Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Preliminary study on application of augmented reality visualization in robotic thyroid surgery

Purpose Increased robotic surgery is attended by increased reports of complications, largely due to limited operative view and lack of tactile sense. These kinds of obstacles, which seldom occur in open surgery, are challenging for beginner surgeons. To enhance robotic surgery safety, we created an augmented reality (AR) model of the organs around the thyroid glands, and tested the AR model applicability in robotic thyroidectomy. Methods We created AR images of the thyroid gland, common carotid arteries, trachea, and esophagus using preoperative CT images of a thyroid carcinoma patient. For a preliminary test, we overlaid the AR images on a 3-dimensional printed model at five different angles and evaluated its accuracy using Dice similarity coefficient. We then overlaid the AR images on the real-time operative images during robotic thyroidectomy. Results The Dice similarity coefficients ranged from 0.984 to 0.9908, and the mean of the five different angles was 0.987. During the entire process of robotic thyroidectomy, the AR images were successfully overlaid on the real-time operative images using manual registration. Conclusion We successfully demonstrated the use of AR on the operative field during robotic thyroidectomy. Although there are currently limitations, the use of AR in robotic surgery will become more practical as the technology advances and may contribute to the enhancement of surgical safety.
Derivations, isomorphisms, and second cohomology of generalized Witt algebras

Generalized Witt algebras, over a field F of characteristic 0, were defined by Kawamoto about 12 years ago. Using different notations from Kawamoto’s, we give an essentially equivalent definition of generalized Witt algebras W = W (A,T, φ) over F , where the ingredients are an abelian group A, a vector space T over F , and a map φ : T × A → K which is linear in the first variable and additive in the second one. In this paper, the derivations of any generalized Witt algebra W = W (A, T, φ), with the right kernel of φ being 0, are explicitly described; the isomorphisms between any two simple generalized Witt algebras are completely determined; and the second cohomology group H2(W,F ) for any simple generalized Witt algebra is computed. The derivations, the automorphisms and the second cohomology groups of some special generalized Witt algebras have been studied by several other authors as indicated in the references.
Specialised Hough Transform and Active Contour Methods for Real-Time Eye Tracking

It is useful to ﬁnd the elliptical outlines of the pupil and iris in images of a human eye, obtained from a head-mounted camera, in order to automate one type of eye tracker. This task becomes highly constrained when a simple model of the eye is used. After calibration, the model has only two degrees of freedom corresponding to pan and tilt movements of the eye. We show how the model’s constraints can be built into Hough transform and active contour methods at the lowest level, allowing high performance in speed, reliability and accuracy.
Improved water-management practices and their impact on food security and poverty: empirical evidence from rural Pakistan

Using a comprehensive data set collected through field survey of 950 farmers across Pakistan, the current study evaluates water-management practices and their impact on food security and poverty. The results show that rural households mainly adopted four water-management practices (bund making, deep plowing, the adoption of stress-tolerant varieties, and irrigation supplements) and that the wealth, education, and gender of the farmer (male) positively influences the adoption of improved water-management practices. The propensity score matching approach shows that the adoption of improved water-management practices improves wheat and rice yields, household income and food security levels, and reduces poverty levels. The food security levels of households adopting improved water-management practices are higher: in the range of 3–12%. Higher wheat yields are in the range of 26.8–70.4 kg/acre and higher rice yields are in the range of 48.4–85.2 kg/acre. Higher household income levels are in the range of rupees 2,573–4,926 and the lower poverty levels are in the range of 2–7%. Hence, agricultural policy should promote improved water-management practices among rural households.
Re: “Interactive comment on ‘Effects of vegetation structure on biomass accumulation in a Balanced Optimality Structure Vegetation Model (BOSVM v1.0)’, Anonymous Referee #1”

1. “This is a very interesting paper about the theoretical physical description of the impact of canopy patchiness on biomass production along aridity gradients. A new model able to represent key feedback mechanisms is presented. The F90 source code is provided as a supplement material. The model capitalizes on the LPJ dynamic vegetation model and on pre-existing land surface models (ISBA-A-gs and TESSEL). ” A: Thanks for your positive comments on our work.
Tectonic and climatic controls on the Chuquibamba landslide (western Andes, southern Peru)

Abstract. The contribution of landslides to the Quaternary evolution of relief is poorly documented in arid contexts. In southern Peru and northern Chile, several massive landslides disrupt the arid western Andean front. The Chuquibamba landslide, located in southern Peru, belongs to this set of large landslides. In this area, the Incapuquio fault system captures the intermittent drainage network and localizes rotational landslides. Seismic activity is significant in this region with recurrent Mw 9 subduction earthquakes; however, none of the latest seismic events have triggered a major landslide. New terrestrial cosmogenic dating of the Chuquibamba landslide provides evidence that the last major gravitational mobilization of these rotational landslide deposits occurred at ~ 102 ka, during the Ouki wet climatic event identified on the Altiplano between 120 and 98 ka. Our results suggest that wet events in the arid and fractured context of the Andean forearc induced these giant debris flows. Finally, our study highlights the role of tectonics and climate on (i) the localization of large Andean landslides in the Western Cordillera and on (ii) the long-term mass transfer to the trench along the arid Andean front.
Consumption vulnerability to risk in rural Pakistan

Abstract As one of the dimensions of vulnerability, this paper empirically investigates the inability of rural dwellers to cope with negative income shocks. A variable coefficient regression model is applied to a two-period household panel dataset collected in the North-West Frontier Province, Pakistan, an area with high incidence of income poverty and low human development. The empirical model allows for a different ability to smooth consumption, approximated by a linear function of households’ attributes, and controls for the endogeneity of observed changes in income, using qualitative information on subjective risk assessment. Estimation results show that the ability to cope with negative income shocks is lower for households that are aged, landless and do not receive remittances regularly.
DFT Studies of Solvation Effects on the Nanosize Bare, Thiolated, and Redox Active Ligated Au55 Cluster†

The structural and electronic properties of the bare Au55 cluster, and of the model thiol passivated Au55(SCH3)42, the redox active ligated Au55S(CH2)2CO2(CH2)10bpy·2Cl and Au55(SCH3)41(S(CH2)2CO2(CH2)10bpy)·2Cl (bpy = N-methyl-4,4′-bipyridinium) complexes are studied at the DFT level in the gas phase and with an explicit water layer. For all complexes, neutral, positive, and negative charge states are investigated. The thiol ligation distorts the outer layer of the approximate icosahedral geometry of the bare cluster and induces a charge transfer from the gold core to the ligand shell. The anchoring of a single redox active ligand on the bare Au55 leads to the formation of a cavity around the S−Au bond. We show that this cavity formation is prevented by the thiol ligands in Au55(SCH3)41(S(CH2)2CO2(CH2)10bpy)·2Cl. The vertical addition of one electron to the [Au55 S(CH2)2CO2(CH2)10bpy·2Cl]0 cluster is followed by a charge transfer from the Au55 core to the bpy2+ ligand, which is accompanied by a mechanica.
INSAR USED FOR SUBSIDENCE MONITORING OF MINING AREA OKR, CZECH REPUBLIC

The abilities of InSAR processing techniques to detect and monitor subsidence of mining areas were already proved in several works, e.g. of Dr. Perski that used them in Poland. As an ESA project of VSB-TU Ostrava using data from ERS 1,2 and Envisat ASAR, the InSAR has been applied also for the Northern Moravian OKR region in Czech republic, a region with a long black coal mining history. Mining activities in this area caused damages and destruction of many buildings, tramlines etc. The problem is still up-to-date, even that only 4 mines are active, since 2007. Via the differential InSAR processing, an evolution of subsidence during last 10 years is monitored using the Doris software. Due to highly decorrelated interferograms, the actual state is hardly interpretable though. The critical subsiding objects were detected by pointwise multitemporal InSAR techniques (MT-InSAR) - the permanent scatterers and small baselines methods using the StaMPS software. The results were compared with the in-situ levelling revealing that the estimated rate of subsidence was underestimated. Only the ERS-2 data from period 1999-2000 were successfully used in these advanced InSAR techniques to achieve some reasonable results. Because of gyroscopes failure of ERS-2, the data since January 2001 couldn't be processed successfully by StaMPS due to big differences in the Doppler centroid frequencies of each images - an abortive result of a small baselines method attempt can be presented. Because of used long- wall mining method, that evokes spatial movement of subsidence epicenters in time, a longer time period of dataset usable in MT-InSAR would decrease the processing merit (the character of subsidence in the area is not pointwise in longer time period). This project will continue with processing of newer datasets to achieve a complete overview of terrain changes in the mining area during the last decade.
Heritage sites and schoolchildren: insights from the Battle of the Boyne

ABSTRACT Children are very much under-represented in heritage tourism studies, particularly in terms of their own perspectives. This exploratory study begins to redress this imbalance by investigating how 34 primary school-going children experience and make sense of the Battle of the Boyne Visitor Centre, an Irish heritage site. Among the research questions posed are: How does the group make sense of heritage? Where do they get their ideas about heritage attractions? What appeals to them about heritage attractions? The research adopted an interpretivist approach and employed a variety of innovative data collection tools, gathering ideas from the children through discussions, writing, drawings and observations, both in their classroom and on a heritage site visit. The findings pointed to how the children’s preconceptions of a heritage site are informed by their perceptions of the location, and images formed from television. Their enjoyment of a site was found to be relative to their enjoyment of other places that they have visited. The findings also indicated the importance of interaction with media, technology and visuals. Finally, the study indicated the importance of social interaction, both with their peers and with their Tour Guide. A number of policy implications are drawn.
Perfect reflection control for impenetrable surfaces using surface waves of orthogonal polarization

For impenetrable electromagnetic surfaces, a metasurface design approach for perfect control of the reﬂection phenomena using gradient anisotropic tensor surface impedance is presented. It utilizes a set of orthogonally polarized auxiliary surface waves to create pointwise reactive impedance characteristics by channeling power along the tangential direction of the surface in the near zone in a carefully designed manner. The propagating incident and reﬂected ﬁelds do not interfere with the surface waves due to the polarization orthogonality. Design examples of an anomalous reﬂector and a power splitter for an incident plane wave are presented and numerically veriﬁed. Realization possibilities using an array of rotated metallic resonators on a thin grounded dielectric substrate are discussed.
Evaluation of drying methods on the content of some bio-actives (lycopene, -carotene and ascorbic acid) of tomato slices

Tomato (Solanum lycopersycum L.) is one of the most important vegetables worldwide. As it is a relatively short duration crop and gives a high yield, it is economically attractive. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of drying method on the quality of the dried tomatoes based on three parameters viz; lycopene, s-carotene and ascorbic acid contents. Thirty-six kilograms of tomatoes were sorted, cleaned, blanched and divided into three equal portions of 12 kg each. The tomatoes were sliced into 4, 6 and 8 mm, then sun, solar and hybrid dried, respectively. The value of lycopene content obtained for sun dried tomatoes ranged from 23.89 to 18.77 mg/100 g, solar dried ranged from 24.51 to 22.56 mg/100 g and hybrid dried ranged from 25.12 to 24.65 mg/100 g. The average value of β-carotene content obtained for sun dried tomatoes ranged from 4.12 to 3.72 mg/100 g, solar dried ranged from 4.94 to 4.25 mg/100 g and hybrid dried ranged from 4.98 to 4.65 mg/100 g. The values of ascorbic acid obtained for sun dried tomatoes ranged from 17.04 to 5.60 mg/100 g, solar dried ranged from 23.73 to 13.37 mg/100 g and hybrid dried ranged from 29.20 to 24.82 mg/100 g. Hybrid dried tomatoes slice showed higher retention of lycopene, s-Carotene and ascorbic acid than both the solar and open sun dried methods. Key words: Tomato, hybrid-photovoltaic dryer, solar dryer, sun drying, lycopene, β-carotene and ascorbic acid.
QSAR and Structure Based Molecular Docking of Angelicin Compounds: an Attempt to Drug Design against Swine Influenza

There has been a great challenge of research and discovery of novel medicinal leads against swine influenza since 2009. Rational drug design utilizing pharmacoinformatics tools has been augmented now-a-days for in-silico screening of lead compounds prior to experimental synthesis, structural elucidation, biological evaluation and finally clinical trials to make the cost efficient drug design and discovery research. There is hardly any specific chemotherapeutics for the treatment against deadly swine influenza viral infection. Therefore, it is an urgent need to design and develop new anti-viral lead compounds active against swine influenza. Quantitative structure activity relationship (QSAR) has been used to develop models that correlate biological activity of angelicin compounds derived from published literature and their computed structural properties. The approach started by generation of a series of descriptors including topological, three dimensional, constitutional, functional groups and atom fragment indices respectively solely calculated from the compounds in the data set. In this study, data set consists of 53 angelicin compounds along with their inhibitory concentration 50% (IC50, μM) against H1N1 swine influenza virus. Genetic algorithm-multiple linear regression (GA-MLR) analysis technique has been to generate a number of QSAR models. The models were validated statistically incorporating training and test set approaches. Finally, structure-based molecular docking study has been performed for interpretation of the mode of binding of the angelicin compounds toward H1N1 target. QSAR and molecular docking analysis of these congeners have not yet been reported. Therefore, this study has significant impact for designing of the highly active compounds in this series that are useful for the treatment of swine influenza. In-silico structure based docking model could be helpful for design and screening of congeneric compounds having mode of binding similarity.
Do handstorm principles support creative BIM collaboration

Building Information Modelling (BIM) and Internet-based tools are communication aids. During the product and process design phase partners must coordinate, cooperate and collaborate with stakeholders. Creative and collaborative work is necessary in order to create value for the end consumer and society and to develop smart buildings. For this type of work design managers must have collective skills, expertise, understanding and knowledge. Furthermore, there must be an atmosphere of openness, honesty, trust and mutual respect. Merely using the current BIM tools may not be enough for future creative and collaborative work. To enhance creative and collaborative work, the Handstorm principles have been developed based on a literature review and empirical research on collaborative design. The Handstorm principles are interventions that encourage professionals to be creative, to work collaboratively, and to support each other during design meetings. To help professionals learn and practice these skills, a creativity facilitation course has been developed, tested and validated. The research question in this paper has been formulated as follows: Do the Handstorm principles support creative BIM collaboration? During the first phases of BIM, the collaboration can be effectively realized by using models and internet-based tools. However, subsequent phases must involve more of the knowledge and experiences of the stakeholders. To encourage this involvement, design managers must have specific skills to plan, organize and lead creative processes. These skills can be learned in a creativity facilitation course based on the Handstorm principles.
Channel-selection for distant-speech recognition on CHiME-5 dataset

The 5th CHiME Speech Separation and Recognition Challenge represents a realistic scenario to validate the variety of techniques required to properly handle conversational multi-party speech acquired with distant microphones. We address the problem of channel selection using a DNN-based channel classiﬁer that predicts good channels according to the oracle re-sults. In combination with ROVER as a ﬁnal combination step, we can improve the performance with respect to the baseline system.
In vitro cytotoxicity of the epothilone analog, BMS 247550, in pediatric malignacies

BMS247550 is an epothilone-B analog that binds tubulin and stabilizes microtubules. Its mechanism of action is similar to taxanes (paclitaxel and docetaxel) and like taxanes, BMS247550 is cytotoxic in solid tumor cell lines including ovarian, colon, breast, prostate, and lung carcinoma with IC50s ranging from 1-25nM. BMS247550 has activity in paclitaxel-resistant ovarian carcinoma cell lines and cell lines expressing multidrug resistance phenotype. Phase 1 trial and pharmacokinetic study of BMS247550 in adults with refractory solid tumors is underway at the NCI. Serum BMS247550 trough concentrations are approximately 8nM in patients receiving 6-8 mg/m 2 IV daily. I examined cytotoxicity of BMS247550 in pediatric solid tumor cell lines and compared it to other agents that inhibit microtubule function. Cell lines studied were osteosarcoma (HOS), Ewing’s sarcoma (LD-EWS), and rhabdomyosarcoma (RD). Cells were plated into 96-well microtiter-plates and exposed to drug, vehicle, or no drug for 72 hours. Sulforhodamine-B assay was used to determine percent cell survival. Dose-response curves were constructed by plotting percent cell survival vs. drug concentration. IC50, maximal effect (ME) and slope of the dose-response curve (h) were estimated using MLAB mathematical modeling software. IC50 of BMS247550 was 8.6nM, 8.2nM, and 17nM in HOS, LD, and RD cells, respectively. IC50 of paclitaxel in HOS, LD, and RD cells was 0.4nM, 2.0nM, and 0.6nM, respectively. IC50 of vincristine in HOS, LD, and RD cells was 45nM, 5.0nM, and 38nM, respectively. IC50 of vinorelbine in HOS, LD, and RD cells was 11nM, 4.9nM, and 18nM, respectively. I conclude that BMS247550 is cytotoxic in pediatric tumor cell lines at concentrations achievable in patients. The IC50 of BMS247550 is comparable to the IC50 of other agents that inhibit tubulin which are currently used to treat childhood solid tumors. Therefore, phase 1 trial of BMS245770 in pediatric patients with refractory solid tumors should be undertaken.
On the role of feedback in shaping the cosmic abundance and clustering of neutral atomic hydrogen in galaxies.

We investigate the impact of feedback ‐ from supernovae (SNe), active galactic nuclei (AGN) and a photo-ionizing background at high redshifts ‐ on the neutral atomic hydrogen (HI) mass function, the bJ band luminosity function, and the spatial clustering of the se galaxies at z=0. We use a version of the semi-analytical galaxy formation model GALFORM that calculates self-consistently the amount of HI in a galaxy as a function of cosmic time and links its star formation rate to its mass of molecular hydrogen (H2). We find that a systematic increase or decrease in the strength of SNe feedback leads to a systematic decrease or increase in the amplitudes of the luminosity and HI mass functions, but has little influence on their overall shapes. Varying the strength of AGN feedback influences only the numbers of the brightest or most HI massive galaxies, while the impact of varying the strength of photo-ionization feedback is restricted to changing the numbers of the faintest or least HI massive galaxies. Our results suggest that the HI mass function is a more sensitive probe of the consequences of cosmological reionization for galaxy formation than the luminosity function. We find that increasing the strength of any of the modes of feedback acts to weaken the clustering strength of galaxies, regardless of their HI-richness. In contrast, weaker AGN feedback has little effect on the clustering strength whereas weaker SNe feedback increases the clustering strength of HI-poor galaxies more strongly than HI-rich galaxies. These results indicate that forthcoming HI surveys on next generation radio telescopes such as the Square Kilometre Array and its pathfinders will be exploited most fruitfully as part of mult iwavelength survey campaigns.
The Relationship Between Physical Activity and Mental Satisfaction in American College Students

The main purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between college students’ regular physical life and mental satisfaction specifically regarding loneliness and depression happiness and rest and, comfort satisfaction. 238 college students were surveyed for this study, employing Godin Leisure Time-Exercise Questionnaire (GLTEQ), and General Well-Being Schedule (GWB) to obtain data. Regressions analyses revealed significant relationships between physical activity and two variables. The result of regression analysis for happiness and satisfaction factor was statistically significant (F=145.434, p= .000, R²= 0.414). Additionally, another regression analysis for rest and comfort factor was statistically significant (F= 103.393, p= .000, R²= 0.334). The study results contain meaningful implications for college students suggesting that doing regular physical activity is vital as it promotes their physical and psychological well-being