Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Assessment of Liver Remnant Using ICG Clearance Intraoperatively during Vascular Exclusion: Early Experience with the ALIIVE Technique

Background. The most significant risk following major hepatectomy is postoperative liver insufficiency. Current preoperative assessment of the future liver remnant relies upon assumptions which may not be valid in the setting of advanced resection strategies. This paper reports the feasibility of the ALIIVE technique which assesses the liver remnant with ICG clearance intraoperatively during vascular exclusion. Methods. 10 patients undergoing planned major liver resection (hemihepatectomy or greater) were recruited. Routine preoperative assessment included CT and standardized volumetry. ICG clearance was measured noninvasively using a finger spectrophotometer at various time points including following parenchymal transection during inflow and outflow occlusion before vascular division, the ALIIVE step. Results. There were one case of mortality and three cases of posthepatectomy liver failure. The patient who died had the lowest ALIIVE ICG clearance (7.1%/min versus 14.4 ± 4.9). Routine preoperative CT and standardized volumetry did not predict outcome. Discussion/Conclusion. The novel ALIIVE technique is feasible and assesses actual future liver remnant function before the point of no return during major hepatectomy. This technique may be useful as a check step to offer a margin of safety to prevent posthepatectomy liver failure and death. Further confirmatory studies are required to determine a safety cutoff level.
Trapping related degradation effects in AlGaN/GaN HEMT

Reliability in GaN based devices still motivates numerous studies because the involved degradation mechanisms are different from that in III-V narrow bandgap devices. Direct investigations on high electron mobility transistors (HEMT) are performed with low frequency noise (LFN) measurements and pulsed electrical characterization. Undoped AlGaN/GaN devices grown on silicon substrate are stressed at a junction temperature of 175°C. Gate-lag and drain-lag measurements method have been performed versus different quiescent bias points and under different pulse conditions. This method allows the discrimination of each lag phenomenon as well as the thermal contribution. Thus it is possible to track and model the trapping mechanisms versus bias conditions. This electrical modelling is completed with LFN measurements, which is largely used for reliability investigations.
Maintaining maintainability

Conventionally, maintainability is seen as an attribute of software; measures which aim to quantify maintainability are all expressed in terms of attributes of the source code or related documentation. Such metrics do not correspond with intuition, and fail in important ways; for example they are not used by industry in assessing lifecycle costs. Maintainability is related to the skills of the maintenance team, the tools available, the maturity of the process and so on. We propose a new model, which takes a systemic view of the maintenance process and organisation as well as the software. The changing relationships between components of the model are identified as key properties for assessing maintainability. We suggest empirical approaches which could use the model to quantify maintainability. We hope the model could be used for assessing the effect of evolution, not only in the software, but in its environment.
Control of passive object handling robot with free joint for reducing human assistive force

In this paper, we introduce a passive mobile robot called PRP to realize a transportation of an object in cooperation with a human which is developed based on a concept of passive robotics. The PRP (passive robot porter) consists of three omni-directional wheels with servo brakes and a controller. It can manipulate an object by controlling an external force/moment applied by a human based on the control of the servo brakes. Therefore, if the required external force and moment for realizing the manipulation of the object are become large, the burden of the human would increase and the controllability of the robot would decrease. To overcome these problems, in this paper, we propose a system in which the PRP carries the object through a free joint. By using the free joint, the orientation of the object is changed by the intentional moment applied by the human and the robot only controls the position of the object based on the servo brake control, so that the required intentional force for transporting the object could reduce compared to the previous version of the PRP without using free joint. Additionally, in this paper, we propose a motion control algorithm for the PRP with free joint and illustrate the validity of the proposed system and its control algorithm through the experiments of the object handling.
On The Applicability of Readability Models to Web Texts

An increasing range of features is being used for automatic readability classification. The impact of the features typically is evaluated using reference corpora containing graded reading material. But how do the readability models and the features they are based on perform on real-world web texts? In this paper, we want to take a step towards understanding this aspect on the basis of a broad range of lexical and syntactic features and several web datasets we collected. Applying our models to web search results, we find that the average reading level of the retrieved web documents is relatively high. At the same time, documents at a wide range of reading levels are identified and even among the Top-10 search results one finds documents at the lower levels, supporting the potential usefulness of readability ranking for the web. Finally, we report on generalization experiments showing that the features we used generalize well across different web sources.
Language Muse: Automated Linguistic Activity Generation for English Language Learners

Current education standards in the U.S. require school students to read and understand complex texts from different subject areas (e.g., social studies). However, such texts usually contain figurative language, complex phrases and sentences, as well as unfamiliar discourse relations. This may present an obstacle to students whose native language is not English — a growing sub-population in the US. 1 One way to help such students is to create classroom activities centered around linguistic elements found in subject area texts (DelliCarpini, 2008). We present a web-based tool that uses NLP algorithms to automatically generate customizable linguistic activities that are grounded in language learning research.
RANK-BASED ESTIMATION OF NONPARANORMAL GRAPHICAL MODELS 2543 TABLE 1 Testing for normality of the gene expression measurements in the Arabidposis thaliana data

A sparse precision matrix can be directly translated into a sparse Gaussian graphical model under the assumption that the data follow a joint normal distribution. This neat property makes high-dimensional precision matrix estimation very appealing in many applications. However, in practice we often face nonnormal data, and variable transformation is often used to achieve normality. In this paper we consider the nonparanormal model that assumes that the variables follow a joint normal distribution after a set of unknown monotone transformations. The nonparanormal model is much more flexible than the normal model while retaining the good interpretability of the latter in that each zero entry in the sparse precision matrix of the nonparanormal model corresponds to a pair of conditionally independent variables. In this paper we show that the nonparanormal graphical model can be efficiently estimated by using a rank-based estimation scheme which does not require estimating these unknown transformation functions. In particular, we study the rank-based graphical lasso, the rank-based neighborhood Dantzig selector and the rank-based CLIME. We establish their theoretical properties in the setting where the dimension is nearly exponentially large relative to the sample size. It is shown that the proposed rank-based estimators work as well as their oracle counterparts defined with the oracle data. Furthermore, the theory motivates us to consider the adaptive version of the rank-based neighborhood Dantzig selector and the rank-based CLIME that are shown to enjoy graphical model selection consistency without assuming the irrepresentable condition for the oracle and rank-based graphical lasso. Simulated and real data are used to demonstrate the finite performance of the rank-based estimators.
Fuzzy people: The roles of kinship, essence, and sociability in the attribution of personhood to nonliving, nonhuman agents

Evolutionary theories of religion have focused almost exclusively on anthropomorphic representations of God and of God as having a mind. However, religious beliefs extend to notions about material entities as well and, we propose, religious cognition can involve many distinct cognitive systems and social motivations including kin care, essentialist beliefs, and social exchange. We refer to the elevation of the social status of nonliving and nonhuman material entities as personification. In 3 studies we assess variability in the personification of a range of nonliving nonhuman entities. In Study 1, perceived kinship and the attribution of an inner essence, spirit, or soul to a particular target were important positive predictors of the personification of material nonliving or nonhuman entities whereas sociability was not. In Study 2, we compare personification among European Americans, Hispanic Americans, and American Indians to show that these perceptions can vary by cultural group. In Study 3, variation in personification was related to individual differences in beliefs about the soul or evolution. In all, we show the importance of perceived kinship bonds and essentialist beliefs in the personification of fetuses, the dead, animals, and objects, over and above the attribution of mental attributes—a new focus for understanding religious cognition.
Algorithm for segmentation based on an improved three-dimensional Otsu's thresholding

Considering the misclassification of conventional regional division based on gray level-average gray level-median gray level three-dimensional (3D) histogram, the result of 3D Otsu's method is not accurate enough. Its computing complexity rapidly increases due to the increment of another eigenvalue. Thus a fast iterative algorithm of the improved 3D Otsu's method is proposed. Based on the gray level-gradient level-median gray level 3D histogram, the improved regional division and fast iterative formulas of 3D Otsu's method are derived. The segmentation results, threshold and running time are given in the experimental results and analysis. A comparison is made with the fast iterative algorithms of the traditional 3D Otsu's method. The experimental results show that the proposed algorithm is more accurate for segmentation, and the detail features are more clearly. The running time reduces approximately 80% because there is no need to ransack the entire solution space while searching the best threshold.
Poly-Si-Gate-Related Variability in Decananometer MOSFETs With Conventional Architecture

In this paper, we present a comprehensive statistical 3-D simulation study of the effect of polysilicon (poly-Si) gate granularity on the threshold voltage variability in decananometer MOSFETs with conventional (bulk) architecture. Initially, the effect of both the pinning of the Fermi level and the doping nonuniformity at the poly-Si grain boundaries are studied and compared considering a single grain boundary crossing through the middle of the channel for different pinning positions and doping concentrations at the boundary. This is followed by systematic simulation results for the impact of the grain-size distribution on the standard deviation of the threshold voltage in a simple 30 30 nm MOSFET with uniform channel doping for different pinning positions and doping levels at the grain boundaries. Finally, simulation results for the magnitude of the threshold voltage variations induced by the poly-Si granularity are presented for a set of carefully scaled ldquorealisticrdquo bulk MOSFETs with gate lengths of 35, 25, 18, 13, and 9 nm and are compared with the variations introduced by random discrete dopants and line-edge roughness.
Orthographic Transcription: which enrichment is required for phonetization?

This paper addresses the problem of the enrichment of transcriptions in the perspective of an automatic phonetization. Phonetization is the process of representing sounds with phonetic signs. There are two general ways to construct a phonetization process: rule based systems (with rules based on inference approaches or proposed by expert linguists) and dictionary based solutions which consist in storing a maximum of phonological knowledge in a lexicon. In both cases, phonetization is based on a manual transcription. Such a transcription is established on the basis of conventions that can differ depending on their working out context. This present study focuses on three different enrichments of such a transcription. Evaluations compare phonetizations obtained from automatic systems to a reference phonetized manually. The test corpus is made of three types of speech: conversational speech, read speech and political debate. A specific algorithm for the rule-based system is proposed to deal with enrichments. The final system obtained a phonetization of about 95.2% correct (from 3.7% to 5.6% error rates depending on the corpus).
HD 71636, A Newly Discovered Eclipsing Binary

Our differential BV photometric observations, acquired with an automated telescope at Fairborn Observatory, show that HD 71636 is an eclipsing binary. From follow-up red-wavelength spectroscopic observations we classify the primary and secondary as an F2 dwarf and an F5 dwarf, respectively. The system has a period of 5.01329 days and a circular orbit. We used the Wilson-Devinney program to simultaneously solve our BV light curves and radial velocities and determined a number of fundamental properties of the system. Comparison with evolutionary tracks indicates that both stars are well ensconced on the main sequence. The age of the system is about 1.2 billion years.
Dynamic wafer handling process in semiconductor manufacturing

In semiconductor manufacturing, wafers are transferred using wafer handling robots. Typically a pick-measure-place method is used to transfer wafers accurately between stations. The measurement step is performed using an aligner, which is time-consuming. To increase wafer transfer efficiency, it is desirable to speed up the measurement or place it in parallel with other operations. Hence two optic sensors are installed at each station to estimate the wafer eccentricity on the fly. The eccentricity values are then used to control the robot to place the wafer directly onto another station accurately without using the aligner. In this paper, the kinematic model of a wafer handling robot is developed. A sensor position calibration is proposed to identify the sensor positions. A wafer eccentricity identification method is then derived. Experiments were performed to validate the proposed methods. The computed wafer eccentricity values are compared with those measured using an aliger. The results demonstrated that the developed methods can be applied to estimate the wafer eccentricity on-the-fly, thus reduce the wafer transfer cycle time and increase productivity.
Language and Conceptual Development series Core systems of number

What representations underlie the ability to think and reason about number? Whereas certain numerical concepts, such as the real numbers, are only ever represented by a subset of human adults, other numerical abilities are widespread and can be observed in adults, infants and other animal species. We review recent behavioral and neuropsychological evidence that these ontogenetically and phylogenetically shared abilities rest on two core systems for representing number. Performance signatures common across development and across species implicate one system for representing large, approximate numerical magnitudes
Theranostic Potential of Oncolytic Vaccinia Virus

Biological cancer therapies, such as oncolytic, or replication-selective viruses have advantages over traditional therapeutics as they can employ multiple different mechanisms to target and destroy cancers (including direct cell lysis, immune activation and vascular collapse). This has led to their rapid recent clinical development. However this also makes their pre-clinical and clinical study complex, as many parameters may affect their therapeutic potential and so defining reason for treatment failure or approaches that might enhance their therapeutic activity can be complicated. The ability to non-invasively image viral gene expression in vivo both in pre-clinical models and during clinical testing will considerably enhance the speed of oncolytic virus development as well as increasing the level and type of useful data produced from these studies. Further, subsequent to future clinical approval, imaging of reporter gene expression might be used to evaluate the likelihood of response to oncolytic viral therapy prior to changes in tumor burden. Here different reporter genes used in conjunction with oncolytic viral therapy are described, along with the imaging modalities used to measure their expression, while their applications both in pre-clinical and clinical testing are discussed. Possible future applications for reporter gene expression from oncolytic viruses in the phenotyping of tumors and the personalizing of treatment regimens are also discussed.
ToxDBScan: Large-Scale Similarity Screening of Toxicological Databases for Drug Candidates

We present a new tool for hepatocarcinogenicity evaluation of drug candidates in rodents. ToxDBScan is a web tool offering quick and easy similarity screening of new drug candidates against two large-scale public databases, which contain expression profiles for substances with known carcinogenic profiles: TG-GATEs and DrugMatrix. ToxDBScan uses a set similarity score that computes the putative similarity based on similar expression of genes to identify chemicals with similar genotoxic and hepatocarcinogenic potential. We propose using a discretized representation of expression profiles, which use only information on up- or down-regulation of genes as relevant features. Therefore, only the deregulated genes are required as input. ToxDBScan provides an extensive report on similar compounds, which includes additional information on compounds, differential genes and pathway enrichments. We evaluated ToxDBScan with expression data from 15 chemicals with known hepatocarcinogenic potential and observed a sensitivity of 88%. Based on the identified chemicals, we achieved perfect classification of the independent test set. ToxDBScan is publicly available from the ZBIT Bioinformatics Toolbox.
Quantitative Methods in Regional Science 36 A PERMUTATION APPROACH TO EXAMINE THE SATISFACTION OF THE ITALIAN POPULATION TOWARDS TRANSPORT SERVICE

When public transport system represents a primary need for citizens, the analysis of users’ satisfaction is of the utmost importance to offer and obtain an efficient service. It is clear that a customer will be "satisfied", if his expectations are met and will be" disappointed", if his needs are ignored. In the transport field, the formulation and the definition of organizational and operational criteria are essential requisites to improve service quality. Restoring and improving modes and procedures will certainly guarantee an increasing efficiency, but the evaluation of customer satisfaction has been gaining more and more importance in order to achieve such a goal: different transport companies have been able to set such quality standards not only thanks to their own abilities, but also by taking into account specific service needs, directly expressed by customers through an adequate monitoring process. With this paper our aim is to make a study that analizes the satisfaction of the Italian population using transport service. With a particular reference to "Buses," "Coaches" and "Trains", we are going to evaluate the proportion of satisfied public transport users according to ISTAT indicators (frequency, punctuality and seats availability) both in regional and in geographical divisions. The methodology used is based on permutation tests.
Special Issue: Reduction Sequence, Chaîne Opératoire, and Other Methods: The Epistemologies of Different Approaches to Lithic Analysis

Lithic analysis is an increasingly multinational endeavor conducted by researchers with different cultural and disciplinary backgrounds. The debate between proponents of the reduction sequence and chaine operatoire approaches has shown that there is a mutual lack of understanding on many fronts. Yet lithic analysis cannot be pigeon-holed into these two types alone. This collection of papers was solicited from authors working in different national disciplinary contexts to provide an example and role model for future explicit discussions of epistemologies, goals, and methods of lithic analysis advocated by diverse practitioners. This special issue of PaleoAnthropology was designed to help clarify the method, theory, and social context of international lithic analysis, and contains seven contributions: •� Tostevin, G. : Introduction to the Special Issue •� Bleed, P.: Loosening our Chaines: Cognitive insights for the Archaeological Application of Sequence Models •� Carr, P.J., and Bradbury, A.P.: Learning from Lithics: A Perspective on the Foundation and Future of the Organization of Technology •� Shott, M. J., Lindly, J.M. , and Clark, G.A. : Continuous Modeling of Core Reduction: Lessons from Refitting Cores from WHS623x, An Upper Paleolithic Site in Jordan •� Soressi, M. , and Geneste, J.-M. : The History and Efficacy of the Chaine Operatoire Approach to Lithic Analysis: Studying Techniques to Reveal Past Societies in an Evolutionary Perspective •� Tostevin, G. : Levels of Theory and Social Practice in the Reduction Sequence and Chaine Operatoire Methods of Lithic Analysis •� Tryon, C. and Potts, R. : Approaches for Understanding Flake Production in the African Acheulian
The Ets Transcription Factor GABP Is Required for Postsynaptic Differentiation In Vivo

At chemical synapses, neurotransmitter receptors are concentrated in the postsynaptic membrane. During the development of the neuromuscular junction, motor neurons induce aggregation of acetylcholine receptors (AChRs) underneath the nerve terminal by the redistribution of existing AChRs and preferential transcription of the AChR subunit genes in subsynaptic myonuclei. Neural agrin, when expressed in nonsynaptic regions of muscle fibers in vivo, activates both mechanisms resulting in the assembly of a fully functional postsynaptic apparatus. Several lines of evidence indicate that synaptic transcription of AChR genes is primarily dependent on a promoter element called N-box. The Ets-related transcription factor growth-associated binding protein (GABP) binds to this motif and has thus been suggested to regulate synaptic gene expression. Here, we assessed the role of GABP in synaptic gene expression and in the formation of postsynaptic specializationsin vivo by perturbing its function during postsynaptic differentiation induced by neural agrin. We find that neural agrin-mediated activation of the AChRε subunit promoter is abolished by the inhibition of GABP function. Importantly, the number of AChR aggregates formed in response to neural agrin was strongly reduced. Moreover, aggregates of acetylcholine esterase and utrophin, two additional components of the postsynaptic apparatus, were also reduced. Together, these results are the first direct in vivo evidence that GABP regulates synapse-specific gene expression at the neuromuscular junction and that GABP is required for the formation of a functional postsynaptic apparatus.