Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Lipid-lowering treatment in hypercholesterolaemic patients: the CEPHEUS Pan-Asian survey

Background: Treatment of hypercholesterolaemia in Asia is rarely evaluated on a large scale, and data on treatment outcome are scarce. The Pan-Asian CEPHEUS study aimed to assess low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) goal attainment among patients on lipid-lowering therapy. Methods: This survey was conducted in eight Asian countries. Hypercholesterolaemic patients aged ≥18 years who had been on lipid-lowering treatment for ≥3 months (stable medication for ≥6 weeks) were recruited, and lipid concentrations were measured. Demographic and other clinically relevant information were collected, and the cardiovascular risk of each patient was determined. Definitions and criteria set by the updated 2004 National Cholesterol Education Program guidelines were applied. Results: In this survey, 501 physicians enrolled 8064 patients, of whom 7281 were included in the final analysis. The mean age was 61.0 years, 44.4% were female, and 85.1% were on statin monotherapy. LDL-C goal attainment was reported in 49.1% of patients overall, including 51.2% of primary and 48.7% of secondary prevention patients, and 36.6% of patients with familial hypercholesterolaemia. The LDL-C goal was attained in 75.4% of moderate risk, 55.4% of high risk, and only 34.9% of very high-risk patients. Goal attainment was directly related to age and inversely related to cardiovascular risk and baseline LDL-C. Conclusion: A large proportion of Asian hypercholesterolaemic patients on lipid-lowering drugs are not at recommended LDL-C levels and remain at risk for cardiovascular disease. Given the proven efficacy of lipid-lowering drugs in the reduction of LDL-C, there is room for further optimization of treatments to maximize benefits and improve outcomes.
Stability-activity tradeoffs constrain the adaptive evolution of RubisCO

Significance How enzymes acquire new functions is a key question in evolutionary biology. Here, we studied the evolution of some forms of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase, the enzyme responsible for CO2 fixation in photosynthesis, which has evolved enhanced activity in multiple groups of plants. We showed that the evolution of this enzyme was constrained by tradeoffs between activity and stability, two key properties of enzymes. The acquisition of enhanced activity was mediated by mutations destabilizing the structure. However, these were preceded and followed by periods in which stabilizing mutations were predominant, so that global stability was always maintained. This work shows that the natural evolution of enzymes is subject to strong biophysical constraints, and evolution follows perilous paths toward adaptation. A well-known case of evolutionary adaptation is that of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase (RubisCO), the enzyme responsible for fixation of CO2 during photosynthesis. Although the majority of plants use the ancestral C3 photosynthetic pathway, many flowering plants have evolved a derived pathway named C4 photosynthesis. The latter concentrates CO2, and C4 RubisCOs consequently have lower specificity for, and faster turnover of, CO2. The C4 forms result from convergent evolution in multiple clades, with substitutions at a small number of sites under positive selection. To understand the physical constraints on these evolutionary changes, we reconstructed in silico ancestral sequences and 3D structures of RubisCO from a large group of related C3 and C4 species. We were able to precisely track their past evolutionary trajectories, identify mutations on each branch of the phylogeny, and evaluate their stability effect. We show that RubisCO evolution has been constrained by stability-activity tradeoffs similar in character to those previously identified in laboratory-based experiments. The C4 properties require a subset of several ancestral destabilizing mutations, which from their location in the structure are inferred to mainly be involved in enhancing conformational flexibility of the open-closed transition in the catalytic cycle. These mutations are near, but not in, the active site or at intersubunit interfaces. The C3 to C4 transition is preceded by a sustained period in which stability of the enzyme is increased, creating the capacity to accept the functionally necessary destabilizing mutations, and is immediately followed by compensatory mutations that restore global stability.
The effect of cigarette smoke on fibroblast-mediated gel contraction is dependent on cell density

Cigarette smoke exposure has been associated with a variety of diseases, including emphysema. The current study evaluated the interaction of cell density and cigarette smoke extract (CSE) on fibroblast contraction of collagen gels. Protein levels of TGF-β1, fibronectin and PGE2 and TGF-β1 mRNA were quantified. Although both 5% and 10% CSE inhibited contraction by low-density fibroblasts (1x10 cell/ml), only 5% CSE augmented contraction in higher-density cultures (3-5 x10 cells/ml). CSE also inhibited fibronectin and TGF-β1 production in low-density cultures, but stimulated fibronectin production in high-density cultures. Active TGF-β1 was readily detectable only in higher-density cultures, and was markedly augmented by 5% CSE. In contrast, although TGF-β1 mRNA expression was inhibited in high-density cultures by 10% CSE, expression was increased in the presence of 5% CSE. These results suggest that CSE-induced inhibition of low-density fibroblast contraction is due to inhibition of fibronectin production, while CSE’s stimulatory effect on high-density cells is the result of increased release of TGF-β1. These effects may help explain the varied pathologies associated with exposure to cigarette smoke.
The Price of Promiscuity : Does the Number of Sex Partners Affect School Attainment ?

We use data on young women from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health to explore the relationship between number of sex partners and educational attainment. Ordinary least squares and instrumental variables estimates suggest that number of sex partners is negatively related to educational attainment, a result that is consistent with the argument that romantic involvements are time consuming and can impose substantial emotional costs on adolescents and young adults. The estimated relationship between number of sex partners and educational attainment is robust to controlling for teen fertility and age at first intercourse, and persists when age at first intercourse is treated as an endogenous variable. We conclude that reducing the number of sex partners during adolescence and young adulthood may yield important educational benefits.
Lateral-Direction Control via Reaction Control System

This paper presents the design of lateral/directional control with RCS on reentry of Reusable Launch Vehicle. Thecontrol law are designed, with great computational advantage,for a linear system and then applied in a nonlinear way with on-off type RCS. The lateral/directional control concept essentially reverses the traditional role of the lateral force effectors. The feedback of roll rate to aileron is used to damping the Dutch roll while the yaw jets is used to damping roll mode and maintaining the roll attitude. And a revised PWM is developed based on principle of equivalent accumulated impulse. The final simulation result shows the validity of this method.
Pouring Cloud Virtualization Security Inside Out

In this article, virtualization security concerns in the cloud computing domain are reviewed. The focus is toward virtual machine (VM) security where attacks and vulnerabilities such as VM escape, VM hopping, cross-VM side-channel, VM-based rootkits (VMBRs), VM mobility, and VM remote are mentioned and discussed according to their relevance in the clouds. For each attack we outline how they affect the security of cloud systems. Countermeasures and security measures to detect or prevent them through techniques such as VM detection, GuardHype, VM introspection, VM image scanning, etc. are also discussed. Through the surveyed work we present a classification of VM threats within the clouds. Finally, we include our observations and those of other researchers on this matter of cloud virtualization security.
Performance analysis of TCM with generalized selection combining on Rayleigh fading channels

In this paper, we analyze the performance of trellis coded modulation (TCM) schemes with generalized selection combining (GSC) on fading channels. We first derive the computational cutoff rate, R/sub 0/, for coherent TCM schemes on i.i. d. Rayleigh fading channels with (K, L) GSC diversity which combines the K paths with the largest instantaneous SNR among the L available diversity paths. The cutoff rate is shown to be a simple function of the moment generating function (MGF) of the SNR at the output of the (K, L) GSC receiver. The cutoff rate results show that, at a cutoff rate of 1 bit/sec/Hz, 8-PSK modulation with (1, 3) GSC requires about the same E/sub b//N/sub 0/ as QPSK modulation with (2,3) GSC. Also, at 1.5 bits/sec/Hz, 8-PSK with (1, 3) GSC and QPSK with (3,3) GSC require about the same E/sub b//N/sub 0/. This illustrates that in TCM schemes with GSC diversity, the modulation complexity (i.e., alphabet size, M) and the GSC receiver complexity (i.e., the number of combined diversity paths, K) can be traded off to achieve a desired performance. Next, we derive the union bound on the bit error probability of TCM schemes with (K, L) GSC reception in the form of a simple, finite integral. The effectiveness of this bound is verified through simulations.
Numerical Quadrature of the Subband Distribution Functions in Strained Silicon UTB Devices

In this work, the kldrp method is used to calculate the electronic subband structure. To reduce the computational cost of the carrier concentration calculation and henceforth the required number of numerical solutions of the Schrodinger equation, an efficient 2D k-space integration by means of the Clenshaw-Curtis method is proposed. The suitability of our approach is demonstrated by simulation results of Si UTB double gate nMOS and pMOS devices.
Single-loop control and trajectory following of a flapping-wing microrobot

Inspired by the agility of flying insects and the recent development on an insect-scale aerial vehicle, we propose a single-loop adaptive flight control suite designed with an emphasis on the ability to track dynamic trajectories as a step towards the goal of performing acrobatic maneuvers as observed in real insects. Instead of the conventional approach of having cascaded control loops, the proposed controller directly regulates the commanded torques to stabilize the attitude and lateral position in a single loop. The method is verified by performing trajectory following flights with the insect-like robot. The results show that the position errors during trajectory following flights are comparable to those observed from steady hovering flights.
Representing Definitions And Its Associated Knowledge In A Learning Program

Category allows the abstraction of similar ideas into a single term for easy communication with another person. The similarities may be succinctly captured by a definition. In this paper, we are interested in the implementation of a program to acquire definitions, and use them to answer questions concerning these definitions. Several major components of a definition have been identified and implemented: given, condition, and method. The different subclasses and other associated class hierarchies needed are presented. The methods learned may be used to answer two different kinds of questions, namely the “is” and the “what” questions. The “is” question is to solve the classification problem, whereas the “what” question is to find an answer that satisfies some definition. When answering a question posted by a human, the answer is obtained by executing the appropriate method, with its required arguments collected from the given question. A simple scheme to store and name the methods has been designed to locate effectively the correct method. Our design is done using Object-Oriented paradigms, and the system implemented in C++. 1 This research is based in part upon work supported by the University of Houston Small Grant program under Grant I092371. Representing Definitions and its Associated Knowledge in a Learning Program
ASVMRT: Materialized View Selection Algorithm in Data Warehouse

In order to acquire a precise and quick response to an analytical query, proper selection of the views to materialize in the data warehouse is crucial. In traditional view selection algorithms, all relations are considered for selection as materialized views. However, materializing all relations rather than a part results in much worse performance in terms of time and space costs. Therefore, we present an improved algorithm for selection of views to materialize using the clustering method to overcome the problem resulting from conventional view selection algorithms. In the presented algorithm, ASVMRT (Algorithm for Selection of Views to Materialize using Reduced Table), we first generate reduced tables in the data warehouse using clustering based on attribute-values density, and then we consider the combination of reduced tables as materialized views instead of a combination of the original base relations. For the justification of the proposed algorithm, we reveal the experimental results in which both time and space costs are approximately 1.8 times better than conventional algorithms.
Cognitively Plausible Heuristics to Tackle the Computational Complexity of Abductive Reasoning

Abduction is a ubiquitous reasoning task in human problem solving. Its ubiquity is somewhat in contradiction with its computational complexity which has been shown to be in general NP. The fact that humans perform abductive reasoning tasks in a "reasonable" time and within the limits of their cognitive architecture led us to hypothesize the existence of computational heuristics used in order to tackle abductive complexity. In this work we identify and study 2 types of such heuristics. First, working from protocols gathered from expert blood bankers performing the abductive task of alloantibody identification, we compare the conclusion of the protocol analysis to the results of the formal computational complexity analysis of abduction. This comparison yields interesting explanations of cognitive phenomena based on a computational theory argument. We then analyze the role a particular type of knowledge called Essentials can have in reaching an acceptable abductive explanation. For each of these heuristics we implement a computational model and discuss its theoretical and cognitive aspects. We also discuss the relevancy of using computational complexity arguments as a tool to explain human behavior and to generate hypotheses in cognitive science research. Finally the present work is related to previous work and future extensions are proposed.
A massively parallel PicoTiterPlate™ based platform for discrete picoliter‐scale polymerase chain reactions

We demonstrate successful, simultaneous polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of up to 300 000 discrete reactions in a novel platform, the PicoTiterPlate™. In addition to elevated throughput, the PicoTiterPlate™ based amplifications (PTPCR) can be performed in extremely small volumes: individual reactions volumes are as low as 39.5 pL, with a total 15.3 μL reaction volume for the entire PicoTiterPlate™. The bulk PTPCR product can be recovered and assayed with real‐time PCR, or discrete PTPCR products can be driven to solid supports, enabling downstream applications such as translation/transcription or sequencing.
Sentinel lymph node biopsy for thin melanoma‐con

When sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) for the regional staging of melanoma was first introduced, it was recommended for any patient with a melanoma between 1.0 and 4.0 mm in Breslow thickness. Patients with thin melanomas were not felt to have a sufficiently high risk to warrant the additional cost and morbidity of the procedure. As experience grew, several retrospective series identified risk factors beyond Breslow thickness that were associated with an increased risk of regional metastases, and should therefore prompt consideration of SLN biopsy for patients with melanomas shy of 1.0 mm (generally considered to be 0.76–0.99 mm). These were quite varied and included Clark level IV or V, ulceration, mitotic rate (MR), angiolymphatic invasion, and the age of the patient (younger patients having a higher rate of SLN metastases than their older counterparts), with the last three being the most consistent. SLN biopsy is also often recommended for patients with thin melanoma who have significant regression or a positive deep margin, as the true Breslow thickness is often unknown. When the most recent version of the AJCC staging system for melanoma was released [1], one of the most significant changes was the classification of stage T1b as any melanoma 1.00 mm with ulceration or a MR of 1/mm 2 . Despite the caveat that ‘‘the AJCC Melanoma Staging Database did not contain sufficient data to assess risk of occult nodal micrometastases in this population,’’ many surgeons have advocated extending the indications for SLNB to include any T1b melanoma. This would include any melanoma <0.76 mm with a MR of at least 1/mm 2 . However, this is not an accurate interpretation of the data. One might assume that the majority of these patients recur regionally first, then distally, and survival may be impacted because of regional recurrence. However, recent data suggests that this is not true; T1b status does not impact regional recurrence but does increase the likelihood of distant recurrence [2]. These data support the new AJCC staging system for prognostication, but not for selection for SLNB. So should SLN biopsy be performed for patients with T1b melanoma? As with most debates in medicine, most of the controversy centers on the semantics. Are there some patients with T1b melanomas who require SLN biopsy? Absolutely, this has never been in debate, as discussed above. So the real controversy centers on two questions:
Consistency of Hemodynamic Responses to Cold Stress in Adolescents

Laboratory research on hypertension often is performed with cold stress to elicit vasoconstriction and increases in blood pressure. Several studies have shown that cardiovascular responses to the cold pressor test predict the development of hypertension. We extended this research by comparing cardiovascular responses to a traditional forehead cold pressor test and a naturalistic whole-body cold exposure. We evaluated blood pressure and impedance cardiographic measures of cardiac output and total peripheral resistance in healthy black (n=69) and white (n=47) adolescents (mean age, 14.7 years) during forehead cold pressor (3°C to 4°C) and passive whole-body exposure to a cold chamber (8°C to 10°C). Both tasks elicited increases in vascular resistance and blood pressure, but forehead cold elicited an increase in cardiac output, whereas whole-body cold elicited a decrease in cardiac output (P <0.05). Consistent with previous research, there was a tendency toward greater vasoconstrictive reactivity to cold stress in blacks than in whites, particularly during whole-body cold exposure (P <0.05). Cardiovascular reactivity correlated significantly between tasks, but substantial intertask consistency occurred only for cardiac and vascular reactivity in male subjects (r >0.30) but not in female subjects (r <0.15). These gender differences might reflect diminished adrenergic receptor function in female subjects. We conclude that whole-body cold exposure offers a viable, relatively naturalistic alternative to traditional cold pressor tests for the assessment of cardiovascular reactivity.
Characterization of the SPECT 5-HT2A receptor ligand 123I-R91150 in healthy volunteers: part 2--ketanserin displacement.

UNLABELLED As part of the radioiodinated 4-amino-N-1-[3-(4-fluorophenoxy)propyl]-4-methyl-4-piperidinyl]5-iodo-2-methoxybenzamide ((123)I-R91150) characterization study, ketanserin challenges were performed on healthy volunteers with the aim of assessing the specificity of (123)I-R91150 binding to subtype 2A of the 5-hydroxytryptamine receptor (5-HT(2A)), the sensitivity of (123)I-R91150 SPECT in measuring ligand displacement, the relationship between ketanserin plasma concentrations and (123)I-R91150 displacement, and the suitability of the cerebellum as a reference region for quantification. METHODS Dynamic SPECT was performed on 6 healthy men (mean age +/- SD, 21 +/- 0.89 y) from the time of (123)I-R91150 injection until 470 min afterward. Ketanserin was administered intravenously at 210 min after injection at 3 doses: 0.1 mg/kg (n = 2), 0.05 mg/kg (n = 2), and 0.015 mg/kg (n = 2). Blood samples for measurement of ketanserin plasma concentrations were drawn. MRI was performed on all subjects and coregistered to the SPECT data for region-of-interest drawing on cortical regions and cerebellum. The simplified reference tissue model (SRTM) was considered the gold standard for quantification, and results were compared with those obtained with the tissue ratio method (TR). The percentage (123)I-R91150 displacement was calculated with both methods as the percentage difference between baseline and postketanserin scans. RESULTS Depending on the cerebral regions with the maximum ketanserin dose studied, SRTM and TR mean displacements were 57.1%-95.4% and 71.9%-101.2%, respectively, for the 0.1 mg/kg dose; 51.7%-91.4% and 56.7%-102.8%, respectively, for the 0.05 mg/kg dose; and 7.7%-54.5% and 13.8%-47.0%, respectively, for the lowest dose, 0.015 mg/kg. A good correlation was found between the 2 methods. No ketanserin-induced displacement was observed in the cerebellum time-activity curves, supporting the use of the cerebellum as a reference region. The relationship between displacement and ketanserin plasma concentration fit with a rectangular hyperbola, with a 5.6 ng/mL concentration associated with 50% of the maximum displacement (EC(50)). EC(50) values calculated using occupancies derived both with SRTM and with TR were in good agreement. CONCLUSION (123)I-R91150 SPECT is sensitive enough to measure ketanserin dose-dependent displacement in cerebral regions rich in 5-HT(2A) receptors. These results support the selectivity of (123)I-R91150 for 5-HT(2A) receptors and its use as a SPECT ligand for measurements of drug-induced 5-HT(2A) receptor occupancy in humans.