Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Parametric estimation of pulse arrival time: a robust approach to pulse wave velocity

Pulse wave velocity (PWV) is a surrogate of arterial stiffness and represents a non-invasive marker of cardiovascular risk. The non-invasive measurement of PWV requires tracking the arrival time of pressure pulses recorded in vivo, commonly referred to as pulse arrival time (PAT). In the state of the art, PAT is estimated by identifying a characteristic point of the pressure pulse waveform. This paper demonstrates that for ambulatory scenarios, where signal-to-noise ratios are below 10 dB, the performance in terms of repeatability of PAT measurements through characteristic points identification degrades drastically. Hence, we introduce a novel family of PAT estimators based on the parametric modeling of the anacrotic phase of a pressure pulse. In particular, we propose a parametric PAT estimator (TANH) that depicts high correlation with the Complior® characteristic point D1 (CC = 0.99), increases noise robustness and reduces by a five-fold factor the number of heartbeats required to obtain reliable PAT measurements.
CT-colonography in the follow-up of acute diverticulitis: patient acceptance and diagnostic accuracy

Abstract Objective. The aim of this study was to assess CT-colonography (CTC) in the follow-up of diverticulitis regarding patient acceptance and diagnostic accuracy for diverticular disease, adenomas and cancer, with colonoscopy as a reference standard. Methods. A prospective comparative study where half of the patients underwent colonoscopy first, followed immediately by CTC. The other half had the examinations in the reverse order. Patient experiences and findings were registered after every examination, blinded to the examiner. Results. Of a total of 110 consecutive patients, 108 were included in the study, with a median age of 56 years (range 27–84). The success rate was 91% for colonoscopy and 86% for CTC. Examination time was 25 min for both methods. The mean time for CTC evaluation was 20 min. Eighty-three per cent of the patients received sedation during colonoscopy. Despite this, patients experienced colonoscopy as more painful (p < 0.001) and uncomfortable (p < 0.001). Diverticulosis and polyps were detected in 94% and 20% with colonoscopy and in 94% and 29% with CTC, respectively. Sensitivity and specificity for CTC in the detection of diverticulosis was 99% and 67%, with a good agreement (κ = 0.71). Regarding detection of polyps, the sensitivity and specificity were 47% and 75%, with a poor agreement (κ = 0.17). No cancer was found. Conclusion. CTC was less painful and unpleasant and can be used for colonic investigation in the follow-up of diverticulitis. CTC detected diverticulosis with good accuracy while the detection accuracy of small polyps was poor. CTC is a viable alternative, especially in case of incomplete colonoscopy or in a situation with limited colonoscopy resources.
Relationship of RNA/DNA ratio and temperature to growth in larvae of Atlantic cod Gadus morhua

The RNA, DNA, and protein content of larval cod Gadus morhua reared in the labora- tory at 3 temperatures and 3 densities of prey was measured. The data were used to define a quanti- tative relationship between RNA/DNA ratio (R/D), water temperature (T), and protein-specific growth rate (SGR, % d -1 ). The nucleic acid content of each larva was determined with both a 2-dye flow-injection fluorometric assay (FIA) and a 1-dye/1-enzyme fluorometric microplate assay (MFA) in order to calibrate each methodology. The resulting equations were: SGR = 3.65 R/D + 1.02 T - 13.05 for FIA, and SGR = 4.03 R/D + 0.88 T - 11.16 for MFA. Measured growth rates ranged from negative (-8% d -1 ) to 20% d -1 . Water temperature and larval R/D explained 37 to 39% of the variability in the observed growth rate. The models are applicable over temperatures ranging from 2.5 to 9.5°C and can be used to determine short-term growth rates of cod larvae collected from both the laboratory and field.
Women's health: an introduction

Women represent more than half the world’s population, have a longer life expectancy than men and consume more healthcare resources. In the USA, for example, women account for two-thirds of the surgical procedures and office visits and approximately 65% of national annual medical bills. Women also make up to 90% of the healthcare decisions for their families [1]. Nevertheless, until relatively recently, the concept of women’s health was primarily related to conditions that occur exclusively or predominantly in women, such as pregnancy, gynecological problems or breast cancer [2].
Functional connectivity of cortical motor areas in the resting state in Parkinson's disease

Parkinson's disease (PD) patients have difficulty in initiating movements. Previous studies have suggested that the abnormal brain activity may happen not only during performance of self‐initiated movements but also in the before movement (baseline or resting) state. In the current study, we investigated the functional connectivity of brain networks in the resting state in PD. We chose the rostral supplementary motor area (pre‐SMA) and bilateral primary motor cortex (M1) as “seed” regions, because the pre‐SMA is important in motor preparation, whereas the M1 is critical in motor execution. FMRIs were acquired in 18 patients and 18 matched controls. We found that in the resting state, the pattern of connectivity with both the pre‐SMA or the M1 was changed in PD. Connectivity with the pre‐SMA in patients with PD compared to normal subjects was increased connectivity to the right M1 and decreased to the left putamen, right insula, right premotor cortex, and left inferior parietal lobule. We only found stronger connectivity in the M1 with its own local region in patients with PD compared to controls. Our findings demonstrate that the interactions of brain networks are abnormal in PD in the resting state. There are more connectivity changes of networks related to motor preparation and initiation than to networks of motor execution in PD. We postulate that these disrupted connections indicate a lack of readiness for movement and may be partly responsible for difficulty in initiating movements in PD. Hum Brain Mapp, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Failure of suture material at suture anchor eyelets.

PURPOSE In the repair of soft tissue to bone using suture anchors, failure of the suture material can occur at the anchor eyelet. This study examines the load strength at which suture material fails with different metallic suture anchor eyelets. TYPE OF STUDY Biomechanical study. METHODS Suture material (Ethibond No. 2, Ethicon, Norderstedt, Germany) was pulled out from 22 metallic suture anchor models at 60 mm/min, and tensile load at failure and failure mode were recorded. Tests were performed either by simultaneous pulling on 2 suture limbs in 3 different directions (straight, at 45 degrees, and at 45 degrees rotated by 90 degrees to the suture anchor axis) or by pulling on 1 suture limb while measuring the resulting force on the second limb. All tests were performed until suture failure. Pulling was performed in single tests on an Instron materials testing machine (High Wycombe, UK), with the anchors held by a vise. RESULTS In all cases, the suture failed at the anchor eyelet. Failure load at straight loading ranged from 116 +/- 5 N to 226 +/- 5 N and from 69 +/- 5 N to 193 +/- 7 N when loaded at an angle of 45 degrees. The best results were found with the Statak 5.2-mm (Zimmer, Warsaw, IN): 177 N; Corkscrew 6.5-mm anchor (Arthrex, Naples, FL): 174 N; and PeBA 4.0-mm anchor (OBL Orthopaedic Biosystems, Scottsdale, AZ): 169 N. With each eyelet, sutures failed preferentially in 1 direction, depending on the presence of sharp edges. CONCLUSIONS Suture material can be cut at suture anchor eyelets. Failure load depends on sharp edges on the eyelet and occurs at forces up to 73% below the breaking strength of the suture material on a smooth hook. Anchors with suture-protecting channels are particularly sensitive to the orientation in which the sutures are loaded.
Individual variations in behavior and free cortisol responses to acute stress in tiger pufferfish Takifugu rubripes

The aim of the present study was for individual variation in behavior to be characterized and related to differences in physiological stress responses in juvenile tiger pufferfish (fugu) Takifugu rubripes. A set of siblings (n=330) from wild parents was subjected to behavior tests, and some were classified into active and inactive groups (n=42 each group). The active animals consisted of those individuals that kept active swimming during 6 min after transfer from one tank to another, and the inactive animals were those that stopped swimming within 6 min. Time-course acute stress responses, which were elicited by anesthesia and subsequent removal of a pectoral fin, were compared between the active and inactive fish. The stress indicators used were free and total plasma cortisol, and plasma glucose. Although no significant difference was observed at each sampling point between groups, the inactive fish required shorter recovery time from acute stress in all three indicators than the active fish. The percentage of free to total plasma cortisol in the pre-stress condition was significantly lower in the inactive group than in the active group. Our findings indicate that fugu has behavioral variation that is associated with stress responsiveness. The inactive fish are expected to be more tolerant of stress and suitable for aquaculture.
Enabling Localization-based Services using Wearable and Handheld

Smartphones, or more general handhelds, which are commonly used for indoor localization purposes, are not a viable option in places where people do not carry them all the time, e.g., home and office. Alternatively using wearable devices brings along limitations in regards to power supply, processing capability and availability of sensors, which prevents the adoption of many common handheld localization solutions. In this work a distributed localization system is presented, using wearable and handheld jointly, to address these drawbacks. Using only a magnetometer, an accelerometer, and Bluetooth radio, localization is performed by means of a particle filter. In addition, a smart handoff mechanism is presented, which uses the wearable only when it is necessary, thus reduces energy consumption on the wearable without affecting the desired location accuracy. Evaluating the system with ten participants, a localization accuracy of 90.31 % in an indoor environment spanning about 320 m2 was achieved.
Letter re: Limited accuracy of surrogates of insulin resistance during puberty in obese and lean children at risk for altered glucoregulation.

1. Heaney RP, Rafferty K, Davies KM 2005 Letter re: Long-term persistence of the urine calcium-lowering effect of potassium bicarbonate in postmenopausal women. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 90:4417 2. Frassetto L, Morris Jr RC, Sebastian A 2005 Long-term persistence of the urine calcium-lowering effect of potassium bicarbonate in postmenopausal women. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 90:831–834 3. Rafferty K, Davies KM, Heaney RP 2005 Potassium intake and the calcium economy. J Am Coll Nutr 24:99–106 4. New SA, Bolton-Smith C, Grubb DA, Reid DM 1997 Nutritional influences on bone mineral density: a cross-sectional study in premenopausal women. Am J Clin Nutr 65:1831–1839 5. New SA, Robins SP, Campbell MK, Martin JC, Garton MJ, Bolton-Smith C, Grubb DA, Lee SJ, Reid DM 2000 Dietary influences on bone mass and bone metabolism: further evidence of a positive link between fruit and vegetable consumption and bone health? Am J Clin Nutr 71:142–151 6. Tucker KL, Hannan MT, Chen H, Cupples LA, Wilson PWF, Kiel DP 1999 Potassium, magnesium, and fruit and vegetable intakes are associated with greater bone mineral density in elderly men and women. Am J Clin Nutr 69:727–736 7. Sebastian A, Harris ST, Ottaway JH, Todd KM, Morris Jr RC 1994 Improved mineral balance and skeletal metabolism in postmenopausal women treated with potassium bicarbonate. N Engl J Med 330:1776–1781 8. Lemann Jr J, Gray RW, Pleuss JA 1989 Potassium bicarbonate, but not sodium bicarbonate, reduces urinary calcium excretion and improves calcium balance in healthy men. Kidney Int 35:688–695 9. Marangella M, Di Stefano M, Casalis S, Berutti S, D’Amelio P, Isaia GC 2004 Effects of potassium citrate supplementation on bone metabolism. Calcif Tissue Int 74:330–335 10. Sellmeyer DE, Schloetter M, Sebastian A 2002 Potassium citrate prevents increased urine calcium excretion and bone resorption induced by a high sodium chloride diet. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 87:2008–2012 11. Pak CY, Peterson RD, Poindexter J 2002 Prevention of spinal bone loss by potassium citrate in cases of calcium urolithiasis. J Urol 168:31–34
Diagnostic Ability of the Heidelberg Retina Tomograph, Optical Coherence Tomograph, and Scanning Laser Polarimeter in Open-angle Glaucoma

PurposeTo compare the ability to discriminate between healthy and glaucomatous eyes of different criteria based on parameters from 3 optical imaging devices: Heidelberg retina tomograph (HRT-II), optical coherence tomograph (Stratus OCT 3000) and scanning laser polarimeter (GDx VCC). DesignCross-sectional study. ParticipantsA total of 139 eyes from 139 subjects were enrolled in this study and classified into 66 healthy subjects and 73 glaucomatous patients according to intraocular pressure and standard automated perimetry. MethodsAll the subjects underwent complete ophthalmic examination, including HRT-II, OCT, and GDx VCC evaluations. Main Outcome MeasuresSeveral parameters were obtained by these techniques and 8 diagnostic criteria were assessed. Receiver operating characteristics curves were plotted and compared among them, and sensitivity for specificity higher than 95% was calculated for every criterion. Agreement among the 3 technologies was assessed by means of Venn diagrams. ResultsThe best criteria discriminating between healthy and glaucomatous eyes were Moorfields regression analysis out of the 95% confidence interval (HRT-II), OCT retinal nerve fiber layer average thickness <77 μm, and nerve fiber indicator >37 (GDx VCC) with sensitivities of 85%, 66%, and 48%, with specificity higher than 95%. Sixty-six patients out of 73 were correctly identified by at least 1 of the devices and 30 were detected by the 3 of them. ConclusionsStructural criteria assessed by the optical imaging devices evaluated in this study are useful to discriminate glaucomatous damage.
Poor Frequency Discrimination Probes Dyslexics with Particularly Impaired Working Memory

Substantial difficulties in performing simple auditory discriminations were previously found in some individuals with a specific reading disability but not in others. This high variability in psychoacoustic performance raises the question of whether this difficulty is related to the reading deficit. Addressing this question, we compared adult dyslexics with and without difficulty in simple auditory discriminations, using 2-tone frequency discrimination as our probe. The distribution of their frequency discrimination scores was bimodal. On this basis, we divided our participants into subgroups having either poor or adequate psychoacoustic performance. Only dyslexics with poor psychoacoustic scores had significantly impaired verbal working memory compared to their matched controls. Furthermore, and only in this subgroup, working memory scores were correlated with both cognitive abilities and reading-related tasks. Consistent with the hypothesis that in this subgroup poor working memory impedes performance in a broad range of academically related tasks, we found that the majority of dyslexics in this subgroup had more extensive academic difficulties and consequently needed special support in schools. We propose that dyslexics with poor psychoacoustic abilities form a distinct subtype of dyslexia in which the core deficit is not specific to phonological components. For these individuals, poor verbal working memory may be the main impediment to success in academic environments.
A Scalable Scheduling Scheme for Functional Parallelism on Distributed Memory Multiprocessor Systems

We attempt a new variant of the scheduling problem by investigating the scalability of the schedule length with the required number of processors, by performing scheduling partially at compile time and partially at run time. Assuming infinite number of processors, the compile time schedule is found using a new concept of the threshold of a task that quantifies a trade-off between the schedule-length and the degree of parallelism. The schedule is found to minimize either the schedule length or the number of required processors and it satisfies: A feasibility condition which guarantees that the schedule delay of a task from its earliest start time is below the threshold, and an optimality condition which uses a merit function to decide the best task-processor match for a set of tasks competing for a given processor. At run time, the tasks are merged producing a schedule for a smaller number of available processors. This allows the program to be scaled down to the processors actually available at run time. Usefulness of this scheduling heuristic has been demonstrated by incorporating the scheduler in the compiler backend for targeting Sisal (Streams and Iterations in a Single Assignment Language) on iPSC/860. >
Growth and Development of the Pediatric Cervical Spine Documented Radiographically

Background: The radiographic anatomy of the cervical spine in children is complex and can be difficult to interpret. The present study was undertaken to document radiographically the growth and development of the cervical spine in a prospective, longitudinal manner and to establish standard radiographic measurements on the basis of findings in patients who were followed serially from the age of three months until skeletal maturity. Methods: The radiographic resources of the Cleveland Study of Normal Growth and Development (Bolton-Brush Collection, Cleveland, Ohio) were reviewed. From this large database, we identified fifty boys and forty-six girls who had a sufficient number of radiographs of the cervical spine for inclusion in our study. With use of a computerized image analyzer, the growth and development of the atlantodens interval, the diameter of the spinal canal, the Torg ratio, the height and width of the second through fifth cervical vertebral bodies, the height of the dens, and the ossification of the first cervical vertebra were assessed on serial radiographs made from the age of three months until skeletal maturity. Results: Serial measurements of the atlantodens interval, the anteroposterior diameter of the cervical canal, the height and anteroposterior width of the cervical vertebral bodies, and the height of the dens, made in normal, healthy children from the age of three months to fifteen years, are presented in tabular and graphic forms. The median Torg ratio was 1.47 for both males and females primarily, and it reached values of 1.06 for males and 1.10 for females by maturity. The anterior arch of the first cervical vertebra had ossified in 33% of the children by the age of three months and in 81% of the children by the age of one year. Closure of the synchondroses was completed in all children by the age of three years. Conclusions: The measurements presented in the current study are important because they are the first, as far as we know, to document the radiographic parameters of the cervical spine in children who were followed longitudinally from before the age of three years through the course of growth and development until skeletal maturity.
Human dipeptidyl peptidase III acts as a post-proline-cleaving enzyme on endomorphins

Abstract Dipeptidyl peptidase III (DPP III) is a zinc exopeptidase with an implied role in the mammalian pain-modulatory system owing to its high affinity for enkephalins and localisation in the superficial laminae of the spinal cord dorsal horn. Our study revealed that this human enzyme hydrolyses opioid peptides belonging to three new groups, endomorphins, hemorphins and exorphins. The enzymatic hydrolysis products of endomorphin-1 were separated and quantified by capillary electrophoresis and the kinetic parameters were determined for human DPP III and rat DPP IV. Both peptidases cleave endomorphin-1 at comparable rates, with liberation of the N-terminal Tyr-Pro. This is the first evidence of DPP III acting as an endomorphin-cleaving enzyme.
Cognitive Deficits in Familial Alzheimer’s Disease Associated with M239V Mutation of Presenilin 2

The neuropsychological assessment of non-demented subjects with gene mutation of familial Alzheimer’s disease (AD) provides a model for exploring the early cognitive features of the disease. We evaluated 1 patient and 6 non-demented subjects belonging to a family with AD with M239V mutation of the presenilin 2 gene, aiming to verify the contribution of specific cognitive patterns to the characterization of familial AD. One patient, 3 non-demented subjects with M239V mutation and 3 subjects without mutation from the same family underwent neuropsychological testing. The patient’s cognitive profile was characterized by anosognosia, visuospatial agnosia, apraxia and fluent aphasia. Of the 3 non-demented subjects with mutation, 1 showed no deficits, another constructive apraxia and the third spatial perception and memory deficits. The 3 subjects without mutation showed normal abilities. The cognitive deficits of the non-demented subjects with mutations indicate focal dysfunction of the posterior cortical areas, resembling the more extended parieto-occipito-temporal dysfunction of the demented patient. Such grading of visuospatial, praxis, and language impairments highlights a distinctive pattern related to the M239V mutation of the presenilin 2 gene.
Expression pattern of integrin β1 subunit in purkinje cells of rat and cerebellar mutant mice

We found that integrin β1 subunit (INTβ1)‐immunoreactive Purkinje cells first appeared caudally at postnatal day (PD) 6 of rat and most Purkinje cells gradually became positive by PD 12. The expression of INTβ1 was then suppressed in some of these cells, so that the positive Purkinje cells in the adult were organized into parasagittal bands interposed by negative cells throughout the vermis and hemispheres. When Purkinje cells were deprived of their climbing fiber innervation by inferior cerebellar pedunculotomy or by transplantation of cerebellar anlagen into the anterior eye chamber, the subsequent patterning of INTβ1‐positive Purkinje cells was not changed. In both reeler and weaver mice, the INTβ1‐positive parasagittal bands were observed, however, the Purkinje cells in the staggerer mice did not express INTβ1 at any stage. These data suggest that the expression of INTβ1 in Purkinje cells is genetically programmed in the developing cerebellum, and that the afferent synaptic inputs by climbing and parallel fibers are not prerequisites for INTβ1 expression in Purkinje cells. Therefore, the unique distribution patterns of INTβ1‐positive Purkinje cells provides a new marker for postnatal development of rodent cerebella. © 1996 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.