Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Frequency-domain and multirate adaptive filtering

An overview is presented of several frequency-domain adaptive filters that efficiently process discrete-time signals using block and multirate filtering techniques. These algorithms implement a linear convolution that is equivalent to a block time-domain adaptive filter, or they generate a circular convolution that is an approximation. Both approaches exploit the computational advantages of the FFT. Subband adaptive filtering is also briefly described. Here the input data are first processed by a bank of narrowband bandpass filters that are approximately nonoverlapping. The transformed signals are then decimated by a factor that depends on the degree of aliasing that can be tolerated, resulting in a large computational savings. Several performance issues are considered, including convergence properties and computational complexities of the adaptive algorithms and the effects of circular convolution and aliasing on the converged filter coefficients. <<ETX>>
Neurovascular dysfunction precedes neural dysfunction in the retina of patients with type 1 diabetes.

PURPOSE A variety of studies have shown that flicker-induced vasodilatation is reduced in patients with diabetes. It is, however, unclear whether reduced neural activity or abnormal neurovascular coupling is the reason for this phenomenon. In the present study, we hypothesized that retinal neurovascular dysfunction precedes neural dysfunction in patients with early type 1 diabetes. METHODS In the present study, 50 patients with type 1 diabetes without retinopathy and 50 healthy age- and sex-matched control subjects were included. The retinal vascular response to flicker stimulation was measured using the dynamic Retinal Vessel Analyzer. In addition, the response in retinal blood velocity to flicker stimulation as assessed with laser Doppler velocimetry was studied in a subgroup of patients. Pattern electroretinography (ERG) was used to measure neural retinal function. RESULTS The flicker responses of both retinal arteries and veins were significantly reduced in patients with diabetes (veins in the diabetic group: 3.5 ± 2.3% versus healthy control group: 4.6 ± 2.0%; P = 0.022 between groups, whereas arteries in the diabetic group: 2.0 ± 2.7% versus healthy control group: 3.8 ± 1.7%; P < 0.001 between groups). Likewise, the response of retinal blood velocity was reduced in patients with diabetes, although adequate readings could only be obtained in a subgroup of subjects (diabetic group [n = 22]: 19 ± 7%; healthy control group [n = 24]: 43 ± 19% P < 0.001 between groups). The parameters of pattern ERG were not different between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS The study confirms that flicker responses are reduced early in patients with type 1 diabetes. This is seen before alterations in pattern ERG indicating abnormal neurovascular coupling.
Referral Patterns for Adjuvant Chemotherapy in Patients with Completely Resected Non-small Cell Lung Cancer

Background: Lung cancer remains a leading cause of cancer-related mortality in North America. Despite potentially curative resection, non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients remain at high risk of relapse and death, with a 5-year survival rate of less than 67%. Several randomized trials now confirm a survival benefit with adjuvant platinum-based chemotherapy seen in the NSCLC Collaborative Group meta-analysis, including the International Adjuvant Lung Trial, National Cancer Institute of Canada BR.10, and Adjuvant Navelbine International Trialist Association (ANITA) trials, with absolute improvements in 4- and 5-year survival rates of 4% to 15%. This study examines whether referral patterns for adjuvant therapy in NSCLC have changed since the presentation of confirmatory trials. Methods: Retrospective chart review was undertaken at a major tertiary care center, identifying patients with completely resected stages I–IIIA NSCLC from May 2003 to May 2005. Results: A total of 204 patients were identified (59 IA, 77 IB, 8 IIA, 41 IIB, and 19 IIIA). Institutional policy before May of 2003 was not to administer adjuvant therapy outside a clinical trial. After presentation of the International Adjuvant Lung Trial in May 2003, 31% (36/115) of patients with completely resected NSCLC from May 2003 to May 2004 were referred for adjuvant chemotherapy. After presentation of the BR.10 and Cancer and Leukemia Group B 9633 results in June 2004, 63% (56/89) were referred between June 2004 and May 2005. Reasons for not referring to a medical oncologist included stage IA disease, surgeon thought adjuvant therapy inappropriate, patient declined, comorbidities, postoperative complications, and advanced age. Of 92 patients referred to medical oncology, 42 (46%) received adjuvant chemotherapy. Reasons for not prescribing adjuvant chemotherapy included patient refusal (50%), comorbidities (14%), stage IA (10%), and advanced age (4%). Vinorelbine/cisplatin was the regimen most commonly used (67%). Conclusions: The presentation of positive adjuvant therapy trials in NSCLC has changed clinical practice substantially, doubling the number of patients with completely resected NSCLC referred for adjuvant chemotherapy since May 2004 (31% versus 63%). Although new evidence to support adjuvant chemotherapy in lung cancer is being disseminated to and accepted by physicians, more patient education and decision support may be required to increase uptake of adjuvant therapy in the early stage NSCLC population.
A Robust Corner Matching Technique

In contour-based comer detectors, absolute curvature values of many corners either remain unaltered or change slightly under affine transformations. Moreover, affine-length of a curve is relatively invariant to affine transformations. This paper presents a novel corner matching technique using corners detected by contour-based detectors. For each corner we use its position, absolute curvature value, and affine-lengths between this corner and other corners on the same curve. The iterative matching procedure tries to find three corner matches with minimum absolute curvature difference to calculate affine transformation parameters. Original corners are transformed with the estimated parameters prior to matching with the test corner set.
Re-Establishing Psychodynamic Theory as Foundational Knowledge for Psychiatric/Mental Health Nursing

Psychiatric nursing care is based on an interpersonal process that relies on the therapeutic use of self in the service of patient care. Despite acknowledgment of the importance of the relationship, there has been little attention paid to the knowledge embedded in psychodynamic theory that can provide a basis for understanding the nurse-patient relationship. This paper argues that nurses need to understand and apply such theory if they are to pursue the assertion that the relationship with the patient is the foundation of their practice. The authors discuss the essential components of psychodynamic theory and their application to nursing as well as the possible reasons for the loss of interest in such theory.
N‐Methyl‐d‐Aspartate Receptor Desensitisation Is Neuroprotective by Inhibiting Glutamate‐Induced Apoptotic‐Like Death

Abstract: Glutamate excitotoxicity is implicated in several neurodegenerative diseases; consequently, considerable effort has been made to elucidate neuroprotective mechanisms against such toxicity. N‐Methyl‐d‐aspartate (NMDA) receptor desensitisation is one potential mechanism for controlling glutamate‐mediated neuronal cell death. Pretreatment of rat cerebellar granule cells with subtoxic concentrations of NMDA caused a marked reduction in the calcium signals generated by subsequent glutamate stimulation, and, furthermore, this receptor desensitisation was coupled to a reduction in glutamate‐induced apoptotic‐like death. These effects were reduced by either d‐2‐amino‐5‐phosphonopentanoic acid, an NMDA receptor antagonist, or cyclosporin A, an inhibitor of calcineurin. Thus, the results support a role for receptor desensitisation in protection from glutamate‐mediated apoptotic‐like neuronal cell death.
Adult Stem Cell Therapy for Cardiac Repair in Patients After Acute Myocardial Infarction Leading to Ischemic Heart Failure: An Overview of Evidence from the Recent Clinical Trials

Background: Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) still represent the leading cause of mortality worldwide, despite the remarkable advances in interventional cardiology, cardiac surgery, and modern pharmacotherapy, particularly in the setting of acute myocardial infarction (AMI), chronic ischemic heart failure (HF), cardiomyopathy (CM), and the associated left ventricular (LV) dysfunction. A significant loss of cardiomyocytes that underlies all of these conditions was previously considered irreversible. However, current evidence indicates that the human heart has some potential for repair, and over the past decade, many research studies have been exploring the use of stem cells (SCs) to facilitate restoration of myocardium. Consequently, the safety, feasibility, and effectiveness of SC therapy have been reported in many randomized clinical trials (RCTs), using different lineages of adult SCs. Nevertheless, the clinical benefits of SC therapy are not yet well established. In the near future, understanding of the complex interrelations between SCs, paracrine factors, genetic or epigenetic pre-dispositions, and myocardial microenvironment, in the context of an individual patient, will be crucial for translation of this knowledge into practical development of successful, long-term regenerative SC therapeutic applications, in a growing population of patients suffering from previous myocardial in-farction (MI) leading to chronic ischemic cardiomyopathy. Conclusion: This overview highlights the therapeutic potential of adult SCs in terms of their possible regenerative capacity, safety, and clinical outcomes, in patients with AMI, and/or subsequent HF (due to chronic ischemic cardiomyopathy). This review was based upon PubMed database search for trials on SC therapy, in patients with AMI and HF, and the main timeframe was set from 2006 to 2016.
An Open Event-Driven Architecture for Reactive Programming and Lifecycle Management in Space-Based Middleware

Highly dynamic distributed applications often require flexible coordination among several autonomous components. Space-based middleware provides a suitable, data-driven coordination paradigm for such scenarios, where distributed peers exchange data and commands in a scalable and decoupled way using shared tuple spaces. In its basic form, such a middleware supports access to a data storage and (blocking) queries on the stored tuples. However, in many cases the injection of additional server-side logic would ease the development of complex applications, as the semantics of the tuple space can be adapted to domain-specific requirements.This paper introduces reactive programming features for XVSM, a space-based middleware that enhances the tuple space concept with powerful coordination mechanisms. We present a comprehensive extension mechanism that supports the execution of application logic in reaction to composite and time-based events. As an example for the feasibility of the approach, we provide a bootstrapped solution for a leasing mechanism that manages the lifetime of data in the space.
Regression of coronary atheroma with statin therapy

Purpose of reviewThis article reviews coronary atheroma regression with statin therapy. Recent findingsUnlocking the mechanisms of atherogenesis and plaque progression has been fundamental to understanding the means by which contemporary antiatherosclerotic therapies lower cardiovascular risk. The advent of intracoronary imaging has helped chart the natural course of coronary atherosclerosis and evaluate therapeutic strategies that modify its natural progression. From earlier intravascular ultrasonography studies using lower dose statins to recent clinical trials evaluating the long-term effects of high-intensity statin therapies, our understanding of the relationship between incremental low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol lowering and coronary atheroma progression–regression has evolved considerably, particularly in patients of varying cardiometabolic risk including those with diabetes mellitus and acute coronary syndromes. Evaluating the impact of novel therapies on coronary atheroma using imaging will continue to be integral in establishing their mechanistic benefit prior to embarking on large-scale, expensive, long-duration randomized trials powered for clinical end points. SummaryStatins have remarkably impacted the natural course of coronary atherogenesis. Intravascular imaging has proven crucial in evaluating the mechanisms by which we can curb coronary atheroma progression and induce its regression. The insights gleaned from intravascular imaging trials evaluating statins have been complementary to the findings from large-scale trials powered for clinical end points.
Two Women, Two Wars, Two Plays:Queen Elizabeth I and Lady Thatcherin the Theatre

Theatre does not only provide people with mere entertainment but also throughout history it has functioned as an effective instrument through which those in power impose their policies or playwrights vigorously criticize these policies. In this sense, Elizabethan drama, which is often associated with Shakespeare, played a significant role of endorsing the ideas and policies of a woman ruler, Queen Elizabeth I, namely maintenance of order and equilibrium in that particular period, whereas Lady Thatcher’s policies, one of the longest serving politician in British Political History, came under severe criticism from the prominent contemporary playwrights in the 1980s. In this paper, Elizabeth I and Margaret Thatcher are compared in terms of their portrait in the theatre by referring to two plays, Henry V and Sink the Belgrano! Although Henry V is not a play directly about Elizabeth I, it celebrates Elizabeth I and her victory at the defeat of Spanish Armada. And Sink the Belgrano! directly criticizes Thatcher’s policy in Falklands War.
Bubbles and Information: An Experiment

A symmetric distribution of information, although omnipresent in real markets, is rarely considered in experimental economics. We study whether information about imminent future dividends can abate bubbles in experimental asset markets. We find that markets with asymmetrically informed traders have significantly smaller bubbles than markets with symmetrically informed or uninformed traders. Hence, fundamental values are better reflected in market prices---implying higher market efficiency---when some traders know more than others about future dividends. This suggests that bubbles are abated when traders know that a subset of them have an edge (in information) over others. This paper was accepted by Brad Barber, Teck Ho, and Terrance Odean, special issue editors.
Enhanced Depolarization‐Evoked Calcium Signal and Reduced [ATP]/[ADP] Ratio Are Unrelated Events Induced by Oxidative Stress in Synaptosomes

Abstract: Oxidative insult elicited by hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) was previously shown to increase the basal intracellular Ca2+ concentration in synaptosomes. In the present study, the effect of H2O2 on the depolarization‐evoked [Ca2+] signal was investigated. Pretreatment of synaptosomes with H2O2 (0.1–1 mM) augmented the [Ca2+] rise elicited by high K+ depolarization with essentially two alterations, the sudden sharp rise of [Ca2+]i due to K+ depolarization is enhanced and, instead of a decrease to a stable plateau, a slow, steady rise of [Ca2+]i follows the peak [Ca2+]i. H2O2 in the same concentration range lowered the ATP level and the [ATP]/[ADP] ratio. When carbonyl cyanide p‐(trifluoromethoxy)phenylhydrazone (FCCP) (1 µM) or rotenone (2 µM)/oligomycin (10 µM) was applied initially to block mitochondrial ATP production, the lowered [ATP]/[ADP] ratio was further reduced by subsequent addition of 0.5 mM H2O2. The decline of the [ATP]/[ADP] ratio was parallel with but could not explain the enhanced K+‐evoked [Ca2+]i signal, indicated by experiments in which the [ATP]/[ADP] ratio was decreased by FCCP (0.1 µM) or rotenone (2 µM) to a similar value as by H2O2 without causing any alteration in the [Ca2+]i signal. These results indicate that H2O2‐evoked oxidative stress, in its early phase, gives rise to a complex dysfunction in the Ca2+ homeostasis and, parallel with it, to an impaired energy status.
The small subset of CD56brightCD16– natural killer cells is selectively responsible for both cell proliferation and interferon‐γ production upon interaction with dendritic cells

The encounter of NK cells with dendritic cells (DC) undergoing maturation may result in the induction of NK cell proliferation. Whether such proliferation involves most NK cells or just a subset has yet to be determined. In the present study we analyzed the nature of such proliferating NK cells by combining carboxyfluorescein succinimidyl ester staining and double‐fluorescence cytofluorimetric analysis. Freshly isolated peripheral blood NK cells cultured with LPS and immature DC underwent proliferation; however, proliferating cells were confined to a minor NK cell subset. This subset is characterized by the CD56brightCD16–NKG2A+KIR– surface phenotype (KIR, killer Ig‐like receptor). This was further confirmed by the fact that, after cell sorting, only the CD56bright NK cells were able to proliferate in response to the DC stimulus, whereas the CD56dull were not. We also provide evidence that the CD56bright subset is the main source of IFN‐γ‐producing NK cells, upon interaction with DC. The CD56brightCD16– NK cells express a panel of surface molecules including CD62L, CCR7 and CXCR3 that may allow their homing either to secondary lymphoid compartments or to inflamed tissues. This implies that, in vivo, the interactions between DC undergoing maturation and CD56bright NK cells may occur in different tissues and have different functional implications.
An electron microscopy study of changes in dense core vesicles of PC12 cells following pulse depolarization

Depolarization of PC12 cells by brief pulses of high K+ or ATP produces electrophysiological responses consistent with the quantal release of ATP. Quantitative electron microscopy was used to validate whether the same protocol changed dense core vesicles containing endogenous ATP. The total vesicle number fell by 54% after high K+ and by 21% after ATP. Perimembrane vesicles were significantly depleted by high K+, yet unchanged by ATP, suggesting differential contribution by vesicle pools to distinct stimuli during the release process. Vesicle changes were consistent with vesicular release mechanisms for the liberation of discrete packets of endogenous ATP. These data thus support the use of clustered PC12 cells as a model to study the process of ATP release.
The limited relevance of drug policy: cannabis in Amsterdam and in San Francisco.

OBJECTIVES We tested the premise that punishment for cannabis use deters use and thereby benefits public health. METHODS We compared representative samples of experienced cannabis users in similar cities with opposing cannabis policies-Amsterdam, the Netherlands (decriminalization), and San Francisco, Calif (criminalization). We compared age at onset, regular and maximum use, frequency and quantity of use over time, intensity and duration of intoxication, career use patterns, and other drug use. RESULTS With the exception of higher drug use in San Francisco, we found strong similarities across both cities. We found no evidence to support claims that criminalization reduces use or that decriminalization increases use. CONCLUSIONS Drug policies may have less impact on cannabis use than is currently thought.
Continued Fractions and Hyperbolic Geometry

This thesis uses hyperbolic geom etry to study various classes of both real and com plex continued fractions. This intuitive approach gives insight into the theory of continued fractions that is not so easy to ob­ tain from traditional algebraic m ethods. Using it, w e provide a more extensive study of both Rosen continued fractions and even-integer continued fractions than in any previous works, yield ing new results, and revisiting classical theorems. We also study two types of com plex continued fractions, nam ely Gaussian integer continued fractions and Bianchi continued fractions. A s w ell as providing a more elegant and sim ple theory of continued fractions, our approach leads to a natu­ ral generalisation of continued fractions that has not been explored before. 'Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but w h y on earth should that m ean that it is not real? ' — Albus Dum bledore1 This thesis is dedicated to m y mother, Dr. Jill Walker, w ho set the ball rolling fifteen years ago w hen she showed m e her ow n PhD thesis, and gave m e the desire to discover som ething that nobody else has ever discovered before. i in J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows D E C L A R A T I O N I confirm that the material contained in this thesis is the result of inde­ pendent work. N one of it has previously been submitted for a degree or other qualification to this or any other university or institution. Material from Chapter 2 and Chapter 3 appears in the follow ing two papers. [54] Short, I. and Walker, M. , Even-integer continued fractions and the Farey tree, accepted for publication. ArXiv:i5o8.oi373. [53] Short, I. and Walker, M. , Geodesic Rosen continued fractions, submitted for publication. A rX ivn^io . i^S^ vz.
Routine chest X-ray on hospital admission: does it contribute to diagnosis or treatment?

BACKGROUND In many hospitals a routine chest X-ray is performed on admission. There are, however, scant data regarding its usefulness in contemporary patient populations. METHODS We studied consecutive patients admitted during a 2 month period to a single department of medicine, where hospital policy mandates performing an admission CXR. Two senior clinicians not involved in the care of these patients assessed the discharge summaries for a clinical indication to perform CXR on admission, as well as its contribution to patient management (major positive, major negative, minor positive, or no contribution). RESULTS There were 675 patients whose mean age was 64.5 +/- 17.2 years. In 19.6% (130 cases) CXR was not performed. Of the 545 CXRs done, 260 (48%) were normal. In only 128 (23.5%) did the admission CXR make a major positive contribution to diagnosis or treatment. In 61 (11.2%) it provided a minor positive contribution and in 153 (28.1%) a major negative contribution. In 184 patients (33.8%) the CXR did not affect either diagnosis or management. It made a major positive contribution to management in patients for whom there was an indication for performing the X-ray (odds ratio 10.3, P < 0.0005) and in those with a relevant finding on physical examination (OR 1.63, P = 0.110). For the 329 patients who had neither a clinical indication for performing a CXR nor an abnormal chest examination the admission CXR contributed to patient management in only 12 cases (3.6%). CONCLUSIONS A routine admission CXR has a significant impact on patient management only in those patients in whom there are relevant findings on physical examination or a clear clinical indication for performing the test. There is no need to routinely order CXR on admission to hospital.