Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Impact of Targeted Preoperative Optimization on Clinical Outcome in Emergency Abdominal Surgeries: A Prospective Randomized Trial

Background: Perforation peritonitis continues to be one of the most common surgical emergencies that need a surgical intervention most of the times. Anesthesiologists are invariably involved in managing such cases efficiently in perioperative period. Aims: The assessment and evaluation of Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II) score at presentation and 24 h after goal-directed optimization, administration of empirical broad-spectrum antibiotics, and definitive source control postoperatively. Outcome assessment in terms of duration of hospital stay and mortality in with or without optimization was also measured. Settings/Design: It is a prospective, randomized, double-blind controlled study in hospital setting. Materials and Methods: One hundred and one patients aged ≥18 years, of the American Society of Anesthesiologists physical Status I and II (E) with clinical diagnosis of perforation peritonitis posted for surgery were enrolled. Enrolled patients were randomly divided into two groups. Group A is optimized by goal-directed optimization protocol in the preoperative holding room by anesthesiology residents whereas in Group S, managed by surgery residents in the surgical wards without any fixed algorithm. The assessment of APACHE II score was done as a first step on admission and 24 h postoperatively. Duration of hospital stay and mortality in both the groups were also measured and compared. Statistical Analysis: Categorical data are presented as frequency counts (percent) and compared using the Chi-square or Fisher's exact test. The statistical significance for categorical variables was determined by Chi-square analysis. For continuous variables, a two-sample t-test was applied. Results: The mean APACHE II score on admission in case and control groups was comparable. Significant lowering of serial scores in case group was observed as compared to control group (P = 0.02). There was a significant lowering of mean duration of hospital stay seen in case group (9.8 ± 1.7 days) as compared to control group (P = 0.007). Furthermore, a significant decline in death rate was noted in case group as compared to control group (P = 0.03). Conclusion: Goal-directed optimized patients with perforation peritonitis were discharged early as compared to control group with significantly lesser mortality as compared with randomly optimized patients in the perioperative period.
Managing wind uncertainty and variability in the Irish power system

This paper summarizes work that has been done to examine the impact of the uncertainty and variability of significant installed wind power on the Irish system. As more and more wind power is installed on the system, the operation of conventional plant on the system will be dramatically different. In this paper, three different aspects of the hour-to-hour operation of the Irish power system are examined. An innovative method to schedule the system is described, together with key results giving the effect of the uncertainty of wind on unit commitment of the system. The increased cycling of traditionally base-load units due to large amounts of wind power is quantified, and the steps to reduce this unwanted behavior are outlined. Finally, the use of intelligent decision tools based on sophisticated wind power forecasts for scheduling and provision of reserve is described.
A Compact, Scanning Tightly Coupled Dipole Array With Parasitic Strips for Next-Generation Wireless Applications

A wideband one-dimensional tightly coupled dipole array (TCDA) with enhanced impedance matching is presented in this letter, which consists of eight printed dipole units, a coplanar waveguide with ground feeding network, and two rows of parasitic strips. The feed structure is simple and small with good ports isolation. A <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$1\times 8$</tex-math></inline-formula> prototype was fabricated and tested. A four-channel phase-amplitude control board was designed to validate the beam-steering function of the proposed TCDA. This array has a height of only <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$0.176\;\lambda_{\text{low}}$</tex-math></inline-formula>, and it exhibits a measured 10 dB return-loss operating bandwidth of 92.7% from 2.2 to 6.0 GHz for the scan angle up to <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\pm 45^{\circ }$</tex-math></inline-formula> broadside radiation. The cross-polarization suppression level is better than 15 dB in the whole scanning range. The measured results show high gains <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$>$</tex-math></inline-formula> 6.9 dBi, high efficiency <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$>$</tex-math></inline-formula> 67%, and low sidelobe level (SLL) <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$<$</tex-math></inline-formula> <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$-$</tex-math></inline-formula>10 dB over the operating band and scanning angles. This antenna array can be applied in the future massive multiple-input–multiple-output beamforming systems for 5G and other applications.
Dynamic–Mechanical Properties of Wood–Fiber Reinforced Polylactide: Experimental Characterization and Micromechanical Modeling

Wood-fiber reinforced polylactide is a biodegradable composite where both fibers and matrix are from renewable resources. When designing new materials of this kind, it is useful to measure the influence of fiber–matrix interface properties on macroscopic mechanical properties. In particular, a quantitative measure of the dynamic stress transfer between the fibers and the matrix when the material is subjected to cyclic loading would simplify the development of wood-fiber composites. This is obtained by comparing the mechanical dissipation of the composite with a value predicted by a viscoelastic micromechanical model based on perfect interfacial stress transfer. The loss factors predicted by the model are 0.12 and 0.16 at dry and humid conditions, respectively, which amount to 63 and 66% of the experimentally determined values. For Young's moduli the predicted values are 1.01 and 0.88 GPa, which correspond to 92% of the experimentally determined values. The mismatch between the predicted and experimental values may be attributed to imperfect interfaces with restrained stress transfer. Loss factors are also determined for specific molecular bonds using dynamic Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. These values show the same trends with regard to moisture content as the macroscopically determined loss factors.
German Capitalism: Does It Exist? Can It Survive?

Drawing on extensive comparison with the United States, Japan and Britain, the paper describes the "German model" of advanced capitalism as an institutionalized high-wage economy combining high competitiveness in world markets with strong social cohesion and, in particular, low levels of inequality along a variety of dimensions. This combination is explained by a unique set of socio-economic institutions, in particular socially instituted and circumscribed markets, negotiated firms commanding long-term attachment of both labor and capital, a facilitating state relying mainly on indirect means of intervention, widespread associational self-governance by organized groups in civil society, and institutionalized cultural patterns that promote long-term commitments and continuity. These institutions are shown to call forth and support a particular pattern of production, sometimes referred to as diversified quality production, that has in the 1970s and 1980s made possible both high wages and a low dispersion of wages and incomes. In its second part, the paper proceeds to analyze in detail the performance problems of an institutionalized high-wage economy of the German kind, and specifies a set of conditions that must be met for such an economy to remain simultaneously competitive and socially cohesive. The present crisis of the German "social market economy" is discussed in terms of a coincidence of three factors: a possible secular exhaustion of the model as such, the shock of unification, and the constraints imposed by growing globalization of the capitalist economy on national economic governance.
Study of Mechanical Properties of Different Size Hybrid Steel Fiber Reinforced Cement Mortar

Mechanical properties of micro-diameter and medium-diameter steel fiber reinforced cement mortar were investigated.At a constant steel fiber volume fraction,the increase of mechanical properties of cement mortar reinforced by hybrid steel fiber can be larger than that by mono-diameter steel fiber.Different size hybrid steel fiber shows distinct hybrid effect on flexural strength of cement mortar.The m_S/m_B is an important factor for mechanical properties of hybrid steel fiber reinforced cement mortar.With increase of m_S/m_B,it needs more medium-diameter steel fiber to substitute micro-diameter steel fiber in hybrid steel fiber system.The hybrid systems of two steel fibers with different diameter have synergetic effect on fracture energy and toughness of cement mortar.
The Impact of Load Carriage on Measures of Power and Agility in Tactical Occupations: A Critical Review

The current literature suggests that load carriage can impact on a tactical officer’s mobility, and that survival in the field may rely on the officer’s mobility. The ability for humans to generate power and agility is critical for performance of the high-intensity movements required in the field of duty. The aims of this review were to critically examine the literature investigating the impacts of load carriage on measures of power and agility and to synthesize the findings. The authors completed a search of the literature using key search terms in four databases. After relevant studies were located using strict inclusion and exclusion criteria, the studies were critically appraised using the Downs and Black Checklist and relevant data were extracted and tabled. Fourteen studies were deemed relevant for this review, ranging in percentage quality scores from 42.85% to 71.43%. Outcome measures used in these studies to indicate levels of power and agility included short-distance sprints, vertical jumps, and agility runs, among others. Performance of both power and agility was shown to decrease when tactical load was added to the participants. This suggests that the increase in weight carried by tactical officers may put this population at risk of injury or fatality in the line of duty.
Optical photometric and spectral study of the new FU Orionis object V2493 Cygni (HBC 722)

Aims. We present new results from optical photometric and spectroscopic observations of the eruptive pre-main sequence star V2493 Cyg (HBC 722). The object has continued to undergo significan t brightness variations over the past few months and is an ideal target for follow-up observations. Methods. We carried out CCD BVRI photometric observations in the field of V2493 Cyg (”Gulf of M exico”) from August 1994 to April 2012, i.e. at the pre-outburst states and during the ph ases of the outburst. We acquired high, medium, and low resolution spectroscopy of V2493 Cyg during the outburst. To study the pre-outburst variability of the target and construct its histori cal light curve, we searched for archival observations in photographic plate collections. Both CCD and photographic observations were analyzed using 15 comparison stars in the field of V2493 Cyg. Results. The pre-outburst photographic and CCD photometric observations of V2493 Cyg show low-amplitude light variations typical of T Tauri stars. The recent photometric data show a slow light decrease from October 2010 to June 2011 followed by an increase in brightness that continued until early 2012. The spectral observations of V2493 Cyg are typical of FU Orionis stars absorption spectra with strong P Cyg profiles of Hα and Na I D lines. On the basis of photometric monitoring performed over the past two years, the spectral properties at the maximal light, as well as the s hape of long-term light curves, we confirm that the observed o utburst of V2493 Cyg is of FU Orionis type.
Deneb's variability: a hint of a deep-lying convection zone?

During their post – main-sequence evolution, massive star models harbor a convection zone on top of their hydrogen burning shell. This physical property helps, under suitable circumstances, to destabilize low-degree nonradial modes that might explain the cyclic light variability of α Cygni variables. The results of first exploratory computations demonstrate that modes with periods ranging from about one dozen to several dozen days can be overstable in star models at about the position on the HR diagram where the prototype of the class, Deneb, is observed.
Training CNNs for 3-D Sign Language Recognition With Color Texture Coded Joint Angular Displacement Maps

Convolutional neural networks (CNNs) can be remarkably effective for recognizing two-dimensional and three-dimensional (3-D) actions. To further explore the potential of CNNs, we applied them in the recognition of 3-D motion-captured sign language (SL). The sign's 3-D spatio-temporal information of each sign was interpreted using joint angular displacement maps (JADMs), which encode the sign as a color texture image; JADMs were calculated for all joint pairs. Multiple CNN layers then capitalized on the differences between these images and identify discriminative spatio-temporal features. We then compared the performance of our proposed model against those of the state-of-the-art baseline models by using our own 3-D SL dataset and two other benchmark action datasets, namely, HDM05 and CMU.
Parallel inference of dirichlet process Gaussian mixture models for unsupervised acoustic modeling: a feasibility study

We adopt a Dirichlet process Gaussian mixture model (DPGMM) for unsupervised acoustic modeling and represent speech frames with Gaussian posteriorgrams. The model performs unsupervised clustering on untranscribed data, and each Gaussian component can be considered as a cluster of sounds from various speakers. The model infers its model complexity (i.e. the number of Gaussian components) from the data. For computation efficiency, we use a parallel sampler for the model inference. Our experiments are conducted on the corpus provided by the zero resource speech challenge. Experimental results show that the unsupervised DPGMM posteriorgrams obviously outperformMFCC, and perform comparably to the posteriorgrams derived from language-mismatched phoneme recognizers in terms of the error rate of ABX discrimination test. The error rates can be further reduced by the fusion of these two kinds of posteriorgrams.
Toward Good Practices for Fine-Grained Maize Cultivar Identification With Filter-Specific Convolutional Activations

Crop cultivar identification is an important aspect in agricultural systems. Traditional solutions involve excessive human interventions, which is labor-intensive and time-consuming. In addition, cultivar identification is a typical task of fine-grained visual categorization (FGVC). Compared with other common topics in FGVC, studies of this problem are somewhat lagging and limited. In this paper, targeting four Chinese maize cultivars of Jundan No.20, Wuyue No.3, Nongda No.108, and Zhengdan No.958, we first consider the problem of identifying the maize cultivar based on its tassel characteristics by computer vision. In particular, a novel fine-grained maize cultivar identification data set termed HUST-FG-MCI that contains 5000 images is first constructed. To better capture the textual differences in a weakly supervised manner, we proposed an effective deep convolutional neural network and Fisher vector (FV)-based feature encoding mechanism. The mechanism tends to highlight subtle object patterns via filter-specific convolutional representations and thus provides strong discrimination for cultivar identification. Experimental results demonstrate that our method outperforms other state-of-the-art approaches. We show also that FV encoding can weaken the linear dependency between convolutional activations, redundant filters exist in the convolutional layer, and high accuracy can be maintained with relatively low-dimensional convolutional features and one or two Gaussian components in FV.Note to Practitioners—In-field cultivar identification remains an open question for industrial applications in agriculture. This paper describes a practical computer vision system to explore the feasibility for automatic maize cultivar identification. Our system shows potentials to be applied in an embedded system as long as convolutional models could be compressed to address storage issues. Aside from using the fixed image acquisition device mentioned in this paper, another promising way is to integrate our system into an unmanned aircraft to achieve flexible field-based observations.
c-Jun in Schwann Cells: Stay Away from Extremes

Much of the nervous system is considered to have limited regenerative capacity. Peripheral nerves, however, are one notable exception. When nerve trunks in the peripheral nervous system (PNS) are injured, the damaged axons can regrow at a rate of 1–3 mm per day (in rodents) and reinnervate their
Modular Adaptive Control for LOS-Based Cooperative Path Maneuvering of Multiple Underactuated Autonomous Surface Vehicles

This paper is concerned with the cooperative path maneuvering of multiple underactuated autonomous surface vehicles (ASVs) moving along a parameterized path. Each vehicle is subject to uncertain kinematics and unknown kinetics induced by model uncertainty and ocean disturbances. A modular adaptive control method is presented to develop the cooperative controller such that a queue formation along the parameterized path can be achieved. First, two identification modules are developed such that the uncertain kinematics and unknown kinetics can be estimated by an adaptive term and echo state networks, respectively. Next, a cooperative path maneuvering controller module is designed based on a line-of-sight guidance scheme, tracking differentiators, and a path variable containment approach. The path variable containment approach is used to guarantee that the ASVs are evenly spaced between two virtual leaders moving along the path. Finally, the stability of the identification-controller pair is analyzed. Comparative studies are performed to validate the efficiency of the proposed method.
Learning to bid: An experimental study of bid function adjustments in auctions and fair division games

We examine learning behavior in auctions and Fair division games with independent private values under two different price rules, first and second price. Participants face these four games repeatedly and submit complete bid functions rather than single bids. This allows us to examine whether learning is influenced by the structural differences between games. We find that within the time horizon which we investigate, learning does not drive toward risk neutral equilibrium bidding and characterize some features of observed learning: Bid functions are adjusted globally rather than locally, decision time matches the sequencing structure of game types, game rules do matter, and directional learning theory offers a partial explanation for bid adjustments. The evidence supports a cognitive approach to learning.
Factors Associated With the Complexity of Facial Trauma

Introduction: Facial fractures have their incidence, etiology, clinical presentation, and features influenced by variables such as economic, cultural, and demographic factors. A large number of these fractures require simple or more complex approaches, and it becomes important to understand their clinical and epidemiological profile and factors associated with the fracture event and surgical indication. Objective: The objective of this research is to analyze the clinical and epidemiological profile of surgical fractures and their associations with causal factors such as alcohol consumption, day of the incident, and nonuse of helmet for motorcycle accidents. Method: A retrospective study was conducted with collection of data from medical records of patients operated for facial fractures at the Hospital Regional of Cariri, state of Ceara, the Northeast of Brazil. Records from 2012 to 2014 were acquired highlighting sex, age, occupation, etiology, anatomical sites of fractures, and surgeries of varying complexities for single or multiple fractures. The day of the event, report or signs of alcohol consumption, and the use of helmets in motorcycle accidents were named associated factors. Results: As a result the authors had a total of 624 cases of surgical facial fractures. Out of these, 546 (87.5%) were male and the majority of them presented between 20 and 30 years of age (40.5%). It was also observed that as an etiological factor motorcycle accidents led to more cases of surgical facial fractures, with 357 cases (62.1%), followed by physical aggression with 72 cases (12.5%). Conclusions: It can be concluded that there is a high prevalence of surgical facial fractures in male patients between 20 and 30 years of age, caused by motorcycle accidents, and that there was a strong association between the consumption of alcohol, failure to wear a helmet, and the presence of surgical facial multiple fractures.
Acoustic Emission Monitoring of Lightning-Damaged CFRP Laminates during Compression-after-Impact Test

Carbon-fiber reinforced plastic(CFRP) laminates made of nano-particle-coated carbon fibers and damaged by a simulated lightning strike were tested under compression-after-impact(CAI) mode, during which the damage progress due to compressive loading has been monitored by acoustic emission(AE). The impact damage was induced not by mechanical loading but by a simulated lightning strike. Conductive nano-particles were coated directly on the fibers, from which CFRP coupons were made. The coupon were subjected to the strikes with a high voltage/current impulse of 10~40 kA within a few μs. The effects of nano-particle coating and the degree of damage induced by the simulated lightning strikes on AE activities were examined, and the relationship between the compressive residual strength and AE behavior has been evaluated in terms of AE event counts and the onset of AE activity with the compressive loading. The degree of impact damage was also measured in terms of damage area by using ultrasonic C-scan images. The assessment during the CAI tests of damaged CFRP showed that AE monitoring appeared to be useful to differentiate the degree of damage hence the mechanical integrity of composite structures damaged by lightning strikes.