Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Predicting recurrence of atrial fibrillation after electrical cardioversion: gauging atrial damage.

This editorial refers to ‘Clinical and serological predictors for the recurrence of atrial fibrillation after electrical cardioversion’ by S.K. Kim et al . , Europace 2009;11:1632–8. Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common sustained arrhythmia encountered in clinical practice, and is associated with substantial mortality and morbidity due to stroke and heart failure.1 It frequently progresses relentlessly, and recurrent paroxysmal AF often evolves to persistent or permanent forms. The notion that ‘AF begets AF’2 has been used to explain the self-perpetuating nature of the disease. As AF persists, it promotes atrial electrophysiological changes including shortening of the atrial effective refractory period, increased dispersion of refractoriness, and slowing of the conduction velocity, which in turn facilitate AF maintenance as well as its recurrence. In addition, atrial structural remodelling, particularly atrial fibrosis, has recently been shown to play an important role in the development of AF.3 Although prompt cardioversion or an ablation procedure can reduce the likelihood of AF recurrence, a substantial proportion of patients continue to have the recurrent arrhythmia afterwards. In these patients, pre-existing changes in the atria provide a milieu for AF to …
Functional Properties and Dynamics of Natriuretic Peptide Receptors

Since the discovery of atrial natriuretic factor (ANF or ANP) in 1981 by De Bold et al. (1), more than 6500 articles on the subject have appeared in the literature. For an extensive review on ANP and its receptors, the reader is directed to Reference 2. In this short review, we will consider in a noninclusive manner the dynamics and functional properties of natriuretic peptide receptors. ANP is a 28-amino acid polypeptide hormone secreted mainly by the heart atria in response to atrial stretch that results from an increase in central venous pressure, or systemic and pulmonary hypertension. ANP is a member of a family of natriuretic peptides, which include B-type or brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP), and urodilatin. The physiological role of BNP, CNP, and urodilatin remains essentially unknown. The main actions of ANP in the mammalian organism are geared toward the regulation of volumepressure homeostasis (2,3). In the kidney, ANP exerts hemodynamic and tubular actions that lead to diuresis and natriuresis. In the cardiovascular system, ANP acts as a strong antagonist of vasoconstriction and also decreases plasma volume, a combination of events that reduces blood pressure. The decrease in plasma volume is due to a shift of fluid from the intravascular to the interstitial compartment brought about by an increase in hydraulic permeability of systemic capillaries. ANP is also a powerful functional antagonist of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system through inhibiting renin secretion by the kidney, aldosterone synthesis by the adrenal, and by antagonizing all known peripheral actions of angiotensin 11. The inhibition of the activity and effects of renin-angiotensinaldosterone contributes substantially to the cardiovascular effects of ANP. Several in vivo studies in the past 8 years, including studies on inhibition of ANP metabolism by blockade of C receptors, administration of specific guanylyl cyclase receptor antagonists, and, more recently, studies on gene deletion of ANP and guanylyl cyclase type A receptors in mice, conclusively demonstrated that ANP, through guanylyl cyclase type A receptors, play a major role in pressurevolume homeostasis (2-5).
Identification of land use/cover transfer hotspots in the Ejisu-Juabeng District, Ghana

Available information on land use/cover transfer is at global and national levels while change processes are widespread at the local hotspots. Natural resources monitoring and assessment programmes in Ghana focus on maintenance of quality, quantity of merchantable species and diversity of forest resources in forest reserves and off reserves with less attention on the land use transfers taking place. There is the need to generate land use/cover transfer information in Ghana at all levels of aggregation using remote sensing and GIS techniques. The study sought to identify prevalent land use transfers and link them to socio-economic factors that drive them using hotspot identification procedures in a forestry context in the off reserve and forest reserve interface of Ejisu-Juabeng District. To achieve this post classification change detention was conducted between two years using Landsat TM 1986 and ETM 2004 to detect changes at the district level to produce a change matrix of the two years and change map. Hotspot identification procedures were also applied to identify local areas with high concentration of land use/cover transfers. Fragment statistics including number of patches, largest patch index, patch density, mean patch size were computed for the district; and total core area, mean core area, total core area index and all district statistics also computed in four largest hotspots for description and comparisons. The analysis of the change detection revealed that forest area has decreased from 20385.04 ha in 1986 to 12824.62 ha in 2004 due to transfers to grass indirectly via agriculture. Forest fragmentation also decreased in 2004. Hotspot identification resulted in nine hotspots of which the four (Adokrom, Duapompo, Kubease and Yeboah) analysed indicated that Yeboah is the area undergoing most forest transfers followed by Kubease, Duapompo and Adokrom in order in decreasing transfers in forest. District rate was only higher than Duapompo and Adokrom. Forest not concentrated in hotspots but scatter in across the study area in smaller fragments. Forest in Yeboah remained the most fragmented hotspot followed by Kubease, Adokrom and Duapompo in the order of decreasing fragmentation. Adokrom and Duapompo are driven by economic, technological and market factors whiles Kubease and Yeboah are also driven by soil infertility problems and migration. The differences in identified in the nature of forest transfers in the study area are essential for planning and prescribing specific measures to mitigate forest transfers at each hotspot.
Comparative Egg Production, Fertility and Hatchability of Cobb-500, Ross and Hubbard-Hi-Yield Broiler Parent Stock in Bangladesh

Broiler parent stock of 7851 Cobb-500, 8388 Ross and 8745 Hubbard-Hi-Yield were reared in controlled (slated cum floor system) house to determine the egg production performance, fertility and hatchability. A total of 151200 hatching eggs of Cobb-500, Ross and Hubbard-Hi-Yield broiler strain were collected and set in the incubator in 10 batches having 15120 eggs in each batch and 5040 eggs in each strain to compare fertility and hatchability among the strains. From the above study, it was observed that the strains had significant effect (P 0.05) on normal chick production and chick weight as percentage of egg weight. Hubbard-Hi-Yield strain was the best while Ross was intermediate and Cobb-500 was the poorest in terms of egg production, fertility and hatchability. Therefore, Hubbard-Hi-Yield broiler parent stocks as well as its grand parent stock may be more profitable and suitable for broiler production in Bangladesh.
Efficient finite-difference time-domain modeling of driven periodic structures

The paper proposes an efficient method to analyze the response of periodic structures to non-periodic excitations in the time domain, employing the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method. To that end, the array-scanning method, which has been previously associated with frequency-domain, integral formulations of periodic structure problems, is translated into the context of FDTD. Hence, the application of periodic FDTD techniques, based on the simulation of a single unit cell, to problems involving non-periodic source excitations is enabled. While a validation case study involves a microstrip line on an electromagnetic band-gap substrate, the utilization of this approach to metamaterial structure modeling is envisaged.
Separate histories in both sides of the Mediterranean: phylogeny and niche evolution of ocellated lizards

The ocellated lizards of the genus Timon, comprising six species that are distributed across continental Asia, Europe and Africa, offer an interesting model to study the evolution of ecological niches through comparative phyloclimatic analysis. Our study provides insights into the evolutionary history of the ocellated lizards and helps to understand the role of climatic niche evolution during the speciation process.
Optics Studies of the LHC Beam Transfer Line TI 8

The optics of the newly commissioned LHC beam transfer line TI 8 was studied with beam trajectories, dispersion and profile measurements. Steering magnet response measurements were used to analyze the quality of the steering magnets and of the beam position monitors. A simultaneous fit of the quadrupole strengths was used to search for setting or calibration errors. Residual coupling between the planes was evaluated using high statistics samples of trajectories. Initial conditions for the optics at the entrance of the transfer line were reconstructed from beam profile measurements with Optical Transition Radiation monitors. The paper presents the various analysis methods and their errors. The expected emittance growth arising from optical mismatch into the LHC is evaluated.
Factors Affecting Parenting Stress Among Biologically Vulnerable Toddlers

Parenting a child with, or at risk for, a developmental delay or disability can be stressful. Abidin's parenting stress model was used as a framework to examine how several maternal, child, and family factors predict parent stress outcomes. Stepwise regression models revealed that maternal and child factors were significant contributors to parenting stress. However, family factors (income and family functioning) were not retained. Parenting stress was lower when child (cognitive and adaptive ability) and maternal (depression and child care competence) characteristics were more positive. Child cognitive ability was a strong contributor to total parenting stress and two parenting stress subscales. Findings suggest that these parents need stress lowering interventions such as supportive child care, respite relief, and a child behaviour-focused program.
Effects of exogenous testosterone on ovarian weight, follicular morphology and intraovarian progesterone concentration in estrogen-primed hypophysectomized immature female rats.

Experiments were designed to examine the effects of exogenous testosterone on preantral follicles in the ovaries of estrogen-primed, hypophysectomized immature, female rats (lllFR). Parameters examined included ovarian weight, follicular morphology and intraovarian progesterone concentrations. Results show dose-and time-related decrements in ovarian weight and stimulation of follicular atresia during 4 days of treatment with testosterone at doses between 1 (cid:1)g and 1 mg/day. The relationship between ovarian weight and logarithmic increments in the daily dose of testosterone was shown to be completely linear (correlation coefficient = -0.999, P<0.001). A similar relationship prevailed between ovarian weight and duration of testosterone treatment (1 mg/day) (correlation coefficient = -0.998, P< 0.005). Ovarian weight reduction was directly related to concomitant stimulation of follicular atresia and was apparent within 24-48 h of initiating treatment with testosterone (1 mg). The effects of androgen on estrogen-primed ovaries were quan- titatively and qualitatively reproduced by withdrawal of estrogen (in the absence of androgen) suggesting an antiestrogenic action of testosterone. Follicular atresia induced by testosterone or by withdrawal of estrogen was associated with a striking degree of thecal hypertrophy and evidence for the contribution of the theca of atretic follicles to the ovarian interstitial tissue was adduced. Since intraovarian concentrations of progesterone were not altered by treatment with exogenous testosterone, it is concluded that the atretic action of androgen represents its primary action on estrogen-stimulated preantral follicles in the absence of gonadotropic support.
Numerical Computation of the Inverse Born Approximation for the Nonlinear Schrödinger Equation in Two Dimensions

Abstract This work deals with the numerical computation of the inverse Born approximation associated with inverse scattering problems for the nonlinear Schrödinger equation in two space dimensions. We consider both backscattering and fixed angle data. The problem of computing the Born approximation is formulated as a linear inverse problem which is solved using a regularization method. Numerical examples with noisy data are given to illustrate the effectiveness of this method.
Effect of Vegetables, Tea, and Soy on Endogenous N-Nitrosation, Fecal Ammonia, and Fecal Water Genotoxicity During a High Red Meat Diet in Humans

Red meat increases colonic N-nitrosation, and this may explain the positive epidemiological relationship between red meat intake and colorectal cancer risk. Vegetables, tea, and soy have been shown to block N-nitroso compound (NOC) formation and are associated with protection against colorectal cancer. To determine whether these supplements affect fecal NOC excretion during consumption of a high red meat (420 g/day) diet, 11 male volunteers were studied over a randomized series of 15-day dietary periods. Seven of these subjects completed a further dietary period to test the effects of soy (100 g/day). Soy significantly suppressed fecal apparent total NOC (ATNC) concentration (P = 0.02), but supplements of vegetables (400 g/day as 134 g broccoli, 134 g brussels sprouts, and 134 g petits pois) and tea extract (3 g/day) did not affect mean levels of fecal ATNC, nitrogen and ammonia excretion, and fecal water genotoxicity. However, fecal weight was increased (P < 0.001) and associated with reduced transit time (r = 0.594, P < 0.0001), so that contact between ATNC, nitrite, and ammonia and the large bowel mucosa would have been reduced. Longer transit times were associated with elevated fecal ATNC concentrations (r = 0.42, P = 0.002). Fecal nitrite was significantly suppressed during the tea supplement compared with the meat-only (P = 0.0028) and meat + vegetables diets (P = 0.005 for μg NO2/g).
Risk of Abruption Placenta in Women with Preeclampsia UndergoingLabour Induction with Misoprostol

Objectives: To evaluate the risk of abruption placentae in women with preeclampsia undergoing labour induction with misoprostol. Patients and Methods: This is a retrospective, descriptive and analytical study of 1.136 cases of labour induction with misoprostol performed vaginally at “Roi Baudouin” Health Centre in Dakar suburbs from 2009 to 2011. For each patient, were collected and analysed sociodemographic data, pregnancy and birth characteristics. The population was divided into 2 groups. The first group concerned patients who had preeclampsia and the second group, patients undergoing induction of labour for another indication. In each group, rate of abruption placentae was analysed. Data were entered and analysed using SPSS 17.0 software. Results: Over 3 years, 1.136 patients underwent labour induction with misoprostol on 16.125 births (7%). The average age of patients was 27.2 years, the mean gravidity 2 and the average parity 2.47. Labour induction was performed for preeclampsia in 30.1% of cases. For 94.5% of patients, 50 μg was used as double (100 μg) was used in 63 patients (4.5%). Abruption placenta occurred in 4% of cases in patients with preeclampsia and in 0.3% of cases in patients who underwent induction for another indication (p <0.0001). 22 intrapartum deaths (2.1%) were recorded and 20 early neonatal deaths (2%). The transfer rate in neonates was 14.8%. Neonatal complications were more frequent in the preeclampsia group. Conclusion: Induction of labour with misoprostol on preeclampsia is associated with a high risk of abruption placentae, low Apgar score at the 5th minute and intrapartum and early neonatal deaths.
Assessment and amelioration of hyperacusis in tinnitus patients

Conclusions Tinnitus can be bothersome even without hyperacusis. The good correlation found in this study between the multiple-activity scale for hyperacusis (MASH) score and the overall annoyance of hyperacusis score supports the reliability of self-rating of hyperacusis. Objectives A prospective study was undertaken to investigate the relationships between hyperacusis and tinnitus and to determine whether hyperacusis can be rapidly controlled over time. Material and methods All tinnitus patients seen over a period of 16 months with surnames beginning with the letters A–L (n=249) were assessed during a structured interview using (i) a scale ranging from 0 to 10 for assessing the annoyance of tinnitus and the overall annoyance of hyperacusis and (ii) the newly introduced MASH. Results The annoyance of tinnitus was greater in females. The prevalence of hyperacusis was high (79%). The annoyance of hyperacusis varied. Patients were categorized into five groups according to the hyperacusis annoyance score, as follows: no hyperacusis; mild hyperacusis (≤3); moderate hyperacusis (3.1–5.0); substantial hyperacusis (5.1–7.0); and severe hyperacusis (≥7.1). Individuals with severe hyperacusis were younger than those in the other groups. The correlation between the annoyance of tinnitus and the annoyance of hyperacusis was poor (r=0.35). No audiometric difference was found between categories, whereas self-rated hearing deficiency increased with the annoyance of hyperacusis. A good correlation (r=0.89) was found between the overall annoyance of hyperacusis and the MASH score. Changes over time, assessed in 32 patients investigated at least 3 times, showed more frequent improvement in hyperacusis (63%) than tinnitus (47%).
[An ambispective cohort study of the natural history of HIV infection among former unsafe commercial blood and plasma donors].

OBJECTIVE Discussing the natural history and the influencing factors of HIV infection among former commercial blood and plasma donors engaged in unsafe blood donation practices in China. METHODS Using ambispective cohort study, with data obtained from ten counties (districts) from six provinces in the National AIDS Control Demonstration Area. HIV/AIDS cases were found and confirmed prior to July 24, 2006 being former commercial blood. Plasma donors were selected and data regarding infection, incidence, death, and influencing factors was collected. Analysis was performed using SPSS 12.0 statistical analysis software. RESULTS (1) In 7551 cases of HIV infection, there were 6533 typical progressors (86.52%, 4757 cases of AIDS), 108 rapid progressors (1.43%), 910 long-term non-progressors (12.05%) with 4865 cases progressed to AIDS (64.43%). The median incubation period for HIV progression to AIDS was nine years (95% CI:8.96-9.04). (2) According to data, from a total of 1157 AIDS cases without ARV therapy (23.78% of total AIDS cases), there were 283 confirmed AIDS-related deaths, of which the median survival time was 6 months (95% CI:4-7) and the two and three year fatality rates were 95% and 99%, respectively. (3) The duration of HIV incubation period was irrespective to gender and age at the time of HIV infection (P > 0.05). Length of survival for untreated AIDS showed correlation to gender (P < 0.05) but no correlation with culture, marital status or age at the time of diagnosis of AIDS (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION Compared with the UNAIDS theory regarding slow disease progressors among adults, our study showed a longer AIDS incubation period and shorter outlook for untreated survival, but a similar incubation period for other routes of HIV infection.
Induced gamma band responses: an early marker of memory encoding and retrieval

Although mnemonic processes have been widely studied using event-related potentials (ERPs), memory-related oscillatory changes in the EEG have been relatively neglected. The aim of this study was to investigate memory encoding- and retrieval-related changes in the frequency domain. In particular, we focused on induced gamma band responses (GBRs), which are a candidate for the establishment and activation of widespread cell assemblies. At encoding, results revealed increased GBRs for subsequently recognised relative to subsequently forgotten items. At retrieval, recognised old stimuli were associated with higher GBRs compared to new stimuli. During encoding and retrieval GBR modulation preceded that of ERPs. Thus, GBRs might be a correlate of processes that onset earlier to those responsible for memory encoding and retrieval ERP effects.
Hippocampal substructural vulnerability to sleep disturbance and cognitive impairment in patients with chronic primary insomnia: magnetic resonance imaging morphometry.

STUDY OBJECTIVES Despite compelling evidence from animal studies indicating hippocampal subfield-specific vulnerability to poor sleep quality and related cognitive impairment, there have been no human magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies investigating the relationship between hippocampal subfield volume and sleep disturbance. Our aim was to investigate the pattern of volume changes across hippocampal subfields in patients with primary insomnia relative to controls. DESIGN Pointwise morphometry allowed for volume measurements of hippocampal regions on T1-weighted MRI. SETTING University hospital. PATIENTS Twenty-seven unmedicated patients (age: 51.2 ± 9.6 y) and 30 good sleepers as controls (50.4 ± 7.1 y). INTERVENTIONS N/A. MEASUREMENTS We compared hippocampal subfield volumes between patients and controls and correlated volume with clinical and neuropsychological features in patients. RESULTS Patients exhibited bilateral atrophy across all hippocampal subfields (P < 0.05 corrected). Cornu ammonis (CA) 1 subfield atrophy was associated with worse sleep quality (higher Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and higher arousal index of polysomnography) (r < -0.45, P < 0.005). The volume of the combined region, including the dentate gyrus (DG) and CA3-4, negatively correlated with verbal memory, verbal information processing, and verbal fluency in patients (|r| > 0.45, P < 0.05). Hemispheric volume asymmetry of this region (left smaller than right) was associated with impaired verbal domain functions (r = 0.50, P < 0.005). CONCLUSION Hippocampal subfield atrophy in chronic insomnia suggests reduced neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus (DG) and neuronal loss in the cornu ammonis (CA) subfields in conditions of sleep fragmentation and related chronic stress condition. Atrophy in the CA3-4-DG region was associated with impaired cognitive functions in patients. These observations may provide insight into pathophysiological mechanisms that make patients with chronic sleep disturbance vulnerable to cognitive impairment. CITATION Joo EY, Kim H, Suh S, Hong SB. Hippocampal substructural vulnerability to sleep disturbance and cognitive impairment in patients with chronic primary insomnia: magnetic resonance imaging morphometry.
Structural Plasticity within the Barrel Cortex during Initial Phases of Whisker-Dependent Learning

We report learning-related structural plasticity in layer 1 branches of pyramidal neurons in the barrel cortex, a known site of sensorimotor integration. In mice learning an active, whisker-dependent object localization task, layer 2/3 neurons showed enhanced spine growth during initial skill acquisition that both preceded and predicted expert performance. Preexisting spines were stabilized and new persistent spines were formed. These findings suggest rapid changes in connectivity between motor centers and sensory cortex guide subsequent sensorimotor learning.