Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Soluble ST 2 for Predicting Sudden Cardiac Death in Patients With Chronic Heart Failure and Left Ventricular Systolic Dysfunction

Methods A nested case-control study was performed on 36 cases of SCD and 63 control patients (matched for age, sex, and left ventricular ejection fraction) obtained from the MUSIC (MUerte Súbita en Insuficiencia Cardı́aca) registry, a 3-year multicenter registry of ambulatory HF patients (New York Heart Association functional class II to III, left ventricular ejection fraction 45%). Demographic, clinical, echocardiographic, electrical, and biochemical data were collected at enrollment.
Valuation, Optimal Asset Allocation and Retirement Incentives of Pension Plans

We provide a framework in which we link the valuation and asset allocation policies of defined benefits plans with the lifetime marginal productivity schedule of the worker and the pension plan formula. In turn, we examine the retirement policies that are implied by the primitives of the model and the value of pension obligations. Our model provides an explicit valuation formula for a stylized defined benefits plan. The optimal asset allocation policies consist of the replicating portfolio of the pension liabilities and the growth optimum portfolio independent of the pension liabilities. We show that the worker will retire when the ratio of pension benefits to current wages reaches a critical value which depends on the parameters of the pension plan and the discount rate. Using numerical techniques we analyze the feedback effect of retirement policies on the valuation of plans and on the asset allocation decisions. Article published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Financial Studies in its journal, The Review of Financial Studies.
Effect of oral cyproterone acetate on urinary and serum FSH and LH levels in adult males being treated for hypersexuality.

Summary. A group of eighteen male hypersexual patients received 50 mg cyproterone acetate orally twice a day. Radioimmunoassays of LH and FSH were carried out at intervals on serum and 24-hr urine speci- mens. All the sixpretreatment' and twenty-eightduring-treatment' levels of urinary FSH fell within the normal range of 2 to 17 i.u. 2nd IRP-HMG/24 hr. One of the sixpretreatment' and three of the twenty\x=req-\ eightduring-treatment' levels of urinary LH were higher than the normal range of 4 to 50 i.u. 2nd IRP-HMG/24 hr. Treated as a whole, the LH levels could be regarded as showing no difference due to treat- ment with cyproterone acetate but if the patient with the high pre- treatment level, who was also suffering from schizophrenia, was removed from the group then the LH levels during treatment showed a significant rise. The mean serum LH was 6\m=. \3mU MRC 69/104 standard/ml with an upper limit of 14\m=. \4mU and the mean serum FSH was 13\m=. \3mi.u. 2nd IRP-HMG/ml with a range of 6 to 33 mi.u. All these results were within the quoted normal ranges. The mechanism of action of cypro- terone acetate is discussed, taking into consideration the normal LH and FSH levels, low testosterone levels and inhibition of spermatogenesis and is compared with the actions of oestrogens, androgens, `pure' pro- gestagens andpure' anti-androgens on these parameters.
Economic Dispatch With Non-Smooth Objectives—Part II: Dimensional Steepest Decline Method

Economic dispatch (ED) considering valve-point effect, multiple fuel options, prohibited operating zones of generation units is a more accurate model compared to a conventional ED model. It is non-smooth and thus evolutionary algorithms (EAs) are so far the only feasible approaches for the model. In Part II of the paper, a new method, the dimensional steepest decline method (DSD), is proposed for the ED with non-smooth objectives. The DSD is based on the local minimum analysis of the ED problem presented in Part I of the paper. The fuel cost's decline rate between each two adjacent singular points is utilized to find the optimal solutions in a serial sequence. The computational complexity of the DSD is analyzed. The DSD has been applied to solve different types of ED problems on different test systems, including large-scale systems. The simulation results show that DSD can obtain more accurate solutions and consume much less time and its advantage is more obvious on large-scale systems, in comparison with the state-of-art EAs.
Computational Modeling of Players’ Emotional Response Patterns to the Story Events of Video Games

This study suggests an approach for the computational modeling of players’ emotional response patterns to story events in video games. We propose what is termed the dynamic narrative emotion model for analyzing the emotional response patterns of video game players by combining and reconstructing the OCC cognitive emotion model and D. Price's emotional intensity equation. Based on this model, we compared with two emotional response patterns of players to story events in both commercially successful and unsuccessful video games. The analysis was conducted with 360 emotional response values extracted from the playing experiences of 10 player’s. The results showed that responses from commercially successful games are 3.3 times higher in terms of the frequency of emotion transitions, 1.3 times in terms of the number of emotion types, and twice as high in terms of the distance of an emotion transition compared to those of unsuccessful games. The results of this study can be applied by game designers with two implications for creating story-driven video games; first, to differentiate the emotional responses patterns of players in successful games from unsuccessful games, and second, to develop emotional transition strategies when designing story events in accordance with feedback from the players’ emotional response patterns while playing the games.
“RFID security issues & challenges”

The deployment and use of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology is growing rapidly across many different industries. Developers apply the technology not only in traditional applications such as asset or inventory tracking, but also in security services such as electronic passports and RFID-embedded credit cards. Within less than a decade, a large number of research papers dealing with security issues of RFID technology have appeared. In this paper we want to provide some thoughts on security issues concerning RFID systems and to highlight some of the areas that have to be considered regarding this topic. To deal with security and RFID means to deal not only with security aspects of RFID systems but also with security aspects of anything or anyone affected by RFID systems. The widespread dissemination of identification technology and storage devices certainly has side effects and can lead to new threats in other areas and applications.
Bacteria-agglutinating glycoproteins in human saliva . An in vitro study with special reference to Streptococcus mutans

RUNDEGREN, Jan. Bacteria-agglutinating glycoproteins in human saliva. An in vitro study with special reference to Streptococcus mutans. Umeå University Odontological Dissertations, Abstract No. 15, ISSN 0345-7532. The activity and specificity of salivary glycoproteins (agglutinins) aggregating various human indigenous microorganisms were studied in vitro. The agglutinin reacting with a serotype c strain of Streptococcus mutans was isolated and chemi­ cally characterized. The results can be summarized as follows: 1. Saliva contains agglutinins against predominant oral microorganisms but also against some of the predominant intestinal bacteria. Agglutinin from one indi­ vidual was active against microorganisms both from this individual and other individuals. 2. Saliva-induced agglutination of S. sanguis was inhibited by antisera to IgA, IgG, IgM, and secretory component while S. mutans agglutination was inhi­ bited only by albumin and antisera to IgA. The differences in inhibition indi­ cate the presence of different agglutinins for the two strains. 3. The agglutinin for an S. mutans serotype c strain was sensitive to a reduction in pH and to treatment with Concanavalin A while an S. mitior agglutinin was not. The tested S. mitior strain, however, adsorbed the S. mutans agglutinin without being agglutinated. 4. The agglutinin reacting with an S. mutans serotype c strain could be desorbed from the microorganisms in a neutral phosphate buffer. Calcium in the order of 10 million molecules per bacteria was needed to restore agglutination induced by the isolated agglutinin. 5. The agglutinin in parotid saliva responsible for aggregation of an S. mutans serotype c strain was characterized as a non-immunoglobulin glycoprotein with no blood group activity. The agglutinin was a polymer with a molecular weight exceeding 5 000 kdaltons while the monomeric agglutinin had a mole­ cular weight of 440 kdaltons. The concentration of the agglutinin in parotid saliva was as low as 0.5 per cent of total protein but because 0.1 /ug of the agglutinin caused rapid aggregation of as many as 100 million bacteria the agglutinin is considered highly active. The results indicate the presence in saliva of different agglutinins with specificity for different bacterial species. High molecular weight glycoproteins seem to play a major role in saliva-induced agglutination of microorganisms and in mechanisms related to clearance and retention of oral microorganisms.
Growth‐inhibitory effect of TGF‐B on human fetal adrenal cells in primary monolayer culture

We examined the effects of transforming‐growth factor‐B (TGF‐B) on growth ([3H]‐thymidine uptake) and function (dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate [DHAS] and cortisol production) of human fetal zone adrenal cells. Results indicate that TGF‐B significantly inhibits, in a dose‐related manner, both basal and epidermal growth factor (EGF)‐stimulated cell growth: IC50= 0.1–;0.25 ng/ml. EGF is ineffective in overcoming the inhibitory effect of TGF‐B, suggesting a noncompetitive antagonism between the two factors. Also, the inhibitory effect of TGF‐B is additive to that of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH). On the other hand, TGF‐B (1 ng/ml) does not significantly change basal or ACTH‐stimulated DHAS or cortisol secretion. We conclude that, unlike its effect on other steroid‐producing cells, TGF‐B inhibits growth of fetal zone cells and does not appear to have a significant inhibitory effect on steroidogenesis.
Model of Syntactic Compatibility in Workflows for Electrophysiology

Large amounts of EEG/ERP (electroencephalography, event-related potential) data are produced by scientific laboratories. For complex analysis, data are processed by a set of methods sequentially or in parallel. These processes are known as workflows. However, various input/output formats of used methods involve difficulties while putting methods in a pipe. Simple syntactic rules comparing formats of input/output are already used by workflow engines. In electrophysiology, it is necessary to extend these rules due to variety of methods. Therefore, extension of syntactic rules between subsequent methods in a workflow is presented in this paper. The proposed solution allows creating more complex workflows in the domain of electrophysiology.
Management and Outcomes of Patients with Brain Trauma in a Tertiary Referral Trauma Hospital without Neurosurgeons on Site

Waikato Hospital is a tertiary hospital of over 700 beds receiving large numbers of trauma patients, but has no neurosurgeon closer than 130 kilometres. Over the 10 years ending July 1997, 831 cases of brain trauma were admitted to the Intensive Care Unit. Of these, 191 died before leaving hospital (overall mortality 23%). Of the 547 who had a Glasgow Coma Score (GCS) ≤8, 173 died (mortality 32%). Of the children who were <15 years of age and had a GCS ≤ 8, there was a 23% mortality. These mortality rates are acceptable when compared with other reports (average 37%, over 12 adult series). Using brain AIS scores, our mortality figures also compared favourably with those in the literature, and suggest that the quality of brain trauma care is adequate in this non-neurosurgical centre with intensive care, backed by CT scanning and general surgeons able to do urgent burr holes. Six per cent of the brain trauma patients (approximately five per year), required interhospital transfer for definitive neurosurgical care.
Steady-state reaction-diffusion front scaling for mA+nB-->

We study the front formed by the reaction mA+nB\ensuremath{\rightarrow} [inert] between opposing currents of A and B, as a function of current density J(-g0), diffusion constant D, and reaction constant k. We show that the critical dimension is ${\mathit{d}}_{\mathit{c}}$=2/(m+n-1), above which mean-field theory is valid. Below ${\mathit{d}}_{\mathit{c}}$,J\ensuremath{\rightarrow}0 is equivalent to k\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ensuremath{\infty}. Consistency arguments give exact predictions for the scaling exponents when d${\mathit{d}}_{\mathit{c}}$. Our results apply also to the case of a front that moves or grows with time, or where the diffusion constants differ.
Erfolgsabhängige Vergütung: Ein sicherer Weg zur Steigerung der Leistung von Top-Managern?

Dieser Beitrag zeigt auf Basis einer Befragung von Fuhrungskraften eines internationalen Konzerns, unter welchen Bedingungen eine erfolgsabhangige Vergutung einen positiven Motivationseffekt erzielen kann. Neben einer positiven Entwicklung der Bonusauszahlung konnen weitere Faktoren die Motivationswirkung des Vergutungssystems starken. Hierzu zahlen vor allem die allgemeine Zustimmung zum System, eine geringe Volatilitat der Berechnungsgrundlage, das Gefuhl, die Auszahlung durch eigene Leistung beeinflussen zu konnen, und eine gute Informationspolitik des Unternehmens wahrend der Einfuhrungsphase.
Theory of laser-induced free-electron heating and impact ionization in wide-band-gap solids.

A microscopic theory for the interaction of intense laser radiation at visible and near-infrared wavelengths with free electrons in a wide-band-gap solid is presented. We calculate the free-electron mediated energy transfer from the laser field to the solid and the electron-multiplication rate due to band-to-band ionization as a function of laser intensity at wavelengths in the range 250 nm10 \ensuremath{\mu}m, using ${\mathrm{SiO}}_{2}$ as an example. The formalism is based on a Monte Carlo integration of the Boltzmann transport equation. The electron interaction with the lattice is described in terms of polar and acoustic-phonon scattering. Band-to-band impact ionization is included using an empirical, Keldysh-type impact ionization rate. The interaction of the laser radiation with the free electrons is treated both within the standard classical approximation and quantum mechanically using second-order perturbation theory. We find that the classical approach to the electron-laser field interaction is valid for \ensuremath{\lambda}g2 \ensuremath{\mu}m, while reliable results for short wavelengths, \ensuremath{\lambda}1 \ensuremath{\mu}m, can only be obtained by using the quantum approach. Second-order perturbation theory is found to fail at long wavelengths, \ensuremath{\lambda}g1 \ensuremath{\mu}m. Both methods are inaccurate for \ensuremath{\lambda}\ensuremath{\simeq}1 \ensuremath{\mu}m, yielding only upper and lower bounds for calculated quantities. For \ensuremath{\lambda}g2 \ensuremath{\mu}m the calculated quantities are found to be close to the values obtained in the dc limit, using a dc field equal to the rms value of the ac field. For \ensuremath{\lambda}1 \ensuremath{\mu}m the electron-multiplication rates decrease dramatically as wavelengths become shorter indicating that multiphoton absorption becomes the dominant mechanism for free-electron generation at visible wavelengths. At all wavelengths the theory predicts efficient free-electron mediated energy transfer from the laser field to the lattice. It is therefore possible to observe significant lattice heating caused by free electrons generated via multiphoton absorption in the prebreakdown regime. These findings are shown to be consistent with recent laser experiments [S. Jones, P. Braunlich, R. Casper, X. Shen, and P. Kelly, Opt. Eng. 28, 1039 (1989)].
Supportive Relationships, Self-care Confidence, and Heart Failure Self-care

Background: The theory of heart failure (HF) self-care proposes that confidence mediates relationships between social support and self-care behaviors. Objective: This study aimed to examine the effects of supportive relationships on self-care behaviors and the mediating effects of self-care confidence in HF outpatients. Methods: Structural equation modeling (SAS version 9.1, SAS Institute Inc, Cary, North Carolina) was used to examine the influence of supportive relationships and self-care confidence on self-care management and maintenance in a cross-section of patients with HF (n = 97; age = 56 years; 57% men; 45% African American; 55% married). Models included 3 variables characterizing supportive relationships: marital status (1 = currently married, 0 = not currently married), social network size (number of persons available to provide support), and perceived social support (Medical Outcomes Study Social Support Scale). To account for the effects of severity of illness, 2 measures characterizing severity of HF were included: left ventricular ejection fraction and New York Heart Association functional classification of HF. The Self-Care of Heart Failure Index (version 4) was used to measure self-care confidence, management, and maintenance. A consensus of fit indices estimated overall model fit. Results: Initial models fit the data; however, to improve fit and identify the most parsimonious models, 3 nonsignificant paths were removed, and modified models, including only social support and social network size, were proposed and tested. Modified models fit the data well and accounted for 15% in the variance in self-care maintenance (&khgr; 2 P = .29) and 18% of the variance in self-care management (&khgr; 2 P = .631). The indirect effect of social support (&bgr; = 0.37; P = .0004) through self-care confidence (&bgr; = 0.35; P = .0002) on self-care management, in the absence of a significant direct effect, supports the hypothesis that self-care confidence mediates the relationship between social support and self-care management. Social network size had a negative effect on self-care confidence (&bgr; = −0.22; P = .029), but this effect was mediated by self-care confidence (&bgr; = 0.33; P = .0002), which reduced the total negative effects. Self-care confidence was the best predictor of self-care management. In the self-care maintenance model, direct (&bgr; = 0.27; P = .003) and indirect effects of social support (&bgr; = 0.37; P = .0002) on self-care maintenance through self-care confidence (&bgr; = 0.22; P = .001) attenuated negative effects of social network size (&bgr; = −0.22; P = .0145). Social support was the best predictor of self-care maintenance. Conclusions: Findings support the positive influence of social support on self-care behaviors. Self-care confidence mediated the relationship between social support and self-care behaviors and had direct influence on these behaviors as well. This suggests that self-care confidence and self-care behaviors can be enhanced by improving the quality of social support.
Cultural Neuroscience: Progress and Promise

The nature and origin of human diversity has been a source of intellectual curiosity since the beginning of human history. Contemporary advances in cultural and biological sciences provide unique opportunities for the emerging field of cultural neuroscience. Research in cultural neuroscience examines how cultural and genetic diversity shape the human mind, brain, and behavior across multiple time scales: situation, ontogeny, and phylogeny. Recent progress in cultural neuroscience provides novel theoretical frameworks for understanding the complex interaction of environmental, cultural, and genetic factors in the production of adaptive human behavior. Here, we provide a brief history of cultural neuroscience, theoretical, and methodological advances, as well as empirical evidence of the promise of and progress in the field. Implications of this research for population health disparities and public policy are discussed.
Middle School Students' Sources of Acquiring Cigarettes and Requests for Proof of Age

In this study 2,227 6th-8th graders from 53 randomly selected public middle schools in North Carolina were given a modified version of the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) during the 1995 school year. The standard YRBS is given every 2 years on a national level to assess risk behaviors in adolescents. Eighty-six percent of the students participated, with equal proportions of male and female subjects and 64% white, non-Hispanic subjects. Most students were 12-14 years ofage and at the appropriate grade level. Subjects were asked about lifetime cigarette use, age of onset, cigarette use in the past month, and sources of access for cigarettes. Questions on smokeless tobacco were also included on the questionnaire. Of the entire sample, 53% had tried a cigarette one or more times and 22% had tried smokeless tobacco. Detailed data analysis was conducted on the 22.8% of subjects who had smoked
c-myc and Cutaneous Vascular Neoplasms

Abstract:The c-myc proto-oncogene is involved in various cellular processes including cell growth, proliferation, and apoptosis. Overexpression and deregulated expression of the gene have been previously linked to several lineage-unrelated, aggressive, and poorly differentiated tumors. The expression of c-myc has also been implicated in hematopoiesis and has been shown to play a crucial role in angiogenesis via a vascular endothelial growth factor–dependent mechanism. This gives c-myc a dual oncogenic function in that tumor growth requires both cell proliferation and angiogenesis to ensure survival and confer an effective malignancy. Amplification of c-myc has been recently reported to be a recurrent genetic alteration in angiosarcomas secondary to irradiation and/or chronic lymphedema. Of note, however, no c-myc gene abnormalities have been demonstrated in cases of primary angiosarcomas or postradiation atypical vascular lesions. More recently, our own experience indicates that c-myc amplification is not normally found in the Kaposi sarcoma and cannot be correlated with expression of the c-Myc protein. This comprehensive review outlines the structure, normal functions, and effects of the deregulated expression of c-myc with particular emphasis on its role in angiogenesis and select cutaneous vascular neoplasms.
Green Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles from Cleome Viscosa: Synthesis and Antimicrobial Activity

The synthesis of metal and semiconductor nanoparticles is an expanding research area due to the potential applications for the development of novel technologies. In this work, we describe a cost effective and environment friendly technique for green synthesis of silver phyto nanoparticles and their antibiogram from 3mM silver nitrate solution through the extract of Cleome viscosa as reducing as well as capping agent. In the process of synthesising silver nanoparticles we observed a rapid reduction of silver ions leading to the formation of stable crystalline silver nanoparticles in the solution. The herbal leaves and their medicinal properties were already discussed in varieties of ayurvedic studies.The synthesis of silver phyto nanoparticles were prepared by adding silver nitrate solution solution (3mM) to the plant extract. Nanoparticles were characterised using UV-Visible absorption spectroscopy, FTIR, XRD, XRF ,TEM AND SEM analysis. The biomass of plants produces their nanomaterials by a process called bio mineralisation. The silver phyto nanoparticles were isolated from these herbal leaves and tested for antimicrobial activity. The test cultures included in this study were Staphylococcus aureus, E.Coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Vibrio cholerae, and Salmonella. The maximum inhibitory effect using 3mM silver nitrate against the microbes were obtained.