Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Renin-angiotensin-system modulators and the incidence of atrial fibrillation following hospitalization for coronary artery disease.

AIMS Previous studies have suggested that upstream medical therapy to modulate the renin-angiotensin axis may facilitate left atrial remodelling and thereby prevent new-onset atrial fibrillation (AF). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the association between angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI) and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARB) on new-onset AF in a large cohort of patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). METHODS AND RESULTS This was a population-based study of 28 620 patients, from community-dwelling Medicare beneficiaries who had been hospitalized for acute myocardial infarction or coronary revascularization (1995-2004). All patients, 65 years and older, had a mean follow-up period of upto 3.8 ± 3.0 years. Patients with a history of AF before and during hospitalization were excluded. We compared the incidence of new-onset AF between patients who were (N= 10 918) and were not (N= 17 702) prescribed ACEI and/or ARB within 1 month of hospital discharge following cardiac event. New-onset AF within 5 and 10 years was 39.1 and 61.1%, respectively, in patients who received ACEI/ARB, compared 34.9 and 53.6% in patients who did not receive them [unadjusted hazard ratio (HR): 1.16; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.11, 1.21]. Multivariable analysis adjusting for patient- and hospital-related characteristics indicated that ACEI/ARB use independently had no impact on the risk of developing new-onset AF compared with non-users (adjusted HR: 0.99; 95% CI: 0.94, 1.04). Adjustment for propensity-score and health-seeking behaviours yielded nearly identical results. CONCLUSION Angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor/ARB therapy initiated within 1 month after hospital discharge is not associated with a reduction in the risk of new-onset AF after myocardial infarction or coronary revascularization.
101 Healing Stories: Using Metaphors in Therapy

Foreword By Michael D. Yapko, PhD. Introduction. The Importance of Stories. METAPHOR THERAPY. The Power of Stories. Effective Storytelling. Stories in Therapy. HEALING STORIES. Enhancing Empowerment. Acquiring Acceptance. Reframing Negative Attitudes. Changing Patterns of Behavior. Learning from Experience. Attaining Goals. Cultivating Compassion. Developing Wisdom. Caring For Yourself. Enhancing Happiness. CREATING YOUR OWN METAPHORS. How To Do It and How Not To Do It. Using The PRO-Approach to Create Your Own Healing Stories. Why Do You Teach in Stories? Resources. Index.
The human type I collagen mutation database

Type I collagen is the most abundant and ubiquitously distributed of the collagen family of proteins. It is a heterotrimer comprising two alpha1(I) chains and one alpha2(I) chain which are encoded by the unlinked loci COL1A1 and COL1A2 respectively. Mutations at these loci result primarily in the connective tissue disorders osteogenesis imperfecta and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome types VIIA and VIIB. Two instances of osteoporosis and a single instance of Marfan syndrome are also the result of mutations at these loci. The mutation data are accessible on the world wide web at http://www.le. ac.uk/depts/ge/collagen/collagen.html
Heterozygosity, inbreeding and neonatal traits in Soay sheep on St Kilda

We investigated whether birth weight and neonatal survival, a period within which 24% of all mortalities occur, were correlated with levels of inbreeding in St Kilda Soay sheep, using pedigree inbreeding coefficients and four marker‐based estimators of inbreeding. None of the inbreeding estimators, either of the offspring, or of their mothers, explained significant variation in a lamb's birth weight or probability of surviving the neonatal period, suggesting low inbreeding depression for these traits. We evaluated the correlation between the marker‐based measures of inbreeding and inbreeding coefficients obtained from the Soay pedigree, where paternal links were inferred using the same panel of microsatellite markers. Even when using a relatively complete portion of the pedigree, in which all individuals had known maternal and paternal grandparents, the correlation was found to be weak (r = −0.207, where mean f = 0.0168). These results add support to the recent prediction that when the mean and variance in inbreeding are low in a population, heterozygosity–fitness correlations can be very weak or even undetectable. The pursuit of more detailed pedigrees offers the best prospect for identifying inbreeding depression within this study population.
Eight Nucleotide Substitutions Inhibit Splicing to HPV-16 3′-Splice Site SA3358 and Reduce the Efficiency by which HPV-16 Increases the Life Span of Primary Human Keratinocytes

The most commonly used 3′-splice site on the human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV-16) genome named SA3358 is used to produce HPV-16 early mRNAs encoding E4, E5, E6 and E7, and late mRNAs encoding L1 and L2. We have previously shown that SA3358 is suboptimal and is totally dependent on a downstream splicing enhancer containingmultiple potential ASF/SF2 binding sites. Here weshow that only one of the predicted ASF/SF2 sites accounts for the majority of the enhancer activity. We demonstrate that single nucleotide substitutions in this predicted ASF/SF2 site impair enhancer function and that this correlates with less efficient binding to ASF/SF2 in vitro. We provide evidence that HPV-16 mRNAs that arespliced to SA3358 interact with ASF/SF2 in living cells. In addition,mutational inactivation of the ASF/SF2 site weakened the enhancer at SA3358 in episomal forms of the HPV-16 genome, indicating that the enhancer is active in the context of the full HPV-16 genome.This resulted in induction of HPV-16 late gene expression as a result of competition from late splice site SA5639. Furthermore, inactivation of the ASF/SF2 site of the SA3358 splicing enhancer reduced the ability of E6- and E7-encoding HPV-16 plasmids to increase the life span of primary keratinocytes in vitro, demonstrating arequirement for an intact splicing enhancer of SA3358 forefficient production of the E6 and E7 mRNAs. These results link the strength of the HPV-16 SA3358 splicing enhancer to expression of E6 and E7 and to the pathogenic properties of HPV-16.
Path-following algorithm for passive localization of near-field sources

Presents a new algorithm for passive localization of multiple narrow-band near-field sources using a uniform linear array. The algorithm is computationally efficient and has global convergence. It minimizes the MUSIC cost function with respect to the source ranges and bearings, subject to geometrical constraints imposed by the curvature of the received wavefronts. It is shown that, when the cost function is expanded in a two-dimensional power series in the Fresnel region, the estimation problem reduces to one of solving a set of two coupled two-dimensional polynomial equations. The proposed algorithm solves this nonlinear problem using a modification of the path-following (or homotopy) method. <<ETX>>
Computer Literacy Challenges for Adult Returning Students, Lost in a Different Generation of Computer?

In recent years, many adult returning students go back to school for college degree and retooling. Many of them are struggling with computer literacy skills. In this study, we try to understand the computer related challenges that adult returning students are facing. We identify the difficulties they encounter through direct observations in classroom. We also use informal conversations with students to help us understand why they have the challenges. Next, we conduct critical analysis by taking the conceptual lens of empathetic thinking and disruptive information technology (IT) innovation. We discover several factors that may contribute to adult returning students’ struggles with computer literacy. Furthermore, we suggest several ways that may help adult returning students overcome the adversity. This research will contribute to our general understanding of the computer literacy challenges faced by adult returning students. The research findings also have important implications for Information Systems (IS) educators and college administrators.
Knowledge assimilation by employees in learning organizations

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to examine the factors related to the employee as an individual, that affect the quality and level of the individual’s assimilation of knowledge (AOK) which is transmitted by way of organizational learning. Design/methodology/approach – All subjects (317) of this research were employed at different positions in day camps of a social organization. The study examined the subjects’ AOK relating to the organization’s security and safety procedures. The variables examined in this study include: the employee’s organizational commitment; the employee’s perception of the organization’s culture; the employee’s perception of the advantage inherent in the security and safety information; the employee’s self-efficacy; and the employee’s motivation to assimilate the new knowledge. Findings – The research variables explained a significant part (37 per cent) of the variance obtained with respect to assimilation and learning in the organization. The most powerful explanation for the.
Reproductive hormonal treatments for mood disorders in women

There has been a century-long view in medicine that reproductive function in both men and women is intimately involved with mood regulation. The 19th century witnessed a proliferation of medical reports documenting beneficial effects on mood and behavior after medical or surgical manipulations of women's reproductive functíon. More recently, the results of several studies suggest that gonadal steroids do regulate mood in some women. Thus, there is considerable interest in the potential role of reproductive therapies in the management of depressive illness, including both classical and reproductive endocrine-related mood disorders. Future studies need to determine the predictors of response to hormonal therapies compared with traditional antidepressant agents, and to characterize the long-term safety and benefits of these therapies.
The Science of A Team Approach

By Joan Mackin ducators are perplexed by the ideas of teaching for understandE ing since it seems an impossible task when considering the current conditions in some classrooms (Brandt, 1994). Goals from America 2000, adopted by the president and the nation’s governors in 1990, state that U.S. students should be number one in mathematics and science. Scientists are concerned that our most talented students may not be pursuing careers in science since it is viewed as an “elitist” area. The paradoxical problem that faces teachers is to find ways to provide opportunities in the actual “doing” of science so most students may understand the concepts and view scientific studies as comprehensible and interesting. Very often, such programs do not exist for the secondary students because of a perception that the program would be too difficult to supervise and evaluate or too expensive to introduce. A program for students talented in science offering an opportunity to use community research facilities and complete scientific research outside the classroom became a reality as a one semester, independent study course at Avon Grove High School in Kemblesville, PA. Students expressed enthusiasm to use their talents more in the actual doing of scientific work.
Tech tally : approaches to assessing technological literacy

In a broad sense, technology is any modification of the natural world made to fulfill human needs or desires. Although people tend to focus on the most recent technological inventions, technology includes a myriad of devices and systems that profoundly affect everyone in modern society. Technology is pervasive; an informed citizenship needs to know what technology is, how it works, how it is created, how it shapes our society, and how society influences technological development. This understanding depends in large part on an individual level of technological literacy. Tech Tally: Approaches to Assessing Technological Literacy determines the most viable approaches to assessing technological literacy for students, teachers, and out-of-school adults. The book examines opportunities and obstacles to developing scientifically valid and broadly applicable assessment instruments for technological literacy in the three target populations. The book offers findings and 12 related recommendations that address five critical areas: instrument development; research on learning; computer-based assessment methods, framework development, and public perceptions of technology. This book will be of special interest to individuals and groups promoting technological literacy in the United States, education and government policy makers in federal and state agencies, as well as the education research community.
Plasticity of Human Regulatory T Cells in Healthy Subjects and Patients with Type 1 Diabetes

Regulatory T cells (Tregs) constitute an attractive therapeutic target given their essential role in controlling autoimmunity. However, recent animal studies provide evidence for functional heterogeneity and lineage plasticity within the Treg compartment. To understand better the plasticity of human Tregs in the context of type 1 diabetes, we characterized an IFN-γ–competent subset of human CD4+CD127lo/−CD25+ Tregs. We measured the frequency of Tregs in the peripheral blood of patients with type 1 diabetes by epigenetic analysis of the Treg-specific demethylated region (TSDR) and the frequency of the IFN-γ+ subset by flow cytometry. Purified IFN-γ+ Tregs were assessed for suppressive function, degree of TSDR demethylation, and expression of Treg lineage markers FOXP3 and Helios. The frequency of Tregs in peripheral blood was comparable but the FOXP3+IFN-γ+ fraction was significantly increased in patients with type 1 diabetes compared to healthy controls. Purified IFN-γ+ Tregs expressed FOXP3 and possessed suppressive activity but lacked Helios expression and were predominately methylated at the TSDR, characteristics of an adaptive Treg. Naive Tregs were capable of upregulating expression of Th1-associated T-bet, CXCR3, and IFN-γ in response to IL-12. Notably, naive, thymic-derived natural Tregs also demonstrated the capacity for Th1 differentiation without concomitant loss of Helios expression or TSDR demethylation.
The state-of-the-art in silicon-on-sapphire components for antenna tuning

Increased spectrum coverage by mobile wireless devices is dictating the need for active antenna systems. Silicon-on-Sapphire (SOS)-based Digitally Tunable Capacitors (DTCs) and switches enable tunable matching networks and dynamic adjustment of antenna electrical characteristics. Advancements in technology and design techniques have enabled improvements in DTC electrical performance. This paper addresses advancements in DTC and switch capabilities and the resulting improvements in antenna operating bandwidth.
Prevalence of breast-feeding in the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study and health service-related correlates of cessation of full breast-feeding

Abstract Objective First, to describe the prevalence of both full and partial breast-feeding during the first 6 months; second, to study the associations between selected health service-related factors and cessation of full breast-feeding at three time intervals. Design Retrospective questionnaires, 6 months after birth. Setting The Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study (MoBa). Subjects In total, 29 621 women. Results While 96·6 %, 94·0 %, 90·8 %, 86·9 %, 83·8 % and 80·0 % of the infants were breast-fed at 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 months, respectively, the corresponding proportions for full breast-feeding were 84·6 %, 79·1 %, 70·9 %, 44·0 %, 16·7 % and 2·1 %. An increased risk of cessation of full breast-feeding during the first month was associated with supplementation during the first week of life with water (relative risk (RR) 1·77; 95 % CI 1·52, 2·06), sugar water (RR 1·73; 95 % CI 1·49, 2·00) or formula (RR 5·99; 95 % CI 5·58, 6·42). An increased risk was also associated with Caesarean delivery (RR 1·08; 95 % CI 1·00, 1·16) and breast-feeding problems (RR 1·56; 95 % CI 1·45, 1·67). Between months 1 and 3, the risk of cessation of full breast-feeding remained elevated in the case of supplementation during the first week of life with water (RR 1·29; 95 % CI 1·14, 1·45), sugar water (RR 1·48; 95 % CI 1·34, 1·64) or formula (RR 1·18; 95 % CI 1·07, 1·29). The same applied to Caesarean delivery (RR 1·15; 95 % CI 1·06, 1·25). Conclusions Supplementation during the first week, breast-feeding problems and Caesarean delivery are associated with early cessation of full breast-feeding. The results support a cautious approach to supplementation during the first week of life.
Automatic crack detection on concrete images using segmentation via fuzzy C-means clustering

Automatically detecting cracks in images of the concrete surfaces of bridge posts is an important safety task. Previous methods have only focused on very obvious crack images that were taken from very close to the surface. When photographing facilities with automated equipment such as drones, the camera is often more than one meter away from the surface in question. Thus, a precise method is required to detect cracks that are photographed at large distances from the surface. We propose a novel approach to detect 0.3 mm cracks in photographs taken at a distance of 1 m from the surface. The proposed method uses segmentation. Filtering and morphological operations are applied to the image to make the cracks more distinguishable from the background. We separate crack candidates from the rest of the image using segmentation. Finally, we filter out noise and clutter using three masks. Experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.
IQdb: an intelligence quotient score-associated gene resource for human intelligence

Intelligence quotient (IQ) is the most widely used phenotype to characterize human cognitive abilities. Recent advances in studies on human intelligence have identified many new susceptibility genes. However, the genetic mechanisms involved in IQ score and the relationship between IQ score and the risk of mental disorders have won little attention. To address the genetic complexity of IQ score, we have developed IQdb (http://IQdb.cbi.pku.edu.cn), a publicly available database for exploring IQ-associated human genes. In total, we collected 158 experimental verified genes from literature as a core dataset in IQdb. In addition, 46 genomic regions related to IQ score have been curated from literature. Based on the core dataset and 46 confirmed linked genomic regions, more than 6932 potential IQ-related genes are expanded using data of protein–protein interactions. A systematic gene ranking approach was applied to all the collected and expanded genes to represent the relative importance of all the 7090 genes in IQdb. Our further systematic pathway analysis reveals that IQ-associated genes are significantly enriched in multiple signal events, especially related to cognitive systems. Of the 158 genes in the core dataset, 81 are involved in various psychotic and mental disorders. This comprehensive gene resource illustrates the importance of IQdb to our understanding on human intelligence, and highlights the utility of IQdb for elucidating the functions of IQ-associated genes and the cross-talk mechanisms among cognition-related pathways in some mental disorders for community. Database URL: http://IQdb.cbi. pku.edu. cn.
Clinical and genetic features of myoclonus–dystonia in 3 cases: A video presentation

Many cases of myoclonus–dystonia (M‐D) are caused by mutations in the ϵ‐sarcoglycan (SGCE) gene. We describe 3 children with a similar clinical picture of autosomal dominant M‐D and an SGCE mutation in only one of them, suggesting that M‐D is genetically heterogeneous. © 2003 Movement Disorder Society
Targeting Bcl-2 Related Proteins in Cancer Therapy

The BCL-2 family proteins are attractive targets for drug design. As pivotal regulators of apoptotic cell death, the logic of manipulating BCL-2 functions for anti-tumor effects is perhaps the strongest for any of the molecular targets proposed for cancer therapeutics. Moreover, elevated levels of anti-apoptotic proteins have been demonstrated in virtually every type of human cancer. BCL2-specific antisense oligonucleotides have shown broad anti-cancer activities in pre-clinical models and are currently in several phase III trials. Rational drug design to manipulate the functions of these proteins has been hampered by the lack of a clear understanding of biochemical or molecular functions. Initial efforts have been centered on disrupting protein-protein interactions within the BCL-2 homology (BH) family. Substantial progress in this task has been made using molecular modeling and drug leads.
α2A/α2C-Adrenergic Receptor Third Loop Chimera Show That Agonist Interaction with Receptor Subtype Backbone Establishes G Protein-coupled Receptor Kinase Phosphorylation*

The α2A-adrenergic receptor (AR) undergoes rapid agonist-promoted desensitization due to phosphorylation by G protein-coupled receptor kinases (GRKs) 2 and 3 at serines in the third intracellular loop of the receptor. In contrast, the α2CAR fails to display such desensitization or phosphorylation, which has been presumed to be due to this receptor lacking GRK phosphorylation sites. However, the α2CAR has multiple serines and threonines in putative favorable motifs within its third intracellular loop. We considered that the conformation of the third intracellular loop imposed by agonists binding to the transmembrane-spanning domains could be the basis of this subtype-specific property, rather than the presence or absence of phosphoacceptors per se. To address this, α2A/α2C third loop chimeric receptors were constructed. In whole cell phosphorylation studies, the α2A with the α2C third loop receptor underwent agonist-promoted phosphorylation while the α2Cwith the α2A third loop receptor did not, indicating that the agonist interaction with the parent receptor backbone establishes the phosphorylation phenotype. We postulated then that agonists with diverse structures that distinctly interact with α2AR should display different degrees of phosphorylation independent of receptor activation. Indeed, several full and partial agonists were identified, which evoked phosphorylation that was not related to intrinsic activity as established by [35S]guanosine 5′-3-O-(thio)triphosphate binding. Taken together, it appears that phosphorylation of the α2AR evoked by agonist is highly sensitive to the conformation of the third intracellular loop induced/stabilized by agonist to such an extent that these properties dictate the extent of phosphorylation of the loop when phosphoacceptors are present, and are the basis for subtype-specific phosphorylation.
Communicating Spanish Banks' Identity: the Role of Websites

Purpose – This paper aims to reveal the key elements of corporate identity through the information provided by entities' websites, and to study the differences in the information transmitted by entities through their websites.Design/methodology/approach – The research develops an analysis of corporate identity in Spanish banking institutions, focusing on the communication of identity elements through corporate websites. A content analysis methodology is employed.Findings – A total of 230 categories related to six dimensions of corporate identity were identified: visual identity, communication, culture, behaviour, strategy and structure. The results show the elements most widely used by financial institutions and the moderating role of different dimensions (market scope, specialisation, etc.). Research limitations/implications – A natural sequel of this work would involve the analysis of other sources of identity communication, and measurement of the corporate image transmitted to stakeholders.Practical imp.