Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Coronary Microvascular Function and Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Women With Angina Pectoris and No Obstructive Coronary Artery Disease: The iPOWER Study

Background The majority of women with angina‐like chest pain have no obstructive coronary artery disease when evaluated with coronary angiography. Coronary microvascular dysfunction is a possible explanation and associated with a poor prognosis. This study evaluated the prevalence of coronary microvascular dysfunction and the association with symptoms, cardiovascular risk factors, psychosocial factors, and results from diagnostic stress testing. Methods and Results After screening 3568 women, 963 women with angina‐like chest pain and a diagnostic coronary angiogram without significant coronary artery stenosis (<50%) were consecutively included. Mean age (SD) was 62.1 (9.7). Assessment included demographic and clinical data, blood samples, questionnaires, and transthoracic echocardiography during rest and high‐dose dipyridamole (0.84 mg/kg) with measurement of coronary flow velocity reserve (CFVR) by Doppler examination of the left anterior descending coronary artery. CFVR was successfully measured in 919 (95%) women. Median (IQR) CFVR was 2.33 (1.98–2.76), and 241 (26%) had markedly impaired CFVR (<2). In multivariable regression analysis, predictors of impaired CFVR were age (P<0.01), hypertension (P=0.02), current smoking (P<0.01), elevated heart rate (P<0.01), and low high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (P=0.02), but these variables explained only a little of the CFVR variation (r 2=0.09). CFVR was not associated with chest pain characteristics or results from diagnostic stress testing. Conclusion Impaired CFVR was detected in a substantial proportion, which suggests that coronary microvascular dysfunction plays a role in the development of angina pectoris. CFVR was associated with few cardiovascular risk factors, suggesting that CFVR is an independent parameter in the risk evaluation of these women. Symptom characteristics and results from stress testing did not identify individuals with impaired CFVR.
Mobilizing climate investment : the role of international climate finance in creating readiness for scaled-up, low-carbon energy

Contiene: v. 1. Introduction. Creating the conditions for investment. Learning from experience. A framework for allocating international climate finance for readiness. Implications for international climate finance and recommendations for the Green Climate Fund -- v. 2. Annex 1: energy efficiency in Thailand -- v. 3. Annex 2: wind power in South Africa -- v. 4. Annex 3: solar water heaters in Tunisia -- v. 5. Annex 4: geothermal power in Indonesia -- v. 6. Annex 5: wind power in Mexico
Distribution of ribonucleic acid coliphages in animals

To determine the distribution pattern of ribonucleic acid (RNA) coliphages (classified by serological groups I through IV) in animal sources, we isolated RNA phages from (i) feces samples from domestic animals (cows, pigs, horses, and fowls), some other animals in a zoological garden, and humans, (ii) the gastrointestinal contents of cows and pigs, and (iii) sewage samples from treatment plants in slaughter houses. These samples were then analyzed serologically. The concentration of RNA phages in the first and second kinds of material was fairly low (10 to 10(3) plaque-forming units per original phage sample), whereas that in the third kind of material was fairly high (10(3) to 10(5) plaque-forming units per original phage sample). Concerning the group types of the RNA phages in the first and second kinds of material, human feces contained RNA phages of groups II and III almost equally, the gastrointestinal contents of pigs included those of groups I and II equally, and the feces or gastrointestinal contents of other mammals other than humans and pigs had those of group I exclusively. In the third type of material we found mostly group I phages with a minor fraction of group II phages. Thus, the prominent features of the distribution pattern of RNA phages are the predominance of groups III and II in humans and the predominance of group I in animals.
G protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) reconstituted on recombinant proteoliposomes using baculovirus-liposome membrane fusion

Transmembrane proteins are important in biological functions. Proteoliposomes, which contain reconstituted membrane proteins, have been considered to be useful for their investigation. Especially, cell-sized giant liposomes, or giant unilamellar vesicles, are often used for such purposes. Previously, we established a novel method of proteoliposome preparation using membrane fusion between recombinant baculovirus and liposomes. Here we demonstrated preparation of recombinant proteoliposomes containing a G protein coupled receptor (GPCR) using this method. Human corticotropin releasing hormone receptor 1 (CRHR1), which is a seven-span transmembrane protein, was expressed using a baculovirus/insect cell recombinant system, and it was verified that the proteins were localized on both the insect cell membranes and baculovirus budded virus envelopes. The budded viruses were fused with GUVs containing DOPC/DOPS at pH ~4.5. The resulting proteo-GUVs were visualized using phycoerythrin-conjugated anti-CRHR antibodies. The CRHR1 recombinant proteoliposomes also reacted with anti-ligand antibodies in the presence of its ligand (corticotropin releasing factor). These results suggest that GPCRs can be reconstituted on proteoliposomes with an intact (native) function and structure using the baculovirus-liposome membrane fusion method.
Hard Superconducting Gap in InSb Nanowires

Topological superconductivity is a state of matter that can host Majorana modes, the building blocks of a topological quantum computer. Many experimental platforms predicted to show such a topological state rely on proximity-induced superconductivity. However, accessing the topological properties requires an induced hard superconducting gap, which is challenging to achieve for most material systems. We have systematically studied how the interface between an InSb semiconductor nanowire and a NbTiN superconductor affects the induced superconducting properties. Step by step, we improve the homogeneity of the interface while ensuring a barrier-free electrical contact to the superconductor and obtain a hard gap in the InSb nanowire. The magnetic field stability of NbTiN allows the InSb nanowire to maintain a hard gap and a supercurrent in the presence of magnetic fields (∼0.5 T), a requirement for topological superconductivity in one-dimensional systems. Our study provides a guideline to induce superconductivity in various experimental platforms such as semiconductor nanowires, two-dimensional electron gases, and topological insulators and holds relevance for topological superconductivity and quantum computation.
Greater decision-making competence is associated with greater expected-value sensitivity, but not overall risk taking: an examination of concurrent validity

Decision-making competence reflects individual differences in the susceptibility to committing decision-making errors, measured using tasks common from behavioral decision research (e.g., framing effects, under/overconfidence, following decision rules). Prior research demonstrates that those with higher decision-making competence report lower incidence of health-risking and antisocial behaviors, but there has been less focus on intermediate processes that may impact real-world decisions, and, in particular, those implicated by normative models. Here we test the associations between measures of youth decision-making competence (Y-DMC) and one such process, the degree to which individuals make choices consistent with maximizing expected value (EV). Using a task involving hypothetical gambles, we find that greater EV sensitivity is associated with greater Y-DMC. Higher Y-DMC scores are associated with (a) choosing risky options when EV favors those options and (b) avoiding risky options when EV favors a certain option. This relationship is stronger for gambles that involved potential losses. The results suggest that Y-DMC captures decision processes consistent with standard normative evaluations of risky decisions.
Physicochemical properties of slaughterhouse wastewater in and around Guwahati city, Assam

The physicochemical qualities of wastewater from poultry, goat, pig and cattle slaughterhouses in and around Guwahati city were investigated to assess the influence of the slaughterhouse wastewater in the receiving drainage system and nearby rivers. Samples were analysed as per the standard methods. Out of the physicochemical parameters studied the Temperature (0C) of slaughterhouse wastewater ranged from 28.51 ± 0.22 to 28.76 ± 0.20, pH 6.41±0.03 to 6.55±0.03, Total Dissolved Solids (g/L) 0.84± 0.04 to 4.70± 0.14, Total Solids (g/L) 4.03 ± 1.50 to 7.5±1.28 and Electrical conductivity (mS/cm) 0.89 ± 0.02 to 5.93 ± 013, which were below the WHO permissible limits. Unacceptably high levels of the assayed parameters were observed for Turbidity (107.33 ± 7.19 to 263.86 ± 9.11), Total Suspended Solids (mg/L) 4.43 ± 0.0 to 6.93 ± 0.13, Dissolved Oxygen (mg/L) 3.32 ± 0.10 to 4.73 ± 0.11, Biological Oxygen Demand (mg/L) 500.00 ± 20.00 to 792.50 ± 29.88 and Total Nitrogen (mg/L) 1197.78 ± 11.72, to 1381.97 ± 7.51. These findings were outside the compliance levels of the WHO tolerance limits for slaughterhouse wastewater.
Signal Transduction LCK Is an Important Mediator of B-Cell Receptor Signaling in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Cells

B-cell receptor (BCR) signals promote survival of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) cells, and it is believed that overexpressed and constitutively active Lyn mediates this signaling. Here, we show that CLL cells express lymphocyte-specific protein tyrosine kinase (LCK) and that inhibition of this Src family tyrosine kinase with the specific inhibitor [4-amino-5-(4-phenoxyphenyl)-7H-pyrrolo[3,2-d]pyrimidin-7-yl-cyclopentane (Lck-i)], or reduction of its expression with siRNA, blocks the induction of CD79a, Syk, inhibitor of IkB kinase (IKK), Akt, and extracellular signal–regulated kinase (ERK) phosphorylation by BCR cross-linking in these cells. Furthermore, we show that CLL cells with high levels of LCK expression have higher levels of BCR-mediated IKK, Akt, and ERK phosphorylation as well as cell survival than CLL cells with low levels of LCK expression. We also show that treatment of CLL cells with Lck-i inhibits BCR cross-linking–induced cell survival. Taken together, these data show a major role for LCK in proximal and distal BCR-mediated signaling in CLL cells and suggest that LCK expression is important in the pathogenesis of this disease. On a clinical level, these studies advocate the use of specific LCK inhibitors in the treatment of progressive CLL. Mol Cancer Res; 11(5); 541–54. 2013 AACR.
Atlas-Based Character Skinning with Automatic Mesh Decomposition

Skinning is the most tedious part in the character animation process. Using standard methods, joint weights must be attached to each vertex of the character's mesh, which is often time-consuming if an accurate animation is required. We propose a new modeling of the skinning process, inspired by the notion of atlas of charts. Starting from the character's animation skeleton, we first automatically decompose the mesh into anatomically meaningful overlapping regions. Regions are then blended in their overlapping parts using continuous transition functions. This leads to a simple yet efficient skinning process for which the weights are automatically defined and do not depend on the Euclidean distance but on the distance on the surface.
Methods for Biodiversity Assessment: Case Study in an Area of Atlantic Forest in Southern Brazil

Populations and species are disappearing due to disturbances in the environment caused by human activities. Given, the obvious risk of loss of diversity, it is increasingly necessary to take actions concerning preservation, in which safety features are necessary for measuring the variation of diversity in space and time. The aim of this study was to evaluate the structure and diversity in the arboreal component and natural regeneration in an area of Araucaria Forest in Southern Brazil. The vegetation sampling was performed by analyzing 180 subunits of 10 × 10 m, where all the arboreal individuals and natural regen- eration were inventoried. Different alpha and beta indexes of diversity were calculated. The Margalef, Shannon, and the Beta indexes were underestimated, possibly influenced by the size of sample unit. Index Menhinick represented the diversity in a very real form, even in small sampling units. The indexes of Simpson and MacIntosh denote low domi - nance and the equity indexes showed high uniformity in species. of diversity natural a complete characterization of the forest as an ecosystem, its arboreal This approximate evaluation of possible interven tions made in settlements, well the intensity and provides a rough overview of the ume of the existing in the forest, whose can be very relevant with regard to fire prevention, energy potential, and characterization of biodiversity. subject, work to evaluate the arboreal component and natural regeneration biodiversity in an Atlantic Rainy Forest area in Southern Brazil, through different diversity indices in order to find the variables that better represent the current status of diversity in study environment.
Interaction of streptolysin O from Streptococcus pyogenes and theta-toxin from Clostridium perfringens with human fibroblasts

The membrane-damaging properties on human diploid embryonic lung fibroblasts of streptolysin O (from Streptococcus pyogenes) and theta-toxin (from Clostridium perfringens) were compared. The results are consistent with the suggested mechanism for hemolysis by streptolysin O involving one fixation site and one lytic site of this cytolysin. However, the membrane-damaging activity of the two toxins differed with respect to (i) relative cytolytic activity on human diploid lung fibroblasts compared with that on sheep erythrocytes, (ii) binding to the fibroblast membrane, (iii) activity at 0 degrees C, (iv) membrane repair after more than 30 min, and (v) effect on influx of amino acids. It is concluded that the mechanism of membrane damage caused by theta-toxin differs from that of cytoplasmic membrane. These results question the current concept that all thiol-activated, cholesterol-inactivated bacterial toxins are similar both structurally and functionally.
Mechanisms of Resistance to Daptomycin in Enterococcus faecium

ABSTRACT In this study, we investigated the clonal emergence of daptomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium strains isolated from a patient with leukocyte adhesion deficiency syndrome. The resistance mechanism in these strains is independent of either equivalent point mutations previously described for Staphylococcus aureus or daptomycin inactivation mechanisms identified in soil bacteria.
Shorter Telomeres in Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells from Older Persons with Sarcopenia: Results from an Exploratory Study

Background: Telomere shortening in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) has been associated with biological age and several chronic degenerative diseases. However, the relationship between telomere length and sarcopenia, a hallmark of the aging process, is unknown. The aim of the present study was therefore to determine whether PBMC telomeres obtained from sarcopenic older persons were shorter relative to non-sarcopenic peers. We further explored if PBMC telomere length was associated with frailty, a major clinical correlate of sarcopenia. Methods: Analyses were conducted in 142 persons aged ≥65 years referred to a geriatric outpatient clinic (University Hospital). The presence of sarcopenia was established according to the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People criteria, with bioelectrical impedance analysis used for muscle mass estimation. The frailty status was determined by both the Fried’s criteria (physical frailty, PF) and a modified Rockwood’s frailty index (FI). Telomere length was measured in PBMCs by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction according to the telomere/single-copy gene ratio (T/S) method. Results: Among 142 outpatients (mean age 75.0 ± 6.5 years, 59.2% women), sarcopenia was diagnosed in 23 individuals (19.3%). The PF phenotype was detected in 74 participants (52.1%). The average FI score was 0.46 ± 0.17. PBMC telomeres were shorter in sarcopenic subjects (T/S = 0.21; 95% CI: 0.18–0.24) relative to non-sarcopenic individuals (T/S = 0.26; 95% CI: 0.24–0.28; p = 0.01), independent of age, gender, smoking habit, or comorbidity. No significant associations were determined between telomere length and either PF or the FI. Conclusion: PBMC telomere length, expressed as T/S values, is shorter in older outpatients with sarcopenia. The cross-sectional assessment of PBMC telomere length is not sufficient at capturing the complex, multidimensional syndrome of frailty.
Robust and Secure Image Hashing via Non-Negative Matrix Factorizations

In this paper, we propose the use of non-negative matrix factorization (NMF) for image hashing. In particular, we view images as matrices and the goal of hashing as a randomized dimensionality reduction that retains the essence of the original image matrix while preventing intentional attacks of guessing and forgery. Our work is motivated by the fact that standard-rank reduction techniques, such as QR and singular value decomposition, produce low-rank bases which do not respect the structure (i.e., non-negativity for images) of the original data. We observe that NMFs have two very desirable properties for secure image hashing applications: 1) The additivity property resulting from the non-negativity constraints results in bases that capture local components of the image, thereby significantly reducing misclassification and 2) the effect of geometric attacks on images in the spatial domain manifests (approximately) as independent identically distributed noise on NMF vectors, allowing the design of detectors that are both computationally simple and, at the same time, optimal in the sense of minimizing error probabilities. Receiver operating characteristics analysis over a large image database reveals that the proposed algorithms significantly outperform existing approaches for image hashing.
Discrimination against people with severe mental illness and their access to social capital: findings from the Viewpoint survey

Aims. Discrimination against people with severe mental illness is an international problem. It is associated with reduced social contact and hinders recovery. This paper aims to evaluate if experienced or anticipated discrimination is associated with social capital, a known correlate of mental health. Methods. Data from the annual viewpoint cross-sectional survey of people with severe mental illness (n = 1016) were analysed. Exploratory univariate analysis was used to identify correlates of social capital in the sample, which were then evaluated in linear regression models. Additional hypotheses were tested using t tests. Results. Experienced discrimination made a modest contribution to the explained variance of social capital. Experienced discrimination from friends and immediate family was associated with reduced access to social capital from these groups, but this was not found for wider family, neighbours or mental health staff. Experience of discrimination in finding or keeping a job was also associated with reduced access to social capital. Conclusions. Further longitudinal research is needed to determine how resources within people's networks can help to build resilience, which reduces the harmful effect of discrimination on mental health.
Influence of the Atlantic Multidecadal Variability on the climate response to external forcing

Internal climate variability has been found to influence the climate response to an external forcing such as CO2. This thesis investigates the influence of the Atlantic Multidecadal Variability (AMV), a mode of internal climate variability in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the response to external forcing. The AMV is a 60 80 year fluctuation in the sea surface temperatures of the North Atlantic that has widespread effects on climate. Using simulations run on an ocean-atmosphere general circulation model (GCM), it is found that the AMV phase significantly impacts the regional response to CO2: in the extratropical Northern Hemisphere, Eurasia warms more, and North America and the North Pacific warm less, in the warm phase of the AMV. The mechanisms of the AMV-related response are explored using a constructed circulation analog method. Changes in teleconnections between the tropical and extratropical Pacific contribute to the dynamical component of the difference in response to forcing between AMV phases, while differences in sea ice may contribute to the thermodynamic component. Interestingly, some aspects of the AMVrelated response are robust with different external forcings. Finally, using simulations run on an atmospheric GCM, the role of sea ice in forcing atmospheric AMV-related anomalies is investigated. It is found that sea ice in the Barents and Greenland Seas plays a large role in forcing local temperature anomalies.
Partitioning and Ranking Tagged Data Sources

Online types of expression in the form of social networks, micro-blogging, blogs and rich content sharing platforms have proliferated in the last few years. Such proliferation contributed to the vast explosion in online data sharing we are experiencing today. One unique aspect of online data sharing is tags manually inserted by content generators to facilitate content description and discovery (e.g., hashtags in tweets). In this paper we focus on these tags and we study and propose algorithms that make use of tags in order to automatically organize and categorize this vast collection of socially contributed and tagged information. In particular, we take a holistic approach in organizing such tags and we propose algorithms to partition as well as rank this information collection. Our partitioning algorithms aim to segment the entire collection of tags (and the associated content) into a specified number of partitions for specific problem constraints. In contrast our ranking algorithms aim to identify few partitions fast, for suitably defined ranking functions. We present a detailed experimental study utilizing the full twitter firehose (set of all tweets in the Twitter service) that attests to the practical utility and effectiveness of our overall approach. We also present a detailed qualitative study of our results.
Effects of antibiotic therapy at drying off on mastitis in the dry period and early lactation.

Four strategies for selecting cows for intramammary therapy with benzathine cloxacillin at drying off were compared in 12 Victorian dairy herds. The bacteriological status of all quarters of all (1044) cows was determined just before drying off, within 2 d of calving, and again 3 to 5 months after calving. All cases of clinical mastitis (from calving to mid-lactation) were recorded. Cows not infected at drying off were allocated randomly to 2 subgroups of approximately 350 cows each: not infected, not treated (NI-NT), or not infected, all quarters treated (NI-AT). New infection rates in the dry period (3.8% for NI-NT vs 2.1% for NI-AT) and in early lactation (4.1% for NI-NT vs 3.9% for NI-AT) were low and these differences were not significant. Incidence of clinical mastitis in early lactation was almost 50% higher for the treated group of uninfected cows compared with the untreated group (0.05 less than p less than 0.1). Cows infected in one or more quarters at drying off were split randomly into 2 subgroups of approximately 170 cows each: infected, all quarters treated (I-AT), or infected quarters treated only (I-QT). The new infection rate during the dry period was nearly 4 times higher for I-QT (15.3%) due to significantly more new infections by Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus uberis. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)