Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
[Development and Application of a Self-management Program based on Prothrombin INR Monitoring for Patients with Cardiac Valve Replacement].

PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to develop and evaluate a self-management program based on INR monitoring for patients with cardiac valve replacement. METHODS This program was comprised of five weekly sessions based on Sousa's Enhance-Behavior Performance Model. The first session included individual teaching, and the other four sessions included Prothrombin Time International Normalized Ratios (PT INR) self-monitoring, telephone counseling and self-management checklist recording. Participants were patients who had cardiac valve replacement. They were randomly assigned to the experimental or control group. Sixteen in the experimental group participated in the self-management program and seventeen in the control group participated in general care. Self-management knowledge, self-efficacy, self-management behavior and PT INR were measured as dependent variables. Data were analyzed using Mann Whitney U-test, t-test and ANCOVA. RESULTS The experimental group showed significantly higher post-test scores in self-management knowledge (t=5.86, p<.001), self-efficacy (F=18.32, p<.001), and self-management behavior (t=3.44, p=.002) compared to the control group. Also, the experimental group showed significantly higher frequency in maintaining the treatment range of PT INR compared to the control group (χ²=4.80, p=.028). CONCLUSION The results of the research on the self-management program based on PT INR monitoring showed that it is effective in improving self-management knowledge, self-efficacy, and self-management behavior as well as maintaining treatment range of PT INR of patients with cardiac valve replacement.
The Dynamical structure of four-dimensional Chamseddine's gauge theory of gravity

We perform the Dirac hamiltonian analysis of a four-dimensional gauge theory of gravity with an action of topological type, which generalizes some well-known two-dimensional models. We show that, in contrast with the two-dimensional case, the theory has a non-vanishing number of dynamical degrees of freedom and that its structure is very similar to higher-dimensional Chern-Simons gravity.
Almost sure convergence of consensus algorithms by relaxed projection mappings

In this contribution we present a stronger notion of almost sure convergence for a large class of consensus algorithms including also asynchronous updates. We introduce the concept of the so-called relaxed projection algorithms and show that many consensus algorithms can be interpreted as such relaxed projection updates. It is well known that such algorithms converge to a solution lying in the intersection of the projections. The convergence of such algorithms is, however, guaranteed only for deterministic ordering of the projections. Since we are interested in random data exchanges, we analyze the convergence in case of random orderings of the projections and show that the algorithms converge in the underrelaxed case even for time-varying and individual mixing parameters.
Composed and Factor Composed Multivariate GARCH Models

In this paper we present a new type of multivariate GARCH model which we call the composed MGARCH and factor composed MGARCH models. We show sufficient conditions for the covariance stationarity of these processes and proof of the invariance of the models under linear combinations, an important property for factor modeling. Furthermore, we introduce an α-stable version of these models and fit a four dimensional α-stable composed MGARCH process to the returns on four German stocks included in the DAX index. We show in an in-sample analysis as well as in an out-of-sample analysis that the model outperforms the classical exponentially weighted moving average (EMWA) model introduced by RiskMetrics.
Cross-country VFR crashes: pilot and contextual factors.

BACKGROUND General Aviation (GA) cross-country crashes, particularly those involving weather, continue to be a major source of fatalities, with a fatality rate more than four times greater than for GA crashes in general. There has been much speculation and little solid evidence on the causes of these crashes. METHODS We have designed a program of laboratory and database research into the causes of cross-country weather-related crashes including an analysis of air crashes in New Zealand between 1988 and 2000. There were 1308 reported occurrences in this period. We examined in detail 77 crashes where it could be determined that the aircraft was on a cross-country flight. RESULTS In our first analysis we compared the characteristics of crashes that occurred in response to externally driven failures with crashes where the aircraft continued to be flown at the pilot's discretion up until the point of the crash. Clear differences were found for visibility, altitude, crash severity, and for several pilot characteristics. These differences are highly consistent with those found for previous research on pilot characteristics and crash involvement. In the second analysis we made comparisons between the weather-related and nonweather-related crashes in the discretionary control group and between subcategories of weather-related crashes. CONCLUSIONS These data show that weather-related crashes occur further into the flight and closer to the planned destination than other kinds of cross-country crashes in GA. Pilots involved in these crashes are younger and have more recent flight time than pilots involved in other crashes. Their increased involvement cannot be explained simply by exposure (flight-time) but must be due to other factors.
1 Cut-off Values of Hematologic Parameters to Predict 2 the Number of Alpha Genes Deleted in Subjects with 3 Deletional Alpha Thalassemia 4

Most of α-thalassemia cases are caused by deletions of the structural α-globin genes. The 12 degree of microcytosis and hypochromia has been correlated with the number of affected α-globin 13 genes, suggesting a promising role of hematologic parameters as predictive diagnostic tools. 14 However, cut-off points for these parameters to discriminate between the different subtypes of α15 thalassemia remain to be clearly defined. Six hematologic parameters (RBC, Hb, MCV, MCH, 16 MCHC and RDW) were evaluated in 174 cases of deletional α-thalassemia (92 heterozygous α+ 17 thalassemia, 40 homozygous α+ thalassemia, 34 heterozygous α0 thalassemia and 9 cases of Hb H 18 disease). A good correlation between the number of deleted alpha genes and MCV (r = −0.672, 19 p<0.001), MCH (r = −0.788, p<0.001) and RDW (r = 0.633, p < 0.001) was observed. The deletion of at 20 least two alpha genes in adult individuals with microcytosis without iron deficiency and normal 21 values of Hb A2 and Hb F should be discarded with MCH <23.15 pg. Furthermore, MCH < 21.90 pg 22 and/or MCV <70.80 fL are strongly suggestive of the presence of one α0 allele. Finally, an accurate 23 presumptive diagnosis of Hb H disease can be made if both RDW ≥19.6% and MCH <18.45 pg are 24 seen. 25
A comparison of extended biopsy and sextant biopsy schemes for predicting the pathological stage of prostate cancer.

PURPOSE We compared the performance of the extended multisite directed biopsy strategy to the sextant component of this strategy for predicting the pathological stage and Gleason score of the radical prostatectomy specimen. MATERIALS AND METHODS We studied 157 men in whom prostate cancer was diagnosed by extended multisite directed biopsy and who underwent radical retropubic prostatectomy. The pretreatment variables of serum prostate specific antigen, prostate specific antigen density, biopsy specimen Gleason score, the location, number and percent of cancer containing cores, greatest tumor length in a single core and greatest percent of tumor in a single core were determined and compared with the pathological features of prostate cancer in the radical prostatectomy specimens. A comparison of the information obtained from sextant component cores of the extended biopsy strategy with that from all cores of the extended biopsy strategy was performed using chi-square statistics and ROC curve analysis. RESULTS When comparing the areas under the ROC curves, the extended multisite directed biopsy strategy was found to have greater predictive power for extraprostatic extension than the sextant core component of this biopsy scheme, although the difference was not significantly different. The sextant component was equivalent to the extended biopsy strategy for predicting the prostatectomy specimen Gleason score. CONCLUSIONS The extended biopsy strategy has better performance in the upper sensitivity ranges compared to the sextant technique for predicting extraprostatic extension.
Histological Studies on the Regional Postnatal Differentiation of the Epididymis in the Ram 1

The regional postnatal development of the epididymal duct was studied with histological technique in 22 lambs of the “Swedish Landrace” breed at intervals from 1 week to 18 weeks after birth. At one week, the whole epididymal duct had a simple low columnar epithelium. In the terminal segment the epithelium ecquired a structure similar to that in the adult epididymis at the age of about 6 weeks. Normal spermatozoa were not seen in the cauda epididymidis until the lambs were about 18 weeks old. In the middle segment, distal, intermediate and proximal parts, the epithelium increased gradually in height and reached the adult type at about 12, 15 and 18 weeks, respectively. At about 12 weeks of postnatal life, the epithelium of the initial segment increased rapidly in height, at the same time as a distinct lumen formed in the seminiferous tubules. As far as histological features were concerned, the initial segment showed the adult type when the lambs were about 18 weeks old. The presence of spermatozoa in the cauda epididymidis indicates that the lambs readied sexual maturity at this age. It was concluded that the postnatal differentiation of the ram epididymis starts in the terminal segment and then ascends through the middle and initial segments.
Juvenile Firesetting: A Research Overview. Juvenile Justice Bulletin.

A Justiceworks research team reviewed the existing social science literature to identify thematic elements of current firesetting knowledge. In addition, research and professional colleagues in the field were consulted to identify a wide range of research. A compendium of the research literature covering approximately the past 30 years was assembled in a 2-month peri­ od. The project’s principal investigators reviewed the assembled literature, sorting out its thematic elements, strengths, and weaknesses from theoretical and applied
Activated PAK4 Regulates Cell Adhesion and Anchorage-Independent Growth

ABSTRACT The serine/threonine kinase PAK4 is an effector molecule for the Rho GTPase Cdc42. PAK4 differs from other members of the PAK family in both sequence and function. Previously we have shown that an important function of this kinase is to mediate the induction of filopodia in response to activated Cdc42. Since previous characterization of PAK4 was carried out only with the wild-type kinase, we have generated a constitutively active mutant of the kinase to determine whether it has other functions. Expression of activated PAK4 in fibroblasts led to a transient induction of filopodia, which is consistent with its role as an effector for Cdc42. In addition, use of the activated mutant revealed a number of other important functions of this kinase that were not revealed by studying the wild-type kinase. For example, activated PAK4 led to the dissolution of stress fibers and loss of focal adhesions. Consequently, cells expressing activated PAK4 had a defect in cell spreading onto fibronectin-coated surfaces. Most importantly, fibroblasts expressing activated PAK4 had a morphology that was characteristic of oncogenic transformation. These cells were anchorage independent and formed colonies in soft agar, similar to what has been observed previously in cells expressing activated Cdc42. Consistent with this, dominant-negative PAK4 mutants inhibited focus formation by oncogenic Dbl, an exchange factor for Rho family GTPases. These results provide the first demonstration that a PAK family member can transform cells and indicate that PAK4 may play an essential role in oncogenic transformation by the GTPases. We propose that the morphological changes and changes in cell adhesion induced by PAK4 may play a direct role in oncogenic transformation by Rho family GTPases and their exchange factors.
Estrogen preserves Fas ligand levels by inhibiting microRNA‐181a in bone marrow‐derived mesenchymal stem cells to maintain bone remodeling balance

Estrogen protects bone loss by promoting Fas ligand (FasL) transcription in osteoclasts and osteoblasts to induce apoptosis of osteoclasts. Bone marrow‐derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMMSCs) express FasL protein, which is necessary for BMMSCs to induce T‐cell apoptosis in cell therapy. However, the physiologic function of FasL in BMMSCs is unknown. In this study, using an in vitro coculture system and an in vivo BMMSC transplantation assay, we found that BMMSCs potently induced apoptosis of osteoclasts through the FasL/Fas pathway. Estrogen was necessary for this process as a promoter of FasL protein accumulation in BMMSCs. Furthermore, estrogen elevated FasL protein accumulation, not by increasing FasL gene transcription, but through microRNA‐mediated posttranscriptional regulation. In brief, estrogen down‐regulated expression of miR‐181a, a negative modulator of FasL targeting the 3'‐UTR of FasL mRNA. Estrogen deficiency resulted in excessive miR‐181a, which decreased FasL protein levels to suppress BMMSC‐induced osteoclast apoptosis. Furthermore, knockdown of miR‐181a recovered the BMMSC defect to induce osteoclast apoptosis during estrogen deficiency. Taken together, our results showed that estrogen preserves FasL protein accumulation by inhibiting miR‐181a expression in BMMSCs to maintain bone remodeling balance, suggesting a novel mechanism by which estrogen preserves bone mass. —Shao, B. , Liao, L. , Yu, Y. , Shuai, Y. , Su, X. , Jing, H. , Yang, D. , Jin, Y. Estrogen preserves Fas ligand levels by inhibiting microRNA‐181a in bone marrow‐derived mesenchymal stem cells to maintain bone remodeling balance. FASEB J. 29, 3935‐3944 (2015). www.fasebj. org
Muscarinic Receptor Subtypes Mediating Vasodilation and Vasoconstriction in Isolated, Perfused Simian Coronary Arteries

Summary: Using the cannula insertion method, we investigated the vascular responses of isolated simian coronary artery to acetylcholine (ACh). When the preparation was partially precontracted by 20 m M KCl, ACh and carbachol induced vasodilation dose dependently in coronary artery with endothelium, but ACh and carbachol contracted the coronary artery after removal of the endothelium by 1 mg saponin. A selective M1 receptor agonist 4-[N-(3-chlorophenyl)carbamoyloxy]-2-butinyltrimethylammonium chloride (McN-A-343) did not affect the perfusion pressure of the precontracted coronary arteries significantly. Both these responses to ACh were inhibited by the M3 receptor antagonist 4-dipheny-lacetoxy N-methylpiperidine methobromide (4-DAMP) in a dosedependent manner, but not by a selective M2 receptor antagonist AF-DX 116 (11-[[2-[(diethylamino)methyl]-1-piperidinyl] acetyl]-5,11-dihydro-6H-pyrido[2,3-b][1,4]benzo-diazepine-6-one). A selective M1 receptor antagonist pirenzepine did not affect ACh-induced vasoconstriction significantly and inhibited the vasodilation partially only at the highest dose (100 nmol). The effects of three antagonists on the vasodilative responses to carbachol were also studied and almost the same results were observed. Removal of the endothelium did not affect sodium nitroprusside (SNP)-induced vasodilation significantly. Pirenzepine, AF-DX 116, and 4-DAMP did not affect the action of isoproterenol. These data suggest that the vasodilation elicited by ACh is mediated by release of endothelium-derived relaxing factors (EDRF) consequent to the activation of M3 receptors on endothelial cells, and the constriction is mediated by stimulation of M3 receptors on smooth muscle cells in isolated simian coronary arteries
Postmortem studies in schizophrenia

For over a century, postmortem studies have played a central part in the search for the structural and biochemical pathology of schizophrenia. However, for most of this time, little progress has been made. Recently, the situation has begun to change, helped by the emergence of more powerful methodologies and research designs, and by the availability of brain imaging to provide complementary information. As a result, it can now be clearly concluded that there are structural cerebral abnormalities in schizophrenia that are intrinsic to the disorder. The neuropathological process is not primarily degenerative, but involves a change in the normal cytoarchitecture of the brain, probably originating in development. Neurochemically, there is postmortem evidence for alterations in several transmitter systems including dopamine, glutamate, serotonin, and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA). The cardinal findings are reviewed here, together with a consideration of the conceptual and methodological issues that face postmortem studies of schizophrenia.
Optimization of an AC/DC High-  $T_{\rm c}$ SQUID Magnetometer Detection Unit for Evaluation of Magnetic Nanoparticles in Solution

We have optimized the detection unit of a previously developed AC/DC magnetometer that employs a high critical temperature superconducting quantum interference device high-Tc SQUID. Optimization involves improvement of the usable dynamic range of the high-Tc SQUID system during excitation with an AC magnetic field using a tuned compensation coil and an increase in the DC magnetic field resolution using a secondary excitation coil. The compensation coil technique had resulted in a single and compact detection coil using one SQUID for both AC and DC magnetization measurement functions with improved sensitivity in AC measurements. The sensitivity of the improved system is demonstrated by measuring the magnetization curve and harmonics distribution of low-concentration iron oxide nanoparticles solutions. Highly sensitive evaluation of magnetic nanoparticles in solutions can be expected with the developed system.
A Quadratic Programming Algorithm Based on Nonnegative Least Squares With Applications to Embedded Model Predictive Control

This technical note proposes an active set method based on nonnegative least squares (NNLS) to solve strictly convex quadratic programming (QP) problems, such as those that arise in Model Predictive Control (MPC). The main idea is to rephrase the QP problem as a Least Distance Problem (LDP) that is solved via a NNLS reformulation. While the method is rather general for solving strictly convex QP's subject to linear inequality constraints, it is particularly useful for embedded MPC because (i) is very fast, compared to other existing state-of-the-art QP algorithms, (ii) is very simple to code, requiring only basic arithmetic operations for computing LDLT decompositions recursively to solve linear systems of equations, (iii) contrary to iterative methods, provides the solution or recognizes infeasibility in a finite number of steps.
Decreasing Ice Coverage Will Reduce the Breeding Success of Baltic Grey Seal (Halichoerus grypus) Females

Abstract Baltic grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) alternate between land and ice breeding, depending on ice conditions. We show that the fitness of grey seal females in terms of pup mortality and quality is reduced when breeding on land as compared with ice. The mean preweaning mortality rate on land was 21.1% (range 0% to 31.6%), and correlated with birth density (range 0.5–5.2 pups 100 m−2). The mean mortality rate on ice was 1.5%, where the highest density was 0.2 pups 100 m−2 in particularly dense breeding groups. Mean weights of pups born on ice were significantly greater (48.3 ± 8.1 kg) at the onset of moult as compared with pups born on land (37.4 ± 7.8 kg). Because indices of life-time net reproductive rate (pup survival) and pup quality (weaning weight and health) were more auspicious on ice as compared with land, diminishing ice fields will lower the fitness of Baltic grey seal females and substantially increase the risk for quasi-extinction.
Neutral Genomic Microevolution of a Recently Emerged Pathogen, Salmonella enterica Serovar Agona

Salmonella enterica serovar Agona has caused multiple food-borne outbreaks of gastroenteritis since it was first isolated in 1952. We analyzed the genomes of 73 isolates from global sources, comparing five distinct outbreaks with sporadic infections as well as food contamination and the environment. Agona consists of three lineages with minimal mutational diversity: only 846 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) have accumulated in the non-repetitive, core genome since Agona evolved in 1932 and subsequently underwent a major population expansion in the 1960s. Homologous recombination with other serovars of S. enterica imported 42 recombinational tracts (360 kb) in 5/143 nodes within the genealogy, which resulted in 3,164 additional SNPs. In contrast to this paucity of genetic diversity, Agona is highly diverse according to pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), which is used to assign isolates to outbreaks. PFGE diversity reflects a highly dynamic accessory genome associated with the gain or loss (indels) of 51 bacteriophages, 10 plasmids, and 6 integrative conjugational elements (ICE/IMEs), but did not correlate uniquely with outbreaks. Unlike the core genome, indels occurred repeatedly in independent nodes (homoplasies), resulting in inaccurate PFGE genealogies. The accessory genome contained only few cargo genes relevant to infection, other than antibiotic resistance. Thus, most of the genetic diversity within this recently emerged pathogen reflects changes in the accessory genome, or is due to recombination, but these changes seemed to reflect neutral processes rather than Darwinian selection. Each outbreak was caused by an independent clade, without universal, outbreak-associated genomic features, and none of the variable genes in the pan-genome seemed to be associated with an ability to cause outbreaks.
Energy Homeostasis and Gastrointestinal Endocrine Differentiation Do Not Require the Anorectic Hormone Peptide YY

ABSTRACT The gastrointestinal hormone peptide YY is a potent inhibitor of food intake and is expressed early during differentiation of intestinal and pancreatic endocrine cells. In order to better understand the role of peptide YY in energy homeostasis and development, we created mice with a targeted deletion of the peptide YY gene. All intestinal and pancreatic endocrine cells developed normally in the absence of peptide YY with the exception of pancreatic polypeptide (PP) cells, indicating that peptide YY expression was not required for terminal differentiation. We used recombination-based cell lineage trace to determine if peptide YY cells were progenitors for gastrointestinal endocrine cells. Peptide YY+ cells gave rise to all L-type enteroendocrine cells and to islet ∂ and PP cells. In the pancreas, approximately 40% of pancreatic α and rare β cells arose from peptide YY+ cells, suggesting that most β cells and surprisingly the majority of α cells are not descendants of peptide YY+/glucagon-positive/insulin-positive cells that appear during early pancreagenesis. Despite the anorectic effects of exogenous peptide YY3-36 following intraperitoneal administration, mice lacking peptide YY showed normal growth, food intake, energy expenditure, and responsiveness to peptide YY3-36. These observations suggest that targeted disruption of the peptide YY gene does not perturb terminal endocrine cell differentiation or the control of food intake and energy homeostasis.