Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
In-hospital and long-term mortality in Takotsubo cardiomyopathy: a community hospital experience

Background Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TTC) is characterized by reversible left ventricular dysfunction, frequently precipitated by a stressful event. Despite the favorable course and good long-term prognosis, a variety of complications may occur in the acute phase of the disease. The aim of this study was to evaluate the in-hospital and long-term outcomes of a cohort of TTC patients. Methods Fifty-five patients (mean age 68.1±12 years) were prospectively followed for a mean of 69.6±32.2 months (64,635 days). In-hospital (death, heart failure, arrhythmias) and long-term events (death and recurrences) were recorded. Results Patients were predominantly women (87.3%) who experienced a recent stressful event (emotional or physical) and were admitted to hospital for chest pain. Eleven patients (20%) had a diagnosis of depressive disorder, and arterial hypertension was the most frequent cardiovascular risk factor. The ECG revealed ST-segment elevation in 43.6% of patients. At angiography, seven cases (12.7%) had at least one significant (≥50%) coronary artery stenosis and four patients (7.3%) had myocardial bridging of the left anterior descending artery. During hospitalization, three patients died (one from cardiac causes) and cardiovascular complications occurred in 12 patients. During follow-up, five patients died (none from cardiac causes), six patients had recurrences within the first year. Two patients had two recurrences: one after 114 days, triggered by an asthma attack as the first event, and the other after 1,850 days. Conclusions In TTC patients, in-hospital and long-term mortality is primarily due to non-cardiovascular causes. Recurrences are not infrequent and coronary artery disease is not an uncommon finding.
Vitamin B12 and hepatitis C: Molecular biology and human pathology

Cobalamins are stored in high concentrations in the human liver and thus are available to participate in the regulation of hepatotropic virus functions. We show that cyanocobalamin (vitamin B12) inhibited the HCV internal ribosome entry site (IRES)-dependent translation of a reporter gene in vitro in a dose-dependent manner without significantly affecting the cap-dependent mechanism. Vitamin B12 failed to inhibit translation by IRES elements from encephalomyocarditis virus (EMCV) or classical swine fever virus (CSFV). We also demonstrate a relationship between the total cobalamin concentration in human sera and HCV viral load (a measure of viral replication in the host). The mean viral load was two orders of magnitude greater when the serum cobalamin concentration was above 200 pM (P < 0.003), suggesting that the total cobalamin concentration in an HCV-infected liver is biologically significant in HCV replication.
Lactose Enhances Mineral Absorption in Infancy

Summary To determine if lactose promotes the intestinal absorption of calcium and other minerals by infants, metabolic balance studies were performed with infants fed two formulas nearly identical in composition except for carbohydrate. One contained only lactose and the other contained sucrose and corn starch hydrolysate. Each of six normal infants had two balance studies performed with each formula in alternating sequence. When lactose was the carbohydrate, net absorption and net retention of calcium were significantly greater than when lactose was not present in the formula. Absorptions of magnesium and manganese were also significantly enhanced by lactose. Absorptions of copper and zinc were somewhat greater (not statistically significant) when lactose was present, whereas absorption of iron was not affected. Absorption of phosphorus was not different, but urinary excretion was less when the lactose-containing formula was fed and, hence, net retention of phosphorus was significantly enhanced. These results confirm findings from animal studies and previous human studies and show that, in infants, lactose has a significant and sustained promoting effect on absorption of calcium and other minerals.
An Algorithm for the Computation ofPreimages in Noninvertible MappingsChia -

For discrete dynamical systems generated by iterating a diieomor-phism, every point in the phase space has a unique preimage and it is straightforward to compute geometric structures such as inverse orbits and one-dimensional stable manifolds of periodic points. For non-invertible mappings, however, some points have multiple preimages; others may have no preimages. This makes the computation of inverse orbits diicult, because accurate computations require global knowledge about the way the mapping folds and pleats phase space. In this article we use ideas from singularity theory to examine the geometry of noninvertible mappings. We use the geometry to derive a computational algorithm for eeciently computing preimages in nonin-vertible mappings.
GLHS: A Generalized Lightness, Hue, and Saturation Color Model

Abstract We discuss the problem of color organization and modeling in general and in computer graphics in particular. After a brief review of the Red, Green, and Blue (RGB) and Lightness, Hue, and Saturation (LHS) color models in computer graphics, a generalization of the latter, the Generalized Lightness, Hue, and Saturation (GLHS) model, is introduced, derived, and discussed. It is shown that previously used LHS color models are special cases of GLHS and can be obtained from it by appropriate assignments to its free parameters. We derive some mathematical results concerning the relation between GLHS and RGB. Using these, we are able to give a single pair of simple algorithms for transforming from GLHS to RGB and vice versa. This single pair of algorithms transforms between RGB and any of the previously published HSL, HSV, and HLS models, as well as any other special case of the generalized model. Nevertheless, they are as simple as the separate algorithms published previously. Illustrations are given of color gamuts defined by various assignments to the free parameters of the GLHS system as they appear on the display monitor under the control of a Multiple Color Model Image Display System. Finally, we discuss briefly the potential for finding within the GLHS family a model that provides the closest approximation to a uniform color space. Such a model shares the perceptual properties of a proven uniform model and, at the same time, the algorithmic properties of the GLHS family.
State-space Planning by Integer Optimization

This paper describes ILP-PLAN, a framework for solving AI planning problems represented as integer linear programs. ILP-PLAN extends the planning as satisfiability framework to handle plans with resources, action costs, and complex objective functions. We show that challenging planning problems can be effectively solved using both traditional branch and-bound IP solvers and efficient new integer local search algorithms. ILP-PLAN can find better quality solutions for a set of hard benchmark logistics planning problems than had been found by any earlier system.
Parentage test in broad-snouted caimans (Caiman latirostris, Crocodylidae) using microsatellite DNA

In this study, microsatellite markers, developed for Alligator mississipiensis and Caiman latirostris, were used to assess parentage among individuals from the captive colony of Caiman latirostris at the University of São Paulo, in Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil. Many of the females in the colony were full siblings, which made maternal identification difficult due to genotypic similarity. Even so, the most likely mother could be identified unambiguously among offspring in most of the clutches studied. Two non-parental females displayed maternal behavior which would have misled managers in assigning maternity based on behavior alone. This set of variable loci demonstrates the utility of parentage testing in captive propagation programs.
Lack of parallel genetic patterns underlying the repeated ecological divergence of beach and stream‐spawning kokanee salmon

Recent progress in methods for detecting adaptive population divergence in situ shows promise for elucidating the conditions under which selection acts to generate intraspecific diversity. Rapid ecological diversification is common in fishes; however, the role of phenotypic plasticity and adaptation to local environments is poorly understood. It is now possible to investigate genetic patterns to make inferences regarding phenotypic traits under selection and possible mechanisms underlying ecotype divergence, particularly where similar novel phenotypes have arisen in multiple independent populations. Here, we employed a bottom‐up approach to test for signatures of directional selection associated with divergence of beach‐ and stream‐spawning kokanee, the obligate freshwater form of sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka). Beach‐ and stream‐spawners co‐exist in many post‐glacial lakes and exhibit distinct reproductive behaviours, life‐history traits and spawning habitat preferences. Replicate ecotype pairs across five lakes in British Columbia, Canada were genotyped at 57 expressed sequence tag‐linked and anonymous microsatellite loci identified in a previous genome scan. Fifteen loci exhibited signatures of directional selection (high FST outliers), four of which were identified in multiple lakes. However, the lack of parallel genetic patterns across all lakes may be a result of: 1) an inability to detect loci truly under selection; 2) alternative genetic pathways underlying ecotype divergence in this system; and/or 3) phenotypic plasticity playing a formative role in driving kokanee spawning habitat differences. Gene annotations for detected outliers suggest pathogen resistance and energy metabolism as potential mechanisms contributing to the divergence of beach‐ and stream‐spawning kokanee, but further study is required.
Accurate Modeling and Generation of Storage I / O for Datacenter Workloads

Tools that confidently recreate I/O workloads have become a critical requirement in designing efficient storage systems for datacenters (DCs), since potential inefficiencies get aggregated over several thousand servers. Designing performance, power and cost optimized systems requires a deep understanding of target workloads, and mechanisms to effectively model different design choices. Traditional benchmarking is invalid in cloud data-stores, representative storage profiles are hard to obtain, while replaying the entire application in all storage configurations is impractical. Despite these issues, current workload generators are not comprehensive enough to accurately reproduce key aspects of real application patterns. Some of these features include spatial and temporal locality, as well as tuning the intensity of the workload to emulate different storage system behaviors. To address these limitations, we use a state diagram-based storage model, extend it to a hierarchical representation and implement a tool that consistently recreates I/O loads of DC applications. We present the design of the tool and the validation process performed against six original DC applications traces. We explore the practical applications of this methodology in two important storage challenges 1) SSD caching and 2) defragmentation benefits on enterprise storage. In both cases we observe significant storage speedup for most of the DC applications. Since knowledge of the workload’s spatial locality is necessary to model these use cases, our tool was instrumental in quantifying their performance benefits.
Revisiting Relative Location Estimation in Wireless Sensor Networks

Relative location estimation plays an important role of localization in wireless sensor networks (WSNs). In WSNs with planned deployment of anchor nodes, some prior information may be available. Existing work on relative location estimation rarely takes into account the lognormal fading effect of wireless channel and the prior probability of the link distance to each reachable anchor node. As a result, when applied to such environments, they may not work effectively. In this paper, we propose a new model called Probability-based Maximum Likelihood (PML) for relative location estimation. With some prior information, the estimation accuracy can be improved significantly. We also discuss the impact of over-estimation and under-estimation of the distance to each reachable anchor node on the accuracy of relative location estimation, and introduce the concept of the compensation factor to combat such effects. The simulation results show that the proposed PML outperforms existing solutions in terms of estimation accuracy for WSNs with planned deployment of anchor nodes.
Evaluation of an Alternate Method for Determining Yield Strength Offset Values for Selective Laser Sintered Polymeric Materials

Due to the unique characteristics of Additively Manufactured (AM) polymeric materials, typical mechanical strength characterization methods such as those commonly used for traditionally-processed polymers or composite materials can produce results that do not accurately represent material capabilities. In order to characterize mechanical properties of these materials, new test and analysis methods are required. As part of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Advanced Composites Project (ACP), Boeing has evaluated true yield testing as an alternative or complimentary test to 0.2% offset yield testing for determining appropriate yield strength values of polymer materials. Previous testing has shown high strain, low modulus polymer materials such as selective laser sintered (SLS) Nylon 11 at elevated temperatures produce large variations in yield strength. The true yield test method was successful in finding the applied strain level when yield commences and appears to offer an increase in data robustness. The material contained in this paper is based upon work supported by NASA under award No. NNL09AA00A through a sub award from the National Institute of Aerospace.
An infiltration method for preparing single-wall nanotube/epoxy composites with improved thermal conductivity

Recent studies of SWNT/polymer nanocomposites identify the large interfacial thermal resistance at nanotube/nanotube junctions as a primary cause for the only modest increases in thermal conductivity relative to the polymer matrix. To reduce this interfacial thermal resistance, we prepared a freestanding nanotube framework by removing the polymer matrix from a 1 wt % SWNT/PMMA composite by nitrogen gasification and then infiltrated it with epoxy resin and cured. The SWNT/epoxy composite made by this infiltration method has a micron-scale, bicontinuous morphology and much improved thermal conductivity (220% relative to epoxy) due to the more effective heat transfer within the nanotube-rich phase. By applying a linear mixing rule to the bicontinuous composite, we conclude that even at high loadings the nanotube framework more effectively transports phonons than well-dispersed SWNT bundles. Contrary to the widely accepted approaches, these findings suggest that better thermal and electrical conductivities can be accomplished via heterogeneous distributions of SWNT in polymer matrices. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 44: 1513–1519, 2006
Newcastle Disease Virus Expressing Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Envelope Glycoprotein Induces Strong Mucosal and Serum Antibody Responses in Guinea Pigs

ABSTRACT Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) is transmitted mainly through mucosal sites. Optimum strategies to elicit both systemic and mucosal immunity are critical for the development of vaccines against HIV-1. We therefore sought to evaluate the induction of systemic and mucosal immune responses by the use of Newcastle disease virus (NDV) as a vaccine vector. We generated a recombinant NDV, designated rLaSota/gp160, expressing the gp160 envelope (Env) protein of HIV-1 from an added gene. The gp160 protein expressed by rLaSota/gp160 virus was detected on an infected cell surface and was incorporated into the NDV virion. Biochemical studies showed that gp160 present in infected cells and in the virion formed a higher-order oligomer that retained recognition by conformationally sensitive monoclonal antibodies. Expression of gp160 did not increase the virulence of recombinant NDV (rNDV) strain LaSota. Guinea pigs were administered rLaSota/gp160 via the intranasal (i.n.) or intramuscular (i.m.) route in different prime-boost combinations. Systemic and mucosal antibody responses specific to the HIV-1 envelope protein were assessed in serum and vaginal washes, respectively. Two or three immunizations via the i.n. or i.m. route induced a more potent systemic and mucosal immune response than a single immunization by either route. Priming by the i.n. route was more immunogenic than by the i.m. route, and the same was true for the boosts. Furthermore, immunization with rLaSota/gp160 by any route or combination of routes induced a Th1-type response, as reflected by the induction of stronger antigen-specific IgG2a than IgG1 antibody responses. Additionally, i.n. immunization elicited a stronger neutralizing serum antibody response to laboratory-adapted HIV-1 strain MN.3. These data illustrate that it is feasible to use NDV as a vaccine vector to elicit potent humoral and mucosal responses to the HIV-1 envelope protein.
A Differential Pressure Laminar Flow Reactor Supports Osteogenic Differentiation and Extracellular Matrix Formation from Adipose Mesenchymal Stem Cells in a Macroporous Ceramic Scaffold

Abstract We present a laminar flow reactor for bone tissue engineering that was developed based on a computational fluid dynamics model. The bioreactor design permits a laminar flow field through its specific internal shape. An integrated bypass system that prevents pressure build-up through bypass openings for pressure release allows for a constant pressure environment during the changing of permeability values that are caused by cellular growth within a porous scaffold. A macroporous ceramic scaffold, composed of zirconium dioxide, was used as a test biomaterial that studies adipose stem cell behavior within a controlled three-dimensional (3D) flow and pressure environment. The topographic structure of the material provided a basis for stem cell proliferation and differentiation toward the osteogenic lineage. Dynamic culture conditions in the bioreactor supported cell viability during long-term culture and induced cell cluster formation and extra-cellular matrix deposition within the porous scaffold, though no complete closure of the pores with new-formed tissue was observed. We postulate that our system is suitable for studying fluid shear stress effects on stem cell proliferation and differentiation toward bone formation in tissue-engineered 3D constructs.
Shape-from-focus using Total Variation Prior and Split Bregman algorithm

Shape-from-focus is a method which estimates the 3D structure of an object by measuring the degree of focus in a stack of space-variantly blurred frames captured with relative motion between camera and the specimen. Posing the estimation of 3D shape as an inverse problem we propose an elegant optimization-based framework using the total variation of the depth map as a regularization constraint. We make the reasonable assumption that the focused image of the 3D specimen is available since it can be reconstructed from the large number of captured images in the stack. The split Bregman technique is used to solve the resulting l1-norm minimization problem to estimate the depth map of the underlying 3D object. We show by experiments on various synthetic and real cases that our method can yield results comparable to other state-of-the-art techniques.
FEDERAL RESERVE BANK of PHILADELPHIA

The course of the economy in 1974 is about as uncertain as at any time in recent memory, but one thing is clear: various parts of the economy will behave quite differently and this will call for highly selective public policy. 1974 will not be a time for a flood of liquidity to stave off rising unemployment or a meat-ax approach to fighting inflation. Some elements of uncertainty, such as whether or when the Arabs will increase the flow of oil, are obvious. More subtle is how consumers and business­ men respond to the various shortages that will exist. How much will they sub­ stitute one kind of spending for another? Will the family, unable to go on a skiing trip in Vermont, make more frequent trips around the corner to McDonald's? Nobody really knows; we have never before faced this kind of shortage economy in peacetime. If there is a great deal of substitution, the impact of shortages will be less and the pace of economic growth may not decline much. If there is not much substitution, the economy could register a recession that could be considerably more than a statistical phenomenon.
HBsAg, chronic lymphoproliferative disorders, and cirrhosis of liver

This study reports the incidence of HBsAg in a series of chronic lymphoproliferative disorders in which a high incidence of cirrhoses had been previously observed. Twenty-three cases were collected from the necropsy records. The type of lymphoma was reviewed in the light of the new functional classifications of non-Hodgkin malignant lymphomas introduced by Lennert and Lukes. The presence of HBsAg in the liver was investigated by the indirect immunofluorescence technique. Eleven cases showed plasmocytoid features and were considered as immunocytomas. Seven cases showed cirrhosis of the liver; six of them belonged to the immunocytoma group. Four cases were positive for HBsAg. Three of them were found among the group combining cirrhosis and immunocytoma. They presented the abundant nodular distribution of HBsAg typical of inactive cirrhosis. A parallel is drawn between the often reported association of Waldenström's syndrome and cirrhosis and the association of immunocytoma and cirrhosis observed in this study. The analogy is all the more justified since most of the lymphomas associated with Waldenström's syndrome happen to be immunocytomas. Therefore the association between HB virus infection and cirrhosis on the one hand and chronic lymphoproliferative disorders on the other may not be purely coincidental. A chronic antigenic stimulus such as persisting HBsAg could trigger the proliferation of a malignant lymphoid clone.
A New Family of Sequential Elements With Built-in Soft Error Tolerance for Dual-VDD Systems

In this paper, we propose some soft-error-tolerant latches and flip-flops that can be used in dual-VDD systems. By utilizing local redundancy and inner feedback techniques, the latches and flip-flops can recover from soft errors caused by cosmic rays and particle strikes. The proposed flip-flop can be used as a level shifter without the problems of static leakage and redundant switching activity. Implemented in a standard 0.18- mum technology, the proposed latches and flip-flops show superior performance compared to conventional ones in terms of delay and power while keeping the soft-error-tolerant characteristic. Experimental results show that compared to the traditional built-in soft-error-tolerant D latch, the D-QN delay of the new D latch is 29.1% less than that of the traditional built-in soft-error-tolerant D latch while consuming 16.5% less power as well. The D-Q delay and power of the new flip-flop are about 47.7% and 54% less than those of the traditional high speed level-converting flip-flop, respectively. In addition, the proposed flip-flop is more robust to soft errors. The critical charge which represents the minimum charge at the D input required to cause an error of the flip-flop can be increased by more than 46.4%. The time window during which the flip-flop will be erroneous caused by single-event upsets at the D input is reduced by more than 22.2%.