Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Epileptic Seizure Induced by Head-Up Tilt: A Case Series Study

Purpose: Epilepsy and syncope can be difficult to distinguish, with misdiagnosis resulting in unnecessary or incorrect treatment and disability. Combined tilt-table and video EEG (vEEG) testing (tilt-vEEG) is infrequently used to parse these entities even at large centers. Because of the discovery of a rare case of epileptic seizure induced by head-up tilt (HUT) (no prior cases have been published), the authors sought to verify the rarity of this phenomenon. Methods: An observational, retrospective case series study of all combined tilt-vEEG studies performed at Stanford Health Care over a 2-year period was performed. Studies were grouped into categories: (1) abnormal tilt and normal vEEG; (2) abnormal vEEG and normal tilt; (3) abnormal vEEG and abnormal tilt; (4) normal tilt and normal vEEG, with neurologic symptoms; and (5) normal tilt and normal vEEG without neurologic symptoms. Results: Sixty-eight percent of patients had an abnormal study (categories A–C), with only 3% having both an abnormal tilt and an abnormal EEG (category C). Of these, one patient had a focal epileptic seizure induced by HUT. With HUT positioning, the patient stopped answering questions and vEEG showed a left temporal seizure; systolic blood pressure abruptly dropped to 89 mm Hg (64 mm Hg below baseline); heart rate did not change, but pacemaker showed increased firing (threshold: <60 bpm). Conclusions: Combined tilt-table and vEEG evaluation was able to identify a previously unreported scenario—head-up tilt provocation of an epileptic seizure—and improve treatment. Combined tilt and vEEG testing should be considered for episodes that persist despite treatment to confirm proper diagnosis.
The life experience of leprosy families in maintaining interaction patterns in the family to support healing in leprosy patients in Indonesian society. A phenomenological qualitative study

Background Family involvement in overcoming the severity of leprosy is very important in the life of leprosy sufferers in communities who experience the clinical and, psychological, social and behavioral consequences of the disease. However, this need, psychosocial, is felt to be not optimal. This study is to identify how the experiences of family members as caregivers provide assistance to individuals with leprosy in improving healing and maintaining patterns of interaction in the family. Methods The design uses qualitative research with in-depth, face-to-face interviews with family members in a semi-structured manner with the hope of obtaining complete data. Using purposive sampling with Participatory Interpretative Phenomenology analysis, there are 12 families with 15 family members consisting of 4 men and 11 women. Results This study produced a family theme that tried to follow what would happen to individuals with leprosy, with four sub-categories: 1) Using various coping alternatives to recognize the disease, 2) Family members in the shadow of leprosy, 3) Trying to empathize with other family members. sick, 4) Caring for the emotional response of the family and seeking support. Conclusions This analysis shows that deficiency in cognitive aspects can be closed by maintaining a lifestyle in the family through efforts to understand, support, establish communication, increase maximum involvement in restoring self-confidence, especially in individuals with leprosy with psychosocial problems in the family. The results of this study can be used as psychosocial support in maintaining communication between family members to support treatment programs and accelerate the recovery of leprosy.
Spatial origin of the extracellular ATP‐induced cytosolic calcium signature in Arabidopsis thaliana roots: wave formation and variation with phosphate nutrition

Abstract Extracellular ATP (eATP) increases cytosolic free calcium ([Ca2+]cyt) as a specific second messenger ‘signature’ through the plasma membrane DORN1/P2K1 receptor. Previous studies revealed a biphasic signature in Arabidopsis thaliana roots that is altered by inorganic phosphate (Pi) deprivation. The relationship between the two phases of the signature and possible wave formation have been tested as a function of Pi nutrition. The bioluminescent aequorin and intensiometric GCaMP3 reporters were used to resolve the spatial origin of the eATP [Ca2+]cyt signature in Arabidopsis root tips. Application of eATP only to the root apex allowed [Ca2+]cyt wave resolution without the confounding effects of eATP delivery by superfusion. The first apical millimetre of the root generates the first [Ca2+]cyt increase by eATP, regardless of nutritional status. The second increase occurs sub‐apically in the root hair zone, has some autonomy and is significantly reduced in Pi‐starved roots. A significant component of the Pi‐replete signature does not require DORN1/P2K1, but Pi‐starved roots appear to have an absolute requirement for that receptor. Application of eATP specifically to the root apex provides evidence for cell‐to‐cell propagation of a [Ca2+]cyt wave that diminishes sub‐apically. The apex maintains a robust [Ca2+]cyt increase (even under Pi starvation) that is the basis of a propagative wave, with implications for the ability of the root’s eATP signalling systems to signal systemically. Partial autonomy of the sub‐apical region may be relevant to the perception of eATP from microbes. eATP‐induced [Ca2+]cyt increase may not have always have an obligate requirement for DORN1/P2K1.
Habitat provision is a major driver of native bird communities in restored urban forests

Abstract Urbanization, and the drastic loss of habitat it entails, poses a major threat to global avian biodiversity. Ecological restoration of urban forests is therefore increasingly vital for native bird conservation, but control of invasive predators may also be needed to sustain native bird populations in cities where species invasions have been particularly severe. We evaluated restoration success by investigating changes in native bird communities along a restoration chronosequence of 25 restored urban forests representing 72 years of forest development, which we compared to two target reference systems and a control system. We hypothesized that total species richness and relative abundance of native forest birds would increase with the age of restoration planting. We further hypothesized that relative abundance of rats, possums and cats would negatively impact native birds, while amount of native forest in the surrounding landscape would have a positive effect. We used structural equation modelling (SEM) to investigate the relative influence of forest structure (complexity index, tree height, canopy openness, basal area, species richness and density), landscape attributes (patch area, perimeter length, landscape composition within three buffer zones, distance to the nearest road and water source) and invasive mammalian predator indices of relative abundance on total species richness and relative abundance of native forest birds. Species richness increased with age of restoration planting, with community composition progressing towards that found in target reference systems. SEM revealed that years restored was a direct driver of bird species richness but an indirect driver of abundance, which was directly driven by canopy openness. Contrary to our predictions, invasive mammals had no significant effect on native bird species richness or abundance. Our results demonstrate that provision and improvement of habitat quantity and quality through restoration is the vital first step to re‐establishing native forest bird communities in cities.
Coping with dialects from birth: Role of variability on infants’ early language development. Insights from Norwegian dialects

Abstract Previous research suggests that exposure to accent variability can affect toddlers’ familiar word recognition and word comprehension. The current preregistered study addressed the gap in knowledge on early language development in infants exposed to two dialects from birth and assessed the role of dialect similarity in infants’ word recognition and comprehension. A 12‐month‐old Norwegian‐learning infants, exposed to native Norwegian parents speaking the same or two Norwegian dialects, took part in two eye‐tracking tasks, assessing familiar word form recognition and word comprehension. Their parents’ speech was assessed for similarity by native Norwegian speakers. First, in contrast to previous research, our results revealed no listening preference for words over nonwords in both monodialectal and bidialectal infants, suggesting potential language‐specific differences in the onset of word recognition. Second, the results showed evidence for word comprehension in monodialectal infants, but not in bidialectal infants, suggesting that exposure to dialectal variability impacts early word acquisition. Third, perceptual similarity between parental dialects tendentially facilitated bidialectal infants’ word recognition and comprehension. Forth, the results revealed a strong correlation between the raters and parents’ assessment of similarity between dialects, indicating that parental estimations can be reliably used to assess infants’ speech variability at home. Finally, our results revealed a strong relationship between word recognition and comprehension in monodialectal infants and the absence of such a relationship in bidialectal infants, suggesting that either these two skills do not necessarily align in infants exposed to more variable input, or that the alignment might occur at a later stage.
Experimental and mathematical modelling of the culture and cryopreservation of a bioartificial liver device utilizing a 3D cell scaffold construction

Acute Liver Failure has poor prognosis; current treatment - liver transplant - cannot keep up with demand. Due to its regenerative capabilities, a damaged liver could heal if its functions were temporarily carried out by a separate device. A bioartificial liver device (BAL) could provide functional support while the organ heals, eliminating transplant and lifelong immunosuppression requirements. This device consists of a 2 litre biomass of alginate encapsulated HepG2 liver cells. The aim of this PhD is to cryopreserve this biomass in a single cassette and recover viable cell number within 72 h of thaw by researching the physical and biological implications of scaling-up cryopreservation from 2ml to 2 litres. Heat transfer, ice formation patterns, ice nucleation, and thawing profiles were examined and used to optimise cryopreservation protocols. Ice structure was substantially different after scale-up, with network solidification present in 2ml but progressive solidification in 2 litre volumes – this reduced post-thaw viable cell number 24 h post-thaw, but faster recovery eliminated differences by 48 h. There was a strong spatial element after scale-up - biologic freezing later demonstrated reduced post-thaw function. This was solved by inclusion of supernatant medium acting as a solute and heat sink. The warming rate of the 2.3 litre mass was reduced to <1°C/min – the critical step during thawing was the final melting step – this should be rapid. The effect of cold on hepatocyte proliferation was studied and a new method, termed here cryoanaptiksi, developed that uses chilling to induce rapid cell proliferation. Oxygenation and fluidisation of the bioreactor was modelled to determine more effective cell culture methods. Using optimised protocols, successful cryopreservation of the BAL has been demonstrated – a 4 times greater volume than any cryopreserved mammalian biomass recorded in the literature. This work gives strong foundation towards successful clinical delivery of a BAL.
Correlation of respiratory oscillometry with CT image analysis in a prospective cohort of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

Background Markers of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) severity are based on measurements of forced vital capacity (FVC), diffusing capacity (DLCO) and CT. The pulmonary vessel volume (PVV) is a novel quantitative and independent prognostic structural indicator derived from automated CT analysis. The current prospective cross-sectional study investigated whether respiratory oscillometry provides complementary data to pulmonary function tests (PFTs) and is correlated with PVV. Methods From September 2019 to March 2020, we enrolled 89 patients with IPF diagnosed according to international guidelines. We performed standard spectral (5–37 Hz) and novel intrabreath tracking (10 Hz) oscillometry followed by PFTs. Patients were characterised with the gender-age-physiology (GAP) score. CT images within 6 months of oscillometry were analysed in a subgroup (26 patients) using automated lung texture analysis. Correlations between PFTs, oscillometry and imaging variables were investigated using different regression models. Findings The cohort (29F/60M; age=71.7±7.8 years) had mild IPF (%FVC=70±17, %DLCO=62±17). Spectral oscillometry revealed normal respiratory resistance, low reactance, especially during inspiration at 5 Hz (X5in), elevated reactance area and resonance frequency. Intrabreath oscillometry identified markedly low reactance at end-inspiration (XeI). XeI and X5in strongly correlated with FVC (r2=0.499 and 0.435) while XeI was highly (p=0.004) and uniquely correlated with the GAP score. XeI and PVV exhibited the strongest structural-functional relationship (r2=0.690), which remained significant after adjusting for %FVC, %DLCO and GAP score. Interpretation XeI is an independent marker of IPF severity that offers additional information to standard PFTs. The data provide a cogent rationale for adding oscillometry in IPF assessment.
Fast growth can counteract antibiotic susceptibility in shaping microbial community resilience to antibiotics

Significance Antibiotic exposure stands among the most used interventions to drive microbial communities away from undesired states. How the ecology of microbial communities shapes their recovery—e.g., posttreatment shifts toward Clostridioides difficile infections in the gut—after antibiotic exposure is poorly understood. We study community response to antibiotics using a model community that can reach two alternative states. Guided by theory, our experiments show that microbial growth following antibiotic exposure can counteract antibiotic susceptibility in driving transitions between alternative community states. This makes it possible to reverse the outcome of antibiotic exposure through modifying growth dynamics, including cooperative growth, of community members. Our research highlights the relevance of simple ecological models to better understand the long-term effects of antibiotic treatment.
Sodium-Glucose Cotransporter 2 Inhibitors and Risk of Hyperkalemia in People With Type 2 Diabetes: A Meta-Analysis of Individual Participant Data From Randomized, Controlled Trials

Background: Hyperkalemia increases risk of cardiac arrhythmias and death and limits the use of renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system inhibitors and mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists, which improve clinical outcomes in people with chronic kidney disease or systolic heart failure. Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors reduce the risk of cardiorenal events in people with type 2 diabetes at high cardiovascular risk or with chronic kidney disease. However, their effect on hyperkalemia has not been systematically evaluated. Methods: A meta-analysis was conducted using individual participant data from randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical outcome trials with SGLT2 inhibitors in people with type 2 diabetes at high cardiovascular risk or with chronic kidney disease in whom serum potassium levels were routinely measured. The primary outcome was time to serious hyperkalemia, defined as central laboratory–determined serum potassium ≥6.0 mmol/L, with other outcomes including investigator-reported hyperkalemia events and hypokalemia (serum potassium ≤3.5 mmol/L). Cox regression analyses were performed to estimate treatment effects from each trial with hazards ratios and corresponding 95% CIs pooled with random-effects models to obtain summary treatment effects, overall and across key subgroups. Results: Results from 6 trials were included comprising 49 875 participants assessing 4 SGLT2 inhibitors. Of these, 1754 participants developed serious hyperkalemia, and an additional 1119 investigator-reported hyperkalemia events were recorded. SGLT2 inhibitors reduced the risk of serious hyperkalemia (hazard ratio, 0.84 [95% CI, 0.76–0.93]), an effect consistent across studies (Pheterogeneity=0.71). The incidence of investigator-reported hyperkalemia was also lower with SGLT2 inhibitors (hazard ratio, 0.80 [95% CI, 0.68–0.93]; Pheterogeneity=0.21). Reductions in serious hyperkalemia were observed across a range of subgroups, including baseline kidney function, history of heart failure, and use of renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system inhibitor, diuretic, and mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist. SGLT2 inhibitors did not increase the risk of hypokalemia (hazard ratio, 1.04 [95% CI, 0.94–1.15]; Pheterogeneity=0.42). Conclusions: SGLT2 inhibitors reduce the risk of serious hyperkalemia in people with type 2 diabetes at high cardiovascular risk or with chronic kidney disease without increasing the risk of hypokalemia.
Predictions of the Distance Running Performances of Female Runners Using Different Tools

Abstract This study examined the validity and compared the precision and accuracy of a distance-time linear model (DTLM), a power law and a nomogram to predict the distance running performances of female runners. Official rankings of French women (“senior” category: between 23 and 39 years old) for the 3000-m, 5000-m, and 10,000-m track-running events from 2005 to 2019 were examined. Performances of runners who competed in the three distances during the same year were noted (n=158). Mean values and standard deviation (SD) of actual performances were 11.28±1.33, 19.49±2.34 and 41.03±5.12 for the 3000-m, 5000-m, and 10,000-m respectively. Each performance was predicted from two other performances. Between the actual and predicted performances, only DTLM showed a difference ( p< 0.05). The magnitude of the differences in these predicted performances was small if not trivial. All predicted performances were significantly correlated with the actual ones, with a very high correlation coefficient ( p< 0.001; r> 0.90), except for DTLM in the 3000-m, which showed a high correlation coefficient ( p< 0.001; r >0.895). Bias and 95% limits of agreement were acceptable because, whatever the method, they were≤–3.7±10.8% on the 3000-m, 1.4±4.3% on the 5000-m, and -2.5±7.4% on the 10,000-m. The study confirms the validity of the three methods to predict track-running performance and suggests that the most accurate and precise model was the nomogram followed by the power law, with the DTLM being the least accurate.
Two-stage lot quality assurance sampling framework for monitoring and evaluation of neglected tropical diseases, allowing for imperfect diagnostics and spatial heterogeneity

Background Monitoring and evaluation (M&E) is a key component of large-scale neglected tropical diseases (NTD) control programs. Diagnostic tests deployed in these M&E surveys are often imperfect, and it remains unclear how this affects the population-based program decision-making. Methodology We developed a 2-stage lot quality assurance sampling (LQAS) framework for decision-making that allows for both imperfect diagnostics and spatial heterogeneity of infections. We applied the framework to M&E of soil-transmitted helminth control programs as a case study. For this, we explored the impact of the diagnostic performance (sensitivity and specificity), spatial heterogeneity (intra-cluster correlation), and survey design on program decision-making around the prevalence decisions thresholds recommended by WHO (2%, 10%, 20% and 50%) and the associated total survey costs. Principal findings The survey design currently recommended by WHO (5 clusters and 50 subjects per cluster) may lead to incorrect program decisions around the 2% and 10% prevalence thresholds, even when perfect diagnostic tests are deployed. To reduce the risk of incorrect decisions around the 2% prevalence threshold, including more clusters (≥10) and deploying highly specific diagnostic methods (≥98%) are the most-cost saving strategies when spatial heterogeneity is moderate-to-high (intra-cluster correlation >0.017). The higher cost and lower throughput of improved diagnostic tests are compensated by lower required sample sizes, though only when the cost per test is <6.50 US$ and sample throughput is ≥3 per hour. Conclusion/Significance Our framework provides a means to assess and update M&E guidelines and guide product development choices for NTD. Using soil-transmitted helminths as a case study, we show that current M&E guidelines may severely fall short, particularly in low-endemic and post-control settings. Furthermore, specificity rather than sensitivity is a critical parameter to consider. When the geographical distribution of an NTD within a district is highly heterogeneous, sampling more clusters (≥10) may be required.
VERIFICATION OF MASONRY PROPERTIES IN AEM ANALYSIS FOR BRICK INFILLED REINFORCED CONCRETE FRAMES

The present study focuses on the verification of masonry constituent properties for analytical investigationofthe in-plane cyclic behavior of brick infilled RC framesin AEM. The material properties were establishedand validated for bricks and mortars under restraining influence within masonry prisms. Consequently, the verified constituent properties were exploited to analyzesingle-story single-bay half-scaled bare and brick infilled RC frame models under in-plane increasing reverse cyclic load which showed substantially good agreement with the corresponding test results.