Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Optimal Stimulation of the Left Ventricle

Optimal Stimulation of the Left Ventricle. Cardiac resynchronization therapy has been proposed to alleviate heart failure symptoms refractory to classic drug treatment. Potential benefits hinge on a number of key components, including judicious selection of patients likely to respond to the therapy and appropriate placement of the leads, particularly the lead responsible for left ventricular pacing. Evidence of ventricular asynchrony is an individual prerequisite for consideration of cardiac resynchronization therapy. Ventricular asynchrony can be diagnosed by recording a QRS duration > 150 msec or during echocardiography, with the goal of investigating the mechanical aspect of asynchrony. The optimal left ventricular pacing site can be defined by the latest segmental contraction, which is mainly the mid‐lateral wall. The first‐choice technique to initiate left ventricular pacing consists of a transvenous approach via the coronary sinus tributaries. In practice, the final left ventricular pacing location also depends on highly variant coronary sinus anatomy, acceptable electrical parameters, and lead stability. Procedure‐related complications, which consist mainly of coronary sinus perforation and phrenic nerve stimulation, remain low (<1%) and should decrease further with the use of new features specific to the procedure.
A1152D mutation of the Na+ channel causes paramyotonia congenita and emphasizes the role of DIII/S4–S5 linker in fast inactivation

Missense mutations in the human skeletal muscle Na+ channel α subunit (hSkM1) are responsible for a number of muscle excitability disorders. Among them, paramyotonia congenita (PC) is characterized by episodes of muscle stiffness induced by cold and aggravated by exercise. We have identified a new PC‐associated mutation, which substitutes aspartic acid for a conserved alanine in the S4–S5 linker of domain III (A1152D). This residue is of particular interest since its homologue in the rat brain type II Na+ channel has been suggested as an essential receptor site for the fast inactivation particle. To identify the biophysical changes induced by the A1152D mutation, we stably expressed hSkM1 mutant or wild‐type (WT) channels in HEK293 (human embryonic kidney) cells, and recorded whole‐cell Na+ currents with the patch‐clamp technique. Experiments were performed both at 21 and 11°C to better understand the sensitivity to cold of paramyotonia. The A1152D mutation disrupted channel fast inactivation. In comparison to the WT, mutant channels inactivated with slower kinetics and displayed a 5 mV depolarizing shift in the voltage dependence of the steady‐state. The other noticeable defect of A1152D mutant channels was an accelerated rate of deactivation from the inactivated state. Decreasing temperature by 10°C amplified the differences in channel gating kinetics between mutant and WT, and unveiled differences in both the sustained current and channel deactivation from the open state. Overall, cold‐exacerbated mutant defects may result in a sufficient excess of Na+ influx to produce repetitive firing and myotonia. In the light of previous reports, our data point to functional as well as phenotypic differences between mutations of conserved S4–S5 residues in domains II and III of the human skeletal muscle Na+ channel.
Pleural Effusion in Women with a Known Adenocarcinoma: The Role of Immunostains in Uncovering Another Hidden Primary Tumor

Objectives: Pleural fluid metastasis occurs often secondary to a known primary tumor. We aim to identify the percentage of adenocarcinomas metastatic to pleural effusion in women and the frequency of another primary tumor being the origin of the effusion using morphology and immunostains. Study Design: One hundred and thirty-one cases from our archives were reviewed. Results: Ninety-four percent had a documented primary. The breast was the most common site (34%); less common were the lung and ovary, and 7.9% had two different primaries. Seven cases proved to be secondary to an adenocarcinoma other than the one on record. Lung tumors were the most common overlooked tumors (5/7 cases). Six percent remained of inconclusive origin due to an occult primary, absent cells on cell blocks, or discordance with radiology or cytology of a known primary. Morphology in association with a small panel of immunostains including thyroid transcription factor 1, estrogen receptor, mammaglobin, Wilms tumor antigen 1, CA125 and CDX2 proved helpful in identifying the primary origin in 94% of cases. Conclusion: After a morphological comparison with previously available material, and due to major implications in the therapeutic strategy, a small panel of immunostains is advised on available cell block material to verify the origin of the metastatic effusion.
Effect of latency on network and end user domains in Cloud Computing

Cloud Computing is an on-demand access to a shared pool of resources. Vendor's of cloud computing provide application and enable technology, infrastructure, hardware, software, and integration for client. The flip side of the cloud computing is availability and performance of their internet connection [8]. If excessive network latency is causing the application to spend a large amount of time waiting for response from a data located at distant center, then the bandwidth utilization will not be properly done and performance will suffer. In our research paper, we have presented a practical approach to calculate the network latency which hampers the cloud performance and also in another section revealed the effect of DDoS attack on cloud computing with the simulated results.
Advances in understanding the pathogenesis of familial myeloproliferative neoplasms

Myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) are generally acquired as a result of a somatic stem cell mutation leading to clonal expansion of myeloid precursors. In addition to sporadic cases, familial MPN occurs when one or several MPN affect different relatives of the same family. MPN driver mutations (JAK2, CALR, MPL) are somatically acquired also in familial cases, so a genetic predisposition to acquire one of the MPN driver mutations would be inherited, even though the causative germline mutations underlying familial MPN remain largely unknown. Recently some germline variants [ATG2B and GSKIP duplication, RBBP6 mutations, SH2B3 (LNK) mutations], which can cause familial MPN, have been reported but these mutations are rare and do not explain most familial cases. Patients with familial MPN show the same clinical features and suffer the same complications as those with sporadic disease. This review aims to offer up‐to‐date information regarding the genetics of familial MPN.
Readout of a Pb0.80Sn0.20Te detector array at 77K with a silicon CCD multiplexer

Presented are some experimental results on the readout of a Pb0.80Sn0. 20Te six-detector array at 77 K, coupled in the direct injection mode to a silicon CCD multiplexer. A 65 % typical injection efficiency is measured, in good agreement with the theoretical value, estimated from the dynamic impedance of the detector, and the input MOS transistor's transconductance. The detectors are reverse-biased between 15 and 25 mV, which is consistent with the injection efficiency and the ± 9 mV threshold voltage dispersion of the electrical inputs. The modulation amplitude shows a ± 15 % dispersion. An equivalent detectivity in excess of 2 × 1010W-1cm Hz1/2is measured at a 10 micron wavelength, limited by the noise current in the input MOS transistors.
Novel siw dual mode band pass filter with high skirt selectivity

A compact dual mode substrate integrated waveguide band pass filter with good skirt selectivity and bandwidth is proposed in this paper. The position of the perturbation has an important role in deciding the pass band in a dual mode filter. The skirt selectivity of the filter was improved with a PEC covering for the perturbation on one side without altering the dual mode function. Two transmission zeros were present on either sides of pass band with rejection values of −25.309 dB and −29.71dB at 22.4GHz and 25.7 GHz respectively. Insertion loss in the pass band obtained was −1.5dB. Half power bandwidth of 2.121GHz was achieved for the proposed structure. The transfer characteristics of the proposed design satisfies the frequency range for K band and hence can be used for RADAR and Satellite communication applications.
Diagnostics in Venous Thromboembolism: From Origin to Future Prospects

Abstract Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a prevalent and life-threatening condition that requires an accurate and timely diagnosis. The current diagnostic approach to this condition, entailing an efficient integration of clinical judgment, diagnostic imaging, and laboratory testing, is the result of decades of scientific and medical research. This article aims to present and discuss the major breakthroughs that have occurred in the diagnostic imaging of both deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism, along with the various biological markers that have emerged from the laboratory bench and which have only marginally migrated to the bedside. Despite decades of research, the current diagnostic armamentarium for an efficient diagnosis of VTE remains suboptimal, and some wiggle room remains for the development of more efficient diagnostic tools, which may include thrombus-targeted molecular imaging, infrared thermal imaging, thrombin generation, and proteomics.
Plasma Insulin-Like Growth Factor-I and Serum IGF-Binding Protein 3 Can Be Associated with the Progression of Breast Cancer, and Predict the Risk of Recurrence and the Probability of Survival in African-American and Hispanic Women

In vitro studies have shown that insulin-like growth factor (IGF) is a mitogen for breast cancer cells. However, the associations of plasma IGF-I with tumor histopathology in high-risk groups need further investigation. We hypothesize that plasma IGF-I and serum IGFBP3 concentrations in breast cancer patients may provide useful information on the progression of their disease, and determine the probability of recurrence and survival. We have carried out a retrospective study on 130 minority breast cancer patients. Plasma IGF-I and serum IGFBP3 were correlated with tumor histopathology, menopausal status, treatment modality, recurrence rates, and probability of survival. Plasma IGF-I and serum IGFBP3 were measured by radioimmunoassay. Our studies show that breast cancer patients have elevated plasma IGF-I and serum IGFBP3 levels. In addition we observed the following: IGF-I did not correlate with age and nodal stage. IGF-I and IGFBP3 increased with tumor size (T4). IGF-I did not correlate with estrogen receptor status, but did increase in progesterone-receptor-positive patients. IGF-I levels were higher in premenopausal patients and in women with cancer recurrence. Tamoxifen reduced IGF-I levels significantly and reduced the risk of recurrence. The survival probability was greater in patients with plasma IGF-I levels <120 ng/ml. In conclusion, lowering of plasma IGF-I may offer the following benefits: (a) reduce the risk of developing breast cancer in high-risk groups; (b) slow the progression of breast cancer in patients at early stages of cancer; (c) lower the risk of recurrence, and (d) increase the probability of survival.
LEALDADE AO FABRICANTE NO RAMO AUTOMOBILÍSTICO

This article addresses the relationship between customer satisfaction with automotive technical assistance services (SATISSER) and loyalty to the manufacturer of the vehicle (LEALDFAB), a subject that has not been appropriately investigated in the marketing. Beginning with a theoretical review, an empirical analysis with a sample of 225 users of Brazilian vehicles made by Fiat, Ford, General Motors and Volkswagen was undertaken. By using the structural equation modeling method, evidences were found of a significant link between the exogenous latent variable SATISSER (as cause) and the endogenous latent variable LEALDFAB (as effect). This result may have an inductive effect of hardworking upon manufacturers of goods and service providers in general (not only automobile dealerships) toward improvement of the services component in their offerings. PALAVRAS-CHAVE Satisfação com serviços, lealdade ao fabricante, causa e efeito, veículos, concessionárias.
Coherent dynamics of excitonic wave packets.

We report on the coherent dynamics of excitonic wave packets observed in transient four-wave mixing experiments on strained InGaAs/GaAs quantum-well structures. The excitonic noneigenstates are created by using laser pulses shorter than the electron round trip time within the exciton orbital. A characteristic temporal modulation of the diffracted signal is observed, which resembles the coherent dynamics of an electron wave packet in a hydrogen atom expected for the case of a simultaneous excitation of all bound and the lowest continuum states
Contributions of Inhibitory Mechanisms to Unified Theory in Neuroscience and Psychology

Findings from many areas of psychology and neuroscience indicate that inhibitory mechanisms may contribute to relationships between numerous causal variables and an equally diverse set of outcome variables. Outcome variables that implicate inhibition include measures from physiology, perception, attention, action, learning and episodic memory, semantic memory, emotion, and psychopathology. Inhibition-related causal variables include childhood development and aging, hypoxia and other brain insults, and socialization. If confirmed by further research, a theoretical framework with inhibition as one of its core mediating constructs has several strengths, including unified explanations for diverse relationships, mechanistic models for phenomena, insight into the principles that underlie observed relationships, and mechanistic translations of existing abstract, theoretical constructs.
Identifying the concerns of informal carers in palliative care

The purpose of this preliminary study was to identify the perceived support needs of informal carers (families and friends) of cancer patients receiving palliative care in the community. Changes in policy mean that increasing numbers of palliative care patients receive the majority of their care at home. This potentially places heavy demands on families and friends. Thirty-nine informal carers were recruited from two areas in southern England. Data were obtained on psychological morbidity (General Health Questionnaire), and caregiving burden (Carer Strain Index), and a semistructured interview was used to elicit data on perceptions of caring. Results indicate that 33 (84%) reported above normal levels of psychological distress and 16 (41%) experienced high levels of strain related to caregiving. Younger age and being female were found to be correlated with psychological morbidity and strain. Participants also reported life restrictions, emotional distress and limited support.
FAMILIAL AGGREGATION OF BLOOD‐PRESSURE IN NEWLY BORN INFANTS AND THEIR MOTHERS

Abstract. Ibsen, K. K. and GrønbÆk, M. (University Clinic of Paediatrics, Children's Hospital Fuglebakken, Copenhagen, Denmark). Familial aggregation of blood‐pressure in newly born infants and their mothers. Acta Paediatr Scand, 69: 109, 1980. —The results of blood‐pressure measurements in a group of 48 women and their newly born infants are reported. The systolic blood‐pressure (SBP) was measured in the infants on the 2nd or 3rd day and on the 4th or 5th day after delivery. SBP in the infants was found to increase from the first measurement at the age of 2 or 3 days to the second measurement at the age of 4–5 days. No significant correlation was found between the SBP in the mothers and the recordings in the infants aged 2–3 days but highly significant correlation was found between the SBP in the infants at 4–5 days and both the SBP (r= 0.54, p < 0.001) and the diastolic blood‐pressures (r= 0.37, p < 0.05) in the mothers. Familial aggregation of blood‐pressure levels has thus been demonstrated in infants at an earlier age than previously reported
Advances in evaluating and altering the rumen microbial ecosystem

Summary The manipulation of the rumen microbial ecosystem to improve animal productivity and lessen environmental impacts has been a research goal for many decades. Impediments to a targeted manipulation of the rumen have included a lack of knowledge of the diversity of the rumen microbial population as well as a lack of methods to thoroughly evaluate microbial changes. Molecular based studies of the rumen microbial population have shown it to be one of the most diverse environments studied. New molecular ecology based assays are now enabling a more precise evaluation of the establishment and effects of novel microorganisms in the rumen as well as a more accurate description of microbial changes induced by feeds and feed additives. This knowledge will help informed development of new strategies for the improvement of ruminant production.
Progressive image transmission by linear quadtree coding and wavelet transformation

Progressive image transmission allows an approximate image to be built quickly and the details to be transmitted progressively through several stages over the channel. This technique appears very useful for picture communication over slow channels. This paper proposes to use linear quadtree coding combined with wavelet theory as well as other methods to achieve a progressive image transmission system. Results show that linear quadtree coding is an effective way for such processing.
The Role of Alcohol in the Cancer Epidemic

INTRODUCTION Cancer is one of the leading causes of death globally, and alcohol consumption is one of the top risk factors for cancer (World Health Organization, 2014). Because of the recent focus on the prevention of cancer, it is important for clinicians to understand the underlying mechanisms of how alcohol increases the risk for cancer. This column provides the reader with an overview of five articles that together present the larger clinical picture of alcohol and cancer. Together, they help to explain the relationship between the mechanisms for the metabolism of alcohol, genetic variations in alcohol metabolism, and levels of alcohol consumption in relation to cancer risk.
Heart, brain, and body wall defects in mice lacking calreticulin.

Calreticulin is a ubiquitously expressed protein, which has been implicated in a large number of cellular functions, including calcium storage and signaling, protein folding, and cell attachment. To examine the role of calreticulin during in vivo development, mice deficient in calreticulin were generated by targeted inactivation of the calreticulin gene. Calreticulin-deficient mutants die in utero, mostly in late gestation. Half of these embryos had decreased cardiac cell mass, associated with increased apoptosis of cardiac myocytes. In vitro differentiation cultures of calreticulin-deficient embryonic stem cells resulted in fewer embryoid bodies with contractile activity than cultures derived from calreticulin +/- stem cells (P < 0.001). Sixteen percent of the mutants exhibited exencephaly secondary to a defect in neural tube closure. Embryos surviving until Embryonic Day 16.5 had omphalocele. Lack of calreticulin did not influence survival of embryonic fibroblasts under various endoplasmic reticulum stress conditions. However, calreticulin did influence cell migration in a calcium- and substrate-dependent manner. We conclude that calreticulin is not essential during the early stages of embryonic development, but is important for the development of heart and brain and for ventral body wall closure. The observed abnormalities are compatible with a role of calreticulin in the modulation of cellular calcium signaling.
Amphetamine and D1 Dopamine Receptor Agonists Produce Biphasic Effects on Glutamate Efflux in Rat Ventral Tegmental Area: Modification by Repeated Amphetamine Administration

Abstract: Amphetamine or selective D1 and D2 dopamine receptor agonists and antagonists were administered to the ventral tegmental area (VTA) through a microdialysis probe to determine their effects on glutamate and aspartate efflux in rats pretreated for 5 days with vehicle or 5 mg/kg (+)‐amphetamine sulfate. In vehicle rats, glutamate efflux declined during 2 h of perfusion with the D1 receptor agonist SKF‐82958 (10 and 100 µM). After SKF‐82958 perfusion ended, glutamate efflux rebounded to basal levels and continued to increase gradually over the next 2 h. A similar biphasic pattern was observed with intra‐VTA amphetamine (10 and 100 µM) and with another D1 agonist (100 µM SKF‐38393). The biphasic effects of SKF‐82958 were prevented by coperfusion with a D1 antagonist (SCH‐23390; 30 µM). Glutamate efflux was unaffected by a D2 agonist (100 µM quinpirole) and by D1 or D2 antagonists administered alone (SCH 23390 and eticlopride; 30 µM). In amphetamine‐pretreated rats tested 2 days after the last injection, both the decrease during SKF‐82958 perfusion and the delayed increase in glutamate efflux were attenuated. In rats tested 12–14 days after the last amphetamine injection, only the decrease during SKF‐82958 perfusion was attenuated. None of these drug treatments produced consistent effects on aspartate efflux. We showed previously that systemic amphetamine (5 mg/kg, i.p.) has no immediate effect on VTA glutamate efflux but produces a delayed increase in glutamate efflux that reaches statistical significance 2–3 h after injection. Because behavioral sensitization can be elicited either by repeated systemic or repeated intra‐VTA administration, neurochemical effects common to both routes (such as the delayed increase in glutamate efflux) are most likely to contribute to its induction.
Comparison of the results of the ELISA, histochemical, and immunohistochemical detection of soya proteins in meat products.

Pospiech M. , Tremlova B. , Rencova E. , Randulova Z. , Řezacova Lukaskova Z. , Pokorna J. (2011): Comparison of the results of the ELISA, histochemical, and immunohistochemical detection of soya proteins in meat products. Czech J. Food Sci., 29: 471–479. This work compares the commonly used immunochemical methods for soya protein detection and alternative microscopic methods. Immunochemical methods were represented by the competitive ELISA method. Histochemical and immunohistochemical methods were used for microscopical examination. From a group of 252 meat products, each sample was examined for soya proteins by ELISA, histochemical, and immunohistochemical methods. The products came from the following categories: cooked sausages, ham, dry cooked sausages, and fermented sausages. The results showed that the highest accuracy was achieved by immunohistochemical examination. However, in the category of cooked sausages, this result was not statistically significant. Since the results in the individual categories differed, our results demonstrate that one single method does not always provide reliable and completely objective results. Immunohistochemical methods seem to be the most suitable for the verification of the reference immunochemical method results and prevention of false results.