Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A wearable smartphone-based system for electrocardiogram acquisition

The continuous monitoring of patients' vital parameters during recovery, essential in critical situations, is usually performed by dedicated supervision equipments and specialized personnel. For non-critical situations, to reduce the hospitalization and personnel expenses, patient rehabilitation can take place at home, supported by portable devices for vital parameter monitoring. Usually, such devices are storing-only systems, thus a periodic data downloading and off-line analysis must be performed by the specialized medic. Moreover, the high price of these portable monitoring systems does not allow an exclusive allocation of the device for long time to each patient. In the optic of the recent growth of in-home assistance field, nowadays there is a significant interest in the development of compact, low-power and low-cost systems for the continuous monitoring of health conditions as a support for the normal life of elderly or fragile population. Smartphone based-systems are very promising for such kind of use, due to the decrease of terminal prices, increase in computational resources and data storage capacity, availability of various sensors and standard communication interfaces, easiness or configurability for different purposes, intuitive user interface by means of touch screen and other multimedia equipments and so on. The present work describes the development and the realization of a single-lead electrocardiogram trace acquisition system, based on and powered by a smartphone device. It offers easiness of application on the patient under examination and high storage capacity. Thanks to the possibility of easily developing and installing software utilities, different strategies of data processing and communication could be implemented, thus allowing new scenarios in the in-home assistance field to be effectively explored.
Deficient Activation of Caspases ( ICE / Ced-3 Proteases ) Cross-Resistance of CD 95-and Drug-Induced Apoptosis as a Consequence

http://bloodjournal.hematologylibrary. org/content/90/8/3118.full. html Updated information and services can be found at: (4939 articles) Immunobiology  Articles on similar topics can be found in the following Blood collections http://bloodjournal.hematologylibrary. org/site/misc/rights.xhtml#repub_requests Information about reproducing this article in parts or in its entirety may be found online at: http://bloodjournal.hematologylibrary. org/site/misc/rights.xhtml#reprints Information about ordering reprints may be found online at: http://bloodjournal.hematologylibrary. org/site/subscriptions/index.xhtml Information about subscriptions and ASH membership may be found online at:
Survey of Search and Replication Schemes in Unstructured P2p Networks

P2P computing lifts taxing issues in various areas of computer science. The largely used decentralized unstructured P2P systems are ad hoc in nature and present a number of research challenges. In this paper, we provide a comprehensive survey of various state-of-the-art search and replication schemes for unstructured P2P networks. The classifications of search and replication techniques and their advantages and disadvantages are briefly explained. Finally, the various issues on search and replication for unstructured P2P networks are discussed.
Flow-Dependent Balance Conditions for Incremental Data Assimilation: Elliptic Operators

We present a family of flow-dependent balance conditions for variational data assimilation (VAR). In the context of shallow water theory, the conditions are based upon using either relative vorticity or potential vorticity as the balanced variable, and incorporate both rotational and divergent components of the horizontal wind field. From this wind field we obtain a balanced height field, which can be used as a control variable in VAR. The balance conditions are defined using nonlinear Monge Ampère equations, which are required to be elliptic. A linear, incremental scheme is derived, and the ellipticity criterion becomes a condition on the linearization state. The schemes are tested using Rossby-Haurwitz waves for a range of Burger numbers, thereby enabling flow-dependency to be analyzed.
Animal models of osteoporosis--necessity and limitations.

There is a great need to further characterise the available animal models for postmenopausal osteoporosis, for the understanding of the pathogenesis of the disease, investigation of new therapies (e.g. selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs)) and evaluation of prosthetic devices in osteoporotic bone. Animal models that have been used in the past include non-human primates, dogs, cats, rodents, rabbits, guinea pigs and minipigs, all of which have advantages and disadvantages. Sheep are a promising model for various reasons: they are docile, easy to handle and house, relatively inexpensive, available in large numbers, spontaneously ovulate, and the sheep's bones are large enough to evaluate orthopaedic implants. Most animal models have used females and osteoporosis in the male has been largely ignored. Recently, interest in development of appropriate prosthetic devices which would stimulate osseointegration into osteoporotic, appendicular, axial and mandibular bone has intensified. Augmentation of osteopenic lumbar vertebrae with bioactive ceramics (vertebroplasty) is another area that will require testing in the appropriate animal model. Using experimental animal models for the study of these different facets of osteoporosis minimizes some of the difficulties associated with studying the disease in humans, namely time and behavioral variability among test subjects. New experimental drug therapies and orthopaedic implants can potentially be tested on large numbers of animals subjected to a level of experimental control impossible in human clinical research.
Usability Evaluation of Multimodal Interfaces

In order to develop easy-to-use multimodal interfaces for mobile applications, effective usability evaluation methods (UEMs) are an essential component of the development process. Over the past decades various usability evaluation methods have been developed and implemented to improve and assure easyto-use user interfaces and systems. However, most of the so-called ‘classical’ methods exhibit shortcomings when used in the field of mobile applications, especially when addressing multimodal interaction (MMI). Hence, several ‘classical’ methods were broadened, varied, and changed to meet the demands of testing usability for multimodal interfaces and mobile applications. This chapter presents a selection of these ‘classical’ methods, and introduces some newly developed methods for testing usability in the area of multimodal interfaces. The chapter concludes with a summary on currently available methods for usability evaluation of multimodal interfaces for mobile devices.
Stereo Vision: A Java-Based Online Platform

An on-line Java applet integrating interactive image controls with a view towards investigating stereo matching and 3D scene reconstruction is proposed. It is freely open to a wide audience and can serve as a teaching or research tools. The interface offers image uploads as well as several options to perform image pair rectification and stereo matching. Higher end features such as sub-pixel depth map resolution as well as a derived version of the well performing SDPS algorithm are proposed. Interactive 3D visualisation of the image pair scene (combining depth and textural information) is available via Java3D. The current version of this applet is stored at http://www.cs. auckland.ac. nz/∼mngu012.
Towards a more realistic evaluation: testing the ability to predict future tastes of matrix factorization-based recommenders

The use of temporal dynamic terms in Matrix Factorization (MF) models of recommendation have been proposed as a means to obtain better accuracy in rating prediction task. However, the way such models have been tested may not be a realistic setting for recommendation. In this paper, we evaluated rating prediction and top-N recommendation tasks using a MF model with and without temporal dynamic terms under two evaluation settings. Our experiments show that the addition of dynamic parameters do not necessarily yield to better results on these tasks when a more strict time-aware separation of train/test data is performed, and moreover, results may vary notably when different evaluation schemes are used.
Tax Evasion and the Rule of Law in Latin America: The Political Culture of Cheating and Compliance in Argentina and Chile

If you ally dependence such a referred tax evasion and the rule of law in latin america the political culture of cheating and compliance in argentina and chile ebook that will give you worth, get the enormously best seller from us currently from several preferred authors. If you desire to funny books, lots of novels, tale, jokes, and more fictions collections are then launched, from best seller to one of the most current released.
Impacts of Economic, Technological and Operational Factors on the Economic Competitiveness of Electric Commercial Vehicles in Fleet Replacement Decisions

Electric commercial vehicles (ECV) have the potential to substantially reduce greenhouse gas emissions, noise, and pollution in urban areas. In addition, ECVs have lower per-mile operating costs and potentially lower maintenance costs. However, the initial purchase cost of ECVs is significantly higher than the purchase cost of a conventional diesel vehicle. From a purely economic perspective, there is a cost tradeoff between the low operating and maintenance costs of ECVs and their high initial capital costs. In addition, ECVs have a limited range, in some commercial applications this may lead to a problem commonly known as “range anxiety”. In this paper, an optimization based model is utilized to analyze the competitiveness of ECVs. Utilizing realistic assumptions for a USA context and a wide range of scenarios regarding fleet utilization, fuel efficiency and ten additional parameters, this research finds the key economic and technological breakeven points where ECVs become competitive against conventional diesel counterparts.
Economic impact of migration flows following the 2004 EU enlargement process - a model based analysis

This paper shows that the migration-induced re-allocation of labour resources across countries following the 2004 EU enlargement process has already brought sizeable economic benefits for the enlarged EU. In addition, the simulation results suggest that once the present temporary restrictions on the flow of EU10 workers come to an end and the long-run migration potential of around 3 million is eventually realised, the economic gains may easily match those from a further integration of the EU's goods and capital markets. At the level of the individual "sending" and "receiving" countries, the overall economic impact of migration is essentially determined by the speed of adjustment of labour and capital; by the skill characteristics of the migrant and native populations; and by the actual size of the migration flows.
Evaluation of carotid artery stenosis with multisection CT and MR imaging: influence of imaging modality and postprocessing.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE We prospectively evaluated the influence of different imaging techniques (time-of-flight MR angiography [TOF-MRA], contrast-enhanced MR angiography [CE-MRA], multisection CT angiography [CTA]) and postprocessing methods (maximum intensity projection [MIP], multiplanar reformation [MPR]) on carotid artery stenosis grading. MATERIALS AND METHODS Fifty patients (34 men, 16 women) with symptomatic stenosis of the internal carotid artery were examined with a 16-section spiral CT and a 1.5T MR unit. Two MRA techniques were applied: 3D-TOF and CE-MRA. MPR was used for postprocessing with all modalities; MIP was used only with MRA. Four readers measured and calculated the percentage diameter stenosis independently according to NASCET criteria. The Wilcoxon test was used to measure interobserver variability, and the Friedman test was used to test the null-hypothesis of equality of the modalities. RESULTS The hypothesis for global equality was rejected (P < .001). TOF-MRA and CTA assessed with MPR showed the highest concordance (difference, 0.6%; confidence interval [CI], -3.0, 4.3%), and CE-MRA with MIP and CTA showed the lowest concordance in stenosis grading (difference, 7.0%; CI, 3.4, 10.6%). MPR resulted in lower degrees of stenosis than MIP for both MRA sequences, although not statistically significant (CE, -3.0%; CI, -6.6, 0.6%; TOF, -2.2%; CI, -5.8, 1.4%). When only studies with good or excellent image quality were considered, the differences decreased, but the trends remained. CONCLUSION Stenosis grading is dependent on the examination method and postprocessing technique. CTA and TOF-MRA evaluated with MPR revealed highest concordance.
Effectiveness of Yoga for Hypertension: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Objectives. To systematically review and meta-analyze the effectiveness of yoga for reducing blood pressure in adults with hypertension and to assess the modifying influences of type and length of yoga intervention and type of comparison group. Methods. Academic Search Premier, AltHealthWatch, BIOSIS/Biological Abstracts, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, Embase, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, PsycARTICLES, Natural Standard, and Web of Science databases were screened for controlled studies from 1966 to March 2013. Two authors independently assessed risk of bias using the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool. Results. All 17 studies included in the review had unclear or high risk of bias. Yoga had a modest but significant effect on systolic blood pressure (SBP) (−4.17 [−6.35, −1.99], P = 0.0002) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) (−3.62 [−4.92, −1.60], P = 0.0001). Subgroup analyses demonstrated significant reductions in blood pressure for (1) interventions incorporating 3 basic elements of yoga practice (postures, meditation, and breathing) (SBP: −8.17 mmHg [−12.45, −3.89]; DBP: −6.14 mmHg [−9.39, −2.89]) but not for more limited yoga interventions; (2) yoga compared to no treatment (SBP: −7.96 mmHg [−10.65, −5.27]) but not for exercise. Conclusion. Yoga can be preliminarily recommended as an effective intervention for reducing blood pressure. Additional rigorous controlled trials are warranted to further investigate the potential benefits of yoga.
Materials issues of SAW sensors for high-temperature applications

The technology of surface acoustic wave (SAW) devices allows the integration of signal processing and sensor functions within one product. In the past, SAW sensors have been operated at room temperature or 100/spl deg/C-200/spl deg/C at most, material-related problems become obvious if one attempts to increase this operating temperature to a value as high as 1000/spl deg/C. First experimental results are presented based on a variation of the metallization and the use of diffusion barriers. It is expected that the use of these specially tailored materials with particular functional properties will lend to a considerable improvement of the lifetime and reliability of SAW sensors and the development of devices resistant to high temperatures as well as high pressures and chemically aggressive environments. The high-temperature characteristics of such novel devices are investigated by finite-element simulation and by experimental deformation analysis. Which assembly, interconnection, and packaging techniques are applicable at 1000/spl deg/C are also discussed.
Non-metric gravity: I. Field equations

We describe and study a certain class of modified gravity theories. Our starting point is the Plebański formulation of gravity in terms of a triple Bi of two-forms, a connection Ai and a ‘Lagrange multiplier’ field Ψij. The generalization we consider stems from the presence in the action of an extra term proportional to a scalar function of Ψij. As in the usual Plebański general relativity (GR) case, a certain metric can be constructed from Bi. However, unlike in GR, the connection Ai no longer coincides with the self-dual part of the metric compatible spin connection. Field equations of the theory are shown to be relations between derivatives of the metric and components of field Ψij, as well as its derivatives, the later being in contrast to the GR case. The equations are of second order in derivatives. An analog of the Bianchi identity is still present in the theory, as well as its contracted version tantamount to the energy conservation equation.
Orchestrating WSRF-based Grid Services Technical Report FIU-SCIS-2007-0401 April 2007

Grid computing aims to create an accessible virtual supercomputer by integrating distributed computers to form a parallel infrastructure for processing applications. To enable service-oriented Grid computing, the Grid computing architecture was aligned with current Web service technologies. Thereby making it possible for Grid applications to be exposed as Web services. The WSRF set of specifications standardized the association of state information with Web services (WSResource) while providing interfaces for the management of state data. Key to the realization of the benefits of Grid computing is the ability to integrate WS-Resources to create higher-level applications. The Business Process Execution Language (BPEL) is the leading standard for integrating Web services and as such has a natural affinity to the integration of Grid services. In this paper, we share our experience on using BPEL to integrate, create, and manage WS-Resources that implement the factory/instance pattern.
DELETERIOUS EFFECTS OF ACUTE AMMONIA EXPOSURE IN CULTURED OREOCHROMIS NILOTICUS

Ammonia is the principal nitrogenous waste product of fishes and it is also the main nitrogenous waste material excreted by gills beside urea and amines. This study was planned to determine the effect of acute ammonia exposure on cultured Oreochromis niloticus. Fish of nearly the same weight were divided into four groups. The 1 st group was served as a control group, the 2 nd exposed to 2.5mg/L of total ammonia nitrogen (TAN) (0.16 NH3 mg/L), the 3 rd exposed to 5.0 mg/L of total ammonia nitrogen (TAN) (0.32 NH3 mg/L) and the 4 th exposed to 10.0 mg/L of total ammonia nitrogen (TAN) (0.65 NH3 mg/L) at water pH 8 and water temperature 28 ̊C for six days. Results revealed that acute ammonia exposure was associated with fish mortalities, clinical abnormalities in the form of convulsions, hyperexcitabilty, signs of asphyxia and sluggish fish reflexes. Histopathological examination showed lamellar hyperplesia with fusion of the secondary gill lamellae, hydropic degeneration in the liver, hyperactivation of the melanomacrophage center of the spleen, glomerulonephritis and cerebral oedema with neuronal degeneration. Also significant increase in lipid peroxidation product (malondialdehyde), nitric oxide, cortisol and micronucleus count were recorded. It was concluded that acute ammonia exposure had several deleterious effects on cultured Oreochromis niloticus.
The β-Amyloid Precursor Protein of Alzheimer’s Disease Enhances Neuron Viability and Modulates Neuronal Polarity

β-Amyloid precursor protein (βPP) can reside at neuron and glial cell surfaces or undergo proteolytic processing into secreted fragments. Although βPP has been studied extensively, its precise physiological role is unknown. A line of transgenic knock-out mice selectively deficient in βPP survive and breed but exhibit motor dysfunction and brain gliosis, consistent with a physiological role for βPP in neuron development. To elucidate these functions, we cultured hippocampal neurons from wild-type and βPP-deficient mice and compared their ability to attach, survive, and develop neurites. We found that hippocampal neurons from βPP-deficient mice had diminished viability and retarded neurite development. We also compared the effects of βPP secretory products, released from wild-type astrocytes, on process outgrowth from wild-type and βPP-deficient hippocampal neurons. Outgrowth was enhanced at 1 d in the presence of wild-type astrocytes, as compared with βPP-deficient astrocytes. However, by 3 d, neurons had shorter axons but more minor processes with more branching when cocultured with wild-type astrocytes, as compared with βPP-deficient astrocytes. Our data demonstrate that cell-associated neuronal βPP contributes to neuron viability, axonogenesis, and arborization and that βPP secretory products modulate axon growth, dendrite branching, and dendrite numbers.
How Good is Growth for the Poor? The Role of the Initial Income Distribution in Regional Diversity in Poverty Trends

Using panel data of 58 developing countries for the period 1980-1998, this study shows that the responsiveness of the $2 a day poverty headcount measure to changes in mean income and inequality significantly decreases with initial inequality and the ratio poverty line over mean income - taken as proxies for the initial density of income near the poverty line.Variations in these proxies account for the large crossregional differences in the income elasticity of poverty during the 1980s and 1990s.We find that the income elasticity of poverty in the mid 1990s equals -1.31 on average and ranges from -0.71 for Sub-Saharan Africa to -2.27 for the Middle East and North Africa, and that the Gini elasticity of poverty equals 0.80 on average and ranges from 0.01 in South Asia to 1.73 in Latin America.While variation in income growth accounts for most of the variation in poverty reduction across regions, the impact of variations in inequality and in elasticities of poverty is almost always too large to be ignored, and in particular in Eastern Europe and Central Asia.
Molecular Mechanisms Involved in Schwann Cell Plasticity

Schwann cell incredible plasticity is a hallmark of the utmost importance following nerve damage or in demyelinating neuropathies. After injury, Schwann cells undergo dedifferentiation before redifferentiating to promote nerve regeneration and complete functional recovery. This review updates and discusses the molecular mechanisms involved in the negative regulation of myelination as well as in the reprogramming of Schwann cells taking place early following nerve lesion to support repair. Significant advance has been made on signaling pathways and molecular components that regulate SC regenerative properties. These include for instance transcriptional regulators such as c-Jun or Notch, the MAPK and the Nrg1/ErbB2/3 pathways. This comprehensive overview ends with some therapeutical applications targeting factors that control Schwann cell plasticity and highlights the need to carefully modulate and balance this capacity to drive nerve repair.
Implementation and evaluation of telemedicine - a catch 22?

Problems in implementing and evaluating telemedicine may not be a surprise if the technology itself is more closely examined. It can be claimed that problems to develop a comprehensive and integrated use is a consequence of the technology's openness. The analysis presented shows that we cannot speak about implementation in general if telemedicine usage has any impact on organizational work routines. Instead, there is a need to view the implementation of telemedicine as an implementation of different fields of application, which are resulting from a translation of generic features of telemedicine. This will also have an impact on the evaluation of telemedicine implementation, and makes the issue of when an evaluation should be done and how the result should be interpreted into an extremely complex and complicated matter. Hence, if there is a lack of understanding of consequences caused by the openness of technology, implementation and evaluation can end up in a catch 22 situation.