Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Memory evaluation in Alzheimer's disease. Caregivers' appraisals and objective testing.

OBJECTIVES To evaluate if caregivers are reliable informants concerning memory deficits in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). DESIGN Responses of caregivers of patients with probable AD and responses of healthy control subjects on a standardized memory questionnaire were compared with objective measures of cognition (Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease neuropsychological battery) and with clinical estimates of activities of daily living, depression, and psychopathology (Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease [CERAD] clinical assessment battery) using the Self-report Memory Questionnaire. SETTING A federally funded AD research center. SUBJECTS The referred sample included 117 patients with probable AD, their informants, and 41 healthy control subjects age-matched to the patients. Patients and control subjects were between the ages of 58 and 85 years, had between 9 and 19 years of education, and were in good health. EXCLUSIONS Patients who did not meet NINCDS-ADRDA criteria of probable AD. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE The optimal number of questionnaire items yielding the best combination of sensitivity and specificity. RESULTS An abbreviated version of the scale, renamed the Short-Memory Questionnaire, had excellent specificity and sensitivity for identifying dementia. Positive and negative predictive values were 63.5% and near 100%, respectively. The Short-Memory Questionnaire showed good reliability, internal consistency, and external validity. Caregiver appraisals of memory deficits significantly correlated with objective measures of memory and also with generalized cognitive dysfunction. CONCLUSIONS Caregivers of patients with AD are reliable informants of their relatives' deficits. The Short-Memory Questionnaire is an easily administered, informant-based scale that may be useful in clinical settings or epidemiologic studies to screen out persons with memory difficulties.
Improving video concept detection using uploader model

Visual concept detection is a very active field of research, motivated by the increasing amount of digital video available. While most systems focus on the processing of visual features only, in the context of internet videos other metadata is available which may provide useful information. In this paper, we investigate the role of the uploader information, the person who uploaded the video. We propose a simple uploader model which includes some knowledge about the content of videos uploaded by a given user. On the TRECVID 2012 Semantic Indexing benchmark [1], we show that this simple model is able to improve the concept detection score of all the 2012 participants, even the best ones, by only re-ranking the proposed shots. We also present some statistics which show that even though most TRECVID systems are based on visual features only, they provide results which are biased in favor of test videos for which the uploader was present in the development data. This work suggests further research on the use of metadata for visual concept detection, and a different way of organizing benchmark data to assess the visual performance of detectors.
Physico-chemical properties and sensory evaluation of jam made from black-plum fruit (vitex doniana)

The potential of some wild-growing indigenous fruits such as black-plum (Vitex doniana) has remained largely untapped. Most tropical fruits can be processed and preserved in small-scale operations using simple techniques. Various uses have been reported for black-plum ranging from medicinal to dietary utilization. This study was carried out to investigate the possibility of producing jam from black-plum and to evaluate the physico-chemical properties, nutritional properties and consumer acceptability of the product. Black-plum jam was produced using traditional openkettle method. The physico-chemical analyses of black-plum fruit and jam were determined. Physico-chemical analyses of black-plum fruit showed that it had soluble solids of 18.83 + 0.11 oBrix, pH 3.85 + 0.07 and ascorbic acid was 33.35 + 0.21 mg/100g. Na, K and Ca contents were (0.1 mg/100g); (1.33 mg/100g); and (0.765 mg/100g), respectively. Physico-chemical analyses of the jam showed that it had soluble solids of 68.0 + 0.71oBrix, 24.22 + 0.08% reducing sugar, pH of 3.42 + 0.03 and total acidity of 0.34 + 0.01%. Proximate analysis of the jam showed nutrient values of crude protein 4.23 + 0.03%, crude fibre 1.0 + 0.03%, ash 4.30 + 0.02%, crude lipid 2.43 + 0.03%, carbohydrate 68.1 + 0.28%, sodium (Na) 0.28 + 0.01 mg/100g, potassium (K) 1.42 + 0.01 mg/100g, calcium (Ca) 0.97 + 0.01 mg/100g, moisture 21.65 + 0.33%, dry matter 78.36+ 0.33%. Physico-chemical and proximate analyses of the fruit on wet and dry basis were also carried out. Sensory evaluation by untrained panelists indicated consumer acceptability. Statistical evaluation using simple-paired comparison between black-plum jam and commercial black currant jam on a nine-point hedonic scale showed a preference for the commercial jam, particularly in terms of colour. The differences in flavour and spreadability were not significant (P > 0.05) 5% level; while the differences in colour, taste and overall acceptability were significant (P Keywords : indigenous, Vitex doniana, black-plum jam, evaluation
Robonwire : Design and development of a power line inspection robot

This paper presents a design of a low-cost, lightweight powerline inspection robot:Robonwire. Though commercial and research robots for inspecting and monitoring powerline are available, the weight of the robot is high and it requires a lot of human effort during set-up and operation. We focus on developing a laboratory scale robot for power line inspection. The robot has three arms and a base frame which houses the electrical and electronic elements to control the locomotion and avoiding obstacles. It uses three powered motors with wheels one for each arm providing the mobility of the robot on the wires. Each arm has two joints. The upper joint connects the arm body to the wheel assembly while the lower one connects the arm body to the base frame. The obstacle avoidance is achieved by lateral rotation of arms in sequence. This paper presents the initial phase of the development in which a robot is built for travelling on wire. The motion planning for obstacle avoidance and simulations for torque requirement analysis of joint motors are also presented.
ENHERBEMENT DU VIGNOBLE MÉDITERRANÉEN AVEC DES LUZERNES ANNUELLES

En viticulture, la pratique de l'enherbement et ses effets est etudiee depuis les annees 1950. La plupart des travaux portent sur des enherbements permanents a base de graminees ou sur les techniques dites « d'enherbement naturel maitrise », dans les vignobles septentrionaux (au-dela du 45 eme parallele Nord) et dans les regions oceaniques. En general, les objectifs vises par la pratique de l'enherbement sont: reduction de la vigueur et du rendement de la vigne, amelioration des proprietes physico-chimiques des sols, lutte contre l'erosion des sols et diminution des intrants phytosanitaires. En climat mediterraneen, la problematique est sensiblement differente de celle des vignobles precedents. Outre la concurrence azotee, la vigne enherbee peut subir une forte concurrence hydrique causee par des precipitations peu frequentes et peu abondantes (moins de 100 jours de pluie par an et des cumuls variant de 300 a 1000 mm) mais pouvant prendre la forme d'orages violents entrainant une erosion importante en sols maigres et pentus. En vignobles mediterraneens et sur sols acides, des travaux ont montre l'interet d'une legumineuse annuelle: le trefle souterrain (Masson, 1991). En sols calcaires, non seulement ce trefle ne s'implante pas bien, mais la contrainte hydrique est renforcee par leur pietre capacite a retenir l'eau. Dans ces situations, les luzernes annuelles peuvent constituer une alternative interessante. L'INRA de Montpellier travaille depuis plus de 20 ans sur les legumineuses mediterraneennes et a selectionne quelques especes de luzernes annuelles pouvant presenter un interet dans la vegetalisation d'ouvrages, l'amelioration des parcours et l'enherbement des vignes et vergers (Gintzburger & Prosperi, 1987). Cette etude presente les resultats de cinq annees d'essai d'enherbement d'un vignoble en coteau par des luzernes annuelles dans l'Aude, et met en evidence l'aptitude de trois especes de luzernes annuelles (Medicago truncatula, M. polymorpha et M. rigidula) a constituer la base d'un enherbement des vignobles installes en sols maigres et pentus. Nous montrons egalement l'absence d'effet negatif, sur la vigueur de la vigne, la production de raisin et sur quelques parametres chimiques du mout, de l'utilisation d'une legumineuse annuelle en enherbement du vignoble. Enfin, nous montrons qu'il est economiquement et ecologiquement plus interessant d'enherber un vignoble avec les luzernes annuelles que de realiser un travail du sol.
Optimising self-regulated study: The benefits—and costs—of dropping flashcards

Self-regulation of study activities is a constant in the lives of students—who must decide what to study, when to study, how long to study, and by what method to study. We investigated self-regulation in the context of a common study method: flashcards. In four experiments we examined the basis and effectiveness of a metacognitive strategy adopted almost universally by students: setting aside (dropping) items they think they know. Dropping has a compelling logic—it creates additional opportunities to study undropped items—but it rests on two shaky foundations: students’ metacognitive monitoring and the value they assign to further study. In fact, being allowed to drop flashcards had small but consistently negative effects on learning. The results suggest that the effectiveness of self-regulated study depends on both the accuracy of metacognitive monitoring and the learner's understanding, or lack thereof, of how people learn.
The liver in boutonneuse fever

Hepatic lesions were studied for the first time in 13 cases of boutonneuse fever (Mediterranean exanthematous fever). The glutamic-oxalacetic transaminases were raised in eight patients, the glutamic-pyruvic transaminases showed an increase in 10 patients, alkaline phosphatases in seven of the 10 patients investigated, and conjugate bilirubin showed moderate increases in three patients. Five patients were studied histologically; this study showed lesions of a granulomatous type, similar to those described in Q fever, in three patients, fatty degeneration with marked alcoholism in another patient, and a normal liver in the last patient. Two of the three patients with granulomatous lesions showed a moderate increase in alkaline phosphatases. After this report boutonneuse fever must be included among the infectious conditions that can produce granulomas within the liver.
Water requirements and drinking rates of homing pigeons: A consideration for exposure risk of migratory birds

Access to water along a bird's migratory flyway is essential during the vital process of migration. Because of the scarcity of water in some environments, there is potential for migratory birds to encounter and drink from contaminated bodies of water. Ingestion of contaminated water may cause injury and compromise flying ability, leading to a disruption of migration. To determine injury to birds from potential exposure, it is essential to know not only the concentration of a given contaminant in the water but also the quantity and rate of water consumption by the birds. Homing pigeons (Columba livia) were used in a series of experiments to determine differences in drinking behavior after various flights and after periods of resting. Results from the present study demonstrate that homing pigeons’ water consumption is dramatically different when assessed according to activity, flight distance, and time elapsed after flight. This suggests that the drinking rates of birds during migration are extremely important and much greater than estimated using traditional exposure assessment procedures. Thus, exposure to contaminants via drinking water may be greatly underestimated, and the rate of water consumption should be considered when estimating potential exposure risk to avian species. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2017;13:870–876. © 2017 SETAC
Treadmill performance and selected physiological characteristics of wheelchair athletes.

The purpose of this study was to examine selected physiological characteristics and pushing performance over a distance of five kilometres (5 km) in twelve wheelchair athletes (10 paraplegics and 2 tetraplegics). The physiological tests and 5 km wheelchair time trials were performed on a motorised treadmill adapted for use by wheelchairs. The maximum oxygen uptake (VO2 max) and %VO2 max utilised at a fixed speed equivalent to a blood lactate concentration of 4 mmol.l-1, identified as being of importance in successful able-bodied endurance performance, were also found to correlate highly with 5 km performance in wheelchair athletes. Low correlations were found between performance and mean %VO2 max utilised over the whole distance and between performance and oxygen uptake at a standard speed. The results also showed that the tetraplegics had lower physiological reserves than the paraplegics, with a much reduced maximum heart rate and ventilation. The findings indicate that a combination of physiological characteristics influence pushing performance in wheelchair athletes.
*N-Terminal Pro-BNP Levels in Patients with Congestive Heart Failure and Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator or Biventricular Pacemaker-Defibrillator Therapies.

s of Scientific Papers Section on Cardiology *N-Terminal Pro-BNP Levels in Patients with Congestive Heart Failure and Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator or Biventricular Pacemaker-Defibrillator Therapies. Fabian Arnaldo, MD, Nikolaos Anatoliotakis, MD, David Nabert, MD, Steve Hsu, MD. University of Florida, Health Science Center Jacksonville, Shands Hospital, Jacksonville, FL. Objectives: B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels have been associated with sudden cardiac death among patients with congestive heart failure (CHF). However, the relationship between BNP levels and arrhythmogenic substrates is poorly understood. We assessed whether there is a correlation between N-terminal pro-BNP levels (ProBNP) and device therapies in patients with CHF and defibrillators (ICD) or biventricular pacemakers-ICD (BiV-ICD). Methods: ProBNP levels were analyzed in 24 patients (19 men, age 64.2 12 years) with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), CHF, and ICD or BiV-ICD. Levels were studied among patients with and without device therapies. In patients with therapies, baseline ProBNP measurements were compared with the closest-to-therapy level. A two-tailed paired t test analyzed differences of mean ProBNP plasma levels. Results: Eighteen patients had ischemic and six nonischemic DCM; left ventricular ejection fraction. 25.1 6.1%. Twelve patients had BiV-ICD and 12 had ICD. Ten patients received therapies during a mean follow-up of 171 days: five appropriate therapies for VT/VF and five inappropriate therapies for atrial tachycardia. No change in the functional class of CHF preceded device therapies. There was no difference between baseline ProBNP levels in patients with therapies versus no therapies (therapies, 180
Varieties of Experimentalism

Across a range of disciplines and issues, experimentalism has emerged as a prominent approach for addressing environmental problems. Yet the meaning of “experiment” varies markedly across these domains. We survey the diversity of experimentation, identifying three distinct experimental logics—controlled, Darwinian, and generative. Building on Pragmatist philosophy, we argue that each of these logics has different strengths and weaknesses, but taken together they offer a valuable experimentalist approach to environmental problem-solving. However, from a transdisciplinary perspective, it is important to recognize the different values, purposes, and stances toward knowledge that they entail. Controlled experiments primarily aim to isolate causality, while Darwinian experimentation endeavors to enhance systemic innovation and generative experimentation seeks to generate new solution concepts. Appreciating these differences allows us to be more reflexive about an experimentalist agenda, illuminating the appropriate role of these logics and suggesting possibilities for fruitfully combining them. To advance this reflexive agenda, we also distinguish between epistemic and political learning and argue that experimental approaches to environmental problem-solving may benefit from being more sensitive to this distinction.
The Relative Lymphocyte Count Predicts Death in Patients Receiving Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators

OMMEN, S.R. , et al.: The Relative Lymphocyte Count Predicts Death in Patients Receiving Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators. Although the survival benefit conveyed by the automatic defibrillator has been well established for several subsets of patients, some patients who receive the device still die early. The relative lymphocyte count (%L), a portion of the white blood cell count differential, which is decreased in states of excess systemic stress, has prognostic value in patients with coronary artery disease and advanced heart failure. This study assessed the association of %L with survival in patients receiving automatic defibrillators. A total of 136 consecutive patients (81% men; mean age 64 ± 12 years) who were using automatic defibrillators were followed for 29.6 months. The mean ejection fraction was 0.36 ± 0.17, the mean %L was 22.7 ± 8%, and 55 (40%) patients had decreased %L (< 20.3%). There were 20 deaths, for a 4‐year survival of 71.5%. The association of %L with time to death was assessed by Cox proportional hazards analysis. Ejection fraction (P = 0.005), %L (P = 0.01), and diagnosis (P = 0.03) were independently associated with time to death on multivariate analysis. One‐year and 4‐year survival rates were 93% and 54%, respectively, for the 55 patients with abnormal %L, compared with 99% and 84%, respectively, for the 81 with normal %L (P = 0.03). This suggests that the %L is a readily accessible prognostic marker in patients using automatic defibrillators. This association is independent of age, sex, diagnosis, and ejection fraction.
Cryoelectron Microscopy and EPR Analysis of Engineered Symmetric and Polydisperse Hsp16.5 Assemblies Reveals Determinants of Polydispersity and Substrate Binding*

We have identified sequence and structural determinants of oligomer size, symmetry, and polydispersity in the small heat shock protein super family. Using an insertion mutagenesis strategy that mimics evolutionary sequence divergence, we induced the ordered oligomer of Methanococcus jannaschii Hsp16.5 to transition to either expanded symmetric or polydisperse assemblies. A hybrid approach combining spin labeling EPR and cryoelectron microscopy imaging at 10Å resolution reveals that the underlying plasticity is mediated by a packing interface with minimal contacts and a flexible C-terminal tether between dimers. Twenty-four dimeric building blocks related by octahedral symmetry assemble into the expanded symmetric oligomer. In contrast, the polydisperse variant has an ordered dimeric building block that heterogeneously packs to yield oligomers of various sizes. Increased exposure of the N-terminal region in the Hsp16.5 variants correlates with enhanced binding to destabilized mutants of T4 lysozyme, whereas deletion of this region reduces binding. Transition to larger intermediates with enhanced substrate binding capacity has been observed in other small heat shock proteins including lens α-crystallin mutants linked to congenital cataract. Together, these results provide a mechanistic perspective on substrate recognition and binding by the small heat shock protein superfamily.
WIT3: Web Inventory of Transcribed and Translated Talks

We describe here a Web inventory named WIT 3 that offers access to a collection of transcribed and translated talks. The core of WIT 3 is the TED Talks corpus, that basically redistributes the original content published by the TED Conference website (http://www.ted.com). Since 2007, the TED Conference, based in California, has been posting all video recordings of its talks together with subtitles in English and their translations in more than 80 languages. Aside from its cultural and social relevance, this content, which is published under the Creative Commons BYNC-ND license, also represents a precious language resource for the machine translation research community, thanks to its size, variety of topics, and covered languages. This effort repurposes the original content in a way which is more convenient for machine translation researchers.
Species incompatibilities in the pig‐to‐macaque islet xenotransplant model affect transplant outcome: a comparison with allotransplantation

Graham ML, Bellin MD, Papas KK, Hering BJ, Schuurman H‐J. Species incompatibilities in the pig‐to‐macaque islet xenotransplant model affect transplant outcome: a comparison with allotransplantation. Xenotransplantation 2011; 18: 328–342. © 2011 John Wiley & Sons A/S.
Deep Learning for Automatic Image Captioning in Poor Training Conditions

English. Recent advancements in Deep Learning show that the combination of Convolutional Neural Networks and Recurrent Neural Networks enables the definition of very effective methods for the automatic captioning of images. Unfortunately, this straightforward result requires the existence of large-scale corpora and they are not available for many languages. This paper describes a simple methodology to automatically acquire a large-scale corpus of 600 thousand image/sentences pairs in Italian. At the best of our knowledge, this corpus has been used to train one of the first neural systems for the same language. The experimental evaluation over a subset of validated image/captions pairs suggests that results comparable with the English counterpart can be achieved. Italiano. La combinazione di metodi di Deep Learning (come Convolutional Neural Network e Recurrent Neural Network) ha recentemente permesso di realizzare sistemi molto efficaci per la generazione automatica di didascalie a partire da immagini. Purtroppo, l’applicazione di questi metodi richiede l’esistenza di enormi collezioni di immagini annotate e queste risorse non sono disponibili per ogni lingua. Questo articolo presenta un semplice metodo per l’acquisizione automatica di un corpus di 600 mila coppie immagine/frase per l’italiano, che ha permesso di addestrare uno dei primi sistemi neurali per questa lingua. La valutazione su un sottoinsieme del corpus manualmente validato suggerisce che é possibile raggiungere risultati comparabili con i sistemi disponibili per l’inglese.