Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Insulin-sensitizing antihyperglycemic drugs and mortality after acute myocardial infarction: insights from the National Heart Care Project.

OBJECTIVE Thiazolidinediones (TZDs) and metformin are insulin-sensitizing antihyperglycemic agents with reported benefits on atherosclerosis. Despite extensive use in patients with diabetes and cardiovascular disease, there is a paucity of outcomes data with metformin and none yet with TZDs. We sought to determine the impact of these insulin sensitizers on outcomes in diabetic patients after hospitalization with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 24,953 Medicare beneficiaries with diabetes discharged after hospitalization with AMI between April 1998 and March 1999 or July 2000 and June 2001. The independent association between discharge prescription for metformin, TZD, or both agents and outcomes at 1 year was assessed in multivariable Cox proportional hazards models, adjusting for patient, physician, and hospital variables. The primary outcome was time to death within 1 year of discharge; secondary outcomes were time to first rehospitalization within 1 year of discharge for AMI, heart failure, and all causes. RESULTS There were 8,872 patients discharged on an antihyperglycemic agent, of which 819 were prescribed a TZD, 1,273 metformin, and 139 both drugs. After multivariable analysis, compared with patients prescribed an antihyperglycemic regimen that included no insulin sensitizer, mortality rates were not significantly different in patients treated with either metformin (hazard ratio [HR] 0.92 [95% CI 0.81-1.06]) or a TZD (0.92 [0.80-1.05]) but were lower in those prescribed both drugs (0.52 [0.34-0.82]). The results were similar among patients with heart failure. The prescription of a TZD was associated with a borderline higher risk of all-cause readmission (1.09[1.00-1.20]), predominately due to a higher risk for heart failure readmission (1.17 [1.05-1.30]). CONCLUSIONS Individually, prescription of insulin-sensitizing drugs is not associated with a significantly different risk of death in older diabetic patients within 1 year following AMI compared with other antihyperglycemic agents. Combined, however, metformin and TZDs may exert benefit. TZD prescription is associated with a higher risk of readmission for heart failure after myocardial infarction.
Dalteparin for prevention of catheter-related complications in cancer patients with central venous catheters: final results of a double-blind, placebo-controlled phase III trial.

BACKGROUND Cancer patients receiving chemotherapy experience thromboembolic complications associated with the use of long-term indwelling central venous catheters (CVCs). This prospective, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter study evaluated whether prophylactic treatment with a low molecular weight heparin could prevent clinically relevant catheter-related thrombosis. PATIENTS AND METHODS Patients with cancer undergoing chemotherapy for at least 12 weeks (n=439) were randomly assigned, in a 2:1 ratio, to receive either dalteparin (5000 IU) or placebo, by subcutaneous injection, once daily for 16 weeks. Patients underwent upper extremity evaluation with either venography or ultrasound at the time of a suspected catheter-related complication (CRC) or upon completion of study medication. The primary end point, as determined by a blinded adjudication committee, was the occurrence of a CRC, defined as the first occurrence of any one of the following: clinically relevant catheter-related thrombosis that was symptomatic or that required anticoagulant or fibrinolytic therapy; catheter-related clinically relevant pulmonary embolism; or catheter obstruction requiring catheter removal. RESULTS There was no significant difference in the frequency of CRCs between the dalteparin arm (3.7%) and the placebo arm (3.4%; P=0.88), corresponding to a relative risk of 1.0883 (95% confidence interval 0.37-3.19). No difference in the time to CRC was observed between the two arms (P=0.83). There was no significant difference between the dalteparin and placebo groups in terms of major bleeding (1 versus 0) or overall safety. CONCLUSIONS Dalteparin prophylaxis did not reduce the frequency of thromboembolic complications after CVC implantation in cancer patients. Dalteparin was demonstrated to be safe over 16 weeks of treatment in these patients.
Depression and Thought Intrusions, Relating Thought Frequency to Activation and Arousal

Laboratory studies have demonstrated that task-unrelated image and thought (TUIT) likelihood decreased with increased age, displayed a circadian rhythm, and increased with hyperactivity; these outcomes are consistent with the speculation that TUIT production is directly related to brain activation/arousal level. We examined the association between TUIT likelihood and depression and anxiety and their putative activation/arousal levels. Individuals diagnosed with a major depressive disorder reported TUITs while performing a vigilance task. Significant, p < . 05, correlations indicated that deeper depression, dejection, and perceived fatigue were associated with a reduced likelihood of unintentional TUITs and greater anxiety were associated with increased likelihood of unintentional TUITs. These results were consistent with an association between arousal/activation and unbidden TUIT likelihood.
Pill Reduces Myocardial Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury via Increasing EET Concentrations in Rats s

Accumulating data suggest that epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (EETs) and 20-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid, both cytochrome P450 (P450) enzymemetabolites of arachidonic acid (AA), play important roles in cardiovascular diseases. For many years, the cardiotonic pill (CP), an herbal preparation derived from Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma, Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma, and Borneolum Syntheticum, has been widely used in China for the treatment of coronary artery disease. However, its pharmacological mechanism has not been well elucidated. The purpose of this study was to investigate the chronic effects of the CP on myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury (MIRI) and AA P450 enzyme metabolism in rats (in vivo) and H9c2 cells (in vitro). The results showed that CP dose dependently (10, 20, and 40 mg/kg/d; 7 days) mitigated MIRI in rats. The plasma concentrations of EETs inCP-treated ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) rats (40 mg/kg/d; 7 days) were significantly higher (P < 0.05) than those in controls. Cardiac Cyp1b1, Cyp2b1, Cyp2e1, Cyp2j3, and Cyp4f6 were significantly induced (P < 0.05); CYP2J and CYP2C11 proteins were upregulated (P < 0.05); and AA-epoxygenases activity was significantly increased (P < 0.05) after CP (40 mg/kg/d; 7 days) administration in rats. In H9c2 cells, the CP also increased (P < 0.05) the EET concentrations and showed protection in hypoxia-reoxygenation (H/R) cells.However, anantagonist ofEETs, 14,15-epoxyeicosa-5(Z)enoic acid, displayed a dose-dependent depression of the CP’s protective effects in H/R cells. In conclusion, upregulation of cardiac epoxygenases after multiple doses of the CP—leading to elevated concentrations of cardioprotective EETs after myocardial I/R—may be the underlying mechanism, at least in part, for the CP’s cardioprotective effect in rats.
Joint pre-coder and decoder design for physical layer network coding based MIMO two-way relay system

We investigate a joint precoder decoder design scheme for multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) channel physical layer network coding (PNC) based two-way relay system. Precoders at source nodes and decoder at relay node are designed to facilitate PNC operations at the relay node. We consider minimizing the weighted mean square error (MSE) at relay node to enhance the accuracy of the PNC. Formulated optimization problem is non-convex and we propose an algorithm to solve it optimally. Numerical results confirm that the joint precoder decoder algorithm provides the optimal solution to minimizing weighted MSE with the total available power. Effect of weighting parameters, relay location and number of antennas at nodes are considered in the system analysis.
Experiences with simulations - a light and fast model for secure Web applications

Using simulations of a complex system such as a Web application server provides us with a tool that allows the running of tests without using the resources needed in a real system; thus enabling a "what-if" analysis platform that gives support in the decisions taking process. This paper goes through the methodology and the construction of this light and fast simulation, showing the points to take care of and that have made this approach successful. Our evaluation shows some of the results obtained with simulations, compares them with the real system and provides new information to investigate hypotheses; as for instance the effect of modifying the backlog queue component on overloaded systems, to increase the number of sessions finished. We have used several results from research on the effect of admission control over SSL connections to verify our simulated approach
Synchronization of networked passive systems with directed communication topologies

The coordination and synchronization problems of networked passive systems with directed communication topologies are discussed in this paper. Compared with previous work in the context of passivity-based control, the development in this paper is for more general directed communication graphs. It is shown that when the communication topologies are strongly connected, the output synchronization can be achieved for the networked passive systems. The realistic communication delays and actuator saturation are also considered. The achieved results are used to synchronize the networked Lagrangian systems. Simulation examples are included to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithms.
DocuBurst : Document Content Visualization Using Language Structure

We present the first visualization of document content which takes advantage of the human-created structure in lexical databases. We use the WordNet hyponymy (IS-A) relationship as the structure for radial, space-filling trees which quickly reveal the concepts contained within a document of interest. Interactive techniques of zoom, filter, and details-on-demand support document analysis. The visualization can be generalized to multiple documents and other linguistic databases.
A 28-nm CMOS 7-GS/s 6-bit DAC With DfT Clock and Memory Reaching SFDR >50 dB Up to 1 GHz

This brief presents a 7-GS/s 6-bit current-steering digital-to-analog converter (DAC) in 28-nm CMOS for VLSI System On Chip I/O embedding with an on-chip memory and clock generation circuits for wafer-sort testing. It demonstrates how Spurious Free Dynamic Range >50 dB can be maintained up to 1 GHz, while keeping the DAC footprint small -0.035 mm2. Several linearization techniques, such as current source cascodes with local biasing, thick-oxide output cascodes, bleeding currents, and 50% level of segmentation are validated for the first time at such very high frequencies. Testing is facilitated by means of integrating a digital front-end design-for-test scheme in 0.048 mm2. It uses a 5-kb 8X TI data memory, based on circular shift registers to avoid signal-dependent disturbances. An integrated 7-GHz Current Mode Logic ring oscillator-type clock generator and a serial data interface enable simple testing of the DAC at reduced cost.
Angiotensin receptor blockers: RAAS blockade and renoprotection.

INTRODUCTION Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is an increasingly prevalent public health concern and is associated with a high risk of adverse cardiovascular outcomes. Renal impairment is frequently associated with hypertension and there is compelling evidence of the benefits of antihypertensive therapy for reducing progression of kidney disease. The central role of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) in hypertension and renal disease has led to interest in the ability of RAAS-blocking agents to provide benefits beyond blood pressure control. SCOPE This review explores the mechanisms involved in CKD development, assesses markers of CKD progression, explores the role of the RAAS in renal disease, and examines RAAS blockade as a therapeutic option for renoprotection. For this purpose, a non-systematic literature review was conducted using the Medline database. FINDINGS Studies in patients with diabetic renal disease have shown that RAAS blockade with angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE)-inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) reduces progression of renal disease. Similarly, several studies have demonstrated the benefits of ACE inhibitors in non-diabetic renal disease, although few studies have been conducted with ARBs in this setting. At present, there is little evidence to determine the relative merits of ARBs and ACE inhibitors in terms of clinical outcomes, although ARBs appear to have advantages in terms of renal haemodynamics and measures of renal function. CONCLUSIONS The beneficial effects of ARBs, which result from a combination of antihypertensive, haemodynamic, antiproteinuric and pleiotropic mechanisms, provide a strong rationale for considering the use of these agents in the treatment of high-risk patients.
Termination in impure functional languages

In this paper, an impure language is one that combines functional and imperative constructs. The language may be sequential or concurrent. We present a method for ensuring termination of impure languages that makes it possible to combine term rewriting measure-based techniques with traditional approaches for termination in functional languages such as logical relations. The method can be made parametric on the termination technique employed on the functional parts. As a test for robustness, we consider both a concurrent language (the π-calculus), and a sequential one (a λ-calculus with references).
Adverse reactions to dermal fillers: review.

BACKGROUND For many patients, injectable filling agents offer the promise of facial rejuvenation while offering reduced risks compared with more invasive surgery. With the increase in products available and the rise in the number of patients seeking this type of intervention, it is crucial that both the physician and the patient are fully cognizant of the risks involved with each product. OBJECTIVE To review the incidences and types of reaction to various commonly used injectable products. METHODS A literature review and personal experiences (gained largely in Europe over the past 8 years) of dermal fillers from 1996 to the present, including illustrative case reviews. RESULTS Reactions can be attributed to the procedure itself, the procedural technique, and the agent injected. Some of these reactions are preventable, whereas others are inevitable; most are mild and transient. Improving product formulations, altering the concentration of product injected, or changing the injection technique can dramatically reduce the incidence of adverse reactions. Since its reformulation in mid-1999, the biologically engineered hyaluronic acid filler Restylane (Medicis Pharmaceuticals, Scottsdale, AZ, USA) elicits less than one allergic reaction in 1600 treatments. Skin reactions with poly-L-lactic acid (New-Fill/Sculptra, Dermik Laboratories, Berwyn, PA, USA) are considerably less likely if a greater dilution and deeper injection technique are employed. CONCLUSION Different injectable products have highly divergent properties, associated risks, and injection requirements. The dermasurgeon should be suitably experienced to select and use these products correctly.
THE ORIGIN OF PROTEIN AND FATTY YOLK IN RANA PIPIENS

Electron microscope studies of young oocytes have demonstrated that the plate-like, hexagonally shaped yolk bodies previously observed in living cells are wholly within the substance of oocyte mitochondria and that they remain within these mitochondria while increasing in size. These bodies possess a crystalline structure consisting of what appear to be lines, with a spacing of 70 to 85 A, and appear very dense in the electron microscope. After formalin fixation such bodies give an intense positive test for protein, and when viewed in the electron microscope are only slightly less dense than after OsO4 fixation. Evidence is presented for the origin of these crystals within a single crista. The clusters of yolk globules previously studied in living cells are seen to consist of several types of bodies, but an irregular dense droplet predominates. This dense material is apparently secreted by small spherical bodies which, the evidence suggests, originate from the breaking up of filamentous mitochondria and which possess an outer double membrane and sometimes internal cristalike membranes. When thin sections of young oocytes are immersed in xylol the dense globules of the clusters are dissolved, but the hexagonal bodies are unaffected, indicating that the globules are of a predominantly fatty nature, while the hexagonal bodies are of a predominantly protein nature. Examination of mature or almost mature oocytes has revealed that the main body of the yolk platelets is crystalline in nature and is surrounded by a thick matrix which, in light microscope study, masks the fact that the face view of the main body of the platelets is often hexagonal. The spacing within the main body is found to be 70 to 85 A. The crystal laminae of this material can be resolved quite clearly into rows of particles. Dense globules of varying sizes are found in the cytoplasm between the platelets. When thin sections of these OsO4-fixed oocytes are immersed in xylol, the material of the globules is extracted and the crystalline material of the platelets remains unaffected, indicating the fatty nature of the globules and the protein nature of the platelets. The platelets of the mature egg resemble the hexagon bodies, previously described in young oocytes, in their protein nature, their crystalline spacing, and their hexagonal outline. This is given as strong evidence for the origin of the mature platelets by the growth of the intramitochondrial hexagon bodies. The biochemical implications of this study are discussed.
Modeling the carbon cycle in Lake Matano

Lake Matano, Indonesia, is a stratified anoxic lake with iron‐rich waters that has been used as an analogue for the Archean and early Proterozoic oceans. Past studies of Lake Matano report large amounts of methane production, with as much as 80% of primary production degraded via methanogenesis. Low δ13C values of DIC in the lake are difficult to reconcile with this notion, as fractionation during methanogenesis produces isotopically heavy CO2. To help reconcile these observations, we develop a box model of the carbon cycle in ferruginous Lake Matano, Indonesia, that satisfies the constraints of CH4 and DIC isotopic profiles, sediment composition, and alkalinity. We estimate methane fluxes smaller than originally proposed, with about 9% of organic carbon export to the deep waters degraded via methanogenesis. In addition, despite the abundance of Fe within the waters, anoxic ferric iron respiration of organic matter degrades <3% of organic carbon export, leaving methanogenesis as the largest contributor to anaerobic organic matter remineralization, while indicating a relatively minor role for iron as an electron acceptor. As the majority of carbon exported is buried in the sediments, we suggest that the role of methane in the Archean and early Proterozoic oceans is less significant than presumed in other studies.
Interaktionsprozesse zur Entscheidungsfindung in virtuellen und face-to-face Gruppen

Probleme zu losen und Entscheidungen zu treffen sind wesentliche Fahigkeiten zur Bewaltigung taglicher Anforderungen, sowohl fur berufliche als auch fur private Situationen. Bereits wahrend des Studiums sollen die Studierenden erlernen, fur berufliche Situationen fundierte Entscheidungen zu treffen. Diese Fahigkeiten konnen durch das komplexe Lehr-Lern-Arrangement Fallstudie gefordert werden. Eine Bearbeitung komplexer Problemstellungen in Gruppen ermoglicht durch den unterschiedlichen Erfahrungsgrund und die verschieden ausgepragte Expertise der Teilnehmenden eine multiperspektivische Sicht auf die Probleme. Das Lernen in der Gruppe wird weiterhin als notwendig gegenuber individuellem Lernen angesehen, da Gruppenarbeit als in der beruflichen Praxis gangiges Verfahren eingeubt und reflektiert werden kann. Aufgrund der zunehmenden Globalisierung wird es immer notwendiger uber raumliche und zeitliche Grenzen hinweg zu arbeiten. Eine fortschreitende Entwicklung im Bereich der Informations- und Kommunikationstechnologien ermoglicht eine raum- und zeitunabhangige Interaktion bei der Bewaltigung von Problemstellungen. Studien, die die Bearbeitung komplexer Fallstudien face-to-face und virtuell im universitaren Kontext vergleichen, wurden bisher kaum durchgefuhrt. Auch gibt es keine Untersuchungen, die Gruppen mit komplexen Problemloseaufgaben untersuchen und Einflussfaktoren auf die Problemlosefahigkeit mit berucksichtigen. Diese Lucke soll mit diesem Forschungsvorhaben geschlossen werden. (DIPF/Orig.)
Production of Fumonisin Analogs by Fusarium Species

The fumonisins, a family of food-borne carcinogenic mycotoxins, were first isolated in 1988 (21) from cultures of Fusarium verticillioides (Sacc.) Nirenberg (previously known as Fusarium moniliforme Sheldon). During the same year, the structures of the fumonisins were elucidated (6) and fumonisin B1 was shown to cause equine leukoencephalomalacia (34). There have been numerous publications dealing with this group of novel, carcinogenic mycotoxins, and comprehensive reviews of different aspects of the fumonisins are available (20, 22, 23, 24, 35, 36, 37, 41, 43, 46, 52, 55, 60, 61, 66). Due to the widespread occurrence of the fumonisins in maize, a dietary staple in many countries, the carcinogenic risk of fumonisins to humans was evaluated by the International Agency for Research on Cancer in 1993, and the toxins produced by F. moniliforme were evaluated as “Group 2B carcinogens,” i.e., probably carcinogenic to humans (24). This review focuses on the Fusarium species that produce fumonisins and the fumonisin analogs produced by each of these species.
Does Promotion Depth Affect Long-Run Demand ?

We use the results of three large-scale field experiments to investigate how the depth of a current price promotion affects future purchasing. While most previous studies have focused on packaged goods sold in grocery stores, we consider durable goods sold through a direct mail catalog. The findings reveal different effects for firsttime and established customers. Deeper price discounts in the current period increased future purchases by first-time customers (a positive long-run effect) but reduced future purchases by established customers (a negative long-run effect). We investigate alternative explanations for these findings including purchase acceleration, selection, customer learning and increased deal sens itivity.