Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Continuous affective states recognition using functional near infrared spectroscopy

Monitoring the affective states of a person can be highly relevant for numerous disciplines, including adaptive user interfaces, entertainment, ergonomics, medicine and therapy. In many situations, the affective state of a user is not easily observable from outside by audio or video, but may be identified by a brain-computer interface (BCI). Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) is a brain imaging modality gaining rising attention in the BCI community. However, fNIRS emotion recognition studies have only analyzed stimulus-locked effects. For realistic human-machine interaction scenarios, the point of time of an emotion-triggering event and the time span of an affective state are unknown. In this paper, we investigate a BCI that monitors the affective states of the user continuously over time (i.e. asynchronous BCI). In our study, fNRIS signals from eight subjects have been recorded at eight prefrontal locations in response to three different classes of affect induction by emotional audio-visual st.
Demenzen mit Lewy-Körperchen

Dementias with Lewy bodies are no rare cause of cognitive and motor impairments in old age. Neuropathologically, they must be distinguished into diffuse Lewy body disease resp. dementia with Lewy bodies, Parkinson's disease with concomitant Alzhei-mer's pathology, and the Lewy body variant of Alzheimer's disease according to extent and concomitant pathology. The most reliable diagnostic features of dementia with Lewy bodies are fluctuating disturbances of cognition and consciousness, visual disorders (hallucinations, visuoperceptive and visuoconstructive impairments), and early extrapyramidal signs of the hypokinetic-rigid type with a propensity to frequent falls. The pertinent diagnostic criteria are the consensus criteria according to McKeith et al. [48]. Additional contributions are to be expected by functional neuroimaging (SPECT, PET) and CSF examination (homovanillic acid). However, even assuming the most favorable conditions a diagnostic accuracy of 85% is presently hard to achieve. Particularly, as is demonstrated using a case example, reliable antemortem diagnosis of Lewy body variant of Alzheimer's disease is hardly possible. Clinically, this group of diseases is important, since increased neuroleptic sensitivity must be taken into account and modern central cholinergic agents seem to be a promising therapeutic option.
Multiple Intelligence approach and competencies applied to Computer Science 1

In order to contribute to the improvement of Computer Science 1 (CS1) course's results we designed a set of activities based on competencies and multiple intelligence approach. Hypothetically, we propose that including this kind of activities helps to obtain better results in the course. A preliminary experimentation was done in 2012. This year, the course included a low number of freshmen students. The initial results show a positive difference in student's results, particularly in freshmen students and no differences in students who are taking the course for the second or third time.
Cross-linguistic influence in the interpretation of anaphoric and cataphoric pronouns in English–Italian bilingual children

This study reports the results of a picture verification task assessing the interpretation of intra-sentential anaphora and cataphora in Italian by a group of English–Italian bilingual eight-year-olds, a group of age-matched Italian monolinguals, and a group of Italian monolingual adults. No significant differences between the groups were observed in the choice of a subject antecedent for null anaphoric pronouns, and only marginally significant differences were reported between the adults and the two groups of children for the interpretation of null cataphoric pronouns. By contrast, overt pronominal subjects were accepted as co-referential with a subject antecedent significantly more often by the bilingual children than by the monolingual children and the adults in the anaphoric condition, and both groups of children accepted a subject as the antecedent of an overt cataphoric pronoun significantly more often than the adults. These results are interpreted in the context of language-universal and language-specific processing strategies in anaphora resolution in bilingual and monolingual acquisition.
Circadian and seasonal factors in the pathogenesis of acute myocardial infarction: the influence of environmental temperature.

OBJECTIVE--To determine the circadian and seasonal variations in the incidence of acute myocardial infarction and the influence of environmental temperature. PATIENTS--633 consecutive patients with acute myocardial infarction admitted to a coronary care unit over four years. SETTING--Coronary care unit in a district general hospital. DESIGN--An observational study. RESULTS--The onset of acute myocardial infarction had a circadian rhythm with a peak in the second quarter of the day. A seasonal variation was also found with a significant winter peak. There was, however, an excess of infarctions on colder days in both winter and summer indicating that the effect of environmental temperature on the onset of acute myocardial infarction is independent of the time of year. CONCLUSION--Acute myocardial infarction is more common in winter and more common on colder days, independent of season. Environmental temperature may play an important part in the pathogenesis of acute myocardial infarction.
Molecular targeted therapies in hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a complex and heterogeneous tumor with several genomic alterations. There is evidence of aberrant activation of several signaling cascades such as epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), Ras/extracellular signal‐regulated kinase, phosphoinositol 3‐kinase/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), hepatocyte growth factor/mesenchymal‐epithelial transition factor, Wnt, Hedgehog, and apoptotic signaling. Recently a multikinase inhibitor, sorafenib, has shown survival benefits in patients with advanced HCC. This advancement represents a breakthrough in the treatment of this complex disease and proves that molecular therapies can be effective in HCC. It is becoming apparent, however, that to overcome the complexity of genomic aberrations in HCC, combination therapies will be critical. Phase II studies have tested drugs blocking EGFR, vascular endothelial growth factor/platelet‐derived growth factor receptor, and mTOR signaling. No relevant data has been produced so far in combination therapies. Future research is expected to identify new compounds to block important undruggable pathways, such as Wnt signaling, and to identify new oncogenes as targets for therapies through novel high‐throughput technologies. Recent guidelines have established a new frame for the design of clinical trials in HCC. Randomized phase II trials with a time‐to‐progression endpoint are proposed as pivotal for capturing benefits from novel drugs. Survival remains the main endpoint to measure effectiveness in phase III studies. Patients assigned to the control arm should receive standard‐of‐care therapy, that is, chemoembolization for patients with intermediate‐stage disease and sorafenib for patients with advanced‐stage disease. Biomarkers and molecular imaging should be part of the trials, in order to optimize the enrichment of study populations and identify drug responders. Ultimately, a molecular classification of HCC based on genome‐wide investigations and identification of patient subclasses according to drug responsiveness will lead to a more personalized medicine. (HEPATOLOGY 2008;48:1312–1327.)
GB virus B and hepatitis C virus NS3 serine proteases share substrate specificity

GB virus B (GBV-B) is a recently discovered virus responsible for hepatitis in tamarins (Saguinus species). GBV-B belongs to the Flaviviridae family and is closely related to the human pathogen hepatitis C virus (HCV). Nonstructural protein 3 (NS3) of HCV has been shown to encompass a serine protease domain required for viral maturation. GBV-B and HCV share only about 30% of the amino acid sequence within the NS3 protease domain. The catalytic triad is conserved, and the residue Phe-154, presumed to be a crucial amino acid for determining the S1 specificity pocket of the HCV NS3 protease, is also conserved. We have expressed a synthetic gene encoding the GBV-B NS3 protease domain in Escherichia coli and have characterized the purified recombinant protein for its activity on HCV substrates. We have shown that the NS3 region of the GBV-B genome actually encodes a serine protease that, despite the low sequence homology, shares substrate specificity with the HCV NS3 protease.
Phoneme inventory size and population size

This short report investigates the relationship between population size and phoneme inventory size, and finds a surprisingly robust correlation between the two. The more speakers a language has, the bigger its phoneme inventory is likely to be. We show that this holds for both vowel inventories and consonant inventories. It is not an artifact of language family.
Virtual Reality Simulation for the Operating Room: Proficiency-Based Training as a Paradigm Shift in Surgical Skills Training

Summary Background Data:To inform surgeons about the practical issues to be considered for successful integration of virtual reality simulation into a surgical training program. The learning and practice of minimally invasive surgery (MIS) makes unique demands on surgical training programs. A decade ago Satava proposed virtual reality (VR) surgical simulation as a solution for this problem. Only recently have robust scientific studies supported that vision Methods:A review of the surgical education, human-factor, and psychology literature to identify important factors which will impinge on the successful integration of VR training into a surgical training program. Results:VR is more likely to be successful if it is systematically integrated into a well-thought-out education and training program which objectively assesses technical skills improvement proximate to the learning experience. Validated performance metrics should be relevant to the surgical task being trained but in general will require trainees to reach an objectively determined proficiency criterion, based on tightly defined metrics and perform at this level consistently. VR training is more likely to be successful if the training schedule takes place on an interval basis rather than massed into a short period of extensive practice. High-fidelity VR simulations will confer the greatest skills transfer to the in vivo surgical situation, but less expensive VR trainers will also lead to considerably improved skills generalizations. Conclusions:VR for improved performance of MIS is now a reality. However, VR is only a training tool that must be thoughtfully introduced into a surgical training curriculum for it to successfully improve surgical technical skills.
The developing Xenopus oocyte specifies the type of gonadotropin‐stimulated steroidogenesis performed by its associated follicle cells

As a response to gonadotropin, amphibian ovarian follicles primarily synthesize and secrete estradiol‐17 β (E2) during vitellogenesis and progesterone (P) when fully grown. Stage IV (vitellogenic) and stage VI (full‐grown) ovarian follicles from Xenopus laevis, as well as intermediate sizes, were used to explore this change in steroidogenesis. Optimum steroidogenesis occurred in both stage IV and stage VI follicles exposed for 6 h to 20 IU human chorionic gonadotropin/mL. Although the total amounts of steroid found were about the same, the E2/P ratios ranged from 26 to 35 for intact stage IV follicles, but only 0.02–0.03 for intact stage VI follicles. Steroid‐producing follicle cells were isolated from stage IV and stage VI follicles by non‐enzymatic procedures, were washed and were tested for steroidogenic activity in the absence of oocytes. In both cases, P was the predominant steroid produced (E2/P = 0.004–0.04), so the presence of stage IV, but not stage VI, oocytes appears to be necessary for E2 production as a response to gonadotropin. Octanol had no significant effect on the E2/P ratio of intact stage IV follicles. Dissected oocyte/follicle cell preparations from stage IV follicles were also periodically challenged with gonadotropin over 72 h, during which time most follicle cells detached from the oocyte and formed a monolayer over the bottom of the culture dish. The relatively high E2/P ratios for such preparations showed no significant change when stimulated with gonadotropin at various times over the 72 h, as long as the medium was not replaced. We conclude that the estrogenic effect of stage IV oocytes is most likely mediated by a secretory product rather than by gap junctions or by cell contact. Because the X. laevis oocyte has been shown to be a self‐differentiating cell, the steroidogenic shift that occurs in developing ovarian follicles appears to be fundamentally regulated by the growing oocyte as it undergoes a physiological change rather than by different gonadotropins.
On optimal information capture by energy-constrained mobile sensor

A mobile sensor is used to cover a number of points of interest (PoIs) where dynamic events appear and disappear according to given random processes. It has been shown in [1] that for Step and Exponential utility functions, the quality of monitoring (QoM), i.e., the fraction of information captured about all events, increases as the speed of the sensor increases. This work, however, does not consider the energy of motion, which is an important constraint for mobile sensor coverage. In this paper, we analyze the expected information captured per unit of energy consumption (IPE) as a function of the event type, the event dynamics, and the speed of the mobile sensor. Our analysis uses a realistic energy model of motion, and it allows the sensor speed to be optimized for information capture. We present simulation results to verify and illustrate the analytical results.
GLD-2/RNP-8 cytoplasmic poly(A) polymerase is a broad-spectrum regulator of the oogenesis program

Regulated polyadenylation is a broadly conserved mechanism that controls key events during oogenesis. Pivotal to that mechanism is GLD-2, a catalytic subunit of cytoplasmic poly(A) polymerase (PAP). Caenorhabditis elegans GLD-2 forms an active PAP with multiple RNA-binding partners to regulate diverse aspects of germline and early embryonic development. One GLD-2 partner, RNP-8, was previously shown to influence oocyte fate specification. Here we use a genomic approach to identify transcripts selectively associated with both GLD-2 and RNP-8. Among the 335 GLD-2/RNP-8 potential targets, most were annotated as germline mRNAs and many as maternal mRNAs. These targets include gld-2 and rnp-8 themselves, suggesting autoregulation. Removal of either GLD-2 or RNP-8 resulted in shortened poly(A) tails and lowered abundance of four target mRNAs (oma-2, egg-1, pup-2, and tra-2); GLD-2 depletion also lowered the abundance of most GLD-2/RNP-8 putative target mRNAs when assayed on microarrays. Therefore, GLD-2/RNP-8 appears to polyadenylate and stabilize its target mRNAs. We also provide evidence that rnp-8 influences oocyte development; rnp-8 null mutants have more germ cell corpses and fewer oocytes than normal. Furthermore, RNP-8 appears to work synergistically with another GLD-2–binding partner, GLD-3, to ensure normal oogenesis. We propose that the GLD-2/RNP-8 enzyme is a broad-spectrum regulator of the oogenesis program that acts within an RNA regulatory network to specify and produce fully functional oocytes.
Conceptualizing communication enhancement in dementia for family caregivers using the WHO-ICF framework

Despite the importance of educating and training family caregivers about the language and communication changes associated with Alzheimer's Disease (AD), a comprehensive framework for interventions has not been put forward to date. There are three objectives of this paper. The first is to review the World Health Organization's (WHO) International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) conceptual framework. The second objective is to provide a detailed description of the ICF as it relates to the language and communication changes experienced by individuals with AD that family caregivers find stressful. The third is to discuss the use of the ICF in the development and implementation of language and communication enhancement education and training programs for family caregivers of individuals with AD. The ICF provides a comprehensive framework, offers a universal language, includes the family caregiver as a potential support or barrier, and necessitates a consideration of the everyday communication activities and participation of individuals with AD. The ICF will require more explicit considerations of the subjective experience of disability and further exploration of the concept of third-party disability. Empirical testing of communication enhancement interventions based on the ICF framework will be needed as well as an increased acceptance and incorporation into clinical practice by speech language pathologists and other health care professionals.
Social Inequalities in Health: Disentangling the Underlying Mechanisms

I gratefully acknowledge support from the Behavioral and Social Research Program of the National Institute on Aging (grant R01-AG16790) and the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (P30-HD32030). I would also like to thank Maryann Belanger for her tireless assistance in tracking down bibliographic materials and Burt Singer, Anne Pebley, Angus Deaton, and Maxine Weinstein for their advice and comments.
DNA Interstrand Cross-Link Repair in the Cell Cycle: A Critical Role for Polymerase ζ in G1 Phase

DNA interstrand cross-links (ICLs) present a formidable challenge to the cellular repair apparatus, but to date ICL repair pathways have proved difficult to dissect genetically. It now appears that this is partly the result of a high degree of cell cycle phase selectivity in the choice of ICL pathway employed. Here we review recent results showing that Polymerase ζ, aspecialised translesion polymerase, plays an important role during ICL repair in G1 phase yeast cells, and that PCNA modification by ubiquitin is a key regulator of its activity. Given that this reaction can occur outside the context of S-phase, these results imply a more general role for PCNA modification in the control of DNA repair pathways through the cell cycle, which is dependent on the type of damage or repair intermediate encountered.
Evolutionary response of landraces to climate change in centers of crop diversity

Landraces cultivated in centers of crop diversity result from past and contemporary patterns of natural and farmer‐mediated evolutionary forces. Successful in situ conservation of crop genetic resources depends on continuity of these evolutionary processes. Climate change is projected to affect agricultural production, yet analyses of impacts on in situ conservation of crop genetic diversity and farmers who conserve it have been absent. How will crop landraces respond to alterations in climate? We review the roles that phenotypic plasticity, evolution, and gene flow might play in sustaining production, although we might expect erosion of genetic diversity if landrace populations or entire races lose productivity. For example, highland maize landraces in southern Mexico do not express the plasticity necessary to sustain productivity under climate change, but may evolve in response to altered conditions. The outcome for any given crop in a given region will depend on the distribution of genetic variation that affects fitness and patterns of climate change. Understanding patterns of neutral and adaptive diversity from the population to the landscape scale is essential to clarify how landraces conserved in situ will continue to evolve and how to minimize genetic erosion of this essential natural resource.
Child Care Subsidy and Program Quality Revisited

Research Findings: Previous research has documented conflicting results on the relationship between program quality and the percentage of children receiving subsidized child care (subsidy density) in early childhood centers. This research examined the relationship between subsidy density and the quality of infant and preschool classrooms in child care centers, taking into consideration teacher education and salary as well as other structural variables associated with quality. A multimethod evaluation was conducted with 110 child care centers utilizing an interview of center directors as well as classroom observations using standardized measures of quality and language/literacy in the classroom. Regression analyses indicate that subsidy density does not predict the quality of infant classrooms. However, subsidy density is a significant predictor of the quality of preschool classrooms. Teacher education is predictive of some quality indicators, but teacher salary is not. Practice or Policy: Practice and policy implications are discussed to promote the quality of child care centers that serve low- income children. Statewide initiatives should target centers with higher subsidy density for quality improvements. Local programs and state policy should provide teachers with opportunities to obtain additional education and then offer incentives to remain in their current early childhood settings.
WOMAN AGED 24 YEARS WITH FOURTH VENTRICULAR MASS

April 2005. A woman aged 24 years presented with symptoms related to a tumor in the fourth ventricle. Cytologically, the tumor was biphasic with areas typical of a classic ependymoma, including rosettes, and other areas containing grossly atypical giant cells. Many tumor cells were GFAP-positive and ultrastructural examination revealed microvilli and cilia. The histopathologic abnormalities place this tumor among the ependymomas. Its focal giant cell phenotype is very rare, but has been reported in 4 intracranial or filum ependymomas.
Stroke Code Improves Intravenous Thrombolysis Administration in Acute Ischemic Stroke

Background and Purpose Timely intravenous (IV) thrombolysis for acute ischemic stroke is associated with better clinical outcomes. Acute stroke care implemented with “Stroke Code” (SC) may increase IV tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) administration. The present study aimed to investigate the impact of SC on thrombolysis. Methods The study period was divided into the “pre-SC era” (January 2006 to July 2010) and “SC era” (August 2010 to July 2013). Demographics, critical times (stroke symptom onset, presentation to the emergency department, neuroimaging, thrombolysis), stroke severity, and clinical outcomes were recorded and compared between the two eras. Results During the study period, 5957 patients with acute ischemic stroke were admitted; of these, 1301 (21.8%) arrived at the emergency department within 3 h of stroke onset and 307 (5.2%) received IV-tPA. The number and frequency of IV-tPA treatments for patients with an onset-to-door time of <3 h increased from the pre-SC era (n = 91, 13.9%) to the SC era (n = 216, 33.3%) (P<0.001). SC also improved the efficiency of IV-tPA administration; the median door-to-needle time decreased (88 to 51 min, P<0.001) and the percentage of door-to-needle times ≤60 min increased (14.3% to 71.3%, P<0.001). The SC era group tended to have more patients with good outcome (modified Rankin Scale ≤2) at discharge (49.5 vs. 39.6%, P = 0.11), with no difference in symptomatic hemorrhage events or in-hospital mortality. Conclusion The SC protocol increases the percentage of acute ischemic stroke patients receiving IV-tPA and decreases door-to-needle time.