Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The influence of visual neglect on stroke rehabilitation.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The poor outcome observed in stroke patients with visual neglect may be due to greater stroke severity or nonspecialist management. METHODS The effects of visual neglect were studied prospectively in 150 consecutive stroke patients with comparable stroke pathology and motor severity managed on a stroke unit. A randomized study was subsequently undertaken in 50 stroke patients with visual neglect to evaluate the effectiveness of spatial cueing during motor activity on functional outcome and resource use in these patients. RESULTS Visual neglect was present in 47 (32%) of a selected group of 146 patients (mean age, 77.0 +/- 8.2 years; 42% men) with moderate stroke severity. There were no differences in demography, prestroke function, or motor power in the arm (2.6 +/- 1.7 versus 2.3 +/- 2.1) or the leg (3.2 +/- 1.4 versus 3.0 +/- 1.6) on the affected side compared with 99 patients with no visual neglect. Although patients with visual neglect had lower median initial (4 versus 5, P < .01) and discharge (14 versus 16, P < .01) Barthel Index scores, equal proportions of patients were discharged home (60% versus 65%) or to institutions (34% versus 33%) in both groups. The durations of hospitalization (64 versus 36 days, P < .001) and therapy input (47.7 versus 27.8 hours; P < .01), however, were significantly greater in patients with visual neglect. The randomized controlled study showed a trend toward higher Barthel scores at 12 weeks (14 versus 12.5, P = NS) and significant reduction in median length of hospital stay (42 versus 66 days) in patients receiving spatiomotor cueing and early emphasis on functional rehabilitation. CONCLUSIONS Patients with visual neglect managed on a stroke unit have similar destination of discharge despite lower Barthel Index scores compared with patients of equal stroke severity who do not have this deficit. Spatiomotor cueing and early emphasis on function can improve outcome and reduce resource use in these patients.
Performance and trends in recent opinion retrieval techniques

Abstract This paper presents trends and performance of opinion retrieval techniques proposed within the last 8 years. We identify major techniques in opinion retrieval and group them into four popular categories. We describe the state-of-the-art techniques for each category and emphasize on their performance and limitations. We then summarize with a performance comparison table for the techniques on different datasets. Finally, we highlight possible future research directions that can help solve existing challenges in opinion retrieval.
The influence of subclinical hyperthyroidism on blood pressure, heart rate variability, and prevalence of arrhythmias.

BACKGROUND The impact of subclinical hyperthyroidism (sHT) on the cardiovascular system still needs to be elucidated. The aim of the study was to prospectively assess blood pressure (BP), variability in heart rate, and the prevalence of arrhythmias in patients with sHT, both before and after they are restored to the euthyroid state. METHODS The study group consisted of 44 normotensive patients (37 women, 7 men), aged 22-65 years (mean±SD: 45.9±11.0) with sHT. Enrolled patients were drawn from 1080 patients referred to our department for treatment of hyperthyroidism. Study patients were treated with radioiodine treatment to restore the euthyroid state. Ambulatory BP monitoring and Holter electrocardiography were performed (i) when sHT was diagnosed and (ii) at least 6 months after they became euthyroid. RESULTS sHT in comparison to the euthyroid state was associated with higher (109.3±7.1 vs. 107.1±7.7 mmHg) nocturnal systolic mean BP (p=0.035) and BP load (14.8 vs. 10.2%, p=0.033), mean diastolic BP (66.4±6.6 vs. 64.8±6.6 mmHg, p=0.047), and mean arterial pressure (80.8±43.1 vs. 79.3±43.6 mmHg, p=0.049). Moreover, significant changes in both the time and frequency domain measures of heart rate variability (HRV) were observed: decrease of the square root of the mean squared differences of successive NN intervals (rMSSD) (45.68±34.1 vs. 65.09±50.6 ms, p=0.03) and the low frequency power (LF) (5.71±0.99 vs. 6.0±1.01 ms(2), p=0.049) as well as increase of QT interval dispersion (58.25±28.5 vs. 46.90±12.1 ms, p=0.020). This was accompanied by a clinically insignificant increase in the frequency of ventricular extrasystoles (VES) (3.1±7.4 vs. 0.6±1.2 per hour, p=0.048) and increased mean heart rate (78.4±6.8 vs. 76.0±8.0 beats/min, p=0.004). Some of the parameters correlated positively with thyroid hormones: nocturnal diastolic BP with free triiodothyronine (FT(3)) (r=0.397, p=0.008), rMSSD with free thyroxine (FT(4)) (r=0.389, p=0.013), and QT interval dispersion with FT(4) (r=0.450, p=0.004). CONCLUSIONS The study suggests that sHT in comparison to euthyroid status may be associated with a statistically significant but probably clinically insignificant increase of QT interval dispersion, prevalence of VES, elevated nocturnal arterial BP, and changes in HRV. These findings broaden our understanding of the cardiovascular effects of sHT.
Electroencephalographic functional equivalence during observation of action

Abstract The purpose of this study was to examine the variability in cortical activation during physical air-rifle shooting and three different observation conditions. Elite air-rifle shooters performed a 40 shot individual match. Electroencephalograms were recorded from 11 active sites across the cortex during the final 6 s (3 × 2 s epochs) before shot release. Data collection was repeated while shooters watched a large-screen video of their worst shot performance from an internal-visual perspective when seated, standing and standing holding their rifle. The hypothesized differences between the three observation conditions and the physical shooting profile were not shown except at the left anterior temporal site, T5. This finding suggests that observation of performance cannot be differentiated clearly by posture or modified through kinetic and haptic afference, and that visual percepts predominate in observational functional equivalence. However, more functionally equivalent observation reduced the observation/execution variability over the temporal areas. Performer debriefs also identified different perceptions of physiological, psychological and behavioural functional equivalence associated with the different observation conditions. We conclude that elite performers' brains are accessed equally effectively during different observation conditions irrespective of some of the physical factors ascribed to the conditions. However, they may require more functionally matched conditions to attain greater equivalence in temporal areas.
The uneven phylogeny and biogeography of Erodium (Geraniaceae): radiations in the Mediterranean and recent recurrent intercontinental colonization.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS The genus Erodium is a common feature of Mediterranean-type climates throughout the world, but the Mediterranean Basin has significantly higher diversity than other areas. The aim here is to reveal the biogeographical history of the genus and the causes behind the evolution of the uneven distribution. METHODS Seventy-eight new nrITS sequences were incorporated with existing plastid data to explore the phylogenetic relationships and biogeography of Erodium using several reconstruction methods. Divergence times for major clades were calculated and contrasted with other previously published information. Furthermore, topological and temporal diversification rate shift analyses were employed using these data. KEY RESULTS Phylogenetic relationships among species are widely congruent with previous plastid reconstructions, which refute the classical taxonomical classification. Biogeographical reconstructions point to Asia as the ancestral area of Erodium, arising approx. 18 MYA. Four incidences of intercontinental dispersal from the Mediterranean Basin to similar climates are demonstrated. Increases in diversification were present in two independent Erodium lineages concurrently. Two bursts of diversification (3 MYA and 0·69 MYA) were detected only in the Mediterranean flora. CONCLUSIONS Two lineages diverged early in the evolution of the genus Erodium: (1) subgenus Erodium plus subgenus Barbata subsection Absinthioidea and (2) the remainder of subgenus Barbata. Dispersal across major water bodies, although uncommon, has had a major influence on the distribution of this genus and is likely to have played as significant role as in other, more easily dispersed, genera. Establishment of Mediterranean climates has facilitated the spread of the genus and been crucial in its diversification. Two, independent, rapid radiations in response to the onset of drought and glacial climate change indicate putative adaptive radiations in the genus.
Ziziphus jujuba Extract for the Treatment of Chronic Idiopathic Constipation: A Controlled Clinical Trial

Purpose: To investigate the safety and efficacy of an extract of Ziziphus jujuba for chronic constipation.Constipated patients received liquid Z. jujuba or placebo for 12 weeks. Subjects completed questionnaires, a visual analog scale and transit time (TT) tests before and after treatment. Results: Of 37 patients with a prolonged TT, 18 received the study drug and 19 a placebo. Two (12%) of the study and 16 (84%) of the control group dropped out due to severe constipation. The TT decreased from 12.2 particles for the study group to 3 particles at week 11. Symptom severity ratings decreased from 6 and 6.2 to 2 and 5, and the quality of life score improved from 1.9 and 2.3 to 1.3 and 1.4 in the study and control groups, respectively. Conclusion:Z. jujuba extract is an effective and safe treatment for chronic constipation.
Reliability of MAOD measured at 110% and 120% of peak oxygen uptake for cycling.

PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to examine the test-retest reliability of maximal accumulated oxygen deficit (MAOD) measured at 110% and 120% of peak oxygen uptake (VO2) for cycling in seven untrained male and seven untrained female subjects. METHODS After one familiarization trial, all subjects performed two MAOD tests at a power output corresponding to 110% and two tests at 120% of VO2peak in random order. MAOD was calculated for each subject as the difference between O2 demand during exercise and the measured VO2. RESULTS The mean (+/-SEM) time to exhaustion for the group was not significantly different between trial 1 (226 +/- 13 s) and trial 2 (223 +/- 14 s) of the 110% test. Likewise, the difference in the time to exhaustion between trial 1 (158 +/- 11 s) and trial 2 (159 +/- 10 s) was not significant for the 120% test. The intraclass correlation coefficients for the time to exhaustion were 0.95 for the 110% test and 0.98 for the 120% test. The mean MAOD value obtained in trial 1 (2.62 +/- 0.17 L) was not significantly different from the mean value obtained in trial 2 (2.54 +/- 0.19 L) for the 110% test. Additionally, the mean values for the two trials did not differ significantly for MAOD (2.64 +/- 0.21 L for trial 1 and 2.63 +/- 0.19 L for trial 2) in the 120% test. The intraclass correlation coefficients for MAOD were 0.95 for the 110% test and 0.97 for the 120% test. All intraclass correlation coefficients were significant at P < 0.001. CONCLUSIONS When conducted under standardized conditions, the determination of MAOD for cycling was highly repeatable at both 110% and 120% of VO2peak in untrained male and female subjects.
Resistencia a los antibióticos en dos unidades de cuidados intensivos de Bucaramanga (Colombia)

Introduccion: Aunque se dispone de una amplia gama de antibioticos para el tratamiento de infecciones bacterianas, su uso indiscriminado ha activado mecanismos evolutivos de adaptacion que permite a los microorganismos sobrevivir, esto se conoce como “resistencia a los antibioticos”, fenomeno creciente, especialmente en las Unidades de Cuidados Intensivos. Objetivo: El objeto de este estudio es presentar las distribuciones de frecuencia de los microorganismos aislados y su sensibilidad/resistencia a los antibioticos en las unidades de cuidados intensivos de dos clinicas de Bucaramanga. Materiales y metodos: Se recolectaron datos de los aislamientos realizados por los laboratorios de las clinicas participantes, entre enero de 2010 y marzo de 2011. Las distribuciones de frecuencia fueron halladas mediante el software WHONET (version 5.6). Resultados: En los 363 aislamientos estudiados, los microorganismos mas frecuentes fueron: Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli y Staphylococcus epidermidis. Los mayores porcentajes de resistencia entre gramnegativos, fueron: a Ampicilina (77,8%), Cefradina (63,6%), Clindamicina (100%) y Ampicilina/ Sulbactam (72,6%), mientras que entre los microorganismos grampositivos, fueron a Penicilina (100%), Oxacilina (94,7%), Ceftazidima (85,7%) y Cefuroxime (85,7%). Conclusion: Los altos porcentajes de resistencia observados sugieren la produccion de β-lactamasas y β-lactamasas resistentes a inhibidores, sin embargo, se requieren estudios de biologia molecular para confirmar estos mecanismos de resistencia. Por otra parte, los datos obtenidos coinciden con lo reportado en otros estudios a nivel nacional e internacional. Palabras clave: Farmacorresistencia Bacteriana, Cuidados intensivos, Pruebas de sensibilidad microbiana, Vigilancia Epidemiologica, Penicilinasa. (Fuente: DeCS)
A millimeter-wave circular reflectarray antenna for future 5G cellular networks

A new broadband millimetre-wave reflectarray antenna structure utilizing novel polarization insensitive multi resonant unit cells is proposed. The design frequency of the RA is set at 30 GHz, and it consists of 20×20 polarization independent insensitive resonant unit cells (UCs), which are illuminated by pyramidal horn antenna. The unit cell of this array contains two concentric rings combined with a cross loop and cross strips inside for bandwidth enhancement. For maximum aperture efficiency and realized gain, a pyramidal horn antenna placed at F to obtain F/D=0.4. The simulation results show that the obtained maximum gain is 25.1 dB with a slight variation over the operating frequency range and a good cross-polarization level.
Impaired self-agency in functional movement disorders

Objective: To investigate the neural mechanisms underlying impaired self-agency in patients with functional movement disorders using resting-state functional MRI (fMRI). Methods: We obtained resting-state fMRI on 35 patients with clinically definite functional movement disorders and 35 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. Between-group differences in functional connectivity from the right temporo-parietal junction (TPJ), a region previously demonstrated to play a critical role in self-agency by comparing internal predictions of movement with actual external events, were assessed using t tests. All participants were screened for psychiatric diagnoses using a structured clinical interview and completed the Beck Depression Inventory and Childhood Trauma Questionnaire. Results: Compared to the healthy controls, patients with functional movement disorders showed decreased functional connectivity between the right TPJ and the right sensorimotor cortex, cerebellar vermis, bilateral supplementary motor area, and right insula. These findings were independent of depression, anxiety, and childhood trauma scores included in our assessment as covariates. Conclusions: The decreased functional connectivity between the right TPJ and bilateral sensorimotor regions observed in patients with functional movement disorders supports a model whereby impaired motor feed-forward together with altered sensory feedback from sensorimotor regions and areas of sensorimotor integration to the right TPJ contributes to patients' impaired sense of self-agency.
Le culte de la performance

Battants, entrepreneurs, aventuriers, sportifs, chomeurs creant leur propre entreprise ont fait une telle percee sur la scene publique qu'il n'est pas incongru de parler d'un veritable culte de la performance. Trois deplacements sociaux caracterisent ce culte. Les champions sportifs sont des symboles d'excellence sociale alors qu'ils etaient signe de l'arrieration populaire. La consommation est un vecteur de realisation personnelle alors qu'elle connotait auparavant l'alienation et la passivite. Le chef d'entreprise est devenu un modele de conduite alors qu'il etait l'embleme de la domination du patron sur l'ouvrier. L'entreprise revet ainsi le role de nouveau reservoir des fictions francaises. L'auteur explore les mutations de sensibilite a l'oeuvre dans ces nouvelles mythologies.
Human Bone Marrow Stromal Cells Protect Prostate Cancer Cells From TRAIL‐Induced Apoptosis

Tumor‐derived OPG has recently been shown to protect prostate cancer cells from apoptosis. This study has confirmed that bone marrow stromal cell‐derived OPG also suppresses cytokine‐induced apoptosis in this tumor type, suggesting that it may be the presence of bone‐derived OPG that is responsible for the observed preference of these cells in colonizing the skeleton.
Venous stenosis and occlusion in hemodialysis shunts: follow-up results of stent placement in 65 patients.

PURPOSE To provide follow-up data on the use of self-expanding stents in hemodialysis fistulas to improve the technical success of balloon angioplasty. MATERIALS AND METHODS Ninety-two self-expanding vascular stents were placed in 65 patients (29 men and 36 women 25-79 years of age; mean, 57.6 years) with failing hemodialysis fistulas or shunts. RESULTS Stent placement was successful in all patients, but rethrombosis of the shunt occurred in six patients (10%) within 1 week. There were 96 episodes of reobstruction. In 87 cases, percutaneous or combined surgical and percutaneous repeat intervention was performed. The cumulative shunt function rate was 88% after 6 months, 86% after 1 year, and 77% after 2 years. CONCLUSION Stent placement in hemodialysis fistulas helps treat lesions that cannot be adequately treated with percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) alone but has a follow-up patency rate similar to that of PTA. Standard central venous stents have a better patency rate than after PTA.
Adaptive delta-causality control with prediction in networked real-time game using haptic media

In this paper, we handle an air hockey game which two users play with haptic interface devices as an example of networked real-time games. In order to improve the interactivity of the air hockey game, we propose the adaptive Δ (delta)-causality control scheme with prediction, which keeps the consistency and causality high and predicts positional information after a constant time. In QoE (Quality of Experience) assessment, we assess the output quality and interactivity of local mallet, output quality of opponent's mallet, output quality and interactivity of puck, and comprehensive quality. As a result, we illustrate that the proposed scheme is effective and there exists the optimal value of the prediction time.
A comparison of HMM, Naïve Bayesian, and Markov model in exploiting knowledge content in digital ink: A case study on handwritten music notation recognition

The performance of a model is dependent not only on the amount of knowledge available to the model but also on how the knowledge is exploited. We investigate the recognition of handwritten musical notation based on three related probabilistic inference techniques: Hidden Markov Models (HMMs), Markov Models (MMs) and Naïve Bayes (NBs). Music notes are written on a tablet. A sequence of ink patterns representing this symbol is captured and subsequently employed for constructing the models of HMMs, MMs and NBs. The proposed approach exploits both global and local information derived from ink patterns which we have demonstrated the exploitation of this information via different features employed in different HMMs. The specificity and sensitivity measures of these classification models are compared using unseen test datasets. The findings show that HMM outperformed MM and NB models, due to the ability of HMM in exploiting both transitional probability (transition matrix A) and the overall likelihood of the observed events (emission matrix B). Also, HMMs with more hidden states outperformed those with less states, since a larger model has more capacity. In conclusion, our approach demonstrated that HMM can better exploit information extracted from ink patterns than models of MM or NB, and therefore is an optimal inference technique to encoding useful information for musical notation representation.
Characterization of a CMOS Geiger photodiode pixel

This paper examines the performance of CMOS avalanche photodiode pixels operated in a Geiger mode. The pixels, called Geiger photodiode (GPD) pixels, convert an incident analog photon flux into a digital count rate. The maximum detection efficiency of the characterized GPD pixel for 632-nm light is 22%. The passively quenched GPD pixel exhibits an after pulsing at excess bias voltages above 2 V, and a minimum in the after-pulsing correction factor, of 0.53, occurs at an excess bias of 5.8 V. The after pulsing increases the fluctuations, or noise, in the count-rate signal. The following expression accurately describes the noise in the characterized GPD pixel, which exhibits a relatively low after-pulsing probability: /spl sigma//sup 2/=n~/sub dp/+n~/sub ap/+2/spl middot/[n~/sub dp//spl middot/n~/sub ap/]/sup 1/2/, where /spl sigma/ represents the count-rate fluctuations, the "dp" subscript stands for "detected photons," the "ap" subscript stands for "after pulses," and the n~ represents the "average count rate of" dp, or ap. The noise-equivalent illumination exhibits a minimum of 300 Hz at an operating voltage of 28 V. The best operating voltage for the GPD pixel increases from 28 V with increasing signal intensity.
Aberrant astrocytic expression of chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan receptors in a rat model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease. Progressive and systemic loss of motor neurons with gliosis in the central nervous system (CNS) is a neuropathological hallmark of ALS. Chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans (CSPGs) are the major components of the extracellular matrix of the mammalian CNS, and they inhibit axonal regeneration physically by participating to form the glial scar. Recently, protein tyrosine phosphatase sigma (PTPσ) and leukocyte common antigen‐related protein were discovered as CSPG receptors that play roles in inhibiting regeneration. Here we examined the expression of CSPG receptors in transgenic female rats overexpressing an ALS‐linked mutant cytosolic Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase gene (SOD1). In contrast to controls, multiple immunofluorescence analyses revealed aberrant expression of CSPG receptors dominantly in reactive astrocytes, while PTPσ expression in neurons decreased in the spinal ventral horns of ALS transgenic rats. The aberrant and progressive astrocytic expression of CSPG receptors and reactive astrocytes themselves may be therapeutic targets for reconstructing a regeneration‐supportive microenvironment under neurodegenerative conditions such as ALS.