Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Response of myocardial oxygenation to breathing manoeuvres and adenosine infusion.

AIMS Testing for inducible myocardial ischaemia is one of the most important diagnostic procedures and has a strong impact on clinical decision-making. Current standard protocols are typically limited by the required infusion of vasodilatory substances. Recent data indicate that changes of myocardial oxygenation induced by hyperventilation and breath-holds can be monitored by oxygenation-sensitive (OS) cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) and may be useful for assessing coronary vascular function. As tests using breathing manoeuvres may be safer, easier, and more comfortable than vasodilator stress agent infusion, we compared its impact on myocardial oxygenation with that of a standard adenosine infusion protocol. METHODS AND RESULTS In 20 healthy volunteers, we assessed changes of myocardial oxygenation using OS-CMR at 3 T during adenosine infusion (140 µg/kg/min, i.v.) and during voluntary breathing manoeuvres: a maximal breath-hold following normal breathing and a maximal breath-hold following 60 s of hyperventilation. The study was successfully completed in 19 subjects. There was a significantly stronger myocardial response for hyperventilation (decrease of -10.6 ± 7.8%) and the following breath-hold (increase of 14.8 ± 6.6%) than adenosine (3.9 ± 6.5%), whereas a simple maximal voluntary breath-hold yielded a similar signal intensity increase (3.1 ± 3.9%). Subjective side effects occurred significantly more often with adenosine, especially in females. CONCLUSIONS Hyperventilation combined with a subsequent long breath-hold and hyperventilation alone both have a greater impact on myocardial oxygenation changes than an intravenous administration of a standard dose of adenosine, as assessed by OS-CMR. Breathing manoeuvres may be more efficient, safer, and more comfortable than adenosine for the assessment of the coronary vasomotor response.
An application of a profile-based method for authorship verification: Investigating the authenticity of Pliny the Younger's letter to Trajan concerning the Christians

Pliny the Younger's letter to Trajan regarding the Christians is a crucial subject for the studies on early Christianity. A serious quarrel among scholars concerning its genuineness arose between the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th; per contra, Plinian authorship has not been seriously questioned in the last few decades. After analysing various kinds of internal and external evidence in favour of and against the authenticity of the letter, a modern stylometric method is applied in order to examine whether internal linguistic evidence allows one to definitely settle the debate.The findings of this analysis tend to contradict received opinion among modern scholars, affirming the authenticity of Pliny’s letter, and suggest instead the presence of large amounts of interpolation inside the text of the letter, since its stylistic behaviour appears highly different from that of the rest of Book X.
Evaluating the impact of PBL and tablet PCs in an algorithms and computer programming course

The introductory undergraduate course on Algorithms and Computer Programming, commonly known as CS1, has always presented a challenge when considering student failure and drop out rates. Despite this, it is acknowledged that this is a foundational course for a large part of the CS curriculum. In this paper we present the results of a project that combines the use of mobile, pen-based, computing technology and Problem-Based Learning in the redesign of an introductory computer programming course. The course redesign focused on the integrated use of tablet PCs to assist in the several activities involved in the use of the PBL method in the classroom. The results show a promising future for the methodology, also pointing to the need for some important adaptations in order to make its use more effective to teach and learn this particular discipline.
Nerve sparing‐distally based sural flap

The management of soft‐tissue defects in the ankle and foot area is a challenging task. Distally based sural flap is widely used, however it leaves donor area paresthesia. For this purpose, the sural nerve was dissected and preserved in the distally based sural flap in five cases of ankle and foot soft tissue reconstruction. This modification did not cause any compromise in flap circulation. All flaps survived with one partial distal necrosis. We suggest that, the distally based nerve sparing sural flap can be securely elevated with only a 3–4 cm wide subcutaneous pedicle without any compromise in flap circulation. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc. Microsurgery, 2011.
Potential consequences of altered neurogenesis on learning and memory in the epileptic brain

Studies of epilepsy and memory are tied by their common dependence on the hippocampal formation and the adjacent brain structures in the temporal lobe. With the discovery of adult neurogenesis and the consequent revisions of our understanding of how the hippocampus works, the role of neurogenesis in epilepsy needs to be addressed. In this article, we outline two theories describing how neurogenesis contributes to the hippocampus‐dependent learning. We speculate that any drastic changes in neurogenesis will negatively impact the hippocampal memory processing.
Group Story Mapping

Heterogenous groups of third/fourth graders, including five learning disabled and low achieving students, were taught to use a story mapping strategy to improve reading comprehension. A multiple baseline design across two groups was used to demonstrate group control. A model-lead-test teaching paradigm was used to shape comprehension responses to a level of independence, without teacher assistance. Group averages for daily comprehension maintained above 80% correct when children were no longer required to use the strategy. Four out of five of the poor comprehenders also maintained improved comprehension above 75% correct. Improvements were found to generalize to measures of listening comprehension, criterion-referenced tests in the curriculum, and spontaneous story writing. These improvements did not generalize well to all subtests of the Nelson Reading Skills Test, raising questions about the difference in student performance on group versus individually-administered tests. The major conclusions were that comprehension can be improved for normal and low achieving children using a schema-based approach and that ability grouping is not necessary to achieve this end.
The Impact of Ownership Concentration on Dividend Payout Policy: Evidence From Turkey

Bu calismada sahiplik yogunlasmasinin temettu dagitim kararlari uzerine etkisi arastirilmistir. Rassal Etkili Tobit ve Sistem Genellestirilmis Momentler Metodunun kullanildigi calismada, Borsa Istanbul’a kote 116 sanayi sirketinin 20042009 donemi verilerinden faydalanilmistir. Elde edilen bulgular, sahiplik yogunlasmasinin temettu verimini pozitif yonde etkiledigini gostermektedir. Ayrica firmalarin karlilik orani, borclanma duzeyi, yatirim harcamalari ve Piyasa Degeri/Defter Degeri oraninin temettu dagitim kararlari uzerinde onemli bir etkiye sahip oldugu tespit edilmistir. Sadece kar dagitan firmalar goz onunde bulunduruldugunda, yogunlasma duzeyini temsil eden tum kukla degiskenler ile karlilik, piyasa degeri ve yatirim degiskenlerinin firmalarin kar dagitim oranlarini belirledigi gorulmektedir. Kar dagitan firmalardan olusan orneklem, dusuk ve yuksek hizda buyuyen firmalar seklinde iki gruba ayrildiginda, dusuk hizda buyuyen firmalarin temettu dagitim kararlarinda sahiplik yogunlasmasinin herhangi bir etkisinin olmadigi gorulmustur. Hizli buyuyen firmalarda ise temettu dagitim kararlarinin sahiplik yogunlasmasi, karlilik, piyasa degeri ve yatirim harcamalari tarafindan belirlendigi ortaya konulmustur
Presence of CD30(+) and CD30L(+) cells in human placenta and soluble CD30 levels in cord blood are independent of maternal atopy.

The intrauterine environment is characterized by a Th2 dominance during pregnancy, a milieu that also promotes atopic allergy. The aim of this study was to compare the presence of CD30, a molecule associated with Th2 related disorders such as atopic allergy, and its ligand (CD30L) in placenta in order to investigate if the placenta environment differs between atopic and non-atopic women. Serum concentrations of soluble CD30 (sCD30) from the mothers and their newborns were also elucidated. There were no differences in the immunohistochemical expression of CD30 and CD30L in placenta from atopic (n=28) compared with non-atopic (n=37) women. CD30 was expressed on the decidual stromal cells alone, while CD30L, previously not described in placenta, was detected on macrophage-like HLA-DR(+) cells throughout the mesenchymal chorionic villi. Serum sCD30 in atopic mothers was significantly elevated compared with serum sCD30 in non-atopic mothers (P< 0.05), while sCD30 levels in cord blood were similar in both groups independently of maternal atopic heredity. We suggest that sCD30 in cord blood and CD30 expression by decidual cells may reflect the Th2 environment surrounding the fetus, and both CD30 and CD30L could have immune regulatory functions in placenta.
Hotspots in climate change and human health

The health effects of climate change will affect vulnerable low income populations first, and this review provides convincing evidence of the public health importance of monitoring hotspots of climate change and health Is climate change a serious threat to health? According to the most recent international assessments it unquestionably is, although its impact depends on where you live, your age, access to health care, and your public health infrastructure.1–4 Arguably, climate change is one of the largest environmental and health equity challenges of our times; wealthy energy consuming nations are most responsible for the emissions that cause global warming, yet poor countries are most at risk. In a globalised world, however, the health of populations in rich countries is affected as a result of international travel, trade, and human migration. Mapping “hotspots” of ecological risk has proved to be a useful construct for prioritising and focusing resources to stem the threat of losing biodiversity. Similarly, identifying hotspots in climate change and human health may help public health practitioners in anticipating and preventing any additional burden of disease. #### Summary box Health effects from climate change will stem from altered temperatures, extremes of precipitation (floods and droughts), air pollution, and infectious diseases Although risk may be low compared with current acute health crises, the attributable burden of such a widespread global phenomenon may be quite high Any region or population with concurrent environmental or socioeconomic stresses will be at risk Long term disease surveillance must be maintained or established in suspected hotspots of climate change and health risks to enhance detection and prevention of disease Climate change represents one of the greatest environmental and health equity challenges of our times; wealthy energy consuming nations are most responsible for global warming, yet poor countries are at most risk Clinicians should recognise these …
Views on Dignity of Elderly Nursing Home Residents

Discussion about a dignified death has almost exclusively been applied to palliative care and people dying of cancer. As populations are getting older in the western world and living with chronic illnesses affecting their everyday lives, it is relevant to broaden the definition of palliative care to include other groups of people. The aim of the study was to explore the views on dignity at the end of life of 12 elderly people living in two nursing homes in Sweden. A hermeneutic approach was used to interpret the material, which was gathered during semi-structured interviews. A total of 39 interviews were transcribed. The analysis revealed three themes: (1) the unrecognizable body; (2) fragility and dependency; and (3) inner strength and a sense of coherence.
Prevented Sudden Stops Eduardo Cavallo Inter-American Development Bank Alejandro Izquierdo Inter-American Development Bank

This paper explores the determinants behind the decision of domestic investor to adjust their asset position in response to a variation in gross capital inflows and avoid episodes of net sudden stops. We present evidence that while sudden stops in gross inflows are associated with global conditions, domestic factors such as the degree of domestic liability dollarization, economic growth and institutional background are important to prevent these episodes in becoming net sudden stops.
A Survey on DCSK-Based Communication Systems and Their Application to UWB Scenarios

In the past two decades, chaotic modulations have drawn a great deal of attention in low-power and low-complexity wireless communication applications due to their excellent anti-fading and anti-intercept capabilities. Of particular interest is the differential chaos shift keying (DCSK), which is considered as a very promising chaotic modulation scheme that achieves not only good error performance, but also low implementation complexity. In this treatise, we provide an insightful survey on the state-of-the-art research in DCSK-based communication systems through an extensive open literature search. In doing so, we firstly review the principles of DCSK modulation and the significant milestones since its inception. Subsequently, we introduce meritorious variants of DCSK, all of which can outperform the original one in certain aspects. We also present the joint design guidelines when combining DCSK with other critical techniques, e.g., error-correction coding and cooperative communication, in wireless communications under both single-user and multiaccess scenarios. Besides, we summarize research progress in the application of DCSK-based communication systems to ultra-wideband scenarios and their corresponding advantages. Specifically, we restrict our attention to the relevant modulation and system designs, as well as their performance-analysis methodologies. This survey aims not only to allow researchers understanding the development and current status of DCSK-based communication systems, but also to inspire further research in this area.
Group Online Mindfulness Training

Mindfulness-based stress reduction training is attractive, but training with an expert teacher is often inconvenient and costly. This proof-of-concept project assessed the feasibility of providing a hybrid of free online mindfulness-based stress reduction training with small group peer facilitation. Six medical students asked a family medicine resident with 5 years of meditation experience but no formal training as a teacher to facilitate 8 weekly group sessions using a free online mindfulness-based stress reduction course. They completed pre- and posttraining questionnaires online. Six of the 7 trainees completed at least half the sessions. Completers and noncompleters had similar age (29 years), gender (about half male), and health status. Changes in the expected direction were observed for perceived stress, mindfulness, resilience, and confidence in providing calm, compassionate care. The hybrid of online mindfulness-based stress reduction training with peer support is feasible. Additional research is warranted to formally evaluate the impact of this approach.
A Piezoelectric Micromachined Ultrasonic Transducer Using Piston-Like Membrane Motion

Piezoelectric micromachined ultrasonic transducer (pMUT) is a promising candidate for the next-generation 3-D diagnostic ultrasonic imaging. However, the transmitting sensitivity of reported pMUT is not satisfied so far. Enhancement of the transmitting sensitivity hence is always desirable. In this letter, we report a piston-like pMUT. With the help of etching holes in the membrane, the mode shape becomes from Gaussian-like to piston-like, which enables higher transmitted acoustic pressure. In addition, frequency of such pMUT does not decrease after etching holes are fabricated, but slightly increases. Higher frequency for ultrasonic imaging thus is practical, and the frequency can be predicted by well-established methods. Sensitivity of 73 nm/V at 2.31 MHz is achieved for the piston-like pMUT with three rows of etching holes. Benefited from the piston-like membrane motion, the space pressure level is 5.3 dB higher than the classical pMUT.
2.4-GHz 7.4-mW 300-kHz flicker-noise-corner direct conversion receiver using 0.18 μm CMOS and deep-n-well NPN BJT

A low-power low-flicker-noise receiver is demonstrated using 0.18 μm CMOS technology. Vertical-NPN bipolar junction transistors (BJTs) in standard CMOS process are used to substitute the mixer switching core and the input stage of subsequent IF VGA. Compared with the conventional CMOS mixer, the excellent flicker noise performance is obtained. As a result, the receiver achieves a 47 dB voltage gain at 2.4-GHz, and the noise figure is 9.6 dB at IF=100 kHz and 5.6 dB for IF>300 kHz. The total current consumption is 4.3 mA at 1.8 V supply voltage.
Direct Power Control Applied to Doubly Fed Induction Generator Under Unbalanced Grid Voltage Conditions

This paper analyzes the effects of unbalanced voltage on doubly fed induction generators. It also presents a novel control strategy based on direct power control (DPC+) applied to this type of generators, predominant in wind energy applications, that enables them to work under perturbed conditions and achieve optimum results. Although the technique can be implemented to control both rotor converters and grid converters, we will hereby exemplify the former which regulates stator active and reactive power. The results obtained with DPC+ are then compared through experimental tests to indicate that the technique is suitable and achieves good dynamic responses while controlling current distortion, power or torque oscillations. The validation of results has been performed through experimental tests on a 20-kW generator.
Philosophy of Information: Revolution in Philosophy. Towards an Informational Metaphilosophy of Science

In the most general if unconventional terms, science is the study of how man is part of the universe. Philosophy is the study of man’s ideas of the universe and how man differs from the rest of the universe. It has of course been recognized that philosophy and science are not totally disjointed. Science is in any case not a monolithic entity but refers to knowledge as the results of reasoning and both invasive and non-invasive experiment. We argue that the philosophy of science, in studying the foundations, methods and implications of science and the link between philosophy and science, must now take into account the impact of the rapidly developing science and philosophy of information. We suggest that the philosophy of information is in fact a metaphilosophy, since informational processes operate in all the sciences and their philosophies. The simplest definition of (a) metaphilosophy is that of a set of statements about (a) philosophy, and any definition of a metaphilosophy thus requires one of philosophy and of the task of philosophy as well. According to Sellars, “the aim of philosophy is to understand how things in the broadest possible sense of the term hang together in the broadest possible sense of the term”. In this paper, we focus on the recursive thought underlying those statements as real processes, occurring both in and between the fundamental and the meta-level. We propose a non-standard logic, Logic in Reality, as the logic of those processes. The metaphilosophy of information is thus a framework for talking about the scientific aspects of philosophy and the philosophical aspects of science. Both Logic in Reality and the metaphilosophy of information provide a basis for understanding the physical and epistemological dynamics of existence, that is, from where the properties of things come that enable both them and the concepts of them to contrast, conflict and ultimately “hang together”. We conclude that the current convergence of science and philosophy under the influence of information science constitutes a revolution in philosophy, that is, in how science and philosophy are done. Many of the issues discussed in the metaphilosophy of information may thus be viewed as part of an emerging informational metaphilosophy of science.
The changing face of scientific discourse: Analysis of genomic and proteomic database usage and acceptance

The explosion of the field of molecular biology is paralleled by the growth in usage and acceptance of Web-based genomic and proteomic databases (GPD) such as GenBank and Protein Data Bank in the scholarly communication of scientists. Surveys, case studies, analysis of bibliographic records from Medline and CAPlus, and examination of "Instructions to Authors" sections of molecular biology journals all confirm the integral role of GPD in the scientific literature cycle. Over the past 20 years the place of GPD in the culture of molecular biologists was observed to move from tacit implication to explicit knowledge. Originally journals suggested deposition of data in GDP but by the late 1980s, the majority of journals mandated deposition of data for a manuscript to be accepted for publication. A surge subsequently occurred in the number of articles retrievable from Medline and CAPlus using the keyword "GenBank. " GPD were not found to a new form of publication, but rather a fundamental storage and retrieval mechanism for vast amounts of molecular biology information that support the creation of scientific intellectual property. For science to continue to advance, scientists unequivocally agreed that GDP must remain free of peer-review and available at no charge to the public. The results suggest that the existing models of scientific communication should be updated to incorporate GDP data deposition into the current continuum of scientific communication.
The Family Member Provider Outreach program.

The Frontline Reports column features short descriptions of novel approaches to mental health problems or creative applications of established concepts in different settings. Material submitted for the column should be 350 to 750 words long, with a maximum of three authors (one is preferred), and no references, tables, or figures. Send material to Francine Cournos, M.D., at the New York State Psychiatric Institute (fc15@columbia.edu) or to Stephen M. Goldfinger, M.D., at SUNY Downstate Medical Center (steve007ny@aol.com).