Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Cerebral microbleeds are common in ischemic stroke but rare in TIA

Background: In patients with stroke, gradient-echo MRI commonly detects microbleeds, indicating small artery disease with increased risk of macroscopic intracranial bleeding. Antithrombotic treatments are frequently prescribed after TIA and stroke, but there have been no previous studies of microbleeds in TIA. Because microbleeds may predict the hemorrhagic risk of antithrombotic treatments, we studied the prevalence of microbleeds, risk factors, and pathophysiologic mechanisms in patients with ischemic stroke and TIA. Methods: One hundred twenty-nine consecutive patients with ischemic stroke or TIA were studied with MRI including T2, fluid-attenuated inversion recovery, and gradient-echo MRI sequences. Blinded observers counted microbleeds and graded white matter T2 hyperintensities throughout the brain. TIA patients with previous ischemic stroke were excluded. Results: Sixty-seven percent of patients had ischemic stroke; 33% had TIA. Microbleeds were found in 23% of ischemic stroke patients but only 2% of TIA patients (p < 0.001). There were no significant differences in conventional risk factors or the severity of white matter disease on T2 MRI between stroke and TIA patients. Patients with microbleeds were more often hypertensive (81 vs 59%; p = 0.04) and had more severe MRI white matter disease on T2 MRI (p = 0.003). Conclusions: Microbleeds are common in ischemic stroke but rare in TIA, an observation not explained by differences in vascular risk factors or severity of white matter disease seen on T2 MRI. This finding has implications for the safety of antithrombotic therapy and clinical trial design in the two groups. Microbleeds may also be a new marker for severe microvascular pathology with increased risk of permanent cerebral infarction.
MR characteristics and neuropathology in adult-onset autosomal dominant leukodystrophy with autonomic symptoms.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Three families with adult-onset autosomal dominant leukodystrophy (ADLD) presenting autonomic dysfunction as the first symptom are reported. We describe detailed MR appearances of the brain in 2 new families and neuropathology in 2 patients and compare the findings with those in other adult-onset leukodystrophies. METHODS Twenty subjects (12 women and 8 men; age range, 29-70 years) from 2 unrelated families with ADLD were examined with MR. Six subjects were asymptomatic. Fourteen had autonomic dysfunction. Eleven of them also had pyramidal signs and ataxia. The brains of 2 autopsied patients were examined histopathologically. RESULTS Two subjects manifested no neurologic symptoms, signs, or MR pathology. Eighteen subjects displayed radiologic abnormalities ranging from subtle T2 high-signal-intensity changes in the upper corticospinal tract to extensive confluent white matter changes, predominantly in a frontoparietal distribution, along the corticospinal tracts down to the medulla oblongata and in the upper and middle cerebellar peduncles. Periventricular white matter was spared or less affected than the adjacent white matter. Histopathology revealed marked loss of cerebral and cerebellar myelin without signs of inflammation. Oligodendrocytes were relatively spared, the number of axons not markedly decreased, and reactive gliosis was modest. The number of Purkinje cells in the cerebellum was reduced. CONCLUSIONS Two families with adult-onset ADLD with the disease entity originally reported by Eldridge et al. (N Engl J Med 1984;311:948-53) were described. We propose naming the disease "adult-onset ADLD with autonomic symptoms. " The characteristic radiologic findings, combined with the clinical symptoms and mode of inheritance, enable the diagnosis.
A case of paraneoplastic bullous pemphigoid in association with squamous cell carcinoma of lung

Bullous pemphigoid is a chronic, autoimmune, acquired subepidermal blistering disorder. It is idiopathic in origin, and mainly seen in elderly individuals. Association between bullous pemphigoid and internal malignancies is reported in the literature, but the exact causal relation is not established. Paraneoplastic bullous pemphigoid is rarely reported in lung cancers, especially in squamous cell variety. So their presence should raise the suspicion of various internal malignancies including lung cancer. It is presented mainly with tense, large blisters over the erythematous base or over normal skin. Subepidermal blisters with tissue eosinophilia are characteristic histopathological features of bullous pemphigoid. Direct immunofluorescence shows linear deposits of IgG - complement complex along the dermoepidermal junction. Conventional treatment of bullous pemphigoid along with treatment of lung cancer (surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy) may result in successful resolution of skin lesions. Here, we report a rare association of paraneoplastic bullous phemphigoid and squamous cell carcinoma of lung in a 76-year-old male to increase the awareness among the clinicians regarding this variety of cutaneous paraneoplastic manifestation of lung cancer.
Screening for psychiatric illness among students of the University of The West Indies, Trinidad

Abstract Method: This cross-sectional observational study was performed in 2007 by convenience sampling of 1031 full-time undergraduate students registered in years 1, 2 and 3 in the academic year 2007/2008, administering a basic demographics questionnaire along with the standardised General Health Questionnaire-28 (GHQ-28) to each participant. Results: The population of full-time students at the University of the West Indies (UWI) was found to be mentally healthy (median GHQ score was 5.00; GHQ=6 considered “mentally unhealthy”). However, median GHQ scores were lowest (4.00) in the Faculties of Medical Sciences and Social Sciences, but highest (6.00) in the Faculty of Humanities and Education. Furthermore, analysis showed that females were less mentally healthy than males attending the UWI. With regard to ethnicity, the African group was the most mentally healthy group whereas the group of mixed ethnicity was the least. Religion was also shown to significantly affect the GHQ (4.00 for Christians and Hindus, 6.00 for Muslims and 8.00 for those categorized as ‘other’). Most interesting was the relationship of GHQ scores with the manner in which participants related to their lecturers, classmates, guardians, siblings and friends; it was found that the better one related to these people, the lower one’s GHQ score was and hence one was considered more mentally healthy. Conclusions: UWI full-time undergraduate students are mentally healthy, but gender, ethnicity, religion, quality of relationships and faculty of study still contribute to significant differences within the population. This allows high-risk individuals to be identified and indicates where steps can be taken to improve mental health.
Real-Time Object Tracking with Generalized Part-Based Appearance Model and Structure-Constrained Motion Model

In this paper, we propose a real-time object tracking approach. It utilizes generalized part-based appearance model and structure-constrained motion model as auxiliary. The appearance of the target object is modeled by the proposed generalized part-based appearance model, which combines the appearance of different parts of the target object, adaptively updated by an efficient structure learning scheme based on the online Passive-Aggressive algorithm. By integrating the confidence scores of multiple parts, mutual compensation is realized, significantly enhances the robustness of our method against the structure deformation and partial occlusion during the tracking. In addition, we enhance the performance of our tracker by using a motion model. It employs a structure-constrained rule, that is, the change on the structure of the target object between consecutive frames is small. Experiments on public video sequences verify the superior performance of our algorithm.
Placental transfer and pharmacokinetics of lopinavir and other protease inhibitors in combination with nevirapine at delivery

Background:Antiretroviral combination therapies, including nevirapine (NVP) and protease inhibitors (PI), are increasingly used in the treatment and for the prophylaxis of vertical HIV-1 transmission in HIV-1 infected pregnant women. Objective:To determine pharmacokinetics and placental transfer of NVP and different PI in pregnancy we measured drug levels in maternal and foetal compartments at the day of delivery. Design and Methods:We conducted a prospective study in 40 eligible HIV-1 infected pregnant women who gave birth in our hospital. A pre-dose to 6 h post-dose steady-state pharmacokinetic analysis (n = 35) of the drugs on the day of the scheduled Caesarean section was performed. In addition cord blood and amniotic fluid drug levels were measured (n = 40). Results:In all women NVP plasma concentrations (n = 20) were below the recommended level. PI plasma concentrations (nelfinavir, n = 5; saquinavir, n = 3; lopinavir, n = 10; ritonavir, n = 13) were extremely variable. Cord blood and amniotic fluid drug levels suggested that NVP passes the placenta unrestricted whereas PI were detected in smaller concentrations in the foetal compartment. Conclusions:Because of the changed pharmacokinetics of antiretroviral drugs in pregnancy therapeutic drug monitoring could be important and dose adjustment should be considered. The minimal placental transfer of PI is desirable from the perspective that the foetus is protected from potentially teratogenic agents. However, it is not known if antiretroviral compounds in the foetal compartment contribute to the risk reduction of vertical HIV-1 transmission, and whether the property of missing placental transfer is in fact beneficial for the newborn.
ICESat observations of seasonal and interannual variations of sea-ice freeboard and estimated thickness in the Weddell Sea, Antarctica (2003–2009)

Abstract Sea-ice freeboard heights for 17 ICESat campaign periods from 2003 to 2009 are derived from ICESat data. Freeboard is combined with snow depth from Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer for Earth Observing System (AMSR-E) data and nominal densities of snow, water and sea ice, to estimate sea-ice thickness. Sea-ice freeboard and thickness distributions show clear seasonal variations that reflect the yearly cycle of growth and decay of the Weddell Sea (Antarctica) pack ice. During October–November, sea ice grows to its seasonal maximum both in area and thickness; the mean freeboards are 0.33–0.41m and the mean thicknesses are 2.10–2.59 m. During February–March, thinner sea ice melts away and the sea-ice pack is mainly distributed in the west Weddell Sea; the mean freeboards are 0.35–0.46m and the mean thicknesses are 1.48–1.94 m. During May–June, the mean freeboards and thicknesses are 0.26–0.29m and 1.32–1.37 m, respectively. the 6 year trends in sea-ice extent and volume are (0.023±0.051)×106 km2 a–1 (0.45% a–1) and (0.007±0.092)×103 km3 a–1 (0.08% a–1); however, the large standard deviations indicate that these positive trends are not statistically significant.
Differential production of phytotoxins from Phomopsis sp. from grapevine plants showing esca symptoms.

Nine strains of the fungus Phomopsis spp. were isolated from a vineyard showing decline from the disease esca. Strains were screened for their ability to produce secondary metabolites showing chemical diversity. The culture extracts of each strain were analyzed by liquid chromatography-ultraviolet-diode array detection-mass spectrometry. Three strains were selected for the isolation and characterization of eight of the major metabolites. Structures were elucidated by spectroscopic analyses including two-dimensional NMR and mass spectrometry and by comparison to literature data. Among the isolated metabolites were the known phomopsolide B (1), sydowinin A (6), sydowinol (7), cytosporone B (8), and four new furanones named phomopsolidones A-D (2-5). The fungal strains were identified as Phomopsis sp. , Phomopsis viticola Sacc and, Phomopsis viticola complex. Biological assays on Vitis vinifera leaves and callus tissue, antibacterial, and insecticidal activities were evaluated. The results revealed variability regarding secondary metabolites with species of Phomopsis sp. associated with grapevine, raising the question of cultivar-driven strain selection and phytotoxins biosynthesis in grapevine plants.
Economic Development and Industrial Concentration: An Inverted U-Curve

This paper sets up an economic geography model to show the endogenous forces that determine the degree of industry concentration in the course of economic development. The model includes centrifugal forces, such as home market effects and access to intermediate suppliers, and centripetal forces, such as demand pull of dispersed resources and congestion effects. Economic development increases the size of the industrial sector in terms of employment relative to the size of the agricultural sector. The relative strength of centripetal and centrifugal forces depends on the initial industry distribution, transport costs, and the level of economic development. These parameters lead to an inverted U-curve pattern of industry concentration, which is first increasing and then decreasing with per capita GDP. The model shows why the curve is more pronounced in newly industrializing economies than in industrialized countries, thereby explaining exceptionally high primacy ratios in today's developing countries.
GABAA Receptor Mediated Elevation of Ca2+ and Modulation of Gonadotrophin‐Releasing Hormone Action in αT3‐1 Gonadotropes

γ‐amino butyric acid (GABA) is the major inhibitory neurotransmitter in the CNS, mediating fast inhibitory synaptic transmission, by activating GABAA receptors. However, these GABA‐gated Cl− channels can also be excitatory, causing depolarization, and increasing Ca2+ entry via voltage‐operated Ca2+ channels (VOCCs). Evidence exists for excitatory ionotropic GABA receptors in anterior pituitary cells, including gonadotropes, but these have not been directly characterized and their pharmacology remains controversial. Here we have measured the cytosolic Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) in αT3–1 gonadotropes, to test for expression of excitatory GABA receptors. The GABAA agonists, GABA and muscimol, both caused rapid, robust and dose‐dependent increases in [Ca2+]i (EC50 values 2.7 and 1 μm), whereas the GABAB agonist, baclofen, did not. The GABAA antagonist, bicuculline, inhibited muscimol's effect, whereas the GABAB antagonist, phaclofen, did not. The neuroactive steroid 5α‐pregnan‐3α‐ol‐11,20‐dione (an allosteric activator of GABAA receptors) increased [Ca2+]i, and this effect, like that of muscimol, was inhibited by picrotoxin. The muscimol effect on [Ca2+]i was blocked by the VOCC antagonist, nifedipine, or by Ca2+‐free medium. When cells were pretreated with muscimol this increased the spike phase of the [Ca2+]i response to subsequent stimulation with gonadotropin‐releasing hormone (GnRH). Similar amplification was seen in muscimol‐pretreated cells stimulated with GnRH in Ca2+‐free medium, but not when cells were pretreated with muscimol in Ca2+‐free medium. The amplification was not, however, GnRH receptor‐specific, because the spike response to ionomycin was also increased by muscimol pretreatment. These data provide the first direct evidence for expression of excitatory GABAA receptors, and the first demonstration of acute steroid effects, on GnRH‐responsive pituitary cells. They also reveal a novel mechanism by which GABAA activation modulates GnRH action, raising the possibility that this may also influence gonadotrophin secretion from non‐immortalized gonadotropes.
Arabic phonetics in the beginning of the third millenium

Arabic phonetics has been part of the study of Arabic language since the 7 th century CE. The great works by Al-Khali:l, "Kita:b al-'Ayn", and Si:bawayh, author of the first Arabic grammar book "al-kita:b" (i.e., "The Book") are the two cornerstones of this field. The early Arab grammarians knew phonetics quite well, although they mixed it with phonology, but interest in phonetics has remained fairly marginal until the middle of the 20 th century. Modern phonetics in the West, computerized innovations and other factors enhanced also Arabic phonetics especially in the last two decades. This introduction reviews five major schools which developed Arabic phonetics in the (Classical) past: dictionary, grammar, Koran reading, philosophy, and rhetoric. These are compared with modern trends in Arabic phonetic studies: dialect descriptions, sociolinguistic studies, pure phonetic features, language acquisition and teaching and new phonetic areas: prosody and suprasegmentals. The basic differences between the two periods lie in research motivation and methodology. The talks in this session exemplify salient features of segments and suprasegments in colloquial dialects and Literary Arabic: pausal forms, glottalization, gemination, emphatics (coarticulation), and intonation. The studies were performed by modern analysis techniques.
Efficacy and safety of tifacogin (recombinant tissue factor pathway inhibitor) in severe sepsis: a randomized controlled trial.

CONTEXT The expression and release of tissue factor is a major trigger for the activation of coagulation in patients with sepsis. Tissue factor pathway inhibitor (TFPI) forms a complex with tissue factor and blood protease factors leading to inhibition of thrombin generation and fibrin formation. OBJECTIVES To determine if administration of tifacogin (recombinant TFPI) provides mortality benefit in patients with severe sepsis and elevated international normalized ratio (INR) and to assess tifacogin safety in severe sepsis, including patients with low INR. DESIGN AND SETTING A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter, phase 3 clinical trial conducted from March 21, 2000, through September 27, 2001, in 245 hospitals in 17 countries in North America, Europe, and Israel. PATIENTS The primary efficacy population consisted of 1754 patients (> or =18 years) with severe sepsis and a high INR (> or =1.2) randomly assigned to intravenous infusion of either tifacogin (0.025 mg/kg per hour for 96 hours, n = 880) or placebo (arginine citrate buffer, n = 874), and 201 patients with a low INR (<1.2) randomly assigned to receive the same dose of either tifacogin or placebo. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE All-cause 28-day mortality. RESULTS Overall mortality at 28 days in the tifacogin-treated group (n = 880) vs the placebo group (n = 874) for high INR was 34.2% vs 33.9%, respectively (P =.88, Pearson chi2 test; P =.75, logistic regression model). None of the protocol-specified secondary end points differed between the tifacogin vs placebo groups. An analysis on the first 722 patients demonstrated a mortality rate of 38.9% for placebo vs 29.1% for tifacogin (P =.006, Pearson chi2 test). Tifacogin significantly attenuated prothrombin fragment 1.2 and thrombin:antithrombin complex levels (P<.001, 2-sample t test) in patients with high and low INR. Overall mortality was lower in the tifacogin response in patients with low INR (12%; n = 83) vs placebo (22.9%; n = 118) (P =.051, Pearson chi2 test; P =.03, logistic regression model). There was an increase in serious adverse events with bleeding in the tifacogin group in both cohorts (6.5% tifacogin and 4.8% placebo for high INR; 6.0% tifacogin and 3.3% placebo for low INR). CONCLUSIONS Treatment with tifacogin had no effect on all-cause mortality in patients with severe sepsis and high INR. Tifacogin administration was associated with an increase in risk of bleeding, irrespective of baseline INR.
Myeloperoxidase and interleukin‐8 levels in chronic sinusitis

We have recetitly phenotyped inflammation iti tion‐infectious allergic and non‐allergic chronic maxillary sinusitis using sinus biopsies and lavage fluids. In this first paper, we have concentrated our work on the eosinophil, T cell, mast cell and macrophage infiltrates. However, many unresolved questions remain and particularly the role of neutrophils needed to be addressed. In the present study, we focused on the neutrophilic inflammation: myeloperoxidase (MPO) and interleukin‐8 (IL‐8) were measured by immunoassays and neutrophils were enumerated by conventional staining in the sinus lavage fluids of 16 patients with chronic sinusitis and six control subjects. Both MPO and IL‐8 levels were significantly higher in patients than in controls (P < 0.01 and 0.005, respectively). There was a significant correlation between MPO levels and neutrophil numbers, and between MPO and IL‐8 levels in the sinus lavage fluid (P < 0.0001, Spearman rank correlation). The presence of high levels of IL‐8 in the lavage fluids of patients suffering from chronic sinusitis, levels which correlate with those of MPO, suggests that this cytokine may activate neutrophils in this chronic disease.
Effect of Application Sites and Multiple Doses on Nicotine Pharmacokinetics in Healthy Male Japanese Smokers Following Application of the Transdermal Nicotine Patch

The transdermal nicotine patch, which contains 25 mg nicotine per 30 cm2, is designed to deliver approximately 15 mg nicotine to the blood circulation in 16 hours of application for the treatment of smoking cessation. It was applied to 3 different skin sites (upper arm, abdomen, and back) to examine regional variations in percutaneous nicotine absorption in a single‐dose, 3‐period, crossover study involving 9 healthy male Japanese smokers. Nicotine pharmacokinetics during once‐daily application of the transdermal nicotine patch for 5 days was also investigated in 10 healthy smokers. There were statistically significant effects of application sites on percutaneous nicotine absorption. The ratios (90% confidence intervals) of AUC and Cmax for comparison to the upper arm were 102% (88, 117%) and 106% (95, 119%) for the back and 75% (65, 87%) and 75% (66, 84%) for the abdomen, respectively. These suggest that systemic exposure after application to the upper arm was greater compared with the abdomen but equivalent to the back. Following multiple doses, linear pharmacokinetics and no significant accumulation of nicotine concentrations were observed, and steady state was reached by day 2. Only mild itching and erythema were observed at the application sites. The transdermal nicotine patch was well tolerated in both studies.
Effect of surface treatments on microtensile bond strength of repaired aged silorane resin composite.

OBJECTIVE This laboratory study compared the repaired microtensile bond strengths of aged silorane resin composite using different surface treatments and either silorane or methacrylate resin composite. METHODS One hundred eight silorane resin composite blocks (Filtek LS) were fabricated and aged by thermocycling between 8°C and 48°C (5000 cycles). A control (solid resin composite) and four surface treatment groups (no treatment, acid treatment, aluminum oxide sandblasting, and diamond bur abrasion) were tested (N=12 blocks, 108 beams/group). Each treatment group was randomly divided in half and repaired with either silorane resin composite (LS adhesive) or methacrylate resin composite (Filtek Z250/Single Bond Plus). After 24 hours in 37°C distilled water, microtensile bond strength testing was performed using a non-trimming technique. Surface topography after surface treatment was analyzed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Failure mode was examined using optical microscopy (50×). RESULTS Weibull-distribution survival analysis revealed that aluminum oxide sandblasting followed by silorane or methacrylate resin composite and acid treatment with methacrylate resin composite provided insignificant differences from the control (p>0.05). All other groups were significantly lower than the control. Failure was primarily adhesive in all groups. CONCLUSION Aluminum oxide sandblasting produced microtensile bond strength not different from the cohesive strength of silorane resin composite. After aluminum oxide sandblasting, aged silorane resin composite can be repaired with either silorane resin composite with LS system adhesive or methacrylate resin composite with methacrylate dental adhesive.