Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Left atrial appendage occlusion: rationale, evidence, devices, and patient selection

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a worldwide epidemic associated with significant morbidity and mortality, often due to disabling or fatal thromboembolic stroke. Oral anticoagulation is highly effective at preventing ischaemic stroke and improving all-cause survival in patients with non-valvular AF. Despite the efficacy of oral anticoagulation, many patients are not treated due to either absolute or perceived contraindications to therapy, including bleeding. Left atrial appendage (LAA) closure has emerged as a mechanical alternative to pharmacologic stroke prevention. Initial and mid-term clinical trial data suggest that LAA closure is safe, with less intracranial bleeding, and a net clinical benefit that appears to be non-inferior to oral anticoagulation. However, concern remains over the possible increased risk of ischaemic stroke in long-term follow-up. Careful patient selection for LAA closure is paramount. Patients with prior intracranial bleeding or recurrent serious bleeding who are not eligible for long-term oral anticoagulation are typical candidates for LAA closure; however, other populations may benefit as well, such as patients with end-stage renal disease. Clinical investigation and randomized trials are needed to clarify the best methods of LAA occlusion, optimal pharmacologic strategies in the short-term after LAA closure, and to identify patient populations who will derive the most benefit from LAA occlusion. In this article, we review the rationale for LAA closure, the currently available devices and their evidence base, patient selection, challenges in management, and future directions for LAA closure science.
Complete integrability in a quantum description of chaotic systems.

For quantum bound systems whose classical versions are nonintegrable, coupled dynamical equations for both energy levels and eigenfunctions with a nonintegrability parameter $t$ taken as "time" are shown to be a completely integrable Calogero-Moser system in 1 + 1 dimensions with internal complex vector space. Lax forms and their complete algebraic solutions are given which, in place of statistical mechanics procedures, determine possible energy spectrum and wave-function patterns at an arbitrary value of $t$.
The role of mobile phones in facilitating communication among the Maasai pastoralists in Tanzania

This study aimed at examining the role of mobile phones in facilitating information communication for socio-economic development among the Maasai pastoralists in Monduli District, Tanzania. Specific objectives were to examine the pattern of access to and use of mobile phones by the pastoralists, investigate the ways in which mobile phones facilitate communication among pastoralist communities, examine the constraints in the usage of mobile phones and determine ways in which the usage of mobile phones by the Maasai pastoralists would be improved. The study was basically cross-sectional and data was mainly collected through questionnaires, interviews and observations. Major findings of this study revealed that many of the mobile phone options are known and used, but phone call is the most used option. It was also revealed that mobile phones are used for communicating with friends, family and veterinarians in carrying out financial transactions, finding out livestock prices in the market and information on new grazing areas. The constraints encountered in the use of mobile phones include network outage, high cost of recharging batteries, unavailability of vouchers, lack of electricity in the village and the language barrier. Finally, recommendations for improving mobile phone usage are given.
Directions and Trends in Aging Services: A German-American Comparison

Services for older people in many countries now appear to have strong similarities. There are, however, important differences in the directions and emphases of these services. This article examines factors related to differing trends in the development of services in the United States and West Germany, two countries that currently have major economic, social, and political commonalities. The differing historical development of these two countries is traced and related to the structure of services for the elderly, the role of professionals in developing these services, and the relative emphases on primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention. Predictions of future trends in services for older persons in the two countries are also explored.
RETINAL TOXICITY OF INTRAVITREAL KENALOG IN ALBINO RABBITS

Purpose: To evaluate possible toxicity of intravitreal Kenalog (commercial triamcinolone acetonide) to the retina of albino rabbits. Methods: Forty-three albino rabbits were injected intravitreally with 0.1 mL of experimental solution to the right eye and 0.1 mL of saline to the left eye (control). Rabbits in Group A (n = 28) were injected with 4 mg/0.1 mL of Kenalog suspension; rabbits in Group B (n = 8) were injected with 0.1 mL of Kenalog vehicle; and rabbits in Group C (n = 7) were injected with 4 mg/0.1 mL of triamcinolone acetonide. Rabbits were examined ophthalmoscopically and by electroretinogram (ERG) recordings before and at different time intervals after injection. At the end of follow-up, animals were killed and the retinas were prepared for light microscopy. Results: Thirty-eight rabbits completed 4 weeks of follow-up. Follow-up for 8 and 17 weeks was completed by 29 and 3 rabbits, respectively. Intravitreal commercial Kenalog or its vehicle alone caused approximately 50% reduction in the ERG b-wave amplitude at the end of follow-up. Pure triamcinolone acetonide caused only mild (up to 14%) reduction of the ERG b-wave amplitude. Histologic examination of retinas exposed to Kenalog or its vehicle showed severe damage to all retinal layers in areas close to the site of Kenalog injection. Conclusions: Intravitreal injection of 4 mg Kenalog suspension is retinotoxic to albino rabbit eyes. The vehicle of Kenalog is probably the main cause of this toxicity.
Model-based protocol engineering: Specifying Kerberos with object-process methodology

We overview and demonstrate a framework for model-based protocol engineering. Engineering standards, protocols, and standardized procedures, especially in computing and communication, must be structured, well-defined, and simple to understand, so they can gain wide acceptance and adoption. Yet, standards and protocols often lack an underlying formalism required to ensure their integrity, consistency, and traceability. Lack in these aspects can cause delay in standard publication, distribution, adoption, implementation, and utilization, and might discredit the standard and harm its sponsors' reputation. Model-based protocols are easier to understand, implement, test, and integrate with existing products, solutions, and systems. Our approach draws on the recently adopted ISO 19450 standard of Object-Process Methodology (OPM) - a holistic systems engineering paradigm for modeling complex, dynamic systems. We demonstrate the benefits of our model-based approach by employing OPM to specify the widely-accepted Kerberos protocol for networked computer user and device authentication.
FE-Simulation Based Optimization of an Adaptive Restraint System Considering Multiple Front-Crash Load Cases using LS-OPT

The purpose of this paper is to explore some interesting aspects of optimization for crashworthiness occupant safety applications and to propose optimization strategies for highly nonlinear problems. With the today’s state of technology it is possible to identify specific load cases and different types of occupants in the car. System parameters of the restraint system, such as trigger time for seat-belt, airbag and steering column can be adapted to particular load cases. This is refered to an adaptive restraint system.
Self-Driving Vehicles and Policy Implications: Current Status of Autonomous Vehicle Development and Minnesota Policy Implications

Whether you call them self-driving, driverless, automated, or autonomous, these vehicles are on the move. Recent announcements by Google (which drove over 500,000 miles on its original prototype vehicles)1 and other major automakers indicate the potential for development in this area. Driverless cars are often discussed as “disruptive technology” with the ability to transform transportation infrastructure, expand access, and deliver benefits to a variety of users. Some observers estimate limited availability of driverless cars by 2020, with wide availability to the public by 2040. This Article includes examination of the current status of this technology, and the implications for road safety, capacity, travel behavior, and cost. This Article also considers the regulatory framework and policy challenges this technology may face. In particular, this Article presents a Minnesota perspective. As the Minnesota Department of Transportation implements the Twenty-Year Minnesota State Highway Investment Plan and establishes priorities for the next several decades, state officials need information about the potential for © 2015 Adeel Lari, Frank Douma & Ify Onyiah * Adeel Lari is Director of Innovative Financing for the State and Local Policy Program at the Humphrey School of Public Affairs. ** Frank Douma, Research Fellow, Hubert H. Humphrey School of Public Affairs, University of Minnesota. I would like to thank my co-authors and the Transportation Policy and Economic Competitiveness Program at the University of Minnesota for making this article possible. *** Ify Onyiah is a graduate of the Hubert H. Humphrey School of Public Affairs and the University of Pennsylvania. 1. Google has since launched a fully autonomous prototype that does not allow human driving: it has no steering wheel, brake pedal, or accelerator pedal. Chris Urmson, Just Press Go: Designing a Self-Driving Vehicle, GOOGLE (May 27, 2014), http://googleblog.blogspot. com/2014/05/just-press-go-d esigning-self-driving.html. 736 MINN. J.L. SCI. & TECH. [Vol. 16:2 this technology to transform Minnesota’s transportation system. The Metropolitan Council also needs to pay serious attention, as self-driving cars can potentially change the way we live and travel within the Council’s planning horizon. Additionally, Minnesota policymakers will need to consider whether current policy accommodates the deployment of this driverless technology. Finally, this Article summarizes the current consensus about self-driving vehicles, considers the implications for Minnesota, and suggests steps that policymakers in Minnesota can take to prepare for such technology.
Stabilization of LTI systems over finite-state fading channels

This paper considers the state feedback stabilization over finite-state fading channels, where the stochastic characteristic of time-varying fading channels is assumed to be driven by a finite-state random process. The finite-state process is used to represent different channel fading amplitudes and/or to model different configurations of the overall physical environment. Necessary and sufficient conditions are given for stabilization over finite-state Markov fading channels. In the case of finite-state i.i. d. fading channels, explicit network requirements for stabilization are presented for both single-input case and multi-input case. Our results cover some existing results as special cases.
A generic visualization framework to help debug mobile-object-based distributed programs running on large networks

A generic visualization framework (VF) is proposed in this paper with the aim of aiding the debugging of mobile object-based distributed programs running on large networks. This framework consists of three logical layers, namely, the lower public Intranet (PI), the middle visualization data structures (VDS), and the upper visualization user interface (VUI). The VDS makes the VF generic because data structures can be adapted easily to accommodate different platforms that support mobile objects (agents). The adaptation does not affect the VUI and PI features described in this paper. In the simulation and tests, the VF was adapted for the stable Aglets mobile agent platform, and the preliminary results confirm that the VF is indeed a viable approach to help debug mobile object-based distributed programs running on large networks such as the Internet.
Reconciling the Krogh and Ussing interpretations of epithelial chloride transport – presenting a novel hypothesis for the physiological significance of the passive cellular chloride uptake

In 1937, August Krogh discovered a powerful active Cl− uptake mechanism in frog skin. After WWII, Hans Ussing continued the studies on the isolated skin and discovered the passive nature of the chloride uptake. The review concludes that the two modes of transport are associated with a minority cell type denoted as the γ‐type mitochondria‐rich (MR) cell, which is highly specialized for epithelial Cl− uptake whether the frog is in the pond of low [NaCl] or the skin is isolated and studied by Ussing chamber technique. One type of apical Cl− channels of the γ‐MR cell is activated by binding of Cl− to an external binding site and by membrane depolarization. This results in a tight coupling of the uptake of Na+ by principal cells and Cl− by MR cells. Another type of Cl− channels (probably CFTR) is involved in isotonic fluid uptake. It is suggested that the Cl− channels serve passive uptake of Cl− from the thin epidermal film of fluid produced by mucosal glands. The hypothesis is evaluated by discussing the turnover of water and ions of the epidermal surface fluid under terrestrial conditions. The apical Cl− channels close when the electrodiffusion force is outwardly directed as it is when the animal is in the pond. With the passive fluxes eliminated, the Cl− flux is governed by active transport and evidence is discussed that this is brought about by an exchange of cellular HCO3− with Cl− of the outside bath driven by an apical H+ V‐ATPase.
Mutual Fund Mergers: A Long-Term Analysis

The mutual fund merger is neither a rare nore recent phenomenon. During the period 1962-1999, one out of ever six open-end equity funds were merged out of business. Interestingly, the distribution of equity fund mergers clusters in the 1970s when volatile stock markets have a great adverse impact on the industry and in the 1990s when the industry grows rapidly with bullish stock markets. This paper investigates the determinants and consequences of mutual fund mergers. I hypothesize that mutual fund mergers play two roles in the fund dynamics - eliminating inefficient funds and supporting the growth of well-performing funds. Using a sample of 604 equity fund mergers from CRSP, I find that the acquired funds are small, underperform persistently, and experience net outflows. Logit regression results further show that funds with these attributes are more likely to be taken over. Acquiring funds' performance is above average in the pre-merger period, but deteriorates after mergers. I find some evidence that funds merge to exploit the economies of scale in fund management. Compared to acquired funds, liquidated funds are tiny and even younger. In conclusion, mutual fund mergers provide an exit mechanism for funds of small size or with inferior growth opportunity.
Control of health and welfare problems in organic sow herds

The occurrence of health and welfare problems is probably different in organic pig herds compared to conventional production systems. Improved management in the individual herd may reduce problems and to ensure a high level of animal health and product safety it is necessary to be able to monitor and assess risk factors present in the herd. An expert panel of 10 Danish and Swedish veterinarians and pig production advisers has assisted in the selection of common health and welfare problems in organic pig herds and the identification of risk factors. Important health and welfare problems and the corresponding risk factors are presented in the text. Based on this a HACCP programme for organic pig farmers as a management tool is currently being developed.
Role of neutrophils in acute inflammatory liver injury

Abstract: Hepatic infiltration of polymorphonuclear leukocytes (neutrophils) is an early response to tissue injury, cellular stress or systemic inflammation. Neutrophil activation is vital for host‐defense and the removal of cell debris but can also cause additional tissue damage or even liver failure. In order to prevent the detrimental effects of neutrophils without compromising host‐defense reactions, it is important to understand the mechanisms of neutrophil hepatotoxicity. The first step in the pathophysiology is the priming and recruitment of neutrophils into the liver vasculature by inflammatory mediators, e.g. cytokines, chemokines, or complement factors. Most critical for parenchymal cell damage is the accumulation in sinusoids, which does not depend on cellular adhesion molecules. The next step is the extravasation into the parenchyma. This process requires a chemotactic signal from hepatocytes or already extravasated neutrophils and depends on cellular adhesion molecules on neutrophils (β2 or β1 integrins) and on endothelial cells (intercellular or vascular cell adhesion molecules). The third step is the direct contact with target cells (hepatocytes), which involves β2 integrins and triggers the full activation of the neutrophil with a long‐lasting adherence‐dependent oxidant stress and degranulation. The oxidants diffuse into hepatocytes and trigger an intracellular oxidant stress, mitochondrial dysfunction and eventually cause oncotic necrotic cell death. Neutrophil‐derived proteases facilitate extravasation and are involved in the regulation of inflammatory mediator production. Based on these mechanisms, it appears that strengthening of the intracellular defense mechanisms in hepatocytes may be the most promising therapeutic approach to selectively prevent neutrophil‐mediated tissue damage without compromising their host‐defense function.
A Comprehensive Investigation of Analog Performance for Uniaxial Strained PMOSFETs

This paper presents a comprehensive investigation of the analog performance for uniaxial strained PMOSFETs with sub -100 nm gate length. Through a comparison between co-processed strained and unstrained devices regarding important analog metrics such as transconductance to drain current ratio (g m/I d), dc gain, linearity, low-frequency noise, and device mismatch, the impact of process-induced uniaxial strain on the analog performance of MOS devices has been assessed and analyzed. Our results indicate that, although the drain current noise spectral density and drain current mismatch of the strained device under low gate voltage overdrive are increased because of the larger gate-bias sensitivity of carrier mobility, the strained device has almost the same low frequency and mismatch performance as the unstrained one at a given g m/I d. This paper may provide insights for analog design using advanced strained devices.
highlighted topics Signal Transduction in Smooth Muscle Invited Review: cGMP-dependent protein kinase signaling mechanisms in smooth muscle: from the regulation of tone to gene expression

Invited Review: cGMP-dependent protein kinase signaling mechanisms in smooth muscle: from the regulation of tone to gene expression. J Appl Physiol 91: 1421–1430, 2001. —cGMP is a second messenger that produces its effects by interacting with intracellular receptor proteins. In smooth muscle cells, one of the major receptors for cGMP is the serine/ threonine protein kinase, cGMP-dependent protein kinase (PKG). PKG has been shown to catalyze the phosphorylation of a number of physio-logically relevant proteins whose function it is to regulate the contractile activity of the smooth muscle cell. These include proteins that regulate free intracellular calcium levels, the cytoskeleton, and the phosphoryla- tion state of the regulatory light chain of smooth muscle myosin. Other studies have shown that vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) that are cultured in vitro may cease to express PKG and will, coincidentally, acquire a noncontractile, synthetic phenotype. The restoration of PKG expression to the synthetic phenotype VSMC results in the cells acquir-ing a more contractile phenotype. These more recent studies suggest that PKG controls VSMC gene expression that, in turn, regulates phenotypic modulation of the cells. Therefore, the regulation of PKG gene expression appears to be linked to phenotypic modulation of VSMC. Because several vascular disorders are related to the accumulation of synthetic, ﬁbropro- liferative VSMC in the vessel wall, it is likely that changes in the activity of the nitric oxide/cGMP/PKG pathway is involved the development of these diseases. in Ca 2 1 inﬂux through L-type Ca 2 1 channels. The net effect of decreased Ca 2 1 inﬂux would be a decrease in global cell Ca 2 1 and relaxation. PKG may also have direct effects to inhibit Ca 2 1 channel activity.
Selective Inhibition of Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Phosphatases by Zinc Accounts for Extracellular Signal-Regulated Kinase 1/2-Dependent Oxidative Neuronal Cell Death

Oxidative stress induced by glutathione depletion in the mouse HT22 neuroblastoma cell line and embryonic rat immature cortical neurons causes a delayed, sustained activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) 1/2, which is required for cell death. This sustained activation of ERK1/2 is mediated primarily by a selective inhibition of distinct ERK1/2-directed phosphatases either by enhanced degradation (i.e., for mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphatase-1) or as shown here by reductions in enzymatic activity (i.e., for protein phosphatase type 2A). The inhibition of ERK1/2 phosphatases in HT22 cells and immature neurons subjected to glutathione depletion results from oxidative stress because phosphatase activity is restored in cells treated with the antioxidant butylated hydroxyanisole. This leads to reduced ERK1/2 activation and neuroprotection. Furthermore, an increase in free intracellular zinc that accompanies glutathione-induced oxidative stress in HT22 cells and immature neurons contributes to selective inhibition of ERK1/2 phosphatase activity and cell death. Finally, ERK1/2 also functions to maintain elevated levels of zinc. Thus, the elevation of intracellular zinc within neurons subjected to oxidative stress can trigger a robust positive feedback loop operating through activated ERK1/2 that rapidly sets into motion a zinc-dependent pathway of cell death.
A VCO phase noise reduction technique to suppress the active device contribution

In this paper, a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) phase noise improvement technique is proposed that suppresses the phase noise contribution from the active devices. The cyclostationary noise at the VCO tail bias current source, which exhibits twice of the operation frequency, is utilized to switch the biasing transistor on and off periodically. The dc power consumption of the proposed VCO designed in 0.18 μm SiGe process is 1.03 mW with a supply voltage of 1.8 V. The simulated phase noise is -120.0 dBc/Hz at 1 MHz offset frequency and the figure-of-merit (FoM) is 179.8 dBc/Hz.