Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Unobtrusive Inference of Affective States in Virtual Rehabilitation from Upper Limb Motions: A Feasibility Study

Virtual rehabilitation environments may afford greater patient personalization if they could harness the patient's affective state. Four states: anxiety, pain, engagement and tiredness (either physical or psychological), were hypothesized to be inferable from observable metrics of hand location and gripping strength-relevant for rehabilitation. Contributions are; (a) multiresolution classifier built from Semi-Naïve Bayesian classifiers, and (b) establishing predictive relations for the considered states from the motor proxies capitalizing on the proposed classifier with recognition levels sufficient for exploitation. 3D hand locations and gripping strength streams were recorded from 5 post-stroke patients whilst undergoing motor rehabilitation therapy administered through virtual rehabilitation along 10 sessions over 4 weeks. Features from the streams characterized the motor dynamics, while spontaneous manifestations of the states were labelled from concomitant videos by experts for supervised classification. The new classifier was compared against baseline support vector machine (SVM) and random forest (RF) with all three exhibiting comparable performances. Inference of the aforementioned states departing from chosen motor surrogates appears feasible, expediting increased personalization of virtual motor neurorehabilitation therapies.
Early Holocene Evidence for the Aleut Maritime Adaptations

Aleutian research provides evidence which demonstrates continuity in material culture and in adaptation from early Holocene to late Aleut sites. There is direct as well as indirect evidence for a true maritime adaptation at least 8500 years ago and reason to believe Aleuts were in the area 2000 to 3000 years earlier, with a similar exploitation pattern. Their maritime adaptation is thus considered that of an Upper Palaeolithic Beringian coastal people. The Aleutian data are of immediate significance for the history of all the Bering Sea Mongoloids whose degree of demonstrable phylogenetic relationship suggests a similar origin. At the same time, the antiquity of maritime economic adaptations among other North Pacific peoples is both reasonable and expectable. This evidence leads us to reject evolutionary models which ascribe maritime adaptations among Bering Sea Mongoloids and other north Asian maritime peoples to either recent borrowings from complex societies or to the late autochthonous evolution of coastal economies from interior econo-
Refractory suppurative apical periodontitis due to cellulose fibers in the periapical tissues: case report.

The use of a cotton pellet as a spacer or as a medication carrier in the tooth pulp chamber between root canal therapy appointments is an accepted and common practice. Retaining the pellet in the proper position within the tooth is very important. Cellulose fibers from disposable drapes, gowns and cotton can cause foreign body reactions if left in a surgical wound. " In addition, cellulose fibers from paper points, sealed inside the pulp canal, can cause refractory apical periodontitis. " The following is a report of refractory suppurative apical periodontitis, apparently secondary to foreign material in the periapical area. It is suspected that the foreign material consisted of cotton fibers that were displaced from the pulp chamber, through the canal, into the periapical area.
MESENTERIC LYMPH DUCT LIGATION IMPROVES SURVIVAL IN A LETHAL SHOCK MODEL

The goal of this study was to test the hypothesis that factors released from the gut and carried in the mesenteric lymph contribute to mortality in a lethal gut I/R model. To test this hypothesis, a lethal splanchnic artery occlusion (SAO) shock model was used in male Sprague-Dawley rats. In the first set of experiments, ligation of the mesenteric lymph duct (LDL), which prevents gut-derived factors carried in the intestinal lymphatics from reaching the systemic circulation, significantly improved 24-h survival after a 20-min SAO insult (0% vs. 60% survival; P < 0.05). This increase in survival in the LDL-treated rats was associated with a blunted hypotensive response. Because increased iNOS-induced NO levels have been implicated in SAO-induced shock, we measured plasma nitrite/nitrate levels and liver iNOS protein levels in a second group of animals. Ligation of the mesenteric lymph duct significantly abrogated the SAO-induced increase in plasma nitrite/nitrate levels and the induction of hepatic iNOS (P < 0.05). In an additional series of studies, we documented that LDL increased not only 24-h but also long-term 7-day survival. During the course of these studies, we made the unexpected finding that Sprague-Dawley rats from different animal vendors had differential resistance to SAO, and that the time of the year that the experiments were carried out also influenced the results. Nonetheless, in conclusion, these studies support the hypothesis that factors carried in the mesenteric lymph significantly contribute to the development of irreversible shock after SAO.
Circulating endothelial cells in acute ischaemic stroke

Summary Increased numbers of CD146-bearing circulating endothelial cells (CECs) in the peripheral blood probably represent the most direct evidence of endothelial cell damage. As acute ischaemic strokes are associated with endothelial abnormalities, we hypothesised that these CECs are raised in acute stroke, and that they would correlate with the other indices of endothelial perturbation, i.e. plasma von Willebrand factor (vWf) and soluble E-selectin. We studied 29 hypertensive patients (19 male; mean age 63 years) who presented with an acute stroke and compared them with 30 high risk hypertensive patients (21 male; mean age 62 years) and 30 normotensive controls (16 male; mean age 58 years). CECs were estimated by CD146 immunobead capture, vWf and soluble E-selectin by ELISA. Patients with an acute ischaemic stroke had significantly higher numbers of CECs/ml of blood (p<0.001) plasma vWf (p=0.008) soluble E-selectin (p=0.002) and higher systolic blood pressure (SBP) as compared to the other groups. The number of CECs significantly correlated with soluble E-selectin (r=0.432, p<0.001) and vWf (r=0.349, p=0.001) but not with SBP (r=0.198, p=0.069). However, in multivariate analysis, only disease group (i.e. health, hypertension or stroke) was associated with increased CECs. Acute ischaemic stroke is associated with increased numbers of CECs. The latter correlate well with established plasma markers of endothelial dysfunction or damage, thus unequivocally confirming severe vasculopathy in this condition. However, the greatest influence on CECs numbers was clinical group.
Rapid and sensitive detection of redspotted grouper nervous necrosis virus (RGNNV) infection by aptamer-coat protein-aptamer sandwich enzyme-linked apta-sorbent assay (ELASA).

Redspotted grouper nervous necrosis virus (RGNNV) is one of the most devastating pathogens in the aquaculture of the grouper, Epinephlus sp. , worldwide. The early and rapid diagnosis of RGNNV is important for the prevention of RGNNV infection. In this study, an aptamer (A10)-based sandwich enzyme-linked apta-sorbent assay (ELASA) was developed for RGNNV diagnosis. This sandwich ELASA showed high specificity for the RGNNV coat protein (CP) and virions in virus-infected cells and tissues. At the optimized working concentration of 200 nM of aptamer, the ELASA could detect RGNNV in the lysates of as few as 4 × 103 RGNNV-infected GB cells. Incubation for 10 min was sufficient to produce accurate results. The sandwich ELASA was most stable at incubation temperatures of 4-25°C, but could still distinguish RGNNV-infected samples from the controls at 37°C. It could detect RGNNV infection in brain lysates diluted 1/10, with results consistent with those of reverse transcription PCR, although with 10% less sensitivity. The main equipment required includes dissection tools, a water bath, Pierce™ Streptavidin Coated Plates and a microplate reader. The sandwich ELASA has great potential utility for the rapid and sensitive diagnosis of RGNNV in its early stages by fish farmers.
Outpatient Use of Low Molecular Weight Heparin (Dalteparin) for the Treatment of Deep Vein Thrombosis of the Upper Extremity

Summary Upper extremity deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is now recognized as a major cause of morbidity and mortality. There is little information regarding the most effective treatment of this condition. We report a prospective cohort study of the use of low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) in the outpatient management of upper extremity DVT. Forty-six patients were managed as outpatients for objectively documented upper extremity DVT with dalteparin (200 aXa u/kg), for a minimum of five days. Warfarin was usually initiated on the first day with a target INR of 2.0-3.0. Most patients had an underlying malignancy or a history of a central line. All patients were followed for 12 weeks from diagnosis. Only one patient had a major bleed. No patients developed pulmonary emboli. One patient had a recurrence of DVT during the treatment with LMWH with extension of the existing thrombus. Seven patients died, all due to their underlying disease. This study supports the safety and effectiveness of dalteparin in the treatment of upper extremity DVT. Given that these patients were treated as outpatients, there is a potential for huge cost savings.
Comparing alternative definitions of the contemporary group effect in Avileña Negra Ibérica cattle in a Bayesian analysis

Data on weaning weight from 12,740 animals were used to compare different contemporary group (CG) definitions to be applied in the current genetic evaluation in the Avilena Negra Iberica beef cattle breed. Several classical ‘ad-hoc’ statistics and criteria for statistical model comparison within a Bayesian analysis were used. Six alternative definitions for the CG effect were compared: Herd- yearseason of calving (HYS), with seasons defined according to the four natural seasons; herd-year-month of calving (HYM); herd clusters with length of 30 days (HC30-30) or 90 days (HC90-90), and, adaptive clusters with two time limits, 30 and 90 days (HC30-90), and 30 and 180 days (HC30-180). Classical statistics pointed at HYM and HC30-30 as the models showing smaller within CG variation and smaller residual variance, with slightly worse performance in terms of accuracy of prediction for breeding values for direct genetic effects. Bayes factors and cross-validation predictive densities, allowed for a better discrimination among models. Models including CG spanning 30 days were more plausible and showed better predicting ability than models spanning 90 days. Adaptive CG showed intermediate results. Model definition had a relatively large impact on the variance components estimates. Overall, HYM showed best results but implied the largest loss of data (14%). HC30-90 might represent a compromising solution for this population.
Rumination and future thinking in depression.

OBJECTIVES Future thinking is an important domain of cognitive functioning, with reduced ability to imagine positive future events associated with hopelessness in depression and parasuicide. Rumination has been shown to exacerbate negative cognitive biases in depression, and to reduce likelihood estimations for positive future events. We examine the hypothesis that, in depressed patients, rumination would reduce the ability to imagine positive future events, whilst increasing the ability to imagine negative future events. METHOD The ability to imagine positive and negative future events was assessed using the future thinking paradigm (MacLeod, Rose, & Williams, 1993). Depressed and nondepressed participants completed the future thinking task after being randomly allocated to either a rumination or distraction manipulation (Nolen-Hoeksema & Morrow, 1993). Mood was measured before and after the manipulation. Participants also completed a standard verbal fluency task. RESULTS In the depressed group, compared to distraction, rumination increased both negative and positive future thinking, although the effect was only significant for negative future thinking once baseline levels of hopelessness were controlled for. These findings are consistent with the prediction that rumination would increase negative future thinking, but inconsistent with the prediction that rumination would reduce positive future thinking. Previous findings that, compared to controls, depressed patients generated fewer positive future events were replicated. CONCLUSION Ruminative self-focus leads to greater negative future thinking in depressed patients, further confirming that rumination exacerbates negative cognitive biases in depression. The relationship between rumination and positive future thinking was unexpected, but might potentially reflect a general priming of self-related information by rumination.
Transtracheal ventilation

alarmed to find unintentional puncture of the cricothyroid membrane and the thyroid isthmus can often be palpated and avoided. Paratracheal tube insertion is clearly the most hazardous immediate complication, reported to occur in as many as 7% of cases [l]. In addition to endoscopy or more extensive dissection, a normal capnograph trace from the cannula following puncture of the trachea before dilation ensures placement within the lumen. Capnography is reliable; we use it routinely in the operating theatre for cricothyroid puncture to ensure accurate intraluminal placement before commencing peroperative jet ventilation and have also found it reliable for percutaneous tracheostomy. Endoscopy requires a second operator appropriately trained and adds no further information. Dexter argues that the level can be seen endoscopically, but in the presence of a tracheal tube this is not reliable and it is still necessary to judge the level by palpation. It is very important to be able to identify all the anatomy clearly and proceed with certainty at each stage; otherwise the procedure should be performed by an open technique.
Coronary Wave Intensity during the Valsalva Manoeuvre in Humans Reflects Altered Intramural Vessel Compression Responsible for Extravascular Resistance

Disclaimer/Complaints regulations If you believe that digital publication of certain material infringes any of your rights or (privacy) interests, please let the Library know, stating your reasons. In case of a legitimate complaint, the Library will make the material inaccessible and/or remove it from the website. Please Ask the Library: http://uba.uva. nl/en/contact, or a letter to: Library of the University of Amsterdam, Secretariat, Singel 425, 1012 WP Amsterdam, The Netherlands. You will be contacted as soon as possible.
Composite Asymmetry as an Indicator of Quality in the Beneficial Wasp Trichogramma nr. brassicae (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae)

Abstract Trichogramma are egg parasitoids that are widely cultured for the control of moth pests in commercial insectaries. Stock quality is often maintained by releasing wasps from a mass culture in an area with target host eggs and initiating fresh stocks from parasitized eggs. Here we test if variability among individuals as measured by fluctuating asymmetry can be used as an additional method of quality control in Trichogramma nr. brassicae by comparing fluctuating asymmetry levels between a random sample of wasps before release and wasps that successfully reach host eggs. Although the asymmetry of individual traits was not associated with wasp fitness, a total asymmetry measure based on combining the uncorrelated asymmetries of nine traits did predict the ability of wasps to reach the eggs.
A SPATIOTEMPORAL MODEL OF HUMAN CIRCADIAN RHYTHM IN SMART HOMES

This article presents a spatiotemporal model of human circadian activity rhythm in smart homes. A spatiotemporal model is used to represent human activity in a time-based system. This article proposes a learning and prediction algorithm to analyze temporal characteristics of the resident's activity. The algorithms combined Allen's temporal logic and Gaussian distribution to incrementally learn and predict next activity of the inhabitant. The methods show 88.1% prediction accuracy when tested with a practical smart home data set. Further analysis showed that human activity in smart homes follows Gaussian distribution, which previously had been merely an assumption.
The cobalt, zinc, and cadmium efflux system CzcABC from Alcaligenes eutrophus functions as a cation-proton antiporter in Escherichia coli

The function of the CzcABC protein complex, which mediates resistance to Co2+, Zn2+, and Cd2+ in Alcaligenes eutrophus by cation efflux, was investigated by using everted membrane vesicles of Escherichia coli and an acridine orange fluorescence quenching assay. Since metal cation uptake could not be measured with inside-out membrane vesicles prepared from A. eutrophus and since available E. coli strains did not express the Czc-mediated resistance to cobalt, zinc, and cadmium salts, mutants of E. coli which exhibited a Czc-dependent increase in heavy metal resistance were isolated. E. coli mutant strain EC351 constitutively accumulated Co2+, Zn2+, and Cd2+. In the presence of Czc, net uptake of these heavy metal cations was reduced to the wild-type level. Inside-out vesicles prepared from E. coli EC351 cells displayed a Czc-dependent uptake of Co2+, Zn2+, and Cd2+ and a cation-triggered acridine orange fluorescence increase. The czc-encoded protein complex CzcABC was shown to be a zinc-proton antiporter.
Gut microbiota from multiple sclerosis patients enables spontaneous autoimmune encephalomyelitis in mice

Significance Studies using experimental models have indicated that multiple sclerosis (MS)-like disease can be triggered in the gut following interactions of brain autoimmune T lymphocytes with local microbiota. Here we studied the gut microbiota from monozygotic human twin pairs discordant for multiple sclerosis. When we transferred human-derived microbiota into transgenic mice expressing a myelin autoantigen-specific T cell receptor, we found that gut microbiota from multiple sclerosis-affected twins induced CNS-specific autoimmunity at a higher incidence than microbiota from healthy co-twins. Our results offer functional evidence that human microbiome components contribute to CNS-specific autoimmunity. There is emerging evidence that the commensal microbiota has a role in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis (MS), a putative autoimmune disease of the CNS. Here, we compared the gut microbial composition of 34 monozygotic twin pairs discordant for MS. While there were no major differences in the overall microbial profiles, we found a significant increase in some taxa such as Akkermansia in untreated MS twins. Furthermore, most notably, when transplanted to a transgenic mouse model of spontaneous brain autoimmunity, MS twin-derived microbiota induced a significantly higher incidence of autoimmunity than the healthy twin-derived microbiota. The microbial profiles of the colonized mice showed a high intraindividual and remarkable temporal stability with several differences, including Sutterella, an organism shown to induce a protective immunoregulatory profile in vitro. Immune cells from mouse recipients of MS-twin samples produced less IL-10 than immune cells from mice colonized with healthy-twin samples. IL-10 may have a regulatory role in spontaneous CNS autoimmunity, as neutralization of the cytokine in mice colonized with healthy-twin fecal samples increased disease incidence. These findings provide evidence that MS-derived microbiota contain factors that precipitate an MS-like autoimmune disease in a transgenic mouse model. They hence encourage the detailed search for protective and pathogenic microbial components in human MS.
Current Updates on Centella asiatica : Phytochemistry, Pharmacology and Traditional Uses

Plants have been demonstrated extraordinary source of medicine, and recently focus on medicinal plant research has increased. Centella asiatica is well known for its traditional uses and medicinal properties for the treatment of many diseases. The published literatures mention the use of this plant as whole and bioactive compounds isolated are widely used in the treatment of various human ailments. C. asiatica reported to possess various pharmacological activities: antimicrobial activity, anticancer activity, wound healing activity, neuroprotechtive activity, immunomodulatory activity, anti-inflammatory activity, hepatoprotective activity, insecticidal activity, and antioxidant activity. C. asiatica is also rich in flavonoids and terpenoids compounds among them asiatic acid, asiaticoside, madecassoside is well characterized for its pharmacological value. The present review summarized widespread information on phytochemistry, isolated and characterized bioactive compounds, pharmacological properties, in vitro propagation and traditional uses of the important medicinal plant C. asiatica .
Robotically Assisted Hybrid Coronary Revascularization: Does Sequence of Intervention Matter?

Objective Hybrid coronary revascularization (HCR) is a treatment strategy for the revascularization of multivessel coronary disease that combines the advantages of both minimally invasive surgical techniques and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). The optimal sequence by which revascularization should be accomplished has not been determined. We investigated clinical outcomes in a series of patients planned for HCR via robotically assisted totally endoscopic coronary artery bypass (TECAB) and standard PCI based on revascularization sequence. Methods A total of 238 patients planned for HCR between 2001 and 2011 were divided into three groups based on treatment sequence: (a) TECAB before PCI, (b) PCI before TECAB, and (c) same-session procedure. Multiple procedural and clinical end points before discharge and up to 2 years after the procedure were compared between the three groups in an intention-to-treat analysis. Demographic features were reviewed to determine baseline differences between each group. Results Of the 238 patients, 175 (73.5%) underwent TECAB before PCI, 38 patients (16.0%) underwent PCI before TECAB, and 25 (10.5%) underwent a simultaneous revascularization procedure. At baseline, the patients undergoing TECAB before PCI were significantly older. There was a significantly higher incidence of previous myocardial infarction in the PCI-first group (P < 0.001). There was a significant difference in intensive care unit (ICU) length of stay (LOS), with shorter ICU stays in the simultaneous revascularization group (P = 0.031) and shorter hospital LOS in the PCI before TECAB group (P = 0.021). Conclusions In conclusion, revascularization sequence did not dramatically impact clinical outcomes in our observational study. The patients undergoing PCI-first and same-session interventions had shorter hospital and ICU LOS compared with the patients undergoing surgery first. Our findings suggest that no revascularization approach is arbitrarily superior and that revascularization sequence should be individualized on the basis of patient presentation and anatomical considerations.