Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A prospective, randomized, double-blind trial of 3 regimens for sedation and analgesia after cardiac surgery.

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to evaluate cardiac risk as a consideration for selecting postoperative sedation and analgesia regimens used for cardiac surgical patients requiring cardiopulmonary bypass and early extubation. DESIGN An observer-blind, randomized, controlled trial. SETTING A tertiary referral medical center involving an intensive care unit. PARTICIPANTS One hundred forty-five adults requiring elective cardiac surgery. INTERVENTIONS Patients were stratified preoperatively as low, moderate, or high cardiac risk based on established criteria and then assigned to 1 of 3 postoperative regimens: propofol infusion beginning at 25 μg/kg/min and morphine boluses (P), fentanyl infusion beginning at 2 μg/kg/h and midazolam boluses (F), or propofol and fentanyl infusions beginning at 25 μg/kg/min and 0.5 μg/kg/h (PF), respectively. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS Postoperative regimen P was associated with a significantly reduced time to extubation (median value, 264 minutes; p = 0.05) compared with F (295 minutes) but not PF (278 minutes) in patients characterized as low cardiac risk. The time to extubation did not differ among regimens in patients of moderate/high cardiac risk. CONCLUSION Patients with low cardiac risk undergoing cardiac surgery had statistically significantly shorter times to extubation with propofol infusion and intermittent morphine than a fentanyl infusion and intermittent midazolam. These differences were not sustained in patients considered at higher cardiac risk. The time to extubation after cardiac surgery may further improve if postoperative sedation and analgesia are not administered uniformly to all patients but selected based on individual characteristics.
New insights into inflammatory resolution

Acute inflammatory reactions are usually self-limiting and resolve quite rapidly with complete removal of the injurious agent and little incidence of tissue damage. Chronic inflammatory reactions, on the other hand, fail to resolve and persist for long periods of time with varying levels of tissue injury. To identify the 'stop signals' that switch off acute inflammation and that may be absent or inactivated during the development of a chronic lesion, is of enormous interest. Using the experimental model of carrageenin-induced inflammation in the rat we have identified the need for the expression of inducible cyclooxygenase and its synthesis of the cycloopentenone prostaglandins for effective resolution in this model; inhibition of this cyclooxygenase prevented exudate and inflammatory cell clearance. Herein, we describe these findings and suggest a possible mechanism by which inducible cyclooxygenase derived cyclopentenone prostaglandins may be exerting their antiinflammatory effects during resolution.
Politics at the Precipice: Fixing Social Security in 2033

Abstract Social Security will be insolvent in 2033. If nothing is done, retirees will face an immediate 23% cut in their monthly benefits. The solvency cliff and its approximate date have been known for more than two decades. This paper examines why Congress has avoided fixing Social Security when the solutions were relatively affordable and when the baby-boom generation could have helped pay its share of the costs. It also examines what solutions will become politically feasible once the solvency cliff arrives. The surprise is that raising the wage base – in short, taxing the affluent – becomes the most politically appealing fix when insolvency arrives, despite the fact that this solution has no political appeal absent a crisis. Politics at the precipice is very different from ordinary politics.
Experiences and engagement with the design features and strategies of an internet-delivered treatment programme for generalised anxiety disorder: a service-based evaluation

ABSTRACT Background: Outcome research has highlighted the efficacy of internet-based cognitive behavioural therapy (iCBT). Some process research has examined users experiences of iCBT. Understanding the user experience provides valuable feedback to developers of internet-delivered interventions. Aim: The present study aimed to evaluate user's experiences and engagement with the design features of an internet-delivered treatment programme for anxiety. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 7 participant users of the Space from Anxiety programme. A thematic analysis framework was employed to analyse the data collected. Results: Identified themes related to participants engagement and adherence with the programme material, participant's experience of personal development through interaction with the programme content and participants experience of the social features employed in the programme. Another theme investigated the various attributes or conditions necessary for internet-delivered therapy to be helpful to an individual. Conclusion: Considering the experiences of users of online interventions provides insight into what works for whom both in terms of technological features and the various skills and strategies that may compose the treatment intervention. Knowing more about what design features and strategies/components of the intervention are attractive and keep users involved can only enhance the delivery of effective internet-delivered interventions for anxiety disorders.
Decoding Hematopoietic Specificity in the Helix-Loop-Helix Domain of the Transcription Factor SCL/Tal-1

ABSTRACT The helix-loop-helix (HLH) domain is employed by many transcription factors that control cell fate choice in multiple developmental settings. Previously, we demonstrated that the HLH domain of the class II basic HLH (bHLH) protein SCL/Tal-1 is critical for hematopoietic specification. We have now identified residues in this domain that are essential for restoring hematopoietic development to SCL−/− embryonic stem cells and sufficient to convert a muscle-specific HLH domain to one able to rescue hematopoiesis. Most of these critical residues are distributed in the loop of SCL, with one in helix 2. This is in contrast to the case for MyoD, the prototype of class II bHLH proteins, where the loop seems to serve mainly as a linker between the two helices. Among the identified residues, some promote heterodimerization with the bHLH partners of SCL (E12/E47), while others, unimportant for this property, are still crucial for the biological function of SCL. Importantly, the residue in helix 2 specifically promotes interaction with a known partner of SCL, the LIM-only protein LMO2, a finding that strengthens genetic evidence that these proteins interact. Our data highlight the functional complexity of bHLH proteins, provide mechanistic insight into SCL function, and strongly support the existence of an active SCL/LMO2-containing multiprotein complex in early hematopoietic cells.
New range reduction algorithm using 64-bit integer computation

Range reduction is widely used in the element function library and high performance computing applications. A new rang reduction algorithm and an improved one based on the Payne and Hanek Algorithm are proposed. Using the 64-bit integer arithmetic unit, all the intermediate computation is optimized for its Parallelism, table size and throughput, and the improved one base on it debases the complexity, and doesn't increase the table size using a pre-computed technology. The performance of the new algorithms gets above 50% improvement on the loongson2f platform through the experiment.
An Application of Equity Theory to Buyer-Seller Exchange Situations

Equity theory was applied to retail exchange situations to test hypotheses about subjects’ perceptions of inequity and behaviors they would perform. Subjects in Group 1 made evaluative ratings of 16 hypothetical situations in which two sources of inequity, high price and poor service, were introduced, along with varying levels of shopping frequency and item cost. Subjects perceived high price inequity situations as less fair than low ones, and high service inequity situations as less fair than low ones when price inequity was low. When price inequity was high, subjects perceived high shopping frequency situations less fair than low ones. Subjects in Group 2 chose the behavior they would be most likely to perform in each situation. When inequity was present, most subjects chose leaving the store, although several chose complaining about price or service when shopping frequency was also high.
Multi-motor synchronous system based on neural network decoupling control

Taking the multi-variable of synchronization system of the AC induction motors as study object, focusing on the system of induction motors powered by current-tract SPWM transducers, the mathematical model of the system of two motors is established. Combining decoupling technology of adaptive neuron decoupling compensator, RBF neural network adaptive PID controller is adopted to design the neural network controller of two-motor synchronous system. The experiment results show that the two-motor synchronous system is decoupled based on the controller designed with better dynamic and static characteristics and following performance.
Positive and Negative Politeness in Refusals in Three American Drama Movies

This research paper attempts to investigate positive and negative politeness of refusal in three American drama movies. In particular, it attempts to identify and classify the positive and negative politeness strategies used to express refusal in the movies. The data used in this research were dialogues containing refusal expressed by the use of positive and negative politeness strategies proposed by Brown and Levinson (1987). Based on the data analysis, 73 refusal utterances were found: 31 utterances (42.5%) were found in Legally Blonde, 22 utterances (30.1%) in Yes Man, and 20 utterances (27.4%) in He’s Not That Just into You. From 73 refusals found, out of 32 (43.8%) were expressed using positive politeness strategy, and remaining 41 (56.2%) refusals were expressed using negative politeness strategy. It was found in this research that positive politeness strategy 13 give (or ask for) reason is considered as the most commonly used positive politeness strategy in the movies. This strategy was used 7 times (21.8%). Meanwhile, in negative politeness strategy, strategy 1 be conventionally indirect appears as the most frequently strategy used in giving refusal in the movies. This strategy was used 18 times (43.9%).
Fast Random Access to Wavelet Compressed Volumetric Data Using Hashing

We present a new approach to lossy storage of the coefficients of wavelet transformed data. While it is common to store the coefficients of largest magnitude (and let all other coefficients be zero), we allow a slightly different set of coefficients to be stored. This brings into play a recently proposed hashing technique that allows space efficient storage and very efficient retrieval of coefficients. Our approach is applied to compression of volumetric data sets. For the ``Visible Man'' volume we obtain up to 80% improvement in compression ratio over previously suggested schemes. Further, the time for accessing a random voxel is quite competitive.
Expression of P2Y6 receptors in the developing mouse skeletal muscle and after injury and repair

In this study, single and double‐labeling immunofluorescence histochemistry, Western blot and real‐time polymerase chain reaction were used to study the expression of P2Y6 receptors in developing mouse skeletal muscle and during injury and repair. The results show that P2Y6 receptor immunoreactive (ir) cells were first detected in the dermamyotome at embryonic (E) day 9. The number and immunostaining intensity of the P2Y6 receptor‐ir cells increased from E9 to E13, but decreased from E15 to postnatal day 60 in the developing skeletal muscle system. The expression levels of P2Y6 receptor protein and mRNA increased rapidly from 1 to 5 days after skeletal muscle injury and then decreased almost to the control level from 7 to 10 days, at the beginning of regeneration. P2Y6 receptor‐immunoreactivity was mainly localized to the ends of single myoblasts and myotube processes in the developing and injury‐repair skeletal muscle tissues. These data suggest that the P2Y6 receptor may be involved in the development and regeneration of skeletal muscle, especially in the migration and extension of the myoblast and myotube in developing and regenerating skeletal muscle.
Integrated packaging of a 1 kW switching module using a novel planar integration technology

A metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) (rating at 500 V/24 A) half-bridge power switching subassembly with gate drivers has been fabricated, employing a planar integration technology, in which an integrated power chips stage is built by embedding chips in a coplanar ceramic substrate with a metallization thin-film interconnection built up onto it. This deposited metallization not only bonds the power chips, but also provides the second-level interconnect wiring. The associated components are mounted on top of the integrated power stage. This packaging scheme results in a three-dimensional (3-D) multiple chips/components assembly with the capability of functional integration. In this paper, the electrical and thermal parameters of this packaged module have been experimentally and theoretically characterized. The procedures adopted for the defined fabrication processes are presented. In addition to the characteristics of the planar integration process, the improved electrical and thermal performance has been demonstrated.
Radiation induced sarcomas of the head and neck following radiotherapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

AIM To report the radiological findings of radiation induced sarcomas (RIS) in the head and neck following radiotherapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS The clinical notes and radiological studies (MR n = 3, CT n = 4) of four patients were reviewed retrospectively. RESULTS RIS developed 5 to 10 years following radiotherapy. Two patients had tumours arising from the alveolar process of the maxilla, one from the nasal cavity, and one patient had a tumour at two sites, involving the external auditory canal and the uvula. Three of the four patients had large tumours at diagnosis with a 3.5-6 cm predominately homogeneous soft tissue mass, complete destruction of bone and extensive local invasion. One was small and localized to the nasal turbinate. Radiation osteitis was identified in two of the four (50%) patients. CONCLUSION The site of RIS following radiotherapy for NPC is variable but is invariably within the high dose zone of the radiotherapy. These sarcomas tend to present late with a large soft tissue mass. Radiation osteitis is not a constant feature. As surgery provides the only chance of cure, imaging has an important role in the pre-operative mapping of the extent of tumour. et al.
Tissue-specific RMA models to incrementally normalize Affymetrix GeneChip data

Gene expression classifiers have been used to predict diagnosis of disease, patient prognosis and patient response to therapy. Although there have been remarkable successes in this area, a particular goal of personalized medicine is the ability predict a response from a single gene expression microarray. One aspect of this problem is the normalization of microarrays. Affymetrix GeneChip microarrays are typically processed using model-based algorithms that require all of the data in order to adequately estimate the model. We experiment with the RMA normalization procedure in an incremental fashion, adding new chips to an existing normalization model. Focusing on tissue-specific normalization models, we generate datasets that have very small differences from a batch normalization. Through several large datasets of patient samples, we provide evidence that RMA models of normalization converge to a common model in homogenous samples. These results offer the promise of maintaining large data warehouses of patient microarray samples without the requirement of constant renormalization.
The influence of right frontotemporal dysfunction on social behavior in frontotemporal dementia

Background: Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is associated with a variety of cognitive and behavioral dysfunctions. Symptoms may be influenced by the relative involvement of the right versus the left hemisphere, with left-sided FTD manifesting language changes and right-sided FTD presenting with aggressive, antisocial, and other socially undesirable behaviors. Objective: To test the hypothesis that right-sided FTD is associated with socially undesirable behavior. Methods: The authors assessed 41 patients with FTD diagnosed by the new research criteria for FTD1 including behavioral, neuropsychologic, and neurologic testing as well as SPECT and MRI. Based on visual inspection of SPECT scans, 12 patients were classified as having predominantly right-sided and 19 patients were classified as having predominantly left-sided FTD. A clinician blinded to the imaging data reviewed medical records to tabulate the frequency of the following socially undesirable behaviors: criminal behavior, aggression, loss of job, alienation from family/friends, financial recklessness, sexually deviant behavior, and abnormal response to spousal crisis. Results: Eleven of 12 right-sided and 2 of 19 left-sided FTD patients had socially undesirable behavior as an early presenting symptom (χ = 23.3, p < 0.001). Conclusion: The authors conclude that right-sided frontotemporal degeneration is associated with socially undesirable behavior. The early presence of socially undesirable behavior in FTD differentiates right-sided from left-sided degeneration. The results highlight the importance of the right hemisphere, especially frontotemporal regions, in the mediation of social behavior. The potential mechanism for these social losses with right-sided disease is discussed.
Analysis of non‐pharmacological interventions attempted prior to pro re nata medication use

The aim of the present study was to elucidate what non-pharmacological interventions are applied by nursing staff prior to the administration of psychotropic pro re nata (PRN) medication. Best practices would instruct clinical staff to provide non-pharmacological strategies, such as de-escalation and skills coaching, as the first response to patient distress, anxiety, or agitation. Non-pharmacological strategies might be safer for patients, promote more collaborative relationships, and facilitate greater skills development for managing symptoms. The literature has highlighted that poor documentation of pre-PRN administration interventions has limited our understanding of this practice, but evidence suggests that when this information is available, non-pharmaceutical approaches are not being attempted in the majority of cases. This is troubling given that, while clinically appropriate in some instances, PRN have been subject to criticism and lack critical evidence to support their use. The current study is a continuation of our previous work, which examined the reason, frequency, documentation, and outcome (e.g. effectiveness, side-effects) of PRN medication use at our facility. A chart review was conducted to understand what happens prior to the administration of PRN medication at our facility across all inpatient units over the course of 3 months. Results support previous findings that non-pharmacological interventions are poorly documented by front-line staff and are seemingly used infrequently. The use of these interventions differs by patient presentation (e.g. agitation, insomnia), and most often include supportive measures. The findings suggest that both documentation and intervention practices of nursing staff require further investigation and adjustment to align with best practices.
Authentic L2 interactions as material for a pragmatic awareness-raising activity

ABSTRACT This study draws on conversation analysis to explore the pedagogical possibility of using audiovisual depictions of authentic disagreement sequences from L2 interactions as sources for an awareness-raising activity in an English as a Second Language (ESL) classroom. Video excerpts of disagreement sequences collected from two ESL classes were used to examine how the participating ESL students understand and respond to the natural L2 interactions in small group discussions. The analyses show that the students use their auditory and visual access to the authentic sequences in the audiovisual input to analyse and evaluate the targeted speech act: (1) they draw on the video excerpts' rich contextual information to engage in similar situational contexts and develop an affiliative understanding of the pragmatic practices used; (2) they compare different disagreement practices, make informed decisions regarding their pragmatic options, and even search for justifications for their choices; and (3) they monitor the vocal and visual conduct surrounding the focal action and utilise their observations to justify their assessments of the pragmatic practice. Therefore, using video recordings and conversion-analysis-informed transcripts of authentic interactions bears clear pedagogical value by enhancing L2 speakers' awareness of contextual factors around speech act sequences, their pragmatic choices, and the multimodal character of pragmatic actions.
A laboratory model of testing shunt performance after implantation

Constant rate infusion tests are used clinically to test shunt function in vivo in hydrocephalic patients. The criteria for appropriate shunt function have never been validated in the laboratory. Nine of the most commonly used types of hydrocephalus valves construction were selected and tested in a model of the CSF circulation incorporating increased resistance to CSF outflow [24 mmHg/(ml/min)] and decreased hydrodynamic compliance (<2 ml/mmHg), that are typical conditions in hydrocephalus. The aim was to document the pressure response to constant rate infusion of a model of CSF circulation with different valves and to define which measures are useful in shunt testing in vivo. The pressure-course of simulated CSF pressure was established and proved to be equivalent to clinical results. The baseline CSF pressure failed to correlate with shunt operating pressure for medium pressure valves (R = 0.14, p > 0.05). End-equilibrium pressure recorded during infusion correlated strongly with the opening pressure (R = 0.94, p = 0.0001) and the shunt's resistance (R = 0.86, p = 0.0026). The infusion test is able to assess shunt function. End-equilibrium pressure recorded during the test has been confirmed to correlate with the shunt's performance.
The Genetic and the Sociological: Exploring the Possibility of Consilience

We argue that consilience, or the unity of all knowledge, is an important goal for all researchers to pursue. The philosophical foundations of this position are explored, and then an empirical study is presented that illustrates what could be gained by melding behaviour genetic, sociological and other perspectives on politics. Twin data are analysed to examine the extent to which sociological factors can explain the variation in three dependent variables: left/liberal versus right/conservative political orientations; party identification; and interest in politics. The results indicate that large amounts of the variance in these variables are not explained by the sociological predictors, so the residual variance is tested for genetic influences, which yields fairly high heritability estimates. We conclude that analyses that are informed by both genetic and sociological insights are essential for understanding the phenomena examined, and explore the implications of this conclusion for conventional research paradigms and for consilience.