Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Trends in Risk Factor Prevalence and Management Before First Stroke: Data From the South London Stroke Register 1995–2011

Background and Purpose— Vascular risk factors are suboptimally managed internationally. This study investigated time trends in risk factors diagnosed before stroke and their treatment, and factors associated with appropriate medication use. Methods— A total of 4416 patients with a first stroke were registered in the population-based South London Stroke Register from 1995 to 2011. Previously diagnosed risk factors and usual medications were collected from patients’ primary care and hospital records. Trends and associations were assessed using multivariate logistic regression. Results— Seventy-two percent of patients were diagnosed previously with 1 or more risk factors; 30% had diagnosed risk factors that were untreated. Hypercholesterolemia increased significantly during the study period; myocardial infarction and transient ischemic attack prevalences decreased. Antiplatelet prescription increased in atrial fibrillation (AF), myocardial infarction, and transient ischemic attack (AF, 37%–51%, P<0.001; myocardial infarction, 48%–69%, P<0.001; transient ischemic attack, 49%–61%, P=0.015). Anticoagulant prescription for AF showed a nonsignificant increase (12%–23%; P=0.059). Fewer older patients with AF were prescribed anticoagulants (age, >85 versus <65 years; adjusted relative risk, 0.19; 95% confidence interval, 0.08–0.41). Black ethnicity (adjusted relative risk, 1.17; 95% confidence interval, 1.10–1.23) and female sex (adjusted relative risk, 1.09; 95% confidence interval, 1.03–1.15) were associated with increased antihypertensive drug prescription; other medications did not vary by ethnicity or sex. Conclusions— Antiplatelet and cholesterol-lowering treatment prescribing have improved significantly over time; however, only a minority with AF received anticoagulants, and this did not improve significantly. Overall, 30% of strokes occurred in patients with previously diagnosed but untreated risk factors.
Morphological Detector for Multilevel Signals in epsilon-Noise

The novel approach was developed for multilevel signal detection in channels with impulsive non-Gaussian noise. This approach consists of using morphological nonlinear image filtration principles for two dimensional signals. It is a new method of signal demodulation, using three - dimensional image processing algorithms. Successful results of this morphological detector encourage more investigation towards using image processing theory and algorithms for two dimensional signal processing. As can be seen in the example in section IV, this new approach of reusing well developed and extensively developing image processing has significantly improved performance.
The Hansenula polymorpha PER8 gene encodes a novel peroxisomal integral membrane protein involved in proliferation

We previously described the isolation of mutants of the methylotrophic yeast Hansenula polymorpha that are defective in peroxisome biogenesis. Here, we describe the characterization of one of these mutants, per8, and the cloning of the PER8 gene. In either methanol or methylamine medium, conditions that normally induce the organelles, per8 cells contain no peroxisome-like structures and peroxisomal enzymes are located in the cytosol. The sequence of PER8 predicts that its product (Per8p) is a novel polypeptide of 34 kD, and antibodies against Per8p recognize a protein of 31 kD. Analysis of the primary sequence of Per8p revealed a 39-amino-acid cysteine-rich segment with similarity to the C3HC4 family of zinc-finger motifs. Overexpression of PER8 results in a markedly enhanced increase in peroxisome numbers. We show that Per8p is an integral membrane protein of the peroxisome and that it is concentrated in the membranes of newly formed organelles. We propose that Per8p is a component of the molecular machinery that controls the proliferation of this organelle.
Sexual Knowledge in Patients With a Myocardial Infarction and Their Partners

Background:Sexual health and sexual activity are important elements of an individual’s well-being. For couples, this topic is often affected after a myocardial infarction (MI). It has become increasingly clear that, after an MI, patients are insufficiently educated on how to resume normal sexual activity. However, sufficient data on the general knowledge that patients and partners have about sexual activity and MI are lacking. Objective:The aims of this study were to explore and compare patients’ and partners’ sexual knowledge 1 month after a first MI and 1 year after the event and to compare whether the individual knowledge had changed over time. A second aim was to investigate whether patients and their partners report receiving information about sexual health and sexual activity from healthcare professionals during the first year after the event and how this information was perceived. Subjects and Methods:This descriptive, comparative survey study enrolled participants from 13 Swedish hospitals in 2007–2009. A total of 115 patients with a first MI and their partners answered the Sex After MI Knowledge Test questionnaire 1 month after the MI and 1 year after the event. Correct responses generated a maximum score of 75. Results:Only 41% of patients and 31% of partners stated that they had received information on sex and relationships at the 1 year follow-up. The patients scored 51 ± 10 on the Sex After MI Knowledge Test at inclusion into the study, compared with the 52 ± 10 score for the partners. At the 1-year follow-up, the patients’ knowledge had significantly increased to a score of 55 ± 7, but the partners’ knowledge did not significantly change (53 ± 10). Conclusions:First MI patients and their partners reported receiving limited information about sexual issues during the cardiac rehabilitation and had limited knowledge about sexual health and sexual activity.
Crustal deformation and fault slip during the seismic cycle in the North Chile subduction zone, from GPS and InSAR observations

SUMMARY The different phases of the earthquake cycle can produce measurable deformation of the Earth's surface. This work is aimed at describing the evolution of that deformation in space and time, as well as the distribution of causal slip on the fault at depth. We have applied GPS and synthetic aperture radar (SAR) interferometry (InSAR) techniques to northern Chile, where fast plate convergence rates are associated with large subduction earthquakes and extensive crustal deformation. The region of northern Chile between 18°S and 23°S is one of the most important seismic gaps in the world, with no rupture having occurred since 1877. In 1995, the Mw= 8.1 Antofagasta earthquake ruptured the subduction interface over a length of 180 km in the region immediately to the south of this 450 km long gap. The coseismic deformation associated with this event has been documented previously. Here we use GPS position time-series for 40 benchmarks (measured between 1996 and 2000) and ERS SAR interferograms (for the interval between 1995 and 1999) to map both the post-seismic deformation following the 1995 event and the ongoing interseismic deformation in the adjacent gap region. In the seismic gap, the interseismic velocities of 20–30 mm yr−1 to the east with respect to South America are mapped. Both the GPS and the InSAR measurements can be modelled with 100 per cent coupling of the thrust interface of the subduction to a depth of 35 km, with a transition zone extending down to 55 km depth. The slip rate in that zone increases linearly from zero to the plate convergence rate. South of the gap, the interferometric map shows interseismic deformation superimposed with deformation following the 1995 earthquake and covering the same area as the coseismic deformation. Some 40 per cent of this deformation is related to seismic activity in the 3.3 yr following the 1995 event, in particular slip during a Mw= 7.1 earthquake in 1998. However, most of the signal (60 per cent) corresponds to post-seismic deformation resulting from widespread aseismic slip in the subduction interface. The afterslip appears to have occurred down-dip in the transition zone at 35–55 km depth and to have propagated laterally northwards at 25–45 km depth under the Mejillones Peninsula, which is a prominent geomorphological feature at the boundary between the 1877 and 1995 rupture zones. We propose a simple slip model for the seismic cycle associated with the Antofagasta earthquake, where the transition zone alternates between aseismic shear and seismic slip.
Study of effectiveness evaluation method based on rough entropy

Considering the limitation of rough set in evaluation process of non-decision-support system, an evaluation model of weapon system based on rough entropy is proposed. In the paper, the basic evaluation process of the model is described and the application analysis of evaluation model is done. The result shows that the evaluation model based on rough entropy is effective and feasible, the problems in original evaluation process can be solved, and objectivity and correctness of the evaluation conclusion is improved by the model. It provides a scientific decision foundation for practical operation of the weapon system.
Effects of a sodium-potassium ion-exchanging seaweed preparation in mild hypertension.

A nonpharmacological approach in the treatment of mild hypertension is often advocated. In an attempt to decrease sodium and increase potassium intake, sixty-two middle-aged patients with mild hypertension were given a potassium loaded ion-exchanging sodium-adsorbing potassium-releasing seaweed preparation (seaweed fiber, SF). The mean blood pressure (MBP), evaluated in a double-blind crossover manner with four weeks familiarization and wash-out periods, showed a significant decrease after four weeks on 12 and 24 g/day SF but not on 6 g/day or placebo treatment. Systolic blood pressure during submaximal exercise decreased on all three SF doses. The decrease in MBP appeared to be significantly higher in sodium-sensitive (11.2 mm Hg, P less than .001) than in sodium-insensitive (5.7 mm Hg, P less than .05) patients and was in salt-sensitive patients significantly correlated to the increase in plasma renin activity (PRA). The urinary sodium excretion decreased, the urinary potassium increased and the sodium/potassium urinary excretion ratio decreased, indicating that the decrease of MBP was dependent on the decreased intestinal absorption of sodium and increased absorption of potassium released from the seaweed preparation. A sodium-potassium ion-exchanging seaweed preparation is an effective means of decreasing sodium and increasing potassium intake, and may be used for antihypertensive treatment in mild hypertension.
Weighted Similarity-Invariant Linear Algorithm for Camera Calibration With Rotating 1-D Objects

In this paper, a weighted similarity-invariant linear algorithm for camera calibration with rotating 1-D objects is proposed. First, we propose a new estimation method for computing the relative depth of the free endpoint on the 1-D object and prove its robustness against noise compared with those used in previous literature. The introduced estimator is invariant to image similarity transforms, resulting in a similarity-invariant linear calibration algorithm which is slightly more accurate than the well-known normalized linear algorithm. Then, we use the reciprocals of the standard deviations of the estimated relative depths from different images as the weights on the constraint equations of the similarity-invariant linear calibration algorithm, and propose a weighted similarity-invariant linear calibration algorithm with higher accuracy. Experimental results on synthetic data as well as on real image data show the effectiveness of our proposed algorithm.
Emergency Department Visits Can Be Reduced by Having a Regular Doctor for Adults with Diabetes Mellitus: Secondary Analysis of 2013 Korea Health Panel Data

Chronic diseases pose a major challenge to population health worldwide. Diabetes is a major chronic disease that is managed overwhelmingly in primary care. There is an increasing recognition of the role that primary care physicians play to achieve high-quality care for patients with diabetes. By analyzing 2013 Korean Health Panel data, the authors aimed to determine the current status of having a regular doctor (RD) for adults (aged 18 years or older) with diabetes. In addition, the association of having a RD with the experience of emergency department (ED) visits was determined in this study. Among adults with diabetes, those with RD accounted for 41.0%. The older the age group and the higher the Charlson comorbidity index score, the higher the percentage of adults with diabetes had RD. Even for those with RD, coordination of care was very poor (positive answer: 27.1%). After adjustment for confounding variables, those having (vs. not having) a RD (odds ratio [OR], 0.57; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.35–0.94), especially those whose RDs delivered good comprehensiveness of care (OR, 0.47; 95% CI, 0.26–0.84) or worked at a primary care clinic (OR, 0.43; 95% CI, 0.22–0.81), and those whose longitudinal relationship with a RD was 5 years or less (OR, 0.45; 95% CI, 0.22–0.91) were less likely to have ED visits within the last year. In conclusion, health care policies that promote having a RD who delivers high-quality primary care could decrease unnecessary ED visits by diabetic adults. This can partly reduce ED overcrowding in Korea.
Replicating animal mitochondrial DNA

The field of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) replication has been experiencing incredible progress in recent years, and yet little is certain about the mechanism(s) used by animal cells to replicate this plasmid-like genome. The long-standing strand-displacement model of mammalian mtDNA replication (for which single-stranded DNA intermediates are a hallmark) has been intensively challenged by a new set of data, which suggests that replication proceeds via coupled leading- and lagging-strand synthesis (resembling bacterial genome replication) and/or via long stretches of RNA intermediates laid on the mtDNA lagging-strand (the so called RITOLS). The set of proteins required for mtDNA replication is small and includes the catalytic and accessory subunits of DNA polymerase γ, the mtDNA helicase Twinkle, the mitochondrial single-stranded DNA-binding protein, and the mitochondrial RNA polymerase (which most likely functions as the mtDNA primase). Mutations in the genes coding for the first three proteins are associated with human diseases and premature aging, justifying the research interest in the genetic, biochemical and structural properties of the mtDNA replication machinery. Here we summarize these properties and discuss the current models of mtDNA replication in animal cells.
Characterizing the bacterial fish pathogen Flavobacterium columnare, and some factors affecting its pathogenicity

Kunttu, Heidi Characterizing the bacterial fish pathogen Flavobacterium columnare, and some factors affecting its pathogenicity Jyvaskyla: University of Jyvaskyla, 2010, 69 p. (Jyvaskyla Studies in Biological and Environmental Science ISSN 1456-9701; 206) ISBN 978-951-39-3867-3 (PDF), 978-951-39-3853-6 (nid.) Yhteenveto: Kalapatogeeni Flavobacterium columnare -bakteerin ominaisuuksia ja patogeenisuuteen vaikuttavia tekijoita Diss. Flavobacterium columnare is a bacterial pathogen of fresh water fish causing lethal columnaris disease worldwide. At Finnish fish farms, columnaris disease has occurred since the early 1980s, and is a serious problem in salmonid farming in Finland. Currently, the only effective treatment is with antibiotics. Factors related to the pathogenicity of F. columnare, transmission of columnaris disease and the immunity of salmonids to columnaris infections are poorly known. F. columnare strains isolated from Finnish fish farms were characterized genoand phenotypically, virulence and transmission experiments were conducted, and the efficacy of two immunostimulants against columnaris infections in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss Walbaum) fingerlings was evaluated. Finnish F. columnare strains constituted a genetically homogeneous group that differed from strains isolated from other parts of the world and tolerated narrower pH and salinity ranges than F. columnare type strain (NCIMB 2248T). Finnish strains could be divided into seven genetic groups, which can co-occur during the same outbreak at fish farms. Among the genetic groups, four colony types were formed. Formation of rhizoid colonies is suggested to be a prerequisite for virulence of F. columnare. Colony types may have a role in the infection process and persistence of F. columnare at fish farms. The bacterium was able to survive in fresh water and also as a saprophyte, and to use saprophytism as a transmission strategy. These properties, together with cooccurrence of different genetic groups, may promote the continuous nature of outbreaks at fish farms and lead to development of highly virulent F. columnare strains. Immunostimulation was effective in boosting innate immune defence parameters of rainbow trout, but was inefficient in protecting fish against F. columnare infections. This suggests that antibody-mediated immunity is also essential in protecting fish from columnaris disease.
Student Understanding of Ionic Bonding: Molecular versus Electrostatic Framework?.

A small-scale survey is used to investigate how widespread are 'alternative conceptions' of the ionic bond, as found in earlier interviews. Collectively these alternative conceptions are described as the MOLECULAR FRAMEWORK, and are contrasted with the orthodox view, labelled the ELECTROSTATIC FRAMEWORK. The survey showed that statements derived from the MOLECULAR FRAMEWORK were judged as true by a large proportion of the learners surveyed. The MOLECULAR FRAMEWORK is therefore a useful model of learners' alternative conceptions about ionic bonding. Teachers should be aware of the need to contrast molecular and electrostatic ideas when teaching this topic.
A novel mutation in the GJA3 (connexin46) gene is associated with autosomal dominant congenital nuclear cataract in a Chinese family

Purpose Congenital cataract is both a clinically and genetically heterogeneous lens disorder. The purpose of this study is to map and identify the mutation in an autosomal dominant congenital nuclear cataract in a Chinese family. Methods Patients were given physical examinations and their blood samples were collected for DNA extraction. Genotyping was performed by microsatellite markers and logarithm of odds (LOD) scores were calculated using the LINKAGE programs. Mutation detection was performed by direct sequencing. Results Linkage to the gap-junction protein α3 (GJA3) locus was verified. Sequencing of GJA3 revealed a G>A transition at nucleotide position c.139, which causes an Asn substitution for the conservative Asp at codon 47 (P.D47N). This mutation is identified in all affected individuals but is not found in 100 control chromosomes. Conclusions Our results identify that the mutation (D47N) in GJA3 is responsible for this Chinese pedigree. It is further identified that GJA3 is responsible for congenital cataract. In our study, the novel mutation broadens the spectrum of GJA3 mutations.
The role of different forms of social contact in the destination-language proficiency of immigrants in the Netherlands

One of the influences on the destination-language proficiency of immigrants, a form of human capital, is the intensity of exposure to the second-language. The aim of this research is to study the role of different forms of social contact in immigrants’ destination-language proficiency in greater detail and to make a comparison between different forms. The hypotheses are tested with a survey of immigrants in the Netherlands (SPVA-98). The results show that contact matters and that the effect of the intensity of exposure depends on the form of social contact. Contact with friends, speaking Dutch with children and having contact with colleagues play the most important roles in immigrants’ destination-language proficiency.
iVector Fusion of Prosodic and Cepstral Features for Speaker Verification

In this paper we apply the promising iVector extraction technique followed by PLDA modeling to simple prosodic contour features. With this procedure we achieve results comparable to a system that models much more complex prosodic features using our recently proposed SMM-based iVector modeling technique. We then propose a combination of both prosodic iVectors by joint PLDA modeling that leads to significant improvements over individual systems with an EER of 5.4% on NIST SRE 2008 telephone data. Finally, we can combine these two prosodic iVector front ends with a baseline cepstral iVector system to achieve up to 21% relative reduction in new DCF. Index Terms: speaker verification, prosody, JFA, iVector, SMM, fusion
Stereo-based environment scanning for immersive telepresence

The processing power and network bandwidth required for true immersive telepresence applications are only now beginning to be available. We draw from our experience developing stereo based tele-immersion prototypes to present the main issues arising when building these systems. Tele-immersion is a new medium that enables a user to share a virtual space with remote participants. The user is immersed in a rendered three-dimensional (3-D) world that is transmitted from a remote site. To acquire this 3-D description, we apply binocular and trinocular stereo techniques which provide a view-independent scene description. Slow processing cycles or long network latencies interfere with the users' ability to communicate, so the dense stereo range data must be computed and transmitted at high frame rates. Moreover, reconstructed 3-D views of the remote scene must be as accurate as possible to achieve a sense of presence. We address both issues of speed and accuracy using a variety of techniques including the power of supercomputing clusters and a method for combining motion and stereo in order to increase speed and robustness. We present the latest prototype acquiring a room-size environment in real time using a supercomputing cluster, and we discuss its strengths and current weaknesses.
The effects of prone bridge exercise on the Oswestry disability index and proprioception of patients with chronic low back pain

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of bridge exercises on the Oswestry disability index (ODI) scores and proprioception among patients with chronic low back pain (CLBP). [Subjects and Methods] A total of 38 patients participated in this study. After eight weeks of bridge exercise, the joint position angle of the body trunk was measured and the ODI was used in survey form to investigate the intensity of the patients’ low back pain. [Results] After eight weeks of exercise, the ODI showed significant differences in all three groups. Subjects’ joint position sense of the trunk in both lumbar flexion and extension was also significantly different after completing the exercise program; this was true for all three groups. [Conclusion] Performing the prone bridge exercise for eight weeks improved proprioceptive function and reduced pain and impediment of activity, showing it a more effective exercise than other bridge exercises.