Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Hypertension: Update 2017.

As Hypertension begins its 38th year, the current editorial team, led by Editor-in-Chief Prof. Anna F. Dominiczak and Deputy Editor Prof. Rhian M. Touyz, begins their second 5-year term at the helm of this prestigious Journal. The editors appreciate the time and effort our many readers have spent reviewing manuscripts, submitting the best research to Hypertension , and providing feedback that has improved the Journal. Thank you for the commitment and energy. Although the publishing landscape has changed over the past 5 years, the goals for Hypertension , an American Heart Association (AHA) Journal, remain largely the same. The editorial team continues working on (1) publishing the highest quality original basic, clinical, and population research relating to hypertension, (2) increasing the readership and scientific importance of Hypertension , (3) providing fair and quick reviews for submitted manuscripts followed by rapid publication of all accepted articles, and (4) serving well the international community of hypertension researchers and practitioners while being an important vehicle for achieving the mission of the AHA. On behalf of the entire editorial team, it is with pleasure that we share with you a few key highlights from …
TPSLVM: A Dimensionality Reduction Algorithm Based On Thin Plate Splines

Dimensionality reduction (DR) has been considered as one of the most significant tools for data analysis. One type of DR algorithms is based on latent variable models (LVM). LVM-based models can handle the preimage problem easily. In this paper we propose a new LVM-based DR model, named thin plate spline latent variable model (TPSLVM). Compared to the well-known Gaussian process latent variable model (GPLVM), our proposed TPSLVM is more powerful especially when the dimensionality of the latent space is low. Also, TPSLVM is robust to shift and rotation. This paper investigates two extensions of TPSLVM, i.e., the back-constrained TPSLVM (BC-TPSLVM) and TPSLVM with dynamics (TPSLVM-DM) as well as their combination BC-TPSLVM-DM. Experimental results show that TPSLVM and its extensions provide better data visualization and more efficient dimensionality reduction compared to PCA, GPLVM, ISOMAP, etc.
Socioeconomic Status and Utilization of Health Care Services Among Asthmatic Children

We evaluated the relation between socioeconomic factors and hospitalization as well as emergency department (ED) visits among asthmatic children who had universal access to health care. Newly diagnosed asthmatic children 3–4 years of age were followed up for a period of 6 years. Information on hospitalization and ED visits was obtained by interviewing parents. Socioeconomic status (SES) was measured by paternal occupation, race, type of dwelling, and an index of crowding. After adjusting for asthma severity, logistic regression analysis showed that children with fathers in the economically least advantaged occupations were more likely to be hospitalized due to their asthma [father's occupation group 3 (FOG3), odds ratio (OR)=2.1, 95% confidence interval (95% CI)=0.2–19.8; father's occupation group 4 (FOG4), OR=13.9, 95% CI=1.1–181.4]. The probability of emergency department visits was not significantly different according to the studied variables. Emergency department visits were not influenced by SES variables, probably due to the absence of financial barriers to access health care. However, SES differences in hospitalization may suggest differential management and/or treatment practices according to socioeconomic status at the emergency departments.
The Serum Concentration of Estradiol after Embryo Transfer and the Decline from Preovulatory Levels May Influence the Success of IVF Treatment

Aim: To establish the influence that serum estradiol concentrations prior to oocyte retrieval and 3 days after embryo transfer have on the establishment of in vitro fertilization (IVF) pregnancy. Method: Preovulatory (day-0) and luteal-phase (day-6) estradiol concentrations were retrospectively analyzed in 310 infertile patients, undertaking 1st-cycle conventional IVF or intracytoplasmic sperm injection. Results: The IVF treatment success is significantly reduced in patients with an estradiol level <600 pg/ml and also when a rapid decline in luteal-phase estradiol concentrations from preovulatory concentrations (day 0:day 6 ratio) was exhibited. Conclusion: A day 0:day 6 estradiol ratio >5 and a serum estradiol concentration <600 pg/ml may adversely impact on the establishment of pregnancy in IVF.
Quantum carpets, carpets of light

In 1836 Henry Fox Talbot, an inventor of photography, published the results of some experiments in optics that he had previously demonstrated at a British Association meeting in Bristol (figure 1a). "It was very curious to observe that though the grating was greatly out of the focus of the lens.the appearance of the bands was perfectly distinct and well defined.the experiments are communicated in the hope that they may prove interesting to the cultivators of optical science. "
Distributed Routing Algorithms for Broadcasting and Personalized Communication in Hypercubes

High communication bandwidth in standard technologies is more expensive to realize than a high rate of arithmetic or logic operations. The effective utilization of communication resources is crucial for good overall performance in highly concurrent systems. In this paper we address two different communication problems in Boolean n-cube configured multiprocessors: 1) broadcasting, i.e., distribution of common data from a single source to all other nodes, and 2) sending personalized data from a single source to all other nodes. The well known spanning tree algorithm obtained by bit-wise complementation of leading zeroes (referredto as the SBT algorithm for Spanning Binomial nee) is compared with an algorithm using multiple spanning binomial trees (MSBT). The MSBT dgorithm offers a potential speed-up over the SBT dgorithm by afactor of log2 N. We also present a balanced #panning tree algorithm (BST) that offers a lower complexity than the SBT algorithm for Case 2. The potential improvement is by a factor of 3 log2 N. The analysis takes into account the size of the data sets, the communication bandwidth, and the overhead in communication. We also provide some experimental data for the Intel iPSC'd7.
Invited Review : Physical Properties of Small Bodies from Atens to TNOs

Properties of small, heliocentric bodies in the solar system share many attributes because of their small sizes, yet vary in other ways because of their different locations of formation and the diverse subsequent evolutionary processes that have affected them. Our insights concerning their properties range from highly detailed knowledge of a few specific bodies (like Eros), to rich knowledge about unspecific bodies (meteorite parent bodies), to no knowledge at all (other than existence and rough limits on size) concerning much smaller and/or more distant bodies. Today’s state of learning about physical properties of TNOs is analogous to that for main-belt asteroids 35 years ago. This invited review attempts to elucidate linkages and differences concerning these populations from the highly heterogeneous data sets, emphasizing basic properties (size, shape, spin, density, metal/rock/ice, major mineralogy, presence of satellites) rather than the highly detailed knowledge we have of a few bodies or their dynamical properties. The conclusion is that there are vital interrelationships among these bodies that reinforce the precept that guided the original ACM meetings, namely that we should all think about small bodies in an integrated way, not just about subsets of them, whether divided by size, composition, or location.
Functional outcome for African Americans and Hispanics treated at a traumatic brain injury model systems centre.

OBJECTIVE To describe the demographics, incidence and functional outcome for African Americans and Hispanics treated at a traumatic brain injury (TBI) model systems centre. DESIGN Retrospective data analysis of patients admitted to an acute inpatient rehabilitation national TBI model systems centre. SETTING A tertiary care university medical centre participating in the NIDRR Traumatic Brain Injury Model Systems project. SUBJECTS Eighty-seven patients with TBI admitted to a Model Systems acute intensive interdisciplinary rehabilitation setting between 1989-1999. Information was extracted from the National TBI Model Systems data base for demographics such as age, race, education, gender, marital and employment status, sponsorship, injury aetiology and severity. OUTCOME MEASURES Functional outcome was determined using the Functional Independence Measure (FIM), and the Disability Rating Scale (DRS) at the time of admission and discharge. RESULTS Descriptive statistics were completed using SPSS. African American (94.3%) and Hispanic (5.7%) patients were injured most often as a result of motor vehicle accidents (48.8%). Males comprised 86.2% of this population, which had an average age of 34.5 years (SD = 13.1). On admission, average GCS score was 7.8 (SD = 3.6), average DRS was 13.5 (SD = 5.8), and average FIM total score was 49.8 (SD = 26.5). Average length of unconsciousness was 5.2 days (SD = 27.9), while average length of post-traumatic amnesia was 41.9 days (SD = 59.3). At the time of injury, 78.2% of the patients were not married. The majority of patients (97.7%) had private residences and 88.5% returned to their original home. Most patients had at least a high school education or passed a high school equivalent exam (49.4%) and were employed (70.1%) at the time of injury. Only 7% of the patients had a history of prior TBI. With regard to substance use, only 34.2% of patients reported pre-morbid illicit drug use. However, 50.5% met criteria for heavy or moderate alcohol use rates. Only 35.6% of patients reported a pre-morbid history of arrests, with the average number of arrests equal to 4.5 (SD = 10.2). Within this population, the number of drug or alcohol related arrests was 4.8 (SD = 13.5). CONCLUSIONS Unmarried African American males, with an average age of 35 years, predominated at this institution. The primary mechanism of injury was motor vehicle accidents. The majority of patients had, at least, a high school education or passed an equivalency exam, were employed at the time of their injury and were discharged to their prior private residence. While half of the patients met criteria for moderate-to-heavy alcohol consumption, only one-third of the patients reported a history of pre-morbid illicit drug use. This descriptive analysis supports the need for further investigation of minority populations that sustain TBI and will enhance the accuracy of implications that minority status may have on functional outcome.
Analysis and Mathematical Modeling Of The Synchronous Reluctance Motor

This paper presents the analysis and mathematical modeling of the synchronous reluctance motor, with the state equations and the results obtained for a 4 pole motor (2 hp), considering the framework of direct axis and quadrature to the rotor behavior analysis and obtain the time values for steady and electromagnetic torque. It is also observed the voltage and current values in the stator and way to estimate of the power factor in relation to the rotor inductances.
Two Components of the RNA-Directed DNA Methylation Pathway Associate with MORC6 and Silence Loci Targeted by MORC6 in Arabidopsis

The SU(VAR)3-9 homolog SUVH9 and the double-stranded RNA-binding protein IDN2 were thought to be components of an RNA-directed DNA methylation (RdDM) pathway in Arabidopsis. We previously found that SUVH9 interacts with MORC6 but how the interaction contributes to transcriptional silencing remains elusive. Here, our genetic analysis indicates that SUVH2 and SUVH9 can either act in the same pathway as MORC6 or act synergistically with MORC6 to mediate transcriptional silencing. Moreover, we demonstrate that IDN2 interacts with MORC6 and mediates the silencing of a subset of MORC6 target loci. Like SUVH2, SUVH9, and IDN2, other RdDM components including Pol IV, Pol V, RDR2, and DRM2 are also required for transcriptional silencing at a subset of MORC6 target loci. MORC6 was previously shown to mediate transcriptional silencing through heterochromatin condensation. We demonstrate that the SWI/SNF chromatin-remodeling complex components SWI3B, SWI3C, and SWI3D interact with MORC6 as well as with SUVH9 and then mediate transcriptional silencing. These results suggest that the RdDM components are involved not only in DNA methylation but also in MORC6-mediated heterochromatin condensation. This study illustrates how DNA methylation is linked to heterochromatin condensation and thereby enhances transcriptional silencing at methylated genomic regions.
Phase I study of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor flavopiridol in combination with paclitaxel in patients with advanced solid tumors.

PURPOSE Preclinical studies indicate that the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor flavopiridol potentiates the induction of apoptosis by paclitaxel, provided paclitaxel is followed by flavopiridol. We therefore designed a phase I clinical trial of sequential paclitaxel and flavopiridol. PATIENTS AND METHODS Paclitaxel was administered at a fixed dose, as either a 24- or 3-hour infusion on day 1, followed by a 24-hour infusion of flavopiridol on day 2. Doses of flavopiridol were escalated in successive cohorts according to a modified Fibonacci design. Flavopiridol pharmacokinetics were obtained on all patients. RESULTS Dose-limiting neutropenia developed with 24-hour paclitaxel doses of 135 and 100 mg/m(2) and flavopiridol doses of 10 and 20 mg/m(2), respectively. With 3-hour paclitaxel at 100 mg/m(2), flavopiridol could be escalated to 70 mg/m(2) without dose-limiting toxicity. With 3-hour paclitaxel next escalated to 135 mg/m(2), dose-limiting neutropenia and pulmonary toxicity occurred when flavopiridol was escalated to 94 mg/m(2). This did not correlate with any change in flavopiridol or paclitaxel pharmacokinetics. At a 3-hour paclitaxel dose of 175 mg/m(2), dose-limiting pulmonary toxicity occurred in only one patient at flavopiridol doses under 94 mg/m(2). Clinical activity was observed in patients with esophagus, lung, and prostate cancer, including patients who had progressed on paclitaxel. CONCLUSION The recommended phase II doses will be a 3-hour infusion of paclitaxel at 175 mg/m(2) on day 1 followed by a 24-hour infusion of flavopiridol at 70 mg/m(2) on day 2. Flavopiridol dose escalations to 80 mg/m(2) are possible. At these doses, toxicities are manageable and clinical activity is promising.
From the risk analysis to the development of interventions and training for the prevention and control of healthcare associated infections. The experience of G. Pini Orthopedic Institute.

BACKGROUND Health-care associated infections (HAIs) represents a phenomenon of central importance all over Europe. Every year 4,5 millions cases are detected in European Union, with 37.000 related deaths. Surgical-site infections (SSIs) are one of the most common HAIs, that are associated with an increased length of stay, re-operation rate, intensive care admissions rate, and higher mortality rate. METHODS G. Pini Orthopedics Institute implemented in the last two years a multimodal strategy for controlling and preventing HAIs, in particular for SSIs. RESULTS This paper describes the prevention's strategies adopted for prevention of HAIs, at G. Pini Orthopedic Institute. CONCLUSIONS Our findings show that application of a multi modal promotion strategy was associated with an improvement in HAI prevention.
Muscular blood flow distribution patterns as a function of running speed in rats.

Muscle blood flow (BF) was measured using the radiolabeled microsphere technique within and among nine major muscles of rats before exercise and during treadmill walking or running at speeds of 15, 30, 45, 60, and 75 m/min. Measurements were made during exercise after 1 min of steady walking or running. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were chronically instrumented with 2 Silastic catheters, one in the ascending aorta via the right carotid artery for microsphere infusion and one in the left renal artery for arterial reference blood sample withdrawal. The preexercise results demonstrated that 1) BF to deep slow-twitch muscles was three to four times that to peripheral fast muscles (e.g., soleus and gastrocnemius BFs were 138 and 33 ml . min-1 . 100 g-1, respectively); 2) BFs to red portions within mixed muscles were three to four times those to white portions (e.g, red and white gastrocnemius BFs were 54 and 18 ml . min-1 . 100 g-1, respectively; and 3) there was a direct relationship (P less than 0.05) between BFs to muscles and their slow-twitch oxidative fiber populations. The results obtained during exercise demonstrated that 1) at the slowest speed studied (15 m/min) BFs to the red portions of muscles increased, whereas BFs to the white portions of the same muscles decreased; 2) BFs to all muscles (except soleus) were increased during running at 75 m/min when there was a range of flows of 30 ml . 100 g-1 . min-1 (white gastrocnemius) to 321 (vastus intermedius), 3) at all running speeds the increases in BF to muscles were directly related to the fast-twitch, high-oxidative fiber populations of the muscles; and 4) BFs to visceral tissues and fat were decreased during exercise.
Production of Allergen Extracts for Bivalve Allergy Diagnosis Using Skin PrickTest

Background: Whilst the consumption of bivalves is reasonably high in Malaysia, the frequency of allergy to this group of shellfish in the local population is largely unknown. The aim of this preliminary study was to produce bivalve allergen extracts and to investigate the frequency of bivalve sensitization among the local atopic population. Methods: Raw allergen extracts were prepared from 5 different species of bivalves. Their protein profiles were studied using sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). Results: In SDS-PAGE, the bivalve extracts demonstrated 10 to 23 protein bands. The five protein profiles varied considerably but most visible protein bands lay within 25-100 kDa. At the same time, fifty patients with a history of atopy were skin prick tested (SPT) with these raw extracts of bivalves. Of the 50 subjects, 13 (26%) had a positive SPT to at least one of the 5 bivalve extracts tested, 8 (61%) reacted to one bivalve extract while only one (8%) reacted to all 5 bivalve extracts. The frequency of skin test reactivity to Malaysian cockle was the highest at 22%, followed by Carpet clam, 12% and 4% to the other 3 bivalve extracts; Tropical oyster, Asian clam and Asian green mussel. Conclusion: This study showed that of the five different bivalve species, cockle was found to have the highest frequency in skin test reactivity. It appears that an individual, who is sensitized to a mite, is also likely to be sensitized to bivalves.
Analytical Threshold Voltage Model of Junctionless Double-Gate MOSFETs With Localized Charges

An analytical threshold voltage model for a junctionless double-gate MOSFET with localized charges is developed. The model is derived based on 2-D Poisson's equation with parabolic potential approximation. The proposed model is verified by device simulation results. Threshold voltage dependencies on various device parameters are also analyzed. The proposed model can be used to estimate the threshold voltage degradation as caused by hot carrier effects and to provide a guideline for the optimization of junctionless transistors.
Tailored Computer-Based Cancer Risk Communication: Correcting Colorectal Cancer Risk Perception

We developed a computer-based tailored risk presentation and risk communication aid for colorectal cancer prevention. To evaluate the effectiveness of the tool, we randomized 353 participants to receive different risk presentation formats (relative plus absolute risk vs. absolute risk only vs. none) and different levels of engagement with the risk communication (active vs. passive). Findings suggest the tool to be useful for correcting misperceptions about personal risk. Of those with inaccurate risk perception at baseline, more than half of the participants in intervention groups had corrected risk perceptions at post-test, compared to only 12% in the control group.
Prognosis of Breast Cancer Patients after Mastectomy and Dissection of Internal Mammary Nodes

The results of the analysis carried out on data on 1119 patients with operable breast cancer treated at the National Cancer Institute of Milan from 1965 to 1979 with enlarged mastectomy are reported. Metastases to internal mammary chain were found to be significantly associated with the maximum diameter of primary (16.1% for tumors less than 2 cm and 24.5% for larger tumors, p = 0.007), the age of the patients (27.6% in patients younger than 40 years, 19.7% in patients between 41-50 years, and 15.6% in patients older than 50 years, p = 0.01). The site of origin of the cancer had no impact on internal mammary node metastases. Patients with positive axillary nodes showed metastases to internal mammary nodes in 29.1% of the cases, while 9.1% of patients with axillary negative nodes had positive retrosternal nodes. Survival was significantly affected by the presence of positive internal mammary nodes: the percentage of 10-year survival varied from 80.4% in patients with axillary and internal mammary negative nodes to 30.0% in patients with both nodal basins involved. Intermediate survival rates (54.6% and 53.0%) were found when one or the other of the nodal stations (axillary and internal mammary) was separately affected. Maximum diameter of the primary significantly affected the survival of each group identified by the status of both axillary and internal mammary nodes. In conclusion, the information on the presence or absence of internal mammary node metastases would be of great importance in formulating the prognosis of breast cancer patients. To obtain this information, a biopsy at the first intercostal space may be reasonable in selected patients (age, maximum diameter, and axillary node involvement being the basis for selection) as long as noninvasive methods of diagnosis are available.