Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Voxel-Based Magnetic Resonance Imaging Morphometric Study of Cerebral and Cerebellar Gray Matter in Patients Under 65 Years with Essential Tremor

Background The aim of this study was to compare the morphological changes in cerebral and cerebellar gray matter in patients with essential tremor under 60-years-of-age, with age-matched and gender-matched normal healthy volunteer control subjects, using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and voxel-based morphometry (VBM) analysis. Material/Methods A retrospective, controlled, comparative clinical study included 17 patients with essential tremor, <60 years-of-age, and 17 age-matched and gender-matched healthy volunteer control subjects, recruited between June 2010–July 2012. MRI and VBM analysis were used to compare cerebral and cerebellar gray matter density between groups. The Washington Heights–Inwood Genetic Study of Essential Tremor (WHIGET) rating scale was used to assess tremor severity in the patient group. Clinical and demographic characteristics were recorded for all study participants. Results MRI and VBM analysis showed significant bilateral expansion of the cerebellum, occipital fusiform cortices, right inferior temporal gyrus, and precentral lobes in patients with essential tremor (P<0.005); reduction in gray matter was found in the left parietal lobe. The region of interest (ROI) analysis showed volume enlargement in the thalamus, midbrain, and the precuneus (P<0.005). No significant correlation between changes in gray matter and changes in clinical variables, including age, gender, tremor duration, the activity of daily living (ADL) scale, the mini-mental state examination (MMSE) scale, family history, and tremor severity were found. Conclusions Predominantly cerebellar gray matter expansion in patients less than 60 years-of-age with essential tremor might be the result of compensation for the decline in cerebellar function.
Public Policy Analysis: An Introduction Leslie A. Pal Toronto: Methuen, 1987, pp. xiii, 273.

books suggest that this problem has a comparative dimension, and in countries such as Japan, bureaucrats may have more expertise in monitoring industrial sectors (Borins/Brown), and that in both Japan and France business may be more willing to accept government involvement in enterprise. Both works make comparisons by topic between cases, Borins and Brown summarize their arguments in tables. In both works, the reader sometimes wants to read ahead to complete a case. This is an inevitable problem when books are summarizing large amounts of information from disparate cases. Overall, both books make useful contributions to the literature on public policy.
Effect of nitrogen and sulphur on growth, yield attributes and seed yield of mustard (Brassica juncea) in eastern plains of Rajasthan +

A field experiment was conducted during the winter season of 1996-97 and 1997-98 at Agricultural Research Sub Station, Kumher (Bharatpur), to study the effect of N and S on seed yield, plant height, primary and secondary branches and dry-matter accumulation of Indian mustard [Brassica juncea (L). Czernj. & Cosson]. Nitrogen @ 80 kglha + S @ 60 kglha significantly increased siliquaelplant, seedslsiliqua, length of siliqua and test weight of seeds and also resulted in highest seed (2,109 kglha) yield on pooled basis. On pooled basis, optimum dose of N and S was 88.24 and 74.86 kglha respectively. N@ 80 kglha resulted net income and benefit : cost ratio of Rs 15,799lha and 2.69, respectively, during the first year and Rs 18,1931 ha and 2.87 during the second year. Sulphur 60 kglha gave a net income of Rs 14,774lha and benefit : cost ratio 2.95 during the first year and Rs 17,058lha and 2.76 during the second year. The increase in N uptake under 40,60, and 80 kg Nlha was 30, 57 and 74% re- spectively, over the control (20 kg Nlha), whereas it was 17, 28 and 34% under 20, 40 and 60 kg Slha. Content (%) of N and S, in seed stalk increased with the increas in N and S levels. The residual available N and S also im- proved with the increasing N and S application.
Establishment and Characterization of Callus and Cell Suspension Cultures of Selected Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench Varieties: A Resource for Gene Discovery in Plant Stress Biology

Sorghum, a naturally drought tolerant crop, is genetically diverse and provides a wide gene pool for exploitation in crop breeding. In this study, we experimentally assessed friable callus induction rates of seven sorghum varieties using shoot explant for the generation of cell suspension cultures. The cell suspensions were characterized in terms of cell growth and viability profiles as well as gene expression following 400 mM sorbitol-induced osmotic stress for 72 h. Only ICSB 338, a drought susceptible variety, was readily amenable to friable callus formation. Cell culture growth plots of both ICSB 338 and White sorghum (used as a reference line) depicted typical sigmoidal curves. Interestingly, Evans blue assay showed that ICSB 338 cell cultures are more susceptible to osmotic stress than the White sorghum cells. The osmotic stress treatment also triggered differential expression of eight target genes between the two cell culture lines. Overall, these results suggest that the genetic diversity of sorghum germplasm influences friable callus induction rates and molecular responses to osmotic stress, and could be further exploited in plant stress biology studies. Therefore, we have developed a valuable resource for use in molecular studies of sorghum in response to a range of biotic and abiotic stresses.
Understanding Variation in Treatment Effects in Education Impact Evaluations: An Overview of Quantitative Methods

Variation in treatment effects has important implications for education practiceâ€”and for facilitating the most efficient use of limited resourcesâ€”by informing decisions about how best to target interventions and how to improve the design or implementation of interventions. Understanding variation in effects is also critical to assessing how study findings may be generalized to other education environments. A new report, co-authored by Mathematica's education experts, can help researchers understand which methods to use to examine how much treatment effects vary across students, educators, and sites. The report summarizes the complex research literature on quantitative methods for assessing variation in treatment effects and provides technical guidance about the use and interpretation of these methods.
Integrating the DNA damage and protein stress responses during cancer development and treatment

During evolution, cells have developed a wide spectrum of stress response modules to ensure homeostasis. The genome and proteome damage response pathways constitute the pillars of this interwoven ‘defensive’ network. Consequently, the deregulation of these pathways correlates with ageing and various pathophysiological states, including cancer. In the present review, we highlight: (1) the structure of the genome and proteome damage response pathways; (2) their functional crosstalk; and (3) the conditions under which they predispose to cancer. Within this context, we emphasize the role of oncogene‐induced DNA damage as a driving force that shapes the cellular landscape for the emergence of the various hallmarks of cancer. We also discuss potential means to exploit key cancer‐related alterations of the genome and proteome damage response pathways in order to develop novel efficient therapeutic modalities. © 2018 The Authors. The Journal of Pathology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland.
Heated lidocaine/tetracaine patch (Synera, Rapydan) compared with lidocaine/prilocaine cream (EMLA) for topical anaesthesia before vascular access.

BACKGROUND We compared the lidocaine/tetracaine patch [Synera (USA), Rapydan (Europe)], a novel heat-aided patch using a eutectic mixture of lidocaine 70 mg and tetracaine 70 mg, with a eutectic mixture of lidocaine 25 mg ml(-1) and prilocaine 25 mg ml(-1) (EMLA Cream). The agents were administered at different time periods for local topical anaesthesia before a vascular access procedure. METHODS In this double-blind, paired study, 82 adult volunteers were randomized to receive the lidocaine/tetracaine patch on one anticubital surface and lidocaine/prilocaine cream on the other concurrently for 10, 20, 30, or 60 min before a vascular access procedure. Subjects rated pain intensity using a 100 mm visual analogue scale (VAS). Skin reactions and adverse events were also evaluated. RESULTS Median VAS scores were significantly lower for the lidocaine/tetracaine patch than for lidocaine/prilocaine cream in the 10 min (P=0.010), 20 min (P=0.042), and 30 min (P=0.001) application groups. The lidocaine/tetracaine patch was associated with significantly more erythema than lidocaine/prilocaine cream at 20, 30, and 60 min, whereas lidocaine/prilocaine cream produced more blanching than the lidocaine/tetracaine patch at 30 and 60 min. Two subjects reported nausea and faintness associated with the vascular access procedure; one was withdrawn from the study. CONCLUSIONS The lidocaine/tetracaine patch provided effective anaesthesia with an application time as short as 10 min and was better than lidocaine/prilocaine cream at all application times shorter than 60 min, demonstrating a substantial improvement in time to onset of anaesthesia. The lidocaine/tetracaine patch provided an important alternative to lidocaine/prilocaine cream for topical local anaesthesia.
SVRG for a non-convex problem using graduated optimization algorithm

Non-convex optimization problems with multiple local optima are frequently encountered in machine learning. Graduated optimization algorithm (GOA) is a popular method for obtaining the global optima of non-convex problems by minimizing a sequence of locally strong convex functions that smooth the original non-convex problem with increasing approximation. Recently, GradOpt, a GOA-based algorithm, has demonstrated remarkable theoretical and experimental results. However, to optimize problems consisting of both convex and non-convex parts, GradOpt considers the entire objective function as a single non-convex function, leading to significant gaps between the smoothed and original functions. In this study, we propose two new algorithms: SVRG-GOA and PSVRG-GOA. They gradually smooth the non-convex part of the problem and then minimize the smoothed function using either the stochastic variance reduced gradient (SVRG) or proximal SVRG (Prox-SVRG) method. Both the algorithms are proven to have lower iteration complexity (O(1/ε)) than GradOpt (O(1/ε2)). Some tricks, such as larger shrinkage factor, projection step, stochastic gradient, and mini-batch skill are also applied to accelerate convergence of the proposed algorithms. Experimental results illustrate that two new algorithms with similar performance can converge to the "global" optima of a non-convex problem comparatively faster than GradOpt or non-convex Prox-SVRG.
Effect of Inspiratory Muscle Training Intensities on Pulmonary Function and Work Capacity in People Who Are Healthy: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Background Inspiratory muscle training (IMT) has been shown to improve inspiratory muscle function, lung volumes (vital capacity [VC] and total lung capacity [TLC]), work capacity, and power output in people who are healthy; however, no data exist that demonstrate the effect of varying intensities of IMT to produce these outcomes. Objectives The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of IMT at varying intensities on inspiratory muscle function, VC, TLC, work capacity, and power output in people who are healthy. Design This was a randomized controlled trial. Setting The study was conducted in a clinical laboratory. Participants Forty people who were healthy (mean age=21.7 years) were randomly assigned to 4 groups of 10 individuals. Interventions Three of the groups completed an 8-week program of IMT set at 80%, 60%, and 40% of sustained maximum inspiratory effort. Training was performed 3 days per week, with 24 hours separating training sessions. A control group did not participate in any form of training. Measurements Baseline and posttraining measurements of body composition, VC, TLC, inspiratory muscle function (including maximum inspiratory pressure [MIP] and sustained maximum inspiratory pressure [SMIP]), work capacity (minutes of exercise), and power output were obtained. Results The participants in the 80%, 60%, and 40% training groups demonstrated significant increases in MIP and SMIP, whereas those in the 80% and 60% training groups had increased work capacity and power output. Only the 80% group improved their VC and TLC. The control group demonstrated no change in any outcome measures. Limitations This study may have been underpowered to demonstrate improved work capacity and power output in individuals who trained at 40% of sustained maximum inspiratory effort. Conclusion High-intensity IMT set at 80% of maximal effort resulted in increased MIP and SMIP, lung volumes, work capacity, and power output in individuals who were healthy, whereas IMT at 60% of maximal effort increased work capacity and power output only. Inspiratory muscle training intensities lower than 40% of maximal effort do not translate into quantitative functional outcomes.
Confirming a pyrolitic lower mantle using self‐consistent pressure scales and new constraints on CaSiO3 perovskite

In this study, we have examined the lower mantle composition and mineralogy by modeling the density (ρ), bulk sound velocity (VΦ), and dlnρ/dlnVΦ profiles of candidate lower mantle minerals using literature and new experimental equation of state (EoS) results. For CaSiO3 perovskite, complimentary synchrotron X‐ray diffraction measurements in a laser‐heated diamond anvil cell were conducted up to 156 GPa between 1200 K and 2600 K to provide more reliable constraints on the thermal EoS parameters. These new experimental results as well as literature P‐V‐T data sets are systematically analyzed using an internally self‐consistent pressure scale. We have modeled ρ, VΦ, and dlnρ/dlnVΦ profiles of the lower mantle with representative pyrolitic and chondritic compositional models in which the effect of Fe spin transition in ferropericlase is also taken into account. Our modeling results show that a pyrolitic lower mantle with an aggregate mineralogy of 75 vol % bridgmanite, 17 vol % ferropericlase, and 8 vol % CaSiO3 perovskite produces ρ and VΦ profiles in better agreement with preliminary reference Earth model than a lower mantle with a chondritic composition. The modeled ρ, VΦ, and dlnρ/dlnVΦ are mainly affected by the relative ratio of bridgmanite and ferropericlase but are not sensitive to the variation of the CaSiO3 perovskite content. In addition, the spin crossover of Fe in ferropericlase can greatly raise the value of dlnρ/dlnVΦ in the middle lower mantle, which is useful in detecting the presence of ferropericlase in the region. Based on these new mineral physical constraints and radial seismic structure, our study suggests the lower mantle is pyrolitic, which is chemically indistinguishable from the upper mantle.
Potato food waste in Swiss households - quantity, driving factors and waste behavior of consumers

This study quantifies the amount of potatoes being lost in Swiss households and examines drivers and causes of these losses. Therefore, three types of losses occurring in private households have been investigated: (1) potatoes which have been disposed without being prepared, (2) peeling and preparation losses and (3) leftovers. With the aid of a questionnaire sent to 2000 randomly chosen Swiss households and a voluntary 30-days-diary study, the influence of socio-demographic factors, as well as factors focusing on consumers preferences and behaviors have been analyzed. Descriptive statistics have been used to examine first trends, a factor analysis was conducted to reduce the amount of variables representing consumers’ preferences to underlying factors and Generalized Linear Models (GLM) have been assembled to estimate the influence of several predictors on the three types of losses. Our results show that socio-demographic factors have a significant impact on potato losses in private households. In particular the age is a strong predictor for all three losses. Household
Nearly-Optimal Mergesorts: Fast, Practical Sorting Methods That Optimally Adapt to Existing Runs

We present two stable mergesort variants, "peeksort" and "powersort", that exploit existing runs and find nearly-optimal merging orders with practically negligible overhead. Previous methods either require substantial effort for determining the merging order (Takaoka 2009; Barbay & Navarro 2013) or do not have a constant-factor optimal worst-case guarantee (Peters 2001; Auger, Nicaud & Pivoteau 2015; Buss & Knop 2018). We demonstrate that our methods are competitive in terms of running time with state-of-the-art implementations of stable sorting methods.
Imperfect Financial Markets and Shareholder Incentives in Partial and General Equilibrium

We analyze the firm-level and aggregate consequences of equity market imperfections in the form of noisy information aggregation for corporate risk-taking and investment. Market imperfections cause controlling shareholders to invest too much in upside risks and too little in downside risks in an attempt to capture market rents. In partial equilibrium, these inefficiencies are particularly severe if upside risks are coupled with near constant returns to scale. In general equilibrium, the shareholders' collective attempts to boost shareholder value of individual firms leads to a novel pecuniary externality that amplifies investment distortions with downside risks but offsets distortions with upside risks, thereby overturning the results from the partial equilibrium analysis. We consider policy interventions to correct the distortions, and show that in general equilibrium such interventions disrupt the financial market's allocational role. We analyze extensions of our model to excess leverage, agency conflicts between shareholders and managers, negative welfare effects of transparency, excess sensitivity of investment to stock prices, and dynamically inconsistent firm behavior.
Iron‐Nickel alloy in the Earth's core

The phase relations of an Fe10wt%Ni alloy were investigated in a diamond anvil cell up to 86 GPa and 2382 K. Adding nickel into iron stabilizes the fcc phase to higher pressures and lower temperatures compared to pure iron, and a region of two‐phase coexistence between fcc and hcp phases is observed. Iron with up to 10 wt% nickel is likely to be in the hcp structure under inner core conditions. The axial ratio (c/a) of hcp‐Fe10wt%Ni has a weak pressure dependence, but it increases substantially with increasing temperature. The extrapolated c/a ratio at ∼5700 K and ∼86 GPa is approximately 1.64, lower than a theoretically predicted value of nearly 1.7 for hcp‐Fe at 5700 K and inner‐core pressure. A lower c/a ratio should have an effect on the longitudinal anisotropy of the hcp phase, and hence, may influence the interpretation of the seismic wave anisotropy of the inner core.
Preoperative PROMIS Scores Predict Postoperative Outcomes After Primary ACL Reconstruction

Background: PROMIS (Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System) scores in patients undergoing anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction have not been fully described in the literature to date. The ability of preoperative patient-reported outcome scores to directly predict postoperative outcomes in patients who undergo primary ACL reconstruction is unknown. Hypothesis: Postoperative PROMIS physical function (PF), pain interference (PI), and depression (D) scores in patients who undergo ACL reconstruction will show improvement when compared with preoperative scores. Additionally, preoperative PROMIS PF, PI, and D scores will predict which patients will not achieve a minimal clinically important difference (MCID) postoperatively. Study Design: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3. Methods: A total of 233 patients who underwent primary ACL reconstruction between 2015 and 2016 and had completed PROMIS measures both preoperatively (within 60 days of surgery) and postoperatively (100-240 days after surgery) were included in this study. PROMIS PF, PI, and D scores were compared. Accuracy analyses were performed to determine whether preoperative PROMIS scores from each domain could predict postoperative achievement of MCID in the same domain. Cutoff scores were then calculated. Results: PROMIS PF, PI, and D scores all showed a significant improvement after ACL reconstruction (all P < .001). Preoperative scores from all 3 PROMIS domains showed a strong ability to predict clinically meaningful improvement, as defined by MCID, with areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve from 0.72 to 0.84. Optimal cutoffs for preoperative PROMIS scores showed that patients with a PF score of <42.5, PI score of >56.2, or D score of >44.8 were more likely to achieve MCID. Conclusion: PROMIS PF, PI, and D scores improved significantly in patients who underwent primary ACL reconstruction. Preoperative PROMIS PF, PI, and D scores were highly predictive of outcome in the early postoperative period. The reported cutoff scores showed high probability in predicting which patients would and would not achieve a clinically meaningful improvement.
Virtually rotated MEMS whole angle gyroscope using independently controlled CW/CCW oscillations

This paper reports a method to apply virtual rotation to a whole angle gyroscope (WAG) using independently controlled CW and CCW mode oscillations. The method does not require any additional mechanisms for the virtual rotation, but only changes the target phase values of two phase locked loops (PLLs). The virtual rotation at about 0.163 Hz was successfully applied to the WAG, and the angle locking phenomenon could be resolved. The bias instability as small as 1.1°/hr was observed.
Immunization Offer Targeting Migrants: Policies and Practices in Italy

The unprecedented flow of migrants over the last three years places Italy in front of new issues regarding medical care from the rescue phase up to the integration into the national health services, including preventive actions. We used online questionnaires to investigate the Italian national and regional policies for immunization offer targeting asylum seekers, refugees, irregular migrants and unaccompanied minors. Another questionnaire was used to assess how these policies are translated into practice in migrant reception centres and community health services. Questionnaires were filled out at the national level, in 14 out of 21 Regions/Autonomous Provinces, and in 36 community health services and 28 migrant reception centres. Almost all responders stated that all vaccinations included in the National Immunization Plan are offered to migrant children and adolescents. The situation concerning adults is fragmented, with most of the Regions and local centres offering more vaccines than the national offer—which include polio, tetanus and measles–mumps-rubella. Data on immunized immigrants is archived at the regional/local level with different methods and not available at the national level. Further efforts to ensure consistency in vaccine provision and adequate mechanisms of exchanging data are needed to guarantee a complete vaccination offer and avoid unnecessary health actions, including unnecessary re-vaccination.