LLukas22/scidocs huggingface dataset:
Abortion of acute ST segment elevation myocardial infarction after reperfusion: incidence, patients' characteristics, and prognosis.

OBJECTIVES
To study the incidence and patient characteristics of aborted myocardial infarction in both prehospital and in-hospital thrombolysis.


DESIGN
Retrospective, controlled, observational study.


SETTING
Two cities in the Netherlands, one with prehospital thrombolysis, one with in-hospital treatment.


PATIENTS
475 patients with suspected acute ST elevation myocardial infarction treated before admission to hospital, 269 patients treated in hospital.


MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
Aborted myocardial infarction, defined as the combination of subsiding of cumulative ST segment elevation and depression to < 50% of the level at presentation, together with a rise of creatine kinase of less than twice the upper normal concentration. A stepwise regression analysis was used to test independent predictors for aborted myocardial infarction.


RESULTS
After correction for "unjustified" thrombolysis, 17.1% of the 468 prehospital treated patients and 4.5% of the 264 in-hospital treated patients fulfilled the criteria for aborted myocardial infarction. There was no difference in age, sex, risk factors, haemodynamic status, and infarct location of aborted myocardial infarction compared with established myocardial infarction. Time to treatment was shorter in the patients with aborted myocardial infarction (86 versus 123 minutes, p = 0.05). A shorter time to treatment, lower ST elevation at presentation, and higher incidence of preinfarction angina were independent predictors for aborted myocardial infarction. Aborted myocardial infarction had a 12 month mortality of 2.2%, significantly less than the 11.6% of established myocardial infarction.


CONCLUSION
Prehospital thrombolysis is associated with a fourfold increase of aborted myocardial infarction compared with in-hospital treatment. A shorter time to treatment, a lower ST elevation, and a higher incidence of preinfarction angina were predictors of aborted myocardial infarction.
A Deep-Reinforcement Learning Approach for Software-Defined Networking Routing Optimization

In this paper we design and evaluate a Deep-Reinforcement Learning agent that optimizes routing. Our agent adapts automatically to current traffic conditions and proposes tailored configurations that attempt to minimize the network delay. Experiments show very promising performance. Moreover, this approach provides important operational advantages with respect to traditional optimization algorithms.
Digital image processing using MATLAB

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without permission in writing from the publisher. The author and publisher of this book have used their best efforts in preparing this book. These efforts include the development, research, and testing of the theories and programs to determine their effectiveness. The author and publisher shall not be liable in any event for incidental or consequential damages with, or arising out of, the furnishing, performance, or use of these programs. 1 1 Introduction Preview Digital image processing is an area characterized by the need for extensive experimental work to establish the viability of proposed solutions to a given problem. In this chapter we outline how a theoretical base and state-of-the-art software can be integrated into a prototyping environment whose objective is to provide a set of well-supported tools for the solution of a broad class of problems in digital image processing. Background An important characteristic underlying the design of image processing systems is the significant level of testing and experimentation that normally is required before arriving at an acceptable solution. This characteristic implies that the ability to formulate approaches and quickly prototype candidate solutions generally plays a major role in reducing the cost and time required to arrive at a viable system implementation. Little has been written in the way of instructional material to bridge the gap between theory and application in a well-supported software environment. The main objective of this book is to integrate under one cover a broad base of theoretical concepts with the knowledge required to implement those concepts using state-of-the-art image processing software tools. The theoretical underpinnings of the material in the following chapters are mainly from the leading textbook in the field: Digital Image Processing, by Gonzalez and Woods, published by Prentice Hall. The software code and supporting tools are based on the leading software package in the field: The MATLAB Image Processing Toolbox, † 1.1 † In the following discussion and in subsequent chapters we sometimes refer to Digital Image Processing by Gonzalez and Woods as " the Gonzalez-Woods book, " and to the Image Processing Toolbox as " IPT " or simply as the " toolbox. " 2 Chapter 1 I Introduction from The MathWorks, Inc. (see Section 1.3). The material in the present book shares the same design, notation, and style of presentation …
Process and product certification arguments: getting the balance right

Many current safety certification standards are process-based, i.e. they prescribe a set of development techniques and methods. This is perhaps best exemplified by the use of Safety Integrity Levels (SILs), e.g. as defined by IEC 61508 and UK Defence Standard 00-55. SILs are defined according to the level of the risk posed by a system, and hence prescribe the tools, techniques and methods that should be adopted by the development and assessment lifecycle. Product-based certification relies on the generation and assurance of product-specific evidence that meets safety requirements derived from hazard analysis. This evidence can be used as the argument basis in a safety case. However, uncertainty about the provenance of evidence in such a safety case can undermine confidence. To address this problem, we argue that process arguments remain an essential element of any safety case. However, unlike the sweeping process-based integrity arguments of the past, we suggest instead that highly directed process arguments should be linked to the items of evidence used in the product case. Such arguments can address issues of tool integrity, competency of personnel, and configuration management. Much as deductive software safety arguments are desirable, there will always be inductive elements. Process-based arguments of the type we suggest address partly this problem by tackling the otherwise implicit assumptions underlying certification evidence.
MicroRNA-221 Induces Cell Survival and Cisplatin Resistance through PI3K/Akt Pathway in Human Osteosarcoma

BACKGROUND
MicroRNAs are short regulatory RNAs that negatively modulate protein expression at a post-transcriptional and/or translational level and are deeply involved in the pathogenesis of several types of cancers. Specifically, microRNA-221 (miR-221) is overexpressed in many human cancers, wherein accumulating evidence indicates that it functions as an oncogene. However, the function of miR-221 in human osteosarcoma has not been totally elucidated. In the present study, the effects of miR-221 on osteosarcoma and the possible mechanism by which miR-221 affected the survival, apoptosis, and cisplatin resistance of osteosarcoma were investigated.


METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS
Real-time quantitative PCR analysis revealed miR-221 was significantly upregulated in osteosarcoma cell lines than in osteoblasts. Both human osteosarcoma cell lines SOSP-9607 and MG63 were transfected with miR-221 mimic or inhibitor to regulate miR-221 expression. The effects of miR-221 were then assessed by cell viability, cell cycle analysis, apoptosis assay, and cisplatin resistance assay. In both cells, upregulation of miR-221 induced cell survival and cisplatin resistance and reduced cell apoptosis. In addition, knockdown of miR-221 inhibited cell growth and cisplatin resistance and induced cell apoptosis. Potential target genes of miR-221 were predicted using bioinformatics. Moreover, luciferase reporter assay and western blot confirmed that PTEN was a direct target of miR-221. Furthermore, introduction of PTEN cDNA lacking 3'-UTR or PI3K inhibitor LY294002 abrogated miR-221-induced cisplatin resistance. Finally, both miR-221 and PTEN expression levels in osteosarcoma samples were examined by using real-time quantitative PCR and immunohistochemistry. High miR-221 expression level and inverse correlation between miR-221 and PTEN levels were revealed in osteosarcoma tissues.


CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE
These results for the first time demonstrate that upregulation of miR-221 induces the malignant phenotype of human osteosarcoma whereas knockdown of miR-221 reverses this phenotype, suggesting that miR-221 could be a potential target for osteosarcoma treatment.
Inheritance of coronary artery disease in men: an analysis of the role of the Y chromosome

BACKGROUND
A sexual dimorphism exists in the incidence and prevalence of coronary artery disease--men are more commonly affected than are age-matched women. We explored the role of the Y chromosome in coronary artery disease in the context of this sexual inequity.


METHODS
We genotyped 11 markers of the male-specific region of the Y chromosome in 3233 biologically unrelated British men from three cohorts: the British Heart Foundation Family Heart Study (BHF-FHS), West of Scotland Coronary Prevention Study (WOSCOPS), and Cardiogenics Study. On the basis of this information, each Y chromosome was tracked back into one of 13 ancient lineages defined as haplogroups. We then examined associations between common Y chromosome haplogroups and the risk of coronary artery disease in cross-sectional BHF-FHS and prospective WOSCOPS. Finally, we undertook functional analysis of Y chromosome effects on monocyte and macrophage transcriptome in British men from the Cardiogenics Study.


FINDINGS
Of nine haplogroups identified, two (R1b1b2 and I) accounted for roughly 90% of the Y chromosome variants among British men. Carriers of haplogroup I had about a 50% higher age-adjusted risk of coronary artery disease than did men with other Y chromosome lineages in BHF-FHS (odds ratio 1·75, 95% CI 1·20-2·54, p=0·004), WOSCOPS (1·45, 1·08-1·95, p=0·012), and joint analysis of both populations (1·56, 1·24-1·97, p=0·0002). The association between haplogroup I and increased risk of coronary artery disease was independent of traditional cardiovascular and socioeconomic risk factors. Analysis of macrophage transcriptome in the Cardiogenics Study revealed that 19 molecular pathways showing strong differential expression between men with haplogroup I and other lineages of the Y chromosome were interconnected by common genes related to inflammation and immunity, and that some of them have a strong relevance to atherosclerosis.


INTERPRETATION
The human Y chromosome is associated with risk of coronary artery disease in men of European ancestry, possibly through interactions of immunity and inflammation.


FUNDING
British Heart Foundation; UK National Institute for Health Research; LEW Carty Charitable Fund; National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia; European Union 6th Framework Programme; Wellcome Trust.
Brand relationships and brand equity in franchising ☆ , ☆ ☆

☆ The authors would like to acknowledge the financial ash Research Graduate School (MRGS) and the Faculty Monash University. ☆☆The authors would like to thank the two anonymou and invaluable feedback. ⁎ Corresponding author at: Department of Marketin 197, Caulfield East, Victoria, 3145. Tel.: +61 3 9903 256 E-mail addresses: munyaradzi.nyadzayo@monash.ed margaret.matanda@monash.edu (M.J. Matanda), michae (M.T. Ewing). 1 Tel.: +61 3 990 31286. 2 Tel.: +61 3 990 44021.
On Self-Collapsing Wavefunctions and the Fine Tuning of the Universe

A new variation on the Copenhagen interpretation of quantum mechanics is introduced, and its effects on the evolution of the Universe are reviewed. It is demonstrated that this modified form of quantum mechanics will produce a habitable Universe with no required tuning of the parameters, and without requiring multiple Universes or external creators.
Increased α-linolenic acid intake lowers C-reactive protein, but has no effect on markers of atherosclerosis

Objective: To investigate the effects of increased alpha-linolenic acid (ALA)-intake on intima–media thickness (IMT), oxidized low-density lipoprotein (LDL) antibodies, soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1), C-reactive protein (CRP), and interleukins 6 and 10.Design: Randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial.Subjects: Moderately hypercholesterolaemic men and women (55±10 y) with two other cardiovascular risk factors (n=103).Intervention: Participants were assigned to a margarine enriched with ALA (fatty acid composition 46% LA, 15% ALA) or linoleic acid (LA) (58% LA, 0.3% ALA) for 2 y.Results: Dietary ALA intake was 2.3 en% among ALA users, and 0.4 en% among LA users. The 2-y progression rate of the mean carotid IMT (ALA and LA: +0.05 mm) and femoral IMT (ALA:+0.05 mm; LA:+0.04 mm) was similar, when adjusted for confounding variables. After 1 and 2 y, ALA users had a lower CRP level than LA users (net differences −0.53 and −0.56 mg/l, respectively, P<0.05). No significant effects were observed in oxidized LDL antibodies, and levels of sICAM-1, interleukins 6 and 10.Conclusions: A six-fold increased ALA intake lowers CRP, when compared to a control diet high in LA. The present study found no effects on markers for atherosclerosis.Sponsorship: The Dutch ‘Praeventiefonds’.
Effect of exercise and cognitive activity on self-reported sleep quality in community-dwelling older adults with cognitive complaints: a randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVES
To compare the effects of different types of physical and mental activity on self-reported sleep quality over 12 weeks in older adults with cognitive and sleep complaints.


DESIGN
Randomized controlled trial.


SETTING
General community.


PARTICIPANTS
Seventy-two inactive community-dwelling older adults with self-reported sleep and cognitive problems (mean age 73.3 ± 6.1; 60% women).


INTERVENTION
Random allocation to four arms using a two-by-two factorial design: aerobic+cognitive training, aerobic+educational DVD, stretching+cognitive training, and stretching+educational DVD arms (60 min/d, 3 d/wk for physical and mental activity for 12 weeks).


MEASUREMENTS
Change in sleep quality using seven questions from the Sleep Disorders Questionnaire on the 2005 to 2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (range 0-28, with higher scores reflecting worse sleep quality). Analyses used intention-to-treat methods.


RESULTS
Sleep quality scores did not differ at baseline, but there was a significant difference between the study arms in change in sleep quality over time (P < .005). Mean sleep quality scores improved significantly more in the stretching+educational DVD arm (5.1 points) than in the stretching+cognitive training (1.2 points), aerobic+educational DVD (1.1 points), or aerobic+cognitive training (0.25 points) arms (all P < .05, corrected for multiple comparisons). Differences between arms were strongest for waking at night (P = .02) and taking sleep medications (P = .004).


CONCLUSION
Self-reported sleep quality improved significantly more with low-intensity physical and mental activities than with moderate- or high-intensity activities in older adults with self-reported cognitive and sleep difficulties. Future longer-term studies with objective sleep measures are needed to corroborate these results.
Unmet care demands as perceived by stroke patients: deficits in health care?

OBJECTIVES
To describe unmet care demands as perceived by stroke patients and to identify sociodemographic and health characteristics associated with these unmet demands to investigate the appropriateness of health care.


SETTING
Sample of patients who participated in a multicentre study (23 hospitals) on quality of care in The Netherlands.


PATIENTS
Non-institutionalised patients who had been admitted to hospital because of stroke. Patients were interviewed six months (n = 382) and five years (n = 224) after stroke.


DESIGN
Six months after stroke data were collected on: (a) sociodemographic characteristics in terms of age, sex, living arrangement, educational level, and regional level of urbanisation; (b) health characteristics in terms of cognitive function, disability, emotional distress, and general health perception; (c) utilisation of professional care; and (d) unmet care demands as perceived by patients. Data on utilisation of care and unmet demands were also collected five years after stroke. Data were collected from June 1991 until December 1996.


RESULTS
The percentage of unmet care demands was highest at six months after stroke (n = 120, 31%). Multiple logistic regression analyses showed that disabled patients were more likely to be unmet demanders for therapy, (I)ADL care and aids (range odds ratio (OR) = 3.5 to 7.9) than to be no demanders, whereas emotionally distressed patients were more likely to be unmet demanders for psychosocial support (OR = 3.8). When comparing unmet demanders with care users only for (instrumental) activities of daily living (I)ADL care differences were found: men (OR = 3.8), disabled patients (OR = 3.0), and emotionally distressed patients (OR = 6.5) were more likely to be users.


CONCLUSIONS
Patients who perceived an unmet care demand do appear genuinely to have an unmet care need as supported by assessment of their health status: (a) types of unmet care demands correspond with types of health problems and (b) unmet demanders were in general unhealthier than no demanders and more comparable with care users for health characteristics.


IMPLICATIONS
To improve an equitable distribution of healthcare services, guidelines for indicating and allocating health care have to be developed and should be based on scientific evidence and consensus meetings including professionals' and patients' perspectives.
Estradiol therapy combined with progesterone and endothelium-dependent vasodilation in postmenopausal women.

BACKGROUND
Epidemiological studies indicate that estrogen replacement therapy decreases the risk of cardiovascular events in postmenopausal women. Estrogen may confer cardiovascular protection by improving endothelial function because it increases endothelium-dependent vasodilation. It is not known whether progesterone attenuates the beneficial effects of estrogen on endothelial function.


METHODS AND RESULTS
Seventeen postmenopausal women with mild hypercholesterolemia were enrolled in a placebo-controlled, crossover trial to evaluate the effect of transdermal estradiol, with and without vaginal micronized progesterone, on endothelium-dependent vasodilation in a peripheral conduit artery. Brachial artery diameter was measured with high-resolution B-mode ultrasonography. To assess endothelium-dependent vasodilation, brachial artery diameter was determined at baseline and after a flow stimulus induced by reactive hyperemia. To assess endothelium-independent vasodilation, brachial artery diameter was measured after administration of sublingual nitroglycerin. During estradiol therapy, reactive hyperemia caused an 11.1+/-1.0% change in brachial artery diameter compared with 4. 7+/-0.6% during placebo therapy (P<0.001). Progesterone did not significantly attenuate this improvement. During combined estrogen and progesterone therapy, flow-mediated vasodilation of the brachial artery was 9.6+/-0.8% (P=NS versus estradiol alone). Endothelium-independent vasodilation was not altered by estradiol therapy, either with or without progesterone, compared with placebo. There was a modest decrease in total and LDL cholesterol during treatment both with estradiol alone and when estradiol was combined with progesterone (all P<0.001 versus placebo). In a multivariate analysis that included serum estradiol, progesterone, total and LDL cholesterol concentrations, blood pressure, and heart rate, only the estradiol level was a significant predictor of endothelium-dependent vasodilation.


CONCLUSIONS
The addition of micronized progesterone does not attenuate the favorable effect of estradiol on endothelium-dependent vasodilation. The vasoprotective effect of hormone replacement therapy may extend beyond its beneficial actions on lipids.
Eight weeks of treatment with long-acting GLP-1 analog taspoglutide improves postprandial insulin secretion and sensitivity in metformin-treated patients with type 2 diabetes.

OBJECTIVE
Loss of pancreatic function is pivotal to the deterioration of fasting and postprandial glycemic control in type 2 diabetes (T2D). We evaluated the effects of a long-acting, human glucagon-like peptide-1 analog, taspoglutide, added to metformin, on pancreatic function and peripheral insulin sensitivity.


MATERIALS/METHODS
We studied 80 T2D patients inadequately controlled [glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), 7.0%-9.5%] receiving stable metformin for ≥12weeks. They were a subset of participants to a phase 2 trial that received also a 240-min mixed-meal tolerance test (MTT) at baseline and study end. Patients received once weekly (QW) sc injection of taspoglutide 5, 10, or 20mg (n=21, 19, or 19), or placebo (n=21), plus metformin, for 8weeks. We measured postprandial plasma glucose (PPG) and insulin profiles, insulin secretion rate (ISR), oral glucose insulin sensitivity (OGIS) index; β-cell glucose sensitivity, glucagon/glucose and insulin/glucagon ratios, and insulin sensitivity-to-insulin resistance (or disposition) index.


RESULTS
After 8 weeks of treatment, taspoglutide 5, 10, and 20mg QW doses vs. placebo improved mean PPG0-240 min (relative change from baseline: -22.1%, -25.9%, and -22.9% vs. -8.1%; P<0.005) and mean postprandial ISR0-240 min (+14%, +18%, and +23% vs. +1%; P<0.005 vs dose). Taspoglutide at 20mg QW dose also resulted in improvements from baseline in OGIS, β-cell glucose sensitivity, glucagon/glucose and insulin/glucagon ratios and the disposition index during the MTT.


CONCLUSION
Taspoglutide QW significantly improved pancreatic function in patients with T2D treated with metformin.
Automatic Extraction of Hypernyms and Hyponyms from Russian Texts

The paper describes a rule-based approach for hypernym and hyponym extraction from Russian texts. For this task we employ finite state transducers (FSTs). We developed 6 finite state transducers that encode 6 lexicosyntactic patterns, which show a good precision on Russian DBpedia: 79.5% of the matched contexts are correct.
Neurobiological correlates of social functioning in autism.

Although autism is defined by deficits in three areas of functioning (social, communicative, and behavioral), impairments in social interest and restricted behavioral repertoires are central to the disorder. As a result, a detailed understanding of the neurobiological systems subserving social behavior may have implications for prevention, early identification, and intervention for affected families. In this paper, we review a number of potential neurobiological mechanisms--across several levels of analysis--that subserve normative social functioning. These include neural networks, neurotransmitters, and hormone systems. After describing the typical functioning of each system, we review available empirical findings specific to autism. Among the most promising potential mechanisms of social behavioral deficits in autism are those involving neural networks including the amygdala, the mesocorticolimbic dopamine system, and the oxytocin system. Particularly compelling are explanatory models that integrate mechanisms across biological systems, such as those linking dopamine and oxytocin with brain regions critical to reward processing.