Like the figure below, rows indicate examples within minibatches for the same training steps. Columns represent time step within the mean fields inference process. For each example, we sample a subset of the data variables (shaded black) to serve as inputs to the inference process; then run the mean field inference process (arrows indicating the influence of variables). Dashed arrows indicate how the process could be unrolled for more steps. The grey nodes are the data variables that were not used as inputs to the inference process become targets.