Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Propofol Inhibits Ca2+ Transients but Not Contraction in Intact Beating Guinea Pig Hearts

We investigated whether propofol inhibits Ca2+ transients and left ventricular pressure (LVP) in intact beating guinea pig hearts at clinical concentrations and whether an inhibition of Ca2+ transients by propofol results from an impairment of sarcolemmal or of sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) function. By using a Langendorff’s preparation, transmural left ventricular phasic intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) was measured by the fluorescence ratio of indo-1 emission at 385 nm and 456 nm and was calibrated to Ca2+ transients (in nM). The Ca2+ transients during each contraction were defined as available [Ca2+]i. Sixty hearts were perfused with modified Krebs-Ringer’s solution containing lipid vehicle and propofol (1 and 10 &mgr;M) in the absence and presence of ryanodine, thapsigargin, and nifedipine, while developed LVP and available [Ca2+]i were recorded. Propofol (10 &mgr;M) decreased available [Ca2+]i by 11.0% ± 1.3% without decreasing developed LVP (% of control, P < 0.05). Propofol (10 &mgr;M) caused a leftward shift in the curve of developed LVP as a function of available [Ca2+]i. Propofol (10 &mgr;M) with nifedipine (1 &mgr;M), but not with ryanodine (1 &mgr;M) or thapsigargin (1 &mgr;M), decreased available [Ca2+]i by 15.5% ± 1.7% (P < 0.05). Propofol decreases available [Ca2+]i without decreasing cardiac contraction, and it enhances myofilament Ca2+ sensitivity in intact beating hearts at clinical concentrations. The inhibition of available [Ca2+]i by propofol may be mainly mediated by an impairment of sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ handling rather than the sarcolemmal L-type Ca2+ current. Implications This is the first study of the effects of propofol on intracellular Ca2+ concentration and myofilament Ca2+ sensitivity under physiologic conditions in intact isolated beating guinea pig hearts.
Recent increases in global HFC‐23 emissions

Firn‐air and ambient air measurements of CHF3 (HFC‐23) from three excursions to Antarctica between 2001 and 2009 are used to construct a consistent Southern Hemisphere (SH) atmospheric history. The results show atmospheric mixing ratios of HFC‐23 continuing to increase through 2008. Mean global emissions derived from this data for 2006–2008 are 13.5 ± 2 Gg/yr (200 ± 30 × 1012 gCO2‐equivalent/yr, or MtCO2‐eq./yr), ∼50% higher than the 8.7 ± 1 Gg/yr (130 ± 15 MtCO2‐eq./yr) derived for the 1990s. HFC‐23 emissions arise primarily from over‐fluorination of chloroform during HCFC‐22 production. The recent global emission increases are attributed to rapidly increasing HCFC‐22 production in developing countries since reported HFC‐23 emissions from developed countries decreased over this period. The emissions inferred here for developing countries during 2006–2008 averaged 11 ± 2 Gg/yr HFC‐23 (160 ± 30 MtCO2‐eq./yr) and are larger than the ∼6 Gg/yr of HFC‐23 destroyed in United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Clean Development Mechanism projects during 2007 and 2008.
Component modelling for microgrids

The expansion of renewable energies is progressing strongly. The influence on the power supply networks by the volatility of the infeed must be met with new concepts. In this paper we investigate the possibilities of integrating microgrids as a harmonious unit in the power supply network to support further expansion of RES power plants. In this paper a differentiation of microgrids from similar network structures is established, and finally a classification of proposed groups is made. Then, after the description of simulation of components in a microgrid, an example model is shown, which aids the dimensioning of the components within a microgrid to achieve a specified goal.
Modeling and Improving Emergency Department Systems using Discrete Event Simulation

This paper describes a discrete event simulation study of an emergency department at Dr. Georges-L. Dumont Hospital in Moncton (Canada). The objective of the study was to reduce patient waiting times and to improve overall service delivery and system throughput. As patient waiting times are linked to resource availability, a number of alternatives were designed based on adding resource scenarios. Model development was made using Arena software.
Activities of E1210 and Comparator Agents Tested by CLSI and EUCAST Broth Microdilution Methods against Fusarium and Scedosporium Species Identified Using Molecular Methods

ABSTRACT Fusarium (n = 67) and Scedosporium (n = 63) clinical isolates were tested by two reference broth microdilution (BMD) methods against a novel broad-spectrum (active against both yeasts and molds) antifungal, E1210, and comparator agents. E1210 inhibits the inositol acylation step in glycophosphatidylinositol (GPI) biosynthesis, resulting in defects in fungal cell wall biosynthesis. Five species complex organisms/species of Fusarium (4 isolates unspeciated) and 28 Scedosporium apiospermum, 7 Scedosporium aurantiacum, and 28 Scedosporium prolificans species were identified by molecular techniques. Comparator antifungal agents included anidulafungin, caspofungin, itraconazole, posaconazole, voriconazole, and amphotericin B. E1210 was highly active against all of the tested isolates, with minimum effective concentration (MEC)/MIC90 values (μg/ml) for E1210, anidulafungin, caspofungin, itraconazole, posaconazole, voriconazole, and amphotericin B, respectively, for Fusarium of 0.12, >16, >16, >8, >8, 8, and 4 μg/ml. E1210 was very potent against the Scedosporium spp. tested. The E1210 MEC90 was 0.12 μg/ml for S. apiospermum, but 1 to >8 μg/ml for other tested agents. Against S. aurantiacum, the MEC50 for E1210 was 0.06 μg/ml versus 0.5 to >8 μg/ml for the comparators. Against S. prolificans, the MEC90 for E1210 was only 0.12 μg/ml, compared to >4 μg/ml for amphotericin B and >8 μg/ml for itraconazole, posaconazole, and voriconazole. Both CLSI and EUCAST methods were highly concordant for E1210 and all comparator agents. The essential agreement (EA; ±2 doubling dilutions) was >93% for all comparisons, with the exception of posaconazole and F. oxysporum species complex (SC) (60%), posaconazole and S. aurantiacum (85.7%), and voriconazole and S. aurantiacum (85.7%). In conclusion, E1210 exhibited very potent and broad-spectrum antifungal activity against azole- and amphotericin B-resistant strains of Fusarium spp. and Scedosporium spp. Furthermore, in vitro susceptibility testing of E1210 against isolates of Fusarium and Scedosporium may be accomplished using either of the CLSI or EUCAST BMD methods, each producing very similar results.
Brokerless trust and reputation implementation for intelligent community spaces

An intelligent community spaces architecture (COMNet), which supports the activation of communities through the application of P2P network technology, is proposed. COMNet can form network communities without requiring a broker. We call this a broker-less model. In this paper, we propose a distributed trust-control technology as one of the component groups of COMNet. This technology is important to the formation of reliable network communities. We propose a few trust algorithms and two types of reputation algorithm using information from other entities as elements of distributed trust-control technology. Copyright © 2004 AEI
An observational study on API usage constraints and their documentation

Nowadays, APIs represent the most common reuse form when developing software. However, the reuse benefits depend greatly on the ability of client application developers to use correctly the APIs. In this paper, we present an observational study on the API usage constraints and their documentation. To conduct the study on a large number of APIs, we implemented and validated strategies to automatically detect four types of usage constraints in existing APIs. We observed that some of the constraint types are frequent and that for three types, they are not documented in general. Surprisingly, the absence of documentation is, in general, specific to the constraints and not due to the non documenting habits of developers.
Multimedia Event Detection Using Event-Driven Multiple Instance Learning

A complex event can be recognized by observing necessary evidences. In the real world scenarios, this is a difficult task because the evidences can happen anywhere in a video. A straightforward solution is to decompose the video into several segments and search for the evidences in each segment. This approach is based on the assumption that segment annotation can be assigned from its video label. However, this is a weak assumption because the importance of each segment is not considered. On the other hand, the importance of a segment to an event can be obtained by matching its detected concepts against the evidential description of that event. Leveraging this prior knowledge, we propose a new method, Event-driven Multiple Instance Learning (EDMIL), to learn the key evidences for event detection. We treat each segment as an instance and quantize the instance-event similarity into different levels of relatedness. Then the instance label is learned by jointly optimizing the instance classifier and its related level. The significant performance improvement on the TRECVID Multimedia Event Detection (MED) 2012 dataset proves the effectiveness of our approach.
Design of a multiband CPW-fed monopole antenna using a particle swarm optimization approach

A novel coplanar waveguide fed planar monopole antenna for multiband operation is presented in this paper. By embedding appropriate slits into the 50 /spl Omega/ feeding line, good impedance matching for multiresonant mode is obtained. The evolutionary design process of using a particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm in conjunction with the method of moments is employed to effectively obtain the geometry parameters of the antenna for optimum multiband performance. Prototypes of the obtained optimized design have been constructed and experimentally studied. The measured results explore good multiband operation with 10 dB impedance bandwidths of 55%, 8.5%, and 4.4% at bands of 2.51, 3.98, and 5.24 GHz, respectively, which cover the personal communication system and 2.4/5.2 GHz wireless local-area network operating bands, and show good agreement with the numerical prediction. Good monopole-like radiation patterns and antenna gains over the operating bands have also been observed. Effects of the patch size on the antenna performance and implementation of the physical PSO for the optimized configuration are all examined and discussed in detail.
Automatic hump detection and 3D view generation from a single road image

Driving support systems aid in improving the road safety. There are various safety measures on the road like traffic signals, sign boards and humps to avoid possible accidents. This paper presented for road safety has two phases: The first phase includes, the development of an algorithm to detect hump from a single image captured from the camera fixed at low height to the moving vehicle. In the second phase, we generate the 3D views automatically to view the details on the road. The images have to be captured at a constant time period. The idea is to save memory by storing images instead of the video stream. Added to this, an automatic 3D view generation up to the detected hump can be visualized to know the details of the road before reaching the hump by generating the frames from the captured image. This is achieved in a four step process: First, the input image is processed to estimate the vanishing point. Second, the hump is detected using the dilation and erosion process. Third, the distance to the hump from the view point is computed, depending on which the speed of the vehicle can be reduced. Finally, the frames are automatically generated up to the detected hump to view the details on the road and act accordingly before reaching the hump using a novel approach. The proposed method has been experimented with around 400 images. The efficacy of the proposed method is presented by comparing it with the results of the depth of the hump computed manually. Also, the efficiency of the 3D view generation is shown by comparing the first frame with other frames resulting with the corresponding mean values of the difference.
Articular cartilage zonal differentiation via 3D Second-Harmonic Generation imaging microscopy

Abstract Purpose: The collagen structure throughout the patella has not been thoroughly investigated by 3D imaging, where the majority of the existing data come from histological cross sections. It is important to have a better understanding of the architecture in normal tissues, where this could then be applied to imaging of diseased states. Methods: To address this shortcoming, we investigated the combined use of collagen-specific Second-Harmonic Generation (SHG) imaging and measurement of bulk optical properties to characterize collagen fiber orientations of the histologically defined zones of bovine articular cartilage. Forward and backward SHG intensities of sections from superficial, middle and deep zones were collected as a function of depth and analyzed by Monte Carlo simulations to extract the SHG creation direction, which is related to the fibrillar assembly. Results: Our results revealed differences in SHG forward–backward response between the three zones, where these are consistent with a previously developed model of SHG emission. Some of the findings are consistent with that from other modalities; however, SHG analysis showed the middle zone had the most organized fibril assembly. While not distinct, we also report bulk optical property values for these different zones within the patella. Conclusions: Collectively, these results provide quantitative measurements of structural changes at both the fiber and fibril assembly of the different cartilage zones and reveals structural information not possible by other microscope modalities. This can provide quantitative insight to the collagen fiber network in normal cartilage, which may ultimately be developed as a biomarker for osteoarthritis.
The Hard X-Ray 20-40 keV AGN Luminosity Function

We have compiled a complete extragalactic sample based on ~25,000 deg2 to a limiting flux of 3 × 10-11 ergs cm-2 s-1 (~7000 deg2 to a flux limit of 10-11 ergs cm-2 s-1) in the 20-40 keV band with INTEGRAL. We have constructed a detailed exposure map to compensate for effects of nonuniform exposure. The flux-number relation is best described by a power law with a slope of α = 1.66 ± 0.11. The integration of the cumulative flux per unit area leads to f20-40 keV = 2.6 × 10-10 ergs cm-2 s-1 sr-1, which is about 1% of the known 20-40 keV X-ray background. We present the first luminosity function of AGNs in the 20-40 keV energy range, based on 38 extragalactic objects detected by the imager IBIS-ISGRI on board INTEGRAL. The luminosity function shows a smoothly connected double-power-law form with an index of γ1 = 0.8 below and γ2 = 2.1 above the turnover luminosity of L* = 2.4 × 1043 ergs s-1. The emissivity of all INTEGRAL AGNs per unit volume is W20-40 keV(> 1041 ergs s-1) = 2.8 × 1038 ergs s-1 h Mpc-3. These results are consistent with those derived in the 2-20 keV energy band and do not show a significant contribution by Compton-thick objects. Because the sample used in this study is truly local ( = 0.022), only limited conclusions can be drawn for the evolution of AGNs in this energy band.
Mediterranean Diet and Hip Fracture in Swedish Men and Women

A Mediterranean diet, known to have beneficial effects on cardiovascular health, may also influence the risk of hip fracture although previous studies present discrepant results. We therefore aimed to determine whether the rate of hip fracture was associated with degree of adherence to a Mediterranean diet. We combined two Swedish cohort studies consisting of 37,903 men and 33,403 women (total n = 71,333, mean age 60 years) free of previous cardiovascular disease and cancer who answered a medical and a food‐frequency questionnaire in 1997. A modified Mediterranean diet score (mMED; range, 0 to 8 points) was created based on high consumption of fruits and vegetables, legumes and nuts, whole grains, fermented dairy products, fish, and olive/rapeseed oil, moderate intake of alcohol, and low intake of red and processed meat. Incident hip fractures between January 1, 1998, and December 31, 2012, were retrieved from the National Patient Register. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) adjusted for potential confounders were calculated using Cox proportional hazards regression. Differences in age at hip fracture were calculated using multivariable Laplace regression. During follow‐up, 3175 hip fractures occurred at a median age of 73.3 years. One unit increase in the mMED was associated with 6% lower hip fracture rate (adjusted HR = 0.94; 95% CI, 0.92 to 0.96) and with a 3‐month higher median age at hip fracture (50th percentile difference = 2.8 months; 95% CI, 1.4 to 4.2). Comparing the highest quintile of adherence to the mMED (6 to 8 points) with the lowest (0 to 2 points) conferred an adjusted HR of hip fracture of 0.78 (95% CI, 0.69 to 0.89) and a 12‐month higher median age of hip fracture (50th percentile difference = 11.6 months; 95% CI, 4.2 to 19.0). Results were similar in men and women. We conclude that higher adherence to a Mediterranean‐like diet is associated with lower risk of future hip fracture. © 2016 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
Lessons from a cross domain investigation of empirical practices

Context: We are seeking the best ways to employ evidence-based practices in software engineering research and practice. Objectives: To help assess our guidelines for conducting systematic literature reviews we have investigated how other academic disciplines use evidence-based practices. Method: This involved performing two studies, one using a questionnaire with a set of experts, and a second using semi-structured interviews. Results: We have identified how disciplines with similar empirical constraints to software engineering place weight upon different forms of empirical data. Conclusions: We describe both the resulting changes to our systematic literature review guidelines and some issues this raises for empirical software engineering.
Scene Text Separation Using Touch Screen Interface

Text separation in natural scenes is a crucial step to recognize scene text. Since computational power in a mobile device is limited, current text extraction methods are impractical in real-time devices. We propose efficient text extraction methods by utilizing user's indication. When user simply indicates focus or draws the line on touch screen, the system can extract text in natural scenes efficiently using this information. Text region is estimated from user's touch and color candidates are extracted. After that, the system chooses color candidates which have high probability of texts. In the experiments on ICDAR 2003 database, our method demonstrates effective performance and usability in a portable device.
MgO Nanoparticle Modified Anode for Highly Efficient SnO2‐Based Planar Perovskite Solar Cells

Reducing the energy loss and retarding the carrier recombination at the interface are crucial to improve the performance of the perovskite solar cell (PSCs). However, little is known about the recombination mechanism at the interface of anode and SnO2 electron transfer layer (ETL). In this work, an ultrathin wide bandgap dielectric MgO nanolayer is incorporated between SnO2:F (FTO) electrode and SnO2 ETL of planar PSCs, realizing enhanced electron transporting and hole blocking properties. With the use of this electrode modifier, a power conversion efficiency of 18.23% is demonstrated, an 11% increment compared with that without MgO modifier. These improvements are attributed to the better properties of MgO‐modified FTO/SnO2 as compared to FTO/SnO2, such as smoother surface, less FTO surface defects due to MgO passivation, and suppressed electron–hole recombinations. Also, MgO nanolayer with lower valance band minimum level played a better role in hole blocking. When FTO is replaced with Sn‐doped In2O3 (ITO), a higher power conversion efficiency of 18.82% is demonstrated. As a result, the device with the MgO hole‐blocking layer exhibits a remarkable improvement of all J–V parameters. This work presents a new direction to improve the performance of the PSCs based on SnO2 ETL by transparent conductive electrode surface modification.
Hilbert–Schmidt volume of the set of mixed quantum states

We compute the volume of the convex (N2 − 1)-dimensional set N of density matrices of size N with respect to the Hilbert–Schmidt measure. The hyper-area of the boundary of this set is also found and its ratio to the volume provides information about the structure of N. Similar investigations are also performed for the smaller set of all real density matrices. As an intermediate step, we analyse volumes of the unitary and orthogonal groups and of the flag manifolds.
Modeling urea kinetics with two vs. three BUN measurements. A critical comparison.

Hemodialysis urea modeling usually requires three BUN measurements, C1, C2, and C3 (3-BUN), to determine urea generation rate (G) and volume of urea distribution (V) from dVC/dt = f(C, V, G). We eliminated the requirement for C3 by modifying the algorithm to generate a periodic solution to the equations describing C1 and C2 (2-BUN). During 156 consecutive dialyses in 37 patients there were no differences in V or G by the two methods: V = 38.3 +/- 1.3 L, G = 6.35 +/- 0.22 mg/min (2-BUN); V = 37.9 +/- 1.3 L, G = 6.08 +/- 0.23 mg/min (3-BUN). Theoretic analysis showed that transient departure from a constant protein intake produces greater errors in average G determined by the 3-BUN model than by the 2-BUN model. We compared predicted predialysis BUN values to measured predialysis BUN (mg/dl) at two days, one week and two months following the modeled dialysis. The 2-BUN method accurately predicted C3 in 156 studies: r = 0.90, mean error 6.8 +/- 6.0% (SD). Prediction of predialysis BUN at one week was less accurate for both methods: mean error 10.4 +/- 7.1% (2-BUN), 16.0 +/- 10.7% (3-BUN). At 2 months, the correlation between measured and calculated predialysis BUN fell to 0.59 (2-BUN) and 0.65 (3-BUN). Deviations from predicted BUN increased with time regardless of the model; no clear advantage of either method was seen at longer time intervals. Computer CPU time required to calculate V and G remained under 1 sec for the 2-BUN method. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)