Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Performance of the Pediatric Index of Mortality 2 for pediatric cardiac surgery patients*

Objective: To evaluate the performance of the Pediatric Index of Mortality 2 (PIM-2) for pediatric cardiac surgery patients admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). Design: Retrospective cohort analysis. Setting: Multi-institutional PICUs. Patients: Children whose PICU admission had an associated cardiac surgical procedure. Interventions: None. Measurements and Main Results: Performance of the PIM-2 was evaluated with both discrimination and calibration measures. Discrimination was assessed with a receiver operating characteristic curve and associated area under the curve measurement. Calibration was measured across defined groups based on mortality risk, using the Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test. Analyses were performed initially, using the entire cohort, and then based on operative status (perioperative defined as procedure occurring within 24 hrs of PICU admission and preoperative as occurring >24 hrs from the time of PICU admission). A total of 9,208 patients were identified as cardiac surgery patients with 8,391 (91%) considered as perioperative. Average age of the entire cohort was 3.3 yrs (median, 10 mos, 0–18 yrs), although preoperative children tended to be younger (median, <1 month). Preoperative patients also had longer PICU median lengths of stay than perioperative patients (12 days [1–375 days] vs. 3 days [1–369 days], respectively). For the entire cohort, the PIM-2 had fair discrimination power (area under the curve, 0.80; 95% confidence interval, 0.77–0.83) and poor calibration (p < .0001). Its predictive ability was similarly inadequate for quality assessment (standardized mortality ratio, 0.81; 95% confidence interval, 0.72–0.90) with significant overprediction in the highest-decile risk group. For the subpopulations, the model continued to perform poorly with low area under the curves for preoperative patients and poor calibration for both groups. PIM-2 tended to overpredict mortality for perioperative patients and underpredict for preoperative patients (standardized mortality ratios, 0.69 [95% confidence interval, 0.59–0.78] and 1.48 [95% confidence interval, 1.27–1.70], respectively). Conclusions: The PIM-2 demonstrated poor performance with fair discrimination, poor calibration, and predictive ability for pediatric cardiac surgery population and thus cannot be recommended in its current form as an adequate adjustment tool for quality measurement in this patient group.
Urinary kallikrein excretion and sodium metabolism in hypertensive patients.

Urinary kallikrein excretion was measured in 21 healthy subjects and 44 patients with various types of hypertension. The kallikrein activity was determined by the method of esterolytic assay. The excretion rates in normal subjects were 112.9 +/- 11.1 (S.E.) EU/day. The kallikrein excretion was decreased in patients with essential hypertension, the mean estimated values were 75.2 +/- 10.0 EU/day. In this disease, however, an enhancement of urinary kallikrein was observed after sodium depletion. An obvious increase in kallikrein excretion was found in the primary aldosteronism. In primary aldosteronism and renovascular hypertension, one of the secondary aldosteronisms, there was a good correlation between the urinary kallikrein output and the urinary sodium excretion. The present data indicate that the renal kallikrein-kinin system, one of the renal antihypertensive factors, is suppressed in essential hypertension and is under the influence of mineralocorticoid levels.
Validation of a next-generation-sequencing cancer panel for use in the clinical laboratory.

CONTEXT Next-generation sequencing allows for high-throughput processing and sensitive variant detection in multiple genes from small samples. For many diseases, including cancer, a comprehensive mutational profile of a targeted list of genes can be used to simultaneously inform patient care, establish eligibility for ongoing clinical trials, and further research. OBJECTIVE To validate a pan-cancer, next-generation-sequencing assay for use in the clinical laboratory. DESIGN DNA was extracted from 68 clinical specimens (formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded; fine-needle aspirates; peripheral blood; or bone marrow) and 5 normal controls. Sixty-four DNA samples (94%; 64 of 68) were successfully processed with the TruSeq Amplicon Cancer Panel (Illumina Inc, San Diego, California) and sequenced in 4 sequencing runs. The data were analyzed at 4 different filter settings for sequencing coverage and variant frequency cutoff. RESULTS Libraries created from 40 specimens could be successfully sequenced in a single run and still yield sufficient coverage for robust data analysis of individual samples. Sensitivity for mutation detection down to 5% was demonstrated using dilutions of clinical specimens and control samples. The test was highly repeatable and reproducible and showed 100% concordance with clinically validated Sanger sequencing results. Comparison to an alternate next-generation sequencing technology was performed by also processing 9 of the specimens with the AmpliSeq Cancer Hotspot Panel (version 2; Life Technologies, Grand Island, New York). Thirty of the 31 (97%) TruSeq-detected variants covered by the designs of both panels were confirmed. CONCLUSIONS A sensitive, high-throughput, pan-cancer mutation panel for sequencing of cancer hot-spot mutations in 42 genes was validated for routine use in clinical testing.
Low-dimensional chaos in surface waves: Theoretical analysis of an experiment.

A detailed theory of the appearance of low-dimensional chaos in a hydrodynamic system is presented. The system chosen has been subjected to a careful experimental study; it involves dynamics of surface waves in a cylinder of fluid which is oscillated vertically. All the major experimental findings are rationalized by the theory. It should be stressed that in addition to low-dimensional nonlinear evolution equations the theory results also in an approximate solution of the original partial differential equations.
Endometrial Cancer following Breast Cancer: Effect of Tamoxifen and Castration by Radiotherapy

Tamoxifen, a synthetic antiestrogen, has been shown to he effective in reducing mortality from breast cancer and the occurrence of contralateral breast cancer. Tamoxifen is now being studied as a preventive of breast cancer among healthy women considered to the at high risk; preventive trials are now under way both in the USA and in Europe. We undertook a case-control study in Lyon and Dijon, France, to assess the effect of tamoxifen and other treatments for breast cancer on subsequent endometrial cancer. Through the use of clinicians' surveys in Lyon and a population-based cancer registry in Dijon, we identified 43 cases of endometrial cancer diagnosed at least 1 year after the diagnosis of breast cancer. We matched 177 controls to the cases for age, region, year of diagnosis of breast cancer, and survival from breast cancer. Tamoxifen had been used in 67% of cases and 60% of controls [odds ratio (OR) = 1.4; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.60–3.5]. Relative risk of endometrial cancer increased with duration of tamoxifen use: less than 2 years, 1.5; 95% CI = 0.44–4.9; 2–5 years, 1.5; 95% CI = 0.42–5.6; more than 5 years, 3.5; 95% CI = 0.94–12.7. Radiotherapeutic castration increased the risk for endometrial cancer more than tamoxifen (OR = 7.7; 95% CI = 1.8–32.8).
Microvascular control of myocardial perfusion

Myocardial perfusion is closely linked to oxygen demand, which is met by regulation of the resistance to flow in small arteries and arterioles via smooth muscle tone. Adjustment of smooth muscle tone occurs by modulation of the cytosolic calcium concentration, via influx of calcium across the cell membrane through a variety of calcium channels and release of calcium from the sarcoplasmic reticulum by inositol trisphosphate and ryanodine receptors. In addition, the calcium sensitivity of the contractile apparatus is regulated by several signaling cascades that converge on different protein kinases. Among the local mechanisms responsible for coupling perfusion to demand, metabolic mediators are the most potent in decreasing coronary vascular resistance. pH, partial pressure of oxygen, partial pressure of carbon dioxide, and potassium concentration all have profound effects on perfusion, but the identity of the mediator responsible for metabolic dilatation under physiologic conditions remains elusive. Because metabolic mediators reach only the most distal precapillary arterioles in sufficient concentrations, additional mechanisms are required to induce a coordinated dilatory response of the upstream larger resistance vessels. These may include myogenic mechanisms – that is, active contraction of smooth muscle cells in response to increased stretch or, in the case of downstream dilatation, active relaxation in response to decreased luminal pressure. The decrease in resistance as a result of metabolic and myogenic mechanisms in small and midsize arterioles increases flow in the entire upstream system of larger resistance vessels, resulting in endothelium-dependent flow-induced dilatation of this vessel segment. Heart Metab. 2008;40:5–10.
[Pharmacological interaction between flecainide and benziodarone].

Interactions between drugs are one of the most frequent causes of iatrogenic response—sometimes with extremely serious consequences—and account for up to 7% of all hospitalizations. 1 Although most of these interactions are predictable and therefore avoidable, unexpected cases may appear with new or infrequently used drugs. We recently attended a 71-year-old woman with a history of kidney transplantation 7 years earlier, complicated by membranous nephropathy and severe nephrotic syndrome, with creatinine levels of 1.4 mg/dL and creatinine clearance of 71 mL/min. The patient was being monitored by the outpatient cardiology department for mild hypertensive heart disease and pa-roxysmal atrial fibrillation successfully controlled with oral flecainide. She was also receiving amlodipi
Traduction automatisée fondée sur le dialogue et documents auto-explicatifs : bilan du projet LIDIA [Machine translation based on dialogues and self-explanatory documents: an assessment of the LIDIA project]

We present the work we carried out on the LIDIA project in the framework of dialogue-based machine translation for the monolingual author. Using a multilevel transfer linguistic approach, we have proposed and evaluated a technique to produce interactive disambiguation questions. The components involved in the translation process cooperate within a distributed architecture through a "light" document processing environment. We have also proposed the idea of Self-Explaining Documents. A SED is a document enriched with the answers provided by the author during interactive disambiguation. It gives readers, on demand, explanations about its intended meaning, in order to avoid any misunderstanding due to ambiguities. MOTS-CLES : traduction automatique, traduction interactive fondee sur le dialogue, desambiguisation interactive, document auto-explicatif.
Primary biliary cirrhosis: new perspectives.

Primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) is a chronic, usually progressive, cholestatic liver disease of unknown etiology which is found predominantly in middle-aged females and is characterized by the progressive destruction and disappearance of small interlobular hepatic bile ducts (1-4). The extrahepatic bile ducts are not affected. The diagnosis of PBC is most often established between the ages of 30 and 70 years. There is no evidence that the course of PBC occurring in a male differs from that found in females (5). The diagnosis of PBC should be prominently considered in the evaluation of an adult patient with chronic cholestasis. PBC must be distinguished from extrahepatic bile duct obstruction and several other established causes of chronic cholestasis including chronic drug-induced cholestasis, primary sclerosing cholangitis, and cholestatic chronic active hepatitis. The clinical manifestations of PBC result from the destruction and subsequent loss of bile ducts, thereby leading to a diminished flow of bile and subsequent development of a biliary (portal to portal) cirrhosis. In the majority of patients with PBC, there is no evidence of cirrhosis at the time of diagnosis, and the term chronic destructive intrahepatic cholangitis is a more appropriate designation. Early descriptions ofPBC emphasized the clinical and histologic features of patients with advanced disease and cirrhosis. With increasing awareness of PBC over the past three decades, the diagnosis is being made earlier in the course of the illness, and many patients are being identified in whom there are no signs or symptoms of liver disease and the only abnormalities detected are an elevated serum alkaline phosphatase level and presence of antimitochondrial antibodies.
Fundamentals of a graph transformation based web data processing system

Internet is the most complex and complete source of information in the history of mankind. The innumerable webpages and the myriads of data providers form a complex, highly heterogeneous, continuously evolving system. This environment demands continuous research of information retrieval. Here we present our contribution: a lightweight, semi-formal approach of web exploration and web data analysis. Our approach focuses on analyzing heterogeneous, semi- or barely structured web data. Complex queries can be performed over multiple heterogeneous data sources; graph transformations can be used to adjust the queries and to analyze the results. This approach integrates the a priori human knowledge, an effective web querying method, the formality of graph transformations and optionally qualitative and quantitative analysis algorithms. We present an illustrative case study performing multi-domain search and data transformations: Stack Overflow users are searched with high contribution in a topic, then the LinkedIn profiles of these users is tried to be matched.
Evolutionary Implications of Self‐Compatibility and Reproductive Fitness in the Apomictic Ranunculus auricomus Polyploid Complex (Ranunculaceae)

Uniparental reproduction has often been regarded as advantageous for colonization. In pseudogamous apomicts, reproduction via single individuals requires self‐pollination and consequently self‐compatibility (SC) for production of viable seeds. SC and reproductive fitness have been studied in diploid and polyploid taxa of the Ranunculus auricomus complex via pollinator exclusion tests, assessment of seed set, and germination rates. Reproductive fitness of sexuals exceeds that of apomicts and of F1 hybrids but may fluctuate more strongly between years than is the case in apomicts. Diploid sexual taxa and also their F1 hybrids are completely self‐incompatible (SI). Autopolyploid sexual cytotypes are also predominantly SI, which may have restricted their range expansion. The observed breakdown of SI in the rather widespread allohexaploid apomicts may be explained by initial partial SC inherited from semi‐self‐compatible ancestors and strong selection for SC genotypes. It is concluded that higher reproductive fitness of sexuals may help to maintain sexual populations when cross‐pollination is available, whereas SC in apomicts may be advantageous in temporally and spatially unstable environments and also for colonization events. Results suggest that SC in connection with pseudogamous apomixis is an important factor for the observed distribution pattern of geographical parthenogenesis.
Bioclimatic and physical characterization of the world’s islands

The Earth’s islands harbor a distinct, yet highly threatened, biological and cultural diversity that has been shaped by geographic isolation and unique environments. Island systems are key natural laboratories for testing theory in ecology and evolution. However, despite their potential usefulness for research, a quantitative description of island environments and an environmental classification are still lacking. Here, we prepare a standardized dataset and perform a comprehensive global environmental characterization for 17,883 of the world’s marine islands >1 km2 (∼98% of total island area). We consider area, temperature, precipitation, seasonality in temperature and precipitation, past climate change velocity, elevation, isolation, and past connectivity—key island characteristics and drivers of ecosystem processes. We find that islands are significantly cooler, wetter, and less seasonal than mainlands. Constrained by their limited area, they show less elevational heterogeneity. Wet temperate climates are more prevalent on islands, whereas desert climates are comparatively rare. We use ordination and clustering to characterize islands in multidimensional environmental space and to delimit island ecoregions, which provides unique insights into the environmental configuration and diversity of the world’s islands. Combining ordination and classification together with global environmental data in a common framework opens up avenues for a more integrative use of islands in biogeography, macroecology, and conservation. To showcase possible applications of the presented data, we predict vascular plant species richness for all 17,883 islands based on statistically derived environment–richness relationships.
Vitamin E pretreatment prevents histopathological effects in tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) acutely exposed to cylindrospermopsin

Cylindrospermopsin (CYN) is a cyanotoxin frequently involved in blooms with a predominantly extracellular availability, which makes it easily taken up by a variety of aquatic organisms. CYN is a potent protein and glutathione synthesis inhibitor, and also induces genotoxicity, oxidative stress and several histopathological lesions. The present study investigates the protective role of a vitamin E pretreatment (700 mg vit E/kg fish bw/day, for 7 days) on the histopathological alterations induced in different organs of tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) acutely exposed to a single oral dose of 400 µg pure CYN/kg bw fish. The major histological changes observed were degenerative glucogenic process and loss of the hepatic structure in the liver, glomerulopathy and tubular tumefaction in the kidney, myofibrolysis and edema in the heart, catarrhal enteritis and necrosis in the gastrointestinal tract, hyperemic processes in the gill lamellae, and high basophilia, degeneration and tumefaction of granular neurons in the brain. Vitamin E pretreatment was effective in preventing or ameliorating the abovementioned alterations induced by CYN. In addition, a morphometric study indicated that the average nuclear diameter of hepatocytes, and cross‐sections of proximal and distal convoluted tubules, together with the cardiac fiber and capillaries diameters represent a useful tool to evaluate the damage induced by CYN. This is the first study reporting vitamin E prevention of histopathological damage in tissues (liver, kidney, heart, gastrointestinal tract, gills and brain) of fish intoxicated with CYN. Therefore, vitamin E can be considered a useful chemoprotectant in the treatment of histopathological changes induced in CYN‐intoxicated fish. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol 31: 1469–1485, 2016.
LLT1‐mediated Activation of IFN‐γ Production in Human Natural Killer Cells Involves ERK Signalling Pathway

Natural killer (NK) cell functions are regulated by a delicate balance of signals received through activating and inhibitory receptors expressed on the cell surface. Lectin‐like transcript‐1 (LLT1), expressed on a subpopulation of NK cells and other immune cells is a ligand for the NK cell inhibitory receptor, NKR‐P1A (CD161). Previous studies showed that cross‐linking surface LLT1 with a monoclonal antibody stimulated NK cell IFN‐γ secretion but had no effect on cytotoxicity. Here, we have examined the signalling pathways associated with LLT1‐stimulated IFN‐γ secretion. We ligated LLT1 on NK92 cells with CD161 on target cells and analysed IFN‐γ production in the presence of pharmacological inhibitors specific for various signalling mechanisms. These results indicate that LLT1 employs Src‐PTK, p38 and ERK signalling pathways, but not PKC, PI3K or calcineurin. Phosphorylation studies of the signalling adaptor molecules confirmed that the ERK signalling pathway is associated with LLT1‐mediated IFN‐γ production. LLT1 ligation is not associated with any change in detectable IFN‐γ mRNA levels suggesting that LLT1‐stimulated IFN‐γ production in NK cells may involve post‐transcriptional or translational events.
Liquidity Shocks and Optimal Monetary and Exchange Rate Policies in a Small Open Economy

This paper studies the potential for liquidity crises and their impact on the course of monetary and exchange rate policies in a microfounded general equilibrium dynamic model in the tradition of Diamond and Dybvig (1983) and Chang and Velasco (2000). We produce a small open economy pure exchange overlapping generations model with random relocation along the lines of Smith (2002). The combination of random relocation and the assumed role of currency in interlocation trade creates random location - and country - speci…c liquidity needs. Banks naturally arise to provide much-desired insurance against these liquidity shocks. In this setting, if withdrawal demand for the bank's deposits is high enough, the bank will exhaust all its cash reserves and a liquidity shortage will occur. We provide a complete characterization of optimal interest rate policies in this setting. In a deterministic set up, we …nd that nominal interest rates that are desirable from a welfare perspective may also lower the probability of a liquidity crisis. We go on to study the classic issue of the relative desirability of …xed versus ‡exible exchange rate regimes by introducing time-varying random endowments into the above structure. This makes the banks'portfolio allocations dependent on the exchange rate regime. Under a …xed exchange rate regime, by interest rate parity, the banks'portfolio choice is deterministic and constant over time and this is supported by the injection/removal of nominal balances by the central bank. Under a ‡exible exchange rate regime, the money supply stays constant but a rate-of-return uncertainty emerges that is in addition to the income uncertainty common to both regimes. Our results show that a ‡exible exchange rate regime is superior in an ex-ante welfare sense relative to the …xed exchange rate regime; however, the ordering is reversed when it comes to the likelihood of liquidity crisis.