Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Recognition and treatment of neuropsychiatric disturbances in Parkinson’s disease

The non-motor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease (PD) have been attracting increasing attention due to their ubiquitous nature and their often devastating effects on the quality of life. Behavioral problems in PD include dementia, depression, apathy, fatigue, anxiety, psychosis, akathisia, personality change, sleep disorders and impulse control disorders. Some of these are intrinsic to the neuropathology while others occur as an interplay between pathology, psychology and pharmacology. While few data exist for guiding therapy, enough is known to guide therapy in a rational manner.
Design and Evaluation of a "Smart Individualroom heating is" to Improve comfort and Save Energy in residential buildings

Large amounts of energy are wasted due to unnecessary space heating in residential buildings,i.e. by heating rooms (or whole dwellings) even thoughresidents do not occupy them. Several studies have shown that the major reason for this behaviour is the poor usability and understanding of current heating controls.For that reason,most peoplealsoprefer to adapt their thermal comfort by changing clothes or opening windowsas their principal action, instead of adjusting the heating.Following the recent development of “smart” thermostats, we addressthe aforementioned challenges by developing anheating IS withbetter controls and comprehensive heating feedbackto empower residents to adapt heating radiatorsin their rooms to their needs.In this work, we present the requirement analysis, im-plementation and field test evaluation of a novel smart individual room heatingprototype.The system combines an intuitive user interface, supporting feedback and automation capabilities.We demon-stratethat such a new generation of heating controls indeed improves usability and understanding and thereby leads to lower setpoints by 2-3°Celsiuson average, which could enable significant energy savings.
The effect of cushion properties on skin temperature and humidity at the body-support interface

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study is to explore the effects of various cushions on skin temperature and moisture at the body–seat interface during a 2-hour period of continuous sitting. Seventy-eight participants were randomly assigned to sit on one of the three types of wheelchair cushions for unrelieved sitting for over 2 hours. Skin temperature and relative humidity (RH) were measured under the subjects’ ischial tuberosities and thighs bilaterally with digital temperature and humidity sensors. Data were collected before sitting and at 15-minute intervals thereafter. Participants sitting on foam–fluid hybrid cushions showed significantly lower skin temperatures than those sitting on air-filled and foam cushions (p < 0.05), but RH did not differ significantly among the cushions (p = 0.97). The three cushions produced a similar increasing trend in RH over time and RH reached a plateau during the 2-hour sitting period. To select the appropriate wheelchair cushion, the microclimate (heat and moisture control) between the body–seat interface should be considered as well as pressure distribution. In comparison with foam–fluid hybrid cushions, the air-filled rubber and foam cushions tended to increase skin temperature by several degrees after prolonged sitting. However, cushion materials did not have significant differences in moisture accumulations.
Inter-hospital variations in resuscitation processes and outcomes of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests in Singapore

Background: Variability in post-resuscitation care of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests (OHCA) contributes to differences in survival outcomes. Interventions of significance include targeted temperature management (TTM) and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). In this study, we sought to determine the magnitude and factors involved. Methods: From April 2010 to December 2014, all consecutive OHCAs presenting to hospitals across Singapore were considered for analysis. Primary outcome was survival to discharge or 30 days. Secondary outcomes included survival to admission, and neurological outcome (Glasgow-Pittsburgh Cognitive Performance Categories ≤2). The effects of hospital-based resuscitative interventions and admitting hospital on outcome were compared using Chi-squared tests and multivariate logistic regression models. Results: A total of 7,609 OHCA cases were included from six hospitals in Singapore. TTM and PCI usage varied significantly (P<0.001). Hospitals B, C, D had a lower survival to discharge or 30 days post-arrest [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 0.392, 95% CI: 0.229–0.671, P=0.0006; AOR 0.499, 95% CI: 0.298–0.837, P=0.008; AOR 0.495, 95% CI: 0.304–0.805, P=0.005, respectively]. Hospitals B, D had lower survival to discharge with good neurological function (AOR 0.390, 95% CI: 0.206–0.738, P=0.004; AOR 0.443, 95% CI: 0.249–0.791, P=0.006 respectively). Hospitals B, C, D, E had lower survival to ED admission (AOR 0.582, 95% CI: 0.462–0.733, P<0.0001; AOR 0.600, 95% CI: 0.474–0.759, P<0.001; AOR 0.678, 95% CI: 0.542–0.847, P=0.0007; AOR 0.620, 95% CI: 0.494–0.777, P<0.0001 respectively). Both teaching status and bed number (≥1,000 beds) are associated with improved survival to discharge or 30 days (OR 1.488, P=0.007; OR 1.536, P=0.005). Conclusions: TTM and PCI usage, and OHCA outcomes vary between hospitals. This is associated with teaching status, bed number, and post-resuscitation care.
Complete revascularization in patients undergoing multivessel PCI is an independent predictor of improved long-term survival.

BACKGROUND The prognostic relevance of complete revascularization (CR) in patients with multivessel coronary artery disease (MV-CAD) has been established so far for surgical treatment strategies rather than for percutaneous coronary revascularization (PCI). In addition, different definitions of CR have further complicated the interpretation of clinical studies. METHODS Procedural characteristics and long-term overall survival were assessed in 679 consecutive "all-comer" patients, who underwent PCI in at least two main vessels. We adapted three definitions of CR from the coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) trials. CR was achieved if following MV-PCI one of the three criteria was met: (1) no residual stenosis in a main coronary vessel, (2) no residual stenosis in any coronary segment, or (3) no residual stenosis in the left anterior descending (LAD) and at least one further main branch. The main objective was the evaluation of predictors of incomplete revascularization and the prognostic impact of CR in MV-PCI patients. RESULTS CR was achieved in 76%, 67%, and 95%, respectively, (definitions 1-3). Patients without CR were older, had a lower ejection fraction, and presented more often with acute coronary syndromes (ACS). Clinical long-term follow-up regarding survival was available in 664 patients (98%) with a mean follow-up of 2.5 +/- 1.6 years. Independent of the specific definition, CR was associated with a reduced long-term mortality by approximately 50%. After adjusting for relevant baseline parameters, only absence of residual stenosis in all coronary segments remained as an independent predictor of long-term prognosis (hazard ratio [HR]= 0.51, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.28-0.93; P = 0.025). CONCLUSIONS CR of all coronary segments is associated with improved overall survival after MV-PCI.
The effect of the performance appraisal system on trust for management: A field quasi-experiment.

Recent theoretical developments have enabled the empirical study of trust for specific referents in organizations. The authors conducted a 14-month field study of employee trust for top management. A 9-month quasi-experiment found that the implementation of a more acceptable performance appraisal system increased trust for top management. The 3 proposed factors of trustworthiness (ability, benevolence, and integrity) mediated the relationship between perceptions of the appraisal system and trust.
Blood Donor Motivation: A Survey of Minority College Students

Ninety-five percent of all blood donors are Caucasian. To investigate why minorities are under-represented as blood donors, a random sample of 120 minority college students were surveyed about attitudes and behavior regarding blood donations. This sample of minority students had donated blood at the same rate (33%) and for the same positive motivation (altruism) and negative motivations (for those who did not donate—fear, medical excuses, didn't think of it, no time) as Caucasian donors. The low rate of blood donations by minorities is not due to their membership in ethnic groups per se, but to other variables such as education and socioeconomic level. A recruitment strategy based on the results of this study is presented.
High diagnostic yield and clinical utility of WES for patients with undiagnosed genetic disorder by automating variant interpretation

Abstracts Purpose We developed an automated interpretation system for the whole process of Whole exome sequencing (WES) including raw data processing, variant calling, variant interpretation, and measurement of phenotypic similarity between the patient and each disease. This study was to investigate diagnostic yield and clinical utility of our new system that assists clinicians with diagnosis of patients with suspected genetic disorders. Methods WES was performed a total of 194 patients (age range 0-68 years) with suspected genetic disorder. The patient inclusion criteria were delayed development within age of 5 months, multiple congenital anomalies with dysmorphic features, strongly suggestive features of monogenic disorder or genetically heterogeneous disorder, or not diagnosed despite performing genetic investigation. Results WES reported 180 variants, of which 110 variants were confirmed by segregation analysis and 94 patients (48.4%) were diagnosed with 89 genetic disorders. There was no difference of diagnostic rate (48.9 %, 71/145 vs. 46.9%, 23/49, P > 0.05) and duration of the diagnostic odyssey (2.8 ± 3.3 vs. 4.1 ± 5.1, P= 0.293) between group with and without genetic test before WES. There was no significant difference in the distribution of clinical symptoms between the patients who were diagnosed with and without genetic disorder. Forty four percent of total patients filled only 9% of total symptom principal component analysis (PCA) space, and the remaining 56% of patients filled the other 91% of symptom PCA space. The two groups had similar genetic variant diversities (P = 0.899). Conclusion This study showed improved diagnostic yield (48.4%) in patients with clinical heterogeneity by using automating variant interpretation. Diverse genetic variations were also observed in patients with similar symptoms. This study highlights the utility of automated interpretation system of WES to clarify differential diagnosis in patients with suspected genetic disorder.
Lung function in Pakistani wood workers

Abstract The lung function impairment is the most common respiratory problem in industrial plants and their vicinity. Therefore, the purpose was to study the affects of wood dust and its duration of exposure on lung function. This was a matched cross-sectional study of Spirometry in 46 non-smoking wood workers with age range 20 – 60 years, who worked without the benefit of wood dust control ventilation or respiratory protective devices. Pulmonary function test was performed by using an electronic Spirometer. Significant reduction was observed in the mean values of Forced Vital Capacity (FVC), Forced Expiratory Volume in one second (FEV1), and Maximum Voluntary Ventilation (MVV) in wood workers relative to their matched controls. This impairment was increased with the duration of exposure to wood industries. It is concluded that lung function in wood workers is impaired and stratification of results shows a dose-response effect of years of wood dust exposure on lung function.
A meta-analysis on the association between bladder cancer and occupation

To date, many epidemiological studies have been conducted to examine the association between occupation and bladder cancer incidence. However, results from these studies often have been inconsistent, and significant associations have rarely been found, possibly owing to the lack of adequate statistical power in these studies. This meta-analysis summarizes the relevant literature regarding occupation and bladder cancer incidence to increase the statistical power to detect associations. The Medline and Embase databases were searched to retrieve epidemiological studies published up until May 2008. Individual risk estimates for subjects with an employment history in the occupation of interest were extracted from each included publication. For each occupation, a summary relative risk (SRR) was calculated by means of a random effects model. Significantly increased risks with an SRR greater than 1.20 were identified for miners [SRR=1.31, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.09–1.57], bus drivers (SRR=1.29, 95% CI 1.08–1.53), rubber workers (SRR=1.29, 95% CI 1.06–1.58), motor mechanics (SRR=1.27, 95% CI 1.10–1.46), leather workers (SRR=1.27, 95% CI 1.07–1.49), blacksmiths (SRR=1.27, 95% CI 1.02–1.58), machine setters (SRR=1.24, 95% CI 1.09–1.42), hairdressers (SRR=1.23, 95% CI 1.11–1.37) and mechanics (SRR=1.21, 95% CI 1.12–1.31). In conclusion, the studies reviewed provide consistent support for a small but significant increased risk of bladder cancer among workers in these nine occupations. Although the relative risk of bladder cancer associated with these occupations is small, the public health impact may be significant, considering the substantial number of people who were and are employed in these occupations.
Continuing Effectiveness of Serogroup A Meningococcal Conjugate Vaccine, Chad, 2013

In 2011, vaccination with a serogroup A meningococcal polysaccharide conjugate vaccine was implemented in 3 of 23 regions in Chad. Cases of meningitis declined dramatically in vaccinated areas, but an epidemic continued in the rest of Chad. In 2012, the remaining Chad population was vaccinated, and the epidemic was halted.
Repeated-Dose Pharmacokinetics of an Oral Solution of Itraconazole in Infants and Children

ABSTRACT The safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics of an oral solution of itraconazole and its active metabolite hydroxyitraconazole were investigated in an open multicenter study of 26 infants and children aged 6 months to 12 years with documented mucosal fungal infections or at risk for the development of invasive fungal disease. The most frequent underlying illness was acute lymphoblastic leukemia, except in the patients aged 6 months to 2 years, of whom six were liver transplant recipients. The patients were treated with itraconazole at a dosage of 5 mg/kg of body weight once daily for 2 weeks. Blood samples were taken after the first dose, during treatment, and up to 8 days after the last itraconazole dose. On day 1, the mean peak concentrations in plasma after the first and last doses (Cmax) and areas under the concentration-time curve from 0 to 24 h (AUC0–24) for itraconazole and hydroxyitraconazole were lower in the children aged 6 months to 2 years than in children aged 2 to 12 years but were comparable on day 14. The mean AUC0–24-based accumulation factors of itraconazole and hydroxyitraconazole from day 1 to 14 ranged from 3.3 to 8.6 and 2.3 to 11.4, respectively. After 14 days of treatment,Cmax, AUC0–24, and the half-life, respectively, were (mean ± standard deviation) 571 ± 416 ng/ml, 6,930 ± 5,830 ng · h/ml, and 47 ± 55 h in the children aged 6 months to 2 years; 534 ± 431 ng/ml, 7,330 ± 5,420 ng · h/ml, and 30.6 ± 25.3 h in the children aged 2 to 5 years; and 631 ± 358 ng/ml, 8,770 ± 5,050 ng · h/ml, and 28.3 ± 9.6 h in the children aged 5 to 12 years. There was a tendency to have more frequent low minimum concentrations of the drugs in plasma for both itraconazole and hydroxyitraconazole for the children aged 6 months to 2 years. The oral bioavailability of the solubilizer hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin was less than 1% in the majority of the patients. In conclusion, an itraconazole oral solution given at 5 mg/kg/day provides potentially therapeutic concentrations in plasma, which are, however, substantially lower than those attained in adult cancer patients, and is well tolerated and safe in infants and children.
Sensory quality of selected raw ripened meat products.

BACKGROUND A demand on raw fermented meat products depends on their availability, price and the culture. In Poland, raw meat products have a several hundred years, although limited to the Podlasie region, tradition of manufacturing. Therefore, in spite of widening of Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, German and recently even the Czech Republic products assortment on the Polish market, the consumption of them increases slowly. The aim of the study was to compare the sensory quality of raw ripened smoked products and sausages, sold on the Polish foodstuffs market as "traditional". MATERIAL AND METHODS The study included the basic chemical content, water activity, pH, the amount of lactic acid bacteria and coagulase-negative cocci, as well as selected texture and sensory parameters. The analysis was conducted in compliance with Polish Standards, and the cutting strength was measured with the use of the TA-XT2 texture-meter. The sensory analysis was conducted by a 12-person panel using the 5-point method. RESULTS The differences in the amount of water, protein, fat and salt resulted from the wide variability of ingredients among both groups of the analysed cold meats. The smoked products were characterised by a higher pH (5.6-5.9), smaller amount of bacilli (2-5.5 log cfu/g) and lactic cocci (3.3 to 6.6 log cfu/g) in comparison with the sausages. The amount of both populations of bacteria in the sausages of a pH of 4.5-5.5 ranged from 6.8-8.9 log cfu/g and 5.9-7.7 log cfu/g, respectively. Among the analysed smoked products and sausages the greatest TPA hardness (respectively 128.6-140.3 N and 91.3-139.7 N), TPA chewiness (28.9-54.2 N and 16.1-36.0 N) and cutting strength (11.0-12.9 kG and 8.2-8.5 kG) was observed in those with a 0.81-0.86 water activity. The overall quality of the analysed cold meats was at a good level (3.9-4.1 pt). CONCLUSIONS Distinguishing features which determined the quality of products are hardness, juiciness as well as odour. The specific odour of the yeast cultures present on the surface of the products, the high fat content which undergoes oxidation during ripening, a high salt content, the domination of pepper among the range of spices as well as the detection of lactic and acetic acid are not accepted by Polish consumers.
Substochastic Monte Carlo Algorithms

In this paper we introduce and formalize Substochastic Monte Carlo (SSMC) algorithms. These algorithms, originally intended to be a better classical foil to quantum annealing than simulated annealing, prove to be worthy optimization algorithms in their own right. In SSMC, a population of walkers is initialized according to a known distribution on an arbitrary search space and varied into the solution of some optimization problem of interest. The first argument of this paper shows how an existing classical algorithm, "Go-With-The-Winners" (GWW), is a limiting case of SSMC when restricted to binary search and particular driving dynamics. Although limiting to GWW, SSMC is more general. We show that (1) GWW can be efficiently simulated within the SSMC framework, (2) SSMC can be exponentially faster than GWW, (3) by naturally incorporating structural information, SSMC can exponentially outperform the quantum algorithm that first inspired it, and (4) SSMC exhibits desirable search features in general spaces. Our approach combines ideas from genetic algorithms (GWW), theoretical probability (Fleming-Viot processes), and quantum computing. Not only do we demonstrate that SSMC is often more efficient than competing algorithms, but we also hope that our results connecting these disciplines will impact each independently. An implemented version of SSMC has previously enjoyed some success as a competitive optimization algorithm for Max-$k$-SAT.
Ultrastructural and Chemical Alteration of the Cell Envelope of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Associated with Resistance to Ethylenediaminetetraacetate Resulting from Growth in a Mg2+-Deficient Medium

Cells of Pseudomonas aeruginosa became resistant to the lytic effect of ethylenediametetraacetate (EDTA) when grown in a Mg2+-deficient medium. To correlate ultrastructural changes in the cell wall associated with the shift to EDTA-resistance, a freeze-etch study was performed. Upon fracturing, the outer cell wall membrane split down the hydrophobic center to reveal the outer (concave) and inner (convex) layers. The concave cell wall layer of EDTA-sensitive cells grown in Mg2+-sufficient medium contained spherical units resting on an underlying smooth support layer. Upon EDTA treatment, approximately one-half of these spherical units were extracted. Cells grown in Mg2+-deficient medium were resistant to EDTA. The concave cell wall layer of EDTA-resistant cells had increased numbers of highly compacted spherical units, giving this layer a disorganized appearance. The highly compacted appearance of this layer was unaltered by EDTA treatment. Thus, growth in Mg2+-deficient medium resulted in cells which were resistant to EDTA and which possessed an ultrastructurally altered outer layer of the outer cell wall membrane. Cell envelopes from EDTA-resistant cells were found to possess 18% less phosphorus, 16.4% more total carbohydrate, and 13.3% more 2-keto-3-deoxyoctonate than cell envelopes from EDTA-sensitive cells. There were also qualitative, but not quantitative, differences in the protein content of cell envelopes from EDTA-resistant and EDTA-sensitive cells.
Black Swan Terrace, Upper Spon Street, Coventry: A Comparison of Medieval Renters

The structure and use of the medieval renter row, 119–23 Upper Spon Street, Coventry, is examined and compared to the ‘Wealden’ row, 159–62 Spon Street, Coventry, 34–50 Church Street, Tewkesbury, the longest surviving row of medieval renters, and other previously described renters. Most of them are part-floored, generally with footprints in the range of 15–30m2, and some of them have smoke aprons to protect the upper rooms. Such premises might have been built for small traders and wage earners.
Red Abalones, Sea Urchins, and Human Subsistence at Middle Holocene Cuyler Harbor, San Miguel Island, California

Author(s): Rick, Torben C. ; Willis, Lauren M. ; Erlandson, Jon M. | Abstract: Excavations at CA­SMI­161 provide insight into Middle Holocene human subsistence strategies and exploitation of kelp forest and rocky intertidal habitats on San Miguel Island. Faunal data from two red abalone (Haliotis rufescens) middens dated to ca. 4,400 cal B.P. and an earlier deposit dominated by sea urchin (Strongylocentrotus spp.) dated to 5,800 cal B.P. demonstrate variability in the use and availability of different marine shell sh through time. Some of these data come from one of the youngest red abalone middens reported on the Northern Channel Islands and suggest that by 4,400 cal B.P. red abalone was still highly abundant (approximately 48 –73% by weight) in some San Miguel Island middens, but declined to 24% by 4,000 cal B.P. at CA­SMI­603 and to just 7% by 3,600 cal B.P. at CA­SMI­261. When compared to Late Holocene sites from Cuyler Harbor, the CA­SMI­161 data document a broader decline in red abalone, with n sh and California mussels (Mytilus californianus) dominating subsistence resources after about 3,000 cal B.P.These trends may relate to growing Late Holocene human population densities and the higher biomass provided by n shes.