Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Insulin Resistance Is Associated With Significant Clinical Atherosclerosis in Nondiabetic Patients With Acute Myocardial Infarction

Objective—The prevalence of insulin resistance (IR) is increasing worldwide because of increasing age, obesity, and physical inactivity. Emerging evidence supports a direct proatherogenic effect of IR on the coronary vasculature, but the relation between IR and angiographic atherosclerosis in a real-world clinical setting is uncertain. In this work, we assessed whether IR is independently associated with clinically significant angiographic atherosclerosis in nondiabetic individuals. Approach and Results—We examined the association between IR and the extent of coronary atherosclerosis determined by angiography in 1073 nondiabetic patients surviving acute myocardial infarction. Patients were divided into quartiles on the basis of the homeostasis model assessment grading of IR, and associations between IR and multivessel coronary artery disease, defined as ≥2 arteries with ≥70% stenosis (or ≥50% left main stenosis), were analyzed in bivariate and multivariable modeling. Overall, the cohort had a median age of 56 years; 28.9% women and 21.8% nonwhite. The crude prevalence of multivessel coronary artery disease was 37.8%, 42.3%, 47.2%, and 48.0% for homeostasis model assessment grading of IR quartiles 1, 2, 3, and 4, respectively (Ptrend=0.009). In multivariable modeling, compared with quartile 1, both quartile 3 (relative risk [95% confidence interval], 1.31 [1.07–1.60]) and quartile 4 (1.29 [1.03–1.60]) were independently associated with multivessel coronary artery disease. Covariates in the model included patient demographic and clinical characteristics and metabolic factors (low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, triglyceride, glycosylated hemoglobin, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein). Conclusions—We demonstrate an independent association between IR and multivessel coronary artery disease in nondiabetic postmyocardial infarction patients. Our findings strengthen the experimental evidence for a direct atherogenic effect of IR independent of glucose control and other components of the metabolic syndrome.
Diversity Interference Cancellation for GSM/EDGE using Reduced-Complexity Joint Detection

In cellular mobile radio systems, multiple access is causing interference that limits capacity of the networks. The GSM system with multiple users can be interpreted as MIMO system with a desired user and (cochannel and adjacent channel) interferers. Using a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) multiuser joint detection approach for desired signal and one or more (strongest) interferers, network capacity can be significantly increased. In this paper, we compare different multiuser detection methods that can be applied to GSM/EDGE (Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution) systems with Gaussian minimum-shift keying (GMSK) modulation in up- and downlink and 8-ary phase-shift keying (8PSK) in the uplink, respectively. Since an optimal solution is not feasible in these applications, joint MIMO reduced-state sequence estimation (RSSE) with adaptive thresholds in metric computations is applied to reduce computational complexity. The M-algorithm is explored as a second method for joint detection with reduced complexity. Algorithms for multiuser detection are compared with interference rejection methods, where interferers are suppressed by filtering. A performance comparison is done by simulations for the GSM/EDGE equalizer test (EQ) and typical urban (TU) channel profiles with known channel impulse responses at the receiver.
The Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire: a validated Spanish version to assess the health status in women with fibromyalgia.

OBJECTIVE To translate, adapt, validate and assess the sensitivity to change of a Spanish version of the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ-S). METHODS The FIQ-S was adapted following the translation and back-translation methodology. Female patients with fibromyalgia (FM) were invited to participate. Reliability was analyzed by the Spearman correlation coefficient between test and retest. Internal consistency was checked by the Cronbach's alpha coefficient. Construct validity was analyzed comparing FIQ-S with: HAQ, FHAQ, SF-36, SCL90-R, and the visual analogue scale for pain. Sensitivity to change was assessed in an 8-week randomized trial of exercise therapy. Feasibility was analyzed by the time taken in completing the FIQ-S and the proportion of patients able to complete the questionnaire. RESULTS Translation was concordant. Adaptation affected at 4 sub-items of physical function. One-hundred and two FM patients completed the protocol. Mean age was 48.7 years with a mean of 9.2 years of evolution. Test-retest correlations were between 0.61-0.85 (p < 0.0001). Internal consistency showed alpha = 0.82 for all items and alpha = 0.86 for the sub-items of physical function. Significant correlations (p < 0.0001) were found between the FIQ-S items and HAQ, FHAQ, SF-36 and SCL90-R. For patients treated with the exercise program, the pre-treatment FIQ-S score was 52.0 +/- 11.5 and the post-treatment score was 40.8 +/- 13.7 (p < 0.003). Mean time for completing FIQ-S was 3.3 minutes. In 4% of the patients external help was needed. CONCLUSION The FIQ-S is a reliable, valid and responsive to changes questionnaire for measuring health status and physical function in Spanish speaking FM patients.
Distribution of Peripheral PrPSc in Sheep with Naturally Acquired Scrapie

Accumulation of prion protein (PrPSc) in the central nervous system is the hallmark of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies. However, in some of these diseases such as scrapie or chronic wasting disease, the PrPSc can also accumulate in other tissues, particularly in the lymphoreticular system. In recent years, PrPSc in organs other than nervous and lymphoid have been described, suggesting that distribution of this protein in affected individuals may be much larger than previously thought. In the present study, 11 non-nervous/non-lymphoid organs from 16 naturally scrapie infected sheep in advanced stages of the disease were examined for the presence of PrPSc. Fourteen infected sheep were of the ARQ/ARQ PRNP genotype and 2 of the VRQ/VRQ, where the letters A, R, Q, and V represent the codes for amino-acids alanine, arginine, glutamine and valine, respectively. Adrenal gland, pancreas, heart, skin, urinary bladder and mammary gland were positive for PrPSc by immunohistochemistry and IDEXX HerdChek scrapie/BSE Antigen EIA Test in at least one animal. Lung, liver, kidney and skeletal muscle exhibited PrPSc deposits by immunohistochemistry only. To our knowledge, this is the first report regarding the presence of PrPSc in the heart, pancreas and urinary bladder in naturally acquired scrapie infections. In some other organs examined, in which PrPSc had been previously detected, PrPSc immunolabeling was observed to be associated with new structures within those organs. The results of the present study illustrate a wide dissemination of PrPSc in both ARQ/ARQ and VRQ/VRQ infected sheep, even when the involvement of the lymphoreticular system is scarce or absent, thus highlighting the role of the peripheral nervous system in the spread of PrPSc.
Mechanical and Electrical Properties of Elastomer Nanocomposites Based on Different Carbon Nanomaterials

Carbon nanostructures including carbon black, carbon nanotubes, graphite or graphene have attracted a tremendous interest as fillers for elastomeric compounds. The preparation methods of nanocomposites that have a strong impact on the state of filler dispersion and thus on the properties of the resulting composites, are briefly described. At a same filler loading, considerable improvement in stiffness is imparted to the host polymeric matrix by the carbon nanomaterials with regard to that provided by the conventional carbon black particles. It is mainly attributed to the high aspect ratio of the nanostructures rather than to strong polymer-filler interactions. The orienting capability of the anisotropic fillers under strain as well the formation of a filler network, have to be taken into account to explain the high level of reinforcements. A comparison of the efficiency of the different carbon nanostructures is carried out through their mechanical and electrical properties but no clear picture can be obtained since the composite properties are strongly affected by the state of filler dispersion.
High red blood cell distribution width is closely associated with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease

Background The red blood cell distribution width (RDW) has been reported to be a risk marker of morbidity and mortality for cardiovascular diseases in various study populations. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is also a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. However, the relationship between RDW and NAFLD is less certain. Patients and methods RDW was determined using a Coulter counter together with the hemoglobin level in 1637 normal control individuals and 619 NAFLD patients who were consecutively referred by general practitioners for routine medical check-up. The total plasma cholesterol, plasma triglyceride, and fasting glucose were determined using a multichannel analyzer, and BMI, systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and the incidence of hypertension and coronary artery disease were measured using statistical analysis. Results Patients with NAFLD had a higher RDW, BMI, waist to hip ratio, SBP and DBP, fasting glucose, triglycerides, and hypertension incidence (P<0.01), and were also younger (P<0.01). NAFLD was considered as a dependent variable, whereas age, sex, BMI, waist to hip ratio, RDW, hemoglobin, SBP and DBP, fasting glucose, total cholesterol, triglyceride, and hypertension were considered as covariate variables. We found that age (&bgr;=−0.031, P<0.01), BMI (&bgr;=0.265, P<0.01), waist to hip ratio (&bgr;=6.166, P<0.01), RDW (&bgr;=0.154, P<0.01), fasting plasma glucose (&bgr;=0.301, P<0.01), and triglyceride (&bgr;=0.222, P<0.01) were significantly associated with the risk for NAFLD, analyzed by binary logistic regression analysis. Conclusion Patients with NAFLD were more likely to have high levels of RDW. Moreover, NAFLD was associated with age, BMI, RDW, fasting plasma glucose, and triglyceride. If confirmed in future follow-up studies, this association might provide a rationale to introduce the easy, inexpensive RDW in algorithms for NAFLD risk prediction.
The Nature of Feeding in Infants with Unrepaired Cleft Lip and/or Palate Compared with Healthy Noncleft Infants

Objective: Feeding difficulties are reported widely in infants with cleft lip and/ or palate. There is, however, a paucity of objective information about the feeding patterns of these infants. This study compared patterns of feeding in infants with unrepaired cleft lip and palate with healthy noncleft infants of a similar age. Setting: North Thames Regional Cleft Centre. The noncleft cohort was recruited from West Middlesex University Hospital, a general hospital with similar demographics. Participants: Fifty newborn infants with nonsyndromic complete unilateral cleft lip and palate or a cleft of the soft and at least two thirds of the hard palate who were referred to the North Thames Regional Cleft Centre participated. Parents of 20 randomly selected, noncleft infants agreed to participate. Main Outcome Measures: Feeding patterns were rated using the Neonatal Oral Motor Assessment Scale. Additional objective information was collected using the Great Ormond Street Measurement of Infant Feeding (Masarei et al., 2001; Masarei, 2003). Results: Infants with nonsyndromic complete unilateral cleft lip and palate or a cleft of the soft and at least two thirds of the hard palate had less efficient sucking patterns than their noncleft peers had. They used shorter sucks (mean difference, 0.30 second; p < .0005), a faster rate of sucking (mean difference, 34.20 sucks/second; p < .0005), higher suck-swallow ratios (mean difference, 1.87 sucks/swallow; p < .0005), and a greater proportion of intraoral positive pressure generation (mean difference, 45.97% positive pressure; p < .0005). Conclusions: This study demonstrated that the sucking patterns of infants with nonsyndromic complete unilateral cleft lip and palate or a cleft of the soft and at least two thirds of the hard palate differ from those of their noncleft peers.
A Model for the Early Identification of Sources of Airborne Pathogens in an Outdoor Environment

Background Source identification in areas with outbreaks of airborne pathogens is often time-consuming and expensive. We developed a model to identify the most likely location of sources of airborne pathogens. Methods As a case study, we retrospectively analyzed three Q fever outbreaks in the Netherlands in 2009, each with suspected exposure from a single large dairy goat farm. Model input consisted only of case residential addresses, day of first clinical symptoms, and human population density data. We defined a spatial grid and fitted an exponentially declining function to the incidence-distance data of each grid point. For any grid point with a fit significant at the 95% confidence level, we calculated a measure of risk. For validation, we used results from abortion notifications, voluntary (2008) and mandatory (2009) bulk tank milk sampling at large (i.e. >50 goats and/or sheep) dairy farms, and non-systematic vaginal swab sampling at large and small dairy and non-dairy goat/sheep farms. In addition, we performed a two-source simulation study. Results Hotspots – areas most likely to contain the actual source – were identified at early outbreak stages, based on the earliest 2–10% of the case notifications. Distances between the hotspots and suspected goat farms varied from 300–1500 m. In regional likelihood rankings including all large dairy farms, the suspected goat farms consistently ranked first. The two-source simulation study showed that detection of sources is most clear if the distance between the sources is either relatively small or relatively large. Conclusions Our model identifies the most likely location of sources in an airborne pathogen outbreak area, even at early stages. It can help to reduce the number of potential sources to be investigated by microbial testing and to allow rapid implementation of interventions to limit the number of human infections and to reduce the risk of source-to-source transmission.
A Yin-Yang Theory of the Collective Agency

Stating from a generic model of the organisation, agency theory is linked to trait theory within the context of the personality of the collective. Collective agency is a cybernetic socio-cognitive theory that centres on personality in which formative traits play a major role. Personality traits create agency temperament, and orientation traits define an agent’s cultural and social tendencies. The traits take preferred values that define the agency type profile and temperament. Trait dynamics are explored, and explanation is provided about how a personality type profile develops. Under normal conditions of homeostatic equilibrium an agency maintains a stable type profile connected with patterns of behaviour, its behaviour is predictable. However, its immanent dynamics provide a potential for personality change. In post-normal conditions with the loss of equilibrium, the agency may lose its type profile stability. Using information theory, a formal yin-yang theory of the agency is developed that explains how type profiles can be predicted in post-normal conditions.
Generator selection for offshore oscillating water column wave energy converters

In the field of wind energy, electrical generator solutions have converged on a small number of technologies, for specific technical and economic reasons. This paper investigates whether a similar rationale exists within the field of oscillating water column, wave energy converters. The predicted performance of the various generator options within a typical wave regime is validated by means of a time-domain MATLAB/Simulink model. The suitability or otherwise of brushed machines in the offshore marine environment is examined in detail. Each generator configuration is then modelled and the annual energy output for a typical wave climate assessed with consideration being given to the impact of speed control on the energy output.
A Negotiation Protocol with Conditional Offers for Camera Handoffs

This paper explores the idea of conditional offers during camera handoff negotiations. In a departure from contract-net inspired negotiation models that have been proposed for camera handoffs, the current scheme assumes that each camera maintains the state of its neighbouring cameras. To this end, this paper presents a new short-term memory model for maintaining a camera's own state and the state of its neighbouring cameras. The fact that each camera is aware of its surrounding cameras is exploited to generate conditional offers during handoff negotiations. This can result in multiple rounds of negotiations during a single handoff, leading to successful handoffs in situations where one of the cameras that is being asked to take on one more task is unable to take on a new task without relinquishing an existing task. The results demonstrate the advantages of the proposed negotiation model over existing models for camera handoffs.
Building height extraction via a deterministic approach using a TerraSAR-X data stack

A method for building height determination via a deterministic approach is tested using three TerraSAR-X images from Barcelona, Spain. Using this method, the height of a building wall can be determined based on the strength of the double-bounce backscattering. The approach requires knowledge of the material properties of the measured building wall and the area in near range of the building wall. For certain test buildings the approach provides good results, while for other buildings the results are erroneous.
Institutionalized Organizations: Formal Structure as Myth and Ceremony

Many formal organizational structures arise as reflections of rationalized institutional rules. The elaboration of such rules in modern states and societies accounts in part for the expansion and increased complexity of formal organizational structures. Institutional rules function as myths which organizations incorporate, gaining legitimacy, resources, stability, and enhanced survival prospects. Organizations whose structures become isomorphic with the myths of the institutional environment-in contrast with those primarily structured by the demands of technical production and exchange-decrease internal coordination and control in order to maintain legitimacy. Structures are decoupled from each other and from ongoing activities. In place of coordination, inspection, and evaluation, a logic of confidence and good faith is employed.
Querying Best Paths in Graph Databases

Querying graph databases has recently received much attention. We propose a new approach to this problem, which balances competing goals of expressive power, language clarity and computational complexity. A distinctive feature of our approach is the ability to express properties of minimal (e.g. shortest) and maximal (e.g. most valuable) paths satisfying given criteria. To express complex properties in a modular way, we introduce labelling-generating ontologies. The resulting formalism is computationally attractive -- queries can be answered in non-deterministic logarithmic space in the size of the database.
Persistent Synaptic Scaling Independent of AMPA Receptor Subunit Composition

Despite long-standing evidence that the specific intracellular domains of AMPA-type glutamate receptor (AMPAR) subunits are critical for trafficking, it has recently been demonstrated that there is no absolute requirement for any AMPAR subunit for the receptor insertion underlying LTP. It is unclear whether this holds true to other forms of plasticity. Homeostatic synaptic plasticity (HSP) is an important form of negative feedback that provides stability to neuronal networks, and results at least in part from the insertion of AMPARs into glutamatergic synapses following chronic reductions in neuronal activity. Similar to LTP, the GluA1 subunit has been suggested to be the requisite subunit for HSP-induced AMPAR insertion and acute treatment with signaling molecules that underlie some forms of HSP results in the preferential incorporation of GluA2-lacking receptors. However, knockdown experiments have instead implicated a requirement for the GluA2 subunit. Here we re-examined the requirement for specific AMPAR subunit during chronic tetrodotoxin-induced HSP using hippocampal cultures derived from AMPAR subunit knock-out mice. We observed HSP in cultures from GluA1−/−, GluA2−/−, and GluA2−/− GluA3−/− mice, and conclude that, as with LTP, there is no subunit requirement for HSP.
Reduced Apaf-1 levels in cardiomyocytes engage strict regulation of apoptosis by endogenous XIAP

Overexpression studies have identified X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein (XIAP) as a potent inhibitor of caspases. However, the exact function of endogenous XIAP in regulating mammalian apoptosis is less clear. Endogenous XIAP strictly regulates cytochrome c–dependent caspase activation in sympathetic neurons but not in many mitotic cells. We report that postmitotic cardiomyocytes, unlike fibroblasts, are remarkably resistant to cytosolic microinjection of cytochrome c. The cardiomyocyte resistance to cytochrome c is mediated by endogenous XIAP, as XIAP-deficient cardiomyocytes die rapidly with cytosolic cytochrome c alone. Importantly, we found that cardiomyocytes, like neurons, have markedly reduced Apaf-1 levels and that this decrease in Apaf-1 is directly linked to the tight regulation of caspase activation by XIAP. These data identify an important function of XIAP in cardiomyocytes and point to a striking similarity in the regulation of apoptosis in postmitotic cells.
Differential unitary space-time modulation

We present a framework for differential modulation with multiple antennas across a continuously fading channel, where neither the transmitter nor the receiver knows the fading coefficients. The framework can be seen as a natural extension of standard differential phase-shift keying commonly used in single-antenna unknown-channel systems. We show how our differential framework links the unknown-channel system with a known-channel system, and we develop performance design criteria. As a special ease, we introduce a class of diagonal signals where only one antenna is active at any time, and demonstrate how these signals may be used to achieve full transmitter diversity and low probability of error.