Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
utcomes of patients undergoing early sepsis resuscitation for cryptic shock ompared with overt shock

Introduction: We sought to compare the outcomes of patients with cryptic versus overt shock treated with an emergency department (ED) based early sepsis resuscitation protocol. Methods: Pre-planned secondary analysis of a large, multicenter ED-based randomized controlled trial of early sepsis resuscitation. All subjects were treated with a quantitative resuscitation protocol in the ED targeting 3 physiological variables: central venous pressure, mean arterial pressure and either central venous oxygen saturation or lactate clearance. The study protocol was continued until all endpoints were achieved or a maximum of 6 h. Outcomes data of patients who were enrolled with a lactate ≥4 mmol/L and normotension (cryptic shock) were compared to those enrolled with sustained hypotension after fluid challenge (overt shock). The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality. Results: A total of 300 subjects were enrolled, 53 in the cryptic shock group and 247 in the overt shock group. The demographics and baseline characteristics were similar between the groups. The primary endpoint of in-hospital mortality was observed in 11/53 (20%, 95% CI 11–34) in the cryptic shock group and 48/247 (19%, 95% CI 15–25) in the overt shock group, difference of 1% (95% CI −10 to 14; log rank test p = 0.81). Conclusion: Severe sepsis with cryptic shock carries a mortality rate not significantly different from that of overt septic shock. These data suggest the need for early aggressive screening for and treatment of seru patients with an elevated
The Dark Side of Transformational Leadership: A Critical Perspective

PART ONE: LEADERSHIP AGENCY UNRAVELLED 1. Introduction: Why the dark side? Why now? 2. Transformational leadership: The dynamics of excessive leader agency 3. Coercive persuasion, power and corporate culturism. 4. Spirituality and leadership: Using ideology to enhance leaders' power. 5. The dark side of leadership and silence in the workplace. 6. The folly and the dangers of leadership education in business schools PART TWO: CASE STUDIES 7. The dark side of leadership in corporate America: Enron revisited. 8.The Militant Tendency's long march to oblivion: Conformity and authoritarian leadership on the left. 9. Leadership, group suicide and mass murder: Jonestown and Heaven's Gate through the looking glass 10. Accounting for failure: Bankers in the spotlight PART THREE: CONCLUSION 11. Reimagining leadership and followership: A processual, communication perspective
WE-QT: A Web Usability Inspection Technique to Support Novice Inspectors

Given the growth in the usage of Web Applications, the usability of these applications has become a key success factor. There are several technologies to evaluate and improve this quality factor. However, the usability inspections results still depend on the inspector's experience. We have proposed a Web usability inspection approach, called WE-QT (Web Evaluation -- Question Technique), a question based technique that aims to reduce the difficulties of inspectors with little knowledge of usability. We are following an empirical methodology to support its development and improvement. This paper presents two experimental studies conducted until this point of the research: a feasibility and an observational study. We discuss the qualitative and quantitative results of both studies and their impact on improving the WE-QT. With this paper we also aim to spread the knowledge about experimental studies to evaluate and evolve a new software engineering technology.
Coordinated Conditional Simulation with SLINK and SUP of Many Markers Linked or Associated to a Trait in Large Pedigrees

Simulation of genotypes in pedigrees is an important tool to evaluate the power of a linkage or an association study and to assess the empirical significance of results. SLINK is a widely-used package for pedigree simulations, but its implementation has not previously been described in a published paper. SLINK was initially derived from the LINKAGE programs. Over the 20 years since its release, SLINK has been modified to incorporate faster algorithms, notably from the linkage analysis package FASTLINK, also derived from LINKAGE. While SLINK can simulate genotypes on pedigrees of high complexity, one limitation of SLINK, as with most methods based on peeling algorithms to evaluate pedigree likelihoods, is the small number of linked markers that can be generated. The software package SUP includes an elegant wrapper for SLINK that circumvents the limitation on number of markers by using descent markers generated by SLINK to simulate a much larger number of markers on the same chromosome, linked and possibly associated with a trait locus. We have released new coordinated versions of SLINK (3.0; available from http://watson.hgen.pitt.edu) and SUP (v090804; available from http://mlemire.freeshell.org/software or http://watson.hgen.pitt.edu) that integrate the two software packages. Thereby, we have removed some of the previous limitations on the joint functionality of the programs, such as the number of founders in a pedigree. We review the history of SLINK and describe how SLINK and SUP are now coordinated to permit the simulation of large numbers of markers linked and possibly associated with a trait in large pedigrees.
Twitter and Television in a Hybrid Media System

By analyzing all of the keywords and hashtags that became Trending Topics (TTs) in the Italian Twittersphere during both an electoral period and a non-electoral period, we evaluated what Italian Twitter users discussed. We found that topics about actors and issues in the entertainment field (e.g., singers, Hollywood stars and television stars) drive Italian discussions and that the political sphere is a secondary topic that elicits minor arguments within users’ conversations. However, we believe that even this low level of discussion about politics was able to influence the public agenda, thanks to the advent of a hybrid media system in Italy. In fact, Italian print media and television constantly covered the individual tweets or hashtags of a niche of citizens who were discussing politics on Twitter. Television, a part of the Italian media system that is highly consumed by the public, is also a primary factor in determining the appearance of a specific actor or issue on the TT list. Furthermore, we empirically confirmed the logic of breaking news events on Twitter, a microblogging site that primarily focuses on exceptional occurrences.
Douze cas d'adoption de normes comptables alternatives sur la période 1970-1995 : de la théorie de l'agence à la légitimité institutionnelle

Des 1970, les normes internationales, ont, a l’instar des normes americaines, constitue des alternatives aux regles comptables edictees par le Conseil national de la comptabilite pour elaborer les comptes consolides des entreprises francaises. La these propose une explication de l’adoption de normes comptables « alternatives » par de grands groupes francais. Elle s’appuie sur une approche theorique completee par une analyse empirique portant sur douze cas d’adoption de normes comptables alternatives. L’etude empirique repose sur douze cas choisis sur une periode allant de 1970 a 1995 afin de prendre en consideration les evolutions des contextes reglementaires et professionnels encadrant l’adoption. La confrontation des materiaux avec les propositions issues des referentiels theoriques montre que les deux theories se revelent complementaires en ce qu’elles contribuent a expliquer les phenomenes observes. Ces cas confirment l’interet d’utiliser plusieurs perspectives theoriques. La theorie de l’agence justifie les adoptions. La theorie institutionnelle explique la diversite des modalites d’adoption. De surcroit, la comparaison des cas aboutit a l’elaboration de trois modeles
Convergence analysis of swarm algorithm

Swarm Intelligence (SI) is an innovative distributed intelligent paradigm whereby the collective behaviors of unsophisticated individuals interacting locally with their environment cause coherent functional global patterns to emerge. Although the swarm algorithms have exhibited good performance across a wide range of application problems, it is difficult to analyze the convergence. We discuss the swarm intelligent model namely the particle swarm based on its iterated function system. The dynamic trajectory of the particle is described based single individual. We also attempt to theoretically prove that the swarm algorithm converges with a probability of 1 towards the global optimal.
A Framework for Matching Requirements Engineering Techniques to Project Characteristics and Situation Changes

One of the most difficult jobs for requirements engineers is to select an appropriate RE method for a project at hand. Good engineers make good choice and have skills in applying the selected technique appropriately. Poor engineers usually have a narrow choice range limited by their training and biased by their experience. Once a requirements engineering technique that does not fit the current project is selected, the project is doomed to fail. In this paper, we propose a framework to characterize typical requirements engineering techniques and use it as a base for selecting appropriate techniques at the time of starting a project as well as at the time of recognizing a change in the project nature or encountering an obstacle in defining a suitable set of requirements.
Evolution and physiology of neural oxygen sensing

Major evolutionary trends in animal physiology have been heavily influenced by atmospheric O2 levels. Amongst other important factors, the increase in atmospheric O2 which occurred in the Pre-Cambrian and the development of aerobic respiration beckoned the evolution of animal organ systems that were dedicated to the absorption and transportation of O2, e.g., the respiratory and cardiovascular systems of vertebrates. Global variations of O2 levels in post-Cambrian periods have also been correlated with evolutionary changes in animal physiology, especially cardiorespiratory function. Oxygen transportation systems are, in our view, ultimately controlled by the brain related mechanisms, which senses changes in O2 availability and regulates autonomic and respiratory responses that ensure the survival of the organism in the face of hypoxic challenges. In vertebrates, the major sensorial system for oxygen sensing and responding to hypoxia is the peripheral chemoreflex neuronal pathways, which includes the oxygen chemosensitive glomus cells and several brainstem regions involved in the autonomic regulation of the cardiovascular system and respiratory control. In this review we discuss the concept that regulating O2 homeostasis was one of the primordial roles of the nervous system. We also review the physiology of the peripheral chemoreflex, focusing on the integrative repercussions of chemoreflex activation and the evolutionary importance of this system, which is essential for the survival of complex organisms such as vertebrates. The contribution of hypoxia and peripheral chemoreflex for the development of diseases associated to the cardiovascular and respiratory systems is also discussed in an evolutionary context.
Coupling of transcription and replication machineries in λ DNA replication initiation: evidence for direct interaction of Escherichia coli RNA polymerase and the λO protein

Transcription proceeding downstream of the λ phage replication origin was previously shown to support initial steps of the λ primosome assembly in vitro and to regulate frequency and directionality of λ DNA replication in vivo. In this report, the data are presented indicating that the RNA polymerase β subunit makes a direct contact with the λO protein, a replication initiator of λ phage. These results suggest that the role of RNA polymerase during the initiation of λ phage DNA replication may be more complex than solely influencing DNA topology. Results demonstrated in this study also show that gyrase supercoiling activity stimulates the formation of a complex between λO and RNA polymerase, suggesting that the introduction of negative supercoils by DNA gyrase, besides lowering the energy required for DNA strand separation, may play an additional role in modeling protein–protein interactions at early steps of DNA replication initiation.
NLOS Mitigation Using Linear Programming in Ultrawideband Location-Aware Networks

In this paper, we propose a linear-programming (LP) approach to the problem of nonline-of-sight (NLOS) mitigation in ad hoc ultrawideband wireless networks. The locations of ldquounlocalizedrdquo nodes can be estimated using range or distance estimates from location-aware ldquoanchorrdquo nodes. In the absence of LOS between the unlocalized and anchor nodes, e.g., in indoor networks, the NLOS range estimates can be significantly biased. The direct incorporation of these biased range estimates into practical location estimators, such as the least squares estimator, without the mitigation of these bias errors, can potentially lead to severe degradation in the accuracy of node-location estimates. On the other hand, with certain geometries of anchor nodes, NLOS range estimates can be used to improve the accuracy of location estimation. Furthermore, discarding the biased range estimates may not be a viable option, as the number of range estimates available may be limited. We present a novel NLOS-bias mitigation scheme based on LP, that 1) allows us to incorporate NLOS range information into location estimation, but 2) does not allow NLOS bias errors to degrade node-localization accuracy.
Interleukin 17: An example for gene therapy as a tool to study cytokine mediated regulation of hematopoiesis

Interleukin 17 (IL‐17) is an essential proinflammatory T‐cell derived cytokine with various biological actions. IL‐17 was found to have a pivotal role in microbial host defense by interconnecting lymphoid and myeloid host defense. It also acts as a stimulatory hematopoietic cytokine by expanding myeloid progenitors and initiating proliferation of mature neutrophils. This article summarizes results to date on IL‐17 research and discusses gene therapy based strategies that were employed to determine its biological functions and significance. A comprehensive working model for IL‐17 is introduced. J. Cell. Biochem. Suppl. 38: 88–95, 2002. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
An Exploration of Shared Services Types in Higher Education

The emerging global Higher Education (HE) market challenges all universities to reconsider their mission, in order to function effectively and efficiently, and to be responsive to changing marketplace demands. Universities are considering cooperating or sharing in a wide range of areas, in order to achieve sought after cost savings and improvements in performance.Studies suggest that a wide range of services could potentially be shared across Higher Education Institutions (HEIs),offering several potential benefits. While there are many individual documented examples of how shared services have been applied in the Higher Education sector, there has been little synthesis, conceptualization or discussion (in general or in the HE sector) around the different types of possible shared services options and how they are structured. A deeper understanding of potential types of sharing arrangements will be of value to those universities considering shared services, implementing shared services, and managing shared services. Through analysis of 36 documented case studies of shared services in HE, this study sought to synthesize a typology of sharing arrangements. An inductive approach was used to identify the core differentiating dimensions. The findings present eight types of sharing arrangements that occur in the HE sector, with descriptions and examples from the case studies observed.
Monitoring Early Season Mosquito and Bird Populations: Implications for West Nile Virus in Lancaster County, Nebraska

associate professor of mathematics, for serving as faculty advisors for the project. We would also like to thank all of the people who allowed us onto their properties to collect mosquitoes and survey birds. Finally, we would like to thank the Nebraska Department of Health and Human services for providing training in mosquito identification and resources needed to conduct RAMP tests. Jason Thiele is a 2008 UNL graduate with a degree in Fisheries & Wildlife and will be pursuing a Master's Degree in Biology at South Dakota State University. Trevor Hefley is a senior Fisheries & Wildlife student and undergraduate teaching assistant at UNL. Lindsay Beck-Johnson received her undergraduate degree in Mathematical Biology in 2008 and is currently a doctoral student at Penn State University. Emily Matthews graduated from UNL in 2008 with a degree in Mathematics and is attending pharmacy school at the University of Nebraska Medical Center.
Psychosocial Changes after Cosmetic Surgery: A 5-Year Follow-Up Study

Background: Most studies examining psychosocial changes after cosmetic surgery have short follow-up periods and therefore provide limited information about long-term effects of such surgery. Moreover, studies that identify whether preexisting patient characteristics are associated with poor psychosocial outcomes after cosmetic surgery are lacking. The current study provides information about both of these issues. Methods: Questionnaire data from 130 female Norwegian cosmetic surgery patients were obtained before and 5 years after surgery. The questionnaire consisted of measures on appearance satisfaction, self-esteem, psychological problems, and patients' evaluation of the outcome of surgery. Data from a representative sample of 838 Norwegian women, aged 22 to 55 years, were used for comparison purposes. Results: Analyses revealed an improvement in both general appearance satisfaction and satisfaction with the body part operated on 5 years after surgery. A small increase in self-esteem was observed as well. High rates of preoperative psychological problems and low self-esteem were related to more negative changes in some of the psychosocial measures after surgery compared with patients with better psychological health. Furthermore, factors associated with the actual decision to undergo surgery were related to changes in psychological health and patients' evaluation of the outcome of surgery. Conclusions: This study indicates that cosmetic surgery has positive long-term effects on appearance-related variables. However, surgeons should be particularly aware of patients with psychological problems, as these may compromise patient satisfaction with the effects of cosmetic surgery. Factors affecting the decision itself to undergo cosmetic surgery may also be relevant for subsequent psychosocial outcomes. CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic, II.
Robust Adaptive Normalized Cross-Correlation for Stereo Matching Cost Computation

Stereo matching is a challenging task because stereo images are affected by many factors, such as radiometric distortion, sun and rain flare, flying snow, occlusion, textureless and noisy image regions, and object boundaries. However, most of the existing methods for stereo matching aim to solve only one specific problem. As a result, their performance is degraded significantly when operating with stereo images captured under a variety of scenes and conditions. In this paper, we propose a novel matching cost function based on adaptive normalized cross-correlation (ANCC). We demonstrate several weaknesses of ANCC and propose techniques to resolve them. In addition, we employ available information, such as intensity mean, intensity variance, and support window radius, to estimate the parameters of the proposed matching cost function. Compared with ANCC, the proposed matching cost function reduces the error rates from 24.1% to 17.8% in the Middlebury data set and from 64.1% to 26.4% in the KITTI data set. In addition, for noisy stereo pairs, the proposed function reduces the error rate from 73.6% to 37.3%. The qualitative and quantitative experimental results based on stereo images in different data sets under various conditions show that our proposed matching cost function outperforms state-of-the-art matching cost functions in indoor and outdoor stereo images having various radiometric distortions.
Prevalence and Predictors of Poor Antihypertensive Medication Adherence in an Urban Health Clinic Setting

Poor medication adherence may contribute to low hypertension control rates. In 2005, 295 hypertensive patients who reported taking antihypertensive medication were administered a telephone questionnaire including an 8‐item scale assessing medication adherence. Overall, 35.6%,36.0%, and 28.4% of patients were determined to have good, medium, and poor medication adherence, respectively. After multivariable adjustment, adults younger than 50 years and 51 to 60 years were 1.39 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.56–3.42) and 1.53 (95% CI, 0.64–3.66),respectively, times more likely to be less adherent when compared with their counterparts who were older than 60 years. Black adults and men were 4.30 (95% CI, 1.06–17.5) and 2.45 (95% CI, 1.04–5.78) times more likely to be less adherent, respectively. Additionally, caring for dependents, an initial diagnosis of hypertension within 10 years, being uncomfortable about asking the doctor questions, and wanting to spend more time with the doctor if possible were associated with poor medication adherence. The current study identified a set of risk factors for poor antihypertensive medication adherence in the urban setting.
Slipped-Strand Mispairing Can Function as a Phase Variation Mechanism in Escherichia coli

ABSTRACT Slipped-strand mispairing (SSM) has not been identified as a mechanism of phase variation in Escherichia coli. Using a reporter gene, we show that sequences that cause phase variation by SSM in Haemophilus influenzae also lead to phase variation when introduced onto the chromosome of E. coli, and the frequencies of switching are in the biologically relevant range. Thus, the absence of SSM-mediated phase variation in E. coli does not appear to be due to a mechanistic constraint.
FPGA implementations of data mining algorithms

In recent decades there has been an exponential growth in quantity of collected data. Various data mining procedures have been developed to extract information from such large amounts of data. Handling ever increasing amount of data generates increasing demand for computing power. There are several ways of dealing with this demand, such as multiprocessor systems, and use of graphic processing units (GPU). Another way is use of field programmable gate array (FPGA) devices as hardware accelerators. This paper gives a survey of the application of FPGAs as hardware accelerators for data mining. Three data mining algorithms were selected for this survey: classification and regression trees, support vector machines, and k-means clustering. A literature review and analysis of FPGA implementations was conducted for the three selected algorithms. Conclusions on methods of implementation, common problems and limitations, and means of overcoming them were drawn from the analysis.