Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Predictive value of early recurrence and delayed cure after catheter ablation for patients with chronic atrial fibrillation.

BACKGROUND Radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA) for curing atrial fibrillation (AF) is often followed by early recurrence and delayed cure, so the present study investigate the predictive factors this in patients with chronic AF. METHODS AND RESULTS Ninety-two consecutive patients (70 males; mean age, 58.7+/-6.4 years) with chronic AF who underwent RFCA for treatment of symptomatic AF were enrolled. Early recurrence of AF (ERAF) occurred in 45 patients after ablation. Not achieving AF termination could predict ERAF (odds ratio (OR) 0.95; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.84-1.13; p=0.02) in multivariate analysis. During a follow-up of 12+/-11 (range, 5-25) months, delayed cure occurred in 35.6% (16/45) of the patients with ERAF. Left atrial size and AF termination during ablation were related to delayed cure. AF termination was the only independent predictive factor for delayed cure (OR 1.47; 95% CI 1.05-1.87; p=0.02). CONCLUSION Not achieving AF termination is the only independent predictor of ERAF. Among patients with ERAF, those with a smaller left atrium and AF termination have a higher probability of delayed cure. AF termination can independently predict delayed cure. These results emphasize the importance of AF termination during ablation for patients with chronic AF.
QoS-Oriented Intersystem Handover Between IEEE 802.11b and Overlay Networks

In this paper, we consider the quality-of-service (QoS)-oriented intersystem handover between the IEEE 802.11b network and the overlay network. We propose the handover scheme and algorithm that guarantee to simultaneously meet the three key QoS parameters, that is, the minimum data rate, the maximum data block delay, and the maximum bit error rate, for the arbitrary number of downlink and uplink multiservice connections. In addition to the QoS requirements, our intersystem handover scheme guarantees to keep the call-dropping probability during the handover and the sum of the average number of ping-pong events during the entry to and the exit from the IEEE 802.11b system below the predetermined values. We define the IEEE 802.11b network as the priority network for the mobile station. Thus, we maximize the time during which the mobile station is served by the IEEE 802.11b network while satisfying the QoS requirements in both networks, as well as the maximum call-dropping probability and the maximum average number of ping-pong event constraints. To solve this task, we propose a novel intersystem handover scheme that utilizes the minimum signal-to-noise ratio threshold, entry hysteresis, and exit hysteresis.
Using mouse models to understand normal and abnormal urogenital tract development

Removal of toxic substances from the blood depends on patent connections between the kidneys, ureters and bladder that are established when the ureter is transposed from its original insertion site in the Wolffian duct, to the bladder trigone, its final insertion site. According to the Ureteric Bud Theory of Mackie and Stephens, this repositioning of the ureter orifice occurs as the trigone forms from the common nephric duct, the caudal-most Wolffian duct segment. The availability of mouse models has enabled us to re-examine this hypothesis in the context of normal and abnormal development. We find than in contrast to what has been previously thought, the common nephric duct does not differentiate into the bladder trigone but instead undergoes apoptosis, a crucial step in ureter transposition. Interestingly, apoptosis only occurs in close proximity with the sinus ridge, a raised epithelial structure located at the dorsal aspect of the urogenital sinus, suggesting that signals from this site may be important for normal ureter insertion. These studies provide new insights into the normal process of ureter maturation, and shed light on possible causes of obstruction and reflux, ureteral abnormalities that affect 1–2% of the human population.
Barriers and facilitators to BRCA genetic counseling among at‐risk Latinas in New York City

Despite underuse of genetic services for hereditary breast and/or ovarian cancer risk among Latinas (including counseling and testing for BRCA mutations), there is little known about the barriers and facilitators to BRCA genetic counseling among this group. It is imperative to first understand factors that may impede Latinas seeking BRCA genetic counseling, as it is considered a prerequisite to testing.
The Annuity Puzzle and an Outline of Its Solution

In his seminal 1965 paper, Yaari showed that, assuming actuarially fair annuity prices, uncertain lifetimes, and no bequest motives, utility-maximizing retirees should annuitize all of their wealth on retirement. Nevertheless, the markets for individual immediate life annuities in the United States, the United Kingdom, and several other developed countries have been small relative to other financial investment outlets competing for retirement savings. Researchers have found this situation puzzling, hence the so-called “annuity puzzle. ” There are many possible explanations for the annuity puzzle, including “rational” explanations such as adverse selection, bequest motives, and incomplete markets; and “behaviorial” explanations, such as mental accounting, cumulative prospect theory, and mortality salience. We review the literature on the various plausible explanations given for the existence of the annuity puzzle, suggest ways of stimulating the demand for annuities, and suggest a few of the ingredients needed for further development of hybrid annuity products that may provide a solution to the puzzle.
High‐resolution sequencing reveals unexplored archaeal diversity in freshwater wetland soils

Summary Despite being key contributors to biogeochemical processes, archaea are frequently outnumbered by bacteria, and consequently are underrepresented in combined molecular surveys. Here, we demonstrate an approach to concurrently survey the archaea alongside the bacteria with high‐resolution 16S rRNA gene sequencing, linking these community data to geochemical parameters. We applied this integrated analysis to hydric soils sampled across a model methane‐emitting freshwater wetland. Geochemical profiles, archaeal communities, and bacterial communities were independently correlated with soil depth and water cover. Centimeters of soil depth and corresponding geochemical shifts consistently affected microbial community structure more than hundreds of meters of lateral distance. Methanogens with diverse metabolisms were detected across the wetland, but displayed surprising OTU‐level partitioning by depth. Candidatus Methanoperedens spp. archaea thought to perform anaerobic oxidation of methane linked to iron reduction were abundant. Domain‐specific sequencing also revealed unexpectedly diverse non‐methane‐cycling archaeal members. OTUs within the underexplored Woesearchaeota and Bathyarchaeota were prevalent across the wetland, with subgroups and individual OTUs exhibiting distinct occupancy and abundance distributions aligned with environmental gradients. This study adds to our understanding of ecological range for key archaeal taxa in a model freshwater wetland, and links these taxa and individual OTUs to hypotheses about processes governing biogeochemical cycling.
Genetic and Antigenic Evolution of Swine Influenza Viruses in Europe and Evaluation of Their Zoonotic Potential

Swine influenza is a highly contagious respiratory viral infection of pigs that has become enzootic in areas densely populated with pigs. Like other influenza A viruses, swine influenza virus (SIV) is genetically unstable and able to accumulate antigenic drifts and/or antigenic shifts. The pig is susceptible to both avian and human influenza viruses and can serve as an intermediate host in influenza virus ecology. Zoonotic agents may emerge in pigs following the modification of an established swine strain, adaptation of a strain of avian origin to the mammalian host, or reassortment between human and avian influenza viruses. Three different subtypes, H1N1, H3N2 and H1N2, are at present circulating in Europe. They differ from those found in North America and Asia and various lineages can be distinguished within each subtype. To date, European SIVs have not produced a global outbreak of influenza in humans but sporadic cases of SIV infection have been reported. This review presents a historical record of the genetic and antigenic evolution of SIVs in Europe. Our present understanding of the transmission of European SIVs from pigs to other animal species and to humans, together with the factors that limit inter‐species transmission, is described.
Bildungsrenditen in Deutschland: Einflussfaktoren, politische Optionen und ökonomische Effekte

Die durchschnittliche Bildungsrendite betrug im Jahr 2007 in Westdeutschland 9,9 Prozent und in Ostdeutschland 9,6 Prozent. In den vergangenen Jahren sind trotz der zu beobachtenden Bildungsexpansion die Ertrage, die der Einzelne durch Investitionen in seine Bildung erzielen kann, gestiegen. Ihre Hohe wird von verschiedenen Faktoren beeinflusst, unter anderem von den Rahmenbedingungen den Erwerbsunterbrechungen und der Ausgestaltung des Steuer- und Sozialsystems. Die Politik kann dazu beitragen, die privaten Bildungsrenditen zu erhohen, indem sie Masnahmen ergreift, um bei beruflichen und akademischen Bildungsgangen die Abbruchwahrscheinlichkeit und Dauer zu senken. Des Weiteren kann sie die Anreize zur Fort- und Weiterbildung starken – durch einen Ausbau des Meister-BAfoGs und eine Erhohung der Durchlassigkeit des Bildungssystems. Die Erweiterung der Kinderbetreuungsangebote wirkt sich ebenfalls positiv auf die privaten Bildungsrenditen aus. Die genannten Masnahmen rechnen sich auch fur den Staat, da dieser bei einer steigenden Produktivitat und Wertschopfung der Bevolkerung hohere Einnahmen aus Steuern und Sozialversicherungsbeitragen erzielt.
Kidney injury molecule-1 as an early detection tool for acute kidney injury and other kidney diseases.

INTRODUCTION Although change in serum creatinine is the standard metric tool for the detection of renal injury, its lack of sensitivity has made the early diagnosis of acute kidney injury (AKI) very difficult. In fact, the absence of sensitive AKI biomarkers has impaired progress in the nephrology field and had a detrimental effect on the design and outcome of AKI clinical trials. Recently, several proteins have shown potential in the early detection of acute and chronic kidney injuries. AREAS COVERED This review discusses the current status of kidney injury molecule-1 (KIM-1) as a potential diagnostic tool in patients with various acute and chronic kidney diseases. The focus is limited to human studies from January 2002 to July 2010. The review clarifies the clinical conditions for which KIM-1 has the greatest potential utility for early detection of kidney injury. It also demonstrates to the reader the barriers to the successful use of KIM-1 and other biomarkers in clinical practice, and the future trials that will be needed to validate their use. EXPERT OPINION Despite the early promise of biomarkers such as KIM-1 for the early detection and prognosis of kidney disease, more studies are required to establish their utility in clinical practice. Indeed, the published clinical studies of urine KIM-1 so far are small and insufficient to support urinary KIM-1 as an effective AKI diagnostic test in humans. It is suggested, through the heterogeneity of AKI and existing published data, that more than one biomarker may be necessary to obtain sufficient sensitivity and specificity for AKI screening.
Differences between the anorexic actions of amphetamine and fenfluramine—possible effects on hunger and satiety *

The inhibition of feeding in rats brought about by amphetamine and fenfluramine was continuously monitored for periods of up to 24 h using a pellet detecting eatometer. For rats tested under conditions of food deprivation the two drugs gave rise to distinctive anorexic profiles: amphetamine delayed the onset of eating whereas fenfluramine allowed eating to commence normally but brought about an early termination of the initial bout of feeding. When the drugs were administered to rats with free access to food, analysis of the meal pattern showed that amphetamine gave rise to a small increase in the inter‐meal interval while fenfluramine brought about a clear reduction in meal size. It is suggested that the contrasting modes of action of these drugs represent an effect of amphetamine upon hunger and an action of fenfluramine on satiety. This suggestion is in keeping with the proposed mechanisms of action of these drugs, amphetamine acting upon a hypothalamic motivational system and fenfluramine acting by means of a postulated serotoninergic satiety system. Use of the continuous monitoring technique has pointed to certain limitations in the assessment of anorexic drug action by means of discrete food sampling periods.
On the role of texture and color in the classification of dermoscopy images

This paper addresses the detection of melanoma lesions in dermoscopy images, using texture and color features. Although melanoma detection has been studied in several works, using different types of texture, color and shape features, it is not always clear what is the role of each set of features and which features are most discriminative. This papers aims at clarifying the role of texture and color features. Furthermore, the proposed systems is based on features which can be easily implemented and tested by other researchers. It is concluded that both types of features achieve good detection scores when used alone. The best results (SE=94.1%, SP=77.4%) are achieved by combining them both.
A diversidade produtiva em Reservas Extrativistas na Amazônia: entre a invisibilidade e a multifuncionalidade

Esse trabalho analisa a produção agrícola e extrativa em 28 Reservas Extrativistas (Resex) federais na Amazônia brasileira. As Resex representam uma modalidade de acesso ao território pelas populações extrativistas, como garantia do seu modo de vida e trabalho e de conservação ambiental. Foram utilizados dados primários obtidos por meio de questionários aplicados pelo Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade (ICMBio), em parceria com a Universidade Federal de Viçosa (UFV), às famílias que vivem e utilizam os recursos desses territórios. As informações apresentadas se referem aos dados amostrais levantados, correspondendo a 3.236 questionários, de um total de 14.960. Foram analisados os elementos referentes à diversidade da pauta produtiva nessas Reservas Extrativistas e ao volume produzido pelo extrativismo de açaí e castanha-do-Brasil e da produção de farinha de mandioca. O trabalho ressalta que a diversidade produtiva, a multifuncionalidade e as especificidades das atividades e dos arranjos socioprodutivos de base familiar e comunitária são elementos fundantes da organização social, econômica e ambiental das populações beneficiárias das Reservas Extrativistas, principalmente nesse Bioma.
Formal validation of supervisory energy management systems for microgrids

An energy management system of a microgrid (MG) has several basic objectives; e.g. to maximize the utilization of renewable energy resources (RES), to protect the internal components from overloading, and to ensure that the MG operates reliably under any operating conditions. Although many control techniques are available in the literature to monitor and control the energy flows among distributed RES in MGs, formal verification of those techniques was not proposed yet. The emphasis of this paper is to design and validate energy management system for a MG which consists of a solar photovoltaic (PV) array, a pair of battery energy storage systems (BESes), a diesel generator (DG) and a load (LD). The physics and dynamics of the MG are defined as energy flow invariants and the designed behaviours are abstracted, modelled and validated in this work. Therefore, we have considered an invariant based flow technique to manage the energy flow in an MG. The results are validated and verified with UPPAAL, a powerful industrial tool which is commonly used to verify the correctness of real-time systems like supervisory controllers, communication protocols and others.
Modulation of Bile Acid Metabolism by 1α-Hydroxyvitamin D3 Administration in Mice

The vitamin D receptor (VDR) is a nuclear receptor for the active form of vitamin D3 and mediates regulation of calcium homeostasis. Bile acids, such as lithocholic acid, have been identified as additional endogenous VDR ligands. The in vivo role of VDR in bile acid metabolism has not been elucidated. We investigated potential effects of in vivo VDR activation on bile acid metabolism by feeding mice bile acid-supplemented chow and then treating them with 1α-hydroxyvitamin D3 [1α(OH)D3]. We administered 1α(OH)D3 via gavage to mice fed chow supplemented with 0.4% cholic acid (CA), chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA), deoxycholic acid (DCA), or lithocholic acid (LCA) and examined liver and plasma bile acid composition with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis. 1α(OH)D3 treatment reduced hepatic bile acids in mice fed CDCA- and DCA-supplemented chow but was less effective in mice fed chow supplemented with LCA or CA. 1α(OH)D3 administration also decreased plasma bile acids in mice fed bile acids, such as DCA. The effect of 1α(OH)D3 administration in decreasing liver bile acid composition was observed in mice under fasting conditions and was associated with increased urinary excretion and increased expression of bile acid transporters, such as renal multidrug resistance-associated protein 4. These findings indicate that pharmacological activation of VDR enhances metabolism of bile acids, especially urinary excretion. The results confirm that VDR acts a regulator of bile acid metabolism in vivo.
Initial Coin Offerings and Entrepreneurial Finance: The Role of Founders’ Characteristics

Initial coin offerings (ICOs) are a new financing instrument that allows start-ups to sell blockchain-based digital tokens for capital on the Internet. This study tests the effects of disclosure of founders’ background information and founding team’s collective human capital on ICO outcomes. The authors find both the disclosure of founders’ information and founding team’s human capital are associated with better ICO outcomes measured either by the total amount raised or the speed of fundraising. Their results thus highlight the importance of information disclosure and human capital in entrepreneurial finance.
Serotonin Selectively Aggravates Subendocardial Ischemia Distal to a Coronary Artery Stenosis During Exercise

BackgroundThe coronary circulation has been shown to remain responsive to vasodilator and vasoconstrictor stimuli during myocardial ischemia. Because serotonin possesses both vasodilator and vasoconstrictor properties, we examined its effect in the coronary circulation distal to an arterial stenosis that resulted in myocardial hypoperfusion during exercise. Methods and ResultsSeven chronically instrumented dogs were studied during treadmill exercise in the presence of a stenosis that reduced distal left circumflex coronary artery perfusion pressure to 42±1 mm Hg. Myocardial blood flow was assessed with radioactive microspheres during exercise before and during intracoronary infusion of 0.4 and 2.0 μg/kg−1·min−1 serotonin. The stenosis was adjusted to maintain distal coronary pressure constant during control exercise and with the two doses of serotonin. In seven dogs, the effect of serotonin (2.0 μg/kg−l·min−1) was also studied during exercise with normal arterial inflow. During control exercise, the stenosis decreased mean myocardial blood flow to 45% of flow in the normally perfused region. This decrease was most pronounced in the subendocardium (endocardial/epicardial ratio 0.36±0.06 versus 1.46±0.14 in the control region; p<0.01). With no change in pressure distal to the stenosis, serotonin decreased subendocardial flow from 0.51±0.09 ml/min−1·g−1 to 0.41±0.12 (p<0.05) and then to 035±0.08 ml/min−1·g−1(p<0.05) and tended to increase subepicardial flow from 1.47±0.17 to 1.91±0.23 and 1.85±0.21 ml/min−1·g−1 (p=0.08) during infusions of 0.5 and 2.0 μg/kg−1·min−1, respectively, with no change in total arterial inflow. In contrast, in the absence of a stenosis, serotonin (2.0 μg/kg−1·min−1) increased subendocardial flow from 2.43±0.25 to 3.73±0.25 ml/min−1·g−1 (p<0.01) and subepicardial flow from 1.88±0.20 to 5.29±038 ml/min−1·g−1 (p<0.01). ConclusionsDuring normal arterial inflow, serotonin dilated coronary resistance vessels and increased flow to all myocardial layers. During hypoperfusion, a vasodilator response was still present in the subepicardium, but vasoconstriction was then observed in the subendocardium. Our data suggest that serotonin constricts the intramural penetrating arteries, thereby selectively increasing resistance to subendocardial blood flow.
Grid effect on stability of pumped-storage hydro station

The ability of pump storage hydropower stations to provide a rapid response to changes in system loading means that they are often used as a measure of controlling Grid frequency. When used in this role, the response of an individual unit is determined by the behaviour of its governor, the stiffness of the connected grid and the interaction between the governor and the grid. The governor settings, and in particular the loop gains, are therefore critical to achieving optimum levels of station performance. However, the level of interaction between the governor and the grid means that in order to achieve optimum performance the governor loop gains should be continually modified to take account of grid loading.
Predicting conversion to Alzheimer disease using standardized clinical information.

OBJECTIVE To identify aspects of a standardized clinical assessment that can predict which individuals within the category of "questionable" Alzheimer disease (AD) have a high likelihood of converting to AD over time. DESIGN Detailed semistructured interviews were performed at baseline and annually for 3 years. SETTING University-based gerontology research program. PATIENTS The patient population consisted of 165 individuals 65 years and older: 42 of the participants had a Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) of normal cognition (CDR rating, 0.0) and 123 had a rating of questionable AD (CDR rating, 0.5). After 3 years of follow-up, 23 of the 123 subjects with questionable AD were diagnosed with probable AD. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES The interview was used to generate a summary measure based on the sum of 6 CDR categories, known as the Total Box Score. The responses to 32 selected questions from the interview also were examined. RESULTS Likelihood of progression to AD during the follow-up period was strongly related to the Total Box Score. For example, more than 50% of individuals with a Total Box Score of 2.0 or higher at baseline developed AD during the follow-up interval, whereas about 10% of individuals with a Total Box Score of 1.0 or lower developed AD during this same period. Selected questions from the standardized clinical interview also were highly predictive of subsequent conversion to AD among the study population. Eight selected questions from the clinical interview at baseline, combined with the CDR Total Box Score, identified 88.6% of such individuals accurately (questionable group, 82/91; converter group, 19/23). CONCLUSIONS A standardized clinical assessment can be used to identify the subgroup of individuals within the category of questionable AD who have a high likelihood of converting to AD over time. Subjects who met the criteria for questionable AD had a variety of trajectories during a 3-year follow-up, suggesting that diverse factors may influence the functional changes observed in this population.