Leukoaraiosis is associated with pneumonia after acute ischemic stroke

Diagnostic criteria for stroke associated pneumonia based on the CDC criteria. (DOCX 25 kb

Waveguide-Type Head-Mounted Display System for AR Application

Currently, a lot of institutes and industries are working on the development of the virtual reality and augmented reality techniques, and these techniques have been recognized as the determination for the direction of the three-dimensional display development in the near future. In this chapter, we mainly discussed the design and application of several wearable head-mounted display (HMD) systems with the waveguide structure using the in- and out-couplers which are fabricated by the diffractive optical elements or holographic volume gratings. Although the structure is simple, the waveguide-type HMDs are very efficient, especially in the practical applications, especially in the augmented reality applications, which make the device light-weighted. In addition, we reviewed the existing major head-mounted display and augmented reality systems

Production of Radiation-Induced Compounds in Irradiated Raw and Cooked Meats

The objective of this study was to determine the best irradiation markers in irradiated meat. Raw and cooked beef loins, pork loins and chicken thighs were irradiated at 0 or 5 kGy. The amounts of hydrocarbons, 2-alkylcyclobutanones, and sulfur volatiles were determined after 0 and 6 months of frozen storage. Two hydrocarbons (8-heptadecene (C17:1) and 6,9-heptadecadiene (C17:2)) and two 2- alkylcyclobutanones (2-dodecylcyclobutanone (DCB) and 2-tetradecylcyclobutanone (TCB)) were detected only in irradiated raw and cooked meats. Although pre-cooked irradiated meats produced more hydrocarbons and 2- alkylcyclobutanones than the irradiated cooked ones, the amounts of individual hydrocarbons and 2- alkylcyclobutanones, such as 8-heptadecene, 6,9- heptadecadiene, DCB, and TCB, were sufficient enough to identify whether the meat was irradiated or not. Dimethyl disulfide and dimethyl trisulfide were detected only in irradiated meats, but dimethyl trisulfide disappeared after 6 months of frozen storage under oxygen permeable packaging conditions. This indicated that only dimethyl disulfide could be used as an irradiation marker for the meat stored in frozen conditions for a long time

Effects of paramagnetic fluctuations on the thermochemistry of MnO (100) surfaces in the oxygen evolution reaction

We investigated the effects of paramagnetic (PM) fluctuations on the thermochemistry of the MnO(100) surface in the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) using the "noncollinear magnetic sampling method \textit{plus} $U$" (NCMSM$+U$). Various physical properties, such as the electronic structure, free energy, and charge occupation, of the MnO (100) surface in the PM state with several OER intermediates, were reckoned and compared to those in the antiferromagnetic (AFM) state. We found that PM fluctuation enhances charge transfer from a surface Mn ion to each of the intermediates and strengthens the chemical bond between them, while not altering the overall features, such as the rate determining step and resting state, in reaction pathways. The enhanced charge transfer can be attributed to the delocalized nature of valence bands observed in the PM surface. In addition, it was observed that chemical-bond enhancement depends on the intermediates, resulting in significant deviations in reaction energy barriers. Our study suggests that PM fluctuations play a significant role in the thermochemistry of chemical reactions occurring on correlated oxide surfaces.Comment: Maintext: 15 pages, 3 figures 2 tables; SI: 3 pages, 2 figure

Clinical significance of D-dimer levels during acute period in ischemic stroke

Background Initial D-dimer level is a well-known prognostic parameter in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS). However, there have been no studies on the clinical significance of follow-up D-dimer levels. In this study, we evaluated the association between initial and follow-up D-dimer levels and early neurological deterioration (END) in patients with AIS. Methods We included consecutive patients with AIS who had a positive initial D-dimer test (> 0.55mg/L) between March 2021 and November 2022. The follow-up D-dimer test was performed on the 7th day after hospitalization and on the day of discharge if discharged earlier. END was defined as an increase of ≥ 2 in the total NIHSS score, or ≥ 1 in the motor NIHSS score within the first 7 days of admission. As medical conditions closely associated with the initial and follow-up D-dimer levels in AIS patients, we also evaluated the history of cancer, active cancer, and venous thromboembolism (VTE) that occurred during hospitalization together. Results A total of 246 patients with AIS were evaluated (median age: 87 years, male: 56.5%). In multivariable logistic regression analysis, the initial D-dimer level was closely associated with END after adjusting for confounders (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 1.48, 95% CI: 1.06–2.05). The follow-up D-dimer level also showed a close correlation with END (aOR: 1.60, 95% CI: 1.16–2.20). Regarding the analysis of the association between D-dimer levels and underlying cancer or VTE, the initial D-dimer level showed a statistically significant positive relationship only with active cancer (P = 0.024). On the other hand, the follow-up D-dimer level was found to be statistically significantly associated with a history of cancer (P = 0.024), active cancer (P = 0.001), and VTE (P = 0.001). Conclusions Initial and follow-up D-dimer levels were associated with END in AIS patients. Particularly, the follow-up D-dimer level showed a clear correlation not only with END but also with the underlying cancer or the occurrence of VTE during the acute period

Effects of Posture and Acute Sleep Deprivation on Heart Rate Variability

PURPOSE: In our previous study to investigate autonomic nervous system (ANS) activity due to radio frequency (RF) radiation using heart rate variability (HRV), drowsiness was observed in approximately half of all subjects. Therefore, the usage of HRV with unwanted drowsiness could falsely indicate the effects of RF radiation by mobile phones on the ANS. The objective of this study was to determine which posture is appropriate for accurate HRV analysis for provocation study. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 52 healthy subjects (25 males and 27 females) participated in this experiment. We measured the number of times a subject showed drowsiness or sleep deprivation due to awakening, and analyzed HRV six times over 30 minutes in sitting and recumbent postures, using power spectrum. RESULTS: We employed the ratio of low frequency power to high frequency power (LFP/HFP) to analyze the changes in the ANS. The number of sleep deprivation occurrences in the sitting posture was significantly less than that in the recumbent posture (p<0.01), resulting in smaller increase of LFP/HFP. Although LFP/HFP of the two postures varied with time without any provocation, it was more stable in sitting than in recumbent postures. CONCLUSION: A sitting posture is preferable to a recumbent posture for analyzing HRV, because of decreased drowsiness and sleep deprivation, thereby decreasing variation of LFP/HFP during experiment. Considering the drowsiness, it is also recommended that any experiment should be completed within 15 minutes, if possible.ope

High triglyceride/HDL cholesterol ratio is associated with silent brain infarcts in a healthy population

Background Triglycerides (TG)/high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol ratio is a marker of small/dense low-density lipoprotein particles, which are closely associated with various metabolic and vascular diseases. However, the role of TG/HDL cholesterol ratio in cerebrovascular diseases has not been well studied. In this study, we evaluated the relationship between TG/HDL cholesterol ratio and the presence of silent brain infarct (SBI) in a neurologically healthy population. Methods We retrospectively evaluated consecutive participants in health check-ups between January 2006 and December 2013. SBI was defined as an asymptomatic, well-defined lesion with a diameter of ≥3 mm on T1- or T2-weighted images. TG/HDL cholesterol ratio was calculated after dividing absolute TG levels by absolute HDL cholesterol levels. Results Of 3172 healthy participants, 263 (8.3%) had SBI lesions. In multivariate analysis, TG/HDL cholesterol ratio was independently associated with SBI (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 1.16, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.00 to 1.34, P = 0.047). This association was prominent in males (aOR = 1.23, 95% CI = 1.03 to 1.48, P = 0.021), but not in females. In the analyses of the relationships between lipid parameters and SBI lesion burden, TG/HDL cholesterol ratio was positively correlated, and total cholesterol/TG ratio was negatively correlated with SBI lesion burden, in dose-response manners (P for trend = 0.015 and 0.002, respectively). Conclusions The TG/HDL cholesterol ratio was positively associated with the prevalence of SBI in a neurologically healthy population