Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Dietary potassium intake and stroke mortality.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE An inverse relationship of dietary potassium to stroke mortality in a small community has been previously reported. To further assess this association in a larger sample, we examined data from the first National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES I) Epidemiological Follow-up Study. METHODS We analyzed baseline data during 1971-1975 and follow-up through 1992. Dietary potassium intake, determined by 24-hour dietary recall at baseline, was available for 9866 subjects. Stroke mortality was recorded through 1992 follow-up. RESULTS Mean age and dietary potassium at baseline were 55 years and 2084 mg/d; blacks reported significantly lower potassium intake than whites (1606 versus 2178 mg/24 h). During an average of 16.7 years of follow-up, there were 304 stroke deaths. For men, stratified by tertile of dietary potassium intake, age-adjusted stroke mortality rates per 1000 person-years for the lowest dietary potassium group were significantly higher than for the highest intake group, for both whites (1.94 versus 1.17; relative risk, 1.66; 95% CI, 1.32 to 2.14) and blacks (5.08 versus 1.19; relative risk, 4.27; 95% CI, 1.88 to 9. 19). For women, there was no significant difference in stroke mortality between similar levels of potassium intake for either whites (1.61 versus 1.42; relative risk, 1.13; 95% CI, 0.84 to 1.66) or blacks (2.46 versus 3.04; relative risk, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.21 to 2. 01). After stratification by hypertensive status, stroke mortality rates were significantly different by tertile of dietary potassium only for hypertensive men. There was no stroke mortality difference by potassium intake among hypertensive women or nonhypertensive men and women. Multivariate analysis, in which we controlled for caloric intake and other baseline cardiovascular risk factors, revealed that only among black men and hypertensive men was lower dietary potassium intake a predictor of stroke mortality. CONCLUSIONS The previous finding of an association of increasing dietary potassium intake with decreasing stroke mortality has been detected only among black men and hypertensive men in this study.
Autoantibodies to cytosolic 5′‐nucleotidase 1A in inclusion body myositis

Sporadic inclusion body myositis (sIBM) is an inflammatory myopathy characterized by both degenerative and autoimmune features. In contrast to other inflammatory myopathies, myositis‐specific autoantibodies had not been found in sIBM patients until recently. We used human skeletal muscle extracts as a source of antigens to detect autoantibodies in sIBM and to characterize the corresponding antigen.
P450scc mutant nanostructuring for optimal assembly

Molecular modeling and protein engineering were synergically employed to improve the fabrication of cytochrome P450scc mutant nanostructures for biodevice assembly. The optimization of protein three-dimensional structure by molecular modeling was performed using two models: in vacuum and simulating the presence of a polar solvent. Calculations were performed on a model to predict a P450scc mutant which could improve the process of molecules' immobilization onto solid supports. Engineerized cytochrome P450scc thin films were prepared and characterized by various biophysical techniques such as /spl pi/-A isotherms, surface potential measurements, Brewster angle microscopy, UV-vis spectroscopy, circular dichroism, nanogravimetry, and electrochemical analysis. This paper takes into consideration biomolecules modified by protein engineering that represent a new and powerful approach for obtaining synthetic simpler artificial structures with new or improved properties (i.e., specificity, stability, sensitivity, etc.) useful for biosensors development.
Bomb Peak: Radiocarbon Dating of Skeletal Remains in Routine Forensic Medical Practice

ABSTRACT When human remains are found, apart from helping explain the cause of death and determining the extent of any injuries, forensic pathologists are usually requested to determine the identity of the deceased and how much time has elapsed since his death. In the Czech Republic, the criminal liability for murder is set to a statute of limitations of 20 years. In our pilot study, tissue samples of human remains from two decedents were radiocarbon (14C) dated to estimate the date of death. In agreement with published literature, we have confirmed relatively short carbon turnover time in hair, nail, and bone fat. Therefore these samples are the most appropriate for determining date of death. Other samples, such as teeth (collagen and carbonate form) and collagen isolated from bone samples, which exhibit relatively long carbon turnover time, can be used to reduce ambiguity of dating results and to indicate some interfering influences. Given the possibility of processing multiple sample types, we also propose brief guidelines for comparing and interpreting the results of individual analyses.
Performance analysis of the Libswift P2P streaming protocol

Video distribution is nowadays the dominant source of Internet traffic, and recent studies show that it is expected to reach 90% of the global consumer traffic by the end of 2015. Peer-to-peer assisted solutions have been adopted by many content providers with the aim of improving the scalability and reliability of their distribution network. While many solutions have been proposed, virtually all of them are at the overlay level, and so rely on the standard functionality of the transport layer. The Peer-to-Peer Streaming Protocol workgroup of the IETF has adopted the Libswift transport-layer protocol that is targeted at P2P traffic. In this paper we describe the design features and a first implementation of the Libswift protocol, and a piece-picking protocol that uses the transport features of Libswift in an essential way. We investigate its performance on both high-end and power-constrained low-end devices, comparing it to the state-of-the-art in P2P protocols.
Simulated microgravity disrupts intestinal homeostasis and increases colitis susceptibility

The immune systems can be altered by spaceflight in many aspects, but microgravity‐related mucosal immune changes and its clinical significance have not been well studied. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether simulated microgravity influences the intestinal homeostasis and increases the susceptibility to colon inflammation. The hindlimb unloading (HU) mouse model was used to simulate the microgravity condition. Three percent dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) was given to mice to induce colitis. Compared to ground control (Ctrl) mice, the HU ones revealed an impaired intestinal homeostasis and increased susceptibility to DSS‐induced colitis. This includes an early‐onset, 4‐fold expansion of segmented filamentous bacteria (SFB), more than 2‐fold decrease in regulatory T (Treg) cell numbers and IL‐10 production, ~2‐fold increase in colonic IL‐1β expression, 2‐fold increase in circulating neutrophils, and colonic neutrophil infiltration. The application of antibiotics ameliorated the Treg and IL‐10 reductions but did not significantly dampen neutrophilia and elevated expression of colonic IL‐1β. These results indicate that the intestinal microflora and innate immune system both respond to simulated microgravity and together, contribute to the proinflammatory shift in the gut microenvironment. The data also emphasize the necessity for evaluating the susceptibility to inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) in distant space travels. —Li, P., Shi, J., Zhang, P., Wang, K. , Li, J., Liu, H. , Zhou, Y. , Xu, X. , Hao, J., Sun, X. , Pang, X. , Li, Y. , Wu, H. , Chen, X. , Ge, Q. Simulated microgravity disrupts intestinal homeostasis and increases colitis susceptibility. FASEB J. 29, 3263‐3273 (2015). www.fasebj. org
Regional anaesthesia in paediatric surgery: results of 2200 children.

OBJECTIVES To evaluate paediatric regional anaesthesia applications in 2200 children at Diyarbakir Children's Hosptial, Turkey. METHODS This is a cross-sectional study done from January 2005 and October 2009. Paediatric regional anaesthesia applications in 2200 children were retrospectively analysed and included in this study. Demographic data, operation type, choice of regional anaesthesia, local anaesthetics, adjuvant drugs, side effects and complications were recorded. RESULTS Mean age was 6 +/- 4 years and mean weight 21.1 +/- 10.7 kg. There were 317 (14.4%) girls, and 1883 (85.6%) boys. Of the 2200 cases studied, 2088 (94%) received caudal epidural block, 59 (3%) received spinal block, 34 (%2) had lumbar epidural block and 19 (1%) received dorsal penile nerve block CONCLUSION In paediatric anaesthetic practice, caudal epidural block is used widely. However, paediatric regional anaesthesia should be supported and developed further by obtaining essential materials and devices. Variety of both neuraxial blocks and peripheral nerve blocks under sedation/general anaesthesia should also be increased.
Towards Mobile Query Auto-Completion: An Efficient Mobile Application-Aware Approach

We study the new mobile query auto-completion (QAC) problem to exploit mobile devices' exclusive signals, such as those related to mobile applications (apps). We propose AppAware, a novel QAC model using installed app and recently opened app signals to suggest queries for matching input prefixes on mobile devices. To overcome the challenge of noisy and voluminous signals, AppAware optimizes composite objectives with a lighter processing cost at a linear rate of convergence. We conduct experiments on a large commercial data set of mobile queries and apps. Installed app and recently opened app signals consistently and significantly boost the accuracy of various baseline QAC models on mobile devices.
Outcomes of Patients with Melioidosis Treated with Meropenem

ABSTRACT Melioidosis, an infection due to Burkholderia pseudomallei, is endemic in southeast Asia and northern Australia. We reviewed our experience with meropenem in the treatment of severe melioidosis in 63 patients over a 6-year period. Outcomes were similar to those of ceftazidime-treated patients (n = 153) despite a deliberate selection bias to more-unwell patients receiving meropenem. The mortality among meropenem-treated patients was 19%. One patient had a possible drug fever associated with the use of meropenem. We conclude that meropenem (1 g or 25 mg/kg every 8 h intravenously for ≥14 days) is an alternative to ceftazidime and imipenem in the treatment of melioidosis. The use of meropenem may be associated with improved outcomes in patients with severe sepsis associated with melioidosis.
Riemannian metrics for neural networks I: feedforward networks

We describe four algorithms for neural network training, each adapted to different scalability constraints. These algorithms are mathematically principled and invariant under a number of transformations in data and network representation, from which performance is thus independent. These algorithms are obtained from the setting of differential geometry, and are based on either the natural gradient using the Fisher information matrix, or on Hessian methods, scaled down in a specific way to allow for scalability while keeping some of their key mathematical properties.
Transcranial magnetic stimulation: potential treatment for co-occurring alcohol, traumatic brain injury and posttraumatic stress disorders

Alcohol use disorder (AUD), mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) commonly co-occur (AUD + mTBI + PTSD). These conditions have overlapping symptoms which are, in part, reflective of overlapping neuropathology. These conditions become problematic because their co-occurrence can exacerbate symptoms. Therefore, treatments must be developed that are inclusive to all three conditions. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is non-invasive and may be an ideal treatment for co-occurring AUD + mTBI + PTSD. There is accumulating evidence on rTMS as a treatment for people with AUD, mTBI, and PTSD each alone. However, there are no published studies to date on rTMS as a treatment for co-occurring AUD + mTBI + PTSD. This review article advances the knowledge base for rTMS as a treatment for AUD + mTBI + PTSD. This review provides background information about these co-occurring conditions as well as rTMS. The existing literature on rTMS as a treatment for people with AUD, TBI, and PTSD each alone is reviewed. Finally, neurobiological findings in support of a theoretical model are discussed to inform TMS as a treatment for co-occurring AUD + mTBI + PTSD. The peer-reviewed literature was identified by targeted literature searches using PubMed and supplemented by cross-referencing the bibliographies of relevant review articles. The existing evidence on rTMS as a treatment for these conditions in isolation, coupled with the overlapping neuropathology and symptomology of these conditions, suggests that rTMS may be well suited for the treatment of these conditions together.
Thermoablation of colorectal liver metastasis

Thermoablation is a local therapy that is effective in in situ destruction of colorectal liver metastasis while preserving surrounding normal liver tissue. It is less invasive compared to surgery, easy to use, and can be repeated. The therapy provides local control of unresectable disease and is an alternative therapy for small resectable lesions in patients with insufficient hepatic reserve after resection or coexistent comorbid conditions. It can artificially increase the resection margin thus increasing the number of patient candidate for resection. When used in conjunction with liver resection it clears the liver of multiple lesions that are surgically inaccessible or unresectable. Main limitations of the treatment are local recurrence of the disease, treatment‐related complications, and questionable impact on patient. Outcome of therapy can be improved when used as part of multimodality treatment. J. Surg. Oncol. 2010; 101:699‐705. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Impact of Factor VIII and von Willebrand Factor Plasma Levels on Cerebral Venous and Sinus Thrombosis: Are They Independent Risk Factors?

Background: The aim of this study was to assess the plasma levels of factor VIII (FVIII), von Willebrand factor (vWF) and their association in patients with cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST). Methods: We prospectively included 25 CVST patients admitted to the university hospital and 53 voluntary subjects as a control group. FVIII and vWF were measured after 6 months when anticoagulant therapy was stopped. Results: The mean FVIII and vWF levels were significantly higher in the CVST group compared to the control group (126.21 ± 54.69 vs. 91.9 ± 48.8 IU/dl; p = 0. 012; 157.05 ± 107.74 vs. 94 ± 84%; p = 0.01, respectively). Using analyses calculating the 95th percentile cut-off values, we found high levels of FVIII in patients compared to controls (29.2 vs. 5%; p = 0.01) and the odds ratio with 95% confidence interval (CI) was 7.82 (1.46, 41.6). After adjustment for vWF levels, sex and age, the risk remained significantly increased and the odds ratio with 95% CI was 10.5 (1.1, 101.4) (p = 0.041). Conclusion: FVIII is one of the most prevalent risk factors of CVST and may be associated with an approximately tenfold increased risk for developing CVST. This effect is independent of vWF levels; however, vWF is not an independent risk factor of CVST.
Stroke Experiences in Weblogs: A Feasibility Study of Sex Differences

Background Research on cerebral stroke symptoms using hospital records has reported that women experience more nontraditional symptoms of stroke (eg, mental status change, pain) than men do. This is an important issue because nontraditional symptoms may delay the decision to get medical assistance and increase the difficulty of correct diagnosis. In the present study, we investigate sex differences in the stroke experience as described in stories on weblogs. Objective The goal of this study was to investigate the feasibility of using the Internet as a source of data for basic research on stroke experiences. Methods Stroke experiences described in blogs were identified by using StoryUpgrade, a program that searches blog posts using a fictional prototype story. In this study, the prototype story was a description of a stroke experience. Retrieved stories coded by the researchers as relevant were used to update the search query and retrieve more stories using relevance feedback. Stories were coded for first- or third-person narrator, traditional and nontraditional patient symptoms, type of stroke, patient sex and age, delay before seeking medical assistance, and delay at hospital and in treatment. Results There were 191 relevant stroke stories of which 174 stories reported symptoms (52.3% female and 47.7% male patients). There were no sex differences for each traditional or nontraditional stroke symptom by chi-square analysis (all Ps>.05). Type of narrator, however, affected report of traditional and nontraditional symptoms. Female first-person narrators (ie, the patient) were more likely to report mental status change (56.3%, 27/48) than male first-person narrators (36.4%, 16/44), a marginally significant effect by logistic regression (P=.056), whereas reports of third-person narrators did not differ for women (27.9%, 12/43) and men (28.2%, 11/39) patients. There were more reports of at least 1 nontraditional symptom in the 92 first-person reports (44.6%, 41/92) than in the 82 third-person reports (25.6%, 21/82, P=.006). Ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke was reported in 67 and 29 stories, respectively. Nontraditional symptoms varied with stroke type with 1 or more nontraditional symptoms reported for 79.3% (23/29) of hemorrhagic stroke patients and 53.7% (36/67) of ischemic stroke patients (P=.001). Conclusions The results replicate previous findings based on hospital interview data supporting the reliability of findings from weblogs. New findings include the effect of first- versus third-person narrator on sex differences in the report of nontraditional symptoms. This result suggests that narrator is an important variable to be examined in future studies. A fragmentary data problem limits some conclusions because important information, such as age, was not consistently reported. Age trends strengthen the feasibility of using the Internet for stroke research because older adults have significantly increased their Internet use in recent years.
A Comparison of the Effects of the GLP-1 Analogue Liraglutide and Insulin Glargine on Endothelial Function and Metabolic Parameters: A Randomized, Controlled Trial Sapporo Athero-Incretin Study 2 (SAIS2)

Objectives GLP-1 improves hyperglycemia, and it has been reported to have favorable effects on atherosclerosis. However, it has not been fully elucidated whether GLP-1 is able to improve endothelial function in patients with type 2 diabetes. Therefore, we investigated the efficacy of the GLP-1 analogue, liraglutide on endothelial function and glycemic metabolism compared with insulin glargine therapy. Materials and Methods In this multicenter, prospective randomized parallel-group comparison study, 31 diabetic outpatients (aged 60.3 ± 10.3 years with HbA1c levels of 8.6 ± 0.8%) with current metformin and/or sulfonylurea treatment were enrolled and randomly assigned to receive liraglutide or glargine therapy once daily for 14 weeks. Flow mediated dilation (FMD), a comprehensive panel of hemodynamic parameters (Task Force Monitor), and serum metabolic markers were assessed before and after the treatment period. Results A greater reduction (worsening) in %FMD was observed in the glargine group, although this change was not statistically different from the liraglutide group (liraglutide; 5.7 to 5.4%, glargine 6.7 to 5.7%). The augmentation index, C-peptide index, derivatives of reactive oxygen metabolites and BMI were significantly improved in the liraglutide group. Central systolic blood pressure and NT-proBNP also tended to be improved in the liraglutide-treated group, while improvements in HbA1c levels were similar between groups. Cardiac index, blood pressure and most other metabolic parameters were not different. Conclusions Regardless of glycemic improvement, early liraglutide therapy did not affect endothelial function but may provide favorable effects on beta-cell function and cardioprotection in type 2 diabetics without advanced atherosclerosis. Trial Registration UMIN Clinical Trials Registry System as trial ID UMIN000005331.
Superficially substructural types

Many substructural type systems have been proposed for controlling access to shared state in higher-order languages. Central to these systems is the notion of a *resource*, which may be split into disjoint pieces that different parts of a program can manipulate independently without worrying about interfering with one another. Some systems support a *logical* notion of resource (such as permissions), under which two resources may be considered disjoint even if they govern the *same* piece of state. However, in nearly all existing systems, the notions of resource and disjointness are fixed at the outset, baked into the model of the language, and fairly coarse-grained in the kinds of sharing they enable. In this paper, inspired by recent work on "fictional disjointness" in separation logic, we propose a simple and flexible way of enabling any module in a program to create its own custom type of splittable resource (represented as a commutative monoid), thus providing fine-grained control over how the module's private state is shared with its clients. This functionality can be incorporated into an otherwise standard substructural type system by means of a new typing rule we call *the sharing rule*, whose soundness we prove semantically via a novel resource-oriented Kripke logical relation.
Dominant regulation of interendothelial cell gap formation by calcium-inhibited type 6 adenylyl cyclase

Acute transitions in cytosolic calcium ([Ca2+]i) through store-operated calcium entry channels catalyze interendothelial cell gap formation that increases permeability. However, the rise in [Ca2+]i only disrupts barrier function in the absence of a rise in cAMP. Discovery that type 6 adenylyl cyclase (AC6; EC 4.6.6.1) is inhibited by calcium entry through store-operated calcium entry pathways provided a plausible explanation for how inflammatory [Ca2+]i mediators may decrease cAMP necessary for endothelial cell gap formation. [Ca2+]i mediators only modestly decrease global cAMP concentrations and thus, to date, the physiological role of AC6 is unresolved. Present studies used an adenoviral construct that expresses the calcium-stimulated AC8 to convert normal calcium inhibition into stimulation of cAMP, within physiologically relevant concentration ranges. Thrombin stimulated a dose-dependent [Ca2+]i rise in both pulmonary artery (PAECs) and microvascular (PMVEC) endothelial cells, and promoted intercellular gap formation in both cell types. In PAECs, gap formation was progressive over 2 h, whereas in PMVECs, gap formation was rapid (within 10 min) and gaps resealed within 2 h. Expression of AC8 resulted in a modest calcium stimulation of cAMP, which virtually abolished thrombin-induced gap formation in PMVECs. Findings provide the first direct evidence that calcium inhibition of AC6 is essential for endothelial gap formation.