Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Tracheal tube tip displacement during laparoscopy in children *

The risk of endobronchial intubation during laparoscopy because of displacement of the tip of the tracheal tube is a well known problem in adults. Laparoscopy in children is increasingly performed, but there are no data available regarding the above problem. We prospectively studied 46 children aged 2 months to 15.7 years (median 4.2 years) undergoing laparoscopy. After tracheal intubation with the Microcuff Pediatric Endotracheal Tube, with the ‘intubation depth marking’ of the tube at the vocal cords, the distance from the tracheal tube tip to the carina was endoscopically measured with the patient in the neutral position and with 20° head‐down tilt, both with and without capnoperitoneum. Maximal displacement of the tip of the tracheal tube tip in cm was 0.5 + (0.05 × age (years)) for 20° head‐down tilt, 0.6 + (0.09 × age (years)) for capnoperitoneum alone, and 1.2 + (0.11 × age (years)) for 20° head‐down tilt with capnoperitoneum. In no patients did endobronchial intubation occur with the tracheal tube placed according to the intubation depth marking.
Three-Phase Three-Level active NPC converters for high power systems

In last years the multilevel converter topologies have gained much attention both in the field of scientific research and in the one of high power applications. This paper proposes a comparative analysis between the classical structure of Neutral Point Clamped (NPC) converter and the emerging Active NPC converter. In particular, numerical analysis of losses distribution among power devices for some known carrier based PWM techniques are reported in the case of ANPC topology. Furthermore, experimental results concerning the design and the implementation of a Three-Phase Three-Level ANPC converter are analysed.
Improving the utility of social media with Natural Language Processing

Social media has been an attractive target for many natural language processing (NLP) tasks and applications in recent years. However, the unprecedented volume of data and the non-standard language register cause problems for off-the-shelf NLP tools. This thesis investigates the broad question of how NLP-based text processing can improve the utility (i.e., the effectiveness and efficiency) of social media data. In particular, text normalisation and geolocation prediction are closely examined in the context of Twitter text processing. Text normalisation is the task of restoring non-standard words to their standard forms. For instance, earthquick and 2morrw should be transformed into “earthquake” and “tomorrow”, respectively. Non-standard words often cause problems for existing tools trained on edited text sources such as newswire text. By applying text normalisation to reduce unknown non-standard words, the accuracy of NLP tools and downstream applications is expected to increase. In this thesis, I explore and develop lexical normalisation methods for Twitter text. I shift the focus of text normalisation from a cascaded token-based approach to a type-based approach using a combined lexicon, based on the analysis of existing and developed text normalisation methods. The type-based method achieved the state-of-the-art end-to-end normalisation accuracy at the time of publication, i.e., 0.847 precision and 0.630 recall on a benchmark dataset. Furthermore, it is simple, lightweight and easily integrable which is particularly well suited to large-scale data processing. Additionally, the effectiveness of the proposed normalisation method is shown in non-English text normalisation and other NLP tasks and applications. Geolocation prediction estimates a user’s primary location based on the text of their posts. It enables location-based data partitioning, which is crucial to a range of tasks and applications such as local event detection. The partitioned location data can improve both the efficiency and the effectiveness of NLP tools and applications. In this thesis, I identify and explore several factors that affect the accuracy of textbased geolocation prediction in a unified framework. In particular, an extensive range of feature selection methods is compared to determine the optimised feature set for the geolocation prediction model. The results suggest feature selection is an effective method for improving the prediction accuracy regardless of geolocation model and location partitioning. Additionally, I examine the influence of other factors includ-
Adenovirus E1A protein activates transcription of the E1A gene subsequent to transcription complex formation

The mechanism of transcriptional activation of the adenovirus E1A and E3 genes by E1A protein during infection was examined by using transcription-competition assays. Infection of HeLa cells with one virus led to inhibition of mRNA accumulation from a superinfecting virus. Synthesis of the E1A 289R protein by the first virus to infect reduced inhibition of transcription of the superinfecting virus, indicating that the E1A 289R protein was limiting for E1A-activated transcription. Infection with an E1A- virus, followed 6 h later by superinfection with a wild-type virus, led to preferential transcriptional activation of the E1A gene of the first virus, suggesting that a host transcription component(s) stably associated with the E1A promoter in the absence of E1A protein and that this complex was the substrate for transcriptional activation by E1A protein. The limiting host transcription component(s) bound to the E1A promoter to form a complex with a half-life greater than 24 h in the absence of E1A 289R protein, as demonstrated in a challenge assay with a large excess of superinfecting virus. In the presence of the E1A 289R protein, the E1A gene of the superinfecting virus was gradually activated with a reduction in E1A mRNA accumulation from the first virus. The kinetics of the activation suggest that this was due to an indirect effect rather than to destabilization of stable transcription complexes by the 289R protein.
Blank Check Acquisitions

Special Purpose Acquisition Companies (SPACs), a particular type of blank check firms, have risen dramatically since 2003 and account for one third of the U.S. IPO market in 2008. Compared to other public acquirers, SPACs tend to make focused acquisitions, target mostly private companies, are less likely to do cash only deals or tender offers, and less likely to complete acquisitions. SPACs exhibit a mean cumulative abnormal return of 1.7% upon deal announcement and a monthly excess return of 1.5% from deal announcement until closing. I show that SPACs make better acquisitions: they negotiate an additional 7.6% discount compared to other public acquirers that bid for private targets. The results highlight the role of specialization, ownership structure, and independent long-term institutional blockholders’ monitoring as important corporate governance mechanisms in SPACs.
The Risk Premium of Audit Fee: Evidence from the 2008 Financial Crisis

This paper uses the 2008 financial crisis to examine the association between audit pricing and firm risk. The empirical analysis shows that when firm risk increased during the crisis, accounting firms charged more for their auditing services, supporting the risk premium of audit fee. An analysis of different industries presents a positive correlation between the audit fees and firm risk for export companies that were seriously shocked by the crisis. Further, compared with private firms, the audit fees of State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) did not increase with firm risk under the crisis, due to the government’s bailout guarantee. Finally, the risk premium of audit fee was only found for companies audited by non-Big Four accounting firms.
ADOPTIVE TOLERANCE TO SHIGELLA ANTIGEN IN IRRADIATED MICE RECEIVING SPLEEN CELL TRANSPLANTS FROM UNRESPONSIVE DONORS.

Spleen cell suspensions from young mice immunologically tolerant to Shigella paradysenteriae antigens, induced by neonatal injection of a large inoculum of the antigen, were not competent to form agglutinins when transferred to lethally x-irradiated recipient mice. Challenge injection of irradiated recipients with Shigella antigen at various time intervals following spleen cell transfer from Shigellatolerant donor mice did not result in normal levels of agglutinins, as occurred following transfer of spleen cells from normal or Shigella-immune donors. Irradiated mice receiving unresponsive spleen cells were capable of forming normal levels of antibody to sheep erythrocytes or bovine serum albumin. Adoptive tolerance could not be demonstrated with any degree of confidence in non-irradiated recipients capable of actively forming antibody to Shigella antigens, either with or without spleen cell transfer from normal, Shigella tolerant or Shigella immune donors.
Auxin Synthesis-Encoding Transgene Enhances Grape Fecundity1[OA]

Grape (Vitis vinifera) yield is largely dependent on the fecundity of the cultivar. The average number of inflorescences per shoot (i.e. shoot fruitfulness) is a trait related to fecundity of each grapevine. Berry number and weight per bunch are other features affecting grape yield. An ovule-specific auxin-synthesizing (DefH9-iaaM) transgene that increases the indole-3-acetic acid content of grape transgenic berries was transformed into cultivars Silcora and Thompson Seedless, which differ in the average number of inflorescences per shoots. Thompson Seedless naturally has very low shoot fruitfulness, whereas Silcora has medium shoot fruitfulness. The average number of inflorescences per shoot in DefH9-iaaM Thompson Seedless was doubled compared to its wild-type control. Berry number per bunch was increased in both transgenic cultivars. The quality and nutritional value of transgenic berries were substantially equivalent to their control fruits. The data presented indicate that auxin enhances fecundity in grapes, thus enabling to increase yield with lower production costs.
An Empirical Comparison of Two Telephone Sample Designs

The clustered telephone sample design described by Waksberg is compared with a design randomly generating four digit numbers within working prefixes. The clustered sample is found to increase the proportion of working household numbers selected from about 22% to over 55%, but sampling errors and design effects of the two sample designs show some loss of precision in the clustered design. A cost-variance model is constructed which provides estimates of desirable cluster sizes given varying amounts of intracluster homogeneity.
Adaptive Segmentation based on a Learned Quality Metric

We introduce here a model for the evaluation of the segmentation quality of a color image. The model parameters were learned from a set of examples. To this aim, we first segmented a set of images using a traditional graph-cut algorithm, for different values of the scale parameter. A human observer classified these images into three classes: under-, welland over-segmented. This classification was employed to learn the parameters of the segmentation quality model. This was used to automatically optimize the scale parameter of the graph-cut segmentation algorithm, even at a local scale. Experimental results show an improved segmentation quality for the adaptive algorithm based on our segmentation quality model, which can be easily applied to a wide class of segmentation algorithms.
Identification of a cis-acting element in the class I major histocompatibility complex gene promoter responsive to activation by retroviral sequences

The infection of cells with Moloney murine leukemia virus (M-MuLV) causes an increase in specific cellular gene products, including the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I antigens. This upregulation occurs through a transactivation process mediated by the long terminal repeat (LTR) of M-MuLV, and we show here that the gene activation response to the LTR requires at least one specific cis element within the MHC proximal promoter region. Nested deletions of MHC class I H-2Kb gene promoter sequence were subcloned into a chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) reporter vector and then transiently introduced into BALB/c-3T3 cells expressing M-MuLV or cotransfected into BALB/c-3T3 cells with a vector containing subgenomic portions of the virus, including the LTR. CAT activity assays demonstrated that a minimal H-2Kb gene promoter (-64 to +12) contained elements sufficient for this transactivation. DNase I footprinting assays located a protein-binding site in the region of -64 to -34 bp from the transcriptional start site, and point mutation analysis confirmed the location of this cis-acting element, designated the let response element (LRE), and defined a binding motif. This LRE is distinct from binding sites for currently known transcription factors in the class I MHC gene promoter and is conserved in the promoters of human and murine MHC class I genes. Mutation of the LRE resulted in dramatic reduction in both DNA-protein binding activity in electrophoretic mobility shift assay and in the ability of the mutated promoter to respond to retroviral transactivation. Addition of the LRE to a heterologous promoter conferred the ability to respond to retroviral transactivation.
Laparoscopic treatment of ovarian remnant syndrome in dogs and cats: 7 cases (2010-2013).

OBJECTIVE To describe the technique and evaluate the outcome of laparoscopic treatment of ovarian remnant syndrome (ORS) in dogs and cats. DESIGN Retrospective case series. ANIMALS 7 client-owned dogs and cats. PROCEDURES Medical records of dogs and cats with ORS that were treated laparoscopically at 3 large veterinary teaching hospitals were reviewed. Laparoscopic ovarian remnant resection was performed by means of either a 3-port or single-port technique with the patient in dorsal recumbency. The area caudal to both kidneys was thoroughly inspected for evidence of ovarian tissue by tilting the patient laterally. Any ovarian remnant tissue in these areas was resected with a bipolar vessel sealer. RESULTS 5 female dogs and 2 female cats that had previously undergone ovariectomy or ovariohysterectomy were included in the study. Six procedures were performed with a standard 3-port technique, and 1 was performed with a single-port technique. Median surgery time was 90 minutes (range, 50 to 150 minutes). No patient required conversion to laparotomy. Six of the 7 patients had complete resolution of clinical signs after surgery. One patient underwent laparotomy 7 weeks after surgery for management of stump pyometra, but no further ovarian tissue was detected. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Laparoscopic management of ORS in this cohort of dogs and cats was associated with minimal morbidity. Laparoscopic treatment of ORS in dogs and cats may be recommended for appropriately selected patients.
The use of mobile technologies amongst South African commercial farmers

Organisations offering extension services provide services to farmers which include the provision of relevant and current information pertaining to agriculture. The increased use of mobile technologies is changing the way farmers access information, specifically by using the Internet. This paper focuses on South African (SA) commercial farmers who currently use the Internet to establish their Internet access profile, the devices they utilise for Internet access and the purpose for which they use mobile technologies. An Internet and Mobile Device Usage Survey was conducted in the SA agricultural community. Farmers were found to have embraced mobile technology and in excess of 70% of the farmers who participated in the study indicated that they use their mobile devices to access the Internet. No brand of mobile phone or tablet computer was found to dominate the agricultural community. Importantly, close to 50% of respondents indicated that they owned and used a tablet. The primary reason for which mobile devices are used by farmers is for business purposes, including access to information about agriculture. Agricultural organisations offering extension services could benefit from embracing the technology and exploring new ways to provide information services to their farmer base.
The effects of extending cognitive-behavioral therapy for binge eating disorder among initial treatment nonresponders.

OBJECTIVE The study was designed with the aim of determining whether extending group cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) would enhance outcome among individuals with binge eating disorder (BED) who failed to stop binge eating after an initial 12-week CBT intervention. METHOD Forty-six participants who met diagnostic criteria for BED were randomly allocated to either a 12-week group CBT intervention or a waiting list control condition. At the end of 12 weeks, treated participants who met clinical criteria for improvement subsequently received 12 sessions of behavioral weight loss. Remaining participants received 12 additional sessions of CBT for binge eating. RESULTS Fifty percent of treated participants improved with the initial 12-week course of CBT. There was a strong trend for the extension of CBT to affect improvement in binge eating among initial nonresponders (6 of 14 subjects no longer met diagnostic criteria for BED). Overall, extending CBT led to clinical improvement in 66.7% of all treated participants, with treatment gains occurring through session 20. DISCUSSION The results suggest that an extended course of CBT (i.e., longer than 12 weeks) will likely maximize the number of potential responders to treatment.
Ambiguity and the process of knowledge transfer in strategic alliances

This research examines the role played by the ‘causally ambiguous’ nature of knowledge in the process of knowledge transfer between strategic alliance partners. Based on a cross‐sectional sample of 147 multinationals and a structural equation methodology, this study empirically investigates the simultaneous effects of knowledge ambiguity and its antecedents—tacitness, asset specificity, prior experience, complexity, partner protectiveness, cultural distance, and organizational distance—on technological knowledge transfer. In contrast to past research that generally assumed a direct relation between these explanatory variables and transfer outcomes, this study’s findings highlight the critical role played by knowledge ambiguity as a full mediator of tacitness, prior experience, complexity, cultural distance, and organizational distance on knowledge transfer. These significant effects are further found to be moderated by the firm’s level of collaborative know‐how, its learning capacity, and the duration of the alliance. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Fast Barrel Distortion Correction for Wide-Angle Cameras

Barrel distortion is a critical problem that can hinder the successful application of wide-angle cameras. This letter presents an implementation method for fast correction of the barrel distortion. In the proposed method, the required scaling factor is obtained by interpolating a mapping polynomial with a non-uniform spline instead of calculating it directly, which reduces the number of computations required for the distortion correction. This reduction in the number of computations leads to faster correction while maintaining quality: when compared to the conventional method, the reduction ratio of the correction time is about 89%, and the correction quality is 35.3 dB in terms of the average peak signal-tonoise ratio. key words: barrel distortion correction, optical distortion, wide-angle cameras, image enhancement
Analysis of TCR repertoires for tracking and evaluating distinct T cell subsets.

In this article published online of Stem cell Investigation 2015, Li et al . reviewed recent studies on T-cell receptor (TCR) repertoire diversity recovery in patients with leukemia and autoimmune disease who have received hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). TCR repertoire diversity analysis has been a common method for characterizing immune reconstitution after HSCT and analyzing the oligoclonal expansion of T cells during virus infection, graft-versus-leukemia (GVL) effects, and graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) (1).
Discussing Dementia-Related Behaviors During Medical Visits for People With Alzheimer’s Disease

Research suggests that caregivers appreciate support from primary care physicians (PCPs) regarding dementia care; however, there remains a need for studies examining the role that PCPs play in behavior management. The purpose of this study was to quantitatively characterize the discussion on dementia-related behaviors (DRBs) during PCP visits and compare findings to an independently administered assessment of DRBs exhibited within a period of 4 weeks prior to the PCP visit. Twenty-five PCP visits of persons with dementia, in which caregivers coattended the visit, were audio-recorded and analyzed for occurrence of DRB discussion. Disruptive behaviors were reported by 80% of caregivers via independent assessment, yet discussed in 23% of medical visits. Dementia-related behavior discussion occurred in visits where caregivers independently reported significantly higher behavior frequency and behavior-related burden. Implications of findings for ways PCPs can assist the caregiver in behavior management are discussed.
Study on Evaluation Index Weight of Equipment Manufacturing Enterprises Innovation Capability Based on Rough Set and AHM

The evaluation of enterprise innovation capability is an important basis to reflect the enterprise innovation capability,reviewing enterprise innovation actions and guiding enterprise innovation. How to decide the index weights is an important part to evaluate innovation capability. In order to solve the insufficient of the expert experience and preference influence,the rough set and AHM are employed. In this paper,a new comprehensive evaluation indicator weight calculation method based is proposed. This method not only can fully integrated subjective an objective of the index weights but also overcome the shortcomings of AHP on high sample data consistency test.
Mos: A multicomputer distributed operating system

This paper describes the goals and the internal structure of MOS, a Multicomputer distributed Operating System. MOS is a general‐purpose time‐sharing operating system which makes a cluster of loosely connected independent homogeneous computers behave as a single‐machine UNIX system. The main goals of the system include network transparency, decentralized control, site autonomy and dynamic process migration. The main objective in the design of the system was to reduce the complexity of the system, while maintaining good performance. The internal structure of the system can be characterized by modularity, a high degree of information hiding, hierarchical organization and remote procedure calls.