Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Does Impaired Plantar Cutaneous Vibration Perception Contribute to Axial Motor Symptoms in Parkinson’s Disease? Effects of Medication and Subthalamic Nucleus Deep Brain Stimulation

Objective: To investigate whether impaired plantar cutaneous vibration perception contributes to axial motor symptoms in Parkinson’s disease (PD) and whether anti-parkinsonian medication and subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation (STN-DBS) show different effects. Methods: Three groups were evaluated: PD patients in the medication “on” state (PD-MED), PD patients in the medication “on” state and additionally “on” STN-DBS (PD-MED–DBS), as well as healthy subjects (HS) as reference. Motor performance was analyzed using a pressure distribution platform. Plantar cutaneous vibration perception thresholds (VPT) were investigated using a customized vibration exciter at 30 Hz. Results: Motor performance of PD-MED and PD-MED–DBS was characterized by greater postural sway, smaller limits of stability ranges, and slower gait due to shorter strides, fewer steps per minute, and broader stride widths compared to HS. Comparing patient groups, PD-MED–DBS showed better overall motor performance than PD-MED, particularly for the functional limits of stability and gait. VPTs were significantly higher for PD-MED compared to those of HS, which suggests impaired plantar cutaneous vibration perception in PD. However, PD-MED–DBS showed less impaired cutaneous vibration perception than PD-MED. Conclusions: PD patients suffer from poor motor performance compared to healthy subjects. Anti-parkinsonian medication in tandem with STN-DBS seems to be superior for normalizing axial motor symptoms compared to medication alone. Plantar cutaneous vibration perception is impaired in PD patients, whereas anti-parkinsonian medication together with STN-DBS is superior for normalizing tactile cutaneous perception compared to medication alone. Consequently, based on our results and the findings of the literature, impaired plantar cutaneous vibration perception might contribute to axial motor symptoms in PD.
ENTROPY-BASED INDOOR CHANGE DETECTION USING LIDAR DATA AND A 3D MODEL

Abstract. Indoor change detection is important for building monitoring, building management and model-based localization and navigation systems because the real building environment may not always be the same as the design model. This paper presents a novel indoor building change detection method based on entropy. A sequence of real LiDAR scans is acquired with a static LiDAR scanner and the pose of the LiDAR scanner for each scan is then estimated. Synthetic LiDAR scans are generated with the pose of the LiDAR scanner using the 3D model. The real LiDAR scans and synthetic LiDAR scans are sliced horizontally with a certain angular interval and the entropy of all slices of LiDAR scans is then calculated. Differenced entropy between two corresponding slices of real LiDAR scans and synthetic LiDAR scans is calculated for the classification of the changes. Each slice of real LiDAR scans will be classified into one of the four categories of changes: unchanged, moving objects, structural change and non-structural change. Experimental results show that unchanged slices and slices containing moving objects can be accurately detected, achieving 100% accuracy while non-structural and structural changes are detected with an accuracy of 98.5% and 86.3% respectively.
Comparison between rigid telescopic and flexible fiberoptic laryngostroboscopy

Introduction: Stroboscopy can uncover significant laryngeal abnormalities in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD). Rigid telescope and flexible fiberscopy present differing advantages. Objective: To compare the stroboscopic findings observed using rigid telescopy to those obtained through fiberoptic examination. Methods : A prospective study was conducted in order to evaluate 36 patients with PD from January, 2018 to December, 2019. The HY – Degree of Disability Scale was adopted in order to assess individual patients’ levels of impairment. The patients included in this study were grouped-higher than 1.5 on the scale. There were 22 men and 14 women, with ages varying from 41 to 78. Three observers analyzed the recording data, with a protocol for stroboscopic evaluation being adopted. Results: Tremor, open phase closure and vocal fold bowing were the most common findings among patients. Aperiodic voice in 4 cases recommended against stroboscopic analysis. Strong gag reflex in another 3 cases, made evaluation with rigid telescope impossible. The irregularity of the edge, glottic closure, prevalence of the glottic cycle phase, amplitude; mucosal wave; vibratory behavior; phase symmetry, periodicity and movement extension were evaluated by both methods. The vibratory source was exclusively glottic in all cases. Conclusion: Videolaryngostroboscopy can be performed by means of both methods – rigid and fiberoptic examination.
Water productivity of barley crop under laser land leveling technique and minimum tillage

ABSTRACT Laser land leveling is an important method that helps to improve the spatial distribution of irrigation water and fertilizers applications, subsequently reduce water, nutrient, and energy inputs to agriculture and contributes to increasing productivity. Thus, the aim of the study was to improve the productivity of the barley crop grown in sandy lands under conditions of water scarcity and the negative impact of climate change in Egypt by using laser leveling and the minimum tillage method. Two experiments were conducted during the 2020/2021 and 2021/2022 seasons at the Nubariya farm, Buhaira Governorate, Egypt to study the effects of laser leveling and minimum tillage (zero – tillage, 10 cm, 20 cm, and 30 cm) affecting the distribution of soil moisture, water stress, effectiveness of water application, yield characteristics, water productivity, and some quality parameters of the barley crop. The statistical analysis’ findings revealed a considerable influence of both laser soil leveling and minimum depth of plowing on productivity, water productivity and quality properties of barley crop. Laser leveling with a plowing depth of 10 cm gave the most favorable values of the soil moisture content at the root-zone as well as better grain yield and water productivity in addition to improve the quality properties of barley. The grain yield has improved by 12.65% and 10.41%, while water productivity has increased by 12.75% and 10.06% during the seasons 2020/2021 and 2021/2022, respectively. This increase is likely the result of improving soil moisture distribution and increasing irrigation application efficiency, which resulted in less water stress in the root zone and subsequently increased yield, water productivity and quality properties of barley during the two growing seasons. Generally, the application of laser land leveling as eco-friendly practice will help in sustaining barley productivity in Egypt particularly in the sandy soil regions. According to this study, laser-assisted precision field leveling has the potential to improve grain yield and crop establishment, water productivity and barley quality properties in addition to achievement of the highest net income for farmers.
A Flexible Framework for Expectation Maximization-Based MIMO System Identification for Time-Variant Linear Acoustic Systems

Quasi-continuous system identification of time-variant linear acoustic systems can be applied in various audio signal processing applications when numerous acoustic transfer functions must be measured. A prominent application is measuring head-related transfer functions. We treat the underlying multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) system identification problem in a state-space model as a joint estimation problem for states, representing impulse responses, and state-space model parameters using the expectation maximization (EM) algorithm. We address limitations of prior work by imposing different model structures, especially for dependencies within a (transformed) state vector. This results in block diagonal matrix structures, for which we derive M-step update rules. Making assumptions about this model structure and choosing a block size for a given application define the computational complexity. In examples, we found that applying this framework yields improvements of up to 10 dB in relative system distance in comparison to a conventional method.
Gender in the disclosure of loneliness on Twitter during COVID-19 lockdowns

Introduction Loneliness has been shown to affect both mental and physical health, and was a major concern even before the COVID-19 pandemic. During the COVID-19 distancing measures, millions of people took to social media to express their feelings and seek social support. Methods In this mixed-methods study, we examine the self-disclosure of loneliness by users identifying as male or female (via self-disclosed naming conventions) on Twitter before and during the COVID-19 “lockdowns. ” Results We show that in the first two months of COVID-19 restrictions, self-disclosure of loneliness on this platform rose dramatically, and also have changed qualitatively. We find that female accounts tend to post more loneliness self-disclosures compared to male ones, even before COVID. Female disclosures more often center around pregnancy, family, and close relationships, whereas those posted by the male ones are more related to leadership, video gaming and sex. During COVID lockdowns, female accounts turn to online messaging apps and hobbies, and male become increasingly vocal in seeking partners. Discussion The insights of this study have important implications for the design of interventions for lessening the burden of loneliness in the current digitized world.
The Role of Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) Innovation and Lifestyle in Enhance Revisit Intention Through Destination Image at Tourist Attraction of Untung Jawa Island

This research aims to analyse the role of Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) Innovation and Lifestyle in enhancing Revisit Intention Through Destination Image at the tourist attraction of Untung Jawa Island. The population for this research comprises tourists who have visited Untung Jawa Island at least once, with a sample size of 280 respondents selected using a stratified random sampling method. Data analysis is conducted using Structural Equation Model-Partial Least Squares (SEM-PLS). The study results show that SME Innovation and Lifestyle have a positive and significant influence on Destination Image. Destination Image also has a positive and significant effect on Revisit Intention. Additionally, Lifestyle has a positive and significant impact on Revisit Intention. However, SME innovation has a positive impact, but not a significant effect on Revisit Intention. Overall, the research results indicate that SME Innovation and Lifestyle have a positive and significant effect on Revisit Intention through Destination Image. Destination Image plays an intervening variable between SME Innovation and Lifestyle in relation to Revisit Intention. The implications of this study suggest that the relevant parties of Untung Jawa Island can enhance Revisit Intention by focusing on SME Innovation, Lifestyle, and Destination Image.
Vibro-Acoustic Analysis, Response Measurements And Control of Aircraft Panels

Finite Element based vibro-acoustic modelling and analysis procedures are developed for aircraft panels using commercially available MSC-NASTRAN in the low frequency segment (<250 Hz). A modal strain energy based approach is followed to introduce the Constrained Layer Damping (CLD) at optimally selected locations. Subsequently, a vibro-acoustic test facility has been designed and commissioned to test the aircraft panels with active-passive noise control solutions. A good correlation is observed between numerical simulation of CLD and experiment on an aluminium panel. Further, a two channel active structural acoustic control experiment is conducted and the use of smart structure technology for noise attenuation through structural vibration control has been demonstrated. Thus, the importance of activepassive control solutions for fuselage cabin noise reduction is highlighted.
Exploring the neuronal and systemic physiological contributions to spontaneous cerebral fluctuations - Insights from functional MRI in The Maastricht Study

Objective Functional MRI (fMRI) is sensitive to changes in the blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) signal, which originates from neurovascular coupling, the mechanism that links neuronal activity to changes in cerebral blood flow. Isolating the native spontaneous neuronal fluctuations from the BOLD signal of the resting-state is challenging, as the signal induced by neuronal activity represents only a small part of this signal. Furthermore, many other non-neuronal (systemic) oscillations contribute, such as from the cardiovascular and respiratory system with frequencies partly overlapping those of the spontaneous fluctuations. The objective of this study is to investigate to what extent various systemic physiological signals are associated with the measured BOLD signal, in particular the frequency interval pertaining to the spontaneous cerebral fluctuations (10-100 mHz). Additionally, we investigate whether these associations were independent of cardiometabolic risk factors. Methods Within the population-based Maastricht Study, 3T resting-state functional MRI and physiological measures, covering cardiac, respiratory, myogenic, neurogenic, and endothelial activity, were acquired (n=1,651, 48% woman, aged 59+/-8 years). As both neuronal and non-neuronal physiological signals contain frequencies that vary over time, a wavelet transformation (WT) was used. Time-series were decomposed into seven wavelet subbands, and for each subband, the energy of the BOLD signal was calculated. Multivariable linear regression analysis was used to investigate the association of the physiological measures, in particular cognitive function, with the wavelet energy per subband, independent of cardiometabolic risk factors. Results We found that physiological measures were associated with the energy of certain frequency subbands of the spectrum of the measured fMRI signal. Both cognitive performance and blood pressure variations, as measures of neurogenic and myogenic activity respectively, were associated with the energy of the frequency subband 3 (31.2-62.5 mHz). Furthermore, cardiac and respiratory activity were associated with the energy of the high frequency subband 1 (>125 mHz), and endothelial activity with the energy of low frequency subbands 6 and 7 (<10 mHz). Part of these associations were dependent on cardiometabolic risk factors. Conclusion We found an association between myogenic and neurogenic activity and the frequency specific BOLD signal. Our findings highlight the strong intertwining of neuronal, vascular, and cardiometabolic activity and emphasize the importance of a proper selection of the resting-state frequency range in fMRI studies on cognitive function.
Weight Management during Pregnancy and the Postpartum Period in Women with Gestational Diabetes Mellitus: A Systematic Review and Summary of Current Evidence and Recommendations

Background: Weight management during pregnancy and the postpartum period is an important strategy that can be utilized to reduce the risk of short- and long-term complications in women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). We conducted a systematic review to assess and synthesize evidence and recommendations on weight management during pregnancy and the postpartum period in women with GDM to provide evidence-based clinical guidance. Methods: Nine databases and eighteen websites were searched for clinical decisions, guidelines, recommended practices, evidence summaries, expert consensus, and systematic reviews. Results: A total of 12,196 records were retrieved and fifty-five articles were included in the analysis. Sixty-nine pieces of evidence were summarized, sixty-two of which focused on pregnancy, including benefits, target population, weight management goals, principles, weight monitoring, nutrition assessment and counseling, energy intake, carbohydrate intake, protein intake, fat intake, fiber intake, vitamin and mineral intake, water intake, dietary supplements, sugar-sweetened beverages, sweeteners, alcohol, coffee, food safety, meal arrangements, dietary patterns, exercise assessment and counseling, exercise preparation, type of exercise, intensity of exercise, frequency of exercise, duration of exercise, exercise risk prevention, and pregnancy precautions, and seven focused on the postpartum period, including target population, benefits, postpartum weight management goals, postpartum weight monitoring, dietary recommendations, exercise recommendations, and postpartum precautions. Conclusions: Healthcare providers can develop comprehensive pregnancy and postpartum weight management programs for women with GDM based on the sixty-nine pieces of evidence. However, because of the paucity of evidence on postpartum weight management in women with GDM, future guidance documents should focus more on postpartum weight management in women with GDM.
Spark Plasma Sintering of Fine-Grained WC-Co Composites

Cemented carbides WC-Co are one of the basic tool materials. They constitute over half of the currently used tools intended for machining. The main advantages of WC-Co cemented carbides are high hardness and abrasion resistance. The properties of WC-Co sinters depend mainly on the content of the binding phase, the sintering method and the grain size of the powder from which the sinters were made. The aim of this study was to produce fine-grained WC-Co composites using SPS (spark plasma sintering) technology, as well as examine the effect of the applied technology on the basic properties of WC-Co sinters: microstructure, hardness, phase composition, compaction degree and tribological properties. In the processes carried out, no additives affecting the reduction in grain growth were used. Sintering was conducted at a temperature of 1200 °C with a holding time of 10 min. The process occurred under a load of 100 MPa. Finally, the samples were cooled in a vacuum of 10−6 mbar. We measured the hardness using a Vickers hardness tester. We took hardness measurements along the diameter of the sintered samples. In order to ascertain the fracture toughness (KIC), we measured the radial crack length around the Vickers indentation and applied Shetty’s formula. The tribological tests were carried out with a tribotester using the T-01 ball-on-disc method. The obtained data enabled the characterization of the wear process of the tested materials.
Solid-State Dewetting of Thin Au Films for Surface Functionalization of Biomedical Implants

Biomaterial-centered infections of orthopedic implants remain a significant burden in the healthcare system due to sedentary lifestyles and an aging population. One approach to combat infections and improve implant osteointegration is functionalizing the implant surface with anti-infective and osteoinductive agents. In this framework, Au nanoparticles are produced on the surface of Ti-6Al-4V medical alloy by solid-state dewetting of 5 nm Au film and used as the substrate for the conjugation of a model antibiotic vancomycin via a mono-thiolated poly(ethylene glycol) linker. Produced Au nanoparticles on Ti-6Al-4V surface are equiaxed with a mean diameter 19.8 ± 7.2 nm, which is shown by high-resolution scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. The conjugation of the antibiotic vancomycin, 18.8 ± 1.3 nm-thick film, is confirmed by high resolution-scanning transmission electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Overall, showing a link between the solid-state dewetting process and surface functionalization, we demonstrate a novel, simple, and versatile method for functionalization of implant surfaces.
Zinc – a scoping review for Nordic Nutrition Recommendations 2023

Zinc is essential for several biological processes including those critical for the immune system, DNA synthesis, cell division, and growth. Zinc is involved in the pathophysiology of chronic diseases and protects proteins and lipids from oxidative damage. Inadequate zinc intake and low plasma zinc concentration are associated to an increased risk of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes; however, the evidence is limited. Zinc deficiency increases the risk of infections and poor growth and may contribute to the high burden of infectious diseases and stunting in children living in low- and middle-income countries. The risk of zinc deficiency in the populations of the Nordic and Baltic countries is low.
Simulation of Dissolved Nitrogen Load in Jialing River Basin

Dissolved nitrogen(DN)on land is washed away into waters by runoff, forming the pollution load of non-point source. Therefore, simulation of runoff from each land use or land cover type plays a very important part in estimated pollution load of dissolved nitrogen. Soil conservation service(SCS)runoff curve method was widely used for simulation of land runoff in popular non-point source pollution model, such as SWAT and AGNPS, etc. However, SCS model had a major limitation, that is, it was a statistical model for America, so there were some problems applying to Chinese basin directly. In this study, a physically-based and hydrological watershed model called Semi-Distributed Land Use-based Runoff Processes(SLURP)hydrological model, was used to simulate runoff from each land use or land cover type in order to estimate the DN load. Taking the Jialing River Basin as a research case, the DN model was formed. Considering the DN loss during the transport process from land to waters, a coefficient of transport loss was introduced in the DN model, and its statistical equation was educed by the monitoring data. Consequently, by using DN model and SLURP model, the spatial distribution of output capacity of the basin DN pollution was simulated, and the DN pollution load at the watershed outlet from1990 to 2005 was estimated by means of GIS. The results indicated that pollution in Fujiang River sub-basin which mainly consisted of dry farmland and paddy field was the most serious, and the followings were the subbasin of downstream watershed of Qujiang River and Xihanshui River sub-basin. The annual average DN load in the basin was so high that it reached 35 726 t·a-1 from 1990 to 2005 and accounted for about 32% of the total nitrogen load at the watershed outlet.
Comparison of meteorological features in the debris-free and debris-covered areas at Khumbu Glacier, Nepal Himalayas, in the premonsoon season, 1999

Meteorological observations were carried out in the debris-free and debris-covered areas of Khumbu Glacier, Nepal Himalayas from May 22 to June 1, 1999. Comparisons of meteorological features in the both areas were made. There was little difference of the net radiation between the both areas. The distinct valley wind could be recognized. The air temperature in the debris-covered area was higher than that in the debris-free area. The difference became small in the daytime because the valley wind increased in the daytime and could diffuse the heat.