Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Measurement and Modelling of Underwater Noise from Pile Driving

Many coastal and offshore construction activities require the driving of piles into the seabed, either using impact or vibratory pile drivers. Impact pile driving produces an intense impulsive underwater noise that has been associated with fish deaths at very short range, whereas vibratory pile driving produces a lower level continuous noise. Because of the high sound levels involved, noise from pile driving may have an adverse impact on marine animals, and its characteristics are therefore of considerable interest. This paper presents the results of measurements of underwater noise from pile driving that have been made at a variety of locations around Australia, and presents the results of some attempts to use acoustic propagation modelling to extrapolate these results to other locations.
Clinical features and prognosis of patients with extrahepatic metastases from hepatocellular carcinoma.

AIM To assess the clinical features and prognosis of 151 patients with extrahepatic metastases from primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and describe the treatment strategy for such patients. METHODS After the diagnosis of HCC, all 995 consecutive HCC patients were followed up at regular intervals and 151 (15.2%) patients were found to have extrahepatic metastases at the initial diagnosis of primary HCC or developed such tumors during the follow-up period. We assessed their clinical features, prognosis, and treatment strategies. RESULTS The most frequent site of extrahepatic metastases was the lungs (47%), followed by lymph nodes (45%), bones (37%), and adrenal glands (12%). The cumulative survival rates after the initial diagnosis of extrahepatic metastases at 6, 12, 24, and 36 mo were 44.1%, 21.7%, 14.2%, 7.1%, respectively. The median survival time was 4.9 mo (range, 0-37 mo). Fourteen patients (11%) died of extrahepatic HCC, others died of primary HCC or liver failure. CONCLUSION The prognosis of HCC patients with extrahepatic metastases is poor. With regard to the cause of death, many patients would die of intrahepatic HCC and few of extrahepatic metastases. Although most of HCC patients with extrahepatic metastases should undergo treatment for the primary HCC mainly, treatment of extrahepatic metastases in selected HCC patients who have good hepatic reserve, intrahepatic tumor stage (T0-T2), and are free of portal venous invasion may improve survival.
Using modification of visibility-graph in solving the problem of finding shortest path for robot

This paper presents a solution for global optimized path planning with respect to finding the shortest distance for autonomous robotic system, particularly in two-dimensional space with a set of obstacles. The proposed approach is based on visibility-graph and the literature review of path planning is presented in details to explain why this approach is used. Through pros, cons, and complexity in the construction of a visibility-graph, the paper proposed two simple and efficient techniques to significantly reduce computation time in building a visibility-graph in the case of numerous obstacles. The experimental results, with a real robot, show that the proposed approach is efficient, feasible and straightforward to apply in practice.
Adaptive fuzzy formation control for a class of uncertain nonlinear multi-agent systems

Here, an adaptive fuzzy control structure is proposed for the formation control problem of a class of uncertain affine nonlinear multi-agent systems. By introducing a position error and an appropriate artificial potential function, the formation control problem of the multi-agent system with fully unknown dynamics is solved. The agents should keep a desired distance from a time-varying reference as their virtual leader. The adaptive fuzzy controller for each agent includes terms of artificial potential function and H» robust concept. The fully unknown dynamics of each agent are approximated by fuzzy logic systems. Using Lyapunov stability theory, suitable adaptive laws are derived for the parameters of the fuzzy system, and the H» performance criteria of the overall structure is achieved. The proposed method is applied to the formation control of five cooperative inverted pendulum systems. Results show promising performance in presence of external sinusoidal disturbance and measurement noise.
Translation quality evaluation of MWE from French into English using an SMT system

Nowadays, Statistical Machine Translation (SMT) is widely available. Nevertheless, using Machine Translation at its best is not an easy task. Structures appearing sporadically trigger most of the regular mistakes of SMT systems. We work on one of those structures: the MultiWord Expressions (MWE). Our study aims at evaluating the quality of MWE translation obtained using SMT. Firstly, we present the process of our quality evaluation of the English translation got via an SMT system created using Moses Toolkit (Koehn et al., 2007), of one French technical document. On the French document, MWE have been semi-automatically annotated according to their type (Tutin et al., 2015). Secondly, we describe the linguistic criteria of Vilar's classification of translation errors (Vilar et al. 2006) as well as the adaptation we had to perform to use Blast (Stymne, 2011). Thirdly, we analyse the global results of our quality evaluation before going into details, in our fourth part, on one particular type of MWE, which is the Full Phraseme one. We finally show that most of the French MWE are translated into English MWE, and that we need to implement in further work a collaborative error annotation tool.
Perceptual sensitivity to a model of the source spectrum

A psychoacoustic model of the source spectrum has been proposed in which four spectral slope parameters describe perception of overall voice quality: H1-H2 (the difference in amplitude between the first and second harmonics), H2-H4, H4-2000 Hz (i.e., the harmonic nearest 2000 Hz), and 2000–5000 Hz. The goals of this study are to evaluate perceptual sensitivity in the mid-to-high frequency range of the model and determine how sensitivity to one parameter varies as a function of another. To determine listener sensitivity to slope changes for each parameter, just-noticeable differences were obtained for series of stimuli based on synthetic copies of one male and one female voice. Twenty listeners completed an adaptive up-down paradigm. To provide a baseline of listener sensitivity to each spectral slope parameter, the synthetic voices were manipulated so that spectral slope varied by 0.5 dB increments for each parameter while other parameters remained constant. We then assessed how listener sensitivity to a .
Geological and Geochemical Record of 3400-Million-Year-Old Terrestrial Meteorite Impacts

Beds of sand-sized spherules in the 3400-million-year-old Fig Tree Group, Barberton Greenstone belt, South Africa, formed by the fall of quenched liquid silicate droplets into a range of shallow-to deep-water depositional environments. The regional extent of the layers, their compositional complexity, and lack of included volcanic debris suggest that they are not products of volcanic activity. The layers are greatly enriched in iridium and other platinum group elements in roughly chondritic proportions. Geochemical modeling based on immobile element abundances suggests that the original average spherule composition can be approximated by a mixture of fractionated tholeiitic basalt, komatiite, and CI carbonaceous chondrite. The spherules are thought to be the products of large meteorite impacts on the Archean earth.
Performance of a Psychomotor Skill following Rest, Exercise at the Plasma Epinephrine Threshold and Maximal Intensity Exercise

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of exercising at the epinephrine threshold and at Maximum Power Output on the performance of a skill that requires both decision-making and motor performance. Participants (N=12) undertook an incremental test to exhaustion from which their epinephrine threshold and Maximum Power Output were calculated. They were then examined on a soccer skill test following rest and exercise that was previously determined to elicit their epinephrine threshold and Maximum Power Output. The soccer test examined the participants' speed and accuracy of response. Speed of response was measured by voice reaction time and whole body reaction time. No significant effects of exercise were shown for any of the variables. The need for further research using more complex skill tests and the use of discontinuous exercise protocols, rather than continuous ones, is recommended.
Newly Emerged Multiple-Antibiotic-Resistant Shigella dysenteriae Type 1 Strains in and around Kolkata, India, Are Clonal

Several parts of India, including Kolkata, witnessed a devastating epidemic of shigellosis with increased (35.6%) isolation of Shigella dysenteriae type 1 strains during 1984 ([10][1]). In the postepidemic period, shigellosis became endemic in Kolkata and S. flexneri (58%) was the most prevalent
Sartorius myoplasty for infected vascular grafts in the groin. Safe, durable, and effective.

OBJECTIVE To review the safety, durability, and efficacy of sartorius myoplasty in the treatment of localized vascular prosthetic graft infection in the groin. DESIGN Case series. SETTING University teaching hospitals. PATIENTS Fourteen patients with 15 exposed, eroded, or overtly infected prosthetic vascular grafts in the groin, treated during 7 years. INTERVENTIONS Groin exploration for delineation of the extent of vascular graft infection, followed by extensive perigraft debridement, then dissection and rotation of the ipsilateral sartorius muscle to cover the involved graft. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Healing of groin wound with preservation of vascular graft function, limb salvage, length of hospital stay, impact of specific wound bacteria, and evidence of long-term hip dysfunction. RESULTS During a mean hospital stay of 8.7 days, sartorius myoplasty was accomplished with 20% morbidity. Hip flexor function was initially impaired in all 14 patients, but functional deficit was negligible at late assessment. During mean follow-up of 36 months, all wounds were healed, and all limbs were salvaged. Two late deaths occurred, and 2 limbs were ultimately amputated due to progressive loss of vascular outflow. CONCLUSION Sartorius myoplasty is a simple, safe, durable, and effective technique for preservation of locally infected or exposed vascular grafts in the groin.
Arterial stiffness and wave reflection following exercise in resistance-trained men.

PURPOSE Resistance training increases arterial stiffness and pressure wave reflection. We tested the hypothesis that potentially greater tonic arterial stiffness in resistance-trained (RT) men may alter the vascular response to an acute exercise stressor. METHODS Thirty participants (age 22 +/- 0.5 yr; 15 highly RT men and 15 sedentary non-RT men) underwent measures of central (carotid femoral) and peripheral (femoral dorsalis pedis) pulse wave velocity (PWV) and augmentation index (AIx; index of central pressure wave reflection derived from radial artery applanation tonometry and pulse wave analysis) before and 10, 20, and 30 min after maximal aerobic exercise. RESULTS RT men were significantly stronger (bench press 143 +/- 7 vs 85 +/- 2 kg, P < 0.05) and heavier (93 +/- 3 vs 82 +/- 3 kg, P < 0.05) than sedentary men. Groups did not differ in resting central/peripheral PWV or in AIx. AIx was not changed at 10 min after maximal aerobic exercise in both groups and was reduced similarly in both groups at 20 and 30 min after maximal aerobic exercise (P < 0.05). Peripheral PWV decreased similarly at all time points after maximal aerobic exercise in both groups and was not recovered by 30 min (P < 0.05). There was no change in central PWV after maximal aerobic exercise. CONCLUSIONS The arterial response to maximal aerobic exercise was similar in highly RT and non-RT men. There was no change in intensity of central pressure wave reflection 10 min after exercise, despite significant reductions in peripheral muscular artery stiffness. Arterial reactivity to an acute exercise stressor is not impaired in young, highly RT men.
Long-term follow-up study of gastric intraepithelial neoplasias: progression from low-grade dysplasia to invasive carcinoma

Background and study aims A gastric intraepithelial neoplasia (IEN) is usually regarded as a precancerous lesion; however, the natural history of the gastric IEN has not been clarified. We aimed to evaluate the progression of dysplasia in gastric IENs. Patients and methods As a retrospective study, we reviewed 26 gastric adenomas with low-grade dysplasia (LGD) and one with high-grade dysplasia (HGD) from 18 patients. The patients were followed up for a median of 66 months from 1996 to 2004 (mean 58 months, 20–112 months) in Kyungpook National University Hospital. The histological diagnosis was classified according to the Vienna classification. We reviewed clinical (age and sex), morphological (size, color, shape, location in stomach, surface nodularity, and presence of the erosion), and histological (histological diagnosis, infection with Helicobacter pylori, infiltration of inflammatory cells, atrophy, intestinal metaplasia, microscopic erosions, and glandular appearance) characteristics with regard to progression of dysplasia. Results We found eight IENs of progressive dysplasia (29.6%). One IEN with HGD and three IENs with LGD progressed to invasive adenocarcinoma (category 5). Four gastric IENs with LGD progressed to HGD (category 4). The clinical, morphological, and histological characteristics did not reveal any distinguishable features for progressive dysplasia. Conclusion For the potential risk of progressive dysplasia, gastric IENs should be treated actively using the recently advanced therapeutic endoscopic techniques, regardless of the degrees of dysplasia.
Insights into the Electrophysiology of Atrial Arrhythmias Gained by the Catheter Ablation Experience:

Catheter Ablation of Atrial Arrhythmias. Although the development and wide‐scale application of catheter ablative techniques has drastically changed the practice of electrophysiology, catheter ablation does not preclude physiologic investigation. On the contrary, given the precise and directed nature of this technique and the increased attention to detailed cardiac mapping that it requires, catheter ablation may be viewed as a tool to provide unique information about arrhythmia substrates. In this article, the insights provided by the catheter ablation experience into the pathophysiology of the focal atrial arrhythmias, atrial tachycardia, sinus node reentrant tachycardia, and inappropriate sinus tachycardia will be reviewed. Atrial arrhythmias were initially difficult to treat with ablative therapy, particularly because they can occur anywhere within the atria and the experience with mapping for surgical ablation was quite limited. A number of novel approaches to atrial mapping have been developed in response to this challenge, and presently, catheter ablation provides effective therapy for the majority of patients with focal atrial arrhythmias. In addition, deliberate attempts at “learning while burning” have already begun to enhance our understanding of the interaction of the structural and electrophysiologic aspects of the substrate for atrial arrhythmias.
Processing and evolution of the N-terminal region of the arterivirus replicase ORF1a protein: identification of two papainlike cysteine proteases

Two adjacent papainlike cysteine protease (PCP) domains, PCP alpha and PCP beta, were identified in the N-terminal region of the open reading frame 1a replicase proteins of the arteriviruses porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus and lactate dehydrogenase-elevating virus. The replicase of the related virus equine arteritis virus contains only one active PCP in the corresponding region. Sequence comparison revealed that the equine arteritis virus PCP alpha counterpart probably was inactivated by loss of its catalytic Cys residue. For both porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus and lactate dehydrogenase-elevating virus, the generation of two processing products, nsp1 alpha and nsp1 beta, was demonstrated by in vitro translation. Site-directed mutagenesis and sequence comparison were used to identify the putative active-site residues of the PCP alpha and PCP beta protease domains and to show that they mediate the nsp1 alpha/1 beta and nsp1 beta/2 cleavages, respectively.
Temporal processing in the basal ganglia.

This study investigated the role of the basal ganglia in timing operations. Nondemented, medicated Parkinson's disease (PD) patients and controls were tested on 2 motor-timing tasks (paced finger tapping at a 300- or 600-ms target interval), 2 time perception tasks (duration perception wherein the interval between the standard tone pair was 300 or 600 ms), and 2 tasks that controlled for the auditory processing (frequency perception) demands of the time perception task and the movement rate (rapid tapping) in the motor-timing task. Using A.M. Wing and A.B. Kristofferson's (1973) model, the total variability in motor timing was partitioned into a clock component, which reflects central timekeeping operations, and a motor delay component, which estimates random variability due to response implementation processes. The PD group was impaired at both target intervals of the time perception and motor-timing tasks. Impaired motor timing was due to elevated clock but not motor delay variability. The findings implicate the basal ganglia and its thalamocortical connections in timing operations.
Physics-based airborne GMTI radar signal processing

The Knowledge-Aided Sensor Signal Processing and Expert Reasoning (KASSPER) program aims to improve airborne ground moving target indicator (GMTI) radar performance by taking into account all available prior knowledge. One powerful piece of information is that the radar return signal is a superposition of near-ideal plane-waves. A plane-wave signal and clutter model or sampled GMTI radar data can be used to calibrate the receive array, suppress clutter, and detect moving targets. Each range gate is processed independently. Sample covariance matrices are unnecessary. The synthetic KASSPER challenge datacube is processed to demonstrate performance.
“I honestly didn’t know that I could”: the rise and rise of in-pharmacy sexual and reproductive health guidance

I admit it. I’ve personally often used pharmacies as good sources of information, support and product. So it’s with more than professional interest that I’m undertaking my latest Journal commission: to explore the role of pharmacists in the field of sexual and reproductive health care (SRH). This exploration has been triggered by the fact that said role is expanding. It was in the early 1980s that pharmacies become more involved in wider health care; the 2001 introduction of emergency contraception as pharmacy prescribable consolidated this involvement. The 2005 White Paper ‘Choosing Health Through Pharmacy’ widened the pharmacy brief of information delivery, including information on SRH. And recently, with the rise in home testing for pregnancy, fertility and some sexually transmitted infections (STIs), the high-street pharmacy has become an increasing conduit for advice and guidance of the kind that we Journal readers often deliver in our surgeries and clinics. The trajectory of pharmacy involvement in the field is therefore undeniably onwards. But is it positively upwards? I’m especially interested in what those on the frontline think. Consumers – are they happy with the trend? Pharmacists themselves – do they see problems or opportunities on the horizon? Specialist professionals – are they wary or welcoming to the incomers? To find out, I approached representatives of all these constituencies, not only consumers but also pharmacy representatives, plus a variety of health professionals, who reported not only their own professional opinions but also the anecdotal perspectives of their consumer clients. To begin with, the good bits. Almost everyone waxed lyrical about the advantages of pharmacy provision. The most-mentioned advantages were accessibility and convenience. No need to register. No need to make an appointment. No waiting around: if a pharmacist isn’t free, simply do a little more retail therapy and pop back. No closed doors: …
Ratio of inner cell mass and trophoblastic cells in demi- and intact pig embryos.

Pig morulae, early blastocysts and blastocysts were microsurgically bisected to produce zona-free demi-embryos or remained nonbisected with or without zona pellucida, and the presence of inner cell mass cells was determined using a differential fluorochrome staining technique. After 24 h of in vitro culture, all demi-embryos were classified into three categories, based on morphological criteria: 1, excellent; 2, fair; and 3, degenerated. The average number of total cells and inner cell mass cells in intact embryos cultured without zona pellucida for 24 h was higher (P < 0.05) than that for those with zona pellucida in morulae and early blastocysts. The percentage of demi-embryos without inner cell mass cells in these different morphological categories was 18.7%, 22.2% and 29.8% for morulae, respectively; 3.8%, 16.7% and 30.8% for early blastocysts, respectively; and 3.7%, 32.0% and 36.4% for blastocysts, respectively. The percentage of demi-embryos without inner cell mass cells was lower (P < 0.01) in demi-embryos classified in category 1 compared with category 3 in early blastocysts and in category 1 compared with categories 2 and 3 in blastocysts. Significant differences in the total number of cells and the number of inner cell mass cells were apparent among the three morphological categories of demi-embryos derived from morulae, early blastocysts and blastocysts. The ratio of total cells to inner cell mass cells was similar among intact pig embryos and the different morphological categories of demi-embryos derived from morulae, early blastocysts and blastocysts, with the exception of that between demi-blastocysts of category 1 and the other groups. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Software radio and its applications in GNSS

The paper deals with the Software Radio and its applications in processing of signals of satellite navigation systems. Modern Software Defined Radio (SDR) technology enables to digitalize and process radio signals in programmable digital circuits. The high power programmable DSP and FPGA are implemented. The benefit of discussed architecture is in a software definition of the function and parameters of radio electronic systems. This architecture can be used in GNSS for software implementation of processing procedures of new GNSS signals, like GPS L2 C/A, GPS L5 or Galileo.
Acute myeloid leukemia with myelodysplasia-related changes mimicking acute promyelocytic leukemia.

We describe a patient with acute myeloid leukemia with myelodysplasia-related changes (AML-MRC) that clinically resembled acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). The karyotype of his leukemic cells was 46, XY, del (3) (q? ) and did not include a chromosomal translocation involving the retinoic acid receptor-α gene. However, retinoic acid syndrome developed, and partial remission was achieved after treatment with all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) followed by chemotherapy. Our case might provide new insights into the mechanism of the growth inhibitory effect of ATRA on APL-like cells.
What kind of memory?

The great Gaels of Ireland Are the men that God made mad For all their wars are merry And all their songs are sad GK Chesterton Like most of my colleagues, the first part of the BMJ I read is the obituaries page. The brief lives are compelling; the summing up of a lifetime's grief and tears, joy and laughter in only a few hundred words. It's a difficult task; I wrote one myself for a friend I loved very much and quickly arrived at the key dilemma. With such restricted space available, should I write what he was, or what …