Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Association of Prediabetes With Higher Coronary Atherosclerotic Burden Among Patients With First Diagnosed Acute Coronary Syndrome

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is associated with more extensive coronary atherosclerosis and more vulnerable plaque phenotypes. However, DM should not be considered a homogeneous and purely binary entity in terms of risk assessment. We evaluated the impact of prediabetic status on coronary atherosclerosis burden in patients with first-time acute coronary syndrome (ACS) who underwent urgent coronary angiography. The patients were divided into DM, prediabetes, and control groups. The 3-vessel disease (TVD) rates and SYNTAX and Gensini scoring systems for defining atherosclerotic burden were compared. The study was conducted in 469 consecutive patients admitted with a diagnosis of ACS. Of these, 250 patients were admitted at the first occurrence of ACS undergoing diagnostic coronary angiography. SYNTAX and Gensini scores and TVD rates were higher in prediabetic patients than in nondiabetic patients (P = .004, P = .008, and P = .014, respectively), but similar in prediabetic and diabetic patients (P = .912, P = .773, and P = 1.000, respectively). Coronary atherosclerosis burden is more advanced in prediabetic patients than in nondiabetic patients and is comparable between prediabetic and diabetic patients at first presentation of ACS. Cardiologists should not miss the opportunity to diagnose prediabetes and DM when patients present with an ACS.
A review of instrumental variable estimators for Mendelian randomization

Instrumental variable analysis is an approach for obtaining causal inferences on the effect of an exposure (risk factor) on an outcome from observational data. It has gained in popularity over the past decade with the use of genetic variants as instrumental variables, known as Mendelian randomization. An instrumental variable is associated with the exposure, but not associated with any confounder of the exposure–outcome association, nor is there any causal pathway from the instrumental variable to the outcome other than via the exposure. Under the assumption that a single instrumental variable or a set of instrumental variables for the exposure is available, the causal effect of the exposure on the outcome can be estimated. There are several methods available for instrumental variable estimation; we consider the ratio method, two-stage methods, likelihood-based methods, and semi-parametric methods. Techniques for obtaining statistical inferences and confidence intervals are presented. The statistical properties of estimates from these methods are compared, and practical advice is given about choosing a suitable analysis method. In particular, bias and coverage properties of estimators are considered, especially with weak instruments. Settings particularly relevant to Mendelian randomization are prioritized in the paper, notably the scenario of a continuous exposure and a continuous or binary outcome.
Translation of the leaderless Caulobacter dnaX mRNA

The expression of the Caulobacter crescentus homolog of dnaX, which in Escherichia coli encodes both the gamma and tau subunits of the DNA polymerase III holoenzyme, is subject to cell cycle control. We present evidence that the first amino acid in the predicted DnaX protein corresponds to the first codon in the mRNA transcribed from the dnaX promoter; thus, the ribosome must recognize the mRNA at a site downstream of the start codon in an unusual but not unprecedented fashion. Inserting four bases in front of the AUG at the 5' end of dnaX mRNA abolishes translation in the correct frame. The sequence upstream of the translational start site shows little homology to the canonical Shine-Dalgarno ribosome recognition sequence, but the region downstream of the start codon is complementary to a region of 16S rRNA implicated in downstream box recognition. The region downstream of the dnaX AUG, which is important for efficient translation, exhibits homology with the corresponding region from the Caulobacter hemE gene adjacent to the replication origin. The hemE gene also appears to be translated from a leaderless mRNA. Additionally, as was found for hemE, an upstream untranslated mRNA also extends into the dnaX coding sequence. We propose that translation of leaderless mRNAs may provide a mechanism by which the ribosome can distinguish between productive and nonproductive templates.
Structural Reduction Techniques for Logic-Chain Bridging Fault Diagnosis

This paper proposes four logic-chain bridging fault models, which involve one net in the combinational logic and the other net in the scan chain. Test results of logic-chain bridging faults, unlike existing scan chain fault models, depend on the previous scan inputs as well as primary inputs. A bridging pair extraction algorithm is proposed to quickly extract bridging pairs from the layout. The paper proposed two sets of structural reduction techniques so that runtime is very short. Experimental results on ISCAS benchmark circuits show that, on the average, logic-chain bridging faults can be diagnosed within an accuracy of four bridging pairs. The techniques are still applicable when there are only 10 failing patterns due to limited ATE failure memory. This paper demonstrates the feasibility to diagnose logic-chain bridging faults by software.
Great Vessel Transposition for Antegrade Delivery of the TAG Endoprosthesis in the Proximal Aortic Arch

Purpose: To report a technique for antegrade delivery of the TAG stent-graft during repair of lesions in the proximal aortic arch. Technique: Via an 8-cm median sternotomy, a bifurcated graft, usually 14 or 16 mm in diameter, is anastomosed to the ascending aorta with 4–0 Prolene suture; a 10-mm straight graft is cut obliquely and anastomosed to the heel of the bifurcated graft for delivery of the endograft antegrade across the aortic arch. The great vessels in turn are clamped, transected at the arch, and sutured to the bypass graft. A 9-F sheath is secured in the conduit, and a 250-cm angled hydrophilic guidewire is passed to the desired iliac artery and exteriorized through the femoral sheath. The conduit is clamped, and the TAG's delivery sheath is substituted for the 9-F sheath. A marker is placed on the conduit to assure that the stent-graft is deployed just beyond the limb origins of the bifurcated graft. The conduit is introduced across the aortic arch, followed by the endograft, which is positioned at the marker as the sheath is withdrawn into the conduit. After completion angiography, the delivery sheath is removed, and the conduit is transected and oversewn. Heparinization is reversed, and the incision is closed, with one mediastinal drainage tube in place. Conclusions: This technique allows precise delivery of the endoluminal graft at the proximal aortic arch, thus avoiding problems with retrograde delivery.
Separation and characterization of superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD‐1) from human erythrocytes by capillary electrophoresis time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry

Cu, Zn‐superoxide dismutase (SOD‐1) is a homodimeric metalloenzyme that has been related to ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis). The majority of ALS cases are sporadic while approximately 10% are inherited (familial ALS, FALS). Mutations in the amino acid sequence of human SOD‐1 cause only 25% of the FALS cases, while the explanation for the rest is not clear yet. In this way, several authors have suggested the importance of posttranslational modifications or dimer dissociation on formation of the characteristic fatal intraneuronal SOD‐1 aggregates. In this paper, we used capillary electrophoresis‐electrospray mass spectrometry with an accurate mass and high‐resolution time‐of‐flight mass spectrometer (CE‐TOF‐MS) for separation and characterization of standard bovine SOD‐1 and human SOD‐1 purified from erythrocytes. Two background electrolytes (BGEs) were used for CE‐TOF‐MS experiments in positive ion mode. An acidic BGE allowed detection of apo‐monomer SOD‐1, because the metal ions were completely released during the electrophoretic separation. The better sensitivity at acidic pH was especially interesting to detect different isoforms of human SOD‐1. In contrast, a neutral BGE provided enhanced conditions for detection of the fully metalated dimeric and monomeric enzyme, but selecting an appropriate fragmentor voltage value in the TOF analyzer was critical to obtain reliable quantitative information. Anyway, only the metalated forms involving the main isoform of human SOD‐1 were detected due to the lower sensitivity. Hence, the combination of both methodologies resulted necessary to obtain detailed structural information from the enzyme.
Therapeutic rigid bronchoscopy allows level of care changes in patients with acute respiratory failure from central airways obstruction.

OBJECTIVE To determine whether emergency rigid bronchoscopic intervention, including Nd-YAG laser resection or stenting, immediately affected the need for continued mechanical ventilation or intensive care level of support in critically ill patients with acute respiratory failure from malignant or benign central airways obstruction. DESIGN Retrospective review of medical records of all patients with acute respiratory failure and malignant or benign tracheobronchial obstruction necessitating intubation, mechanical ventilation, or hospitalization in the ICU prior to referral for therapeutic bronchoscopy. SETTING University of California San Diego, a tertiary care institution specialized in airway management. PATIENTS Medical records of 32 patients with malignant or benign central airways obstruction requiring admission to the ICU prior to rigid bronchoscopic intervention between January 1994 and April 1996. INTERVENTIONS Emergent rigid bronchoscopy with dilatation, Nd-YAG laser resection, or silicone stent insertion performed in the operating room under general anesthesia. RESULTS Thirty-two patients with central airways obstruction requiring emergent hospitalization in the ICU were referred for therapeutic rigid bronchoscopy. Airway strictures were caused by benign disease in 18 patients, and by primary bronchogenic lung cancer in 14. Of the 19 patients who were mechanically ventilated, bronchoscopic intervention allowed immediate discontinuation of mechanical ventilation in 10 (52.6%). Twenty-five patients had indwelling artificial airways (12 endotracheal tubes, 13 tracheotomy tubes). Two, however, were considered tracheotomy-dependent because of neuromuscular disease. Of the remaining 23 patients, immediate extubation or decannulation was possible in seven (30.4%). Of seven patients with no indwelling airway, five (71.4%) were immediately transferred to a lower level of care after intervention. Of the 32 total patients, 20 (62.5%) were immediately transferred to a lower level of care immediately after intervention. CONCLUSIONS Emergency laser resection or stent insertion can favorably affect health-care utilization in patients with acute respiratory distress from central airways obstruction. Treatment may be lifesaving and allows successful withdrawal from mechanical ventilation, hospitalization in a lower level of care environment, relief of symptoms, and extended survival in critically ill patients. In patients with regionally advanced cancer, the palliative nature of this procedure postpones death by respiratory distress and may prompt consideration for institution of conservative comfort measures to reduce patient suffering.
Pareto-optimal radar waveform design

This paper deals with the problem of Pareto-optimal waveform design in the presence of colored Gaussian noise, under a similarity and an energy constraint. At the design stage, we determine the optimal radar code according to the following criterion: joint constrained maximization of the detection probability and constrained minimization of the Cramer Rao Lower Bound (CRLB) on the Doppler estimation accuracy. This is tantamount to jointly maximizing two quadratic forms under two quadratic constraints, so that the problem can be formulated in terms of a non-convex multi-objective optimization problem. In order to solve it, we resort to the scalarization technique, which reduces the vectorial problem into a scalar one using a Pareto weight defining the relative importance of the two objective functions. At the analysis stage, we assess the performance of the proposed waveform design scheme in terms of detection performance and region of achievable Doppler estimation accuracy. In particular, we analyze the role of the Pareto weight in the optimization process.
Neurite‐Promoting Activities of Phosphatidylinositol and Other Lipids on Fetal Rat Septal Neurons in Culture

Abstract: Neurite‐promoting activities of lipids were assessed using serum‐free cultures of fetal rat septal neurons. The most potent one was phosphatidylinositol (PI), followed by PI 4‐phosphate, phosphatidylserine, sphingomyelin, and phosphatidylcholine. The EC50 value for PI was 1.5 μg/ml (1.8 μM), and activity was maximal at 4 μg/ml (56% of total cells had neurites after 24 h). Cerebroside, sulfatide, and di‐ and triacylglycerols showed relatively low activities. Synthetic dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine was also active, with a maximal activity (47%) at 100 μg/ml, a finding implying that the unsaturated fatty acid moiety is not released and further used as substrate for the arachidonic acid cascade. Lysophospholipids, phosphatidylglycerol, and cardiolipin were rather cytotoxic and lacked activity, an observation suggesting that membrane perturbation is not responsible for the neuritepromoting activity. Treatment with a protein kinase C inhibitor, H‐7, or an Na+,K+‐ATPase inhibitor, ouabain, inhibited the PI‐induced neurite outgrowth, but the cyclic AMP‐ and cyclic GMP‐dependent protein kinase inhibitor HA1004 did not inhibit this activity, a result indicating that multiple elements (protein kinase C and Na+,K+‐ATPase) are involved in the induction of neurites. Because phospholipids can be provided either as lipid vesicles or as lipoproteins produced by macrophages at regeneration sites, they may play an important role in the regeneration of certain populations of neurons.
Factors Associated with Perceived Quality of Life Many Years After Traumatic Brain Injury

Objectives:To explore factors associated with perceived quality of life (QOL) 8 to 24 years after traumatic brain injury (TBI). Design:Retrospective cohort study. Participants:Two hundred seventy-five individuals who sustained moderate to severe TBI who were discharged from a rehabilitation hospital participated in this study. We interviewed consenting participants up to 24 years after injury. Outcome Measures:Self-rated Quality of Life Scale. Results:Multivariate linear regression analyses revealed that perceived mental health, self-rated health, gender (women rating QOL higher), participation in work and leisure, and the availability of emotional support were significantly associated with QOL (P < .05). Conclusion:The importance of designing ongoing support programs to further reintegrate TBI survivors several years after injury is discussed.
Dietary compliance and its association with glycemic control among poorly controlled type 2 diabetic outpatients in Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia.

INTRODUCTION Compliance with medical nutrition therapy is important to improve patient outcomes. The purpose of this study was to determine dietary compliance and its association with glycemic control among outpatients with poorly controlled type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia (HUSM). METHODS In this cross-sectional study, patients who had a glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) level of at least 6.5%, after attending a diet counseling session at the Outpatient Dietetic Clinic, HUSM, were enrolled. Out of 150 diabetic patients reviewed between 2006 and 2008, 61 adults (32 men and 29 women) agreed to participate in this study. A questionnaire-based interview was used to collect socio-demographic, clinical and diabetes self-care data. The patient's dietary compliance rate was determined by the Summary of Diabetes Self-Care Activities (SDSCA) measure. Anthropometric and biological measurements were also taken. RESULTS Only 16.4% of the respondents adhered to the dietary regimen provided by dietitians. Among the 7 dietary self-care behaviours, item number 6 (eat lots of food high in dietary fibre such as vegetable or oats) had the highest compliant rate (54.1%); whereas item number 3 (eat five or more servings of fruits and vegetables per day) had the lowest compliant rate (23.0%). There was a significant association between gender (p = 0.037) and fasting blood sugar (FBS) (p = 0.007) with the compliance status. CONCLUSION Dietary non-compliance is still common among T2DM patients. Dietitians need to improve their skills and use more effective intervention approaches in providing dietary counseling to patients.
Huntington Disease

Adult-onset Huntington disease, the most common form of this disorder, usually appears in a person's thirties or forties. Early signs and symptoms can include irritability, depression, small involuntary movements, poor coordination, and trouble learning new information or making decisions. Many people with Huntington disease develop involuntary jerking or twitching movements known as chorea. As the disease progresses, these movements become more pronounced. Affected individuals may have trouble walking, speaking, and swallowing. People with this disorder also experience changes in personality and a decline in thinking and reasoning abilities. Individuals with the adult-onset form of Huntington disease usually live about 15 to 20 years after signs and symptoms begin.
From Android games to coding in C—An approach to motivate novice engineering students to learn programming: A case study

This paper deals with the problem of overcoming difficulties and raising the motivation of novice engineering students studying programming. We consider this an important factor for engineering education in general and for programming of embedded devices, as well as for calculations and modeling in the field of scientific computing in particular. We present a case study on how novice engineering students can be motivated to study structured programming and coding in C using game programming in the App Inventor environment. The study is based on the authors’ practical teaching experience in the Applied Sciences University for novice programmers, with students of the Technology of Smart Devices specialty, as well as the authors’ long‐time research activities in teaching Computer Science.
Hospitalizations for Valvular Heart Disease in Chronic Dialysis Patients in the United States

Background: Valvular heart disease has not been studied in a national population of end stage renal disease patients. Methods: 327,993 dialysis patients in the United States Renal Data System initiated from 1 January 1992 to 30 June 1997 were analyzed in a historical cohort study of patients hospitalized for valvular heart disease (ICD9 Code 424.x, excluding endocarditis, and 394.x-397.x). Results: 2,778 dialysis patients were hospitalized for VHD (incidence rate, 3.57 per 1,000 person years), and dialysis patients had an age-adjusted incidence ratio for valvular heart disease of 5.06 (95% confidence interval, 4.00–6.42) compared to the general population in 1996. In Cox regression analysis, time to hospitalization for valvular heart disease was associated with earlier year of first dialysis, increased age, congestive heart failure and use of erythropoietin prior to dialysis, while African-American race (AHR 0.62, 0.52–0.74) was associated with decreased risk of hospitalization for valvular heart disease. Patients hospitalized for valvular heart disease had increased mortality compared to all other dialysis patients (adjusted hazard ratio by Cox regression 1.35, 95% CI, 1.25–1.46). Conclusions: Dialysis patients were at increased risk for hospitalizations for valvular heart disease compared to the general population, which substantially decreased patient survival. The reasons for the decreased risk of African-Americans on chronic dialysis for this complication should be the subject of future trials.
The in vitro Effect of Leptin onBasal and Growth Hormone-Releasing Hormone-StimulatedGrowth Hormone Secretion from theOvine Pituitary Gland

We have studied the direct effect of leptin on the secretion of GH from the anterior pituitary gland of the sheep. Using primary cultures of ovine pituitary cells, leptin (10–9–10–7 M) treatment for 30 min did not affect basal or GHRH (10–7 M)-stimulated GH secretion. Following treatment for 24 h, a dose of 10–7 M leptin stimulated basal GH secretion. In contrast, doses of 10–7 and 10–8 M leptin inhibited GHRH-stimulated GH secretion after 24 h of treatment. These results suggest that leptin can have long-term effects on the somatotropes, but no acute effect. Furthermore, leptin appears to have opposite effects on basal and GHRH-stimulated GH secretion.
Do patients with unexplained physical symptoms pressurise general practitioners for somatic treatment? A qualitative study

Abstract Objectives To identify the ways in which patients with medically unexplained symptoms present their problems and needs to general practitioners and to identify the forms of presentation that might lead general practitioners to feel pressurised to deliver somatic interventions. Design Qualitative analysis of audiorecorded consultations between patients and general practitioners. Setting 7 general practices in Merseyside, England. Participants 36 patients selected consecutively from 21 general practices, in whom doctors considered that patients' symptoms were medically unexplained. Main outcome measures Inductive qualitative analysis of ways in which patients presented their symptoms to general practitioners. Results Although 34 patients received somatic interventions (27 received drug prescriptions, 12 underwent investigations, and four were referred), only 10 requested them. However, patients presented in other ways that had the potential to pressurise general practitioners, including: graphic and emotional language; complex patterns of symptoms that resisted explanation; description of emotional and social effects of symptoms; reference to other individuals as authority for the severity of symptoms; and biomedical explanations. Conclusions Most patients with unexplained symptoms received somatic interventions from their general practitioners but had not requested them. Though such patients apparently seek to engage the general practitioner by conveying the reality of their suffering, general practitioners respond symptomatically.