Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Increased Maternal and Cord Blood Betatrophin in Gestational Diabetes

Aim The aim of the study was to compare maternal and cord blood levels of betatrophin – a new peptide potentially controlling beta cell growth - as well as in its mRNA expression in subcutaneous adipose tissue, visceral adipose tissue and placental tissue obtained from pregnant women with normal glucose tolerance (NGT) and gestational diabetes (GDM). Methods Serum betatrophin and irisin concentrations were measured by ELISA in 93 patients with GDM and 97 women with NGT between 24 and 28 week of gestation. Additionally, maternal and cord blood betatrophin and irisin, as well as their genes (C19orf80 and Fndc5) expression were evaluated in 20 patients with GDM and 20 women with NGT at term. Results In both groups, serum betatrophin concentrations were significantly higher in the patients with GDM than in the controls (1.91 [1.40-2.60] ng/ml vs 1.63 [1.21-2.22] ng/ml, p=0.03 and 3.45 [2.77-6.53] ng/ml vs 2.78 [2.16-3.65] ng/ml, p=0.03, respectively). Cord blood betatrophin levels were also higher in the GDM than in the NGT group (20.43 [12.97-28.80] ng/ml vs 15.06 [10.11-21.36] ng/ml, p=0.03). In both groups betatrophin concentrations in arterial cord blood were significantly higher than in maternal serum (p=0.0001). Serum irisin levels were significantly lower in the patients with GDM (1679 [1308-2171] ng/ml) than in the healthy women between 24 and 28 week of pregnancy (1880 [1519-2312] ng/ml, p=0.03). Both C19orf80 and Fndc5 mRNA expression in fat and placental tissue did not differ significantly between the groups studied. Conclusions Our results suggest that an increase in maternal and cord blood betatrophin might be a compensatory mechanism for enhanced insulin demand in GDM.
DFIG-Based Wind Turbine Robust Control Using High-Order Sliding Modes and a High Gain Observer

This paper deals with the power generation control in variable speed wind turbines. In this context, a control strategy is proposed to ensure power extraction optimization of a DFIG-based wind turbine. The proposed control strategy combines an MPPT using a high gain observer and second-order sliding mode for the DFIG control. This strategy presents attractive features such as chattering-free behavior, finite reaching time, robustness and unmodeled dynamics (generator and turbine). The overall strategy has been validated on a 1.5-MW three-blade wind turbine using the NREL wind turbine simulator FAST.
Survey and detection of endophytic fungi in Lolium germ plasm by direct staining and aphid assays

Wilson, A. D. , Clement, S. L. , and Kaiser, W. J. 1991. Survey and detection of endophytic fungi in Lolium germ plasm by direct staining and aphid assays. Plant Dis. 75:169-173. Clavicipitaceous anamorphic endophytes were detected in 28 of 85 accessions from five of eight species in a collection of Lolium germ plasm. Comparative descriptions of endophytic mycelium in seeds of L. multiflorum, L. perenne, L. persicum, L. rigidum, and L. temulentum revealed morphological characteristics distinguishing endophytes in each host species. Most endophyte-infected accessions originated from Eurasia, particularly from Middle Eastern countries. Endophyte incidence and infection percentages varied widely with host species and geographic origin. Feeding tests with Diuruphis noxia were useful in detecting endophyte-infected accessions of perennial ryegrass. Additional keywords: Acremonium, bioassay, biological control, Clavicipitaceae, Russian wheat aphid
Dynamics of Naming Games in Random Geometric Networks

We investigate a simple agent-based model, the Naming Game, on random geometric networks. The Naming Game is a minimal model, employing local communications, capturing the emergence of shared communication schemes (languages) in a population of autonomous semiotic agents. Implementing it on random geometric graphs, local communications being local broadcasts, we can model the corresponding agreement dynamics in largescale, autonomously operating wireless sensor networks. A potential application of the algorithm is encryption key creation for a community of agents for secure communications, visible only to the members of the community. The late-stage temporal behavior of the dynamics of the Naming Game can be understood in terms of the theory of coarsening, occurring in domain and phase ordering in physical and chemical systems.
Does the use of an electronic reminder device with or without counseling improve adherence to lipid-lowering treatment? The results of a randomized controlled trial

Background: Lipid-lowering treatment with statins has proven to be effective in reducing cardiovascular events and mortality. In daily practice, however, adherence to medication is often low and this compromises the therapeutic effect. The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of an electronic reminder device (ERD) with or without counseling to improve refill adherence and persistence for statin treatment in non-adherent patients. Methods: A multicenter, community pharmacy-based, randomized controlled trial was conducted in 24 pharmacies in the Netherlands among patients with pre-baseline refill adherence rates between 50 and 80%. Eligible patients aged 65 years or older were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 groups: (1) counseling with an ERD (n = 134), (2) ERD with a written instruction (n = 131), and a (3) control group that received the usual treatment (n = 134). Main outcome measure: refill adherence to statin treatment for a 360-day period after inclusion (PDC360). Patients with a refill rate ≥80% were considered adherent. The effect among subgroups was also assessed. Results: There were no relevant differences at baseline. In the counseling with ERD group 54 of 130 eligible patients received the counseling with ERD. In the ERD group, 117 of 123 eligible patients received the ERD. The proportions of adherent patients in the counseling with ERD-group (69.2%) and in the ERD group (72.4%) were not higher than in the control group (64.8%). Among women using statins for secondary prevention, more patients were adherent in the ERD group (86.1%) than in the control group (52.6%) (p < 0.005). In men using statins for secondary prevention the ERD was found to have no effect. Conclusion: In this randomized controlled trial, no statistically significant improvement of refill adherence was found if an ERD was used with or without counseling. However, in a subgroup of women using statins for secondary prevention the ERD did improve adherence significantly.
Enhanced Data Delivery framework for dynamic Information-Centric Networks (ICNs)

In this paper, we present an Enhanced 2-Phase Data Delivery (E2-PDD) framework for Information-Centric Networks (ICNs), focusing on efficient content access and distribution as opposed to mere communication between data consumers and publishers. We employ an approach of growing eminence, where requests are initiated by consumers seeking particular services that are data-dependent. High-level Controllers (HCs) receive the consumers' requests and issue queries to a multitude of data publishers. The publishers in our topology include a wide variety of ubiquitous nodes that could be either stationary or mobile, operating under different protocols. In order to consider fundamental challenges in ICNs such as node mobility and data disruption, our E2-PDD framework employs Low-level Controllers (LCs) that act as moderators between the HCs and the data publishers, executing data queries for a top tier and replying back with a set of candidate rendezvous points obtained from a bottom tier. The HCs maximize selection based on the nearest rendezvous. Extensive simulation results have been used to evaluate our E2-PDD framework in terms of key performance metrics in ICNs viz., average in-network delay, and publisher load, given different mobility pause time durations and data consumers' densities.
Distribution of potassium conductance in mammalian Muller (glial) cells: a comparative study

The distribution of K+ conductance across the surface of retinal Muller cells was determined in 5 mammalian species--rabbit, guinea pig, mouse, owl monkey, and cat--and in tiger salamander. Potassium conductance was measured by monitoring cell depolarizations evoked by focal ejections of a high-K+ solution onto the surface of freshly dissociated cells. This technique measured the total K+ conductance of a given cell region (regional conductance), i.e., the specific K+ conductance times the total surface area in that region. In mammalian species with avascular retinas (rabbit, guinea pig), the regional K+ conductance within the middle portion of the cell was only a fraction (10.6–28.9%) of the endfoot conductance, while the conductance of the distal (photo- receptor) end of the cell was approximately half (41.2–49.8%) the endfoot conductance. In 2 species with vascularized retinas (mouse and owl monkey), by contrast, the regional K+ conductance within the middle portion of the cell was as large as 125.5–129.8% of the endfoot conductance. In these cells the K+ conductance of the distal end was 68.3–82.9% of the endfoot value. In cat, a third vascularized species, the K+ conductance was highest (187.1% of the endfoot value) at the distal end of the cell. In tiger salamander, which has an avascular retina, the regional K+ conductance of all regions distal to the endfoot was only 2.4–15.7% of the endfoot value. Differences in the distributions of regional K+ conductance observed in the 6 species raise the possibility that in vascularized mammalian retinas, the high- K+ conductance of the middle portion of Muller cells is associated with retinal blood vessels. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that, in avascular species, Muller cells aid in regulating extracellular K+ levels by transferring (siphoning) excess K+ principally into the vitreous humor, while in at least some vascularized species (mouse, monkey), excess K+ is transferred by Muller cells into retinal capillaries, as well as into the vitreous.
Human Resource Management – Eine Annäherung in kritischer Absicht

Zusammenfassung Human Resource Management (HRM) ist trotz umfangreicher Diskussion in der amerikanischen, britischen und deutschsprachigen Literatur ein schillernder Begriff geblieben, mit dem unterschiedliche Phanomene und Konzepte verbunden werden. Auch Versuche, den okonomischen Erfolg des HRM messbar zu machen, haben zu keinen schlussigen Ergebnissen gefuhrt. Die Kritik ist aus diesem Grund und aus grundsatzlichen konzeptionellen Erwagungen betrachtlich. Die HRM-Literatur konnte durch starkere Einbeziehung der Industrial-Relations-Literatur an Realitatsgehalt gewinnen. Dies gilt besonders fur die deutschsprachige Literatur. ----- Human Resource Management – Towards a Critical Perspective Abstract Despite the extensive discussion of Human Resource Management (HRM) in the American, British and German literature, this concept has remained a “floating signifier” (Keenoy). A wide variety of phenomena and concepts are associated with HRM. Moreover, attempts to measure the economic effects of HRM have yet to produce any conclusive results. For this reason and due to conceptual ambiguities, criticism of HRM has been substantial. If more attention were paid to the literature on industrial relations, the HRM literature could acquire a greater sense of realism. This is especially true for the literature in German-speaking countries. Keywords: human resource management, comparative analysis, critical management studies, industrial relations (JEL: B10, J50, J53, L21, M12, M54)
Vertical Handover Criteria and Algorithm in IEEE802.11 and 802.16 Hybrid Networks

Next generation wireless communications will likely rely on integrated networks consisting of multiple wireless technologies. Hybrid networks based, for instance, on systems such as WiMAX and WiFi can combine their respective advantages on coverage and data rates, offering a high Quality of Service (QoS) to mobile users. In such environment, WiFi/WiMAX dual mode terminals should seamlessly switch from one network to another, in order to obtain improved performance or at least to maintain a continuous wireless connection. This paper proposes a new user centric algorithm for vertical handover, which combines a trigger to continuously maintain the connection and another one to maximize the user throughput (taking into account the link quality and the current cell load). Moreover, we detail the implementation of that algorithm in existing standard technologies like 802.11 and 802.16. We show that, compared to more classical handover approaches, our proposed algorithm raises the system capacity, thus increasing the gain that can be achieved with a WiMAX and WiFi heterogeneous deployment.
Efectos de un programa de habilidades de comunicación en estudiantes de enfermería. Propuesta de un instrumento de evaluación (ISEC) Effects of a comunication skills training program on a sample of nursing students. A proposal of assessment instrument (ISEC)

Communication skills are a key ingredient of success in many jobs, especially in health-related ones. A sample of nursing students was exposed to a training program in communication skills. The goal of this study was to analyse whether the program was able to improve communication skills in this sample. This training program was based on common everyday situations in nursing practice. With this purpose, behaviour rehearsal, modelling, instructions, feedback, reinforcement, problem solving and assignments were used. Comparing preand post-test results, it is concluded that the program was effective in improving cognitive-emotional variables that are critical for interpersonal competence, such as planning capacity, results expectations, perceived self-efficacy, positive meta-perception, and a decrease of both anticipation of negative effects and anxiety linked to the situation.
Joint Best Price-CQI Product Scheduling and Congestion Control for LTE

In hybrid wired-wireless media, congestion control and scheduling are both trying to allocate bandwidth to the flows. Performance studies of long-term evolution (LTE) networks show that by decreasing the mismatch between scheduling at the base station of an LTE network and congestion control algorithms implemented at end users, significant improvements in the obtained overall throughput and fairness for best-effort traffic are achieved. In this paper, a problem formulation for joint scheduling and congestion control based on dual problem optimization is provided for a hybrid media, which includes a wireless LTE network. The original optimization problem is decomposed into two subproblems: congestion control problem and link scheduling problem. We propose methods to solve and implement these subproblems in different layers of a hybrid network, and call the derived link scheduling subproblem best price-channel quality indicator (CQI) product scheduling. Then, the performance of the proposed joint algorithm for LTE is studied. The results show a better tradeoff between the overall throughput and the fairness for the joint algorithm compared with classic cases in which congestion control and scheduling are separately designed and implemented without any cooperation. The behavior of the proposed best price-CQI product scheduler and a common proportional fair scheduler is compared, and some notable similarities in the case of applying logarithmic utility functions are observed.
A 192nW inverter-based chopper instrumentation amplifier for micropower ECG applications

This paper proposes a low-power inverter-based chopper instrumentation amplifier (IA) for ECG applications. A capacitively-coupled topology with chopper is employed while a two-stage inverter-based amplifier serves as the gain stage. Pseudo resistors are introduced to stabilize the output common-mode voltage of the amplifier and an improved switch-capacitor integrator with resistive attenuator is designed for the DC offset canceling (DCOC) loop. The instrumentation amplifier is implemented in a standard 0. 18μm CMOS process. Simulation results show that the input referred noise is 1.28 μVrms ranging from 1Hz to 110Hz while consuming 192nW with a 1.2V supply.
Hindi to English Machine Transliteration of Named Entities using Conditional Random Fields

Machine transliteration has received significant research attention in recent years. In most cases, the source language has been English and the target language is an Asian language. This paper focuses on Hindi to English machine transliteration of Indian named entities such as proper nouns, place names and organization names using conditional random fields (CRF). Hindi is the national language of the India and spoken by more than 500 millions Indian. Hindi is the world‟s fourth most commonly used language after Chinese, English and Spanish. This system takes Indian place name as an input in Hindi language using Devanagari script and transliterates it into English. The input to the system is provided in the form of syllabification in order to apply the n-gram techniques. As more than 50% named entities are formed as a combination of two and three syllabic units, the ngram approach with unigrams, bigrams and trigrams of Hindi are used to train the corpus. The system provides the satisfactory performance for trigrams as compared to unigrams and bigrams. General Terms Machine Transliteration
A quick tools strategy for program analysis and software maintenance

A strategy for quickly producing special-purpose tools is described. The strategy combines existing tools including simple off-the-shelf text processing tools; rule-based, language-specific analysis tool; and a commercial CASE (computer-aided software engineering) tool. The strategy has been successfully used in the context of the maintenance and reverse engineering of a large, real-time software system used for telephony. The approach is illustrated by examples that include the generation of cross reference information, calling trees, run-time stack analysis, and code restructuring. <<ETX>>
Review towards the Fast Block Matching Algorithms for Video Motion Estimation

A video sequence consists of a series of frames. In order to compress the video for efficient storage and transmission, the temporal redundancy among adjacent frames must be exploited. A frame is selected as reference frame and subsequent frames are predicted from the reference frame using a technique known as motion estimation. Real videos contain a mixture of motions with slow and fast contents. Among block matching motion estimation algorithms, the full search algorithm is known for its superiority in the performance over other matching techniques. However, this method is computationally very extensive. Several fast block matching algorithms (FBMAs) have been proposed in the literature with the aim to reduce computational costs while maintaining desired quality performance, but all these methods are considered to be sub optimal. No fixed fast block matching algorithm can efficiently remove temporal redundancy of video sequences with wide motion contents.
Average Cost Markov Decision Processes with Weakly Continuous Transition Probabilities

This paper presents sufficient conditions for the existence of stationary optimal policies for average cost Markov decision processes with Borel state and action sets and weakly continuous transition probabilities. The one-step cost functions may be unbounded, and the action sets may be noncompact. The main contributions of this paper are: (i) general sufficient conditions for the existence of stationary discount optimal and average cost optimal policies and descriptions of properties of value functions and sets of optimal actions, (ii) a sufficient condition for the average cost optimality of a stationary policy in the form of optimality inequalities, and (iii) approximations of average cost optimal actions by discount optimal actions.
Towards Automated Risk Identification in Service-Oriented Architectures

: IT risk management is an important challenge for businesses and software vulnerabilities are a major source of IT risks, as the 2006 CSI/FBI Computer Crime and Security Survey [GLLR06] demonstrates. According to the survey, many companies consider it important to quantify the losses attacks against their IT systems cause but are unable to do so. In service-oriented architectures, we see a promising option of identifying the risk impact a software vulnerability has on the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of business processes. Instead of performing this identification manually, which is a time-consuming task, we present an approach of identifying the risk impact in a highly automated manner, and report on our ongoing work in this area.
Tumor Metabolism, the Ketogenic Diet and β-Hydroxybutyrate: Novel Approaches to Adjuvant Brain Tumor Therapy

Malignant brain tumors are devastating despite aggressive treatments such as surgical resection, chemotherapy and radiation therapy. The average life expectancy of patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma is approximately ~18 months. It is clear that increased survival of brain tumor patients requires the design of new therapeutic modalities, especially those that enhance currently available treatments and/or limit tumor growth. One novel therapeutic arena is the metabolic dysregulation that results in an increased need for glucose in tumor cells. This phenomenon suggests that a reduction in tumor growth could be achieved by decreasing glucose availability, which can be accomplished through pharmacological means or through the use of a high-fat, low-carbohydrate ketogenic diet (KD). The KD, as the name implies, also provides increased blood ketones to support the energy needs of normal tissues. Preclinical work from a number of laboratories has shown that the KD does indeed reduce tumor growth in vivo. In addition, the KD has been shown to reduce angiogenesis, inflammation, peri-tumoral edema, migration and invasion. Furthermore, this diet can enhance the activity of radiation and chemotherapy in a mouse model of glioma, thus increasing survival. Additional studies in vitro have indicated that increasing ketones such as β-hydroxybutyrate (βHB) in the absence of glucose reduction can also inhibit cell growth and potentiate the effects of chemotherapy and radiation. Thus, while we are only beginning to understand the pluripotent mechanisms through which the KD affects tumor growth and response to conventional therapies, the emerging data provide strong support for the use of a KD in the treatment of malignant gliomas. This has led to a limited number of clinical trials investigating the use of a KD in patients with primary and recurrent glioma.
Visualising interactive inferences with IDPD3

A large part of the use of knowledge base systems is the interpretation of the output by the end-users and the interaction with these users. Even during the development process visualisations can be a great help to the developer. We created IDPD3 as a library to visualise models of logic theories. IDPD3 is a new version of $ID^{P}_{Draw}$ and adds support for visualised interactive simulations.
Three-dimensional surface reconstruction based on a self-organizing feature map

We present a new surface-reconstruction method based on Kohonen's algorithm for a self-organizing feature map. The primary goal of our investigation is to build a general and robust system, which can cope with multiple sensor information. We try to address viewpoint independence, fusion of data from various sources and noiserobustness. The key idea is to let the self-organizing feature map define a surface parameter grid which is most appropriate. With the help of results, which were achieved with the German space-tele- robotic experiment ROTEX as background scenario, the performance of the described method can be assessed.