Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Serum paraoxonase and platelet-activating factor acetylhydrolase in chronic renal failure.

Human serum paraoxonase (aryldialkylphosphatase, EC 3.1.8.1; PON1) and human serum platelet-activating factor acetylhydrolase (1-alkyl-2-acetyl-glycero-phosphocholine esterase, 1-alkyl-2-acetyl- sn -glycero-3-phosphocholine acetohydrolase, EC 3.1.1.47; PAF-AH) are associated with HDL (1)(2). PAF-AH is also found in LDL and lipoprotein(a) \[Lp(a)\] (3). Recently, paraoxonase and PAF-AH have been shown to inhibit the oxidative modification of LDL (4)(5). Furthermore, paraoxonase and PAF-AH can destroy active lipids in mildly oxidized LDL and hence may protect against the induction of inflammatory responses in arterial wall cells (6)(7). Oxidation of LDL is recognized as a key early stage in the development of atherosclerosis, leading to uptake of LDL by the macrophage scavenger receptor and hence to formation of foam cells (8). Thus, there is the potential for HDL-associated paraoxonase and PAF-AH to directly inhibit these processes. The PON1 gene has two common polymorphisms at amino acids 55 and 192 (9). The 192 polymorphism leads to a Glu→Arg substitution and results in two different isoforms that have high and low activity towards paraoxon as substrate (9)(10). It has been suggested that paraoxonase and PAF-AH work in concert to detoxify lipid peroxides in LDL and may therefore have antiatherogenic properties (6). Patients with chronic renal failure are at a greatly increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease. This is only partly explained by an increased prevalence of conventional risk factors (11)(12). Increased susceptibility of LDL to oxidation has been reported in chronic renal failure (13)(14), although other studies have failed to confirm this finding (15)(16). In view of the ability of HDL to protect LDL against oxidation, the aim of our study was therefore to investigate the activities of serum paraoxonase/arylesterase and PAF-AH in patients with chronic renal failure and hence to assess whether changes …
The effect of deep venous thrombosis on short‐term outcomes and cost of care after head and neck cancer surgery

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has targeted deep venous thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolus (PE) as preventable “never events” and has discontinued reimbursement for these conditions following selected orthopedic procedures. We sought to determine the relationship between DVT/PE and in‐hospital mortality, postoperative complications, length of stay, and costs in head and neck cancer (HNCA) surgery.
Investigation of crystallisation and interfacial nature of polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane/polypropylene composites in the presence of β-nucleating agent

Polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS)/polypropylene (PP) composites in the presence of β-nucleating agent (β-NAs) were prepared by melt-blending, and the interfacial interaction and crystallisation behaviour were investigated. The experimental results indicated that strong hydrogen bonding interactions were generated between amino groups of β-NAs and silicon hydroxyl groups attached to POSS, allowing the absorption/anchoring of the former on the surface of latter. Compared to POSS, β-NAs exhibited higher nucleation effect on PP, as evidenced by an increment of the crystallisation temperature by 7°C in the presence of β-NAs. As a result, the absorbed β-NAs on the surface of POSS not only improved the interfacial interaction between POSS and polymer matrix using interfacial crystallisation but also promoted the formation of β-crystals with toughening effect, which is very important to prepare excellent-performance PP/POSS composite.
Three-dimensional spatial and temporal temperature imaging in gel phantoms using backscattered ultrasound

Thermal therapies such as radio frequency, heated saline, and high-intensity focused ultrasound ablations are often performed suboptimally due to the inability to monitor the spatial and temporal distribution of delivered heat and the extent of tissue necrosis. Ultrasound-based temperature imaging recently was proposed as a means to measure noninvasively the deposition of heat by tracking the echo arrival time shifts in the ultrasound backscatter caused by changes in speed of sound and tissue thermal expansion. However, the clinical applicability of these techniques has been hampered by the two-dimensional (2-D) nature of traditional ultrasound imaging, and the complexity of the temperature dependence of sound speed for biological tissues. In this paper, we present methodology, results, and validation of a 3-D spatial and temporal ultrasound temperature estimation technique in an alginate-based gel phantom to track the evolution of heat deposition over a treatment volume. The technique was experimentally validated for temperature rises up to ~10degC by comparison with measurements from thermocouples that were embedded in the gel. Good agreement (rms difference=0.12degC, maximum difference=0.24degC) was observed between the noninvasive ultrasound temperature estimates and thermocouple measurements. Based on the results obtained for the temperature range studied in this paper, the technique demonstrates potential for applicability in image guidance of thermal therapy for determining the location of the therapeutic focal spot and assessing the extent of the heated region at subablative intensities.
Statistical Prediction of ENSO from Subsurface Sea Temperature Using a Nonlinear Dimensionality Reduction

Numerous statistical and dynamical models have been developed in recent years to forecast ENSO events. However, for most of these models predictability for lead times over 10 months is limited. It has been hypothesized that the tropical Pacific thermocline structure may have critical information to permit longer lead ENSO forecasts. Models that use subsurface sea temperature information have already been known to produce better long lead forecasts. Here, a two-stage statistical ENSO forecasting model is developed and demonstrated using the spatially distributed depth of the 20°C isotherm (D20) as a proxy for the thermocline. In the first stage, a nonlinear dimension reduction method [maximum variance unfolding (MVU)] is used to decompose the D20 data into canonical modes. The leading spatial patterns as well as lagged values of Niño-3 are then used as predictors in a set of linear regression models to predict the Niño-3 index at lead times of up to 24 months. Cross-validated forecasts using this methodology are shown to have higher skill than those that use a dimension reduction of the same thermocline data using principal component analysis (PCA). The first three modes of the D20 data as revealed by MVU account for 89% of the variance of the data, as compared to only 48% of the variance if PCA is used. The spatial patterns of the MVU modes partition the data field in a different way than the PC modes, even though some similarities exist as to the main regions that are active. These patterns and their temporal structure are discussed here, with a view to understanding the possible source of the longer-range predictability of ENSO using the MVU modes. The skill of the PCA- and the MVU-based forecasts of Niño-3 varies depending on the starting month of the forecast for short lead times (5–10 months). However, for the lead times longer than 1 yr, the MVU-based forecast skill is not seasonally variable, while the PCA-based models do not provide significant skill at these lead times irrespective of the starting month of the forecast. Similar conclusions are obtained for forecast models for the Niño-3.4 and Niño-1.2 indices. The differences between the MVU- and PCA-based models are most marked for the Niño-1.2 long lead forecasts.
Scientific Realism

This article endeavors to identify the strongest versions of the two primary arguments against epistemic scientific realism: the historical argument—generally dubbed “the pessimistic meta-induction”—and the argument from underdetermination. It is shown that, contrary to the literature, both can be understood as historically informed but logically validmodus tollensarguments. After specifying the question relevant to underdetermination and showing why empirical equivalence is unnecessary, two types of competitors to contemporary scientific theories are identified, both of which are informed by science itself. With the content and structure of the two nonrealist arguments clarified, novel relations between them are uncovered, revealing the severity of their collective threat against epistemic realism and its “no-miracles” argument. The final section proposes, however, that the realist’s axiological tenet “science seeks truth” is not blocked. An attempt is made to indicate the promise for a nonepistemic, purely axiological scientific realism—here dubbed “Socratic scientific realism. ”
Structure-functionality relationship of collagen scaffolds for tissue engineering

Park Seungman PhD, Purdue University, December 2014. Structure-Functionality Relationship of Collagen Scaffolds for Tissue Engineering . Major Professor: Bumsoo Han, School of Mechanical Engineering. Tissue engineering is a promising technology that enables scientists to create artificial organs or replace damaged tissues using animal cells and other components. For successful tissue regeneration, many factors should be taken into account, however, three components are most crucial: cell, scaffold, and soluble factor(s). In order to check the functionality after regeneration of desired tissues, various approaches have been attempted, depending on the physical, biological, and chemical properties of the tissues. Recently, the importance of the extracellular matrix (ECM) microstructure is being considered to be important in this regard. The ECM is closely associated with various functional properties of the tissues including mechanical properties, diffusivity, and hydraulic conductivity or permeability. Besides providing structural support and determining the physical and functional properties, the ECM plays various roles in tissue physiology by regulating cell morphology, growth and intercellular signaling. The ECM can also be reconfigured by cells during tissue remodeling and wound healing. In this thesis, in order to investigate the structure-functionality relationship of engineered tissues (ETs), computational modeling and experimental studies were performed based on the following three topics: (1) the effect of different ECM structures on the tissue transport property, (2) the effect of the different ECM structures on the cell functionality and subsequent tissue mechanical property, and (3) the evaluation of functionality of new vessel networks formed by modulation of ECM structures. The first study developed computational models (i.e., parameterand image-based models) using experimental data to predict transport properties (i.e.,permeability and
Studies on the Types and Rates of Application of Cattle Slurry and Swine Manure Fermented with Sawdust on Productivity of Silage Corn and Leaching of Nutrients

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of the types and rates of application of animal manure on productivity of silage corn and environmental pollution in silage corn cultivation soil. The experiment was confirmed in lysimeter which was constructed with 0.30m diameter, and 1 m depth. This study was arranged in split plot design. Main plots were the types of cattle slurry (CS), swine manure fermented with sawdust (SMFS) and chemical fertilizer (CF), Subplots were the application rates of animal manure, as urea, such as 100, 200 and 400 kg N . Dry matter(DM) and nitrogen yields of silage corn enhanced as increased application rates of CS, SMFS and CF (pCS>SMFS (p content in leaching water by application of animal manure reveals that there is an decrease in order SMFS>CF>CS (p content was hardly influenced by application of animal manure, and content increased with application rates increased. content in leaching water by application of animal manure reveals that there is an decrease in order of SMFS>CF>CS. increased as increasing application rates (p in leaching water maintained a low levels.
Predicting Defects for Eclipse

We have mapped defects from the bug database of eclipse (one of the largest open-source projects) to source code locations. The resulting data set lists the number of pre- and post-release defects for every package and file in the eclipse releases 2.0, 2.1, and 3.0. We additionally annotated the data with common complexity metrics. All data is publicly available and can serve as a benchmark for defect prediction models.
Aspergillosis in children after liver transplantation: Single center experience

Abstract: Aspergillus infection in immunocompromised patients is associated with high morbidity and mortality. We retrospectively reviewed cases of Aspergillosis (A), in a series of 277 children who received LTx between 1990 and 2006. All children were given antifungal prophylaxis after transplantation. Aspergillosis was identified in 10 cases (3.6%) and diagnosis was confirmed when clinical symptoms were associated with identification of Aspergillus sp. or detection of galactomannan antigen. Incidence of Aspergillosis considerably decreased from 6.9% to 0.6% when liposomal amphotericin B was introduced as prophylaxis in high‐risk patients. Mean time since LTx to Aspergillosis was 14.5 days. Histologically, Aspergillosis was diagnosed in two cases. Galactomannan antigen was present in two recipients. Aspergillus infection occurs usually within first 30 days after transplantation as a result of a combination of several risk factors. Following risk factors were observed: multiple antibiotic therapy, prolonged intensive care unit stay, poor graft function, retransplantation, relaparotomies, co‐infection. Amphotericin B was administered in all cases. Two patients (20%) died because of Aspergillosis Liposomal Amphotericin B prophylaxis in high‐risk children decreases the incidence of Aspergillus infection. High index of suspicion and early diagnosis followed by intensive treatment with amphotericin B facilitates achieving mortality rate lower than presented in other reports.
Vessel Formation Is Induced Prior to the Appearance of Cartilage in BMP-2-Mediated Heterotopic Ossification

Heterotopic ossification (HO), or endochondral bone formation at nonskeletal sites, often results from traumatic injury and can lead to devastating consequences. Alternatively, the ability to harness this phenomenon would greatly enhance current orthopedic tools for treating segmental bone defects. Thus, understanding the earliest events in this process potentially would allow us to design more targeted therapies to either block or enhance this process. Using a murine model of HO induced by delivery of adenovirus‐transduced cells expressing bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP‐2), we show here that one of the earliest stages in this process is the establishment of new vessels prior to the appearance of cartilage. As early as 48 hours after induction of HO, we observed the appearance of brown adipocytes expressing vascular endothelial growth factors (VEGFs) simultaneous with endothelial progenitor replication. This was determined by using a murine model that possesses the VEGF receptor 2 (Flk1) promoter containing an endothelial cell enhancer driving the expression of nuclear‐localized yellow fluorescent protein (YFP). Expression of this marker has been shown previously to correlate with the establishment of new vasculature, and the nuclear localization of YFP expression allowed us to quantify changes in endothelial cell numbers. We found a significant increase in Flk1‐H2B::YFP cells in BMP‐2‐treated animals compared with controls. The increase in endothelial progenitors occurred 3 days prior to the appearance of early cartilage. The data collectively suggest that vascular remodeling and growth may be essential to modify the microenvironment and enable engraftment of the necessary progenitors to form endochondral bone. © 2010 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research
Temperature-responsive properties of poly(N-vinylcaprolactam) multilayer hydrogels in the presence of Hofmeister anions

We report on the effect of Hofmeister anions on the temperature-induced volume transitions and optical responses of ultrathin hydrogels of poly(N-vinylcaprolactam) (PVCL). The hydrogels were produced by glutaraldehyde-assisted cross-linking of hydrogen-bonded multilayers of poly(N-vinylcaprolactam)-co-(aminopropyl)methacrylamide) and poly(methacrylic acid). We found that swelling and temperature-induced shrinkage of PVCL hydrogels were suppressed in the order SO42− > H2PO4− > Cl−, following the Hofmeister series. In contrast, I− increased hydrogel swelling but suppressed thermal response. A layer of glutathione–stabilized gold nanoparticles was introduced within the PVCL hydrogel to initiate an optical response in the presence of anions. We found the signal intensity of (PVCL)81-Au hydrogels and the plasmon band position to be largely controlled by ion type and concentration when the temperature reversibly changed from 20 °C to 50 °C. The band consistently shifted to lower wavelengths with an increase in chloride concentration. In contrast, a red shift was observed in the iodide solutions with increasing salt concentration; an exception to this was for the 0.1 M solution which resulted in a blue shift. We believe that our findings provide new prospects for understanding the effect of Hofmeister anions on ultrathin non-ionic polymer networks. In addition, the (PVCL)81-Au hybrid hydrogels afford a clear and fast optical monitoring of hydrogel temperature-triggered response at varied ion concentrations.
Nanocell Devices and Architecture for Configurable Computing With Molecular Electronics

We develop a method to configure a 3-D nonlinear nanoparticle-molecule network to performing ten out of twelve possible combinations of two 2-bit logic gates with shared inputs. The logic gates are based on a simple circuit with adjustable linear and fixed negative differential resistance (NDR) elements. A bistable latch for signal restoration is an integral part of this target circuit. The simulations show that conductive patterns can be formed by applying voltages on the input-output pins of the nanocell. They also show that one-link gaps (short highly resistive links) can be created within the conductive channels. Furthermore, we discuss methods for introducing NDR molecules in these gaps, a crucial element of the target circuit. The structures resulting from the simulations are put in an architectural context, in which complex functions can be realized from the individual nanocell logic gates.
State of health economic evaluation research in Saudi Arabia: a review

Background If evaluation of economic evidence is to be used increasingly in Saudi Arabia, a review of the published literature would be useful to inform policy decision-makers of the current state of research and plan future research agendas. The purpose of this paper is to provide a critical review of the state of health economic evaluation research within the Saudi context with regard to the number, characteristics, and quality of published articles. Methods A literature search was conducted on May 8, 2011 to identify health economic articles pertaining to Saudi Arabia in the PubMed, Embase, and EconLit databases, using the following terms alone or in combination: “cost*”, “economics”, “health economics”, “cost-effectiveness”, “cost-benefit”, “cost minimization”, “cost utility analysis”, and “Saudi”. Reference lists of the articles identified were also searched for further articles. The tables of contents of the Saudi Pharmaceutical Journal and the Saudi Medical Journal were reviewed for the previous 5 years. Results The search identified 535 citations. Based on a reading of abstracts and titles, 477 papers were excluded. Upon reviewing the full text of the remaining 58 papers, 43 were excluded. Fifteen papers were included. Ten were categorized as full economic evaluations and five as partial economic evaluations. These articles were published between 1997 and 2010. The majority of the studies identified did not clearly state the perspective of their evaluation. There are many concerns about the methods used to collect outcome and costs data. Only one study used some sort of sensitivity analysis to assess the effects of uncertainty on the robustness of its conclusions. Conclusion This review highlights major flaws in the design, analysis, and reporting of the identified economic analyses. Such deficiencies mean that the local economic evidence available to decision-makers is not very useful. Thus, building research capability in health economics is warranted.
Luminous K-band Selected Quasars from UKIDSS

The largest K-band flux-limited sample of luminous quasars to date has been constructed from the UKIRT (UK Infrared Telescope) Infrared Deep Sky Survey (UKIDSS) Large Area Survey Early Data Release, covering an effective area of 12.8 deg 2 . Exploiting the K-band excess (KX) of all quasars with respect to foreground stars, including quasars experiencing dust reddening and objects with non-standard spectral energy distributions (SEDs), a list of targets suitable for spectroscopic follow-up observations with the AAOmega multi-object spectrograph is constructed, resulting in more than 200 confirmed active galactic nuclei (AGN). KX selection successfully identifies as quasar candidates objects that are excluded from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) quasar selection algorithm due to their colours being consistent with the stellar locus in optical colour space (with the space density of the excluded objects agreeing well with results from existing completeness analyses). Nearly half of the KX-selected quasars with K ≤ 17.0 at z < 3 are too faint in the i band to have been targeted by the SDSS quasar selection algorithm, revealing a large population of quasars with redi - K colours. The majority of these objects have significant amounts of host galaxy light contributing to their K-band magnitudes, consistent with previous predictions. The remaining objects are morphologically stellar and have colours consistent with quasars experiencing Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC)-type reddening with 0.10 < E(B - V) < 0.25. The i - K colour distribution indicates that <10 per cent of the quasar population is missing from this K-band selected sample due to dust reddening, and comparisons with simulations strongly favour an obscured fraction of <20 per cent. Photometric redshifts and classifications are computed for the candidates that were not observed spectroscopically. For the extended objects whose colours are consistent with those of a reddened quasar, models of galaxy surface brightness profiles appropriate for each object are used to eliminate the possibility of the presence of a nuclear source bright enough for inclusion in a K ≤ 17.0 quasar sample. The effectiveness of near-infrared colour selection of quasars has been demonstrated by this modest-sized sample, and it will only become more apparent as the amount of available data increases.
Cognitive Rehabilitation for Memory Deficits After Stroke: An Updated Review

Memory problems are common after a stroke, leading to difficulties in everyday life. Memory rehabilitation aims to help retrain lost functions or to teach patients strategies to compensate for them. Although some studies have reported positive outcomes after memory rehabilitation, reviews have provided inconclusive evidence for effectiveness. This is an update of a Cochrane review first published in 2000 and subsequently updated in 2007. The objective of this review1 was to determine whether participants who have received cognitive rehabilitation for memory problems after a stroke had better outcomes in relation to memory function, functional ability, mood, and quality of life, than those given no treatment or a placebo control. For this update, we used …