Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Race predictors and hemodynamic alteration after an ultra-trail marathon race

Objective Unique rough-terrain ultra-trail running races have increased in popularity. Concerns regarding the suitability of the candidates make it difficult for organizers to manage safety regulations. The purpose of this study was to identify possible race predictors and assess hemodynamic change after long endurance races. Methods We studied 228 runners who competed in a 66 km-trail running race. A questionnaire and noninvasive hemodynamic flow assessment including blood pressure, heart rate, stroke volume, stroke volume variation, systemic vascular resistance, cardiac index, and oxygen saturation were used to determine physiologic alterations and to identify finish predictors. One hundred and thirty volunteers completed the questionnaire, 126 participants had a prerace hemodynamic assessment, and 33 of these participants completed a postrace assessment after crossing the finish line. The participants were divided into a finisher group and a nonfinisher group. Results The average age of all runners was 37 years (range of 24–56 years). Of the 228 runners, 163 (71.5%) were male. There were 189 (82.9%) finishers. Univariable analysis indicated that the finish predictors included male gender, longest distance ever run, faster running records, and lower diastolic pressure. Only a lower diastolic pressure was a significant predictor of race finishing (diastolic blood pressure 74–84 mmHg: adjusted odd ratio 3.81; 95% confidence interval [CI] =1.09–13.27 and diastolic blood pressure <74 mmHg: adjusted odd ratio 7.74; 95% CI =1.57–38.21) using the figure from the multivariable analysis. Among the finisher group, hemodynamic parameters showed statistically significant differences with lower systolic blood pressure (135.9±14.8 mmHg vs 119.7±11.3 mmHg; p<0.001), faster heart rate (72.6±10.7 bpm vs 96.4±10.4 bpm; p<0.001), lower stroke volume (43.2±13.6 mL vs 29.3±10.1 mL; p<0.001), higher stroke volume variation; median (interquartile range) (36% [25%–58%] vs 53% [33%–78%]; p<0.001), and lower oxygen saturation (97.4%±1.0% vs 96.4%±1.0%; p<0.001). Systemic vascular resistance and cardian index did not change significantly. Conclusion The only race finishing predictor from the multivariable analysis was lower diastolic pressure. Finishers seem to have a hypovolemic physiologic response and a lower level of oxygen saturation.
Evaluation of Two Retrospective Active Surveillance Methods for the Detection of Nosocomial Infection in Surgical Patients

Abstract Objective: To compare the sensitivity and specificity of two retrospective active surveillance methods based on review of the medical record and review of the discharge form in identifying nosocomial infection, taking the prospective surveillance method as the reference standard. Design: Blind comparison of three active nosocomial infection surveillance methods. Setting: Department of General Surgery of a tertiary-care hospital with a referral population of 266,000 people. Methods: All operated patients admitted to the Department of Surgery for more than 24 hours and discharged from January 1, 1994, to December 31, 1994, were included. Prospective surveillance consisted of daily review of the patient's record during hospitalization. Retrospective surveillance consisted of review of the medical record and the discharge form. Sensitivity and specificity of both retrospective methods were calculated. Results: Of the 1,514 patients included in the study, 1,476 (97.5%) were reviewed by means of the retrospective surveillance system. A total of 20, 8, and 4 hours per week was needed for the active prospective system, review of the medical record, and review of the hospital discharge form, respectively. The documented cumulative incidence of nosocomial infection was 21.8% for the prospective system, 19.6% for review of the medical record, and 12.6% for review of the discharge form. The overall sensitivity of review of the medical record was 88% and of the discharge form 56%, with a specificity of 99%. For review of the medical record, the highest sensitivity was 93%, for urinary tract infections; for review of the discharge form, the highest was 57%, for surgical-wound infection. Conclusions: The retrospective method of review of the medical record was the most efficient active surveillance strategy in detecting nosocomial infection in surgical patients
Investigation on feasibility of using surface plasmons resonance (SPR) sensor for ultrasonic detection: A novel optical detection of ultrasonic waves

Scientists and engineers have dreamed of a high resolution ultrasonic microscopic imaging, where the resolution of the ultrasound is required to be as high as optical resolution. In order to achieve this, of course, a very high frequency ultrasonic source in GHz regime is required as well as a highly sensitive ultrasonic camera in the same operating frequency range. In this talk, we will show some experimental results and discuss a feasibility and key issues of employing a standard Kretschmann based surface plasmons resonance (SPR) sensor system to perform high frequency ultrasonic imaging. At the end of the talk, we will discuss some ways to get around the issues.
Towards customer evaluation based product performance modeling

In the front-end customer driven design process, a number of design alternatives need to be evaluated based on customer expectations. A systematic method is presented in this paper to rank design alternatives by formulating a future rating model. Projections to Latent Structures (PLS), which is a multivariate analysis technique with proven efficiency, is employed to model experts' ratings in terms of product attributes for each time step, and screen unimportant attributes using Variable Importance (VIP) Scores. The PLS model parameter time series is used to formulate the future rating model, by means of an optimization algorithm embedded with forecasting. A case study is conducted using ratings of 16 major mobile phone technological forums collected from 2006 first quarter to 2009 third quarter. The future model predictions of 2009 fourth quarter, with Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE) of 1.6, show the potential of proposed concept screening method.
Retained antigen-binding activity of Fab alpha fragments of human monoclonal immunoglobulin A1 (IgA1) cleaved by IgA1 protease

Immunoglobulin A1 (IgA1) proteases may be important virulence factors of certain bacteria involved in the pathogenesis of meningitis, gonorrhea, destructive periodontal diseases, and some other infections affecting mucosal membranes. This study evaluated the antigen-binding activity of free Fab alpha fragments released from human myeloma IgA1 by IgA1 protease from Haemophilus influenzae. Six myeloma proteins with antibody activity against streptolysin O, alpha-staphylolysin, or streptococcal hyaluronidase were used. Complete cleavage of the IgA1 myeloma proteins in the hinge region of the heavy chain did not affect their antigen-binding capacity. The titers of neutralizing activity associated with free Fab alpha fragments were not significantly different from those of the intact IgA1 proteins. The retained antigen-binding capacity of cleaved IgA1 is an important factor in the understanding of how IgA1 proteases may interfere with the immune protection of mucosal membranes.
Development of realistic applications based on explicit event detection in broadcasting baseball videos

This paper presents a framework that explicitly detects events in broadcasting baseball videos and facilitates the development of various extended applications. Three phases are included: reliable shot classification, explicit event detection, and elaborate applications. In the shot classification stage, color and geometric information are utilized to classify shots into several canonical views. To explicitly detect semantic events, rule-based decision and model-based decision methods are developed. We emphasize that this system efficiently and exactly identifies what happened in baseball games rather than roughly finding some interesting parts. Based on explicit event detection, many accurate and practical applications such as box score generation and game summarization can be built. The evaluation results show the effectiveness of the proposed methods and demonstrate some insights about bridging semantic gaps for sports videos
Human Neurocysticercosis: Comparison of Different Diagnostic Tests Using Cerebrospinal Fluid

ABSTRACT Neurocysticercosis (NC), caused by the larval stage of Taenia solium, is one of the most common parasitic diseases of the central nervous system. The diagnosis of NC is mostly based on costly brain neuroimaging (computed tomography and/or nuclear magnetic resonance), which is rarely accessible in most affected areas. The most sensitive and specific tools for NC diagnosis are imagery techniques. The identification of specific antibodies and antigens is currently used only to support NC diagnosis due to their limited specificity and sensitivity. This study was performed to compare immunodiagnostic assays (antibody detection by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay [ELISA] and enzyme-linked immunoelectrotransfer blotting [EITB] and HP10 antigen detection by ELISA) with the detection of parasite DNA by PCR amplification of a repetitive element of the parasite genome in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of 121 radiologically and clinically characterized NC patients. Patients were divided into six groups according to the stage of the parasites and their localization. The CSF cellularity of each patient was also recorded. When all patients were considered, PCR exhibited the highest sensitivity (95.9%) and variable specificity (80% or 100%) depending on the controls used. The sensitivities of antibody detection by ELISA and EITB were not significantly different, and ELISA identified HP10 antigen mostly when vesicular cysticerci were located in the subarachnoideal basal cisterns. These results can help in the selection of different individual assays or combinations of assays to be used in NC diagnosis according to different requirements.
Role of vascular bed compliance in vasomotor control in human skeletal muscle

The current view of neurogenic vasomotor control in skeletal muscle is based largely on changes in vascular bed resistance. The purpose of this study was to determine to what extent vascular bed compliance may also play a role in this regulation. For this purpose, pressure waveforms (Millar and Finometer) and flow waveforms (Doppler ultrasound) were measured simultaneously in the brachial artery of seven healthy individuals during physiological manoeuvres which were expected to produce non‐neurogenic changes in resistance (wrist‐cuff occlusion; n= 5) or compliance (arm elevation; n= 6) of the forearm vascular bed. Vascular resistance (R) was calculated from the average flow and pressure values. A lumped Windkessel model was used to obtain vascular bed compliance (C) from these concurrently measured waveforms. Compared with baseline (3.81 ± 1.59 ml min−1 mmHg−1), wrist occlusion increased R (65 ± 75%; P < 0.05) with minimal change in C (−15 ± 16%; n.s.). Compared with the arm in neutral position (0.0075 ± 0.003 ml mmHg−1), elevation of the arm above heart level produced a 86 ± 41% increase in C (P < 0.05) with little change in R (−5 ± 11%). In addition, neurogenic changes were assessed during lower body negative pressure (LBNP) and a cold pressor test (CPT; n= 7). Lower body negative pressure induced a 29 ± 24% increase in R and a 26 ± 12% decrease in C (both P < 0.05). The CPT induced no consistent change in R but a 22 ± 7% reduction in C (P < 0.05). It was concluded that vascular bed compliance is an independent variable which should be considered along with vascular bed resistance in the mechanics of vasomotor regulation in skeletal muscle.
Introduction of the ras oncogene transforms a simian virus 40-immortalized hepatocyte cell line without loss of expression of albumin and other liver-specific genes.

Activated c-Ha-ras DNA sequences were introduced by transfection into a low passage simian virus 40 (SV40)-immortalized rat hepatocyte cell line, CWSV1, and stable ras transfectant cell lines were established to determine the effect of the addition of the activated c-Ha-ras oncogene on growth properties and differentiation. Control transfectant cell lines were generated by transfection with neo alone. CWSV1 cells at low passage and the control transfectants were not tumorigenic. The ras transfectants demonstrated anchorage-independent growth and were highly tumorigenic in syngeneic hosts. CWSV1 cells produce liver-like levels of albumin and express other liver-specific genes. The ras transfectants expressed RNA for albumin, transferrin, and the transcription factor HNF-1 at similar levels to the parental CWSV1 cells, indicating that the alterations in growth properties and tumorigenic potential of these cells did not decrease the ability of the cells to express several genes that are associated with hepatocyte differentiation. The addition of the ras oncogene did not induce the expression of alpha-fetoprotein and had no specific effect on expression of glutathione S-transferase-P. The tumors produced by the ras transfectants were not well differentiated; however, the cells in the tumors and tumor cell lines derived from the tumors continued to produce albumin and did not produce alpha-fetoprotein. We conclude that the addition of the activated c-Ha-ras oncogene to immortalized CWSV1 cells transformed these cells as measured by morphology, growth properties, and tumorigenicity without reducing their ability to express albumin and other significant liver-specific genes.
Protective effects of puerarin on experimental chronic lead nephrotoxicity in immature female rats

Puerarin (PU), a natural flavonoid, has been reported to possess anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory activities. In the present study, female Sprague-Dawley rats received lead (Pb) nitrate (300 mg/L, via drinking water) and/or PU (400 mg/kg/day, orally) to investigate the protective effects of PU on Pb-induced renal damage. Renal toxicity was evaluated by detecting urinary proteins excretion as well as levels of serum urea nitrogen and serum creatinine. Ultrastructural observations and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction analyses were performed on kidney cortex tissues to identify the mitochondrial damage and quantify gene expression levels of cytochrome oxidase submits (COX-I/II/III), respectively. Renal cell damage was assessed by light microscopic examination. Lipid peroxidation (LPO) levels and antioxidant status in kidney were also evaluated. Animals that received both Pb and PU showed a better renal function than those that received Pb alone, with minor pathological damage. Moreover, PU significantly reduced LPO and markedly restored the enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants levels in kidney of Pb-treated rats, which may be related to its restoring mitochondrial function. Furthermore, PU administration significantly increased urinary Pb excretion and decreased its level in the serum and kidney. In conclusion, these results suggested that PU reduces renal damage induced by chronic Pb administration through its antioxidant properties and chelating ability.
Reshaping the world order of higher education: the role and impact of rankings on national and global systems*

ABSTRACT Higher education (HE) is a global enterprise. Its success (or failure) is integral to and a powerful indicator of the knowledge-producing and talent-attracting capacity of nations. But, the landscape in which HE operates today has become extremely complex; there are many more demands and many constituencies, each with an impact on and a voice in shaping HE’s role and purpose. Since the millennium, university rankings have become one of these influencing voices. But, they are no longer about enhancing student choice, but increasingly about the geopolitical positioning for universities and nations. The extent to which they are transforming the relationship between the state and HE, with implications for today, are explored in this article. There are three parts. Part 1 looks at the transformation of rankings from a statistical-technical phenomenon influencing institutional decision-making to being a policy instrument driving competition at institutional, national and global levels. Part 2 examines how rankings have impacted on and altered the relationship between HE and the state, looking at the accountability agenda, and the geopolitics of HE. Finally, Part 3 discusses some implications and options in the context of recent social-political developments, and the challenges they pose to HE.
Unique cellular interactions between pancreatic cancer cells and the omentum

Pancreatic cancer is a common cause of cancer-related mortality. Omental spread is frequent and usually represents an ominous event, leading to patient death. Omental metastasis has been studied in ovarian cancer, but data on its role in pancreatic cancer are relatively scarce and the molecular biology of this process has yet to be explored. We prepared tissue explants from human omental fat, and used conditioned medium from the explants for various in vitro and in vivo experiments designed to evaluate pancreatic cancer development, growth, and survival. Mass spectrometry identified the fat secretome, and mRNA array identified specific fat-induced molecular alternations in tumor cells. Omental fat increased pancreatic cancer cellular growth, migration, invasion, and chemoresistance. We identified diverse potential molecules secreted by the omentum, which are associated with various pro-tumorigenic biological processes. Our mRNA array identified specific omental-induced molecular alternations that are associated with cancer progression and metastasis. Omental fat increased the expression of transcription factors, mRNA of extracellular matrix proteins, and adhesion molecules. In support with our in vitro data, in vivo experiments demonstrated an increased pancreatic cancer tumor growth rate of PANC-1 cells co-cultured for 24 hours with human omental fat conditioned medium. Our results provide novel data on the role of omental tissue in omental metastases of pancreatic cancer. They imply that omental fat secreted factors induce cellular reprogramming of pancreatic cancer cells, resulting in increased tumor aggressiveness. Understanding the mechanisms of omental metastases may enable us to discover new potential targets for therapy.
Comparing CB-SEM and PLS-SEM : a case showing management accounting impact on performance

The objective of this article is to contrast two broad approaches to structural equation modelling (SEM): covariance-based (CB-SEM) and variance-based partial least square (PLS-SEM). Each approach was applied to estimate parameters of the same case model. Even though the results reveal some numerical differences, these differences do not seem to be of a great practical importance and less restrictive assumptions speak in favour of PLS-SEM. This study is one of the first attempts to apply and compare both approaches to SEM on actual (and not simulated) data, in this case data on management accounting (MA) obtained from 101 Czech and Slovak companies. From managerial viewpoint, the final model demonstrates that adoption of strategic MA techniques themselves without increase in organizational capabilities is insufficient for achieving higher return-on-assets (ROA).
Characterization of Cellular Binding Sites and Interactive Regions within Reactants Required for Enhancement of Plasminogen Activation by tPA on the Surface of Leukocytic Cells

Summary Plasminogen and tPA bind to a common set of binding sites on nucleated cells. To assess the functional consequences of cellular binding, we have measured the kinetic changes induced by plasminogen activation by tPA on cell surfaces. These studies were carried out with U937 and THP-1 monocytoid cells, with Raji, Nalm6 and Molt4 lymphoid cells and with peripheral blood monocytes and neutrophils. The interactions of plasminogen and tPA with cells induced an increase in the rate of plasmin generation which depended upon the cell concentration. With saturating amounts of U937 monocytoid cells (1.25 × 105/ml) the rate of plasmin generation was 0.39 nM.s-1 versus 0.07 and 0.09 nM.s-1 without cells or without tPA, respectively. The catalytic efficiency of Glu- or Lys-plasminogen activation by tPA increased by 7.2- and 24.2-fold, respectively. These changes were induced by a 72-242-fold reduction in the Km of these interactions which was in the range of 0.3-0.9 µM. These values are below the plasminogen concentration in plasma (1-2 µM). Moreover, we provide new data indicating that 1) only a specific subset of plasminogen binding sites, i.e. molecules exposing carboxyl terminal lysines on the cell surface, promotes plasminogen activation on cells; 2) the first four kringles of plasminogen and the finger of tPA are critical for enhanced plasmin generation on cell surfaces; 3) the simultaneous co-localization of tPA with plasminogen on cell surfaces is required for enhanced plasminogen activation; 4) modulation of plasminogen/tPA receptor expression induces concomitant modulation of the stimulatory effects of cells on plasminogen activation and 5) in a direct comparison, the mechanism by which cells and fibrin fragments accelerate plasminogen activation are similar but not identical. These data suggest that modulation of plasminogen/tPA binding sites permits local and efficient generation of plasmin on cell surfaces.
Persecutory delusions: developing the understanding of belief maintenance and emotional distress

Background. The objective of the study was to develop the cognitive understanding of persecutory delusions. It was hypothesized that safety behaviours contribute to the persistence of persecutory delusions by preventing disconfirmation. It was further hypothesized that emotional distress is associated with aspects of the content of delusions. An investigation was designed to establish whether individuals with persecutory delusions use safety behaviours, and to test predicted associations between delusion content and emotional distress. Method. A cross-sectional investigation was conducted on 25 individuals with persecutory delusions. A detailed assessment was made of the presence of safety behaviours, the content of delusions and emotional distress. Results. All participants had used at least one safety behaviour in the last month, most typically avoidance. Higher levels of anxiety were associated with greater use of safety behaviours. New data were obtained on the content of persecutory delusions. Aspects of the content of the delusions were associated with levels of depression, self-esteem, anxiety and delusional distress. Conclusions. Individuals with persecutory delusions use safety behaviours. The findings may develop the understanding of delusion persistence, acting upon delusions and the negative symptoms of schizophrenia. There are implications for cognitive interventions for psychosis. Support was also found for the hypothesis that emotional distress is linked to the content of delusional beliefs; it is speculated that prior emotional distress influences the content of delusions, and that delusion content in turn influences levels of emotional distress.