Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Reinforcement Learning for Online Testing of Autonomous Driving Systems: a Replication and Extension Study

In a recent study, Reinforcement Learning (RL) used in combination with many-objective search, has been shown to outperform alternative techniques (random search and many-objective search) for online testing of Deep Neural Network-enabled systems. The empirical evaluation of these techniques was conducted on a state-of-the-art Autonomous Driving System (ADS). This work is a replication and extension of that empirical study. Our replication shows that RL does not outperform pure random test generation in a comparison conducted under the same settings of the original study, but with no confounding factor coming from the way collisions are measured. Our extension aims at eliminating some of the possible reasons for the poor performance of RL observed in our replication: (1) the presence of reward components providing contrasting or useless feedback to the RL agent; (2) the usage of an RL algorithm (Q-learning) which requires discretization of an intrinsically continuous state space. Results show that our new RL agent is able to converge to an effective policy that outperforms random testing. Results also highlight other possible improvements, which open to further investigations on how to best leverage RL for online ADS testing.
Undersampled Phase Retrieval with Outliers : Supplementary Material

which set to zero yields the minimizer u− = s η + d. The minimization of f+(u) or f−(u) along the curve on which both functions are equal-valued, involves parameterizing this curve and minimizing f+(u) as a function of this parameter. These functions are equal when |u|2− y = y+ |s|2− 2|s|Re{ue}, which corresponds to the circle |u+ s|2 = 2(y+ |s|2). The parameterization then corresponds to the angle along the circle; call it θ. The curve of interest is (u + s) = √
Causation, Correlation, and Big Data in Social Science Research

The emergence of big data offers not only a potential boon for social scientific inquiry, but also raises distinct epistemological issues for this new area of research. Drawing on interviews conducted with researchers at the forefront of big data research, we offer insight into questions of causal versus correlational research, the use of inductive methods, and the utility of theory in the big data age. While our interviewees acknowledge challenges posed by the emergence of big data approaches, they reassert the importance of fundamental tenets of social science research such as establishing causality and drawing on existing theory. They also discussed more pragmatic issues, such as collaboration between researchers from different fields, and the utility of mixed methods. We conclude by putting the themes emerging from our interviews into the broader context of the role of data in social scientific inquiry, and draw lessons about the future role of big data in research.
Challenges in the Development of an Immunochromatographic Interferon-Gamma Test for Diagnosis of Pleural Tuberculosis

Existing diagnostic tests for pleural tuberculosis (TB) have inadequate accuracy and/or turnaround time. Interferon-gamma (IFNg) has been identified in many studies as a biomarker for pleural TB. Our objective was to develop a lateral flow, immunochromatographic test (ICT) based on this biomarker and to evaluate the test in a clinical cohort. Because IFNg is commonly present in non-TB pleural effusions in low amounts, a diagnostic IFNg-threshold was first defined with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for IFNg in samples from 38 patients with a confirmed clinical diagnosis (cut-off of 300pg/ml; 94% sensitivity and 93% specificity). The ICT was then designed; however, its achievable limit of detection (5000pg/ml) was over 10-fold higher than that of the ELISA. After several iterations in development, the prototype ICT assay for IFNg had a sensitivity of 69% (95% confidence interval (CI): 50-83) and a specificity of 94% (95% CI: 81-99%) compared to ELISA on frozen samples. Evaluation of the prototype in a prospective clinical cohort (72 patients) on fresh pleural fluid samples, in comparison to a composite reference standard (including histopathological and microbiologic test results), showed that the prototype had 65% sensitivity (95% CI: 44-83) and 89% specificity (95% CI: 74-97). Discordant results were observed in 15% of samples if testing was repeated after one freezing and thawing step. Inter-rater variability was limited (3%; 1out of 32). In conclusion, despite an iterative development and optimization process, the performance of the IFNg ICT remained lower than what could be expected from the published literature on IFNg as a biomarker in pleural fluid. Further improvements in the limit of detection of an ICT for IFNg, and possibly combination of IFNg with other biomarkers such as adenosine deaminase, are necessary for such a test to be of value in the evaluation of pleural tuberculosis.
Political Psychology: Submissions, Acceptances, Downloads, and Citations

Political Psychology has experienced a marked increase in the number of submissions, downloads, citations, and global exposure over the past few years. It is also a more influential journal than it was at the beginning of the decade. Specifically, the journal is now available in more than 4,200 libraries worldwide, compared with 2,200 five years ago; the number of downloads has recently increased to more than 620,000(! ), compared with about 100,000 five years ago; the number of new submissions has increased drastically over the past five years to more than 300 per year; and the impact factor has risen to 1.771—the highest in the history of the journal. In 2014 alone, more than 40 articles published in the journal have been downloaded more than 500 times each. In this article, we analyze submissions to Political Psychology, acceptances, downloads, and citations by area of study and methodology.
Tracking Load-Time Configuration Options

Many software systems are highly configurable, despite the fact that configuration options and their interactions make those systems significantly harder to understand and maintain. In this work, we consider load-time configuration options, such as parameters from the command-line or from configuration files. They are particularly hard to reason about: tracking configuration options from the point at which they are loaded to the point at which they influence control-flow decisions is tedious and error-prone, if done manually. We design and implement Lotrack, an extended static taint analysis to track configuration options automatically. Lotrack derives a configuration map that explains for each code fragment under which configurations it may be executed. An evaluation on Android apps and Java applications from different domains shows that Lotrack yields high accuracy with reasonable performance. We use Lotrack to empirically characterize how much of the implementation of Android apps depends on the platform's configuration options or interactions of these options.
Active Nematic Ratchet in Asymmetric Obstacle Arrays

We numerically investigate the effect of a periodic array of asymmetric obstacles in a two-dimensional active nematic. We find that activity in conjunction with the asymmetry leads to a ratchet effect or unidirectional flow of the fluid along the asymmetry direction. The directional flow is still present even in the active turbulent phase when the gap between obstacles is sufficiently small. We demonstrate that the dynamics of the topological defects transition from flow-mirroring to smectic-like as the gap between obstacles is made smaller, and explain this transition in terms of the pinning of negative winding number defects between obstacles. This also leads to a non-monotonic ratchet effect magnitude as a function of obstacle size, so that there is an optimal obstacle size for ratcheting at fixed activity.
Surgical Outcomes of Decompression, Decompression With Limited Fusion, and Decompression With Full Curve Fusion for Degenerative Scoliosis With Radiculopathy

Study Design. A retrospective clinical cohort study at a single spine center of patients with degenerative scoliosis and radiculopathy severe enough to require surgery. Objective. To evaluate the functional outcomes of 3 surgeries for degenerative scoliosis with radiculopathy; decompression alone, decompression and limited fusion, and decompression and full curve fusion. Summary of Background Data. Although these 3 surgical treatments have all been described for this problem, there exists little information as to what outcomes to expect. Methods. The study cohort consisted of 85 patients who met the inclusion criteria of degenerative scoliosis and radiculopathy, who had undergone 1 of the above 3 surgeries, who had not had any previous lumbar spine surgery, who had a minimum follow-up of at least 2 years, and who had filled out preoperative and postoperative functional evaluation forms including SF-36, Oswestry Disability Index, Roland Morris Scores, and a satisfaction questionnaire. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to predict the likelihood of success as related to decompression alone of rotatory olisthetic segments, extent of fusion, and postoperative sagittal balance. Patient demographics including curve magnitude, operative blood loss, length of hospital stay, complications, and need for revision surgeries were analyzed. The patients having decompression alone had the highest mean age (76.4 years) compared to decompression and limited fusion (70.4), and decompression and full curve fusion (62.5). Results. Cobb scoliosis angles remained unchanged in the 2 groups not having full curve fusion, while the full curve fusion group changed from a mean 39° before surgery to 19° at follow-up. The complication rate was highest (56%) in the full fusion group, was 40% in the limited fusion group, and 10% in the decompression alone group. The overall SF-36 analysis showed significant improvement in bodily pain, social function, role emotional, mental health, and mental composite domains. Oswestry Disability Indexes improved significantly in the decompression alone and limited fusion groups, but not in the full fusion group. In contrast, the satisfaction questionnaire showed the highest success to be in the full-curve fusion group and the lowest in the decompression-only group. Regression analysis revealed that sacrum to curve apex fusions and positive postoperative sagittal imbalance were associated with poor outcomes. Conclusion. Both good and poor results were seen with each of the 3 procedures.
Jobless men and women: A comparative analysis of job search intensity, attitudes toward unemployment, and related responses

The study examined gender differences in job search intensity, attitudes toward unemployment, and related responses among a sample of 594 Israelis. It was hypothesized that gender-based differences would be fewer among respondents with high levels of education than among those with low levels of education. At all levels of education, men spent more time searching for work and perceived the state of unemployment as more stigmatic. In contrast, women at all levels of education were more likely to believe that intensive job search efforts will result in finding employment. In addition, the women were more likely to reject jobs due to conflict with family responsibilities and lack of extrinsic job rewards. Moreover, atypical gender characteristics of occupations may constitute a reason for rejecting potential employment among both sexes, although this tendency was more prevalent among the women. No significant differences were found between the sexes in psychological responses of unemployment, although the women reported a more severe decline in health than did the men. Widowed and divorced respondents expressed more negative responses toward unemployment than did married and never-married respondents.
The Model Openness Framework: Promoting Completeness and Openness for Reproducibility, Transparency and Usability in AI

Generative AI (GAI) offers unprecedented possibilities but its commercialization has raised concerns about transparency, reproducibility, bias, and safety. Many"open-source"GAI models lack the necessary components for full understanding and reproduction, and some use restrictive licenses, a practice known as"openwashing. "We propose the Model Openness Framework (MOF), a ranked classification system that rates machine learning models based on their completeness and openness, following principles of open science, open source, open data, and open access. The MOF requires specific components of the model development lifecycle to be included and released under appropriate open licenses. This framework aims to prevent misrepresentation of models claiming to be open, guide researchers and developers in providing all model components under permissive licenses, and help companies, academia, and hobbyists identify models that can be safely adopted without restrictions. Wide adoption of the MOF will foster a more open AI ecosystem, accelerating research, innovation, and adoption.
Orbital Fat Volumetry and Water Fraction Measurements Using T2-Weighted FSE-IDEAL Imaging in Patients with Thyroid-Associated Orbitopathy

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The quantitative evaluation of orbital fat proliferation and edema and the assessment of extraocular muscles are useful for diagnosing and monitoring thyroid-associated orbitopathy. To evaluate therapy-induced quantitative changes in the orbital fat of patients with thyroid-associated orbitopathy, we performed volumetric and water fraction measurements by using T2-weighted FSE iterative decomposition of water and fat with echo asymmetry and least-squares estimation (FSE-IDEAL) imaging. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Orbital FSE-IDEAL images of 30 volunteers were acquired twice within 1 week. Nine patients with thyroid-associated orbitopathy underwent FSE-IDEAL imaging before and after methylprednisolone pulse therapy, and the treatment results were assessed by using their pre- and post-methylprednisolone pulse therapy clinical activity scores. We performed volumetric and water fraction measurements of orbital fat by using FSE-IDEAL imaging and evaluated interscan differences in the volunteers. In patients with thyroid-associated orbitopathy, we compared pre- and posttherapy orbital fat measurements and assessed the correlation between the pretherapy values and clinical activity score improvement. RESULTS: The reproducibility of results obtained by the quantitative evaluation of orbital fat in volunteers was acceptable. After methylprednisolone pulse therapy, the water fraction in the orbital fat of patients with thyroid-associated orbitopathy was significantly decreased (P < .001). There was a significant positive correlation between the pretherapy water fraction and clinical activity score improvement (right, r = 0.82; left, r = 0.79) and a significant negative correlation between the pretherapy volume and clinical activity score improvement (bilateral, r = −0.84). CONCLUSIONS: Volumetric and water fraction measurements of orbital fat by using FSE-IDEAL imaging are feasible and useful for monitoring the effects of therapy and for predicting the response of patients with thyroid-associated orbitopathy to methylprednisolone pulse therapy.
Differential Regulation of FLOWERING LOCUS C Expression by Vernalization in Cabbage and Arabidopsis1

Vernalization is required to induce flowering in cabbage (Brassica oleracea var Capitata L.). Since FLOWERING LOCUS C (FLC) was identified as a major repressor of flowering in the vernalization pathway in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), two homologs of AtFLC, BoFLC3-2 and BoFLC4-1, were isolated from cabbage to investigate the molecular mechanism of vernalization in cabbage flowering. In addition to the sequence homology, the genomic organization of cabbage FLC is similar to that of AtFLC, except that BoFLC has a relatively smaller intron 1 compared to that of AtFLC. A vernalization-mediated decrease in FLC transcript level was correlated with an increase in FT transcript level in the apex of cabbage. This observation is in agreement with the down-regulation of FT by FLC in Arabidopsis. Yet, unlike that in Arabidopsis, the accumulation of cabbage FLC transcript decreased after cold treatment of leafy plants but not imbibed seeds, which is consistent with the promotion of cabbage flowering by vernalizing adult plants rather than seeds. To further dissect the different regulation of FLC expression between seed-vernalization-responsive species (e.g. Arabidopsis) and plant-vernalization-responsive species (e.g. cabbage), the pBoFLC4-1∷BoFLC4-1∷GUS construct was introduced into Arabidopsis to examine its vernalization response. Down-regulation of the BoFLC4-1∷GUS construct by seed vernalization was unstable and incomplete; in addition, the expression of BoFLC4-1∷GUS was not suppressed by vernalization of transgenic rosette-stage Arabidopsis plants. We propose a hypothesis to illustrate the distinct mechanism by which vernalization regulates the expression of FLC in cabbage and Arabidopsis.
The politics of time: Conservatives differentially reference the past and liberals differentially reference the future

Conservatives are thought to favor certainty and value tradition (suggesting a focus on the past), whereas liberals are thought to favor change (suggesting a focus on the future), even when it is associated with some degree of uncertainty. On this basis, two studies contrasted references to the past versus the future in language usage. Study 1 analyzed 600 texts from conservative and liberal websites. After adjusting for normative differences, a cross-over interaction was obtained: Conservative posts referenced the past to a greater extent than the future and liberal posts referenced the future more than the past. A conceptually parallel cross-over interaction was obtained in Study 2, which analyzed 145 State of the Union addresses. The temporal orientation of conservatives and liberals, then, appears qualitatively different.
Quadratic Point Estimate Method for Probabilistic Moments Computation

This paper presents in detail the originally developed Quadratic Point Estimate Method (QPEM), aimed at efficiently and accurately computing the first four output moments of probabilistic distributions, using 2n^2+1 sample (or sigma) points, with n, the number of input random variables. The proposed QPEM particularly offers an effective, superior, and practical alternative to existing sampling and quadrature methods for low- and moderately-high-dimensional problems. Detailed theoretical derivations are provided proving that the proposed method can achieve a fifth or higher-order accuracy for symmetric input distributions. Various numerical examples, from simple polynomial functions to nonlinear finite element analyses with random field representations, support the theoretical findings and further showcase the validity, efficiency, and applicability of the QPEM, from low- to high-dimensional problems.
Retail Strategies on the Web: Price and Non-Price Competition in the Online Book Industry

Two conflicting predictions have emerged regarding the effect of low-cost information on price. The first states that all Internet retailers will charge the same low price for mass produced goods. The second states that Internet retailers will differentiate to avoid intense price competition. Using data collected in April 1999 on the prices of 107 books in thirteen online and two physical bookstores, we find similar average prices online and in physical stores and substantial price dispersion online. Analysis of product differentiation yields no clear results. The substantial premium charged by Amazon provides indirect evidence of product differentiation. Copyright 2002 by Blackwell Publishing Ltd
Co-clustering through Optimal Transport

In this paper, we present a novel method for co-clustering, an unsupervised learning approach that aims at discovering homogeneous groups of data instances and features by grouping them simultaneously. The proposed method uses the entropy regularized optimal transport between empirical measures defined on data instances and features in order to obtain an estimated joint probability density function represented by the optimal coupling matrix. This matrix is further factorized to obtain the induced row and columns partitions using multiscale representations approach. To justify our method theoretically, we show how the solution of the regularized optimal transport can be seen from the variational inference perspective thus motivating its use for co-clustering. The algorithm derived for the proposed method and its kernelized version based on the notion of Gromov-Wasserstein distance are fast, accurate and can determine automatically the number of both row and column clusters. These features are vividly demonstrated through extensive experimental evaluations.
Insight Into the Collocation of Multi-Source Satellite Imagery for Multi-Scale Vessel Detection

Ship detection from satellite imagery using Deep Learning (DL) is an indispensable solution for maritime surveillance. However, applying DL models trained on one dataset to others having differences in spatial resolution and radiometric features requires many adjustments. To overcome this issue, this paper focused on the DL models trained on datasets that consist of different optical images and a combination of radar and optical data. When dealing with a limited number of training images, the performance of DL models via this approach was satisfactory. They could improve 5-20% of average precision, depending on the optical images tested. Likewise, DL models trained on the combined optical and radar dataset could be applied to both optical and radar images. Our experiments showed that the models trained on an optical dataset could be used for radar images, while those trained on a radar dataset offered very poor scores when applied to optical images.
THE EFFECTS OF GOAL-SETTING IN A SECONDARY PHYSICAL EDUCATION PROGRAM

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of a goal-setting intervention on students' fitness and achievement goals within physical education settings. Method: This study involved thirty-two (N=32) male and female participants in 9th-11th grade from a charter high school focused on the arts, science and engineering. Charter schools are independent public schools with focus on choice and control over their curriculum. Participants were taught about SMART-C principles and set short term SMART-C goals for 3 areas of the FITNESSGRAM including PACER, Push Ups, and Curl Ups during the course of a semester. The effects of goal-setting were determined through the use of questionnaires, focus group interviews, and fitness testing. Focus group interviews addressed students' past goal-setting experiences and perceptions of the intervention. Results: Thirty-three percent of participants met their goals, while 75% exceeded their initial score on the FITNESSGRAM. The two most common types of goals set by participants were Mastery Approach and Performance Avoidance indicating a mix of task and ego goal orientations. Results from the qualitative and quantitative data indicated that although high school students believed goal-setting was useful, they had difficulty setting and adhering to their goals. Discussion/Conclusions: This study adds to a small body of research supporting the use of goal-setting interventions for fitness among adolescents in charter school physical education programs. Further study is warranted in examining how best to maximize student engagement in goal-setting.