Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Gender is a risk factor in patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease

Background: Prevalence of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) has increased in the last decades, and it is now one of the most common chronic and recurrent diseases. The present study aimed at determining the frequency of gender (sex) and age in Iranian patients with GERD symptoms. Methods: In this study, 803 patients aged 11 to 84 years, with erosive and nonerosive gastroesophageal reflux diseases, based on the questionnaire and esophagogastroduodenoscopy findings, participated. The female group was compared with the male group with respect to age, symptoms, esophageal injury, and hiatus hernia. Results: Of the 803 participants, 60.5% (n= 486) were female, and 69.2% (n= 555) were younger than 50 years. Of those patients older than 50 years, 32.8% (n= 81) were female. Moreover, 31.0% (n= 249) of the patients had erosive esophagitis (ERD), and 69.0% (n= 254) had normal esophageal mucosa (NERD). The female to male ratio was 1/1.06 and 1.94/1 in ERD and NERD patients, respectively. Hiatal hernia was more prevalent in females than in males. Conclusion: Nonerosive reflux disease, as a gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), was more common in females than in males. GERD became more prevalent with increase in age. Gender and hiatal hernias were 2 potential risk factors of GERD.
Diode laser beam absorption in laser transformation hardening of low alloy steel

Defining and controlling the absorption of the laser beam is important since all of the heating energy is brought to the material through absorption. Even small variations in the absorption change the laser power needed by hundreds of W. In this study the absorption of a diode laser beam to low alloy steel has been measured by a liquid calorimeter and the surface temperature has been measured with a dual wavelength pyrometer. The varied processing parameters were the power intensity of the beam, the interaction time, and the angle between the surface and the optical axis of the laser beam. Surface temperatures during hardening varied from the Ac1 temperature to the melting point. Tests were done with a 3 kW diode laser with a 12×5 mm hardening optic. The absorptivity of a machined clean steel surface ranged from 46% to 72% depending on the processing parameters. Aluminum oxide blasting of the surface increased the relative amount of energy absorbed to the work piece. The coupling rates for blasted surfaces varied from 66% to 81%. Best absorptivity was achieved by applying graphite coating on the surface. Absorptivity values in excess of 85% were measured.Defining and controlling the absorption of the laser beam is important since all of the heating energy is brought to the material through absorption. Even small variations in the absorption change the laser power needed by hundreds of W. In this study the absorption of a diode laser beam to low alloy steel has been measured by a liquid calorimeter and the surface temperature has been measured with a dual wavelength pyrometer. The varied processing parameters were the power intensity of the beam, the interaction time, and the angle between the surface and the optical axis of the laser beam. Surface temperatures during hardening varied from the Ac1 temperature to the melting point. Tests were done with a 3 kW diode laser with a 12×5 mm hardening optic. The absorptivity of a machined clean steel surface ranged from 46% to 72% depending on the processing parameters. Aluminum oxide blasting of the surface increased the relative amount of energy absorbed to the work piece. The coupling rates for blasted surface.
Adaptive Deep Brain Stimulation In Advanced Parkinson Disease

Brain–computer interfaces (BCIs) could potentially be used to interact with pathological brain signals to intervene and ameliorate their effects in disease states. Here, we provide proof‐of‐principle of this approach by using a BCI to interpret pathological brain activity in patients with advanced Parkinson disease (PD) and to use this feedback to control when therapeutic deep brain stimulation (DBS) is delivered. Our goal was to demonstrate that by personalizing and optimizing stimulation in real time, we could improve on both the efficacy and efficiency of conventional continuous DBS.
Simpler grammar, larger vocabulary: How population size affects language

Languages with many speakers tend to be structurally simple while small communities sometimes develop languages with great structural complexity. Paradoxically, the opposite pattern appears to be observed for non-structural properties of language such as vocabulary size. These apparently opposite patterns pose a challenge for theories of language change and evolution. We use computational simulations to show that this inverse pattern can depend on a single factor: ease of diffusion through the population. A population of interacting agents was arranged on a network, passing linguistic conventions to one another along network links. Agents can invent new conventions, or replicate conventions that they have previously generated themselves or learned from other agents. Linguistic conventions are either Easy or Hard to diffuse, depending on how many times an agent needs to encounter a convention to learn it. In large groups, only linguistic conventions that are easy to learn, such as words, tend to proliferate, whereas small groups where everyone talks to everyone else allow for more complex conventions, like grammatical regularities, to be maintained. Our simulations thus suggest that language, and possibly other aspects of culture, may become simpler at the structural level as our world becomes increasingly interconnected.
Simulation and Fabrication of HfO2 Thin Films Passivating Si from a Numerical Computer and Remote Plasma ALD

Recombination of charge carriers at silicon surfaces is one of the biggest loss mechanisms in crystalline silicon (c-Si) solar cells. Hafnium oxide (HfO2) has attracted much attention as a passivation layer for n-type c-Si because of its positive fixed charges and thermal stability. In this study, HfO2 films are deposited on n-type c-Si using remote plasma atomic layer deposition (RP-ALD). Post-annealing is performed using a rapid thermal processing system at different temperatures in nitrogen ambient for 10 min. The effects of post-annealing temperature on the passivation properties of the HfO2 films on c-Si are investigated. Personal computer one dimension numerical simulation for the passivated emitter and rear contact (PERC) solar cells with the HfO2 passivation layer is also presented. By means of modeling and numerical computer simulation, the influence of different front surface recombination velocity (SRV) and rear SRV on n-type silicon solar cell performance was investigated. Simulation results show that the n-type PERC solar cell with HfO2 single layer can have a conversion efficiency of 22.1%. The PERC using silicon nitride/HfO2 stacked passivation layer can further increase efficiency to 23.02% with an open-circuit voltage of 689 mV.
Motives for Smoking Cessation are Associated with Stage of Readiness to Quit Smoking and Sociodemographics among German Industrial Employees

Purpose. To test the relationships among particular motives for smoking cessation, stage of readiness to quit (preparation or contemplation), and sociodemographic characteristics. Design. A cross-sectional study to examine attitudes toward and use of health promotion at the worksite, using a self-administered questionnaire. Setting. Two German metal companies. Subjects. Of 1641 responding employees (response rate 65% in company A and 44% in company B), 360 smokers who intended to quit immediately (n = 105) or in the near future (n = 255) were analyzed. Measures. The questionnaire comprised of sociodemographic characteristics, smoking behavior, smoking history, readiness to quit smoking, motives to quit, such as coworkers' complaints and health-related or financial concerns. Chi-squared tests and multiple logistic regression analyses were performed. Results. Health-related reasons (94%) predominated financial (27%) or image-related (14%) reasons for smoking cessation. Participants in the cessation preparation group were more likely to report an awareness of being addicted (79.6% vs. 58.2%; p < .001) and the negative public image (22.5% vs. 11.6%; p < .01) as reasons for quitting compared with those in the contemplation group. In multivariable regression models, the motives for smoking cessation, including reduced performance, family's and coworkers' complaints, pregnancy/children, and negative public image, but not health-related and financial concerns, differed significantly by gender, age, marital status, education, and occupational status. Conclusions. Motives for smoking cessation vary according to the individual's level of readiness to quit and sociodemographic background.
Left ventricular ejection fraction and aortic stiffness are independent predictors of neurological outcome in acute ischemic stroke

Background: Stroke is a leading cause of disability and one of the major causes of death worldwide. The short-term prognosis in individual patients is highly variable and cannot be explained solely by stroke severity. We investigated the association of left ventricular ejection fraction with early neurological outcome in acute ischemic stroke. Methods: In total, 216 patients enrolled in a prospective study, underwent echocardiography and applanation tonometry performed within 1 week after stroke onset. At day 10, favorable outcome was defined as a 4 or more point improvement from baseline National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale or final National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale of 0–1. Results: In patients with favorable outcome, the ejection fraction was significantly higher comparing with patients with poorer prognosis (54.3 ± 7.9 vs. 49.9 ± 9.8%, P = 0.005). Favorable neurological outcome at day 10 was also associated with lower heart rate and lower pulse wave velocity at baseline. Univariate analyses showed that left ventricle ejection fraction and arterial stiffness were the strongest predictors of the poststroke improvement. In multivariate analysis, ejection fraction at least 50% remained significantly associated with favorable outcome after full adjustment for potential confounders (odds ratio 3.81, [95% confidence interval, 1.18–12.35]; P = 0.02). Conclusion: These findings provide evidence that in ischemic stroke, preserved ejection fraction and lower pulse wave velocity are associated with early favorable outcome, independently of other known prognostic factors, including blood pressure.
Assessment of prognostic performance of Albumin–Bilirubin, Child–Pugh, and Model for End-stage Liver Disease scores in patients with liver cirrhosis complicated with acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding

Objective The Albumin–Bilirubin (ALBI) score was developed recently to assess the severity of liver dysfunction. We aimed to assess its prognostic performance in patients with liver cirrhosis complicated with upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB) while comparing it with Child–Pugh (CP) and Model for End-stage Liver Disease (MELD) scores. Patients and methods This was a retrospective unicentric study, including consecutive adult patients with cirrhosis admitted for UGIB between January 2011 and November 2015. Clinical, analytical, and endoscopic variables were assessed and ALBI, CP, and MELD scores at admission were calculated. Results This study included 111 patients. During the first 30 days of follow-up, 12 (10.8%) patients died, and during the first year of follow-up, another 10 patients died (first-year mortality of 19.8%). On comparing the three scores, for in-stay and 30-day mortality, only the ALBI score showed statistically significant results, with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.80 (P<0.01) for both outcomes. For first-year mortality, AUC for ALBI, CP, and MELD scores were 0.71 (P<0.01), 0.64 (P<0.05), and 0.66 (P=0.02), respectively, whereas for global mortality, AUC were 0.75 (P<0.01), 0.72 (P<0.01), and 0.72 (P<0.01), respectively. On comparing the AUC of the three scores, no significant differences were found in first-year mortality and global mortality. Conclusion In our series, the ALBI score accurately predicted both in-stay and 30-day mortality, whereas CP and MELD scores could not predict these outcomes. All scores showed a fair prognostic prediction performance for first-year and global mortality. These results suggest that the ALBI score is particularly useful in the assessment of short-term outcomes, with a better performance than the most commonly used scores.
Structure and Evolutionary Origin of Ca2+-Dependent Herring Type II Antifreeze Protein

In order to survive under extremely cold environments, many organisms produce antifreeze proteins (AFPs). AFPs inhibit the growth of ice crystals and protect organisms from freezing damage. Fish AFPs can be classified into five distinct types based on their structures. Here we report the structure of herring AFP (hAFP), a Ca2+-dependent fish type II AFP. It exhibits a fold similar to the C-type (Ca2+-dependent) lectins with unique ice-binding features. The 1.7 Å crystal structure of hAFP with bound Ca2+ and site-directed mutagenesis reveal an ice-binding site consisting of Thr96, Thr98 and Ca2+-coordinating residues Asp94 and Glu99, which initiate hAFP adsorption onto the [10-10] prism plane of the ice lattice. The hAFP-ice interaction is further strengthened by the bound Ca2+ through the coordination with a water molecule of the ice lattice. This Ca2+-coordinated ice-binding mechanism is distinct from previously proposed mechanisms for other AFPs. However, phylogenetic analysis suggests that all type II AFPs evolved from the common ancestor and developed different ice-binding modes. We clarify the evolutionary relationship of type II AFPs to sugar-binding lectins.
The Role of Helicobacter pylori in Patients with Hypothyroidism in Whom Could Not be Achieved Normal Thyrotropin Levels Despite Treatment with High Doses of Thyroxine

Background: Helicobacter pylori infection is a most frequent cause of chronic gastritis. H. pylori may decrease absorption of oral thyroxine by decreasing gastric acid secretion in the stomach. In this study, we aimed to investigate the change in thyroid function tests of the cases after H. pylori eradication who were not responding to high doses of thyroxine treatment before H. pylori eradication.
Removal of foreign bodies embedded in the urinary bladder wall by a combination of laparoscopy and carbon dioxide cystoscopic assistance: Case report and literature review

Purpose To report a case of combined laparoscopic and carbon dioxide partial cystectomy and foreign body removal and to review the existing literature on the topic. Materials and Methods A 43-year-old Asian woman was found to have an intrauterine device embedded in the bladder wall during evaluation for chronic pelvic pain and urinary tract infection. She underwent cystoscopic-laparoscopic partial cystectomy, with an uncomplicated postoperative course. She had normal renal function during the follow-up period. This case demonstrates the possibility and safety of performing cystoscopic-laparoscopic partial cystectomy for the removal of a partially implanted intravesical foreign body. Results The patient recovered without incident and was discharged 7 days after surgery. No abnormalities were noted in the urine output or renal function in the postoperative follow-up period. No complications due to retrograde flow of carbon dioxide up the ureters or air embolism were noted during the procedure or postoperatively. Conclusions The combination of laparoscopy and air cystoscopy has been shown to be an optimal method for retracting foreign bodies embedded in the bladder wall. Also, air cystoscopy can be used to give doctors a better view in cases in which vision is compromised under water-contrast cystoscopy.
Network-Based Substrate of Cognitive Reserve in Alzheimer's Disease.

Cognitive reserve (CR) is known to modulate the clinical features of Alzheimer's disease (AD). This concept may be critical for the development of non-pharmacological interventions able to slow down patients' cognitive decline in the absence of disease-modifying treatments. We aimed at identifying the neurobiological substrates of CR (i.e., neural reserve) over the transition between normal aging and AD, by assessing the underlying brain networks and their topological properties. A cohort of 154 participants (n = 68 with AD, n = 61 with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI), and 25 healthy subjects) underwent resting-state functional MRI and neuropsychological testing. Within each group, participants were classified as having high or low CR, and functional connectivity measures were compared, within group, between high and low CR individuals. Network-based statistics and topological network properties derived from graph theory were explored. Connectivity differences between high and low CR were evident only for aMCI patients, with participants with high CR showing a significant increase of connectivity in a network involving mainly fronto-parietal nodes. Conversely, they showed significantly decreased connectivity in a network involving fronto-temporo-cerebellar nodes. Consistently, changes to topological measures were observed in either direction, and were associated with measures of global cognitive function. These findings support the hypothesis that CR impacts on neurodegenerative process in the early phase of AD only. In addition, they fit with the existence of a "neural reserve", characterized by specific neural networks and their efficiency. It remains to be demonstrated whether interventions later in life can modulate this "neural reserve".
Systemic side effects of isolated limb perfusion with tumor necrosis factor alpha

The main function of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-a), a small polypeptide shared by all mammals, is probably protection against invading bacteria, parasites and viruses; killing of these microorganisms is facilitated in the presence of TNF-a. However, as its name suggest, TNF-a is also capable of killing tumor cells, in vitro as well as in vivo. This unique capacity has focused the attention on a possible role for this cytokine in the treatment of human cancer. Zie: Samenvatting.
A study on the early-stage decomposition in the Al–Mg–Si–Cu alloy AA6111 by electrical resistivity and three-dimensional atom probe

Electrical resistivity measurements and three-dimensional atom probe (3DAP) analysis were employed to investigate early-stage decomposition of the Al alloy AA6111 in the temperature range 60–180°C where electrical resistivity initially increased with ageing time. 3DAP measurements provided information on the shape, number density and solute content of the precipitates, as well as the solute concentration of the matrix, for the ageing conditions corresponding to the resistivity maxima. Using the 3DAP results, the precipitate size distributions for these ageing conditions were determined in terms of the measured number of solute atoms per precipitate. The number density and the Cu content of the precipitates decreased with increasing temperature, whereas the Mg/Si ratio increased. The size distribution of precipitates at the higher ageing temperatures showed the addition of larger size precipitates to the precipitate population. A modification to Matthiessen's law was employed to describe the anomalous resistivity increase by considering the effect of solutes and precipitates on the resistivity evolution. Using the 3DAP results in analysing the resistivity anomaly, it was found that the decrease in the resistivity maxima with increasing temperature was associated with the decrease in the number density of precipitates and not the scattering power of precipitates. The 3DAP results were further used to provide information on the mechanisms of early-stage decomposition and the temperature dependence of the nucleation rate. From this, the nucleation rate appeared to be controlled by the migration of solute atoms, which was assisted by quenched-in vacancies.
Effect of specimen size and loading conditions on spalling of concrete

Different qualities of concrete have been fire tested using different geometries of the specimens as well as different load levels and load configurations. The main objective with the study was to examine a test methodology consisting of a full‐scale test and different small scale‐tests for determining the probability of spalling and the amount of spalling of fire exposed concrete structures. A reference specimen was defined as a one‐sided fire exposed slab with the dimensions 1800 × 1200 mm2 giving an exposed area of 1500 × 1200 mm2. A number of concrete qualities with different probabilities for spalling, were tested using the reference specimen. These tests showed that the reference specimens worked well giving the expected test results. Small specimens were manufactured in different shapes with the same concrete as the one used in the reference tests. These small specimens were tested either at the same time as the reference specimens in the large furnace or afterwards on a small‐scale furnace where the fire exposed surface was 450 × 360 mm2.
Staphylococcus aureus regulates the expression and production of the staphylococcal superantigen‐like secreted proteins in a Rot‐dependent manner

Staphylococcus aureus overproduces a subset of immunomodulatory proteins known as the staphylococcal superantigen‐like proteins (Ssls) under conditions of pore‐mediated membrane stress. In this study we demonstrate that overproduction of Ssls during membrane stress is due to the impaired activation of the two‐component module of the quorum‐sensing accessory gene regulator (Agr) system. Agr‐dependent repression of ssl expression is indirect and mediated by the transcription factor repressor of toxins (Rot). Surprisingly, we observed that Rot directly interacts with and activates the ssl promoters. The role of Agr and Rot as regulators of ssl expression was observed across several clinically relevant strains, suggesting that overproduction of immunomodulatory proteins benefits agr‐defective strains. In support of this notion, we demonstrate that Ssls contribute to the residual virulence of S. aureus lacking agr in a murine model of systemic infection. Altogether, these results suggest that S. aureus compensates for the inactivation of Agr by producing immunomodulatory exoproteins that could protect the bacterium from host‐mediated clearance.
Presence of an invertase-like enzyme and a sucrose permeation system in strains of Streptococcus mutans.

Enzyme preparations obtained from sonically-treated washed cells of Streptococcus mutans strain GS5 were found to contain ‘sucrase’ activity which was distinct from that of the glucosyl and fructosyl transferases known to be elaborated by this organism. This ‘sucrase’ activity was formed constitutively and could be separated from transferase activity by agarose chromatography. The enzyme appears similar, if not identical, to invertase on the basis of its catalytic action, its molecular size, and its heat sensitivity. Its presence in cells of Strep, mutans strain GS5 indicates that this organism is not solely dependent upon the glucosyl and fructosyl transferases for the utilization of sucrose for growth. The total observable ‘sucrase’ activity of glucose grown cells of Strep, mutans strains GS5 and 6715 was found to increase markedly when the organisms were treated with toluene, indicating they were relatively impermeable to sucrose. Untreated sucrose grown cells exhibited 10-fold higher total ‘sucrase’ activity than did untreated glucose grown cells, suggesting that growth in sucrose broth resulted in the induction of a sucrose transport system.