Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of Time in Therapeutic Range (TTR) in Patients with Non-Valvular Atrial Fibrillation Receiving Treatment with Warfarin in Tehran, Iran: A Cross-Sectional Study.

INTRODUCTION Anticoagulant control is assessed by Time in Therapeutic Range (TTR). For a given patient, TTR is defined as the duration of time in which the patient's International Normalized Ratio (INR) values were within a desired range. AIM To assess TTR in patients receiving treatment with warfarin for non-valvular atrial fibrillation at a referral center for cardiovascular diseases in Tehran, Iran. MATERIALS AND METHOD Over 6 months, we enrolled eligible patients presenting to Shaheed Rajaie Hospital in Tehran for regular INR testing. Demographic data, medical history, and current medications were determined for all participants. TTR was assessed by the Rosendaal method. RESULTS A total of 470 patients (mean age 58.0±14.2 years, 60.2% women) underwent 1450 INR measurements. The mean TTR was calculated as 54.9±11.9%. Of the sample patients, 37.3% were in the good control category (TTR > 70%), 24.6% were in the intermediate category (50% < TTR < 70%), and 38.1% were in the poor control category (TTR < 50%). The number of current medications above four was a significant predictor of poor control (OR = 2.06; 95% CI, 1.87, 2.23). The mean TTR of the studied patients (54.9%) was below the good control range. CONCLUSION The quality of anticoagulant therapy with warfarin in Iranian patients was poorer than that reported in European countries. Based on these results, research considering the causes of poor TTR among Iranian patients is recommended.
Effect of NQO1 and CYP4F2 genotypes on warfarin dose requirements in Hispanic-Americans and African-Americans.

AIM The objective of this study was to determine the additional contribution of NQO1 and CYP4F2 genotypes to warfarin dose requirements across two racial groups after accounting for known clinical and genetic predictors. PATIENTS & METHODS The following were assessed in a cohort of 260 African-Americans and 53 Hispanic-Americans: clinical data; NQO1 p.P187S (*1/*2); CYP2C9*2, *3, *5, *6, *8 and *11; CYP4F2 p.V433M; and VKORC1 c. -1639G>A genotypes. RESULTS Both the CYP4F2 433M (0.23 vs 0.06; p < 0.05) and NQO1*2 (0.27 vs 0.18; p < 0.05) allele frequencies were higher in Hispanic-Americans compared with African-Americans. Multiple regression analysis in the Hispanic-American cohort revealed that each CYP4F2 433M allele was associated with a 22% increase in warfarin maintenance dose (p = 0.019). Possession of the NQO1*2 allele was associated with a 34% increase in warfarin maintenance dose (p = 0.004), while adjusting for associated genetic (CYP2C9, CYP4F2 and VKORC1) and clinical factors. In this population, the inclusion of CYP4F2 and NQO1*2 genotypes improved the dose variability explained by the model from 0.58 to 0.68 (p = 0.001), a 17% relative improvement. By contrast, there was no association between CYP4F2 or NQO1*2 genotype and therapeutic warfarin dose in African-Americans after adjusting for known genetic and clinical predictors. CONCLUSION In our cohort of inner-city Hispanic-Americans, the CYP4F2 and NQO1*2 genotypes significantly contributed to warfarin dose requirements. If our findings are confirmed, they would suggest that inclusion of the CYP4F2 and NQO1*2 genotypes in warfarin dose prediction algorithms may improve the predictive ability of such algorithms in Hispanic-Americans.
Surface Plasmonic Nanodisk/Nanopan Lasers

We report the demonstration of subwavelength plasmonic lasers from a semiconductor nanodisk with a silver nanopan cavity. Full 3-D surface-plasmon-polariton (SPP) lasing was achieved because the nanodisk/nanopan structure enables excitation of high-quality SPP modes with subwavelength mode volumes. The optical properties of all possible resonant modes including SPP and optical modes excited in the nanodisk/nanopan were calculated and analyzed systematically using the finite-difference time-domain method. To fabricate the nanodisk/nanopan structure with an ultra-smooth silver surface, conformal deposition of silver was performed on the nanodisk. Rich SPP lasing actions were demonstrated through optical pumping of the fabricated structures. The observed SPP lasing modes were indentified unambiguously from measurements of the spectrum, mode image, and polarization state. These measurements compared well with the simulation results. In particular, the significant temperature-dependent threshold of the SPP lasers, which distinguishes SPP modes from conventional optical modes, was measured. This subwavelength SPP laser is a significant step toward the further miniaturization of a coherent light source in ultra-compact photonic integrated circuits.
Recurrent Fuzzy Cerebellar Model Articulation Neural Network Based Power Control of a Single-Stage Three-Phase Grid-Connected Photovoltaic System During Grid Faults

A recurrent fuzzy cerebellar model articulation neural network (RFCMANN)-based controller to regulate the active and reactive power of a single-stage three-phase grid-connected photovoltaic (PV) system during grid faults is proposed in this study. Since the rapid growth of the amount of the PV systems in recent year has greatly affected the stability of the power system, the grid codes demand the grid-connected PV systems to have the low-voltage ride through (LVRT) capability to help sustaining the stability of power system especially during the grid faults. To satisfy the LVRT requirements and ensure the injected current within the safety value, the active and reactive power commands are calculated by using the current profile of the LVRT grid requirements and the current limit of the inverter. Moreover, the proposed RFCMANN controller uses the signed distance and input space repartition mechanisms to convert the dual-input variables to sole-input variable and repartition the input space to an appropriate quantity. Therefore, the structure and computation complexities of the proposed RFCMANN controller are effectively reduced and make it more practical. Furthermore, varied learning-rate coefficients are designed to guarantee the convergence of the tracking error for the proposed RFCMANN controller.
Essays on the Structural Models of Executive Compensation

This dissertation is composed of three chapters in which I use both reduced-form approach and structural approach to study executive compensation in S&P1500 rms from 1993 to 2005. Chapter 1 provides the literature and methodology background of this dissertation. I summarize existing accounting empirical studies on executive compensation under two tasks, that is, (1) testing contract theory and (2) analyzing policies. I compare structural approach with reduced-form approach in terms of their scopes, execution, and comparative advantages. Also, I briey introduce the steps of implementing structural analysis and close this chapter with a high level plan for the following two chapters. Chapter 2 focuses on the rst task and is based on my job market paper entitled "Mutual Monitoring within Top Management Teams: A Structural Modeling Investigation". I study whether executive compensation reects that shareholders take advantage of top managersmutual monitoring. Mutual monitoring as a solution to moral hazard has been extensively studied by theorists, but the empirical results are few and mixed. This chapter semi-parametrically identi es and tests three structural models of principal-two-agent moral hazard. The Mutual Monitoring with Individual Utility Maximization Model is the most plausible one to rationalize the data of executive compensation and stock returns. The No Mutual Monitoring Model is also plausible but relies on the assumption that managers have heterogeneous risk preferences across rm characteristics. The Mutual Monitoring with Total Utility Maximization Model is rejected by the data. These results indicate that shareholders seem to recognize and exploit complementary incentive mechanisms, such as mutual monitoring among self-interested top executives, to design compensation. Chapter 3 focuses on the second task and attempts to answer the question in its title, Do 2002 Governance Rules a¤ect CEOsCompensation? From two non-parametric tests, I found that both the CEOscompensation contract shape and the distribution of gross abnormal return (performance measure) have signi cantly changed after 2002. These changes indicate that shareholders may have adjusted CEOscompensation contract to those governance rules. The results also give con dence to a more sophisticated test using structural approach based on welfare estimation.
Description of Particle Size, Distribution, and Behavior of Talc Preparations Commercially Available Within the United States

Background: Widespread use of talc pleurodesis remains controversial for many providers concerned by adverse events such as respiratory failure, which are sometimes fatal. Particle talc size has been implicated in these adverse effects, mainly on the basis of animal studies utilizing large amounts of talc or in observational studies performed on different continents with different talc preparations and doses. Our aim was to determine the particle size and distribution of only the commercially available US-talc preparations and whether the fluid content can affect this distribution. Methods: Commercially available US talc was evaluated under scanning electron microscopy and dynamic light scattering (DLS). Distribution of talc particle size was obtained in saline and various protein-based solutions. Results: Talc particle size by DLS was performed with commercially available Sterile Talc Powder and Sclerosol Intrapleural Aerosol. Sterile Talc Powder demonstrated a median diameter of 26.57 &mgr;m with a range of particle sizes from 0.399 &mgr;m to 100.237 &mgr;m. Sclerosol demonstrated a median diameter of 24.49 &mgr;m with a range of particle sizes from 0.224 &mgr;m to 100.237 &mgr;m. The exposure of talc to a protein rich environment (bovine serum albumin and human pleural fluid) led to the development of measureable, new, larger aggregated particle (>100 &mgr;m). Conclusions: Currently available US talc seems to have size characteristics similar to previous described “graded” talc preparations. The exposure of talc to a protein rich environment seems to modify the overall distribution of talc particle size when examined by DLS.
Ultrasound brachial plexus anesthesia and analgesia for upper extremity surgery: essentials of our current understanding, 2011

Purpose of review Ultrasound-guidance is gaining tremendous popularity. There is growing evidence of value with emphasis on clinical relevance, but can ultrasound-guidance scientifically warrant changing the practice of upper extremity regional? The literature is searched to describe findings where ultrasound may reduce complication rates, reduce block performance times, and improve block efficacy and quality. Recent findings Ultrasound examination identified variations in anatomical positioning of C5-C7 roots in approximately half of all patients despite no deleterious effects on block efficacy. Anesthetic volumes in brachial plexus blockade may be reduced without compromise of effectiveness. However, even with reduced volumes injected into the interscalene space, respiratory compromise from effect(s) on the phrenic nerve may result in hemi-diaphragmatic paresis. Ultrasound-guidance may reduce discomfort during axillary block placement compared with neurostimulation or parasthesia. Nerve catheters may be highly effective and provide prolonged analgesia compared with single-shot injections. Infraclavicular catheters result in improved analgesia compared with supraclavicular catheters and multiple injections of local provide no advantage over single-shot infraclavicular blockade. Dexamethasone combined with local may extend analgesia following a single-injection interscalene or supraclavicular block. During interscalene blockade, intraepineurial injections may occur, but incidence of nerve injury remains low. Therefore, debate continues about intraepineurial injections. Summary Intraepineurial injection requires additional investigation. Conclusions have suggested reducing typical volumes (40 ml) of local with ultrasound-directed upper extremity blockade. Increased use of perineural catheters is being advocated for prolonged analgesia, but risk-to-benefit consequences need to always be considered.
Temporal Patterns of Uncoupling Between Oxidative Metabolism and Regional Cerebral Blood Flow Demonstrated by Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES.Brain activation can be detected by functional magnetic resonance imaging. Termination of stimulation can cause drop of postactivation signal below preactivation baseline; the nature of this “undershoot” remains controversial. The authors investigated postactivation signal after stimulation of the visual cortex with photic stimuli of different duration. METHODS.Activation of visual cortex in 11 healthy subjects was studied. The authors underwent short and long stimulation. The relation between activation and postactivation signal was investigated after both durations of stimulation. RESULTS.Average postactivation signal after short stimulation was -1.71± 2.66% and after long stimulation 0.82 ± 1.59% (P ≤ 0.01). Significant “undershoot” was detected after short stimulation in the majority of cases, although this was typically absent after long stimulation. CONCLUSIONS.The authors propose that “undershoot”is caused by decreased oxygen content in venous blood compared with the preactivation level and may reflect increased extraction of oxygen as a result of glycolytic metabolism. The absence of “undershoot” after longer stimulation suggests a gradual shift from uncoupling between regional cerebral blood flow and oxygen consumption toward a steady state.
Transcription factors Runx1 to 3 are expressed in the lacrimal gland epithelium and are involved in regulation of gland morphogenesis and regeneration.

PURPOSE Lacrimal gland (LG) morphogenesis and repair are regulated by a complex interplay of intrinsic factors (e.g., transcription factors) and extrinsic signals (e.g., soluble growth/signaling factors). Many of these interconnections remain poorly characterized. Runt-related (Runx) factors belong to a small family of heterodimeric transcription factors known to regulate lineage-specific proliferation and differentiation of stem cells. The purpose of this study was to define the expression pattern and the role of Runx proteins in LG development and regeneration. METHODS Expression of epithelial-restricted transcription factors in murine LG was examined using immunostaining, qRT-PCR, and RT(2)Profiler PCR microarrays. The role of Runx transcription factors in LG morphogenesis was studied using siRNA and ex vivo LG cultures. Expression of Runx transcription factors during LG regeneration was assessed using in vivo model of LG regeneration. RESULTS We found that Runx factors are expressed in the epithelial compartment of the LG; in particular, Runx1 was restricted to the epithelium with highest level of expression in ductal and centroacinar cells. Downregulation of Runx1 to 3 expression using Runx-specific siRNAs abolished LG growth and branching and our data suggest that Runx1, 2, and 3 are partially redundant in LG development. In siRNA-treated LG, reduction of branching correlated with reduction of epithelial proliferation, as well as expression of cyclin D1 and the putative epithelial progenitor cell marker cytokeratin-5. Runx1, Runx3, and cytokeratin-5 expression increased significantly in regenerating LG and there was modest increase in Runx2 expression during LG differentiation. CONCLUSIONS Runx1 and 2 are new markers of the LG epithelial lineage and Runx factors are important for normal LG morphogenesis and regeneration.
Eye tracking off the shelf

What if eye trackers could be downloaded and used immediately with standard cameras connected to a computer, without the need for an expert to setup the system? This has already the case for head trackers, so why not for eye trackers? Using components off-the-shelf (COTS) for camera-based eye tracking tasks has many advantages, but it certainly introduces several new problems as less assumptions on the system can be made. As a consequence of using COTS the price for eye tracking devices can be reduced while increasing the accessibility of these systems. Eye tracking based on COTS holds potential for a large number of possible applications such as in the games industry and eye typing [Majaranta and Räihä 2002]. Different cameras may be purchased depending on the need and the amount of money the user is willing to spend on the camera. In this framework it is not possible to use IR light sources and other novel engineered devices as they cannot be bought in a common hardware store. Very little control over the cameras and the geometry of the setup can be expected. The methods employed for eye tracking should therefore be able to handle changes in light conditions and image defocusing and scale changes [Hansen and Pece 2003]. On the same token pan-and-tilt cameras cannot be used, thus forcing such systems to be passive. Figure 1 shows a possible setup of a COTS-based eye tracker. When designing systems for the general public, it is unrealistic to assume that people are able to do camera calibration and make accurate setups of camera, monitor and user. Since little is known about the setup, would this then require a vast amount of calibration points needed for gaze estimation? That is, how many calibration points are really needed? Obviously the more calibration points are used the better the chances are to be able to infer the mapping from the image to gaze direction. It would even be possible to sample the entire function space provided sufficiently many calibration points are given. From the point of view of the users, a low number of calibration points is preferred as calibration may be considered as a tedious procedure. Systems that require many calibration points for every session are therefore not likely to succeed. It is also important to know the accuracy in gaze determination when using COTS to determine their applicability for various tasks.
Regression of coronary atherosclerosis with infusions of the high-density lipoprotein mimetic CER-001 in patients with more extensive plaque burden.

BACKGROUND CER-001 is an engineered pre-beta high-density lipoprotein (HDL) mimetic, which rapidly mobilizes cholesterol. Infusion of CER-001 3 mg/kg exhibited a potentially favorable effect on plaque burden in the CHI-SQUARE (Can HDL Infusions Significantly Quicken Atherosclerosis Regression) study. Since baseline atheroma burden has been shown as a determinant for the efficacy of HDL infusions, the degree of baseline atheroma burden might influence the effect of CER-001. METHODS CHI-SQUARE compared the effect of 6 weekly infusions of CER-001 (3, 6 and 12 mg/kg) vs. placebo on coronary atherosclerosis in 369 patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) using serial intravascular ultrasound (IVUS). Baseline percent atheroma volume (B-PAV) cutoff associated with atheroma regression following CER-001 infusions was determined by receiver-operating characteristics curve analysis. 369 subjects were stratified according to the cutoff. The effect of CER-001 at different doses was compared to placebo in each group. RESULTS A B-PAV ≥30% was the optimal cutoff associated with PAV regression following CER-001 infusions. CER-001 induced PAV regression in patients with B-PAV ≥30% but not in those with B-PAV <30% (-0.45%±2.65% vs. +0.34%±1.69%, P=0.01). Compared to placebo, the greatest PAV regression was observed with CER-001 3mg/kg in patients with B-PAV ≥30% (-0.96%±0.34% vs. -0.25%±0.31%, P=0.01), whereas there were no differences between placebo (+0.09%±0.36%) versus CER-001 in patients with B-PAV <30% (3 mg/kg; +0.41%±0.32%, P=0.39; 6 mg/kg; +0.27%±0.36%, P=0.76; 12 mg/kg; +0.32%±0.37%, P=0.97). CONCLUSIONS Infusions of CER-001 3 mg/kg induced the greatest atheroma regression in ACS patients with higher B-PAV. These findings identify ACS patients with more extensive disease as most likely to benefit from HDL mimetic therapy.
Arbitrarily primed polymerase chain reaction as a rapid method to differentiate crossed from independent Pseudomonas cepacia infections in cystic fibrosis patients

We used DNA fingerprinting by the arbitrarily primed polymerase chain reaction (AP-PCR) technique for an epidemiological investigation of 23 Pseudomonas cepacia isolates obtained from 11 cystic fibrosis (CF) patients attending our CF center. This approach was compared with ribotyping, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), and conventional phenotypic typing. AP-PCR and ribotyping were identical in resolving power, since the two methods generated four different profiles and identified the same group of strains. Six patients on the one hand and four on the other harbored strains of the same genotype, thus raising the possibility of either patient-to-patient transmission or acquisition from a common hospital environmental source. PFGE results were in good agreement with those of the other two methods, but PFGE seems more discriminative since it generated a fifth profile for a single strain in a group of four. Our results show in vivo stability for the three methods during a period extending from 3 to 41 months. These genotypic techniques are particularly promising for clinical laboratories to help to clarify the epidemiology of P. cepacia in CF patients. The AP-PCR method constitutes an easier alternative to the well-established ribotyping method. AP-PCR provides the quickest results with minimal technical complexity. However, our results suggest that it is less discriminative than the labor-intensive PFGE method.
Comprehensive surgical and chemotherapy treatment for invasive bladder cancer.

INTRODUCTION The treatment of transitional cell bladder cancer with muscular invasion remains difficult, due to the numerous patterns of biological behaviour of the disease. There is controversy regarding the application of systemic therapy in invasive bladder carcinoma and the ideal time for the indication of perioperative chemotherapy. This is an overview of systemic therapy in invasive bladder cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS Using MEDLINE, we reviewed relevant English and Spanish literature published during the last five years, with "chemotherapy in bladder cancer" as keywords. We selected randomised trials, meta-analyses and clinical trials. RESULTS We obtained 241 articles, 31 of which referred to neoadjuvant and adjuvant chemotherapy in invasive bladder cancer. We classified the articles into three different groups: neoadjuvant, adjuvant and neoadjuvant plus chemotherapy. This information is shown in the tables within the text. CONCLUSIONS A multidisciplinary approach to the treatment of invasive bladder cancer is essential to guarantee adequate oncological control. Detailed evaluation and proper selection of each patient is fundamental in determining the best moment to start chemotherapy.