Universal Dependencies for Learner English

We introduce the Treebank of Learner English (TLE), the first publicly available syntactic treebank for English as a Second Language (ESL). The TLE provides manually annotated POS tags and Universal Dependency (UD) trees for 5,124 sentences from the Cambridge First Certificate in English (FCE) corpus. The UD annotations are tied to a pre-existing error annotation of the FCE, whereby full syntactic analyses are provided for both the original and error corrected versions of each sentence. Further on, we delineate ESL annotation guidelines that allow for consistent syntactic treatment of ungrammatical English. Finally, we benchmark POS tagging and dependency parsing performance on the TLE dataset and measure the effect of grammatical errors on parsing accuracy. We envision the treebank to support a wide range of linguistic and computational research o n second language acquisition as well as automatic processing of ungrammatical language.This work was supported by the Center for Brains, Minds and Machines (CBMM), funded by NSF STC award CCF – 1231216

Estudio de prefactibilidad para la instalación de una planta de producción de paletas de helado a base de pisco peruano

Según el ex ministro de la Producción, Raúl Pérez-Reyes, del 2017 al 2018, la producción de pisco en nuestro país ha crecido 12.8% debido al intensivo impulso en producción, exportación y consumo a través de las campañas de promoción realizadas por las mismas marcas de este licor, o por organizaciones peruanas que incentivan el consumo de productos nacionales. (Produce: producción de Pisco creció 12.8% en el 2018, 2019). Por otro lado, Gestión indica que, el consumo de helados per cápita actual en Perú es de 1.7 litros, esto es aproximadamente quince paletas, copas, conos o sanguchitos y se espera un consumo de 7 litros por persona en los siguientes 5 años. (2018) Hoy en día existen pocas empresas en nuestro país que producen paletas de helado con pisco, siendo una de ellas Paletti dedicada a la elaboración de helados gourmet en paleta, conjuntamente con Bodega Don Luis, fabricante del pisco Cuatro Gallos. Entonces, teniendo en cuenta la escasez de empresas que ofrecen este producto y que es un mercado que se puede aprovechar aún más con el incremento del consumo de pisco y de los helados, se ha considerado elaborar un estudio de prefactibilidad para la instalación de una planta de producción de paletas de helado a base de pisco peruano. Con este proyecto se busca demostrar la viabilidad tecnológica, económica y social para la instalación de la planta, la cual se ubica en el departamento de Lima, distrito de Ate y con esta se busca satisfacer la producción del proyecto que es 582,115 paletas al año. Además, cada paleta será comercializada a un precio de venta de S/ 8.00. El proceso productivo consiste en el pesado, lavado y despulpado de la fruta; luego, esta se licua con el resto de los insumos, se congela, desmolda y coloca en cajas de 100 unidades para su venta. El terreno total de la planta, incluyendo el área administrativa, tendrá 364.6 m2 . La inversión necesaria para poder ejecutar el presente proyecto es de S/ 2,102,512.17, monto que será financiado al 40% por una entidad bancaria y la diferencia por capital propio. El flujo financiero del proyecto refleja una Tasa Interna de Retorno de 44.2% y un periodo de recupero de 2 años y 5 meses.According to the former Minister of Production, Raúl Pérez-Reyes, from 2 017 to 2 018, the production of pisco in our country has grown 12,8% due to the intensive impulse in production, export and consumption through promotional campaigns, either by the same brands of this liquor, or by organizations in the country that encourage the consumption of national products. (Andina, 2019) On the other hand, Gestión indicates that, the current per capita consumption of ice cream in Peru is 1.7 liters, this is approximately fifteen popsicles, cups, cones or sandwiches and it is expected that in 5 years it will reach 7 liters per person. (2018) Today there are few companies in our country that produce ice cream popsicles with pisco, one of them being Paletti dedicated to the production of gourmet popsicle ice cream, working with Bodega Don Luis, manufacturer of Pisco Cuatro Gallos. So, knowing the lack of companies that offer this product and an existent market taking advantage even more with the increase in the consumption of pisco and ice cream, it has been considered to prepare a pre-feasibility study for the installation of a plant of production of ice cream popsicles based on Peruvian pisco. This project seeks to demonstrate the viability at a technological, economic and social level of installing this plant. This plant is in the department of Lima, district of Ate and it seeks to satisfy the production of the project, which is 582,115 popscicles per year. In addition, each popscicle ice cream will have a selling price of S/8.00. The production process consists on weighing, washing and pulping of the fruit; then it is mixed with the other supplies; frozen and removed from the mold; and finally placed in boxes of 100 units for sale. The area is 364.6 m2 that includes production and administrative area. The necessary investment to execute this project is S / 2,102,512.17, an amount that will be financed at 40% by a bank and the difference by own capital. The financial flow of the project reflects an Internal Rate of Return of 44.2% and a payback period of 2 years and 5 months

The Frontier Fields Lens Modeling Comparison Project

Gravitational lensing by clusters of galaxies offers a powerful probe of their structure and mass distribution. Deriving a lens magnification map for a galaxy cluster is a classic inversion problem and many methods have been developed over the past two decades to solve it. Several research groups have developed techniques independently to map the predominantly dark matter distribution in cluster lenses. While these methods have all provided remarkably high precision mass maps, particularly with exquisite imaging data from the Hubble Space Telescope (HST), the reconstructions themselves have never been directly compared. In this paper, we report the results of comparing various independent lens modeling techniques employed by individual research groups in the community. Here we present for the first time a detailed and robust comparison of methodologies for fidelity, accuracy and precision. For this collaborative exercise, the lens modeling community was provided simulated cluster images -- of two clusters Ares and Hera -- that mimic the depth and resolution of the ongoing HST Frontier Fields. The results of the submitted reconstructions with the un-blinded true mass profile of these two clusters are presented here. Parametric, free-form and hybrid techniques have been deployed by the participating groups and we detail the strengths and trade-offs in accuracy and systematics that arise for each methodology. We note in conclusion that lensing reconstruction methods produce reliable mass distributions that enable the use of clusters as extremely valuable astrophysical laboratories and cosmological probes.Comment: 38 pages, 25 figures, submitted to MNRAS, version with full resolution images can be found at http://pico.bo.astro.it/~massimo/papers/FFsims.pd

Evaluation of a genomic classifier in radical prostatectomy patients with lymph node metastasis.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the performance of the Decipher test in predicting lymph node invasion (LNI) on radical prostatectomy (RP) specimens. METHODS: We identified 1,987 consecutive patients with RP who received the Decipher test between February and August 2015 (contemporary cohort). In the contemporary cohort, only the Decipher score from RP specimens was available for analysis. In addition, we identified a consecutive cohort of patients treated with RP between 2006 and 2012 at the University of California, San Diego, with LNI upon pathologic examination (retrospective cohort). The retrospective cohort yielded seven, 22, and 18 tissue specimens from prostate biopsy, RP, and lymph nodes (LNs) for individual patients, respectively. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to evaluate the performance of Decipher in the contemporary cohort with LNI as the endpoint. In the retrospective cohort, concordance of risk groups was assessed using validated cut-points for low (0.60) Decipher scores. RESULTS: In the contemporary cohort, 51 (2.6%) patients had LNI. Decipher had an odds ratio of 1.73 (95% confidence interval, 1.46-2.05) and 1.42 (95% confidence interval, 1.19-1.7) per 10% increase in score on univariable and multivariable (adjusting for pathologic Gleason score, extraprostatic extension, and seminal vesicle invasion), respectively. No significant difference in the clinical and pathologic characteristics between the LN positive patients of contemporary and retrospective cohorts was observed (all P\u3e0.05). Accordingly, among LN-positive patients in the contemporary cohort and retrospective cohort, 80% and 77% had Decipher high risk scores (P=1). In the retrospective cohort, prostate biopsy cores with the highest Gleason grade and percentage of tumor involvement had 86% Decipher risk concordance with both RP and LN specimens. CONCLUSION: Decipher scores were highly concordant between pre- and post-surgical specimens. Further, Decipher scores from RP tissue were predictive of LNI at RP. If validated in a larger cohort of prostate biopsy specimens for prediction of adverse pathology at RP, Decipher may be useful for improved pre-operative staging

Formulation and characterisation of drug-loaded antibubbles for image-guided and ultrasound-triggered drug delivery

The aim of this study was to develop high load-capacity antibubbles that can be visualized using diagnostic ultrasound and the encapsulated drug can be released and delivered using clinically translatable ultrasound. The antibubbles were developed by optimising a silica nanoparticle stabilised double emulsion template. We produced an emulsion with a mean size diameter of 4.23 ± 1.63 µm where 38.9 ± 3.1% of the droplets contained a one or more cores. Following conversion to antibubbles, the mean size decreased to 2.96 ± 1.94 µm where 99% of antibubbles were <10 µm. The antibubbles had a peak attenuation of 4.8 dB/cm at 3.0 MHz at a concentration of 200 × 103 particles/mL and showed distinct attenuation spikes at frequencies between 5.5 and 13.5 MHz. No increase in subharmonic response was observed for the antibubbles in contrast to SonoVue®. High-speed imaging revealed that antibubbles can release their cores at MIs of 0.6. In vivo imaging indicated that the antibubbles have a long half-life of 68.49 s vs. 40.02 s for SonoVue®. The antibubbles could be visualised using diagnostic ultrasound and could be disrupted at MIs of ≥0.6. The in vitro drug delivery results showed that antibubbles can significantly improve drug delivery (p < 0.0001) and deliver the drug within the antibubbles. In conclusion antibubbles are a viable concept for ultrasound guided drug delivery.publishedVersio

Formulation and characterisation of drug-loaded antibubbles for image-guided and ultrasound-triggered drug delivery

The aim of this study was to develop high load-capacity antibubbles that can be visualized using diagnostic ultrasound and the encapsulated drug can be released and delivered using clinically translatable ultrasound. The antibubbles were developed by optimising a silica nanoparticle stabilised double emulsion template. We produced an emulsion with a mean size diameter of 4.23 ± 1.63 µm where 38.9 ± 3.1% of the droplets contained a one or more cores. Following conversion to antibubbles, the mean size decreased to 2.96 ± 1.94 µm where 99% of antibubbles were <10 µm. The antibubbles had a peak attenuation of 4.8 dB/cm at 3.0 MHz at a concentration of 200 × 103 particles/mL and showed distinct attenuation spikes at frequencies between 5.5 and 13.5 MHz. No increase in subharmonic response was observed for the antibubbles in contrast to SonoVue®. High-speed imaging revealed that antibubbles can release their cores at MIs of 0.6. In vivo imaging indicated that the antibubbles have a long half-life of 68.49 s vs. 40.02 s for SonoVue®. The antibubbles could be visualised using diagnostic ultrasound and could be disrupted at MIs of ≥0.6. The in vitro drug delivery results showed that antibubbles can significantly improve drug delivery (p < 0.0001) and deliver the drug within the antibubbles. In conclusion antibubbles are a viable concept for ultrasound guided drug delivery.publishedVersio

YARSI UNIVERSITY PROGRAM TO MEET THE DEMAND OF STUDENT’S ENGLISH FLUENCY WITH TOEIC AS THE ASSESSMENT TOOL

Abstract: A test is only a measurement tool of a learning process. The important part is the learning process itself; how the process can help learners acquire English as a foreign language that enables them to compete in the working environment. To measure the process, TOEIC with all its parts was meant to measure learners’ ability to communicate in English. Teachers should not be focusing on the test but more on the approaches that allow the students to have adequate and sophisticated listening, reading, and writing skills to exchange information and to negotiate meaning in real life. Many university level English teachers are trapped within the rules that students should achieve a 550 or 605 TOEIC score to graduate. Instead of helping the students to acquire the language as a communication tool, they tend to focus more on getting the students to master the test. This is what teachers should deal with, not only facilitate students to learn the language but at the same time help them to do the test well. Despite the challenge of facing students who lack motivation and have very basic English skills, Yarsi University Language Lab is setting up several programs and approaches that allow students to acquire the language and enable them to communicate in the target language which is eventually measured by an instrument called TOEIC. Keywords: Language Acquisition, direct and indirect test, discrete and intregativ

SonoVue® vs. Sonazoid™ vs. Optison™: Which Bubble Is Best for Low-Intensity Sonoporation of Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma?

The use of ultrasound and microbubbles to enhance therapeutic efficacy (sonoporation) has shown great promise in cancer therapy from in vitro to ongoing clinical studies. The fastest bench-to-bedside translation involves the use of ultrasound contrast agents (microbubbles) and clinical diagnostic scanners. Despite substantial research in this field, it is currently not known which of these microbubbles result in the greatest enhancement of therapy within the applied conditions. Three microbubble formulations—SonoVue®, Sonazoid™, and Optison™—were physiochemically and acoustically characterized. The microbubble response to the ultrasound pulses used in vivo was simulated via a Rayleigh–Plesset type equation. The three formulations were compared in vitro for permeabilization efficacy in three different pancreatic cancer cell lines, and in vivo, using an orthotopic pancreatic cancer (PDAC) murine model. The mice were treated using one of the three formulations exposed to ultrasound from a GE Logiq E9 and C1-5 ultrasound transducer. Characterisation of the microbubbles showed a rapid degradation in concentration, shape, and/or size for both SonoVue® and Optison™ within 30 min of reconstitution/opening. Sonazoid™ showed no degradation after 1 h. Attenuation measurements indicated that SonoVue® was the softest bubble followed by Sonazoid™ then Optison™. Sonazoid™ emitted nonlinear ultrasound at the lowest MIs followed by Optison™, then SonoVue®. Simulations indicated that SonoVue® would be the most effective bubble using the evaluated ultrasound conditions. This was verified in the pre-clinical PDAC model demonstrated by improved survival and largest tumor growth inhibition. In vitro results indicated that the best microbubble formulation depends on the ultrasound parameters and concentration used, with SonoVue® being best at lower intensities and Sonazoid™ at higher intensities.publishedVersio

Network-Targeted Approach and Postoperative Resting-State Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Are Associated with Seizure Outcome

Objective Postoperative resting‐state functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in children with intractable epilepsy has not been quantified in relation to seizure outcome. Therefore, its value as a biomarker for epileptogenic pathology is not well understood. Methods In a sample of children with intractable epilepsy who underwent prospective resting‐state seizure onset zone (SOZ)‐targeted epilepsy surgery, postoperative resting‐state functional MRI (rs‐fMRI) was performed 6 to 12 months later. Graded normalization of the postoperative resting‐state SOZ was compared to seizure outcomes, patient, surgery, and anatomical MRI characteristics. Results A total of 64 cases were evaluated. Network‐targeted surgery, followed by postoperative rs‐fMRI normalization was significantly (p < 0.001) correlated with seizure reduction, with a Spearman rank correlation coefficient of 0.83. Of 39 cases with postoperative rs‐fMRI SOZ normalization, 38 (97%) became completely seizure free. In contrast, of the 25 cases without complete rs‐fMRI SOZ normalization, only 3 (5%) became seizure free. The accuracy of rs‐fMRI as a biomarker predicting seizure freedom is 94%, with 96% sensitivity and 93% specificity. Interpretation Among seizure localization techniques in pediatric epilepsy, network‐targeted surgery, followed by postoperative rs‐fMRI normalization, has high correlation with seizure freedom. This study shows that rs‐fMRI SOZ can be used as a biomarker of the epileptogenic zone, and postoperative rs‐fMRI normalization is a biomarker for SOZ quiescence