Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Comparison of Emergency Medical Services Systems Across Pan-Asian Countries: A Web-based Survey

Abstract Background. There are great variations in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) survival outcomes among different countries and different emergency medical services (EMS) systems. The impact of different systems and their contribution to enhanced survival are poorly understood. This paper compares the EMS systems of several Asian sites making up the Pan-Asian Resuscitation Outcomes Study (PAROS) network. Some preliminary cardiac arrest outcomes are also reported. Methods. This is a cross-sectional descriptive survey study addressing population demographics, service levels, provider characteristics, system operations, budget and finance, medical direction (leadership), and oversight. Results. Most of the systems are single-tiered. Fire-based EMS systems are predominant. Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur have hospital-based systems. Service level is relatively low, from basic to intermediate in most of the communities. Korea, Japan, Singapore, and Bangkok have intermediate emergency medical technician (EMT) service levels, while Taiwan and Dubai have paramedic service levels. Medical direction and oversight have not been systemically established, except in some communities. Systems are mostly dependent on public funding. We found variations in available resources in terms of ambulances and providers. The number of ambulances is 0.3 to 3.2 per 100,000 population, and most ambulances are basic life support (BLS) vehicles. The number of human resources ranges from 4.0 per 100,000 population in Singapore to 55.7 per 100,000 population in Taipei. Average response times vary between 5.1 minutes (Tainan) and 22.5 minutes (Kuala Lumpur). Conclusion. We found substantial variation in 11 communities across the PAROS EMS systems. This study will provide the foundation for understanding subsequent studies arising from the PAROS effort.
Pharmacological characterization of the opioid inactive isomers (+)‐naltrexone and (+)‐naloxone as antagonists of toll‐like receptor 4

The toll‐like receptor TLR4 is involved in neuropathic pain and in drug reward and reinforcement. The opioid inactive isomers (+)‐naltrexone and (+)‐naloxone act as TLR4 antagonists, reversing neuropathic pain and reducing opioid and cocaine reward and reinforcement. However, how these agents modulate TLR4 signalling is not clear. Here, we have elucidated the molecular mechanism of (+)‐naltrexone and (+)‐naloxone on TLR4 signalling.
Inhibitors and antagonists of bacterial quorum sensing

Bacteria can regulate community‐wide behaviors including biofilm formation, virulence, conjugation, sporulation, and swarming motility through a process called quorum sensing. Inhibitors and antagonists of bacterial quorum sensing are important research tools and potential therapeutic agents. In this review, we have summarized recent developments in this area. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Med Res Rev, 29, No. 1, 65–124, 2009
Largest evolutionary study of sponges sheds new light on animal evolution.

In the ocean, the killer whale rules as a top predator, feeding on everything from seals to sharks. Being at the apex of the food chain, killer whales’ geographic distribution and population size can also serve as a sentinel species regarding past and future ocean ecosystems and environmental change. In a recent study in Molecular Biology and Evolution, Moura et al. (2014) assembled 2.23 Gb of northern hemisphere killer whale genomic data and mitochondrial DNA from 616 samples worldwide. Would the data analysis reveal patterns of past climate change that may have impacted food availability? Also, what happened to the diversity of killer whales over time during the last great ice age? From this data set, the authors used an evolutionary coalescent model to conclude that killer whales were stable in population size during most of the Pleistocene (2.5 million– 11,000 years ago) followed by a rapid decline and bottleneck during the last great period of ice age (110,000–12,000 years ago). Although most populations declined, a population off of southern Africa remained stable. Consistent with the population bottleneck, they also showed low genetic diversity, with the exception of a refuge population off the coast of South Africa. “Our data supports the idea of a population bottleneck affecting killer whales over a wide geographic range and leading to the loss of diversity,” said Moura et al. (2014). “The South African population stands out as an exception, which may be due to local conditions that were productive and stable over the last million years or so. ” Thus, the recent ice age may have been detrimental to the ocean’s top predator and significantly affected diversity among living populations.
Research on simulation impedance

The impedance characteristics of resistance, capacitance and inductance can be simulated to calibrate Impedance Bridge by means of setting the amplitude ratio of voltage to current. In this paper we analyze the principles of voltage controlled and current controlled simulation impedance. The experiment and data are given. We propose the new concept of Digital Simulation Impedance (DSI) which is simulated by a digital waveform generator to acquire the waveforms of impedance voltage and current whose amplitude ratio and phase difference can be reproduced and saved in digital values. The advantages are wide range and frequency, program-controlling and digital correction.
A Chemical Proteomics Approach to Profiling the ATP-binding Proteome of Mycobacterium tuberculosis *

Tuberculosis, caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, remains one of the leading causes of death worldwide despite extensive research, directly observed therapy using multidrug regimens, and the widespread use of a vaccine. The majority of patients harbor the bacterium in a state of metabolic dormancy. New drugs with novel modes of action are needed to target essential metabolic pathways in M. tuberculosis; ATP-competitive enzyme inhibitors are one such class. Previous screening efforts for ATP-competitive enzyme inhibitors identified several classes of lead compounds that demonstrated potent anti-mycobacterial efficacy as well as tolerable levels of toxicity in cell culture. In this report, a probe-based chemoproteomic approach was used to selectively profile the M. tuberculosis ATP-binding proteome in normally growing and hypoxic M. tuberculosis. From these studies, 122 ATP-binding proteins were identified in either metabolic state, and roughly 60% of these are reported to be essential for survival in vitro. These data are available through ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD000141. Protein families vital to the survival of the tubercle bacillus during hypoxia emerged from our studies. Specifically, along with members of the DosR regulon, several proteins involved in energy metabolism (Icl/Rv0468 and Mdh/Rv1240) and lipid biosynthesis (UmaA/Rv0469, DesA1/Rv0824c, and DesA2/Rv1094) were found to be differentially abundant in hypoxic versus normal growing cultures. These pathways represent a subset of proteins that may be relevant therapeutic targets for development of novel ATP-competitive antibiotics.
Troponin and S100β are associated with depression in healthy older adults

Objectives: Depression has a significant impact on the functioning of older adults and often precedes cognitive decline or dementia. The current study examines the association between biomarkers related to neurocognitive outcome and depression in this population. Method: Thirty-five older adults without significant neurological or psychiatric history underwent fasting blood draw and psychological testing. Self-reported measures of current and history of depression and assays for brain-derived neurotrophic factor, S100-beta, amyloid beta, and troponin were analyzed. Results: Troponin levels were found to be inversely related to current depression (r = −0.35, p = 0.03), while individuals who reported having a past history of depression had significantly higher levels of S100β than those who did not report this (t (33) = −2.08, p < 0.05). Conclusion: The current study shows some support for the association of neurocognitive biomarkers to depression, though the mechanisms for these relationships are unclear and warrant further investigation.
Exercise Program-Induced Mood Improvement and Improved Eating in Severely Obese Adults

Background: Using a practical setting, this study aimed to test exercise and nutrition interventions' effects on negative mood, self-regulation, and self-efficacy to control eating; and to assess the ability of mood change to predict changes in eating behavior, while accounting for changes in self-regulation and self-efficacy. Methods: Severely obese adults participated in a cognitive-behavioral exercise support treatment paired with either nutrition education (n = 140) or cognitive-behavioral methods applied to improved eating (n = 146). They were assessed on measures of overall negative mood, self-regulatory skill usage, self-efficacy to control eating when negative moods are present, and fruit and vegetable consumption at baseline and Week 26. Results: Significant improvements in each psychosocial variable and fruit and vegetable intake were found. Improved mood significantly predicted fruit and vegetable consumption change, R2 = 0.12, P < 0.001. Entry of changes in self-regulation and self-efficacy into the multiple regression equation significantly strengthened the variance explained, R2 = 0.18, P < 0.001. Discussion: Findings suggest that exercise-induced improvements in mood improve eating behaviors, with increases in self-regulation and self-efficacy adding to this effect.
Demand for Alcohol Consumption in Russia and Its Implication for Mortality

Alcohol abuse is widely blamed for the very high rate of male mortality in Russia. I estimate a structural model of the demand for alcohol that incorporates two features of alcohol consumption, peer effects and habits. I use a kink in the policy regime of the excise tax on alcohol and regional variation in alcohol regulations to estimate a price elasticity of demand for alcohol. I find that peer influence and habits are critical determinants of the response of alcohol demand to price changes. The estimates imply that increases in alcohol prices would yield significant reductions in mortality.
Immune responses to herpesviral vectors.

HSV-1 vectors of both the recombinant and amplicon types have been developed as efficient transfer vehicles. Although epithelia and neurons are the natural cellular targets for wild-type HSV infection, studies in a number of laboratories have demonstrated that a number of cell types can support transduction. Because the amplicon does not encode any HSV genes it has been exploited as a vaccine platform. Studies in Alzheimer's disease mouse models indicate that the amplicon vaccine platform can be exploited to bias an immune response. Immune shaping has been achieved by the inclusion of specific epitopes into immunogens that drive Th2-type immune responses. These data portend the progressive development of the amplicon as a vaccine platform that may in the future have clinical utility.
Conformational Changes in the Integrin βA Domain Provide a Mechanism for Signal Transduction via Hybrid Domain Movement*

The ligand-binding head region of integrin β subunits contains a von Willebrand factor type A domain (βA). Ligand binding activity is regulated through conformational changes in βA, and ligand recognition also causes conformational changes that are transduced from this domain. The molecular basis of signal transduction to and from βA is uncertain. The epitopes of mAbs 15/7 and HUTS-4 lie in the β1 subunit hybrid domain, which is connected to the lower face of βA. Changes in the expression of these epitopes are induced by conformational changes in βA caused by divalent cations, function perturbing mAbs, or ligand recognition. Recombinant truncated α5β1with a mutation L358A in the α7 helix of βA has constitutively high expression of the 15/7 and HUTS-4 epitopes, mimics the conformation of the ligand-occupied receptor, and has high constitutive ligand binding activity. The epitopes of 15/7 and HUTS-4 map to a region of the hybrid domain that lies close to an interface with the α subunit. Taken together, these data suggest that the transduction of conformational changes through βA involves shape shifting in the α7 helix region, which is linked to a swing of the hybrid domain away from the α subunit.
Yeast Sequencing Reports

A DNA ligase-encoding gene (Ca CDC9) was cloned from Candida albicans by complementation of an ime-1 mutation in Saccharornyces cerevisiae. In this system, IMEl function was assayed using a S. cerevisiae strain with a ime2-promoter-lacZ gene fusion such that following transformation with a C. albicans genomic library, the presence of positive clones was indicated upon the addition of X-gal to sporulation media. Transforming fragments were subcloned in pGEM7 and sequenced. Sequence homology with several ATP-dependent DNA ligases from viruses, fission yeast, human, baker yeast an? bacteria was observed. The sequence has been deposited in the EMBL data bank under the Accession NumberfX95001 . f
Yet, Another Method for Detecting API Deadlock

Currently, developing a multithreading Application Programming Interface (API) for special use is extensive. Defects that are the most concern are deadlocks since the deadlock causes the application developed on top of the API stops working. The deadlock detection algorithm has been developed widely. We present another deadlock detection algorithm using the concept of static analysis. The algorithm detects potential deadlocks in the source code of the multithreading API. Finally, it reports deadlock sites. The result assists the developer to be aware of code synchronization that potentially encounters deadlocks. Moreover, it is related information to find the root cause of the deadlock in the future.
5-Alpha reductase inhibitors in active surveillance

Purpose of review Active surveillance is now one of the recommended treatment options for low-risk prostate cancer (PCa). However, about 10–30% of men on active surveillance will progress and require definitive therapy. In this review, we examine the role of 5-alpha reductase inhibitors (5-ARIs) in secondary prevention among men with low-risk PCa who opted to be managed by active surveillance. Recent findings Three retrospective studies and one randomized controlled trial have evaluated the role of 5-ARIs in preventing clinical progression among men followed by active surveillance. These studies largely support the role of 5-ARIs for secondary chemoprevention, although the drugs do not have an indication for this setting. Summary 5-ARIs have been shown to play an important role in preventing clinical progression among men with low-risk PCa on active surveillance. However, in light of the US Food and Drug Administration recommendation against 5-ARIs for primary chemoprevention, these findings should be interpreted with caution. Patients should be made aware of this warning label before starting the drug.
Patient Mortality Is Associated With Staff Resources and Workload in the ICU.

To the Editor: We have read with interest the multicenter observational study by Neuraz et al (1) assessing the impact of the patient-to-caregiver ratios and workload on ICU mortality in eight ICUs from four university hospitals. This study raises some interesting issues that might contribute to the study and future studies or perhaps matters of policy concern. As showed by the present study, high patient-to-caregiver ratios and heavy workload might contribute to increased patient mortality, but another important factor not considered in the study is the educational qualifications of the staff. Previous reports (2, 3) showed that an increase in nurses with a bachelor’s degree is associated with a decrease in inpatient hospital deaths. Given the great disparity of formal education level among nurses in Europe, the effect of this heterogeneity on patient mortality cannot be ignored. Although Neuraz et al (1) did assess the impact of patient turnover on ICU mortality, they did not clearly refer to the turnover rate of healthcare staff, which is known to have negative but significant influences the results (4). The authors pointed out that the highest risk of death occurred more frequently during the weekend for nurse staffing and during the night for physicians because of inadequate staffing resources. The study by Suzuki et al (5) showed that there was less turnover rate of the nurses with a bachelor degree when compared with those without a bachelor degree. Considering the contribution of the educational qualifications of the staff and the turnover rate of healthcare staff, we suggest that faster the turnover rate of the nurses with bachelor or higher degree maybe a good remedy during the critical periods (i.e., on weekends for nurses and at night for physicians) identified to be at highest risk of death because of nurse shortage. The authors have disclosed that they do not have any potential conflicts of interest.
Semantik : eine Einführung

Das Buch bietet eine aktuelle Einfuhrung in die wichtigsten Phanomene, Fragestellungen und theoretischen Ansatze der linguistischen Semantik. Bei der schrittweisen Entfaltung der Thematik wird grosser Wert auf Stimmigkeit, Koharenz und Nachvollziehbarkeit der wissenschaftlichen Herangehensweise gelegt. Behandelt werden die wichtigsten Aspekte der Wortsemantik und der Satzsemantik. Durch Ubungsaufgaben, Lesehinweise und ein ausfuhrliches Register ist das Buch als Lehrbuch und zum Selbststudium geeignet. "
Dimensionnalité intrinsèque dans les espaces de représentation des termes et des documents

L'examen des proprietes des espaces de representation des documents ou des mots en RI (typiquement, R n avec n tres grand) fournit de precieuses indications pour aider la re-cherche. Recemment, plusieurs travaux ont montre qu'il etait possible d'etudier la dimension-nalite reelle des donnees, appelee dimensionnalite intrinseque, en certains points de ces espaces (Houle et al., 2012a). Dans cet article, nous proposons de revisiter cette notion de dimension intrinseque sous la forme d'un indice note α dans le cas particulier de la RI et d'etudier son utilisation pratique en RI. Plus precisement, nous montrons comment son estimation a partir de similarites de type RI, peut etre utilisee dans les espaces de representations des documents et les espaces de representations de mots (Mikolov et al., 2013 ; Claveau et al., 2014). Ainsi, nous montrons d'une part que l'indice α aide a caracteriser les requetes difficiles ; d'autre part, dans une tâche d'extension de requete, nous montrons comment cette notion de dimensionna-lite intrinseque appliquee a des mots permet de choisir au mieux les termes a etendre et leurs extensions. ABSTRACT. Examining the properties of representation spaces for documents or words in IR (typically R n with n large) brings precious insights to help the retrieval process. Recently, several authors have studied the real dimensionality of the datasets, called intrinsic dimensionality, in specific parts of these spaces (Houle et al., 2012a). In this paper, we propose to revisit this notion through a coefficient called α in the specific case of IR and to study its use in IR tasks. More precisely, we show how to estimate α from IR similarities and to use it in representtion spaces used for documents and words (Mikolov et al., 2013 ; Claveau et al., 2014). Indeed, we prove that α may be used to characterize difficult queries; moreover we show that this intrinsic dimensionality notion, applied to words, can help to chosse terms to use for query expansion. MOTS-CLES : Dimensionnalite intrinseque, fonctions RSV, thesaurus distributionnels, extension de requete.
Haematological response of patients with myelodysplastic syndrome to antithymocyte globulin is associated with a loss of lymphocyte‐mediated inhibition of CFU‐GM and alterations in T‐cell receptor Vβ profiles

We have demonstrated that 44% of myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) patients with cytopenia have a haematological response to antithymocyte globulin (ATG). Three ATG responders and two non‐responders with refractory anaemia were further studied for lymphocyte‐mediated inhibition of bone marrow using a standard CFU‐GM assay. In responders, peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) added at a 5:1 ratio suppressed CFU‐GM by 54 ± 9% (P = 0.04) and was reversed by ATG treatment. Pre‐treatment marrow depleted of CD3 lymphocytes, increased CFU‐GM by 32% (P = 0.02) in an ATG responder, but not in a non‐responder. CD3 lymphocytes from 6‐month post‐treatment marrow did not inhibit pre‐treatment CFU‐GM, indicating ATG had affected the T cells. Pre‐treatment marrow depleted of CD8 lymphocytes, increased CFU‐GM by 60% (P = 0.01) and 49% (P = 0.03) in two ATG responders, but not in a non‐responder. Inhibition required cell–cell interaction through MHC I. TCR Vβ families, analysed by SSCP, changed from clonal to polyclonal in one ATG responder after 6 months, but clones persisted in a non‐responder. These results indicate patients with refractory anaemia who respond to ATG have CD8 T‐cell clones that mediate MHC‐I‐restricted suppression of CFU‐GM which are replaced by polyclonal T cells that do not suppress CFU‐GM after ATG treatment.
Short-term surface ice motion variations measured with a ground-based portable real aperture radar interferometer

Abstract We report measurements using a portable real aperture radar (Gamma Portable Radar Interferometer (GPRI)) for interferometric imaging of the surface ice motion on Gornergletscher, Switzerland, during the drainage of the adjacent ice-marginal lake Gornersee. The GPRI tracked the surface ice motion in line of sight over an area of ∼3 km2 down-glacier of Gornersee almost continuously during the drainage event. The displacement maps derived from the acquired interferograms capture the spatial distribution of the surface ice motion. Due to fast acquisition times of the microwave images, the GPRI was able to record sub-daily variations of the ice displacements, most likely caused by the impact of the Gornersee drainage on the ice motion of Gornergletscher. In situ point measurements of the ice displacement agree reasonably well with the results obtained by the GPRI and highlight the use of the GPRI for high-resolution measurements of glacier surface ice motion.
Omnidirectional lamb waves by axisymmetrically-configured magnetostrictive patch transducer

This work presents the generation of omnidirectional Lamb waves by a new magnetostrictive patch transducer (MPT) and investigates its generation mechanism. Although MPTs have been widely used for wave transduction in plates and pipes, no investigation reports the generation of omnidirectional Lamb waves in a plate by an MPT. For the generation, we propose an axisymmetrically-configured MPT that installs multiple axisymmetric turns of coil outside of a permanent cylindrical magnet located above the center of a circular magnetostrictive patch. After confirming the omnidirectivity of the proposed MPT experimentally, the mechanism of the Lamb wave generation and its frequency characteristics are investigated. It is also shown that the Lamb wave is most efficiently generated in a test plate when its wavelength is equal to two-thirds of the magnetostrictive patch diameter. If this wavelength¿patch diameter relation holds, the second radial extensional vibration mode of the patch of the proposed MPT is shown to be the mode responsible for generating the Lamb wave in a plate.