Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Trends in Hospitalization for Pediatric Pulmonary Hypertension

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Pulmonary hypertension (PH) has been associated with substantial morbidity and mortality in children, but existing analyses of inpatient care are limited to small single-institution series or focused registries representative of selected patient subgroups. We examined US national data on pediatric PH hospitalizations to determine trends in volume, demographics, procedures performed during admission, and resource utilization. METHODS: Retrospective cohort study using a national administrative database of pediatric hospital discharges: the Kids’ Inpatient Database. RESULTS: Children with PH accounted for 0.13% of the 43 million pediatric hospitalizations in the United States between 1997 and 2012, and discharges demonstrated an increasing trend over the study period (P < .0001). Cumulative, inflation-adjusted national hospital charges for PH hospitalizations rose (P = .0003) from $926 million in 1997 to $3.12 billion in 2012. Patients with PH without associated congenital heart disease (CHD) comprised an increasing and majority (56.4%) proportion over the study period (P < .0001), children without associated CHD admitted at urban teaching hospitals comprised the fastest-growing subgroup. In-hospital, all-cause mortality was high (5.9%) in children with PH, but demonstrated a decreasing trend (P < .0001). CONCLUSIONS: Morbidity and mortality of pediatric PH continue to represent substantial and growing health care burdens. Shifts in case mix toward PH not associated with CHD, toward noncardiac procedures, and toward care in urban teaching hospitals will increase pressure to manage resource utilization in this small but growing patient group and to improve expertise and define excellence in PH care across a wide range of clinical settings.
Inflammatory and Anti-Inflammatory Equilibrium, Proliferative and Antiproliferative Balance: The Role of Cytokines in Multiple Myeloma

Multiple myeloma (MM) is typically exemplified by a desynchronized cytokine system with increased levels of inflammatory cytokines. We focused on the contrast between inflammatory and anti-inflammatory systems by assessing the role of cytokines and their influence on MM. The aim of this review is to summarize the available information to date concerning this equilibrium to provide an overview of the research exploring the roles of serum cytokines in MM. However, the association between MM and inflammatory cytokines appears to be inadequate, and other functions, such as pro-proliferative or antiproliferative effects, can assume the role of cytokines in the genesis and progression of MM. It is possible that inflammation, when guided by cancer-specific Th1 cells, may inhibit tumour onset and progression. In a Th1 microenvironment, proinflammatory cytokines (e.g., IL-6 and IL-1) may contribute to tumour eradication by attracting leucocytes from the circulation and by increasing CD4 + T cell activity. Hence, caution should be used when considering therapies that target factors with pro- or anti-inflammatory activity. Drugs that may reduce the tumour-suppressive Th1-driven inflammatory immune response should be avoided. A better understanding of the relationship between inflammation and myeloma will ensure more effective therapeutic interventions.
Inhibition of nitric oxide synthesis increases blood pressure in healthy humans

Objective: To examine whether endogenous production of the endotheliumderived vasodilator nitric oxide influences blood pressure in healthy humans Methods: After preliminary pilot dose-ranging studies, 3mg/kg NG-monomethyl-l-arginine (l-NMMA), an inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase, and saline placebo were infused intravenously over 5 min to eight healthy subjects in a two-phase, randomized, single-blind crossover study. Blood pressure and cardiac and renal function were measured Results: Compared with placebo, L-NMMA increased mean arterial pressure by 10%, decreased heart rate by 19%, decreased cardiac index by 25% and increased calculated total peripheral resistance by 46%. Effects were maximal 10-15 min after starting l-NMMA infusion. Urinary sodium and fractional sodium excretions were increased by l-NMMA, but creatinine clearance was unchanged Conclusions: Basal generation of nitric oxide influences total peripheral resistance and blood pressure in healthy humans. The natriuresis induced by L-NMMA may be related to the increase in blood pressure, or arise from inhibition of the intrarenal actions of nitric oxide. Any decrease in nitric oxide generation, as has been postulated to occur in essential hypertension, could have substantial effects on blood pressure and tissue blood flow
Association of socioeconomic status, race, and ethnicity with outcomes of patients undergoing thyroid surgery.

IMPORTANCE For the management of thyroid diseases, there have been few studies aimed at examining the association between disparities and outcomes. OBJECTIVE To measure the effects of race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status on outcomes following thyroid surgery. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS Cross-sectional analysis of 62,722 thyroid procedures identified in the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) from 2003 through 2009. INTERVENTIONS Thyroidectomy. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES The first set of outcomes included postoperative complication, length of stay (LOS), and overall cost in relation to selected hospital and surgeon characteristics. The second set encompassed accessibility to different surgeon and hospital volumes, hospital locations, and hospital teaching status based on race/ethnicity, income, and health service payer. RESULTS The majority of cases were total thyroidectomies (57.9%) for benign conditions (60.8%). Low-volume surgeons performed most operations (90.8%). Low surgeon volume was associated with higher risk of postoperative complications compared with higher surgeon volume (17.2% vs 12.1%; P < .001). Low-volume compared with high-volume hospitals had higher rates of postoperative complications (17.7% vs 15.1%; P < .001). High surgeon volume was associated with a decreased LOS (mean [SD], 1.74 [0.02] vs 1.20 [0.07] days; P < .001). In addition, LOS was longer at low-volume hospitals (1.85 [0.02] vs 1.57 [0.03] days; P = .001). Hispanics were more likely to be operated on by low-volume surgeons (odds ratio [OR], 2.04; 95% CI, 1.19-3.48), and in certain regions throughout the United States, blacks were more likely to be operated on by low-volume surgeons. Patients with Medicare (OR, 1.30; 95% CI, 1.13-1.53) and lower income (OR, 1.73; 95% CI, 1.19-2.53) were more likely to be treated at low-volume centers. Minorities, including Hispanics, blacks, and other race/ethnicity, were more likely to have their operation in an urban setting (P < .005 for all). Blacks were less likely to have operations performed at nonteaching institutions (OR, 0.48; 95% CI, 0.38-0.60), as were people without private insurance (P < .05 for Medicare, Medicaid, and self-pay). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE There are significant socioeconomic and racial disparities in thyroid surgery outcomes. Low-volume centers and surgeons had a significantly longer LOS and higher risk of complications, and inequalities were prevalent concerning access to these high-volume hospitals and surgeons.
Higher order statistics of bispectrum and MRP of ECoG signals for motor imagery tasks classification

This paper proposes an efficient and effective method to classify motor tasks from ECoG signals in session-to-session transfer. Real time BCI systems require the classification algorithm to be able to overcome the difficulties due to session-to-session transfer. The feature vector proposed here consists of the higher order statistical properties of the bispectrum of the signal itself and of the extracted MRP signal. A KNN classifier with bagging algorithm is employed to ensure optimum number of K nearest neighbors. In order to evaluate the performance of the proposed method and to perform comparison the Dataset I of the BCI competition III is used. It is found that the proposed method is able to provide an accuracy of 87% which is higher than some of the state-of-the-art methods.
HCV Persistence and Immune Evasion in the Absence of Memory T Cell Help

Spontaneous resolution of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in humans usually affords long-term immunity to persistent viremia and associated liver diseases. Here, we report that memory CD4+ Tcells are essential for this protection. Antibody-mediated depletion of CD4+ Tcells before reinfection of two immune chimpanzees resulted in persistent, low-level viremia despite functional intra-hepatic memory CD8+ Tcell responses. Incomplete control of HCV replication by memory CD8+ Tcells in the absence of adequate CD4+ Tcell help was associated with emergence of viral escape mutations in class I major histocompatibility complex–restricted epitopes and failure to resolve HCV infection.
Influence of NG‐nitro‐L‐arginine on non‐adrenergic non‐cholinergic relaxation in the guinea‐pig gastric fundus

1 The influence of NG‐nitro‐l‐Arginine (l‐NNA) on non‐adrenergic non‐cholinergic (NANC) relaxations induced by electrical field stimulation was investigated in circular muscle strips of the guinea‐pig gastric fundus. 2 In the presence of 10−6 m. atropine and 4 × 10−6 m guanethidine, electrical field stimulation (40 V, 1 ms, 0.125–16 Hz) with 10 s trains at 5 min intervals induced short‐lasting, frequency‐dependent relaxations. Continuous stimulation, with cumulative increase of the stimulation frequency, induced sustained frequency‐dependent relaxations. Both types of response were abolished by 3 × 10−6 m tetrodotoxin. 3 l‐NNA (10−5 m and 10−4 m) concentration‐dependently reduced both types of NANC response. Pre‐incubation with 2 × 10−3 m l‐arginine prevented the inhibitory action of 10−5 m l‐NNA and partially antagonized that of 10−4 m l‐NNA. d‐arginine (2 × 10−3 m) did not protect against the inhibitory effect of l‐NNA. 4 l‐NNA did not consistently influence the basal tone of the tissues. l‐Arginine and d‐arginine likewise did not influence basal tone; they also had no influence on the electrically‐induced NANC relaxations. 5 NO (10−6−10−4 m) induced short‐lasting concentration‐dependent relaxations, while vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP, (10−9−10−7 m) induced more sustained relaxations, that developed at a slower rate. The NO‐ and VIP‐induced relaxations were not influenced by 10−4 m l‐NNA. 6 These results suggest that NO is involved in NANC neurotransmission of the guinea‐pig gastric fundus; its contribution to sustained NANC relaxation in the guinea‐pig gastric fundus is much more important than in the rat.
Localized low‐level re‐expression of high‐affinity mesolimbic nicotinic acetylcholine receptors restores nicotine‐induced locomotion but not place conditioning

High‐affinity, β2‐subunit‐containing (β2*) nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) are essential for nicotine reinforcement; however, these nAChRs are found on both gamma‐aminobutyric acid (GABA) and dopaminergic (DA) neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and also on terminals of glutamatergic and cholinergic neurons projecting from the pedunculopontine tegmental area and the laterodorsal tegmental nucleus. Thus, systemic nicotine administration stimulates many different neuronal subtypes in various brain nuclei. To identify neurons in which nAChRs must be expressed to mediate effects of systemic nicotine, we investigated responses in mice with low‐level, localized expression of β2* nAChRs in the midbrain/VTA. Nicotine‐induced GABA and DA release were partially rescued in striatal synaptosomes from transgenic mice compared with tissue from β2 knockout mice. Nicotine‐induced locomotor activation, but not place preference, was rescued in mice with low‐level VTA expression, suggesting that low‐level expression of β2* nAChRs in DA neurons is not sufficient to support nicotine reward. In contrast to control mice, transgenic mice with low‐level β2* nAChR expression in the VTA showed no increase in overall levels of cyclic AMP response element‐binding protein (CREB) but did show an increase in CREB phosphorylation in response to exposure to a nicotine‐paired chamber. Thus, CREB activation in the absence of regulation of total CREB levels during place preference testing was not sufficient to support nicotine place preference in β2 trangenic mice. This suggests that partial activation of high‐affinity nAChRs in VTA might block the rewarding effects of nicotine, providing a potential mechanism for the ability of nicotinic partial agonists to aid in smoking cessation.
Gene‐environment interaction between the MMP9 C–1562T promoter variant and cigarette smoke in the pathogenesis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

The aetiology of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is complex. While cigarette smoking is a well‐established cause of COPD, a myriad of assessed genetic factors has given conflicting data. Since gene‐environment interactions are thought to be implicated in aetiopathogenesis of COPD, we aimed to examine the matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) 9 C–1562T (rs3918242) functional variant and cigarette smoke in the pathogenesis of this disease. The distribution of the MMP9 C–1562T variant was analyzed in COPD patients and controls with normal pulmonary function from Serbia. Interaction between the C–1562T genetic variant and cigarette smoking was assessed using a case‐control model. The response of the C–1562T promoter variant to cigarette smoke condensate (CSC) exposure was examined using a dual luciferase reporter assay. The frequency of T allele carriers was higher in the COPD group than in smoker controls (38.4% vs. 20%; OR = 2.7, P = 0.027). Interaction between the T allele and cigarette smoking was identified in COPD occurrence (OR = 4.38, P = 0.005) and severity (P = 0.001). A functional analysis of the C–1562T variant demonstrated a dose‐dependent and allele‐specific response (P < 0.01) to CSC. Significantly higher MMP9 promoter activity following CSC exposure was found for the promoter harboring the T allele compared to the promoter harboring the C allele (P < 0.05). Our study is the first to reveal an interaction between the MMP9–1562T allele and cigarette smoke in COPD, emphasising gene‐environment interactions as a possible cause of lung damage in the pathogenesis of COPD. Environ. Mol. Mutagen. 57:447–454, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Impact of control channel constraints on downlink performance comparison of MIMO transmission schemes in 3GPP LTE

In spite of the significant performance gain that multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) transmission can provide in wireless communication, the use of MIMO in realistic systems will lead to large control signaling overhead. Performance comparison of different transmission schemes should consider the control channel (CC) constraints. In this paper, we first build the model of CC for downlink MIMO transmission, which is an extension of previous work in [1], and then we introduce the concept of CC operation point and propose a principle that performance comparison should be with same CC operation point. Three transmission schemes defined in 3GPP long term evolution (LTE), 1×2 maximum ratio combining (MRC), 2×2 open-loop transmit diversity (OLTD), and 2×2 closed-loop spatial multiplexing (CLSM), are compared through system level simulations, and results show that to keep CC operation point constant, the requirements on CC resource are different, which will further influence the spectral efficiency of the transmission schemes.
The cuff width influences the toe blood pressure value.

BACKGROUND Toe blood pressure is a valuable and often used parameter when lower limb ischaemia is evaluated in patients with diabetes, but little has been done to standardise the method. The aim of this study was to evaluate if the cuff size influences the toe blood pressure values obtained in patients with diabetes. PATIENTS AND METHODS Eleven patients with diabetes without a history of peripheral vascular disease, and six age matched healthy subjects were investigated. Their blood pressures were measured in the upper arm and at the ankle level repetitively. For measurement of toe blood pressure two different cuff widths were used. RESULTS All blood pressures were similar in patients and control subjects, as well as over time. The toe blood pressure values were 18 mmHg higher (p < 0.01) if measured with a 2.0-cm compared to a 2.5-cm wide cuff. There was a relationship (r = 0.63, p < 0.05 for patients) between toe circumference and the toe blood pressure value, where smaller hallluxes gave lower values. CONCLUSIONS The cuff width influences the obtained toe blood pressure value and needs to be considered when evaluating limb ischemia in patients with diabetes.
Intracerebral distribution of infectious amyloid protein in spongiform encephalopathy

We studied the regional distribution of infectious amyloid protein by western immunoblots of brain tissue extracts from 37 patients with different forms of spongiform encephalopathy, i.e., 16 sporadic cases, 18 familial cases with a variety of mutations, and 3 iatrogenic cases. In sporadic and familial Creutzfeldt‐Jakob disease, amyloid protein concentrations were usually highest in the frontotemporal regions of the cerebral cortex, whereas iatrogenic Creutzfeldt‐Jakob disease and Gerstmann‐Sträussler‐Scheinker syndrome had as high or higher concentrations in the deep cerebral nuclei and cerebellum. As a group, familial cases had lower amyloid protein concentrations than either sporadic or iatrogenic cases, and fatal familial insomnia patients had the lowest concentrations found in any form of disease. This hierarchy of amyloid protein concentrations corresponds to the experimental transmission rates observed for each form of disease and is consistent with the concept that the protein molecule is an integral component of the infectious agent. Regional amyloid protein pattern analysis of brain and spinal cord may help to distinguish sporadic from environmentally acquired infections, as for example, cases of human disease suspected to have arisen from exposure to sheep or cows infected with scrapie or bovine spongiform encephalopathy.
Operational satellite-based watershed monitoring systems (SAWMOS) for large humid tropical catchment environment

Operational monitoring the productivity of forested catchment areas is a pivotal task as it provides the water supply for the reservoir and the streamflow. The limitation of conventional method to perform those tasks especially in spatial basis environment and large, remote forested areas made the use of satellite-based techniques could be a useful solution. This study introduces the satellite-based watershed monitoring systems (SAWMOS). SAWMOS is specifically developed to assess the water yield productivity of a watershed using two key hydrological variables; (i) rainfall and (ii) evapotranspiration. The Hulu Perak catchment, at the humid tropical climate region of Peninsular Malaysia which situated at the Southeast Asia is selected as the experimental site. Tropical Rainfall Measuring Misssion (TRMM) and MODIS are used as primary satellite data to estimate both rainfall and ET respectively. The satellite-based water yield estimation is comparable with the actual river flow. The Nash-Sutcliffe Model Efficiency Index indicates acceptable performance of the systems. The forest water yield maps derived from 2003 to 2007 is proved to be reliable to be used for operational spatial-based water yield monitoring at both monthly and annual basis.
Characterization of Bacillus subtilis hemN

A recently cloned Bacillus subtilis open reading frame (hemN) upstream of the dnaK operon was identified as encoding a protein involved in oxygen-independent coproporphyrinogen III decarboxylation. B. subtilis hemN functionally complemented two Salmonella typhimurium hemF hemN double mutants under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. A B. subtilis hemN mutant accumulated coproporphyrinogen III only under anaerobic conditions. Interestingly, growth experiments using the B. subtilis hemN mutant revealed normal aerobic and anaerobic growth, indicating the presence of an alternative oxygen-independent enzymatic system. Northern blot experiments identified hemN mRNA as part of an approximately 7-kb pentacistronic transcript consisting of lepA, hemN, hrcA, grpE, and dnaK. One potential start site for aerobic and anaerobic transcription was located 37 bp upstream of the translational start codon of lepA. Comparable amounts of hemN transcript were observed under aerobic and anaerobic growth conditions. No experimental evidence for the presence of hemF in B. subtilis was obtained. Moreover, B. subtilis hemY did not substitute for hemF hemN deficiency in S. typhimurium. These results indicate the absence of hemF and suggest the presence of a second hemN-like gene in B. subtilis.
District nurses’ experiences of preventive home visits to 75-year-olds in Stockholm: a qualitative study

Aims This study had two aims: to describe the dialogue between district nurses (DNs) and older people in preventive home visits (PHVs) from the perspective of the DNs, and to identify barriers to and facilitators of this dialogue as perceived by the DNs. Background The number of older people is rapidly increasing in all western countries, and as people’s age increases, the probability that they will have multiple diseases also increases. Planned actions are therefore needed to promote health and prevent diseases among older people so they can remain in good health and live in their homes for as long as possible. In Sweden, PHVs to 75-year-olds by DNs are one such action. Methods This qualitative study included five group interviews with 20 DNs. Data were analysed with qualitative content analysis. Findings DNs’ experiences of barriers to and facilitators of a successful health dialogue were sorted into five domains. Together, these domains provided a systematic description of the interaction between the DN and the older person in the PHV. The domains included: establishing trustful contact, conducting a structured interview, making an overall assessment, proposing health-promoting activities and offering follow-up. The barriers and facilitators could be related to the older person, the DN or the home environment. The latent content of the interviews was evident in three themes that were related to the DNs’ experiences of barriers and facilitators. These themes illustrated professional dilemmas that the DNs had to resolve to achieve the purpose of the PHV. The study demonstrates that the interaction between a DN and an older person in a PHV can be described as a complex social process in which the DN balances a personal and professional approach, combines a person-oriented and a task-oriented approach and employs both a salutogenic and pathogenic perspective.
Ullrich congenital muscular dystrophy: Connective tissue abnormalities in the skin support overlap with Ehlers–Danlos syndromes

Ullrich congenital muscular dystrophy (UCMD) is caused by mutations in the three genes coding for the alpha chains of collagen VI and characterized by generalized muscle weakness, striking hypermobility of distal joints in conjunction with variable contractures of more proximal joints, and normal intellectual development. The diagnosis is supported by abnormal immunoreactivity for collagen VI on muscle biopsies. As patients with UCMD show clinical characteristics typical of classical disorders of connective tissue such as Ehlers–Danlos syndromes (EDS), we investigated the ultrastructure of skin biopsy samples from patients with UCMD (n=5). Electron microscopy of skin biopsies revealed ultrastructural abnormalities in all cases, including alterations of collagen fibril morphology (variation in size and composite fibers) and increase in ground substance, which resemble those seen in patients with EDS. Our findings suggest that there is a true connective tissue component as part of the phenotypic spectrum of UCMD and that there is considerable clinical as well as morphological overlap between UCMD and classic connective tissue disorders. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.