Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
What can 5.17 billion regression fits tell us about artificial models of the human visual system?

Rapid simultaneous advances in machine vision and cognitive neuroimaging 1 present an unparalleled opportunity to assess the current state of artificial models 2 of the human visual system. Here, we perform a large-scale benchmarking analysis 3 of 72 modern deep neural network models to characterize with robust statistical 4 power how differences in architecture and training task contribute to the prediction 5 of human fMRI activity across 16 distinct regions of the human visual system. We 6 find: one, that even stark architectural differences (e.g. the absence of convolution 7 in transformers and MLP-mixers) have very little consequence in emergent fits to 8 brain data; two, that differences in task have clear effects–with categorization and 9 self-supervised models showing relatively stronger brain predictivity across the 10 board; three, that feature reweighting leads to substantial improvements in brain 11 predictivity, without overfitting – yielding model-to-brain regression weights that 12 generalize at the same level of predictivity to brain responses over 1000s of new 13 images. Broadly, this work presents a lay-of-the-land for the emergent correspon-14 dences between the feature spaces of modern deep neural network models and the 15 representational structure inherent to the human visual system. 16
INFLUENCE OF RESOURCES AND MATERIALS ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF NON-FORMAL BASIC EDUCATION CURRICULUM AT THE NON-FORMAL EDUCATION CENTRES IN NAIROBI, MOMBASA AND KISUMU CITIES, KENYA

The purpose of this study was to assess the influence of resources and materials implementation of the Non-Formal Basic Education Curriculum (NFBEC) in Nairobi, Mombasa and Kisumu urban centres. The study employed cross sectional survey design. The target population consisted of 36 directors and 96 teachers. The sample size comprised of all the 96 teachers and 36 directors. Data was collected by use of questionnaires and observation checklist. The analysis used both descriptive statistics such as frequencies and percentages. Results indicated that the implementation of the NFE curriculum was hampered by unavailability, inadequacy and inappropriateness of the resources and materials in the centres. Regression analysis showed that the p value is -0.44931 which was lower than 0.05 which implied that availability of facilities was statistically significant in increasing completion rates. The study recommended that the government should provide resources and materials to enhance the implementation of the curriculum.
Harbingers of Aggressive Prostate Cancer: Precision Oncology Case Studies

Primary prostate cancer (PCa) can show marked molecular heterogeneity. However, systematic analyses comparing primary PCa and matched metastases in individual patients are lacking. We aimed to address the molecular aspects of metastatic progression while accounting for heterogeneity of primary PCa. In this pilot study, we collected 12 radical prostatectomy (RP) specimens from men who subsequently developed metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). We used histomorphology (Gleason grade, focus size, stage) and immunohistochemistry (IHC) (ERG and p53) to identify independent tumors and/or distinct subclones of primary PCa. We then compared molecular profiles of these primary PCa areas to matched metastatic samples using whole exome sequencing (WES) and amplicon-based DNA and RNA sequencing. Based on combined pathology and molecular analysis, seven (58%) RP specimens harbored monoclonal and topographically continuous disease, albeit with some degree of intra-tumor heterogeneity; four (33%) specimens showed true multifocal disease; and one displayed monoclonal disease with discontinuous topography. Early (truncal) events in primary PCa included SPOP p.F133V (one patient), BRAF p.K601E (one patient), and TMPRSS2:ETS rearrangements (nine patients). Activating AR alterations were seen in eight (67%) mCRPC patients, but not in matched primary PCa. Hotspot TP53 mutations, found in metastases from three patients, were readily present in matched primary disease. Alterations in genes encoding epigenetic modifiers were observed in several patients (either shared between primary foci and metastases or in metastatic samples only). WES-based phylogenetic reconstruction and/or clonality scores were consistent with the index focus designated by pathology review in six out of nine (67%) cases. The three instances of discordance pertained to monoclonal, topographically continuous tumors, which would have been considered as unique disease in routine practice. Overall, our results emphasize pathologic and molecular heterogeneity of primary PCa, and suggest that comprehensive IHC-assisted pathology review and genomic analysis are highly concordant in nominating the “index” primary PCa area.
Ginkgolide With Intravenous Alteplase Thrombolysis in Acute Ischemic Stroke Improving Neurological Function: A Multicenter, Cluster-Randomized Trial (GIANT)

Background and Purpose: We aimed to investigate the effect of Ginkgolide® treatment on neurological function in patients receiving intravenous (IV) recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA). Methods: This cluster randomized controlled trial included acute ischemic stroke patients in 24 centers randomized to intervention of intravenous Ginkgolide® or control group within the first 24 h after IV rt-PA therapy (IVT). Clinical outcome at 90 days was assessed with modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score and dichotomized into good outcome (0–2) and poor outcome (3–6). Hemorrhagic transformation represented the conversion of a bland infarction into an area of hemorrhage by computed tomography. Symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage (sICH) was defined as cerebral hemorrhagic transformation in combination with clinical deterioration of National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score ≥4 points at 7-day or if the hemorrhage was likely to be the cause of the clinical deterioration. We performed logistic regression analysis and propensity score matching analysis to investigate the impact of Ginkgolide® treatment with IV rt-PA on good outcome, hemorrhagic transformation and sICH, respectively. Results: A total of 1113 patients were finally included and 513 (46.1%) were in the intervention group. Patients in the Ginkgolide® group were more likely to have good outcomes (78.6 vs. 66.7%, p < 0.01) and lower rate of sICH (0 vs. 2.72%, p < 0.01), compared with patients in the control group. The intra-cluster correlation coefficient (ICC) for good outcome at 90 days was 0.033. Binary logistic regression analysis revealed that treatment with Ginkgolide® was independently associated with 90-day mRS in patients with IV rt-PA therapy (OR 1.498; 95% CI 1.006–2.029, p = 0.009). After propensity score matching, conditional logistic regression showed intervention with Ginkgolide® was significantly associated with 90-day good outcome (OR 1.513; 95% CI 1.073–2.132, p = 0.018). No significant difference in hemorrhage transformation was seen between the 2 matched cohorts (OR 0.885; 95% CI 0.450–1.741, p = 0.724). Conclusion: Using Ginkgolide® within 24-hour after IV rt-PA is effective and safe and might be recommended in combination with rtPA therapy in acute ischemic stroke. Clinical Trial Registration: http://www.clinicaltrials. gov, identifier NCT03772847.
Maternal parity affects Day 8 embryo gene expression in old mares

As sport career is a priority in most of equine breeds, mares are frequently bred for the first time at an advanced age. Both age and first gestation were shown to have a deleterious effect on reproduction outcomes, respectively on fertility and offspring weight but the effect mare’s parity in older mares on embryo quality has never been considered. The aim of this project was to determine the effect of old mare’s nulliparity on gene expression in embryos. Day 8 post ovulation embryos were collected from old (10-16 years old) nulliparous (ON, N=5) or multiparous (OM, N=6) non-nursing Saddlebred mares, inseminated with the semen of one stallion. Pure (TE_part) or inner cell mass enriched (ICMandTE) trophoblast were obtained by embryo bisection and paired end, non-oriented RNA sequencing (Illumina, NextSeq500) was performed on each hemi-embryo. To discriminate gene expression in the ICM from that in the TE, deconvolution (DeMixT R package) was used on the ICMandTE dataset. Differential expression was analyzed (DESeq2) with embryo sex and diameter as cofactors using a false discovery rate <0.05 cutoff. Although the expression of only a few genes was altered by mare’s nulliparity (33 in ICM and 23 in TE), those genes were related to nutrient exchanges and responses to environment signaling, both in ICM and TE, suggesting that the developing environment from these mares are not optimal for embryo growth. In conclusion, being nulliparous and old does not seem to be the perfect match for embryonic development in mares. Summary sentence Mare’s parity in old mares impacts the expression of genes related to development and molecule exchanges in ICM and TE of blastocysts suggesting an adaptation to an altered environment.
Fuel Consumption Prediction Model using Machine Learning

In the paper, we are enhancing the accuracy of the fuel consumption prediction model with Machine Learning to minimize Fuel Consumption. This will lead to an economic improvement for the business and satisfy the domain needs. We propose a machine learning model to predict vehicle fuel consumption. The proposed model is based on the Support Vector Machine algorithm. The Fuel Consumption estimation is given as a function of Mass Air Flow, Vehicle Speed, Revolutions Per Minute, and Throttle Position Sensor features. The proposed model is applied and tested on a vehicle’s On-Board Diagnostics Dataset. The observations were conducted on 18 features. Results achieved a higher accuracy with an R-Squared metric value of 0.97 than other related work using the same Support Vector Machine regression algorithm. We concluded that the Support Vector Machine has a great effect when used for fuel consumption prediction purposes. Our model can compete with other Machine Learning algorithms for the same purpose which will help manufacturers find more choices for successful Fuel Consumption Prediction models. Keywords—Fuel consumption; machine learning; support vector machine; feature weight; feature selection; on-board diagnostic
Service quality, customer satisfaction and loyalty in automobile repair services sector

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to explore the dimensional structure of the SERVQUAL scale within non-western service setting as well as the impact of service quality dimensions on customer satisfaction and loyalty. Design/methodology/approach – A quantitative approach was employed, using 32-item, seven-point Likert-scaled questionnaire administered to 384 participants with 55.99 per cent usable response rate. Data were analysed using exploratory factor analysis, Cronbach’s internal consistency and γ test to, respectively, measure scale suitability, usability and strength/direction of association. Findings – The outcome from the study was the reduction of the 32 items to 26 scale items with 0.929 total α score. Further outcomes show that service quality dimensions are significant predictors of customer satisfaction and loyalty with the commitment dimension accounting for the highest degree of this impact. Research limitations/implications – Findings failed to corroborate past research as it was established that distinct efforts to measure customer satisfaction and loyalty within non-western service contexts proved to be less useful. However, outcomes cannot be generalized and as such, the modified scale that emerged from this research should receive more rigorous tests in other emerging services contexts. Practical implications – Automobile repair services firms within Ebonyi State will be better placed in their strategic responses to customer loyalty if they boost customers’ satisfaction through excellent service quality improvement actions. Social implications – The best way to enhance the welfare of the consumers of automobile repair services in Ebonyi State is by improving the empathy, tangibles, responsiveness, reliability and commitment dimensions of service quality. Originality/value – The paper demonstrates that the commitment dimension of service quality emerged as the most significant predictor of customer satisfaction and loyalty. The research also demonstrates that satisfied customers will definitely be loyal because a distinct effort to measure customer satisfaction and loyalty was found to be less useful.
The Determination of Efficacy of CircuCare on Blood Circulation and Metabolism: An Animal Model Study

Objectives To determine whether feeding CircuCare to rats improves blood circulation, metabolism, immune regulation, endocrine activity, and oxidative stress. Methods 28 eight-week-old male Sprague-Dawley rats were evenly randomized into control and experimental groups. The control group was fed with ordinary drinking water, while the experimental group was fed with CircuCare at a daily dose of 93.75 mg per 300 g of body weight over eight weeks. Both groups were subjected to a swimming test, and blood samples were taken to observe any variations in various biochemical parameters before and after the test. Key Findings. The experimental group's mean swimming exhaustion duration was 53.2% longer and had a significantly higher lactic acid removal ratio. Their mean prostaglandin E2 level and mean glucose, cortisol, and glutathione level (30 minutes after swimming test) were also significantly higher. No undesirable impacts from CircuCare relating to general blood biochemistry values and bone mineral density were reported. Conclusions The present results show that CircuCare can be safely used to increase stamina and exercise capability, expedite the metabolism of lactic acid, accelerate muscle repair, and promote the antioxidant activity of cells in rats.
Modeling of Multifamily Residential Parking Use in King County, Washington

Multifamily residential buildings often provide too much parking, which can be an impediment to a wide range of community goals. An over-supply of parking can have deleterious effects on economic development, consumers, the community at large, and the environment. Despite a recent surge in research, a lack of consensus still exists on the factors that drive demand for parking in multifamily buildings across a variety of urban and suburban contexts. Although sociodemographic, housing, and built environment variables have all been shown to have an impact on residential parking and vehicle availability, their relative influence is a source of debate. This research identified independent variables to be tested in a regression analysis of 208 multifamily parking use studies conducted in King County, Washington, in 2012. Parking use was correlated to building characteristics as well as to the neighborhood in which the building resided. The final model derived from this regression analysis contained a goodness of fit with an R2 value of 81.0% and incorporated seven variables: five pertained to the property or development characteristics and two to the built environment, specifically to access. The results of this study were intended for use by practitioners on an interactive website tool, the King County Multi-Family Residential Parking Calculator (www.rightsizeparking.org), which condensed the research findings into a simple, map-based format, accessible to a wide variety of stakeholders.
UvA-DARE (Digital Academic Repository) Cherenkov Telescope Array: the World's largest VHE gamma-ray observatory

Very-High Energy (VHE) gamma-ray astroparticle physics is a relatively young ﬁeld, and observations over the past decade have surprisingly revealed almost two hundred VHE emitters which appear to act as cosmic particle accelerators. These sources are an important component of the Universe, inﬂuencing the evolution of stars and galaxies. At the same time, they also act as a probe of physics in the most extreme environments known - such as in supernova explosions, and around or after the merging of black holes and neutron stars. However, the existing experiments have provided exciting glimpses, but often falling short of supplying the full answer. A deeper understanding of the TeV sky requires a signiﬁcant improvement in sensitivity at TeV energies, a wider energy coverage from tens of GeV to hundreds of TeV and a much better angular and energy resolution with respect to the currently running facilities. The next generation gamma-ray observatory, the Cherenkov Telescope Array Observatory (CTAO), is the answer to this need. In this talk I will present this upcoming observatory from its design to the construction, and its potential science exploitation. CTAO will allow the entire astronomical community to explore a new discovery space that will likely lead to paradigm-changing breakthroughs. In particular, CTA has an unprecedented sensitivity to short (sub-minute) timescale phenomena, placing it as a key instrument in the future of multi-messenger and multi-wavelength time domain astronomy. I will conclude the talk presenting the ﬁrst scientiﬁc results obtained by the LST-1, the prototype of one CTA telescope type - the Large Sized Telescope, that is currently under commission.
Relationship Between Free Cash Flows and Corporate Governance Levels in the Light of Agency Theory

This research analyzes the relationship between free cash flows (FCFs) and the different levels of Corporate Governance present in the Brazilian stock market. To this end, the sample was composed of 212 Brazilian publicly traded companies listed on Brasil, Bolsa, Balcão [B]³, in the period from 2010 to 2018. The methodology consisted of estimating a regression for panel data, using the random effects model, estimating by generalized least square (GLS) and assuming adjustments for autocorrelation and robust standard errors for heteroscedasticity. The results found, for the sample studied, suggest that Corporate Governance levels are positively related to the FCFs. In synergy, when compared to the Traditional level of [B]³, companies listed on the Novo Mercado and Level 2 levels tend to present higher FCF values. In addition, the larger the size of the companies and the higher their return on equity, the higher their FCFs tend to be, just as companies in stages of maturity tend to present lower FCF values. The relevance of this research is based on analyzing, in a stock market subject to imperfections, factors that may affect decisions about the level of cash maintenance of companies, more specifically by evaluating how Corporate Governance mechanisms relate to the theory of FCFs, in a context of potential conflict of interest.
A Galerkin moment method for the analysis of an insulated antenna in a dissipative dielectric medium

A Galerkin moment method is employed to solve the problem of a dielectric-coated dipole antenna in a dissipative medium. Piecewise sinusoids are used as basis and testing functions. The dielectric coating is modeled by equivalent-volume polarization currents, which are simply related to the conduction current distribution. No additional unknowns are introduced, and the size of the moment-method matrix is the same as that for bare antennas. Exact and approximate formulas for the near electric field are derived. The computed results exhibit excellent agreement with those previously published for a symmetric, as well as an asymmetric insulated dipole. Compared to its existing competitors, the new method appears to be more general and computationally efficient.
Small-signal operation of semiconductor devices including self-heating, with application to thermal characterization and instability analysis

A rigorous mathematical treatment of dynamic self-heating in semiconductor devices is presented. Two formulations for the admittance parameters are given. The thermal behavior of the device is referred to device temperature in the first formulation, and to ambient temperature in the second. Contrary to previous work, nonlinear thermal effects are included. An analytical model for the thermal resistance is derived which confirms the relevance of these effects. Applications of the above results to device modeling and thermal characterization are studied in detail by means of numerical simulations. Possible sources of inaccuracies are evidenced. Finally, it is shown that the differential analysis of thermal feedback provides a general and rigorous means to determine the conditions for the onset of thermally-induced instabilities.
Measurement of threshold voltage and channel length of submicron MOSFETs

A simple method for characterisation of MOSFETs with appreciable source and drain series resistance is presented. The ratio g/g1/2m of conductance g and transconductance gm is shown to be a linear function of gate bias, whose intercept equals the threshold voltage and whose slope is proportional to the square root of the channel length. The method is illustrated using measurements on 0.4 ? m to 1.0 ? m channel length LDD transistors.
Collaborative Unit Construction in Korean: Pivot Turns

This study examines how Korean speakers make pivot turns using particles and predicates as increments while coordinating their action in relation to a recipient’s response moment-to-moment. The study discusses the speaker’s organization of syntax and prosody in the design of pivot turns and demonstrates how pivot turns emerge from stance negotiation between participants. The analysis shows how interlocutors take into account multimodal resources, including talk, prosody, and gestures, during their negotiation of stance. Finally, the study suggests that Korean interlocutors construct units collaboratively as speakers turn the trajectory of talk to modify their stance through pivot turns. Keywords: pivot turns, grammar and interaction, multimodal resources, stance-taking
Protective system issues during restoration

This paper is one of a series presented on behalf of the IEEE System Operation Subcommittee with the intent of focusing industry attention on power system restoration issues. Performance of protective systems may be measured by the relative percentages of correct and appropriate relay operations, correct but inappropriate operations, wrong tripping, and failure to trip. The primary reason for "correct but inappropriate" operations is attributed to the power system changes. During restoration, the power system undergoes continual charges and therefore it is subject to "correct but inappropriate" relay operations. >