Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Predictors of atrial fibrillation recurrence after cryoballoon ablation

Objective Cryoballoon ablation (CA) is a safe and efficient method for pulmonary vein isolation in the treatment of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF). There are conflicting results about the predictors of AF recurrence. The aim of this study is to evaluate the role of hematological indices to predict AF recurrence after CA. Methods A total of 49 patients (mean age 58.3±12.2 years, 51.02% female) with symptomatic paroxysmal AF underwent CA procedure. One hundred and sixty-eight pulmonary veins were used for pulmonary vein isolation with the second-generation cryoballoon. The hematological samples were obtained before and 24 hours after ablation. Results At a mean follow-up of 10.2±2.4 months, the probability of being arrhythmia-free after a single procedure was 86%. Patients with AF recurrence had higher red cell distribution width levels (16.10%±1.44% vs 14.87%±0.48%, P=0.035). The neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and C-reactive protein levels were detected in the patients with or without recurrence. Left atrial diameter (46.28±4.30 mm vs 41.02±4.10 mm, P=0.002), duration of AF (6.71±4.57 years vs 3.59±1.72 years, P=0.003), and age (65.01±15.39 years vs 54.29±11.32 years, P=0.033) were the other independent predictors of clinical recurrence after CA. Multiple regression analysis revealed that left atrial diameter was the only independent predictor for AF recurrence (P=0.012). Conclusion In this study of patients with paroxysmal AF undergoing cryoablation, increased preablation red cell distribution width levels, and not C-reactive protein or erythrocyte sedimentation rate, was associated with a higher rate of AF recurrence. Our results support the role of a preablation, proinflammatory, and pro-oxidant environment in the development of AF recurrence after ablation therapy but suggest that other factors are also important.
A Cross-Layer Wireless Sensor Network Energy-Efficient Communication Protocol for Real-Time Monitoring of the Long-Distance Electric Transmission Lines

Optimization of energy consumption in Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) nodes has become a critical link that constrains the engineering application of the smart grid due to the fact that the smart grid is characterized by long-distance transmission in a special environment. The paper proposes a linear hierarchical network topological structure specific to WSN energy conservation in environmental monitoring of the long-distance electric transmission lines in the smart grid. Based on the topological structural characteristics and optimization of network layers, the paper also proposes a Topological Structure be Layered Configurations (TSLC) routing algorithm to improve the quality of WSN data transmission performance. Coprocessing of the network layer and the media access control (MAC) layer is achieved by using the cross-layer design method, accessing the status for the nodes in the network layer and obtaining the status of the network nodes of the MAC layer. It efficiently saves the energy of the whole network, improves the quality of the network service performance, and prolongs the life cycle of the network.
Heuristic Ternary Error-Correcting Output Codes Via Weight Optimization and Layered Clustering-Based Approach

One important classifier ensemble for multiclass classification problems is error-correcting output codes (ECOCs). It bridges multiclass problems and binary-class classifiers by decomposing multiclass problems to a serial binary-class problems. In this paper, we present a heuristic ternary code, named weight optimization and layered clustering-based ECOC (WOLC-ECOC). It starts with an arbitrary valid ECOC and iterates the following two steps until the training risk converges. The first step, named layered clustering-based ECOC (LC-ECOC), constructs multiple strong classifiers on the most confusing binary-class problem. The second step adds the new classifiers to ECOC by a novel optimized weighted (OW) decoding algorithm, where the optimization problem of the decoding is solved by the cutting plane algorithm. Technically, LC-ECOC makes the heuristic training process not blocked by some difficult binary-class problem. OW decoding guarantees the nonincrease of the training risk for ensuring a small code length. Results on 14 UCI datasets and a music genre classification problem demonstrate the effectiveness of WOLC-ECOC.
Nutritional Status and Growth in Korean Children with Crohn’s Disease: A Single-Center Study

Background/Aims Malnutrition and growth retardation are important issues in treating pediatric Crohn’s disease (CD). Thus, we aimed to investigate the prevalence of various nutritional and growth parameters at the time of diagnosis in Korean children with CD. Methods Seventy-one children (<18 years) were enrolled. We analyzed the Z-scores of height-for-age (HAZ), weight-for-height (WHZ), body mass index for age (BMIZ), bone mineral density for age (BMDZ), and the biochemical markers measured at the time of diagnosis. Results At diagnosis, HAZ <−2 was observed in three patients (4%), WHZ <−2 in 20 patients (28%), BMIZ <−2 in 19 patients (27%), and BMDZ <−2 in 11 patients (18%). The HAZ was significantly lower in females and patients with extraintestinal manifestations, and the WHZ and BMIZ were significantly lower in patients with stricturing and penetrating disease. Subnormal serum levels were highly prevalent for hemoglobin, albumin, iron, ferritin, calcium, magnesium, folate, vitamin B12, and zinc. There was a significant correlation between nutritional status, growth retardation, and disease activity. Conclusions Abnormal nutritional status was highly prevalent in Korean children with CD at the time of diagnosis and was associated with the extent, behavior, and activity of the disease.
The Distribution of Ascents of Size d or More in Partitions of n

A partition of a positive integer n is a finite sequence of positive integers a1, a2, . , ak such that a1+a2+ċ ċ ċ+ak=n and ai+1 ≥ ai for all i. Let d be a fixed positive integer. We say that we have an ascent of size d or more if ai+1 ≥ ai+d. We determine the mean, the variance and the limiting distribution of the number of ascents of size d or more (equivalently, the number of distinct part sizes of multiplicity d or more) in the partitions of n.
Poly(Vinyl Chloride) Nanocomposites Prepared in the Suspension Polymerization Process. Part II. PVC Filled with Silica Nanofiller

: Silica/PVC nanocomposites were prepared by VCM suspension polymerization in the presence of nanosilica (0.2-2.0 wt.% /VCM). Unmodified nanosilica prepared by sol-gel method was used. The process of VCM polymerization in the nanofiller presence was carried out without disturbances. SEM and TEM analyses confirmed the presence of nanofiller both on the surface and in cross-sections of PVC grains. The filler distribution in polymer grains was uniform. TEM observations showed that nanosilica content in amount  2.0% led to formation of crystalline phase. The base properties of PVC nanocomposites differed from neat PVC. An improvement in mechanical properties of PVC/nanosilica composites in comparison with commercial PVC has been found. The use of the nanofiller in an amount equal to 1.0 wt. %/VCM resulted in the largest increase in tensile strength with simultaneous highest elongation at break. An addition of 0.5 wt. % of nanosilica improved impact strength of polymer nearly 40% in comparison with neat PVC.
Regulation of Root Ion Transporters by Photosynthesis: Functional Importance and Relation with Hexokinase Article, publication date, and citation information can be found at www.plantcell.org/cgi/doi/10.1105/tpc.013516.

Coordination between the activity of ion transport systems in the root and photosynthesis in the shoot is a main feature of the integration of ion uptake in the whole plant. However, the mechanisms that ensure this coordination are largely unknown at the molecular level. Here, we show that the expression of five genes that encode root NO3−, NH4+, and SO42− transporters in Arabidopsis is regulated diurnally and stimulated by sugar supply. We also provide evidence that one Pi and one K+ transporter also are sugar inducible. Sucrose, glucose, and fructose are able to induce expression of the ion transporter genes but not of the carboxylic acids malate and 2-oxoglutarate. For most genes investigated, induction by light and induction by sucrose are strongly correlated, indicating that they reflect the same regulatory mechanism (i.e., stimulation by photosynthates). The functional importance of this control is highlighted by the phenotype of the atnrt2 mutant of Arabidopsis. In this mutant, the deletion of the sugar-inducible NO3− transporter gene AtNrt2.1 is associated with the loss of the regulation of high-affinity root NO3− influx by light and sugar. None of the sugar analogs used (3-O-methylglucose, 2-deoxyglucose, and mannose) is able to mimic the inducing effect of sugars. In addition, none of the sugar-sensing mutants investigated (rsr1-1, sun6, and gin1-1) is altered in the regulation of AtNrt2.1 expression. These results indicate that the induction of AtNrt2.1 expression by sugars is unrelated to the main signaling mechanisms documented for sugar sensing in plants, such as regulation by sucrose, hexose transport, and hexokinase (HXK) sensing activity. However, the stimulation of AtNrt2.1 transcript accumulation by sucrose and glucose is abolished in an antisense AtHXK1 line, suggesting that HXK catalytic activity and carbon metabolism downstream of the HXK step are crucial for the sugar regulation of AtNrt2.1 expression.
Credit Ratings and the Choice of Payment Method in Mergers and Acquisitions

This paper establishes that credit ratings affect the choice of payment method in mergers and acquisitions. We find that bidders holding a high rating level are more likely to use cash financing in a takeover. We attribute this finding to lower financial constraints and enhanced capability of highly rated firms to access public debt markets as implied by their higher credit quality. Our results are economically significant and robust to several firm- and deal-specific characteristics and are not sensitive to the method used to measure the likelihood of the payment choice or after controlling for potential endogeneity bias.
Body Consciousness in Dohsa-Hou, a Japanese Psychorehabilitative Program

To seven cerebral palsied children in a special elementary school, Dohsa-hou, a Japanese psychorehabilitative program, was introduced in a pre-post design. With the help of their mothers in writing they rated on a 5-point scale changes in their body consciousness by applying 8 1-hr. sessions of Dohsa-hou training to each child. Analysis suggests a significant positive change after training in body consciousness of these children especially for private as compared to public body consciousness.
Design of a navigation filter by analysis of local observability

This paper presents an inertial navigation filter designed for an automotive vehicle not equipped with any GPS receiver. The task of this filter is to provide relative position information over a relatively long period of time (tens of minutes). The filter consists of several partial state observers that, one after another, reconstruct key information for the whole state estimation. The observer relies on a sufficient condition to guarantee uniform complete observability of a general bounded linear time-varying system using (point-wise) differential rank conditions. From this condition, we construct a collection of filters well-suited for each possible trajectory of the vehicle. This results in temporally interconnected observers which are of the Kalman filter type. It is proven that each of them asymptotically converges to zero. We illustrate this design with trajectory estimation obtained on simulation data. Finally, experimental results using low-cost sensors show the potential and the relevance of the approach.
Host–symbiont conflict over the mixing of symbiotic lineages

Host and symbiont often conflict over patterns of symbiont transmission. Symbionts favour dispersal out of the host to avoid competition with close relatives. Migration leads to competition among different symbiotic lineages, with potentially virulent side-effects on the host. The hosts are favoured to restrict symbiont migration and reduce the virulent tendencies of the symbionts. Reduced mixing of symbionts would, in many cases, lower symbiont virulence and increase the mean fitness of the host population. But a host modifier allele that reduced symbiont mixing increases only when directly associated with reduced virulence. The association between modifiers and reduced virulence depends on the particular details of symbiont biology. The importance of this direct association between modifier and virulence was first noted by Hoekstra (1987) when studying the evolution of uniparental inheritance of cytoplasmic elements. I apply Hoekstra’s insight to a wide range of host–symbiont life histories, expanding the scope beyond cytoplasmic inheritance and genomic conflict. My comparison of differing symbiont life histories leads to a careful analysis of the conditions under which hosts are favoured to control mixing of their symbionts.
Effects of Cell-Wall Angle on the Mechanical Properties of Hexagonal Honeycombs

The y-directional mechanical properties of hexagonal honeycombs with various cell-wall angles are explored. The results of both the quasi-static experiments and the dynamic simulations show that the cell-wall angle has a significant influence on the honeycombs’ mechanical properties, although the latter is dominated by the honeycombs’ relative density. This influence is weakened by the increase of the impact velocity. With retaining the honeycombs’ relative density as constant, the honeycomb with the cell-wall angle of about 45o exhibits the optimal crushing strength and energy absorption capacity.
IL-4 and IL-13 regulation of ICAM-1 expression and eosinophil recruitment in Onchocerca volvulus keratitis.

PURPOSE The presence of eosinophilic granulocytes in ocular tissue is a hallmark of the host response to environmental and parasite allergens. Using a mouse model of Onchocerca volvulus-mediated keratitis (river blindness), the present study examined the role of the cytokines interleukin (IL)-4 and IL-13 in regulating recruitment of eosinophils to the cornea through expression of intercellular cell adhesion molecule (ICAM)-1. METHODS C57BL/6 mice received an intrastromal injection of recombinant IL-4 and IL-13 (rIL-4 and IL-13) or were immunized by subcutaneous injection prior to receiving an intrastromal injection of a soluble O. volvulus extract. Expression of ICAM-1 and recruitment of eosinophils to the cornea were monitored by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS Expression of ICAM-1 was elevated after injection of rIL-4 or IL-13 together with recombinant tumor necrosis factor (rTNF)-alpha. Conversely, expression of ICAM-1 in O. volvulus-mediated keratitis was significantly reduced after subconjunctival injection of a monoclonal antibody (mAb) to IL-4 or IL-13. In addition, combined in vivo neutralization of IL-4 and IL-13 inhibited recruitment of eosinophils, but not of neutrophils, to the corneal stroma. CONCLUSIONS These findings demonstrate that expression of ICAM-1 and recruitment of eosinophils to the cornea are tightly regulated by IL-4 and IL-13, and indicate that these cytokines are a potential target for immune intervention in ocular allergy and parasitic infections of the eye.
Generating contextual description from driving behavioral data

This paper presents an automatic translation method from time-series driving behavior into natural language with contextual information. Nowadays, various advanced driver-assistance systems (ADASs) have been developed to reduce the number of traffic accidents and multiple ADASs are required to reduce further accidents. For such multiple ADASs, considering the context of driving and selecting appropriate assistance is key because the systems have to handle extremely complicated driving situations consisting of drivers (and their intents and maneuvers), environments (including other traffic participants such as vehicles and pedestrians), and vehicles dynamics. In this paper, time-series driving behavior is segmented into typical driving situation symbols, and the natural language expression of each situation is generated via the behavioral feature distribution observed in each situation. Owing to the symbolization of the driving behavior, the generated behavioral descriptions can be associated with their causes and results not on an actual time axis but on a situation-symbol axis as contextual descriptions, e.g., “letting up on gas pedal to pass tollgate. ” The effectiveness of the proposed method was evaluated by using an actual data set of more than eight hours over a distance of 300 km in total. Although contextual expressions are very diverse even among human drivers, the proposed method obtained an agreement of more than 70%.
Thermally Activated Martensite: Its Relationship to Non‐Thermally Activated (Athermal) Martensite

The classification of martensitic displacive transformations into athermal, isothermal or anisothermal is discussed. Athermal does not mean 'no temperature dependence' as is often thought, but is best considered to be short for the notion of no thermal activation. Processes with no thermal activation do not depend on time, as there is no need to wait for sufficient statistical fluctuations in some specific order parameter to overcome an activation barrier to initiate the process. Clearly, this kind of process contrasts with those that are thermally activated. In the literature, thermally activated martensites are usually termed isothermal martensites, suggesting a constant temperature. Actually such martensites also typically occur with continuous cooling. The important distinctive feature of these martensites is that they are thermally activated and hence are distinguishable in principle from athermal martensites. A third type of process, anisothermal, has been introduced to account for those transformations which are thought to be thermally activated but which occur on continuous cooling. They may occur so rapidly that they do not appear to have an incubation time, and hence could be mistakenly called an athermal transformation. These designations will be reviewed and discussed in terms of activation energies and kinetic processes of the variousmore » martensitic transformations. « less
Metabolic profile and hepatoprotective activity of the anthocyanin-rich extract of Hibiscus sabdariffa calyces

Abstract Context: Hibiscus sabdariffa L. (Malvaceae) is a common traditional tea that has many biological activities. Objectives: To evaluate the hepatoprotective effect and study the metabolic profile of the anthocyanin-rich extract of H. sabdariffa calyces (HSARE). Materials and methods: The hepatoprotective activity of HSARE was assessed (100 mg/kg/d for 4 weeks) by examining the hepatic, inflammatory, oxidative stress markers and performing a histopathological examination in rats with thioacetamide (TAA)-induced hepatotoxicity. HSARE was analyzed using ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time-of-flight-photodiode array-mass spectrometry (UPLC-qTOF-PDA-MS). Results: The UPLC-qTOF-PDA-MS analysis of HSARE enabled the identification of 25 compounds represented by delphinidin and its derivatives, cyanidin, kaempferol, quercetin, myricetin aglycones and glycosides, together with hibiscus lactone, hibiscus acid and caffeoylquinic acids. Compared to the TAA-intoxicated group, HSARE significantly reduced the serum levels of alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase and hepatic malondialdehyde by 37.96, 42.74 and 45.31%, respectively. It also decreased hepatic inflammatory markers, including tumour necrosis factor alpha, interleukin-6 and interferon gamma (INF-γ), by 85.39, 14.96 and 70.87%, respectively. Moreover, it decreased the immunopositivity of nuclear factor kappa-B and CYP2E1 in liver tissue, with an increase in the effector apoptotic marker (caspase-3 positive cells), restoration of the altered hepatic architecture and increases in the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione by 150.08 and 89.23%, respectively. Discussion and conclusion: HSARE revealed pronounced antioxidant and anti-inflammatory potential where SOD and INF-γ were significantly improved. HSARE possesses the added value of being more water-soluble and of natural origin with fewer side effects expected compared to silymarin.
An Activity of Thioacyl Derivatives of 4-Aminoquinolinium Salts towards Biofilm Producing and Planktonic Forms of Coagulase-Negative Staphylococci

Microorganisms present in different environments have developed specific mechanisms of settling on various abiotic and biotic surfaces by forming a biofilm. It seems to be well justified to search for new compounds enabling biofilm reduction, which is highly resistant to antibiotics. This study was thus an initial assessment of the antibacterial activity of two new quinoline derivatives of a structure of 3-thioacyl 1-methyl 4-arylaminoquinolinium salts against coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) isolated from a hospital environment, in a form of both biofilms and in planktonic form. Thirty-three stains of CoNS isolated from the hospital environment (air, surfaces) and seven reference strains from the ATCC collection were selected for the study. The mean MIC value for 1-methyl-3-benzoylthio-4-(4-chlorophenylamino)quinolinum chloride (4-chlorophenylamino derivative) was 42.60 ± 19.91 μg/mL, and in the case of strains subjected to 1-methyl-3-benzoylthio-4-(4-fluorophenylamino)quinolinum chloride (4-fluorophenylamino derivative) activity, the mean MIC value was 43.20 ± 14.30 μg/mL. The mean concentration of 4-chlorophenylamino derivative that inhibited biofilm formation was 86.18 ± 30.64 μg/mL. The mean concentration of 4-fluorophenylamino derivatives that inhibited biofilm formation was higher and amounted to 237.09 ± 160.57 μg/mL. Based on the results, both derivatives of the examined compounds exhibit high antimicrobial activity towards strains growing both in planktonic and biofilm form.
Role of gastrin heptadecapeptide in the acid secretory response to amino acids in man.

Amino acids and peptides release gastrin and stimulate gastric acid secretion. However, the relation between gastrin release and acid secretory response is unclear. An isotonic mixed amino acid solution (casein hydrolysate) was continuously infused into the stomach of eight healthy human subjects. Acid secretion, measured by in vivo intragastric titration, increased 12.8 meq/h over the response to intragastric infusion of isotonic saline. Plasma gastrin heptadecapeptide (G-17) concentration, measured by specific radioimmunoassay, increased 13 pmol/liter during intragastric amino acid infusion. To determine whether this rise in plasma G-17 concentration could account for some or all of the acid secretory response, several doses of synthetic human G-17-I were infused intravenously into the same subjects. During i.v. G-17-I infusion, the stomach was continuously infused with isotonic saline. By graphically relating plasma G-17 concentration during i.v. G-17 infusion to concomitant acid secretion, it was determined that a 13-pmol/liter rise in plasma G-17 concentration could increase acid secretion 14.8 meq/h. Therefore, the rise in plasma G-17 concentration during intragastric amino acid infusion could have produced all of the observed acid secretory response. This suggests that gastrin heptadecapeptide is the major physiologic mediator of the human acid secretory response to meals containing mixed amino acids.