Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Variance reduced value iteration and faster algorithms for solving Markov decision processes

In this paper we provide faster algorithms for approximately solving discounted Markov decision processes in multiple parameter regimes. Given a discounted Markov decision process (DMDP) with |S| states, |A| actions, discount factor γ ∈ (0, 1), and rewards in the range [−M, M], we show how to compute an ϵ‐optimal policy, with probability 1 − δ in time (Note: We use O˜$$ \tilde{O} $$ to hide polylogarithmic factors in the input parameters, that is, O˜(f(x))=O(f(x)⋅log(f(x))O(1))$$ \tilde{O}\left(f(x)\right)=O\left(f(x)\cdot \log {\left(f(x)\right)}^{O(1)}\right) $$ . ) O˜|S|2|A|+|S‖A|(1−γ)3logMϵlog1δ. $$ \tilde{O}\left(\left({\left|S\right|}^2\mid A\mid +\frac{\mid S\Big\Vert A\mid }{{\left(1-\gamma \right)}^3}\right)\log \left(\frac{M}{\epsilon}\right)\log \left(\frac{1}{\delta}\right)\right). $$ This contribution reflects the first nearly linear time, nearly linearly convergent algorithm for solving DMDPs for intermediate values of γ. We also show how to obtain improved sublinear time algorithms provided we can sample from the transition function in O(1) time. Under this assumption we provide an algorithm which computes an ϵ‐optimal policy for ϵ∈0,M1−γ$$ \epsilon \in \left(0,\frac{M}{\sqrt{1-\gamma }}\right] $$ with probability 1 − δ in time O˜|S‖A|M2(1−γ)4ϵ2log1δ. $$ \tilde{O}\left(\frac{\mid S\Big\Vert A\mid {M}^2}{{\left(1-\gamma \right)}^4{\epsilon}^2}\log \left(\frac{1}{\delta}\right)\right). $$ Furthermore, we extend both these algorithms to solve finite horizon MDPs. Our algorithms improve upon the previous best for approximately computing optimal policies for fixed‐horizon MDPs in multiple parameter regimes. Interestingly, we obtain our results by a careful modification of approximate value iteration. We show how to combine classic approximate value iteration analysis with new techniques in variance reduction. Our fastest algorithms leverage further insights to ensure that our algorithms make monotonic progress towards the optimal value. This paper is one of few instances in using sampling to obtain a linearly convergent linear programming algorithm and we hope that the analysis may be useful more broadly.
A Cautionary Tale: Using Propensity Scores to Estimate the Effect of Food Stamps on Food Insecurity

This article uses propensity scores to evaluate the effect of food stamps on food insecurity, a measure of inadequate food supply. It relies on data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study‐Kindergarten Cohort. By balancing treatment and comparison groups on covariates, the propensity score method adjusts for bias caused by observed variables. This method may be preferable to regression because it does not rely on a linear functional form to adjust for potential confounding variables. Results show that food stamps do not decrease the probability of being food insecure, although they lessen the severity of the problem according to some models. However, propensity scores rely on several stringent assumptions, including the need for a common support region (where two compared groups share the same characteristics) and a properly specified model. Propensity scores should therefore be employed with caution.
Clustered Exemplar-SVM: Discovering sub-categories for visual recognition

We present a novel algorithm for image classification that is targeted to capture class variability. A single model is often not sufficient to represent a category since categories can vary from large semantic classes to fine-grained sub-categories. Instead, we develop a representation based on discovering visually similar sub-categories within a given class. We introduce a novel Clustered Exemplar SVM classifier which incorporates data-driven and exemplar focused discovery. Semi-supervised learning is employed for training each C-eSVM classifier. We evaluate our approach on two datasets and demonstrate the efficacy of our method over standard Exemplar SVM.
An in‐vitro direct chemiluminescence assay for assessment of platelet‐bound antibody in thrombocytopenic patients

A direct chemiluminescence test (CLT) employing autologous monocytes and granulocytes was used to assay platelet‐bound antibody in comparison to the direct platelet suspension immunofluorescence test (PSIFT) in 50 patients. Twenty‐six of the 30 immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) patients, including all 21 chronic ITP patients with platelet counts below 100 × 109/1, showed positive results with at least one type of phagocytic cell; so did seven of the eight patients with other presumed autoimmune thrombocytopenias, and three out of 12 patients with thrombocytopenia associated with non‐immune disorders. This test appears potentially valuable in the clinical diagnosis of immune thrombocytopenias.
AGMMA: A Novel Incremental Adaptation Method and its Application to Speaker Recognition

Classical adaptation approaches are generally used for model adaptation with a particular speaker or a specific environment. An incremental adaptation method is presented in this paper called AGMMA which is based on the modified segmental-EM algorithm and apply it to speaker recognition system. The initial model is trained on a limited amount of data and adapted recursively to enrich itself incrementally with the data available in each session. The proposed method evaluates the expectation of the initial data, which would be used in the segmental EM algorithm applied on both initial and new data, by the statistics of initial data. Experiments were taken on YOHO database that was a high quality microphone speech database and an attendance system that ran over eleven months. The results on YOHO database showed that AGMMA outperforms ARGMM and classical Bayesian adaptation in most of the cases. Significant profits are also achieved when AGMMA applied to the attendance system in real-life environment
Rank-loss support instance machines for MIML instance annotation

Multi-instance multi-label learning (MIML) is a framework for supervised classification where the objects to be classified are bags of instances associated with multiple labels. For example, an image can be represented as a bag of segments and associated with a list of objects it contains. Prior work on MIML has focused on predicting label sets for previously unseen bags. We instead consider the problem of predicting instance labels while learning from data labeled only at the bag level. We propose Rank-Loss Support Instance Machines, which optimize a regularized rank-loss objective and can be instantiated with different aggregation models connecting instance-level predictions with bag-level predictions. The aggregation models that we consider are equivalent to defining a "support instance" for each bag, which allows efficient optimization of the rank-loss objective using primal sub-gradient descent. Experiments on artificial and real-world datasets show that the proposed methods achieve higher accuracy than other loss functions used in prior work, e.g., Hamming loss, and recent work in ambiguous label classification.
The sibling relationships of bulimic women

THE SIBLING RELATIONSHIPS OF BULIMIC WOMEN MAY 1988 KAREN GAIL LEWIS, B.A., BOSTON UNIVERSITY M.S.S.S. , BOSTON UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK Ed.D. , UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS Directed by: Professor Grace Craig This study explores the role of bulimia in a woman's relationship with her siblings. While there is a growing body of literature on siblings and on bulimia, there is little written about the overlap between these two topics. This study is an attempt to fill that gap. Thirty-two women who had participated in an Intensive Treatment Program (ITP) for bulimia were the subjects. There were four groups of eight women each. Their comments about their sibling relationships were tracked through five components of the program: group therapy, multi-family therapy, family seminar, genograms, one year follow-up. All of their comments related to their siblings were transcribed from the video recordings of the therapies and the seminar. Each of the sibling comments was sorted into categories of common messages. ■ The study reports on-all four ITP groups, and gives details about the women from one ITP group and their sibling relationships are given. Transcripts from their group therapy and multi-family therapy, and their comments Comments from the seminar on family roles are reported, from a one year multi-family therapy follow-up questionnaire from women in several ITP groups are also reported. Comments about siblings were categorized into seven types of communication messages: equalizing, dirty fighting, connecting, flagging, deflecting, separating, and peacemaking. Selection of the messages into the categories were checked by independent raters. There was a high consistency in the categorization. All but one woman had at least one message, and over half of them had either two or three types of messages for one or more siblings. Three themes for understanding the use of buliniia in the sibling relationship are highlighted: bulimia as an indirect expression of affect to a sibling; as a means of getting out of a complementary role with a siblings, and as an expression of an immobilizing ambivalence in the sibling relationship. Although a descriptive study, the results suggest that sibling relationships are one important factor in the onset or maintainence of a woman s bulimia.
From Trance to Transcendence: A Neurocognitive Approach

Rapaport (1951) made a strong claim regarding the pivotal role of reflective awareness in characterizing both cognition and consciousness. It is suggested that the transition between a state of trance to one of transcendence entails a shift in reflective awareness from awareness’ apparent absence (trance) to its apparent multiplicity (transcendence). It is further suggested and demonstrated that it is the balance in EEG alpha-theta activity along the anterior-posterior axis that accompanies this transition.
Dynamic histone H3 epigenome marking during the intraerythrocytic cycle of Plasmodium falciparum

Epigenome profiling has led to the paradigm that promoters of active genes are decorated with H3K4me3 and H3K9ac marks. To explore the epigenome of Plasmodium falciparum asexual stages, we performed MS analysis of histone modifications and found a general preponderance of H3/H4 acetylation and H3K4me3. ChIP-on-chip profiling of H3, H3K4me3, H3K9me3, and H3K9ac from asynchronous parasites revealed an extensively euchromatic epigenome with heterochromatin restricted to variant surface antigen gene families (VSA) and a number of genes hitherto unlinked to VSA. Remarkably, the vast majority of the genome shows an unexpected pattern of enrichment of H3K4me3 and H3K9ac. Analysis of synchronized parasites revealed significant developmental stage specificity of the epigenome. In rings, H3K4me3 and H3K9ac are homogenous across the genes marking active and inactive genes equally, whereas in schizonts, they are enriched at the 5′ end of active genes. This study reveals an unforeseen and unique plasticity in the use of the epigenetic marks and implies the presence of distinct epigenetic pathways in gene silencing/activation throughout the erythrocytic cycle.
Indications and expectations for neuropsychological assessment in routine epilepsy care: Report of the ILAE Neuropsychology Task Force, Diagnostic Methods Commission, 2013–2017

The International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) Diagnostic Methods Commission charged the Neuropsychology Task Force with the job of developing a set of recommendations to address the following questions: (1) What is the role of a neuropsychological assessment? (2) Who should do a neuropsychological assessment? (3) When should people with epilepsy be referred for a neuropsychological assessment? and (4) What should be expected from a neuropsychological assessment? The recommendations have been broadly written for health care clinicians in established epilepsy settings as well as those setting up new services. They are based on a detailed survey of neuropsychological assessment practices across international epilepsy centers, and formal ranking of specific recommendations for advancing clinical epilepsy care generated by specialist epilepsy neuropsychologists from around the world. They also incorporate the latest research findings to establish minimum standards for training and practice, reflecting the many roles of neuropsychological assessment in the routine care of children and adults with epilepsy. The recommendations endorse routine screening of cognition, mood, and behavior in new‐onset epilepsy, and describe the range of situations when more detailed, formal neuropsychological assessment is indicated. They identify a core set of cognitive and psychological domains that should be assessed to provide an objective account of an individual's cognitive, emotional, and psychosocial functioning, including factors likely contributing to deficits identified on qualitative and quantitative examination. The recommendations also endorse routine provision of feedback to patients, families, and clinicians about the implications of the assessment results, including specific clinical recommendations of what can be done to improve a patient's cognitive or psychosocial functioning and alleviate the distress of any difficulties identified. By canvassing the breadth and depth of scope of neuropsychological assessment, this report demonstrates the pivotal role played by this noninvasive and minimally resource intensive investigation in the care of people with epilepsy.
UWB stepped-FM sensor for home security

Wireless motion sensor such as infra-red and Doppler is commonly used for our home protection against intruder. Wideband or ultra-wideband (UWB) sensor has lately attracted considerable attention because it is expected to measure not only motion of an intruder but also the distance. This paper suggests a stepped-FM UWB sensor which can cover all the rooms of a house. UWB systems may cause unacceptable interference to existing wireless users of the same and nearby bands. Therefore interference mitigation technique called DAA (Detect-And-Avoid) device is required to be implemented for UWB users. Our suggested sensor provides inherent ability to coexist with other wireless systems without additional DAA device. This is because it can take any optional spectrum hole (non-activated within a portion of the wide radio spectrum) for the UWB transmission. The measurements had been conducted for various scenarios in a typical house with three-rooms and the results are presented.
Exclusion of Na 1 via Sodium ATPase ( PpENA 1 ) Ensures Normal Growth of Physcomitrella patens under Moderate Salt Stress 1

The bryophyte Physcomitrella patens is unlike any other plant identified to date in that it possesses a gene that encodes an ENAtype Na-ATPase. To complement previous work in yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae), we determined the importance of having a Na-ATPase in planta by conducting physiological analyses of PpENA1 in Physcomitrella. Expression studies showed that PpENA1 is up-regulated by NaCl and, to a lesser degree, by osmotic stress. Maximal induction is obtained after 8 h at 60 mM NaCl or above. No other abiotic stress tested led to significant increases in PpENA1 expression. In the gametophyte, strong expression was confined to the rhizoids, stem, and the basal part of the leaf. In the protonemata, expression was ubiquitous with a few filaments showing stronger expression. At 100 mM NaCl, wild-type plants were able to maintain a higher K-to-Na ratio than the PpENA1 (ena1) knockout gene, but at higher NaCl concentrations no difference was observed. Although no difference in chlorophyll content was observed between ena1 and wild type at 100 mM NaCl, the impaired Na exclusion in ena1 plants led to an approximately 40% decrease in growth.
The Hub and Spoke Paradigm for CSR Evaluation

In this paper, we introduce the new paradigm used in the most recent ARPA-sponsored Continuous Speech Recognition (CSR) evaluation and then discuss the important features of the test design.The 1993 CSR evaluation was organized in a novel fashion in an attempt to accomodate research over a broad variety of important problems in CSR while maintaining a clear program-wide research focus. Furthermore, each test component in the evaluation was designed as an experiment to extract as much information as possible from the results.The evaluation was centered around a large vocabulary speaker-independent (SI) baseline test, which was required of every participating site. This test was dubbed the 'Hub' since it was common to all sites and formed the basis for controlled inter-system comparisons.The Hub test was augmented with a variety of problem-specific optional tests designed to explore a variety of important problems in CSR, mostly involving some kind of mismatch between the training and test conditions. These tests were known as the 'Spokes' since they all could be informatively compared to the Hub, but were otherwise independent.In the first trial of this evaluation paradigm in November, 1993, 11 research groups participated, yielding a rich array of comparative and contrastive results, all calibrated to the current state of the art in large vocabulary CSR.
Electroporation-mediated interleukin-12 gene therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma in the mice model.

Applications of nonviral vectors for gene transfer into tumors in vivo have been limited by the relatively low expression levels of the transferred gene. The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of electroporation-mediated interleukin-12 (IL-12) gene therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). First, we investigated the optimal conditions of electric pulses (voltage, pulsing duration, numbers of shocks) of in vivo electroporation for gene transfer into HCC established by s.c. implantation of MH134 cells to C3H mice. This process made use of plasmid DNA that express the luciferase gene. We concluded that the optimal conditions for the electric pulses are as follows: voltage at 150 V; pulsing duration at 50 ms; nonpulsing duration at 950 ms; and the number of shocks at 10. Second, we tried to treat s.c. HCC by electroporation using plasmid DNA that expresses the murine interleukin-12 (mlL-12) gene. Intratumoral administration of the mIL-12 vector elevated serum IL-12 and IFN-gamma and significantly inhibited the growth not only of HCC into which the mIL-12 vector had been directly transferred, but also of the distant HCC. In addition, intratumoral administration of the mIL-12 vector inhibited spontaneous lung metastasis and delayed establishment of HCC injected 3 days after mIL-12 gene therapy. The IL-12 gene therapy induced more lymphocyte infiltration by NK cells, CD3+ cells, and Mac-1 positive cells into the tumor and reduced the number of microvessels. Therefore, more terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling-positive tumor cells were found. These results demonstrate that gene therapy for HCC by electroporation in vivo using IL-12 is very efficient and is thus promising for further clinical trial.
MicroRNA-137/181c Regulates Serine Palmitoyltransferase and In Turn Amyloid β, Novel Targets in Sporadic Alzheimer's Disease

The contribution of mutations in amyloid precursor protein (APP) and presenilin (PSEN) to familial Alzheimer's disease (AD) is well established. However, little is known about the molecular mechanisms leading to amyloid β (Aβ) generation in sporadic AD. Increased brain ceramide levels have been associated with sporadic AD, and are a suggested risk factor. Serine palmitoyltransferase (SPT) is the first rate-limiting enzyme in the de novo ceramide synthesis. However, the regulation of SPT is not yet understood. Evidence suggests that it may be posttranscriptionally regulated. Therefore, we investigated the role of miRNAs in the regulation of SPT and amyloid β (Aβ) generation. We show that SPT is upregulated in a subgroup of sporadic AD patient brains. This is further confirmed in mouse model studies of risk factors associated with AD. We identified that the loss of miR-137, -181c, -9, and 29a/b-1 increases SPT and in turn Aβ levels, and provides a mechanism for the elevated risk of AD associated with age, high-saturated-fat diet, and gender. Finally, these results suggest SPT and the respective miRNAs may be potential therapeutic targets for sporadic AD.
CCC1 Suppresses Mitochondrial Damage in the Yeast Model of Friedreich's Ataxia by Limiting Mitochondrial Iron Accumulation*

Deletion of YFH1 inSaccharomyces cerevisiae leads to a loss of respiratory competence due to excessive mitochondrial iron accumulation. A suppressor screen identified a gene, CCC1, that maintained respiratory function in a Δyfh1 yeast strain regardless of extracellular iron concentration. CCC1 expression prevented excessive mitochondrial iron accumulation by limiting mitochondrial iron uptake rather than by increasing mitochondrial iron egress. Expression of CCC1 did not result in sequestration of iron in membranous compartments or cellular iron export.CCC1 expression in wild type cells resulted in increased expression of the high affinity iron transport system composed ofFET3 and FTR1, suggesting that intracellular iron is not sensed by the iron-dependent transcription factor Aft1p. Introduction of AFT1 up, a constitutive allele of the iron transcription factor, AFT1, that also leads to increased high affinity iron transport did not prevent Δyfh1 cells from becoming respiratory-incompetent. Although the mechanism by whichCCC1 expression affects cytosolic iron is not known, the data suggest that excessive mitochondrial iron accumulation only occurs when cytosolic free iron levels are high.
Methodically Modeling the Tor Network

Live Tor network experiments are difficult due to Tor's distributed nature and the privacy requirements of its client base. Alternative experimentation approaches, such as simulation and emulation, must make choices about how to model various aspects of the Internet and Tor that are not possible or not desirable to duplicate or implement directly. This paper methodically models the Tor network by exploring and justifying every modeling choice required to produce accurate Tor experimentation environments. We validate our model using two state-of-the-art Tor experimentation tools and measurements from the live Tor network. We find that our model enables experiments that characterize Tor's load and performance with reasonable accuracy.
Identification of a T cell-derived b cell growth factor distinct from interleukin 2

We report here a factor (B cell growth factor) found in induced supernatants of the mouse thymoma EL4 that co-stimulates with anti-IgM antibodies in short-term cultures of purified B lymphocytes to induce polyclonal B cell proliferation but not antibody-forming cell production. The factor is not mitogenic for resting B cells and interacts with anti-IgM-activated B cells in a non-H-2-restricted manner. Absorption studies and molecular weight analysis reveal the factor is distinct from interleukin 2. This factor synergises with antigen, interleukin 2, and an interleukin 2-free, B cell growth factor- free T cell supernatant that contains T cell-replacing factor to produce erythrocyte-specific plaque-forming cells in cultures of highly purified B cells.