Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of scintillation crystal surface finish in the light sharing TOF PET detector

The effect of crystal surface finish on the performance of radiation detector has been studied many times mostly focused on a single isolated crystal coupled to a single photosensor. In this paper, we studied roughen crystal effect on light sharing crystal arrays using LYSO crystals of 3.95 × 5.3 × 25mm3. Four different types of crystal arrays were built: no light sharing and light sharing arrays with all polished crystals, and no light sharing and light sharing arrays with crystals of one surface lapped. ESR films were placed in between crystals to make no light sharing arrays. Each array of 2×3 crystals was coupled to a monolithic SiPM of 2×3 anodes and evaluated for light output and timing resolution. For no-light sharing, no-light sharing arrays with one surface lapped showed 14% more light output and 7% improvement in timing resolution compared to no-light sharing with polished crystals. For light sharing, lapped crystal array showed 27% more light output and 14% improvement in timing resolution than its counterpart with polished crystals. Light sharing array with polished crystals collected 16% more light output than no-light sharing array with polished crystals, however, it's increased light output did not manifest as better timing resolution. When light sharing array with lapped crystals was compared to no-light sharing array with polished crystals, it showed a surprising 47% more light output with 11% better timing resolution. In short, lapped crystals showed a big improvement in both light output and timing resolution, and more improvement was observed with light sharing array.
Relationship between job characteristics and organizational citizenship behavior: The mediational role of job satisfaction

Despite the numerous studies on the antecedents of organizational citizenship behavior (OCB), relatively few researchers have examined the effects of job characteristics on OCB. The aims of this study were to investigate the relationship between job characteristics and OCB and to clarify the mediating effects of job satisfaction. Two hundred and seventy employees from 24 electronic companies participated in this study. The results show that job variety and job significance had a significant positive relationship with OCB, whereas job identity, job autonomy, job feedback and job interdependence were not significantly related to OCB. Furthermore, job satisfaction, especially intrinsic satisfaction, was a mediating mechanism of the relationship between job variety, job significance and OCB. Finally, extrinsic satisfaction did not mediate the relationship between job characteristics and OCB. This finding suggests that practicing managers should enrich job characteristics and place greater emphasis on enhancing employees’ intrinsic satisfaction to promote employees’ OCB.
Comparison of SMT and NMT trained with large Patent Corpora: Japio at WAT2017

Japio participates in patent subtasks (JPC-EJ/JE/CJ/KJ) with phrase-based statistical machine translation (SMT) and neural machine translation (NMT) systems which are trained with its own patent corpora in addition to the subtask corpora provided by organizers of WAT2017. In EJ and CJ subtasks, SMT and NMT systems whose sizes of training corpora are about 50 million and 10 million sentence pairs respectively achieved comparable scores for automatic evaluations, but NMT systems were superior to SMT systems for both official and in-house human evaluations.
A two-node superelement description for modelling of flexible complex-shared beam-like components

In this paper, a two-node superelement description is proposed for use in multibody models which is capable of modelling flexible complex-shaped beam-like components. Assuming that the deformations with respect to a co-rotational frame remain small, substructuring methods may be used to obtain a dynamical model with reduced mass and stiffness matrices from a linear finite element model. The development of a two-node superelement is established by linking a reduced linear finite element model with a non-linear finite beam element capable of describing large rigid body motion and small elastic deformations. This is achieved by equating their potential and kinetic energies. Two examples are included. A simulation of the spin-up motion of a flexible beam with uniform cross-section and a similar simulation in which the beam is simultaneously excited in the out-of-plane direction. Both examples show good agreement with simulations obtained using non-linear finite beam elements.
Tribological Performance of Diamond and Diamondlike Carbon Films at Elevated Temperatures

In this study, the authors investigated the tribological performance of diamond and diamondlike carbon (DLC) films as a function of temperature. Both films were deposited on silicon carbide (SiC) by microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition and ion-beam deposition processes. Tribological tests were performed on a reciprocating wear machine in open air (20 to 30% relative humidity) and under a 10 N load using SiC pins. For the test conditions explored, the steady-state friction coefficients of test pairs without a diamond or DLC film were 0.7 to 0.9 and the average wear rates of pins were 10−5 to 10−7 mm3/N·m, depending on ambient temperature. DLC films reduced the steady-slate friction coefficients of the test pairs by factors of three to five and the wear rates of pins by two to three orders of magnitude. Low friction coefficients were also obtained with the diamond films, but wear rates of the counterface pins were high due to the very abrasive nature of these films. The wear of SiC disks coated with e.
HIGHLIGHT OF THE MONTH : ” Exciting prospects for solids : Exact-exchange based functionals meet quasiparticle energy calculations ” Exciting prospects for solids : Exact-exchange based functionals meet quasiparticle energy calculations

Focussing on spectroscopic aspects of semiconductors and insulators we will illustrate how quasiparticle energy calculations in the G0W0 approximation can be successfully combined with density-functional theory calculations in the exact-exchange optimised effective potential approach (OEPx) to achieve a first principles description of the electronic structure that overcomes the limitations of local or gradiant corrected DFT functionals (LDA and GGA).
Relative validity of an FFQ for pre-school children in the mother–child ‘Rhea’ birth cohort in Crete, Greece

Abstract Objective To examine the relative validity of an FFQ based on parental report for pre-school children in the mother–child ‘Rhea’ birth cohort. Design The children’s mothers completed an FFQ that referred to the children’s dietary intake for the previous year by telephone interview. Mothers completed also three food records, two on weekdays and one on a weekend day. Spearman correlation coefficients were calculated for the energy-adjusted values. Weighted kappa statistics (κw) and the Bland–Altman technique were used to test the degree of agreement between the two dietary methods. Setting Heraklion, Crete, Greece, 2011–2012. Subjects A total of ninety-nine mothers (corresponding to fifty-one boys and forty-eight girls) participated in the validation study. Results The mean and median values of all food group and nutrient intakes did not differ significantly between the two dietary methods. Overall, fair agreement was observed between the FFQ and the food records for ranking participants based on their intake, with κw ranging from 0·21 to 0·40 for most foods and nutrients. On average, 88 % of participants were classified into the same or adjacent tertiles for nutrient and food group intakes by both dietary methods. The degree of agreement was also confirmed by the visual examination of the Bland–Altman plots. Conclusions The study indicates that the Rhea 4 years FFQ is a relatively accurate tool for assessing habitual food group and nutrient intakes among pre-school children in Crete, Greece.
The Evaluation of Jumping Ability of Male and Female Basketball Players According to Their Chronological Age and Major Leagues

The purpose of our research was to evaluate and compare the jumping ability among male and female basketball players according to their chronological age and major league. The sample consisted of 379 basketball players, 214 men and 165 women, ranging from 13 to 30 years old. For the evaluation, an electronic contact mat was used. A series of five vertical jumps were performed: squat jump (SJ), countermovement jump (CMJ), drop jump (DJ), and rebound jumps for 15 seconds (RJ15s) and 30 seconds (RJ30s). A oneway analysis of variance was used for the comparison of the height of the jumps among sexes and major leagues. The results, as was expected, revealed statistically significant differences in the height of the jumps between the two sexes at all ages (p , 0.05). The only exception was the SJ at the age of 13 (p 5 0.12). Regarding the male, major statistical differences were revealed between ages with respect to the older ages. It is remarkable that the ages, two by two consecutively, did not present statistically important differences in any of the jumps. Generally, an increasing tendency was observed in the height of the jumps in relation to chronological age. As far as the male leagues are concerned, statistical differences were observed between league C9 and A29 or B9, especially in RJ30s, and between A29 and B9, especially in SJ and CMJ with respect to the first ones mentioned (C9 in RJ30s and A29 in SJ and CMJ). Regarding the females, less statistically significant differences were observed among ages. An unsimilar course appeared with a declining tendency of the height of the jumps, especially at the age of 16. On the contrary, as far as females’ competitive leagues are concerned, no statistically significant differences were revealed in any of the jumps.
Stem cell regulatory niches and their role in normal and malignant hematopoiesis

Purpose of reviewIn the postnatal life, hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) niches are specialized microenvironments in the bone marrow that are essential for the maintenance and function of HSCs. The purpose of this review is to discuss the concept of HSC niche in light of recent studies that broaden its complexity and better define its molecular regulation. Also, we will discuss recent studies addressing the impact of leukemia development on HSC regulation and normal hematopoiesis, while discussing the potential regulation of leukemia-initiating cells by bone marrow niches. Recent findingsRecent studies have identified new cellular and molecular components of the HSC niche and highlighted reciprocal interactions between the hematopoietic cells and their niches. These studies indicate that the HSC niche is not constituted by a single cell type but rather should be considered as a multicellular functional unit. Finally, advances have been made that provide promising insights into the the instructive role of the bone marrow microenvironment in hematological malignancies. SummaryIncreasing insights into the cell–cell cross talk between the hematopoietic system and its microenvironment in the bone marrow, and in particular in the interplay of HSCs with their niche(s), should provide new tools for combinatorial therapies in bone marrow failure and bone marrow cancers.
Biostatistics 101: data presentation.

Correspondence to: Y H Chan Tel: (65) 6317 2121 Fax: (65) 6317 2122 Email: chanyh@ cteru.gov. sg INTRODUCTION Now we are at the last stage of the research process: Statistical Analysis & Reporting. In this article, we will discuss how to present the collected data and the forthcoming write-ups will highlight on the appropriate statistical tests to be applied. The terms Sample & Population; Parameter & Statistic; Descriptive & Inferential Statistics; Random variables; Sampling Distribution of the Mean; Central Limit Theorem could be read-up from the references indicated. To be able to correctly present descriptive (and inferential) statistics, we have to understand the two data types (see Fig. 1) that are usually encountered in any research study.
Effects of Working Memory Capacity on Metacognitive Monitoring: A Study of Group Differences Using a Listening Span Test

Monitoring is an executive function of working memory that serves to update novel information, focusing attention on task-relevant targets, and eliminating task-irrelevant noise. The present research used a verbal working memory task to examine how working memory capacity limits affect monitoring. Participants performed a Japanese listening span test that included maintenance of target words and listening comprehension. On each trial, participants responded to the target word and then immediately estimated confidence in recall performance for that word (metacognitive judgment). The results confirmed significant differences in monitoring accuracy between high and low capacity groups in a multi-task situation. That is, confidence judgments were superior in high vs. low capacity participants in terms of absolute accuracy and discrimination. The present research further investigated how memory load and interference affect underestimation of successful recall. The results indicated that the level of memory load that reduced word recall performance and led to an underconfidence bias varied according to participants' memory capacity. In addition, irrelevant information associated with incorrect true/ false decisions (secondary task) and word recall within the current trial impaired monitoring accuracy in both participant groups. These findings suggest that interference from unsuccessful decisions only influences low, but not high, capacity participants. Therefore, monitoring accuracy, which requires high working memory capacity, improves metacognitive abilities by inhibiting task-irrelevant noise and focusing attention on detecting task-relevant targets or useful retrieval cues, which could improve actual cognitive performance.
Bias, Randomization, and Ovarian Proteomic Data: A Reply to “Producers and Consumers”

Proteomic patterns derived from mass spectrometry have recently been put forth as potential biomarkers for the early diagnosis of cancer. This approach has generated much excitement, particularly as initial results reported on SELDI profiling of serum suggested that near perfect sensitivity and specificity could be achieved in diagnosing ovarian cancer. However, more recent reports have suggested that much of the observed structure could be due to the presence of experimental bias. A rebuttal to the findings of bias, subtitled “Producers and Consumers”, lists several objections. In this paper, we attempt to address these objections. While we continue to find evidence of experimental bias, we emphasize that the problems found are associated with experimental design and processing, and can be avoided in future studies.
Neuromorphic Audio–Visual Sensor Fusion on a Sound-Localizing Robot

This paper presents the first robotic system featuring audio–visual (AV) sensor fusion with neuromorphic sensors. We combine a pair of silicon cochleae and a silicon retina on a robotic platform to allow the robot to learn sound localization through self motion and visual feedback, using an adaptive ITD-based sound localization algorithm. After training, the robot can localize sound sources (white or pink noise) in a reverberant environment with an RMS error of 4–5° in azimuth. We also investigate the AV source binding problem and an experiment is conducted to test the effectiveness of matching an audio event with a corresponding visual event based on their onset time. Despite the simplicity of this method and a large number of false visual events in the background, a correct match can be made 75% of the time during the experiment.
Response-time analysis and server design for hierarchical scheduling

Hierarchical scheduling has been generating a considerable interest, recently, due to its ability to separate the concerns of scheduling at the system and application levels. It allows sharing resources, e.g. a CPU or a communication network, among different complex applications, which in turn, are composed by several entities that must be scheduled within a given server. It is also an important brick in the current trend towards higher integration and flexibility that can be witnessed, for example, in embedded systems. This paper addresses the particular case of fixed priorities-based application-level schedulers together with a deferrable server model, at the system level. It starts with an adequate response time analysis based on the notion of server availability for a known server. Then it addresses the inverse problem of designing a server with minimum system-level resource requirements to fulfill the application time constraints. The proposed method seems to represent a positive trade-off concerning complexity and tightness when compared to another method presented recently in the literature. The impact of intra and inter-server blocking as well as the specific case of non-preemptive scheduling in the server design are the object of on-going work.
N-Cadherin Mediates Neuronal Cell Survival through Bim Down-Regulation

N-cadherin is a major adhesion molecule involved in the development and plasticity of the nervous system. N-cadherin-mediated cell adhesion regulates neuroepithelial cell polarity, neuronal precursor migration, growth cone migration and synaptic plasticity. In vitro, it has been involved in signaling events regulating processes such as cell mobility, proliferation and differentiation. N-cadherin has also been implicated in adhesion-dependent protection against apoptosis in non-neuronal cells. In this study, we investigated if the engagement of N-cadherin participates to the control of neuronal cells survival/death balance. We observed that plating either primary mouse spinal cord neurons or primary rat hippocampal neurons on N-cadherin recombinant substrate greatly enhances their survival compared to non-specific adhesion on poly-L-lysine. We show that N-cadherin engagement, in the absence of other survival factors (cell-matrix interactions and serum), protects GT1-7 neuronal cells against apoptosis. Using this cell line, we then searched for the signaling pathways involved in the survival effect of N-cadherin engagement. The PI3-kinase/Akt survival pathway and its downstream effector Bad are not involved, as no phosphorylation of Akt or Bad proteins in response to N-cadherin engagement was observed. In contrast, N-cadherin engagement activated the Erk1/2 MAP kinase pathway. Moreover, N-cadherin ligation mediated a 2-fold decrease in the level of the pro-apoptotic protein Bim-EL whereas the level of the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2 was unchanged. Inhibition of Mek1/2 kinases with U0126, and the resulting inhibition of Erk1/2 phosphorylation, induced the increase of both the level of Bim-EL and apoptosis of cells seeded on the N-cadherin substrate, suggesting that Erk phosphorylation is necessary for cell survival. Finally, the overexpression of a phosphorylation defective form of Bim-EL prevented N-cadherin-engagement induced cell survival. In conclusion, our results show that N-cadherin engagement mediates neuronal cell survival by enhancing the MAP kinase pathway and down-regulating the pro-apoptotic protein Bim-EL.
Antibiotic therapy for prophylaxis against infection of pancreatic necrosis in acute pancreatitis.

BACKGROUND Pancreatic necrosis may complicate severe acute pancreatitis, and is detectable by computed tomography (CT). If it becomes infected mortality increases, but the use of prophylactic antibiotics raises concerns about antibiotic resistance and fungal infection. OBJECTIVES To determine the efficacy and safety of prophylactic antibiotics in acute pancreatitis complicated by CT proven pancreatic necrosis. SEARCH STRATEGY Searches were updated in November 2008, in The Cochrane Library (Issue 2, 2008), MEDLINE, EMBASE, and CINAHL. Conference proceedings and references from found articles were also searched. SELECTION CRITERIA Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) comparing antibiotics versus placebo in acute pancreatitis with CT proven necrosis. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS Primary outcomes were mortality and pancreatic infection rates. Secondary end-points included non pancreatic infection, all sites infection, operative rates, fungal infections, and antibiotic resistance. Subgroup analyses were performed for antibiotic regimen (beta-lactam, quinolone, and imipenem). MAIN RESULTS Seven evaluable studies randomised 404 patients. There was no statistically significant effect on reduction of mortality with therapy: 8.4% versus controls 14.4%, and infected pancreatic necrosis rates: 19.7% versus controls 24.4%. Non-pancreatic infection rates and the incidence of overall infections were not significantly reduced with antibiotics: 23.7% versus 36%; 37.5% versus 51.9% respectively. Operative treatment and fungal infections were not significantly different. Insufficient data were provided concerning antibiotic resistance.With beta-lactam antibiotic prophylaxis there was less mortality (9.4% treatment, 15% controls), and less infected pancreatic necrosis (16.8% treatment group, 24.2% controls) but this was not statistically significant. The incidence of non-pancreatic infections was non-significantly different (21% versus 32.5%), as was the incidence of overall infections (34.4% versus 52.8%), and operative treatment rates. No significant differences were seen with quinolone plus imidazole in any of the end points measured. Imipenem on its own showed no difference in the incidence of mortality, but there was a significant reduction in the rate of pancreatic infection (p=0.02; RR 0.34, 95% CI 0.13 to 0.84). AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS No benefit of antibiotics in preventing infection of pancreatic necrosis or mortality was found, except for when imipenem (a beta-lactam) was considered on its own, where a significantly decrease in pancreatic infection was found. None of the studies included in this review were adequately powered. Further better designed studies are needed if the use of antibiotic prophylaxis is to be recommended.
Dietary plant bioactives for poultry health and productivity

1. Plants and their biologically active chemical constituents, sometimes called secondary metabolites or bioactives, present numerous opportunities for the improvement of livestock production by inclusion in the diet. 2. Many such plant derived materials have well established therapeutic values in man; however, their potential as feed additives in animal production, particularly of poultry, remains largely unexploited. 3. There is increasing evidence indicating that they can be efficient in controlling diseases, and plant bioactives may also influence production parameters such as feed efficiency and product quality. 4. It has been reported that they may even replicate some of the effects of antibiotic growth promoters, which were banned from use in Europe from 2006. 5. This review assesses the status of plant bioactives in poultry production and their mode of action on avian physiology, particularly in the digestive tract.