Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Physical activity and anomalous bodily experiences in patients with first-episode schizophrenia

Abstract Background: Low physical activity is strongly correlated with metabolic syndrome (MetS) and poor physical health. Although the prevalence of MetS is high in patients with first-episode schizophrenia (FES), little is still known about the level of and possible barriers for physical activity in FES. Aim: The purpose of the study was to compare physical activity in patients with FES with healthy controls; to investigate changes in physical activity over 1 year of follow-up; and to explore the correlations of physical activity and anomalous bodily experiences reported by patients with FES. Methods: Both physical activity and aerobic fitness were measured. Anomalous bodily experiences were measured by selected items from the Examination of Anomalous Self-Experience and The Body Awareness Scale. Psychopathological data comprising negative and positive symptoms and data on psychotropic medication were obtained from medical records of all patients. Results: Physical activity and aerobic fitness was significantly lower in patients with FES compared with healthy controls (p < 0.001). Over 1 year of follow-up patients had lower physical activity and aerobic fitness. Patients with more severe anomalous bodily experiences had significantly lower physical activity compared with patients with fewer such experiences (p = 0.030). In linear regression analyses only negative symptoms were significantly correlated with low physical activity (β = –0.88; 95% confidence interval = –1.48 to –0.29; p < 0.001). Conclusion: Physical activity and aerobic fitness is low in patients with FES. Both anomalous bodily experiences and negative symptoms are significantly correlated with low physical activity.
Coenzyme Q10 and Heart Failure: A State-of-the-Art Review

Heart failure (HF) with either preserved or reduced ejection fraction is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Evidence-based therapies are often limited by tolerability, hypotension, electrolyte disturbances, and renal dysfunction. Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) may represent a safe therapeutic option for patients with HF. CoQ10 is a highly lipophilic molecule with a chemical structure similar to vitamin K. Although being a common component of cellular membranes, CoQ10’s most prominent role is to facilitate the production of adenosine triphosphate in the mitochondria by participating in redox reactions within the electron transport chain. Numerous trials during the past 30 years examining CoQ10 in patients with HF have been limited by small numbers and lack of contemporary HF therapies. The recent publication of the Q-SYMBIO randomized controlled trial demonstrated a reduction in major adverse cardiovascular events with CoQ10 supplementation in a contemporary HF population. Although having limitations, this study has renewed interest in evaluating CoQ10 supplementation in patients with HF. Current literature suggests that CoQ10 is relatively safe with few drug interactions and side effects. Furthermore, it is already widely available as an over-the-counter supplement. These findings warrant future adequately powered randomized controlled trials of CoQ10 supplementation in patients with HF. This state-of-the-art review summarizes the literature about the mechanisms, clinical data, and safety profile of CoQ10 supplementation in patients with HF.
The Young Cluster Population of M82 Region B

We present observations obtained with the Advanced Camera for Surveys on board the Hubble Space Telescope of the "fossil" starburst region B in the nearby starburst galaxy M82. By comparing UBVI photometry with models, we derive ages and extinctions for 35 U-band-selected star clusters. We find that the peak epoch of cluster formation occurred ~150 Myr ago, in contrast to earlier work that found a peak formation age of 1.1 Gyr. The difference is most likely due to our inclusion of U-band data, which are essential for accurate age determinations of young cluster populations. We further show that the previously reported turnover in the cluster luminosity function is probably due to the neglect of the effect of extended sources on the detection limit. The much younger cluster ages we derive clarifies the evolution of the M82 starburst. The M82-B age distribution now overlaps with the ages of the nuclear starburst, the clusters formed on the opposite side of the disk, and the last encounter with M81, some 220 Myr ago.
Moisture Buffering of Building Materials

Building materials and furnishing used in contact with indoor air may have a positive effect to moderate the variations of indoor humidity seen in occupied buildings. Thus, very low humidity can be alleviated in winter, as well as can high indoor humidity in summer and during high occupancy loads. This way, materials can be used as a passive means of establishing indoor climatic conditions, which are comfortable for human occupancy, or for safe storing of artefacts which are sensible to humidity variation. But so far there has been a lack of a standardized quantity to characterize the moisture buffering capacity of materials. The objective of the NORDTEST project on Moisture Buffering of Building Materials has been to develop such a definition, and to present it in the form of a NORDTEST method. Apart from the definition of the Moisture Buffer Value, the project declares a test protocol which expresses how materials should be tested. The test protocol constitutes the project's proposal for a NORDTEST method, and can be seen as Appendix 1 of this report. Furthermore, as a part of the project some Round Robin Tests have been carried out on various typical building materials.
Linear and Quadratic Subsets for Template-Based Tracking

We propose a method that dramatically improves the performance of template-based matching in terms of size of convergence region and computation time. This is done by selecting a subset of the template that verifies the assumption (made during optimization) of linearity or quadraticity with respect to the motion parameters. We call these subsets linear or quadratic subsets. While subset selection approaches have already been proposed, they generally do not attempt to provide linear or quadratic subsets and rely on heuristics such as textured-ness. Because a naive search for the optimal subset would result in a combinatorial explosion for large templates, we propose a simple algorithm that does not aim for the optimal subset but provides a very good linear or quadratic subset at low cost, even for large templates. Simulation results and experiments with real sequences show the superiority of the proposed method compared to existing subset selection approaches.
High speed operation design considerations for fractional slot axial flux PMSM

This paper discusses intensively the design considerations for the fractional slot axial flux permanent magnet synchronous (AFPMSMs) in order to work efficiently in the constant power speed range, also known as the field weakening (FW) region. The dominant parameter in the constant power speed region is called the characteristic current which equals the ratio of the magnet flux linkage over the synchronous inductance (-ψm/Ls). Several machine parameters is affecting the characteristic current including the machine geometry and the winding configurations. In this paper, the effect of many of these parameters on the FW has been discussed; including the outer diameter, inner to outer diameter ratio, magnet size, slot opening width, slots per poles combinations,and the multi phase configurations for the Axial flux permanent magnet synchronous machine (PMSM). Two main governors are considered to evaluate the parameters' impact on the machine overall performance; the rated machine efficiency and the torque to weight ratio at the highest values. Selection of these governors is application driven where these governors are the most influencing factors on the axial flux PMSM design. The results of the present analysis show that the fine tuning of the discussed machine parameters would derive the motor to work in the required Constant Power Speed Region (CPSR) keeping the required high efficiency and torque to weight ratio. A previously proved analytical model has been used in this study to overcome the highly time consumption in the finite element model (FEM).
Periodontal cytokines profile under orthodontic force and extracorporeal shock wave stimuli in a rat model.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE Extracorporeal shock wave therapy has been used in various clinical conditions as a result of its ability to stimulate healing processes in acute and chronic inflammatory states. Orthodontic force application triggers an inflammatory reaction in the periodontal tissue surrounding the involved teeth, resulting in tooth movement. Preliminary work revealed that extracorporeal shock wave therapy increased the expression of the inflammatory cytokines involved. Our aim was to investigate the expression of inflammatory cytokines in the periodontal tissues following orthodontic force induction, with and without shock wave therapy, in experimental rats. MATERIAL AND METHODS An orthodontic appliance was fabricated and applied between the molars and the incisors of adult Wistar rats. In conjunction with orthodontic force commencement, the rats were treated with a single episode of 1000 shock waves. Every day, during the 3 d of the study, rats were killed and the immunolocalization of RANKL, interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha was evaluated. RESULTS The percentage of the area staining positively for all inflammatory cytokines during the first 2 d decreased statistically significantly more in the shock wave-treated group compared with the nontreated control group. On the first day, the percentage of the area staining positively for IL-1β and RANKL on the compression side peaked in both groups, with a sequential rise in the number of TRAP-positive cells. CONCLUSION The induction of shock wave therapy during orthodontic tooth movement influences the expression of different inflammatory cytokines in the tissue and might alter the expected periodontal remodeling rate.
A systematic review of the use of telehealth in Asian countries

We conducted a systematic review of the literature on telehealth in Asia. The Medline database was searched, together with three specialist journals, for peer-reviewed articles published in the ten years to June 2007 which were related to any telehealth application involving one or more Asian country. Out of the 1504 abstracts retrieved, 109 articles were selected by two independent reviewers for the final review. The number of published articles on telehealth in Asia increased during the review period. The largest number of studies were conducted in Japan (37%). Most telehealth applications were based on the store-and-forward modality (43%), with 35% using videoconferencing and 15% using a hybrid approach. Most of the studies were descriptive (75%) and only eight included a control group against which telehealth was compared. The most common means of telecommunication was ISDN lines, which were employed in 32% of the studies. Some 40% of the studies mentioned improved quality of health care; about 20% mentioned improved access to health care. Although most studies mentioned cost, only 13 of them assessed resource utilization and cost. The overall findings gave a generally optimistic picture of telehealth in Asia. However, there is a lack of good quality studies.
Testing the P-map hypothesis I: Coda devoicing

Many languages disfavor coda voiced stops, but the number of ways in which languages resolve coda voiced stops is limited: i.e. languages alter voiced stops by devoicing but not by any other phonological means. For example, underlying /ab/ can become [ap], but not *[am], *[aba] or *[a]. To explain this observation, Steriade (2001/2008) claims that (i) speakers maximize the perceptual similarity between inputs and outputs, assuming that (ii) devoicing universally yields an outcome that is perceptually most similar to the original form. This paper reports a series of similarity judgment experiments to test the premise (the clause (ii)). The results are mixed: several orthography-based judgment studies of English speakers demonstrate that devoicing yields an outcome that is most similar to the target forms, compared to nasalization, deletion, or epenthesis. However, the auditory follow-up experiments reveal a more complex picture. The experiments overall provide support for the P-map hypothesis, but they also suggest a nuanced picture of what the underlying knowledge of similarity must be.
Rapid Detection and Differentiation of Clonorchis sinensis and Opisthorchis viverrini Using Real-Time PCR and High Resolution Melting Analysis

Clonorchis sinensis and Opisthorchis viverrini are both important fish-borne pathogens, causing serious public health problem in Asia. The present study developed an assay integrating real-time PCR and high resolution melting (HRM) analysis for the specific detection and rapid identification of C. sinensis and O. viverrini. Primers targeting COX1 gene were highly specific for these liver flukes, as evidenced by the negative amplification of closely related trematodes. Assays using genomic DNA extracted from the two flukes yielded specific amplification and their identity was confirmed by sequencing, having the accuracy of 100% in reference to conventional methods. The assay was proved to be highly sensitive with a detection limit below 1 pg of purified genomic DNA, 5 EPG, or 1 metacercaria of C. sinensis. Moreover, C. sinensis and O. viverrini were able to be differentiated by their HRM profiles. The method can reduce labor of microscopic examination and the contamination of agarose electrophoresis. Moreover, it can differentiate these two flukes which are difficult to be distinguished using other methods. The established method provides an alternative tool for rapid, simple, and duplex detection of C. sinensis and O. viverrini.
Infection and establishment of latency in the dog brain after direct inoculation of a nonpathogenic strain of herpes simplex virus-1

A number of diseases affecting the CNS occur in the dog and can be used as models for gene therapy in a large brain. HSV-1 has several potential advantages as a vector to transfer genes into the CNS. However, the ability of HSV-1 to infect CNS cells varies among species and no information was available for the dog. When the nonpathogenic 1716 strain of HSV-1 was injected into the brains of normal dogs it established a latent infection without signs of pathology. Thus, it appears to be suitable as a vector for therapeutic, or marker genes, in this species.
Changes in Health Behaviors and Their Associations With Depressive Symptoms Among Israelis Aged 50+

Objective: To examine the longitudinal association between changes in health behaviors and depression and determine the mediating effect of health characteristics on this association. Method: Based on the first and second waves of the Survey of Health, Aging and Retirement in Europe (SHARE)-Israel, depressive symptoms of 1,524 Israelis aged 50 or older were analyzed using logistic regression. Results: Changes in physical activity and body weight are associated with depressive symptoms after adjusting for confounders. However, after adding measures of health, the respective correlations of weight gain and commenced physical activity with depression disappear, and the correlation between continued activity and depression is reduced. Discussion: Changes in health behaviors are related to mental health in late life, but their effect is mediated by physical and functional health. Future interventions should nevertheless target older individuals who stop physical activity and those who remain inactive to lessen the risk of depression.
3DCoffee@igs: a web server for combining sequences and structures into a multiple sequence alignment

This paper presents 3DCoffee@igs, a web-based tool dedicated to the computation of high-quality multiple sequence alignments (MSAs). 3D-Coffee makes it possible to mix protein sequences and structures in order to increase the accuracy of the alignments. Structures can be either provided as PDB identifiers or directly uploaded into the server. Given a set of sequences and structures, pairs of structures are aligned with SAP while sequence-structure pairs are aligned with Fugue. The resulting collection of pairwise alignments is then combined into an MSA with the T-Coffee algorithm. The server and its documentation are available from http://igs-server.cnrs-mrs.fr/Tcoffee/.
Controlled transscleral drug delivery formulations to the eye: establishing new concepts and paradigms in ocular anti-inflammatory therapeutics and antibacterial prophylaxis

Importance of the field: The use of topical agents poses unique and challenging hurdles for drug delivery. Topical steroids effectively control ocular inflammation, but are associated with the well-recognized dilemma of patient compliance. Although administration of topical antimicrobials as prophylaxis is acceptable among ophthalmologists, this common practice has no sound evidence base. Developing a new antimicrobial agent or delivery strategy with enhanced penetration by considering the anatomical and physiological constraints exerted by the barriers of the eye is not a commonly perceived strategy. Exploiting the permeability of the sclera, subconjunctival routes may offer a promising alternative for enhanced drug delivery and tissue targeting. Area covered in this review: Ocular drug delivery strategies were reviewed for ocular inflammation and infections clinically adopted for newer class of antimicrobials, which use a multipronged approach to limit risks of endophthalmitis. What the reader will gain: The analysis substantiates a new transscleral drug delivery therapeutic approach for cataract surgery. Take home message: A new anti-inflammatory and anti-infective paradigm that frees the patient from the nuisance of topical therapeutics is introduced, opening a large investigative avenue for future improved therapies.
Exposure to Agent Orange and occurrence of soft-tissue sarcomas or non-Hodgkin lymphomas: an ongoing study in Vietnam.

Agent Orange was the most common herbicide used in the Second Indochina War in the course of military operations in the former South Vietnam. Agent Orange is contaminated by the carcinogen 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-para-dioxin (TCDD) in mean concentrations of 2 mg/kg. After much dispute of a causal association between exposure to herbicides containing TCDD and occurrence of soft-tissue sarcoma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma, two simultaneous case-control studies were set up in Vietnam to examine possible relationships. Subject recruitment is ongoing, with target numbers of 150 cases of soft-tissue sarcoma and 150 cases of non-Hodgkin lymphoma and diagnoses at the Cancer Center at Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Two hospital controls are matched to each case. As in other studies of cancer in persons occupationally or otherwise exposed to herbicides and their contaminants, evaluation of past exposure of the recruited subjects is among the most complicated issues. Because accurate records are usually unavailable, surrogate measures of likely exposure are often calculated. As a first approach in our studies we used the Stellman and Stellman exposure index. The index is based on matching subjects' history of residence and the information on times and locations of Agent Orange spraying recorded on HERBS tape by the U.S. Army and taking into account the distance from the spraying as well as environmental and biologic half-life of TCDD. The exposure index is calculated in two centers, New York and Hanoi, with slightly different assumptions. In addition, samples of body tissues from the subjects (20 ml blood, 2 g adipose tissue, and tumor sections in paraffin blocks) are taken and stored. Their future analysis will provide additional source of exposure assessment. Strengths and weaknesses of both exposure measures are discussed in this paper.
Interaction between magnetic nanoparticles in clusters

Micromagnetic simulations are often used to model the magnetic properties of nanoparticles, depending on their shape and dimension as well as other parameters. Due to the significant increase in computing time for large-scale models, simulations are regularly restricted to a single magnetic nanoparticle. Applications in bit-patterned media etc., however, necessitate large clusters of nanostructures. In our recent works, the deviations of magnetic properties and magnetization reversal processes, comparing single nanoparticles and small clusters, were investigated using the micromagnetic simulation OOMMF. The studies concentrated on a special fourfold shape which has been shown before to offer four stable states at remanence, allowing for creating quaternary bit-patterned media with two bits storable in one position. The influence of downscaling was examined by varying the sample dimensions without changing the particle shape. The results show that in case of the special square nanostructures under investigation, the largest nanoparticles experience the strongest effect by being included in a cluster, while the technologically more relevant smaller nanoparticles have similar magnetic properties and identical magnetization reversal processes for single and clustered particles.
Landmark Recognition in Alzheimer’s Dementia: Spared Implicit Memory for Objects Relevant for Navigation

Background In spatial navigation, landmark recognition is crucial. Specifically, memory for objects placed at decision points on a route is relevant. Previous fMRI research in healthy adults showed higher medial-temporal lobe (MTL) activation for objects placed at decision points compared to non-decision points, even at an implicit level. Since there is evidence that implicit learning is intact in amnesic patients, the current study examined memory for objects relevant for navigation in patients with Alzheimer’s dementia (AD). Methodology/Principal Findings 21 AD patients participated with MTL atrophy assessed on MRI (mean MMSE = 21.2, SD = 4.0), as well as 20 age- and education-matched non-demented controls. All participants watched a 5-min video showing a route through a virtual museum with 20 objects placed at intersections (decision points) and 20 at simple turns (non-decision points). The instruction was to pay attention to the toys (half of the objects) for which they were supposedly tested later. Subsequently, a recognition test followed with the 40 previously presented objects among 40 distracter items (both toys and non-toys). Results showed a better performance for the non-toy objects placed at decision points than non-decision points, both for AD patients and controls. Conclusion/Significance Our findings indicate that AD patients with MTL damage have implicit memory for object information relevant for navigation. No decision point effect was found for the attended items. Possibly, focusing attention on the items occurred at the cost of the context information in AD, whereas the controls performed at an optimal level due to intact memory function.
Velocity selection and the Saffman-Taylor problem.

A new approach to the velocity selection problem is presented. It establishes a relation between the existence of propagating steady states as a function of a parameter and a certain inhomogeneous linear problem, the solvability of which determines the set of allowed velocities. The method is illustrated on the example of a geometrical model of solidification. It is used to explain analytically the fact that at large velocity the Saffman-Taylor "fingers" have width close to \textonehalf{} and to predict the scaling exponent for the dependence of the finger width on velocity.