Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Adrenergic agents modify cerebral edema and microvessel ultrastructure in porcine sepsis

Objective:To investigate the effects of adrenergic agents on the cerebral response to sepsis. Design:Prospective, randomized, controlled, experimental animal study. Setting:Medical school research laboratories. Subjects:Twenty-eight middle white pigs (25–30 kg). Interventions:Pigs were anesthetized, mechanically ventilated, and randomly assigned to one of the following groups: cecal peritonitis (n = 5), cecal peritonitis with dopexamine (n = 5), cecal peritonitis with dopexamine and the &bgr;2-adrenergic receptor antagonist ICI 118,551 (n = 4), cecal peritonitis with methoxamine (n = 5), cecal peritonitis with dopexamine and methoxamine (n = 4), and sham-operated (n = 5). Sham-operated pigs were killed after laparotomy, and pigs with cecal peritonitis were killed 8 hrs after its induction. Samples of frontal cerebral cortex were taken immediately after death, processed for light and electron microscopy, and then subjected to morphometric analysis. Measurements and Main Results:There was significantly more (p < .0005) cerebral perimicrovessel edema in pigs with cecal peritonitis (80.2 &mgr;m2 ± 5.3 sem) than in sham-operated pigs (26.2 &mgr;m2 ± 2.7 sem) and significantly less (p < .0005) perimicrovessel edema in dopexamine-treated pigs with cecal peritonitis (39.8 &mgr;m2 ± 5.5 sem) than in pigs with cecal peritonitis alone (80.2 &mgr;m2 ± 5.3 sem). There was no significant difference between the amount of perimicrovessel edema in pigs with cecal peritonitis treated with dopexamine plus ICI118,551 and pigs with cecal peritonitis alone. The mean cerebral microvessel endothelial cell cross-sectional area in methoxamine-treated pigs with cecal peritonitis (26.3 &mgr;m2 ± 2.6 sem) was significantly greater than that in pigs with cecal peritonitis alone (16.3 &mgr;m2 ± 2.1 sem, p = .008) or in sham-operated pigs (12.3 &mgr;m2 ± 1.3 sem, p = .0005). Conclusions:Dopexamine protects against cerebral edema formation in sepsis by stimulation of &bgr;2-adrenergic receptors, whereas the &agr;1 adrenoceptor agonist methoxamine induces cerebral microvessel endothelial cell swelling.
The density of the time of ruin in the classical risk model with a constant dividend barrier

Abstract In this paper, we investigate the density function of the time of ruin in the classical risk model with a constant dividend barrier. When claims are exponentially distributed, we derive explicit expressions for the density function of the time of ruin and its decompositions: the density of the time of ruin without dividend payments and the density of the time of ruin with dividend payments. These densities are obtained based on their Laplace transforms, and expressed in terms of some special functions which are computationally tractable. The Laplace transforms are being inverted using a magnificent tool, the Lagrange inverse formula, developed in Dickson and Willmot (2005). Several numerical examples are given to illustrate our results.
The Impact of Spontaneous Ventilation on Distribution of Lung Aeration in Patients with Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome: Airway Pressure Release Ventilation Versus Pressure Support Ventilation

BACKGROUND: In this study, we sought to determine which mode, airway pressure release ventilation (APRV) or pressure support ventilation (PSV), decreases atelectasis more in patients with acute lung injury/acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). METHODS: This was a retrospective study in the intensive care unit. Between 2006 and 2007, we identified 18 patients with acute lung injury/ARDS who received either APRV or PSV and had a helical computed tomography scan twice in 3 days. RESULTS: Computed tomography data from the APRV and PSV groups (n = 9 each) were analyzed for 3-dimensional reconstruction and volumetry. Aerated lung regions (normally aerated, poorly aerated, nonaerated, and hyperinflated) were identified by their densities in Hounsfield units. The Pao2/Fio2 ratio and alveolar-arteriolar oxygen gradient after ventilation were improved in both groups (P = 0.008); however, the improvements in the APRV group exceeded those in the PSV group when delivered with equal mean airway pressure (P = 0.018 and 0.015, respectively). Atelectasis decreased significantly from 41% (range, 17%–68%) to 19% (range, 6%–40%) (P = 0.008) and normally aerated volume increased significantly from 29% (range, 13%–41%) to 43% (range, 25%–56%) (P = 0.008) in the APRV group, whereas lung volume did not change in the PSV group. CONCLUSIONS: Spontaneous ventilation during APRV improves lung aeration by decreasing atelectasis. PSV for gas exchange is effective but not sufficient to improve lung aeration. These results indicate that APRV is more efficient than PSV as a mode of primary ventilatory support to decrease atelectasis in patients with ARDS.
Technology strategy: Findings from adoption and adaptation of Japanese Manufacturing Management (JMM) to ASEAN and Australasian automotive manufacturers

The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the appropriateness of ldquoJapanese Manufacturing Managementrdquo (JMM) strategies in the Asian, ASEAN and Australasian automotive sectors. Secondly, the study assessed JMM as a prompt, effective and efficient global manufacturing management practice for automotive manufacturing companies to learn; benchmark for best practice; acquire product and process innovation, and enhance their capabilities and capacities. In this study, the philosophies, systems and tools that have been adopted in various automotive manufacturing assembly plants and their tier 1 suppliers in the three Regions were examined. A number of top to middle managers in these companies were located in Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines, Viet Nam, and Australia and were interviewed by using a qualitative methodology. The results confirmed that the six pillars of JMM (culture change, quality at shop floor, consensus, incremental continual improvement, benchmarking, and backward-forward integration) are key enablers to success in adopting JMM in both automotive and other manufacturing sectors in the three Regions. The analysis and on-site interviews identified a number of recommendations that were validated by the automotive manufacturing companypsilas managers as the most functional JMM strategies.
An experimental study on software structural testing: deterministic versus random input generation

The fault revealing power of different test patterns derived from ten structural test criteria currently referred to in unit testing is investigated. Experiments performed on four programs that are pieces of a real-life software system from the nuclear field are reported. Three test input generation techniques are studied: (1) deterministic choice, (2) random selection based on an input probability distribution determined according to the adopted structural test criterion, and (3) random selection from a uniform distribution on the input domain. Mutation analysis is used to assess the test set efficiency with respect to error detection. The experimental results involve a total of 2914 mutants. They show that structural statistical testing, which exhibits the highest mutation scores, leaving alive only six from 2816 nonequivalent mutants within short testing times, is the most efficient. A regards unit testing of programs whose structure remains tractable, the experiments show the adequacy of a fault removal strategy combining statistical and deterministic test patterns. <<ETX>>
Modelling and simulation of bridgeless PFC modified SEPIC rectifier with multiplier cell

This paper introduces a new bridgeless rectifier that operates with high power factor and high efficiency. The proposed rectifier is derived from the conventional single-ended primary inductance converter (SEPIC) and it is suitable for universal line applications. Multiplier cells have been introduced in the literature to extend the converter gain and to decrease the voltage stresses across the converter switches. The reduced voltage stress across the power switch enables the use of a lower voltage and RDS-ON MOSFET switch, which will further reduce the conduction losses. Moreover, the low voltage stress across the diodes allows the use of Schottky rectifiers for alleviating the reverse-recovery current problem, leading to a further reduction in the switching and conduction losses. The circuit is designed to operate in discontinuous conduction mode (DCM) to achieve almost unity power factor naturally and zero current switching at switch turn on. Large and small signal models of the proposed converter are detailed. Detailed open and closed loop analysis, simulation & experimental results are presented.
Object detection on aerial image using cascaded binary classifier

Image analysis is essential through a wide range of scientific areas and most of them have one task in common, i.e. object detection. Thus automated detection algorithms had generated a lot of interest. This proposal identifies objects with similar features on a frame. The inputs are the image where to look at, and a single appearance of the object we are looking for. The object is searched by a sliding window of various sizes. A positive detection is given by a cascaded classifier that compares input patches from sliding window to the object model. The cascaded classifier has three stages: variance comparison, layers of pixel comparisons and patch correlation. Object model is a collection of templates which are generated from scales and rotations of the first appearance. This algorithm is capable to handle change in scale, in plane rotation, illumination, partial occlusion and background clutter. The proposed framework was tested on high cluttered background aerial image, for identifying palm oil trees. Promising results were achieved, suggesting this is a powerful tool for remote sensing image analysis and has potential applications for a wide range of sciences which require image analysis.
Calorimetric investigation of aerobic fermentations

A modified bench scale calorimeter has been employed to determine the heat generated by various microbial strains growing on a range of different substrates, covering degrees of reduction from 3 to 6.13. The results are analyzed, and interpreted in the light of coupled enthalpy and elemental balances. The heat released by the microbial cultures has been found to correlate linearly with other process variables, such as biomass generation and oxygen uptake. The ratio between the heat generated and the biomass formed, the so‐called “heat yield” (YQ/x), has been shown both on theoretical and experimental grounds to increase with increasing degree of reduction of the substrate and to decrease with increasing biomass yield. The two effects could be combined into a simple model which permits the amount of heat released per unit of biomass formed to be predicted from the degree of reduction of the substrate as the only independent variable. The ratio between the heat generated and the oxygen taken up was constant at 440 kJ (mol O2)−1 throughout all experiments as expected from theoretical considerations for strongly aerobic processes.
Managing for the future in higher education: a case study on 'lean' implementation within a UK business school

In an increasingly global and competitive market place, Higher Education (HE) institutions across the globe are increasingly becoming more ‘managerial’ with an emphasis being placed on value for money and the improvement of student (customer) satisfaction. In the United Kingdom (UK) this is due to changes in government policy with reference to funding mechanisms across the sector which has seen a reduction in financial support to UK higher education institutions. As a result of such changes students now assume responsibility for meeting a significant part of the fees associated with the courses that they are undertaking.As a result an increasingly ‘market focused’ and customer driven level of educational provision is being demanded by the key stakeholders namely government, employers and potential students. This has encouraged a more dynamic approach to the management of education within many institutions with new approaches to the delivery of education and management of staff being explored. Given such a context this paper investigates the implementation of a ‘lean thinking’ approach to managing a UK Business School. This strategic development is intended to improve the overall performance of the organisation against an agreed set of metrics. Such metrics are intended to drive forward the School’s ability to achieve one or more global accreditations which are increasingly being used as global benchmarks within an increasingly competitive market for both national and international students and research funding. The overall lean operating system covers all the fundamental elements of a system encompassing: structure, management and leadership, processes, tools and technologies, and above all seeks to engage staff.
Transcriptional regulation of cellular retinol-binding protein, type II gene expression in small intestine by dietary fat.

We have previously demonstrated that dietary fat, especially unsaturated fatty acids, induces cellular retinol-binding protein, type II (CRBPII) gene expression in rat jejunum. In the present study, we showed that feeding a high-fat diet caused parallel increases in jejunal CRBPII mRNA and CRBPII pre-mRNA levels. Nuclear run-on assay also revealed that this increase of CRBPII mRNA level by high-fat diet was, at least in part, triggered at a transcription level. Moreover, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARalpha) mRNA level was also increased in the jejunum by high-fat diet. Gel shift assay showed that the binding activity of rat jejunal nuclear protein to the nuclear receptor response elements located in the rat CRBPII gene (RXRE and RE3) was greater in rats fed high-fat diet than in those fed fat-free diet and were enhanced by addition of bacterially expressed PPARalpha protein. Also PPARalpha-retinoid X receptor alpha (RXRalpha) heterodimer was capable of binding to the CRBPII-RXRE and RE3 elements and these binding activities were enhanced by addition of some PPARalpha ligands in the gel shift assay. Taken together, these studies suggest that dietary fatty acids may lead to induction of CRBPII gene transcription through increases of PPARalpha as well as its ligand levels.
Expressing emotions using gait of humanoid robot

Reading other's emotions is the key of a successful human-human communication. If we imagine using robots in human environment, the ability of robots to express emotions will help human communicate with the artificial agents. In studies about robots' expressing emotions, conversations, facial expression and simple gestures are mainly used. However, another way to express emotions is necessary to enable the expression in various scenes. This study focused on emotions conveyed by gait and examined the effectiveness of expression of emotions of a humanoid robot during gait. In the experiment, we generated 5 kinds of robot's emotional gait and showed them to the participants. Then participants forecast robot's emotion. This experiment was performed in Japan and in France, to investigate some cultural differences. As a result, this study shows that it is possible to convey emotions by gait for a humanoid robot and also that there is a cultural difference in forecasting emotions.
Help-Seeking Behaviour Regarding Mental Health Problems of Mediterranean Migrants in the Netherlands: Familiarity with Care, Consultation Attitude and Use of Services

Background: Ethnic minority groups differ in the pattern of their seeking help, and in their use of and attitude towards mental health systems. To meet the mental health needs of ethnic minority populations, insights into determinants of their help-seeking orientations are of great concern. Aim: To investigate help-seeking behaviour regarding mental health problems in terms of familiarity, attitude and service use among Mediterranean migrants in the Netherlands. Methods: Samples of Mediterranean citizens in the general population (N 1/4 292) and of Mediterranean (N 1/4 114) and indigenous Dutch outpatients (N 1/4 59) currently treated in mental health care were included. Data were acquired by administering a semi-structured interview. Quantified data were analysed using multivariate techniques. Results: More recently arrived participants were less familiar with mental health services. Moroccan, lower educated and recently arrived respondents reported a more negative attitude towards consulting these agencies. The help-seeking behaviour of the Mediterranean participants was relatively similar to that of the indigenous Dutch subjects. Conclusions: With regard to care-seeking routes and use of mental health services, more inter-ethnic similarities than differences emerged. Sociodemo-raphic variables like age, education and length of residence shape the process of help-seeking and service use.
Tuberculoid leprosy in a patient with AIDS: a manifestation of immune restoration syndrome

An HIV positive male from Brazil, living in Italy since 1989, developed a single non-itching, papulo-erythematous infiltrative lesion on the face after 2 months from the beginning of HAART. A diagnosis of leprosy was made, suggesting that the immunodeficiency masked the disease, until the skin manifestation became evident with immune-recovery.
The High Incidence of Mismated Feet in the Population

All Americans, and most likely all individuals in all societies, have mismated feet; that is, the two feet of probably no individual are exactly alike in size, shape, or proportions. This conclusion was based on the findings of a demographic foot-measurement survey embracing 6800 adults (4000 females, 2800 males), conducted in 1981–1982 by the Prescription Footwear Association. The findings may explain why the ideal or expectation of “perfect” shoe fit is virtually impossible, although they do not suggest that adequate or satisfactory shoe fit is not attainable in most instances involving so-called “normal” feet. They also indicate that a mild degree of “breaking in” is required with most new footwear, although never necessitating any distress. This article presents the methodology of the survey and foot measurements, along with the found data and their significance regarding the traditional processes of search of “proper” shoe fit and the obvious need for higher levels of professional shoe-fitting skills and service. The article also analyzes and discusses some little known or seldom considered complexities of shoe fit and the foot-shoe relationship that surfaces from this study, for example, the role of shoe design, shoe-sizing systems, consumer shoe-buying attitudes, and shoe materials, the four variable phases of shoe fit (static, weightbearing, functional, and thermal), and the availability of shoe sizes in stores.
Premalignancy in Prostate Cancer: Rethinking What We Know

High-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN) has been accepted as the main precursor lesion to invasive adenocarcinoma of the prostate, and this is likely to be the case. However, in an unknown number of cases, lesions fulfilling the diagnostic criteria for high-grade PIN may actually represent intra-acinar or intraductal spread of invasive carcinoma. Intriguingly, this possibility would not contradict many of the findings of previous epidemiologic studies linking high-grade PIN to carcinoma or molecular pathologic studies showing similar genomic (e.g., TMPRSS2-ERG gene fusion) as well as epigenomic and molecular phenotypic alterations between high-grade PIN and carcinoma. Also, this possibility would be consistent with previous anatomic studies in prostate specimens linking high-grade PIN and carcinoma in autopsy and other whole prostate specimens. In addition, if some cases meeting morphologic criteria for PIN actually represent intra-acinar spread of invasive carcinoma, this could be an important potential confounder of the interpretation of past clinical trials enrolling patients presumed to be without carcinoma, who are at high risk of invasive carcinoma. Thus, in order to reduce possible bias in future study/trial designs, novel molecular pathology approaches are needed to decipher when an apparent PIN lesion may be intra-acinar/intra-ductal spread of an invasive cancer and when it truly represents a precursor state. Similar approaches are needed for lesions known as intraductal carcinoma to facilitate better classification of them as true intra-ductal/acinar spread on one hand or as precursor high-grade PIN (cribriform type) on the other hand; a number of such molecular approaches (e.g., coevaluating TMPRSS-ERG fusion and PTEN loss) are already showing excellent promise. Cancer Prev Res; 9(8); 648–56. ©2016 AACR.
Surface‐based analysis reveals regions of reduced cortical magnetization transfer ratio in patients with multiple sclerosis: A proposed method for imaging subpial demyelination

The in vivo detection of subpial cortical gray matter lesions in multiple sclerosis is challenging. We quantified the spatial extent of subpial decreases in the magnetization transfer ratio (MTR) of cortical gray matter in subjects with multiple sclerosis, as such reductions may indicate regions of cortical demyelination. We exploited the unique geometry of cortical lesions by using two‐dimensional parametric surface models of the cortex instead of traditional three‐dimensional voxel‐wise analyses. MTR images were mapped onto intermediate surfaces between the pial and white matter surfaces and were used to compute differences between secondary‐progressive MS (n = 12), relapsing‐remitting MS (n = 12), and normal control (n = 12) groups as well as between each individual patient and the normal controls. We identified large regions of significantly reduced cortical MTR in secondary‐progressive patients when compared with normal controls. We also identified large regions of reduced cortical MTR in 11 individual patients (8 secondary‐progressive, 3 relapsing‐remitting). The secondary‐progressive patients showed larger areas of abnormally low MTR compared with relapsing‐remitting patients both at the group level and on an individual basis. The spatial distributions of abnormal MTR preferentially involved cingulate cortex, insula, and the depths of sulci, in agreement with pathological descriptions of subpial gray matter lesion distribution. These findings suggest that our method is a plausible in vivo imaging technique for quantifying subpial cortical demyelinating lesions in patients with multiple sclerosis and, furthermore, can be applied at the typical clinical field strength of 1.5 T. Hum Brain Mapp 35:3402–3413, 2014. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Characterization of electrospun core/shell poly(vinyl pyrrolidone)/poly(L-lactide-co-ε-caprolactone) fibrous membranes and their cytocompatibility in vitro

Coaxial electrospinning is a new technique to fabricate continuous composite ultrafine fibers with core/shell structure, which has a broad application perspective in the biomedical field. In this study, ultrafine fibrous membranes of core/shell poly(vinyl pyrrolidone)/poly(L-lactide-co-ε-caprolactone) (PVP/PLCL) were produced by coaxial electrospinning and the structural morphology of the obtained ultrafine fibers was observed by scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Electrospun PLCL and chitosan membranes were also prepared by traditional electrospinning as controls. The electrospun PVP/PLCL membranes showed the largest water absorption (501.3%) in phosphate buffer solution due to introduction of the PVP component and the core/shell fiber structure. Results of tensile tests indicated that the electrospun PVP/PLCL membranes possessed higher tensile strength and elongation-at-break, and lower Young's modulus than those of PLCL and chitosan membranes in both dry and wet states. Studies on cell adhesion, viability and morphology on the fibrous membranes showed that PVP/PLCL membranes could mimic the structure of natural extracellular matrices and positively promote cell–cell and cell–matrix interactions because of hydrophilicity/hydrophobicity balance.