Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Tissue Doppler imaging for detecting onset of muscle activity

Tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) is typically used to image and quantify tissue motion. We investigated whether this method would serve as a viable alternative to surface electromyography (EMG) in providing a reliable and valid measure of the onset of muscle activity. Ten healthy subjects performed maximal knee extension exercises at 0°/s (isometric), 60°/s, 120°/s, 180°/s, and 240°/s (5 times each, on each side), using an isokinetic dynamometer. Simultaneous EMG and TDI velocity (superimposed on motion‐mode ultrasound cine‐loops) recordings were made from vastus lateralis. All tests were repeated 1 week later. There was a good correlation between the onset times determined with TDI velocity and EMG: r = 0.78 (day 1), and r = 0.80 (day 2) (each P < 0.001). The mean difference (and SD) in muscle onset time between the two methods (TDI minus EMG) was −20.3 ± 31.0 ms (day 1) and −17.4 ± 27.2 ms (day 2). TDI represents a reliable and valid measure of detecting onset of muscle activity. The mean difference between EMG and TDI onset times (approximately 20 ms) is likely explained by electromechanical delay. TDI represents a viable method for measuring the onset of muscle activity; it may offer a non‐invasive alternative to fine‐wire EMG for use with small or deep muscles. Muscle Nerve, 2008
Does the Stock Market Know the Systematic Bias in Management Earnings Forecasts? : Empirical Evidence from Japan

This paper investigates the effect of ten factors on bias in management earnings forecasts (MEF) using a sample of 28,000 forecasts announced by Japanese firms over the period 1979-1999. The ten factors are macroeconomic influence, industry, firm size, Exchange/OTC, external financing, financial distress, prior management forecast errors, growth, losses and management forecasts of dividends. Both univariate and multivariate analyses show that these factors are all associated with bias in MEF. Moreover, analysts appear to be aware of these factors that influence management forecast errors although they do not fully incorporate them into their earnings forecasts. Consequently, abnormal returns can be obtained by predicting errors in MEF. The findings in this paper may suggest that market participants have a “credibility threshold” for management forecasts.
Impact of cytokeratin-20 and carcinoembryonic antigen mRNA detection by RT-PCR in regional lymph nodes of patients with colorectal cancer

The reported rates for tumour cell involvement in the locoregional lymph nodes of colorectal cancer vary greatly, depending on the method used and case selection. In order to further evaluate the clinical value of molecular biologic detection of tumour cells we investigated 102 histologically tumour-free (pN0) regional lymph nodes from 51 consecutive, completely resected (UICC R0) colorectal carcinoma specimens for the presence of tumour cell mRNA by RT-PCR specific for carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and cytokeratin 20 (CK-20). Two lymph nodes located nearest to the primary tumour were investigated in each case. CK-20 mRNA was found in 31 of 51 patients (60.8%) and CEA mRNA in 30 of 51 patients (58.8%), respectively. Identical transcription patterns of CK-20 and CEA mRNA (both positive or both negative) were found in 38 of 51 patients (74.5%). There was a significantly higher proportion of cases with CEA positivity in the lymph nodes of tubulopapillary than of mucinous adenocarcinomas (P< 0.03). Detection of CK-20 and CEA mRNA correlated in nine of 12 cases (75.0%) with the risk of tumour recurrence (not significant) and showed a tendency towards shorter disease-free survival by univariate analysis (not significant). Our data indicate that CK-20 and CEA mRNA detection by RT-PCR may prove useful for the prediction of tumour recurrence of patients with pN0 colorectal carcinoma, although neither reach statistical significance in this series of patients. © 2000 Cancer Research Campaign
PV power plant using hybrid energy storage system with improved efficiency

In the last few years, the stationary battery started to be used as energy storage systems (ESS) in order to enhance the supply reliability of large-scale PV power plants, thereby enabling high penetration of PV-generated electricity into the electrical grid. Lately, one of the flow battery energy storage technologies, namely the Vanadium Redox Battery (VRB) started to be commercialised in the range of Mega-watts and it has attracted increasing interest of the renewable energy industry. The integration of a VRB-ESS with a large-scale PV plant also brings some new technical challenges. For instance, the VRB efficiency drops significantly when its output power is lower than 0.2 pu of its rated power. This paper proposes a VRB and supercapacitor (SC) hybrid energy storage system (HESS) to improve the efficiency of a standard sole VRB-ESS. The HESS management strategy is also introduced in this paper. An equivalent electrical model of the PV system including the HESS was implemented in MATLAB/Simulink/PLECS environment to analyse the operational performance of the proposed system.
Microglia Enhance Neurogenesis and Oligodendrogenesis in the Early Postnatal Subventricular Zone

Although microglia have long been considered as brain resident immune cells, increasing evidence suggests that they also have physiological roles in the development of the normal CNS. In this study, we found large numbers of activated microglia in the forebrain subventricular zone (SVZ) of the rat from P1 to P10. Pharmacological suppression of the activation, which produces a decrease in levels of a number of proinflammatory cytokines (i.e., IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, and IFN-γ) significantly inhibited neurogenesis and oligodendrogenesis in the SVZ. In vitro neurosphere assays reproduced the enhancement of neurogenesis and oligodendrogenesis by activated microglia and showed that the cytokines revealed the effects complementarily. These results suggest that activated microglia accumulate in the early postnatal SVZ and that they enhance neurogenesis and oligodendrogenesis via released cytokines.
An optical spectroscopic HR diagram for low‐mass stars and brown dwarfs in Orion

The masses and temperatures of young low-mass stars and brown dwarfs in star-forming regions are not yet well established because of uncertainties in the age of individual objects and the spectral type-temperature scale appropriate for objects with ages of only a few Myr. Using multi-object optical spectroscopy, 45 low-mass stars and brown dwarfs in the Trapezium Cluster in Orion have been classified and 44 of these confirmed as bona fide cluster members. The spectral types obtained have been converted to effective temperatures using a temperature scale intermediate between those of dwarfs and giants, which is suitable for young pre-main-sequence objects. The objects have been placed on a Hertzsprung-Russell (HR) diagram overlaid with theoretical isochrones. The low-mass stars and the higher mass substellar objects are found to be clustered around the 1 Myr isochrone, while many of the lower mass substellar objects are located well above this isochrone. An average age of 1 Myr is found for the majority of the objects. Assuming coevality of the sources and an average age of 1 Myr, the masses of the objects have been estimated and range from 0.018 to 0.44 M⊙. The spectra also allow an investigation of the surface gravity of the objects by measurement of the sodium doublet equivalent width. With one possible exception, all objects have low gravities, in line with young ages, and the Na indices for the Trapezium objects lie systematically below those of young stars and brown dwarfs in Chamaeleon, suggesting that the 820 nm Na index may provide a sensitive means of estimating ages in young clusters.
Algebraic properties of Rogers–Szegö functions: I. Applications in quantum optics

By means of a well-established algebraic framework, Rogers–Szegö functions associated with a circular geometry in the complex plane are introduced in the context of q-special functions, and their properties are discussed in detail. The eigenfunctions related to the coherent and phase states emerge from this formalism as infinite expansions of Rogers–Szegö functions, the coefficients being determined through proper eigenvalue equations in each situation. Furthermore, a complementary study on the Robertson–Schrödinger and symmetrical uncertainty relations for the cosine, sine and nondeformed number operators is also conducted, corroborating, in this way, certain features of q-deformed coherent states.
Mitochondrial Genome Sequence Evolution in Chlamydomonas

The mitochondrial genomes of the Chlorophyta exhibit significant diversity with respect to gene content and genome compactness; however, quantitative data on the rates of nucleotide substitution in mitochondrial DNA, which might help explain the origin of this diversity, are lacking. To gain insight into the evolutionary forces responsible for mitochondrial genome diversification, we sequenced to near completion the mitochondrial genome of the chlorophyte Chlamydomonas incerta, estimated the evolutionary divergence between Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and C. incerta mitochondrial protein-coding genes and rRNA-coding regions, and compared the relative evolutionary rates in mitochondrial and nuclear genes. Synonymous and nonsynonymous substitution rates do not differ significantly between the mitochondrial and nuclear protein-coding genes. The mitochondrial rRNA-coding regions, however, are evolving much faster than their nuclear counterparts, and this difference might be explained by relaxed functional constraints on the mitochondrial translational apparatus due to the small number of proteins synthesized in Chlamydomonas mitochondria. Substitution rates at synonymous sites in a nonstandard mitochondrial gene (rtl) and at intronic and synonymous sites in nuclear genes expressed at low levels suggest that the mutation rate is similar in these two genetic compartments. Potential evolutionary forces shaping mitochondrial genome evolution in Chlamydomonas are discussed.
Surface embedding, topology and dualization for spin networks

Spin networks are graphs derived from 3nj symbols of angular momentum. The surface embedding, the topology and dualization of these networks are considered. Embeddings into compact surfaces include the orientable sphere S2 and the torus T, and the not orientable projective space P2 and Klein's bottle K. Two families of 3nj graphs admit embeddings of minimal genus into S2 and P2. Their dual 2-skeletons are shown to be triangulations of these surfaces.
Antiresistin RNA Oligonucleotide Ameliorates Diet-Induced Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Mice through Attenuating Proinflammatory Cytokines

The aim of this study was to determine whether inhibition of resistin by a synthetic antiresistin RNA (oligonucleotide) oligo ameliorates metabolic and histological abnormalities in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) induced by high-fat diet (HFD) in mice. The antiresistin RNA oligo and a scrambled control oligo (25 mg/kg of body weight) were i.p. injected to HFD mice. Serum metabolic parameters and hepatic enzymes were measured after 4-week treatment. The treatment significantly reduced epididymal fat and attenuated the elevated serum resistin, cholesterol, triglycerides, glucose, and insulin with an improved glucose tolerance test. Antiresistin RNA oligo also normalized serum AST and ALT levels with improved pathohistology of NAFLD. Immunoblotting and qRT-PCR revealed that decreased protein and mRNA expression of resistin in fat and liver tissues of the treated mice were associated with reduction of adipose TNF-α and IL-6 expression and secretion into circulation. mRNA and protein expression of hepatic phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) and sterol regulatory element-binding protein-1c (SREBP-1c) were also significantly decreased in the treated mice. Our results suggest that resistin may exacerbate NAFLD in metabolic syndrome through upregulating inflammatory cytokines and hepatic PEPCK and SREBP-1c. Antiresistin RNA oligo ameliorated metabolic abnormalities and histopathology of NAFLD through attenuating proinflammatory cytokines.
The Challenge of Recruiting Underrepresented Groups – Exploring Organizational Recruitment Practices in Sweden

The aim of this article is to explore organisational recruitment practices from human resources (HR) experts’ narratives and discuss the challenges of recruiting underrepresented groups in relation to these practices. From the HR experts’ narratives, we identify four organisational recruitment practices: the informal, the pragmatic, the standardised and the strategic. These practices consist of, for example, ‘subjective’ judgements versus ‘objective’ criteria and are construed in relation to different rationalities, which also give rise to various dilemmas in relation to underrepresented groups. From our analysis, there seems to be a paradox between enhancing diversity and counteracting discrimination. Organisational recruitment practices that are counteracting discrimination do not necessarily enhance diversity and recruitment practices that radically work with enhancing diversity can be seen as discriminatory. We thereby draw the conclusion that there is no effective practice for the recruitment of underrepresented groups in the labour market. This is a dilemma for HR experts and a challenge for the Swedish labour market in general.
Toward Automated MAC Spoofer Investigations

We automate live and dead forensic evidence gathering for MAC spoofer investigations and formalize its encoding in Forensic Lucid for subsequent reasoning. The monitoring covers a Faculty's network focusing on 1000 analyst-managed clients. We describe initial operational deployment of the MAC Spoofer Analyzer's evidence gathering components. We also highlight immediate and future concerns regarding the automation of the reasoning aspects behind the analyzer to aid network system administrators in their daily network security monitoring, management, and maintenance activities.
Sympathetic nerves and alterations in vascular structure and reactivity

We evaluated effects of the a^and a,Dadrenoceptor (AR) blocking agent chloroethylclonidine (CEC) in isolated large and small arteries of the rat. Pretreatment with 100 /*M CEC reduced specific pH]-prazosin binding more markedly in thoracic aorta (Ao; 100%) and superior mesenteric artery (SMA; 85%) than in mesenteric resistance-sized arteries (MrA; 38%). CEC also reduced the sensitivity to the contractile effect of noradrenaline (NA) more markedly in Ao and SMA than in MrA. It did not reduce maximal responses to the agonist in the presence of calcium, but reduced in both SMA and MrA the responses to 10 ^M NA in the absence of calcium. The order of apparent affinity (pKg) for competitive antagonists was WB4101 > prazosin > 5-CHjurapidil in MrA and WB4101 = prazosin > 5-CH3-urapidil in SMA; with the pKg for prazosin being similar in MrA and SMA and the pKg's for WB4101 and 5-CH3-urapidil being larger in MrA than SMA. CEC did not modify antagonist action in MrA but reduced the pKg for prazosin in SMA. Responses to NA (i) were reduced more markedly by phenoxybenzamine in MrA than SMA or Ao; (ii) were similarly affected by felodipine in MrA, SMA and Ao and (iii) were more potently inhibited by Na-nitroprusside in Ao and SMA than MrA. This was not modified by CEC. These findings indicate that in rat aorta and superior mesenteric artery a,-AR subtypes that are susceptible to blockade by CEC, mediate contractile responses to low concentrations of NA. In rat mesenteric resistance arteries these a,-AR subtypes are less prominent and though seemingly linked to intracellular calcium release are of minor importance for sustained contractile responses to NA. Differences between types of artery as regards effects of irreversible antagonists, calcium channel blockers and vasodilators cannot be attributed to regional differences in a,-AR subtypes. Furthermore, arterial actions of CEC seemed not to be restricted to blockade of a,-AR subtypes.
Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) Curves

Assessment of predictive accuracy is a critical aspect of evaluating and comparing models, algorithms or technologies that produce the predictions. In the field of medical diagnosis, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves have become the standard tool for this purpose and its use is becoming increasingly common in other fields such as finance, atmospheric science and machine learning. There are surprisingly few built-in options in SAS® for ROC curves, but several procedures in SAS/STAT® can be tailored with little effort to produce a wide variety of ROC analyses. This talk will focus on the use of SAS/STAT procedures FREQ, LOGISTIC, MIXED and NLMIXED to perform ROC analyses, including estimation of sensitivity and specificity, estimation of an ROC curve and computing the area under the ROC curve. In addition, several macros will be introduced to facilitate graphical presentation and complement existing statistical capabilities of SAS with regard to ROC curves. Real data from clinical applications will be used to demonstrate the methods.
Early increase in marker of neuronal integrity with antidepressant treatment of major depression: 1H-magnetic resonance spectroscopy of N-acetyl-aspartate

Increasing interest surrounds potential neuroprotective or neurotrophic actions of antidepressants. While growing evidence points to important early clinical and neuropsychological effects of antidepressants, the time-course of any effect on neuronal integrity is unclear. This study used magnetic resonance spectroscopy to assess effects of short-term treatment with escitalopram on N-acetyl-aspartate (NAA), a marker of neuronal integrity. Thirty-nine participants with major depression were randomly assigned to receive either 10 mg escitalopram or placebo daily in a double-blind, parallel group design. On the seventh day of treatment, PRESS data were obtained from a 30×30×20 mm voxel placed in medial frontal cortex. Age and gender-matched healthy controls who received no treatment were also scanned. Levels of NAA were significantly higher in patients treated with escitalopram than in either placebo-treated patients (p<0.01) or healthy controls (p<0.01). Our findings are consistent with the proposition that antidepressant treatment in depressed patients can produce early changes in neuronal integrity.
Effect of prophylaxis of magnesium sulfate for reduction of postcardiac surgery arrhythmia: Randomized clinical trial

Background: Arrhythmia is a common complication after heart surgery and is a major source of morbidity and mortality. Aims: This study aimed to study the effect of magnesium sulfate (MgSO4) for reduction of postcardiac surgery arrhythmia. Setting and Design: This study is performed in the cardiac operating room and Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of Shahid Madani Hospital of Tabriz (Iran) between January 1, 2014, and September 30, 2014. This study is a double-blind, randomized controlled trial. Materials and Methods: In Group 1 (group magnesium [Mg]), eighty patients received 30 mg/kg MgSO4in 500 cc normal saline and in Group 2 (group control), eighty patients received 500 cc normal saline alone. Statistical Analysis: The occurrence of arrhythmia was compared between groups by Chi-square and Fisher's exact test. In addition, surgical time, length of ICU stay, and length of hospital stay were compared by independent t-test. P< 0.05 was considered as significant. Results: There was a significant difference in the incidence of arrhythmia between two groups (P = 0.037). The length of ICU stay was 3.4 ± 1.4 and 3.73 ± 1.77 days in group MgSO4and control group, respectively, and there was no statistically significant difference between two groups (P = 0.2). Conclusion: Mg significantly decreases the incidence of all type of postcardiac surgery arrhythmia and hospital length of stay at patients undergo cardiac surgery. We offer prophylactic administration of Mg at patients undergo cardiac surgery.
On the number of false witnesses for a composite number

If u is not a multiple of n and a”-’ l 1 mod n 1 then n must be composite and u is called a “witness” for n. Let F(n) denote the number of “false witnesses” for n, that is, the number of u mod n with CI”~ ’ = 1 mod n, Considered here is the normal and average size of F(n) for )I composite. Also considered is the situation for the more stringent Euler and strong pseudoprime tests.
The Survival Benefits of Antiretroviral Therapy in South Africa

Background. We sought to quantify the survival benefits attributable to antiretroviral therapy (ART) in South Africa since 2004. Methods. We used the Cost-Effectiveness of Preventing AIDS Complications–International model (CEPAC) to simulate 8 cohorts of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)–infected patients initiating ART each year during 2004–2011. Model inputs included cohort-specific mean CD4+ T-cell count at ART initiation (112–178 cells/µL), 24-week ART suppressive efficacy (78%), second-line ART availability (2.4% of ART recipients), and cohort-specific 36-month retention rate (55%–71%). CEPAC simulated survival twice for each cohort, once with and once without ART. The sum of the products of per capita survival differences and the total numbers of persons initiating ART for each cohort yielded the total survival benefits. Results. Lifetime per capita survival benefits ranged from 9.3 to 10.2 life-years across the 8 cohorts. Total estimated population lifetime survival benefit for all persons starting ART during 2004–2011 was 21.7 million life-years, of which 2.8 million life-years (12.7%) had been realized by December 2012. By 2030, benefits reached 17.9 million life-years under current policies, 21.7 million life-years with universal second-line ART, 23.3 million life-years with increased linkage to care of eligible untreated patients, and 28.0 million life-years with both linkage to care and universal second-line ART. Conclusions. We found dramatic past and potential future survival benefits attributable to ART, justifying international support of ART rollout in South Africa.
DISSECTING THE REGION OF 3EG J1837–0423 AND HESS J1841–055 WITH INTEGRAL

3EG J1837–0423 and HESS J1841–055 are two unidentified and peculiar high-energy sources located in the same region of the sky, separated by ∼1.4°. Specifically, 3EG J1837–0423 is a transient MeV object detected by EGRET only once during flaring activity that lasted a few days while HESS J1841–055 is a highly extended TeV source. We attempted to match the high-energy emission from the unidentified sources 3EG J1837–0423 and HESS J1841–055 with X-rays (4–20 keV) and soft γ-rays (20–100 keV) candidate counterparts detected through deep International Gamma-Ray Astrophysics Laboratory observations of the sky region. As a result we propose the Supergiant Fast X-ray Transient (SFXT) AX J1841.0–0536 as a possible candidate counterpart of 3EG J1837–0423, based on spatial proximity and transient behavior. Alternatively, AX J1841.0–0536 could be responsible for at least a fraction of the entire TeV emission from the extended source HESS J1841–055, based on a striking spatial correlation. In either case, the proposed association is also supported from an energetic standpoint by a theoretical scenario where AX J1841.0–0536 is a low magnetized pulsar which, due to accretion of massive clumps from the supergiant companion donor star, undergoes sporadic changes to transient Atoll-states where a magnetic tower can produce transient jets and as a consequence high-energy emission. In either case (by association with 3EG J1837–0423 or alternatively with HESS J1841–055), AX J1841.0–0536 might be the prototype of a new class of Galactic transient MeV/TeV emitters.