Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effects of Slow Deep Breathing at High Altitude on Oxygen Saturation, Pulmonary and Systemic Hemodynamics

Slow deep breathing improves blood oxygenation (SpO2) and affects hemodynamics in hypoxic patients. We investigated the ventilatory and hemodynamic effects of slow deep breathing in normal subjects at high altitude. We collected data in healthy lowlanders staying either at 4559 m for 2–3 days (Study A; N = 39) or at 5400 m for 12–16 days (Study B; N = 28). Study variables, including SpO2 and systemic and pulmonary arterial pressure, were assessed before, during and after 15 minutes of breathing at 6 breaths/min. At the end of slow breathing, an increase in SpO2 (Study A: from 80.2±7.7% to 89.5±8.2%; Study B: from 81.0±4.2% to 88.6±4.5; both p<0.001) and significant reductions in systemic and pulmonary arterial pressure occurred. This was associated with increased tidal volume and no changes in minute ventilation or pulmonary CO diffusion. Slow deep breathing improves ventilation efficiency for oxygen as shown by blood oxygenation increase, and it reduces systemic and pulmonary blood pressure at high altitude but does not change pulmonary gas diffusion.
Asymptotics for numbers of line segments and lines in a square grid

We present an asymptotic formula for the number of line segments connecting q+1 points of an nxn square grid, and a sharper formula, assuming the Riemann hypothesis. We also present asymptotic formulas for the number of lines through at least q points and, respectively, through exactly q points of the grid. The well-known case q=2 is so generalized.
Identification of regulatory regions which confer muscle-specific gene expression.

For many newly sequenced genes, sequence analysis of the putative protein yields no clue on function. It would be beneficial to be able to identify in the genome the regulatory regions that confer temporal and spatial expression patterns for the uncharacterized genes. Additionally, it would be advantageous to identify regulatory regions within genes of known expression pattern without performing the costly and time consuming laboratory studies now required. To achieve these goals, the wealth of case studies performed over the past 15 years will have to be collected into predictive models of expression. Extensive studies of genes expressed in skeletal muscle have identified specific transcription factors which bind to regulatory elements to control gene expression. However, potential binding sites for these factors occur with sufficient frequency that it is rare for a gene to be found without one. Analysis of experimentally determined muscle regulatory sequences indicates that muscle expression requires multiple elements in close proximity. A model is generated with predictive capability for identifying these muscle-specific regulatory modules. Phylogenetic footprinting, the identification of sequences conserved between distantly related species, complements the statistical predictions. Through the use of logistic regression analysis, the model promises to be easily modified to take advantage of the elucidation of additional factors, cooperation rules, and spacing constraints.
Development of the “Peritoneal Dialysis First” Model in Hong Kong

Maintenance dialysis is an expensive treatment modality for patients with end-stage renal-disease (ESRD). The number of patients on maintenance dialysis is rising rapidly and will reach 2.5 million globally by 2010. The predicted expenditure will be US$1 trillion. Since the 1960s, Hong Kong has faced financial restraints on the provision of dialysis. Continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) and automated peritoneal dialysis at home were found to be less expensive than in-centre chronic hemodialysis. The development of a “peritoneal dialysis first” (PD-First) policy has contributed significantly to a successful dialysis program in Hong Kong since 1960. Currently in Hong Kong, 80% of ESRD patients on maintenance dialysis are on PD, mainly CAPD; 20% are on hemodialysis. The success of the PD-First policy is a combination of accumulated experience of PD in each dialysis unit that has at least 200 CAPD patients under care and of impressive technique and patient survival rates for this modality. Concerted effort by government and charity organizations and commitment on the part of nephrologists and nursing staff to patient education are also important in making the PD program in Hong Kong a successful one.
A DSmT based combination scheme for multi-class classification

This paper presents a new combination scheme for reducing the number of focal elements to manipulate in order to reduce the complexity of the combination process in the multi-class framework. The basic idea consists in using of p sources of information involved in the global scheme providing p kinds of complementary information to feed each set of p one class support vector machine classifiers independently of each other, which are designed for detecting the outliers of the same target class, then, the outputs issued from this set of classifiers are combined through the plausible and paradoxical reasoning theory for each target class. The main objective of this approach is to render calibrated outputs even when less complementary responses are encountered. An inspired version of Appriou's model for estimating the generalized basic belief assignments is presented in this paper. The proposed methodology allows decomposing a n-class problem into a series of n-combination, while providing n-calibrated outputs into the multi-class framework. The effectiveness of the proposed combination scheme with proportional conflict redistribution algorithm is validated on digit recognition application and is compared with existing statistical, learning, and evidence theory based combination algorithms.
Genetic Influences on Risk for Epilepsy

An inherited contribution to the etiology of epilepsy has been suspected for centuries. Until recently, however, little progress has been made in identifying the specific genetic influences on susceptibility to seizures. This slow progress is partly due to underlying complexity in the genetic contributions. The epilepsies are etiologically and clinically heterogeneous, and genetic influences appear to have primary importance in only a subset of patients. Moreover, many different genetic mechanisms may influence risk for epilepsy in different families or different syndromes. Some of these mechanisms involve major effects of single genes, producing simple patterns of inheritance in families (autosomal or X-linked, dominant or recessive). Other mechanisms probably involve the combined effects of multiple genes and environmental factors, each with a smaller effect on susceptibility to seizures. The important genetic mechanisms clearly differ across some clinically defined epilepsy syndromes, but the relationship between clinical syndrome and genetic mechanism is not straightforward. Risk for a single syndrome is sometimes influenced by different genetic mechanisms in different families; conversely, a single genetic mechanism may influence risk for different syndromes within the same family. Approximately 25 percent of prevalent epilepsy is associated with an antecedent central nervous system (CNS) injury (e.g., head trauma, stroke, or brain infection) and accordingly is classified as ‘‘symptomatic’’ (1). The remainder without identified cause is assigned into two broad classes by the current International Classification of Epileptic Syndromes (2): ‘‘idiopathic,’’ reserved for syndromes of presumed genetic origin, and ‘‘cryptogenic’’ for syndromes presumed to be nongenetic but with insufficient evidence to assign a specific etiology. The current system of classification is problematic, however, because idiopathic and cryptogenic epilepsies are not easily distinguishable in terms of the importance of genetic susceptibility. For most of the syndromes currently classified as ‘‘idiopathic,’’ clear evidence of a genetic basis, either from linkage studies or from demonstration of a specific mode of inheritance, is lacking. Similarly, in syndromes classified as ‘‘cryptogenic,’’ a genetic contribution to etiology cannot be ruled out.
Aberrant 5’-CpG Methylation of Cord Blood TNFα Associated with Maternal Exposure to Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers

Growing evidence suggests that maternal exposures to endocrine disrupting chemicals during pregnancy may lead to poor pregnancy outcomes and increased fetal susceptibility to adult diseases. Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), which are ubiquitously used flame-retardants, could leach into the environment; and become persistent organic pollutants via bioaccumulation. In the United States, blood PBDE levels in adults range from 30–100 ng/g- lipid but the alarming health concern revolves around children who have reported blood PBDE levels 3 to 9-fold higher than adults. PBDEs disrupt endocrine, immune, reproductive and nervous systems. However, the mechanism underlying its adverse health effect is not fully understood. Epigenetics is a possible biological mechanism underlying maternal exposure-child health outcomes by regulating gene expression without changes in the DNA sequence. We sought to examine the relationship between maternal exposure to environmental PBDEs and promoter methylation of a proinflammatory gene, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα). We measured the maternal blood PBDE levels and cord blood TNFα promoter methylation levels on 46 paired samples of maternal and cord blood from the Boston Birth Cohort (BBC). We showed that decreased cord blood TNFα methylation associated with high maternal PBDE47 exposure. CpG site-specific methylation showed significantly hypomethylation in the girl whose mother has a high blood PBDE47 level. Consistently, decreased TNFα methylation associated with an increase in TNFα protein level in cord blood. In conclusion, our finding provided evidence that in utero exposure to PBDEs may epigenetically reprogram the offspring’s immunological response through promoter methylation of a proinflammatory gene.
A Dominant-Negative Form of the Major Human Abasic Endonuclease Enhances Cellular Sensitivity to Laboratory and Clinical DNA-Damaging Agents

Apurinic/apyrimidinic (AP) endonuclease 1 (APE1) is the primary enzyme in mammals for the repair of abasic sites in DNA, as well as a variety of 3′ damages that arise upon oxidation or as products of enzymatic processing. If left unrepaired, APE1 substrates can promote mutagenic and cytotoxic outcomes. We describe herein a dominant-negative form of APE1 that lacks detectable nuclease activity and binds substrate DNA with a 13-fold higher affinity than the wild-type protein. This mutant form of APE1, termed ED, possesses two amino acid substitutions at active site residues Glu96 (changed to Gln) and Asp210 (changed to Asn). In vitro biochemical assays reveal that ED impedes wild-type APE1 AP site incision function, presumably by binding AP-DNA and blocking normal lesion processing. Moreover, tetracycline-regulated (tet-on) expression of ED in Chinese hamster ovary cells enhances the cytotoxic effects of the laboratory DNA-damaging agents, methyl methanesulfonate (MMS; 5.4-fold) and hydrogen peroxide (1.5-fold). This MMS-induced, ED-dependent cell killing coincides with a hyperaccumulation of AP sites, implying that excessive DNA damage is the cause of cell death. Because an objective of the study was to identify a protein reagent that could be used in targeted gene therapy protocols, the effects of ED on cellular sensitivity to a number of chemotherapeutic compounds was tested. We show herein that ED expression sensitizes Chinese hamster ovary cells to the killing effects of the alkylating agent 1,3-bis(2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea (also known as carmustine) and the chain terminating nucleoside analogue dideoxycytidine (also known as zalcitabine), but not to the radiomimetic bleomycin, the nucleoside analogue β-d-arabinofuranosylcytosine (also known as cytarabine), the topoisomerase inhibitors camptothecin and etoposide, or the cross-linking agents mitomycin C and cisplatin. Transient expression of ED in the human cancer cell line NCI-H1299 enhanced cellular sensitivity to MMS, 1,3-bis(2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea, and dideoxycytidine, demonstrating the potential usefulness of this strategy in the treatment of human tumors. (Mol Cancer Res 2007;5(1):61–70)
Experimental modeling of the continuous casting process of steel using low melting point metal alloys - the LIMMCAST program

This paper presents the new experimental facility LIMMCAST which was designed for modeling fluid flow and transport processes in the continuous casting of steel. The facility operates at temperatures of 200–400°C by using the low melting point alloy SnBi. The main parameters of the facility, including the dimensions of the test sections, will be given. The resultant possibilities with respect to flow investigations in the tundish, in the submerged entry nozzle, and in the mould will be discussed. Over the period of assembling and commissioning the LIMMCAST facility, the small-scale set-up Mini-LIMMCAST was employed which uses the alloy GaInSn that is liquid at room temperatures. At this precursory facility an experimental program was started which is focused on quantitative flow measurements in the mould and in the submerged entry nozzle (SEN). The Ultrasound Doppler Velocimetry (UDV) and the Contactless Inductive Flow Tomography (CIFT) were applied to determine the flow structure within the mould. First experimental results will be presented here for a single and a two-phase flow in which argon gas bubbles were injected at the inlet of the SEN. According to the concept of the electromagnetic brake the impact of a DC magnetic field on the emergent jet flow from the SEN has been studied.
A Tripartite Neurocognitive Model of Internet Gaming Disorder

Playing Internet games has emerged as a growing in prevalence leisure activity. In some cases, excess gaming can lead to addiction-like symptoms and aversive outcomes that may be seen by some as manifestations of a behavioral addiction. Even though agreement regarding the pathologizing of excessive video gaming is not yet achieved and perhaps because the field requires more research, many works have examined the antecedents and outcomes of what is termed internet gaming disorder (IGD). In this article, we aim at summarizing perspectives and findings related to the neurocognitive processes that may underlie IGD and map such findings onto the triadic-system that governs behavior and decision-making, the deficits in which have been shown to be associated with many addictive disorders. This tripartite system model includes the following three brain systems: (1) the impulsive system, which often mediates fast, automatic, unconscious, and habitual behaviors; (2) the reflective system, which mediates deliberating, planning, predicting future outcomes of selected behaviors, and exerting inhibitory control; and (3) the interoceptive awareness system, which generates a state of craving through the translation of somatic signals into a subjective state of drive. We suggest that IGD formation and maintenance can be associated with (1) a hyperactive “impulsive” system; (2) a hypoactive “reflective” system, as exacerbated by (3) an interoceptive awareness system that potentiates the activity of the impulsive system, and/or hijacks the goal-driven cognitive resources needed for the normal operation of the reflective system. Based on this review, we propose ways to improve the therapy and treatment of IGD and reduce the risk of relapse among recovering IGD populations.
An Information Theoretic Approach to System Identification via Input/Output Signal Processing

The aim of the paper is to present a conceptual approach to identification of nonlinear stochastic systems based on information measures of dependence. In the paper, an identification problem statement using the information criterion under rather general conditions is proposed. It is based on a parameterized description of the system model under study combined with minimum of the relative entropy method to derive the mutual information of the system’s and model’s output variables. Such a problem statement leads finally to a problem of the finite dimensional optimization. As a result, a constructive procedure of the model parameter identification is derived. It does not involve unreal a priori assumptions degenerating the entity of the initial identification problem statement like those ones presented in some referenced literature sources and revised in the present paper.
Drug-induced sleepiness and insomnia: an update

Medical practice of sleep medicine requires an extensive pharmacological knowledge, especially when you need to make decisions about the drug scheme already adopted by a given patient. The care of patients with multiple diseases and using of multiple drugs has become common. The great challenge facing the physician is to what extent one or more drugs may be contributing to the complaint of sleepiness or insomnia. Any drug with activity in the central nervous system has the potential to affect sleep-wake cycle. The pharmacokinetic drug knowledge’s will be useful in determining the likelihood of adverse effects on sleep-wake functioning. In this article we describe the potential sedative or in generating insomnia by drugs used in the major chronic diseases in the population.
The role of the main noncollagenous domain (NC1) in type IV collagen self-assembly

Type IV collagen incubated at elevated temperatures in physiologic buffers self-associates (a) via its carboxy-terminal (NC1) domain, (b) via its amino-terminal (7S) domain, and (c) laterally; and it forms a network. When examined with the technique of rotary shadowing, isolated domain NC1 was found to bind along the length of type IV collagen to four distinct sites located at intervals of approximately 100 nm each. The same 100-nm distance was observed in domain NC1 of intact type IV collagen bound along the length of the collagen molecules during initial steps of network formation and in complete networks. The presence of anti-NC1 Fab fragments in type IV collagen solutions inhibited lateral association and network formation in rotary shadow images. During the process of self-association type IV collagen develops turbidity; addition of isolated domain NC1 inhibited the development of turbidity in a concentration-dependent manner. These findings indicate that domain NC1 of type IV collagen plays an important role in the process of self-association and suggest that alterations in the structure of NC1 may be partially responsible for impaired functions of basement membranes in certain pathological conditions.
A survey on representation, composition and application of preferences in database systems

Preferences have been traditionally studied in philosophy, psychology, and economics and applied to decision making problems. Recently, they have attracted the attention of researchers in other fields, such as databases where they capture soft criteria for queries. Databases bring a whole fresh perspective to the study of preferences, both computational and representational. From a representational perspective, the central question is how we can effectively represent preferences and incorporate them in database querying. From a computational perspective, we can look at how we can efficiently process preferences in the context of database queries. Several approaches have been proposed but a systematic study of these works is missing. The purpose of this survey is to provide a framework for placing existing works in perspective and highlight critical open challenges to serve as a springboard for researchers in database systems. We organize our study around three axes: preference representation, preference composition, and preference query processing.
Hyaluronic acid and chondroitin sulfate content of osteoarthritic human knee cartilage: Site‐specific correlation with weight‐bearing force based on femorotibial angle measurement

This study analyzed glycosaminoglycan (GAG) content in specific compartments of the knee joint to determine the impact of malalignment and helped refine indications for osteotomy. To assess malalignment, the radiological femorotibial angle (FTA) was measured and knee joints were also graded for OA severity with the Kellgren/Lawrence (K/L) classification. Cartilage samples were obtained from 36 knees of 32 OA patients undergoing total knee replacement surgery. Explants were harvested from the medial femoral condyle (MFC), lateral femoral condyle (LFC), patellar groove (PG), and lateral posterior femoral condyle (LPC). Concentrations of hyaluronic acid (HA) and chondroitin sulfate (CS) were measured by high‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). With OA severity, the average FTA significantly increased. HA and CS content in MFC was negatively correlated with radiographic FTA. In LFC, HA ratio, which is HA content in lateral condyle divided by medial condyle and chondroitin 6 sulfate, increased until about 190° FTA. Importantly, at >190° these contents were significantly decreased. HA and CS content of the femoral condyle shows topographic differences that are related to OA grade and weight‐bearing force based on FTA. The clinical relevance is that osteotomy may not be indicated for patients with severe varus (>190°) abnormalities. © 2008 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 26:1194–1198, 2008
Haemodynamic effects of diuretics in heart failure.

The organic mercurials have been known to have a diuretic effect since the sixteenth century, but their use for treating dropsy first began in 1920 in Vienna, when it was realised that a mercury compound being used to treat syphilis greatly increased urine output. The direct descendant of that compound was mersalyl, which was to remain the drug of choice until 1951, when the carbonic anhydrase inhibitors were introduced. One reason for the slow development of interest in the diuretics was the reluctance of the medical profession to accept that they
Time-Hierarchical Clustering and Visualization of Weather Forecast Ensembles

We propose a new approach for analyzing the temporal growth of the uncertainty in ensembles of weather forecasts which are started from perturbed but similar initial conditions. As an alternative to traditional approaches in meteorology, which use juxtaposition and animation of spaghetti plots of iso-contours, we make use of contour clustering and provide means to encode forecast dynamics and spread in one single visualization. Based on a given ensemble clustering in a specified time window, we merge clusters in time-reversed order to indicate when and where forecast trajectories start to diverge. We present and compare different visualizations of the resulting time-hierarchical grouping, including space-time surfaces built by connecting cluster representatives over time, and stacked contour variability plots. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our visual encodings with forecast examples of the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, which convey the evolution of specific features in the data as well as the temporally increasing spatial variability.
Design of Frequency Tracking Loop for Satellite-Based AIS

Due to a wide range of Doppler frequency shift and low SNR existing in the AIS transmission, it is difficult to decode correctly in Satellite-based AIS receiver. In order to solve the problem, a new design of PLL is proposed based on the theory of conventional PLL. The new design is aided by ML estimating. In the algorithm, frequency offsets are reduced to the fast capture zone after compensations to received AIS signals and then the phase locked loop start to track surplus frequency offsets. The simulation results indicate that the algorithm requiring the symbol number of fast capture is less than 256(the number of AIS frame symbols) when the SNR is 1dB and tracking precision is within 2 Hz. And it can be used under conditions of low SNR with large frequency offsets.