Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Preparation and Biocompatible Surface Modification of Redox Altered Cerium Oxide Nanoparticle Promising for Nanobiology and Medicine

The biocompatible surface modification of metal oxide nanoparticles via surface functionalization technique has been used as an important tool in nanotechnology and medicine. In this report, we have prepared aqueous dispersible, trivalent metal ion (samarium)-doped cerium oxide nanoparticles (SmCNPs) as model redox altered CNPs of biological relevance. SmCNP surface modified with hydrophilic biocompatible (6-{2-[2-(2-methoxy-ethoxy)-ethoxy]-ethoxy}-hexyl) triethoxysilane (MEEETES) were prepared using ammonia-induced ethylene glycol-assisted precipitation method and were characterized using a variety of complementary characterization techniques. The chemical interaction of functional moieties with the surface of doped nanoparticle was studied using powerful 13C cross polarization magic angle sample spinning nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The results demonstrated the production of the extremely small size MEEETES surface modified doped nanoparticles with significant reduction in aggregation compared to their unmodified state. Moreover, the functional moieties had strong chemical interaction with the surface of the doped nanoparticles. The biocompatible surface modification using MEEETES should also be extended to several other transition metal ion doped and co-doped CNPs for the production of aqueous dispersible redox altered CNPs that are promising for nanobiology and medicine.
The Confused Deputy: (or why capabilities might have been invented)

This is a nearly true story (inessential details have been changed). The events happened about eleven years ago at Tymshare, a company which provided commercial timesharing services. Before this happened I had heard of capabilities and thought that they Were neat and tidy, but was not yet convinced that they were necessary. This occasion convinced me that they were necessary. Our operating system was much like Unix (aM of AT&T) in its protection structures. A compiler was installed in a directory called SYSX. A user would use the compiler by saying "RUN (SYSX)FORT", and could provide the name of a file to receive some optional debugging output. We had instrumented the compiler to collect statistics about language feature usage. The statistics file was called (SYSX)STAT, a name which was assembled into the compiler. To enable the compiler to write the (SYSX)STAT file, we marked the file holding the compiler { (9YSX)FORT} with homefiles license. The operating system allowed a program with such license to write files in its home directory, SYSX in our case. The billing information file (SYSX)BILL was also stored in SYSX. Some user came to know the name (9YSX)BILL and supplied it to the compiler as the name of the file to receive the debugging information. The compiler passed the name to the operating system in a request to open that file for output. The operating system, observing that the compiler had home files license, let the compiler write debugging information over (SYSX)BILL. The billing information was lost. Who is to blame? What can we change to rectify the problem? Will that cause other problems? How can we foresee such problems? The code to deposit the debugging output in the file named by the user cannot be blamed. Must the compiler check to see if the output file name is in another directory by scanning the file name? No-it is useful to specify the name of a file in another directory to receive output. Should the compiler check for directory name SYSX? No-the name "SYSX" had not been invented when this code was written. Indeed there might be a legitimate request for the compiler to deposit its output in some file in SYSX made by someone with legitimate access to that directory. Should the compiler check for the name (SYSX)BILL? That is not the only sensitive file in SYSX. Must the compiler be modified whenever new files …
Effect of pregnancy and collection technique on prostaglandin F in the uterine lumen of Pony mares.

Uterine flushings were obtained through the cervix (Method A) and through the wall of the uterus after hysterectomy (Method B) of ovariectomized Pony mares after s.c. injection of oestrogen for 1 week and progesterone for 2 weeks (Exp. 1). Non-pregnant and pregnant mares were flushed by Method A on Day 14 after ovulation and the flushings compared with those of non-pregnant mares injected i.v. with flunixen meglumine, a prostaglandin synthetase inhibitor, shortly before flushing (Exp. 3). Uterine flushings were also collected by Methods A and B from non-pregnant and pregnant Pony mares on Day 14. Endometrial and embryonic tissues from these mares were incubated with and without flunixen meglumine (Exp. 3). In all experiments, pregnancy had a significant effect on PGF content of uterine flushings or incubation media. Flushings from pregnant mares had reduced levels of PGF and were not influenced by collection technique (Exps 1 & 3). Non-pregnant Pony mares treated with progesterone responded to cervical stimulation (Method A) with an increase in intrauterine PGF over levels measured after hysterectomy (Method B) (Exps 1, 2 & 3). There was no effect on endometrial production of PGF in vitro by any tissue combination in a 2 h incubation in Krebs-Ringer-bicarbonate buffer but after 12 h incubation in Minimum Essential Medium endometrial PGF production was significantly higher when the endometria were from pregnant mares than from non-pregnant mares. PGF production in vitro was significantly suppressed by flunixen meglumine, by yolk sac membranes, and yolk sac and trophoblast, but not by trophoblast alone. The low intrauterine PGF levels in pregnant mares and the low in-vitro PGF production in the presence of the conceptus membranes may reflect inhibition of PGF synthesis and/or release by the embryo.
Particle filter vehicle localization and map-matching using map topology

This paper presents a novel algorithm for vehicle localization and map-matching using particle filter with the help of digital maps. Probability of being on a certain area of digital map according to vehicle speed is used in conjunction with routing information to augment likelihood function in weight calculation step of particle filter. Real life tests were conducted on different regions of Istanbul to test the performance of the algorithm. Test results show dramatic increase in correctness of map-matching and position correction. Algorithm also helps dead reckoning when GPS data is not available temporarily. A simple GPS receiver is fused with odometer data during tests. Expensive sensors are not used to achieve better price/performance for commercial usage.
Automatic landmark extraction using Growing Neural Gas (GNG)

A new method for automatically building statistical shape models from a set of training ex amples and in particular from a class of hands. I n this method, landmark ex traction is achiev ed using a self- organising neural network , the Growing Neural Gas ( GNG) , which is used to preserv e the topology of any input space. Using GNG, the topological relations of a giv en set of deformable shapes can be learned. We describe how shape models can be built automatically by posing the correspondence problem on the behav iour of self- organising network s that are capable of adapting their topology to an input manifold, and due to their dynamic character to readapt it to the shape of the obj ects. Results are giv en for the training set of hand outlines, showing that the proposed method preserv es accurate models.
Prolonged Low Flow Reduces Reactive Hyperemia and Augments Low Flow Mediated Constriction in the Brachial Artery Independent of the Menstrual Cycle

Non-invasive forearm ischemia-reperfusion injury and low flow induced vascular dysfunction models provide methods to evaluate vascular function. The role of oestrogen, an endogenous anti-oxidant on recovery from ischemia-reperfusion injury has not been evaluated nor has the impact of prolonged low flow on vascular function been established. Eight healthy women (33±10 yr) attended the lab during the follicular, ovulatory and mid-luteal phases of their menstrual cycles. After 30 minutes of rest, brachial artery vascular function was assessed by ultrasound measurements of diameter changes during 5 minutes of forearm ischemia and 3 minutes after. Subsequently, a 20-minute forearm ischemia period was completed. Further, vascular function assessments were completed 15, 30 and 45 minutes into recovery. Flow-mediated dilation, low-flow-mediated constriction, and reactive hyperaemia proximal to the area of ischemia were determined. Flow-mediated dilation was reduced at 15 minutes of recovery but recovered at 30 and 45 minutes (PRE: 7.1±1.0%, POST15∶4.5±0.6%, POST30∶5. 5±0.7% POST45∶5.9±0.4%, p<0.01). Conversely, low-flow mediated constriction increased (PRE: −1.3±0.4%, POST15: −3.3±0.6%, POST30: −2.5±0.5% POST45: −1.5±0.12%, p<0.01). Reactive hyperaemia was reduced throughout recovery (p<0.05). Data were unaffected by menstrual phase. Prolonged low flow altered vascular function and may relate as much to increased vasoconstriction as with decreased vasodilation. Reductions in anterograde shear and greater retrograde shear likely modulate the brachial artery response, but the reduced total shear also plays an important role. The data suggest substantial alterations in vascular function proximal to areas of ischemia with potential clinical implications following reperfusion.
Beyond the business case for corporate sustainability

The article is intended as a contribution to the ongoing conceptual development of corporate sustainability. At the business level sustainability is often equated with eco-efficiency. However, such a reduction misses several important criteria that firms have to satisfy if they want to become truly sustainable. This article discusses how the concept of sustainable development has evolved over the past three decades and particularly how it can be applied to the business level. It then goes on to describe the three types of capital relevant within the concept of corporate sustainability: economic, natural and social capital. From this basis we shall then develop the six criteria managers aiming for corporate sustainability will have to satisfy: eco-efficiency, socio-efficiency, eco-effectiveness, socio-effectiveness, sufficiency and ecological equity. The article ends with a brief outlook towards future research. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. and ERP Environment
Affinity Scheduling in Staged Server Architectures (CMU-CS-02-113)

Modern servers typically process request streams by assigning a worker thread to a request, and rely on a round robin policy for context-switching. Although this programming paradigm is intuitive, it is oblivious to the execution state and ignores each software module’s affinity to the processor caches. As a result, resumed threads of execution suffer additional delays due to conflict and compulsory misses while populating the caches with their evicted working sets. Alternatively, the staged programming paradigm divides computation into stages and allows for stage-based (rather than request thread-based) cohort scheduling that improves module affinity. This technical report introduces (a) four novel cohort scheduling techniques for staged software servers that follow a “production-line” model of operation, and (b) a mathematical framework to methodically quantify the performance trade-offs when using these techniques. Our Markov chain analysis of one of the scheduling techniques matches the simulation results. Using our model on a staged database server, we found that the proposed policies exploit data and instruction locality for a wide range of workload parameter values and outperform traditional techniques such as FCFS and processor-sharing. Consequently, our results justify the restructuring of a wide class of software servers to incorporate the staged programming paradigm. Email: {stavros, natassa}@cs.cmu. edu Stavros Harizopoulos is partially sponsored by a Lilian Voudouri Foundation Fellowship and gratefully acknowledges their support. Affinity Scheduling in Staged Server Architectures Stavros Harizopoulos and Anastassia Ailamaki March 2002 CMU-CS-02-113
Robust trocar detection and localization during robot-assisted endoscopic surgery

In endoscopic surgery, trocars impose kinematic constraints. Whenever a robot manipulates endoscopic instruments, it needs to know the trocar location with respect to its base frame. In the literature, this knowledge is acquired thanks to an installation / registration procedure, prior to the operation. In this paper, we are considering a comanipulation scenario: Both the robot and the surgeon hold the instrument. All along a procedure, the instrument can be inserted into or removed from different trocars by the surgeon. It is needed to detect in real time whether the instrument is inserted in a trocar and to compute the fulcrum coordinates. The proposed algorithm is described in terms of both theory and practical realization. Its effectiveness is verified experimentally.
Monitoring data-aware business constraints with finite state automata

Checking the compliance of a business process execution with respect to a set of regulations is an important issue in several settings. A common way of representing the expected behavior of a process is to describe it as a set of business constraints. Runtime verification and monitoring facilities allow us to continuously determine the state of constraints on the current process execution, and to promptly detect violations at runtime. A plethora of studies has demonstrated that in several settings business constraints can be formalized in terms of temporal logic rules. However, in virtually all existing works the process behavior is mainly modeled in terms of control-flow rules, neglecting the equally important data perspective. In this paper, we overcome this limitation by presenting a novel monitoring approach that tracks streams of process events (that possibly carry data) and verifies if the process execution is compliant with a set of data-aware business constraints, namely constraints not only referring to the temporal evolution of events, but also to the temporal evolution of data. The framework is based on the formal specification of business constraints in terms of first-order linear temporal logic rules. Operationally, these rules are translated into finite state automata for dynamically reasoning on partial, evolving execution traces. We show the versatility of our approach by formalizing (the data-aware extension of) Declare, a declarative, constraint-based process modeling language, and by demonstrating its application on a concrete case dealing with web security.
Research on Reconfigurable HIS Platform

Based on five typical HIS connections, the reconfigurable technology for HIS is put forward. First it analyzes the demands of reconfigurable HIS platform, then some relevant reconfigurable technology is researched, that is: design patterns, object-oriented framework and component technology. On this analysis, the reconfigurable HIS platform prototype system’s structure is designed, which is composed of data layer, application service platform and application system. Also system’s framework and some key technologies are studied. Finally, the prototype system’s core functions are achieved.
Sex, drugs, and driving: the effects of marijuana

This dissertation abstract describes research on the effects of marijuana on automobile drivers, focusing on the differences between men and women under the influence of marijuana. Although previous research has shown that many drugs affect men and women differently, fewer than 25% of the studies exploring the effects of marijuana use on driving performance have included women. This doctoral study examined gender differences in the acute effects of marijuana on cognition and driving performance. The study found no gender differences. Participants under the influence of marijuana performed comparably to those participants who received a placebo cigarette on the driving assessment. Marijuana use was found to impair tasks of selective and divided attention, time estimation, and executive function.
Assessment of Mitochondrial Dysfunction and Monoamine Oxidase Contribution to Oxidative Stress in Human Diabetic Hearts

Mitochondria-related oxidative stress is a pathomechanism causally linked to coronary heart disease (CHD) and diabetes mellitus (DM). Recently, mitochondrial monoamine oxidases (MAOs) have emerged as novel sources of oxidative stress in the cardiovascular system and experimental diabetes. The present study was purported to assess the mitochondrial impairment and the contribution of MAOs-related oxidative stress to the cardiovascular dysfunction in coronary patients with/without DM. Right atrial appendages were obtained from 75 patients randomized into 3 groups: (1) Control (CTRL), valvular patients without CHD; (2) CHD, patients with confirmed CHD; and (3) CHD-DM, patients with CHD and DM. Mitochondrial respiration was measured by high-resolution respirometry and MAOs expression was evaluated by RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry. Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) emission was assessed by confocal microscopy and spectrophotometrically. The impairment of mitochondrial respiration was substrate-independent in CHD-DM group. MAOs expression was comparable among the groups, with the predominance of MAO-B isoform but no significant differences regarding oxidative stress were detected by either method. Incubation of atrial samples with MAOs inhibitors significantly reduced the H2O2 in all groups. In conclusion, abnormal mitochondrial respiration occurs in CHD and is more severe in DM and MAOs contribute to oxidative stress in human diseased hearts with/without DM.
När gör hjälpinformation mest nytta-vid urval eller estimering?

“When is auxiliary information most usefulfor sampling or estimation? ” Auxiliary information is sometimes used when estimating a population parameter using a random sample and an estimator. The purpose of this thesis is to study whether the benefit of using auxiliary information is greater when it is used for sampling or for estimation. To examine this different models are constructed that differ in how the variation of the independent variable ( ) depends on the auxiliary variable ( ). Different strategies are then applied to these models and the results simulated by the Monte Carlo-method. These strategies are: (1) simple random sampling and ratio estimation, (2) conditional Poissonsampling and HT-estimation, (3) balanced sampling and HT-estimation, and (4) simple random sampling and HT-estimation without using auxiliary information. The results indicate that when the variability of is approximately constant in the benefit of using auxiliary information is greater in estimation. When the variability of is increasing in , however, a method using the auxiliary information in sampling is seemingly preferable. Innehållsförteckning 1. Inledning . 1 2. Teori. 2 2.1 Definitioner . 2 2.2 Horvitz och Thompson estimatorn (HT) . 3 2.3 Metoder för att nyttja hjälpvariabler vid urval . 4 2.3. 1 Probability Proportional-to-Size sampling (PPS) . 4 2.3. 2 Stratifierat urval . 6 2.3. 3 Optimal allokering . 8 2.3. 4 Balanserat urval . 9 2.4 Metoder för att nyttja hjälpvariabler vid skattning . 9 2.4.1 Kvotskattning . 9 2.4.2 Regressionsskattning . 10 2.4.3 En jämförelse mellan kvotoch regressionsskattning . 11 3. Simulering . 11 4. Resultat . 12 4.1 Förväntat resultat . 13 4.2 Konstant varians (5) . 13 4.3 Konstant varians (3) . 14 4.4 Icke-konstant varians (5) . 15 4.5 Icke-konstant varians (2) . 16 4.6 Träddata . 17 5. Diskussion . 19 6. Källförteckning . 21 7. Appendix . 22
The Use of Intravenous Palivizumab for Treatment of Persistent RSV Infection in Children With Leukemia

Palivizumab is a humanized monoclonal antibody used to decrease the threat of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection among children at high risk. There are no standard guidelines due to conflicting data on palivizumab’s use in the treatment of RSV lower respiratory tract infections. Intravenous (IV) palivizumab was shown to be well tolerated and associated with decreased mortality in high-risk children who have RSV disease. However, it did not prevent lower respiratory tract infections and did not affect the survival rate of allogeneic stem cell transplant recipients who had RSV infection. We present 2 children with acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) and persistent RSV infection while receiving chemotherapy. Patient A is a 4-year-old male with Down syndrome, ALL, and persistent RSV infection for at least 3 months. Patient B is a 3-year-old female with pre–B cell ALL whose chemotherapy intensification phase was delayed due to a month-long RSV infection. RSV infections were determined by using real-time polymerase chain reaction assays from nasopharyngeal swabs before IV palivizumab therapy; patient A was positive for RSV at 36 cycles and patient B was positive for RSV at 29 cycles. RSV infection was cleared in both patients within 72 hours after receiving IV palivizumab (patient A: 16 mg/kg; patient B: 15 mg/kg). IV palivizumab may be a treatment option for persistent RSV infection among immunocompromised patients.
Clinical effects of photodynamic and low-level laser therapies as an adjunct to scaling and root planing of chronic periodontitis: A split-mouth randomized controlled clinical trial

Background: There are limited clinical experiments addressing the effects of photodynamic therapy (PDT) and low-level laser therapy (LLLT) as an adjunct to conventional scaling and root planing (SRP) alone. Aim: The aim of this clinical trial was to evaluate the clinical effects of adjunctive use of PDT, combination of PDT with LLLT as adjunct to conventional SRP alone in the treatment of chronic periodontitis. Materials and Methods: In a single-centered randomized and controlled clinical trial, 24 patients (15 males and 9 females) with untreated chronic periodontitis were randomly assigned in a split-mouth design into three treatment groups which included Group I: SRP only, Group II: SRP and PDT (1% methylene blue [MB] solution), and Group III: SRP, PDT, and LLLT. Clinical parameters such as plaque index, gingival index, modified sulcular bleeding index, probing depth (PD), and clinical attachment level (CAL) were measured at baseline, 1, 3, and 6 months after therapy. Results: Within each group, significant improvements (P < 0.001) were found for all variables in 6-month follow-up compared with baseline. The improvement in clinical parameters was significantly greater in Group III compared to Group I and Group II. The mean PD (mm) reduction from baseline to 6 months in Group I was 2.50 ± 0.54, Group II was 2.57 ± 0.53, and Group III was 3.14 ± 0.50. The mean CAL (mm) gain from baseline to 6 months in Group I was 2.63 ± 0.47, Group II was 2.55 ± 0.44, and Group III was 3.07 ± 0.55. Conclusion: In patients with chronic periodontitis, a combination of a single application of PDT (using a 980 nm laser and MB) and LLLT provide additional benefit to SRP in terms of clinical parameters 6 months following the intervention.
Market orientation within technological companies: Risk based approach

Technology companies are exposed to high risk of failures due to technological advancements globalization of the economy. In order to be in line with the competitive market, technological companies need to adapt to evolving environment and developments. Market orientations can be perceived as a vital element in ensuring the survival of business as well as ensuring successfulness. This study assesses the level of Market Orientation within technology-based companies in Malaysia. Quantitative approach is applied in which data is collected by distributing questionnaires. Findings revealed that the technological companies in Malaysia had a moderately high level of customer orientation, a significant level of inter-function coordination and a moderate level in competitor orientation.