Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Efficacy of Dexmedetomidine in Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery under Cardiopulmonary Bypass: A Randomized, Double-Blind Clinical Trial

Background: In patients undergoing Cardiopulmonary Bypass (CPB) with extracorporeal circulation, the rapid restoration of blood flow to the ischemic tissue induces cardiac damage termed as myocardial Ischemic Reperfusion (I/R) injury. Objectives: In the current study, the researchers hypothesized that Dexmedetomidine (DEX) modulates I/R injury in Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery (CABG) with Cardiopulmonary Bypass (CPB). Methods: This randomized double-blind, clinical trial took place at Dr. Heshmat Hospital, an academic center affiliated to Guilan University of Medical Sciences (GUMS), Gilan, Iran. From April 2016 to March 2017, 114 eligible patients undergoing elective and isolated CABG were randomized to receive either DEX infusion 0.3 to 0.5 μg/kg/hour before induction of anesthesia till 12 hours postoperatively (group D) or normal saline as placebo (group C). The endpoints were used to assess creatinine phosphokinase-MB (CKMB) and cardiac troponin I (CTnI) levels at four measurement time points, including baseline (T0) and 6, 12, 24, and 48 hours after the operation (T0 T4). Results: Overall, 114 patients’ data were analyzed; group D (n = 58) and group C (n = 56). No significant differences were found between the two groups, in view of baseline characteristics. Following CPB, a marked increase in CKMB and CTnI plasma levels was observed in both groups compared with baseline (P = 0.0001). Serum CKMB levels increased from 2.27± 0.59 to 7.81± 1.39, and 2.22 ± 0.64 to 7.46 ± 1.25 and CTnI levels from 10.22 ± 0.17 to 4.89 ± 1.1, and 0.27 ± 0.28 to 4.5 ± 1.4 in groups C and D, respectively (P = 0.0001). According to CKMB, there was a significant difference between the two groups at T2 (P = 0.002) and T3 (P = 0.0001), and based on CTnI at T2 (P = 0.004) and T3 (P = 0.0001). However, no significant difference was observed at the other measurement point times. No adverse effect was recorded due to this intervention. Conclusions: Perioperative DEX in cardiac surgery appears safe, with properties to alleviate I/R injury. Obviously, future standard trials are required to find optimal intervention strategies.
Plasma Catecholamines and Essential Hypertension

Of 78 comparative studies of plasma catecholamines in patients with essential hypertension and in normotensive controls, most reported higher catecholamine levels in the hypertensives, although only about 40% of the studies were positive (reporting statistically significant hypertensivenormotensive differences). Although there was dramatic variability in catecholamine values within and across studies, virtually all studies of norepinephrine in young, consistently hypertensive patients were positive. The likelihood that a study was positive with respect to norepinephrine was independent of the likelihood with respect to epinephrine, so that total catecholamine values, or else the sum of norepinephrine plus epinephrine, differentiated hypertensives from normotensives to a greater extent than levels of either substance alone. The preponderance of literature on the subject supports the hypothesis that increased plasma catecholamine concentrations occur in some patients with essential hypertension. Elevated plasma norepinephrine in relatively young, established hypertensive patients is consistent with a pathophysiologic role for increased sympathetic neural activity in this subgroup. (Hypertension 5: 86-99, 1983)
The Role of Fetal Programming

Hypertension (HTN) and chronic kidney disease are highly prevalent diseases that tend to occur more frequently among disadvantaged populations, in whom prenatal care also tends to be poor. More and more evidence is emerging highlighting the important role of fetal programming in the development of adult disease, suggesting a possible common pathophysiologic denominator in the development of these disorders. Epidemiologic evidence accumulated over the past 2 decades has demonstrated an association between low birth weight and subsequent adult HTN, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. More recently, a similar association has been found with chronic kidney disease. Animal studies and indirect evidence from human studies support the hypothesis that low birth weight, as a marker of adverse intrauterine circumstances, is associated with a congenital deficit in nephron number. The precise mechanism of the reduction in nephron number has not been established, but several hypotheses have been put forward, including changes in DNA methylation, increased apoptosis in the developing kidney, alterations in renal renin–angiotensin system activity, and increased fetal glucocorticoid exposure. A reduction in nephron number is associated with compensatory glomerular hypertrophy and an increased susceptibility to renal disease progression. HTN in low birth weight individuals also appears to be mediated in part through a reduction in nephron number. Increased awareness of the implications of low birth weight and inadequate prenatal care should lead to public health policies that may have long-term benefits in curbing the epidemics of HTN, diabetes, and kidney disease in generations to come. (Hypertension. 2006;47[part 2]:502-508.)
Consequences of Worksite Hypertension Screening

To confirm reports of increased absenteeism after worksite hypertension screening, we performed a three-stage blood pressure screening among 5888 self-selected heterogeneous workers at 11 electronics plants using standardized screening and labeling procedures. A total of 296 subjects with mean systolic blood pressure of 140 mm Hg or greater or diastolic blood pressure of 90 mm Hg or greater on all three occasions were considered to have sustained hypertension. From the untreated normotensive subjects matched for eight sociodemographic and occupational variables, we prospectively selected one to three controls for each sustained hypertensive subject. Uncorrected absenteeism rates for sustained hypertensive subjects increased 22% from baseline in the postscreening year. Correction by logarithmic transformation for skewed distributions and by rates for matched controls for temporal trends reduced these changes to statistical insignificance with high statistical power. Several subgroups exhibited trends to increased absenteeism. At 12-month follow-up, the blood pressure of the sustained hypertensive subjects showed mean decreases of 12.6/6.7 mm Hg (p<0.0001) after the majority had received pharmacological antihypertensive treatment. These results suggest that worksite hypertension screening and labeling produce insignificant absenteeism change overall among self-selected heterogeneous work force populations. (Hypertension 10: 425-436, 1987)
Brief Review Protein Kinase C of Smooth Muscle

The primary mechanism of regulation of smooth muscle contraction involves the phosphorylation of myosin catalyzed by Ca/calmodulin-dependent myosin light chain kinase. However, additional mechanisms, both Ca "-dependent and Ca "-independent, can modulate the contractile state of smooth muscle. Protein kinase C was first implicated in the regulation of smooth muscle contraction with the observation that phorbol esters induce slowly developing, sustained contractions. Protein kinase C occurs in at least four Ca"-dependent (or, /3,, £„, and y) and four Ca"-independent (8, e, f, and 17) isoenzymes. Only the a, fi, e, and f isoenzymes have been identified in smooth muscle. Both classes of isoenzymes have been implicated in the regulation of smooth muscle contraction. However, the physiologically important protein substrates of protein kinase C have not yet been identified. Specific isoenzymes may be activated by different contractile agonists, and individual isoenzymes exhibit some degree of substrate specificity. Prolonged activation of protein kinase C can result in its proteolysis to the constitutively active catalytic fragment protein kinase M, which would dissociate from the sarcolemma and phosphorylate proteins such as myosin that are inaccessible to membrane-bound protein kinase C. Protein kinase M induces relaxation of demembranated smooth muscle fibers contracted at submaximal Ca concentrations. We suggest that protein kinase C plays two distinct roles in regulating smooth muscle contractility. Stimuli triggering phosphoinositide turnover or phosphatidylcholine hydrolysis induce translocation of protein kinase C (probably specific isoenzymes) to the sarcolemma, phosphorylation of protein, and a slow contraction. Prolonged association of the kinase with the membrane may lead to proteolysis and release into the cytosol of protein kinase M, resulting in myosin phosphorylation and relaxation. (Hypertension 1992^20:585-595)
Models for Regulation of Signal Transduction Processes

Adrenergic receptors are prototypic models for the study of the relations between structure and function of G protein-coupled receptors. Each receptor is encoded by a distinct gene. These receptors are integral membrane proteins with several striking structural features. They consist of a single subunit containing seven stretches of 20-28 hydrophobic amino acids that represent potential membrane-spanning a-helixes. Many of these receptors share considerable amino acid sequence homology, particularly in the transmembrane domains. All of these macromolecules share other similarities that include one or more potential sites of extracellular N-linked glycosylation near the amino terminus and several potential sites of regulatory phosphorylation that are located intracellularly. By using a variety of techniques, it has been demonstrated that various regions of the receptor molecules are critical for different receptor functions. The seven transmembrane regions of the receptors appear to form a ligand-binding pocket Cysteine residues in the extracellular domains may stabilize the ligand-binding pocket by participating in disulnde bonds. The cytoplasmic domains contain regions capable of interacting with G proteins and various kinases and are therefore important in such processes as signal transduction, receptor-G protein coupling, receptor sequestration, and down-regulation. Finally, regions of these macromolecules may undergo posttranslational modifications important in the regulation of receptor function. Our understanding of these complex relations is constantly evolving and much work remains to be done. Greater understanding of the basic mechanisms involved in G protein-coupled, receptor-mediated signal transduction may provide leads into the nature of certain pathophysiological states. (Hypertension 1990;15:119-131)
Implications for the Insulin Hypothesis of Hypertension

The last several years have witnessed tremendous interest in the hypothesis that insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia contribute to the pathogenesis of hypertension. This hypothesis was stimulated by epidemiological studies that demonstrated an association between obesity, insulin resistance, and hypertension.Subsequent studies suggested that even lean individuals with essential hypertension have insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia. ' Because hyperinsulinemia persists during antihypertensive therapy and is not found in secondary renovascular hypertension, the hyperinsulinemia does not appear to be secondary to elevated arterial pressure. In addition to effects on glucose metabolism, insulin has sympathetic and renal actions.In obesity and hypertension, there is resistance to the actions of insulin on glucose uptake but no resistance to the renal and sympathetic actions of insulin. These "secondary" actions of insulin form the basis of the insulin hypothesis of hypertension.The insulin hypothesis proposes that the compensatory hyperinsulinemia that occurs with insulin resistance increases sodium reabsorption and sympathetic activity, which combine to cause elevated arterial pressure.An implicit and important assumption of this hypothesis is that, because insulin increases sympathetic noradrenergic activity, it increases vascular resistance and arterial pressure. This editorial will discuss the vasodilator (depressor) action of insulin and the role that this action plays in offsetting the sympathetic and antinatriuretic (pressor) actions of insulin in regulating arterial pressure. The vasodilator actions of insulin have important implications for the insulin hypothesis of hypertension.
Blood Pressure Variability and Organ Damage in a General Population

In hypertensive patients, 24-hour blood pressure (BP) variability (V) shows a positive relationship with organ damage, organ damage progression, and cardiovascular morbidity. The clinical relevance of BPV in the population has never been investigated. In a sample of 3200 individuals, randomly selected from the general population of Monza (Milan, Italy), we evaluated BP by an automatic oscillometric device every 20 minutes for 24 hours and left ventricular mass index (LVMI) by echocardiography. In each subject, individual systolic and diastolic BP readings were averaged to obtain a 24-hour mean. Systolic BPV was obtained by calculating (1) the standard deviation of the 24-hour mean, which was taken as the overall BPV, (2) the cyclic components (Fourier spectral analysis) that in the population as a whole explained 95% of the overall BPV, and (3) the fraction of the overall BPV that in each subject was not accounted for by the 2 cyclic components, termed individual residual BPV. A similar procedure was used for diastolic BP and heart rate. Participation rate was 64.1%. Patients receiving antihypertensive therapy (n 403) were excluded from the analysis, which was therefore limited to 1648 participants. In the population as a whole, LVMI significantly related to 24-hour systolic and diastolic BP mean ( 0.40 and 0.37, respectively, P 0.001 for both) but not to the 2 cyclic components that accounted for most of the BPV. On the other hand, the individual residual BPV (which accounts on average for about 50% of overall BPV) showed a significant positive relationship with LVMI ( 0.38 and 0.88 for systolic and diastolic BP, respectively, P 0.05 and P 0.01). No relationship was found between LVMI and heart rate values. These findings provide evidence that there is a relationship between LVMI and 24-hour average BP values in the population. They also provide the first demonstration that in the population there is also a positive independent association between LVMI and BPV. This association, however, can be exclusively seen with the BPV component that has an erratic rather than a cyclic nature. (Hypertension. 2002;39[part 2]:710-714.)
Reduction of Dietary Sodium in Western Society

THERE is widespread interest in relationships between dietary electrolyte intake and arterial pressure. Attention has been directed to potassium, calcium, and magnesium, but the predominant discussion has been of the possible role of dietary sodium in determining the level of blood pressure in Western society. Experts viewing information from animal research, from intraand interpopulation studies, and from manipulations of sodium intake in hypertensive and normotensive individuals have joined two opposing camps. Dialogue between the two has often been heated. In one camp are the "enthusiasts" who consider the evidence sufficient for encouraging Western society as a whole to restrict dietary sodium intake. Such dietary change would, they feel, lower arterial pressure overall, prevent the onset of hypertension in many, and most likely reduce the complications of high blood pressure. Unlike antihypertensive drug therapy, diet modification would have few if any undesirable effects; thus, for those in whom no benefit was seen at least no harm would result. The contrary camp houses the "skeptics. " They claim the evidence is insufficient to justify attempts at lowering dietary sodium for the whole of Western society or even for all mild hypertensive patients. Skeptics emphasize that reports are conflicting on relationships between the level of sodium intake and blood pressure in both animals and humans; that the effects of short-term reductions in dietary sodium on arterial pressure in humans are disputed; that there is little information on the effects of sodium restriction over prolonged periods; and that there is no evidence that the complications of hypertension can be avoided by diet modification. Further, the skeptics are unwilling to accept that dietary changes may necessarily be harmless.
Mutual information based deep clustering for semi-supervised segmentation

The scarcity of labeled data often limits the application of deep learning to medical image segmentation. Semi-supervised learning helps overcome this limitation by leveraging unlabeled images to guide the learning process. In this paper, we propose using a clustering loss based on mutual information that explicitly enforces prediction consistency between nearby pixels in unlabeled images, and for random perturbation of these images, while imposing the network to predict the correct labels for annotated images. Since mutual information does not require a strict ordering of clusters in two different cluster assignments, we propose to incorporate another consistency regularization loss which forces the alignment of class probabilities at each pixel of perturbed unlabeled images. We evaluate the method on three challenging publicly-available medical datasets for image segmentation. Experimental results show our method to outperform recently-proposed approaches for semi-supervised and yield a performance comparable to fully-supervised training.
Optimal mean first-passage time for a Brownian searcher subjected to resetting: Experimental and theoretical results

We study experimentally and theoretically the optimal mean time needed by a free diffusing Brownian particle to reach a target at a distance L from an initial position in the presence of resetting. Both the initial position and the resetting position are Gaussian distributed with width $\sigma$. We derived and tested two resetting protocols, one with a periodic and one with random (Poissonian) resetting times. We computed and measured the full first-passage probability distribution that displays spectacular spikes immediately after each resetting time for close targets. We study the optimal mean first-passage time as a function of the resetting period/rate for different values of the ratio b = L/$\sigma$ and find an interesting phase transtion at a critical value b = bc. For bc < b < $\infty$, there is a metastable optimum time which disappears for b < bc. The intrinsic diffculties in implementing these protocols in experiments are also discussed.
BIT-VO: Visual Odometry at 300 FPS using Binary Features from the Focal Plane

Focal-plane Sensor-processor (FPSP) is a next-generation camera technology which enables every pixel on the sensor chip to perform computation in parallel, on the focal plane where the light intensity is captured. SCAMP-5 is a general-purpose FPSP used in this work and it carries out computations in the analog domain before analog to digital conversion. By extracting features from the image on the focal plane, data which is digitised and transferred is reduced. As a consequence, SCAMP-5 offers a high frame rate while maintaining low energy consumption. Here, we present BITVO, which is the first 6-Degrees of Freedom visual odometry algorithm which utilises the FPSP. Our entire system operates at 300 FPS in a natural environment, using binary edges and corner features detected by the SCAMP-5.
PhIT-Net: Photo-consistent Image Transform for Improved Matching

We propose a new and completely data-driven approach for generating a photo-consistent image transform. We show that simple classical algorithms which operate in the transform domain become extremely resilient to illumination changes. This considerably improves matching accuracy, outperforming the use of state-of-the-art invariant representations as well as new matching methods based on deep features. The transform is obtained by training a neural network with a specialized triplet loss, designed to emphasize actual scene changes while attenuating illumination changes. The transform yields an illumination invariant representation, structured as an image map, which is highly flexible and can be easily used for various tasks. We point out that the utility of our method is not restricted to handling illumination invariance, and that it may be applied for generating representations which are invariant to additional types of nuisance, undesired, image variants.
Fast Convex Relaxations using Graph Discretizations

Matching and partitioning problems are fundamentals of computer vision applications with examples in multilabel segmentation, stereo estimation and optical-flow computation. These tasks can be posed as non-convex energy minimization problems and solved near-globally optimal by recent convex lifting approaches. Yet, applying these techniques comes with a significant computational effort, reducing their feasibility in practical applications. We discuss spatial discretization of continuous partitioning problems into a graph structure, generalizing discretization onto a Cartesian grid. This setup allows us to faithfully work on super-pixel graphs constructed by SLIC or Cut-Pursuit, massively decreasing the computational effort for lifted partitioning problems compared to a Cartesian grid, while optimal energy values remain similar: The global matching is still solved near-globally optimally. We discuss this methodology in detail and show examples in multi-label segmentation by minimal partitions and stereo estimation, where we demonstrate that the proposed graph discretization technique can reduce the runtime as well as the memory consumption by up to a factor of 10 in comparison to classical pixelwise discretizations.
Using GAN to Enhance the Accuracy of Indoor Human Activity Recognition

Indoor human activity recognition (HAR) explores the correlation between human body movements and the reflected WiFi signals to classify different activities. By analyzing WiFi signal patterns, especially the dynamics of channel state information (CSI), different activities can be distinguished. Gathering CSI data is expensive both from the timing and equipment perspective. In this paper, we use synthetic data to reduce the need for real measured CSI. We present a semi-supervised learning method for CSI-based activity recognition systems in which long short-term memory (LSTM) is employed to learn features and recognize seven different actions. We apply principal component analysis (PCA) on CSI amplitude data, while short-time Fourier transform (STFT) extracts the features in the frequency domain. At first, we train the LSTM network with entirely raw CSI data, which takes much more processing time. To this end, we aim to generate data by using 50% of raw data in conjunction with a generative adversarial network (GAN). Our experimental results confirm that this model can increase classification accuracy by 3.4% and reduce the Log loss by almost 16% in the considered scenario.
2-switch: transition and stability on graphs and forests

Given any two forests with the same degree sequence, we show in an algorithmic way that one can be transformed into the other by a sequence of 2-switches in such a way that all the intermediate graphs of the transformation are forests. We also prove that the 2-switch operation perturbs minimally some well-known integer parameters in families of graphs with the same degree sequence. Then, we apply these results to conclude that the studied parameters have the interval property on those families.