Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Relationship of Left Atrial Global Peak Systolic Strain with Left Ventricular Diastolic Dysfunction and Brain Natriuretic Peptide Level in Patients Presenting with Non-ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction

Background In patients presenting with non-ST elevation myocardial infarction, we investigated the relationship of left atrial deformational parameters evaluated by 2-dimensional speckle tracking imaging (2D-STI) with conventional echocardiographic diastolic dysfunction parameters and brain natriuretic peptide level. Material/Methods We enrolled 74 non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction patients who were treated with percutaneous coronary intervention and 58 healthy control subjects. Non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction patients had echocardiographic examination 48 h after the percutaneous coronary intervention procedure and venous blood samples were drawn simultaneously. In addition to conventional echocardiographic parameters, left atrial strain curves were obtained for each patient. Average peak left atrial strain values during left ventricular systole were measured. Results BNP values were higher in non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction patients compared to controls. Mean left atrium peak systolic global longitudinal strain in Group 2 (the control group) was higher than in the non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction group. Left atrium peak systolic global longitudinal strain was significantly correlated with left ventricular ejection fraction. There was a significant inverse correlation between left atrium peak systolic global longitudinal strain and brain natriuretic peptide level, left atrium volume maximum, and left atrium volume minimum. Conclusions Our study shows that Left atrium peak systolic global longitudinal strain values decreased consistently with deteriorating systolic and diastolic function in non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction patients treated with percutaneous coronary intervention. Left atrium peak systolic global longitudinal strain measurements may be helpful as a complimentary method to evaluate diastolic function in this patient population.
The Effects of Family Ties on Suicidal Ideation of the Rural Elderly in Korea - Focused on the Meditating Effects of Community Consciousness -

The suicide rate in South Korea has been the highest among the OECD countries for more than 10 years. In addition, the suicide rate among the rural elderly is much higher than that of the elderly in urban areas and that of younger generations. The purpose of this study was to examine the general tendencies of family ties, community consciousness and suicide ideation of the rural elderly in Korea. Also, this study aimed to verify the mediating effect of community consciousness between family ties and suicidal ideation. The data for this study came from 283 elderly people (over 65 years old) living in 11 villages in South Korea. The data was gathered from July to August 2013. Baron and Kenny's (1986) step based regression from the SPSS Win 18.0 program was used to analyze this data. This study also utilized the Sobel-test. The results of this study are as follows. First, the suicidal ideation of the respondents had a lower score than the median score. However, the magnitude of suicidal ideation was still significant. Second, this study found that family ties and community consciousness have both direct and indirect effects on the reduction of suicidal ideation. Lastly, this study examined the mediating effects of community consciousness. The findings of this study are of great significance because they reconfirmed the importance of establishing a social safety net in local communities to replace adult children who have relocated to urban areas.
Effect of Clathrin Heavy Chain- and α-Adaptin-specific Small Inhibitory RNAs on Endocytic Accessory Proteins and Receptor Trafficking in HeLa Cells*

To assess the contribution of individual endocytic proteins to the assembly of clathrin coated pits, we depleted the clathrin heavy chain and the α-adaptin subunit of AP-2 in HeLa-cells using RNA interference. 48 h after transfection with clathrin heavy chain-specific short interfering RNA both, the heavy and light chains were depleted by more than 80%. Residual clathrin was mainly membrane-associated, and an increase in shallow pits was noted. The membrane-association of adaptors, clathrin assembly lymphoid myeloid leukemia protein (CALM), epsin, dynamin, and Eps15 was only moderately affected by the knockdown and all proteins still displayed a punctate staining distribution. Clathrin depletion inhibited the uptake of transferrin but not that of the epidermal growth factor. However, efficient sorting of the epidermal growth factor into hepatocyte growth factor-regulated tyrosine kinase substrate-positive endosomes was impaired. Depletion of α-adaptin abolished almost completely the plasma membrane association of clathrin. Binding of Eps15 to membranes was strongly and that of CALM moderately reduced. Whereas the uptake of transferrin was efficiently blocked in α-adaptin knockdown cells, the internalization and sorting of the epidermal growth factor was not significantly impaired. Since neither clathrin nor AP-2 is essential for the internalization of EGF, we conclude that it is taken up by an alternative mechanism.
Accelerating graph computation with racetrack memory and pointer-assisted graph representation

The poor performance of NAND Flash memory, such as long access latency and large granularity access, is the major bottleneck of graph processing. This paper proposes an intelligent storage for graph processing which is based on fast and low cost racetrack memory and a pointer-assisted graph representation. Our experiments show that the proposed intelligent storage based on racetrack memory reduces total processing time of three representative graph computations by 40.2%~86.9% compared to the graph processing, GraphChi, which exploits sequential accesses based on normal NAND Flash memory-based SSD. Faster execution also reduces energy consumption by 39.6%~90.0%. The in-storage processing capability gives additional 10.5%~16.4% performance improvements and 12.0%~14.4% reduction of energy consumption.
A support vector machine approach for detecting gene‐gene interaction

Although genetic factors play an important role in most human diseases, multiple genes or genes and environmental factors may influence individual risk. In order to understand the underlying biological mechanisms of complex diseases, it is important to understand the complex relationships that control the process. In this paper, we consider different perspectives, from each optimization, complexity analysis, and algorithmic design, which allows us to describe a reasonable and applicable computational framework for detecting gene‐gene interactions. Accordingly, support vector machine and combinatorial optimization techniques (local search and genetic algorithm) were tailored to fit within this framework. Although the proposed approach is computationally expensive, our results indicate this is a promising tool for the identification and characterization of high order gene‐gene and gene‐environment interactions. We have demonstrated several advantages of this method, including the strong power for classification, less concern for overfitting, and the ability to handle unbalanced data and achieve more stable models. We would like to make the support vector machine and combinatorial optimization techniques more accessible to genetic epidemiologists, and to promote the use and extension of these powerful approaches. Genet. Epidemiol. 2008. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Phosphorylation of Serine 256 Is Required for cAMP-dependent Regulatory Exocytosis of the Aquaporin-2 Water Channel*

The aquaporin-2 (AQP2) vasopressin water channel is translocated to the apical membrane upon vasopressin stimulation. Phosphorylation of serine 256 of AQP2 by cAMP-dependent protein kinase has been shown, but its relation to vasopressin-regulated translocation has not been elucidated. To address this question, wild type (WT) AQP2 and a mutant with alanine in place of serine 256 of AQP2 (S256A) were expressed in LLC-PK1 cells by electroporation. Measurements by a stopped-flow light-scattering method revealed that the osmotic water permeability (P f ) of LLC-PK1 cells transfected with WT was 69.6 ± 6.5 μm/s (24.8 ± 2.2 μm/s for mock-transfected), and stimulation by 500 μm 8-(4-chlorophenylthio)-cAMP increased theP f by 85 ± 12%. When S256A AQP2 was transfected, the cAMP-dependent increase in theP f was only 8 ± 5%. After cAMP stimulation, the increase in surface expression of AQP2 determined by surface biotin labeling was 4 ± 10%, significantly less than that for WT (88 ± 5%). In addition, an in vivo[32P]orthophosphate labeling assay demonstrated significant phosphorylation of WT AQP2 and only minimal phosphorylation of S256A AQP2 in LLC-PK1 cells. Our results indicated that serine 256 of AQP2 is necessary for regulatory exocytosis and that cAMP-responsive redistribution of AQP2 may be regulated by phosphorylation of AQP2.
Specific changes in rapidly transported proteins during regeneration of the goldfish optic nerve

Double labeling methods were used to identify changes in the complement of proteins synthesized in the retinal ganglion cells and transported down the optic nerve during the process of axonal regeneration. Eight to 62 days after goldfish underwent a unilateral optic nerve crush, one eye was labeled with [3H]-, the other with [14C]proline. Control and regenerating optic nerves were dissected out and homogenized together after 5 hr, a time which allowed us to examine selectively membrane- bound components which migrate in the rapid phase of axoplasmic transport. Proteins from the two sides were so-purified and separated by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Analysis of the 3H and 14C incorporation patterns along the gels revealed a radical shift away from the normal labeling spectrum during regeneration, with selective changes in labeling at particular molecular weights varying over a 3-fold range. Eight days after crushing the optic nerve, the greatest increases in labeling were seen for material with apparent molecular weights of 24,000 to 27,000, 44,000, and 210,000 daltons. These peaks declined thereafter, and on days 29 to 39, the most prominent increases were at 110,000 to 140,000 daltons. These studies indicate a continuously changing pattern in the synthesis and/or degradation of proteins that are rapidly transported down the optic nerve during regeneration and point to molecular species potential significance in the establishment of the visual map upon the brain.
Field Trials of the 1987 Draft of Chapter V (F) of ICD-10

Introduction This paper will review the major objectives and study design of the Field Trials of the draft chapter on Mental Behavioural and Developmental Disorders in the tenth revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10), now in preparation. The text used in this Field Trial is the Clinical Descriptions and Diagnostic Guidelines, which is more elaborate than the Short Glossary for this chapter that will be published in the main volume of ICD-10. The text for the former will be published together with the Diagnostic Criteria for Research and other parts of the WHO family of instruments relevant to mental health.
Hypoglycemic episodes and risk of dementia in older patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

CONTEXT Although acute hypoglycemia may be associated with cognitive impairment in children with type 1 diabetes, no studies to date have evaluated whether hypoglycemia is a risk factor for dementia in older patients with type 2 diabetes. OBJECTIVE To determine if hypoglycemic episodes severe enough to require hospitalization are associated with an increased risk of dementia in a population of older patients with type 2 diabetes followed up for 27 years. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PATIENTS A longitudinal cohort study from 1980-2007 of 16,667 patients with a mean age of 65 years and type 2 diabetes who are members of an integrated health care delivery system in northern California. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE Hypoglycemic events from 1980-2002 were collected and reviewed using hospital discharge and emergency department diagnoses. Cohort members with no prior diagnoses of dementia, mild cognitive impairment, or general memory complaints as of January 1, 2003, were followed up for a dementia diagnosis through January 15, 2007. Dementia risk was examined using Cox proportional hazard regression models, adjusted for age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, body mass index, duration of diabetes, 7-year mean glycated hemoglobin, diabetes treatment, duration of insulin use, hyperlipidemia, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, stroke, transient cerebral ischemia, and end-stage renal disease. RESULTS At least 1 episode of hypoglycemia was diagnosed in 1465 patients (8.8%) and dementia was diagnosed in 1822 patients (11%) during follow-up; 250 patients had both dementia and at least 1 episode of hypoglycemia (16.95%). Compared with patients with no hypoglycemia, patients with single or multiple episodes had a graded increase in risk with fully adjusted hazard ratios (HRs): for 1 episode (HR, 1.26; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.10-1.49); 2 episodes (HR, 1.80; 95% CI, 1.37-2.36); and 3 or more episodes (HR, 1.94; 95% CI, 1.42-2.64). The attributable risk of dementia between individuals with and without a history of hypoglycemia was 2.39% per year (95% CI, 1.72%-3.01%). Results were not attenuated when medical utilization rates, length of health plan membership, or time since initial diabetes diagnosis were added to the model. When examining emergency department admissions for hypoglycemia for association with risk of dementia (535 episodes), results were similar (compared with patients with 0 episodes) with fully adjusted HRs: for 1 episode (HR, 1.42; 95% CI, 1.12-1.78) and for 2 or more episodes (HR, 2.36; 95% CI, 1.57-3.55). CONCLUSIONS Among older patients with type 2 diabetes, a history of severe hypoglycemic episodes was associated with a greater risk of dementia. Whether minor hypoglycemic episodes increase risk of dementia is unknown.
Heterosis in Ddt Resistant and Susceptible Populations of Drosophila Melanogaster.

HE phenomenon of heterosis has generally been studied in relation to some Tarbitrarily selected trait such as size, weight, or yield. Heterosis is then regarded as being manifested by an increase in the chosen trait. Although various definitions have been proposed ( GOWEN 1952), heterosis is most commonly and most meaningfully defined as an increase in the chosen trait in crossbred individuals as compared to the better of their more inbred parents. While heterosis is usually considered to affect all of the characters of hybrids, it is actually only measured in relation to the trait or traits selected for study. Recently DOBZHANSKY (in GOWEN 1952) has equated heterosis with adaptive value and has called increased size or vigor “luxuriance” when it does not contribute to fitness, This usage, while it has the advantage of referring always to the same trait, adaptive value, may lead to considerable confusion since it is entirely possible for smaller size, for example, to confer greater adaptive value than large, and hence a direct contradiction between the historical meaning of the word (SHULL 1948) and this new definition will result. The experiments to be reported were designed to test some of the concepts which have grown up around the phenomenon of heterosis.
Effectiveness of standardized ginkgo biloba extract on cognitive symptoms of dementia with a six-month treatment: a bivariate random effect meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION The objective of this study is to take into consideration the influence of baseline risk on the treatment effect and evaluate the effectiveness of standardized GINKGO BILOBA extract (GbE) on cognitive symptoms of dementia with the treatment period of approximately 6 months. METHODS We systematically searched the literature to identify all randomized placebo-controlled clinical trials (English language) of GbE in the treatment of dementia. Data were extracted from selected trials and combined with standard meta-analysis methods. A bivariate meta-analysis was carried out to further estimate the effect size of GbE. RESULTS The random effect estimate of standard mean difference (SMD) between GbE and placebo groups of 6 selected trials was -0.89 (95% CI -1.82 to 0.04) in the assessment of cognitive function. Bivariate random effect estimate of difference of change in ADAS-cog scores was -2.65 (95% CI --4.53 to -0.76), which showed a significant difference in favor of GbE. CONCLUSION Considering baseline risk in the assessment of treatment effect, GbE was found to be effective for cognitive functions in dementia with the treatment of 6 months.
Applications of proteomics in marine ecology

Proteomics emerged in the beginning of the 1990s due to the need for new methods for protein analysis. Proteomics is a much newer discipline than genomics, and confronts similar chal- lenges to those that genomics researchers faced in the implementation of large-scale sequencing pro- grams. The definition of proteomics as the use of quantitative protein-level measurements of gene expression to characterize biological processes and decipher the mechanisms of gene expression control fits in with any biological approach. In the present study, proteomics is discussed and defined in parallel with genomics, given that many authors integrate proteomics in the context of functional genomics. In this Theme Section, several facets of proteomics in marine ecology were adressed: capacity, or what can be done, utility, the technology possibilities, and how to use the data obtained. As with any new and interesting technology, the expectations often exceed reality. The applications of proteomics, the advantages and disadvantages, as well as a few limitations are discussed.
Floor accuracy improvement of wireless LAN based large scale indoor positioning

WLAN signal based positioning is most popular in indoor localization, where GPS is hardly working inside buildings. In WLAN localization system, floor errors are occurred occasionally, which cause the serious side effects in indoor navigation system. In this paper, we introduce our floor-error correcting method. Simply, the correction method is based on Wi-Fi access point set similarity. We devised a new method with less floor errors than conventional system. We applied our proposed method to COEX, the most realistic case comparing with other researches. Therefore we expect that the result in this paper is meaningful to the researchers in same discipline.
Systematic review of the cost‐effectiveness of varenicline vs. bupropion for smoking cessation

The purpose of this systematic review was to review the cost‐effectiveness of first‐line non‐nicotine therapies (varenicline and bupropion SR) for smoking cessation, identify differences in the models used and their conclusions of cost‐effectiveness, and to determine which variables, if any, impact conclusions of cost‐effectiveness. A systematic literature search was conducted in MEDLINE, PsychINFO, the National Health Service Economic Evaluation Database, the Health Technology Database and the Tufts Cost‐effectiveness Analysis Registry from the earliest possible date through May 2011. To be included, studies had to compare cost‐effectiveness of varenicline to bupropion using either a Markov model or discrete event simulation and be published as a full text manuscript in English or Spanish. Study selection and data extraction were done in duplicate with disagreement resolved through discussion. Data regarding the model characteristics, results and conclusions were extracted as were details to assess the quality of the study. Model characteristics and cost‐effectiveness results were compared across studies and summarised qualitatively. Ten unique studies were included, all of which were Markov models. Eight studies used the Benefits of Smoking Cessation on Outcomes (BENESCO) model and all found varenicline to dominate bupropion. The two non‐BENESCO models found varenicline to be cost‐effective. Conclusions regarding the cost‐effectives were changed upon sensitivity analysis with the following variables: time horizon, cost of bupropion, efficacy of either drug, age and the incidence of smoking related disease. Varenicline dominated bupropion in most cost‐effectiveness models. However, applicability of models to clinical practice and variables which changed conclusion of cost‐effectiveness should be considered in the interpretation of results.
TGrid: A New Grid Environment

A new tree-based grid environment (called TGrid) is presented in this paper after analyzing the problems in current grid environments. TGrid supports high performance computing, subject-oriented resources sharing and the next generation requirement modeling and it also achieves bottom-up, multi-level and demand-oriented abstraction and fusion of multiple resources. And it organizes grid nodes and integrates multiple resources in the tree structure that conforms to the natural hierarchical organization structures, easily achieves hierarchical management, also may reduce load on the central node (server) and realize load balancing for large-scale applications, improve the efficiency of resource searching. After introducing the conceptual model and the resource abstract model for TGrid, the key problems of TGrid implementation are discussed and analyzed. Finally, it focuses on the task allocation algorithm using dynamic load balancing for large-scale applications in TGrid and the experiment results show the effectiveness of this algorithm. TGrid provides a new solution for grid application demands
On the Role of Fairness and Social Distance in Designing Effective Social Referral Systems

Online referral systems help firms attract new customers and expand their customer base by leveraging the social relationships of existing customers. We integrate ultimatum game theory, which focuses on fairness, with motivation theories to investigate the effects of social distance and monetary incentives on the performance of three competing designs for online referral systems: rewarding only or primarily the proposer, rewarding only or primarily the responder, or dividing the reward equally or fairly between the proposer and responder. A set of controlled laboratory and randomized field experiments were conducted to test how the fairness of the split of the reward (equal/fair versus unequal/unfair split of the referral bonus) and social distance (small versus large) between the proposer and the responder jointly affect the performance of online referral systems (the proposer sending an offer and the responder accepting the offer). For a large social distance (acquaintances or weak tie relationships), equally splitting the referral bonus results in the best performance. However, for a small social distance (friends or strong tie relationships), an equal split of the referral reward does not improve referral performance, which suggests that under a small social distance, monetary incentives may not work effectively. Face validity and external validity (generalizability) are ensured using two distinct measures of social distance across several contexts. Through the analysis of the interaction effects of fairness and social distance, our research offers theoretical and practical implications for social commerce by showing that the effectiveness of fairness on the success of online social referrals largely depends on social distance.