Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Diet drug-related cardiac valve disease: the Mayo Clinic echocardiographic laboratory experience.

OBJECTIVE To describe the prevalence of diet drug-related valvular disease among our referral population and the association of valvular disease with duration of exposure to fenfluramine and phentermine in combination and to dexfenfluramine alone. PATIENTS AND METHODS In this retrospective review of clinical and echocardiographic data, charts of patients referred for treatment of toxic effects of diet drugs were reviewed, and telephone interviews were conducted. RESULTS Between June and December 1997, 191 patients (164 women, 27 men; mean age, 47 years) were referred for possible diet drug-related valvular disease. Twenty-eight (28%) of the 99 asymptomatic patients and 40 (43%) of the 92 symptomatic patients had abnormal echocardiographic findings. Valvular lesions among the 68 patients with abnormal echocardiographic findings included mild (or greater) aortic regurgitation in 55 patients (81%), moderate (or greater) mitral regurgitation in 12 (18%), and moderate (or greater) tricuspid regurgitation in 7 (10%). The Food and Drug Administration case definition of diet drug-related valvulopathy was noted in 31 % of this referral population. Of patients with valvulopathy, mean duration of therapy with fenfluramine and phentermine in combination and dexfenfluramine alone was 9 months and 5 months, respectively. Duration of therapy was not associated with presence or absence of disease. Five patients had surgical intervention for severe valvulopathy: 3 had mitral valve repair, 1 had mitral valve replacement, and 1 had aortic valve replacement. Pulmonary hypertension (>40 mm Hg) was found in 24 patients (13%), and 17 (71 %) had pulmonary hypertension in association with valvulopathy. CONCLUSION This study demonstrated a 31% (60/191) prevalence of valvulopathy in patients with a history of diet drug exposure who were referred for echocardiographic evaluation. The most common finding was mild aortic regurgitation. Twenty-eight percent of asymptomatic patients had abnormal echocardiographic findings. This study emphasizes the spectrum of diet drug-related cardiac disease and the potential for valvulopathy in asymptomatic patients.
'Business Organization in the Long Run: Private Limited Companies Rule!'

A long tradition in the economics, corporate law, and corporate finance literatures presumes the general superiority of the corporation as a form of business organization. A more recent tradition claims that countries with Anglo-American legal systems afford investors greater protection than countries with civil-law systems. This article challenges both claims. We focus on the introduction of the private limited-liability company (the PLLC) in France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States in the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The PLLC combined the advantages of legal personhood and joint stock with flexible internal governance rules. It allowed business people to avoid the threat of untimely dissolution inherent in partnerships without taking on the full danger of minority oppression that came with the corporation. The PLLC was successfully introduced first in Germany, a code country, and last in the US, a common-law country whose courts had effectively killed earlier attempts to enact the form. Using data on the number of firms organized under various enterprise forms, we show that the PLLC became the form of choice for small- and medium-size enterprises wherever it was introduced, even in countries where incorporation was cheap and easy and the regulatory burden on corporations was light.
Strategies for the Management of Intraprocedural Thromboembolic Complications with Abciximab (ReoPro)

OBJECTIVE:Most complications related to endovascular neurointerventional procedures are thromboembolic. The objective of this study was to determine whether abciximab, a glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitor, is a safe and effective agent for the treatment of thromboembolic complications encountered during interventional neuroradiological procedures. METHODS:A search of a prospectively maintained database identified 13 patients who were treated for intraprocedural thromboembolic complications with abciximab, either alone or in combination with tissue plasminogen activator, during a 22-month period. RESULTS:Of the 13 patients in our series (10 with aneurysms, 3 with arteriovenous malformations), 12 presented with unsecured vascular lesions, and in 9 cases the lesions were either acutely (<10 d) or subacutely (<6 mo) hemorrhagic. After the identification of a thromboembolic complication, each patient was treated with either intra-arterial (n = 5) or intravenous (n = 8) abciximab. Abciximab was administered intravenously as a 0.25-mg/kg bolus (n = 2), a 0.25-mg/kg bolus followed by a 12-hour 0.125-μg/kg/min infusion (n = 5), or a 12-hour 0.125-μg/kg/min infusion alone (n = 1). Intra-arterial abciximab (3.5–10 mg) was administered directly through a micro-catheter positioned in the vicinity of the thrombus (n = 5). Five patients also were administered alteplase. Complete (n = 7) or partial (n = 6) resolution of thrombus was observed in all cases. Five patients had small infarcts in the distribution of the thromboembolic complication. In no case was new or increased hemorrhaging observed after thrombolysis. CONCLUSION:Abciximab (ReoPro), administered either intravenously or intra-arterially, is a viable option for the management of thromboembolic complications encountered during endovascular therapeutic procedures.
Biomimetic membranes of lipid–peptide model systems prepared on solid support

The structure of membrane-active peptides and their interaction with lipid bilayers can be studied in oriented lipid membranes deposited on solid substrates. Such systems are desirable for a number of surface-sensitive techniques. Here we focus on structural characterization by x-ray and neutron reflectivity and give an account of recent progress in sample preparation and measurements. We show that the degree of mesoscopic disorder in the films can significantly influence the scattering curves. Static defects should be minimized by optimization of the preparation techniques and their presence must be taken into account in the modelling. Examples are given for alamethicin and magainin in bilayers of different phosphocholines.
AUX/LAX Genes Encode a Family of Auxin Influx Transporters That Perform Distinct Functions during Arabidopsis Development[C][W]

This article describes the role of AUX/LAX auxin influx carriers in plant development, revealing that the auxin influx carrier LAX2 regulates vascular patterning in cotyledons. Although the AUX1/LAX family members share auxin transport characteristics, these transport activities seem to be dependent on their unique cell- or tissue-type expression patterns. Auxin transport, which is mediated by specialized influx and efflux carriers, plays a major role in many aspects of plant growth and development. AUXIN1 (AUX1) has been demonstrated to encode a high-affinity auxin influx carrier. In Arabidopsis thaliana, AUX1 belongs to a small multigene family comprising four highly conserved genes (i.e., AUX1 and LIKE AUX1 [LAX] genes LAX1, LAX2, and LAX3). We report that all four members of this AUX/LAX family display auxin uptake functions. Despite the conservation of their biochemical function, AUX1, LAX1, and LAX3 have been described to regulate distinct auxin-dependent developmental processes. Here, we report that LAX2 regulates vascular patterning in cotyledons. We also describe how regulatory and coding sequences of AUX/LAX genes have undergone subfunctionalization based on their distinct patterns of spatial expression and the inability of LAX sequences to rescue aux1 mutant phenotypes, respectively. Despite their high sequence similarity at the protein level, transgenic studies reveal that LAX proteins are not correctly targeted in the AUX1 expression domain. Domain swapping studies suggest that the N-terminal half of AUX1 is essential for correct LAX localization. We conclude that Arabidopsis AUX/LAX genes encode a family of auxin influx transporters that perform distinct developmental functions and have evolved distinct regulatory mechanisms.
Chapter 9 Ecotourism and sustainability in the tourism sector

Sustainable development may best be achieved by enhancing the commitment of local communities. Stewart and Hams (1991) argue that the requirements of sustainable development cannot merely be imposed but that active participation by local communities is needed. However, the terms ‘community’, ‘host community’ and ‘participation’ can be interpreted in a myriad of ways. Before entering a full discussion of host community participation in tourism planning, it is first necessary to explore the various potential interpretations of these terms and to define their meaning and function. This chapter therefore clarifies some of the issues surrounding the terms community, host, host community and participation. The major typologies and available models in relation to host communities’ participation in sustainable planning for tourism are also reviewed.
An effective cache management algorithm of three-dimensional spatial data engine

Traditional substitution algorithms for cache management are more unitary, and basically each algorithm only has correspondingly good effect on certain type of access pattern. Based on analyzing the characteristics of spatial data, a new approach is proposed for cache replacement, considering both frequency and the duration of hit comprehensively. The criterion function of substitution algorithm can be adjusted by statistics of database querying condition combined with the system resource usage, so that the cache would have high performance, and competition for system resources could be reduced. This paper described three sub-algorithms of cache management algorithm, which are substitution algorithm based on hit frequency and duration, cache pool management algorithm and object incidence query algorithm. The cache management algorithm has been implemented on the cache management module of three-dimensional spatial data engine and applied in the three-dimensional data processing of urban planning of Wuhan. It has been proved that the cache management algorithm could be used in multi-level buffering structure and object-oriented spatial database management system to improve the capability of spatial data dispatch.
An essential role for Prox1 in the induction of the lymphatic endothelial cell phenotype

The process of angiogenesis has been well documented, but little is known about the biology of lymphatic endothelial cells and the molecular mechanisms controlling lymphangiogenesis. The homeobox gene Prox1 is expressed in a subpopulation of endothelial cells that, after budding from veins, gives rise to the mammalian lymphatic system. In Prox1−/− embryos, this budding becomes arrested at around embryonic day (E)11.5, resulting in embryos without lymphatic vasculature. Unlike the endothelial cells that bud off in E11.5 wild‐type embryos, those of Prox1‐null embryos did not co‐express any lymphatic markers such as VEGFR‐3, LYVE‐1 or SLC. Instead, the mutant cells appeared to have a blood vascular phenotype, as determined by their expression of laminin and CD34. These results suggest that Prox1 activity is required for both maintenance of the budding of the venous endothelial cells and differentiation toward the lymphatic phenotype. On the basis of our findings, we propose that a blood vascular phenotype is the default fate of budding embryonic venous endothelial cells; upon expression of Prox1, these budding cells adopt a lymphatic vasculature phenotype.
The Effect of Tamoxifen on Spermatogenesis in Subfertile Men

Forty three subfertile male patients exhibiting a wide range of sperm counts received Tamoxifen (Nolvadex, I.C.I.) 20 mg daily for six months continuously; nine pregnancies resulted, a rate of 21 per cent. Although a significant improvement in sperm output ocurred in three patients with initial sperm counts of less than 20 times 106 /ml the response was most marked in those with an initial count of less than 5 times 106 /ml and four pregnancies occurredin this latter group. Patients whose initial count was greater than 20 million per ml showed no significant response and four exhibited a steady fall in sperm output.
Developing a Comprehensive Methodology for BPR Projects by Employing IT Tools

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present a comprehensive IT tools based methodology (CITM) for BPR projects in order to facilitate implementing BPR project by considering relevant IT tools in each phase of the methodology, both approaches (clean slate and analysis of existing processes on details), and failure analysis for diminishing the risk of the BPR project.Design/methodology/approach – In today's world, corporations need to adjust with the environment changes in order to stay stable in facing market changes. This paper presents a comprehensive methodology in which by considering different aspects for implementing BPR project including IT tools, both BPR approaches, and failure analysis can facilitate BPR project. The proposed methodology's validation was tested by getting the 50 experts' ideas in each phase of the methodology and in a case study at organization and planning department in an IT company.Findings – The structured methodology developed in this paper contain the two debatable ap.
Balanced Scorecard-based Performance Assessment of Turkish Banking Sector with Analytic Network Process

In the last decade, Performance assessment of banking sectors in advanced economies became a prominent issue investment decisions. In this paper, it is aimed to evaluate the balanced-scorecard based performance of Turkish banking sector with using Analytic Network Process Approach. Within this scope, all 33 deposit banks were intended to analyze out of 34 banks. Within this scope, we made an analysis in order to determine which perspectives of balanced scorecard approach is appropriate for each type of banks (state banks, private banks, foreign banks). In this study, we used Analytic Network Process (ANP) approaches so as to achieve this objective. With balanced-scorecard performance assessment of banking sector using ANP approach, all the factor priorities have been extracted and normalized to one for each cluster and final priorities have been obtained. The final priorities and rankings of the each perspective of balanced score card and the type of bank ownership have been assessed in the model. According to the results of the analysis, Findings demonstrate that (i) financial factor of balanced score card approach has the first rank with 65.7 percent; (ii) Customer perceptive is in the second rank with 22.1 percent. (iii)Third and fourth ranks have close results, (iv) learning and growth stays in the third rank with 6.3 percent (v) internal factor has the weakest importance with 5.9%, (vi) state banks into bank ownership have the highest rank with 53.9 percent, (vii) Private owned banks are the second in the relative performance of the bank groups with 36.1%, (viii) Balanced scorecard based performance of foreign banks are replaced in the last order with approximately 10%.
Endovascular repair of pseudoaneurysms after open surgery for aortic coarctation.

OBJECTIVES To analyse early and long-term results of thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) in patients with pseudoaneurysms after open aortic coarctation (CoA) repair. METHODS A total of 11 patients of 418 patients who had been treated with TEVAR during the period from January 1998 to April 2015 (8 males; median age 53 years) were retrospectively analysed. Dacron patch aortoplasty was primarily performed in 9 patients and subclavian flap aortoplasty in 2 patients. Seven of the 11 patients had asymptomatic pseudoaneurysms (median diameter 56 mm, range 20-65 mm) diagnosed by routine screening. Symptomatic patients presented with haemoptysis, lower limb ischaemia, haemodynamic collapse and back pain and underwent emergency repair (4/11). Adjunctive procedures at the proximal landing zone were required in 7/11 patients. The median number of implanted endoprostheses per patient was 1 (range: 1-5). The median follow-up was 60 months (range 6-161 months). RESULTS Technical success was achieved in 91% (10/11; 1 secondary elective open conversion). The 30-day mortality was 0%. The stroke rate was 18% (2 non-disabling strokes). In 2 patients (20%), stent-graft displacement during deployment was observed. The reintervention rate was 33% (Type Ib endoleak, left arm claudication, partial coverage of the left common carotid artery). Clinical success during follow-up was achieved in 10/11 patients. In 9/10 patients, aneurysm sac shrinkage was observed. The Type II endoleak rate was 10% (1/10; intercostal artery). The overall mortality rate was 9% (1 patient died of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis). CONCLUSIONS Endovascular treatment of post-coarctation pseudoaneurysms is feasible in elective and emergency cases, yielding durable results in the long term. Due to anatomical specifics, implantation may be challenging and requires careful procedural planning. On-site cardiothoracic surgery backup is essential in case open conversion is required.
A structured fixed-rate vector quantizer derived from a variable-length scalar quantizer - I: Memoryless sources

The well-known error propagation problem inherent in any variable-length coding operation limits the usefulness of variable-length encoded scalar quantizers. for transmission over noisy chaunels. In the absence of channel noise however, these quantizers are known to perform better than error-minimizing fixed-rate Lloyd-Max quantizers for a wide class of memory­ less sources. Motivated by this observation, a low complexity fixed-rate structured vector qnantizer for memoryless sources Is described. Tbis quantizer is referred to as the scalar-vector quantizer and the structure of its codebuok is derived from a variable-length scalar quantizer. Design and implementation algorithms for this quantizer are developed and bounds on its performance are provided. The scalar-vector quantizer can be designed and implemented even for fine (high rate) quantization at relatively large block lengths and can aclIieve a rate-distortion performance superior to that of implementable LBG vector quan­ tlzers. Simnlation results show that performance close to that of the optimal entropy-constrained scalar quantizer is possible with this fixed-rate quantizer. The scalar-vector quantizer is also robust against channel errors and outperforms both Lloyd-Max and entropy-constrained scalar quantizers for a wide range of channel error probabilities. These ideas are extended (in Part II) to the quantization of vector sources and, consequently, to sources
Using Game Principles in UX Research: A Board Game for Eliciting Future User Needs

This paper presents a board game approach as a UX research technique to assess potential user experiences regarding a future product. It discusses how the use of a board game may provide a) a safe research environment in which participants feel comfortable to share their thoughts and experiences in a group setting, and b) a tool to facilitate users to think about their needs regarding a future product. The use of the board game approach is illustrated by a case study in the context of developing a new train information system. The design of the board game that was used is described in detail, as well as how the game was used to elicit potential future experiences. A survey amongst the participants showed that the board game was appreciated as a surprising, pleasant and "safe" research method.
Dose-Dependent Effects of Gamma Irradiation on the Materials Properties and Cell Proliferation of Electrospun Polycaprolactone Tissue Engineering Scaffolds

Electrospun membranes of polycaprolactone are widely used for biomedical applications such as wound dressings and tissue engineering scaffolds. It is important to sterilize this material using the most accepted method, the gamma irradiation. In this study, the authors evaluated the sterilizability of electrospun polycaprolactone membranes with gamma radiation of varying doses. The irradiated materials were assessed for the changes in morphology, crystallinity, surface degradation, hydrophilicity, mechanical property, sterility, and the cell proliferation. The results demonstrate that electrospun polycaprolactone can be effectively sterilized by gamma irradiation, however a higher dose of radiation affects the materials properties. The irradiated membranes showed improved hydrophilicity and fibroblast cell proliferation. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT
The rabbit pup, a natural model of nursing‐anticipatory activity

Mother rabbits nurse their young once a day with circadian periodicity. Nursing bouts are brief (ca. 3 min) and occur inside the maternal burrow. Despite this limited contact mother rabbits and their pups are tuned to each other to ensure that the capacities of each party are used efficiently to ensure the weaning of a healthy litter. In this review we present behavioral, metabolic and hormonal correlates of this phenomenon in mother rabbits and their pups. Research is revealing that the circadian rhythm of locomotion shifts in parallel to the timing of nursing in both parties. In pups corticosterone has a circadian rhythm with highest levels at the time of nursing. Other metabolic and hormonal parameters follow an exogenous or endogenous rhythm which is affected by the time of nursing. In the brain, clock genes and their proteins (e.g. Per1) are differentially expressed in specific brain regions (e.g. suprachiasmatic nucleus, paraventricular nucleus) in relation to providing or ingesting milk in mothers and young, respectively. These findings suggest that circadian activities are modulated, in the mothers, by suckling stimulation and, in the young, by the ingestion of milk and/or the perception of the mammary pheromone. In conclusion, the rabbit pup is an extraordinary model for studying the entraining by a single daily food pulse with minimal manipulations. The mother offers the possibility of studying nursing as a non‐photic synchronizer, also with minimal manipulation, as suckling stimulation from the litter occurs only once daily.
Constraint Preconditioning for Indefinite Linear Systems

The problem of finding good preconditioners for the numerical solution of indefinite linear systems is considered. Special emphasis is put on preconditioners that have a 2 × 2 block structure and that incorporate the (1,2) and (2,1) blocks of the original matrix. Results concerning the spectrum and form of the eigenvectors of the preconditioned matrix and its minimum polynomial are given. The consequences of these results are considered for a variety of Krylov subspace methods. Numerical experiments validate these conclusions.
An Overview of Ultra-Wideband Technique Application for Medial Engineering

As a novel technique, the UWB has many applications worth to researching on. This paper mainly describes current research on UWB equipments for medical applications. The unique features of UWB technique make UWB adapt to medical field. Based on introducing the key features of UWB technique, two existing main biomedical applications are presented. Then the safety of UWB medical equipments is discussed, which is fundamental of the biomedical applications. Finally a brief assessment of future trends for the UWB technique with a focus on biomedical applying engineer is provided, which is that the UWB technique has a wide application expectation for medical engineering.