Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of P-Wave Timing During Supraventricular Tachycardia on the Hemodynamic and Sympathetic Neural Response

Background—Previous studies have shown the importance of the timing of atrial and ventricular systole on the hemodynamic response during supraventricular tachycardia (SVT). However, the reflex changes in autonomic tone during SVT remain poorly understood. Methods and Results—Eleven patients with permanent dual-chamber pacemakers were enrolled in the study. Arterial blood pressure (BP), central venous pressure (CVP), and peripheral muscle sympathetic nerve activity (SNA) were recorded during DDD pacing at a rate of 175 bpm (cycle length 343 ms) with an atrioventricular (AV) interval of 30, 200 and 110 ms, simulating tachycardia with near-simultaneous atrial and ventricular systole, short-RP tachycardia (RPPR). Each pacing run was performed for 3 minutes separated by a 5-minute recovery period. All patients demonstrated an abrupt fall in BP, an increase in CVP, and an increase in SNA regardless of the AV interval. The decreases in SBP, DBP, and MAP and the increase in CVP were significantly less during long-RP tachycardia (AV interval 110 ms) than during the other 2 pacing modes (P <0.05), and the increase in SNA in 7 of the 11 patients was significantly greater during closely coupled atrial and ventricular systole than during long-RP tachycardia (P <0.05). Conclusions—These data suggest that the superior maintenance of hemodynamic stability during long-RP tachycardia is accompanied by reduced sympathoexcitation, which is primarily mediated by the arterial baroreceptors, with a modest cardiopulmonary vasodepressor effect.
Psychological Responses Matter in Returning to Preinjury Level of Sport After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction Surgery

Background: Up to two-thirds of athletes may not return to their preinjury level of sport by 12 months after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction surgery, despite being physically recovered. This has led to questions about what other factors may influence return to sport. Purpose: To determine whether psychological factors predicted return to preinjury level of sport by 12 months after ACL reconstruction surgery. Study Design: Case control study; Level of evidence, 3. Methods: Recreational and competitive-level athletes seen at a private orthopaedic clinic with an ACL injury were consecutively recruited. The primary outcome was return to the preinjury level of sports participation. The psychological factors evaluated were psychological readiness to return to sport, fear of reinjury, mood, emotions, sport locus of control, and recovery expectations. Participants were followed up preoperatively and at 4 and 12 months postoperatively. Results: In total, 187 athletes participated. At 12 months, 56 athletes (31%) had returned to their preinjury level of sports participation. Significant independent contributions to returning to the preinjury level by 12 months after surgery were made by psychological readiness to return to sport, fear of reinjury, sport locus of control, and the athlete’s estimate of the number of months it would take to return to sport, as measured preoperatively (χ22 = 18.3, P < .001, classification accuracy = 70%) and at 4 months postoperatively (χ24 = 38.7, P < .001, classification accuracy = 86%). Conclusion: Psychological responses before surgery and in early recovery were associated with returning to preinjury level of sport at 12 months, suggesting that attention to psychological recovery in addition to physical recovery after ACL injury and reconstruction surgery may be warranted. Clinical screening for maladaptive psychological responses in athletes before and soon after surgery may help clinicians identify athletes at risk of not returning to their preinjury level of sport by 12 months.
Reduce and Boost: Recovering Arbitrary Sets of Jointly Sparse Vectors

The rapid developing area of compressed sensing suggests that a sparse vector lying in a high dimensional space can be accurately and efficiently recovered from only a small set of nonadaptive linear measurements, under appropriate conditions on the measurement matrix. The vector model has been extended both theoretically and practically to a finite set of sparse vectors sharing a common sparsity pattern. In this paper, we treat a broader framework in which the goal is to recover a possibly infinite set of jointly sparse vectors. Extending existing algorithms to this model is difficult due to the infinite structure of the sparse vector set. Instead, we prove that the entire infinite set of sparse vectors can be recovered by solving a single, reduced-size finite-dimensional problem, corresponding to recovery of a finite set of sparse vectors. We then show that the problem can be further reduced to the basic model of a single sparse vector by randomly combining the measurements. Our approach is exact for both countable and uncountable sets, as it does not rely on discretization or heuristic techniques. To efficiently find the single sparse vector produced by the last reduction step, we suggest an empirical boosting strategy that improves the recovery ability of any given suboptimal method for recovering a sparse vector. Numerical experiments on random data demonstrate that, when applied to infinite sets, our strategy outperforms discretization techniques in terms of both run time and empirical recovery rate. In the finite model, our boosting algorithm has fast run time and much higher recovery rate than known popular methods.
Gestational diabetes mellitus.

BACKGROUND Gestational diabetes mellitus, defined as diabetes diagnosed during pregnancy that is not clearly overt diabetes, is becoming more common as the epidemic of obesity and type 2 diabetes continues. Newly proposed diagnostic criteria will, if adopted universally, further increase the prevalence of this condition. Much controversy surrounds the diagnosis and management of gestational diabetes. CONTENT This review provides information regarding various approaches to the diagnosis of gestational diabetes and the recommendations of a number of professional organizations. The implications of gestational diabetes for both the mother and the offspring are described. Approaches to self-monitoring of blood glucose concentrations and treatment with diet, oral medications, and insulin injections are covered. Management of glucose metabolism during labor and the postpartum period are discussed, and an approach to determining the timing of delivery and the mode of delivery is outlined. SUMMARY This review provides an overview of current controversies as well as current recommendations for gestational diabetes care.
Review article: Does acupuncture have a role in providing analgesia in the emergency setting? A systematic review and meta‐analysis

Acupuncture might offer a novel approach to improve ED pain management. Our primary aim was to assess the efficacy of acupuncture in the emergency setting while secondary objectives were to explore its suitability through its side‐effect profile, patient satisfaction, cost, administration time and points used. Seven databases and Google Scholar were searched up to 31 July 2016 using MeSH descriptors for three overarching themes concerning acupuncture, pain management and emergency medicine. Meta‐analysis was performed on randomised trials for three comparator groups: acupuncture versus sham, acupuncture versus standard analgesia care and acupuncture‐as‐an‐adjunct to standard care, to calculate the standardised mean difference and weighted mean difference for pain scores out of 10. Data for secondary outcomes was extracted from both randomised and observational studies. Nineteen randomised controlled trials and 11 uncontrolled observational studies totaling 3169 patients were retrieved after exclusions. Meta‐analyses were performed on data from 14 randomised controlled trials representing 1210 patients. The three resulting comparator groups (as above) resulted in standardised mean differences of 1.08, 0.02 and 1.68, and weighted mean differences of 1.60, −0.04 and 2.84, respectively (all positive figures favour acupuncture). Where measured, acupuncture appears to be associated with improved patient satisfaction, lower cost and a low adverse effects profile. The data available were inadequate to ascertain the effect of acupuncture on analgesia use. Significant study bias was found, especially with respect to practitioner and patient blinding. We conclude that for some acute pain conditions in the ED, acupuncture was clinically effective compared to sham and non‐inferior to conventional therapy. As an adjunct, limited data was found indicating superiority to standard analgesia care. Further studies will elucidate the most appropriate acupuncture training and techniques, use as an adjunct and the clinical situations in which they can be best applied.
Enhancing work motivation for Japanese female nurses in small to medium-sized private hospitals by analyzing job satisfaction.

Proper work environments are important for nurses to feel motivated. We examined the associations between work motivation and job satisfaction among Japanese nurses to improve their motivation. In Japan, relatively small and medium-sized private hospitals play a central role in the healthcare industry. In the present study, the subjects were nurses working in 23 small and medium-sized private hospitals that had 65 to 326 beds. We analyzed 1,116 registered and licensed practical female nurses (average age, 38.3 years; standard deviation, 11.3 years). Many nurses with their specialized nursing skills dedicate themselves to patient care. However, many of these nurses may not be interested in contributing to their hospitals. Nurses may have different opinions regarding dedication to patient care and contribution to their hospitals. Therefore, concerning work motivation, we produced these two different items, "Nurses' dedication to patients" and "Nurses' contribution to their hospitals. " We also produced our own original new job satisfaction questionnaire. We found 7 facets of job satisfaction: "Work as specialists," "Workplace safety," "Relationships with superiors," "Work-life balance," "Relationships among nurses," "Communications with physicians," and "Salary. " Multiple linear regression analyses show that both "Nurses' dedication to patients" and "Nurses' contribution to their hospitals" were significantly associated with "Work as specialists. " Nurses feel their jobs of protecting people's lives and health are valuable. They do not feel motivated only by money. They value the intrinsic nature of their jobs. Creating proper work environments is important for nurses to be able to work as specialists.
Design of a Trichromatic Cone Array

Cones with peak sensitivity to light at long (L), medium (M) and short (S) wavelengths are unequal in number on the human retina: S cones are rare (<10%) while increasing in fraction from center to periphery, and the L/M cone proportions are highly variable between individuals. What optical properties of the eye, and statistical properties of natural scenes, might drive this organization? We found that the spatial-chromatic structure of natural scenes was largely symmetric between the L, M and S sensitivity bands. Given this symmetry, short wavelength attenuation by ocular media gave L/M cones a modest signal-to-noise advantage, which was amplified, especially in the denser central retina, by long-wavelength accommodation of the lens. Meanwhile, total information represented by the cone mosaic remained relatively insensitive to L/M proportions. Thus, the observed cone array design along with a long-wavelength accommodated lens provides a selective advantage: it is maximally informative.
Monoamines and nitric oxide are employed by afferents engaged in midline thalamic regulation

The neurochemical identities of afferents to the midline thalamus were investigated in chloral hydrate-anesthetized adult Sprague-Dawley rats. The retrograde tracers, FluoroGold or cholera toxin B subunit, were centered on the paraventricular thalamic nucleus (n.Pvt), a periventricular member of the diffuse thalamocortical projection system that is reciprocally linked with visceral areas of cerebral cortex and implicated in food intake and addictive behavior. Tissues were processed with antisera raised against 5-HT, the catecholamine- synthesizing enzymes, tyrosine hydroxylase or phenylethanolamine N- methyltransferase or the cholinergic anabolic enzyme, ChAT. Serotonergic afferents principally derive from dorsal and median constituents of the mesopontine raphe. Previously unrecognized sources of catecholaminergic afferents were detected. Adrenergic afferents were traced to neurons in the C1 and C3 areas of rostral medullary reticular formation and periventricular gray, respectively, and the C2 area corresponding to the dorsal general viscerosensory field of nucleus tractus solitarii. Noradrenergic afferents arise principally from neurons in the locus ceruleus and A5 area. Dopaminergic projections to the n.Pvt derive from the A14, A13 and A11 cell groups in diencephalon. Afferents presumed to generate nitric oxide (NO) as a diffusible membrane-permeant transcellular signal were detected by processing retrogradely labeled tissues histochemically for NADPH-diaphorase, a molecule associated with nitric oxide synthase. NO in the n.Pvt is generated predominantly by noncholinergic neurons in the lateral hypothalamic area and mesopontine tegmentum. In striking contrast, extensive interactions were predicted between NO and ACh in the central medial and other loci in the nondiscriminative thalamus. We conclude that the n.Pvt is a site of interaction of NO and monoaminergic afferents derived from nuclei implicated in sensory gating, regulation of electrocortical neural activity and behavior. Taken collectively, our data predict that the labile transcellular messenger NO may enable structurally differentiated subnuclei of the diffuse thalamocortical projection system to act in concert as a functionally unified unit.
Labour market adjustment in regional Australia

Over the past two decades, there has been a marked divergence in regional labour market outcomes within Australia. In this paper, we examine two aspects of this divergence. First, we analyse the wide variation in employment growth rates, finding that stronger rates of employment growth were associated with industry structure, proximity to factor and product markets, and the level of regional amenity. Second, we investigate how regional labour markets adjusted to different employment conditions. While regional migration is found to be the dominant adjustment channel, the relative strength of the migration adjustment differs across regions. Out-migration, accompanying employment declines, was stronger amongst regions with initially high unemployment rates and low regional amenity. Similarly, regions with initially low rates of unemployment and high regional amenity experienced stronger rates of in-migration in response to rising employment.
Characterization of human cutaneous lipophilic diphtheroids.

SUMMARY: Sixty lipophilic diphtheroids (LD) isolated from human skin were characterized by a variety of morphological, biochemical, physiological and nutritional tests. The LD strains were tentatively placed into six fermentative groups and one non-fermentative group. Most LD strains required amino nitrogen, others required vitamins plus amino acids for growth. Nine LD isolates initiated growth with ammonia as a sole nitrogen source. Urea and nitrate were not utilized. A total of 149 cutaneous bacteria were compared for esterase and lipase action. Esterase activity was common but few LD strains appear capable of obtaining their required lipids by their own lipase action. The grouping scheme derived from studies with the 60 LD strains was tested as a screening procedure to recognize and categorize other LD strains. A second series of 115 cultures from seven cutaneous sites were isolated. Six of the original seven groups were identified and one additional subgroup was formed. The screening method was partially effective as a means of studying the location and types of LD strains on skin. There were 31 strains which by determinative features could be grouped as Corynebacterium xerosis-like species. Human skin appears to have an unrecognized diversity of lipophilic corynebacteria yet to be classified into species.
Phosphonate Analogs of 2-Oxoglutarate Perturb Metabolism and Gene Expression in Illuminated Arabidopsis Leaves

Although the role of the 2-oxoglutarate dehydrogenase complex (2-OGDHC) has previously been demonstrated in plant heterotrophic tissues its role in photosynthetically active tissues remains poorly understood. By using a combination of metabolite and transcript profiles we here investigated the function of 2-OGDHC in leaves of Arabidopsis thaliana via use of specific phosphonate inhibitors of the enzyme. Incubation of leaf disks with the inhibitors revealed that they produced the anticipated effects on the in situ enzyme activity. In vitro experiments revealed that succinyl phosphonate (SP) and a carboxy ethyl ester of SP are slow-binding inhibitors of the 2-OGDHC. Our results indicate that the reduced respiration rates are associated with changes in the regulation of metabolic and signaling pathways leading to an imbalance in carbon-nitrogen metabolism and cell homeostasis. The inducible alteration of primary metabolism was associated with altered expression of genes belonging to networks of amino acids, plant respiration, and sugar metabolism. In addition, by using isothermal titration calorimetry we excluded the possibility that the changes in gene expression resulted from an effect on 2-oxoglutarate (2OG) binding to the carbon/ATP sensing protein PII. We also demonstrated that the 2OG degradation by the 2-oxoglutarate dehydrogenase strongly influences the distribution of intermediates of the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle and the GABA shunt. Our results indicate that the TCA cycle activity is clearly working in a non-cyclic manner upon 2-OGDHC inhibition during the light period.
Novel Epigallocatechin-3-Gallate (EGCG) Derivative as a New Therapeutic Strategy for Reducing Neuropathic Pain after Chronic Constriction Nerve Injury in Mice

Neuropathic pain is common in peripheral nerve injury and often fails to respond to ordinary medication. Here, we investigated whether the two novel epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) polyphenolic derivatives, compound 23 and 30, reduce the neuropathic pain in mice chronic constriction nerve injury (CCI). First, we performed a dose-response study to evaluate nociceptive sensation after administration of EGCG and its derivatives 23 and 30, using the Hargreaves test at 7 and 21 days after injury (dpi). We daily administered EGCG, 23 and 30 (10 to 100 mg/Kg; i.p.) during the first week post-CCI. None of the doses of compound 23 caused significant pain diminution, whereas 50mg/kg was optimal for both EGCG and 30 to delay the latency of paw withdrawal. With 50 mg/Kg, we showed that EGCC prevented the thermal hyperalgesia from 7 to 21 dpi and compound 30 from 14 to 56 dpi. To evaluate the molecular mechanisms underpinning why EGCG and compound 30 differentially prevented the thermal hyperalgesia, we studied several biochemical parameters in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord at 14 and 56 dpi. We showed that the effect observed with EGCG and compound 30 was related to the inhibition of fatty acid synthase (FASN), a known target of these polyphenolic compounds. Additionally, we observed that EGCG and compound 30 reduced the expression of CCI-mediated inflammatory proteins and the nuclear localization of nuclear factor-kappa B at 14 dpi, but not at 56 dpi. We also strongly detected a decrease of synaptic plasma membrane levels of N-methyl-D-asparte receptor 2B in CCI-mice treated with compound 30 at 56 dpi. Altogether, compound 30 reduced the chronic thermal hyperalgesia induced by CCI better than the natural compound EGCG. Thus, our findings provide a rationale for the preclinical development of compound 30 as an agent to treat neuropathic pain.
Oral Manifestations of Hypertension and Rheumatic Heart Disease : A Cross Sectional Study in Elderly Patients

Cardiovascular diseases and oral disorders share common risk factors. The aim of this study was to evaluate the involvement of oral cavity in patients with cardiovascular diseases. A cross sectional study was performed from September 2015 to December 2015 among patients attended to Cardiovascular Department, Imam Reza Subspecialized Clinic affiliated to Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran. After receiving medical history from each patient, the oral cavity was examined by an oral medicine specialist using proper light, dental mirror and explorer. Data were analyzed using independent sample t test and Chi-square test. Patients had mean age of 62.2 ± 7.6 years (Range: 47-77 years) and 78 (52%) of them were male. Xerostomiain21 patients (14%), denture stomatitis, median rhomboid glossitis and angular chelitis in 12 patients (8%), lichen planus and lichenoid reaction in 8 patients (5.3%) and oral stomatitis and aphtous ulcers in 7 patients (4.7%) were observed. The patients with diabetes mellitus showed more oral symptoms such as burning sensation, angular chelitis, xerostomia and median rhomboid glossitis. No significant association (P=0.999) between type of the drug and presence of oral lesions was detected. Oral lesions were significantly (P=0.047) more common in dentate hypertesnsive patients than patients with rheumatic heart disease. No significant relations were detected between age, sex and presence of the oral lesions in both groups (P>0.05). Our study provided an evidence for association of oral conditions and cardiovascular diseases. Performing further studies in longer time period and with higher number of patients are highly recommended.
Analytic models for the latency and steady-state throughput of TCP tahoe, Reno, and SACK

Continuing the process of improvements made to TCP through the addition of new algorithms in Tahoe and Reno, TCP SACK aims to provide robustness to TCP in the presence of multiple losses from the same window. In this paper we present analytic models to estimate the latency and steady-state throughput of TCP Tahoe, Reno, and SACK and validate our models using both simulations and TCP traces collected from the Internet. In addition to being the first models for the latency of finite Tahoe and SACK flows, our model for the latency of TCP Reno gives a more accurate estimation of the transfer times than existing models. The improved accuracy is partly due to a more accurate modeling of the timeouts, evolution of cwnd during slow start and the delayed ACK timer. Our models also show that, under the losses introduced by the droptail queues which dominate most routers in the Internet, current implementations of SACK can fail to provide adequate protection against timeouts and a loss of roughly more than half the packets in a round will lead to timeouts. We also show that with independent losses SACK performs better than Tahoe and Reno and, as losses become correlated, Tahoe can outperform both Reno and SACK.