Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Superiority of wall motion score index over left ventricle ejection fraction in predicting cardiovascular events after an acute myocardial infarction

Background: There are few data on the prognostic significance of the wall motion score index compared with left ventricle ejection fraction after an acute myocardial infarction. Our objective was to compare them after the hyperacute phase. Methods: Transthoracic echocardiograms were performed in 352 consecutive patients with myocardial infarction, after the first 48 hours of admission and before hospital discharge (median 56.3 hours (48.2–83.1)). We evaluated the ability of the wall motion score index and left ventricular ejection fraction to predict the combined endpoint (mortality and rehospitalization for heart failure) as a primary objective and the independent events of the combined endpoint as a secondary objective. Results: In 80.7% of patients, the wall motion score index was high despite having an ejection fraction >40%. No patient had an ejection fraction <55% with a normal index. After a follow-up of 30.5 months (24.2–49.5), both variables were predictors of the composite endpoint and all-cause mortality (p<0.0001), although only the wall motion score index was a predictor of readmission for heart failure (p=0.007). By multivariate analysis, a wall motion score index >1.8 proved to be the most powerful predictor of the composite endpoint (hazard ratio: 8.5; 95% confidence interval 3.7–18.8; p<0.0001). The superiority of the wall motion score index over ejection fraction was especially significant in patients with less myocardial damage (non-ST elevation myocardial infarction, or left ventricle ejection fraction >40%). Conclusions: Both variables provide important prognostic information after a myocardial infarction. Beyond the hyperacute phase, wall motion score index is a more powerful prognostic predictor, especially in subgroups with less myocardial damage.
Melanocortin 1 Receptor Deficiency Promotes Atherosclerosis in Apolipoprotein E−/− Mice

Objective— The MC1-R (melanocortin 1 receptor) is expressed by monocytes and macrophages where it mediates anti-inflammatory actions. MC1-R also protects against macrophage foam cell formation primarily by promoting cholesterol efflux through the ABCA1 (ATP-binding cassette transporter subfamily A member 1) and ABCG1 (ATP-binding cassette transporter subfamily G member 1). In this study, we aimed to investigate whether global deficiency in MC1-R signaling affects the development of atherosclerosis. Approach and Results— Apoe−/− (apolipoprotein E deficient) mice were crossed with recessive yellow (Mc1re/e) mice carrying dysfunctional MC1-R and fed a high-fat diet to induce atherosclerosis. Apoe−/− Mc1re/e mice developed significantly larger atherosclerotic lesions in the aortic sinus and in the whole aorta compared with Apoe−/− controls. In terms of plaque composition, MC1-R deficiency was associated with less collagen and smooth muscle cells and increased necrotic core, indicative of more vulnerable lesions. These changes were accompanied by reduced Abca1 and Abcg1 expression in the aorta. Furthermore, Apoe−/− Mc1re/e mice showed a defect in bile acid metabolism that aggravated high-fat diet–induced hypercholesterolemia and hepatic lipid accumulation. Flow cytometric analysis of leukocyte profile revealed that dysfunctional MC1-R enhanced arterial accumulation of classical Ly6Chigh monocytes and macrophages, effects that were evident in mice fed a normal chow diet but not under high-fat diet conditions. In support of enhanced arterial recruitment of Ly6Chigh monocytes, these cells had increased expression of L-selectin and P-selectin glycoprotein ligand 1. Conclusions— The present study highlights the importance of MC1-R in the development of atherosclerosis. Deficiency in MC1-R signaling exacerbates atherosclerosis by disturbing cholesterol handling and by increasing arterial monocyte accumulation.
Patient‐Reported Nonadherence to HAART Is Related to Protease Inhibitor Levels

Objective: To compare self‐reported nonadherence with antiretroviral therapy (ART) with predose plasma levels of protease inhibitor (PI). Design: A cross‐sectional study of consecutive patients from a university‐based HIV clinic in Rome, Italy, was conducted. One hundred and forty HIV‐infected patients were prescribed regimens containing ritonavir or indinavir. A patient questionnaire assessing knowledge of treatment regimen, adherence behavior, reasons for taking and missing therapy, factors influencing adherence, and health behaviors was administered. A predose PI plasma level was measured concurrently. Results: By patient report, 12% missed at least one dose “yesterday,” and 24% missed doses in the last 3 days; 14% had a predose plasma concentration below the assay limit of quantitation (2 ritonavir and 18 indinavir samples). Confusion, poor psychological well‐being, long office wait, running out of drugs between visits, having relatives to remind the patient to take medication, children, and alteration of sense of taste were related to unquantifiable predose levels of PI. In multivariable analysis, reported nonadherence (odds ratio [OR], 15.8; 95% confidence interval [CI], 4.0‐63.3) and confusion (OR, 9.9; 95% CI, 1.4‐69.6) were related to unquantifiable predose levels of PI. Conclusion: Self‐report of missing a dose of antiretroviral medication “yesterday” was related to an unmeasurable plasma PI level.
Allele frequencies for 15 autosomal STR markers in the Libyan population

Background: Until recently Libya remained the only state of the Maghreb without genetic evolution investigations of the genetic landscape of its population. Apart from some studies of Libyan Jews and Libyan Tuareg, only two recent investigations, based on autosomal ancestry informative SNP and mitochondrial DNA markers, have concerned the general Libyan population. Aim: The present work is the first to describe STR markers polymorphism in the general Libyan population in order to contribute to the analysis of its genetic diversity for forensic purposes. Subjects and Methods: Allele frequencies for 15 STR loci (CSF1PO, D3S1358, D5S818, D7S820, D8S1179, D13S317, D16S539, D18S51, D21S11, FGA, TH01, TPOX, VWA, D2S1338, D19S433) included in the AmpFlSTR Identifiler kit were determined in a sample of 99 unrelated individuals originating from the general Libyan population. Results: No deviations from Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium were observed, with the exception of CSF1PO. Genetic parameters of forensic interest such as combined power of discrimination (PD) and combined probability of exclusion (PE) showed values higher than 0.999. Comparisons with data from other North African populations showed significant differences between Libyans and Tunisians, Moroccans and Egyptians. Conclusions: The high informativity observed for these 15 STRs in a Libyan population demonstrates their usefulness for forensic and parental purposes.
Spinal cerebrospinal fluid volume in healthy elderly individuals

The amount of spinal cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) could be of importance for the understanding of CSF dynamics, CSF biomarker analyses as well as for the amount and effect of anaesthesia using intrathecally administered drugs. However, knowledge of spinal CSF volumes is scarce. The main purpose of this article is to present data on spinal CSF volumes. In total, 22 healthy individuals aged between 64 and 76 years underwent MR imaging with a 3D balanced turbo field echo pulse sequence, which provided high contrast between spinal cord, CSF and the extradural surroundings. The entire spinal CSF volume, the cervical, thoracic, and lumbosacral CSF volumes and the spinal cord volume were calculated. The total spinal CSF volume was 81 ± 13 ml (range 52–103 ml). The amount of CSF in the cervical region was 19 ± 4 ml, in the thoracic region 38 ± 8 and in the lumbosacral region 25 ± 7 ml. There was no difference between genders nor was there any correlation with height. The volume of the spinal cord was 20 ± 3 ml. The results present new magnetic resonance imaging‐based data on the spinal CSF volume in healthy elderly individuals. Clin. Anat. 24:733–740, 2011. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
University of Groningen A guiding vector field algorithm for path following control of nonholonomic mobile robots

In this paper we propose an algorithm for pathfollowing control of the nonholonomic mobile robot based on the idea of the guiding vector field (GVF). The desired path may be an arbitrary smooth curve in its implicit form, that is, a level set of a predefined smooth function. Using this function and the robot’s kinematic model, we design a GVF, whose integral curves converge to the trajectory. A nonlinear motion controller is then proposed which steers the robot along such an integral curve, bringing it to the desired path. We establish global convergence conditions for our algorithm and demonstrate its applicability and performance by experiments with wheeled robots.
RefilinB (FAM101B) targets FilaminA to organize perinuclear actin networks and regulates nuclear shape

The intracellular localization and shape of the nucleus plays a central role in cellular and developmental processes. In fibroblasts, nuclear movement and shape are controlled by a specific perinuclear actin network made of contractile actin filament bundles called transmembrane actin-associated nuclear (TAN) lines that form a structure called the actin cap. The identification of regulatory proteins associated with this specific actin cytoskeletal dynamic is a priority for understanding actin-based changes in nuclear shape and position in normal and pathological situations. Here, we first identify a unique family of actin regulators, the refilin proteins (RefilinA and RefilinB), that stabilize specifically perinuclear actin filament bundles. We next identify the actin-binding filamin A (FLNA) protein as the downstream effector of refilins. Refilins act as molecular switches to convert FLNA from an actin branching protein into one that bundles. In NIH 3T3 fibroblasts, the RefilinB/FLNA complex organizes the perinuclear actin filament bundles forming the actin cap. Finally, we demonstrate that in epithelial normal murine mammary gland (NmuMG) cells, the RefilinB/FLNA complex controls formation of a new perinuclear actin network that accompanies nuclear shape changes during the epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT). Our studies open perspectives for further functional analyses of this unique actin-based network and shed light on FLNA function during development and in human syndromes associated with FLNA mutations.
Leukocyte adhesion deficiency (LAD) type II/carbohydrate deficient glycoprotein (CDG) IIc founder effect and genotype/phenotype correlation.

Leukocyte adhesion deficiency (LAD) type II is a rare autosomal recessive syndrome characterized by recurrent infections, typical dysmorphic features, the Bombay blood phenotype and severe growth and psychomotor retardation. It is attributed to a general absence of fucosylated glycans on the cell surface. Three Arab Israeli patients and one Turkish child have been reported so far. The primary defect in a specific GDP-L-fucose transporter of the Golgi apparatus has been disclosed recently. All three children reported by us are homozygous for one single founder mutation, different from that reported in the Turkish child. The amount of mRNA of the GDP-L-fucose transporter in cells from Arab patients and their parents are comparable to controls. Genotype/phenotype correlation studies show that the two different mutations are distinguished by differences in response to fucose supplementation and in the clinical phenotypes.
Responding to Moral Dilemmas: The Roles of Empathy and Collectivist Values among the Chinese

The present study assessed how empathy and vertical collectivism are related to moral competency in a sample of Hong Kong Chinese university students (N = 153; 70 men, 83 women). The Emotional Tendency Scale, Individualism-Collectivism Scale, and Moral Judgment Test were used to quantify empathy, vertical collectivism, and moral competency, respectively. Results showed that empathy was not statistically significantly correlated with moral judgment. The interaction of vertical collectivism and empathy predicted a theoretically important portion of the variance in moral competency. The role of culture in moral development was discussed.
CEO Directors, Executive Incentives, and Corporate Strategic Initiatives

This paper presents evidence on how directors who are active CEOs of other firms affect firm behavior and board effectiveness. I show that shareholders incur significant costs when other CEOs serve on the board. CEOs are paid more and their compensation is less sensitive to firm performance. This is not a rational premium for greater employment risk, since CEO directors are not associated with increased executive turnover rates or higher turnover-performance sensitivity. Also, CEO directors are not associated with increased investments in corporate innovation. However, acquisition returns increase with CEO directors, especially for firms with limited internal growth opportunities. My results suggest that while CEO directors can play important advisory roles, this potential benefit must be balanced against the real distortions in executive incentives associated with their service as directors.
Non‐attendance in breast cancer screening is associated with unfavourable socio‐economic circumstances and advanced carcinoma

Our first objective was to assess changes in non‐attendance, proportion of advanced breast cancer and survival in Malmö Mammographic Service Screening Program, MMSSP, compared to a former trial, Malmö Mammographic Screening Trial, MMST. Our second objective was to describe non‐attenders in MMSSP in socio‐economic terms and risk for advanced breast cancer compared to attenders. Information from hospital and national registers was used to identify 33,800 women invited to service screening in MMSSP 1990–93. Attendance rates at first screening, the proportion of advanced breast cancers (Stage II–IV) and survival among non‐attenders in MMSSP were compared to the non‐attenders and with the control group of the former trial, MMST. Various socio‐economic factors were assessed as potential predictors of non‐attendance in MMSSP. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were computed. Incidence of breast cancer during a 10‐year‐period, relative risks and 95% CI among non‐attenders compared to attenders in MMSSP were computed. Attendance rates were significantly lower in MMSSP but a lower proportion of advanced breast cancers and a somewhat better survival among breast cancer cases (not significant) was seen in non‐attenders in MMSSP compared to MMST. In MMSSP non‐attendance was associated with being unmarried, being born abroad, being not currently employed, crowded housing conditions and low income. Incidence of advanced breast cancer was significantly higher among non‐attenders than among attenders. Attendance has decreased over time and potential reasons are discussed. Stage distribution and survival among non‐attenders seem to have improved. Several socio‐economic factors predict non‐attendance and non‐attenders are at higher risk for advanced breast cancer. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
SPECTRALLY RESOLVED PURE ROTATIONAL LINES OF WATER IN PROTOPLANETARY DISKS

We present ground-based high-resolution N-band spectra (Δv = 15 km s-1) of pure rotational lines of water vapor in two protoplanetary disks surrounding the pre-main-sequence stars AS 205N and RNO 90, selected based on detections of rotational water lines by the Spitzer InfraRed Spectrograph. Using VISIR on the Very Large Telescope, we spectrally resolve individual lines and show that they have widths of 30–60 km s-1, consistent with an origin in Keplerian disks at radii of ∼1 AU. The water lines have similar widths to those of the CO at 4.67 μm, indicating that the mid-infrared water lines trace similar radii. The rotational temperatures of the water are 540 and 600 K in the two disks, respectively. However, the line ratios show evidence of non-LTE excitation, with low-excitation line fluxes being overpredicted by two-dimensional disk LTE models. Due to the limited number of observed lines and the non-LTE line ratios, an accurate measure of the water ortho/para (O/P) ratio is not available, but a best estimate for AS 205N is O/P =4.5 ± 1.0, apparently ruling out a low-temperature origin of the water. The spectra demonstrate that high-resolution spectroscopy of rotational water lines is feasible from the ground, and further that ground-based high-resolution spectroscopy is likely to significantly improve our understanding of the inner disk chemistry revealed by recent Spitzer observations.
Identification and Estimation of Causal Mediation Effects with Treatment Noncompliance

Treatment noncompliance, a common problem in program evaluation, poses a serious challenge to the identification of causal mechanisms via causal mediation analysis. This is because the mediated portion of an intention-to-treat (ITT) effect cannot be nonparametrically identified even when there is no unobserved confounding. In particular, the commonly-used näıve approach of ignoring the actual treatment status and applying the “mediation formula” to the assigned treatment, mediator and outcome leads to a biased estimate of the mediated ITT effect. This paper proposes an alternative approach. It is shown that the mediated ITT effects and the local average causal mediation effects (LACME) for compliers can be identified under a local sequential ignorability assumption as well as the standard instrumental variable assumptions. Bias in the näıve estimator is formally characterized. The proposed estimator is illustrated via a Monte Carlo simulation study and applied to data from a large-scale job training experiment. The proposed method, implemented in an open-source R package, enables researchers to investigate causal mechanisms by which the treatment affects the outcome of interest even when treatment noncompliance exists.
Racial differences in medication use among older, long-stay Veterans Affairs nursing home care unit patients.

OBJECTIVE To examine racial differences in medication use by older long-stay Veterans Affairs Nursing Home Care Unit (NHCU) patients. DESIGN Longitudinal study. SETTINGS 133 Veterans Affairs NHCUs. PARTICIPANTS Three thousand four hundred eighty veterans 65 years of age or older admitted between January 1, 2004, and June 30, 2005, for 90 days or more. MAIN OUTCOMES MEASURES Prevalence of those taking nine or more medications (i.e., polypharmacy) and medications from specific therapeutic medication classes. Racial differences were determined using 0.05 level chi-squared tests. RESULTS The sample consisted of 14.3% who were black. Blacks compared with whites (all comparisons P < 0.05 except where noted) were younger (13.6% vs. 17.4%, older than 85 years of age), had less depression (22.24 vs. 29.79%), less allergies (9.82% vs. 20.36%), and a similar rate of moderate-to severe pain (22.65% vs. 24.05; P = 0.49). The percent of polypharmacy was similar by race (blacks 74.35% vs. whites 71.18%; P = 0.62), as was the prevalence of medication class use with the exceptions that blacks were less likely than whites to take central nervous system (CNS) medications (75.75% vs. 80.14%; P = 0.02) and antihistamines (13.03% vs. 16.8%; P = 0.04). Specifically, blacks were less likely than whites to receive a selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressant (20.84% vs. 27.17%; P < 0.01) or a second-generation antihistamine (3.41% vs. 6.51%; P < 0.01), but more likely than whites to receive opioids (14.63% vs. 11.27%; P = 0.03). CONCLUSION There appears to be racial differences in the overall use of antihistamines and CNS medications and some of their subclasses.
Improving Student Outcomes: Data-Driven Instruction and Fidelity of Implementation in a Response to Intervention (RTI) Model.

As teachers, administrators, and members of intervention teams use student performance data to inform instructional decisions and monitor implementation of tiered instruction in a Response to Intervention (RTI) model, assuring fidelity of implementation or treatment integrity continues to be a challenge. This article describes how one school district established a model of RTI including three mechanisms to enhance data-driven instruction and fidelity of implementation through the use of: (1) a student intervention tracking form, (2) reading coaches, and (3) teacher-made video clips.
Low intensity pulsed ultrasound enhances fracture healing in both ovariectomy‐induced osteoporotic and age‐matched normal bones

Low intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) was proven to enhance fracture healing effectively. Similar effect of LIPUS on accelerating the osteoporotic fracture healing was therefore hypothesized. The normal and osteoporotic fracture healings under this non‐invasive biophysical intervention of LIPUS were compared and investigated. Closed femoral fracture procedures were performed on 120 Sprague–Dawley rats, in which 60 of them were ovariectomized (OVX). The rats were randomly assigned into four groups: sham OVX with treatment (Sham‐T), sham OVX control (Sham‐C), OVX with treatment (OVX‐T) and OXV control (OVX‐C). LIPUS treatment was 20 min a day, 5 days a week for durations of 2, 4, or 8 weeks. Results from weekly radiography, histomorphometry, micro‐computed tomography and mechanical test showed both the treatment groups were with better healing responses than their control groups. Moreover, between the normal and the osteoporotic treatment groups, a significantly higher (p = 0.015) callus width (week 4), higher ratio of increment in bone volume to tissue volume ratio value (7.4% more), faster response of endochondral ossification and a higher stiffness measurement were observed in the osteoporotic treatment group. These comparable results on healing responses imply that LIPUS can be applied clinically to enhance both normal and osteoporotic fracture healing. © 2011 Orthopaedic Research Society Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 30:129–136, 2012