Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Prolongation of minimal action potential duration in sustained fibrillation decreases complexity by transient destabilization.

AIMS Sustained ventricular fibrillation (VF) is maintained by multiple stable rotors. Destabilization of sustained VF could be beneficial by affecting VF complexity (defined by the number of rotors). However, underlying mechanisms affecting VF stability are poorly understood. Therefore, the aim of this study was to correlate changes in arrhythmia complexity with changes in specific electrophysiological parameters, allowing a search for novel factors and underlying mechanisms affecting stability of sustained VF. METHODS AND RESULTS Neonatal rat ventricular cardiomyocyte monolayers and Langendorff-perfused adult rat hearts were exposed to increasing dosages of the gap junctional uncoupler 2-aminoethoxydiphenyl borate (2-APB) to induce arrhythmias. Ion channel blockers/openers were added to study effects on VF stability. Electrophysiological parameters were assessed by optical mapping and patch-clamp techniques. Arrhythmia complexity in cardiomyocyte cultures increased with increasing dosages of 2-APB (n > 38), leading to sustained VF: 0.0 ± 0.1 phase singularities/cm(2) in controls vs. 0.0 ± 0.1, 1.0 ± 0.9, 3.3 ± 3.2, 11.0 ± 10.1, and 54.3 ± 21.7 in 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 µmol/L 2-APB, respectively. Arrhythmia complexity inversely correlated with wavelength. Lengthening of wavelength during fibrillation could only be induced by agents (BaCl(2)/BayK8644) increasing the action potential duration (APD) at maximal activation frequencies (minimal APD); 123 ± 32%/117 ± 24% of control. Minimal APD prolongation led to transient VF destabilization, shown by critical wavefront collision leading to rotor termination, followed by significant decreases in VF complexity and activation frequency (52%/37%). These key findings were reproduced ex vivo in rat hearts (n = 6 per group). CONCLUSION These results show that stability of sustained fibrillation is regulated by minimal APD. Minimal APD prolongation leads to transient destabilization of fibrillation, ultimately decreasing VF complexity, thereby providing novel insights into anti-fibrillatory mechanisms.
The Dor procedure: what has changed after fifteen years of clinical practice?

See related article on page 863. H eart failure is a major health problem with increasing prevalence due partly to an aged population and more effective treatment of acute myocardial infarction. Postinfarction left ventricular remodeling is characterized by chamber dilatation and abnormal shape leading to systolic and diastolic dysfunction. In advanced form, it leads to the heart failure syndrome and is progressive. Intensive medical management reduces symptoms and improves survival. However, patients who are in functional class III or IV have a poor 3-year prognosis.1-3 Recently, surgical approaches have been designed to abort and reverse remodeling, diminish heart failure, and improve survival. With minor modifications, this surgical approach uses the Dor procedure. Surgical therapy achieves the following: 1. Relieves ischemia by coronary revascularization. 2. Diminishes ventricular volume. 3. Restores the ventricle to more normal geometry. 4. Further diminishes volume overload by mitral valve repair when appropriate.
Computing a partial generalized real Schur form using the Jacobi–Davidson method

In this paper, a new variant of the Jacobi–Davidson (JD) method is presented that is specifically designed for real unsymmetric matrix pencils. Whenever a pencil has a complex conjugate pair of eigenvalues, the method computes the two‐dimensional real invariant subspace spanned by the two corresponding complex conjugated eigenvectors. This is beneficial for memory costs and in many cases it also accelerates the convergence of the JD method. Both real and complex formulations of the correction equation are considered. In numerical experiments, the RJDQZ variant is compared with the original JDQZ method. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Importance of house dust mite and Alternaria allergens in childhood asthma: an epidemiological study in two climatic regions of Australia

The relation of house dust mite allergen levels to asthma and allergy was examined in two population samples of children aged 8–11 years in northern New South Wales. We studied 805 children in Lismore (a hot, humid, coastal region) and 770 in Moree/ Narrabri (a hot, dry inland region). Respiratory symptoms were measured by questionnaire, bronchial hyperresponsiveness (BHR) by histamine inhalation test, and allergy by skin‐prick tests. Current asthma was defined as the presence of both wheeze in last 12 months and BHR. Der p I levels were measured in dust from the bed and floors in the homes of 57 randomly selected children in the coastal region and of 74 inland children. Der p I levels were significantly higher by the coast (83.0 vs 11.2 μg/g, P < 0.001). House dust mite sensitivity was of similar prevalence in both regions (28.6 vs 26.4%, n.s.) but Alternaria sensitivity was higher inland (4.0 vs 15.2%P < 0.001). Bronchial responsiveness was more severe in coastal children sensitized to house dust mites and in inland children who were sensitized to Alternaria. The adjusted odds ratios for current asthma in children sensitized to house dust mites were 21.3 (95% CI 10.5, 43.2) by the coast and 2.7 (95% CI 1.3, 5.4) inland, and in children sensitized to Alternaria were 3.4 (95% CI 1.3, 9.1) in the coastal region and 5.6 (95% CI 3.1, 10.1 inland. These studies suggest that high house dust mite allergen levels in a humid, subtropical region act to significantly increase bronchial responsiveness in sensitized children, and that Alternaria allergens have a similar but less potent action in a dry, rural region.
Robust Relative Navigation by Integration of ICP and Adaptive Kalman Filter Using Laser Scanner and IMU

This paper presents a robust six-degree-of-freedom relative navigation by combining the iterative closet point (ICP) registration algorithm and a noise-adaptive Kalman filter in a closed-loop configuration together with measurements from a laser scanner and an inertial measurement unit (IMU). In this approach, the fine-alignment phase of the registration is integrated with the filter innovation step for estimation correction, while the filter estimate propagation provides the coarse alignment needed to find the corresponding points at the beginning of ICP iteration cycle. The convergence of the ICP point matching is monitored by a fault-detection logic, and the covariance associated with the ICP alignment error is estimated by a recursive algorithm. This ICP enhancement has proven to improve robustness and accuracy of the pose-tracking performance and to automatically recover correct alignment whenever the tracking is lost. The Kalman filter estimator is designed so as to identify the required parameters such as IMU biases and location of the spacecraft center of mass. The robustness and accuracy of the relative navigation algorithm is demonstrated through a hardware-in-the loop simulation setting, in which actual vision data for the relative navigation are generated by a laser range finder scanning a spacecraft mockup attached to a robotic motion simulator.
The Gender Gap

The author explains the "gender gap" as a Nash equilibrium of a game with incomplete information about women's work at home and in the marketplace. Expectations about women's lower wages leads to the overutilization of women in the household, and this, in turn, leads to lower productivity and lower wages for women in the marketplace. The situation is rational but generally Pareto inferior. With logistic learning by doing, at high levels of skill there is a Pareto-superior equilibrium, where men and women share efforts equally at home and receive the same pay in the marketplace, firms enhance their profits, and there is more welfare at home. Inequity at home breeds inequity in the marketplace and, reciprocally, inequity in the marketplace leads to inequity at home, causing a persistent gender gap. Appropriate contracts may be needed to implement the superior solution, since generally governments do not intervene in family matters. Copyright © 2008 The Author. Journal compilation © 2008 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
The Treatment of Anal Fistula: ACPGBI Position Statement

Anal fistula is common. It usually causes pain and discharge of pus from the external opening which may be continuous or intermittent. These symptoms should not be underestimated. They often cause great discomfort and can make the patient’s life a misery. Assessment requires an understanding of the pathological anatomy. This is achieved by digital examination and, in complex cases, by imaging using ultrasound or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or both. The key to successful treatment is to eradicate the primary track. In most patients this is carried out by laying open the fistula (fistulotomy), an operation which has been performed since mediaeval times as described by John of Arderne in the 14th century. Where it is deemed that fistulotomy may lead to a disturbance of continence, other procedures are available. These include the use of a seton, advancement flap procedures or attempts to occlude the fistula track by biological substances. Anal sepsis can arise in association with Crohn’s disease, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, ileoanal pouch anastomosis, malignancy and tuberculosis.
Scaling Agile Methods

Using agile methods to develop large systems presents a thorny set of issues. If large teams are to produce lots of software functionality quickly, the agile methods involved must scale to meet the task. After all, a small team could create the software if the functionality to be delivered was small and, conversely, could be delivered given we had the time. Scaling agile teams thus becomes an issue if the only option for meeting a system delivery deadline is to have many developers working concurrently.
THE MASSIVE PROGENITOR OF THE POSSIBLE TYPE II-LINEAR SUPERNOVA 2009hd IN MESSIER 66

We present early- and late-time photometric and spectroscopic observations of supernova (SN) 2009hd in the nearby spiral galaxy NGC 3627 (M66). This SN is one of the closest to us in recent years and provides an uncommon opportunity to observe and study the nature of SNe. However, the object was heavily obscured by dust, rendering it unusually faint in the optical given its proximity. We find that the observed properties of SN 2009hd support its classification as a possible Type II-Linear SN (SN II-L), a relatively rare subclass of core-collapse SNe. High-precision relative astrometry has been employed to attempt to identify an SN progenitor candidate, based on a pixel-by-pixel comparison between Hubble Space Telescope (HST) F555W and F814W images of the SN site prior to explosion and at late times. A progenitor candidate is identified in the F814W images only; this object is undetected in F555W. Significant uncertainty exists in the astrometry, such that we cannot definitively identify this object as the SN progenitor. Via insertion of artificial stars into the pre-SN HST images, we are able to constrain the progenitor's properties to those of a possible supergiant, with intrinsic absolute magnitude M0F555W ≳ −7.6 mag and intrinsic color (V − I)0 ≳ 0.99 mag. The magnitude and color limits are consistent with a luminous red supergiant (RSG); however, they also allow for the possibility that the star could have been more yellow than red. From a comparison with theoretical massive-star evolutionary tracks which include rotation and pulsationally enhanced mass loss, we can place a conservative upper limit on the initial mass for the progenitor of Mini ≲ 20 M☉. If the actual mass of the progenitor is near the upper range allowed by our derived mass limit, then it would be consistent with that for the identified progenitors of the SN II-L 2009kr and the high-luminosity SN II-Plateau (II-P) 2008cn. The progenitors of these three SNe may possibly bridge the gap between lower-mass RSGs that explode as SNe II-P and luminous blue variables, or more extreme RSGs, from which the more exotic SNe II-narrow may arise. Very late time imaging of the SN 2009hd site may provide us with more clues regarding the true nature of its progenitor.
Fuzzy variable structure control via output feedback

A scheme of fuzzy control for a class of uncertain dynamic systems with nonlinear unmodelled dynamics and external disturbances is presented in this paper. The design is based on the principle of variable structure control Only the output signal is used in the control scheme. By using the Lyapunov method, the closed-loop controlled system is proven to be globally BIBO stable. Simulation shows that the chattering phenomenon which is inherent in sliding mode control is avoided, and the fuzzy control system exhibits strong robustness against model uncertainties and external disturbances.
Utility of the Shock Index in Patients With Sepsis

Abstract:The shock index (SI) equals the heart rate/systolic blood pressure and has been used to predict clinical outcomes, especially in trauma and surgery patients. The authors reviewed the literature to determine its utility in the management of patients with sepsis and in the prediction of adverse outcomes in these patients. The medical literature was searched using PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science and Google Scholar databases to identify articles in English on the SI in humans. These studies demonstrated that the SI could help evaluate the adequacy of fluid resuscitation and the potential response to additional fluid. It can predict the presence of lactic acidosis. The SI also helps predict the development of organ failure and mortality. Consequently, this easily available bedside measurement has utility in the identification, management and prediction of prognosis in patients with sepsis.
Cerebellopontine angle schwannoma on C-11 acetate PET/CT.

A case of cerebellopontine angle (CPA) schwannoma is reported with F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose (F-18 FDG) PET and C-11 acetate PET findings. A 10-year-old patient with a CPA schwannoma had a continuous headache after the tumor removal. Follow-up brain MRI showed tumor recurrence in the left occipital lobe, and F-18 FDG PET images revealed low FDG accumulation in the recurrent mass lesion. However, C-11 acetate PET images showed focally increased C-11 acetate accumulation in the same lesion. This case illustrates the characteristic F-18 FDG PET and C-11 acetate PET findings of a recurrent CPA schwannoma.
Immunity to experimental fowl typhoid in chickens induced by a virulence plasmid-cured derivative of Salmonella gallinarum

Chickens were immunized by two intramuscular inoculations at 1 and 14 days of age with virulence plasmid-cured derivatives of Salmonella gallinarum and were challenged 14 days later by oral inoculation of ca. 50 50% lethal doses (LD50) of fully virulent S. gallinarum 9. Mortality in the nonimmunized and immunized groups were 36 and 3%, respectively. This difference was highly significant (P less than 0.01). A significant reduction in mortality was also produced following oral challenge with 5,000 LD50 doses. The LD50 values by intramuscular inoculation of the challenge organism into nonimmunized and immunized chickens were log10 (0.13 +/- 1.57) and (9.74 +/- 2.72), respectively. Immunization was effective whether chickens were immunized at 1 and 14 days of age or at 21 and 35 days of age. Serum agglutinins were present in immunized chickens. Immunization with plasmid-cured Salmonella pullorum gave less protection, and immunization with Escherichia coli K-12 possessing the virulence plasmid of S. gallinarum gave none. The plasmid-cured S. gallinarum was made both rough by virulent bacteriophage activity and nalidixic acid resistant (Nalr) to produce a strain designated 9VP-phi rNalr. It was compared with a Nalr mutant of the rough 9R vaccine strain designated 9 Nalr for virulence and immunogenicity. 9VP-phi rNalr was slightly less protective and less virulent than was the 9R vaccine strain.
Designing A Consumer-Oriented Intelligent Decision Support System For Personalized Financial Planning Services

The rapid advancement of the electronic commerce and web technologies in recent years has substantially changed the way of doing business in almost all domains including the financial services sector. How to provide web-based, personalized, and full-stage decision support services for facilitating individual and community-based group financial planning activities has quickly emerged as a critical issue for both the academics and professionals. With only narrow scopes and limited functions, existing online personal financial planning tools or service systems are incapable of taking into account the variations of individual financial status, needs and preferences for delivering complete and personalized financial management services such as asset allocation, insurance planning, and investment portfolio recommendations. The goal of this paper is to propose a system architecture for designing web-based consumer-oriented intelligent decision support systems to support personalized financial planning services. The system development approach will be discussed along with the illustration of a prototype to validate the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed architecture and processes.
Update on asthma and cleaners

Purpose of reviewThe present study summarizes the recent literature on the relation between cleaning exposures and respiratory health, in particular asthma, including reviews, epidemiological surveys, surveillance programmes and exposure studies. The authors also aimed to identify gaps in the current knowledge and to recommend future research on the topic. Recent findingsA large international general population study showed an increased risk of new-onset asthma associated with cleaning work, with professional use of cleaning products and with domestic use of cleaning sprays. Three surveillance studies confirm the recognition of occupational asthma cases among cleaners and among others who use cleaning products at work. Six workforce-based studies show that respiratory symptoms are partly work-related, and are associated with certain specific exposures including sprays, chlorine bleach and other disinfectants. SummaryRecent studies have strengthened the evidence of asthma and other adverse respiratory effects in cleaning workers. Similar effects are seen in other settings in which cleaning products are used such as healthcare professionals and homemakers. Both new-onset asthma and work-exacerbated asthma due to cleaning exposures may play a role. Exposure to cleaning sprays, chlorine bleach and other disinfectants may be particularly relevant. The predominant effect mechanisms remain largely unclear and may include both specific sensitization and irritant-related features.
Bias Corrections for Historical Sea Surface Temperatures Based on Marine Air Temperatures

Abstract Because of changes in SST sampling methods in the 1940s and earlier, there are biases in the earlier period SSTs relative to the most recent 50 years. Published results from the Met Office have shown the need for historic bias correction and have developed several correction techniques. An independent bias-correction method is developed here from an analysis using nighttime marine air temperatures and SST observations from the Comprehensive Ocean–Atmosphere Data Set (COADS). Because this method is independent from methods proposed by the Met Office, the differences indicate uncertainties and similarities indicate where users may have more confidence in the bias correction. The new method gives results that are broadly consistent with the latest Met Office bias estimates. However, this bias estimate has a stronger annual cycle of bias in the Northern Hemisphere in comparison with the Met Office estimate. Both estimates have midlatitude annual cycles, with the greatest bias in the cold season, and .
Invited Paper - Learning Models: An Assessment of Progress, Challenges, and New Developments

Learning models extend the traditional discrete choice framework by postulating that consumers have incomplete information about product attributes and that they learn about these attributes over time. In this survey we describe the literature on learning models that has developed over the past 20 years, using the model of Erdem and Keane as a unifying framework [Erdem T, Keane M (1996) Decision-making under uncertainty: Capturing dynamic brand choice processes in turbulent consumer goods markets. Marketing Sci. 15(1):1--20]. We describe how subsequent work has extended their modeling framework and applied learning models to a wide range of different products and markets. We argue that learning models have contributed greatly to our understanding of consumer behavior---in particular, in enhancing our understanding of brand loyalty and long-run advertising effects. We also discuss the limitations of existing learning models and potential extensions. One key challenge is to disentangle learning as a source of dynamics from other key mechanisms that may generate choice dynamics (inventories, habit persistence, etc.). Another is to enhance identification of learning models by collecting and using direct measures of signals, perceptions, and expectations.
FFT Parallel Implementation for MRI Image Reconstruction

Această lucrare prezintă implementarea algoritmului FFT (Cooley-Tukey) intens utilizat la reconstrucţia imaginilor RMN pe o masină revoluţionară de calcul paralel, Connex Array. Valorificând structura si prelucrarea vectorială a informaţiilor in Connex Array, reconstrucţia unei imagini RMN s-a facut mult mai rapid decat in majoritatea scanerelor comerciale. Rezultatele sunt remarcabile. Propunem cu această lucrare utilizarea Connex Array in sistemele RMN in timp real, unde timpul de reconstrucţie al imaginilor creste vertiginos odată cu cresterea numărului de secţiuni de explorat.