Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A tracking of AUV with integration of SSBL acoustic positioning and transmitted INS data

An autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) can achieve precise observation in the sea. Also in Japan agency for Marine-earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC) some observations with AUV “URASHIMA” have been implemented mainly in deep ocean. Tracking or navigation of the AUV is significant to make the observations more valuable. Almost AUV equips an inertial navigation system (INS) to navigate own cruise. The main problem of INS is the drift error of the estimated position, velocity and attitude, and it is not negligible. On the other hand, the AUV is tracked or positioned using acoustic positioning system (APS) in many cases. The APS is direct estimation of the position, and the error is limited but very larger compared with short-time INS tracking. In JAMSTEC, the super short baseline (SSBL) method is almost used to track the AUV from the mother ship because the observation area is deepwater and the SSBL is easy to operate. However, the SSBL is not accurate particularly in deepwater. Furthermore, there is systematic error due to measurement error of the circumstance, such as sound velocity profile. Thus the SSBL estimation is not so good to use to reset the INS estimation of the AUV position. In this paper, an accurate tracking method to estimate AUV potion by SSBL from the mother ship is proposed. In this method, the INS data obtained in the AUV is transmitted to the ship by spectrum spread (SS) acoustic communication. This acoustic signal is also used for SSBL, and the SSBL estimation is implemented by each data symbol. Thus the SSBL estimation is achieved not with a short pulse but with a continuous acoustic signal. The SSBL estimation results and the transmitted INS data are integrated and the AUV position is tracked accurately. Two integration algorithms are introduced. The one considers only the drift error of the INS outputs. This algorithm is linearly modeled and filtered by a Kalman filter (KF). Another also considers the systematic error of the SSBL due to measurement error of layered sound velocity profile. The later algorithm is non-linear and uses extended KF (EKF). The usefulness of these algorithms is shown by simulation. Particularly, the second algorithm is beneficial under existence of the systematic error of the SSBL estimation.
Accuracy of the Masimo SET® LNCS neo peripheral pulse oximeter in cyanotic congenital heart disease

Abstract Introduction Non-invasive peripheral pulse oximeters are routinely used to measure oxyhaemoglobin saturation (SpO2) in cyanotic congenital heart disease. These probes are calibrated in healthy adult volunteers between arterial saturations of ~75 and 100%, using the gold standard of co-oximetry on arterial blood samples. There are little data to attest their accuracy in cyanotic congenital heart disease. Aims We aimed to assess the accuracy of a commonly used probe in children with cyanotic congenital heart disease. Methods Children with cyanotic congenital heart disease admitted to the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit with an arterial line in situ were included to our study. Prospective simultaneous recordings of SpO2, measured by the Masimo SET® LNCS Neo peripheral probe, and co-oximeter saturations (SaO2) measured by arterial blood gas analysis were recorded. Results A total of 527 paired measurements of SpO2 and SaO2 (using an ABL800 FLEX analyser) in 25 children were obtained. The mean bias of the pulse oximeter for all SaO2 readings was +4.7±13.8%. The wide standard deviation indicates poor precision. This mean bias increased to +7.0±13.7% at SaO2 recordings <75%. The accuracy root mean square of the recordings was 3.30% across all saturation levels, and this increased to 4.98% at SaO2 <75%. Conclusions The performance of the Masimo SET® LNCS Neo pulse oximeter is poor when arterial oxyhaemoglobin saturations are below 75%. It tends to overestimate saturations in children with cyanotic congenital heart disease. This may have serious implications for clinical decisions.
Customer experience requirements for multi-platform service interaction: bringing services marketing to the elicitation of user requirements

The commercial use of the Internet for service provision has deeply changed the environment where human-computer interaction takes place, as Web interfaces are now integrated in multi-platform service provision. This work presents the results of a study of a multi-channel Portuguese bank, making use of both marketing and HCI methods and concepts, to understand customer usage of the different service platforms. The study involved in-depth interviews, focus groups, a Web survey and a telephone survey with bank customers. The study allowed the identification of the most important interaction experience requirements for this multi-platform service, and how they are influenced by user profiles and service characteristics. The results also show that customer experience requirements (CERs) have a strong impact on customer choice and usage of the different service platforms and can be better captured with essential use cases (EUCs), as they are technology independent. Designing a multi-platform service interaction should therefore start with a higher level of abstraction that allows a multi-platform, customer experience and essential use case perspectives. With this integrated approach, the Internet service can therefore be designed in order to best leverage its capabilities and its complementarity with the other service platforms.
Relationship between light scattering in flow cytometry and changes in shape, volume, and actin polymerization in human polymorphonuclear leukocytes

Using two different cytometers, an Epics Profile II and a FACScan, we determined the extent to which changes in forward and right angle scatter are a reliable measure for changes in polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN) shape, volume, and actin polymerization and whether distinct types of shape changes in PMNs can be recognized. PMN stimulation can substantially change the positions of PMNs in the scatter diagram of the FACScan but not of the Epics Profile II. Within the limits of the experiments, it has been possible to determine whether or not a shape change has taken place using the FACScan but not using the Epics Profile II. However, using either cytometer, it has not been possible to determine which type of shape change (e.g., spherical vs. polarized vs. nonpolar cells) has taken place. Furthermore, forward or right angle scatter changes are not a reliable measure for changes in cell volume or actin polymerization of human PMNs.
Experimental Determination of System Outage Probability Due to First-Order and Second-Order PMD

In this paper, a polarization-mode dispersion (PMD) tolerance testing procedure for transponders and transmission systems is described. This method exploits programmable PMD sources for testing the first- and second-order joint probability density function to estimate the total PMD network outage. Experimental data show that first-order-only PMD testing is insufficient to quantify the tolerance of a transponder and may falsely underestimate network outage
Dermal fibroblast‐mediated BMP2 therapy to accelerate bone healing in an equine osteotomy model

This study evaluated healing of equine metacarpal/metatarsal osteotomies in response to percutaneous injection of autologous dermal fibroblasts (DFbs) genetically engineered to secrete bone morphogenetic protein‐2 (BMP2) or demonstrate green fluorescent protein (GFP) gene expression administered 14 days after surgery. Radiographic assessment of bone formation indicated greater and earlier healing of bone defects treated with DFb with BMP2 gene augmentation. Quantitative computed tomography and biomechanical testing revealed greater mineralized callus and torsional strength of DFb‐BMP2‐treated bone defects. On the histologic evaluation, the bone defects with DFb‐BMP2 implantation had greater formation of mature cartilage and bone nodules within the osteotomy gap and greater mineralization activity on osteotomy edges. Autologous DFbs were successfully isolated in high numbers by a skin biopsy, rapidly expanded without fastidious culture techniques, permissive to adenoviral vectors, and efficient at in vitro BMP2 protein production and BMP2‐induced osteogenic differentiation. This study demonstrated an efficacy and feasibility of DFb‐mediated BMP2 therapy to accelerate the healing of osteotomies. Skin cell‐mediated BMP2 therapy may be considered as a potential treatment for various types of fractures and bone defects. © 2009 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 28:403–411, 2010
A calibration-free 13-bit 0.9 V differential SAR-ADC with hybrid DAC and dithering

This paper presents a 13-bit fully-differential successive approximation register analog-to-digital converter with a hybrid DAC that is suitable for sensor applications. An innovative dithering plus averaging technique is developed around this originally-designed 10-bit ADC to make it possible to attain an effective resolution of 13 bits in a configurable fashion without calibration. The ADC has a nominal 13-bit sampling rate of 5.5 kS/s suitable for many sensor applications. It operates with a multiple supply voltage from 0.9 V to 0.6V.
Multiple Electrode Aggregometry for the Assessment of Acquired Platelet Dysfunctions during Extracorporeal Circulation

Abstract Background There have been many reports on how the usage of extracorporeal circulation (ECC) is independently associated with the induction of platelet dysfunctions. The aim of the present investigation was to study the capability of the multiple electrode aggregometry (MEA) using the Multiplate (Roche AG, Grenzach, Germany) device to reflect the extent of ECC-associated platelet dysfunctions. Patients and Methods The study population consisted of patients who were treated with either hypothermic (cardiopulmonary bypass [CPB]) or normothermic (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation) ECC. Hemostatic analyses included conventional laboratory coagulation tests and aggregometric measures following stimulation with different agonists using MEA. The area under the aggregation curve in the ADPtest (ex vivo adenosine diphosphate induced platelet aggregation) of the MEA was defined as the primary end point. The analyses were performed before the usage of ECC (baseline) and 90 minutes (T1), 120 minutes (T2), 150 minutes (T3), and 180 minutes (T4) after the usage of ECC. In the hypothermic ECC group, additional hemostatic analyses were performed after the patient's postoperative admission to the intensive care unit (T5). Periprocedural data and results of other hemostatic testing were defined as secondary end points. Results A total of n = 40 patients were assessed for eligibility and n = 25 patients were finally enrolled into the study (hypothermic ECC group: n = 20; normothermic ECC group: n = 5). The extent of ADP-induced platelet aggregation decreased significantly between baseline and consecutive measuring points during hypothermic ECC and remained unchanged between T4 and T5. In the normothermic ECC group, ADP-induced aggregability was significantly lower at T1 compared with baseline and remained unchanged from T1 onward. Conclusion Data from the present study indicate that ex vivo ADP-induced platelet aggregation in MEA reflects the time-dependent extent of ECC-induced platelet dysfunction.
A microstrip-fed ultra-wideband antenna with two stop bands

A microstrip-fed ultra-wideband monopole antenna with two stop bands is presented. The impedance bandwidth is broadened by etching a “gong”-shaped slot in the ground plane. Two stop frequency bands are obtained by embedding two rectangle slots in the ground plane and a stub in the radiation patch. The two notched bands can be controlled by adjusting the length of the responding slot and the dimension of the stub. Experimental and numerical antenna shows that the proposed antenna with compact size of 34×30mm2, has an impedance bandwidth range from 2.5GHz to 10.9GHz for voltage standing-wave ratio less than 2, expect two notch band frequency 4.9GHz-6GHz for WLAN and 3.1GHz-4GHz for WiMAX.
Conditions for inclusive innovation with application to telecom and mobile banking

ABSTRACT An innovation is defined to be inclusive if it is affordable and increases productivity. Three ways of facilitating inclusion through such innovation in emerging and developing economies are derived analytically. First, invest in inducing more technical change in products the less well-off use. Second, improve capital or skills available to them. Third, reduce their transaction costs. Both the second and the third increase market size for inclusive innovation, thus promoting it through markets. An example of the second is better public provision of relevant infrastructure and of the third is better regulatory design. Absence of such a focus in Indian telecom and mobile banking policy limited market size. Poor Internet infrastructure constrained development of mobile services. Higher transaction costs explain India’s slow start in mobile banking, compared to Pakistan.
Activation of Hypoxia Response in Endothelial Cells Contributes to Ischemic Cardioprotection

ABSTRACT Small-molecule inhibition of hypoxia-inducible factor prolyl 4-hydroxylases (HIF-P4Hs) is being explored for the treatment of anemia. Previous studies have suggested that HIF-P4H-2 inhibition may also protect the heart from an ischemic insult. Hif-p4h-2gt/gt mice, which have 76 to 93% knockdown of Hif-p4h-2 mRNA in endothelial cells, fibroblasts, and cardiomyocytes and normoxic stabilization of Hif-α, were subjected to ligation of the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD). Hif-p4h-2 deficiency resulted in increased survival, better-preserved left ventricle (LV) systolic function, and a smaller infarct size. Surprisingly, a significantly larger area of the LV remained perfused during LAD ligation in Hif-p4h-2gt/gt hearts than in wild-type hearts. However, no difference was observed in collateral vessels, while the size of capillaries, but not their number, was significantly greater in Hif-p4h-2gt/gt hearts than in wild-type hearts. Hif-p4h-2gt/gt mice showed increased cardiac expression of endothelial Hif target genes for Tie-2, apelin, APJ, and endothelial nitric oxide (NO) synthase (eNOS) and increased serum NO concentrations. Remarkably, blockage of Tie-2 signaling was sufficient to normalize cardiac apelin and APJ expression and resulted in reversal of the enlarged-capillary phenotype and ischemic cardioprotection in Hif-p4h-2gt/gt hearts. Activation of the hypoxia response by HIF-P4H-2 inhibition in endothelial cells appears to be a major determinant of ischemic cardioprotection and justifies the exploration of systemic small-molecule HIF-P4H-2 inhibitors for ischemic heart disease.
Multidetector-Row Computed Tomography Angiography in Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Treated With Endovascular Repair: Evaluation of Optimal Timing of Delayed Phase Imaging for the Detection of Low-Flow Endoleaks

Purpose: To evaluate the optimal timing of delayed phase imaging for detecting low-flow endoleaks. Materials and Methods: Fifty-eight patients with unruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm treated with endovascular repair underwent 1- and 6-month follow-up multidetector row computed tomography (CT) performed during unenhanced, arterial, and delayed phase. At 6-month follow-up, delayed phase imaging, focused on stent graft, was performed with a delay of 60 (early delayed enhanced phase) and 300 seconds (late delayed enhanced phase) after intravenous injection of 120 mL of iodinated nonionic contrast medium (iomeprol 300 mgI/mL, Iomeron), at a flow rate of 3 mL/s via an antecubital vein, with a detector-row configuration of 4 × 1-mm, a 1.25-mm slice width, and a pitch of 6. Six-month follow-up CT images were independently evaluated by 2 readers during 2 different reading sessions: sets A (unenhanced, arterial, and early delayed phase images) and B (unenhanced, arterial, and late delayed phase images). Sensitivity and diagnostic accuracy of both reading sessions were compared. The standard of reference was represented by the combined evaluation of 1- and 6-month CT scans. Results: At standard of reference, 24 of 58 patients had an endoleak classified as type 1 in 2 cases, type 2 in 21 cases, and type 3 in the last 1 case. Seven of 21 type 2 endoleaks were classified as low-flow endoleaks. Set A reading session, including early delayed enhanced phase, allowed the detection of 19 of 24 endoleaks (5 false-negative cases represented by low-flow endoleaks), whereas all endoleaks were detected during set B reading session, including late delayed enhanced phase. Differences between sets A and B in terms of sensitivity and diagnostic accuracy were statistically significant (P < 0.05). Conclusions: For optimal multidetector CT detection of low-flow endoleaks in patients who underwent endovascular repair, delayed phase should be acquired 300 seconds after injection of contrast medium.
The Effect of Using Different Values for the Effect-Site Equilibrium Half-Time on the Prediction of Effect-Site Sevoflurane Concentration: A Simulation Study

We have developed a predictive display that allows effect-site concentration (Ceff) to be used as a target for administration of inhaled anesthesia. Ceff is dependent on the half-time for plasma effect-site equilibrium [t½½(ke0)]. The t½(ke0) used in the predictive display is fixed and may differ from that in the patient. We wished to explore the effect of this difference on predictions of Ceff. In a computer simulation, fresh gas flow and vaporizer settings required to achieve a predefined time profile for Ceff were determined for t½(ke0) of 2.5, 3.5, and 5 min. The end-tidal values for each simulation were used to recalculate Ceff with each t½(ke0). The maximal deviation at predetermined points, measures of global fit, and the delay in “recovery” were calculated. With a predictive display t½(ke0) of 3.5 min, the maximal error in Ceff was 0.18 vol%, occurring during the wash-in phase and disappearing within 2–3 min. The difference in time for Ceff to decrease from 1.0 to 0.7 vol% was 1.3 min. Results with a display t½(ke0) of 2.5 min or 5 min and simulated patient t½(ke0) of 5 min or 2.5 min were approximately twice as large. These results suggest that Ceff is relatively insensitive to large (50%–100%) variations in t½(ke0).
“Anatomizing” reversed: Use of examination questions that foster use of higher order learning skills by students

“Anatomizing” is a new verb some use to describe the breaking apart of a complex entity such as the human body, into isolated tidbits of information for study, which can never equal the complex, integrated whole. Although popular with first‐year medical students, this practice of “tidbitting” anatomical information into easy to memorize facts or tables of facts does not prepare medical students for the inevitable task of dealing with the integrated structure–function of the human body, both normal and diseased, as patient managers. Examination questions drive the cognitive methods students will use to learn content. Asking students on examinations for recall of previously memorized tidbits fosters the cognitive learning behavior of only memorization. Examination questions, however, can be constructed that assess student understanding and integration of the content, that is, student use of cognitive and metacognitive methods of higher order learning that will foster high‐quality learning producing better practitioners and lifelong learners. This kind of efficient student learning needs to begin in the first year of medical school.Learning more efficiently and at deeper levels of understanding is especially pertinent as the contact hours in anatomy courses continue to decrease. Anat Sci Educ. © 2010 American Association of Anatomists.
Developing a Systemic Program for Compassion Fatigue

The effort in hospitals to improve the patient experience has yielded a new impetus to address compassion fatigue (CF), a combination of secondary traumatic stress and burnout. Over the last 3 years, Barnes-Jewish Hospital has developed a systemic program for CF resiliency. An initial evaluation of the extent to which CF was affecting the hospital's oncology staff led to the formal implementation of a resiliency program for oncology registered nurses. The success of that program ultimately led to the implementation of a hospital-wide resiliency program, designed to help professional caregivers understand CF, recognize the physical, mental, and emotional effects of stress, and adopt resiliency strategies. The voluntary program has been very well received by participants, and a formal evaluation shows promising results with a decline in secondary traumatic stress and burnout among participants. Developing an institutional culture of recognition and support for CF is critical for health care organizations. Establishing such a culture may help managers proactively create work environments that provide opportunities for connection and support among staff. Compassion fatigue training allows professional caregivers to reconnect to their personal mission and then truly begin to connect with an organization's values and mission.
Polymorphic Variation in NFKB1 and Other Aspirin-Related Genes and Risk of Hodgkin Lymphoma

We found that regular use of aspirin may reduce the risk of Hodgkin lymphoma (HL), a common cancer of adolescents and young adults in the United States. To explore possible biological mechanisms underlying this association, we investigated whether polymorphic variation in genes involved in nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) activation and inhibition, other inflammatory pathways, and aspirin metabolism influences HL risk. Twenty single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in seven genes were genotyped in DNA from 473 classical HL cases and 373 controls enrolled between 1997 and 2000 in a population-based case-control study in the Boston, Massachusetts, metropolitan area and the state of Connecticut. We selected target genes and SNPs primarily using a candidate-SNP approach and estimated haplotypes using the expectation-maximization algorithm. We used multivariable logistic regression to estimate odds ratios (OR) for associations with HL risk. HL risk was significantly associated with rs1585215 in NFKB1 (AG versus AA: OR, 2.1; 95% confidence interval, 1.5-2.9; GG versus AA: OR, 3.5; 95% confidence interval, 2.2-5.7, Ptrend = 1.7 × 10−8) and with NFKB1 haplotypes (Pglobal = 6.0 × 10−21). Similar associations were apparent across categories of age, sex, tumor EBV status, tumor histology, and regular aspirin use, although statistical power was limited for stratified analyses. Nominally significant associations with HL risk were detected for SNPs in NFKBIA and CYP2C9. HL risk was not associated with SNPs in IKKA/CHUK, PTGS2/COX2, UDP1A6, or LTC4S. In conclusion, genetic variation in the NF-κB pathway seems to influence risk of HL. Pooled studies are needed to detect any heterogeneity in the association with NF-κB across HL subgroups, including aspirin users and nonusers. (Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2009;18(3):976–86)