Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Hypertension induced by prolonged intracoronary administration of dobutamine in conscious dogs.

1. In order to determine if a sustained increase in cardiac output can lead to hypertension, seven conscious dogs were given a continuous infusion of dobutamine, a powerful stimulant of cardiac inotropism, into the left coronary artery for a 7 day period while arterial pressure, cardiac output (electromagnetic flowmeter) and heart rate were measured. 2. The infusion technique (1·5 × 10−8 mol min−1 kg−1, intracoronary) was selected after short-term experiments showed that it increased cardiac output more effectively than intravenous infusion at the same rate. 3. The rise in cardiac output elicited by intracoronary infusion of dobutamine was largest during the first 6 h of the 7 days administration, at which time calculated peripheral resistance was decreased. Subsequently, cardiac output returned progressively toward its control value whereas mean arterial pressure remained elevated (by an average of 20–25 mmHg) and peripheral resistance increased significantly. 4. Measurements of blood and extracellular fluid volumes as well as plasma renin activity indicated that these factors were not involved in the blood pressure increase. 5. When the infusion was ended, arterial pressure fell rapidly but peripheral resistance remained elevated during the first 6 h. Cardiac output fell after 2 and 6 h to a value below that of the pre-infusion control. After 1 day and subsequently, blood pressure became normal, as did the peripheral resistance and cardiac output. 6. Both at the onset and offset transients of this model of hypertension, changes in cardiac output preceded changes in peripheral resistance. These experiments may give experimental support to the concept of cardiogenic hypertension.
Performances of DS/SSMA communications with MPSK signaling and complex signature sequences

We study a direct-sequence spread-spectrum multiple-access (DS/SSMA) communication system with M-ary phase-shift-keyed (MPSK) signaling. Users in the system employ complex signature sequences, which are modeled as deterministic sequences. We present upper and lower bounds for the probability of bit error (p.b.e.) of a reference transmission. First, the conditional p.b. e. , given the multiple-user interference (MUI), is obtained. Then, the conditioning is removed by averaging over the discretized probability density function (p.d.f.) of the MUI. The result is an upper (or lower) bound when the discretized p.d. f. is a shifted-high (or shifted-low) version of a sectioned p.d. f. This process requires the two-dimensional p.d. f. of the MUI, which is derived. Arbitrarily tight bounds can be obtained at the cost of increased computation. Numerical results are presented for complex FZC and near optimal 4-phase sequences, as well as real binary Gold sequences, for BPSK, 4-PSK, and 8-PSK. Gray code bit mapping is assumed, although the analysis can be applied to other bit mappings. Results show that complex sequences can yield better performance than binary sequences in MPSK signaling. Using complex sequences, the number of available signature sequences is greatly enlarged. >
Enhancing feedforward controller tuning via instrumental variables: with application to nanopositioning

ABSTRACT Feedforward control enables high performance of a motion system. Recently, algorithms have been proposed that eliminate bias errors in tuning the parameters of a feedforward controller. The aim of this paper is to develop a new algorithm that combines unbiased parameter estimates with optimal accuracy in terms of variance. A simulation study is presented to illustrate the poor accuracy properties of pre-existing algorithms compared to the proposed approach. Experimental results obtained on an industrial nanopositioning system confirm the practical relevance of the proposed method.
Antibiotic susceptibility of the newly cultivated agent of human granulocytic ehrlichiosis: promising activity of quinolones and rifamycins

Human granulocytic ehrlichiosis (HGE) is a rapidly emerging tick-borne infection which presents as an acute febrile illness and is associated with hematologic abnormalities, elevated hepatic transaminase levels, and characteristic intracellular organisms in peripheral blood granulocytes. Although HGE has been successfully treated with tetracyclines, its susceptibility to other antibiotics remains unknown. No clear treatment alternative exist for young children, pregnant women, or allergic individuals, in whom tetracyclines are contra-indicated. We performed in vitro antibiotic susceptibility tests with this recently isolated agent grown in the human promyelocytic leukemia cell line HL-60. Doxycycline (MIC, 0.25 micrograms/ml), rifampin (MIC, 0.5 micrograms/ml), rifabutin (MIC, < or = 0.125 micrograms/ml), ciprofloxacin and ofloxacin (both with MICs of 2 micrograms/ml), and trovafloxacin (MIC, < or = 0.125 micrograms/ml) ciprofloxacin and ofloxacin (both with MICs of 2 micrograms/ml), and trovafloxacin (MIC, < or = 0.125 micrograms/ml) demonstrated significant activity against the HGE agent. These agents were also bactericidal. The HGE agent was resistant to clindamycin, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, and imipenem-cilastatin, as well as to ampicillin, ceftriaxone, erythromycin, and azithromycin, antibiotics commonly used to treat Lyme disease. Both chloramphenicol and gentamicin had weak inhibitory activities but were not bactericidal. Our findings confirm the observed clinical efficacy of doxycycline and further suggest that the rifamycins and quinolones, particularly trovafloxacin, hold promise as alternative agents for treating this new infection.
B‐cell antigen receptor competence regulates B‐lymphocyte selection and survival

Experimental evidence contradicts the simplistic view that during development all B cells expressing non autoreactive antigen receptors on the cell surface are selected into the mature B-cell pool. While allelic exclusion, clonal selection and affinity maturation continue to define the mainstream notions of B-cell development and selection, new evidence is redefining our understanding of these processes. Receptor editing replaces functional B-cell receptors by secondary immunoglobulin gene rearrangements, a process that can play roles in both immune tolerance and immune response. In addition, editing can rescue cells that would otherwise fail positive selection. We focus here on our studies indicating that the functional competence of the B-cell antigen receptor complex plays a central role in the fate of developing B cells and their antigen receptor genes.
Implementation of Xenserver to ensuring business continuity through power of virtualization for cloud computing

Today, many organizations are concerned with keeping their information infrastructure running smoothly and ensuring that users have continuous access to fundamental resources, even in the face of disasters and disruptions. Citrix Xenserver provides a robust set of virtualization technologies to help improve the resilience and usefulness of an organization's in order infrastructure, ensure that not just critical resources remain available but that they are always accessible to all users in any location with any device. By implementing Citrix virtualization solutions, savvy business leaders can reduce the risks due to both IT service outages and workforce continuity disruptions - such as diminished efficiency, lost revenue, missed opportunity, failure to meet service level agreements and customer defections - while simultaneously accruing a wide range of benefits during practice operations, including reduced complexity and costs, a stronger foundation for security and compliance, and greater adaptability to changing business conditions. This paper is mainly based on the implementation of Xensenver to due cost in the business organizations and performance the best method for including server along with cloud computing.
SP 800-63-1. Electronic Authentication Guideline

This recommendation provides technical guidelines for Federal agencies implementing electronic authentication and is not intended to constrain the development or use of standards outside of this purpose. The recommendation covers remote authentication of users (such as employees, contractors, or private individuals) interacting with government IT systems over open networks. It defines technical requirements for each of four levels of assurance in the areas of identity proofing, registration, tokens, management processes, authentication protocols and related assertions. This publication supersedes NIST SP 800-63.
Characterization of the polyadenylation signal of influenza virus RNA

It has been shown that a stretch of uridines (U's) near the 5' end of the virion RNA of influenza A virus is the polyadenylation site for viral mRNA synthesis. In addition, the RNA duplex made up the 3' and 5' terminal sequences adjacent to the U stretch is also involved in polyadenylation. We have further characterized the polyadenylation signal of influenza virus RNA with a ribonucleoprotein transfection system. We found that the optimal length of the U stretch is 5 to 7 uridine residues. We also showed that the upstream sequence at the 5' end is not involved in polyadenylation and that the optimal distance between the 5' end and the U stretch is 16 nucleotides. The combination of these features defines the polyadenylation site and differentiates this signal from other U stretches scattered throughout the genomes of influenza viruses.
How Will the Affordable Care Act Change Employers’ Incentives to Offer Insurance?

This study investigates how changes in the economic incentives created by the Affordable Care Act (ACA) will affect the probability that private-sector U.S. employers will offer health insurance. Using the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Insurance Component for 2008-2010, we predict employers’ responses to key ACA provisions. Our simulations predict that overall demand for insurance will rise, driven by workers’ desire to avoid the individual mandate penalty and the availability of premium tax credits in exchanges. Our analyses also suggest that the average probability of an establishment offering insurance will decline from . 83 to . 66 with ACA implementation, although there is considerable variation by firm size, industry and union status.
Evolution of moth sex pheromones via ancestral genes

Mate finding in most moth species involves long-distance signaling via female-emitted sex pheromones. There is a great diversity of pheromone structures used throughout the Lepidoptera, even among closely related species. The conundrum is how signal divergence has occurred. With strong normalizing selection pressure on blend composition and response preferences, it is improbable that shifts to pheromones of diverse structures occur through adaptive changes in small steps. Here, we present data supporting the hypothesis that a major shift in the pheromone of an Ostrinia species occurred by activation of a nonfunctional desaturase gene transcript present in the pheromone gland. We also demonstrate the existence of rare males that respond to the new pheromone blend. Their presence would allow for asymmetric tracking of male response to the new blend and, thus, evolution of an Ostrinia species with structurally different sex pheromone components.
Are Young and Female CEOs More Forthcoming with Earnings Forecasts?

We investigate the effect of the career concerns of young CEOs and of female CEOs on their willingness to issue voluntary earnings forecasts. We argue that the labor market’s perception about a young CEO’s uncertain talent leads to a stronger desire to establish a good reputation by issuing more voluntary earnings forecasts, particularly when the news is positive. We also argue that the negative, stereotype-based expectations against female CEOs create a stronger challenge, which leads female CEOs to issue more earnings forecasts regardless whether the news is positive or negative. Finally, we predict that high compensation reduces young CEOs’ and female CEOs’ incentives to issue earnings forecast. Using 46,596 firm-quarter management earnings forecasts from 1996 to 2010, we find empirical support for all our hypotheses.
The Best Times to Call in a Mobile Phone Survey

Establishing contact with the sample units is an important part of the survey response process, and an efficient calling schedule is critical to achieve high response rates. The rapid increase in mobile phone ownership has triggered the interest of marketing researchers in the use of mobile phones for collecting survey data about consumers. Mobile phone surveys may favour establishing contact with sample units since the mobile phone is a personal device carried at all times, thus making the person permanently contactable. This paper aims to identify the best times to call in a mobile phone survey by investigating the influence of the day and time of the call on the likelihood of establishing contact and obtaining an interview. A three-level ranking of calling periods, based on call efficiency, is proposed. Outcomes also revealed that the level of efficiency of calling periods is not dissociated from respondents’ socio-demographic characteristics, namely in terms of age and region of residence.
Effects of dopaminergic drug adjustment on executive function in different clinical stages of Parkinson’s disease

Background Effects of dopaminergic medication on executive function in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) are inconsistent. Objective We examined the effect of dopaminergic medication on executive function in 24 drug-naïve PD patients (de novo group) and in 21 PD patients on chronic dopaminergic medication (chronic medication group). Methods PD patients without dementia were included in this study. For the de novo group patients, dopaminergic medication was initiated, and the dose was increased to improve motor symptoms. For the chronic medication group patients, dopaminergic medication was adjusted to relieve clinical problems. All participants were tested prior to and at 4–7 months after the drug initiation/adjustment. Executive function was assessed by using the Behavioral Assessment of the Dysexecutive Syndrome (BADS). Motor function was assessed by using the Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS; part III). Improvement in executive function was compared with a simultaneous change in levodopa equivalent doses (LED) of dopaminergic medication and with improvement in motor functions. Results The mean standardized BADS scores showed no significant improvement in both the groups. In the de novo group, percent improvement in the standardized BADS scores showed a significant positive correlation with the LED, but not with percent improvement in UPDRS part III. In the chronic medication group, percent improvement in the standardized BADS scores was negatively correlated with change in the LED, but not with percent improvement in UPDRS part III. Multiple regression analysis using improvement in the standardized BADS score as a dependent variable and patient’s background factors (ie, age, education, disease duration, and motor and executive assessments at baseline) as independent variable showed that improvement in the executive assessment is significantly correlated with the LED only in the de novo group. Conclusion Effects of dopaminergic drug adjustment on executive function differ according to the patient’s clinical stage and depend on LED in de novo stage.
Using Quality Improvement Methods to Change Surgical Practice: A Case Example of Pediatric Soft-Tissue Abscesses

Background: Surgical treatments of soft-tissue abscesses (STAs) include packing and ring drain (RD) and straight drain (SD) placement. Potential benefits of SDs include a single incision, less scarring, and no need for a follow-up appointment. We used a multidisciplinary quality improvement (QI) process to promote surgeon adoption of an STA drainage technique to improve efficiency and quality of care. Subjects and Methods: Outcome measures included the proportion of STAs drained using SDs, the number of postoperative clinic visits, the proportion of patients requiring follow-up with a pediatric surgeon and other providers, and the postoperative complication rate, defined as need for an additional drainage procedure. Results: After beginning the QI initiative, the proportion of STAs drained by SDs increased from 23% to 78% (P < .00001) and the proportion of patients requiring a surgical follow-up clinic appointment decreased from 71% to 32% (P < .00001). The mean number of surgical clinic visits per patient decreased from 0.79 to 0.39 visits per patient (P < .00001). Complication rates were similar between drain types (RD: 2.4%; SD: 1.7%; P = .57). This QI initiative produced a rapid sustained shift in surgeon practice with increased use of SDs, decreased number of follow-up visits, and no increase in complications.
Corporate Financial Analysis with Microsoft Excel

1: Corporate Financial Statements 2: Analysis of Financial Statements 3: Forecasting Annual Revenues 4: Forecasting Financial Statements 5: Forecasting Seasonal Revenues 6: Time Value of Money 7: Cash Budgeting 8: Cost of Capital 9: Profits, Leverage 10: Depreciation, Taxes 11: Capital Budgeting 12: Applications of Capital Budgeting 13: Capital Budgeting: Risk Analysis 14: Capital Budgeting: Monte Carlo
Département des Sciences Économiques de l'Université catholique de Louvain Estimating the dynamics of R&D-based growth models

Several R&D-based models of endogenous economic gro wth are investigated under the Solowlike assumption of fixed allocation of resources ac ross activities. We identify model parameters that lead to explosive dynamics and analyze various economic techniques to avoid it. The techniques include adding stricter constraints on m odel trajectories and limiting factors in technology equation. In particular, we demonstrate that our vintage version of the well-known R&D-based model of economic growth (Jones, 1995) ex hibits the same balanced dynamics as the original model.
Learning and decision making in marketing planning: a study of New Zealand vineyards

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate how decision making and learning are related to marketing planning among owner/managers with lifestyle in comparison to growth-oriented objectives in the New Zealand wine industry. Design/methodology/approach – The study reports on 12 interviews with owner/managers of New Zealand vineyards. The vineyards were small to medium sized and independently owned to avoid bias from parent company decision making within larger scale corporate wine producers. Findings – Different degrees of causation and effectuation-based decision making were found to exist among owner/managers starting from the nascent stage in their respective marketing planning processes. Learning to different degrees was evident in order to remain competitive in a climate of uncertainty and not least of which due to problematic exchange rates. An important issue influencing decision making was whether owner/managers were running the vineyard to maintain a lifestyle or a growth strategy; an i.
Sleep problems in children with neurological disorders

This review describes the complex and often reciprocal relationship between sleep problems, neurological disorders and/or intellectual disability in children. The causes of Intellectual disability (ID) discussed in this review include those conditions present from or around the time of birth, although it also considers traumatic brain injuries occurring later in development. This review discusses the patterns of sleep difficulty associated with specific disorders and summarizes the assessment and interventions, both behavioural and pharmacological, applicable to children. Many neurological disorders such as epilepsy, narcolepsy and neurorespiratory disorders vary considerably in terms of the degree of co-morbid problems and can present with a spectrum of effects on underlying cognitive or behavioural substrates including sleep function. These conditions are discussed as they provide useful insights into how disordered sleep can impact on cognitive development and behaviour. The review draws both on the literature in these areas and the extensive clinical experience of the authors.
Image noise types recognition using convolutional neural network with principal components analysis

This study presents a model to effectively recognise image noise of different types and levels: impulse, Gaussian, Speckle and Poisson noise, and a mixture of multiple types of the noise. To classify image noise type, the convolutional neural network (CNN) method with backpropagation algorithm and stochastic gradient descent optimisation techniques are implemented. In order to reduce the training time and computational cost of the algorithm, the principal components analysis (PCA) filters generating strategy is deployed to obtain data adaptive filter banks. The authors validated their designed CNN with PCA for noise types recognition model with degraded images containing noise of single and combination of multiple types, with a total of 11,000 and 1650 datasets for training and testing purposes, respectively. The variety and complexity of data have never been addressed before in any other research work. The capability of their intelligent system in handling images degraded under this complicated environment has surpassed human-eye performance in noise types recognition. The authors' experiments have proven the reliability of the proposed noise types recognition model by having achieved an overall average accuracy of 99.3% while recognising eight classes of noise.
Stability considerations and implementation of cantilevers allowing dynamic force microscopy with optimal resolution: the qPlus sensor

In frequency modulation atomic force microscopy, the stiffness, quality factor and oscillation amplitude of the cantilever are important parameters. While the first atomic resolution results were obtained with amplitudes of a few hundred angstrom, it has subsequently been shown that smaller amplitudes should result in a better signal-to-noise ratio and an increased sensitivity to the short-range components of the tip–sample interaction. Stable oscillation at small amplitudes is possible if the product of stiffness and amplitude and the energy stored in the oscillating cantilever are large enough. For small amplitudes, stability can be achieved by using stiff cantilevers. Here, we discuss the physical requirements for small amplitude operation and present design criteria and technical details of the qPlus sensor, a self-sensing cantilever with large stiffness that allows small amplitude operation.
Fabrication and characterization of silicone-based tissue phantoms with tunable optical properties in the visible and near infrared domain

We present a fabrication process for Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) tissue simulating phantoms with tunable optical properties to be used for optical system calibration and performance testing. Compared to liquid phantoms, cured PDMS phantoms are easier to transport and use, and have a longer usable life than gelatin based phantoms. Additionally, the deformability of cured PDMS makes it a better option over hard phantoms such as polyurethane optical phantoms when using optical probes which require tissue contact. PDMS has a refractive index of about 1.43 in the near infrared domain which is in the range of the refractive index of tissue. Absorption properties are determined through the addition of india ink, a broad band absorber in the visible and near infrared spectrum. Scattering properties are set by adding titanium dioxide, an inexpensive and widely available scattering agent which yields a wavelength dependent scattering coefficient similar to that observed in tissue in the near infrared. Phantom properties were characterized and validated using a two-distance, broadband frequency-domain photon migration system. Repeatability and predictability for the phantom fabrication process will be presented.