Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Disagreement between formal and medical record criteria for the diagnosis of acute coronary syndrome.

OBJECTIVES To measure agreement between formal and medical record criteria for the diagnosis of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) among patients undergoing an emergency department evaluation for potential acute coronary symptoms. METHODS Cases of ACS were determined by both formal (World Health Organization 1984 criteria for acute myocardial infarction [AMI], Braunwald criteria for unstable angina pectoris [UAP]) and medical record criteria. In the latter, a diagnosis was made if providers indicated AMI or UAP anywhere in the medical record. All information included in formal criteria was available to clinicians establishing the medical record diagnosis. The two criteria for diagnosis were compared, and a kappa value was recorded. Two blinded observers adjudicated discordant cases, with a kappa value recorded. Disagreements between these two coinvestigators were resolved by a Delphi technique. RESULTS A total of 375 eligible subjects were enrolled, of whom 65 (17%; 45 AMI, 20 UAP) had ACS by both sets of criteria. Formal and medical record criteria disagreed in 32 subjects. This represented 9% (95% confidence interval = 6% to 12%) of the overall study population but 33% (95% confidence interval = 23% to 43%) of subjects with possible ACS. Coinvestigators acting as judges and blinded to each other's determinations agreed that 25 of these subjects had ACS and three did not; they disagreed on four subjects (kappa = 0.54). Among these four subjects, a Delphi consensus technique determined that two subjects had AMI and two had no ACS. CONCLUSIONS In a single-site study, among subjects who have possible ACS as determined by either or both formal and medical record criteria, these two sets of criteria disagree in almost one third of cases. Among discordant cases, even two expert judges frequently disagreed on the final diagnosis. A modified Delphi technique to address these disagreements is described.
Distributional semantics in linguistic and cognitive research

The hypothesis that word co-occurrence statistics extracted from text corpora can provide a basis for semantic representations has been gaining growing attention both in computational linguistics and in cognitive science. The terms distributional, context-theoretic, corpusbased or statistical can all be used (almost interchangeably) to qualify a rich family of approaches to semantics that share a “usage-based” perspective on meaning, and assume that the statistical distribution of words in context plays a key role in characterizing their semantic behavior. Besides this common core, many differences exist depending on the specific mathematical and computational techniques, the type of semantic properties associated with text distributions, the definition of the linguistic context used to determine the combinatorial spaces of lexical items, etc. Yet, at a closer look, we may discover that the commonalities are more than we could expect prima facie, and that a general model of meaning can indeed be discerned behind the differences, a model that formulates specific hypotheses on the format of semantic representations, and on the way they are built and processed by the human mind. Methods for computational analysis of word distributional properties have been developed both in computational linguistics and in psychology. Because of the different aims of each field, these lines of research have typically proceeded totally in a parallel fashion, often ignoring each other. The drawbacks of this situation are clear: many
The N‐terminal Region of CXCL11 as Structural Template for CXCR3 Molecular Recognition: Synthesis, Conformational Analysis, and Binding Studies

The chemokines and their receptors play a key role in immune and inflammatory responses by promoting recruitment and activation of different subpopulations of leukocytes. The membrane receptor CXCR3 binds three chemokines, CXCL9, CXCL10, and CXCL11, and its involvement is recognized in many inflammatory diseases and cancers. Therefore, the inhibition of CXCR3 pathway through interactions with three ligands was indicated as putative therapeutic target for the treatment of these diseases, and some inhibitory compounds have already been described in the literature. Recently, we studied the interaction between CXCR3 and its three natural ligands and showed that three CXCR3 ligands bound the receptor mainly by their N‐terminal regions using aromatic and electrostatic interactions, and, in particular, CXCL11 had the highest affinity for CXCR3. In light of these results, we focused our attention on what structural region(s) of CXCL11 interacted with CXCR3 and what were the structural features. Therefore, we have synthesized three peptides, corresponding to the N‐terminal region of CXCL11, but with different aromatic amino acids, analyzed their conformations by circular dichroism, NMR, and molecular dynamics simulations, simulated their complexes with CXCR3 by docking methods, and validated these data by in vitro studies. The results showed that two peptides were able to bind CXCR3 and to mimic the molecular recognition of CXCL11 and demonstrated that N‐terminal region of CXCL11 can be used as template and starting point to obtain new molecules by de novo design approaches.
Mechanisms of shock wave induced endothelial cell injury

Medical procedures, for example, laser angioplasty and extracorporeal lithotripsy as well as high‐energy trauma expose human tissues to shock waves (SWs) that may cause tissue injury. The mechanisms for this injury, often affecting blood vessel walls, are poorly understood. Here we sought to assess the role of two suggested factors, viz., cavitation or reactive oxygen species (ROS).
Umbilical Cord Blood Therapy Potentiated with Erythropoietin for Children with Cerebral Palsy: A Double-blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial

Allogeneic umbilical cord blood (UCB) has therapeutic potential for cerebral palsy (CP). Concomitant administration of recombinant human erythropoietin (rhEPO) may boost the efficacy of UCB, as it has neurotrophic effects. The objectives of this study were to assess the safety and efficacy of allogeneic UCB potentiated with rhEPO in children with CP. Children with CP were randomly assigned to one of three parallel groups: the pUCB group, which received allogeneic UCB potentiated with rhEPO; the EPO group, which received rhEPO and placebo UCB; and the Control group, which received placebo UCB and placebo rhEPO. All participants received rehabilitation therapy. The main outcomes were changes in scores on the following measures during the 6 months treatment period: the gross motor performance measure (GMPM), gross motor function measure, and Bayley scales of infant development‐II (BSID‐II) Mental and Motor scales (18). F‐fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (18F‐FDG‐PET/CT) and diffusion tensor images (DTI) were acquired at baseline and followed up to detect changes in the brain. In total, 96 subjects completed the study. Compared with the EPO (n = 33) and Control (n = 32) groups, the pUCB (n = 31) group had significantly higher scores on the GMPM and BSID‐II Mental and Motor scales at 6 months. DTI revealed significant correlations between the GMPM increment and changes in fractional anisotropy in the pUCB group. 18F‐FDG‐PET/CT showed differential activation and deactivation patterns between the three groups. The incidence of serious adverse events did not differ between groups. In conclusion, UCB treatment ameliorated motor and cognitive dysfunction in children with CP undergoing active rehabilitation, accompanied by structural and metabolic changes in the brain. STEM CELLS2013;31:581–591
Designing Central Banks for Inflation Stability

Well-designed central banks can uniquely determine a stable inflation rate following either active Taylor's rules or interest-rate pegs. They should receive an initial transfer of capital, hold only risk-free assets, rebate their income to the treasury. This system prevents permanent liquidity traps and inflationary spirals without further need of treasury's support beyond the initial capitalization. Instead, if the central bank engages in purchases of risky securities, fiscal support is required to uniquely back the value of money. Absent treasury's support and with a risky composition of assets, inflationary spirals and deflationary traps can develop due to self-fulfilling expectations or credit events.
A socio-economic perspective on periodontal diseases: a systematic review.

OBJECTIVE The aim of this systematic review was to ascertain whether socio-economic conditions increase the risk of periodontal diseases. METHODS A MEDLINE search was conducted for the period 1965-April 2004. Only original articles were included; 47 studies remained for the final assessment. The studies were analysed regarding the outcome of the association between socio-economic variables and periodontal disease, depending on the study design (cross-sectional survey or longitudinal case-control) and whether smoking was included or not. RESULTS Twenty-nine out of 36 studies with a cross-sectional design were in favour of the association between socio-economic factors and periodontal diseases. In the studies with a longitudinal or case-control design, there were five in favour of the association, and also six against. When smoking was included in the analysis of cross-sectional studies, a significant association between socio-economic variables and periodontal disease was found in 11 studies and no significance in another five studies. The corresponding figures for case-control studies showed four studies being significant, but also four studies showing no significance. CONCLUSION Based on relevant study designs and including smoking in the analysis, the socio-economic variables associated with periodontal diseases appear to be of less importance than smoking.
Effects of glucose, insulin or aldose reductase inhibition on responses to endothelin‐1 of aortic rings from streptozotocin‐induced diabetic rats

1 This study investigated the constrictor responsiveness to endothelin‐1 (ET‐1, 0.1 nm − 0.1 μm) of aortic rings (under 10 g resting tension in Krebs solution) from 2‐ and 6‐week streptozotocin (STZ, 60 mg kg−1, i.v.)‐induced diabetic rats and vehicle‐treated control rats. 2 In aortae from 2‐ and 6‐week STZ‐treated rats, and their corresponding controls, removal of endothelium caused leftward shifts of ET‐1 concentration‐response curves without affecting maximum responses. 3 Maximum responses to ET‐1 were reduced in aortae from both 2‐ and 6‐week STZ‐treated rats compared to those from control rats. Such reductions were still evident after removal of the endothelium. 4 Decreased responsiveness to ET‐1 of aortae from 2‐week STZ‐treated rats was still evident after chronic treatment with the aldose reductase inhibitor epalrestat, but not after chronic insulin treatment or in aortae bathed in high glucose (30 mm) Krebs solution. 5 Decreased responsiveness to ET‐1 of aortae from 6‐week STZ‐treated rats (compared with those from controls) was still evident after chronic epalrestat treatment and in high glucose Krebs solution. 6 These data suggest that the decreased responsiveness to ET‐1 observed in aortae from 2‐ and 6‐week STZ‐induced diabetic rats is not due to abnormal activity of the polyol pathway. The altered responsiveness in aortae from 2‐week diabetic rats (compared with those from control rats) may possibly be a manifestation of changes (adaptive or otherwise) which occur as a result of high glucose concentrations in vivo. However, in aortae from rats with diabetes of longer duration, other mechanisms may also play a role in the altered responsiveness, since it was no longer reversible by bathing in high glucose Krebs solution.
Blue-light-blocking intraocular lens implantation improves the sleep quality of cataract patients.

STUDY OBJECTIVES To evaluate whether blue-light-blocking intraocular lens implantation affects the sleep quality of cataract patients. DESIGN Pre-test/post-test experiment. SETTING N/A. PARTICIPANTS 40 patients having bilateral cataracts with level higher than N3 (LOCS II) nucleus hardness, including 26 females (65%) and 14 males (35%). INTERVENTIONS Cataract phacoemulsification followed by blue-light-blocking intraocular lens (IOLs, SN60WF, Alcon Laboratories, USA) implantation. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS Patients were contacted in site before cataract surgery and followed by telephone at least 2 months later after second-eye surgery. Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) questionnaires were administered to evaluate sleep quality. Median age of patients was 74 years (IQR 70 to 78). The median PSQI globe scores were 7 before surgery and 4 after surgery (Z = -2.121, p = 0.037). More specifically, there were significant differences on subjective sleep quality (Z = -2.064, p = 0.045), sleep duration (Z = -2.037, p = 0.047) and daytime dysfunction (Z = -2.142, p = 0.034) when compared between before and after surgeries. The ratio of poor sleepers (PSQI > 5) was reduced significantly after surgery (χ² = 14.532, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS Blue-light-blocking IOL had a significantly beneficial effect on the sleep quality of cataract patients.
Characterization of strains containing mutations in the contiguous flaF, flbT, or flbA-flaG transcription unit and identification of a novel fla phenotype in Caulobacter crescentus

During the Caulobacter crescentus cell cycle, flagellin synthesis and filament assembly are temporally controlled events which require the products encoded by the contiguous flaF, flbT, and flbA-flaG transcription units (P.V. Schoenlein, L.S. Gallman, and B. Ely, J. Bacteriol. 171:000-000, 1989). To better define the functions of these genes, immunoprecipitation studies, Western blot (immunoblot) analyses, and electron microscopic analyses characterized flagellin synthesis and assembly in mutant and merodiploid strains. Mutations in the flaF or flbA-flaG transcription unit resulted in reduced synthesis of the 25- and 27-kilodalton (kDa) flagellins. In contrast, mutations in flbT resulted in overproduction of these flagellins. The FlbT phenotype is unique, since all other identified C. crescentus fla mutations cause a reduction in the levels of the 25- and 27-kDa flagellins. Furthermore, the flbT mutant showed a chemotaxis deficiency even though it was motile. Thus, the flbT gene product appears to be involved in the regulation of both flagellin synthesis and chemotactic function. Mutations in the flbT and flbA-flaG transcription units also resulted in the production of a 22-kDa flagellin species that is not normally detected in wild-type cells. This flagellin species was not detected in the flbT filaments. Furthermore, the 22-kDa flagellin was no longer detected in flbA pseudorevertants that assembled functional filaments. Thus, the 22-kDa flagellin does not appear to be assembled into filaments. Since many of the flbT filaments are shorter than wild-type filaments, we discuss the possibility that the 22-kDa flagellin species may adversely affect flagellin assembly in this mutant.
The use and perceived usefulness of IAS 29 restated financial statements by Zimbabwean investment analysts

International Accounting Standard 29 (IAS 29) (Financial Reporting in Hyperinflationary Economies) asserts that, in a hyperinflationary economy, financial statements “are useful only if they are expressed in terms of the measuring unit current at the balance sheet date” (International Accounting Standards Board (IASB), 2005:1259). In the context of the Zimbabwean economy, this study empirically investigates this assertion using a methodological triangulation comprising the protocol analysis (or process tracing) and the questionnaire techniques. Specifically, the investigation assesses the actual use and perceived usefulness of IAS 29 restated financial statements by Zimbabwean investment analysts with respect to the buy-hold-sell decisions. The empirical results indicate that at present, the Zimbabwean investment analysts make little or no use of hyperinflation-adjusted financial statements (HIAFSs) when making ordinary share investment decisions and perceive the information as “not useful”. This perception appears to be the critical reason why the analysts interviewed make little or no use of HIAFSs. Given this paradox, it appears that the need for further empirical research should be regarded as sine qua non if IAS 29 is to remain relevant in Zimbabwe and avoid suffering the same fate as its predecessors, IAS 6 and IAS 15. Further research should be conducted to provide sufficient evidence to enable the IASB and regulatory authorities in Zimbabwe to reassess the relevance of IAS 29.
Application of an infinite-dimensional observer for drilling systems incorporating kick and loss detection

We apply a PDE observer to a hydraulic system to detect and quantify an in- or outflux. We show that the PDE model of the hydraulic system can be expressed as a 2×2 linear hyperbolic system of PDEs with spatially varying coefficients coupled with an ODE at the inlet boundary that models the in- or outflux. Using the method of backstepping, we design an observer which is exponentially stable at the origin in the ℒ2-norm while relying on measurements taken at the outlet boundary, only. Simulation results verify the validity of the observer.
Prevalence of Diverse Clones of Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococcus faecium ST78 in a Chinese Hospital.

BACKGROUND Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE) has been identified in China. However, little is known about the spread of VRE isolates. METHODS The genetic relatedness of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VREfm) isolates was analyzed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), their antimicrobial susceptibilities were analyzed by E-test and the VITEK 2 AST-GP67 test Kit, and their sequence types (STs) were investigated by multilocus sequence typing (MLST). S1-PFGE was used for plasmid profiling, and PCR and subsequent sequencing were performed to identify the virulence genes. RESULTS A total of 96 nonduplicated VREfm isolates were obtained and categorized into 38 PFGE types (type 1-38). The predominant MLST type was ST78, while ST17, ST341, and ST342 were also sporadically identified. All types of clinical VREfm strains harbored the vanA gene; however, they carried plasmids of different sizes. While 92.1%, 71.1%, and 60.5% of VREfm strains carried hyl, scm, and ecbA genes, respectively, all of them were positive for esp, acm, sgrA, pilA, and pilB genes. CONCLUSIONS Clonal VREfm spread was observed, and nonplasmid-mediated horizontal transfer of vancomycin-resistant gene might have conveyed resistance to some vancomycin-susceptible E. faecium strains. E. faecium ST78 carrying vanA gene was the most prevalent clone in this study. The high prevalence of virulence genes, including esp, hyl, acm, scm, ecbA, sgrA, pilA, and pilB, confirmed their important roles in the emergence of VREfm ST78 in nosocomial infections.
In-Vitro Determination of the Resistance of Commercial Enteric-Coating to Acidic Conditions

Seventeen commercial brands of enteric-coated sodium salicylate tablets have been evaluated for their ability to resist release of their active ingredient in acidic gastric environment. The results show that although the tablets meet the official enteric-coated tablet disintegration test requirement, the coating on at least ten brands failed to provide the necessary protection. simulated gastric fluid, the fluid was replaced with simulated intestinal fluid (without enzymes). 4 A disk was added to each tube and the apparatus was operated until the tablets showed evidence of softening, crackling, or complete disintegration.
Genetic instability induced by low doses of x-rays in hamster cells

Purpose: Genomic instability involves time delayed events and can be manifested as elevated rates of heritable changes in the progeny of irradiated cells. To study the induction of chromosomal instability by very low doses of radiation Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) cells were exposed to 10 – 50 milisieverts (mSv) (≈10 – 50 miligrays (mGy)) of x-rays. Materials and methods: Control and irradiated cell populations were assayed for chromosomal aberrations and assessed using a micronucleus test and anaphase-telophase analysis at the first cell division post-irradiation and at every four population doublings thereafter up to 16 population doublings post-irradiation. Results: Frequencies of micronuclei, anaphase-telophase alterations and chromosomal aberrations were increased when the cells were analysed immediately after x-ray exposure. Micronuclei and anaphase-telophase alterations showed significantly increased frequencies when they were analysed at 12 and 16 population doublings after exposure to 50 mSv. Chromosomal aberrations increased significantly at 12 and 16 population doublings after exposure to 10 mSv and 50 mSv. Conclusions: Our results are consistent with the presence of a phenomenon by which the initial DNA damage in the surviving cells is memorized. Micronuclei and achromatic lessions were the main cytogenetic damage observed in cells exposed to very low doses of x-rays, indicating that these low doses are able to induce genetic instability.
Association between resistance to superinfection and patterns of surface protein labeling in mouse fibroblasts (L cells) persistently infected with Chlamydia psittaci

When mouse fibroblasts (L cells) were persistently infected with Chlamydia psittaci strain 6BC, they became immune to superinfection because they no longer associated with exogenous C. psittaci in a way that led to ingestion and intracellular multiplication. At the same time, the persistently infected L cells also exhibited changes in surface structure as revealed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and autoradiographic visualization of the surface-exposed plasma membrane proteins that had been labeled with 125I by lactoperoxidase-catalyzed iodination. The most prominent changes were the appearance of a highly labeled band with an apparent molecular weight of 35,000 and the generalized reduction in intensity of labeling of proteins migrating in the apparent molecular weight range of 60,000 to 100,000. Neither resistance to superinfection nor alteration in cell surface structure depended on the presence of visible chlamydial inclusions. When L cells were cured of persistent infection, either spontaneously or by treatment with chlortetracycline or rifampin, immunity to superinfection disappeared, and the patterns of surface-labeled proteins of the cured cells once again resembled the patterns of wild L cells. It was suggested that resistance to superinfection is the result of reversible changes in the structure of the putative host cell receptor for chlamydiae that are produced in some unknown way by the persistent chlamydial infection.
Effects of Patent Protection on Optimal Corporate Income and Consumption Taxes in an R&D‐Based Growth Model

Does reducing the corporate income tax accompanied by an increase in the consumption tax to meet the government's budget constraint improve welfare? To respond, we examine the welfare-maximizing corporate income tax and consumption tax rates in an R&D-based growth model under the constraint that the government's budget is balanced at each point of time. Further, we consider how welfare-maximizing tax rates change as patent protection becomes stronger, as seen in many countries. The results show that as patent protection becomes stronger, the corporate income tax rate should be higher and the consumption tax rate should be lower. This implies that under stronger patent protection, recovering production at the expense of innovation by raising corporate income tax and reducing consumption tax improves welfare.