Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Self-guided Approximate Linear Programs

Approximate linear programs (ALPs) are well-known models based on value function approximations (VFAs) to obtain heuristic policies and lower bounds on the optimal policy cost of Markov decision processes (MDPs). The ALP VFA is a linear combination of predefined basis functions that are chosen using domain knowledge and updated heuristically if the ALP optimality gap is large. We side-step the need for such basis function engineering in ALP - an implementation bottleneck - by proposing a sequence of ALPs that embed increasing numbers of random basis functions obtained via inexpensive sampling. We provide a sampling guarantee and show that the VFAs from this sequence of models converge to the exact value function. Nevertheless, the performance of the ALP policy can fluctuate significantly as more basis functions are sampled. To mitigate these fluctuations, we 'self-guide' our convergent sequence of ALPs using past VFA information such that a worst-case measure of policy performance is improved. We perform numerical experiments on perishable inventory control and generalized joint replenishment applications, which, respectively, give rise to challenging discounted-cost MDPs and average-cost semi-MDPs. We find that self-guided ALPs (i) significantly reduce policy cost fluctuations and improve the optimality gaps from an ALP approach that employs basis functions tailored to the former application, and (ii) deliver optimality gaps that are comparable to a known adaptive basis function generation approach targeting the latter application. More broadly, our methodology provides application-agnostic policies and lower bounds to benchmark approaches that exploit application structure.
Evolution of MAXI J1631–479 during the January 2019 outburst observed by INTEGRAL/IBIS

We report on a recent bright outburst from the new X-ray binary transient MAXI J1631-479, observed in January 2019. In particular, we present the 30-200 keV analysis of spectral transitions observed with INTEGRAL/IBIS during its Galactic Plane monitoring program. In the MAXI and BAT monitoring period, we observed two different spectral transitions between the high/soft and low/hard states. The INTEGRAL spectrum from data taken soon before the second transition, is best described by a Comptonised thermal component with an electron temperature of 30 keV and a high luminosity value of 3x10^38 erg/s in 2-200 keV energy range (assuming a distance of 8 kpc). During the second transition, the source shows a hard, power-law spectrum. The lack of high energy cut-off indicates that the hard X-ray spectrum from MAXI J1631-479 is due to a non-thermal emission. Inverse Compton scattering of soft X-ray photons from a non-thermal or hybrid thermal/non-thermal electron distribution can explain the observed X-ray spectrum although a contribution to the hard X-ray emission from a jet cannot be determined at this stage. The outburst evolution in the hardness-intensity diagram, the spectral characteristics and the rise and decay times of the outburst are suggesting this system is a black hole candidate.
Resolving the Scope of Speculation and Negation using Transformer-Based Architectures

Speculation is a naturally occurring phenomena in textual data, forming an integral component of many systems, especially in the biomedical information retrieval domain. Previous work addressing cue detection and scope resolution (the two subtasks of speculation detection) have ranged from rule-based systems to deep learning-based approaches. In this paper, we apply three popular transformer-based architectures, BERT, XLNet and RoBERTa to this task, on two publicly available datasets, BioScope Corpus and SFU Review Corpus, reporting substantial improvements over previously reported results (by at least 0.29 F1 points on cue detection and 4.27 F1 points on scope resolution). We also experiment with joint training of the model on multiple datasets, which outperforms the single dataset training approach by a good margin. We observe that XLNet consistently outperforms BERT and RoBERTa, contrary to results on other benchmark datasets. To confirm this observation, we apply XLNet and RoBERTa to negation detection and scope resolution, reporting state-of-the-art results on negation scope resolution for the BioScope Corpus (increase of 3.16 F1 points on the BioScope Full Papers, 0.06 F1 points on the BioScope Abstracts) and the SFU Review Corpus (increase of 0.3 F1 points).
Ramsey goodness of trees in random graphs

For graphs G,H$$ G,H $$ and a family of graphs ℱ$$ \mathcal{F} $$ , we write G→(H,ℱ)$$ G\to \left(H,\mathcal{F}\right) $$ to denote that every blue‐red coloring of the edges of G$$ G $$ contains either a blue copy of H$$ H $$ , or a red copy of each F∈ℱ$$ F\in \mathcal{F} $$ . For integers n$$ n $$ and D$$ D $$ , let 𝒯(n,D) denote the family of all trees with n$$ n $$ edges and maximum degree at most D$$ D $$ . We prove that for each r,D⩾2$$ r,D\geqslant 2 $$ , there exist constants C,C′>0$$ C,{C}^{\prime }>0 $$ such that if p⩾Cn−2/(r+2)$$ p\geqslant C{n}^{-2/\left(r+2\right)} $$ and N⩾rn+C′/p$$ N\geqslant rn+{C}^{\prime }/p $$ , then G(N,p)→(Kr+1,𝒯(n,D))with high probability. This is a random version of a well‐known result of Chvátal from 1977. The proof combines a stability argument with the embedding of trees in expander graphs. Furthermore, the proof of the stability result is based on a sparse random analogue of the Erdős–Sós conjecture for trees with linear size and bounded maximum degree, which may be of independent interest.
An enhanced macroscopic inverse flexoelectric-like response in flexoelectrets

Flexoelectricity allows a dielectric material to bend in response to a uniform electric field, and adds a new degree of freedom for designing actuators. However, its applications are usually limited to the nanoscale due to its inherent size effect. Here, we report an enhanced macroscopic flexoelectric-like response in flexoelectrets (soft elastomers with embedded charges), showing excellent actuation performance comparable with nanoscale flexoelectric actuators. Theoretical analysis indicates that the symmetry breaking of Maxwell stress is the cause of this enhancement. This work opens an avenue for applying macroscopic flexoelectricity in actuators and flexible electronics.
Toward Generalized Clustering through an One-Dimensional Approach

After generalizing the concept of clusters to incorporate clusters that are linked to other clusters through some relatively narrow bridges, an approach for detecting patches of separation between these clusters is developed based on an agglomerative clustering, more specifically the single-linkage, applied to one-dimensional slices obtained from respective feature spaces. The potential of this method is illustrated with respect to the analyses of clusterless uniform and normal distributions of points, as well as a one-dimensional clustering model characterized by two intervals with high density of points separated by a less dense interstice. This partial clustering method is then considered as a means of feature selection and cluster identification, and two simple but potentially effective respective methods are described and illustrated with respect to some hypothetical situations.
Online Minimum Cost Matching on the Line with Recourse

In online minimum cost matching on the line, $n$ requests appear one by one and have to be matched immediately and irrevocably to a given set of servers, all on the real line. The goal is to minimize the sum of distances from the requests to their respective servers. Despite all research efforts, it remains an intriguing open question whether there exists an $O(1)$-competitive algorithm. The best known online algorithm by Raghvendra [SoCG18] achieves a competitive factor of $\Theta(\log n)$. This result matches a lower bound of $\Omega(\log n)$ [Latin18] that holds for a quite large class of online algorithms, including all deterministic algorithms in the literature. In this work we approach the problem in a recourse model where we allow to revoke online decisions to some extent. We show an $O(1)$-competitive algorithm for online matching on the line that uses at most $O(n\log n)$ reassignments. This is the first non-trivial result for min-cost bipartite matching with recourse. For so-called alternating instances, with no more than one request between two servers, we obtain a near-optimal result. We give a $(1+\varepsilon)$-competitive algorithm that reassigns any request at most $O(\varepsilon^{-1.001})$ times. This special case is interesting as the aforementioned quite general lower bound $\Omega(\log n)$ holds for such instances.
Neural Data Server: A Large-Scale Search Engine for Transfer Learning Data

Transfer learning has proven to be a successful technique to train deep learning models in the domains where little training data is available. The dominant approach is to pretrain a model on a large generic dataset such as ImageNet and finetune its weights on the target domain. However, in the new era of an ever-increasing number of massive datasets, selecting the relevant data for pretraining is a critical issue. We introduce Neural Data Server (NDS), a large-scale search engine for finding the most useful transfer learning data to the target domain. NDS consists of a dataserver which indexes several large popular image datasets, and aims to recommend data to a client, an end-user with a target application with its own small labeled dataset. The dataserver represents large datasets with a much more compact mixture-of-experts model, and employs it to perform data search in a series of dataserver-client transactions at a low computational cost. We show the effectiveness of NDS in various transfer learning scenarios, demonstrating state-of-the-art performance on several target datasets and tasks such as image classification, object detection and instance segmentation. Neural Data Server is available as a web-service at http://aidemo s.cs. toronto.edu/nds/.
Wind Profiling in the Lower Atmosphere from Wind-Induced Perturbations to Multirotor UAS

We present a model-based approach to estimate the vertical profile of horizontal wind velocity components using motion perturbations of a multirotor unmanned aircraft system (UAS) in both hovering and steady ascending flight. The state estimation framework employed for wind estimation was adapted to a set of closed-loop rigid body models identified for an off-the-shelf quadrotor. The quadrotor models used for wind estimation were characterized for hovering and steady ascending flight conditions ranging between 0 and 2 m/s. The closed-loop models were obtained using system identification algorithms to determine model structures and estimate model parameters. The wind measurement method was validated experimentally above the Virginia Tech Kentland Experimental Aircraft Systems Laboratory by comparing quadrotor and independent sensor measurements from a sonic anemometer and two SoDAR instruments. Comparison results demonstrated quadrotor wind estimation in close agreement with the independent wind velocity measurements. However, horizontal wind velocity profiles were difficult to validate using time-synchronized SoDAR measurements. Analysis of the noise intensity and signal-to-noise ratio of the SoDARs proved that close-proximity quadrotor operations can corrupt wind measurement from SoDARs, which has not previously been reported.
Age-Partitioned Bloom Filters

Bloom filters (BF) are widely used for approximate membership queries over a set of elements. BF variants allow removals, sets of unbounded size or querying a sliding window over an unbounded stream. However, for this last case the best current approaches are dictionary based (e.g., based on Cuckoo Filters or TinyTable), and it may seem that BF-based approaches will never be competitive to dictionary-based ones. In this paper we present Age-Partitioned Bloom Filters, a BF-based approach for duplicate detection in sliding windows that not only is competitive in time-complexity, but has better space usage than current dictionary-based approaches (e.g., SWAMP), at the cost of some moderate slack. APBFs retain the BF simplicity, unlike dictionary-based approaches, important for hardware-based implementations, and can integrate known improvements such as double hashing or blocking. We present an Age-Partitioned Blocked Bloom Filter variant which can operate with 2-3 cache-line accesses per insertion and around 2-4 per query, even for high accuracy filters.
Glassy Dynamics in a Disordered Heisenberg Quantum Spin System

Understanding the dynamics of strongly interacting disordered quantum systems is one of the most challenging problems in modern science, due to features such as the breakdown of thermalization and the emergence of glassy phases of matter. We report on the observation of anomalous relaxation dynamics in an isolated quantum spin system realized by an ultracold gas of atoms initially prepared in a superposition of two-different Rydberg states. The total magnetization is found to exhibit sub-exponential relaxation analogous to classical glassy dynamics, but in the quantum case this relaxation originates from the build-up of non-classical correlations. In both experiment and in semi-classical simulations, we find the evolution towards a randomized state is independent of the strength of disorder up to a critical value. This hints towards a unifying description of relaxation dynamics in disordered isolated quantum systems, analogous to the generalization of statistical mechanics to out-of-equilibrium scenarios in classical spin glasses.
Kvaliteten på avansert hjerte- og lungeredning under simuleringstrening

g l i s h s u mm a r y s a mm E d r g F o t o : E r i k M . S un d t Background : The survival rate after cardiac arrest decreases by 10–15 % for each minute without cardiopul- monary resuscitation (CPR). Early introduction of CPR and good quality of performance are important pre-dictors of survival. Objectives : The objective of this project was to measure the quality of advanced CPR during simulation training, and to see if the results are in accordance with the Norwegian guidelines of 2005. Methods : Prospective observational study during full-scale simulation training. Data were collected from a computer connected to a manikin, in addition to video recordings 48 nur- ses and 16 physicians working at an intensive coronary care unit (ICCU) participated. Results : Mean frequency of chest compressions was 104, with a mean depth of 48 mm. Time from occur- rence of ventricular fibrillation to delivered countershock was median 82 seconds and median 25 seconds when the defibrillator was located outside or inside the room, respec-tively. The total hands-off time was 25 %. Mostly, medications were given correctly (92 %) with a high degree of double control (94 %). Chest compression was continued during charging of the defibrillator in 86 % of the charging intervals. In 17 % of the episodes, countershocks were delivered without following the safety precautions. When consecu-tive countershocks could have been given according to guidelines, it was performed in half of the cases (54 %). Conclusion : The quality of performed advanced CPR is in accordance with the Norwegian guidelines of 2005. The algorithm was followed correctly in almost every scenario, and the technical performance was good. Current results indicate no unneces- sary hands-off time. Bakgrunn :
Markers in Hypertension: Insights for an Enhanced Blood Pressure Management

Background and objectives: Hypertension is a prevalent condition that represents a significant morbidity and mortality. In this review, we sought to highlight the value of markers in systemic hypertension. Design and method: we conducted a mini-review focusing on markers in hypertension, also we reviewed the JNC8-2014 and ESC/ESH-2013 recommendations in this perspective; a Pubmed search was performed accordingly. Results: we presented and discussed markers of diagnosis and physiopathology of hypertension, markers of target organ damage and markers of blood pressure progression, with a focus on biomarkers. Genetics of hypertension is a rapidly moving field and at least 38 foci correlated to blood pressure are currently identified; the Ras homologous (Rho; RhoA, Rac1) are mainly involved in vascular smooth muscle tonus and vasoactivity; adipokines (leptin, TNF-α, IL-6, MCP-1, and IL-1) expression is marked in patients with obesity related hypertension. The baroreceptor is a marker of dysautonomia which is implicated in the pathogenesis of hypertension; miR-9 and miR-126 are markers of target organ damage in hypertensive patients. Markers of endothelial dysfunction, systemic inflammation, and oxidative stress were also discussed as causative or target organ markers in this context, with a focus on C-reactive protein and nitric oxide. Conclusion: markers, mainly biomarkers, play an increasingly critical role in hypertension evaluation and management.
Making Sense of Developmental Dynamics

This special issue of Human Development focuses on the central question of our science – how development happens. The editors have assembled a set of leading scholars to outline how they think about development from a dynamic perspective, focusing on the processes that give rise to changes in behaviour through time. The authors have done an excellent job highlighting both their own perspectives as well as the philosophical and empirical implications of dynamic thinking. My charge is to reflect on the collection of papers, offering my own perspectives, and highlighting some of the challenges ahead as we take developmental dynamics deeper into the 21st century. When I think back to the initial emergence of dynamic systems concepts in psychology in the 1980s and 1990s, I am struck by how much of the dynamic approach was a reaction to other approaches. Dynamic systems approaches eschewed representation (van Gelder, 1998); the dynamic perspective was anti-boxology and anti-information processing (Port & van Gelder, 1995); and the dynamic approach was decidedly anti-nativist (Thelen & Smith, 1995). While many of these initial arguments live on in important ways today, it was always going to be the case that over time, the dynamic approach needed a frame-shift from what it is not, to what it is.
An Ecological Approach to Learning in (Not and) Development

The ecological approach is a framework for studying the behavior of animals in their environments. My version of an ecological approach focuses on learning in the context of development. I argue that the most important thing animals learn is behavioral flexibility. They must acquire the ability to flexibly guide their behavior from moment to moment in the midst of developmental changes in their bodies, brains, skills, and environments. They must select, modify, and create behaviors appropriate to the current situation. In essence, animals must learn how to learn. I describe the central concepts and empirical strategies for studying learning in development and use examples of infants coping with novel tasks to give a flavor of what researchers know and still must discover about the functions and processes of learning (to learn) in (not and) development.
Hookah and cigarette smoking: Two sides of the same coin

“Hookah,” which is also known as “Narghileh,” “Maassel,” or “Shisha,” is a form of waterpipe smoking. Hookah is composed of a tobacco bowl known as the head where tobacco (that is processed and flavored) is placed, a body, a water bowl, a hose, and a mouthpiece. [1] Charcoal is positioned on the top of the head that contains tobacco. When the smoker inhales through the hose, the air is drawn into and around the charcoal. The generated heated air passes through heated tobacco to produce the mainstream smoke aerosol. This smoke aerosol passes through the water bowl producing bubbles and goes through the hose to the smoker. The average hookah smoking session consists of 171 inhalations (each approximately 0.5 L) of 2.6 s duration at a frequency of 2.8 inhalations/min.[2]
Indigenous technique for continuous perineural catheter insertion and our regime for continuous adductor canal blocks

131 Saudi Journal of Anesthesia / Volume 14 / Issue 1 / January‐March 2020 Sir, Regional anesthesia is increasingly becoming important component of perioperative management of surgical patients either for surgical anesthesia or as a component of multimodal analgesia technique due to the tremendous number of benefits it offers in improving patient outcomes. One of the important advances in regional anesthesia which has widened the horizon for peripheral nerve blocks is the continuous perineural blocks (CPNBs), wherein a catheter is threaded in vicinity of nerve bundles to allow local anesthetic infusion and thus, extended benefits of regional anesthesia to the patients. [1,2] These techniques offer the possibility of prolonging intraoperative anesthesia as well as effective postoperative analgesia while minimizing the risks associated with systemic analgesics and central neuraxial blocks. The peripheral nerve stimulators and ultrasound (USG) aid in precise placement of these catheters in relation to the neural bundle. [1,2] The catheter placement techniques that are currently used to place the CPNBs are the nonstimulating catheter technique described by Steele et al.[3] and the stimulating catheter technique described by Sarnoff. [4] These involve the use of a stimulating needle with either stimulating or nonstimulating catheters with a stimulating nerve block needle. Typically, the procedure is done using the commercially available equipment (e.g., Contiplex Tuohy needle system, B Braun Melsungen AG, Melsungen, Germany). Nonavailability of the equipment and its high cost is one of the main deterrents to use of continuous blocks.
Teen with Psychiatric Diagnoses Improves After Eliminating Medications and Initiating Endurance Sports Training.

Recent evidence supports the notion that aerobic exercise improves mental illness symptomology, alone or as supplemental treatment to medication (1). Studies with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) (2–7), Bipolar 2 (8), schizophrenia (8,9), depression (10), and autism spectrum (1,11) have all demonstrated positive benefits on behavioral, physical, and cognitive outcomes. This Invited Commentary reports potential pitfalls in diagnosis and subsequent treatment of a child by the traditional methodology most commonly used in the field of psychiatry. Most critical to this article is the discovery of the benefits of a rigorous aerobic exercise program, resulting in positive outcomes not achieved by medication by this patient. We describe a child who had seven different psychiatric diagnoses by multiple psychiatrists with more than 25 different medications prescribed over a 6-year period. Negative responses to medication over this period were met with either increases in medication or an alternate “cocktail. ” This trial-and-error approach resulted in numerous negative physical, psychological, emotional, and social experiences for the patient and his family. Out of desperation to identify a functional baseline, but against medical advice, the parents slowly removed medication from the child and then initiated an aerobic exercise program; with great surprise, symptoms decreased, quality of life improved, and overall mental capacity increased, including the ability to learn, which previously had been impossible. The child developed a passion for mountain bike racing and is now an international elite racer at age 19 years, National Interscholastic Cycling Association (NICA) coach, USA Cycling Official, and gives lectures across the country.