Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Global strain rate imaging for the estimation of diastolic function in HFNEF compared with pressure-volume loop analysis.

AIMS Strain rate imaging provides direct information on intrinsic myocardial function and may improve the diagnostic of diastolic dysfunction in heart failure with normal ejection fraction (HFNEF). We therefore correlated global strain with pressure-volume (PV) loop analysis and compared it with flow and tissue Doppler measurements. METHODS AND RESULTS Longitudinal two-dimensional strain rate and flow and tissue Doppler (TDI) indices were measured simultaneously and correlated with diastolic indices of PV relationship obtained by a conductance catheter in 21 patients with HFNEF and 12 controls. HFNEF patients showed a reduced global strain rate during isovolumetric relaxation (SR(IVR)) [0.27 (0.12-0.39) vs. 0.44 (0.29-0.56) s(-1), P = 0.028]. Global strain rate during early (SR(E)) and late (SR(L)) diastole did not defer from controls. Their ratios with early transmitral flow, E/SR(IVR) and E/SR(E), were both elevated in HFNEF [3.68 (2.57-7.52) vs. 1.73 (1.47-2.37) m, P = 0.007 and 1.13 (0.76-1.36) vs. 0.83 (0.57-1.04) m, P = 0.030]. SR(E) and SR(IVR) correlated with left ventricular (LV) relaxation τ (r = 0.40 and 0.47, P < 0.05); E/SR(IVR) and E/SR(E) with LV end-diastolic pressure (r = 0.49 and 0.57, P < 0.01) and LV stiffness constant β (r = 0.42 and 0.43, P < 0.01). Neither of the strain rate indices were significantly more accurate than TDI (area under the curve: SR(E) 0.55, SR(IVR) 0.70, E'/A' 0.72, E/SR(E) 0.75, E/SR(IVR) 0.80, and E/E' 0.83). CONCLUSION Strain rate imaging is accurate in detecting increased LV stiffness in HFNEF, but it is not superior to already established TDI analysis including E/E' in patients with only mild degree of disease.
DRAM-Specific Space of Memory Tests

DRAM testing has always been theoretically considered as a subset of general memory testing, despite the disagreement of this assumption with the DRAM test practice. This paper presents a recently developed space of DRAM faults that describes the unique aspects of DRAM behavior, it validates this fault space using extensive Spice simulation, and it identifies the memory tests necessary to detect these faults. Six different tests are derived and shown to correspond to highly effective DRAM tests in practice
What I Talk About When I Talk About Quality

ABSTRACT During the 15 years that Quality in Higher Education has held a focal position in the field of higher education assessment, the concept of quality has evolved from a debatable and controversial concept to an everyday matter in higher education. The author takes a personal look into the development of the field by first tracking the discursive changes in the debate, and then reflecting on the shift of the quality discussion from a matter of political substance debate to a matter of technical implementation. The article finishes with a look into possible futures of the quality revolution.
Changes of Terminal Cancer Patients' Health-related Quality of Life after High Dose Vitamin C Administration

Over the years there has been a great deal of controversy on the effect of vitamin C on cancer. To investigate the effects of vitamin C on cancer patients' health-related quality of life, we prospectively studied 39 terminal cancer patients. All patients were given an intravenous administration of 10 g vitamin C twice with a 3-day interval and an oral intake of 4 g vitamin C daily for a week. And then we investigated demographic data and assessed changes in patients' quality of life after administration of vitamin C. Quality of life was assessed with EORTC QLQ-C30. In the global health/quality of life scale, health score improved from 36±18 to 55±16 after administration of vitamin C (p=0.001). In functional scale, the patients reported significantly higher scores for physical, role, emotional, and cognitive function after administration of vitamin C (p<0.05). In symptom scale, the patients reported significantly lower scores for fatigue, nausea/vomiting, pain, and appetite loss after administration of vitamin C (p<0.005). The other function and symptom scales were not significantly changed after administration of vitamin C. In terminal cancer patients, the quality of life is as important as cure. Although there is still controversy regarding anticancer effects of vitamin C, the use of vitamin C is considered a safe and effective therapy to improve the quality of life of terminal cancer patients.
Promoting the communication skills of children with moderate learning difficulties

This paper presents the results of an intervention programme designed to promote the communication skills of a group of children with moderate learning difficulties. Thirty children were involved in a 12-week programme of supported peer-communication activities which aimed to improve the children's regulatory skills during peer interaction. By the end of the pro gramme, the children were talking more, asking more appropriate questions and responding to ambiguous utterances more effectively. The results of the study demonstrate that a programme for children with learning difficulties in which pairs of children working together are encouraged to use and reflect on regulatory strategies can provide an effective context for intervention.
Hereditary nonspherocytic hemolytic disease associated with an altered phospholipid composition of the erythrocytes.

A hemolytic disorder with mild hyperbilirubinemia and reticulocytosis of 6 to 15% was documented in eight members of a large family from the Dominican Republic and was presumed to be present in eight other members. The disorder appeared to be inherited as an autosomal dominant characteristic. Analysis of phospholipids by quantitative thinlayer chromatography revealed a distinct increase in phosphatidyl choline (lecithin) to 35.5 +/- SD 1.3% of the total (normal: 28.2 +/- 1.4%) in erythrocytes of affected members of the family, but not in the cells of unaffected relatives. The alteration appeared to constitute an absolute increase in lecithin content, rather than a decrease in other phospholipids. Erythrocytes from patients with other varieties of hereditary hemolytic disorders and comparable levels of reticulocytosis had normal phospholipid compositions. Plasma lipids of six affected members of the family were not unusual with respect to total lipid weight, total phospholipid, and cholesterol. Three patients with liver disease and jaundice were found to have marked increases in the lecithin content of the erythrocytes, but they also had extremely high plasma levels of total lipid, phospholipids, and cholesterol. Osmotic fragility of the erythrocytes of affected patients was decreased and the increase in fragility after incubation for 24 hr was less than that observed with normal erythrocytes. Autohemolysis after 48 hr was slightly increased and was corrected to nearly normal by the addition of glucose. The activities of 15 enzymes of the erythrocytes of the propositus were normal or elevated and the adenosine triphosphate content was normal. An abnormal hemoglobin could not be demonstrated. The life span of isologous erythrocytes in the propositus was reduced, but homologous erythrocytes survived normally.A causal relationship between the altered phospholipid composition and the hemolytic disorder has not been established.
Debating credibility: the shaping of information literacies in upper secondary school

Purpose – The article concerns information literacies in an environment characterised by the two partly competing and contradictory cultures of print and digital. The aim of the paper is to provide a better understanding of the ways in which students assess the credibility of sources they use in school, with a particular interest in how they treat participatory genres.Design/methodology/approach – An ethnographic study of a school class's project work was conducted through observations, interviews, and log books in blog form. The analysis was influenced by a socio‐cultural perspective.Findings – The study provides increased empirically based understanding of students' information literacy practices. Four non‐exclusive approaches to credibility stemming from control, balance, commitment, and multiplicity were identified.Originality/value – The study adds to the understanding of how credibility is assessed in school environments with a particular focus on how digital and participatory genres are treated.
The Effects of Acute Alcohol Intoxication and Self-Focused Rumination on Triggered Displaced Aggression

An experiment simultaneously examined the effects of acute alcohol intoxication and self-focused rumination on triggered displaced aggression. An ethnically diverse sample of 97 young adult participants (41 men, 56 women) were recruited from a university community and surrounding area. Participants were provoked by an experimenter, randomly assigned to a 2 (alcohol, sober) × 2 (rumination, distraction) × 2 (trigger, no trigger) between-participants design, and then given an opportunity to aggress against an undeserving other who was either completely innocent or slightly annoying. Self-focused rumination increased displaced aggression only when participants were triggered by the slightly annoying participant. Alcohol independently augmented aggression.
Insulin stimulation of glucose uptake in skeletal muscles and adipose tissues in vivo is NO dependent

Roy, Denis, Mylène Perreault, and André Marette. Insulin stimulation of glucose uptake in skeletal muscles and adipose tissues in vivo is NO dependent. Am. J. Physiol. 274 (Endocrinol. Metab. 37): E692–E699, 1998. —The purpose of this study was to investigate whether in vivo nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibition influences insulin-mediated glucose disposal in rat peripheral tissues. The NOS inhibitor NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) or saline was infused constantly during a hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp in normal rats. Glucose utilization rates of insulinsensitive tissues (individual muscles, heart, and adipose tissues) were simultaneously determined using tracer infusion of 2-deoxy-D-[3H]glucose (2-[3H]DG). NOS blockade with L-NAME resulted in significant (P , 0.05) reduction in both whole body glucose disposal (216%, P , 0.01) and plasma 2-[3H]DG disappearance rate (230%, P , 0.05) during hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp. L-NAME significantly decreased insulin-stimulated glucose uptake in heart (262%, P 5 0.01), soleus (242%, P 5 0.05), red (253%, P , 0.001) and white (262%, P , 0.001) gastrocnemius, tibialis (257%, P , 0.01), and quadriceps (233%, P , 0.05) muscles. The NOS inhibitor also decreased insulin action in brown interscapular (247%, P , 0.01), retroperitoneal (252%, P 5 0.07), and gonadal (266%, P 5 0.06) adipose tissues. In contrast to in vivo NOS blockade, L-NAME failed to affect basal or insulinstimulated 2-[3H]DG transport in isolated soleus or extensor digitorum longus muscles in vitro. These results support the hypothesis that the action of insulin to augment glucose uptake by skeletal muscles and other peripheral insulinsensitive tissues in vivo is NO dependent.
Generality of fractal 1/f scaling in catchment tracer time series, and its implications for catchment travel time distributions

Catchment travel time distributions reflect how precipitation from different storms is stored and mixed as it is transported to the stream. Catchment travel time distributions can be described by the mean travel time and the shape of the distribution around the mean. Whereas mean travel times have been quantified in a range of catchment studies, only rarely has the shape of the distribution been estimated. The shape of the distribution affects both the short‐term and long‐term catchment response to a pulse input of a soluble contaminant. Travel time distributions are usually estimated from conservative tracer concentrations in precipitation and streamflow, which are analyzed using time‐domain convolution or spectral methods. Of these two approaches, spectral methods are better suited to determining the shape of the distribution. Previous spectral analyses of both rainfall and streamflow tracer time series from several catchments in Wales showed that rainfall chemistry spectra resemble white noise, whereas the stream tracer spectra in these same catchments exhibit fractal 1/f scaling over three orders of magnitude. Here we test the generality of the observed fractal scaling of streamflow chemistry, using spectral analysis of long‐term tracer time series from 22 catchments in North America and Europe. We demonstrate that 1/f fractal scaling of stream chemistry is a common feature of these catchments. These observations imply that catchments typically exhibit an approximate power‐law distribution of travel times, and thus retain a long memory of past inputs. The observed fractal scaling places strong constraints on possible models of catchment behavior, because it is inconsistent with the exponential travel time distributions that are predicted by simple mixing models. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Néopatrimonialisme et développement: le rôle de pilote des poches d'efficacité

Cet article analyse la notion de « poches d’efficacite », a la lumiere de la notion de neopatrimonialisme regule. L’etude des poches d’efficacite -que l’on peut definir comme des organisations publiques qui fournissent des biens et des services publics d’une maniere relativement efficace, la ou le gouvernement est generalement inefficace – contribue a une meilleure comprehension du neopatrimonialisme regule, en considerant les conditions dans lesquelles les organisations du secteur public peuvent contribuer au developpement.Les travaux disponibles soulignent que deux grands ensembles de facteurs contribuent a la creation de poches d’efficacite, les facteurs contextuels et ceux d’ordre interne. Les facteurs d’ordre contextuels politico-economiques se rapportent aux processus politiques, au lien entre les institutions politiques et les interets materiels, ainsi qu’aux positions de pouvoir au sein de groupes sociaux specifiques. Les facteurs internes renvoient au leadership et au management des organisations, ainsi qu’aux fonctions et aux attributs de ces dernieres.L’article examine les operations de plusieurs compagnies petrolieres et gazieres en Russie et au Kazakhstan, afin de comprendre comment ces groupes sont influences par leur environnement politico-economique, et dans quelle mesure ils parviennent, ou non, a acquerir un potentiel de developpement. Le systeme politique Russe offre un exemple de neopatrimonialisme regule, alors que le Kazakhstan releve d’un neopatrimonialisme de type predateur. Cet article conclut que la mise en place de poches d’efficacite dans les pays post-sovietiques est assez difficile, mais qu’elle n’est pas impossible dans le cas de la Russie. Le succes relatif de certaines compagnies semble resulter d’un ajustement du leadership aux realites politico-economiques, ainsi que de l’instauration d’un modus vivendi avec le regime en place.
An evaluation of the significance of selected neuropsychiatric abnormalities in the etiology of borderline personality disorder

The etiology of borderline personality disorder (BPD) is an enigma. Recent reports have suggested that neuropsychiatrie abnormalities play an important role in the etiology of this disorder. However, it has been difficult to judge the etiologic importance of these abnormalities because of the paucity of studies in this area. In this paper, we make a first comprehensive evaluation of the importance of these abnormalities in the etiology of BPD by assessing the presence of selected neuropsychological abnormalities in a sample of BPD patients and by reviewing our previously published data concerning neurodevelopmental abnormalities, EEG dysrhythmias, and family histories of neurological disorders in BPD patients versus controls. Our data suggest that the neuropsychiatrie abnormalities that were studied are at most an uncommon etiology of this disorder.
Negotiating Curricular Transitions: Foreign Language Teachers' Learning Experience with Content-Based Instruction

Content-based instruction (CBI) has been touted as an effective curricular approach in a wide range of educational contexts, including immersion and English as a second language. Yet this approach to curriculum design is rarely implemented in conventional K-16 foreign language (FL) programs in the United States today. The phenomenological study described here attempted to gain a deeper understanding of factors affecting the implementation of CBI by exploring three traditional FL teachers' learning experiences during a year-long professional-development program designed to introduce the approach. Transitioning toward CBI, the findings suggest, can be a professionally intimidating experience, involving a struggle to re-examine one's own teaching identity and one's vision of what teaching and learning ought to be. Important implications emerging from this study include a need for professional-development programs to better scaffold teachers' learning experience and to create safer environments for teachers to explore pedagogical alternatives.
Two Intracellular Pathways Mediate Metabotropic Glutamate Receptor-Induced Ca2+ Mobilization in Dopamine Neurons

Activation of metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) causes membrane hyperpolarization in midbrain dopamine neurons. This hyperpolarization results from the opening of Ca2+-sensitive K+ channels, which is mediated by the release of Ca2+ from intracellular stores. Neurotransmitter-induced mobilization of Ca2+ is generally ascribed to the action of inositol 1,4,5-triphosphate (IP3) in neurons. Here we show that the mGluR-mediated Ca2+ mobilization in dopamine neurons is caused by two intracellular second messengers: IP3 and cyclic ADP-ribose (cADPR). Focal activation of mGluRs, attained by synaptic release of glutamate or iontophoretic application of aspartate, induced a wave of Ca2+that spread over a distance of ∼50 μm through dendrites and the soma. Simultaneous inhibition of both IP3- and cADPR-dependent pathways with heparin and 8-NH2-cADPR was required to block the mGluR-induced Ca2+ release, indicating a redundancy in the signaling mechanism. Activation of ryanodine receptors was suggested to mediate the cADPR-dependent pathway, because ruthenium red, an antagonist of ryanodine receptors, inhibited the mGluR response only when the cADPR-dependent pathway was isolated by blocking the IP3-dependent pathway with heparin. Finally, the mGluR-mediated hyperpolarization was shown to induce a transient pause in the spontaneous firing of dopamine neurons. These results demonstrate that an excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate uses multiple intracellular pathways to exert an inhibitory control on the excitability of dopamine neurons.
Maltreatment by Staff in Residential Care Facilities: The Adolescents’ Perspectives

This study examines the prevalence and multilevel correlates of verbal and physical maltreatment of 1,324 Israeli adolescents by staff in 32 residential care settings. Hierarchical linear modeling is used to examine the relationships among adolescents’ maltreatment, individual-level characteristics (age, gender, adjustment difficulties, and perceived social climate and policy), and institution-level characteristics (setting care type, size, structure, and ethnic affiliation). The findings suggest that 29 percent of adolescents report being verbally maltreated and one-quarter report experiencing physical maltreatment. Vulnerability to maltreatment is found to be high for boys, adolescents with adjustment difficulties, youth who perceive staff as strict, and those who see staff as unsupportive. Maltreatment is positively associated with residence in Arab care settings, with the size of the institution, and with the concentration of vulnerable youth. The study emphasizes the need for the development of interventions and preventions tailored to the risk groups identified.
Moderate Deviations of a Random Riccati Equation

The paper characterizes the invariant filtering measures resulting from Kalman filtering with intermittent observations in which the observation arrival is modeled as a Bernoulli process with packet arrival probability γ̅. Our prior work showed that, for γ̅ >; 0 , the sequence of random conditional error covariance matrices converges weakly to a unique invariant distribution μ<sup>γ̅</sup>. This paper shows that, as γ̅ approaches one, the family {μ<sup>γ̅</sup>}<sub>γ̅ >; 0</sub> satisfies a moderate deviations principle with good rate function I (·): (1) as γ̅ ↑ 1 , the family {μ<sup>γ̅</sup>} converges weakly to the Dirac measure δ<sub>P*</sub> concentrated on the fixed point of the associated discrete time Riccati operator; (2) the probability of a rare event (an event bounded away from P*) under μ<sup>γ̅</sup> decays to zero as a power law of (1-γ̅) as γ̅↑ 1; and, (3) the best power law decay exponent is obtained by solving a deterministic variational problem involving the rate function I (·). For specific scenarios, the paper develops computationally tractable methods that lead to efficient estimates of rare event probabilities under μ<sup>γ̅</sup>.
Impact of TCSC on the protection of transmission lines

This paper presents a comprehensive analysis of the impact of TCSC on the protection of transmission lines. The TCSC is considered as a dynamical device and its transient process is modeled in order to have the response to disturbances based on its own control strategy. It is shown that not only the TCSC affects the protection of its line, but also the protection of adjacent lines would experience problems. The analysis is done first analytically by using simple models, then the power system and the protective relays are simulated in detail by Real Time Digital Simulator (RTDS). Finally, the simulation results are validated by using a commercial relay.
Quality of measurement of the learning experience questionnaire for personal digital assistants

In addition to interpersonal (between-person, self-beliefs, and traits) academic motivations, behaviours, beliefs and affect, there is in educational psychology an increased interest in intrapersonal (situation-specific, events, and states) experiences of how such learning processes unfold in real-time. We used electronic questionnaires in personal digital assistants (PDAs) to investigate primary school students’ (year 5 and 6) situation-specific sources of motivation, behaviours, competence beliefs and affect, during an average of 15.4 experiences in one week (SD = 4.7; Range = 2–34; nstudents = 323; nexperiences = 4,972). The learning experience questionnaire (LEQ) included 19 items measuring 9 constructs. Multilevel confirmatory factor analysis (MCFA) provided support for structural validity of intrapersonal constructs and convergence with external validity measures. We discuss the utility of PDAs for collecting real-time data in schools.
From Private Nuisance to Criminal Behaviour: Neighbour Problems and Neighbourhood Context in an Australian City

The problems that arise between neighbours have not received the academic scrutiny they deserve despite neighbour problems and disputes appearing to be a growing phenomenon. In this paper, we begin to address this omission by examining the kinds of problems residents in the city of Brisbane, Australia, are likely to encounter with neighbours and identifying patterns in their distribution on the basis of neighbourhood characteristics. Making a distinction between private nuisance problems on the one hand and antisocial and criminal behaviour on the other hand, we observe how neighbourhood levels of concentrated disadvantage, residential mobility and population density all increase the chances of residents encountering a combination of nuisance and antisocial or criminal neighbour problems over nuisance problems only or no problems at all. Conversely, a higher concentration of foreign-born residents is found to be associated with residents being more likely to experience nuisance or no problems over more criminal and antisocial forms.