Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An Anytime Algorithm for Camera-Based Character Recognition

In a scene image, some characters are difficult to recognize and some others are recognized easily. Such difficult characters usually make the processing time long while easy characters are recognized in a short time. In this paper, we propose a system which recognizes each character with a proper cost for the difficulty. Through the process, easy characters are recognized early and difficult ones are recognized late. This is a desired property of an anytime algorithm that the recognition accuracy does not decrease as the time increases. In order to realize it, we propose a method which splits the recognition process into several times and accumulates the recognition results and extracted features. We also discuss what is required to realize the anytime algorithm for the scene character recognition task. Experiments reveal that the proposed method obtains recognition results of easy characters earlier than the conventional method.
Structural neuroimaging in patients with panic disorder: findings and limitations of recent studies.

BACKGROUND Panic disorder, a relatively common anxiety disorder, is often associated to agoraphobia and may be disabling. Its neurobiological underpinnings are unknown, despite the proliferation of models and hypotheses concerning it; investigating its correlates could provide the means for better understanding its pathophysiology. Recent structural neuroimaging techniques may contribute to the identification of possible brain morphological alterations that could be possibly related to the clinical expression of panic disorder. METHODS Through careful major database searches, using terms keen to panic, agoraphobia, structural magnetic neuroimaging and the like, we identified papers published in peer-review journals and reporting data on the brain structure of patients with panic disorder. Included papers were used comparatively to speculate about the nature of reported brain structural alterations. RESULTS Anxiety, which is the core feature of the disorder, correlates with the function of the amygdala, which showed a smaller volume in patients, as compared to healthy subjects. Data also showed a volumetric decrease of the anterior cingulate along with increased fractional anisotropy, and increase of some brainstem nuclei, particularly of the rostral pons. Other structures with reported volumetric correlates of panic disorder are the hippocampus and the parahippocampal cortices, the insula, the putamen, and the pituitary gland. Volumetric changes in the anterior cingulate, frontal, orbitofrontal, insular, and temporal cortices have also been described in structural neuroimaging studies. Major methodological limitations are considered in context. CONCLUSIONS Several data point to the existence of structural neuroanatomical alterations in panic disorder, consisting in significant volumetric reductions or increases in different brain areas. White matter alterations were shown also in the only diffusion tensor imaging study performed to date. Available data do not allow us to conclude about the possible progression of these alterations.
A New Approach to 3D Shape Blending

In the present paper, a new point of 3D shape blending is discussed by considering the blending of smooth surfaces and rough surfaces. A unified model for approximating smooth or rough surfaces defined in the triangular field is first introduced, the model is chosen as the intrinsic feature of surfaces, an interpolation algorithm based on this model is then presented, and the simulation results show that the blending sequence is natural and satisfactory.
Asymmetric caching: improved network deduplication for mobile devices

Network deduplication (dedup) is an attractive approach to improve network performance for mobile devices. With traditional deduplication, the dedup~source uses only the portion of the cache at the dedup~destination that it is aware of. We argue in this work that in a mobile environment, the dedup~destination (say the mobile) could have accumulated a much larger cache than what the current dedup~source is aware of. This can occur because of several reasons ranging from the mobile consuming content through heterogeneous wireless technologies, to the mobile moving across different wireless networks. In this context, we propose asymmetric caching, a solution that is overlaid on baseline network deduplication, but which allows the dedup~destination to selectively feedback appropriate portions of its cache to the dedup~source with the intent of improving the redundancy elimination efficiency. We show using traffic traces collected from 30 mobile users, that with asymmetric caching, over 89% of the achievable redundancy can be identified and eliminated even when the dedup~source has less than one hundredth of the cache size as the dedup~destination. Further, we show that the ratio of bytes saved from transmission at the dedup~source because of asymmetric caching is over 6x that of the number of bytes sent as feedback. Finally, with a prototype implementation of asymmetric caching on both a Linux laptop and an Android smartphone, we demonstrate that the solution is deployable with reasonable CPU and memory overheads.
Painful transitions: a study of 1-year-old toddlers’ reactions to separation and reunion with their mothers after 1 month in childcare

ABSTRACT In this paper, we present findings from the filmed observations of 12 1-year-old toddlers in 10 different Norwegian childcare centres during separations and reunions with their mothers. Separations and reunions are sensitive situations, especially around the age of one, when separation anxiety normally peaks. The observations were conducted when the toddlers were between 13 and 15 months old and had been attending childcare for 1 month. The video recordings were analysed in light of attachment theory, emphasizing expressions of protest, despair and detachment among the children. Findings indicate that all the toddlers struggled with separation anxiety in different phases during the observed transitions. Few employees present in the early mornings and late afternoons often made the transitions more difficult. Implications of the findings are discussed.
Effects of prior exercise on exercise-induced arterial hypoxemia in young women.

Twenty-eight healthy women (ages 27.2 +/- 6.4 yr) with widely varying fitness levels [maximal O2 consumption (VO2 max), 31-70 ml . kg-1 . min-1] first completed a progressive incremental treadmill test to VO2 max (total duration, 13.3 +/- 1.4 min; 97 +/- 37 s at maximal workload), rested for 20 min, and then completed a constant-load treadmill test at maximal workload (total duration, 143 +/- 31 s). At the termination of the progressive test, 6 subjects had maintained arterial PO2 (PaO2) near resting levels, whereas 22 subjects showed a >10 Torr decrease in PaO2 [78.0 +/- 7.2 Torr, arterial O2 saturation (SaO2), 91.6 +/- 2.4%], and alveolar-arterial O2 difference (A-aDO2, 39.2 +/- 7.4 Torr). During the subsequent constant-load test, all subjects, regardless of their degree of exercise-induced arterial hypoxemia (EIAH) during the progressive test, showed a nearly identical effect of a narrowed A-aDO2 (-4.8 +/- 3.8 Torr) and an increase in PaO2 (+5.9 +/- 4.3 Torr) and SaO2 (+1.6 +/- 1.7%) compared with at the end point of the progressive test. Therefore, EIAH during maximal exercise was lessened, not enhanced, by prior exercise, consistent with the hypothesis that EIAH is not caused by a mechanism which persists after the initial exercise period and is aggravated by subsequent exercise, as might be expected of exercise-induced structural alterations at the alveolar-capillary interface. Rather, these findings in habitually active young women point to a functionally based mechanism for EIAH that is present only during the exercise period.
Eliciting conflict in expert's decision for land use classification

Remote sensing data is widely used for the classification of types of land cover such as vegetation, water body etc. Conflicts are one of the most characteristic attributes in satellite remote sensing multilayer imagery. Many models for conflict resolution and analysis have been proposed and studied till time. Conflict occurs in tagging class label to mixed pixels that encompass spectral response of different land cover on the ground element. In this paper we attempted to present a new approach to conflict analysis due to mixed pixels using rough set-based model of machine learning. The paper deals with the idea of identifying the set of spectral bands contributing to conflict among opinions of experts with the help of training data sets.
Lesions of the Basal Amygdala Block Expression of Conditioned Fear But Not Extinction

Although the role of the amygdala in acquisition of conditioned fear is well established, there is debate concerning the intra-amygdala circuits involved. The lateral nucleus of the amygdala (LA) is thought to be an essential site of plasticity in fear conditioning. The LA has both direct and indirect [via the basal nuclei; basal amygdala (BA)] projections to the central nucleus (Ce) of the amygdala, an essential output for fear behaviors. Lesions of the LA or Ce prevent acquisition of conditioned freezing to a conditioned stimulus, but BA lesions do not, suggesting that the BA is not normally involved in fear conditioning. If true, posttraining BA lesions should also have no effect. Replicating previous studies, we found that rats given electrolytic BA lesions before training acquired conditioned fear normally. They also showed normal long-term retention and extinction of conditioned fear. Unexpectedly, BA lesions made after training completely blocked expression of conditioned fear. Despite this deficit, lesioned rats were able to learn a new tone-shock association. Thus, although the LA-Ce system is sufficient for fear acquisition in the absence of the BA, it is not sufficient when the BA is present, suggesting that the BA is an important site of plasticity in fear conditioning. The pattern of lesion deficits we observed (after but not before training) might be explained by homeostatic mechanisms that balance plasticity over multiple inputs, regulating the influence of the BA and LA onto Ce output neurons.
Racial Differences in Self-Reported and Validated Turnout in the 1988 Presidential Election

Our previous analyses of the 1964, 1976, 1978, 1980, 1984, and 1986 vote validation studies questioned the conclusion that low levels of electoral participation by blacks result solely from racial differences in socioeconomic status and because blacks are more likely than whites to live in the South. The 1988 NES vote validation study is used to update our findings, and the results are consistent with our previous analyses. Although controls for region and level of education eliminate racial differences in reported electoral participation, significant racial differences remain when participation is measured by the vote validation procedures. In addition, the 1988 NES survey suggests that racial differences in both reported and validated turnout increased in 1988, and we speculate on the reasons that black turnout declined in the 1988 presidential election.
Ghrelin elicits a marked stimulatory effect on GH secretion in freely-moving rats.

Ghrelin is a growth hormone-releasing acylated peptide from stomach. The purified peptide consist of 28 amino acids in which the serine 3 residue is n-octanoylated. Ghrelin has been reported to increase in vitro GH secretion as well as in vivo plasma GH levels in pentobarbital anaesthetized rats. The aim of this work was to characterize the stimulatory effect of Ghrelin on in vivo GH secretion in freely-moving rats. Furthermore, we compare the effect of Ghrelin with GHRH. In addition to vehicle, we administered different doses of Ghrelin (3 nmol/Kg, 12 nmol/Kg and 60 nmol/Kg); GHRH (3 nmol/Kg and 12 nmol/kg). Plasma GH levels were measured in blood samples taken at 5, 10, 15, 20, 30 and 45 min after their administration as an i.v. bolus at 0 min. Administration of Ghrelin led to an increase in plasma GH levels at all time-points tested (5, 10, 15, 20 and 30 min, P<0.01; and 45 min, P<0.05) in comparison to control untreated rats. A maximal stimulatory effect on plasma GH was observed following administration of 12 nmol/Kg of Ghrelin, the effect being similar to the one obtained with 60 nmol/Kg in terms of both AUC and mean peak GH levels. At the dose of 3 nmol/Kg GHRH and Ghrelin exhibited a similar stimulatory effect in term of both, AUC and mean peak GH levels. However following administration of a dose of 12 nmol/Kg, the effect of Ghrelin was much greater than the same dose of GHRH in terms of both AUC and mean peak GH levels. In summary, this study provides the first evidences that Ghrelin exert a marked stimulatory effect in plasma GH levels in freely-moving rats and provides further evidences that Ghrelin may play an important role in the physiological control of GH secretion.
The Epileptic Encephalopathies of Infancy and Childhood

ABSTRACT: The epileptic encephalopathies comprise a group of devastating seizure syndromes which begin in infancy and early childhood and usually result in intractable epilepsy. While some syndromes are relatively easily diagnosed early in their course, others take time to evolve, hampering an early, confident diagnosis. Epileptic encephalopathies are associated with slowing of cognitive function and evolution of severe behavioral disorders, which are often more distressing to families than the epilepsy. While an underlying etiology may explain some of this co-morbidity, many children have no identifiable etiology found for their seizures. In these “idiopathic” cases, recurrent subtle seizures, frequent epileptiform discharge and non-convulsive status epilepticus probably all play a role in deterioration of cognitive function and evolution of behavior disorders. This paper will review the most common epileptic encephalopathy syndromes, discuss the cognitive and behavioral co-morbidities and review current therapeutic options.
Simulating the Effect of Reinforcement Learning on Neuronal Synchrony and Periodicity in the Striatum

The study of rhythms and oscillations in the brain is gaining attention. While it is unclear exactly what the role of oscillation, synchrony, and rhythm is, it appears increasingly likely that synchrony is related to normal and abnormal brain states and possibly cognition. In this article, we explore the relationship between basal ganglia (BG) synchrony and reinforcement learning. We simulate a biologically-realistic model of the striatum initially proposed by Ponzi and Wickens (2010) and enhance the model by adding plastic cortico-BG synapses that can be modified using reinforcement learning. The effect of reinforcement learning on striatal rhythmic activity is then explored, and disrupted using simulated deep brain stimulation (DBS). The stimulator injects current in the brain structure to which it is attached, which affects neuronal synchrony. The results show that training the model without DBS yields a high accuracy in the learning task and reduced the number of active neurons in the striatum, along with an increased firing periodicity and a decreased firing synchrony between neurons in the same assembly. In addition, a spectral decomposition shows a stronger signal for correct trials than incorrect trials in high frequency bands. If the DBS is ON during the training phase, but not the test phase, the amount of learning in the model is reduced, along with firing periodicity. Similar to when the DBS is OFF, spectral decomposition shows a stronger signal for correct trials than for incorrect trials in high frequency domains, but this phenoemenon happens in higher frequency bands than when the DBS is OFF. Synchrony between the neurons is not affected. Finally, the results show that turning the DBS ON at test increases both firing periodicity and striatal synchrony, and spectral decomposition of the signal show that neural activity synchronizes with the DBS fundamental frequency (and its harmonics). Turning the DBS ON during the test phase results in chance performance regardless of whether the DBS was ON or OFF during training. We conclude that reinforcement learning is related to firing periodicity, and a stronger signal for correct trials when compared to incorrect trials in high frequency bands.
On accurate and provably efficient GARCH option pricing algorithms

The GARCH model has been very successful in capturing the serial correlation of asset return volatilities. As a result, applying the model to options pricing attracts a lot of attention. However, previous tree-based GARCH option pricing algorithms suffer from exponential running time, a cut-off maturity, inaccuracy, or some combination thereof. Specifically, this paper proves that the popular trinomial-tree option pricing algorithms of Ritchken and Trevor (Ritchken, P. and Trevor, R., Pricing options under generalized GARCH and stochastic volatility processes. J. Finance, 1999, 54(1), 377–402. ) and Cakici and Topyan (Cakici, N. and Topyan, K., The GARCH option pricing model: a lattice approach. J. Comput. Finance, 2000, 3(4), 71–85. ) explode exponentially when the number of partitions per day, n, exceeds a threshold determined by the GARCH parameters. Furthermore, when explosion happens, the tree cannot grow beyond a certain maturity date, making it unable to price derivatives with a longer maturity. As a result, the algorithms must be limited to using small n, which may have accuracy problems. The paper presents an alternative trinomial-tree GARCH option pricing algorithm. This algorithm provably does not have the short-maturity problem. Furthermore, the tree-size growth is guaranteed to be quadratic if n is less than a threshold easily determined by the model parameters. This level of efficiency makes the proposed algorithm practical. The surprising finding for the first time places a tree-based GARCH option pricing algorithm in the same complexity class as binomial trees under the Black–Scholes model. Extensive numerical evaluation is conducted to confirm the analytical results and the numerical accuracy of the proposed algorithm. Of independent interest is a simple and efficient technique to calculate the transition probabilities of a multinomial tree using generating functions.
Product line engineering: Product derivation

Handling the various derivations of a product can be a daunting (and costly) task. To tackle this problem, we propose a method based on the use of creational design patterns to uncouple the variations (reified as language-level objects) from the selection process. This makes it possible to automatically derive a given product from the set of all possible ones, and to specialize its code accordingly. The contribution of this paper is to propose architectural constraints for Product Line expressed in UML as meta-level OCL constraints, providing a set of patterns for modeling variability issues of a Product Line Architecture in the context of the OMG's Model Driven Architecture, and explicit the use of OCL2 transformations combined together using the UMLAUT framework to automate the derivation process.
A MARKOV GAME APPROACH FOR OPTIMALROUTING INTO A QUEUEING NETWORKEitan

We study a dynamic optimal routing problem, where a controller has to decide to which of two queues should arriving customers (representing packets, messages, call etc.) be sent. The service rate in each queue may depend on the state of the system, may change in time and is unknown to the controller. The goal of the controller is to design a strategy that guarantees the best performance under the worst case service conditions. The payoo is composed of a holding cost, an admission cost, and a cost that depends on the quality of the service. We consider both the nite and innnite horizon discounted cost. The problem is studied in the framework of zero-sum Markov games where the server, called player 1, is assumed to play against the router, called player 2. Each player is assumed to have the information of all previous actions of both players as well as the current and past states of the system. We show that there exist pure optimal strategies for both players. A value iteration algorithm is used to establish properties of the value of the game, which are related to supermodularity and to convexity. This is then shown to imply the existence of optimal strategies described by monotone switching curves for both players.
Further investigation of a contactless patient-electrode interface of an Electrical Impedance Mammography system

The Sussex Mk4 Electrical Impedance Mammography (EIM) system is a novel instrument, designed for the detection of early breast cancer, based upon Electrical Impedance Tomography (EIT). Many innovations in the field have been incorporated in the design improving both signal distribution and response. This paper investigates the behaviour of the contactless patient-electrode interface. The interface was studied in detail using phantom and healthy volunteer, in-vivo, data. Our findings show the necessity for the careful design of electrode enclosure so that the response of the system is not affected by the unpredictable positioning of the breast; it closely mimics those conditions seen when using the phantom. The paper includes a number of possible designs and their individual characteristics. In addition an explanation on the unanticipated effects and solutions for such are described.
Clonidine in patients undergoing noncardiac surgery.

BACKGROUND Marked activation of the sympathetic nervous system occurs during and after noncardiac surgery. Low-dose clonidine, which blunts central sympathetic outflow, may prevent perioperative myocardial infarction and death without inducing hemodynamic instability. METHODS We performed a blinded, randomized trial with a 2-by-2 factorial design to allow separate evaluation of low-dose clonidine versus placebo and low-dose aspirin versus placebo in patients with, or at risk for, atherosclerotic disease who were undergoing noncardiac surgery. A total of 10,010 patients at 135 centers in 23 countries were enrolled. For the comparison of clonidine with placebo, patients were randomly assigned to receive clonidine (0.2 mg per day) or placebo just before surgery, with the study drug continued until 72 hours after surgery. The primary outcome was a composite of death or nonfatal myocardial infarction at 30 days. RESULTS Clonidine, as compared with placebo, did not reduce the number of primary-outcome events (367 and 339, respectively; hazard ratio with clonidine, 1.08; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.93 to 1.26; P=0.29). Myocardial infarction occurred in 329 patients (6.6%) assigned to clonidine and in 295 patients (5.9%) assigned to placebo (hazard ratio, 1.11; 95% CI, 0.95 to 1.30; P=0.18). Significantly more patients in the clonidine group than in the placebo group had clinically important hypotension (2385 patients [47.6%] vs. 1854 patients [37.1%]; hazard ratio 1.32; 95% CI, 1.24 to 1.40; P<0.001). Clonidine, as compared with placebo, was associated with an increased rate of nonfatal cardiac arrest (0.3% [16 patients] vs. 0.1% [5 patients]; hazard ratio, 3.20; 95% CI, 1.17 to 8.73; P=0.02). CONCLUSIONS Administration of low-dose clonidine in patients undergoing noncardiac surgery did not reduce the rate of the composite outcome of death or nonfatal myocardial infarction; it did, however, increase the risk of clinically important hypotension and nonfatal cardiac arrest. (Funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and others; POISE-2 ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT01082874.).