Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect Driven Evolution: Information Systems Architecture for Large Dynamic Organizations

Abstract A new approach is proposed to evolutionary information system engineering. The approach aims to provide high-quality support for large and complex socio-technical systems. The main idea is to replace usual developer framework of formal restrictions and tasks with the developer framework of local transparency and high motivation to increase total system quality as far as possible. This idea assumes a monitoring subsystem which records, measures properly and displays the real income of each developer activity to system quality (and evolve with the system itself). The quality indicators should reflect related changes in users satisfaction, resource usage and system transparency, which is necessary for successive selection of promising evolution direction. Another assumption is that system not only allows such a monitoring, but allows local changes to be safely tested and adopted independently (and also in a safe way rejected later if necessary). System should be inconsistency tolerant and extremely truthwise. It may look like mashup of Wikipedia, social network and BPM, but it can't be obtained as combination of them. The sketch of possible innovative system architecture to support all the features together is briefly described.
Robust dynamic exchange of implementation aspects

We show a technique for consistent dynamic exchange of different aspects of implementations of abstract data types, in particular data structure representations and algorithms. Previous work showed how one single aspect's implementation can be exchanged dynamically without running into robustness problems if other aspects are guaranteed to be fixed. The present work generalizes this idea in the sense that all aspects' implementations may be exchanged arbitrarily at run time where robustness is preserved. We use finite state machines where each state represents a combination of the different implementations and each transition an exchange of exactly one aspect's implementation. We use these state machines to check for the robustness of a class within a certain application context.
Computational modeling of radiofrequency ablation: evaluation on ex vivo data using ultrasound monitoring

Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is the most widely used minimally invasive ablative therapy for liver cancer, but it is challenged by a lack of patient-specific monitoring. Inter-patient tissue variability and the presence of blood vessels make the prediction of the RFA difficult. A monitoring tool which can be personalized for a given patient during the intervention would be helpful to achieve a complete tumor ablation. However, the clinicians do not have access to such a tool, which results in incomplete treatment and a large number of recurrences. Computational models can simulate the phenomena and mechanisms governing this therapy. The temperature evolution as well as the resulted ablation can be modeled. When combined together with intraoperative measurements, computational modeling becomes an accurate and powerful tool to gain quantitative understanding and to enable improvements in the ongoing clinical settings. This paper shows how computational models of RFA can be evaluated using intra-operative measurements. First, simulations are used to demonstrate the feasibility of the method, which is then evaluated on two ex vivo datasets. RFA is simulated on a simplified geometry to generate realistic longitudinal temperature maps and the resulted necrosis. Computed temperatures are compared with the temperature evolution recorded using thermometers, and with temperatures monitored by ultrasound (US) in a 2D plane containing the ablation tip. Two ablations are performed on two cadaveric bovine livers, and we achieve error of 2.2 °C on average between the computed and the thermistors temperature and 1.4 °C and 2.7 °C on average between the temperature computed and monitored by US during the ablation at two different time points (t = 240 s and t = 900 s).
Agricultural Producer Perceptions of Climate Change

This study examines U.S. crop producers’ perceptions of climate change, its effects on crop agriculture, and likely ways farmers would adapt to weather extremes. Based on a survey of crop producers in four states, we find that a significant proportion of farmers do not perceive that climate change has been scientifically proven and do not believe that it will adversely affect average crop yields and yield variability. Farmers are likely to diversify crops, buy crop insurance, modify lease arrangements, and exit farming in response to extreme weather caused by climate change.
Running head: DEVELOPMENT OF FALSE MEMORIES The Production of Spontaneous False Memories in Childhood

We found evidence that the usual developmental trends in children’s spontaneous false memories were eliminated using novel stimuli containing obvious themes. That is, children created more false memories than adults when scenes had to be remembered. In Experiment 1, 7/8-year-olds had higher false memory rates than adults when using visual scenes. Experiment 2 showed that gist cuing could not account for this effect. In Experiment 3, children and adults received visual scenes and story contexts in which these scenes were embedded. For both types of stimuli, we found that children had the highest false memory rates. Our results indicate that the underlying theme of these scenes is easily identified resulting in our developmental false memory trend.
Kinematics of flight and the relationship to the vortex wake of a Pallas' long tongued bat (Glossophaga soricina)

SUMMARY To obtain a full understanding of the aerodynamics of animal flight, the movement of the wings, the kinematics, needs to be connected to the wake left behind the animal. Here the detailed 3D wingbeat kinematics of bats, Glossophaga soricina, flying in a wind tunnel over a range of flight speeds (1–7 m s−1) was determined from high-speed video. The results were compared with the wake geometry and quantitative wake measurements obtained simultaneously to the kinematics. The wingbeat kinematics varied gradually with flight speed and reflected the changes observed in the wake of the bats. In particular, several of the kinematic parameters reflected the differences in the function of the upstroke at low and high flight speeds. At lower flight speeds the bats use a pitch-up rotation to produce a backward flick which creates thrust and some weight support. At higher speeds this mechanism disappears and the upstroke generates weight support but no thrust. This is reflected by the changes in e.g. angle of attack, span ratio, camber and downstroke ratio. We also determined how different parameters vary throughout a wingbeat over the flight speeds studied. Both the camber and the angle of attack varied over the wingbeat differently at different speeds, suggesting active control of these parameters to adjust to the changing aerodynamic conditions. This study of the kinematics strongly indicates that the flight of bats is governed by an unsteady high-lift mechanism at low flight speeds and points to differences between birds and bats.
CHIC - Converting Hamburgers into Cows

We have developed a methodology and workflow (CHIC) for the automatic semantification and structuring of legacy textual scientific documents. CHIC imports common document formats (PDF, DOCX and (X)HTML) and uses a number of toolkits to extract components and convert them into SciXML. This is sectioned into text-rich and data-rich streams and stand-off annotation (SAF) is created for each. Embedded domain specific objects can be converted into XML (Chemical Markup Language). The different workflow streams can then be recombined and typically converted into RDF (Resource Description Format).
DISLIPIDEMIA ATEROGÉNICA EN LATINO AMÉRICA: PREVALENCIA, CAUSAS Y TRATAMIENTO

In the current clinical guidelines, atherogenic dyslipidemia (AD) is a poorly recognized entity. Due to the frequent lipid alterations associated with AD in Latin America (LA), we organized a group of experts named Latin American Academy for the study of Lipids (ALALIP), to generate a document for analyzing its prevalence and to offer practical recommendations. Using the Delphi methodology, we conducted a comprehensive literature review, with emphasis on those publications with implications for LA. Subsequently we developed key questions to be discussed. In LA there is no a global study on risk factors that represent the entire population. The systematic analysis of national health surveys and regional cohort studies showed a consistent high prevalence of the lipid abnormalities that define AD. Low high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) ranges from 34.1% to 53.3% and elevated triglycerides (TG) from 25.5% to 31.2%, more prevalent in men. There are multiple causes: high consumption of foods with a high caloric density, cholesterol and trans fats, sedentary lifestyle and epigenetic changes. AD must be well treated with therapeutic changes in lifestyle with increased in physical activities, regular exercise and a diet with a low proportion of carbohydrates y rich in poliunsatured fatty acid, such as omega-3 fatty acid as primary intervention. If needed, this strategie must be supplemented with pharmacological therapies such as monotherapy with statins or a combination of fibrates plus omega-3.fatty acid. Lipid abnormalities that define AD have a high prevalence in LA; the interaction between non-healthy lifestyle, inheritance and epigenetic changes, possibly are its cause. AD is an important cause of cardiovascular residual risk (CVRR), that must be diagnosed and treated. It is important and neccesary to design a global study of risk factors in LA to know the true prevalence of AD.
Intelligent System Stability using Type-2 Fuzzy Controller

To avoid mathematical complexity, Interval T2FSs (IT2FSs) have been pertained in majority of the fields. Type-2 Fuzzy sets (T2FSs) handle a greater modelling and uncertainties which exist in the real world applications especially in control systems. One of the important components which influence the fuzzy controller is the triangular norms which are the aggregation operators. For getting the stability of a control system T Norm operator can be preferred. Gaussian Interval Type-2 Membership Function (GIT2MF) has been used in this paper. Also mathematical properties of aggregation operator are proved using Gaussian Interval Type-2 Weighted Arithmetic (GIT2WA) Operator. The aim of this work is analyzing the stability of an inverted pendulum using Interval Type-2 Fuzzy Logic controller (IT2FLC) and the results are compared with traditional Proportional Integrated Derivative (PID) Controller. It is observed that IT2FL controller gives better stability under imprecise condition.
Semantic Data Broadcast for a Mobile Environment Based on Dynamic and Adaptive Chunking

Database broadcast is an effective and scalable approach to disseminate information of high affinity to a large collection of mobile clients. A common problem of existing broadcast approaches is the lack of knowledge for a client to determine if all data items satisfying its query could be obtained from the broadcast. We therefore propose a semantic-based broadcast approach. A semantic descriptor is attached to each broadcast unit, called a data chunk. This semantic descriptor allows a client to determine if a query can be answered entirely based on broadcast items and, if needed, identify the precise definition of the remaining items in the form of a "supplementary" query. Data chunks can be of static or dynamic sizes and organized hierarchically. Their boundary can be determined on-the-fly, adaptive to the nature of client queries. We investigate different ways of organizing the data chunks over a broadcast channel to improve access performance. We introduce the data affinity index metric, which more accurately reflects client-perceived performance. A simulation model is built to evaluate our semantic-based broadcast schemes.
Artemisa: An eco-driving assistant for Android Os

This paper proposes an eco-driving assistant that facilitates the user to learn the techniques of efficient driving. The Artemisa's assistant evaluates the driver's driving style taking into account some environmental as well as some vehicles's variables such as speed, gear, R.P.M, etc. Besides, tips are inferred to teach efficient driving habits. Compared to other similar systems, the Artemisa's assistant runs on a mobile device with Android O.S. and it does not need to install additional hardware.
Effects of syndemics on HIV viral load and medication adherence in the multicentre AIDS cohort study

Objectives:The objective of this study is to determine associations between intertwining epidemics (syndemics) and HIV medication adherence and viral load levels among HIV-positive MSM and to test whether adherence mediates the relationship between syndemics and viral load. Design:We analysed participant data collected between 2003 and 2009 from the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study, a prospective HIV/AIDS cohort study in four U.S. cities. Methods:We conducted longitudinal analyses (repeated measures mixed models) to assess whether differences in viral load levels, undetectable viral load and self-reported HIV medication adherence were associated with count of syndemic conditions (substance use, depression symptoms and sexual risk behaviour, range 0–3), adjusting for race/ethnicity, age and income. Mediation analyses were conducted using structural equation modelling and the SAS %mediate macro. Results:Syndemics count was associated with higher viral loads (P < 0.0001) and lower adherence (P < 0.0001). Increased counts of concomitant syndemics were associated with viral load (P < 0.01), detectable viral load (P < 0.05) and adherence (P < 0.001). Black MSM experienced worse outcomes across domains than white MSM (P < 0.0001) and experienced higher overall rates of syndemics (P < 0.01). Adherence significantly mediated the relationship between syndemics and viral load, accounting for an estimated 32.3% of the effect (P < 0.05). Conclusion:Effectively lowering viral load levels among MSM has implications for both HIV/AIDS prevention and care. Our findings suggest that integrating substance use interventions, mental healthcare and sexual risk prevention into standard HIV care may be necessary to optimize treatment and Treatment as Prevention (TasP) models.
Estimating the Effect of Palliative Care Interventions and Advance Care Planning on ICU Utilization: A Systematic Review*

Objective: We conducted a systematic review to answer three questions: 1) Do advance care planning and palliative care interventions lead to a reduction in ICU admissions for adult patients with life-limiting illnesses? 2) Do these interventions reduce ICU length of stay? and 3) Is it possible to provide estimates of the magnitude of these effects? Data Sources: We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Controlled Clinical Trials, and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature databases from 1995 through March 2014. Study Selection: We included studies that reported controlled trials (randomized and nonrandomized) assessing the impact of advance care planning and both primary and specialty palliative care interventions on ICU admissions and ICU length of stay for critically ill adult patients. Data Extraction: Nine randomized controlled trials and 13 nonrandomized controlled trials were selected from 216 references. Data Synthesis: Nineteen of these studies were used to provide estimates of the magnitude of effect of palliative care interventions and advance care planning on ICU admission and length of stay. Three studies reporting on ICU admissions suggest that advance care planning interventions reduce the relative risk of ICU admission for patients at high risk of death by 37% (SD, 23%). For trials evaluating palliative care interventions in the ICU setting, we found a 26% (SD, 23%) relative risk reduction in length of stay with these interventions. Conclusions: Despite wide variation in study type and quality, patients who received advance care planning or palliative care interventions consistently showed a pattern toward decreased ICU admissions and reduced ICU length of stay. Although SDs are wide and study quality varied, the magnitude of the effect is possible to estimate and provides a basis for modeling impact on healthcare costs.
Extraction of query term-related visual phrases for news video retrieval using mutual information

This paper presents an approach to query term-related visual phrases extraction using mutual information for object-based news video retrieval. As visual words are useful for object representation, unstable visual words generally appear in the frame sequence of a shot. Using the appearance frequency of the visual words in a sliding window over the query term-related stories, the appearance pattern of a visual word is adopted to characterize the visual word. Based on the appearance pattern of a visual word, the mutual information between two visual words can be estimated over all of the extracted stories. The mutual information is then used to construct a visual word relation graph. Visual phrases are then extracted by discovering the complete sub-graphs from the visual word relation graph for news video retrieval. Experiments were conducted on the MATBN news video database and the experimental results show that a good precision rate for video news retrieval can be achieved.
Socioeconomic Status, Access to Health Care, and Outcomes After Acute Myocardial Infarction in Canada's Universal Health Care System

Background:There is a debate as to whether universal drug coverage confers similar access to care at all socioeconomic status (SES) levels. Experiences in Canada may bring light to questions raised regarding access. Objective:To assess associations between SES and access to cardiac care and outcomes in Canada's universal health care system. Design, Setting, and Patients:All patients admitted to acute care hospitals in Quebec (QC), Ontario (ON), and British Columbia (BC), between 1996 and either 2000 (QC) or 2001 (ON, BC) with acute myocardial infarction, were identified using provincial government administrative databases (n = 145,882). Measurements:Variables representing SES grouped at the census area level were examined in association with use of cardiac medications and procedures, survival, and readmission, while adjusting for individual-level variables. A Bayesian hierarchical logistic regression model was used to account for the nested structure of the data. Results:Despite provincial variations in SES and drug reimbursement policies, there were generally no associations between the SES variables and access to cardiac medications or invasive cardiac procedures. The few exceptions were not consistent across SES indicators and/or provinces. Similarly, the only observed effect of SES on clinical outcomes was in BC, where there was increased 1-year mortality among patients living in less-affluent regions (adjusted odds ratios per standard deviation change in proportion of low-income households, 95% Bayesian credible intervals, QC: 1.09, 0.96–1.25; ON: 1.02, 0.95–1.08; and BC: 1.18, 1.09–1.28). Conclusions:These results suggest that intermediary factors other than SES, such as cardiovascular risk factors, likely account for observed “wealth–health” gradients in Canada. Implementation of a universal drug coverage policy could decrease socioeconomic disparities in access to health care.
Studies on the energy metabolism of the pregnant sow

1. Twenty-six gilts were used in an experiment to study the effects of level of feed intake on the growth and chemical composition of the gravid uterus and mammary tissue at several stages of gestation. The animals were given either 1.8 or 2.5 kg feed/d (20 or 30 MJ metabolizable energy (ME) respectively) and were slaughtered at intervals between days 40 and 110 of gestation. The gravid uterus was dissected into fetal, placental, fluid and empty uterus components. From day 70 of gestation the mammary tissue was also dissected. The fresh weight and dry matter (DM), energy and nitrogen contents of the various tissues were determined. 2. (a) With the exception of the fluid component, there was a significant increase (P < 0.01) in the fresh weight of each tissue with both stage of gestation and level of feeding. At comparable litter sizes the total weight of the fetuses in late gestation was 16% higher with the higher feed intake. (b) The DM content of the individual uterine tissues increased significantly (P < 0.01) with increase in stage of gestation so that the mean DM content of the gravid uterus increased from 74.6g/kg at day 50 to 103.1 and 159, 0g/kg at days 90 and 110 of gestation respectively. (c) Neither stage of gestation nor feeding level influenced the respective energy contents of the individual uterine tissues, when expressed per g DM. The mean energy content of the total gravid uterus was 19.5 kJ/g DM. (d) The N content (g/g fresh weight) of the tissues increased with stage of gestation and was generally higher at the higher feeding level. The mean N contents (g/g DM) of the fetal, placental, fluid and empty uterine tissues were 0.090, 0, 101, 0.098 and 0.128 respectively. 3. The mammary tissue was the most variable of all the tissues investigated. Whereas the fresh weight and N content increased with stage of gestation, both the DM and energy content decreased. 4. Gompertz equations were fitted to describe the effects of stage of gestation, level of feed intake and litter size on the fresh weight and chemical content of the individual uterine tissues, total gravid uterus and mammary tissue. The use of these equations for calculating the nutrient requirements of pregnancy is demonstrated. 5. It was calculated that between days 50 and 110 of gestation the ME requirement for reproduction increased from 3 to 12% of maternal energy intake. The calculated requirement for protein was from 7 to 41 % of maternal dietary protein intake respectively.