A Robust Adaptive Stochastic Gradient Method for Deep Learning

Stochastic gradient algorithms are the main focus of large-scale optimization problems and led to important successes in the recent advancement of the deep learning algorithms. The convergence of SGD depends on the careful choice of learning rate and the amount of the noise in stochastic estimates of the gradients. In this paper, we propose an adaptive learning rate algorithm, which utilizes stochastic curvature information of the loss function for automatically tuning the learning rates. The information about the element-wise curvature of the loss function is estimated from the local statistics of the stochastic first order gradients. We further propose a new variance reduction technique to speed up the convergence. In our experiments with deep neural networks, we obtained better performance compared to the popular stochastic gradient algorithms.Comment: IJCNN 2017 Accepted Paper, An extension of our paper, "ADASECANT: Robust Adaptive Secant Method for Stochastic Gradient

Public Health Crises and Abortion: The Need for a Reinterpretation of the Helm\u27s Amendment\u27s

Globally, there has been a significant backsliding in reproductive rights for women, encouraged, in part, by the implementation of anti-choice U.S. foreign policies. Specifically, the Helms Amendment to the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 prohibits the use of U.S. foreign aid money to \u27pay for the performance of abortions as a method of family planning or to motivate or coerce any person to practice abortions.\u27 This Comment focuses particularly on the effect its provisions have on the response to the Zika virus in Latin America. One of the emerging harms of the existing interpretation of the Helms Amendment is the threat that the policy poses toward infectious disease prevention efforts in Latin America. Instead, Congress and executive agencies, like USAID, should interpret the text of the Helms Amendment narrowly, applying it to prevent abortion services only in true instances where abortion is used as a substitute for family planning

A comparative analysis of selected Java Script frameworks in the context of web applications on the example of Angular and BackboneJS

The paper contains comparison between Angular and BackboneJS frameworks. For research purposes, two single page applications were created. Both providing the same functionalities. In this article such elements were examined and compared: time of loading elements, number lines of code, size of compiled application. community gathered around frameworks and time needed to create the application using frameworks. The obtained results did not indicate a solution that was clearly better to be used in single page applications

Implementation of explosion safety regulations in design of a mobile robot for coal mines

The article focuses on specific challenges of the design of a reconnaissance mobile robotic system aimed for inspection in underground coal mine areas after a catastrophic event. Systems that are designated for these conditions must meet specific standards and regulations. In this paper is discussed primarily the main conception of meeting explosion safety regulations of European Union 2014/34/EU (also called ATEX-from French "Appareils destines a etre utilises en ATmospheres Explosives") for Group I (equipment intended for use in underground mines) and Category M1 (equipment designed for operation in the presence of an explosive atmosphere). An example of a practical solution is described on main subsystems of the mobile robot TeleRescuera teleoperated robot with autonomy functions, a sensory subsystem with multiple cameras, three-dimensional (3D) mapping and sensors for measurement of gas concentration, airflow, relative humidity, and temperatures. Explosion safety is ensured according to the Technical Report CLC/TR 60079-33 "s" by two main independent protections-mechanical protection (flameproof enclosure) and electrical protection (automatic methane detector that disconnects power when methane breaches the enclosure and gets inside the robot body).Web of Science811art. no. 230

Surowica krwi od pacjentów z cukrzycową chorobą nerek wzmacnia ekspresję genu dla trombospondyny 1 w komórkach jednojądrzastych krwi obwodowej

Background. The thrombospondin 1 and cyclooxygenase1 genes were over-expressed and the matrixmetalloproteinase 9 and cyclooxygenase 2 geneshave lower expression in peripheral blood mononuclearcells (PBMC) of type 1 diabetic patients with diabetic kidney disease (DKD).The aim of the study wasto examine if the expression of those genes couldbe stimulate by incubating PBMC of healthy volunteersin blood serum of patients with DKD.Material and methods. Blood serum samples fromfive type 2 diabetic patients with DKD and five type2 diabetic patients without DKD were collected.PBMC of four healthy volunteers were incubated inblood serum of 5 type 2 diabetic patients with DKDand 5 without DKD. The expression of the thrombospondin1, cyclooxygenase 1, matrix metalloproteinase9 and cyclooxygenase 2 genes was examinedusing a method based on the real-time PCR. Theexpression was compared between cells incubated in blood serum of type 2 diabetic patients with andwithout DKD.Results. We observed a higher expression of thethrombospondin 1 gene in cells incubated in bloodserum of patients with DKD. The expression of othergenes did not differ between cells incubated in bloodserum of patients with and without DKD.Conclusions. Blood serum of type 2 diabetic patientswith DKD induces expression of thrombospondin 1gene in PBMC. Blood serum of type 2 diabetespatients with DKD may contain an intrinsic factorwhich may be involved in vascular complicationsaccelerated by DKD.Wstęp. Wykazano, że komórki jednojądrzaste krwiobwodowej u chorych na cukrzycę typu 1 z cukrzycową chorobą nerek charakteryzują się zwiększoną ekspresją genów dla trombospondyny 1 i cyklooksygenazy 1 oraz zmniejszoną ekspresją genów dla metaloproteinazy 9 i cyklooksygenazy 2. Celem badania było sprawdzenie, czy ekspresja tych genów może zostać zmieniona przez inkubację komórek jednojądrzastych krwi obwodowej od zdrowych ochotników w surowicy krwi chorych z cukrzycową chorobą nerek.Materiał i metody. Pobrano próbki surowicy krwi od 5 chorych na cukrzycę typu 2 z cukrzycową chorobą nerek oraz 5 chorych na cukrzycę typu 2 bez cukrzycowej choroby nerek. Komórki jednojądrzaste krwiobwodowej od 4 zdrowych ochotników były inkubowanew surowicy krwi od 5 chorych na cukrzycę typu 2 z cukrzycową chorobą nerek i 5 chorych bezcukrzycowej choroby nerek. Zbadano ekspresję genówdla trombospondyny 1, cyklooksygenazy 1, metaloproteinazy 9 i cyklooksygenazy 2, używając metody opartej na reakcji łańcuchowej polimerazy DNA z analizą ilości produktu w czasie rzeczywistym. Porównano ekspresję  genów pomiędzy komórkami inkubowanymi w surowicy krwi od chorych na cukrzycę typu 2 z i bez cukrzycowej choroby nerek.Wyniki. Stwierdzono większą ekspresję genu dla trombospondyny 1 w komórkach inkubowanych w surowicy chorych z cukrzycową chorobą nerek. Ekspresja pozostałych genów nie różniła się między komórkami inkubowanymi w surowicy od chorychz cukrzycową chorobą nerek i bez tej choroby.Wnioski. Surowica krwi od chorych na cukrzycę typu 2 z cukrzycową chorobą nerek powoduje wzrost ekspresjigenu dla trombospondyny 1 w komórkach jednojądrzastych krwi obwodowej. Surowica krwi odchorych na cukrzycę typu 2 z cukrzycową chorobą nerek może zawierać czynnik biorący udział w powikłaniach naczyniowych, których postęp jest szybszyprzy obecności cukrzycowej choroby nerek

Genetic variants in SLC9A9 gene coding for sodium/hydrogen exchanger 9 are not associated with diabetic kidney disease

Wstęp. W kilku niezależnych badaniach stwierdzono sprzężenie pomiędzy fragmentem chromosomu 3q22 a cukrzycową chorobą nerek. Kolejne badania nie były w stanie znaleźć polimorfizmu genetycznego zlokalizowanego na chromosomie 3q22, który wykazywałby związek z cukrzycową chorobą nerek i tłumaczyłby wcześniej stwierdzone sprzężenie. Gen SCL9A9 kodujący antyporter sodowo-protonowy izoformę 9 jest zlokalizowany w krytycznym regionie na chromosomie 3q22. Warianty genetyczne w genie SCL9A9 mogą być odpowiedzialne za odmienną kinetykę transportu sodowo-litowego obserwowanego w erytrocytach u chorych z cukrzycową chorobą nerek. Celem badania była analiza związku pomiędzy polimorfizmami genu SCL9A9 a cukrzycową chorobą nerek.Background. Several independent studies found a linkage between diabetic kidney disease and chromosome 3q22. Following studies were not able to found a genetic polymorphism in the chromosome 3q22 region which was associated with diabetic kidney disease and which could explain the observed linkage. The SCL9A9 gene coding for the sodium/hydrogen exchanger 9 is located in the critical region on chromosome 3q22. Genetic variants of the SCL9A9 gene might be involved in the abnormal kinetics of erythrocyte sodium-lithium countertransport observed in patients with diabetic kidney disease. The aim of the study was to check the association between genetic polymorphisms of the SCL9A9 gene and diabetic kidney disease. Material and methods. We collected 61 patients with diabetic kidney disease and 63 patients with normoalbuminuria after at least 15 years of known diabetes duration. Peripheral blood was drawn and DNA was extracted from leukocytes. Fragments of the SCL9A9 gene were amplified by PCR and digested by specific restriction enzymes. Altogether 3 polymorphisms were genotyped: rs17594058 in intron 1, rs7641634 in intron 2 and rs6763202 in exon 8. The genotype frequency was compared between patients with and without diabetic kidney disease. Results. There was no difference in the genotype frequency for analyzed polymorphisms in the SCL9A9 gene between patients with and without diabetic kidney disease. Conclusions. The genetic variants of the SCL9A9 gene localized in the critical region on chromosome 3q22 are not associated with diabetic kidney disease

Detailed radiological study of the patent ductus arteriosus: a computed tomography study in the Polish population

Background: The aim of the study was to perform qualitative and quantitative computed tomography (CT) angiography-based evaluation of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) morphology and its influence on morphology of the great vessels. Materials and methods: Two-thousand twenty-two patients underwent 64-slice or dual-source CT and were retrospectively screened for the presence of PDA. Those who had presence of PDA underwent evaluation of its anatomy and morphology. Results: Thirty-two adult patients with PDA were evaluated (mean age 41.4 ± 17.4 years). Subjects with PDA had a higher value of aortic isthmus (p = 0.0148), main pulmonary artery (p < 0.0001), right (p =0.0007) and left (p = 0.0074) pulmonary arteries diameters than individuals from control group (16 adults, median age 43.3 ± 12.4 years). Types A, B, C, D, and E of PDA morphology occurred in 16 (50%), 3 (9%), 9 (28%), 2 (6%), and 2 (6%) patients, respectively. Subjects with the type A configuration of PDA tended to have a larger diameter at the aortic orifice (10.2 ± 5.2 mm vs. 6.4 ± 4.9 mm, p = 0.09) and a larger maximal diameter (10.3 ± 5.3 mm vs. 7.1 ± 4.7 mm, p = 0.14) compared to subjects with the type C configuration. The values of minimal, mean, and maximal diameters of PDA were 4.7 ± 1.9 mm, 7.0 ± 3.2 mm, and 9.4 ± 5.0 mm, respectively. The Spearman correlation coefficient between the main pulmonary artery and PDA diameters demonstrated a good correlation for minimal (r = 0.70, p < 0.001), mean (r = 0.62, p = 001), and maximal (r = 0.60, p = 0.0003) PDA diameters. Conclusions: Computed tomography enables quantitative and qualitative evaluation of PDA, including its type of morphology, length, and diameters. In the evaluated adult population with PDA, the majority of patients had dilation of the aortic isthmus and pulmonary arteries. PDA diameters correlate with diameters of the pulmonary arteries and this correlation is strongest between PDA diameter at the narrowest site and main pulmonary artery