Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Intra-arterial vasodilators for vasospasm following aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage: a meta-analysis

Objective The efficacy of intra-arterial vasodilators (IADs) for the treatment of vasospasm following aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) remains debatable. The objective of this meta-analysis was to pool estimates of angiographic and neurological response, clinical outcome, and mortality following treatment of vasospasm with IADs. Methods We searched PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Clinicaltrials.gov, Cochrane database, and CINAHL in December 2015 and August 2016. Studies reporting angiographic and neurological response, clinical outcome, and mortality following IAD treatment of vasospasm in 10 or more adults with aSAH were included. All established IADs were allowed. Two authors independently selected studies and abstracted the data. Mean weighted probabilities (MWP) were calculated using random effects model. Results Inclusion criteria were met by 55 studies (n=1571). MWP for immediate angiographic response to IAD treatment was 89% (95% CI 83% to 94%), post-IAD neurological improvement 57% (95% CI 49% to 65%), good outcome 66% (95% CI 60% to 71%), and mortality was 9% (95% CI 7% to 12%). After adjusting for publication bias, MWP for mortality was 5% (95% CI 4% to 7%). When transcranial Doppler (TCD) was used along with clinical deterioration for patient selection, rates of neurological response (64%) and good outcome (72%) were better. IADs were not superior to controls (balloon angioplasty or medical management). Conclusion IAD treatment leads to a robust angiographic response and fair (but lower) rates of neurological response and good clinical outcome. Mortality was lower than the average reported in the literature. Rates of neurological response and good outcome were better when TCD was used for patient selection. Carefully designed studies are needed to compare IADs against medical management and balloon angioplasty.
wFlu: Characterization and Evaluation of a Native Wolbachia from the Mosquito Aedes fluviatilis as a Potential Vector Control Agent

There is currently considerable interest and practical progress in using the endosymbiotic bacteria Wolbachia as a vector control agent for human vector-borne diseases. Such vector control strategies may require the introduction of multiple, different Wolbachia strains into target vector populations, necessitating the identification and characterization of appropriate endosymbiont variants. Here, we report preliminary characterization of wFlu, a native Wolbachia from the neotropical mosquito Aedes fluviatilis, and evaluate its potential as a vector control agent by confirming its ability to cause cytoplasmic incompatibility, and measuring its effect on three parameters determining host fitness (survival, fecundity and fertility), as well as vector competence (susceptibility) for pathogen infection. Using an aposymbiotic strain of Ae. fluviatilis cured of its native Wolbachia by antibiotic treatment, we show that in its natural host wFlu causes incomplete, but high levels of, unidirectional cytoplasmic incompatibility, has high rates of maternal transmission, and no detectable fitness costs, indicating a high capacity to rapidly spread through host populations. However, wFlu does not inhibit, and even enhances, oocyst infection with the avian malaria parasite Plasmodium gallinaceum. The stage- and sex-specific density of wFlu was relatively low, and with limited tissue distribution, consistent with the lack of virulence and pathogen interference/symbiont-mediated protection observed. Unexpectedly, the density of wFlu was also shown to be specifically-reduced in the ovaries after bloodfeeding Ae. fluviatilis. Overall, our observations indicate that the Wolbachia strain wFlu has the potential to be used as a vector control agent, and suggests that appreciable mutualistic coevolution has occurred between this endosymbiont and its natural host. Future work will be needed to determine whether wFlu has virulent host effects and/or exhibits pathogen interference when artificially-transfected to the novel mosquito hosts that are the vectors of human pathogens.
What are healthcare providers’ understandings and experiences of compassion? The healthcare compassion model: a grounded theory study of healthcare providers in Canada

Background Healthcare providers are considered the primary conduit of compassion in healthcare. Although most healthcare providers desire to provide compassion, and patients and families expect to receive it, an evidence-based understanding of the construct and its associated dimensions from the perspective of healthcare providers is needed. Objectives The aim of this study was to investigate healthcare providers’ perspectives and experiences of compassion in order to generate an empirically derived, clinically informed model. Design Data were collected via focus groups with frontline healthcare providers and interviews with peer-nominated exemplary compassionate healthcare providers. Data were independently and collectively analysed by the research team in accordance with Straussian grounded theory. Setting and participants 57 healthcare providers were recruited from urban and rural palliative care services spanning hospice, home care, hospital-based consult teams, and a dedicated inpatient unit within Alberta, Canada. Results Five categories and 13 associated themes were identified, illustrated in the Healthcare Provider Compassion Model depicting the dimensions of compassion and their relationship to one another. Compassion was conceptualised as—a virtuous and intentional response to know a person, to discern their needs and ameliorate their suffering through relational understanding and action. Conclusions An empirical foundation of healthcare providers’ perspectives on providing compassionate care was generated. While the dimensions of the Healthcare Provider Compassion Model were congruent with the previously developed Patient Model, further insight into compassion is now evident. The Healthcare Provider Compassion Model provides a model to guide clinical practice and research focused on developing interventions, measures and resources to improve it.
No difference in the level of physical activity between children who have or have never sustained a fracture

This study investigates whether children with an acute fracture have a different level of physical activity compared to children who have never sustained a fracture, as measured by the Physical Activity Questionnaire for older children (PAQ‐C). The PAQ‐C scores of 683 children (295 girls) aged 6–12 years (mean age 9.4 years) who presented to our institution with an acute fracture were compared to the PAQ‐C scores of 151 random children (81 girls) aged 6–12 years (mean 9.1 years) in the same area who had never sustained a fracture. Multivariate regression analysis was employed, controlling for age and gender. The mean PAQ‐C score of the children who presented to the institution with an acute fracture was 2.85 (95% confidence interval [CI], 2.80–2.91). For the children who had never sustained a fracture, the mean PAQ‐C score was 2.78 (95% CI, 2.69–2.87). If there is a true difference in the level of physical activity between children who have or have never sustained a fracture, the PAQ‐C questionnaire is not sensitive enough to identify it.
Histopathology of Cervical Cancer and Arsenic Concentration in Well Water: An Ecological Analysis

Arsenic in drinking water is causally linked with cancer of the skin, lung, and urinary bladder, but there is very little data on a possible role for arsenic in the etiology of cervical cancer, a disease in which human papilloma virus is held to be a necessary but not sufficient cause. All histopathology results from cervical specimens from the National Institute of Cancer Research and Hospital (NICRH), Dhaka (1997–2015), and the Anowara Medical Services (2003–2015), both serving the whole of Bangladesh, were classified by cell type. Arsenic concentrations in well water in the thana of residence were estimated from systematic sampling carried out by the British Geological Survey. In a case-referent analysis arsenic estimates for cases of cervical cancer were compared with those found to have benign lesions. In this study, 3464 NICRH (CH) cervical specimens and 30,050 community medical service (CMS) specimens were available: 3329 (CH) and 899 (CMS) were recorded as malignant. Most were squamous cell carcinoma, of which 4.9% were poorly differentiated. Overall, there was no increase in cervical cancer with increasing arsenic concentration. Among those with squamous cell histology, a strong dose response was seen for poorly differentiated cancer with increasing arsenic exposure. The odds ratio increased monotonically, compared with exposure <10 μg/L, from 1.58 at 10 < 50 μg/L to 8.11 at >200 μg/L (p < 0.001). Given the high proportion of Bangladeshis using drinking water containing >50 μg/L of arsenic, the evidence that arsenic is implicated in cancer grade suggests a need for further investigation and the introduction of cervical screening in high arsenic areas.
Impact Activation Improves Rapid Button Pressing

The activation point of a button is defined as the depth at which it invokes a make signal. Regular buttons are activated during the downward stroke, which occurs within the first 20 ms of a press. The remaining portion, which can be as long as 80 ms, has not been examined for button activation for reason of mechanical limitations. The paper presents a technique and empirical evidence for an activation technique called Impact Activation, where the button is activated at its maximal impact point. We argue that this technique is advantageous particularly in rapid, repetitive button pressing, which is common in gaming and music applications. We report on a study of rapid button pressing, wherein users' timing accuracy improved significantly with use of Impact Activation. The technique can be implemented for modern push-buttons and capacitive sensors that generate a continuous signal.
Effects of vitamin E on growth performance, tissue &agr;‐tocopherol, and lipid peroxidation of starter White Pekin ducks

ABSTRACT Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of vitamin E on growth performance, tissue &agr;‐tocopherol, and lipid peroxidation of White Pekin ducks from hatch to 21 d of age. The 6 supplemental vitamin E levels (0, 5, 10, 20, 40, and 100 mg DL‐&agr;‐tocopheryl acetate/kg) and 4 supplemental vitamin E levels (0, 10, 20, and 100 mg DL‐&agr;‐tocopheryl acetate/kg) were utilized in experiments 1 and 2, respectively. All treatments were replicated 8 times using 7 ducklings per pen in experiment 1 and 6 times using 8 birds per pen in experiment 2. All ducks were raised from hatch to 21 d of age. In both experiments, compared with ducks fed vitamin E‐supplemented diets, the birds fed basal diets with no supplemental vitamin E had less weight gain and feed intake (P < 0.05) but these two criteria showed no linear or quadratic response to increasing supplemental vitamin E levels (P > 0.05). On the other hand, the plasma or liver &agr;‐tocopherol was dependent on supplemental vitamin E levels. The plasma or liver &agr;‐tocopherol increased linearly or quadratically as supplemental vitamin E increased gradually in both experiments (P < 0.05). In addition, supplementation of vitamin E in basal diets could reduce liver lipid peroxidation but the further reduction did not take place when supplemental vitamin E level was above 5 mg/kg in experiment 1 or 10 mg/kg in experiment 2 due to no linear or quadratic response to increasing supplemental levels of this vitamin (P > 0.05). Therefore, when including the vitamin E content of basal diets, the dietary total vitamin E should not be less than 10 mg/kg in order to keep optimal growth performance and antioxidant capacity of starter Pekin ducks from hatch to 21 days of age. Plasma or liver &agr;‐tocopherol were sensitive indicators for the status of this vitamin.
Tethered and Untethered Flight by Lygus hesperus and Lygus lineolaris (Heteroptera: Miridae)

Abstract We compared the flight behavior of Lygus hesperus Knight and Lygus lineolaris (Palisot de Beauvois) relative to age, sex, and time of day by using tethered (flight mills) and untethered flight (vertical flight chamber) assays. Both species and sexes initiated flights throughout the day, and flight mill assays recorded flights throughout the night. For both species and flight systems, most flights were <5 min in duration, with longest flights occurring from 1 to 3 wk of age. Number of flights and flight duration were influenced by age and sex for tethered individuals and by sex for untethered individuals. Species differences were less apparent, but tethered L. lineolaris had more sustained flights (individual flights >5 min) that were of longer cumulative duration compared with L. hesperus. The longest flights were obtained with flight mills and were 17–18 times longer than the longest flight (22 min) in the flight chamber. Determination of flight periodicity, throughout the day and night, was only possible for tethered insects, and females exhibited more distinct periodicities for sustained flights than males. For L. hesperus females, sustained flights followed a diurnal to crepuscular periodicity, whereas sustained flights by L. lineolaris females were nocturnal. No significant correlations were found between egg load and any of the flight parameters when grouped by species, but there was a positive correlation between the number of spermatophores and several of the flight parameters for female L. hesperus. In the vertical flight chamber, takeoffs began at low light levels and were always higher for L. lineolaris than L. hesperus. Rates of climb toward the skylight cue were ≈50 cm/s, indicating a capacity for strong, self-directed flight by both species.
Microbial Community Structure and Diversity in Long-term Hydrocarbon and Heavy Metal Contaminated Soils

The influence of long-term mixed organic and inorganic contamination on soil microbial activity, community structure and genetic diversity was investigated in soil samples from a coke oven plant located in Upper Silesia, Poland. The tested soils were heavily contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and heavy metals. The microbial communities were characterized using the phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) and the denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) methods. Analysis of the PLFA profiles showed that the biomass of Gram-negative bacteria and fungi was affected by heavy metals but not by PAHs. Similar results were obtained for total microbial activity measured as the rate of fluorescein acetate hydrolysis. Statistical analysis of the obtained results revealed that heavy metals rather than PAHs were primarily responsible for the reduction in microbial activity and the differences in the microbial community structure as showed by PLFA. The DGGE analysis showed that the most contaminated soil had a very low biodiversity and richness but a very high evenness index. The correlation analysis revealed that the biodiversity and richness indices were negatively correlated with PAHs but not with heavy metals. However, there was a positive relationship between the evenness index and tested metals as well as the PAH content. The partial 16S rRNA sequence analysis showed that some of the clones were closely related to the genera Pseudomonas, Sphingomonas and Arthrobacter, which are well-known hydrocarbon degraders. Obtained results indicated that a high level of contamination suppress the some bacterial community member giving finally a reduction in the genetic diversity.
Are the Gut Bacteria Telling Us to Eat or Not to Eat? Reviewing the Role of Gut Microbiota in the Etiology, Disease Progression and Treatment of Eating Disorders

Traditionally recognized as mental illnesses, eating disorders are increasingly appreciated to be biologically-driven. There is a growing body of literature that implicates a role of the gut microbiota in the etiology and progression of these conditions. Gut bacteria may act on the gut–brain axis to alter appetite control and brain function as part of the genesis of eating disorders. As the illnesses progress, extreme feeding patterns and psychological stress potentially feed back to the gut ecosystem that can further compromise physiological, cognitive, and social functioning. Given the established causality between dysbiosis and metabolic diseases, an altered gut microbial profile is likely to play a role in the co-morbidities of eating disorders with altered immune function, short-chain fatty acid production, and the gut barrier being the key mechanistic links. Understanding the role of the gut ecosystem in the pathophysiology of eating disorders will provide critical insights into improving current treatments and developing novel microbiome-based interventions that will benefit patients with eating disorders.
Student and Preceptor Experiences at an Inter-Professional Student-Run Clinic: A Physical Therapy Perspective

Purpose: Student-run clinics (SRCs) provide a unique opportunity for inter-professional education; they prepare health care students for a collaborative future by enabling them to interact with other such students in a clinical setting focused on inter-professional learning and collaboration. Physical therapy (PT) students are increasingly being included in SRCs; however, most research on student experiences in SRCs has been carried out with medical students. This qualitative study explores the perceived benefits of the PT experience in an SRC through the lens of PT students and their preceptors. Method: A qualitative interpretive-descriptive approach consisting of face-to-face, semi-structured interviews was used. Interviews were audiotaped and transcribed verbatim. Data were analyzed using a constant comparative approach. Results: Seven PT students and eight preceptors who volunteered at the SRC between September 2013 and May 2015 participated in the study. Three themes emerged from the interviews: (1) exposure to marginalized patient populations, (2) learning through inter-professional interactions, and (3) experience with different patient care approaches. Conclusions: Participating in an SRC enhances PT students' understanding of their and other health care professionals' roles. Students gained an appreciation for the social determinants of health and improved their knowledge of inter-professional collaboration. The knowledge gained from this study has the potential to inform PT professional development, SRCs, and PT education.
Asynchronous Periodic Edge-Event Triggered Control for Double-Integrator Networks With Communication Time Delays

This paper focuses on the average consensus of double-integrator networked systems based on the asynchronous periodic edge-event triggered control. The asynchronous property lies in the edge event-detecting procedure. For different edges, their event detections are performed at different times and the corresponding events occur independently of each other. When an event is activated, the two adjacent agents connected by the corresponding link sample their relative state information and update their controllers. The application of incidence matrix facilitates the transformation of control objects from the agent-based to the edge-based. Practically, due to the constraints of network bandwidth and communication distance, agents usually cannot receive the instantaneous information of some others, which has an impact on the system performance. Hence, it is necessary to investigate the presence of communication time delays. For double-integrator multiagent systems with and without communication time delays, the average state consensus can be asynchronously achieved by designing appropriate parameters under the proposed event-detecting rules. The presented results specify the relationship among the maximum allowable time delays, interaction topologies, and event-detecting periods. Furthermore, the proposed protocols have the advantages of reduced communication costs and controller-updating costs. Simulation examples are given to illustrate the proposed theoretical results.
Efficient output waveform evaluation of a CMOS inverter based on short‐circuit current prediction

A novel approach for obtaining the output waveform, the propagation delay and the short‐circuit power dissipation of a CMOS inverter is introduced. The output voltage is calculated by solving the circuit differential equation only for the conducting transistor while the effect of the short‐circuit current is considered as an additional charge, which has to be discharged through the conducting transistor causing a shift to the output waveform. The short‐circuit current as well as the corresponding discharging current are accurately predicted as functions of the required time shift of the output waveform. A program has been developed that implements the proposed method and the results prove that a significant speed improvement can be gained with a minor penalty in accuracy. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Effect of Child Friendly Constraint Induced Movement Therapy on Unimanual and Bimanual Function in Hemiplegia

Objectives: Hemiplegia is a non-progressive damage in premature growing brain which causes movement disorders in one side of the body. The objective of present research is to study the method of modified constraints induced movement therapy (CIMT) which can be appropriate on unimanual and bimanual functions of children with Hemiplegia. Method: This single-blinded, randomized, control trial study performed on twenty-eight participants who were selected based on specific inclusion criteria and divided into two groups of CIMT and conventional therapy. Intervention at CIMT was done six hours every day, for 10 days, whereas another group received conventional occupational therapy. Results: To analyze the data, independent-sample t-test and paired-sample t-test were used. Results showed that significant differences in variables of unimanual function, Jebson Taylor test and dexterity of involved hand in CIMT group, but, these variables did not show any difference in conventional group. Also bimanual functions in CIMT demonstrated significant difference in variables of bimanual function, bilateral coordination, and caregivers’ perception (how much) and (how well), whereas this variables did not show any difference in pre-test and post-test of conventional therapy. Conclusion: Child friendly CIMT has fairly good effects on unimanual function and some variables of bimanual function of children with hemiplegia.