Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A TTACKING F EW -S HOT C LASSIFIERS WITH A DVERSARIAL S UPPORT S ETS

Few-shot learning systems, especially those based on meta-learning, have recently made significant advances, and are now being considered for real world problems in healthcare, personalization, and science. In this paper, we examine the robustness of such deployed few-shot learning systems when they are fed an imperceptibly perturbed few-shot dataset, showing that the resulting predictions on test inputs can become worse than chance. This is achieved by developing a novel Adversarial Support Set Attack which crafts a poisoned set of examples. When even a small subset of malicious data points is inserted into the support set of a metalearner, accuracy is significantly reduced. For example, the average classification accuracy of CNAPS on the Aircraft dataset in the META-DATASET benchmark drops from 69.2% to 9.1% when only 20% of the support set is poisoned by imperceptible perturbations. We evaluate the new attack on a variety of few-shot classification algorithms including MAML, prototypical networks, and CNAPS, on both small scale (miniImageNet) and large scale (META-DATASET) few-shot classification problems. Interestingly, adversarial support sets produced by attacking a meta-learning based few-shot classifier can also reduce the accuracy of a fine-tuning based classifier when both models use similar feature extractors.
OPTH_A_266501 3535..3540

1Department of Ophthalmology, GSVM Medical College and LLR Hospital, Kanpur, India; 2Department of Ophthalmology, GSVM Medical College and LLR Hospital, Kanpur, India; 3Department of Pathology, Department of Transfusion Medicine, GSVM Medical College and LLR Hospital, Kanpur, India Aim: To assess and quantify the stress in two different groups of ophthalmic surgeons while performing cataract surgery. Materials and Methods: This is a prospective observational institutional study. Healthy ophthalmic surgeons (4 trainee surgeons and 4 consultants) and 4 OT assistants without any history of systemic illness were studied while performing uncomplicated and uneventful cataract surgery. Resting state and post-operative (immediately after surgery) systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), pulse rate (PR), and oxygen saturation (SPO2) were measured by a Comen C80 multi-parameter monitor. Blood cortisol levels were measured by chemiluminescent assay (CLIA) and urine catecholamines levels (adrenaline, nor-adrenaline and dopamine) were measured by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). For assessment of stress among one group, paired t-test is used and for comparison of stress levels between trainee surgeons and consultants unpaired t-test is used. Results: Consultants performed phacoemulsification and trainee surgeons performed small incision cataract surgery. In both the groups, the post-operative values of SBP, DBP, PR, blood cortisol, and urine catecholamines were significantly higher than the pre-operative values. This difference was statistically significant. There was a significantly higher increase in SBP, DBP, PR, blood cortisol, urine adrenaline, and urine dopamine in trainee surgeons as compared to consultants whereas there was a significantly higher increase in urine noradrenaline in consultants as compared to trainee surgeons. Conclusion: Our study reveals that every surgeon is under stress irrespective of experience though the level of stress is different among surgeons.
High Frame Rate Psychophysics: Experimentation to Determine a JND for Frame Rate

In past research at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), a temporal texture space was defined. It was used to classify what attributes contribute to the perceived motion quality of stroboscopic reproductions. One of these attributes was determined to be the content’s captured and displayed frame rate. Using knowledge from this and other past frame rate research and psychophysics, a comprehensive experiment was setup to see if a just noticeable difference (JND) could be found for changes in frame rate. Thresholds were tested starting with base conditions of 24, 48, and 72 frames/sec due to their significance to the motion picture industry. After a verification pilot study, 77 observers in total participated in the experiment. The collected data point to a resulting JND threshold between 26 and 28 frames/sec for the 24 frames/sec test point, but a significantly noisier signal was determined for both the 48 and 72 frames/sec test points. Explanation for this nosier signal could be a lack of consistent detectability in human perception at these higher frame rates. This experiment is presented as one in a series of studies into stroboscopic motion perception at RIT.
Association between self-regulation of learning, motivation, teaching quality and sports dedication in engineering students

An association study was carried out between the self-regulation of learning in engineering students at the University of Cartagena and the variables student motivation, teaching quality and sports dedication, between 2014 and 2016. The instrument for gathering information was constituted by the survey for exogenous factors and the Self-Regulation Inventory for Learning (SRLI) for motivation and self-regulation. The results showed a significant 5% association between selfregulation for learning and student motivation.
Intrinsic and extrinsic factors underlying β-cell quiescence during development and aging

Aging is a universal process that is accompanied by the loss of proliferative potential of cells. However, factors governing this age-dependent decline in proliferation remain largely undefined. The pancreatic β-cells of the islets of Langerhans serve as a unique model to explore the effect of cellular age on proliferation and function within the same organ. During early juvenile stage, the zebrafish islet is rapidly expanding and newly differentiated β-cells are added to the pool of older β-cells that were formed during embryogenesis. In this thesis, using accurate reporters for cell-cycle stages and intra-cellular calcium sensors, it was shown that younger β-cells are more proliferative but less functional compared to older β-cells. Furthermore, as the animal ages, the overall rate of β-cell proliferation declines. Transcriptomic analysis of βcells from young adult and older adult islets revealed that older cells display an inflammatory signature. Transgenic reporter line for inflammatory NF-kB activity showed that β-cells of younger islets display varying levels of NF-kB activity, which becomes homogenous in older β-cells. Furthermore, the cells with higher NF-kB-activity proliferate less compared to their neighbors with lower activity. Specifically, younger NF-kB cells upregulate socs2, a negative regulator of proliferation that is also enriched in older β-cells. Interestingly, activated macrophages were observed infiltrating the islet during late juvenile stages, thus pointing to an important role of the microenvironment in activation of inflammatory signature in the islet. Overall, this study shows that cells of different ages co-exist within the same microorgan. This age-related cellular heterogeneity governs the rate of proliferation of the tissue. The loss of cellular heterogeneity with age reduces the proliferative pool of the tissue. Finally, the expression of inflammatory NF-kB activity acts as a marker of this loss of proliferative heterogeneity.
Propensity Score Analysis Comparing Survival Between De nitive Chemoradiotherapy and Esophagectomy with Adjuvant Chemoradiotherapy in Patients with Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Yi Lin Chang Changhua Christian Hospital Ya Fu Cheng Changhua Christian Hospital Hui Shan Chen Chang Jung Christian University Siao Chi Wu National Yang Ming University Wei Heng Hung Changhua Christian Hospital Heng Chung Chen Changhua Christian Hospital Chang Lun Huang Changhua Christian Hospital Ching Yuan Cheng Changhua Christian Hospital Bing Yen Wang (  156283@cch.org.tw ) Changhua Christian Hospital
Increased von Willebrand Factor Processing in COPD, Re ﬂ ecting Lung Epithelium Damage, Is Associated with Emphysema, Exacerbations and Elevated Mortality Risk

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is characterized by chronic in ﬂ ammation and lung tissue deterioration. Given the high vascularity of the lung, von Willebrand factor (VWF), a central component of wound healing initiation, has previously been assessed in COPD. VWF processing, which is crucial for regulating the primary response of wound healing, has not been assessed directly. Therefore, this study aimed to characterize wound healing initiation in COPD using dynamic VWF-processing biomarkers and to evaluate how these relate to disease severity and mortality. Methods: A cross-sectional analysis of plasma samples from the ECLIPSE study collected at year 1 from moderate to very severe COPD subjects (GOLD 2 – 4, n=984) was performed. We applied competitive neo-epitope ELISAs speci ﬁ cally targeting the formation of and ADAMTS13-processed form of VWF, VWF-N and VWF-A, respectively. Results: VWF-A and VWF-N were signi ﬁ cantly increased (VWF-N, p=0.01; VWF-A, p=0.0001) in plasma of symptomatic (mMRC score ≥ 2) compared to asymptomatic/mild symptomatic COPD subjects. Increased VWF-N and VWF-A levels were speci ﬁ cally associated with emphysema (VWF-N, p<0.0001) or prior exacerbations (VWF-A, p=0.01). When dichotomized, high levels of both biomarkers were associated with increased risk of all-cause mortality (VWF-N, HR 3.5; VWF-A, HR 2.64). Conclusion: We demonstrate that changes in VWF processing were related to different pathophysiological aspects of COPD. VWF-N relates to the chronic condition of emphysema, while VWF-A was associated with the more acute events of exacerbations. This study indicates that VWF-A and VWF-N may be relevant markers for characterization of disease phenotype and are associated with mortality in COPD.
Interaction of Neurohumoral and Renal Mechanisms

Circulation Research is available at http://circres.ahajournals. org DOI: 10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.116. 305697 Abstract: Excess weight gain, especially when associated with increased visceral adiposity, is a major cause of hypertension, accounting for 65% to 75% of the risk for human primary (essential) hypertension. Increased renal tubular sodium reabsorption impairs pressure natriuresis and plays an important role in initiating obesity hypertension. The mediators of abnormal kidney function and increased blood pressure during development of obesity hypertension include (1) physical compression of the kidneys by fat in and around the kidneys, (2) activation of the renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system, and (3) increased sympathetic nervous system activity. Activation of the renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system is likely due, in part, to renal compression, as well as sympathetic nervous system activation. However, obesity also causes mineralocorticoid receptor activation independent of aldosterone or angiotensin II. The mechanisms for sympathetic nervous system activation in obesity have not been fully elucidated but may require leptin and activation of the brain melanocortin system. With prolonged obesity and development of target organ injury, especially renal injury, obesity-associated hypertension becomes more difficult to control, often requiring multiple antihypertensive drugs and treatment of other risk factors, including dyslipidemia, insulin resistance and diabetes mellitus, and inflammation. Unless effective antiobesity drugs are developed, the effect of obesity on hypertension and related cardiovascular, renal and metabolic disorders is likely to become even more important in the future as the prevalence of obesity continues to increase. (Circ Res. 2015;116:991-1006. DOI: 10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.116.305697.)
t → cg and t → cZ in universal extra-dimensional models

In this work we perform a complete one-loop calculation of the ﬂavor-changing top quark decays t → cg and t → cZ in the universal extra-dimensional models. We ﬁnd that the branching ratios of these decays in the minimal scenario remain unaltered from the Standard Model expectations for currently allowed values of the inverse compactiﬁcation radius. In the non-minimal setup, the branching ratios can be enhanced from the Standard Model due to the presence of boundary localized terms which modify the mass spectrum and couplings in the theory in a non-trivial way. We also check the compatibility of the parameter choices that result in enhancements in these rare decays with other experimental observations
AREGU December 46/6

Harrison, A. P., and J. A. Flatman. Measurement of force and both surface and deep M wave properties in isolated rat soleus muscles. Am. J. Physiol. 277 (Regulatory Integrative Comp. Physiol. 46): R1646–R1653, 1999. —In isolated soleus muscles of 4-wk-old rats, M wave parameters were recorded with surface and deep recording electrodes and examined in relation to both twitch and tetanic force. Addition of ouabain (1025 M for 16 min) to isolated muscles caused an ,40% decrease in twitch amplitude and area (P , 0.01) that was associated with a 98% decrease in surface M wave amplitude, a 78% decrease in deep M wave amplitude (both P , 0.001), a 98% decrease in surface M wave area (P , 0.01), 48% of which occurred within 60 s of addition of ouabain (P , 0.05), and a 55% decrease in deep M wave area (P , 0.05). The decrease in twitch parameters on addition of ouabain was most closely correlated with deep M wave area (r 5 0.92). Direct tetanic stimulation at a frequency of 30 Hz resulted in an initial potentiation of M waves, which was not seen at a frequency of 90 Hz. Instead, 90 Hz stimulation resulted in a prompt decrease in tetanic force that was correlated with a decrease in both deep M wave amplitude (r 5 0.94; P , 0.01) and deep M wave area (r 5 0.96; P , 0.01). It is concluded that simultaneous surface and deep recordings involving area and amplitude are fundamental to analysis of the effects of pharmacological agents on muscle performance and the use of M waves as predictors of muscle excitability.
Tuberculosis in children and adults: two distinct genetic diseases

Disseminated disease in children and pulmonary disease in adults constitute two major epidemiological and clinical forms of tuberculosis. Paradoxically, only a small fraction of infected individuals develop clinical tuberculosis, typically one form of the disease or the other. Mendelian and complex genetic predispositions to tuberculosis were reported recently in children and adults, respectively. Here, we argue that tuberculosis and its clinical expression largely reflect the underlying human genetic background.
Smart Interfaces at ESTIA, zer da hori?

—Smart Interfaces at ESTIA, what is that (zer da hori in the local basque language) ? Smart Interfaces for Engineering is one of the topics of the iaria conference at Venice. This notion emerged as a unifying research theme at the engineering school ESTIA at the end of the year 2014, after several years of common work between researchers in Sciences and Technology and researchers in Management Sciences. There is a good ﬂow of papers on various aspects of smart interfaces, but it is not easy to ﬁnd in the literature a global approach to this notion. The purpose of this paper is to contribute tio ﬁll this gap. In section 2 we give some historical background, going back to the Macy Conferences and the Palo Alto group, to Levins equation and Action Research, and to Edgar Morins approach to complexity. In section 3 we analyze several recent thesis at ESTIA and show how the notion of smart interfaces for engineering appears on topics as different as, for example, ﬂight critical systems, isolated rural microgrids and the Lean approaches in corporate management. We hope that this survey will contribute to the stucturation of Smart Interfaces for Engineering as a branch of modern research.
Evidence for active upper mantle flow in the Atlantic and Indo-Australian realms since the Upper Jurassic from hiatus maps and spreading rate changes

Histories of large-scale horizontal and vertical lithosphere motion hold important information on mantle convection. Here, we compare continent-scale hiatus maps as a proxy for mantle flow induced dynamic topography and plate motion variations in the Atlantic and Indo-Australian realms since the Upper Jurassic, finding they frequently correlate, except when plate boundary forces may play a significant role. This correlation agrees with descriptions of asthenosphere flow beneath tectonic plates in terms of Poiseuille/Couette flow, as it explicitly relates plate motion changes, induced by evolving basal shear forces, to non-isostatic vertical motion of the lithosphere. Our analysis reveals a timescale, on the order of a geological series, between the occurrence of continent-scale hiatus and plate motion changes. This is consistent with the presence of a weak upper mantle. It also shows a spatial scale for interregional hiatus, on the order of 2000–3000 km in diameter, which can be linked by fluid dynamic analysis to active upper mantle flow regions. Our results suggest future studies should pursue large-scale horizontal and vertical lithosphere motion in combination, to track the expressions of past mantle flow. Such studies would provide powerful constraints for adjoint-based geodynamic inverse models of past mantle convection.
Replacement of Cement by Fly Ash in Concrete

From the very beginning of the nineteenth century,it has been come to light that Fly Ash may substitute cement in concrete industry. It may be mentioned here that Fly Ash amounting to 15% to 25 % by mass has been used as cementitious material in concrete. The compressive strength of concrete was examined by replacing different proportions of cement with Fly Ash. However, the actual amount to be used mainly depends on the properties of Fly Ash, methods of applications as well as the Geographic location and climatic condition of the area concerned. A various numbers of research works in regards to use Fly Ash as additive in cement, admixture, n concrete and cement replacement material were done. But most of the research works were related to few percentages of cement replacement for the concrete of lower grades.In this context, an experiment is carried out to examine the effects of Fly Ash on compressive strength of different high grade concrete for different quantity of Fly Ash, taking into account different curing periods. An investigation has also been conducted to examine the effects of Fly Ash on mechanical properties of fresh and hardened concrete by mixing different grades of concrete with varying percentage of Fly Ash. The compressive strength of concrete was measured by 7, 28 and 60 days and the compaction factor was taken from the measurement of workability. Considering the different rate and strength as parameters a comparative study has been conducted . By replacing different proportions of cement with Fly Ash ,the compressive strength of cement has been checked and the results have been found effective and applicable. This paper analyses vividly the effects of Fly Ash as partial replacement of cement in concrete and to ascertain the use of optimum quantity of Fly Ash for different qualities of concrete which will be acceptable , applicable and economical. Here it is also explained the variation in compressive strength of different qualities of concrete at different percentage of Fly Ash at various curing periods.
Effects of graphene on the mechanical properties of AlSi10Mg melted by SLM

Graphene(GNPs) aluminum matrix composites have been widely used in transportation, aerospace, energy and power fields due to their high strength, good wear resistance and small thermal expansion coefficient. In this paper, AlSi10Mg-(0,0.5,1.0,2.0,4.0wt.%)graphene composite powders were prepared by vacuum mechanical milling, and then high quality composites were fabricated by selective laser melting(SLM). The SLM process of the composites was optimized, the microstructure and mechanical properties of AlSi10Mg-(0,0.5,1.0,2.0,4.0wt.%) graphene composites were analyzed. The results of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy(EDS) and X-ray diffraction(XRD) showed, with the addition of graphene, the microstructure and mechanical properties of the samples are greatly affected. This benign change in the microscopic level has brought the improvement of mechanical properties to the sample.
RG100204, A Novel Aquaporin-9 Inhibitor, Reduces Septic Cardiomyopathy and Multiple Organ Failure in Murine Sepsis

Sepsis is caused by systemic infection and is a major health concern as it is the primary cause of death from infection. It is the leading cause of mortality worldwide and there are no specific effective treatments for sepsis. Gene deletion of the neutral solute channel Aquaporin 9 (AQP9) normalizes oxidative stress and improves survival in a bacterial endotoxin induced mouse model of sepsis. In this study we described the initial characterization and effects of a novel small molecule AQP9 inhibitor, RG100204, in a cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) induced model of polymicrobial infection. In vitro, RG100204 blocked mouse AQP9 H2O2 permeability in an ectopic CHO cell expression system and abolished the LPS induced increase in superoxide anion and nitric oxide in FaO hepatoma cells. Pre-treatment of CLP-mice with RG100204 (25 mg/kg p.o. before CLP and then again at 8 h after CLP) attenuated the hypothermia, cardiac dysfunction (systolic and diastolic), renal dysfunction and hepatocellular injury caused by CLP-induced sepsis. Post-treatment of CLP-mice with RG100204 also attenuated the cardiac dysfunction (systolic and diastolic), the renal dysfunction caused by CLP-induced sepsis, but did not significantly reduce the liver injury or hypothermia. The most striking finding was that oral administration of RG100204 as late as 3 h after the onset of polymicrobial sepsis attenuated the cardiac and renal dysfunction caused by severe sepsis. Immunoblot quantification demonstrated that RG100204 reduced activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome pathway. Moreover, myeloperoxidase activity in RG100204 treated lung tissue was reduced. Together these results indicate that AQP9 may be a novel drug target in polymicrobial sepsis.