Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Measurement of the point spread function in MRI using constant time imaging

The point spread function is a fundamental property of magnetic resonance imaging methods that affects image quality and spatial resolution. The point spread function is difficult to measure precisely in magnetic resonance even with the use of carefully designed phantoms, and it is difficult to calculate this function for complex sequences such as echo‐planar imaging. This report describes a method that measures the point spread function with high spatial resolution at each pixel in samples of uniform intensity distribution. This method uses additional phase encoding gradients before the echo‐planar acquisition that are constant in length but vary in amplitude. The additional gradients are applied to image the contents within each individual voxel. This method has been used to measure the point spread function for echo‐planar imaging to demonstrate the effects of limited k‐space sampling and transverse relaxation, as well as the effects of object motion. By considering the displacement of the point spread function, local distortions due to susceptibility and chemical shift effects have been quantified and corrected. The method allows rapid assessment of the point spread function in echo‐planar imaging, in vivo, and may also be applied to other rapid imaging sequences that can be modified to include these additional phase encoding gradients.
Levator Aponeurosis Elastic Fiber Network

This light and electron microscopic study demonstrates an elastic fiber network (EFN) for the levator palpebrae superioris muscle complex, which forms an intricate insertion into the upper eyelid. The EFN is examined in the monkey, in a fresh exenteration specimen, and in fresh frozen cadaver specimens from both sexes of different age groups. Multiple elastic insertions of the levator aponeurosis and Muller's muscle attachment with well-organized elastic fibers are demonstrated using special staining techniques and serial microscopic sectioning. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) confirms the ultrastructure of “mature” elastin fibers in Muller's muscle tendon and their close relationship with the elastin-related fiber, oxytalan. Current thinking concerning the nature of elastic fibers and their possible implications in acquired involutional blepharoptosis is discussed. This microscopic study of the EFN of the upper eyelid focuses attention on the multiple elastic fiber insertions of the levator muscle complex that includes the levator aponeurosis, the conjoined fascia, the lid crease area, and Muller's muscle tendon, which have not been previously described.
Safety aspects of midazolam.

The LD50 in the rat and the mouse is about 1600 mg/kg (oral administration) and 75 mg/kg (rat) and 50 mg/kg (mouse) on intravenous administration. Subchronic oral studies over 13 weeks in doses of 5, 15 and 45 mg/kg/day in the dog and 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg/day in the rat have demonstrated minimal toxicity for midazolam, as for other benzodiazepines. High doses produced increased liver weight in the rat and the expected increases in alkaline phosphatase in the dog (species-specific reaction). Detailed blood and urine analyses as well as histological examination of organs produced no indication of changes relevant for man. Subchronic parenteral studies (i.v. and i.m. for five weeks) using up to 6 mg/kg/day in dogs and rats showed the compound to be not only systemically, but also locally, extremely well tolerated. Reproduction toxicology studies have shown that midazolam is neither embryotoxic nor teratogenic and that it has no effect on the fertility and post-natal development of animals. In the AMES test and the fluctuation test, midazolam had no mutagenic effect.
Usage Counting Analysis for Lazy Functional Languages

If it can be determined at compile-time how many times values will be used within lazy functional programs, a number of useful optimisations can be performed. For example, call-by-need parameter passing can be converted to call-by-name, and in-place updating and compile-time garbage collection can be performed. In this paper, it is shown how this usage counting information can be obtained by static analysis. This analysis is not itself a major contribution of this paper; similar analyses have been defined before. The major contributions of this paper are that it provides a framework against which this analysis can be proved correct for a lazy functional language, and the analysis is proved to be correct with respect to this framework. The framework for proving the correctness of the analysis is provided by defining a store semantics which counts the number of times values are used.
Prevalence of Intestinal Schistosomiasis and Soil Transmitted Helminthiasis among Primary School Children in Umolante District, South Ethiopia

Introduction: Intestinal Schistosomiasis and Soil transmitted helminthic infections (STIs) are among the major public health problems in the world, especially in Subsaharan Africa. Objective: To determine the prevalence of intestinal schistosomiais and soil transmitted helminthic infections and associated factors among Umolante primary school children, South Ethiopia. Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted among Primary School Children in Umolante Destrict, South Ethiopia. A total of 405 school children were selected at random. For each selected subject interview and stool examination was done. Interviews were used to identify the risk factors. Stool specimens were examined using the Kato-Katz technique. Data was entered and analyzed using SPSS version 16.0 statistical packages software. Results: The overall prevalence of intestinal helminthic infection was 26.9%. The predominant parasites were hookworm 59(14.6%) and S.mansoni 51(12.6%). Prevalence of S.mansoni infection was significantly higher in males (p=0.006) whereas hookworm infection was significantly higher in females (P=0.015). Other helminthes found were E.vermicularis (1%), whipworm (1.5%), tapeworm (1.5%) and A.lumbricoides (0.5%). The highest prevalence of S.mansoni was reported in the age group of 10-14 years (17.8%) followed by the age group 15 and above (11.6%) and the difference was statistically significant (P=0.02). Geometric mean intensity was also highest in the same age group (245 eggs per gram). The overall prevalence of infection was 7.7% for girls and 17.1% for boys and the difference was statistically significant (p=0.006). Bathing practice in the nearby stream was significantly associated with S.mansoni infection (OR, 3.4, 95.0% C.I., 1.5-5.3, P=0.03). Conclusion and recommendation: On the basis of these results, it can be concluded that intestinal helminthic infections are important health problems among school children. Hence, integrated control programme including periodic deworming, shoes wearing, improving sanitation, provision of safe water supply are needed to have a lasting impact on transmission these diseases.
Patient factors and haemodialysis arteriovenous fistula outcomes

Arteriovenous fistulas (AVF) improve survival and morbidity for most haemodialysis (HD) patients. Are they better for all patients? In the enthusiastic pursuit of AVFs for all, concerns have been raised regarding high primary AVF failure rates, continued high incident central venous catheter (CVC) use in some countries, and the limited life expectancy of some HD patients. “Fistula first” is changing to “catheter last”. The focus must be on decreasing AVF failure to mature and decreasing incident CVC use. An optimal outcome should be sought for each individual patient, and multiple failed attempts at AVF creation avoided.
Beneficial Effects of Clinical Exercise Rehabilitation for Children and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder ( ASD )

Magnusson JE, Cobham C, McLeod R. Beneficial Effects of Clinical Exercise Rehabilitation for Children and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). JEPonline 2012;15(2):71-79. Although exercise programs have shown health and behavioral benefits for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), more information is needed about the types of exercise used and how programs are designed to enhance their effectiveness. The purpose of the current study was to investigate if an individually-tailored, high-intensity exercise program would have a positive effect on the physical fitness and behaviors of children and adolescents with ASD. Assessments of physical fitness and positive/negative behaviors were undertaken preand post-intervention. Improvements across all physical fitness and behavioral variables tested were found following participation in the exercise program. These findings demonstrate that a high-intensity exercise-based program administered with an ASD population is an effective method to improve ASD-specific issues as well as health and fitness variables in this population.
The effect of the stage of the ovarian cycle (anoestrus or dioestrus) and of pregnancy on the incidence of gastro-oesophageal reflux in dogs undergoing ovariohysterectomy.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the potential association of increased blood progesterone (P4 ) concentrations and/or late pregnancy with the incidence of gastro-oesophageal reflux (GOR), in healthy bitches undergoing ovariohysterectomy under general anaesthesia during anoestrus or dioestrus or during the second half of pregnancy. STUDY DESIGN Prospective observational study. ANIMALS Ninety-four healthy, female, dogs, aged 1-8 years presented for elective ovariohysterectomy. METHODS Non-pregnant animals were classified into group A (anoestrus) (n = 35) if blood P4 concentration was sufficiently low or group D (dioestrus) (n = 26) if blood P4 concentration was sufficiently high. All animals in the second half of pregnancy were classified into group P (n = 33). Acepromazine (0.05 mg kg(-1) ) was administered intramuscularly as preanaesthetic medication, and sodium thiopental (10 mg kg(-1) , with additional doses if needed) was administered intravenously (IV) for induction of anaesthesia. After endotracheal intubation, halothane (1.1-1.3% end-tidal concentration) in oxygen was used for maintenance of anaesthesia. Lower oesophageal pH was monitored continuously throughout surgery using a pH-measuring probe. Reflux was considered to have occurred whenever pH values of >7.5 (alkaline reflux) or <4 (acid reflux) were recorded. On completion of surgery, carprofen (4 mg kg(-1) ) was administered IV. Further administration of analgesics post-operatively was dictated by visual analogue scale pain scoring. RESULT Acid GOR was observed in five of 26 dogs in group D, six of 35 group A, and 12 of 33 group P (p = 0.152). The incidence of GOR in group P approached statistical significance and was higher than the incidence in the combined group A + D (one sided p = 0.044, two sided p = 0.077). CONCLUSIONS In dogs undergoing ovariohysterectomy, GOR during anaesthesia occurs with a high incidence in dogs in the second half of pregnancy compared to non-pregnant animals during anoestrus or dioestrus. CLINICAL RELEVANCE Measures could be taken in such cases to avoid the consequences of potential reflux.
Generalized convolution properties based on the modified Mittag-Leffler function

Studies of convolution play an important role in Geometric Function Theory (GFT). Such studies attracted a large number of researchers in recent years. By making use of the Hadamard product (or convolution), several new and interesting subclasses of analytic and univalent functions have been introduced and investigated in the direction of well-known concepts such as the subordination and superordination inequalities, integral mean and partial sums, and so on. In this article, we apply the Hadamard product (or convolution) by utilizing some special functions. Our contribution in this paper includes defining a new linear operator in the form of the generalized Mittag-Leffler function in terms of the extensively-investigated Fox-Wright pΨqfunction in the right-half of the open unit disk where where <(z) > 0. We then show that the new linear convolution operator is bounded in some spaces. In particular, several boundedness properties of this linear convolution operator under mappings from a weighted Bloch space into a weighted-log Bloch space are also investigated. For uniformity and convenience, the Fox-Wright pΨq-notation is used in our results. c ©2017 All rights reserved.
Micromagnetic Analysis of Nonlinear Dynamics in Spintronic Analog Modulators

The simultaneous action of dc and ac spin-polarized current traversing a magnetic nanocontact device results in a combined amplitude-frequency nonlinear modulation process, a promising application of spin-transfer oscillators. A micromagnetic analysis of the nonlinear magnetization dynamics occurring in such devices is carried out in both spatial and frequency domain. Numerical results show that the proposed combined modulation scheme affects the amplitude of the sidebands as well as their phase, and remark a substantial difference with respect to the properties exhibited by a classical linear modulator. Further investigations performed as function of the frequency of the modulating signal allow to establish that, when the modulating frequency approaches the carrier one, no modulation occurs and a frequency pulling, typical of injection locking phenomena, takes place instead.
AN EVOLUTIONARY ALGORITHM TO ESTIMATE UNKNOWN HEAT FLUX IN A ONE-DIMENSIONAL INVERSE HEAT CONDUCTION PROBLEM

Abstract – A one-dimensional inverse heat conduction problem (IHCP) of estimating an unknown heat flux, given experimental temperature measurements at a point in the domain, is solved using evolutionary algorithms (EA). The EA based methods used to solve the one-dimensional IHCP in the literature involve minimization of the Tikhonov functional. In this paper, a modified approach is utilized wherein the first term of the Tikhonov functional is assigned a weight depending on the time step. More weight is assigned initially, and this weight is reduced gradually so that the EA pays more attention to the initial heat flux values. This is required because it would be extremely difficult to estimate the later unknown heat flux values correctly without estimating the initial unknown heat flux values correctly. This enables the EA to move quickly to find the minimized values. This approach performs better in terms of the number of mating events to solution when compared with that without using any weights, in the case of the one-dimensional IHCP examined.
A Longitudinal Study of Developmental and Behavioral Screening and Referral in North Carolina’s Assuring Better Child Health and Development Participating Practices

Screening children for developmental and behavioral delays is an important part of primary care practice. Well-child visits provide an ideal opportunity to engage parents and to do periodic screening. Screening identifies children who may be at risk and need further evaluation. In North Carolina’s Assuring Better Child Health and Development project best-practices process, screening was incorporated as a routine part of well-child visits regardless of payor. The schedule of screenings, using the Ages and Stages Questionnaire, was 6, 12, 18 or 24, 36, 48, and 60 months. From the practices’ population, a cohort of 526 children, screened from the age of 6 months during August 2001 through November 2003, was retrospectively reviewed. The main objectives of this descriptive study were to determine the number of children who were screened and whether this rate improved with time, observe patterns and trajectories for children identified at risk in 1 or more of the 5 developmental domains, and examine referral rates and physician referral patterns.
Stakeholder Perspectives on Workplace Health Promotion: A Qualitative Study of Midsized Employers in Low-Wage Industries

Purpose. Study goals were to (1) describe stakeholder perceptions of workplace health promotion (WHP) appropriateness, (2) describe barriers and facilitators to implementing WHP, (3) learn the extent to which WHP programs are offered to workers' spouses and partners and assess attitudes toward including partners in WHP programs, and (4) describe willingness to collaborate with nonprofit agencies to offer WHP. Design. Five 1.5-hour focus groups. Setting. The focus groups were conducted with representatives of midsized (100–999 workers) workplaces in the Seattle metropolitan area, Washington state. Subjects. Thirty-four human resources professionals in charge of WHP programs and policies from five low-wage industries: accommodation/food services, manufacturing, health care/social assistance, education, and retail trade. Measures. A semistructured discussion guide. Analysis. Qualitative analysis of focus group transcripts using grounded theory to identify themes. Results. Most participants viewed WHP as appropriate, but many expressed reservations about intruding in workers' personal lives. Barriers to implementing WHP included cost, time, logistical challenges, and unsupportive culture. Participants saw value in extending WHP programs to workers' partners, but were unsure how to do so. Most were willing to work with nonprofit agencies to offer WHP. Conclusion. Midsized, low-wage employers face significant barriers to implementing WHP; to reach these employers and their workers, nonprofit agencies and WHP vendors need to offer WHP programs that are inexpensive, turnkey, and easy to adapt.
Tick‐Borne Bacterial, Rickettsial, Spirochetal, and Protozoal Infectious Diseases in the United States: A Comprehensive Review

Approximately 900 tick species exist worldwide, and they parasitize a variety of mammals, including humans; thus, ticks play a significant role in the transmission of infectious diseases. In the United States, tick‐borne diseases are seasonally and geographically distributed; they typically occur during spring and summer but can occur throughout the year. Tick‐borne diseases are endemic to a variety of geographic regions of the United States, depending on the species of tick commonly found in a specific locale. Specific tick‐borne diseases are difficult to diagnose. Most patients have vague constitutional symptoms and nonspecific laboratory findings. Initially, serologic methods are of little benefit because they lack sensitivity early in the disease course. Therefore, a thorough history and physical examination are necessary for establishing a diagnosis. Antimicrobial regimens for tick‐borne infections are poorly studied but well established. Tetracyclines and rifampin form the cornerstones of therapy for most tick‐borne infections, but these agents may not be suitable for all patient populations. Therefore, no single agent can be chosen empirically to treat all tick‐borne diseases. Because pharmacists are the most accessible health care providers, they are often asked how to treat tick‐borne diseases. Thus, practitioners should be familiar with the ticks that inhabit their locale.
Improved differentiation of benign osteochondromas from secondary chondrosarcomas with standardized measurement of cartilage cap at CT and MR imaging.

PURPOSE To validate a technique for reproducible measurement of the osteochondroma cartilage cap with computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and to reevaluate the correlation of the thickness of the cartilage cap with pathologic findings to improve noninvasive differentiation of benign osteochondromas from secondary chondrosarcomas. MATERIALS AND METHODS The institutional review board approved the study and waived the need for informed consent. HIPAA compliance was maintained. After validation of the measurement technique, 101 pathologically confirmed osteochondromas were retrospectively reviewed. Patient demographic data, histologic diagnosis, and chondrosarcoma grade were recorded. Two musculoskeletal radiologists used a standardized technique to independently measure the thicknesses of the cartilage caps on CT and MR images; these measurements were compared for interobserver agreement. Agreement between measurements with CT and MR imaging was also evaluated, as were the sensitivity and specificity of both modalities for differentiation of osteochondromas from chondrosarcomas. RESULTS Evaluated were 67 benign osteochondromas (from 49 male patients and 18 female patients; mean age, 23.4 years) and 34 secondary chondrosarcomas (from 27 male patients and seven female patients; mean age, 33.2 years). On the basis of the proposed measuring technique, there was 88% interobserver measurement agreement with MR imaging (95% confidence interval [CI]: 80%, 94%) and 93% with CT (95% CI: 84%, 98%). The median difference between measurements of cap thickness at CT and MR imaging was 0 cm (25th and 75th percentiles, -3 mm and 1 mm, respectively). With 2 cm used as a cutoff for distinguishing benign osteochondromas from chondrosarcomas, the sensitivities and specificities were 100% and 98% for MR imaging and 100% and 95% for CT, respectively. CONCLUSION The proposed measuring technique allows accurate and reproducible measurement of cartilage cap thickness with both CT and MR imaging. Cap thickness of 2 cm or greater strongly indicated secondary chondrosarcomas.
Zyxin and vinculin distribution at the Cell‐extracellular Matrix Attachment Complex (CMAX) in corneal epithelial tissue are actin dependent

Avian embryonic corneal epithelia are two cell layers thick. If isolated without (−) basal lamina, the basal cells have unorganized actin and project cytoplasmic protrusions termed blebs. The actin‐based cytoskeleton at the cell‐extracellular matrix junction (termed the actin cortical mat) is disrupted. These epithelia respond to soluble extracellular matrix molecules by reorganizing the actin cortical mat. Sheets of epithelia were isolated + or ‐basal lamina. Epithelia isolated ‐basal lamina were cultured ± laminin‐1 and/or ± cytochalasin D (CD). The intracellular localization of zyxin, vinculin, paxillin, focal adhesion kinase, and tensin was determined using indirect immunohistochemistry. Protein levels were determined by Western blot analysis. Zyxin and vinculin were concentrated in two areas of the tissue. The interface between the upper cell layer (periderm) and the basal cells. The second area of concentration was at the inferior 1–4 microns of the basal cells in an area with multiple actin bundles termed the actin cortical mat. The actin bundles align toward zyxin and vinculin that were located near basal lateral membranes. Zyxin was displaced from the basal compartment of blebbing basal cells. In contrast tensin, vinculin and focal adhesion kinase were found diffusely throughout the blebs. Zyxin and vinculin redistributed to the basal‐lateral membranes as actin bundles reorganized in laminin‐stimulated epithelia. In contrast to the altered protein distribution, extractable protein levels were similar in blebbing and laminin‐stimulated epithelia. Zyxin, vinculin, and other associated proteins were disrupted in the CD‐treated tissues and do not colocalize with each other or CD‐induced actin aggregates. The intracellular localization of zyxin and vinculin were concentrated in distinct areas along the inferior basolateral membranes of basal cells termed the cell‐extracellular matrix attachment complex (CMAX). The distribution of CMAX proteins was dependent upon actin bundle organization. Anat Rec 254:336–347, 1999. © 1999 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.