Brenier approach for optimal transportation between a quasi-discrete measure and a discrete measure

Correctly estimating the discrepancy between two data distributions has always been an important task in Machine Learning. Recently, Cuturi proposed the Sinkhorn distance which makes use of an approximate Optimal Transport cost between two distributions as a distance to describe distribution discrepancy. Although it has been successfully adopted in various machine learning applications (e.g. in Natural Language Processing and Computer Vision) since then, the Sinkhorn distance also suffers from two unnegligible limitations. The first one is that the Sinkhorn distance only gives an approximation of the real Wasserstein distance, the second one is the `divide by zero' problem which often occurs during matrix scaling when setting the entropy regularization coefficient to a small value. In this paper, we introduce a new Brenier approach for calculating a more accurate Wasserstein distance between two discrete distributions, this approach successfully avoids the two limitations shown above for Sinkhorn distance and gives an alternative way for estimating distribution discrepancy

Evaluating American Sign Language Generation Through the Participation of Native ASL Signers

We discuss important factors in the design of evaluation studies for systems that generate animations of American Sign Language (ASL) sentences. In particular, we outline how some cultural and linguistic characteristics of members of the American Deaf community must be taken into account so as to ensure the accuracy of evaluations involving these users. Finally, we describe our implementation and user-based evaluation (by native ASL signers) of a prototype ASL generator to produce sentences containing classifier predicates, frequent and complex spatial phenomena that previous ASL generators have not produced

New insights into the reaction of tricalcium silicate (C3S) with solutions to the end of the induction period

Although dissolution theory is widely used, in certain circumstance, it seems to be unable to explain the hydration of C3S. In this article, more attention is paid to the nucleation of hydration products. We find that the precipitation of C-S-H is a nonclassical nucleation process. It starts with nucleation of primary particles and then grows by particle attachment. A sharp increase in the reaction rate after induction period may come from the accelerating growth rate of C-S-H instead of dissolution of etch pits. The duration of induction period relates to the size of primary floc. Potassium salts influence the primary globule floc size and mitigate the effect from Al. The pH impacts ion species in solution to affect the dissolution and precipitation. A hypothesis regarding the dissolution of C3S and nucleation of C-S-H within the near-surface region may narrow the gap between dissolution theory and protective layer theory

Darboux transformation for two component derivative nonlinear Schr\"odinger equation

In this paper, we consider the two component derivative nonlinear Schr\"{o}dinger equation and present a simple Darboux transformation for it. By iterating this Darboux transformation, we construct a compact representation for the $N-$soliton solutions.Comment: 12 pages, 2 figure

Root canals shaped by nickel-titanium instrumentation with automated computerized numerical control systems

Background: To investigate the efficacy of a nickel-titanium (NiTi) file with an automated computerized numerical control (CNC) system for root canal shaping. Methods: The movement of the automated device and the insertion angle were investigated. In Experiment 1, simulated resin root canals were randomly divided into four groups (n = 20): manual downward movement using a handpiece (Group 1), vertical downward movement by CNC (Group 2), reciprocating up and down movement by CNC (Group 3), and spiral up and down movement by CNC (Group 4). In Experiment 2, five different insertion angles of the NiTi file were evaluated (n = 20). Four parameters were used to evaluate the shaping ability: change in the working length, central axis offset, curvature variation, and preparation time. Groups were compared using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) with significance was set at P \u3c 0.05. Results: The change in central axis position in the curved part of the root canal was found to be smaller in Group 4 than in other groups (P \u3c 0.05). The curvature changes and preparation time of Groups 1 and 4 were significantly reduced compared with Groups 2 and 3 (P \u3c 0.05). The variation in working length and curvature in the 5° insertion angle group was significantly smaller than in the other groups (P \u3c 0.05). Conclusions: A spiral up and down movement, controlled by the CNC machine, and 5° insertion angle, maintained original root canal shape more precisely than other methods

Safety and efficacy of aspirin after combined cerebral revascularization for ischemic moyamoya disease: A prospective study

ObjectiveTo analyze the safety and efficacy of regular aspirin use after combined cerebral revascularization in patients with ischemic moyamoya disease.MethodsFrom December 2020 to October 2021, a total of 326 patients diagnosed with ischemic moyamoya disease by global cerebral angiography and undergoing first-time combined cerebral revascularization at the Moyamoya Disease Diagnosis and Treatment Research Center of our hospital were selected. Combined cerebral revascularization: superficial temporal artery-middle cerebral artery (STA-MCA) +encephalo-duro-myo-synangiosis (EDMS).Patients were screened by 2 senior physicians according to established inclusion/exclusion criteria. Patients were divided into aspirin and non-aspirin groups based on whether they received regular oral aspirin after surgery. A total of 133 patients were enrolled in the aspirin group. A total of 71 patients (204 cases) were enrolled in the non-aspirin group. Related data were collected before and 1 year after surgery and statistically analyzed to assess the prognosis of both groups.ResultsIn the two groups, the mRS Score was significantly different after one year (P = 0.023). TIA occurred in 26 patients (19.5%) in the aspirin group and 27 patients (38.0%) in the non-aspirin group within one year after surgery, and the difference between the two groups was statistically significant (P = 0.004). There was no significant difference in cerebral perfusion stage, the improvement rate of cerebral perfusion, Matsushima grading, bypass patency, and other complications within one year after the operation (P > 0.05).ConclusionsIn patients with ischemic moyamoya disease who underwent combined cerebral revascularization, postoperative administration of aspirin can reduce the incidence of TIA without increasing the risk of bleeding, but it can not significantly improve the cerebral perfusion of the operation side, Matsushima grading, and bypass patency

Raw Garlic Consumption and Risk of Liver Cancer: A Population-Based Case-Control Study in Eastern China.

Although the major risk factors for liver cancer have been established, preventive factors for liver cancer have not been fully explored. We evaluated the association between raw garlic consumption and liver cancer in a large population-based case-control study in Eastern China. The study was conducted in Jiangsu, China, from 2003 to 2010. A total of 2011 incident liver cancer cases and 7933 randomly selected population-controls were interviewed. Epidemiological data including raw garlic intake and other exposures were collected, and serum markers of hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection were assayed. Overall, eating raw garlic twice or more per week was inversely associated with liver cancer, with an adjusted odds ratio (aOR) of 0.77 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.62-0.96) compared to those ingesting no raw garlic or less than twice per week. In stratified analyses, high intake of raw garlic was inversely associated with liver cancer among Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) negative individuals, frequent alcohol drinkers, those having history of eating mold-contaminated food or drinking raw water, and those without family history of liver cancer. Marginal interactions on an additive scale were observed between low raw garlic intake and HBsAg positivity (attributable proportion due to interaction (AP) = 0.31, 95% CI: -0.01-0.62) and heavy alcohol drinking (AP = 0.28, 95% CI: 0.00-0.57). Raw garlic consumption is inversely associated with liver cancer. Such an association shed some light on the potential etiologic role of garlic intake on liver cancer, which in turn might provide a possible dietary intervention to reduce liver cancer in Chinese population

Carotid Intima-Media Thickness but Not Carotid Artery Plaque in Healthy Individuals Is Linked to Lean Body Mass.

Background Lean body mass has been identified as a key determinant of left ventricular mass and wall thickness. However, the importance of lean body mass or other body-size measures as normative determinants of carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT), a widely used early indicator of atherosclerosis, has not been well established. Methods and Results Carotid artery ultrasound measurements of cIMT and carotid artery plaque burden (derived from plaque number and maximum size) and measurements of body size, including height, body mass index, weight, body fat proportion, and lean body mass ([1-body fat proportion]×weight), were recorded in 25 020 participants from 10 regions of China. Analyses were restricted to a healthy younger subset (n=6617) defined as never or long-term ex-regular smokers aged <60 years (mean age, 50) without previous ischemic heart disease, stroke, diabetes mellitus, or hypertension and with plasma non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol <4 mmol/L. Among these 6617 participants, 86% were women (because most men smoked) and 9% had carotid artery plaque. In both women and men separately, lean body mass was strongly positively associated with cIMT, but was not associated with plaque burden: overall, each 10 kg higher lean body mass was associated with a 0.03 (95% CI, 0.03-0.04) mm higher cIMT (P=5×10-33). Fat mass, height, and other body-size measures were more weakly associated with cIMT. Conclusions The strong association of lean body mass with cIMT, but not with plaque burden, in healthy adults suggests a normative relationship rather than reflecting atherosclerotic pathology. Common mechanisms may underlie the associations of lean body mass with cIMT and with nonatherosclerotic vascular traits.This work was supported by the UK Medical Research Council (MRC_MC_U137686851, MRC_MC_U137686853); the British Heart Foundation (CH/1996001/9454); Cancer Research UK (C500/A16896); the Kadoorie Charitable Foundation (during 2002–2009); the Wellcome Trust (104085/Z/14/Z); and the Chinese National Natural Science Foundation (81390541)

A Refined Study of FCRL Genes from a Genome-Wide Association Study for Graves’ Disease

To pinpoint the exact location of the etiological variant/s present at 1q21.1 harboring FCRL1-5 and CD5L genes, we carried out a refined association study in the entire FCRL region in 1,536 patients with Graves’ disease (GD) and 1,516 sex-matched controls by imputation analysis, logistic regression, and cis-eQTL analysis. Among 516 SNPs with P<0.05 in the initial GWAS scan, the strongest signals associated with GD and correlated to FCRL3 expression were located at a cluster of SNPs including rs7528684 and rs3761959. And the allele-specific effects for rs3761959 and rs7528684 on FCRL3 expression level revealed that the risk alleles A of rs3761959 and C of rs7528684 were correlated with the elevated expression level of FCRL3 whether in PBMCs or its subsets, especially in $CD19^+$ B cells and $CD8^+$ T subsets. Next, the combined analysis with 5,300 GD cases and 4,916 control individuals confirmed FCRL3 was a susceptibility gene of GD in Chinese Han populations, and rs3761959 and rs7528684 met the genome-wide association significance level ($P_{combined}$ = 2.27×$10^{−12}$ and 7.11×$10^{−13}$, respectively). Moreover, the haplotypes with the risk allele A of rs3761959 and risk allele C of rs7528684 were associated with GD risk. Finally, our epigenetic analysis suggested the disease-associated C allele of rs7528684 increased affinity for NF-KB transcription factor. Above data indicated that FCRL3 gene and its proxy SNP rs7528684 may be involved in the pathogenesis of GD by excessive inhibiting B cell receptor signaling and the impairment of suppressing function of Tregs