Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
No-Reflow Phenomenon and Lesion Morphology in Patients With Acute Myocardial Infarction

Background—The no-reflow phenomenon is associated with poor functional and clinical outcomes for patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). In the era of primary intervention, accurately identifying lesions at high risk of no reflow is of crucial importance. At present, no study into the relationship between lesion morphology and no reflow has been performed. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between preintervention intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) lesion morphology and the no-reflow phenomenon. Methods and Results—This study comprised 100 consecutive patients with AMI who underwent preintervention IVUS and were successfully recanalized with primary balloon angioplasty or stenting. IVUS was again performed to identify and exclude any mechanical vessel obstruction in cases of thrombolysis in myocardial infarction flow grade 0, 1, or 2 after intervention in the absence of angiographic stenosis. Angiographic no reflow was seen in 13 patients (13%). Univariate analysis indicated that hypercholesterolemia, fissure and dissection, lipid pool–like image, lesion, and reference external elastic membrane cross-sectional area correlate with the no-reflow phenomenon. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that lipid pool–like image (P <0.05; odds ratio 118; 95% CI, 1.28 to 11 008) and lesion elastic membrane cross-sectional area (P <0.05; odds ratio 1.55; 95% CI 1.01 to 2.38) are independent predictive factors of no-reflow phenomenon after reperfusion for AMI. Conclusions—Large vessels with lipid pool–like image are at high risk for no reflow after primary intervention for AMI. Also, plaque content may play a role in damage to the microcirculation after primary intervention for AMI.
Influence of Distance to Scene on Time to Thrombolysis in a Specialized Stroke Ambulance

Background and Purpose— Specialized computed tomography–equipped stroke ambulances shorten time to intravenous thrombolysis in acute ischemic stroke by starting treatment before hospital arrival. Because of longer travel-time-to-scene, time benefits of this concept are expected to diminish with longer distances from base station to scene. Methods— We used data from the Prehospital Acute Neurological Treatment and Optimization of Medical Cares in Stroke (PHANTOM-S) trial comparing time intervals between patients for whom a specialized stroke ambulance (stroke emergency mobile) was deployed and patients with conventional emergency medical service. Expected times from base station to scene had been calculated beforehand using computer algorithms informed by emergency medical service routine data. Four different deployment zones with–75% probability–expected arrival within 4, 8, 12, and 16 minutes and total population coverage of ≈1.3 million inhabitants were categorized for stroke emergency mobile deployment. We analyzed times from alarm-to-arrival at scene, to start of intravenous thrombolysis and from onset-to-intravenous thrombolysis. Results— Corresponding to the size of the respective catchment zone, the number of patients cared increased with distance (zone 1: n=30, zone 2: n=127, zone 3: n=156, and zone 4: n=217). Although time to stroke emergency mobile arrival increased with distance (mean: 8.0, 12.5, 15.4, and 18.4 minutes in zones 1–4), time from alarm-to-intravenous thrombolysis (mean: 41.8 versus 76.5; 50.2 versus 79.1; 54.5 versus 76.6; and 59.3 versus 78.0 minutes, respectively; all P<0.01) remained shorter in the stroke emergency mobile group across all zones. Conclusions— In a metropolitan area such as Berlin, time benefits justify a specialized stroke ambulance service up to a mean travel time of 18 minutes from base station. Clinical Trial Registration— URL: https://www.clinicaltrials. gov. Unique identifier: NCT01382862.
Molecular Mechanisms of Metastasis: Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition, Anoikis and Loss of Adhesion

© 2013 Hernandez-Caballero, licensee InTech. This is an open access chapter distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Molecular Mechanisms of Metastasis: Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition, Anoikis and Loss of Adhesion
Particle surface treatment for nanocomposites containing ceramic particles

Polymer matrix composites containing dispersed ceramic nanoparticles were formed by UV activated photopolymerization from the reactive liquid monomer hexanediol-diacrylate (HDODA). The polymer forming reaction proceeds by a free-radical mechanism. In forming polymer composites that contain nanoparticles, dispersing the particles as discrete entities is critical for developing optimum properties. In the as-received condition, ceramic particles are aggregated. They must be dispersed in the monomer but if the particles are not surface treated and stabilized, they rapidly settle out of the suspension. Surface modification of the ceramic allows the particles to be suspended in the organic monomer and stabilizes the dispersion so that the particles will not reagglomerate. In this study silanes were employed as surface modifiers to disperse two nano-particulate ceramics in the HDODA monomer. The ceramic particles used are silicon carbide (SiC) and barium titanate (BaTiO3). The shapes and sizes of the ceramic particles were established using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). A method for dispersing nanoparticles was developed in which silane-treated particles were stabilized so that they did not settle out of the liquid monomer. An analytical method based on atomic force microscopy (AFM) was used to characterize the particle distribution in the cured composites. Focusing on work with SiC nanoparticles in HDODA as a model system, the process for silane application was advanced so that it successfully yielded composites having no aggregates with particle sizes closely matching those of the neat ceramic particles.
Cervical Arterial Dissection

The increasing use and safety of noninvasive imaging in recent years has revealed the surprising frequency of dissection of the carotid and vertebral arteries (cervical arterial dissection [CAD]) as a cause of ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke. This review is an overview of current concepts and practice of patients with CAD, but our ideas are constantly evolving with new discoveries from neurovascular imaging and medical and surgical management in this area.
Early Trauma and Increased Risk for Physical Aggression during Adulthood: The Moderating Role of MAOA Genotype

Previous research has reported that a functional polymorphism in the monoamine oxidase A (MAOA) gene promoter can moderate the association between early life adversity and increased risk for violence and antisocial behavior. In this study of a combined population of psychiatric outpatients and healthy volunteers (N = 235), we tested the hypothesis that MAOA genotype moderates the association between early traumatic life events (ETLE) experienced during the first 15 years of life and the display of physical aggression during adulthood, as assessed by the Aggression Questionnaire. An ANOVA model including gender, exposure to early trauma, and MAOA genotype as between-subjects factors showed significant MAOA×ETLE (F1,227 = 8.20, P = 0.005) and gender×MAOA×ETLE (F1,227 = 7.04, P = 0.009) interaction effects. Physical aggression scores were higher in men who had experienced early traumatic life events and who carried the low MAOA activity allele (MAOA-L). We repeated the analysis in the subgroup of healthy volunteers (N = 145) to exclude that the observed G×E interactions were due to the inclusion of psychiatric patients in our sample and were not generalizable to the population at large. The results for the subgroup of healthy volunteers were identical to those for the entire sample. The cumulative variance in the physical aggression score explained by the ANOVA effects involving the MAOA polymorphism was 6.6% in the entire sample and 12.1% in the sub-sample of healthy volunteers. Our results support the hypothesis that, when combined with exposure to early traumatic life events, low MAOA activity is a significant risk factor for aggressive behavior during adulthood and suggest that the use of dimensional measures focusing on behavioral aspects of aggression may increase the likelihood of detecting significant gene-by-environment interactions in studies of MAOA-related aggression.
Neuroprotective effects of angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AT1R) blocker, telmisartan, via modulating AT1R and AT2R signaling in retinal inflammation.

PURPOSE To investigate the retinal neural damage that occurs during inflammation and the therapeutic effects of the angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AT1R) blocker, telmisartan, using a model of endotoxin-induced uveitis (EIU). METHODS The localization of AT1R and AT2R was shown by immunohistochemistry. EIU was induced by intraperitoneal injection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Animals were treated with telmisartan for 2 days and were evaluated 24 hours later. Expression levels of angiotensin II, STAT3 activation induced by inflammatory cytokines, and retinal proteins essential for neural activities (e.g., synaptophysin, rhodopsin) were analyzed by immunoblot. An AT2R antagonist was administered to evaluate the contribution of AT2R signaling in this therapy. Dark-adapted full-field electroretinography (ERG) was also performed. RESULTS AT1R and AT2R were expressed in presynaptic terminals in most of the retinal neurons. AT1R was also expressed in Müller glial cells. During inflammation, angiotensin II expression was elevated, STAT3 was activated, and synaptophysin and rhodopsin expression were reduced. The expression of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), downstream of STAT3 activation, was induced in Müller glial cells. However, treatment with telmisartan successfully avoided all these changes. An AT2R antagonist lowered synaptophysin expression despite the treatment. STAT3 activity was negatively correlated with rhodopsin expression. Furthermore, ERG responses, which were mostly prevented by telmisartan, were disturbed during inflammation. CONCLUSIONS Retinal protein expression and visual function are both disturbed by inflammation. Treatment with the AT1R blocker telmisartan efficiently prevented these signs of retinal neural damage through the reduction of local angiotensin II expression, the blockade of AT1R, and the relative upregulation of AT2R function.
Robotic Services in Cloud Computing Paradigm

Cloud computing and service oriented architecture (SOA) are the dominant computing paradigm. Since past few years Robotics applications have also started to build around these paradigms. This paper presents entrance of robotic services in SOA and cloud computing. Where a client/user can opt for the robotic services present at the cloud like navigation, map building, object recognition etc. Map-reduce computing cluster is also facilitated at the cloud to process large amount of data for the cloud robotic services. The whole system follows the Web 2.0 standard. We also reported the simulation results for service based speech controlled robots with visual programming language (VPL) of Microsoft Development Robotics Studio (MDRS) and implementation of map-reduce computing cluster in robotic cloud.
Chagas Disease

In most cases, Chagas disease begins with a bite by the triatomine bug, also known as the “kissing bug” because it bites people’s faces when they sleep. Often people are infected without even noticing it. The disease can be silent for decades until, in some cases, people suddenly feel breathless, weak, and their hearts start beating erratically, so they go to the emergency room and that’s when they find out they have Chagas disease.
Special Issue on University Entrepreneurship and Technology Transfer: Putting Patents in Context: Exploring Knowledge Transfer from MIT

In this paper we explore the degree to which patents are representative of the magnitude, direction, and impact of the knowledge spilling out of the university by focusing on the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and in particular, on the Departments of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering. Drawing on both qualitative and quantitative data, we show that patenting is a minority activity: a majority of the faculty in our sample never patent, and publication rates far outstrip patenting rates. Most faculty members estimate that patents account for less than 10% of the knowledge that transfers from their labs. Our results also suggest that in two important ways patenting is not representative of the patterns of knowledge generation and transfer from MIT: patent volume does not predict publication volume, and those firms that cite MIT papers are in general not the same firms as those that cite MIT patents. However, patent volume is positively correlated with paper citations, suggesting that patent counts may be reasonable measures of research impact. We close by speculating on the implications of our results for the difficult but important question of whether, in this setting, patenting acts as a substitute or a complement to the process of fundamental research.
Sheared Aanti.Aanti base pairs in a destabilizing 2 x 2 internal loop: the NMR structure of 5'(rGGCAAGCCU)2.

The 5'(rGGCAAGCCU)(2) duplex contains tandem A.A pairs. The three-dimensional structure of the 5'(rGGCAAGCCU)(2) duplex was modeled by molecular dynamics and energy minimization with NMR-derived distance and dihedral angle restraints. Although the 5'(rCAAG)(2) loop is thermodynamically destabilizing by 1.1 kcal/mol, the tandem A.A pairs adopt a predominant conformation: a sheared anti-anti (A.A trans Hoogsteen/Sugar-edge) alignment similar to that observed in the crystal structure of the P4-P6 domain of the Tetrahymena thermophila intron [Cate, J. H. , Gooding, A. R. , Podell, E. , Zhou, K. , Golden, B. L. , Kundrot, C. E. , Cech, T. R. , and Doudna, J. A. (1996) Science 273, 1678-1685]. The NMR-derived structure of the 5'(rGGCAAGCCU)(2) duplex exhibits cross-strand hydrogen bonds from N3 of A4 to an amino hydrogen of A5 and from the 2' oxygen of the A4 sugar to the other amino hydrogen of A5. An intrastrand hydrogen bond is formed from the 2' OH hydrogen of A4 to O5' of A5. The cross-strand A5 bases are stacked. The Watson-Crick G-C regions are essentially A-form. The sheared anti-anti (A.A trans Hoogsteen/Sugar-edge) alignment provides potential contact sites for tertiary interactions and, therefore, is a possible target site for therapeutics. Thus, thermodynamically destabilizing internal loops can be preorganized for tertiary interactions or ligand binding.
Weighting for unequal selection probabilities in multilevel models

When multilevel models are estimated from survey data derived using multistage sampling, unequal selection probabilities at any stage of sampling may induce bias in standard estimators, unless the sources of the unequal probabilities are fully controlled for in the covariates. This paper proposes alternative ways of weighting the estimation of a two‐level model by using the reciprocals of the selection probabilities at each stage of sampling. Consistent estimators are obtained when both the sample number of level 2 units and the sample number of level 1 units within sampled level 2 units increase. Scaling of the weights is proposed to improve the properties of the estimators and to simplify computation. Variance estimators are also proposed. In a limited simulation study the scaled weighted estimators are found to perform well, although non‐negligible bias starts to arise for informative designs when the sample number of level 1 units becomes small. The variance estimators perform extremely well. The procedures are illustrated using data from the survey of psychiatric morbidity.
Assessing Residual Value of Heavy Construction Equipment Using Predictive Data Mining Model

Construction equipment constitutes a significant portion of investment in fixed assets by large contractors. To make the right decisions on equipment repair, rebuilding, disposal, or equipment fleet optimization to maximize the return of investment, the contractors need to predict the residual value of heavy construction equipment to an acceptable level of accuracy. Current practice of using rule-of-thumb or statistical regression methods cannot satisfactorily capture the dynamic relationship between the residual value of a piece of heavy equipment and its influencing factors, and such rules or models are difficult to integrate into a decision support system. This paper introduces a data mining based approach for estimating the residual value of heavy construction equipment using a predictive data mining model, and its potential benefits on the decision making of construction equipment management. Compared to the current practice of assessing equipment residual values, the proposed approach demonstrates advantages of ease of use, better interpretability, and adequate accuracy.
Investigation Delayed Is Justice Denied: Proposals for Expediting Forensic Examinations of Digital Evidence *

Abstract: There is an urgent need to reduce the growing backlog of forensic examinations in Digital Forensics Laboratories (DFLs). Currently, DFLs routinely create forensic duplicates and perform in‐depth forensic examinations of all submitted media. This approach is rapidly becoming untenable as more cases involve increasing quantities of digital evidence. A more efficient and effective three‐tiered strategy for performing forensic examinations will enable DFLs to produce useful results in a timely manner at different phases of an investigation, and will reduce unnecessary expenditure of resources on less serious matters. The three levels of forensic examination are described along with practical examples and suitable tools. Realizing that this is not simply a technical problem, we address the need to update training and establish thresholds in DFLs. Threshold considerations include the likelihood of missing exculpatory evidence and seriousness of the offense. We conclude with the implications of scaling forensic examinations to the investigation.
Fast Facial Feature Extraction and Matching with Artificial Face Models

— Facial features are frequently used to represent local properties of a human face image in computer vision applications. In this paper, we present a fast algorithm that can extract the facial features online such that they can give a satisfying representation of a face image. It includes one step for a coarse detection of each facial feature by AdaBoost and another one to increase the accuracy of the found points by Active Shape Models (ASM) in the regions of interest. The resulted facial features are evaluated by matching with artificial face models in the applications of physiognomy. The distance measure between the features and those in the fate models from the database is carried out by means of the Hausdorff distance. In the experiment, the proposed method shows the efficient performance in facial feature extractions and online system of physiognomy.
Patient Preference Assessment Reveals Disease Aspects Not Covered by Recommended Outcomes in Polymyositis and Dermatomyositis

Objectives. Polymyositis (PM) and dermatomyositis (DM) are characterized by impaired muscle function with a majority of patients developing sustained disability. The aim of this study was to evaluate the patient's individual priorities (patient preference) of disabilities most important to improve in PM/DM using the MacMaster Toronto Arthritis Patient Preference Disability Questionnaire (MACTAR), to correlate the MACTAR to myositis outcomes and to evaluate its test-retest reliability. Methods. Twenty-eight patients with PM/DM performed recommended outcomes as well as the MACTAR, which was performed twice with one week apart. Results. Sexual activity, walking, biking, social activities, and sleep constituted the predominating disabilities. Seventy-two and 33% of the identified disabilities were not covered by items of the Health Assessment Questionnaire and the Myositis Activities Profile. Correlations between the MACTAR and health-related quality of life measures were rs = −0.67–0.73, correlations with measures of activities of daily living and participation in society were rs = 0.51–0.60 with lower correlations for other outcomes. Intraclass correlation (ICC) and weighted Kappa (Kw) coefficients were 0.83 and 0.68, respectively, for test-retest reliability of the MACTAR. Conclusions. The MACTAR interview had promising measurement properties and identified patient preference disabilities in PM/DM that were not covered by recommended outcomes.
Safety and utility of intravascular ultrasound‐guided carotid artery stenting

Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) is useful in evaluating coronary stent deployment. The aim of this study was to assess the safety and utility of IVUS in carotid artery stenting (CAS). Ninety‐eight consecutive high‐risk patients (107 arteries) underwent CAS. IVUS was performed prior to predilatation in 87 of the 107 vessels and in all 107 following stent deployment when an optimal angiographic appearance was obtained. Quantitative carotid angiography (QCA) and IVUS analysis were performed offline. Procedural success was 97%. Combined stroke or death at 30 days was 5.6%. IVUS measurements of the minimum lumen diameter (MLD) of the distal internal carotid artery (ICA) reference segment were similar to QCA (4.60 ± 0.74 vs. 4.74 ± 0.71 mm; P = 0.21). The ICA stent MLD was significantly smaller by IVUS compared to QCA (3.65 ± 0.68 vs. 4.31 ± 0.76 mm; P < 0.001). IVUS detected stent malapposition in 11%. IVUS findings, after an optimal angiographic result, necessitated additional treatment in 9% of procedures. Calcium was detected in more arteries with IVUS than angiography (61% vs. 46%; P < 0.05). Arteries with superficial lesion calcification subtending three or four quadrants by IVUS had a 31% incidence of stroke compared with a 1% incidence in arteries without severe superficial calcium (P < 0.001). We found IVUS imaging in CAS to be safe even prior to plaque dilatation. IVUS provides a more accurate assessment of stent dimensions, expansion, and apposition than angiography. Severe calcification by IVUS was associated with a higher risk of stroke. Cathet Cardiovasc Interv 2004;63:355–362. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Computational modeling analysis of a spinal cord stimulation paddle lead reveals broad, gapless dermatomal coverage

Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) is an effective therapy for treating chronic pain. The St. Jude Medical PENTATM paddle lead features a 4×5 contact array for achieving broad, selective coverage of dorsal column (DC) fibers. The objective of this work was to evaluate DC activation regions that correspond to dermatomal coverage with use of the PENTA lead in conjunction with a lateral sweep programming algorithm. We used a two-stage computational model, including a finite element method model of field potentials in the spinal cord during stimulation, coupled to a biophysical cable model of mammalian, myelinated nerve fibers to determine fiber activation within the DC. We found that across contact configurations used clinically in the sweep algorithm, the activation region shifted smoothly between left and right DC, and could achieve gapless medio-lateral coverage in dermatomal fiber tract zones. Increasing stimulation amplitude between the DC threshold and discomfort threshold led to a greater area of activation and number of dermatomal zones covered on the left and/or right DC, including L1-2 zones corresponding to dermatomes of the lower back. This work demonstrates that the flexibility in contact selection offered by the PENTA lead may enable patient-specific tailoring of SCS.