Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
MITRAL REGURGITATION FOLLOWING FIRST TIME ACUTE MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION : Early and late echocardiographic evaluation

Objective: To compare the prevalence of mitral regurgitation in patients with first time acute myocardial infarction before hospital discharge and after two months follow up and its significance. Design: Prospective analysis of sixty patients presenting with first time acute myocardial infarction with age matched controls. Setting: Department of Medicine and Coronary Care Unit, postgraduate Medical Institute, Services
Perception of Auditor Independence, Audit Committee Characteristics, and Auditor Provision of Tax Services

The Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) greatly expanded audit committees’ oversight responsibilities by requiring that they pre-approve all non prohibited non-audit services (NAS), effectively making them “the gatekeepers” of auditor independence. Motivated by the SOX requirement and the controversy over the potential independence-impairing nature of tax NAS, we examine factors that are associated with audit committees’ decisions to approve tax NAS purchases for the years 2004 through 2007. We find that accounting financial experts are less likely to approve the purchase of any tax NAS than other audit committee members and, when they do, they approve lower levels relative to audit fees, suggesting that they are sensitive to the perceived threats to auditor independence at least in appearance. We find no such relation with non-accounting financial experts. We also find that audit committee members that hold multiple directorships approve lower levels of tax fees relative to audit fees than non busy members, possibly because they are concerned with the potential negative effects on their reputational capital if they approve high levels. Overall, our results suggest that audit committees make decisions consistent with concerns about independence impairment in appearance, as requested by the SEC.
Application of a radioimmunoassay for angiotensin I to the physiologic measurements of plasma renin activity in normal human subjects.

ABSTRACT A radioimmunoassay for angiotensin I and its application to the determination of renin activity is described. The assay employs antibodies raised to copolymers of angiotensin I and succinylated poly-l-lysine. Angiotensin labeled with 125I and purified by high voltage paper electrophoresis is employed as a tracer. Incubation is carried out in plasma in the presence of 3 metal binding reagents which serve to inhibit effectively proteolytic attack on angiotensin I. Immunoassay of generated angiotensin I is carried out directly on plasma diluted 1:20. Fifteen normal volunteers were studied on a metabolic ward at 2 levels of Na intake, during recumbency and upright posture, and following the administration of furosemide. Renin activity increased with Na restriction, was significantly higher on upright activity during both normal and restricted Na intake, and was most markedly elevated following the diuretic. Renin values obtained by immunoassay of angiotensin I correspond closely to those observed by .
Impact of humidity exposure during device fabrication on CZTSSe solar cell performance

The effect of exposing Cu2ZnSn(S,Se)4 films to ambient humidity during various stages of device fabrication was studied. Cu2ZnSn(S,Se)4 films were made via solution-based processing of binary and ternary metal-chalcogenide nanoparticle precursors. Following the formation of precursor films, storage conditions between successive steps for device completion were varied. The performance of finished devices showed little sensitivity to overnight storage conditions with the exception of exposure to high relative humidity prior to the p-n junction formation, which resulted in catastrophic efficiency loss. The time evolution of the moisture degradation was exponential, with a characteristic time of approximately 2 hours.
Limited Feedback Precoder Design for Spatial Modulation in MIMO Systems

We investigate the limited feedback precoding for spatial modulation in multiple-input multiple-output systems via using the codebook. To enhance bit error rate, we propose a codebook design which iteratively trains the codebook by two criteria. The first criterion is to partition the training set by assigning the best codeword to each training symbol; the second criterion is to optimize the codewords according to the assigned training symbols. Simulation results show that the proposed codebook design can effectively improve the SM-MIMO systems with small overhead.
The effect of the patient–physician relationship on health-related quality of life after cardiac rehabilitation

Abstract Purpose The patient–physician relationship has effects on adherence and health outcomes in chronic diseases. This prospective study investigates the effect of the patient–physician relationship on patients’ health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in the context of cardiac rehabilitation. Methods Three hundred and thirty-eight German patients filled out questionnaires at the start and end of rehabilitation and at 6 months follow-up. Patient–physician relationship variables surveyed were patient involvement (perceived involvement in care scales), trust in the physician, patient satisfaction (PHYSAT) and physician’s communicative behaviour (KOVA). After adjusting for multiple confounders, hierarchical regression analyses were conducted to predict the influence of the patient–physician relationship on HRQOL after rehabilitation. We further examined clinical relevance using minimal clinically important differences (MCID). Results In the hierarchical regression analyses, 42.8–54.9% of the variance at the end of rehabilitation and 22.4–40.5% at follow-up were explained. The patient–physician variables patient satisfaction, physician’s emotionally supportive communication and effective and open communication accounted for 1.4–2.6% of the variance and proved statistically and clinically significant for HRQOL change. Further predictors for better HRQOL were higher income and less trait anger. Conclusion Aspects of the patient–physician relationship are significant predictors for patients’ HRQOL after rehabilitation. Rehabilitation physicians should emotionally support the patients and communicate in an effective and open manner to enhance HRQOL. Implications for rehabilitation Aspects of the patient–physician relationship have effects on adherence and clinical outcomes in chronic diseases. In this cardiac sample, the patient–physician relationship had an influence on patients’ health-related quality of life (HRQOL) after inpatient rehabilitation. Rehabilitation physicians should emotionally support and encourage the patients and communicate with them in an effective and open manner to enhance patients’ HRQOL.
Predictive impact of 2-18fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose positron emission tomography for residual postchemotherapy masses in patients with bulky seminoma.

PURPOSE To establish the predictive potential of 2-18fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose positron emission tomography (FDG PET) for detecting viable tumor tissue in residual postchemotherapy masses of seminoma patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS In this prospective multicenter trial, results of FDG PET studies in seminoma patients with postchemotherapy masses > or = 1 cm were correlated with either the histology of the resected lesion or the clinical outcome on follow-up without resection. Negative PET scans of residual lesions that were devoid of viable tumor tissue on resection or disappeared, shrunk, or remained stable in size for at least 2 years were rated as true-negative (TN). Positive scans without histologic or clinical evidence of tumor tissue were classified as false-positive. In patients with histologically positive or progressive lesions, positive PET scans were defined as true-positive (TP) and negative scans, false-negative (FN). RESULTS Thirty-seven PET scans of 33 patients were assessable at a median follow-up time of 23 months (range, 2 to 46 months). Histologic data were available from nine patients who had undergone resection. Twenty-eight patients were followed-up clinically and radiologically. Twenty-eight scans were TN, eight were TP, and one was FN. All 14 residual lesions more than 3 cm and 22 (96%) of the 23 < or = 3 cm were correctly predicted by FDG PET. The specificity (100%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 87.7% to 100%), sensitivity (89%; 95% CI, 51.7% to 99.7%), positive predictive value (100%), and the negative predictive value (97%) of FDG PET were superior to data obtained by assessing residual tumor size (< or = or > 3 cm). CONCLUSION FDG PET is a clinically useful predictor of viable tumor in postchemotherapy residuals of pure seminoma, especially those greater than 3 cm.
FS4 for partial deafness treatment

Introduction In cochlear implants each signal delivered to the cochlea can be considered as a ‘carrier’: the temporal fine structure TFS, which is determined by the dominant frequencies in the signal that fall close to the center frequency of the band, and a temporal envelope E, which corresponds to the relatively slow fluctuations in amplitude superimposed on the carrier. Recent advances in technical developments with cochlear implant speech processors have opened new listening possibilities for cochlear implant users. Historically, coding strategies such as continued interleaved sampling (CIS) have transmitted the envelope function of the bandpass filtered acoustic signal, allowing for a high stimulation rate in a non-overlapping manner in order to reduce channel interaction. However, these strategies do not effectively transmit fine structure information which is considered to be most important for pitch and music perception as well as sound localization. It can thus be postulated that by providing fine structure in a cochlear implant coding strategy, listeners may be better able to perceive music, whereas historically this has been a difficult listening condition for cochlear implant users. The new strategies (FSP, FS4, FS4p) have been designed by Med-El to provide improved frequency coding in the apical channels of the cochlear implant. This is achieved by providing a temporal code for frequency which is derived from zero-crossings in the band-pass filter output signals on these channels (Lorens et al., 2012). It was assumed that after Partial Deafness Treatment with electric complementation (PDT EC) or application of electric and acoustic stimulation (PDT-EAS), fine structure information was presented without modification in the low-frequency range, thus compensating for a deficiency in the representation of the fine structure. PDT is a particular hearing preservation technique which can lead to three approaches for three distinct groups of patients (Skarzynski et al., 2010):
trans-Bis[1,2-bis(diphenylphosphanyl)ethane]chlorido(ethynyl)ruthenium(II)

The molecular structure of the title compound, trans-[Cu(C2H)Cl(C26H24P2)2], consists of an RuII cation, located on an inversion centre, in an octahedral environment defined by two chelating phosphines, one acetylide and one chloride ligand. The –C CH and the chlorine ligands are disordered over two equivalent positions (0.5 occupancy each). The coordination geometry is distorted octahedral, with the –C CH fragment and the Cl ligand in trans positions. The four P atoms occupy the equatorial plane of the octahedron and the chloride and acetylide ligands the axial positions.
Graded Smad 2 / 3 Activation Is Converted Directly into Levels of Target Gene Expression in Embryonic Stem Cells

The Transforming Growth Factor (TGF) b signalling family includes morphogens, such as Nodal and Activin, with important functions in vertebrate development. The concentration of the morphogen is critical for fate decisions in the responding cells. Smad2 and Smad3 are effectors of the Nodal/Activin branch of TGFb signalling: they are activated by receptors, enter the nucleus and directly transcribe target genes. However, there have been no studies correlating levels of Smad2/3 activation with expression patterns of endogenous target genes in a developmental context over time. We used mouse Embryonic Stem (ES) cells to create a system whereby levels of activated Smad2/3 can be manipulated by an inducible constitutively active receptor (Alk4*) and an inhibitor (SB-431542) that blocks specifically Smad2/3 activation. The transcriptional responses were analysed by microarrays at different time points during activation and repression. We identified several genes that follow faithfully and reproducibly the Smad2/3 activation profile. Twenty-seven of these were novel and expressed in the early embryo downstream of Smad2/3 signalling. As they responded to Smad2/3 activation in the absence of protein synthesis, they were considered direct. These immediate responsive genes included negative intracellular feedback factors, like SnoN and I-Smad7, which inhibit the transcriptional activity of Smad2/3. However, their activation did not lead to subsequent repression of target genes over time, suggesting that this type of feedback is inefficient in ES cells or it is counteracted by mechanisms such as ubiquitin-mediated degradation by Arkadia. Here we present an ES cell system along with a database containing the expression profile of thousands of genes downstream of Smad2/3 activation patterns, in the presence or absence of protein synthesis. Furthermore, we identify primary target genes that follow proportionately and with high sensitivity changes in Smad2/3 levels over 15–30 hours. The above system and resource provide tools to study morphogen function in development. Citation: Guzman-Ayala M, Lee KL, Mavrakis KJ, Goggolidou P, Norris DP, et al. (2009) Graded Smad2/3 Activation Is Converted Directly into Levels of Target Gene Expression in Embryonic Stem Cells. PLoS ONE 4(1): e4268. doi:10.1371/journal.pone. 0004268 Editor: Brian D. McCabe, Columbia University, United States of America Received August 2, 2008; Accepted December 30, 2008; Published January 27, 2009 Copyright: 2009 Guzman-Ayala et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Funding: This work was supported by the Medical Research Council, United Kingdom. Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist. * E-mail: vepiskop@csc.mrc. ac.uk . These authors contributed equally to this work.
Exploring the Presence of Moral Distress in Critical Care Nurses

With healthcare moving toward greater outpatient and preventative approaches, hospitalizations are increasingly intended for those who are critically ill. Frequently this requires the need for highly specialized nursing as well as resource utilization. Technological advances have aided in providing this type of intensive care but they have also compelled practitioners to make treatment decisions that did not previously exist. The conflict of maintaining one’s life without ascertaining whether there will be quality of life is just one example of a difficult situation that can lead to moral distress. The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of moral distress on critical care nurses. The project employed a survey design. After obtaining IRB approval, a convenience sample of 28 nurses was obtained from a small community hospital’s ICU and CCU. Each participant completed the Moral Distress Scale-Revised (MDS-R) measure and some demographic questions. Results confirmed that moral distress was present among the participants at low to moderate levels: 18 nurses (64%) scored low with seven nurses (25%) scoring in the moderate range. The most morally distressing experiences were related to end of life care. The most morally distressing and frequent event was that of “follow the family’s wishes to continue life support even though I believe it is not in the best interest of the patient”. There was no correlation between nurses’ age, level of experience and moral distress. Limitations included a small sample size and lack of diversity in age and experience. It is possible that the researcher’s affiliation with the unit could have affected participants’ responses regarding leaving their current position. The findings suggest that more research should be done on exploring the ethical climate and other factors that effect moral distress.
Regional asset indicators : the wealth of regions

Househol d financial well-being is critical to a region's overall economic health. Most analysts look to the annual flow of income as the most appropriate measure of economic well-being, but income is only the tip of the iceberg. Lying beneath the surface is wealth, a much bigger and generally more stable—yet hidden— financial asset. Despite being closely related to a region's long-run economic health, this important resource base for growth and stability is often overlooked. Measuring wealth is difficult, though, which is why income is often the preferred measure. One obvious component of household wealth is bank deposits, the subject of last April's Main Street Economist. Three other components are residential real estate, agricultural real estate, and financial and rental real estate investments. 1
An Improved Tolerant Permanent Faults in FIFO Buffers of NOC Routers Using Bench Mark Circuits

This router buffers during the operation in the field of short-encrypted hard faults NOC first in first out transparent testing technology in the development of the proposed on-line for this identity of faults. A model of the proposed algorithm to run the test periodically to prevent the accumulation of repetitive tests, the router technique involves be integrated into the channel interface and on-line testing has been performed with data traffic, such as synthetic self. The area has been studied by the hardware overhead synthesizing the test the performance of the test section of the circuit combines the NOC terms of investigated throughput. In addition, routing logic an on-line test technology for the transportation of samples to test, using the title proposed flits the data traffic movement.
Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation and Strength Recovery of Postnatal Diastasis Recti Abdominis Muscles

Objective To assess the effect of neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) on the recovery of abdominal muscle strength in postnatal women with diastasis of recti abdominis muscles (DRAM). Methods Sixty women, 2 months postnatal, participated in this study. They were divided randomly into two equal groups. Group A received NMES in addition to abdominal exercises; group B received only abdominal exercises. The intervention in both groups was for three times per week for 8 weeks. The outcome measures were body mass index (BMI), waist/hip ratio, inter recti distance (IRD), and abdominal muscle strength in terms of peak torque, maximum repetition total work, and average power. Results Both groups showed highly significant (p<0.05) improvement in all outcomes. Further, intergroup comparisons showed significant improvement (p<0.05) in all parameters in favor of group A, except for the BMI. Conclusion NMES helps reduce DRAM in postnatal women; if combined with abdominal exercises, it can augment the effects.
TrustedBox: a kernel-level integrity checker

There is a large number of situations in which computer security is unpopular. In fact, common users do not like too much restricted security policies. Usability is often preferred to security. Many users want to be free to use their computers to run untrusted applications. Moreover, it is not possible to require that every computer user is a security expert. As a consequence, it is very easy for hackers to gain access to a computer system, and to perform a number of unauthorized operations. In this paper we focus on the problem of system integrity. There are some applications in which system integrity is at least as important as privacy and service availability. For this purpose, we have designed and implemented TrustedBox, a kernel-level integrity checker that can be used to enforce a very restricted security policy and that allows users to use the same system to perform untrusted operations.
Where to Encourage Entry: Upstream or Downstream

In a vertically separated industry, where the input suppliers have significant market power, not only entry but also the markets (upstream and downstream) with entry possibilities might be a concern to the policy makers. While 'entry in the downstream market only' always increases welfare, 'entry in the upstream market only' increases welfare provided the technology of the upstream entrant is not sufficiently inferior to that of the incumbent. However, entry in the upstream market accompanied by entry in the downstream market may always increase welfare. Our results are important for the competition policy.
Synthesis and anticancer activity of some 1,2,3-trisubstituted pyrazinobenzimidazole derivatives

Abstract The synthesis of some new pyrazino[1,2-a]benzimidazole derivatives and investigation of their anticancer activities were aimed in this work. Thus, 2-acetylbenzimidazole was reacted with appropriate α-bromoacetophenones and potassium carbonate in acetone to give 2-(2-acetyl-1H-benzimidazol-1-yl)-1-phenylethanone derivatives (3a–d). These diketone compounds were reacted with varied benzylamines in acetic acid to obtain 2-benzyl-1-methylidene-3-aryl-1,2-dihydropyrazino[1,2-a]benzimidazole derivatives (4a–t). The structures of the obtained compounds were elucidated by using IR, 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, MS spectral data and elemental analyses results. Anticancer activities of the selected compounds were investigated in National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD. 3c and 4n showed remarkable anticancer activity comparing with standard drugs, melphalan and cisplatin.
Localizability-Constrained Deployment of Mobile Robotic Networks with Noisy Range Measurements

When nodes in a mobile network use relative noisy measurements with respect to their neighbors to estimate their positions, the overall connectivity and geometry of the measurement network has a critical influence on the achievable localization accuracy. This paper considers the problem of deploying a mobile robotic network implementing a cooperative localization scheme based on range measurements only, while attempting to maintain a network geometry that is favorable to estimating the robots' positions with high accuracy. The quality of the network geometry is measured by a “localizability” function serving as potential field for robot motion planning. This function is built from the Cramér-Rao bound, which provides for a given geometry a lower bound on the covariance matrix achievable by any unbiased position estimator that the robots might implement using their relative measurements. We describe gradient descent-based motion planners for the robots that attempt to optimize or constrain different variations of the network's localizability function, and discuss ways of implementing these controllers in a distributed manner. Finally, the paper also establishes formal connections between our statistical point of view and maintaining a form of weighted rigidity for the graph capturing the relative range measurements.
Ovulation Detection p . 2 Can Men Detect Ovulation ?

In contrast to our closest cousin, the chimpanzee, humans appear at first to lack cues of impending ovulation that would mark the fertile period in which a female can become pregnant. Consequently, that ovulation is “concealed” in women has long been the consensus among scientists studying human mating. A recent series of studies shows, however, that there are discernible cues of fertility in women’s social behaviors, body scents, voices, and, possibly, aspects of physical beauty. Some of these changes are subtle, but others are strikingly large (we report effect sizes ranging from small, d = 0.12 to large, d = 1.20). Moreover, emerging evidence suggests that women’s male partners may adaptively shift their behavior in response to cues of approaching ovulation. These results have far-reaching implications for understanding fluctuations in attraction, conflict, and relationship dynamics.