Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Computerized evaluation of fetal heart-rate patterns.

Evaluation assistee par ordinateur des aspects caracteristiques de la frequence du coeur foetal La cardiotocographie (CTG) antenatale est l'une des peu nombreuses techniques dont nous disposons aujourd'hui pour acceder aux conditions foetales dans les grossesses a haut risque. L'interpretation visuelle du trace de la CTG s'avere insuffisante pour supprimer les variations au niveau de l'observation et pour accroitre la fiabilite de la CTG, c'est pourquoi on recourt a l'analyse numerique en ligne des aspects caracteristiques de la frequence du coeur foetal (FHR). L'application des systemes assistes par ordinateur a montre que les meilleurs indicateurs des conditions foetales etaient la variation a long ou a court terme. Les valeurs d'amplitude moyenne (variation a long terme) inferieures a 20 msec sont en relation avec un accroissement de l'acidemie foetale et de la mortalite perinatale. La mesure numerique permet d'acceder aux modifications descretes du FHR dans le temps, si bien que lorsque des signes precurseurs de deterioration apparaissent, le foetus peut etre suivi dans sa croissance. Par ailleurs, il est possible de parvenir a une meilleure correlation avec les autres parametres biophysiques et biochimiques du foetus et a une meilleure maitrise du developpement perinatal. En conclusion, la CTG assistee par ordinateur accroit la fiabilite et permet de detecter les foetus qui sont menaces par l'hypoxemie et ceux chez lesquels ce symptome n'apparait pas.
Gestión de la imagen del destino en el contexto del turísmo 2.0: Recomendaciones estratégicas para las Organizaciones de Marketing de los Destinos (OMD)

En el nuevo paradigma de la comunicacion, acaecido por la irrupcion de las Tecnologias de la Informacion y las Comunicaciones (TIC), la formacion de la imagen de un destino turistico se ve afectada por los contenidos generados por los propios viajeros. En esta Tesis Doctoral se revisa como se forma la imagen de un destino turistico, como incide Internet en la informacion turistica y se analiza que peso tienen las diferentes plataformas Web en la formacion de la imagen de un destino turistico, y en especial la Web 2.0 (e.g., redes sociales, foros, blogs, plataformas de intercambio de casas, plataformas de viajeros hospitalarios). Para ello, se fusionan varios modelos explicativos sobre la formacion de la imagen de un destino turistico y se anade el factor plataformas Web a las fuentes de informacion clasicas. Esta evolucion de modelos anteriores intenta explicar el peso que tienen no solo las fuentes de informacion, sino ademas, las plataformas Web utilizadas para informarse sobre un destino sobre la formacion de la imagen turistica de un destino. Se tiene tambien en cuenta los aspectos personales, como los sociodemograficos, motivaciones de viaje y satisfaccion de la visita previa -en el caso que el encuestado haya visitado el destino previamente ? Con todas estas variables, se analizan los elementos que influyen en la formacion de la imagen cognitiva, la imagen unica y la imagen afectiva y que peso tienen estas tres imagenes en la imagen global del destino. Finalmente, se estudia el peso de la imagen global del destino en la intencion de repeticion, primera visita o recomendacion del destino turistico. Para llevar a cabo el estudio se han considerado 182 variables relacionadas con la formacion de la imagen de Mallorca como destino turistico y las caracteristicas sociodemograficas de los viajeros y turistas. Se analiza si hay diferencias entre residentes, no residentes, visitantes previos y no visitantes, y la influencia que puede ejercer conocer a residentes sobre la formacion de la imagen del destino. Para realizar todo este analisis se aplican las tecnicas de analisis factorial exploratorio para la reduccion de componentes, analisis factorial confirmatorio y un modelo estructural de ecuaciones (SEM). Los resultados obtenidos permiten obtener conclusiones importantes sobre como los contenidos generados por los propios viajeros, asi como por los residentes y las motivaciones de viaje influyen en la formacion de la imagen del destino. Ademas, permiten ofrecer diferentes recomendaciones de gran utilidad en la gestion estrategica de la imagen del destino por parte de administraciones, organizaciones e instituciones de ambito publico y privado.
Acetate and propionate production in the cecum and proximal colon of lambs.

A modified single-injection isotope dilution technique measured acetate and propionate production rates in the cecum and proximal colon of 14 lambs fed a forage (hay) or high corn (concentrate) diet. The modified isotope dilution appeared to have merit. Volatile fatty acid pool sizes were stable and apparently absorption of fermentation products occurred to prevent end product inhibition. Propionate pool sizes were greater (P less than .01) while acetate pool sizes were not significantly greater when lambs received the concentrate diet. Apparent acetate production was higher (P less than .05) in lambs fed the concentrate diet than in forage-fed lambs (239.4 vs 189.5 mmol/d, respectively). Apparent propionate production was also greater (P less than .01) when lambs were fed the concentrate diet rather than the forage diet (431.4 vs 180.7 mmol/d, respectively). These results indicate that acetate and propionate produced in the cecum and proximal colon may be a considerable source of energy and glucose precursors for the growing lamb.
Effects of growing conditions and source habitat on plant traits and functional group definition

Summary 1. Plant functional groups are used to describe patterns of community organization. However, they are defined either by suites of correlated traits or by species groupings, and the responses of these two definitions to changing environmental conditions are unknown. 2. We assessed 14 growth and morphological traits under low- and high-resource conditions of 42 annual plant species from two source communities in Israel that differed in resource availability. As current theory predicts, plants growing in the high-resource treatment were larger, had twofold greater relative growth rate (RGR) and thinner leaves, and allocated less biomass to roots than plants grown in the low-resource treatment. Differences in these traits were less consistent between the two source communities. Instead, taxonomic groups (grasses, legumes and a group of other forbs), regardless of source, differed in most characteristics. 3. Three general groups of species (functional groups) were identified in both resource treatments using cluster analysis on all 14 traits. In both resource treatments monocots were almost completely separated into one distinct cluster, regardless of source habitat, while the two other, mainly dicot, clusters were partially separated by habitat. However, the species composition and trait characterization of the dicot clusters differed strongly between treatments. Under low-resource conditions the two dicot clusters were separated by size traits and seed mass, but under high-resource conditions, they were separated by above-ground size, morphology and RGR. 4. Principal components analysis demonstrated inconsistency in relationships among traits and species groupings between treatments. The first two principal components emphasized different aspects of growth depending on the treatment; the third axis was defined by growth rates. As with the cluster analysis, plots of species scores revealed relatively little separation of species by habitat. 5. The response of each species varies for different traits and with growing conditions. Variation may differ among species within a functional group, producing different definitions of functional groups under different experimental conditions. Because most functional group analyses are performed on data collected without manipulation of growing conditions, conclusions concerning the response of species or communities to changes in environmental conditions may be problematic.
Is inflammation good, bad or irrelevant for skeletal muscles in COPD?

Skeletal muscle weakness is a common and serious finding in patients with advanced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and contributes to their morbidity and mortality, increasing the risk of exacerbations, hospitalisations and death by 3–4-fold.1 2 The treatment for muscle dysfunction of COPD is extremely limited, and the multitude of interventions to address poor muscle performance has not been fully explored in these patients. Over the past decade, there has been an explosion of interest and research on this topic. Despite that, the pathophysiological mechanisms linking the lung disease of COPD with skeletal muscle dysfunction remains largely unknown. Identifying a link between lung disease and muscle performance might indeed be a daunting task because of the influence of other comorbid conditions (and medications), previous musculoskeletal injury and the history of physical activity that might influence the current status of skeletal muscle in this condition. There are, however, several observations that are widely known and accepted. Firstly, skeletal muscle weakness increases with progression of disease. Secondly, histologically, biopsies of large limb muscles consistently demonstrate a reduction in muscle mass, especially of the anaerobic type-IIx fibres, a shift of fibre type from type 1 fibres to a predominance of type 2 fibres and the depletion of mitochondrial oxidative enzymes leading to uncoupling of oxidative phosphorylation and reduced aerobic capacity.3 Interestingly, these muscles also demonstrate increased oxidative stress and accelerated …
Placebo Practice Trials: A Tool to Assess and Improve Adherence Readiness

Abstract Purpose: Antiretroviral therapy is being increasingly delayed until later stages of illness. Therefore, prior to prescribing HAART, providers are emphasizing the need for patients to be ready to adhere well to the treatment regimen. Unfortunately, providers are no better than chance at predicting a patient's adherence, and there are no established methods for accurately assessing a patient's adherence readiness. This pilot study assessed the utility of a series of up to five 1-week placebo practice trials accompanied by adherence counseling as a clinical tool to both assess and improve adherence readiness. Method: Participants were not prescribed treatment until they demonstrated readiness, which was defined as 90+% adherence during a single practice trial. Once HAART was initiated, adherence to one selected antiretroviral was monitored for 4 weeks. Electronic monitoring caps were used to measure adherence. Results: Twenty men enrolled in the study at two HIV outpatient clinics in Southern California. Mean age was 33, 50% were non-White, 35% were employed, 30% had not completed high school, 15% were Spanish monolingual, and 30% had unstable housing. Nine participants achieved 90+% adherence in the first practice trial, with an additional 8 participants demonstrating readiness after two to four practice trials; two participants withdrew from the study because of intolerance of the restrictions related to the use of the caps; and one participant was removed from the study after no effort was given during two practice trials. Of the 17 participants who completed the program and demonstrated adherence readiness, 15 started on an antiretroviral regimen and 2 decided to defer treatment indefinitely. Of the 15 who started therapy, 13 (87%) achieved 90+% adherence during the first month of antiretroviral therapy. The sample's mean adherence during the first 4 weeks of treatment was 93% (SD = 13). Conclusion: These results suggest that once a patient is able to adhere well to a 1-week practice trial they are likely to adhere equally well to HAART. A larger controlled study is needed to further assess the effectiveness of practice trials as a clinical tool for both assessing and improving adherence readiness.
Prospective Assessment of the Rockall Risk Scoring System in Egyptian Patients with Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding

Background: One of the major challenges in managing acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding involves the identification of patients who are at high risk of rebleeding and death; conversely, the identification of patients who are suitable for early discharge and outpatient endoscopy is also important for effective resource. The use of Rockall system has been shown to represent accurate and valid predictor of rebleeding and death. The aim of this prospective study was to evaluate validity of Rockall score for prediction of rebleeding and mortality in Egyptian patients with upper gastrointestinal bleeding. Patients and Methods: 50 patients presented with upper GI bleeding were subjected to detailed clinical, laboratory, sonographic and endoscopic examination together with Rockall score calculation. Results: According to the findings of upper GI endoscopy patients were further subdivided into two subgroups as follows: Group 1 (n = 32): Patients with portal hypertension manifested by variceal bleeding and/or portal hypertensive gastropathy; and Group 2 (n = 18): other causes of acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding (peptic ulcer disease, Mallory Weiss syndrome…). Clinical condition of the patients was assessed after 48 hours and mortality was recorded. Rockall score was the highest in mortality group, and higher in rebleeding group than stable group (P < 0.01). Rockall score was higher in Child C than Child B and Child A among hepatic patients (P < 0.01). The cutoff value of Rockall score = 3.5 was the best for prediction of rebleeding with sensitivity 100%, specificity 53%, while the cutoff value = 6.5 was the best for prediction of mortality with sensitivity 100% and 93.5% specificity. Conclusion: Rockall score is clinically useful in prediction of rebleeding and mortality in patients with upper gastrointestinal bleeding. It can accurately differentiate between patients with stable condition that could be discharged from hospital and those who require hospitalization and this could help to minimize hospital stay and cost.
Correction for Eklund et al., Cluster failure: Why fMRI inferences for spatial extent have inflated false-positive rates

NEUROSCIENCE, STATISTICS Correction for “Cluster failure: Why fMRI inferences for spatial extent have inflated false-positive rates,” by Anders Eklund, Thomas E. Nichols, and Hans Knutsson, which appeared in issue 28, July 12, 2016, of Proc Natl Acad Sci USA (113:7900–7905; first published June 28, 2016; 10.1073/pnas.1602413113). The authors note that on page 7900, in the Significance Statement, lines 9–11, “These results question the validity of some 40,000 fMRI studies and may have a large impact on the interpretation of neuroimaging results” should instead appear as “These results question the validity of a number of fMRI studies and may have a large impact on the interpretation of weakly significant neuroimaging results. ” Additionally, the authors note that on page 7904, left column, fifth full paragraph, lines 1–3, “It is not feasible to redo 40,000 fMRI studies, and lamentable archiving and data-sharing practices mean most could not be reanalyzed either” should instead appear as “Due to lamentable archiving and data-sharing practices, it is unlikely that problematic analyses can be redone. ” These errors do not affect the conclusions of the article. The online version has been corrected.
Immunohistochemical diagnosis of epithelioid mesothelioma: an update.

OBJECTIVE Several new immunohistochemical markers that can assist in the diagnosis of mesotheliomas have been recognized recently. This article reviews the current information available on these markers and also provides a practical approach to the immunohistochemical diagnosis of epithelioid mesotheliomas. DATA SOURCES Current literature concerning immunohistochemical markers for epithelioid mesotheliomas was collected and reviewed. STUDY SELECTION Literature emphasizing immunohistochemical diagnosis of epithelioid mesotheliomas was selected. DATA EXTRACTION Data deemed helpful to the general surgical pathologist for the diagnosis of epithelioid mesothelioma were included in this review. DATA SYNTHESIS Markers identified as potentially useful in the diagnosis of epithelioid mesothelioma include positive markers (namely, calretinin, keratin 5/6, D2-40, podoplanin, mesothelin, and Wilms tumor 1 protein [WT1]) and negative markers (namely, carcinoembryonic antigen, MOC-31, B72.3, and Ber-EP4). Thyroid transcription factor 1 (TTF-1) can assist in determining the lung origin of a carcinoma, and renal cell carcinoma marker (RCC Ma) may help establish its renal origin. CONCLUSIONS D2-40 and podoplanin are the 2 most recently recognized markers that have been found to be useful in the diagnosis of epithelioid mesotheliomas. Since D2-40 and podoplanin appear to be highly sensitive and specific for epithelioid mesotheliomas, either may be considered for inclusion in the battery of antibodies currently recommended for distinguishing epithelioid mesotheliomas from metastatic carcinomas. However, it should be kept in mind that their utility has not yet been fully determined in routine diagnostic work.
Echocardiographic aortic valve calcification and outcomes in women and men with aortic stenosis

Objective Sex differences in risk factors of aortic valve calcification (AVC) by echocardiography have not been reported from a large prospective study in aortic stenosis (AS). Methods AVC was assessed using a prognostically validated visual score and grouped into none/mild or moderate/severe AVC in 1725 men and women with asymptomatic AS in the Simvastatin Ezetimibe in Aortic Stenosis study. The severity of AS was assessed by the energy loss index (ELI) taking pressure recovery in the aortic root into account. Results More men than women had moderate/severe AVC at baseline despite less severe AS by ELI (p<0.01). Moderate/severe AVC at baseline was independently associated with lower aortic compliance and more severe AS in both sexes, and with increased high-sensitive C reactive protein (hs-CRP) only in men (all p<0.01). In Cox regression analyses, moderate/severe AVC at baseline was associated with a 2.5-fold (95% CI 1.64 to 3.80) higher hazard rate of major cardiovascular events in women, and a 2.2-fold higher hazard rate in men (95% CI 1.54 to 3.17) (both p<0.001), after adjustment for age, hypertension, study treatment, aortic compliance, left ventricular (LV) mass and systolic function, AS severity and hs-CRP. Moderate/severe AVC at baseline also predicted a 1.8-fold higher hazard rate of all-cause mortality in men (95% CI 1.04 to 3.06, p<0.05) independent of age, AS severity, LV mass and aortic compliance, but not in women. Conclusion In conclusion, AVC scored by echocardiography has sex-specific characteristics in AS. Moderate/severe AVC is associated with higher cardiovascular morbidity in both sexes, and with higher all-cause mortality in men. Trial registration number ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00092677
Extracardiac conduit in total cavopulmonary connection

OBJETIVO: Avaliar a utilizacao de conduto extracardiaco na confeccao de derivacao cavopulmonar total nos diferentes tipos de cardiopatias complexas nas quais esta indicado este tipo de correcao. METODO: Entre maio de 2000 e janeiro de 2003, foram operados 18 pacientes, 10 do sexo masculino, com idades entre 1 e 12 anos e peso variando de 11 a 29 quilos. O diagnostico principal foi atresia tricuspide em oito pacientes, conexao atrioventricular univentricular em oito e defeito total do septo atrioventricular desbalanceado em dois. Apenas um paciente foi operado sem cirurgia paliativa previa. A operacao foi realizada com emprego de circulacao extracorporea com temperatura acima de 32oC orofaringea e sem isquemia aortica. Foram empregados, entre a veia cava inferior e a circulacao pulmonar, 10 tubos de PTFE, quatro de Hemashield e quatro de pericardio bovino, com numeros variando de 16 a 22mm de diâmetro. RESULTADOS: Ocorreram quatro casos de trombose no tubo, todos reoperados, com um obito. Em um paciente, apos 69 dias da operacao, foi realizado "takedown" para Glenn bidirecional. Entre os 18 pacientes ocorreram tres obitos, um por trombose do tubo e dois por sindrome de baixo debito no pos-operatorio imediato. CONCLUSAO: O emprego de tubo extracardiaco ja faz parte da tecnica de derivacao cavopulmonar total, mas sua indicacao merece cuidados especiais.
Nicotinic alpha 7 receptor expression and modulation of the lung epithelial response to lipopolysaccharide

Nicotine modulates multiple inflammatory responses in the lung through the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subtype alpha7 (α7). Previously we reported that α7 modulates both the hematopoietic and epithelium responses in the lung to the bacterial inflammogen, lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Here we apply immunohistochemistry, flow cytometry and RNA-Seq analysis of isolated distal lung epithelium to further define α7-expression and function in this tissue. Mouse lines were used that co-express a bicistronic tau-green fluorescent protein (tGFP) as a reporter of α7 (α7G) expression and that harbor an α7 with a specific point mutation (α7E260A:G) that selectively uncouples it from cell calcium-signaling mechanisms. The tGFP reporter reveals strong cell-specific α7-expression by alveolar macrophages (AM), Club cells and ATII cells. Ciliated cells do not express detectible tGFP, but their numbers decrease by one-third in the α7E260A:G lung compared to controls. Transcriptional comparisons (RNA-Seq) between α7G and α7E260A:G enriched lung epithelium 24 hours after challenge with either intra-nasal (i.n.) saline or LPS reveals a robust α7-genotype impact on both the stasis and inflammatory response of this tissue. Overall the α7E260A:G lung epithelium exhibits reduced inflammatory cytokine/chemokine expression to i.n. LPS. Transcripts specific to Club cells (e.g., CC10, secretoglobins and Muc5b) or to ATII cells (e.g., surfactant proteins) were constitutively decreased in in the α7E260A:G lung, but they were strongly induced in response to i.n. LPS. Protein analysis applying immunohistochemistry and ELISA also revealed α7-associated differences suggested by RNA-Seq including altered mucin protein 5b (Muc5b) accumulation in the α7E260A:G bronchia, that in some cases appeared to form airway plugs, and a substantial increase in extracellular matrix deposits around α7E260A:G airway bronchia linings that was not seen in controls. Our results show that α7 is an important modulator of normal gene expression stasis and the response to an inhaled inflammogen in the distal lung epithelium. Further, when normal α7 signaling is disrupted, changes in lung gene expression resemble those associated with long-term lung pathologies seen in humans who use inhaled nicotine products.
A Multistage Processing Algorithm for Disturbance Removal and Target Detection in Passive Bistatic Radar

The paper examines the problem of cancellation of direct signal, multipath and clutter echoes in passive bistatic radar (PBR). This problem is exacerbated as the transmitted waveform is not under control of the radar designer and the sidelobes of the ambiguity function can mask targets including those displaced in either (or both) range and Doppler from the disturbance. A novel multistage approach is developed for disturbance cancellation and target detection based on projections of the received signal in a subspace orthogonal to both the disturbance and previously detected targets. The resulting algorithm is shown to be effective against typical simulated scenarios with a limited number of stages, and a version with computational savings is also introduced. Finally its effectiveness is demonstrated with the application to real data acquired with an experimental VHF PBR system.