Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Traitement du signal et simulations pour l'élastographie ultrasonore impulsionnelle appliquée au foie. (Signal processing and simulations for ultrasonic elastography)

The assessment of liver fibrosis is an essential source of information for the clinician in the diagnosis, treatment and monitoring of chronic liver disease. This assessment can be made by palpation. However the prognostic value is huge and liver biopsy, the gold standard for assessing the significance of hepatic fibrosis, is invasive, painful and difficult to reproduce. Echosens, the industrial partner of this thesis, provides a medical device for ultrasonic elastography called Fibroscan. This technique involves measuring the velocity of a shear wave in the liver tissue caused by mechanical stress given in the intercostal space next to the liver. This shear rate is directly related to the degree of fibrosis. We initially developed numerical tools based on finite element modeling for the study of elastography experiments, in order to have observations in controlled experimental conditions. This study meets the needs of observing the evolution of the shear wave during its generation and propagation in vivo. This tool also allows to evaluate the performance of algorithms for elasticity estimation. Tissues can be considered elastic and / or viscoelastic. Simulations on simple geometries have been carried out and evaluated by comparison with analytical models and experimental data on phantoms. Simulations were then conducted on more complex geometries, from liver segmentation on medical images. Current limitations of the simulator and the potential applications for the development of new systems or improving the quality of measures on certain morphology of patients (e.g. obese) are discussed and illustrated. In a second part, we were interested in real-time pre-processing of ultrasound backscattered signal. Two specific applications were covered: (i) estimating the distance between the probe and the Fibroscan liver parenchyma, (ii) automatic detection of a homogeneous area of liver tissue. Associated treatments are based on spectral parameters of the ultrasonic signals measured on the basis of training data. Finally, we analyzed in detail the ability of these spectral parameters to discriminate different stages of fibrosis according to the elasticity value . All results were generated from a cohort of 181 volunteers. In the third part, we were interested in the problem of the lack of knowledge of the viewing angle of the probe related to the direction of the propagation of the shear wave. We focused on an approach exploiting temporal correlation of displacement taken at different depths. This technique is often associated with temporal reversal or matched filtering. We tested this approach on experimental signals obtained on phantoms and
The Public Participation Handbook: Making Better Decisions Through Citizen Involvement

Tables, Figures, Exhibits, and Worksheets xiii Preface xv The Author xix Introduction 1 PART ONE: OVERVIEW OF PUBLIC PARTICIPATION 5 2 The Rationale for Public Participation 14 PART TWO: DESIGNING A PUBLIC PARTICIPATION PROGRAM 27 3 Decision Analysis 29 4 Process Planning 45 5 Implementation Planning 78 PART THREE: PUBLIC PARTICIPATION TOOL KIT 85 6 Techniques for Getting Information to the Public 89 7 Techniques for Getting Information from the Public 102 PART FOUR: PUBLIC MEETING TOOLS 139 8 Designing Public Meetings 143 9 Developing Interactive Meetings 149 10 Facilitating Public Meetings 166 11 Determining Meeting Logistics 173 PART FIVE: GENERAL-PURPOSE TOOLS 181 12 Working with Advisory Groups 183 13 Conducting Interviews 190 14 Working with the Media 196 15 Analyzing Public Comment 205 16 Evaluating Public Participation 214 17 Using Public Participation Consultants 223 PART SIX: PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IN ACTION 227 18 Public Participation Cases 229 Conclusion 243 An Example: Sunny Glen Landfill Siting Public Participation Plan 247 Index 255
Cardiovascular medication changes over 5 years in a national data linkage study: implications for risk prediction models

Background Despite widespread use of cardiovascular disease (CVD) preventive medications in cohorts used to develop CVD risk prediction models, only some incorporate baseline CVD pharmacotherapy and none account for treatment changes during study follow-up. Therefore, current risk prediction scores may underestimate the true CVD event risk. We examined changes in CVD pharmacotherapy over 5 years in preparation for developing new 5-year risk prediction models. Methods Anonymized individual-level linkage of eight national administrative health datasets enabled identification of all New Zealanders aged 30–74 years, without prior hospitalization for CVD or heart failure, who utilized publicly funded health services during 2006. We determined proportions of participants dispensed blood pressure lowering, lipid lowering, and antiplatelet/anticoagulant pharmacotherapy at baseline in 2006, and the proportion of person years of follow-up (2007–2011) where dispensing occurred. Results The study population comprised of 1,766,584 individuals, representinĝ85% of all New Zealanders aged 30–74 years without prior CVD or heart failure in 2006, with mean follow-up of 4.9 years (standard deviation 0.6 years; 8,589,931 total person years). CVD medications were dispensed to 21% of people at baseline, with most single or combination pharmacotherapies continuing for ≥80% of follow-up. Complete discontinuation of baseline treatment accounted for 2% of follow-up time while CVD pharmacotherapy that commenced after baseline accounted for 7% of total follow-up time. Conclusion In a national primary prevention cohort of 30–74 year olds, one in five received baseline CVD primary preventive pharmacotherapy and medication changes over the subsequent 5 years were modest. Baseline medication use is an important consideration when estimating CVD risk from modern cohorts. It is currently unclear how to incorporate available methods to account for treatment changes during follow-up into risk prediction scores, but this study demonstrates that baseline therapy captures most of the effect of treatment in 5-year risk models. However, the impact of treatment changes on the more common 10-year risk models requires further investigation.
Attenuation of choroidal neovascularization by dietary intake of ω-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids and lutein in mice

Dietary ω-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFAs) and lutein each protect against age-related macular degeneration (AMD). We here examined the effects of ω-3 LCPUFAs and lutein supplementation in a mouse model of AMD. Mice were assigned to four groups: (1) a control group fed an ω-3 LCPUFA–free diet, (2) a lutein group fed an ω-3 LCPUFA–free diet with oral administration of lutein, (3) an ω-3 group fed an ω-3 LCPUFA–supplemented diet, and (4) an ω-3 + lutein group fed an ω-3 LCPUFA–supplemented diet with oral administration of lutein. Mice were fed the defined diets beginning 2 weeks before, and received lutein with an oral gavage needle beginning 1 week before, induction of choroidal neovascularization (CNV) by laser photocoagulation. The area of CNV measured in choroidal flat-mount preparations was significantly reduced in mice fed ω-3 LCPUFAs or lutein compared with those in the control group, and it was reduced in an additive manner in those receiving both ω-3 LCPUFAs and lutein. The concentrations of various inflammatory mediators in the retina or choroid were reduced in mice fed ω-3 LCPUFAs or lutein, but no additive effect was apparent. The generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in chorioretinal lesions revealed by dihydroethidium staining as well as the expression of NADPH oxidase 4 (Nox4) in the retina revealed by immunohistofluorescence and immunoblot analyses were attenuated by ω-3 LCPUFAs and lutein in a synergistic manner. Our results thus show that dietary intake of ω-3 LCPUFAs and lutein attenuated CNV in an additive manner and in association with suppression of inflammatory mediator production, ROS generation, and Nox4 expression. Dietary supplementation with both ω-3 LCPUFAs and lutein warrants further study as a means to protect against AMD.
The ethics of corporate governance

How should corporate directors determine what is the ‘right’ decision? For at least the past 30 years the debate has raged as to whether shareholder value should take precedence over corporate social responsibility when crucial decisions arise. Directors face pressure, not least from ‘ethical’ investors, to do the ‘good’ thing when they seek to make the ‘right’ choice. Corporate governance theory has tended to look to agency theory and the need of boards to curb excessive executive power to guide directors' decisions. While useful for those purposes, agency theory provides only limited guidance. Supplementing it with the alternatives -stakeholder theory and stewardship theory – tends to put directors in conflict with their legal obligations to work in the interests of shareholders. This paper seeks to reframe the discussion about corporate governance in terms of the ethical debate between consequential, teleological approaches to ethics and idealist, deontological ones, suggesting that directors are – for good reason – more inclined toward utilitarian judgments like those underpinning shareholder value. But the problems with shareholder value have become so great that a different framework is needed: strategic value, with an emphasis on long-term value creation judged from a decidedly utilitarian standpoint.
On the Treatment of Acne, Furunculosis, and Sycosis by Therapeutic Inoculations of Staphylococcus Vaccine

fully performed in a cottage, and the patient, who was unwilling to go away from her home to a hospital, was able to end her days among her own people. One hears and reads much about the abuse of hospitals by those who can well afford to pay, but part of the blame for this lies at the doors of those practitioners who are too ready to shirk a little responsibility. Many of the better class poor prefer to stay at home if possible, and wherever the services of a good trained nurse are obtainable during the critical portion of the after-treatment, much can be done at home, and it is better for the position of the profession that it should be so done, rather than that people who can quite afford to pay a moderate fee should be obliged to resort to a hospital originally intended only for those in need of relief and unable to pay for it. And this brings me to what I alluded to as the "moral" of my tale-namely, that a partial solution of the problem of hospital abuse lies in the provision of facilities for the better nursing of the poor in their own homes. It is seldom necessary for the nurse to reside in the house; in an artisan's cottage there would not often be room; and operations requiring constant attendance afterwards had better be done in a hospital ; but there remains a large class of cases where all that is required is for the nurse to exercise such general supervision as can be given by one or two visits during the day. Under aseptic or antiseptic conditions frequent dressings are rarely needed, and in my experience the poor are better at carrying out orders than the well-todo, provided that the orders are given to them simply and in a form which will appeal to their common sense.
Student Preparedness, Effort and Academic Performance in a Quantitative Business Course

Of the many factors influencing academic performance, the student’s personal inputs to learning are recognised as among the most critical. Some of these inputs are the focus of this study of performance in an introductory statistics course. The individual student’s inputs that are hypothesised to be central to academic performance are effort, ability and relevant prior training. Ability and training are necessarily fixed at the commencement of any course, with only effort potentially under the student’s control during the course. Effort is not directly observable and the use of selfreporting of personal actions is widely recognised as problematic. Consequently in this paper effort is measured by (voluntary) attendance, although it is recognised that attendance is only one part of a student’s engagement with the course content. Ability and prior training are jointly measured as a single score from a simple numeracy test administered at the start of the course. We found that individual students’ scores on this test, as well as their levels of attendance, were strongly related to academic success in the course. These results allow a discussion of the impact of student engagement, closely related to effort and specifically to attendance. Changes in universities and society over the past two decades have tended to reduce student engagement, and the longer-term consequences of changes designed to facilitate learning may be the opposite of those intended. Methodological problems involved in this and similar studies are discussed at greater length than is usual. JEL classifications: A20, A29.
Identification of sequence requirements and trans-acting functions necessary for regulated expression of a human cytomegalovirus early gene

We analyzed the regulation of expression of a human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) early transcription unit encoded by EcoRI fragments R and d (map units, 0.682 to 0.713), located within the long unique segment of the genome. This region specified a 2.2-kilobase class of spliced transcripts which encode several related proteins. To define important upstream regulatory elements of this gene, we generated hybrid plasmids in which 5'-promoter sequences were fused to the Escherichia coli chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) gene and tested these hybrid genes in transient expression assays in human fibroblast cells. The stimulation of CAT activity in HCMV-infected cells was found to reflect an induction of correctly initiated hybrid mRNA, which was dependent on the de novo synthesis of some virally induced factor(s). A time course experiment showed the correct early kinetics of CAT expression. Analysis of a series of 5'-promoter deletion plasmids, ending between -323 and -7 base pairs relative to the transcription start site, showed a stepwise reduction in inducible CAT activity, suggesting that this HCMV early promoter consists of multiple elements. One of these elements resembles the binding site of a previously identified cellular "transcription" factor. We also examined the role of specific virus-encoded factors in the transactivation of this promoter. Cotransfection of human fibroblasts with the 2.2-kilobase RNA promoter-CAT construct and plasmids containing different immediate-early genes showed that expression of CAT from this promoter was stimulated by the region of the HCMV genome encoding the immediate-early 1 and 2 gene products.
Maltreatment increases spontaneous false memories but decreases suggestion‐induced false memories in children

We examined the creation of spontaneous and suggestion‐induced false memories in maltreated and non‐maltreated children. Maltreated and non‐maltreated children were involved in a Deese–Roediger–McDermott false memory paradigm where they studied and remembered negative and neutral word lists. Suggestion‐induced false memories were created using a misinformation procedure during which both maltreated and non‐maltreated children viewed a negative video (i.e., bank robbery) and later received suggestive misinformation concerning the event. Our results showed that maltreated children had higher levels of spontaneous negative false memories but lower levels of suggestion‐induced false memories as compared to non‐maltreated children. Collectively, our study demonstrates that maltreatment both increases and decreases susceptibility to memory illusions depending on the type of false memory being induced. Statement of contribution What is already known on this subject? Trauma affects memory. It is unclear how trauma affects false memory. What does this study add? This study focuses on two types of false memories.
Membrane-supported CPW with mounted active devices

This paper reports the fabrication of printed circuit lines on a 5 /spl mu/m thick membrane that minimizes dielectric loss and effectively eliminates surface modes, both of which are important for operation at millimeter-wave and submillimeter-wave frequencies. The relatively low-cost low-temperature process uses a photosensitive resin (SU-8) to form the membrane and enables devices to be mounted on it.
The Gender Dimension of Technical Change and Task Inputs

Studies have shown technical change has led to job polarisation. A relatively unexplored aspect of this is whether there has been a gender bias. This paper shows gender bias in technology driven skill polarisation. Between 1997 and 2006 the demand for women shows hollowing out across education groups as a consequence of technical change. This was not the case for men. Overall, the demand for women has fallen relative to that for men as a consequence of technical change. This can be explained by a gender bias in the complementarities between computerisation and changes in task inputs. Numeracy skills are the largest complementarity to technical change and these help to explain the increase in the demand for highly skilled women. However, there are gender biased complementarities to technical change across a range of other non-routine tasks which can explain the fall in the demand for medium educated women and the overall increase in the relative demand for men. At the same time there was a fall in the gender pay differential. For moderate and complex computer users this fall is largely explained by changes in qualifications. However, there remains a large unexplained component suggesting that gender biased demand shifts towards numerate and computer literate women have significantly contributed to the closing of the gender pay gap.
Cutaneous melioidosis in a Swedish tourist after the tsunami in 2004

A tourist from Sweden developed cutaneous melioidosis after the tsunami in Thailand on 26 December 2004. Melioidosis is a severe, chronic infection which is endemic in Thailand and is caused by Burkholderia pseudomallei. Persons with traumatic injuries inflicted by the tsunami have increased risks of being infected by B. pseudomallei and melioidosis should be suspected if abscesses of the skin or inner organs develop in the months or years after the trauma.
Potassium currents in hair cells isolated from the cochlea of the chick.

1. Potassium currents were characterized in tall hair cells of the chick's cochlea. Outward potassium currents were found to flow through two distinct classes of channels. 2. Individual hair cells were isolated from 200 microns long segments of the apical half of the chick's cochlea. Whole‐cell voltage‐clamp and current‐clamp recordings were made from these cells. 3. Voltage responses to injected current ranged from high‐frequency (100‐250 Hz) oscillations in some cells, to slowly repetitive Ca2+ action potentials or slow oscillations (5‐20 Hz) in others. 4. Ionic currents recorded in voltage clamp also varied in different hair cells. Cells with high‐frequency voltage oscillations had rapidly activating Ca2(+)‐dependent outward K+ current, IK(Ca). Cells that generated action potentials had slow delayed rectifier outward K+ current, IK, and inward rectifier current, IIR. All hair cells had inward Ca2+ current. 5. IK(Ca) activated positive to ‐45 mV. Tail currents reversed at the K+ equilibrium potential. This current was eliminated in Ca2(+)‐free solutions, or when exposed to 10 mM‐TEA. This outward current was fully activated within 1‐3 ms at 0 mV. The whole‐cell current was noisy and ensemble variance analysis suggested a single‐channel conductance of 63 pS near 0 mV. 6. IK activated positive to ‐50 mV. Tail currents reversed at the K+ equilibrium potential. This current was not eliminated in Ca2(+)‐free solutions, and was relatively resistant to external TEA. IK activated slowly, reaching peak values in 10‐20 ms at 0 mV. This current showed little variance and the average single‐channel conductance based on macroscopic noise near 0 mV was 8 pS. 7. External tetraethylammonium (TEA) or Ca2(+)‐free saline eliminated the high‐frequency voltage oscillations seen in many basal cells. In contrast TEA had little effect on slow action potentials (or low‐frequency oscillations) seen in cells with IK. 8. IK(Ca) was prominent in hair cells originating 1.0‐2.0 mm from the cochlear apex. IK and IIR dominated the membrane conductance of tall hair cells originating within 0.5 mm of the cochlear apex. 9. The frequency of voltage oscillation in apical cells was temperature‐dependent, nearly doubling for each 10 degrees C rise in temperature. 10. IIR activated at membrane potentials negative to ‐75 mV. The average time constant of activation at ‐100 mV was 2 ms. Tail currents reversed at the K+ equilibrium potential and did not depend on the external Na+ concentration. IIR was blocked by 5 mM‐Cs+ or 100 microM‐Ba2+ in the external saline.
Reproductive toxicity of 2,5-hexanedione in male rats

Background, Aims and Method2,5-Hexanedione is an industrial solvent which causes peripheral neuropathy. In the current study, the effect of 2,5-hexanedione on testicular histology of adult rats as well as sperm concentration, motility, and morphology were studied by administering 100 mg, 200 mg, 400 mg/kg per day for 12 weeks.ResultsNo sperm motility was observed in the 200 mg and 400 mg/kg per day treatment groups and significantly reduced motility was observed in the 100 mg/kg per day group. The morphology were also significantly reduced in the 200 mg and 400 mg/kg per day groups compared to the control group, but the sperm concentration was significantly reduced only in the 400 mg/kg per day group. Histological examination of the testes in the 400 mg/kg per day group revealed that twothirds of the testes had Sertoli cell only syndrome, whereas in the 200 mg/kg per day group half of the testes showed maturation arrest and sperm as well as spermatids were observed in 83% of the testes.ConclusionsIn conclusion, we have shown that 2,5-hexanedione severely affected sperm motility even at low doses, whereas high doses adversely affected all the sperm parameters as well as causing testicular injury.
Comparison of Serious Adverse Event Profiles Among Antirheumatic Agents Using Japanese Adverse Drug Event Report Database

Background The association between drugs and adverse events (AEs) has been investigated using various AE databases. The aim of this study was to provide useful information for risk minimization of antirheumatic agents by investigating the safety profiles of antirheumatic agents using the Japanese Adverse Drug Event Report database (JADER), focusing on some important serious AEs (SAEs) and their relation to time. Methods Tumor necrosis factor-alpha inhibitors (TNF-Is), interleukin-6 inhibitors (IL-6-Is), and methotrexate (MTX) were selected as antirheumatic agents. Tuberculosis, malignant tumors, and bone marrow disorders were focused as typical SAEs. Disproportionate reporting of these SAEs was evaluated using the reporting odds ratio. Time to onset of each SAE was calculated using date information. Results Increased reporting odds ratios were observed in tuberculosis and malignant tumors associated with TNF-I, in tuberculosis and malignant tumors associated with IL-6-I, and in tuberculosis, malignant tumors, and bone marrow disorders associated with MTX. The median time to onset of the focused SAEs associated with TNF-I were 501, 681, and 254 days, respectively; those associated with IL-6-I were 387, 636, and 116 days; and those associated with MTX were 537, 1125, and 328 days. These results suggested different profiles for the focused SAEs. Conclusion The time-to-onset profiles of the SAEs for TNF-I, IL-6-I, and MTX as antirheumatic agent were different among different SAEs, which suggests that they should be monitored carefully based on the profiles. The information from JADER is expected to contribute to the risk minimization of drugs in the actual clinical practice.