Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Pilot-wave dynamics of two identical, in-phase bouncing droplets.

A droplet bouncing on the surface of a vibrating liquid bath can move horizontally guided by the wave it produces on impacting the bath. The wave itself is modified by the environment, and thus, the interactions of the moving droplet with the surroundings are mediated through the wave. This forms an example of a pilot-wave system. Taking the Oza-Rosales-Bush description for walking droplets as a theoretical pilot-wave model, we investigate the dynamics of two interacting identical, in-phase bouncing droplets theoretically and numerically. A remarkably rich range of behaviors is encountered as a function of the two system parameters, the ratio of inertia to drag, κ , and the ratio of wave forcing to drag, β . The droplets typically travel together in a tightly bound pair, although they unbind when the wave forcing is large and inertia is small or inertia is moderately large and wave forcing is moderately small. Bound pairs can exhibit a range of trajectories depending on parameter values, including straight lines, sub-diffusive random walks, and closed loops. The droplets themselves may maintain their relative positions, oscillate toward and away from one another, or interchange positions regularly or chaotically as they travel. We explore these regimes and others and the bifurcations between them through analytic and numerical linear stability analyses and through fully nonlinear numerical simulation.
Findings of the E2E NLG Challenge

This paper summarises the experimental setup and results of the first shared task on end-to-end (E2E) natural language generation (NLG) in spoken dialogue systems. Recent end-to-end generation systems are promising since they reduce the need for data annotation. However, they are currently limited to small, delexicalised datasets. The E2E NLG shared task aims to assess whether these novel approaches can generate better-quality output by learning from a dataset containing higher lexical richness, syntactic complexity and diverse discourse phenomena. We compare 62 systems submitted by 17 institutions, covering a wide range of approaches, including machine learning architectures – with the majority implementing sequence-to-sequence models (seq2seq) – as well as systems based on grammatical rules and templates.
Aphthous ulcer drug inhibits prostate tumor metastasis by targeting IKKɛ/TBK1/NF-κB signaling

Tumor metastasis is the major cause of death for prostate cancer (PCa) patients. However, the treatment options for metastatic PCa are very limited. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) has been reported to be an indispensable step for tumor metastasis and is suggested to associate with acquisition of cancer stem cell (CSC) attributes. We propose that small-molecule compounds that can reverse EMT or induce mesenchymal-epithelial transition (MET) of PCa cells may serve as drug candidates for anti-metastasis therapy. Methods: The promoters of CDH1 and VIM genes were sub-cloned to drive the expression of firefly and renilla luciferase reporter in a lentiviral vector. Mesenchymal-like PCa cells were infected with the luciferase reporter lentivirus and subjected to drug screening from a 1274 approved small-molecule drug library for the identification of agents to reverse EMT. The dosage-dependent effect of candidate compounds was confirmed by luciferase reporter assay and immunoblotting. Wound-healing assay, sphere formation, transwell migration assay, and in vivo intracardiac and orthotopic tumor xenograft experiments were used to evaluate the mobility, metastasis and tumor initiating capacity of PCa cells upon treatment. Possible downstream signaling pathways affected by the candidate compound treatment were analyzed by RNA sequencing and immunoblotting. Results: Drug screening identified Amlexanox, a drug used for recurrent aphthous ulcers, as a strong agent to reverse EMT. Amlexanox induced significant suppression of cell mobility, invasion, serial sphere formation and in vivo metastasis and tumor initiating capacity of PCa cells. Amlexanox treatment led to downregulation of the IKK-ɛ/ TBK1/ NF-κB signaling pathway. The effect of Amlexanox on EMT reversion and cell mobility inhibition can be mimicked by other IKK-ɛ/TBK1 inhibitors and rescued by reconstitution of dominant active NF-κB. Conclusions: Amlexanox can sufficiently suppress PCa metastasis by reversing EMT through downregulating the IKK-ɛ/TBK1/NF-κB signaling axis.
AMBER: Adaptive Multi-Batch Experience Replay for Continuous Action Control.

In this paper, a new adaptive multi-batch experience replay scheme is proposed for proximal policy optimization (PPO) for continuous action control. On the contrary to original PPO, the proposed scheme uses the batch samples of past policies as well as the current policy for the update for the next policy, where the number of the used past batches is adaptively determined based on the oldness of the past batches measured by the average importance sampling (IS) weight. The new algorithm constructed by combining PPO with the proposed multi-batch experience replay scheme maintains the advantages of original PPO such as random mini-batch sampling and small bias due to low IS weights by storing the pre-computed advantages and values and adaptively determining the mini-batch size. Numerical results show that the proposed method significantly increases the speed and stability of convergence on various continuous control tasks compared to original PPO.
Change in lipid profile and risk of new-onset atrial fibrillation in patients with chronic heart failure

Abstract In chronic heart failure (CHF), new-onset atrial fibrillation (AF) is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. We aimed to evaluate the influence of dyslipidemia on the incidence of new-onset AF in patients with CHF. In this single-center observational study, 308 patients with CHF and no history of AF were followed-up for 3 years. Of the 291 patients who attended the 1-year follow-up, 78 had developed AF (AF group; 10 deaths), while 213 had not (sinus rhythm [SR] group). Changes in lipid profile (&Dgr;TC for total cholesterol and &Dgr;LDLc for low-density lipoprotein cholesterol) were analyzed. The groups differed significantly regarding the decrease in lipid levels from baseline to the 1-year follow-up (AF vs SR: for &Dgr;LDLc, 23.35 vs 7.80 mg/dL, P = .02; for &Dgr;TC, 23.95 vs −2.76 mg/dL, P = .001). At the 3-year follow-up, new-onset AF was noted in 21 of the 188 living patients in the SR group. Cox proportional hazards analysis revealed &Dgr;LDLc and &Dgr;TC as independent risk factors for new-onset AF (hazard ratio, 1.018 and 1.013, respectively, per standard deviation increment), with higher incidence of new-onset AF for &Dgr;TC > 9.65 mg/dL (P = .02) and for &Dgr;LDLc > 9.73 mg/dL (P = .005). In CHF, pronounced decrease in LDLc and TC is associated with new-onset AF.
A hybrid planning strategy for stereotactic body radiation therapy of early stage non‐small‐cell lung cancer

Abstract Currently dynamic conformal arcs (DCA) and volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) are two popular planning techniques to treat lung stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) patients. Of the two, DCA has advantages in terms of multi‐leaf collimator (MLC) motion, positioning error, and delivery efficiency. However, VMAT is often the choice when critical organ sparing becomes important. We developed a hybrid strategy to incorporate DCA component into VMAT planning, results were compared with DCA and VMAT plans. Four planning techniques were retrospectively simulated for 10 lung SBRT patients: DCA, Hybrid‐DCA (2/3 of the doses from DCA beams), Hybrid‐VMAT (2/3 of the doses from VMAT beams) and VMAT. Plan complexity was accessed by modulation complexity score (MCS). Conformity index (CI) for the planning target volume (PTV), V 20 and V 5 for the lung, V 30 for the chestwall, and maximum dose to all other critical organs were calculated. Plans were compared with regard to these metrics and measured agreement between the planned and delivered doses. DCA technique did not result in acceptable plan quality due to target location for five patients. Hybrid‐DCA produced one unacceptable plan, and Hybrid‐VMAT and VMAT produced no unacceptable plans. The CI improved with increasing VMAT usage, as did the dose sparing to critical structures. Compared to the VMAT technique, a total MU reduction of 14%, 25% and 37% were found for Hybrid‐VMAT, Hybrid‐DCA and DCA techniques for 54 Gy patient group, and 9%, 23% and 34% for 50 Gy patient group, suggesting improvement in delivery efficiency with increasing DCA usage. No significant variations of plan complexity were observed between Hybrid‐DCA and Hybrid‐VMAT (P = 0.46 from Mann–Whitney U‐test), but significant differences were found among DCA, Hybrid and VMAT (P < 0.05). Better agreements between the planned and delivered doses were found with more DCA contributions. By adding DCA components to VMAT planning, hybrid technique offers comparable dosimetry to full VMAT, while increasing delivery efficiency and minimizing MLC complexity.
Thompson Sampling for Cascading Bandits

We design and analyze TS-Cascade, a Thompson sampling algorithm for the cascading bandit problem. In TS-Cascade, Bayesian estimates of the click probability are constructed using a univariate Gaussian; this leads to a more efficient exploration procedure vis-\`a-vis existing UCB-based approaches. We also incorporate the empirical variance of each item's click probability into the Bayesian updates. These two novel features allow us to prove an expected regret bound of the form $\tilde{O}(\sqrt{KLT})$ where $L$ and $K$ are the number of ground items and the number of items in the chosen list respectively and $T\ge L$ is the number of Thompson sampling update steps. This matches the state-of-the-art regret bounds for UCB-based algorithms. More importantly, it is the first theoretical guarantee on a Thompson sampling algorithm for any stochastic combinatorial bandit problem model with partial feedback. Empirical experiments demonstrate superiority of TS-Cascade compared to existing UCB-based procedures in terms of the expected cumulative regret and the time complexity.
Coencapsulation of Polyphenols and Anthocyanins from Blueberry Pomace by Double Emulsion Stabilized by Whey Proteins: Effect of Homogenization Parameters

Blueberry pomace is a rich source of high-value bioactive polyphenols with presumed health benefits. Their incorporation into functional foods and health-related products benefits from coencapsulation and protection of polyphenol-rich extracts in suitable carriers. This study aimed to create a water-in-oil-in-water (W1/O/W2) double emulsion system suitable for the coencapsulation of total phenolics (TP) and anthocyanins (TA) from a polyphenol-rich extract of blueberry pomace (W1). The effect of critical physical parameters for preparing stable double emulsions, namely homogenization pressure, stirring speed and time, was investigated by measuring the hydrodynamic diameter, size dispersity and zeta potential of the oil droplets, and the encapsulation efficiency of TP and TA. The oil droplets were negatively charged (negative zeta potential values), which was related to the pH and composition of W2 (whey protein isolate solution) and suggests stabilization by the charged whey proteins. Increasing W1/O/W2 microfluidization pressure from 50 to 200 MPa or homogenization speed from 6000 to 12,000 rpm significantly increased droplet diameter and zeta potential and decreased TA and TP encapsulation efficiency. Increasing W1/O/W2 homogenization time from 15 to 20 min also increased droplet diameter and zeta potential and lowered TA encapsulation efficiency, while TP encapsulation did not vary significantly. In contrast, increasing W1/O homogenization time from 5 to 10 min at 10,000 rpm markedly increased TA encapsulation efficiency and reduced droplet diameter and zeta potential. High coencapsulation rates of blueberry polyphenols and anthocyanins around 80% or greater were achieved when the oil droplets were relatively small (mean diameter < 400 nm), with low dispersity (<0.25) and a high negative surface charge (−40 mV or less). These characteristics were obtained by homogenizing for 10 min at 10,000 rpm (W1/O), then 6000 rpm for 15 min, followed by microfluidization at 50 MPa.
Heterogeneous MacroTasking (HeMT) for Parallel Processing in the Public Cloud

Using tiny, equal-sized tasks (Homogeneous microTasking, HomT) has long been regarded an effective way of load balancing in parallel computing systems. When combined with nodes pulling in work upon becoming idle, HomT has the desirable property of automatically adapting its load distribution to the processing capacities of participating nodes - more powerful nodes finish their work sooner and, therefore, pull in additional work faster. As a result, HomT is deemed especially desirable in settings with heterogeneous (and possibly possessing dynamically changing) processing capacities. However, HomT does have additional scheduling and I/O overheads that might make this load balancing scheme costly in some scenarios. In this paper, we first analyze these advantages and disadvantages of HomT. We then propose an alternative load balancing scheme - Heterogeneous MacroTasking (HeMT) - wherein workload is intentionally partitioned according to nodes' processing capacity. Our goal is to study when HeMT is able to overcome the performance disadvantages of HomT. We implement a prototype of HeMT within the Apache Spark application framework with complementary enhancements to the Apache Mesos cluster manager. Spark's built-in scheduler, when parameterized appropriately, implements HomT. Our experimental results show that HeMT out-performs HomT when accurate workload-specific estimates of nodes' processing capacities are learned. As representative results, Spark with HeMT offers about 10% better average completion times for realistic data processing workloads over the default system.
Utilizing a Transparency-Driven Environment Toward Trusted Automatic Genre Classification: A Case Study in Journalism History

With the growing abundance of unlabeled data in real-world tasks, researchers have to rely on the predictions given by black-boxed computational models. However, it is an often neglected fact that these models may be scoring high on accuracy for the wrong reasons. In this paper, we present a practical impact analysis of enabling model transparency by various presentation forms. For this purpose, we developed an environment that empowers non-computer scientists to become practicing data scientists in their own research field. We demonstrate the gradually increasing understanding of journalism historians through a real-world use case study on automatic genre classification of newspaper articles. This study is a first step towards trusted usage of machine learning pipelines in a responsible way.
Essential Amino Acid Supplementation Mitigates Muscle Atrophy After Total Knee Arthroplasty

Background: Substantial muscle atrophy occurs after total knee arthroplasty (TKA), resulting in decreased strength and impaired mobility. We sought to determine whether perioperative supplementation with essential amino acids (EAA) would attenuate muscle atrophy following TKA and whether the supplements were safe for ingestion in an older surgical population. Methods: We performed a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized trial of 39 adults (age range, 53 to 76 years) undergoing primary unilateral TKA who ingested 20 g of EAA (n = 19) or placebo (n = 20) twice daily for 7 days preoperatively and for 6 weeks postoperatively. At baseline and 6 weeks postoperatively, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans were obtained to measure quadriceps and hamstrings muscle volume. Secondary outcomes included functional mobility and strength. Data on physical activity, diet, and patient-reported outcomes (Veterans RAND 12-Item Health Survey and Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score) were collected. Safety was determined through blood tests evaluating blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, creatinine clearance, homocysteine, and renal and liver function. Laboratory values at baseline, on the day of surgery, and at 2 days, 2 weeks, and 6 weeks postoperatively were compared between treatment groups. Analysis of covariance models, with baseline values as covariates, were used to evaluate outcomes between treatment groups. P values were adjusted for multiple tests. Results: Compared with baseline, the EAA group had significantly less decrease in mean quadriceps muscle volume compared with the placebo group in the involved leg (−8.5% ± 2.5% compared with −13.4% ± 1.9%; p = 0.033) and the contralateral leg (−1.5% ± 1.6% compared with −7.2% ± 1.4%; p = 0.014). The hamstrings also demonstrated a greater muscle-volume-sparing effect for the EAA group than for the placebo group in the involved leg (−7.4% ± 2.0% compared with −12.2% ± 1.4%; p = 0.036) and contralateral leg (−2.1% ± 1.3% compared with −7.5% ± 1.5%; p = 0.005). There were no differences between the groups in terms of functional measures or strength. Blood chemistry values varied significantly between assessments periods but did not statistically differ between groups. Conclusions: The results of the present study suggest that EAA supplementation is safe and reduces the loss of muscle volume in older adults recovering from TKA. Level of Evidence: Therapeutic Level II. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
A Design with Mobile Agent Architecture for Refactoring A Monolithic Service into Microservices

Refactoring monolithic architecture into microservice architecture is a difficult task. In many cases, a monolithic service is divided into N-tiers based on the N-tier architecture. In order to divide a monolithic service into microservices, it is necessary to redefine a model as a new microservice by extracting models across layers and integrating them. However, since different layers and architectures are used for each layer, such as a database, an application framework, server software, etc., programs and models extracted from each tier are often redesigned and re-implemented in many cases. In this paper, we focus to the mobile agent technology that builds a system only by the simple two methods of agent's migration between computers and messaging between agents; and we propose the system architecture to facilitate the migration of a monolithic service to microservices.
Novel Implementation of a Cerebral Protection System During Ascending Thoracic Endovascular Aortic Repair (TEVAR).

Corresponding author: Isaac George, M.D., Assistant Professor of Surgery, Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University, New York Presbyterian Hospital-Columbia University Medical Center, MHB 7GN-435, 177 Fort Washington Ave, New York, NY, 10032, Tel: 212 305 4134; ig2006@cumc.columbia. edu. Publisher's Disclaimer: This is a PDF file of an unedited manuscript that has been accepted for publication. As a service to our customers we are providing this early version of the manuscript. The manuscript will undergo copyediting, typesetting, and review of the resulting proof before it is published in its final citable form. Please note that during the production process errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain.
Computer-Aided Design of Developable Surfaces: Designing with Developable Surfaces

: The use of developable surfaces in design addresses engineering needs because they can be easily manufactured without stretching or tearing, or without the use of heat treatment. In addition, they also require the minimum strain energy of flexure. This paper presents study cases of ship hulls that are of direct application on shipyards, although the method could be implemented in other fields, such as architecture or furniture design. Our approach is to create a developable B-spline surface between two boundary curves. Between each pair of these curves or directrix lines, the generatrix lines or rulings are created and a quasi-developable B-spline surface containing the rulings is defined. In engineering practice, quasi-developable surfaces can be considered as strictly developable ones, since a tolerance depending on the materials is used. The rulings are obtained by a searching technique based on the warp angle that depends on the material. The creation of a lofting B-spline surface containing the rulings enables the interchange between most common engineering softwares that work with NURBS (Non Uniform Rational B-Spline) surfaces by the use of IGES or STEP standard data exchange files. B-spline curves and surfaces are widely used today in practically all the design softwares. An example of ship hulls entirely created with developable surfaces is presented.
From Recommendation to Curation: When the System Becomes your Personal Docent

Curation is the act of selecting, organizing, and presenting content. Some applications emulate this process by turning users into curators, while others use recommenders to select items, seldom achieving the focus or selectivity of human curators. We bridge this gap with a recommendation strategy that more closely mimics the objectives of human curators. We consider multiple data sources to enhance the recommendation process, as well as the quality and diversity of the provided suggestions. Further, we pair each suggestion with an explanation that showcases why a book was recommended with the aim of easing the decision making process for the user. Empirical studies using Social Book Search data demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed methodology.
A Novel Splice Site Mutation of the ATM Gene Associated with Ataxia Telangiectasia

Objectives Ataxia telangiectasia (AT) is a rare autosomal recessive disorder caused by mutation in the Ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM) gene. This disorder is characterized by progressive cerebellar ataxia, telangiectasia, immunodeficiency and a predisposition to leukemia/lymphoma. In this study, we investigated a family with a new mutation in ATM, confirmed by molecular genetic test. Materials&Methods Four members of a family including a symptomatic AT patient, his parents and sibling were examined for ATM gene defects at Kerman University Hospital, Kerman, Iran in 2016. DNA was extracted from peripheral leukocytes and the coding regions and exon-intron boundaries of ATM gene were amplified by next-generation sequencing technique. The identified mutation was tested in all members of the family. Results Molecular analyses identified a homozygous T to G substitution in c.7308-6 position resulting in a novel acceptor splice site in intron 49 of the ATM gene in the index patient. Parents and sibling of the proband were heterozygous for the same mutation. Conclusion The variant c.7308-6T>G is predicted to be pathogenic due to impaired splice site causing exon skipping. This newly found frameshift mutation cosegregated as an autosomal recessive trait as expected for Ataxia telangiectasia syndrome.