Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Robotic Versus Laparoscopic Colorectal Surgery

Background: Robotic approaches have become increasingly used for colorectal surgery. The aim of this study is to examine the safety and efficacy of robotic colorectal procedures in an adult population. Study Design: A systematic review of articles in both PubMed and Embase comparing laparoscopic and robotic colorectal procedures was performed. Clinical trials and observational studies in an adult population were included. Approaches were evaluated in terms of operative time, length of stay, estimated blood loss, number of lymph nodes harvested, and perioperative complications. Mean net differences and odds ratios were calculated to examine treatment effect of each group. Results: Two hundred eighteen articles were identified, and 17 met the inclusion criteria, representing 4,342 patients: 920 robotic and 3,422 in the laparoscopic group. Operative time for the robotic approach was 38.849 minutes longer (95% confidence interval: 17.944 to 59.755). The robotic group had lower estimated blood loss (14.17 mL; 95% confidence interval: –27.63 to –1.60), and patients were 1.78 times more likely to be converted to an open procedure (95% confidence interval: 1.24 to 2.55). There was no difference between groups with respect to number of lymph nodes harvested, length of stay, readmission rate, or perioperative complication rate. Conclusions: The robotic approach to colorectal surgery is as safe and efficacious as conventional laparoscopic surgery. However, it is associated with longer operative time and an increased rate of conversion to laparotomy. Further prospective randomized controlled trials are warranted to examine the cost-effectiveness of robotic colorectal surgery before it can be adopted as the new standard of care.
Copilot - a Coprocessor-based Kernel Runtime Integrity Monitor

Copilot is a coprocessor-based kernel integrity monitor for commodity systems. Copilot is designed to detect malicious modifications to a host's kernel and has correctly detected the presence of 12 real-world rootkits, each within 30 seconds of their installation with less than a 1% penalty to the host's performance. Copilot requires no modifications to the protected host's software and can be expected to operate correctly even when the host kernel is thoroughly compromised - an advantage over traditional monitors designed to run on the host itself.
India's demographic and food prospects: state-level analysis.

This paper is a state-level analysis of India's demographic and food prospects. The first part of the paper that contains new population projections argues that future demographic growth will probably be a little less than estimated although the country's population will still go on to exceed 1.5 billion. The second part of the paper assesses the future demand for cereals and other foods in 2020 and concludes that the real production challenge relates to vegetables, fruit and milk.
Effect of Age on in Vitro Triazolam Biotransformation in Male Human Liver Microsomes

We studied age-related changes in enzyme kinetic parameters in human liver microsomes (HLMs) in vitro, using triazolam (TRZ), an index of CYP3A activity. HLMs were prepared from male livers from four age groups, n = 5 per group: A (14–20 years), B (21–40 years), C (41–60 years), and D (61–72 years). Mean Vmax values in groups B and C for both 1-hydroxytriazolam (1-OH-TRZ) and 4-hydroxy-triazolam (4-OH-TRZ) formation were significantly greater as compared with groups A and D individually, as well as the net intrinsic clearance (sum of the two pathways). The mean net intrinsic clearance (Clint) values were 25.2, 89.8, 78, and 20.6 nl/min/mg protein in A, B, C, and D, respectively. TRZ Clint correlated well with total CYP3A content (rs = 0.84; P < 0.0001). Testosterone (TST) inhibited 1-OH-TRZ formation and activated 4-OH-TRZ formation in all age groups, with no significant differences among the groups; this suggests that the drug-drug interaction potential using TRZ and TST as index CYP3A substrates may not change with age. Reduced Vmax and Clint for TRZ hydroxylation and CYP3A protein in livers from elderly men suggest reduced CYP3A gene expression in this group.
Template library for multi-GPU pseudorandom number recursion-based generators

The aim of the paper is to show how to design and implement fast parallel algorithms for Linear Congruential, Lagged Fibonacci and Wichmann-Hill pseudorandom number generators. The new algorithms employ the divide-and-conquer approach for solving linear recurrence systems. They are implemented on multi GPU-accelerated systems using CUDA. Numerical experiments performed on a computer system with two Fermi GPU cards show that our software achieve good performance in comparison to the widely used NVIDIA CURAND Library.
Time-series Analysis of Clusters in City Size Distributions

Complex systems, such as urban systems, emerge unpredictably without the influence of central control as a result of adaptive behaviour by their component, interacting agents. This paper analyses city size distributions, by decade, from the south-western region of the United States for the years 1890-1990. It determines if the distributions were clustered and documents changes in the pattern of clusters over time. Clusters were determined utilising a kernel density estimator and cluster analysis. The data were clustered as determined by both methods. The analyses identified 4-7 clusters of cities in each of the decades analysed. Cities cluster into size classes, suggesting variability in growth rates at different scales.
Agricultural Nonpoint Source Pollution Control in Theory and Practice

The theory of efficient policy instruments for agricultural pollution control has been evolving. Some new developments suggest that policies using financial incentives to encourage desirable farming practices are superior to those focusing on runoff directly or restrictions on farming practices. However, the theoretical models used to derive such results make assumptions about conditions that may not hold. As a result, implementation of the findings of such models is not necessarily routine. This article attempts to summarize these studies and interpret their implications for agricultural nonpoint source pollution control for the Chesapeake Bay.
Sum Rate Analysis of ZF Receivers in Distributed MIMO Systems

The performance of single-cell distributed multiple-input multiple-output (D-MIMO) systems is not only affected by small-scale Rayleigh fading but also from large-scale fading and path-loss. In this paper, we elaborate on the sum rate of D-MIMO systems employing linear zero-forcing receivers, accounting for both large and small-scale fading effects, as well as spatial correlation at the transmit side. In particular, we consider the classical lognormal model and propose closed-form upper and lower bounds on the achievable sum rate. Using these bounds as a starting point, we pursue a "large-system" analysis and provide asymptotic expressions when the number of antennas at the base station (BS) grow large, and when the number of antennas at both ends grow large with a fixed and finite ratio. A detailed characterization in the asymptotically high and low signal to noise ratio regimes is also provided. An interesting observation from our results is that in order to maximize the sum rate, the RPs should be placed at unequal distances to the BS when they experience the same level of shadowing. The resulting closed-form expressions are compared with the corresponding results on MIMO optimal receivers.
Ultrasound assessment of salivary glands in patients with primary Sjögren’s syndrome treated with rituximab: Quantitative and Doppler waveform analysis

Objectives Noninvasive objective tests are needed to diagnose primary Sjogren’s syndrome (pSS) and to evaluate treatment responses. Ultrasound imaging of the salivary glands is rapid and noninvasive. Recent open-label studies suggested that anti-CD20 (rituximab) may be effective in pSS. The purpose of this study was to look for ultrasound evidence of the effects of rituximab in pSS. Methods We compared 16 patients fulfilling the new American-European consensus group criteria for pSS to 9 controls, using B-mode ultrasound features (parenchymal homogeneity and gland size) and Doppler waveform analysis of the transverse facial artery of parotid glands. We compared the same parameters in the patients before and after 12 weeks of intravenous rituximab therapy. Results Compared to controls, untreated patients had significant abnormalities in salivary gland structure (p < 0.0001) and parotid size (2.05 ± 0.33 cm versus 1.70 ± 0.28 cm; p = 0.001). Doppler waveform analysis showed significant differences before, but not after, lemon stimulation between untreated patients and controls. After rituximab treatment, significant size reductions were noted in the parotids (2.05 ± 0.3 cm at baseline and 1.86 ± 0.27 cm at week 12; p = 0.002) and submandibular glands (2.02 ± 0.54 cm at baseline and 1.66 ± 0.34 cm at week 12; p = 0.001). Doppler resistive indices after lemon stimulation were significantly increased after rituximab treatment. Conclusion Salivary gland measurements and blood inflow responses to salivary stimulation as assessed by ultrasound hold promise as objective noninvasive tools for evaluating rituximab effects in patients with pSS.
Social Networks Among the Urban Poor: Inequality and Integration in a Latin American City

A coin collection device for use in self-service parking lots and like establishments which allows a first authorized person visibility of the money received for determining which parking spaces or the like have been paid for, and which allows a second authorized person access to the money. A transparent inner wall and a cover plate prevent the first authorized person from having access to the money received.
The IS Puzzle and Relative Risk Aversion in Turkey

This paper estimates the IS curve of the Turkish economy for the monthly period over 1996M1-2007M11 by using GMM. It is found that, when a structural small open economy model is used and data are constructed carefully, forward-looking IS curve works perfectly in Turkey, which is against the IS puzzle. Moreover, as opposed to the literature which usually assumes an ad hoc unit coefficient of relative risk aversion or estimates it below unity for developed countries, this paper estimates the same coefficient as 1.89 implying that one percent of a cyclical movement of the real interest rate above its natural rate leads to a 1.89% decrease in output gap. This shows that the Turkish economy is more sensitive to changes in real interest rate compared to developed countries. The empirical results are supported by recently developed statistics that are immune to the issue of weak identification.
Trustees in Turbulent Times: External Affiliations and Stratification among U.S. Research Universities, 1975–2015

ABSTRACT Trustees span the boundaries between universities and their environments, and therefore may connect universities to other organizations. We use social networks and latent profile analyses to chart changes in the affiliations that trustees of AAU member universities maintained with other organizations from 1975 through 2015. Results identify a well-established hierarchy of connectivity across elite universities. We also chart change in profile membership over time. We observe decline in connectivity from 1975 to 1995, followed by a period of resettlement characterized by a steepened hierarchy of affiliations and a growing number of very highly connected boards. Evidence suggests that boards at the top of the connectivity hierarchy differ systematically from those with fewer affiliations. By 2015, very highly connected boards generally oversaw well-resourced private universities. A few public boards were once very highly connected, but this became less common over time. These results suggest important implications for future research on the relationship between governance and institutions’ financial positions.
Capital Debt -and Equity-Led Capital Flow Episodes

Kristin Forbes and Francis Warnock's "Capital Flow Waves: Surges, Stops, Flight, and Retrenchment," in Journal of International Economics (forthcoming) identifies episodes of extreme capital flow movements—surges, stops, flight, and retrenchment—and finds that global factors, especially global risk, are significantly associated with extreme capital flow episodes whereas domestic macroeconomic characteristics and capital controls are less important. That analysis leads naturally to the question of which types of capital flows are driving the episodes, and if debt- and equity-led episodes differ materially. After identifying debt- and equity-led episodes, we find that most episodes of extreme capital flow movements around the world are debt-led and the factors associated with debt-led episodes are similar to the factors behind episodes identified with aggregate capital flow data. In contrast, equity-led episodes are less frequent, more idiosyncratic, and differ in nature from other episodes.
Disk Evaporation-Fed Corona: Structure and Evaporation Features with Magnetic Field

The disk-corona evaporation model naturally accounts for many observational phenomena in black hole X-ray binaries, such as the truncation of an accretion disk and the spectral state transitions. On the other hand, magnetic fields are known to play an important role in transporting angular momentum and producing viscosity in accretion flows. In this work, we explicitly take the magnetic field in the accretion disk corona into consideration and numerically calculate the coronal structure on the basis of our two-temperature evaporation code. We show that the magnetic field influences the coronal structure through its contribution to the pressure, energy, and radiative cooling in the corona and by decreasing the vertical heat conduction. We find that the maximum evaporation rate stays more or less constant (~3% of the Eddington rate) when the strength of the magnetic field changes, but that the radius corresponding to the maximum evaporation rate decreases with increasing magnetic field. This suggests that spectral state transitions always occur at a few percent of the Eddington accretion rate, while the inner edge of the thin disk can be at ~100RS or even less in the hard state before the transition to the soft state. These results alleviate the problem of previous evaporation models' predicting too large a truncation radius and are in better agreement with the observational results for several black hole X-ray binaries, although discrepancies remain.
The influence of locked nucleic acid residues on the thermodynamic properties of 2′-O-methyl RNA/RNA heteroduplexes

The influence of locked nucleic acid (LNA) residues on the thermodynamic properties of 2′-O-methyl RNA/RNA heteroduplexes is reported. Optical melting studies indicate that LNA incorporated into an otherwise 2′-O-methyl RNA oligonucleotide usually, but not always, enhances the stabilities of complementary duplexes formed with RNA. Several trends are apparent, including: (i) a 3′ terminal U LNA and 5′ terminal LNAs are less stabilizing than interior and other 3′ terminal LNAs; (ii) most of the stability enhancement is achieved when LNA nucleotides are separated by at least one 2′-O-methyl nucleotide; and (iii) the effects of LNA substitutions are approximately additive when the LNA nucleotides are separated by at least one 2′-O-methyl nucleotide. An equation is proposed to approximate the stabilities of complementary duplexes formed with RNA when at least one 2′-O-methyl nucleotide separates LNA nucleotides. The sequence dependence of 2′-O-methyl RNA/RNA duplexes appears to be similar to that of RNA/RNA duplexes, and preliminary nearest-neighbor free energy increments at 37°C are presented for 2′-O-methyl RNA/RNA duplexes. Internal mismatches with LNA nucleotides significantly destabilize duplexes with RNA.
An efficient phase-shifting scheme for bolometric additive interferometry

Context. Most upcoming CMB polarization experiments will use direct imaging to search for primordial gravitational waves through the B-modes. Bolometric interferometry is an appealing alternative to direct imaging that combines the advantages of interferometry in terms of systematic effects handling and those of bolometric detectors in terms of sensitivity. Aims. We calculate the signal from a bolometric interferometer in order to investigate its sensitivity to the Stokes parameters paying particular attention to the choice of the phase shifting scheme applied to the input channels in order to modulate the signal. Methods. The signal is expressed as a linear combination of the Stokes parameter visibilities whose coefficients are functions of the phase shifts. Results. We show that the signal to noise ratio on the reconstructed visibilities can be maximized provided the fact that the phase shifting scheme is chosen in a particular way called “coherent summation of equivalent baselines”. As a result, a bolometric interferometer is competitive with an imager having the same number of horns, but only if the coherent summation of equivalent baselines is performed. We confirm our calculations using a Monte-Carlo simulation. We also discuss the impact of the uncertainties on the relative calibration between bolometers and propose a way to avoid this systematic effect.
Capacitive Soft Strain Sensors via Multicore–Shell Fiber Printing

A new method for fabricating textile integrable capacitive soft strain sensors is reported, based on multicore-shell fiber printing. The fiber sensors consist of four concentric, alternating layers of conductor and dielectric, respectively. These wearable sensors provide accurate and hysteresis-free strain measurements under both static and dynamic conditions.
A gender based study of tagging behavior in twitter

Gender plays a key role in the process of language variation. Men and women use language in different ways, according to the expected behavior patterns associated with their status in the communities. In this paper, we present a first description of gender distinctions in the usage of Twitter hashtags. After analyzing data collected from more than 650,000 tagged tweets concerning three different subjects, we concluded that gender can be considered a social factor that influences the user's choice of particular hashtags about a given topic. This study aims to increase knowledge about human behavior in free tagging environments and may be useful to the development of tag recommendation systems based on users' collective preferences.
α-Synuclein increases β-amyloid secretion by promoting β-/γ-secretase processing of APP

α-Synuclein misfolding and aggregation is often accompanied by β-amyloid deposition in some neurodegenerative diseases. We hypothesised that α-synuclein promotes β-amyloid production from APP. β-Amyloid levels and APP amyloidogenic processing were investigated in neuronal cell lines stably overexpressing wildtype and mutant α-synuclein. γ-Secretase activity and β-secretase expression were also measured. We show that α-synuclein expression induces β-amyloid secretion and amyloidogenic processing of APP in neuronal cell lines. Certain mutations of α-synuclein potentiate APP amyloidogenic processing. γ-Secretase activity was not enhanced by wildtype α-synuclein expression, however β-secretase protein levels were induced. Furthermore, a correlation between α-synuclein and β-secretase protein was seen in rat brain striata. Iron chelation abolishes the effect of α-synuclein on neuronal cell β-amyloid secretion, whereas overexpression of the ferrireductase enzyme Steap3 is robustly pro-amyloidogenic. We propose that α-synuclein promotes β-amyloid formation by modulating β-cleavage of APP, and that this is potentially mediated by the levels of reduced iron and oxidative stress.
Nipple aspirate fluid proteome of healthy females and patients with breast cancer.

BACKGROUND The ductal/alveolar system of the female breast constantly secretes and reabsorbs fluid in nonpregnant/nonlactating women. This fluid, referred to as nipple aspirate fluid (NAF), can be obtained by a noninvasive procedure and it is part of the microenvironment where more than 95% of breast cancers arise. METHODS Using an Orbitrap mass analyzer coupled to a linear ion trap, we performed an in-depth proteomic analysis of NAF samples obtained from 3 healthy individuals and 3 patients with breast cancer. Multiple fractionation methods such as size-exclusion and anion-exchange chromatography were applied for protein separation before mass spectrometric analysis. RESULTS We identified more than 800 unique proteins in total, generating the most extensive NAF proteome thus far. Using gene ontology, we classified the identified proteins by their subcellular localization and found that more than 50% were extracellular or plasma membrane proteins. By searching against the Plasma Proteome Database, we confirmed that 40% of the proteins were also found in the plasma. Unigene database searching for transcripts of the proteins not found in the plasma revealed that the vast majority were expressed in the mammary gland. CONCLUSIONS Our extensive proteome database for NAF may be helpful in the identification of novel cancer biomarkers.
On condition monitoring of exhaust valves in marine diesel engines

The feasibility of noninvasive characterisation of exhaust valve conditions in large marine diesel engines were experimentally investigated on a four cylinder 500 mm bore 2-stroke marine diesel engine at MAN B&W Diesel's Research Center in Copenhagen, Denmark. The experiments comprised three different valve conditions, where two were concerned with artificially induced valve burn-through situations. The primary potential monitoring measurements were vibration and structure-borne stress waves, also known as Acoustic Emission (AE). Results have shown that the AE signals have a major advantage over other involved sensors, indicating sensitivity to both mechanical and fluid-mechanical combustion related activity. Recorded data has been preprocessed and features extracted using principal component analysis (PCA). From a number of applied heuristics and statistics, a search for the optimal sub-space of principal components to use, have been carried out. The chosen feature-space has been used for classification of involved exhaust valve conditions by applying both regularized feedforward neural classifiers and linear discriminators. The complexity of the neural networks have further been optimized by optimal brain damage pruning, leading to increased generalization.
Audiovisual behavior descriptors for depression assessment

We investigate audiovisual indicators, in particular measures of reduced emotional expressivity and psycho-motor retardation, for depression within semi-structured virtual human interviews. Based on a standard self-assessment depression scale we investigate the statistical discriminative strength of the audiovisual features on a depression/no-depression basis. Within subject-independent unimodal and multimodal classification experiments we find that early feature-level fusion yields promising results and confirms the statistical findings. We further correlate the behavior descriptors with the assessed depression severity and find considerable correlation. Lastly, a joint multimodal factor analysis reveals two prominent factors within the data that show both statistical discriminative power as well as strong linear correlation with the depression severity score. These preliminary results based on a standard factor analysis are promising and motivate us to investigate this approach further in the future, while incorporating additional modalities.