Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Clinical experience in treating hypertension with fixed-dose combination therapy: angiotensin II receptor blocker losartan plus hydrochlorothiazide

The goal of antihypertensive treatment is to reduce cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events associated with high blood pressure. A combination therapy with different antihypertensive agents is more successful than monotherapy in most hypertensive patients, with the added advantage of a better safety profile. Therefore, treatment of hypertensive patients with fixed-dose combination therapy consisting of the angiotensin II receptor blocker losartan along with hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) has several potential benefits over monotherapy with each individual component. It provides more effective blood pressure control, a reduction in the likelihood of adverse effects and facilitation of patient compliance due to a simple once-daily regimen. One of the advantages of the combination of losartan with HCTZ is the potential reduction in HCTZ-induced metabolic disorders; in particular, this combination can have attractive benefits for patients of hyperuricemia. Losartan plus HCTZ fixed-dose combination therapy is frequently recommended for the treatment of hypertension and lowers blood pressure in mild-to-moderate and even severe hypertensive patients to a level comparable with other classes of antihypertensive agents in combination with HCTZ. Fixed-dose combination therapy with losartan plus HCTZ is a logical choice as antihypertensive therapy for patients in whom combination therapy is necessary to achieve additional blood pressure reduction.
Distinct Characteristics of Resistance toBorrelia burgdorferi-Induced Arthritis in C57BL/6N Mice

ABSTRACT Studies of mice infected with Borrelia burgdorferi have indicated that the severity of arthritis is influenced by the genetic composition of the host: the C3H mouse develops severe arthritis while BALB/c and C57BL/6 mice develop mild arthritis. In this study, the effects of increasing infectious dose on the severity of arthritis were determined in these three mouse strains. C3H/He mice developed severe arthritis at all infectious doses, with 100% infection requiring 200 spirochetes. In BALB/cAnN mice, arthritis severity was dependent on infectious dose; symptoms were mild with infection by 200 B. burgdorferi and progressively more severe with increasing infectious dose. Infection of BALB/cAnN mice with 2 × 104B. burgdorferi resulted in arthritis with severity identical to that in C3H/He mice. Spirochete levels in rear ankle joints of C3H/HeJ and C3H/HeN mice were relatively high, as detected by PCR, and did not increase with infectious dose. Spirochete levels in joints from BALB/cAnN mice increased with increasing infectious dose to levels found in severely arthritic C3H/He mice. Thus, resistance to severe arthritis in BALB/cAnN mice was conditional: it could be overcome by high infectious dose and the arthritis became severe when high levels of B. burgdorferi were present in joints. A unique response to increasing infectious dose was seen in C57BL/6N mice, which displayed mild to moderate arthritis at all doses of B. burgdorferi tested, up to 2 × 105. At all infectious doses, the levels of spirochetes in ankle joints of C57BL/6N mice were high, equivalent to those found in the severely arthritic C3H/He mice. The arthritis observed in infected (C57BL/6N × C3H/HeN)F1 mice was of severity intermediate between those of the two parental strains. The finding that resistance to severe arthritis in C57BL/6N mice could not be overcome by high infectious doses and was independent of spirochete levels in joints suggested that it was mediated by a distinct mechanism from that operating in BALB/cAnN mice.
Osteopontin as a means to cope with environmental insults: regulation of inflammation, tissue remodeling, and cell survival.

OPN is a multifunctional cytokine and adhesion protein that contains an integrin-binding RGD sequence and additional sequences that interact with CD44v6/7 or other adhesive receptors. Its expression is increased in response to early proinflammatory cytokines and to mechanical strain in bone. The function of the secreted protein may be altered by extracellular enzymes, including thrombin and kinases. The study of OPN-null mice has revealed roles for OPN in a broad range of homeostatic (bone remodeling, tissue debridement) and pathologic (cellular immunity, wound healing, cancer metastasis) processes. While these processes seem disparate, they are linked by several common themes, including enhanced expression of OPN in response to stress or tissue injury, and stimulation of cell motility and cell survival pathways via interactions of OPN with adhesive receptors. OPN is chemotactic for various cell types, notably monocytes/macrophages, which are attracted to sites of infection and inflammation. It is essential for cell-mediated immunity and a normal Th1 cytokine response during granuloma formation. OPN serves both to attach bone cells to bone matrix and to generate intracellular signals essential for normal osteoclast motility on bone; it may mediate osteocyte recognition of bone strain. OPN activates intracellular signaling pathways and regulates gene expression as a consequence of its interactions with its various receptors. The best-characterized is the integrin-stimulated FAK-Src-Rho pathway, which alters gelsolin function and podosome formation in osteoclasts. Identification and dissection of the signal transduction pathways and their targets are complicated by the fact that OPN can engage more than one type of receptor on the cell. For this reason, it is important to ascertain which receptors are in play in any given experimental system. There is compelling evidence that soluble OPN can in a variety of situations help cells survive an otherwise lethal insult. Remarkably, this survival signaling is mediated by receptors that are generally considered to be receptors for ECM components. We suggest that OPN delivers an antiapoptotic “ECM-like” signal via multiple ligand-receptor interactions to cells, both adherent and nonadherent.
Seeking Sustainability: Israel's Evolving Water Management Strategy

The water management policies adopted to address Israel's chronic scarcity have not been without environmental consequences. Yet, through a trial-and-error process, a combined strategy of water transport, rainwater harvesting, and wastewater reuse and desalination, along with a variety of water conservation measures, have put the country on a more sustainable path for the future.
A face super-resolution method based on illumination invariant feature

Human faces in surveillance video images usually have low resolution and poor quality. They need to be reconstructed in super-resolution for identification. The traditional subspace-based face super-resolution algorithms are sensitive to light. For solving the problem, this paper proposes a face super-resolution method based on illumination invariant feature. The method firstly extracts the illumination invariant features of an input low resolution image by using adaptive L1–L2 total variation model and self-quotient image in logarithmic domain. Then it projects the feature onto non-negative basis obtained by Nonnegative Matrix Factorization(NMF) in face image database. Finally it reconstructs the high resolution face images under the framework of Maximum A Posteriori (MAP) probability. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method outperforms the compared methods both in subjective and objective quality under poor light conditions.
Increasing Cybersecurity Investments in Private Sector Firms

The primary objective of this article is to develop an economics-based analytical framework for assessing the impact of government incentives/regulations designed to offset the tendency to underinvest in cybersecurity related activities by private sector firms. The analysis provided in the article shows that the potential for government incentives/regulations to increase cybersecurity investments by private sector firms is dependent on the following two fundamental issues: (i) whether or not firms are utilizing the optimal mix of inputs to cybersecurity, and (ii) whether or not firms are able, and willing, to increase their investments in cybersecurity activities. The implications of these findings are also discussed in this article, as well as a formal analysis of these implications. In addition, this article provides a discussion of existing actions by the US federal government that should be more effectively utilized before, or at least in conjunction with, considering new government incentives/regulations for increasing cybersecurity investments by private sector firms.
Development of Reconfigurable Outdoor Mobile Robota Design Optimisation Approach

A number of outdoor mobile robots have been designed to achieve specific operational characteristics. It is obvious such robots can offer excellent operational capabilities within a narrow and constrained domain. However with change of mission parameters and operating environment such superiority can no longer be exhibited by many systems. For example tracked mobile robot shows exceptional operating behaviour in outdoor marshland, sand and similar types of soil conditions whereas its operating behaviour is much inferior compared to a wheeled robot for paved robot environments. The main dichotomy faced by a designer is to select which one is the most suitable under given conditions, tracked, wheeled or legged. This paper tries to find a solution to this dilemma through design optimisation using reconfiguration capabilities as the unique deterministic feature. This research is being carried out using Autodesk Inventor as a provider of 3D modelling tools together with multibody simulation software ADAMS of MSC Software Corporation. The parameters taken into consideration include kinematic and geometric description, drive transmission including length of links, pitch length of belt, approach angle ground clearance and many more. This study clearly shows that the selection of a specific geometry of a drive mechanism alone is not suitable for design of an outdoor mobile robot.
The cost of managing severe hypoglycemic episodes in Type 2 diabetic patients

Introduction: Hypoglycemia is an acute complication of diabetes that increases morbidity, mortality and disease costs. We aim to estimate healthcare resource consumption and costs associated with severe hypoglycemia using the societal perspective. Methods: A cross-sectional, observational, nationwide, multicenter, hospital-based study was conducted in seven centers of Portuguese mainland with a 1-year enrolment period. Unit costs were extracted from official/public data sources. Patient-level data were used to quantify healthcare resource use related to emergency transportation, emergency-department care and hospitalization. Productivity loss was calculated based on the Human Capital Approach. Results: The study enrolled 238 Type-2 diabetic patients and the proportion of hypoglycemic episodes among all emergency events during the study period was 0.075% (95% CI: 0.067–0.083%). Mean patient age was 76 years and 57.6% were female. At time of the emergency department admission, 55% of patients were using insulin, 31.5% were being treated with secretagogues, 6.7% were on a combination of both, and 6.7% were on other oral antihyperglycemic agents. Estimated mean costs in the emergency department were: emergency transportation €33, medication €4, laboratory workup €56, other exams €72, physician and nurse time €30 and €13, respectively. Mean hospitalization cost was €1271. Indirect cost averaged €15. Overall cost per hypoglycemic episode averaged €1493 (standard deviation: €2962; range: €34–26,818). Patients treated with secretagogues had the highest rates of hospitalizations and mean costs. Conclusion: We conclude that severe hypoglycemic events represent a substantial cost for society and in particular for the hospitals of the National Health Service.
Mental Health and the Health System in Bangladesh: Situation Analysis of a Neglected Domain

Mental Health constitutes a major public health challenge undermining the social and economic development throughout much of the developing world. It is estimated that mental disorders account for 13% of the global burden of disease (WHO 2008). However, in most developing countries mental health remains utterly neglected by the health system. In Bangladesh, for example, a meager 0.5% of the total health budget is allocated to mental health. On the other hand, as more than 65% of the total expenditure on health is out-of-pocket expenses, mental illness takes a heavy toll on the poor and the disadvantaged Based on a review of secondary data, the paper assesses the current situation of mental health in Bangladesh. The paper suggests that mental health care system in Bangladesh faces multifaceted challenges such as lack of public mental health facilities, scarcity of skilled workforce, inadequate financial resource allocation and social stigma. Bangladesh still does not have a comprehensive mental health policy to strengthen the entire health system. Clearly, the most crucial challenge is the absence of a dynamic and proactive stewardship able to design and enforce policies to further strengthen and enhance the overall mental health care. Such strong leadership could bring about meaningful and effective health sector reform, which will work more efficiently for the betterment of the health and social and emotional wellbeing of the people of Bangladesh, and would be built upon the values of equity and accountability.
Genetic and Epigenetic Inactivation of Mitotic Checkpoint Genes hBUB 1 and hBUBR 1 and Their Relationship to Survival 1

Sequence alterations of mitotic checkpoint genes, hBUB1 and hBUBR1, were examined, and their gene transcripts were quantified using on-line, real-time quantitative reverse transcription-PCR in surgically resected human colorectal cancers and their neighboring normal tissues. Our results reveal a new hBUB1 missense mutation (Ala130Ser) but not any hBUBR1 coding sequence mutations. hBUB1 and hBUBR1 mRNA levels were reduced to <10% of the neighboring normal tissues in 3 of 103 and 3 of 109 carcinomas, respectively, and to <50% in 7 and 7 carcinomas, whereas the overall expression levels were markedly higher in cancers than in normal tissues. Carcinomas with reduced hBUB1 and/or hBUBR1 mRNA levels, as well as the colon carcinoma harboring the hBUB1 mutation, were associated with lymph node metastasis (P < 0.005) and shorter relapse-free survival after surgery (P 0.006). Thus, hBUB1 and hBUBR1 may contribute to a specific driving force in tumor metastasis and progression as a result of nonmutational, as well as mutational, inactivation.
Protein–Ligand Interaction Study of CpOGA in Complex with GlcNAcstatin

The GlcNAcstatin is a potent inhibitor of O‐glycoprotein 2‐acetamino‐2‐deoxy‐β‐D‐glucopyranosidase, which has been related with type II diabetes and neurodegenerative disorders. Herein, hybrid quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics, molecular dynamics simulations, and potential of mean force were employed to study the interactions established between GlcNAcstatin and a bacterial O‐GlcNAcase enzyme from Clostridium perfringens. The results reveal that the imidazole nitrogen atom of GlcNAcstatin has shown a better interaction with the active site of Clostridium perfringens in its protonated form, which is compatible with a substrate‐assisted reaction mechanism involving two conserved aspartate residues (297 and 298). Furthermore, the quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics–molecular dynamics simulations appointed a strong interaction between Asp401, Asp298, and Asp297 residues and the GlcNAcstatin inhibitor, which is in accordance with experimental data. Lastly, these results may contribute to understand the molecular mechanism of inhibition of Clostridium perfringens by GlcNAcstatin inhibitor and, consequently, this study might be useful to design new molecules with more interesting inhibitory activity.
Interpleural analgesia and phrenic nerve paralysis

A case of phrenic nerve paralysis following interpleural analgesia for cholecystectomy is reported. The pre‐operative chest X ray was normal but chest X ray after cholecystectomy and interpleural analgesia revealed a raised right hemidiaphragm. This resolved after discontinuation of the interpleural analgesia and was probably a result of phrenic nerve paralysis produced by the interpleural local anaesthetic.
On the performance of signal-subspace processing-Part II: Coherent wide-band systems

This is the second part of a study which deals with the performance of multiple-source direction finding via signal-subspace processing [1]. An analytical evaluation of detection (determination of the number of sources) and direction estimation performance is presented for the coherent wide-band signal-subspace processing algorithm [2], which operates on the received array signals of large relative bandwidth. The probabilities of underestimating and overestimating the number of sources are derived, under asymptotic conditions and in the threshold regions, in terms of the choice of a penalty function and signal, noise, and array parameters for the cases of at most two closely spaced sources in spatially white noise. A scalar measure is used for the evaluation of the quality of the estimated signal subspaces. It is shown that the detection and estimation performances of the practical coherent algorithm are close to those of the perfectly coherent processing, and that they are relatively insensitive with respect to a preliminary estimate of the angles used to effect an approximate coherence.
Pharmacologic comparison of the optical isomers of methadon.

1. The analgesic action of l -Dolophine is much greater than that of the d -isomer, the order of activity being approximately 7.5:1 in rats, 25:1 in dogs, and 50:1 in man. 2. l -Dolophine produces more narcosis than the d-form in equianalgesic doses. 3. In anesthetized dogs, l -Dolophine is 25 times as depressant to respiration, but 65 times as stimulating to duodenum, as the d -isomer. 4. There is little difference in toxicity between the l- and d -isomers in mice by intravenous injection. Either optical isomer is, however, slightly less toxic than the racemic mixture.
Plasma osmolality predicts clinical outcome in patients with acute coronary syndrome undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention

Aims: The impact of plasma osmolality on clinical outcome in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients has not been investigated so far. Methods: In a retrospective analysis, we included 985 patients with ACS undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Plasma osmolality was calculated using concentrations of sodium, plasma glucose, and blood urea nitrogen at admission. Patients were stratified by quartiles (Q) of admission osmolality, clinical outcome was compared between those groups. The primary endpoints were in-hospital, 30-day, and 1-year mortality. Results: Univariate analysis in the Cox proportional-hazards model revealed significantly higher rates of in-hospital death for patients with osmolality in Q4, as compared to patients with osmolality in Q1–3 (HR 5.4, 95% CI 3.3–9.0, p<0.01). After adjustment for confounding baseline variables, osmolality in Q4 was associated with 2.8-fold hazard of in-hospital death (HR 2.75, 95% CI 1.35–5.61, p=0.005). Upon multivariate analysis, admission osmolality in Q4 vs. Q1–3 was associated with higher mortality rates after 30 days (HR 2.53, 95% CI 1.23–5.21, p=0.012) and 1 year (HR 1.73, 95% CI 1.02–2.91, p=0.04). Moreover, we performed landmark analysis in order to exclude critically ill patients, which revealed similar adjusted rates of death beyond 30 days to 1 year (HR 1.21, 95% CI 0.55–2.66, p=0.642). Conclusions: Using the 4th quartile of plasma osmolality at admission as a natural cut-off point, osmolality in Q4, as compared to Q1–3, was significantly predictive of short term but not long-term outcome in ACS patients undergoing coronary stenting. Our data suggest osmolality to be an independent, feasible, and cost-effective tool for rapid risk stratification in ACS patients.
Falsely low vancomycin results using the Abbott TDx

Vancomycin is a glycopeptide antibiotic that is used to treat serious infections. When present in toxic concentrations, vancomycin can cause renal damage and hearing loss, 1 so therapeutic monitoring of the drug is advocated, particularly in the presence of renal impairment. Auores- cence polarization assay using the Abbott TDx (Abbott Laboratories, Abbott Park IL, USA) is still a common method of measuring vancomy- cin, although many laboratories have switched to an updated method employing a monoclonal antibody (Vancomycin II) on the Abbott AxSYM. In the process of making this change in our laboratory, we conducted comparison studies of vancomycin results from the two instruments and found marked discrepancies in plasma samples that had very high concentra- tions of conjugated bilirubin. We then carried out spiking experiments to determine which method was giving the incorrect results. METHODS AND RESULTS The Abbott TDx and AxSYM systems were used to measure vancomycin concentrations in 28 plasma samples obtained from patients with total bilirubin concentrations of less than
Extending population oriented extremal optimisation to permutation problems

 Abstract — Extremal optimisation in its canonical form is based on the manipulation of a single solution. This solution is changed iteratively by gradually replacing poor components of it so that over time it improves. Many successful evolutionary optimisers are population based, so it appears a reasonable exercise to extend extremal optimisation in this way. Scaling it up to an entire population presents many challenges, and only a few works have examined possible models. In this paper, a recent approach is expanded upon which extends the approach from assignment type problems (such as the generalised assignment problem) to permutation oriented ones. Using the asymmetric travelling salesman problem as a test case, it is found that improvements over a canonical extremal optimisation algorithm were realised.
Statistic and Parallel Testing Procedure for Evaluating Maximum Power Point Tracking Algorithms of Photovoltaic Power Systems

Maximum power point tracking (MPPT) methods are essential for photovoltaic (PV) systems to take full advantage of the available solar energy. Over the past few years, an increasing number of new MPPT methods have been proposed in the literature, and they show better capability of capturing the maximum power point. The testing and evaluation procedure of any new MPPT method is a crucial step for assessing its robustness and performance. PV panel manufacturers always specify power output tolerances, ranging from ±2% to ±5%. Thus, nonideal factors might dominate the subsystem output and defeat any performance comparison attempt and might lead to inaccurate results. This paper highlights the main shortcomings of previous MPPT testing procedures and proposes a comprehensive testing approach using paired difference tests to evaluate the performance of MPPT. The dual channel bench system demonstrates a systematic framework to deal with the nonideal factors associated with PV manufacturing, quantify experimental data, and correctly illustrate the performance improvement of MPPT. The case study shows that the 1% improvement of MPPT could be easily overshadowed by the nonideal factors shown previously. The proposed test setup and analysis method provide the effective solution for evaluating the MPPT performance.