Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Noise Exposure, Characterization, and Comparison of Three Football Stadiums

Personal noise exposure samples were collected from five workers at a large-sized college football stadium and five workers at a medium-sized college football stadium in northern Colorado during three home football games, for a total of 30 personal noise exposures. In addition, personal noise exposure samples were collected from five fans at a National Football League (NFL) stadium, and from two fans at each of the college stadiums during three home football games, for a total of 27 personal noise exposure samples. None of the workers’ noise doses were above the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) permissible exposure limit of 90 dBA. However, 11 of 28 (39%) workers’ noise doses exceeded the OSHA action level of 85 dBA that would require enrollment in a hearing conservation program. Following ACGIH® recommendations for noise exposure limits, 27 of 28 (96%) workers would be considered overexposed. In addition, 24 of 25 fans (96%) were also overexposed according to ACGIH and World Health Organization recommendations. At the 95% confidence level, workers’ and fans’ noise exposures were not significantly different between the three stadiums. However, there was significant noise level variability between the games in each individual stadium (e.g., 82 dbA vs. 87 dbA mean worker OSHA noise exposure for two games at the large-sized college stadium, p=0.001). Given the personal sampling results for the stadium workers, the investigators believe that stadium management at these two universities should implement a hearing conservation program and provide hearing protection. Management should include a warning of possible loud-noise exposure during any sporting events held at the stadiums in fan guides, pamphlets, websites, or other appropriate communication tools. This information should include the health effects of loud noise exposure, namely, noise-induced hearing loss, the information should also be specifically targeted to parents of young children, including a strong recommendation that hearing protection be worn by all children during the sporting event.
Effect on Survival and Hospitalization of Initiating Treatment for Chronic Heart Failure With Bisoprolol Followed by Enalapril, as Compared With the Opposite Sequence: Results of the Randomized Cardiac Insufficiency Bisoprolol Study (CIBIS) III

Background— In patients with chronic heart failure (CHF), a β-blocker is generally added to a regimen containing an angiotensin-converting-enzyme (ACE) inhibitor. It is unknown whether β-blockade as initial therapy may be as useful. Methods and Results— We randomized 1010 patients with mild to moderate CHF and left ventricular ejection fraction ≤35%, who were not receiving ACE inhibitor, β-blocker, or angiotensin receptor blocker therapy, to open-label monotherapy with either bisoprolol (target dose 10 mg QD; n=505) or enalapril (target dose 10 mg BID; n=505) for 6 months, followed by their combination for 6 to 24 months. The 2 strategies were blindly compared with regard to the combined primary end point of all-cause mortality or hospitalization and with regard to each of these end point components individually. Bisoprolol-first treatment was noninferior to enalapril-first treatment if the upper limit of the 95% confidence interval (CI) for the absolute between-group difference was <5%, corresponding to a hazard ratio (HR) of 1.17. In the intention-to-treat sample, the primary end point occurred in 178 patients allocated to bisoprolol-first treatment versus 186 allocated to enalapril-first treatment (absolute difference −1.6%, 95% CI −7.6 to 4.4%, HR 0.94; 95% CI 0.77 to 1.16). In the per-protocol sample, 163 patients allocated to bisoprolol-first treatment had a primary end point, versus 165 allocated to enalapril-first treatment (absolute difference −0.7%, 95% CI −6.6 to 5.1%, HR 0.97; 95% CI 0.78 to 1.21). With bisoprolol-first treatment, 65 patients died, versus 73 with enalapril-first treatment (HR 0.88; 95% CI 0.63 to 1.22), and 151 versus 157 patients were hospitalized (HR 0.95; 95% CI 0.76 to 1.19). Conclusion— Although noninferiority of bisoprolol-first versus enalapril-first treatment was not proven in the per-protocol analysis, our results indicate that it may be as safe and efficacious to initiate treatment for CHF with bisoprolol as with enalapril.
A Polymorphism (rs2295080) in mTOR Promoter Region and Its Association with Gastric Cancer in a Chinese Population

Background As an imperative part of PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway, mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) has been demonstrated to increase in gastric cancer cells and tumors. Our research explored the relationship between single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs2295080 in mTOR promoter region and the risk of gastric cancer (GC). Methods Seven hundred and fifty-three (753) gastric adenocarcinoma patients and 854 matched healthy subjects were recruited in the cancer association study and 60 tissues were used to test the expression of mTOR. Unconditional logistic regression was selected to evaluate the association between the rs2295080 T>G polymorphism and GC risk. We then examined the functionality of this promoter genetic variant by luciferase assay and EMSA. Results Individuals with G allele had a 23% decreased risk of GC, comparing with those carrying T allele (adjusted OR = 0.77, 95% CI = 0.65–0.92). This protective effect of G allele stood out better in male group. Meanwhile, GC patients carrying TG/GG genotype also displayed a decreased mRNA level of mTOR (P = 0.004). In luciferase assay, T allele tended to enhance the transcriptional activity of mTOR with an approximate 0.5-fold over G allele. Furthermore, EMSA tests explained that different alleles of rs2295080 displayed different affinities to some transcriptional factor. Conclusion The mTOR promoter polymorphism rs2295080 was significantly associated with GC risk. This SNP, which effectively influenced the expression of mTOR, may be a new biomarker of early diagnosis of gastric cancer and a suitable indicator of utilizing mTOR inhibitor for treatment of GC.
Cell wall stress induces alternative fungal cytokinesis and septation strategies

Summary In fungi, as with all walled organisms, cytokinesis followed by septation marks the end of the cell cycle and is essential for cell division and viability. For yeasts, the septal cross-wall comprises a ring and primary septal plate composed of chitin, and a secondary septum thickened with &bgr;(1,3)-glucan. In the human pathogen Candida albicans, chitin synthase enzyme Chs1 builds the primary septum that is surrounded by a chitin ring made by Chs3. Here we show that the lethal phenotype induced by repression of CHS1 was abrogated by stress-induced synthesis of alternative and novel septal types synthesized by other chitin synthase enzymes that have never before been implicated in septation. Chs2 and Chs8 formed a functional salvage septum, even in the absence of both Chs1 and Chs3. A second type of salvage septum formed by Chs2 in combination with Chs3 or Chs8 was proximally offset in the mother-bud neck. Chs3 alone or in combination with Chs8 formed a greatly thickened third type of salvage septum. Therefore, cell wall stress induced alternative forms of septation that rescued cell division in the absence of Chs1, demonstrating that fungi have previously unsuspected redundant strategies to enable septation and cell division to be maintained, even under potentially lethal environmental conditions.
Runtime Verification with Multi-valued Formula Rewriting

Runtime verification is a promising method that tries to bridge the gap between formal methods and traditional testing. In this paper, we present an improved runtime verification method via multi-valued formula rewriting. A 3-valued executable semantics for finite trace LTL is formally defined, and an algorithm based on this new semantics is proposed and implemented in Maude, which is a high performance rewriting system. To improve the efficiency of our algorithm, we introduce a novel approximation technique, which reduces rewriting steps by sacrificing some abilities of detecting the satisfactions of LTL properties. Moreover, this technique provides a quick procedure for distinguishing non-monitor able properties from those can be monitored. Finally, experiments are conducted to show the strength and weakness of the presented method.
Factors influencing length of hospital stay in community-acquired pneumonia: a study in 27 community hospitals

We did a retrospective study of 1920 episodes of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in 27 community hospitals and analysed inter-hospital variability in length of hospital stay (LOS), mortality and readmission rates. The overall adjusted LOS (mean±S.D.) was 10·0±9·8 days. LOS increased according to the Pneumonia Severity Index (PSI) risk class: 7·3 days for class I to 11·3 days for class V (P<0·001). In a multiple regression model, LOS increased (P<0·001) according to the hospital (inter-hospital variability), PSI risk class, complications during hospitalization, admission to ICU, need of oxygen and transfer to a nursing home. Hospitals with shorter LOS did not show an increased readmission rate (adjusted OR 1·02, 95% CI 0·51–2·03, P=0·97) and post-discharge mortality (adjusted OR 1·20, 95% CI 0·70–2·05, P=0·51). There are significant inter-hospital variations in LOS in patients with CAP which are related to differences in clinical management. The reduction of these differences will further improve efficiency and quality of care.
Adhesive stripping to remove epidermis in junctional epidermolysis bullosa for revertant cell therapy

Background Replacing mutant skin in epidermolysis bullosa (EB) by epithelial sheets of transduced autologous keratinocytes is the essential surgical step of ex vivo gene therapy. The same applies for revertant cell therapy in which epithelial sheets of revertant autologous keratinocytes are used. Revertant cells can be found in patches of normal skin in patients with junctional EB (JEB) due to revertant mosaicism caused by in vivo reversions.
Population and phylogenomic decomposition via genotyping‐by‐sequencing in Australian Pelargonium

Species delimitation has seen a paradigm shift as increasing accessibility of genomic‐scale data enables separation of lineages with convergent morphological traits and the merging of recently diverged ecotypes that have distinguishing characteristics. We inferred the process of lineage formation among Australian species in the widespread and highly variable genus Pelargonium by combining phylogenomic and population genomic analyses along with breeding system studies and character analysis. Phylogenomic analysis and population genetic clustering supported seven of the eight currently described species but provided little evidence for differences in genetic structure within the most widely distributed group that containing P. australe. In contrast, morphometric analysis detected three deep lineages within Australian Pelargonium; with P. australe consisting of five previously unrecognized entities occupying separate geographic ranges. The genomic approach enabled elucidation of parallel evolution in some traits formerly used to delineate species, as well as identification of ecotypic morphological differentiation within recognized species. Highly variable morphology and trait convergence each contribute to the discordance between phylogenomic relationships and morphological taxonomy. Data suggest that genetic divergence among species within the Australian Pelargonium may result from allopatric speciation while morphological differentiation within and among species may be more strongly driven by environmental differences.
Respiratory symptoms and bronchial responsiveness in competitive swimmers.

PURPOSE A high prevalence of bronchial hyperresponsiveness (BHR) and respiratory symptoms has been reported among competitive swimmers. From the 2002 Winter Olympics, BHR measurements or bronchodilator reversibility have been required for approved use of β2-agonists in sports. The first aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship among respiratory symptoms in young elite swimmers, eucapnic voluntary hyperpnea (EVH), and the inhaled dose of methacholine, causing a 20% decrease in forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1; PD(20 methacholine)). The second aim of this study was to assess the repeatability of the EVH test. METHODS For this study, 15 male and 9 female adolescent elite swimmers, aged 15 to 25 yr, performed one PD(20 methacholine) test and two EVH tests in a randomized order. Dry air containing 5% CO2 was inhaled for 6 min with a target ventilation of ≥85% of maximum voluntary ventilation (minimum = 65%). PD(20 methacholine) ≤2 μmol and EVH with FEV1 reduction ≥10% were considered positive. Respiratory symptoms and medication were reported in the modified AQUA2008 questionnaire. RESULTS Twenty swimmers (83%) reported respiratory symptoms, 13 (65%) of them had a positive provocation test. Fourteen (58%) had at least one positive test to either EVH or PD(20 methacholine); three had only one positive EVH test. One athlete had BHR without symptoms. The sensitivity of PD(20 methacholine) ≤2 μmol for respiratory symptoms was 50% versus 60% and 47.37% for the two EVH tests, respectively, and 75% for PD(20 methacholine) ≤4 μmol. The Bland-Altman plot of the two EVH tests showed a consistent distribution, with only one subject outside the limits of agreement. CONCLUSIONS BHR was frequently found among adolescent competitive swimmers. PD(20 methacholine) ≤2 μmol and EVH ≥ 10% compared well, but PD(20 methacholine) ≤4 μmol had the highest sensitivity for respiratory symptoms. The EVH test has high repeatability but is very expensive and uncomfortable to perform.
Impact of Leukocyte Count on Mortality and Bleeding in Patients With Myocardial Infarction Undergoing Primary Percutaneous Coronary Interventions: Analysis From the Harmonizing Outcome With Revascularization and Stent in Acute Myocardial Infarction Trial

Background— The relationship between white blood cell count (WBCc) and mortality in patients with ST-segment–elevation acute myocardial infarction treated with percutaneous coronary intervention is poorly understood. Furthermore, whether there is a relationship between WBCc and risk of noncardiac mortality and bleeding after percutaneous coronary intervention is unknown. Methods and Results— The baseline WBCc was available in 3193 of 3345 patients (95.5%) who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention in the Harmonizing Outcome With Revascularization and Stent in Acute Myocardial Infarction (HORIZONS-AMI) trial. In a propensity-adjusted multivariable analysis, WBCc was an independent predictor of 1-year cardiac mortality (hazard ratio, 1.15; 95% confidence interval, 1.09 to 1.22), noncardiac mortality (hazard ratio, 1.19; 95% confidence interval, 1.10 to 1.29), and major bleeding (hazard ratio, 1.08; 95% confidence interval, 1.04 to 1.12). After adjustment for baseline creatinine phosphokinase levels and left ventricular ejection fraction, WBCc remained an independent predictor of 1-year all-cause mortality and cardiac mortality. In patients matched for baseline creatinine phosphokinase levels at hospital admission, the median peak creatinine phosphokinase level was significantly higher in patients with high WBCc (>11 000 per 1 mm3) compared with low WBCc (1851 U/L [range, 880-3307 U/L] versus 1241 U/L [range, 540 to 2,78], respectively; P<0.0001). In this subgroup of patients, WBCc was an independent correlate of peak creatinine phosphokinase level, and remained an independent predictor of 1-year mortality. Conclusions— In patients with ST-segment–elevation acute myocardial infarction undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention, elevated baseline WBCc is an independent predictor of infarct size, as assessed by peak creatinine phosphokinase level, and of 1-year cardiac mortality, noncardiac mortality, and major bleeding. Clinical Trial Registration— URL: http://www.ClinicalTrials. gov. Unique identifier: NCT00433966.
Monitoring Duration and Extent of Storm-Surge and Flooding in Western Coastal Louisiana Marshes With Envisat ASAR Data

Inundation maps of coastal marshes in western Louisiana were created with multitemporal Envisat Advanced Synthetic Aperture (ASAR) scenes collected before and during the three months after Hurricane Rita landfall in September 2005. Corroborated by inland water-levels, 7 days after landfall, 48% of coastal estuarine and palustrine marshes remained inundated by storm-surge waters. Forty-five days after landfall, storm-surge inundated 20% of those marshes. The end of the storm-surge flooding was marked by an abrupt decrease in water levels following the passage of a storm front and persistent offshore winds. A complementary dramatic decrease in flood extent was confirmed by an ASAR-derived inundation map. In nonimpounded marshes at elevations <;80 cm, storm-surge waters rapidly receded while slower recession was dominantly associated with impounded marshes at elevations >;80 cm during the first month after Rita landfall. After this initial period, drainage from marshes-especially impounded marshes-was hastened by the onset of offshore winds. Following the abrupt drops in inland water levels and flood extent, rainfall events coinciding with increased water levels were recorded as inundation re-expansion. This postsurge flooding decreased until only isolated impounded and palustrine marshes remained inundated. Changing flood extents were correlated to inland water levels and largely occurred within the same marsh regions. Trends related to incremental threshold increases used in the ASAR change-detection analyses seemed related to the preceding hydraulic and hydrologic events, and VV and HH threshold differences supported their relationship to the overall wetland hydraulic condition.
The Suitability of the Satellite Metrological Inputs Source on the Hydrological Model in a Small Urban Catchment

Distributed/semi-distributed models are considered to be sensitive to the spatial resolution of the data input. In this paper, we take a small catchment in high urbanized Yangtze River Delta, Qinhuai catchment as study area, to analyze the impact of spatial resolution of precipitation and the potential evapotranspiration (PET) on the long-term runoff and flood runoff process. The data source includes the TRMM precipitation data, FEWS download PET data, and the interpolated metrological station data. GIS/RS technique was used to collect and pre-process the geographical, precipitation and PET series, which were then served as the input of CREST (Coupled Routing and Excess Storage) model to simulate the runoff process. The results clearly showed that, the CREST model is applicable to the Qinhuai catchment; the spatial resolution of precipitation had strong influence on the modelled runoff results and the metrological precipitation data cannot be substituted by the TRMM data in small catchment; the CREST model was not sensitive to the spatial resolution of the PET data, while the estimation fourmula of the PET data was correlated with the model quality. This paper focused on the small urbanized catchment, suggesting the influential explanatory variables for the model performance, and providing reliable reference for the study in similar area.
Collision Avoidance Response Stereotypes in Pilots and Nonpilots

A two-part study was conducted to investigate the effects of target variables upon pilot and nonpilot collision avoidance responses to simulated approaches which were head-on or nearly so. Part I investigated the effect of bearing and found that nonpilots preferred to turn left in a head-on approach. Although pilots generally turned right under the same conditions, 25% exhibited the nonpilot left-turn response. The nonpilot response bias seemed related to the type of control used for aircraft pilotage. Part II examined the effects of bearing and collision index (a geometric construct representing an index for optimal response selection) upon the responses of 24 pilots. Two subgroups were identified, one apparently attending primarily to bearing while the other attended to aspect. Only one subject appeared to use the optimal collision-index construct for response selection.
Cyr61/CCN1 overexpression induces epithelial-mesenchymal transition leading to laryngeal tumor invasion and metastasis and poor prognosis.

BACKGROUND To examine the expression of cysteine-rich 61 (Cyr61/CCN1) protein in laryngeal squamous- cell carcinoma (LSCC) tissues, and its relationship with the tumor epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), invasion, metastasis, and prognosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expressions of Cyr61, Vimentin (Vim), and E-cadherin (E-cad) in 88 cases of LSCC tissues and 30 cases of tumor-adjacent normal tissues. Vim and E-cad were used as mesenchymal and epithelial markers, respectively, to determine the relationship between Cyr61 expression and the EMT of LSCC cells. In addition, clinical and histopathological data were combined to analyze the relationship between the positive-expression rates of Cyr61, Vim and E-cad and LSCC invasion, metastasis and prognosis. RESULTS In LSCC tissues, Vim expression rate was significantly higher than that of the tumor-adjacent tissues, whereas E-cad expression rate was significantly lower than that of the tumor-adjacent tissues. The Vim expression rate was significantly higher in stages T3 and T4 than in stages T1 and T2 LSCC tissues, whereas E-cad expression rate was significantly lower in stages T3 and T4 than in stages T1 and T2 LSCC tissues. Compared to the group without lymph node metastasis, the Vim expression rate was significantly higher and the E-cad expression rate was significantly lower in the group with lymph node metastasis. The expression rate of Cyr61 was significantly higher in LSCC tissues than in the tumor-adjacent normal tissues. In addition, the Cyr61 expression rate was higher in stages T3 and T4 than in stages T1 and T2 LSCC, and higher in the group with lymph node metastasis than in the group without lymph node metastasis. The Vim expression rate was significantly higher in the Cyr61 positive group than in the Cyr61 negative group, whereas the E-cad expression rate was significantly higher in the Cyr61 negative group than in the Cyr61 positive group. Survival analysis indicated that survival rates of Cyr61 positive, Vim positive and E-cad negative groups were significantly lower than that of Cyr61 negative, Vim negative and E-cad positive groups, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Cyr61 expression is closely associated with LSCC invasion and lymph node metastasis. Overexpression of Cyr61 may induce EMT and therefore leads to LSCC invasion and metastasis and poor prognosis. Cyr61 may become a new maker for clinical prediction of LSCC invasion and metastasis and a new target for LSCC treatment.