Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Direct Assessment of Activities of Daily Living in Alzheimer's Disease A Controlled Study

The relationship between severity of dementia and performance in four experimental tasks was studied in nine patients with Alzheimer's disease and nine age‐matched controls. The experimental tasks were developed in order to establish a direct measure of functional performance in common activities of daily living. In the Alzheimer's patients, significant but moderate positive associations were found between the Clinical Dementia Rating Scale (CDR), a comprehensive rating tool designed specifically for Alzheimer's disease, and performance on the experimental tasks. A significant correlation was also found between the results of the Short Portable Mental Status Questionnaire (SPMSQ), a less specific dementia assessment instrument, and the CDR but not between the SPMSQ and the performance measure. When compared to nine normal subjects matched for gender, age, and education, the cognitively impaired subjects required more assistance and time (P < .01) in completing the tasks. The findings support the conclusion that severity of dementia and performance on activities of daily living tasks are related but distinct concepts and should be measured separately.
Improvement and simplification of low‐background silver staining of proteins by using sodium dithionite

High sensitivity and low background, the attractive characteristics of the procedure of Blum et al., Electrophoresis 1987, 8, 93–99, for silver staining of proteins in polyacrylamide gels have been improved by sensitizing the gels with sodium dithionite instead of sodium thiosulfate and by equilibration in water after fixation and prior to sensitization. These modifications decrease the background and allow for a longer development period, which in turn increases sensitivity and color contrast. In addition, the colors of the spots are shifted toward colder tones when compared with the original method.
Jumper's knee and ultrasonography

Twenty-five patients, aged between 15 and 45 years old, who were athletically active, presented with jump er's knee (patellar tendinitis). By use of ultrasono graphic examination, new and precise information was obtained that benefited the diagnosis, choice of treat ment, and monitoring of the evolution of jumper's knee in our patients. In 18 of the 25 patients, only 1 knee was affected; in 7 of the patients, both knees were affected, thus making a total of 32 painful tendons. These 25 patients were compared with a control group of 15 healthy, athletically active subjects between the ages of 25 and 35 years old. In all of the 32 painful tendons, ultrasonographic anomalies were observed: thickening or swelling of the tendon (15 knees) appeared in acute cases; a hetero geneous structure of the tendon (24 knees); and thick ening and irregularities of the tendinous envelope (8 knees). The 15 acute patients all responded to classic con servative treatment including physical therapy and elec trotherapy. Four of the remaining 10 patients were treated successfully with various conservative treat ments, including deep transverse friction massage with ice. The other six patients were treated surgically, with tenolysis and "carding" of the patellar tendon. In one patient, this procedure failed, and 12 months later a second operation was performed, in which the distal pole of the patella was resected and the patellar tendon reinserted into bone. Recovery was uneventful. Now, at least 2 years after treatment, all of the patients consider themselves healed.
Multivariate analysis of cross‐hole georadar velocity and attenuation tomograms for aquifer zonation

We have investigated the potential of combining cross‐hole georadar velocity and attenuation tomography as a method for characterizing heterogeneous alluvial aquifers. A multivariate statistical technique, known as k‐means cluster analysis, is used to correlate and integrate information contained in velocity and attenuation tomograms. Cluster analysis allows us to identify objectively the major common trends in the tomographic data and thus to “reduce” the information to a limited number of characteristic parameter combinations. The application of this procedure to two synthetic data sets indicates that it is a powerful tool for converting the complex relationships between the tomographically derived velocity and attenuation structures into a lithologically and hydrologically meaningful zonation of the probed region. In addition, these synthetic examples allow us to evaluate the reliability of further petrophysical parameter estimates. We find that although absolute values of the tomographically inferred petrophysical parameters often differ significantly from the actual parameters, the clustering approach enables us to reliably identify the major trends in the petrophysical properties. Finally, we have applied the approach to a cross‐hole georadar data set collected in a well‐studied alluvial aquifer. A comparison of the clustered tomographic section with well‐log data demonstrates that our approach delineates the hydrostratigraphic zonation.
Diverse self-association properties within a family of phage packaging RNAs

The packaging RNA (pRNA) found in phi29 bacteriophage is an essential component of a molecular motor that packages the phage's DNA genome. The pRNA forms higher-order multimers by intermolecular “kissing” interactions between identical molecules. The phi29 pRNA is a proven building block for nanotechnology and a model to explore the rare phenomenon of naturally occurring RNA self-association. Although the self-association properties of the phi29 pRNA have been extensively studied and this pRNA is used in nanotechnology, the characteristics of phylogenetically related pRNAs with divergent sequences are comparatively underexplored. These diverse pRNAs may lend new insight into both the rules governing RNA self-association and for RNA engineering. Therefore, we used a combination of biochemical and biophysical methods to resolve ambiguities in the proposed secondary structures of pRNAs from M2, GA1, SF5, and B103 phage, and to discover that different naturally occurring pRNAs form multimers of different stoichiometry and thermostability. Indeed, the M2 pRNA formed multimers that were particularly thermostable and may be more useful than phi29 pRNA for many applications. To determine if diverse pRNA behaviors are conferred by different kissing loop sequences, we designed and tested chimeric RNAs based on our revised secondary structural models. We found that although the kissing loops are essential for self-association, the critical determinant of multimer stability and stoichiometry is likely the diverse three-way junctions found in these RNAs. Using known features of RNA three-way junctions and solved structures of phi29 pRNA's junction, we propose a model for how different junctions affect self-association.
Crystal structure of the conserved core of protein arginine methyltransferase PRMT3

Protein arginine methylation has been implicated in signal transduction, nuclear transport and transcription regulation. Protein arginine methyltransferases (PRMTs) mediate the AdoMet‐dependent methylation of many proteins, including many RNA binding proteins involved in various aspects of RNA processing and/or transport. Here we describe the crystal structure of the rat PRMT3 catalytic core in complex with reaction product AdoHcy, determined at 2.0 Å resolution. The results reveal a two‐domain structure: an AdoMet‐binding domain and a barrel‐like domain. The AdoMet‐binding domain is a compact version of the consensus AdoMet‐dependent methyltransferase fold. The active site is situated in a cone‐shaped pocket between the two domains. The residues that make up the active site are conserved across the PRMT family, consisting of a double‐E loop containing two invariant Glu and one His–Asp proton‐relay system. The structure suggests a mechanism for the methylation reaction and provides the structural basis for functional characterization of the PRMT family. In addition, crystal packing and solution behavior suggest dimer formation of the PRMT3 core.
Childhood overweight in a New York City WIC population.

OBJECTIVES We estimated the prevalence of overweight in a population of young children enrolled in a New York City Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children. METHODS Administrative and survey data were collected from a sample of enrolled families. Body mass index (BMI) of 557 children aged 2, 3, and 4 years was compared by sociodemographic and nutrition characteristics. RESULTS Forty percent of the children were overweight or at risk for overweight (BMI >/= 85th percentile). Compared with other racial/ethnic groups combined, Hispanic children were more than twice as likely (odds ratio = 2.6; 95% confidence interval = 1.8, 3.8) to be overweight or at risk for overweight. Two-year-olds were less likely to be overweight than 3- and 4-year-olds. CONCLUSIONS Interventions to address childhood overweight should be culturally specific and target very young children.
The Effects of Race Differences in Work History, Work Attitudes, Economic Resources, and Health on Women ' Retirement

The effects of work history, work attitudes, economic resources, and health on the retirement of women, particularly Black women, are poorly understood. This report examines racial differences in these factors and in their effects on the decision to retire, using data gathered from 258 Black and white women aged 62 through 66. Results showed that Black women were considerably more likely than whites to have worked steadily most of their adult lives, although Black and white women expressed quite similar attitudes toward work. Reflecting their work histories, Black women were more likely than whites to be eligible for pensions but were less likely to have retired. In multivariate analysis poor health was a predictor of retirement for both Black and white women, while low average income over the last five years of employment was a predictor only for Blacks. Work history and attitude were unrelated to retirement.
Inductance Calculations for Noncoaxial Coils Using Bessel Functions

A relatively simple and general method for calculating the mutual inductance and self-inductance of both coaxial and noncoaxial cylindrical coils is given. For combinations of cylindrical coils, thin solenoids, pancake coils, and simple circular loops, the mutual inductance can be reduced to a one-dimensional integral of closed form expressions involving Bessel and related functions. Coaxial and noncoaxial cases differ only by the presence of an extra Bessel factor J 0(sp) in the noncoaxial integral, where p is the perpendicular distance separating the coil axes and s is the variable of integration. The method is related to a recently given noncoaxial generalization of Ruby's formula for a nuclear radiation source and detector system, the analogy being close but not exact. In many cases, the Bessel function integral for the inductance can be easily evaluated directly using Maple or Mathematica. In other cases, it is better to transform the integral to a more numerically friendly form. A general analytical solution is presented for the inductance of two circular loops which lie in the same plane
Risk Factors Associated With Repeated HIV Testing Among Internet-Using Men Who Have Sex With Men.

Men who have sex with men (MSM) represent a disproportionately impacted risk group for HIV incidence among at-risk U.S. POPULATIONS Few studies have identified risk factors associated with HIV testing frequency both within and outside of traditional health care settings. MSM enrolled in a prospective cohort were mailed at-home specimen collection kits and followed for a year. Incidence density rate ratios (IDRR) of testing were calculated, and generalized estimating equations were used to analyze the association between HIV testing and behavioral factors. The incidence rate of testing was higher among Black MSM than White MSM (IDRR: 1.3, 95% confidence interval CI [1.1, 1.5]) and higher among MSM who reported 3+ condomless anal intercourse partners (CAI) than MSM who reported no CAI (IDRR: 1.6, 95% CI [1.3, 2.0]). Increasing availability of HIV testing outside traditional health care settings, including at-home testing kits, in conjunction with targeted behavioral interventions and biomedical treatment preventions is needed.
Is Hoarding a Symptom of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder?

The presence of hoarding symptoms in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a commonly reported phenomenon. How these symptoms are to be understood is less clear. The extent to which hoarding fits with other symptoms of OCD by considering its diagnostic utility and underlying cognitive processes is evaluated. In the first study, hoarding symptoms did not differentiate OCD patients from individuals with other anxiety disorders or unscreened students, indicating that hoarding does not inform diagnostic decision making. In the second study, using an independent nonclinical sample, cognitive variables related to OCD were distinct from hoarding-specific cognitions, and not predictive of hoarding symptoms. These results add to a growing body of evidence suggesting that hoarding is not a symptom or manifestation of OCD. The need for careful assessment of the function of hoarding symptoms is discussed.
Knowledge of hereditary prostate cancer among high-risk African American men.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES To measure knowledge of hereditary prostate cancer in a group of high-risk African American men. DESIGN Cross-sectional, correlational pilot study. SETTING Four geographic sites: Detroit, MI; Houston, TX; Chicago, IL; and Columbia, SC. SAMPLE 79 men enrolled in the African American Hereditary Prostate Cancer Study. METHODS Telephone interviews. MAIN RESEARCH VARIABLES Knowledge of hereditary prostate cancer. FINDINGS Knowledge of hereditary prostate cancer was low. CONCLUSIONS The high percentage of incorrect responses on questions that measure genetic testing, prevention, and risk based on a positive family history highlights educational needs. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING A critical need exists for nurses to educate high-risk African American men about hereditary prostate cancer.
Digital Circuits Testing Based on Pattern Overlapping and Broadcasting

and contributions The high test data volume and long test application time are two major concerns for testing scan based circuits. Broadcast-based test compression techniques can reduce both the test data volume and test application time. Pattern overlapping test compression techniques are proven to be highly effective in the test data volume reduction. This dissertation thesis presents a new test compression and test application approach that combines both the test pattern overlapping technique and the test pattern broadcasting technique. It presents a novel on-chip broadcast-based test decompressor architecture that utilizes these two techniques. Test compression algorithm and architecture configuration heuristics are presented as well. This dissertation thesis will illustrate that these new techniques are effective in both the test application time and the test data volume reduction with low hardware area overhead. The proposed methodologies are verified by simulations and through experiments. In particular, the main contributions of the dissertation thesis are as follows: 1. New on-chip test decompressor architecture utilizing broadcasting and overlapping test pattern decompression techniques 2. New test set compression method suitable for the novel decompressor architecture 3. Scan chain configuration method suitable for the novel decompressor architecture
Disseminating alcohol screening and brief intervention at trauma centers: a policy-relevant cluster randomized effectiveness trial.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS In 2005 the American College of Surgeons passed a mandate requiring that level I trauma centers have mechanisms to identify and intervene with problem drinkers. The aim of this investigation was to determine if a multi-level trauma center intervention targeting both providers and patients would lead to higher-quality alcohol screening and brief intervention (SBI) when compared with trauma center mandate compliance without implementation enhancements. DESIGN Cluster randomized trial in which intervention site (site n = 10, patient n = 409) providers received 1-day workshop training on evidence-based motivational interviewing (MI) alcohol interventions and four 30-minute feedback and coaching sessions; control sites (site n = 10, patient n = 469) implemented the mandate without study team training enhancements. SETTING Trauma centers in the United States of America. PARTICIPANTS A total of 878 blood alcohol-positive in-patients with and without traumatic brain injury (TBI). MEASUREMENTS MI skills of providers were assessed with fidelity coded standardized patient interviews. All patients were interviewed at baseline and 6- and 12-months post-injury with the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT). FINDINGS Intervention site providers consistently demonstrated enhanced MI skills compared with control providers. Intervention patients demonstrated an 8% reduction in AUDIT hazardous drinking relative to controls over the course of the year after injury (relative risk = 0.88, 95%, confidence interval = 0.79, 0.98). Intervention patients were more likely to demonstrate improvements in alcohol use problems in the absence of traumatic brain injury (TBI) (P = 0.002). CONCLUSION Trauma center providers can be trained to deliver higher-quality alcohol screening and brief intervention (SBI) than untrained providers, which is associated with modest reductions in alcohol use problems, particularly among patients without TBI.
Alcohol and social anxiety in males: behavioral, cognitive, and physiological effects.

As a test of the tension reduction hypothesis (TRH) of alcohol consumption, two studies were conducted to determine the effects of alcohol on heterosexual social anxiety. In Study 1 a clinical population of socially anxious males first drank . 0 or . 5 ml of pure ethanol/kg of body weight and then interacted with a female confederate. Expectancies about alcohol consumption and its effects were manipulated by using both a placebo beverage and instructional sets about the positive or negative effects of alcohol. Physiological, cognitive/selfreport, and behavioral measures indicated that alcohol produced a marked impairment in the shy subjects on a number of behavioral and self-report measures while not appreciably affecting physiological responses. Study 2 employed a sample of undergraduate males and three dosages of alcohol (.0, ,33, and .75 ml/kg). Once again alcohol impaired both behavioral performance and self-report ratings. In addition, the high-dosage alcohol group experienced greater sustained cardiac acceleration as a function of the social interaction than did the other two groups, suggesting the possibility of an alcohol-stress functional relationship. Taken collectively, this sequence of studies disconfirms the utility of a global TRH in explaining the psychological and physiological effects of alcohol ingestion.
A virtual sensor for room detection

Indoor environments typically consist of sets of connected room-like spaces. We present a local technique that uses range data to detect these spaces during navigation. Our technique includes two parts: segmentation, which isolates room-like spaces and detects when the robot has entered a new one; and feature extraction, which associates each space with a set of geometric features useful for navigation or recognition. Many such features can be considered: here we propose a new method to compute width and length of a rectangular room in a way which is largely invariant with respect to the configuration of the furniture. We report experimental results that show the performance of our technique, and hint at a possible use of this technique for coarse localization on a topological map.
IEEE Standard 519-92 and the harmonic currentes caused by the inverter fed induction motor

This work presents an analysis of the line current harmonic currents created by the three-phase induction motor fed by a frequency inverter under the eyes of the IEEE Standard 519-92. In order to obtain the line current waveform at the supply side, a MATLAB/SIMULINK model of the whole system was developed. Aiming to validate the developed model, simulation results are presented and compared to the experimental ones. In addition to this, an analysis of the supply side line current harmonics was carried out. The results reveal that the Total Harmonic Distortion levels are above the limits established by the IEEE 519-92 Standard.
Stilbene and Its Derivatives for Multistate Spectral Sensing

Terahertz (THz) region in the vibrational spectra of a certain molecule reveals the intramolecular vibrations between weakly bonded or nonbonded groups. Additional information can be acquired by photoinduced transitions between metastable states of the target agent. Different isomers of stilbene and its derivatives can be utilized in order to obtain the spectral “THz fingerprint” using multistate spectral-sensing technology. Also, stilbene and its derivatives are able to form “capping” with DNA, thus making them a very important covalent linker with DNA terminus to increase the fidelity of DNA duplexes as oligonucleotide hybridization probes. We study photoinduced transitions of stilbene and its derivatives and the change of vibrational spectra as a result of these transitions. All derivatives have vibrational frequencies in the THz region with a large difference in frequencies between two isomers.
Anti-spoofing a Finger Vascular Recognition Device with Pulse Detection

The finger vascular pattern is a new biometric that has good spoofing resistance, but recently research has shown that it is possible to spoof a finger vascular recognition device. As there are no other countermeasures published yet. This research is a start to anti-spoofing a finger vascular recognition device. Pulse detection is tested in this research as a countermeasure against such attacks. This detection is also tested on its reliability against a flashing light imitating a pulse.
GASCO: Genetic Algorithm Simulation for Codon Optimization

Codon optimization is a generic technique to achieve optimum expression of a foreign gene in the host's cell system. Selection of optimum codons depends on codon usage of the host genome and the presence of several desirable and undesirable sequence motifs. Searching these motifs in all possible combinations of the codons increases the search space exponentially with respect to sequence length. GASCO is an algorithm developed for the optimum codon selection using genetic algorithms. The algorithm reduces the search space and provides an approximate solution to the problem. The algorithm has applications in DNA vaccine design for successfully eliciting potent immune responses and synthetic gene design for metabolic pathway engineering. The software for the proposed algorithm is available on http://miracle.igib. res.in/gasco/.
Statistical models for evaluating the performance of noncoherent slow frequency-hopped M-FSK intercept receivers

Exact and approximate statistical models (analytical and simulation), based on average- and maximum-likelihood ratio tests, are studied and compared for the purpose of establishing an accurate assessment of the performance of noncoherent SFH M-FSK intercept receivers. Both continuous and discontinuous phase M-FSK cases are considered with important differences between the two. >