Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Développement, étude critique et validation de modèles, de propriétés radiatives infrarouges de CO2 et H2O à haute température : applications au calcul des transferts dans des chambres aéronautiques et à la télédétection

Ce memoire est consacre a l'etude de modeles de proprietes radiatives de H2O et CO2 a haute temperature dans l'infrarouge. L'approche raie-par-raie, fondee sur les bases de donnees du laboratoire EM2C, sert de reference. Une etude bibliographique de differents modeles est menee dans le chapitre 1: modeles a bandes etroites (SNB, C-K, CKFG) et modeles globaux (WSGG, SLW, ADF, MADF), beaucoup plus legers en temps de calcul, mais qui ne peuvent s'appliquer qu'a des milieux dont les frontieres sont grises. Pour des applications ou la pression est elevee (chambres de combustion de moteurs d'avion), nous montrons dans le chapitre 2 qu'un modele simplifie (box model) permet des calculs de luminances precis a quelques pour cent. L'etude de modeles permettant la prise en compte les correlations spectrales a haute resolution, indispensable a pression atmospherique, est menee dans les chapitres 3 et 4. Dans le chapitre 3, nous developpons le modele global ADF-FG, fonde sur une decomposition du spectre de H2o ou CO2 en gaz fictifs (regroupant les raies dont l'energie du niveau bas de la transition est similaire), et nous montrons son apport par rapport au modele ADF. Dans le chapitre 4, nous comparons les performances des differents modeles dans une situation de transfert, dans le cas de melanges H2O-N2 et CO2-N2. Dans la plupart des situations usuelles, les modeles a bandes etroites (SNB, C-K, CKFG) conduisent a de bonnes predictions des grandeurs radiatives (flux, puissances). En revanche, le modele WSGG peut conduire a des erreurs considerables, et la precision des modeles SLW et ADF, meme si elle reste acceptable, depend fortement de leur temperature de reference. Le modele ADF-FG reste precis, y compris pour des applications de type teledetection. Par ailleurs, le traitement de parois fortement reflechissantes est plus facile avec des modeles formules en coefficient d'absorption (notamment C-K et ADF-Fg) qu'avec des modeles formules en transmittivite moyenne (SNB, CKFD). Dans le dernier chapitre de ce memoire, nous montrons que le decalage Doppler des raies d'un jet gazeux chaud a grande vitesse se traduit par une augmentation de la luminance du rayonnement transmis, mais que cet effet est negligeable pour les vitesses usuelles des jets de moteur d'avion
Differential Expression of Connexin43 Gap Junctions in Cardiomyocytes Isolated from Canine Thoracic Veins

We investigated the phenotypic features of cardiomyocytes, including the gap junctions, in the myocardial sleeve of thoracic veins. Single cardiomyocytes, isolated from the canine pulmonary veins (PV) and superior vena cava (SVC) using digestive enzymes, were examined by immunoconfocal microscopy using antisera against connexin43 (Cx43), Cx40, and other cell markers. The results showed that isolated cardiomyocytes displayed rod shapes of various sizes, ranging from <50 μm to >200 μm in length, and all the cells expressed α-actinin and vinculin. Gap junctions made of various amounts of Cx43 and Cx40 were found at the cell borders. These two connexins were extensively co-localized. Comparison between the thoracic veins showed that cells of the SVC contained more Cx43 gap junctions (total Cx43 gap junctions area per cell surface area, 4.0 ± 0.2% vs 1.5 ± 0.2%; p<0.01). In addition, for single-nucleus cells, those from the PV were longer (103.7 ± 3.6 vs 85.0 ± 3.1 μm; p<0.01) but narrower (14.4 ± 0.5 vs 16.9 ± 0.9 μm; p<0.01). In conclusion, canine thoracic veins contain cardiomyocytes with differences in shape and gap junctions, suggesting that the electrical conduction properties may be different between the thoracic veins.
Dysregulation of Fatty Acid Metabolism in the Etiology of Type 2 Diabetes

Readers of this journal do not need to be reminded of the explosive increase in obesity/type 2 diabetes syndromes and their attendant staggering public health costs that are currently afflicting developed countries. Because of this alarming development and what it portends for the future if left unchecked, the American Diabetes Association, together with its counterparts around the world, as well as the World Health Organization, are faced with the daunting challenge of finding answers to two huge questions. First, what is the pathophysiological basis for these disorders? Second, why is their rate of appearance accelerating so rapidly at this particular juncture of human history, and what, if anything, can we do to intervene? The primary focus of this lecture will be on the first of these issues. I want to emphasize at the outset that I do not plan to dwell exclusively on our own studies in this area. Instead, I shall try to incorporate recent developments from a variety of other laboratories working in the field. Although these will of necessity have to be highly selective, I hope that collectively they will illustrate how we have come to a relatively new and exciting way of thinking about the etiology of type 2 diabetes.
The prognostic value of 18F-FDG PET-CT in the management of Hodgkin's lymphoma: preliminary results of a prospective study.

BACKGROUND To date, Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) patients have achieved long-term survival of more than 80%. Unfortunately, longer follow-up has shown serious adverse effects of the treatments used. For this reason, therapeutic strategies are becoming more tailored to the individual patient s prognosis. Pre-treatment risk factors for early-stage and advanced-stage HL are well known indicators of prognosis. Recently, early interim (18)F-FDG PET has been shown as a strong and independent predictor of progression-free survival in HL. Our aim was to assess response to therapy by repeating (18)F-FDG-PET/CT after four and six chemotherapy cycles. MATERIAL AND METHODS We evaluated 21 consecutive patients affected by (HL) and presenting for assessment over a period of three years. All patients underwent initial staging with (18)F-FDG-PET/CT along with standard staging procedures. We tailored an individual treatment plan dependent on pre-treatment risk factors and initial (18)F-FDG-PET/CT. With the aim of the best definition of response to treatment, we repeated (18)F-FDG-PET/CT after two (FDG-PET 2), four (FDG-PET 4) and six (FDG-PET 6) chemotherapy cycles. Chemotherapy was typically given for four cycles in early disease stages and was prolonged to six to eight cycles in advanced disease stages, depending on PET findings. RESULTS Our results showed a strong negative predictive value in detecting responders in early stage HL and a positive predictive value in advanced-stage patients. Clinical stage, extra-nodal sites and the positivity of the (18)F-FDG-PET/CT performed during chemotherapy were also noted as strong determinants of response to treatment. Moreover, in our series the (18)F-FDG-PET/CT data obtained after only two chemotherapy cycles (FDG-PET 2) were the same of those obtained after FDG-PET 4 and FDG-PET 6 controls. CONCLUSION The preliminary data of the present study confirm those of previous published studies about the negative predictive value of (18)F-FDG-PET/CT performed after four and six chemotherapy cycles, which contributed to the decision to stop treatment and to avoid radiotherapy in HL patients. Nonetheless, our preliminary data seems to suggest that only the (18)F-FDG-PET/CT performed after two cycles of chemotherapy (FDG-PET 2) is able to provide the same prognostic information of the FDG-PET 4 and FDG-PET 6 earlier.
Health Reform and Utilization of High-Volume Hospitals for Complex Cancer Operations.

PURPOSE Underinsured patients are less likely to receive complex cancer operations at hospitals with high surgical volumes (high-volume hospitals, or HVHs), which contributes to disparities in care. To date, the impact of insurance coverage expansion on site of complex cancer surgery remains unknown. METHODS Using the 2006 Massachusetts coverage expansion as a natural experiment, we searched the Hospital Cost and Utilization Project state inpatient databases for Massachusetts and control states (New York, New Jersey, and Florida) between 2001 and 2011 to evaluate changes in the utilization of HVHs for resections of bladder, esophageal, stomach, pancreatic, rectal, or lung cancer after the expansion of insurance coverage. We studied nonelderly, adult patients with private insurance and those with government-subsidized or self-pay (GSSP) coverage with a difference-in-differences framework. RESULTS We studied 11,687 patients in Massachusetts and 56,300 patients in control states. Compared with control states, the 2006 Massachusetts insurance expansion was associated with a 14% increased rate of surgical intervention for GSSP patients (incident rate ratio, 1.14; P = .015), but there was no significant change in the probability of GSSP patients undergoing surgery at an HVH (1.0 percentage-point increase; P = .710). The reform was associated with no change in the uninsured payer-mix at HVHs (0.6 percentage-point increase; P = .244) and with a 5.1 percentage-point decrease for the uninsured payer mix at low-volume hospitals ( P < .001). CONCLUSION The 2006 Massachusetts insurance expansion, a model for the Affordable Care Act, was associated with increased rates of complex cancer operations and increased insurance coverage but with no change in utilization of HVH for complex cancer operations.
Aspergillus hypersensitivity and allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis in patients with bronchial asthma: systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND The prevalence of Aspergillus hypersensitivity (AH) and allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) in bronchial asthma is reported differently in various studies. OBJECTIVE To determine the prevalence of AH and ABPA in asthma using a systematic review. METHODS We searched the MEDLINE and EMBASE databases for studies published from 1965 to 2008 and included studies that report the prevalence of AH/ABPA in asthma. We calculated the proportions with 95% confidence interval (CI) to assess the prevalence of AH/ABPA in the individual studies and pooled the results using a random effects model. RESULTS Our search yielded 21 eligible studies. The prevalence of AH in bronchial asthma was 28% (95%CI 24-34), and was higher with an intradermal test vs. a prick test (28.7% vs. 24.8%, P = 0.002), but did not vary with the type of antigen used (indigenous or commercial). The prevalence of ABPA in bronchial asthma and Aspergillus-hypersensitive bronchial asthma was respectively 12.9% (95%CI 7.9-18.9) and 40% (95%CI 27-53). There was a wide variation in the criteria used for the diagnosis of ABPA. There was significant statistical heterogeneity assessed by the I(2) test and Cochran Q statistic in all the outcomes. CONCLUSIONS There is a high prevalence of AH and ABPA in patients with bronchial asthma. Careful screening should therefore be performed in all patients with bronchial asthma. Intradermal tests are more sensitive than prick tests for the diagnosis of AH. Finally, there is a need to adopt a uniform methodology and criteria for the diagnosis of AH/ABPA.
The Role of the Audit Committee as a Corporate Governance Mechanism: The Case of the Banking Sector in Libya

Financial scandals in developed countries such as the USA and the UK have highlighted the need for greater transparency and credibility in order to protect shareholders and stakeholders alike. It has been argued that the audit committee (AC) is a key mechanism for achieving this transparency and protecting shareholders' interests. While there have been numerous attempts to investigate AC practice and effectiveness in developed countries, little is known about how these committees operate in developing countries such as Libya. Therefore, this research aims to: (1) explore the current role of ACs in the Libyan banking sector, (2) investigate the factors that affect their performance and (3) identify actions to enhance their effectiveness. To achieve these aims, the study employed a combination of quantitative (questionnaire survey) and qualitative (semi-structured interviews) methods to understand how five groups of actors within Libya's banking sector (i.e. board and AC members, executive managers, and internal and external auditors) perceive the role and practice of ACs. The questionnaire survey was designed to collect initial data, while follow-up interviews sought to gain an in-depth understanding of all relevant aspects of the subject. In total, 218 survey responses were analysed, and 20 semi-structured interviews were conducted with senior directors and managers. Although the findings broadly support agency theory's assumption that ACs play a vital role, they also indicate that ACs in the Libyan banking sector are not performing to a satisfactory standard; they play too limited a role in monitoring financial statements and enhancing the external audit process, and their effectiveness is too dependent on the strength of their relationship with the internal audit department. Institutional theory provides one possible explanation for this: ACs may be primarily designed to create legitimacy outside the organisation rather than to protect the interests of shareholders. The findings also show that a number of factors variously enable (e.g. independence, financial expertise and size) or inhibit (e.g. weak board governance and Government intervention) AC effectiveness. Finally, a number of actions were identified that could be taken to enhance the effectiveness of these committees (e.g. the proposal to strengthen the accounting and auditing profession in Libya). The study contributes to the ongoing debates about the AC's role by being the first to investigate how this role is performed in Libyan banks, which are in the early stages of implementing corporate governance. It addresses an information gap by providing new evidence from a developing country regarding the AC's role in corporate governance and discussing the impact of fourteen enabling and inhibiting factors on AC effectiveness. Finally, it is the first step towards identifying ways of enhancing the effectiveness of these committees and encouraging regulators and shareholders in Libya to pay greater attention to corporate governance mechanisms, including ACs.
Digital Coherent Receivers for Long-Reach Optical Access Networks

The relative merits of coherent-enabled optical access network architectures are explored, with a focus on achievable capacity, reach and split ratio. We review the progress in implementing the particular case of the ultra dense wavelength division multiplexed (UDWDM) passive optical network (PON), and discuss some challenges and solutions encountered. The applicability of digital signal processing (DSP) to coherent receivers in PONs is shown through the design and implementation of parallelized, low-complexity application-specific digital filters. In this work, we focus on mitigating the impact of local oscillator laser (LO) relative intensity noise (RIN) on receiver sensitivity, and propose an algorithm which compensates for this impairment. This phenomenon is investigated theoretically and then experimentally by evaluating the sensitivity of a coherent receiver incorporating different tunable light sources; a low-RIN external cavity laser (ECL) and a monolithically integrated digital supermode distributed Bragg reflector (DS-DBR) laser. It is shown that the RIN of the signal laser does not significantly contribute to the degradation of the receiver sensitivity. Finally, a 10 Gbit/s coherent PON is demonstrated using a DS-DBR laser as the LO laser. It is found that a receiver sensitivity of -38.8 dBm is achievable assuming the use of hard-decision forward error correction.
The Role of Knowledge Sharing to Improve the Quality of Human Resources

This study aims to determine the role of knowledge sharing in order to improve the quality of human resources. The research method used is a qualitative method with a descriptive explorative approach. From the results of the research conducted, the results show that the quality of human resources can be increased not only through formal education but can also be done through knowledge sharing among fellow employees and also received support from management, especially related to motivation, appreciation, and career path. With the sharing of knowledge, it will increase innovation and creativity of employees so that production can be improved and have high competitiveness so that it affects consumers' interest in buying woven products produced by craftsmen in Majalaya, Bandung Regency.
Are More Able Managers Good Future Tellers? Learning from Japan

Abstract Baik et al. (2011) find that high-ability managers in the U.S. are more likely to issue accurate management earnings forecasts. Focusing on Japan, where management earnings forecasts are effectively mandated, we extend the literature by exploring (1) whether the relationship between managerial ability and forecast accuracy is unique to the U.S. disclosure system, where management forecasts are voluntary, and (2) how high-ability managers increase their forecast accuracy. We find that managerial ability is negatively associated with forecast errors based on initial forecasts, suggesting that high-ability managers are more likely to issue accurate forecasts at the beginning of the fiscal year. We then show that high-ability managers are less likely to revise their initial earnings forecasts and less likely to use earnings management to improve the accuracy of their earnings forecasts. Our findings show that, while high-ability managers are more likely to issue accurate initial management forecasts, low-ability managers are more likely to revise their forecasts and conduct earnings management to reduce their forecast errors.
Evaluating The Effect of YouTube Advertising towards Young Customers’ Purchase Intention

The use of YouTube advertising by companies to communicate with their customers is increasing nowadays, along with the increasing number of YouTube audiences. But only a few scholars have examined the effectiveness of YouTube advertising on customers’ purchase intention. This study aims (1) to analyze the factors of YouTube advertising (e.g. entertainment, informativeness, customization, and irritation) and their impact on perceived YouTube advertising value; and (2) to evaluate the effect of YouTube advertising towards customers’ purchase intention. This was a conclusive quantitative research with 261 respondents aged 18–29 years. This study found that the more entertaining and the more informative the YouTube advertising, the higher the YouTube advertising value. However, the customization and irritation factors that were assumed to influence the YouTube advertising value, were not proven. Finally, the YouTube advertising value significantly positively influenced the customers’ purchase intention and was partially mediated by brand awareness.
Scheduling and rostering with learning constraint solvers

In this research we investigate using Constraint Programming (CP) with Lazy Clause Generation (LCG), that is, constraint solvers with nogood learning, to tackle a number of well known scheduling, rostering, and planning problems. We extend a number of CP constraints to be useable in an LCG solver, and we investigate alternative search strategies that use the Unsatisfiable Cores, i.e. reasons for failure returned by the LCG solver, to guide the search for optimal solutions. We give comprehensive analysis and experiments. These experiments show that while adding more and more sophisticated constraint propagators to LCG delivers diminishing returns, unsatisfiable-core optimization which leverages the infrastructure provided by LCG can deliver significant benefits which are unavailable in CP without LCG. Overall, we demonstrate that LCG is a highly competitive technology for solving realistic industrial scheduling and rostering problems to optimality, allowing that the problems are smaller than those tackled by competing algorithms which do not prove optimality.
External Quality Assessment Program for Chlamydia trachomatis Diagnostic Testing by Nucleic Acid Amplification Assays

ABSTRACT We report the results from 57 Australian diagnostic laboratories testing two external quality assessment panels using either the Roche Amplicor Chlamydia trachomatis test (R-PCR) or the Abbott LCx Chlamydia trachomatis assay (A-ligase chain reaction [LCR]). Panel samples were either normal urine spiked with Chlamydia trachomatis antigen or clinical urine specimens. There was no significant difference between laboratories or between assays in detection of C. trachomatis-positive clinical samples. Only at the lower limit of detection of the assays did the R-PCR demonstrate increased sensitivity over the A-LCR in the detection of C. trachomatis antigen. However, it was found that single-sample testing could lead to decreased test sensitivity. Detection of the presence of inhibitors of nucleic acid amplification differed between laboratories.
Risk Selection and Benefits in the Medicare+Choice Program

We estimate the relation between enhanced benefits offered by the Medicare+Choice (M+C) plan in 1999 and a measure of risk selection based on inpatient encounter data. Higher risks are attracted to plans that offer outpatient drug coverage. The risk score increases by 2.2 percent for drug coverage with an annual limit less than $800 and by 3.6 percent for coverage with a limit more than $800. However, some benefits such as dental coverage were related to favorable risk selection. If M+C plans competed on the basis of benefits and premiums, as they would if they could give untaxed premium rebates, benefits that attract high risks would be underprovided.
Epstein-Barr virus reactivation and upper-respiratory illness in elite swimmers.

PURPOSE The aim of this study was to investigate the relationships between latent viral shedding of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) in saliva, upper-respiratory illness, and mucosal immune suppression in a cohort of highly trained swimmers undertaking intensive training. METHODS Saliva was collected before selected training sessions from 14 elite male swimmers during a 30-d period of intensive training. Prior infection with EBV was determined by EBV antibody serology. Salivary IgA concentrations were measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and EBV viral shedding (EBV-DNA) was detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Symptoms of upper-respiratory illness were recorded daily. RESULTS Eleven swimmers (79%) were seropositive for prior EBV infection. Seven EBV seropositive swimmers (64%) had EBV-DNA detected during the study period. Upper-respiratory symptoms (URS) were reported in six of seven swimmers in whom EBV-DNA was detected and in three of four swimmers with no EBV-DNA detection. No URS were reported in the EBV seronegative swimmers. There was a statistically significant relationship between EBV serology status and URS (P = 0.027). EBV-DNA was detected in saliva before the appearance of URS. Salivary IgA levels were significantly lower immediately before the URS (P = 0.01) compared with subsequent peak IgA levels and declined to pre-URS levels on average 11 d after the first appearance of URS. CONCLUSIONS The time course of appearance of EBV-DNA in relation to URS suggests latent viral EBV shedding may be a contributing factor in the URS. The low levels of salivary IgA detected before the URS indicated transient mucosal immune suppression in the study cohort. The viral shedding may alternatively be a reflection of the altered immune control mechanisms that occur in response to intensive exercise and unrelated to the URS.