection V750, form a dosimetry system whose intrinsic characteristics were studied in this work. In addition, uncertainties associated with these intrinsic characteristics and the total uncertainty of the dosimetry system were determined. The analysis of the response of the radiochromic film (net optical density) and the fitting of the experimental data to a potential function yielded an uncertainty of 2.6%, 4.3%, and 4.1% for the red, green, and blue channels, respectively. In this work, the dosimetry system presents an uncertainty in resolving the dose of 1.8% for doses greater than 0.8 Gy and less than 6 Gy for red channel. The films irradiated between 0 and 120 Gy show differences in the response when scanned in portrait or landscape mode; less uncertainty was found when using the portrait mode. The response of the film depended on the position on the bed of the scanner, contributing an uncertainty of 2% for the red, 3% for the green, and 4.5% for the blue when placing the film around the center of the bed of scanner. Furthermore, the uniformity and reproducibility radiochromic film and reproducibility of the response of the scanner contribute less than 1% to the overall uncertainty in dose. Finally, the total dose uncertainty was 3.2%, 4.9%, and 5.2% for red, green, and blue channels, respectively. The above uncertainty values were obtained by minimizing the contribution to the total dose uncertainty of the film orientation and film homogeneity. PACS number(s): 87.53. Bn
Finite Element Simulation on the Distribution of Discharge Gas in Hollow Cathode Plasma

The graft polymerization in radio frequency hollow cathode plasma (RFHCP) is suitable for the surface modification of large-area thin film materials. The homogeneity of plasma surface modification of large-area thin film materials has always been paid close attention, and it is also the key factor affecting the industrialized applications of the technique. However, the homogeneity of plasma surface modification is thought to depend greatly on the distribution of discharge gas. In this paper, a finite element model is proposed to discuss the flow of discharge gas in hollow cathode plasma. The concentration distribution of the discharge gas has been discussed by the combination of numerical simulation of fluid distribution and pipe flow theory based on the investigation of the transport property of gas under vacuum. Comparisons between available experiments have also been performed to validate the applicability and practicability of the proposed model.
Design and clinical implementation of a TG‐106 compliant linear accelerator data management system and MU calculator

In an attempt to minimize errors and improve patient outcome in radiation therapy, a linear accelerator data management system was developed to provide radiation oncology physicists with a set of computerized tools to manage linear accelerator physics data. The entire program is written in Microsoft Visual Basic and has a user‐friendly, front‐end window with the following features and modules: (1) Generate, edit and approve commissioning and QA reports and other regulatory documents, (2) Configure commissioning tasks, (3) Acquire output factors, (4) Import scanned data, (5) Import PDD, TMRs and OAR tables directly from the scanning software, (6) Query physics data such as TMR, PDDs, OFs, and WFs, (7) Compare physics data to a different machine or a standard, (8) Compare physics data from the same machine (e.g. during annual calibrations), (9) Perform MU calculations on plans exported from the planning system via DICOM RT, (10) Perform TG‐51 calibration, (11) Perform monthly calibration, (12) FTP physics data for purposes of remote peer review and/or inspections. PACS numbers: 87.53. Dq, 87.55. Qr, 87.56. Fc
Roles played by community cadres to support retention in PMTCT Option B+ in four African countries: a qualitative rapid appraisal

Objectives To explore the roles of community cadres in improving access to and retention in care for PMTCT (prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV) services in the context of PMTCT Option B+ treatment scale-up in high burden low-income and lower-middle income countries. Design/Methods Qualitative rapid appraisal study design using semistructured in-depth interviews and focus group discussions (FGDs) between 8 June and 31 July 2015. Setting and participants Interviews were conducted in the offices of Ministry of Health Staff, Implementing partners, district offices and health facility sites across four low-income and lower-middle income countries: Cote D’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Malawi and Uganda. A range of individual interviews and FGDs with key stakeholders including Ministry of Health employees, Implementation partners, district management teams, facility-based health workers and community cadres. A total number of 18, 28, 31 and 83 individual interviews were conducted in Malawi, Cote d’Ivoire, DRC and Uganda, respectively. A total number of 15, 9, 10 and 16 mixed gender FGDs were undertaken in Malawi, Cote d’Ivoire, DRC and Uganda, respectively. Results Community cadres either operated solely in the community, worked from health centres or in combination and their mandates were PMTCT-specific or included general HIV support and other health issues. Community cadres included volunteers, those supported by implementing partners or employed directly by the Ministry of Health. Their complimentary roles along the continuum of HIV care and treatment include demand creation, household mapping of pregnant and lactating women, linkage to care, infant follow-up and adherence and retention support. Conclusions Community cadres provide an integral link between communities and health facilities, supporting overstretched health workers in HIV client support and follow-up. However, their role in health systems is neither standardised nor systematic and there is an urgent need to invest in the standardisation of and support to community cadres to maximise potential health impacts.
A Genome-Wide Investigation of SNPs and CNVs in Schizophrenia

We report a genome-wide assessment of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and copy number variants (CNVs) in schizophrenia. We investigated SNPs using 871 patients and 863 controls, following up the top hits in four independent cohorts comprising 1,460 patients and 12,995 controls, all of European origin. We found no genome-wide significant associations, nor could we provide support for any previously reported candidate gene or genome-wide associations. We went on to examine CNVs using a subset of 1,013 cases and 1,084 controls of European ancestry, and a further set of 60 cases and 64 controls of African ancestry. We found that eight cases and zero controls carried deletions greater than 2 Mb, of which two, at 8p22 and 16p13.11-p12.4, are newly reported here. A further evaluation of 1,378 controls identified no deletions greater than 2 Mb, suggesting a high prior probability of disease involvement when such deletions are observed in cases. We also provide further evidence for some smaller, previously reported, schizophrenia-associated CNVs, such as those in NRXN1 and APBA2. We could not provide strong support for the hypothesis that schizophrenia patients have a significantly greater “load” of large (>100 kb), rare CNVs, nor could we find common CNVs that associate with schizophrenia. Finally, we did not provide support for the suggestion that schizophrenia-associated CNVs may preferentially disrupt genes in neurodevelopmental pathways. Collectively, these analyses provide the first integrated study of SNPs and CNVs in schizophrenia and support the emerging view that rare deleterious variants may be more important in schizophrenia predisposition than common polymorphisms. While our analyses do not suggest that implicated CNVs impinge on particular key pathways, we do support the contribution of specific genomic regions in schizophrenia, presumably due to recurrent mutation. On balance, these data suggest that very few schizophrenia patients share identical genomic causation, potentially complicating efforts to personalize treatment regimens.
CHI LaTeX Extended Abstracts Template

Paste the appropriate copyright statement here. ACM now supports three different copyright statements: • ACM copyright: ACM holds the copyright on the work. This is the historical approach. • License: The author(s) retain copyright, but ACM receives an exclusive publication license. • Open Access: The author(s) wish to pay for the work to be open access. The additional fee must be paid to ACM. This text field is large enough to hold the appropriate release statement assuming it is single spaced. Every submission will be assigned their own unique DOI string to be included here. Abstract As the internet of things (IoT) has integrated physical and digital technologies, designing for multiple sensory media (”mulsemedia”) has become more attainable. Designing technology for multiple senses has the capacity to improve virtual realism, extend our ability to process information, and more easily transfer knowledge between physical and digital environments. HCI researchers are beginning to explore the viability of integrating multimedia into virtual experiences, however research has yet to consider whether mulsemedia truly enhances pattern recognition and knowledge transfer in virtual reality (VR). My work on StreamBED, a VR training to help citizen scientists make qualitative judgments of stream environments, plans to consider the role of mulsemedia in observation and pattern recognition. Future findings about the role of mulsemedia in learning contexts will potentially allow learners to experience, connect to, learn from spaces that are impossible to experience firsthand.
Integrated care pathway for co‐occurring major depressive and alcohol use disorders: Outcomes of the first two years

BACKGROUND Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) are highly prevalent, comorbid, and have significant impact on morbidity, mortality, and socioeconomic burden in Canada. Combined psycho- and pharmacotherapies for both conditions promise better outcomes than treatment as usual (TAU). At the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Canada, we developed and implemented an Integrated Care Pathway (ICP) specifically for treatment of concurrent MDD and AUD. The goal of the study is to assess the clinical effectiveness of the ICP approach in comparison to TAU. MATERIALS AND METHODS Non-randomized design, clinical chart review, Chi-square and t-tests, Cohen's d, Linear Mixed Effects Models, Kaplan-Meier, and log-rank analyses. RESULTS Eighty-one ICP patients were included, matched to 81 controls by age, sex, severity of depressive symptoms, and patterns of drinking. ICP cohort had a significantly lower dropout rate (18.5% vs 69.1%, p < .001; at 16 weeks of treatment, respectively), both cohorts demonstrated significant reduction in the number of heavy drinking days (β = .01, p < .001) and standard drinks per week (β = .15, p < .001) with a significantly higher reduction of both indicators over time in the ICP cohort. Significant reduction in depressive symptoms severity (QIDS: 14.6 vs 10.0, p < .001; BDI: 26.3 vs 16.2, p < .001) was observed in ICP cohort (no data for TAU cohort). CONCLUSIONS The ICP patients demonstrated improvements on several levels including depressive symptoms, and changes in alcohol drinking patterns. The study demonstrated the overall effectiveness of the ICP and apparent advantage over TAU, which must be corroborated through a randomized clinical trial. (Am J Addict 2017;26:602-609) SCIENTIFIC SIGNIFICANCE: This study is one of the first works showing the outcomes of an ICP developed in the mental health area and for co-occurring disorders. Despite the limitations, the relative advantage of the ICP methodology warrants future research in this area.
Mitochondrial matrix pH as a decisive factor in neurometabolic imaging

Abstract. Alterations of cellular bioenergetics are a common feature in most neurodegenerative disorders. However, there is a selective vulnerability of different brain regions, cell types, and even mitochondrial populations to these metabolic disturbances. Thus, the aim of our study was to establish and validate an in vivo metabolic imaging technique to screen for mitochondrial function on the subcellular level. Based on nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (phosphate) fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy [NAD(P)H FLIM], we performed a quantitative correlation to high-resolution respirometry. Thereby, we revealed mitochondrial matrix pH as a decisive factor in imaging NAD(P)H redox state. By combining both parameters, we illustrate a quantitative, high-resolution assessment of mitochondrial function in metabolically modified cells as well as in an amyloid precursor protein-overexpressing model of Alzheimer’s disease. Our metabolic imaging technique provides the basis for dissecting mitochondrial deficits not only in a range of neurodegenerative diseases, shedding light onto bioenergetic failures of cells remaining in their metabolic microenvironment.
Efficient Forecasting Scheme and Optimal Delivery Approach of Energy for the Energy Internet

The energy Internet (EI) is an important infrastructure for effectively utilizing and intelligently managing renewable energy sources (RES). In this paper, we study the architecture design of the EI under the backdrop of large-scale RES grid connection and the efficient forecasting and optimal utilization of energy. The contribution of this paper is threefold. First, we design a hierarchical integration architecture for the EI and attempt to solve the issues of energy and information management that stem from large-scale RES grid connection. Second, we propose a novel energy forecasting scheme that significantly reduces the amount of effort and ensures the accuracy of formulating the energy forecasting as an instance of the matrix completion issue. Third, we take electric vehicle charging as a typical case and propose the use of reinforcement learning to achieve optimal energy delivery. An experimental evaluation of real-world data sets validates the expectations of the study and highlights the superiorities of our proposed approaches.
Design of a Two-Point-Contact Fingertip Tactile Force Feedback Device

Fingertip tactile force feedback device has been applied to a variety of systems in recent years. However, most of them assume the feedback force concentrating at a point of a plane rather than on a multi-point distribution. Therefore, this paper proposes a novel device to provide a touch sensation by generating two feedback forces distributed in two points of user¡¯s finger pad, where the local force at each point is up to 8N. It consists of a tactile feedback module and a control system. Moreover, we design remote interactive tactile experiments to verify the performance of the proposed device. Experimental results show that when the model fingertip is pressed on the different surfaces of objects in a remote environment, our device can generate the corresponding feedback forces to simulate the different touch sensations. The magnitudes of the feedback forces are approximate to those of the contact forces obtained from the model fingertip in the remote environment. Most importantly, the proposed device can bring more realistic contact force reproduction to the user.