Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Changes in motor subtype and risk for incident dementia in Parkinson's disease

The objective of this study was to assess the temporal relationship between changes in predominant motor symptoms and incident dementia in Parkinson's disease (PD). A community‐based sample of 171 nondemented patients with PD was followed prospectively and examined at baseline and after 4 and 8 years. The motor subtype of Parkinsonism was classified into tremor‐dominant (TD), indeterminate, or postural instability gait difficulty (PIGD) subtype at each visit, based on defined items in the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale, subscales II and III. Dementia was diagnosed according to DSM‐III‐R criteria, based on clinical interview, cognitive rating scales, and neuropsychological examination. Logistic regression was used to analyze the relationship between subtype of Parkinsonism and dementia. Transition from TD to PIGD subtype was associated with a more than threefold increase in the rate of Mini‐Mental State Examination decline. Compared to patients with persistent TD or indeterminate subtype, the odds ratio for dementia was 56.7 (95% CI: 4.0–808.4; P = 0.003) for patients changing from TD or indeterminate subtype to PIGD subtype, and 80.0 (95% CI: 4.6–1400.1; P = 0.003) for patients with persistent PIGD subtype. Patients with TD subtype at baseline did not become demented until they developed PIGD subtype, and dementia did not occur among patients with persistent TD subtype of Parkinsonism. In a substantial proportion of PD patients who develop postural instability and gait disorder during the course of the disease, this transition is associated with accelerated cognitive decline and highly increased risk for subsequent dementia. These findings raise the question whether PIGD and dementia share common or parallel neuropathology. © 2006 Movement Disorder Society
Upgrading pacemaker to cardiac resynchronization therapy: an option for patients with chronic right ventricular pacing and heart failure.

INTRODUCTION Long-term pacing from the right ventricle (RV) has been shown to induce a deleterious effect on left ventricular function. Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) is an established treatment for heart failure (HF) patients. The purpose of this study was to assess the benefit from upgrading to CRT in chronically RV-paced patients with a low left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF<35%). METHODS Thirty-seven HF patients (age 71.4 ± 7.7, 26 male), who fulfilled CRT indications, were included. Study subjects had undergone VVI or DDD pacemaker implantation 6.1 ± 5.7 years earlier and were referred to our centre because of worsened clinical condition or a depleted battery. Patients were assessed at baseline and six months after CRT. Evaluation included NYHA classification, functional capacity assessed by six-minute walk test (6 MWT), hospitalization rate and echocardiographic assessment. RESULTS Biventricular pacing was possible in 34 of the 37 cases (91.7%) who had their device upgraded to CRT-P (n=8) or to CRT-D (n=26). After the implementation of CRT the patients showed a noteworthy clinical improvement. Average NYHA class changed from 3.3 ± 0.6 to 2.5 ± 0.9 (p<0.001), 6 MWT performance increased from 246 ± 105 m to 321 ± 101 m (p<0.001), while six-month hospitalization rate dropped from 1.4 ± 1 to 0.7 ± 0.8 admissions (p<0.001). LVEF increased from 26.3 ± 5.4% to 31.4 ± 6.7% (p<0.001) and left ventricular end-systolic volume changed from 134.3 ± 46 mL to 111.9 ± 41.1 mL (p<0.001). A reduction in QRS duration by 28 ms (p<0.001) was also noted. CONCLUSIONS RV-paced patients should be closely monitored, and upgrade to CRT should be considered promptly if they develop moderate or severe HF.
Exploiting symmetries and extrusions for grasping household objects

In this paper we present an approach for creating complete shape representations from a single depth image for robot grasping. We introduce algorithms for completing partial point clouds based on the analysis of symmetry and extrusion patterns in observed shapes. Identified patterns are used to generate a complete mesh of the object, which is, in turn, used for grasp planning. The approach allows robots to predict the shape of objects and include invisible regions into the grasp planning step. We show that the identification of shape patterns, such as extrusions, can be used for fast generation and optimization of grasps. Finally, we present experiments performed with our humanoid robot executing pick-up tasks based on single depth images and discuss the applications and shortcomings of our approach.
Neural networks in data mining

The application of neural networks in the data mining is very wide. Although neural networks may have complex structure, long training time, and uneasily understandable representation of results, neural networks have high acceptance ability for noisy data and high accuracy and are preferable in data mining. In this paper the data mining based on neural networks is researched in detail, and the key technology and ways to achieve the data mining based on neural networks are also researched.
Outcome Measures in Stroke

Stroke is the third leading cause of death after heart disease and cancer. The care of stroke patient involves objective measurements of outcome, which are critical to assessment and evaluations of treatment regimens. Nontraumatic brain injury is influenced by endless variables and a variation in severity. Brain injury can result in significant changes in cognitive, emotional, and functional status, leading to many challenges to the clinical management of the patient. The measurement of outcome is fundamental for effective evaluation in clinical management of stroke patients. Neurological outcome research has predominantly focused on the effects of treatment, management, and on predictive indicators. A reliable measure of deficits after a stroke is important, not only to serve as a baseline for the evaluation of therapeutic measures, but also for rehabilitation and health care planning. The goal of this article is to provide information on 6 different measurement scales used to assess and measure outcomes of strokes.
Extracorporeal Shock-Wave Therapy for Supraspinatus Calcifying Tendinitis: A Randomized Clinical Trial Comparing Two Different Energy Levels

Background Extracorporeal shock-wave therapy (ESWT) represents a valid intervention in the treatment of people with supraspinatus calcifying tendinitis (SCT), but there is limited evidence for the useful range of ESWT doses. Objective The aim of this study was to compare 2 different ranges of energy flux density in treatment of SCT with ESWT. Design This study was designed as a single-blind randomized clinical trial. Setting This study was performed in a university hospital. Patients Forty-six patients with SCT were randomly assigned to 2 groups that received different therapeutic energy doses of ESWT: (1) group A received ESWT at an energy level of 0.20 mJ/mm2, and (2) group B received ESWT at an energy level of 0.10 mJ/mm2. Intervention The treatment protocol consisted of 4 sessions performed once a week. Measurements The change in mean Constant Murley Scale (CMS) scores at 3 and 6 months was the primary endpoint. The change in the mean visual analog scale (VAS) scores from baseline to 3 and 6 months after the intervention and radiographic change in size of calcium deposits were evaluated as secondary endpoints. At 12 months, pain relief was assessed using a numeric rating scale. Results Significant clinical improvement based on mean CMS scores was observed after 6 months in group A (X̅=79.43, SD=10.33) compared with group B (X̅=57.91, SD=6.53). Likewise, after 6 months, a significant decrease in VAS scores was found in group A (X̅=2.09, SD=1.54) compared with group B (X̅=5.36, SD=0.78). Calcific deposits disappeared in the same percentage of patients in both groups. Limitations The small sample size and lack of a control group were limitations of the study. Conclusions In ESWT for SCT, an energy level of 0.20 mJ/mm2 appears to be more effective than an energy level of 0.10 mJ/mm2 in pain relief and functional improvement.
Human-Document Interaction Systems -- A New Frontier for Document Image Analysis

All indications show that paper documents will not cede in favour of their digital counterparts, but will instead be used increasingly in conjunction with digital information. An open challenge is how to seamlessly link the physical with the digital -- how to continue taking advantage of the important affordances of paper, without missing out on digital functionality. This paper presents the authors' experience with developing systems for Human-Document Interaction based on augmented document interfaces and examines new challenges and opportunities arising for the document image analysis field in this area. The system presented combines state of the art camera-based document image analysis techniques with a range of complementary technologies to offer fluid Human-Document Interaction. Both fixed and nomadic setups are discussed that have gone through user testing in real-life environments, and use cases are presented that span the spectrum from business to educational applications.
Technical Perspectives on Knowledge Management System in Bioinformatics Environment

The knowledge growth in the Bioinformatics environment needs a system that can organize and manage the biological knowledge. Knowledge Management System is appropriately for acquiring, storing, applying and disseminating that biological knowledge. In order to develop the system, the technical perspectives of Knowledge Management should take into account. In this paper, we discuss the technical perspectives of Knowledge Management System and the suitable method and technologies to be implemented in the system.
Labour market reform for more and better quality jobs in Italy

A well-functioning labour market is indispensable to promote job creation, increase living standards, and develop a cohesive society. In Italy, the various deficiencies of the labour market have resulted in high unemployment, low labour force participation and job-skill mismatch. These deficiencies have contributed to the problem of allocation of resources, income distribution, and low productivity, reducing people’s well-being. The current government, following on past governments’ reforms, is introducing a package of labour market reforms – the Jobs Act – to improve the labour market in a consistent way. The reform will make the labour market more flexible and inclusive, and reduce duality. The long-lasting problem of effective enforcement will need to be overcome, with an increased focus on rapid implementation by the current government. A set of well-designed institutions, not only labour market policies but also the education system and product market regulation, would encourage higher labour force participation, especially among women, and produce more and better quality jobs in a more skill-intensive economy. This Working Paper relates to the 2015 OECD Economic Survey of Italy (www.oecd.org/eco/surveys/economic-survey-italy.htm). La reforme du marche du travail pour des emplois plus nombreux et de meilleure qualite en Italie Un marche du travail qui fonctionne bien est indispensable pour promouvoir la creation d'emplois, augmenter les conditions de vie, et developper une societe prospere. En Italie, les diverses lacunes du marche du travail ont abouti a un chomage eleve, une faible participation au marche du travail et une inadequation des competences sur le marche du travail. Ces deficiences ont contribue au probleme de la repartition des ressources et des revenus, et de la faible productivite, qui contribuent a reduire le bien-etre du peuple. Le gouvernement actuel, suite aux reformes des gouvernements passes, est en train d’introduire un ensemble de reformes du marche du travail – appele le « Jobs Act » – afin d’ameliorer le marche du travail de maniere coherente. La reforme rendra le marche du travail plus flexible et inclusif, et reduira la dualite. Assurer une execution efficace des reformes, un probleme de longue duree en Italie, devra etre surmonter, avec un accent sur la mise en œuvre rapide des reformes par le gouvernement. Un ensemble d'institutions bien concues, non seulement les politiques du marche du travail mais aussi le systeme d'education et la reglementation du marche de produits, encourageraient une participation plus elevee de la population active, surtout chez les femmes, et produira des emplois plus nombreux et de meilleure qualite dans une economie exigeante qui est de plus en plus axee sur les competences avancees. Ce Document de travail se rapporte a l’Etude economique de l’OCDE de l'Italie 2015 (www.oecd.org/fr/eco/etudes/etude-economique-italie.htm).
Motivation and Transfer: The Role of Mastery-Approach Goals in Preparation for Future Learning

The study of knowledge transfer rarely draws upon motivational constructs in empirical work. We investigated how students' achievement goals interact with different forms of instruction to promote transfer, defined as preparation for future learning (Bransford & Schwartz, 1999) Students were given either invention or tell-and-practice activities when learning statistics concepts and their achievement goal orientations were measured at the beginning of the experiment. We also assessed students' goals during the learning activity. We predicted that students who entered the experiment with a high mastery-approach goal orientation would be more likely to transfer, regardless of instruction. We also hypothesized that invention activities would lead to higher mastery-approach goal adoption for the task and more attention to important conceptual features, as students would focus on trying to understand the material. Finally, because we expected that invention activities would promote mastery goal adoption during the task, we predicted a moderating effect of invention activities, such that there would be a smaller effect for students' initial mastery-approach goal orientation on transfer for those who invented compared to those who received tell-and-practice instruction. All three hypotheses were supported. Results are discussed in terms of contributions to research on knowledge transfer, achievement goals, and educational practice.
Tissue-specific splicing and functions of the Drosophila transcription factor Grainyhead

Grainyhead belongs to a recently identified group of transcription factors which share a 250-amino-acid domain required for binding to DNA and a carboxy-terminal dimerization domain. The activities of Grainyhead and other members of the family appear to be modulated so that they can participate in different developmental processes. We have examined the structure and function of mRNAs from the Drosophila grainyhead gene and demonstrated that alternate splicing is responsible for generating a neuroblast-specific isoform of the protein. A mutation which abolishes this isoform results in pupal and adult lethality. Reporter genes containing different Grainyhead binding sites exhibit tissue-specific patterns of expression that correlate with the Grainyhead isoforms, suggesting that the alternate splicing serves to alter the repertoire of target genes controlled in the neuroblasts.
Enhancement of Insecticides Against Codling Moth (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) with L-Aspartate in Laboratory and Field Experiments

ABSTRACT The idea of enhancing insecticide efficacy against phytophagous insects with feeding stimulators was proposed as early as the 1960s, and a number of insect feeding stimulators based on sugars, molasses, and cottonseed extracts, biologically active at relatively high (5% and higher) concentrations, have been advocated. Here, we show that an acidic amino acid, L-aspartate, stimulates feeding in codling moth neonates at much lower concentrations and acts as an effective tank-mixed additive for increasing efficacy of insecticides, reducing fruit damage, and increasing yield of the fruit. In laboratory experiments, 1 mg/ml L-aspartate increased foliage consumption by 40–60% and, when added to Assail 30 SG, Baythroid XL, Delegate WG, or Garbaryl 80S, maintained its feeding stimulatory properties and reduced LD50s by ≈10 times. In a 3-yr field trial, addition of L-aspartate to the aforementioned insecticides at 395 g/ha reduced fruit damage from ≈6%, on average to <1% for first-generation codling moth, and from ≈20 to ≈5% for the second generation. Interestingly, addition of L-aspartate also increased the average weight of apples by 11–27%, as measured at the time of harvest.
Clinical vertebral fractures in patients with ankylosing spondylitis.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the prevalence and characteristics of clinically confirmed vertebral fractures (CVF) in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS). METHODS Coordinated by the Ankylosing Spondylitis International Federation in Germany and in Denmark, a self-administered questionnaire was sent to all their members about age, diagnosis, disease duration, HLA-B27 status, and history of CVF. Patients who were aware of having had a CVF were asked to return the questionnaire with additional specification of the location of CVF, associated trauma, neurological complications, therapy for these complications, and recovery. We also reviewed available radiographs. RESULTS Out of 15,097 questionnaires, 59 patients (0.4%) reporting 66 CVF returned the complete questionnaire (46 men, 13 women). Mean age at fracture was 50 +/- 9 years, after a mean duration of symptoms of 26 +/- 11 years. CVF with wedging or crush or transverse fracture were reported in the cervical (n = 21, 36%), thoracic (n = 21, 36%), and lumbar spine (n = 16, 27%), with one unspecified. In 37 fractures (56%), patients reported no/low or medium trauma in relation to the fracture. In 31 fractures (47%), patients reported neurological complications, occurring mostly without trauma (n = 11, 35%) or after minimal trauma (n = 7, 23%). Twenty (65%) of these patients did not have full neurological recovery. CONCLUSION We found that 0.4% of patients with AS reported CVF at a mean age of 50 years, occurring after 2 decades of disease, mainly without trauma or after minimal trauma, with frequent neurological complications mostly followed by incomplete neurological recovery.
The periodontal host response with diabetes.

In the past decade, periodontal disease has been recognized as not merely a local infectious disease, but as chronic, subclinical, inflammatory disease for the host. Diabetic subjects appear to respond to bacterial challenge in an exaggerated manner as compared with non-diabetic subjects through several possible mechanisms, and develop more severe forms of inflammatory periodontal disease. Severe periodontal disease in such subjects, in turn, acts to reduce insulin sensitivity known as insulin resistance, thereby contributing to the induction of hyperglycemia as well as hyperinsulinemia, important risk factors for diabetic vascular complications. Additionally, recent studies suggested that such subclinical inflammatory states promote renal dysfunction and diabetic dyslipidemia, both of which are important risk factors for atherosclerosis. Finally, all such conditions act to increase the risk for coronary heart diseases, the leading cause of mortality and morbidity in diabetic subjects. Thus, it appears that exaggerated host responses in diabetic subjects ultimately accelerate diabetic vascular disorders, at least partially via periodontal inflammation in subjects with severe periodontitis. The purpose of this review article is to summarize current knowledge on the bidirectional relationship between diabetes and periodontal disease as well as its complications, and to provide future strategies for prevention and treatment of periodontal disease in diabetic subjects.
Acupuncture for psychogenic movement disorders: Treatment or diagnostic tool?

Psychogenic movement disorders are common in everyday neurological practice, comprising up to 25% of the patient population in movement disorders clinics. The diagnosis is often difficult, as is illustrated by the high proportion of patients with an organic neurological disease whose movement disorder is misdiagnosed as psychogenic. Here, we describe a woman with a longstanding and treatment‐resistant psychogenic movement disorder that responded dramatically to acupuncture. The diagnostic and therapeutic merits of acupuncture are discussed.
Supplementing corn-soybean meal diets with microbial phytase linearly improves phytate phosphorus utilization by weanling pigs.

Two experiments were conducted with weanling pigs to determine the effectiveness of a dietary supplement of Aspergillus niger phytase in improving the availability of phytate-P in corn-soybean meal diets without supplemental inorganic P. Experiment 1 consisted of two P and Ca balance trials and two feeding trials. Twelve pigs (8.18 +/- .44 kg BW) were housed individually in stainless steel metabolism cages. Six pigs received 750 phytase units (PU)/g of basal diet and the other six pigs received the basal diet without supplemental phytase as control. In Exp. 2, 96 pigs (8.81 +/- .75 kg BW) were allotted to 16 partially slotted floor pens and their basal diets were supplemented with either 0, 250, 500, or 750 PU/g for 4 wk. Individual pig weights and pen feed consumption were measured weekly. Blood samples were taken from all pigs at the end of each trial in Exp. 1 and from three pigs per pen weekly in Exp. 2 to measure serum (plasma) inorganic P (P) and Ca concentrations and alkaline phosphatase (AP) activities. The results of Exp. 1 indicated that dietary phytase increased P retention by 50% (P < .0001) and decreased fecal P excretion by 42% (P < .0001). Pigs that received dietary phytase had serum P and Ca concentrations and serum AP activities that were nearly normal, whereas control pigs had values indicative of a moderate P deficiency. Favorable effects of phytase disappeared when the phytase was removed from the diet. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Coverage of Milgram’s Obedience Experiments in Social Psychology Textbooks

Past studies of the treatment of Milgram’s obedience experiments in social psychology textbooks from the 1960s to the 1990s discovered an evolving “Milgram-friendly” coverage style (dealing with criticisms of his experiments either summarily, in a pro-Milgram manner, or not at all). We examined 10 current social textbooks to determine the present state of this Milgram-friendly coverage. Our findings indicate that such coverage has become the norm. Methodological and ethical criticisms of the obedience experiments and challenges to their external validity are seldom cited, and if they are, they are only briefly described and usually dealt with in a Milgram-friendly manner. We discuss two factors likely responsible for this insufficient treatment of these criticisms in social psychology textbooks and urge remediation.
Modelling the population and catchability of the southern rock lobster (Jasus edwardsii) in South Australia and Victoria using commercial fisheries catch rate data

ii Declaration . iii Acknowledgements . iv Introduction . 1 Background . 1 Summary of paper objectives. 3 Literature review . 5 Paper One . 19 Paper Two . 35 Paper Three . 52 Conclusion . 69 Brief summary of contributions . 69 Outcomes and implications . 69 Ideas for Further Research . 71 References . 73 Supplementary material for Paper Two . 79 Supplementary material for Paper Three . 85