Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
B-type natriuretic peptide in paediatric patients with congenital heart disease.

AIMS To examine the diagnostic value of B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) plasma concentration in congenital heart disease. METHODS AND RESULTS BNP was measured in 288 consecutive patients (mean age 6.0 +/- 6.4 years) with left-to-right shunt, left or right heart obstruction, tetralogy of Fallot, functionally univentricular heart, or impaired left ventricular function and compared with age- and gender-specific normal values, and to haemodynamic and echocardiographic data. BNP increased with decreasing left ventricular shortening fraction (r = -0.80; P < 0.001). In patients with left-to-right shunt, BNP was increased (mean SDS +1.64; P < 0.001) and positively correlated (P < 0.001) to shunt volume (r = 0.66), systolic right ventricular pressure (r = 0.69), mean pressure of the pulmonary artery (r = 0.66), and pulmonary resistance (r = 0.59). There was no correlation between BNP and invasive pressure gradient or extent of ventricular hypertrophy in patients with left or right heart obstruction. In patients with tetralogy of Fallot, BNP was not significantly increased. Patients with functionally univentricular heart had elevated BNP plasma levels (mean SDS +1.39; P < 0.001) without decrease after volume unloading by cavopulmonary connection. CONCLUSION In children with congenital heart defects, plasma BNP correlates closely to ventricular function. BNP plasma levels do not reflect directly the extent of ventricular pressure or volume work, but mirror the impairment of the loaded ventricles. Normal BNP cannot exclude pathology, but reflects a compensated status of the heart.
Not such a new light: a response to Ammerman and Noller

Abstract Ammerman and Noller (2005) question several aspects of investigations at the early Holocene site of Akrotiri Aetokremnos in Cyprus. Here we address their criticisms, paying particular attention to three ambiguities that they noted. We also suggest that their claim to having discovered contemporary sites may be premature.
Familial acromegaly.

Five family members over 3 generations had isolated functional pituitary adenomas diagnosed. In four cases acromegaly was diagnosed, and in the fifth galactorrhoea from prolactin excess was the presenting feature. A prominent feature of the affected members tumours were histological finding of either atypical mixed cell or undifferentiated cell type. Given the low incidence of acromegaly and the demonstration of vertical transmission over 3 generations it is suggested this family represents an inherited pituitary syndrome, distinct from Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia (MEN) type 1.
A Nonclassic CCAAT Enhancer Element Binding Protein Binding Site Contributes to α-Methylacyl-CoA Racemase Expression in Prostate Cancer

α-Methylacyl-CoA racemase (AMACR), an enzyme involved in branched-chain fatty acid β-oxidation that is normally expressed at high levels in human liver, is specifically and consistently overexpressed at both mRNA and protein levels in human prostate cancer and potentially other cancer types. To characterize the mechanisms underlying transcriptional regulation of AMACR at the genetic and epigenetic levels, we performed a series of methylation and reporter assays in prostate cancer tissues and cell lines. The results ruled out altered methylation patterns as the cause of overexpression in prostate cancer cells. However, promoter deletion analysis identified an 8-bp nonclassic CCAAT enhancer element located ∼80 bp upstream of the transcriptional initiation site that is responsible for AMACR expression in both prostate cancer cell lines and cell lines of liver origin. Deletion or mutation of this element completely abolished AMACR promoter activity. Ectopic expression of CCAAT/enhancer binding protein β increased luciferase activity driven by a wild-type AMACR promoter sequence but not by the sequence in which the putative CCAAT/enhancer binding protein binding element had been mutated. These results implicate a nonclassic CCAAT enhancer element in the AMACR gene promoter as playing a critical role in the regulation of AMACR gene expression.
Identification of aminopyrimidine‐sulfonamides as potent modulators of Wag31‐mediated cell elongation in mycobacteria

There is an urgent need to discover new anti‐tubercular agents with novel mechanisms of action in order to tackle the scourge of drug‐resistant tuberculosis. Here, we report the identification of such a molecule – an AminoPYrimidine‐Sulfonamide (APYS1) that has potent, bactericidal activity against M. tuberculosis. Mutations in APYS1‐resistant M. tuberculosis mapped exclusively to wag31, a gene that encodes a scaffolding protein thought to orchestrate cell elongation. Recombineering confirmed that a Gln201Arg mutation in Wag31 was sufficient to cause resistance to APYS1, however, neither overexpression nor conditional depletion of wag31 impacted M. tuberculosis susceptibility to this compound. In contrast, expression of the wildtype allele of wag31 in APYS1‐resistant M. tuberculosis was dominant and restored susceptibility to APYS1 to wildtype levels. Time‐lapse imaging and scanning electron microscopy revealed that APYS1 caused gross malformation of the old pole of M. tuberculosis, with eventual lysis. These effects resembled the morphological changes observed following transcriptional silencing of wag31 in M. tuberculosis. These data show that Wag31 is likely not the direct target of APYS1, but the striking phenotypic similarity between APYS1 exposure and genetic depletion of Wag31 in M. tuberculosis suggests that APYS1 might indirectly affect Wag31 through an as yet unknown mechanism.
Is Impaired Baroreflex Sensitivity a Predictor or Cause of Sudden Death in Insulin‐dependent Diabetes Mellitus?

Sudden death at night is known to occur in young patients with insulin‐dependent (Type 1) diabetes mellitus (IDDM) but the aetiology is uncertain. A cardiac arrhythmia has been postulated, but there has been little evidence to support this. We present the case of a 31‐year‐old man with IDDM of 17 years duration, who died suddenly while asleep. Over preceding months, he had had strict glycaemic control (HbA1 8.9 %), normal 24 h blood pressure (mean 131 ± 2.1/76 ± 2.2 mmHg), no evidence of microangiopathy or endothelial dysfunction and normal standard clinical tests of autonomic function. An electrocardiogram was similarly unremarkable, with a QTc interval of 0.414 s, and an echocardiogram had demonstrated normal left ventricular mass index (96.4 g m−2). However, there was no nocturnal dip in heart rate (daytime 74 ± 2.7, and nocturnal 68 ± 1.6 beats min−1), and he had grossly impaired baroreflex sensitivity during Phase 4 of the Valsalva manoeuvre (0.5 ms mmHg−1), with power spectral analysis studies suggesting an abnormality of parasympathetic function. The coroner’s autopsy demonstrated no structural abnormalities. We hypothesize that abnormal baroreflex sensitivity could either predict a risk of or account for some of the unexplained deaths in IDDM, in that relative overactivity of the sympathetic nervous system could cause ventricular arrhythmias. © 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Behavioural and cognitive effects of oligofructose-enriched inulin in rats

The behavioural and cognitive effects of oligofructose-enriched inulin at the doses of 5 and 10% in the diet, orally ingested daily during 2 weeks, wereinvestigated using a functional observational battery (FOB) and the light extinction test in male Wistar rats. Control rats received a standard diet and were tested in the same test situations. The behavioural effects were assessed 2 d before and 14 d after the beginning of the treatment period and the cognitive effects were investigated after the administration period by lever-pressing activity and learning discrimination using the light extinction test paradigm. In general, the study demonstrated that oligofructose-enriched inulin at 5% in the diet, and particularly at 10% in the diet, caused relaxing-like effects, stimulated and increased the general activity and interest of the rats to the test environment. In addition, both doses of oligofructose-enriched inulin showed significant effects on learning discrimination in male rats, in comparison with the control diet. These results suggest that oligofructose-enriched inulin, particularly at the dose of 10 %, improves cognitive performances in the light extinction test and the well-being of male rats using the FOB.
Lipoprotein(a) — A Hallmark in Atherosclerosis and Cardiovascular Diseases

Lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] consists of a low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-like core and apo(a), a large molecular weight glycoprotein. Apo(a) is highly homologous to plas‐ minogen, yet in contrast exhibits a unique size polymorphism that is characterized by an increasing number of kringle-IV (K-IV) repeats. The number of K-IV repeats ranges from n = 2 to n = 40 or even higher. Apo(a) is synthesized almost exclusively in the liver and there is still some debate whether the assembly of Lp(a) from LDL and apo(a) occurs inside the liver cells or in the circulating blood. The plasma Lp(a) con‐ centration is markedly skewed reaching from 200 mg/dl. The plasma concentration is >90% genetically determined and correlates negatively with the num‐ ber of K-IV repeats. In the apo(a) promoter, there are numerous response elements for transcription factors and nuclear receptors that regulate apo(a) expression. The HNF4α binding sequence appears to be the most important one in that respect, yet further work needs to be done to unravel the key features of apo(a) biosynthesis un‐ der different conditions. Importantly, activation of FXR causes the dissociation of HNF4α α from its response element and in turn a significant downregulation of apo(a) transcription. Undoubtedly, Lp(a) is one of the most atherogenic lipoproteins and recent large epi‐ demiological studies document quite impressively that Lp(a) is an independent causal risk factor for coronary heart disease (CHD) and myocardial infarction. This fact led to the development of specific medications to reduce Lp(a) in patients with high plas‐ ma concentrations. Among the registered lipid-lowering drugs, only nicotinic acid has a consistently significant Lp(a)-lowering effect, and we recently succeeded in elucidat‐ ing the mode of action of this drug. There are numerous medications in the pipeline for the treatment of hyper-Lp(a). Among those that are currently in clinical trials, CETP inhibitors, PCSK9 antibodies, MTP inhibitors as well as antisense oligonucleoti‐ des (ASO), such as the specific APO(a)Rx® from ISIS, which is directed against apo(a)mRNA and appears to be the most promising drug as it lowers Lp(a) levels by more than 90%. Lp(a) emerged as an important screening parameter to assess coronary atherosclerosis risk. Its quantitation in the clinical laboratory was, for a long time, quite problematic © 2015 The Author(s). Licensee InTech. This chapter is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. since commonly accepted reference materials and standardized analytical methods were lacking. However, newer commercial assays based on nephelometry or tur‐ bidimetry, or ELISA using monoclonal antibodies that recognize single epitopes in apo(a), warrant comparable interlaboratory results.
DockerSim: Full-stack simulation of container-based Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) cloud deployments and environments

Container-based Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) systems are rapidly emerging as a dominate cloud deployment paradigm, as supported via Docker, etc. This has opened new research avenues as lighter-weight containers replace heavier-weight virtual machines (VMs) as atomic cloud deployment units. Advancing such research requires sufficiently rich, container-aware cloud simulation frameworks so as to explore issues such as optimal cloud orchestration and elastic service strategies, achieving assured application-layer quality of service (QoS), etc. This work presents DockerSim, an extension and augmentation of the iCanCloud OMNet++ cloud simulator to incorporate: i) a full container deployment and behavioral layer, ii) full packet-level network and protocol behaviors, iii) full multi-layer OS process scheduling behaviors, and iv) a generic queuing network approach to modeling application-layer SaaS deployments. To our knowledge DockerSim is the first cloud simulation platform fully incorporating capabilities (i)-(iv), as required to rigorous explore a wide range of timing sensitive container-based computing cloud and SaaS-deployment issues.
SeM: A CPU Architecture Extension for Secure Remote Computing

In shared (multi-user) computing environments, platform software (OS, Hypervisor, VMM etc.) and most of the hardware cannot always be trusted (e.g., public clouds), so ensuring the confidentiality and integrity of a user's program (code and data) is critical. It is highly desirable to do so efficiently while accepting existing application binaries, being able to use the services of untrusted software, not modifying the OS, and with minimal intervention in the system's flow. We present the Secure Machine (SeM), a CPU architecture extension that, unlike previous approaches, does all this. Using novel fine-grained cache and register protection managed by a CPU-resident, publicly identifiable hardware Security Management Unit (SMU), we address both software attacks and off-chip hardware attacks. SeM accepts existing application binaries, which are instrumented automatically, and only incurs negligible performance, power, and area overheads relative to an unprotected platform. SeM is extendable to parallel programs and multiple nodes.
Clinical and echocardiographic correlates of improvement in left ventricular diastolic function after cardiac resynchronization therapy.

AIMS Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) improves systolic function in heart failure (HF). However, the effects of CRT on left ventricular (LV) diastolic function are not fully understood. The aim of this study was to determine clinical and echocardiographic correlates of improvement in LV diastolic function after CRT. METHODS AND RESULTS Fifty-four patients (mean age, 61.9 +/- 10.5; 43 men; mean LV ejection fraction 24.6 +/- 4.0%) with severe HF were enrolled in the study. Pulsed-wave Doppler-derived mitral inflow indices and colour M-mode flow propagation velocities were obtained. Tissue Doppler imaging included measurements of systolic and diastolic (e') velocities at four mitral annular sites and mitral E/e' ratio for estimating LV filling pressure. Plasma brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels were assessed 1 day before the CRT. Response to CRT was defined as a decline in LV end-systolic volume > or =10%. In responder group, septal E/e' (18.66 +/- 8.78 vs. 12.81 +/- 5.95, P < 0.01), E/Vp (2.44 +/- 1.10 vs. 1.59 +/- 0.65, P < 0.001), left atrial volume index (43.95 +/- 17.73 vs. 41.99 +/- 18.24 mL/m(2), P < 0.001), and plasma BNP levels [270.5 (20-2766) vs. 47.2 pg/mL (8-802)] decreased significantly. There was no significant difference in indices of diastolic function and plasma BNP levels among non-responders. Spearman's correlation analyses revealed a negative correlation between decline in plasma BNP levels and Deltaseptal E/e' (r = -0.517, P = 0.001), Deltamitral E/Vp (r = -0.650, P = 0.001), and DeltaLAVI (r = -0.505, P = 0.001), respectively. CONCLUSION Left ventricular diastolic indices after CRT improved in the responder group, but there was no significant change in these indices among non-responders. Left ventricular diastolic performance after CRT is associated with the decline in BNP levels.
Running head : SUPPRESSION-INDUCED DISTRACTION 1 Distracted by Cues for Suppressed Memories

We examined the potential cost of practicing suppression of negative thoughts for subsequent performance in an unrelated task. Cues for previously suppressed and baseline responses in a think/no-think procedure were displayed as irrelevant flankers for neutral words to be judged for emotional valence. These critical flankers were homographs with one negative meaning denoted by their paired responses during learning. Suppression cues as flankers delayed responding to the targets, compared to baseline cues and new negative homographs, but only following directsuppression instructions and not when benign substitutes had been provided to aid suppression. On the final recall test, suppression-induced forgetting (SIF) following direct suppression and the flanker task was positively correlated with the flanker effect. Experiment 2 replicated these findings. Finally, valence ratings of neutral targets were influenced by the valence of the flankers but not by the prior role of the negative flankers.
Polarization-Multiplexed DMT With IM-DD Using 2 × 2 MIMO Processing Based on SOP Estimation and MPBI Elimination

A simple polarization-multiplexed (PM) discrete multitone (DMT) system with intensity modulation and direct detection (IM-DD) is proposed for short-reach optical communications. Only four photodetectors (PDs) are required at the receiver, and no extra 90° hybrid and balanced detection is necessary. Novel digital signal processing (DSP) algorithms are proposed for state-of-polarization (SOP) estimation and subsequent mixed polarization beat interference (MPBI) elimination. These enable polarization demultiplexing and channel estimation to be implemented by a simple 2 × 2 multiple-input and multiple-output (MIMO) frequency-domain equalizer. The feasibility of the proposed PM-DMT-DD system and the effectiveness of the novel DSP algorithms are investigated via theoretical and simulation studies.
A New TetR Family Transcriptional Regulator Required for Morphogenesis in Streptomyces coelicolor

ABSTRACT Both morphogenesis and antibiotic production in the streptomycetes are initiated in response to starvation, and these events are coupled. We previously described a transposon-generated mutant in Streptomyces coelicolor, SE293, that resulted in a bld strain that overproduced the antibiotic actinorhodin. The SCO1135 open reading frame identified by the insertion encodes a member of the TetR family of transcriptional regulators. Here we show that a constructed deletion of the SCO1135 open reading frame resulted in the same morphological and antibiotic production phenotype as the insertion mutant. The constructed deletion also resulted in constitutive expression of SCO1135 transcript, as well as that of the gene cluster immediately adjacent to it, SCO1134-1132, which encodes a putative molybdopterin binding complex. A His6-tagged version of the SCO1135 protein product was shown to bind the intergenic region between SCO1135 and SCO1134, which contains the apparent transcription start sites for each gene mapped by primer extension analysis. Increased expression of the SCO1134-1132 transcript in the SCO1135 deletion mutant also resulted in increased expression of xanthine dehydrogenase activity, confirming the predictions about these open reading framed based on protein similarity. We have designated the SCO1134-1142 gene cluster xdhABC and the regulator encoded by SCO1135 xdhR. We speculate that the inappropriate expression of xanthine dehydrogenase affects purine salvaging pathways at the onset of development, creating artificially high concentrations of both GTP and ppGpp and perturbing the pathways these molecules participate in for the initiation of morphogenesis and antibiotic production.
Actividad económica y emisiones de CO2 derivadas del consumo de energía en Cataluña, 1990-2005. Análisis mediante el uso de los balances energéticos desde una perspectiva input-output

A lo largo del trabajo hemos analizado, tanto desde una perspectiva agregada, como posteriormente con todo el detalle posible, la evolucion experimentada por estas emisiones, teniendo en cuenta las limitaciones de informacion . Para hacerlo se han utilizado conceptos y precisiones metodologicas ampliamente utilizadas en la literatura cientifica sobre el tema. Del estudio realizado en la primera parte del trabajo resulta evidente que el importante crecimiento de las emisiones en Cataluna durante el periodo considerado, de un 60.1%, muy superior a la media espanola (50,5%), se explica como principal factor por el aumento en el PIB per capita, con un crecimiento del 33,35% . El crecimiento demografico tambien habria contribuido de forma importante al incremento en las emisiones totales, con un aumento del 10,5% de la poblacion; sobre todo a partir de 1999, ya que en la decada de los noventa la poblacion se mantuvo estable con pocas
Comparison of different enzymeimmunoassays for assessment of adrenocortical activity in primates based on fecal analysis

Most studies published to date that used fecal glucocorticoid measurements to assess adrenocortical activity in primate (and many nonprimate) species applied a specific cortisol or corticosterone assay. However, since these native glucocorticoids are virtually absent in the feces of most vertebrates, including primates, the validity of this approach has recently been questioned. Therefore, the overall aim of the present study was to assess the validity of four enzymeimmunoassays (EIAs) using antibodies raised against cortisol, corticosterone, and reduced cortisol metabolites (two group‐specific antibodies) for assessing adrenocortical activity using fecal glucocorticoid metabolite (GCM) measurements in selected primate species (marmoset, long‐tailed macaque, Barbary macaque, chimpanzee, and gorilla). Using physiological stimulation of the hypothalamo‐pituitary‐adrenocortical (HPA) axis by administering exogenous ACTH or anesthesia, we demonstrated that at least two assays detected the predicted increase in fecal GCM levels in response to treatment in each species. However, the magnitude of response varied between assays and species, and no one assay was applicable to all species. While the corticosterone assay generally was of only limited suitability for assessing glucocorticoid output, the specific cortisol assay was valuable for those species that (according to high‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis data) excreted clearly detectable amounts of authentic cortisol into the feces. In contrast, in species in which cortisol was virtually absent in the feces, group‐specific assays provided a much stronger signal, and these assays also performed well in the other primate species tested (except the marmoset). Collectively, the data suggest that the reliability of a given fecal glucocorticoid assay in reflecting activity of the HPA axis in primates clearly depends on the species in question. Although to date there is no single assay system that can be used successfully across species, our data suggest that group‐specific assays have a high potential for cross‐species application. Nevertheless, regardless of which GC antibody is chosen, our study clearly reinforces the necessity of appropriately validating the respective assay system before it is used. Am. J. Primatol. 68:257–273, 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
B8. CPW fed hybrid planar monopole/dielectric resonator antenna for W-band applications

This paper presents a coplanar waveguide (CPW) fed hybrid monopole/dielectric resonator antenna for W-band imaging system applications. The proposed antenna consists of a CPW-fed printed monopole and cylindrical dielectric resonator. In this hybrid configuration, the printed monopole is used as an effective radiator as well as to excite the dielectric resonator. The obtained simulation results show that the 10 dB return-loss impedance bandwidth of the proposed antenna can reach up to 16% with the center frequency at 101.85 GHz (93.7 GHz-110 GHz). Also, the proposed antenna shows nearly omni directional radiation characteristics with maximum achieved realized gain of about 2.67 dBi at 94 GHz. The prototype fabrication procedure is outlined.