Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Deep Reinforcement Learning for Multi-driver Vehicle Dispatching and Repositioning Problem

Order dispatching and driver repositioning (also known as fleet management) in the face of spatially and temporally varying supply and demand are central to a ride-sharing platform marketplace. Hand-crafting heuristic solutions that account for the dynamics in these resource allocation problems is difficult, and may be better handled by an end-to-end machine learning method. Previous works have explored machine learning methods to the problem from a high-level perspective, where the learning method is responsible for either repositioning the drivers or dispatching orders, and as a further simplification, the drivers are considered independent agents maximizing their own reward functions. In this paper we present a deep reinforcement learning approach for tackling the full fleet management and dispatching problems. In addition to treating the drivers as individual agents, we consider the problem from a system-centric perspective, where a central fleet management agent is responsible for decision-making for all drivers.
Revisiting Deep Architectures for Head Motion Prediction in 360{\deg} Videos

Head motion prediction is an important problem with 360\degree\ videos, in particular to inform the streaming decisions. Various methods tackling this problem with deep neural networks have been proposed recently. In this article we first show the startling result that all such existing methods, which attempt to benefit both from the history of past positions and knowledge of the video content, perform worse than a simple no-motion baseline. We then propose an LSTM-based architecture which processes the positional information only. It is able to establish state-of-the-art performance and we consider it our position-only baseline. Through a thorough root cause analysis, we first show that the content can indeed inform the head position prediction for horizons longer than 2 to 3s, the trajectory inertia being predominant earlier. We also identify that a sequence-to-sequence auto-regressive framework is crucial to improve the prediction accuracy over longer prediction windows, and that a dedicated recurrent network handling the time series of positions is necessary to reach the performance of the position-only baseline in the early prediction steps. This allows to make the most of the positional information and ground-truth saliency. Finally we show how the level of noise in the estimated saliency impacts the architecture's performance, and we propose a new architecture establishing state-of-the-art performance with estimated saliency, supporting its assets with an ablation study.
Efficient Attention Mechanism for Handling All the Interactions between Many Inputs with Application to Visual Dialog

It has been a primary concern in recent studies of vision and language tasks to design an effective attention mechanism dealing with interactions between the two modalities. The Transformer has recently been extended and applied to several bi-modal tasks, yielding promising results. For visual dialog, it becomes necessary to consider interactions between three or more inputs, i.e., an image, a question, and a dialog history, or even its individual dialog components. In this paper, we present a neural architecture that can efficiently deal with all the interactions between many such inputs. It has a block structure similar to the Transformer and employs the same design of attention computation, whereas it has only a small number of parameters, yet has sufficient representational power for the purpose. Assuming a standard setting of visual dialog, a network built upon the proposed attention block has less than one-tenth of parameters as compared with its counterpart, a natural Transformer extension. We present its application to the visual dialog task. The experimental results validate the effectiveness of the proposed approach, showing improvements of the best NDCG score on the VisDial v1.0 dataset from 57.59 to 60.92 with a single model, from 64.47 to 66.53 with ensemble models, and even to 74.88 with additional finetuning.
Incendiary Characteristics of a New Laser-Resistant Endotracheal Tube

Endotracheal tube fires are the most frequent complication of laser surgery of the larynx. We investigated the incendiary characteristics of a new laser-resistant endotracheal tube, compared to polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and red rubber (RR) tubes, with different gas mixtures. A CO2 laser was focused on each tube and the probability of fire was assessed with oxygen fractions (FiO2) of 30%, 40%, 50%, 70%, and 100%, the balance being N2 or N2O. The laser-resistant tube could not be penetrated by a single laser pulse, regardless of laser energy or gas composition. PVC and RR tubes were readily ignited, the probability of ignition being related to oxygen concentration and laser energy. Nitrous oxide readily supported combustion. We suggest that laser surgery of the larynx can be most safely performed with a laser-resistant endotracheal tube and with gas mixtures containing the minimal safe O2 concentration (without nitrous oxide).
Towards semi-supervised segmentation via image-to-image translation

In many cases, especially with medical images, it is prohibitively challenging to produce a sufficiently large training sample of pixel-level annotations to train deep neural networks for semantic image segmentation. On the other hand, some information is often known about the contents of images. We leverage information on whether an image presents the segmentation target or whether it is absent from the image to improve segmentation performance by augmenting the amount of data usable for model training. Specifically, we propose a semi-supervised framework that employs image-to-image translation between weak labels (e.g., presence vs. absence of cancer), in addition to fully supervised segmentation on some examples. We conjecture that this translation objective is well aligned with the segmentation objective as both require the same disentangling of image variations. Building on prior image-to-image translation work, we re-use the encoder and decoders for translating in either direction between two domains, employing a strategy of selectively decoding domain-specific variations. For presence vs. absence domains, the encoder produces variations that are common to both and those unique to the presence domain. Furthermore, we successfully re-use one of the decoders used in translation for segmentation. We validate the proposed method on synthetic tasks of varying difficulty as well as on the real task of brain tumor segmentation in magnetic resonance images, where we show significant improvements over standard semi-supervised training with autoencoding.
Reflective Practice and Inquiry in Professional Development for Online Teaching

This article is a resource for those new to online professional development. It describes professional development training for faculty preparing to teach online. The primary focus of the training is on pedagogical rather than technical skills. This focus is central for encouraging reflection and inquiry to improve teaching practices. The discussion and summary of results provide an overview of the training and evidence of reflection and inquiry.
Endoscopic assisted adenoidectomy versus conventional curettage adenoidectomy- a comparative study

Objective: To compare the results of endoscopic assisted adenoidectomy with that of conventional curettage adenoidectomy design: A prospective randomized study of 36 patients with clinical features of adenoid hypertrophy divided into 2 groups of 18 each-group A who underwent adenoidectomy by curette and group B who underwent endoscopic assisted adenoidectomy.Parameters assessed included operative time, blood loss, post-operative complications and residual adenoid tissue visualized by nasopharyngeal endoscopy 3 months post-operatively. Results: Adenoidectomy by curette group showed more residual nasopharyngeal adenoid tissue(55.5%) than by endoscopy assistance(5.5%). Also, 17 patients (94.4%) in endoscopic assisted adenoidectomy group showed symptomatic relief on followup, compared to 12 (66.6%) in curettage group, which was statistically significant (P<0.05). There were no major complications in both the groups. Operative time and blood loss were more in the endoscopic assisted adenoidectomy group, even though the differences were minor. Conclusion: Endoscopic assisted adenoidectomy facilitates an accurate and complete removal of adenoid tissue thereby preventing recurrence of symptoms.
Multiple-Level Thoracolumbar Burst Fractures in Teenaged Patients

The purpose of this study was to examine the characteristics of multiple-level burst fractures in teenaged patients. Five teenaged patients were identified with this injury pattern. The mean age at injury was 17.6 years. All five patients underwent a posterior fusion and an attempted decompression through ligamentotaxis. One of the five went on to have an anterior decompression. Four of the five patients had spinal instrumentation. Neurologic deficit was present in four patients. The proximal fracture was most often responsible for the neurologic deficit when present. The average length of follow-up was 4.5 years. There was no significant neurologic recovery after hospital discharge. Three of the five patients had minimal or no back pain at latest follow-up. The authors conclude that multiple burst fractures should be treated individually based on their clinical and radiographic characteristics.
Positively selected autologous blood CD34+ cells and unseparated peripheral blood progenitor cells mediate identical hematopoietic engraftment after high-dose VP16, ifosfamide, carboplatin, and epirubicin

To investigate the feasibility of peripheral blood CD34+ cell selection and to analyze CD34+ cell-mediated engraftment after high-dose chemotherapy, we performed a phase I/II trial in 21 patients with advanced malignancies. The rationale for the selection of CD34+ cells from peripheral blood progenitor cell (PBPC) collections is based on the observation that contaminating tumor cells can be depleted approximately 3 logs using this procedure. CD34+ cells from chemotherapy+granulocyte colony-stimulating factor-mobilized PBPCs were positively selected with an avidin-biotin immunoadsorption column (CEPRATE SC system). One leukapheresis product with a median number of 2.8 x 10(6) CD34+ cells/kg was labeled with a biotinylated anti-CD34 monoclonal antibody and subsequently processed over the column. The yield of selected CD34+ cells was 73% +/- 24.6%. The purity of the CD34+ cell fraction was 61.4% +/- 19.7%. CD34+ cells were shown to represent predominantly committed progenitors coexpressing CD33, CD38, and HLA-DR molecules (lin+). They gave rise to myeloid as well as erythroid and multilineage colonies in vitro. In addition, positively selected CD34+ cells also comprised early hematopoietic progenitor cells, as shown by the presence of CD34+/lin- cells. Transfusion of positively selected CD34+ cells (2.5 x 10(6) CD34+/kg; range, 0.45 to 5.1) after high-dose VP16 (1,500 mg/m2), ifosfamide (12 g/m2), carboplatin (750 mg/m2), and epirubicin (150 mg/m2) (VIC-E) in 15 patients resulted in a rapid and stable engraftment of hematopoiesis without any adverse events. As compared with 13 historical control patients reconstituted with a comparable number of unseparated PBPCs, time to neutrophil and platelet recovery was identical in both groups (absolute neutrophil count > 500/microL, day + 12; platelet count > 50,000/microL, day + 15). These data indicate that autologous peripheral blood CD34+ cells and unseparated PBPCs mediate identical reconstitution of hematopoiesis after high-dose VIC-E chemotherapy. Because positive selection of CD34+ cells from mobilized blood results in a median 403-fold depletion of T cells, allogeneic CD34+ cells from mobilized blood should be investigated as an alternative to bone marrow cells for allotransplantation.
MODELING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF SELECTED TUBERCULOSIS INTERVENTIONS IN RESOURCE-CONSTRAINED COUNTRIES USING CFD

Tuberculosis (TB) is an airborne bacterial disease that primarily affects the lungs. TB germs are passed through the air when someone who is sick with TB disease coughs, speaks, laughs, sings, or sneezes [1]. People in close proximity to the infected person can breathe TB germs into their lungs and become infected as well. This is especially likely in confined spaces, including waiting rooms of healthcare facilities. Hospitals and clinics are also of great concern because they are likely to contain individuals especially susceptible to infection due to other underlying conditions. Significant progress has been made toward the elimination of TB in the United States, but it continues to be a grave concern in resourceconstrained countries. In 2010, 8.8 million people around the world became sick with TB and there were approximately 1.5 million TB-related deaths. 82% of these infections occur in 22 countries [2]. Of growing concern globally is the increasing resistance to first and second line drugs, known as multi-drug resistant (MDR) and extensively drug resistant (XDR) TB.
Clerodendrum colebrookianum, a Folk Remedy for the Treatment of Hypertension in Northeastern India

AbstractThis communication reports mcdico-clhnobotanical studies of Clerodendrum colebrookianum leaves for the treatment of hypertension in northeastern India. Local names of the plant prevalent among the various tribal societies are reported along with the details of its preparation, dosage rate and mode of administration. Possibilities of further investigation on C. colebrookianum leaves with regard to the identification of active principle(s) are reviewed.
OBESITY AMONG URBAN PRIMARY SCHOOLCHILDREN

Three urban public primary schools in the district of Petaling, Selangor were surveyed for obesity amongst the schoolchildren and factors related to it. The prevalence of obesity amongst primary schoolchildren, with the mean age of 8.91 years was 9.5%. In addition, it was more prevalent among the boys (p<0.05) as compared to the girls. However, there was no difference with regards to ethnicity, being breastfed, physical activity, time spent watching television or fast food intake in relation to obesity among these primary schoolchildren. A larger community study is required to determine if other specific factors and dietary energy intake are associated with obesity amongst primary schoolchildren, especially in rural or less urbanised regions. ( JUMMEC 2007; 10(1): 17-20 )
Employers' perceptions on the disclosure of juvenile records

This exploratory study surveyed a national convenience sample of 475 employers to examine whether and when juvenile offenders should disclose their records when seeking employment. The majority of employers recommended disclosure during the job interview. Key factors that employers considered important in this decision were the nature of the offense and the nature of their business. Qualitative analysis of employers' comments to an open-ended question revealed six distinctive dispositions toward the hiring of adjudicated youth, ranging from youth advocacy to zero tolerance. Implications for practice and future research are also discussed. Yen Kim Pham, Department of Educational Specialties, University of New Mexico; Deanne Unruh, Secondary Special Education & Transition Programs, University of Oregon; Miriam Waintrup, Secondary Special Education & Transition Programs, University of Oregon. This study was supported in part by a development grant funded by the Institute of Education Sciences (# R324A080140). Opinions expressed herein are those of the authors and do not reflect the position of IES and such endorsements should not be inferred. The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Yen Kim Pham, 1 University of New Mexico, MSC05 3040, Albuquerque, NM 87131. E-mail: [email protected]/* */ Keywords: disclosure, employer, juvenile record, juvenile confidentiality, adjudication, juvenile justice Language: en
THE DOMINANCE OF INTRINSIC MOTIVATION TO EXTRINSIC MOTIVATION ON REDUCTION OF EMPLOYEE TURNOVER RATE

Bu calismanin amaci; orgutlerde isgucu devir oraninin artmasina neden olan isten ayrilma niyeti faktorunun azaltilarak elimine edilmesi surecinde icsel ve dissal motivasyon boyutlarinin fonksiyonlarini karsilastirarak, isten ayrilma niyeti uzerinde negatif etki yaratan dominant motivasyon boyutunu saptamak, elde edilecek sonuclara bagli olarak calisanlarin orgut atmosferini iyilestirecek yonetsel oneriler sunmaktir. Bu amaca bagli olarak Zonguldak ilinde aktif olarak calisan 334 isgorenden anket yontemiyle veri elde edilmistir. Gerceklestirilen korelasyon ve basit dogrusal regresyon analizleri sonucunda; isten ayrilma niyeti ile motivasyon boyutlari arasinda negatif yonde anlamli bir iliski belirlenmis ve isten ayrilma niyetindeki degisimin %20'sini icsel motivasyonun, %8'ini ise dissal motivasyonun acikladigi saptanmistir. Ayrica, icsel motivasyondaki 1 birimlik artisin isten ayrilma niyeti uzerinde 0.417 birimlik bir azalisa, dissal motivasyondaki 1 birimlik artisin ise isten ayrilma niyeti uzerinde 0.153 birimlik bir azalisa neden oldugu belirlenmis ve isgucu devir oraninin dusurulmesine etkisi acisindan motivasyonun dominant boyutunu icsel motivasyonun olusturdugu saptanmistir. Farklilik analizleri incelendiginde; icsel motivasyonun is deneyimi 4 yil ve ustu olan calisanlarda, evli calisanlarda, gelir duzeyi yuksek calisanlarda ve kamu sektorunde calisanlarda daha yuksek oldugu belirlenmistir.
Longitudinal Daily Activity Patterns in Individuals With Heart Failure: Derivation and Association With Prognosis and Clinical Characteristics

Purpose: The purpose of the present study was to determine whether individuals with heart failure (HF) demonstrate distinct patterns of daily activity and whether these patterns are associated with prognosis and clinical characteristics. Methods: Secondary analysis of previously reported retrospective data from 102 patients with HF. Available data included daily activity measured by Medtronic® implantable cardioverter defibrillators, Seattle Heart Failure Model (SHFM) prognostic estimates, and clinical characteristics. Longitudinal daily activity patterns were derived using cluster analysis with dynamic time warping. The association between daily activity pattern grouping, SHFM prognosis, and clinical characteristics were analyzed using one‐way ANOVA with planned contrasts and chi square analysis for continuous and categorical variables, respectively. Results: The derived patterns of daily activity were low, moderately low, moderately high, and high daily activity, and were characterized by a mean (standard deviation) daily activity of 35.5 (21.7), 112.0 (20.3), 198.6 (22.0), and 340.7 (66.1) minutes per day, respectively. No patterns of increasing or decreasing daily activity were identified. Statistically significant main effects and repeated contrasts were found across daily activity pattern groupings: older age, lower left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), and worse SHFM prognosis were associated with low activity levels. Statistically significant differences across daily activity pattern groupings for categorical variables were also observed: female gender, ischemic etiology, and higher New York Heart Association functional class (NYHA‐FC) were associated with lower activity levels. Conclusions: When not anchored against a known clinical event (eg, hospitalization), daily activity is stable over time in patients with HF and an ICD. Daily activity is associated with age, gender, LVEF, etiology, and NYHA‐FC.
Social modularity: conserved genes and regulatory elements underlie caste-antecedent behavioural states in an incipiently social bee

The evolutionary origins of advanced eusociality, one of the most complex forms of phenotypic plasticity in nature, have long been a focus within the field of sociobiology. Although eusocial insects are known to have evolved from solitary ancestors, sociogenomic research among incipiently social taxa has only recently provided empirical evidence supporting theories that modular regulation and deeply conserved genes may play important roles in both the evolutionary emergence and elaboration of insect sociality. There remains, however, a paucity of data to further test the biological reality of these and other evolutionary theories among taxa in the earliest stages of social evolution. Here, we present brain transcriptomic data from the incipiently social small carpenter bee, Ceratina calcarata, which captures patterns of cis-regulation and gene expression associated with female maturation, and underlying two well-defined behavioural states, foraging and guarding, concurrently demonstrated by mothers and daughters during early autumn. We find that an incipiently social nest environment may dramatically affect gene expression. We further reveal foraging and guarding behaviours to be putatively caste-antecedent states in C. calcarata, and offer strong empirical support for the operation of modular regulation, involving deeply conserved and differentially expressed genes in the expression of early social forms.
Behavioural laterality in foraging bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus)

Lateralized behaviour is found in humans and a wide variety of other species. At a population level, lateralization of behaviour suggests hemispheric specialization may underlie this behaviour. As in other cetaceans, dolphins exhibit a strong right-side bias in foraging behaviour. Common bottlenose dolphins in The Bahamas use a foraging technique termed ‘crater feeding’, in which they swim slowly along the ocean floor, scanning the substrate using echolocation, and then bury their rostrums into the sand to obtain prey. The bottlenose dolphins off Bimini, The Bahamas, frequently execute a sharp turn before burying their rostrums in the sand. Based on data collected from 2012 to 2018, we report a significant right-side (left turn) bias in these dolphins. Out of 709 turns recorded from at least 27 different individuals, 99.44% (n = 705) were to the left (right side and right eye down) [z = 3.275, p = 0.001]. Only one individual turned right (left side and left eye down, 4/4 turns). We hypothesize that this right-side bias may be due in part to the possible laterization of echolocation production mechanisms, the dolphins' use of the right set of phonic lips to produce echolocation clicks, and a right eye (left hemisphere) advantage in visual discrimination and visuospatial processing.