Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Frequency of drug-induced valvular heart disease in patients previously exposd to benfluorex: a multicentre prospective study.

AIMS The epidemiologic link between benfluorex use and an increased global frequency of left heart valve regurgitation has been well documented. However, no data linking previous drug exposure to the frequency of diagnosis of drug-induced valvular heart disease (DI-VHD) are available. The present study was conducted to address this issue. METHODS AND RESULTS This echocardiography reader-blinded, controlled study conducted in 10 centres between February 2010 and February 2012 prospectively included 835 subjects previously exposed to benfluorex referred by primary care physicians for echocardiography. Based on blinded off-line analysis, echocardiography findings were classified as: (i) DI-VHD⁺ for patients with an echocardiographic diagnosis of DI-VHD, (ii) inconclusive, and (iii) DI-VHD⁻ for patients without signs of DI-VHD. Fifty-seven (6.8%) patients exposed to benfluorex were classified as DI-VHD⁺, 733 (87.8%) patients were classified as DI-VHD⁻, and 45 (5.4%) were classified as inconclusive. Mitral and aortic DI-VHD were reported in 43 patients (5.1%) and 30 (3.6%) patients, respectively. Longer duration of exposure, female gender, smoking, and lower BMI were independently associated with a diagnosis of DI-VHD. Good inter-observer reproducibility was observed for the echocardiography classification (Kappa = 0.83, P < 0.00001). CONCLUSIONS About 7% of patients without a history of heart valve disease previously exposed to benfluorex present echocardiography features of DI-VHD. Further studies are needed to study the natural history of DI-VHD and to identify risk factors for the development of drug-induced valve lesions.
Sex Differences in rt-PA Utilization at Hospitals Treating Stroke: The National Inpatient Sample

Background and purpose Sex and race disparities in recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA) use have been reported. We sought to explore sex and race differences in the utilization of rt-PA at primary stroke centers (PSCs) compared to non-PSCs across the US. Methods Data from the National (Nationwide) Inpatient Sample (NIS) 2004–2010 was utilized to assess sex differences in treatment for ischemic stroke in PSCs compared to non-PSCs. Results There were 304,152 hospitalizations with a primary diagnosis of ischemic stroke between 2004 and 2010 in the analysis: 75,160 (24.7%) patients were evaluated at a PSC. A little over half of the patients evaluated at PSCs were female (53.8%). A lower proportion of women than men received rt-PA at both PSCs (6.8 vs. 7.5%, p < 0.001) and non-PSCs (2.3 vs. 2.8%, p < 0.001). After adjustment for potential confounders the odds of being treated with rt-PA remained lower for women regardless of presentation to a PSC (OR 0.87, 95% CI 0.81–0.94) or non-PSC (OR 0.88, 95% CI 0.82–0.94). After stratifying by sex and race, the lowest absolute treatment rates were observed in black women (4.4% at PSC, 1.9% at non-PSC). The odds of treatment, relative to white men, was however lowest for white women (PSC OR = 0.85, 95% CI 0.78–0.93; non-PSC OR = 0.80, 95% CI 0.75–0.85). In the multivariable model, sex did not modify the effect of PSC certification on rt-PA utilization (p-value for interaction = 0.58). Conclusion Women are less likely to receive rt-PA than men at both PSCs and non-PSCs. Absolute treatment rates are lowest in black women, although the relative difference in men and women was greatest for white women.
Highly Potent Inhibitors of Proprotein Convertase Furin as Potential Drugs for Treatment of Infectious Diseases*

Background: Furin and furin-like proprotein convertases are involved in disease-related processes and have emerged as potential drug targets. Results: The incorporation of basic acyl residues at P5 position provides highly potent inhibitors of furin, PC1/3, PC4, PACE4, and PC5/6. Conclusion: These inhibitors could be potential drugs for the treatment of infectious diseases. Significance: The most potent synthetic inhibitors of furin-like proprotein convertases have been developed. Optimization of our previously described peptidomimetic furin inhibitors was performed and yielded several analogs with a significantly improved activity. The most potent compounds containing an N-terminal 4- or 3-(guanidinomethyl)phenylacetyl residue inhibit furin with Ki values of 16 and 8 pm, respectively. These analogs inhibit other proprotein convertases, such as PC1/3, PC4, PACE4, and PC5/6, with similar potency, whereas PC2, PC7, and trypsin-like serine proteases are poorly affected. Incubation of selected compounds with Madin-Darby canine kidney cells over a period of 96 h revealed that they exhibit great stability, making them suitable candidates for further studies in cell culture. Two of the most potent derivatives were used to inhibit the hemagglutinin cleavage and viral propagation of a highly pathogenic avian H7N1 influenza virus strain. The treatment with inhibitor 24 (4-(guanidinomethyl)phenylacetyl-Arg-Val-Arg-4-amidinobenzylamide) resulted in significantly delayed virus propagation compared with an inhibitor-free control. The same analog was also effective in inhibiting Shiga toxin activation in HEp-2 cells. This antiviral effect, as well as the protective effect against a bacterial toxin, suggests that inhibitors of furin or furin-like proprotein convertases could represent promising lead structures for future drug development, in particular for the treatment of infectious diseases.
A Specific Domain Language for Network Interface Cards

Writing a device driver has never been pleasant. Maintaining or updating the driver is almost hard. We address this problem by suggesting the use of specific domain language (SDL) for the programming of the device. To support our idea, we present the procedure of defining an SDL language for network interface cards. Through the definition procedure will shine the advantages of these languages.
Dropping Out of High School: A Meta-Analysis Assessing the Effect of Messages in the Home and in School

The high school completion rate for the U.S. has increased only slightly over the last quarter of a century. A promising area of focus for dropout prevention efforts may be found in research that assesses how messages about educational attainment may affect school completion rates. The supportive communication framework is used to address how communication in the home and in school may affect student educational attainment. An extensive search of the student dropout literature was followed by standard meta-analytic procedures. The average weighted effect for communication in the home on high school completion was r=. 21, and the effect for communication in school on high school completion was r=. 14. The age of subjects and region of the country in which subjects lived were addressed as possible moderators of the relationship between communication in the home and school and educational attainment. No evidence that these variables moderated the relationship was found.
Conceptualizing and Measuring Resilience a Key to Disaster Loss Reduction

I n recent years, particularly after the catastrophe of Hurricane Katrina in August 2005, resilience has gained prominence as a topic in the field of disaster research, supplanting the concept of disaster resistance.  Disaster resistance emphasizes the importance of predisaster mitigation measures that enhance the performance of structures, infrastructure elements, and institutions in reducing losses from a disaster.  Resilience reflects a concern for improving the capacity of physical and human systems to respond to and recover from extreme events. For the past seven years, researchers affiliated with the Multidisciplinary Center for Earthquake Engineering Research (MCEER), sponsored by the National Science Foundation and headquartered at the University at Buffalo, have collaborated on studies to conceptualize and measure disaster resilience. The resilience-related projects have involved researchers from a range of disciplines, including civil, structural, and lifeline engineering; sociology, economics, and regional science; policy research; and decision science. The goals of the multiyear effort were to define disaster resilience, develop measures appropriate for assessing resilience, and then demonstrate the utility of the concept through empirical research. To develop a framework, the MCEER research team drew on various literatures and research traditions that have focused on resilience and related concepts , including ecology, economics, engineering, organizational research, and psychology. The literature revealed consistent cross-disciplinary treatments in which resilience was viewed as both inherent strength and the ability to be flexible and adaptable after environmental shocks and disruptive events. Hurricane Katrina made landfall near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, at the mouth of the Pearl River, during high tide, causing a storm tide approximately 30 feet deep, and toppling segments of the I-90 bridge.
A Case-Controlled Comparison of Thrombolysis Outcomes Between Wake-Up and Known Time of Onset Ischemic Stroke Patients

Background and Purpose— Wake-up ischemic stroke (WUIS) patients are not thrombolysed even if they meet other criteria for treatment. We hypothesized that patients with WUIS showing no or early ischemic changes on brain imaging will have thrombolysis outcomes comparable with those with known time of symptom onset. Methods— Consecutive sampling of a prospective registry of patients with stroke between January 2009 and December 2010 identified 394 thrombolysed patients meeting predefined inclusion criteria, 326 presenting within 0 to 4.5 hours of symptom onset (Reference Group) and 68 WUIS patients. Inclusion criteria were last seen normal <12 hours or >4.5 hours (WUIS) or presented <4.5 hours (Reference Group), had National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score ≥5, and no or early ischemic changes on imaging at presentation. The primary outcome measure was the modified Rankin Scale of 0 to 2 at 90 days measured by trained assessors blinded to patient grouping. Other outcome measures were symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage, modified Rankin Scale 0 to 1, and mortality at 90 days. Results— The groups were comparable for mean age (72.8 versus 73.9 years; P=0.58) and baseline median National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score (median 13 versus 12; P=0.34). The proportions of patients with modified Rankin Scale 0 to 2 (38% versus 37%; P=0.89) and modified Rankin Scale 0 to 1 (24% versus 16%; P=0.18) at 90 days, any ICH (20% versus 22%; P=0.42) and symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage (3.4% versus 2.9%; P=1.0) were comparable after adjusting for age, stroke severity, and imaging changes. Only 9/394 (2%) patients were lost to follow-up. Conclusions— Thrombolysis in selected patients with WUIS is feasible, and its outcomes are comparable with those thrombolysed with 0 to 4.5 hours.
Length-dependent changes in contractile dynamics are blunted due to cardiac myosin binding protein-C ablation

Enhanced cardiac contractile function with increased sarcomere length (SL) is, in part, mediated by a decrease in the radial distance between myosin heads and actin. The radial disposition of myosin heads relative to actin is modulated by cardiac myosin binding protein-C (cMyBP-C), suggesting that cMyBP-C contributes to the length-dependent activation (LDA) in the myocardium. However, the precise roles of cMyBP-C in modulating cardiac LDA are unclear. To determine the impact of cMyBP-C on LDA, we measured isometric force, myofilament Ca2+-sensitivity (pCa50) and length-dependent changes in kinetic parameters of cross-bridge (XB) relaxation (krel), and recruitment (kdf) due to rapid stretch, as well as the rate of force redevelopment (ktr) in response to a large slack-restretch maneuver in skinned ventricular multicellular preparations isolated from the hearts of wild-type (WT) and cMyBP-C knockout (KO) mice, at SL's 1.9 μm or 2.1 μm. Our results show that maximal force was not significantly different between KO and WT preparations but length-dependent increase in pCa50 was attenuated in the KO preparations. pCa50 was not significantly different between WT and KO preparations at long SL (5.82 ± 0.02 in WT vs. 5.87 ± 0.02 in KO), whereas pCa50 was significantly different between WT and KO preparations at short SL (5.71 ± 0.02 in WT vs. 5.80 ± 0.01 in KO; p < 0.05). The ktr, measured at half-maximal Ca2+-activation, was significantly accelerated at short SL in WT preparations (8.74 ± 0.56 s−1 at 1.9 μm vs. 5.71 ± 0.40 s−1 at 2.1 μm, p < 0.05). Furthermore, krel and kdf were accelerated by 32% and 50%, respectively at short SL in WT preparations. In contrast, ktr was not altered by changes in SL in KO preparations (8.03 ± 0.54 s−1 at 1.9 μm vs. 8.90 ± 0.37 s−1 at 2.1 μm). Similarly, KO preparations did not exhibit length-dependent changes in krel and kdf. Collectively, our data implicate cMyBP-C as an important regulator of LDA via its impact on dynamic XB behavior due to changes in SL.
A STUDY OF TEMPO TRACKING ALGORITHMS FROM POLYPHONIC MUSIC SIGNALS

In this paper, algorithms for tempo tracking from polyphonic music signals are introduced. These new methods are based on the association of a filter bank with robust pitch detection algorithms such as the spectral sum or spectral product. These algorithms are further improved by using an onset detector in each band. These algorithms are then compared to two of the most reliable methods of the literature using a small manually annotated database of short sequences of music signals. It is shown that, despite their simplicity, these new approaches are very efficient and outperform the tested methods.
Using a Parallel Transcript/Subtitle Corpus for Sentence Compression

In this paper we describe the collection of a parallel corpus (in Dutch) and its use in a sentence compression tool with the intention to automatically generate subtitles for the deaf from transcripts of a television program. First, the collection of the corpus is described, together with the manipulations and transformations performed on that corpus. Second, a hybrid sentence compression tool is described together with its evaluation.
Peripherin expression in hippocampal neurons induced by muscle soluble factor(s)

Previous studies have shown that neuronal cells in culture can switch neurotransmitters when grown in the presence of different target cells. To examine whether this plasticity extends to structural proteins, we cocultured hippocampal neurons and pituitary-derived neuroendocrine (AtT20) cells with astrocytes, kidney epithelial cells, or skeletal muscle cells. As a marker of phenotypic change we used the cytoskeletal protein peripherin, a type III intermediate filament (IF) subunit which is not expressed in hippocampal neurons and AtT20 cells. We show here that soluble factor(s) secreted specifically from skeletal muscle cells can induce the expression and de novo assembly of peripherin in a subset of post-mitotic neurons. We further demonstrate that one of these factors is the Leukemia Inhibitory Factor/Cholinergic Neuronal Differentiation Factor. The environmentally regulated expression of peripherin implies a remarkable degree of plasticity in the cytoskeletal organization of postmitotic CNS cells and provides a noninvasive model system to examine the de novo assembly of IF proteins under in vivo conditions.
Multiple Roles and Physical Health among Older Adults

In this article, the role accumulation hypothesis is tested among older Black and White women and men from a national sample. Eight health variables are regressed on multiple roles (employee, spouse, parent, volunteer, homemaker, grandparent, care-giver, and student), gender, ethnicity, age, and education. Regressions are also tested separately by gender and ethnicity for those health variables on which group differences are significant. Multiple roles are significantly linearly associated with better health on all but one of the outcomes for the total sample. Significant interactions show that this association is stronger for men than for women and for Blacks than for Whites; the link between multiple roles and health is weakest for White women. Findings support the role accumulation hypothesis and illustrate the importance of expanding definitions of multiple roles in relation to health among older adults.
Lymphocyte subsets and cytokines in adenoviral infection in children

To determine the distribution of major blood lymphocyte subsets we evaluated blood lymphocytes by flow cytometry in adenovirus‐infected infants aged 30–730 d. In addition, interleukin‐1‐receptor antagonist, interleukin‐10 and transforming growth factor‐β1 were measured in serum by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay. According to clinical parameters, mechanical ventilation and outcome, infections were classified as moderate (n= 15), severe (n= 11) and fatal (n= 12). Controls were 13 healthy children. In severe and fatal infection, T cells (CD5+/CD19‐), NK effectors (CD16+), CD4+ T subset and B1 subset of B lymphocytes (CD5+/CD19+) were all significantly decreased. CD8+ cells were decreased in severe but not fatal cases. There was no difference in serum values of interleukin‐10; however, fatal cases had high interleukin 1‐receptor antagonist values. Interestingly, patients with moderate infection showed significantly increased values of transforming growth factor‐β1. These results demonstrate that life‐threatening adenoviral infection is associated with marked abnormalities in blood lymphocyte and cytokine profile.
Evolutionary Conserved Cysteines Function as cis-Acting Regulators of Arabidopsis PIN-FORMED 2 Distribution

Coordination of plant development requires modulation of growth responses that are under control of the phytohormone auxin. PIN-FORMED plasma membrane proteins, involved in intercellular transport of the growth regulator, are key to the transmission of such auxin signals and subject to multilevel surveillance mechanisms, including reversible post-translational modifications. Apart from well-studied PIN protein modifications, namely phosphorylation and ubiquitylation, no further post-translational modifications have been described so far. Here, we focused on root-specific Arabidopsis PIN2 and explored functional implications of two evolutionary conserved cysteines, by a combination of in silico and molecular approaches. PIN2 sequence alignments and modeling predictions indicated that both cysteines are facing the cytoplasm and therefore would be accessible to redox status-controlled modifications. Notably, mutant pin2C−A alleles retained functionality, demonstrated by their ability to almost completely rescue defects of a pin2 null allele, whereas high resolution analysis of pin2C−A localization revealed increased intracellular accumulation, and altered protein distribution within plasma membrane micro-domains. The observed effects of cysteine replacements on root growth and PIN2 localization are consistent with a model in which redox status-dependent cysteine modifications participate in the regulation of PIN2 mobility, thereby fine-tuning polar auxin transport.
AUV localization using depth perception of underwater structures from a monocular camera

In this paper, we propose a method of AUV localization and mapping using visual measurement of underwater structures. Since the inertial navigation system (INS) of AUV suffers from drift, visual observation of fixed objects can enhance the localization performance. In a framework of pose graph optimization, depth map estimation of underwater structures and tracing of AUV trajectory are concurrently handled. Estimation of absolute scale is also resolved by exploiting incremental measurements of inertial sensors. The proposed method is validated by experiments performed in a structured basin environment.
Initial Insights Regarding the Role of p53 in Maintaining Sperm DNA Integrity Following Treatment of Mice with Ethylnitrosourea or Cyclophosphamide

If p53 is essential to eliminate damaged spermatogenic cells, then mutagen exposure in the absence of p53 would increase sperm containing damaged DNA. p53 knockout (−/−, NULL) and wild-type (+/+, WT) mice (five/group) were exposed to ethylnitrosourea (ENU) or cyclophosphamide (CP). In phase I, mice were exposed by gavage to 0 or 60 mg/kg/day ENU or CP for four days and examined on test day (TD) 4, and in phase II, mice were exposed to 0, 6, 20, or 60 mg/kg/day ENU or CP for four days and evaluated on TD 36 when exposed spermatocytes matured. In phase I, mutagens were not directly cytotoxic to mature sperm. In phase II, WT mice were more sensitive to decreases in reproductive organ weights, whereas both genotypes had decreased sperm counts. Testicular histology revealed similar CP responses, but genotype-specific ENU responses (WT mice had depletion of elongating spermatids; NULL mice had late-stage spermatocyte/early stage spermatid loss). Ethylnitrosourea increased DNA strand breaks in WT mice. Thus, mice responded similarly to CP, suggesting a primarily p53-independent response, whereas the ENU response differed by zygosity, suggesting a role for p53. As DNA damage increased at higher ENU doses, compensatory repair pathways may operate in NULL mice.
Parameter-lite clustering algorithm based on MST and fuzzy similarity merging

Clustering is an unsupervised process of classifying data items or objects into meaningful groups and each group is called a cluster. There are several algorithms for clustering based on different approaches (hierarchical, partitional, density-based, model-based, etc.). Most of these algorithms have some discrepancies, e.g. the number of the clusters should be a priori known. The present work introduces a novel Parameter-Lite clustering algorithm. The proposed algorithm employs the features of Minimum Spanning Tree (MST) and Fuzzy Similarity Merging to determine the number of clusters automatically. The aim of this combination is to decrease the number of the parameters defined heuristically and there by to decrease the manual intervention of the user on the clustering results. The proposed algorithm initially creates a minimum spanning tree for the given data set. The minimum spanning tree that is created is then divided into sub trees by eliminating the inconsistent edges. The resulting most similar clusters are then merged for optimal number of clusters. The proposed algorithm is tested for both synthetic and real data sets based on the ratio of intra-cluster and inter-cluster distances. The results discussed show that the proposed algorithm performs on par with the Standard K-Means clustering with minimal user intervention.
Navigating the Domestic Violence Protection Law by Vietnamese Immigrant Wives in Taiwan

This article explores the structural factors that hinder Vietnamese immigrant wives from escaping domestic violence by applying an institutional ethnography perspective. Taiwan’s Domestic Violence Prevention Law requires the government to assign professionals to help abused victims, but the law in action shows that abused Vietnamese wives must go through multiple institutions, which put different structural constraints on them, to reach the goal of escaping domestic violence. Following the structural intersectionality approach, we contend that gender, nationalism, and class structural factors intersectionally impose constraints on immigrant women seeking help from the state.