Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Meta-analysis on the effect of mental imagery on motor recovery of the hemiplegic upper extremity function.

BACKGROUND/AIM Studies have shown that mental imagery can enhance relearning and generalisation of function after stroke. The aim of this meta-analysis was to evaluate evidence on the effects of mental imagery on motor recovery of the hemiplegic upper extremities after stroke. METHODS A comprehensive data base search of the literature up to December 2012 was performed using PubMed, EBSCO host (Academic Search Premier, CINAHL and Educational Resource Information Center), PsycINFO, Medline, and ISI Web of Knowledge (Science Citation Index and Social Sciences Citation Index). Randomised clinical trials or controlled clinical trials that included mental imagery for improving upper extremity motor function for stroke patients were located. Relevant articles were critically reviewed and methodological quality was evaluated using the PEDro Scale, and study results synthesised. RESULTS Five randomised clinical trials and one controlled clinical trial met the inclusion criteria. Five of the six studies yielded positive findings in favour of mental imagery. Quantitative analysis showed a significant difference in the Action Research Arm Test (overall effect: Z=6.75; P<<0.001). CONCLUSION Review of the literature revealed a trend in support of the use of motor imagery for upper extremity motor rehabilitation after stroke. Mental imagery could be a viable intervention for stroke patients given its benefits of being safe, cost-effective and rendering multiple and unlimited practice opportunities. It is recommended that researchers incorporate imaging techniques into clinical studies so that the mechanism whereby mental imagery mediates motor recovery or neural adaptation for people with stroke can be better understood.
Renal Effects of Antisense-Mediated Inhibition of SGLT2

ISIS 388626 is an antisense sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitor designed to treat type 2 diabetes mellitus by induction of glucosuria. ISIS 388626 was demonstrated to be safe and effective in preclinical trails in several species. We undertook the present study to evaluate the safety and efficacy of 13 weekly doses of 50, 100, and 200 mg of ISIS 388626 in humans. ISIS 388626 increased 24-hour urinary glucose excretion dose dependently with 508.9 ± 781.45 mg/day in the 100-mg and 1299.8 ± 1833.4 mg/day in the 200-mg cohort, versus 88.7 ± 259.29 mg/day in the placebo group. ISIS 388626 induced a reversible increase in serum creatinine, with the largest effect after eight doses of ISIS 388626 (200 mg; 0.38 ± 0.089 mg/dl; 44% increase over baseline). Three subjects were discontinued as a result of creatinine increases. The renal clearance test revealed no indications for impairment of glomerular filtration or renal perfusion. The creatinine increases were accompanied by a rise in the levels of urinary renal damage markers [β-2-microglobulin (B2M), total protein, kidney injury molecule (KIM1), α-glutathione S-transferase (aGST), N-acetyl-β-(d)-glucosaminidase (NAG)]. Other treatment-related adverse events included mild injection site reactions occurring in 8–19% of the subjects. In conclusion, ISIS 388626 treatment induced glucosuria at a dose level of 200 mg/week. This intended pharmacological effect was small, amounting to approximately 1% of the total amount of filtered glucose. Changes in serum and urinary markers were indicative of transient renal dysfunction, most probably of tubular origin. Whether the glucosuria is caused by specific SGLT2 inhibition or general tubular dysfunction or a combination remains uncertain.
Study and design of graphene field effect transistor for RF performance

This paper presents the study of RF characteristics of Graphene based Field Effect Transistor (GFET). The study of characteristic curves is carried out using SILVAVO TCAD tools. The RF parameters which determines the performance of the device in the higher frequency and the effect of downscaling of the device channel length is analyzed and parameters are extracted. This work also presents the effective and novel way to model the material graphene in simulator and GFET device simulation using TCAD.
Sensitivity of reliability of logic gates

Ever-shrinking dimensions of transistors in CMOS have caused the failure rates/probabilities to increase dramatically. Monte Carlo simulations are one way of estimation the failure probabilities, however, such simulations tend to be very time-consuming. A much speedier alternative is to use models for the estimation. This paper presents a method for creating the mathematical models for the probabilities of failures of CMOS logic gates/blocks. The models of five common gates are included, i.e., NAND3, NAND4, NOR3, NOR4 and OAI22. The models can also be used to study the sensitivity of the gates' failures to their individual transistors' failures. The presented technique is applicable to larger logic cells such as 28-transistor full-adders, etc. The given models are anticipated to be useful for Pareto-optimization of logic blocks, for instance, power-and-reliability, performance-and-reliability etc.
Design and Analysis of Static Pressure Distribution and Measurement on Contact Interface

The developed human body-seat surface pressure measurement system is rational and feasible, and can measure the human body and the pressure distribution dynamically and in real time. The human body seat surface pressure distribution measurement system mainly includes FSR pressure sensor array and STC15F2K60S2 microcontroller. First, the standard weight scale is used to calibrate the FSR sensor and draw the output voltage curve under different pressure inputs. STC15F2K60S2 microcontroller has eight 10-bits AD converters. System adopts RS232 serial interface with the PC for serial communication. The MATLB is employed to conduct data processing and analysis, while the band pass filter is applied for noise suppression. After filtering data in the pre-processing stage, Fourier transform is used to analyze the valid data, then use SP Tool tools for simulation.
Social network aided plagiarism detection

The prevalence of different kinds of electronic devices and the volume of content on the Web have increased the amount of plagiarism, which is considered an unethical act. If we want to be efficient in the detection and prevention of these acts, we have to improve today's methods of discovering plagiarism. The paper presents a research study where a framework for the improved detection of plagiarism is proposed. The framework focuses on the integration of social network information, information from the Web, and an advanced semantically enriched visualization of information about authors and documents that enables the exploration of obtained data by seeking of advanced patterns of plagiarism. To support the proposed framework, a special software tool was also developed. The statistical evaluation confirmed that the employment of social network analysis and advanced visualization techniques led to improvements in the confirmation and investigation stages of the plagiarism detection process, thereby enhancing the overall efficiency of the plagiarism detection process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
A Java Based Parser Software for Converting XML Documents to the ER Model and Relational Databases

In this paper we present a conceptual design model that was used to create a tool for converting XML documents and their data to an ER model and then a relational database. This tool, a Java based parser software, parses and reads in XML documents, maps them to an ER model, and then maps the ER model to a relational database. The software also creates an Access database from the relational mapping. This tool will be very useful to avail of the benefits of relational database technology once the XML data is in relational database format.
Information provision to clients with stroke and their carers: self-reported practices of occupational therapists.

BACKGROUND The literature promotes the use of a wide range of educational materials for teaching and training clients with chronic conditions such as stroke. Client education is a valuable tool used by occupational therapists to facilitate client and carer ability to manage the stroke-affected upper limb. The aim of this study was to identify what information was provided to clients and carers, how this information was delivered, when the information was delivered and the client factors that influenced the method of information provision. METHODS Convenience and snowball sampling was used to recruit occupational therapists working in stroke. Twenty-eight participants completed the study questionnaire anonymously and their responses were summarised descriptively. RESULTS There was a clinically important trend for carers to receive less information than clients. Written and/or verbal information was the favoured method for delivering information related to handling (57%), soft-tissue injury minimisation (46.4%) and oedema management (50%). Information was delivered with decreasing frequency from admission (86%) to discharge (64%). More than 90% of participants indicated that the client's cognitive ability, visual ability, level of communication, primary language and perceptual ability were considered prior to the delivery of information. DISCUSSION Participants regularly conveyed information to clients and carers with respect to management of the stroke-affected upper limb. However, an increased emphasis on the development of practical self-management skills, awareness of the impact of personal factors and a timeline for information provision may prove useful.
About the possibilities of classic and operational gaming modeling in support of decision-making on the management of enterprises and corporations

The possibilities of gaming simulation to support the adoption of a broad range of planned and operational decisions in the management of enterprises and corporations are considered. The capabilities developed to date tools game modeling and original approach based on a synthesis of basic concepts of game theory and operations research with the ideas analytical accounting, the strict definition of economic facts in the form of static games (pending dynamic ensembles of static games) are compared. The possibilities of simulation of real decision-making procedures and information flow in high-tech companies and corporations are analyzed.
CXCR4 antagonist AMD3100 reverses the neurogenesis and behavioral recovery promoted by forced limb-use in stroke rats.

PURPOSE Forced limb-use can enhance neurogenesis and behavioral recovery as well as increasing the level of stromal cell-derived factor-1 (SDF-1) in stroke rats. We examined whether the SDF-1/CXCR4 pathway is involved in the enhanced neurogenesis and promoted behavioral recovery induced by forced limb-use in the chronic phase of stroke. METHODS The CXCR4 antagonist, AMD3100, was used to block the SDF-1/CXCR4 pathway in the ischemic rats. Brain ischemia was induced by endothelin-1. One week after ischemia, the unimpaired forelimb of rats was immobilized for 3 weeks. The proliferation, migration, and survival of DCX-positive cells in the subventricular zone (SVZ), and the dendritic complexity of DCX-positive cells in the dentate gyrus (DG), as well as the inflammatory response in the infarcted striatum were analyzed by immunohistochemistry. Functional recovery was assessed in beam-walking and water maze tests. RESULTS Forced limb-use enhanced the proliferation, migration, dendritic complexity and the survival of newborn neurons. Furthermore, forced limb-use suppressed the inflammatory response and improved both motor and cognitive functions after stroke. AMD3100 significantly abrogated the enhanced neurogenesis and behavioral recovery induced by forced limb-use without influencing the inflammatory response. CONCLUSIONS SDF-1/CXCR4 pathway seems to be involved in the enhancement of neurogenesis and behavioral recovery induced by post-stroke forced limb-use.
Laparoscopic treatment for small intestinal bleeding: a report of 77 cases.

BACKGROUND Morbidity of small intestinal disease is rare and the associated lesion is hard to be detected due to lack of specific manifestations and effective diagnostic approaches. Hematochezia and melena are the most common symptoms in small intestinal diseases. Hence, small intestinal disease is an important differential diagnosis when hematochezia or melena occurs, especially when gastric and colonic diseases are excluded. As the small intestinal lesion is hard to be located preoperatively, laparotomy used to be performed without a preoperative location. This might lead to related postoperative complications. With the development of laparoscopic technique, laparoscopic operations are more frequently applied to surgical disease, despite their benign or malignant nature. Generally, almost all kinds of small intestinal disease can be treated with laparoscopic surgery. METHODS Clinical data of 77 patients with small intestinal bleeding undergoing laparoscopic or laparoscopy-assisted operations from April 2003 to December 2008 were included, and their clinical information were analyzed retrospectively. RESULTS No intraoperative complication or conversion was observed in all cases. The mean operative time, mean estimated blood loss, and mean size of incision were 78.3 +/- 30.5 minutes, 17.5 +/- 9.8 mL, and 3.3 +/- 1.9 cm, respectively. Postoperative complications occurred in 4 patients, including 2 cases of adhesive ileus, 1 case of gastric retention, and 1 case of anastomotic bleeding. All of them were cured by nonoperative management. The mean flatus time was 2 days after operation and the mean postoperative hospital stay was 7 days. There was 1 case of gastrointestinal stromal tumor with local recurrence and hepatic metastasis. Four patients died from metastasis of malignant tumors during the follow-up from 2 to 70 months after operations. No trocar site or wound recurrences were noted. CONCLUSIONS Laparoscopic treatment in small intestinal bleeding is feasible, safe, and minimally invasive. It may be widely used in the future for its good therapeutic outcomes and improved diagnostic chance in small intestinal bleeding diseases.
Effects of context change upon retrieval of first and second-learned information in human predictive learning

Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the context switch effect upon retrieval of the information about a cue-outcome relationship in human predictive learning. The results replicated the well-known effect of renewal of the cue-outcome relationship due to a context change after a retroactive interference treatment, as much as the null effect of the context change upon acquisition before retroactive interference training had taken place (Experiment 2). However, retrieval of an unambiguous cue-outcome relationship was also impaired by a context switch when this relationship was established in a context where a different cue had received an interference treatment (Experiments 1 and 2). Once the interference treatment was given to participants in one context, unambiguous cue-outcome relationships learned in a different context also became context specific (Experiment 2). The implications of these results for retrieval theory are discussed.
Expression and characterization of the acidic subunit from 11S Amaranth seed protein

Amarantin acidic subunit has the potential to be employed as a functional and a nutraceutical protein. To evaluate both possibilities this protein was produced in recombinant Escherichia coli Origami (DE3) harboring the expression plasmid pET‐AC6His. Three different expression factors were assayed: inductor concentration, temperature and time of the amarantin acidic subunit accumulation. The results indicated that a 0.3 mmol/L concentration of isopropyl‐β‐D‐thiogalactoside, at 37°C and 6 h after induction were favorable for high expression of amarantin acidic subunit, mostly in the form of inclusion bodies. The protein was purified from soluble fraction by immobilized metal affinity chromatography, up to 30 mg amarantin acidic subunit/L Terrific broth culture were obtained. Sucrose density gradient ultracentrifugation analysis of the expressed soluble amarantin acidic subunit revealed that it was assembled in monomers. The expression of the amarantin acidic subunit, together with the one‐step purification will facilitate further investigation of this storage protein through site‐directed mutagenesis.
Myogenin and MyoD join a family of skeletal muscle genes regulated by electrical activity.

Myogenin and MyoD are proteins that bind to the regulatory regions of a battery of skeletal muscle genes and can activate their transcription during muscle differentiation. We have recently found that both proteins interact with the enhancer of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) alpha subunit, a gene that is regulated by innervation. This observation prompted us to study if myogenin and MyoD transcript levels are also regulated by skeletal muscle innervation. Using Northern blot analysis, we found that MyoD and myogenin mRNA levels begin to decline at embryonic day 17 and attain adult levels in muscle of newborn and 3-week-old mice, respectively. In contrast, nAChR mRNAs are highest in newborn and 1-week-old mouse muscle and decline thereafter to reach adult levels in 3-week-old mice. To determine if the down-regulation of myogenin and MyoD mRNA levels during development is due to innervation, we quantitated message levels in adult calf muscles after denervation. We found that in denervated muscle myogenin and MyoD mRNAs reach levels that are approximately 40- and 15-fold higher than those found in innervated muscle. Myogenin mRNAs begin to accumulate rapidly between 8 and 16 hr after denervation, and MyoD transcripts levels begin to increase sharply between 16 hr and 1 day after denervation. The increases in myogenin and MyoD mRNA levels precede the rapid accumulation of nAChR alpha-subunit transcripts; receptor mRNAs begin to accumulate significantly after 1 day of denervation. The effects of denervation are specific because skeletal alpha-actin mRNA levels are not affected by denervation. In addition, we found that the repression of myogenin and MyoD expression by innervation is due, at least in part, to "electrical activity. " Direct stimulation of soleus muscle with extracellular electrodes repressed the increase of myogenin and MyoD transcripts after denervation by 4- to 3-fold, respectively. In view of these results, it is interesting to speculate that myogenin and/or MyoD may regulate a repertoire of skeletal muscle genes that are down-regulated by electrical activity.
Animated Volume Texture Mapping for Complex Scene Generation and Editing

Volume texture techniques can generate fine-scale geometric details on a surface. Therefore, these techniques have been broadly applied to render complex scenes such as forests and fur. Previous researchers mainly focus on the resulting geometry from volume texture mapping and the parameters for mapping the textures need to be predefined. In this paper, we visualize the mapping process in an animated way. During the animated mapping process, the parameters of the textures can be adjusted by the user for different regions on the surface in real time. The visualization and the real-time feedback facilitate the editing of the volume textures. In addition, the concept of animated mapping may also be applied to generating scenes such as the growth of forests.
Orders Preparation and Control on the Productive Process Efficiency Preparation

— The main objective of this paper is to analyse the influence of preparation and control of orders on performance. The focused activities explored in this research are: procurement, production and distribution. These changes in performance were obtained through improvement of the supply chain. It is proved using all the company activities that it is possible to increase de efficiency and do services in an adequate way, placing the products in the market efficiently. For that, it was explored the importance of the supply chain, with privilege to the practical environment and the quantification of the obtained results. of Beira Interior (Portugal), and received his PhD in Management at Beira Interior University (Portugal). His current research interests include Logistics, ICT logistics, Logistics and Competitiveness, Supply Chain Management, Retailing and Merchandising.
Nitric-oxide-mediated relaxations in salt-induced hypertension: effect of chronic β1-selective receptor blockade

Background Nebivolol is a new β1-selective adrenergic receptor antagonist with a direct vasorelaxant effect that involves activation of the l-arginine–nitric oxide (NO) pathway. Therefore, treatment with nebivolol may protect against endothelial injury in hypertension. Objective To investigate whether chronic selective β1-blockade with nebivolol could prevent endothelial dysfunction in salt-induced hypertension, and to compare it with atenolol. Methods Dahl salt-sensitive rats were treated for 8 weeks with standard chow or chow containing 4% NaCl alone or in combination with nebivolol (10 mg/kg per day) or atenolol (100 mg/kg per day). Isometric tension was continuously recorded in isolated aorta and small mesenteric arteries. Constitutive NO synthase (cNOS) activity was determined by [3H]citrulline assay. Results Chronic salt administration increased systolic blood pressure by 38 ± 5 mmHg in salt-treated rats as compared with that in control rats. Both nebivolol and atenolol prevented a salt-induced increase in pressure. cNOS activity was significantly decreased by a high-salt diet. The impairment of endothelium-dependent relaxations in response to acetylcholine in salt-treated rats was prevented only by nebivolol, in both large and small arteries. In contrast, the reduced endothelium-independent relaxations and contractions in response to sodium nitroprusside and endothelin-1, respectively, were restored by both drugs. Nebivolol, but not atenolol, restored cNOS activity. Conclusions Despite nebivolol and atenolol having the same blood-pressure-decreasing effect, only nebivolol was able to prevent endothelial dysfunction. This study demonstrates for the first time that the acute NO-mediated vasodilatory action of nebivolol is also present during chronic treatment. Hence, nebivolol might become a new therapeutic tool with which to exert vascular protective effects against end-organ damage in conditions associated with NO deficiency.
Neural versus syntactic recognition of handwritten numerals

This work concerns the analysis, implementation and evaluation of three different methods for handwritten numerical character recognition. The first approach uses a classifier based on syntactical analysis by decision tree. The other two methods consist of: (a) a conventional feedforward multilayer neural network; and (b) a recurrent neural network, for which the elements of the output layer are all interconnected. The CENPARMI database was utilized for evaluation of the systems.
Embroidered microwave antennas for aerospace applications

A conformal loadbearing antenna structure (CLAS) has been fabricated using novel embroidery techniques on aerospace composite structure. Comparisons between substrates, curing techniques and sewing patterns have been performed using a simple planar patch antenna design. Measurements showed that a ‘+’ stitching pattern is most suitable for the embroidery of patch antennas in composite materials. A conformal dual patch array was designed to take advantage of a NACA-0012 aerofoil shape. By feeding the patches separately or with a phase shift up to 180deg, it was shown that up to 52deg of beam steering can be achieved in elevation. This conformal arrangement makes the array suitable for Wi-Fi communications as well as collision avoidance radar applications.