Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
High prevalence and persistence of sleep apnoea in patients referred for acute left ventricular failure and medically treated over 2 months.

AIMS Cardiac failure patients were studied systematically using polysomnography 1 month after recovering from acute pulmonary oedema, and again after 2 months of optimal medical treatment for cardiac failure. METHODS AND RESULTS This prospective study of consecutive patients was conducted in a cardiac care unit of a university hospital. V o(2)measurements and left ventricular ejection fraction were recorded. Thirty-four patients, initially recruited with pulmonary oedema, improved after 1 month of medical treatment to NYHA II or III. They were aged less than 75 years and had a left ventricular ejection fraction less than 45% at the time of inclusion. Age was 62 (9) years, body mass index= 27 (5) kg x m(-2)and an ejection fraction= 30 (10)%. Eighteen of the 34 patients (53%) had coronary artery disease. Twenty-eight of the 34 had sleep apnoea syndrome with an apnoea+hypopnoea index >15 x h(-1)of sleep. Thus, the prevalence of sleep apnoea in this population was 82%. Twenty-one of 28 (75%) patients had central sleep apnoea and seven of 28 (25%) had obstructive sleep apnoea. Patients with central sleep apnoea had a lower Pa co(2)than those with obstructive sleep apnoea (33 (5) vs 37 (5) mmHg, P<0.005). Significant correlations were found between apnoea+hypopnoea index and peak exercise oxygen consumption (r= -0.73, P<0.01), and apnoea+hypopnoea index and Pa co(2)(r= -0.42, P = 0.03). When only central sleep apnoea patients were considered, a correlation between apnoea+hypopnoea index and left ventricular ejection fraction was also demonstrated (r= -0.46, P<0.04). After 2 months of optimal medical treatment only two patients (both with central sleep apnoea) showed improvement (apnoea+hypopnoea index <15 x h(-1)). CONCLUSIONS We have demonstrated a high prevalence of sleep apnoea, which persisted after 2 months of medical treatment, in patients referred for acute left ventricular failure. Central sleep apnoea can be considered a marker of the severity of congestive heart failure.
A Spatio-Temporal Bayesian Network for Adaptive Risk Management in Territorial Emergency Response Operations

For this reason the availability of a Bayesian model is the only solution capable of allowing emergency squads to exploit the backward propagation of Bayesian networks and perform real-time diagnoses. In other words, once the user sets the desired state for the output variable(s), the network is able to work out the most likely state values for the corresponding input, thereby helping to discern how to act optimally in order to control the spread of fire. The same tool may also be used for scenario analyses.
Tuberculin Reaction, BCG Scar, and Lower Female Mortality

Background: Recent studies have suggested that bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) immunization may have a nonspecific beneficial effect on infant survival and that the effect may be more pronounced among girls. In a prospective birth cohort, we examine whether a positive tuberculin skin test and BCG scar in response to BCG immunization were related to better overall survival in Guinea-Bissau and, if so, whether the effect was sex-specific. Methods: Skin tests and BCG scarring were monitored at ages 2 months (n = 2332) and 6 months (n = 1817) in children born from March 2000 to July 2002. A tuberculosis (TB) surveillance system allowed us to exclude from the analysis children with likely TB exposure. The children were followed for survival until 18 months of age. Results: Among children with a tuberculin skin test at 2 and 6 months of age, the mortality rate ratio for skin test reactors (>1 mm) versus nonreactors (0–1 mm) was 0.54 (95% confidence interval = 0.30–0.99). Comparing children with and without a BCG scar, the ratio was 0.55 (0.31–0.96). The effect of a skin test reaction or a BCG scar seemed stronger among girls; for those with positive reaction, the mortality ratio was 0.31 (0.11–0.88) among girls and 0.84 (0.39–1.82) among boys; and for BCG scar, the results were 0.41 (0.21–0.82) and 0.88 (0.34–2.30), respectively. Conclusions: A good response to BCG vaccination is related to lower child mortality. The effect seems most pronounced among girls. The findings may have implications for future vaccine trials and policy.
A Low-Profile Miniaturized Second-Order Bandpass Frequency Selective Surface

High-order bandpass frequency selective surfaces (FSSs) (N ≥ 1) can achieve high performance with a flat in-band frequency response and fast roll-off. One particular practical issue of designing bandpass FSSs using resonant surfaces is that the thickness of the substrate would be around a quarter of a wavelength. On the other hand, the size of a nonresonant FSS array element is usually large. A new miniaturized FSS capable of exhibiting a second-order bandpass response is proposed in this letter. Two miniaturized resonant surfaces coupled by a nonresonant inductive layer are used to build the proposed FSSs. An FSS operating at around 3.8 GHz is designed to verify the method. The element size is smaller than $0.076\lambda\,\times \,0.076\lambda $ for the proposed structure. This is significantly smaller than the element size of second-order FSSs designed using conventional approaches. The overall thickness is less than λ/24, where λ is the free-space wavelength at the resonant frequency. The method could be particularly useful for the design of FSSs at lower frequencies with longer wavelengths.
Dynamic stimulation evokes spatially focused receptive fields in bat auditory cortex

Bats can orient and hunt for prey in complete darkness using echolocation. Due to the pulse‐like character of call emission they receive a stroboscopic view of their environment. During target approach, bats adjust their emitted echolocation calls to the specific requirements of the dynamically changing environmental and behavioral context. In addition to changes of the spectro‐temporal call features, the spatial focusing of the beam of the sonar emissions onto the target is a conspicuous feature during target tracking. The neural processes underlying the complex sensory‐motor interactions during target tracking are not well understood. In this study, we used a two‐tone‐pulse paradigm with 81 combinations of inter‐aural intensity differences and six inter‐pulse intervals in a passive hearing task to tackle the question of how transient changes in the azimuthal position of successive sounds are encoded by neurons in the auditory cortex of the bat Phyllostomus discolor. In a population of cortical neurons (11%, 24 of 217), spatial receptive fields were focused to a small region of frontal azimuthal positions during dynamic stimulation with tone‐pulse pairs at short inter‐pulse intervals. The response of these neurons might be important for the behaviorally observed locking of the sonar beam onto a selected target during the later stages of target tracking. Most interestingly, the majority of these neurons (88%, 21 of 24) were located in the posterior dorsal part of the auditory cortex. This cortical subfield might thus be specifically involved in the analysis of dynamic acoustic scenes.
Autoantibodies in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

RATIONALE Adaptive immune responses are present in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and it has been postulated that these processes could be autoreactive. OBJECTIVES To ascertain if humoral autoimmunity could play a role in COPD pathogenesis. METHODS Circulating IgG autoantibodies were detected by immunofluorescence and immunoprecipitation. Immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence were used to evaluate intrapulmonary IgG and complement (C3) deposition in human lung explants. Autoantibody pathogenicity was also investigated with an antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity assay. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS The prevalence of anti-HEp-2 epithelial cell autoantibodies in 47 smokers/former smokers with COPD (GOLD stages 1-4) was greater than among 8 subjects with a smoking history but normal spirometry and 21 healthy control subjects who had never smoked (68 vs. 13 vs. 10%, respectively; P < 0.0001). Antibodies against primary pulmonary epithelial cells were found in 12 of 12 patients with COPD versus 3 of 12 never-smoked control subjects (P < 0.001). Self-antigens immunoprecipitated from 34 of 35 (97%) of COPD plasmas (vs. 0/12 never-smoked controls). Antibodies against a particular 130-kD autoantigen (n = 7) were associated with decreased body mass index (23.2 +/- 2.1 vs. 29.5 +/- 1.0 kg/m(2), P = 0.007). Intrapulmonary immune complexes were present in six of six and C3 was seen in five of six COPD lung explants, unlike zero of six and one of six normals, respectively. Cytotoxicity of pulmonary epithelial cells by allogeneic mononuclear cells also increased 46% after incubation with COPD plasmas (n = 10), compared with identical treatments with eight normal specimens (P = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS IgG autoantibodies with avidity for pulmonary epithelium, and the potential to mediate cytotoxicity, are prevalent in patients with COPD. Autoreactive adaptive immune responses may be important in the etiology of this disease.
Clinical Case of Endocarditis due to Trichosporon inkin and Antifungal Susceptibility Profile of the Organism

ABSTRACT A fatal case of Trichosporon inkin prosthetic endocarditis is reported. The isolation sites and susceptibility profiles of 10 other isolates are also reviewed. Four strains were recovered from cutaneous or subcutaneous samples, four were recovered from urine, one was recovered from peritoneal liquid, and one was recovered from bone. Voriconazole and amphotericin B had the most potent activities in vitro against the isolates, with MIC geometric means of 0.11 and 0.30 μg/ml, respectively.
Restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis shows that the hippuricase gene of Campylobacter jejuni is highly conserved

A 1151‐bp amplicon containing the hippuricase (hipO) gene was obtained from 118strains of Campylobacter jejuni and double‐digested with AluI and DdeI togive five different PCR‐RFLP patterns. Most strains had the six‐banded profile predicted fromsequence data. Lack of polymorphisms within the hipO gene indicated it was highlyconserved amongst strains of Camp. jejuni, and that RFLP analysis provided only lowdiscrimination as an epidemiological typing method. Detection of hipO by PCR provided auseful test for confirmatory identification of Camp. jejuni.
Abstinence and Relapse Rates Following a College Campus-Based Quit & Win Contest

Abstract Objective: To conduct and evaluate Quit & Win contests at 2 2-year college and 2 4-year university campuses. Participants: During Spring semester, 2006, undergraduates (N = 588) interested in quitting smoking signed up for a Quit & Win 30-day cessation contest for a chance to win a lottery prize. Methods: Participants (N = 588) completed a baseline survey, provided a urine sample to verify smoking status before joining the contest, and completed a follow-up survey at contest end to assess abstinence. Participants reporting continuous 30-day abstinence were surveyed again 2 weeks post contest to assess relapse. Results: Participants smoked an average of 9.8 ± 6.7 cigarettes/day on 26.7 ± 5.7 days/month. Among participants completing a follow-up survey (74%), 72.1% reported abstinence during the entire contest period (Intent-to-Treat Analysis = 53.2%). 55.3% of those abstinent at the end of contest had resumed smoking 2 weeks post contest. Conclusions: Campus Quit & Win contests appear feasible, acceptable, and effective at facilitating short-term abstinence. Further research is needed to identify strategies to prevent postcontest relapse.
Research on the novel pattern clustering and information mining algorithm based on Bayesian networks and information entropy optimization

Bayesian network is a probability, which is based on a probabilistic inference network of graphical and Bayesian formula is the basis of the probability of network. The paper analyzes general Semantic pixel naming and the implementation process and concept of Bayesian per pixel segmentation (BPPS). On this basis, author presents a novel deep learning framework for clustering and information mining for probabilistic per pixel segmentation, which author terms it as Bayesian per pixel segmentation (BPPS) by initially checking out the noise in the image. This new method is more accurate and efficient.
Three-dimensional kinematic comparison of treadmill and overground running

The treadmill is an attractive device for the investigation of human locomotion, yet the extent to which lower limb kinematics differ from overground running remains a controversial topic. This study aimed to provide an extensive three-dimensional kinematic comparison of the lower extremities during overground and treadmill running. Twelve participants ran at 4.0 m/s ( ± 5%) in both treadmill and overground conditions. Angular kinematic parameters of the lower extremities during the stance phase were collected at 250 Hz using an eight-camera motion analysis system. Hip, knee, and ankle joint kinematics were quantified in the sagittal, coronal, and transverse planes, and contrasted using paired t-tests. Of the analysed parameters hip flexion at footstrike and ankle excursion to peak angle were found to be significantly reduced during treadmill running by 12° (p = 0.001) and 6.6° (p = 0.010), respectively. Treadmill running was found to be associated with significantly greater peak ankle eversion (by 6.3°, p = 0.006). It was concluded that the mechanics of treadmill running cannot be generalized to overground running.
Managing oral anticoagulation therapy: improving clinical outcomes. A review

Many physicians are reluctant to prescribe oral anticoagulation therapy (OAT) because of the fear of haemorrhagic complications. Changes in patient health, lifestyle or diet and other drugs can alter the effectiveness of oral anticoagulants. These potential interferences, added to the fact that each individual has a different reaction to these drugs, requires that therapy is monitored regularly. This article aims to review those strategies which help to achieve optimal anticoagulation control and improve the outcomes of OAT. Relevant articles were identified through a search of MEDLINE and included publications reporting on intensity of anticoagulation, the initiation of therapy and the role of pharmacogenetics, the transition from primary to secondary care, management by specialized clinics using decision support software and home‐testing. Implementation of these strategies would increase the use of oral anticoagulants by physicians and offers the potential to improve patient safety and reduce adverse events.
Mammalian COP9 signalosome

The COP9 signalosome (CSN) complex is highly conserved from yeast to human. Although the plant CSN was first identified as a negative regulator of photomorphogenesis, the mammalian CSN is linked to different biological responses such as checkpoint control, signal transduction, development and the cell cycle. Frequent over‐expression of the CSN subunit in a variety of human cancers suggests its involvement in cell transformation and tumorigenesis. The best‐known biochemical function associated with the CSN is the control of protein stability via the ubiquitin–proteasome system through regulation of cullin‐RING‐E3 ubiquitin ligase activity by deneddylation, by controlling the activity of COP1 E3 ligase, or by counteracting ubiquitin‐mediated degradation through a CSN‐associated deubiquitinating enzyme. In addition to affecting the stability of transcription factors, the CSN may regulate gene transcription by directly associating with chromatin. This review summarizes recent findings and discusses the physiological role and the cellular function of the mammalian CSN in terms of the regulation of cell proliferation.
Patterns of nerve injury and neuropathic pain in ischemic neuropathy after ligation‐reperfusion of femoral artery in mice

Ischemia is an important etiology of painful neuropathies. We generated a mouse system of ischemic neuropathy by ligation‐reperfusion of the femoral artery to mimic neuropathic pain and nerve injury patterns observed clinically. Mice exhibited spontaneous neuropathic pain behaviors, which were most obvious after ischemia for 5 h. Mechanical and cold allodynia developed by post‐operative day (POD) 7 and persisted through the experimental period up to POD 56. Neuropathic pain behaviors were alleviated with intraperitoneal gabapentin (50 and 100 mg/kg) in a dose‐dependent manner. Large‐fiber deficit assessed with nerve conduction studies was demonstrated by reduced amplitudes of the compound muscle action potential (CMAP) on POD 7 (48.4% of the control side, p < 0.001). Small‐fiber impairment was demonstrated by decreased epidermal nerve density (END) on POD 7 (29.1% of the control side, p < 0.001). Reductions in CMAP amplitudes and ENDs persisted through POD 56. Our system replicated the clinical manifestations of ischemic neuropathy: (1) neuropathic pain with cold and mechanical allodynia and (2) nerve injury to both large and small fibers with pathologic and physiologic evidence. This system produced by a simple procedure provides an opportunity to investigate mechanisms and further treatments of ischemic neuropathy on genetically engineered mice.
Polio eradication and ethical issues.

In 1978 the Government of India decided to use oral polio vaccine (OPV) to control polio, occurring then at the average rate of 500 cases per day (2). The primary vaccination schedule was three doses in infancy. The prevailing popular belief (based on theory, not evidence) was that vaccine viruses would spread in the community, immunise unvaccinated children, induce high herd effect, and control polio rapidly. The alternate choice, the injectable polio vaccine (IPV), marginally more expensive, was believed to protect only the vaccinated. Thus, OPV was (erroneously) considered the better ‘public health’ vaccine.
Spectroscopic determination of ecologically relevant plant secondary metabolites

Spectroscopy has recently emerged as an effective method to accurately characterize leaf biochemistry in living tissue through the application of chemometric approaches to foliar optical data, but this approach has not been widely used for plant secondary metabolites. Here, we examine the ability of reflectance spectroscopy to quantify specific phenolic compounds in trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides) and paper birch (Betula papyrifera) that play influential roles in ecosystem functioning related to trophic‐level interactions and nutrient cycling. Spectral measurements on live aspen and birch leaves were collected, after which concentrations of condensed tannins (aspen and birch) and salicinoids (aspen only) were determined using standard analytical approaches in the laboratory. Predictive models were then constructed using jackknifed, partial least squares regression (PLSR). Model performance was evaluated using coefficient of determination (R2), root‐mean‐square error (RMSE) and the per cent RMSE of the data range (%RMSE). Condensed tannins of aspen and birch were well predicted from both combined (R2 = 0·86, RMSE = 2·4, %RMSE = 7%)‐ and individual‐species models (aspen: R2 = 0·86, RMSE = 2·4, %RMSE = 6%; birch: R2 = 0·81, RMSE = 1·9, %RMSE = 10%). Aspen total salicinoids were better predicted than individual salicinoids (total: R2 = 0·76, RMSE = 2·4, %RMSE = 8%; salicortin: R2 = 0·57, RMSE = 1·9, %RMSE = 11%; tremulacin: R2 = 0·72, RMSE = 1·1, %RMSE = 11%), and spectra collected from dry leaves produced better models for both aspen tannins (R2 = 0·92, RMSE = 1·7, %RMSE = 5%) and salicinoids (R2 = 0·84, RMSE = 1·4, %RMSE = 5%) compared with spectra from fresh leaves. The decline in prediction performance from total to individual salicinoids and from dry to fresh measurements was marginal, however, given the increase in detailed salicinoid information acquired and the time saved by avoiding drying and grinding leaf samples. Reflectance spectroscopy can successfully characterize specific secondary metabolites in living plant tissue and provide detailed information on individual compounds within a constituent group. The ability to simultaneously measure multiple plant traits is a powerful attribute of reflectance spectroscopy because of its potential for in situ–in vivo field deployment using portable spectrometers. The suite of traits currently estimable, however, needs to expand to include specific secondary metabolites that play influential roles in ecosystem functioning if we are to advance the integration of chemical, landscape and ecosystem ecology.
Early detection of major complications after abdominal aortic surgery: Predictive value of sigmoid colon and gastric intramucosal ph monitoring

The early detection and reversal of gastrointestinal ischaemia is thought to play a key role in minimizing the incidence of complications after abdominal aortic surgery. In an open prospective non‐selective study intramucosal pH (pHi) was monitored in 27 patients undergoing elective aortic surgery and in seven submitted to emergency procedures. The pHi was monitored in the sigmoid colon in all 34 patients and in the stomach in 26. Eight patients developed major complications, four of whom had ischaemic colitis, and five died. Sigmoid acidosis (pHi below 7·10) served as an early warning; if acidosis was reversed within 2 h no major complication developed, if prolonged it was predictive of major morbidity (sensitivity 100 percent, specificity 92 per cent). A colonic pHi below 6·86 predicted endoscopically detectable ischaemic colitis. A gastric pHi below 7·20 predicted major complications with a sensitivity of 100 per cent and specificity of 81 per cent. Both monitoring procedures were considered feasible, although monitoring in the sigmoid colon was found to be superior for the patients studied.
Does total quality management reduce employees' role conflict?

– The purpose of this paper is to examine the total quality management (TQM) practices of both manufacturing and service firms in order to determine the relationship between the multidimensionality of TQM practices and role conflict of employees. , – Questionnaires are distributed to 433 employees of 98 different firms from manufacturing and service industries in Malaysia. , – The results support significant negative correlation among all TQM practices (i.e. leadership, strategic planning, customer focus, human resource focus, process management and information analysis) and role conflict. By employing multiple regression analysis, leadership, process management and information analysis are found to have significant and negative relationship with role conflict. Human resource focus is reported to have a significant and positive relationship with role conflict. , – This model is ideal for practical usage by managers to evaluate the perceptions of role conflict of employees in TQM‐oriented firms. The findings suggest that firms should look into ways of developing the major roles of leadership and process management as well as improving efficient use of information analysis in order to reduce the detrimental role conflict of employees. This finding may also help administrators and individuals to attain a fine‐grained understanding of different dimensions of TQM in relation to role conflict. , – TQM practices appear to be related to role conflict, addressing an apparent noticeable gap in the literature of TQM and the psychological well‐being of employees. This paper also lays the foundation for formation of a theoretically based model which integrates the elements of TQM and role conflict.