Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Tissue Doppler systolic velocity change during dobutamine stress echocardiography predicts contractile reserve and exercise tolerance in patients with heart failure.

AIMS Dobutamine stress echocardiography (DSE) is widely used to evaluate myocardial contractile reserve in patients with heart failure (HF). The aim of the study was to assess the relationship between the tissue Doppler (TD) mitral annulus systolic velocity (Sm) change during DSE, contractile reserve, and aerobic exercise capacity in HF patients. METHODS AND RESULTS Sixty-four HF patients (age 67 ± 9 years, 58% with an ischaemic aetiology, and a mean value of the ejection fraction 29 ± 7%) underwent high-dose DSE. The mean value of the TD mitral annulus septal-lateral Sm change was analysed at rest and at peak DSE. All patients underwent also the cardiopulmonary exercise test. With a receiver operating characteristic analysis, a value of 2.02 cm/s obtained as a stress-rest difference in a mean value of the peak systolic velocity of the mitral annulus (Sm) was the best value for diagnosing the myocardial contractile reserve [area under the curve 0.69 (95% CI 0.56-0.80), sensitivity 69% (95% CI 54-81), specificity 80% (95% CI 45-97)]. The patient population was divided into two groups: with rest-stress Sm change during DSE ≤ 2.02 cm/s and with rest-stress Sm change >2.02 cm/s. Patients with Sm rest-stress >2.02 change during DSE, compared with patients with rest-stress change ≤2.02, showed a lower incidence of severe diastolic dysfunction at rest (16 vs. 46%, P= 0.039) and lower E/Ea values (11 ± 5 vs. 15 ± 6, P = 0.005), similar ejection fraction at rest but higher ejection fraction at peak DSE (53 ± 14 vs. 41 ± 12%, P = 0.001), better myocardial contractile reserve assessed by a pressure-volume relationship (1.89 ± 2.01 vs. 0.58 ± 1.38 mmHg/mL/m(2), P = 0.004), with a lower end-systolic volume (-46 ± 20 vs. -24 ± 19%, P< 0.001), a higher increase in the ejection fraction (23 ± 10 vs. 12 ± 10%, P = 0.001) during DSE, and better peak oxygen consumption (16 ± 4 vs. 13 ± 2 mL/kg/min, P = 0.01). CONCLUSION In patients with HF, the rest-stress variation of mitral annulus systolic velocities during DSE predicts the presence of myocardial contractile reserve and exercise tolerance.
Malignant sweat gland tumours: an update

Cutaneous adnexal tumours can be a diagnostic challenge for the pathologist. This is particularly true in the case of tumours with sweat gland differentiation, due to a large number of rare entities, a multiplicity of names to designate the same neoplasms and consequent lack of consensus regarding their classification and nomenclature. In the traditional view, sweat gland tumours were divided into eccrine and apocrine. However, this has been challenged in recent years, and in fact many of these tumours may have both eccrine and apocrine variants. Some display more complex features and defy classification, due to the presence of other lines of differentiation, namely follicular and/or sebaceous (in the case of apocrine tumours, due to the close embryological relationship between apocrine glands, hair follicles and sebaceous glands). The present paper reviews and updates the basic concepts regarding the following malignant sweat gland tumours: apocrine carcinoma, porocarcinoma, hidradenocarcinoma, spiradenocarcinoma, cylindrocarcinoma, microcystic adnexal carcinoma and related entities, squamoid eccrine ductal carcinoma, digital papillary adenocarcinoma, primary cutaneous mucinous carcinoma, endocrine mucin‐producing sweat gland carcinoma and primary cutaneous signet ring cell carcinoma. Particular emphasis is put in recent findings that may have implications in the diagnosis and management of these tumours.
The Origin of Secondary Peaks with Active Control of Thermoacoustic Instability

This paper deals with the generation of new peaks in the pressure spectrum in controlled combustors in experimental investigations of active control of thermoacoustic instabilities. Typically, the reported experiments have demonstrated that the dominant thermoacoustic instability can be suppressed, but secondary peaks at different frequencies which were not excited in the uncontrolled combustor appear. We develop a physically-based model of an actively controlled premixed laminar combustor which takes into account (a) laminar flame kinematics, (b) linear acoustic dynamics with coupling between the acoustic modes, and (c) actuation using side-mounted and end-mounted loudspeakers. Using this model, we analyze some of the experimental controllers proposed in the literature and explain the origin of secondary peaks observed in these studies. Secondary peaks are created while using these controllers due to resonant coupling between various mechanisms in the combustor that are distinct from those responsible fo.
[Survey of informed consent in a gastrointestinal endoscopy unit].

OBJECTIVES Gastrointestinal endoscopy, like all diagnostic and therapeutic techniques, must be preceded by written informed consent. The aim of this study was to evaluate the patients' acceptance and understanding of the aim of informed consent as well as to determine their perception of the investigation. METHODS For 2 months, informed consent forms were given together with a questionnaire to 221 consecutive patients who underwent diagnostic gastrointestinal endoscopy. RESULTS Distribution of the patients according to level of education was: university graduated (6.5%), high-school graduate (21.1%) those who had completed primary school (48.6%) and those with no schooling (23.9%). The document was read by 144 patients (65.1%) and the attending physician had previously explained it to 69.6%. Informed consent was understood by 90.7% of the patients who read the document. Understanding was related to education (university and high-school graduates (83.3%) vs. those who had completed primary school or who had no schooling (60%); p < 0.005) and was not related to the information given by the attending physician. Patients' opinion on the aim of informed consent was: absolve the doctor of responsibility (42%), provide information in the patients' interests (51.1%) and senseless document (42%). Signing the document provoked fear in 20% of those surveyed. This fear was greater in patients who had not been informed by the attending physician (31.2% vs. 14.5%; p > 0.01). CONCLUSIONS Informed consent is understood by most patients who read the form but a significant proportion perceive it as designed to defend the physician. When the technique is explained by the attending physician and the doctor performing the procedure, acceptance is increased and fear is reduced.
Cut Redistribution With Directed-Self-Assembly Templates for Advanced 1-D Gridded Layouts

Directed-self-assembly (DSA) technology is a promising candidate for cut printing in sub-10nm 1-D gridded designs, where cuts might need to be redistributed such that they could be patterned by DSA guiding templates. In this paper, we first propose a linear-time optimal dynamic-programming-based algorithm for a special case of the template guided cut redistribution problem, where there is at most one dummy wire segment on a track. We then extend our algorithm to general cases by applying a bipartite matching algorithm to decompose a general problem to a set of subproblems conforming to the special case (thus each of them can be solved optimally). Our resulting algorithm can achieve a provably good performance bound, with the cost of a template distribution only linearly to the problem size. Experimental results show that our algorithm can resolve all spacing rule violations, with smaller running times, compared with the previous works on a set of common benchmarks. In addition, we also extend our algorithm to consider general design rules, simple templates, and dummy cuts.
Efficient methods for out-of-order load/store execution for high-performance soft processors

As FPGAs continue to increase in size, it becomes increasingly feasible and desirable to build higher performance soft processors. Preserving the familiar single-threaded programming model can be done with an out of order processor. The ability to execute memory loads and stores out of order has a large impact on performance, but this is difficult to do because the dependencies between stores and loads are not known until addresses are computed. Out of order memory disambiguation is traditionally done with CAMs in the load queue and store queue, but large CAMs are inefficient on FPGAs. Store Queue Index Prediction (SQIP) and NoSQ propose to replace CAMs with store-load forwarding prediction and load re-execution. We implement four memory disambiguation schemes (in-order, CAM, SQIP, NoSQ) on a Stratix IV FPGA and evaluate the area and delay trade-offs. We find that CAM area and delay degrade quickly with load/store queue size, while SQIP and NoSQ have little degradation with queue size but have area overhead for prediction and predictor training hardware. SQIP and NoSQ use less area than CAMs beyond 32 and 16 load/store queue entries, respectively, and have higher maximum frequency beyond 4 entries.
Health Risk of some Trace Elements in the Water of the Subsidence Pool in Huainan

Samples of water were collected from the subsidence pools around the coal waste rock piles and some toxic trace elements were determined. The results conclused as the mean concentrations of As, Zn and Pb ranged from 4.71E-03 to 1.78E-02, 9.22E-03 to 2.13E-02, 1.69E-03 to 5.43E-03, respectively, which were lower than the first level of surface water environment quality standards established in China. The mean concentrations of Cd and Cu ranged from 3.30E-04 to 1.25E-03, 1.04E-02 to1.85E-02, respectively, which were within the range of the second level. As the HQs of As, Zn, Pb, Cd, Cu were less than 1, suggesting minimal noncarcinogenic risk to human health. Only As was evaluated with potential carcinogenic risks of 3.17E-04 and 2.02E-04 (>10-4) in the water of subsidence pools around Panyi and Guqiao coal waste rock piles via oral consumption, indicating that As had potential adverse effects on local residents in these two sites. This study is to investigate the contamination levels of trace elements and to estimate the risk to health effects in the water of the subsidence pools in Huainan.
F8 gene mutation profile and ITT response in a cohort of Italian haemophilia A patients with inhibitors

Summary. Anti factor VIII (FVIII) antibodies represent the main complication of replacement therapy in severe cases of haemophilia and most patients with inhibitor have gross gene rearrangements or point mutations that hamper the production of normal circulating FVIII. In this study we have investigated 82 haemophilia A patients with inhibitors. Seventy six were severe, three were moderate and three were mild. We screened the patients for the causative mutations using long range PCR for the recurrent intron 22 inversion (invint22), multiplex PCR for intron 1 inversion (invint1) and conformation sensitive gel electrophoresis followed by DNA sequencing for all other mutation types in the F8 gene. Diverse genetic defects were detected in the severe cases (with a predominance of severe molecular defects): F8 gene inversions, large deletions and non‐sense mutations account for 71% of the mutations. Only missense and splicing mutations were identified in the non‐severe patients and we confirmed that the presence of inhibitors correlates well with the presence of severe mutations, but a proportion of severe patients develops inhibitors despite the presence of diverse less severe mutations. When we have analysed the subgroup of patients who underwent immunetolerance, we have found that F8 gene large deletions are likely to be a high risk factor also for immunetolerance therapy unresponsiveness, while no clear evidence has been demonstrated for other mutation types.
Xenobiotic-induced activation of human aryl hydrocarbon receptor target genes in Drosophila is mediated by the epigenetic chromatin modifiers

Aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) is the key transcription factor that controls animal development and various adaptive processes. The AHR’s target genes are involved in biodegradation of endogenous and exogenous toxins, regulation of immune response, organogenesis, and neurogenesis. Ligand binding is important for the activation of the AHR signaling pathway. Invertebrate AHR homologs are activated by endogenous ligands whereas vertebrate AHR can be activated by both endogenous and exogenous ligands (xenobiotics). Several studies using mammalian cultured cells have demonstrated that transcription of the AHR target genes can be activated by exogenous AHR ligands, but little is known about the effects of AHR in a living organism. Here, we examined the effects of human AHR and its ligands using transgenic Drosophila lines with an inducible human AhR gene. We found that exogenous AHR ligands can increase as well as decrease the transcription levels of the AHR target genes, including genes that control proliferation, motility, polarization, and programmed cell death. This suggests that AHR activation may affect the expression of gene networks that could be critical for cancer progression and metastasis. Importantly, we found that AHR target genes are also controlled by the enzymes that modify chromatin structure, in particular components of the epigenetic Polycomb Repressive complexes 1 and 2. Since exogenous AHR ligands (alternatively – xenobiotics) and small molecule inhibitors of epigenetic modifiers are often used as pharmaceutical anticancer drugs, our findings may have significant implications in designing new combinations of therapeutic treatments for oncological diseases.
Ductal malformation and pancreatitis in mice caused by conditional Jag1 deletion.

BACKGROUND & AIMS Alagille syndrome is an autosomal dominant disorder caused by mutations in Notch signaling pathway genes, usually JAGGED1. Up to 40% of Alagille syndrome patients also display exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, the pathobiology of which is unknown. Additionally, no mouse model recapitulating this aspect of the disease has been reported. METHODS We conditionally deleted both alleles of Jagged1 in the murine pancreas using Cre-loxP technology and analyzed histologic and morphologic features in postnatal and adult pancreas such as duct structure, acinar mass, and T-lymphocyte infiltration, as well as markers of pancreatic function, including fecal fat. RESULTS Jagged1-deficient mice displayed malformed pancreatic ducts with resulting acinar cell death, fatty infiltration of the parenchyma, fibrosis, pancreatitis, and pancreatic insufficiency. CONCLUSIONS Pancreatic ductal malformation and acinar cell loss may be responsible for pancreatic insufficiency in Jagged1-deficient mice and, by corollary, in Alagille syndrome patients.
Development of an Integrated Driving Path Estimation Algorithm for ACC and AEBS Using Multi-Sensor Fusion

This paper presents an integrated driving path estimation algorithm for adaptive cruise control system and advanced emergency braking system using multi-sensor fusion. This algorithm is developed to predict the ego-vehicle's path accurately and improve primary target detection rate. The path prediction is consisted of two prediction process; one is based on vehicle states and the other is based on vision data. For application to dynamic maneuvering situation, the driving mode index which allows a detection of the driver maneuver intention is proposed. In accordance with the driving mode, the two types of driving path information are integrated finally. The proposed driving path estimation algorithm has been investigated via closed-loop simulation. It has been shown that the proposed driving path estimation algorithm enhance the capabilities of adaptive cruise control and advanced emergency braking system functions by providing the ego-vehicles path accurately, especially in dynamic maneuvering situation.
Therapeutics , Targets , and Chemical Biology HDAC 6 Inhibition Restores Ciliary Expression and Decreases Tumor Growth

Primary cilia are multisensory organelles recently found to be absent in some tumor cells, but the mechanisms of deciliation and the role of cilia in tumor biology remain unclear. Cholangiocytes, the epithelial cells lining the biliary tree, normally express primary cilia and their interaction with bile components regulates multiple processes, including proliferation and transport. Using cholangiocarcinoma as a model, we found that primary cilia are reduced in cholangiocarcinoma by a mechanism involving histone deacetylase 6 (HDAC6). The experimental deciliation of normal cholangiocyte cells increased the proliferation rate and induced anchorage-independent growth. Furthermore, deciliation induced the activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase and Hedgehog signaling, two important pathways involved in cholangiocarcinoma development. We found that HDAC6 is overexpressed in cholangiocarcinoma and overexpression of HDAC6 in normal cholangiocytes induced deciliation and increased both proliferation and anchorage-independent growth. To evaluate the effect of cilia restoration on tumor cells, we targeted HDAC6 by short hairpin RNA (shRNA) or by the pharmacologic inhibitor, tubastatin-A. Both approaches restored the expression of primary cilia in cholangiocarcinoma cell lines and decreased cell proliferation and anchorage-independent growth. The effects of tubastatin-A were abolished when cholangiocarcinoma cells were rendered unable to regenerate cilia by stable transfection of IFT88-shRNA. Finally, inhibition of HDAC6 by tubastatin-A also induced a significant decrease in tumor growth in a cholangiocarcinoma animal model. Our data support a key role for primary cilia in malignant transformation, provide a plausible mechanism for their involvement, and suggest that restoration of primary cilia in tumor cells by HDAC6 targeting may be a potential therapeutic approach for cholangiocarcinoma. Cancer Res; 73(7); 2259–70. 2013 AACR.
From Cell to Module: Fabrication and Long-term Stability of Dye-sensitized Solar Cells

Dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC), which has been firstly developed by Graetzel et al back in 1991, has attracted a considerable interest since its discovery. However, two of the main challenges that the DSSC technology will have to overcome towards commercialization involve device scale-up and long-term stability. In our group, the fabrication technology of DSSC has been developed from laboratory to module scale over the past few years, nevertheless, the long-term stability has still became a major concern. In this contribution, the long-term DSSC performance in relation to their scale-up from cell to module is investigated. The photoelectrode of the DSSCs were fabricated using nanocrystalline titanium dioxide materials that were subsequently sensitized using ruthenium-based dye. Additionally, TiCl4 pre- and post-treatment were carried out to enhance the overall device efficiency. When fabricated as cells, the DSSC prototypes showed relatively stable performance during repeated tests over three months. In order to increase the output power of the solar cells, the DSSCs were then connected in a Z-type series connection to obtain sub-module panels. The DSSC sub-modules exhibit poor stability, particularly as indicated by the significant decrease in the short circuit current (ISC). Herein, the effect of photoelectrode and sealant materials as well as module design are investigated, highlighting their profound influence upon the DSSC efficiency and long-term stability.
Five-Year Outcome of Catheter Ablation of Persistent Atrial Fibrillation Using Termination of Atrial Fibrillation as a Procedural Endpoint

Background—This study aimed to determine 5-year efficacy of catheter ablation for persistent atrial fibrillation (AF) using AF termination as a procedural end point. Methods and Results—One hundred fifty patients (57±10 years) underwent persistent AF ablation using a stepwise ablation approach (pulmonary vein isolation, electrogram-guided, and linear ablation) with the desired procedural end point being AF termination. Repeat ablation was performed for recurrent AF or atrial tachycardia. AF was terminated by ablation in 120 patients (80%). Arrhythmia-free survival rates after a single procedure were 35.3%±3.9%, 28.0%±3.7%, and 16.8%±3.2% at 1, 2, and 5 years, respectively. Arrhythmia-free survival rates after the last procedure (mean 2.1±1.0 procedures) were 89.7%±2.5%, 79.8%±3.4%, and 62.9%±4.5%, at 1, 2, and 5 years, respectively. During a median follow-up of 58 (interquartile range, 43–73) months after the last ablation procedure, 97 of 150 (64.7%) patients remained in sinus rhythm without antiarrhythmic drugs. Another 14 (9.3%) patients maintained sinus rhythm after reinitiation of antiarrhythmic drugs, and an additional 15 (10.0%) patients regressed to paroxysmal recurrences only. Failure to terminate AF during the index procedure (hazard ratio 3.831; 95% confidence interval, 2.070–7.143; P<0.001), left atrial diameter ≥50 mm (hazard ratio 2.083; 95% confidence interval, 1.078–4.016; P=0.03), continuous AF duration ≥18 months (hazard ratio 1.984; 95% confidence interval, 1.024–3.846; P<0.04), and structural heart disease (hazard ratio 1.874; 95% confidence interval, 1.037–3.388; P=0.04) predicted arrhythmia recurrence. Conclusions—In patients with persistent AF, an ablation strategy aiming at AF termination is associated with freedom from arrhythmia recurrence in the majority of patients over a 5-year follow-up period. Procedural AF nontermination and specific baseline factors predict long-term outcome after ablation.
Unraveling the evolutionary scenario of the hobo element in populations of Drosophila melanogaster and D. simulans in South America using the TPE repeats as markers

Abstract Transposable elements (TEs) are nucleotide sequences found in most studied genomes. These elements are highly diversified and have a large variation in nucleotide structure and mechanisms of transposition. hobo is a member of class II, belonging to hAT superfamily, described inDrosophila melanogaster, and it presents in its Open Reading Frame, a repetitive region encoding the amino acids threonine-proline-glutamic acid (TPE), which shows variability in the number of repeats in some regions of the world. Due to this variability some evolutionary scenarios of the hobo element are discussed, such as the scenario of the invasion of hobo element in populations ofD. melanogaster. In the present study, we investigated 22 DNA sequences of D. melanogaster and seven sequences ofD. simulans, both from South America, to check the number of repetitions of TPE, in order to clarify the evolutionary scenario of thehobo element in these populations. Our results showed a monomorphism in populations of both species in South America, with only three TPE repeats. Hence, we discuss and propose an evolutionary scenario of the invasion of the hobo element in populations of D. melanogaster and D. simulans.
N-METHYL GROUPS IN BACTERIAL LIPIDS

Goldfine, Howard (Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass.), and Martha E. Ellis. N-methyl groups in bacterial lipids. J. Bacteriol. 87:8–15. 1964. —The ability of bacteria to synthesize lecithin was examined by measuring the incorporation of the methyl group of methionine into the water-soluble moieties obtained on acid hydrolysis of bacterial lipids. Of 21 species examined, mostly of the order Eubacteriales, only 2, Agrobacterium radiobacter and A. rhizogenes, incorporated the methyl group of methionine into lipid-bound choline. Evidence was also obtained for the formation of lipid-bound N-methylethanolamine and N,N′-dimethylethanolamine in these two organisms. Two other species, Clostridium butyricum and Proteus vulgaris, incorporated the methyl group of methionine into lipid-bound N-methylethanolamine, but did not appear to be able to further methylate these lipids to form lecithin. The results of this study lend further strength to the generalization that bacteria, with the exception of the genus Agrobacterium, are unable to synthesize lecithin.