Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Cognition following bilateral implants of embryonic dopamine neurons in PD

Objectives: To determine if bilateral transplantation of embryonic mesencephalic dopamine cells into the putamen of patients with PD significantly affected their cognitive functioning when compared with patients receiving sham surgery and to examine the effect of age on cognitive performance after implantation. Methods: Forty patients (19 women, 21 men; age 34 to 75 years) with idiopathic PD of at least 7 years’ duration (mean 14 years) who had disabling motor signs despite optimal drug management were randomly assigned to tissue implants or sham craniotomies in a double-blind design. Neuropsychological tests assessing orientation, attention, language, verbal and visual memory, abstract reasoning, executive function, and visuospatial and construction abilities were administered before and 1 year after surgery. Treatment groups did not differ at baseline in demographic, neuropsychological, motor, depression, or levodopa equivalent measures. Results: Postsurgical change in cognitive performance was not significantly different for real or sham surgery groups. Performance in both groups remained unchanged at follow-up for most measures. Conclusions: Embryonic dopamine producing neurons can be implanted safely into the putamen bilaterally without impairing cognition in patients with PD, but within the first year, improved cognition should not be expected.
Impact of eight weeks endurance training on biochemical parameters and obesity-induced oxidative stress in high fat diet-fed rats

[Purpose] High-fat diets (HFD) feeding is an important risk factor for obesity that is accompanied with metabolic syndrome. Appropriate exercise is recommended for obesity prevention. The molecular mechanisms and cellular pathways activated in response to HFD and exercise are not well understood. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of 8 weeks endurance training on some plasma biochemical parameters and oxidative stress in HFD induced obese rats. [Methods] Twenty-eight male Wistar rats were randomly divided into 4 groups: the standard diet (SD) group, endurance training group with a standard diet (ESD), HFD group, and endurance training group with high-fat diet (EHFD). After 8 weeks, blood samples were taken by cardiac puncture and plasma were used for determination of biochemical parameters and oxidative stress biomarkers. [Results] HFD significantly increased malondialdehyde level and decreased the activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione S-transferase and the content of glutathione in the plasma. HFD also increased activities of aspartate transaminase, alanine transaminase, lactate dehydrogenase, as well as levels of total cholesterol, triglyceride and low-density-lipoprotein-cholesterol. However, endurance training showed protective effect on changes in these parameters. [Conclusion] These findings suggested that HFD alters the oxidant-antioxidant balance, as evidenced by reduction in the antioxidant enzymes activities and glutathione level and enhanced lipid peroxidation. Endurance training can be beneficial for the suppression of obesity-induced oxidative stress in HFD rats through modulating antioxidant defense system and reduces the risk of obesity-associated diseases.
Verbal Recall After Mild Traumatic Brain Injury: Sensitivity of the Rapid Screen of Concussion

Abstract The present study aimed to determine whether including a sensitive test of immediate and delayed recall would improve the diagnostic validity of the Rapid Screen of Concussion (RSC) in mild Traumatic Brain Injury (mTBI) versus orthopaedic clinical samples. Two studies were undertaken. In Study 1, the performance of 156 mTBI and 145 orthopaedic participants was analysed to identify the number of individuals who performed at ceiling on the verbal memory subtest of the RSC, as this test required immediate and delayed recall of only five words. A second aim was to determine the sensitivity and specificity levels of the RSC. Study 2 aimed to examine whether replacement of the verbal memory subtest with the 12-word Hopkins Verbal Learning Test (HVLT) could improve the sensitivity of the RSC in a new sample of 26 mTBI and 30 orthopaedic participants. Both studies showed that orthopaedic participants outperformed mTBI participants on each of the selected measures. Study 1 showed that 14% of mTBI participants performed at ceiling on the immediate and 21.2% on delayed recall test. Performance on the original battery yielded a sensitivity of 82%, specificity of 80% and overall correct classification of 81.5% participants. In Study 2, inclusion of the HVLT improved sensitivity to a level of 88.5%, decreased specificity to a level of 70% and resulted in an overall classification rate of 80%. It was concluded that although inclusion of the five-word subtest in the RSC can successfully distinguish concussed from non-concussed individuals, use of the HVLT in this protocol yields a more sensitive measure of subtle cognitive deficits following mTBI.
Adult Vulnerability for Psychiatric Disorders: Interactive Effects of Negative Childhood Experiences and Recent Stress

The effects of negative childhood experiences on adult psychiatric status remain unclear because of inconsistent findings in previous studies. In this study, we examine the extent to which parental separation/divorce before the age of 10, parental death before the age of 10, and self-reports of parental mental illness during early childhood interact with recent stressful life events to increase the probability of multiple psychiatric disorders and psychiatric symptoms during adulthood. Data are from a stratified random sample of 3801 adults residing in a five-county catchment area in North Carolina. The Diagnostic Interview Schedule was used to measure psychiatric disorders and symptoms during the 6 months prior to the interview. Regression analyses were used to determine whether negative childhood experiences interact with recent stressful life events to increase the probability of psychiatric disorders or symptoms, with other risk factors statistically controlled. Results suggest that: a) parental mental illness increases the likelihood that stressful life events will result in depression, although it is unclear whether this increased vulnerability is due to genetic or environmental factors; b) parental separation/divorce interacts with stressful life events to increase vulnerability to alcohol problems and psychiatric disorders more generally; and c) parental death does not interact with recent events to affect the likelihood of psychiatric problems.
A Validation Study of the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory Among Survivors of Clergy-Perpetrated Child Sexual Abuse

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to assess the structure of the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI), a widely used measure, in a previously untested population; namely a sample of adult males who reported experiencing clergy-perpetrated childhood sexual abuse (N= 273). Given the unique challenges in spirituality and religiosity faced by survivors of clergy-perpetrated childhood sexual abuse and the emphasis that the PTGI places on spiritual growth, determining how appropriately this tool captures growth in this population is clearly warranted. Methods: Using confirmatory factor analysis, 4 models are selected to test the underlying structure of posttraumatic growth in this sample: a single latent factor measuring general posttraumatic growth; a 3-factor model, which organizes the 21-item scale into 3 latent structures (i.e., perception of self, interpersonal relationships, and philosophy of life); the original 5-factor structure of the PTGI (i.e., relating to others, new possibilities, personal strength, spiritual growth, and appreciation of life); and the same 5-factor model with a second order factor measuring overall posttraumatic growth. Results: Findings suggest both the original 5-factor model and a 5-factor model with a second order factor using the 21 items of the PTGI offer acceptable fit. Conclusions: This study offers the first empirical validation of the PTGI on a sample of male survivors of clergy-perpetrated sexual abuse, suggesting the instrument is an appropriate measure to assess posttraumatic growth in this population, despite the challenges they face in spiritual and religious domains.
An acceptor splice site mutation in HOXD13 results in variable hand, but consistent foot malformations

HOXD13 is the most 5′ of the HOXD cluster of homeobox genes in chromosome band 2q31.1. Heterozygous expansions of a polyalanine tract in HOXD13 are typically associated with synpolydactyly characterized by insertional digit duplication associated with syndactyly. We screened for mutations of HOXD13 in patients with a variety of limb malformations and identified a novel heterozygous mutation (758‐2delA) in a three‐generation family without the typical synpolydactyly phenotype in the hands, but with bilateral partial duplication of the 2nd metatarsals within the first web space of the feet. This mutation locates in the acceptor splice site of exon 2 and is predicted to cause failure of normal splicing of HOXD13. The foot abnormality in this family is similar to that described in two families by Goodman et al. [ 1998 : Am. J. Hum. Genet. 63: 992–1000] in which different deletions of HOXD13 were reported. These findings together lend support to a distinct phenotype resulting from haploinsufficiency of HOXD13. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Symptomatic narcolepsy in patients with neuromyelitis optica and multiple sclerosis: new neurochemical and immunological implications.

OBJECTIVE To characterize factors that contribute to symptomatic narcolepsy and excessive daytime sleepiness in neuromyelitis optica and multiple sclerosis. SETTING Japanese university hospitals. DESIGN Case study. PATIENTS Seven Japanese patients whose initial diagnoses were multiple sclerosis and who were exhibiting excessive daytime sleepiness. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Lesions on magnetic resonance imaging, cerebrospinal fluid hypocretin-1 levels, and serum anti-aquaporin 4 (AQP4) antibody titer. RESULTS Bilateral and symmetrical hypothalamic lesions associated with marked or moderate hypocretin deficiency were found in all 7 cases. Four of these patients met the International Classification of Sleep Disorders 2 narcolepsy criteria. Three patients, including 2 patients with narcolepsy, were seropositive for anti-AQP4 antibody and diagnosed as having neuromyelitis optica-related disorder. CONCLUSION Since AQP4 is highly expressed in the hypothalamic periventricular regions, an immune attack on AQP4 may be partially responsible for the bilateral and hypothalamic lesions and hypocretin deficiency in narcolepsy/excessive daytime sleepiness associated with autoimmune demyelinating diseases.
Incidence of secondary glaucoma after treatment of uveal melanoma with robotic radiosurgery versus brachytherapy

Different modalities of radiation therapy nowadays allow for effective treatment of uveal melanoma combined with the advantage of eye preservation. However, this advantage can secondarily be impaired by radiation‐related side effects. After local recurrence, secondary glaucoma (SG) has been described as second most frequent complication leading to need of enucleation. This study compares the incidence of SG after conventional Ruthenium (Ru)‐106 brachytherapy (BT) versus CyberKnife robotic radiosurgery (RRS) which has been gaining importance lately as an efficient treatment option offering improved patient comfort.
Discovery of inference rules for question-answering

One of the main challenges in question-answering is the potential mismatch between the expressions in questions and the expressions in texts. While humans appear to use inference rules such as ‘X writes Y’ implies ‘X is the author of Y’ in answering questions, such rules are generally unavailable to question-answering systems due to the inherent difficulty in constructing them. In this paper, we present an unsupervised algorithm for discovering inference rules from text. Our algorithm is based on an extended version of Harris’ Distributional Hypothesis, which states that words that occurred in the same contexts tend to be similar. Instead of using this hypothesis on words, we apply it to paths in the dependency trees of a parsed corpus. Essentially, if two paths tend to link the same set of words, we hypothesize that their meanings are similar. We use examples to show that our system discovers many inference rules easily missed by humans.
Organizational Design Challenges Resulting from Big Data

Business firms and other types of organizations are feverishly exploring ways of taking advantage of the big data phenomenon. This article discusses firms that are at the leading edge of developing a big data analytics capability. Firms that are currently enjoying the most success in this area are able to use big data not only to improve their existing businesses but to create new businesses as well. Putting a strategic emphasis on big data requires adding an analytics capability to the existing organization. This transformation process results in power shifting to analytics experts and in decisions being made in real time.
Effects Of Organizational Identification On Job Satisfaction: Moderating Role Of Organizational Politics(Örgütsel Özdeşleşmenin İş Tatmini Üzerindeki Etkisi: Örgütsel Politikanın Düzenleyici Rolü)

Bu calismanin amaci orgutsel ozdeslesmenin is tatmini uzerindeki nedensel etkisini ve orgutsel politika algisinin bu surec uzerindeki duzenleyici etkisini arastirmaktir. Bu amacla Istanbul’da bir beyaz esya uretim tesisinde calisan 363 isgorenden anket yontemi ile veri toplandi. Toplanan veri yapisal esitlik modelleri kurularak analiz edildi. Elde edilen bulgulara gore orgutsel ozdeslesme is tatmininin pozitif, orgutsel politika algisi ise negatif bir yordayicisidir. Ayrica orgutsel politika algisi orgutsel ozdeslesmenin is tatmini uzerindeki pozitif yordayici etkisini azaltmak suretiyle duzenlemektedir.
Translating Team Creativity to Innovation Implementation

This study investigated team innovation as a process phenomenon by differentiating the creativity stage from the implementation stage. Based on the interactional approach, the authors argue that team composition (aggregated individual creative personality and functional heterogeneity) affects team creativity, which in turn promotes innovation implementation depending on the team’s climate for innovation. Results from a study of 96 primary care teams confirmed that aggregated individual creative personality, as well as functional heterogeneity, promotes team creativity, which in turn interacts with climate for innovation such that team creativity enhances innovation implementation only when climate for innovation is high.
Perspective Taking in Children with Autism

We tested for the replicability of studies that show differences between the perspective taking responses of children with autism, Down syndrome, and those who are typically developing. We also evaluated the results of modified False Beliefs Tests, and the effects that different prompts had on the performance of the participants. Finally, we analyzed the potential differences in perspective taking repertoires of the participants in relation to other behaviors that might be related or that might be prerequisites for the development of functional equivalent relations. The participants were 15 children between the ages of 4 and 6. Five were typically developing, five were diagnosed with Down syndrome, and five had been diagnosed with autism. The results are discussed in terms of their similarity to previous findings, how existing deficits cannot be linked to a specific disability, and the possible identification of prerequisite skills, as well as procedures that might possibly assist in the acquisition of these repertoires.
High Cost and Low Survival Rate in High Comorbidity Incident Elderly Hemodialysis Patients

Background The comorbidity index is a predictor of mortality in dialysis patients but there are few reports for predicting elderly dialysis mortality and national population-based cost studies on elderly dialysis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the long-term mortality of incident elderly dialysis patients using the Deyo - Charlson comorbidity index (CCI) and to assess the inpatient and outpatient visits along with non-dialysis costs. Methods Data were obtained from catastrophic illness registration of the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database. Incident elderly dialysis patients (age >75 years) receiving hemodialysis for more than 90 days between Jan 1, 1998, and dec 31, 2007, were included. Baseline comorbidities were determined one year prior to the first dialysis day according to ICD-9 CM codes. Survival time, mortality rate, hospitalization time, outpatient visit frequency, and costs were calculated for different age and CCI groups. Results In 10,759 incident elderly hemodialysis patients, hazard ratios for all-cause mortality were significantly increased in the different age groups (p < 0.001) and CCI patients (p < 0.001). Death rates increased with both increasing age and CCI score. High comorbidity incident hemodialysis and elderly patients were found to have increased length of hospital stay and total hospitalization costs. Conclusions This population-based cohort study indicated that both age and higher CCI values were predictors of survival in incident elderly hemodialysis. Increased costs and mortality rates were evident in the oldest patients and in those with high CCI scores. Conservative treatment might be considered in high comorbidity and low-survival rate end stage renal disease (ESRD) patients.
Trends in group inequalities and interindividual inequalities in BMI in the United States, 1993-2012.

BACKGROUND Marked increases in mean body mass index (BMI) and prevalence of obesity and overweight in the United States are well known. However, whether these average increases were accompanied by changing dispersion (or SD) remains understudied. OBJECTIVE We investigated population-level changes in the BMI distribution over time to understand how changes in dispersion reflect between-group compared with within-group inequalities in weight gain in the United States. DESIGN Using data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System survey (1993-2012), we analyzed associations between mean, SD, and median BMI and BMI at the 5th and 95th percentiles for 3,050,992 non-Hispanic white, non-Hispanic black, and Hispanic men and women aged 25-64 y. RESULTS Overall, an increase of 1.0 in mean BMI (in kg/m²) was associated with an increase of 0.70 (95% CI: 0.67, 0.73) in the SD of BMI. A change of 1.0 in median BMI was associated with a change of 0.18 (95% CI: 0.14, 0.21) in the BMI value at the 5th percentile compared with a change of 2.94 (95% CI: 2.81, 3.07) at the 95th percentile. Quantile-quantile plots showed unequal changes in the BMI distribution, with pronounced changes at higher percentiles. Similar patterns were observed in subgroups stratified by sex, race-ethnicity, and education with non-Hispanic black women and women with less than a high school education having highest mean BMI, SD of BMI, and BMI values at the 5th and 95th percentiles. CONCLUSIONS Mean BMI and the percentage of overweight and obese individuals do not fully describe population changes in BMI. Increases in within-group inequality in BMI represent an underrecognized characteristic of population-level weight gain. Crucially, similar increases in dispersion within groups suggest that growing inequalities in BMI at the population level are not driven by these socioeconomic and demographic factors. Future research should focus on understanding factors driving inequalities in weight gain between individuals.
Concave hull: A k-nearest neighbours approach for the computation of the region occupied by a set of points

This paper describes an algorithm to compute the envelope of a set of points in a plane, which generates convex or non-convex hulls that represent the area occupied by the given points. The proposed algorithm is based on a k-nearest neighbours approach, where the value of k, the only algorithm parameter, is used to control the “smoothness” of the final solution. The obtained results show that this algorithm is able to deal with arbitrary sets of points, and that the time to compute the polygons increases approximately linearly with the number of points.
Increasing impact of mental health presentations on New South Wales public hospital emergency departments 1999–2006

Objective: The percentage of mental health (MH) presentations to New South Wales (NSW) EDs in recent years has not been described at the statewide level. Evidence from other states suggests this burden might be increasing. The present study aims to evaluate recent trends in MH presentations to NSW EDs, including geographic variations and the spectrum of MH disorders encountered.
Cluster labeling and parameter estimation for the automated setup of a hand-gesture recognition system

In this work, we address the issue of reconfigurability of a hand-gesture recognition system. The calibration or setup of the operational parameters of such a system is a time-consuming effort, usually performed by trial and error, and often causing system performance to suffer because of designer impatience. In this work, we suggest a methodology using a neighborhood-search algorithm for tuning system parameters. Thus, the design of hand-gesture recognition systems is transformed into an optimization problem. To test the methodology, we address the difficult problem of simultaneous calibration of the parameters of the image processing/fuzzy C-means (FCM) components of a hand-gesture recognition system. In addition, we proffer a method for supervising the FCM algorithm using linear programming and heuristic labeling. Resulting solutions exhibited fast convergence (in the order of ten iterations) to reach recognition accuracies within several percent of the optimal. Comparative performance testing using three gesture databases (BGU, American Sign Language and Gripsee), and a real-time implementation (Tele-Gest) are reported on.
Running Title : Adiponectin in Type B Insulin Resistance

Objective: Total plasma adiponectin and high molecular weight (HMW) polymeric adiponectin are strongly positively correlated with insulin sensitivity. However we have recently reported paradoxical hyperadiponectinemia in patients with severe insulin resistance due to genetically defective insulin receptors. This implies either that the insulin receptor has a critical physiological role in controlling adiponectin production and/or clearance, or that constitutive insulin receptor dysfunction influences adiponectin levels through developmental effects. The aim of the current study was to distinguish between these possibilities using a human model of reversible antibody-mediated insulin receptor dysfunction, and to refine the previous observations by determining adiponectin complex distribution. Research Design and Methods: Cross-sectional and longitudinal determination of fasting plasma adiponectin and adiponectin complex distribution in patients with extreme insulin resistance due to insulin receptor mutations, anti-insulin receptor antibodies (type B insulin resistance), or of undefined cause. Results: Despite extreme insulin resistance, patients with type B insulin resistance (all female; mean age 42 years (range 12-54)) had dramatically elevated total plasma adiponectin compared to the general population (mean 43.0 mg/l (range 31.3-54.2) vs mean 8.9 mg/l (range 1.5-28.5 for B.M.I.<25 kg/m2)), which was accounted for largely by HMW polymers. Hyperadiponectinaemia resolved in parallel with reduction of insulin receptor antibodies and clinical resolution of insulin resistance. Conclusions: While the well established inverse relationship between plasma insulin and adiponectin levels may, in part, reflect positive effects of adiponectin on insulin sensitivity, these data suggest that the magnitude of the effect of insulin action on adiponectin levels may have been underestimated.