Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Relationship between roll-off occurrence and spatial distribution of dehydrated tissue during RF ablation with cooled electrodes

Purpose: To study the relationship between roll-off (sudden increase in impedance) and spatial distribution of dehydrated tissue during RF ablation using a cooled electrode (temperatures around 100°C). Methods: We used a double approach: (1) theoretical modelling based on the finite element method, and (2) 20 ablations using an experimental study on ex vivo excised bovine liver in which we measured impedance progress and temperature at three points close to the electrode surface: 0.5 (T1), 1.5 (T2) and 2.5 (T3) mm from the tip. T2 was located exactly at the centre of the 30 mm long electrode. Results: Temperatures at T1 and T3 quickly rose to 100°C (at ≈20 and 40 s, respectively), while at the rise at T2 was somewhat slower, stabilized around 50 s and reached a maximum value of 99°C at about 60 s. Impedance reached a minimum of 65 Ω (plateau), began increasing at 50 s and continued rising throughout the procedure, reaching a value equal to the initial value at 70 s. Likewise, computed impedance dropped to ≈73 Ω (plateau), began increasing at 50 s and reached an impedance value equal to the initial value at ≈78 s, which approximately coincided with the time when the entire zone surrounding the electrode was within the 100°C isotherm. Conclusion: There is a close relationship between the moment at which roll-off occurs and the time when the entire electrode is completely encircled by the dehydrated tissue. The mid-electrode zone is the last in which tissue desiccation occurs.
Glucose-Dependent Insulinotropic Polypeptide Augments Glucagon Responses to Hypoglycemia in Type 1 Diabetes

Glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) is glucagonotropic, and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) is glucagonostatic. We studied the effects of GIP and GLP-1 on glucagon responses to insulin-induced hypoglycemia in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM). Ten male subjects with T1DM (C-peptide negative, age [mean ± SEM] 26 ± 1 years, BMI 24 ± 0.5 kg/m2, HbA1c 7.3 ± 0.2%) were studied in a randomized, double-blinded, crossover study, with 2-h intravenous administration of saline, GIP, or GLP-1. The first hour, plasma glucose was lowered by insulin infusion, and the second hour constituted a “recovery phase. ” During the recovery phase, GIP infusions elicited larger glucagon responses (164 ± 50 [GIP] vs. 23 ± 25 [GLP-1] vs. 17 ± 46 [saline] min ⋅ pmol/L, P < 0.03) and endogenous glucose production was higher with GIP and lower with GLP-1 compared with saline (P < 0.02). On the GIP days, significantly less exogenous glucose was needed to keep plasma glucose above 2 mmol/L (155 ± 36 [GIP] vs. 232 ± 40 [GLP-1] vs. 212 ± 56 [saline] mg ⋅ kg−1, P < 0.05). Levels of insulin, cortisol, growth hormone, and noradrenaline, as well as hypoglycemic symptoms and cognitive function, were similar on all days. Our results suggest that during hypoglycemia in patients with T1DM, exogenous GIP increases glucagon responses during the recovery phase after hypoglycemia and reduces the need for glucose administration.
Similarity of learned helplessness in human being and fuzzy reinforcement learning algorithms

The sequential and uncontrolled punishments in social life may lead to what psychologists call learned helplessness or depression. Like learning in social life, agents based on Fuzzy Reinforcement Learning FRL sometimes cannot learn well. Experiments show that if an agent continuously performs actions that cause sequential punishments in the beginning of learning, then it does not usually behave well and often selects actions that evoke punishments. Therefore, the learning takes so long or not successful. In this paper, we address this issue called faulty learning in RL algorithm by exploiting learned helplessness. We demonstrate learned helplessness in the training of an agent by FRL algorithm and analyze it. The result of analysis shows that since the action value function is approximated by a fuzzy system; continuous punishments lead all weight parameters of the approximator toward negative amounts. Hence, the agent cannot learn well. To prevent this problem, we propose a new reinforcement function. The proposed reinforcement function is adaptive and depends on the number of visit of the state. Simulation results show that new reinforcement function prevents learned helplessness and improves the learning in terms of learning speed and action quality. The proposed ideas can be used and extended to our social and psychology life.
Effect of aerobic pretreatment with Aspergillus terreus on the anaerobic digestion of olive‐mill wastewater

A kinetic study was carried out on the anaerobic digestion of olive‐mill wastewater (OMW) and OMW that was previously fermented with Aspergillus terreus. The bioreactors used were batch fed and contained saponite as support for the mediating bacteria. The anaerobic digestion process followed first‐order kinetics, from which the kinetic constant A was calculated using a non‐linear regression. This kinetic parameter was influenced by the pretreatment carried out, and was 3.7 times higher for pretreated OMW than for untreated OMW. The anaerobic processing of pretreated OMW seemingly involved no inhibition phenomena as the biotoxicity and the total phenolic compound content (analysed by HPLC) were reduced by 71.2% and 77.9% respectively as a result of the pretreatment. Finally, the yield coefficient of methane production was 0.345 litres of methane (at standard temperature and pressure)/g of chemical oxygen demand, that is, 23% higher than that provided by untreated wastewater.
Combined Endoscopic Intranasal and External Frontal Sinusotomy

We review our experience treating patients with medically refractory frontal sinusitis that could not be relieved with endoscopic intranasal surgery alone. Fourteen combined external and intranasal endoscopic frontal sinusotomies were performed on a consecutive sample of 11 patients presenting over a 38-month period of study. Postoperative results were classified as cured, improved, unchanged, or worse, based on patient symptoms and physical findings. At a mean postoperative follow-up of 19 months (range 4–36), 100% of these patients had benefited from this technique (7 cured, 4 improved, 0 unchanged, 0 worse). There were no major complications and natural sinus physiology was preserved. We conclude that a combined external and endoscopic intranasal frontal sinusotomy is an effective alternative to frontal sinus obliteration.
Approaches to Computerization in Small Businesses in Greece

It is widely recognized that IT has made considerable inroads into large organizations, such that the majority now rely on IT for their day-to-day operations. The position regarding small businesses is less clear as they face somewhat different opportunities and constraints. In particular, the approach to computerization in small firms in less developed national IT environments has received little attention in the literature. This paper reports on the results of a survey of the approaches adopted by small firms in Greece. The findings are analyzed in terms of previous experience with computers, factors influencing the decision to adopt IT, advice received, staff involvement in IS development, training, and problems encountered and the solutions adopted. The results are compared with an earlier study performed five years ago in order to identify recent trends.
Elevational trends in life histories: revising the pace‐of‐life framework

Life‐history traits in birds, such as lifespan, age at maturity, and rate of reproduction, vary across environments and in combinations imposed by trade‐offs and limitations of physiological mechanisms. A plethora of studies have described the diversity of traits and hypothesized selection pressures shaping components of the survival–reproduction trade‐off. Life‐history variation appears to fall along a slow–fast continuum, with slow pace characterized by higher investment in survival over reproduction and fast pace characterized by higher investment in reproduction over survival. The Pace‐of‐Life Syndrome (POLS) is a framework to describe the slow–fast axis of variation in life‐history traits and physiological traits. The POLS corresponds to latitudinal gradients, with tropical birds exhibiting a slow pace of life. We examined four possible ways that the traits of high‐elevation birds might correspond to the POLS continuum: (i) rapid pace, (ii) tropical slow pace, (iii) novel elevational pace, or (iv) constrained pace. Recent studies reveal that birds breeding at high elevations in temperate zones exhibit a combination of traits creating a unique elevational pace of life with a central trade‐off similar to a slow pace but physiological trade‐offs more similar to a fast pace. A paucity of studies prevents consideration of the possibility of a constrained pace of life. We propose extending the POLS framework to include trait variation of elevational clines to help to investigate complexity in global geographic patterns.
Caractéristiques de la dynamique d'un Pneumotachographe pour l'étude de la production de la parole : aspects acoustiques et aérodynamique.

La mesure de parametres aerodynamiques dans l'etude des mecanismes articulatoires dans la production de parole pose de nombreux problemes. Certains d'entre eux ne sont pas definitivement resolus. Pour mesurer le flux d'air oral et nasal, un certain nombre de conditions doivent etre reunies. Dans ce but, nous avons realise un pneumotachographe concu avec un soin particulier pour optimiser son temps de reponse, sa linearite et sa distorsion acoustique. Ce capteur de debit utilise une grille resistive et possede un faible volume mort. Un masque en caoutchouc de silicone mou, appuye contre le visage du locuteur empeche la fuite d'air, sans gener les mouvements articulatoires. Les deformations acoustiques engendrees le dispositif sont attenuees par un traitement des signaux adapte de sa fonction de transfert.
Anorectal Manometry in Healthy Elderly Subjects

Sigmoidal, rectal, and anal functions were studied in ten healthy elderly women and ten healthy young women using a motility probe with three intraluminal transducers. No difference (P > 0.05) was found between elderly and young women in measurements of anal length, anal resting tone, anal squeeze pressure, anal pullthrough pressures at rest, and voluntary squeeze. Sigmoidal and rectal distention was produced by injecting air into balloons placed 16–17 cm and 6–7 cm above the anal verge, respectively. Measured values of anal responses to sigmoidal and rectal distention, and sensation and elasticity of the sigmoidal and rectal walls, were also not different (P > 0.05) between the two groups. These findings suggest that age does not affect sigmoidal, rectal, and anal functions.
Explanation in the special sciences : the case of biology and history

1. Introduction - Points of Contact between Biology and History Marie I. Kaiser and Daniel Plenge. - Part I. General Issues on Explanation. - 2. The Ontic Account of Scientific Explanation Carl F. Craver. - Part II Explanation in the Biological Sciences. - 3. Causal Graphs and Biological Mechanisms Alexander Gebharter and Marie I. Kaiser. - 4. Semiotic Explanation in the Biological Sciences Ulrich Krohs. - 5. Mechanisms, Pathomechanisms, and Disease in Scientific Clinical Medicine Gerhard Muller-Strahl. - 6. The Generalizations of Biology: Historical and Contingent? Alexander Reutlinger. - 7. Evolutionary Explanations and the Role of Mechanisms Gerhard Schurz. - Part III Explanation in the Historical Sciences. - 8. Explaining Roman History - A Case Study Stephan Berry. - 9. Causal Explanation and Historical Meaning: How to Solve the Problem of the Specific Historical Relation between Events Doris Gerber. - 10. Do Historians Study the Mechanisms of History? A Sketch Daniel Plenge. - 11. Philosophy of History - Metaphysics and Epistemology Oliver R. Scholz. - 12. Causal Explanations of Historical Trends Derek D. Turner. - Part IV Bridging the Two Disciplines. - 13. Aspects of Human Historiographic Explanation: A View from the Philosophy of Science Stuart Glennan. - 14. History and the Sciences Philip Kitcher and Daniel Immerwahr. - 15 Explanation and Intervention in Coupled Human and Natural Systems Daniel Steel. - 16. Biology and Natural History: What Makes the Difference Aviezer Tucker.
The K1 Capsular Polysaccharide from Acinetobacter baumannii Is a Potential Therapeutic Target via Passive Immunization

ABSTRACT The emergence of extremely resistant and panresistant Gram-negative bacilli, such as Acinetobacter baumannii, requires consideration of nonantimicrobial therapeutic approaches. The goal of this report was to evaluate the K1 capsular polysaccharide from A. baumannii as a passive immunization target. Its structure was determined by a combination of mass spectrometric and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) techniques. Molecular mimics that might raise the concern for autoimmune disease were not identified. Immunization of CD1 mice demonstrated that the K1 capsule is immunogenic. The monoclonal antibody (MAb) 13D6, which is directed against the K1 capsule from A. baumannii, was used to determine the seroprevalence of the K1 capsule in a collection of 100 A. baumannii strains. Thirteen percent of the A. baumannii isolates from this collection were seroreactive to MAb 13D6. Opsonization of K1-positive strains, but not K1-negative strains, with MAb 13D6 significantly increased neutrophil-mediated bactericidal activity in vitro (P < 0.05). Lastly, treatment with MAb 13D6 3 and 24 h after bacterial challenge in a rat soft tissue infection model resulted in a significant decrease in the growth/survival of a K1-positive strain compared to that of a K1-negative strain or to treatment with a vehicle control (P < 0.0001). These data support the proof of principle that the K1 capsule is a potential therapeutic target via passive immunization. Other serotypes require assessment, and pragmatic challenges exist, such as the need to serotype infecting strains and utilize serotype-specific therapy. Nonetheless, this approach may become an important therapeutic option with increasing antimicrobial resistance and a diminishing number of active antimicrobials.
A Context Aware Anomaly Behavior Analysis Methodology for Building Automation Systems

Advances in mobile and pervasive computing, electronics technology, and the exponential growth in Internet of Things (IoT) applications and services has led to Building Automation System (BAS) that enhanced the buildings we live by delivering more energy-saving, intelligent, comfortable, and better utilization. Through the use of integrated protocols, a BAS can interconnects a wide range of building assets so that the control and management of asset operations and their services can be performed in one protocol. Moreover, through the use of distributed computing and IP based communication, a BAS can implement remote monitor and control in adaptive and realtime manner. However, the use of IoT and distributed computing techniques in BAS are leading to challenges to secure and protect information and services due to the significant increase in the attack surface and the inherent vulnerabilities of BAS integrated protocols. Since there is no intrusion detection and prevention available for BAS network, proposing a reliable security mechanism which can monitor the behavior of BAS assets becomes a major design issue. Anomaly Based Intrusion Detection is a security mechanism that uses baseline model to describe the normal behaviors of a system, so that malicious behaviors occurred in a system can be detected by comparing the observed behavior to the baseline model. With its ability of detecting novel and new attacks, Anomaly based Behavior Analysis (ABA) has been actively pursued by researchers for designing Intrusion Detection Systems. Since the information acquired from a BAS system can be from a variety of sources (e.g. sensors, network protocols, temporal and spatial information), the traditional ABA
A Crooked Path

This is a printed version of Pamela O. Long’s talk at the 2014 Society for the History of Technology annual meeting, on the occasion of receiving the Leonardo da Vinci award. It provides a synoptic intellectual autobiography of the author, treating the development of her work on Vitruvianism, ideas concerning contextualism, some of the scholars that have most influenced her work, and her present project on engineering in sixteenth-century Rome.
Amelioration of Hyperglycemia in Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Mice With Fetal Pancreatic Allografts: Prevention of Rejection by Donor Specific Transfusion in Conjunction With CTLA4Ig

Introduction Fetal pancreas has been considered as an alternative donor source for islet transplantation since it has potent capacity for &bgr; cell differentiation and proliferation. However, prevention of fetal pancreatic allograft rejection can be hardly achieved compared with adult islet allografts. Aims The aim of the study is to determine whether donor specific transfusion (DST) in conjunction with CTLA4Ig has any favorable effect on prevention of fetal pancreatic allograft rejection in mice. Methods BALB/c splenocytes (SPC, 1 × 107) were injected iv into C57BL/6 mice in conjunction with CTLA4Ig (ip, 50 &mgr;g, day 0, 2, and 4). Fourteen days later, the mice were made diabetic with streptozotocin (STZ, iv) and donor specific or third party pancreatic allografts were transplanted beneath the kidney capsule. Results Morphologically, it was found that rejection of fetal pancreatic allografts can be prevented at 30 days after transplantation only when donor specific allografts were grafted into the mice treated with DST in conjunction with CTLA4Ig. Functionally, 3 out of 9 diabetic mice became normoglycemic by 120 days after transplantation of fetal pancreatic allografts. Conclusion DST in conjunction with CTLA4Ig can have a favorable effect on prevention of fetal pancreatic allograft rejection resulting in amelioration of STZ-induced diabetes in mice.
enome-Wide Association Scan of Trait Depression

esults: Meta-analytic results for genotyped or imputed single nucleotide polymorphisms indicate that the strongest association signals or trait depression were found in RORA (rs12912233; p 6 10 ), a gene involved in circadian rhythm. A plausible biological association as also found with single nucleotide polymorphisms within GRM8 (rs17864092; p 5 10 ), a metabotropic receptor for glutamate, a ajor excitatory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system.
Ruminal degradability of hard or soft texture corn grain at three maturity stages

The predominance of vitreous endosperm in hard texture flint corn (Zea mays L.) can decrease ruminal starch digestion comparatively to the farinaceous endosperm of dent corn, reducing energy content of the grain. The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the effects of texture and maturity stage on ruminal degradability of corn grain. Two dent and two flint hybrids were harvested at the early dent, half milk line, and black layer stages. The proportion of vitreous endosperm (vitreousness) in dent hybrids was 44.3%, while in flint it was 67.0%. There was a linear increase in vitreousness with advancing maturity. Flint hybrids at the early dent stage were more vitreous than dent at the black layer stage. The increase in vitreousness per maturation day was greater for flint hybrids. Grains were incubated in situ in the rumen of 6 cows. The 24-hour ruminal dry matter degradation was 63.3% for dent corn and 52.4% for flint corn. The 72-hour incubation residues of dent and flint hybrids were 7.6% and 15.6%, respectively. Ruminal degradability was similar between hybrids at the early dent and half milk line stages. There was a marked texture effect on ruminal degradability at the black layer stage (quadratic effect of maturity stage and interaction between texture and maturity stage). Use of dent hybrids, compared to flint hybrids, may result in smaller relative reduction in ruminal starch digestion in situations of late grain harvesting.
Plasma sLOX-1 is a potent biomarker of clinical remission and disease activity in patients with seropositive RA

Abstract Objectives: Soluble lectin-like oxidized low-density lipoprotein receptor 1 (sLOX-1) is present in the circulation and synovial fluid in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The aim of this study was to assess whether sLOX-1 level is associated with clinical remission and disease activity in patients with RA. Methods: Clinical and laboratory data were analyzed for 282 patients with RA. Plasma sLOX-1 level was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The remission status and sLOX-1 levels were compared between four groups of patients based on the positivity of rheumatoid factor (RF) and anti-citrullinated protein antibodies (ACPAs). Relationships between sLOX-1 level and the 28-joint Disease Activity Score with erythrocyte sedimentation rate (DAS28-ESR) were analyzed by multivariate logistic regression. Results: The patients in the RF + ACPA + group tended to exhibit higher sLOX-1 levels when compared to the other three groups. In the RF + ACPA + group, the sLOX-1 level was significantly higher in the non-remission group than in the remission group, irrespective of treatment. Multivariate logistic regression showed significant correlations between sLOX-1 level and DAS28-ESR. Conclusions: sLOX-1 level might be a useful biomarker for assessing clinical remission and disease activity in double-positive RA patients.
Screening of Tree Species for Improving Outdoor Human Thermal Comfort in a Taiwanese City

Tropical cities can use urban greening designs featuring trees that provide shade and cooling in hot outdoor environments. The cooling effect involves numerous tree characteristics that are not easy to control during planting design, such as the canopy size and the optical properties of leaves. Planting the appropriate tree species dominates the cooling effects and the human thermal environment. Based on environmental and plant data, including the tree species, crown diameter of trees, physiologically equivalent temperature (PET), and sky view factor (SVF) in an outdoor space, a series of hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) procedures was implemented to identify the tree species that are appropriate for improving thermal comfort. The results indicated strong correlations between SVF, average crown diameter, and PET. SVF decreased as the average crown diameter increased. For the average crown diameter of trees in an area wider than 1.5 m, the cooling effect was especially dominated by the tree species. Therefore, 15 species were screened by HCA procedures, based on a similar cooling effect. These species had various cooling effects, and were divided into four categories. Tree species, such as Spathodea campanulata and Cinnamomum camphora, had the appropriate crown diameter and cooling effect for the most comfortable thermal environment.