LLukas22/scidocs huggingface dataset:
Homocysteine-lowering therapy and stroke risk, severity, and disability: additional findings from the HOPE 2 trial.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
Elevated total homocysteine is associated with a higher risk of cerebrovascular disease. It is not known whether lowering homocysteine impacts on stroke risk, both in terms of severity and ischemic vs hemorrhagic stroke subtypes. Our aim was to determine whether vitamin therapy reduces the risk of ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke, as well as stroke-related disability.


METHODS
We analyzed stroke outcomes among participants of the Heart Outcomes Prevention Evaluation 2 (HOPE 2) trial that randomized 5522 adults with known cardiovascular disease to a daily combination of 2.5 mg of folic acid, 50 mg of vitamin B6, and 1 mg of vitamin B12, or matching placebo, for 5 years.


RESULTS
Among 5522 participants, stroke occurred in 258 (4.7%) individuals during a mean of 5 years of follow-up. The geometric mean homocysteine concentration decreased by 2.2 micromol/L in the vitamin therapy group and increased by 0.80 micromol/L in the placebo group. The incidence rate of stroke was 0.88 per 100 person-years in the vitamin therapy group and 1.15 per 100 person-years in the placebo group (hazard ratio [HR], 0.75; 95% CI, 0.59-0.97). Vitamin therapy also reduced the risk of nonfatal stroke (HR, 0.72; 95% CI, 0.54-0.95) but did not impact on neurological deficit at 24 hours (P=0.45) or functional dependence at discharge or at 7 days (OR, 0.95; 95% CI, 0.57-1.56). In subgroup analysis, patients aged younger than 69 years, from regions without folic acid food fortification, with higher baseline cholesterol and homocysteine levels, and those not receiving antiplatelet or lipid-lowering drugs at enrollment had a larger treatment benefit.


CONCLUSIONS
Lowering of homocysteine with folic acid and vitamins B6 and B12 did reduce the risk of overall stroke, but not stroke severity or disability.
Obstetric near-miss and maternal mortality in maternity university hospital, Damascus, Syria: a retrospective study

BACKGROUND
Investigating severe maternal morbidity (near-miss) is a newly recognised tool that identifies women at highest risk of maternal death and helps allocate resources especially in low income countries. This study aims to i. document the frequency and nature of maternal near-miss at hospital level in Damascus, Capital of Syria, ii. evaluate the level of care at maternal life-saving emergency services by comparatively analysing near-misses and maternal mortalities.


METHODS
Retrospective facility-based review of cases of near-miss and maternal mortality that took place in the years 2006-2007 at Damascus Maternity University Hospital, Syria. Near-miss cases were defined based on disease-specific criteria (Filippi 2005) including: haemorrhage, hypertensive disorders in pregnancy, dystocia, infection and anaemia. Main outcomes included maternal mortality ratio (MMR), maternal near miss ratio (MNMR), mortality indices and proportion of near-miss cases and mortality cases to hospital admissions.


RESULTS
There were 28,025 deliveries, 15 maternal deaths and 901 near-miss cases. The study showed a MNMR of 32.9/1000 live births, a MMR of 54.8/100,000 live births and a relatively low mortality index of 1.7%. Hypertensive disorders (52%) and haemorrhage (34%) were the top causes of near-misses. Late pregnancy haemorrhage was the leading cause of maternal mortality (60%) while sepsis had the highest mortality index (7.4%). Most cases (93%) were referred in critical conditions from other facilities; namely traditional birth attendants homes (67%), primary (5%) and secondary (10%) healthcare unites and private practices (11%). 26% of near-miss cases were admitted to Intensive Care Unit (ICU).


CONCLUSION
Near-miss analyses provide valuable information on obstetric care. The study highlights the need to improve antenatal care which would help early identification of high risk pregnancies. It also emphasises the importance of both: developing protocols to prevent/manage post-partum haemorrhage and training health care professionals to manage infrequent but fatal conditions like sepsis. An urgent review of the referral system and the emergency obstetric care in Syria is highly recommended.
On the Synergy of Network Science and Artificial Intelligence

• A submitted manuscript is the version of the article upon submission and before peer-review. There can be important differences between the submitted version and the official published version of record. People interested in the research are advised to contact the author for the final version of the publication, or visit the DOI to the publisher's website. • The final author version and the galley proof are versions of the publication after peer review. • The final published version features the final layout of the paper including the volume, issue and page numbers.
Assessment of tolerance to NaCl salinity of five olive cultivars, based on growth characteristics and Na+ and Cl- exclusion mechanisms.

Changes caused by NaCl-induced salinity on several growth parameters and ions accumulation have been measured in five olive (Olea europaea L.) cultivars (‘Chemlali’, ‘Chetoui’, ‘Koroneiki’, ‘Arbequina I18’, and ‘Arbosana I43’) growing in a greenhouse in nutrient solution pot experiment. One-year-old plants were transplanted to sand–perlite (1:1) culture, and were irrigated with half-strength Hoagland nutrient solution containing NaCl at various levels (0.5, 50, 100 and 200 mM). Salinity induced significant decrease in growth parameters, but to a different extent in each cultivar. Leaf growth and total leaf area per plant were significantly affected by all salinity treatments in all studied cultivars, being ‘Arbequina I18’ the most sensitive cultivar. Leaf drop phenomenon was observed from 60 days after salt application at high salinity treatments, mainly in Arbequina I18. Contrary to leaf area, leaf thickness increased progressively during the experiment. ‘Chemlali’ developed thicker leaves at the two highest salinity treatments when compared to the other cultivars. Na and Cl concentrations were higher in roots than in shoots and leaves in most of the cultivars investigated. The effectiveness of Na exclusion mechanism in the roots differed significantly among studied cultivars, working effectively in ‘Chemlali’ (by inhibiting translocation of Na to the aerial part) and being much less efficient in ‘Arbequina I18’. Furthermore, leaf abscission can be considered as an additional tolerance mechanism of olive cultivars allowing the elimination of leaves that had accumulated Na and Cl ions. Tolerance to salinity stress was as follows: ‘Chemlali’ > ‘Chetoui’ > ‘Arbosana I43’ > ‘Koroneiki’ > ‘Arbequina I18’. This order of salt tolerance was indicated by lower reduction in plant growth parameters (shoot elongation, trunk diameter, total plant dry weight, internodes length, and total leaf area), the increase of leaf thickness, and by the effectiveness of the exclusion mechanism of Na and Cl in the root system. 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Galantamine versus risperidone treatment of neuropsychiatric symptoms in patients with probable dementia: an open randomized trial.

OBJECTIVE
To examine the effects of galantamine and risperidone on neuropsychiatric symptoms in dementia (NPSD) and global function.


METHODS
Using a randomized, controlled and open-blind, one-center trial at an in- and outpatient clinic at a university hospital, we studied 100 adults with probable dementia and NPSD. Participants received galantamine (N = 50, target dose 24 mg) or risperidone (N = 50, target dose 1.5 mg) for 12 weeks. The primary outcome was effects on NPSD assessed by the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI). Secondary measures included the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Clinical Dementia Rating, Clinical Global Impression, and Simpson Angus scales. All tests were performed before and after treatment.


RESULTS
Outcome measures were analyzed using analysis of covariance. Ninety-one patients (67% women, mean age 79 ± 7.5 years) with initial NPI score of 51.0 (± 25.8) and MMSE of 20.1 (± 4.6) completed the trial. Both galantamine and risperidone treatments resulted in improved NPSD symptoms and were equally effective in treating several NPI domains. However, risperidone showed a significant treatment advantage in the NPI domains irritation and agitation, F(1, 97) = 5.2, p = 0.02. Galantamine treatment also ameliorated cognitive functions where MMSE scores increased 2.8 points compared with baseline (95% confidence interval: 1.96-3.52). No treatment-related severe side effects occurred.


CONCLUSIONS
These results support that galantamine, with its benign safety profile, can be used as first-line treatment of NPSD symptoms, unless symptoms of irritation and agitation are prominent, where risperidone is more efficient.
Eficiency of different doses of rituximab in rheumatoid arthritis.

OBJECTIVE
Evaluate the effectiveness, cost and safety of rituximab in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) depending on the dose used.


MATERIAL AND METHODS
Retrospective observational study conducted on 52 patients with RA treated with at least one dose of rituximab for 135.3 patient-years were included. Three treatment groups were obtained: (G1) First course and following two 1g infusions separated by 15 days; (G2) First course 2 infusions of 1g followed by 2 infusions of 500mg; (G3) First course and followed by 2 infusions of 500mg separated by 15 days. Re-treatments were administered on-demand according to the clinical activity. The retention time (Log-Rank), retreats and adverse events rates (incidence rate ratio) and treatment costs per patient-month of rituximab were analysed by groups.


RESULTS
Group 2 showed a better cost-effectiveness ratio than group 1, as it was associated with a longer retention of rituximab (mean [95% CI] 65.7 [60.8 to 70.7] months vs 33.5 [22.7 to 44.3]; P<.001) and a lower rate of severe adverse events with only a slight increase in the rate of retreatment (courses/patient-year [95% CI] 1.66 [1.39 to 1.93] vs. 1.01 [0.69 to 1.34]; P=.005), and in the costs (median/patient-month, €484.89 vs. €473.45). Although group 3 was €41.20/patient-month cheaper than group 2, it was associated with a higher rate of re-treatments and shorter retention of rituximab (P<.001).


CONCLUSIONS
The use of full-dose rituximab at onset, followed by reduced doses in successive courses administered on-demand retreatment may be the most cost-effective option.
Sacral nerve modulation for defaecation and micturition disorders in patients with spina bifida.

AIM
Sacral nerve modulation is a well accepted method for the treatment of defaecation disorders and voiding dysfunction. Results of sacral nerve modulation in patients with spinal cord lesions are not well assessed, but preliminary results look poor. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of sacral nerve modulation for defaecation disorders and voiding dysfunction in patients with spina bifida.


METHOD
Consecutive patients with spina bifida suffering from a myelomeningocele and combined faecal and urinary functional disorders that were eligible for peripheral nerve evaluation (PNE) were studied. A permanent sacral nerve modulation implantation was performed after successful PNE.


RESULTS
Ten patients (four female) were included in this study with a median age of 26.4 (range 11.1-41.0) years. In two the PNE was not possible. The median faecal incontinence days (6.0 vs 3.5) and episodes (8.5 vs 3.5) per 21 days decreased significantly during the 3-week period of PNE (P = 0.033). Only 3/10 (30%) patients had a more than 50% improvement and proceeded to a permanent sacral nerve modulation implantation. In one patient it was not possible to perform the permanent implant.


CONCLUSION
Preliminary results of sacral nerve modulation in a subgroup of spina bifida patients with combined faecal and urinary functional disorders look promising, but long-term results in larger patient groups need to be studied.
Breast Cancer Awareness among Saudi Females in Taif , Saudi Arabia

Objectives: This study aimed to assess the levels of breast cancer awareness among Saudi females, and to compare between house wives and employees women regarding knowledge and practical of breast cancer. Methods: This cross sectional study was conducted among 300 women in Taif city. Data were collected using a self administrated questionnaire which included questions on socio-demographic data, knowledge of risk factors of breast cancer, breast self examination, clinical breast examination and awareness of mammogram. Results: Age of respondents was 16 to 45years, employee (51%), educated (90%) and married (71%). The majority had good knowledge about risk factors of breast cancer and breast self examination (93.3%, 87% respectively) and indicated TV, magazines and breast cancer campaigns as their source of information (33.7%, 29% respectively). No significant difference between employees, house wives and students, regarding breast cancer knowledge (p≥0.05). 73.3% of women were unaware of clinical breast exam and 80.3% of mammogram. Conclusion: Most women were aware of risk factors of breast cancer. However, the knowledge about clinical breast examination and awareness of mammogram were inadequate. It is recommended that the level of knowledge should be raised among women, especially breast cancer screen procedure CBE, and mammogram.
Neuroscience of Meditation

Dhyana-Yoga is a Sanskrit word for the ancient discipline of meditation, as a means to Samadhi or enlightenment. Samadhi is a self-absorptive, adaptive state with realization of one's being in harmony with reality. It is unitive, undifferentiated, reality-consciousness, an essential being, which can only be experienced by spontaneous intuition and self-understanding. Modern neuroscience can help us to better understand Dhyana-Yoga. This article discusses topics including brain-mind-reality, consciousness, attention, emotional intelligence, sense of self, meditative mind, and meditative brain. A new hypothesis is proposed for a better understanding of the meditative mind. Meditation is an art of being serene and alert in the present moment, instead of constantly struggling to change or to become. It is an art of efficient management of attentional energy with total engagement (poornata, presence, mindfulness) or disengagement (shunyata, silence, emptiness). In both states, there is an experience of spontaneous unity with no sense of situational interactive self or personal time. It is a simultaneous, participatory consciousness rather than a dualistic, sequential attentiveness. There is a natural sense of well being with self-understanding, spontaneous joy, serenity, freedom, and self-fulfillment. It is where the ultimate pursuit of happiness and the search for meaning of life resolve. One realizes the truth of one's harmonious being in nature and nature in oneself. It is being alive at its fullest, when each conscious moment becomes a dynamic process of discovery and continuous learning of the ever-new unfolding reality.
Mobile Forensic Images and Videos Signature Pattern Matching using M-Aho-Corasick

Mobile forensics is an exciting new field of research. An increasing number of Open source and commercial digital forensics tools are focusing on less time during digital forensic examination. There is a major issue affecting some mobile forensic tools that allow the tools to spend much time during the forensic examination. It is caused by implementation of poor file searching algorithms by some forensic tool developers. This research is focusing on reducing the time taken to search for a file by proposing a novel, multi-pattern signature matching algorithm called M-Aho-Corasick which is adapted from the original Aho-Corasick algorithm. Experiments are conducted on five different datasets which one of the data sets is obtained from Digital Forensic Research Workshop (DFRWS 2010). Comparisons are made between M-Aho-Corasick using M_Triage with Dec0de, Lifter, XRY, and Xaver. The result shows that M-Aho-Corasick using M_Triage has reduced the searching time by 75% as compared to Dec0de, 36% as compared to Lifter, 28% as compared to XRY, and 71% as compared to Xaver. Thus, M-Aho-Corasick using M_Triage tool is more efficient than Dec0de, Lifter, XRY, and Xaver in avoiding the extraction of high number of false positive results. Keywords—mobile forensics; Images; Videos; M-AhoCorasick; (File Signature Pattern Matching)
A control method for grid-friendly photovoltaic systems with hybrid energy storage units

This paper proposed a systematic control strategy to make the interconnected photovoltaic (PV) systems more grid-friendly. The investigated PV system comprises PV arrays, lead-acid battery, super-capacitor, DC/DC and DC/AC power converters. In order to make this system work as a classical generator to participate in grid regulation, the constant active/reactive power control is implemented in the controller of the DC/AC converter which connects the DC bus of the PV system and the main grid. The DC bus voltage is coordinately controlled by super-capacitor and battery. The maximum power point tracking (MPPT) control is applied to extract maximum power from PV panels. The power management scenarios for the interconnected PV system were discussed and the experiment results were given to validate the feasibility of the proposed control strategy as well.
Developments in Radar Imaging

Using range and Doppler information to produce radar images is a technique used in such diverse fields as air-to-ground imaging of objects, terrain, and oceans and ground-to-air imaging of aircraft, space objects, and planets. A review of the range-Doppler technique is presented along with a description of radar imaging forms including details of data acquisition and processing techniques.
Weibull-k Revisited: "Tall" Profiles and Height Variation of Wind Statistics

The Weibull distribution is commonly used to describe climatological wind-speed distributions in the atmospheric boundary layer. While vertical profiles of mean wind speed in the atmospheric boundary layer have received significant attention, the variation of the shape of the wind distribution with height is less understood. Previously we derived a probabilistic model based on similarity theory for calculating the effects of stability and planetary boundary-layer depth upon long-term mean wind profiles. However, some applications (e.g. wind energy estimation) require the Weibull shape parameter (k), as well as mean wind speed. Towards the aim of improving predictions of the Weibull-k profile, we develop expressions for the profile of long-term variance of wind speed, including a method extending our probabilistic wind-profile theory; together these two profiles lead to a profile of Weibullshape parameter. Further, an alternate model for the vertical profile of Weibull shape parameter is made, improving upon a basis set forth by Wieringa (Boundary-Layer Meteorol, 1989, Vol. 47, 85–110), and connecting with a newly-corrected corollary of the perturbed geostrophic-drag theory of Troen and Petersen (European Wind Atlas, 1989, Risø National Laboratory, Roskilde). Comparing the models for Weibull-k profiles, a new interpretation and explanation is given for the vertical variation of the shape of wind-speed distributions. Results of the modelling are shown for a number of sites, with a discussion of the models’ efficacy and applicability. The latter includes a comparative evaluation of Wieringa-type empirical models and perturbed-geostrophic forms with regard to surface-layer behaviour, as well as for heights where climatological wind-speed variability is not dominated by surface effects.
Basic concepts of modern shooting galleries design

In this paper the problems of modern shooting galleries developing is represented. The list of obligatory criteria of its design is established.
Human activities of daily living recognition using fuzzy logic for elderly home monitoring

Learning and recognizing human activities of daily living(ADL), is very useful and essential to build a pervasive home monitoring system. These monitoring technologies are indispensable for developing the next generation of smart houses. In this paper we describe a fuzzy logic system for recognizing activities in home environment using a set of sensors: physiological sensors (cardiac frequency, activity or agitation, posture and fall detection sensor), microphones, infrared sensors, debit sensors and state-change sensors. Motivated by the fact that Fuzzy controllers have been successfully embedded within billions of dollars in commercial products, plus the characteristic of data providing from each sensor, the fusion of the different sensors has been performed by using fuzzy logic. This fuzzy logic approach allowed us to recognize several Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) for Ubiquitous Healthcare.
Can the Epstein Model of Parental Involvement Work in a High-Minority, High-Poverty Elementary School? A Case Study.

The literature has lauded parental involvement as an effective strategy to increase student achievement, but schools still struggle with how to effectively involve parents of color and low-income families. In an effort to assess the effectiveness of the Epstein Model of Parental Involvement in high-poverty, high-minority schools, the authors conducted a case study of an urban elementary school that uses parental involvement practices stipulated in the model. This article provides implications for school counselors and suggestions for future research.
Hybridized Electric Energy Storage Systems for Hybrid Electric Vehicles

Batteries and ultracapacitors have significantly different energy storage and power delivery capabilities. Electrical traction motors in hybrid electric vehicles have characteristic power and energy demands, and a single energy storage technology may not be optimized to meet both the minimum power and energy demands. In this paper, we investigate the effect of combining batteries and ultracapacitors, both actively and passively, to produce a more versatile electrical energy storage system for hybrid electric vehicles. Hybridized energy storage systems result in increased component life cycles, decreased internal resistance losses, and reduced cost and mass when compared to either battery-only or ultracapacitor-only configurations