Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Sternomental distance and sternomental displacement as predictors of difficult laryngoscopy and intubation in adult patients

Background: Several morphometric airway measurements have been used to predict difficult laryngoscopy (DL). This study evaluated sternomental distance (SMD) and sternomental displacement (SMDD, difference between SMD measured in neutral and extended head position), as predictors of DL and difficult intubation (DI). Materials and Methods: We studied 610 adult patients scheduled to receive general anesthesia with tracheal intubation. SMD, SMDD, physical, and airway characteristics were measured. DL (Cormack-Lehane grade 3/4) and DI (assessed by Intubation Difficulty Scale) were evaluated. The optimal cut-off points for SMD and SMDD were identified by using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. Multivariate logistic regression was used to predict DL and ROC curve was used to assess accuracy on developed regression model. Results: The incidence of DL and DI was 15.4% and 8.3%, respectively. The cut-off values for SMD and SMDD were ≤14.75 cm (sensitivity 66%, specificity 60%) and ≤5.25 cm (sensitivity 70%, specificity 53%), respectively, for predicting DL. The area under the curve (AUC) with 95% confidence interval (CI) for SMD was 0.66 (0.60–0.72) and that for SMDD was 0.687 (0.63–0.74). Multivariate analysis with logistic regression identified inter-incisor distance, neck movement <80°, SMD, SMDD, short neck and history of snoring as predictors and the predictive model so obtained exhibited a higher diagnostic accuracy (AUC: 0.82; 95% CI 0.77–0.86). SMDD, but not SMD, correlated with DI. Conclusions: Both SMD and SMDD provide a rapid, simple, objective test that may help identifying patients at risk of DL. Their predictive value improves considerably when combined with the other predictors identified by logistic regression.
A Cross-sectional Assessment of Health-related Quality of Life among Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a major cause of mortality characterized by progressive airflow obstruction and inflammation in the airways, which has an impact on health-related quality of life. The EQ-5D-5L is one of the most used preference-based, health-related quality of life questionnaire. The objective of this study was to provide normative values of EQ-5D-5L for Spanish people suffering from COPD. Methods: Data were extracted from the Spanish National Health Survey (2011/2012). Overall, 1130 people with COPD participated in this survey. The utility index of EQ-5D-5L and the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) score were defined by gender, region, and age. Results: Mean (SD) EQ-5D-5L utility index and VAS score for Spanish people with COPD were 0.742 (0.309) and 60.466 (21.934) respectively. In general, men reported better health status than women. Ceiling effect of the whole sample was 30.35%. Conclusion: The current study provides normative values of EQ-5D-5L for Spanish people affected by COPD. Ceiling effect was high and better results were observed in men compared with women.
Object/behavior diagrams

A novel diagram technique is presented to depict the structure as well as the behavior of objects. One of its distinguishing characteristics is its strict adherence to the object-oriented paradigm. A first prototype of an editor for object/behavior diagrams has been developed and is running on SUN-workstations. To assist the user the editor provides hypertext style facilities for navigating through different diagrams. For example, by clicking on an activity in a life cycle diagram one moves to the activity specification diagram of that activity. <<ETX>>
Mitochondrial DNA sequence analysis in Anabantoidei fish

The decline of ornamental fish populations in their native habitats due to over-fishing has brought about the development of ornamental fish aquaculture, to which fish of the Anabantoidei suborder are important contributors. The genetic variations among species of this suborder were examined by mitochondrial gene sequencing analysis using the cytochrome b and 12S genes. According to the cytochrome b gene, the most similar strains were Trichogaster trichopterus (gold) and Trichogaster trichopterus (blue) (100%). Trichogaster leerii was less similar to them (86.0%), and an even lower similarity was found between the species T. trichopterus and Trichogaster labiosus (85.6%). The least similarity was observed between Betta betta and the genera Colisa (50.2%) and Trichogaster (60.1%). The phylogenetic trees of 12S and cytochrome b were very similar. According to 12S, the similarity between Trichogaster species was high (91.4% - 100%), and between species of this genus and Colisa lalia, it was lower (88.4%). In conclusion, sequence analyses, based on cytochrome b and 12S can provide a useful tool for the study of the systematic relationships between species belonging to the Anabantoidei suborder. Moreover, it may support other parameters used in systematics. Thus, these genes may be applied as genetic markers in aquaculture.
Lymphocyte‐specific chemokine receptor CXCR3: regulation, chemokine binding and gene localization

Expression of CXCR3, the receptor for the CXC chemokines IFN‐γ‐inducible 10‐kDa protein (IP10) and monokine induced by IFN‐γ (Mig), in human T lymphocytes and their responses to IP10 and Mig were analyzed. About 40 % of resting T lymphocytes (and low numbers of B cells and natural killer cells) stained positive for CXCR3 but these cells did not express CXCR3 transcripts and did not respond to these chemokines. However, treatment with IL‐2 with or without addition of phytohemagglutinin for 10 or more days resulted in cultures of fully responsive, CXCR3‐positive T lymphocytes. Treatment with anti‐CD3 antibodies in the presence or absence of soluble anti‐CD28 antibodies was inhibitory. Addition of chondroitin sulfate C to CXCR3‐expressing murine pre‐B cells allowed the determination of high‐affinity binding for Mig and IP10 with Kd of 0.9 –1.2 nM and 0.2 – 0.3 nM, respectively, and 1.3 × 104 binding sites per cell. The gene for CXCR3 was localized on human chromosome Xq13 which is in clear contrast to all other chemokine receptor genes, suggesting unique function(s) for this receptor and its ligands that may lie beyond their established role in T cell‐dependent immunity.
Randomized Trial of Intranasal Fentanyl Versus Intravenous Morphine for Abscess Incision and Drainage

Objectives Abscess incision and drainage (I&D) are painful and distressing procedures in children. Intranasal (IN) fentanyl is an effective analgesic for reducing symptomatic pain associated with fractures and burns but has not been studied for reducing procedural pain during abscess I&D. Our objective was to compare the analgesic efficacy of IN fentanyl with intravenous (IV) morphine for abscess I&D in children. Methods We performed a randomized noninferiority trial in children aged 4 to 18 years undergoing abscess I&D in a pediatric emergency department. Patients received IN fentanyl (2 &mgr;g/kg; maximum, 100 &mgr;g) or IV morphine (0.1 mg/kg; maximum, 8 mg). The primary outcome, determined independently by blinded assessors, was the Observational Scale of Behavioral Distress-Revised (OSBD-R). The prestated margin of noninferiority (&Dgr;) was 1.80. Secondary outcomes included self-reported pain, treatment failure, and patient and parental satisfaction. Results We enrolled 20 children (median age, 15.4 years), 10 in each group. The difference between total OSBD-R scores was −13.45 (95% confidence interval, −24.24 to −2.67), favoring IN fentanyl. There was less self-reported pain in patients who received IN fentanyl immediately after the procedure. Four patients (40%) receiving IV morphine had treatment failures and required moderate sedation or had the procedure terminated. More patients who received IN fentanyl were satisfied with the analgesic administered compared with those who received IV morphine. Conclusions In a small sample of children aged 4 to 18 years undergoing abscess I&D, IN fentanyl was noninferior, and potentially superior, to IV morphine for reducing procedural pain and distress.
The Role of Voltage-Gated Potassium Channels Kv2.1 and Kv2.2 in the Regulation of Insulin and Somatostatin Release from Pancreatic Islets

The voltage-gated potassium channels Kv2.1 and Kv2.2 are highly expressed in pancreatic islets, yet their contribution to islet hormone secretion is not fully understood. Here we investigate the role of Kv2 channels in pancreatic islets using a combination of genetic and pharmacologic approaches. Pancreatic β-cells from Kv2.1−/− mice possess reduced Kv current and display greater glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) relative to WT β-cells. Inhibition of Kv2.x channels with selective peptidyl [guangxitoxin-1E (GxTX-1E)] or small molecule (RY796) inhibitors enhances GSIS in isolated wild-type (WT) mouse and human islets, but not in islets from Kv2.1−/− mice. However, in WT mice neither inhibitor improved glucose tolerance in vivo. GxTX-1E and RY796 enhanced somatostatin release in isolated human and mouse islets and in situ perfused pancreata from WT and Kv2.1−/− mice. Kv2.2 silencing in mouse islets by adenovirus-small hairpin RNA (shRNA) specifically enhanced islet somatostatin, but not insulin, secretion. In mice lacking somatostatin receptor 5, GxTX-1E stimulated insulin secretion and improved glucose tolerance. Collectively, these data show that Kv2.1 regulates insulin secretion in β-cells and Kv2.2 modulates somatostatin release in δ-cells. Development of selective Kv2.1 inhibitors without cross inhibition of Kv2.2 may provide new avenues to promote GSIS for the treatment of type 2 diabetes.
Decreased fractional anisotropy of middle cerebellar peduncle in crossed cerebellar diaschisis: diffusion-tensor imaging-positron-emission tomography correlation study.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical usefulness of diffusion tensor MR imaging (DTI) for the assessment of chronic stroke with crossed cerebellar diaschisis (CCD). METHODS Twenty-two patients (15 men and 7 women; mean age, 60 years) with chronic stroke (13 ischemic and 9 hemorrhagic) were evaluated by diffusion-tensor MR imaging (DTI) and (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)-positron-emission tomography (PET). Fractional anisotropy (FA) and color-coded vector maps were generated. To evaluate afferent fiber systems to the cerebellum, the FA of the bilateral middle cerebellar peduncle (MCP) was measured. Changes of FA values in the MCP were compared against PET results. RESULTS In patients with a chronic infarct involving more than one-third of the unilateral hemisphere, MCP of the contralesional side showed an FA value of 0.5226 +/- 0.0174, which was significantly lower than that of the ipsilesional side MCP (0.5366 +/- 0.0159) (one-tail paired t test, P = .0009). On FDG-PET scan, decreased glucose metabolism was observed in the affected cerebellum in 19 patients (86.4%). CONCLUSION DTI can visualize an altered corticocerebellar circuit in the case of chronic stroke with CCD, which is hardly demonstrated by conventional MR images.
Multimodal Imaging for DREADD-Expressing Neurons in Living Brain and Their Application to Implantation of iPSC-Derived Neural Progenitors

Chemogenetic manipulation of neuronal activities has been enabled by a designer receptor (designer receptor exclusively activated by designer drugs, DREADD) that is activated exclusively by clozapine-N-oxide (CNO). Here, we applied CNO as a functional reporter probe to positron emission tomography (PET) of DREADD in living brains. Mutant human M4 DREADD (hM4Di) expressed in transgenic (Tg) mouse neurons was visualized by PET with microdose [11C]CNO. Deactivation of DREADD-expressing neurons in these mice by nonradioactive CNO at a pharmacological dose could also be captured by arterial spin labeling MRI (ASL-MRI). Neural progenitors derived from hM4Di Tg-induced pluripotent stem cells were then implanted into WT mouse brains and neuronal differentiation of the grafts could be imaged by [11C]CNO-PET. Finally, ASL-MRI captured chemogenetic functional manipulation of the graft neurons. Our data provide the first demonstration of multimodal molecular/functional imaging of cells expressing a functional gene reporter in the brain, which would be translatable to humans for therapeutic gene transfers and cell replacements. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The present work provides the first successful demonstration of in vivo positron emission tomographic (PET) visualization of a chemogenetic designer receptor (designer receptor exclusively activated by designer drugs, DREADD) expressed in living brains. This technology has been applied to longitudinal PET reporter imaging of neuronal grafts differentiated from induced pluripotent stem cells. Differentiated from currently used reporter genes for neuroimaging, DREADD has also been available for functional manipulation of target cells, which could be visualized by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in a real-time manner. Multimodal imaging with PET/fMRI enables the visualization of the differentiation of iPSC-derived neural progenitors into mature neurons and DREADD-mediated functional manipulation along the time course of the graft and is accordingly capable of fortifying the utility of stem cells in cell replacement therapies.
Papillary Fibroelastoma of the Pulmonary Valve–A Systematic Review: Advantages of Live/Real Time Three‐Dimensional Transthoracic and Transesophageal Echocardiography

We read with interest, in the last issue, the manuscript entitled “Papillary Fibroelastoma of the Pulmonary Valve–A Systematic Review” by Hakim et al. This is an excellent review of echocardiography and other noninvasive modalities in the assessment of pulmonary papillary fibroelastoma. However, they do not allude to the incremental value of three-dimensional (3D) echocardiography over two-dimensional echocardiography in the assessment of these tumors. Several publications in the literature demonstrate this aspect. Evaluation of these tumors by 2D transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) is difficult from the parasternal approach as in the short-axis view, only 2 cusps of the pulmonary valve can generally be simultaneously assessed. On the other hand, all 3 leaflets can be visualized by 3DTTE and 3D transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) resulting in more comprehensive assessment of these tumors as well as the right ventricular outflow tract and pulmonary artery. Using both 3DTTE and 3DTEE, morphologic patterns of intracardiac masses as well as their mobility, deformation, shape, and orientation can be displayed in an anatomically real time manner. This provides an accurate delineation of the spatial relation of the tumor with other neighboring cardiac structures. A better definition and a volumetric acquisition can offer the true dimensions of the mass that is not limited to the finite orthogonal planes offered by 2DTEE. Volumetric acquisition can be manipulated offline by the echocardiographer with a high degree of accuracy which may have important implications in the patient prognosis, given the relation between the size of tumors and the potential for embolic events. According to Nanda et al., 3D echocardiographic evaluation should be considered as part of an ultrasound exam when an intracardiac mass is the diagnosis and when that mass needs to be followed over time. Besides, the precise site of origin and the characteristic finger-like excrescences are very representative of a pulmonary valve fibroelastoma and can be detected by echocardiography with higher temporal resolution and with other advantages such as low cost, lack of radiation exposure, and no need for a contrast dye over magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography. 3DTTE with color Doppler echocardiography might be useful in the evaluation of tumor vascularization as well as flow acceleration around the mass due to flow obstruction. Finally, all these advantages help optimize communication between the cardiologist and the surgeon potentially resulting in guidance during surgery and better patient management.
Posttraumatic multisystem organ failure.

THE SYNDROME of multisystem organ failure (MSOF) currently affects a wide variety of critically ill or injured patients. The mortality rate is well in excess of 60%. Its natural course requires long stays in the intensive care unit and consumes excessive monetary, physician, and hospital resources. The emergence of MSOF is directly related to improvements in organ system support and monitoring, which have made it possible to sustain previously lethal critical illness. The syndrome is characterized by a hyperdynamic, hypermetabolic state identical to that seen in sepsis. The term sepsis syndrome also is used to reflect the fact that infection, although frequently present, is not essential for initiating or perpetuating progressive organ failure. A systemic inflammatory response modulated by a cascade of soluble protein and lipid mediators seems to be the final common pathway linking the sepsis syndrome with MSOF. Herein, we review the origin and presentation of MSOF and
The Use and Applications of Single-Photon Emission Computerised Tomography in Dementia

The introduction of single-photon emission computerised tomography (SPECT) has markedly enhanced the study of brain function. The development of SPECT was the culmination of a series of investigations of cerebral blood flow (CBF) pioneered by Kety and Schmidt in the late 1940s combined with the introduction of transmission computerised tomography (CT) in the early 1960s, in which three-dimensional images are derived from two-dimensional data. Positron-emission tomography (PET), in addition to providing information on cerebral blood flow, also allows the evaluation of brain metabolism and neurotransmitter receptor function. However, the technology required for PET is expensive and sophisticated, with little prospect for general clinical application. Fortunately, SPECT is relatively cheap and is widely available for clinical use. We aim to review the principles and basic techniques of SPECT, its present utility and application to clinical practice, and its future potential in the investigation of brain function.
Research into the Dynamic and Equilibrium Relationship of Henan between Consumer Demand in Rural and the Economic Growth

This paper, based on the data in Henan from 1985 to 2008, through the method of Cointegration analysis, and Error Correction Model, focuses the research on the dynamic balanced relationship between the rural consumption demand and the economic growth. The research result shows that there exists a dynamic balanced relationship between the consumption expenditure of the rural people and the per capita GDP. The rural per capita life expenses have a greater leverage effect on the economic growth than the per capita household managecosts. In the stagnant period of one, two, four and five years, the per capita GDP growth constitutes a uni-directional cause-effect relationship with the rural household management cost; in the stagnant period of three and four year, the per capita GDP growth and the rural household life cost form the two-way directional cause-effect relationsh. Finally, this paper, proposes policies suggestions based on the results of the research.
Stationary Almost Markov Perfect Equilibria in Discounted Stochastic Games

In this paper, we study discounted stochastic games with Borel state and compact action spaces depending on the state variable. The primitives of our model satisfy standard continuity and measurability conditions. The transition probability is a convex combination of finitely many probability measures depending on states, and it is dominated by some finite measure on the state space. The coefficients of the combination depend on both states and action profiles. This class of models contains stochastic games with Borel state spaces and finite, state-dependent action sets. Our main result establishes the existence of subgame perfect equilibria, which are stationary in the sense that the equilibrium strategy for each player is determined by a single function of the current and previous states of the game. This dependence is called almost Markov. Our result enhances both the theorem of Mertens and Parthasarathy established in 1991 for games with finite, state-independent action sets, where the equilibrium strategies were also depended on the calendar time, and their result on stationary equilibria proved under an additional condition that the transition probabilities are atomless. A counterexample given very recently by Levy shows that stationary Markov perfect equilibria may not exist in the class of games considered in this paper. The presented results in this work are illustrated by the Cournot dynamic games, which were already considered in the literature under much stronger assumptions.
Finding titles representing segments of Wikipedia Articles from keyphrases

Wikipedia is a free online encyclopedia that aims to allow anyone to edit any article or create them. However, articles tend to become long and complex, so giving appropriate titles or key phrases to untitled segments is necessary for reader assistance. In this paper, we show methods to select titles for representing article segments. Key phrase extraction has been studied for years, but we concentrate on selecting a title phrase for a given target segment from candidate phrases, which needs to reflect local and global contexts. In this paper, we evaluate five features we proposed before, and one new feature which is based on word embedding. These features are combined to produce a ranked list of candidate titles. We construct over a candidate title set consisting of titles of articles, sections and subsections, and anchor texts of inner links (inter-article links) where the hidden title of the target segment is the ground truth. We compare performance of various feature combinations by precision@K, reciprocal rank and average precision. Keyword: Wikipedia, Finding Representative Title, Candidate Ranking
Prediction of Individual Compounds Forming Activity Cliffs Using Emerging Chemical Patterns

Activity cliffs are formed by structurally similar or analogous compounds having large potency differences. In medicinal chemistry, pairs or groups of compounds forming activity cliffs are of interest for structure-activity relationship (SAR) analysis and compound optimization. Thus far, activity cliff assessment has mostly been descriptive, i.e., compound data sets and activity landscape representations have been searched for activity cliffs in the context of SAR analysis. Only recently, first attempts have also been made to depart from descriptive analysis and predict activity cliffs. This has been done by building computational models that distinguish compound pairs forming activity cliffs from non-cliff pairs. However, it is principally more challenging to predict single compounds that participate in activity cliffs. Here, we show that individual compounds having high or low potency can be accurately predicted to form activity cliffs on the basis of emerging chemical patterns.