174 research outputs found
Query refinement for patent prior art search
A patent is a contract between the inventor and the state, granting a limited time period to the inventor to exploit his invention. In exchange, the inventor must put a detailed description of his invention in the public domain. Patents can encourage innovation and economic growth but at the time of economic crisis patents can hamper such growth. The long duration of the application process is a big obstacle that needs to be addressed to maximize the benefit of patents on innovation and economy. This time can be significantly improved by changing the way we search the patent and non-patent literature.Despite the recent advancement of general information retrieval and the revolution of Web Search engines, there is still a huge gap between the emerging technologies from the research labs and adapted by major Internet search engines, and the systems which are in use by the patent search communities.In this thesis we investigate the problem of patent prior art search in patent retrieval with the goal of finding documents which describe the idea of a query patent. A query patent is a full patent application composed of hundreds of terms which does not represent a single focused information need. Other relevance evidences (e.g. classification tags, and bibliographical data) provide additional details about the underlying information need of the query patent. The first goal of this thesis is to estimate a uni-gram query model from the textual fields of a query patent. We then improve the initial query representation using noun phrases extracted from the query patent. We show that expansion in a query-dependent manner is useful.The second contribution of this thesis is to address the term mismatch problem from a query formulation point of view by integrating multiple relevance evidences associated with the query patent. To do this, we enhance the initial representation of the query with the term distribution of the community of inventors related to the topic of the query patent. We then build a lexicon using classification tags and show that query expansion using this lexicon and considering proximity information (between query and expansion terms) can improve the retrieval performance. We perform an empirical evaluation of our proposed models on two patent datasets. The experimental results show that our proposed models can achieve significantly better results than the baseline and other enhanced models
A Serverless Architecture for Efficient and Scalable Monte Carlo Markov Chain Computation
Computer power is a constantly increasing demand in scientific data analyses,
in particular when Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) methods are involved, for
example for estimating integral functions or Bayesian posterior probabilities.
In this paper, we describe the benefits of a parallel computation of MCMC using
a cloud-based, serverless architecture: first, the computation time can be
spread over thousands of processes, hence greatly reducing the time the user
should wait to have its computation completed. Second, the overhead time
required for running in parallel several processes is minor and grows
logarithmically with respect to the number of processes. Third, the serverless
approach does not require time-consuming efforts for maintaining and updating
the computing infrastructure when/if the number of walkers increases or for
adapting the code to optimally use the infrastructure. The benefits are
illustrated with the computation of the posterior probability distribution of a
real astronomical analysis.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures. Appeared in ICCBDC '23: Proceedings of the 2023
7th International Conference on Cloud and Big Data Computing - August 202
Vivisecting galaxies with BANG: an automated morpho-kinematical decomposition of the SDSS-DR17 MaNGA survey
From a purely photometric perspective galaxies are generally decomposed into
a bulge+disc system, with bulges being dispersion-dominated and discs
rotationally-supported. However, recent observations have demonstrated that
such framework oversimplifies complexity, especially if one considers galaxy
kinematic.To address this issue we introduced with the GPU-based code
\textsc{bang} a novel approach that employs analytical potential-density pairs
as galactic components, allowing for a computationally fast, still reliable fit
of the morphological and kinematical properties of galaxies. Here we apply
\textsc{bang} to the SDSS-MaNGA survey, estimating key parameters such as mass,
radial extensions, dynamics, for both bulges and discs of +10,000 objects. We
test our methodology against a smaller subsample of galaxies independently
analysed with an orbit-based algorithm, finding agreement in the recovered
total stellar mass. We also manage to reproduce well-established scaling
relations, demonstrating how a proper dynamical modelling can result in tighter
correlations and provide corrections to standard approaches. Finally, we
propose a more general way of decomposing galaxies into "hot" and "cold"
components, showing a correlation with orbit-based approaches and visually
determined morphological type. Unexpected tails in the "hot-to-total"
mass-ratio distribution are present for galaxies of all morphologies, possibly
due to visual morphology misclassifications.Comment: 13 pages, 10 figure
Two new catalogs of blazar candidates in the WISE infrared sky
We present two catalogs of radio-loud candidate blazars whose WISE
mid-infrared colors are selected to be consistent with the colors of confirmed
gamma-ray emitting blazars. The first catalog is the improved and expanded
release of the WIBRaLS catalog presented by D'Abrusco et al. (2014): it
includes sources detected in all four WISE filters, spatially cross-matched
with radio source in one of three radio surveys and radio-loud based on their
q22 spectral parameter. WIBRaLS2 includes 9541 sources classified as BL Lacs,
FSRQs or mixed candidates based on their WISE colors. The second catalog,
called KDEBLLACS, based on a new selection technique, contains 5579 candidate
BL Lacs extracted from the population of WISE sources detected in the first
three WISE passbands ([3.4], [4.6] and [12]) only, whose mid-infrared colors
are similar to those of confirmed, gamma-ray BL Lacs. KDBLLACS members area
also required to have a radio counterpart and be radio-loud based on the
parameter q12, defined similarly to q22 used for the WIBRaLS2. We describe the
properties of these catalogs and compare them with the largest samples of
confirmed and candidate blazars in the literature. We crossmatch the two new
catalogs with the most recent catalogs of gamma-ray sources detected by Fermi
LAT instrument. Since spectroscopic observations of candidate blazars from the
first WIBRaLS catalog within the uncertainty regions of gamma-ray unassociated
sources confirmed that ~90% of these candidates are blazars, we anticipate that
these new catalogs will play again an important role in the identification of
the gamma-ray sky.Comment: 20 pages, 7 figures. Accepted for publication in The Astrophysical
Journal Supplement Serie
validation of a decision making strategy for systolic anterior motion following mitral valve repair
Low cardiac output syndrome and hypotension are dreadful consequences of systolic anterior motion (SAM) after a mitral valve (MV) repair. The management of SAM in the operating room remains controversial. We validate a recently suggested two-step management method and classification of this complication. This was a teaching hospital-based observational study. We validated a novel two-step conservative management method, consisting in intravascular volume expansion and discontinuation of inotropic drugs (step 1), and increasing the afterload by ascending aorta manual compression while administering esmolol e.v. (step 2). We also validate a novel classification of SAM: easy-to-revert (responding to step 1), difficult-to-revert (responding to step 2), or persistent. Fifty patients had an easy-to-revert while 26 had a difficult-to-revert SAM; 4 patients had a persistent condition (promptly diagnosed through our decisional algorithm) and underwent an immediate second pump run to repeat the mitral repair surgery. We confirmed that SAM after a repair of a degenerative MV is common and validated a simple two-step conservative management method that allows to clearly identify those few patients who require immediate surgical revision
Maximally informed Bayesian modelling of disc galaxies
Dissecting the underlying structure of galaxies is of main importance in the framework of galaxy formation and evolution theories. While a classical bulge + disc decomposition of disc galaxies is usually taken as granted, this is only rarely solidly founded upon the full exploitation of the richness of data arising from spectroscopic studies with integral field units. In this work, we describe a fully Bayesian estimation method of the global structure of disc galaxies which makes use of the wealth of photometric, kinematic, and mass-to-light ratio data, and that can be seen as a first step towards a machine-learning approach, certainly needed when dealing with larger samples of galaxies. Ours is a novel, hybrid line of action in tackling the problem of galactic parameter estimation, neither purely photometric nor orbit-based. Being rooted on a nested sampler, our code, which is available publicly as an online repository,1 allows for a statistical assessment of the need for multiple components in the dissecting process. As a first case-study the GPU-optimized code is applied to the S0 galaxy NGC-7683, finding that in this galaxy a pseudo-bulge, possibly the remnant of a bar-like structure, does exist in the centre of the system. These results are then tested against the publicly available, orbit-based code DYNAMITE, finding substantial agreement
A survey on the use of intra-aortic balloon pump in cardiac surgery
Intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) is an established tool in the management of cardiac dysfunction in cardiac surgery. The best timing for IABP weaning is unknown and varies greatly among cardiac centers. The authors investigated the differences in IABP management among 66 cardiac surgery centers performing 40,675 cardiac surgery procedures in the 12-month study period. The centers were contacted through email, telephone, or in person interview. IABP management was very heterogeneous in this survey: In 43% centers it was routinely removed on the first postoperative day, and in 34% on the second postoperative day. In 50% centers, it was routinely removed after extubation of the patients whereas in 15% centers it was removed while the patients were sedated and mechanically ventilated. In 66% centers, patients were routinely receiving pharmacological inotropic support at the time of removal of IABP. The practice of decreasing IABP support was also heterogeneous: 57% centers weaned by reducing the ratio of beat assistance whereas 34% centers weaned by reducing balloon volume. We conclude that the management of IABP is heterogeneous and there is a need for large prospective studies on the management of IABP in cardiac surgery
Neoadjuvant platinum-based chemotherapy followed by radical hysterectomy for stage Ib2-IIb adenocarcinoma of the uterine cervix – An Italian multicenter retrospective study
Can Urine Metabolomics Be Helpful in Differentiating Neuropathic and Nociceptive Pain? A Proof-of-Concept Study
The diagnosis of pain nature is a troublesome task and a wrong attribution often leads to an
increase of costs and to avoidable pharmaceutical adverse reactions. An objective and specific
approach to achieve this diagnosis is highly desirable. The aim of this work was to
investigate urine samples collected from patients suffering from pain of different nature by a
metabolomics approach based on 1
H NMR spectroscopy and multivariate statistical analysis.
We performed a prospective study on 74 subjects: 37 suffering from pain (12 with nociceptive
and 25 with neuropathic pain), and 37 controls not suffering from any kind of chronic
pain. The application of discriminant analysis on the urine spectral profiles allowed us to
classify these two types of pain with high sensibility and specificity. Although the classification
relies on the global urine metabolic profile, the individual contribution in discriminating
neuropathic pain patients of metabolites such as choline and phosphocholine, taurine and
alanine, suggests potential lesions to the nervous system. To the best of our knowledge,
this is the first time that a urine metabolomics profile is used to classify these two kinds of
pain. This methodology, although based on a limited sample, may constitute the basis for a
new helpful tool in the clinical diagnosis
European Society of Gynaecological Oncology quality indicators for surgical treatment of cervical cancer
Background: optimizing and ensuring the quality of surgical care is essential to improve the management and outcome of patients with cervical cancer.To develop a list of quality indicators for surgical treatment of cervical cancer that can be used to audit and improve clinical practice. Methods: quality indicators were developed using a four-step evaluation process that included a systematic literature search to identify potential quality indicators, in-person meetings of an ad hoc group of international experts, an internal validation process, and external review by a large panel of European clinicians and patient representatives. Results: fifteen structural, process, and outcome indicators were selected. Using a structured format, each quality indicator has a description specifying what the indicator is measuring. Measurability specifications are also detailed to define how the indicator will be measured in practice. Each indicator has a target which gives practitioners and health administrators a quantitative basis for improving care and organizational processes. Discussion: implementation of institutional quality assurance programs can improve quality of care, even in high-volume centers. This set of quality indicators from the European Society of Gynaecological Cancer may be a major instrument to improve the quality of surgical treatment of cervical cancer
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