Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Ventricular Tachycardia Ablation: Evolution of Patients and Procedures Over 8 Years

Background— Evolving management of coronary artery disease, heart failure, and the use of implantable cardioverter-defibrillators impacts the characteristics of patients with recurrent ventricular tachycardia (VT). We investigated the substrate, procedure, and outcome evolution of all patients referred for VT ablation during the past 8 years. Methods and Results— From 1999 to 2006, 493 consecutive patients (358 male, 57±16 years) underwent 623 VT ablations: 131 had no structural heart disease (SHD), 213 had ischemic cardiomyopathies (ICMP), and 149 had nonischemic cardiomyopathies (NICMP). Although the main substrate is ICMP, the proportion of NICMP has increased from 27% to 35% (P=0.06) from 1999–2002 to the 2003–2006. The procedure abolished or modified inducible VTs in ≥75% of patients in all groups, but abolition of all monomorphic VTs was achieved in 125 (83%) patients without SHD, 180 (65%) with ICMP, and 99 (51%) with NICMP (P<0.0001). During a mean follow-up of 3.3±2.4 years, no deaths occurred in patients without SHD, but 75 patients (35%) with ICMP and 26 patients (17%) with NICMP died after a median of 13 months. Multivariate Cox regression analysis found that age, ejection fraction, and need for preprocedural mechanical hemodynamic support predicted mortality. Conclusions— The substrate causing VT in patients requiring ablation is evolving and determines the long-term outcome. In the setting of a normal heart, VT ablation is associated with a low risk of subsequent mortality, with no deaths occurring during a mean follow-up of >3 years. In contrast, in patients with SHD and recurrent VT, VT ablation can be helpful to suppress drug refractory VT, but long-term mortality remains significant.
(Linear) Maps of the Impossible: Capturing Semantic Anomalies in Distributional Space

In this paper, we present a first attempt to characterize the semantic deviance of composite expressions in distributional semantics. Specifically, we look for properties of adjective-noun combinations within a vector-based semantic space that might cue their lack of meaning. We evaluate four different compositionality models shown to have various levels of success in representing the meaning of AN pairs: the simple additive and multiplicative models of Mitchell and Lapata (2008), and the linear-map-based models of Guevara (2010) and Baroni and Zamparelli (2010). For each model, we generate composite vectors for a set of AN combinations unattested in the source corpus and which have been deemed either acceptable or semantically deviant. We then compute measures that might cue semantic anomaly, and compare each model's results for the two classes of ANs. Our study shows that simple, unsupervised cues can indeed significantly tell unattested but acceptable ANs apart from impossible, or deviant, ANs, and that the simple additive and multiplicative models are the most effective in this task.
Concentration of blood and seminal plasma elements and their relationships with semen parameters in men with spinal cord injury

The relationship of calcium, magnesium, zinc (Zn) and copper (Cu) concentrations in blood and seminal plasma on sperm parameters of spinal cord‐injured (SCI) men and of normal controls was determined. The study included 93 SCI men and 145 neurologically intact men. Colorimetric and flame atomic absorption spectrophotometers were used. Seminal Zc and Cu had a relationship with sperm motility in SCI men.
Facilitation of artificial retinal detachment for macular translocation surgery tested in rabbit.

PURPOSE For macular translocation surgery, the native attached retina has to be detached either locally or completely. Although different surgical techniques are used, there is a general search for supporting procedures that facilitate and accelerate the retinal detachment. METHODS Pars plana vitrectomies were performed in pigmented rabbits. In all experimental groups, a local retinal detachment was created by infusing the test solution with a thin glass micropipette attached to a glass syringe. In control animals a standard balanced salt solution was used at room temperature, in combination with a standard vitrectomy light source. In two test groups, a calcium- and magnesium-free solution was used for the vitrectomy, under illumination by a standard light source in group I (solution at room temperature) and group II (solution heated up to body temperature). In group III the rabbits were dark-adapted for half an hour, and then, during surgery, a red filter was used in front of the light source (standard balanced salt solution at room temperature). After the rabbits were killed at the end of surgery, the adherence of the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) to the neural retina in the detachment area was quantified microscopically, and the morphologic integrity of the detached retinal tissue was examined by light and electron microscopy. No electrophysiology was performed. RESULTS In all four groups, it was possible to detach the retina. The maximum adherence of the RPE cells to the neural retina was observed in the control group. Virtually no decrease in adherence was found in test group II (36 degrees C solution without calcium and magnesium), whereas a significant decrease was seen in both group I (calcium- and magnesium-free solution at room temperature) and group III (dark adaptation-red light technique; standard balanced salt solution at room temperature). In none of the experimental groups was any obvious damage of the retinal structure observed, even after exposure to the test solutions for 60 minutes. CONCLUSIONS Both dark adaptation (red illumination) and the use of a calcium chloride- and magnesium chloride-free solution (at room temperature) can facilitate retinal detachment in macular translocation surgery. Both techniques are proposed as a gentle support for the operation, because they protect an intact RPE cell layer and do not cause retinal damage at the ultrastructural level.
Reparative surgery of the pulmonary autograft: experience with Ross reoperations.

OBJECTIVE Autograft valve and root pathology is the leading cause of Ross procedure failure. To define risk and outcome of autograft valve/root repair at reoperation, a 17-year experience was analysed. METHODS One hundred and thirty-two consecutive late survivors underwent cross-sectional clinical and echocardiographic examination on average 10.8 ± 14.7 years (range 0.4-17) after Ross procedure. Study endpoints were hospital and late morbidity, freedom from autograft reoperation, freedom from root/valve replacement and functional outcome after valve/root repair. RESULTS Twenty-seven (20%) patients underwent 33 cardiac reoperations, the first on average 7.7 ± 4.5 years (range 0.08-16.2) after Ross operation. Nineteen had undergone root replacement, 5 inclusion cylinder and 3 subcoronary grafting. Indication was root pathology in 17 (63%) patients and isolated valve in 10. Surgery consisted in valve repair/sparing in 17 patients and valve/root replacement in 10, with no hospital mortality. Freedom from any autograft valve/root reoperation was 74 ± 5% at 15 years. No patient with valve/root replacement required second reoperation. Instead, 6/17 (35%) patients having autograft valve repair/sparing and followed for 4.2 ± 2.9 years (range 0.3-10.8) required re-repair/AVR, while 11 present mild AI or less. Freedom from autograft valve/root replacement was 83 ± 5% at 15 years. At multivariate analysis, predictors of reoperation were age at Ross (P = 0.002) and use of root technique (P = 0.049). Failure of autograft valve repair/sparing was associated with isolated valve pathology (P = 0.014) and earlier reoperation (P = 0.002). Pre-repair autograft insufficiency was significant at univariate analysis only (P = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS Autograft reoperation carries negligible hospital risk. Pulmonary valve sparing or repair is feasible in half of patients with Ross failure. Concomitant root remodelling and absence of preoperative severe valve dysfunction predict successful and durable repair.
Regulated binding of the fibrinogen‐like domains of tenascin‐R and tenascin‐C to the neural EGF family member CALEB

The neural transmembrane protein CALEB was discovered in a screen for novel molecules implicated in neuronal differentiation processes and was found to bind to two proteins of the extracellular matrix, tenascin‐C and tenascin‐R. The expression of different isoforms of CALEB in axon‐ and synapse‐rich areas in the nervous system is regulated during development. Here we show that an unusual acidic peptide segment of CALEB is sufficient to mediate the binding of CALEB to the fibrinogen‐like globes of both tenascin family members as well as to native tenascin‐C. We idengify a small sequence element within the acidic peptide segment of CALEB as important for this binding. Interestingly, the interactions of CALEB and tenascin‐C and ‐R seem to be regulated during development. We demonstrate that only CALEB‐80, the expression of which is up‐regulated in the chicken retina during synaptogenesis, but not CALEB‐140, expressed later on in development, can bind to the fibrinogen‐like domains of tenascin‐R or tenascin‐C and to native tenascin‐C. While both CALEB‐80 and CALEB‐140 are expressed in the plexiform layers and the optic fiber layer of embryonic chicken retina, CALEB‐140 labeling is more intense in the optic fiber layer in comparison to the inner plexiform layer.
Polyphase Representation of the Relationships Among Fullband, Subband, and Block Adaptive Filters

In hands-free telephone systems, the received speech signal is fed back to the microphone and constitutes the so-called echo. To cancel the effect of this time-varying echo path, it is necessary to device an adaptive filter between the receiving and the transmitting ends. For a typical FIR realization, the length of the fullband adaptive filter results in high computational complexity and low convergence rate. Consequently, subband adaptive filtering schemes have been proposed to improve the performance. In this work, we use deterministic approach to analyze the relationship between fullband and subband adaptive filtering structures. With block adaptive filtering structure as an intermediate stage, the analysis is divided into two parts. First, to avoid aliasing, it is found that the matrix of block adaptive filters is in the form of pseudocirculant, and the elements of this matrix are the polyphase components of the fullband adaptive filter. Second, to transmit the near-end voice signal faithfully, the analysis and the synthesis filter banks in the subband adaptive filtering structure must form a perfect reconstruction pair. Using polyphase representation, the relationship between the block and the subband adaptive filters is derived.
Exploiting radio hierarchies for power-efficient wireless device discovery and connection setup

We propose the coordinated use of multiple heterogeneous wireless technologies to optimize the latency and power consumption of mobile systems during device discovery and connection setup. We present several multi-radio connection establishment techniques, which exploit the wide disparity in the power and performance characteristics of different radios to create an efficient and flexible communication subsystem. Our techniques enable mobile devices to combine the strengths of these diverse technologies, thereby powering down higher power radios when their capabilities are not needed and using a hierarchical radio structure for device discovery and connection setup. Experiments using a prototype multi-radio device show that the use of radio hierarchies results in significant power savings, and often improves connection setup latency as well.
Optimal Short Term Operation Planning of a Large Hydrothermal Power System Based on a Nonlinear Network Flow Concept

This paper presents a procedure for solving the short term generation scheduling problem for a large hydrothermal system that includes transmission limitations. The integrated system is divided into a hydro and a thermal subsystem. A reduced gradient algorithm is employed for the solution of the hydro subproblem. This algorithm is specialized to efficiently solve nonlinear network flow problems with additional constraints of non-netwrk type. The thermal subsystem is solved using a fast unit commitment and dispatch algorithm. A case study with the Swedish system is discussed.
Adalimumab for maintenance of clinical response and remission in patients with Crohn's disease: the CHARM trial.

BACKGROUND & AIMS This study evaluated the efficacy and safety of adalimumab, a fully human, anti-tumor necrosis factor monoclonal antibody administered subcutaneously, in the maintenance of response and remission in patients with moderate to severe Crohn's disease (CD). METHODS Patients received open-label induction therapy with adalimumab 80 mg (week 0) followed by 40 mg (week 2). At week 4, patients were stratified by response (decrease in Crohn's Disease Activity Index > or =70 points from baseline) and randomized to double-blind treatment with placebo, adalimumab 40 mg every other week (eow), or adalimumab 40 mg weekly through week 56. Co-primary end points were the percentages of randomized responders who achieved clinical remission (Crohn's Disease Activity Index score <150) at weeks 26 and 56. RESULTS The percentage of randomized responders in remission was significantly greater in the adalimumab 40-mg eow and 40-mg weekly groups versus placebo at week 26 (40%, 47%, and 17%, respectively; P < .001) and week 56 (36%, 41%, and 12%, respectively; P < .001). No significant differences in efficacy between adalimumab eow and weekly were observed. More patients receiving placebo discontinued treatment because of an adverse event (13.4%) than those receiving adalimumab (6.9% and 4.7% in the 40-mg eow and 40-mg weekly groups, respectively). CONCLUSIONS Among patients who responded to adalimumab, both adalimumab eow and weekly were significantly more effective than placebo in maintaining remission in moderate to severe CD through 56 weeks. Adalimumab was well-tolerated, with a safety profile consistent with previous experience with the drug.
Growth hormone deficiency (GHD) in adult thalassaemic patients

Background and objective Short stature and growth hormone deficiency (GHD) are frequent occurrences in thalassaemic children, while data on the prevalence of GHD in adult patients are lacking. Therefore, we elected to study the growth hormone and insulin‐like growth factor‐I (GH–IGF‐I) axis in a large group of adult thalassaemic subjects.
Enhancement of amniocyte growth on a precoated surface

This study investigates whether cell‐free amniotic fluid facilitates cell attachment to the surface of culture plates and thereby promotes rapid amniocyte growth. Isolated or pooled cell‐free amniotic fluid samples at different volumes were added to culture plates. Trypsinized subcultures, grown in Eagle's minimum essential alpha medium supplemented with fetal bovine serum (4–20 per cent), were monitored by cell counts. The results demonstrated growth stimulation on culture plates precoated with amniotic fluid. The minimal time for coating the culture plates was 6h. Maximal coating was observed after an overnight incubation with 2–3 ml of the fluid per culture vessel. No synergistic effect from addition of fetal bovine serum to amniotic fluid was observed. A freshly coated surface provided the best amniocyte growth.
Oxidative‐Etching‐Assisted Synthesis of Centimeter‐Sized Single‐Crystalline Graphene

Centimeter-sized single-crystalline graphene is obtained by an oxidative-etching-assisted chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method. Gaseous oxidants are found to be highly responsible for graphene etching. By diminishing the uncertain amount of H2 O vapor in commercial H2 and precisely introducing additional O2 , the graphene nucleation density can be well controlled.
Clinicopathologic and prognostic significance of an angiogenic factor, thymidine phosphorylase, in human colorectal carcinoma.

BACKGROUND Platelet-derived endothelial cell growth factor (PD-ECGF) is known to promote the development of new blood vessels, which are fundamental to tumor growth and metastasis. We previously found that thymidine phosphorylase (dThdPase) and PD-ECGF are the same protein. PURPOSE We retrospectively examined the expression of dThdPase in primary colorectal carcinomas, its association with angiogenesis and clinicopathologic findings, and its prognostic value. METHODS Tissues were obtained from the tumors of 163 patients whose colorectal carcinomas were completely removed by surgery. Microvessels assessed by immunostaining endothelial cells for factor VIII were counted on a 400x field in the most active areas of neovascularization within the tumor. We purified the monoclonal antibody against dThdPase and studied the expression of dThdPase in the same serial sections used for the detection of factor VIII. Those who carried out microvessel counting and dThdPase expression assessment had no knowledge of clinicopathologic findings. The significance of dThdPase in the prognosis of patients with colorectal carcinomas was also examined in the survival analysis of mortality follow-up data covering the period between 1984 through 1991. Reported P values are from two-sided tests of statistical significance. RESULTS The mean microvessel count (+/- standard deviation) in dThdPase-positive colorectal carcinoma specimens (17.5 +/- 7.2) was higher (P < .001) than that in dThdPase-negative carcinoma specimens (9.3 +/- 5.5). The dThdPase positivity was in accordance with the microvessel count. dThdPase positivity showed highly significant statistical associations with tumor size, extent of invasion, lymph node metastasis, lymphatic invasion, and venous invasion. Cox regression analysis revealed that dThdPase expression was prognostic for poor disease outcome after adjustment for Dukes' stage and microvessel count. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that higher levels of dThdPase expression in colorectal carcinomas are associated with more extensive angiogenesis, poor clinical and laboratory findings, and unfavorable clinical outcome. IMPLICATIONS Inhibition of dThdPase in human colorectal carcinomas might improve prognosis for some patients.
La mise en place du système phonologique du français chez des enfants entre trois et six ans : une étude de la production.

On a recherche les regularites typiques des difficultes rencontrees par des enfants de 3 a 6 ans lors de l'acquisition du systeme phonologique du francais. Les productions de soixante-quinze enfants, issues d'un questionnaire phonologique comportant 70 items, ont ete analysees. L'etude porte sur 28 phonemes caracteristiques d'un usage de convergence du francais. Les resultats de l'enquete phonologique montrent que (a) l'âge auquel l'ensemble de ces phonemes peut etre maitrise est variable, mais que, pour la majorite des enfants, certaines zones du systeme restent incompletement maitrisees jusqu'a 5-6 ans (b) les oppositions du systeme vocalique sont maitrisees plus tot et plus rapidement que les oppositions du systeme consonantique la succession des acquisitions se fait, pour les consonnes, des occlusives aux fricatives et, pour ces dernieres, des alveolaires aux prepalatales pour les voyelles, des orales aux nasales et, pour les premieres, des externes aux centrales. Les resultats sont discutes a la lumiere des capacites perceptivo-articulatoires et cognitives des sujets et des caracteres phonologiques partages par de nombreuses langues.
A 1-D lumped theoretical model for CMUT

It is always difficult to optimize parameters of capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducers (CMUT) because of high computational time cost of finite element method (FEM) analysis and economic cost of prototype manufacturing. Thus a theoretical model is required in designing a CMUT. This paper presents such a 1-D lumped model. A transfer function between output sound pressure and input AC voltage has been deduced based on control theory. This model makes it easier to optimize the parameters of a CMUT with respect to output sound pressure and bandwidth and to understand the influence of each parameter. To derive the proposed 1-D model, transition from a 3-D CMUT device to 1-D lumped model is performed by FEM analysis. Finally a typical example is given for verification. The result obtained by the proposed 1-D lumped model is compared to that by 3-D FEM simulation. It shows that our proposed 1-D lumped model can be used to study the behavior of CMUT at much lower computational cost without losing accuracy.
Differing Effects of Herpes Simplex Virus 1 and Pseudorabies Virus Infections on Centrosomal Function

ABSTRACT Efficient intracellular transport of the capsid of alphaherpesviruses, such as herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1), is known to be dependent upon the microtubule (MT) network. Typically, the MT network radiates from an MT-organizing center (MTOC), which is, in most cases, the centrosome. During herpesvirus egress, it has been assumed that capsids travel first from the nucleus to the centrosome and then from the centrosome to the site of envelopment. Here we report that the centrosome is no longer a primary MTOC in HSV-1-infected cells, but it retains this function in cells infected by another alphaherpesvirus, pseudorabies virus (PrV). As a result, MTs formed at late times after infection with PrV grow from a major, centralized MTOC, while those formed after HSV-1 infection arise from dispersed locations in the cytoplasm, indicating the presence of alternative and minor MTOCs. Thus, loss of the principal MT nucleating center in cells following HSV-1 infection raises questions about the mechanism of HSV-1 capsid egress. It is possible that, rather than passing via the centrosome, capsids may travel directly to the site of envelopment after exiting the nucleus. We suggest that, in HSV-1-infected cells, the disruption of centrosomal functions triggers reorganization of the MT network to favor noncentrosomal MTs and promote efficient viral spread.
Testing CPT Symmetry with CMB Measurements: Update after WMAP5

In this Letter we update our previous results on the test of CPT symmetry with cosmic microwave background (CMB) measurements. A CPT-violating interaction in the photon sector gives rise to a rotation of the polarization vectors of the propagating CMB photons. Recently the WMAP group used the newly released polarization data of WMAP5 to measure this rotation angle Δ α and obtained Δα = –1.7° ± 2.1° (1 σ). However, in their analysis the BOOMERANG 2003 data are not included. Here we revisit this issue by combining the full data of WMAP5 and BOOMERANG 2003 angular power spectra for the measurement of this rotation angle Δ α and find that Δα = –2.6° ± 1.9° at a 68% confidence level.
The case for routine use of adjuvant therapy in pancreatic cancer

Pancreatic cancer is a devastating disease with a poor prognosis for most patients. Surgical resection remains the cornerstone of treatment, providing the only realistic hope of long‐term survival. Even with optimal surgical management, 5‐year survival averages 15% to 20% for resectable disease. Progress is being made, however. Currently, the benefits of postoperative therapy for resected pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma appear clear, and recommendations for such therapy appear to us to be well justified. Additional benefit to patients awaits the development of new agents, molecular targeted drugs, and novel approaches such as immunotherapy. J. Surg. Oncol. 2007;95:597–603. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.