Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Treatment of atrial septal defects in symptomatic children aged less than 2 years of age using the Amplatzer septal occluder

Abstract Aims To assess results of closure of atrial septal defects within the oval fossa by devices delivered by catheterisation in symptomatic infants and children under 2 years of age. Methods and results The Amplatzer septal occluder was used. Results, and complications of transcatheter device treatment in patients aged below 2 years were compared to previous results from our institution. Patients We attempted closure in 12 consecutive patients below the age of 2 years who presented with an atrial septal defect between May 1997 and 1999. Symptoms were failure to thrive in 6, frequent chest infections in 5, and the need for treatment of heart failure in the other. All were thought to have a defect suitable for interventional closure. The atrial defects were seen in isolation in 10 children, but 2 had associated pulmonary stenosis which had been treated by balloon dilation prior to placement of the Amplatzer occluder. Results The Amplatzer septal occluder was implanted at a mean age of 1.4 ± 0.4, with a range from 0.8 to 1.8 years. Ratios of pulmonaryto-systemic flow had been 2.1 ± 0.5, with a range from 1.6 and 3.2, and the defect was measured at 12 ± 4 mms. Fluoroscopy time was 12.8 ± 10.2 minutes, with a range from 5 to 43 minutes, and the time of the overall procedure was 162 ± 70 minutes, with a range from 85 to 360 minutes. It proved necessary to remove the device in 2 patients (16%) because of a residual shunt and movement after release. One of these developed transient neurological complications. Both subsequently underwent surgical treatment. Conclusion Symptomatic patients less than 2 years of age can undergo successful closure of an atrial septal defect using the Amplatzer device, but the rates of success are less, and procedure time longer, than in older children or adults.
Flexural Strength of Poly Propylene Fiber Reinforced PMMA

Poly Methyl Methacrylate based restorations are widely accepted in dental and medical field due to the excellent biocompatibility and easy fabrication, however these restorations exhibit inferior mechanical properties. Therefore, the present study conducted to enhance the flexural strength of PMMA based material by reinforcing conventional PMMA with poly propylene fiber. 10 different test groups were prepared by varying the weight percentage (2.5, 5 & 10 Wt %) and aspect ratio (3mm/220μm, 6mm/220μm & 12mm/220μm) of the poly propylene fibers. Results obtained were statistically analyzed using One – Way Anova followed by Tukey Kramer multiple comparison test. All fiber reinforced test groups showed improved flexural strength and 6mm long fiber in 2.5 Wt% showed the highest flexural strength among the fiber reinforced test groups.
BIOACOUSTICS OF SOUTHERN ELEPHANT SEALS. II. INDIVIDUAL AND GEOGRAPHICAL VARIATION IN MALE AGGRESSIVE VOCALISATIONS

ABSTRACT In traditional studies of animal communication, individual variability was sometimes considered less relevant than species specific aspects, mostly because the goal was the classifications of sounds in repertories. However, individual variability seems to have a significant role in signal function and evolution. In this paper, we analyse individual variation in the structure of aggressive vocalisations of male southern elephant seals and we compare sounds from our main study population, Sea Lion Island (Falkland Islands), with sounds recorded in the nearby population of the Valdés Peninsula (Patagonia, Argentina). We firstly analysed the repeatability of acoustic parameters at vocalisation and male level. Repeatability of bouts of the same vocalisation was extremely high and this confirmed that vocalisation is the fundamental level of organisation of male acoustic communication in this species. Also repeatability of vocalisations of individual males was very high and hence sounds may effectively convey information about identity of the individual who emits the sound. Male aggressive vocalisations were categorised into a small number of types and each male emitted always the same type of vocalisation. We compared the typology of sounds emitted by Sea Lion Island males with vocalisations by Valdés Peninsula males and we found striking differences. The two populations shared none of the sound types and, although similar in fundamental acoustics, sounds from the two populations had a different macrostructure. We conclude that these two populations show dialects in male acoustic communication, although the scarcity of recordings from other populations limits the scope of this conclusion.
[Moderate and severe persistent allergic rhinitis treated with acupuncture: a randomized controlled trial].

OBJECTIVE To observe the clinical efficacy and safety on moderate and severe persistent allergic rhinitis treated with acupuncture. METHODS Sixty-six patients of moderate and severe persistent allergic rhinitis were randomized into an acupuncture group (34 cases) and a western medication group (32 cases). In the acupuncture, group, acupuncture was applied to Dazhui (GV 14), Feishu (BL 13), Pishu (BL 20), Ganshu (BL 18) and Shenshu (BL 23) in the prone, retained for 20 min; then in the supine, at Baihui (GV 20), Yintang (GV 29), yingxiang (LI20) Taichong (LR 3) and Hegu (LI 4), retained for 20 min. Acupuncture was given once every two days, three times a week, continuously for 8 weeks. In the western medication group, cetirizine hydrochloride was taken orally, 10 mg each time, once every day, continuously for 8 weeks. Separately, before treatment, after the treatment of 1 and 2 months and in 1 month after treatment, the total nasal symptom score (TNSS), the scores in the emotion rating scale for Ganzangxiang of TCM (ERSG) and the rhinoconjunctivitis quality of life questionnaire (RQLQ) were observed in the patients of the two groups. The clinical efficacy was compared between the two groups. RESULTS (1) For TNSS, the results after 1 and 2 months treatment and in 1 month after treatment were all, reduced as compare with that before treatment separately in the two groups (P < 0.05, P < 0.01) The result after 2 months treatment was lower than that after 1 month treatment in the acupuncture group (P < 0.05). In 1 month after treatment, the result in the acupuncture group was lower than that in the western medication group (P < 0.05). (2) For ERSG, the score after 2 months treatment was lower than that before treatment in the two groups (both P < 0.05). The score after 2 months treatment in the acupuncture group was lower than that in the western medication group (P < 0.05). (3) For RQLQ, the score after 1 month treatment was lower than that before treatment and the score after 2 months treatment was lower than that after 1 month treatment in the two groups (all P < 0.05). The score after 1 and 2 months treatment and in 1 month after treatment in the acupuncture group was lower than that in the western medication group separately (all P < 0.05). (4) The total effective rate was 91.2% (31/34) in the acupuncture group and was 90.6% (29/32) in the western medication group, without significant difference between the two groups (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION Acupuncture is the safe and effective intervention on moderate and severe persistent allergic rhinitis. Compared with the western medicine group, the efficacy in the acupuncture group presents much more advantageous at its durability.
Platelet activation in subjects with impaired glucose tolerance

Impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), a prediabetic state, is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Mean platelet volume (MPV), a determinant of platelet activation, is a newly emerging risk factor for atherothrombosis. This study was designed to answer the following questions: (i) Do MPV levels change in IGT? (ii) Is there any relation between MPV levels and 2 h plasma glucose levels after 75 g oral glucose tolerance test. We selected 48 subjects with IGT, and 48 healthy subjects with normal glucose tolerance matched for age, gender, and body mass index. MPV was significantly higher in IGT group than in control group (9.06 ± 1.5 fl vs. 8.28 ± 0.8 fl, p = 0.002). Also, MPV was positively correlated with 2 h plasma glucose concentration in IGT group (r = 0.39, p = 0.006). In conclusion, our results suggest that subjects with IGT tend to have increased platelet activation. Increased platelet activity could contribute to increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease in IGT.
Cooperative RTS/CTS MAC with relay selection in distributed wireless networks

This paper proposes a cooperative multiple access protocol based on the Distributed Coordination Function (DCF) Request-To-Send/Clear-To-Send (RTS/CTS) scheme for distributed wireless networks. It answers three key questions concerning cooperation from the network perspective, namely when to cooperate, whom to cooperate with and how to protect cooperative transmissions. According to our protocol, the cooperation is initiated only if the direct transmission fails. An optimal relay node is selected in a distributed manner according to instantaneous relay channel conditions without prior information or extra signaling among relay candidates in the network. An additional three-way handshake is introduced to protect cooperative retransmissions against the hidden terminal problem. Both analysis and simulation results show that significant improvement in throughput and packet delivery rate can be achieved using the proposed cooperative protocol.
FURTHER CHARACTERIZATION OF THE PHENOTYPE OF mCry1/mCry2-DEFICIENT MICE

Mice lacking cryptochromes (mCry1-/- mCry2-/-) were kept in a 16h light, 8h dark, light-dark (16:8 LD) cycle and were given additional pulses of light of different brightness, starting 2h after dark onset and lasting for 1h. The suppression of wheel running during these light pulses (i.e., masking) was compared to that of wild types. No evidence of any decrement in the masking response to light was detected. As well as studying masking, minor bouts of activity occurring in the main light portion of a light-dark cycle were quantified. One possible explanation of such predark activity is that some damped endogenous process is spared in mCry1/mCry2 double-knockout mice. (Chronobiology International, 18(4), 613–625, 2001)
Failure to thrive: the prevalence and concurrence of anthropometric criteria in a general infant population

Background: Failure to thrive (FTT) in early childhood is associated with subsequent developmental delay and is recognised to reflect relative undernutrition. Although the concept of FTT is widely used, no consensus exists regarding a specific definition, and it is unclear to what extent different anthropometric definitions concur. Objective: To compare the prevalence and concurrence of different anthropometric criteria for FTT and test the sensitivity and positive predictive values of these in detecting children with “significant undernutrition”, defined as the combination of slow conditional weight gain and low body mass index (BMI). Methods: Seven criteria of FTT, including low weight for age, low BMI, low conditional weight gain and Waterlow’s criterion for wasting, were applied to a birth cohort of 6090 Danish infants. The criteria were compared in two age groups: 2–6 and 6–11 months of life. Results: 27% of infants met one or more criteria in at least one of the two age groups. The concurrence among the criteria was generally poor, with most children identified by only one criterion. Positive predictive values of different criteria ranged from 1% to 58%. Most single criteria identified either less than half the cases of significant undernutrition (found in 3%) or included far too many, thus having a low positive predictive value. Children with low weight for height tended to be relatively tall. Conclusions: No single measurement on its own seems to be adequate for identifying nutritional growth delay. Further longitudinal population studies are needed to investigate the discriminating power of different criteria in detecting significant undernutrition and subsequent outcomes.
Evaluation of wood surface roughness depending on species characteristics

This study is focused on the impacts of species characteristics on the surface roughness of five species with different wood density namely white fir, Aleppo pine, European beech, walnut and white oak. The sample specimens tested were 300x300x30 mm in size and their surface quality was evaluated by the “the direct contact method” based on a mechanical system of measurement, giving the possibility of reproducing the surface measured and analyzing its profile. The surface roughness measurements were performed with a contact stylus profilometer, holding the moisture content of the specimens constant at 10%. The evaluation of the surface characteristics of the wood samples considered the roughness parameters: arithmetic mean deviation of the profile, maximum two point height of the profile, mean roughness depth and root-mean-square deviation of the profile. From the study result showed different average values of surface roughness parameters for broadleaved and conifers species. The differences can be explain by the influence on the roughness of the wood surface of the wood texture and the texture uniformity.
Variation in the sex ratio of Rhabdochona fortunatowi (Spirurida: Rhabdochonidae) in Capoeta capoeta gracilis (Cypriniformes: Cyprinidae), relative to levels of infection, host size and temperature

Abstract In the present study, 81 specimens of Capoeta capoeta gracilis (Keyserling, 1861) were collected from the Shiroud River, the Caspian drainage basin, Iran in June and October 2007. The fish were examined for infection with the nematode Rhabdochona fortunatowi (Dinnik, 1933). Nematodes were counted and sexed, then the sex ratio and intestinal site preference of the R. fortunatowi individuals and the intersexual interactions of the parasites were investigated. Significant differences were observed in the prevalence and intensity of infection in relation to host size and sampling season, but not host sex. Parasite burden (mean intensity) was higher in October than in June and the results revealed a decrease in female-to-male sex ratio (FMR) in the fish in October compared to the ones in June. In other words, as the mean intensity of infection of R. fortunatowi increases, the proportion of male worms increases, too. The female-biased sex ratio in June was replaced by a male-biased one in October. Nematode distribution rose to a significant peak in the mid-region of the fish intestine relative to the anterior and posterior parts. Some changes in the distribution of male and female worms in different parts of the host intestine were also observed during June and October. Density-dependent selection and intersexual competition seem to be the main factors driving such a shift in the sex ratio and its variation in different parts of the host intestine.
[Seasonal changes in morbimortality caused by pulmonary thromboembolism in Galicia].

OBJECTIVES The goal of this report was to analyze the seasonal variation in the pulmonary embolism (EP) hospitalizations and mortality at the hospitals of the Galician Service of Health (SERGAS) in the Northwest of Spain, during the period 1996-2001. METHODS The Related Group of Diagnosis (DRG) 78 (pulmonary embolism) from the SERGAS hospital discharge dataset during the 6-year period was examined. Age, sex, month of discharge and seasonal period was annotated. RESULTS A total of 2831 hospitalizations for TEP were recorded (44% males, mean inhospital stay: 12.8 days, 70% > 65 years). Monthly median was 38 discharges and the variations above and below this were +26% (December) and -25%) (July), respectively. There were more frequents hospitalizations in autumn (OR:1.35, 95%CI:1.19-1.53) and winter (OR: 1.29, CI: 1.14-1.46). Mortality peaked in spring (OR:2.18, CI: 1.18-4.05). Nearly 83% of these deaths occurred in persons > 75 years old. CONCLUSIONS We observed a marked increase in EP hospitalizations during colder months and in mortality during spring. These observations may have implications in the adoption of preventive measures.
Perception of pitch in glottalizations of varying duration by German listeners

Previous studies have shown that glottalization is not necessarily perceived as lower pitch but that pitch perception in glottalization can be influenced by the different size of prosodic domains relevant in the native language of the listener. Speakers of intonation languages were influenced by the preceding pitch context when judging the pitch of longer creaky voice stretches, while speakers of pitch-accent or tone languages were not. The current study investigates pitch perception by German listeners in glottalized stretches of speech whose duration varied along a 10-step continuum. We found that the duration of the glottalized stretches affected the categorization of the stimuli, and that the German listeners were not influenced by the preceding pitch context, unlike in a previous study on longer stretches of glottalization of constant duration. Possibly shorter stretches of glottalization are interpreted as segmental word-boundary phenomena rather than as intonation.
Increased Prevalance of the -211 T allele of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) beta subunit promoter polymorphism and lower serum FSH in infertile men.

CONTEXT The human FSHB promoter polymorphism (rs10835638; -211 G/T) has been associated with serum FSH in a cohort of young Estonian men. The minor allele carriers had reduced serum FSH (15.7% in GT heterozygotes; 40% in TT homozygotes) compared with GG homozygotes. OBJECTIVE Because FSH is essential for normal spermatogenesis and fertility, we speculated that abnormalities in FSH action could contribute to male infertility. We sought to study whether genetically inherited constitutively reduced FSH levels may affect male reproduction and replicate the association between rs10835638 and serum FSH among infertile male patients. DESIGN Genotyping of rs10835638 in a cohort of infertile men (n = 1029; Andrology Center of the Tartu University Clinics, Estonia), including idiopathic infertility cases (IIFC; n = 750). PATIENTS Patients included male partners (sperm concentration <20 x 10(6)/ml) of infertile couples failing to conceive a child for 12 months or longer. RESULTS A significant excess of TT homozygotes (1.1 vs. 2.4%) as well as GT heterozygotes (22.4 vs. 25.1%) was detected among infertile men compared with the young male cohort (chi(2) test, P < 0.05). The T allele of rs10835638 was associated with reduced serum FSH (analysis of covariance; full cohort: P = 1.20 x 10(-6), F = 13.8; IIFC: P = 7.70 x 10(-7), F = 14.3) as well as with low FSH to LH ratio (full cohort: P = 1.52 x 10(-11), F = 25.6; IIFC: P = 3.25 x 10(-9), F = 20.4). The median serum FSH levels differed between the GG and TT carriers by 48.5%. All IIFC with TT genotype exhibited low (<1.8) FSH to LH ratio. CONCLUSIONS In perspective, this genetic marker may have clinical significance in molecular diagnostics of male reproductive success and a potential to identify positive responders to FSH treatment.
Association between the severity of angiographic coronary artery disease and paraoxonase gene polymorphisms in the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute-sponsored Women's Ischemia Syndrome Evaluation (WISE) study.

Paraoxonase (PON), a high-density lipoprotein-associated enzyme, is believed to protect against low-density lipoprotein oxidation and thus affects the risk of coronary artery disease (CAD). Three polymorphisms in the PON1 (Leu55Met and Gln192Arg) and PON2 (Ser311Cys) genes have been shown to be associated with the risk of CAD in several European or European-derived populations. In the present study, we examined the associations between these three markers and the severity of CAD as determined by the number of diseased coronary artery vessels in 711 subjects (589 whites and 122 blacks) from the Women's Ischemia Syndrome Evaluation (WISE) study. WISE is a National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute-sponsored multicenter study designed to address issues related to ischemic-heart-disease recognition and diagnosis in women. Subjects were classified as having normal/minimal CAD (<20% stenosis), mild CAD (20%-49% stenosis), and significant CAD (>/=50% stenosis). The women who had >/=50% stenosis were further classified into groups with one-, two-, or three-vessel disease if any of the three coronary arteries had diameter stenosis >/=50%. No significant association was found between the PON polymorphisms and stenosis severity in either white or black women. However, among white women, when data were stratified by the number of diseased vessels, the frequency of the PON1 codon 192 Arg/Arg genotype was significantly higher in the group with three-vessel disease than in the other groups (those with one-vessel and two-vessel disease) combined (17.02% vs. 4.58%; P=.0066). Similarly, the frequency of the PON2 codon 311 Cys/Cys genotype was significantly higher in the group with three-vessel disease than in the other groups combined (15.22% vs. 4.61%; P=.018). The adjusted odds ratios for the development of three-vessel disease were 2.80 (95% confidence interval 1.06-7.37; P=.038) for PON1 codon 192 Arg/Arg and 3.68 (95% confidence interval 1.26-10.68; P=.017) for PON2 codon 311 Cys/Cys. Our data indicate that the severity of CAD, in terms of the number of diseased vessels, may be affected by common genetic variation in the PON gene cluster, on chromosome 7.
Objective tests for upper motor neuron involvement in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)

ability of MEG. To achieve this goal, we evaluated the predictions of interictal MEG and surface V-EEG separately, against the resected zone, which was determined by integrating information from all standard presurgical evaluation methods commonly available at tertiary epilepsy centers. Future studies with larger samples are needed to assess the additive advantage of MEG localization data on surgical outcome. The moderate sample size of 82 operated patients reported by us was sufficient to reveal statistically significant results, and to draw the conservative conclusion that a substantial proportion of patients (40%) with either non-localizable or partially localizable V-EEG results may benefit from an interictal MEG study. This information alone, provided that it is confirmed by later studies, will provide clinically significant input to the selection of candidates for expensive non-invasive tests, including MEG.