Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Quantitative analysis of the disopyramide concentration-effect relationship.

1. A combined pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic model has been used to analyse the relationship between QT prolongation and changes in plasma concentration which occurred after disopyramide was given intravenously and orally to eight healthy subjects. 2. The pharmacokinetic models appropriate to intravenous and oral disopyramide have been extended by an 'effect compartment' which has no influence on the predetermined mass of drug in the body. 3. The model incorporates an adjustment for lag of effect behind any rapid changes in plasma concentration such as occur in the early distributive phase following intravenous administration. This permits calculation of the proportionality constant relating plasma concentration to effect. 4. Irrespective of the route of administration the mean (+/- s.d.) prolongation of the QT interval was 14.5 +/- 6.5 ms/micrograms ml-1. 5. There was no evidence that metabolite produced during first pass after oral administration made any significant contribution to effect. 6. This modelling technique should be applicable to the study of the concentration-effect relationship of a number of other drugs, both in health and in disease.
A new framework for face recognition in and beyond the visible spectrum

This work present a framework for the evaluation of face recognition performances in and beyond the visible spectrum. A new multispectral face database was developed and includes visible and different infrared spectrums. Face extraction and normalization techniques are introduced and used to normalize face images from the Laval University and Equinox databases. This framework propose different face learning and recognition techniques. Also, Texture space transformations are implemented and can be used prior to face learning and recognition. Finally, multi-scale fusion algorithms are present in this framework and can be used for the evaluation of fusion schemes in multispectral face recognition.
Optimal execution of ASR contracts with fixed notional

Be it for taking advantage of stock undervaluation or in order to distribute part of their profits to shareholders, firms may buy back their own shares. One of the way they proceed is by including Accelerated Share Repurchases (ASR) as part of their repurchase programs. In this article, we study the pricing and optimal execution strategy of an ASR contract with fixed notional. In such a contract the firm pays a fixed notional F to the bank and receives, in exchange, a number of shares corresponding to the ratio between F and the average stock price over the purchase period, the duration of this period being decided upon by the bank. From a mathematical point of view, the problem is related to both optimal execution and exotic option pricing.
Estimates of insulin secretory function in apparently healthy volunteers vary as a function of how the relevant variables are quantified.

BACKGROUND Several surrogate estimates have been used to define relationships between insulin action and pancreatic β-cell function in healthy individuals. Because it is unclear how conclusions about insulin secretory function depend on specific estimates used, we evaluated the effect of different approaches to measurement of insulin action and secretion on observations of pancreatic β-cell function in individuals whose fasting plasma glucose (FPG) was <7.0 mmol/L (126 mg/dL). METHODS We determined 2 indices of insulin secretion [homeostasis model assessment of β-cell function (HOMA-β) and daylong insulin response to mixed meals], insulin action [homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and steady-state plasma glucose (SSPG) concentration during the insulin suppression test], and degree of glycemia [fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and daylong glucose response to mixed meals] in 285 individuals with FPG <7.0 mmol/L. We compared the relationship between the 2 measures of insulin secretion as a function of the measures of insulin action and degree of glycemia. RESULTS Assessment of insulin secretion varied dramatically as a function of which of the 2 methods was used and which measure of insulin resistance or glycemia served as the independent variable. For example, the correlation between insulin secretion (HOMA-β) and insulin resistance varied from an r value of 0.74 (when HOMA-IR was used) to 0.22 (when SSPG concentration was used). CONCLUSIONS Conclusions about β-cell function in nondiabetic individuals depend on the measurements used to assess insulin action and insulin secretion. Viewing estimates of insulin secretion in relationship to measures of insulin resistance and/or degree of glycemia does not mean that an unequivocal measure of pancreatic β-cell function has been obtained.
MEMS Retro-Phase-Modulator for Free-Space Coherent Optical Communications

This paper describes an electrostatically actuated microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) device combined with small-scale retroreflective elements to produce a hybrid MEMS retro-phase-modulator suitable for use in a retroreflective free-space coherent optical communications system. In contrast to other MEMS retromodulators reported, which have concentrated on intensity modulation, the device reported in this paper produces an optical phase modulation. Two types of retroreflective elements, namely, a ball lens and an off-the-shelf retroreflective strip have been incorporated into the modulator. This paper reports a transmission system operating at higher bit rates than those that were previously published for similar schemes. Modulation has been achieved at 400 bits/s with a transmission cost of 80 pJ/bit
Recovery of the 3-D shape of the left ventricle from echocardiographic images

A computational method is reported which allows the fully automated recovery of the three-dimensional shape of the cardiac left ventricle from a reduced set of apical echo views. Two typically ill-posed problems have been faced: 1) the detection of the left ventricle contours in each view, and 2) the integration of the detected contour points (which form a sparse and partially inconsistent data set) into a single surface representation. The authors' solution to these problems is based on a careful integration of standard computer vision algorithms with neural networks. Boundary detection comprises three steps: edge detection, edge grouping, and edge classification. The first and second steps (which are typical early-vision tasks not involving specific domain-knowledge) have been performed through fast, well-established algorithms of computer vision. The higher level task of left ventricle-edge discrimination, which involves the exploitation of specific knowledge about the left ventricle silhouette, has been performed by feedforward neural networks. Following the most recent results in the field of computer vision, the first step in solving the problem of recovering the ventricle surface has been the adoption of a physically inspired model of it. Basically, the authors have modeled the left ventricle surface as a closed, thin, elastic surface and the data as a set of radial springs acting on it. The recovery process is equivalent to the settling of the surface-plus-springs system into a stable configuration of minimum potential energy. The finite element discretization of this model leads directly to an analog neural-network implementation. The efficiency of such an implementation has been remarkably enhanced through a learning algorithm which embeds specific knowledge about the shape of the left ventricle in the network. Experiments using clinical echographic sequences are described. Four apical views (each with a different rotation of the probe) have been acquired during a heartbeat from a set of seven normal subjects. These images have been utilized to set the various processing modules and test their capabilities.
Transcranial alternating current stimulation in the low kHz range increases motor cortex excitability.

PURPOSE External transcranial electric and magnetic stimulation techniques allow for the fast induction of sustained and measurable changes in cortical excitability. Here we aim to develop a paradigm using transcranial alternating current (tACS) in a frequency range higher than 1 kHz, which potentially interferes with membrane excitation, to shape neuroplastic processes in the human primary motor cortex (M1). METHODS Transcranial alternating current stimulation was applied at 1, 2 and 5 kHz over the left primary motor cortex with a reference electrode over the contralateral orbit in 11 healthy volunteers for a duration of 10 min at an intensity of 1 mA. Monophasic single- pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) was used to measure changes in corticospinal excitability, both during and after tACS in the low kHz range, in the right hand muscle. As a control inactive sham stimulation was performed. RESULTS All frequencies of tACS increased the amplitudes of motor- evoked potentials (MEPs) up to 30-60 min post stimulation, compared to the baseline. Two and 5 kHz stimulations were more efficacious in inducing sustained changes in cortical excitability than 1 kHz stimulation, compared to sham stimulation. CONCLUSIONS Since tACS in the low kHz range appears too fast to interfere with network oscillations, this technique opens a new possibility to directly interfere with cortical excitability, probably via neuronal membrane activation. It may also potentially replace more conventional repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) techniques for some applications in a clinical setting.
Incorporating order-flow into optimal execution

We provide an explicit closed-form strategy for an investor who executes a large order when market order-flow from all agents, including the investor’s own trades, has a permanent price impact. The strategy is found in closed-form when the permanent and temporary price impacts are linear in the market’s and investor’s rates of trading. We do this under very general assumptions about the stochastic process followed by the order-flow of the market. The optimal strategy consists of an Almgren–Chriss execution strategy adjusted by a weighted-average of the future expected net order-flow (given by the difference of the market’s rate of buy and sell market orders) over the execution trading horizon and proportional to the ratio of permanent to temporary linear impacts. We use historical data to calibrate the model to Nasdaq traded stocks and use simulations to show how the strategy performs.
Quasi-Hyperbolic Discounting and Retirement

There is overwhelming psychological evidence that some people run into self-control problems regularly, yet the effect of these findings on major life-cycle decisions hasn't been studied in detail. This paper extends Laibson's quasi-hyperbolic discounting savings model, in which each intertemporal self realizes that her time discount structure will lead to preference changes, and thus plays a game with her future selves. By making retirement endogenous, savings affect both consumption and work in the future. From earlier selves' points of view, the deciding self tends to retire too early, and, so it is possible that the self before saves less to induce her to work. However, still earlier selves think the pre-retirement self may do this too much, leading to possible higher saving on their part and eventual early retirement. Thus, the consumption path exhibits observational non-equivalence with exponential discounting. Observational non-equivalence also obtains on a number of comparative statics questions. For example, a self could have a negative marginal propensity to consume out of changes in future income. The outcome with naive agents, who fail to realize their self-control problem, is also briefly discussed. In that case, the deciding self's potential decision to retire despite earlier selves' plans results in a downward updating of available lifetime resources, and an empirically observed downward jump in the consumption path.
Multinational Corporations and Trade Structure

First, a model of horizontally and vertically integrated firms is developed. These firms are then embedded in a general equilibrium model of trading countries. It is shown how multinational corporations emerge as a result of differences across countries in factor compositions. Intersectoral, intraindustry, and intrafirm trade can coexist, and intrafirm trade takes place in invisibles (headquarter services) and intermediate inputs. It is shown how the various trade components depend on the structure of the world economy. The model predicts trade patterns which are close to observed trade patterns.
Pegvisomant Treatment in Acromegaly

Historically, medical treatment of acromegaly has mainly been used as an adjuvant therapy after surgery. In the last decades, an increased range of medical therapy options has been available. Somatostatin analogues have become the cornerstones of medical treatment in acromegaly and are even seen as a primary treatment in a selected group of acromegaly patients. The most recent medical treatment available for acromegaly patients is pegvisomant, a growth hormone receptor antagonist. To date, it is the most effective medical treatment, but it is costly. Pegvisomant is used as monotherapy and combined with somatostatin analogues. In this article, we review clinical studies and cohorts that have documented the efficacy of pegvisomant monotherapy and combined therapy and give a concise overview of associated side effects.
PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT WITH CONSTRAINTS

The traditional portfolio selection problem concerns an agent whose objective is to maximize the expected utility of terminal wealth over some horizon. This basic problem can be modified by adding constraints. In this paper we investigate the portfolio selection problem for an investor who desires to outperform some benchmark index with a certain confidence level. The benchmark is chosen to reflect some particular investment objective and it can be either deterministic or stochastic. The optimal strategy for this class of problems can lead to nonconvex constraints raising issues of existence and uniqueness. We solve this optimal portfolio selection problem and investigate the procedure for both deterministic and stochastic benchmarks.
Effect of Diabetes Mellitus on Giant Cell Arteritis

Background: To determine if Type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) is protective against giant cell arteritis (GCA) and to estimate the incidence of GCA diagnosis from Medicare claims. Methods: Medicare 5% claims files from 1991 to 2011 were used to identify beneficiaries diagnosed with DM, but not GCA, within a 3-year ascertainment period. Propensity score matching was used to define a control group of nondiabetics with comparable demographic covariates. Competing risk regression was then used to assess the impact of DM diagnosis on GCA diagnosis. To allow for a 3-year ascertainment period, the analysis sample was limited to beneficiaries older than 68 years at baseline. Results: A total of 151,041 beneficiaries diagnosed with DM were matched to an equal number of controls. Mean study follow-up was 67.75 months. GCA was diagnosed among 1116 beneficiaries with DM (0.73%) vs 465 (0.30%) controls. The risk of receiving a GCA diagnosis among patients with DM was increased by 100% (subhazard ratio, 2.00; 95% confidence interval, 1.78–2.25). The annual incidence of GCA diagnosis among claims for US Medicare beneficiaries older than 68 years old was 93 in 100,000. Conclusions: A DM diagnosis is not protective against a GCA diagnosis in the Medicare population. Our data suggest that a DM diagnosis increases the risk of GCA diagnosis within 5.7 years for Medicare beneficiaries older than 68 years.
Operational Eco‐efficiency: Comparing Firms' Environmental Investments in Different Domains of Operation

Eco‐efficiency has been established as a crucial concept for corporate environmental management. Most approaches deal with eco‐efficiency on the level of the company or the product. However, given that companies have special budgets earmarked for environmental operations or investments, the question arises as to which operation within which domain is the most eco‐efficient. This article presents an approach to supporting these decisions by calculating eco‐efficiency on the operational level. The procedure is demonstrated using a case study of the Swiss National Railway Company. Investments and operations in the domains of energy production, landscape and nature conservation, noise protection, and contaminated soil remediation are assessed and compared. Decision‐makers seeking an eco‐efficient corporate investment policy will find, in this concept, a guideline for prioritizing various domains of operation as well as the operations within a domain.
Survey of Australian power transformer failures and retirements

The utilities in Australia are currently operating in an economically constrained environment, and are therefore interested in optimizing expenditure on asset replacement. In response, the universities are working with the utilities to improve modeling of the economic life cycle of power transformers. Information on failure modes of transformers and reasons for their retirement from service are of great assistance to utilities in planning their asset management strategy. The last major failure survey of power transformers in Australia (and New Zealand) was published in 1996 [1]. Since 20 years have passed since then, it is timely to revisit failure of the transformer fleet.
Fecal MMP-9: A New Noninvasive Differential Diagnostic and Activity Marker in Ulcerative Colitis

Background:Ulcerative colitis (UC) is characterized by frequent relapses, with the presence of colorectal inflammation and mucosal lesions. Matrix-metalloprotease 9 (MMP-9) is elevated in colonic biopsies, urine, and blood plasma of UC patients. MMP-9 has been suggested as a predictor of UC in the urine of children; however, 20% of the controls tested positive. So far, fecal MMP-9 levels have never been measured. Our aims were: 1) to compare fecal MMP-9 levels in UC patients to control subjects and a functional gastrointestinal disorder characterized by diarrhea (IBS-D); 2) to test the correlation between UC disease activity and fecal levels of MMP-9; and 3) to correlate fecal MMP-9 levels with a known fecal marker of UC activity, calprotectin. Methods:UC (n = 47), IBS-D (n = 23) patients, and control subjects (n = 24) provided fecal samples for MMP-9 analysis. In UC patients, disease severity was evaluated by the Mayo score. Fecal MMP-9 and calprotectin levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and lateral flow assay, respectively. Results:MMP-9 was undetectable or ⩽0.22 ng/mL in the feces of all controls and IBS-D patients. In UC patients, fecal MMP-9 levels significantly correlated with the overall Mayo score (P < 0.001), the endoscopic score (P < 0.001), and the serum C-reactive protein levels (P = 0.002). Additionally, in UC patients fecal MMP-9 levels showed a significant correlation with a known disease activity marker, fecal calprotectin (P = 0.014). Conclusions:These results highlight fecal MMP-9 as a useful tool in the differential diagnosis of diarrheic disorders and in the noninvasive evaluation of disease activity and mucosal healing in UC.
Implementation of a New Relaxation Oscillator Using Superconducting Schmitt Trigger Inverter

A new relaxation oscillator using a superconducting Schmitt trigger inverter is proposed and tested. The superconducting Schmitt trigger inverter is composed of a threshold gate using coupled superconducting interference devices (SQUIDs). The oscillator is based on the general concept using the Schmitt trigger inverter and a delayed feedback loop. The designed relaxation oscillator is fabricated by a 2.5kA/cm2 Nb/AlOx/Nb process and tested. The operation of a fabricated relaxation oscillator is experimentally demonstrated.
Domain Maintenance as an Objective of Business Political Activity: An Expanded Typology

Conceptually, business political activity may have three major objectives: (1) to gain special monetary and anticompetitive favors from government—domain management; (2) to manage environmental turbulence created by governmental threats to the legitimacy of organizational goals and purposes—domain defense; and (3) to manage similar threats to the methods by which organizations pursue their goals and purposes—domain maintenance. This paper incorporates the political objective of domain maintenance into the existing typology of the strategic objectives of environmental management.
Role of Air Travel Demand Elasticities in Reducing Aviation's Carbon Dioxide Emissions

This paper develops a new set of European air travel demand elasticities with data from the International Civil Aviation Organization; a new database was constructed in the context of examining the role for dynamic demand management in reducing aviation carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. The results indicate that air travel demand appears to be fairly price inelastic, with a fare elasticity of 20.29% in the short run and 20.44% in the long run. As a result, demand management strategies focused solely on increasing air fares may do little to curb demand growth. In contrast, supply restrictions in the form of reduced service frequencies may offer a more effective means of reducing aviation CO2 emissions—a 10% reduction in frequency levels is found to reduce passenger demand by 5% in the short run and 7.6% in the long run—although such restrictions can create negative economic consequences. A combination of supply restrictions and pricing may offer a more balanced solution.
Genetic Characterization of Indigenous Peoples from Oaxaca, Mexico, and Its Relation to Linguistic and Geographic Isolation

Abstract We used 15 short tandem repeat (STR) loci (D8S1179, D21S11, D7S820, CSF1PO, D3S1358, TH01, D13S317, D16S539, D2S1338, D19S433, VWA, TPOX, D18S51, D5S818, and FGA) to genetically characterize 361 individuals from 11 indigenous populations (Amuzgo, Chinanteco, Chontal, Huave, Mazateco, Mixe, Mixteco, Triqui, Zapoteco del Istmo, Zapoteco del Valle, and Zoque) from Oaxaca, Mexico. We also used previously published data from other Mexican peoples (Maya, Chol, Tepehua, Otomí, and Mestizos from northern and central Mexico) to delineate genetic relations, for a total of 541 individuals. Average heterozygosity (H) was lower in most populations from Oaxaca (range 0.687 in Zoque to 0.756 in Chontal) than values observed in Mestizo populations from Mexico (0.758 and 0.793 in central and northern Mestizo, respectively) but higher than values observed in other Amerindian populations from South America; the same relation was true for the number of alleles (na ). We tested (using the software Structure) whether major geographic or linguistic barriers to gene flow existed among the populations of Oaxaca and found that the populations appeared to constitute one or two genetic groups, suggesting that neither geographic location nor linguistics had an effect on the genetic structure of these culturally and linguistically highly diverse indigenous peoples. Moreover, we found a low but statistically significant between-population differentiation. In addition, the genetic structure of Oaxacan populations did not fit an isolation-by-distance model. Finally, using AMOVA and a Bayesian clustering approach, we did not detect significant geographic or linguistic barriers to gene flow within Oaxaca. These results suggest that the indigenous communities of Oaxaca, although culturally isolated, can be genetically defined as a large, nearly panmictic population in which migration could be a more important population mechanism than genetic drift. Finally, compared with outgroups in Mexico (both indigenous peoples and Mestizos), three groups were apparent. Among them, only the Otomí population from Hidalgo has a different culture and language.