Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Tai Chi for Reducing Dual-task Gait Variability, a Potential Mediator of Fall Risk in Parkinson’s Disease: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial

Objectives To assess the feasibility and inform design features of a fully powered randomized controlled trial (RCT) evaluating the effects of Tai Chi (TC) in Parkinson’s disease (PD) and to select outcomes most responsive to TC assessed during off-medication states. Design Two-arm, wait-list controlled RCT. Settings Tertiary care hospital. Subjects Thirty-two subjects aged 40–75 diagnosed with idiopathic PD within 10 years. Interventions Six-month TC intervention added to usual care (UC) versus UC alone. Outcome Measures Primary outcomes were feasibility-related (recruitment rate, adherence, and compliance). Change in dual-task (DT) gait stride-time variability (STV) from baseline to 6 months was defined, a priori, as the clinical outcome measure of primary interest. Other outcomes included: PD motor symptom progression (Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale [UPDRS]), PD-related quality of life (PDQ-39), executive function (Trail Making Test), balance confidence (Activity-Specific Balance Confidence Scale, ABC), and Timed Up and Go test (TUG). All clinical assessments were made in the off-state for PD medications. Results Thirty-two subjects were enrolled into 3 sequential cohorts over 417 days at an average rate of 0.08 subjects per day. Seventy-five percent (12/16) in the TC group vs 94% (15/16) in the UC group completed the primary 6-month follow-up assessment. Mean TC exposure hours overall: 52. No AEs occurred during or as a direct result of TC exercise. Statistically nonsignificant improvements were observed in the TC group at 6 months in DT gait STV (TC [20.1%] vs UC [−0.1%] group [effect size 0.49; P = .47]), ABC, TUG, and PDQ-39. UPDRS progression was modest and very similar in TC and UC groups. Conclusions Conducting an RCT of TC for PD is feasible, though measures to improve recruitment and adherence rates are needed. DT gait STV is a sensitive and logical outcome for evaluating the combined cognitive-motor effects of TC in PD.
Effects of different teaching styles on the teacher behaviours that influence motivational climate and pupils' motivation in physical education

This study investigated the effects of different teaching styles on the teaching behaviours that influence motivational climate and pupils' cognitive and affective responses in physical education. Four (two male, two female) initial teacher education (ITE) students and 92 pupils (47 boys, 45 girls), from two schools in the UK, participated in the study. The student teachers were filmed teaching three lessons each, adopting a different teaching style for each. The teaching styles (command/practice, reciprocal and guided discovery) were selected from Mosston and Ashworth's (2002) spectrum. The teaching behaviours were measured using a computer-coding system devised for Ames's guidelines on how to create a mastery climate. Focus groups were conducted to examine the pupils' cognitive and affective responses. Results revealed that the reciprocal and guided discovery styles resulted in more mastery and less performance-focused teaching behaviours and more adaptive cognitive and affective responses than the command/practice style.
A Speed-based Vertical Handover Algorithm for VANET

Although Vehicular Ad hoc Networks are emerging as a novel paradigm for new classes of secure and safety services, supporting seamless connectivity remains a challenge, due to the high vehicle speed, and the nonhomogeneous nature of the network infrastructure. In this work we shall present an analytical model in support of a novel vertical handover algorithm that uses the vehicle’s speed as crucial input and overcomes, under our assumptions, network performance of recent related works. We support our initial results with a simulation study.
Incremental Role of Family Relationships and Hurt Intensity in Forgiveness of Family Offenders: A Study of College Students in Taiwan

This quantitative research investigated the determinants of forgiveness of a family transgressor by the offended. Data from 377 college students were analyzed to investigate the nature and frequency of the offenses, specific relationship of the offended with the transgressor, and the role of family relationship variables, positive dispositional tendencies, and hurt intensity in the forgiveness of the family member. The analyses indicated that some of the most occurring offenses were being ignored, not fulfilling promises, and being compared with others. Participants indicated being compared with others as the most serious offense, followed by contempt, and being ignored. Due to these offenses, about 50% of the participants experienced moderate to above the average intensity of hurt. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses suggested that the positive dispositional tendencies of optimism alone explained 16% of incremental variance in forgiveness after controlling for gender. Resilience was not significant. In the third step of the regression, family relationship variables of trust, communication, and alienation together explained an additional 37% of the variance, above and beyond gender and dispositional tendencies. In the final step, hurt intensity was a significant predictor, explaining an additional 5% of variance in forgiveness. These significant results suggest that after controlling for both demographic variables and dispositional traits, the family relationship variables along with the subjective hurt intensity in the context of a family play a significant role in the forgiveness of the family offender.
TGF-β1 -509C/T polymorphism and susceptibility to keloid disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background: Keloid disease (KD) is common and often refractory to treatment. Definition of the genetic mechanisms of KD can lead to a better understanding of the disease and suggest more effective treatment strategies. Objectives: To quantitatively estimate the association between KD susceptibility and the -509C/T polymorphism in the TGF-β1 gene. Methods: PubMed, Embase and CNKI databases were searched using a combination of the Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) and relevant words in titles. Analyses were performed with STATA 12.0. Results: Five case-control studies encompassing a total of 564 keloid cases and 620 healthy controls were pooled in the final meta-analysis. Among the five studies, no significant association was detected between the TGF-β1 -509C/T polymorphism and KD under all of the five genetic models (allele comparison, heterozygote comparison, homozygote comparison, dominant model and recessive model) for the overall analyses and for the subgroup analyses based on DNA extraction method, participant ethnicity and group size. When stratified by study quality, three high-quality studies showed significant association under allele comparison and homozygote model (C versus T: OR = 0.80, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.65–0.98, P = 0.03; I2 = 0%, P = 0.64; CC versus TT: OR = 0.62, 95% CI = 0.41–0.94, P = 0.02; I2 = 0%, P = 0.79); while two moderate-quality studies showed significant association under allele comparison, homozygote model and recessive model (C versus T: OR = 1.52, 95% CI = 1.15–2.01, P = 0.004; I2 = 39%, P = 0.20; CC versus TT: OR = 2.14, 95% CI = 1.24–3.70, P = 0.02; I2 = 19%, P = 0.27; CC versus CT+TT: OR = 2.04, 95% CI = 1.29–3.24, P = 0.002; I2 = 0%, P = 0.35). Conclusions: The current meta-analysis suggests that the TGF-β1 -509C/T polymorphism is not associated with KD susceptibility. High-quality and large-scale studies are needed to validate our findings. Lay summary Keloid scars are thick and lumpy scars that behave almost like tumours. They grow, are unsightly and itchy, and difficult to treat as they can get worse after attempts at treating them. This article reviews the scientific evidence for a link between a certain gene variation, specifically `509C/T polymorphism in the TGF-β1 gene’. After an extensive scientific database search, five studies were found, and no significant association was detected between the TGF-β1 -509C/T polymorphism and Keloid scarring. High quality and large-scale studies are needed to validate our findings.
Capillary rise of non-aqueous liquids in cellulose sponges

A cellulose sponge is a mundane porous medium composed of numerous microporous cellulose sheets surrounding macroscale voids. Here, we quantify the capillary rise dynamics of non-aqueous liquids in a sponge using a combination of experiment and theory. Although the classical law of Washburn is obeyed in the early stages, the wet front propagation is no longer diffusive in the late stages and follows a power law, $h\sim t^{1/4}$ , with $h$ and $t$ being the capillary rise height and time respectively. The transition of the power law is a consequence of the peculiar heterogeneous pore structure of cellulose sponges. The permeability and driving pressure change at the rise height above which the macro voids can no longer be filled completely due to significant effects of gravity. We rationalize the $t^{1/4}$ law by considering liquid flows along the corners of macro voids driven by capillary pressure of microscale wall pores.
On the Global Convergence of Gradient Descent for Over-parameterized Models using Optimal Transport

Many tasks in machine learning and signal processing can be solved by minimizing a convex function of a measure. This includes sparse spikes deconvolution or training a neural network with a single hidden layer. For these problems, we study a simple minimization method: the unknown measure is discretized into a mixture of particles and a continuous-time gradient descent is performed on their weights and positions. This is an idealization of the usual way to train neural networks with a large hidden layer. We show that, when initialized correctly and in the many-particle limit, this gradient flow, although non-convex, converges to global minimizers. The proof involves Wasserstein gradient flows, a by-product of optimal transport theory. Numerical experiments show that this asymptotic behavior is already at play for a reasonable number of particles, even in high dimension.
Deep Joint Design of Color Filter Arrays and Demosaicing

We present a convolutional neural network architecture for performing joint design of color filter array (CFA) patterns and demosaicing. Our generic model allows the training of CFAs of arbitrary sizes, optimizing each color filter over the entire RGB color space. The patterns and algorithms produced by our method provide high‐quality color reconstructions. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach by showing that its results achieve higher PSNR than the ones obtained with state‐of‐the‐art techniques on all standard demosaicing datasets, both for noise‐free and noisy scenarios. Our method can also be used to obtain demosaicing strategies for pre‐defined CFAs, such as the Bayer pattern, for which our results also surpass even the demosaicing algorithms specifically designed for such a pattern.
Comparative radiotracer study of cadmium uptake, storage, detoxification and depuration in the oyster Crassostrea gigas: potential adaptive mechanisms

The bioaccumulation of cadmium in the oyster Crassostrea gigas originating from a clean (Bourgneuf Bay) and a chronically Cd-contaminated area (Gironde estuary) experimentally exposed to 109 Cd-labeled bulk seawater (dissolved and particulate pathways combined) was examined over 21 d. A single-component first-order kinetic model describing the behavior of the bioaccumulation factor (BAF) throughout the experiment showed that the estimated Cd BAF at 21 d was 47% higher for oysters originating from the contaminated estuary than for oysters from the clean area, suggesting an influence of the previous chronic exposure to Cd contamination in the estuarine environment. From the experimental results, the potential adaptive mechanism suggested cannot be attributed to a reduction in Cd permeability but rather to a higher Cd turnover due to the synergy between lysosomes and metallothioneins which, through chelation, are responsible for the reduction in bioavailability and toxicity of cd in oysters. The lower BAF observed for soft parts of oysters previously exposed to chronic Cd contamination corresponded to a faster response to the experimental Cd contamination due to the presence of pre-existing metallothioneins induced by the Cd present in the estuarine environment. Furthermore, based on a 2-component exponential loss kinetic model, Cd complexation to metallothioneins and lysosomes was probably responsible for the slow turnover in the long-term compartment of loss (biological half-life, T b1/b2 = 495 and 198 d for the Bourgneuf and the Gironde oysters, respectively). Of the total Cd accumulated, 40 to 60% was in the soluble form and 30 to 40% of this fraction had been detoxified by the Gironde oysters through chelation to metallothioneins or to lysosomes, which means that approximately 12 to 24% of the total Cd accumulated was potentially bioavailable to humans through oyster consumption. However, through depuration, it was also more efficiently eliminated from oyster soft parts (the edible portion) previously exposed to Cd than from control oysters. Therefore, in the light of these results, it is suggested that the way in which regulatory thresholds of Cd in oysters are presently calculated should be reconsidered and should take into account the level of Cd already detoxified by the oysters through complexation processes.
A Facile Synthesis of 9,10-Dimethoxybenzo[6,7]- ox-epino[3,4- b ]quinolin-13(6 H )-one and Its Derivatives

A concise and efficient method for the synthesis of novel 9,10-imethoxybenzo[6,7]oxepino[3,4-b]quinolin13(6H)-one and its derivatives 7a-p has been developed via the intramolecular Friedel-Crafts acylation reactions of 6,7-dimethoxy-2-(phenoxymethyl)quinoline-3-carboxylic acids 6a-p with polyphosphoric acid (PPA) as catalyst and solvent under mild conditions. The key intermediates 6a-p were prepared through the in situ formation of ethyl 6,7-dimethoxy-2-(phenoxymethyl)quinoline-3-carboxylates 5a-p followed by hydrolysis with aqueous ethanolic sodium hydroxide solution. The novel synthetic method has the advantages of good yields, easy work-up, and environmentally friendly character, which may provide a novel highly efficient process for making quinoline and related azaheterocycle libraries.
Interspecific Social Interactions and Breeding Success of the Frog Rana latastei: A Field Study

Interspecific reproductive interference can affect fitness-related breeding performance, thus influencing fitness and distribution of populations. Laboratory studies demonstrated the social interference of Rana dalmatina males on R. latastei breeding females: the presence of heterospecific males reduced the percentage of viable embryos in R. latastei eggs. Here, we tested if the negative effects of R. dalmatina males on R. latastei reproductive success occur in field conditions. We compared the percentage of viable embryos of eggs laid in field conditions from populations where R. latastei breeds alone with the percentage of viable embryos of populations where R. latastei cohabits with R. dalmatina. We did not find any significant difference in percentage of viable embryos between R. latastei populations syntopic and allotopic with R. dalmatina, nor a relationship between the relative abundance of heterospecifics and reproductive success. In natural conditions, the presence of heterospecific males does not seem to interfere with the reproductive success of R. latastei. The experimental procedure may influence the interaction among individuals. Therefore, we suggest to validate on natural populations the results of experiments dealing with complex interactions.
Predictive Factors for Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy Tube Placement After Anterior Cervical Fusion

Study Design: Retrospective case-control study. Objectives: To identify incidence and risk factors for percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) tube placement after anterior cervical fusion (ACF). Methods: Adult patients undergoing elective ACF with/without corpectomy for spondylosis from 2002 to 2011 were identified using the Nationwide Inpatient Sample database. The primary outcome measure was PEG tube placement; secondary outcomes included in-hospital mortality, total hospital charges, and discharge disposition. Multiple regression analyses were conducted to identify independent predictors of PEG tube placement. Results: Of 164 097 patients, 217 (0.13%) required a PEG tube. Patients needing PEG tube placement were older (69 vs 52 years; P < .001) and more likely to be male (65% vs 46.6%; P < .001) when compared with control patients. After regression analysis, age over 65 year (odds ratio [OR] = 4.16; P < .001) was the strongest independent predictor for PEG tube placement; other associated factors included male gender (OR = 2.14; P < .001), congestive heart failure (OR = 4.11; P < .001), anemia (OR = 3.52; P < .001), alcohol abuse (OR = 2.80; P = .009), renal failure (OR = 2.25; P = .003), chronic lung disease (OR = 1.78; P < .001), corpectomy (OR = 2.16; P < .001), and fusion of ≥3 segments (OR = 1.74; P < .001). Mortality rate for patients requiring PEG tube placement was 5.1% versus 0.05% for controls (P < .001); average hospital charges were $134 379 versus $39 519 (P < .001), and nonroutine discharges were seen in 89.3% versus only 6.4% for controls (P < .001). Conclusions: The incidence of PEG tube placement after ACF was 0.13% in this study. Identified risk factors included age >65, corpectomy, fusion of ≥3 segments, and various comorbidities. Additionally, there may be increased risk of in-hospital mortality, hospital charges, and nonroutine discharges among these patients.
Redescription of Stichopathes pourtalesi Brook, 1889 (Cnidaria: Anthozoa: Antipatharia: Antipathidae)

Abstract Stichopathes pourtalesi Brook, 1889, the type species of the genus Stichopathes Brook, is redescribed on the basis of an examination of the type material originally identified by de Pourtalès as Antipathes desbonni Duchassaing and Michelotti and as Antipathes spiralis Pallas. Because the type series consists of multiple species, it was necessary to select a lectotype to clearly define the species. The species is characterized by a spiral, unbranched corallum; triangular, compressed spines, some of which have one or more lobes at the apex; very faint elongate papillae on the surface of the spines extending from near the apex to as much as one-half the distance to the base; and large polyps with long tentacles (in preserved specimens). The species is similar to Stichopathes gracilis (Gray); however, scanning electron microscopy indicates that there are distinct differences between the two species in the microscopic surface ornamentation of the spines.
CBCT-The Newfangled in Forensic Radiology

Forensic science deals with the identification of the dead which depend largely on the preservation of soft-tissue components of the body and cannot be used if the remains are burnt, decomposed, mutilated, and destroyed. In the human body, teeth and facial bones are resilient and withstand the decompositional/destructional forces well even under extreme forces and/or temperature variations. Teeth are particularly useful in determining the gender where there is nothing to suggest the individual's identity. As radiographs are able to capture characteristic anatomical features, they can be auxiliary tool in identification of the dead and in solving medicolegal cases. Radiographic identification technique is efficient, comparatively easy, records can be obtained in both living and dead, and they are economical than DNA technology. Radiographs of skull and teeth have been mostly used for forensic identification as these structures are the strongest and highly resistant to trauma and decomposition. With the advent of CBCT, which shows greater precision to diagnose trauma and pathologies of the cranium, the number of image requests by forensic professionals has increased, making possible the use of this technique to support human identification by comparing images of significant anatomical structures of the cranium. So, in the present review we have discussed various radiological techniques and new developments available for successful identification of the dead, cause of death, for medico legal purposes and also anthropological research.
Antimicrobial Susceptibility of Acinetobacter baumannii complex Isolated From Different Clinical Samples In A Tertiary Care Hospital

An Acinetobacter bacterium has become the most commonly isolated factor in hospital infections, especially those in intensive care unit, in recent years [1,2]. Acinetobacter baumannii complex is mostly isolated from clinical samples among Acinetobacter types [3]. Ventilator-associated pneumonia, urinary tract infections, septicaemia and scar infections can be named among the severe nosocomial infection epidemia caused by A. baumannii complex [4,5]. Today, the increasing resistance to the antimicrobial agents used in the treatment of infections caused by A. baumannii complex isolates has become an important health problem as in the whole world [1,6]. As the antibiotic resistance rates change between hospitals, knowing the resistance of bacteria which is a problem in all hospitals is important in determining the antibiotic protocol appropriate for the treatment [7,8]. The aim of this study is to determine the antimicrobial resistance ratios in A. baumannii complex isolates isolated from the patients staying in our hospital and contributing to the studies made on this subject. Introduction Antimicrobial Susceptibility of Acinetobacter baumannii complex Isolated From Different Clinical Samples In A Tertiary Care Hospital Guckan R1, Kilinc C1, Demir AD1, Capraz A1 and Yanik K*2 1Amasya University, Sabuncuoglu serafettin Education and Research Hospital, Amasya, Turkey 2Ondokuz Mayis University Medical Faculty Hospital, Department of Medical Microbiology, Samsun, Turkey