Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Does Prophylactic Postoperative Hypervolemic Therapy Prevent Cerebral Vasospasm and Improve Clinical Outcome After Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage?

Background:Delayed cerebral vasospasm is a common cause of morbidity and mortality after acute aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage. Hypovolemia and fluid restriction are risk factors for delayed vasospasm; hypervolemic therapeutic approaches are commonly used in patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage to prevent and to treat cerebral vasospasm. Objective:To determine if postoperative prophylactic hypervolemic therapy prevents cerebral vasospasm and improves clinical outcome in patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage. Methods:The objective was addressed through the development of a structured critically appraised topic. This included a clinical scenario, structured question, search strategy, critical appraisal, results, evidence summary, commentary, and bottom line conclusions. Participants included consultant and resident neurologists, a medical librarian, clinical epidemiologists, and content experts in the field of vascular neurology. Results:One randomized controlled trial addressed the questions. There was no difference in the incidence of symptomatic cerebral vasospasm (20% each) or clinical outcome at 14 days and 3 months between the hypervolemic and normovolemic groups. Hypervolemic therapy also had no effect on measures of cerebral blood flow. A second quasi-randomized trial reached the same conclusions. Conclusion:Available evidence is insufficient to support use of prophylactic hypervolemic therapy after surgery in patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage. Although completed studies may be insufficiently sensitive (underpowered) to detect a treatment effect, the magnitude of any as yet undetected benefit of prophylactic hypervolemic therapy is likely modest and its risks have not been systematically evaluated.
Augmenting amyloid PET interpretations with quantitative information improves consistency of cerebral amyloid detection

Purpose Establishing reliable methods for interpreting elevated cerebral amyloid-&bgr; plaque on PET scans is increasingly important for radiologists, as availability of PET imaging in clinical practice increases. We examined a 3-step method to detect plaque in cognitively normal older adults, focusing on the additive value of quantitative information during the PET scan interpretation process. Methods Fifty-five 18F-florbetapir PET scans were evaluated by 3 experienced raters. Scans were first visually interpreted as having “elevated” or “nonelevated” plaque burden (“Visual Read”). Images were then processed using a standardized quantitative analysis software (MIMneuro) to generate whole brain and region of interest SUV ratios. This “Quantitative Read” was considered elevated if at least 2 of 6 regions of interest had an SUV ratio of more than 1.1. The final interpretation combined both visual and quantitative data together (“VisQ Read”). Cohen kappa values were assessed as a measure of interpretation agreement. Results Plaque was elevated in 25.5% to 29.1% of the 165 total Visual Reads. Interrater agreement was strong (kappa = 0.73–0.82) and consistent with reported values. Quantitative Reads were elevated in 45.5% of participants. Final VisQ Reads changed from initial Visual Reads in 16 interpretations (9.7%), with most changing from “nonelevated” Visual Reads to “elevated. ” These changed interpretations demonstrated lower plaque quantification than those initially read as “elevated” that remained unchanged. Interrater variability improved for VisQ Reads with the addition of quantitative information (kappa = 0.88–0.96). Conclusions Inclusion of quantitative information increases consistency of PET scan interpretations for early detection of cerebral amyloid-&bgr; plaque accumulation.
Is There a Potential of Misuse for Quetiapine?: Literature Review and Analysis of the European Medicines Agency/European Medicines Agency Adverse Drug Reactions' Database

Purpose/Background A recent years' increase in both prescribing and availability of second-generation antipsychotics (SGAs) has been observed. According to the literature, typically made up by case studies/series, quetiapine seems to be the most commonly misused SGA, with both intranasal and intravenous intake modalities having been described. Another SGA that has been anecdotally reported to be misused is olanzapine. For these molecules, both a previous history of drug misuse and being an inmate have been described as factors associated with misuse. Hence, while providing here an updated literature review of the topic, we aimed at assessing all cases of quetiapine misuse/abuse/dependence/withdrawal as reported to the European Medicines Agency's EudraVigilance (EV) database; this was carried out in comparison with the reference drug olanzapine. Methods All spontaneous, European Medicines Agency database reports relating to both quetiapine (2005–2016) and olanzapine (2004–2016) misuse/abuse/dependence/withdrawal issues were retrieved, and a descriptive analysis was performed. Results From the EV database, 18,112 (8.64% of 209,571) and 4178 (7.58% of 55,100) adverse drug reaction reports of misuse/abuse/dependence/withdrawal were associated with quetiapine and olanzapine, respectively. The resulting proportional reporting ratio values suggested that the misuse/abuse–, dependence-, and withdrawal-related adverse drug reactions were more frequently reported for quetiapine (1.07, 1.01, and 5.25, respectively) in comparison with olanzapine. Conclusions Despite data collection limitations, present EV data may suggest that, at least in comparison with olanzapine, quetiapine misuse may be a cause for concern.
Thermal and mechanical stability of soldering QFP with Sn-Bi-Ag lead-free alloy

Thermal stability of the circuit boards with a quad flat package (QFP) soldered with Sn-58wt%Bi-(0, 0.5 and 1.0) wt% Ag and their microstructural features were evaluated. The addition of 1.0 wt% Ag causes the formation of large primary Ag/sub 3/Sn precipitates in the solder while no primary Ag/sub 3/Sn is found in Sn-57Bi-0.5Ag. Thermo-Calc calculation indicates that the lowest limit content for the formation of primary Ag/sub 3/Sn is about 0.8 wt%. Heat-exposure below 100/spl deg/C has no serious degradation on the joint structure for all solders. Heat-exposure at 125/spl deg/C caused serious degradation in joint strength for all alloys. The contamination of Pb from Sn-Pb surface plating on the components reduces the interface tolerance by forming ternary Sn-Pb-Bi phase melting at low temperature. Thermal fatigue between -20 and 80/spl deg/C does not have any significant influence on joint structure.
Population-Based Study on the Effect of a Forest Environment on Salivary Cortisol Concentration

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of a forest environment on salivary cortisol concentration, particularly on the characteristics of its distribution. The participants were 348 young male subjects. The experimental sites were 34 forests and 34 urban areas across Japan. The subjects viewed the landscape (forest or urban environment) for a period of 15 min while sitting in a chair. Saliva was sampled from the participants at the end of this 15-min period and then analyzed for cortisol concentration. Differences in the skewness and kurtosis of the distributions between the two environments were tested by performing a permutation test. The cortisol concentrations exhibited larger skewness (0.76) and kurtosis (3.23) in a forest environment than in an urban environment (skewness = 0.49; kurtosis = 2.47), and these differences were statistically significant. The cortisol distribution exhibited a more peaked and longer right-tailed curve in a forest environment than in an urban environment.
Perceptual Characterization of the Macronutrient Picture System (MaPS) for Food Image fMRI

Food image fMRI paradigms are used widely for investigating the neural basis of ingestive behavior. However, these paradigms have not been validated in terms of ingestive behavior constructs, engagement of food-relevant neural systems, or test-retest reliability, making the generalizability of study findings unclear. Therefore, we validated the Macronutrient Picture System (MaPS) (McClernon et al., 2013), which includes food images from the six categories represented in the Geiselman Food Preference Questionnaire (FPQ) (Geiselman et al., 1998). Twenty-five healthy young adults (n = 21 female, mean age = 20.6 ± 1.1 years, mean BMI = 22.1 ± 1.9 kg/m2) rated the MaPS images in terms of visual interest, appetitive quality, nutrition, emotional valence, liking, and frequency of consumption, and completed the FPQ. In a second study, 12 individuals (n=8 female, mean age = 25.0 ± 6.5 years, mean BMI = 28.2 ± 8.7 kg/m2) viewed MaPS and control images (vegetables and non-food) during two separate 3T BOLD fMRI scans after fasting overnight. Intuitively, high fat/high sugar (HF/HS) and high fat/high complex carbohydrate (HF/HCCHO) images achieved higher liking and appetitive ratings, and lower nutrition ratings, than low fat/low complex carbohydrate/high protein (LF/LCHO/HP) images on average. Within each food category, FPQ scores correlated strongly with MaPS image liking ratings (p < 0.001). Brain activation differences between viewing images of HF/HS and vegetables, and between HF/HCCHO and vegetables, were seen in several reward-related brain regions (e.g., putamen, insula, and medial frontal gyrus). Intra-individual, inter-scan agreement in a summary measure of brain activation differences in seven reward network regions of interest was high (ICC = 0.61), and was even higher when two distinct sets of food images with matching visual ratings were shown in the two scans (ICC = 0.74). These results suggest that the MaPS provides valid representation of food categories and reliably activates food-reward-relevant neural systems.
Genome-wide YFP Fluorescence Complementation Screen Identifies New Regulators for Telomere Signaling in Human Cells*

Detection of low-affinity or transient interactions can be a bottleneck in our understanding of signaling networks. To address this problem, we developed an arrayed screening strategy based on protein complementation to systematically investigate protein-protein interactions in live human cells, and performed a large-scale screen for regulators of telomeres. Maintenance of vertebrate telomeres requires the concerted action of members of the Telomere Interactome, built upon the six core telomeric proteins TRF1, TRF2, RAP1, TIN2, TPP1, and POT1. Of the ∼12,000 human proteins examined, we identified over 300 proteins that associated with the six core telomeric proteins. The majority of the identified proteins have not been previously linked to telomere biology, including regulators of post-translational modifications such as protein kinases and ubiquitin E3 ligases. Results from this study shed light on the molecular niche that is fundamental to telomere regulation in humans, and provide a valuable tool to investigate signaling pathways in mammalian cells.
SIMPLIFIED ANALYSIS FOR TORSION ALLY STRENGTHENED RC BEAMS USING FRP

Recently, strengthening of reinforced concrete (RC) beams subjected to torsion is receiving increased attention. Using Fiber reinforced polymers (FRP) for torsion strengthening of RC beams was found to be an effective solution in many cases. However, there are no available rational analytical models for this case. In the current study, a simplified model for strengthening of RC beams subjected to torsion is presented and numerically validated. The proposed model takes into account the effect of various parameters including different failure modes. The model is validated using an experimental database collected from several sources. The model showed good agreement with the experimental results. In addition, it was compared to an available design procedure. The proposed model represented the behaviour and predicted the strength of the beams more accurately than previous design models.
Adequate Patient Characterization in COPD: Reasons to Go Beyond GOLD Classification

The Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) serves as a guide to treat and manage different severity classes of patients with COPD. It was suggested that the five categories of FEV1 % predicted (GOLD 0–4), can be applied for selecting different therapeutic approaches. However, validation of these selective properties is very poor. To determine the relevance of the GOLD staging system for estimating the severity of clinical problems, GOLD 2 (n=70) and GOLD 3 (n=65) patients were drawn from a prospective cohort of patients with COPD and evaluated crosssectionally by a newly developed Nijmegen Integral Assessment Framework (NIAF). The NIAF is a detailed assessment of a wide range of aspects of health status (HS). Significant, though small, differences were found in Static Lung Volumes, Exercise Capacity, Subjective Pulmonary Complaints, Subjective Impairment, and Health-Related QoL, besides Airflow of course. Moreover, overlap between scores of these five HS sub-domains was substantial, indicating small clinical relevance for discernment. No significant differences were found in nine other aspects of HS. It is concluded that GOLD stages do not discriminate in any aspect of HS other than airflow obstruction, and therefore do not help the clinician in deciding which treatment modalities are appropriate.
Occurrence of Conepatus chinga (Molina) (Mammalia, Carnivora, Mustelidae) and other terrestrial mammals in the Serra do Mar, Paraná, Brazil

In this paper 19 additional mammalian species are reported in the Atlantic forest of the Paranean Serra do Mar, southern Brazil, including threatened and rare species. These findings resulted from a one-year field research in the western slope of the Serra do Mar, Piraquara municipality, with additional review of reports about mammal distribution in the region. Preliminarily mammal richness in the region is round 54 species, but this number could be higher with more systematic surveys, particularly with regards to bats. The occurrence of the hog-nosed skunk, Conepatus chinga (Molina, 1782), is reported for the first time in the eastern portion of Parana, a State vastly deforested during the last century in Brazil.
Chronic vagus nerve stimulation in Crohn's disease: a 6‐month follow‐up pilot study

The vagus nerve (VN) is a link between the brain and the gut. The VN is a mixed nerve with anti‐inflammatory properties through the activation of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis by its afferents and by activating the cholinergic anti‐inflammatory pathway through its efferents. We have previously shown that VN stimulation (VNS) improves colitis in rats and that the vagal tone is blunted in Crohn's disease (CD) patients. We thus performed a pilot study of chronic VNS in patients with active CD. Seven patients under VNS were followed up for 6 months with a primary endpoint to induce clinical remission and a secondary endpoint to induce biological (CRP and/or fecal calprotectin) and endoscopic remission and to restore vagal tone (heart rate variability). Vagus nerve stimulation was feasible and well‐tolerated in all patients. Among the seven patients, two were removed from the study at 3 months for clinical worsening and five evolved toward clinical, biological, and endoscopic remission with a restored vagal tone. These results provide the first evidence that VNS is feasible and appears as an effective tool in the treatment of active CD.
Comparison of urinary aflatoxin M1 and aflatoxin albumin adducts as biomarkers for assessing aflatoxin exposure in Tanzanian children

Abstract Purpose: To determine levels of urinary aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) in children and correlate the concentrations with previously reported aflatoxin albumin adduct (AF-alb) levels in these children. Materials and methods: Matched urine and blood samples were collected from 84 Tanzanian children aged 6–14 months old. From 31 children in one village (Kigwa), samples were collected at three time points six months apart. Samples were collected from 31 and 22 children from two different regions at the second time point only. Urinary AFM1 was measured using a commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit with a modified protocol to improve sensitivity. AF-alb was measured using an established ELISA method. Results: The relative ranking of the three villages for exposure to aflatoxin based on either AFM1 or AF-alb biomarker measurements was the same. In Kigwa village, both AFM1 and AF-alb levels were higher at six months post-harvest compared to baseline. However, at the next visit, the AFM1 levels dropped from a GM (interquartile range) of 71.0 (44.7, 112.6) at visit two to 49.3 (31.5, 77.3) pg/ml urine, whereas AF-alb levels increased from 47.3 (29.7, 75.2) to 52.7 (35.4, 78.3) pg/mg albumin between these two visits, reflecting the fact that AFM1 measures short-term exposure, whereas AF-alb measures longer term exposure. There was a correlation between AFB1 intake and AFM1 excretion (r= 0.442, p ≤ 0.001). Conclusions: Urinary AFM1 is a good biomarker for AFB1 exposure in Tanzanian children, reflecting geographical and temporal variations in exposure to this foodborne toxin.
Fluorescent particles in the antibody solution result in false TF‐ and CD14‐positive microparticles in flow cytometric analysis

Tissue factor (TF)‐positive microparticles (MPs) are highly procoagulant, and linked to thrombosis in sepsis and cancer. MP‐associated TF may be assayed by immunological or functional methods. Several reports have demonstrated discrepancies between TF‐protein and TF‐activity, which have been explained by antibody binding to “encrypted” or degraded forms of inactive TF‐protein. Our goal was to evaluate the possible interference of fluorescent antibody aggregates in solutions containing antibodies against TF and CD14 in flow cytometric analysis. Using monocyte‐derived microparticles (MPs) released from human monocytes, incubated with or without lipopolysaccharides (LPS) in vitro, we measured MP‐associated TF‐protein (flow cytometry) and TF‐activity (clot formation assay). MPs released from monocytes exposed to LPS (1 ng mL−1) had ∼14 times higher TF‐activity than MPs originated from monocytes exposed to only culture medium. However, using untreated anti‐TF antibodies (American Diagnostica and BD) in the flow cytometric analysis, MPs released from unstimulated monocytes had a similar number of TF‐positive events as MPs secernated from LPS‐stimulated monocytes [∼45,000 events mL−1 (American Diagnostica); ∼15,000 events mL−1 (BD)]. These TF‐positive events did not exert any TF‐activity, and centrifugation (17,000g, 30 min, 4°C) of the antibody solutions prior to use effectively removed the interfering fluorescent events. Removal of fluorescent interference, probably in the form of fluorescent antibody aggregates, from the antibody solutions by centrifugation is essential to prevent the occurrence of false positive flow cytometric events. The events can be mistaken as MP‐associated TF‐protein, and interpreted as a discrepancy between TF‐protein and TF‐activity. © 2011 International Society for Advancement of Cytometry
A Low-G Silicon Inertial Micro-Switch with Enhanced Contact Effect Using Squeeze-Film Damping

Contact time is one of the most important properties for inertial micro-switches. However, it is usually less than 20 μs for the switch with rigid electrode, which is difficult for the external circuit to recognize. This issue is traditionally addressed by designing the switch with a keep-close function or flexible electrode. However, the switch with keep-close function requires an additional operation to re-open itself, causing inconvenience for some applications wherein repeated monitoring is needed. The switch with a flexible electrode is usually fabricated by electroplating technology, and it is difficult to realize low-g switches (<50 g) due to inherent fabrication errors. This paper reports a contact enhancement using squeeze-film damping effect for low-g switches. A vertically driven switch with large proof mass and flexible springs was designed based on silicon micromachining, in order to achieve a damping ratio of 2 and a threshold value of 10 g. The proposed contact enhancement was investigated by theoretical and experimental studies. The results show that the damping effect can not only prolong the contact time for the dynamic acceleration load, but also reduce the contact bounce for the quasi-static acceleration load. The contact time under dynamic and quasi-static loads was 40 μs and 570 μs, respectively.
Desmoplakin mutations with palmoplantar keratoderma, woolly hair and cardiomyopathy.

Mutations in genes encoding for desmosomal components are associated with a broad spectrum of phenotypes comprising skin and hair abnormalities and account for 45-50% of cases of arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy. Today, more than 120 dominant and recessive desmoplakin (DSP) gene mutations have been reported to be associated with skin, hair and/or heart defects. Here we report on 3 cases with yet unreported DSP mutations, c. 7566_7567delAAinsC, p.R2522Sfs*39, c.7756C>T, p.R2586*, c. 2131_2132delAG and c.1067C>A, p.T356K, that were associated with variable woolly hair or hypotrichosis, palmoplantar keratoderma, and cardiac manifestations. In addition, we review and summarise the clinical features and DSP mutations of the patients described in the literature, which illustrates the complexity of this group of disorders and of their genotype-phenotype correlations, which cannot be easily predicted. Early diagnosis is crucial and cardiac examinations have to be performed on a regular basis.
The Effects of Semantic Context on Voicing Neutralization

Abstract The present study examined regressive voice assimilation in Catalan in an attempt to determine a systematic explanation of complete versus incomplete voicing neutralization. Two types of contexts were constructed. In one type, semantic information was present to bias the meaning of target words. In the other type, no semantic information was present. The results showed that vowel duration distinguished underlying voicing in the neutral context only. The results suggest that neutralization occurs when semantic information is present, but that a voicing contrast is realized when it is absent.
Routing in FRET-Based Nanonetworks

Nanocommunications, understood as communications between nanoscale devices, is commonly regarded as a technology essential for cooperation of large groups of nanomachines and thus crucial for development of the whole area of nanotechnology. While solutions for pointto- point nanocommunications have already been proposed, larger networks cannot function properly without routing. In this article we focus on nanocommunications via FRET, which was found to be a technique with a very high signal propagation speed, and discuss how to route signals through nanonetworks. We introduce five new routing mechanisms, based on biological properties of specific molecules. We experimentally validate one of these mechanisms. Finally, we analyze open issues showing the technical challenges for signal transmission and routing in FRET-based nanocommunications.