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Atomic scale computer simulations are carried out on structures and photoinduced volume changes of flatly and obliquely deposited amorphous selenium (a-Se) films in order to understand how the properties of chalcogenide glasses are influenced by their preparation method. Obliquely deposited chalcogenies are found to be more sensitive to the illumination than flatly deposited samples as voids provide more degrees of freedom for atomic positions.

Direct sales by farmers gained acceptance in Hungary following the incursion of healthy eating and the enhancement of local economic development efforts. Conducting questionnaire surveys and interviews, our research investigated the means through which locally produced goods reach consumers, e.g., short food supply chains, as well as the farmers’ motivations and the necessary developments. According to the main results, personal direct consumer relations are vital for local farmers; however, advanced sales channels are not popular nor fully developed in Hungary. Only the capital city shows some development here, catalysing and stimulating the domestic market and consumer behaviour. On the other hand, the age structure of local farmers or the lack of knowledge hinder the advent of advanced sales channels. Nevertheless, there is a continuous and immanent need for development in this sector; although, the recent conditions of subsidies unfortunately do not support small scale local farmers.

The present study investigated motor unit (MU) loss in a murine model of familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The fast-twitch tibialis anterior (TA) and medial gastrocnemius (MG) muscles of transgenic SOD1G93A and SOD1WT mice were studied during the presymptomatic phase of disease progression at 60 days of age. Whole muscle maximum isometric twitch and tetanic forces were 80% lower ( P < 0.01) in the TA muscles of SOD1G93A compared to SOD1WT mice. Enumeration of total MU numbers within TA muscles showed a 60% reduction ( P < 0.01) within SOD1G93A mice (38 ± 7) compared with SOD1WT controls (95 ± 12); this was attributed to a lower proportion of the most forceful fast-fatigable (FF) MU in SOD1G93A mice, as seen by a significant ( P < 0.01) leftward shift in the cumulative frequency histogram of single MU forces. Similar patterns of MU loss and corresponding decreases in isometric twitch force were observed in the MG. Immunocytochemical analyses of the entire cross-sectional area (CSA) of serial sections of TA muscles stained with anti-neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) and various monoclonal antibodies for myosin heavy chain (MHC) isoforms showed respective 65% ( P < 0.01) and 28% ( P < 0.05) decreases in the number of innervated IIB and IID/X muscle fibres in SOD1G93A, which paralleled the 60% decrease ( P < 0.01) in the force generating capacity of individual fibres. The loss of fast MUs was partially compensated by activity-dependent fast-to-slower fibre type transitions, as determined by increases ( P < 0.04) in the CSA and proportion of IIA fibres (from 4% to 14%) and IID/X fibres (from 31% to 39%), and decreases ( P < 0.001) in the CSA and proportion of type IIB fibres (from 65% to 44%). We conclude that preferential loss of IIB fibres is incomplete at 60 days of age, and is consistent with a selective albeit gradual loss of FF MUs that is not fully compensated by sprouting of the remaining motoneurons that innervate type IIA or IID/X muscle fibres. Our findings indicate that disease progression in fast-twitch muscles of SOD1G93A mice involves parallel processes: (1) gradual selective motor axon die-back of the FF motor units that contain large type IIB muscle fibres, and of fatigue-intermediate motor units that innervate type IID/X muscle fibres, and (2) activity-dependent conversion of motor units to those innervated by smaller motor axons innervating type IIA fatigue-resistant muscle fibres. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Electromyographical analyses of pre-symptomatic motor unit loss in the SOD1G93A transgenic mouse model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) have yielded contradictory findings as to the onset and time course. We recorded hindlimb muscle and motor unit isometric forces to determine motor unit number and size throughout the life span of the mice. Motor unit numbers in fast-twitch tibialis anterior, extensor digitorum longus and medial gastrocnemius muscles declined from 40 days of age, 50 days before reported overt symptoms and motoneuron loss. Motor unit numbers fell after overt symptoms in the slow-twitch soleus muscle. Muscle forces declined in parallel with motor unit numbers, indicating little or no functional compensation by sprouting. Early muscle-specific decline was due to selective preferential vulnerability of large, fast motor units, innervated by large motoneurons. Large motoneurons are hence the most vulnerable in ALS with die-back occurring prior to overt symptoms. We conclude that size of motoneurons, their axons, and their motor unit size are important determinants of motoneuron susceptibility in ALS. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Explores the early 1992 state of tenant satisfaction with rental housing management in Budapest, Hungary, and the extent to which tenants express a willingness to increase their housing expenditures to obtain improved housing management. Summary of important developments; Past research of tenant satisfaction and its determinants; Three-part housing reform strategy.

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A tanulmány a városi kormányzatokkal kapcsolatos nemzetközi irodalom rövid áttekintése után a magyar nagyvárosok helyzetét tárgyalja két összefiiggésben: egyrészt az önkormányzati rendszeren, másrészt pedig az állam és a magánszektor kapcsolatrendszerén keresztül. A dolgozat arra a következtetésre jut, hogy a nagyvárosok a magyar önkormányzati rendszeren belül egyfajta speciális érdekcsoportot jelentenek, amelyek egyrészt meghatározó politikai súllyal rendelkeznek a területi folyamatokban és a központi költségvetési politikában, másrészt pedig adottságaik révén a gazdasági fejlődés „növekedési pólusait" képviselik.

Through the use of first-principles Ge K-edge XANES simulations we demonstrate that the structure of melt-quenched amorphous Ge-Sb-Te is intrinsically complex and is a mixture of Ge(3):Te(3) and Ge(4):Te(2) configurations in comparable concentrations, in contrast to the as-deposited amorphous phase that is dominated by the Ge(4):Te(2) configurations. The reasons for Ge-Te polyvalency are discussed and it is argued that both configurations are compatible with the Mott 8-N rule and the definition of an ideal amorphous solid. The near-perfect Te-Te distance match between the two major configurations accounts for the high cyclability of phase-change materials. Stable compositions in the Ge-Sb-Te system are suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The use of directed observers in high-fidelity simulation education is increasingly common. While evidence suggests similar educational outcomes for directed observers compared to active participants in technical skills, it remains uncertain if this benefit also exists for senior clinicians, especially in mental workload. We sought to compare the workload between active participants and directed observers using an objective measure., Methods: We performed a prospective, repeated-measures observational study during the New South Wales Ambulance Aeromedical Operations induction training from 2019 to 2020. Participants included senior critical care doctors, paramedics, and nurses undergoing high-fidelity simulation of prehospital and interhospital aeromedical missions. Task load was measured using the National Aeronautics and Space Administration task load index (NASA-TLX) administered following each simulation debrief. Prehospital and interhospital simulations were compared separately by building a multilevel model for complete case and all study data. Post hoc comparisons of NASA-TLX score for each group were performed using estimated marginal means (EMMs)., Results: We enrolled 70 participants, comprising 49 physicians (70%), 19 paramedics (27%), and two flight nurses (3%). From the complete case analysis, statistically significant differences were observed for total NASA-TLX scores between active participants and directed observers in both prehospital (participant EMM 78, observer EMM 65, estimated difference -13, 95% confidence interval [CI] -20 to -7) and interhospital simulations (participant EMM 69, observer EMM 59, estimated difference -10, 95% CI -16 to -3). When all available data were included, the pattern of results did not change., Conclusions: In our sample of senior clinicians, the task load experienced by both active participants and directed observers in high-fidelity simulation education was high for both prehospital and interhospital simulation exercises. The statistically significant differences we report are unlikely to be practically significant. Our results support the use of directed observers when resource limitations do not allow all course attendees to participate in every simulation., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (© 2023 Society for Academic Emergency Medicine.)

Background The relationship between duration of transient neurological events and presence of diffusion-weighted lesions by symptom type is unclear. Methods and Results This was a substudy of SpecTRA (Spectrometry for Transient Ischemic Attack Rapid Assessment), a multicenter prospective cohort of patients with minor ischemic cerebrovascular events or stroke mimics at academic emergency departments in Canada. For this study we included patients with resolved symptoms and determined the presence of diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) lesion on magnetic resonance imaging within 7 days. Using logistic regression, we evaluated the association between symptom duration and DWI lesion, assessing for interaction with symptom type (focal only versus nonfocal/mixed), and adjusting for age, sex, education, comorbidities, and systolic blood pressure. Of 658 patients included, a DWI lesion was present in 232 (35.1%). There was a significant interaction between symptom duration and symptom type. For those with focal-only symptoms, there was a continuous increase in DWI probability up to 24 hours in duration (ranging from ≈40% to 80% probability). In stratified analyses, the increase in probability of DWI lesion with increased duration of focal symptoms was seen in women but not men. For those with nonfocal or mixed symptoms, predicted probability of DWI lesion was ≈35% and was greater in men, but did not increase with longer duration. Conclusions Increased duration of neurological deficits is associated with greater probability of DWI lesion in those with focal symptoms only. For individuals with nonfocal or mixed symptoms, about one-third had DWI lesions, but the probability did not increase with duration. These results may be important to improve risk stratification of transient neurological events.

Over the last 15 years, research on canid cognition has revealed that domestic dogs possess a surprising array of complex sociocognitive skills pointing to the possibility that the domestication process might have uniquely altered their brains; however, we know very little about how evolutionary processes (natural or artificial) might have modified underlying neural structure to support species-specific behaviors. Evaluating the degree of cortical folding (i.e., gyrification) within canids may prove useful, as this parameter is linked to functional variation of the cerebral cortex. Using quantitative magnetic resonance imaging to investigate the impact of domestication on the canine cortical surface, we compared the gyrification index (GI) in 19 carnivore species, including six wild canid and 13 domestic dog individuals. We also explored correlations between global and local GI with brain mass, cortical thickness, white and gray matter volume and surface area. Our results indicated that GI values for domestic dogs are largely consistent with what would be expected for a canid of their given brain mass, although more variable than that observed in wild canids. We also found that GI in canids is positively correlated with cortical surface area, cortical thickness and total cortical gray matter volumes. While we found no evidence of global differences in GI between domestic and wild canids, certain regional differences in gyrification were observed., (© 2020 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Background and Purpose- Acute minor neurological deficits are a common complaint in the emergency department and differentiation of transient ischemic attack/minor stroke from a stroke mimic is difficult. We sought to assess the ability of white matter hyperintensity (WMH) volume to aid the diagnosis in such patients. Methods- This is a post hoc analysis of the previously published SpecTRA study (Spectrometry in TIA Rapid Assessment) of adult patients that presented to the emergency department with acute minor neurological deficits between December 2013 and March 2017. WMH volumes were measured if fluid-attenuated inversion recovery imaging was available. Outcomes of interest were final diagnosis, symptoms at presentation, and 90-day stroke recurrence. Results- WMH volume was available for 1485 patients. Median age was 70 years (interquartile range, 59-80), and 46.7% were female. Mean WMH volume was higher in transient ischemic attack/minor strokes compared with stroke mimics (1.71 ln mL [95% CI, 1.63-1.79 ln mL] versus 1.15 ln mL [95% CI, 1.02-1.27 ln mL], P <0.001). In multivariable-adjusted logistic regression analysis, WMH volume was not associated with final diagnosis. However, the combination of both diffusion-weighted imaging positivity and high WMH volume led to lower odds of focal symptoms at presentation ( P =0.035). Conclusions- The combination of diffusion-weighted imaging positivity and high WMH volume was associated with lower odds of focal symptoms at presentation in patients seen with minor neurological deficits in the emergency department. This suggests that WMH volume might be an important consideration and the absence of focal symptoms at presentation should not discourage clinicians from further investigating patients with suspected cerebral ischemia.

Background: Elevated blood pressure (BP) at emergency department (ED) presentation and advancing age have been associated with risk of ischemic stroke; however, the relationship between BP, age, and transient ischemic attack/minor stroke (TIA/MS) is not clear., Methods: A multi-site, prospective, observational study of 1084 ED patients screened for suspected TIA/MS (symptom onset < 24 h, NIHSS< 4) between December 2013 and April 2016. Systolic and diastolic BP measurements (SBP, DBP) were taken at ED presentation. Final diagnosis was consensus adjudication by stroke neurologists; patients were diagnosed as either TIA/MS or stroke-mimic (non-cerebrovascular conditions). Conditional inference trees were used to define age cut-points for predicting binary diagnosis (TIA/MS or stroke-mimic). Logistic regression models were used to estimate the effect of BP, age, sex, and the age-BP interaction on predicting TIA/MS diagnosis., Results: Over a 28-month period, 768 (71%) patients were diagnosed with TIA/MS: these patients were older (mean 71.6 years) and more likely to be male (58%) than stroke-mimics (61.4 years, 41%; each p < 0.001). TIA/MS patients had higher SBP than stroke-mimics (p < 0.001). DBP did not differ between the two groups (p = 0.191). SBP was predictive of TIA/MS diagnosis in younger patients, after accounting for age and sex; an increase of 10 mmHg systolic increased the odds of TIA/MS 18% (odds ratio [OR] 1.18, 95% CI 1.00-1.39) in patients < 60 years, and 23% (OR 1.23, 95% CI 11.12-1.35) in those 60-79 years, while not affecting the odds of TIA/MS in patients ≥80 years (OR 0.99, 95% CI 0.89-1.07)., Conclusions: Raised SBP in patients younger than 80 with suspected TIA/MS may be a useful clinical indicator upon initial presentation to help increase clinicians' suspicion of TIA/MS., Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03050099 (10-Feb-2017) and NCT03070067 (3-Mar-2017). Retrospectively registered.

Importance: Sex differences have been described in the presentation, care, and outcomes among people with acute ischemic strokes, but these differences are less understood for minor ischemic cerebrovascular events. The present study hypothesized that, compared with men, women are more likely to report nonfocal symptoms and to receive a stroke mimic diagnosis., Objective: To evaluate sex differences in the symptoms, diagnoses, and outcomes of patients with acute transient or minor neurologic events., Design, Setting, and Participants: This prospective cohort study of patients with minor ischemic cerebrovascular events or stroke mimics enrolled at multicenter academic emergency departments in Canada between December 2013 and March 2017 and followed up for 90 days is a substudy of SpecTRA (Spectrometry for Transient Ischemic Attack Rapid Assessment). In total, 1729 consecutive consenting patients with acute transient or minor neurologic symptoms were referred for neurologic evaluation; 66 patients were excluded for protocol violation (n = 46) or diagnosis of transient global amnesia (n = 20)., Exposures: The main exposure was female or male sex., Main Outcomes and Measures: The main outcome was the clinical diagnosis (cerebral ischemia vs stroke mimic). Secondary outcomes were 90-day stroke recurrence and 90-day composite outcome of stroke, myocardial infarction, or death. The association between presenting symptoms (focal vs nonfocal) and clinical diagnosis was also assessed. Research hypotheses were formulated after data collection., Results: Of 1648 patients included, 770 (46.7%) were women, the median (interquartile range) age was 70 (59-80) years, 1509 patients (91.6%) underwent brain magnetic resonance imaging, and 1582 patients (96.0%) completed the 90-day follow-up. Women (522 of 770 [67.8%]) were less likely than men (674 of 878 [76.8%]) to receive a diagnosis of cerebral ischemia (adjusted risk ratio [aRR], 0.88; 95% CI, 0.82-0.95), but the 90-day stroke recurrence outcome (aRR, 0.90; 95% CI, 0.48-1.66) and 90-day composite outcome (aRR, 0.86; 95% CI, 0.54-1.32) were similar for men and women. No significant sex differences were found for presenting symptoms. Compared with patients with no focal neurologic symptoms, those with focal and nonfocal symptoms were more likely to receive a diagnosis of cerebral ischemia (aRR, 1.28; 95% CI, 1.15-1.39), but the risk was highest among patients with focal symptoms only (aRR, 1.45; 95% CI, 1.34-1.53). Sex did not modify these associations., Conclusions and Relevance: The results of the present study suggest that, despite similar presenting symptoms among men and women, women may be more likely to receive a diagnosis of stroke mimic, but they may not have a lower risk than men of subsequent vascular events, indicating potentially missed opportunities for prevention of vascular events among women.

Objective: To validate our previously developed 16 plasma-protein biomarker panel to differentiate between transient ischaemic attack (TIA) and non-cerebrovascular emergency department (ED) patients., Method: Two consecutive cohorts of ED patients prospectively enrolled at two urban medical centers into the second phase of SpecTRA study (training, cohort 2A, n = 575; test, cohort 2B, n = 528). Plasma samples were analyzed using liquid chromatography/multiple reaction monitoring-mass spectrometry. Logistic regression models which fit cohort 2A were validated on cohort 2B., Results: Three of the panel proteins failed quality control and were removed from the panel. During validation, panel models did not outperform a simple motor/speech (M/S) deficit variable. Post-hoc analyses suggested the measured behaviour of L-selectin and coagulation factor V contributed to poor model performance. Removal of these proteins increased the external performance of a model containing the panel and the M/S variable., Conclusions: Univariate analyses suggest insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 3 and serum paraoxonase/lactonase 3 are reliable and reproducible biomarkers for TIA status. Logistic regression models indicated L-selectin, apolipoprotein B-100, coagulation factor IX, and thrombospondin-1 to be significant multivariate predictors of TIA. We discuss multivariate feature subset analyses as an exploratory technique to better understand a panel's full predictive potential.

Objective: To derive a plasma biomarker protein panel from a list of 141 candidate proteins which can differentiate transient ischaemic attack (TIA)/minor stroke from non-cerebrovascular (mimic) conditions in emergency department (ED) settings., Design: Prospective clinical study (#NCT03050099) with up to three timed blood draws no more than 36 h following symptom onset. Plasma samples analysed by multiple reaction monitoring-mass spectrometry (MRM-MS)., Participants: Totally 545 participants suspected of TIA enrolled in the EDs of two urban medical centres., Outcomes: 90-day, neurologist-adjudicated diagnosis of TIA informed by clinical and radiological investigations., Results: The final protein panel consists of 16 proteins whose patterns show differential abundance between TIA and mimic patients. Nine of the proteins were significant univariate predictors of TIA [odds ratio (95% confidence interval)]: L-selectin [0.726 (0.596-0.883)]; Insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 3 [0.727 (0.594-0.889)]; Coagulation factor X [0.740 (0.603-0.908)]; Serum paraoxonase/lactonase 3 [0.763 (0.630-0.924)]; Thrombospondin-1 [1.313 (1.081-1.595)]; Hyaluronan-binding protein 2 [0.776 (0.637-0.945)]; Heparin cofactor 2 [0.775 (0.634-0.947)]; Apolipoprotein B-100 [1.249 (1.037-1.503)]; and von Willebrand factor [1.256 (1.034-1.527)]. The scientific plausibility of the panel proteins is discussed., Conclusions: Our panel has the potential to assist ED physicians in distinguishing TIA from mimic patients.