Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Harnessing Cueing Training for Neuroplasticity in Parkinson Disease

Despite advances in pharmacologic management, deficits in gait and gait-related activities remain persistent in Parkinson disease (PD), resulting in reduced safety and ADL independence. Alternative rehabilitative allied health approaches to the management of these problems, such as physical therapy or exercise training, are, therefore, important. We summarize literature on neuroprotective and neurorestorative effects of physical exercise. Next, we discuss data on the importance of exercise training with external rhythmic cues and summarize literature, demonstrating usefulness of goal-based exercise training with external cues on gait and gait-related activities in PD. The underlying mechanisms of cueing-induced neuroplasticity in PD are still unclear. It is also unclear whether cueing training can elicit neuroplastic effects comparable with those of regular exercise. Throughout this article, we maintain the following data-driven observations: (1) physical exercise can decrease the risk of later-developing PD, and evidence from animal studies suggests that neuronal cell death in the substantia nigra can be prevented through an exercise-induced increase in neurotrophic factors; (2) physical exercise has the potential to mitigate the effects of PD through an enhanced efficiency of dopamine transmission; (3) all modalities of cueing training can improve gait and gait-related activities in PD; (4) although no direct evidence for neuroprotective or neurorestorative effects of cueing training can be found, we predict that compensatory mechanisms play a role in cueing training, since externally triggered movements are thought to bypass the affected basal ganglia circuitry and activate the premotor cortex, cerebellum, and parietal cortex; and (5) learning-related improvements in motor function as a result of cueing training are likely to be accompanied by neuronal adaptations. The immediate effects of cueing training may relate to compensatory neuronal pathways that are not directly involved during regular exercise. We pose that external cueing facilitates the conditions for goal-based exercise training to improve gait and gait-related activities of patients with PD. The improved motor performance may result in increased exercise capacity and daily physical activity and as such indirectly affect neuroprotective and neurorestorative mechanisms comparable with regular exercise. © 2014 Lippincott Williams and Wilkins.
Face recognition based on Log-Gabor and uncorrelated LDE

In view of the problem of feature extraction in face recognition, a Log-Gabor wavelet and uncorrelated LDE (LgULDE) based on algorithm for face recognition is proposed in this paper. The proposed algorithm first gets the high-order statistical information by calculating the Log-Gabor wavelet representation of face images. Face images are decomposed into their spatial or frequency domains by Log-Gabor wavelet transforms. Then an uncorrelated basis function constraint is added into LDE algorithm, which is utilized to select the Log-Gabor feature vectors. Finally, the robust and discriminative feature vectors are extracted for classification. Experiments on the ORL and PIE database demonstrate the effectiveness of the new algorithm.
SocialTube: P2P-Assisted Video Sharing in Online Social Networks

Video sharing has been an increasingly popular application in online social networks (OSNs). However, its sustainable development is severely hindered by the intrinsic limit of the client/server architecture deployed in current OSN video systems, which is not only costly in terms of server bandwidth and storage but also not scalable with the soaring amount of users and video content. The peer-assisted Video-on-Demand (VoD) technique, in which participating peers assist the server in delivering video content, has been proposed recently. Unfortunately, videos can only be disseminated through friends in OSNs. Therefore, current VoD works that explore clustering nodes with similar interests or close location for high performance are suboptimal, if not entirely inapplicable, in OSNs. Based on our long-term real-world measurement of over 1,000,000 users and 2,500 videos on Facebook, we propose SocialTube, a novel peer-assisted video sharing system that explores social relationship, interest similarity, and physical location between peers in OSNs. Specifically, SocialTube incorporates four algorithms: a social network (SN)-based P2P overlay construction algorithm, an SN-based chunk prefetching algorithm, chunk delivery, and scheduling algorithm, and a buffer management algorithm. Experimental results from a prototype on PlanetLab and an event-driven simulator show that SocialTube can improve the quality of user experience and system scalability over current P2P VoD techniques.
Prospective study of factors predicting uptake smoking in adolescents of

Risk factors for the uptake of cigarette smoking were examined prospectively in 2159 non-smoking secondary schoolchildren aged 11-13 who participated in a survey in 1983 and were followed up 30 months later, by which time 35 per cent had taken up smoking. In a multivariate logistic model, the strongest predictors to emerge were prior experimentation with cigarettes and sex, with more girls (41%) than boys (30%) starting to smoke. Other predictors of taking up smoking were being uncertain about smoking in the future, reporting having been drunk, having a boy or girl friend, believing teachers and friends would not mind if they took up smoking, and giving lower estimates of prevalence of smoking among teachers. Parental smoking behaviour and attitudes, beliefs about the effects of smoking on health, opinions about smoking and perceived strictness of parents did not predict take up of smoking when other variables were controlled for. The odds of taking up smoking varied from 0-24 (risk = 0 19) for a child with the most favourable combination of risk factors to 3-49 (risk = 0178) for a child with the worst prognosis. These results differ from those of many cross sectional studies and hence indicate the importance of a prospective approach to this type of research.
Correction of polarization error in scanned array weather radar antennas

In this paper, the polarization error correction of dual-polarized planar scanned array weather radar in alternately transmitting and simultaneously receiving (ATSR) mode is analyzed. A method based on point correction and a method taking the complete array patterns into account are discussed. To analyze their performances, a linear error model is presented and a Monte-Carlo simulation procedure is developed. The simulation results show that, since only the information at the beam direction is used, the cross-polar measurements of point correction method degrade with the beam scanning while the second method can effectively overcome this deficiency.
Mild Traumatic Brain Injury of Tau.P301L Mice Results in an Impairment of Neural Plasticity

Background: Traumatic brain injury (TBI), even single-impact mild TBI (mTBI), is associated with increased risk of neuronal damage and neurodegeneration, leading to dementia, in particular Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The tell-tale histopathological defects of AD, deposits of amyloid and protein tau are observed following TBI. However, little is known about the mechanisms underlying the association, and its impact on synaptic plasticity. Objectives: This study aimed to analyze whether mTBI alters or accelerates relevant changes in synaptic plasticity at early stages of tau pathology in a mouse model. Methods: A total of 24 mice were analyzed in this study, comprising Tau.P301L transgenic mice and age and background matched wild-type mice as controls. Animals received a mild single-dose closed-head impact injury or a sham surgery. We measured ex vivo parameters of basal synaptic excitability, short-term synaptic plasticity and long-term potentiation. Results: While no changes in basal synaptic excitability and presynaptic short-term plasticity were observed, long-term potentiation (LTP) in the CA1 region was severely impaired. This deficit was aggravated in the Tau.P301L mice compared to wild-type control animals. Conclusions: Our data imply a high health risk of even a single mTBI episode. Single-impact mTBI combined with genetic predisposition is proposed to trigger signals implicated in neurodegeneration.
Awareness and Support of Release of Genetically Modified “Sterile” Mosquitoes, Key West, Florida, USA

After a dengue outbreak in Key West, Florida, during 2009–2010, authorities, considered conducting the first US release of male Aedes aegypti mosquitoes genetically modified to prevent reproduction. Despite outreach and media attention, only half of the community was aware of the proposal; half of those were supportive. Novel public health strategies require community engagement.
Effects of Isaria fumosorosea on TYLCV (Tomato Yellow Leaf Curl Virus) Accumulation and Transmitting Capacity of Bemisia tabaci

Tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV) is transmitted by the Bemisia tabaci pest Middle East-Asia Minor 1 (MEAM1) in China. Isaria fumosorosea is a fungal pathogen of B. tabaci. However, the effects of fungal infection on TYLCV expression and transmission by MEAM1 are unclear. In this study, potted tomatoes containing second instar nymphs of MEAM1 were treated with I. fumosorosea IfB01 strain and the relationship between fungal infection in MEAM1 and its TYLCV transmission capacity was investigated. The results indicated that a significantly (p < 0.05) decreased incidence of transmission of TYLCV-infected plants (ITYPs) transmitted by second instar nymphs of MEAM1 infected with fungus. Further, we found a negative correlation between fungal conidial concentrations and eclosion rates of MEAM1, and a positive correlation between ITYPs and eclosion. In addition, when each plant was exposed to three adults treated with fungus, a significantly decreased transmission of TYLCV (TYTE) was observed in the infected group. However, the incidence of TYLCV-carrying MEAM1 adults (ITYAs) was not significantly different in the infected and control groups (p < 0.05). Nevertheless, a significant decrease in viral accumulation using TYLCV AC2 gene as a marker was observed in the fungus-infected MEAM1. In conclusion, the results suggested that I. fumosorosea infection decreases TYLCV accumulation in MEAM1 and subsequently reduces its transmission. Our study provides new insights into the relationship between host plant, plant virus, insect vector, and entomopathogenic fungus.
COMMUNITY DETECTION VIA SEMIDEFINITE RELAXATION

Notes for lecture given by the author on November 7, 2014 as part of the special course: “Randomness, Matrices and High Dimensional Problems”, at IMPA, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The results presented in these notes are from [1]. 1. The problem we will focus on Let n be an even positive integer. Given two sets of n2 nodes consider the following random graph G: For each pair (i, j) of nodes, (i, j) is an edge of G with probability p if i and j are in the same set and q if they are in different sets. Each edge is drawn independently and p > q. (Think nodes as fans of Fluminense and Flamengo and edges representing friendships, in this model, fans of the same club are more likely to be friends) For which values of p and q can we recover the partition, with an efficient algorithm, from only looking at the graph G (with high probability)? 2. The interesting regime If p logn n then it is easy to see that each cluster will not be connected (with high probability) and so recovery is not possible. In fact, the interesting regime is when p = α log(n) n and q = β log(n) n , (2.1) for constants α > β. Let A be the adjacency matrix of G, meaning that Aij = { 1 if (i, j) ∈ E(G) 0 otherwise. (2.2) Let x ∈ R with xi = ±1 represent a partition (note there is an ambiguity in the sense that x and −x represent the same partition). Then, if we did not worry about efficiency then our guess (which corresponds to the Maximum Likelihood Estimator) would be the solution of
Do cardiovascular risk factors confer the same risk for cardiovascular outcomes in rheumatoid arthritis patients as in non-rheumatoid arthritis patients?

Objective: To compare the frequency of traditional cardiovascular (CV) risk factors in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) compared to non-RA subjects, and examine their impact on the risk of developing selected CV events (myocardial infarction (MI), heart failure (HF) and CV death) in these two groups. Methods: We examined a population-based incidence cohort of subjects with RA (defined according to the 1987 American College of Rheumatology criteria), and an age- and sex-matched non-RA cohort. All subjects were followed longitudinally through their complete community medical records, until death, migration, or 1 January 2001. Clinical CV risk factors and outcomes were defined using validated criteria. The χ2 test was used to compare the frequency of each CV risk factor at baseline. Person-years methods were used to estimate the rate of occurrence of each CV risk factor during follow-up. Cox models were used to examine the influence of CV risk factors on the development of CV outcomes. Results: A total of 603 RA and 603 non-RA subjects (73% female; mean age 58 years) were followed for a mean of 15 and 17 years (total: 8842 and 10 101 person-years), respectively. At baseline, RA subjects were significantly more likely to be former or current smokers when compared to non-RA subjects (p<0.001). Male gender, smoking, and personal cardiac history had weaker associations with CV events among RA subjects, compared to non-RA subjects. There was no significant difference between RA and non-RA subjects in the risk imparted with respect to the other CV risk factors (ie, family cardiac history, hypertension, dyslipidaemia, body mass index, or diabetes mellitus). Conclusion: While some traditional CV risk factors imparted similar risk among RA compared with non-RA subjects, others (ie, male gender, smoking and personal cardiac history) imparted significantly less risk for the development of CV disease. These differences in the overall impact of traditional CV risk factors suggest that strategies to prevent CV disease and mortality focused solely on controlling traditional CV risk factors may be relatively less beneficial in RA subjects than in the general population. Further research is needed to determine optimal approaches to reducing CV morbidity and mortality in persons with RA.
Infusion of the Internet and Indigenous Tourism: An Australian Framework

Innovations in the fields of Information and Communication Technology, Transport, and Human Resources Management have transformed the structure of the global tourism and travel industry. The Internet has enabled tourism and travel firms to tap into new domestic and international markets while availing regions in developing countries the opportunities to publicize their unique tourism products and services. The premise of this article is that Information Technology (IT) influences the extent of adoption and infusion of innovative tourism practices as tourism and tourism-enabled networks become increasingly intertwined. Whilst the use of IT and the Internet has resulted in the preliminary unification of practice (as Internet adoption amongst developing tourism destination matures), Technological Institutionalism posits that tourism managers can make strategic choices in the scale and scope of adoption of global tourism practices. From this perspective, the economic possibilities of the Internet and IT are proposed to be the development of strategic differentiation in tourism planning which appreciably improves tourism managers’ ability to develop a strategic niche. This means that indigenous tourism operators and indigenous entities engaged in developing tourism in the region can use the Internet to introduce, publicize and promote their unique characteristics. The increased exposure engenders the development of a truly indigenous experience, yet another opportunity for indigenous tourism entities. Accordingly it is proposed that, as far as indigenous tourism is concerned, initially Internet-assisted entry into global tourism is seen as the process of mimicking tourism practices established by developed regions. However, later the adopters’ practices evolve to include indigenous strategies in developing region-specific tourism development initiatives as firms experiment with IT and Internet-enabled business operations.
A practical approach to network-based processing

The usage of general-purpose processors externally attached to routers to play virtually the role of active coprocessors seems a safe and cost-effective approach to add active network capabilities to existing routers. This paper reviews this router-assistant way of making active nodes, addresses the benefits and limitations of this technique, and describes a new platform based on it using an enhanced commercial router. The features new to this type of architecture are transparency, IPv4 and IPv6 support, and full control over layer 3 and above. A practical experience with two applications for path characterization and a transport gateway managing multi-QoS is described.
Effectiveness of the combined recombinant human growth hormone and gonadotropin-releasing hormone analog therapy in pubertal patients with short stature due to SHOX deficiency.

CONTEXT Isolated heterozygous SHOX defects are the most frequent monogenic cause of short stature, and combined therapy with recombinant human GH (rhGH) and GnRH analog (GnRHa) in pubertal patients has been suggested, but there are no data on final height. OBJECTIVE The aim of the study was to analyze adult height after rhGH and GnRHa therapy in patients with SHOX haploinsufficiency. PATIENTS Ten peripubertal patients with isolated SHOX defects participated in the study. INTERVENTION Five patients were followed without treatment, and five were treated with rhGH (50 mug/kg/d) and depot leuprolide acetate (3.75 mg/month). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Adult height sd score (SDS) was measured. RESULTS All patients followed without treatment had marked downward growth shift during puberty (height SDS, -1.2 +/- 0.7 at 11.4 +/- 1.4 yr; adult height SDS, -2.5 +/- 0.5). Conversely, four of five patients treated with rhGH for 2 to 4.9 yr associated to GnRHa for 1.4 to 5.8 yr improved their height SDS from -2.3 +/- 1.3 at 11.8 +/- 2.1 yr to a final height SDS of -1.7 +/- 1.6. The difference between the mean height SDS at the first evaluation and final height SDS was statistically significant in nontreated vs. treated patients (mean height SDS change, -1.2 +/- 0.4 vs. 0.6 +/- 0.4, respectively; P <0.001). CONCLUSION A gain in adult height of patients with isolated SHOX defects treated with combined rhGH and GnRHa therapy was demonstrated for the first time, supporting this treatment for children with SHOX defects who have just started puberty to avoid the loss of growth potential observed in these patients during puberty.
Efficient Routing of Subspace Skyline Queries over Highly Distributed Data

Data generation increases at highly dynamic rates, making its storage, processing, and update costs at one central location excessive. The P2P paradigm emerges as a powerful model for organizing and searching large data repositories distributed over independent sources. Advanced query operators, such as skyline queries, are necessary in order to help users handle the huge amount of available data. A skyline query retrieves the set of nondominated data points in a multidimensional data set. Skyline query processing in P2P networks poses inherent challenges and demands nontraditional techniques, due to the distribution of content and the lack of global knowledge. Relying on a superpeer architecture, we propose a threshold-based algorithm, called SKYPEER and its variants, for efficient computation of skyline points in arbitrary subspaces, while reducing both computational time and volume of transmitted data. Furthermore, we address the problem of routing skyline queries over the superpeer network and we propose an efficient routing mechanism, namely SKYPEER+, which further improves the performance by reducing the number of contacted superpeers. Finally, we provide an extensive experimental evaluation showing that our approach performs efficiently and provides a viable solution when a large degree of distribution is required.
Renal Fibrosis mRNA Classifier: Validation in Experimental Lithium-Induced Interstitial Fibrosis in the Rat Kidney

Accurate diagnosis of fibrosis is of paramount clinical importance. A human fibrosis classifier based on metzincins and related genes (MARGS) was described previously. In this investigation, expression changes of MARGS genes were explored and evaluated to examine whether the MARGS-based algorithm has any diagnostic value in a rat model of lithium nephropathy. Male Wistar rats (n = 12) were divided into 2 groups (n = 6). One group was given a diet containing lithium (40 mmol/kg food for 7 days, followed by 60mmol/kg food for the rest of the experimental period), while a control group (n = 6) was fed a normal diet. After six months, animals were sacrificed and the renal cortex and medulla of both kidneys removed for analysis. Gene expression changes were analysed using 24 GeneChip® Affymetrix Rat Exon 1.0 ST arrays. Statistically relevant genes (p-value<0.05, fold change>1.5, t-test) were further examined. Matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP2), CD44, and nephroblastoma overexpressed gene (NOV) were overexpressed in the medulla and cortex of lithium-fed rats compared to the control group. TGFβ2 was overrepresented in the cortex of lithium-fed animals 1.5-fold, and 1.3-fold in the medulla of the same animals. In Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA), both the medulla and cortex of lithium-fed animals showed an enrichment of the MARGS, TGFβ network, and extracellular matrix (ECM) gene sets, while the cortex expression signature was enriched in additional fibrosis-related-genes and the medulla was also enriched in immune response pathways. Importantly, the MARGS-based fibrosis classifier was able to classify all samples correctly. Immunohistochemistry and qPCR confirmed the up-regulation of NOV, CD44, and TGFβ2. The MARGS classifier represents a cross-organ and cross-species classifier of fibrotic conditions and may help to design a test to diagnose and to monitor fibrosis. The results also provide evidence for a common pathway in the pathogenesis of fibrosis.
Mining User Experiences from Online Forums: An Exploration

Recent years have shown a large increase in the usage of content creation platforms---blogs, community QA sites, forums, etc.---aimed at the general public. User generated data contains emotional, opinionated, sentimental, and personal posts. This characteristic makes it an interesting data source for exploring new types of linguistic analysis, as is demonstrated by research on, e.g., sentiment analysis [4], opinion retrieval [3], and mood detection [1].
FORMATION OF CELL-SIZED VESICLES WITH ASYMMETRIC LIPID BILAYER USING PULSED JET FLOW

This paper describes the preparation of asymmetric cell-sized lipid vesicles from a planar lipid bilayer by using pulsed jet flow. First, the cell-sized vesicles (diameter of 5 μm in over 1 day) were stably formed using an improved double-well device wherein a separator with a small hole was mounted between the wells (Fig.1). Moreover, asymmetric vesicles of phosphatidylserine lipids were successfully formed on each leaflet using this device. The asymmetric cell-sized lipid vesicles will create new opportunities for artificial cell research model such as the interactions between lipid membranes and proteins.