Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Pulling Up by the Causal Bootstraps: Causal Data Augmentation for Pre-training Debiasing

Machine learning models achieve state-of-the-art performance on many supervised learning tasks. However, prior evidence suggests that these models may learn to rely on "shortcut" biases or spurious correlations (intuitively, correlations that do not hold in the test as they hold in train) for good predictive performance. Such models cannot be trusted in deployment environments to provide accurate predictions. While viewing the problem from a causal lens is known to be useful, the seamless integration of causation techniques into machine learning pipelines remains cumbersome and expensive. In this work, we study and extend a causal pre-training debiasing technique called causal bootstrapping (CB) under five practical confounded-data generation-acquisition scenarios (with known and unknown confounding). Under these settings, we systematically investigate the effect of confounding bias on deep learning model performance, demonstrating their propensity to rely on shortcut biases when these biases are not properly accounted for. We demonstrate that such a causal pre-training technique can significantly outperform existing base practices to mitigate confounding bias on real-world domain generalization benchmarking tasks. This systematic investigation underlines the importance of accounting for the underlying data-generating mechanisms and fortifying data-preprocessing pipelines with a causal framework to develop methods robust to confounding biases.
Deep Dive into Semi-Supervised ELBO for Improving Classification Performance

Decomposition of the evidence lower bound (ELBO) objective of VAE used for density estimation revealed the deﬁciency of VAE for representation learning and suggested ways to improve the model. In this paper, by decomposing the ELBO speciﬁcally for semisupervised VAE, we address two problems that were not explored previously. Speciﬁcally, we show that mutual information between input and class labels decreases during maximization of semi-supervised ELBO objective. We also point out that semisupervised VAE deviates from cluster assumption during optimization. We propose methods to address both the issues. Experiments on diverse datasets verify that our method can be used to improve the classiﬁcation performance of existing VAE based semisupervised models. Experiments also show that, this can be achieved without sacriﬁcing the generative power of the model.
Active readout-error mitigation

Mitigating errors is a signiﬁcant challenge for near term quantum computers. One of the most important sources of errors is related to the readout of the quantum state into a classical bit stream. A variety of techniques have been proposed to mitigate these errors with post-hoc corrections. We propose a complementary scheme to actively reduce readout errors on a shot-by-shot basis by encoding single qubits, immediately prior to readout, into multi-qubit states. The computational resources of our technique are independent of the circuit depth and are compatible with the error rates and connectivity of many current devices. We analyze the potential of our approach using two types of error-correcting codes and, as a proof of principle, demonstrate an 80% improvement in readout error on the IBMQ Mumbai quantum computer.
MBDF-Net: Multi-Branch Deep Fusion Network for 3D Object Detection

Point clouds and images could provide complementary information when representing 3D objects. Fusing the two kinds of data usually helps to improve the detection results. However, it is challenging to fuse the two data modalities, due to their different characteristics and the interference from the non-interest areas. To solve this problem, we propose a Multi-Branch Deep Fusion Network (MBDF-Net) for 3D object detection. The proposed detector has two stages. In the first stage, our multi-branch feature extraction network utilizes Adaptive Attention Fusion (AAF) modules to produce cross-modal fusion features from single-modal semantic features. In the second stage, we use a region of interest (RoI) -pooled fusion module to generate enhanced local features for refinement. A novel attention-based hybrid sampling strategy is also proposed for selecting key points in the downsampling process. We evaluate our approach on two widely used benchmark datasets including KITTI and SUN-RGBD. The experimental results demonstrate the advantages of our method over state-of-the-art approaches.
Cross correlation mediated by Majorana island with finite charging energy

Based on the many-particle-number-state treatment for transport through a pair of Majorana zero modes (MZMs) which are coupled to the leads via two quantum dots, we identify that the reason for zero cross correlation of currents at uncoupling limit between the MZMs is from a degeneracy of the teleportation and the Andreev process channels. We then propose a scheme to eliminate the degeneracy by introducing finite charging energy on the Majorana island which allows for coexistence of the two channels. We find nonzero cross correlation established even in the Majorana uncoupling limit (and also in the small charging energy limit), which demonstrates well the teleportation or nonlocal nature of the MZMs. More specifically, the characteristic structure of coherent peaks in the power spectrum of the cross correlation is analyzed to identify the nonlocal and coherent coupling mechanism between the MZMs and the quantum dots. We also display the behaviors of peak shift with variation of the Majorana coupling energy, which can be realized by modulating parameters such as the magnetic field.
Variety of fractional Laplacians

This paper is a survey of recent results on comparison of various fractional Laplacians prepared for Proceedings of ICM2022. Fractional Laplacians (FLs for the brevity) and equations with them have been actively studied in last decades throughout the world in various fields of mathematics (Analysis, Partial Differential Equations, Theory of Random Processes) and its applications (Physics, Biology). Hundreds of articles have been written on this topic. Note that the study of such operators and equations is complicated not only by the fact of nonlocality itself, but also by existence of several nonequivalent definitions of fractional Laplacian. Historically the first FL was the fractional Laplacian of order s > 0 in R defined (say, on the Schwartz class S(Rn)) as (−∆)u := F ( |ξ|Fu(ξ) ) , where F is the Fourier transform Fu(ξ) = 1 (2π) n 2 ∫
Solving Viewing Graph Optimization for Simultaneous Position and Rotation Registration

A viewing graph is a set of unknown camera poses, as the vertices, and the observed relative motions, as the edges. Solving the viewing graph is an essential step in a Structure-from-Motion procedure, where a set of relative motions is obtained from a collection of 2D images. Almost all methods in the literature solve for the rotations separately, through rotation averaging process, and use them for solving the positions. Obtaining positions is the challenging part because the translation observations only tell the direction of the motions. It becomes more challenging when the set of edges comprises pairwise translation observations between either near and far cameras. In this paper an iterative method is proposed that overcomes these issues. Also a method is proposed which obtains the rotations and positions simultaneously. Experimental results show the-state-of-the-art performance of the proposed methods.
Spinal cord stimulation: a real-world data analysis on outcomes and differences between rechargeable and non-rechargeable implantable pulse generators

Objective In this analysis, we examined differences between rechargeable and non-rechargeable spinal cord stimulation (SCS) devices in patients with pain. Methods We conducted a retrospective, longitudinal claims data analysis using a German research database comprising 5 million statutory insured patients (2012–2017). Outcomes of demographics, patient pathways, and health care resource utilization (HCRU) in patients with initial SCS were collected. Results Of 150 patients in the database, 73 (49%) received a rechargeable device and 77 (51%) a non-rechargeable device. The average age was 62.5 years (51% female and 49% male patients). A significant decrease over a 3-year follow-up was observed in analgesic prescriptions (−18%), number of patient visits to a physician, and number of patients who were hospitalized. HCRU-related figures for patients with non-rechargeable neurostimulators increased in the last follow-up year whereas the group receiving rechargeable neurostimulators showed a steady decrease. Conclusions SCS seems to be an effective way for patients with chronic pain to decrease pain and improve quality of life. Rechargeable devices seem to be superior to non-rechargeable devices owing to greater longevity and were found to be associated with continuous reduction of pain diagnoses, hospitalization, physician visits, and use of pain medication in our study.
Optimal control of flows of viscoelastic semi-compressible fluids

Semilinear parabolic systems with bi-linear nonlinearities cover a lot of applications and their optimal control leads to relatively simple optimality conditions. An example is the incompressible Navier-Stokes system for homogeneous fluids, which is however here modified towards a physically reasonable model of slightly (so-called “semi”) compressible liquids rather than fully compressible gases. An optimal control problem optimizing also pressure on the boundary is considered and, in the simple variant, analysed as far as uniqueness of the control-to-state mapping and 1st-order optimality conditions in the 2-dimensional case and outlined in a nonsimple variant for the 3-dimensional case. Some other bi-linear parabolic systems as Cahn-Hilliard diffusion or magneto-hydrodynamics can be treated analogously.
Beyond Value Iteration for Parity Games: Strategy Iteration with Universal Trees

Parity games have witnessed several new quasi-polynomial algorithms since the breakthrough result of Calude et al. (STOC 2017). The combinatorial object underlying these approaches is a universal tree, as identified by Czerwi\'nski et al. (SODA 2019). By providing a quasi-polynomial lower bound on the size of universal trees, they have highlighted a barrier that must be overcome by all existing approaches to attain polynomial running time. This is due to the existence of worst case instances which force these algorithms to explore a large portion of the tree. As an attempt to overcome this barrier, we propose a strategy iteration framework which can be applied on any universal tree. It is at least as fast as its value iteration counterparts, while allowing one to take bigger leaps in the universal tree. Our main technical contribution is an efficient method for computing the least fixed point of 1-player games. This is achieved via a careful adaptation of shortest path algorithms to the setting of ordered trees. By plugging in the universal tree of Jurdzi\'nski and Lazi\'c (LICS 2017), or the Strahler universal tree of Daviaud et al. (ICALP 2020), we obtain instantiations of the general framework that take time $O(mn^2\log n\log d)$ and $O(mn^2\log^3 n \log d)$ respectively per iteration.
Coffee consumption, health benefits and side effects: a narrative review and update for dietitians and nutritionists

Abstract Coffee is one of the most popular beverages worldwide; however, its impact on health outcomes and adverse effects is not fully understood. The current review aims to establish an update about the benefits of coffee consumption on health outcomes highlighting its side effects, and finally coming up with an attempt to provide some recommendations on its doses. A literature review using the PubMed/Medline database was carried out and the data were summarized by applying a narrative approach using the available evidence based on the literature. The main findings were the following: first, coffee may contribute to the prevention of inflammatory and oxidative stress-related diseases, such as obesity, metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes; second, coffee consumption seems to be associated with a lower incidence of several types of cancer and with a reduction in the risk of all-cause mortality; finally, the consumption of up to 400 mg/day (1–4 cups per day) of caffeine is safe. However, the time gap between coffee consumption and some drugs should be taken into account in order to avoid interaction. However, most of the data were based on cross-sectional or/and observational studies highlighting an association of coffee intake and health outcomes; thus, randomized controlled studies are needed in order to identify a causality link.
Synthesis and properties of Ni x /Au 1−x nanotubes

This work is dedicated to methods of obtaining Au, Ni, and Ni/Au nanotubes by template synthesis using polymer membranes, by sequential chemical and electrochemical deposition of nanotubes. Additionally in the paper their morphological and structural properties, as well as the reactivity of nanotubes have been studied in different environments. It is found that in contrast to Ni and Au nanotubes, in Ni/Au nanotubes there is the preferential texture direction (111), confirming the assumption that the preferential Ni/Au nanotube growth is along the pore walls of template.
Reasons for the differences in biotransformation of conjugated linoleic acid by Lactobacillus plantarum.

Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) has attracted a great deal of attention for its functions in losing weight, regulating metabolism, and antioxidant capabilities. Many microorganisms, including rumen bacteria, propionic acid bacilli, and Lactobacillus, have CLA biotransformation ability. The CLA production capability of different species is different, as are those different strains of the same species. However, the reasons for this discrepancy remain unclear. In this study, 14 strains of Lactobacillus plantarum were found, through gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis, to be capable of converting linoleic acid to CLA. The transcriptional levels of CLA-related genes in the high- (AR195, WCFS1, and AR488) and low-yield strains (AR176, AR269, and AR611) were analyzed using real-time quantitative PCR. The transcriptional levels of cla-hy, cla-dh, and cla-dc in AR195 were the lowest in the exponential phase, but it had the highest CLA yield. Correlation analysis showed no correlation between CLA yield and the transcription level of these genes in the exponential phase. The results showed that a high transcriptional level in the exponential phase of cla-hy, cla-dh, and cla-dc did not necessarily lead to high CLA production. Investigation of the transcription level in different growth phases showed that the CLA biotransformation abilities of Lactobacillus plantarum strains significantly depended on the transcriptional maintenance of cla-hy, cla-dh, and cla-dc. We observed a correlation between CLA production and increased levels of cla-hy transcription, but a prerequisite is needed: the transcription of cla-dh and cla-dc should be upregulated and maintained a high transcriptional level during the platform period. This study provides a new strategy for screening high CLA-producing strains. It also lays a theoretical foundation for regulating CLA biotransformation and increasing the yield of CLA.
PLASTIC AND RECONSTRUCTIVE SURGERY Skin tumour specimen shrinkage with excision and formalin fixation—how much and why: a prospective study and discussion of the literature

Background: Surgical skin specimens are known to undergo significant shrinkage when excised and processed. The degree of shrinkage is important for medical care, research and third-party assessment. Studies to date have shown variable degrees of shrinkage. Most have included multiple and sometimes unspecified variables—different surgeons, varied sites, ill-defined excision patterns and/or multiple pathologies. This study tries to exclude many of these variables to try to ascertain a more accurate predictor of shrinkage with a single surgeon, lower limb only site using a controlled excision pattern and restricted pathology cohort. Method: 100 previously untreated malignant BCC’s and SCC’s on the lower limb were excised and measurements made of the resulting wound and the specimen removed. Measurements were subsequently made after pathologic processing and statistically compared. Results: With excision of lower limb skin tumours the surgical defect enlarges significantly (15%) and the specimen shrinks significantly (20%) in both length (12%) and width (9%). The specimen shrinks a further 11%—again shrinking in length (8%) and width (2.6%) with formalin processing. The pathology specimen is 28.6% smaller than the specimen marked for excision. Anatomical site contributes to the degree of shrinkage. The pathologic specimen is only 75% of the suture repaired wound length. Conclusions: Skin specimens shrink significantly both with excision and processing. Most shrinkage (70%) takes place with excision while the remaining 30% with processing. The shrinkage takes place disproportionately in the normal tissue component of the specimen. Age, anatomical location, and pathology appear to play a part.
MEX3D is an oncogenic driver in prostate cancer

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most common visceral malignancy and the second leading cause of cancer deaths in US men. The two most common genetic alterations in PCa are expression of the TMPRSS2/ERG (TE) fusion gene and loss of the PTEN tumor suppressor. These genetic alterations act cooperatively to transform prostatic epithelium but the exact mechanisms involved are unclear.
Preface: Cholinergic mechanisms

This special issue of the Journal of Neurochemistry, entitled “Cholinergic Mechanisms,” presents 15 reviews and two original papers, which have been selected to cover the broad spectrum of topics and disciplines presented at the XVIth International Symposium on Cholinergic Mechanisms (ISCM‐XVI), ranging from the molecular and the cellular to the clinical and the cognitive mechanisms of cholinergic transmission. The authors discuss recent developments in the field, for instance, the association of cholinergic transmission with a number of important neurological and neuromuscular diseases in the central and peripheral nervous systems.
Chitosan-carboxymethylcellulose based microcapsules formulation for controlled release of active ingredients from cosmeto textile

Chitosan-based emulsions were prepared at pH from 4.0 to 6.0. The zeta potential and droplet size were monitored at different pH. Double emulsions (wateroil- water) were observed due to the stiff conformation of chitosan at pH 4.0. At pH 5.0, the emulsion droplets were the smallest (2.9 μm) of the experimental pH range. The emulsion droplets were well dispersed due to high surface charge of chitosan (for example, +50 mV at pH 5.5) in entire pH range. The emulsion was treated with carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) for neutralizing the charged chitosan on the surface of emulsion droplets. Above 10×10−2 mg/ml of CMC, no change in zeta potential was observed indicating no more free chitosan existed after neutralization with CMC. The emulsion was then crosslinked with different amount of glutaraldehyde. Upon increasing the amount of glutaraldehyde, the amount of core content inside the microcapsule and encapsulation efficiency of shell materials decreased gradually. The Dynamic Scanning Calorimetry data confirmed no interaction between core and shell material in the microencapsulation process. The thermal degradation of the microcapsules was examined by thermogravimetric analysis and a gradual decrease in the degradation temperature upon increasing glutaraldehyde concentration was found. The tuning of CMC concentration can provide valuable information regarding stable emulsion and efficient microcapsule formulation via coacervation.
Global research hotspots and research trends on idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: a bibliometric and visualization analysis.

BACKGROUND Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a life-threatening disease, the progression of which current drug therapy cannot reverse. This study analyzed current research hotspots and future research trends in IPF through bibliometric methods, with the aim of providing a reference for new therapeutic strategies. METHODS Publications on IPF obtained from the Web of Science Core Collection database, The Literature Metrology Online Analysis Platform, and CiteSpace were used to analyze publication characteristics. VOSviewer was used to conduct keywords co-occurrence analysis and analyze research hotspots. RESULTS A total of 7,016 publications related to IPF were identified from 2011 to 2020. The most contributions were from the USA and the five research institutions with the largest number of publications were all from that country. The American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine was the most cited journal and had an incontrovertible academic impact with five of the top 10 high-cited references published in this journal. G Raghu was the academic authority in this domain in terms of both the number of publications and the most citations. By analyzing keywords, we identified three IPF research hotspot clusters, which are "clinical research", "pathogenesis research" and "diagnosis research" respectively. DISCUSSION We evaluated all publications concerning IPF research in the past decade through bibliometric analysis. The current research hotspot in this field is drug therapy for the condition using nintedanib and pirfenidone. Future research will focus on conducting multi-center randomized controlled trials to explore and evaluate new therapeutic drugs for IPF. It is hoped that this study can provide information and data support for further research and the development of new therapeutic drugs.
A Randomized Trial of Brief Online Interventions to Facilitate Treatment Seeking for Social Anxiety

This study developed and evaluated a brief, single-session online intervention designed to facilitate treatment seeking among adults with clinically significant social anxiety (SA) symptoms, who generally seek treatment at exceptionally low rates. Adults (N = 267) reporting significant SA symptoms were recruited online and randomized to a brief, single-session online intervention: Education consisted of brief psychoeducation and treatment resources, or Education+Motivation which added treatment seeking-focused motivational content adapted from Motivational Interviewing and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. Attitudes, intentions, perceived control, and treatment seeking were assessed at Pre, Post, and 1-month follow-up (FU). Both interventions were feasible (90% completion) and improved all outcomes. At FU, 70% reported engaging in one or more SA treatment-seeking behaviors. Education+Motivation was more effective than Education at improving treatment-seeking attitudes and behaviors. A brief online intervention with educational and motivational content is a promising direction for promoting treatment seeking for adults with SA symptoms.
Helios represses megakaryocyte priming in hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells

The mechanism controlling lineage commitment in early hematopoiesis is unclear. Cova et al. show that the Helios transcription factor is required to actively suppress megakaryocyte priming in hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells, which contributes to increased stem cell pluripotency and lymphoid commitment.