Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Scholarly Commons @ Baptist Health South Florida Is Metabolic Syndrome Predictive of Prevalence, Extent, and Risk of Coronary Artery Disease beyond Its Components? Results from the Multinational Coronary Ct Angiography Evaluation for Clinical Outcome: an International Multicenter Registry (confirm) 

Although metabolic syndrome is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease and events, its added prognostic value beyond its components remains unknown. This study compared the prevalence, severity of coronary artery disease (CAD), and prognosis Copyright: This is an open access article, free of all copyright, and may be freely reproduced, distributed, transmitted, modified, built upon, or otherwise used by anyone for any lawful purpose. The work is made available under the Creative Commons CC0 public domain dedication. of patients with metabolic syndrome to those with individual metabolic syndrome components. The study cohort consisted of 27125 consecutive individuals who underwent 64-detector row coronary CT angiography (CCTA) at 12 centers from 2003 to 2009. Metabolic syndrome was defined as per NCEP/ATP III criteria. Metabolic syndrome patients (n=690) were matched 1:1:1 to those with 1 component (n=690) and 2 components (n=690) of metabolic syndrome for age, sex, smoking status, and family history of premature CAD using propensity scoring. Major adverse cardiac events (MACE) were defined by a composite of myocardial infarction (MI), acute coronary syndrome, mortality and late target vessel revas-cularization. Patients with 1 component of metabolic syndrome manifested lower rates of obstructive 1-, 2-, and 3-vessel/left main disease compared to metabolic syndrome patients (9.4% vs 13.8%, 2.6% vs 4.5%, and 1.0% vs 2.3%, respectively; p<0.05), while those with 2 components did not (10.5% vs 13.8%, 2.8% vs 4.5% and 1.3% vs 2.3%, respectively; p>0.05). At 2.5 years, metabolic syndrome patients experienced a higher rate of MACE compared to patients with 1 component (4.4% vs 1.6%; p=0.002), while no difference observed compared to individuals with 2 components (4.4% vs 3.2% p=0.25) of metabolic syndrome. In conclusion, Metabolic syndrome patients have significantly greater prevalence, severity, and prognosis of CAD compared to patients with 1 but not 2 components of metabolic syndrome.
The Role of the Model of End-Stage Liver Disease Score in Predicting Outcomes of Carotid Endarterectomy

Objectives: The Model of End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score has been traditionally utilized to prioritize for liver transplantation; however, recent literature has shown its value in predicting surgical outcomes for patients with hepatic dysfunction. The benefit of carotid endarterectomy in asymptomatic patients is dependent on low perioperative morbidity. Our objective was to use MELD score to predict outcomes in asymptomatic patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy. Methods: Patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy were identified in the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program data sets from 2005 to 2012. The Model of End-Stage Liver Disease score was calculated using serum bilirubin, creatinine, and the international normalized ratio (INR). Patients were grouped into low (<9), moderate (9-14), and high (15+) MELD classifications. The effect of the MELD score on postoperative morbidity and mortality was assessed by multivariable logistic and gamma regressions and propensity matching. Results: There were 7966 patients with asymptomatic carotid endarterectomy identified. The majority 5556 (70%) had a low MELD score, 1952 (25%) had a moderate MELD score, and 458 (5%) had a high MELD score. High MELD score was independently predictive of postoperative death, increased length of stay, need for transfusion, pulmonary complications, and a statistical trend toward increased cardiac arrest/myocardial infarction. The Model of End-Stage Liver Disease score did not affect postoperative stroke, wound complications, or operative time. Conclusion: High MELD score places asymptomatic patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy at a higher risk of adverse outcomes in the 30 days following surgery. This provides further empirical evidence for risk stratification when considering treatment for these patients. Outcomes of medical management or carotid stenting should be investigated in high-risk patients.
A discriminant analysis approach to exploring changes in human sexuality attitudes among university students.

Abstract This exploratory study seeks to assess the attitudinal changes that graduate and undergraduate students may or may not experience after taking a college Human Sexuality course. The supposition, both by faculty and students, that sexuality courses bestow some beneficial change on the participants, continues to be suspect. A pretest and posttest, 18-item attitude scale, plus a series of qualitative strategies including open-ended questions and personal interviews, were used to evaluate 115 potential attitudinal changes in students over a two-year period. Exploring why certain attitudes change and what causes these changes was a secondary objective. The results of multivariate analyses indicated significant differences between the pretest and posttest for both the graduate and undergraduate groups. An analysis of the qualitative data basically supported the quantitative results and suggested some causal relationships.
Projective parameterized linear codes

In this paper we estimate the main parameters of some evaluation codes which are known as projective parameterized codes. We find the length of these codes and we give a formula for the dimension in terms of the Hilbert function associated to two ideals, one of them being the vanishing ideal of the projective torus. Also we find an upper bound for the minimum distance and, in some cases, we give some lower bounds for the regularity index and the minimum distance. These lower bounds work in several cases, particularly for any projective parameterized code associated to the incidence matrix of uniform clutters and then they work in the case of graphs.
Performance evaluation of PEMC liquid level detection sensors subjected to temperature variation

In this study, a Resonant Piezoelectric-excited Millimeter-sized Cantilever (PEMC) is used for liquid level sensing. The effect of environmental temperature variation on the performance of a piezoelectric liquid level sensor is investigated via Finite Element Modeling (FEM). In order to validate this model, the results obtained by FEM are compared with the theoretical and experimental results for a sensor operating at constant room temperature. The results show that the FEM developed in this study can predict accurately the dynamic behavior of sensor subjected to temperature variation of environment. The results of the simulation show that although the natural frequencies of sensor change due to temperature variation, the resulted shift remains almost the same regardless specific immersion depths. The results demonstrate that temperature variation of about 50°C affects the liquid level measurements accuracy up to 100μm which is significant comparing to a minimum detectable liquid level change of about 8μm by this sensor reported previously in literature.
Kaempferol 3-O-rhamnoside-7-O-rhamnoside is an endogenous flavonol inhibitor of polar auxin transport in Arabidopsis shoots

Polar auxin transport (PAT) plays key roles in the regulation of plant growth and development. Flavonoids have been implicated in the inhibition of PAT. However, the active flavonoid derivative(s) involved in this process in vivo has not yet been identified. Here, we provide evidence that a specific flavonol bis-glycoside is correlated with shorter plant stature and reduced PAT. Specific flavonoid-biosynthetic or flavonoid-glycosylating steps were genetically blocked in Arabidopsis thaliana. The differential flavonol patterns established were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and related to altered plant stature. PAT was monitored in stem segments using a radioactive [3H]-indole-3-acetic acid tracer. The flavonoid 3-O-glucosyltransferase mutant ugt78d2 exhibited a dwarf stature in addition to its altered flavonol glycoside pattern. This was accompanied by reduced PAT in ugt78d2 shoots. The ugt78d2-dependent growth defects were flavonoid dependent, as they were rescued by genetic blocking of flavonoid biosynthesis. Phenotypic and metabolic analyses of a series of mutants defective at various steps of flavonoid formation narrowed down the potentially active moiety to kaempferol 3-O-rhamnoside-7-O-rhamnoside. Moreover, the level of this compound was negatively correlated with basipetal auxin transport. These results indicate that kaempferol 3-O-rhamnoside-7-O-rhamnoside acts as an endogenous PAT inhibitor in Arabidopsis shoots.
Measles in Italy 2002: studies show correlation between vaccine coverage and incidence

The geographical distribution of measles in Italy during the epidemic that occurred in 2002 (1) closely reflected the vaccination coverage distribution at provincial and regional level. Over recent years there had been an accumulation of susceptible children and adolescents. Estimates of the full impact of the 2002 epidemic are awaited although by July in one region there had been 13 cases of encephalitis and three deaths (1). To eliminate measles in Italy, it will be necessary to vaccinate more than 95% of children with two doses of vaccine and reduce older susceptibles with supplementary “catch-up” vaccination programmes. Also, as elimination gets closer, surveillance and the capacity to investigate epidemics must be improved.
Two-year intraocular delivery of ciliary neurotrophic factor by encapsulated cell technology implants in patients with chronic retinal degenerative diseases.

PURPOSE To evaluate the pharmacokinetics of ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) delivered over a period of up to 2 years by an intraocular encapsulated cell technology (ECT) implant in patients with retinitis pigmentosa (RP) and geographic atrophy (GA). METHODS Patients from phase 1 RP (CNTF1); phase 2 GA (CNTF2); and phase 2 late and early stage RP (CNTF3, and CNTF4) studies received an ECT-CNTF implant, designated as "NT-501," in one eye. Per protocol, all implants (n = 10) were removed at 6 months from the CNTF1 study patients. Explant for the phase 2 studies was optional, but several patients were explanted at 12, 18, and 24 months post implant. A small amount of vitreous sample was collected at the time of explant. The rate of CNTF secretion from the explants and the corresponding vitreous CNTF levels were evaluated for each time point. Serum samples from these patients were evaluated for CNTF, anti-CNTF antibodies, and antibodies to the encapsulated cells. RESULTS NT-501 implants produced CNTF consistently over a 2-year period. The calculated half-life of CNTF in the vitreous continuously delivered by ECT implants was 51 months, with CNTF levels statistically equivalent between the 6- and 24-month implant period. CNTF, anti-CNTF antibodies, and antibodies to the encapsulated cells were not detected in the serum of patients. CONCLUSIONS This retrospective study demonstrated that the intraocular ECT implant has a favorable pharmacokinetic profile for the treatment of chronic retinal degenerative diseases without systemic exposure. (ClinicalTrials.gov numbers, NCT00063765, NCT00447954, NCT00447980, NCT00447993.).
Smart Dust: Communicating with a Cubic-Millimeter Computer

D ecreasing computing device size, increased connectivity, and enhanced interaction with the physical world have characterized com-puting's history. Recently, the popularity of small computing devices, such as handheld computers and cell phones, burgeoning Internet growth, and the diminishing size and cost of sensors— especially transistors—have accelerated these trends. The emergence of small computing elements, with sporadic connectivity and increased interaction with the environment, provides enriched opportunities to reshape interactions between people and computers and spur ubiquitous computing research. 1 The Smart Dust project 2 is exploring whether an autonomous sensing, computing, and communication system can be packed into a cubic-millimeter mote (a small particle or speck) to form the basis of integrated, massively distributed sensor networks. Although we've chosen a somewhat arbitrary size for our sensor systems , exploring microfabrication technology's limitations is our fundamental goal. Because of its discrete size, substantial functionality, connectivity, and anticipated low cost, Smart Dust will facilitate innovative methods of interacting with the environment, providing more information from more places less intrusively. We use Smart Dust to pursue projects such as • deploying defense networks rapidly by unmanned aerial vehicles or artillery; • monitoring rotating-compression-blade high-cycle fatigue; • tracking the movements of birds, small animals, and insects; • monitoring environmental conditions that affect crops and livestock; • building virtual keyboards; • managing inventory control; • monitoring product quality; • constructing smart-office spaces; and • providing interfaces for the disabled. Smart Dust requires both evolutionary and revolutionary advances in miniaturization, integration, and energy management. Designers can use microelectro-mechanical systems (MEMS) to build small sensors, optical communication components, and power supplies , whereas microelectronics provides increasing functionality in smaller areas, with lower energy consumption. Figure 1 shows the conceptual diagram of a Smart Dust mote. The power system consists of a thick-film battery, a solar cell with a charge-integrating capacitor for periods of darkness, or both. Depending on its objective, the design integrates various sensors, including light, temperature, vibration, magnetic field, acoustic, and wind shear, onto the mote. An integrated circuit provides sensor-signal processing , communication, control, data storage, and energy management. A photodiode allows optical data reception. We are presently exploring two transmission schemes: passive transmission using a corner-cube retroreflector, and active transmission using a laser diode and steerable mirrors. The mote's minuscule size makes energy management a key component. Current battery and capacitor technology stores approximately 1 joule per cubic mm The Smart Dust project …
Update on the Pfam5000 Strategy for Selection of Structural Genomics Targets

Structural genomics is an international effort to determine the three-dimensional shapes of all important biological macromolecules, with a primary focus on proteins. Target proteins should be selected according to a strategy that is medically and biologically relevant, of good financial value, and tractable. In 2003, we presented the "Pfam5000" strategy, which involves selecting the 5,000 most important families from the Pfam database as sources for targets. In this update, we show that although both the Pfam database and the number of sequenced genomes have increased in size, the expected benefits of the Pfam5000 strategy have not changed substantially. Solving the structures of proteins from the 5,000 largest Pfam families would allow accurate fold assignment for approximately 65% of all prokaryotic proteins (covering 54% of residues) and 63% of eukaryotic proteins (42% of residues). Fewer than 2,300 of the largest families on this list remain to be solved, making the project feasible in the next five years given the expected throughput to be achieved in the production phase of the Protein Structure Initiative
Mud volcanic episodicity : subduction zone water budget, long-term monitoring and laboratory case studies

Mud volcanism is a widespreaded phenomenon that has been reported both on land and on the seafloor. Despite their worldwide occurrence, more than 60% of mud volcanoes are distributed in proximity of subduction zones. In these tectonically active areas, the presence of overpressured fluids and sediments released through the accretionary prism fuels the formation of such piercement structures. Hence, the mud volcanoes act as windows to depth, making available a wealth of material that otherwise could not be sampled by scientific drilling due to technical limitations. The nature of mud volcano ejecta is various since a lot of different processes interact during the ascent to the seafloor. Nevertheless, studies on mud volcanoic products contributed to elucidate the dynamics of the so-called subduction factory shedding some light on the fluid cycling in subduction zones. At the same time, in order to understand the role of mud volcanoes as fluid expulsion structures, their formation as well as evolution has to be constrained. The main mechanisms, which have been hold responsible for that, are either diapiric ascent of a buoyant body of fluidized mud or hydrofracturing in areas of structural weekness, setting the path to mud intrusions. Once they break trough the seafloor, mud volcanoes are subject to numerous internal and external triggers, which hamper or enhance their activity. Earthquakes, as well as episodic inflation and deflation of an underlying mud reservoir might play a major, concomitant role in the release of accumulated pressure at depth. This role as pressure release valves for deeper sediments makes mud volcanoes complex, dynamic environments governed from a multitude of different processes. The aim of this dissertation is to enhance the understanding of mud volcanism by summarizing the current knowledge on the matter with new insights from case studies, i) explaining the role of mud volcanoes in the Nankai subduction zone offshore Japan, ii) focussing on factors that govern mud volcanic activity at the Athina MV, in the Eastern Mediterranean and finally iii) answering the open questions regarding origin and evolution of these sedimentary structures through laboratory analog experiments. Thirteen mud volcanoes have been reported in the Kumano Basin, landwards of the Nankai Trough. Their role in the water budget of the Nankai subduction zone have been evaluated creating a model of water circulation in the upper and lower plates using constraints from IODP holes of the NanTroSEIZE project, in situ geochemical and heat flow data and water isotopes measurements. Clay minerals have been identified as an important origin of water release in the region whereas mud volcanoes are deemed only minimally responsible for water expulsion, which seems to be diffusively emitted through the whole basin. Admittedly, paroxysmal phases in mud volcanoes activity could not be taken into account in this study. However this aspect of mud volcanism have been tackled with the deployment of a multiparametric observatory on top of the Athina MV, south
Performance analysis and optimization of switched transmit diversity in MIMO systems

We propose a new switched transmit diversity technique in MIMO systems with an application to Alamouti's space time block coding. The proposed scheme is basically a closed loop system where the feedback bits are sent back to the transmitter to indicate the channel quality. Various switching strategies, depending on the size of feedback bits, are considered and optimized to compare the trade-off between the link performance and the number of antennas or feedback information. From our analytical and numerical results, we show that there is a considerable benefit in terms of the performance and practical use.
Alpha-Defensin 5 Expression is Regulated by microRNAs in the Caco-2 Intestinal Epithelial Cell Line

Background In inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), an inappropriate immune response leads to chronic mucosal inflammation. This response may be partly due to dysregulation of defensins, which are endogenously produced antimicrobial peptides. This study determined whether microRNAs (miRNAs) regulate α-defensin 5 (DEFA5), which could further implicate both in IBD pathogenesis. Methods Induction of DEFA5 mRNA and protein expression was determined in Caco-2 cells. An in silico analysis identified putative miRNA binding sites of DEFA5. Expression of these miRNAs was assessed in Caco-2 cells. Regulation of DEFA5 expression by these miRNAs was measured by luciferase assays. Caco-2 cells were transfected with miR-124 and miR-924 mimics, and DEFA5 mRNA and protein expression was measured. Results DEFA5 mRNA and protein expression was inducible in Caco-2 cells. Fifteen putative miRNA binding sites were found in DEFA5. The expression of miR-124 and miR-924 decreased following induction. Transfection of a luciferase construct containing the DEFA5 miRNA binding sites resulted in a decrease in luciferase activity compared to transfection of the empty vector. Transfection of a reporter construct containing mismatched miRNA binding sites resulted in restoration of luciferase activities. Transfection of miRNA mimics decreased DEFA5 mRNA expression and protein expression. Conclusions miR-124 and miR-924 negatively regulate DEFA5 mRNA and protein expression. These data implicate miRNAs in intestinal innate immune regulation and IBD pathogenesis.
Approximation Algorithms for Movement Repairmen

In the Movement Repairmen (MR) problem, we are given a metric space (V, d) along with a set R of k repairmen r1, r2, …, rk with their start depots s1, s2, …, sk ∈ V and speeds v1, v2, …, vk ⩾ 0, respectively, and a set C of m clients c1, c2, …, cm having start locations s′1, s′2, …, s′m ∈ V and speeds v′1, v′2, …, v′m ⩾ 0, respectively. If t is the earliest time a client cj is collocated with any repairman (say, ri) at a node u, we say that the client is served by ri at u and that its latency is t. The objective in the (Sum-MR) problem is to plan the movements for all repairmen and clients to minimize the sum (average) of the clients’ latencies. The motivation for this problem comes, for example, from Amazon Locker Delivery [Amazon 2010] and USPS gopost [Service 2010]. We give the first O(logn)-approximation algorithm for the Sum-MR problem. In order to approximate Sum-MR, we formulate an LP for the problem and bound its integrality gap. Our LP has exponentially many variables; therefore, we need a separation oracle for the dual LP. This separation oracle is an instance of the Neighborhood Prize Collecting Steiner Tree (NPCST) problem in which we want to find a tree with weight at most L collecting the maximum profit from the clients by visiting at least one node from their neighborhoods. The NPCST problem, even with the possibility to violate both the tree weight and neighborhood radii, is still very hard to approximate. We deal with this difficulty by using LP with geometrically increasing segments of the timeline, and by giving a tricriteria approximation for the problem. The rounding needs a relatively involved analysis. We give a constant approximation algorithm for Sum-MR in Euclidean Space where the speed of the clients differs by a constant factor. We also give a constant approximation for the makespan variant.