Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Noninvasive estimation of disease activity and liver fibrosis in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease using anthropometric and biochemical characteristics, including insulin, insulin resistance, and 13C-methionine breath test

Objective The purpose of this study was to noninvasively estimate disease activity and liver fibrosis in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) using anthropometric and biochemical characteristics and the 13C-methionine breath test (MeBT). Methods A total of 164 patients with histologically proven NAFLD and 56 healthy controls were included in the study. Anthropometric and biochemical analyses and the MeBT were performed on all patients and controls. Results BMI; waist circumference; waist–hip ratio; transaminase, lipid, &ggr;-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT), glucose, and insulin levels; and insulin resistance were significantly higher in patients with NAFLD than in controls. The GGT level and the MeBT were independent predictors of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Fibrosis was correlated with GGT, bilirubin, cholesterol, and insulin levels, and the MeBT, but the test was the only independent predictor of significant fibrosis. Patients with simple steatosis had similar MeBT values as controls. The MeBT values were significantly lower in NASH and NASH-cirrhosis patients (P<0.001) compared with simple steatosis patients and controls. Patients with advanced fibrosis (F2–3) had significantly lower MeBT values than patients with mild fibrosis (F0–1; P<0.001). The area under the receiving operating characteristic curve for NASH and advanced fibrosis was estimated to be 0.95 in the total cohort. Conclusion This study indicates that anthropometric and biochemical parameters are insufficient for estimating the presence of NASH or the fibrosis stage. However, the MeBT is a suitable noninvasive method for accurately predicting which patients suffer from simple steatosis, NASH, or NASH-cirrhosis.
Effect of inoculum size on Haemophilus influenzae type b susceptibility to new and conventional antibiotics

Thirty-three Haemophilus influenzae type b isolates, including beta-lactamase acetyltransferase-positive strains, were tested by microtiter broth dilution for susceptibility to eight beta-lactam compounds and chloramphenicol. All antibiotics except ampicillin and chloramphenicol were highly bactericidal against all isolates at an inoculum of 10(5) CFU/ml. However, at an inoculum of 10(5) CFU/ml, the minimal bactericidal concentrations of all drugs except ceftriaxone were above levels usually achievable in cerebrospinal fluid. Results of time-kill studies confirmed this inoculum effect. In vivo studies are needed to test the clinical impact of these observations.
Higher mortality after allogeneic peripheral-blood transplantation compared with bone marrow in children and adolescents: the Histocompatibility and Alternate Stem Cell Source Working Committee of the International Bone Marrow Transplant Registry.

PURPOSE Peripheral-blood stem cells (PBSC) may be used as an alternative to bone marrow (BM) for allogeneic transplantation. Despite lack of data on PBSC transplantation in children, there has been a change in clinical practice, with increasing numbers of children receiving PBSC allografts. PATIENTS AND METHODS We compared the results of 143 PBSC and 630 BM transplants from human leukocyte antigen-identical sibling donors in children aged 8 to 20 years with acute leukemia. PBSC transplant recipients were older, and were more likely to have advanced leukemia, receive growth factors post-transplantation, and have undergone transplantation more recently. Risks of acute and chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), treatment-related mortality, relapse, treatment failure (relapse or death), and overall mortality were compared using Cox proportional hazards regression to adjust for potentially confounding factors. RESULTS Hematopoietic recovery was faster after PBSC transplantation. Risks of grade 2 to 4 acute GVHD were similar, but chronic GVHD risk was higher after PBSC transplantation (relative risk [RR], 1.85; 95% CI, 1.28 to 2.66; P = .001). In contrast to reports in adults, treatment-related mortality (RR, 1.89; 95% CI, 1.28 to 2.80; P = .001), treatment failure (RR, 1.31; 95% CI, 1.03 to 1.68; P = .03), and mortality (RR, 1.38; 95% CI, 1.07 to 1.79; P = .01) were higher after PBSC transplantation. Risks of relapse were similar. CONCLUSION These data suggest poorer outcomes after PBSC compared with BM transplantation in children after adjusting for relevant risk factors. Given the trend toward increased use of PBSC allografts in children, prospective clinical trials are required to determine their appropriate role in this group of patients.
Configuration of intracranial arteries and development of aneurysms

Background: The reasons for development of intracranial aneurysms are unknown; hemodynamic factors may play an important role in this process. We performed a cohort study to further elicit the role of intracranial arterial geometry. Methods: We compared the original CTA/MRA of the circle of Willis of 26 patients who developed an aneurysm during follow-up with those of 78 controls with no aneurysm development who were matched for gender, age, and period of follow-up. We assessed hypoplasia of the arteries of the circle of Willis and measured bifurcation angles within and beyond the circle of Willis on three-dimensional CTA/MRA. Bifurcation angles were classified in tertiles for analysis. We used Student t test for comparison of bifurcation angles and calculated OR with corresponding 95% CI for presence of hypoplasia and bifurcation angles in tertiles. Results: A hypoplastic branch was found in 5 of 7 (71%) sites with aneurysm development and in 6 of 21 corresponding sites (29%) without aneurysm development (OR 6; 95%CI 0.9 to 42). The branch angle was sharp (lowest tertile) in 10 of 14 (71%) sites with aneurysm development and in 8 of 42 (19%) sites without aneurysm development (OR 11.3; 95% CI 2.0 to 64). Conclusions: Bifurcations with a hypoplastic branch and bifurcations with sharper bifurcation angles are risk factors for development of aneurysms. Analysis of the geometry of intracranial arteries might be helpful in detecting persons with increased risk for developing aneurysms.
A Novel High Step-Up DC–DC Converter for a Microgrid System

A novel high step-up dc-dc converter for a distributed generation system is proposed in this paper. The concept is composed of two capacitors, two diodes, and one coupled inductor. Two capacitors are charged in parallel, and are discharged in series by the coupled inductor. Thus, high step-up voltage gain can be achieved with an appropriate duty ratio. The voltage stresses on the main switch and output diode are reduced by a passive clamp circuit. Therefore, low resistance R for the main switch can be adopted to reduce conduction loss. In addition, the reverse-recovery problem of the diode is alleviated, and thus, the efficiency can be further improved. The operating principle and steady-state analyses of the voltage gain are also discussed in detail. Finally, a 24-V input voltage, 400-V output voltage, and 400-W output power prototype circuit of the proposed converter are implemented in the laboratory to verify the performance.
Force systems yielded by different designs of T-loop

Abstract Objectives: To determine the mechanical characteristics of beta-titanium T-loops with and without helices, with 0 and 180 degree gable bends and constructed from 0.017 inch x 0.025 inch and 0.019 inch x 0.025 inch wire. Methods: Forty beta-titanium T-loops were centrally positioned in a universal testing machine. The horizontal force and the moment/force ratios during activation were recorded at 1 mm intervals, up to a maximum of 7 mm. The data were analysed with analysis of variance complemented by the Tukey test for multiple comparisons. Results: The results demonstrated that the transverse section of the wire had the greatest effect on the horizontal force produced by the loops. Significantly lower levels of horizontal force were obtained with loops made with the smaller 0.017 inch x 0.025 inch wire. Loops with gable bends yielded high moment/force ratios, whereas loops without gable bends had low moment/force ratios. In general, T-loops with helices yielded lower magnitudes of horizontal force and moment/force ratios than plain T-loops. Conclusions: The horizontal forces and moment/force ratios generated by plain T-loops with 180 degree gable bends yielded more adequate force systems. Incorporation of helices in the design of T-loops seems to be unnecessary.
Hypoxia mediates osteocyte ORP150 expression and cell death in vitro.

Skeletal unloading leads to hypoxia in the bone microenvironment, resulting in imbalanced bone remodeling that favors bone resorption. Osteocytes, the mechanosensors of bone, have been demonstrated to orchestrate bone homeostasis. Hypoxic osteocytes either undergo apoptosis or actively stimulate osteoclasts to remove bone matrix during hypoxia. Oxygen‑regulated protein 150 (ORP150) is an endoplasmic reticulum‑associated chaperone that has been observed to serve an important role in the cellular adaptation to hypoxia and in preventing cellular apoptosis in various tissue types. The current study hypotheses that expression of ORP150 would be increased in osteocytes under hypoxic conditions (1% O2). The MLO‑Y4 osteocyte cell line was cultured under normoxic or hypoxic conditions for up to 72 h. It was demonstrated that 1% O2 significantly induced hypoxia after 16 h and up to 72 h, significantly reduced cell number at 8 and 48 h, induced cell death at 8, 24 and 48 h and induced apoptosis at 16, 24 and 48 h. Significant differences in ORP150 mRNA were observed at 72 h, however no differences were observed in the protein expression levels. The relative increase in ORP150 mRNA observed in hypoxia, compared with normoxia, may support its cytoprotective role in oxygen‑deprived conditions.
Non-invasive assessment of arterial stiffness by pulse-wave velocity correlates with endothelial dysfunction.

BACKGROUND Pulse-wave velocity is the speed of the blood pressure wave to travel a given distance between two sites of the arterial system and is determined by the elasticity, wall thickness and blood density. Pulse-wave velocity correlates well with arterial distensibility and stiffness and is a useful non-invasive index to assess arteriosclerosis. Arterial endothelial dysfunction is one of the key early events in atherogenesis, preceding structural atherosclerotic changes. This study sought to establish the correlation of non-invasive estimation of arterial wall stiffness by pulse-wave velocity and its association with endothelial dysfunction in subjects at higher risk for atherosclerosis. METHODS AND RESULTS A total of 102 subjects (60 males and 42 females, mean age 51 years), including those with hypertension (n = 39), type 2 diabetes mellitus (n = 26), concomitant type 2 diabetes mellitus and hypertension (n = 29) and primary dyslipidemia without diabetes mellitus and hypertension (n = 8). Pulse-wave velocity was measured by the Vascular Profiler 1000 (VP-1000) waveform analysis and vascular evaluation system, an automated, non-invasive, screening device. Endothelial function was assessed by flow-mediated dilation of the brachial artery. The brachial-artery diameter was measured on B-mode ultrasound images, with the use of a 7.0 MHz linear-array transducer. Mean brachial artery pulse-wave velocity on the right extremity was 1699 cm/s and on the left 1694 cm/s. Mean flow-mediated dilation in the study subjects was 3.6 +/- 8.4%. Mean brachial artery pulse-wave velocity in the right and left extremities and the higher value of brachial artery pulse-wave velocity of the two extremities showed a negative and significant correlation with flow-mediated dilation of the brachial artery (correlation coefficient r = -0.32, p = 0.001; r = -0.40 p < 0.0001; r = -0.37, p = 0.001, respectively). Mean heart-brachial pulse-wave velocity also showed a negative and significant correlation with flow-mediated dilation of the brachial artery (r = -0.23, p = 0.022). Mean arterial stiffness was 36.2 +/- 22%. Arterial stiffness in the right extremity and the higher value of the two extremities showed a negative and significant correlation with flow-mediated dilation of the brachial artery (correlation coefficient r = -0.31, p = 0.002; r = -0.32, p = 0.001, respectively). CONCLUSIONS Increased values of pulse-wave velocity reflecting upon arterial stiffness show an excellent correlation with reduced values of brachial artery flow-mediated dilation. We propose that the non-invasive modalities of estimation of the pulse-wave velocity and endothelial function estimation by flow-mediated dilation of brachial artery be used in clinical practice in assessment of pre-clinical atherosclerosis.
Data Mining Techniques: For Marketing, Sales, and Customer Support

From the Publisher: Data Mining Techniques thoroughly acquaints you with the new generation of data mining tools and techniques and shows you how to use them to make better business decisions. One of the first practical guides to mining business data, it describes techniques for detecting customer behavior patterns useful in formulating marketing, sales, and customer support strategies. While database analysts will find more than enough technical information to satisfy their curiosity, technically savvy business and marketing managers will find the coverage eminently accessible. Here's your chance to learn all about how leading companies across North America are using data mining to beat the competition; how each tool works, and how to pick the right one for the job; seven powerful techniques - cluster detection, memory-based reasoning, market basket analysis, genetic algorithms, link analysis, decision trees, and neural nets, and how to prepare data sources for data mining, and how to evaluate and use the results you get. Data Mining Techniques shows you how to quickly and easily tap the gold mine of business solutions lying dormant in your information systems.
Antenatal and intrapartum risk factors for birth asphyxia among emergency obstetric referrals in Mulago Hospital, Kampala, Uganda.

BACKGROUND Many perinatal deaths follow birth asphyxia that occurs in newborn babies of women who are referred on developing life-threatening obstetric complications. OBJECTIVE To determine the antenatal and intrapartum risk factors for severe birth asphyxia among babies delivered by women admitted as emergency obstetric referrals. DESIGN Case-control study. SETTING Mulago hospital, the National Referral Hospital, Kampala, Uganda. SUBJECTS Cases were newborn term babies (and their mothers) with a 5-minute Apgar score 4 or less (birth asphyxia). Controls were term newborn babies with a 5-minute Apgar score more than 4. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Antepartum and intrapartum risk factors among newborn babies (and their mothers) from socio-demographic characteristics, obstetric complications or labour management. The Odds ratios (OR) for various outcomes were calculated using the Statistical Assistance Software (SAS) version 6.2 (Windows), and are presented with their 95% confidence intervals (C1) and p-values. RESULTS There was no association between socio-demographic factors and birth asphyxia. Antepartum hospitalization, antepartum or intrapartum anaemia, antepartum hemorrhage and severe pre-eclampsia/eclampsia were significantly associated with birth asphyxia; the respective ORs and 95% C1 were 1.73 (1.09-2.75), 5.65 (3.36-9.50), 2.12 (1.11-4.05) and 10.62 (2.92-38.47). Augmentation of labour with oxytocin, premature rupture of membranes, meconium staining of liquor amnii, vacuum extraction, caesarean section, low birth weight and mal-presentations were significantly associated with birth asphyxia with ORs of 5.76 (2.20-15.05), 2.23 (1.31 -3.37), 6.40 (2.76-14.82), 2.16 (1.28-3.67), 2.36 (1.07-5.20) and 6.32 (3.57-11.20) respectively. CONCLUSIONS Early recognition of these complications among emergency obstetric referrals, followed by prompt and appropriate management, may reduce the perinatal deaths from birth asphyxia.
Buying Time: Preliminary Assessment of Biocontrol in the Recovery of Native Forest Vegetation in the Aftermath of the Invasive Emerald Ash Borer

Introduced forest pests have become one of the major threats to forests, and biological control is one of the few environmentally acceptable management practices. Assessing the impacts of a biocontrol program includes evaluating the establishment of biocontrol agents, the control of target pest, the impact on the affected organism, and the indirect impacts that the biocontrol agent may have on the whole community. We assessed the recovery of forest vegetation following the mortality of ash trees caused by the invasive emerald ash borer (EAB) pest in forest stands where biocontrol agents were released or not. We used a multilevel framework to evaluate potential indirect effects of the biocontrol agents on native forest seedlings. Our results showed a higher number of ash saplings where increasing numbers of the dominant EAB biocontrol agent were released, while the number of invasive and weedy saplings was negatively associated with the number of ash saplings, and the density of native seedlings was negatively associated with invasive and weedy saplings. The protection of ash saplings by the biocontrol agent may help native recruitment during forest transition by supporting the growth of native hardwood seedlings over invasive and weedy species. These results show that research on the efficacy of EAB biocontrol should include all ash size classes and the community dynamics of co-occurring species.
Whatever Else Happened to the Egyptians?: From the Revolution to the Age of Globalization

At the time of the Egyptian Revolution in 1952, the population of Egypt was around 22 million. At the end of 2002, it stood at 69 million, and was growing at a rate of 1.33 million a year. What happens to a society that grows so quickly, when the habitable and cultivable land of the country is strictly limited? After the success of Whatever Happened to the Egyptians? , Galal Amin now takes a further bemused look at the changes that have taken place in Egyptian society over the past half century, this time considering the disruptions brought about by the surge in population. Basing his arguments on both academic research and his own personal experiences and impressions, and employing the same light humor and keen sense of empathy as in his earlier work, the author discusses how runaway population growth has not only profound effects on many aspects of society from love and fashion to telephones, the supermarket, and religion but also predictable effects on the economy.
Agomelatine Is Effective in Reducing Insomnia in Abstinent Alcohol-Dependent Patients

ObjectivesSleep disorders are a widespread, persistent problem among alcohol-dependent patients and have been implicated in an increased risk for alcohol relapse. The melatonin-agonist agomelatine has been shown to improve overall sleep quality without daytime sedation. MethodsIn an off-label therapeutic setting, 9 alcohol-dependent patients with chronic sleep disorders received nightly doses of between 25 and 50 mg of agomelatine. ResultsAfter 6 weeks of agomelatine treatment, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index global score for all patients had decreased significantly from a mean (SD) of 13.1 (1.7) to 7.8 (1.7) (t = 12.8; P = 0.00). ConclusionsAgomelatine is a preparation that is not prone to abuse. The current pilot investigation shows that agomelatine might offer the prospect of becoming a valuable addition to the pharmacological repertoire for the treatment of alcohol-dependence–associated insomnia.
Factors affecting the improvement of quality of dying of terminally ill patients with cancer through palliative care: a ten-year experience.

BACKGROUND Achieving a good death is the ultimate goal of palliative medicine. Yet, very few studies have investigated factors affecting improvement in quality of dying. We therefore conducted a study to evaluate these factors in terminally ill Taiwanese cancer patients treated in a multidisciplinary palliative care unit. METHODS We included data from terminally ill patients with cancer admitted to the Hospice and Palliative Care Unit in the National Taiwan University Hospital from 2000 to 2009. Quality of dying was assessed by patients' multidisciplinary team at admission and after death using the Good Death Scale and the Audit Scale. We used multivariable regression to assess the association between patient factors, including gender, age, diagnosis, days of hospitalization, calendar year of admission, Good Death score at admission, and process of care scores for physical care, physician-assessed autonomy, emotional support, communication, continuity of life, and physician-reported rate of closure, with the quality of dying. RESULTS Multivariate regression analysis identified lower Good Death score at admission, lower age 40-65 years, longer unit length of stay (>7 days), higher physician-assessed autonomy, better physician-assessed emotional support, and better physician-reported rate of closure as positively related (all p<0.0001) with improvement in good death scores. CONCLUSION In this study in a Taiwanese palliative care unit; we found that late referral to the unit and low physician-assessed autonomy were key factors negatively affecting quality of dying. Earlier truth-tellling and end-of-life care discussions between physicians and patients might improve the quality of dying in this population.
Zebrafish: a new model on the pharmaceutical catwalk.

Zebrafish is recognized as one of the most important vertebrate model organisms; however, its value in pharmacological studies has not been extensively explored and exploited. In this review, I summarize significant findings about the effects of drugs and medicines on important physiological processes in zebrafish. Our experiments have shown that cardiovascular, anti-angiogenic and anti-cancer drugs elicit comparable responses in zebrafish embryos to those in mammalian systems. Similar observations have been reported by other laboratories, exposing zebrafish to a variety of pharmaceutical active compounds affecting a range of different processes. All the data summarized indicate that zebrafish represents a very valuable organism for different kinds of pharmacological studies, such as screenings of chemical libraries, lead validation and optimization, mode-of-action studies, analysis of gene function, predictive toxicology and teratogenicity, pharmacogenomics and toxicogenomics. Zebrafish pharmacological assays have specific advantages compared to in vitro cell culture studies and in vivo experiments using mice, complementing these assays to give valuable guides for future tests of new drugs for human therapy.