Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
User-oriented business processes

This paper points out a number of limitations in the way current notations and languages handle the relations between processes and user activities, and proposes a solution emphasizing the participation of users in processes. The solution is based on an approach and a notation called UP (User-oriented Processes). UP processes are made up of role components which interact with each other on the basis of collaborations defined beforehand. Collaborations encompass the interactions exchanged between two parties for a common purpose; they are defined in separate collaboration models. The novel point of view of UP is the interpretation of interactions as communications between user activities and not between processes. Role components are defined by models directed to the users: these models show the activities the intended users will be involved in and focus on the cause-effect relationships between the activities and the interactions.
Do conceito de fertilidade ao de sustentabilidade

From the Concept of Fertility to Sustainability. Based on a reflection of the concept of soil fertility, this article discusses the adequacy of con-cepts to their historical contexts. Despite a critique of agronomic paradigms since the end of the 1970s, these same concepts continue to be used in a great deal of the current literature. Contributions adequate with present knowledge about humannature relationships which con-tribute to the creation of new methods and agricultural practices have been added to the stock of knowledge produced and discussed since the period. The ecological and environmental discourse is gaining influence and structures itself consolidating diverse aspects of modern tife, in particular, ways of practising agriculture. Historical studies are used to understand what in fact occurrd in this region during its occupation. In Amazonia, in particular, the generalised notion that soils are poor and the use of fire are being used to explain new forms of agricultural and forestry management. Militant environmentalists from civil society, as well as researchers linked to government research institutions are reducing the gap in their perceptions of society-nature relationships.
A pupil data based classification model for education learning states

In this paper, we propose a classification model for learning state based on individual biometric data. In particular, we use the pupil size as a biometric data and the data has been collected from 72 participants. We also deploy the support vector machine (SVM) in conjunction with k-fold validation as an analysis tool. In order to improve the performance of the SVM, the we remove outliers from the data set and normalize it. Our experiment results show that the accuracy of the proposed classification model is up to 68.8% and thus confirm the effectiveness of the proposed classification model using the pupil data.
Twenty-year follow-up of antenatal corticosteroid treatment.

OBJECTIVE To study late side effects of antenatal corticosteroid treatment on health and sexual development in subjects 20 to 22 years old. METHODS A follow-up study among young adults whose mothers had, because of a threatening delivery, participated in a randomized, double-blind, placebo- controlled trial of betamethasone to prevent neonatal respiratory distress syndrome. Measurements were taken on general health, growth, development in puberty, reproductivity, genital or gynecological complaints, gender development, sexual orientation, sex-specific cognitive functioning, and psychoneuroticism. In addition, some measurements were performed on family diseases, socioeconomic status, and education. RESULTS No differences were found between the corticosteroid-treated and placebo groups as to medical or psychological variables. In general, the subjects were healthy and had normal intellectual capacities. Groups did not differ on gender development, sexual orientation, sex-specific cognitive functioning, and psychoneuroticism. Systolic blood pressure was significantly lower in the corticosteroid group, but the groups did not differ as to diastolic blood pressure. CONCLUSIONS Our 20-year follow-up study indicates that 1 course of antenatally administered corticosteroid to prevent respiratory distress syndrome does not have adverse effects up to adulthood.
Effects of experimental chronic pneumonia on bodyweight, feed intake and carcase composition of lambs

The growth rate, feed consumption and carcase composition of nine untreated wether lambs (controls) were compared with those of lambs in which a chronic pneumonia had been experimentally induced. Six pneumonic lambs (group 1) were killed with the controls on day 109 and eight (group 2) lambs were killed when they had a similar mean liveweight to the controls (42 kg) on day 172. The mean liveweight gain of infected animals to day 108 was 59 per cent, the mean feed intake 69 per cent and the mean carcase weight of group 1 was 73.5 per cent that of the controls. Group 2 lambs required 25 per cent more feed and nine weeks longer than the controls to reach similar live and carcase weights. This depression of appetite and growth rate was most marked in the first 35 days after inoculation, but growth rates of infected lambs continued to be lower than those of the controls throughout the experiment. At slaughter, all infected lambs had consolidated lesions of pneumonia and a significant correlation was noted between the extent of lung lesions and total liveweight gain in individual lambs. Carcases of group 1 lambs had a proportionately low fat, high lean meat and bone content, indicative of immature development and consistent with a lowered feed intake. Carcases of group 2 lambs showed a similar trend but differences from the controls were not significant.
Immune-related adverse events during anticancer immunotherapy: Pathogenesis and management

Immunotherapy is one of the most recent systemic treatments to emerge for use in oncology, and is based on the blocking of inhibitory immune checkpoints to potentiate the immune response to cancer. The anti-cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated antigen-4 antibody ipilimumab and anti-programmed cell death protein 1 antibodies, including nivolumab and pembrolizumab, are currently available and widely used, and other immune-inhibiting antibodies are now under intensive investigation. These antibodies have shown efficacy in a growing number of tumor types, following initial observations of their notable effects in melanoma treatment. Despite the efficacy of these antibodies, their novel mechanisms of action are also associated with a new class of side effects called immune-related adverse events (IRAEs). These side effects do not share a common pathophysiology with other anticancer treatments and, therefore, they often require specific therapies. When detected early and correctly treated, IRAEs are reversible; however, they can become severe and life-threatening if underestimated or inappropriately treated. This review aims to revisit the pathogenesis of IRAEs, with attention to gastrointestinal manifestations, since these are common and potentially dangerous complications of immunotherapy and represent a major cause of treatment discontinuation. Recommendations and guidelines for the management of IRAEs are also presented, in order to provide a clear and applicable algorithm for use by clinicians.
No association between a tetranucleotide repeat polymorphism of CYP19 and prostate cancer.

The CYP19 gene encodes the enzyme aromatase, which plays a key role in the conversion of androgen to estrogen. The prostate is influenced by estrogen from peripheral sources as well as through aromatase activity in its stroma ([1][1]). There is evidence of elevated levels of aromatase activity and
ProbeMeister Distributed Runtime Software Instrumentation

Dynamically deployable software probes facilitate ad hoc runtime application monitoring and troubleshooting. Using the latest features of Sun Microsystems' JDK 1.4, we have built a prototype system called ProbeMeister that can attach to multiple remotely running applications, and effortlessly insert software probes to gather information about their execution. This information can be used to effect changes within the running applications to recover from unanticipated failures, or to improve their operation. While ProbeMeister is useful during software development and testing, its advantages are better realized after the software is up and running at the users' sites.
Experiences in Collection of Handwriting Data for Online Handwriting Recognition in Indic Scripts

In this paper, we describe initial efforts at Hewlett-Packard Labs, Bangalore, to create datasets of online handwriting in Indic scripts to support research in online handwriting recognition for the Indic scripts. The term “online” here refers to the fact that handwriting is captured as a stream of (x,y) points using an appropriate pen position sensor (often called a digitizer), rather than as a bitmap (image). The paper describes the structure of Indic scripts in brief. It identifies different choices for segmenting characters into simpler shapes that can then be recognized using pattern recognition techniques. The paper discusses these issues in the context of the Tamil script. The remainder of the paper provides an overview of two distinct data collection efforts for the Tamil script one at the isolated character level, and the other for isolated words. In the context of these efforts, we briefly describe the data collection procedure, tools for collection and subsequent annotation, user-interface issues, the annotation scheme, and the organization of the dataset. The paper concludes with the current status of the effort and future directions.
Multiple contaminations of chickens with Campylobacter, Escherichia coli and Salmonella in Yaounde (Cameroon).

INTRODUCTION Food-borne diseases associated with Campylobacter, Escherichia coli, and Salmonella are mainly caused by the consumption of raw or undercooked poultry meat. The objective of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of Campylobacter, Escherichia coli, and Salmonella in chickens. METHODOLOGY One hundred and fifty chickens collected from eight retail markets in Yaounde were examined for the presence of Campylobacter, Escherichia coli, and Salmonella using standard bacteriological procedures. RESULTS Of the 150 chickens collected, 135 (90%) were contaminated with Campylobacter (68.9% C. coli and 31.1% C. jejuni). All the chickens were positive for E. coli. Among the 150 isolates, 17 (11.3%) were enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC). Additionally, 103 Salmonella strains were recovered from 90 chickens. Salmonella Enteritidis (45.6%) and Salmonella Hadar (28.1%) were the most frequent serotypes. Multiple contamination was found in 142 chickens (94.6%), of which 83 (55.3%) were concurrently contaminated with Campylobacter, Escherichia coli, and Salmonella. CONCLUSION These results show that chickens in Cameroon are highly contaminated with Campylobacter, Escherichia coli, and Salmonella. The multiple contaminations of chickens is a potential risk of infection for consumers and highlights the necessity of public awareness for food safety.
Leukotrienes provide an NFAT-dependent signal that synergizes with IL-33 to activate ILC2s

Group 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2s) and type 2 helper T cells (Th2 cells) are the primary source of interleukin 5 (IL-5) and IL-13 during type 2 (allergic) inflammation in the lung. In Th2 cells, T cell receptor (TCR) signaling activates the transcription factors nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT), nuclear factor &kgr;B (NF-&kgr;B), and activator protein 1 (AP-1) to induce type 2 cytokines. ILC2s lack a TCR and respond instead to locally produced cytokines such as IL-33. Although IL-33 induces AP-1 and NF-&kgr;B, NFAT signaling has not been described in ILC2s. In this study, we report a nonredundant NFAT-dependent role for lipid-derived leukotrienes (LTs) in the activation of lung ILC2s. Using cytokine reporter and LT-deficient mice, we find that complete disruption of LT signaling markedly diminishes ILC2 activation and downstream responses during type 2 inflammation. Type 2 responses are equivalently attenuated in IL-33– and LT-deficient mice, and optimal ILC2 activation reflects potent synergy between these pathways. These findings expand our understanding of ILC2 regulation and may have important implications for the treatment of airways disease.
Potentially dangerous surges in an Antrim mudslide

Summary Measurements of surface movements and pore-water pressures in a mudslide at Minnis North, north-eastern Ireland, are presented. This feature comprises steep feeder mudslides leading down to a more gently inclined accumulation mudslide, from which a steep front slope descends to the coast road. Frequent surges of the mudslide, which discharges considerable quantities of debris on to this road, are described and discussed. In one of these, pore-water pressures and surface movements were monitored up to failure and the surge itself witnessed by one of the authors. It is concluded that the surges generally originate through‘undrained loading’ of the rear of the accumulation slide by the feeder slides. Attention is drawn particularly to the danger inherent in situations where large volumes of underconsolidated and therefore potentially highly mobile material can collect above a steep front slope and to the difficulty, in the case studied, of obtaining warning of failure. Evidence is also presented to show that this danger is increased if surface streams are present on the mudslide.
Hybrid ﬁnite computation

Taking the most simple kind of ﬁnite state automaton, typically used in the digital stage, whose states are continuous instead of discrete, we show that such automata can only recognize periodic inﬁ-nite patterns. In our case such patterns are generated by real recursive functions, a new trend in analog stage, which are an extension to reals of Kleene’ s recursive functions. And, thus, we show that automata can only recognize periodic real recursive functions, which we also show that are naturally approximated by Fourier series. With these results in hand, we are bringing together not only the concept of periodicity into the real recursive function theory, and consequently the Fourier series, but also the automata, with continuous states, and their computational limits, in a mathematical characterization of hybrid ﬁnite computation.
Non-functioning pituitary adenoma database: a useful resource to improve the clinical management of pituitary tumors.

OBJECTIVE The long-term outcome of non-functioning pituitary adenoma (NFPA) patients is not clearly established, probably due to the low annual incidence and prolonged natural history of these rare tumors. The aim of this study was to evaluate clinical data at presentation and long-term post-surgery and radiotherapy outcome in a cohort of patients with NFPA. DESIGN AND METHODS A computerized database was developed using Access 2000 software (Microsoft Corporation, 1999). Retrospective registration of 295 NFPA patients was performed in seven Endocrinological Centers of North West Italy. Data were analyzed by STATA software. RESULTS The main presenting symptoms were visual defects (67.8%) and headache (41.4%) and the most frequent pituitary deficit was hypogonadism (43.3%), since almost all tumors were macroadenomas (96.5%). Surgery was the first choice treatment (98% of patients) and total debulking was achieved in 35.5%. Radiotherapy was performed as adjuvant therapy after surgery in 41% of patients. At the follow-up, recurrence occurred in 19.2% of patients without post-surgical residual tumor after 7.5 +/- 2.6 years, regrowth in 58.4% of patients with post-surgical remnant after 5.3 +/- 4.0 years and residue enlargement in 18.4% of patients post-surgically treated with radiotherapy after 8.1 +/- 7.3 years. CONCLUSIONS Our database indicates that the goal of a definitive surgical cure has been achieved during the last decade in a low percentage of patients with NFPA. This tumor database may help to reduce the delay between symptom onset and diagnosis, to assess prognostic parameters for the follow-up of patients with different risk of recurrence and to define the efficacy and safety of different treatments and their association with mortality/morbidity.
Correlation between characteristic parameters of aftershock distributions in time, space and magnitude

Aftershock sequences which occurred in Japan from 1971 through 1993 are investigated by fitting the modified Omori formula and the Gutenberg-Richter relation to find that p- and b-values have a positive correlation. It is also shown that there are positive correlations between each of these parameters and the fractal dimension of hypocenter distribution of aftershocks.
A 39.7 dBm and 18.5% PAE compact X to Ku band GaN Travelling Wave Amplifier

This article presents an 8GHz to 18GHz Travelling Wave Amplifier (TWA) averaging 39.7dBm of output power and 18.5% Power Added Efficiency (PAE). At 11 GHz, the TWA reaches a peak output power 40.4dBm and a peak PAE of 22%. The proposed architecture consists in the combination of two TWAs in parallel to increase output power. An innovative low loss compact power combiner is proposed to reduce the overall die size and keep high PAE. The amplifier presented here has the advantage to be very compact compared to similar MMICs High Power Amplifiers (HPA). An innovative design methodology based on a strong correlation between the amplifier and the combiner design is introduced.
0.8V 1GHz dynamic comparator in digital 90nm CMOS technology

The design of a 0.8V 1GHz dynamic comparator in digital 90nm CMOS technology is presented. The work shows that low voltage, low power and high speed analog circuits are feasible in nano-scale CMOS technologies. The dynamic comparator dissipates a maximum of 222/spl mu/W at 1 GHz clock frequency with 100fF capacitive load and 0.8 V supply voltage. This is lower than comparable results.
Optimizing atomic force microscopy for characterization of diamond-protein interfaces

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) in contact mode and tapping mode is employed for high resolution studies of soft organic molecules (fetal bovine serum proteins) on hard inorganic diamond substrates in solution and air. Various effects in morphology and phase measurements related to the cantilever spring constant, amplitude of tip oscillations, surface approach, tip shape and condition are demonstrated and discussed based on the proposed schematic models. We show that both diamond and proteins can be mechanically modified by Si AFM cantilever. We propose how to choose suitable cantilever type, optimize scanning parameters, recognize and minimize various artifacts, and obtain reliable AFM data both in solution and in air to reveal microscopic characteristics of protein-diamond interfaces. We also suggest that monocrystalline diamond is well defined substrate that can be applicable for fundamental studies of molecules on surfaces in general.
Polymorphonuclear Leukocytes Occlude Capillaries Following Middle Cerebral Artery Occlusion and Reperfusion in Baboons

Background and Purpose Microvascular perfusion defects may accompany sustained occlusion and subsequent reperfusion of the middle cerebral artery; however, the nature of such “no-reflow” defects remains unclear. Methods In the absence of antithrombotic pretreatment, we documented lenticulostriatal microvascular flow integrity following 3-hour middle cerebral artery occlusion and 1-hour reperfusion in a baboon occlusion/reperfusion model by two methods identifying 1) microvascular occlusion and 2) microvascular patency. Results Microvascular “no-reflow” involved capillaries (vessels of 4.0-7.5 μm diameter) of the lenticulostriatal territory. Capillary reflow included 27-39% of all capillaries in two subjects, indicating a significant reduction of perfusion from normal (2p=0.045). In identical experimental preparations, single polymorphonuclear leukocytes completely occluded 4.7% of microvessels of capillary diameter in randomly selected fields, partially occluded 33% of postcapillary venules, and occluded 40% (four of 10) of capillaries in linear reconstruction along a 110 μ length. Circumferential contact between polymorphonuclear leukocytes and the luminal endothelial cell membranes was documented, with an intercellular gap of, at most, 160 nm. Fibrin was found with degranulated platelets when the latter were associated with granulocytes, but not with polymorphonuclear leukocytes alone. Conclusions The rinding of capillary-obstructing polymorphonuclear leukocytes in the microvascular bed following middle cerebral artery reperfusion in focal ischemia in this model satisfies an essential requirement for postulating their role in early microvascular injury and the “no-reflow” phenomenon.
Characterization, Seasonal Occurrence, and Diel Fluctuation of Poly(hydroxyalkanoate) in Photosynthetic Microbial Mats

ABSTRACT In situ poly(hydroxyalkanoate) (PHA) levels and repeating-unit compositions were examined in stratified photosynthetic microbial mats from Great Sippewissett Salt Marsh, Mass. , and Ebro Delta, Spain. Unlike what has been observed in pure cultures of phototrophic bacteria, the prevalence of hydroxyvalerate (HV) repeating units relative to hydroxybutyrate (HB) repeating units was striking. In the cyanobacteria-dominated green material of Sippewissett mats, the mole percent ratio of repeating units was generally 1HB:1HV. In the purple sulfur bacteria-dominated pink material the relationship was typically 1HB:2HV. In Sippewissett mats, PHA contributed about 0.5 to 1% of the organic carbon in the green layer and up to 6% in the pink layer. In Ebro Delta mats, PHA of approximately 1HB:2HV-repeating-unit distribution contributed about 2% of the organic carbon of the composite photosynthetic layers (the green and pink layers were not separated). Great Sippewissett Salt Marsh mats were utilized for more extensive investigation of seasonal, diel, and exogenous carbon effects. When the total PHA content was normalized to organic carbon, there was little seasonal variation in PHA levels. However, routine daily variation was evident at all sites and seasons. In every case, PHA levels increased during the night and decreased during the day. This phenomenon was conspicuous in the pink layer, where PHA levels doubled overnight. The daytime declines could be inhibited by artificial shading. Addition of exogenous acetate, lactate, and propionate induced two- to fivefold increases in the total PHA levels when applied in the daylight but had no effect when applied at night. The distinct diel pattern of in situ PHA accumulation at night appears to be related, in some phototrophs, to routine dark energy metabolism and is not influenced by the availability of organic nutrients.
Testing methods used in the automotive industry: results from a survey

About 90% of all the current car innovations are based on electronics and software. The software used in a car has increased a lot reaching the size of 100 Million lines of code. Therefore, testing of automotive software has become a very critical task. In this paper we report on a questionnaire survey we carried out asking for information about testing activities within the automotive industry. We report on testing and test automation methods and tools in current use. In the survey we distinguished the different fields in the automotive industry where software development happens, i.e., research, pre-development, and series development. In addition we also discuss the opinions of the survey participants to various outlook topics.