Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The chicken-wing morphology: an anatomical challenge for left atrial appendage occlusion.

OBJECTIVES To describe the particular assessment and closure strategy that was followed in patients with left atrial appendages (LAA) with an early and severe bend. BACKGROUND The presence of a chicken-wing morphology with an early and severe bend constitutes one of the most difficult anatomical settings for transcatheter LAA occlusion. METHODS Between November 2009 and December 2012, patients who presented chicken-wing LAA with an early (<20 mm from the ostium) and severe bend (<180°) were identified and included in the analysis. A particular implanting strategy consisting of deploying the distal lobe of the device inside the chicken-wing bend was used in all cases. RESULTS Among 42 patients who underwent LAA occlusion during the study period, 5 (12%) presented the pre-specified anatomy. Following the mentioned implanting strategy, all patients underwent successful LAA occlusion using the Amplatzer Cardiac Plug (n = 2) and the Amplatzer Amulet (n = 3). Successful occlusion was achieved in all patients. None of them presented any procedural complication. Follow-up transesophageal echocardiography at 3 months showed successful LAA sealing in all patients and no device embolization or thrombosis. CONCLUSIONS According to our results, the pre-specified closing implantation technique for chicken-wing LAAs with an early and severe bend might be a valid strategy for this challenging anatomical setting. Further cases will be necessary to confirm the results.
Beta-herpesvirus challenges in the transplant recipient.

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) has major consequences after allogeneic stem cell and solid organ transplantation. CMV may cause significant morbidity and mortality, and monitoring to detect reactivation to reduce disease or management of end organ disease is associated with increased resource utilization. Two other members of the beta-herpesvirus family, human herpesvirus (HHV) type 6 and HHV-7, are increasingly recognized as important pathogens in transplant recipients, either by direct infection (e.g., encephalitis, hepatitis, or pneumonitis) or via interaction with CMV. In addition to direct effects of CMV infection, such indirect effects as an increased risk for bacterial and fungal infections or impaired graft acceptance and function are important research topics. Diagnosis and treatment of CMV infection is currently more advanced than for HHV-6 and HHV-7.
La dépression : en savoir plus pour en sortir

Auteur(s) : Nicole Garret-Gloanec Fallait-il participer a la realisation de ce guide devenu campagne nationale de prevention de l’INPES (Institut national de prevention et d’education pour la sante) ? Fallait-il signer ? La depression est consideree par l’OMS et par les institutions europeennes comme un des premiers fleaux dans les societes modernes avec des consequences economiques considerables. Les autres pays fonctionnent communement par campagne mediatique [. ]
A contrast of the personality structure of college students found in the questionnaire medium by items as compared to parcels.

Summary Arguments have been presented claiming that personality structure in the questionnaire medium can only be found by factor analyzing item data. To test this assumption, Cattell's 16PF, which was developed through factoring of parcels, was administered to 264 undergraduate students at the University of Illinois. Item data was factor analyzed, yielding essentially the same factor structure as produced by the original parceling.
Iterative reconstruction optimisations for high angle cone-beam micro-CT

We address several acquisition questions that have arisen for the high cone-angle helical-scanning micro-CT facility developed at the Australian National University. These challenges are generally known in medical and industrial cone-beam scanners but can be neglected in these systems. For our large datasets, with more than 20483 voxels, minimising the number of operations (or iterations) is crucial. Large cone-angles enable high signal-to-noise ratio imaging and a large helical pitch to be used. This introduces two challenges: (i) non-uniform resolution throughout the reconstruction, (ii) over-scan beyond the region-of-interest significantly increases re- quired reconstructed volume size. Challenge (i) can be addressed by using a double-helix or lower pitch helix but both solutions slow down iterations. Challenge (ii) can also be improved by using a lower pitch helix but results in more projections slowing down iterations. This may be overcome using less projections per revolution but leads to more iterations required. Here we assume a given total time for acquisition and a given reconstruction technique (SART) and seek to identify the optimal trajectory and number of projections per revolution in order to produce the best tomogram, minimise reconstruction time required, and minimise memory requirements.
Distribution of indicator bacteria and bacteriophages in shellfish and shellfish‐growing waters

Shellfish (mussels and clams) and shellfish‐growing waters were examined for indicator bacteria according to the EC regulations, Salmonella spp. , coliphages and anti‐Salmonella phages. Samples were collected both from natural‐growing areas along the coast and from authorized shellfish‐harvesting beds. The coastal area was affected by organic pollution and extensive faecal contamination and, according to the legal requirements, was unsuitable for shellfish farming. The shellfish collected along the coast also showed faecal contamination at levels which did not conform to legal standards. No significant differences were observed between the frequency of isolation of somatic coliphages and indicator bacteria from sea water. In contrast, both the authorized and wild coastal shellfish were contaminated by coliphages at a significantly higher level than the corresponding bacterial indicators for faecal contamination (χ2 test, P < 0·01). Coliphage concentrations were significantly correlated with faecal indicators in marine waters (P < 0·001) and sediments (P < 0·05), but no correlation was found in shellfish, thus showing their low specificity as indicators of faecal pollution of human origin in shellfish of economic importance.
Assessing cognitive abilities and dementia in a predominantly illiterate population of older individuals in Kinmen

Synopsis A community survey of dementia was conducted on a Chinese islet. A total of 221 men and 234 women in the age range of 50–92 were assessed. The Cognitive Abilities Screening Instrument (CASI), a 100-point cognitive test designed for cross-cultural studies and adapted in Chinese for individuals with little or no formal education, was administered twice by trained field workers with a retest interval of 3 to 4 weeks. In addition, all participants were assessed by physicians who did not know the CASI scores. The physicians' assessment included a complete neurological examination, plus semi-structured tests and interviews covering cognitive abilities, daily activities, depression, cerebrovascular disease, and Parkinson's disease. Dementia was diagnosed by consensus among the physicians according to the DSM-III-R criteria. Among the 455 participants, 16 cases of dementia were identified, including 13 with probable Alzheimer's disease and 1 each with vascular dementia, Parkinson's disease, and alcoholism. The rates of dementia were 0, 3·9 and 11·5% for the age groups of 50–69, 70–79 and 80–92; and 4·4, 2·0 and 0% for the education groups of 0–1, 2–6 and 7–15 years of schooling. No sex difference was found after controlling for education. The Chinese version of the CASI had an intraclass retest reliability of 0·90. Using a cut-off score of ≤ 50 for dementia, the sensitivity was 0·88 and the specificity was 0·94. The preliminary study suggests that the CASI can be used in Chinese populations with generally low education levels and that Alzheimer's disease was the most common type of dementia in this population.
Serotonergic functioning and trait‐impulsivity in attention‐deficit/hyperactivity‐disordered boys (ADHD): influence of rapid tryptophan depletion

The present study investigated the effects of rapid tryptophan depletion (RTD) and the ensuing reduction of central nervous levels of serotonin (5‐HT) on reactive aggression with respect to personality factors comprising aspects of trait‐impulsivity and ‐aggression in boys with attention‐deficit/hyperactivity‐disorder (ADHD).
Succinoglycan Is Required for Initiation and Elongation of Infection Threads during Nodulation of Alfalfa byRhizobium meliloti

ABSTRACT Rhizobium meliloti Rm1021 must be able to synthesize succinoglycan in order to invade successfully the nodules which it elicits on alfalfa and to establish an effective nitrogen-fixing symbiosis. Using R. meliloti cells that express green fluorescent protein (GFP), we have examined the nature of the symbiotic deficiency of exo mutants that are defective or altered in succinoglycan production. Our observations indicate that anexoY mutant, which does not produce succinoglycan, is symbiotically defective because it cannot initiate the formation of infection threads. An exoZ mutant, which produces succinoglycan without the acetyl modification, forms nitrogen-fixing nodules on plants, but it exhibits a reduced efficiency in the initiation and elongation of infection threads. An exoHmutant, which produces symbiotically nonfunctional high-molecular-weight succinoglycan that lacks the succinyl modification, cannot form extended infection threads. Infection threads initiate at a reduced rate and then abort before they reach the base of the root hairs. Overproduction of succinoglycan by theexoS96::Tn5 mutant does not reduce the efficiency of infection thread initiation and elongation, but it does significantly reduce the ability of this mutant to colonize the curled root hairs, which is the first step of the invasion process. TheexoR95::Tn5 mutant, which overproduces succinoglycan to an even greater extent than theexoS96::Tn5 mutant, has completely lost its ability to colonize the curled root hairs. These new observations lead us to propose that succinoglycan is required for both the initiation and elongation of infection threads during nodule invasion and that excess production of succinoglycan interferes with the ability of the rhizobia to colonize curled root hairs.
Metapoetic Pseudonyms in Horace, Propertius and Ovid*

Abstract Two poets addressed by Propertius in his first book are in fact pseudonyms. Ponticus was formed on the model of Horace's Alpinus to designate someone who embodies the antithesis of the poet's Callimachean sensibilities. Bassus is none other than Horace himself, who was then in the course of writing iambics. In the eleventh epode, Horace responded in kind by creating the pseudonyms Pettius, Lyciscus and Inachia, all of which derive from aspects of Propertius' first book. This exchange between Horace and Propertius has echoes in their later work. We conclude by examining why Ovid seems to treat Ponticus and Bassus as real poets in the Tristia.
A data mining approach to neural network training

Neural networks are widely used in model building. Applications include predicting bankruptcy, and assessing the relationship quality between a customer and a salesperson. This paper utilizes data from an Internet users survey to investigate Internet usage for personal and not for work or school related needs, and the impact of pattern presentation order and frequency on the learning accuracy of the network. The data were sorted using the association‐rule mining approach. The software used is BrainMaker from California Scientific Software.
Using Virtual Environments in the Assessment of Executive Dysfunction

A study is reported into the role of virtual environments in the assessment of patients with executive dysfunction. Five patients and five matched controls entered the study. The patients did not differ significantly from normative values on the standard executive dysfunction measure, the Behavioural Assessment of the Dysexecutive Syndrome battery (Wilson, Alderman, Burgess, Emslie, & Evans, 1996); however, care staff reported the patients had problems planning. Patients and controls undertook both real and virtual environment multiple-errand planning tasks. The patients completed significantly fewer errands, and produced significantly worse plans than did controls in both the real and virtual environments. There was a significant correlation between performance in the real and virtual environments. The results suggest that virtual environments may provide a valid means of assessing planning impairments and that there may be patients with executive dysfunction (specifically planning deficits) that may not be detected by the currently available standardized tests.
An RF-DNA verification process for ZigBee networks

Impersonation of authorized network devices is a serious concern in applications involving monitoring and control of battlefield operations and military installation infrastructure-ZigBee is among the ad hoc network alternatives used for such purposes. There are considerable security concerns given the availability of ZigBee “hacking” tools that have evolved from methods used for IEEE 802.11 Wi-Fi and IEEE 802.15. 1 Bluetooth attacks. To mitigate the effectiveness of these bit-level attacks, RF waveform features within the lowest OSI physical (PHY) layer are used to augment bit-level security mechanisms within higher OSI layers. The evolution of RF `Distinct Native Attribute' (RF-DNA) fingerprinting continues here with a goal toward improving defensive RF Intelligence (RFINT) measures and enhancing rogue device detection. Demonstrations here involve ZigBee burst collection and RF-DNA fingerprint generation using experimentally collected emissions from like-model CC2420 ZigBee devices operating at 2.4 GHz. RF-DNA fingerprints from 7 authorized devices are used for Multiple Discriminant Analysis (MDA) training and authorized device classification performance assessed, i.e. answering: “Is the device 1 of M authorized devices? ” Additional devices are introduced as impersonating rogue devices attempting to gain unauthorized network access by presenting false bit-level credentials for one of the M authorized devices. Granting or rejecting rogue network access is addressed using a claimed identity verification process, i.e, answering: “Does the device's current RF-DNA match its claimed bit-level identity? ” For authorized devices, arbitrary classification and verification benchmarks of %C>; 90% and %V >; 90% are achieved at SNR≈10.0 dB using a test statistic based on assumed Multivariate Gaussian (MVG) likelihood values. Overall, rogue device rejection capability is promising using the same verification test statistic, with %V <; 10% (90% or better rejection) achieved for 11 of 14 rogue trials. One case yielded near 85% rogue verification (unauthorized access) and security cannot be a matter of chance-work continues to find a more robust test statistic and improve the proposed process.
Underactuated Finger Mechanism Using Contractible Slider-Cranks and Stackable Four-Bar Linkages

This paper presents an underactuated finger mechanism that is able to conduct both self-adaptive grasping and natural motions, such as flexion and extension. The robotic finger is realized with a three degrees-of-freedom mechanism composed of stackable four-bar linkages and contractible slider-cranks having a linear spring in each mechanism layer. Kinematics and static force analysis are performed to reveal the operation principle of the proposed finger mechanism. The procedure for synthesizing the linkages is also suggested using Freudenstein's equation. Finally, both simulations and experiments are conducted to confirm the design feasibility.
Heritability of Lung Function: A Twin Study Among Never-Smoking Elderly Women

Most studies on lung function heritability have been conducted in smokers and non-smokers using cross-sectional study design. Smoking patterns may, however, confound the contribution of genetic factors. We investigated heritability of forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC), and FEV1/FVC ratio longitudinally, excluding the effects of smoking. A sample of never smoking female twins (n = 374), aged 63–76 at baseline, answered health questionnaires and attended spirometry in years 2000 and 2003. Bivariate structural equation modeling, restricted to adequate spirometry performances (baseline n = 339, follow-up n = 252), was used to estimate genetic and environmental influences on consecutive measurements of FEV1, FVC, and FEV1/FVC. The best-fitting models included additive genetic and non-shared environmental effects. Heritability estimates of 32% and 36% for FEV1, 41% and 37% for FVC, while 46% and 16% for FEV1/FVC were found at baseline and at follow-up. Genetic correlation between FEV1 and FEV1/FVC heritability estimates approached unity, whereas correlation between FVC estimates was 0.80. Environmental correlations were 0.69 for FEV1, 0.62 for FVC, and 0.07 for FEV1/FVC. In never smokers, additive genetic and non-shared environmental effects explain the inter-individual variations in FEV1, FVC, and FEV1/FVC. One third of the variation in FEV1 and FVC is explained by genetic and two thirds by environmental effects. Between 2000 and 2003, environmental effects on FEV1/FVC changed, and the proportion of variance explained by environmental effects increased remarkably. Genetic effects on FEV1 and FEV1/FVC are common to consecutive measurements, whereas at follow-up, new genetic factors explained 14% of the observed variance in FVC.
Executive Education: Can it Be Too Good?

A successful business school must serve two communities: the research community on one hand; and the business community on the other. However, despite the spectacular growth of business education over the last four or five decades, there has been growing criticism of the relevance of much business school activity: The academic-practitioner divide has emerged and largely refuses to close. To bridge the gap b-schools must serve both communities concurrently. Executive education is identified as being a critical strategy in the repertoire of b-school deans through which to do so. The aim of this paper is to discuss the construct of executive education, and to challenge some of the dominant logics that executive education is simply education for executives. Executive education is reported as being distinctive from most content focused education – the tangible material that most universities teach. The successful design and delivery of a suite of non-credit executive education courses, with a focus on corporate and institutional governance, is presented. Their underpinning pedagogy, based on developing a critically reflective practitioner, is discussed. Executive education courses are found to be distinctive on the basis that responsibility for learning, and the direction of the journey being taken, rests largely with the participants themselves. The adverse reaction to a six month long not-for-credit short course, offered inhouse annually for four years is then briefly described. Observations are shared as to the source of this reaction. The means of avoiding similar adversity towards effective executive education in the future is then identified.
Hox C cluster genes are dispensable for overall body plan of mouse embryonic development.

Hox genes encode transcription factors which provide positional information during morphogenesis along the body axis; genetic interaction among Hox genes is thought to be necessary for correct pattern formation. One of the most curious features of the 39 vertebrate Hox genes is that they form four clusters each composed of several genes paralogous between clusters. This raises the question are all four clusters necessary for the development of vertebrates and, if so, what is the function of each cluster? To provide an answer to this question, we prepared Hox C cluster null mice utilizing the Cre-loxP system. Hox C cluster null mice, lacking all nine Hox C genes, die at the time of birth; however, the mutant pups develop to this stage with minor transformations. This development shows that the Hox C genes are dispensable for the overall body plan of mouse embryogenesis. Furthermore, transformations observed in the skeletal system of the Hox C cluster null mice are milder than those observed in the Hoxc-9 null mice, providing further evidence that at least some genes within a cluster exhibit interaction functions with each other.
An Agent-Based Learning Approach for Finding and Exploiting Heuristics in Unknown Environments

This paper presents an agent-based hybrid symbolic/subsymbolic learning approach as a basic model for the human ability of quickly recognizing and exploiting heuristic rules in an initially unknown environment. Instead of mechanically iterating a task until the optimal policy was found (as usually done by common Reinforcement Learning techniques), the agent finds heuristics expressed by symbolic knowledge bases which allow for an intelligent exploitation of knowledge gained from few experiences. For this purpose, a measure is proposed which allows an agent to decide on its own at which point during the learning process, its decisions should rely on the recognized heuristics rather than on a learned state-action pair representation. The approach will be evaluated both in the context of several grid world scenarios and a game from the GVGAI framework. It will be shown that our approach outperforms standard Q-Learning in the selected scenarios and arguments will be provided that also other agent-based machine learning techniques could profit from the proposed approach.
Use of a sparse sampling study design to assess transfer of tramadol and its O-desmethyl metabolite into transitional breast milk.

WHAT IS ALREADY KNOWN ABOUT THIS SUBJECT There are presently no published data on tramadol transfer into breast milk or on its effects in the breastfed infant. WHAT THIS STUDY ADDS We have provided quantitative data on the absolute and relative infant doses of rac-tramadol and it rac-O-desmethyl metabolite for the breastfed infant. We have also demonstrated a novel sparse sampling data collection method for investigating infant exposure via milk. AIMS To investigate the transfer of rac-tramadol and its rac-O-desmethyl metabolite into transitional milk, and assess unwanted effects in the breastfed infant. METHODS Tramadol HCl (100 mg six hourly) was administered to 75 breastfeeding mothers for postoperative analgesia on days 2-4 after Caesarian section. Milk and plasma samples were collected after administration of four or more doses. Rac-tramadol and rac-O-desmethyltramadol were measured by high performance liquid chromatography. Milk : plasma ratio (M : P) and infant doses were calculated by standard methods. The behavioural characteristics of the exposed breastfed infants and a matched control group of infants not exposed to tramadol were also studied. RESULTS At steady-state, mean (95% CI) M : P was 2.2 (2.0, 2.4) for rac-tramadol and 2.8 (2.5, 3.1) for rac-O-desmethyltramadol. The estimated absolute and relative infant doses were 112 (102, 122) microg kg(-1) day(-1) and 30 (28, 32) microg kg(-1) day(-1), and 2.24% (2.04, 2.44)% and 0.64% (0.59, 0.69)% for rac-tramadol and rac-O-desmethyltramadol, respectively. The exposed infants and control breastfed infants had similar characteristics, including Apgar scores at birth and Neurologic and Adaptive Capacity Scores. CONCLUSIONS The combined relative infant dose of 2.88% at steady-state was low. The similarity of NACS in exposed infants and controls suggests that there were no significant behavioural adverse effects. We conclude that short-term maternal use of tramadol during establishment of lactation is compatible with breastfeeding.