Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Systematic Review/Meta-analysis Transcatheter Reduction of Paravalvular Leaks: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Background: Significant paravalvular leak (PVL) after surgical valve replacement can result in intractable congestive heart failure and hemolytic anemia. Because repeat surgery is performed in only few patients, transcatheter reduction of PVL is emerging as an alternative option, but its safety and efficacy remain uncertain. In this study we sought to assess whether a successful transcatheter PVL reduction is associated with an improvement in clinical outcomes. Methods: We identified 12 clinical studies that compared successful and failed transcatheter PVL reductions in a total of 362 patients. A RESUME Introduction : Une importante fuite paravalvulaire (PVL) suite a une chirurgie de remplacement valvulaire peut entrainer une insuffis- ance cardiaque refractaire et une anemie hemolytique. Comme il est assez rare qu'une reoperation soit effectuee, la suppression de PVL par une procedure transcatheter devient une option alterna- tive, mais son innocuite et son efficacite restent incertaines. Dans cette etude, nous avons cherch ead eterminer si une reduction d'une PVL par transcatheter est associee a une amelioration des resultats cliniques. Paravalvular leak (PVL) after surgical valve replacement originates from an incomplete seal between the prosthetic sewing ring and the native valve annulus, related to calcifi- cation, infection, or suboptimal surgical technique or pros- thetic sizing. 1 PVL of various severities have been detected in up to 17.6% of the aortic and 22.6% of the mitral valve replacements and patients with symptomatic PVL have a mortality rate comparable with lung cancer. 2,3 Surgical correction is currently the gold standard therapy for symp- tomatic PVL and is typically performed in patients with severe congestive heart failure (CHF) and/or refractory he- molytic anemia. Repeated surgeries are associated with a high rate of PVL recurrence and with a higher mortality rate than the index procedure. For this reason, only a minority of patients undergo a surgical correction, leaving a large number of individuals with the need for alternative therapies. 4-8
Genomic profiling of 766 cancer‐related genes in archived esophageal normal and carcinoma tissues

We employed the BeadArray™ technology to perform a genetic analysis in 33 formalin‐fixed, paraffin‐embedded (FFPE) human esophageal carcinomas, mostly squamous‐cell‐carcinoma (ESCC), and their adjacent normal tissues. A total of 1,432 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) derived from 766 cancer‐related genes were genotyped with partially degraded genomic DNAs isolated from these samples. This directly targeted genomic profiling identified not only previously reported somatic gene amplifications (e.g., CCND1) and deletions (e.g., CDKN2A and CDKN2B) but also novel genomic aberrations. Among these novel targets, the most frequently deleted genomic regions were chromosome 3p (including tumor suppressor genes FANCD2 and CTNNB1) and chromosome 5 (including tumor suppressor gene APC). The most frequently amplified genomic region was chromosome 3q (containing DVL3, MLF1, ABCC5, BCL6, AGTR1 and known oncogenes TNK2, TNFSF10, FGF12). The chromosome 3p deletion and 3q amplification occurred coincidently in nearly all of the affected cases, suggesting a molecular mechanism for the generation of somatic chromosomal aberrations. We also detected significant differences in germline allele frequency between the esophageal cohort of our study and normal control samples from the International HapMap Project for 10 genes (CSF1, KIAA1804, IL2, PMS2, IRF7, FLT3, NTRK2, MAP3K9, ERBB2 and PRKAR1A), suggesting that they might play roles in esophageal cancer susceptibility and/or development. Taken together, our results demonstrated the utility of the BeadArray technology for high‐throughput genetic analysis in FFPE tumor tissues and provided a detailed genetic profiling of cancer‐related genes in human esophageal cancer. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Fuzzy Tracking Control for Nonlinear Networked Systems

This paper studies the observer-based tracking control problem for discrete-time nonlinear networked control systems with parameter uncertainties and unmeasurable state variables. A network-induced constraint, i.e., the intermittent measurement loss, is considered in the controller design. The uncertain nonlinear system is described by an interval type-2 (IT2) fuzzy Takagi–Sugeno model, in which the lower and the upper membership functions with corresponding coefficients are used to capture and express uncertainties existing in the system. A premise-variables-independent IT2 fuzzy observer is constructed to estimate the unmeasurable state variables, and then a novel IT2 fuzzy tracking controller is designed. Furthermore, sufficient criteria are established to guarantee the resulting closed-loop system to be stochastically stable. Finally, two examples are provided to show the effectiveness of the proposed approach.
Trans fatty acids and coronary heart disease.

Trans unsaturated fatty acids are produced commercially in large quantities by heating vegetable oils in the presence of metal catalysts and hydrogen to form shortening and margarine.1 They are so named because the carbon atoms adjacent to their double bonds are on opposite sides, resulting in a straight configuration and a solid state at room temperature. In contrast, naturally occurring unsaturated fatty acids contain double bonds as cis isomers, with adjacent carbons on the same side of the double bond, resulting in a bent shape and a liquid state at room temperature. Partial hydrogenation, the process used to create trans .
Reliable design for MPPT management through the SMP technique

Operation of a S/C power system based on the SMP technique for Maximum Power Point Tracking management is the subject of the present work. Improvements both in transient behaviour and EMC are reported and experimental results are analysed with reference to specific design solutions. Particular design techniques are then presented, specifically developed to avoid that the increased circuit complexity could negatively affect the system reliability, especially in the cases where Commercial Off The Shelf components are used. Basically, the circuits for fundamental operation, designed on the basis of classical and very reliable schemes, are separated from those dedicated to the SMP control, based on digital integrated circuits, with an higher failure rate. Then, the interfaces between the two blocks are designed so that the SMP control circuit can only affect (positively) the system operation when it is correctly operating, while its interactions with the basic circuit are blocked if errors are detected.
Changes in the selection differential exerted on a marine snail during the ontogeny of a predatory shore crab

Empirical estimates of selection gradients caused by predators are common, yet no one has quantified how these estimates vary with predator ontogeny. We used logistic regression to investigate how selection on gastropod shell thickness changed with predator size. Only small and medium purple shore crabs (Hemigrapsus nudus) exerted a linear selection gradient for increased shell‐thickness within a single population of the intertidal snail (Littorina subrotundata). The shape of the fitness function for shell thickness was confirmed to be linear for small and medium crabs but was humped for large male crabs, suggesting no directional selection. A second experiment using two prey species to amplify shell thickness differences established that the selection differential on adult snails decreased linearly as crab size increased. We observed differences in size distribution and sex ratios among three natural shore crab populations that may cause spatial and temporal variation in predator‐mediated selection on local snail populations.
Be Wary of Black-Box Trading Algorithms

Black-box algorithms now account for nearly a third of all US stock trades. It is a mistake to think that these algorithms possess superhuman intelligence. In reality, computers do not have the common sense and wisdom that humans have accumulated by living. Trading algorithms are particularly dangerous because they are so efficient at discovering statistical patterns—but so utterly useless in judging whether the discovered patterns are meaningful. TOPICS: Quantitative methods, risk management
The Effect of Goat Milk Fractions Supplementation on Serum IgE Response and Leukocytes Count in Dinitrochlorobenzene Sensitized Rat

In Indonesia, goat milk is often consumed and believed as anti-allergy. The objective of this research was to study the effect of goat milk and their fractions (casein and whey) supplementation on total serum IgE concentrations and leukocytes count in rat sensitized with contact allergen dinitrocholorobenzene (DNCB)> Female Wistar rats 6-8 weeks old were divided into four grups: 1) whey, 2) casein, 3) whole milk supplementation, 4) phosphate-bufferedsaline/PBS (control). The results showed that supplementation of goat milk on rats did not affects on total serum IgE concentrations and number of leukocytes. After sensitized with DNCB, the monocyte percentage in rats was higher (P<0.01) that before. In conclusion, goat milk or their fractions supplementation unable to decrease the total serum IgE concentration and also had no effect on leukocyte count. However, 1% DNCB could increase the number of monocytes, but could not induce the IgE response. Key Words : Dinitrocholorobenzene, Goat milk fraction, IgE, Leukocytes
The impact of strategy on business analytics success

Business analytics systems are an important strategic investment for many organisations and can potentially contribute significantly to firm performance. In this paper we develop a theoretical model, based on the resource-based view, that explains how business analytics capabilities lead to benefits. We argue that the type of strategy, represented as enterprise architecture, moderates the benefits achieved. Two case studies are then presented, each with a different type of strategy, and we explain how and why benefits were achieved from business analytics systems in each. We then identify the similarities and differences between the two case studies and discuss these using five dimensions that emerge from the case studies: strategic alignment, governance, people, organizational culture and data and technology infrastructure.
In-stream uptake and retention of C, N and P in a supraglacial stream

Abstract Supraglacial streams form annually during the melt season, transporting dissolved solutes from the melting ice and snowpack to subglacial flow paths and the glacier terminus. Although nutrient and carbon processing has been documented in other supraglacial environments (cryoconite holes, snowpack), little work has examined the potential for in-stream nutrient retention in supraglacial streams. Here we carried out a solute nutrient injection experiment to quantify NH3 +, PO4 3− and labile dissolved organic carbon (DOC) retention in a supraglacial stream. The experiment was performed on a 100 m stream reach on Mendenhall Glacier, an outlet glacier on the Juneau Icefield, southeastern Alaska, USA. The study stream contained two distinct reaches of equal length. The first reach had a lower velocity (0.04 ms−1) and contained abundant gravel sediment lining the ice–water interface, while the second reach was devoid of bedload sediment and had an order-of-magnitude higher velocity. At the end of the second reach, the stream emptied into a moulin, which is typical of supraglacial streams on this and other temperate glaciers. We found that N and P were transported largely conservatively, although NO3 − increased along the reach, suggestive of nitrification. Labile DOC was retained slightly within the stream, although rates were low relative to the travel times observed within the supraglacial stream. Although our findings show that these streams have low processing rates, measurable in-stream nitrification and dissolved organic matter uptake within this biologically unfavorable environment suggests that supraglacial streams with longer residence times and abundant fine substrate have the potential to modify and retain nutrients during transport to the glacier terminus.
Chemokine receptor 2 and chemokine receptor 5 polymorphisms in nephrotic patients

Introduction Chemokines belong to the family of cytokines whose primary function is the recruitment of leukocytes to inflammatory sites. Chemokine receptor 2 (CCR2) is expressed on monocytes, macrophages, activated T cells and activated endothelial cells and is a receptor for monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP1), which specially mediates monocyte chemotaxis. CCR2 enhance directly T helper type immune responses. The regulated on activation normal T-cell expressed and secreted protein (RANTES) and macrophage inflammatory protein-1 (MIP-1) chemokine is a ligand for the chemokine receptor 5 (CCR5) which is expressed on monocytes, activated T cells and natural killer cells. Recently, genetic variants of CCR2 and CCR5 are defined. A point mutation in the CCR2 gene leads to a single, conservative amino acid change, which substitues isoleucine for valine at position 64 (CCR2 64I). Genotypes of CCR2 are classified as CCR2 GG (+/+), CCR2 GA (+/64I) and CCR2 AA (64I/64I). A genetic variant of CCR5 exists consisting of a 32-nucleotide deletion (delta 32). Genotypes of CCR5 Chemokine receptor 2 and chemokine receptor 5 polymorphisms in nephrotic patients
Asymptotic Properties of Minimax Trees and Game-Searching Procedures

Abstract The model most frequently used for evaluating the behavior of game-searching methods consists of a uniform tree of height h and a branching degree d, where the terminal positions are assigned random, independent and identically distributed values. This paper highlights some curious properties of such trees when h is very large and examines their implications on the complexity of various game-searching methods. If the terminal positions are assigned a WIN-LOSS status with the probabilities P0 and 1 − P0, respectively, then the root node is almost a sure MIN or a sure LOSS, depending on whether P0 is higher or lower than some fixed-point probability P∗(d) . When the terminal positions are assigned continuous real values, the minimax value of the root node converges rapidly to a unique predetermined value v∗ , which is the (1 − P∗)- fractile of the terminal distribution. Exploiting these properties we show that a game with WIN-LOSS terminals can be solved by examining, on the average, O [(d) h 2 ] terminal positions if positions if P 0 ≠ P∗ and O [( P∗ (1 − P∗) ) h ] positions if P 0 = P∗ , the former performance being optimal for all search algorithms. We further show that a game with continuous terminal values can be evaluated by examining an average of O [( P∗ (1 − P∗) ) h ] positions, and that this is a lower bound for all directional algorithms. Games with discrete terminal values can, in almost all cases, be evaluated by examining an average of O [(d) h 2 ] terminal positions. This performance is optimal and is also achieved by the ALPHA-BETA procedure.
THE USE OF DECONSTRUCTED MOVIE-BASED WRITING TO FOSTER STUDENTS’ CREATIVE THINKING

In EFL teaching and learning, writing is one of important language skills which help students show their ideas, thought, and attitudes. Nevertheless, the phenomenon nowadays shows that EFL students cannot express their clear, correct, comprehensible, and creative ideas because of the lack of creative thinking skills they possessed. This research aimed at showing the implementation of deconstructed moviebased writing to foster students’ creative thinking skill and describing the students’ creative thinking skill reflected when they were taught deconstructed movie-based writing. This research used descriptive qualitative design. The data were collected from classroom observation, field note, documentation of the process of teaching creative writing using deconstructed movie-based writing and the students’ writing performance to know their creative thinking. The data were analyzed descriptively. The result revealed that the use of deconstructed movie-based writing to foster students’ creative thinking works well. There were three criteria of creative thinking skill which are improved from the first meeting to the last meeting; they are image, characterization, and voice. However, the story criterion was decreased on the second meeting compared with the first meeting and improved on the third meeting. The students’ creative thinking skill was improved after they were taught deconstructed movie-based writing.
Optimized High-Throughput Screen for Hepatitis C Virus Translation Inhibitors

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a considerable global health problem for which new classes of therapeutics are needed. The authors developed a high-throughput assay to identify compounds that selectively block translation initiation from the HCV internal ribosome entry site (HCV IRES). Rabbit reticulocyte lysate conditions were optimized to faithfully report on authentic HCV IRES-dependent translation relative to a 5′ capped mRNA control. The authors screened a library of ~430,000 small molecules for IRES inhibition, leading to ~1700 initial hits. After secondary counterscreening, the vast majority of hits proved to be luciferase and general translation inhibitors. Despite well-optimized in vitro translation conditions, in the end, the authors found no selective HCV IRES inhibitors but did discover a new scaffold of general translation inhibitor. The analysis of these molecules, as well we the finding that a large fraction of false positives resulted from off-target effects, highlights the challenges inherent in screens for RNA-specific inhibitors.
Respiratory syncytial virus and adenovirus in acute lower respiratory infections in hospitalized infants and children

Background: Lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI) is a main cause of hospitalization in infants and children. These patients’ nasopharyngeal swabs more frequently contain respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) than human adenovirus (HAdV) in cold seasons; recent data suggest that oropharyngeal swabs more frequently contain HAdV than RSV. Knowing more about virus detection with oropharyngeal swabs, seasonal fluctuations and age-related distribution of RSV and HAdV would help treat children hospitalized for LRTI more effectively. We investigated the seasonal virus-related frequency (as assessed by oropharyngeal swabs) and environmental and clinical features in infants and children hospitalized for LRTI from autumn to spring. Methods: We studied 98 subjects hospitalized for LRTI in our Pediatric Unit, from November 2006 to May 2007. RSV and HAdV in oropharyngeal swabs were assessed by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay. Results: PCR assays more frequently detected HAdV (29.6% of patients) than RSV (25.5%). The seasonal incidence also differed (RSV, narrow peak in December and HAdV, wide peak from April to May). Most patients infected with RSV were aged 2 yrs or younger (23/25: 88%); no difference was found in age between subjects who tested HAdV-positive (13/29: 45%) or undetectable-virus (23/44: 52%). Bronchiolitis was more frequently associated with RSV than HAdV or undetectable-virus oropharyngeal swabs. No difference was found in risk factors (school attendance, atopic parents, exposure to cigarette smoking, home dampness or exposure to animals) or clinical features (vital parameters or duration of hospital stay) among the three viral groups. Conclusions: Our findings show a high frequency of HAdV-positive oropharyngeal swabs during acute LRTIs in infants and children and differences in the seasonal distribution of RSV and HAdV in Rome.
Evaluating the Direct and Indirect Effects of SF-36 Domains Score on Two Main Factors in Diabetic Patients with Path Analysis: Health-Related Quality of Life Study

Abstract Background and aims: Diabetes mellitus (DM) patients have a lower quality of life. This study aimed to examine the direct and indirect effect of eight domains score of the SF-36 questionnaire on two main factors, i.e., overall physical health (GH_M) and overall mental health (MH_M), in DM patients. To the best of our knowledge, this issue has been rarely studied so far. Material and method: A total of 1037 DM patients filled out the Persian version of the SF-36 questionnaire. The path analysis was used in this study. Results: In this research, only social functioning (SF) domain has significantly lower the men compared to women (P=0.06). Physical functioning (PF), bodily pain (BP), general health (GH) and vitality (VT) have a negative significant direct effect on the GH_M factor. GH domain also has a positive indirect and total effect on MH_M factor, and other domains have no significant total effect on MH_M factor. Conclusion: It is better that physicians, focus on regulating physical activity and reducing body pain in diabetes patients, which have the most direct impact on HRQoL, to achieve a more effective outcome in improving quality of life in this patient.
GNER: A Generative Model for Geological Named Entity Recognition Without Labeled Data Using Deep Learning

A variety of detailed data about geological topics and geoscience knowledge are buried in the geoscience literature and rarely used. Named entity recognition (NER) provides both opportunities and challenges to leverage this wealth of data in the geoscience literature for data analysis and further information extraction. Existing NER models and techniques are mainly based on rule‐based and supervised approaches, and developing such systems requires a costly manual effort. In this paper, we first design a generic stepwise framework for domain‐specific NER. Following this framework, domain‐specific entities and domain‐general words are collected and selected as seed terms. Normalization and grouping processes are then applied to these seed terms for further analysis. A random extraction algorithm based on a unigram language model is used to generate a large‐scale training data set consisting of probabilistically labeled pseudosentences. Each generated sentence is then used as input to the self‐training and learning algorithm. Experimental results on two constructed data sets demonstrate that the proposed model effectively recognizes and identifies geological named entities.
Localisation of multiple mobile subjects using multidimensional scaling and sensor fusion

This paper develops innovative algorithms to track multiple mobile subjects in a wireless ad hoc network. First, we enhance an existing Multidimensional Scaling (MDS) based localisation algorithm with beacon selection in the absolute mapping process. Second, a Dynamic Multidimensional Scaling (DMDS) algorithm is developed based on that enhanced localisation algorithm. Third, a sensor fusion approach is proposed to integrate the estimates from dead reckoning and the DMDS algorithm. Finally, to further improve the sensor fusion results, we use adaptive fusion weights between the dead reckoning estimates and the DMDS estimates. Simulation results are provided to validate the proposed algorithms.
Path Seeds and Flexible Isosurfaces - Using Topology for Exploratory Visualization

Morse theory and the Reeb graph give topological summaries of the behaviour of continuous scalar functions. The contour tree augments the Reeb graph for the isosurfaces in a volume to store seed sets, which are starting points for extracting isosurfaces by the continuation method. We replace the minimal seed sets of van Kreveld et al. with path seeds, which generate paths that correspond directly to the individual components of an isosurface. From a path we get exactly one seed per component, which reduces storage and simplifies isosurface extraction. Moreover, the correspondence allows us to extend the contour spectrum of Bajaj et al. to an interface that we call flexible isosurfaces, in which individual contours with different isovalues can be displayed, manipulated and annotated. The largest contour segmentation, in which separate surfaces are generated for each local maximum of the field, is a special case of the flexible isosurface.