Hybrid Model For Word Prediction Using Naive Bayes and Latent Information

Historically, the Natural Language Processing area has been given too much attention by many researchers. One of the main motivation beyond this interest is related to the word prediction problem, which states that given a set words in a sentence, one can recommend the next word. In literature, this problem is solved by methods based on syntactic or semantic analysis. Solely, each of these analysis cannot achieve practical results for end-user applications. For instance, the Latent Semantic Analysis can handle semantic features of text, but cannot suggest words considering syntactical rules. On the other hand, there are models that treat both methods together and achieve state-of-the-art results, e.g. Deep Learning. These models can demand high computational effort, which can make the model infeasible for certain types of applications. With the advance of the technology and mathematical models, it is possible to develop faster systems with more accuracy. This work proposes a hybrid word suggestion model, based on Naive Bayes and Latent Semantic Analysis, considering neighbouring words around unfilled gaps. Results show that this model could achieve 44.2% of accuracy in the MSR Sentence Completion Challenge

Organ-on-a-chip platforms for drug screening and delivery in tumor cells: a systematic review

The development of cancer models that rectify the simplicity of monolayer or static cell cultures physiologic microenvironment and, at the same time, replicate the human system more accurately than animal models has been a challenge in biomedical research. Organ-on-a-chip (OoC) devices are a solution that has been explored over the last decade. The combination of microfluidics and cell culture allows the design of a dynamic microenvironment suitable for the evaluation of treatments’ efficacy and effects, closer to the response observed in patients. This systematic review sums the studies from the last decade, where OoC with cancer cell cultures were used for drug screening assays. The studies were selected from three databases and analyzed following the research guidelines for systematic reviews proposed by PRISMA. In the selected studies, several types of cancer cells were evaluated, and the majority of treatments tested were standard chemotherapeutic drugs. Some studies reported higher drug resistance of the cultures on the OoC devices than on 2D cultures, which indicates the better resemblance to in vivo conditions of the former. Several studies also included the replication of the microvasculature or the combination of different cell cultures. The presence of vasculature can influence positively or negatively the drug efficacy since it contributes to a greater diffusion of the drug and also oxygen and nutrients. Co-cultures with liver cells contributed to the evaluation of the systemic toxicity of some drugs metabolites. Nevertheless, few studies used patient cells for the drug screening assays.This work has been supported by the projects NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-030171 (project reference PTDC/EME-SIS/30171/2017), NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-029394 (project reference PTDC/EMDEMD/29394/2017), through the COMPETE2020, the Lisb@2020, the Programa Operacional Regional do Norte–Norte Portugal Regional Operational Programme (NORTE 2020), under the PORTUGAL 2020 Partnership Agreement through the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER) and by Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT), and through FEDER and FCT, project references EXPL/EMD-EMD/0650/2021 and PTDC/EEI-EEE/2846/2021. The authors also acknowledge the partial financial support within the R&D Units Project Scope: UIDB/00319/2020, UIDB/04077/2020, UIDB/00690/2020, UIDB/04436/2020. This work was also funded by AMED-CREST Grant Number JP20gm1310001h0002. Raquel O. Rodrigues (R.O.R.) thanks FCT for her contract funding provided through 2020.03975.CEECIND

3D printing techniques and their applications to organ-on-a-chip platforms: a systematic review

Three-dimensional (3D) in vitro models, such as organ-on-a-chip platforms, are an emerging and effective technology that allows the replication of the function of tissues and organs, bridging the gap amid the conventional models based on planar cell cultures or animals and the complex human system. Hence, they have been increasingly used for biomedical research, such as drug discovery and personalized healthcare. A promising strategy for their fabrication is 3D printing, a layer-by-layer fabrication process that allows the construction of complex 3D structures. In contrast, 3D bioprinting, an evolving biofabrication method, focuses on the accurate deposition of hydrogel bioinks loaded with cells to construct tissue-engineered structures. The purpose of the present work is to conduct a systematic review (SR) of the published literature, according to the guidelines of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses, providing a source of information on the evolution of organ-on-a-chip platforms obtained resorting to 3D printing and bioprinting techniques. In the literature search, PubMed, Scopus, and ScienceDirect databases were used, and two authors independently performed the search, study selection, and data extraction. The goal of this SR is to highlight the importance and advantages of using 3D printing techniques in obtaining organ-on-a-chip platforms, and also to identify potential gaps and future perspectives in this research field. Additionally, challenges in integrating sensors in organs-on-chip platforms are briefly investigated and discussed.The authors are grateful for the funding of FCT through the projects NORTE-01-0145- FEDER-029394, NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-030171 funded by COMPETE2020, NORTE2020, PORTUGAL2020, and FEDER. This work was also supported by Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) under the strategic grants UIDB/04077/2020, UIDB/00319/2020, UIDB/04436/2020 and UIDB/00532/2020. This work was also funded by AMED-CREST Grant Number JP20gm1310001h0002.Violeta Carvalho acknowledges the PhD scholarship UI/BD/151028/2021 attributed by FCT. Inês Gonçalves acknowledges the PhD scholarship BD/08646/2020 attributed by FCT

The VISCACHA survey - I. Overview and first results

TheVISCACHA (VIsible Soar photometry of star Clusters in tApii and Coxi HuguA) Survey is an ongoing project based on deep photometric observations of Magellanic Cloud star clusters, collected using the SOuthern Astrophysical Research (SOAR) telescope together with the SOAR Adaptive Module Imager. Since 2015 more than 200 h of telescope time were used to observe about 130 stellar clusters, most of them with low mass (M < 104MΘ) and/or located in the outermost regions of the Large Magellanic Cloud and the Small Magellanic Cloud.With this high-quality data set, we homogeneously determine physical properties from statistical analysis of colour-magnitude diagrams, radial density profiles, luminosity functions, and mass functions. Ages, metallicities, reddening, distances, present-day masses, mass function slopes, and structural parameters for these clusters are derived and used as a proxy to investigate the interplay between the environment in theMagellanic Clouds and the evolution of such systems. In this first paper we present the VISCACHA Survey and its initial results, concerning the SMC clusters AM3, K37, HW20, and NGC 796 and the LMC ones KMHK228, OHSC3, SL576, SL61, and SL897, chosen to compose a representative subset of our cluster sample. The project's long-term goals and legacy to the community are also addressed.Fil: Maia, Francisco F. S.. Universidade de Sao Paulo; BrasilFil: Dias, Bruno. Universidad Andrés Bello; Chile. European Southern Observatory Santiago; ChileFil: Santos, Joao F. C.. Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais; BrasilFil: De Kerber, Leandro. Universidade de Sao Paulo; BrasilFil: Bica, Eduardo. Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul; BrasilFil: Piatti, Andres Eduardo. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Observatorio Astronómico de Córdoba; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Barbuy, Beatriz. Universidade de Sao Paulo; BrasilFil: Quint, Bruno. Gemini Observatory; ChileFil: Fraga, Luciano. Laboratório Nacional de Astrofísica; Brasil. Gemini Observatory; ChileFil: Sanmartim, David. Gemini Observatory; ChileFil: Angelo, Mateus S.. Centro Federal de Educação Tecnológica de Minas Gerais; BrasilFil: Hernandez-Jimenez, Jose A.. Universidade de Sao Paulo; BrasilFil: Santrich, Orlando J. Katime. Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz; BrasilFil: Oliveira, Raphael A. P.. Universidade de Sao Paulo; BrasilFil: Pérez-Villegas, Angeles. Universidade de Sao Paulo; BrasilFil: Souza, Stefano O.. Universidade de Sao Paulo; BrasilFil: Vieira, Rodrigo G.. Universidade de Sao Paulo; BrasilFil: Westera, Pieter. Universidade Federal do ABC; Brasi

A“Dirty” Footprint: Macroinvertebrate diversity in Amazonian Anthropic Soils

International audienceAmazonian rainforests, once thought to be pristine wilderness, are increasingly known to have been widely inhabited, modified, and managed prior to European arrival, by human populations with diverse cultural backgrounds. Amazonian Dark Earths (ADEs) are fertile soils found throughout the Amazon Basin, created by pre-Columbian societies with sedentary habits. Much is known about the chemistry of these soils, yet their zoology has been neglected. Hence, we characterized soil fertility, macroinvertebrate communities, and their activity at nine archeological sites in three Amazonian regions in ADEs and adjacent reference soils under native forest (young and old) and agricultural systems. We found 673 morphospecies and, despite similar richness in ADEs (385 spp.) and reference soils (399 spp.), we identified a tenacious pre-Columbian footprint, with 49% of morphospecies found exclusively in ADEs. Termite and total macroinvertebrate abundance were higher in reference soils, while soil fertility and macroinvertebrate activity were higher in the ADEs, and associated with larger earthworm quantities and biomass. We show that ADE habitats have a unique pool of species, but that modern land use of ADEs decreases their populations, diversity, and contributions to soil functioning. These findings support the idea that humans created and sustained high-fertility ecosystems that persist today, altering biodiversity patterns in Amazonia

Economically sustainable shade design for feedlot cattle

Provision of shade reduces radiant heat load on feedlot cattle, thus reducing demand of water and energy for thermoregulation. While the positive effects of shade on animal welfare are widely known, the literature lacks data on the magnitude of its economic impacts. In this study, we propose the concept of novel shade design to prove that a correctly oriented and dimensioned roof structure, which optimizes shade to be displaced within the pens, motivates cattle to seek shade, protect them from short-wave solar radiation, and is resilient to counteract weather adverse conditions. The beneficial outcome is improvement in animal welfare and productive performance, as well as increments on financial return and sustainability. To attest these benefits, eight hundred B. indicus × Bos taurus bulls were randomly assigned in pens with or without shade from a galvanized steel-roof structure. Performance data (e.g., dry matter intake, body weight gain, feed efficiency and hot carcass weight) and heat stress indicators (e.g., subcutaneous temperature, body-surface temperature, respiratory rate and water intake) were assessed along the study period. The economic outcomes derived from shade implementation were determined using the net present value. Meteorological variables were also monitored every 1 min, and grouped in a thermal comfort index for feedlot cattle, the InComfort Index (InCI). The shade structure efficiently reduced radiant heat load on cattle in pens with shade. According to the classification of the InCI, during very hot days (InCI &gt; 0.6; around noon with mean solar radiation above 800 W m−2 and mean air temperature above 33°C), greater proportion (80%) of animals in shaded pens were using shade. Under such circumstances, cattle in shade had water intake reduced by 3.4 L per animal, body temperature was lower by 5°C, subcutaneous temperature was lower by 1°C and respiration rate was lower by 10 breaths min−1 compared to animals in pens without shade (P = 0.0001). Although dry matter intake was similar (P = 0.6805), cattle in pens with shade had higher average daily gain reflected in a heavier hot carcass weight (8 kg animal−1; P = 0.0002). Considering an initial investment of $90 per animal to build a structure that lasts 15 years, the expected payback time is four finishing cycles (~110 days per cycle). In conclusion, this study confirms that the proposed novel shade design is economically profitable, improves performance, and enhances animal welfare