Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Risk of bacteremia from temporary hemodialysis catheters by site of insertion and duration of use: a prospective study.

BACKGROUND Uncuffed, nontunneled hemodialysis catheters remain the preferred means to gain immediate access to the circulation for hemodialysis. Bacteremia is the primary complication that limits their use. The risk of bacteremia by site of insertion and duration of use has not been well studied. METHODS Two hundred eighteen consecutive patients who required a temporary hemodialysis catheter were prospectively followed. RESULTS Catheters were placed at 318 new insertion sites and remained in use for a total of 6235 days. The incidence of bacteremia was 5.4% after three weeks of placement in internal jugular vein and 10.7% after one week in femoral vein [relative risk for bacteremia 3.1 (95% CI, 1.8 to 5.2)]. The incidence of bacteremia was 1.9% one day after the onset of an exit site infection but increased to 13.4% by the second day if the catheter was not removed. Guidewire exchange for malfunction and patient factors did not significantly affect the risk of bacteremia. CONCLUSIONS Internal jugular catheters may be left in place for up to three weeks without a high risk of bacteremia, but femoral catheters in bed-bound patients should be removed after one week. Catheter exchanges over a guidewire for catheter malfunction do not increase bacteremia rates. Temporary catheters should be removed immediately if an exit site infection occurs.
Event-triggered leader-follower tracking control for interconnected systems with undirected communication graphs

This paper considers the event-triggered leader-follower tracking control for interconnected systems. Unlike the large body of existing work, here we consider systems which are physically coupled with uncertain norm-bounded coupling between the subsystems. We propose a model based event-triggered tracking control strategy and an event triggering rule with a time-dependent threshold which guarantees that the tracking errors in the systems asymptotically converge to zero. With the proposed event triggering rule, we prove that the systems do not exhibit Zeno behavior. In addition, the proposed event-triggered tracking control strategy is also employed to decoupled multi-agent systems. The efficacy of the proposed method is discussed using a simulation example.
Monocytes/macrophages prevent healing defects and left ventricular thrombus formation after myocardial infarction

Myocardial infarction (MI) leads to rapid necrosis of cardiac myocytes. To achieve tissue integrity and function, inflammatory cells are activated, including monocytes/macrophages. However, the effect of monocyte/macrophage recruitment after MI remains poorly defined. After experimental MI, monocytes and macrophages were depleted through serial injections of clodronate‐containing liposomes. Monocyte/macrophage infiltration was reduced in the myocardium after MI by active treatment. Mortality was increased due to thromboembolic events in monocyte‐ and macrophage‐depleted animals (92 vs. 33%; P<0.01). Left ventricular thrombi were detectable as early as 24 h after MI; this was reproduced in a genetic model of monocyte/macrophage ablation. A general prothrombotic state, increased infarct expansion, and deficient neovascularization were not observed. Severely compromised extracellular matrix remodeling (collagen I, placebo liposome vs. clodronate liposome, 2.4±0.2 vs. 0.8±0.2 arbitrary units; P<0.001) and locally lost integrity of the endocardium after MI are potential mechanisms. Patients with a left ventricular thrombus had a relative decrease of CD14+CD16+ monocyte/macrophage subsets in the peripheral blood after MI (no thrombus vs. thrombus, 14.2±0.9 vs. 7.80±0.4%; P<0.05). In summary, monocytes/macrophages are of central importance for healing after MI. Impaired monocyte/macrophage function appears to be an unrecognized new pathophysiological mechanism for left ventricular thrombus development after MI. —Frantz, S. , Hofmann, U. , Fraccarollo, D. , Schäfer, A. , Kranepuhl, S. , Hagedorn, I. , Nieswandt, B. , Nahrendorf, M. , Wagner, H. , Bayer, B. , Pachel, C. , Schön, M.P., Kneitz, S. , Bobinger, T. , Weidemann, F. , Ertl, G. , Bauersachs, J. Monocytes/macrophages prevent healing defects and left ventricular thrombus formation after myocardial infarction. FASEB J. 27, 871–881 (2013). www.fasebj. org
Measurement of regional blood oxygenation and cerebral hemodynamics

An echo planar linewidth mapping technique, Shufflebutt, has allowed temporal measurements of changes in linewidth caused by static inhomogeneities (ΔLWSI) and transverse relaxation rate (ΔR2) in models of hypoxia and hypercapnia. We demonstrate these changes are due to intravascular susceptibility differences(ΔX) between the blood and tissue. Contrast agent injections at a /ΔX equivalent to that of deoxygenatetd blood showed a twofold difference between the contrast agent and physiological anoxia values. Hypercapnia decreased both ΔLWSI and ΔR2 consistent with an increase in blood oxygenation. We attribute these findings to constant oxygen extraction during an increase in blood flow, resulting in less deoxygenated venous blood and thus reduced ΔX. For in vivoperturbations we found that ΔR/ΔR2′ ≈ 0.33, a ratio much different from that measured in whole blood phantoms (ΔR/ΔR2′ ≈ 2). This demonstrates that signal changes in these studies are produced predominantly by dephasing of extravascular protons due to field inhomogeneities produced by intravascular deoxygenated hemoglobin (deoxyHb).
L'analyse du discours institutionnel entre formations discursives et problématiques socio-anthropologiques

Cet article interroge les pratiques de l'analyse de discours dominantes en France a partir d'un paradoxe : approchant les institutions a travers les discours qu'elles produisent, attachee a eclairer les conditions de leur enonciation, l'analyse de discours peine souvent a atteindre les pratiques qui fondent l'organisation des hommes. L'histoire de notions comme celles de formation discursive et de communaute discursive, mais aussi la faveur des etudes centrees sur des « genres » illustrent l'effort des chercheurs pour tenter de saisir les fonctionnements institutionnels. Pourtant, la mise en oeuvre de telles notions peut compromettre, voire interdire l'approche comprehensive d'une culture institutionnelle si une double reformulation, conceptuelle et methodologique, n'est pas engagee.
A verification method based on a mixed-signal system for MV06

With the rapid development of mixed-signal system-on-chip (SOC), the verification before tape-out is a critical phase during the design flow in order to guarantee the products yield. A design flow based on mixed-signal verification is proposed. Exemplified with the design of a mixed MCU (MV06), this paper proposes the verification precept and introduces the simulation principle and method of mixed signals in the synopsys simulation environment, and then describes the simulation process with the discovery AMS and presents the verification result. This methodology is implemented in our tape-out, the feasibility and efficiency of the method has been verified.
Opioid receptor mechanisms at the hypoglossal motor pool and effects on tongue muscle activity in vivo

Opioids can modulate breathing and predispose to respiratory depression by actions at various central nervous system sites, but the mechanisms operating at respiratory motor nuclei have not been studied. This study tests the hypotheses that (i) local delivery of the μ‐opioid receptor agonist fentanyl into the hypoglossal motor nucleus (HMN) will suppress genioglossus activity in vivo, (ii) a component of this suppression is mediated by opioid‐induced acetylcholine release acting at muscarinic receptors, and (iii) δ‐ and κ‐opioid receptors also modulate genioglossus activity. Seventy‐two isoflurane‐anaesthetised, tracheotomised, spontaneously breathing rats were studied during microdialysis perfusion into the HMN of (i) fentanyl and naloxone (μ‐opioid receptor antagonist), (ii) fentanyl with and without co‐application of muscarinic receptor antagonists, and (iii) δ‐ and κ‐opioid receptor agonists and antagonists. The results showed (i) that fentanyl at the HMN caused a suppression of genioglossus activity (P < 0.001) that reversed with naloxone (P < 0.001), (ii) that neither atropine nor scopolamine affected the fentanyl‐induced suppression of genioglossus activity, and (iii) that δ‐, but not κ‐, opioid receptor stimulation also suppressed genioglossus activity (P= 0.036 and P= 0.402 respectively). We conclude that μ‐opioid receptor stimulation suppresses motor output from a central respiratory motoneuronal pool that activates genioglossus muscle, and this suppression does not involve muscarinic receptor‐mediated inhibition. This μ‐opioid receptor‐induced suppression of tongue muscle activity by effects at the hypoglossal motor pool may underlie the clinical concern regarding adverse upper airway function with μ‐opioid analgesics. The inhibitory effects of μ‐ and δ‐opioid receptors at the HMN also indicate an influence of endogenous enkephalins and endorphins in respiratory motor control.
Negative Regulation of Yeast Eps 15-like Arp 2 / 3 Complex Activator , Pan 1 p , by the Hip 1 R-related Protein , Sla 2 p , during Endocytosis

Control of actin assembly nucleated by the Arp2/3 complex plays a crucial role during budding yeast endocytosis. The yeast Eps15-related Arp2/3 complex activator, Pan1p, is essential for endocytic internalization and proper actin organization. Pan1p activity is negatively regulated by Prk1 kinase phosphorylation after endocytic internalization. Phosphorylated Pan1p is probably then dephosphorylated in the cytosol. Pan1p is recruited to endocytic sites 25 s before initiation of actin polymerization, suggesting that its Arp2/3 complex activation activity is kept inactive during early stages of endocytosis by a yet-to-be-identified mechanism. However, how Pan1p is maintained in an inactive state is not clear. Using tandem affinity purification–tagged Pan1p, we identified End3p as a stoichiometric component of the Pan1p complex, and Sla2p, a yeast Hip1R-related protein, as a novel binding partner of Pan1p. Interestingly, Sla2p specifically inhibited Pan1p Arp2/3 complex activation activity in vitro. The coiled-coil region of Sla2p was important for Pan1p inhibition, and a pan1 partial loss-of-function mutant suppressed the temperature sensitivity, endocytic phenotypes, and actin phenotypes observed in sla2 CC mutant cells that lack the coiled-coil region. Overall, our results establish that Sla2p’s regulation of Pan1p plays an important role in controlling Pan1p-stimulated actin polymerization during endocytosis.
Gene expression of myofibrillar proteins in single muscle fibers of adult chicken: micro two dimensional gel electrophoretic analysis.

Using a micro two dimensional gel electrophoretic system and silver stain method, we examined the isoform patterns of myofibrillar proteins in single muscle fibers of adult chicken. Several isoforms of myosin light chains, tropomyosin, troponin T, troponin I, and troponin C were identified. Analysis of pectoral, anterior latissimus dorsi, sartorius and soleus muscle revealed that single fibers contained either fast or slow form of each of the troponin subunits, indicating that troponin exists as a 'homocomplex. ' The form of troponin in a given cell was associated with that of myosin light chains. The form of tropomyosin, however, was not associated with those of myosin light chains and troponin, but was tissue specific. Overall, we found four combinations of isoforms of myosin light chains, troponin subunits and tropomyosin subunits. In adult dystrophic chicken the isoform patterns of tropomyosin and troponin T in single fibers of pectoral muscle markedly deviated from the normal patterns.
Turbo-equalization: convergence analysis

We investigate a sub-optimal iterative receiver for joint equalization and decoding called a turbo-equalizer. We view the evolution of the error variance of the transmitted symbols through iterative processing, obtaining the convergence analysis. This allows us to predict the asymptotic performance (when the turbo-equalizer has converged) but also the trigger point observed in its performance.
The Voice and Early Modern Historiography: Reading Johannes Kepler’s Harmony of the World

In early modernity, the human singing voice became integrated into increasingly formalized and stylized musical structures. But it was also embedded into series of extramusical systems of knowledge that had as their object of concern both the nature of music and the music of nature. This essay explores how some of these same systems had to account for their own difficulty in assimilating satisfactorily what the voice introduced: an irreducible and unexplained affective power, and a certain ambiguity as to the agency and source of this power. Within this framework, I present a rereading of Johannes Kepler’s work on musical cosmology and harmony, as contained in his five-volume Harmonices mundi (The Harmony of the World) of 1619. Kepler is celebrated today for his work on the foundations of what would become modern mathematical astronomy. Less well known is his audacious positing of a polyphonic vocal work, the “celestial motet,” that claimed to connect the sensible and worldly with the supersensible and extraterrestrial, and to unify their manifest and hidden harmonies into a coherent logical system. What is the significance of this, and of Kepler’s work in general, for scholars of early opera? In answering this question, I will be less concerned with the musical details of Kepler’s essentially virtual composition than with how the composition is symptomatic of certain contemporaneous ideas about music and the voice, ideas that reveal much about the intellectual and musical climate that Kepler was working in, at a time and place in European history that can claim to be the birth of the operatic genre. In studying the theoretical and representational maneuvers that lay behind the construction of this “imaginary” composition, we will follow recent scholarship on early opera, most notably the work of Gary Tomlinson. In his Music in Renaissance Magic of 1993 and his Metaphysical Song of 1999, Tomlinson pioneered an approach to vocal music of the early modern period that introduced ideas and methodologies from poststructuralist thinking, most notably those of Michel Foucault. Tomlinson’s work shows in particular how the mechanism of the voice
Leptin stimulates interleukin-6 production via janus kinase 2/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 in rheumatoid synovial fibroblasts.

OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to determine the influence of leptin on the production of proinflammatory cytokines by rheumatoid synovial fibroblasts (RSFs). METHODS Synovial tissue was obtained from patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Leptin receptor mRNAs were detected by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Productions of mRNA and protein of interleukin (IL)-1β, tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and IL-6 in the culture medium were detected by real-time PCR and ELISA kit, respectively. Small interfering RNA (siRNA) was transfected into RSF to down-regulate the expression of leptin receptor. Effects of inhibitors of janus kinase 2 (JAK2), phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) on IL-6 production were evaluated. Phosphorylation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) in RSF were determined by Western blot analysis. RESULTS We detected leptin receptor mRNAs in RSFs. Expression of IL-1β and IL-6 mRNA was enhanced in a concentration-dependent manner by addition of leptin to RSFs. IL-6 secretion by RSFs showed an increase after leptin stimulation. Leptin-induced production of IL-6 by RSFs was decreased after exposure to siRNA targeting leptin receptor (Ob-Rb). A JAK2 inhibitor, but not PI3K and MAPK inhibitors, decreased leptin-induced IL-6 production. Enhanced phosphorylation of STAT3 was observed in RSFs after stimulation by leptin. CONCLUSIONS Leptin may be one of the proinflammatory cytokines that up-regulates IL-6 production in RSFs via activation of JAK2/STAT3. Leptin and JAK/STAT pathway may represent a new alternative therapeutic target in the treatment of RA.
Halls-Room Acoustics and Sound Reinforcement

This paper describes our experience with lecture halls with regard to the room acoustics, sound reinforcement and audio frequency induction loops for persons with hearing impairment. The optimum reverberation time and geometrical conditions for classrooms are well known. Recent research basically confirms this knowledge but indicates the need for shorter reverberation times. However, many existing lecture halls do not fulfill these requirements. Furthermore, too many existing reinforcement systems are deficient in a number of aspects. In Switzerland the state of the art in the planning and construction of reinforcement systems is summarized in a publication for architects and proprietors. Measurements of the reverberation times and speech intelligibility index STI in several lecture halls showed good results when these requirements are fulfilled. The needs of persons with hearing impairment must be carefully taken into account.
Beat-to-beat estimation of peripheral resistance and arterial compliance during pressure transients.

We have used a computer-based parameter estimation method to obtain peripheral resistance, total arterial compliance, and characteristic resistance from the measurement of aortic pressure and flow in the open-thorax cat, assuming the three-element windkessel as a model of the systemic arterial tree. The method can be applied on a beat-to-beat basis in the steady state and in transients. We have validated this method by analyzing nonsteady-state data obtained from an electrical analog with fixed values of the resistances and compliance and by showing that the values obtained by this procedure were within 5% of the fixed values of the circuit. Changes in total peripheral resistance and arterial compliance were studied before, during, and after acute heart rate changes in five open-thorax cats with blocked autonomous nervous system. As expected, the peripheral resistance, estimated during the heart rate transient [3.93 +/- 0.94 (SE) kPa X ml-1 X s] was the same as before the transient (3.53 +/- 0.83 kPa X ml-1 X s); total arterial compliances were also identical (0.28 +/- 0.04 vs. 0.27 +/- 0.03 ml/kPa). In six cats without nervous blockade we obtained similar results. Calculation of peripheral resistance during transients from the mean pressure-to-mean flow ratio, i.e., without correction for arterial compliance, suggested changes in resistance values of less than or equal to 57%, which shows that correction is necessary. The findings indicate that peripheral resistance and total arterial compliance can be estimated in vivo on a beat-to-beat basis, even during hemodynamic transients.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ I _ _ _ _ _ _ _ necessary to isolate the respective

The major transport form of assimilates in most plants is sucrose. Translocation from the mesophyll into the phloem for long-distance transport is assumed to be carrier mediated in many species. A sucrose transporter cDNA was isolated from potato by complementation of a yeast strain that is unable to grow on sucrose because of the absence of an endogenous sucrose uptake -tem and the lack of a secreted invertase. The deduced amino acid sequence of the potato sucrose transporter gene StSU7Y is highly hydrophobic and is 68% identical to the spinach sucrose transporter SoSU7Y (pS21). In yeast, the sensitivity of sucmse transport to protonophores and to an increase in pH is consistent with an active proton cotransport mechanism. Substrate specificity and inhibition by protein modifiers are similar to results obtained for sucrose transport into protoplasts and plasma membrane vesicles and for the spinach transporter, with the exception of a reduction in maltose affinity. RNA gel blot analysis shows that the StSUTT gene is highly expressed in mature leaves, whereas stem and sink tissues, such as developing leaves, show only low expression. RNA in situ hybridization studies show that the transporter gene is expressed specifically in the phloem. Both the properties and the expression pattern are consistent with a function of the sucrose transporter protein in phloem loading.
8-Isoprostane in exhaled breath condensate and exercise-induced bronchoconstriction in asthmatic children and adolescents.

BACKGROUND Exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB) in the asthmatic child is associated with persistent airway inflammation and poor disease control. EIB could arise partly from airway oxidative stress. Exhaled breath condensate (EBC) levels of 8-isoprostane (IsoP), which is a known marker of oxidative stress, might therefore be helpful for monitoring asthma noninvasively. METHODS We recruited 46 asthmatic children and adolescents 6 to 17 years of age (29 boys), all of whom underwent lung function testing, measurement of the fractional concentration of exhaled nitric oxide (FENO), and collection of EBCs for 8-IsoP measurement before and after exercise challenge. FENO was measured before exercise and 5 min and 20 min after exercise. Spirometry was repeated 1, 5, 10, 15, and 20 min after exercise. RESULTS Baseline 8-IsoP levels (but not baseline FENO levels) correlated with the fall in FEV(1) 5 min after exercise (r = - 0.47; p = 0.002). 8-IsoP levels measured after exercise remained unchanged from baseline levels; conversely, FENO levels decreased in parallel with the decline in FEV(1) at 5 min (r = 0.44; p = 0.002). The mean baseline 8-IsoP concentrations were higher in patients with EIB (n = 12) than in those without EIB (n = 34; 44.9 pg/mL [95% confidence interval (CI), 38.3 to 51.5] vs 32.3 pg/mL [95% CI, 27.6 to 37.0], respectively; p < 0.01). No difference was found in the mean baseline FENO between groups (with EIB group: 38.7 ppb; 95% CI, 24.5 to 61.1; without EIB group: 29.1 ppb; 95% CI, 22.0 to 38.4). CONCLUSIONS Increased 8-IsoP concentrations in EBC samples of asthmatic children and adolescents with EIB suggest a role for oxidative stress in bronchial hyperreactivity.