Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
B-type natriuretic peptide and echocardiographic determination of ejection fraction in the diagnosis of congestive heart failure in patients with acute dyspnea.

BACKGROUND Echocardiography and B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) are diagnostic tests for congestive heart failure (CHF), but an emergency diagnosis can be difficult. OBJECTIVE To assess the diagnostic performance of BNP testing and echocardiographic assessment of left ventricular systolic function, separately and combined, for the identification of CHF in patients with acute dyspnea. DESIGN Prospective, multinational, multicenter study. SETTING Patients presenting to emergency departments in seven hospitals between June 1999 and December 2000. PATIENTS A total of 1,586 patients with acute dyspnea. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Echocardiographic determination of ejection fraction (EF) and point-of care BNP measurement for the diagnosis of CHF. RESULTS Seven hundred nine of the 1,586 patients underwent echocardiography; 492 patients (69.4%) had a final diagnosis of CHF. Patients with CHF were older (68.5 years vs 61.6 years, p < 0.0001), had a lower EF (39.5% vs 56.1%, p < 0.0001), and a higher BNP (683 pg/mL vs 129 pg/mL, p < 0.0001) than patients without CHF. Area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve for the diagnosis of CHF was significantly higher for BNP (0.89) than for EF (0.78; area under the ROC curve difference, 0.12; p < 0.0001). The sensitivity of BNP > or = 100 pg/mL for the diagnosis of CHF was 89%, and specificity was 73%. Values for EF < or = 50% had a sensitivity of 70% and a specificity of 77%. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that, in combination with clinical, ECG, and chest radiograph data, BNP > or = 100 pg/mL and EF < or = 50% remained independent predictors of CHF (odds ratios, 32.1 and 6.2, respectively). The proportions of patients who were correctly classified were 67% for BNP alone, 55% for EF alone, 82% for the two variables together, and 97.3% when clinical, ECG, and chest radiograph data were added. CONCLUSION BNP measurement was superior to two-dimensional echocardiographic determination of EF in identifying CHF, regardless of the threshold value. The two methods combined have marked additive diagnostic value.
When should surveillance imaging be performed after treatment for head and neck cancer?

BACKGROUND Following definitive treatment of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), the effort of the otolaryngologist shifts to detection of residual or recurrent disease. The majority of recurrences, particularly in patients with advanced disease, occur within the first two posttreatment years. The imaging modalities used in surveillance imaging include computed tomography (CT), positron emission tomography (PET), magnetic resonance imaging, and ultrasound. Research in the last decade has demonstrated the utility of combined PET/ CT in posttreatment surveillance. Whereas PET/CT has become increasingly utilized for posttreatment surveillance imaging, there is no clear consensus when these studies should be obtained as surveillance in asymptomatic individuals. This review describes the evidence surrounding the timing of surveillance scans to detect residual or recurrent HNSCC.
Complicated Pseudo Parallel Genetic Algorithm for Optimization Design

This paper focuses on how to improve the performance of Genetic Algorithm (GA). Considering operators' importance, two creative intelligent parameters were built to evaluate and control the evolution calculation process. Meanwhile Pseudo calculation has been discussed and integrated into the classical GA. At last, simulation calculations with testing function have been given. It has been clearly shown that, adopting this calculation system, its performances have been boosted and this should be generally applicable to practical engineering.
Value Addition to Human Managerial Skills in the Livestock Sector in Nigeria

Value addition is an important concept in Nigeria’s agriculture, including the livestock sub-sector. Its definition is often given with special emphasis on and with respect to agricultural products. However, the general principle in value addition is the process of transforming resources, including human, from its original state to a more valuable state. In the livestock industry, human is a critical resource and adding value to its status should be the arrow head of developing the sub-sector. Most people in the sub-sector are academically sound and technically competent in their respective fields of specialisation but gaps exist in their management skills and acumen. There is the need for value addition to the human managerial skills of Officers managing livestock activities in the country. Governments at all levels should endeavour to provide financial and institutional supports towards the achievement of this goal. This will provide impetus on fully actualising the robust agricultural transformation agenda of the country.
The anxiolytic effect of Bifidobacterium longum NCC3001 involves vagal pathways for gut–brain communication

Background The probiotic Bifidobacterium longum NCC3001 normalizes anxiety‐like behavior and hippocampal brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in mice with infectious colitis. Using a model of chemical colitis we test whether the anxiolytic effect of B. longum involves vagal integrity, and changes in neural cell function.
Twin Studies in Diabetes Mellitus

Twin studies are a valuable way of determining the relative significance of genetic and environmental factors in the aetiology of disease. In diabetes mellitus, they are of importance, since the aetiologies of Type 1 (insulin‐dependent) and Type 2 (non‐insulin‐dependent) diabetes mellitus are probably different. However the results of twin studies have not always been reliable. Strict adherence to methodological guidelines is necessary to ensure the validity of the results that are obtained. These guidelines relate to ascertainment of a twin sample, confirmation of zygosity, and effects of sampling. Critical review of twin studies in diabetes performed to date imply provisionally a very strong genetic input to the aetiology of Type 1 diabetes. In Type 2 diabetes genetic and environmental factors are probably of equal importance. © 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The Accuracy of Forecasts by Manage- ment and by Financial Analysts

The relative accuracy of management and financial analyst earnings per share forecasts has important implications both for accountants who prepare management forecasts and for users of earnings forecasts. This article reports on a study of the relative accuracy of the two sets of competing information. The subject of study was a sample of actual management and analyst forecasts. The management and analyst forecasts were first compared to each other. Then both groups of forecasts were compared to a third set of forecasts developed by extrapolating from the trend of previous earnings changes over time. This provided an indication of the overall quality of the two sets of forecasts. Results showed that differences in accuracy between the management and financial analyst forecasts were not statistically significant. The study also showed that both man- agement forecasts and analyst forecasts prepared subsequent to the release of these management forecasts are superior to those developed using the simple extrapolative models tested here. Analyst forecasts reported prior to the announcement of manage- ment forecasts were not significantly more accurate than those of the simple naive model.
Attack on A New Public Key Cryptosystem from ISC'02 (LNCS 2433)

In ISC 2002, J. Zheng [8] proposed a new public key cryptosystem whose security is based upon the algebraic problem of reducing a high degree matrix to its canonical form by similarity transformations. In this paper, we show that factoring a polynomial over a finite field can be used to break down Zheng’s public key cryptosystem. The complexity of our attack is polynomial time. In other word, the underlying problem of Zheng’s public key cryptosystem is not a “hard” problem.
The Emerging CIO Role of Business Technology Strategist

This article focuses on the emerging CIO role of business technology strategist and its relationship with the three traditional IT management roles—informational, decisional, and interpersonal. Our starting assumption was that two characteristics of a CIO may also influence his or her ability to perform this emerging role: 1) the formal power derived from the CIO’s reporting level and 2) the CIO’s technical background (technical education and experience). Based on a field study of 45 CIOs, we find that the role of business technology strategist is most strongly related to the CIO’s formal power and to his or her skills in absorbing and disseminating relevant information (the informational role). A technical background (technical credibility) is more important for the performance of the other two traditional roles (decisional and interpersonal), which are focused on managing IT resources. These findings on multiple CIO roles therefore help to reconcile a debate in the practitioner literature about how best to leverage CIOs as business technology strategists. CIOs who report to the CEO or a CxO will take an “outside-in” approach that leverages their access to top management. In contrast, in firms that have placed a less strategic focus on IT, CIOs with less formal power will take an “inside-out” approach that leverages their strong technical expertise and effective management of IT resources.
Effects of blue light on the circadian system and eye physiology

Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) have been used to provide illumination in industrial and commercial environments. LEDs are also used in TVs, computers, smart phones, and tablets. Although the light emitted by most LEDs appears white, LEDs have peak emission in the blue light range (400–490 nm). The accumulating experimental evidence has indicated that exposure to blue light can affect many physiologic functions, and it can be used to treat circadian and sleep dysfunctions. However, blue light can also induce photoreceptor damage. Thus, it is important to consider the spectral output of LED-based light sources to minimize the danger that may be associated with blue light exposure. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge of the effects of blue light on the regulation of physiologic functions and the possible effects of blue light exposure on ocular health.
HLA-based multi-aricraft combat simulation system

Aircraft combat simulation training system is extensively applied to modern airforce training instead of the real flight training, for that it is less expensive but more flexible. In order to satisfy the need of complex training like collaborate fighting, this paper implemented a multi-aircraft combat simulation system for aircraft training based on HLA (High Level Architecture). This system builds up the virtual training environment with LOD model and is capable of supporting collaborative simulation with multi-machines.
Imatinib is a substrate for various multidrug resistance proteins.

UNLABELLED An increasing resistance to imatinib is an emerging problem in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). The aim of the study was to asses mechanisms related to cellular drug resistance in imatinib-resistant derivates of chronic myeloid leukemia K-562 cell line. A parental K-562 and its imatinib-resistant derivate cell lines were used. Cell lines were tested for cytotoxicity of imatinib, cytarabine, busulfan and etoposide by the MTT assay. The cytotoxicity was expressed as IC50, inhibitory concentration for 50% of cells. Multidrug resistance proteins expression, rhodamine retention and daunorubicin accumulation were measured for each cell line. Continuous exposition of K-562 cell line to 0.01-0.02 mM imatinib resulted in development of resistance, while exposition to 0.1 microM imatinib increased cell sensitivity to this drug. There was a high correlation between PGP, MRP1 and LRP expression and IC50 values for imatinib and etoposide. All tested cell lines were highly resistant to cytarabine. Rhodamine retention alone and in the presence of cyclosporine was the lowest in imatinib-resistant K-562R-0.1 cell line, what suggest high PGP activity in this cell line. The highest daunorubicin accumulation was observed in parental K-562 cell line, while it was lower in imatinib-resistant cell lines. These data suggest that imatinib is a substrate for multidrug resistance proteins, and an increased expression of PGP, MRP1 and LRP play a role in resistance to imatinib in CML. KEYWORDS imatinib, multidrug resistance proteins, chronic myeloid leukemia, PGP, MRP1, LRP.
Fragmentation of riverine systems: the genetic effects of dams on bull trout (Salvelinus confluentus) in the Clark Fork River system

Migratory bull trout (Salvelinus confluentus) historically spawned in tributaries of the Clark Fork River, Montana and inhabited Lake Pend Oreille as subadult and adult fish. However, in 1952 Cabinet Gorge Dam was constructed without fish passage facilities disrupting the connectivity of this system. Since the construction of this dam, bull trout populations in upstream tributaries have been in decline. Each year adult bull trout return to the base of Cabinet Gorge Dam when most migratory bull trout begin their spawning migration. However, the origin of these fish is uncertain. We used eight microsatellite loci to compare bull trout collected at the base of Cabinet Gorge Dam to fish sampled from both above and further downstream from the dam. Our data indicate that Cabinet Gorge bull trout are most likely individuals that hatched in above‐dam tributaries, reared in Lake Pend Oreille, and could not return to their natal tributaries to spawn. This suggests that the risk of outbreeding depression associated with passing adults over dams in the Clark Fork system is minimal compared to the potential genetic and demographic benefits to populations located above the dams.
Shortened onset of action of antidepressants in major depression using acetylsalicylic acid augmentation: a pilot open-label study

Based on our preclinical data showing a potential accelerating effect of acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) in combination with fluoxetine in an animal model of depression, we examined the effect of ASA augmentation therapy on selective reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) in major depressed non-responder patients. Twenty-four non-responder patients having received at least 4 weeks of an adequate SSRI treatment were included in a pilot open-label study. Participants were treated openly during 4 weeks with 160 mg/day ASA in addition to their current antidepressant treatment. The combination SSRI–ASA was associated with a response rate of 52.4%. Remission was achieved in 43% of the total sample and 82% of the responder sample. In the responder group, a significant improvement was observed within week 1 (mean Hamilton Depression Rating Scale-21 items at day 0=29.3±4.5, at day 7=14.0±4.1; P<0.0001) and remained sustained until day 28. Despite limitations due to the open nature of this study, our preliminary results confirm our preclinical findings and are in favour of an accelerating effect of ASA in combination with SSRIs in the treatment of major depression. Potential physiological and biochemical mechanisms may involve an anti-inflammatory and/or neurotrophic effect.
Use of a Recombination Reporter Insert To Define Meiotic Recombination Domains on Chromosome III ofSaccharomyces cerevisiae

ABSTRACT In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, meiotic recombination is initiated by DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs). DSBs usually occur in intergenic regions that display nuclease hypersensitivity in digests of chromatin. DSBs are distributed nonuniformly across chromosomes; on chromosome III, DSBs are concentrated in two “hot” regions, one in each chromosome arm. DSBs occur rarely in regions within about 40 kb of each telomere and in an 80-kb region in the center of the chromosome, just to the right of the centromere. We used recombination reporter inserts containing arg4 mutant alleles to show that the “cold” properties of the central DSB-deficient region are imposed on DNA inserted in the region. Cold region inserts display DSB and recombination frequencies that are substantially less than those seen with similar inserts in flanking hot regions. This occurs without apparent change in chromatin structure, as the same pattern and level of DNase I hypersensitivity is seen in chromatin of hot and cold region inserts. These data are consistent with the suggestion that features of higher-order chromosome structure or chromosome dynamics act in a target sequence-independent manner to control where recombination events initiate during meiosis.
Percutaneous cryoablation of large renal masses: technical feasibility and short-term outcome.

OBJECTIVE This retrospective study was performed to assess the feasibility, safety, and short-term outcome of percutaneous cryoablation of large solid renal tumors. MATERIALS AND METHODS We reviewed 40 percutaneous cryoablation procedures performed on 40 patients with renal tumors 3 cm in diameter or larger. All patients underwent cryoablation with CT monitoring. Technical success was defined by extension of the ice ball beyond the tumor margin and postablation imaging findings of no contrast enhancement in the area encompassing the original tumor. Complications meeting grade 3 of the National Cancer Institute Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events were recorded. RESULTS Mean +/- SD tumor diameter was 4.2 +/- 1.1 cm (range, 3.0-7.2 cm). Technical success was achieved in 38 (95%) of 40 cryoablation procedures. There was one grade 3 adverse event (3% rate of significant complications). Follow-up images obtained 3 months or longer (mean, 9 +/- 6 months; range, 3-22 months) after ablation were available for 26 (65%) of the 40 patients. No local tumor recurrence or tumor progression was found. CONCLUSION Percutaneous cryoablation of renal tumors measuring 3 cm or larger is technically feasible and relatively safe. Short-term follow-up results are encouraging, although long-term follow-up is necessary to assess true treatment efficacy.
An ergonomic education and evaluation program for apprentice carpenters.

Eighteen new apprentice carpenters received sixteen hours of ergonomics awareness education as a part of their regular apprenticeship training during 1994 and 1995. An equal number of apprentices received no training but served as controls. The training took place in the Southwest Ohio District Council of Carpenter's Joint Apprenticeship and Training School. The curriculum was designed to be "learner-centered. " Instruction included short lectures presented by a journeyman carpenter and emphasized participatory activities in the school's carpentry shop. Ongoing program evaluation assessed trainees' reactions to the content and structure of the curriculum and its influence on their behavior. Trainees and controls completed brief quizzes on ergonomic knowledge. Hands-on exercises enabled trainees to apply recently acquired ergonomic knowledge in the school's carpentry shop. Trainees scored significantly higher on one-half of the post-session quizzes and the comprehensive test. Trainees preferred participatory teaching methods, especially those using redesigned tools (93%) and evaluating ergonomic risks (86%); and they supported continued safety and health education during apprentice training. The authors conclude that apprentice-ship programs should provide regular "learner-centered" occupational safety and health education that includes ergonomics, and these programs should be integrated with their shop-based manual arts instruction.
Combined transplantation of skeletal myoblasts and bone marrow stem cells for myocardial repair in rats q

Objectives: To prove whether intramyocardial transplantation of combined skeletal myoblasts (SM) and mononuclear bone marrow stem cells is superior to the isolated transplantation of these cell types after myocardial infarction in rats. Methods: In 67 male Fischer rats myocardial infarction was induced by direct ligature of the LAD. Seven days postinfarction baseline echocardiography and intramyocardial cell transplantation were performed. Via lateral thoracotomy 200 ml containing either 10 SMs or 10 bone marrow-derived mononuclear cells (BM-MNC) or a combination of 5 £ 10 of both cell types (MB) were injected in 10–15 sites in and around the infarct zone. In controls (C) 200 ml of cell-free medium were injected in the same manner. Before injection both cell types were stained using a fluorescent cell linker kit (PKH, Sigma). In addition, SMs were transfected with green fluorescent protein. Nine weeks postinfarction follow-up echocardiography was performed and animals were sacrificed for further analysis. Results: At baseline echocardiography there was no difference in left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF; C, SM, BM-MNC, MB: 60.1 ^ 3.2, 53.3 ^ 10.2, 53.1 ^ 8.7, 49 ^ 9.0%) and left ventricular end diastolic diameter (LVEDD; C, SM, BM-MNC, MB: 6.5 ^ 0.8, 5.17 ^ 0.8, 5.77 ^ 1.4, 6.25 ^ 0.8 mm) between the different therapeutic groups. Eight weeks after cell transplantation LVEDD was significantly increased in all animals except those that received a combination of myoblasts and bone marrow stem cells (MB; C, SM, BM-MNC, MB: 7.7 ^ 0.6 mm, P 1⁄4 0:001; 7.7 ^ 1.5 mm, P , 0:001; 7.7 ^ 1.1 mm, P 1⁄4 0:005; 6.6 ^ 1.7 mm, P 1⁄4 0:397). At the same time LVEF decreased significantly in the control group (C), stayed unchanged in animals that received bone marrow stem cells (BM-MNC) and increased in animals that received myoblasts (SM) and a combination of both cell types (MB; C, SM, BM-MNC, MB: 45.3 ^ 7.0%, P 1⁄4 0:05; 63.9 ^ 15.4%, P 1⁄4 0:044; 54.3 ^ 6.3%, P 1⁄4 0:607; 63.0 ^ 11.5%, P 1⁄4 0:039). Conclusions: The present data show that the concept of combining SMs with bone marrow-derived stem cells may be of clinical relevance by merging the beneficial effects of each cell line and potentially reducing the required cell quantity. Further studies are required to identify the exact mechanisms underlying this synergy and to allow full exploitation of its therapeutic potential. q 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
“THE INFLUENCE OF COMPANY FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE AND MACROECONOMIC FACTORS ON STOCK RETURNS (EMPIRICAL STUDY OF FOOD AND BEVERAGES COMPANIES LISTED IN INDONESIAN STOCK EXCHANGE AND LONDON STOCK EXCHANGE FOR THE YEAR 2012-2014)”

This research aims to compare the influence of company financial performance and macroeconomic factors on stock returns for Food and Beverages companies listed in Indonesian Stock Exchange and London Stock Exchange. Population used in this research is 28 companies taken from LSE and 15 companies from IDX. The method used for selecting the samples is purposive sampling method. Based on the method used, this research found 10 companies from each stock exchange that can fulfill the sampling criteria. This research uses four different multiple regression models that each model consists of three company financial performance variables and one macroeconomic factor. The research finding presents a different result between IDX and LSE. In IDX, it is found that GDP is a strong indicator that can influence significantly on stock returns. Meanwhile in LSE, EPS along with current macroeconomic condition have become significant indicators toward stock returns. Keywords : stock returns, company financial performance, macroeconomic factors
Exploring the Utility of ResearchCyc for Reasoning from Natural Language

Abstract : This project investigated the potential for using ResearchCyc in natural language processing systems. The project focused particularly on natural language problems connected to sentence understanding, such as reading comprehension and robust textual inference. The project completed studies of the possibilities for using ResearchCyc knowledge for problems from this domain, it developed software for interaction between robust natural language processing systems and ResearchCyc, via its Java interface, and evaluated in a quantitative manner how much value could be gained from use of ResearchCyc and other alternative technologies by performing ablation studies.