Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Post-stroke seizure.

OBJECTIVE This study was designed to estimate the incidence of seizures in patients with stroke and its relative frequency with each type of stroke, to find the frequency of early and late seizures, recurrent seizure, and the EEG findings. METHODS This is a cross sectional study that enrolled 176 randomly selected patients with stroke admitted to Al-Yarmouk, Teaching Hospital, Baghdad, Iraq during the period between October 1998 and June 2001. Out of these, 42 patients with post-stroke seizure were chosen to undergo thorough clinical examination and investigations. RESULTS Seizures had been observed in 42 patients with stroke (23.9% of the sample). Single seizure without recurrence had been observed in 83.3% of those with post-stroke seizures (35 patients). Electroencephalograph results showed abnormal findings in 66.6% of those with post-stroke seizure (28 patients). Twenty-five patients (59.5%) of those with post-stroke seizure had ischemic stroke according to brain CT scan. In addition, this study revealed that 69.1% of the seizures were primary generalized seizures and 38.1% were partial seizures. In this study, it was found that 50% of the patients (21 patients) had early onset seizure, namely, within the first week, while only 14.3% of them had seizure during the 3rd week after the stroke event. CONCLUSION This study indicated that post-stroke seizures are quite a common problem in the management of patients with stroke but they are usually single without recurrence. Ischemic stroke is the most common cause of post-stroke seizure, and generalized seizure is the most common type. In addition, this study indicated that the initial 2 weeks after stroke carry the highest risk for stroke patients to have a seizure.
Concept and Measurement of Dynamic Supply Chain Flexibility Based on the Shortest Lead-Time

In this paper, the dynamic supply chain flexibility theory is founded on the basis of concepts of flexibility of lead-time, response interval, the best flexibility of lead-time and the most efficient response interval. The flexibility couple is defined as the tensor of the best flexibility and the most efficient response interval. Flexibility couple is used to characterize and measure the capability of supply chain to cope with uncertainties. It has been elaborated that these concepts that are updated continuously in the process of accommodating environmental changes are dynamic. Delivery lead-time model of supply chain is developed, the model is applied to design the methods of flexibility measuring and prove that the best flexibility of supply chain is the maximum of that of all the suppliers and the most efficient response interval of supply chain is wider than that of all suppliers. Several examples are given to illustrate and validate the results.
Effect of Contact Lens Correction on Sine Wave Contrast Sensitivity in Keratoconus Patients after Penetrating Keratoplasty

Contrast sensitivity testing reveals visual deficits not detected by standard acuity tests, providing a more sensitive measure of visual performance. Sine wave contrast sensitivity functions were examined for spectacle and contact lens correction of keratoconic eyes after penetrating keratoplasty (PKP). Contrast sensitivity was significantly higher for middle and high spatial frequencies with a rigid gas permeable contact lens than with glasses, even when Snellen acuity was identical for both forms of correction. Contrast performance correlated with subjective assessments of vision quality. This may be related to the quality of the keratometry mire images and suggests that mild irregularities in graft contour may be affecting contrast sensitivity. When considering the options for optical correction of grafted eyes, an evaluation of contrast sensitivity may help determine whether contact lens correction would optimize visual performance.
Adaptive ecology m-learning for national park based on Scaffolding Theory

An adaptive ecology m-learning framework applied for national parks is proposed in this paper. The traditional ecology guiding service uses static web page or fixed placard to prompt and provide ecology information to learners. It can not provide adaptive learning anytime and anywhere. Learners can not obtain real-time ecology guiding information and have a good adaptive learning based on learners' knowledge background, and time and location. This study proposes a framework based on Scaffolding Theory that provide learners mobile, dynamic and adaptive ecology guiding service to national parks. Scaffolding Theory is to support learners a knowledge structure for systematic learning. Based on Scaffolding Theory, learners are identified by background (e.g. age and gender), knowledge (e.g. cognitive base, knowledge requirement and learning objective), and interests. Moreover, adaptive and appropriate ecology knowledge based on learners' properties is provided dynamically. Furthermore, learning steps and contents are able to be adjusted flexibly by learners' feedback. In addition, this study also adopt context awareness to provide the learner a suitable route planning for ecology guiding service according to environment factors such as weather condition, time and season, prediction of tide, UV rays and rain rate where learners located. Landscapes and ecology events such as Migratory birds in transit within the route can be actively delivered to learners immediately using interactive applications such as multimedia messages (e.g. text, image and video). Attention and enjoyment of learners can be increased and ecology education purpose of national parks can be achieved.
Corticosteroids in Tuberculosis

OBJECTIVE: TO examine the effects of corticosteroids used for concomitant disease states in patients with latent or active tuberculosis (TB). The role of corticosteroids in the treatment of extrapulmonary TB is also discussed. DATA SOURCES: A MEDLINE search was conducted for the years 1953-1995. The International Pharmaceutical Abstracts service was also used to conduct an extensive literature review. In addition, relevant articles were cross-referenced to screen for additional information. STUDY SELECTION/DATA EXTRACTION: During the literature review, emphasis was placed on human studies and individual case reports. DATA SYNTHESIS: The resurgence of TB in this decade has affected many populations, especially immunocompromised patients. These patients may need corticosteroid therapy for various concomitant diseases that might predispose a patient to develop primary TB infection or reactivate latent TB infection. In appropriate patients, prophylaxis with isoniazid is recommended. Corticosteroid therapy may benefit patients with some forms of extrapulmonary TB. After steroid therapy, improved survival and more rapid reduction of tuberculous symptoms have been noted in cases of tuberculous pleurisy, endobronchial TB, tuberculous meningitis, and tuberculous pericarditis. Corticosteroids may also be useful in controlling both fever and hypersensitivity reactions in pulmonary and extrapulmonary TB, although not routinely used for this purpose. CONCLUSIONS: Corticosteroids may play an important role in TB infection by promoting reactivation of latent infection. Corticosteroids may modify symptoms of some forms of extrapulmonary TB, although randomized, placebo-controlled studies are needed before corticosteroids will have a definitive place in the standard therapy of TB.
Interlimb co‐ordination in human infant stepping

We held infants (aged 4–12 months) over a treadmill to study how they co‐ordinated the two limbs during stepping. We disturbed one limb during the stance or swing phase and recorded the responses (muscle activity and movement) from both lower limbs. Manual disturbances were applied during the stance phase by sliding the foot backward, forcing the limb into the swing phase. Disturbances were also applied in the swing phase by manually extending the hip, interfering with the forward motion of the limb. Additional disturbances were applied to see if both limbs could perform the stance and swing phase synchronously. When the limb was forced to initiate the swing phase on one side, the contralateral limb either prolonged its contact with the ground or quickly established ground contact. When the forward motion of the limb was interrupted in the swing phase, the swing phase was prolonged on the disturbed side and the stance phase prolonged on the contralateral side. In most cases, one leg maintained ground contact. Moreover, it was easy to elicit bilateral, simultaneous stance phase, whereas it was difficult to elicit simultaneous swing phase. In cases where swing phase in the two limbs was initiated close in time, rhythmic alternate stepping was immediately restored in the following step. We conclude that human infants can generate co‐ordinated motor responses bilaterally in response to unilateral perturbations, well before the onset of independent walking.
Mutant huntingtin protein expression and blood–spinal cord barrier dysfunction in huntington disease

The aim of the study was to assess the distribution, frequency, and specific location of mutant huntingtin protein (mHTT) aggregates‐the pathological hallmark of Huntington disease (HD)‐within the various compartments of the spinal cord and their potential impact on the local vasculature and blood–spinal cord barrier (BSCB).
Fiber reinforced composites orthodontic retainers.

AIM Retention is the phase of orthodontic treatment that attempts to hold teeth in their corrected positions after orthodontic therapy is completed. The aim of this study was to consider fiber-reinforced composites (FRC) as a possible alternative to conventional multistranded stainless steel wire for retention through SEM analysis. METHODS Two different FRC orthodontic retainers were investigated, i.e. Everstick® (Stick Tech Ltd, Turku, Finland) (type A, 24 samples), with a diameter of 0.76 mm made of glass fibers and a Young's modulus of elasticity of 28 gpa, and Ribbond® (Ribbond, Inc., Seattle, Washington, WA, USA) (type B, 24 samples), with ultra high molecular weight and with an high Young's modulus of elasticity by polyethylene fibers cold treated with plasma gas. Six groups were created: control groups A1 and B1, composed by 8 type A and 8 type B samples without impregnation and only with fluid resin before curing; groups A2 and B2, composed respectively by 8 type A and 8 type B samples impregnated with fluid resin Heliobond for 6 seconds; groups A3 and B3, composed respectively by 8 type A and 8 type B samples impregnated with fluid resin Heliobond for 6 minutes before curing. RESULTS Cross- and lengthwise SEM analysis of the sectioned samples made showed that fiber without impregnation with fluid resin, before curing, showed interwoven and straight directed cylindrical fibers. The SEM analysis denoted that the two types of fiber shows structural characteristics differing in dimension, number, diameter and orientation of FRC without a preliminary treatment through impregnation of the fibers with fluid resin. CONCLUSION An impregnation time of 6 seconds could considerably reduced voids, crazes and microcracks of the fibers, making them more resistant to the other oral and bacterial agents. A larger time of impregnation (6 minutes), with fluid resin before hardening, further enhances the morphological characteristics of the FRC.
Pathways to Care and Help-Seeking Experience Prior to Self-Harm: A Qualitative Study in Taiwan

Background: Help-seeking behavior may protect people from harming themselves. However, few studies have discussed how and why people access lay or professional help prior to self-harm. Purpose: This study explored the subjective experiences of individuals with deliberate self-harm in terms of help-seeking behavior and medical care pathways. Methods: Researchers performed qualitative in-depth interviews and content analysis and used a sampling grid to recruit participants. Twenty emergency attendees between the ages of 18–55 years were interviewed on their help-seeking pathways and experiences using a standardized topic guide. Results: Participants identified friends, family members, healthcare personnel, and their own initiative as the primary medical care pathways. Analysis showed help-seeking experiences significantly related to the physician–patient relationship, social support, and treatment adherence. These factors were also identified as prominent themes related to medical help-seeking behavior. Conclusions: Supportive attitudes and continuous care from formal and informal sources of help may facilitate help-seeking behavior, whereas negative influences from close friends or relatives may trigger a self-harm episode. Medication stockpiling and the negative aspects of close relationships should be addressed and minimized to raise the effectiveness of self-harm or suicide prevention efforts.
Social Contacts and Their Relationship to Loneliness among Aged People – A Population-Based Study

Background: Emotional loneliness and social isolation are major problems in old age. These concepts are interrelated and often used interchangeably, but few studies have investigated them simultaneously thus trying to clarify their relationship. Objectives: To describe the prevalence of loneliness among aged Finns and to study the relationship of loneliness with the frequency of social contacts, with older people’s expectations and satisfaction of their human relationships. Especially, we wanted to clarify whether emotional loneliness is a separate concept from social isolation. Methods:The data were collected with a postal questionnaire. Background information, feelings of loneliness, number of friends, frequency of contacts with children, grandchildren and friends, the expectations of frequency of contacts as well as satisfaction of the contacts were inquired. The questionnaire was sent to a random sample of 6,786 aged people (>74 years) in various urban and rural areas in Finland. We report here the results of community-dwelling respondents (n = 4,113). Main Results: More than one third of the respondents (39.4%) suffered from loneliness. Feeling of loneliness was not associated with the frequency of contacts with children and friends but rather with expectations and satisfaction of these contacts. The most powerful predictors of loneliness were living alone, depression, experienced poor understanding by the nearest, and unfulfilled expectations of contacts with friends. Conclusion: Our findings support the view that emotional loneliness is a separate concept from social isolation. This has implications for practice. Interventions aiming at relieving loneliness should be focused on enabling an individual to reflect her own expectations and inner feelings of loneliness.
Fully Automated Motion Correction in First-Pass Myocardial Perfusion MR Image Sequences

This paper presents a novel method for registration of cardiac perfusion magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The presented method is capable of automatically registering perfusion data, using independent component analysis (ICA) to extract physiologically relevant features together with their time-intensity behavior. A time-varying reference image mimicking intensity changes in the data of interest is computed based on the results of that ICA. This reference image is used in a two-pass registration framework. Qualitative and quantitative validation of the method is carried out using 46 clinical quality, short-axis, perfusion MR datasets comprising 100 images each. Despite varying image quality and motion patterns in the evaluation set, validation of the method showed a reduction of the average right ventricle (LV) motion from 1.26plusmn0. 87 to 0.64plusmn0. 46 pixels. Time-intensity curves are also improved after registration with an average error reduced from 2.65plusmn7. 89% to 0.87plusmn3. 88% between registered data and manual gold standard. Comparison of clinically relevant parameters computed using registered data and the manual gold standard show a good agreement. Additional tests with a simulated free-breathing protocol showed robustness against considerable deviations from a standard breathing protocol. We conclude that this fully automatic ICA-based method shows an accuracy, a robustness and a computation speed adequate for use in a clinical environment.
Altered Interaction and Expression of Proteins Involved in Neurosecretion in Scrapie-infected GT1-1 Cells*

Prions cause transmissible and fatal diseases that are associated with spongiform degeneration, astrogliosis, and loss of axon terminals in the brains. To determine the expression of proteins involved in neurosecretion and synaptic functions after prion infection, gonadotropin-releasing hormone neuronal cell line subclone (GT1-1) was infected with the RML scrapie strain and analyzed by Western blotting, real time PCR, and immunohistochemistry. As revealed by Western blotting of lysates exposed to different temperatures, the levels of complexed SNAP-25, syntaxin 1A, and synaptophysin were decreased in scrapie-infected GT1-1 cells (ScGT1-1), whereas the level of monomeric forms of these proteins was increased and correlated to the level of scrapie prion protein (PrPSc). However, when complex formation was prevented by prolonged heating of samples in SDS, the levels of monomeric SNAP-25, syntaxin 1A and synaptophysin in ScGT1-1 cells were decreased in comparison to GT1-1 cells. The reduced level of SNAP-25 was observed as early as 32 days postinfection. Increased mRNA levels of both splice variants SNAP-25a and -b in ScGT1-1 cells were seen. No difference in the morphology, neuritic outgrowth or distribution of SNAP-25, syntaxin 1A, or synaptophysin could be observed in ScGT1-1 cells. Treatment with quinacrine or pentosan polysulfate cleared the PrPSc from the ScGT1-1 cell cultures, and the increase in levels of monomeric SNAP-25 and synaptophysin was reversible. These results indicate that a scrapie infection can cause changes in the expression of proteins involved in neuronal secretion, which may be of pathogenetic relevance for the axon terminal changes seen in prion-infected brains.
Identifying loci under selection across contrasting environments in Avena barbata using quantitative trait locus mapping

We constructed recombinant inbred lines of a cross between naturally occurring ecotypes of Avena barbata (Pott ex Link), Poaceae, associated with contrasting moisture environments. These lines were assessed for fitness in common garden reciprocal transplant experiments in two contrasting field sites in each of two years, as well as a novel, benign greenhouse environment. An AFLP (amplified fragment length polymorphism) linkage map of 129 markers spanned 644 cM in 19 linkage groups, which is smaller, with more linkage groups, than expected. Therefore parts of the A. barbata genome remain unmapped, possibly because they lack variation between the ecotypes. Nevertheless, we identified QTL (quantitative trait loci) under selection in both native environments and in the greenhouse. Across years at the same site, the same loci remain under selection, for the same alleles. Across sites, an overlapping set of loci are under selection with either (i) the same alleles favoured at both sites or (ii) loci under selection at one site and neutral at the other. QTL under selection in the greenhouse were generally unlinked to those under selection in the field because selection acted on a different trait. We found little evidence that selection favours alternate alleles in alternate environments, which would be necessary if genotype by environment interaction were to maintain genetic variation in A. barbata. Additive effect QTL were best able to explain the genetic variation among recombinant inbred lines for the greenhouse environment where heritability was highest, and past selection had not eliminated variation.
The time profile of morphine effect on different phases of inhibitory avoidance memory in rat.

BACKGROUNDS The amnesic effect of morphine is well known in the laboratory animals. But, it is unclear that morphine at what times can exactly affect different phases of memory, including acquisition, consolidation, and retrieval. Therefore, we investigated the time profile of morphine's amnesic effect on passive (inhibitory) avoidance learning and memory in male Wistar rats. METHODS In order to evaluate the outcomes of pre- and post-training administrations of morphine, the animals were trained in a step-through type of passive avoidance task at various time points, and were tested 24 h after training to measure memory retrieval. RESULTS The results showed that acquisition of memory was impaired in the animals that received a dose of 7.5 mg/kg of morphine (Intraperitoneally) at 0, 30 min, and 1 h before training, as evidenced by a decrease in step-through latency on the test day. Post-training administrations of morphine at 30 min and 1h, 4h except for the time immediately after training, did not impair memory consolidation. The results also showed that pre-test administrations of morphine at 0 and 30 min before the test, impaired retrieval of inhibitory avoidance memory. CONCLUSION Taken together, the results suggest that morphine, when injected at different time points before training, after training, or before testing affects different phases of inhibitory avoidance memory. With regard to the time of injections related to each phase, other experiments can be designed to investigate molecular mechanisms involved in the impairing effect of morphine in each phase.
Associations of Carotid Artery Intima‐Media Thickness (IMT) With Risk Factors and Prevalent Cardiovascular Disease

Objective. The goal of this study was to compare internal carotid artery (ICA) intima‐media thickness (IMT) with common carotid artery (CCA) IMT as global markers of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Methods. Cross‐sectional measurements of the mean CCA IMT and maximum ICA IMT were made on ultrasound images acquired from the Framingham Offspring cohort (n = 3316; mean age, 58 years; 52.7% women). Linear regression models were used to study the associations of the Framingham risk factors with CCA and ICA IMT. Multivariate logistic regression models and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis were used to compare the associations of prevalent CVD with CCA and ICA IMT and determine sensitivity and specificity. Results. The association between age and the mean CCA IMT corresponded to an increase of 0.007 mm/y; the increase was 0.037 mm/y for the ICA IMT. Framingham risk factors accounted for 28.6% and 27.5% of the variability in the CCA and ICA IMT, respectively. Age and gender contributed 23.5% to the variability of the CCA IMT and 22.5% to that of the ICA IMT, with the next most important factor being systolic blood pressure (1.9%) for the CCA IMT and smoking (1.6%) for the ICA IMT. The CCA IMT and ICA IMT were statistically significant predictors of prevalent CVD, with the ICA IMT having a larger area under the ROC curve (0.756 versus 0.695). Conclusions. Associations of risk factors with CCA and ICA IMT are slightly different, and both are independently associated with prevalent CVD. Their value for predicting incident cardiovascular events needs to be compared in outcome studies.