Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The BICAMS Battery for Assessment of Lithuanian-Speaking Multiple Sclerosis Patients: Relationship with Age, Education, Disease Disability, and Duration

Background Assessment of cognitive impairment (CI) in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients is very useful, but it requires time-consuming expert evaluation with specialized materials. The Brief International Cognitive Assessment for Multiple Sclerosis (BICAMS) was created as a brief and specific instrument for the evaluation of CI. The aims of this study were to assess the cognitive status of MS patients by using the Lithuanian version of BICAMS, to evaluate the test-retest reliability of the Lithuanian version of BICAMS, and to measure the impact of CI on disability and duration of MS. Material/Methods We enrolled 50 MS patients and 20 cognitively normal control subjects, matched for age, gender, and level of education. Cognitive functions were assessed by the BICAMS tests, which include the Symbol Digit Modalities Test, the Brief Visuospatial Memory Test Revised, and the California Verbal Learning Test, 2nd edition. Results MS patients performed significantly worse than controls on the 3 neuropsychological tests of BICAMS (p<0.001). Younger and intellectually employed persons performed significantly better on these tests than older persons, manual workers, or unemployed persons (p<0.05). MS patients with higher disability scores tended to perform worse on the tests (p<0.05), but we found no relationship between BICAMS test scores and the duration of the disease or relapse rate (p>0.05). Test-retest reliability was excellent for all 3 subtests (r>0.8, p<0.05). Conclusions Our study shows that BICAMS is a valid and acceptable cognitive assessment tool that can be recommended for routine use in Lithuania for assessing patients with MS.
Dihydrotestosterone and its relationship to testosterone in infancy and childhood.

Abstract A cross-sectional and longitudinal study of the change in dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and testosterone (T) serum concentration was undertaken in infants from birth to 18 months to elucidate the differences in the concentration of DHT and T in male and female infants. In addition, changes in DHT, T, and the T:DHT ratio were studied in males from infancy to adulthood. Both DHT and T in cord blood were significantly higher in male than in female infants (P < 0.005 and P = 0.01, respectively). Postnatally, in male infants, there was a parallel rise in DHT and T to pubertal levels, resulting in a constant T: DHT ratio (mean ± sd, 4.9 ± 2.7). After hCG stimulation, the T: DHT ratio was similar in this age group (mean ± sd, 5.3 ± 1.7). Both DHT and T decreased sharply at age 6 months in young male infants. The T:DHT ratio rose significantly (P < 0.001) in late puberty (mean ± sd, 10 ± 1.9). The T:DHT ratio after hCG stimulation in older male infants and prepubertal boys (mean ± sd, 11 ± 4.4) with varying .
Fraud Detection in Energy Consumption: A Supervised Approach

Data from utility meters (gas, electricity, water) is a rich source of information for distribution companies, beyond billing. In this paper we present a supervised technique, which primarily but not only feeds on meter information, to detect meter anomalies and customer fraudulent behavior (meter tampering). Our system detects anomalous meter readings on the basis of models built using machine learning techniques on past data. Unlike most previous work, it can incrementally incorporate the result of field checks to grow the database of fraud and non-fraud patterns, therefore increasing model precision over time and potentially adapting to emerging fraud patterns. The full system has been developed with a company providing electricity and gas and already used to carry out several field checks, with large improvements in fraud detection over the previous checks which used simpler techniques.
CPT-BASED LIQUEFACTION ASSESSMENT BY USING FUZZY-NEURAL NETWORK

Because of the increasing popularity worldwide of the cone penetration test (CPT) for site characterization, significant progress on the simplified CPT-based methods has been made for evaluation of earthquake induced liquefaction potential of soils. In this study, a fuzzy-neural network combined with 466 CPT field observations is developed to evaluate liquefaction potential of soils. The proposed model combines fuzzy theory with subtractive clustering algorithm to establish a fuzzy-neural system. The study indicates that fuzzy-neural network can successfully describe the complex relationship between seismic parameters, soil parameters, and the liquefaction potential. The fuzzy-neural network model is found to have very good predictive ability and is expected to be very reliable for evaluation of liquefaction potential.
Improved Computational Target Site Prediction for Pentatricopeptide Repeat RNA Editing Factors

Pentatricopeptide repeat (PPR) proteins with an E domain have been identified as specific factors for C to U RNA editing in plant organelles. These PPR proteins bind to a unique sequence motif 5′ of their target editing sites. Recently, involvement of a combinatorial amino acid code in the P (normal length) and S type (short) PPR domains in sequence specific RNA binding was reported. PPR proteins involved in RNA editing, however, contain not only P and S motifs but also their long variants L (long) and L2 (long2) and the S2 (short2) motifs. We now find that inclusion of these motifs improves the prediction of RNA editing target sites. Previously overlooked RNA editing target sites are suggested from the PPR motif structures of known E-class PPR proteins and are experimentally verified. RNA editing target sites are assigned for the novel PPR protein MEF32 (mitochondrial editing factor 32) and are confirmed in the cDNA.
Superoxide dismutases in the lung and human lung diseases.

The lungs are directly exposed to higher oxygen concentrations than most other tissues. Increased oxidative stress is a significant part of the pathogenesis of obstructive lung diseases such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, parenchymal lung diseases (e.g., idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and lung granulomatous diseases), and lung malignancies. Lung tissue is protected against these oxidants by a variety of antioxidant mechanisms among which the superoxide dismutases (SODs) are the only ones converting superoxide radicals to hydrogen peroxide. There are three SODs: cytosolic copper-zinc, mitochondrial manganese, and extracellular SODs. These enzymes have specific distributions and functions. Their importance in protecting lung tissue has been confirmed in transgenic and knockout animal studies. Relatively few studies have been conducted on these enzymes in the normal human lung or in human lung diseases. Most human studies suggest that there is induction of manganese SOD and, possibly, extracellular SOD during inflammatory, but not fibrotic, phases of parenchymal lung diseases and that both copper-zinc SOD and manganese SOD may be downregulated in asthmatic airways. Many previous antioxidant therapies have been disappointing, but newly characterized SOD mimetics are being shown to protect against oxidant-related lung disorders in animal models.
The Relationship of Bleeding Patterns to Daily Reproductive Hormones in Women Approaching Menopause

OBJECTIVE: To discover early hormonal predictors of menopause and the stages of the menopausal transition and to understand the hormonal basis behind the bleeding abnormalities common in the menopausal transition. METHODS: A cohort of 804 women aged 42–52 collected first void urine samples daily for one complete menstrual cycle or 50 days (whichever came first) once a year for 3 years. Urine was assayed for excreted levels of follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, estrogen metabolites, and progesterone metabolites, which were normalized for creatinine concentration. Anovulation was defined by an algorithm based on progesterone secretion. Menstrual bleeding parameters were derived from daily calendars. Correlations among bleeding characteristics, hormone concentrations, and other potential clinical predictors were analyzed using multivariable logistic regression models. RESULTS: An ethnically diverse population of women (mean age of 47) with a majority in the early perimenopause was studied. Approximately 20% of all cycles were anovulatory. Short cycle intervals (fewer than 21 days) were common early in the menopause transition and were associated with anovulation (44%). Long cycle intervals (more than 36 days) also were associated with anovulatory cycles (65%). Both short (1–3 days) and long (more than 8 days) duration of menstrual bleeding were associated with anovulation (18% and 23%, respectively). Women with anovulatory cycles were less likely to report heavy menstrual bleeding as compared with those with ovulatory cycles. Heavy bleeding was not associated with steroid hormone concentrations but was associated with obesity and with the self-reported presence of leiomyomata. CONCLUSIONS: Among women in the early menopause transition, abnormalities in timing of menstrual bleeding (cycle intervals or bleeding duration) have a hormonal basis and are frequently associated with anovulation. In contrast, abnormally heavy periods do not appear to have a steroid hormonal basis and are less likely after anovulatory cycles. Heavy periods are associated with obesity and leiomyomata. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: II
Current Trends about Inner Limiting Membrane Peeling in Surgery for Epiretinal Membranes

The inner limiting membrane (ILM) is the basement membrane of the Müller cells and can act as a scaffold for cellular proliferation in the pathophysiology of disorders affecting the vitreomacular interface. The atraumatic removal of the macular ILM has been proposed for treating various forms of tractional maculopathy in particular for macular pucker. In the last decade, the removal of ILM has become a routine practice in the surgery of the epiretinal membranes (ERMs), with good anatomical results. However many recent studies showed that ILM peeling is a procedure that can cause immediate traumatic effects and progressive modification on the underlying inner retinal layers. Moreover, it is unclear whether ILM peeling is helpful to improve vision after surgery for ERM. In this review, we describe the current understanding about ILM peeling and highlight the beneficial and adverse effects associated with this surgical procedure.
A group bridge approach for variable selection

Abstract In multiple regression problems when covariates can be naturally grouped, it is important to carry out feature selection at the group and within-group individual variable levels simultaneously. The existing methods, including the lasso and group lasso, are designed for either variable selection or group selection, but not for both. We propose a group bridge approach that is capable of simultaneous selection at both the group and within-group individual variable levels. The proposed approach is a penalized regularization method that uses a specially designed group bridge penalty. It has the oracle group selection property, in that it can correctly select important groups with probability converging to one. In contrast, the group lasso and group least angle regression methods in general do not possess such an oracle property in group selection. Simulation studies indicate that the group bridge has superior performance in group and individual variable selection relative to several existing methods.
Mathematical models of SIR disease spread with combined non-sexual and sexual transmission routes

The emergence of diseases such as Zika and Ebola has highlighted the need to understand the role of sexual transmission in the spread of diseases with a primarily non-sexual transmission route. In this paper we develop a number of low-dimensional models which are appropriate for a range of assumptions for how a disease will spread if it has sexual transmission through a sexual contact network combined with some other transmission mechanism, such as direct contact or vectors. The equations derived provide exact predictions for the dynamics of the corresponding simulations in the large population limit.
Ieee Transactions on Automatic Control Application of a Smoothing Technique to Decomposition in Convex Optimization

Dual decomposition is a powerful technique for deriving decomposition schemes for convex optimization problems with specific structure. Although the Augmented Lagrangian is computationally more stable than the ordinary Lagrangian, the prox-term destroys the separability of the given problem. In this paper we use another approach to obtain a smooth Lagrangian, based on a smoothing technique developed by Nesterov, which preserves separability of the problem. With this approach we derive a new decomposition method, which from the viewpoint of efficiency estimates improves the bounds on the number of iterations of the classical dual gradient scheme by an order of magnitude. This can be achieved with the new decomposition algorithm since the resulting dual function has good smoothness properties and since we make use of the particular structure of the corresponding problem.
PLANETARY NEBULAE IN FACE-ON SPIRAL GALAXIES. III. PLANETARY NEBULA KINEMATICS AND DISK MASS

Much of our understanding of dark matter halos comes from the assumption that the mass-to-light ratio (ϒ) of spiral disks is constant. The best way to test this hypothesis is to measure the disk surface mass density directly via the kinematics of old disk stars. To this end, we have used planetary nebulae (PNe) as test particles and have measured the vertical velocity dispersion (σz) throughout the disks of five nearby, low-inclination spiral galaxies: IC 342, M74 (NGC 628), M83 (NGC 5236), M94 (NGC 4736), and M101 (NGC 5457). By using H i to map galactic rotation and the epicyclic approximation to extract σz from the line-of-sight dispersion, we find that, with the lone exception of M101, our disks do have a constant ϒ out to ∼3 optical scale lengths (hR). However, once outside this radius, σz stops declining and becomes flat with radius. Possible explanations for this behavior include an increase in the disk mass-to-light ratio, an increase in the importance of the thick disk, and heating of the thin disk by halo substructure. We also find that the disks of early type spirals have higher values of ϒ and are closer to maximal than the disks of later-type spirals, and that the unseen inner halos of these systems are better fit by pseudo-isothermal laws than by NFW models.
Selective changes of resting-state networks in individuals at risk for Alzheimer's disease

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder that prominently affects cerebral connectivity. Assessing the functional connectivity at rest, recent functional MRI (fMRI) studies reported on the existence of resting-state networks (RSNs). RSNs are characterized by spatially coherent, spontaneous fluctuations in the blood oxygen level-dependent signal and are made up of regional patterns commonly involved in functions such as sensory, attention, or default mode processing. In AD, the default mode network (DMN) is affected by reduced functional connectivity and atrophy. In this work, we analyzed functional and structural MRI data from healthy elderly (n = 16) and patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) (n = 24), a syndrome of high risk for developing AD. Two questions were addressed: (i) Are any RSNs altered in aMCI? (ii) Do changes in functional connectivity relate to possible structural changes? Independent component analysis of resting-state fMRI data identified eight spatially consistent RSNs. Only selected areas of the DMN and the executive attention network demonstrated reduced network-related activity in the patient group. Voxel-based morphometry revealed atrophy in both medial temporal lobes (MTL) of the patients. The functional connectivity between both hippocampi in the MTLs and the posterior cingulate of the DMN was present in healthy controls but absent in patients. We conclude that in individuals at risk for AD, a specific subset of RSNs is altered, likely representing effects of ongoing early neurodegeneration. We interpret our finding as a proof of principle, demonstrating that functional brain disorders can be characterized by functional-disconnectivity profiles of RSNs.
Study of Quality and Field Limitation of Superconducting 1.3 GHz 9-Cell RF-Cavities at DESY

The European XFEL and the International Linear Collider are based on superconducting rf cavities made of niobium. Their advantages are low ohmic losses which allow high duty cycles and the possibility to use a large beam aperture which is substantial to prevent wake fields at high current accelerators. To reach the theoretical limits of superconducting cavities, it is required to understand the present performance limitations. These are field emission, thermal breakdown (quench) and the ohmic losses dependent on the accelerating field, which are expressed in the quality factor. As the limiting mechanisms themselves are understood in general, the origin of the quench is often unclear. To determine the quench locations, a localisation tool for thermal breakdown using the second sound in superfluid helium has been installed at the cavity test facility at DESY and the results for a sample of about 30 cavities have been examined. The features of the distribution of the quench locations have been analysed and it has been found that the quench locations are in the area of the highest surface magnetic field and not necessarily at the equator of the cells. The data sample has been extended in an attempt to characterise the average behaviour of the quality factor related to the accelerating field. An analysis of the surface resistance of individual cavities shows that a recently developed model for the surface resistance of niobium is not able to describe the measurement in all detail, but the application of an additional mechanism showed promising results.
Arcsecond-Resolution Submillimeter HCN Imaging of the Binary Protostar IRAS 16293–2422

With the Submillimeter Array (SMA) we have made high angular resolution (~1′′ = 160 AU) observations of the protobinary system IRAS 16293-2422 in the HCN (4-3), HC15N (4-3), and 354.5 GHz continuum emission. The HCN (4-3) line was also observed using the JCMT to supply missing short-spacing information. The submillimeter continuum emission is detected from the individual binary components of source A in the southeast and source B in the northwest, with a separation of ~5''. The optically thin HC15N (4-3) emission taken with the SMA has revealed a compact (~500 AU) flattened structure (P.A. = -16°) at source A. This compact structure shows a velocity gradient along the projected minor axis, which can be interpreted as an infalling gas motion. Our HCN image including the short-spacing information shows an extended (~3000 AU) circumbinary envelope, as well as the compact structure at source A. A toy model consisting of a flattened structure with radial infall toward a 1 M☉ central star reproduces the HCN/HC15N position-velocity diagram along the minor axis of the HC15N emission. In the extended envelope there is also a northeast (blue) to southwest (red) velocity gradient across the binary alignment, which is likely to reflect gas motion in the swept-up dense gas associated with the molecular outflow from source A. Only a weak and narrow (~2 km s-1) compact HC15N emission is associated with source B, where no clear molecular outflow is identified, suggesting the different evolutionary starges between sources A and B. Our study demonstrates the importance of adding short-spacing data to interferometer data in order to probe the detailed structure and kinematics of low-mass protostellar envelopes.
Equivalent machine method for approximate evaluation of buffered unreliable production lines

The addressed paper deals with a new analytical formulation called Equivalent Machine Method to evaluate the system throughput of a buffered serial production line. The machines are unreliable and both failure and repair times are assumed to be exponentially distributed. The proposed method is based on the analysis of the different states of each buffer using birth-death Markov processes. Then, each original machine is replaced by an equivalent one taking into account the probabilities of blockage and starvation. The throughput of the production line is defined as the bottleneck between the effective production rates of the equivalent machines. This method considers both homogeneous and non-homogeneous lines and reduces sensibly the state space cardinality of the Markov chain representation of the system and consequently the computational times. A comparative study based on different test instances existing in the literature is presented and discussed. The obtained results prove the effectiveness and the accuracy of the proposed method comparing with both simulation and existing approaches in the literature.
Efficacy of telemedicine for thrombolytic therapy in acute ischemic stroke: a meta-analysis

Summary The aim of this study was to assess the benefits of telemedicine in the delivery of thrombolytic therapy for patients with acute ischemic stroke. We performed a meta-analysis using combinations of the following terms: telestroke, telemedicine, tissue plasminogen activator/t-PA, and acute ischemic stroke. The primary outcome was favorable outcome based on the modified Rankin score. Secondary outcomes were incidence of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage and overall mortality. We found no significant difference in favorable outcome between the telemedicine and control groups, and no significant difference was found between these groups in the rate of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage or overall mortality. Patients with acute ischemic stroke who were treated with intravenous thrombolysis had similar outcomes regardless of whether telemedicine was used or they were treated in-person at a medical facility. Telemedicine can be used to support hospitals with limited experience in administering thrombolytic therapy for stroke.
Ribonucleic acid components of BAI strain A (myeloblastosis) avian tumor virus.

Sucrose-density-gradient centrifugation of RNA extracted from BAI strain A virus with phenol revealed 4 distinct components in continuous-flow spectrophotometer diagrams. Two of these, not previously described, sedimented at about 16 S and 26 S in association with the components of about 60 S and 5 S reported by others. The 5 S material, like cell transfer RNA, exhibited the amino-acid-acceptor activity already observed with whole virus RNA. Experiments indicated that the RNA's were not derived from external contaminating particulate or low molecular weight materials but that all were intrinsic to the agent. Comparative sedimentation studies showed that the 16 S and 26 S components were similar to cell ribosome RNA. Evidence indicated that the 16 S, 26 S, and a part of the 5 S materials were present in the cell cytoplasm and included in the virus during budding. The remainder of the 5 S appeared to be degradation products of the 60 S specific virus RNA component. The possible origin and biologic significance of the components are discussed, particularly with respect to mechanisms of virus formation.
Usage analysis of a large public wireless LAN

This paper presents a quantitative analysis of the usage of a large public wireless local area network which comprises of several components providing outdoor coverage in a city center and indoor coverage at a university campus and at selected public city premises. Analysis is based on correlating two types of data, RADIUS authentication data for determining the true usage of the network, and access point syslog data for localizing the usage. Analysis reveals interesting differences in the daily and weekly usage patterns of different user groups. Analysis of user mobility shows that users are not very mobile, as less than 10% of the sessions may involve spatial movement of at least 50 meters. 60% of the stations using the network appear to have a "home" access point, where the user spends about 80% of the time.