Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An Improved BM25 for Clinical Decision Support in Precision Medicine Based on Co-word Analysis and Cuckoo Search

Background: Retrieving gene and disease information from a very large collection of biomedical abstracts to provide doctors with clinical decision support is one of the important research directions of Precision Medicine.Method: We propose a new method for the retrieval of biomedical articles utilizing expanded word and co-word implementations and conducting Cuckoo Search to optimize parameters of the retrieval function in the final stage of the proposed method. The specific goal is to retrieve biomedical abstracts of articles addressing treatments. The method employed in this manuscript first implements the BM25 algorithm to compute the score of the abstract, then we propose a method utilizing the BM25, an improved version of BM25, to compute the scores of expanded words and co-word that lead to a composite retrieval function. Afterward, the retrieval function is optimized using Cuckoo Search. The proposed method is utilized to find both disease and gene in the abstract of the same biomedical article. By doing so, the relevance of articles would tend to increase so would the score of the biomedical article. Besides, the manuscript discusses the influence of different parameters on the retrieval algorithm and summarizes the parameters to meet various retrieval needs.Results: All data are taken from medical articles provided in the Text Retrieval Conference (TREC) utilizing Clinical Decision Support (CDS) Tracks of 2017, 2018, and 2019 in Precision Medicine. 120 standard topics are tested. Three test indicators are employed to make comparisons among the methods utilized. To conduct comparable experiments, only the BM25 algorithm and its improved version of it are utilized. The experimental results show that the proposed algorithm achieves both better results and ranking outcomes.Conclusion: The proposed algorithm, an improved version of the BM25 algorithm, utilizes both co-word implementation and Cuckoo Search and verifies that the proposed algorithm produces better results on a large number of experimental sets. On the other hand, a relatively simple query expansion method is implemented in this manuscript. As a future direction of this research, both the ontology and semantic network to expand the query vocabulary is planned to be conducted.
A discrepancy between processing speed and verbal ability in gifted youth is genetically and diagnostically associated with autism

Background: High cognitive ability is an almost universally positive prognostic indicator in the context of neurodevelopmental, neuropsychiatric, and neurodegenerative conditions. However, "twice-exceptional" individuals, those who demonstrate high cognitive ability (gifted) and also exhibit profound cognitive, behavioral, and mental health challenges, are a striking exception to this rule. Methods: We digitized the clinical records of N=1,074 clients from a US-based specialty clinic serving gifted students. This included a broad array of diagnostic, cognitive, achievement, and behavioral data, including self, teacher, and parent reported items. We conducted both hypothesis-driven and unsupervised learning analyses to 1) identify characteristics whose association with full-scale IQ (FSIQ) was dependent on autism diagnosis and 2) identify cognitive archetypes associated with autism diagnosis and related behaviors. We tested the generalization of our findings using data from the ABCD study (N=10,602). Results: Self-reported sense of inadequacy was most strongly associated with increasing FSIQ specifically among autistic clients (beta=0.3, 95% CI:[0.15,0.45], p=7.1x10 -5 ). Similarly, self, parent, and teacher reports of anxiety increased with FSIQ (all p<0.05) in autistic individuals, in striking opposition to the ameliorating effect of FSIQ seen in non-autistic individuals. We uncovered a pattern of decreased processing speed (PS) coupled with very high verbal comprehension (VC), a PS/VC discrepancy, that was associated with autism, attention, and internalizing problems. These cognitive- behavioral links were also observed in the ABCD study. Finally, we found a significant association between the PS/VC discrepancy and polygenic risk for autism in the ABCD sample (t=2.9, p=0.004). Conclusions: Our results suggest that highly elevated IQ with a significant PS/VC discrepancy is a clinically and genetically meaningful biotype linked to autism.
Visualizing 2016 U.S. Presidential Election: A Twitter Point of View

: Social media is now one of the centres of human activity, especially for the young generation. It has big impact on their lives, including political preference. The 2016 U.S. Presidential election was considered very impactful for the global economy and politics. Mass media and social media conversations are focused on the topic. We collected more than 3.7 million tweets related to the 2016 U.S. election 90 days before the election day, until 7 days after the election day. We visualized the data to see the sentiment, the number of weekly tweets from U.S. presidential candidates, and the words that most people use to describe the candidates. The evaluation result shows that the visualization provides new insight and knowledge for readers.
A brain structural connectivity biomarker for diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder in early childhood

Objective: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is associated with altered brain development, but it is unclear which specific structural changes may serve as potential diagnostic markers. This study aimed to identify and model brain-wide differences in structural connectivity using MRI diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) in young ASD and typically developing (TD) children (3.5-6 years old). Methods: Ninety-three ASD and 26 TD children were included in a discovery dataset and 12 ASD and 9 TD children from different sites included as independent validation datasets. Brain-wide (294 regions) structural connectivity was measured using DTI (fractional anisotropy, FA) under sedation together with symptom severity and behavioral and cognitive development. A connection matrix was constructed for each child for comparisons between ASD and TD groups. Pattern classification was performed and the resulting model tested on two independent datasets. Results: Thirty-three structural connections showed increased FA in ASD compared to TD children and associated with both symptom severity and general cognitive development. The majority (29/33) involved the frontal lobe and comprised five different networks with functional relevance to default mode, motor control, social recognition, language and reward. Overall, classification accuracy is very high in the discovery dataset 96.77%, and 91.67% and 88.89% in the two independent validation datasets. Conclusions: Identified structural connectivity differences primarily involving the frontal cortex can very accurately distinguish individual ASD from TD children and may therefore represent a robust early brain biomarker.
EVALUATION OF THE TROXLER MODEL 4640 THIN LIFT NUCLEAR DENSITY GAUGE. INTERIM REPORT

This report describes the results of a research study to determine the effectiveness of the Troxler Model 4640 Thin Lift Nuclear Density Gauge. The densities obtained from cores and the nuclear density gauge from seven construction projects were compared. The projects were either newly constructed or under construction when the tests were performed. A linear regression technique was used to investigate how well the core densities could be predicted from nuclear densities. Correlation coefficients were determined to indicate the degree of correlation between the core and nuclear densities. Using a statistical analysis technique, the range of the mean difference between core and nuclear measurements was established for specified confidence levels for each project. Analysis of the data indicated that the accuracy of this gauge is material dependent. While relatively acceptable results were obtained with limestone mixtures, the gauge did not perform satisfactorily with mixtures containing siliceous aggregate.
Preparation and Characterization of Modified Polycarbonate/ABS Blends

In this study, the polycarbonate (PC) was blended with styrene-based thermoplastics, including acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS), acrylonitrile-styrene-acrylate (ASA), or styrene-butadiene-styrene (SBS) with different mass ratios. Mechanical tests indicated that the appropriate blending could result in good compatibility, and specific improved mechanical strengths.
Job analysis : methods, research, and applications for human resource management in the new millennium

1. Introduction 2. Work Oriented Methods 3. Worker Oriented Methods 4. Hybrid Methods 5. Management and Teams 6. Job Analysis and the Law 7. Job Description, Performance Appraisal, Job Evaluation and Job Design 8. Staffing and Training 9. Doing a Job Analysis Study 10. The Future of Job Analysis Acronyms References
Advanced rescue detector : Design and development of an improved rescue antenna

Developed for avalanche rescue, the RECCO Rescue System is used by more than 700 rescueorganizations around the world to find buried avalanche victims and missing people. TheRECCO system consists of two parts: a passive reflector integrated into clothing, boots, helmets,and body protection worn by skiers and riders; and an active detector used by organized rescueteams.As of 2009 the active part of RECCO system now utilizes a small hand-held detector named R9,which can easily be carried by one rescuer travelling on foot or from in a helicopter and has arange of more than 200 meters. From being a big, heavy and unhandy device the detector hasgone through an extensive development since the start. The original detector had a long pointingantenna which created very accurate antenna beams but since the device has become smaller, sohas the antenna. Therefore, the antenna beams have become less directional, and consequentlythe accuracy has decreased.The next generation of detectors, called R10, will be based on the existing R9, but needs to beequipped with a longer antenna. Keeping the same size as the R9, the antenna needs to beextendable. This problem lead to the following goal for this master thesis:by the use of asufficient development process; improve the antenna of RECCO’s R9 detector by increasing itslength to give it a better search performance, but still keep it practical and robust.The project was implemented with a spiral development process divided into 6 phases, wheredifferent methods suitable for the project were integrated. A lot of time and focus were spent on 3Dmodellingand rapid prototyping for concept testing and validation.The result of the thesis is a radically changed, production ready, antenna design. The antenna hasrotated 90 degrees as well as doubled in length, giving it a better search performance; although it isstill a practical and robust design that can handle the tough requirements that an avalanche situationdemands. The solution consists of a divisible three part system that is mounted together with a rubbercord, and connected to the detector with a snap fit system.
Force response of locust skeletal muscle

The force response of the locust hind leg extensor muscle to input excitation pulses is modelled. Despite the processes behind muscle contraction being well established, no broadly valid method of modelling skeletal muscle exists. Studies that compare the merits of existing models are extremely scarce and researchers make various assumptions in order to simplify the complex, nonlinear behaviour of the muscle. Locusts provide an opportunity to develop a muscle model in a simpler system, that will still show similar properties to that of mammalian muscles. In developing a model previous work is considered, and complexity is introduced in the experimental conditions in stages. This meant a model could be built up in parts. This approach reduces the need for questionably valid assumptions. The main focus of this work is modelling activated isometric muscle. Experimental data was collected by stimulating the extensor muscle and measuring the force generated at the tibia. In the first instance the response to individual stimulus pulses is modelled. This is extended to develop a predictive model capable of estimating the isometric force response to general pulse train inputs. In developing the model, data was fit to existing models, and from this an improved isometric model developed. The effect of changing the isometric muscle length is considered. Commonly changing the muscle length is assumed to just scale the force response. This assumption is poor. The dynamics of the force response were found to be modified by the change in muscle length, and the isometric model adapted to include this dependency. Results related to the non-isometric behaviour are also presented. Passive muscle is usually just modelled over the lengthening period, however, the whole stretch-shorten cycle is considered here. A model, adapted from the standard linear model, is developed to describe the passive force response.
The effectiveness and safety of D2 plus para-aortic lymphadenectomy for resectable gastric cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background: Gastric cancer (GC) is among the malignant tumors of highest morbidity and mortality in the world, and has a profile of high lymph node metastasis rate. Lymph node clearance is a critical part of gastric cancer surgery, however, the extent of lymph node clearance, for example, whether to perform abdominal aortic lymph node dissection, remains considerably controversial. In this study, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the effects of D2 plus para-aortic lymphadenectomy (PALD) on survival and postoperative complications in patients with GC.Methods: An electronic search was conducted through PubMed, Embase and cochrane library. The Q test and I2 were used to assess heterogeneity. The publication bias was evaluated via funnel plots. All statistical analyses were performed using STATA 14.0 (STATA, College Station, TX). Results: 908 studies were retrieved via literature search and eight studies were finally included. There was no significant difference between D2 and D2+PALD in the 5-year survival rate after surgery (HR: 1.00, 95% CI: 0.97-1.03, P = 0.897; I2 = 64.9%). Besides, the 30-day mortality (RR: 1.17, 95% CI: 0.66-2.10, P = 0.590; I2 = 0.0%) and the overall risk of postoperative complications (RR: 1.15, 95% CI: 0.83-1.59, P = 0.411; I2 = 35.5%) were comparable between D2 and D2+PALD.Conclusion: Based on current literature body, compared with D2, D2+PALD does not prevail in terms of long-term survival or perioperative outcomes.
An investigation of the relationships between mbLg and Mw and between mLg(f) and Mw using recent United States earthquakes and random vibration theory

The mLg( f ) magnitude is an important regional magnitude scale because of the ease of its calculation and because the Lg phase is a prominent phase observed in eastern North America as a result of paths in the continental platform and the Canadian Shield. A variant of mLg( f ) employed by the National Earthquake Information Center (NEIC) of the United States Geological Survey (USGS) is mbLg, a magnitude scale that uses the Lg phase but does not explicitly include the frequency of the phase in the computation. We derive empirical relationships between Mw and mbLg and between Mw and mLg( f ). We use random vibration theory to model the relationships between Mw and mbLg and between Mw and mLg( f ) in order to address seismic source scaling and in order to determine the Lg magnitude range over which the empirical predictive relationships are valid. We address whether a single-valued γ , a measure of anelastic attenuation, is appropriate for the central and eastern United States.
Robust Bode Methods for Feedback Controller Design of Uncertain Systems

In this work, we introduce several novel approaches to feedback controller design, known collectively as the “Robust Bode” methods, which adapt classical control principles to a modern robust control (H∞) framework. These methods, based on specially modified Bode diagrams extend familiar frequency-domain controller design techniques to linear and nonlinear, single–input/single– output (SISO) and multi–input/multi–output (MIMO) systems with parametric and/or unstructured uncertainties. In particular, we introduce the Contoured Robust Controller Bode (CRCBode) plots which show contours (level-sets) of a robust metric on the Bode magnitude and phase plots of the controller. An iterative loop shaping design procedure is then employed in an attempt to eliminate all intersections of the controller frequency response with certain forbidden regions indicating that a robust stability and performance criteria is satisfied. For SISO systems a robust stability and performance criterion is derived using Nyquist arguments leading to the robust metric used in the construction of the CRCBode plots. For open-loop unstable systems and for non-minimum phase systems the Youla parametrization of all internally stabilizing controllers is used to develop an alternative Robust Bode method (QBode). The Youla parametrization requires the introduction of state-space methods for coprime factorization, and these methods lead naturally to an elegant connection between linear-quadratic Gaussian (LQG) optimal control theory and Robust Bode loop-shaping controller design. Finally, the Robust Bode approach is extended to MIMO systems. Utilizing a matrix norm based robustness metric on the MIMO CRCBode plots allows cross-coupling between all input/output channels to be immediately assessed and accounted for during the design process, making sequential MIMO loop-shaping controller design feasible.
Comparative Analysis of Predictive Models for Fine Particulate Matter in Daejeon, South Korea

Air pollution is a critical problem that is of major concern worldwide. South Korea is one of the countries most affected by air pollution. Rapid urbanization and industrialization in South Korea have induced air pollution in multiple forms, such as smoke from factories and exhaust from vehicles. In this paper, we perform a comparative analysis of predictive models for fine particulate matter in Daejeon, the fifth largest city in South Korea. This study is conducted for three purposes. The first purpose is to determine the factors that may cause air pollution. Two main factors are considered: meteorological and traffic. The second purpose is to find an optimal predictive model for air pollutant concentration. We apply machine learning and deep learning models to the collected dataset to predict hourly air pollutant concentrations. The accuracy of the deep learning models is better than that of the machine learning models. The third purpose is to analyze the influence of road conditions on predicting air pollutant concentration. Experimental results demonstrate that considering wind direction and wind speed could significantly decrease the error rate of the predictive models.
Low-profile, Ultra Wideband and Dual Polarized Antennas and Feeding Systems

The main objective of this thesis is to obtain a wideband feeding system compatible with compact wideband antenna geometries with dual polarization properties. These feeding systems are designed according to the antenna performance and their structural nature. Therefore we were encountered with two main problems: first of all investigating new balun configurations which can operate in wideband frequency. In other words, we had to achieve balun configurations presenting good impedance and fields matching in wide frequency bandwidth. Moreover, the aim of this balun design was to arrive to an integrated structure embracing these two properties- wideband characteristic and dual polarization properties. The second problem was to propose and develop wideband antenna architectures with compact form and conformal design. Also it was desired to have dual polarization abilities. In the designing procedure the main obstacle was that configurations embracing all these properties were rarely proposed in academic researches. In other words in the literature, it was presented rarely an integrated wideband balun connected to compact dual polarized antennas. In this thesis two types of wideband feeding systems are proposed and developed:
Scheduling in distributed soft real-time systems with autonomous components

Traditional real-time systems are usually used by very specific, mission-critical applications, such as a nuclear reactor monitor. For these applications task deadlines must not be missed. However, with the advances of computer and communication technology, and as computers become a commonplace utility, more applications are requiring a casual use of real-time technology. Task deadlines in these applications are soft in the sense that missing a deadline occasionally is, although undesirable, not a disaster. Example soft real-time applications include 800-number translation, cellular telecommunication, financial databases, patient-monitoring systems and so on. In these applications, deadlines are used as a tool to express performance goals. For example, a buy-sell action triggered by a stock-price update in a financial database system should be implemented within a specified period of time due to the volatility of the market. To conserve resources, soft real-time systems are usually not designed to guarantee every single deadline. Instead, the performance of a system is generally measured as the percentage of deadlines it meets. Deadline driven heuristic scheduling thus plays a major role in the design of soft real-time systems. This thesis studies the scheduling aspect of distributed soft real-time systems. In particular, it addresses the following cost-performance tradeoff. When designing a distributed real-time system, one approach is to build it from scratch, coding each component with algorithms and features that match the applications' needs. However, the development and maintenance cost of such a system would be high, and the development cycle could be long. Alternatively, one can build the system by piecing together well-tested, easy-to-maintain standard components, such as a commercial database server, a token ring network, etc. The disadvantage of this approach is that global real-time scheduling is not possible because it de- mands cooperation and coordination among the individual local schedulers. In this thesis, we discuss different scheduling techniques in a distributed soft real-time system that is constructed out of a variety of existing conventional non-real-time and real-time components, and show how these techniques improve the real-time performance of such a system without requiring the components to sacrifice autonomy. These techniques include subtask deadline assignment, server prioritization, and real-time emulation.