Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Comparison of numerical electric field and SAR results in compound and extracted eye models

This paper compares the numerical results for the induced electric field and the specific absorption rate (SAR) obtained using the hybrid FEM/BEM method in two detailed models of the human eye. The first model features the human eye placed in the free space, while the second one incorporates the eye model in the realistic head model obtained from the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans. Although the preliminary analysis showed the similar distribution of the induced electric field along the pupillary axis obtained in both models, the numerical results for the SAR showed some discrepancy between the two models, which can be attributed to the high values of induced field in the corneal and scleral regions obtained in the compound eye model. The analysis could provide some helpful insights when carrying out the dosimetric analysis of the human eye exposed to electromagnetic radiation.
Measuring tissue hemodynamics and oxygenation by continuous-wave functional near-infrared spectroscopy—how robust are the different calculation methods against movement artifacts?

Continuous-wave near-infrared spectroscopy and imaging enable tissue hemodynamics and oxygenation to be determined non-invasively. Movements of the investigated subject can cause movement artifacts (MAs) in the recorded signals. The strength and type of MAs induced depend on the measurement principle. The aim of the present study was to investigate the quantitative relationship between different single-distance (SD) and multi-distance (MD) measurement methods and their susceptibility to MAs. We found that each method induces MAs to a different degree, and that MD methods are more robust against MAs than SD methods.
Muligheder og udfordringer i anvendelsen af et samarbejdssystem: Brugen af BSCW i projektarbejdet på RUC

Forste gang publiceret i UNEV nr. 5: Videndeling og samarbejde pa nettet, februar - maj 2005, red. Simon Heilesen. ISSN 1603-5518. Artiklen omhandler brugen af et samarbejdssystem i forbindelse med universitetsundervisning. Baseret pa et feltstudium af brugen af BSCW i projektarbejdet pa den humanistiske basisuddannelse pa Roskilde Universitetscenter har vi identificeret en raekke faktorer, som har betydning for brugssituationen: (1) En facilitator synes at have helt afgorende betydning for gruppens brug af samarbejdssystemet - han eller hun introducerer systemet, vedligeholder gruppens mapper og instruerer gruppens ovrige medlemmer. (2) Brugen af systemet kan karakteriseres ved gradvis udbredelse og en fortlobende beslutningsproces - baseret pa erfaringer med systemet besluttes brugen af systemet lobende. Dette har fx konsekvenser for en hensigtsmaessig placering af introduktionsundervisning i systemet. (3) Integration med andre systemer er meget afgorende for hvor smidigt systemet kan anvendes i dagligdagen; er det for besvaerligt anvendes andre, umiddelbart mere adekvate, systemer og forst pa sigt viser konsekvenserne sig i form af mangel pa struktur og overblik over gruppens dokumenter. (4) En delig viser erfaringerne, at der er behov for andre mekanismer til at skabe struktur og overblik end samarbejdssystemets indbyggede hierarki i form af den klassiske mappestruktur.
‘I like to see blood’: visuality and self-cutting

The sight of blood and wounds is described as crucial by individuals who self-injure, especially those who practise self-cutting. An understanding of the visual mode is therefore important to get a deeper understanding of why people choose to cut themselves. In this article, visual aspects of first-hand experiences of self-cutting are investigated. Cutting is understood as having a purpose and a function for people who injure themselves; it releases overwhelming feelings or communicates inner states to the individuals themselves and to others. Material was taken from autobiographical accounts describing cutting episodes and from photographs documenting the act. The analysis was carried out using content and discourse analytic methods. The results were interpreted using a discourse theoretical perspective. A semiotic model is proposed to understand the communicative meaning of the acts. An important finding is the role of conceptual metaphors such as ‘the-body-is-a-container’ and ‘feelings are fluid’, which make self-cutting a logical coping strategy. The role of blood as a central sign in the act was manifest in the written and visual accounts of the self-cutting experience. Blood was related to a wide range of meanings, such as realness and true self, and to feelings such as anger and sadness. Through the drawing of blood, feelings were expressed and understood. Blood was also often aestheticised and rearticulated by self-cutters who acknowledged their deviancy as a group in relation to a hegemonic culture. Concurrent themes were the verbal and visual articulations of cutting in a control discourse as a means to regain control or, sometimes, to give oneself up to an experience of chaos.
Incerteza subjetiva no processo de decisão estratégica: uma proposta de mensuração

Uncertainty has often been cited to justify difficulties in decision making in business and is associated with differences in the performance of competing firms because in a world of certainty, resource allocation would be optimized and there would not be rents variation among competing economic actors. Thus, understanding uncertainty and how it can be measured is relevant to management theory, and this is our purpose in this study. The definition of uncertainty used herein was derived from the non-ergotic world perspective presented by Keynes and Knight in the 1920s. It is understood as a perceptual phenomenon and described as the individual's perceived ability to predict future events based on the study of past occurrences. The research we conducted to develop and test the scale of measurement occurred in two phases. First we discussed the concept with four directors of the IT industry sector. Based on the results of this phase and previous studies, we proposed a measurement scale in three dimensions: state, effect and response, as suggested by Milliken (1987). The scale was tested by confirmatory factor analysis with data from a sample of 243 managers from different economic sectors. The results of the statistical test of the scale were satisfactory
Constant-Time Query Processing

Query performance in current systems depends significantly on tuning: how well the query matches the available indexes, materialized views etc. Even in a well tuned system, there are always some queries that take much longer than others. This frustrates users who increasingly want consistent response times to ad hoc queries. We argue that query processors should instead aim for constant response times for all queries, with no assumption about tuning. We present Blink, our first attempt at this goal, that runs every query as a table scan over a fully denormalized database, with hash group-by done along the way. To make this scan efficient, Blink uses a novel compression scheme that horizontally partitions tuples by frequency, thereby compressing skewed data almost down to entropy, even while producing long runs of fixed-length, easily-parseable values. We also present a scheme for evaluating a conjunction of range and equality predicates in SIMD fashion over compressed tuples, and different schemes for efficient hash-based aggregation within the L2 cache. A experimental study with a suite of arbitrary single block SQL queries over a TPCH-like schema suggests that constant-time queries can be efficient.
Incision length for standard thyroidectomy and parathyroidectomy: when is it minimally invasive?

HYPOTHESIS Current techniques for open conventional thyroidectomy or parathyroidectomy have evolved to enable a shorter incision (main proposition), and the length of the incision is influenced by objective factors. DESIGN Case series. SETTING University referral center. PATIENTS AND INTERVENTION Retrospective study of the most recent 200 primary consecutive routine thyroid and parathyroid operations (excluding neck dissections). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES The length of incision was routinely measured with a ruler before the incision. Univariate and multivariate analysis was performed to distinguish variables affecting length of incision. RESULTS Mean length of the incision was 5.5 cm for total thyroidectomy, 4.6 cm for lobectomy, and 3.5 cm for parathyroidectomy (P<.001). It was 4.1 cm for bilateral parathyroid exploration, but was reduced to 3.2 and 2.8 cm for unilateral (P<.001) and focal (P<.001) explorations, respectively. By multiple regression analysis, thyroid specimen volume and patient body mass index were independent predictors of incision length in thyroidectomy. Extent of exploration and resident training level were independent predictors of incision length in parathyroidectomy. CONCLUSIONS Current techniques for open conventional thyroidectomy or parathyroidectomy have evolved to enable a shorter incision. Thyroid volume, patient body mass index, extent of the planned parathyroid exploration, and the resident clinical training stage are important variables for incision length in open operation and should be taken into account when minimally invasive thyroidectomy and parathyroidectomy are evaluated.
APRE: A Replication Method for Unstructured P2P Networks

We present APRE, a replication method for structureless Peer-to-Peer overlays. The goal of our method is to achieve real-time replication of even the most sparsely located content relative to demand. APRE adaptively expands or contracts the replica set of an object in order to improve the sharing process and achieve a low load distribution among the providers. To achieve that, it utilizes search knowledge to identify possible replication targets inside query-intensive areas of the overlay. We present detailed simulation results where APRE exhibits both efficiency and robustness relative to the number of requesters and the respective request rates. The scheme proves particularly useful in the event of flash crowds, managing to quickly adapt to sudden surges in load.
Spectral Resolution of the Grating Coupler of a Miniaturized Integrated Evanescent Field IR Absorption Sensor

Aiming at a handheld sensor to characterize chemical compositions, we propose a fully integrated absorption sensor based on infrared (IR) absorption in the evanescent field region of an integrated monomode waveguide utilizing thermally generated and detected IR radiation. For the coupling, two grating couplers are employed, which couple broadband thermal IR radiation into the waveguide and the attenuated IR radiation at the waveguide output toward a thermal IR detector, respectively. To achieve a spectroscopic measurement, we utilize the dispersive feature of the grating coupler, which couples the IR beams out of the waveguide at angles depending on the wavelength. Depending on the application, the spectral resolution might be more or less critical. In this paper, we report on the design of the grating couplers associated with the proposed system configuration influencing the spectral resolution. We also show measurements confirming the results obtained by numerical simulations aiming at the investigation of the dispersive feature of the grating couplers.
Breast and colorectal cancer screening among low‐income women with psychiatric disorders

This study investigated breast and colorectal cancer screening among 196 low‐income women being treated for psychiatric illnesses. Main outcome measures included breast self‐examination (BSE), clinical breast examination (CBE), mammography, digital rectal examination (DRE), and fecal occult blood test (FOBT). Results indicated that 49% and 66% of women 40 years of age or older had obtained mammograms and CBEs, respectively, in the preceding year. Forty‐four per cent of women 20 years of age or older reported monthly BSE. Forty‐six per cent and 35% of women 50 years of age or older reported having digital rectal exams (DRE) or fecal occult blood tests (FOBT), respectively, in the preceding year. Multivariate analyses showed that physician recommendation of screening was the strongest predictor of having obtained a mammogram, CBE, DRE or FOBT in the preceding year. Physician recommendation and self‐confidence in performing BSE were the strongest predictors of monthly BSE. These results highlight the importance of physician recommendation of adherence to screening guidelines for breast and colorectal cancer. Because psychiatrists frequently treat psychiatric patients on a regular basis, they are in a unique position to encourage cancer screening and to monitor compliance with their recommendations. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Working day movement model

Abstract movement models, such as Random Waypoint, do not capture reliably the properties of movement in the real life scenarios. We present and analyse a movement model for delay-tolerant network simulations that is able to produce inter-contact time and contact time distributions that follow closely the ones found in the traces from the real-world measurement experiments. We validate the movement model using the ONE simulator.
This space is not yet blank: anthropologies for a future action research 1

Abstract This article considers the possibilities of new relationships between action research and a ‘new’ anthropology. It begins by considering its own anthropological acts as a kind of writing/riting. Employing in turn three overlapping metaphors (spoor, spook and spoof) it tries to work through to a notion of a reformulated action research as a kind of ethnography – with some stress on the ‘graphic’. At the same time as trying to express that new relationship, the boxed commentary offers a pedagogical heuristic which may (or may not) make the meanings of the text both more apparent to the reader, and at the same time paradoxically more complex. Is there any point in such explorations and creations? The unsurprising answer from the author is ‘yes’: one possible contemporary purpose is to make light of the serious. Such seriousness is illustrated in the ways in which the audit culture has progressively swallowed up educational philosophy, as well as education research and evaluation.
Intergenerational Literacy Learning with Bilingual Families: A Context for the Analysis of Social Mediation of Thought

This research initiative was undertaken to examine the effects of an intergenerational literacy program, held weekly for 2 hours over a 6-month period, on the measured English proficiency of nine bilingual families (9 parents, 15 children). The research was also conducted to explore the relationships among changes in the participants' use of identified categories of discourse during literacy activities and changes in their second-language competency on tests of literacy. Program goals were to encourage the parents to read storybooks to their children in the home as well as to provide literacy-based activities to family members, including storybook reading, hands-on projects related to the stories read, formal English instruction for the parents, and free play for the children. Sixteen observations (24 hours) of participants' discourse were conducted by the researcher and an assistant using a format adapted from research of family-based literacy learning and classroom discourse; semi-structured interviews with parents and teachers were also held. Results of pre-post comparisons of children's scores on the PLS and parents' scores on the CTBS revealed significant improvements. Frequencies of identified categories of parent-and-child discourse between the third and fifteenth observations were also compared and revealed several significant differences. Significant correlations were also found between participant test scores and differences in their use of identified categories of discourse. These empirical results, as well as descriptive findings, are interpreted using Vygotsky's (1978, 1987) sociocultural theory of learning. It is proposed that teacher scaffolding strategies, as well as the parents' and children's efforts to linguistically mediate each other's learning, were integral to the gains in the families' second-language proficiency.
Software-Defined Networks (SDNs) and Internet of Things (IoTs): A Qualitative Prediction for 2020

The Internet of Things (IoT) is imminent technology grabbing industries and research attention with a fast stride. Currently, more than 15 billion devices are connected to the Internet and this number is expected to reach up to 50 billion by 2020. The data generated by these IoT devices are immensely high, creating resource allocation, flow management and security jeopardises in the IoT network. Programmability and centralised control are considered an alternative solution to address IoT issues. On the other hand, a Software Define Network (SDN) provides a centralised and programmable control and management for the underlying network without changing existing network architecture. This paper surveys the state of the art on the IoT integration with the SDN. A comprehensive review and the generalised solutions over the period 2010-2016 is presented for the different communication domains. Furthermore, a critical review of the IoT and the SDN technologies, current trends in research and the futuristic contributing factors form part of the paper. The comparative analysis of the existing solutions of SDN based IoT implementation provides an easy and concise view of the emerging trends. Lastly, the paper predicts the future and presents a qualitative view of the world in 2020.
Mechanistic Study of the Phytocompound, 2- β -D-Glucopyranosyloxy-1-hydroxytrideca-5,7,9,11-tetrayne in Human T-Cell Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia Cells by Using Combined Differential Proteomics and Bioinformatics Approaches

Bidens pilosa, a medicinal herb worldwide, is rich in bioactive polyynes. In this study, by using high resolution 2-dimensional gel electrophoresis coupled with mass spectrometry analysis, as many as 2000 protein spots could be detected and those whose expression was specifically up- or downregulated in Jurkat T cells responsive to the treatment with 2-β-D-glucopyranosyloxy-1-hydroxytrideca-5,7,9,11-tetrayne (GHTT) can be identified. GHTT treatment can upregulate thirteen proteins involved in signal transduction, detoxification, metabolism, energy pathways, and channel transport in Jurkat cells. Nine proteins, that is, thioredoxin-like proteins, BH3 interacting domain death agonist (BID protein involving apoptosis), methylcrotonoyl-CoA carboxylase beta chain, and NADH-ubiquinone oxidoreductase, were downregulated in GHTT-treated Jurkat cells. Further, bioinformatics tool, Ingenuity software, was used to predict signaling pathways based on the data obtained from the differential proteomics approach. Two matched pathways, relevant to mitochondrial dysfunction and apoptosis, in Jurkat cells were inferred from the proteomics data. Biochemical analysis further verified both pathways involving GHTT in Jurkat cells. These findings do not merely prove the feasibility of combining proteomics and bioinformatics methods to identify cellular proteins as key players in response to the phytocompound in Jurkat cells but also establish the pathways of the proteins as the potential therapeutic targets of leukemia.
Synthesis of new polyester polyols from epoxidized vegetable oils and biobased acids

Biobased polyols were synthesized from reaction between epoxidized soybean oil and lactic, glycolic, or acetic acids. Polyols were characterized by NMR, alcohol and acid titration, and SEC. These analyses allowed to determine an average hydroxyl functionality between 4 and 5, with an oligomer content close to 50 wt%. Synthesized polyols were formulated with isocyanate to yield polyurethanes (PUs). Thermal and mechanical properties of obtained materials showed that synthesized polyols lead to rigid and brittle material with Young moduli higher than 900 N/mm2 at RT and with Tg values around 50°C. Practical application: The products of the chemistry described in this contribution, i.e.: polyol from vegetable oils and lactic, glycolic, or acetic acids, provide biobased building blocks for further PUs syntheses by reaction with diisocyanates. The obtained PUs are partially biobased and may be applied as binders and coatings.
Complex Dynamics and Fast-Slow Scale instability in Current-Mode Controlled Buck Converter with Constant Current Load

The complex dynamics and coexisting fast-slow scale instability in current-mode controlled buck converter with constant current load (CCL), operating in both continuous conduction mode (CCM) and discontinuous conduction mode (DCM), are investigated in this paper. Via cycle-by-cycle computer simulation and experimental measurement of current-mode controlled buck converter with CCL, it is found that a unique fast-slow scale instability exists in the second-order switching converter. It is also found that a unique period-doubling accompanied by Neimark–Sacker bifurcation exists in this simple second-order converter, which is different from period-doubling or Neimark–Sacker bifurcations reported previously. Based on a nonlinear discrete-time model and the corresponding Jacobian, the effects of CCL and input voltage on the dynamics of current-mode controlled buck converter are investigated and verified theoretically. Fixed point analysis for slow-scale low-frequency oscillation is also given to verify the dynamics and the coexisting fast-slow scale instability.
Stem cell activation sustains hereditary hypertrophy in hamster cardiomyopathy

Recent studies have documented the presence of stem cells within the myocardium and their role in the repair of ischaemic injury. Nevertheless, the pathogenic role of stem cells in non‐ischaemic myocardial diseases, as well as the factors potentially responsible for their activation, is still under debate. The present study demonstrates the presence of an increased number of c‐kit positive, MDR‐positive, and Sca‐1‐positive stem cells within the myocardium of hereditary δ‐SG null hamsters, a spontaneously occurring model of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. When hamsters are 80 days old, ie at the ‘hypertrophic’ stage of the disease, but without haemodynamic overload, these cells associate with a multitude of cells co‐expressing c‐kit, cMet, GATA4, or MEF‐2, and proliferating myocytes co‐expressing myosin heavy chain, telomerase, ki67 and cyclin B. Furthermore, at the same animal age, the number of myocardial cells co‐expressing c‐kit and Flk‐1, and the number of capillary vessels, is also amplified. In order to identify factors potentially responsible for stem cell activation, the myocardial expression of HGF and cMet and HGF plasma levels were evaluated, demonstrating their increase in 80‐day‐old δ‐SG null hamsters. To demonstrate the possible ability of HGF to induce stem cell differentiation, bone‐marrow‐derived mesenchymal stem cells were challenged with HGF at the same plasma concentration observed in vivo. HGF induced cMet phosphorylation, and caused loss of stem cell features and overexpression of MEF‐2, TEF1, and MHC. Our results demonstrate that stem cell activation occurs within the cardiomyopathic myocardium, very likely to maintain an efficient cardiac architecture. In this context, elevated levels of HGF might play a role in induction of stem cell commitment to the cardiomyocyte lineage and in cardioprotection through its anti‐apoptotic action. Consistently, when cytokine levels declined to physiological concentrations, as in 150‐day‐old cardiomyopathic animals, myocardial apoptosis prevailed, prejudicing cardiac function. Copyright © 2005 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.