Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Metabolic and toxicological considerations for diuretic therapy in patients with acute heart failure

Introduction: Diuretics are widely recommended in patients with acute heart failure (AHF). However, loop diuretics predispose patients to electrolyte imbalance and hypovolemia, which in turn leads to neurohormonal activation and worsening renal function (WRF). Unfortunately, despite their widespread use, limited data from randomized clinical trials are available to guide clinicians with the appropriate management of this diuretic therapy. Areas covered: This review focuses on the current management of diuretic therapy and discusses data supporting the efficacy and safety of loop diuretics in patients with AHF. The authors consider the challenges in performing clinical trials of diuretics in AHF, and describe ongoing clinical trials designed to rigorously evaluate optimal diuretic use in this syndrome. The authors review the current evidence for diuretics and suggest hypothetical bases for their efficacy relying on the complex relationship among diuretics, neurohormonal activation, renal function, fluid and sodium management, and heart failure syndrome. Expert opinion: Data from several large registries that evaluated diuretic therapy in hospitalized patients with AHF suggest that its efficacy is far from being universal. Further studies are warranted to determine whether high-dose diuretics are responsible for WRF and a higher rate of coexisting renal disease are instead markers of more severe heart failure. The authors believe that monitoring congestion during diuretic therapy in AHF would refine the current approach to AHF treatment. This would allow clinicians to identify high-risk patients and possibly reduce the incidence of complications secondary to fluid management strategies.
Monitoring sentiment in open source mailing lists: exploratory study on the apache ecosystem

Large software projects, both open and closed source, are constructed and maintained collaboratively by teams of developers and testers, who are typically geographically dispersed. This dispersion creates a distance between team members, hiding feelings of distress or (un)happiness from their manager, which prevents him or her from using remediation techniques for those feelings. This paper evaluates the usage of automatic sentiment analysis to identify distress or happiness in a development team. Since mailing lists are one of the most popular media for discussion in distributed software projects, we extracted sentiment values of the user and developer mailing lists of two of the most successful and mature projects of the Apache software foundation. The results show that (1) user and developer mailing lists carry both positive and negative sentiment and have a slightly different focus, while (2) work is needed to customize automatic sentiment analysis techniques to the domain of software engineering, since they lack precision when facing technical terms
A Study of Grouphate in a Course on Small Group Communication

This study explored the relationship between grouphate and cohesion, consensus, relational satisfaction, affective learning, and cognitive learning. Participants were 83 undergraduate students enrolled in an introductory course on small group communication. Participants completed the Grouphate scale, the Classroom Cohesion scale, the Consensus scale, the Relational Satisfaction scale, three subscales of the Instructional Affect Assessment Instrument, and the Cognitive Learning Loss measure. Mean grouphate significantly increased during the semester, and negative correlations were found between scores for grouphate and cohesion (–.50), consensus (–.45), relational satisfaction (–.58), attitude toward the behaviors recommended in the course (–.23), the likelihood of developing an appreciation for the course content (–.33), and cognitive learning (–.32). Results may imply that students' grouphate is not associated with prosocial outcomes of the group work in this course.
Association of Adverse Drug Effects With Subjective Well-Being in Patients With Schizophrenia Receiving Stable Doses of Risperidone

Objectives:The purpose of the present study was to examine the association of adverse drug effects with subjective well-being in patients with schizophrenia receiving stable doses of risperidone. Methods:Thirty outpatients with schizophrenia receiving stable doses of risperidone were comprehensively evaluated for psychopathology, subjective well-being, and adverse drug effects. Subjective well-being was assessed using the Subjective Well-being Under Neuroleptics Scale (SWN). Adverse drug effects were evaluated using the Liverpool University Neuroleptic Side Effect Rating Scale (LUNSERS) and the Drug-Induced Extrapyramidal Symptoms Scale (DIEPSS). Results:In correlation analysis controlling for relevant variables, the SWN score had significant negative correlations with the following subscale scores of the LUNSERS: extrapyramidal side effect (EPS) (r = −0.54, P < 0.01), akathisia (r = −0.46, P < 0.05), and autonomic adverse effect (r = −0.44, P < 0.05). The SWN score also had a significant negative correlation with the global severity of EPS as measured by the DIEPSS (r = −0.44, P < 0.05). Conclusions:The results of our study suggest that adverse effects, particularly EPS and akathisia, are significantly associated with subjective well-being, implying the necessity to develop rational strategies to control these variables effectively. The results also suggest that EPS and akathisia continue to be major adverse effects associated with a low level of subjective well-being in patients receiving risperidone. Further studies are required to investigate the multidimensional factors associated with subjective well-being in patients receiving atypical antipsychotics and to determine their relative contributions.
Site‐matched calcaneal measurements of broad‐band ultrasound attenuation and single X‐ray absorptiometry: Do they measure different skeletal properties?

Because of the differences in the interactions of ultrasound and x‐ray waves with bone, quantitative ultrasound (QUS) techniques may yield information about skeletal status not accessible by regular bone densitometry (BD) techniques. However, relatively strong correlations have been reported between broad‐band ultrasound attenuation (BUA) and several x‐ray‐based BD methods. We assessed the precision and association of single x‐ray absorptiometry (SXA) and BUA of the calcaneus. We examined both BUA and SXA at the calcaneus using special software for matching the regions of interest. An algorithm was derived and applied to correct the observed correlation coefficients for the attenuation effect caused by the precision errors for BUA and SXA. In a group of 33 volunteers covering a wide range of age and calcaneal bone mineral densities, the site‐matched and precision‐adjusted correlation coefficient between BUA and SXA was r = 0.58, with a standard error of the estimate (SEE) of 14.41 dB/MHz, or 17.08%. For the subgroup of 25 women the correlation was stronger, with r = 0.72 and SEE = 11.53 dB/MHz, or 14.33%. SXA precision was 0.79% for the regular region of interest (ROI) and 1.22% for the site‐matched ROI. BUA precision was 2.76% for the entire subject group and 1.63% for women of age 40 or older. The observed correlation coefficient between ultrasound and x‐ray based techniques of the order of 0.7 is significant, but it leaves about 50% of the variability unexplained. It remains to be investigated to what extent the unexplained 50% is related to bone strength or structure or whether it reflects a variability unrelated to osteoporosis status.
Modeling and evaluation of MIMO systems exploiting channel reciprocity in TDD mode

The advanced knowledge of forward link channel information enables the optimal transmit waveform to be designed for a multiple input multiple output (MIMO) antenna system to exploit the channel's characteristics fully. The reciprocal property of the radio channel makes time division duplex (TDD) an attractive air interface design since the forward link channel information can be derived from the reverse link signal without any explicit feedback. Among the many practical factors that may invalidate the channel reciprocity in TDD mode, this paper focuses on those that are associated with the mismatches among the radio frequency (RF) circuits in the many transmit/receive chains. With a simple model, the sources for the RF mismatches are identified and their calibration requirements are established using simulation.
CROSS SECTION OF EXPECTED STOCK RETURNS IN ISE

The capital asset pricing model developed by Sharpe (1964), Lintner (1964) and Black (1972) stipulate that the expected return on a stock is determined by the risk free interest rate and a risk premium. Early empirical tests of the model generally supported its main prediction as beta being the only explanatory factor in explaining the cross sectional variation across stock. However, more recent empirical work on asset pricing has identified a number of variables that help explain cross sectional variation in stock returns in addition to the market risk variable. The validity of the capital asset pricing model, as well as the firm specific factors that explain stock returns in Istanbul Stock Exchange (ISE) have not been addressed before. The objective of this study is to investigate the cross section of stock returns in the Turkish market for the period 1992-98. A methodology similar to that of Fama and French (1992) is employed, by taking into account the constraints imposed by a smaller sample both in time and in terms of number of stocks. Our findings indicate that book-to-market and firm size explain stock returns, whereas no significant earnings– price ratio effect is encountered. Market beta has no explanatory power, even in models where it is the only variable in the model. __________________________ * Bilkent University, Faculty of Business Administration, Bilkent, 06533 Ankara. Phone: (312) 266-4164 Fax: (312) 266-4958
Leadership, Collective Decision-Making, and Pension Fund Governance

For pension funds and other institutional investors, governance refers to the resources and processes used in decision-taking. Recognising that risk and uncertainty are the life-blood of investment strategy, in this paper we develop a resource-based framework to better understand the structure and management of financial decision-making in these organisations. It is suggested that these types of institutions have three types of scarce resources: time, expertise, and collective commitment (or how groups work together to a common purpose). We explain the nature of such decisions including their sensitivity to global financial markets; we explain the resource-based framework, and; we show how and why leadership in the decision-making process is essential to best-practice pension fund governance. To sustain the argument, we rely upon our best-practice governance framework and recent research on pension fund trustees' expressed opinions regarding their preferred styles of decision-making. Lessons are drawn for the process of collective deliberation and especially the role of board leadership and its distinctive qualities in best-practice organisations.
Effect of Carbon Dioxide Laser on Increasing Vestibular Depth in Cleft Lip and Palate Patients.

BACKGROUND Shallow upper buccal sulcus deformity in cleft lip and palate patients is one of the common secondary deformities after primary cleft lip and palate repair; this deformity may prevent or complicate orthodontic and prosthodontic procedures causing aesthetic and functional problems. A number of methods are described to increase the anterior maxillary sulcus in these patients. PURPOSE This study assessed the use of a carbon dioxide laser (CO2) to increase the sulcus depth. METHOD Fifteen patients with cleft lip and palate (eight unilateral and seven bilateral) were studied. The surgical procedure was performed using CO2 laser. The vestibular depth and lip length were measured at three time points namely before surgery (T0), 1 week following surgery (T1), and 4 months following surgery (T2). After data collection, statistical analyses were done using PASW® version 18 SPSS. RESULTS The mean values of vestibular depth were 9.46 ± 1.92, 13.83 ± 1.88, and 13.23 ± 1.76 mm for T0, T1, and T2, respectively. The vestibular depth significantly increased after 4 months of follow-up (p = 0.001). The mean amount of vestibular depth gain was not significantly different in unilateral and bilateral cleft groups (p = 0.908). The mean value of upper lip length increased by a mean of 1.23 mm and was statistically significant (p = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS Upper buccal sulcus reconstruction with CO2 laser provides successful and stable results. CO2 laser application is suggested as an alternative to conventional vestibuloplasty.
General Health-Related Quality of Life and Oral Health Impact among Australians with Cleft Compared with Population Norms; Age and Gender Differences

Objective To evaluate general health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and oral health impact among adults treated for cleft to determine age and gender differences, and to compare against population norms. Design Cross-sectional prospective study. Participants/Setting Nonsyndromic cleft patients treated by the Australian Craniofacial Unit from 1975 to 2009 were recruited (n = 112). Response rate was 79% (n = 88). Main outcome measures HRQoL was measured by the Short Form (SF)-36 questionnaire. Oral health impact was measured by the Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP)-14 questionnaire. State-based and national norms were used for comparative purposes. Results There were no significant age or sex differences in the cleft sample's SF-36 and OHIP-14 scores. When compared against South Australian 2002 state-level norms, cleft participants scored higher on physical function and physical role function but lower on vitality and mental health. The prevalence of having experienced one or more of OHIP–14 items “fairly often” or “very often” was 2.7 times higher than national-level estimates, while extent was 2.8 times and severity 1.7 times higher. Conclusions The oral health impact among cleft patients included in our study was poor compared with population-level estimates. The HRQoL showed mixed results, with the vitality and mental health components being poorer in the cleft group compared with population-level estimates. These results indicate that treatment for orofacial clefting does not entirely remove the factors contributing to poor HRQoL and oral health.
Distral: Robust multitask reinforcement learning

Most deep reinforcement learning algorithms are data inefficient in complex and rich environments, limiting their applicability to many scenarios. One direction for improving data efficiency is multitask learning with shared neural network parameters, where efficiency may be improved through transfer across related tasks. In practice, however, this is not usually observed, because gradients from different tasks can interfere negatively, making learning unstable and sometimes even less data efficient. Another issue is the different reward schemes between tasks, which can easily lead to one task dominating the learning of a shared model. We propose a new approach for joint training of multiple tasks, which we refer to as Distral (Distill & transfer learning). Instead of sharing parameters between the different workers, we propose to share a "distilled" policy that captures common behaviour across tasks. Each worker is trained to solve its own task while constrained to stay close to the shared policy, while the shared policy is trained by distillation to be the centroid of all task policies. Both aspects of the learning process are derived by optimizing a joint objective function. We show that our approach supports efficient transfer on complex 3D environments, outperforming several related methods. Moreover, the proposed learning process is more robust and more stable---attributes that are critical in deep reinforcement learning.
Epithelial neoplasms

Cutaneous neoplasms play a significant part in the overall cancer picture. In man, approximately 23% of all cancers are found on the skin. Fortunately, the mortality from skin cancer is quite low, and this minimizes our concern. Morbidity, however, can be quite significant in a great number of patients.
Overview on Rodent Models of Alzheimer's Disease

In Alzheimer's disease (AD), characteristic lesions develop in brain regions that subserve cognitive functions, ultimately leading to dementia. There are now several lesioned or transgenic small‐animal models of the disease that model select aspects of cognitive deficits and/or recapitulate many, but not all, of the characteristic pathologic lesions observed in AD. This overview describes the most common approaches used to model AD in rodents, highlights their utility, and discusses some of their deficiencies.
Heavy Light

The past century of astrophysical observations has yielded a large body of evidence supporting the existence of dark matter (DM) in our universe. Measurements dating back to the early 1930s of galaxy rotation curves and the orbital velocities of galaxies within clusters have consistently shown a discrepancy between the amount of luminous matter and the total gravitational energy contained in these systems. Signatures of DM were also observed by measuring the gravitational lensing around galaxy clusters. Perhaps the most striking example is evident in the collision between two galaxy clusters known as the Bullet Cluster, where we see a separation between the baryonic matter and a large non-luminous mass which is visible only through gravitational lensing. Evidence for DM also comes indirectly from detailed measurements of the angular fluctuations in the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB). A recent analysis of the CMB points to a universe consisting of only 5% ordinary matter, where the remaining content is due to 27% dark matter and 68% dark energy. These striking developments have engendered a continued effort to reveal the identity of DM. Namely, if DM has a particle explanation, the goal is to describe its properties and observe it in terrestrial experiments. Theoretically, a favored candidate for DM is the weaklyinteracting massive particle (WIMP) which emerges from various models in supersymmetry (SUSY), especially those which impose symmetries such as R-parity conservation. However, R-parity conserving SUSY is yet to be observed at the LHC, and many other theoreticallyviable alternatives exist for physics beyond the standard model (SM). In the last two decades, several surprising features have been observed in high-energy cosmic rays, as well as gamma-ray and microwave emissions from the galactic center. Recent results from direct DM searches DAMA/LIBRA and CDMS have shown excesses as well. When viewed collectively, these features motivate a dark sector explanation for dark matter which includes both particles and forces that are only loosely coupled to the SM. Here, we explore the experimental and theoretical motivations for a dark sector with an emphasis on dark photons. We discuss the theoretical properties of the dark photon as well as future experimental efforts to probe for its existence.
Loop mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP): a new generation of innovative gene amplification technique; perspectives in clinical diagnosis of infectious diseases

Loop mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) is a powerful innovative gene amplification technique emerging as a simple rapid diagnostic tool for early detection and identification of microbial diseases. The whole procedure is very simple and rapid wherein the amplification can be completed in less than 1 h under isothermal conditions employing a set of six specially designed primers spanning eight distinct sequences of a target gene, by incubating all the reagents in a single tube. Gene amplification products can be detected by agarose gel electrophoresis as well as by real‐time monitoring in an inexpensive turbidimeter. Gene copy number can also be quantified with the help of a standard curve generated from different concentrations of gene copy number plotted against time of positivity with the help of a real‐time turbidimeter. Alternatively, gene amplification can be visualised by the naked eye either as turbidity or in the form of a colour change when SYBR Green I, a fluorescent dsDNA intercalating dye, is employed. LAMP does not require a thermal cycler and can be performed simply with a heating block and/or water bath. Considering the advantages of rapid amplification, simple operation and easy detection, LAMP has potential applications for clinical diagnosis as well as surveillance of infectious diseases in developing countries without requiring sophisticated equipment or skilled personnel. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The Androgen Receptor Is Significantly Associated with Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor and Hypoxia Sensing via Hypoxia-Inducible Factors HIF-1a, HIF-2a, and the Prolyl Hydroxylases in Human Prostate Cancer

Purpose: Hypoxia regulates key biological processes including angiogenesis via the transcription factor, hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF). In prostate cancer, angiogenesis is also influenced by androgens, and recent cell line studies suggest that this effect is partly mediated by HIF. The study aimed to assess whether a relationship exists in human prostate cancer between expression of the androgen receptor, HIFs, and the key angiogenesis factor, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Experimental Design: A tissue microarray comprised of 149 radical prostatectomy specimens was constructed. Semiquantitative immunohistochemical analysis was used to assess the expression of the androgen receptor, VEGF and HIF-1a and 2a, and their regulatory prolyl hydroxylase enzymes (PHD1, PHD2, and PHD3). Statistical analysis compared these factors with each other and with prostate-specific antigen relapse. Results: There was a significant correlation between HIF-1a and HIF-2a expression (P = 0.02), and with androgen receptor (P = 0.04 and P < 0.001, respectively) and VEGF expression (P = 0.05 and P < 0.001, respectively). VEGF was also significantly related to the androgen receptor (P = 0.05), whereas PHD2 was inversely related to HIF-2a expression. No significant association was shown between HIF-1a or HIF-2a and time to prostate-specific antigen recurrence (P = 0.20 and P = 0.94, respectively). Conclusions: These findings confirm the relationship between hypoxia and the androgen receptor in prostate cancer, and show for the first time, the role of HIF-2a in this disease process. They provide clinical evidence to support the recent cell line findings that androgens may regulate VEGF levels through the activation of HIF in androgen-sensitive tumors. Inhibition of both the HIF pathways may provide new therapeutic options in the management of this disease.