ABCD2-I Score Predicts Unplanned Emergency Department Revisits within 72 Hours Due to Recurrent Acute Ischemic Stroke.

Background: the ABCD2 score is valuable for predicting early stroke recurrence after a transient ischemic attack (TIA), and Doppler ultrasound can aid in expediting stroke triage. The study aimed to investigate whether combining the ABCD2 score with carotid duplex results can enhance the identification of early acute ischemic stroke after TIA.

Methods: we employed a retrospective cohort design for this study, enrolling patients diagnosed with TIA who were discharged from the emergency department (ED).

Efficacy and safety of tirofiban in patients with acute ischemic stroke treated with endovascular thrombectomy: A frequentist and Bayesian meta-analysis.

Background: Tirofiban is an antiplatelet treatment approved for acute coronary syndrome, but it has not been rigorously evaluated for efficacy and safety in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) treated with endovascular thrombectomy (EVT).

Methods: Electronic databases were systematically searched for studies conducted from January 1, 2015, to July 31, 2021, that evaluated tirofiban administration for patients with AIS treated with EVT in comparison with control. Risk ratios (RRs) and confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated for favorable functional outcomes (FFOs), mortality, and symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (SICH), each 90 days after AIS.

Spatial-temporal distribution and pedestrian exposure assessment of size-fractionated particles on crosswalk of urban intersection.

Vehicles tend to produce more pollutants especially particles at an urban intersection than other segments. Meanwhile, pedestrians at an intersection are inevitably exposed to high particle level and suffered from the health problem. Especially, some particles can deposit in different thoracic areas of the respiratory system and cause serious health problems.

Integrative Study on Flow Characteristics and Impact of Non-Submerged Double Spur Dikes on the River System.

The flow characteristics around non-submerged spur dikes continuously placed in the channel on the same side with orthogonal angle to the wall were investigated by numerical simulations and experimental measurements. Three-dimensional (3D) numerical simulations with the standard - Model for incompressible viscous flow based on finite volume method and the rigid lid assumption for free surface treatment were conducted. A laboratory experiment was applied to verify the numerical simulation.

[Antifriction and anti-wear performances of bionic lubricating fluid containing gelatin nanoparticles for artificial joint materials].

Objective: The antifriction and antiwear effects of gelatin nanoparticles (GLN-NP) on artificial joint materials in bionic joint lubricant were investigated to provide a theoretical basis for the development of new bionic joint lubricant.

Methods: GLN-NP was prepared by cross-linking collagen acid (type A) gelatin with glutaraldehyde by acetone method, and the particle size and stability of GLN-NP were characterized. The biomimetic joint lubricants with different concentrations were prepared by mixing 5, 15, and 30 mg/mL GLN-NP with 15 and 30 mg/mL hyaluronic acid (HA), respectively.

Transmission mitigation of COVID-19: Exhaled contaminants removal and energy saving in densely occupied space by impinging jet ventilation.

The pandemic of COVID-19 and its transmission ability raise much attention to ventilation design as indoor-transmission outstrips outdoor-transmission. Impinging jet ventilation (IJV) systems might be promising to ventilate densely occupied large spaces due to their high jet momentum. However, their performances in densely occupied spaces have rarely been explored.

Split-hand index for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis diagnosis: A frequentist and Bayesian meta-analysis.

Objective: Preferential wasting of the thenar muscles, the split-hand sign, may be used for early diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

Methods: Electronic databases were searched for studies assessing the split-hand index (SHI) and the compound muscle action potential (CMAP) amplitudes of abductor pollicis brevis (APB), first dorsal interosseous (FDI), and abductor digiti minimi (ADM). The SHI was obtained by multiplying CMAP amplitudes of APB and FDI and dividing the product by the CMAP amplitude of ADM.

Fabrication and Characterization of Superhydrophobic Al-Based Surface Used for Finned-Tube Heat Exchangers.

Enhancing the heat transfer performance of heat exchangers is one of the main methods to reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions in heating, ventilation, air-conditioning and refrigeration (HVAC&R) systems. Wettability modified surfaces developed gradually may help. This study aims to improve the performance of heat exchangers from the perspective of component materials.

Diagnostic test accuracy of pretreatment collateral score in predicting stroke outcomes after intra-arterial endovascular thrombectomy: a meta-analysis in DSA and CTA.

Objectives: This study compared the diagnostic accuracy of pretreatment circulation collateral scoring (CS) system using digital subtraction angiography (DSA) and computed tomography angiography (CTA) in predicting favorable functional outcome (FFO) after intra-arterial endovascular thrombectomy (IA-EVT). Subgroup analysis characterizing scoring systems within each category was additionally conducted.

Materials And Methods: We performed a diagnostic meta-analysis to assess the sensitivity and specificity of each CS system by using DSA and CTA, respectively.

Posterior circulation acute stroke prognosis early CT scores in predicting functional outcomes: A meta-analysis.

Background And Purpose: Patients with posterior circulation acute ischemic stroke exhibit varied clinical presentations and functional outcomes. Whether posterior circulation acute stroke prognosis early computed tomography scores (PC-ASPECTS) predict unfavorable functional outcomes (UFO) for patients treated with different therapeutic regimens is unclear.

Methods: According to PRISMA guidelines, we performed a systematic search of electronic databases for studies assessing the functional outcomes of posterior circulation acute ischemic stroke using baseline PC-ASPECTS.

Multiscale multifractal properties between ground-level ozone and its precursors in rural area in Hong Kong.

In rural area, due to the reduction of NOx and CO emitted from vehicle exhausts, the ozone photochemical reaction exhibits relatively weak effect and ozone formation presents different pattern with its precursors in contrast to urban situation. Hence, in this study, we apply detrended cross-correlation analysis to investigate the multifractal properties between ozone and its precursors in a rural area in Hong Kong. The observed databases of ozone, NO, NOx and CO levels during 2005-2014 are obtained from a rural monitoring station in Hong Kong.

Multifractal nature of particulate matters (PMs) in Hong Kong urban air.

In this study, we investigate the persistent variation and the multifractal nature of particulate matter (PM) concentrations from vehicle emissions at a typical traffic intersection of street canyon in Hong Kong. Six size groups of PMs are measured and collected during rush hour sessions on different dates respectively. A recently developed model, namely multifractal detrended fluctuation analysis (MF-DFA), is employed to decompose and analyze the collected database.

Structure of the human P2Y12 receptor in complex with an antithrombotic drug.

P2Y receptors (P2YRs), a family of purinergic G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), are activated by extracellular nucleotides. There are a total of eight distinct functional P2YRs expressed in human, which are subdivided into P2Y1-like receptors and P2Y12-like receptors. Their ligands are generally charged molecules with relatively low bioavailability and stability in vivo, which limits our understanding of this receptor family.

The effects of melatonin on colonic transit time in normal controls and IBS patients.

Objectives: The role of melatonin in regulating gut motility in human subjects is not clear. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of exogenous melatonin on colonic transit time (CTT) in healthy subjects and in patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

Methods: Colonic transit time was measured in 17 healthy controls using the radio-opaque, blue dye, and Bristol stool form score method before and after 30 days of melatonin treatment 3 mg daily.

Ground-level ozone prediction by support vector machine approach with a cost-sensitive classification scheme.

For ground-level ozone (O(3)) prediction, a predictive model, with reliable performance not only on non-polluted days but, more importantly, on polluted days, is favored by public authorities to issue alerts, so that concerned citizens and industrial organizations could take precautions to avoid exposure and reduce harmful emissions. However, the class imbalance problem, i.e.

Investigation of respirable suspended particulate trend and relevant environmental factors in Hong Kong downtown areas.

As the addressing of high demand of good air quality in urban area, a study on air pollutant dispersion and distribution resulting from vehicular exhaust emission is strongly required. In particular, vehicular exhaust emission has become a major air pollution source in metropolitan city like Hong Kong, which is characterized with the heavy, dense traffic flow and the limited land resources. Respirable suspended particulate (RSP) is one of main pollutants resulted from vehicular exhaust emission in urban area.

Seasonal variation of air pollution index: Hong Kong case study.

Air pollution is an important and popular topic in Hong Kong as concerns have been raised about the health impacts caused by vehicle exhausts in recent years. In Hong Kong, sulphur dioxide SO2, nitrogen dioxide (NO2), nitric oxide (NO), carbon monoxide (CO), and respirable suspended particulates (RSP) are major air pollutants caused by the dominant usage of diesel fuel by goods vehicles and buses. These major pollutants and the related secondary pollutant, e.

Interval estimation of urban ozone level and selection of influential factors by employing automatic relevance determination model.

In this work, we focus on simulating the ground-level ozone (O3) time series and its daily maximum concentration in Hong Kong urban air by employing the multilayer perceptron (MLP) model combined with the automatic relevance determination (ARD) method (for simplicity, we name it as MLP-ARD model). Two air quality monitoring sites in Hong Kong, i.e.

Evolving trend and self-similarity of ozone pollution in central Hong Kong ambient during 1984-2002.

The evolving pattern of ozone level in Hong Kong urban air has undergone various changes and corresponds to the regional urban and economic development. We assess such changes by reviewing and analyzing the original ozone pollutant database monitored in central Hong Kong downtown area during the period of 1984-2002. Both fractal analysis and traditional statistical methods are adopted to estimate the ozone evolving characteristics during the studied period.

Potential assessment of the "support vector machine" method in forecasting ambient air pollutant trends.

Monitoring and forecasting of air quality parameters are popular and important topics of atmospheric and environmental research today due to the health impact caused by exposing to air pollutants existing in urban air. The accurate models for air pollutant prediction are needed because such models would allow forecasting and diagnosing potential compliance or non-compliance in both short- and long-term aspects. Artificial neural networks (ANN) are regarded as reliable and cost-effective method to achieve such tasks and have produced some promising results to date.

Potential assessment of a neural network model with PCA/RBF approach for forecasting pollutant trends in Mong Kok urban air, Hong Kong.

The forecasting of air pollutant trends has received much attention in recent years. It is an important and popular topic in environmental science, as concerns have been raised about the health impacts caused by unacceptable ambient air pollutant levels. Of greatest concern are metropolitan cities like Hong Kong.

A preliminary study on potential of developing shower/laundry wastewater reclamation and reuse system.

With the ever-increasing urban population and economic activities, water usage and demand are continuously increasing. Hence, finding/re-creating adequate water supply and fully utilizing wastewater become important issues in sustainable urban development and environmental benign aspect. Considering Hong Kong's situation, e.

A study of ozone variation trend within area of affecting human health in Hong Kong.

As far as the impact of air pollutants on human health being concerned, ozone is one of the main pollutants in atmosphere. In particular, the ground level ozone is responsible for a variety of adverse effects on both human being and plant life. To protect the humankind from such adverse health effects, early information and precautions of high ozone level need to be supplied in times.

Prediction of maximum daily ozone level using combined neural network and statistical characteristics.

Analysis and forecasting of air quality parameters are important topics of atmospheric and environmental research today due to the health impact caused by air pollution. As one of major pollutants, ozone, especially ground level ozone, is responsible for various adverse effects on both human being and foliage. Therefore, prediction of ambient ozone levels in certain environment, especially the ground ozone level in densely urban areas, is of great importance to urban air quality and city image.