Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Demonstration of interactive dialog teaching for learning a practical end-to-end dialog manager

This is a demonstration of a platform for building practical, task-oriented, end-to-end dialog systems. Whereas traditional dialog systems consists of a pipeline of components such as intent detection, state tracking, and action selection, an endto-end dialog system is driven by a machine learning model which takes observable dialog history as input, and directly outputs a distribution over dialog actions. The benefit of this approach is that intermediate quantities such as intent or dialog state do not need to be labeled – rather, learning can be done directly on example dialogs. In practice, purely end-to-end methods can require large amounts of data to learn seemingly simple behaviors, such as sorting database results. This is problematic because when building a new dialog system, typically no in-domain dialog data exists, so data efficiency is crucial. Moreover, machine-learned models alone cannot guarantee practical constraints are followed – for example a bank would require that a user must be logged in before they are allowed to transfer funds. For these reasons, in past work we introduced Hybrid Code Networks (HCN) (Williams et al., 2017). HCNs make end-to-end learning practical by combining a recurrent neural network (RNN) with domain-specific software provided by the developer; domain-specific action templates; and a conventional entity extraction module for identifying entity mentions in text. Experiments on the public bAbI corpus (Bordes et al., 2017) have shown that HCNs can reduce the number of training dialogs required by an order of magnitude compared to state-of-the-art end-to-end learning methods which do not employ domain knowledge. This demonstration shows a practical implementation of HCNs, as a web service for building task-oriented dialog systems. Once the developer has provided their domain-specific software, they can add training dialogs in several ways. First, the developer can simply upload dialogs to the training set. Second, the developer can interactively teach the HCN, and making on-the-spot corrections. Finally, as the HCN interacts with endusers, the developer can inspect logged dialogs, make corrections if needed, and add the dialogs to the training set. The next section describes the architecture and operation of the platform, and the final section describes how the developer uses the service – i.e., what the demonstration shows.
The genetics of human infertility by functional interrogation of SNPs in mice

Significance Although infertility is a highly prevalent disease with a major genetic component, the underlying genetic causes are unknown in the vast majority of patients. The complexity of sperm and egg production has confounded most efforts to address the genetics of human infertility. We have developed an experimental strategy for identifying infertility-causing mutations that exist in human populations. This strategy exploits the expanding databases of human genetic variation to computationally identify potential infertility mutations, then mimic them in mice by CRISPR/Cas genome editing technology. The mice are then evaluated for whether the human mutation renders them infertile. This technology can be used to establish a permanent resource of validated disease-causing genetic variants in infertility and other diseases. Infertility is a prevalent health issue, affecting ∼15% of couples of childbearing age. Nearly one-half of idiopathic infertility cases are thought to have a genetic basis, but the underlying causes are largely unknown. Traditional methods for studying inheritance, such as genome-wide association studies and linkage analyses, have been confounded by the genetic and phenotypic complexity of reproductive processes. Here we describe an association- and linkage-free approach to identify segregating infertility alleles, in which CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing is used to model putatively deleterious nonsynonymous SNPs (nsSNPs) in the mouse orthologs of fertility genes. Mice bearing “humanized” alleles of four essential meiosis genes, each predicted to be deleterious by most of the commonly used algorithms for analyzing functional SNP consequences, were examined for fertility and reproductive defects. Only a Cdk2 allele mimicking SNP rs3087335, which alters an inhibitory WEE1 protein kinase phosphorylation site, caused infertility and revealed a novel function in regulating spermatogonial stem cell maintenance. Our data indicate that segregating infertility alleles exist in human populations. Furthermore, whereas computational prediction of SNP effects is useful for identifying candidate causal mutations for diverse diseases, this study underscores the need for in vivo functional evaluation of physiological consequences. This approach can revolutionize personalized reproductive genetics by establishing a permanent reference of benign vs. infertile alleles.
Fault diagnosis of centrifugal pumps based on the intrinsic time-scale decomposition of motor current signals

Centrifugal pumps are widely used in various manufacturing processes, such as power plants, and chemistry. However, pump problems are responsible for large amount of the maintenance budget. An early detection of such problems would provide timely information to take appropriate preventive actions. This paper investigates the application of Machine Learning Techniques (MLT) in monitoring and diagnosing fault in centrifugal pump. In particular, the focus is on utilising motor current signals since they can be measured remotely for easy and low-cost deployment. Moreover, because the signals are usually produced by a nonlinear process and contaminated by various noises, it is difficult to obtain accurate diagnostic features with conventional signal processing methods such as Fourier spectrum and wavelet transforms as they rely heavily on standard basis functions and often capture limited nonlinear weak fault signatures. Therefore, a data-driven method: Intrinsic Time-scale Decomposition (ITD) is adopted in this study to process motor current signals from different pump fault cases. The results indicate that the proposed ITD technique is an effective method for extracting useful diagnostic information, leading to accurate diagnosis by combining the RMS values of the first Proper Rotation Component (PRC) with the raw signal RMS values.
A New Quadratic, Three-Level, DC/DC Converter Suitable for Fuel Cell Applications

This paper presents a new non-insulated quadratic three-level DC-DC boost converter. The quadratic feature is interesting for application where a wide voltage range is necessary. Since it is a current-source converter, its application in a fuel cell energy conversion system is interesting. Theoretical analysis for CCM of operation and experimental results are presented. A comparison between the two cascaded boost converter, the single switch quadratic boost converter and the proposed converter is made regarding commutated power. The efficiency of the proposed converter is higher than the others.
β-catenin/TCF4 complex induces the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-activator ZEB1 to regulate tumor invasiveness

In most carcinomas, invasion of malignant cells into surrounding tissues involves their molecular reprogramming as part of an epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Mutation of the APC gene in most colorectal carcinomas (CRCs) contributes to the nuclear translocation of the oncoprotein β-catenin that upon binding to T-cell and lymphoid enhancer (TCF-LEF) factors triggers an EMT and a proinvasive gene expression profile. A key inducer of EMT is the ZEB1 transcription factor whose expression promotes tumorigenesis and metastasis in carcinomas. As inhibitor of the epithelial phenotype, ZEB1 is never present in the epithelium of normal colon or the tumor center of CRCs where β-catenin remains membranous. We show here that ZEB1 is expressed by epithelial cells in intestinal tumors from human patients (familial adenomatous polyposis) and mouse models (APCMin/+) with germline mutations of APC that result in nuclear accumulation of β-catenin. However, ZEB1 is not expressed in the epithelium of hereditary forms of CRCs that carry wild-type APC and where β-catenin is excluded from the nucleus (Lynch syndrome). We found that β-catenin/TCF4 binds directly to the ZEB1 promoter and activates its transcription. Knockdown of β-catenin and TCF4 in APC-mutated CRC cells inhibited endogenous ZEB1, whereas forced translocation of β-catenin to the nucleus in APC-wild-type CRC cells induced de novo expression of ZEB1. Upregulation of MT1-MMP and LAMC2 by β-catenin/TCF4 has been linked to invasiveness in CRCs, and we show here that both proteins are activated by ZEB1 coexpressing with it in primary colorectal tumors with mutated APC. These results set ZEB1 as an effector of β-catenin/TCF4 signaling in EMT and tumor progression.
The Puzzle of Visual Development: Behavior and Neural Limits

The development of visual function takes place over many months or years in primate infants. Visual sensitivity is very poor near birth and improves over different times courses for different visual functions. The neural mechanisms that underlie these processes are not well understood despite many decades of research. The puzzle arises because research into the factors that limit visual function in infants has found surprisingly mature neural organization and adult-like receptive field properties in very young infants. The high degree of visual plasticity that has been documented during the sensitive period in young children and animals leaves the brain vulnerable to abnormal visual experience. Abnormal visual experience during the sensitive period can lead to amblyopia, a developmental disorder of vision affecting ∼3% of children. This review provides a historical perspective on research into visual development and the disorder amblyopia. The mismatch between the status of the primary visual cortex and visual behavior, both during visual development and in amblyopia, is discussed, and several potential resolutions are considered. It seems likely that extrastriate visual areas further along the visual pathways may set important limits on visual function and show greater vulnerability to abnormal visual experience. Analyses based on multiunit, population activity may provide useful representations of the information being fed forward from primary visual cortex to extrastriate processing areas and to the motor output. This article is based on a Presidential Lecture presented at the 2016 Annual Meeting.
Hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular axis disruptions in older men are differentially linked to age and modifiable risk factors: the European Male Aging Study.

CONTEXT The cause of declining testosterone (T) in aging men and their relationships with risk factors are unclear. OBJECTIVE The objective of the study was to investigate the relationships between lifestyle and health with reproductive hormones in aging men. DESIGN This was a baseline cross-sectional survey on 3200 community-dwelling men aged 40-79 yr from a prospective cohort study in eight European countries. RESULTS Four predictors were associated with distinct modes of altered function: 1) age: lower free T (FT; -3.12 pmol/liter.yr, P < 0.001) with raised LH, suggesting impaired testicular function; 2) obesity: lower total T (TT; -2.32 nmol/liter) and FT (-17.60 pmol/liter) for body mass index (BMI; > or = 25 to < 30 kg/m(2)) and lower TT (-5.09 nmol/liter) and FT (-53.72 pmol/liter) for BMI 30 kg/m(2) or greater (P < 0.001-0.01, referent: BMI < 25 kg/m(2)) with unchanged/decreased LH, indicating hypothalamus/pituitary dysfunction; 3) comorbidity: lower TT (-0.80 nmol/liter, P < 0.01) with unchanged LH in younger men but higher LH in older men; and 4) smoking: higher SHBG (5.96 nmol/liter, P < 0.001) and LH (0.77 U/liter, P < 0.01) with increased TT (1.31 nmol/liter, P < 0.001) but not FT, compatible with a resetting of T-LH-negative feedback due to elevated SHBG. CONCLUSIONS Complex multiple alterations in the hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular axis function exist in aging men against a background of progressive age-related testicular impairment. These changes are differentially linked to specific risk factors. Some risk factors operate independently of but others interact with age, in contributing to the T decline. These potentially modifiable risk factors suggest possible preventative measures to maintain T during aging in men.
Fear, hope and social desirability bias among women at high risk for HIV in West Africa

Background Self-reports are widely used for measuring behaviour in HIV research and prevention, yet the accuracy of these measures has been shown to be questionable in many cases. Social desirability bias (SDB) is one of the key factors identified as affecting self-report accuracy. Methods Using in-depth interviews, we examined SDB from the perspective of 60 women at high risk for HIV in two West African countries: Ghana and Nigeria. We solicited suggestions for reducing SDB in the context of HIV research and prevention, and asked for feedback regarding methods currently being employed to reduce SDB. Results Themes pertaining to fear and a desire to have a better life were pervasive throughout the data. Thematic structure was similar between sites and age groups, although younger women tended to be more concerned about the interview context. Conclusions Vulnerability of a population should be considered when asking sensitive questions. Audio-computer-assisted self-interviews may not be appropriate for vulnerable populations in developing countries, particularly for older respondents.
Effects of age on corneal deformation by non-contact tonometry integrated with an ultra-high-speed (UHS) Scheimpflug camera.

PURPOSE To correlate parameters derived from corneal deformation resulting from non-contact tonometry integrated with an ultra-high-speed (UHS) Scheimpflug camera (Oculus Corvis ST, Scheimpflug Technology; Wetzlar, Germany) with age in normal eyes from young patients. METHODS Observational, retrospective study involving one eye randomly selected from study participants, totaling 89 healthy eyes. The Scheimpflug images were taken with an ultra-high-speed camera during each measurement by the corvis ST. The deformation amplitude (DA) and other parameters (e.g., pachy apex, intraocular pressure, 1(st) A time, highest concavity-time, 2(nd) A time, 1(st) A Length, 2(nd) A Length, Wing-Dist, curvature radius highest concavity, curvature radius normal, Vin, Vout) measured by the corvis ST were correlated with age. The Kolmogorov-Smirnov test was applied, and Spearman's correlation test was utilized to evaluate the parameters measured by the Corvis ST and age. RESULTS Mean patient age was 27.50 ± 6.30 years. The highest concavity-time was the only studied parameter statistically significantly correlated to age (i.e., p=0.04, rs=0.18). All other corvis parameters were not correlated to age. This included DA (p=0.319), intraocular pressure (p=0.854), pachy apex (p=0.066), 1(st) A time (p=0.959), 2(nd) A time (p=0.561), 1(st) Length (0.552), 2nd Length (p=0.697), Wing-Dist (p=0.769), curvature radius HC (p=0.145), curvature radius normal (p=0.513), Vin (p=0.980) and Vout (p=0.592). CONCLUSIONS In healthy eyes, age and pressure or biomechanics as derived from the Corvis ST parameters were not associated with exception to highest concavity-time, i.e., the time from starting until the highest concavity is reached.
Using Technology to Boost Employee Wellbeing? How Gamification Can Help or Hinder Results

Research can help improve the lives of employees by revealing ways in which technology can be leveraged to progress innovative, time and cost-effective ways to promote their wellbeing. However, even with the trends of building “positive organizations” and promoting employees’ wellbeing using the latest technologies in today’s best companies worldwide, there has been a lack of rigorous research to provide solid evidence for these decisions. In this review, we present a call for future research to integrate and test technologically facilitated positive psychology interventions with gamification elements to better understand how to minimize harm and promote user benefits. We review the current online positive psychology intervention research, which we argue provides a critical guide for the development of future wellbeing technology. We also explore how gamification shows promise for promoting the benefits of positive psychology interventions (e.g., user enjoyment, autonomous motivation), as well as areas where gamification can pose a threat to wellbeing. There may be a fine line between harmful and helpful wellbeing solutions in our connected and technologically driven world of work; research now needs to uncover where to draw that line.
White matter changes in paediatric multiple sclerosis and monophasic demyelinating disorders

See Hacohen et al. (doi:10.1093/awx075) for a scientific commentary on this article. Most children who experience an acquired demyelinating syndrome of the central nervous system will have a monophasic disease course, with no further clinical or radiological symptoms. A subset will be diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, a life-long disorder. Using linear mixed effects models we examined longitudinal diffusion properties of normal-appearing white matter in 505 serial scans of 132 paediatric participants with acquired demyelinating syndromes followed for a median of 4.4 years, many from first clinical presentation, and 106 scans of 80 healthy paediatric participants. Fifty-three participants with demyelinating syndromes eventually received a diagnosis of paediatric-onset multiple sclerosis. Diffusion tensor imaging measures properties of water diffusion through tissue, which normally becomes increasingly restricted and anisotropic in the brain during childhood and adolescence, as fibre bundles develop and myelinate. In the healthy paediatric participants, our data demonstrate the expected trajectory of more restricted and anisotropic white matter diffusivity with increasing age. However, in participants with multiple sclerosis, fractional anisotropy decreased and mean diffusivity of non-lesional, normal-appearing white matter progressively increased after clinical presentation, suggesting not only a failure of age-expected white matter development but also a progressive loss of tissue integrity. Surprisingly, patients with monophasic disease failed to show age-expected changes in diffusion parameters in normal-appearing white matter, although they did not show progressive loss of integrity over time. Further analysis demonstrated that participants with monophasic disease experienced different post-onset trajectories in normal-appearing white matter depending on their presenting phenotype: those with acute disseminated encephalomyelitis demonstrated abnormal trajectories of diffusion parameters compared to healthy paediatric participants, as did patients with non-acute disseminated encephalomyelitis presentations associated with lesions in the brain at onset. Patients with monofocal syndromes such as optic neuritis, transverse myelitis, or isolated brainstem syndromes in whom multifocal brain lesions were absent, showed trajectories more closely approximating normal-appearing white matter development. Our findings also suggest the existence of sexual dimorphism in the effects of demyelinating syndromes on normal-appearing white matter development. Overall, we demonstrate failure of white matter maturational changes and progressive loss of white matter integrity in paediatric-onset multiple sclerosis, but also show that even a single demyelinating attack-when associated with white matter lesions in the brain-negatively impacts subsequent normal-appearing white matter development.
La demanda de productos cárnicos y pescados en España: aplicación de un sistema de demanda casi ideal (AIDS)

En este trabajo se analiza la estructura de la demanda de productos carnicos y pescados en Espana. Se utilizan los datos desagregados de la Encuesta de Presupuestos Familiares de 1990-1991. Se ha especificado y estimado un Sistema de Demanda Casi Ideal (AIOS) para la carne de vacuno, cerdo, ovino y caprino, aves, otras carnes y pescados. Se han incorporado variables sociodemograficas segun el metodo de translacion (tamano y composicion del hogar, tamano del municipio de residencia, porcentaje de varones en el hogar, porcentaje de miembros con remuneracion). Las elasticidades renta y precios nos indican que la carne de vacuno, ovino y caprino y pescado son bienes de lujo y la de cerdo y aves de primera necesidad y la carne de ovino y caprino es elastica. La decision de compra de carnes y pescado es conjunta, es decir, estos productos deben formar parte de un mismo sistema de demanda.
Effect of treatment on rectal and sigmoid motility in chronically constipated children.

Using three pressure transducers, motility of the lower and upper rectum and sigmoid was recorded in 18 healthy and 18 chronically constipated children. The 36 children had a wide range of values for frequency of contractions, duration, amplitude, percent of activity, and surface area under the contraction curves. The mean values for percent of activity and surface area were significantly lower in the constipated than in the control children in all three recording areas (P less than .05). Motility in the constipated children, after 2 months of treatment that included milk of magnesia, showed significant increase when compared with corresponding pretreatment values (P less than .05), and were not different from corresponding values of the control children (P greater than .1). Seven to 12 months and 3 years later, rectal and sigmoid motility remained normal. Three-year follow-up revealed that most of the constipated children were not completely free of constipation and fecal soiling in spite of normal motility. Therefore, it appears that the hypomotility in the untreated patients was the result of the chronic fecal impaction and rectal distension and while it was not the cause of the constipation, it may have contributed to its severity.
Neoformation of clay in lateral root catchments of mallee eucalypts: a chemical perspective.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS A previous paper (Annals of Botany 103: 673-685) described formation of clayey pavements in lateral root catchments of eucalypts colonizing a recently formed sand dune in south-west Western Australia. Here chemical and morphological aspects of their formation at the site are studied. METHODS Chemical and physical examinations of soil cores through pavements and sand under adjacent heath assessed build-up of salts, clay and pH changes in or below pavements. Relationships of root morphology to clay deposition were examined and deposits subjected to scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray analysis. Xylem transport of mineral elements in eucalypt and non-eucalypt species was studied by analysis of xylem (tracheal) sap from lateral roots. KEY RESULTS The columns of which pavements are composed develop exclusively on lower-tier lateral roots. Such sites show intimate associations of fine roots, fungal filaments, microbiota and clay deposits rich in Si, Al and Fe. Time scales for construction of pavements by eucalypts were assessed. Cores through columns of pavemented profiles showed gross elevations of bulk density, Al, Fe and Si in columns and related increases in pH, Mg and Ca status in lower profiles. A cutting through the dune exhibited pronounced alkalinity (pH 7-10) under mallee woodland versus acidity (pH 5-6.5) under proteaceous heath. Xylem sap analyses showed unusually high concentrations of Al, Fe, Mg and Si in dry-season samples from column-bearing roots. CONCLUSIONS Deposition of Al-Fe-Si-rich clay is pivotal to pavement construction by eucalypts and leads to profound chemical and physical changes in relevant soil profiles. Microbial associates of roots are likely to be involved in clay genesis, with parent eucalypts supplying the required key mineral elements and carbon sources. Acquisition of the Al and Fe incorporated into clay derives principally from hydraulic uplift from ground water via deeply penetrating tap roots.