Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Software quality management and software process improvement in Denmark

The software business is a fast growing industry sector and lack of quality has a significant consequence for society and economy. However, reports about unfinished development projects, project overrruns and system and software failures are still the rule. Software quality management (SQM) standards and software process improvement (SPI) methodologies are all promoted to solve these problems. However, little is known about how prevalent these standards and methodologies actually are. We have, therefore performed a questionnaire-based survey in the Danish software producing industry. The standards and methodologies are not known by 40% of the responding organizations. Only 36% of the enterprises use one or several of the approaches to some degree, while two thirds of the organizations that had not adopted any of the approaches had never heard about them. These and additional results about the use of standards and the problems with introducing standards are presented and discussed in detail in the paper.
Monensin Improves the Effectiveness of meso-Dimercaptosuccinate when Used to Treat Lead Intoxication in Rats

Among divalent cations, the ionophore monensin shows high activity and selectivity for the transport of lead ions (Pb2+) across phospholipid membranes. When coadministered to rats that were receiving meso-dimercaptosuccinate for treatment of Pb intoxication, monensin significantly increased the amount of Pb removed from femur, brain, and heart. It showed a tendency to increase Pb removal from liver and kidney but had no effect of this type in skeletal muscle. Tissue levels of several physiologic (calcium, cobalt, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, molybdenum, zinc) and nonphysiologic (arsenic, cadmium, chromium, nickel, strontium) elements were also determined after the application of these compounds. Among the physiologic elements, a number of significant changes were seen, including both rising and falling values. The size of these changes was typically around 20% compared with control values, with the largest examples seen in femur. These changes often tended to reverse those of similar size that had occurred during Pb administration. Among the nonphysiologic elements, which were present in trace amounts, the changes were smaller in number but larger in size. None of these changes appears likely to be significant in terms of toxicity, and there were no signs of overt toxicity under any of the conditions employed. Monensin may act by cotransporting Pb2+ and OH– ions out of cells, in exchange for external sodium ions. The net effect would be to shuttle intracellular Pb2+ to extracellular dimercaptosuccinic acid thereby enhancing its effectiveness. Thus, monensin may be useful for the treatment of Pb intoxication when applied in combination with hydrophilic Pb2+ chelators.
What is important for you? A qualitative interview study of living with diabetes and experiences of diabetes care to establish a basis for a tailored Patient-Reported Outcome Measure for the Swedish National Diabetes Register

Objectives There is a growing emphasis on the perspective of individuals living with diabetes and the need for a more person-centred diabetes care. At present, the Swedish National Diabetes Register (NDR) lacks patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) based on the perspective of the patient. As a basis for a new PROM, the aim of this study was to describe important aspects in life for adult individuals with diabetes. Design Semistructured qualitative interviews analysed using content analysis. Setting Hospital-based outpatient clinics and primary healthcare clinics in Sweden. Participants 29 adults with type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM) (n=15) and type 2 DM (n=14). Inclusion criteria: Swedish adults (≥18 years) living with type 1 DM or type 2 DM (duration ≥5 years) able to describe their situation in Swedish. Purposive sampling generated heterogeneous characteristics. Results To live a good life with diabetes is demanding for the individual, but experienced barriers can be eased by support from others in the personal sphere, and by professional support from diabetes care. Diabetes care was a crucial resource to nurture the individual's ability and knowledge to manage diabetes, and to facilitate life with diabetes by supplying support, guidance, medical treatment and technical devices tailored to individual needs. The analysis resulted in the overarching theme ‘To live a good life with diabetes’ constituting the two main categories ‘How I feel and how things are going with my diabetes’ and ‘Support from diabetes care in managing diabetes’ including five different categories. Conclusions Common aspects were identified including the experience of living with diabetes and support from diabetes care. These will be used to establish a basis for a tailored PROM for the NDR.
Morphological, mechanical properties and biodegradability of biocomposite thermoplastic starch and polycaprolactone reinforced with sisal fibers

The incorporation of fibers as reinforcements in polymer composites has increased due to their renewability, low cost and biodegradability. In this study, sisal fibers were added to a polymer matrix of thermoplastic starch and polycaprolactone, both biodegradable polymers. Sisal fibers (5% and 10%) were extruded in a twin-screw extruder with thermoplastic starch/polycaprolactone (80:20 wt). Films were produced with a single extruder and analyzed by field emission gun scanning electron microscopy, mechanical tests, thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry. The morphology of the composites with 10% sisal fiber content presented an interface of fibers at the surface of the matrix, indicating poor adhesion, lower initial temperatures of thermal degradation, and decreased polycaprolactone crystallinity due to the decrease in lamellar thickness and the increase in crystalline disorder. The results were affected mainly by the lack of adhesion at the interface between the matrix and fibers. The interfacial shear strength between sisal and the matrix may be improved by chemical modification of the fiber surface.
Risk Factors of Overweight and Obesity among High School Students in Bahir Dar City, North West Ethiopia: School Based Cross-Sectional Study

Background. Overweight and obesity are risk factors for diet-related noncommunicable diseases. These diseases are the fifth leading risks for global deaths. Virtually, all age groups are affected from consequences of overweight and obesity. Methods. Cross-sectional study was conducted among 431 school adolescents. Data were collected using self-administered questionnaire and physical measurements. The sex and age specific BMI was computed using WHO Anthroplus software and the data were analyzed using bivariate and multivariable logistic regression analysis. Results. The magnitudes of overweight and obesity were 12.3% and 4.4%, respectively, and the combined prevalence of overweight and obesity together was 16.7%. Three-fourths of the respondents (74.7%) had healthy body mass index; however, 8.6% were underweight. Sex, frequency of eating food out of home, school type, family monthly income, family having vehicle, vigorous physical activity, and frequency of vigorous physical activity were statistically significant predictors of overweight and obesity. Conclusion. The problems of overweight and obesity are taking place while students are still under the risk of underweight. Several factors were correlated with overweight and obesity. Therefore, interventions targeting gender, frequency of eating food out of home, vigorous activities, and frequency of doing vigorous physical activity are recommended.
Human Resource Information Systems: A Review in the Adoption of Open Source

The paper highlights the use and importance of an Open Source Software for Human Resource Information Systems. Open source software development projects are Internet-based communities of software developers who voluntarily collaborate to develop software that they or their workplace may require. They present a challenging, novel and successful alternative to conventional models and also offer opportunities for a view into their detailed inner workings. The project operates by way of detailed and time-stamped logs of most interactions among community members and of project outputs are generated in an automatic fashion. This makes open source software projects important as research sites for many types of studies. The authors have also drawn up a mind map of Open Source Model for Human Resource Information Systems and a Model of Adoption of an Open Source Human Resource Information System. It further discusses various open source software in the area on Human Resources and the important aspect of open source HRIS and cloud hosting with SMEs.
Community violence and children's development: toward a research agenda for the 1990s.

The United States is the most violent country in the industrialized world-particularly for young people. Homicide in the United States ranks as the second leading cause of death among those between 15 and 24 years of age (Earls et al. 1991). Males, especially, are at high risk. As indicated in Figure 1, those between 15 and 24 years of age were more likely to be murdered than their counterparts in all 22 other developed countries for which comparable homicide statistics were available during 1986-1987 (Fingerhut and Kleinman 1990). Young males were 4 times more likely to be murdered than their counterparts in the next highest country, Scotland; 7 times more likely than young males in Canada; 21 times more likely than those in West Germany; and 40 times more likely than same-age males in Japan. Moreover, the U.S. homicide rate for Black males (15 and 24 years) was more than 7 times the homicide rate for White males in this age range. These figures are all the more alarming in light of the fact that homicide rates in major U.S. cities have increased steadily since these data were recorded.
System Theoretic Approach to Teletraac Problems: a Unifying Framework 1

There is a remarkable similarity between the solutions for Quasi-Birth-and-Death (QBD) chains and the well-known Algebraic Riccati Equations (ARE) of control theory. The interconnection arises due to similar matrix quadratic equations encountered in each problem and the fact that solutions for either equation can be reduced to nd-ing the stable subspace of a certain matrix. Motivated by this interconnection, a new theory that is suitable for eecient and reliable computation for a rich class of teletraac problems based on Markov chains of M/G/1 and G/M/1 type has been reported in 2] and 3]. In this paper, we rst present the linkage between QBD chains and Riccati equations and then provide a unifying framework based on state-space representations for a set of continuous-time teletraac problems some of which cannot be analyzed via the classical approach of using Markov chains of M/G/1 and G/M/1 type. Once the dynamical state equations are obtained, the problem naturally reduces to the following open-loop control problem: Bring the dynamical system with some unstable modes to an initial state so that all the states remain bounded. From a system theory point of view, this problem is equivalent to posing that the initial state of the representation should lie in the stable subspace of the state matrix. An eecient solution to this problem is proposed through the matrix sign function iterations with quadratic convergence rates. The main idea of this approach is that the stable subspace of a matrix can eeciently be computed via the matrix sign function without the need for computing the individual eigenvalues and eigenvectors. Furthermore, the algorithms are multiplication-rich and are based on block matrix operations which make them suitable for implementation for vector and parallel machines.
A Single Nucleotide Change Affects Fur-Dependent Regulation of sodB in H. pylori

Helicobacter pylori is a significant human pathogen that has adapted to survive the many stresses found within the gastric environment. Superoxide Dismutase (SodB) is an important factor that helps H. pylori combat oxidative stress. sodB was previously shown to be repressed by the Ferric Uptake Regulator (Fur) in the absence of iron (apo-Fur regulation) [1]. Herein, we show that apo regulation is not fully conserved among all strains of H. pylori. apo-Fur dependent changes in sodB expression are not observed under iron deplete conditions in H. pylori strains G27, HPAG1, or J99. However, Fur regulation of pfr and amiE occurs as expected. Comparative analysis of the Fur coding sequence between G27 and 26695 revealed a single amino acid difference, which was not responsible for the altered sodB regulation. Comparison of the sodB promoters from G27 and 26695 also revealed a single nucleotide difference within the predicted Fur binding site. Alteration of this nucleotide in G27 to that of 26695 restored apo-Fur dependent sodB regulation, indicating that a single base difference is at least partially responsible for the difference in sodB regulation observed among these H. pylori strains. Fur binding studies revealed that alteration of this single nucleotide in G27 increased the affinity of Fur for the sodB promoter. Additionally, the single base change in G27 enabled the sodB promoter to bind to apo-Fur with affinities similar to the 26695 sodB promoter. Taken together these data indicate that this nucleotide residue is important for direct apo-Fur binding to the sodB promoter.
Code Bloat Problem in Genetic Programming

The concept of “bloat” in Genetic Programming is a well-established phenomenon characterized by variable-length genomes gradually increasing in size during evolution [1]. Bloat hampers the efficiency and ability of genetic programming for solving problems. A range of explanations have been proposed for the problem of bloat, including destructive crossover and mutation operators, selection pressure and individual representation. Different methods to avoid bloat and to control bloat have been proposed by researchers. This paper proposes a theoretical analysis of code bloating problem and the discussion on the work already done by various authors to handle bloat in genetic programming.
Longitudinal Cortical Volume Changes Correlate With Motor Recovery in Patients After Acute Local Subcortical Infarction

Background and Purpose— Secondary changes in the volume of motor-related cortical regions and the relationship with functional recovery during the acute stage after cerebral infarction have not been determined. In the present study, we quantified changes in gray matter (GM) volume in motor-related cortical regions and analyzed their correlations to clinical scores in patients with focal cerebral infarct. Methods— Fifteen patients with acute subcortical infarct underwent longitudinal high-resolution structural MRI and clinical assessment 3 times during a 12-week period (weeks 1, 4, and 12). Fourteen age- and sex-matched controls underwent MRI examination. Voxel-based morphometry was used to quantify changes in global GM volume; in addition, relationships between GM volume changes in volumes of interest and clinical scores were analyzed. Results— In patients with cerebral infarction, GM volumes detected by voxel-based morphometry both decreased and increased significantly in diffuse cortical regions during the observation period (P<0.001). GM volumes within volumes of interest decreased significantly in the ipsilateral supplementary motor area and contralateral insula, but they increased in the contralateral supplementary motor area over time (all P<0.017). The changes of GM volumes in the ipsilesional and contralesional supplementary motor area correlated with the changes in the Fugl–Meyer scale scores (ipsilesional, rs=0.52; P=0.048; contralesional, rs=0.74; P=0.002) and Barthel Index (ipsilesional, rs=0.56; P=0.030; contralesional, rs=0.65; P=0.009). Conclusions— These results suggest that secondary GM changes occur in diffuse areas and structural changes in some specific motor-related cortex may inhibit or promote functional recovery after an acute subcortical cerebral infarct.
On seeing stuff: the perception of materials by humans and machines

The perception of objects is a well-developed field, but the perception of materials has been studied rather little. This is surprising given how important materials are for humans, and how important they must become for intelligent robots. We may learn something by looking at other fields in which material appearance is recognized as important. Classical artists were highly skilled at generating convincing materials. The simulation of material appearance is a topic of great importance in 3D computer graphics. Some fields, such as mineralogy, use the concept of a 'habit' which is a combination of shape and texture, and which may be used for characterizing certain objects or materials. We have recently taken steps toward material recognition by machines, using techniques derived from the domain of texture analysis.
Experiential knowledge of disability, impairment and illness: The reproductive decisions of families genetically at risk

As the capacities of Reproductive Genetic Technologies expand, would-be parents face an increasing number of reproductive decisions regarding testing and screening for different conditions. Several studies have acknowledged the role that ‘experiential knowledge of disability’ plays in arriving at decisions around the use of these technologies; however, there is a lack of clarity within this literature as to what constitutes ‘experiential knowledge of disability’ and an over-reliance on medical diagnoses as a shorthand to describe different types of experience. Drawing on both social model of disability theory and the literature on chronic illness, this article presents an analysis of data from an in-depth qualitative interview study with 64 people with an inheritable condition in their family, Spinal Muscular Atrophy, and reports their views around reproduction and Reproductive Genetic Technologies. An experiential typology is presented which demonstrates the way in which experiences of ‘disability’, ‘embodied experiences of impairment’ or ‘embodied experiences of illness, death and bereavement’ are strategically privileged in accounts of reproductive decisions, in order to validate reproductive decisions taken, and, specifically, justify use (or non-use) of Reproductive Genetic Technologies. By highlighting the experiential categories within which participants embedded their reproductive decisions, this article draws attention to the porous and collapsible nature of diagnostic categories in the context of reproductive decision-making and genetic risk, and suggests new ways of researching ‘experiential knowledge of disability’ within these contexts which are able to account for the various contours of the embodied lived reality of life with ‘disability’.
Second malignancies in B‐cell chronic lymphocytic leukaemia: possible association with human papilloma virus

Second primary malignancies have long been associated with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL). We assessed secondary tumour samples from CLL and control patients for the presence of human papilloma virus (HPV). 132 CLL patients with 44 second malignancies were compared to a matched randomly‐identified control population of 264 non‐CLL patients with 54 solid malignancies. Polymerase chain reaction was performed with the highly conserved MY09/MY11 HPV primer. None of control samples were HPV‐positive, while 53% of samples from the CLL group were positive. This report describes preliminary evidence for the presence of HPV in secondary malignancies, in patients with CLL.
Deep Architectures for Articulatory Inversion

We implement two deep architectures for the acousticarticulatory inversion mapping problem: a deep neural network and a deep trajectory mixture density network. We find that in both cases, deep architectures produce more accurate predictions than shallow architectures and that this is due to the higher expressive capability of a deep model and not a consequence of adding more adjustable parameters. We also find that a deep trajectory mixture density network is able to obtain better inversion accuracies than smoothing the results of a deep neural network. Our best model obtained an average root mean square error of 0.885 mm on the MNGU0 test dataset. Index Terms: Articulatory inversion, deep neural network, deep belief network, deep regression network, pretraining
Positive Regulation of Pulmonary Antioxidant Enzyme Gene Expression by Prenatal Thyrotropin Releasing Hormone Plus Dexamethasone Treatment in Premature Rats Exposed to Hyperoxia

ABSTRACT: Prenatal administration of thyrotropin releasing hormone (TRH) plus dexamethasone (DEX) to pregnant rats produces significantly depressed fetal lung antioxidant enzyme (AOE) activities and AOE mRNA levels in late gestation. Because of this negative regulation of AOE gene expression in the late fetal lung, we hypothesized that hormonally pretreated prematurely delivered rats might demonstrate inferior tolerance to prolonged hyperoxia. Litters of prenatal TRH+DEX-treated and sham-treated prematurely delivered rat pups (gestational d 21 of 22) were randomized to either >95% O2 or room air for up to 14 d. The right lungs of 2- and 7-d exposure pups were assayed for AOE activities; the left lungs of the same pups were used to quantitate the concentrations of AOE mRNA by solution hybridization. The prenatal TRH+DEX-treated pups were able to induce adaptive lung AOE mRNA and activity responses to hyperoxia by 2 d of exposure; and by 7 d in O2 they showed greater increases in AOE mRNA concentrations and AOE activities in response to hyperoxic challenge compared with the sham-treated controls. Lung lipid surfactant measurements after hyperoxia were not affected by prenatal TRH+DEX treatment. In addition, TRH+DEX-pretreated premature rats did not show the hypothesized increased susceptibility to O2-induced lung damage and lethality, but, in fact, had slightly improved hyperoxic survival (d 3-7 of O2 exposure) compared with sham-treated controls. Exposure to hyperoxia significantly reduced serum triiodothyronine and thyroxine levels in the sham-control pups. These findings suggest that although TRH+DEX-pretreated premature rats have decreased lung AOE gene expression at the time of preterm delivery, subsequent hyperoxic exposure is able to convert AOE gene expression to positive regulation which results in more rapid and greater increases in protective AOE activity levels. This regulation is likely mediated differently for the individual AOE.
Ergotamine Abuse. Do Patients Benefit from Withdrawal?

A follow-up study of 40 patients (migraine 39, cluster headache 1) previously treated for ergotamine abuse was conducted. Their statements regarding ergotamine intake were checked using butalbital (contained in the suppositories abused by 90% of the patients) as a tracer, and later by contact with the family doctor. Eleven patients abused ergotamine again during a median observation time of 21 months. Nineteen patients had more than a 50% reduction in headache days after withdrawal and half of the patients were relieved of other symptoms of ergotamine toxicity. Even with a failure rate of approximately 25% it is concluded that efforts to withdraw after abuse of ergotamine are worthwhile.