Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Novel Dural Reconstruction Method Following Spinal Tumor Resection

Objective:This report describes a new method for reducing the risk of postoperative obliteration of the subdural space and spinal cord tethering that frequently occurs following resection of intradural spinal tumors. Methods:A 66-year-old patient underwent resection of a T1 to T2 intradural meningioma. A duraplasty procedure was performed to reconstruct the thecal sac and create a capacious cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)-filled space around the spinal cord. To prevent subsequent inward compression of the thecal sac from dorsally located soft tissue, a titanium strap was fashioned to span the laminectomy defect. Dural tack-up stitches were secured to the titanium strap and the laminoplasty construct was secured in place using standard bone screws. Results:The combined duraplasty-titanium laminoplasty procedure was technically straightforward and there were no complications following surgery. Postoperative MR imaging 6 weeks following surgery demonstrated that the goal of creating a capacious CSF-filled space around the spinal cord, without inward compression of the thecal sac by scar tissue, was achieved. MR images of the spinal cord and dura were not degraded by the presence of the overlying titanium strap. Conclusions:This simple method that combines a duraplasty and titanium laminoplasty procedure seems to be a safe and effective approach to achieving the objective of maintaining a capacious CSF-filled space surrounding the spinal cord following intradural surgery.
System for the management of waste batteries and accumulators in Poland

Waste is a serious threat to the environment and calling for waste management. This work focuses primarily on the characteristics of waste and the recycling of waste batteries and accumulators and their impact on the environment. An important aspect of limiting the negative impact of waste batteries and accumulators on the environment is their proper management, therefore the study focuses on the presentation of the system for the management of waste batteries and accumulators in Poland.
Chemical Properties and Enzyme Activity of Soil as Affected by Tillage System and Previous Crop

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of tillage system and previously cultivated crop on the chemical properties and enzyme activity of soil. The first-order experimental factor was the tillage system, i.e., (1) conventional tillage (CT) and (2) reduced tillage (RT), whereas the second-order experimental factor was the previously cultivated crop, i.e., a) pea and b) durum wheat. Samples of soil were analyzed for the contents of organic C, total N, available forms of P, K, and Mg, as well as soil pH, total sorption capacity, and activity of soil enzymes (dehydrogenases, phosphatases, ureases, and proteases). The study demonstrated that the contents of organic C, total N, and available forms of K and Mg as well as soil pH were higher in soil subjected to RT than in that subjected to CT. In plots after pea cultivation, higher values were determined for the contents of total N and Mg, whereas in plots after durum wheat cultivation, the contents of organic C, P, and K and the soil pH were higher. Higher activities of dehydrogenases and phosphatases in soil were noted in soils subjected to the CT system than in those subjected to the RT system, whereas the activities of ureases and proteases were higher in soils subjected to RT. In addition, higher activities of dehydrogenases, phosphatases, and proteases were determined in the soil after pea cultivation than after durum wheat cultivation, whereas a higher activity of ureases was found in the soil after durum wheat cultivation. The C/N ratio was more beneficial after CT than after RT, as well as in the soil from plots after pea cultivation than after durum wheat cultivation.
Psoriasis: highlights on pathogenesis, adjuvant therapy, and treatment of resistant and problematic cases (II)

Psoriasis is a common inflammatory disease of the skin and joints. Its etiology has been linked to complex interactions between predisposing genes and the environment. The pathophysiology of psoriasis is characterized by epidermal hyperproliferation, enhanced antigen presentation, T-helper1 cytokine production, T-cell expansion, and angiogenesis. Tremendous advances in our understanding of this disorder have led to the development of novel therapeutics. In this review, we focus on specific advances in our understanding of the pathogenesis and the unrecognized severe effects of psoriasis, and the systemic treatment of resistant and problematic cases that are of major clinical relevance to the clinician.
Publication Trends of Research on Sepsis and Host Immune Response during 1999-2019: A 20-year Bibliometric Analysis

Introduction: Sepsis is an intractable disorder, which is associated with high risk of organ dysfunction and even death, while its pathogenesis remains largely unclear. Our study aims to study the research trend on sepsis and host immune response, and compare the contribution of publications from different countries, institutions, journals and authors. Materials and Methods: We extracted all relevant publications with regard to sepsis and immune response during 1999-2019 from Web of Science. GraphPad Prism 6, and VOSviewer software were used to collect and analyze the publication trend in related field. Results: We identified a total of 1225 publications with citation frequency of 40511 times up to March 30, 2019. The United States accounted for the largest number of publications (36.3%), 51.9% of total citations as well as the highest H-index (72). The sum of publications from China ranked the second, while the overall citations (1935) and H-index (22) ranked the eighth and the seventh, respectively. Journal of Shock had published most papers related to the topic on sepsis and immune response. Ayala A SA, has published the most papers in this field (31), while Hotchkiss RS presented with the most citation frequency (3532). The keyword “regulatory T cell” appeared most recently with an average appearing years of 2014.0. The “immunosuppression related research” seemed to be the hotspot in relevant scope. Conclusions: The United States made the most outstanding contribution within this important field. There is a mismatch between the quantity and quality of publications from China. Latest progress can be tracked in journal of Shock. Immunosuppression related researches may be hotspots in the near future.
SPATIO-VISUAL PATTERNS IN ARCHITECTURE

It has been alleged that living spaces in the domestic architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright feature a distinct pattern of spatial and formal features which elicit positive emotional responses from visitors. Researchers have argued that the source of this appeal is found in the unique balance Wright achieved between outlook, enclosure and mystery. While this explanation is apparently accepted, little quantitative evidence exists to confirm that these houses actually contain the type of spatio-visual properties required to provoke such similar experiences. This paper utilises isovist analysis to seek mathematical evidence of patterns in the prospect, refuge and mystery related characteristics of 17 of Wright’s most famous houses. This analysis reveals an unexpectedly high degree of similarity between the designs, which is slightly less pronounced when exterior views are included.
Optimizing Survivability of Robot Formation in Adversarial Environments

Multi-robot formation is a canonical problem in robotic research, and as such has received considerable attention in the past decade (e.g., [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]). The study of multi-robot formation is wide and consists of two main problems: achieving a formation, and maintaining it. Achieving a formation requires a group of robots to create a given formation usually while minimizing time and avoiding collisions After the robots are organized in a formation, they are required to travel while maintaining it despite changes in the environment, such as obstacles, and collisions with other robots. Formation maintenance usually aims at minimizing the deviation from the desired formation during the execution.
G ames and M od a l Mu-Calcu lus

ABSTI~ACT We define Ehrenfeucht-Fra~ss~ games which exactly capture the expressive power of the extremal fixed point operators of modal mucalculus. The resulting games have significance, we believe, within and outside of concurrency theory. On the one hand they naturally extend the iterative bisimulation games associated with Hennessy-Milner logic, and on the other hand they oiler deeper insight into the logical role of fixed points. For this purpose we also define second-order propositional modal logic to contrast fixed points and second-order quantifiers.
ACID TOLERANCE RESPONSE OF LISTERIA MONOCYTOGENES IN DIFFERENT PHS AND CONCENTRATIONS OF LACTIC ACID

Listeria monocytogenes is a gram positive, food-borne pathogen. It can cause the diseases in both human and animals, which has been associated with a number of fatal outbreaks in recent years. Organic acids are widely used in meat industry to control pathogens [1]. Generally, lactic acids are employed as washes to decontaminate meat surfaces. L. monocytogenes growing in the mild acid environment could increase the resistance to the lethal pH condition in the stomach, and this phenomenon could be called acid tolerance response (ATR) [2]. This reaction will lead to the occurrence of high-risk pathogenic bacteria, which is harmful to the population health. In our previous study, it showed 4.75 mM lactic acid at pH 6.0 resulted in a high ATR in 1/2 a and 4b strains of L. monocytogenes, however, which pH and concentration of lactic acid can cause the highest ATR has not been reported yet [3]. Therefore, the objective of this study is to further explore the ATR in L. monocytogenes as a result of the exposure of lactic acid, and to find out the optimal condition which can trigger the highest ATR among three pHs (5.5, 6.0. 6.5) and three concentrations (3mM, 4.75mM and 15mM) of lactic acid.
Peer assisted learning at the Department of Chemistry for home and international students

Peer assisted learning (PAL) was implemented in the Chemistry Department at the University of Liverpool to complement the University ’ s current peer mentoring programme. PAL leaders, who were trained by the staff from the Educational Development Division, took over the role of giving subject and pastoral support to first year undergraduate students and second year international students.
Physico-chemical Characteristics of Wastewater from a Ball Mill Facility in Small-Scale Gold Mining Area of Paracale, Camarines Norte, Philippines

Small-scale gold miners in Paracale, Camarines Norte use amalgamation process to recover gold from mined ores. In the process, they dispose untreated wastewater to water bodies. In this study, wastewater from an active SSGM ball mill facility in the area was analyzed for physico-chemical parameters and heavy metal concentrations. A total of 40 samples were gathered from the ball mill facility while in full operation and were analyzed for heavy metals (As, Ba, Cd, Hg, Pb). Results showed that all metals (except for Ba) exceed the effluent regulatory limits including Hg (0.1768 mg/L) and Pb (9.3821 mg/L), which are 44 and 94 times higher than the limit, respectively. Presence of Hg concentration in the wastewater confirms the miners’ illegal use of Hg in amalgamation process. Based on the mercury balance in amalgamation, around 16.8% of total Hg input goes to the sediment and some 0.21% mixed with wastewater and the bulk 82.99% is in the form of amalgam that becomes Hg vapor after burning. Physico-chemical parameters – temperature, pH, and true color – are within their respective effluent regulatory limits for Class C waters, while TSS (3,596.9 mg/L) is 36 times higher than the 100 mg/L limit. Other parameters, though not regulated, such as ORP (343.9 mV), turbidity (> 800 NTU), and apparent color (9,880 PCU) were analyzed with high concentrations. From this study, wastewater treatment is recommended before disposing of to the receiving waters to reduce the concentration of heavy metals and TSS. Also, the full and strict implementation of the people’s small-scale mining law must be maintained to protect human health as well as the environment from the adverse effect of the use of Hg in SSGM processes.
Presence and Real Time Streaming Protocol ( RTSP ) for Feature-rich Session Continuity in the IP Multimedia Subsystem ( IMS )

The IP Multimedia Subsystem has largely been standardized. Of critical importance is the development of services which exploit the rich functionality and deployment environment provided by the IMS. However, the age-old challenge of mobility management still persists at the IMS layer. While substantial research has been done focusing on this issue, the approaches taken have largely been at lower layers of the protocol stack. Recent higher-layer solutions, on the other hand, have not directly focused on the specific challenges and opportunities presented by IMS multimedia session continuity. Further, the expressive and feature-rich information from presence service, and the interactivity of the RTSP protocol have largely been ignored. This paper presents a proof of concept scenario-based analysis of how presence information and the RTSP protocol can be leveraged to provide an enhanced multimedia session continuity experience. It presents an introduction of the session continuity service, overviews related work and outlines the framework for an enhanced session continuity experience. Index Terms — session continuity, feature-rich service scenarios, multimedia, RTSP, mSCTP, IMS
Sub-Daily Rainfall Intensity Extremes: Evaluating Suitable Indices at Australian Arid and Wet Tropical Observing Sites

Rainfall intensity extremes are relevant to many aspects of climatology, climate change, and landsurface processes. Intensity is described and analysed using a diversity of approaches, reflecting its importance in these diverse areas. The characteristics of short-interval intensity extremes, such as the maximum 5-min intensity, are explored here. It is shown that such indices may have marked diurnal cycles, as well as seasonal variability. Some indices of intensity, such as the SDII (simple daily intensity index), provide too little information for application to landsurface processes. Upper percentiles of the intensity distribution, such as the 95th and 99th percentiles (Q95 and Q99) are used as indices of extreme intensity, but problematically are affected by changes in intensity below the nominated threshold, as well as above it, making the detection of secular change, and application to sites with contrasting rainfall character, challenging. For application to landsurface processes, a new index is introduced. This index (RQ95), is that intensity or rainfall rate above which 5% of the total rainfall is delivered. This index better reflects intense rainfall than does Q95 of even 5-min accumulation duration (AD) rainfall depths. Such an index is helpful for detecting secular change at an observing station, but, like Q95, remains susceptible to the effects of change elsewhere in the distribution of intensities. For understanding impacts of climate and climate change on landsurface processes, it is argued that more inclusive indices of intensity are required, including fixed intensity criteria.
Results of Pilot B ( Denmark ) D 5 . 2

Authors: Armin Ghasem Azar (DTU), Henrik Madsen (DTU), Rune Grønborg Junker (DTU), Razgar Ebrahimy (DTU), Zohreh Alizadeh (DTU), Giulia De Zotti (DTU), Thomas Kieldsen (NOVASOL), Stig Holm Sørensen (ENERGINET), Hanne Binder (ENERGINET), Loui Algren (ENERGINET), Miguel Marroquin (ONE), Adrian Ibañez (ONE), Claus Amtrup Andersen (EURISCO), Thomas Saabye (EURISCO), Jacob Dall (EURISCO), Stig B. Mortensen (ENFOR), Jacob Andreasen (Nyfors Enterprise A/S (SE Holding A/S))
A System for Coloring A Map using Geo-tagged Photographs

Geo-tagged photographs taken by digital cameras and smart phones increase in social media sites such as Flickr and Panoramio. In this paper, we propose a system to visualize the photographs on the map as temporal changes corresponding to a given query, to research photographs in geographical bias. In this system, focusing on ground color, we create the useful data for classifying the types of land. Our system extracts ground color using geo-tagged photographs in a search result that are obtained by a given query and color in a map based on those color.
Multi-modal Deep Reinforcement Learning with a Novel Sensor-based Dropout

Sensor fusion is a key driver in the success of autonomous driving, given how instrumental it is to improve accuracy and robustness in the vehicle’s algorithmic decision making. However, in the space of end-to-end sensorimotor control, this multi-modal outlook has not received much attention. In the interest of enhancing safety and accuracy in control, a multi-modal approach to end-to-end autonomous navigation is need of the hour. Here, we introduce Multi-modal Deep Reinforcement Learning, and demonstrate how the use of multiple sensors improves the reward for an agent. For this purpose, we augment using both DDPG and NAF algorithms to admit multiple sensor input. The efficacy of a multi-modal policy is shown through extensive simulations experiments in TORCS, a popular open-source racing car game. Additionally, we introduce a new stochastic regularization technique, called Sensor Dropout to reduces the network’s sensitivity to any one sensor. Suitable metrics have been devised to study this behavior and highlight its applicability to other domains that operate in multi-modal settings.
Health Expectancy of the Chinese Elderly: Current Trends (Preliminary Proposal)

(Preliminary Version) Abstract: Using the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS), we estimate health expectancy of the Chinese elderly based on different health measurements. Our estimations use Sullivan’s method combining cohort life tables with (forecasted) prevalence rates. We also calculate the corresponding confidence intervals of life and health expectancy. We find that while the Chinese elderly of both gender groups experienced an improvement in life expectancy during the sample period, health expectancy shows a mixed result at both absolute as well as relative level, depending on health measurements.
Food losses in primary production: the case of Flanders

Notwithstanding some important obstacles which hinder robust quantification, estimates on a global and European scale indicate that an important amount of food is lost during its journey through the food production and consumption chain. A broad and diverse set of factors, including technical, economical, behavioral and policy aspects, cause these losses at each link of the chain. Food losses, which appear to be a structural inefficiency of our food system, create a moral, ecological and economic problem. It moreover provides both problems and opportunities in a situation where society strives to establish a sustainable food system able to feed 9 billion people by 2050 without exceeding the world’s ecological boundaries. In response to growing international interest and social concerns with regard to the issue of food losses, the government of Flanders (northern region of Belgium) has taken up the challenge to address food losses. An interdepartmental working group was installed to coordinate research activities from all departments of the Flemish Government. These investments will deliver a knowledge base on which a evidence-based and stakeholdersupported policy concerning food losses can be developed. The entire chain will be reviewed in cooperation with different food chain stakeholders. This article presents parts of the results of a more extensive research (Roels & Van Gijseghem, 2011) that reviews the existing literature on food losses and produces food loss estimates for primary production. The most important issues in animal production concern livestock mortality, disapproved carcasses in slaughterhouses and loss of milk (e.g. mastitis) and eggs. In the fishing industry, the problem of fish discards as well as losses through market intervention are reviewed. Main losses in agriculture are losses during harvest and storage of cereals, potatoes and sugar beets. Losses in horticulture manifest at both production and auction level. When all figures are aggregated it is estimated that the total food loss in the Flemish primary sector in 2010 was between 534,000 and 817,000 tonnes.
Evaluation of Flow Level through Pupil Size, Blink Rate and Blink Duration in Different Types of Smartphone Games

Seung-Nam Min, Jung Yong Kim, Murali Subramaniyam, Dong-Joon Kim, Joo-Hyun Jung, Kyung-Sun Lee Shinsung University, Drone and Safety Management, Dangjin-si, 31801 2Hanyang University, Division of ICT, Ansan-si, 15588 SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Mechanical Engineering, Kattankulathur, 603203 Hanyang University, Industrial and Management Engineering, Ansan-si, 15588 LIG Nex1 Co., Ltd, ILS (integrated Logistics Support) R&D, Yongin-si, 16911 Suncheon Jeil College, Industrial Safety Management, Suncheon, 57997
Vehicle anormality evaluation using probe trajectory data

Traffic disorders such as traffic jams occur in disasters and events, and lead to delay in evacuation, secondary disasters such as accidents, and traffic jams in various places. Therefore, it is important to grasp the traffic situation as soon as possible, specify the factors, and take countermeasures. In this paper, we propose a method to detect traffic faults using probe data of a region without limiting OD pairs and a method to classify abnormal behaviors due to traffic faults.
Contribution of Project-Based Studies to School Culture According to Principals

Orgutlerin yasamini etkileyen ve yasamalarina bicim veren eylemlerin anlasilmasi, orgutu anlama noktasinda onemlidir. Arastirmanin amaci, okul mudurlerinin perspektifinden okul kulturunun olusumunda proje tabanli calismalarin yerini ve onemini tespit etmektir. Arastirmada nitel arastirma yontemi ve fenomenolojik desen kullanilmistir. Arastirmaya on bir okul muduru katilmistir. Katilimcilar belirlenirken amacli ornekleme stratejilerinden olcut ornekleme ve kolay ulasilabilir durum orneklemesinden yararlanilmistir. Veriler gorusmeler ve gozlemler yoluyla elde edilmistir. Arastirmanin gecerlik-guvenirlik asamasinda veri cesitlemesi, kapsamli alan calismasi, dis denetim ve dogrudan alinti stratejilerinden yararlanilmistir. Arastirma sonucunda dort temanin, on iki kategorinin ve yirmi sekiz alt kategorinin ortaya ciktigi anlasilmistir. Arastirmada verilerden hareketle dort temanin ortaya ciktigi anlasilmaktadir. Bunlar: Okul kulturu, okul kulturu olusturulmasi, proje tabanli calismalar ve proje-okul kulturu iliskisidir. Arastirma sonucunda, okul kulturunun ve projelerin okulda egitim ogretim faaliyetlerinde uygun bir ortamin saglanmasi ve belli bir duzenin hayata gecirilmesi adina onemsendigi anlasilmaktadir. Proje tabanli calismalarin yakindan uzaga bir ozellik gosterdigi anlasilmaktadir. Projelerden cesitli kazanimlarin oldugu gorulmektedir. Arastirmanin son bolumunde onerilere yer verilmistir.
Robust Nonlinear State Estimation for Thermal-Fluid Models Using Reduced-Order Models: The Case of the Boussinesq Equations

We present a method for designing robust, proper orthogonal decomposition (POD)-based, low-order observers for a class of spectral infinite-dimensional nonlinear systems. Robustness to bounded model uncertainties is incorporated using the Lyapunov reconstruction approach from robust control theory. Furthermore, the proposed methodology includes a data-driven learning algorithm that auto-tunes the observer gains to optimize the performance of the state estimation. A challenging numerical example using the 2D Boussinesq equations demonstrates the effectiveness of the proposed observer.