Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Etude et modelisation du transport de l'energie et des particules dans un plasma de fusion thermonucleaire controlee. Application au transport anormal et aux conditions de fonctionnement du tokamak

L'objet de cette these est d'aboutir a une modelisation de l'ensemble des phenomenes de transport observes dans le plasma d'un tokamak que ce soit pour le transport des particules ou celui de l'energie. Pour cela, une methode predictive a ete choisie: la modelisation se traduit en equations mathematiques qui sont ensuite resolues numeriquement de maniere auto-consistante. Cela permet d'ecrire un simulateur de tokamak dont on peut ensuite comparer les predictions aux observations experimentales. Le modele de transport de l'energie est celui de gradient de temperature electronique critique developpe par p-h rebut et al. Tandis que le transport des particules est un travail original presente dans la these. Ce dernier modele met en evidence le lien etroit entre le profil de facteur de securite et le pinch' des particules. L'ensemble de ces deux modeles, complete par une modelisation adequate de la geometrie torique et des termes source, est ensuite compare a une gamme tres large d'observations experimentales (principalement realisees dans le tokamak du jet). En particulier des experiences aussi diverses que les chauffages hors de l'axe, les modes h, les modes a ions chauds ou les plasmas a performances ameliorees suite a une injection de glacon (modes p. E. P. ) sont reproduits avec succes par le simulateur. Ces simulations donnent de solides indications en faveur de l'existence d'un gradient de temperature critique et permettent de comprendre de maniere coherente le transport des particules. Dans un dernier temps les consequences d'un tel modele pour le fonctionnement d'un reacteur de fusion thermonucleaire controlee sont detaillees
Distributed optimization and market analysis of networked systems

In the interconnected world of today, large-scale multi-agent networked systems are ubiquitous. This thesis studies two classes of multi-agent systems, where each agent has local information and a local objective function. In the first class of systems, the agents are collaborative and the overall objective is to optimize the sum of local objective functions. This setup represents a general family of separable problems in large-scale multi-agent convex optimization systems, which includes the LASSO (Least-Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator) and many other important machine learning problems. We propose fast fully distributed both synchronous and asynchronous ADMM (Alternating Direction Method of Multipliers) based methods. Both of the proposed algorithms achieve the best known rate of convergence for this class of problems, O(1/k), where k is the number of iterations. This rate is the first rate of convergence guarantee for asynchronous distributed methods solving separable convex problems. For the synchronous algorithm, we also relate the rate of convergence to the underlying network topology. The second part of the thesis focuses on the class of systems where the agents are only interested in their local objectives. In particular, we study the market interaction in the electricity market. Instead of the traditional supply-follow-demand approach, we propose and analyze a systematic multi-period market framework, where both (price-taking) consumers and generators locally respond to price. We show that this new market interaction at competitive equilibrium is efficient and the improvement in social welfare over the traditional market can be unbounded. The resulting system, however, may feature undesirable price and generation fluctuations, which imposes significant challenges in maintaining reliability of the electricity grid. We first establish that the two fluctuations are positively correlated. Then in order to reduce both fluctuations, we introduce an explicit penalty on the price fluctuation. The penalized problem is shown to be equivalent to the existing system with storage and can be implemented in a distributed way, where each agent locally responds to price. We analyze the connection between the size of storage, consumer utility function properties and generation fluctuation in two scenarios: when demand is inelastic, we can 3 explicitly characterize the optimal storage access policy and the generation fluctuation; when demand is elastic, the relationship between concavity and generation fluctuation is studied. Thesis Supervisor: Asu Ozdaglar Title: Professor
Federal Judge Ideology and the Going Concern Reporting Incentives of Big 4 and Non-Big 4 Auditors

We analyze how variation in federal level legal liability associated with judge ideology is associated with the likelihood of firms receiving going-concern modified audit opinions, separately for Big Four and non-Big Four clients. With auditors trading off between Type I and Type II reporting errors, the threshold value (of client bankruptcy probability) above which auditors issue going-concern reports is decreasing and convex in the level of federal litigation risk. Building on literature showing that federal judge ideology affects the likelihood and outcome of lawsuits, we find that Big Four and non-Big Four auditors converge in their going-concern reporting decisions as federal litigation risk increases and that this convergence is caused by the greater effect of judge ideology on non-Big Four than on Big Four auditors. The key results remain with firm-fixed effects and are not driven by the effects of judge ideology on auditor choice or bankruptcy probability.
The Influence of Proprioceptive Impairment on Hand Function in Patients With Cervical Myelopathy

Study Design. A prospective clinical study. Objectives. To quantitatively evaluate hand function in patients with cervical myelopathy and to assess the influence of proprioceptive impairment on hand function in patients with cervical myelopathy. Summary of Background Data. Clumsiness of the hands is one of the most common complaints in patients with cervical myelopathy. However, few reports have been published that evaluate hand dysfunction, and no reports have assessed the association between hand function and proprioceptive impairment. Patients and Methods. A total of 129 patients (36 women and 93 men) with cervical myelopathy were examined. Hand function was evaluated as scores of ten subtests designed on the basis of various hand activities. The degree of proprioceptive impairment of the hand as well as that of light touch sensation loss is classified into four grades. Scores of the hand function test are compared according to the grade of proprioceptive impairment of the hands. Results. Significant relation between the impairment of hand function and the extent of cervical myelopathy was observed. There was good correlation between the hand function scores and the grade of impairment of proprioception and light touch sensation. Furthermore, patients with impairment of proprioception obtained significantly lower scores in the hand function test than those with loss of light touch sensation. Conclusions. The hand function test is a useful battery to objectively and quantitatively evaluate impairment of cervical myelopathy, although longitudinal studies are needed to determine its practical usability. There was some relation between scores of hand function test and the extent of proprioceptive impairment. Thus, hand function test may be partly influenced by proprioceptive loss.
Market Contestability and Bribe Solicitations: Evidence Across Stages of Firms' Operations

Adding to the literature on factors driving corruption and bribery, this paper examines the effect of contestability in business operations on bribe solicitations. Contestability undermines bureaucratic rent-seeking potential and this paper tries to capture this empirically using cross-country survey data. Results show that the relatively greater contestability of business startup procedures compared to startup regulatory times led to fewer bribe demands; however, property registration regulations with lower relative contestability led to more bribe demands, especially for import licenses. Finally, older and larger firms received lower bribe demands, ceteris paribus.
Ginkgo Biloba for Mild Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimer's Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

BACKGROUND Ginkgo biloba is a natural medicine used for cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease. The objective of this review is to explore the effectiveness and safety of Ginkgo biloba in treating mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease. METHODS Electronic search was conducted from PubMed, Cochrane Library, and four major Chinese databases from their inception up to 1(st) December, 2014 for randomized clinical trials on Ginkgo biloba in treating mild cognitive impairment or Alzheimer's disease. Meta-analyses were performed by RevMan 5.2 software. RESULTS 21 trials with 2608 patients met the inclusion criteria. The general methodological quality of included trials was moderate to poor. Compared with conventional medicine alone, Ginkgo biboba in combination with conventional medicine was superior in improving Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores at 24 weeks for patients with Alzheimer's disease (MD 2.39, 95% CI 1.28 to 3.50, P<0.0001) and mild cognitive impairment (MD 1.90, 95% CI 1.41 to 2.39, P<0.00001), and Activity of Daily Living (ADL) scores at 24 weeks for Alzheimer's disease (MD -3.72, 95% CI -5.68 to -1.76, P=0.0002). When compared with placebo or conventional medicine in individual trials, Ginkgo biboba demonstrated similar but inconsistent findings. Adverse events were mild. CONCLUSION Ginkgo biloba is potentially beneficial for the improvement of cognitive function, activities of daily living, and global clinical assessment in patients with mild cognitive impairment or Alzheimer's disease. However, due to limited sample size, inconsistent findings and methodological quality of included trials, more research are warranted to confirm the effectiveness and safety of ginkgo biloba in treating mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease.
USAGE OF INTERACTIVE TECHNOLOGIES IN TOURISM GUIDANCE EDUCATION A RESEARCH ON EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS AT THE LEVEL OF BACHELOR DEGREE

Tourist guides are officials responsible for effectively promoting tourism destinations to local and foreign tourists. To provide a high quality service is related with the quality of the theoretical and practical training. When tourist guide training is examined within the scope of innovations in the field of education science in Turkey and the World, it has been determined that lessons about technologies using by professional tourist guides are not available in curriculums.According to findings of previous researches, technological applications used in museums have a positive effect on service quality of professional tourist guides. It is stated that, narrations are more fun, memorable and more descriptive with the help of technological applications.The research will focus on interactive technologies and describe how these technologies canbe used in tourism guidance education. During the summer holiday of 2016, researchers conducted an online survey to study the acceptance and user experience of interactive technologies on tourism guidance education. This paper reports analyses of quantitative survey data of respondents (Tourism Guiding Lecturers). Technology attitude scale has been used for taking lecturer’s opinion about research.
Treatment of paroxysmal sympathetic storm with labetalol

First described by Penfield in 1929, paroxysmal sympathetic storm is characterised by episodic hyperhidrosis, hypertension, hyperthermia, tachypnoea, tachycardia, and posturing. It has commonly been associated with closed head traumatic brain injury, agenesis of the corpus callosum, hydrocephalus, and suprasellar or diencephalic tumours.1 2 Penfield hypothesised that these sympathetic spells were caused by epileptiform discharges in thalamic nuclei irritated by increased intracranial pressure, thereby leading him to name this entity “diencephalic autonomic seizures”. 2Electroencephalograms obtained on patients during these autonomic attacks, however, have not shown epileptic activity, and anticonvulsant therapies have not proved useful in their treatment.2 3Bromocriptine and morphine have been the standard treatments for paroxysmal sympathetic storm, and propranolol has been shown to reduce the hyperpyrexia seen during autonomic spells.3 4 In this case report, we describe a patient treated successfully with labetalol, but not metoprolol, suggesting that β1 antagonism alone is not sufficient to suppress paroxysmal sympathetic storm. A 21 year old white man was an unrestrained passenger in a motor vehicle accident and developed a closed head shear injury. He was admitted to a hospital where a head CT showed hydrocephalus necessitating a ventriculoperitoneal shunt placement. A head MRI showed abnormal T2 signal in the corpus callosum and the dorsal midbrain consistent with shear injury. Although initially comatose, he improved to near baseline over the next few months. He was admitted to our hospital 15 months later with a shunt infection, necessitating treatment with vancomycin, shunt externalisation, and, eventually, replacement. During and after resolution of …
Elective Induction Compared With Expectant Management in Nulliparous Women With an Unfavorable Cervix

OBJECTIVES: To compare outcomes of labor between nulliparas with an unfavorable cervix who underwent either elective labor induction or expectant management beyond 39 weeks of gestation. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of nulliparous women with a singleton gestation who had an unfavorable cervix (modified Bishop score less than 5) and delivered between 2006 and 2008. One hundred two nulliparous women who underwent elective induction of labor between 39 and 40 5/7 weeks of gestation were compared with 102 nulliparous women who were expectantly managed beyond 39 weeks of gestation. RESULTS: The primary outcome, cesarean delivery, was not statistically different between women who were expectantly managed and those who underwent elective labor induction (34.3% compared with 43.1%, respectively, P=.16). Aside from the more frequent occurrence of meconium in the expectantly managed group (36.3% compared with 7.0%, P<.001), there were no significant differences in other maternal (eg, chorioamnionitis, operative vaginal delivery, third-degree and fourth-degree lacerations, postpartum hemorrhage) or neonatal (arterial cord pH less than 7.0, Apgar score less than 7 at 5 minutes, neonatal intensive care unit admission) outcomes. Women who underwent an elective induction of labor did have longer duration of labor and delivery between admission and delivery (median 16.5 compared with 12.7 hours, P<.001). CONCLUSIONS: For nulliparous women with an unfavorable cervix, elective labor induction increased utilization of labor and delivery resources but did not result in other significant differences in most clinical outcomes. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: II
Complexity of Trichoderma-Fusarium interaction and manifestation of biological control

Several Trichoderma isolates were screened for their biocontrol activity against Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. pisi. Eighteen of these isolates (T1 to T18) showed considerable biocontrol potential and were taken further in the study. Initial counter inhibition was observed in all the eighteen dual culture sets where Trichoderma and Fusarium both posed varying degree of inhibition on each other. In three of the sets, Fusarium was found extending narrow outgrowths towards Trichoderma. Trichoderma was later found extending its mycelia along these narrow outgrowths of Fusarium representing a chemo-attractive mechanism of interaction. Finally, parasitic interaction was noticed in all the sets except two. In these two sets, Trichoderma was unable to overcome inhibition posed by Fusarium and, therefore, could not parasitize Fusarium. In the interaction between Trichoderma and Fusarium, the sequence of events noticed was categorized as pre-contact antagonistic interaction, chemo-attractive intermediate phase and, finally, parasitic interaction. Most of the Trichoderma isolates showed considerably good antibiosis and parasitism. Therefore, the primary criterion for selection of the best potential biocontrol agent was poised on the time taken by Trichoderma to complete the sequence of events until parasitism of target pathogen. Among the eighteen isolates of Trichoderma, T. atroviride (Isolate T1) was found to show best activity followed by two isolates of Trichoderma harzianum (Isolate T8 and T11) in terms of time taken to parasitize Fusarium. The present study stresses on quick control on plant disease as a desired quality for popularization of biocontrol agents.
Synthesis and distribution of cytoskeletal elements in endothelial cells as a function of cell growth and organization

Confluent cultures of adult bovine aortic endothelial (ABAE), correal endothelial (BCE), and fetal bovine heart endothelial (FBHE) cells form a monolayer of highly flattened, closely apposed, and nonoverlapping cells. In ABAE and BCE cultures, this is associated with a 50‐fold decrease in the rate of DNA synthesis and correlates with a 14‐fold decrease in protein synthesis. In contrast, in confluent FBHE cultures only partial decreases in the rates of DNA synthesis (6‐fold) and protein synthesis (3‐fold) are observed. FBHE cells therefore fulfill the morphological, but not the biochemical, criteria for confluent cultured endothelial cell monolayers. The appearance of the cytoskeletal elements actin, tubulin, and vimentin in sparse and confluent cultures of endothelial cells has been analyzed by two‐dimensional gel electrophoresis and immunofluorescence. Sparse versus confluent ABAE, FBHE, and BCE cultures showed no changes in their relative rates of synthesis or cellular content of tubulin. Actin behaved similarly to tubulin in FBHE and BCE cultures, while in ABAE cultures a small increase (3‐fold) in its relative rate of synthesis was observed in confluent versus sparse cultures. BCE cultures showed no change in the rate of synthesis of vimentin, but the cellular content of vimentin was markedly increased when cultures reached confluence. When the distribution of vimentin in both sparse and confluent BCE cultures was analyzed by immunofluorescence, in both cases it appeared distributed throughout the cytoplasm as thin fibers and bundles of fibers. In confluent ABAE cultures, both the relative amount and biosynthetic rate of vimentin increased by 15‐fold. This increase in the intracellular accumulation of vimentin correlated with its immunofluorescent distribution within the cells. While in sparse cultures, vimentin appeared to be distributed as thin fibers, in confluent cultures thick curl‐like fibrous bundles could be seen distributed throughout the cytoplasm and organized in a perinuclear ring. In contrast, in FBHE cultures no significant changes in the distribution and organization of rate of synthesis of vimentin were observed.
Coronary artery imaging with contrast-enhanced MDCT: extracardiac findings.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of our study was to evaluate the incidence of extracardiac findings on contrast-enhanced MDCT of the coronary arteries and to assess the effect of different field-of-view settings. SUBJECTS AND METHODS Patients with suspected coronary artery disease (n = 166) were examined with contrast-enhanced MDCT (16 x 0.75 mm focused on the heart) during injection of contrast material (80 mL injected at a rate of 4 mL/sec) followed by saline (20 mL injected at 4 mL/sec). Retrospectively gated images were reconstructed at a 1-mm slice thickness and a 0.5-mm increment with isotropic voxels of 1 mm3. Images were reviewed for extracardiac findings, which were then classified as none, minor, or major with respect to their impact on patient management and treatment. In a different group of patients (n = 20), chest scans (16 x 1.5 mm) were used for measuring volumes of displayed body structures on wholechest scans, coronary artery MDCT images, and coronary artery MDCT images reconstructed with the maximum field of view. RESULTS Extracardiac findings were detected in 41 patients (24.7%). Findings were classified as minor (19.9%) or major (4.8%). Among the major findings, which had an immediate impact on patient management and treatment, were bronchial carcinoma and pulmonary emboli. Volume analysis revealed that 35.5% of the total chest volume was displayed on dedicated coronary artery MDCT focused on the heart, whereas 70.3% of the chest was visible when coronary artery MDCT raw data were reconstructed with the maximal field of view (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION Coronary artery MDCT can reveal important findings and disease in extracardiac structures. Thus, the entire examination should be reconstructed with the maximum field of view and should be reviewed by a qualified radiologist.
Benchmarking Culture and Its Impact on Operational Performance: A Field Study on Industrial Companies in Jordan

The current research paper was designed to explore the extent of benchmarking culture in industrial companies and its impact on operational performance. A total of 30 dimensions of benchmarking culture were figured out from the literature. Out of them 10 were regarded as common values among employees based on descriptive statistics. A sample consisted of 50 industrial companies was drawn randomly from Amman and Irbid. A questionnaire-based survey was conducted to collect data from employees working at these companies. Of the 315 questionnaires distributed to employees, 227 were returned complete and valid. The results indicated that all dimensions of benchmarking culture (prior benchmarking experience behavior of internal analysis behavior of external analysis continuous improvement mentality share of internal opinions searching for internal best practices comparison with a market leader quality policy communication organizational learning team development) had significant and positive influences on operational performance of industrial companies in Jordan. Hence, it was concluded that benchmarking culture play an important role in performance improvement. Therefore, Jordanian organizations, particularly industrial companies, are called to consider benchmarking culture in their way to improve organizational performance.