Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Development of multispecies algal bioassays using flow cytometry

Multispeciesalgal bioassays, suitable for assessing copper toxicity, were developed with three marine (Micromonas pusilla, Phaeodactylum tricornutum, and Heterocapsa niei) and three freshwater (Microcystis aeruginosa, Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata, and Trachelomonas sp.) microalgae. Flow cytometry was used to separate and count algal signals based on pigment fluorescence and cell size. Species were mixed together on the basis of equivalent surface areas to avoid the confounding effect on toxicity of increased biomass for metal binding. Under control conditions (no added copper), M. pusilla growth was inhibited in the presence of the other marine microalgae compared to single‐species tests, while the opposite was true (i.e., growth stimulation) for M. aeruginosa and P. subcapitata in freshwater mixtures. Competition for nutrients, including CO2, and algal exudate production may account for these effects. Interactions between microalgal species also had a significant effect on copper toxicity to some species. In freshwater multispecies bioassays, the toxicity of copper to Trachelomonas sp. was greater in the presence of other species, with copper concentrations required to inhibit growth (cell division) rate by 50% (72‐h [IC50]) decreasing from 9.8 to 2.8 μg Cu/L in single‐ and multispecies bioassays, respectively. In contrast, in marine multispecies bioassays, copper toxicity to the marine diatom P. tricornutum was reduced compared to single‐species bioassays, with an increase in the 72‐h IC50 value from 13 to 24 μg Cu/L. This reduction in copper toxicity was not explained by differences in the copper complexing capacity in solution (as a result of exudate production) because labile copper, measured by anodic stripping voltammetry, was similar for P. tricornutum alone and in the mixture. These results demonstrate that single‐species bioassays may over‐ or underestimate metal toxicity in natural waters.
Fault simulation for multiple faults by Boolean function manipulation

We propose a fault simulation technique for multiple faults based on a deductive fault simulation method. The main difficulty in the development of a technique for multiple fault simulation is handling a very large number of multiple faults. Conventional deductive simulation using Linear lists to store fault sets is not appropriate for such large sets of multiple faults. Our approach to this problem is to represent sets of multiple faults by Boolean functions. We assign a distinct code word to each multiple fault and represent the fault by a minterm corresponding to its code word. Then, set operations in deductive simulation are replaced by logic operations. As an internal representation of fault sets, we use shared binary decision diagrams. The method of coding multiple faults is a key to efficient simulation. We propose a coding method called FNT coding. We also propose a fault dropping method, called prime fault dropping, which is used efficiently with our multiple fault simulation technique. Experimental results show that our technique effectively handles multiple faults at significantly lower computation cost. >
CLINICIAN ’ S CORNER THE RATIONAL CLINICAL EXAMINATION Does This Patient Have Dementia ?

Ms A, an 81-year-old retired nursing instructor who is recently widowed and lives alone, arrives in your office. She is accompanied by her daughter who decided to miss work and attend the appointment because she wanted you to know that her mother has become increasingly forgetful during the past 6 months. The patient is misplacing her glasses and keys more often, and she complains of difficulty sleeping and poor concentration. You must address whether the memory complaints are indicative of a dementia or if she has anxiety, depression, or is merely noting poorer recall associated with normal aging.
Towards an enhanced VM placement solution for power-aware cloud environments

This paper describes the already completed and verified first stage of a work in progress that aims to port a proposed optimised framework for virtual machine placement on hosts in a given cloud computing datacentre. The previously implemented and simulated framework using Matlab is being transferred to a richer cloud computing simulation environment that is CloudSim. The use of CloudSim permits, apart from validating the previous research, the introduction of many additional parameters and criteria in the simulated scenario thus enabling a far richer and in-depth analysis of the benefits and drawbacks of the proposed solution, such as power-awareness, that is an additional feature included in CloudSim libraries.
Production and characterization of immortalized rat hepatocytes secreting hepatocyte growth factor/scatter factor.

BACKGROUND/AIMS Hepatocyte transplantation is a recently attractive field in the treatment of liver failure and enzyme-deficient diseases. However, procurement of sufficient quantities of hepatocytes is almost impossible. We attempted to create a hepatocyte cell line that could be used for hepatocyte transplantation. METHODOLOGY L2A2 is a conditionally immortalized rat hepatocyte cell line produced by transfection of temperature-sensitive simian virus T antigen to the hepatocytes in the Lewis rat. Hepatocyte Growth Factor/Scatter Factor (HGF/SF)-secreting L2A2 cells, designated as SF-21, was produced by transfecting human HGF/SF cDNA into L2A2 cells. RESULTS This cell line was able to produce HGF/SF at the rate of 5-10 ng/10(6) cells/24 hrs, and the recombinant HGF/SF was of the expected size and was functionally active in that it could scatter Madin-Darby canine kidney cells. The SF-21 cells grew faster than its parental cell clone, and survived and proliferated at 37 degrees C in vitro. Also, the SF-21 cells were able to survive and proliferate when transplanted into the spleen of syngeneic rat, and expressed glucose-6-phosphatase. CONCLUSIONS These HGF/SF-secreting hepatocytes can be used as a model system to test a feasibility of using genetically engineered hepatocyte cell line for hepatocyte transplantation in the rat.
A high efficiency unidirectional DC/DC converter for integrating distributed resources into DC microgrids

This paper presents a novel unidirectional DC/DC converter that can be used to transfer power from distributed resources such as Solar PV or Fuel Cells into a DC microgrid. The converter is based on the LLC topology but designed to operate in a specific region of the gain curve that provides several benefits to integration of renewable energy sources into a constant DC bus. The isolated converter shows very high efficiency, full range of zero current switching, and simple control. The novel topology also has the inherent attribute of balancing the voltage on a bipolar DC bus by automatically shifting the processed power to the pole with the lower voltage.
Long-Term Follow-up of Syme Amputations for Peripheral Vascular Disease Associated with Diabetes Mellitus

Ten patients underwent Syme amputation for diabetic peripheral vascular disease between 1980 and 1986 and were observed postoperatively for an average of 5 years. Surgical wounds healed in only five of the 10 patients; they were then fitted for a permanent Syme's prosthesis. All failures resulted from the inability to heal the surgical incisions primarily. The clinical records of these patients were retrospectively analyzed for predictors of successful clinical outcome. The ischemic index, grade of the lesion, initial wound treatment, and presence of the infection at the time of amputation were not found to be reliable predictors of a successful level of amputation. Clinical assessment of both the vascular and nutritional status of the patient was necessary to predict a successful result at this level of amputation.
Development and analysis of genetic algorithms: Sudoku case study

This paper discusses the design and subsequent analysis of software implementing a configurable genetic algorithm. The genetic algorithm is primarily targeted towards the solving of Sudoku puzzles. Sudoku is regarded as an ideal test-bed for algorithm development due to the fact that it is a constrained optimisation problem that belongs to the NP-complete class of computational problems. The aim of this paper is to outline the various features currently implemented in the software, and to present preliminary results of an analysis of various aspects of the underlying genetic algorithm.
Predictors of multi-organ dysfunction in heatstroke

Background: Heatstroke is a medical emergency that results from failure of thermoregulatory mechanism coupled with an exaggerated acute phase response, causing an elevation in core body temperature that rises above 40°C, producing multi-organ dysfunction. It carries a high mortality rate, and in survivors, a risk of permanent neurological damage. Objective: To investigate predictors of multiple organ dysfunction syndrome in patients presenting with heatstroke. Methods: We investigated 28 patients admitted to a hospital in southern India during the period January 1998 to December 2001. Using a standard form, we collected data on the patients’ characteristics, laboratory data, and outcome, and compared those with multiple organ dysfunction with those without such dysfunction. Results: We found that more than three quarters of the studied patients developed multiple organ dysfunction, with the most common dysfunction being respiratory failure. Among the selected predictors, metabolic acidosis 14 of 16 patients, 87.5%; p = 0.011, elevated CPK 17 of 19 patients, 89.5%; p = 0.005, and liver enzymes elevated more than twice the normal (11 of 18 patients, 61%; p = 0.02) had the highest correlation with dysfunction of two or more organs. Conclusions: The high mortality observed in heatstroke is secondary to multi-organ dysfunction, and among the various parameters assessed, high levels of CPK (>1000 IU/l), metabolic acidosis, and elevated liver enzymes are predictive. Aggressive measures to lower the body temperature with other supportive therapy could substantially reduce the mortality.
Monte Carlo simulations of adult and pediatric computed tomography exams: validation studies of organ doses with physical phantoms.

PURPOSE To validate the accuracy of a Monte Carlo source model of the Siemens SOMATOM Sensation 16 CT scanner using organ doses measured in physical anthropomorphic phantoms. METHODS The x-ray output of the Siemens SOMATOM Sensation 16 multidetector CT scanner was simulated within the Monte Carlo radiation transport code, MCNPX version 2.6. The resulting source model was able to perform various simulated axial and helical computed tomographic (CT) scans of varying scan parameters, including beam energy, filtration, pitch, and beam collimation. Two custom-built anthropomorphic phantoms were used to take dose measurements on the CT scanner: an adult male and a 9-month-old. The adult male is a physical replica of the University of Florida reference adult male hybrid computational phantom, while the 9-month-old is a replica of the University of Florida Series B 9-month-old voxel computational phantom. Each phantom underwent a series of axial and helical CT scans, during which organ doses were measured using fiber-optic coupled plastic scintillator dosimeters developed at the University of Florida. The physical setup was reproduced and simulated in MCNPX using the CT source model and the computational phantoms upon which the anthropomorphic phantoms were constructed. Average organ doses were then calculated based upon these MCNPX results. RESULTS For all CT scans, good agreement was seen between measured and simulated organ doses. For the adult male, the percent differences were within 16% for axial scans, and within 18% for helical scans. For the 9-month-old, the percent differences were all within 15% for both the axial and helical scans. These results are comparable to previously published validation studies using GE scanners and commercially available anthropomorphic phantoms. CONCLUSIONS Overall results of this study show that the Monte Carlo source model can be used to accurately and reliably calculate organ doses for patients undergoing a variety of axial or helical CT examinations on the Siemens SOMATOM Sensation 16 scanner.
Exploring embodied speculation in participatory design and innovation

In this one-day learning workshop, we explore how embodied speculation in participatory design and innovation can help stakeholders imagine, critically reflect and engage in dialogue about the social opportunities and ethical implications of emerging technologies. The workshop starts with a round table discussion about relevant criteria when conducting embodied speculations. We then engage in embodied speculation ourselves, focusing on identifying the social opportunities and ethical implications of Quantified Self technologies for the year 2026. We end the workshop by reflecting on our experiences with these embodied speculations to foster knowledge exchange and learning. We reach out to participants with different professional backgrounds in the fields of design and innovation that would like to learn about embodied speculative techniques and who would like to explore the research opportunities this opens up.
Real-time dynamic background segmentation based on a statistical approach

Background modeling is usually the first step in vision-based surveillance systems. Subsequent foreground segmentation can then be performed by comparing the variations between the current image and the reference background of the monitored scene. Various approaches have been proposed to deal with this issue. They differ in the type of background models used. However, these approaches emphasize only what the distribution of the background looks like, not what the real actions of the background are taken place during some period of time. In this paper, we propose a real-time background model that can automatically self-adjust to the scene changes. The experimental results show that the proposed background model has better performance over others in terms of noise suppression and the preservation of foreground details. In addition, our model can also operate correctly at night. Furthermore, it can effectively resist shaking of cameras and objects.
E‐cadherin germline mutations define an inherited cancer syndrome dominated by diffuse gastric cancer

To extend earlier observations of germline E‐cadherin mutations in kindreds with an inherited susceptibility to diffuse gastric cancer, we searched for germline E‐cadherin mutations in five further families affected predominantly by diffuse gastric cancer and one family with a history of diffuse gastric cancer and early‐onset breast cancer. Heterozygous inactivating mutations were found in the E‐cadherin gene in each of these families. No mutation hotspots were identified. These results demonstrate that germline mutation of the E‐cadherin gene is a common cause of hereditary diffuse gastric cancer and suggest a role for these mutations in the incidence of breast cancer. Hum Mutat 14:249–255, 1999. © 1999 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
GAS-EXCHANGE PATTERNS OF MEDITERRANEAN FRUIT FLY PUPAE (DIPTERA: TEPHRITIDAE): A TOOL TO FORECAST DEVELOPMENTAL STAGE

Abstract The pattern of gas-exchange (CO2 emission) was investigated for developing Mediterranean fruit fly (medfly) Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann) pupae incubated at different temperatures. This study was undertaken to explore the usefulness of gas-exchange systems in the determination of physiological age in developing pupae that are mass produced for sterile insect technique projects. The rate of CO2 emission was measured in a closed flow-through system connected to commercial infrared gas analysis equipment. Metabolic activity (rate of CO2 emission) was related to pupal eye-color, which is the current technique used to determine physiological age. Eye-color was characterized digitally with 3 variables (Hue, Saturation and Intensity), and color separated by discriminant analysis. The rate of CO2 emission throughout pupal development followed a U-shape, with high levels of emission during pupariation, pupal transformation and final pharate adult stages. Temperature affected the development time of pupae, but not the basic CO2 emission patterns during development. In all temperatures, rates of CO2 emission 1 and 2 d before adult emergence were very similar. After mid larval-adult transition (e.g., phanerocephalic pupa), digital eye-color was significantly correlated with CO2 emission. Results support the suggestion that gas-exchange should be explored further as a system to determine pupal physiological age in mass production of fruit flies.
International Conference on Knowledge-Based and Intelligent Information & Engineering Systems-KES 2014 Prediction model using micro-clustering

This study proposes a method of clarifying the purchase consciousness of customers by conceptualizing their awareness as consumers. Specifically, the method addresses the purchase record data of the customer, uses micro-clustering based on the data polishing technique to conceptualize the customer’s mind according to the items that the customer has purchased, and uses a regularized regression model to build a prediction model based on the conceptualization. Micro-clustering is an algorithm for clustering graphs, and the data polishing technique clarifies the unclear hidden dense structures in the graph so that we can exhaustly enumerate with simple methods. By this method, we can obtain clusters of strongly correlated items, which are commonly purchased, are obtained. The clusters represent the customers’ minds, and thus we used them to build a classification model in an application; a model with the predictor variables representing the customers of health-conscious. c © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. Selection and peer-review under responsibility of KES International.
Transitional hemodynamics in intracranial aneurysms - Comparative velocity investigations with high resolution lattice Boltzmann simulations, normal resolution ANSYS simulations, and MR imaging.

PURPOSE Blood flow in intracranial aneurysms has, until recently, been considered to be disturbed but still laminar. Recent high resolution computational studies have demonstrated, in some situations, however, that the flow may exhibit high frequency fluctuations that resemble weakly turbulent or transitional flow. Due to numerous assumptions required for simplification in computational fluid dynamics (CFD) studies, the occurrence of these events, in vivo, remains unsettled. The detection of these fluctuations in aneurysmal blood flow, i.e., hemodynamics by CFD, poses additional challenges as such phenomena cannot be captured in clinical data acquisition with magnetic resonance (MR) due to inadequate temporal and spatial resolutions. The authors' purpose was to address this issue by comparing results from highly resolved simulations, conventional resolution laminar simulations, and MR measurements, identify the differences, and identify their causes. METHODS Two aneurysms in the basilar artery, one with disturbed yet laminar flow and the other with transitional flow, were chosen. One set of highly resolved direct numerical simulations using the lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) and another with adequate resolutions under laminar flow assumption were conducted using a commercially available ANSYS Fluent solver. The velocity fields obtained from simulation results were qualitatively and statistically compared against each other and with MR acquisition. RESULTS Results from LBM, ANSYS Fluent, and MR agree well qualitatively and quantitatively for one of the aneurysms with laminar flow in which fluctuations were <80 Hz. The comparisons for the second aneurysm with high fluctuations of > ∼ 600 Hz showed vivid differences between LBM, ANSYS Fluent, and magnetic resonance imaging. After ensemble averaging and down-sampling to coarser space and time scales, these differences became minimal. CONCLUSIONS A combination of MR derived data and CFD can be helpful in estimating the hemodynamic environment of intracranial aneurysms. Adequately resolved CFD would suffice gross assessment of hemodynamics, potentially in a clinical setting, and highly resolved CFD could be helpful in a detailed and retrospective understanding of the physiological mechanisms.
Clinical Outcomes Of Minimally Invasive Intersegmental Bilateral Decompression Via A Unilateral Approach For Degenerative Lumbar Spine Stenosis

This is a retrospective review of prospectively collected data, from a group of one hundred-eight patients, who underwent minimally invasive surgical treatment for lumbar stenosis. All patients were operated by single surgeon, consecutive series (n=108). Informed consent was obtained from all patients. All patients were assessed using Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) for pain and Oswestery disability index (ODI) preoperatively as well as postoperatively. The preoperative diagnoses were lumbar spinal stenosis without instability. The indications for surgery were moderate to severe stenosis in patients who had persistent, leg dominant, claudicant/radicular pain. All patients underwent minimally invasive intersegmental bilateral decompression via a unilateral approach. Patients with radiological signs of instability were not offered this type of surgery.
Export behaviour: a study of Spanish SMEs

En este articulo se definen los distintos patrones de comportamiento de exportacion de las PYME teniendo en cuenta tres grupos de factores: 1) el sector empresarial en el que se desarrolla la empresa; 2) determinadas caracteristicas relacionadas con la empresa y 3) el mercado de destino. Nuestros resultados muestran que existen cinco perfiles de exportacion distintos que reflejan los distintos grados de compromiso en su expansion internacional y sus distintas estrategias.
Temperature-Dependent Remote-Coulomb-Limited Electron Mobility in $\hbox{n}^{+}$-Polysilicon Ultrathin Gate Oxide nMOSFETs

Additional electron mobility due to remote scatterers in n+-polysilicon 1.65-nm gate oxide (SiO2) n-channel metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors is experimentally extracted at three different temperatures (i.e., 233, 263, and 298 K). The core of the extraction process consists of simulated temperature-dependent universal mobility curves and Matthiessen's rule in a mobility universality region. Resulting additional mobility for the first time experimentally exhibits a negative temperature coefficient, confirming interface plasmons in a polysilicon depletion region to be dominant remote Coulomb scatterers. We also present corroborative evidence as quoted in the literature, including: 1) calculated temperature-dependent remote Coulomb mobility due to ionized impurity atoms in a polysilicon depletion region; 2) experimentally assessed additional mobility at room temperature; and 3) simulated remote Coulomb mobility due to interface plasmons in a polysilicon depletion region as well as its temperature coefficient. Validity of Matthiessen's rule used in this paper is verified.