Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Comparison of Two Spelling Brain-Computer Interfaces Based on Visual P3 and SSVEP in Locked-In Syndrome

Objectives We study the applicability of a visual P3-based and a Steady State Visually Evoked Potentials (SSVEP)-based Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCIs) for mental text spelling on a cohort of patients with incomplete Locked-In Syndrome (LIS). Methods Seven patients performed repeated sessions with each BCI. We assessed BCI performance, mental workload and overall satisfaction for both systems. We also investigated the effect of the quality of life and level of motor impairment on the performance. Results All seven patients were able to achieve an accuracy of 70% or more with the SSVEP-based BCI, compared to 3 patients with the P3-based BCI, showing a better performance with the SSVEP BCI than with the P3 BCI in the studied cohort. Moreover, the better performance of the SSVEP-based BCI was accompanied by a lower mental workload and a higher overall satisfaction. No relationship was found between BCI performance and level of motor impairment or quality of life. Conclusion Our results show a better usability of the SSVEP-based BCI than the P3-based one for the sessions performed by the tested population of locked-in patients with respect to all the criteria considered. The study shows the advantage of developing alternative BCIs with respect to the traditional matrix-based P3 speller using different designs and signal modalities such as SSVEPs to build a faster, more accurate, less mentally demanding and more satisfying BCI by testing both types of BCIs on a convenience sample of LIS patients.
Long-term prognosis of Guillain-Barré syndrome not determined by treatment options?

Background The long-term follow-up system for Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is not well established worldwide. In our study, the preliminary data of the long-term prognosis of GBS are collected to explore the prognosis of GBS and the effect of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) treatment. Methods The follow-up data of 186 patients with GBS admitted from 2003 to 2013 were collected in 2015 via phone interview. The GBS disability scale score was ranked by clinician to evaluate the long-term prognosis. The clinical data during the acute phase were also collected. Results The mortality rates were 2.15%, 5.45% and 7.89% at discharge, 2-5 years and 6-10 years after disease, respectively. The GBS disability scale score improved dramatically from discharge to 2-12 years after the acute phase. The self-limitation, the spontaneous recovery of disease, occurred both at acute phase and 2-5 years after discharge. Comparisons between IVIg-treated patients and GBS patients who only received supportive care revealed no significant difference of long-term prognosis. Conclusion The long-term prognosis of GBS appears not to be influenced by treatment options. The long-term improvement of IVIg treated-patients might be due to the self-limitation of GBS per se instead of the IVIg treatment.
Genome-based reclassification of Sphingopyxis ummariensis as a later heterotypic synonym of Sphingopyxis terrae, with the descriptions of Sphingopyxis terrae subsp. terrae subsp. nov. and Sphingopyxis terrae subsp. ummariensis subsp. nov.

During the phylogenetic analysis of the genus Sphingopyxis, we found that an incorrect 16S rRNA gene sequence (accession number: D13727) was provided in the original description of Sphingopyxisterrae NBRC 15098T and the wrong sequence has been adopted and used for a long time. It should be replaced by the new correct 16S rRNA gene sequence (accession number: MF618306). The new sequence shared the highest similarity (99.8 %) with that of Sphingopyxisummariensis DSM 24316T. The average nucleotide identity (ANI) (96.87 %) and digital DNA-DNA hybridization (75.30 %) values based on the whole-genome sequences and almost the same phenotypic and chemotaxonomic characteristics of the two type strains revealed thatSphingopyxisummariensis should be a later heterotypic synonym ofSphingopyxisterrae. However, the distinctions in the genome size, hydrolysis of aesculin, α-glucosidase and particularly the fatty acid profiles strongly support that strain DSM 24316T should be considered to represent a novel subspecies ofSphingopyxisterrae. Two novel subspecies are therefore proposed, namely Sphingopyxisterraesubsp. terrae subsp. nov. (type strain E-1-AT=NBRC 15098T=JCM 10195T=DSM 8831T=LMG 17326T) and Sphingopyxisterraesubsp. ummariensis subsp. nov. (type strain UI2T=DSM 24316T=CCM 7428T=MTCC 8591T).
[Prevalence of Pre-Obesity/Obesity in Pre and Basic School Children at Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal].

INTRODUCTION Over 30% of Portuguese children present overweight. Being a serious public health problem with multiple causes, only a cross-sectorial and concerted action could contribute to their resolution. Municipalities have a set of skills that make them ideal for effective intervention in the fight against this problem. For this action to be effective there must be a local assessment of the extent of the problem and their spatial distribution. The aim of this study was to characterize, from the point of view of the prevalence of overweight, the population of pre-school and first cycle basic education under the responsibility of the municipality of Vila Nova de Gaia, the third most populous municipality in the country. MATERIAL AND METHODS Were evaluated 8 974 pre and basic-school children, in school year 2013/14. The assessment of the nutritional status of the sample was made using anthropometric measures height and weight. In the classification of nutritional status was considered z-scores or percentiles of body mass index for age according to the World Health Organization, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and International Obesity Task Force. RESULTS The prevalence of overweight by the World Health Organization requirements was 37.4%. There were some disparities in the distribution of overweight in schools of the municipality. DISCUSSION The results were slightly higher than those of other national and international studies, being the sampling size the possible justification for the differences founded. CONCLUSION The prevalence found is high and with irregular geographical distribution, which could help identifying the main causes of the problem at the local level.
Association between airborne PM2.5 chemical constituents and birth weight—implication of buffer exposure assignment

Several papers reported associations between airborne fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and birth weight, though findings are inconsistent across studies. Conflicting results might be due to (1) different PM2.5 chemical structure across locations, and (2) various exposure assignment methods across studies even among the studies that use ambient monitors to assess exposure. We investigated associations between birth weight and PM2.5 chemical constituents, considering issues arising from choice of buffer size (i.e. distance between residence and pollution monitor). We estimated the association between each pollutant and term birth weight applying buffers of 5 to 30 km in Connecticut (2000–2006), in the New England region of the USA. We also investigated the implication of the choice of buffer size in relation to population characteristics, such as socioeconomic status. Results indicate that some PM2.5 chemical constituents, such as nitrate, are associated with lower birth weight and appear more harmful than other constituents. However, associations vary with buffer size and the implications of different buffer sizes may differ by pollutant. A homogeneous pollutant level within a certain distance is a common assumption in many environmental epidemiology studies, but the validity of this assumption may vary by pollutant. Furthermore, we found that areas close to monitors reflect more minority and lower socio-economic populations, which implies that different exposure approaches may result in different types of study populations. Our findings demonstrate that choosing an exposure method involves key tradeoffs of the impacts of exposure misclassification, sample size, and population characteristics.
Diffusion-weighted MR imaging in prediction of response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in patients with breast cancer

This study aims to evaluate the potential of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) derived from diffusion-weighted MR imaging for predicting the treatment response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) in patients with breast cancer. Magnetic resonance imaging was performed prior to NACT and after two cycles of NACT. The correlation between mean ADCpre values, mean ADCpost values, changes in ADC values and changes in tumor diameters after NACT was examined using Spearman rank correlation. A total of 164 breast cancers were enrolled in this study. Mean ADCpre values of responders ([0.85 ± 0.16] × 10-3 mm2/s) and non-responders ([0.84 ± 0.21] × 10-3 mm2/s) had no significant difference (P = 0.759). While mean ADCpost value of responders was significantly higher than that of non-responders ([1.17 ± 0.37] × 10-3 mm2/s vs. [1.01 ± 0.28] × 10-3 mm2/s; P = 0.002). Both mean ADCpost values (r = 0.288, P = 0.000) and changes in mean ADC values (r = 0.222, P = 0.004) were positively correlated to changes in tumor diameter after NACT, except for mean ADCpre values (r = 0.031, P = 0.695). Our results indicated that mean ADCpost values and changes in ADC values after NACT might be a biological marker for assessing the efficacy of chemotherapy.
Changes in growth, porosity, and radial oxygen loss from adventitious roots of selected mono‐ and dicotyledonous wetland species with contrasting types of aerenchyma

Growth in stagnant, oxygen-deficient nutrient solution increased porosity in adventitious roots of two monocotyledonous (Carex acuta and Juncus effusus) and three dicotyledonous species (Caltha palustris, Ranunculus sceleratus and Rumex palustris) wetland species from 10 to 30% under aerated conditions to 20‐45%. The spatial patterns of radial oxygen loss (ROL), determined with rootsleeving oxygen electrodes, indicated a strong constitutive ‘barrier’ to ROL in the basal root zones of the two monocotyledonous species. In contrast, roots of the dicotyledonous species showed no significant ‘barrier’ to ROL when grown in aerated solution, and only a partial ‘barrier’ when grown in stagnant conditions. This partial ‘barrier’ was strongest in C. palustris, so that ROL from basal zones of roots of R. sceleratus and R. palustris was substantial when compared to the monocotyledonous species. ROL from the basal zones would decrease longitudinal diffusion of oxygen to the root apex, and therefore limit the maximum penetration depth of these roots into anaerobic soil. Further studies of a larger number of dicotyledonous wetland species from a range of substrates are required to elucidate the ecophysiological consequences of developing a partial, rather than a strong, ‘barrier’ to ROL.
Modelling Landscape-Level Numerical Responses of Predators to Prey: The Case of Cats and Rabbits

Predator-prey systems can extend over large geographical areas but empirical modelling of predator-prey dynamics has been largely limited to localised scales. This is due partly to difficulties in estimating predator and prey abundances over large areas. Collection of data at suitably large scales has been a major problem in previous studies of European rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) and their predators. This applies in Western Europe, where conserving rabbits and predators such as Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus) is important, and in other parts of the world where rabbits are an invasive species supporting populations of introduced, and sometimes native, predators. In pastoral regions of New Zealand, rabbits are the primary prey of feral cats (Felis catus) that threaten native fauna. We estimate the seasonal numerical response of cats to fluctuations in rabbit numbers in grassland–shrubland habitat across the Otago and Mackenzie regions of the South Island of New Zealand. We use spotlight counts over 1645 km of transects to estimate rabbit and cat abundances with a novel modelling approach that accounts simultaneously for environmental stochasticity, density dependence and varying detection probability. Our model suggests that cat abundance is related consistently to rabbit abundance in spring and summer, possibly through increased rabbit numbers improving the fecundity and juvenile survival of cats. Maintaining rabbits at low abundance should therefore suppress cat numbers, relieving predation pressure on native prey. Our approach provided estimates of the abundance of cats and rabbits over a large geographical area. This was made possible by repeated sampling within each season, which allows estimation of detection probabilities. A similar approach could be applied to predator-prey systems elsewhere, and could be adapted to any method of direct observation in which there is no double-counting of individuals. Reliable estimates of numerical responses are essential for managing both invasive and threatened predators and prey.
Omnidirectional Aerial Vehicles With Unidirectional Thrusters: Theory, Optimal Design, and Control

This letter presents a theoretical study on omnidirectional aerial vehicles with body-frame fixed unidirectional thrusters. Omniplus multirotor designs are defined as the ones that allow to exert a total wrench in any direction using positive-only lift force and drag moment (i.e., positive rotational speed) for each rotor blade. Algebraic conditions for a design to be omniplus are derived, a simple necessary condition being the fact that at least seven propellers have to be used. An energy optimal design strategy is then defined as the one minimizing the maximum norm of the input set needed to span a certain wrench ellipsoid for the adopted input allocation strategy. Two corresponding major design criteria are then introduced: first, a minimum allocation-matrix condition number aims at an equal sharing of the effort needed to generate wrenches in any direction; second, imposing a balanced design guarantees an equal sharing of the extra effort needed to keep the input in the nonnegative orthant. We propose a numerical algorithm to solve such optimal design problem and a control algorithm to control any omnidirectional platform. The work is concluded with informative simulation results in nonideal conditions.
Experiment and Dynamic Simulation of Cervical Tractions in Inclined and Sitting Positions

This study aims to validate the accuracy of a cervical traction therapy simulation model by comparing the intervertebral separations of six asymptomatic male adults when traction was applied to their cervical spines. The subjects were tested on two mechanical traction devices, representing the inclined and sitting positions. A total of 55 radiographic images of their cervical spines were taken before and during traction. The result showed statistically significant intervertebral space changes in the inclined position but the changes in the sitting position were not statistically significant. The observed changes of the cervical spine were used to adjust parameters of the traction therapy model, which contains a human model with cervical spine built with springs and dampers and two traction devices in inclined and sitting positions. A series of traction forces and traction angles were applied to the model to simulate the actual parameters used in the experiment and the new model was used to evaluate the two traction positions. The result suggested that inclined position creates greater intervertebral separations on the posterior sides. Differences in separations due to age were not observed in both positions. The result also suggested that the inclined position provides better control in positioning the separations at different spinal segments than the sitting position.
Real-Time fMRI in Neuroscience Research and Its Use in Studying the Aging Brain

Cognitive decline is a major concern in the aging population. It is normative to experience some deterioration in cognitive abilities with advanced age such as related to memory performance, attention distraction to interference, task switching, and processing speed. However, intact cognitive functioning in old age is important for leading an independent day-to-day life. Thus, studying ways to counteract or delay the onset of cognitive decline in aging is crucial. The literature offers various explanations for the decline in cognitive performance in aging; among those are age-related gray and white matter atrophy, synaptic degeneration, blood flow reduction, neurochemical alterations, and change in connectivity patterns with advanced age. An emerging literature on neurofeedback and Brain Computer Interface (BCI) reports exciting results supporting the benefits of volitional modulation of brain activity on cognition and behavior. Neurofeedback studies based on real-time functional magnetic resonance imaging (rtfMRI) have shown behavioral changes in schizophrenia and behavioral benefits in nicotine addiction. This article integrates research on cognitive and brain aging with evidence of brain and behavioral modification due to rtfMRI neurofeedback. We offer a state-of-the-art description of the rtfMRI technique with an eye towards its application in aging. We present preliminary results of a feasibility study exploring the possibility of using rtfMRI to train older adults to volitionally control brain activity. Based on these first findings, we discuss possible implementations of rtfMRI neurofeedback as a novel technique to study and alleviate cognitive decline in healthy and pathological aging.
Information Systems Development as a Research Method

This paper takes the stance that some cases of information systems development can be considered knowledge creating activities, and, in those cases, information systems development can be a legitimate research method. In these cases not only is knowledge created about the development process itself but also a deeper understanding emerges about the organisational problem that the system is designed to solve. The paper begins with a brief overview of research in the design sciences and a comparison of research methods that are concerned with the design, and use, of information systems. This is followed by an assessment of the way systems development as a research method deals with the scientific research processes of data collection, analysis, synthesis and display. A case study, where the systems development research method was use, is described to illustrate the method and give the reader a better understanding of the approach.
Taxonomy of Juniperus communis in North America: Insight from variation in nrDNA SNP's

Plants of Juniperus communis L. var. communis, J. c. var. depressa Pursh, J. c. var. jackii Rehdr, J. c. var. saxatilis Pall. were sampled and SNPs from nrDNA were examined. Based on these data and previous data, a new variety of J. communis is recognized: Juniperus communis var. charlottensis R. P. Adams, var. nov. It occurs in muskeg bogs on Queen Charlotte Island, British Columbia and in the Ketchikan, Alaska area. Juniperus communis, in North America, is treated as five varieties: vars. charlottensis, depressa, jackii, megistocarpa, and saxatilis. Keys and distribution maps are presented.
Study on the Characteristic Spectral Properties for Species Identification of Animal-Derived Feedstuff Using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy

The objective of the present study was to explore the effective spectral bands related to lipid characteristics in spectra of raw animal-derived feedstuff and figure out which marked spectral regions (single or combined) contributed more to species discrimination. A total of 82 meat and bone meals, including porcine, poultry, bovine, ovine, and fish, were studied. Raw materials, extracted lipid, and defatted samples were simultaneously analyzed and calculated using Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy in combination with chemometric methods. Taking the spectra of lipid as references, five marked spectral regions considered the main lipid characteristic regions were found in the raw animal-derived feedstuff spectra. In the study, single and combined marked spectral bands were investigated and proved to have better performance than the whole spectra of raw terrestrial animal-derived feedstuff and fishmeal. For the discrimination of five animal species, the regions of 1800–1650 cm–1, 1500–1330 cm–1, 1260–1060 cm–1, and 790–640 cm–1 presented better results; for the classification of three categories, the regions of 3100–2800 cm–1, 1800–1650 cm–1, and 1500–1330 cm–1 showed the best results.
PREPARATION AND EVALUATION OF OLIVE OIL NANOEMULSION USING SUCROSE MONOESTER

In pharmaceutical view, nanoemulsion is one of the major dosage forms in delivering active ingredients to the target area which has attracted considerable attention in recent years for its application in personal care and cosmetic products also due to their ability to improve the penetration and permeation of active ingredients through the skin. The aim of this study was to formulate nanoemulsion and evaluating the effect of surfactants and storage on it. Nanoemulsions were formulated using sucrose monoesters as surfactants, glycerol and Olive oil by simple mixing, using heat to dissolve sucrose monoester in the glycerol then adding hot Olive oil to the surfactant mixture. Three different types of sucrose monoester (Laureate, Oleate and Palmitate) were used in the production of nanoemulsion and investigated their influence on nanoemulsion. The results revealed that, Sucrose Laureate produced nanoemulsion with good droplet size, polydispersity index and zeta potential compared to Oleate and Palmitate. It produced nanoemulsion with oil droplets size below 200 nm, low polydispersity below 0.2 and zeta potential lower than -40 mV. Stability study was conducted for the optimum formulations of nanoemulsion at different temperatures (4 °C, 25 °C and 40 °C) for six months. In conclusion, the optimum nanoemulsion formulations were very stable at 4 °C compared to 25 °C and 40 °C while at 25 °C nanoemulsion showed moderate stability but it was unstable at 40 °C, therefore, the ideal storage condition for nanoemulsion is 4 °C.
Transcranial direct current stimulation combined with visuo-motor training as treatment for chronic stroke patients.

BACKGROUND Recent studies exploring the combined effect of motor learning and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) for stroke rehabilitation have shown partially conflicting results. OBJECTIVE To test the efficacy of an optimized hand training approach combined with tDCS in stroke patients. METHODS In the present pilot study we investigated motor effects of four-week training with a visuomotor grip force tracking task combined with tDCS in 11 chronic stroke patients. Anodal (0.5 mA) or sham tDCS was applied over the primary motor cortex of the lesioned side for 20 minutes, twice a day, during training. RESULTS No difference between the Active and Sham groups in the total upper extremity (UE) Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA) score was found. The most prominent recovery occurred in the shoulder-elbow FMA sub-score; in this segment a significantly greater improvement in the Active compared to the Sham group was observed up to two months after the intervention. Mean hold force during the first treatment session predicted the change in the total UE FMA score after treatment. CONCLUSION Four-week visuo-motor training combined with tDCS showed no difference between the Active and Sham groups in the total UE FMA score, which may be explained by heterogeneity of the degree of recovery in the Active group. However, the shoulder-elbow FMA sub-score improved significantly more in the Active compared to the Sham group, which deserves further study.