Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Radionuclide techniques for evaluating dilated cardiomyopathy and ischemic cardiomyopathy.

OBJECTIVE To assess the clinical significance of radionuclide techniques in evaluating dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) and ischemic cardiomyopathy (CAD-CM). METHODS 28 patients with DCM and 55 patients with CAD-CM were studied. All patients underwent 99mTc-MIBI myocardial perfusion SPECT and 18F-FDG myocardial metabolic PET. 78 patients had 99mTc-RBC radionuclide ventriculography and 68 patients had coronary angiography. RESULTS The results of 23 patients (82%) with DCM showed mild and non-segmental distribution perfusion abnormalities. 52 patients with CAD-CM (95%) showed perfusion abnormalities that distributed along the coronary vessel territories. Significant perfusion defects were found in 4 patients with DCM (14%) and 45 patients with CAD-CM (82%) (P < 0.01). The average perfusion score was 4.5 +/- 2.6 in DCM and 9.6 +/- 2.5 in CAD-CM and the area of diminished perfusion was significantly smaller in DCM than in CAD-CM (P < 0.001). Two patients with DCM and 18 patients with CAD-CM had metabolic defects. The patterns of perfusion/metabolic imaging showed mismatch in most patients with CAD-CM but match in most patients with DCM. The LVEF in patients with DCM and CAD-CM was both decreased but the decreases were not statistically different between DCM and CAD-CM. The RVEF in patients with DCM was significantly lower than that in patients with CAD-CM (32.4% +/- 13.9% vs 40.9% +/- 15.4%, P < 0.05). CONCLUSION The radionuclide techniques are helpful for distinguishing DCM from CAD-CM. The segmental perfusion abnormality and RVEF are the most important factors for differentiation of DCM from CAD-CM.
SUPPLEMENTAL PYRIDOXINE HAD NO INFLUENCE ON THE LIVE PERFORMANCE AND , BLOOD PARAMETERS , EXCEPT GLUCOSE , IN QUAILS FED 3 OR 6 % CORN OIL

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of pyridoxine supplementation in an isocaloric diet containing varying level of corn oil on live performance and plasma concentrations of calcium (Ca), phosphorous (P), glucose, cholesterol, triglyceride, and total protein in Japanese quails (Coturnix coturnix Japanica). One hundred and twenty 10-day-old healthy quails were randomly assigned to 4 treatment groups. The experiment was designed in a 2 X 2 factorial arrangement using two levels of corn oil (3 and 6%) and two levels of pyridoxine (8 and 16 ppm). Except final body weights, live performance parameters were not influenced by either dietary corn oil or supplemental pyridoxine levels. Increasing dietary corn oil decreased final body weights of quails (P=0.012). Feed intake also tended to decrease with increasing dietary corn oil (P=0.06). Plasma P concentrations increased (P=0.02) as the dietary corn oil decreased from 6 to 3%. Plasma cholesterol concentrations decreased with increasing dietary corn oil (P=0.05). Low pyridoxine (8 ppm) supplementation tended to result in the lower plasma glucose concentrations (P=0.07). Plasma glucose concentrations tented to be lowest when the diet contained both low soybean oil and pyridoxine (P=0.10, interaction). The results of the present work indicate that pyridoxine, independent from the level of corn oil in the diet, does not influence the live performance and, except glucose, blood parameters in quails.
Title : Mediation and Spillover Effects in Group-Randomized Trials with Application to the 4 Rs Evaluation

Title Page Not included in page count. Title: Mediation and Spillover Effects in Group-Randomized Trials with Application to the 4Rs Evaluation Author(s): Tyler J. VanderWeele (Harvard School of Public Health) tvanderw@hsph.harvard. edu Guanglei Hong (University of Chicago, contact author) ghong@uchicago.edu Stephanie M. Jones (Harvard Graduate School of Education) jonesst@gse.harvard. edu Joshua L. Brown (Fordham University) joshua.brown@nyu.edu
Text and images in promotional materials − what type of information is important for customers?

In promotional materials, such as shop newsletters, the visual message is used more and more often, while shortening the descriptions of products. Although the image often attracts attention first, it may not necessarily maintain it and not always allows to assess the quality of the product. In the case of technological products, technical specification seems to be particularly important in the process of purchase decision-making. Simultaneously, its appearance seems to be a feature of minor importance. In this study, two types of newsletters were compared: containing large images and short descriptions, and containing small images and long descriptions. Participants were asked to read the offer and evaluate the attractiveness of the products. The aim of this study was to compare the assessment of the attractiveness depending on the length of description and the size of the images, as well as a comparative analysis of the visual exploration of both types of newsletters based on eye tracking data.
Title Reconstructing diffusion kurtosis tensors from sparse noisymeasurements

Diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI) is a recent MRI based method that can quantify deviation from Gaussian behavior using a kurtosis tensor. DKI has potential value for the assessment of neurologic diseases. Existing techniques for diffusion kurtosis imaging typically need to capture hundreds of MRI images, which is not clinically feasible on human subjects. In this paper, we develop robust denoising and model fitting methods that make it possible to accurately reconstruct a kurtosis tensor from 75 or less noisy measurements. Our denoising method is based on subspace learning for multi-dimensional signals and our model fitting technique uses iterative reweighting to effectively discount the influences of outliers. The total data acquisition time thus drops significantly, making diffusion kurtosis imaging feasible for many clinical applications involving human subjects.
Cloning and characterization of Treponema hyodysenteriae antigens and protection in a CF-1 mouse model by immunization with a cloned endoflagellar antigen

We cloned genes that code for Treponema hyodysenteriae antigens into Escherichia coli with the purpose of identifying protective antigens for vaccine development. Three different genomic libraries were screened with various antisera reactive with T. hyodysenteriae antigens. The cloned antigens and corresponding native T. hyodysenteriae antigens were analyzed for molecular size, serum reactivity, solubility in sarcosine, and segregation during phase partitioning with the nonionic detergent Triton X-114. The results from these analyses suggested that the gene products were components of either the cytoplasmic membrane, periplasm, or endoflagella of T. hyodysenteriae. The cloned antigens were tested as vaccine candidates in a CF-1 mouse model of T. hyodysenteriae infection and immunity. Intraperitoneal injection of crude E. coli extracts containing cloned antigens did not protect mice from challenge. However, serum from mice injected with a crude extract of an E. coli clone which expressed an endoflagellar antigen killed T. hyodysenteriae in vitro. Partially purified preparations of this cloned endoflagellar antigen protected mice against oral challenge with both the homologous serotype (B204) and a heterologous serotype (B234) of T. hyodysenteriae. These results suggest that the endoflagellar proteins could be used as an effective subunit vaccine against T. hyodysenteriae.
MAPEL: Multi-Agent Pursuer-Evader Learning using Situation Report

In this paper, we consider a territory guarding game involving pursuers, evaders and a target in an environment that contains obstacles. The goal of the evaders is to capture the target, while that of the pursuers is to capture the evaders before they reach the target. All the agents have limited sensing range and can only detect each other when they are in their observation space. We focus on the challenge of effective cooperation between agents of a team. Finding exact solutions for such multi-agent systems is difficult because of the inherent complexity. We present Multi-Agent Pursuer-Evader Learning (MAPEL), a class of algorithms that use spatio-temporal graph representation to learn structured cooperation. The key concept is that the learning takes place in a decentralized manner and agents use situation report updates to learn about the whole environment from each others’ partial observations. We use Recurrent Neural Networks (RNNs) to parameterize the spatio-temporal graph. An agent in MAPEL only updates all the other agents if an opponent or the target is inside its observation space by using situation report. We present two methods for cooperation via situation report update: a) Peer-to-Peer Situation Report (P2PSR) and b) Ring Situation Report (RSR). We present a detailed analysis of how these two cooperation methods perform when the number of agents in the game are increased. We provide empirical results to show how agents cooperate under these two methods.
Eye-Tracking Technology in Human-Computer Interaction

Eye-Tracking technology has been a hot topic in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) for a long time. It is a technology which is able to recognize the point where the user is looking and track the eye movements. Nowadays, Eye-Tracking has been developed into many applications as input devices, and is regarded as a research tool for researchers to analyze human behaviour as well. Today this paper aims to introduce some technical issues about Eye-Tracking, such as the principle in realizing Eye-Tracking technology, and studies focusing on input devices and research tools at present developing stage respectively. In the end, the gaps of studies are found and the future trends about Eye-Tracking are concluded.
B +-Tree for Byte-Addressable Persistent Memory

This extended abstract presents our FAST and FAIR B+-tree that redesigns insertion, deletion, rebalancing, and search algorithms such that tree structures can be modified in a failure-atomic fashion via a series of store and clflush instructions. We also present the performance of legacy binary T-tree that we modified for byte-addressable persistent memory. Our experimental results show the performance of T-tree is comparable to other state-of-the-art persistent indexes although its implementation is much simpler.
A New Wireless-Type Physiological Signal Measuring System Using a PDA and the Bluetooth Technology

A light and portable-type wireless physiological signal retrieving system has always been a medical personnel's dream. To fulfill this dream, this paper investigates a feasible method to create a wireless-type physiological signal measuring system using a PDA and the bluetooth technology. The proposed system will reduce the service costs and raise the service efficiency for current medical care systems. The waveforms and data of physiological signals, such as electrocardiograms (ECGs), phonocardiograms (PCGs), electroencephalograms (EEGs), body temperatures, and so forth, are always the vital references for medical doctors to diagnose the patients' body condition. The traditional physiological signal measuring instruments or devices possess some shortcomings, such as high prices, bulky dimensions, ill-portability and excessive connection cables. In contrast, the proposed wireless-type physiological signal measuring system, being able to get rid of said shortcomings, holds apparent advantages in service costs and service efficiency and, hence, shall be the trend for the future. This study has completed some tests in ECG, PCG, and body temperature measurements. The proposed prototype system has successfully using the bluetooth technology to invisibly transmit and receive physical signals through the air.
Human Nutrition and Metabolism Supplementation with Conjugated Linoleic Acid for 24 Months Is Well Tolerated by and Reduces Body Fat Mass in Healthy , Overweight Humans 1

After 12 mo in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) supplementation (2 groups received CLA as part of a triglyceride or as the free fatty acid, and 1 group received olive oil as placebo), 134 of the 157 participants who concluded the study were included in an open study for another 12 mo. The goals of the extension study were to evaluate the safety [with clinical chemistry analyses and reported adverse events (AEs)] and assess the effects of CLA on body composition [body fat mass (BFM), lean body mass (LBM), bone mineral mass (BMM)], body weight, and BMI. All subjects were supplemented with 3.4g CLA/d in the triglyceride form. Circulating lipoprotein(a) and thrombocytes increased in all groups. There was no change in fasting blood glucose. Aspartate amino transferase, but not alanine amino transferase, increased significantly. Plasma total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol were reduced, whereas HDL cholesterol and triglycerides were unchanged. The AE rate decreased compared with the first 12 mo of the study. Body weight and BFM were reduced in the subjects administered the placebo during the initial 12 mo study ( 1.6 3.2 and 1.7 2.8 kg, respectively). No fat or body weight changes occurred in the 2 groups given CLA during the initial 12 mo. LBM and BMM were not affected in any of the groups. Changes in body composition were not related to diet and/or training. In conclusion, this study shows that CLA supplementation for 24 mo in healthy, overweight adults was well tolerated. It confirms also that CLA decreases BFM in overweight humans, and may help maintain initial reductions in BFM and weight in the long term. J. Nutr. 135: 778–784, 2005.
Clinicopathologic Characteristics of 1027 Patients With Colorectal Cancer in the DACHS Study Stratified By Time of Metastases Diagnosis

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate outcomes of metastases at various time intervals after colorectal cancer (CRC) diagnosis. Background: Earlier studies have indicated a short time interval between CRC diagnosis and distant metastases to be associated with poor prognosis. The majority of studies assessed outcome from CRC diagnosis or metastasis resection rather than from metastasis diagnosis and might be subject to immortal time bias. Methods: Patients in the population-based DACHS study were stratified: metastases at/within 1 month (immediate), 2 to 6 months (early), 7 to 12 months (intermediate), and >12 months (late) after CRC diagnosis. The primary endpoint was overall survival (OS) from metastasis diagnosis. Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). HRs were adjusted for important confounders and immortal time. Results: A total of 1027 patients were included. T4 (P < 0.0001) and nodepositive tumors (P < 0.0001) were more frequent in the immediate group. Lung metastases (P < 0.0001) and single-site metastases (P < 0.0001) were more prevalent in the late group. In multivariable analysis, immediate metastases were not associated with poor OS compared to metastases at later time points (late vs immediate: HR 1.21; 95% CI, 0.98–1.48). Subgroup analyses revealed poor OS of late versus immediate metastases for females (1.45; 1.08–1.96), proximal colon cancer (1.54; 1.09–2.16), and N0 (1.46; 1.00–2.12) or N1 disease (1.88; 1.17–3.05). Conclusions: Immediate or early metastases are not associated with unfavorable outcome compared to late metastases. These findings challenge the current notion of poor outcome for CRC with immediate or early metastases.
Are Motivation Deficits Underestimated in Patients With ADHD? A Review of the Literature

Abstract Aims: Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is characterized by impaired inhibition, inattention, and altered sensitivity to rewards. Behavioral studies support the presence of motivational disturbances as a distinct component of ADHD. Functional magnetic resonance imaging is a technology now used to research the brain circuitry underlying motivation. These studies indicate that individuals with ADHD exhibit hyporesponsitivity of the dopamine neurons in the ventral and dorsal striata in response to rewarding stimuli. Our article reviews the research examining interactions between external motivation and the responses of individuals with ADHD, from both neurobiologic and clinical perspectives. Methods: A PubMed search of studies written in English between 2000 and 2012 with keywords ADHD and motivation was conducted. Results: Motivational processes are examined using behavioral and neurobiologic paradigms. Behavioral studies show altered processing of reinforcement and incentives in children with ADHD. These children respond more impulsively to rewards and choose small, immediate rewards over larger, delayed incentives. Interestingly, a high intensity of reinforcement is effective in improving task performance in children with ADHD. Pharmacotherapy may also improve task persistence in these children. Conclusion: Previous studies suggest that a clinical approach using interventions to improve motivational processes in patients with ADHD may improve outcomes as children with ADHD transition into adolescence and adulthood.
Bounds for the generalized Marcum Q-function

b tme t2þa2 2 Im 1ðatÞdt; where a > 0, b P 0 and Im stands for the modified Bessel function of the first kind. Our aim is to extend some results on the (first order) Marcum Q-function to the generalized Marcum Q-function in order to deduce some new lower and upper bounds. Moreover, we show that the proposed bounds are very tight for the generalized Marcum Q-function of integer order, and we deduce some new inequalities for the more general case of real order. The chief tools in our proofs are some monotonicity properties of certain functions involving the modified Bessel function of the first kind, which are based on a criterion for the monotonicity of the quotient of two Maclaurin series. 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
A Longitudinal Evaluation of an Educational Software Program: A Case Study of Urinalysis‐Tutor™

Purpose. To examine students' learning before and after revising an educational software program and to explore students' patterns of use of an interactive feature that compares images. Method. Study participants were 466 University of Washington School of Medicine students. Two cohorts of students (one in 1996 and one in 1997) used the original version of the software. Following analysis of the students' learning, the software program was modified based on instructional design principles pertaining to visual learning and concept acquisition. A 1998 cohort of students used the revised program and their performance was compared with that of the 1996 cohort. Analyses were based on pre- and post-test scores, data collected from the observation of students, and navigational pathways tracked by the program. Results. There was very little difference in the overall performances of the students who used the original program and those who used the revised program. Error analysis focusing on 11 conceptual areas showed that reductions in errors occurred for six of 11 concepts, with statistically significant reductions of errors for two concepts. Additional navigational data collected in 1998 showed that students used an interactive feature for comparing images in different patterns. The data showed a positive association between performance and the anchored viewing mode of image display. Conclusions. While this study cannot point to specific design components that facilitated or hindered learning, it demonstrated a potential benefit of linking usage-pattern data and performance. Future studies should evaluate design factors that affect usage patterns and performances based on navigational data collected while students interact with software programs.
MONOTONICITY IN LAG FOR NON-MONOTONE MARKOV

Since the Daley’s [2] paper it is well known that stochastically monotone Markov chain {Jn}n≥1 has the following property. Let f : IR → IR+ be monotone and γ(n) = Cov[f(J1), f(Jn)]. Then a map n → γ(n) is decreasing. Recall that a real-valued homogeneous discrete time Markov chain {Jn}n≥1 is stochastically monotone, if its one step transition probability function P (Jn+1 > x | Jn = y) is non-decreasing in x for every fixed y. Daley’s result was extended in Bergmann and Stoyan [1]. Hu and Joe [3], (see also Joe [5], Theorems 8.3, 8.4, 8.7) stated conditions for the concordance ordering of bivariates of Markov chains under some monotonicity assumptions. The most general result was given in Hu and Pan [4]. If both the Markov chain and its time-reversed counterpart are stochastically
The influence of social media on the consumers’ hotel decision journey

Purpose The purpose of this study is to explore “how social media influence the way consumers search, evaluate and select a hotel within the ‘evaluation stage’ of the wider hotel decision-making process”. Design/methodology/approach An exploratory qualitative research has been carried out, conducting 12 individual face-to-face, semi-structured, in-depth interviews with social media users, followed by a qualitative thematic analysis. Findings Social media transform the consumers’ hotel decision journey by influencing the way consumers search, decide and book hotels. The findings reveal the determinants shaping this process, by shedding light on the perceived value of using social media, consumers’ information search behaviour “then and now”, the advantages and disadvantages of social media use for decision-making, their trustworthiness and the factors that influence the consumers’ hotel decision-journey. The findings are conceptualised in an integrated theoretical model, entitled “hotel consumer decision-journey through social media”. Research limitations/implications The study’s scope for qualitative in-depth insights into the “hotel consumer decision-journey through social media” asked for a compromise on a larger sample size and in turn the transferability of the theoretical model beyond service, hospitality and tourism consumer decision-making contexts. Practical implications This paper provides strategic implications for hospitality marketing and management for a better understanding of the influence of social media on the hotel customer decision journey. The study shows that a variety of social media with associated content sources and levels add to the complexity of hotel-related information search and decision behaviour. The developed framework not only helps hotel professionals understand consumers’ different levels (e.g. type of content, content source, content level) through which social media might influence decision-making. Various real-life scenarios presented also help practitioners understand the fine nuances of how consumers are influenced by social media and how this causes them to iteratively change their minds and make a final decision towards the rejection or selection of a hotel. Originality/value Consumers use social media for a wide spectrum of scenarios in tourism and hospitality, while the influence of social media on the consumers’ hotel decision-making process remains little understood. This study makes a theoretical contribution in that it addresses these existing gaps and bridges consumer behaviour and social media literature in the hotel context to shed light on the “hotel consumer decision journey through social media”. The core contribution is an integrated theoretical model and real-life scenarios that depict the impact of social media on the hotel decision-making.