Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Automating endoscopic camera motion for teleoperated minimally invasive surgery using inverse reinforcement learning

During a laparoscopic surgery, an endoscopic camera is used to provide visual feedback of the surgery to the surgeon and is controlled by a skilled assisting surgeon or a nurse. However, in robot-assisted teleoperated systems such as the daVinci surgical system, the same control lies with the operating surgeons. This results in an added task of constantly changing view point of the endoscope which can be disruptive and also increase the cognitive load on the surgeons. The work presented in this thesis aims to provide an approach that results in an intelligent camera control for such systems using machine learning algorithms. A particular task of pick and place was selected to demonstrate this approach. To add a layer of intelligence to the endoscope, the task was classified into subtasks representing the intent of the user. Neural networks with long short term memory cells (LSTMs) were trained to classify the motion of the instruments in the subtasks and a policy was calculated for each subtask using inverse reinforcement learning (IRL). Since current surgical robots do not enable the movement of the camera and instruments simultaneously, an expert data set was unavailable that could be used to train the models. Hence, a user study was conducted in which the participants were asked to complete the task of picking and placing a ring on a peg in a 3-D immersive simulation environment created using CHAI libraries. A virtual reality headset, Oculus Rift, was used during the study to track the head movements of the users to obtain their view points while they performed the task. This was considered to be expert data and was used to train the algorithm to automate the endoscope motion. A 71.3% accuracy was obtained for the classification of the task into 4 subtasks and the inverse reinforcement learning resulted in an automated trajectory of the endoscope which was 94.7% similar to the human trajectories collected demonstrating that the approach provided in thesis can be used to automate endoscopic motion similar to a skilled assisting surgeon.
The Perceptual Illusion of Baseball's Rising Fastball and Breaking Curveball

The rising fastball and the breaking curveball are impossible according to principles of physics and physiology, yet many baseball players claim they exist. The simulation and model presented suggest that the rising fastball and breaking curveball are perceptual illusions caused by the batter misestimating the speed of the pitch. This model uses signals from known primary visual processes only. This model was enhanced by adding an acceleration term. The enhanced model more accurately predicts the position of the ball when it crosses the plate. These models are compared and contrasted to models by McBeath and Bootsma. Sensitivity analyses have shown that the model and simulation are robust with respect to their parameter values. The model is most sensitive to the estimated distance to the ball, and the simulation is most sensitive to the estimated speed of the pitch. According to principles of physics and physiology, a rising fastball is impossible. Yet most batters claim it exists; they say the ball sometimes jumps a foot, right in front of home plate, causing the ball to hop over their bat. Our simulation and model explain this contradiction. Although the numbers given in this article are for professional baseball players, the simulation and model apply to all players, right down to Little Leaguers. They can also be extended to cricket. The rising fastball could be defined as a pitch where the ball (a) jumps up, right in front of the plate, (b) crosses the plate above the pitcher's release point, (c) is going upward when it crosses the plate, or (d) falls less than would be expected due to gravity. By Definitions (b) and (c), a rising fastball could be thrown by a sidearm baseball pitcher or a softball pitcher, but not by an overhand baseball pitcher. For example, an overhand pitch is released about 6 ft (1.83 m) above the ground; if the ball crossed the plate higher than this it would not be a strike. And for the ball to be going upward when it crosses the plate, it would have to fall initially, and then near the end of its flight, experience an upward force that is greater than that of gravity. A force that opposes gravity is produced by the backspin on a fastball. However, the maximum spin rate ever measured for a human pitch, 2,300 revolutions per minute (rpm), would create a force only two thirds that of gravity (Watts & Bahill, 1990). So, although a fastball's lift from backspin may not
Language socialization in bilingual and multilingual societies.

Part 1 Language socialization at home: transforming perspectives on bilingual language socialization, L Pease-Alvarez family language policy and gender socialization in bilingual Aymara households, A Luykx collaborative literacy in a Mexican immigrant household, M de la Piedra and H Romo growing up trilingual in Montreal, P Lamarre and J Rossell Paredes. Part 2 Language socialization at school: representational practices and multi-modal communication in US high schools, L Harklau engaging in an authentic science project, Kim Marie Cole and J Zuengler interrupted by silences - the contemporary education of Hong-Kong born Chinese Canadians, G Pon, T Goldstein and SR Schecter novices and their speech rules in Chinese heritage language classes, A Weiyun He language socialization and dys-socialization in a Southern Indian college, D Atkinson. Part 3 Language socialization in communities and peer groups: language socialization and second language acquisition in a multilingual arctic Quebec community, D Patrick forming a Hungarian identity in eastern Slovakia through joint (inter)action, J Langman multiliteracies in Springvale, H Lotherington terms of desire - are there lesbians in Egypt? , D Khayatt. Part 4 Language socialization in the workplace: language dynamics in the bi- and multilingual workplace, C McAll back to school - learning practices in a job retraining community, J Sinclair Bell bilingualism and standardization in a Canadian call centre, S Roy.
Codebook-Based Beamforming Protocols for 5G Millimeter Wave Communications

This chapter focuses on the beamforming mechanism and protocols that enables fast link setup in 5G Millimeter (mm) Wave directional links. In general, there are two kinds of beamforming: adaptive beamforming and switched beamforming. There are three kinds of beamforming architectures, namely, analog beamforming, digital beamforming, and the hybrid beamforming. Beamsearching in the switched beamforming only depends on the measured signal quality of each predefined beams. Transmitter and receiver devices exchange their training packet to measure the channel quality for each beam candidate. Switched beamforming requires predefined codebook so that the beam candidates can be generated directly from the codebook. Codebook is defined specifically in IEEE 802.15. 3c, but there is no specific codebook defined in IEEE 802.11ad. N‐phase beamforming is similar to IEEE 802.15. 3c. However, this beamforming is designed to accommodate the availability of higher phase shift resolution. Digital Fourier Transmorm (DFT)‐based beamforming gives more flexible beams where each beam can reach the same maximum gain.
Beliefs, Teaching Practice and Proposals for the Attention of Cultural Diversity: the Case of a Costa Rican Teaching and Three Nicaraguans Infants

This article presents data from a research that studied a teacher belief regarding three Nicaraguan students. Specifically, presents findings related to teaching practice and its relation to diverse education proposals. It includes an analysis of four subcategories: daily dynamic of a teacher who works with infants of another culture, students’ assessment in the classroom, discipline strategies to children, and diverse beliefs and proposals. The data shows that, in the classroom, the teacher does not demonstrate different treatment to Nicaraguan and Costa Rican children, suggesting that equal treatment is the strategy per se used by the teacher to solve the issue of cultural diversity in the classroom. On the other hand, discipline is assumed by the teacher with scolding criteria, using a loud tone of voice and aggressive vocabulary.
Possibilities and pitfalls of a public health agenda for physical education

The 1996 Surgeon General’s Report (SGR), Physical Activity and Health, was one of the more significant U.S. federal documents to outline national priorities for health and physical activity. In this monograph Marlene Tappe and Charlene Burgeson and Stephen Cone remind us that Physical Activity and Health was the third in a series of Surgeon General reports focused on the health of the U.S. population over the last 40 years. The first was the 1960 SG report titled Tobacco and Health and the second, published in 1988, focused on Nutrition and Health. Of the three, the 1996 report has had most relevance to the physical education profession because it spoke directly to our primary concern, physical activity or human movement. The editors’ decision to devote a Journal of Teaching in Physical Education monograph to a critique of the relationships between physical education, physical activity, and public health using the 1996 SGR as a watershed was insightful. Sport pedagogists and public-health professionals alike can benefit. Their invitations to the lead authors working in the U.S. and the U.K. to write about these relationships globally and the implications for physical education and teacher education have resulted in a thought-provoking monograph. These authors represent U.S. leaders of professional organizations as well as a diversity of national and international scholars from subdisciplines in our field including sociology, epidemiology, exercise physiology, and sport pedagogy. All have brought to their task expertise in and passion for quality physical activity and/or physical education. The authors were charged to respond to the following four questions:
The Future of Learning Objects

Learning objects are fundamental elements of a new conceptual model for content creation and distribution. They are destined to change the shape and form of learning, ushering in unprecedented efficiency of content design, development, and delivery. Their most significant promise is to increase and improve the effectiveness of learning and human performance. This paper speculates on the future of learning objects, and describes how the content model for learning objects fit within this larger vision of the future of learning. It poses some provocative yet pragmatic points to ponder, and hopes to stimulate new thinking and ideas
Multi-Microphone Noise Reduction for Hearing Assistive Devices

The paramount importance of good hearing in everyday life has driven an exploration into the improvement of hearing capabilities of (hearing impaired) people in acoustic challenging situations using hearing assistive devices (HADs). HADs are small portable devices, which primarily aim at improving the intelligibility of an acoustic source that has drawn the attention of the HAD user. One of the most important steps to achieve this is via filtering the sound recorded using the HAD microphones, such that ideally all unwanted acoustic sources in the acoustic scene are suppressed, while the target source is maintained undistorted. Modern HAD systems often consist of two collaborative (typically wirelessly connected) HADs, each placed on a different ear. These HAD systems are commonly referred to as binaural HAD systems. In a binaural HAD system, each HAD has typically more than one microphone forming a small local microphone array. The two HADs merge their microphone arrays forming a single larger microphone array. This provides more degrees of freedom for noise reduction. The multi-microphone noise reduction filters are commonly referred to as beamformers, and the beamformers designed for binaural HAD systems are commonly referred to as binaural beamformers.
Flag brands as factor and results of a country identity and image: Polish experiences

This article discusses the issue of creating regional and country brands by enterprises and of establishing a national brand. The three mentioned flag brand categories have been described in detail and the relations between them have been indicated. The article also makes an attempt at analyzing the factors that form part of the brand identity focusing primarily on the consumer product brands. The identity and image concepts are presented also in a broader perspective as certain attributes that characterize the enterprise itself. The presented considerations refer mainly to Polish companies, but some examples of enterprises from highly developed countries, especially from the European Union, have also been added in order to provide this paper with more practical dimensions. Specific brands offered by national enterprises that may be called country and regional brands have been proposed. Some transformations of the market environment which imply branding activities of the companies have been identified, especially the antiglobalist movement which becomes more and more powerful and its activities directed against big concerns and omnipresent mass brands. Moreover, the consumer ethnocentrism and regional trends opposed to the globalization have been emphasized. Also the important rote of family businesses in developing flag brands has been made evident. The family companies may contribute to maintaining and reinforcing the Polish identity. El presente trabajo se ocupa de los aspectos referentes a la creacion de marcas regionales y locales asi como del establecimiento de una marca nacional. Las tres categorias de marcas de bandera se han caracterizado detalladamente y se indican las relaciones que existen entre ellas. Tambien se intenta analizar los factores que forman parte de la identidad de marca, con especial atencion a las marcas de productos de consumo. Se presentan los conceptos de identidad e imagen desde una perspectiva mas amplia como atributos que caracterizan a la empresa. Las reflexiones presentadas se refieren, sobre todo, a las empresas polacas, pero tambien se citan algunos ejemplos de actividades de companias localizadas en paises altamente desarrollados, en concreto en la Unidad Europea, con el fin de otorgar al articulo una dimension practica. Se proponen marcas concretas que ofrecen empresas locales y que pueden denominarse como marcas nacionales o regionales. Se indican los cambios en el entorno del mercado que implican actividades de las empresas en el area de branding, y de modo especial se toma en consideracion el cada vez mas fuerte movimiento antiglobalizante y sus actividades dirigidas contra grandes consorcios y las omnipresentes marcas de masas. Ademas se pone de relieve el significado de etnocentrismo de tos consumidores y de las tendencias regionalistas opuestas a la globalizacion. Del mismo modo, se destaca el importante papel de las empresas familiares en el establecimiento de marcas de bandera. Las empresas familiares podran contribuir a conservar y reforzar la identidad polaca
Adverse prognosis of glioblastoma contacting the subventricular zone: Biological correlates

Introduction The subventricular zone (SVZ) in the brain is associated with gliomagenesis and resistance to treatment in glioblastoma. In this study, we investigate the prognostic role and biological characteristics of subventricular zone (SVZ) involvement in glioblastoma. Methods We analyzed T1-weighted, gadolinium-enhanced MR images of a retrospective cohort of 647 primary glioblastoma patients diagnosed between 2005–2013, and performed a multivariable Cox regression analysis to adjust the prognostic effect of SVZ involvement for clinical patient- and tumor-related factors. Protein expression patterns of a.o. markers of neural stem cellness (CD133 and GFAP-δ) and (epithelial-) mesenchymal transition (NF-κB, C/EBP-β and STAT3) were determined with immunohistochemistry on tissue microarrays containing 220 of the tumors. Molecular classification and mRNA expression-based gene set enrichment analyses, miRNA expression and SNP copy number analyses were performed on fresh frozen tissue obtained from 76 tumors. Confirmatory analyses were performed on glioblastoma TCGA/TCIA data. Results Involvement of the SVZ was a significant adverse prognostic factor in glioblastoma, independent of age, KPS, surgery type and postoperative treatment. Tumor volume and postoperative complications did not explain this prognostic effect. SVZ contact was associated with increased nuclear expression of the (epithelial-) mesenchymal transition markers C/EBP-β and phospho-STAT3. SVZ contact was not associated with molecular subtype, distinct gene expression patterns, or markers of stem cellness. Our main findings were confirmed in a cohort of 229 TCGA/TCIA glioblastomas. Conclusion In conclusion, involvement of the SVZ is an independent prognostic factor in glioblastoma, and associates with increased expression of key markers of (epithelial-) mesenchymal transformation, but does not correlate with stem cellness, molecular subtype, or specific (mi)RNA expression patterns.
A Critical Appraisal of the Tafazzin Knockdown Mouse Model of Barth Syndrome: What Have We Learned About Pathogenesis and Potential Treatments?

Pediatric heart failure remains poorly understood, distinct in many aspects from adult heart failure. Limited data point to roles of altered mitochondrial functioning and in particular, changes in mitochondrial lipids, especially cardiolipin. Barth syndrome is a mitochondrial disorder caused by tafazzin mutations that lead to abnormal cardiolipin profiles. Patients are afflicted by cardiomyopathy, skeletal myopathy, neutropenia, and growth delay. A mouse model of Barth syndrome was developed a decade ago, which relies on a doxycycline-inducible shRNA to knock down expression of tafazzin mRNA ("TAZKD"). Our objective was to review published data from the TAZKD mouse to determine its contributions to our pathogenetic understanding of, and potential treatment strategies for, Barth syndrome. In regard to the clinical syndrome, the reported physiological, biochemical, and ultrastructural abnormalities of the mouse model mirror those in Barth patients. Using this model, the PPAR pan-agonist bezafibrate has been suggested as potential therapy because it ameliorated the cardiomyopathy in TAZKD mice, while increasing mitochondrial biogenesis. A clinical trial is now underway to test bezafibrate in Barth syndrome patients. Thus, the TAZKD mouse model of Barth syndrome has led to important insights into disease pathogenesis and therapeutic targets, which can potentially translate to pediatric heart failure.
Prevalence and correlates of long-term e-cigarette and nicotine replacement therapy use: a prospective study in England

Objectives To examine the prevalence of, and sociodemographic and smoking-related characteristics associated with, long-term e-cigarette use compared with long-term nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) use. Design Cross-sectional and prospective survey, the Smoking Toolkit Study, with baseline data collected between September 2014 and September 2016 and follow-ups at 6 and 12 months. Setting England. Participants Population representative sample of 40 933 adults aged 16+ years. Main outcome measures Prevalence of long-term (≥12 months) use of e-cigarettes and NRT by retrospective self-report among baseline respondents (all adults, n=40 933; smokers, n=8406) and current use at baseline, 6 months and 12 months in a subsample of smokers who responded to follow-up (n=733). Results Of baseline respondents, 1.5% (95% CI 1.4% to 1.6%, n=604) of adults and 3.9% (95% CI 3.5% to 4.3%, n=327) of smokers were long-term e-cigarette users and 0.5% (95% CI 0.4% to 0.6%, n=205) of adults and 1.3% (95% CI 1.1% to 1.5%, n=112) of smokers were long-term NRT users. Assessed prospectively, 13.4% (95% CI 10.9% to 15.9%, n=100) of smokers were long-term e-cigarette users and 1.9% (95% CI 0.9% to 2.9%, n=14) were long-term NRT users. Among all adults, long-term use by never smokers of either e-cigarettes (0.1%, n=27) or NRT (0.0%, n=7) was rare. Among past-year smokers, long-term e-cigarette and NRT use was higher among older smokers compared with those who were 16–34 years old (OR range=1.55–5.21). Long-term e-cigarette use only was lower in smokers who were less educated (OR=0.63, 95% CI 0.49 to 0.81), from social grades C2DE (OR=0.66, 95% CI 0.52 to 0.84) and with children in the household (OR=0.66, 95% CI 0.51 to 0.85). Long-term e-cigarette use and long-term NRT use were higher among smokers more motivated to quit (OR=2.05, 95% CI 1.63 to 2.60 and OR=2.33, 95% CI 1.57 to 3.46). Conclusions In the adult population in England, long-term use of e-cigarettes and long-term use of NRT are almost exclusively by current or ex-smokers. Only a minority of past-year smokers retrospectively report long-term e-cigarette or NRT use, but this figure may be an underestimate, especially for e-cigarette use, which is more than threefold higher when assessed prospectively.
Characterization of urea transport mechanisms in the intestinal tract of growing pigs.

Pigs are capable of nitrogen salvage via urea recycling, which involves the movement of urea into the gastrointestinal tract. Aquaporins (AQP) and urea transporter B (UT-B) are involved in urea-recycling in ruminants; however, their contribution to urea flux in the intestinal tract of the pig is not known. The objective of this study was to characterize the presence and relative contribution of known urea transporters to urea flux in the growing pig. Intestinal tissue samples (duodenum, jejunum, ileum, cecum, and colon) were obtained from 9 barrows (50.8 ± 0.9 kg) and analyzed for mRNA abundance of UT-B and AQP-3, 7, and 10. Immediately after tissue collection, samples from the jejunum and cecum were placed in Ussing chambers for analysis of the serosal-to-mucosal urea flux (Jsm-urea) with no inhibition or when incubated in the presence of phloretin to inhibit UT-B-mediated transport, NiCl2 to inhibit AQP-mediated transport, or both inhibitors. UT-B expression was greatest (P < 0.05) in the cecum, whereas AQP-3, 7, and 10 expression was greatest (P < 0.05) in the jejunum. The Jsm-urea was greater in the cecum than the jejunum (67.8 vs. 42.7 ± 5.01 µmol/cm2/h; P < 0.05) confirming the capacity for urea recycling into the gut in pigs; however, flux rate was not influenced (P > 0.05) by urea transporter inhibitors. The results of this study suggest that while known urea transporters are expressed in the gastrointestinal tract of pigs, they may not play a significant functional role in transepithelial urea transport.