Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Learning in Hide-and-Seek

Existing work on pursuit-evasion problems typically either assumes stationary or heuristic behavior of one side and examines countermeasures of the other, or assumes both sides to be strategic which leads to a game theoretical framework. Results from the former often lack robustness against changes in the adversarial behavior, while those from the second category, typically as equilibrium solution concepts, may be difficult to justify: either due to the implied knowledge of other players' actions/beliefs and knowledge of their knowledge, or due to a lack of efficient dynamics to achieve such equilibria. In this paper, we take a different approach by assuming an intelligent pursuer/evader that is adaptive to the information available to it and is capable of learning over time with performance guarantee. Within this context we investigate two cases. In the first case we assume either the evader or the pursuer is aware of the type of learning algorithm used by the opponent, while in the second case neither side has such information and thus must try to learn. We show that the optimal policies in the first case have a greedy nature. This result is then used to assess the performance of the learning algorithms that both sides employ in the second case, which is shown to be mutually optimal and there is no loss for either side compared to the case when it knows perfectly the adaptive pattern used by the adversary and responses optimally. We further extend our model to study the application of jamming defense.
Question Answering with Lydia (TREC 2005 QA Track)

The goal of our participation in TREC 2005 was to determine how effectively our entity recognition/text analysis system, Lydia (http://www.textmap.com) [1–3] could be adapted to question answering. Indeed, our entire QA subsystem consists of only about 2000 additional lines of Perl code. Lydia detects every named entity mentioned in the AQUAINT corpus, and keeps a variety of information on named entities and documents in a relational database. We can collect candidate answers by means of information kept in the database. To produce a response for the main task or a ranked list of documents for the document ranking task, we rank the collected candidate answers or documents using syntactic and statistical analyses. A significant distinction from other question answering systems [4–6] presented earlier at TREC is that we do not use web sources such as Wikipedia and Google to generate candidate answers or answers. Rather, we only use syntactic and statistical features of the test set of questions and corpus provided. Our approach is independent of other sources, and finds answers from the text provided. We describe the design of Lydia and associated algorithms in Section 2, and focus on the design and algorithms of the QA system in Section 3. We then analyze the performance of the QA system in Section 4, and conclude this paper with discussion on future directions in Section 5.
Effect of Aerobic Exercise (Walking) Training on Functional Status and Health-related Quality of Life in Chronic Stroke Survivors: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Background and Purpose— Little is known about the effects of community-based walking programs in persons with chronic stroke. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of aerobic (walking) training on functional status and health-related quality of life in stroke survivors. Methods— A single-blind randomized controlled trial was conducted. The intervention group (n=64) walked overground for 30 minutes, 3 times per week for 12 weeks. The control group (n=64) received massage to the affected side. Medical Outcomes Short Form, 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36), was used to assess health-related quality of life; Barthel Index and Older Americans Resource and Services scale for functional status; 6-minute walk test for endurance; and Motricity Index for lower extremity strength. Results— There was a trend toward greater improvement over time for the Physical Health Component of the SF-36 (P=0.077) and significantly greater improvement over time for distance walked in 6 minutes in favor of the walking group (P<0.001). Conclusions— Aerobic walking improves the physical health component of quality of life and endurance in persons with chronic stroke. It should form part of a comprehensive health promotion strategy. Clinical Trial Registration— Trial was not registered as enrollment commenced before 2005.
How you post is who you are: characterizing google+ status updates across social groups

The analysis of user-generated content on the Web provides tools to better understand users' behavior and to the development of improved Web services. Here, we consider a large dataset of Google+ status updates to evaluate linguistic features among members of distinct social groups. Our study reveals that groups hold linguistic particularities - such as a tendency to use professional vocabulary, suggesting that Google+ might be employed, by certain users, for professional activities, or that members do not dissociate from their jobs when interacting in this environment. To illustrate a possible application of our outcomes, we present a classification experiment aiming to infer users' social information through the analysis of their posts, with satisfactory preliminary results. Our findings help to understand not only collective peculiarities of online social media users, but also important characteristics of the textual genre 'post', being one of the first and most comprehensive studies on this topic.
Alteration of Parasympathetic/Sympathetic Ratio in the Infarcted Myocardium After Schwann Cell Transplantation Modified Electrophysiological Function of Heart: A Novel Antiarrhythmic Therapy

Background— Neural remodeling after myocardial infarction (MI) may cause fatal ventricular arrhythmia. Schwann cells (SCs), which are important for neurogenesis, are dramatically reduced after MI. We investigated the feasibility of modifying nervous system regeneration after MI and the efficacy by which it may prevent ventricular arrhythmia following SC transplantation. Methods and Results— Immediately after creation of MI, syngenic Lewis rats were randomized into cell transplantation (n=80) and control groups (n=72). SCs were isolated from sciatic nerves, and 5×106 cells were intramyocardially injected into the infarct region. Expression levels of myocardial nerve growth factor, vascular endothelial growth factor, growth-associated protein 43, connexin 43, and laminin in the SC group were significantly higher than control at 7 and 14 days after cell transplantation. Immunohistochemical staining illustrated increases in sympathetic and parasympathetic nerves in both groups. However, SC transplantation significantly increased the parasympathetic/sympathetic ratio at 14 days after cell injection. Dynamic electrocardiography and programmed electric stimulation were also performed. The SCs significantly decreased the low-/high-frequency ratio and arrhythmia score of programmed electric stimulation-induced ventricular arrhythmia at 2 weeks after cell injection. However, SCs did not restore heart function. Conclusion— Transplanted SCs in the infarcted myocardium secrete multiple biological molecules, which alter the ratio of parasympathetic/sympathetic nerve density to normalize irritable myocardium. SC transplantation might be a novel cell-based antiarrhythmic therapy following MI.
Networks uncover hidden lexical borrowing in Indo-European language evolution

Language evolution is traditionally described in terms of family trees with ancestral languages splitting into descendent languages. However, it has long been recognized that language evolution also entails horizontal components, most commonly through lexical borrowing. For example, the English language was heavily influenced by Old Norse and Old French; eight per cent of its basic vocabulary is borrowed. Borrowing is a distinctly non-tree-like process—akin to horizontal gene transfer in genome evolution—that cannot be recovered by phylogenetic trees. Here, we infer the frequency of hidden borrowing among 2346 cognates (etymologically related words) of basic vocabulary distributed across 84 Indo-European languages. The dataset includes 124 (5%) known borrowings. Applying the uniformitarian principle to inventory dynamics in past and present basic vocabularies, we find that 1373 (61%) of the cognates have been affected by borrowing during their history. Our approach correctly identified 117 (94%) known borrowings. Reconstructed phylogenetic networks that capture both vertical and horizontal components of evolutionary history reveal that, on average, eight per cent of the words of basic vocabulary in each Indo-European language were involved in borrowing during evolution. Basic vocabulary is often assumed to be relatively resistant to borrowing. Our results indicate that the impact of borrowing is far more widespread than previously thought.
New Pathogenic Concepts and Therapeutic Approaches to Oxidative Stress in Chronic Kidney Disease

In chronic kidney disease inflammatory processes and stimulation of immune cells result in overproduction of free radicals. In combination with a reduced antioxidant capacity this causes oxidative stress. This review focuses on current pathogenic concepts of oxidative stress for the decline of kidney function and development of cardiovascular complications. We discuss the impact of mitochondrial alterations and dysfunction, a pathogenic role for hyperuricemia, and disturbances of vitamin D metabolism and signal transduction. Recent antioxidant therapy options including the use of vitamin D and pharmacologic therapies for hyperuricemia are discussed. Finally, we review some new therapy options in diabetic nephropathy including antidiabetic agents (noninsulin dependent), plant antioxidants, and food components as alternative antioxidant therapies.
Stateless Geocasting

We present two stateless algorithms that guarantee to deliver the message to every device in a designated geographic area: flooding and planar geocasting. Due to the algorithms' statelessness, intermediate devices do not have to keep message data between message transmissions. We formally prove the algorithms correct, estimate their message complexity and evaluate their performance through simulation.
Navigation and obstacle avoidance help (NOAH) for older adults with cognitive impairment: a pilot study

Many older adults with cognitive impairment are excluded from powered wheelchair use because of safety concerns. This leads to reduced mobility, and in turn, higher dependence on caregivers. In this paper, we describe an intelligent wheelchair that uses computer vision and machine learning methods to provide adaptive navigation assistance to users with cognitive impairment. We demonstrate the performance of the system in a user study with the target population. We show that the collision avoidance module of the system successfully decreases the number of collisions for all participants. We also show that the wayfinding module assists users with memory and vision impairments. We share feedback from the users on various aspects of the intelligent wheelchair system. In addition, we provide our own observations and insights on the target population and their use of intelligent wheelchairs. Finally, we suggest directions for future work.
Plug-and-Play Control—Modifying Control Systems Online

Often, when new sensor or actuator hardware becomes available for use in a control system, it is desirable to retain the existing control system and apply the new control capabilities in a gradual fashion rather than decommissioning the entire existing system and replacing it with an altogether new control system. However, this requires that the existing controller remains in action, and the new control law component is added to the existing system. This paper formally introduces the concept of Plug-and-Play control and proposes two different methods of introducing new control components in a smooth manner, providing stability guarantees during the transition phase as well as retaining the original control structure. The applicability of the methods is illustrated on two different practical example systems, a livestock stable climate control system and a laboratory-scale model of a district heating system.
Translating Community Connectedness to Practice: A Qualitative Study of Midlevel Health Workers in Rural Guatemala

Background. The performance of midlevel health workers is a critical lever for strengthening health systems and redressing inequalities in underserved areas. Auxiliary nurses form the largest cadre of health workers in Guatemala. In rural settings, they provide essential services to vulnerable communities, and thus have great potential to address priority health needs. This paper examines auxiliary nurses' motivation and satisfaction, and the coping strategies they use to respond to challenges they confront in their practice. Methods. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 14 auxiliary nurses delivering health services in Alta Verapaz, Guatemala. Results. Community connectedness was central to motivation in this rural Guatemalan setting. Participants were from rural communities and conveyed a sense of connection to the people they were serving through shared culture and their own experiences of health needs. Satisfaction was derived through recognition from the community and a sense of valuing their work. Auxiliary nurses described challenges commonly faced in low-resource settings. Findings indicated they were actively confronting these challenges through their own initiative. Conclusions. Strategies to support the performance of midlevel health workers should focus on mechanisms to make training accessible to rural residents, support problem-solving in practice, and emphasize building relationships with communities served.
Long-term response to calcium-channel blockers in non-idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension.

AIMS To assess the acute vasodilator response and long-term response to calcium-channel blockers (CCB) in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) with associated conditions. METHODS AND RESULTS The response to acute vasodilator testing [>20% decrease in mean pulmonary artery pressure (mPAP) and total pulmonary resistance] was assessed in 663 consecutive PAH patients with connective tissue disease (CTD; n = 168), portal hypertension (PoPH; n = 153), anorexigen use (n = 127), human immunodeficiency virus infection (HIV; n = 124), congenital heart disease (CHD; n = 50), and pulmonary veno-occlusive disease or capillary haemangiomatosis (PVOD/PCH; n = 41). An acute vasodilator response was observed in 13.4% of PAH-anorexigen patients, 12.2% of PVOD/PCH, 10.1% of CTD, 1.6% of HIV, 1.3% of PoPH, and was absent in CHD. A long-term response to CCB (marked haemodynamic improvement at 3-4 months and New York Heart Association functional class I or II after 1 year) was reported in 9.4% of PAH-anorexigen patients but was rare in HIV, PoPH, CTD (1.6, 0.7, and 0.6%, respectively) and absent in PVOD/PCH. All patients with a long-term CCB response were alive after 5 years; two deaths not related to PAH occurred after this time. Recent criteria for acute response based on the fall in mPAP to <40 mmHg are more specific to detect long-term responders to CCB. CONCLUSION A long-term CCB response was reported in patients with PAH associated with anorexigen use, but was rare in patients with PoPH or HIV and absent in PVOD/PCH, CHD, and the vast majority of CTD. The prognosis of long-term responders was favourable and related to the underlying cause of PAH.
Communicating with physicians about medical decisions: a reluctance to disagree.

Effective patient-physician communication is essential for shared decision making, considered by some to be the “pinnacle” of patient-centered care.1 Many health care decisions have multiple options and no correct choice. These are called preference-sensitive decisions, and the optimal decision is one that takes into account patient preferences and values in a collaborative process with the physician, known as shared decision making. We sought to describe patients' intentions to engage in shared decision-making communication behaviors in response to a hypothetical preference-sensitive clinical scenario and to examine the effects of underlying patient beliefs on these behaviors.
Design, Fabrication, and Assembly of an Optical Biosensor Probe Package for OCT (Optical Coherence Tomography) Application

A miniaturized optical bioprobe package is developed using a 3-D micromirror and is tested for bio-imaging application. A silicon optical bench is designed and micromachined to assemble the fiber, lens, and the 3-D micromirror device. A 45deg angle trench is used to place the micromirror to achieve larger scanning range. Trace lines are formed on the optical bench and are connected to silicon micromirror using solder. A GRIN lens with lower numerical aperture has been used to focus the optical beam onto the micromirror. The bioprobe is packaged and is tested in a time domain optical coherence tomography (OCT) setup and optical image is obtained for plant tissue.
Optimal Design of Piezoelectric Transformers: A Rational Approach Based on an Analytical Model and a Deterministic Global Optimization

This paper deals with a deterministic and rational way to design piezoelectric transformers in radial mode. The proposed approach is based on the study of the inverse problem of design and on its reformulation as a mixed constrained global optimization problem. The methodology relies on the association of the analytical models for describing the corresponding optimization problem and on an exact global optimization software, named IBBA and developed by the second author to solve it. Numerical experiments are presented and compared in order to validate the proposed approach.
Genetic diversity in Cypripedium calceolus (Orchidaceae) with a focus on north-western Europe, as revealed by plastid DNA length polymorphisms.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Cypripedium calceolus, although widespread in Eurasia, is rare in many countries in which it occurs. Population genetics studies with nuclear DNA markers on this species have been hampered by its large nuclear genome size. Plastid DNA markers are used here to gain an understanding of variation within and between populations and of biogeographical patterns. METHODS Thirteen length-variable regions (microsatellites and insertions/deletions) were identified in non-coding plastid DNA. These and a previously identified complex microsatellite in the trnL-trnF intergenic spacer were used to identify plastid DNA haplotypes for European samples, with sampling focused on England, Denmark and Sweden. KEY RESULTS The 13 additional length-variable regions identified were two homopolymer (polyA) repeats in the rps16 intron and a homopolymer (polyA) repeat and ten indels in the accD-psa1 intergenic spacer. In accD-psa1, most of these were in an extremely AT-rich region, and it was not possible to design primers in the flanking regions; therefore, the whole intergenic spacer was sequenced. Together, these new regions and the trnL-trnF complex microsatellite allowed 23 haplotypes to be characterized. Many were found in only one or a few samples (probably due to low sampling density), but some commoner haplotypes were widespread. Most of the genetic variation was found within rather than between populations (83 vs. 18%, respectively). Two haplotypes occurred from the Spanish Pyrenees to Sweden. CONCLUSIONS Plastid DNA data can be used to gain an understanding of patterns of genetic variation and seed-mediated gene flow in orchids. Although these data are less information-rich than those for nuclear DNA, they present a useful option for studying species with large genomes. Here they support the hypothesis of long-distance seed dispersal often proposed for orchids.
Poor correlation between BCG vaccination-induced T cell responses and protection against tuberculosis

Mycobacterium bovis bacille Calmette–Guérin (BCG) is the most widely used live bacterial vaccine. However, limited information is available correlating route and dose of vaccination and induction of specific T cell responses with protection against tuberculosis. We compared efficacy of oral and systemic vaccination and correlated vaccine-induced T cell responses with protection in experimental tuberculosis of mice. After oral and systemic vaccination, we observed profound differences in persistence and dissemination of BCG and frequencies and location of specific IFN-γ-secreting CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. Yet, both vaccination routes caused comparable levels of protection against aerosol challenge with Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Protection correlated best with rapid accumulation of specific CD8+ T cells in infected tissues of challenged mice. In contrast, specific IFN-γ production by CD4+ T cells reflected the load of M. tuberculosis rather than the strength of protection. Our data question the measurement of IFN-γ secretion by CD4+ T cells and emphasize the need for new biomarkers for evaluation of tuberculosis vaccine efficacies.
Anti-Cancer Effects of Xanthones from Pericarps of Mangosteen

Mangosteen, Garcinia mangostana Linn, is a tree found in South East Asia, and its pericarps have been used as traditional medicine. Phytochemical studies have shown that they contain a variety of secondary metabolites, such as oxygenated and prenylated xanthones. Recent studies revealed that these xanthones exhibited a variety of biological activities containing anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, and anti-cancer effects. We previously investigated the anti-proliferative effects of four prenylated xanthones from the pericarps; α-mangostin, β-mangostin, γ-mangostin, and methoxy-β-mangostin in various human cancer cells. These xanthones are different in the number of hydroxyl and methoxy groups. Except for methoxy-β-mangostin, the other three xanthones strongly inhibited cell growth at low concentrations from 5 to 20 μM in human colon cancer DLD-1 cells. Our recent study focused on the mechanism of α-mangostin-induced growth inhibition in DLD-1 cells. It was shown that the anti-proliferative effects of the xanthones were associated with cell-cycle arrest by affecting the expression of cyclins, cdc2, and p27; G1 arrest by α-mangostin and β-Mangostin, and S arrest by γ-mangostin. α-Mangostin found to induce apoptosis through the activation of intrinsic pathway following the down-regulation of signaling cascades involving MAP kinases and the serine/threonine kinase Akt. Synergistic effects by the combined treatment of α-mangostin and anti-cancer drug 5-FU was to be noted. α-Mangostin was found to have a cancer preventive effect in rat carcinogenesis bioassay and the extract from pericarps, which contains mainly α-mangostin and γ-mangostin, exhibited an enhancement of NK cell activity in a mouse model. These findings could provide a relevant basis for the development of xanthones as an agent for cancer prevention and the combination therapy with anti-cancer drugs.
Recognition and retrieval via histogram trees

This paper explores a new method for analysing and comparing image histograms. The technique amounts to a novel way of backprojecting an image into one with fewer, statistically significant colours. When the method is tested with the COIL-100 and MPEG-7 data sets it is shown to have a performance that is as good as the best methods using fewer enteries than the original histogram. Therefore it offers the potential for extending the use of histograms into high dimensional feature spaces.
Current Status of Surgical Treatment for Aortic Valve Stenosis

In this review, we discuss the current surgical treatment for aortic valve stenosis. Surgical strategy for treatment of aortic valve stenosis is based on the risk profile of the patient. We reviewed the existing literature and present the current state of the art of these various approaches, taking into account clinical outcomes, quality of life, costs, and learning curve. doi: 10.1111/jocs.12384 (J Card Surg 2014;29:630–637)