Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Montreal Cognitive Assessment in Detecting Cognitive Impairment in Chinese Elderly Individuals: A Population-Based Study

The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) has been proved brief and sensitive to screen for mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and early dementia in some developed countries or areas. However, little MoCA data are available from mainland China. In this study, the MoCA was applied to 8411 Chinese community dwellers aged 65 or older (6283 = cognitively normal [CN], 1687 = MCI, and 441 = dementia). The MoCA norms were established considering significant influential factors. The optimal cutoff points were 13/14 for illiterate individuals, 19/20 for individuals with 1 to 6 years of education, and 24/25 for individuals with 7 or more years of education. With the optimal cutoffs, the sensitivity of the MoCA was 83.8% for all cognitive impairments, 80.5% for MCI and 96.9% for dementia, and the specificity for identifying CN was 82.5%. These indicate that with optimal cutoffs, the MoCA is valid to screen for cognitive impairment in elderly Chinese living in communities.
Phenotypic plasticity and the evolution of trade‐offs: the quantitative genetics of resource allocation in the wing dimorphic cricket, Gryllus firmus

Abstract In the wing dimorphic sand cricket, Gryllus firmus, there is a pronounced trade‐off between flight capability and fecundity. This trade‐off is found both between morphs and within the macropterous morph, in which fecundity is negatively correlated with the mass of the principle flight muscles, the dorso‐longitudinal muscles (DLM). In this paper, we examine how this trade‐off is affected by a reduction in food and its genetic basis. We find that the relative fitness of the two wing morphs is not changed although both fecundity and DLM mass are decreased. A quantitative genetic analysis shows that the trade‐off function is genetically variable but that most of the variation occurs in the intercept rather than the slope of the function. Analysis further indicates a very high genetic correlation between environments (food ration) supporting the hypothesis of a strong functional constraint between reproduction and flight capability.
Fcγ-receptors Induce Mac-1 (CD11b/CD18) Mobilization and Accumulation in the Phagocytic Cup for Optimal Phagocytosis*

Functional interactions between Fcγ-receptors (FcγR) and the β2 integrin Mac-1 (CD11b/CD18) have been described, but the molecular basis of this relationship remains unclear. Although the glycosylphosphatidylinositol-linked receptor FcγRIIIB of human neutrophils is constitutively associated with Mac-1, we found no evidence for direct physical association between Mac-1 and the FcγR of mouse macrophages, which are transmembrane proteins. Nevertheless, Mac-1 accumulated in the phagocytic cup following engagement of FcγR by IgG-opsonized particles. Blocking the CD18 chains of β2 integrins by using specific antibodies reduced Mac-1 accumulation in the cup. These antibodies or the addition of the recombinant CD11b I-domain inhibited the ingestion of IgG-opsonized particles. FcγR cross-linking stimulated cell adhesion to surfaces coated with Mac-1 ligands and in addition enabled macrophages to bind C3bi-opsonized particles, indicating that FcγR-derived signals induce activation of Mac-1. Measurements of fluorescence recovery after photobleaching revealed that whereas most (>80%) of Mac-1 is immobile in resting cells, stimulation of FcγR markedly increases the mobile fraction of the integrin. Activation of Mac-1 by FcγR required the activity of Src family tyrosine kinases, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase and phospholipase C, with the release of diacylglycerol and stimulation of protein kinase C. Because elevated cytosolic Ca2+ was not required, we suggest that novel protein kinase C isoforms are involved in Mac-1 activation. These results suggest that FcγR stimulation promotes Mac-1 clustering into high avidity complexes in phagocytic cups by releasing the integrin from cytoskeletal constraints and enhancing its lateral diffusion. FcγR can enhance host defense by activating Mac-1 (and possibly other integrins), having a synergistic effect on pathogen engulfment and promoting the adherence of phagocytes at sites of infection.
Packet Broadcast Networks - A Performance Analysis of the R-ALOHA Protocol

In packet broadcast networks, users are interconnected via a broadcast channel. The key problem is multiple access of the shared broadcast channel. The performance of the R-ALOHA protocol for multiple access is studied in this paper. Two user models with Poisson message arrivals are analyzed; each message consists of a group of packets with a general probability distribution for group size. In the first model, each user handles one message at a time. In the second model, each user has infinite buffering capacity for queueing. Analytic models are developed for characterizing message delay and channel utilization. Bounds on channel throughput are established for two slightly different protocols. Numerical results from both analysis and simulation are presented to illustrate the accuracy of the analytic models as well as performance characteristics of the R-ALOHA protocol.
Shape-memory polymers as a technology platform for biomedical applications

Polymeric materials are clinically required for medical devices, as well as controlled drug delivery systems. Depending on the application, the polymer has to provide suitable functionalities, for example, mechanical functions or the capability to actively move, so that an implant can be inserted in a compact shape through key-hole incisions and unfold to its functional shape in the body. Shape-memory polymers, as described herein regarding their general principle, compositions and architectures, have developed to a technology platform that allows the tailored design of such multifunctionality. In this way, defined movements of implants triggered either directly or indirectly, tailored mechanical properties, capability for sterilization, biodegradability, biocompatibility and controlled drug release can be realized. This comprehensive review of the scientific and patent literature illustrates that this technology enables the development of novel medical devices that will be clinically evaluated in the near future.
A comparison of methods for measuring patient satisfaction with consultations in primary care.

BACKGROUND Attention needs to be paid to comparing and standardizing methods for measuring patient satisfaction with consultations in primary care. OBJECTIVES To compare the Medical Interview Satisfaction Scale (MISS) and the Consultation Satisfaction Questionnaire (CSQ) in terms of acceptability, distribution of responses, reliability and gather evidence of validity. In addition, to compare the scores of patients completing the questionnaires immediately after the consultation in the general practitioners' surgeries with those completing the questionnaires later at home. METHODS The two questionnaires were bound as a single instrument with order determined at random. This was given to patients immediately after their consultations in eight practices in South Glamorgan. RESULTS One hundred and ninety-eight of 316 (63%) patients completed and returned questionnaires. The distributions of patient satisfaction scores for the two questionnaires were very similar. For the MISS: mean 76.6% (SD 11.4); for the CSQ mean 7.2% (SD 12.6). Correlations between sub-scales ranged from 0.58-0.84 for the MISS and from 0.40-0.79 for the CSQ. The correlation between the overall scales was 0.82. Levels of reliability for the scales and sub-scales were fair to good ranging from 0.78-0.96 for the MISS and from 0.73-0.94 for the CSQ. CONCLUSIONS The study does not identify one scale as being superior in psychometric terms, however by demonstrating consistency of responses it provides support for the scales as measures of patient satisfaction for use in primary care. The level of inter-correlation suggests that the sub-scales may not be clearly independent of each other and suggests that total scores may be preferred. Lower levels of satisfaction are expressed if patients complete questionnaires at home rather than in general practitioners' surgeries.
A Terrestrial Multiple-Receiver Radio Link Experiment at 10.7 GHz - Comparisons of Results with Parabolic Equation Calculations

This work presents the results of a terrestrial multiple-receiver radio link experiment at 10.7 GHz. Results are shown in the form of the power levels recorded at several antennas attached to a receiving mast. Compari- sons of the measurement data with theoretical predictions using a parabolic equation technique show that, due to the complex propagation environment of the troposphere in terms of the refractive index of air, closer agreement between measurements and simulations can be achieved during periods of standard refractive conditions.
Plasma‐Assisted Approaches in Inorganic Nanostructure Fabrication

Plasma is a unique medium for chemical reactions and materials preparations, which also finds its application in the current tide of nanostructure fabrication. Although plasma‐assisted approaches have been long used in thin‐film deposition and the top‐down scheme of micro‐/nanofabrication, fabrication of zero‐ and one‐dimensional inorganic nanostructures through the bottom‐up scheme is a relatively new focus of plasma application. In this article, recent plasma‐assisted techniques in inorganic zero‐ and one‐dimensional nanostructure fabrication are reviewed, which includes four categories of plasma‐assisted approaches: plasma‐enhanced chemical vapor deposition, thermal plasma sintering with liquid/solid feeding, thermal plasma evaporation and condensation, and plasma treatment of solids. The special effects and the advantages of plasmas on nanostructure fabrication are illustrated with examples, emphasizing on the understandings and ideas for controlling the growth, structure, and properties during plasma‐assisted fabrications. This Review provides insight into the utilization of the special properties of plasmas in nanostructure fabrication.
Cutaneous Metastases of Internal Cancers: A Retrospective Study about

The skin is an uncommon site of metastasis of the internal cancers. The majority of cutaneous metastases are diagnosed after the primary cancer; but they can be the telltale sign of an unknown malignancy. They represent a sign of poor prognosis with a survival rate not exceeding a few months. We report the results of a retrospective study conducted in department of medical oncology at Hassan II University Hospital, including 12 patients with cutaneous metastases. The aim of this work is to show the rarity of skin as metastatic site, to analyze the clinical aspects of cutaneous metastasis, the most criminalized primary cancers and the prognosis value of this metastatic localization.
Detection of abnormalities in dyspneic patients using a new lung imaging modality

Background Although chest radiography is a useful examination tool, it has limitations. Because not all chest conditions can be detected on a radiograph, radiography cannot necessarily rule out all irregularities in the chest. Therefore, further imaging studies may be required to clarify the results of a chest radiograph, or to identify abnormalities that are not readily visible. The aim of this study was to compare traditional chest radiography with acoustic‐based imaging (vibration response imaging) for the detection of lung abnormalities in patients with acute dyspnea. Methods The current investigation was a pilot study. Respiratory sounds throughout the respiratory cycle were captured using an acoustic‐based imaging technique. Consecutive patients who presented to the emergency department with acute dyspnea and a normal chest radiograph on admission were enrolled and underwent imaging at the time of presentation. Dynamic and static images of vibration (breath sounds) and a dynamic image score were generated, and assessments were made using an evaluation form. Results In healthy volunteer controls (n=61), the mean dynamic image score was 6.3±1.9. In dyspneic patients with normal chest radiographs (n=51) and abnormal chest radiographs (n=48), the dynamic image scores were 4.7±2.7 and 5.1±2.5, respectively (P <0.05). The final assessment of the vibration images indicated abnormal findings in 15%, 86% and 90% of the participants in the above groups, respectively (P <0.05). Conclusions In patients with acute dyspnea who present with normal chest radiographs, respiratory sound analyses often showed abnormal values. Hence, the ability of acoustic‐based recordings to offer objective and noninvasive measurements of abnormal sound transmission may be useful in the clinical setting for patients presenting with acute dyspnea.
Carcinoid Tumor of the Uterine Cervix

Abstract. A case of welldifferentiated carcinoid in the uterine cervix in a 60‐year‐old white woman is presented, with histochemical and ultrastructural examinations. The patient was treated by hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo‐oophorectomy with pelvic lymph node dissection. No systemic endocrine manifestations were detected. The patient is alive and free from recurrence 11 months after detection of the tumor.
A Constraint Grammar Based Spellchecker for Danish with a Special Focus on Dyslexics

This Paper presents a new, Constraint Grammar based spell and grammar checker for Danish (OrdRet), with a special focus on dyslectic users. The system uses a multi-stage approach, employing both data-driven error lists, phonetic similarity measures and traditional letter matching at the word and chunk level, and CG rules at the contextual level. An ordinary CG parser (DanGram) is used to choose between alternative correction suggestions, and in addition, error types are CG-mapped on existing, but contextually wrong words. An evaluation against hand-marked dyslectic texts shows, that OrdRet finds 68% of errors and achieves ranking-weighted F-Scores of around 49 for this genre.
The role of causal attributions in public misconceptions about brain injury.

OBJECTIVE Social psychological theories such as attribution theory have been applied to conditions such as depression and physical disability, but not to traumatic brain injury (TBI). The goal of this paper is to show that that attribution theory and related concepts help to explain the public's misconceptions about TBI and other challenges faced by clinicians and families of persons with TBI. RESULTS Research shows that misconceptions about brain injury occur because people misattribute the actions of persons with brain injury. These misattributions reflect two features: (a) the absence of visible markers of the injury, and (b) the tendency to compare persons with TBI with their peers rather than their own preinjury performance. These two processes lead to the opposite pattern to the stigma that occurs with visible disabilities: specifically, a failure among members of the public to recognize that problematic behaviors may result from the injury. This analysis suggests several therapeutic strategies for managing public misconceptions in ways that enhance coping and recovery. CONCLUSION Clarifying the attribution processes that underpin misconceptions about brain injury provides a framework for enhancing rehabilitation and addressing these misconceptions effectively.
GETESS - Ontologien, objektrelationale Datenbanken und Textanalyse als Bausteine einer Semantischen Suchmaschine

Die meisten Leser dieser Zeitschrift werden über praktische Erfahrungen mit Suchmaschinen verfügen. Dabei werden sie sowohl die Erfahrung kennen, dass man einige gesuchte Informationen sehr schnell finden kann. Bei anderen Anfragen bemerkt man aber auch die Grenzen der eingesetzten Methoden. Ursache dafür ist, dass die gegenwärtig verfügbaren Suchmaschinen meist Verfahren des Information Retrieval einsetzen. Hierbei handelt es sich um sehr ausgefeilte statistische und überwiegend wortbasiert arbeitende Standard-Verfahren, die wie man im praktischen Einsatz sehen kann sehr effizient arbeiten. Für einige Arten von Anfragen reichen diese statistischen und auf Einzelworten basierenden Verfahren nicht aus, man wünscht sich oft, dass die Suchmaschinen sowohl die Anfragen, die man an sie stellt, als auch die Dokumente der Ergebnismenge besser »verstanden« hätten. Im BMBF-Projekt GETESS (German Text Exploitation and Search System) wurde aufgrund dieser Erfahrungen der Prototyp einer Suchmaschine entwickelt, der Methoden aus der Computerlinguistik und der Wissensrepräsentation in eine Suchmaschine integriert. Das gleiche Szenario kann auch als Dokumentenserver eingesetzt werden. Hierbei werden die Dokumente nicht über Agenten im Internet gesucht und analysiert, sondern die jeweiligen Dokumente sind lokal verfügbar.
Mediators of physical activity behavior change: a multivariate approach.

OBJECTIVE Using a multivariate extension of the Baron and Kenny (1986) mediation framework, we examined the simultaneous effect of variables hypothesized to mediate the relationship between a motivationally tailored physical activity intervention, and 6-month physical activity behavior in 239 healthy, underactive adults (M age = 47.5; 82% women). DESIGN Participants were randomly assigned to (a) print-based feedback; (b) telephone-based feedback; or (c) contact control. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Psychosocial variables, including self-efficacy, decisional balance, and processes of change. RESULTS All mediation criteria were satisfied for both intervention arms. A moderate indirect effect of print (0.39, 95% CI = 0.21, 0.57) was found due to increases in behavioral processes (0.54, 95% CI = 0.29, 0.80) being attenuated by decreases due to cognitive processes (-0.17, 95%CI = 0.31,-.03). A moderate indirect effect was observed for telephone (0.47, 95% CI = 0.28, 0.66), with increases due to behavioral processes (0.61, 95% CI = 0.34, 0.87) attenuated by decreases due to cognitive processes (0.15, 95% CI = -0.27, -0.02); self-efficacy and decisional balance mediational paths did not attain statistical significance. CONCLUSIONS These findings highlight the importance of studies that deconstruct the theoretical components of interventions to determine which combination produces the greatest behavior changes at the lowest cost.
Cardiovascular risk prediction: are we there yet?

Rod Jackson It has been a long journey getting cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk prediction recognised as relevant to clinical decision-making. The Framingham Heart Study investigators put CVD risk prediction on the map over 30 years ago with their Framingham CVD risk scores, and Bill Kannel’s seminal 1976 paper advising clinicians to inform their risk management decisions using predicted CVD risk rather than individual risk factor levels has stood the test of time.1 There is now a wealth of supporting evidence that major CVD risk factors like blood pressure or blood lipid levels are not only individually poor predictors of a patient’s CVD risk but also of a patient’s potential to benefit from treatment, when compared with multifactor CVD risk prediction estimates.2 Disappointingly, estimating CVD risk remains the exception rather than the rule in routine clinical practice.3 As a result, CVD risk factor management is poorly targeted4 because risk prediction, like your tax return, is difficult to do in your head.5 But there is cause for optimism. Many clinical guidelines on the management of CVD risk factors now incorporate risk prediction scores. Moreover, separate guidelines for managing hypertension and dyslipidaemia—which should not be considered independently—are being replaced by more clinically relevant CVD prevention guidelines.6 7 However, there are several barriers to the widespread acceptance of risk prediction as a prerequisite to high-quality clinical management of CVD risk. First, there are continuing arguments on how and for whom to apply prediction scores and second, the accuracy of existing risk prediction scores is quite modest. Before turning to the problem of accuracy—the subject of a study published in this issue of the journal ( see article on page 34 )8—some of the other barriers need to be considered. A topic that continues to be debated is the choice …
Design of a soft 3-axis load cell for human-robot interactions

This paper describes a soft three-axis tactile sensor composed of a soft-rigid multi-material structure embedded with microfluidic pressure sensitive channels. The sensor contains two types of microchannels filled with a liquid conductor for different sensing purposes: one for detecting normal forces and the other for detecting shear forces. While normal forces are measured by a single microchannel, shear forces are detected by a microchannel divided into six segments for an increased spatial resolution. The proposed sensor provides a total of seven output signals based on the direction of the applied force, making it possible to decouple force elements in x, y and z axes.
Dry Self-Assembly & Gang bonding of micro-components from silicon carrier to substrate wafer

We have demonstrated parallel self-assembly process based on mechanical shape-matching between the protrusions of micro-components and the cavities on an 8" carrier wafer. With external agitation, 1 times 1 mm2 micro-components fall into ~2000 receptor sites on the carrier wafer. The reproducibility of self-assembly is shown by an average assembly yield of 95.8plusmn2. 1% within 10 min for 9 repeated trials. The assembled micro-components were then aligned and gang bonded to the substrate wafer. The yield for gang bonding is about 98%. SU-8 can be used alternatively to fabricate the protrusions on the micro-components instead of the usual silicon DRIE process. These micro-components with SU-8 protrusions can be self-assembled in a similar way as those micro-components with silicon protrusions.
Boundary matching detection for progressive transmission of VQ indices over noisy channels

An important issue associated with employing vector quantization (VQ) for image coding is that of reliability regarding the actual performance in the presence of channel noise. This paper presents a novel, approach to addressing such issues. The novelty of the proposed approach is that it renders much better reconstruction image quality with greatly reduced complexity, comparing to existing schemes. The proposed approach takes advantages of the spatial contiguity property of images, instead of treating the transmitted data as general information data like many other joint source-channel coding schemes do. <<ETX>>
Ozone dose and effect in humans and rats. A comparison using oxygen-18 labeling and bronchoalveolar lavage.

In an effort to improve risk assessments for ozone (O3) we compared the incorporation of inhaled oxygen-18-labeled O3 (18O3) into the lungs of humans and laboratory rats. Cells and fluids obtainable through bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) were examined after exposure to 18O3 to determine whether excess 18O concentrations (presumed to be reaction products of 18O3) could be detected and equated to the O3 dose to the lung. Three O3 effect measurements (increased BAL protein and neutrophils and decreased BAL macrophages) were also made in subjects or animals exposed in parallel to determine whether there was a correspondence between dose and effect measurements. Eight human male volunteers 18 to 35 yr of age were exposed to 18O3 (0.4 ppm for 2 h) with 15-min alternating periods of heavy treadmill exercise and rest. Rats (F344) were exposed identically, except without exercise. 18O3 was generated directly from pure 18O2. BAL cells and centrifugally separable surfactant material were freeze-dried and analyzed by mass spectrometer for excess 18O. Results showed that the exercising humans had four- to fivefold higher 18O concentrations in all of their BAL constituents than did the rats. The humans also had significant increases in all of the effects markers after 0.4 ppm O3, whereas the rats did not. Rats that were exposed to higher concentrations of 18O3 (2.0 ppm) had levels of 18O in BAL that were more comparable to but still lower than those of exercising humans. Changes in all of the effects markers in these rats were comparable or higher than in exercising humans. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)