Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Hypoglycemia Detection in Critical Care Using Continuous Glucose Monitors: An in Silico Proof of Concept Analysis

Background: Tight glycemic control (TGC) in critical care has shown distinct benefits but has also been proven difficult to obtain. The risk of severe hypoglycemia (<40 mg/dl) has been increased significantly in several, but not all, studies, raising significant concerns for safety. Continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) offer frequent measurement and thus the possibility of using them for early detection alarms to prevent hypoglycemia. Methods: This study used retrospective clinical data from the Specialized Relative Insulin Nutrition Titration TGC study covering seven patients who experienced severe hypoglycemic events. Clinically validated metabolic system models were used to recreate a continuous blood glucose profile. In silico analysis was enabled by using a conservative single Gaussian noise model based on reported CGM clinical data from a critical care study [mean absolute percent error (MAPE) 17.4%]. A novel median filter was implemented and further smoothed with a least mean squares-fitted polynomial to reduce sensor noise. Two alarm approaches were compared. An integral-based method is presented that examined the area between a preset threshold and filtered simulated CGM data. An alarm was raised when this value became too low. A simple glycemic threshold method was also used for comparison. To account for random noise skewing the results, each patient record was Monte Carlo simulated 100 times with a different random noise profile for a total of 700 runs. Different alarm thresholds were analyzed parametrically. Results are reported in terms of detection time before the clinically measured event and any false alarms. These retrospective clinical data were used with approval from the New Zealand South Island Regional Ethics Committee. Results: The median filter reduced MAPE from 17.4% [standard deviation (SD) 13%] to 9.3% (SD 7%) over the cohort. For the integral-based alarm, median per-patient detection times ranged, t, from −35 minutes (before event) to −170 minutes, with zero to two false alarms per patient over the cohort and different alarm parameters. For a simple glycemic threshold alarm (three consecutive values below threshold), median per-patient alarm times were −10 to −75 minutes and false alarms were zero to seven; however, in one case, five of seven subjects never alarmed at all, despite the hypoglycemic event. Conclusions: A retrospective study used clinical hypoglycemic events from a TGC study to develop and analyze an integral-based hypoglycemia alarm for use in critical care TGC studies. The integral-based approach was accurate, provided significant lead time before a hypoglycemic event, alarmed at higher glycemic levels, was robust to sensor noise, and had minimal false alarms. The approach is readily generalizable to similar scenarios, and results would justify a pilot clinical trial to verify this study.
Synthesizing breathiness in natural speech with sinusoidal modelling

This paper discusses recent work in synthesizing a breathy quality in pre-recorded speech, which has applications in voice morphing and concatenative TTS. Previous work has shown that the breathy quality in speech is characterized in part by the presence of random noise in the upper region of the spectrum [1]. The sinusoidal modelling representation of speech facilitates making high-quality modiﬁcations to speech signals as well as modifying regions of the spectrum independently. We use sinusoidal modelling, along with techniques borrowed from analog communication systems to simulate aspiration noise in wideband speech signals above some lower cutoff frequency. Speciﬁcally, we use techniques based on amplitude modulation (AM) and phase modulation (PM), with the harmonics from the sinusoidal model of speech as carriers and lowpass random noise as the message signal. Formal listening tests were conducted and listeners rated the synthesized effect as “breathy” more often than in natural non-breathy speech, but signiﬁcantly less often than in naturally breathy speech.
Predictive, augmented and transformed information display for time delay compensation in tele-handling/machining

This paper describes the construction of a telehandling/machining system with predictive and augmented information display. In particular, we propose a method for predictive information display and methods for information transformation of force to sound and visual information and illustrate their application through the use of a machine tool as an example of a tele-operated machine.
Embedded Narrow Pulse Measurement in Digital CMOS

This paper examines an embedded low-power technique for the single-shot measurement of narrow pulse signals. The circuit serves as an embedded diagnosis tool for the characterization of compressed pulses for ultra wideband sampling schemes, pulsed radar systems, measurements of clocks with very small duty cycles, single event transients in digital circuits, among many other applications. The circuit relies on a new fast voltage-crossing detector to convert a differential input pulse with width to be characterized, into same polarity edges separated by the pulse width to be measured. Those edges are then in turn stretched further using time amplification making them easily detectable by low-resolution time-to-digital converters (TDCs). Dynamic current generation techniques are used in the front-end detector to greatly reduce the power consumption. The proposed circuit is compact and introduces only a few tens of femtoFarad capacitive loading. The circuit was implemented in a 0.18-mum CMOS process. Experimental results confirm the feasibility of the proposed technique
The brachymorph mouse and the developmental‐genetic basis for canalization and morphological integration

SUMMARY Although it is well known that many mutations influence phenotypic variability as well as the mean, the underlying mechanisms for variability effects are very poorly understood. The brachymorph (bm) phenotype results from an autosomal recessive mutation in the phosphoadenosine‐phosphosulfate synthetase 2 gene (Papps2). A major cranial manifestation is a dramatic reduction in the growth of the chondrocranium which results from undersulfation of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) in the cartilage matrix. We found that this reduction in the growth of the chondrocranium is associated with an altered pattern of craniofacial shape variation, a significant increase in phenotypic variance and a dramatic increase in morphological integration for craniofacial shape. Both effects are largest in the basicranium. The altered variation pattern indicates that the mutation produces developmental influences on shape that are not present in the wildtype. As the mutation dramatically reduces sulfation of GAGs, we infer that this influence is variation among individuals in the degree of sulfation, or variable expressivity of the mutation. This variation may be because of genetic variation at other loci that influence sulfation, environmental effects, or intrinsic effects. We infer that chondrocranial development exhibits greater sensitivity to variation in the sulfation of chondroitin sulfate when the degree of sulfation is low. At normal levels, sulfation probably contributes minimally to phenotypic variation. This case illustrates canalization in a particular developmental‐genetic context.
FEATURE FUSION APPROACH ON KEYSTROKE DYNAMICS EFFICIENCY ENHANCEMENT

In this paper we study the performance and effect of diverse keystroke feature combinations on keystroke dynamics authentication system by using fusion approach. First of all, four types of keystroke features are acquired from our collected dataset, later then transformed into similarity scores by using Gaussian Probability Density Function (GPD) and Direction Similarity Measure (DSM). Next, three fusion approaches are introduced to merge the scores pairing with different combinations of fusion rules. Result shows that the finest performance is obtained by the combination of both dwell time and flight time collectively. Finally, this experiment also investigates the effect of using larger dataset on recognition performance, which turns out to be rather consistent.
PRO- AND ANTI-CANCER EFFECTS OF IMMUNOSUPPRESSIVE AGENTS USED IN ORGAN TRANSPLANTATION

Development of cancer is a feared, and increasingly apparent, complication of long-term immunosuppressive therapy in transplant recipients. In addition to the need to reduce cancer occurrence in these patients, therapeutic protocols are lacking to simultaneously attack the malignancy and protect the allograft when neoplasms do occur. In this overview, we present the current literature regarding the pro- and anti-neoplastic effects of immunosuppressive agents on cancer growth and development. Recent experimental findings are paving the way for new therapeutic strategies aimed at both protecting an allograft from immunologic rejection and addressing the problem of cancer in this high-risk population.
A Novel 3-D Analytical Method for Curvature Effect-Induced Electric Field Crowding in SOI Lateral Power Device

The curvature effect of the 3-D layout may result in a severe deterioration of the breakdown voltage in a power lateral double-diffused MOS (LDMOS). In this paper, a novel 3-D analytical model is proposed to provide the physical insight of curvature effect in small radius region by solving the 3-D Poisson in cylindrical coordinates. The proposed model indicates that the curvature effect equivalently changes the drift region doping concentration, thus altering the surface electric field profile. The proposed 3-D model can accurately describe the surface field profile in the fingertip regions of the multifinger layout, and provides an effective way to reveal the influence of curvature effect on the performance of silicon-on-insulator LDMOS. Furthermore, based on the proposed model, a corresponding structure optimization criterion is derived to provide a simple but effective method for the device structure parameters optimization.
Ultrafast gain recovery and modulation limitations in self-assembled quantum-dot devices

Measurements of ultrafast gain recovery in self-assembled InAs quantum-dot (QD) amplifiers are explained by a comprehensive numerical model. The QD excited state carriers are found to act as a reservoir for the optically active ground state carriers resulting in an ultrafast gain recovery as long as the excited state is well populated. However, when pulses are injected into the device at high-repetition frequencies, the response of a QD amplifier is found to be limited by the wetting-layer dynamics.
Toward a fully integrated wireless wearable EEG-NIRS bimodal acquisition system

Objective. Interactions between neuronal electrical activity and regional changes in microcirculation are assumed to play a major role in physiological brain activity and the development of pathological disorders, but have been poorly elucidated to date. There is a need for advanced diagnostic tools to investigate the relationships between these two physiological processes.Approach. To meet these needs, a wireless wearable system has been developed, which combines a near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) system using light emitting diodes (LEDs) as a light source and silicon photodiodes as a detector with an integrated electroencephalography (EEG) system. Main results. The main advantages over currently available devices are miniaturization and integration of a real-time electrical and hemodynamic activity monitor into one wearable device. For patient distributed monitoring and creating a body-area network, up to seven same devices can be connected to a single base station (PC) synchronously. Each node presents enhanced portability due to the wireless communication and highly integrated components resulting in a small, lightweight signal acquisition device. Further progress includes the individual control of LEDs output to automatically or interactively adjust emitted light to the actual local situation online, the use of silicon photodiodes with a safe low-voltage power supply, and an integrated three dimensional accelerometer for movement detection for the identification of motion artifacts. Significance. The device was tested and validated using our enhanced EEG-NIRS tissue mimicking fluid phantom for sensitivity mapping. Typical somatotopic electrical evoked potential experiments were performed to verify clinical applicability.
Anterior Discectomy and Fusion for Painful Cervical Disc Disease: A Report of 50 Patients With an Average Follow‐up of 21 Years

Study Design. This is a retrospective long‐term clinical and roentgenographic review of 50 patients who underwent anterior discectomy and fusion for painful cervical disc disease. The patients were reviewed by the senior author. Objective. To evaluate the long‐term effectiveness of anterior cervical discectomy and fusion and identify clinical and roentgenographic factors that may increase the chances of recurrent problems. Summary of Background Data. Many studies have demonstrated the initial effectiveness of this procedure; however, there are no previously published reports that include the results of a 21‐year follow‐up period. Methods. Office charts and hospital records were used to obtain information about diagnosis, surgery, and complications. On follow‐up examination, all patients were interviewed and examined, and roentgenograms were obtained. Results. Forty‐eight patients had initial pain relief, and of these, 32 remained pain‐free an average of 21 years after surgery. Sixteen had recurrent pain an average of 7.2 years after surgery. Eight of these required surgery for disc disease at an adjacent level. The abrupt onset of pain was the only clinical or roentgenographic factor that correlated with recurrent pain. Conclusion. Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion yield excellent initial results. However, patients must be cautioned that recurrent symptoms can occur, and, in a small percentage of patients, the symptoms may be severe enough to require additional surgery.
Subcarrier and Power Allocation Algorithm for Spectral Efficiency Maximization in Superposition Coding OFDMA Systems

This paper addresses the optimization problem on subcarrier and power allocation of orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) system under spectral efficiency (SE) metric when deploying superposition coding (SC) transmission strategy. An algorithm with polynomial time complexity, of the order of (UNlog2(N)) has been proposed for sub-optimal SE maximization. Results indicate that the system SE increases with the use of SC technique. Besides, the throughput gain with SC adoption increases when the number of users (U) approaches the number of subcarriers (N) available in the system.
Technology Use: Time-In or Time-Out

This paper investigates evolving technology use by applying the distinction of time-in and time-out usage. This distinction describes how uses of technology within the life-world (i.e. the ordinary, the un-reflected) can be punctuated by time-out use when a user takes out time to consciously use or reflect on a medium. Data was collected through a longitudinal field study involving focus groups, interviews, and surveys from smart phone users during a six-month period. We have adopted a theoretically informed grounded approach to analyze our empirical data and present rich data. The results show how technology use evolves over time and provides theoretical explanation as to why usage changes with time. The time-in/out distinction shows how the value of an “extraordinary device” changes over time, thus accomplishing sensitivity to the artifact by examining the flow of activities. By repurposing the time-in/out distinction from its origin in mediaand communications theory, this paper marks a pragmatic move that allows the distinction to be applied to more deeply understand the adoption and appropriation of technology products.
Down-regulation of Antioxidative Capacity in a Transgenic Tobacco which Fails to Develop Acquired Resistance to Necrotization Caused by TMV

Antioxidant status was assayed in leaves of two local lesion hosts of tobacco mosaic virus (TMV), namely in wild-type Xanthi-nc tobacco and in NahG transgenic tobacco, the latter of which is not able to accumulate salicylic acid (SA) and therefore is unable to develop systemic acquired resistance (SAR). Activities of several enzymes related to antioxidative defense, and the levels of glutathione, chlorogenic acid and rutin were studied. The majority of antioxidant enzymes were less active in uninfected NahG tobacco than in Xanthi-nc. Furthermore, important enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants were down-regulated in TMV-infected NahG plants, as compared to Xanthi-nc. Correspondingly, SA pretreatment primed the leaves for stronger induction of antioxidants in infected Xanthi-nc, but not in NahG tobaccos. The antioxidant status of NahG tobacco even decreased after an attempted induction of SAR, while the antioxidative level increased in Xanthi-nc leaves in which the SAR was successfully induced. After infection, a greater accumulation of superoxide and H 2 O 2, and a more intensive necrotization was positively correlated with the reduced capability of NahG leaf tissue to detoxify reactive oxygen species.
The effect of source of dietary fiber and starch on ileal and fecal amino acid digestibility in growing pigs

Studies were carried out with a repeated 4x4 Latin square design with eight cannulated pigs fed four experimental diets to investigate the effect of dietary fiber and starch sources on apparent ileal and fecal amino acid digestibility. Each period lasted 15 d, with diet acclimation from d 1 to 7, feces collection for 48 h on d 8 to 9 and ileal sample collection for 12 h on d 13 to 15. The four experimental diets consisted mainly of cooked rice with the addition of protein sources (CON), partial replacement of cooked rice with either potato starch (PS), sugar beet pulp (SBP) or wheat bran (WB). Chromic oxide was used as an indigestible marker. With the exception of histidine, lysine and tryptophan, no differences were observed in the apparent ileal digestibility of amino acids between diets. The inclusion of potato starch did not affect the ileal and fecal amino acid digestibility. In comparison with diet CON, a decreased (p<0.05) ileal digestibility of histidine was found in pigs fed diet SBP, while the ileal digestibilities of histidine, lysine and tryptophan were decreased (p<0.05) by the inclusion of wheat bran. Inclusion of fiber sources (sugar beet pulp and wheat bran) caused a reduction (p<0.05) in the fecal amino acid digestibility and the net disappearance of amino acids in the large intestine. Of the indispensable amino acids, there was a 'net synthesis' for methionine in the large intestine of pigs when diets were supplemented with dietary fiber. The decrease in fecal amino acid digestibility with the addition of dietary fiber indicates an increase in the synthesis of bacterial protein in the large intestine.
Table of Contents.

Message from the AINA 2009 General Chairs.xvi Message from the AINA 2009 Programme Chairs.xvii AINA 2009 Organizing Committee.xviii AINA 2009 Programme Committee . xx External Reviewers.xxvii
Knowledge-Based Support for Requirements Engineering

Approaches to providing knowledge-based support for the process of requirements engineering are discussed. The kinds of knowledge commonly used in providing such support are placed within a taxonomy and the approaches of different projects to the definition and representation of each of these kinds of knowledge are considered. Finally, there is a brief review of the ways in which each kind of knowledge is used in various approaches to providing support for commonly recognized stages in the process of requirements engineering. It is concluded that knowledge-based techniques are at present capable of providing significant support for the requirements engineer, but that a considerable amount of work has still to be done before the potential of these techniques can be fully realized.
Recombinant subviral particles from tick-borne encephalitis virus are fusogenic and provide a model system for studying flavivirus envelope glycoprotein functions

Recombinant subviral particles (RSPs) obtained by coexpression of the envelope (E) and premembrane (prM) proteins of tick-borne encephalitis virus in COS cells (S. L. Allison, K. Stadler, C. W. Mandl, C. Kunz, and F. X. Heinz, J. Virol. 69:5816-5820, 1995) were extensively characterized and shown to be ordered structures containing envelope glycoproteins with structural and functional properties very similar to those in the virion envelope. The particles were spherical, with a diameter of about 30 nm and a buoyant density of 1.14 g/cm3 in sucrose gradients. They contained mature E proteins with endoglycosidase H-resistant glycans as well as fully cleaved mature M proteins. Cleavage of prM, which requires an acidic pH in exocytic compartments, could be inhibited by treatment of transfected cells with ammonium chloride, implying a common maturation pathway for RSPs and virions. RSPs incorporated [14C]choline but not [3H]uridine, demonstrating that they contain lipid but probably lack nucleic acid. The envelope proteins of RSPs exhibited a native antigenic and oligomeric structure compared with virions, and incubation at an acidic pH (pH <6.5) induced identical conformational changes and structural rearrangements, including an irreversible quantitative conversion of dimers to trimers. The RSPs were also shown to be functionally active, inducing membrane fusion in a low-pH-dependent manner and demonstrating the same specific hemagglutination activity as whole virions. Tick-borne encephalitis virus RSPs thus represent an excellent model system for investigating the structural basis of viral envelope glycoprotein functions.
Characterization of large luteal cells and their secretory granules during the estrous cycle of the cow.

Large steroidogenic cells of the bovine corpora lutea were evaluated for morphological changes on Days 3, 7, 11, 14, 17, and 19 of the estrous cycle. Large cells were readily identified by size (25-50 microns diameter), numerous mitochondria, and the presence of dense secretory granules (150-300 nm in diameter). These granules were found in a discrete cluster and were not dispersed throughout the cytoplasm. Only 3% of the large cells contained a cluster of granules on Day 3. The percentage was highest during midcycle (Day 7, 84%; Day 11, 64%), dropped on Day 14 (26%), and was lowest on Days 17 (16%) and 19 (8%). Electron microscopic immunocytochemistry showed that oxytocin and neurophysin were co-localized in these granules on all days evaluated. As early as Day 14, large cells were observed with characteristics typical of regressing corpora lutea, i.e., a reduction in cells with secretory granules, large cytoplasmic lipid droplets, and swollen mitochondria with dense inclusions. However, since this was a time of the cycle when plasma concentrations of progesterone were very high, this corpus luteum is referred to as involutive rather than regressive. Our results may be summarized as follows: 1) from Day 7 to Day 14 there was a 69% decline in the number of large cells containing oxytocin-laden secretory granules. This occurred prior to the rise in uterine oxytocin receptors and the large luteolytic pulses of prostaglandin that reportedly occur after Day 14. The role of this apparent early release of oxytocin is not known. 2) Large steroidogenic luteal cells of the estrous cycle have morphological characteristics similar to those of large luteal cells during pregnancy. However, large luteal cells of the estrous cycle contain oxytocin whereas those of pregnancy are devoid of oxytocin.