Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Process mining support for Capability Maturity Model Integration‐based software process assessment, in principle and in practice

Currently used software process improvement methods such as the Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI) rely in their process assessments on information, which is gathered during interviews, in oral audit sessions, and from quality manuals and process standard reviews. Although valuable information about software processes can be gained in these assessments, the resulting data quality can be improved upon. This paper investigates the potential of process mining to support current software process assessment and improvement approaches. Based on an analysis of CMMI from a process mining perspective, particular CMMI model components are identified for which it is in principle possible to apply process mining techniques. Subsequently, criteria have been defined to select, with respect to these particular CMMI components, software processes for which process mining has an added value. These criteria have been applied in the selection of a particular ‘minable’ software process, that is, a change control process. Subsequently, the results of a case study from industrial practice, on the process mining of a change control board process, are used to illustrate that process mining can provide CMMI assessors with relevant information. This information reflects the actual or ‘real’ software processes in practice, and as such, it offers an excellent basis to support assessors in understanding the ‘actual’ software processes. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
An empirical examination of the associations between social tags and Web queries

Introduction . We aim to discover the associations between social tags for a Web page and Web queries that would retrieve the same Webpage in three major search engines. Method . 4,827 query terms were submitted to the three major search engines to acquire search engine results pages. A series of Perl scripts were written to read search engine results pages and to identify, analyse, and extract organic links Analysis . Web pages from the organic links in search engine results pages were examined to see whether and how they had been tagged in Delicious. Only the Webpages tagged by at least 100 taggers were included in this study. The top thirty popular social tags used were harvested. The two sets of data were quantitatively analysed to investigate the research questions. Results . At least 60% of search engines' query terms overlapped with social tags in Delicious; higher ranked social tags were more likely to be used as query terms for the same Web resources; and the co-occurring pattern of query terms and social tags over social ranking resembled a power law distribution. Conclusions . Socially tagged resources are likely to be highly ranked in search engine results pages. The findings can be applicable to the future study of Web resource related tasks such as Web searching and Web indexing.
Employee Retirement Education Programs: An Important Part of Corporate Social Responsibility

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is becoming increasingly important to organizations wishing to create a sustainable competitive advantage by attracting quality employees. The focus of this paper is to offer a framework for organizations to create CSR internally using relationship marketing principles. The framework for this propositional development is employee retirement options. The authors discuss the decline of the defined benefit pension plan, the increase in 401 (k) retirement plans, and the issues facing employees. Suggestions are offered regarding how organizations can create employee loyalty and improve corporate social responsibility within their organization by educating employees on their various retirement options.
Intoxication aiguë sévère par les pesticides organophosphorés: à propos de 28 cas

Abstract Les pesticides organophosphorés (POP) sont des pesticides organiques de synthèse, largement utilisés en agriculture essentiellement comme insecticide, nemacide ou acaricide. Ce sont les produits agricoles, les plus incriminés dans les intoxications dans notre contexte. L’objectif de ce travail était de déterminer les caractéristiques cliniques, paracliniques, et évolutives de cette intoxication en milieu de réanimation. Étude rétrospective portant sur les cas admis en réanimation (2003-2010). Les critères d’inclusion étaient d’ordre clinique, para clinique, thérapeutique et évolutif. 28 cas ont été recensés: 19 femmes et 9 hommes, âge moyen= 24,5±11 ans. La tentative de suicide était le principal motif d’intoxication (19cas). Le Glasgow coma score était en moyenne de 11±4. Le syndrome central, était présent chez 78 % de nos patients, suivi du syndrome muscarinique 71% et le syndrome nicotinique dans 53% des cas. La prise en charge thérapeutique a consisté à la ventilation mécanique dans 50% des cas, l’usage des drogues vasoactives dans 14% des cas et l’administration d’un traitement antidotique dans 64 % des cas. La mortalité globale était de 25%. Les pesticides organophosphorés sont les toxiques agricoles, le plus souvent incriminés dans notre contexte. Les symptômes résultent d’une importante accumulation d’Acétylcholine (Ach) dans l’organisme; responsable de l’apparition des trois syndromes caractéristiques. Le diagnostic biologique se fait par le dosage de l’activité cholinestérasique dans le plasma. Le traitement associe des mesures symptomatiques qui reposent essentiellement sur la réanimation respiratoire et neurologique au traitement antidotique. L’évolution clinique dans ce type d’intoxication, est généralement favorable sous traitement avec régression des signes en quelques jours. Le décès est essentiellement, le fait d’une insuffisance respiratoire de mécanismes multiples: encombrement bronchique réalisant une véritable “noyade interne”, bronchoconstriction, paralysie des muscles respiratoires, œdème pulmonaire d’évolution gravissime.
Effect of acetylcholine stimulation on calcium and sodium uptake by the isolated rat pancreas.

1. The role of Ca2+ and Na+ ions in 'stimulus‐secretion' coupling in the isolated uncinate pancreas of 4‐week‐old rats has been examined using radioisotope tracer techniques. The amount of 45Ca2+ and 22Na+ (mumole/g wet wt.) taken up by unstimulated glands was compared to that of glands in which amylase release was stimulated by ACh(10(‐5) M) at various incubation times. 2. The amount of 45Ca taken up by the glands within 60 min of incubation was not found to be increased by the presence of ACh(10(‐5) M). In fact, during short incubation periods the 45Ca uptake was significantly less in the stimulated glands than the unstimulated glands. 3. Presence of ACh(10(‐5) M) did cause a significant initial increase in 22Na uptake lasting up to 20 min from onset of stimulation. 4. These results indicate that the rise in intracellular Ca2+ concentration which is suggested by an increase in 45Ca efflux during the action of pancreatic secretagogues, is not a consequence of increased 45Ca uptake by the pancreas; but they indicate that an initial action of ACh could be to elicit an increase in Na+ influx and that Na+ ions are likely to be involved in the action of ACh on pancreatic acinar cells.
Management of technology and innovation

THIS is my final issue as Editor-in-Chief (EiC) of IEEE's Engineering Management Review. Dr. Joe Sarkis, professor at Worcester Polytechnic Institutes' Foisie School of Business, the new 2018 Editor-in-Chief has been working with his team of Associate Editors to provide thoughtful content for all of us working in the field of managing engineering, technology, and innovation. As you have been informed in the TEMS LEADER, EMR will include all original content beginning in 2018 and published on the same schedule as in the past years.
Performance of UAV(Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) communication system adapting WiBro with array antenna

Recently, demands on civilian UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) has been increasing and appropriate communication system is being required for the UAV environment. In this paper, we have explained the WiBro(Wireless Broadband) based UAV system structures. We also propose adaptive vertical array antenna technique into WiBro modem for UAV communication system to overcome altitude limitation of the UAV caused by restricted antenna coverage of the WiBro base-station.
The long arm of Northern consumers – a lever for Southern rights?

The concept of ‘private governance’ in global value chains refers to the fact that lead firms increasingly integrate monitoring of environmental, social and labour standards into their supply chain management. Growing concern by consumers in Northern markets about unequal distribution of benefits, hazardous working conditions and social dislocation for primary producers and workers in developing countries prompt Northern retailers and brand-named manufacturers to enter certification schemes. The risk of media exposure and activist pressure drives efforts to comply with own corporate standards or those set and audited by non-governmental organisations. While corporate social responsibility initially was enacted by way of a communication strategy, proactive interventions for achieving positive social, economic and environmental impacts are now being adopted. At the same time, donors are targeting upgrading for primary producers of agricultural commodities in Africa, interventions to address critical constraints in their value chains, and increased access to export markets as measures to stimulate economic growth. The setting of social, labour and environmental standards is based on international conventions, which provide legitimacy to the audience of Northern consumers. But how are such standards perceived in the Southern context? Do they contribute to strengthen claims of some social actors, do they support the exercise of rights, or are they largely not known in political discourses? Do some standards on the longer term translate into government regulation?
Refinement of Gerbil Housing and Husbandry in the Laboratory

Mongolian gerbils, Meriones unguiculatus, are widely used as model species in parasitology, and in research on epilepsy and ischaemia. When kept under standard laboratory housing conditions, gerbils develop two distinctive behavioural abnormalities: stereotypic digging and bar chewing. Our work centred on assessing the mechanisms leading to these stereotypies. We aimed at finding practical housing and husbandry solutions that would prevent the development of such stereotypies in the laboratory by addressing the behavioural needs of gerbils. Faecal cortisol levels were used as a non-invasive method to compare stress reactions in gerbils housed under different conditions. Stereotypic digging was caused by the lack of a burrow in the laboratory cage, while stereotypic bar chewing was caused by premature separation of juveniles from their family before the birth of younger siblings. An integrated artificial burrow system is presented that prevents the development of stereotypic digging in gerbils, and adaptations in husbandry routines are suggested that significantly reduce the incidence of bar chewing. We conclude that simple refinement of housing is effective in improving gerbil welfare in the laboratory.
Causes of blindness at the “Wiyata Guna” School for the Blind, Indonesia

Aim: To determine the anatomical site and patterns of cause of blindness in one of the biggest schools for the blind in Indonesia with a view to determining potentially preventable and treatable causes. Methods: 165 students in one school for the blind in Bandung, Indonesia, were examined clinically and data reported using the WHO/PBL childhood blindness assessment form. Results: Most of the students (96.4%) were blind (BL); 3% were severely visually impaired (SVI). The major causes of SVI/BL in this study were: (1) corneal staphyloma, corneal scar, and phthisis bulbi (mainly attributed to infection) in 29.7%; (2) retinal dystrophies (mainly Leber congenital amaurosis, early onset retinitis pigmentosa) in 20.6%; (3) congenital and familial cataract (13.3%); (4) microphthalmus, anophthalmus (10.9%). The whole globe was the major anatomical site of visual loss (32.7%), followed by the retina (26.0%), cornea (17.6%), lens (13.3%), optic nerve (6.1%), and uvea (4.3%). Conclusions: This is a small study in a selected population and the results should be interpreted with caution. This blind school study, adopting the WHO/PBL eye form for data analysing, is the first reported for Indonesia. Hereditary disease and infective causes of blindness are the predominant causes of blindness, accounting for 42.4% and 29.7%, respectively. This pattern of causes is a mixed pattern which lies in an intermediate position between the patterns seen in developing countries and those seen in developed countries. The importance both of preventive public health strategies and of specialist paediatric ophthalmic and optical services in the management of childhood blindness in Indonesia are therefore strongly suggested to cover the problems that exist.
Variability in absolute apparent diffusion coefficient values across different platforms may be substantial: a multivendor, multi-institutional comparison study.

PURPOSE To determine whether and to what degree absolute apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values vary between different imagers, vendors, field strengths, and intraimager conditions. MATERIALS AND METHODS Informed consent and institutional review board approval were obtained. Diffusion-weighted (DW) images with nearly identical parameters were obtained at 1.5 and 3.0 T from 12 healthy volunteers at seven institutions by using 10 magnetic resonance (MR) imagers provided by four different vendors. ADC maps were generated from isotropic DW maps, and images with a b value of 0 sec/mm(2) were generated by using in-house software. The mean pixel values for the brain tissues were calculated for evaluating the differences among coil systems, imagers, vendors, and magnetic field strengths. RESULTS The absolute ADC values of gray and white matter from the same vendor varied substantially: 4%-9% at 1.5 and 3.0 T. With the exception of one vendor, the intervendor variability at 1.5 T was as high as 7%. Moreover, there was substantial intraimager variability, up to 8%, depending on the coil systems in certain imagers. CONCLUSION There is significant variability in ADC values depending on the coil systems, imagers, vendors, and field strengths used for MR imaging. The relative ADC values may be more suitable than absolute ADC values for evaluating diffusion abnormalities in patients enrolled in multicenter acute ischemic stroke trials.
Is the Mexican Stock Market Becoming More Efficient

En este trabajo se estudia la evoluci´on reciente de la eficiencia del mercado en la Bolsa Mexicana de Valores probando la hip´otesis de que los precios de las acciones tienden a ser “m´as eficientes” a trav´es del tiempo. Para ello se observa la evoluci´on de los coeficientes de las regresiones entre los rendimientos individuales de las acciones y un “proxy” del portafolio del mercado. La muestra fue seleccionada bajo el criterio de mayor bursatilidad. Con base en el trabajo de Morck, Yeung y Yu (2000) se utiliz´o un ”portafoliomuestra del mercado” (MPSP) que incluy´o a 27 grandes emisoras (con respecto de una medida relativa de la capitalizaci´on), de gran bursatilidad, listadas en la Bolsa Mexicana de Valores. La base de datos incluy´o precios diarios de cierre entre enero de 1999 y mayo de 2010. Los resultados de las pruebas indican que hay una tendencia a la baja en la magnitud del promedio de R2 durante la primera mitad de la d´ecada, pero hay una inflexi´on en la tendencia en los ´ultimos tres a˜nos del periodo bajo estudio, lo cual puede ser explicado por la extraordinaria turbulencia que prevaleci´o durante la crisis financiera 2007-2009.
Epidemiology of end-stage renal disease: International comparisons of renal replacement therapy

Epidemiology of renal replacement therapy: International comparisons of renal replacement therapy. Renal replacement therapy (RRT) remains the most important tool for all patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in the world. Patients are usually listed in the national renal registries which report demographic data, incidence, prevalence and outcome. Differences in acceptance of the RRT, patient demographics, socioeconomic burdens and national health care legislature influence the validity of international comparisons of ESRD therapy. For this reason, the renal registries decided to organize an international collaborative study group, the International Federation of Renal Registries (IFRR), for improving the standardization of renal databases and for promoting international collaborative studies. Demographic data from renal registries in 1996 showed that approximately 1,000,000 of ESRD patients received RRT throughout the world and approximately 200,000 new patients started RRT. The different distribution of patients in the world is strongly influenced by the level of gross domestic product (GDP), since economical crisis may influence the number of patients starting RRT. The reported incidence and prevalence values of ESRD patients in RRT from the renal registries show these differences. The mortality rate of these patients is notably influenced by the percentage of enrolled diabetic RRT patients. Therefore, important differences in outcome of RRT depend on the underlying disease which is a determinant factor of prognosis. Other factors responsible for the outcome are represented by dialysis dose, type of membrane, erythropoietin and nutritional status.
Effect of Sildenafil on Renin Secretion in Human Subjects

Sildenafil is a potent and selective inhibitor of the cyclic GMP-specific phosphodiesterase (PDE5) that is very effective in the treatment of male impotence. It inhibits breakdown of cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) formed in penile smooth muscle cells in response to stimulation by nitric oxide resulting in muscle relaxation. PDES is widely distributed in the body, being present in the vasculature, platelets, and kidneys. In the kidney, PDE5 is involved in the regulation of sodium excretion and renin secretion. The aim of the present investigation was to investigate the effect of sildenafil, in doses used clinically, on renin secretion in human subjects. The studies were performed in two groups of healthy normotensive subjects: one in which sodium intake was unrestricted, and one in which sodium intake was restricted to 600 mg/day. Blood pressure and heart rate were monitored throughout the study, and blood samples for the measurement of plasma cGMP and cAMP concentrations and plasma renin activity (PRA) were collected. After control measurements, the subjects ingested a capsule containing sildenafil or placebo. Cardiovascular measurements and blood sampling continued for the next 120 min. Sildenafil had only minor cardiovascular effects. Diastolic pressure tended to be lower and heart rate was generally higher after sildenafil than after placebo, but the differences were small. Sildenafil caused a prompt and sustained increase in plasma cGMP concentration and a more gradual increase in plasma cAMP concentration. After the subjects received placebo, there was a progressive decrease in PRA during the 2-hr observation period, presumably reflecting the circadian rhythm in renin secretion. In contrast, PRA failed to decrease after the subjects received sildenafil, thus indicating that sildenafil exerts a stimulatory action on renin secretion. This action on renin secretion may help explain why sildenafil only has minor effect on blood pressure despite the widespread distribution of PDE5 in vascular tissues.
The 24-hour plasma thyrotrophin profile.

1. Daily fluctuations in the plasma concentrations of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) and growth hormone (GH) have been studied in six normal males by using a 24 h continuous blood-sampling technique and a highly sensitive and specific radioimmunoassay for TSH. 2. In all subjects the plasma concentrations of the two hormones were increased at night. The TSH concentrations rose approx. 2 h before the onset of sleep but the peak concentration coincided with the GH peak 2 h after the commencement of sleep. In three subjects who slept in the afternoon, additional peaks of GH activity were found and in two cases peaks of TSH activity also occurred. 3. The mean data from all subjects showed a significant circadian variation of TSH secretion with a maximum between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m. and a minimum between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m.
Initial experience with oral contrast in PET/CT: phantom and clinical studies.

UNLABELLED The aims of the study were to evaluate the effects of oral contrast on apparent tracer activity measured with PET/CT when using CT attenuation correction and to report our initial experience in the use of oral contrast with PET/CT. METHODS Phantom studies with (18)F activity and saline bags or syringes filled with barium or gastrografin of varying densities were performed using a PET/CT scanner (CT attenuation correction). In the study, 91 clinical patients received dilute oral contrast and were evaluated by whole-body (18)F-FDG PET. RESULTS A phantom experiment with CT contrast (1.3% weight/volume [w/v] barium) showed a "cold" area in the cold stomach whereas a phantom with high-density barium (98% w/v) showed an artifactual focus of intense "activity" in the cold stomach. In clinical studies, stomach and right colon were opacified by CT contrast. Maximal measured contrast density was 239 Hounsfield units. CONCLUSION High-density barium causes overestimation of tissue (18)F-FDG concentration. Low-density barium does not cause significant artifacts and appears suitable for clinical use.