Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Monitoring of muscle motor evoked potentials during cerebral aneurysm surgery: intraoperative changes and postoperative outcome.

OBJECT The authors in this study evaluated muscle motor evoked potentials (MMEPs) elicited by transcranial electrical stimulation (TES) and direct cortical stimulation as a means of monitoring during cerebral aneurysm surgery. The analysis focused on the value and frequencies of any intraoperative changes and their correlation to the postoperative motor status. METHODS One hundred nineteen patients undergoing surgery for 148 cerebral aneurysms were included in the study. Muscle motor evoked potentials were elicited by a train of five constant-current anodal stimuli with an individual pulse duration of 0.5 msec and a stimulation rate of 2 Hz. Stimulation intensity was up to 240 mA for TES and up to 33 mA for direct cortical stimulation. The MMEPs were continuously recorded from the abductor pollicis brevis and tibialis anterior muscles bilaterally and from the biceps brachii and extensor digitorum communis muscles contralateral to the surgical side. The motor status was evaluated immediately after surgery and 7 days later. In 97% of the patients MMEPs were recordable for continuous neurophysiological monitoring of the vascular territory of interest throughout the surgery. In 14 patients significant intraoperative MMEP changes occurred, resulting in a transient motor deficit in one patient and a permanent motor deficit in six. The permanent loss of MMEPs in three patients was followed by a permanent severe motor deficit in one patient and severe clinical deterioration in the other two. CONCLUSIONS Data in this study demonstrated that MMEPs are a useful means of intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring of motor pathway integrity and predicting postoperative motor status. The intraoperative loss of MMEPs reliably predicts both severe and permanent postoperative motor deficits.
Using Latent Topic Features for Named Entity Extraction in Search Queries

Search is one of the most quickly growing applications in the mobile market. As people rely more on portable devices for performing search, it becomes increasingly important to analyze user queries in order to achieve more targetted results over a broad set of search entities. While most previous work has relied on lexico-syntactic features and handcrafted knowledge sources, this paper investigates methods for learning latent semantic features from unlabelled user-generated content. We extract word-topic associations by training a Latent Dirichlet Allo-cation model on a corpus of online reviews, and show that this information improves named-entity classiﬁcation performance over broad domain search queries. We believe that topical features provide a rich source of information from data with minimal manual effort, and no dependency on a speciﬁc language.
Clothoid-Based Speed Profiler and Control for Autonomous Driving

This paper presents a method for optimal speed profile generation in specified clothoid-based paths with known semantic - maximum speed and longitudinal and lateral acceleration - and geometric information. A clothoid can be described using only its kink-points information, i.e. the points defining the start and end of a clothoid. Using the clothoid-based path representation, we formulate the speed profile generation as a convex optimization problem where the objective is to produce a smooth speed that is close to the maximum allowed speed. The vehicle and the road profile define the constraints of the problem. Furthermore, we develop a longitudinal controller by using the speed profiler in a receding-horizon fashion. Thus, we only consider a finite horizon when computing the optimal inputs every sampling time and, in addition, the longitudinal controller also takes into account the newest prediction available from measurements and from the lateral controller. We present simulations that demonstrate the ability of the method to generate safe and feasible speed profiles and the tracking of those by the longitudinal controller. We also study the influence of the clothoid-based path representation in the optimality of the speed profile obtained. We show that we can get a very good suboptimal speed profile approximation with few more points than the kink-points. In addition, we analyze the influence of an acceleration penalization factor in the smoothness of the speed profiler. The higher the acceleration penalization the smoother and the further from the maximum allowed speed is the speed profile.
Segmentation of speech for speaker and language recognition

Current Automatic Speech Recognition systems convert the speech signal into a sequence of discrete units, such as phonemes, and then apply statistical methods on the units to produce the linguistic message. Similar methodology has also been applied to recognize speaker and language, except that the output of the system can be the speaker or language information. Therefore, we propose the use of temporal trajectories of fundamental frequency and short-term energy to segment and label the speech signal into a small set of discrete units that can be used to characterize speaker and/or language. The proposed approach is evaluated using the NIST Extended Data Speaker Detection task and the NIST Language Identification task.
Pharmacological Fingerprints of Contextual Uncertainty

Successful interaction with the environment requires flexible updating of our beliefs about the world. By estimating the likelihood of future events, it is possible to prepare appropriate actions in advance and execute fast, accurate motor responses. According to theoretical proposals, agents track the variability arising from changing environments by computing various forms of uncertainty. Several neuromodulators have been linked to uncertainty signalling, but comprehensive empirical characterisation of their relative contributions to perceptual belief updating, and to the selection of motor responses, is lacking. Here we assess the roles of noradrenaline, acetylcholine, and dopamine within a single, unified computational framework of uncertainty. Using pharmacological interventions in a sample of 128 healthy human volunteers and a hierarchical Bayesian learning model, we characterise the influences of noradrenergic, cholinergic, and dopaminergic receptor antagonism on individual computations of uncertainty during a probabilistic serial reaction time task. We propose that noradrenaline influences learning of uncertain events arising from unexpected changes in the environment. In contrast, acetylcholine balances attribution of uncertainty to chance fluctuations within an environmental context, defined by a stable set of probabilistic associations, or to gross environmental violations following a contextual switch. Dopamine supports the use of uncertainty representations to engender fast, adaptive responses.
Layer‐specific dendritic regression of pyramidal cells with ageing in the human prefrontal cortex

The dendritic field of pyramidal neurons in cortical layers IIIc and V of the prefrontal cortex in ageing humans was studied. The three‐dimensional branching pattern of the basilar dendrites of Golgi–Cox impregnated neurons was analysed in the middle frontal gyrus (areas 9 and 46) in eight subjects between the ages of 49 and 90 years, all without a neurological or psychiatric disorder.
The boundary for growth of Zygosaccharomyces bailii in acidified products described by models for time to growth and probability of growth.

Models to predict days to growth and probability of growth of Zygosaccharomyces bailii in high-acid foods were developed, and the equations are presented here. The models were constructed from measurements of growth of Z. bailii using automated turbidimetry over a 29-day period at various pH, NaCl, fructose, and acetic acid levels. Statistical analyses were carried out using Statistical Analysis Systems LIFEREG procedures, and the data were fitted to log-logistic models. Model 1 predicts days to growth based on two factors, combined molar concentration of salt plus sugar and undissociated acetic acid. This model allows a growth/no-growth boundary to be visualized. The boundary is comparable with that established by G. Tuynenburg Muys (Process Biochem. 6:25-28, 1971), which still forms the basis of industry assumptions about the stability of acidic foods. Model 2 predicts days to growth based on the four independent factors of salt, sugar, acetic acid, and pH levels and is, therefore, much more useful for product development. Validation data derived from challenge studies in retail products from the U.S. market are presented for Model 2, showing that the model gives reliable, fail-safe predictions and is suitable for use in predicting growth responses of Z. bailii in high-acid foods. Model 3 predicts probability of growth of Z. bailii in 29 days. This model is most useful for spoilage risk assessment. All three models showed good agreement between predictions and observed values for the underlying data.
Enhancing Isoprene Production by Genetic Modification of the 1-Deoxy-d-Xylulose-5-Phosphate Pathway in Bacillus subtilis

ABSTRACT To enhance the production of isoprene, a volatile 5-carbon hydrocarbon, in the Gram-positive spore-forming rod-shaped bacterium Bacillus subtilis, 1-deoxy-d-xylulose-5-phosphate synthase (Dxs) and 1-deoxy-d-xylulose-5-phosphate reductoisomerase (Dxr) were overexpressed in B. subtilis DSM 10. For the strain that overexpresses Dxs, the yield of isoprene was increased 40% over that by the wild-type strain. In the Dxr overexpression strain, the level of isoprene production was unchanged. Overexpression of Dxr together with Dxs showed an isoprene production level similar to that of the Dxs overproduction strain. The effects of external factors, such as stress factors including heat (48°C), salt (0.3 M NaCl), ethanol (1%), and oxidative (0.005% H2O2) stress, on isoprene production were further examined. Heat, salt, and H2O2 induced isoprene production; ethanol inhibited isoprene production. In addition, induction and repression effects are independent of SigB, which is the general stress-responsive alternative sigma factor of Gram-positive bacteria.
Computational and In Vitro Studies of Blast-Induced Blood-Brain Barrier Disruption

There is growing concern that blast-exposed individuals are at risk of developing neurological disorders later in life. Therefore, it is important to understand the dynamic properties of blast forces on brain cells, including the endothelial cells that maintain the blood-brain barrier (BBB), which regulates the passage of nutrients into the brain and protects it from toxins in the blood. To better understand the effect of shock waves on the BBB we have investigated an in vitro model in which BBB endothelial cells are grown in transwell vessels and exposed in a shock tube, confirming that BBB integrity is directly related to shock wave intensity. It is difficult to directly measure the forces acting on these cells in the transwell container during the experiments, and so a computational tool has been developed and presented in this paper. Two-dimensional axisymmetric Euler equations with the Tammann equation of state were used to model the transwell materials, and a high-resolution finite volume method bas.
An exploratory investigation of attitude toward the website and the advertising hierarchy of effects

The paper discusses the findings of a study designed to increase the generalisability, validity and reliability of earlier studies concerning the relationships between attitude toward the ad and aspects of the advertising hierarchy of effects model in the online marketing context. The findings suggest that the traditional advertising hierarchy of effects model is relevant in the online marketing environment, and that investment in online marketing communication can be evaluated using this stable and reliable method. It is, however, suggested that further research is needed to improve the generalisability of the findings.
Leg symptoms in peripheral arterial disease: associated clinical characteristics and functional impairment.

CONTEXT Persons with lower-extremity peripheral arterial disease (PAD) are often asymptomatic or have leg symptoms other than intermittent claudication (IC). OBJECTIVE To identify clinical characteristics and functional limitations associated with a broad range of leg symptoms identified among patients with PAD. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS Cross-sectional study of 460 men and women with PAD and 130 without PAD, who were identified consecutively, conducted between October 1998 and January 2000 at 3 Chicago-area medical centers. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Ankle-brachial index score of less than 0.90; scores from 6-minute walk, accelerometer-measured physical activity over 7 days, repeated chair raises, standing balance (full tandem stand), 4-m walking velocity, San Diego claudication questionnaire, Geriatric Depression Score Short-Form, and the Walking Impairment Questionnaire. RESULTS All groups with PAD had poorer functioning than participants without PAD. The following values are for patients without IC vs those with IC. Participants in the group with leg pain on exertion and rest (n = 88) had a higher (poorer) score for neuropathy (5.6 vs 3.5; P<.001), prevalence of diabetes mellitus (48.9% vs 26.7%; P<.001), and spinal stenosis (20.8% vs 7.2%; P =.002). The atypical exertional leg pain/carry on group (exertional leg pain other than IC associated with walking through leg pain [n = 41]) and the atypical exertional leg pain/stop group (exertional leg pain other than IC that causes one to stop walking [n = 90]) had better functioning than the IC group. The group without exertional leg pain/inactive (no exertional leg pain in individual who walks </=6 blocks per week [n = 28]) and the leg pain on exertion and rest group had poorer functioning than those with IC. Adjusting for age, sex, race, and comorbidities and compared with IC, participants with atypical exertional leg pain/carry on achieved a greater distance on the 6-minute walk (404.3 vs 328.5 m; P<.001) and were less likely to stop during the 6-minute walk (6.8% vs 36%; P =.002). The group with pain on exertion and rest had a slower time for completing 5 chair raises (13.5 vs 11.9 seconds; P =.009), completed the tandem stand less frequently (37.5% vs 60.0%; P =.004), and had a slower 4-m walking velocity (0.80 vs 0.90 m/s; P<.001). CONCLUSIONS There is a wide range of leg symptoms in persons with PAD beyond that of classic IC. Comorbid disease may contribute to these symptoms in PAD. Functional impairments are found in every PAD symptom group, and the degree of functional limitation varies depending on the type of leg symptom.
MODELING A WIRELESS AD-HOC NETWORK USING A CELLULAR- AUTOMATON APPROACH

We use a cellular automaton analogy to simulate a wireless ad-hoc network. This approach combines mobility in its simplest form with some fundamental attributes of radio propagation and enables us to examine the communicative properties of the network which would not otherwise be accessible. The analysis shows that there is an optimal network density for which the throughput of the network is maximized. We examine this finding under a range of processing gain values and confirm (a) that both the maximum total network throughput and the network's sustainability increases proportionately with the processing gain and (b) that single-hop communication is always preferable to extended-hop communication. Furthermore we consider the performance of the system when communication is not limited to a single-hop. We show how processing gain can be used adaptively in order to control the transmission range and hence guarantee end-to-end connectivity in the network.
Sociological insights on residential tourism: host society attitudes in a mature destination

This paper analyses the attitudes of residents in a region of the Spanish Mediterranean coast where tourism is mainly based on the building of second homes, often on a massive scale. A face-to-face survey (n=430) conducted within the Spanish population indicates that the ideological context in which residential tourism has developed with such intensity is contained in a framework of social legitimisation. However, it is possible to distinguish between two groups: the defenders, who tend to view the region as one that is essentially tourist in nature, and the critics, who place greater emphasis on the property dimension. The former tend to justify this process and its evolution by recognising the economic benefits it may bring, whereas the latter tend to question the socio-cultural and environmental costs of such development.
Birth preparedness and complication readiness among women of Bankura District, West Bengal

Background: Birth preparedness and complication readiness (BPCR) is the process of planning for normal birth and anticipating the actions needed in case of an emergency which is critical in averting maternal morbidity and mortality. Objectives: To find out awareness and practices regarding BPCR among pregnant and recently delivered women in Bankura, West Bengal. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional, community-based study was carried out among 120 pregnant women and 235 recently delivered women. Information on sociodemographic variables as well as awareness and practices regarding BPCR were collected through semi-structured interview. For statistical analysis Z-test was used. Results: The majority of respondents (69.3%) had registered for antenatal care within the first 12 weeks of their pregnancy and 74.0% of the recently delivered women had four or more antenatal check-ups and 81.3% had institutional delivery. The BPCR index of pregnant women and recently delivered women was 45.2 and 59.0, respectively, whereas BPCR index of the total was 52.1. Conclusion: Although the BPCR indicators are satisfying, the health system should use the opportunity during visits to health institutions to increase awareness among the pregnant women and her family on how to plan for the pregnancy and identify danger signs.
Combining lexicon and learning based approaches for concept-level sentiment analysis

In this paper, we present the anatomy of pSenti --- a concept-level sentiment analysis system that seamlessly integrates into opinion mining lexicon-based and learning-based approaches. Compared with pure lexicon-based systems, it achieves significantly higher accuracy in sentiment polarity classification as well as sentiment strength detection. Compared with pure learning-based systems, it offers more structured and readable results with aspect-oriented explanation and justification, while being less sensitive to the writing style of text. Our extensive experiments on two real-world datasets (CNET software reviews and IMDB movie reviews) confirm the superiority of the proposed hybrid approach over state-of-the-art systems like SentiStrength.
Patient-centered assessment of cognitive symptoms of depression

Objective To identify and explore concepts important to patients with cognitive symptoms of major depressive disorder (MDD) and adapt an existing patient-reported outcome (PRO) measure to assess these symptoms. Methods Four focus groups were conducted with MDD patients (n = 33) to elicit relevant concepts and determine whether one of several PRO scales could be used to assess cognitive symptoms of depression. Following selection and minor modification of the Perceived Deficits Questionnaire (PDQ), cognitive debriefing interviews were conducted with additional patients (n = 17) to further refine and adapt this measure for use in MDD. Minor revisions based on patient input yielded the PDQ for Depression (PDQ-D). Results Focus group participants reported a variety of cognitive symptoms that were classified into 7 general categories: lack of focus and clear thought, memory problems, difficulty with lexical access, difficulty with divided attention, difficulty with decision making, difficulty thinking quickly, and difficulty learning new things. Limitations in work productivity were the most commonly reported impacts of cognitive symptoms. While suggesting a few modifications, focus group participants reacted positively to the PDQ based on the breadth, specificity, and relevance of the items. Cognitive debriefing participants indicated that the modified PDQ items were generally easy to understand and relevant to their experiences with MDD. Conclusion Because cognitive symptoms are burdensome to patients with MDD, their assessment is important to optimize treatment outcomes. The PDQ-D has the potential to supplement existing assessment methods, providing unique information important for both comprehensive evaluation of individuals with MDD and evaluation of new treatments.
A multi-modal gesture recognition system in a Human-Robot Interaction scenario

Recognition of non-verbal gestures is essential for robots to understand a user's state and intention in a Human-Robot Interaction (HRI) scenario. In this paper a multi-modal system is proposed to recognize a user's hand gestures and estimate body poses from the robot's viewpoint only. A range camera is employed to derive the depth data at a high frame rate. Depth data is useful for image segmentation, objects detection and localization in 3D spaces. A pair of stereo cameras is used to sense the user's head gestures and eye gaze direction, which provide useful information about the user's attention direction. Both hand shapes and hand trajectories are recognized. Full configurations of body poses are estimated using a model-based algorithm. Poses are tracked by a Particle Filter method, and refined by a gradient-based searching method in the neighborhood of the particles which have top largest weights.
Surveillance and Testing for Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus, Saudi Arabia, April 2015–February 2016

Saudi Arabia has reported >80% of the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) cases worldwide. During April 2015–February 2016, Saudi Arabia identified and tested 57,363 persons (18.4/10,000 residents) with suspected MERS-CoV infection; 384 (0.7%) tested positive. Robust, extensive, and timely surveillance is critical for limiting virus transmission.