Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Cognitive impairment in early-onset multiple sclerosis. Pattern, predictors, and impact on everyday life in a 4-year follow-up.

OBJECTIVES To assess the evolution of cognitive dysfunction in early-onset multiple sclerosis, to identify clinical predictors of mental decline, and to determine its impact on a patient's everyday life. DESIGN The cognitive performance of 50 patients with multiple sclerosis on a neuropsychological battery was compared with that of 70 control subjects initially and again after a 4-year interval. Clinical predictors of cognitive impairment and its effect on daily life were analyzed by stepwise linear regression. SETTING The research clinic of a university department of neurology. PARTICIPANTS A consecutive sample of 50 inpatients and outpatients with multiple sclerosis (mean disease duration, 1.58 years) and 70 demographically matched healthy control subjects selected from the patients' relatives and friends. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Mean psychometric test scores of both groups at the initial and follow-up testing. Regression coefficients measuring the relationship between clinical parameters and cognitive capacity and between mental decline and performance of common tasks measured by the Environmental and the Incapacity Status scales. RESULTS Multiple sclerosis-related deficits in verbal memory and abstract reasoning on initial testing remained more or less stable on the retest, at which time linguistic disturbances on the Set and Token tests also emerged. A patient's initial disability level predicted decreased performance on only four of 13 cognitive variables, and disease duration did so on only two. Extent of intellectual decline on initial testing, initial disability level, and progressive course were independent determinants of handicap in a patient's work and social activities. CONCLUSIONS Cognitive and neurological deficits appear not to develop in parallel. Yet cognitive dysfunction proves to be a predictor of handicap in everyday life, even in patients in the incipient phase of multiple sclerosis.
Context awareness and adaptation in mobile learning

This study investigates the importance of context-awareness and adaptation in mobile learning. Context-aware mobile learning that senses mobile environment and reacts to changing context during learning process has four interaction modes with three mobile entities of different mobility. Contexts in mobile learning are categorized into six dimensions that form a context space. Several mobile learning systems are examined according to the definition of context-aware mobile learning. Challenging issues of context awareness and adaptation are explored.
Maternal and grandmaternal age influence offspring fitness in Drosophila

The influence of maternal and grandmaternal age on progeny egg–to–adult viability was assessed in Drosophila serrata. Viability in progeny decreased with increasing maternal age. The potential for cumulative age effects was investigated in two environments, one of which involved nutrient and cold stress. Environment influenced viability and female age influenced progeny egg–to–adult viability across one generation. The influence on viability was cumulative across two generations. Females from old mothers, who also had old grandmothers, had the lowest viability in both environments. Grandmaternal effects were associated with a decrease in egg hatch rate whereas maternal effects also involved larval–to–adult viability. The age of the mother and grandmother should be taken into account when evaluating life–history traits in Drosophila.
Are multiple brand endorsements economically effective?

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of multiple brand celebrity endorsement strategies on firms’ performance and different attributes associated with celebrities on firms’ performance. In this regard, the present study specifically explores the role of celebrity reputation and experience, as well as social media as a promotion platform in influencing the economic effectiveness of multiple brand endorsement strategies, i.e. proportion of brands endorsed in a firms’ brand portfolio. Design/methodology/approach Study is based on instrumental variable regression analysis approach and is conducted in one of the emerging markets, i.e. India. Findings The findings indicate that firms’ market valuations increase as its proportion of brands endorsed by celebrities increases. Furthermore, popularity reputation of celebrity also influences market valuation, and relationship is positively moderated by celebrity’s experience. Originality/value Extant studies have considered one endorsement news of a firm at a time. However, how total proportion of firms’ brand endorsed by celebrities impacts its performance has not been investigated. Furthermore, impact of celebrity traits has been examined only in consumer behavior studies and has been rarely investigated in context of firms’ economic performance.
Incorporating spatial interaction patterns in classifying and understanding urban land use

ABSTRACT Land use classification has benefited from the emerging big data, such as mobile phone records and taxi trajectories. Temporal activity variations derived from these data have been used to interpret and understand the land use of parcels from the perspective of social functions, complementing the outcome of traditional remote sensing methods. However, spatial interaction patterns between parcels, which could depict land uses from a perspective of connections, have rarely been examined and analysed. To leverage spatial interaction information contained in the above-mentioned massive data sets, we propose a novel unsupervised land use classification method with a new type of place signature. Based on the observation that spatial interaction patterns between places of two specific land uses are similar, the new place signature improves land use classification by trading off between aggregated temporal activity variations and detailed spatial interactions among places. The method is validated with a case study using taxi trip data from Shanghai.
Valeurs propres de matrices symetriques : analyses de la sensibilite d'ordre superieur et formulations variationnelles pour leur estimation

La premiere partie de cette these est consacree a l'analyse de la sensibilite (du premier et) du second ordre des valeurs propres d'un operateur symetrique. Dans un premier temps, nous exploitons des resultats fins concernant la perturbation de sous-espaces invariants dus a stewart, afin d'etablir l'existence de deux types de derivees directionnelles secondes pour la m-ieme plus grande valeur propre m. La situation est differente du point de vue de l'epi-differentiabilite : on montre, en effet, que m est deux fois epi-derivable si et seulement si cette valeur propre se situe en debut d'un groupe de valeurs propres egales. Nous etendons cette analyse au cadre plus general des fonctions spectrales convexes. Enfin, nous nous penchons sur la question de la sensibilite du premier-ordre de toutes les valeurs propres non nulles d'un operateur autoadjoint compact. L'approche variationnelle permet d'expliciter la derivee directionnelle classique ainsi que la derivee generalisee de clarke de l'application m-ieme plus grande valeur propre. L'objet de la seconde partie est l'analyse de principes variationnels non-homogenes rattaches aux elements propres d'une matrice symetrique reelle. Certaines de ces formulations sont dues a auchmuty qui les presenta comme alternatives au quotient de rayleigh. Apres avoir decrit les proprietes variationnelles de ces fonctions, nous montrons que leur non-homogeneite en font des candidates plus adaptees a la minimisation que le critere de rayleigh couramment utilise. Nous developpons alors une serie d'algorithmes bases sur l'un de ces principes et destines a estimer la plus grande paire propre d'une matrice symetrique de (tres) grande taille. Dans une derniere partie, nous decrivons de nouveaux principes variationnels non-homogenes destines a estimer la largeur du spectre et le conditionnement d'une matrice symetrique.
Molecular analysis of three major wall‐associated proteins of Bacillus subtilis 168: evidence for processing of the product of a gene encoding a 258 kDa precursor two‐domain ligand‐binding protein

Antisera raised to a 109 kDa wall‐associated protein (WAP) of Bacillus subtilis 168 cross‐reacts with two other WAPs of 220 and 58 kDa. The structural gene for the 109 kDa WAP (designated wapA) was cloned, sequenced, mapped at around 340° on the B. subtilis 168 chromosome and found to encode a precursor of all three wall‐bound forms (2334 amino acids and 258 329 Da). The protein has two ligand‐binding domains; the N‐terminal domain has three direct repeats of 102 residues with 40% identity, which are responsible for wall binding. The C‐terminal domain consists of two blocks of residues with a conserved motif repeated a total of 31 times. The motif consensus sequence GXXXX(Y,F)XYDXXG is almost identical to that of the Escherichia coli rearrangement hot spot family and shows similarity to a carbohydrate‐binding motif of a number of Gram‐positive secreted proteins. A mutant insertionally inactivated in the wapA gene had no distinguishable phenotype apart from lacking the three WAPs. The possible role of WAPA and its two‐domain relationship with other ligand‐binding proteins is discussed.
Spectrum Sensing Using Hidden Markov Modeling

Cognitive radio technologies are being developed which allow heterogeneous systems to share spectrum access while minimizing interference to improve the overall efficiency of spectrum usage. Interference minimization requires cognitive radio receivers to be able to detect the presence of all other systems competing for spectrum usage, a process often termed "spectrum sensing". This paper focuses on the kernel function of spectrum sensing: blind interference detection from a single, strictly time-limited, received data vector. Recent research has identified shortcomings in the operation of classical blind interference detection techniques such as energy detection and radiometry. This paper demonstrates that implicit interference characteristics can be exploited in a formal framework using hidden Markov modeling to produce a spectrum sensor with a receiver operating characteristic which is improved on that of energy detection and several other previously reported methods.
Microbiological degradation of pesticides in yard waste composting

Changes in public opinion and legislation have led to the general recognition that solid waste treatment practices must be changed. Solid-waste disposal by landfill is becoming increasingly expensive and regulated and no longer represents a long-term option in view of limited land space and environmental problems. Yard waste, a significant component of municipal solid waste, has previously not been separated from the municipal solid-waste stream. The treatment of municipal solid waste including yard waste must urgently be addressed because disposal via landfill will be prohibited by legislation. Separation of yard waste from municipal solid waste will be mandated in many localities, thus stressing the importance of scrutinizing current composting practices in treating grass clippings, leaves, and other yard residues. Yard waste poses a potential environmental health problem as a result of the widespread use of pesticides in lawn and tree care and the persistence of the residues of these chemicals in plant tissue. Yard waste containing pesticides may present a problem due to the recalcitrant and toxic nature of the pesticide molecules. Current composting processes are based on various modifications of either window systems or in-vessel systems. Both types of processes are ultimately dependent on microbial bioconversions of organic material to innocuous end products. The critical stage of the composting process is the thermophilic phase. The fate and mechanism of removal of pesticides in composting processes is largely unknown and in need of comprehensive analysis.
Imaging of the heart in pulmonary hypertension

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a disease of the pulmonary arteries resulting in a progressive increase in pulmonary vascular resistance, ultimately leading to right ventricular failure and death. It is a rare disease with a poor prognosis. The functional capacity of the right ventricle (RV) is a major prognostic determinant in PH. Our understanding of RV performance in PH has been hindered by the lack of techniques that give a reliable picture of right ventricular morphology and function. There have been recent major advances in our understanding of the mechanism of disease development, in the diagnostic process and in the treatment of PH. There are now three classes of medications that are effective in the treatment of PH: prostanoids, endothelin receptor antagonists and phosphodiesterase‐5 inhibitors. Therapeutic advances in the management of PH have reinforced the requirement for non‐invasive, accurate and reproducible methods of assessment to act as ‘end‐points’ to measure the effects of treatment. It is our opinion that the most useful ‘end‐point’ would be one that evaluates right heart morphology and function. We introduce and discuss the techniques currently used to image the heart in patients with PH. Imaging modalities discussed include echocardiography, radionuclide ventriculography, cardiac computed tomography and cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging focusing on the rapidly evolving technique of CMR imaging.
DÉVELOPPEMENT DE FORMULATIONS ÉLECTROMAGNÉTIQUES ÉLÉMENTS FINIS 3D POUR LA MODÉLISATION DES DISPOSITIFS EN FRÉQUENCE ÉLEVÉE

Le but de cette these s'est inscrit dans le developpement des formulations electromagnetiques 3D adaptees a la modelisation des dispositifs fonctionnant en frequences elevees. La modelisation de ces appareils s'est heurtee a des difficultes liees : - a leur geometrie complexe 3D. Circuit magnetique non simplement connexe, probleme de connexite en cas d'utilisation de formulation en potentiel scalaire magnetique. - A l'effet de peau prononce du a leur frequence de frequence de fonctionnement elevee. Dans ce cas, l'evaluation de perte par courant de Foucault et en particulier les pertes par effet de proximite, est tres difficile. Compte tenu de ces difficultes, nous avons mis au point des developpements adaptes, qui permettent : - dans un premier temps, de detecter automatiquement tout probleme eventuel lie au circuit magnetique ferme. En particulier, nous avons developpe un algorithme qui genere automatiquement des coupures necessaires pour resoudre le probleme de connexite. - Dans un deuxieme temps, de prendre en compte des pertes par effet de proximite en utilisant une permeabilite complexe equivalente. Cette derniere permet de reduire considerablement les inconnues utilisees dans la modelisation des pertes par courant de Foucault. Ceci apporte de grands interets economiques en terme de memoire et de temps de calcul. Differents methodes de determination de la permeabilite complexe ont ete investis et ont donnes des resultats tres prometteur. Ces developpements ont ete valides dans un code de calcul scientifique avec succes. Ils permettent une utilisation de la formulation en potentiel scalaire magnetique plus convivial et s'ouvrent a un champ d'application plus grand. Ils envisagent des simulations difficiles qui sont jusqu'a l'heur actuelle non accessibles.
Exploring Violence Against Women and Adverse Health Outcomes in Middle Age to Promote Women's Health

A history of intimate partner violence (IPV) is linked to cardiovascular disorders among women. Static autonomic nervous system (ANS) imbalance may result from chronic stress associated with exposure to IPV. Autonomic nervous system imbalance is associated with an excessive proinflammatory response that may increase the risk for inflammatory diseases, including atherosclerosis. To better understand the process from IPV to poorer health outcomes in women diagnosed with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) we developed and tested a biobehavioral model of the psychological and biological pathway from IPV to chronic illness. We hypothesized that among women hospitalized for ACS, those who reported sexual abuse, with or without physical abuse, would have greater alterations in their serum levels of neuroendocrine markers, proinflammatory cytokines, and cell adhesion molecules and a chemotactic cytokine, at time of hospitalization for ACS, and 3 and 6 months later, than do women with physical abuse only. Participants were 45 women, primarily African American, admitted to a county hospital with a diagnosis of ACS. We evaluated 11 biomarkers and found a moderate group effect size for vascular cell adhesion molecule-1. All others had a small effect size.
Activation of Shaker Potassium Channels

This second of three papers, in which we functionally characterize activation gating in Shaker potassium channels, focuses on the properties of a mutant channel (called V2), in which the leucine at position 382 (in the Shaker B sequence) is mutated to valine. The general properties of V2's ionic and gating currents are consistent with changes in late gating transitions, in particular, with V2 disrupting the positively cooperative gating process of the normally activating wild type (WT) channel. An analysis of forward and backward rate constants, analogous to that used for WT in the previous paper, indicates that V2 causes little change in the rates for most of the transitions in the activation path, but causes large changes in the backward rates of the final two transitions. Single channel data indicate that the V2 mutation causes moderate changes in the rates of transitions to states that are not in the activation path, but little change in the rates from these states. V2's data also yield insights into the general properties of the activation gating process that could not be readily obtained from the WT channel, including evidence that intermediate transitions have rapid backward rates, and an estimate of a total charge 2 e0 for the final two transitions. Taken together, these data will help constrain an activation gating model in the third paper of this series, while also providing an explanation for V2's effects.
The Effect of Femoral Rotation on the Projected Femoral Neck-Shaft Angle

Femoral neck-shaft angle (NSA) was measured in a series of anteroposterior (AP) hip radiographs of a cadaveric femur in varying degrees of rotation. A mathematical model was developed to predict NSA on an AP radiograph in varying degrees of femoral rotation. The predictions of the model were found to correlate well with the experimental data (correlation coefficient = 0.94). Based on the mathematical model, a wide range of patient positioning was found to result in a <10° error in the measurement of femoral NSA. Coxa vara, increased femoral anteversion, cerebral palsy, and developmental dislocation of the hip resulted in a more restricted range of acceptable femoral positioning. External rotation of the femur should be avoided during patient positioning because as little as 7° can cause a >10° change in the apparent NSA. For all patient populations, internally rotating the femur will allow for determination of the femoral NSA to within 10°.
Profile of B. Rosemary Grant

Charles Darwin viewed evolution as a process so slow that it often evokes images of changes accumulated over near-geologic timescales. Rosemary Grant's research has revealed otherwise. Through painstaking documentation of the evolutionary process first described by Darwin, Grant has shown that evolution can be observed within a lifetime. Grant, an evolutionary biologist at Princeton University and a member of the National Academy of Sciences, has traced the evolution of Darwin's finches—14 species of songbirds of the genus Geospiza that inhabit the storied Galapagos islands of South America. For nearly four decades, Grant and her husband, Peter Grant, have followed the finches’ fate on the famous archipelago, furnishing proof for a biological process no less fundamental than natural selection. Their work lent the narrative spine to The Beak of the Finch, a Pulitzer Prize-winning account of their adventures in the archipelago written by the journalist Jonathan Weiner.
Systemic Administration of Nω-Nitro-l-Arginine Methyl Ester and Indomethacin Reduces the Elevation of Brain PGE2Content and Prevents Seizures and Hippocampal Damage Evoked by LiCl and Tacrine in Rat

Administration of tacrine (5 mg/kg i.p.), an anticholinesterase agent, in rats pretreated (24 h beforehand) with lithium chloride (LiCl; 12 mEq/kg i.p.) enhances the expression of neuronal nitric oxide (NO) synthase (NOS), increases NO, and causes seizures and hippocampal damage. Here we report immunohistochemistry evidence showing that in rat LiCl and tacrine enhance the expression of cyclooxygenase type 2 (COX-2) enzyme protein in the dorsal hippocampus and elevate brain PGE2 content during the preconvulsive period. The latter effect, but not enhanced COX-2 expression, is inhibited by previous (30 min before tacrine) administration of N omega-nitro-L-arginine-methyl ester (L-NAME; 10 mg/kg i.p.), an inhibitor of NO synthesis, thus implicating NO in the mechanism of stimulation of COX activity leading to elevation of brain PGE2 content. Indomethacin (10 mg/kg given i.p. 30 min before tacrine), an inhibitor of COX activity, prevented brain PGE2 elevation and abolished the expression of seizures and hippocampal damage thus supporting a role for this metabolite of the arachidonic acid cascade in the mechanisms of LiCl and tacrine-evoked neurotoxicity in rat.
Factors Affecting Abnormal Returns Around Bonus Issue Announcements:An Empirical Analysis of CNX 500 Companies

The purpose of this paper is to find the determinants affecting the abnormal returns from bonus announcements for the period 2006 through 2014. The paper uses regression model for the study. The findings reveal that the firm size has a significant role in declining the abnormal returns. Promoters’ holding and abnormal returns are found to have significant and negative relation. The pre-cumulative average abnormal returns are responsible for significant improvement in abnormal returns. The abnormal returns in both the pre-crisis and post-crisis period were negative. The companies belonging to services sector generated significantly higher abnormal returns than the manufacturing sector.
Asthma and serious psychological distress: prevalence and risk factors among US adults, 2001-2007.

BACKGROUND For millions of adults, effective control of asthma requires a regimen of care that may be compromised by psychological factors, such as anxiety and depression. This study estimated the prevalence and risk factors for serious psychological distress (SPD) and explored their relationship to health-related quality of life (HRQOL) among adults with asthma in the United States. METHODS We analyzed data from 186,738 adult respondents from the 2001-2007 US National Health Interview Survey. We calculated weighted average prevalence estimates of current asthma and SPD by demographic characteristics and health-related factors. We used logistic regression analysis to calculate odds ratios for factors that may have predicted asthma, SPD, and HRQOL. RESULTS From 2001 to 2007, the average annual prevalence of current asthma was 7.0% and the average prevalence of SPD was 3.0%. Among adults with asthma, the prevalence of SPD was 7.5% (95% CI, 7.0%-8.1%). A negative association between HRQOL and SPD was found for all adults, independent of asthma status. A similar pattern of risk factors predicted SPD and the co-occurrence of SPD and asthma, although adults with asthma who reported lower socioeconomic status, a history of smoking or alcohol use, and more comorbid chronic conditions had significantly higher odds of SPD. CONCLUSION This research suggests the importance of mental health screening for persons with asthma and the need for clinical and community-based interventions to target modifiable lifestyle factors that contribute to psychological distress and make asthma worse.