Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Determination of infarct size of acute myocardial infarction in dogs by magnetic resonance imaging and gadolinium-DTPA: comparison with indium-111 antimyosin imaging.

Acute myocardial infarctions were produced in nine dogs by ligation of the left anterior descending coronary artery. Twenty-four hours after ligation, 0.5 mM/kg of gadolinium (Gd)-DTPA was injected intravenously, followed by cardiectomy 30 min later. Indium-111 antimyosin was administered intravenously 6 hr before cardiectomy to compare the infarct size with Gd-DTPA contrast enhancement. Areas of Gd-DTPA contrast enhancement were closely correlated with those of indium-111 antimyosin uptake (r = .86), although the former showed slightly greater than the latter. Partial and complete enhancements were observed in three and six dogs, respectively. In the T1 and T2 maps, T1 relaxation times of the infarcted area showed greater T1 shortening compared with normal myocardium, whereas T2 relaxation times were not different between infarcted and normal myocardium. Thus, Gd-DTPA showed significant contrast enhancement of the infarcted area because of greater T1 shortening and the extent of Gd-DTPA contrast enhancement expressed the infarct size precisely.
Effect of fish oil on appetite and other symptoms in patients with advanced cancer and anorexia/cachexia: a double-blind, placebo-controlled study.

PURPOSE To determine whether high doses of fish oil, administered over 2 weeks, improve symptoms in patients with advanced cancer and decreased weight and appetite. PATIENTS AND METHODS Sixty patients were randomly assigned to fish oil capsules or placebo. Appetite, tiredness, nausea, well-being, caloric intake, nutritional status, and function were prospectively assessed at days 1 and 14. RESULTS The baseline weight loss was 16 +/- 11 and 16 +/- 8 kg in the fish oil (n = 30) and placebo (n = 30) group respectively, whereas the baseline appetite (0 mm = best and 10 mm = worst) was 58 +/- 24 mm and 67 +/- 19 mm, respectively (P = not significant). The mean daily dose was 10 +/- 4 (fish oil group) and 9 +/- 3 (placebo group) capsules, which provided 1.8 g of eicosapentaenoic acid and 1.2 g of docosahexaenoic acid in the fish oil group. No significant differences in symptomatic or nutritional parameters were found (P <.05), and there was no correlation between changes in different variables between days 1 and 14 and the fish oil doses. Finally, the majority of the patients were not able to swallow more than 10 fish oil capsules per day, mainly because of burping and aftertaste. CONCLUSION Fish oil did not significantly influence appetite, tiredness, nausea, well-being, caloric intake, nutritional status, or function after 2 weeks compared with placebo in patients with advanced cancer and loss of both weight and appetite.
Flavobacterium xinjiangense sp. nov. and Flavobacterium omnivorum sp. nov., novel psychrophiles from the China No. 1 glacier.

Two novel psychrophilic bacterial strains (ZF-6(T) and ZF-8(T)) were isolated from the China No. 1 glacier. Polyphasic taxonomy using physiological and biochemical properties and phylogenetic analysis based on 18S rRNA gene sequences showed that the two isolates belonged to the genus Flavobacterium, and that they were distinct from each other and also from the known species of this genus. Strains ZF-6(T) and ZF-8(T) are Gram-negative and both have an optimal growth temperature of 11 degrees C. Strain ZF-6(T) is able to grow at 0-20 degrees C, the G + C content of its genomic DNA is 34.4 mol% and the major fatty acids of ZF-6(T) are C(16 : 1)omega7c (17.7%) and C15 : 1)omega6c (12.7%). Strain ZF-8(T) showed a strong ability to degrade organic macromolecules such as starch, CM-cellulose, pectin and chitin. Its DNA G + C content is 35.1 mol%, and the major fatty acids are C(16 : 1)omega7C (18.2%) and C(15 : 0) (9.9%). Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rDNA sequences indicated that ZF-6(T) and ZF-8(T) belong to the genus Flavobacterium and represent two novel species. DNA-DNA hybridization also supported the status of the two new isolates. The names Flavobacterium xinjiangense sp. nov. (type strain, ZF-6(T) = AS 1.2749(T) = JCM 11314(T)) and Flavobacterium omnivorum sp. nov. (type strain, ZF-8(T) = AS 1.2747(T) = JCM 11313(T)) are proposed for the two new isolates.
Performance evaluation for the sliding area-based T wave detection method on the QT database

The accurate detection of T-wave characteristic points is the basis of the morphology judging, which plays a great role in the diagnosis of heart diseases, especially in the arrhythmia diagnosis. Recently, the method based on the sliding area has received increasing interest due to its stable robustness. In this study, we aim to evaluate the performance of T-wave detection based on the sliding area method. Firstly, we constructed a systematic evaluation scheme by using records from the QT database and records chosen were separated into 10 groups, randomly. Then, the sliding area method was evaluated on each group. The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy and F1 measure were used as the evaluation indexes. Additionally, the tolerance window for determining a correct segmentation was 100ms. In this study, 1371 beats were used to detect the T-wave onsets. And for 1371 beats, the values of Se, P+, Acc and F1 measure were 54.70%, 54.70%, 37.66%, 54.70% for signals of first channel and were 54.05%, 54.05%, 37.03%, 54.05% for signals of second channel. Besides, 3542 beats were used to detect the T-wave offsets. And for 3542 beats, the values of Se, P+, Acc and F1 measure were 87.83%, 87.83%, 78.30%, 87.83% for signals of first channel and were 86.73%, 86.73%, 76.57% 86.73% for signals of second channel. Values of index aforementioned were smaller than 90%, which illustrated that the performance of the sliding area method depends on its different parameters combination and it adaptability needs to be verified further.
Corpus Callosum Size in Relation to Motor Performance in 9- to 10-Year-Old Children with Neonatal Encephalopathy

Magnetic resonance imaging studies have contributed to recognize the patterns of cerebral injury related to neonatal encephalopathy (NE). We assessed whether a smaller corpus callosum (CC) explained the difference in motor performance between school-age children with NE and controls. Frontal, middle, and posterior areas of the CC were measured in 61 9–10-y-old children with NE and in 47 controls. Motor performance was determined using the Movement Assessment Battery for Children (M-ABC). Linear regression was used to assess whether differences in M-ABC between NE children and controls could be explained by CC size. The CC of 11/30 children with NE type I according to Sarnat (NE I) and 19/36 children with NE type II according to Sarnat (NE II) showed generalized or focal thinning, compared with 8/49 controls. Children with NE II had significantly smaller middle and posterior parts and total areas of the CC. Children with NE scored significantly worse on the M-ABC than controls. The reduction in size of the posterior part of the CC partly explained the mean differences on the M-ABC. Children with NE have poorer motor skills than controls, which is partly explained by a smaller size of the CC.
Seasonal Variations in Microbial Populations and Environmental Conditions in an Extreme Acid Mine Drainage Environment

ABSTRACT Microbial populations, their distributions, and their aquatic environments were studied over a year (1997) at an acid mine drainage (AMD) site at Iron Mountain, Calif. Populations were quantified by fluorescence in situ hybridizations with group-specific probes. Probes were used for the domains Eucarya, Bacteria, and Archaea and the two species most widely studied and implicated for their role in AMD production, Thiobacillus ferrooxidans and Leptospirillum ferrooxidans. Results show that microbial populations, in relative proportions and absolute numbers, vary spatially and seasonally and correlate with geochemical and physical conditions (pH, temperature, conductivity, and rainfall). Bacterial populations were in the highest proportion (>95%) in January. Conversely, archaeal populations were in the highest proportion in July and September (∼50%) and were virtually absent in the winter. Bacterial and archaeal populations correlated with conductivity and rainfall. High concentrations of dissolved solids, as reflected by high conductivity values (up to 125 mS/cm), occurred in the summer and correlated with high archaeal populations and proportionally lower bacterial populations. Eukaryotes were not detected in January, when total microbial cell numbers were lowest (<105 cells/ml), but eukaryotes increased at low-pH sites (∼0.5) during the remainder of the year. This correlated with decreasing water temperatures (50 to 30°C; January to November) and increasing numbers of prokaryotes (108 to 109cells/ml). T. ferrooxidans was in highest abundance (>30%) at moderate pHs and temperatures (∼2.5 and 20°C) in sites that were peripheral to primary acid-generating sites and lowest (0 to 5%) at low-pH sites (pH ∼0.5) that were in contact with the ore body. L. ferrooxidans was more widely distributed with respect to geochemical conditions (pH = 0 to 3; 20 to 50°C) but was more abundant at higher temperatures and lower pHs (∼40°C; pH ∼0.5) than T. ferrooxidans.
Design, Modeling, and Experiment of a Piezoelectric Pressure Sensor Based on a Thickness-Shear-Mode Crystal Resonator

This paper presents the design, modeling, and experimental demonstration of a novel pressure sensor using an AT-cut quartz crystal resonator with beat frequency analysis-based temperature compensation technique. The combination of a compact design of the proposed pie-zoelectric crystal resonator structure and temperature compensation technique has advantages such as high accuracy, low cost, and good performance attributes. The sensor measures pressure and temperature simultaneously with a single AT-cut quartz resonator, thus avoiding the thermal lag problem in the commercial multiresonator-based pressure sensors. The pressure sensor is designed using computer-aided design software and CAE software (COMSOL Multiphysics). Finite-element analysis (FEA) of the pressure sensor is performed to analyze the stress–strain of the sensor's mechanical structure. A 3-D-printing prototype of the sensor was fabricated, and the sensing principle was verified using a force–frequency analysis apparatus. Subsequently, a full-up pressure sensor was fabricated with a stainless steel housing and a built-in crystal oscillator circuit. Based on the FEA and experimental results, we have determined that the maximum pressure the sensor can safely measure is 45 psi. Test results performed on the stainless steel product show a good linear relationship between the input (pressure) and the output (frequency).
Real-time interconnection network for single-chip many-core computers

A real-time capable interconnection network for single chip many-core computers is presented that is superior to the known Benes network because its routing algorithm scales linearly with the number of switches, and because it has a modular setup which eases chip synthesis and test. Its routing is based on “separation and approximation”. This method can also be applied to the Benes network, thus making its looping routing obsolete.
The influence of transformational leadership on employees’ creative process engagement

PurposeUsing a multi-level perspective, the purpose of this paper is to investigate impact of transformational leadership on employees’ creative process engagement and mediating roles of intrinsic motivation, task complexity and innovation support in the process of influence.Design/methodology/approachThis study follows a quantitative method. Using a multi-item survey instrument, a total of 400 questionnaires were distributed among employees of small and medium enterprises registered with the Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Bangladesh. Collected data were analyzed using structural equation model as well as factor analysis and path analysis to test the hypotheses and to assess the moderating and mediating effects of the variables.FindingsThe findings reveal that transformational leadership has a significant impact on employees’ creative process engagement. The study further shows that task complexity and support for innovation moderate the relationship between transformational leadership and employees’ creative process engagement.Research limitations/implicationsBased on the premises of interactionist perspectives on creativity, this study integrates multi-level variables to investigate leaders’ influences on followers’ creative process engagement. This study contributes to the existing literature by providing empirical evidence on influence of transformational leadership on employees’ creative process engagement as well as the impact of both individual- and organizational-level variables.Originality/valueThe study adopts a distinct model comprising five different variables to investigate creative process engagement from a multi-level perspective, i.e., creative process engagement and intrinsic motivation at the individual level, task complexity at the unit level, and support for innovation and leadership at the organizational level. This integrated model of using predictors from multiple levels supports the theoretical assumptions that creative process engagement results from the interaction of individual-, group- and organizational-level factors.
Non-Invasive Measurement of Optical Diffuse Reflectance and Cluster Analysis of the Data

Based on the non-invasive measurement of the CCD video technology, 24 measurements were made on tissue phantoms, which cover the whole range of human tissue optical properties. 24 diffuse reflectance images were obtained on the tissue phantom surfaces which contain a large amount of data. First we process the image by excel to extract the sum of image data(SUM), average (AVE), median (MID), the linear regression line of Y-axis intercept (INTERCEPT), linear regression slope (SLOPE), the average absolute deviation of the mean(AVEDEV), the square deviation (DEVSQ) and standard deviation (STDEV) as the characteristics of the diffuse reflectance image. Then the SPSS cluster analysis was used to cluster the 24 biological tissue phantoms by the diffuse reflectance image characteristics. The cluster result showed that the 24 diffuse reflectance images were clustered in group according their optical coefficients. So by this method we can predict the optical coefficient of tissue with the diffuse reflectance image.
Soccer training improves cardiac function in men with type 2 diabetes.

INTRODUCTION Patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, which is worsened by physical inactivity. Subclinical myocardial dysfunction is associated with increased risk of heart failure and impaired prognosis in T2DM; however, it is not clear if exercise training can counteract the early signs of diabetic heart disease. PURPOSE This study aimed to evaluate the effects of soccer training on cardiac function, exercise capacity, and blood pressure in middle-age men with T2DM. METHODS Twenty-one men age 49.8 ± 1.7 yr with T2DM and no history of cardiovascular disease participated in a soccer training group (n = 12) that trained 1 h twice a week or a control group (n = 9) with no change in lifestyle. Examinations included comprehensive transthoracic echocardiography, measurements of blood pressure, maximal oxygen consumption (V(˙)O(2max)), and intermittent endurance capacity before and after 12 and 24 wk. Two-way repeated-measures ANOVA was applied. RESULTS After 24 wk of soccer training, left ventricular (LV) end-diastolic diameter and volume were increased (P < 0.001) compared to baseline. LV longitudinal systolic displacement was augmented by 23% (P < 0.001) and global longitudinal two-dimensional strain increased by 10% (P < 0.05). LV diastolic function, determined by mitral inflow (E/A ratio) and peak diastolic velocity E', was increased by 18% (P < 0.01) and 29% (P < 0.001), respectively, whereas LV filling pressure E/E' was reduced by 15% (P = 0.05). Systolic, diastolic, and mean arterial pressures were all reduced by 8 mm Hg (P < 0.01, P < 0.001, and P < 0.001, respectively). V(˙)O(2max) and intermittent endurance capacity was 12% and 42% (P < 0.001) higher, respectively. No changes in any of the measured parameters were observed in control group. CONCLUSION Regular soccer training improves cardiac function, increases exercise capacity, and lowers blood pressure in men with T2DM.
Real-word and nonword repetition in Italian-speaking children with specific language impairment: a study of diagnostic accuracy.

PURPOSE Using 2 different scoring methods, the authors examined the diagnostic accuracy of both real-word and nonword repetition in identifying Italian-speaking children with and without specific language impairment (SLI). METHOD A total of 34 children ages 3;11-5;8 (years;months) participated--17 children with SLI and 17 typically developing children matched for age (TD-A children). Children completed real-word and nonword repetition tasks. The capacity of real-word and nonword repetition tasks to discriminate children with SLI from TD-A was examined through binary logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic curves. RESULTS Both real-word and nonword repetition showed good (or excellent) sensitivity and specificity in distinguishing children with SLI from their TD peers. CONCLUSIONS Nonword repetition appears to be a useful diagnostic indicator for Italian, as in other languages. In addition, real-word repetition also holds promise. The contributions of each type of measure are discussed.
Application of Group-Level Item Response Models in the Evaluation of Consumer Reports About Health Plan Quality

Group-level parametric and non-parametric item response theory models were applied to the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS®) 2.0 core items in a sample of 35,572 Medicaid recipients nested within 131 health plans. Results indicated that CAHPS responses are dominated by within health plan variation, and only weakly influenced by between health plan variation. Thus, although the CAHPS 2.0 survey has acceptable psychometric properties when analyzed at the individual level, large sample sizes are needed to reliably differentiate among health plans. These results illustrate why it is important to study evaluations of health care, such as CAHPS, at multiple levels of analyses.
Modeling the Construction Sector and Oil Prices toward the Growth of the Nigerian Economy: An Econometric Approach

This study empirically examined the interrelationship between the construction sector, oil prices, and the actual gross domestic product (GDP) in Nigeria. Using annual economic data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the OPEC Annual Statistical Bulletin, and econometric statistics, we found that although very strong positive and significant correlations exist between the construction sector output and total GDP output (0.934), the construction sector output and oil prices (0.856), and the total GDP output and oil prices (0.822), these linear relationships only exist for a short time. However, these relationships do not result in any direct causal influence on each other, except for the uni-directional Granger causal relationship that flows from the total GDP output to the construction sector output, which implies that economic activities of other major non-oil sectors stimulate the construction activities in Nigeria. Thus, we argue that neither the construction sector nor the oil prices directly influence the aggregate economy; rather, the other sectors’ activities stimulate the construction sector in Nigeria. Two policy recommendations for achieving the Federal Government’s medium term Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) are suggested: (1) the Nigerian government should de-emphasize overreliance on the oil sector through policy readjustment and (2) an urgent need for economic diversification in Nigeria exists, since we revealed that an increase in the aggregate GDP output is due to the activities of other non-oil sectors.
State-of-the-art literature review on inventory models for perishable products

The purpose of this paper is to review and analyze the perishable inventory models along various dimensions such as its evolution, scope, demand, shelf life, replenishment policy, modeling techniques and research gaps. ,In total, 418 relevant and scholarly articles of various researchers and practitioners during 1990-2016 were reviewed. They were critically analyzed along author profile, nature of perishability, research contributions of different countries, publication along time, research methodologies adopted, etc. to draw fruitful conclusions. The future research for perishable inventory modeling was also discussed and suggested. ,There are plethora of perishable inventory studies with divergent objectives and scope. Besides demand and perishable rate in perishable inventory models, other factors such as price discount, allow shortage or not, inflation, time value of money and so on were found to be combined to make it more realistic. The modeling of inventory systems with two or more perishable items is limited. The multi-echelon inventory with centralized decision and information sharing is acquiring lot of importance because of supply chain integration in the competitive market. ,Only peer-reviewed journals and conference papers were analyzed, whereas the manuals, reports, white papers and blood-related articles were excluded. Clustering of literature revealed that future studies should focus on stochastic modeling. ,Stress had been laid to identify future research gaps that will help in developing realistic models. The present work will form a guideline to choose the appropriate methodology(s) and mathematical technique(s) in different situations with perishable inventory. ,The current review analyzed 419 research papers available in the literature on perishable inventory modeling to summarize its current status and identify its potential future directions. Also the future research gaps were uncovered. This systemic review is strongly felt to fill the gap in the perishable inventory literature and help in formulating effective strategies to design of an effective and efficient inventory management system for perishable items.
Relationships Among Impairments in Lower-Extremity Strength and Power, Functional Limitations, and Disability in Older Adults

Background and Purpose: During the aging process, older adults may experience a loss of strength and power, which then may lead to functional limitations and disability. The purpose of this study was to examine how impairments in lower-extremity strength and power are related to functional limitations and disability in community-dwelling older adults. Subjects: Thirty older adults (age [X̄±SD], 77.3±7.0 years; 25 women and 5 men) with mild to moderate functional limitations participated in this study. Methods: Lower-extremity strength, peak power, power at a low relative intensity, and power at a high relative intensity were measured with a pneumatic resistance leg press. Functional limitations and disability were assessed with the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB), the Six-Minute Walk Test (SMWT), and the Late Life Function and Disability Instrument (LLFDI). Results: All measures of strength and power were related to functional limitations. Peak power demonstrated the strongest relationships with SMWT, the SPPB gait speed subscale, and the LLFDI functional limitation component. Power at a high relative intensity demonstrated the strongest relationships to the SPPB total score and the SPPB sit-to-stand subscale score. All measures of strength and power were indirectly related to the LLFDI disability component. Discussion and Conclusion: Older adults should focus on increasing and maintaining lower-extremity strength and power across a range of intensities in order to decrease functional limitations and disability.