Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Autonomic differences between athletes and nonathletes: spectral analysis approach.

The purpose of this study was to assess the adaptive effects of endurance training on autonomic function in athletes with spectral analysis of cardiovascular variability signals. Continuous ECG, arterial blood pressure (ABP), and respiratory signals were recorded from 15 athletes (VO2max > 55 mL.min-1.kg-1) and 15 nonathletes (VO2max < 45 mL.min-1.kg-1) during 10 min at sitting position. Autonomic function was assessed by low frequency power (LF power: 0.06-0.14 Hz) and high frequency power (HF power: the region of the respiratory frequency based on respiratory spectrum) obtained from the autospectra of RR interval, systolic arterial pressure (SAP), and diastolic arterial pressure (DAP) variability signals. The spontaneous baroreflex sensitivity was evaluated by the moduli, BRSLF and BRSHF, of the transfer function between RR interval and SAP variability in LF and HF bands. The resting HR in athletes was significantly lower than that in nonathletes. The HF power, an index of parasympathetic activity, in RR interval spectra were significantly higher in athletes than in nonathletes. Meanwhile, the LF power (an indicator of sympathetic activities contributing to RR interval and of ABP variabilities) showed no significant difference between both groups, although that of athletes was slightly less than that of nonathletes. Also, BRSLF and BRSHF were not significantly different between athletes and nonathletes. These results indicate that endurance training results in the enhanced vagal activities in athletes, which may contribute in part to the resting bradycardia.
Automating metadata for dynamic datasets

Data and metadata are intrinsically connected. Both are vital components of a complete dataset and neither should be viewed as separate entities. Real-time and hourly data collections are dynamic, driving the need for amended metadata to record these types of observations. Metadata is simply data about data that documents the characteristics of the data, such as condition, quality, and content. There is a vast array of various metadata standards such as the ISO 1911* series for Geographic information, the North American Profile of ISO (NAP), the Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) standards, Directory Interchange Format (DIF) metadata, and library metadata standards such as Dublin Core (DC). Each of these standards is also available in a variety of formats, such as text, HTML, XML, and FAQ views. Creating and maintaining various types of metadata for dynamic data can prove to be a daunting task. Automating metadata creation and maintenance processes is an approach to combat the possible resource drain that can be caused by constantly evolving metadata, especially if that metadata is required to be output in a variety of formats and standards. Metadata can be automated by collaboratively using a variety of input sources such as multiple databases, reports, and active sensors to create and maintain dynamic metadata in a variety of formats and standards through the use of extensible Stylesheet Transforms (XSLTs) and extensible Stylesheet (XSLs). Directly creating various metadata formats from the input sources, rather than translating between various standards, aids in preserving information. In legacy data cases, XSLTs can be used to translate between metadata standards. The transformation process could be triggered by updating or altering the input data sources. Various trans-forms and/or stylesheets would be selected, depending on the trigger, applied to the altered input, and result in the generation of multiple records in a variety of standards and formats.
The Significance of the Knowledge management and Relevant Factors of its Implementation in the Organizations of the Telecommunication Market in the Republic of Macedonia

Considering the current situation of the open markets, it becomes clear why organizations need a new management paradigm of work that corresponds to the current conditions. Markets are increasingly competitive and environment is rapidly changing. The knowledge management is considered as a strategy to gain competitive advantage of the open market. This concept comprehends the most important and relevant issues related to the adaptation of the organization, its survival and its competencies. The knowledge management implementation in an organization depends on several factors such as organizational culture, human resource management and information technology. Therefore, the objective of the thesis was to research the significance of the knowledge management and the influence of the relevant factors of its implementation. -----------------------------------------------------------------------* Corresponding author. E-mail address: sanja.nikolic777@gmail.com
Registration and Integration of Multiple Range Images by Matching Signed Distance Fields for Object Shape Modeling

Modeling object shapes from multiple range images requires three processes: correction of measurement errors, registration of data shapes, and integrating them as a unified shape representation. We propose a method by which these tasks can be solved simultaneously. Discrete samples of the signed distance field (SDF) of the object surface are used as the shape representation. If the data shapes are registered correctly, the SDFs should match in the common coordinate system. The data shapes are first integrated by averaging the data SDFs assuming that they are roughly preregistered. Then, each data shape is registered to the integrated shape by estimating the optimal transformation. Integration and registration are alternately iterated until the input shapes are properly registered to the integrated shape. Weighting values are controlled to reject outliers derived from measurement errors and wrong correspondences. The proposed method does not suffer from cumulative registration errors because all data shapes are registered to the integrated shape. From the SDF shape representation, a polygon surface model is directly generated. The method was tested on synthetic and real range images.
Visually induced nausea causes characteristic changes in cerebral, autonomic and endocrine function in humans

Nausea is a highly individual and variable experience. The reasons for this variability are incompletely understood although psychophysiological factors have been proposed. Herein we describe objective psychophysiological changes induced by the subjective sensation of motion sickness. In comparison to subjects who did not develop nausea, nausea‐sensitive subjects demonstrated electrogastrographic and autonomic changes, which included an increase in sympathetic nervous system activity with a concomitant reduction in parasympathetic activity. Furthermore, differences were also evident in plasma ghrelin, and subcortical and cortical activity. These data have a number of important implications for future research examining the physiological mechanisms that underlie nausea: The physiological, hormonal and cortical patterns identified herein represent potential biomarkers of the physiological mechanisms of nausea. Reverse translation of the physiological factors identified may facilitate refinement of animal models used to investigate novel anti‐emetic agents and emetic liability of candidate drugs, increasing their validity and translation of finding to humans.
Cytoarchitectonic abnormalities in developmental dyslexia: A case study

A patient is reported who had a well‐documented history of developmental dyslexia. Reading difficulties were present in other male members of the immediate family. Gross anatomical and cytoarchitectonic analysis of the brain in serial sections showed a consistently wider left cerebral hemisphere, an area of polymicrogyria in the left temporal speech region, and mild cortical dysplasias in limbic, primary, and association cortices of the left hemisphere.
The New Challenges to Individual Working Conditions in European Public Services: A Comparative Study of Global Restructuring and Customization

The article draws on the results of the WORKS European research project. The survey analyses the relationship between global processes of change and changes in one’s working life and working conditions at the workplace. The work starts by presenting a theoretical framework, focusing on the conceptualisation of globalization and value chains in relation to the public sector. An analysis is then provided of empirical cases from different European countries in which we conceptualise the changes in public service in Europe in the form of value chain restructuring. A discussion follows of the impacts of the restructuring processes on work, employment conditions, work identity and job security. The last section of the paper highlights the common characteristics of the new public customer-oriented companies, along with how these characteristics can help us understand the changes taking place in working conditions and working life. Key terms: public services, working conditions, restructuring, customization, Europe
Unexplained Male Infertility - Looking Beyond Routine Semen Analysis

Unexplained infertility is a diagnosis reserved for couples in whom routine semen analysis is within normal values and female infertility factors have been ruled out. Its reported prevalence ranges from 6–27 % depending on how exhaustive the patient work-up is. Despite differing according to urological societies, recommendation for male infertility evaluation usually considers routine semen analysis results as surrogates for fertility potential. Male infertility evaluation, however, must go far beyond counting spermatozoa and assessing motility and morphology. It has to be complemented with comprehensive history taking, proper clinical examination and relevant endocrine, genetic and/or other investigations. There is a broad spectrum of potential aetiologies of unexplained male infertility (UMI), ranging from the simple couple’s miscomprehension of the concept of the female fertile window to complex molecular and functional defects involving either the male or the female, or both. Novel contemporary technologies added to the current knowledge on this subject highlight a case for careful reconsideration before clinicians make treatment decisions for patients with unexplained infertility.
A CMOS Direct Injection-Locked Frequency Divider With High Division Ratios

A CMOS injection-locked frequency divider (ILFD) with high division ratios and high frequency operation is presented. It consists of a ring oscillator and injection capacitors. An input signal is directly injected through the capacitors into the feedback nodes of the ring oscillator. The proposed ILFD is fabricated in a 0.18 mum CMOS process and has a chip core size of 68 mum times 70 mum. It shows multiple division ratios of 3, 6, and 9. The operation frequency is from 2.2 to 30.95 GHz. At the maximum operation frequency, the ILFD has a locking range of 260 MHz with an input power of less than 0.25 dBm, a division ratio of 9, and a power consumption of 12.5 mW. The locking range increases up to 3.2 GHz as the division ratio and the operation frequency decrease.
Safe Deals Between Strangers

E-business, information serving, and ubiquitous computing will create heavy request traffic from strangers or even incognitos. Such requests must be managed automatically. Two ways of doing this are well known: giving every incognito consumer the same treatment, and rendering service in return for money. However, different behavior will be often wanted, e.g., for a university library with different access policies for undergraduates, graduate students, faculty, alumni, citizens of the same state, and everyone else. For a data or process server contacted by client machines on behalf of users not previously known, we show how to provide reliable automatic access administration conforming to service agreements. Implementations scale well from very small collections of consumers and producers to immense client/server networks. Servers can deliver information, effect state changes, and control external equipment. Consumer privacy is easily addressed by the same protocol. We support consumer privacy, but allow servers to deny their resources to incognitos. A protocol variant even protects against statistical attacks by consortia of service organizations. One e-commerce application would put the consumer's tokens on a smart card whose readers are in vending kiosks. In e-business we can simplify supply chain administration. Our method can also be used in sensitive networks without introducing new security loopholes.
Long term trends in the financial performance of organic farms in England and Wales, 2006/07-2011/12

This overview report brings together the data for the six years from 2006/07-2011/12 to see how the performance of organic farms has really been affected by the economic downturn. It shows that for most farm types, the profitability of organic farms has held up much better than might have been expected from the retail market trend data. The overviews also show that for most farm types, the performance of organic farms remains comparable with that of similar conventional farms. However, certain farm types such as horticulture have fared much worse than others. The report is based on the analysis of farms included in the Farm Business Survey in England and Wales that have more than 70% certified land. The results are presented by farm type groups according to the dominant enterprise in each case, calculated on the basis of standard gross margins. They are also compared with similar conventional farms selected on the basis of resource endowment (land area, location etc.), i.e. factors that are not influenced directly by the choice of organic or conventional management.
E-mail inquiries to the public sector: Response, impacts and importance

We witness that digital government has received much attention, and that provision of online information and services has increased tremendously during the last decade. In this regard, the Scandinavian countries have great ambitions and aims about being international leaders in the provision of online information and services. User satisfaction is allocated as one on the main contributors to success, among those aspects that are perceived as important for website users. The Scandinavian countries are emphasised in this paper as they, to a large extent, replace paper-based forms with electronic communication and online services. In order to highlight digitalisation within the public sector, this paper discusses responsiveness with reference to e-mail inquiries from citizens/businesses. This paper concludes that the public sector, in general, provides a great response to e-mails from users, although we find some room for improvements. Therefore, actionable and practical recommendations are given in connection with this increasing level of digitalisation and great ambitions within the sector.
Overexpression in Escherichia coli and functional analysis of a novel PPi-selective porin, oprO, from Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Immediately upstream from and adjacent to the oprP gene, which codes for the phosphate-specific porin OprP of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, lies the PR region (oprO), which cross-hybridizes with oprP DNA. To determine the function of this region, the oprO gene was expressed behind the lactose promoter in Escherichia coli, and the resultant OprO protein was purified and reconstituted into planar lipid bilayers. OprO formed sodium dodecyl sulfate-stable trimers, cross-reacted immunologically with OprP, and, like OprP, formed an anion-specific, phosphate-selective porin. However, it demonstrated lower affinity for and higher maximal conductance of both chloride and phosphate than did the OprP channel. Examination by macroscopic conductance inhibition experiments of the affinity of OprO for phosphates of different lengths revealed a preference for PPi and tripolyphosphate over Pi, suggesting that OprO functioned as a PPi-selective polyphosphate channel, in contrast to OprP, which has a marked preference for Pi.
Terrestrial carbon-cycle feedback to climate warming: experimental evidence on plant regulation and impacts of biofuel feedstock harvest

Feedback between global carbon (C) cycles and climate change is one of the major uncertainties in projecting future global warming. Coupled carbon–climate models all demonstrated a positive feedback between terrestrial C cycle and climate warming. The positive feedback results from decreased net primary production (NPP) in most models and increased respiratory C release by all the models under climate warming. Those modeling results present interesting hypotheses of future states of ecosystems and climate, which are yet to be tested against experimental results. In this study, we examined ecosystem C balance and its major components in a warming and clipping experiment in a North America tallgrass prairie. Infrared heaters have been used to elevate soil temperature by approximately 2 1C continuously since November 1999. Clipping once a year was to mimic hay or biofuel feedstock harvest. On average of data over 6 years from 2000 to 2005, estimated NPP under warming increased by 14% without clipping (Po0.05) and 26% with clipping (Po0.05) in comparison with that under control. Warming did not result in instantaneous increases in soil respiration in 1999 and 2000 but significantly increased it by approximately 8% without clipping (Po0.05) from 2001 to 2005. Soil respiration under warming increased by 15% with clipping (Po0.05) from 2000 to 2005. Warming-stimulated plant biomass production, due to enhanced C4 dominance, extended growing seasons, and increased nitrogen uptake and use efficiency, offset increased soil respiration, leading to no change in soil C storage at our site. However, biofuel feedstock harvest by biomass removal resulted in significant soil C loss in the clipping and control plots but was carbon negative in the clipping and warming plots largely because of positive interactions of warming and clipping in stimulating root growth. Our results demonstrate that plant production processes play a critical role in regulation of ecosystem carbon-cycle feedback to climate change in both the current ambient and future warmed world.
Do patients on alpha-blockers for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia have better results after shockwave lithotripsy of urinary stones?

PURPOSE To investigate whether patients who are on alpha 1-adrenergic receptor (alpha 1-AR) antagonists for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) had better results after extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy (SWL). PATIENTS AND METHOD We retrospectively reviewed the records of male patients older than 50 years who underwent SWL. Clinical characteristics, including the use of alpha 1-AR antagonists for BPH were analyzed. Mann-Whitney U test was used for data not normally distributed and student's t test for data normally distributed. The categorical variables were analyzed by the Chi-square test. A multiple logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the associations of variables on successful treatment. RESULTS A total of 264 renal units were treated. Complete stone clearance was achieved in 167 RUs (63.3%) and 28 RUs (10.6%) had clinically insignificant residual fragments. In 69 RUs (26.1%), SWL failed. More patients were on alpha 1-AR antagonists for BPH in the successfully treated group (p=0.028). The multivariate analysis revealed that the use of alpha 1-AR antagonists had significant effects on the success of SWL (p=0.047). SWL was performed to 34 RUs of 33 patients who were on alpha 1-AR antagonists and it was successful in 30 RUs (88.2%). In the remaining 230 RUs, stone-free state was achieved in 165 RUs (71.7%) (p=0.028). Stone-free rates were similar for patients on alfuzosine, tamsulosine, and doxazosine (p=0.310). CONCLUSION Patients who are being treated with alpha 1-AR antagonist agents for BPH have better results after SWL treatment, compared to patients not receiving alpha 1-AR antagonist. The improved results are independent of the type of alpha 1-AR antagonist.
Families of Chinese children with malignancy: the factors impact on mother's anxiety.

This study examines the impact of the stress experienced by mothers during a child's cancer treatment. A descriptive correlation study has been designed to examine the relationships between uncertainty, sense of mastery, boundary ambiguity, and anxiety. The sample consists of 100 mothers recruited in two teaching hospitals in Taiwan. The sense of mastery was found to act as a mediator between uncertainty and anxiety, whereas uncertainty was a good predictor of boundary ambiguity. The first 2 months of treatment and the incidence of cancer recurrence represented a significant special experience for mothers. Nursing intervention to improve the mothers' sense of mastery and to assist families in establishing functional patterns of parent-child interaction is discussed.
THE DISCOUNTED PENALTY FUNCTION AND THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE TOTAL DIVIDEND PAYMENTS IN A MULTI-THRESHOLD MARKOVIAN RISK MODEL

In this thesis, we study the expected discounted penalty function and the total dividend payments in a risk model with a multi-threshold dividend strategy, where the claim arrivals are modeled by a Markovian arrival process (MAP) and the claim amounts are correlated with the inter-claim times. Systems of integro-differential equations in matrix forms are derived for the expected discounted penalty function and the moments of the discounted dividend payments prior to ruin. A recursive approach based on the integro-differential equations is then provided to obtain the analytical solutions. In addition to the differential approach, by employing some new obtained results in the actuarial literature, another recursive approach with respect to the number of layers is also developed for the expected discounted dividend payments. Examples with exponentially distributed claim amounts are illustrated numerically.
Why College Students Commit Computer Hacks: Insights from a Cross Culture Analysis

Computer hacking committed by young adults has become an epidemic that threatens the social and economic prosperity brought by information technology around the world. In this study, we extend previous studies on computer hackers with a cross cultural approach by comparing sources of influence on computer hacking in two countries: China and the United States. This comparative study yielded some significant insights about the contributing factors to the computer hacking phenomenon in these two countries. While some factors are consistent, others are distinctly different, across the two samples. We find that moral beliefs about computer hacking are the most consistent antidote against computer hacking intentions among the Chinese and the American college students. On the other hand, we find that playing computer games (team sports) significantly increases (decreases) the intention to computer hacking in the Chinese college students, but has no significant effect on the American college students. In addition, we find that hypotheses based on routine activity and selfcontrol theories are modestly supported by the two samples; however, each sample supports distinct dimensions of the two theories. Hofstede’s national cultural framework provides salient explanations to these differences in the two samples.
Intestinal protozoal parasites and diarrheal disease in Bangladesh.

Received 13 January 2009; accepted 14 January 2009; electronically published 26 March 2009. Reprints or correspondence: Dr. Honorine D. Ward, Div. of Geographic Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Tufts Medical Center, Box 041, 800 Washington St., Boston, MA 02111 (hward@tuftsmedicalcenter.org). Clinical Infectious Diseases 2009; 48:1198–120