Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Physical Activity of People with Parkinson ’ s Disease with Regard to Participation in Rehabilitation Program

Introduction: In addition to the significant role of physical rehabilitation as a non-pharmacological treatment for Parkinson's disease (PD), positive impact of various forms of physical activity (PA) in slowing down of the disease should be pointed out. There is a lack of research on the topic of physical activity undertaken by people with Parkinson's disease, which is part of lifestyle. Aim: The aim of the study was to determine the level of physical activity of people suffering from Parkinson's disease who were participating and were not participating in the rehabilitation process compared to healthy people. Methods: The study included 66 people diagnosed with PD in II stage of the disease according to the Hoehn and Yahr scale and 50 healthy people. The subjects were divided into 3 groups: group A subjects with PD participating in the rehabilitation activities (n=32, 14 women, 18 men, at the age of 61.31±4.64 years, disease duration at the 5.13±4.83), group B people with PD nonparticipating in the rehabilitation activities (n=34, 15 women, 19 men, at the age of 62.65±4.84 years, disease duration at the 5.76±3.45), group C healthy people (n=50, 27 women, 23 men, age 60.95±3.68). To assess the level of PA the short version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) was used and a weekly volume of physical activity in the 3 zones of intensity was set. The intensity of effort was determined by using a metabolic equivalent (metabolic equivalent MET). Results: Analysis of the level of PA showed statistically significant differences between groups A and B, and A and C in all zones of intensity. No statistically significant differences were found between groups A and C. Analysis of weekly volume of PA showed a statistically significant differences between groups A and B (F=3.56, p<0.001), and B and C (F=2.43, p<0.002). No statistically significant difference was observed between groups A and C (F=5.78, p<0.02). Conclusion: The level of physical activity of people with PD varies depending on participation in the rehabilitation process. Physical activity of people with PD participating in the rehabilitation process is at a comparable level to healthy people.
Efficiency enhancement techniques for RF and millimeter wave power amplifiers

Power amplifiers are the circuit blocks in wireless transceivers that require the largest power budget because of their relatively low efficiencies. RF designers cannot depend solely on the development better semiconductor devices in advanced deeply scaled process technologies to obtain improved power amplifier performance. The development of new and better circuits, architectures and design methodologies to maximally exploit the available semiconductor devices is very important as well. This thesis investigates a number of techniques that can be used to improve the efficiency of power amplifiers and break the power-frequency tradeoff in power amplifier design. The first technique emphasizes the use of a class E tuned output network as an efficiency enhancement tool for power amplifiers regardless of their bias conditions. A Class E tuned CMOS power amplifier (PA) operating in the 60 GHz band was designed. Design, layout, and parasitic modeling considerations to attain high-efficiency millimeter-wave PA operation are discussed. Both single-ended and differential versions of the single-stage PA were implemented in a 32 nm SOI CMOS process. Peak power added efficiency of 27% (30%), power gain of 8.8 dB (10 dB), and saturated output power > 9 dBm (12.5 dBm) were measured at 60 GHz from the single-ended (differential) PA with 0.9 V supply. The second technique investigated the efficacy of resistance compression networks in an energy recycling network operating at multi-gigahertz frequencies. The resistance compression network reduces the variation in resonant rectifier input impedance seen at the isolation port of an isolating power combiner. The system was operated at 2.14 GHz and was built around Schottky barrier diodes custom fabricated in a 0.13 tm CMOS process. It is the first experimental demonstration that resistance compression networks can be used for energy recycling in multi-gigahertz applications. Thesis Supervisor: Joel L. Dawson Title: Associate Professor 3
A framework for efficient decision tree using priority chunk learning

In data mining, decision trees are one of the very efficient techniques for knowledge discovery. Decision trees are very popular due to easy intercept and understanding. One of the shortcomings for decision trees is the huge data available for analysis. The process of knowledge discovery can be break down into different phases for efficient knowledge discovery. In this paper, we propose a novel Priority Chunk Learning (PCL) technique for efficient knowledge discovery from the varied datasets. We extensively evaluated the performance of the PCL approach o the 14 UCI datasets. The experimental results show that the proposed PCL approach has performed better than the benchmark algorithms.
Placebo and Nocebo Effects: A Complex Interplay Between Psychological Factors and Neurochemical Networks

Placebo and nocebo effects have recently emerged as an interesting model to understand some of the intricate underpinnings of the mind–body interaction. A variety of psychological mechanisms, such as expectation, conditioning, anxiety modulation, and reward, have been identified, and a number of neurochemical networks have been characterized across different conditions, such as pain and motor disorders. What has emerged from the recent insights into the neurobiology of placebo and nocebo effects is that the psychosocial context around the patient and the therapy, which represents the ritual of the therapeutic act, may change the biochemistry and the neuronal circuitry of the patient’s brain. Furthermore, the mechanisms activated by placebos and nocebos have been found to be the same as those activated by drugs, which suggests a cognitive/affective interference with drug action. Overall, these findings highlight the important role of therapeutic rituals in the overall therapeutic outcome, including hypnosis, which may have profound implications both in routine medical practice and in the clinical trials setting.
Relationship between household income and mental disorders: findings from a population-based longitudinal study.

CONTEXT There has been increasing concern about the impact of the global economic recession on mental health. To date, findings on the relationship between income and mental illness have been mixed. Some studies have found that lower income is associated with mental illness, while other studies have not found this relationship. OBJECTIVE To examine the relationship between income, mental disorders, and suicide attempts. DESIGN Prospective, longitudinal, nationally representative survey. SETTING United States general population. PARTICIPANTS A total of 34,653 noninstitutionalized adults (aged ≥20 years) interviewed at 2 time points 3 years apart. MAIN OUTCOMES Lifetime DSM-IV Axis I and Axis II mental disorders and lifetime suicide attempts, as well as incident mental disorders and change in income during the follow-up period. RESULTS After adjusting for potential confounders, the presence of most of the lifetime Axis I and Axis II mental disorders was associated with lower levels of income. Participants with household income of less than $20,000 per year were at increased risk of incident mood disorders during the 3-year follow-up period in comparison with those with income of $70,000 or more per year. A decrease in household income during the 2 time points was also associated with an increased risk of incident mood, anxiety, or substance use disorders (adjusted odds ratio, 1.30; 99% confidence interval, 1.06-1.60) in comparison with respondents with no change in income. Baseline presence of mental disorders did not increase the risk of change in personal or household income in the follow-up period. CONCLUSIONS Low levels of household income are associated with several lifetime mental disorders and suicide attempts, and a reduction in household income is associated with increased risk for incident mental disorders. Policymakers need to consider optimal methods of intervention for mental disorders and suicidal behavior among low-income individuals.
SEX‐INVESTMENT RATIOS AND RELATEDNESS IN THE MONOGYNOUS ANT LASIUS NIGER (L.)

The genetic variation at two marker loci in three populations of the monogynous ant Lasius niger was used to analyze the importance of relatedness structure to sex‐investment ratios in sexuals produced by colonies living in different resource conditions. From a resource‐rich monoculture to a population in a resource‐limited environment, dry weight investment in queens decreased from female‐biased (0.76) to equality with male investment (Boomsma et al., 1982).
Farnesyltransferase inhibition causes morphological reversion of ras-transformed cells by a complex mechanism that involves regulation of the actin cytoskeleton

A potent and specific small molecule inhibitor of farnesyl-protein transferase, L-739,749, caused rapid morphological reversion and growth inhibition of ras-transformed fibroblasts (Rat1/ras cells). Morphological reversion occurred within 18 h of L-739,749 addition. The reverted phenotype was stable for several days in the absence of inhibitor before the transformed phenotype reappeared. Cell enlargement and actin stress fiber formation accompanied treatment of both Rat1/ras and normal Rat1 cells. Significantly, inhibition of Ras processing did not correlate with the initiation or maintenance of the reverted phenotype. While a single treatment with L-739,749 was sufficient to morphologically revert Rat1/ras cells, repetitive inhibitor treatment was required to significantly reduce cell growth rate. Thus, the effects of L-739,749 on transformed cell morphology and cytoskeletal actin organization could be separated from effects on cell growth, depending on whether exposure to a farnesyl-protein transferase inhibitor was transient or repetitive. In contrast, L-739,749 had no effect on the growth, morphology, or actin organization of v-raf-transformed cells. Taken together, the results suggest that the mechanism of morphological reversion is complex and may involve farnesylated proteins that control the organization of cytoskeletal actin.
A Support Vector Machine Based Voice Activity Detection Algorithm for AMR-WB Speech Codec System

This paper proposed a new voice activity detection (VAD) algorithm using support vector machine (SVM) for improving the VAD performance of AMR-WB speech codec. The SVM is applied to train an optimized non-linear decision rule involving the VAD parameters, e.g., sub-band signal level, pitch gain, background noise level, and etc., defined in AMR-WB standard. Then, by the use of the trained SVM, the proposed algorithm can achieve accurate VAD under various noisy conditions. Experimental results carried out on the real speech signals show that the performance of the proposed VAD algorithm is better than that of AMR-WB VAD.
Programming an FPGA to emulate the dynamics of DC machines

This paper presents the programming an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) to emulate the dynamics of DC machines. FPGA allows high speed real time simulation with high precision. The described design includes block diagram representation of DC machine, which contain all arithmetic and logical operations. The real time simulation of the machine in FPGA is controlled by user interfaces they are Keypad interface, LCD display on-line and digital to analog converter. This approach provides emulation of electrical machine by changing the parameters. Separately Exited DC machine implemented and experimental results are presented.
Coaxially distributed diameter sub-coil twisted loop antenna in HF RFID

This paper proposes an HF (High Frequency) transmitting coil less sensitive to the angular and position misalignments of the small receiving coil. The DDC (Distributed Diameter Coil) shape and TLA (Twisted Loop Antenna) allow respectively minimizing the disturbance of the magnetic link due to the lateral misalignment and the relative tilting direction of the transmitting coil to the receiving coil. The magnetic coupling link obtained from DDC TLA coils is illustrated by comparison with conventional TLA in the case of HF RFID.
Ornithine lipid is required for optimal steady‐state amounts of c‐type cytochromes in Rhodobacter capsulatus

The c‐type cytochromes are haemoproteins that are subunits or physiological partners of electron transport chain components, like the cytochrome bc1 complex or the cbb3‐type cytochrome c oxidase. Their haem moieties are covalently attached to the corresponding apocytochromes via a complex post‐translational maturation process. During our studies of cytochrome biogenesis, we uncovered a novel class of mutants that are unable to produce ornithine lipid and that lack several c‐type cytochromes. Molecular analyses of these mutants led us to the ornithine lipid biosynthesis genes of Rhodobacter capsulatus. Herein, we have characterized these mutants, and established the chemical structure of this non‐phosphorus membrane lipid from R. capsulatus. Ornithine lipids are known to induce potent host immune responses, including B‐lymphocyte mitogenicity, adjuvanticity and macrophage activation. Yet, despite their widespread occurrence in Eubacteria, and the diverse biological effects they elicit in mammals, their physiological role in bacterial cells remained hitherto poorly defined. Our findings now indicate that under certain bacterial growth conditions ornithine lipids are crucial for optimal steady‐state amounts of some extracytoplasmic proteins, including several c‐type cytochromes, and attribute them a novel and important biological function.
New Insights into the Regulation of CYP2C9 Gene Expression: The Role of the Transcription Factor GATA-4

CYP2C9 is an important drug-metabolizing enzyme that metabolizes, e.g., warfarin, antidiabetics, and antiphlogistics. However, the endogenous regulation of this enzyme is largely unknown. In this study, we examined the role of GATA transcription factors in the gene expression of CYP2C9. We investigated four putative GATA binding sites within the first 200 base pairs of CYP2C9 promoter at the positions I: −173/−170, II: −167/−164, III: −118/−115, and IV: −106/−103. Luciferase activity driven by a wild-type CYP2C9 promoter construct was strongly up-regulated in Huh-7 cells upon cotransfection with expression plasmids for GATA-2 and GATA-4, whereas mutations introduced into GATA binding site III or I and II reduced this induction to a significant extent. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays revealed specific binding of GATA-4 and GATA-6 to the oligonucleotides containing GATA binding sites I and II. Furthermore, the association of GATA-4 with CYP2C9 promoter was confirmed by chromatin immunoprecipitation assays in HepG2 cells. Taken together, these data strongly suggest an involvement of liver-specific transcription factor GATA-4 in the transcriptional regulation of CYP2C9.
Manipulation of the Wettability of Surfaces on the 0.1- to 1 -Micrometer Scale Through Micromachining and Molecular Self-Assembly

Micromachining allows the formation of micrometer-sized regions of bare gold on the surface of a gold film supporting a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) of alkanethiolate. A second SAM forms on the micromachined surfaces when the entire system—the remaining undisturbed gold-supported SAM and the micromachined features of bare gold—is exposed to a solution of dialkyl disulfide. By preparing an initial hydrophilic SAM from HS(CH2)15COOH, micromachining features into this SAM, and covering these features with a hydrophobic SAM formed from [CH3(CH2)11S]2, it is possible to construct micrometer-scale hydrophobic lines in a hydrophilic surface. These lines provide new structures with which to manipulate the shapes of liquid drops.
On Constructing and Pruning SVM Ensembles

This paper proposes an effective method for constructing and pruning support vector machine ensembles for improved classification performance. Firstly we propose a novel method for constructing SVM ensembles. Traditionally an SVM ensemble is constructed by the data sampling method; In our method, however,each individual SVM classifier is trained by using the same original training set, but with different kernel parameters.Compared to traditional SVM ensemble methods, our method need not to tune the kernel parameters for each individual SVM, thus the training of the SVM ensemble can be simplified considerably. Furthermore, we also propose several efficient method for pruning the constructed SVM ensembles. The proposed pruning methods cannot only simplify the SVM ensemble, but also improve its performance. A set of experiments were conducted to prove the efficiency and affectivity of our proposed approaches.
Investigation of characteristics and factors associated with avian mycobacteriosis in zoo birds

The objective of the current study was to identify factors associated with avian mycobacteriosis in zoo birds. Inventory data, population health records, and necropsy data from eligible birds in the Zoological Society of San Diego's (ZSSD) collection from 1991–2005 (n = 13,976) were used to describe disease incidence, prevalence, and postmortem findings. A matched case-control study was then conducted to identify factors describing demographic, temporal, and enclosure characteristics, along with move and exposure histories. Cases (disease-positive birds; n = 167) were matched in a 1:7 ratio with controls (disease-negative birds; n = 1169) of similar age and taxonomic grouping. Potential risk factors were evaluated using univariate and multivariable conditional logistic regression. Disease prevalence and incidence were estimated for the study period at 1.2% and 3 cases/(1,000 bird-years at risk), respectively. Lesion characteristics and order prevalence are described. In the multivariable model, case birds were more likely to have been previously housed with a bird with mycobacterial disease involving the intestinal tract (odds ratio [OR] = 5.6, P < 0.01) or involving only nonintestinal sites (OR = 2.0, P < 0.01). Cases were more likely to have been imported into the collection than hatched at the ZSSD (OR = 4.2, P < 0.01). Cases were moved among ZSSD enclosures more than controls (OR = 1.1 for each additional move, P < 0.01). Findings will help guide future management of this disease for zoo bird populations.
Detection of microaneurysms in bifrequency space based on SVM

The early detection of microaneurysms is important for tumor diagnosis and treatment, while it is difficult to find via naked eyes. This paper proposed a method to obtain microaneurysms in bifrequency space based on SVM. Firstly, a generalize histogram algorithms was employed to enhance the images, which achieved a well SNR. Secondly, the grayscale image is subjected to the radon transform and then it is subjected to HOS to extract the bispectral invariant features, which construct the bifrequency space Finally, the features were extracted and inputted to the SVM to classify the microaneurysms. The experimental results showed that proposed method achieved an accuracy of 94%.
The Mr 140,000 fibronectin receptor complex in normal and virus‐transformed human fibroblasts and in fibrosarcoma cells: Identical localization and function

We studied the function and localization of the fibronectin receptor complex in cultured normal and SV40‐transformed human fibroblasts and in human fibrosarcoma cells by using monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) against the β sub‐unit of the receptor. Immunoprecipitation, fibronectin fragment affinity chromatography and immunoblotting results suggested that all the cells studied had similar amounts of the receptor. In normal fibroblasts MAbs additionally immunoprecipitated a smaller polypeptide, revealed as the precursor for the β subunit and another polypeptide shown to be the α sub‐unit of the VLA‐1 complex. The emergence of vinculin‐positive focal adhesion sites and actin stress fibers was slower in the malignant cells than in normal fibroblasts when the cells were plated on non‐coated glass‐substrate in serum‐free conditions and the fibronectin receptor complex did not become located to focal adhesions in any of the cells studied. Added substratum‐bound but not soluble fibronectin mediated assembly of the fibronectin receptor complex to the focal adhesions in both normal and malignant cells. On fibronectin‐coated growth substrate stress fibers also emerged as rapidly in the malignant cells as in normal fibroblasts. In all the cells the receptor complex, however, became largely dissociated from the focal adhesions within 48 hr. In cell adhesion conditions MAb against the α sub‐unit of VLA‐1 complex revealed an even cell‐surface labelling in normal fibroblasts and lack of labelling in malignant cells.
A novel method for two-dimensional frequency estimation

This paper proposes a novel solution to two-dimensional (2-D) frequency estimation problems. The solution is applicable to the cases where the data length is much larger in one dimension than the other. The method estimates 2-D frequencies based on several one-dimensional (1-D) frequency estimation processes and hence has a low computational complexity. To avoid resolving close frequencies in 1-D processing, we construct matrices to estimate the linear combinations of the 2-D frequencies. Performance evaluation of this method is presented based on the comparison of the Crame/spl acute/r-Rao bound (CRB) and numerical simulations.
Prevalence and Predictors of Posttraumatic Stress and Depression Symptoms Among Syrian Refugees in a Refugee Camp

Abstract Turkey is hosting the majority of Syrian refugees. The current study investigates the prevalence of probable posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression among adult Syrians residing in a camp (N = 781) and potential predictors. The Impact of Event Scale–Revised was used to measure PTSD and the Beck Depression Inventory depression. Probable PTSD prevalence was 83.4%, with predictors being female sex (odds ratio [OR], 4.1), previous mental health problems (OR, 4.5), life threat (OR, 3.0), and injury of a loved one (OR, 1.8). Probable depression prevalence was 37.4%, with predictors being female sex (OR, 5.1), previous mental health problems (OR, 2.9), having a loved one who was tortured (OR, 1.7), and not being satisfied at the camp (OR, 1.7). The current study reveals high rates of probable PTSD and depression among Syrian refugees and highlights vulnerabilities such as great risk for women of having psychopathology.