Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Sweating in Parkinsonian patients with wearing‐off

Disorders of the autonomic nervous system are common in Parkinson's disease (PD). Earlier studies suggest that some nonmotor symptoms may fluctuate with the motor symptoms, but the possible interrelationship between motor phenomena and sweating has not been studied. The authors measured sweating by using an evaporimeter on three different areas of the body (right hand, left hand, chest) immediately before the morning PD medication (baseline), and thereafter hourly up to 4 hour, in 16 PD patients with wearing‐off type of motor fluctuations and in 15 patients without clinical motor fluctuations. The clinical state of the patients was evaluated using the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale motor score every hour. Sweating increased during the 4‐hour follow‐up, and reached its maximum level at the time of the highest Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale motor score phase (off‐stage) in patients with wearing‐off (initially affected hand, P = 0.007; left hand, P = 0.004; right hand, P = 0.034), but in the patients without wearing‐off no changes in sweating were observed during the follow‐up. Sweating of the left hand (P < 0.001), right hand (P < 0.001), and initially affected hand (P = 0.008) during the whole observation period was significantly higher in patients with motor fluctuations than in those without. The present study shows that sweating fluctuates in conjunction with wearing‐off phenomenon. © 2007 Movement Disorder Society
A Review of: “What Causes ADHD?: Understanding What Goes Wrong and Why”

Books about attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) currently number in the hundreds, with most primarily concerned with its treatment via both empirically supported methods and (in surprising numbers) alternative and unsupported therapies. A smaller number of volumes have addressed the phenomenology of ADHD and its clinical diagnosis. Very few texts, however, have considered the etiology of ADHD at greater length than a chapter or two. In What Causes ADHD? : Understanding What Goes Wrong and Why, Joel Nigg has attempted to fill this vacuum by writing an intriguing book addressing the question of causality in ADHD. The book begins with the articulation of two “big picture” aims. The first is to describe the present state of knowledge about mechanisms of ADHD, in light of controversies about its nosological status. The second major aim is to propose pathways of causality in ADHD and suggest directions for research. The author devotes a great deal of effort to identifying directions for future research, emphasizing what he terms “high-risk/ high-payoff” strategies. He defines such research approaches, in contrast to more traditional incremental methods, as being costly to carry out and perhaps not highly likely to succeed, but as having a large potential impact upon research and public policy if successful. A central theme of this book is that ADHD is a heterogeneous condition reflecting multiple conditions arising from multiple causal pathways. The author evaluates the evidence for such pathways and suggests research directions that would determine their impact upon the population of children with ADHD as a whole. What Causes ADHD? is divided into four major sections. The first presents a succinct but informative introduction to the phenomenology of ADHD, considering epidemiologic findings and the question of the validity of ADHD as a diagnosis. In the second section, a broad research literature addressing mechanisms of ADHD is summarized, considering findings related to neural systems, attention, executive functioning, motivation, and motor control. The third section of the book articulates the proposition that ADHD can result from multiple pathways and continues with discussions of what is known about heritable and experiential factors that may contribute to the disorder. In the fourth section, the author considers further the topic of pathways to ADHD and proposes research strategies to investigate them, concluding with comments on the validity of ADHD and public policy ramifications of ADHD research.
Risk of Malignancy in Serous Cystic Neoplasms of the Pancreas

Background: In contrast to mucinous cystic neoplasms of the pancreas, which are known to have considerable malignant potential, the serous variant is generally thought to be benign. There are, however, several reports of malignancy in serous cystic neoplasms of the pancreas. Aims: To assess the risk of malignancy of serous cystic tumors of the pancreas and to investigate specific clinical and histological features. Methods: Clinical and pathological characteristics of benign and malignant serous cystic neoplasms of the pancreas were investigated by a review of the literature and documented by a case of a serous cystadenocarcinoma and immunohistochemical analysis of a series of serous cystadenomas. Reviewing the literature prevalence, age and sex distribution of serous cystic neoplasms were analyzed. Results: The prevalence of cancer among serous cystic neoplasms reported since 1989 was 3%. Serous cystadenoma of the pancreas present at an earlier age (61 years) than serous cystadenocarcinoma (66 years; p = 0.056) and are symptomatic in the majority of patients.Pathological examination of the primary tumor was not able to distinguish cystadenoma from cystadenocarcinoma in 38% of cases. In 25% the diagnosis of cancer was established only after growth of metachronous metastases. In the present case, nuclear atypia, papillary structures, proliferation marker Ki-67 and p53 protein were increased in the primary tumor and/or metachronous metastasis. Conclusion: Serous cystic neoplasms of the pancreas do have malignant potential with a risk of malignancy of 3% and should be surgically treated if the operative risk is acceptable. Routine analysis of genetic and proliferation markers may improve diagnosis of malignancy in these tumors.
Differential Behaviors of Atrial Versus Ventricular Fibroblasts: A Potential Role for Platelet-Derived Growth Factor in Atrial-Ventricular Remodeling Differences

Background— In various heart disease paradigms, atria show stronger fibrotic responses than ventricles. The possibility that atrial and ventricular fibroblasts respond differentially to pathological stimuli has not been examined. Methods and Results— We compared various morphological, secretory, and proliferative response indexes of canine atrial versus ventricular fibroblasts. Cultured atrial fibroblasts showed faster cell surface area increases, distinct morphology at confluence, and greater &agr;-smooth muscle actin expression than ventricular fibroblasts. Atrial fibroblast proliferation ([3H]thymidine incorporation) responses were consistently greater for a range of growth factors, including fetal bovine serum, platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), basic fibroblast growth factor, angiotensin II, endothelin-1, and transforming growth factor-&bgr;1. Normal atrial tissue showed larger myofibroblast density compared with ventricular tissue, and the difference was exaggerated by congestive heart failure. Congestive heart failure atria showed larger fractions of fibroblasts in mitotic phases compared with ventricles and displayed enhanced gene expression of fibroblast-selective markers (collagen-1, collagen-3, fibronectin-1). Gene microarrays revealed 225 differentially expressed transcript probe sets between paired atrial and ventricular fibroblast samples, including extracellular matrix (eg, fibronectin, laminin, fibulin), cell signaling (PDGF, PDGF receptor, angiopoietin, vascular endothelial growth factor), structure (keratin), and metabolism (xanthine dehydrogenase) genes, identifying PDGF as a candidate contributor to atrial-ventricular fibroblast differences. PDGF receptor gene expression was greater in normal atrium compared with ventricle, and congestive heart failure differentially enhanced atrial versus ventricular PDGF and PDGF receptor gene expression. PDGF receptor protein expression and &agr;-smooth muscle actin protein expression were enhanced in isolated congestive heart failure fibroblasts. The PDGF receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor AG1295 eliminated fetal bovine serum– and transforming growth factor-&bgr;1–stimulated atrial-ventricular fibroblast proliferative response differences. Conclusions— Atrial fibroblasts behave differently than ventricular fibroblasts over a range of in vitro and in vivo paradigms, with atrial fibroblasts showing enhanced reactivity that may explain greater atrial fibrotic responses. PDGF signaling is particularly important for atrium-selective fibroblast responses and may represent a novel target for arrhythmogenic atrial structural remodeling prevention.
On-line Adaptation in Multi-Objecti ve Particle Swarm Optimization

Tuning the parametersof any evolutionary algorithm is a difficult task. In this paper, we describe someexperimentsdonein order to explore the impact of the main parametersof the particle swarm optimization algorithm, whenusingit for multi-objecti veoptimization. Theseparametersare the inertia weight and the learning factors involved in the velocity update formula. Also, in our study, we included someparameters fr om our own multi-objecti ve approach. As a result of our study, we proposethr eediffer ent mechanismsto adapt the values of thoseparametersthat are found to be the most important for the performance of our approach. The mechanisms proposedare validated using seven differ ent test functions taken fr om the specializedliteratur e of multiobjective optimization. The obtained resultsshow that it is possibleto designon-line adaptation mechanismsable to maintain, andevenimpr ove,thequality of the obtained solutions,without increasingthe computational cost.
Belatacept: Good, but not good enough?

The article is interesting in the sense that it tries to forcefully make a conclusion that Phadke's criteria are the best among all to analyze the appropriateness of drug therapy in the elderly by making a reference to an unpublished thesis. Finally, it has been observed by many researchers that “although Beers’ Criteria have become the most widely cited IP criteria in the literature, nevertheless, they have serious deficiencies, including several drugs that are rarely prescribed nowadays, a lack of structure in the presentation of the criteria and omission of several important and common Inappropriate Prescribing instances. New, more up-to-date, systems-based and easily applicable criteria are needed that can be applied in the routine clinical setting. ”[3]
Learning Assistants' Development of Physics (Teacher) Identity

The physics department at Texas State University is developing a Learning Assistant (LA) program with reform-based instructional changes in our introductory course sequences. We are interested in how participation in the LA program influences LAs’ identity both as physics students and as physics teachers; in particular, how being part of the LA community changes participants’ self-concepts and their day-to-day practice. We analyze written artifacts from program applications, reflections, and evaluations; our analysis of self-concepts is informed by the identity framework developed by Hazari and colleagues [1,2] and our analysis of practice is informed by Lave and Wenger’s theory of Communities of Practice [3,4]. Preliminary experience suggests that engagement in the collaborative physics education community elements of the LA program blurs the distinction between learner and teacher practice and increases LAs’ engagement in negotiation of meaning in both contexts.
The Metal Homeostasis Protein, Lsp, of Streptococcus pyogenes Is Necessary for Acquisition of Zinc and Virulence

ABSTRACT “Cluster 9” family lipoproteins function as ligand-binding subunits of ABC-type transporters in maintaining transition metal homeostasis and have been implicated in the virulence of several bacteria. While these proteins share high similarity, the specific metal that they recognize and whether their role in virulence directly involves metal homeostasis cannot be reliably predicted. We examined the cluster 9 protein Lsp of Streptococcus pyogenes and found that specific deletion of lsp produced mutants highly attenuated in a murine model of soft tissue infection. Under standard in vitro conditions, growth of the Lsp− mutant was indistinguishable from that of the wild type, but growth was defective under zinc-limited conditions. The growth defect could be complemented by plasmids expressing wild-type Lsp but not Lsp engineered to lack its putative lipidation residue. Furthermore, Zn2+ but not Mn2+ rescued Lsp− growth, implicating Zn2+ as the physiological ligand for Lsp. Mutation of residues in the putative Zn2+-binding pocket generated variants both hypo- and hyperresistant to zinc starvation, and both mutant classes displayed attenuated virulence. Together, these data suggest that Lsp is a ligand-binding component of an ABC-type zinc permease and that perturbation of zinc homeostasis inhibits the ability of S. pyogenes to cause disease in a zinc-limited host milieu.
Unilateral Retinoblastoma Managed With Intravenous Chemotherapy Versus Intra-Arterial Chemotherapy. Outcomes Based on the International Classification of Retinoblastoma

PurposeThe objective of this study was to compare outcomes after intravenous chemotherapy (IVC) versus intra-arterial chemotherapy (IAC) for unilateral retinoblastoma. DesignA retrospective comparative interventional case series. MethodsPatients with unilateral retinoblastoma managed with either IVC using vincristine, etoposide, and carboplatin or IAC using melphalan with or without topotecan with a minimum of 1-year follow-up were compared. The primary outcome measure was globe salvage. ResultsOf 91 patients with unilateral retinoblastoma, IVC was employed in 42 (46%) cases and IAC in 49 (54%). By comparison (IVC vs IAC), patients in the IAC group had greater mean tumor diameter (14 vs 18 mm, P < 0.001) and thickness (7 vs 10 mm, P = 0.001), greater percentage with active vitreous seeds (29% vs 55%, P = 0.01), and greater total retinal detachment (10% vs 43%, P < 0.001). There were no cases of group A in either treatment arm. Globe salvage was not significantly different in groups B, C, or E, but there was significantly improved globe salvage with IAC for group D (48% vs 91%, P = 0.004). Control was significantly better with IAC for solid tumor (62% vs 92%, P = 0.002), subretinal seeds (31% vs 86%, P = 0.006), and vitreous seeds (25% vs 74%, P = 0.006). There were no patients with pinealoblastoma, second cancer, metastasis, or death in either group. ConclusionsFor unilateral retinoblastoma, IAC provided significantly superior globe salvage compared with IVC for group D eyes. In addition, IAC provided significantly superior control for solid tumor, subretinal seeds, and vitreous seeds.
Institutions and the Path to the Modern Economy: Lessons from Medieval Trade

Part I. Preliminaries: 1. Introduction 2. Institutions and transactions Part II. Institutions as Systems in Equilibria: 3. Private-order contract enforcement institutions: the Maghribi traders coalition 4. The organizational underpinnings of credible commitment by the state: the Merchant Guild 5. Endogenous institutions and game-theoretic analysis Part III. Institutional Dynamics as a Historical Process: 6. A theory of endogenous institutional change 7. Institutional trajectories: how past institutions affect current ones 8. Building a state: Genoa's Rise and Fall 9. Cultural beliefs and the organization of society Part IV. The Empirical Method of Comparative and Historical Institutional Analysis: 10. The institutional foundations of impersonal exchange 11. Interactive, context-specific analysis Part V. Concluding Comments: 12. Institutions, history, and development.
Phenomenal Determination of Retroactive and Proactive Interference

Simultaneous acquisition of two serial lists produced retroactive and proactive interference, so long as the lists were organized as one preceding the other. Such an organization was accomplished in a variety of circumstances, as in the case of placing one above the other with an item of a different color separating the lists. In this instance, the lists were clearly organized into top and bottom, with the top half coming before the bottom. Recall for the two tasks was assessed 10 min. and 24 hr. after original learning. The recall of the list perceived as coming last was significantly superior after a 10-min. delay (retroactive interference) but deteriorated with time so that the two equalized after 24 hr. (proactive interference). The fact that retroactive and proactive interference were produced in the absence of a temporal separation between original and interpolated learning indicates that these phenomena are probably the product of a dynamic interaction in memory rather than extinction occurring at the point of interpolation.
Design and Implementation of 8-Bit Vedic Multiplier Using CMOS Logic

A multiplier is a vital element in almost all the processors and contributes significantly to the total power utilization of the system. The novel point is the efficient use of Vedic algorithm (sutras) that reduces the number of computational steps considerably compared with any conventional method. The schematic for this multiplier is designed using Tanner Tool. The design is then verified in T-SPICE using 180 nm CMOS technology model library file. The analysis is made for voltage ranges of 2.5V to 5V, to simulate the design. A CMOS multiplier, with low power consumption and high linearity is proposed. The results prove that the proposed multiplier consumes 75% less power compared to the gate level analysis done earlier. The core area of the proposed multiplier is 720 um2. Paper presents a methodical design methodology for this improved performance digital multiplier based on Vedic mathematics.
Maximizing Network Lifetime for Connected Target Coverage in Wireless Sensor Networks

Network lifetime is one of the critical issues in sensor networks. An effective approach to prolong the network lifetime is to schedule the active states of sensors: only a subset of the deployed sensors that can maintain both sensing coverage and network connectivity is scheduled to be active. In this paper, we consider the connected target coverage (CTC) problem with the objective of maximizing the network lifetime by scheduling sensors into multiple sets, each of which can maintain both target coverage and connectivity among all the active sensors and the sink. We model the CTC problem as a maximum cover tree (MCT) problem and prove that the MCT problem is NP-complete. We give an upper bound on lifetime of the MCT problem and develop a heuristic algorithm called communication weighted greedy cover (CWGC) algorithm to solve it. We study the performance of CWGC algorithm comparing it with other algorithms that consider the coverage and connectivity problems independently. Simulation results show that CWGC algorithm performs much better than others in terms of the network lifetime and the lifetime obtained by our algorithm is close to the upper bound
Plasmid-mediated resistance to phagocytosis in Yersinia enterocolitica

Results of our previous studies have shown that the chemiluminescence response of human neutrophils (polymorphonuclear leukocytes [PMNs]) is inhibited by plasmid-mediated cell surface components from Yersinia enterocolitica. In this study we examined the susceptibility to phagocytosis of Y. enterocolitica cells with or without plasmid-mediated surface structure and the effect of isolated outer membrane fragments on phagocytosis of Escherichia coli by PMNs in vitro. Y. enterocolitica cells with expressed plasmid-mediated surface structure were much less sensitive to ingestion by PMNs than those without it, and the resistance to phagocytosis was readily eliminated in a dose-dependent fashion by pronase treatment of whole cells, which was shown to remove plasmid-encoded outer membrane proteins. Ingestion and intracellular killing of E. coli were inhibited significantly in the presence of isolated outer membrane fragments derived from plasmid-bearing Y. enterocolitica cells. To assess the interaction of Y. enterocolitica with phagocytic cells in vivo, two isogenic strains of Y. enterocolitica, differing only in the presence or absence of the virulence plasmid, were inoculated intradermally into the backs of rabbits; and tissue sections obtained at 12 h postinoculation were examined by light and electron microscopy. The plasmidless strain was found almost entirely in PMNs or mononuclear cells. In contrast, the plasmid-bearing strain was found to be surrounded by, or interspersed with, PMNs and mononuclear cells; but most bacteria were extracellular, with little evidence of phagocytosis. These results suggest that plasmid-mediated cell surface components of Y. enterocolitica act as antiphagocytic factors, thus facilitating the survival and proliferation of the organism in the host tissue.
SAR Image Segmentation Based On Hybrid PSOGSA Optimization Algorithm

Image segmentation is useful in many applications. It can identify the regions of interest in a scene or annotate the data. It categorizes the existing segmentation algorithm into region-based segmentation, data clustering, and edge-base segmentation. Region-based segmentation includes the seeded and unseeded region growing algorithms, the JSEG, and the fast scanning algorithm. Due to the presence of speckle noise, segmentation of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) images is still a challenging problem. We proposed a fast SAR image segmentation method based on Particle Swarm Optimization-Gravitational Search Algorithm (PSO-GSA). In this method, threshold estimation is regarded as a search procedure that examinations for an appropriate value in a continuous grayscale interval. Hence, PSO-GSA algorithm is familiarized to search for the optimal threshold. Experimental results indicate that our method is superior to GA based, AFS based and ABC based methods in terms of segmentation accuracy, segmentation time, and Thresholding.
Effect of dietary fatty acids on serum parameters, fatty acid compositions, and liver histology in Shaoxing laying ducks

The effects of different fatty acid (FA) contents in diet on serum parameters, FA compositions of eggs and meat, and liver morphological changes were studied in Shaoxing laying ducks. A total of 264 ducks at 17 weeks were fed a control diet or a diet containing 30 g/kg fish oil (FO), 25 g/kg sunflower oil (SO), or 30 g/kg palm oil with 20 g/kg beef tallow (PBO). Malondialdehyde (MDA) content in the liver and the serum of ducks fed the PBO diet was significantly (P<0.05) higher than that of ducks fed the other diets. Triglyceride (TG) and total cholesterol (TC) levels were significantly lower (P<0.05) in ducks fed the FO diet. Serum TC also was lower in ducks fed the SO diet. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity was also affected by diets. The contents of polyunsaturated FAs (PUFAs) in eggs and meat were significantly higher (P<0.001) in ducks fed the FO and SO diets than in ducks fed the control diet. The level of C22:6 (n-3) FA in ducks fed the FO diet was significantly higher than that in ducks fed the other diets. However, the conversion efficiency of the longer-chain C20:5 (n-3) FA was higher than that of C22:6 (n-3). Ducks fed the PBO diet exhibited lipid droplet accumulation in the liver. These results demonstrate that a diet enriched with different FAs has strong effects on serum lipid levels and the deposition of PUFAs into tissue lipids.