Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Reliable Noninvasive Coronary Angiography With Fast Submillimeter Multislice Spiral Computed Tomography

Background—Multislice spiral computed tomography (MSCT) is a promising technique for noninvasive coronary angiography, although clinical application has remained limited because of frequently incomplete interpretability, caused by motion artifacts and calcifications. Methods and Results—In 59 patients (53 male, aged 58±12 years) with suspected obstructive coronary artery disease, ECG-gated MSCT angiography was performed with a 16-slice MSCT scanner (0.42-s rotation time, 12×0.75-mm detector collimation). Thirty-four patients were given additional &bgr;-blockers (average heart rate: 56±6 min−1). After contrast injection, all data were acquired during an approximately 20-s breath hold. The left main (LM), left anterior descending (LAD), left circumflex (LCX), and right coronary artery (RCA), including ≥2.0-mm side branches, were independently evaluated by two blinded observers and screened for ≥50% stenoses. The consensus reading was compared with quantitative coronary angiography. MSCT was successful in 58 patients. Eighty-six of the 231 evaluated branches were significantly diseased. Without exclusion of branches, the sensitivity, specificity and positive and negative predictive value to identify ≥50% obstructed branches was 95% (82/86), 86% (125/145), 80% (82/102), and 97% (125/129), respectively. The overall accuracy for the LM, LAD, RCA, and LCX was 100%, 91%, 86%, and 81%, respectively. No obstructed LM, LAD, or RCA branches remained undetected. Classification of patients as having no, single, or multivessel disease was accurate in 78% (45/58) of patients and no patients with significant obstructions were incorrectly excluded. Conclusions—Improvements in MSCT technology, combined with heart rate control, allow reliable noninvasive detection of obstructive coronary artery disease.
Pore-forming virulence factors of Staphylococcus aureus destabilize epithelial barriers-effects of alpha-toxin in the early phases of airway infection

Staphylococcus aureus ( S. aureus ) is a human commensal and an opportunistic pathogen that may affect the gastrointestinal tract, the heart, bones, skin or the respiratory tract. S. aureus is frequently involved in hospital- or community-acquired lung infections. The pathogenic potential is associated with its ability to secrete highly effective virulence factors. Among these, the pore-forming toxins Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL) and hemolysin A (Hla) are the important virulence factors determining the prognosis of pneumonia cases. This review focuses on the structure and the functions of S. aureus hemolysin A and its sub-lethal effects on airway epithelial cells. The hypothesis is developed that Hla may not just be a tissue-destructive agent providing the bacteria with host-derived nutrients, but may also play complex roles in the very early stages of interactions of bacteria with healthy airways, possibly paving the way for establishing acute infections.
Interaction between Inhaled Nitric Oxide and Intravenous Sildenafil in a Porcine Model of Meconium Aspiration Syndrome

There has been recent interest in the use of the phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitor sildenafil for treating pulmonary hypertension. We examined the interaction between inhaled nitric oxide (iNO) and i.v. sildenafil in 12 piglets with acute pulmonary hypertension and lung injury secondary to meconium aspiration. Six animals (controls) received no intervention after meconium instillation, and six received iNO (20 ppm) from 120 min, with the addition at 240 min of an i.v. sildenafil infusion (2 mg/kg over 2 h). Meconium instillation increased mean pulmonary artery (PA) pressure from 16.0 ± 3.1 to 24.8 ± 4.6 mm Hg (p < 0.01) and pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) from 0.047 ± 0.008 to 0.089 ± 0.027 mm Hg · ml−1 · min−1 · kg−1 (p < 0.01). Oxygenation index increased from 3 ± 0.8 to 8.3 ± 3.0 (p < 0.01). There were no further changes beyond 120 min in controls. iNO reduced PA pressure and PVR to baseline values, without influencing oxygenation. The addition of sildenafil further reduced PA pressure, tended to increase the cardiac output, and reduced PVR from 0.049 ± 0.02 to 0.028 ± 0.01 mm Hg · ml−1 · min−1 · kg−1 (p < 0.05). Sildenafil lowered the systemic blood pressure and systemic vascular resistance and produced profound arterial hypoxemia, reducing arterial Po2 from 69 ± 23 mm Hg to 49 ± 15 mm Hg, despite substantial increases first in inspired oxygen fraction and subsequently in mean airway pressures. Consequently, the oxygenation index increased by 13.9 ± 4.8 (p = 0.01). When given in addition to iNO, sildenafil at a dose of >0.5 mg/kg produced profound pulmonary vasodilation, but this was coupled with an unacceptable deterioration in oxygenation and systemic vasodilation in this model of pulmonary hypertension with acute parenchymal lung disease.
Resilient Bundled-Data Design : Motivation , Results to Date , and Remaining Challenges ⋆

The periodic nature of the global clock in traditional synchronous designs forces circuits to be margined for the worst possible case of process, voltage, temperature, and data conditions. This constrains the silicon to operate at worst-case frequencies and at conservative supply voltages. Resilient architectures promise to remove these margins, by detecting and correcting timing errors when they occur, thereby creating the potential to achieve real average-case operation. However, synchronous resilient schemes previously proposed can suffer from multiple issues, including being susceptible to metastability and requiring often complex changes to the architecture to support replay-based recovery from timing errors. These problems respectively lead to circuit failures and/or incur high timing penalties when errors occur. This paper reviews a recently proposed resilient bundled-data template called Blade that is robust to metastability issues, requires no replay-based logic, and has low timing error penalties. It also describes some open issues and new research opportunities this template presents, including automation problems to target average-case operation, specific circuit optimizations to minimize resiliency overhead, and the need for new test procedures to tune delay lines and screen out bad chips.
Restaurant foods and stated energy contents.

compared with the investment industry—the latter is far more complex. A physician supplying advice may invest in the investment fund or have an interest in the fund, such that compensation relates to the fund’s profitability. Furthermore, the physician may invest in a particular company that represents a holding in the fund. Any of these relationships set up direct financial conflicts of interest. For academic physicians, their financial interest may affect their judgment with respect to related research. For practicing physicians, the opportunity for gain associated with the success of a product on which their investment depends may also affect their clinical judgment. These are traditional and direct forms of conflict. Whether they are common or rare remains to be determined in this burgeoning new area. Beyond these concerns is the conflict of a physicianinvestigator who provides confidential information about the results of an ongoing clinical trial. While little has been previously written on the subject of physicians and investment firms, we came to the conclusion that the “appearance of immunity from real or apparent conflict of interest in relationships with investment firms is deceiving. ” The characterization of relationships between physicians and investment companies as motivated wholly or mostly by greed may be too simplistic, and sometimes inaccurate. As we acknowledged in our Commentary, the primary incentive for the physician is remuneration. Nevertheless, some physicians may also be motivated in part by curiosity about the investment industry and by pride in their expertise and a desire to share it. Furthermore, the results of such relationships may serve the function of making markets work better and advancing the fortunes of meritorious new commercial entities. For evaluation of emerging life science companies, opinions from knowledgeable physicians can be quite helpful in guiding appropriate capitalization and investment. The success of a company that is providing a worthwhile technology for patients may facilitate a medical advance. The expertise that is provided, albeit with attendant potential conflict of interest (if the physician is invested in the fund or a company in the fund, or has an interest in the fund), does justify compensation. Our report on the convergence between physicians and investment firms covers a relatively new and exponentially growing area, with considerable potential for unintended jeopardy. We hope that the dialog based on these comments will stimulate further study of this vital topic.
Status Signals: A Sociological Study of Market Competition

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS ix LIST OF TABLES xi ACKNOWLEDGMENTS xiii INTRODUCTION: An Emergent Perspective from an Emergent Field 1 CHAPTER ONE: Status, Reputation, and Quality 10 CHAPTER TWO: The Matthew Effect (Un)bounded 22 CHAPTER THREE: Getting More for Less in the Investment Banking Industry 40 CHAPTER FOUR: To Mingle or Not to Mingle with the Hoi Polloi: That Is the Question 76 CHAPTER FIVE: The Medium, the Message, and the Signal 103 CHAPTER SIX: Status and Invention 132 CHAPTER SEVEN: Embeddedness and Entry 175 CHAPTER EIGHT: An Evolutionary Perspective on Status Segregation 199 CHAPTER NINE: Uncertainty Reconsidered 227 CHAPTER TEN: Conclusion 249 BIBLIOGRAPHY 267 CREDITS 279 INDEX 281
Approximate classification via earthmover metrics

Given a metric space (X, d), a natural distance measure on probability distributions over X is the earthmover metric. We use randomized rounding of earthmover metrics to devise new approximation algorithms for two well-known classification problems, namely, metric labeling and 0-extension.Our first result is for the 0-extension problem. We show that if the terminal metric is decomposable with parameter α (e.g., planar metrics are decomposable with α = O(1)), then the earthmover based linear program (for 0-extension) can be rounded to within an O(α) factor.Our second result is an O(log n)-approximation for metric labeling, using probabilistic tree embeddings in a way very different from the O(log k)-approximation of Kleinberg and Tardos. (Here, n is the number of nodes, and k is the number of labels.) The key element is rounding the earthmover based linear program (for metric labeling) without increasing the solution's cost, when the input graph is a tree. This rounding method also provides an alternate proof to a result stated in Chekuri et al., that the earthmover based linear program is integral when the input graph is a tree.Our simple and constructive rounding techniques contribute to the understanding of earthmover metrics and may be of independent interest.
Improving sequence recognition for learning the behavior of agents

To accomplish in their tasks, agents need to build models of other agents from observations. In open or adversarial settings, the observer agent does not know the full behavior repertoire of observed agents, and must learn a model of the other agents from its observations of their actions. This paper focuses on learning models of sequential behavior based on observed execution traces. It empirically compares sequence recognition approaches, and shows that they suffer from common deficiencies, including length-biases and inability to generalize discovered patterns. We present bias-removing and clustering methods to address these challenges, and evaluate them using synthetic and real-world data. The results show significant improvements in all the learning algorithms tested.
The effectiveness of a guidance-based career exploratory program related to skilled trades occupations for internal-external locus of control middle school females

approved: Redacted for privacy E. dyne Courtney The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of a guidance-based career exploratory program related to skilled trades and technical occupations for internal-external locus of control middle school females in Murray, Kentucky. The problem was to determine the change in career interests resulting from the interaction between a guidance-based exploratory program and the personality trait, locus of control. The guidance-based career exploratory program was composed of ten one-hour sessions utilizing audio-visual media related to women in the skilled trades and technical occupations, role-modeling, experiential activities at a vocational school and guidance-based group discussions. The students' locus of control orientation was determined by the Nowicki-Strickland Locus of Control Scale for Children. The change in interests was measured by the scores on the Fine Arts-Mechanical Index, the Basic Interest Area scales (Mechanical/Fixing, Carpentry and Manual/Skilled Trades) and three Occupational scales (Auto Mechanics, Machinist and Truck Driver) of the Career Assessment Inventory. The study was organized as a pretest/posttest control group design and used the analysis of covariance to statistically analyze the data for the randomly selected samples. It was found that scores on the Fine Arts-Mechanical Index did not change significantly. However, on one specific Basic Interest Area scale, the experimental group showed a significant interest shift toward carpentry. It was concluded that a career exploratory program related to skilled trades and technical occupations did not effect a change in adolescent interests; locus of control level was not associated with a change in interests; and, an interaction did not occur between the treatment and locus of control levels to effect a change in interests. THE EFFECTIVENESS OF A GUIDANCE-BASED CAREER EXPLORATORY PROGRAM RELATED TO SKILLED TRADES OCCUPATIONS FOR INTERNAL-EXTERNAL LOCUS OF CONTROL MIDDLE SCHOOL FEMALES
Far-Ultraviolet Spectral Analysis of the Prototype Nova-like Variable VY Sculptoris from the High State to the Low State

The prototype nova-like variable VY Sculptoris was observed by the IUE during four different optical brightness states of the system. The far-ultraviolet (FUV) flux level from the highest state to the lowest state declines by a factor of 28. We have carried out model accretion disk and white dwarf atmosphere fitting to the spectra. The corresponding accretion rates range from M ˙ = 8 × 10 - 9 M ⊙ yr - 1 at the highest FUV flux level down to M ˙ = 1.9 × 10 - 10 M ⊙ yr - 1 at the lowest flux level. We report tentative evidence for the detection of the underlying white dwarf with Teff = 45,000 K in the spectrum with the lowest flux level.
Frequency-domain transient temperature estimation and aging analysis for weak points of IGBT modules

The information of the remaining useful lifetime (RUL) of insulated-gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs) is useful for effective maintenance of a power converter before the failure of a device. Thermo-mechanical stresses are the major cause to the aging of the weak points of the packaging that determines the lifetime of an IGBT module. Traditionally, the RUL of an IGBT module is simply predicted based on the cyclic excursion of the junction temperature and case temperature, which are usually estimated by using a resistor-capacitor circuit thermal model. This method might not correctly predict the lifetime of an IGBT module when the device is operated under complex conditions. This paper proposes a frequency domain analysis method to analyze the aging modes of a device and estimate the temperatures at the weak points under different working conditions. Compared to the traditional method, the proposed method is superior in terms of simplicity and accuracy. The temperatures at the weak points estimated by the proposed method can provide a better RUL prediction.
Impact of Prenatal Exposure to Piperonyl Butoxide and Permethrin on 36-Month Neurodevelopment

OBJECTIVE: Recent pesticide-monitoring results suggest that a shift in residential pesticide exposure from organophosphorus insecticides to pyrethroid insecticides has occurred. Pyrethroid insecticides are potential neurodevelopmental toxicants and have not been evaluated for developmental toxicity. Our objective was to explore the association between prenatal exposure to permethrin (a common pyrethroid) and piperonyl butoxide (a pyrethroid synergist) and 36-month neurodevelopment. METHODS: Participants is this study were part of a prospective cohort of black and Dominican mothers and newborns living in low-income neighborhoods in New York City. We examined 36-month cognitive and motor development (using the Bayley Scales of Infant Development, second edition) as a function of permethrin levels measured in maternal and umbilical cord plasma collected on delivery and permethrin and piperonyl butoxide levels measured in personal air collected during pregnancy. All models were controlled for gender, gestational age, ethnicity, maternal education, maternal intelligence, quality of the home environment, and prenatal exposure to environmental tobacco smoke and chlorpyrifos. RESULTS: Prenatal exposure to permethrin in personal air and/or plasma was not associated with performance scores for the Bayley Mental Developmental Index or the Psychomotor Developmental Index. After data adjustment, children more highly exposed to piperonyl butoxide in personal air samples (>4.34 ng/m3) scored 3.9 points lower on the Mental Developmental Index than those with lower exposures (95% confidence interval: −0.25 to −7.49). CONCLUSIONS: Prenatal exposure to piperonyl butoxide was negatively associated with 36-month neurodevelopment.
Genome-Environment Interactions That Modulate Aging: Powerful Targets for Drug Discovery

Aging is the major biomedical challenge of this century. The percentage of elderly people, and consequently the incidence of age-related diseases such as heart disease, cancer, and neurodegenerative diseases, is projected to increase considerably in the coming decades. Findings from model organisms have revealed that aging is a surprisingly plastic process that can be manipulated by both genetic and environmental factors. Here we review a broad range of findings in model organisms, from environmental to genetic manipulations of aging, with a focus on those with underlying gene-environment interactions with potential for drug discovery and development. One well-studied dietary manipulation of aging is caloric restriction, which consists of restricting the food intake of organisms without triggering malnutrition and has been shown to retard aging in model organisms. Caloric restriction is already being used as a paradigm for developing compounds that mimic its life-extension effects and might therefore have therapeutic value. The potential for further advances in this field is immense; hundreds of genes in several pathways have recently emerged as regulators of aging and caloric restriction in model organisms. Some of these genes, such as IGF1R and FOXO3, have also been associated with human longevity in genetic association studies. The parallel emergence of network approaches offers prospects to develop multitarget drugs and combinatorial therapies. Understanding how the environment modulates aging-related genes may lead to human applications and disease therapies through diet, lifestyle, or pharmacological interventions. Unlocking the capacity to manipulate human aging would result in unprecedented health benefits.
Rolling-circle replication of viroids, viroid-like satellite RNAs and hepatitis delta virus: Variations on a theme

Viroids and viroid-like satellite RNAs from plants, and the human hepatitis delta virus (HDV) RNA share some properties that include small size, circularity and replication through a rolling-circle mechanism. Replication occurs in different cell compartments (nucleus, chloroplast and membrane-associated cytoplasmatic vesicles) and has three steps: RNA polymerization, cleavage and ligation. The first step generates oligomeric RNAs that result from the reiterative transcription of the circular templates of one or both polarities, and is catalyzed by either the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase of the helper virus on which viroid-like satellite RNAs are functionally dependent, or by host DNA-dependent RNA polymerases that, remarkably, viroids and HDV redirect to transcribe RNA templates. Cleavage is mediated by host enzymes in certain viroids and viroid-like satellite RNAs, while in others and in HDV is mediated by cis-acting ribozymes of three classes. Ligation appears to be catalyzed mainly by host enzymes. Replication most likely also involves many other non-catalytic proteins of host origin and, in HDV, the single virus-encoded protein.
Speaker adaptation in the Philips system for large vocabulary continuous speech recognition

The combination of maximum likelihood linear regression (MLLR) with maximum a posteriori (MAP) adaptation has been investigated for both the enrollment of a new speaker as well as for the asymptotic recognition rate after several hours of dictation. We show that a least mean square approach to MLLR is quite effective in conjunction with phonetically derived regression classes. Results are presented for both ARPA read-speech test sets and real-life dictation. Significant improvements are reported. While MLLR achieves a faster adaptation rate when only few data is available, MAP has desirable asymptotic properties and the combination of both methods provides the best results. Both incremental and iterative batch modes are studied and compared to the performance of speaker-dependent training.
Retrograde BMP Signaling Modulates Rapid Activity-Dependent Synaptic Growth via Presynaptic LIM Kinase Regulation of Cofilin

The Drosophila neuromuscular junction (NMJ) is capable of rapidly budding new presynaptic varicosities over the course of minutes in response to elevated neuronal activity. Using live imaging of synaptic growth, we characterized this dynamic process and demonstrated that rapid bouton budding requires retrograde bone morphogenic protein (BMP) signaling and local alteration in the presynaptic actin cytoskeleton. BMP acts during development to provide competence for rapid synaptic growth by regulating the levels of the Rho-type guanine nucleotide exchange factor Trio, a transcriptional output of BMP–Smad signaling. In a parallel pathway, we find that the BMP type II receptor Wit signals through the effector protein LIM domain kinase 1 (Limk) to regulate bouton budding. Limk interfaces with structural plasticity by controlling the activity of the actin depolymerizing protein Cofilin. Expression of constitutively active or inactive Cofilin in motor neurons demonstrates that increased Cofilin activity promotes rapid bouton formation in response to elevated synaptic activity. Correspondingly, the overexpression of Limk, which inhibits Cofilin, inhibits bouton budding. Live imaging of the presynaptic F-actin cytoskeleton reveals that activity-dependent bouton addition is accompanied by the formation of new F-actin puncta at sites of synaptic growth. Pharmacological disruption of actin turnover inhibits bouton budding, indicating that local changes in the actin cytoskeleton at pre-existing boutons precede new budding events. We propose that developmental BMP signaling potentiates NMJs for rapid activity-dependent structural plasticity that is achieved by muscle release of retrograde signals that regulate local presynaptic actin cytoskeletal dynamics.