Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Cardiomyopathy in children: Can we rely on echocardiographic tricuspid regurgitation gradient estimates of right ventricular and pulmonary arterial pressure?

Abstract Introduction Agreement between echocardiography and right heart catheterisation-derived right ventricular systolic pressure is modest in the adult heart failure population, but is unknown in the paediatric cardiomyopathy population. Methods All patients at a single centre from 2001 to 2012 with a diagnosis of cardiomyopathy who underwent echocardiography and catheterisation within 30 days were included in this study. The correlation between tricuspid regurgitation gradient and catheterisation-derived right ventricular systolic pressure and mean pulmonary artery pressure was determined. Agreement between echocardiography and catheterisation-derived right ventricular systolic pressure was assessed using Bland–Altman plots. Analysis was repeated for patients who underwent both procedures within 7 days. Haemodynamic data from those with poor agreement and good agreement between echocardiography and catheterisation were compared. Results A total of 37 patients who underwent 48 catheterisation procedures were included in our study. The median age was 11.8 (0.1–20.6 years) with 22 males (58% total). There was a modest correlation (r=0.65) between echocardiography and catheterisation-derived right ventricular systolic pressure, but agreement was poor. Agreement between tricuspid regurgitation gradient and right ventricular systolic pressure showed wide 95% limits of agreement. There was a modest correlation between the tricuspid regurgitation gradient and mean pulmonary artery pressure (r=0.6). Shorter time interval between the two studies did not improve agreement. Those with poor agreement between echocardiography and catheterisation had higher right heart pressures, but this difference became insignificant after accounting for right atrial pressure. Conclusion Transthoracic echocardiography estimation of right ventricular systolic pressure shows modest correlation with right heart pressures, but has limited agreement and may underestimate the degree of pulmonary hypertension in paediatric cardiomyopathy patients.
Evidence Supporting the Incorporation of the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) Eating Pattern Into Stroke Self-Management Programs: A Review

ABSTRACT Stroke is a major source of mortality and morbidity in the United States. Nutrition can impact factors that increase the risk of stroke such as hypertension, obesity, elevated blood lipids, and diabetes. The Michael E. DeBakey Veteran’s Affairs Medical Center (MEDVAMC) has developed the Self-Management to Prevent (STOP) Stroke Program to help veterans at risk for stroke and stroke recurrence. Patient initial feedback indicated a desire for more in-depth nutrition education in the STOP Stroke program. To address the needs of veterans living some distance from the MEDVAMC, a video teleconference program was developed and modified to include the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet nutrition concepts. This literature review summarizes the scientific evidence used to support the incorporation of the DASH eating pattern into the MEDVAMC STOP Stroke video teleconference program. Institutions can use this review to support development of similar nutrition education components for other stroke risk management programs.
Association between serum 2-microglobulin level and infectious mortality in hemodialysis patients.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Secondary analysis of the Hemodialysis Study showed that serum beta(2)-microglobulin levels predicted all-cause mortality and that high-flux dialysis was associated with decreased cardiac deaths in hemodialysis patients. This study examined the association of serum beta(2)-microglobulin levels and dialyzer beta(2)-microglobulin kinetics with the two most common causes of deaths: Cardiac and infectious diseases. Cox regression analyses were performed to relate cardiac or infectious deaths to cumulative mean follow-up predialysis serum beta(2)-microglobulin levels while controlling for baseline demographics, comorbidity, residual kidney function, and dialysis-related variables. RESULTS The cohort of 1813 patients experienced 180 infectious deaths and 315 cardiac deaths. The adjusted hazard ratio for infectious death was 1.21 (95% confidence interval 1.07 to 1.37) per 10-mg/L increase in beta(2)-microglobulin. This association was independent of the prestudy years on dialysis. In contrast, the association between serum beta(2)-microglobulin level and cardiac death was not statistically significant. In similar regression models, higher cumulative mean Kt/V of beta(2)-microglobulin was not significantly associated with either infectious or cardiac mortality in the full cohort but exhibited trends suggesting an association with lower infectious mortality (relative risk 0.93; 95% confidence interval 0.86 to 1.01, for each 0.1-U increase in beta(2)-microglobulin Kt/V) and lower cardiac mortality (relative risk 0.93; 95% confidence interval 0.87 to 1.00) in the subgroup with >3.7 prestudy years of dialysis. CONCLUSIONS These results generally support the notion that middle molecules are associated with systemic toxicity and that their accumulation predisposes dialysis patients to infectious deaths, independent of the duration of maintenance dialysis.
Detecting Social Spamming on Facebook Platform

OSNs (Online Social Networks) are dominating the human interaction nowadays, easing the communication and spreading of news on one hand and providing a global fertile soil to grow all different kinds of social spamming, on the other. Facebook platform, with its 2 billions current active users, is currently on the top of the spammers’ targets. Its users are facing different kind of social threats everyday, including malicious links, profanity, hate speech, revenge porn and others. Although many researchers have presented their different techniques to defeat spam on social media, specially on Twitter platform, very few have targeted Facebook’s. To fight the continuously evolving spam techniques, we have to constantly develop and enhance the spam detection methods. This research digs deeper in the Facebook platform, through 10 implemented honeypots, to state the challenges that slow the spam detection process, and ways to overcome it. Using all the given inputs, including the previous techniques tested on other social medias along with observations driven from the honeypots, the final product is a classifier that distinguish the spammer profiles from legitimate ones through data mining and machine learning techniques. To achieve this, the research first overviews the main challenges and limitations that obstruct the spam detection process, and presents the related researches with their results. It then, outlines the implementation steps, from the honeypot construction step, passing through the data collection and preparation and ending by building the classifier itself. Finally, it presents the observations driven from the honeypot and the results from the classifier and validates it against the results from previous researches on different social platforms. The main contribution of this thesis is the end classifier which will be able to distinguish between the legitimate Facebook profiles and the spammer ones. The originality of the research lies in its aim to detect all kind of social spammers, not only the spreading-malware spammers, but also spamming in its general context, e.g. the ones spreading profanity, bulk messages and unapproved contents.
Performance Analysis of Advanced Physical Layer Techniques in Evolved EDGE

2 Abstract: Following the worldwide success of GSM/EDGE, the 3GPP is in the process of standardizing EDGE Evolution that will be a step further in improving performance, efficiency and other capabilities. Evolved EDGE delivers data rates comparable to 3G networks, using the same GSM spectrum. W ith EDGE Evolution service performance can be improved, thus enabling more efficient devices and wider range of multimedia applications. Evolved EDGE has been designed with utmost consideration to minimize the impact on the existing hardware infrastructure of GSM/EDGE. This work is an effort to recognize the prospects of Evolved EDGE and assess the impact of advanced physical layer techniques such as OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing), QAM (Quadrature Amplitude Modulation), MIM O (M ultiple Input Multiple Output) and Turbo Codes. The entire physical layer structure has been implemented using the latest standards of 3GPP Release-7. Moreover the technologies like OFDM, Turbo Codes and MIMO have also been implemented and integrated with Evolved EDGE. A detailed study has been conducted using the MATLAB model of evolved EDGE Transceiver in AWGN, Rayleigh and Ricean fading channels. The results have shown that employing various advanced techniques helps to achieve significantly higher data rates and efficiency.
Enhancing Lempel-Ziv codes using an on-line variable length binary encoding

Summary form only given. The LZW algorithm is the most popular dictionary-based adaptive text compression scheme [Welch 1984]. In the LZW algorithm, a changing dictionary contains common strings that have been encountered so far in the text. The motivation for the present research is to explore an on-line variable-length binary encoding. We apply this encoding to LZW codes for remedy of the problem that we discussed in Acharya and Mukherjee [1995]. We call it the LZWAJ algorithm.
Cell Spectral Efficiency optimization in relay enhanced cells

The broad acceptance of smart phones results in increasing capacity demands for mobile radio networks. Decode-and-Forward (DF)-Relay Stations (RSs) are promising to improve Cell Spectral Efficiency (CSE) and to better meet the capacity demands. In our work we investigate the potential of DF-RSs combined with a pico Base Station (BS) co-located to the BS. Our system model comprises three parts, an IMT-A compliant channel model, a Physical Layer (PHY) model based on the Shannon bound and a Medium Access Control (MAC) layer model. We apply simulated-annealing to find nearly optimal positions for DF-RSs as well as nearly optimal heights for DF-RSs and pico BSs in a cellular network. The results show that nearly optimally placed DF-RSs almost double CSE and that an additional pico BS further increases CSE by about 10% thereby doubling CSE compared to conventional cells.
Purification and enzymatic properties of a highly alkaline mannanase from alkaliphilic Bacillus sp. strain JAMB-750

enzyme. The optimal temperature and pH for activity were 55 o C and around 10, respectively. The optimal pH is the highest among mannanases reported to date. Highly alkaline mannanase is expected to have good wash performance in detergent solution and be effective in biobleaching of kraft pulp. Therefore, AmA is highly applicable to the paper and detergent industries, as well as the food industry.
An Ideal Proportional Navigation Guidance system for moving object interception-robotic experiments

An Ideal Proportional Navigation Guidance (IPNG) technique is applied to the problem of intercepting a fast maneuvering object in real time using an industrial robotic manipulator. A hybrid method is utilized, in which IPNG is combined with a conventional tracking method to ensure smooth interception. The method is suited for the interception of both fast maneuvering as well as slow maneuvering targets, and does not require long term target trajectory prediction. Experimental results are reported.
Characteristics of smoker support for increasing a dedicated tobacco tax: national survey data from New Zealand.

AIM To examine smoker support for tobacco tax and for increased dedicated tobacco taxes, along with associations forany such support. METHODS The New Zealand (NZ) arm of the International Tobacco Control Policy Evaluation Survey utilizes the NZ Health Survey (a national sample). From this sample, we surveyed adult smokers (N = 1,376). RESULTS Most smokers considered that the current level of tobacco tax is "too high" (68%), but a majority (59%) would support an increase in tobacco tax if the extra revenue was used to promote healthy lifestyles and support quitting. There was majority support for a dedicated tobacco tax increase among all sociodemographic groups of smokers (including Māori, Pacific, and Asian smokers). In the fully adjusted multivariate model, significant associations with support for a dedicated tax increase included higher deprivation level (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.15) and suffering one form of financial stress (AOR = 1.81, 95% CI = 1.18-2.78). Other significant associations with support included concern about the smoking impacts on health and quality of life (AOR = 1.41), expressing support for tobacco control regulation (AOR = 1.83), and strength of intention to quit (AOR = 1.30). DISCUSSION A majority of smokers from all sociodemographic groups supported an increase in tobacco tax if it was dedicated to quitting support and health promotion. The higher support among smokers with stronger intentions to quit is consistent with other evidence that smokers value tobacco control regulation such as high taxes to help them achieve their long-term quitting goals.
On the Surface-Roughness Scattering in Biaxially Strained n- and p-MOS Transistors

Electron- and hole-mobility enhancements in biaxially strained metal-oxide-semiconductor transistors are still a matter for active investigation, and this brief presents a critical examination of a recently proposed interpretation of the experimental data, according to which the strain significantly modifies not only the root-mean-square value but also the correlation length of the surface-roughness spectrum. We present a systematic comparison between comprehensive numerical simulations and experiments, which supports such an interpretation.
Pointing gesture-based large display interface with automatic display-camera calibration

We propose pointing gesture-based large display interaction using a depth camera. A user interacts with applications for large display by using pointing gestures with the barehand. The calibration between large display and depth camera can be automatically performed by using RGB-D camera. The experimental result shows that the pointing accuracy is 96.2%. We demonstrate the puzzle game application using the proposed system.
A likelihood-based approach for computing the operating characteristics of the 3+3 phase I clinical trial design with extensions to other A+B designs

Background In phase I clinical trials, the “3+3” algorithmic design has been unparalleled in its popularity. The statistical properties of the “3+3” design have been studied in the literature either in comparison with other methods or by deriving exact formulae of statistical quantities. However, there is still much to be known about its capabilities of describing and accounting for uncertainties in the observed data. Purpose The objective of this study is to provide a probabilistic support for analyzing the heuristic performance of the “3+3” design. The operating characteristics of the algorithm are computed under different hypotheses, levels of evidence, and true (or best guessed) toxicity rates. The dose-finding rules are further compared with those generated by the modified toxicity probability interval design and generalized for implementation in all “A+B” designs. Methods Our likelihood method is based on the evidential paradigm. Two hypotheses are chosen to correspond to two hypothesized dose-limiting toxicity rates, for example, H 1 —unsafe versus H 2 —acceptable. Given observed toxicities per dose, the likelihood-ratio is calculated and compared to a certain k threshold (level of evidence). Under various true toxicities, the probabilities of weak evidence, favoring H 1 and H 2 , were computed under four sets of hypotheses and several k thresholds. Results For scenarios where the midpoint of the two hypothesized dose-limiting toxicity rates is around 0.30, and for a threshold of k = 2, the “3+3” design has a reduced probability (≈0.50) of identifying unsafe doses, but high chances of identifying acceptable doses. For more extreme scenarios targeting a relatively high or relatively low dose-limiting toxicity rate, the “3+3” design has no probabilistic support, and therefore, it should not be used. In our comparisons, the likelihood method is in agreement with the modified toxicity probability interval design for the majority of the hypothesized scenarios. Even so, based on the evidential paradigm, a “3+3” design is often incapable of providing sufficient levels of evidence of acceptability for doses under reasonable scenarios. Limitations Given the small sample size per dose, the levels of evidence are limited in their ability to provide strong evidence favoring either of the hypotheses. Conclusion In many situations, the “3+3” design does not treat enough patients per dose to have confidence in correct dose selection and the safety of the selected/unselected doses. This likelihood method allows consistent inferences to be made at each dose level, and evidence to be quantified regardless of cohort size. The approach can be used in phase I studies for identifying acceptably safe doses, but also for defining stopping rules in other types of dose-finding designs.
Empirical Analysis on the Mediating Role of Absorptive Capacity between Knowledge Spillover and Innovative Performance of Firms within High-tech Industry Cluster

In the recent 15 years, research about local knowledge spillovers has attracted more attention. Many earlier studies argue that local knowledge spillovers is the main factors that influence innovative performance of firms operating within high-tech industry cluster, at the same time, absorptive capacity are also important. This paper investigates how a firm's absorptive capacity (ACAP) mediates the impact of knowledge spillovers on innovation performance of firms operating within high-tech industry cluster. Our basic hypothesis is that those firms with higher absorptive capacity, not only identify more knowledge spillovers; they are also able to manage them more efficiently, and ultimately transform them into innovative outcome. The date comes from questionnaires of 102 firms in Changchun software industry cluster in China. As a result of this study, we do find empirical support that absorptive capacity mediates the impact of knowledge spillover on innovative performance of firms within high-tech industry cluster
Different rat-derived transforming retroviruses code for an immunologically related intracellular phosphoprotein.

Kirsten sarcoma virus (Ki-MSV) and Harvey sarcoma virus (Ha-MSV) are mouse-rat recombinant viruses that were originally isolated by experimental inoculation of rats with helper-independent mouse type C viruses. We have recently identified in cells transformed by Ki-MSV or Ha-MSV, a phosphoprotein, p21, coded for by Ki-MSV and Ha-MSV [Shih, T.Y. , Weeks, M.O. , Young, H.A. & Scolnick, E.M. (1979) Virology 95, in press]. The p21, which is not a virion structural protein, was identified with antisera prepared by transplantation in rats of syngeneic Ha-MSV- or Ki-MSV-transformed nonproducer cells. In this study, we have applied the same methodology to examine a purely rat sarcoma virus (RaSV), which was isolated in cell culture by using helper-independent rat type C viruses [Rasheed, S. , Gardner, M.B. & Huebner, R.J. (1978) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 75, 2972-2976]. We report here that this new, purely rat sarcoma virus apparently codes for a p29, which shares immunological determinants and common V-8 protease-generated peptides with the p21 of Ha-MSV. The data suggest that the RaSV has acquired genetic information with similar coding capacity to some rat genetic information with similar coding combinant viruses, Ki-MSV and Ha-MSV. Based on data obtained on the p21 of a mutant of Ki-MSV temperature-sensitive for the maintenance of transformation, we suggest that the gene in RaSV that codes for the p29 is also required for the maintenance of RaSV-induced fibroblast transformation.
Performance of Iron Plaque of Wetland Plants for Regulating Iron, Manganese, and Phosphorus from Agricultural Drainage Water

Agricultural drainage water continues to impact watersheds and their receiving water bodies. One approach to mitigate this problem is to use surrounding natural wetlands. Our objectives were to determine the effect of iron (Fe)-rich groundwater on phosphorus (P) removal and nutrient absorption by the utilization of the iron plaque on the root surface of Glyceria spiculosa (Fr. Schmidt.) Rosh. The experiment was comprised of two main factors with three regimes: Fe2+ (0, 1, 20, 100, 500 mg·L−1) and P (0.01, 0.1, 0.5 mg·L−1). The deposition and structure of iron plaque was examined through a scanning electron microscope and energy-dispersive X-ray analyzer. Iron could, however, also impose toxic effects on the biota. We therefore provide the scanning electron microscopy (SEM) on iron plaques, showing the essential elements were iron (Fe), oxygen (O), aluminum (Al), manganese (Mn), P, and sulphur (S). Results showed that (1) Iron plaque increased with increasing Fe2+ supply, and P-deficiency promoted its formation; (2) Depending on the amount of iron plaque on roots, nutrient uptake was enhanced at low levels, but at higher levels, it inhibited element accumulation and translocation; (3) The absorption of manganese was particularly affected by iron plague, which also enhanced phosphorus uptake until the external iron concentration exceeded 100 mg·L−1. Therefore, the presence of iron plaque on the root surface would increase the uptake of P, which depends on the concentration of iron-rich groundwater.
Estimates and Implications of Surface Eddy Diffusivity in the Southern Ocean Derived from Tracer Transport

Abstract Near-surface “effective diffusivities” associated with geostrophic eddies in the Southern Ocean are estimated by numerically monitoring the lengthening of idealized tracer contours as they are strained by surface geostrophic flow observed by satellite altimetry. The resulting surface diffusivities show considerable spatial variability and are large (2000 m2 s−1) on the equatorward flank of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current and are small (500 m2 s−1) at the jet axis. Regions of high and low effective diffusivity are shown to be collocated with regions of, respectively, weak and strong isentropic potential vorticity gradients. The maps of diffusivity are used, along with climatological estimates of surface wind stress and air–sea buoyancy flux, to estimate surface meridional residual flows and the relative importance of Eulerian and eddy-induced circulation in the streamwise-averaged dynamics of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current.
A Novel Mitogen-activated Protein Kinase Phosphatase. STRUCTURE, EXPRESSION, AND REGULATION (*)

Mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase lies at the convergence of various extracellular ligand-mediated signaling pathways. It is activated by the dual-specificity kinase, MAP kinase kinase or MEK. MAP kinase inactivation is mediated by dephosphorylation via specific MAP kinase phosphatases (MKPs). One MKP (MKP-1 (also known as 3CH134, Erp, or CL100)) has been reported to be expressed in a wide range of tissues and cells. We report the identification of a second widely expressed MKP, termed MKP-2, isolated from PC12 cells. MKP-2 showed significant homology with MKP-1 (58.8% at the amino acid level) and, like MKP-1, displayed vanadate-sensitive phosphatase activity against MAP kinase in vitro. Overexpression of MKP-2 in vivo inhibited MAP kinase-dependent gene transcription in PC12 cells. MKP-2 differed from MKP-1 in its tissue distribution and in its extent of induction by growth factors and agents that induce cellular stress, suggesting that these MKPs may have distinct physiological functions.