The DistilBERT Model: A Promising Approach to Improve Machine Reading Comprehension Models

Machine Reading Comprehension (MRC) is a challenging task in the field of Natural Language Processing (NLP), where a machine is required to read a given text passage and answer a set of questions based on it. This paper provides an overview of recent advances in MRC and highlights some of the key challenges and future directions of this research area. It also evaluates the performance of several baseline models on the dataset, evaluates the challenges that the dataset poses for existing MRC models, and introduces the DistilBERT model to improve the accuracy of the answer extraction process. The supervised paradigm for training machine reading and comprehension models represents a practical path forward for creating comprehensive natural language understanding systems. To enhance the DistilBERT basic model's functionality, we have experimented with a variety of question heads that differ in the number of layers, activation function, and general structure. DistilBERT is a model for question-resolution tasks that is successful and delivers state-of-the-art performance while requiring less computational resources than large models like BERT, according to the presented technique. We could enhance the model's functionality and obtain a better understanding of how the model functions by investigating other question head architectures. These findings could serve as a foundation for future study on how to make question-and-answer systems and other tasks connected to the processing of natural languages. &nbsp

Guidelines for the use and interpretation of assays for monitoring autophagy (4th edition)1.

In 2008, we published the first set of guidelines for standardizing research in autophagy. Since then, this topic has received increasing attention, and many scientists have entered the field. Our knowledge base and relevant new technologies have also been expanding. Thus, it is important to formulate on a regular basis updated guidelines for monitoring autophagy in different organisms. Despite numerous reviews, there continues to be confusion regarding acceptable methods to evaluate autophagy, especially in multicellular eukaryotes. Here, we present a set of guidelines for investigators to select and interpret methods to examine autophagy and related processes, and for reviewers to provide realistic and reasonable critiques of reports that are focused on these processes. These guidelines are not meant to be a dogmatic set of rules, because the appropriateness of any assay largely depends on the question being asked and the system being used. Moreover, no individual assay is perfect for every situation, calling for the use of multiple techniques to properly monitor autophagy in each experimental setting. Finally, several core components of the autophagy machinery have been implicated in distinct autophagic processes (canonical and noncanonical autophagy), implying that genetic approaches to block autophagy should rely on targeting two or more autophagy-related genes that ideally participate in distinct steps of the pathway. Along similar lines, because multiple proteins involved in autophagy also regulate other cellular pathways including apoptosis, not all of them can be used as a specific marker for bona fide autophagic responses. Here, we critically discuss current methods of assessing autophagy and the information they can, or cannot, provide. Our ultimate goal is to encourage intellectual and technical innovation in the field

Ocular hemodynamic alterations in patients of Type 2 diabetes mellitus

Purpose: To study ocular blood flow velocity in the ophthalmic artery (OA), central retinal artery (CRA), and posterior ciliary artery in patients with Type 2 diabetes. Materials and Methods: The retrobulbar circulation in 46 eyes of Type 2 diabetic patients was compared with age-matched 21 nondiabetic eyes. The diabetic subjects were further divided into diabetics with no-clinical retinopathy (n = 24) and with either preproliferative or proliferative retinopathy (n = 22). Philips HD11XE machine was used for performing Color Doppler imaging. Results: The end-diastolic velocity (EDV) in OA was 3.21 cm/s in the preproliferative/proliferative group as compared to 6.0 and 8.5 cm/s in no-retinopathy and control group, respectively. The peak systemic velocities and EDVs of CRA in the diabetic group were significantly lower than those of normal subjects regardless of the retinopathy. The resistivity index (RI) of CRA was 0.81 in diabetic group and 0.70 in control group, which was statistically significant. Conclusion: The study showed reduced blood flow velocity and increased RI in Type 2 diabetic patients as compared to normal healthy individuals. There are significant changes noted in retrobulbar flow in patients with diabetic retinopathy as compared to patients without retinopathy

Giant epidermal cyst of the tarsal plate

A 35-year-old male patient presented with a right upper eyelid mass with mechanical ptosis. The patient gave no history of trauma or surgery. On examination, there was a huge cystic mass fixed to the tarsal plate. Excisional biopsy with tarsectomy was done. Histopathology sections demonstrated a keratin-filled cyst arising from the tarsus. A thorough Pubmed search did not reveal an epidermal cyst of the tarsal plate of this size which was successfully managed. The incision was made in such a way that postoperative ptosis would be avoided. Excess skin was removed during the surgery

Resource Centric Analysis of RSA and ECC Algorithms on FPGA

The electronics industry’s shadow side is counterfeiting, and the doom is growing. Almost every business in the supply chain is impacted by the issue, including component suppliers, distributors, Electronics Manufacturing Services (EMS) providers, Original Design Manufacturers (ODMs), Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), and their clients. In fact, any electronics firm that wishes to benefit from the cheap costs associated with globalization must be aware that someone along the supply chain may be persuaded to acquire fake items and sell them as genuine. A thorough grasp of chip designs, including partitioning and prioritizing data transit and storage, as well as a range of obfuscation techniques and activity monitoring, is necessary to reduce the danger of future hardware breaches. To battle this problem, we need to enforce various security measures at different levels of the supply chain. The recent methods include implementing cryptographic ciphers into the devices. The commonly used ciphers are the hard ciphers. But owing to the advancements and increase in the number of low power and resource constrained devices, there has been a dire need to design ciphers that support such devices. This paper talks about the advantages of lightweight ciphers, aiming to secure low power devices and other embedded devices. This work mainly compares two algorithms, RSA(hard cipher) and ECC(light cipher) in terms of their device utilization and power consumption on a Kintex-7. The presented results are justified from simulations performed on the Vivado design suite

The value of intraocular pressure asymmetry in diagnosing glaucoma

PURPOS

Effect of general anaesthesia on functional outcome in patients with anterior circulation ischaemic stroke having endovascular thrombectomy versus standard care: a meta-analysis of individual patient data

Background: General anaesthesia (GA) during endovascular thrombectomy has been associated with worse patient outcomes in observational studies compared with patients treated without GA. We assessed functional outcome in ischaemic stroke patients with large vessel anterior circulation occlusion undergoing endovascular thrombectomy under GA, versus thrombectomy not under GA (with or without sedation) versus standard care (ie, no thrombectomy), stratified by the use of GA versus standard care. Methods: For this meta-analysis, patient-level data were pooled from all patients included in randomised trials in PuMed published between Jan 1, 2010, and May 31, 2017, that compared endovascular thrombectomy predominantly done with stent retrievers with standard care in anterior circulation ischaemic stroke patients (HERMES Collaboration). The primary outcome was functional outcome assessed by ordinal analysis of the modified Rankin scale (mRS) at 90 days in the GA and non-GA subgroups of patients treated with endovascular therapy versus those patients treated with standard care, adjusted for baseline prognostic variables. To account for between-trial variance we used mixed-effects modelling with a random effect for trials incorporated in all models. Bias was assessed using the Cochrane method. The meta-analysis was prospectively designed, but not registered. Findings: Seven trials were identified by our search; of 1764 patients included in these trials, 871 were allocated to endovascular thrombectomy and 893 were assigned standard care. After exclusion of 74 patients (72 did not undergo the procedure and two had missing data on anaesthetic strategy), 236 (30%) of 797 patients who had endovascular procedures were treated under GA. At baseline, patients receiving GA were younger and had a shorter delay between stroke onset and randomisation but they had similar pre-treatment clinical severity compared with patients who did not have GA. Endovascular thrombectomy improved functional outcome at 3 months both in patients who had GA (adjusted common odds ratio (cOR) 1·52, 95% CI 1·09–2·11, p=0·014) and in those who did not have GA (adjusted cOR 2·33, 95% CI 1·75–3·10, p<0·0001) versus standard care. However, outcomes were significantly better for patients who did not receive GA versus those who received GA (covariate-adjusted cOR 1·53, 95% CI 1·14–2·04, p=0·0044). The risk of bias and variability between studies was assessed to be low. Interpretation: Worse outcomes after endovascular thrombectomy were associated with GA, after adjustment for baseline prognostic variables. These data support avoidance of GA whenever possible. The procedure did, however, remain effective versus standard care in patients treated under GA, indicating that treatment should not be withheld in those who require anaesthesia for medical reasons