Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Pump Priming Practices and Anticoagulation in Cardiac Surgery: Results From the Global Cardiopulmonary Bypass Survey

BACKGROUND: Regional patterns of practice in cardiopulmonary bypass remain poorly understood with conflicting evidence regarding the best choices in pump priming preferences with respect to colloid and crystalloid and different types of fluid within these categories. In light of the variation in the literature, we hypothesized there would be considerable regional differences in cardiopulmonary bypass practice, particularly with respect to the type of fluid used to prime the extracorporeal circuit. METHODS: A 16-question, Internet-based survey was distributed by various regional specialist societies, targeting adult cardiac anesthesiologists. One question was directly relevant to activated clotting time and 5 concerned pump priming choices with respect to crystalloid and colloid types and additives. The remaining questions concerned cardioplegia choices. The survey remained open from June 2015 to May 2016. RESULTS: A total of 923 responses were analyzed. Estimated response rates from Europe, North America, Australia/New Zealand, and South America were 19.77%, 8.06%, 16.30%, and 1.68%, respectively. The majority of respondents worldwide considered an activated clotting time of <400 seconds as unsafe for bypass (92.5%). Crystalloid as a sole fluid type remains the most common priming solution worldwide (38.1%) although combinations with colloid (23.8%) were also popular. Retrograde autologous priming was used by 17.9% of respondents. Heparin was the most frequently used prime additive (43.0%) followed by mannitol (35.2%). Variation was demonstrated within some of these categories reflective of differences in regional practices. CONCLUSIONS: Differences exist in some specific areas between regional cardiopulmonary bypass techniques with respect to pump priming and anticoagulation practices. The significance of these differences with respect to patient outcome is uncertain and requires further study.
Long Term Sequelae of Pediatric Craniopharyngioma – Literature Review and 20 Years of Experience

Craniopharyngioma are rare histologically benign brain tumors that develop in the pituitary–hypothalamic area. They may invade nearby anatomical structures causing significant rates of neurological, neurocognitive, and endocrinological complications including remarkable hypothalamic damage. Information regarding long term implications of the tumors and treatment in the pediatric population is accumulating, and treatment goals appear to be changing accordingly. In this review we aim to present data regarding long term complications of craniopharyngioma in children and adolescents and our experience from a large tertiary center. Hypothalamic dysfunction was noted to be the most significant complication, adversely affecting quality of life in survivors. Obesity, fatigue, and sleep disorders are the most notable manifestations of this dysfunction, and treatment is extremely difficult. Changes in management in recent years show a potential for improved long term outcomes; we found a trend toward less aggressive surgical management and increasing use of adjuvant treatment, accompanied by a decrease in complication rates.
Fictitious Self-Play in Extensive-Form Games

Fictitious play is a popular game-theoretic model of learning in games. However, it has received little attention in practical applications to large problems. This paper introduces two variants of fictitious play that are implemented in behavioural strategies of an extensive-form game. The first variant is a full-width process that is realization equivalent to its normal-form counterpart and therefore inherits its convergence guarantees. However, its computational requirements are linear in time and space rather than exponential. The second variant, Fictitious Self-Play, is a machine learning framework that implements fictitious play in a sample-based fashion. Experiments in imperfect-information poker games compare our approaches and demonstrate their convergence to approximate Nash equilibria.
Tuberculosis (Mycobacterium microti) in wild field vole populations

SUMMARY Vole tuberculosis (TB; Mycobacterium microti) is an understudied endemic infection. Despite progressing slowly, it causes severe clinical pathology and overt symptoms in its rodent host. TB was monitored for 2 years in wild field voles in Kielder Forest, UK. The prevalence of characteristic cutaneous TB lesions was monitored longitudinally at 4 sites, with individuals live-trapped and repeatedly monitored. A prevalence of 5·2% of individuals with lesions was recorded (n=2791). In a cross-sectional study, 27 sites were monitored bi-annually, with TB assessed by post-mortem examination for macroscopic lesions, and by culture and histopathology. Seventy-nine voles (10·78%; n=733) were positive for mycobacteria, with the highest prevalence in spring (13·15%; n=327). TB prevalence varied, with between 0% and 50% of voles infected per site. Prevalence increased with age (mass), and apparent seasonality was due to a higher proportion of older animals in spring. Survival analysis supported this result, with cutaneous lesions only manifesting in the advanced stages of infection, and therefore only being found on older voles. The body condition of individuals with lesions declined at the time when the lesion was first recorded, when compared to individuals without lesions, suggesting there may be an acute phase of infection during its advanced stage. Although predicted survival following the appearance of a cutaneous lesion was lower than for uninfected individuals, this was not significant.
In vivo and Microarray Analysis of Rexinoid-Responsive Anaplastic Thyroid Carcinoma

Purpose: Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma is rare, yet lethal despite aggressive therapy. Molecular targeting may be beneficial using the rexinoid LGD1069, a retinoid X receptor–selective agonist, as a novel treatment. In this report, we describe the efficacy of LGD1069 in anaplastic thyroid carcinoma in vitro and assess the in vivo treatment effects on a responsive cancer. Additionally, we explore potential mediators of the rexinoid effect on a responsive anaplastic thyroid cancer using comparative microarray analysis. Experimental Design: Anaplastic thyroid cancer cell lines DRO, ARO, and FRO were treated with LGD1069 in vitro. Responsive DRO xenograft tumors were treated with control chow or chow containing a low dose (30 mg/kg/d) or a high dose (100 mg/kg/d) of LGD1069. Comparative microarray analysis of DRO cells treated with LGD1069 compared with volume-equivalent control was assessed after 24 h of treatment to evaluate early gene expression changes. Results: DRO xenograft tumor growth was inhibited by LGD1069 treatment in a dose-dependent manner. Comparative microarray analysis showed that 80 genes had a significant increase in expression and 29 genes had a decrease in expression after 24 h of treatment with LGD1069. Expression of angiopoietin-like 4 (ANGPTL4) mRNA was increased 6.5-fold. A trend towards an increase in ANGPTL4 mRNA (not statistically significant) was seen in treated tumors in vivo and this correlated with decreased tumor vascularity and increased necrosis. Conclusions: LGD1069 therapy decreases proliferation in an anaplastic thyroid cancer cell line that expresses retinoid X receptor-γ, and this effect is confirmed with decreased tumor size in vivo in a nude mouse model. ANGPTL4 is increased in DRO in response to LGD1069 and may be a potential mediator of the effects of rexinoid treatment.
THUTR: A Translation Retrieval System

We introduce a translation retrieval system THUTR, which casts translation as a retrieval problem. Translation retrieval aims at retrieving a list of target-language translation candidates that may be helpful to human translators in translating a given source-language input. While conventional translation retrieval methods mainly rely on parallel corpus that is difficult and expensive to collect, we propose to retrieve translation candidates directly from target-language documents. Given a source-language query, we first translate it into target-language queries and then retrieve translation candidates from target language documents. Experiments on Chinese-English data show that the proposed translation retrieval system achieves 95.32% and 92.00% in terms of P@10 at sentence level and phrase level tasks, respectively. Our system also outperforms a retrieval system that uses parallel corpus significantly.
Decrease of nitric oxide and increase in diastolic blood pressure are two events that affect renal function in dogs with pituitary dependent hyperadrenocorticism

Hyperadrenocorticism is a frequent disease in dogs. The excess of circulating cortisol affects different organs and metabolic pathways, producing severe adverse effects that endanger the animal’s life. Among these effects, hypertension and renal damage can be mentioned. A group of 20 dogs with pituitary dependent hyperadrenocorticism (PDH) and 12 control dogs were used to study the following parameters: cortisol and nitric oxide (NO nit/nit) concentrations, diastolic and systolic blood pressure, renal artery resistance index by Doppler ultrasound, the rate of glomerular filtration by radio-renogram excretion and the presence of proteins in urine. Dogs with PDH showed a significantly lower NO nit/nit (P<0.0001) than the controls and this correlated with high values of diastolic and systolic pressure (r = -0.87; P<0.0001 and r = -0.81; P<0.0001 respectively). Most dogs (80%) are hypertensive mainly due to an increase in diastolic pressure, which correlated positively with the UPC (r = 0.8; P<0.001) and negatively with the glomerular rate of filtration (r = -0.58; P=0.007). Systolic pressure only increased in 60% of the cases and did not correlate with the mentioned variables. In PDH the decrease of NO affects blood pressure. The diastolic pressure would seem to have the greatest impact on the kidneys, therefore its evaluation and control are important to avoid and/or control renal damage.
The Pattern of Disulfide Linkages in the Extracellular Loop Regions of Connexin 32 Suggests a Model for the Docking Interface of Gap Junctions

Connexins, like true cell adhesion molecules, have extracellular domains that provide strong and specific homophilic, and in some cases, heterophilic interactions between cells. Though the structure of the binding domains of adhesion proteins have been determined, the extracellular domains of connexins, consisting of two loops of ∼34–37 amino acids each, are not easily studied in isolation from the rest of the molecule. As an alternative, we used a novel application of site-directed mutagenesis in which four of the six conserved cysteines in the extracellular loops of connexin 32 were moved individually and in all possible pairwise and some quadruple combinations. This mapping allowed us to deduce that all disulfides form between the two loops of a single connexin, with the first cysteine in one loop connected to the third of the other. Furthermore, the periodicity of movements that produced functional channels indicated that these loops are likely to form antiparallel β sheets. A possible model that could explain how these domains from apposed connexins interact to form a complete channel is discussed.
Evaluation of Iodine Deficiency in Children with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Objective: To investigate the incidence of iodine deficiency (ID) and its effects on mental function in children referred to the Dr. Sami Ulus Maternity and Children’s Training and Research Hospital with a prospective diagnosis of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Methods: The study was conducted on 89 children referred in the period from September 2009 to June 2010 with a diagnosis of ADHD. A questionnaire was given to all parents. Conners’ rating scales were applied to the parents (CPRS) and teachers (CTRS), and revised Wechsler intelligence scale for children (WISC-R) to the children. Serum thyroid-stimulating hormone, free triiodothyronine and free thyroxine, thyroglobulin, anti-thyroid peroxidase, anti-thyroglobulin, and urinary iodine levels were measured in all children. Results: Median age was 9.41±1.95 years, and 83.1% of subjects were male. The mean urinary iodine level of the children was 92.56±22.25 μg/L. ID was detected in 71.9% of subjects and all were mild ID. There was no significant relationship between urinary iodine levels with WISC-R subtest scores and CPRS. However, a significant association was found between urinary iodine levels and hyperactivity section of CTRS (p<0.05). Likewise, a significant relationship was found between learning disorder/mental retardation diagnosis and freedom subtest of WISC-R (p<0.05). Conclusion: This study highlights the effects of ID on comprehension, perception, attention, and learning. However, the results need to be supported by new randomized controlled trials.
Exploring the Impact of Expertise, Clinical History, and Visual Search on Electrocardiogram Interpretation

Background: The primary aim of this study is to understand more about the perceptual-cognitive mechanisms underpinning the expert advantage in electrocardiogram (ECG) interpretation. While research has examined visual search processes in other aspects of medical decision making (e.g., radiology), this is the first study to apply the paradigm to ECG interpretation. The secondary aim is to explore the role that clinical history plays in influencing visual search behavior and diagnostic decision making. While clinical history may aid diagnostic decision making, it may also bias the visual search process. Methods: Ten final-year medical students and 10 consultant emergency medics were presented with 16 ECG traces (8 with clinical history that was not manipulated independently of case) while wearing eye tracking equipment. The ECGs represented common abnormalities encountered in emergency departments and were among those taught to final-year medical students. Participants were asked to make a diagnosis on each presented trace and report their level of diagnostic confidence. Results: Experts made significantly faster, more accurate, and more confident diagnoses, and this advantage was underpinned by differences in visual search behavior. Specifically, experts were significantly quicker at locating the leads of critical importance. Contrary to our hypothesis, clinical history had no significant effect on the readers’ ability to detect the abnormality or make an accurate diagnosis. Conclusions: Accurate ECG interpretation appears dependent on the perceptual skill of pattern recognition and specifically the time to fixate the critical lead(s). Therefore, there is potential clinical utility in developing perceptual training programs to train novices to detect abnormalities more effectively.
A numerical method for the computation of electromagnetic modes in optical fibres

In this article, we propose a new numerical method for the computation of electromagnetic modes in an optical fibre. The main difficulty lies in the fact that we have to solve an eigenvalue problem posed in R 2 . We reduce the problem to a disc with the help of the introduction of non-local boundary operators that can be expressed in terms of Fourier series. Particular attention is drawn to the free divergence condition. Finally, our method is reduced to the resolution of a series of fixed point equations related to the eigenvalues of some self-adjoint operators with compact resolvent. Nous proposons dans cet article une nouvelle methode numerique pour le calcul des modes electromagnetiques guides par des fibres optiques. La principale difficulte tient au fait que l'on a a resoudre un probleme aux valeurs propres dans R 2 . Nous reduisons le probleme a un disque, moyennant l'introduction d'operateurs de bord non-locaux s'exprimant a l'aide de series de Fourier. Une attention particuliere est apportee au respect de la condition de divergence nulle. Finalement, notre methode se ramene a la resolution d'une serie d'equations de points fixes relatives aux valeurs propres d'operateurs auto-adjoints a resolvante compacte.
Risk Factors for Surgical Site Infections Following Neurosurgical Spinal Fusion Operations: A Case-Control Study—Methodological issue

Affiliations: 1. Department of Medicine, University of South Alabama, Mobile, Alabama; 2. Department of Pharmacy, Ascension Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare, Milwaukee, Wisconsin; 3. Department of Pediatrics, Ascension Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare, Milwaukee, Wisconsin; 4. GI Associates, Ascension Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare, Milwaukee, Wisconsin; 5. Infection Control Department, Ascension Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare, Milwaukee, Wisconsin; 6. Department of Medicine, Ascension Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Internationalization and Corporate Cash Holdings: Evidence from Brazil and Mexico

This research expands on previous studies of cash holdings and their determinants by studying the relationship between the degree of internationalization and the level of corporate cash holdings. We used a sample of non-financial, publicly traded companies from Brazil and Mexico for the period from 2006 to 2010. Our results suggest that the degree of internationalization is a determinant of cash, and that cash holding increases quadratically as the degree of company internationalization grows. Such behavior was different from the North American company studies in Chiang and Wang (2011). Similar to previous studies, both Trade-off and Pecking Order predictions are relevant control variables in our model. Finally, companies held less cash on their balance sheets during the pre-crisis period.
Targeting the IGF-1R: The Tale of the Tortoise and the Hare

The insulin-like growth factor type 1 receptor (IGF-1R) plays a key role in the development and maintenance of cancer. Since the first links between growth factor receptors and oncogenes were noted over three decades ago, targeting the IGF-1R has been of great interest. This review follows the progress from inception through intense pharmaceutical development, disappointing clinical trials and recent updates to the signaling paradigm. In light of major developments in signaling understanding and activation complexities, we examine reasons for failure of first line targeting approaches. Recent findings include the fact that the IGF-1R can signal in the absence of the ligand, in the absence of kinase activity, and utilizes components of the GPCR system. With recognition of the unappreciated complexities that this first wave of targeting approaches encountered, we advocate re-recognition of IGF-1R as a valid target for cancer treatment and look to future directions, where both research and pharmaceutical strengths can lend themselves to finally unearthing anti-IGF-1R potential.
BAG3, a Host Cochaperone, Facilitates Varicella-Zoster Virus Replication

ABSTRACT Varicella-zoster virus (VZV) establishes a lifelong latent infection in the dorsal root ganglia of the host. During latency, a subset of virus-encoded regulatory proteins is detected; however, they are excluded from the nucleus. ORF29p, a single-stranded DNA binding protein, is one of these latency-associated proteins. We searched for cell proteins that interact with ORF29p and identified BAG3. BAG3, Hsp70/Hsc70, and Hsp90 colocalize with ORF29p in nuclear transcription/replication factories during lytic replication of VZV. Pharmacological intercession of Hsp90 activity with ansamycin antibiotics or depletion of BAG3 by small interfering RNA results in inhibition of virus replication. Replication in BAG3-depleted cell lines is restored by complementation with exogenous BAG3. Alteration of host chaperone activity provides a novel means of regulating virus replication.
Agricultural Producers' Willingness to Pay for Real-Time Mesoscale Weather Information:

Mesoscale weather networks can provide improved weather information to agricultural producers. This technology can potentially improve production decisions, reduce irrigation and pesticide inputs, and reduce weather-related losses. Developing a mesoscale network to disseminate real-time mesoscale weather information requires a substantial investment. In addition, there are costs associated with maintenance of the system and distribution of the information available. While public funds may be available to support initial development of the system, there may be less public support initial development of the system, there may be less public support for maintaining the system and subsidizing usersÂ’' access to the information. This study uses the contingent valuation technique to determine the willingness of Oklahoma farmers and ranchers, as one set of potential users, to pay for real-time mesoscale weather information. The results indicate that agricultural producers are willing to pay only a modest fee for improved weather information. Gross sales, irrigation, and past weather losses are among the factors shown to significantly impact willingness to pay.
Tissue-Specific Remodeling of the Mitochondrial Proteome in Type 1 Diabetic Akita Mice

OBJECTIVE To elucidate the molecular basis for mitochondrial dysfunction, which has been implicated in the pathogenesis of diabetes complications. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Mitochondrial matrix and membrane fractions were generated from liver, brain, heart, and kidney of wild-type and type 1 diabetic Akita mice. Comparative proteomics was performed using label-free proteome expression analysis. Mitochondrial state 3 respirations and ATP synthesis were measured, and mitochondrial morphology was evaluated by electron microscopy. Expression of genes that regulate mitochondrial biogenesis, substrate utilization, and oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) were determined. RESULTS In diabetic mice, fatty acid oxidation (FAO) proteins were less abundant in liver mitochondria, whereas FAO protein content was induced in mitochondria from all other tissues. Kidney mitochondria showed coordinate induction of tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle enzymes, whereas TCA cycle proteins were repressed in cardiac mitochondria. Levels of OXPHOS subunits were coordinately increased in liver mitochondria, whereas mitochondria of other tissues were unaffected. Mitochondrial respiration, ATP synthesis, and morphology were unaffected in liver and kidney mitochondria. In contrast, state 3 respirations, ATP synthesis, and mitochondrial cristae density were decreased in cardiac mitochondria and were accompanied by coordinate repression of OXPHOS and peroxisome proliferator–activated receptor (PPAR)-γ coactivator (PGC)-1α transcripts. CONCLUSIONS Type 1 diabetes causes tissue-specific remodeling of the mitochondrial proteome. Preservation of mitochondrial function in kidney, brain, and liver, versus mitochondrial dysfunction in the heart, supports a central role for mitochondrial dysfunction in diabetic cardiomyopathy.