Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Review article: Idle ‘just‐in‐case’ peripheral intravenous cannulas in the emergency department: Is something wrong?

Peripheral intravenous cannula (PIVC) placement is often an essential emergency medicine precursor to lifesaving treatment, but it is not harmless. Patients frequently and without proper consideration of the consequences receive a ‘just‐in‐case’ PIVCs as part of their assessment and admission, which, in a not insignificant number of patients, remains unused or idle in situ. We reviewed the literature and performed a thematic analysis of data collated from 21 articles published in the past 24 years regarding redundant PIVCs. The following five common themes emerged: heterogeneous prevalence data on post‐insertion PIVC usage, preventable intravascular complications, financial burden, loss of time and a culture of over‐investigating. The prevalence of PIVC insertions and idle PIVCs was heterogeneous among these publications; the median ED idle PIVC prevalence value was 32.4%. This practice is associated with compromised patient safety, squandered finances and misdirected practitioner time. Cultures of convenience and shortfalls in PIVC‐related education facilitate the prevalence of idle PIVCs.
Business Intelligence overview

The need for information has always been present, but what defines the present time is the big amount of data available everywhere and the need to have all the answers we need in a very short time. Because of the agglomeration of markets and the dynamics of economic environment, the ability to collect data and turn it into useful information for decisional process may be the element which makes the difference. Thus, the term of "business intelligence" was first introduced by Gartner Group in the mid of 90's, but it still exists since the 70's, when the reporting systems were static, two dimensional, with no analytical skills.
A systematic review of the effect of the Excebrane dialyser on biomarkers of lipid peroxidation.

BACKGROUND Oxidative stress is prevalent in dialysis patients and has been implicated in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease and anaemia. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to examine the effect of Excebrane, a vitamin E-coated cellulose-based dialyser, on circulating biomarkers of lipid peroxidation, as surrogate markers of oxidative stress. METHODS The primary sources used to identify candidate studies included PubMed, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, a bibliography provided by the dialyser manufacturer, and a manual search of abstracts from proceedings of scientific meetings and review articles. Studies were selected for analysis if their design included a comparator group (primarily within patient comparison, i.e. pre- and post-study evaluations). For the meta-analysis, we computed the overall change of the outcome from baseline using a random-effects model. A supplemental analysis was performed in which the absolute levels of these biomarkers of lipid peroxidation were converted to a common unit by calculating standardized effect sizes. RESULTS Fourteen peer-reviewed articles met the criteria. The studies consisted of 11 single arm, one randomized crossover and two randomized controlled trials, with a total of 37 to 158 evaluable patients, according to the outcome of interest analysed. Due to the paucity of randomized trials, the meta-analysis was limited to the Excebrane arm of each study. When the studies were combined according to similar measurement units, the overall mean decrease in malondialdehyde (MDA) level was -0.3 mM (95% CI, -0.5 to -0.1 mM; seven studies) and -0.8 nmol/mg low-density lipoprotein (LDL) (95% CI, -1.3 to -0.4 nmol/mg LDL; three studies), respectively. The summary estimate revealed a non-significant decrease in pre-dialysis thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) level of 0.4 microM (95% CI, -1.2 to 0.4 microM; three studies). When the MDA and TBARS studies were combined using the standardized effect size, the mean decrease in these biomarkers of lipid peroxidation was statistically significant at -1.7 units (95% CI, -2.7, -0.7 units; 13 studies). A meta-analysis on the effect of Excebrane on pre-dialysis levels of oxidized-LDL could not be performed due to study heterogeneity. CONCLUSION The conversion of dialysis patients to a vitamin E-coated dialyser is associated with an improvement in circulating biomarkers of lipid peroxidation, which is of potential clinical benefit.
Connect: Design for an Empathic Society

The prospects are clear: we will probably live longer. The number of people aged 65 and up will increase enormously over the next few decades. Society will change as a result, but in what manner? Europe - and, in fact, probably the world - faces the challenge of preventing loneliness and isolation amongst a growing group of senior people. The oldest part of the population is at particular risk of becoming isolated and lonely as they grow older and their work-related networks erode. While working in the field of technology and aging, the authors discovered that there is a whole new field to be explored, namely the phenomenon of connectedness.This book is written by a group of authors with very different backgrounds, varying from business, ICT, marketing, anthropology, medicine, design and computer interaction. They all felt the urge to explore this field of connectedness and they discovered new opportunities for the emerging market of ‘aging-driven design’. By unfolding the very nature of relationships and age-based transitions in life, the authors invite the reader to join them in an effort to design for connectedness: to reframe the picture, rethink our options and reinvent how to connect!
The secret gardener: vegetation and the emergence of biogeomorphic patterns in tidal environments

The presence and continued existence of tidal morphologies, and in particular of salt marshes, is intimately connected with biological activity, especially with the presence of halophytic vegetation. Here, we review recent contributions to tidal biogeomorphology and identify the presence of multiple competing stable states arising from a two-way feedback between biomass productivity and topographic elevation. Hence, through the analysis of previous and new results on spatially extended biogeomorphological systems, we show that multiple stable states constitute a unifying framework explaining emerging patterns in tidal environments from the local to the system scale. Furthermore, in contrast with traditional views we propose that biota in tidal environments is not just passively adapting to morphological features prescribed by sediment transport, but rather it is ‘The Secret Gardener’, fundamentally constructing the tidal landscape. The proposed framework allows to identify the observable signature of the biogeomorphic feedbacks underlying tidal landscapes and to explore the response and resilience of tidal biogeomorphic patterns to variations in the forcings, such as the rate of relative sea-level rise.
On Harmonious Colouring of Line Graph of Central Graph of Paths

In this paper, we present some properties of the central graph C(P n) of a path, and its line graph)] ([ n P C L. We mainly have our discussion on the harmonious chromatic number of C(P n) and the line graph of central graph of P n , denoted by)] ([ n P C L .
A Hybrid Selection/Equal-Gain Combining over Correlated Nakagami-m Fading Channels

A new type of hybrid selection/equal-gain combining (HS/EGC) scheme is proposed and analyzed. This scheme dynamically selects the best combination of branches by a simple test and combines them in equal-gain combining (EGC) manner. As a result, the scheme always shows better performance than conventional EGC and selection diversity (SD), and close to maximal-ratio combining (MRC). As an exemplary performance indicator, its average output SNR for dual correlated Nakagami-m fading channels is calculated and demonstrated in comparison with other diversity schemes
Differential Effects of Recombinant Adeno-Associated Virus-Mediated Neuropeptide Y Overexpression in the Hypothalamic Paraventricular Nucleus and Lateral Hypothalamus on Feeding Behavior

It is well known that neuropeptide Y (NPY) increases food intake. The hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) and the lateral hypothalamus (LH) are both involved in the acute, hyperphagic effects of NPY. Although it is obvious that increased energy intake may lead to obesity, it is less understood which aspects of feeding behavior are affected and whether one or multiple neural sites mediate the effects of long-term increased NPY signaling. By long-term overexpressing NPY in either the PVN or the LH, we uncovered brain site-specific effects of NPY on meal frequency, meal size, and diurnal feeding patterns. In rats injected with adeno-associated virus-NPY in the PVN, increased food intake resulted from an increase in the amount of meals consumed, whereas in rats injected in the LH, increased food intake was attributable to increased meal size. Interestingly, food intake and body weight gain were only temporarily increased in PVN-injected rats, whereas in LH-injected rats hyperphagia and body weight gain remained for the entire 50 d. Moreover, in LH-NPY rats, but not in PVN-NPY rats, diurnal rhythmicity with regard to food intake and body core temperature was lost. These data clearly show that the NPY system differentially regulates energy intake and energy expenditure in the PVN and LH, which together adjust energy balance.
Reaching High Power Density in Multikilowatt DC–DC Converters With Galvanic Isolation

In this paper, the possibility of reaching high power densities in multikilowatt dc-dc converters with galvanic isolation is demonstrated and the main design issues are discussed. The issues related to converter topology, transformer design, and thermal management are addressed, and new conceptual solutions are proposed. Implementing zero-voltage-switching quasi-zero-current-switching topology, optimized transformer design with leakage layer, and thermal management based on conduction enhanced by heat pipes at critical places resulted in very high power density and efficiency. The power density reached by the converter prototype is 11.13 kW/L with water cooling and 6.6 kW/L with air cooling. In the same time, the measured efficiency exceeded 97% in a broad load range. The new design concepts are demonstrated on a 50-kW converter prototype that was successfully tested at full-load conditions.
Pattern of Five-Year Weight Change by Age and Birth Cohorts in a Swedish Adult Population

The driving factors behind the global epidemic of obesity have not yet been fully elucidated. Investigating the effect of age and cohort on weight change might enable us to develop effective intervention strategies. Aims To analyse the pattern of BMI change by age and birth cohort over five-year follow-up in adult Swedish sample. Methods The data was drawn from the Scania Public Health Cohort. The baseline survey was conducted between 1999 and 2000, and the follow-up in 2005. A total of 10,373 individuals responded to both surveys; all were included in the present study. The data was stratified into three-year intervals according to a respondent's birth year and age at baseline. This was done in order to allow for age and cohort effect analysis by means of fixed effects linear mixed models. Results We observed a significant increase in BMI between baseline and follow-up for males and females (p < 0.001), as well as significant age and cohort effects resulted from ageperiod and cohortperiod models, respectively, for both gen- ders. The age effect on BMI varied between � 1.94 to +1.10 BMI units among males and � 3.15 to +0.54 among females. The cohort effect on BMI varied from � 1.67 to +1.61 BMI units in males, and from � 2.28 to +1.18 in females. Conclusions Our analyses suggest that cohort effects play a contributory role in obesity. Our results also show that it is difficult to distinguish between age-period and cohort-period effects in our study, due to on the one hand the linear relationship between age, period and cohort, and on the other hand to a short follow-up.
Protein Kinase A Affects Trafficking of the Vesicular Monoamine Transporters in PC12 Cells

Previous studies have shown that the vesicular monoamine transporter 2 (VMAT2) is localized to both large dense core vesicles and synaptic vesicles in vivo. However, when exogenously expressed in PC12 cells, VMAT2 localizes only to large dense core vesicles. This distribution is similar to that of the endogenous vesicular monoamine transporter 1 (VMAT1) in PC12 cells. When VMAT2 was expressed in a protein kinase A (PKA)‐deficient PC12 cell line it localized to synaptic‐like microvesicles. Expression of recombinant VMAT1 in the same cell line showed a heterogeneous distribution to both large dense core vesicles and synaptic‐like microvesicles. Coexpression of the PKA catalytic subunit partially restored trafficking of both VMAT2 and VMAT1 to large dense core vesicles; treatment of wild‐type PC12 cells with the PKA inhibitor H89 increased VMAT2 on synaptic‐like microvesicles. The VMAT1 and VMAT2 in large dense core vesicles exhibit a larger molecular size than those located on synaptic‐like microvesicles. This difference is due to differential N‐linked glycosylation. In vitro phosphorylation experiments show that PKA does not phosphorylate VMAT2. A chimera containing the VMAT2 cytoplasmic C‐terminus fused to vesicular acetylcholine transporter (VAChT) shows mislocalization to synaptic‐like microvesicles and VAChT‐like glycosylation in the PKA‐deficient cell line. However, coexpression with PKA changes the chimera's trafficking to large dense core vesicles and increases the molecular size. These results suggest that protein kinase A affects the formation and/or composition of VMAT trafficking complexes.
Identification of two C‐terminal autophosphorylation sites in the PDGF beta‐receptor: involvement in the interaction with phospholipase C‐gamma.

Two novel sites of autophosphorylation were localized to the C‐terminal tail of the PDGF beta‐receptor. To evaluate the importance of these phosphorylation sites, receptor mutants in which Tyr1009, Tyr1021 or both were replaced with phenylalanine residues, were expressed in porcine aortic endothelial (PAE) cells. These mutants were similar to the wild type receptor with regard to protein tyrosine kinase activity and ability to induce mitogenicity in response to PDGF‐BB. However, both the Y1009F and Y1021F mutants showed a decreased ability to mediate association with and the tyrosine phosphorylation of phospholipase C‐gamma (PLC‐gamma) compared to the wild type PDGF beta‐receptor; in the case of the Y1009F/Y1021F double mutant, no association or phosphorylation of PLC‐gamma could be detected. These data show that tyrosine phosphorylation of PLC‐gamma is dependent on autophosphorylation of the PDGF beta‐receptor at Tyr1009 and Tyr1021.
Using NetLogger and Web100 for TCP Analysis

Scaling TCP to very large bandwidth-delay product networks has proven to be very challenging. When diagnosing TCP behavior in these environments, we have found that monitoring various TCP parameters and visually correlating them with host and application information is a very effective analysis technique. In this paper we show how this technique can be implemented with a combination of the Web100 TCP instrumentation capabilities and the NetLogger analysis tools.
Comparison of quantized hall resistance with a 1-Ω standard

A major step in the precise determination of the quantized Hall resistance is the comparison of a resistor of value nominally 6453.2 Ω with a 1-Ω standard. For this purpose the National Measurement Laboratory will use a build-up resistor comprising 83 resistors each of 801/3 Ω, giving a ratio of 64534/9. An accuracy of better than 1 in 108 is expected.
Schnyder woods for higher genus triangulated surfaces

Schnyder woods are a well known combinatorial structure for planar graphs, which yields a decomposition into 3 vertex-spanning trees. Our goal is to extend definitions and algorithms for Schnyder woods designed for planar graphs (corresponding to combinatorial surfaces with the topology of the sphere, i.e., of genus 0) to the more general case of graphs embedded on surfaces of arbitrary genus. First, we define a new traversal order of the vertices of a triangulated surface of genus g together with an orientation and coloration of the edges that extends the one proposed by Schnyder for the planar case. As a by-product we show how some recent schemes for compression and compact encoding of graphs can be extended to higher genus. All the algorithms presented here have linear time complexity.
Structural and signaling requirements for BCR-ABL-mediated transformation and inhibition of apoptosis

BCR-ABL is a deregulated tyrosine kinase expressed in Philadelphia chromosome-positive human leukemias. Prolongation of hematopoietic cell survival by inhibition of apoptosis has been proposed to be an integral component of BCR-ABL-induced chronic myelogenous leukemia. BCR-ABL elicits transformation of both fibroblast and hematopoietic cells and blocks apoptosis following cytokine deprivation in various factor-dependent cells. To elucidate the mechanisms whereby BCR-ABL induces transformation and blocks apoptosis in hematopoietic cells, we examined the biological effects of expression of a series of BCR-ABL mutants. Single amino acid substitutions in the GRB2 binding site (Y177F), Src homology 2 domain (R552L), or an autophosphorylation site in the tyrosine kinase domain (Y793F) do not diminish the antiapoptotic and transforming properties of BCR-ABL in hematopoietic cells, although these mutations were previously shown to drastically reduce the transforming activity of BCR-ABL in fibroblasts. A BCR-ABL molecule containing all three mutations (Y177F/R552L/Y793F) exhibits a severe decrease in transforming and antiapoptotic activities compared with the wild-type BCR-ABL protein in 32D myeloid progenitor cells. Ras is activated, the SHC adapter protein is tyrosine phosphorylated and binds GRB2, and myc mRNA levels are increased following expression of all kinase active BCR-ABL proteins with the exception of the Y177F/R552L/Y793F BCR-ABL mutant in 32D cells. We propose that BCR-ABL uses multiple pathways to activate Ras in hematopoietic cells and that this activation is necessary for the transforming and antiapoptotic activities of BCR-ABL. However, Ras activation is not sufficient for BCR-ABL-mediated transformation. A BCR-ABL deletion mutant (delta 176-427) that activates Ras and blocks apoptosis but has severely impaired transforming ability in 32D cells has been identified. These data suggest that BCR-ABL requires additional signaling components to elicit tumorigenic growth which are distinct from those required to block apoptosis.
Architectural contesting: exposing and exploiting temperamental behavior

Previous studies have proposed techniques to dynamically change the architecture of a processor to better suit the characteristics of the workload at hand. However, all such approaches are prone to a fundamental trade-off between the architectural diversity they can provide and the latency of architectural change, their fixed-configuration performance and the complexity of finding the best architectural configuration for the workload at hand. In this study we argue that the full potential of dynamic architectural customization can only be achieved by diminishing the effect of the degree of available architectural diversity on the aforementioned performance factors. The performance of a statically designed processing core in a heterogeneous multi-core system is independent of the architectural diversity available. In addition, it is apparent that concurrent execution of code on differently architected cores automatically reveals which architecture is more suitable for the characteristics of a particular workload. We therefore propose architectural contesting; the redundant execution of code on a number of differently architected processors (each customized for a different set of workload characteristics) in a leader follower arrangement, such that the leader and follower cores continuously shift roles as one core or the other becomes more favorable for new code phases. In this manner effective execution is naturally transferred from one static architecture to the other with little latency. In this study, we show that the contesting of only processor width can yield an average speedup of 7.5% and up to 12.5% in integer SPEC benchmarks.
Fusion accessibility of endocytic compartments along the recycling and lysosomal endocytic pathways in intact cells

A fluorescence assay developed for the quantitation of intracellular fusion of sequentially formed endocytic compartments (Salzman, N. H., and F. R. Maxfield. 1988 J. Cell Biol. 106:1083-1091) has been used to measure the time course of endosome fusion accessibility along the recycling and degradative endocytic pathways. Transferrin (Tf) was used to label the recycling pathway, and alpha2-macroglobulin (alpha 2 M) was used to label the lysosomal degradative pathway. Along the degradative pathway, accessibility of vesicles containing alpha 2M to fusion with subsequently formed endocytic vesicles decreased with apparent first order kinetics. The t12 for the loss of fusion accessibility was approximately 8 min. The behavior of Tf is more complex. Initially the fusion accessibility of Tf decayed rapidly (t1/2 less than 3 min), but a constant level of fusion accessibility was then observed for 10 min. This suggests that Tf moves through one fusion accessible endosome rapidly and then enters a second fusion accessible compartment on the recycling pathway. At 18 degrees C, fusion of antifluorescein antibodies (AFA) containing vesicles with F-alpha 2M was observed when the interval between additions was 10 min. However, if the interval was increased to 1 h, no fusion with incoming vesicles was observed. These results identify the site of F-alpha 2M accumulation at 18 degrees C as a prelysosomal late endosome that no longer fuses with newly formed endosomes since no delivery to lysosomes is observed at this temperature.
Mixed reality: a model of mixed interaction

Mixed reality systems seek to smoothly link the physical and data processing (digital) environments. Although mixed reality systems are becoming more prevalent, we still do not have a clear understanding of this interaction paradigm. Addressing this problem, this article introduces a new interaction model called Mixed Interaction model. It adopts a unified point of view on mixed reality systems by considering the interaction modalities and forms of multimodality that are involved for defining mixed environments. This article presents the model and its foundations. We then study its unifying and descriptive power by comparing it with existing classification schemes. We finally focus on the generative and evaluative power of the Mixed Interaction model by applying it to design and compare alternative interaction techniques in the context of RAZZLE, a mobile mixed reality game for which the goal of the mobile player is to collect digital jigsaw pieces localized in space.