Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Serum proteomes of hypertension patients with abundant phlegm-dampness.

OBJECTIVE To study the serum proteomes of essential hypertension (EH) patients with abundant phlegm-dampness, and try to find special proteins associated with abundant phlegm-dampness syndrome. METHODS Fifty-nine hypertension patients were included, and the patients were divided into abundant phlegm-dampness syndrome group (39 cases) and non-phlegm-dampness syndrome group (20 cases). To find the special proteins associated with abundant phlegm-dampness, the EH patients with non-phlegm-dampness and another 30 healthy persons were regarded as control. Weak cation nano-magnetic beads were used to capture proteins in serum, and proteomic fingerprint was made by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS). All the proteomic fingerprints were analyzed by Biomarker Wizard 3.1 Software. Then Biomarker Patterns Software (BPS) 5.0 was used to identify the differentiated proteins, which could induce phlegm-dampness. RESULTS There were 102 differentiated protein peaks between abundant phlegm-dampness and the control group. The best markers of abundant phlegm-dampness were protein peaks with the mass to charge ratio (m/z) of 9,334.958 m/z (the expression increased), 9,280.191 m/z (the expression decreased), 8,030.794 m/z (the expression increased), and 2,941.551 m/z (the expression increased). These four protein peaks found by BPS could induce abundant phlegm-dampness. They could be used to separate the abundant phlegm-dampness syndrome from the healthy persons and the hypertension patients with non-phlegm-dampness. The sensitivity of the model was 93.103% (27/29), specificity was 92% (23/25), false positive rate was 8% (2/25), false negative rate was 6.897% (2/29) and Youden's index was 85.103%. Blind test data indicated a sensitivity of 90% (9/10) and a specificity of 88% (22/25), and the false positive rate was 12% (3/25), false negative rate was 10% (1/10), and Youden's index was 78%. CONCLUSION The differentiated proteins between the abundant phlegm-dampness group and the control group are the material foundation of abundant phlegm-dampness. The selected differentiated proteins can be used to distinguish the EH patients with abundant phlegm-dampness from the healthy persons and the EH patients with non-phlegm-dampness. The molecular biology diagnosis model can offer an objective and accurate way for TCM syndrome differentiation.
Pathological uncoupling between amplitude and connectivity of brain fluctuations in epilepsy

Amplitude and functional connectivity are two fundamental parameters for describing the spontaneous brain fluctuations. These two parameters present close coupling in physiological state, and present different alteration patterns in epilepsy revealed by functional MRI (fMRI). We hypothesized that the alteration of coupling between these two imaging parameters may be underpinned by specific pathological factors of epilepsy, and can be employed to improve the capability for epileptic focus detection. Forty‐seven patients (26 left‐ and 21 right‐sided) with mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (mTLE) and 32 healthy controls underwent resting‐state fMRI scans. All patients were detected to have interictal epileptic discharges on simultaneous electroencephalograph (EEG) recordings. Amplitude‐connectivity coupling was calculated by correlating amplitude and functional connectivity density of low‐frequency brain fluctuations. We observed reduced amplitude‐connectivity coupling associated with epileptic discharges in the mesial temporal regions in both groups of patients, and increased coupling associated with epilepsy durations in the posterior regions of the default‐mode network in the right‐sided patients. Moreover, we proposed a new index of amplitude subtracting connectivity, which elevated imaging contrast for differentiating the patients from the controls. The findings indicated that epileptic discharges and chronic damaging effect of epilepsy might both contribute to alterations of amplitude‐connectivity coupling in different pivotal regions in mTLE. Investigation on imaging coupling provides synergistic approach for describing brain functional changing features in epilepsy. Hum Brain Mapp 36:2756–2766, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Design for the Environment: A Quality-Based Model for Green Product Development

Green product development, which addresses environmental issues through product design and innovation as opposed to the traditional end-of-pipe-control approach, is receiving significant attention from customers, industries, and governments around the world. In this paper we develop a quality-based model for analyzing the strategic and policy issues concerning the development of products with conflicting traditional and environmental attributes. On the demand side of the problem, we use the framework of conjoint analysis to structure the preferences of the ordinary and green customers. On the supply side, we apply the theories in optimal product design and market segmentation to analyze the producer's strategic decisions regarding the number of products introduced and their prices and qualities. On the policy side, we evaluate the effects of environmental standards on the economic and environmental consequences of green product development. By jointly considering the interactions among the customers' preferences, the producer's product strategies, and the environmental standards imposed by governments, we present some interesting findings that can be used to manage and regulate the development of green products. Two major findings show that green product development and stricter environmental standards might not necessarily benefit the environment.
TnpA product encoded by the transposable element En‐1 of Zea mays is a DNA binding protein.

TnpA protein, the function encoded by the most abundant transcript of En‐1 was expressed in Escherichia coli. DNA binding experiments with partially purified tnpA protein revealed that it binds to the subterminal repetitive region of En‐1. TnpA protein recognizes a 12‐bp‐long sequence motif which is reiterated several times at the termini of En‐1. Binding is reduced if the cytosine residues of CG dinucleotides and CNG trinucleotides within the motif are methylated. These data suggest a model in which the product of tnpA serves as a regulator of element activity.
Massive Dataset Analysis for NASA’s Atmospheric Infrared Sounder

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) has been collecting large quantities of remote sensing data about the vertical structure of temperature, water vapor, and clouds in the Earth’s atmosphere since its launch aboard the Aqua spacecraft in mid-2002. These data are both global and high resolution, so they are uniquely able to provide distributional information about second- and higher-order interactions that are at the heart of understanding climate processes. However, these data are so large and complex that the structures of interest are not directly accessible without some form of data reduction, and data reduction is particularly problematic because of the way the data are staged and stored. Thus, AIRS data pose a classic problem in the analysis of modern massive datasets: how to quantify and understand global distributional relationships in datasets that are impossible to work with except in small pieces? Our approach is to hierarchically reduce the data in a way that preserves distributional characteristics across subsets formed by stratifying on intuitively meaningful variables. By exploring how distributions change as functions of the stratification variables, we gain insight into processes generating the data. In this article, we describe our implementation of methodology first proposed in two earlier papers. Here, we have operationalized the algorithm and demonstrated that it is both practical within the NASA data processing pipeline, and leads to important scientific insights that are only possible when massive datasets are reduced in a way that respects the structure of multivariate distributions.
VALVULAR AND STRUCTURAL HEART DISEASES Original Studies Early Results With the LARIAT Device for Left Atrial Appendage Exclusion in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation at High Risk for Stroke and Anticoagulation

Objectives: To evaluate early outcomes of left atrial appendage (LAA) closure via a percutaneous LAA ligation approach with the SentreHeart LARIAT TM snare device. Background: Atrial fibrillation increases the risk of stroke 4–5 fold, which can have devastating outcomes. Exclusion of the LAA is believed to decrease the risk of embolic stroke. Methods: Twenty-seven patients with atrial fibrillation, a high risk of stroke, and contraindication or intolerance for anticoagulation therapy underwent percutaneous ligation of the LAA with the LARIAT device. Initial LAA closure was confirmed with TEE and contrast fluoroscopy. Results: The acute procedural success was 92.6%. One patient sustained a perforation of the LAA and was treated conservatively. The patient underwent LAA closure surgically the next day. In one patient the attempt to advance the LARIAT over the LAA was unsuccessful. Patients were followed for a mean of 4 months. Preserved LAA closure was confirmed with a 45 day follow-up TEE in 22 of 25 patients completing the procedure. Peri-operative complications included three cases of pericarditis and one case of a periprocedural CVA due to thrombus formation on the transseptal sheath. During follow-up, there was one stroke thought to be noncardioembolic and one pleural effusion. There were no deaths. Conclusions: These results show that percutaneous LAA exclusion can be achieved successfully with an acceptable rate of periprocedural and short-term complications. Further studies and longer follow-up are needed to determine whether LAA exclusion lowers the long-term risk of thromboembolic events in patients with AF and contraindications to anticoagulation. VC 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Caractérisation moléculaire et fonctionnelle des récepteurs pour le Fc d'immunoglobuline E exprimés par les éosinophiles et les plaquettes

De nombreuses etudes ont montre que les interactions entre les cellules proinflammatoires, en particulier les eosinophiles et les plaquettes, et l'IgE intervenaient dans les manifestations allergiques ainsi que dans les mecanismes de defense anti-parasitaire. La caracterisation des structures capables de fixer l'IgE a permis de mettre en evidence d'abord le recepteur de faible affinite Fc[Epsilon]RII, puis la molecule Mac 2/[Epsilon]BP a la surface des eosinophiles et des plaquettes. Les travaux realises dans notre laboratoire suggeraient l'existence d'une ou plusieurs autres structures capables de fixer l'IgE a la surface de ces deux protagonistes. L'expression du recepteur de forte affinite pour l'IgE (Fc[Epsilon]RI) a ete longtemps supposee restreinte aux mastocytes et aux basophiles. Cependant, au cours de cette etude, nous avons pu demontrer l'expression et l'implication du recepteur Fc[Epsilon]RI dans les mecanismes effecteurs des eosinophiles et des plaquettes. Dans la seconde partie de ce travail, nous avons clone et sequence les ADNc codant pour le Fc[Epsilon]RII exprime par les eosinophiles. Ces ADNc montrent une totale identite de sequence avec les isoformes exprimes par les lymphocytes B. Ce resultat est conforte par la detection de la proteine et de l'ARNm in situ. Par la suite, nous avons montre une diminution de l'expression proteique du Fc[Epsilon]RI par les eosinophiles, sous l'effet de l'IL-4, l'IL-5, l'IFN[Gamma] et du CD23s. Chez les plaquettes, le CD23s ainsi que les anticorps anti-CD23 inhibent de maniere significative et dose-dependante la mobilisation du recepteur Fc[Epsilon]RI. Ces arguments suggerent un effet regulateur negatif du Fc[Epsilon]RII sur l'expression du Fc[Epsilon]RI.
Adaptation to creation: progress of organizational learning and increasing complexity of learning systems

A brief survey of organizational learning literature shows that understanding of how organizations learn has proceeded along two streams: one based on progress function or learning/experience curve effect, and the other as a process facilitating organizational adaptation and growth, and development and sustenance of competitiveness. This latter stream presents three phases of evolution: initially it considered learning as adaptation through search and problem solving, followed by attempts at conceptualization of learning as an organization-wide, holistic phenomenon, and finally focusing on development of systems, processes, training tools, capabilities, etc., for building learning organizations. Learning is now understood as the development of organizational generative capabilities with a wide response range. The article identifies that the understanding of organizational learning from learning as adaptation to information processing and knowledge creation systems capable of generating a wide range of response patterns exhibits an underlying link of increasing complexity. This in turn holds an interesting correspondence to Boulding's hierarchy of systems. The article discusses the implications of this correspondence for research and practice. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Effects of midazolam on intracellular Ca2+ and tension in airway smooth muscles.

BACKGROUND It has been demonstrated that a group of minor tranquilizers, benzodiazepines, are able to relax airway smooth muscles. To determine the underlying mechanisms of this phenomenon, the effects of midazolam on the intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) and tension in airway smooth muscles were investigated. METHODS Using front-surface fluorometry and fura-2-loaded porcine tracheal smooth muscle strips, both [Ca2+]i and isometric tension developments were simultaneously recorded. RESULTS When the tracheal strips were exposed to a high external K(+)-solution (40 mM) or 10(-7) M carbachol containing 1.25 mM Ca2+, both [Ca2+]i and tension increased rapidly until they reached a plateau (the steady state). During steady-state contraction induced by K(+)-depolarization or carbachol, the cumulative application of midazolam (10(-7) approximately 10(-4) M) caused decreases in both [Ca2+]i and tension, in a concentration-dependent manner. During 40 mM K(+)-induced depolarization, the stepwise increases in the extracellular Ca2+ concentration induced the stepwise increases in [Ca2+]i and tension. Midazolam (3 x 10(-5) M) inhibited these increases in [Ca2+]i and tension, but had no effect on the [Ca2+]i-tension relationship. In the presence of 3 x 10(-3) M NiCl2 (a nonselective cation channel blocker), midazolam (3 x 10(-5) M) did not cause any additional reduction of [Ca2+]i or tension during the contraction induced by carbachol (10(-7) M). In the absence of extracellular Ca2+, midazolam (3 x 10(-5) M) had no effect on the transient increases in either [Ca2+]i or the tension induced by carbachol (10(-7) M) or caffeine (20 mM). Pretreatment with both 10(-5) M flumazenil (a specific central antagonist of benzodiazepines) and 10(-5) M PK11195 (a specific peripheral antagonist of benzodiazepines) did not influence the effect of 10(-5) M midazolam on [Ca2+]i or tension during the contractions induced by carbachol. CONCLUSIONS Midazolam directly relaxes airway smooth muscles by decreasing [Ca2+]i; this can be attributed to the inhibition of the influx of extracellular Ca2+. Midazolam has no effect on the release of stored Ca2+. In addition, midazolam has no effect on Ca2+ sensitivity of the contractile apparatus. Finally, benzodiazepine antagonists, flumazenil and PK11195, have no effect on this mechanism of direct action of midazolam on airway smooth muscles.
Effect of Solution Focused Group Counseling for High School Students in Order to Struggle with School Burnout.

In this research, the effect of solution focused group counseling upon high school students’ struggling with school burnout was analyzed. The research was an experimental study in which a pre-test post –test control group random design was used, depending upon the real experimental model. The study group included 30 students that volunteered from among students studying at a high school in central Erzincan Province in the 2014-2015 academic year. School Burnout Scale (Secer, Halmatov, Veyis and Ates, 2013) and Personal Information Form were used in the study as data collection tools. Independent Samples t-test and One Factor ANCOVA were performed to analyze the obtained data. At the end of the research, it was determined that solution focused group counseling was effective upon high school students’ struggling with school burnout, and this effect actualized as independent from the variable of gender.
Análisis comparativo de la cinética de liberación de diclofenaco sódico a partir de matrices hidrofílicas en medios de disolución convencionales y biorrelevantes

Se utilizaron dos polimeros hidrofilicos comunmente empleados en la formulacion de matrices de liberacion extendida, hidroxipropil-metil-celulosa (HPMC, hipromelosa) y oxido de polietileno (PEO), junto con celulosa microcristalina y lactosa, con el objetivo de estudiar la cinetica de liberacion del diclofenaco sodico en los aparatos II y III de la USP, en un medio de disolucion compendial y en medios biorrelevantes. La cinetica de liberacion predominante en el aparato II fue uno y en el aparato III, cero. El valor de las constantes n y k aplicando la ley del exponente, indicaron tanto para el aparato II como para el III, que no se presenta el efecto “burst” y que el mecanismo predominante en la liberacion del farmaco, es la relajacion y la erosion del polimero. Los resultados sugieren que la metodologia de disolucion en un medio biorrelevante es apropiada para discriminar entre formulaciones y para predecir el desempeno in vivo de tabletas de liberacion extendida de diclofenaco sodico.
Dipetalonema spirocauda IN ALASKAN MARINE MAMMALS

Dipetalonema spirocauda were found in 17 of 369 (4.6%) free-living ringed seals (Phoca hispida), 4 of 47 (8.5%) spotted seals (Phoca vitulina largha), 17 of 99 (17.2%) harbor seals (Phoca vitulina richardii), 1 of 19 (5.3%) ribbon seals (Phoca fasciata), and 2 of 51 (3.9%) bearded seals (Erignathus barbatus) collected from March, 1975 through September, 1979 in Alaskan waters. This is the first report of D. spirocauda in ribbon and bearded seals. Certain species of marine mammals from the families Ursidae, Otarridae, Odobenidae, Balaenidae, Phocaenidae and Monodontidae also were examined but none was found to be infected.
Stock structure of Japanese flounder inferred from morphological and genetic analyses

Stock structure of Japanese flounder Paralichthys olivaceus has been inferred mainly from either morphological or genetic analyses. However, because the results of both analyses did not always agree with each other, an inclusive conclusion has never been obtained. In this study, the stock structure has been inferred from both morphological and genetic analyses using 722 wild Japanese flounder collected from nine locations along the Japanese coast. The dorsal and anal fin ray counts were larger in the southern than in the northern populations. In total, 1041 bp of mitochondrial NADH dehydrogenase subunit-2 (ND2) and 1830 bp of ND5 sequences were aligned. There are 578 variable sites in the concatenated sequence from the two genes, which defined a total of 490 haplotypes. Both results of morphological and genetic analyses indicated that the western Kyushu group, which included the Nagasaki and Kagoshima populations, was divided from the other seven populations. This is the first report to reveal the heterogeneity of the western Kyushu group based on statistical analysis.
Human-centered video analysis for multimedia postproduction

Semantic analysis of video has witnessed a significant increase of research activities during the last years. Human-centered video analysis plays a central role in this research since humans are the most frequently encountered entities in a video. Results of human-centered video analysis can be of use in numerous applications, one of them being multimedia postproduction. Three recently devised semantic analysis algorithms are reviewed in this paper.
Trauma to the Temporomandibular Joint Following Tooth Extraction via Dental Students

Dear Editor, There is an important point related to temporomandibular joint (TMJ) injuries and derangement due to trauma from dental extractions by dental students. This subject should be an utmost cause for concern for dentists and dental practitioners. Because if not treated it may become chronic. This issue has been noted by many researchers in academic dental training centers worldwide. The results of many studies in this field have shown surprisingly high prevalence rates of TMJ injuries (50-63 %) after extracting mandibular teeth by dental students (1). About 60 % of patients develop pain, clicking and limitation of mouth opening after extraction of molar teeth (2, 3). At the Azad University Dental School (Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Department) a similar study was done. The result was similar to those of other centers. Excessive uncontrolled force used to extract mandibular molars is one of the major factors predisposing to the development of temporomandibular disorders (TMD). Therefore, continued research in this field is warranted to increase awareness of this issue and to implement procedures to prevent TMD such as shortening procedure time for the patient, less than maximum mouth opening of the patient undergoing tooth extraction, use of controlled force by the student when extracting as well as providing manual support of the mandible upon extraction of mandibular teeth especially molars.
The Radiographic Results and Neurologic Complications of Instrumented Reduction and Fusion of High-Grade Spondylolisthesis Without Decompression of the Neural Elements: A Retrospective Review of 44 Patients

Study Design. A retrospective review of all cases of high-grade spondylolisthesis treated by 1 surgeon between the years 1991 and 2003. Objective. To report the radiographic results and neurologic complications following instrumented posterior reduction and fusion without decompression of the neural elements. Summary of Background Data. Despite a large number of published reviews of the clinical results of operative intervention, controversy remains about the surgical treatment of high-grade spondylolisthesis. Methods. A retrospective review of the clinical charts and radiographs of all patients with L5–S1 spondylolisthesis and more than 50% anterior displacement of L5 on S1 who were treated by the same surgical team at 1 institution. Results. With this technique, an average reduction in the displacement of L5 on S1 from 64% to 38% was achieved. At a minimum 2-year follow-up (41 patients), we have detected 5 cases with evidence of pseudarthrosis or loss of reduction (11.4%). Overall, a neurologic complication rate of 9.1% occurred in this series, with a 2.3% chance of a persistent motor deficit. We did not detect any loss of bowel or bladder function after surgery. At last follow-up, and after revision procedures, we were able to achieve good or fair clinical results in 40 (90.9%) of 44 patients. Conclusions. These data suggest that a posterior instrumented reduction and fusion of high-grade spondylolisthesis without decompression of the neural elements can be accomplished with acceptable radiographic and clinical results.