Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Test-retest reliability and validity of a custom-designed computerized neuropsychological cognitive test battery in young healthy adults.

OBJECTIVE Dual-task methodologies are utilized to probe attentional resource sharing between motor and cognitive systems. Computerized neuropsychological testing is an advanced approach for cognitive assessment and its application in dual task testing is evolving. This study aimed to establish the test-retest reliability and concurrent validity of a custom-designed, computerized, cognitive test battery. METHODS Fifteen healthy young adults were tested for the following domains (and tasks): 1) visuomotor function (Spot and Click, SC), 2) phonemic memory (Category Naming, Cat N) and verbal fluency (Word List Generation, WLG), 3) response inhibition (Color Naming, CN), 4) discriminant decision-making (Unveil the Star, US), 5) visual working memory (Triangle and Letter Tracking, TT and LT), 6) problem solving (Peg Game, PG) and 7) information processing speed (Letter-Number, LN). The reaction time, accuracy, time of completion, total number of responses and total number of errors were used as the outcome variables. RESULTS The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was used to determine reliability for all outcome variables and concurrent validity was established with respect to the Delis Kaplan Executive Function System™ (D-KEFS™). Reliability ranged from good to excellent for all seven tasks (ICC>0.65). The Cat.N, WLG and CN showed good correlation and PG task showed moderate correlation with tests of the D-KEFS. CONCLUSION Findings indicate that these computerized cognitive tests were both valid and reproducible and therefore can be easily implemented by clinicians for assessing cognition and incorporated for dual-task testing and training.
A comparative study on network motif discovery algorithms

Subgraphs that occur in complex networks with significantly higher frequency than those in randomised networks are called network motifs. Such subgraphs often play important roles in the functioning of those networks. Finding network motifs is a computationally challenging problem. The main difficulties arise from the fact that real networks are large and the size of the search space grows exponentially with increasing network and motif size. Numerous methods have been developed to overcome these challenges. This paper provides a comparative study of the key network motif discovery algorithms in the literature and presents their algorithmic details on an example network.
Large Time-Bandwidth Product MIMO Radar Waveform Design Based on Chirp Rate Diversity

Multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) radar waveform diversity design has received much attention, but most of the existing waveforms lack a large time-bandwidth product and are difficult to be implemented by real-life hardwares. In this paper, we propose a large time-bandwidth product waveform diversity design scheme based on chirp rate diversity for MIMO radar. The proposed scheme can generate a large number of pseudo-orthogonal waveforms that have large time-bandwidth product, constant modulus, no range-Doppler coupling target response, good orthogonality, and Doppler tolerance. In addition, the waveforms are orthogonal on both transmit and receive. The waveform performance is in-depth analyzed with the correlation and ambiguity functions. Furthermore, the corresponding frequency demodulation in the receiver is also discussed. Numerical results validate the superiorities of the designed waveforms in MIMO radar applications.
Integrated strain array for cellular mechanobiology studies

We have developed an integrated strain array for cell culture enabling high-throughput mechano-transduction studies. Biocompatible cell culture chambers were integrated with an acrylic pneumatic compartment and microprocessor-based control system. Each element of the array consists of a deformable membrane supported by a cylindrical pillar within a well. For user-prescribed waveforms, the annular region of the deformable membrane is pulled into the well around the pillar under vacuum, causing the pillar-supported region with cultured cells to be stretched biaxially. The optically clear device and pillar-based mechanism of operation enables imaging on standard laboratory microscopes. Straightforward fabrication utilizes off-the-shelf components, soft lithography techniques in polydimethylsiloxane and laser ablation of acrylic sheets. Proof of compatibility with basic biological assays and standard imaging equipment were accomplished by straining C2C12 skeletal myoblasts on the device for 6 h. At higher strains, cells and actin stress fibers realign with a circumferential preference.
Psychological support for sport coaches: an exploration of practitioner psychologist perspectives

ABSTRACT In the present study we add to the literature by exploring the degree to which UK practitioner psychologists perceive themselves able to support sport coaches, and how professional training prepares psychologists for coach work across performance domains. Ten participants comprising seven sport and exercise psychologists with Health Care Professions Council (HCPC) practitioner psychologist status and three trainee psychologists studying towards the British Psychological Society (BPS) qualification in sport and exercise psychology (QSEP) were individually interviewed. All participants reported prior experience of working with coaches across all performance domains. We explored: practitioner’s understanding of the challenges coaches face within their job; practitioner’s experiences of coach work; perspectives about the ways in which practitioners could and should support coaches; and, the degree to which professional training prepares practitioners for coach work. Using recommended procedures of Connelly and Peltzer, content analysis revealed practitioners perceived the challenges faced by coaches are different at grassroots level compared to those working with elite athletes, and that practitioners require skills to provide one-to-one coach support and group-based interventions. All practitioners perceived that training programmes do not adequately equip trainees with skills required for coach work. We discuss the implications for enhancing practitioner training in the UK.
Hepatitis C Virus: From Obscurity to the Lasker.

he 2016 Lasker-Debakey ClinTical Research Award was given to Ralf Bartenschlager of the University of Heidelberg, Charles Rice of Rockefeller University, and Michael Sofia of Arbutus Biopharma for their seminal work on the hepatitis C virus (HCV) replicon system and drug development. The Lasker Award, often hailed as the pre-Nobel award, captures and epitomizes a Cinderella story in modern medicine. This story began with a vaguely described entity of non-A nonB hepatitis that remained in relative obscurity until accumulating epidemiologic and clinical evidence unveiled its importance as a global public health threat. The isolation and identity of the culprit, the HCV, had eluded the scientific community for decades and it was not until 1989 that Michael Houghton and his colleagues at Chiron successfully cloned a piece of the HCV genome after years of frustration and failures. Harvey Alter at the National Institutes of Health then unequivocally demonstrated that this virus was indeed the causative agent of hepatitis C. For their groundbreaking work, Houghton and Alter received the Lasker Award in 2000. Fastforwarding to 2016, the story has continued its ascent to the pantheon of medical history with the recognition of Bartenschlager, Rice, and Sofia by the Albert and Mary Lasker Foundation. Only 25 years after the discovery of HCV, the medical community was at the cusp of a major breakthrough in treatment of this pathogen. The development of the direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) heralded an unparalleled success of this class of drugs that target specifically HCV-encoded functions and, in combination, can achieve a >90% cure rate of hepatitis C. Such a rapid pace from discovery to cure is rather unprecedented and is emblematic of the miracle of modern technologies and medical advances. Looking back over the last two and one-half decades, this success certainly
More strain and less stress- the guideline for developing high-end strained CMOS technologies with acceptable reliability

In this paper, the design guideline with emphasis on CMOS device reliability has been addressed. Advanced 65 nm CMOS devices with various strain engineering were evaluated. For nMOSFETs, charge pumping (CP) measurement is efficient for their reliability characterizations. Although biaxial strained SiGe-channel device provides good driving current enhancement, it suffers from the Ge out-diffusion such that exhibits worse reliability. The SSOI device exhibits good hot-carrier immunity, but its interface quality needs special care during the process. In addition, SiC on S/D device is an alternative for high current enhancement, but its off-state junction leakage is serious. Then, CESL device becomes the most promising technology with high performance and the best reliability, especially with process simplicity. For pMOSFETs, both uniaxial and biaxial strained devices have been studied. For the first time, an accurate representation of interface trap (Nit) profiling, suitable for HC and NBTI analyses, has been developed by an improved DCIV method. The uniaxial-strained device shows much better reliability, in particular a special class of SiGe S/D device with EDB design seems to be promising. These results provide a valuable guideline for the aggressive design of strained CMOS technologies.
Phospholipid flippase-mediated control of cell migration-1-Role for Phospholipid Flippase Complex of ATP 8 A 1 and CDC 50 A in Cell Migration

From Department of Synthetic Chemistry and Biological Chemistry, Graduate school of Engineering, Kyoto University, Katsura, Nishikyo-ku, Kyoto 615-8510, Japan, Central Laboratories for Frontier Technology, Kirin Holdings Company Limited, Fukuura, Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama 236-0004, Japan, Department of Cell Biology, Osaka Bioscience Institute, Suita, Osaka 565-0874, Japan, and Lipid Biology Laboratory, Discovery Research Institute, RIKEN, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako-shi, Saitama 351-0198, Japan.
Tuberculosis of spine: Research evidence to treatment guidelines

© 2016 Indian Journal of Orthopaedics | Published by Wolters Kluwer Medknow The named oration gives us an opportunity to remember a person who has contributed immensely toward the growth of science to serve the society. It induces introspection among orator and listeners to rededicate to the cause of suffering humanity and stimulates the future generation to perform against all odds. Kini memorial oration is delivered by immediate Past President of Indian Orthopedic Association to acknowledge the contribution of Prof. MG Kini toward science and society.
Family study of co-morbidity between major depressive disorder and anxiety disorders

Background. Numerous studies have documented high rates of co-morbidity between major depressive disorder (MDD) and the anxiety disorders (ANX). However, the reason for this is unclear. Family studies provide one potentially useful approach for addressing this issue. Method. We explored six explanations of the co-morbidity between MDD and ANX using a family study of a large community sample of young adults and their first-degree relatives. Participants included 112 probands with a lifetime history of both MDD and one or more ANX, 290 probands with a history of MDD but no ANX, 43 probands with a history of one or more ANX but no MDD, 352 probands with no lifetime history of either MDD or ANX, and the probands' 2608 first-degree relatives. Probands were assessed using semi-structured diagnostic interviews on two occasions in adolescence and a third time at age 24. Diagnostic data on relatives were collected using both direct and family history interviews. Results. Compared with controls, MDD aggregated in the families of probands with MDD, whether or not they had co-morbid ANX; ANX aggregated in the families of probands with ANX, regardless of whether they had co-morbid MDD; and co-morbid MDD/ANX aggregated only in the families of probands with both MDD and ANX. The relatives of probands with ANX alone had a significantly higher rate of ANX than the relatives of probands with MDD alone, although none of the other comparisons between the depressed and anxious groups were significant. Conclusions. This pattern of findings is largely, although not completely, consistent with the view that MDD and ANX are transmitted independently within families, and suggests that the co-morbidity between MDD and ANX is caused by non-familial aetiological factors.
Effect of excitation wavelength on the Raman spectroscopy of the porcine photoreceptor layer from the area centralis.

PURPOSE Raman microscopy, based upon the inelastic scattering (Raman) of light by molecular species, has been applied as a specific structural probe in a wide range of biomedical samples. The purpose of the present investigation was to assess the potential of the technique for spectral characterization of the porcine outer retina derived from the area centralis, which contains the highest proportion of cone:rod cell ratio in the pig retina. METHODS Retinal cross-sections, immersion-fixed in 4% (w/v) PFA and cryoprotected, were placed on salinized slides and air-dried prior to direct Raman microscopic analysis at three excitation wavelengths, 785 nm, 633 nm, and 514 nm. RESULTS Raman spectra of each of the photoreceptor inner and outer segments (PIS, POS) and of the outer nuclear layer (ONL) of the retina acquired at 785 nm were dominated by vibrational features characteristic of proteins and lipids. There was a clear difference between the inner and outer domains in the spectroscopic regions, amide I and III, known to be sensitive to protein conformation. The spectra recorded with 633 nm excitation mirrored those observed at 785 nm excitation for the amide I region, but with an additional pattern of bands in the spectra of the PIS region, attributed to cytochrome c. The same features were even more enhanced in spectra recorded with 514 nm excitation. A significant nucleotide contribution was observed in the spectra recorded for the ONL at all three excitation wavelengths. A Raman map was constructed of the major spectral components found in the retinal outer segments, as predicted by principal component analysis of the data acquired using 633 nm excitation. Comparison of the Raman map with its histological counterpart revealed a strong correlation between the two images. CONCLUSIONS It has been demonstrated that Raman spectroscopy offers a unique insight into the biochemical composition of the light-sensing cells of the retina following the application of standard histological protocols. The present study points to the considerable promise of Raman microscopy as a component-specific probe of retinal tissue.
Hydrogen sulfide production by sulfate-reducing bacteria utilizing additives eluted from plastic resins

In the present study it was demonstrated that organic additives eluted from plastic resins could be utilized as substrates by sulfate-reducing bacteria. Two laboratory-scale experiments, a microcosm experiment and a leaching experiment, were conducted using polyvinyl chloride (PVC) as a model plastic resin. In the former experiment, the conversion of sulfate to sulfide was evident in microcosms that received plasticized PVC as the sole carbon source, but not in those that received PVC homopolymer. Additionally, dissolved organic carbon accumulated only in microcosms that received plasticized PVC, indicating that the dissolved organic carbon originated from additives. In the leaching experiment, phenol and bisphenol A were found in the leached solutions. These results suggest that the disposal of waste plastics in inert waste landfills may result in the production of H2S.
Bumetanide enhances phenobarbital efficacy in a neonatal seizure model

High levels of expression of the Na+‐K+‐2Cl− (NKCC1) cotransporter in immature neurons cause the accumulation of intracellular chloride and, therefore, a depolarized Cl− equilibrium potential (ECl). This results in the outward flux of Cl− through GABAA channels, the opposite direction compared with mature neurons, in which GABAA receptor activation is inhibitory because Cl− flows into the cell. This outward flow of Cl− in neonatal neurons is excitatory and contributes to a greater seizure propensity and poor electroencephalographic response to GABAergic anticonvulsants such as phenobarbital and benzodiazepines. Blocking the NKCC1 transporter with bumetanide prevents outward Cl− flux and causes a more negative GABA equilibrium potential (EGABA) in immature neurons. We therefore tested whether bumetanide enhances the anticonvulsant action of phenobarbital in the neonatal brain
AN EFFICIENT BINARIZATION TECHNIQUE FOR FINGERPRINT IMAGES

Fingerprint identification is the most prominent method of biometric identification. Here, fingerprint is a widely used form of biometric identification and is robust means of person identification. In this, a set of minutiae points were considered and which characterize the fingerprints by extracting minutiae points from fingerprint under uncontrolled situation and it is a robust binarization process is considered to get correct set of minutiae points. In this, a rough-set based approach for binarization of fingerprint image is presented and maximization of rough entropy and minimization of roughness of the fingerprint images lead to an optimum threshold for binarization. Experimental results show that the proposed method for extracting minutiae is fairly efficient and fast compared to a previous method.
Design and evaluation of an end-user friendly tool for robot programming

End-user programming for robots is becoming an increasingly important topic since robots are being introduced into a wide variety of domains. We propose a design of a web based programming interface that makes it possible for end-users with different backgrounds to program robots using natural language. We used the cognitive dimensions framework to compare the usability of the newly created and the currently employed programming interfaces. The results showed that domain specialists are able to make robot programs more quickly and pleasantly with the proposed interface than with an existing one. Another important finding is that without physical simulation of the robot behaviours, the end-users do not feel confident enough to develop their scenarios in a realistic setting.
Opposition-Based Differential Evolution Algorithms

Evolutionary Algorithms (EAs) are well-known optimization approaches to cope with non-linear, complex problems. These population-based algorithms, however, suffer from a general weakness; they are computationally expensive due to slow nature of the evolutionary process. This paper presents some novel schemes to accelerate convergence of evolutionary algorithms. The proposed schemes employ opposition-based learning for population initialization and also for generation jumping. In order to investigate the performance of the proposed schemes, Differential Evolution (DE), an efficient and robust optimization method, has been used. The main idea is general and applicable to other population-based algorithms such as Genetic algorithms, Swarm Intelligence, and Ant Colonies. A set of test functions including unimodal and multimodal benchmark functions is employed for experimental verification. The details of proposed schemes and also conducted experiments are given. The results are highly promising.
A Regulatory T-Cell Gene Signature Is a Specific and Sensitive Biomarker to Identify Children With New-Onset Type 1 Diabetes

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is caused by immune-mediated destruction of insulin-producing β-cells. Insufficient control of autoreactive T cells by regulatory T cells (Tregs) is believed to contribute to disease pathogenesis, but changes in Treg function are difficult to quantify because of the lack of Treg-exclusive markers in humans and the complexity of functional experiments. We established a new way to track Tregs by using a gene signature that discriminates between Tregs and conventional T cells regardless of their activation states. The resulting 31-gene panel was validated with the NanoString nCounter platform and then measured in sorted CD4+CD25hiCD127lo Tregs from children with T1D and age-matched control subjects. By using biomarker discovery analysis, we found that expression of a combination of six genes, including TNFRSF1B (CD120b) and FOXP3, was significantly different between Tregs from subjects with new-onset T1D and control subjects, resulting in a sensitive (mean ± SD 0.86 ± 0.14) and specific (0.78 ± 0.18) biomarker algorithm. Thus, although the proportion of Tregs in peripheral blood is similar between children with T1D and control subjects, significant changes in gene expression can be detected early in disease process. These findings provide new insight into the mechanisms underlying the failure to control autoimmunity in T1D and might lead to a biomarker test to monitor Tregs throughout disease progression.
The effect of flurbiprofen and tiaprofenic acid on serum cytokine levels of patients with osteoarthrosis

39 patients with active knee osteoarthrosis, chosen according to ACR criteria, were assigned to receive flurbiprofen (n 12, 2 2 100 mg), tiaprofenic acid (n 14, 2 2 300 mg) and placebo (n 13) in a 3-week, placebo-controlled study. All patients completed the study, and both medications were found to be effective: improvement occurred in the clinical signs. These drugs reduced the TNF- f levels. Flurbiprofen especially affected the IL-6 levels. Our findings indicate that NSAIDs may be effective in the etiopathogenesis of osteoarthrosis.
AVIAN TITER DEVELOPMENT AGAINST WEST NILE VIRUS AFTER EXTRALABEL USE OF AN EQUINE VACCINE

Abstract West Nile virus affects many animals, but the highest prevalence of morbidity and mortality is observed in birds, horses, and humans. The purpose of this study was to determine a protocol in birds of prey and corvids, using a vaccine developed for horses. The birds were assigned to five groups. Groups 1–4 received 0.25 ml, 0.5 ml, 0.75 ml, and 1.0 ml, respectively, and group 5 served as a control group. The greatest percentage of seroconversion (58.3%) was observed in the vaccine group that received a dose of 1.0 ml administered thrice, 3 wk apart. This report demonstrates that a vaccine developed for equines against West Nile virus can be administered to birds.
Activation of mitochondrial function and Hb expression in non‐haematopoietic cells by an EPO inducer ameliorates ischaemic diseases in mice

Many organs suffer from ischaemic injuries that reduce their ability to generate sufficient energy, which is required for functional maintenance and repair. Erythropoietin (EPO) ameliorates ischaemic injuries by pleiotropic effects. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect and mechanism of a small molecule EH‐201, and found it as a potent EPO inducer and its effect in non‐haematopoietic cells for therapeutic potential in ischemic disorders.
Crystal structure of (Z)-2-benzylidene-4-methyl-2H-benzo[b][1,4]thiazin-3(4H)-one

In the title compound, C16H13NOS, the 1,4-thiazine ring displays a screw-boat conformation. The conformation about the ethene bond [1.344 (2) Å] is Z. The plane of the fused benzene ring makes a dihedral angle of 58.95 (9)° with the pendent phenyl ring, indicating a twisted conformation in the molecule. In the crystal, molecules are linked by pairs of C—H⋯O hydrogen bonds, forming inversion dimers.