Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Risikostratifizierung bei Postinfarktpatienten mit Vorhofflimmern

In dieser Arbeit konnte bei Postinfarktpatienten mit Vorhofflimmern eine erhohte Mortalitat gegenuber Postinfarktpatienten mit Sinusrhythmus nachgewiesen werden. Das Mortalitatsrisiko ist mehr als vierfach erhoht. Proportional sterben die meisten Patienten innerhalb des ersten Monats. Als signifikante Risikofaktoren haben sich die hochgradig eingeschrankte Pumpfunktion, das Alter, sowie der komplette Linksschenkelblock gezeigt. In der Arbeit konnte ebenfalls gezeigt werden, dass Vorhofflimmern bei Postinfarktpatienten zu einem ahnlich hohen Mortalitatsrisiko fuhrt wie eine hochgradig eingeschrankte Pumpfunktion mit einer Ejektionsfraktion unter 30% bei Postinfarktpatienten mit Sinusrhythmus.
Embedded Computer System Requirements Workshop

Developing embedded computer systems requires extensive requirements analysis, support methodologies, and software tools. A Naval Research Laboratory workshop provided theforum for identifying specific recommendations and areas where standards could be developed. The complexity of modern embedded computer systems such as those that are integral parts of spacecraft systems, advanced military weapon systems, command and control systems, robots, industrial control systems, and medical systems is increasing steadily. The cost associated with imprecisely specifying embedded computer system requirements has led engineers to the realization that the process of developing such requirements is not thoroughly understood. A workshop sponsored by Grumman Aerospace Corporation and the Naval Research Laboratory was held atNRL in Washington, DC, November 27-29, 1984, to address problems associated with the requirements specification process. Workshop participants included representatives from private companies, universities, and military agencies, who work extensively in the area of system and software requirements analysis and in the development of methodologies and tools. There was general agreement among them that there are specific problems crucial to embedded computer system requirements analysis and documentation, which are usually not addressed in current methods and standards. This report summarizes the problems and describes recommendations for improvement to system and software standards and to computerized tools supporting the requirements process. Crucial problems
Crystal Structure of the Rac Activator, Asef, Reveals Its Autoinhibitory Mechanism*

The Rac-specific guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) Asef is activated by binding to the tumor suppressor adenomatous polyposis coli mutant, which is found in sporadic and familial colorectal tumors. This activated Asef is involved in the migration of colorectal tumor cells. The GEFs for Rho family GTPases contain the Dbl homology (DH) domain and the pleckstrin homology (PH) domain. When Asef is in the resting state, the GEF activity of the DH-PH module is intramolecularly inhibited by an unidentified mechanism. Asef has a Src homology 3 (SH3) domain in addition to the DH-PH module. In the present study, the three-dimensional structure of Asef was solved in its autoinhibited state. The crystal structure revealed that the SH3 domain binds intramolecularly to the DH domain, thus blocking the Rac-binding site. Furthermore, the RT-loop and the C-terminal region of the SH3 domain interact with the DH domain in a manner completely different from those for the canonical binding to a polyproline-peptide motif. These results demonstrate that the blocking of the Rac-binding site by the SH3 domain is essential for Asef autoinhibition. This may be a common mechanism in other proteins that possess an SH3 domain adjacent to a DH-PH module.
Impact of a healthy lifestyle on all-cause and cardiovascular mortality after stroke in the USA

Background Little is known about the effects of a healthy lifestyle on mortality after stroke. This study assessed whether five healthy lifestyle factors had independent and dose dependent associations with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality after stroke. Methods In a nationally representative sample of the US population (n=15 299) with previous stroke (n=649) followed from survey participation (1988–1994) through to mortality assessment (2000), the relationship between five factors (eating ≥5 servings of fruits/vegetables per day, exercising >12 times/month, having a body mass index of 18.5–29.9 mg/kg2, moderate alcohol use [1 drink/day for women and 2 drinks/day for men] and not smoking) and all-cause and cardiovascular mortality was assessed. Results Mean age was 67.0 years (SE 1.1 years) and 53% were women. After adjusting for covariates, abstaining from smoking (HR 0.57, CI 0.34 to 0.98) and exercising regularly (HR 0.66, CI 0.44 to 0.99) were associated with lower all-cause mortality but no individual factors had independent associations with cardiovascular mortality. All-cause mortality decreased with higher numbers of healthy behaviours (1–3 factors vs none: HR 0.12, CI 0.03 to 0.47; 4–5 factors vs none: HR 0.04, CI 0.01 to 0.20; 4–5 factors vs 1–3 factors: HR 0.38, CI 0.22 to 0.66; trend p=0.04). Similar effects were observed for cardiovascular mortality (4–5 factors vs none: HR 0.08, CI 0.01 to 0.66; 1–3 factors vs none: HR 0.15, CI 0.02 to 1.15; 4–5 factors vs 1–3 factors: HR 0.53, CI 0.28 to 0.98; trend p=0.18). Conclusions Regular exercise and abstinence from smoking were independently associated with lower all-cause mortality after stroke. Combinations of healthy lifestyle factors were associated with lower all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in a dose dependent fashion.
Medicinal Properties of Pleurotus Species (Oyster Mushroom): A Review

Mushrooms have been used as food supplement from times immemorial not only for their flavour, aroma and nutritive values but also for their medicinal properties as evident from ancient literature. In th e present day world they are known for culinary values due to their high-quality proteins, vitamins, fibres and many medicinal properties and accordingly they are called nutraceuticals. Pleurotus as health promoter and environmental restorer is gaining more importance as compared to other medicinal mushrooms resulting in an upsurge in their R and D activities during the past two decades. The chemical nature of the bioactive compounds present in this mushroom includes: polysaccharides, lipopolysaccharides, proteins, peptides, glycoproteins, nucleosides, triterpenoids, lectins, lipids and their derivatives. In this review databases were extensively searched, collected and analysed with an aim to update the present status and to project future prospects of Pleurotus for their biomedical potentials. The presented information will give a new notion to researchers for upgrading Pleurotus species from functional food to holistic mushroom medicine.
Obsidian Source Distribution and Prehistoric Settlement Patterns at Mono Lake, Eastern California

Hunter-gatherer settlement studies often use toolstone diversity to measure the degree to which mobility was regular, expansive, or localized. The results of a 10 km.2 probabilistic survey investigating prehistoric wetland use at Mono Lake demonstrate a pattern that is counter-intuitive to preconceived notions. Diachronic change in landscape use is investigated with a combination of obsidian sourcing and hydration analyses. Rather than conforming to a linear distance-decay model, source distributions appear to re ect differential patch-choice among lakeside habitats. Comparisons with environmental and paleoenvironmental data underscore changes in the use of wetland habitats and highlight the utility of surface survey and obsidian data for understanding past settlement-subsistence patterns.
Drive-by Wi-Fi and digital storytelling: development and co-creation

This paper offers a critique of two examples of innovative uses of information and communication technologies that seek to build social, economic and cultural connections in India. We compare and contrast the development approaches that underpin these projects and explore their consequences on the ground. The first approach follows a Bottom of the Pyramid model, while the other adheres to a Human Development and Capabilities Approach. While both examples use ICT innovatively, their underlying conceptions of development, notions of participation, and their project goals are fundamentally different. We explore these differences in terms of what constitutes participation and co-creation in order to think critically about the role of ICT in development.
Identification and properties of the nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (phosphate)+-dependent malic enzyme in mouse ascites tumor mitochondria.

ELD, ELT/B1, Krebs II, and Sarcoma 180 ascites tumor cells were examined for the mitochondrial malic enzymes. The nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (phosphate) [NAD(P)+]-dependent malic enzyme was present in all mitochondrial fractions at activities that ranged from 21 to 27 nmol reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide formed per min per mg mitochondrial protein. As judged by kinetic properties, the enzyme was essentially identical in the different ascites tumors. Activity with both NAD+ and NADP+ was stimulated by fumarate and inhibited by adenosine 5′-triphosphate. In the presence of 5 mm fumarate, the apparent Km values for malate were about 2 mm with either NAD+ or NADP+ as coenzyme. The apparent Km values for NAD+ and NADP+ were approximately 60 µm, and NAD+ and NADP+ were shown to compete for reduction. The strictly NADP+-linked mitochondrial isoenzyme was not detected in these ascites tumors. The strictly NADP+-dependent isoenzyme of the cytosol was present, but its kinetic properties were considerably different from those during NADP+ reduction via the mitochondrial NAD(P)+-dependent malic enzyme. Pyruvate was formed by ascites tumor mitochondria during malate-supported respiration. Phosphate, which stimulates malate entry via the inorganic orthophosphatemalate transporter, increased the rate of pyruvate accumulation. Pyruvate accumulation was inhibited by the addition of adenosine 5′-diphosphate, suggesting that pyruvate generated by the NAD(P)+-dependent malic enzyme was completely utilized by pyruvate dehydrogenase during State 3.
Serum concentrations of inflammatory mediators related to organ failure in patients with acute pancreatitis

Leucocyte activation and proinflammatory cytokine release (tumour necrosis factor (TNF) and interleukin 6 (IL‐6)) are thought to contribute to the induction of a systemic inflammatory response, an acute‐phase response and multiple organ failure in patients with acute pancreatitis. The serum concentration of TNF, soluble TNF receptors (sTNFR55 and sTNFR75), IL‐6 and Creative protein (CRP) in 58 patients with acute pancreatitis was assessed during the first 2 days of admission. Thirty patients had mild disease and 28 severe disease, of whom 18 developed local pancreatic complications alone (Atlanta classification) and ten developed organ failure (a Goris score of 1 or more). TNF was detected in only 17 patients on the first day of admission, while soluble TNF receptors were detected in all patients and IL‐6 in 34. On the first and second days of admission there was a progressive and significant (P < 0·03) increase in the median concentration of sTNFR55, sTNFR75 and IL‐6 in patients eventually classified into those with mild disease, a local pancreatic complication alone, or organ failure. This pattern was also evident in CRP levels from the second but not the first day of admission. These findings suggest that proinflammatory cytokines or their soluble receptors may be more accurate early predictors of outcome than CRP. Moreover, markers of inflammation in the sera of patients with acute pancreatitis are highest in those who subsequently develop organ failure.
The Southall diabetes survey: prevalence of known diabetes in Asians and Europeans.

Coaches on motorways JMCundy,FFARCS . 1347 The Southall Diabetes Survey: prevalence of known diabetes in Asians and Europeans D P Sellu, FRCS, and J A Lynn, FRCS. 1347 Red for danger: blood transfusion and colorectal cancer SD Blair, FRCS; L P Fielding, FRCS. 1348 Nutritional support improves antibody response to influenza virus vaccine in the elderly M Chavance, MD, and others . 1348 Chinese families and the National Health Service MCKChan,FRACP . 1349 Diabetes mellitus and early mortality from stroke A Samanta, MRCP, and A C Burden, MRCP; N H Cox, MRCP, and J W Lorains, MRCP; CSGray,MB,andothers . 1349 Large hepatoceliular cancers: hepatic resection or liver transplantation? L H Blumgart, FRCS, and others.1350 Social workers and the Mental Health Act 1983 G J Lodge, MRCPSYCH . 1350
An Architectonic Study of the Neocortex of the Short-Tailed Opossum (Monodelphis domestica)

Short-tailed opossums (Monodelphis domestica) belong to the branch of marsupial mammals that diverged from eutherian mammals approximately 180 million years ago. They are small in size, lack a marsupial pouch, and may have retained more morphological characteristics of early marsupial neocortex than most other marsupials. In the present study, we used several different histochemical and immunochemical procedures to reveal the architectonic characteristics of cortical areas in short-tailed opossums. Subdivisions of cortex were identified in brain sections cut in the coronal, sagittal, horizontal or tangential planes and processed for a calcium-binding protein, parvalbumin (PV), neurofilament protein epitopes recognized by SMI-32, the vesicle glutamate transporter 2 (VGluT2), myelin, cytochrome oxidase (CO), and Nissl substance. These different procedures revealed similar boundaries among areas, suggesting that functionally relevant borders were detected. The results allowed a fuller description and more precise demarcation of previously identified sensory areas, and the delineation of additional subdivisions of cortex. Area 17 (V1) was especially prominent, with a densely populated layer 4, high myelination levels, and dark staining of PV and VGluT2 immunopositive terminations. These architectonic features were present, albeit less pronounced, in somatosensory and auditory cortex. The major findings support the conclusion that short-tailed opossums have fewer cortical areas and their neocortex is less distinctly laminated than most other mammals.
Atherosclerotic renal artery disease and heart failure: questions in mind.

Dear Sir, We read with great interest the article by Kane et al. [1] recently published in the journal. As nephrologists, we are facing with a number of patients with renal artery stenosis in our daily practice. Predictors related to successful intervention for renal artery stenosis are not exactly known. Some studies showed that factors like renal resistive index measured by Doppler ultrasonography [2], renal vein plasma renin activity [3] and lesion type (ostial vs. non-ostial) [4] had an impact on the success rate of interventions for renal artery stenosis. Although the authors showed that no apparent clinical benefit was observed with respect to mortality from revascularization of renal artery stenosis (RAS) when compared to medical therapy alone, the above-mentioned factors are not clearly elucidated. Whether the reduction of symptoms of heart failure and reduced hospitalization rates differed among patients with respect to above-mentioned factors is also not mentioned. We wonder whether the authors could give more information about these issues. We believe that these factors may be important determinants for the successful intervention for atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis.
A Soft Robotic Tongue—Mechatronic Design and Surface Reconstruction

A novel soft robot mimicking the human tongue's motion is proposed for the purpose of measuring the tongue movement and interaction with its surrounding in vitro. In order to gain verisimilitude and flexibility, the robotic tongue is simplified from a biological tongue and is made of soft materials, including silicone rubber forming the extensible layer and polydimethylsiloxane composing the less extensible layer. The robotic tongue can deform when pressurized in a series of embedded chambers due to the difference in strain of the two layers. General deformation results are obtained through finite-element method simulations and initial parameters of the structural design are improved. The robotic tongue is fabricated with 3-D printed molds by curing the silicone rubber at room temperature. The pneumatic actuation system is mainly composed of solenoid directional valves and pressure sensors. Five types of basic deformation are achieved including roll-up, roll-down, elongation, groove, and twist. Furthermore, a surface reconstruction method based on multisurface merging is proposed to describe the deformed surface of the robotic tongue quantitatively, which will be used in the surface-based motion control in the future. Motion tracking is carried out to verify the reconstruction results. The results of verification indicate that the proposed method is qualified to reconstruct the surface of the robotic tongue.
A two-dimensional ultrasonic transducer having planar backing array electrodes

We have proposed the planar backing array electrodes implementation of a 2D ultrasonic transducer, which can minimize the complexity of backing electrodes interconnection with two dimensional transducer elements. The implementation consists of specially designed two layered planar top electrodes, instead of the complex circuit boards three-dimensionally interconnected with piezo-elements. Bias electrodes apply the voltage and control electrodes select the elements at which we want to apply the bias by shielding the field stretched on other elements. Potential distribution in a piezo-element was simulated to see the feasibility of the new concept using field shielding by two layered top electrodes array. The results indicate that the structural implementation of two layered electrode array is very important and specially designed two layered electrodes are enough to control the perfect ON/OFF state, showing that most of the voltage (>98%) applied across the sensor element can be shielded.
Multi agent system based process control in wide area protection against cascading events

In order to prevent long term voltage instability induced cascading events; a multi agent system (MAS) based wide area protection strategy is proposed in this paper. Due to some unexpected failures of control strategy execution or the consequent unexpected disturbance, the power system will face more complex emergent situation than planned. The process control strategy will be applied to improve the effectiveness and reliability of MAS based control strategy. The supervisory agent will help control center in the high level to manage not only the regular control process against the estimated emergent states, but also those unusual control process variations when unexpected situation is experienced. A hybrid simulation platform based on MATLAB/LabVIEW and real time digital simulator (RTDS) is set up to simulate a voltage collapse case in the power system of Eastern Denmark and demonstrate the effectiveness of the improved MAS based protection strategy.
Arteriovenous fistula thrombosis is associated with increased all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in haemodialysis patients from the AURORA trial

Abstract Background The impact of arteriovenous fistula (AVF) or graft (AVG) thrombosis on mortality has been sparsely studied. This study investigated the association between AVF/AVG thrombosis and all-cause and cardiovascular mortality. Methods The data from 2439 patients with AVF or AVG undergoing maintenance haemodialysis (HD) included in the A Study to Evaluate the Use of Rosuvastatin in Subjects on Regular Hemodialysis: An Assessment of Survival and Cardiovascular Events trial (AURORA) were analysed using a time-dependent Cox model. The incidence of vascular access (VA) thrombosis was a pre-specified secondary outcome. Results During follow-up, 278 AVF and 94 AVG thromboses were documented. VA was restored at 22 ± 64 days after thrombosis (27 patients had no restoration with subsequent permanent central catheter). In multivariable survival analysis adjusted for potential confounders, the occurrence of AVF/AVG thrombosis was associated with increased early and late all-cause mortality, with a more pronounced association with early all-cause mortality {hazard ratio [HR] < 90 days 2.70 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.83–3.97], P < 0.001; HR > 90 days 1.47 [1.20–1.80], P < 0.001}. In addition, the occurrence of AVF thrombosis was significantly associated with higher all-cause mortality, whether VA was restored within 7 days [HR 1.34 (95% CI 1.02–1.75), P = 0.036] or later than 7 days [HR 1.81 (95% CI 1.29–2.53), P = 0.001]. Conclusions AVF/AVG thrombosis should be considered as a major clinical event since it is strongly associated with increased mortality in patients on maintenance HD, especially in the first 90 days after the event and when access restoration occurs >7 days after thrombosis. Clinicians should pay particular attention to the timing of VA restoration and the management of these patients during this high-risk period. The potential benefit of targeting overall patient risk with more aggressive treatment after AVF/AVG restoration should be further explored.
Nitrogen isotope composition of inorganic soil nitrogen and associated vegetation under a sea bird colony on the Hatana islands, Rotuma Group, Fiji

Concentration together with the stable isotope composition (δ15N) of both ammonium- and nitrate-nitrogen were conducted for sedentary soils under the piscivorous seabird colony developed on Quaternary basaltic ejecta from the Hatana islands, Fiji, south Pacific. Higher inorganic nitrogen content (up to 2,420 mg-N/kg dry soil) was observed for soils under dense forest vegetation, relative to a lower nitrogen content for soils under sparse grass vegetation (270 mg-N/kg dry soil), reflecting the difference in the mulching effects of vegetative cover for leaching of nitrogen by meteoric water. Active mineralization of uric acid in the bird excreta followed by partial loss due to volatilization of ammonia, nitrification and denitrification were indicated by unique δ15N values of the inorganic nitrogen as high as +50‰. This unique process was facilitated by high soil surface temperature (24 to 32°C) in combination with the humid tropical climate (annual rainfall: 3560 mm). Distinct isotopic composition of the foliar nitrogen (δ15N = +13.6 to +36.7‰) indicated acquisition of the inorganic nitrogen derived from bird excreta in soils.
A method of target tracking based on spatial trace matching principle

A new method called track smooth filter(TSF), which improves the tracking quality of target track, is presented for the situation that the measuring data rate is low, the system feature and the target movement is complicated. Based on the spatial trace matching principle that the track made by the target motion is continual and smooth, simple and robust estimation models can be constructed by the regression analysis for the target kinematics process with unknown behavior. The state estimations of the target are obtained by the smooth filter so as to establish the target track. In applications on the experimental data, it is shown that the adaptability and the stability of the track filter are well.