Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Assessing risk by analogy: a case study of us medical device risk management policy

Medical devices occupy an increasingly important place in global medical care, and yet the risk management systems that govern them are largely overlooked in academic literatures. In the US, home to the largest medical devices market, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulation allows most medical devices to enter the market based on analogy, or substantial equivalence, with previously marketed devices. Thus, risk assessment is administered without premarket clinical trials for safety and efficacy. This system represents a permissive regulatory regime based in neoliberal tenets, where risk, in the form of adverse events, is inherently tolerated within governance structures, evidencing risk colonisation. This paper employs a case study approach, examining market clearances of vaginal mesh surgical devices, which have been the subject of US multi-district litigation. We identified 266 devices cleared before 31 December 2017 and analysed the complicated web of device ‘ancestry’ whereby devices as disparate as cardiac patches and hernia mesh allowed clearance of surgical devices for urogynecology. Perhaps of greatest concern, 10 recalled or withdrawn devices influenced new device clearances for up to 17 years after their market-removal. While the FDA must balance its dual mandate to safeguard patients and promote innovation, we find that medical device regulation structurally favours innovation over safety. ‘Light touch’ risk assessment is not counterbalanced with postmarket mechanisms to safeguard against residual and developmental risks that are associated with medical devices, particularly permanent implants. The proportionality principle associated with a precautionary approach should inform medical device risk management.
Neuromorphic VLSI second-order synapse

The synapse circuit presented here is constructed from a second-order lowpass filter using log-domain techniques. This synapse presents an advantage over those currently available as its output current is proportional to the number of spiking inputs and it can delay the peak current from 0.5–50 ms. Thus, this can be used for temporal coding and to substitute several parallel synapses with one. Measurement results from its implementation in a 0.5 µm ON semiconductor technology are presented.
Marked hypotension induced by adrenaline contained in local anesthetic

Objective:To observe the hemoclynamic changes caused by adrenaline contained in local anesthetic. Methods:Ninety adult patients undergoing functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS) under general anesthesia were randomly allocated into three groups. Group A(n=30) received 2% lidocine 2 ml with adrenaline (1:200000) , group B(n = 30) received saline 2 ml with adrenaline (1:200000) , and group C(n = 30 , control group) received saline 2 ml without adrenaline for local infiltration. Electrocardiogram (ECG) and heart rate (HR) were monitored; systolic blood pressure (SBP) , diastolic blood pressure (DBP) , and mean arterial blood pressure (MAP) were directly measured in radial artery continuously after local infiltration. SBP, DBP, MAP and HR were recorded at 8 time points:before infiltration (baseline) ,0.5, 1,1. 5, 2, 3, 4 and 5 minutes after infiltration. Results:Significant hemody-namic changes, particularly hypotension (P0 .001) , after local infiltration were observed in group A and group B compared with the baseline, but not in group C. However, there were no significant hemo-dynamic changes between group A and group B at the same time points (P 0 .05). The significant he-modynamic changes lasted no longer than 5 minutes. Conclusion:Lidocaine (2%) or saline with adrenaline (1:200 000) does cause temporary hypotension and other hemodynamic changes during general anesthesia, which last no longer than 5 minutes. The causative mechanism is the effect of adrenaline.
PATTERNS IN SOUND

USIC in the twentieth century is said to have taken a turn for the better. It has recovered from romanticism and has regained, or is in process of regaining, its pristine purity. Abstract music, which dived beneath the earth about the time of Mozart's death, has come to the surface again in an age in which Arnold Schinberg made his celebrated 'volte face' and Stravinsky produced his Symphony for wind instruments. Henceforth, music-or the only music that will count-is to have nothing to do with emotional expression or story-telling. Sound patterns are to be the order of the day. This, we are told, is, after all, the only true function of music. Why should Beethoven have bothered the rest of mankind with the story of his life in sound? What business had Berlioz or Strauss to make their art the mere bondmaiden of pictures and history? Music is not merely capable of standing by itself. It is entitled to do so; it shall do so! The popular superstition that music can have a religious significance is, when all is said, an illusioi; certain rhythms and progressions have been used for ecclesiastical purposes so long that, by a pardonable but quite mistaken association of ideas, we have come to believe that they are naturally adapted to them. The major chord seems cheerful only because your ear is getting the harmonics which it was expecting to get. Does the minor chord sound sad to you? Cheer up! It is only because, without knowing it, you had a craving for major harmonics and are disappointed subconsciously when you do not get what you wanted. It really was a gigantic mistake ever to allow music to try to portray emotions or depict "programmes," because that sort of thing is foreign to its essence. All the great nineteenth-century masters were obviously on the wrong tack. Bach went astray too, very often: fancy such a sensible fellow thinking it was part of music's province to tell the story of the Passion or to voice the sentiments of mankind at Christmas! Handel was a most misguided man: he was actually fool enough to think that the music of his oratorios reflected the spirit of the words to which it was set. Haydn presumably laboured under the same delusion about
Understanding Other Minds

Understanding Other Minds: Perspectives from Autism edited by SIMON BARON-COHEN, HELEN TAGER-FLUSBERG, and DONALD J. COHEN, 515 pp., ill. , Oxford, UK, Oxford University Press, 1993. $75.00 Why might a neurologist want to read a book with 22 chapters devoted to the narrow subject of whether a fundamental deficit in autism is the inability to "read" other people's minds? Clearly this is not a book about "blood and guts" neurology. In …
SEGMENTATION OF SPEECH USING SPEAKER IDENTIFICATION

This paper describes trc.hniques for segmentation of conversational speech hased on speaker identity. Speaker segmentation is performed using Viterbi decoding on a hidden Markov model network consisting of int.erconnec-ted speaker sub-networks. Speaker sub-networks are initialized using Baum-Welch training on data labeled by speaker, and are iteratively retrained based on the previous segmentation. If data lal>eled by speaker ii not available, agglomerative clustrring i? used to approximately segment the conversational speech according to speaker prior to Baiim-Welch training. The distance measur? for the clustering is a likelihood ratio in which speakers are modeled by Gaussian distributions. The distance between merged srgments is recomputed at each stage of the clustering, and a duration model is usrd to bias thr likelihood ratio. Segmentation accuracy using agglomorat,ive clustering initialization matches accuracy using initialization with speaker labeled data.
Does Grammar Start Where Statistics Stop?

How do we acquire language? Do we identify words in a stream of speech by identifying statistical regularities or by seeking grammatical structure? A new study of adults ([PeA±a][1] et al .) suggests that language acquisition involves a mixture of both types of learning. But, as [Seidenberg][2] and colleagues discuss in their Perspective, distinguishing between these two types of learning presents significant challenges. [1]: http://www.sciencemag. org/cgi/content/short/298/5593/604 [2]: http://www.sciencemag. org/cgi/content/full/298/5593/553
The potential of authoring creative electronic mathematics books in the MC-squared project

The European ‘MC-squared’ project is fostering several so-called ‘Communities of Interest’ (CoI) in a number of European countries. These communities work on designing and developing digital, interactive, creative, mathematics textbooks, called c-books. The c-books are made in the online digital authoring environment in which authors can construct books with various interactive ‘widgets’. Here we demonstrate some of the key features of the authoring environment and suggest how c-books can function as a useful catalyst for teacher professional development.
Accelerate MapReduce’s Failure Recovery through Timely Detection and Work-conserving Logging

MapReduce has become an indispensable part of the increasing market for big data analytics. As the representative implementation of MapReduce, Hadoop/YARN strives to provide outstanding performance in terms of job turnaround time, scalability, fault tolerance, etc. Specifically for fault tolerance, YARN is equipped with the speculation mechanism, which can regenerate data properly in the presence of system failures. However, we revealed that the existing speculation mechanism has some major drawbacks that hinder its efficiency in job recovery from system failures, especially for small jobs, which are the paramount counterparts of MapReduce jobs in practical use. As our experiments have shown, a single node failure can cause the job slowdown by up to 9.2 times. To address this issue, we have conducted a comprehensive study on the fundamental causes of the breakdown of existing speculation mechanism. In order to tackle down those issues, we brought about a set of techniques, including an optimized speculation mechanism, a centralized failure monitor and analyzer, a progress-conserving mechanism for MapTasks and a refined scheduling policy under failures. To evaluate our framework, we conducted a set of experiments that evaluate the performance of both single component and the framework in overall. Our experimental results show that our new framework has dramatic performance improvement dealing with task and node failures compared to the original YARN.
The Power of the Powerless (Routledge Revivals) : Citizens Against the State in Central-eastern Europe

That's it, a book to wait for in this month. Even you have wanted for long time for releasing this book the power of the powerless routledge revivals citizens against the state in central eastern europe; you may not be able to get in some stress. Should you go around and seek fro the book until you really get it? Are you sure? Are you that free? This condition will force you to always end up to get a book. But now, we are coming to give you excellent solution.
Computational aspects of the combinatorial Nullstellensatz method via a polynomial approach to matrix and hypermatrix algebra

OF THE DISSERTATION COMPUTATIONAL ASPECTS OF THE COMBINATORIAL NULLSTELLENSATZ METHOD VIA A POLYNOMIAL APPROACH TO MATRIX AND HYPERMATRIX ALGEBRA by EDINAH K. GNANG Dissertation Director: Ahmed Elgammal, Vladimir Retakh We discuss a polynomial encoding which provides a unified framework for discussing the algebra and the spectral analysis of matrices and hypermatrices. In addition to describing some algorithms for performing orthogonalization and spectral analysis of hypermatrices, we discuss some computational aspects, more specifically the important role of symmetries in Alon’s Combinatorial Nullstellensatz method for solving combinatorial problems.
Transdiferenciación de células mesenquimales del tejido adiposo: hacia una terapia celular para enfermedades degenerativas de la retina

espanolObjetivos: Obtencion de celulas troncales mesenquimales de tejido adiposo para trasplante y recuperacion funcional de retinas degeneradas. Material y metodologia: Extraccion de la grasa inguinal de ratones transgenicos para proteina verde fluorescente y aislamiento de las celulas troncales mesenquimales. Estas celulas fueron implantadas utilizando inoculaciones intravitreas y subretinianas en un modelo murino (rd10) que asemeja la retinosis pigmentaria autosomal recesiva humana. Expresion de genes involucrados en el desarrollo de la retina mediante RT-PCR. Resultados: Nuestros resultados demuestran que en ambos abordajes quirurgicos las celulas trasplantadas sobreviven, migran y se integran en diferentes capas de la retina de los ratones rd10. Ademas hemos identificado la expresion de genes en embriones y cuerpos embrionarios (Otx2, NF200,Pax6 periferina, IRBP) que pueden ser utilizados como activadores o potenciadores de la transdiferenciacion. Conclusiones: las celulas mesenquimales del tejido adiposo reunen las condiciones necesarias para su potencial uso en la terapia de enfermedades degenerativas de la retina. Los cuerpos embrionarios representan un modelo util para estudiar los mecanismos reguladores de la diferenciacion de las celulas retinianas. EnglishObjectives: To obtain adult mesenchymal stem cells from adipose tissue to be used in cellular therapies aimed to retinal regeneration. Material and Methods: isolation of adult mesenchymal stem cells from adipose tissue of green fluorescent protein transgenic mice. Recipient mouse eyes were transplanted with these cells by using intravitreal and subretinal procedures. We have used a mice model of human autosomal recessive retinitis pigmentosa (rd10). Gene expression by means of RT-PCR of mRNA isolated from embryo eyes (E9,5 to E18,5); post-natal eyes (P1 to P10) and adults eyes . That technique was also used in mouse embryoid bodies spontaneously differentiated from embryonic stem cells ES-D3. Results: In both surgical procedures we observed survival, migration and integration of mesenchymal stem cells into several retinal layers. We have also identified the expression of some retinal genes (Otx2, NF200,Pax6, peripherin,IRBP) wich may help to drive the mesenchymal stem cells transdifferentiation. Conclusions: Mesenchimal cells are very promising to be used in degenerative retinal diseases. We emphasize the usefulness of mouse embryoid bodies as a model to study the regulatory mechanisms of retinal neurons differentiation and its potential for obtaining retinal progenitors.
DO SLEEP DIMENSIONS PREDICT PRIMARY AND SECONDARY ANTIBODY RESPONSES TO VACCINATION

The immune system may contribute to associations between disturbed sleep and increased disease risk. Until recently, however, much of the work examining immune correlates of sleep employed in vitro measures of immunity of unknown clinical relevance. To address this limitation, we prospectively examined associations of several sleep parameters (sleep duration, efficiency, and quality) with the magnitude of primary and secondary antibody responses to the hepatitis B vaccination series among a community sample of 125 relatively healthy, older adults. Participants completed electronic sleep diaries for 7 consecutive days (3 days prior, the day of, and 3 days following) at each of the 3 hepatitis B injections. In addition, a subset of participants (n=104) wore an actigraph on the 3 days prior and 3 days following the first injection to provide an objective measure of sleep behavior. In regard to primary antibody responses following the first dose of the vaccine, poorer sleep efficiency, greater sleep fragmentation, and greater night to night variability in sleep duration were associated with higher antibody responses; however, these associations were reduced after adjustment for sociodemographic covariates, including age, gender, race, and body mass index (BMI). In contrast, shorter sleep duration, measured via actigraphy alone or averaged across all available nights of sleep assessment, was associated with lower secondary antibody levels, assessed 5-months after the second injection, and a poorer likelihood of being a clinically protected at the conclusion of the vaccination series. Participants with low and high variability in sleep duration also displayed lower secondary antibody levels and decreased likelihood of being clinically protected. These findings remained largely significant after adjustment for sociodemographic covariates. Taken together, these findings provide preliminary evidence for the influence of sleep on primary and secondary antibody responses to the hepatitis B vaccine. Further exploration of the role of poor sleep in susceptibility to infectious illness is warranted.
Feedback, Evolution and Software Technology - The Human Dimension

A 1968 study of the software process led, inter alia, to the observation that the software process constitutes a feedback system. Attempts at its management and improvement must take this basic fact into consideration if optimum results are to be obtained. A project, FEAST/1, was initiated in 1996 to examine the assertion. Its objective is to identify feedback mechanisms and controls in the software evolution processes of several industrial collaborators, assess their impact and examine their role and potential in process improvement. The approach being used in the study is to construct black box, white box (System Dynamics) and other classes of process models of selected collaborator systems on the basis of the available process evolution metrics and other global data about process components and structures. The feedback that exists in these processes involves many humans in many roles. These observe, interpret, communicate, listen and act (or not). Global models of their activities cannot, however, in general, reflect the actions or behaviours of individuals. The level of detail which global process models can reflect is, therefore, limited. As a complex multi level multi loop feedback system , the long term behavioural patterns and trends of software processes are largely determined by its internal dynamics which, in turn is feedback generated and controlled. Process models must, therefore, reflect the feedback phenomenon. Individual human assumption and decision plays a central role in the feedback processes and this must be taken into account when considering the human dimension, the role and impact of people, in and on the process. Individually this cannot be done, but the aggregate effect of many individual decisions by many people may, in general, be represented by statistical means. One constructs, therefore, meaningful models relating to global process behaviour over time without addressing individual behaviour. In practice, this is not a significant limitation since individual actions have, in general, only local, impact on the long term performance of the global process. The paper includes brief mention of FEAST/1 results to date and provides literature references for further detail.
Etude de l'apport des lentilles de Fresnel pour la vision

De nombreux travaux de recherche sont actuellement menes afin de rendre les cameras infrarouges plus compactes et moins cheres. En infrarouge refroidi, le defi est de proposer un systeme cryogenique compact pouvant etre integre sur un systeme a faible capacite d’emport tel qu’un drone. Dans ce cadre, l’utilisation d’une lentille mince en remplacement du filtre froid du cryostat permettrait de limiter la masse supplementaire a refroidir et de maintenir constant le temps de descente en froid. En infrarouge non refroidi, l’objectif est de concevoir un petit capteur infrarouge bas cout « grand public » que l’on pourra inviter dans nos maisons, nos voitures, voire nos smartphones. L’utilisation d’une lentille mince ouvrirait la voie a des imageurs infrarouges peu onereux.Dans ce contexte, j’ai choisi d’etudier le comportement d’une lentille de Fresnel dite d’ordre eleve integree dans une configuration optique de type landscape lens. J’ai montre que cette architecture optique mince peut fonctionner sur une large bande spectrale et sur un grand champ de vue. Cependant, les lentilles de Fresnel d’ordre eleve etant mal modelisees dans la litterature, j’ai developpe mes propres algorithmes de modelisation afin de prevoir les performances d’un tel systeme. Grâce a cette etude, j’ai ensuite propose deux systemes d’imagerie, l’un refroidi et l’autre non refroidi. Chacun des deux systemes a fait l’objet d’un prototype et a ete entierement caracterise experimentalement. Les resultats experimentaux obtenus m’ont permis de valider les performances anticipees theoriquement et de mettre en evidence un phenomene de chromatisme diffractif lateral. Ces systemes ouvrent la voie a deux nouvelles generations de cameras infrarouges. J’ai montre que l’imageur infrarouge refroidi possede une qualite image satisfaisante pour des applications d’aide au pilotage. Le prototype non refroidi est lui entierement compatible avec des applications domotiques. Il a suscite l’interet de differents acteurs industriels.
Communicating the value of probabilistic forecasts with weather roulette

In times of ever increasing financial constraints on public weather services it is of growing importance to communicate the value of their forecasts and products. While many diagnostic tools exist to evaluate forecast systems, intuitive diagnostics for communicating the skill of probabilistic forecasts are few. When the goal is communication with a non‐expert audience it can be helpful to compare performance in more everyday terms than ‘bits of information’. Ideally, of course, the method of presentation will be directly related to specific skill scores with known strengths and weaknesses.
Technical Report: Articulated Part-based Model for Joint Object Detection and Pose Estimation

As mentioned the main paper, Percentage of Correct Parts (PCP) is a common performance measure used by researchers on datasets such as Stickmen [1]. Since the PCP for each part is calculated as (#of detected parts)/(#of detected objects), the set of detected objects need to be fix/predefined for this performance measure. For example, on the stickmen dataset, only 360 our of 1283 people are used as the pre-defined set for PCP evaluation. As also pointed out in [3], it is not an ideal way to measure the joint object detection and pose estimation performance.
Change in saccadic reaction time due to the presentation of the cue of target information

The time course of the process preparing for saccade eye movement was investigated in a psychophysical experiment involving a delayed saccade task. The presentation of the saccade response signal was delayed with respect to the presentation of a cue that informed the subject of metrics of the upcoming saccade. The cue appeared probabilistically at one of two potential locations. The saccadic reaction times (SRTs) decreased with longer delays of the saccade response signal. This indicates that the preparatory process of the saccade progresses according to the information about the metrics of the saccade during the delay. Additionally, the difference in saccade reaction times for different probabilities of the cue presentation disappeared with a delay longer than 192 ms. This suggests that the effect of the prediction according to the probability decreases as the preparatory process evoked by the cue progresses. We examined whether the data could be explained with a linear model.