Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
PAIRADS: Hybrid Interaction

This article describes an ongoing research project that aims to develop a hybrid AI system for aiding radiologists in diagnosing prostate cancer. Through our qualitative research including contextual inquiries and interviews, we analyzed the current workﬂow and context of use in German radiology centers. Based on that, we explore the potential beneﬁts and challenges of using AI for detecting and diagnosing prostate cancer in medical practice in a hybrid human-AI interaction.
‘ Poverty , Equity and Growth in Developing and Transition Countries : Statistical Methods and Empirical Analysis

Most micro-level studies on the impact of agricultural technologies build on crosssection data, which can lead to unreliable impact estimates. Here, we use panel data covering two time periods to estimate the impact of tissue culture (TC) banana technology in the Kenyan small farm sector. TC banana is an interesting case, because previous impact studies showed mixed results. We combine propensity score matching with a difference-in-difference estimator to control for selection bias and account for temporal impact variability. TC adoption has positive impacts on banana productivity and profits. The technology increases yields by 40-50% and gross margins by around 100%. These large effects represent the impact of TC technology in combination with improved management practices and higher input use, which is recommended. Looking at the isolated TC effect may underestimate impact because of synergistic relationships. The results suggest that extension efforts to deliver the technological package to smallholder farmers should be scaled up.
Magnetic resonance spectroscopy biomarkers in premanifest and early Huntington disease

Objectives: To evaluate in vivo brain metabolite differences in control subjects, individuals with premanifest Huntington disease (pre-HD), and individuals with early HD using 1H magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) and to assess their relationship with motor performance. Methods: Eighty-five participants (30 controls, 25 pre-HD, and 30 early HD) were recruited as part of the TRACK-HD study. Eighty-four were scanned at 3 T with single-voxel spectroscopy in the left putamen. Disease burden score was >220 among pre-HD individuals. Subjects underwent TRACK-HD motor assessment including Unified Huntington's Disease Rating Scale (UHDRS) motor scoring and a novel quantitative motor battery. Statistical analyses included linear regression and one-way analysis of variance. Results: Total N-acetylaspartate (tNAA), a neuronal integrity marker, was lower in early HD (∼15%) vs controls (p < 0.001). N-acetylaspartate (NAA), a constituent of tNAA, was lower in pre-HD (∼8%) and early HD (∼17%) vs controls (p < 0.05). The glial cell marker, myo-inositol (mI), was 50% higher in early HD vs pre-HD (p < 0.01). In early HD, mI correlated with UHDRS motor score (R2 = 0.23, p < 0.05). Across pre-HD and early HD, tNAA correlated with performance on a tongue pressure task (R2 = 0.30, p < 0.0001) and with disease burden score (R2 = 0.17, p < 0.005). Conclusions: We demonstrate lower putaminal tNAA in early HD compared to controls in a cross-section of subjects. A novel biomarker role for mI in early HD was also identified. These findings resolve disagreement in the literature about the role of MRS as an HD biomarker. We conclude that putaminal MRS measurements of NAA and mI are promising potential biomarkers of HD onset and progression.
Application of a distributed shallow landslide analysis model (dSLAM) to managed forested catchments in Oregon, USA

A distributed, physically-based slope stability model (dSLAM) for analysing rapid, shallow landslides and the spatial distribution of the safety factor (FS) was tested in two catchments of the Cedar Creek watershed in the Oregon Coast Ranges. Simulated volumes and numbers of failures for a large storm in 1975 agreed closely with field measurements. The uncertainty associated with sensitive input parameters may complicate this comparison. For example, when soil cohesion values of 2.0 kPa and 3.0 kPa were used, the failure volume changed by factors of 2.04 and 0.41, respectively, for basin A, and 2.93 and 0.29, respectively, for basin B, compared with the standard condition of 2.5 kPa used in the simulation. Changes in values for soil depth and root cohesion that reflect potential natural variabilities, produced differences of up to several fold in simulated landslide volumes. As the simulated storm sequence progressed, FS declined sharply in hillslope hollows of basin A, the sites of most landslides. A similar response was noted in basin B, although the most unstable elements in this basin were associated with steep slopes. All areas with FS < 2.0 were clearcut in 1968, 7 years prior to the storm.
Development of an Abel Transform Algorithm for Combustion Characterization and Data Analysis

The present study purpose is to develop an Inverse Abel Transform algorithm for combustion diagnostics. In order to develop and optimize a liquid rocket engine, the combustion process of the propellents combination GOX/CH4 and GOX/H2 are experimentally and numerically investigated at the Technical University of Munich to have a better knowledge about performance for this propellent pair. The combustion processes are studied by means an optical diagnostics technique, called Chemiluminescence, that allows to detect by means an ICCD camera the hydroxyl radicals OH* emission spontaneously producted in the chemical reactions within the combustion chamber and use it as a flame marker. Because this optical diagnostics technique is a line-of-sight technique, in which each measured quantity is an integrated emission along each line-of-sight, emission local measurements are not directly possible but require a post-processing deconvolution of the measured intensities to obtain spatial information. One of the existing deconvolution techniques is the Inverse Abel Transform, applicable only in case the object under examination is axysimmetric and solvable only in approximate way. An overview of some methods of problem resolution is presented, including the Fourier Method presented by G. Pretzel (1991) choosen for this thesis. Based on it a Matlab algorithm for the Inverse Abel Transform has been developed. It has been tested with the known radial distribution functions taken from the literature. Once checked algorithm, it has been applied to the intensities images recorded from ICCD camera to recover the emission radial distribution. Finally, the deducted results about the combustion process are be discussed and validated finding confirmation in the literature and previous studies, demonstrating the validity of the code itself.
An Improvement Over Lee et al.'s Key Agreement Protocol

In 2004, Hwang et al. proposed a group key exchange protocol for sharing a secure key in a group. Their protocol is an extension from the two party key exchange protocol to the group one. Recently, Jung-San Lee et al. noted that Hwang et al. group key exchange protocol has two security weaknesses. First, the forward secrecy is not confirmed in case that a new member joins the group and second, if a group member leaves the group, the backward secrecy is compromised. They proposed an improvement over this key exchange protocol in order to provide both forward and backward secrecy among group members. In this paper, we propose another improvement over Lee et al. key exchange, and we show that our key exchange protocol not only preservers both forward and backward secrecy, but also it is more efficient than their protocol when a member leaves the group. Finally, we give a formal analysis for the correctness of the proposed protocol via Scyther model checking tool.
Exploring Students’ Product Design Concept Generation and Development Practices

Chemical Engineering a Ph.D. in Engineering Education Her research focuses on strategies for design innovations through divergent and convergent thinking as well as through deep needs and community assessments using design ethnography, and translating those strategies to design tools and education. She teaches design and en-trepreneurship courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels, focusing on front-end design processes. Mechanical Engineering. great in Design Science and Shanna Daly in developing methods conducive to the design process, particularly in the early stages of concept generation and selection. Engineers are challenged with addressing open-ended design problems; successful innovation often hinges on the generation of creative concepts during early stage ideation and the ability to iterate on those concepts to develop final designs. To explore students’ approaches to concept generation and development, we conducted a multiple phase think-aloud and interview study to uncover current student practices and explore the impact of a specific instructional approach— learning blocks, which combine online learning with one-on-one coaching sessions to provide feedback to students—on students’ ability to incorporate best practices in their idea generation and development approaches. In this paper, we describe the practices of three student participants to provide in-depth understanding of students with different educational levels. These three participants demonstrated a range of approaches to idea generation and development in their pre-instructional sessions, such as generating a limited number of ideas and searching for existing ideas. After completing the learning blocks, all students showed progress, including minimizing evaluating their initial ideas, which led to an increase of ideas generated and developed. Furthermore, students were equipped with ideation techniques that helped them explore the solution space and come up with ideas in a systematic manner. This study reveals challenges students have in idea generation and development and the impact that instruction can have on their incorporation of best practices.
RIT Scholar Works RIT Scholar Works

Self-Admitted Technical Debt (SATD) is a metaphorical concept to describe the self-documented addition of technical debt to a software project in the form of source code comments. SATD can linger in projects and degrade source-code quality, but it can also be more visible than unintentionally added or undocumented technical debt. Understanding the implications of adding SATD to a software project is important because developers can beneﬁt from a better understanding of the quality trade-oﬀs they are making. However, empirical studies, analyzing the survivability and removal of SATD comments, are challenged by potential code changes or SATD comment updates that may interfere with properly tracking their appearance, existence, and removal. In this paper, we propose SATDBailiﬀ, a tool that uses an existing state-of-the-art SATD detection tool, to identify SATD in method comments, then properly track their lifespan . SATDBailiﬀ is given as input links to open source projects, and its output is a list of all identiﬁed SATDs, and for each detected SATD, SATDBailiﬀ reports all its associated changes, including any updates to its text, all the way to reporting its removal. The goal of SATDBailiﬀ is to aid researchers and practitioners in better tracking SATDs instances, and providing them with a reliable tool that can be easily extended. SATDBailiﬀ was validated using a dataset of previously detected and manually validated SATD instances. SATDBailiﬀ is publicly available as an open source, along with the manual analysis of SATD instances associated with its validation, on the project website 1 .
Using functional transcranial Doppler ultrasonography to assess language lateralisation: Influence of task and difficulty level

Language is lateralised to the left hemisphere in most people, but it is unclear whether the same degree and direction of lateralisation is found for all verbal tasks and whether laterality is affected by task difficulty. We used functional transcranial Doppler ultrasonography (fTCD) to assess the lateralisation of language processing in 27 young adults using three tasks: word generation (WG), auditory naming (AN), and picture story (PS). WG and AN are active tasks requiring behavioural responses whereas PS is a passive task that involves listening to an auditory story accompanied by pictures. We also examined the effect of task difficulty by a post hoc behavioural categorisation of trials in the WG task and a word frequency manipulation in the AN task. fTCD was used to measure task-dependent blood flow velocity changes in the left and right middle cerebral arteries. All of these tasks were significantly left lateralised: WG, 77% of individuals left, 5% right; AN, 72% left: 4% right; PS, 56% left: 0% right. There were significant positive relationships between WG and AN ( r (cid:1) 0.56) as well as AN and PS ( r (cid:1) . 76) but not WG and PS ( r (cid:1) (cid:2) 0.22). The task difficulty manipulation affected accuracy in both WG and AN tasks, as well as reaction time in the AN task, but did not significantly influence laterality indices in either task. It is concluded that verbal tasks are not interchangeable when assessing cerebral lateralisation, but that differences between tasks are not a consequence of task difficulty. Two further physiological indices are reported: mean activation and LI latency. The mean activation was calculated as the average left and right blood flow velocity relative to baseline levels at the peak left minus right difference and LI latency reflects the time in seconds of the peak left minus right difference, relative to the onset of the stimulus.
A Skeleton-Based Hierarchical Method for Detecting 3-D Pole-Like Objects From Mobile LiDAR Point Clouds

The pole-like object detection is of significance for robot navigation, autonomous driving, road infrastructure inventory, and detailed 3-D map generation. In this letter, we develop a skeleton-based hierarchical method for automatic detection of pole-like objects from mobile LiDAR point clouds. First, coarse extraction of building facades is adopted for the occlusion analysis. Second, slice-based Euclidean clustering algorithm is implemented to derive a set of pole-like object candidates. Third, skeleton-based principal component analysis shape recognition is presented to robustly locate all possible positions of pole-like objects. Finally, a Voronoi-constrained vertical region growing algorithm is proposed to adaptively producing the individual pole-like objects. Experiments were conducted on the public Paris–Lille-3-D data set. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method is robust and efficient for extracting the pole-like objects, with average quality of 90.43%. Furthermore, the proposed method outperforms other existing methods, especially for detecting pole-like objects with a large radius.
Rigidity and Flexibility of Pyrazole, s-Triazole, and v-Triazole Derivative of Chloroquine as Potential Therapeutic against COVID-19

Based on the core unit of chloroquine, new types of N-heterocyclic compounds that are fused together have been made. The compounds were put into two groups. In series A, the five-member hetero-rings were directly connected to the core unit, while in series B, the CH2 group was used to make the five-member ring more flexible (series B). Using the Gaussian 09 programme, the DFT method with hybrid correlation functional (B3LYP) and 6-311 (d, p) basis sets were used to figure out how to optimize and measure the quantum chemical properties of molecules. The molecular overeating environment (MOE) programme is used to study molecular docking. The binding of flexible compounds shows that AC8, AC10, AC3, and AC5 have the strongest binding affinities compared to the other candidates, while the rigid molecules ARC10 and ARC6 have the lowest binding affinities. In general, the results of the binding affinity showed that the drugs and receptors being studied might have anti-Covid-19 properties. Likewise, the flexible compounds AC8, AC10, AC3, and AC5 had the lowest Ki values of those made and could be used as a treatment. Our virtual physicochemical evaluation of all compounds in series A and B showed that all of them met the limits for molecular weight, lipophilicity (MLogP 4.15, the octanol-water partition coefficient), and water solubility. In addition to MR, the number of H-bond acceptors and the PSA were both within the acceptable range. It seems that the number of rotatable bonds is the only physicochemical property that separates the compounds in series B. The scores of compounds AC3, AC4, AC7, AC8, AC11, and AC12 are outside the acceptable range when compared to the results of chloroquine as the parent compound. © 2023 by SPC (Sami Publishing Company).
Repositório ISCTE-IUL Deposited in Repositório ISCTE-IUL : 2018-01-17 Deposited version :

— We prove uniqueness of the Kerr black holes within the connected, non-degenerate, analytic class of regular vacuum black holes. Résumé (Sur l’unicité de trous noirs stationnaires dans le vide). — On démontre l’unicité de trous noirs de Kerr dans la classe de trous noirs connexes, analytiques, réguliers, non-dégénérés, solutions des équations d’Einstein du vide.
The Children and Young People Quality of Life Study: A protocol for the qualitative development of attributes for capability wellbeing measures for use in health economic evaluation with children and young people [version 1; peer review: awaiting peer review]

Background: Health services face difficult choices regarding how to allocate scarce health and social care resources. Economic evaluation can aid this process of decision making by allowing competing healthcare interventions or services to be compared in terms of their costs and consequences. However, existing use of economic evaluation of health services largely focuses on comparing interventions in terms of their impact on health only, missing factors potentially important to broader wellbeing. The capability approach measures outcomes in terms of what people are able to do and be. It provides an alternative evaluative space for economic evaluation, which may be especially beneficial for populations such as children and young people, for whom health might not be the only outcome of importance to their wellbeing. Study aims: This study aims to develop conceptual attributes and descriptive systems for capability wellbeing measures for children and young people to be used in economic evaluation, using qualitative methods with children and young people directly and their parents/guardians. Open Peer Review Approval Status AWAITING PEER REVIEW Any reports and responses or comments on the article can be found at the end of the article. Page 1 of 6 Wellcome Open Research 2022, 7:117 Last updated: 30 MAR 2022
Innovation is in the eyes of the beholder: the case of the ageing consumers

This research considers innovation from the user point of view in order to enhance the design and commercialisation of technology-based products. Previous studies predominantly analyze innovation as a function of technology advantage; that is how new competitors who have advanced R&D can challenge the incumbents’ position. However little is understood about the potentially ambiguous position that technology-based products may have on the market due to the diverse perception that different market segments may hold of such products. Consequently innovations studies are limited in overlooking innovation as function of users’/consumers’ perception. The findings of this research reveal that innovation may be disruptive and evolutionary at the same time for different consumers groups. Consumers’ perception of technology products can influence their decision-making pre-purchase as well as their level of adoption. Analogical learning, or the inability to apply it, is in part responsible for the choices that consumers make when considering whether to purchase, use and discard technological products. Exposure and familiarity with the product category are also factors that influence consumers’ perception, especially among the ageing segment of the population. The ambiguity of products’ perception represents an unusual puzzle for businesses that are now required to alter design features and marketing communication strategies to appeal to different consumers despite the product is inherently the same from a business point of view.
Acyclovir-Composite Ion Responsive In Situ Gel Based on Gellan/ Carboxymethyl Cellulose Blend for Improved Gelation and Sustained Acyclovir Ocular Release

Chowhan et al. : Ion Responsive In Situ Gel for Ocular Delivery of Acyclovir Quick removal and low therapeutic efficacy are drawbacks of ocular eye drops. In situ gels were developed using gellan gum and/or sodium carboxymethyl cellulose as an ion activated polymer to enhance the residence time of the drug on the ocular surface and improve the efficacy through the sustained release of acyclovir. The solution containing polymer converted to gel through cross-linking reaction with Ca ++ ion present in simulated tear fluid. The optimized formulation (F1 GC: 0.5 % gellan gum+0.5 % carboxymethyl cellulose) showed immediate gelation (within 5 s) that remained for more than 6 h and may prevent drug elimination by tears. The developed formulations were clear and in the pH range of 6.05 to 7.84. The interaction between the carboxyl group of polymers and Ca ++ ions was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. All the formulations showed satisfactory drug content from 91.13-100.61 %. The gel strength of the formulations increased as the concentration of the polymers increased. The prepared in situ gels exhibited a shear thinning pseudoplastic behaviour that may help in the blinking of the eye. Optimized formulation releases the drug for over 8 h and shows the Fickian diffusion release mechanism. The developed formulation may improve the bioavailability of the drug through longer contact time and controlled drug release in the eye.
Should a Propensity Score Model be Super? The Utility of Machine Learning Procedures for Causal Adjustment

In investigations of the eﬀect of treatment on outcome, the propensity score is a tool to eliminate imbalance in the distribution of confounding variables between treatment groups. Recent work has suggested that Super Learner, an ensemble method, outperforms logistic regression in non-linear settings however experience with real data analyses tend to show overﬁtting of the propensity score model using this approach. We investigated wider range of settings of varying complexities including simulations based on real data to compare the performances of logistic regression, generalized boosted models, and Super Learner in providing balance and for estimating the average treatment eﬀect via propensity score regression, propensity score matching, and inverse probability of treatment weighting. We found that Super Learner and logistic regression are comparable in terms of covariate balance and mean squared error, however Super Learner is computationally very expensive and may induce positivity violations in real data settings. Approaches based on generalized boosted models were inferior to both logistic regression and Super Learner in terms of both balance and mean squared error. We also found that propensity score regression adjustment was superior to either matching or inverse weighting when the form of the dependence on the treatment on the outcome is correctly speciﬁed. Finally, we note that to fully understand a complex estimation procedure, simulations based on both real and entirely synthetic data may be needed. Copyright c (cid:13) 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.