Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Routine use of the transradial approach in primary percutaneous coronary intervention: procedural aspects and outcomes in 2209 patients treated in a single high-volume centre

Objective To examine the feasibility of a routine transradial approach (TRA) in primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) for acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Design A single-centre observational study with prospective data collection. Setting A high-volume interventional centre in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Patients Procedural data were analysed for 2209 consecutive patients presenting with STEMI without cardiogenic shock, between January 2001 and December 2008. Interventions PPCI routinely performed by the TRA. Main Outcome Measures The primary outcomes of interest were the need for crossover to another vascular access site, the achievement of procedural success and their trends over time. Secondary outcome measures were trends in total procedural duration, fluoroscopy times and use of equipment. Results In a total of 2209 procedures the radial artery was the primary access site, comprising 96.1% of all procedures performed during the study period. In 84 cases (3.8%) access site crossover was needed. Crossover rates decreased from 5.9% in 2001–2 to 1.5% in 2007–8 (p=0.001). The procedural success rate was 94.1%, which remained stable over the years. Despite an increased complexity of PPCI (more non-left anterior descending infarct-related arteries, thrombus aspiration and multivessel PPCI), total procedural duration decreased from 38 min (IQR 28–50) in 2001–2 to 24 min (18–33) in 2007–8, p<0.001 for trend. Conclusions Systematic use of the TRA in PPCI yields low access site crossover, high procedural success rates and excellent procedural performances. It can therefore represent the primary access site in the vast majority of STEMI patients.
Inhibition of Calcium Influx Reduces Dysfunction and Apoptosis in Lipotoxic Pancreatic β-Cells via Regulation of Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress

Lipotoxicity plays an important role in pancreatic β-cell failure during the development of type 2 diabetes. Prolonged exposure of β-cells to elevated free fatty acids level could cause deterioration of β-cell function and induce cell apoptosis. Therefore, inhibition of fatty acids-induced β-cell dysfunction and apoptosis might provide benefit for the therapy of type 2 diabetes. The present study examined whether regulation of fatty acids-triggered calcium influx could protect pancreatic β-cells from lipotoxicity. Two small molecule compounds, L-type calcium channel blocker nifedipine and potassium channel activator diazoxide were used to inhibit palmitic acid-induced calcium influx. And whether the compounds could reduce palmitic acid-induced β-cell failure and the underlying mechanism were also investigated. It was found that both nifedipine and diazoxide protected MIN6 pancreatic β-cells and primary cultured murine islets from palmitic acid-induced apoptosis. Meanwhile, the impaired insulin secretion was also recovered to varying degrees by these two compounds. Our results verified that nifedipine and diazoxide could reduce palmitic acid-induced endoplasmic reticulum stress to generate protective effects on pancreatic β-cells. More importantly, it suggested that regulation of calcium influx by small molecule compounds might provide benefits for the prevention and therapy of type 2 diabetes.
Optimisation of biocide dose as a function of residual biocide in a heat exchanger pilot plant effluent

Abstract Biofouling is one of the most serious problems facing numerous industrial processes. In the case of a heat exchanger unit, biological deposits adhering to the inside surface of its tubes reduce heat transfer and, thus, the thermal performance of the cycle. Control of this phenomenon is proving fundamental for both land and marine equipment to operate in optimum working conditions. Hence, it is necessary to apply antifouling methods capable of keeping surfaces free of any kind of biofouling. This paper reports on the behaviour resulting from use of the flow inversion method vs that obtained by using various chemical treatments. The study compares the effectiveness of certain chemical treatments (Na hypochlorite, peracetic acid and a compound formed by Na bromide + Na hypochlorite) for removing a biofouling film that has already formed on the inside surfaces of tubes in a heat exchanger pilot plant. The paper also addresses the issue of optimising the concentration of biocide dose as a function of the residual biocide in order minimise the environmental impact caused by effluent from industrial plants. The results indicate that it is possible to eliminate a biofilm formed on the inside surfaces of tubes by the use of intermittent doses of chemical treatments at low concentrations and over long application times. Furthermore, once the stabilisation phase is reached 6 d after starting the treatment, it is possible to maintain the conditions achieved using only 20% of the initial dosage.
Investigating the safe evolution of software product lines

The adoption of a product line strategy can bring significant productivity and time to market improvements. However, evolving a product line is risky because it might impact many products and their users. So when evolving a product line to introduce new features or to improve its design, it is important to make sure that the behavior of existing products is not affected. In fact, to preserve the behavior of existing products one usually has to analyze different artifacts, like feature models, configuration knowledge and the product line core assets. To better understand this process, in this paper we discover and analyze concrete product line evolution scenarios and, based on the results of this study, we describe a number of safe evolution templates that developers can use when working with product lines. For each template, we show examples of their use in existing product lines. We evaluate the templates by also analyzing the evolution history of two different product lines and demonstrating that they can express the corresponding modifications and then help to avoid the mistakes that we identified during our analysis.
Biologic and clinical effects of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor in normal individuals.

RANULOCYTE colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) is G a hematopoietic cytokine produced by monocytes, fibroblasts, and endothelial cells. ’” G-CSF is known to have multiple functions in normal, steady-state hematopoiesis such as the regulation of neutrophil production and release from the bone marrow, neutrophil progenitor proliferation and differentiation, and the state of functional activation of neutrophils. Genetically engineered recombinant human G-CSF, now available both in a nonglycosylated (filgrastim) and glycosylated (lenograstim) form, was introduced in phase I clinical trials about 8 years ago! At pharmacologic doses ranging from 1 to 70 pgkg/d, it was found to have reproducible biologic and clinical activity in various settings, such as chronic idiopathic neutropenia, chemotherapy-induced myelosuppression, recovery from aplasia after allogeneic or autologous marrow transplantation and mobilization of CD34’ progenitor cells in the peripheral circulation with or without prior chemotherapy. ’ Its expanding use since then, occasionally for indications not clearly supported by available evidence, led recently to the formulation of recommendations on the use of hematopoietic colony-stimulating factors (G-CSF and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor [GM-CSF]) by the American Society for Clinical Oncology.6 G-CSF at low doses (3.5 to 6 pglkgld) has been successfully administered with minimal toxicity to normal subjects to improve the yield of granulocyte collections by leukaphere~is. ’. ~ Similarly, G-CSF was well tolerated when administered to normal subjects to mobilize (and collect) peripheral blood progenitor cells (PBPCs) for syngeneic transplantation. ” Based on such initial experience, over the past 2 years, the use of G-CSF in normal individuals has undergone a substantial increase, with the focus on mobilizing and collecting by leukapheresis PBPCs for allografting in HLAidentical and, to a lesser extent, HLA-nonidentical patients with hematologic malignancies. ”-” Although preliminary reports seem to indicate an acceptable short-term toxicity profile despite doses up to 16 ,~g/kg/d,”-’~ the number of normal donors treated so far has been relatively small (particularly at the higher dose levels) and legitimate concerns remain about the short-term and particularly long-term safety of GCSF. On the other hand, collecting granulocytes from GCSF-mobilized normal donors is now a recognized blood banking pr~cedure . ~ . ~ As allografting with G-CSF-mobilized PBPCs is gaining considerable momentum in transplant centers worldwide,”-’6 the time seems appropriate to review available information on the biologic and clinical effects of G-CSF administration in normal subjects. Because most of the currently available literature on G-CSF refers to filgrastim, in the remainder of this review the terms G-CSF and filgrastim will be used interchangeably, unless otherwise specified.
The Effect of Fentanyl on the Emergence Characteristics After Desflurane or Sevoflurane Anesthesia in Children

Desflurane and sevoflurane anesthesia are associated with emergence agitation in children. In this study, we examined the effect of a single intraoperative dose of fentanyl on emergence characteristics in children undergoing adenoidectomy. One hundred children, 2–7 yr old, were randomly assigned to receive desflurane or sevoflurane for maintenance of general anesthesia after an inhaled induction with sevoflurane and a 2.5 &mgr;g/kg dose of fentanyl. An observer blind-ed to the anesthetic technique assessed the times to achieve emergence, extubation and recovery criteria, as well as emergence behaviors. The results showed a similar incidence of severe emergence agitation after general anesthesia with desflurane (24%) and sevoflurane (18%). Times to achieve extubation and postanesthesia care unit discharge criteria were shorter with desflurane than with sevoflurane. With this technique, desflurane allows for a more rapid emergence and recovery than sevoflurane. In children receiving desflurane or sevoflurane, the concurrent use of fentanyl in a dose of 2.5 &mgr;g/kg results in a small incidence of emergence agitation.
Lower limb conduit artery endothelial responses to acute upper limb exercise in spinal cord injured and able-bodied men

Vascular improvements in the nonactive regions during exercise are likely primarily mediated by increased shear rate (SR). Individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) experience sublesional vascular deconditioning and could potentially benefit from upper body exercise‐induced increases in lower body SR. The present study utilized a single bout of incremental arm‐crank exercise to generate exercise‐induced SR changes in the superficial femoral artery in an effort to evaluate the acute postexercise impact on superficial femoral artery endothelial function via flow‐mediated dilation (FMD), and determine regulatory factors in the nonactive legs of individuals with and without SCI. Eight individuals with SCI and eight age, sex, and waist‐circumference‐matched able‐bodied (AB) controls participated. Nine minutes of incremental arm‐crank exercise increased superficial femoral artery anterograde SR (P = 0.02 and P < 0.01), retrograde SR (P < 0.01 and P < 0.01), and oscillatory shear index (OSI) (P < 0.001 and P < 0.001) in both SCI and AB, respectively. However, these SR alterations resulted in acute postexercise increases in FMD in the AB group only (SCI 6.0 ± 1.2% to 6.3 ± 2.7%, P = 0.74; AB 7.5 ± 1.4% to 11.2 ± 1.4%, P = 0.03). While arm exercise has many cardiovascular benefits and results in changes in SR patterns in the nonactive legs, these changes are not sufficient to induce acute changes in FMD among individuals with SCI, and therefore are less likely to stimulate exercise training‐associated improvements in nonactive limb endothelial function. Understanding the role of SR patterns on FMD brings us closer to designing effective strategies to combat impaired vascular function in both healthy and clinical populations.
Strategies to Improve Vaccine Efficacy against Tuberculosis by Targeting Innate Immunity

The global tuberculosis epidemic is the most common cause of death after infectious disease worldwide. Increasing numbers of infections with multi- and extensively drug-resistant variants of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex, resistant even to newly discovered and last resort antibiotics, highlight the urgent need for an efficient vaccine. The protective efficacy to pulmonary tuberculosis in adults of the only currently available vaccine, M. bovis BCG, is unsatisfactory and geographically diverse. More importantly, recent clinical studies on new vaccine candidates did not prove to be better than BCG, yet. Here, we propose and discuss novel strategies to improve efficacy of existing anti-tuberculosis vaccines. Modulation of innate immune responses upon vaccination already provided promising results in animal models of tuberculosis. For instance, neutrophils have been shown to influence vaccine efficacy, both, positively and negatively, and stimulate specific antibody secretion. Modulating immune regulatory properties after vaccination such as induction of different types of innate immune cell death, myeloid-derived suppressor or regulatory T cells, production of anti-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-10 may have beneficial effects on protection efficacy. Incorporation of lipid antigens presented via CD1 molecules to T cells have been discussed as a way to enhance vaccine efficacy. Finally, concepts of dendritic cell-based immunotherapies or training the innate immune memory may be exploitable for future vaccination strategies against tuberculosis. In this review, we put a spotlight on host immune networks as potential targets to boost protection by old and new tuberculosis vaccines.
Immunization of mice by intracutaneous inoculation with viable virulent Cryptococcus neoformans: immunological and histopathological parameters

Immune responses, including protection and delayed hypersensitivity, were evaluated in experimental murine cryptococcosis. Mice were immunized by the intracutaneous inoculation of viable virulent Cryptococcus neoformans yeasts. Response to the cutaneous infection was evaluated histologically and by cultural assays of the internal organs, as well as by intravenous challenge with the same strain. Protection was assessed by survival, histopathology, and quantitative organ culture. The intracutaneous inoculation of cryptococci resulted in a local inflammatory response that effectively limited dissemination of the organisms systemically and induced the development of delayed hypersensitivity demonstrable with a membrane extract of C. neoformans and with soluble cytoplasmic substances. A protective response was induced by the cutaneous inoculation of cryptococci as well, in that immunized animals survived longer, with about 25% of the challenged group ridding themselves completely of the cryptococci. Protection could be demonstrated by cultural analyses, but all animals, whether control or immunized, allowed considerable multiplication of the inoculum during the first 4 weeks after intravenous challenge. It would appear, therefore, that the protective mechanism(s) required additional antigenic stimulation before it could eventually function to eliminate all cryptococci from tissues. Histologically, there were no differences in pathology of the internal organs between immunized and unimmunized animals. Although the model described herein for the induction of immune responses in murine cryptococcosis has at least one drawback, viz., the presence of cryptococci in the skin lesion of many animals throughout the duration of the experiment, it does have the advantage that the immune responses were stimulated by a virulent strain and only minimal dissemination occurred. Therefore, lymphocytes could be removed from animals that were not contaminated with cryptococci for in vitro and in vivo transfer.
GH substitution reverses the growth phenotype but not the defective ossiﬁcation in thyroid hormone receptor (cid:1) 1 − / − (cid:2) − / − mice

Thyroid hormone receptor (cid:1) 1, (cid:2) 1 and (cid:2) 2-deﬁcient mice (TR (cid:1) 1 − / − (cid:2) − / − mice) demonstrate growth retardation and defective ossiﬁcation in the epiphyses associated with an inhibition of the GH/IGF-I axis. There are di ﬀ erences between TR (cid:1) 1 − / − (cid:2) − / − mice (receptor deﬁcient) and the hypothyroid animal model (ligand deﬁcient). Such di ﬀ erences include possible repressive actions exerted by unliganded receptors in the ligand-deﬁcient (hypo-thyroid) model but not in the receptor-deﬁcient model. In the present study we have investigated whether or not GH substitution rescues the skeletal phenotype of TR (cid:1) 1 − / − − / − mice. mice were treated with GH from day 18 until 10 weeks of age. GH substitution of mutant mice resulted in a signiﬁcant and sustained stimulatory e ﬀ ect on the body weight that was not seen in WT mice. GH-treated mutant mice but not GH-treated WT mice demonstrated increased length and periosteal circumference of the femur. However, GH substitution did not reverse the defective ossiﬁcation seen in TR (cid:1) 1 − / − (cid:2) − / − mice. TR (cid:1) 1 − / − (cid:2) − / − mice displayed increased width of the proximal tibial growth plate, which was caused by increased width of the proliferative but not the hypertrophic layer. GH substitution did not re-store the disturbed morphology of the growth plate in TR (cid:1) 1 − / − (cid:2) − / − mice. In summary, GH substitution reverses the growth phenotype but not the defective ossiﬁcation in TR (cid:1) 1 − / − (cid:2) − / − mice. Our data suggest that TRs are of importance both for the regulation of the GH/IGF-I axis and for direct e ﬀ ects on cartilage.
Is Drug Treatment for Dementia Followed Up in Primary Care? A Swedish Study of Dementia Clinics and Referring Primary Care Centres

Purpose It is largely unknown how the medical treatment of patients diagnosed with dementia is followed up in primary care. Therefore, we studied patient medical records from two dementia clinics and from the referring primary care centres. Methods A retrospective study of 241 patients was conducted from April to October 2011 in north west Stockholm, Sweden. Over half (51.5%) of the patients had Alzheimer’s disease (AD), the remainder had mixed AD/vascular dementia (VaD). Eighty-four medical reports from primary care (35% of the study group) were analysed at follow-up 18 months after diagnosis. Results All four dementia drugs available on the Swedish market (three cholinesterase inhibitors [donepezil, rivastigmine and galantamine] and memantine) were prescribed at the two dementia clinics. The most commonly used dementia drug was galantamine. There were differences between the two dementia clinics in preference and combination of drugs and of treatment given to male and female patients. At follow-up, 84% were still on dementia medication. Drug use was followed up by the general practitioners (GPs) in two-thirds of the cases. Eighteen per cent of the GPs’ medical records made no reference to the patient’s dementia or treatment even though dementia drugs were included in the list of medications prescribed. Conclusions The results indicate that the Swedish guidelines for treatment of cognitive symptoms in AD are being followed in primary care. However, documentation of follow-up of drug treatment was sometimes insufficient, which calls for development of guidelines for complete medical records and medication lists.
An efficient short messages transmission in cellular networks

A method for efficient short messages transmission in cellular networks is developed in this study. The number of short message service (SMS) messages is growing very rapidly, and existing cellular networks have to support a large number of SMS and signaling messages. The rate of SMS messages has already exceeded the rate of E-mail messages transmitted through the Internet, and their number keeps growing. SMS messages are characterized by a burst of a short, single packet message. Unfortunately, the protocols currently used by existing cellular networks cannot support this type of traffic efficiently. For this reason, SMS messages are currently transmitted through the signaling channel. Clearly, this usage of the signaling channel is far from being optimal, in terms of network resources utilization. Under certain conditions, it may even block the signaling channel. This study proposes to use a load-adaptive multiple access with congestion avoidance (LAMA/CA) for efficient short messages transmission in cellular networks. The LAMA/CA protocol is more stable, and much more efficient for transmitting SMS messages and signaling messages, than the existing method currently used in cellular networks. Moreover, the proposed method is superior to a collision-free protocol that uses a request to send (RTS) and clear to send (CTS) mechanism, over the range of packet lengths used for SMS messages and signaling messages.
Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) for Injuries Using Death Certificates and Hospital Discharge Survey by the Korean Burden of Disease Study 2012

A system for assessing the burdens imposed by disease and injury was developed to meet healthcare, priority setting, and policy planning needs. The first such system, the Global Burden of Disease (GBD), was implemented in 1990. However, problems associated with limited data and assumed disability weightings remain to be resolved. The purpose of the present study was to estimate national burdens of injuries in Korea using more reliable data and disability weightings. The incidences of injuries were estimated using the Korean National Hospital Discharge Survey and the mortality data from the Korean National Statistical Office in 2010. Additionally, durations of injuries and age at injury onset were used to calculate disability-adjusted life years (DALY) using disability weightings derived from the Korean Burden of Disease (KBD) study. Korea had 1,581,072 DALYs resulting from injuries (3,170 per 100,000), which was 22.9% higher than found by the GBD 2010 study. Males had almost twice as heavy an injury burden as females. Road injury, fall, and self-harm ranked 1st, 2nd, and 3rd in terms of burden of injury in 2010. Total injury burden peaked in the forties, while burden per person declined gradually from early adulthood. We hope that this study contributes to the reliable evaluation of injury burden and a better understanding of injury-related health status using nation-specific, dependable data.
Maximum Entropy Translation Model in Dependency-Based MT Framework

Maximum Entropy Principle has been used successfully in various NLP tasks. In this paper we propose a forward translation model consisting of a set of maximum entropy classifiers: a separate classifier is trained for each (sufficiently frequent) source-side lemma. In this way the estimates of translation probabilities can be sensitive to a large number of features derived from the source sentence (including non-local features, features making use of sentence syntactic structure, etc.). When integrated into English-to-Czech dependency-based translation scenario implemented in the TectoMT framework, the new translation model significantly outperforms the baseline model (MLE) in terms of BLEU. The performance is further boosted in a configuration inspired by Hidden Tree Markov Models which combines the maximum entropy translation model with the target-language dependency tree model.