Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Prone positioning unloads the right ventricle in severe ARDS.

BACKGROUND Despite airway pressure limitation, acute cor pulmonale persists in a minority of ARDS patients. Insufficient airway pressure limitation, hypercapnia, or both may be responsible. Because prone positioning (PP) has been shown to be a safe way to reduce airway pressure and to improve alveolar ventilation, we decided to assess its effect on right ventricular (RV) pressure overload in ARDS patients. METHODS Between January 1998 and December 2006, we studied 42 ARDS patients treated by PP to correct severe oxygenation impairment (Pao2/fraction of inspired oxygen ratio, <100 mm Hg). RV function was evaluated by bedside transesophageal echocardiography, before and after 18 h of prone-position ventilation. RV enlargement was measured by RV/left ventricular (LV) end-diastolic area ratio in the long axis. Septal dyskinesia was quantified by measuring short-axis systolic eccentricity of the LV. RESULTS Before PP, 21 patients (50%) had acute cor pulmonale, defined by RV enlargement associated with septal dyskinesia (group 1), whereas 21 patients had a normal RV (group 2). PP was accompanied by a significant decrease in airway pressure and Paco2. In group 1, this produced a significant decrease in mean (+/-SD) RV enlargement (from 0.91+/-0.22 to 0.61+/-0.21) after 18 h of PP (p=0.000) and a significant reduction in mean septal dyskinesia (from 1.5+/-0.2 to 1.1+/-0.1) after 18 h of PP (p=0.000). CONCLUSION In the most severe forms of ARDS, PP was an efficient means of controlling RV pressure overload.
Alcohol consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus among US male physicians.

OBJECTIVE To examine the association between low to moderate alcohol consumption and the incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) in men. DESIGN Prospective cohort study. SUBJECTS AND METHODS Over an average period of 12.1 years, we evaluated 20 951 participants in the Physicians' Health Study between ages 40 and 84 years who were free of cardiovascular disease, cancer, and diabetes and provided data on alcohol consumption at baseline. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE Type 2 DM diagnosed after randomization. RESULTS Among 20 951 physicians, 766 cases of incident DM were reported over an average follow-up period of 12.1 years. After adjustment for age, randomized treatment assignment, smoking, physical activity, and body mass index, the relative risk estimates and 95% confidence intervals for those reporting alcohol use of rarely/ never, 1 to 3 drinks per month, 1 drink per week, 2 to 4 drinks per week, 5 to 6 drinks per week, and 1 or more drinks per day were 1.00 (referent), 1.03 (0.80-1.33), 0.89 (0.70-1.14), 0.74 (0.59-0.93), 0.67 (0.51-0.89), and 0.57 (0.45-0.73), respectively (linear trend, P<.001). Additional adjustment for baseline history of hypertension, high cholesterol level, or parental history of myocardial infarction or family history of diabetes (data collected at 9 years) did not materially alter the results. These associations persisted in analyses stratified by age, smoking status, body mass index, physical activity, and family history of DM. CONCLUSION These data indicate that apparently healthy men who self-select for light to moderate alcohol consumption have a decreased subsequent risk of type 2 DM.
Draft Genome Sequence of Nitrosospira sp. Strain APG3, a Psychrotolerant Ammonia-Oxidizing Bacterium Isolated from Sandy Lake Sediment

ABSTRACT Bacteria in the genus Nitrosospira play vital roles in the nitrogen cycle. Nitrosospira sp. strain APG3 is a psychrotolerant betaproteobacterial ammonia-oxidizing bacterium isolated from freshwater lake sediment. The draft genome revealed that it represents a new species of cluster 0 Nitrosospira, which is presently not represented by described species.
Prediction of Movements by Online Analysis of Electroencephalogram with Dataflow Accelerators

Brain Computer Interfaces (BCIs) allow to use psychophysiological data for a large range of innovative applications. One interesting application for rehabilitation robotics is to modulate exoskeleton controls by predicting movements of a human user before they are actually performed. However, usually BCIs are used mainly in artificial and stationary experimental setups. Reasons for this are, among others, the immobility of the utilized hardware for data acquisition, but also the size of the computing devices that are required for the analysis of the human electroencephalogram. Therefore, mobile processing devices need to be developed. A problem is often the limited processing power of these devices, especially if there are firm time constraints as in the case of movement prediction. Field programmable gate array (FPGA)-based application-specific dataflow accelerators are a possible solution here. In this paper we present the first FPGA-based processing system that is able to predict upcoming movements by analyzing the human electroencephalogram. We evaluate the system regarding computation time and classification performance and show that it can compete with a standard
Efficient Navigation in Scale-Free Networks Embedded in Hyperbolic Metric Spaces

In this work we show that: i) the roughly hierarchical structure of complex networks is congruent with negatively curved geometries hidden beneath the observed topologies; ii) the most straightforward mapping of nodes to spaces of negative curvature naturally leads to the emergence of scale-free topologies; and iii) greedy routing on this embedding is efficient for these topologies, achieving both 100% reachability and optimal path lengths, even under dynamic network conditions. The critical important question left by this work is whether the topologies of real networks can be mapped into appropriate hidden hyperbolic metric spaces.
Empirical validation of class diagram metrics

As a key early artefact in the development of OO software, the quality of class diagrams is crucial for all later design work and could be a major determinant for the quality of the software product that is finally delivered. Quantitative measurement instruments are useful to assess class diagram quality in an objective way, thus avoiding bias in the quality evaluation process. This paper presents a set of metrics - based on UML relationships $which measure UML class diagram structural complexity following the idea that it is related to the maintainability of such diagrams. Also summarized are two controlled experiments carried out in order to gather empirical evidence in this sense. As a result of all the experimental work, we can conclude that most of the metrics we proposed (NAssoc, NAgg, NaggH, MaxHAgg, NGen, NgenH and MaxDIT) are good indicators of class diagram maintainability. We cannot, however, draw such firm conclusions regarding the NDep metric.
TOP2A amplification in the absence of that of HER-2/neu: toward individualization of chemotherapeutic practice in breast cancer.

PRIMARY OBJECTIVE To investigate the relationship between human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER)-2/neu and the gene encoding topoisomerase IIα (TOP2A) in breast cancer, while elucidating their association with clinicopathological variables. METHODS Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RQ-PCR) was performed on a 96-patient study group to assess gene amplification, and levels were determined using the comparative cycle threshold approach and Taqman assays. An immunohistochemistry (IHC) microarray (n = 76) was then employed to check for correlation between gene amplification and protein expression levels. RESULTS Amplification levels of TOP2A did not differ significantly according to HER-2/neu status by either RQ-PCR or IHC microarray. Of the HER-2/neu(-) patients, 29.1% demonstrated levels of TOP2A above the third quartile, whereas 22.9% of the HER-2/neu(+) patients had values in the first quartile (log TOP2A <0.62), thereby indicating low-level amplification. Of the 60 patients characterized as HER-2/neu(-) using IHC and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), 22.9% were classified as TOP2A(+) on the IHC microarray. Of the 14 patients deemed HER-2/neu(+) using IHC and FISH, meanwhile, the majority (n = 10) were classified as TOP2A(+). CONCLUSIONS Our results indicate that amplification of TOP2A in breast cancer is not confined to those who are concomitantly HER-2/neu(+), and suggest that a significant proportion of HER-2/neu(-) patients exhibit high levels of TOP2A.
Intergenerational spaces: citizens, political marketing and conceptualising trust in a transitional democracy

Abstract As the third largest democracy in the world, Indonesia’s relatively peaceful transition from authoritarian rule to democracy deserves academic attention. This study explored the notion of trust and how it could influence electoral behaviour. An intergenerational perspective was used to compare the differences between parents who were familiar with the previous political system and their children who have only been exposed to a new democratic system. Through the extension of the Dermody and Hanmer-Lloyd model of electoral behaviour, this study identifies the antecedents of trust/distrust in a transitional democracy and shows how these are different when citizens’ consider the political system and the political candidate. The work can benefit policy makers and political candidates who can develop political marketing strategies to engage citizens in the electoral process.
Death, hope and sex revisited : an evaluation of psychosocial acceleration theory

Psychosocial Acceleration Theory (Belsky, Steinberg & Draper, 1991; Chisholm, 1993; 1999a) is an explanatory framework that recasts behaviours viewed as deviant or pathological (such as aggression and early reproductive behaviour) as adaptive strategies for individuals developing in high stress environments. Chisholm and later theorists linked disrupted attachment process during early childhood to perceptions of an uncertain future and local mortality rates. Uncertain futures cause individuals to focus on present consumption (shortening “time preference”) to avoid lineage extinction through accelerated reproductive function and competitive behaviours. Questions remain as to the details of how this process operates; specifically, the identification of environmental stressors, the specification of Chisholm’s “time preference” mechanism and the role of biological sex. This thesis evaluated psychosocial acceleration theory by exploring these questions. The combined empirical evidence from seven studies (using primary and secondary data) generally supports and extends psychosocial acceleration theory as a framework for explaining how and why various behaviours cluster together in predictable ways and how these life history trajectories represent alternative, conditional strategies shaped by environmental experiences. Evidence suggests that sex-ratio, population density, socioeconomic stress, low education and shorter life expectancies represent distinct sources of stress that promote greater family instability, which in turn, increases aggression, crime, teenage pregnancies and reproductive development. However data also suggest (somewhat contrary to Chisholm) that these same environmental factors can act independently of family instability. Psychological traits (particularly sensation seeking and impulsivity) that meet key predictions derived from Chisholm’s work are discussed as mediating mechanisms representative of “time preference” linking perception of ecological stress with behaviour. The role of biological sex, whilst in line with many evolutionary derived predictions, demonstrates distinct pathways for males and females. Future work and limitations are discussed in commentaries throughout in relation to pertinent evolutionary literature.
Distributed automation: PABADIS versus HMS

Distributed control systems (DCS) have gained huge interest in the automation business. Several approaches have been made which aim at the design and application of DCS to improve system flexibility and robustness. Important approaches are (among others) the holonic manufacturing systems (HMS) and the plant automation based on distributed systems (PABADIS) approach. PABADIS deals with plant automation systems in a distributed way using generic mobile and stationary agents and plug and participate facilities within a flat structure as key points of the developed control architecture. HMS deals with a similar structure, but aims more at a control hierarchy of special agents. This paper gives a description of the PABADIS project and makes comparisons between the two concepts, showing advantages and disadvantages of both systems. Based on this paper, it will be possible to observe the abilities and drawbacks of distributed agent-based control systems.
A Re-Examination of Cultural Influences on Restaurant Tipping Behavior

Abstract This study extends research on tipping by examining tipping-related service quality dimensions in an international context. It was expected that Japanese and American restaurant consumers would show cultural differences in how they perceive tipping-related service quality dimensions. Hofstede's dimensions of national character were employed to predict cultural differences in tipping-related service quality dimensions. However, the results of hypotheses testing provided weak evidence of the existence of traditional patterns of national differences in these aspects. The unexpected results appeared to be due to the different reactions to rewards in relation to service quality or to a lesser extent of the existence of divergent national cultures than the theorized effects of cultural differences suggest. Implications for these findings for international Japanese and American restaurant consumers are considered, and future directions for research are suggested.
TCML - an XML-based test case format

Testing is important and gives the confident to the developer and user; but it is expensive and may consume at least 50% of the total costs involved in developing software. This cost is just for a normal application but if it involves extreme and critical software, the number might increases. As we know, designing test suite for testing is a tedious and meticulous work. We need to have a deep understanding of the program before we could design a good test suite and even an expert tends to miss some test cases. Manual testing for large-scale program is very expensive and frustrating for humans. The same scenario applies in visual programming language (VPL). Visual Programming (VP) is a much complex program than conventional one. Testing VP program give users the confidence on what they visualize is correctly transformed according to their perception. Most studies in designing test suites are using requirement specification, complex technique (i.e. Z) and third-party tools that require novices and non-expert user to supply information that is not familiar to them. It is certain that the information they supplied is more or less inaccurate and thus affects the test suite produced. Furthermore, there are no standard structures in exchanging the data about a program. The objective of this paper is to propose an XML-based test case language called test case markup language (TCML).
A fully integrable hybrid power management unit for passive UHF RFID

This paper presents a fully integrable hybrid power management unit (HPMU) realized in the 130 nm generic CMOS (complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor) process from GlobalFoundries to increase the performance of RFID tags—especially those with passively powered sensors—by intelligently managing harvested power. The HPMU strategically takes advantage of the excess harvested power beyond the operational requirements of a tag and stores this energy externally. Through intelligent power routing, this stored energy is used to sustain the supply voltage of tag circuitry during brownouts, cold starts, and for reading ranges where harvested power is inadequate to power tag logic circuits but the tag distance to an interrogating antenna is close enough to expect a backscattered response to be received by an RFID reader. This approach can reduce cold start-up time, mitigate consequences of brownouts and, effectively, extend the operational range and the responsiveness of tags—especially those with passively powered sensors. In addition, the HPMU switches off when the harvested power, indicative of a weak interrogating signal, is too low to conserve stored power. The entire HPMU has been optimized for low power consumption, which not only reduces the power overhead that HPMU introduces but also ensures that as much power as possible is siphoned and stored rather than dissipated in the power management circuitry. In off state, the HPMU consumes only around 10 nA from the external storage element and during charge storage mode of operation, the HPMU has a peak conversion efficiency of approximately 65%.
Prospects: Histone deacetylase inhibitors

Histone deacetylase (HDAC), inhibitors represent a new class of targeted anti‐cancer agents. Several of these compounds are in clinical trials with significant activity against a spectrum of both hematologic and solid tumors at doses that are well tolerated by the patients. The HDAC inhibitors are a structurally diverse group of molecules that can induce growth arrest, differentiation, apoptosis, and autophagocytic cell death of cancer cells. While the base sequence of DNA provides the genetic code for proteins, the expression of genes is regulated, in large part, by the structure of the chromatin proteins around which the DNA is wrapped (epigenetic gene regulation). The acetylation and deacetylation of the lysines in the tails of the core histones, among the most extensively studied aspects of chromatin structure, is controlled by the action of two families of enzymes, histone deacetylases (HDACs) and histone acetyltransferases (HATs). Protein components of transcription factor complexes and many other non‐histone proteins are also substrates for HDACs and HATs. The structure and activity of these non‐histone proteins may be altered by acetylation/deacetylation with consequent effects on various cell functions including gene expression, cell cycle progression, and cell death pathways. This review focuses on several key questions with respect to the mechanism of action of HDACi, including, what are the different cell phenotypes induced by HDACi, why are normal cells compared to transformed cells relatively resistant to HDACi induced cell death, why are certain tumors more responsive to HDACi than others, and what is the basis of the selectivity of HDACi in altering gene expression. The answers to these questions will have therapeutic importance since we will identify targets for enhancing the efficacy and safety of HDACi. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Fermentation responses and in vitro radical scavenging activities of Fagopyrum esculentum

In this study, the impact of fermentation of Fagopyrum esculentum (buckwheat) by Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. lactis was investigated. The interaction between starter culture and buckwheat dough matrix was evaluated with respect to microbial count, final pH, organic acids, total phenolic content and antioxidant potential. An increase of one log cycle from 8.76 to 9.92 log CFU(Colony Forming Unit)/g was observed during fermentation. Lactic acid content increased up to 1350 μg/g within 24 h of fermentation. The most significant result of this study was an observed increase in the total phenolic content of the dough, from 2.73 to 7.64 mg GAE(Gallic Acid Equivalence)/g. Antioxidant potential of fermented buckwheat also showed an increased percentage of 2,2-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl scavenging activity from 44.32% to 88.98% and ferric reducing antioxidant power potential increased from 14.43 to 25.68 μM Fe(II)/g after 72 h of fermentation. We conclude that lactic acid fermentation of buckwheat dough has a potential to be a functional food, with enhanced antioxidant activity.
Thrombophilia in Assisted Reproductive Technology — Place and Needs of Thromboprophylaxis

Assisted reproductive techniques (ART) have become part of the routine care, with a preva‐ lence ranging from 0.1 to 3.9% of all live born children in Europe and an average of 2% in some parts of the USA [1]. Despite the initial dramatic improvements in success rates and significant increments in ART uptake, the live birth rate resulting from these techniques has recently plateaued. Unfortunately a common non successful termination of ART procedures are due to failure of implantation of high quality graded embryo(s). Implantation failure may recur and three or more in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycles without pregnancy are usually regarded as repeated implantation failures (RIF).
Tight convex relaxations for sparse matrix factorization

Based on a new atomic norm, we propose a new convex formulation for sparse matrix factorization problems in which the number of non-zero elements of the factors is assumed fixed and known. The formulation counts sparse PCA with multiple factors, subspace clustering and low-rank sparse bilinear regression as potential applications. We compute slow rates and an upper bound on the statistical dimension [1] of the suggested norm for rank 1 matrices, showing that its statistical dimension is an order of magnitude smaller than the usual l1-norm, trace norm and their combinations. Even though our convex formulation is in theory hard and does not lead to provably polynomial time algorithmic schemes, we propose an active set algorithm leveraging the structure of the convex problem to solve it and show promising numerical results.
Epidermal growth factor promotes rapid response to epithelial injury in rabbit duodenum in vitro.

BACKGROUND & AIMS Growth factors are mainly involved in the regulation of intestinal epithelial barrier function. This study investigated the effect of epidermal growth factor (EGF) and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) on epithelial restitution of rabbit duodenum in vitro. METHODS Rabbit duodenal mucosal strips mounted in an Ussing chamber were luminally exposed to 10 mmol/L HCl for 10 minutes and then incubated with buffer alone or luminal buffer containing various concentrations of EGF and IGF-1 for 3 hours. Resistance was calculated from potential difference and short-circuit current. Damage was assessed by morphometry on H&E-stained sections. RESULTS HCl caused resistance to decrease from 112 +/- 2 to 51 +/- 4 ohms x cm2 10 minutes after injury (n = 6; P < 0.05). Postinjury treatment with 25 or 50 ng/mL luminal EGF for 3 hours stimulated resistance to recover to 94 +/- 3 and 104 +/- 3 ohms x cm2, respectively, vs. 81 +/- 3 omega x cm2 in controls (P < 0.05). Ten minutes after injury, 62% of the mucosa was damaged; 3 hours after injury, damage was reduced to 24% +/- 1.09% and 10% +/- 1.42% in the 25 and 50 ng/mL EGF group, respectively, vs. 38% +/- 0.93% in controls (n = 6 per group). EGF stimulated enterocyte migration. IGF-1 did not impair epithelial restitution. CONCLUSIONS EGF, but not IGF-1, promoted epithelial restitution of rabbit duodenum in vitro.