Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Prognostic nutritional index predicts postoperative complications and long-term outcomes of gastric cancer.

AIM To investigate the impact of prognostic nutritional index (PNI) on the postoperative complications and long-term outcomes in gastric cancer patients undergoing total gastrectomy. METHODS The data for 386 patients with gastric cancer were extracted and analyzed between January 2003 and December 2008 in our center. The patients were divided into two groups according to the cutoff value of the PNI: those with a PNI ≥ 46 and those with a PNI < 46. Clinicopathological features were compared between the two groups and potential prognostic factors were analyzed. The relationship between postoperative complications and PNI was analyzed by logistic regression. The univariate and multivariate hazard ratios were calculated using the Cox proportional hazard model. RESULTS The optimal cutoff value of the PNI was set at 46, and patients with a PNI ≥ 46 and those with a PNI < 46 were classified into PNI-high and PNI-low groups, respectively. Patients in the PNI-low group were more likely to have advanced tumor (T), node (N), and TNM stages than patients in the PNI-high group. The low PNI is an independent risk factor for the incidence of postoperative complications (OR = 2.223). The 5-year overall survival (OS) rates were 54.1% and 21.1% for patients with a PNI ≥ 46 and those with a PNI < 46, respectively. The OS rates were significantly lower in the PNI-low group than in the PNI-high group among patients with stages II (P = 0.001) and III (P < 0.001) disease. CONCLUSION The PNI is a simple and useful marker not only to identify patients at increased risk for postoperative complications, but also to predict long-term survival after total gastrectomy. The PNI should be included in the routine assessment of advanced gastric cancer patients.
Adaptive Model Order Reduction of Structured DAEs by Krylov Subspace Methods

In this work model order reduction (MOR) of differential algebraic equations (DAEs), with focus on structured, linear time-invariant systems, is investigated. As usual in the DAE-setting it is assumed, that the spectral projectors, which describe the structure of the model, are available. Those allow a separation of the actual dynamics and the involved algebraic equations which describe a constraint manifold to which the dynamics are bounded. While H2 pseudo-optimal reduction by the Krylov-based pseudo-optimal rational Krylov (PORK) algorithm is applied to the strictly proper part of the transfer function, Lyapunov balanced truncation (BT) is used to find a minimal realization of the improper contribution. For this purpose the PORK algorithm, originally developed for the reduction of ordinary differential equations, is revisited in the context of strictly proper DAEs. As the original proof has to be modified, a detailed derivation of the PORK algorithm is presented. Furthermore the combination with adaptive MOR schemes like the stability-preserving, adaptive rational Krylov (SPARK) algorithm and the cumulative reduction (CURE) framework is discussed. One of the main tools used in this thesis are generalized Sylvester equations. It is shown that they can be used to describe tangential-input rational Krylov subspaces, even in the case of a singular descriptor matrix. Moreover a formulation of the H2 inner-product of the transfer functions of two strictly proper DAEs via projected generalized Sylvester equations is presented. Those results are essential for the proof of H2 pseudo-optimality in PORK, but may also be useful in different contexts. Finally an efficient overall-algorithm for the reduction of structured linear DAE-systems of arbitrary index is presented, which adaptively chooses appropriate interpolation data and reduced order. By means of several physically based models it is shown, that the proposed technique is applicable to common technical problems, regardless of properness or index of the given system. Furthermore the reduction of an artificially generated high-index system is demonstrated.
Q-WordNet PPV: Simple, Robust and (almost) Unsupervised Generation of Polarity Lexicons for Multiple Languages

This paper presents a simple, robust and (almost) unsupervised dictionary-based method, qwn-ppv (Q-WordNet as Personalized PageRanking Vector) to automatically generate polarity lexicons. We show that qwn-ppv outperforms other automatically generated lexicons for the four extrinsic evaluations presented here. It also shows very competitive and robust results with respect to manually annotated ones. Results suggest that no single lexicon is best for every task and dataset and that the intrinsic evaluation of polarity lexicons is not a good performance indicator on a Sentiment Analysis task. The qwn-ppv method allows to easily create quality polarity lexicons whenever no domain-based annotated corpora are available for a given language.
Journal of Emerging Trends in Computing and Information Sciences Multimodal Fission for Interaction Architecture

Since the eighties, the rapid development in the world of information technology has made possible to create systems that interfere with the user in a harmonious manner. This is due to the emergence of a technology known as multimodal interaction. This technology allows the user to use natural modalities (speech, gesture, eye gaze, etc.) to interact with the machine in a richer computing environment. These are called multimodal systems. These systems represent a remarkable deviation from using conventional systems, such as windows-icons, to a human-machine interaction, providing to the user more naturalness, flexibility and portability. Generally, these systems integrate multimodal interface in input and output. Via the output interface, the system should be able to choose among the available modalities, those that meet the best environmental constraints. It should also be able to interpret a complex command and divide it into elementary sub-tasks and present them in the output modalities: it is called multimodal fission. Our work specifies and develops fission components for a multimodal interaction and presents an effective fission algorithm using patterns, when various output modalities (audio, display, Braille, etc.) are available to the user.
Polytrodes : High-Density Silicon Electrode Arrays for Large-Scale Multiunit Recording

[PDF] [Full Text] [Abstract] , June 7, 2006; 26 (23): 6318-6329. J. Neurosci. P. J. Magill, A. Pogosyan, A. Sharott, J. Csicsvari, J. P. Bolam and P. Brown activation in vivo. Changes in functional connectivity within the rat striatopallidal axis during global brain [PDF] [Full Text] [Abstract] , February 1, 2007; 97 (2): 1326-1341. J Neurophysiol S. -C. Yen, J. Baker and C. M. Gray Cortex Heterogeneity in the Responses of Adjacent Neurons to Natural Stimuli in Cat Striate
The Impact of Unconventional Monetary Policy Shocks on the Crude Oil Futures Market

This paper examines how West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil price returns and volatilities respond to changes in US monetary policy. To do so, it considers daily data collected between 2008 and 2014. It measures the monetary policy shocks as the change in US ten-year government bond yields immediately after the announcement of relevant events. The findings reveal the crude oil market to be highly reactive to unconventional monetary policy surprises. Surprisingly, when working with shorter windows – that is, of one day right around the announcement of a large-scale asset purchase likely to cause a decrease in long-term interest rates – one documents, in general, a decline in oil price returns and an increase in their associated volatilities, despite the more stimulative financial environment. In contrast, the effects of monetary policy on the oil market one day after any significant announcement are different. As a rule, monetary surprises led to significant increases in oil price. In particular, this paper highlights the ways in which the magnitude of the oil market’s response may be influenced by the size of the study window (that is, the period in which monetary policy may affect prices). This observation raises the question of whether transmission channels drive the relationship between monetary policy and the crude oil market. This paper makes an important contribution to the empirical literature dealing with the link between monetary policy and energy markets: namely, the crude oil futures market and the existing literature focusing on the transmission mechanism. The empirical results entail important implications for industry participants and policy makers alike.
PHYTOCHEMICAL AND ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY OF CAMELLIA MISTLETOE (KORTHALSELLA JAPONICA) EXTRACTS

Objective: This study was aimed to analyze the methanol or ethanol extract of Camellia mistletoe ( Korthalsella japonica ) growing in Jeju Island, Korea, for their composition of phenolics, flavonoids, and their antioxidant activity. Methods: Total flavonoid, total carotenoid and L-ascorbic acid contents were determined by using colorimetric assays, and the antioxidant attributes of the methanol and Camellia mistletoe extracts were assayed using in vitro models, including the following: Free radical (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl, O2-• and NO•)scavenging, reducing power, and chelating ferrous ions. Results: Total flavonoid, total carotenoid and L-ascorbic acid contents were 20.3 and 14.9 mg RE/100 g, 4.4 and 1.7 mg/100 g, and 0.4 and 1.4 mg AA/100 g in the methanol and ethanol extracts of Camellia mistletoe, respectively. Based on IC50 values, both extracts were also found to possess potent antioxidant activities. Conclusions: Camellia mistletoe extracts could be the good antioxidant source and holds promise as a natural ingredient in functional food and pharmaceutical supplement.
Generalized Dandelin’s Theorem

The paper gives a geometric proof of the theorem which states that in case of the plane section of a second-order surface of rotation (quadrics of rotation, QR), such conics as an ellipse, a hyperbola or a parabola (types of conic sections) are formed. The theorem supplements the well-known Dandelin’s theorem which gives the geometric proof only for a circular cone and applies the proof to all QR, namely an ellipsoid, a hyperboloid, a paraboloid and a cylinder. That’s why the considered theorem is known as the generalized Dandelin’s theorem (GDT). The GDT proof is based on a relatively unknown generalized directrix definition (GDD) of conics. The work outlines the GDD proof for all types of conics as their necessary and sufficient condition. Based on the GDD, the author proves the GDT for all QR in case of a random position of the cutting plane. The graphical stereometric structures necessary for the proof are given. The implementation of the structures by 3d computer methods is considered. The article shows the examples of the builds made in the AutoCAD package. The theorem is intended for the training course of theoretical training of elite student groups of architectural and construction specialties.
The Process of Comparing Images of Emotional Expressions

Introduction . We conducted an experiment in the paradigm of direct comparison of images of strong and weakly expressed emotional expressions with a detailed justification of the assessment made and registration of eye movements. Methods . Photo images from the VEPEL database (video images of natural transient facial expressions: joy, sadness, fear, surprise, anger, disgust, calm face) were used as stimulus material. The subjects were students of Moscow universities (72 people, of which 10 men, 62 women; age from 18 to 39 years, average age = 22.0, standard deviation = 4.0. Exposure time is unlimited, until the justification is completed. Research objective: image comparison (rank scale of similarity between images from 1 to 9) with registration of eye movements. Results . Based on individual assessments of similarity between images of emotional expressions, the reconstruction of the two-dimensional space was performed using the multidimensional scaling method. The reconstruction is described by Core Affect model by J. Russell. The presence of individual variability of similarity scores (the tendency to select a certain range of scores) is shown. The following individual indicators were singled out for further search of possible predictors: the average similarity score between images, the standard deviation of the similarity score between images, and the average individual duration of fixations . The presence of variability of estimates for different pairs of compared images is shown. The minimum variability of similarity estimates is achieved for the next pairs: fear– fear weak, joy – joy weak; anger – anger weak; disgust weak – anger; neutral – sadness weak. The maximum variability of similarity estimates is achieved for pairs of joy weak – fear weak; joy – fear weak;
Spectral CT reconstruction with an explicit photon-counting detector model: a one-step approach

Recent developments in energy-discriminating Photon-Counting Detector (PCD) enable new horizons for spectral CT. With PCDs, new reconstruction methods take advantage of the spectral information measured through energy measurement bins. However PCDs have serious spectral distortion issues due to charge-sharing, fluorescence escape, pileup effect… Spectral CT with PCDs can be decomposed into two problems: a noisy geometric inversion problem (as in standard CT) and an additional PCD spectral degradation problem. The aim of the present study is to introduce a reconstruction method which solves both problems simultaneously: a “one-step” approach. An explicit linear detector model is used and characterized by a Detector Response Matrix. The algorithm reconstructs two basis material maps from energy-window transmission data. The results prove that the simultaneous inversion of both problems is well performed for simulation data. For comparison, we also perform a standard “two-step” approach: an advanced polynomial decomposition of measured sinograms combined with a filtered-back projection reconstruction. The results demonstrate the potential uses of this method for medical imaging or for non-destructive testing in industry.
Perspectives on menopause and women with HIv

License. The full terms of the License are available at http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/. Non-commercial uses of the work are permitted without any further permission from Dove Medical Press Limited, provided the work is properly attributed. Permissions beyond the scope of the License are administered by Dove Medical Press Limited. Information on how to request permission may be found at: http://www.dovepress. com/permissions.php International Journal of Women’s Health 2016:8 1–22 International Journal of Women’s Health Dovepress
Analogy between the twist-bend nematic and the smectic A phases and coarse-grained description of the macroscopic NTB properties

ABSTRACT The twist-bend nematic, NTB, has unusual elastic properties. Contrary to the usual nematic, the NTB director n is spontaneously distorted, resulting in a heliconical structure with small period and doubly degenerate handedness. Different models have been proposed so far, and are still actively debated, to describe the NTB properties on the microscopic scale. On the macroscopic scale, we propose a symmetry-based analogy between the NTB and the SmA* phases. Introducing a complex order parameter, we write the macroscopic NTB energy by analogy with the de Gennes’ SmA* description. By coarse graining, based on the elastic-instability local model, we calculate the macroscopic elastic constants and characteristic lengths in terms of a few Frank-like elastic coefficients. We discuss the inverse elastic anisotropy of the NTB phase, compared with the SmA*, and its impact on the structure of the NTB defects. We extend the coarse-grained (CG) model to investigate the macroscopic response to electric fields, and the surface anchoring alignment and the microscopic distortions of the NTB phase. Finally, we suggest the existence of a NTB analogue of the twist grain boundary phase TGBA, with a penetration of the twist field in the bulk through a network of screw dislocations of the NTB pseudo-layers. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT
Development and Stem Cells Research Article 3499

INTRODUCTION Neural stem cells (NSCs) proliferate and generate new neurons throughout the lifetime in neurogenic areas of the adult brain. Identifying microenvironmental cues that tightly control their self-renewal, proliferation and lineage decisions is crucial for the development of novel therapies in regenerative medicine. Among key diffusible factors, Sonic hedgehog (Shh) is thought to be involved in adult NSC maintenance and proliferation control (The canonical Wnt pathway has also proven to be an important regulator of proliferation and neurogenesis in adult hippocampal or subventricular zones (Adachi et al., 2007; Kuwabara et al., 2009; Lie et al., 2005). Thus, both signalling pathways seem to share a mitogenic function within these neurogenic niches of the adult nervous system. However, whether the two pathways establish functional interactions in this context has not been addressed. To date, this issue has only been investigated during embryonic development. A recent study reported that these pathways cooperate in the developing spinal cord to coordinately regulate neural cell cycle progression (Alvarez-Medina et al., 2009). This clearly contrasts with the situation described in the midbrain in which Shh repression by Wnt signalling is required for floor plate neurogenesis (Joksimovic et al., 2009). Therefore, despite the vast literature on Wnt and Hedgehog mitogenic effects, the nature of their interactions is difficult to predict and clearly deserves further investigation.
Development and Stem Cells Research Article

INTRODUCTION Among the superfamily of basic-helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factors, several structurally distinct classes are discerned. One of these, the bHLH-Orange (bHLH-O) class (Fischer and Gessler, 2007; Iso et al., 2003), is characterized by the 'Orange' domain, a protein interaction domain perhaps serving as an extended dimerization surface (Taelman et al., 2004). bHLH-O proteins are important developmental and physiological regulators in processes ranging from neurogenesis to circadian rhythm control. In a number of invertebrate and vertebrate species, bHLH-O repressors are known to inhibit neural differentiation. In Drosophila, the seven E(spl) bHLH-O proteins are expressed in the neuroectoderm, where they inhibit cells from differentiating as neuroblasts (NBs) (Jennings et al., 1994; Nakao and Campos-Ortega, 1996). In vertebrates, a number of Hes bHLH-O proteins, notably Hes1, Hes3 and Hes5 in the mouse, are also expressed in the neuroectoderm; in this case it is the neural stem cells that express the Hes genes, which are subsequently downregulated in the differentiating neuronal progeny (Kageyama et al., 2008). Triple Hes1, Hes3, Hes5 knockout causes premature neural differentiation, disruption of the neuroepithelium and a hypoplastic nervous system owing to stem cell depletion (Hatakeyama et al., 2004). In Drosophila, loss of the entire E(spl) locus results in supernumerary NB specification from the neuroectoderm and a
Pragmatic Metasurface Hologram at Visible Wavelength: The Balance between Diffraction Efficiency and Fabrication Compatibility

Metasurfaces have shown many interesting physical phenomena by designing the subwavelength antennas and, thus, controlling the complex amplitude of optical waves. Practicality is one of the biggest challenges of metasurfaces because practical applications have not been realized yet, despite well-demonstrated metasurfaces such as achromatic lenses, holograms, and optical cloaks. Early metasurfaces composed of plasmonic resonators have a significant loss of optical power at visible wavelengths. Amorphous silicon, which is easy to fabricate, can overcome the optical loss only above the wavelength of 600 nm. Use of other dielectric materials such as crystalline silicon or titanium dioxide drastically increases the efficiency of the metasurfaces at whole visible wavelengths, but complex fabrication processes remain an ongoing challenge for practical applications. Here, we exploit polycrystalline silicon to achieve both fabrication compatibility and hologram functionality at the wavelength of 532 nm. Polarizati.
From contours to ground truth: how to evaluate edge detectors by filtering

Edge detection remains a crucial stage in numerous image processing applications. Thus, an edge detection technique needs to be assessed before use it in a computer vision task. As dissimilarity evaluations depend strongly of a ground truth edge map, an inaccurate datum in terms of localization could advantage inaccurate precise edge detectors or/and favor inappropriate a dissimilarity evaluation measure. Hence, in this work, we demonstrate how to label these ground truth data in a semi-automatic way. Moreover, several referenced-based boundary detection evaluations are detailed and applied toward an objective assessment. Thus, each measure is compared by varying the threshold of the thin edges. Indeed, theoretically, the minimum score of the measure corresponds to the best edge map, compared to the ground truth. Finally, experiments on many images using six edge detectors show that the new ground truth database allows an objective comparison of numerous dissimilarity measures.
Optimum Experimental Design Issues in Functional Neuroimaging Studies

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is one of the popular tools to study human brain functions. High-quality experimental designs are crucial to the success of fMRI experiments as they allow the collection of informative data for making precise and valid inference with minimum cost. The primary goal of this study is on identifying the best sequence of mental stimuli (i.e. fMRI design) with respect to some statistically meaningful optimality criteria. This work focuses on two related topics in this research field. The first topic is on finding optimal designs for fMRI when the design matrix is uncertain. This challenging design issue occurs in many modern fMRI experiments, in which the design matrix of the statistical model depends on both the selected design and the experimental subject’s uncertain behavior during the experiment. As a result, the design matrix cannot be fully determined at the design stage that makes it difficult to select a good design. For the commonly used linear model with autoregressive errors, this study proposes a very efficient approach for obtaining high-quality fMRI designs for such experiments. The proposed approach is built upon an analytical result, and an efficient computer algorithm. It is shown through case studies that our proposed approach can outperform the existing method in terms of computing time, and the quality of the obtained designs. The second topic of the research is to find optimal designs for fMRI when a wavelet-based technique is considered in the fMRI data analysis. An efficient computer algorithm to search for optimal fMRI designs for such cases is developed. This algorithm is inspired by simulated annealing and a recently proposed algorithm by Saleh et al. (2017). As demonstrated in the case studies, the proposed approach makes it possible to efficiently obtain high-quality designs for fMRI studies, and is practically useful.