Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Rate-dependent properties of adenosine-induced negative dromotropism in humans.

BACKGROUND The antiarrhythmic effects of sodium channel and calcium channel blockers are known to be rate dependent. Little is known about the rate-dependent effect of adenosine on human atrioventricular (AV) nodal conduction. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the negative dromotropic effect of adenosine is dependent on heart rate. METHODS AND RESULTS Atrial pacing at 20-millisecond increments decreasing stepwise was performed, and the curves that relate the AH interval to the atrial pacing cycle length were analyzed. The change in AV nodal function was evaluated in three protocols: (1) In 8 group 1A and 6 group 1B patients, an intravenous infusion of adenosine at a dose of 140 and 320 micrograms.kg-1.min-1 was given, respectively; (2) a bolus injection of a fixed dose of adenosine was given to 12 group 2A patients without and 6 group 2B patients with propranolol (0.1 mg/kg) treatment; and (3) in 12 group 3 patients, the AV nodal function was evaluated after intravenous propranolol (0.05 mg/kg) and after subsequent intravenous aminophylline (loading dose, 5 mg/kg; maintenance dose, 0.9 mg.kg-1.h-1). No significant depression of AV nodal function could be demonstrated during intravenous infusion of adenosine. The bolus injection of adenosine could prolong the AH interval, which was dependent on heart rate and more significant at a shorter pacing cycle length. Intravenous propranolol significantly depressed the AV nodal conduction and shifted the curves of the AH interval versus the pacing cycle length to the right. Subsequent intravenous aminophylline shortened the AV nodal conduction time, however, in a rate-independent manner. CONCLUSIONS The negative dromotropic effects induced by intravenous bolus injection of adenosine became more pronounced at fast atrial pacing rates. These results indicate that adenosine causes rate-dependent prolongation of AV nodal conduction in humans.
Medical image segmentation using characteristic function of Gaussian Mixture Models

Gaussian Mixture Models (GMMs) have interesting properties that make them useful for many different image applications because they have powerful probabilistic statistical theory basis. However, the application of GMMs to medical image segmentation faces some difficulties. First, many typical model selection criterions become invalid when they estimate the number of components of medical images. Second, the convergence function of GMMs suffers slow convergence. In this paper, a novel medical image segmentation method based on characteristic function of GMMs is proposed. First, a new model selection criterion using characteristic function of GMMs is proposed to estimate the number of components in medical image. Second, a new convergence function using characteristic function of GMMs is proposed to estimate the parameters of GMMs. The experimental results of CT image segmentation show that our algorithm achieves better results than those from many derivatives of GMMs and needs less computation time.
Making Multilevel Public Management Work : Stories of Success and Failure from Europe and North America

Institutional and Legal Constraints A Network Approach to Asymmetric Federalism: The Italian Case Study, Denita Cepiku Emerging Issues in Italian Fiscal Federalism: The Case of Municipalities, Riccardo Mussari and Filippo Giordano Integrating User Voices into the European Financial Services Policy Process, Heather McKeen-Edwards Structuring the Game and Surmounting Obstacles: Case Studies from Europe in Multilevel Public Management, Elisa Scotti Policy Governance in Complex Multilevel Systems: Innovation Management in Canada, Charles Conteh Actors in Multilevel Public Management Politics over Policy: Multilevel Public Management of the Financial Services Sector in Canada, Ian Roberge Climate Change Adaptation and Multilevel Governance: Challenges to Policy Capacity in Canadian Finance, Russell Alan Williams Government Fragmentation and Emergency Planning: Findings from the 2009 Red River Flood and Its Aftermath, Nicholas Bauroth The Importance of Multilevel Governance Participation in the "Great Lakes Areas of Concern", Thomas J. Greitens, J. Cherie Strachan , and Craig S. Welton Conclusion: Contesting Multilevel Public Management Recasting and Reframing a Polymorphous Concept: A Sober Second Look at Multilevel Governance, Christian Rouillard and Genevieve Nadeau Index
Emotional Video Album : getting emotions into the picture

Emotions are essential to human beings, influencing their health, their cognition and creativity. One of the greatest strengths of video is its power to generate attitudes and emotions as no other medium can, and it is also an excellent tool for displaying affective information [1, 10]. Video is becoming more and more pervasive in our lives. Technological developments and the trends for media convergence are turning it into a dominant medium. Nowadays, we access video on the web, we capture and transmit it with our mobile phones, and we keep the ones we treasure the most. In this paper, we present the Emotional Video Album, where users collect and interact with videos, based on videos’ affective contents and properties, and in accordance with their own emotional profiles, choices or states.
A Time Slot Count in Window Method for Mobile Internet User Classification

The mobile Internet has become increasingly visible in everyday life. As mobile Internet penetration leverages content business opportunities, it is crucial to identify methodologies to fit mobile-specific demands, e.g. regularity. Regularity is one of the important measures to capture easy-come, easy-go mobile users, especially in subscription-based mobile services. The author proposes a method called the "time slot count in window" method (TCW-method) to efficiently capture regular users, while relaxing the explicit splits among time slots with visits. The author shows the case study result from 2001-2002 commercial service logs. Case studies conducted in 2001-2002 with commercial news service subscribers show that the relaxation in the proposed method loses 2-3 % in the true positive rate of regularity as a binary classifier. The results show high true positive rate, 88-91 % for the Carrier-A case and 86-92 % in the Carrier-C case. Experimental results show that the method is promising for identifying revisiting users under mobile-specific constraints.
Heuristic resource allocation for multiuser OFDM distributed antenna system with fairness constraints

In this paper, two heuristic resource allocation algorithms are proposed for downlink of multiuser orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) distributed antenna system (DAS). The objectives are to maximize total system rate under fairness among users constraint. Unlike the existing algorithms that allocate each subcarrier to only one user within the system, the proposed algorithms are based on shared criterion that allow each subcarrier to be allocated to multiple users through different antennas. The simulation results show that the proposed algorithms can provide much higher spectral efficiency than the previous algorithm at the expense of the fairness. The improved algorithm can obtain a tradeoff between spectral efficiency and the fairness.
Brain behavior during reasoning and problem solving task: An EEG study

The capacity of relational reasoning is to find relationships, comprehend implications, analyze novel problems and draw conclusions. This study has investigated brain behavior and dynamic neural activity during Raven's Advance Progressive Matrices (RAPM), which requires strong cognitive reasoning to select a solution, by using an electroencephalogram (EEG). The EEGs were recorded all over the scalps of eight healthy volunteers using the 128-channel Hydro-Cel Geodesic (EGI Inc.) system. Brain activation was dominant during the reasoning and problem solving process in the pre-frontal lobe and parietal lobe as compared to the baseline conditions in all of the subjects, consistently. The theta band (3.5-7.5Hz) was significantly (p<;0.025) higher during the reasoning process at the frontal lobe as compared to eye-closed and eye-open conditions. Results showed high frontal theta activity in problem solving, which requires substantial reasoning and thinking skills.
Managing Change: A Strategic Approach to Organisational Dynamics

PART 1: THE RISE AND FALL OF THE RATIONAL ORGANISATION 1. From trial and error to the science of management 2. Developments in organisation theory 3. In search of new paradigms 4. Critical perspectives on organisation theory PART 2: THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES ON STRATEGY DEVELOPMENT AND CHANGE MANAGEMENT 1. Approaches to strategy 2. Applying strategy 3. Approaches to change management 4. Developments in change management PART 3: CASE STUDIES IN STRATEGY DEVELOPMENT AND CHANGE MANAGEMENT 1. Case studies in strategic change 2. Case studies in changing internal relationships and attitudes 3. Case studies in changing external relationships PART 4: MANAGING CHOICE 1. Managing Change 2. Organisational change and managerial choice 3. Management roles and responsibilities
Noninvasive Imaging of Myocardial Inflammation in Myocarditis using 68Ga-tagged Mannosylated Human Serum Albumin Positron Emission Tomography

The diagnosis of myocarditis traditionally relies on invasive endomyocardial biopsy but none of the imaging studies so far are specific for infiltration of the inflammatory cells itself. We synthesized 68Ga-2-(p-isothiocyanatobenzyl)-1,4,7-triazacyclononane-1,4,7-triacetic acid (NOTA) mannosylated human serum albumin (MSA) by conjugating human serum albumin with mannose, followed by conjugation with NOTA and labeling it with 68Ga. The efficacy of 68Ga-NOTA-MSA positron emission tomography (PET) for imaging myocardial inflammation was tested in a rat myocarditis model. A significant number of mannose receptor-positive inflammatory cells infiltrated the myocardium in both human and rat myocarditis tissue. 68Ga-NOTA-MSA uptake was upregulated in organs of macrophage accumulation, such as liver, spleen, bone marrow and myocardium (0.32 (0.31~0.33) for normal versus 1.02 (0.86~1.06) for myocarditis (median (range), SUV); n=4~6 per group, p-value=0.01). 68Ga-NOTA-MSA uptake in the left ventricle was upregulated in myocarditis compared with normal rats (2.29 (1.42~3.40) for normal versus 4.18 (3.43~6.15) for myocarditis (median (range), average standard uptake value ratio against paraspinal muscle); n=6 per group, p-value<0.01), which was downregulated in rats with cyclosporine-A treated myocarditis (3.69 (2.59~3.86) for myocarditis versus 2.28 (1.76~2.60) for cyclosporine-A treated myocarditis; n=6 per group, p-value<0.01). The specificity of the tracer was verified by administration of excess non-labeled MSA. 68Ga-NOTA-MSA uptake was significantly enhanced earlier in the evolution of myocarditis before any signs of inflammation could be seen on echocardiography. These results demonstrate the potential utility of visualizing infiltration of mannose receptor-positive macrophages with 68Ga-NOTA-MSA PET in the early diagnosis of as well as in the monitoring of treatment response of myocarditis.
Decentralized, Adaptive Coverage Control for Networked Robots Decentralized, Adaptive Coverage Control for Networked Robots

A decentralized, adaptive control law is presented to drive a network of mobile robots to an optimal sensing configuration. The control law is adaptive in that it uses sensor measurements to learn the distribution of sensory information in the environment. It is decentralized in that it requires only information local to each robot. The controller is then improved by introducing a consensus algorithm to propagate sensory information from every robot throughout the network. Convergence and consensus of parameters is proven with a Lyapunovtype proof. The controller with and without consensus is demonstrated in numerical simulations. These techniques are suggestive of broader applications of adaptive control methodologies to decentralized control problems in unknown dynamic environments. KEY WORDS—distributed robot systems, adaptive control, learning and adaptive systems, networked robots, sensor networks, surveillance systems
Social and Emotional Values of Sounds Influence Human (Homo sapiens) and Non-Human Primate (Cercopithecus campbelli) Auditory Laterality

The last decades evidenced auditory laterality in vertebrates, offering new important insights for the understanding of the origin of human language. Factors such as the social (e.g. specificity, familiarity) and emotional value of sounds have been proved to influence hemispheric specialization. However, little is known about the crossed effect of these two factors in animals. In addition, human-animal comparative studies, using the same methodology, are rare. In our study, we adapted the head turn paradigm, a widely used non invasive method, on 8–9-year-old schoolgirls and on adult female Campbell's monkeys, by focusing on head and/or eye orientations in response to sound playbacks. We broadcast communicative signals (monkeys: calls, humans: speech) emitted by familiar individuals presenting distinct degrees of social value (female monkeys: conspecific group members vs heterospecific neighbours, human girls: from the same vs different classroom) and emotional value (monkeys: contact vs threat calls; humans: friendly vs aggressive intonation). We evidenced a crossed-categorical effect of social and emotional values in both species since only “negative” voices from same class/group members elicited a significant auditory laterality (Wilcoxon tests: monkeys, T = 0 p = 0.03; girls: T = 4.5 p = 0.03). Moreover, we found differences between species as a left and right hemisphere preference was found respectively in humans and monkeys. Furthermore while monkeys almost exclusively responded by turning their head, girls sometimes also just moved their eyes. This study supports theories defending differential roles played by the two hemispheres in primates' auditory laterality and evidenced that more systematic species comparisons are needed before raising evolutionary scenario. Moreover, the choice of sound stimuli and behavioural measures in such studies should be the focus of careful attention.
Authenticated Group Key Distribution for Unreliable Sensor Networks

Chadha et al. proposed a group key scheme for wireless sensor networks via local collaboration. A group key was derived from base station's broadcast message and a node's secret. However, there is no authentication in the group key scheme. It is essential to share a reliable group key among the entire nodes even though it results in a little overhead.
Risk factors for dental caries in young children: a systematic review of the literature.

OBJECTIVE To conduct a systematic review of the literature on risk factors for dental caries in deciduous teeth of children aged six years and under, to give a scientific framework for the international collaborative studies on inequalities in childhood caries. METHOD Accepted guidelines were followed. Studies were identified by electronic searching and reviewed on the basis of key words, title and abstract by two reviewers to assess whether inclusion criteria were met. Copies of all articles were obtained and assessed for quality according to the study design. RESULTS 1029 papers were identified from the electronic search, 260 met the prima facie inclusion criteria. 183 were excluded once full copies of these papers were obtained. Of the 77 studies included, 43 were cross sectional, 19 cohort studies, 8 case control studies and 7 interventional studies. Few obtained the highest quality scores. 106 risk factors were significantly related to the prevalence or incidence of caries. CONCLUSION There is a shortage of high quality studies using the optimum study design, i.e. a longitudinal study. The evidence suggests that children are most likely to develop caries if Streptococcus Muttans is acquired at an early age, although this may be partly compensated by other factors such as good oral hygiene and a non-cariogenic diet. Diet and oral hygiene may interact so that if there is a balance of 'good' habits by way of maintaining good plaque control and 'bad' habits by way of having a cariogenic diet, the development of caries may be controlled.
THE PROTECTIVE EFFECT OF GREEN TEA EXTRACT ON LEAD INDUCED OXIDATIVE AND DAMAGE ON RAT KIDNEY

The role of green tea in protection against nephrotoxicity induced by lead acetate was investigated in rats. Five equal groups, each of ten rats were used. The first group was served as control, the second and third groups were given lead acetate, lead acetate and green tea, respectively, for one month. Pb was given orally at a dose of . 4 % w/v, while green tea was given in drinking water at a concentration of (6.6% w/v). Pb administration induced loss of body t and elevation in kidney weight. Significant perturbations of renal function as evidenced via increase in biochemical parameters were observed in treated rats. Renal oxidative damage was observed in Pb-treated rats via augmentation in kidney lipid peroxidation as well as depletion in kidney antioxidant enzymes; catalase, superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase and pathological changes. Co- administration of green tea with lead acetate significantly alleviated these adverse effects. Thus, this study suggests the potent role of green tea in management of injury-induced by lead exposure.
Correlates of and Barriers to the Utilization of Health Services for Delivery in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa

The high maternal and neonatal mortality rates in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa can be attributed to the lack of access and utilization of health services for delivery. Data from the Demographic and Health Surveys conducted in Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Kenya, Nigeria, and Tanzania show that more than half of the births in these countries were delivered outside a health facility. Institutional delivery was closely associated with educational level, family wealth, place of residence, and women's media exposure status, but it was not influenced by women's work status and their roles in decision-making (with the exception of Nigeria). Controlling for other variables, higher parity and younger women were less likely to use a health facility for delivery. Within each country, the poorer, less educated and rural women had higher unmet need for maternal care services. Service related factors (accessibility in terms of cost and distance) and sociocultural factors (e.g., did not perceive the need for the services and objections from husband and family) also posed as barriers to institutional delivery. The paper concludes with some suggestions to increase institutional delivery.
Temporal Query Answering w.r.t. DL-Lite-Ontologies

Ontology-based data access (OBDA) generalizes query answering in relational databases. It allows to query a database by using the language of an ontology, abstracting from the actual relations of the database. For ontologies formulated in Description Logics of the DL-Lite family, OBDA can be realized by rewriting the query into a classical first-order query, e.g. an SQL query, by compiling the information of the ontology into the query. The query is then answered using classical database techniques. In this report, we consider a temporal version of OBDA. We propose a temporal query language that combines a linear temporal logic with queries over DL-Litecore-ontologies. This language is well-suited for expressing temporal properties of dynamical systems and is useful in context-aware applications that need to detect specific situations. Using a first-order rewriting approach, we transform our temporal queries into queries over a temporal database. We then present three approaches to answering the resulting queries, all having different advantages and drawbacks.
Improving the Safety of Tolerance Induction: Chimerism and Cellular Co-Treatment Strategies Applied to Vascularized Composite Allografts

Although vascularized composite allografts (VCAs) have been performed clinically for a variety of indications, potential complications from long-term immunosuppression and graft-versus-host disease remain important barriers to widespread applications. Recently it has been demonstrated that VCAs incorporating a vascularized long bone in a rat model provide concurrent vascularized bone marrow transplantation that, itself, functions to establish hematopoietic chimerism and donor-specific tolerance following non-myeloablative conditioning of recipients. Advances such as this, which aim to improve the safety profile of tolerance induction, will help usher in an era of wider clinical VCA application for nonlife-saving reconstructions.
An extended photometric stereo algorithm for recovering specular object shape and its reflectance properties

In Photometric stereo, the existence of specularities hampers to recover the normal map. To deal with this common reflective phenomenon, we introduce a novel representation for specular reflection with a set of specular basis functions with different roughness values. This representation is suitable for any intensively or weakly specular object, and is introduced into the photometric stereo algorithm to recover both the surface shape and its reflectance properties. The reconstructed shapes and re-rendered images validate the proposed algorithm.
Missing data estimation for energy resources management in tertiary buildings

The BATNRJ project, managed by Pyrescom, focuses on improving energy efficiency while preserving comfort in tertiary buildings. To this end, an open and cost-friendly monitoring solution based on instrumentation as well as analysis and control tools is being developed. Solar radiation and indoor temperature being key parameters, the present paper deals with estimating missing data in case of sensor failures. First, solar radiation is interpolated using as a basis the Gaussian or the Cosine function. Mean relative error is about 10%. Then, based on the concept of time series, feedforward artificial neural networks are used to estimate up to the next 24 hours missing data about indoor temperature. We obtained accurate results, especially for failures limited to 3 hours. The mean relative error does not exceed 6%, even in case of long sensor failures.