Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Increased health care utilization and increased antiretroviral use in HIV‐infected individuals with mental health disorders

The aims of the study were to describe the prevalence and associations of mental health disorder (MHD) among a cohort of HIV‐infected patients attending the Victorian HIV/AIDS Service between 1984 and 2000, and to examine whether antiretroviral therapy use or mortality was influenced by MHD (defined as a record of service provision by psychiatric services on the Victorian Psychiatric Case Register). It was hypothesized that HIV‐positive individuals with MHD would have poorer treatment outcomes, reduced responses to highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) and increased mortality compared with those without MHD.
Tourniquet-induced limb ischemia: a neurophysiologic animal model.

A rat model of tourniquet-induced ischemia was created to observe the changes in sciatic afferent neuronal activity associated with prolonged tourniquet inflation on the hind leg. The sciatic nerve was divided in the proximal thigh and a two-electrode microfilament recording technique and signal averaging computer were used to survey afferent neuronal activity prior to and after tourniquet inflation. This method was able to determine both firing rate and conduction velocity of spontaneously active or mechanically sensitive nerve fibers. In 14 rats observed prior to tourniquet inflation there was much spontaneous activity. These fibers all had rapid conduction velocities (30 +/- 6.9 m/s) (mean +/- SD) and firing rates (16.3 +/- 1.9 H). All fibers could be stimulated by movement of distal joints or by probing the skin of the leg. After tourniquet inflation, a pressure-induced conduction block occurred stopping all spontaneous and mechanically induced activity. After a short interval, (55 +/- 16 min) a different group of spontaneously active fibers were observed that had both slow conduction (2.04 +/- 0.77 m/s) firing rates (0.54 +/- 0.9 H). These fibers did not respond to mechanical stimulation of the limb distal to the tourniquet, or local anesthetic or cold block of the nerve distal to the tourniquet. Blockade of the sciatic nerve just proximal to the tourniquet and deflation of the tourniquet did abolish activity in these fibers. In ten separate rats in which tourniquets were placed but no surgical incision made, mean arterial blood pressure rose significantly after tourniquet inflation. With tourniquet deflation, blood pressure fell significantly from levels observed during tourniquet inflation. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Complications of Glaucoma Drainage Device Surgery: A Review

Abstract Purpose: To review current literature on the complications of the use of glaucoma drainage device surgery. Summary: The use of glaucoma drainage devices has increased significantly in recent years for both primary treatment of glaucoma and refractory glaucoma. The efficacy and safety of glaucoma drainage devices has been well established, so they are a viable surgical option in patients who fail medical therapy. With the increased use of these devices, understanding their complications is essential in managing these patients. The prevention and management of complications associated with glaucoma drainage device insertion has some similarities to that of a trabeculectomy. The glaucoma drainage devices have additional complications associated with the fact that hardware is left within the eye. There have been no definitive answers as to the perfect surgical technique to prevent complications but careful surgical performance, tube placement and use of a double-layered graft over the tube are likely to lead to a better outcome. The rate of complications also dictates careful follow up to identify these complications early in their process as early intervention will likely lead to better outcomes.
Predicting Current Memory With the Modified Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status

The modified Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status (mTICS) is a commonly used screening tool for categorizing mental status of older adults. Recently, prediction equations have been developed to estimate performance on an in-person memory composite based on the mTICS; however, these equations need validation. The current study compared predicted memory functioning based on these equations with observed memory functioning in 101 community-dwelling older adults. Observed and predicted memory composites were comparable for 2 of 6 equations (mTICS total score and immediate recall item), indicating that these equations adequately predict observed memory scores. The predicted memory composite based on the total score was also most highly correlated with the observed memory composite. These results further validate the mTICS, as well as some of the prediction equations, and continue to point out this measure as an efficient tool for screening of cognitive functioning in later life.
Stability of gradient field corrections for quantitative diffusion MRI

In magnetic resonance diffusion imaging, gradient nonlinearity causes significant bias in the estimation of quantitative diffusion parameters such as diffusivity, anisotropy, and diffusion direction in areas away from the magnet isocenter. This bias can be substantially reduced if the scanner- and coil-specific gradient field nonlinearities are known. Using a set of field map calibration scans on a large (29 cm diameter) phantom combined with a solid harmonic approximation of the gradient fields, we predicted the obtained b-values and applied gradient directions throughout a typical field of view for brain imaging for a typical 32-direction diffusion imaging sequence. We measured the stability of these predictions over time. At 80 mm from scanner isocenter, predicted b-value was 1-6% different than intended due to gradient nonlinearity, and predicted gradient directions were in error by up to 1 degree. Over the course of one month the change in these quantities due to calibration-related factors such as scanner drift and variation in phantom placement was <0.5% for b-values, and <0.5 degrees for angular deviation. The proposed calibration procedure allows the estimation of gradient nonlinearity to correct b-values and gradient directions ahead of advanced diffusion image processing for high angular resolution data, and requires only a five-minute phantom scan that can be included in a weekly or monthly quality assurance protocol.
Emotion Recognition from EEG Signals Using Multidimensional Information in EMD Domain

This paper introduces a method for feature extraction and emotion recognition based on empirical mode decomposition (EMD). By using EMD, EEG signals are decomposed into Intrinsic Mode Functions (IMFs) automatically. Multidimensional information of IMF is utilized as features, the first difference of time series, the first difference of phase, and the normalized energy. The performance of the proposed method is verified on a publicly available emotional database. The results show that the three features are effective for emotion recognition. The role of each IMF is inquired and we find that high frequency component IMF1 has significant effect on different emotional states detection. The informative electrodes based on EMD strategy are analyzed. In addition, the classification accuracy of the proposed method is compared with several classical techniques, including fractal dimension (FD), sample entropy, differential entropy, and discrete wavelet transform (DWT). Experiment results on DEAP datasets demonstrate that our method can improve emotion recognition performance.
Challenges of Women for Entering in to Old Boys' Network Case study: Iran Universities

Today networks and entering in to the networks are the main ways that people can promote their position in the organizations through them. Likewise, entering to the networks (formal and informal) is a major concern for newcomers who want to promote their scientific position. Researchers show that despite the dramatic increase in the number of women at universities in Iran, they have problem of entering in to the scientific networks. This study attempts to identify and explain the women challenges for entering in to the male academic networks (old boys' networks) of Iran universities. In this article grounded theory approach as a qualitative research method is applied. We selected 18 faculty members through snowball sampling. Research data were collected using semi-structured interviews and through Strauss and Corbin comparison method. Researches findings suggest that legal, cultural and family barriers are the main barriers of entering women in to the old boys' networks in universities. Finally we explain strategies adopted from experts' comments to deal with these barriers.
Effects of overlay symbology in night vision goggles on accommodation and attention shift.

BACKGROUND Binocular night vision goggles that have a monocular symbology overlay provide potential conflicts between perceived symbology distance and optical vergence cues for accommodation. HYPOTHESIS Accommodative response was measured in subjects who perceived symbology nearer than the background to determine if accommodation could respond to the optical stimulus and override the perceptual cues. METHODS Symbology was presented to the right eye under two conditions (clear and blurred to 20/50 resolution) and the background was presented binocularly with and without added speckle noise that is typical of the NVG at low light levels. RESULTS On average, subjects accommodated by less than 0.1 diopters (D) to all 4 of the stimulus combinations even though the perceived proximal depth difference between background and symbology was 10 times greater. No perceptible blur resulted from this small change in accommodation because it is well below the depth of focus of the human eye. A control experiment illustrated that an accommodative response, at least as small as 0.25 D, could easily be stimulated optically and detected by the experimental apparatus. In a final experiment, the duration required to shift attention away from the background to a peripheral symbol, acquire critical information, and return attention to the background was 0.69 s which included saccade latency and scan time of the symbol. CONCLUSIONS These results indicate that small changes in accommodation that occur when pilots shift attention from background to symbology do not produce perceived blur of the symbology or the background and thereby do not impair performance.
Effect of low molecular weight fluid on the hydrophobicity of silicone rubber

Silicone rubber (SIR) has good performance when used in outdoor insulators. The hydrophobicity of the surface is maintained in wet conditions as a result of the diffusion of the low molecular weight (LMW) fluid from the bulk to the surface. The amount of LMW fluid on the surface and in the bulk of the material determines the hydrophobicity during the lifetime of SIR used in insulators. The surface free energy of SIR is determined using the harmonic-mean method by measuring the static contact angles of water and methylene iodine. The surface free energy of the cleaned surface of SIR is estimated to be about 26 mJ/m2. The removal of LMW fluid from the surface hardly has influence on the static contact angles of water but has influence on that of methylene iodine. It comes from the change in polar non-dispersive force and little change in non-polar dispersive force. It is concluded that the natural surface of SIR is a mixed condition of SIR and LMW fluid molecules. This is due to the compatibility of SIR and LMW fluid molecules.
Prevalence of acetabular labral tears and sublabral sulci: a cadaveric study.

OBJECTIVE The objective of the present study was to evaluate the prevalence and location of acetabular labral tears and sublabral sulci in cadaveric hips. MATERIAL AND METHOD Fifty hips of 25 embalmed cadavers with the mean age of 55 years (range, 18-85 years) were studied. All labral lesions were documented in their morphologic features, size and anatomic locations. RESULTS Thirty-eight labral tears were found in 33 (66%) of 50 hips with the mean length of 17 mm (range, 8-36 mm). Twenty-two (58%) tears were located in the anterosuperior quadrant and 13 (34%) tears were identified in the posterosuperior quadrant. Thirty-one (82%) tears were detachments of the labrum form the bony acetabulum. Eight sublabral sulci were seen bilaterally in 8 hips of 4 cadavers (16%). Of these, 4 (50%) were located anterosuperiorly, 2 (25%) anteroinferiorly and 2 (25%) posteroinferiorly. CONCLUSION The acetabular labral tears were common findings with a high prevalence. They were most commonly located in the anterosuperior quadrant of the acetabulum. Sublabral sulci are anatomic variants that can be found bilaterally in different quadrants of the hips.
Settling down of seasonal migrants promotes bird diversification

How seasonal migration originated and impacted diversification in birds remains largely unknown. Although migratory behaviour is likely to affect bird diversification, previous studies have not detected any effect. Here, we infer ancestral migratory behaviour and the effect of seasonal migration on speciation and extinction dynamics using a complete bird tree of life. Our analyses infer that sedentary behaviour is ancestral, and that migratory behaviour evolved independently multiple times during the evolutionary history of birds. Speciation of a sedentary species into two sedentary daughter species is more frequent than speciation of a migratory species into two migratory daughter species. However, migratory species often diversify by generating a sedentary daughter species in addition to the ancestral migratory one. This leads to an overall higher migratory speciation rate. Migratory species also experience lower extinction rates. Hence, although migratory species represent a minority (18.5%) of all extant birds, they have a higher net diversification rate than sedentary species. These results suggest that the evolution of seasonal migration in birds has facilitated diversification through the divergence of migratory subpopulations that become sedentary, and illustrate asymmetrical diversification as a mechanism by which diversification rates are decoupled from species richness.
Chapter 1 Cochlear Model for Hearing Loss

In many psychoacoustical tasks, hearing-impaired subjects display abnormal audiograms and poor understanding of speech compared to normal listeners. Existing models that ex‐ plain the performance of the hearing impaired indicate that possible sources for cochlear hearing loss may be the dysfunction of the outer and inner hair cells. In this study, a model of the auditory system is introduced. It includes two stages: (1) a nonlinear time domain cochlear model with active outer hair cells that are driven by the tectorial mem‐ brane motion and (2) a synaptic model that generates the auditory nerve instantaneous rate as a response to the basilar membrane motion and is affected by the inner hair cell transduction efficiency. The model can fit both a normal auditory system and an abnor‐ mal auditory system with easily induced pathologies. In typical psychoacoustical detection experiments, the ability of subjects to perceive a minimum difference in a physical property is measured. We use the model presented here to predict these performances by assuming that the brain behaves as an optimal pro‐ cessor that estimates a particular physical parameter. The performance of the optimal processor is derived by calculating its lower bound. Since neural activity is described as a nonhomogeneous Poisson process whose instantaneous rate was derived, the Cramer– Rao lower bound can be analytically obtained for both rate coding and all information coding. We compared the model predictions of normal and abnormal cochleae to human thresh‐ olds of pure tones in quiet and in the presence of background noise.
Insulin resistance is associated with chronic hepatitis C virus infection and fibrosis progression [corrected].

BACKGROUND & AIMS Chronic hepatitis C virus infection is associated with an increased prevalence of type 2 diabetes. We hypothesized that virus-induced insulin resistance may be a mechanism for fibrogenesis in chronic hepatitis C virus infection. METHODS In 260 hepatitis C virus-infected subjects, we examined the relationship between histological findings and anthropometric and biochemical data, including insulin resistance determined by the homeostasis model assessment (HOMA-IR). We also compared fasting serum insulin, C peptide, and HOMA-IR levels between the subset of 121 hepatitis C virus patients with stage 0 or 1 hepatic fibrosis and 137 healthy volunteers matched by sex, body mass index, and waist-hip ratio. RESULTS Hepatitis C virus-infected subjects with stage 0 or 1 hepatic fibrosis had higher levels of insulin, C peptide, and HOMA-IR (all P < or = 0.01) compared with matched healthy controls. In the 250 hepatitis C virus patients (fibrosis stage 0 to 4), viral genotype and portal, but not lobular, inflammation were univariate predictors of HOMA-IR. By multiple linear regression analysis, independent predictors of HOMA-IR included body mass index (P < 0.001), previous failed antiviral treatment (P < 0.001), portal inflammatory grade (P < 0.001), and genotype 3 status (P = 0.01). Genotype 3 had significantly lower HOMA-IR than other genotypes (which were comparable when adjusted for effects of the remaining independent predictors). HOMA-IR was an independent predictor for the degree of fibrosis (P < 0.001) and the rate of fibrosis progression (P = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS Hepatitis C virus may induce insulin resistance irrespective of the severity of liver disease, and this effect seems to be genotype specific. Further, our findings support the hypothesis that insulin resistance may contribute to fibrotic progression in chronic hepatitis C virus infection.
Helicobacter Pylori Is Not the Predominant Etiology for Peptic Ulcers Requiring Operation

As the number of patients requiring operation for peptic ulcer disease (PUD) declines, presumed contemporary ulcer etiology has largely been derived from medically treated patients not subjected to surgery. The purpose of this study was to examine the specific causes of PUD in patients requiring surgery. Our Acute Care Surgical Service registry was reviewed for patients operated on for complications of PUD from 2004 to 2009. Emphasis was placed on individual etiologic factors for PUD. There were 128 patients (52% male, 81% white) who underwent emergency operation including: simple patch closure (n = 61, 48%); gastric resection (n = 22, 17%); gastric resection with vagotomy (n = 21,16%); vagotomy and pyloroplasty (n = 18,14%); or other procedures (n = 6, 5%). Complications necessitating operation were perforation (n = 79, 62%); bleeding (n = 29, 23%); obstruction (n = 12, 9%); and intractability (n = 8, 6%). Perioperative mortality was 12.5 per cent. Risk factors for PUD included tobacco use (50%), alcohol abuse (34%), and steroids (21%). Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory use was confirmed in 68 (53%) patients. Of the 128 patients, 82 (64%) were tested for Helicobacter pylori, 33 (40%) of which were positive and 49 (60%) negative. Helicobacter pylori, thus, was the confirmed ulcer etiology in only 26 per cent of cases. Unlike contemporary series of medically treated PUD, Helicobacter pylori may not be the predominant etiologic factor in patients who experience complications requiring surgery. A “traditional” surgical approach with liberal use of vagotomy, not antibiotic triple therapy, may well be the preferred treatment consideration in such cases.
Evaluation of GenoType® MTBDRplus assay for rapid detection of drug susceptibility testing of multi-drug resistance tuberculosis in Northern India.

BACKGROUND The problem of multi-drug resistance tuberculosis (MDR-TB) is growing in several hotspots throughout the world. Rapid and accurate diagnosis of MDR-TB is crucial to facilitate early treatment and to reduce its spread in the community. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the new, novel GenoType® MTBDRplus assay for rapid detection of drug susceptibility testing (DST) of MDR-TB cases in Northern India. MATERIALS AND METHODS A total of 550 specimens were collected from highly suspected drug resistant from pulmonary and extra-pulmonary TB cases. All the specimens were processed by Ziehl- Neelsen staining, culture, differentiation by the GenoType® CM assay, first line DST using BacT/ALERT 3D system and GenoType® MTBDRplus assay. The concordance of the GenoType® MTBDRplus assay was calculated in comparison with conventional DST results. RESULTS Overall the sensitivity for detection of rifampicin, isoniazid and MDR-TB resistance by GenoType® MTBDRplus assay was 98.0%, 98.4% and 98.2% respectively. Out of 55 MDR-TB strains, 45 (81.8%), 52 (94.5%) and 17 (30.9%) strains showed mutation in rpoB, katG and inhA genes respectively (P < 0.05). The most prominent mutations in rpoB, katG and inhA genes were; 37 (67.3%) in S531L, 52 (94.5%) in S315T1 and 11 (20%) in C15T regions respectively (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS Our study demonstrated a high concordance between the GenoType® MTBDRplus assay resistance patterns and those were observed by conventional DST with good sensitivity, specificity with short turnaround times and to control new cases of MDR-TB in countries with a high prevalence of MDR-TB.
Is normal pressure hydrocephalus a valid concept in 2002? A reappraisal in five questions and proposal for a new designation of the syndrome as “chronic hydrocephalus”

The authors question the current validity of the traditional concept of normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH) as it was described by Adams and Hakim in 1965. The classic features of the disease are addressed. It is concluded that most of the historical statements made three decades ago need to be revised. Especially, the term “normal pressure” hydrocephalus probably does not match the actual manometric profile of patients with NPH. Similarly, the terms“curable”and “reversible” dementia are inadequate to designate the mental alterations of NPH. That NPH is non-specific to the adult population is also stressed, since it may be not uncommonly encountered in paediatrics, especially in an implanted shunt malfunction. The term “chronic hydrocephalus” without reference to cerebrospinal fluid pressure and to the age of the patient is proposed instead of NPH, which seems out of step with current knowledge of the pressure profile and with the diagnosis and decision making context in patients with so called NPH.
Video Communication With Cognitively Intact Nursing Home Residents: A Scoping Review

Limited research exists examining video communication among cognitively intact nursing home residents to connect with family. This scoping review evaluated existing literature for video communication usage with nursing home residents, family, and nursing homes. A comprehensive search was completed using PubMed and EBSCOhost (including AgeLine, CINAHL, and PsycINFO) between 1972 and 2016 to locate English-language articles. The analysis identified five eligible studies (four involved an intervention, one assessed family views) meeting inclusion criteria. Findings included, seeing family members separated by distance, seeing other parts of their life, and visually monitoring resident’s health. Participants described frustration with technology limitations, such as video or audio lag. Current literature does not show a comprehensive assessment of video communication usage for residents, family, and nursing homes. Future studies should address the complexity of the intersection of the person, nursing home, and families in terms of potential benefits and capability of video communication use with residents.