Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Quality of life and depressive symptoms in Parkinson's disease after subthalamic deep brain stimulation: a 2-year follow-up study.

AIM To assess the correlation between quality of life (QoL), depressive symptoms and motor signs in patients with Parkinson disease after subthalamic deep brain stimulation (DBS STN). MATERIAL AND METHODS 74 patients, average age 55.6 ± 7 and duration of disease 12.3 years ± 3.8, treated with l STN DBS for PD were included in the study. All patients were evaluated with (UPDRS III), (PDQ-39) (BDI) at baseline and at 6, 12, and 24-month follow up. All patients were also stratified into three groups depending on UPDRS III improvement ( < 30%, 30-60%, > 60%). RESULTS Scores in all scales significantly decreased from baseline. The improvement in PDQ-39 was 43.3%, in BDI 25.3 %; UPDRS-III 55.5% at 6 months. At 24 months, motor results and QoL deteriorated by 15.6% and 19.6% respectively. BDI remained unchanged. Mean scores at baseline in PDQ-39 were group I 67.4 ± 29.7; II 64.8 ± 32.0; III 53.4 ± 22.0 and for BDI, group I 17.4 ± 12.04; II 14.0 ± 9.7; III- 15.1 ± 10.55. Scores decreased significantly with DBS at 6-month follow-up and mean change was: PDQ-39, group I 42.7%, II- 40.7%, III 51.6%; BDI group I 23%, II 28.1%, III 23.3 %. CONCLUSION Reduction of depressive symptoms, motor signs and improvement of QoL in PD after DBS STN are closely related. Improvement of QoL depends significantly on motor symptoms.
COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE RESULTS OF DECIPHERING THE MIDDLE TEXT ON THE ROSETTA STONE

A b s t r a c t: In this text we present comparative analisys of the words and the expressions obtained after reading of complete middle text on the Rosetta Stone [15], by implementing our origtinal methodology presented in [12]. We have identified over 420 different words and expressions which preserve their meaning in contemporary Macedonian language and its dialects, but also they keep their meaning in archaic or contemporary in other Slavic languages. Identification and analysis of sentences and their structure will be subject of further researh. Going further in depth with analysis and comparing our reading results of the middle text on the Rosetta Stone, [15], with well known previous results of reading so called ancient Greek text, presented in [4], [5], [6], and [9], one can easily conclude that two texts, so called demotic text, and so called ancient Greek text are identical only by their content of the pharaoh’s orders. By all means, these two texts have different sentences structures, and different order of words within it. This fact is very logic and obvious in all cases where we compare two identical texts written in two different languages, and it is valid even today. Based on our research we can further improve this conclusion in the direction that the pharaoh’s decree on the middle text is written on the language of the Ancient Macedonians, with the script (signs) of the living masters in that period of Ancient Egypt. These language and script were state official language and official script in year 196 BC, after more than 100 years of the rulling of Ptolemaic Dynasty over Ancient Egypt. The language that we identified on the middle text on the Rosetta Stone definitely poses characteristics of a Slavic language. Many words that we identified in the middle text still exist in modern Slavic languages, or in their archaic forms, in respective Slavic language. Respectively, in lexical sense, we can identify that this language has very strong Slavic characteristics. This becomes more obvius after careful reading of presented multi-language dictionary.
Global Dissipativity on Uncertain Discrete-Time Neural Networks with Time-Varying Delays

The problems on global dissipativity and global exponential dissipativity are investigated for uncertain discrete-time neural networks with time-varying delays and general activation functions. By constructing appropriate Lyapunov-Krasovskii functionals and employing linear matrix inequality technique, several new delay-dependent criteria for checking the global dissipativity and global exponential dissipativity of the addressed neural networks are established in linear matrix inequality (LMI), which can be checked numerically using the effective LMI toolbox in MATLAB. Illustrated examples are given to show the effectiveness of the proposed criteria. It is noteworthy that because neither model transformation nor free-weighting matrices are employed to deal with cross terms in the derivation of the dissipativity criteria, the obtained results are less conservative and more computationally efficient.
Defective site-specific integration elements are present in the genome of virulent bacteriophage LL-H of Lactobacillus delbrueckii

The phage attachment site, attP, and the integrase-encoding gene, int, are sufficient to promote site-specific integration of the temperate phage mv4 genome into the chromosome of the Lactobacillus delbrueckii host (L. Dupont, B. Boizet-Bonhoure, M. Coddeville, F. Auvray, and P. Ritzenthaler, J. Bacteriol. 177:586--595, 1995). The mv4 genome region containing these elements was compared at the nucleotide and amino acid levels with that of the closely related virulent phage LL-H. Complex DNA rearrangements were identified; a truncated integrase gene and two sites homologous to the mv4 attP site were detected in the genome of the virulent phage LL-H. These observations suggest that the two phages derive from a common temperate ancestor.
Improving a Fuzzy Discretization Process by Bagging

Classification problems in which the number of attributes is larger than the number of examples are increasingly common with rapid technological advances in data collection. Also numerical data are predominant in real world applications and many algorithms in supervised learning are restricted to discrete attributes. Focusing on these issues, we proposed an improvement in a fuzzy discretization method by means of the introduction of a bagging process in the different phases of the method. The bagging process tries to solve problems which can appear with small size datasets. Also we show the benefits that bagging introduces in the method by means of several experiments. The experiments have been validated by means of statistical tests.
Children Exposed

A 1993 report by the National Academy of Sciences suggested that pesticide safety thresholds should be lower for children than for adults-up to 10 times lower-due to children's generally higher vulnerability to the effects of certain compounds. In a controversial response to this report, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) determined that, as part of its implementation of the Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA), which mandates evaluation of aggregate exposure to pesticides and cumulative health risk, it must reassess nearly 10,000 uses for hundreds of pesticides. Among the first pesticides to be reassessed are the widely used organophosphate compounds. Gauging children's aggregate exposure to those pesticides and their cumulative risk is a tremendous task. In
Nitric Oxide as a Signaling Factor To Upregulate the Death-Specific Protein in a Marine Diatom, Skeletonema costatum, during Blockage of Electron Flow in Photosynthesis

ABSTRACT To determine the physiological functions of a novel death-specific protein gene, Skeletonema costatum DSP-1 (ScDSP-1) in a marine diatom, Skeletonema costatum, the mRNA abundance of ScDSP-1 was measured in cultures subjected to light manipulation and treatments with various chemicals. When cells were transferred to a dim light intensity of 15 μmol m−2 s−1, ScDSP-1 mRNA levels showed a transient increase of 1 to 17.2 μmol (mol 18S rRNA)−1 in 60 h. Furthermore, treatments with the photoinhibitors 3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea (DCMU) and 2,5-dibromo-3-methyl-6-isopropyl-p-benzoquinone (DBMIB) resulted in high ScDSP-1 mRNA levels, which reached 943 and 72 μmol (mol 18S rRNA)−1, respectively. Treatment with the nitric oxide (NO) donor diethylamine nitric oxide also induced ScDSP-1 expression, and this inducible expression was inhibited by the NO scavenger hemoglobin. Additionally, the expression of ScDSP-1 mRNA elicited by DCMU and DBMIB was efficiently reduced when cultures were pretreated with the cell-penetrating NO scavenger 2-(4-carboxyphenyl)-4,5-dihydro-4,4,5,5-tetramethylimidazoline-1-oxyl-3-oxide. In contrast, treatment with another photoinhibitor, paraquat, had no effect on ScDSP-1 expression. Our results indicated that NO is the crucial secondary messenger which signals the expression of ScDSP-1 when electron flow between photosystem II and photosystem I is blocked in S. costatum cells. In addition, the discovery of a similar gene, ScDSP-2, is briefly described.
Mitochondrial haplotype diversity among Portuguese brown trout Salmo trutta L. populations: relevance to the post‐Pleistocene recolonization of northern Europe

Mitochondrial haplotype diversity in seven Portuguese populations of brown trout, Salmo trutta L. , was investigated by sequencing the 5′ end of the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region. Five new haplotypes were described for this species, each two to three mutational steps distant from the common north Atlantic haplotype. Significant population subdivision of mtDNA haplotypes was also apparent. Based on these results, as well as on published data describing the distribution of both mtDNA haplotypes and allozyme alleles throughout Europe, the postglacial recolonization of northern Europe was re‐evaluated. It is argued that the available data do not support the contribution of two major glacial refugia (southwest Atlantic and Ponto‐Caspian Basin) to this postglacial recolonization, as proposed in a recently published model. The unique genetic architecture of Portuguese brown trout within the Atlantic‐basin clade of this species represents a highly valuable genetic resource that should be protected from introgression with nonendemic strains of hatchery fish.
Wireless sensor networks routing protocol based on self-organizing clustering and intelligent ant colony optimization algorithm

Energy efficiency is one of the most important factors in wireless sensor networks. In this paper, we present a centralized “cluster-chain” power efficient routing algorithm SOC-IACO which consists of self-organizing clustering algorithm SOC and intelligent Ant Colony Algorithm IACO. The Base Station (BS) firstly uses SOC algorithm to form clusters and select associated cluster heads (one of which will be the main head) and a cluster- heads chain will be constructed; then BS uses IACO algorithm to construct a near-optimal nodes chain for each cluster. Data will be aggregated and transmitted along cluster nodes chain to cluster head. Then aggregated data of every head will be transmitted along cluster-heads chain to BS. Simulation results show that SOC-IACO reduces the node energy consumption and effectively extend the network lifetime by considering nodes distribution in clustering process and using double-layer chain structure to transmit data.
Organization of Complex Transposon Tn2610 Carrying Two Copies of tnpA and tnpR

Transposon Tn2610 has two elements of 3.5 kilobase pairs as inverted repeats, one set at each end. This unique terminal element contained the transposition genes tnpA and tnpR. Only the tnpA gene in the left element was functional for transposition, whereas both tnpR genes were active. Possible evolutionary relationships among class II transposable elements are proposed on the basis of the genetic and structural organization of Tn2610.
On multiple-delay approximations of multiple-derivative controllers

We study approximation of multiple-derivative output feedback for linear time-invariant (LTI) plants using multiple-delay approximations. We obtain a condition on the plant and feedback that yields an equivalence between the closed-loop spectra for the approximate feedbacks and the desired multiple-derivative feedbacks. On the other hand, we use a scalar example to illustrate that multiple-delay approximations of sufficiently high derivatives may in some cases yield closed-loop spectra that differ greatly from the dynamics upon derivative feedback (for instance, containing many and very large right half plane poles), while in other cases replicating the derivative feedback perfectly. Finally, through understanding this dichotomy, we present a condition for stabilizing a SISO relative degree-1 plant when a delay implementation of the first-order derivative is used in the output feedback control law.
Decision Making Support in the Scheduling of Chemotherapy Coping with Quality of Care, Resources and Ethical Constraints

The scheduling of clinical pathways such as oncological treatments involves a tricky decision process because the therapeutic regimens require to respect strict timing constraints with possibly limited resources such as beds and caregivers availability with an increasing number of patients. Such constraints must be met simultaneously for every patient treated at the same time, by making the best use of limited hospital resources. The scheduling must also be robust in case of adverse events such as unexpected delays or partial treatment deliveries due to their toxicity. In this paper, we show how such a decision process can be driven by care quality indicators to ensure all the dimensions. We demonstrate how constraint-based local search techniques can cope with real-world size chemotherapy pathways and efficiently adapt to changes. We also share some ethical concerns about the way the objective function is expressed and more generally about how the tool integrates in the medical decision process.
Einfluss verschiedener Einstreumaterialien auf das Verhalten von Pferden in Boxenhaltung

Die Auswirkungen von drei verschiedenen Einstreumaterialien auf das Verhalten von sechs Pferden in Boxenhaltung wurden untersucht. Die Pferde wurden nacheinander jeweils fur die Dauer von zwei Wochen auf einem Einstreumaterial gehalten. Videokameras zeichneten jeweils an den ersten und letzten drei Tagen jeder Einstreuvariante das Verhalten der Pferde auf. Zeitbudgets der Verhaltensweisen „Stehen“, „Fressen“, „Liegen“, „Beschaftigung mit Einstreu“ und „Sonstiges“ wurden erstellt. Die Verwendung von Stroheinstreu fuhrte zu einer signifikant groseren Haufigkeit und langeren Gesamtdauer von „Beschaftigung mit Einstreu“ und entsprechend zu geringeren Anteilen von „Stehen“ und „Sonstiges“. Weiterhin war die Gesamtliegedauer bei Stroheinstreu signifikant langer als bei Strohpellets. Die einzelnen Pferde unterschieden sich in allen Merkmalen signifikant voneinander.
The morphology and haemodynamics of the rabbit renal artery: evaluation by conventional and contrast-enhanced ultrasonography

The purpose of this study was to test the morphology and haemodynamics of the renal artery in the rabbit as evaluated by conventional and contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS). The morphology and haemodynamics of the rabbit renal artery, including the diameter, which were measured using B-mode ultrasonography (US), colour Doppler US and CEUS, and systolic velocity, diastolic velocity and resistive index (RI) were measured using pulsed wave Doppler US. CEUS was used to measure the renal artery diameter: 0.21 ± 0.04 cm (right) and 0.21 ± 0.03 cm (left). Values of the main renal artery diameter obtained from CEUS significantly correlated with those of digital subtraction angiography. The blood flow velocity of the right main renal artery was 44.20 ± 8.71/18.92 ± 6.26 cm/s (systolic/diastolic) and 36.30 ± 6.89/17.64 ± 5.58 cm/s (systolic/diastolic), at its origin from the aorta and at the renal hilus, respectively. The blood flow velocity of the left main renal artery was 45.10 ± 8.49/19.00 ± 6.80 cm/s (systolic/diastolic) and 41.70 ± 10.25/19.55 ± 7.90 cm/s (systolic/diastolic), at its origin from the aorta and at the renal hilus, respectively. Conventional US provides a more feasible modality for measuring the morphology and haemodynamics of the rabbit renal artery. CEUS is a more accurate method for measuring diameter. This information on the morphology and haemodynamics of the rabbit renal artery might be helpful for researchers.
Distinct Subdomains of the EphA3 Receptor Mediate Ligand Binding and Receptor Dimerization*

Eph receptor tyrosine kinases and their ligands (ephrins) are highly conserved protein families implicated in patterning events during development, particularly in the nervous system. In a number of functional studies, strict conservation of structure and function across distantly related vertebrate species has been confirmed. In this study we make use of the observation that soluble human EphA3 (HEK) exerts a dominant negative effect on somite formation and axial organization during zebrafish embryogenesis to probe receptor function. Based on exon structure we have dissected the extracellular region of EphA3 receptor into evolutionarily conserved subdomains and used kinetic BIAcore analysis, mRNA injection into zebrafish embryos, and receptor transphosphorylation analysis to study their function. We show that ligand binding is restricted to the N-terminal region encoded by exon III, and we identify an independent, C-terminal receptor-dimerization domain. Recombinant proteins encoding either region in isolation can function as receptor antagonists in zebrafish. We propose a two-step mechanism of Eph receptor activation with distinct ligand binding and ligand-independent receptor-receptor oligomerization events.
A High Invariance Motion Representation for Skeleton-Based Action Recognition

Human action recognition is very important and significant research work in numerous fields of science, for example, human–computer interaction, computer vision and crime analysis. In recent years, relative geometry features have been widely applied to the description of relative relation of body motion. It brings many benefits to action recognition such as clear description, abundant features etc. But the obvious disadvantage is that the extracted features severely rely on the local coordinate system. It is difficult to find a bijection between relative geometry and skeleton motion. To overcome this problem, many previous methods use relative rotation and translation between all skeleton pairs to increase robustness. In this paper we present a new motion representation method. It establishes a motion model based on the relative geometry with the aid of special orthogonal group SO(3). At the same time, we proved that this motion representation method can establish a bijection between relative geometry and motion of skeleton pairs. After the motion representation method in this paper is used, the computation cost of action recognition reduces from the two-way relative motion (motion from A to B and B to A) to one-way relative motion (motion from A to B or B to A) between any skeleton pair, namely, permutation problem Pn2 is simplified into combinatorics problem Cn2. Finally, the experimental results of the three motion datasets are all superior to present skeleton-based action recognition methods.
Child growth and nutritional status in a high-poverty community in eastern Kentucky.

The research reported in this paper examines the relationship between household socioeconomic measures, child growth, and nutritional status in a community in eastern Kentucky with a high rate of poverty. It is based on the premise that child growth and nutritional status reflect the social circumstances in which they occur. 21.6% of the children exhibited low height (<15th percentile of National Center for Health Statistics [NCHS] reference values), with 13% of the girls exhibiting stunting (<5th percentile). Thirty-three percent of the children exhibited overweight, and 13% exhibited obesity (>85th percentile and >95th percentile of National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey [NHANES] reference values, respectively); 21.4% of boys were obese, compared to 8.7% of girls. Analysis of variance indicated that child stature is best explained by the father's education level interacting with employment status, and by the mother's employment status interacting with household poverty level. Weight is best explained by the mother's employment status. However, the relationships among socioeconomic measures and growth outcomes differed by gender of the child. These issues are discussed in light of the anthropology literature and the situation in Bridges County, Kentucky where the research took place.
Global methane emission estimates from ultraviolet irradiation of terrestrial plant foliage.

SUMMARY *Several studies have reported in situ methane (CH(4)) emissions from vegetation foliage, but there remains considerable debate about its significance as a global source. Here, we report a study that evaluates the role of ultraviolet (UV) radiation-driven CH(4) emissions from foliar pectin as a global CH(4) source. *We combine a relationship for spectrally weighted CH(4) production from pectin with a global UV irradiation climatology model, satellite-derived leaf area index (LAI) and air temperature data to estimate the potential global CH(4) emissions from vegetation foliage. *Our results suggest that global foliar CH(4) emissions from UV-irradiated pectin could account for 0.2-1.0 Tg yr(-1), of which 60% is from tropical latitudes, corresponding to < 0.2% of total CH(4) sources. *Our estimate is one to two orders of magnitude lower than previous estimates of global foliar CH(4) emissions. Recent studies have reported that pectin is not the only molecular source of UV-driven CH(4) emissions and that other environmental stresses may also generate CH(4). Consequently, further evaluation of such mechanisms of CH(4) generation is needed to confirm the contribution of foliage to the global CH(4) budget.
Permeability of human epidermis to phenolic compounds

The permeability of human epidermis to many phenolic compounds can be related to octanol/water partition coefficients. For a series of compounds having similar diffusion coefficients and showing an increase in lipophilic character, the maximum flux will be obtained with the less lipophilic compounds because the solubility decreases more rapidly than the partition coefficient increases. The penetration of some phenolic compounds is concentration dependent, a constant permeability coefficient being observed below a threshhold concentration above which the permeability coefficient increases with concentration. The increase in the permeability coefficient is attributed to ‘damage’ to the epidermis and a reduction in its diffusional resistance. A relation between the ability of a substance to damage the skin and the lipophilic character (or more generally the penetration flux) of the substance was found. A number of substances do not appear to ‘damage’ the skin due to insufficient substance partitioning or penetrating into the stratum corneum. This ‘cut‐off’ in effect is generally observed for the more lipophilic substances. For a series of compounds, maximum damage will be obtained with the less lipophilic compounds in accordance with the predicted concentrations of the substance in the stratum corneum. Phenolic compounds appear to interact with the skin by protein denaturation although for the more lipophilic compounds some degree of ‘plasticization’ of the lipids is evident.