Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Phase-dependent Brain Activation of the Frontal and Parietal Regions During Walking After Stroke - An fNIRS Study

Background Recovery of walking post-stroke is highly variable. Accurately measuring and documenting functional brain activation characteristics during walking can help guide rehabilitation. Previous work in this area has been limited to investigations of frontal brain regions and have not utilized recent technological and analytical advances for more accurate measurements. There were three aims for this study: to characterize the hemodynamic profile during walking post-stroke, to investigate regional changes in brain activation during different phases of walking, and to related brain changes to clinical measures. Methods Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) along the pre-frontal, premotor, sensorimotor, and posterior parietal cortices was used on twenty individuals greater than six months post-stroke. Individual fNIRS optodes were digitized and used to estimate channel locations on each participant and short separation channels were used to control for extracerebral hemodynamic changes. Participants walked at their comfortable pace several times along a hallway while brain activation was recorded. Exploratory cluster analysis was conducted to determine if there was a link between brain activation and clinical measures. Results Sustained activation was observed in the pre-frontal cortex with the ipsilesional hemisphere showing greater activation compared to the contralesional side. Sensorimotor cortex was active during the early, acceleration stage of walking only. Posterior parietal cortex showed changes in activation during the later, steady-state stage of walking. Faster gait speeds also related to increased activation in contralesional sensorimotor and posterior parietal cortices. Exploratory analysis clustered participants into two distinct groups based on their brain activation profiles and generally showed that individuals with greater activation tended to have better physical outcomes. Conclusions These findings can guide future research for obtaining adequate power and determining factors that can be used as effect modifiers to reduce inter-subject variability. Overall, this is the first study to report specific oxygenated and deoxygenated hemoglobin changes in frontal to parietal regions during walking in the stroke population. Our results shed light on the importance of measuring brain activation across the cortex and show the importance of pre-frontal, sensorimotor, and posterior parietal cortices in walking after a stroke.
Emergency Preparedness for the COVID-19 Pandemic: Social Determinants Predicting the Community Pharmacists’ Preparedness and Perceived Response in Malaysia

Background: Pandemic preparedness of healthcare providers helps to mitigate future threats such as spread and fatality rates, as well as the management of the disease. Pharmacists are key partners with public health agencies, and the role of community pharmacists is becoming increasingly recognised in this COVID-19 pandemic. The study aimed to explore the emergency preparedness of community pharmacists (CPs) for COVID-19. Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed among community pharmacists using cluster sampling followed by convenient sampling. A self-administered questionnaire was formulated using references from the previous literature and the WHO preparedness checklist. Descriptive analysis was undertaken for the participants’ socio-demographic characteristics. All the data collected were entered into the Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 24 (SPSS V.24), (IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 24.0. Armonk, NY: IBM Corp.) for analysis. Results: Most of the CPs had five or fewer years of practice experience, and they had all the mandatory information relating to the needs of their communities regarding the disease. The participants knew where to acquire these resources whenever needed. They were able to recognise the signs and symptoms of the disease. Most participants felt that they were confident to provide patient education and carry out their duties during these challenging times. There was a strong position correlation between preparedness and the perceived response of the participants. Conclusion: The community pharmacists in Malaysia are prepared enough for COVID-19 pandemic management and perceive that they can respond during any unprecedented situations, such as COVID-19. Community pharmacists were aware of the challenges that they need to face in their community regarding COVID-19.
Effect of BRCA1/2 Mutational Status on Survival Outcomes According to Secondary Cytoreductive Surgery and Maintenance Therapy in Platinum-Sensitive Relapsed Ovarian Cancer: A Real-World Evidence Study

Purpose This study aimed to investigate the impact of BRCA1/2 mutational status on survival outcomes in patients with platinum-sensitive relapsed (PSR) epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). Materials and Methods We retrospectively identified patients who received secondary treatment for PSR EOC at our institution between January 2007 and June 2021 and who underwent BRCA1/2 gene testing by either germline or somatic methods. The association between BRCA1/2 mutational status and survival outcomes was evaluated. Both secondary cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and maintenance therapy were stratified considering real-world clinical practice. Results Of 262 patients, 91 (34.7%) and 171 (65.3%) were assigned to BRCA1/2 mutation and wild-type groups, respectively. The two groups had similar proportions of patients undergoing secondary CRS (26.4% vs. 32.7%, p=0.286) and maintenance therapy (54.9% vs. 46.2%, p=0.178). Overall, no differences in progression-free survival (PFS; median, 19.7 vs. 15.1 months, p=0.120) and overall survival (OS; p=0.400) were observed between the two groups. In multivariate analyses, BRCA1/2 mutational status was not associated with PFS (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.816; 95% confidence interval, 0.596 to 1.119; p=0.207). BRCA1/2 mutational status did not affect PFS among patients who underwent secondary CRS (n=80) and among those who did not (n=182) (p=0.074 and p=0.222, respectively). PFS did not differ in the BRCA1/2 mutational status among the patients who received bevacizumab maintenance (n=90, p=0.992). Conclusion In this real-world evidence study, BRCA1/2 mutational status itself was not associated with PFS and OS in PSR EOC, which was consistent with whether secondary CRS or not and with bevacizumab maintenance.
Environmental Dilemma? Explicating Stakeholder Engagement in Kenyan Firms

ABSTRACT Stakeholder pressure is among the pathways through which firms are being prodded to adopt environmental management practices. Owing to research paucity from the context of developing countries and overall inconclusiveness, this research investigates whether mimetic, normative, and coercive pressures (which encompass stakeholder pressure) sway firms into adopting resource management and energy efficiency. An analysis of data from 852 firms in Kenya using a simple probit model, suggests that all the three types of stakeholder pressure positively influenced corporate resource management and energy efficiency. This augments our postulations on both stakeholder and neo-institutional theories. Based on these findings, it is plausible to view stakeholders as critical ‘tools’ that can foster corporate sustainability initiatives in developing countries.
High‐performance filtering power divider based on air‐filled substrate integrated waveguide technology

A filtering power divider based on air‐filled substrate‐integrated waveguide (AFSIW) technology is proposed in this study. The AFSIW structure is used in the proposed filtering power divider for substantially reducing the transmission losses. This structure occupies a large area because of the use of air as a dielectric instead of typical dielectric materials. A filtering power divider provides power division and frequency selectivity simultaneously in a single device. The proposed filtering power divider comprises three AFSIW cavities. The filtering function is achieved using symmetrical inductive posts. The input and output ports of the proposed circuit are realized by directly connecting coaxial lines to the AFSIW cavities. This transition from the coaxial line to the AFSIW cavity eliminates the additional transitions, such as AFSIW‐SIW and SIW‐conductor‐backed coplanar waveguide, applied in existing AFSIW circuits. The proposed power divider with a second‐order bandpass filtering response is fabricated and measured at 5.5 GHz. The measurement results show that this circuit has a minimum insertion loss of 1 dB, 3‐dB fractional bandwidth of 11.2%, and return loss exceeding 11 dB.
The Physical Behaviour Intensity Spectrum and Body Mass Index in School-Aged Youth: A Compositional Analysis of Pooled Individual Participant Data

We examined the compositional associations between the intensity spectrum derived from incremental acceleration intensity bands and the body mass index (BMI) z-score in youth, and investigated the estimated differences in BMI z-score following time reallocations between intensity bands. School-aged youth from 63 schools wore wrist accelerometers, and data of 1453 participants (57.5% girls) were analysed. Nine acceleration intensity bands (range: 0–50 mg to ≥700 mg) were used to generate time-use compositions. Multivariate regression assessed the associations between intensity band compositions and BMI z-scores. Compositional isotemporal substitution estimated the differences in BMI z-score following time reallocations between intensity bands. The ≥700 mg intensity bandwas strongly and inversely associated with BMI z-score (p < 0.001). The estimated differences in BMI z-score when 5 min were reallocated to and from the ≥700 mg band and reallocated equally among the remaining bands were −0.28 and 0.44, respectively (boys), and −0.39 and 1.06, respectively (girls). The time in the ≥700 mg intensity band was significantly associated with BMI z-score, irrespective of sex. When even modest durations of time in this band were reallocated, the asymmetrical estimated differences in BMI z-score were clinically meaningful. The findings highlight the utility of the full physical activity intensity spectrum over a priori-determined absolute intensity cut-point approaches.
Case Report: Prenatal Identification of a De Novo Mosaic Neocentric Marker Resulting in 13q31.1→qter Tetrasomy in a Mildly Affected Girl

Partial tetrasomy of distal 13q has a reported association with a variable phenotype including microphthalmia, ear abnormalities, hypotelorism, facial dysmorphisms, urogenital defects, pigmentation and skin defects, and severe learning difficulties. A wide range of mosaicism has been reported, which may, to some extent, account for the variable spectrum of observed phenotypes. We report here a pregnancy conceived using intrauterine insemination in a 32-year-old female with a history of infertility. Non-invasive prenatal screening (NIPS) was performed in the first trimester which reported an increased risk for trisomy 13. Follow-up cytogenetic workup using chorionic villus sampling (CVS) and amniotic fluid samples showed a mosaic karyotype with a small supernumerary marker chromosome (sSMC). Chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA) identified a mosaic 31.34 Mb terminal gain on chr13q31.1q34 showing the likely origin of the sSMC to distal chromosome 13q. Follow-up metaphase FISH testing suggested an inverted duplication rearrangement involving 13q31q34 in the marker chromosome and the presence of a neocentromere. At 21 months of age, the proband has a history of gross motor delay, hypotonia, left microphthalmia, strabismus, congenital anomaly of the right optic nerve, hemangiomas, and a tethered spinal cord. Postnatal chromosome analyses in buccal, peripheral blood, and spinal cord ligament tissues were consistent with the previous amniocentesis and CVS findings, and the degree of mosaicism varied from 25 to 80%. It is often challenging to pinpoint the chromosomal identity of sSMCs using banding cytogenetics. A combination of low-pass genome sequencing of cell-free DNA, chromosomal microarray, and FISH enabled the identification of the precise chromosomal rearrangement in this patient. This study adds to the growing list of clinically identified neocentric marker chromosomes and is the first described instance of partial tetrasomy 13q31q34 identified in a mosaic state prenatally. Since NIPS is now being routinely performed along with invasive testing for advanced maternal age, an increased prenatal detection rate for mosaic sSMCs in otherwise normal pregnancies is expected. Future studies investigating how neocentromeres mediate gene expression changes could help identify potential epigenetic targets as treatment options to rescue or reverse the phenotypes seen in patients with congenital neocentromeres.
Examining the generalizability of research findings from archival data

Significance The extent to which results from complex datasets generalize across contexts is critically important to numerous scientific fields as well as to practitioners who rely on such analyses to guide important strategic decisions. Our initiative systematically investigated whether findings from the field of strategic management would emerge in new time periods and new geographies. Original findings that were statistically reliable in the first place were typically obtained again in novel tests, suggesting surprisingly little sensitivity to context. For some social scientific areas of inquiry, results from a specific time and place can be a meaningful guide as to what will be observed more generally.
I’ll Be Back? Exiled Leaders and Political Instability

Exile is often considered a useful political solution that can coax violent or unpopular leaders out of power. But these “golden parachutes” may come with a price. Specifically, do exiled leaders increase instability back in their home countries? In this paper, we outline the mechanisms through which exiled rulers can destabilize their home state’s politics and ultimately increase conflict. We present two types of evidence to support the argument. The first is a cross-national analysis that uses our original Leaders in Exile dataset to examine how exiled leaders shape the likelihood of civil conflicts, coups, and protests. The second is a cross-leader analysis designed to minimize inferential concerns by comparing cases where leaders escape into exile with cases where leaders are killed. In both tests, we find that exiled leaders are linked to political instability in their home countries.
Utilizing Beta Regression in Predicting the Underlying Factors of Motorcycle Rider Behavior

Department of Statistics and Epidemiology, Faculty of Health, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran. Road Traffic Injury Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran. Center for the development of interdisciplinary research in Islamic sciences and health sciences, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran. Department of Statistics and Epidemiology, School of Medicine, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran.
Core Surface Flow Changes Associated With the 2017 Pacific Geomagnetic Jerk

A geomagnetic jerk was seen in Swarm satellite data in 2017 over the Pacific region. We invert time series of spatial gradient secular variation data between 2014 and 2020, reduced to a grid of points at satellite altitude, for spatially‐ and temporally‐regularized core surface flow. Pacific region flow acceleration was almost constant before and after the jerk, with a sharp change, especially in the azimuthal component, at the jerk epoch, despite the temporal regularization. Azimuthal acceleration is oppositely signed either side of 160°W, where it effectively vanishes, and also reverses sign at the jerk epoch. Acceleration features drift westward at about 900 km year−1. Unlike previous studies, the evidence presented here for low latitude waves does not depend on imposing flow equatorial symmetry, quasi‐ or tangential geostrophy, or band‐pass filtering, and has no reliance on stochastic models or numerical simulations.
Evaluation of Salivary Lipid Peroxidation in Paan Users

Background: One known risk factor for oral cancer is chewing smokeless tobacco, which is common in southeastern Iran. Smokeless tobacco-related oral complications can be evaluated by assessing parameters of oxidative stress. Objectives: This study evaluated salivary malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in paan users and compared them with nonusers. Patients and Methods: In this study, saliva was collected from 50 paan users and 50 nonusers referred to the Zahedan Dental School in Zahedan, Iran. Salivary MDA was assessed based on standard biochemical methods, and the data were analyzed using a t-test and analysis of variance. Results: In the paan users and the controls, the mean MDA was 2.19 ± 1.05 and 1.24 ± 0.62 (nmol/mL), respectively, and both groups showed significant differences (P < 0.001). The daily consumption and duration were significantly correlated with the MDA concentration, respectively (r = 0.722, P < 0.001), (r = 0.764, P < 0.001). Conclusions: In paan users, salivary MDA concentrations were higher. The concentration of salivary MDA increased with the consumption of paan in more significant quantities and for a more extended time.
Perception of Physical Demand, Mental Demand, and Performance: A Comparison of Two Voice Interventions for Parkinson's Disease.

PURPOSE The purpose of the study was to examine the effect of two voice intervention approaches for hypophonia secondary to Parkinson's disease (PD) on self-reported measures of physical demand, mental demand, and vocal performance. METHOD Thirty-four persons with hypophonia secondary to PD were assigned to one of three groups: Lee Silverman Voice Treatment (LSVT) LOUD (n = 12), SpeechVive (n = 12), and nontreatment clinical control (n = 10). The LSVT LOUD and the SpeechVive participants received 8 weeks of voice intervention following the standardized protocol previously described for each approach. To confirm the effectiveness of each voice intervention, sound pressure level (dB SPL) data were analyzed for the experimental and control participants for a monologue sample obtained pretreatment, midtreatment, and posttreatment. During the voice intervention period, the LSVT LOUD and the SpeechVive participants were instructed to complete a modified version of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Task Load Index rating scale to indicate the mental and physical demand required to complete the intervention activities, and to indicate how well they performed in completing the assigned vocal tasks. RESULTS The LSVT LOUD and the SpeechVive participants demonstrated a significant posttreatment increase in SPL (dB), in comparison to the clinical controls, thus confirming a positive intervention effect. The LSVT LOUD participants reported significantly higher ratings of physical and mental demand over the course of treatment, in comparison to the SpeechVive participants. CONCLUSION Consideration of the mental and physical demand associated with two voice intervention approaches, commonly used for PD, may help to foster improved therapeutic compliance and treatment outcomes.
The association between child maltreatment and juvenile delinquency in the context of Situational Action Theory: Crime propensity and criminogenic exposure as mediators in a sample of European youth?

The current study investigates the association between physical child maltreatment and juvenile delinquent behavior in the context of the Situational Action Theory (SAT) (Wikström, 2006, 2017, 2020). Self-control, morality and exposure to criminogenic settings are proposed as possible mechanisms explaining the association between physical child maltreatment and adolescent offending. The hypotheses are tested in a subsample of the third wave of the International Self-Report Delinquency Study (ISRD3), a large international non-clinical study on delinquency and victimization among adolescents. The final sample consists of N = 24,956 adolescents aged 12–16 years from nine West European countries. While controlling for dependence due to nested data and several covariates, the models are tested for overall offending and separately for violent and property offending. Results confirm that physical child maltreatment is associated with the main concepts of SAT (lower self-control; lower morality; and more exposure to criminogenic environments), which in turn are associated with juvenile delinquency. The models show partial mediation for overall offending, property offending and violent offending. The findings provide support for the theoretical prowess of SAT and its main concepts: self-control, morality and exposure to criminogenic settings as mediators in the well-established physical child maltreatment/delinquency link. These findings are consistent with the ‘cycle of violence’ perspective and contribute to the theoretical clarification of the mechanisms involved in the child maltreatment/delinquency link. The findings fail to confirm a ‘crime-specific propensity’. The article concludes with a discussion of implications for prevention.
Verification of autoclaving-cooling treatment to increase the resistant starch contents in food starches based on meta-analysis result

Autoclaving-cooling is a common starch modification method to increase the resistant starch (RS) content. The effect of this method varies depending on the type of crop and treatment condition used. The objectives of this study were to verify the autoclaving-cooling treatment based on a meta-analysis result and to evaluate the physicochemical properties of modified starches. The meta-analysis study used 10 articles from a total of 1,293 that were retrieved using the PRISMA approach. Meta-analysis showed that the optimal treatments of autoclaving-cooling process that increase the RS content significantly, was in starch samples from the cereal group (corn, oats, rice) (SMD: 19.60; 95% CI: 9.56–29.64; p < 0.001), with water ratio 1:4 (SMD: 13.69; 95% CI: 5.50–21.87; p < 0.001), using two cycles of autoclaving-cooling (SMD: 16.33; 95% CI: 6.98–25.67; p < 0.001) and 30 min of autoclaving heating (SMD: 12.97; 95% CI: 1.97–23.97; p < 0.001) at 121°C (SMD: 12.18; 95% CI: 1.88–22.47; p < 0.001). Verification using corn flour and corn starch showed a significant increase in RS contents from 15.84 to 27.78% and from 15.27 to 32.53%, respectively, and a significant decrease in starch digestibility from 67.02 to 35.74% and from 76.15 to 28.09%, respectively. Treated sample also showed the pasting profile that was stable under heating and stirring.
A descriptive literature review of early research on COVID-19 and close relationships

This in-depth critical review investigates the impact of COVID-19 on personal relationships from the start of the pandemic in early 2020 to September 2021. Research examining six themes are identified and described in detail: the impact of COVID-19 on (1) family and intimate relationships; (2) LGBTQ+ relationships; (3) how COVID-19 is linked to technologically mediated communication and personal relationships; (4) potential shifts in sexual behaviors and desire; (5) potential shifts in relational conflict and intimate partner violence; and (6) constructive aspects of personal relationships, which is a broad theme that includes outcomes such as resilience, relational quality, coping, and social support. Findings for overarching patterns are offered to highlight implications for current research and identify future directions to consider when continuing to study personal relationships during the COVID-19 pandemic and similar future crises.