Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Validity and Responsiveness of At-Home Touch Screen Assessments in Advanced Parkinson's Disease

The aim of this study was to investigate if a telemetry test battery can be used to measure effects of Parkinson's disease (PD) treatment intervention and disease progression in patients with fluctuations. Sixty-five patients diagnosed with advanced PD were recruited in an open longitudinal 36-month study; 35 treated with levodopa-carbidopa intestinal gel (LCIG) and 30 were candidates for switching from oral PD treatment to LCIG. They utilized a test battery, consisting of self-assessments of symptoms and fine motor tests (tapping and spiral drawings), four times per day in their homes during week-long test periods. The repeated measurements were summarized into an overall test score (OTS) to represent the global condition of the patient during a test period. Clinical assessments included ratings on unified PD rating scale (UPDRS) and 39-item PD questionnaire (PDQ-39) scales. In LCIG-naïve patients, the mean OTS compared to baseline was significantly improved from the first test period on LCIG treatment until month 24. In LCIG-nonnaïve patients, there were no significant changes in the mean OTS until month 36. The OTS correlated adequately with total UPDRS (rho = 0.59) and total PDQ-39 (0.59). Responsiveness measured as effect size was 0.696 and 0.536 for OTS and UPDRS, respectively. The trends of the test scores were similar to the trends of clinical rating scores but the dropout rate was high. Correlations between OTS and clinical rating scales were adequate indicating that the test battery contains important elements of the information of well-established scales. The responsiveness and reproducibility were better for OTS than for total UPDRS.
Adult-Born and Preexisting Olfactory Granule Neurons Undergo Distinct Experience-Dependent Modifications of their Olfactory Responses In Vivo

Neurogenesis continues throughout adulthood in the mammalian olfactory bulb and hippocampal dentate gyrus, suggesting the hypothesis that recently generated, adult-born neurons contribute to neural plasticity and learning. To explore this hypothesis, we examined whether olfactory experience modifies the responses of adult-born neurons to odorants, using immediate early genes (IEGs) to assay the response of olfactory granule neurons. We find that, shortly after they differentiate and synaptically integrate, the population of adult-born olfactory granule neurons has a greater population IEG response to novel odors than mature, preexisting neurons. Familiarizing mice with test odors increases the response of the recently incorporated adult-born neuron population to the test odors, and this increased responsiveness is long lasting, demonstrating that the response of the adult-born neuron population is altered by experience. In contrast, familiarizing mice with test odors decreases the IEG response of developmentally generated neurons, suggesting that recently generated adult-born neurons play a distinct role in olfactory processing. The increased IEG response is stimulus specific; familiarizing mice with a set of different, “distractor” odors does not increase the adult-born neuron population response to the test odors. Odor familiarization does not influence the survival of adult-born neurons, indicating that the changes in the population response of adult-born neurons are not attributable to increased survival of odor-stimulated neurons. These results demonstrate that recently generated adult-born olfactory granule neurons and older, preexisting granule neurons undergo contrasting experience-dependent modifications in vivo and support the hypothesis that adult-born neurons are involved in olfactory learning.
Bayesian Linkage Analysis of Categorical Traits for Arbitrary Pedigree Designs

Background Pedigree studies of complex heritable diseases often feature nominal or ordinal phenotypic measurements and missing genetic marker or phenotype data. Methodology We have developed a Bayesian method for Linkage analysis of Ordinal and Categorical traits (LOCate) that can analyze complex genealogical structure for family groups and incorporate missing data. LOCate uses a Gibbs sampling approach to assess linkage, incorporating a simulated tempering algorithm for fast mixing. While our treatment is Bayesian, we develop a LOD (log of odds) score estimator for assessing linkage from Gibbs sampling that is highly accurate for simulated data. LOCate is applicable to linkage analysis for ordinal or nominal traits, a versatility which we demonstrate by analyzing simulated data with a nominal trait, on which LOCate outperforms LOT, an existing method which is designed for ordinal traits. We additionally demonstrate our method's versatility by analyzing a candidate locus (D2S1788) for panic disorder in humans, in a dataset with a large amount of missing data, which LOT was unable to handle. Conclusion LOCate's accuracy and applicability to both ordinal and nominal traits will prove useful to researchers interested in mapping loci for categorical traits.
Spatiotemporal adaptation through corticothalamic loops: A hypothesis

The thalamus is the major gate to the cortex and its control over cortical responses is well established. Cortical feedback to the thalamus is, in turn, the anatomically dominant input to relay cells, yet its influence on thalamic processing has been difficult to interpret. For an understanding of complex sensory processing, detailed concepts of the corticothalamic interplay need yet to be established. Drawing on various physiological and anatomical data, we elaborate the novel hypothesis that the visual cortex controls the spatiotemporal structure of cortical receptive fields via feedback to the lateral geniculate nucleus. Furthermore, we present and analyze a model of corticogeniculate loops that implements this control, and exhibit its ability of object segmentation by statistical motion analysis in the visual field.
Estimation techniques for timing mismatch in time-interleaved analog-to-digital converters: Limitations and solutions

Time interleaving (TI) is one of the best approaches to relax the speed-power trade-off of analog-to-digital converters (ADC). However, channel mismatches especially timing can limit the resolution of TIADC if they are not addressed properly. To achieve an efficient calibration for these errors, the most difficult task is the error estimation in the digital domain. The correction is less problematic and can be done either in digital domain or in the analog domain. Two big families of estimation techniques are commonly employed: the free-band estimation and the cross-correlation estimation. This paper reviews and analyses these estimation techniques and highlights their limitations. It also presents solutions to overcome these limitations.
Surrendering with Statistics! Are University Students Stooping in with a Deficit? A Preliminary Analysis of the Constraints at a University in a Developing Country

This study aims to identify the barriers to success in statistics using exploratory factor analysis and regression modelling techniques. Students from a broad spectrum of specialities in universities take statistics as a course, the majority of them with poor mathematical background. A questionnaire was administered to 394 respondents in the faculty of management sciences at a university in South Africa. The study identified 6 factors namely disadvantaged background, cognitive capacity, access to resources, support structures, content difficulty and value of statistics as barriers to success in statistics. The factors disadvantaged background and cognitive capacity are classified as situational barriers. The factors access to resources and support structures are classified as organisational barriers. The factors access to resources and support structures are classified as organisational barriers. Regression modelling techniques reveals that factor cognitive capacity is influenced by the number of times a student has repeated statistics and the levels obtained in the mathematics in Grade 12 (Matriculation). DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2014. v5n3p234
Modeling the sleep interval effects in duty-cycled underwater sensor networks

Lately, there has been a growing interest in connecting opportunistic routing (OR) and low duty-cycling methodologies in underwater sensor network (UWSNs) applications. This connection improves the data collection reliability and prolongs the network lifetime. When sensor nodes operate in a duty-cycling manner, the properly sleep interval selection and its on-the-fly adjustment should be addressed. Both tasks are challenging when opportunistic routing protocols are used at the network layer, as they should consider the presence of the next-hop candidates set. In this paper, we propose a modeling framework to evaluate the effects of the sleep interval on the energy consumption of duty-cycled UWSNs, which employ opportunistic routing protocol at the network layer. We investigate the sleep interval control problem in the OR scenarios, formulating it as an optimization problem with the goal of extending the network lifetime. Our simulation results show that different fixed sleep interval duty-cycles do not impact on the average energy consumption whereas the sleep interval control can prolong the UWSN lifetime.
Hardware guide winding and hot wire winding

This paper addresses the limitation of linear winding and needle winding of outer stators for electric drives. A new winding technology based on conventional needle winding is introduced and discussed. Winding heads customized to fit the new process are presented and their geometry is explained. The corresponding winding path is analyzed and evaluated giving design guidelines. Hot Wire Winding is presented as a solution for a more elastic wire behavior. First test results are reported and discussed. Several other possibilities for further process improvement are presented.
Perceived Changes in Sleep in Adults With Epilepsy

ABSTRACT: Background: Epilepsy is the most common chronic neurological disease in the United States, and 70% of diagnoses occur in late adolescence or adulthood. A disease of the brain, epilepsy can affect sleep. Lack of adequate or high-quality sleep can cause decrements in quality of life. Adults living with epilepsy are at especially high risk for sleep alterations, and these changes in sleep can worsen their epilepsy. The purpose of the study was to describe the perceived effect of epilepsy on sleep in adults who developed epilepsy in late adolescence or adulthood. Research questions included (a) “In adults with epilepsy, what is the perceived change in ability to sleep well because of having epilepsy? ”; (b) “In adults with epilepsy, is there a significant relationship between perceived changes in ability to sleep well and perceived changes in overall life because of having epilepsy? ”; and (c) “In adults with epilepsy, is there a significant relationship between perceived changes in ability to sleep well because of having epilepsy and total Life Changes in Epilepsy Scale (LCES) scores? ”. Methods: One hundred seventy-four adults with epilepsy were recruited. Utilizing data collected via the LCES, a quantitative descriptive/correlational design was utilized. Analyses were carried out to answer each research question. Results: The mean score for the sleep item of the LCES was 2.76 (SD = 1.31), indicating an overall negative change in ability to sleep well. There was a statistically significant, strong positive relationship between the sleep and overall life changes items of the LCES (Pearson r = .476, p < .0000) and also between the sleep item and total LCES scores (Pearson r = .620, p < .0000). Implications: Findings from this study contribute to the extant literature by revealing epilepsy-related changes in sleep as perceived by adults living with epilepsy specifically because of having epilepsy. On the basis of findings rendered from this sample, having epilepsy can lead to perceived negative changes in a person’s ability to sleep well, and these negative changes are significantly correlated with negative overall life changes. Recommendations for clinical practice and research can be made based on current results.
Ivabradine: Role in the Chronic Heart Failure Armamentarium

Ivabradine is approved to reduce hospitalizations for patients with symptomatic heart failure, reduced ejection fraction, and persistently elevated heart rate despite otherwise maximal medical therapy. However, the eligible patient population is a small fraction of those with heart failure overall. This review summarizes the major clinical evidence supporting the use of ivabradine, identifies and discusses areas of uncertainty from the clinical trial data, helps describe the population most likely to benefit, and attempts to place ivabradine within the multifaceted treatment scheme currently used for patients with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction.
Opsin photoisomerases in the chick retina and pineal gland: characterization, localization, and circadian regulation.

PURPOSE The chick retina and pineal gland exhibit circadian oscillations in biochemical and physiological processes in vivo and in vitro, which entrain to 24-hour light-dark cycles. However, the phototransduction mechanisms responsible for entrainment are largely unknown. The present study characterizes two candidate opsinlike genes that may play a role in entrainment of the clocks in these tissues. METHODS Bioinformatics, cladistic techniques, and in situ hybridization and Northern blot analyses were conducted to characterize, localize, and determine the circadian expression of the candidate opsinlike genes in the retina and pineal gland. RESULTS Two candidate photosensors and/or photoisomerases were predominantly distributed within the pineal gland and retina: the retinal pigmented epithelium-derived rhodopsin homologue (peropsin, gRrh) and retinal G-protein-coupled receptor opsin (RGR opsin, gRgr). Northern blot and in situ analyses revealed mRNA expression for both opsins in the pineal gland, retina, and brain tissue. The mRNA for both genes within the pineal gland and retina is regulated on a circadian basis such that they are highest in late subjective day. Digoxigenin in situ analyses showed retinal gRgr message within the inner nuclear layer (INL) and retinal ganglion cell layer (RGL), whereas gRrh message was distributed predominantly in the RGL. In the pineal gland, gRgr message was sparsely distributed among pinealocytes in follicles, but not within the follicles themselves, whereas gRrh was localized in interstitial areas indicative of astrocytic and/or endothelial origin. CONCLUSIONS The presence of two putative photoisomerases within the pineal gland and in retinal layers associated with biological clock function provides two candidate opsinlike genes that may serve in the visual cycle regulation of the circadian clock.
“Changing the Rules of the Game”: Experiences of Jewish Immigrants From the Former Soviet Union

Family therapy has recently begun to pay attention to the effects of structural oppression on immigrant lives. However, the research on this topic is scarce, especially in the case of immigrants privileged in terms of race, professionalism and legal status. The reported study explored the effect of macro factors—barriers to labor market and shift to nuclear family organization—on relational dynamics in 10 white professional heterosexual Jewish couples from the former Soviet Union in Toronto. The findings demonstrate the participants’ adoption of white, neoliberal, heteronormative, and patriarchal notions to describe their relational experiences. Couples’ resistance strategies to deal with immigration challenges are presented. The importance of family therapists’ focus on social location and historical and structural context in understanding immigrant couples’ experiences is stressed.
"I Share, Therefore I Am": Personality Traits, Life Satisfaction, and Facebook Check-Ins

This study explored whether agreeableness, extraversion, and openness function to influence self-disclosure behavior, which in turn impacts the intensity of checking in on Facebook. A complete path from extraversion to Facebook check-in through self-disclosure and sharing was found. The indirect effect from sharing to check-in intensity through life satisfaction was particularly salient. The central component of check-in is for users to disclose a specific location selectively that has implications on demonstrating their social lives, lifestyles, and tastes, enabling a selective and optimized self-image. Implications on the hyperpersonal model and warranting principle are discussed.
Telecare for patients with type 1 diabetes and inadequate glycemic control: a randomized controlled trial and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE To determine the efficacy of telecare (modem transmission of glucometer data and clinician feedback) to support intensive insulin therapy in patients with type 1 diabetes and inadequate glycemic control. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Thirty-one patients with type 1 diabetes on intensive insulin therapy and with HbA1c >7.8% were randomized to telecare (glucometer transmission with feedback) or control (glucometer transmission without feedback) for 6 months. The primary end point was 6-month HbA1c. To place our findings in context, we pooled HbA1c change from baseline reported in randomized trials of telecare identified in a systematic review of the literature. RESULTS Compared with the control group, telecare patients had a significantly lower 6-month HbA1c (8.2 vs. 7.8%, P = 0.03, after accounting for HbA1c at baseline) and a nonsignificant fourfold greater chance of achieving 6-month HbA1c < or =7% (29 vs. 7%; risk difference 21.9%, 95% CI -4.7 to 50.5). Nurses spent 50 more min/patient giving feedback on the phone with telecare patients than with control patients. Meta-analysis of seven randomized trials of adult patients with type 1 diabetes found a 0.4% difference (95% CI 0-0.8) in HbA1c mean change from baseline between the telecare and control groups. CONCLUSIONS Telecare is associated with small effects on glycemic control in patients with type 1 diabetes on intensive insulin therapy but with inadequate glycemic control.
Occlusion boundary detection and figure/ground assignment from optical flow

In this work, we propose a contour and region detector for video data that exploits motion cues and distinguishes occlusion boundaries from internal boundaries based on optical flow. This detector outperforms the state-of-the-art on the benchmark of Stein and Hebert [24], improving average precision from. 58 to. 72. Moreover, the optical flow on and near occlusion boundaries allows us to assign a depth ordering to the adjacent regions. To evaluate performance on this edge-based figure/ground labeling task, we introduce a new video dataset that we believe will support further research in the field by allowing quantitative comparison of computational models for occlusion boundary detection, depth ordering and segmentation in video sequences.
The Retrospective Pretest and the Role of Pretest Information in Evaluative Studies

To test the effect of training programs, subjects are often given self-report questionnaires. When such self-report instruments are used, response-shift bias is a possible confounder of results. According to the response-shift theory, pretest information given to subjects might reduce or diminish response-shift bias. In this experiment pretest information was given prior to a course in leadership. Contrary to expectation, the subjects' ratings were somewhat lower in the pretest-information condition. It was concluded that the pretest information provided was not effective enough. Use of a correct amount of reliable pretest information is recommended, otherwise this information may function as a ‘minicourse’ in itself and thereby confound the hypothesized or expected results.
Family Involvement and Holocaust Salience among Offspring and Grandchildren of Holocaust Survivors

The present research focuses on family involvement reported by offspring and grandchildren of Holocaust survivors (OHS and GHS, respectively). Study 1 included a convenience sample of 75 participants, divided into 2 groups (36 OHS and 39 comparisons). Study 2 included a convenience sample of 92 dyads of OHS and GHS. Both samples completed the Family Involvement Questionnaire and the Holocaust Salience Scale. In line with the hypotheses, Study 1 found that, relative to comparisons, OHS presented greater familial involvement. Only OHS with strong family involvement showed higher Holocaust salience than comparisons. Study 2 showed higher familial involvement among OHS as compared to GHS, and significant parent-child correlations. The results show that family involvement is related to intergenerational transmission of the trauma, especially among OHS. Yet, among OHS and GHS, parents’ and children’s family involvement were associated. The theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.
Beyond Participation: What We Learned from Hunter about Collaboration with Pasifika Children and Families

Increasing the participation rates of Pasifika children in early childhood settings is a policy target in Aotearoa — New Zealand. Yet, participation may not engender positive learning outcomes for children from diverse cultural backgrounds without attention to teacher knowledge and practice. The early childhood curriculum document, Te Whāriki, encourages teachers to collaborate with families. However, there is little research to guide teachers in mainstream centres to interpret Pasifika children's interests, particularly those that link with the understandings and everyday experiences of their families, communities or cultures. This article reports on a qualitative, interpretivist project. Findings related to a Pasifika child are presented. The child's overt interest in drumming led to deeper examination of his developing identities as a learner and member of his family and culture. The article argues that in order for diverse children and families to genuinely benefit from participation in early education teachers might usefully adopt more analytical, culturally responsive, and dialogic approaches and constructs to guide provision of a dynamic and responsive play-based curriculum. The use of theoretical frameworks such as funds of knowledge to assist families and centres to engage in and sustain reciprocal relationships and enhance collaboration to benefit children's growing learner and cultural identities is discussed.
Treating the sexual intimacy concerns of sexual abuse survivors

Because of the extremely high prevalence of sexual abuse in our culture (Becker et al., 1982; Russell, 1986) and the fact that sexual abuse causes a variety of sexual problems (Laumann et al., 1999; Maltz & Holman, 1987; Maltz, 1987; Maltz, 2001a; Courtois, 2000), a large proportion of patients seeking sex and relationship therapy will inevitably have histories of incest, rape, molestation, and other forms of sexual exploitation. To work effectively with this population, therapists need to understand the sexual impact of sexual abuse and be familiar with special sexual healing strategies and techniques that have been developed for survivors and their intimate partners (Maltz, 2001a, 2001b).