Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Cardiac resynchronization therapy for adult congenital heart disease patients with a systemic right ventricle: analysis of feasibility and review of early experience.

AIMS Patients with a systemic right ventricle (RV) frequently develop heart failure and may benefit from cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). We aimed to assess the proportion of unselected patients with a systemic RV eligible for CRT and to review available data on the effect of CRT in congenital heart disease patients. METHODS AND RESULTS Adhering to criteria derived from landmark CRT trials, we determined the eligibility of patients with a systemic RV for CRT. Seventy-five transposition of the great arteries (TGA) patients (age 29.5+/-10.2 years) and 49 patients with congenitally corrected (cc) TGA (age 36.2+/-12.8 years) were studied. Full criteria for CRT were met in 4.0% of the TGA patients and 4.1% of the ccTGA patients. Including New York Heart Association class 2 patients, 9.3% of TGA and 6.1% of ccTGA patients were eligible for CRT. CONCLUSION Four to 9% of unselected patients with a systemic RV appear to be potential candidates for CRT. Although large clinical studies are currently lacking, available data consistently demonstrate that CRT improves haemodynamics in congenital heart disease patients and warrants further investigation.
Emphasis of spatial cues in the temporal fine structure during the rising segments of amplitude-modulated sounds

Significance Sound localization in rooms is challenging, especially for hearing-impaired listeners or technical devices. Reflections from walls and ceilings make it difficult to distinguish sounds arriving direct from a source from the mixture of potentially confounding sounds arriving a few milliseconds later. Nevertheless, normal-hearing listeners show remarkable localization abilities under such challenging listening conditions. The current study investigates the underlying mechanisms responsible for accurate localization performance. Stimuli we named amplitude modulated binaural beats are introduced. These stimuli allow for a more controlled testing than speech stimuli. Results from two experimental procedures (psychoacoustics and the brain-imaging technique magnetoencephalography) reveal that listeners appear to “glimpse” reliable spatial information during the early, rising portions of modulated sounds, ignoring later-arriving, potentially conflicting, spatial cues. The ability to locate the direction of a target sound in a background of competing sources is critical to the survival of many species and important for human communication. Nevertheless, brain mechanisms that provide for such accurate localization abilities remain poorly understood. In particular, it remains unclear how the auditory brain is able to extract reliable spatial information directly from the source when competing sounds and reflections dominate all but the earliest moments of the sound wave reaching each ear. We developed a stimulus mimicking the mutual relationship of sound amplitude and binaural cues, characteristic to reverberant speech. This stimulus, named amplitude modulated binaural beat, allows for a parametric and isolated change of modulation frequency and phase relations. Employing magnetoencephalography and psychoacoustics it is demonstrated that the auditory brain uses binaural information in the stimulus fine structure only during the rising portion of each modulation cycle, rendering spatial information recoverable in an otherwise unlocalizable sound. The data suggest that amplitude modulation provides a means of “glimpsing” low-frequency spatial cues in a manner that benefits listening in noisy or reverberant environments.
Zusammenhang der NY-ESO-1 Expression zur TMPRSS2:ERG-Genfusion beim Prostatakrebs

NY-ESO-1 wurde als therapeutischer Impfstoff beim Prostatakrebs vorgeschlagen. Die vorliegende Studie sollte daher den Zusammenhang zwischen der NY-ESO-1- Expression und dem Tumorphanotyp, dem biochemischen Rezidiv und molekularer Untergruppen bei hormonnaiven Prostatakarzinomen klaren. Dazu wurde ein Tissue- Microarray mit 11.152 Prostatakrebsproben analysiert. 8,8% der 8.761 interpretierbaren Tumoren waren NY-ESO-1-positiv, darunter 5,8 % mit schwacher, 2,5 % mit mittelstarker und 0,5 % mit starker Expression. In den benignen Prostatadrusen wurde keine NY-ESO-1 Expression beobachtet. Die NY-ESO-1- Expression war deutlich assoziiert mit der Untergruppe der ERG-Fusions-positiven Tumoren (p<0,0001). Vor allem in ERG-positiven Tumoren war die NY-ESO-1- Expression mit einem fruhen biochemischen Rezidiv (p=0,0002) und einem hohen Gleason-Grad (p<0.0001) assoziiert. Dieser Zusammenhang war bei den ERG- negativen Tumoren deutlich geringer. In den ERG-negativen Tumoren gab es einen Zusammenhang zwischen der NY-ESO-1-Expression und Deletionen von PTEN (p=0,0012) sowie 6q15 (p=0,0005). Unsere Beobachtungen lassen folglich auf einen engen Zusammenhang zwischen der NY-ESO-1-Expression und einer ERG- Aktivierung und auch PTEN- und 6q15-Deletionen beim Prostatakarzinom schliesen. Die Auswirkungen dieser Interaktionen auf die Wahrscheinlichkeit eines Ansprechens auf eine mogliche Immuntherapie sollten auf jeden Fall geklart werden. Die prognostische Auswirkung der NY-ESO-1-Expression auf die Prognose der Prostatakarzinom-Patienten hingegen ist eher gering und zusatzlich nicht unabhangig von den bereits etablierten klinisch-pathologischen Parametern.
AMP-activated Protein Kinase and the Regulation of Autophagic Proteolysis*

Interruption of mTOR-dependent signaling by rapamycin is known to stimulate autophagy, both in mammalian cells and in yeast. Because activation of AMPK also inhibits mTOR-dependent signaling one would expect stimulation of autophagy by AMPK activation. According to the literature, this is true for yeast but, unexpectedly, not for mammalian cells on the basis of the use of AICAR, a pharmacological activator of AMPK. In the present study, carried out with hepatocytes, HT-29 cells, and HeLa cells, we have reexamined the possible role of AMPK in the control of mammalian autophagy. Inhibition of AMPK activity by compound C or by transfection with a dominant negative form of AMPK almost completely inhibited autophagy. These results suggest that the inhibition of autophagy by AICAR is not related to its ability to activate AMPK. We conclude that in mammalian cells, as in yeast, AMPK is required for autophagy.
Evaluation of Matching Costs for High-Quality Sea-Ice Surface Reconstruction from Aerial Images

Satellite remote sensing can be used effectively with a wide coverage and repeatability in large-scale Arctic sea-ice analysis. To produce reliable sea-ice information, satellite remote-sensing methods should be established and validated using accurate field data, but obtaining field data on Arctic sea-ice is very difficult due to limited accessibility. In this situation, digital surface models derived from aerial images can be a good alternative to topographical field data. However, to achieve this, we should discuss an additional issue, i.e., that low-textured surfaces on sea-ice can reduce the matching accuracy of aerial images. The matching performance is dependent on the matching cost and search window size used. Therefore, in order to generate high-quality sea-ice surface models, we first need to examine the influence of matching costs and search window sizes on the matching performance on low-textured sea-ice surfaces. For this reason, in this study, we evaluate the performance of matching costs in relation to changes of the search window size, using acquired aerial images of Arctic sea-ice. The evaluation concerns three factors. The first is the robustness of matching to low-textured surfaces. Matching costs for generating sea-ice surface models should have a high discriminatory power on low-textured surfaces, even with small search windows. To evaluate this, we analyze the accuracy, uncertainty, and optimal window size in terms of template matching. The second is the robustness of positioning to low-textured surfaces. One of the purposes of image matching is to determine the positions of object points that constitute digital surface models. From this point of view, we analyze the accuracy and uncertainty in terms of positioning object points. The last is the processing speed. Since the computation complexity is also an important performance indicator, we analyze the elapsed time for each of the processing steps. The evaluation results showed that the image domain costs were more effective for low-textured surfaces than the frequency domain costs. In terms of matching robustness, the image domain costs showed a better performance, even with smaller search windows. In terms of positioning robustness, the image domain costs also performed better because of the lower uncertainty. Lastly, in terms of processing speed, the PC (phase correlation) of the frequency domain showed the best performance, but the image domain costs, except MI (mutual information), were not far behind. From the evaluation results, we concluded that, among the compared matching costs, ZNCC (zero-mean normalized cross-correlation) is the most effective for sea-ice surface model generation. In addition, we found that it is necessary to adjust search window sizes properly, according to the number of textures required for reliable image matching on sea-ice surfaces, and that various uncertainties due to low-textured surfaces should be considered to determine the positions of object points.
Playful persuasion: Designing for ambient playful interactions in public spaces

This article describes how to design for ambient playful interactions in public spaces, using interactive technology. Ten explorative design cases are presented, all interactive installations with the goal to elicit playful active behavior from teenagers. Following this, we derive three design values, based on literature, user research and the insights from the design cases. These design values describe our best practices for eliciting intrinsically motivating playful interactions: eliciting and seducing passers-by to become players, designing for emergent play to create personalized and changing play, and resonating with users' values, emotions and activities. In addition, insights gained from the cases and evaluations are discussed, and recommendations for implementing playful interactions in public spaces are given.
Group assessment of key indicators of sustainable waste management in developing countries

Decision makers in developing countries are struggling to solve the present problems of solid waste management. Prioritisation and ranking of the most important indicators that influence the waste management system is very useful for any decision maker for the future planning and implementation of a sustainable waste management system. The aim of this study is to evaluate key indicators and their related sub-indicators in a group decision-making environment. In order to gain insight into the subject it was necessary to obtain the qualified opinions of decision makers from different countries who understand the situation in the sector of waste management in developing countries. An assessment is performed by 43 decision makers from both developed and developing countries, and the applied methodology is based on a combined use of the analytic hierarchy process, from the multi-criteria decision-making set of tools, and the preferential voting method known as Borda Count, which belongs to social choice theory. Pairwise comparison of indicators is performed with the analytic hierarchy process, and the ranking of indicators once obtained is assessed with Borda Count. Detailed analysis of the final results showed that the Institutional–Administrative indicator was the most important one, with the maximum weight as derived by both groups of decision makers. The results also showed that the combined use of the analytic hierarchy process and Borda Count contributes to the credibility and objectivity of the decision-making process, allowing its use in more complex waste management group decision-making problems to be recommended.
Associations of self estimated workloads with musculoskeletal symptoms among hospital nurses

OBJECTIVES To investigate the prevalence of neck, shoulder, and arm pain (NSAP) as well as low back pain (LBP) among hospital nurses, and to examine the association of work tasks and self estimated risk factors with NSAP and LBP. METHODS A cross sectional study was carried out in a national university hospital in Japan. Full time registered nurses in the wards (n=314) were selected for analysis. The questionnaire was composed of items on demographic conditions, severity of workloads in actual tasks, self estimated risk factors for fatigue, and musculoskeletal pain in the previous month. Rate ratios (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were calculated by the Cox's proportional hazards model to study the association of pain with variables related to work and demographic conditions. RESULTS The prevalences of low back, shoulder, neck, and arm pain in the previous month were 54.7%, 42.8%, 31.3%, and 18.6%, respectively. The prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms among hospital nurses was higher than in previous studies. In the Cox's models for LBP and NSAP, there were no significant associations between musculoskeletal pain and the items related to work and demographic conditions. The RRs for LBP tended to be relatively higher for “accepting emergency patients” and some actual tasks. Some items of self estimated risk factors for fatigue tended to have relatively higher RRs for LBP and NSAP. CONCLUSIONS It was suggested that musculoskeletal pain among hospital nurses may have associations with some actual tasks and items related to work postures, work control, and work organisation. Further studies, however, are necessary, as clear evidence of this potential association was not shown in the study.
Assessing the Quality of Randomized Controlled Trials of Complex Regional Pain Syndrome Published in the Journal of Clinical Pain Medicine Field

Background: Complex regional pain syndrome is a disease characterized by chronic pain caused by tissue damage and worsens over time. The quality of randomized controlled trials on complex regional pain syndrome is low due to the rarity of the disease and difficulty in designing studies. Therefore, we evaluated the completeness of evidence by assessing the quality. Methods: We searched articles that were published between 1998 and 2017. The quality was assessed using the Jadad scale, van Tulder scale, and the Cochrane collaboration risk of bias tool.Results: A total of 72 articles on complex regional pain syndrome have been published. Only 31 articles were found to have a low risk of bias according to the Cochrane Collaboration. On the Jadad and van Tulder scale, 52 and 58 articles, respectively, were assessed as high quality. Only a few trials described the randomization method adequately and presented allocation concealment correctly. We also found that research trials with funding statements had higher Jadad scales than unfunded (P = 0.03). Furthermore, articles that described the sample size were of significantly higher quality (P < 0.01) than those that did not. Conclusions: There was no observed improvement in quality over time. In particular, the performance rate of the allocation concealment for the analyzed papers was low. In addition, we found that the number of high-quality articles increased when institutional review board approval was granted and funding provided. For the future, we recommend that researchers focus their efforts on conducting high-quality studies.
Enteric Viruses of Humans and Animals in Aquatic Environments: Health Risks, Detection, and Potential Water Quality Assessment Tools

SUMMARY Waterborne enteric viruses threaten both human and animal health. These pathogens are host specific and cause a wide range of diseases and symptoms in humans or other animals. While considerable research has documented the risk of enteric viruses to human health from contact with contaminated water, the current bacterial indicator-based methods for evaluation of water quality are often ineffectual proxies for pathogenic viruses. Additionally, relatively little work has specifically investigated the risk of waterborne viruses to animal health, and this risk currently is not addressed by routine water quality assessments. Nonetheless, because of their host specificity, enteric viruses can fulfill a unique role both for assessing health risks and as measures of contamination source in a watershed, yet the use of animal, as well as human, host-specific viruses in determining sources of fecal pollution has received little attention. With improved molecular detection assays, viruses from key host groups can be targeted directly using PCR amplification or hybridization with a high level of sensitivity and specificity. A multispecies viral analysis would provide needed information for controlling pollution by source, determining human health risks based on assessments of human virus loading and exposure, and determining potential risks to production animal health and could indicate the potential for the presence of other zoonotic pathogens. While there is a need to better understand the prevalence and environmental distribution of nonhuman enteric viruses, the development of improved methods for specific and sensitive detection will facilitate the use of these microbes for library-independent source tracking and water quality assessment tools.
A Conceptual Framework on Review of E-Service Quality in Banking Industry

 Abstract — E-service quality plays a significant role to achieve success or failure in any organization, offering services online. It will increase the competition among the organizations, to attract the customers on the basis of the quality of service provided by the organization. Better e-service quality will enhance the relationship with customers and their satisfaction. So the measurement of e-service quality is very important but it is a complex process due to the complex nature of services. Literature predicts that there is a lack of universal definition of e-service quality. The e-service quality measures in banking have great importance in achieving high customer base. This paper proposes a conceptual model for measuring e-service quality in Indian Banking Industry. Nine dimensions reliability, ease of use, personalization, security and trust, website aesthetic, responsiveness, contact and fulfillment had been identified. The results of this paper may help to develop a proper scale to measure the e-service quality in Indian Banking Industry, which may assist to maintain and improve the performance and effectiveness of e-service quality to retain customers.
ERROS DE MEDICAÇÃO E GRAU DE DANO AO PACIENTE EM HOSPITAL ESCOLA

Los objetivos en este estudio fueron verificar la incidencia de errores y casi-errores de medicacion y grado de dano al paciente, y la asociacion entre el grado de dano y caracteristicas sociodemograficas y de la internacion. Estudio descriptivo, retrospectivo, con aproximacion cuantitativa, desarrollado en un hospital en el interior del estado de Sao Paulo. Los datos fueron recolectados mediante el sistema de notificacion de eventos adversos yarchivo electronico, entre septiembre/2014 y agosto/2015. Fueron verificadas 113 notificaciones de errores, la mayoria relacionada a la preparacion y administracion; el porcentaje de casi errores fue pequeno; los danos fueron clasificados: 60 (53,1%) ningun, 29 (25,7%) leve, 16 (14,1%) moderado y ocho (7,1%) grave. Fue encontrada mayor notificacion en unidades clinico-quirurgicas, y fue evidenciada relacion entre gravedad del evento y pacientes de terapia intensiva. Notificar, mensurar y analizar la ocurrencia, el grado de dano y relacionar con las caracteristicas del paciente ayudan al enfermero a mejorar el proceso de trabajo en la prevencion y el control de los errores de medicacion.
Measuring E-Mail Induced Information Overload from a Capacity Perspective: A Research Model and Pilot Test

E-mail plays an important role in private and professional communication by overcoming space and time differences. But, there is also a shady side: information overload caused by e-mails. Existing research investigates single antecedents of e-mail induced information overload and neglects existing research from the broader domain of information overload. Therefore, we investigate causes of information overload for e-mail as technology and its dependencies by drawing on limited human capacity. To reflect limited human capacity, we make use of the theory-based model of factors affecting information overload and develop a research model and measurement scales. The evaluation of the measurement model through a pilot test with 137 participants and a confirmatory factor analysis revealed valid measurement scales and high values for construct validity and reliability.
Performance of B+-Trees with Partial Expansions

The authors mathematically analyze the behavior of B/sup +/-trees with partial expansions file structure under random insertions, focusing on the expected storage utilization and the expected cost of insertions. The model can be used for studying both the asymptotic and dynamic behavior. The accuracy of the model is confirmed by simulation. Disk space management is found to be more difficult than for standard B/sup +/-trees. Two simple space-management schemes specifically designed for handling buckets of two different sizes are investigated. It is found that an overall storage utilization of 81% can be achieved in practice. >
The Expressions of TGF-β(1) and IL-10 in Cultured Fibroblasts after ALA-IPL Photodynamic Treatment.

BACKGROUND Topical photodynamic therapy (PDT) with 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) was originally used for treating superficial skin tumors. The application of PDT to other inflammatory dermatoses like acne vulgaris, psoriasis, granuloma annulare, localized scleroderma and lichen sclerosus has recently been introduced. However, the underlying mechanisms are not well understood. We've previously reported the induction of tumor growth factor (TGF)-β(1) and interleukin (IL)-10 after PDT with ALA and intense pulsed light (IPL) in cultured HaCaT cells. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to investigate the expressions of TGF-β(1) and IL-10 in cultured fibroblasts after PDT with using ALA and IPL. METHODS Cultured fibroblasts were treated with ALA-IPL PDT (1µmol/L of ALA; 0, 4, 8 and 12 J/cm(2) of IPL). The expressions of TGF-β(1) and IL-10 were investigated by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS TGF-β(1) mRNA and protein were reduced down to 0.52- and 0.63-fold, respectively, after PDT and the IL-10 protein was increased up to 2.74-fold after PDT. CONCLUSION The reduction of TGF-β(1) was prominent after PDT and so an antisclerotic effect can be expected after PDT. The induction of IL-10 may contribute to the anti-inflammatory effect, which explains the therapeutic benefit of PDT for inflammatory dermatoses.
Inhibition of Fibrin Polymerization by Serum Amyloid P Component and Heparin

Summary The effects of serum amyloid P component (SAP) and heparin on the thrombin-catalyzed formation of polymeric fibrin from purified fibrinogen were examined using a turbidometric method to quantify fibrin polymerization. SAP and heparin acted synergistically to inhibit the lateral aggregation of fibrin fibrils, resulting in the formation of fibrils with a smaller mass to length ratio. Heparin did not enhance the incorporation of SAP into fibrin clots, and the effect of heparin and SAP did not seem to be related to inhibition of thrombin or of fibrinopeptide release. The evidence suggests that a soluble complex of SAP and heparin inhibits fibrin polymerization.