Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of rhythmic handgrip exercise on cardiovascular system in otherwise healthy obese subjects

Introduction: Obesity is a topic of increasing concern and is associated with decreased physical activity. Some dysregulation in a mechanism causing cardiovascular, and hemodynamic adjustments during exercise (Meta boreflex; a feed-back mechanism originating in skeletal muscle due to local metabolites) has been demonstrated in obese subjects. Aims and objective: The purpose of this study is to see the effect of metaboreflex by rhythmic handgrip exercise on hemodynamic parameters (Blood pressure(BP), cardiac output(CO)/index(CI), stroke volume(SV)/index(SVI), pulse rate(PR), systemic vascular resistance(SVR)/index(SVRI)) in subjects with obesity. Method and Materials: A total of 26 subjects, aged between 25 to 45 years were enrolled in this study and classified into a) subjects(18 in number) with normal or overweight BMI, and b) subjects(8 in number) with obese BMI. Hemodynamic parameters were evaluated by impedance cardiovasography in supine position, after 5 minutes of rest. Maximum Voluntary Contraction was measured by Handgrip Dynamometer. Rhythmic handgrip exercise was done at 30% of the subjects’ MVC (for 2 mins), followed by post exercise cuff occlusion to enhance metaboreflex, for 2 mins (20 mm Hg above systolic). Parameters were assessed post rhythmic exercise. Results: Following exercise, there was vasoconstriction mediated pressor response (statistically significant increase in diastolic BP) and flow mediated pressor response (statistically significant increase in systolic BP) in normal subjects. In subjects with obese BMI, there was a statistically significant reduction in SVR and therefore a reduction in vasoconstriction mediated pressor response. Decrease in SVR also caused an increased flow mediated response (CO). Conclusion: In this study, it can be concluded that obese BMI decreases vasoconstriction response due to Metaboreflex and therefore Metaboreflex can act as a predictor of cardiovascular risks in obesity.
A left-handed/right-handed leaky-wave antenna derived from slotted rectangular hollow waveguide

A low-profile leaky wave antenna based on a composite left-handed/right-handed substrate integrated waveguide is presented. It utilizes the fact, that the H10 rectangular hollow waveguide mode can be represented by a lumped element equivalent circuit model, where only the series capacitor is missing as compared to the lumped element equivalent circuit model of a composite left-handed/right-handed transmission line. The series capacitor is realized by transverse slots in the upper major side of the waveguide, which are bridged by metallic strips located in a plane slightly below the upper side. Thus, sufficiently large capacitors can be realised and the periodic sections can be kept relatively short as compared to the wavelength. Moreover, the open configuration exhibits parasitic radiation leading to the leaky-wave antenna. Simulation results show an antenna with high efficiency and good matching to a 50 Omega microstrip line over a wide bandwidth, where backward and forward scanning as well as broadside radiation with an achieved maximum gain up to 10.15 dBi is possible dependent on the chosen operation frequency.
Study on Key Technologies of Agricultural Information Hotspots based on Big Data Analysis

Agricultural information is growing rapidly, how to quickly get valuable agricultural information is very important to agricultural policy makers and producers. The paper discusses key technologies of agricultural information hotspots based on big data analysis. The method of information access and analysis technology is given, and the agricultural information hotspots system is developed and discussed. The test result shows that the agricultural information hotspots system can provide value information for agricultural policy makers and producers.
Cultural Evolution of Genetic Heritability

Behavioral genetics and cultural evolution have both revolutionized our understanding of human behavior, but largely independently of each other. Here we reconcile these two fields using a dual inheritance approach, which offers a more nuanced understanding of the interaction between genes and culture, and a resolution to several long-standing puzzles. For example, by neglecting how human environments are extensively shaped by cultural dynamics, behavioral genetic approaches systematically inflate heritability estimates and thereby overestimate the genetic basis of human behavior. A WEIRD (Western, educated, industrialized, rich, democratic) gene problem obscures this inflation. Considering both genetic and cultural evolutionary forces, heritability scores become less a property of a trait and more a moving target that responds to cultural and social changes. Ignoring cultural evolutionary forces leads to an over-simplified model of gene-to-phenotype causality. When cumulative culture functionally overlaps with genes, genetic effects become masked, or even reversed, and the causal effect of an identified gene is confounded with features of the cultural environment, specific to a particular society at a particular time. This framework helps explain why it is easier to discover genes for deficiencies than genes for abilities. With this framework, we predict the ways in which heritability should differ between societies, between socioeconomic levels within some societies but not others, and over the life course. An integrated cultural evolutionary behavioral genetics cuts through the nature–nurture debate and elucidates controversial topics such as general intelligence.
THE NEXUS BETWEEN DISCRETIONARY EXPENDITURES AND CORRUPTION: INDUSTRY LEVEL PERSPECTIVES FROM BRIC AND TURKEY

The conflict of interest between the managers and owners within opportunistic behaviours? of managers has been a significant area of finance research. Uncontrolled moral hazard in management may result some typical forms of behaviours like excessive perquisite consumption, non-optimal investment decision, inefficient use of assets and discretionary expenditures. Their effects have a potential to destruct firm? s financial performance and the shareholder? s wealth. Several studies revealed the measurement of this managerial moral hazard behaviour by using accounting-based performance ratios. In this study, firms? discretionary expenditures have been used as a proxy for managerial behaviour related to moral hazard. This problem can be more severe as a result of the bribery implications of firms and corruption issues. Taking all this account, this paper attempts to investigate the nexus between firms? discretionary expenditures and corruption giving industry level perspectives from emerging markets and identifies the sectors that are most affected.The dataset constitutes 466 non-financial firms operating in four large emerging countries BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, China) and Turkey covering the 10 year time span from 2005-2014. Results reveal that all industries in the sample countries with a high control of corruption tend to face less moral hazard related behaviour taking into account industrial differences. However, considering industrial breakdown reveal interesting findings. For some industries an upward sloping relationship has been seen between the control of corruption and the proxy for moral hazard related behavior, which indicates that the higher the level of corruption control, the higher moral hazard.
Design of a high precision logarithmic converter in a binary floating point divider

In most floating‐point operations related with 3D graphic applications for mobile devices, properly approximated data calculations with reduced complexity and low power are preferable to exactly rounded floating‐point operations with unnecessary preciseness of cost. Among all the sophisticated floating‐point arithmetic operations, division is the most complicated and time consuming. We adopted the concept of the logarithmic number system and proposed a novel approach of designing a hardware logarithm converter to utilize the advantage of the transformation of the division into a simple subtraction. The proposed piecewise interpolation method with differential coefficients for logarithmic conversion greatly reduces the error range compared with the previous studies. The comparison between our divider and the conventional precision divider shows that the throughput has been considerably improved with slightly increased gate counts, where the difference of the results is sufficiently tolerable for mobile 3D graphic applications. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Analyzing adaptive parameter landscapes in parameter adaptation methods for differential evolution

Since the scale factor and the crossover rate significantly influence the performance of differential evolution (DE), parameter adaptation methods (PAMs) for the two parameters have been well studied in the DE community. Although PAMs can sufficiently improve the effectiveness of DE, PAMs are poorly understood (e.g., the working principle of PAMs). One of the difficulties in understanding PAMs comes from the unclarity of the parameter space that consists of the scale factor and the crossover rate. This paper addresses this issue by analyzing adaptive parameter landscapes in PAMs for DE. First, we propose a concept of an adaptive parameter landscape, which captures a moment in a parameter adaptation process. For each iteration, each individual in the population has its adaptive parameter landscape. Second, we propose a method of analyzing adaptive parameter landscapes using a 1-step-lookahead greedy improvement metric. Third, we examine adaptive parameter landscapes in three PAMs by using the proposed method. Results provide insightful information about PAMs in DE.
A Two-Level Energy Method for Indirect Boundary Observability and Controllability of Weakly Coupled Hyperbolic Systems

This work is concerned with the boundary observability of an abstract system of two coupled second order evolution equations, the coupling operator being a compact perturbation of the uncoupled system. We assume that only one of the two components of the unknown is observed. This is indirect observability. We prove that by observing only one component, one can get back a full weakened energy of both components under a compatibility condition linking the operators of each equation and for small coupling. Using the Hilbert uniqueness method, we then establish an indirect exact controllability result. We apply this abstract result to several coupled systems of partial differential equations (wave-wave, coupled elastodynamic systems, Petrowsky-Petrowsky, and wave-Petrowsky systems).
The many faces of Mac‐1 in autoimmune disease

Mac‐1 (CD11b/CD18) is a β2 integrin classically regarded as a pro‐inflammatory molecule because of its ability to promote phagocyte cytotoxic functions and enhance the function of several effector molecules such as FcγR, uPAR, and CD14. Nevertheless, recent reports have revealed that Mac‐1 also plays significant immunoregulatory roles, and genetic variants in ITGAM, the gene that encodes CD11b, confer risk for the autoimmune disease systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). This has renewed interest in the physiological roles of this integrin and raised new questions on how its seemingly opposing biological functions may be regulated. Here, we provide an overview of the CD18 integrins and how their activation may be regulated as this may shed light on how the opposing roles of Mac‐1 may be elicited. We then discuss studies that exemplify Mac‐1's pro‐inflammatory versus regulatory roles particularly in the context of IgG immune complex‐mediated inflammation. This includes a detailed examination of molecular mechanisms that could explain the risk‐conferring effect of rs1143679, a single nucleotide non‐synonymous Mac‐1 polymorphism associated with SLE.
Neuregulin 1 Controls Glutamate Uptake by Up-regulating Excitatory Amino Acid Carrier 1 (EAAC1)*

Background: NRG1 and its receptor ErbB4 are schizophrenia susceptibility genes. Results: NRG1 induced the up-regulation of EAAC1 with an increase in glutamate uptake. Conclusion: NRG1/ErbB4 signaling influences glutamate uptake by increasing the EAAC1 protein level. Significance: These results contribute to understanding of a possible mechanism of NRG1/ErbB4 signaling that may be linked to the neural circuitry disruption in schizophrenia. Neuregulin 1 (NRG1) is a trophic factor that is thought to have important roles in the regulating brain circuitry. Recent studies suggest that NRG1 regulates synaptic transmission, although the precise mechanisms remain unknown. Here we report that NRG1 influences glutamate uptake by increasing the protein level of excitatory amino acid carrier (EAAC1). Our data indicate that NRG1 induced the up-regulation of EAAC1 in primary cortical neurons with an increase in glutamate uptake. These in vitro results were corroborated in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) of mice given NRG1. The stimulatory effect of NRG1 was blocked by inhibition of the NRG1 receptor ErbB4. The suppressed expression of ErbB4 by siRNA led to a decrease in the expression of EAAC1. In addition, the ablation of ErbB4 in parvalbumin (PV)-positive neurons in PV-ErbB4−/− mice suppressed EAAC1 expression. Taken together, our results show that NRG1 signaling through ErbB4 modulates EAAC1. These findings link proposed effectors in schizophrenia: NRG1/ErbB4 signaling perturbation, EAAC1 deficit, and neurotransmission dysfunction.
Ecotourism between Theory and Practice: Empirical Analysis of the Tourism Industry of Whale Watching in Húsavík (Iceland)

Whale watching is a dynamic industry and, in particular in a country like Iceland, where tourism is currently playing a leading role in the national economy and where nature – understood in a broad sense – represents the main attraction for visitors, whale watching, rapidly grown during the last years, shows an evident potential under an ecotouristic point of view. In recent times, an increasing need for the understanding of interactions between humans (tourists) and wildlife (whales) emerged, highlighting the interest towards environmental conservation, protection and preservation matters and towards the search for activities, and modalities, that could essentially contribute to the sustainability of tourism experiences, such as wildlife tourism ones. It is difficult to argue with the fact that whale watching uses the whale “asset” in a non-destructive way, unlike whaling, activity still commercially conducted in Iceland, but at the same time it can’t be considered ecotouristic and sustainable a priori. In fact, several studies point out how tourism has a disturbing effect on wildlife and negatively affects their ecology and short- to long-term behaviours. This article, after a general introduction on the main ecotourism principles, examines the whale watching industry of the “Whale Capital of Iceland”, Husavik, and it mainly focuses on the results and data of two researches conducted in the field – respectively among whale watchers and among the local whale watching companies. The purpose of this work is to investigate if and how Husavik whale watching is following an environmentally sustainable and ecotouristic path, and to bring into light its strengths and weaknesses as a whale watching destination.
Prevalence of regional and distant metastasis in cats with advanced oral squamous cell carcinoma: 49 cases (2005–2011)

The objective of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of regional and distant metastasis in cats with advanced oral squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) in a retrospective case series. Forty-nine cats with cytologically- or histopathologically-confirmed oral SCC presented to the Matthew J Ryan Veterinary Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. History, clinical and laboratory results, diagnostic imaging findings and survival times were obtained from the medical records of patients who received diagnostic evaluation for metastasis. The prevalence of metastasis was assessed by means of mandibular lymph node cytology and three-view thoracic radiography. The prevalence of mandibular lymph node metastasis was 31% (15/49). Evidence of possible thoracic metastasis was seen in 10% (5/49) of cases. Of the patients with mandibular lymph node metastasis, 53% (8/15) were maxillary, 27% mandibular (4/15), 13% sublingual (2/15) and 7% caudal pharyngeal (1/15). Pulmonary metastasis was seen in three mandibular, one maxillary and one sublingual mass. Forty-one patients died or were euthanased owing to progression of local disease, and seven patients were lost to follow-up. The prevalence of regional metastasis in this study was more common than most previously reported studies, while the rate of pulmonary metastasis was higher than has previously been published. Although significant conclusions cannot be drawn, control of the primary tumor, regardless of tumor size at diagnosis, appears to be an important factor in improving survival time, and therefore treatment of metastasis may be important in those cases where long-term control of the primary tumor is possible.
Linear and Nonlinear Simulations Using the EUTERPE Gyrokinetic Code

In this paper, we report on simulations that have recently been carried out using the EUTERPE gyrokinetic code. The scaling of the code has been studied up to 20 000 processing elements. Linear and nonlinear simulations of ion temperature-gradient instabilities have been carried out in screw-pinch geometry, and the results are compared with those previously obtained using the TORB code, finding a good agreement. The influence of a finite β on the growth rates of instabilities and on the zonal flows in a screw-pinch has also been studied. The results are compared with previous ones.
Do Workplace Health Promotion (Wellness) Programs Work?

Objective:To respond to the question, “Do workplace health promotion programs work? ” Methods:A compilation of the evidence on workplace programs' effectiveness coupled with recommendations for critical review of outcome studies. Also, reviewed are recent studies questioning the value of workplace programs. Results:Evidence accumulated over the past three decades shows that well-designed and well-executed programs that are founded on evidence-based principles can achieve positive health and financial outcomes. Conclusions:Employers seeking a program that “works” are urged to consider their goals and whether they have an organizational culture that can facilitate success. Employers who choose to adopt a health promotion program should use best and promising practices to maximize the likelihood of achieving positive results.
SOCIAL NETWORKS IN SUPPORTING EDUCATION

Information technologies have exhibited great progress. Not just too far back, when we consider the last 25-30 year period, in terms of comparison of previous and modern communication tools, inconceivable progress can be observed. Type and variety of inter-personal communication have displayed continuous advancement in this new era introduced by technology. Whereas new emerging communication forms remove the distances among people, they bring up new dimensions to interpersonal information exchange at the same time. Such an extensive usage of internet impels educators to utilize from social networks more than ever. By forming various social groups in these networks, information share and communication within groups intensifies. Social Network Websites (SNW) which facilitate cooperation among users and enable them to form communities are products of Web 2.0 technologies (Balcikanli, 2010). As result of enhanced communication between teacher and student through established SNWs, education process can be maintained more effectively.
Variability Among US Intensive Care Units in Managing the Care of Patients Admitted With Preexisting Limits on Life-Sustaining Therapies.

IMPORTANCE Although the end-of-life care patients receive is known to vary across nations, regions, and centers, these differences are best explored within a group of patients with presumably similar care preferences. OBJECTIVE To examine the proportions of patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) with limitations on life-sustaining treatments and the proportions of such patients who receive aggressive care across individual ICUs. DESIGN, SETTINGS, AND PARTICIPANTS Retrospective cohort study using the Project IMPACT database (from April 1, 2001, to December 31, 2008) including 141 ICUs in 105 hospitals in the United States and 277,693 ICU patient visits. We used logistic regression analysis models adjusted for available patient characteristics and clustered visits by individual ICU. The full analysis was last performed in October 2014. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Outcomes included the provision of (1) cardiopulmonary resuscitation, (2) new forms of life support, and the (3) addition or (4) reversal of treatment limitations. RESULTS Of the ICU admissions evaluated, 4.8% (95% CI, 4.7%-4.9%) had previously established treatment limitations. Patients admitted with treatment limitations were more likely to be older with more functional limitations and comorbidities. Among patients who survived to hospital discharge, more experienced reversals of existing treatment limitations during the ICU stay (17.8% [95% CI, 17.0%-18.7%]) than additions of new limits (11.7% [95% CI, 11.1%-12.4%]) (P < .01). Among patients who died, 15.7% (95% CI, 14.7-16.8%) had received cardiopulmonary resuscitation. After risk adjustment, ICUs varied widely in the proportions of patients admitted with treatment limitations (median, 4.0%; range, <1.0%-20.9%), the proportions of those who received cardiopulmonary resuscitation (37.7% [95% CI, 3.8%-92.4%]), the proportions of new forms of life support (30.0% [95% CI, 6.0%-84.2%]), and, among survivors, the proportion who had new treatment limitations established (11.2% [95% CI, 1.9%-57.3%]) and reversal of treatment limitations during or following ICU admission (20.2% [95% CI, 1.8%-76.2%]). The observed variability could not be consistently explained using measurable center-level characteristics. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Intensive care units vary dramatically in how they manage care for patients admitted with treatment limitations. Among patients who survive, escalations in the aggressiveness of care are more common during the ICU stay than are de-escalations in aggressiveness. This study cannot directly measure whether care received was consistent with patients' preferences but suggests that ICU culture and physicians' practice styles contribute to the aggressiveness of care.
Unsupervised image segmentation using defocus map and superpixel grouping

Image segmentation is an important and difficult issue in computer vision and image processing. It is categorized into two categories, supervised image segmentation and unsupervised image segmentation. The supervised method are not convenient since it needs the interactions of users. In this paper, we proposed an unsupervised method. It uses a defocus map, edge and color as similarity attributes of pixels or superpixels to generate an edge strength map. Then, we construct a minimum spanning tree with the superpixels and the edge map to divide the image to the foreground and background. In our experiment, our method doesn't need user interaction and the performance is better than previous superpixels grouping methods.