Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Staged volume radiosurgery followed by microsurgical resection: a novel treatment for giant cerebral arteriovenous malformations: technical case report.

OBJECTIVE AND IMPORTANCE We describe the successful treatment of symptomatic giant arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) using staged volume radiosurgery followed by microsurgical resection. CLINICAL PRESENTATION A 57-year-old man presented with Spetzler-Martin Grade 5 AVMs, with persistent headaches and seizures. He had previously undergone eight attempts at AVM embolization and a craniotomy for attempted AVM resection; he had suffered four episodes of brain hemorrhaging but had made a good neurological recovery. INTERVENTION Because of the persistent symptoms of the patient and his history of hemorrhaging, a treatment plan based on staged radiosurgical treatments of different portions of the AVMs (three sessions, spaced 6 mo apart), followed by delayed microsurgical removal of the much-reduced residual AVMs (3 years later), was undertaken. The patient did not suffer any additional hemorrhaging episodes, his AVMs were completely removed, and he has made a good recovery. CONCLUSION Staged volume radiosurgery followed by microsurgical resection of the residual AVMs represents a novel treatment strategy for the management of Grade 5 AVMs that might be untreatable by any single treatment method used alone.
Control of Vascular Sap pH by the Vessel-Associated Cells in Woody Species (Physiological and Immunological Studies)

In Robinia wood, the vessel-associated cells form a continuous sleeve around the vessels. Variations in pH of the solution perfused through the vessels during the annual cycle and the opposing effects of carbonyl cyanide-m-chlorophenylhydrazone and fusicoccin on this pH value indicate that some living cells of the wood are involved in the control of vascular sap pH and that this control fluctuates with the seasons. The immunolocalization of the plasma membrane HT+-ATPase in Robinia wood was studied by the immunogold-silver-staining technique using an antibody raised against a conserved stretch of the cytoplasmic domain of the H+-ATPase. The immunostaining is much stronger in vessel-associated cells than in other living cell types (ray and axial parenchyma elements) of the secondary xylem. Our data show an efficient involvement of this cell type in the control of vascular sap pH.
Abnormal fetal cerebral and umbilical doppler measurements in fetuses with intrauterine growth restriction predicts the severity of perinatal morbidity

This prospective study was performed to determine if the ratio of the middle cerebral artery (MCA) S/D ratio (ratio of peak systolic blood flow velocity to diastolic velocity) to the umbilical artery (UA) S/D ratio (MCA/UA S/D ratio) predicts the degree of neonatal morbidity in fetuses suspected of having intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR).
Activation by levcromakalim and metabolic inhibition of glibenclamide‐sensitive K channels in smooth muscle cells of pig proximal urethra

1 The effects of levcromakalim (BRL 38227) on ionic currents recorded from pig proximal urethra were investigated by use of tension measurement and patch clamp techniques (conventional whole‐cell configuration, nystatin perforated patch, and cell‐attached configuration). 2 Levcromakalim (1 μm) caused a relaxation in the resting tone. This levcromakalim‐induced relaxation was inhibited by the pretreatment with 1 μm glibenclamide. 3 The resting membrane potential recorded from single cells in current‐clamp mode was −36.1 ± 4.4 mV (n = 5). 4 Levcromakalim induced a concentration‐dependent hyperpolarization with a maximum (at ≥ 10 μm) close to the theoretical equilibrium potential of potassium (EK). The membrane hyperpolarization caused by 1 μm levcromakalim (24.7 ± 5.8 mV, n = 4) was abolished by 1 μm glibenclamide. 5 Levcromakalim (100 μm) caused an outward K current in whole‐cell recordings which was unaffected by iberiotoxin (300 nM) but abolished by glibenclamide (10 μm). 6 In cell‐attached patches, levcromakalim activated a 43 pS K channel which was inhibited by the application of glibenclamide. 7 The metabolic poison, cyanide (CN), also activated a 43 pS K channel which was suppressed by the application of 10 μm glibenclamide. 8 These results indicate that levcromakalim and metabolic inhibition activate the same 43 pS K channel in pig proximal urethra. The resultant urethral hyperpolarization might reduce the usefulness of K channel openers in the treatment of detrusor instability, but be of value in treating outflow obstruction.
Radiation exposure to children from dental imaging : Is there a problem ?

1. Understand the factors in the United States that have led to concern regarding medical imaging and radiation in children. 2. Identify factors that make children more susceptible to radiation compared to adults. 3. Understand basic risk associated with performance of cone beam CT scans. 4. Review imaging tests and their relative radiation dose 5. Provide imaging strategies for optimizing radiation dose in dental imaging 6. Discuss the Image Gently campaign and list resources for parents and physicians with questions regarding radiation dose and imaging studies in children.
Waking Up on the Right or Wrong Side of the Bed: Start-of-Workday Mood, Work Events, Employee Affect, and Performance

We examine how start-of-workday mood serves as an “affective prime” that relates to how employees see work events, how they feel subsequent to events, and how this felt affect relates to objective performance. Using experience sampling and both archival and coded performance, we tested these relationships in a call center. We found that start-of-workday mood relates to employee perceptions of customer affective display and employee affect subsequent to events (i.e., calls). Positive affect subsequent to events relates to coded performance quality, whereas negative affect subsequent to events relates to productivity. We find evidence that affect subsequent to events is a mediator. Employees are rarely able to check their feelings at the door to their workplace, nor are they unaffected by the events they encounter during the workday. These two factors, start-of-workday mood and work events, may both relate to how employees feel and ultimately perform at work. Mood is defined as a shorter-term, diluted response to general environmental stimuli; that is, mood is typically not associated with one particular stimulus (Tellegen, 1985). However, unlike disposition, mood varies over time and often within and between days. Each day, employees may bring different moods to work, and the moods they start their day with may frame the way they interpret work experiences and how they feel subsequent to such work experiences. A person who starts his or her day in a “good mood” may experience a work event differently than when he or she is in a “bad mood. ” Moreover, start-of-workday mood and the way employees feel after encountering work events may have an impor
Comparison of Hybrid and Pure Iterative Reconstruction Techniques With Conventional Filtered Back Projection: Dose Reduction Potential in the Abdomen

Purpose Assess the effect of filtered back projection (FBP) and hybrid (adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction [ASIR]) and pure (model-based iterative reconstruction [MBIR]) iterative reconstructions on abdominal computed tomography (CT) acquired with 75% radiation dose reduction. Materials and Methods In an institutional review board–approved prospective study, 10 patients (mean [standard deviation] age, 60 (8) years; 4 men and 6 women) gave informed consent for acquisition of additional abdominal images on 64-slice multidetector-row CT (GE 750HD, GE Healthcare). Scanning was repeated over a 10-cm scan length at 200 and 50 milliampere second (mA s), with remaining parameters held constant at 120 kilovolt (peak), 0.984:1 pitch, and standard reconstruction kernel. Projection data were deidentified, exported, and reconstructed to obtain 4 data sets (200-mA s FBP, 50-mA s FBP, 50-mA s ASIR, 50-mA s MBIR), which were evaluated by 2 abdominal radiologists for lesions and subjective image quality. Objective noise and noise spectral density were measured for each image series. Results Among the 10 patients, the maximum weight recorded was 123 kg, with maximum transverse diameter measured as 43.7 cm. Lesion conspicuity at 50-mA s MBIR was better than on 50-mA s FBP and ASIR images (P < 0.01). Image noise was rated as suboptimal on low-dose FBP and ASIR but deemed acceptable in MBIR images. Objective noise with 50-mA s MBIR was 2 to 3 folds lower compared to 50-mA s ASIR, 50-mA s FBP, and 200-mA s FBP (P < 0.0001). Noise spectral density analyses demonstrated that ASIR retains the noise spectrum signature of FBP, whereas MBIR has much lower noise with a more regularized noise spectrum pattern. Conclusion Model-based iterative reconstruction renders acceptable image quality and diagnostic confidence in 50- mA s abdominal CT images, whereas FBP and ASIR images are associated with suboptimal image quality at this radiation dose level.
The most metal-poor damped Lyα systems: insights into chemical evolution in the very metal-poor regime★

We present a high spectral resolution survey of the most metal-poor damped Lyα absorption systems (DLAs) aimed at probing the nature and nucleosynthesis of the earliest generations of stars. Our survey comprises 22 systems with iron abundance less than 1/100 solar; observations of seven of these are reported here for the first time. Together with recent measures of the abundances of C and O in Galactic metal-poor stars, we reinvestigate the trend of C/O in the very metal-poor (VMP) regime and we compare, for the first time, the O/Fe ratios in the most metal-poor DLAs and in halo stars. We confirm the near-solar values of C/O in DLAs at the lowest metallicities probed, and find that their distribution is in agreement with that seen in Galactic halo stars. We find that the O/Fe ratio in VMP DLAs is essentially constant, and shows very little dispersion, with a mean [〈O/Fe〉]=+0.39 ± 0.12, in good agreement with the values measured in Galactic halo stars when the oxygen abundance is measured from the [O i] λ6300 line. We speculate that such good agreement in the observed abundance trends points to a universal origin for these metals. In view of this agreement, we construct the abundance pattern for a typical VMP DLA and compare it to model calculations of Population II and Population III nucleosynthesis to determine the origin of the metals in VMP DLAs. Our results suggest that the most metal-poor DLAs may have been enriched by a generation of metal-free stars; however, given that abundance measurements are currently available for only a few elements, we cannot yet rule out an additional contribution from Population II stars.
Oxygen‐sensing persistent sodium channels in rat hippocampus

1 Persistent sodium channel activity was recorded before and during hypoxia from cell‐attached and inside‐out patches obtained from cultured hippocampal neurons at a pipette potential (Vp) of +30 mV. Average mean current (I′) of these channels was very low under normoxic conditions and was similar in cell‐attached and excised inside‐out patches (‐0.018 ± 0.010 and ‐0.025 ± 0.008 pA, respectively, n= 24). 2 Hypoxia increased the activity of persistent sodium channels in 10 cell‐attached patches (I' increased from ‐0.026 ± 0.016 pA in control to ‐0.156 ± 0.034 pA during hypoxia, n= 4, P= 0.013). The increased persistent sodium channel activity was most prominent at a VP between +70 and +30 mV (membrane potential, Vm= ‐70 to ‐30 mV) and could be blocked by lidocaine, TTX or R56865 (n= 5). Sodium cyanide (NaCN, 5 mM; 0.5‐5 min) increased persistent sodium channel activity in cell‐attached patches (n= 3) in a similar manner. 3 Hypoxia also increased sodium channel activity in inside‐out patches from hippocampal neurons. Within 2‐4 min of exposure to hypoxia, I′ had increased 9‐fold to ‐0.18 ± 0.04 pA (n= 21, P= 0.001). Sodium channel activity increased further with longer exposures to hypoxia. 4 The hypoxia‐induced sodium channel activity in inside‐out patches could be inhibited by exposure to 10‐100 μM lidocaine applied via the bath solution (I′= ‐0.03 ± 0.01 pA, n= 8) or by perfusion of the pipette tip with 1 μM TTX (I′= ‐0.01 ± 0.01 pA, n= 3). 5 The reducing agent dithiothreitol (DTT, 2‐5 mM) rapidly abolished the increase in sodium channel activity caused by hypoxia in excised patches (I'= ‐0.01 ± 0.01 pA, n= 4). Similarly, reduced glutathione (GSH, 5‐20 mM) also reversed the hypoxia‐induced increase in sodium channel activity (I'= ‐0.02 ± 0.02 pA, n= 5). 6 These results suggest that persistent sodium channels in neurons can sense O2 levels in excised patches of plasma membrane. Hypoxia triggers an increase in sodium channel activity. The redox reaction involved in increasing the sodium channel activity probably occurs in an auxiliary regulatory protein, co‐localized in the plasma membrane.
Investigation of CCM boost PFC converter efficiency improvement with 600V wide band-gap power semiconductor devices

Wide band-gap materials such as Gallium Nitride (GaN) and Silicon Carbide (SiC) offer improved performance for power electronic devices compared to traditional Silicon (Si) power semiconductor devices. This paper investigates a 600V GaN & Silicon CoolMOS transistor application in 400W single phase continuous conduction mode (CCM) Boost PFC converter circuits with GaN, SiC and ultrafast silicon diodes and compares power semiconductor device efficiency benefits. The 600V GaN & Silicon CoolMOS transistor power efficiency improvement study and loss analysis for CCM Boost PFC converter circuits are introduced in detail. Based on the experimental study, the 600V GaN transistor enables higher energy efficiency compared with 600V Si CoolMOS for CCM Boost PFC converter at 680 kHz switching frequency: around 1% higher at low line and about 0.5% higher at high line due to low switching loss. 600V SiC diode typically outperforms ultrafast Si diode & GaN diode for CCM Boost PFC converter due to low device charge, and forward voltage. 600V GaN diode suffers lowest efficiency at light load due to large device capacitive charge. The ultrafast Silicon diode has the highest efficiency at light load due to low device charge, but suffers from low efficiency at heavy load due to largest forward voltage and reverse recovery loss. According to the investigations, the combination of a 600V GaN transistor for the boost switch and a SiC rectifier for the freewheeling diode achieves the best efficiency for CCM Boost PFC converter with the lowest power loss.
Nerve root to lumbar disc relationships at the intervertebral foramen from a surgical viewpoint: An anatomical study

The objective of this study was to analyze relationship of the intervertebral disc to the nerve root in the intervertebral foramen. Fourteen formalin‐fixed cadavers were studied and measurements were performed. At the medial line of the neural foramen, the disc‐root distance gradually increased from L1‐L2 to L5‐S1. The shortest distance between the disc to nerve root was L1‐L2 (mean, 8.2 mm) and the greatest distance was found at L3‐L4 (mean, 10.5 mm). In the mid‐foramen, the disc‐root distance decreased from L1‐2 to L5‐S1. The shortest distance from the disc to nerve root was found at L5‐S1 (mean, 0.4 mm); and the greatest distance, at L1‐L2 (mean, 3.8 mm). For the lateral line, the distance between an intersection point between the medial edge of the nerve root and the superior edge of the disc and lateral line of the foramen consistently increased from L1‐L2 to L5‐S1. The shortest distance from nerve root to the lateral border of the foramen, at the point where the nerve root crosses disc was at level L1‐L2 (mean, 2.6 mm), the greatest distance, L5‐S1 (mean, 8.8 mm). The width of the foramina progressively increased in a craniocaudal direction (mean, 8.3–17.8 mm from L1‐2 to L5‐S1, respectively). The mean height of the foramina was more or less the same for disc levels (range, 19.3–21.5). The results showed that nerve roots at lower levels traveled closer to the midline of the foramen. This morphometric information may be helpful in minimizing the incidence of injury to the lumbar nerve root during foraminal and extraforaminal approaches. Clin. Anat. 25:218–223, 2012. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Scale, organization, and profitability of ethanol processing.

"We analyze the appropriate size and implied profitability of a representative ethanol processing firm. An analysis based on current processing technology and costs with typical conditions in Iowa product and input markets is useful; because unit production costs have declined 30% in current dollars over the last 15 years; and because discovering a suitable size for processing facilities has been an important part of the cost-reducing process. We apply theoretical plant size rules for a conventional processing business, an integrated producer/processor enterprise, and a processing cooperative. We also introduce a spatial dimension for the corn input market, because ethanol processing facilities can be uniquely large among agri-processing enterprises. The analysis supports three conclusions. First, the most appropriate size may still be larger than many of the recently constructed plants. Second, ethanol processing is a profitable enterprise; for instance, we calculate a return on capital of 14% for a processing business with optimal scale, current costs and technology, and typical market conditions. Third, total producer plus processor profits can be improved moderately, about $0.04/bushel of corn processed, with an integrated producer/processor enterprise; the producer enterprise sets the local corn price through processing capacity, in a fashion that offsets some potential monopsony power. " Copyright 2007 Canadian Agricultural Economics Society.
MIRABEL: Models for Integrated Review and Assessment of Biodiversity in European Landscapes

Abstract In this paper, we present the methodology and some results from the application of an integrating conceptual framework, MIRABEL, to analyze the consequences of environmental change for biodiversity. For 28 European countries, MIRABEL tabulates changes in the status of threatened habitats predicted to result from 10 environmental pressures. Regional variations in the severity of the pressures and impacts are taken into account by compiling separate impact tables for each of 13 Ecological Regions. Results suggest that agricultural intensification is one of the main threats, however, differences recorded by MIRABEL in the intensity of the pressures, their rate of change and their past and expected impacts on biodiversity in the various Ecological Regions is telling evidence of Europe's biogeographical variety, and of the need to take this into consideration when assessing environmental change.
Salmeterol and fluticasone propionate and survival in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

BACKGROUND Long-acting beta-agonists and inhaled corticosteroids are used to treat chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), but their effect on survival is unknown. METHODS We conducted a randomized, double-blind trial comparing salmeterol at a dose of 50 microg plus fluticasone propionate at a dose of 500 microg twice daily (combination regimen), administered with a single inhaler, with placebo, salmeterol alone, or fluticasone propionate alone for a period of 3 years. The primary outcome was death from any cause for the comparison between the combination regimen and placebo; the frequency of exacerbations, health status, and spirometric values were also assessed. RESULTS Of 6112 patients in the efficacy population, 875 died within 3 years after the start of the study treatment. All-cause mortality rates were 12.6% in the combination-therapy group, 15.2% in the placebo group, 13.5% in the salmeterol group, and 16.0% in the fluticasone group. The hazard ratio for death in the combination-therapy group, as compared with the placebo group, was 0.825 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.681 to 1.002; P=0.052, adjusted for the interim analyses), corresponding to a difference of 2.6 percentage points or a reduction in the risk of death of 17.5%. The mortality rate for salmeterol alone or fluticasone propionate alone did not differ significantly from that for placebo. As compared with placebo, the combination regimen reduced the annual rate of exacerbations from 1.13 to 0.85 and improved health status and spirometric values (P<0.001 for all comparisons with placebo). There was no difference in the incidence of ocular or bone side effects. The probability of having pneumonia reported as an adverse event was higher among patients receiving medications containing fluticasone propionate (19.6% in the combination-therapy group and 18.3% in the fluticasone group) than in the placebo group (12.3%, P<0.001 for comparisons between these treatments and placebo). CONCLUSIONS The reduction in death from all causes among patients with COPD in the combination-therapy group did not reach the predetermined level of statistical significance. There were significant benefits in all other outcomes among these patients. (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00268216 [ClinicalTrials.gov].).
Large-scale index for South America Monsoon (LISAM)

Time variations and large-scale features of South America summer monsoon are characterized by an index based on the first combined EOF of anomalies of precipitation, specific humidity, air temperature, and zonal and meridional winds at 850 hPa. This index describes intraseasonal to interannual variations of the monsoon. Copyright © 2007 Royal Meteorological Society
Implementing and Communicating Corporate Social Responsibility: Implications of Firm Size and Organizational Cost

In this paper we address two research gaps in the extant Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) literature. The first gap results from a lack of understanding of different patterns of CSR engagement with respect to CSR communication and implementation. The second gap concerns limited knowledge about the influence of firm size on CSR engagement. We develop new theory by looking at variations in implementation and communication costs depending on firm size. This allows us to explain the large firm implementation gap (large firms are relatively strong in communicating CSR but weaker at implementing it into their structures and practices) and vice versa the small firm communication gap (weak communication and strong implementation). Our model expands a new theory of CSR engagement based on as yet underemphasized firm-level antecedents of CSR, and opens up several new avenues for future and in particular comparative research.