Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Ghrelin levels are reduced in prepubertal epileptic children under treatment with carbamazepine or valproic acid

A relationship between ghrelin and epilepsy has been already shown in humans, although the results are controversial. Ghrelin levels are reduced in obesity. Epileptic patients progressively develop a therapy‐linked weight gain; however, the mechanisms for this have not been fully explained. The aim of our study is to evaluate if ghrelin secretion is modulated by treatment with carbamazepine or valproic acid in young prepubertal epileptic children. Ghrelin levels were reduced in normal‐weight young epileptic prepubertal children under treatment with carbamazepine (p < 0.0001) or valproic acid (p < 0.006) compared to healthy age‐ and weight‐matched subjects. Ghrelin was also lower in children under carbamazepine when compared to those under valproic acid (p < 0.01). A derangement in ghrelin secretion in epilepsy during specific pharmacologic therapies and independent of weight gain could be hypothesized.
Visual working memory in primary generalized epilepsy

It is generally believed that patients with primary generalized epilepsy have normal cognition and neuroimaging studies.We have previously shown that patients with juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME) have impaired visual working memory. In this study we examined relative regional changes in18 FDG uptake during a visual working memory paradigm in patients with JME. At rest, there were regional decreases in relative glucose uptake compared to controls. Unlike control subjects, increased activity in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex was not found during the working memory task. Other regions with increased uptake in controls, such as premotor cortex and basal frontal cortex, also showed no increases, whereas medial temporal structures appeared to play a role in JME but not in control subjects' task performance. The data suggest that JME, a type of primary generalized epilepsy, may suffer from cortical disorganization that affects both the epileptogenic potential and frontal lobe cognitive functioning. NEUROLOGY 1996;47: 1203-1212
Evaluation of the Proton Induced Bulk Damage in SDRAM Utilizing 90 nm Process Technology

We describe proton induced bulk damage observed in 90 nm process SDRAM. The degradation of the data retention ability was evaluated. The effect due to the difference of process technology and memory cell structure was discussed. The result indicates that the value of the capacitance of the storage capacitor and the volume of the depletion region are key parameters concerning the failures caused by bulk damage.
Evaluation of the Use of Sodium Thiocyanate and Sodium Percarbonate in the Activation of the Lactoperoxidase System in the Conservation of Raw Milk without Refrigeration in the Ecuadorian Tropics

Milk production in Ecuador has enormous economic importance and large-, medium- and small-scale producers all participate in the market. There are multiple climatic regions, and dairy production is present in every one of them. High ambient temperatures in the Ecuadorian tropics represent a key challenge to the conservation of milk in the custody of smallholders. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the efficiency of the application of a chemical activator of the Lactoperoxidase System (LP-s) in the conservation of raw milk, at room temperature, in the Ecuadorian tropics. In the present study, sodium thiocyanate—0.36 g·L-1 of milk—and sodium percarbonate—1.36 g·L-1 of milk—as an activator of LP-s were used and the pH and microbiological characteristics (total coliforms, Staphylococcus aureus, total aerobes, molds and yeasts) of the milk at different storage times (0, 4 and 8 hours). The results obtained in the present study showed a significant difference between the two groups under study at 8 hours of storage at room temperature in all parameters (except yeasts where there was no growth in the two treatments), being relevant the significant decrease of the bacterial content. Thus the present study shows that the use of sodium thiocyanate and sodium percarbonate in the above described concentrations could be modulating the activation of LP-s that provides an efficient alternative for the conservation of the raw milk without refrigeration, improving the income for losses of the product and obtaining a raw material of good quality for sale or for further processing, mainly for small producers who do not have the economic resources to have refrigeration means for their product and who must transport their milk for considerably longer distances until they arrive at the collection centers or the processing plants for sale, thus showing that the method used in the present study is not only effective but also has a relatively low cost and easy application.
The stride cycle of the cat: the modelling of locomotion by computerized analysis of automatic recordings.

The present study gives a general description of the locomotor patterns of the intact cat. Overground and treadmill locomotion were studied by means of automatic recordings of limb movements, ground reaction forces and electromyograms. The data processing and automatic recording techniques which were used are described; one recording technique is based on a television system, another on the Selspot I system. The data were processed and analysed interactively with a computer, which allows a statistical analysis of many strides in a fast and accurate way. The amplitudes and time course of movements in different joints and different limbs were studied at different velocities of locomotion and correlated to each other and to parameters such as the onset and termination of electromyographic activity in different muscles. No element of the stride cycle was found to be constant: The amplitudes of joint angles and limb excursions as well as the durations of the different phases of the stride cycle can be adapted to maintain an appropriate coordination between the limbs. The durations of all phases of the stride cycle decrease with increasing speed of locomotion. The durations of the support and extension phases change proportionally more than of the swing and flexion phases and they all appear to be linearly related to the stride cycle duration. The relations of the flexion duration with the stride cycle duration for the different joints are usually different from each other and after a disturbance of the movements of a forelimb the duration of knee and ankle flexion of the homolateral limb can increase and the first extension phase of knee and ankle decrease, whereas they usually increase or decrease together. This further supports the hypothesis that every joint is controlled by a flexion and extension unit pattern generator. The amplitude of the joint angle excursions during the different phases of the stride cycle are better controlled than the absolute joint angles at the onset and termination of these phases. The position of the toe at touch-down was studied at different velocities of locomotion and was found to remain comparatively constant. There is a correlation between hip, knee and ankle joint angles at touch-down, which was found to be of importance for the precise positioning of the foot. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Bronchoscopic diagnosis of pneumonia

Lower respiratory tract infections are characterized by significant morbidity and mortality but also by a relative inability to establish a specific etiologic agent on clinical grounds alone. With the recognized shortcomings of expectorated or aspirated secretions toward establishing an etiologic diagnosis, clinicians have increasingly used bronchoscopy to obtain diagnostic samples. A variety of specimen types may be obtained, including bronchial washes or brushes, protected specimen brushings, bronchoalveolar lavage, and transbronchial biopsies. Bronchoscopy has been applied in three primary clinical settings, including the immunocompromised host, especially human immunodeficiency virus-infected and organ transplant patients; ventilator-associated pneumonia; and severe, nonresolving community- or hospital-acquired pneumonia in nonventilated patients. In each clinical setting, and for each specimen type, specific laboratory protocols are required to provide maximal information. These protocols should provide for the use of a variety of rapid microscopic and quantitative culture techniques and the use of a variety of specific stains and selective culture to detect unusual organism groups.
Risk factors and the surgery affection of respiratory complication and its mortality after acute traumatic cervical spinal cord injury

Abstract The aim of this study is to estimate the risk factors of both respiratory complication (RC) and mortality after acute traumatic cervical spinal cord injury (TCSCI). Between July 2005 and July 2015, in 181 patients (142 males and 39 females; mean age 41.0 years) with acute TCSCI, we compared the difference and odds ratio in RC group (n = 73) with that of non-RC group (n = 108), and also death group (n = 15) and survival group (n = 166). We collected injury-related information after half a year of injury, which is as follows: the causes of injury, time of surgery, ICU (intensive care unit) days, ventilator days, ASIA (American Spinal Injury Association) classification, neurological injury, CIPS (Clinical Pulmonary Infection Score), and BMI (body mass index). Besides these, we gathered the general information such as age, gender, smoking history, and use of steroids. The study compared perioperative parameters; surgery-related and instrumentation- and graft-related complication rates; clinical parameters; patient satisfaction; and radiologic parameters. Variations like gender (odds ratio [OR] = 1.269, 95% confidence interval [CI] [0.609–2.646]), smoking history (OR = 2.902, 95% CI [1.564–5.385]), AIS grade (grade A) (OR = 6.439, 95% CI [3.334–12.434]), neurological level (C1-C4) (OR = 2.714, 95% CI [1.458–5.066]), and steroid use (OR = 2.983, 95% CI [1.276–6.969]) have a facilitated effect on RC. When we estimated surgery-related affection, only the time of surgery and anterior approach compared with posterior has significant difference in RC (P < .05). Between death and survival group, the aspect of age, non-surgical, CPIS, AIS grade, and BMI have statistically significant difference. Survival analysis reveals significant difference in aforementioned groups. In patients suffering from acute TCSCI, those who are old, have long smoking history, complete spinal cord injury, C1-C4, high CPIS, and fat have high incidence of RC and mortality.
Phase I/II trial of nonpegylated liposomal doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, vincristine, and prednisone in the treatment of newly diagnosed aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

BACKGROUND The toxicity and efficacy of nonpegylated liposomal doxorubicin (TLC D-99) when substituted for conventional doxorubicin in the CHOP (doxorubicin/cyclophosphamide/vincristine/prednisone) regimen were evaluated in the treatment of newly diagnosed patients with aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Liposomal doxorubicin at doses of 40 mg/m2, 50 mg/m2, 60 mg/m2, and 80 mg/m2 was given with fixed doses of cyclophosphamide, vincristine, and prednisone. Chemotherapy cycles were repeated every 21 days. PATIENTS AND METHODS Forty-seven patients with a median age of 55 years (range, 25-83 years) were studied. RESULTS No dose-limiting toxicities were observed at any level. Reversible grade 3/4 neutropenia was the most common toxicity (95.8%). Most nonhematologic side effects were grade 1/2 in severity. Complete remissions were documented in 31 of 46 evaluable patients (67.4%) and partial remissions in 7 (15.2%), for an overall major response rate of 82.6%. The median duration of complete remission is > or = 27.7 months (range, 2.4 months to > or = 59.8 months). An exploratory objective was to correlate multidrug resistance-1 (MDR-1) expression with outcome. Immunohistochemistry for MDR-1-related p-glycoprotein was assessed in lymphoma tissues from 27 patients. Of the 27 lymphoma tissues studied, 8 (30%) were MDR-1 positive at diagnosis. The complete response rate was 63% in MDR-1-positive lymphomas and 74% in the MDR-1-negative cases (P = 0.66). CONCLUSION Nonpegylated liposomal doxorubicin in combination with cyclophosphamide, vincristine, and prednisone is an active regimen for patients with newly diagnosed, aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. The regimen is relatively well tolerated, with hematologic suppression as the major toxicity. Liposomal encapsulation might evade resistance caused by MDR-1 expression.
Synthesis of ZnO Nanoparticles by a Novel Surfactant Assisted Amine Combustion Method

The as precursor, HMTA as fuel material and non-ionic surfactant (Triton-X 100). The X-Ray diffraction (XRD) analysis revealed that the synthesized ZnO nanopowder has the pure wurtzite structure. The ZnO powder shows polycrystalline nature having the crystallite size 21.25 nm. Crystallite size is calculated using Debye-Scherrer’s and Williamson-Hall equations. Porosity, Cell Volume, Micro strain, Morphology Index, Lorentz factor and Lorentz Polarization factor are also studied. From differential thermal analysis (DTA) & thermo gravimetric (TGA) it has been confirmed that nano powder has the phase purity. The weight loss percentage of the sample is 2.8385%. The particle size obtained 29 nm is in good agreement with the crystallite size calculated from X-Ray Diffraction pattern with the Particle Size Analyzer. The morphology of as prepared Zinc oxide nanopowders are characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM). From specific area electron diffraction (SAED) pattern has specified the d-spacing and corresponding planes which coincide with the XRD d-spacing and planes.
Quantum effects of translational motions in solid para-hydrogen and ortho-deuterium: anharmonic extension of the Einstein model

An anharmonic extension of the Einstein model is developed in order to describe the effect of translational zero point motion on structural and thermodynamic properties of para-H2 and ortho-D2 crystals in the zero temperature limit. Accordingly, the molecules carry out large amplitude translational motions in their matrix cage, which are formed by the frozen environment of all other molecules. These translations lead from the molecular equilibrium positions via the harmonic to the anharmonic domain of the potential energy surface. The resulting translational distributions are roughly isotropic, and they have approximately Gaussian shapes, with rather broad full widths at half-maximum, FWHM(para-H2/ortho-D2) = 1.36/1.02 Å. The translational zero point energies induce expansions of the crystals, in nearly quantitative agreement with experimental results. Furthermore, they make significant contributions to the sublimation energies and zero pressure bulk moduli. These quantum effects decrease with heavier molecular masses. The corresponding isotope effects for ortho-D2 compared to para-H2 are confirmed by application of the model to Ar crystals. The results imply consequences for laser induced reaction dynamics of dopants with their host crystals.
The many shades of prion strain adaptation

In several recent studies transmissible prion disease was induced in animals by inoculation with recombinant prion protein amyloid fibrils produced in vitro. Serial transmission of amyloid fibrils gave rise to a new class of prion strains of synthetic origin. Gradual transformation of disease phenotypes and PrPSc properties was observed during serial transmission of synthetic prions, a process that resembled the phenomenon of prion strain adaptation. The current article discusses the remarkable parallels between phenomena of prion strain adaptation that accompanies cross-species transmission and the evolution of synthetic prions occurring within the same host. Two alternative mechanisms underlying prion strain adaptation and synthetic strain evolution are discussed. The current article highlights the complexity of the prion transmission barrier and strain adaptation and proposes that the phenomenon of prion adaptation is more common than previously thought.
Growth and Microtubule Orientation of Zea mays Roots Subjected to Osmotic Stress

Previous work has shown that microtubule (MT) reorientation follows the onset of growth inhibition on the lower side of graviresponding roots, indicating that growth reduction can occur independently of MT reorientation. To test this observation further, we examined whether the reduction in growth in response to osmotic stress is correlated with MT reorientation. The distribution and rate of growth in maize roots exposed to 350 mOsm sorbitol and KCl or 5 mM Mes/Tris buffer were measured with a digitizer. After various times roots were processed for indirect immunofluorescence microscopy. Application of sorbitol or KCl had no effect on the organization of MTs in the apical 2 mm of the root but resulted in striking and different effects in the basal region of the root. Sorbitol treatment caused rapid appearance of oval to circular holes in the microtubular array that persisted for at least 9 h. Between 30 min and 4 h of submersion in KCl, MTs in cortical cells 4 mm and farther from the quiescent center began to reorient oblique to the longitudinal axis. After 9 h, the alignment of MTs had shifted to parallel to the root axis but MTs of the epidermal cells remained transverse. In KCl-treated roots MT reorientation appeared to follow a pattern of development similar to that in controls but without elongation. Our data provide additional evidence that MT reorientation is not the cause but a consequence of growth inhibition.
Development of alder carr after the abandonment of wet grasslands during the last 70 years

Abstract• The secondary succession of wet grasslands to communities of alder carr dominated by Alnus glutinosa was recorded in different parts of Europe during the 20th century. However, knowledge of such development of alder carr remains insufficient. • The development of alder carr was reconstructed at five sites in the Czech Republic, using historical aerial photographs and methods of dendrochronology. The aims were to investigate the succession from wet grasslands to alder carr at sites previously intensively managed for agriculture and to find out the role of fluctuations in the groundwater table, caused by artificial drainage channels, in the observed stand dynamics and tree growth. • The spread of forest (i.e., an increase in forest cover) predominated until the 1970s at all sites. This trend was disrupted by a large-scale dieback of forest stands in four of the five sites after the 1970s, followed by an increase in patch heterogeneity, as indicated by landscape metrics. The radial growth increment in Alnus glutinosa has been affected predominately by local environmental factors, probably including the changing degree of waterlogging. Forest dieback was presumably connected with a lesser extent of drainage channels. • Our results indicate that observed successional pathways at sites of alder carr were probably caused by local changes in the groundwater table. Résumé• La succession secondaire des prairies humides en communautés de taillis d’aunes dominées par Al-nus glutinosa a été enregistrée dans différentes parties de l’Europe au cours du 20e siècle. Toutefois, la connaissance du développement de taillis d’aunes reste insuffisante. • Le développement de taillis d’aunes a été reconstruit dans cinq sites en République Tchèque, à l’aide de photographies aériennes historiques et des méthodologies de la dendrochronologie. Les objectifs étaient d’étudier la succession de prairies humides en taillis d’aunes sur des sites précédemment exploités intensivement par l’agriculture et de découvrir le rôle des fluctuations de la nappe phréatique, causées par le drainage artificiel des canaux, et d’observer la dynamique des peuplements et la croissance des arbres. • La progression de la forêt (c’est-à-dire, l’augmentation du couvert forestier) a prédominé jusque dans les années 1970 dans tous les sites. Cette tendance a été perturbée par un vaste dépérissement des peuplements forestiers dans quatre des cinq sites après les années 1970, suivie par une augmentation de l’hétérogénéité des bouquets d’arbres, comme indiqué par les paramètres du paysage. L’augmentation de la croissance radiale de Alnus glutinosa a été affectée principalement par les facteurs environnementaux, y compris sans doute l’évolution du degré d’engorgement. Le dépérissement des forêts est probablement lié à une moindre importance des canaux de drainage. • Nos résultats indiquent que les voies de succession observées sur les sites des taillis d’aunes ont probablement été causées par des changements locaux dans la nappe phréatique.
Étude comparative de la perception par des sujets francophones et hispanophones de l'accent lexical en espagnol

Cet article presente une etude comparative de la perception de la place de l'accent lexical de l'espagnol par des auditeurs francophones et hispanophones. Les resultats globaux montrent que la position de l'accent est determinee correctement aussi bien par les hispanophones (89.5%) que par les francophones (87.4%). L'analyse des erreurs (accents deplaces ou ajoutes) revele un phenomene interessant : les sujets francophones tendent a deplacer l'accent percu vers la droite alors que les sujets hispanophones tendent a le deplacer vers la gauche. La difference entre les deux groupes de sujets est significative. Les caracteristiques acoustiques de la realisation de l'accent et des facteurs perceptifs sont pris en compte pour interpreter les resultats.
On the Typological Method

The article, “The Typological Concept,” recently published by Alex D. Krieger1 is an encouraging sign that interest in methodology, hitherto confined largely to field work, is now turning as well to the study of specimens in the laboratory. Krieger is to be congratulated for outlining clearly his method of forming types and for a penetrating comparison of that method with other archaeological procedures of classification. It may be questioned, however, whether the article contributes as much to an understanding of the typological concept as it does to the typological method. In emphasizing the formation of types, Krieger fails to explain what he means by the term “type. ” As the present writer understands his remarks, the term “type” is used variously to refer to the categories formed by classifying artifacts (pp. 271-272), to the specimens classified within each category (bottom of pp. 277, 281), and to the pattern of characters used to define each category (pp. 278, 280).
Numerical Optimization of an Active Voltage Controller for Series IGBTs

Feedback control of IGBTs in the active region can be used to regulate the device switching trajectory. This facilitates series connection of devices without the use of external snubber networks. Control must be achieved across the full active region of the IGBT and must balance a number of conflicting system goals including diode recovery. To date, the choice of control parameters has been a largely empirical process. This paper uses accurate device models and formalised optimization procedures to evaluate IGBT active voltage controllers. A detailed optimization for the control of IGBT turn-on is presented in this paper