Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Project Management and Software Development Processes: Integrating RUP and PMBOK

Developing a software product is a unique effort that involves dealing with activities and resources to build the desired results. The elements involved in such an effort can be seen from two perspectives: the software development process and the project management views. In order to develop a product with quality, we must provide an adequate combination of these two dimensions. However, this integration is generally not well addressed by the currently available software development processes. In this context, the PMBOK can provide the management perspective (project scope and lifecycle) while RUP, for instance, can bring the technical perspective (product scope and lifecycle). In this paper we present a model for software project management based on PMBOK and its integration with RUP. By formalizing an integrated model we can address the possibility of automating a number of tasks for software development.
[Clinical features of coronary artery ectasia].

OBJECTIVES To investigate the clinical significance of coronary artery ectasia in Japanese patients. METHODS Coronary artery ectasia was found in 54 of 3,778 (1.4%) consecutive patients who underwent coronary angiography. The clinical characteristics and the coronary angiographic findings of these patients were studied. Follow-up data were obtained for 49 patients, who were separated into two groups: Group A subsequently suffered a follow-up major cardiac event, and Group B did not develop such an event. RESULTS Among the coronary artery ectasia patients, 65% had myocardial infarction, 91% had coronary artery disease, and 48% had single-vessel disease. Seventy-six percent had single-vessel involvement with coronary artery ectasia. Eighteen patients (37%) suffered 22 follow-up major events. Seventy-two percent of the first follow-up event cases occurred within 4 years after the first cardiac event. The follow-up event in 78% of cases was acute coronary syndrome. There were no significant differences in age and prevalence of each coronary artery risk factor between Groups A and B. There were no significant differences in the incidence of follow-up event between the patients with single-vessel disease and the patients with multi-vessel disease, nor between the patients with single-vessel involvement with coronary artery ectasia and the patients with multi-vessel involvement with coronary artery ectasia. There was no significant difference in the percentage of patients in whom the culprit vessel of the cardiac event was the same as the ectatic vessel between the first cardiac event and follow-up cardiac events (41% vs 62%). CONCLUSIONS Coronary artery ectasia is not benign and must be carefully monitored. Coronary atherosclerosis may contribute to the occurrence of subsequent cardiac events.
Using program evaluation to improve the performance of a TB-HIV project in Banteay Meanchey, Cambodia.

SETTING Cambodia has the highest human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevalence (1.9%) and tuberculosis (TB) incidence (508/100000) in Asia. Banteay Meanchey, a province with high HIV prevalence of 1.9%, established a pilot project in 2003 to enhance TB-HIV activities. We evaluated this project to improve performance. METHODS In March 2005, we analyzed 17 months of data on all persons diagnosed with HIV or TB at 11 participating clinics. We determined barriers to HIV testing and TB screening, modified the program to reduce these barriers and assessed whether our interventions improved testing and screening rates. RESULTS Among 952 patients newly diagnosed with TB disease, 138 (14%) had known HIV infection at the time of TB diagnosis. Of the 814 TB patients with unknown HIV status, 432 (53%) were HIV tested. Of 1228 persons newly diagnosed with HIV infection, 450 (37%) were screened for TB disease. We found and addressed barriers to HIV testing and TB screening. In the 9 months after the interventions, 240/322 (71%) TB patients were HIV tested, an increase of 34% (P < 0.01); 426/751 (57%) HIV-infected patients were screened for TB, an increase of 54% (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION Evaluations of TB-HIV collaborative activities can lead to increased TB screening and HIV testing rates.
Comparative Inactivation of Murine Norovirus, Human Adenovirus, and Human JC Polyomavirus by Chlorine in Seawater

ABSTRACT Viruses excreted by humans affect the commercial and recreational use of coastal water. Shellfish produced in contaminated waters have been linked to many episodes and outbreaks of viral gastroenteritis, as well as other food-borne diseases worldwide. The risk can be reduced by appropriate treatment following harvesting and by depuration. The kinetics of inactivation of murine norovirus 1 and human adenovirus 2 in natural and artificial seawater by free available chlorine was studied by quantifying genomic copies (GC) using quantitative PCR and infectious viral particles (PFU). Human JC polyomavirus Mad4 kinetics were evaluated by quantitative PCR. DNase or RNase were used to eliminate free genomes and assess potential viral infectivity when molecular detection was performed. At 30 min of assay, human adenovirus 2 showed 2.6- and 2.7-log10 GC reductions and a 2.3- and 2.4-log10 PFU reductions in natural and artificial seawater, respectively, and infectious viral particles were still observed at the end of the assay. When DNase was used prior to the nucleic acid extraction the kinetic of inactivation obtained by quantitative PCR was statistically equivalent to the one observed by infectivity assays. For murine norovirus 1, 2.5, and 3.5-log10 GC reductions were observed in natural and artificial seawater, respectively, while no viruses remained infectious after 30 min of contact with chlorine. Regarding JC polyomavirus Mad4, 1.5- and 1.1-log10 GC reductions were observed after 30 min of contact time. No infectivity assays were conducted for this virus. The results obtained provide data that might be applicable to seawater used in shellfish depuration.
Evaluation of anti-ulcer activity of Samanea saman (Jacq) merr bark on ethanol and stress induced gastric lesions in albino rats

Objective: To evaluate the antiulcer activity of Samanea saman (Jacq) Merr bark on ethanol and stress induced gastric lesions in albino rats. Materials and Methods: Gastric lesions were induced in rats by oral administration of absolute ethanol (5 ml/kg) and stress induced by water immersion. The antiulcer activity of methanolic extract of Samanea saman (Jacq) Merr bark (100 mg/kg, 200 mg/kg, 400 mg/kg) was compared with standard drugs. The parameters studied were ulcer index, gastric juice volume, pH, free acidity and total acidity. Result: Samanea saman (Jacq) Merr showed a dose dependent curative ratio compared to ulcer control groups. The extract at 400 mg/kg showed significant anti ulcer activity which is almost equal to that of the standard drug in both models. The volume of acid secretion, total and free acidity was decreased and pH of the gastric juice was increased compared to ulcer control group. Conclusions: The present study indicates that Samanea saman (Jacq) Merr bark extracts have potential anti ulcer activity.
CAUSES OF ECOLOGICAL SUCCESS: THE CASE OF THE ANTS.

The key remaining questions of evolutionary biology are more ecological than genetic in nature. In spite of the continuing great vitality of genetics in general, the known mechanisms of heredity appear to be sufficient to explain the observed phenomena of evolution. This is not to say that all processes of genetic change have been discovered. It may even prove true that extragenetic constraints on embryonic development, such as fundamental physical limits on cell size and configuration, play a role in evolution. What I am suggesting instead is that nothing empirically known at the present time about the nature and rate of evolution even hints at the existence of undiscovered hereditary processes. Consequently, what we know for sure that we do not know is largely ecological in nature. And ecologically-based problems of basic importance abound. One of the more obvious is why there are a certain number of species on Earth and not some other, in particular why 10 million (if that, say, proves to be the number) and not a thousand or a hundred million. Another unanswered question is why certain groups of organisms speciate profusely and spread over the world while otherwise similar ones remain undiversified and static. And that leads ineluctably to a third, related question, the meaning of ecological success. The subject has received remarkably little attention, perhaps because it is difficult to express with any precision and may appear to be more semantic than scientific. To take an example on which all can hopefully agree, we intuitively think of the ants as a successful group. Can success be usefully defined in such organisms? And if so, which if any evolutionary strategies consistently confer it?
Gene Therapy for Severe Combined Immunodeficiency Caused by Adenosine Deaminase Deficiency: Improved Retroviral Vectors for Clinical Trials

Severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) caused by adenosine deaminase deficiency (ADA–) is the first genetic disorder to be treated with gene therapy. Since 1990 when the first trial started for 2 patients with ADA– SCID, five clinical trials enrolling 11 patients have been conducted with different clinical approaches and the results obtained from these trials have recently been reported. According to these reports, T cell-directed gene transfer was useful in the treatment of ADA– SCID whereas the retroviral-mediated gene transfer to hematopoietic stem cells was insufficient for achievement of clinical benefits. This chapter reviews several crucial problems inherent in the current retroviral technology based on the clinical data observed in these pioneering ADA gene therapy trials and presents our new retroviral vector system for the next stem cell gene therapy.
Three new species of Aspergillus section Flavi isolated from almonds and maize in Portugal

Three new aflatoxin-producing species belonging to Aspergillus section Flavi are described. They are Aspergillus mottae, A. sergii and A. transmontanensis. These species were isolated from Portuguese almonds and maize. An investigation examined morphology, extrolite production and DNA sequence data to characterize these isolates and describe the new species. Phylogenetic analysis showed that A. transmontanensis and A. sergii form a clade with A. parasiticus whereas A. mottae shares a most recent common ancestor with the combined A. flavus and A. parasiticus clade.
THE VECTOR INDIVIDUAL WEIGHTED ERGODIC THEOREM FOR BOUNDED BESICOVICH SEQUENCES

In this paper we prove maximal ergodic theorem and a pointwise convergence theorem. Our result is to prove the convergence of Bn(T, α, f) = 1 n n−1 ∑ j=0 αjT f for all f ∈ L1(Ω, X) = L1(X), where n tends to infinity, Ω is a σ-finite measure space, X is a reflexive Banach space, αj is a bounded Besicovich sequence and T is a linear operator on L1(X) which is contracting in both L1(X) and L∞(X). Our result has the additional advantage as it is sufficiently general in order to extend the Beck and Schwartz random theorem. We can also generalize this result to a multidimensional case. Notations and Definitions Denote by X a Banach space, (Ω, β, μ) a σ-finite measure space, ‖x‖X the norm of a vector x in X. • L(Ω,X) = L(X) = { f : Ω → X, measurable and ∫ Ω ‖f(ω)‖X dμ(ω) < ∞ } the space of integrable functions in the sense of Bochner which take values in X, and L∞(Ω,X) = L∞(X) = { f : Ω → X, measurable and bounded a.e. (i.e supω∈Ω ‖f(ω)‖X <∞) } . • L = L(Ω, R), L∞ = L∞(Ω, R). • For all f ∈ L(X), ‖f‖1 = ∫ Ω ‖f(ω)‖X dμ(ω) and ‖f‖∞ = supω∈Ω ‖f(ω)‖X . • For an operator T of L(X) into itself: T is contracting in L(X) iff ‖Tf‖1 ≤ ‖f‖1 for all f ∈ L(X), similarly, T is contracting in L∞(X) iff for all f ∈ L(X), ‖Tf‖∞ ≤ ‖f‖∞. • For a > 0 and f ∈ L(X), f = f ‖f‖ min{‖f‖, a}, f a+ = f − f, f = supn ‖Bn(α, T, f)‖, e ∗(a, α) = {f∗ > αa}, e(a) = {‖f‖ > a} and for A ⊂ Ω we denote φA the indicator function of A. Received July 7, 1995; revised March 5, 1998. 1980 Mathematics Subject Classification (1991 Revision). Primary 27A35; Secondary 28A65.
Are the Investments in National HIV Monitoring and Evaluation Systems Paying Off?

Background:Concerted efforts and substantial financial resources have gone toward strengthening national monitoring and evaluation (M&E) systems for HIV programs. This article explores whether those investments have made a difference in terms of data availability, quality and use for assessing whether national programs are on track to achieve the 2015 Millenium Development Goal (MDG) of halting and reversing the HIV epidemic. Methods:Descriptive analyses, including trends, of the National Composite Policy Index data and M&E expenditures were conducted. Global Fund funding continuation assessments were reviewed for concerns related to M&E. Availability of population-based survey data was assessed. Results:There has been a marked increase in the number of countries where the prerequisites for a national HIV M&E system are in place and in human resources devoted to M&E at the national level. However, crucial gaps remain in M&E capacity, available M&E data, and data quality assurance. The extent to which data are used for program improvement is difficult to ascertain. There is a potential threat to sustaining the current momentum in M&E as governments have not committed long-term funding and current M&E-related expenditures are below the minimum needed to make M&E systems fully functional. Conclusions:There is evidence of rapid scale-up of basic HIV M&E systems, but if M&E is to fulfil its role in guiding optimal use of resources, ensuring effective HIV programs and providing evidence of progress toward the Millenium Development Goal of halting and reversing the HIV epidemic, essential data gaps will need to be filled urgently and those data will need to be used to guide decision making.
Entrepreneurship Development and Poverty Reduction: Empirical Survey from Somalia

This paper explores the relationship between the entrepreneurship Development and economic growth, the study employed correlation research design. The overall sample consists of 80 participants in Benadir region. The study found weak positive relationship between entrepreneurship development and poverty reductions. The Sig. or P-value was less enough, suggesting that the two variables indicated that the computed R-value was _0. 195; this indicates that there was weak positive correlation between entrepreneurship development and poverty reduction.
Understanding NTF components from the field

No trouble found (NTF) parts are the bane of the test engineer's existence, since it is difficult to determine the cause of a fail for a part that won't. A companion paper (S. Davidson, 2005) discusses parts that are NTF after failing in the board or system factory. This paper discusses the issue of parts that fail in the field. We classify field NTFs, describe a method of determining the defect coverage of a component under board and system test, and describe how data mining techniques can be used to assist in explaining the causes of field NTFs
Effects of exercise on maternal glycogen storage patterns and fetal outcome in mature rats.

The purpose of the present study was to examine the effects of exercise on maternal glycogen storage patterns and fetal outcome in mature (approximately 12 months of age) Sprague-Dawley rats. The exercise consisted of treadmill running at 30 m.min-1, on a 10 degree incline, for 60 min, 5 days per week, for 4 weeks prior to pregnancy, which continued until day 19 of gestation. In mature animals, chronic exercise increased (p < 0.05) liver glycogen concentration in both pregnant and nonpregnant rats. In pregnant exercised animals, the glycogen concentration of the maternal liver increased almost twofold (p < 0.05) compared with the sedentary pregnant group. There was no difference in the amount of glycogen stored in the gastrocnemius or soleus muscles in response to training, pregnancy, or chronic maternal exercise in the mature rat. In the pregnant groups, there were fewer (p < 0.05) viable fetuses and more (p < 0.05) resorption sites than in young rats. In addition, exercise during pregnancy in the mature animal decreased (p < 0.05) fetal body weight. These results demonstrate that a conflict may exist between maternal exercise and fetal demands for energy in the mature rat. This conflict seems to favour the maternal system, as evidenced by the enhanced maternal liver glycogen storage and the negative effect on fetal growth.
Mineralogical and geochemical aspects of impact craters

Abstract The importance of impact cratering on terrestrial planets is obvious from the abundance of craters on their surfaces. On Earth, active geological processes rapidly obliterate the cratering record. To date only about 170 impact structures have been recognized on the Earth’s surface. Mineralogical, petrographic, and geochemical criteria are used to identify the impact origin of such structures or related ejecta layers. The two most important criteria are the presence of shock metamorphic effects in mineral and rock inclusions in breccias and melt rocks, as well as the demonstration, by geochemical techniques, that these rocks contain a minor extraterrestrial component. There is a variety of macroscopic and microscopic shock metamorphic effects. The most important ones include the presence of planar deformation features in rock-forming minerals, high-pressure polymorphs (e.g. of coesite and stishovite from quartz, or diamond from graphite), diaplectic glass, and rock and mineral melts. These features have been studied by traditional methods involving the petrographic microscope, and more recently with a variety of instrumental techniques, including transmission electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, cathodoluminescence imaging and spectroscopy, and high-resolution X-ray computed tomography. Geochemical methods to detect an extraterrestrial component include measurements of the concentrations of siderophile elements, mainly of the platinum-group elements (PGEs), and, more recently, chromium and osmium isotopic studies. The latter two methods can provide confirmation that these elements are actually of meteoritic origin. The Cr isotopic method is also capable of providing information on the meteorite type. In impact studies there is now a trend towards the use of interdisciplinary and multi-technique approaches to solve open questions.
Depth from Defocus in the Wild

We consider the problem of two-frame depth from defocus in conditions unsuitable for existing methods yet typical of everyday photography: a handheld cellphone camera, a small aperture, a non-stationary scene and sparse surface texture. Our approach combines a global analysis of image content&#x2014;3D surfaces, deformations, figure-ground relations, textures&#x2014;with local estimation of joint depth-flow likelihoods in tiny patches. To enable local estimation we (1) derive novel defocus-equalization filters that induce brightness constancy across frames and (2) impose a tight upper bound on defocus blur&#x2014;just three pixels in radius&#x2014;through an appropriate choice of the second frame. For global analysis we use a novel piecewise-spline scene representation that can propagate depth and flow across large irregularly-shaped regions. Our experiments show that this combination preserves sharp boundaries and yields good depth and flow maps in the face of significant noise, uncertainty, non-rigidity, and data sparsity.
Comparison of dietary conjugated linoleic acid with safflower oil on body composition in obese postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

BACKGROUND Weight loss may improve glucose control in persons with type 2 diabetes. The effects of fat quality, as opposed to quantity, on weight loss are not well understood. OBJECTIVE We compared the effects of 2 dietary oils, conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) and safflower oil (SAF), on body weight and composition in obese postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes. DESIGN This was a 36-wk randomized, double-masked, crossover study. Fifty-five obese postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes received SAF or CLA (8 g oil/d) during two 16-wk diet periods separated by a 4-wk washout period. Subjects met monthly with the study coordinator to receive new supplements and for assessment of energy balance, biochemical endpoints, or anthropometric variables. RESULTS Thirty-five women completed the 36-wk intervention. Supplementation with CLA reduced body mass index (BMI) (P = 0.0022) and total adipose mass (P = 0.0187) without altering lean mass. The effect of CLA in lowering BMI was detected during the last 8 wk of each 16-wk diet period. In contrast, SAF had no effect on BMI or total adipose mass but reduced trunk adipose mass (P = 0.0422) and increased lean mass (P = 0.0432). SAF also significantly lowered fasting glucose (P = 0.0343) and increased adiponectin (P = 0.0051). No differences were observed in dietary energy intake, total fat intake, and fat quality in either diet period for either intervention. CONCLUSIONS Supplementation with CLA and SAF exerted different effects on BMI, total and trunk adipose mass, and lean tissue mass in obese postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes. Supplementation with these dietary oils may be beneficial for weight loss, glycemic control, or both.
Carbonic anhydrase IX is not an independent predictor of outcome for patients with clear cell renal cell carcinoma.

PURPOSE Expression of carbonic anhydrase IX (CAIX) has been reported to be an independent predictor of outcome and is being investigated as a therapeutic target for patients with clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC). We attempted to validate the prognostic utility of CAIX expression using a large cohort of ccRCC patients with long-term follow-up. PATIENTS AND METHODS We identified 730 patients with unilateral, sporadic ccRCC treated surgically between 1990 and 1999. Anti-CAIX monoclonal antibody (clone M75) was used, and tumor specimens were blindly scored for expression levels. Associations of CAIX expression with RCC death were evaluated using Cox proportional hazards regression models. RESULTS There were 241 RCC deaths and a median of 9.4 years of follow-up for patients still under observation. CAIX was expressed in 708 (97.0%) of the specimens; 163 tumors (22.3%) exhibited low ( 85% tumor cells positive) expression, and 567 (77.7%) exhibited high (> 85% tumor cells positive) expression. Univariately, low CAIX expression was associated with increased risk of RCC death relative to high expression (risk ratio = 1.65; P < .001). However, low CAIX expression was not associated with RCC death after adjusting for nuclear grade or coagulative tumor necrosis. Additionally, we observed CAIX expression in a number of extrarenal organs. CONCLUSION CAIX is strongly expressed by ccRCC. Although CAIX is associated with outcome in patients with ccRCC, it is not an independent prognostic marker. Furthermore, CAIX expression is apparent in extrarenal organs. As such, exploitation of CAIX as a prognostic marker and therapeutic target merits additional consideration.