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AbstractPurpose of the articleMaterials and methodsResultsConclusions\nIMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATIONThis study aims to evaluate the literature, peer-reviewed clinical trials investigating the effects of combined exercise interventions on individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.Various databases, using various descriptors and Boolean operators were utilized.Eight studies meet the eligibility criteria. Regarding the anthropometric measures/body composition variable, the meta-analysis revealed that combined physical exercise did not have a significant effect (standard mean difference (SMD) = −0.16; 95% CI, −0.34 to 0.03; Z = 1.68; p = 0.09). For the lipid profile variable, the combined exercise interventions did not show a significant effect (SMD = −0.07; 95% CI, −0.43 to 0.29; Z = 0.38; p = 0.71). Combined exercise training had a significant effect on increasing functional capacity (SMD = 0.28; 95% CI, 0.01 to 0.54; Z = 2.03; p = 0.04), cardiorespiratory function (SMD = 0.80; 95% CI, 0.34 to 1.26; Z = 3.41; p ≤ 0.001), and strength (SMD = 0.77; 95% CI, 0.45 to 1.08; Z = 4.78; p ≤ 0.001).Participants from the intervention group that took part in combined exercise training showed a higher probability of improving their functional, cardiorespiratory, and strength capacity compared to the control group.This study synthesises the literature, peer-reviewed clinical trials investigating the effects of combined exercise interventions on individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.Participants who performed combined physical exercise were more likely to improve their functional, cardiorespiratory and strength capacity compared to the control group.Professionals (e.g., rehabilitation technician, exercise technician) responsible for planning interventions for people with IDD should consider the results of this study when planning their interventions, particularly regarding the prescription of physical exercise, as well as monitoring training and several important variables that can be enhanced by regular physical exercise.Organisations that provide support to people with IDD (support or social solidarity institutions) should also consider the results of this study, to provide the necessary conditions (materials, spaces or human resources) so that professionals could plan this type of intervention in the most appropriate and adapted way possible for the individual.This study synthesises the literature, peer-reviewed clinical trials investigating the effects of combined exercise interventions on individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.Participants who performed combined physical exercise were more likely to improve their functional, cardiorespiratory and strength capacity compared to the control group.Professionals (e.g., rehabilitation technician, exercise technician) responsible for planning interventions for people with IDD should consider the results of this study when planning their interventions, particularly regarding the prescription of physical exercise, as well as monitoring training and several important variables that can be enhanced by regular physical exercise.Organisations that provide support to people with IDD (support or social solidarity institutions) should also consider the results of this study, to provide the necessary conditions (materials, spaces or human resources) so that professionals could plan this type of intervention in the most appropriate and adapted way possible for the individual. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We aimed to explore a short period longitudinal interplay between athletes' enjoyment and their self-determined motivation and motivational climate in youth football. We recruited 109 youth football athletes (79 males, 30 females) through a convenient sampling method. We included individuals within the 12–17-year-old age range, with a mean age of 14.31 (SD = 1.46) years. To examine these proposed associations, we performed hierarchical multiple regression analyses and found that enjoyment at pre-season assessment (T1) and self-determined motivation and a task-involving sport climate at mid-season (T2) were significant predictors of mid-season enjoyment (at T2). However, self-determined motivation and task-involving climate at T1 did not significantly contribute to the model. These findings emphasize the importance of initial enjoyment and an evolved self-determined motivation, and task-involving climate in understanding later enjoyment in sport. Coaches, practitioners, and policymakers should prioritize strategies that enhance intrinsic motivation, provide opportunities for autonomy, and cultivate a supportive and growth-oriented environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study explores the association of autonomous motivation and the relationship of positive and negative affect on anxiety levels among individuals engaged in gym practitioners during the second COVID-19 lockdown. A total of 196 exercisers (29.17 ± 10.77) were enrolled in the present study, of which 112 (57.1%) were women and 84 (42.9%) were men. The survey included sociodemographic data, as well as validated instruments measuring autonomous motivation, positive and negative affect, and anxiety states related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The results revealed a positive association between autonomous motivation and positive affect (β = 0.36, CI 0.12, 0.37; p < 0.001), and a negative association between autonomous motivation and negative affect (β = − 0.17, CI − 0.31, − 0.01; p = 0.03). Moreover positive, and negative affect are negatively (β = − 0.33, CI − 0.43, − 0.24; p < 0.001) and positively (β = 0.72, CI 0.57, 0.82; p < 0.001) associated to anxiety, respectively. Thus, this study appears to emphasize the association of autonomous motivation on affect as a potential buffer against anxiety levels, particularly in a context where practitioners found themselves restricted in their usual gym practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evidence suggests affective responses to exercise can influence exercise adherence. However, there is a limited understanding of how and when to measure core affect in resistance training. As such, the objective of this systematic review was to analyze how the Feeling Scale and/or the Felt Arousal Scale have been used in resistance training to assess core affect. Focus was given to the contextual feasibility, timing, and frequency of assessment. A search in PubMed, SPORTDiscus, and PsycINFO databases was conducted (last search date July, 2022) with the purpose of including experimental and non-experimental studies, utilizing the Feeling Scale and/or the Felt Arousal Scale in resistance training, and focused on apparently healthy individuals of any age. Twenty-seven studies (N = 718 participants) published between 2009–2022 were qualitatively analyzed. Both scales appeared to be able to detect core affect within a wide array of intensities, ages, and equipment. As for the timing and frequency of measurement, no apparent standardization was evident. The use of the Feeling Scale, the Felt Arousal Scale, or both, to measure core affect appears to be feasible in resistance training practices. However, a lack of methodological background raises concerns regarding the quality of previous studies' assessments and comparisons of results across studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aimed to compare the scored and conceded goals of the top six European football leagues (Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, England, and Germany) between 2001 and 2020. The champions have a mean combo (indicator that combines attack and defence ranking) result between 1 and 1.40. The French and Italian leagues were the only ones where variation coefficients of this combo result overpassed 50% (71 and 59%, respectively) compared to the remaining football leagues. Further subsequent analysis showed that the Portuguese and French leagues differ significantly from Italy in terms of the best attack position of the champions (Z=3.196; p=0.01; η2=0.123). Regarding position in the defensive ranking, Portugal and Italy showed significantly different results compared to France (Z=3.763; p=0.003; η2=1.42). Besides, the only two countries with significant differences in scored and conceded goals positioning were France (attack better than defence; t=-3; p<0.01; d=2.236) and Italy (defence better than attack; t=2.881 p<0.01; d=1.164). Hence, in the French football league, a higher attack performance than a defence seems to indicate the champion. Oppositely, in the Italian football league, champions traditionally occupy top positioning on defence, even if they do not present the same performance on scored goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we aimed to examine empirically the Physical Activity Adoption and Maintenance model (PAAM). We collected data on these variables at baseline (T0) and 6-months later (T1). We recruited 119 participants (42 male, 77 female) aged 18–81 years old (M age = 44.89, SD = 12.95). who reported, at baseline, that they exercised an average of 3.76 days per week (SD = 1.33) in training periods lasting 15–60 minutes (M = 38.69; SD = 23.28). We conducted hierarchical multiple regression analysis to test the association between each determinant (intentions, habits, and frequency) and future exercise adherence. We tested four models by entering blocks of predictors according to PAAM assumptions. The variance change (R 2) between the first and fourth models (Δ R 2 =.391) was statistically significant, showing that the fourth model accounted for 51.2% of variance for future exercise adherence, F (6, 112) = 21.631, p <.001, R 2 =.73, adjusted R 2 =.512. Exercise intention at T1 maintained its significant association (p =.021) with exercise frequency at T1 in all tested models. Exercise frequency at T0 was the most significant predictor (p <.01) of future exercise adherence, with past experience the second most significant predictor (p =.013). Interestingly, exercise habits at T1 and T0 did not predict exercise frequency at T1 in the fourth model. Among the variables we studied, having constantly high exercise intentions and high regular exercise frequency are significantly associated with maintaining or increasing regular future exercise behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aimed to investigate the dynamic changes in behavioral regulations among teenage football players throughout a competitive season, with three measurement points (T1, T2, and T3). The total sample size for the study comprised 108 participants (78 male; 30 female). The participants' mean age was 14.31 (SD = 1.48). A MANOVA repeated measures analysis was performed within the group for all six behavioral regulations based on self-determination theory. The results of the study revealed noteworthy patterns in the behavioral regulations and intrinsic motivation scores over the competitive season. Identified regulation demonstrated a significant increase from T1 to T3 (p < 0.01, η2p = 0.13). Intrinsic motivation displayed a significant decrease over the same period from T1 to T3 (p < 0.01, η2p = 0.12). On the other hand, amotivation, external regulation, introjected regulation, and integrated regulation did not show significant changes between the three time points. The findings have practical implications for coaches and sports practitioners, as they highlight the need to create a supportive and autonomy-promoting environment to sustain athletes' intrinsic motivation throughout a competitive season. Also, recognizing the increase in identified regulation can inform strategies that align team goals and training sessions with players' individual values, thereby enhancing their commitment and dedication to the team's success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aimed to explore the relationships between coping strategies, symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress, and satisfaction with life among Portuguese workers. A sample of 402 participants (207 male, 195 female), ranging in age from 18 to 70 years (M = 32.90, SD = 11.75), was included in the study. Participants reported varying levels of work experience, ranging from 1 to 45 years (M = 10.62, SD = 4.07). The sample encompassed diverse occupations, including arts and design (n = 28), engineering (n = 23), marketing (n = 27), administration (n = 50), transportation and logistics (n = 57), clerks (n = 63), lawyers (n = 21), factory workers (n = 20), accountant and finance (n = 41), journalism (n = 27), health care (n = 29), and others (n = 16). To examine the associations between each determinant and satisfaction with life, hierarchical multiple regression analyses were conducted. Two models were tested, with predictors entered in blocks based on theoretical and empirical considerations. The second model accounted for 52.4% of the variance in satisfaction with life (F (14, 384) = 3.884, p < 0.001, R2 = 0.27, adjusted R2 = 0.24). Depressive symptoms and stress consistently exhibited a significant association (p < 0.05) with satisfaction with life across all tested models. In terms of coping mechanisms, instrumental support reinterpretation, disengagement, and humor demonstrated a significant association with satisfaction with life (p < 0.05). The findings suggest that employing adaptive coping strategies may help mitigate symptoms of mental distress and enhance satisfaction with life. By understanding the relationships between coping strategies, mental health symptoms, and satisfaction with life, interventions can be developed to promote well-being and improve overall quality of life among Portuguese workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the psychometric nature of preference for and tolerance of exercise intensity in physical activity. It initially re-examined the Preference for and Tolerance of the Intensity of Exercise Questionnaire (PRETIE-Q) among Portuguese exercisers, looking at its applicability to different exercise activities and exercise experiences. Then, to investigate the applicability of the measure in different groups, its invariance was examined. The sample consisted of 1117 participants (528 male, 589 female) aged 18–81 years old (Mage = 36.81, SD = 11.89). All participants reported at baseline that they were exercising, on average, 3.93 days (SD = 1.36) per week. The exploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM) displayed the best fit. The ESEM did show invariance when tested for multigroup analysis. The conclusion of this research is that the ESEM demonstrated the best fit, displaying invariance in multigroup analysis. Furthermore, when assessing preference and tolerance in various exercise modalities, the PRETIE-Q should be primarily used as a multidimensional instrument due to the differential recognition of preference and tolerance in seemingly similar physical activity circumstances, highlighting the importance of employing context-verified measures to evaluate exercise-intensity preference and tolerance based on sample characteristics or real-time context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our purpose with this study was to analyze trail runners' psychological variables of mental toughness (MT) and resilience, and their associations with runners' performances within a quantitative cross-sectional study. In total, we analyzed data from 307 Portuguese trail runners (60 female, 247 male), aged between 20 to 66 years (M age = 41.98; SD = 7.74). The results showed that the measurement model, including the factors of MT, resilience, and performance variables, exhibited an adequate fit to the data: χ 2 = 150.01 (74); BS-p =.003; CFI=.953; TLI =.942; RMSEA =.058 90% (.045,.071) and SRMR=.042. Standardized direct effects revealed positive associations between these variables. More specifically: (a) MT was significantly associated with resilience; and (b) resilience was significantly associated with performance. The indirect regression paths showed that MT was positively associated with performance, with resilience considered a possible mediator (β =.09 IC =.010,.168; p =.02). In total, considering direct and indirect effects, the model explained 21% of performance variance among trail runners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a systematic literature review is presented, through a survey of the main digital databases, regarding modelling methods for Short-Term Load Forecasting (STLF) for hourly electricity demand for residential electricity and to realize the performance evolution and impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in STLF. With these specific objectives, a conceptual framework on the subject was developed, along with a systematic review of the literature based on scientific publications with high impact and a bibliometric study directed towards the scientific production of AI and STLF. The review of research articles over a 10-year period, which took place between 2012 and 2022, used the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) method. This research resulted in more than 300 articles, available in four databases: Web of Science, IEEE Xplore, Scopus, and Science Direct. The research was organized around three central themes, which were defined through the following keywords: STLF, Electricity, and Residential, along with their corresponding synonyms. In total, 334 research articles were analyzed, and the year of publication, journal, author, geography by continent and country, and the area of application were identified. Of the 335 documents found in the initial research and after applying the inclusion/exclusion criteria, which allowed delimiting the subject addressed in the topics of interest for analysis, 38 (thirty-eight) documents were in English (26 journal articles and 12 conference papers). The results point to a diversity of modelling techniques and associated algorithms. The corresponding performance was measured with different metrics and, therefore, cannot be compared directly. Hence, it is desirable to have a unified dataset, together with a set of benchmarks with well-defined metrics for a clear comparison of all the modelling techniques and the corresponding algorithms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated whether the relationship between significant others' social support and adolescents' physical activity (PA) is mediated by perceived barriers and benefits of PA. In this cross-sectional study, we analyzed data from 497 adolescents (girls = 272, boys = 225) aged between 12-18 years (M = 15.87, SD = 1.43) from six different middle and secondary schools. We collected data regarding social cognitive variables and PA with self-report measures and calculated the metabolic equivalent of total amount PA. We performed structural equation modeling and mediation analyses and found our proposed models fit the data. In girls, perceived PA benefits mediated the association between support provided by friends (β =.13; IC 95% =.02.29), a best friend (β =.14; IC 95% =.03,.33), and parents (β =.07; IC 95% =.01,.18), and PA. Similarly in boys, perceived PA benefits partially mediated the association between support provided by parents (β =.09; IC 95% =.04,.37), friends (β =.11; IC 95% =.05,.40), and a best friend (β =.10; IC 95% =.05,.40) and PA. Perceived barriers to PA did not display any significant mediation role for either sex. Interventions to foster others' support for PA, especially from a best friend, are important for promoting PA among adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Physical activity and diet are two predominant determinants of population health status that may influence each other. Physical activity has been identified as a behavior that may lead to a healthier diet and regulates eating behaviors. This research aimed to investigate how the level of physical activity is associated with the motivation related to eating behaviors and, consequently, the eating style individuals have on a daily basis. This was a cross-sectional study in which participants completed an online questionnaire that assessed the following variables: the level of physical activity, the motivation toward eating behavior, and the type of eating behavior. In total, 440 individuals (180 men and 260 women) who regularly exercised in gyms and fitness centers aged between 19 and 64 years (M = 33.84; SD = 10.09) took part in the study. The data were collected following the Declaration of Helsinki and with the approval of the Ethics Committee of the Polytechnic of Leiria. For the statistical analysis, mean and standard deviations were first calculated, as well as bivariate correlations between all the variables of interest. Then, structural equation model analyses were performed considering the levels of physical activity as the independent variable, motivations toward eating behavior as the mediators, and eating styles as the dependent variables. It was concluded that a greater level of physical activity leads to a more self-determined type of eating regulation, which in turn results in less constricted eating behaviors that are influenced by external factors and emotional factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lumbar puncture (LP) has become increasingly common for people with Huntington's disease (HD) both to administer intrathecal investigational medicinal products and to collect cerebrospinal fluid to develop biological markers to track disease stage and progression. We aimed to investigate the safety profile of LP in people with HD, building on a recently published work by increasing the sample size and more specifically, increasing the representation of the premanifest population and healthy controls. We conducted a multi-study cross-sectional analysis including eligible participants from the HDClarity (304 Huntington's disease gene expansion carriers and 91 controls) and HD-YAS studies (54 premanifest and 48 controls), enrolled between February 2016 and September 2019. We investigated the odds of any adverse events, headaches, and back pain independently. Intergroup comparisons and adjusted event odds were derived using hierarchical logistic regressions. A total of 669 LP procedures involving 497 participants were included in this analysis. There were 184 (27.5%) LP procedures associated with one or more adverse events. The two most common adverse events were: post LP headache and back pain. Younger age and female gender were found to be associated with a higher risk of developing adverse events. There was no difference in the rate of adverse events between the disease subgroups after adjusting for covariates such as age and gender. Our results suggest that the LP is safe and tolerable in premanifest and manifest HD subjects, providing useful reassurance about the procedure to the HD community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Berth allocation problems are amongst the most important problems occurring in port terminals, and they are greatly affected by several unpredictable events. As a result, the study of these problems under uncertainty has been a target of more and more researchers. Following this research line, we consider the berth allocation problem under uncertain handling times. A distributionally robust two-stage model is presented to minimize the worst-case of the expected sum of delays with respect to a set of possible probability distributions of the handling times. The solutions of the proposed model are obtained by an exact decomposition algorithm for which several improvements are discussed. An adaptation of the proposed algorithm for the case where the assumption of relatively complete recourse fails is also presented. Extensive computational tests are reported to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed approach and to compare the solutions obtained with those resulting from the stochastic and robust approaches. • A distributionally robust model is introduced for the berth allocation problem. • A Wasserstein distance is used to model the ambiguity set. • An exact decomposition algorithm is developed to solve the problem. • Strategies to improve the performance of the solution procedure are discussed. • Computational results show the applicability of the solution approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to test the tolerance of two species of Schinus and two species of Handroanthus cultivated in iron mining tailings from the rupture of the dam in Mariana, Brazil. Samples of mining tailings were collected 1 km away from the dam location and then dried, stored in plastic bags and further analysed for elemental composition. The seeds, later seedlings, were cultivated in the mining waste and in sand in two experiments separately and the experimental design was in a 2 × 3 factorial scheme (two substrates and three combinations of species), with six replications (n = 36). After 60 d of the establishment of the experiments, the germination data, biometric and anatomical measurements of the leaves were evaluated, in addition to the elemental characterization of the tailings. Mining tailings showed macro and micronutrients in addition to potentially toxic elements (As, Al, Cr, Pb and Ni). Seeds germinated and seedlings survived in the mining tailings. Mining tailings reduced the seedling emergence in Handroanthus, whereas it increased the emergence in S. molle and had no significant effect in S. terebinthifolia. Mining tailings reduced the number and length of roots in Schinus but increased these traits in Handroanthus species. Moreover, mining tailings reduced the fresh mass in Handroanthus but had no effect in the Schinus species. Mining tailings reduced the palisade and spongy parenchyma Handroanthus but only the spongy parenchyma was reduced in Schinus species. Therefore, mining tailings provided conditions for seed germination and seedling growth and Schinus species showed higher tolerance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Variational inference methods have been shown to lead to significant improvements in the computational efficiency of approximate Bayesian inference in mixed multinomial logit models when compared to standard Markov-chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) methods without increasing estimation bias. However, despite their demonstrated efficiency gains, existing methods still suffer from important limitations that prevent them to scale to large datasets, while providing the flexibility to allow for rich prior distributions and to capture complex posterior distributions. To effectively scale Bayesian inference in Mixed Multinomial Logit models to large datasets, we propose an Amortized Variational Inference approach that leverages stochastic backpropagation, automatic differentiation and GPU-accelerated computation. Moreover, we show how normalizing flows can be used to increase the flexibility of the variational posterior approximations. Through an extensive simulation study and real data for transport mode choice from London, we empirically show that the proposed approach is able to achieve computational speedups of multiple orders of magnitude over traditional maximum simulated likelihood estimation (MSLE) and MCMC approaches for large datasets without compromising estimation accuracy. • We propose an Amortized Variational Inference approach for Mixed Multinomial Logit. • It uses stochastic backpropagation, automatic differentiation and GPU-acceleration. • Normalizing flows can increase the flexibility of the variational approximations. • Computational speedups of orders of magnitude over MSLE and MCMC approaches. • Scales to very large datasets without compromising estimation accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this edition of the Huntington's Disease Clinical Trials Corner we expand on GENERATION HD1, PRECISION-HD1 and PRECISION-HD2, SELECT-HD, and VIBRANT-HD trials, and list all currently registered and ongoing clinical trials in Huntington's disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This correction notice addresses an omission in an article titled "Exploring the relationship across autonomous motivation, affects, and anxiety among gym practitioners during the second COVID-19 lockdown." The original version of the article did not include an affiliation for Filipe Rodrigues, which has now been added. The correct affiliations for Rodrigues are ESECS - Polytechnic University of Leiria, Leiria, Portugal; Research Center in Sport Sciences, Health Sciences and Human Development (CIDESD), Vila Real, Portugal; and Life Quality Research Centre, Leiria, Portugal. Additionally, the Funding section of the article was incomplete and has been updated to include the correct information. The correction notice concludes by listing the authors of the article. [Extracted from the article]

Background: Huntington's disease (HD) is a rare neurodegenerative disorder with protean clinical manifestations. Its management is challenging, consisting mainly of off‐label treatments. Objectives: The International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society commissioned a task force to review and evaluate the evidence of available therapies for HD gene expansion carriers. Methods: We followed the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach. Eligible randomized controlled trials were identified via an electronic search of the CENTRAL, MEDLINE, and EMBASE databases. All eligible trials that evaluated one or more of 33 predetermined clinical questions were included. Risk of bias was evaluated using the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool. A framework was adapted to allow for efficacy and safety conclusions to be drawn from the balance between the GRADE level of evidence and the importance of the benefit/harm of the intervention. Results: Twenty‐two eligible studies involving 17 interventions were included, providing data to address 8 clinical questions. These data supported a likely effect of deutetrabenazine on motor impairment, chorea, and dystonia and of tetrabenazine on chorea. The data did not support a disease‐modifying effect for premanifest and manifest HD. There was no eligible evidence to support the use of specific treatments for depression, psychosis, irritability, apathy, or suicidality. Similarly, no evidence was eligible to support the use of physiotherapy, occupational therapy, exercise, dietary, or surgical treatments. Conclusions: Data for therapeutic interventions in HD are limited and support only the use of VMAT2 inhibitors for specific motor symptoms. © 2021 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Biomarkers are needed to monitor disease progression, target engagement and efficacy in Huntington's disease (HD). Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is an ideal medium to research such biomarkers due to its proximity to the brain. Objective: To investigate the safety and feasibility of research lumbar punctures (LP) in HD. Methods: HDClarity is an ongoing international biofluid collection initiative built on the Enroll-HD platform, where clinical assessments are recorded. It aims to recruit 1,200 participants. Biosamples are collected following an overnight fast: blood via venipuncture and CSF via LP. Participants are healthy controls and HD gene expansion carriers across the disease spectrum. We report on monitored data from February 2016 to September 2019. Results: Of 448 participants screened, 398 underwent at least 1 sampling visit, of which 98.24% were successful (i.e., CSF was collected), amounting to 10,610 mL of CSF and 8,200 mL of plasma. In the total 572 sampling visits, adverse events were reported in 24.13%, and headaches of any kind and post-LP headaches in 14.86% and 12.24%, respectively. Frequencies were less in manifest HD; gender, age, body mass index and disease burden score were not associated with the occurrence of the events in gene expansion carriers. Headaches and back pain were the most frequent adverse events. Conclusion: HDClarity is the largest CSF collection initiative to support scientific research into HD and is now stablished as a leading resource for HD research. Our data confirm that research LP in HD are feasible and acceptable to the community, and have a manageable safety profile. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to test the effect of past behavior on future behavior, considering the motivational sequence proposed by the self-determination theory. The total sample was formed by 293 exercisers aged between 18 and 65 (M = 36.57 ± SD = 11.25) years. Participants completed a multi-section survey of motivational, emotional and cognitive-related variables, and exercise adherence was measured using computer records. Past behavior was found to offset the direct effect of intention on future behavior and the indirect effect of all other variables under analysis on intention, acting as a "buffer" variable for experienced gym members. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research explored the nature of basic psychological needs in physical activity settings by applying relatively advanced methodological procedures for psychometric assessment. We first re-examined the Basic Psychological Needs in Exercise Scale (BPNES) by reviewing its applicability for physical activity domains among Portuguese respondents. We demonstrated the use of Bifactor Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) and Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling (ESEM) and discussed the practical implications of these models. Next, we tested contextual measurement invariance in order to examine needs universality. Our participants were gym exercisers (n = 1935), physical education students (n = 1449), and athletes (n = 1631), all of whom completed the adapted and validated version of the scale in their respective practice physical activity domains. All models under analysis displayed acceptable to excellent fit; the bifactor ESEM model displayed the best fit. We conducted ancillary bifactor measures to assess scale dimensionality and found that the BPNES is best interpreted as a multidimensional instrument. Through testing for multigroup analysis, the bifactor ESEM did not show contextual invariance. In conclusion, the BPNES should be predominantly used as a multidimensional instrument when assessing basic needs in separate physical activity domains. Basic psychological needs are perceived differently between seemingly similar physical activity contexts. Researchers should measure basic needs as a global factor and use context validated sub-scales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Converging lines of evidence from several models, and post-mortem human brain tissue studies, support the involvement of the kynurenine pathway (KP) in Huntington's disease (HD) pathogenesis. Quantifying KP metabolites in HD biofluids is desirable, both to study pathobiology and as a potential source of biomarkers to quantify pathway dysfunction and evaluate the biochemical impact of therapeutic interventions targeting its components. In a prospective single-site controlled cohort study with standardised collection of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), blood, phenotypic and imaging data, we used high-performance liquid-chromatography to measure the levels of KP metabolites--tryptophan, kynurenine, kynurenic acid, 3-hydroxykynurenine, anthranilic acid and quinolinic acid--in CSF and plasma of 80 participants (20 healthy controls, 20 premanifest HD and 40 manifest HD). We investigated short-term stability, intergroup differences, associations with clinical and imaging measures and derived sample-size calculation for future studies. Overall, KP metabolites in CSF and plasma were stable over 6 weeks, displayed no significant group differences and were not associated with clinical or imaging measures. We conclude that the studied metabolites are readily and reliably quantifiable in both biofluids in controls and HD gene expansion carriers. However, we found little evidence to support a substantial derangement of the KP in HD, at least to the extent that it is reflected by the levels of the metabolites in patient-derived biofluids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Converging lines of evidence from several models, and post‐mortem human brain tissue studies, support the involvement of the kynurenine pathway (KP) in Huntington's disease (HD) pathogenesis. Quantifying KP metabolites in HD biofluids is desirable, both to study pathobiology and as a potential source of biomarkers to quantify pathway dysfunction and evaluate the biochemical impact of therapeutic interventions targeting its components. In a prospective single‐site controlled cohort study with standardised collection of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), blood, phenotypic and imaging data, we used high‐performance liquid‐chromatography to measure the levels of KP metabolites—tryptophan, kynurenine, kynurenic acid, 3‐hydroxykynurenine, anthranilic acid and quinolinic acid—in CSF and plasma of 80 participants (20 healthy controls, 20 premanifest HD and 40 manifest HD). We investigated short‐term stability, intergroup differences, associations with clinical and imaging measures and derived sample‐size calculation for future studies. Overall, KP metabolites in CSF and plasma were stable over 6 weeks, displayed no significant group differences and were not associated with clinical or imaging measures. We conclude that the studied metabolites are readily and reliably quantifiable in both biofluids in controls and HD gene expansion carriers. However, we found little evidence to support a substantial derangement of the KP in HD, at least to the extent that it is reflected by the levels of the metabolites in patient‐derived biofluids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We consider a class of min-max robust problems in which the functions that need to be "robustified" can be decomposed as the sum of arbitrary functions. This class of problems includes many practical problems, such as the lot-sizing problem under demand uncertainty. By considering a Lagrangian relaxation of the uncertainty set, we derive a tractable approximation, called the dual Lagrangian approach, that we relate with both the classical dualization approximation approach and an exact approach. Moreover, we show that the dual Lagrangian approach coincides with the affine decision rule approximation approach. The dual Lagrangian approach is applied to a lot-sizing problem, in which demands are assumed to be uncertain and to belong to the uncertainty set with a budget constraint for each time period. Using the insights provided by the interpretation of the Lagrangian multipliers as penalties in the proposed approach, two heuristic strategies, a new guided iterated local search heuristic, and a subgradient optimization method are designed to solve more complex lot-sizing problems in which additional practical aspects, such as setup costs, are considered. Computational results show the efficiency of the proposed heuristics that provide a good compromise between the quality of the robust solutions and the running time required in their computation. Summary of Contribution: The paper includes both theoretical and algorithmic contributions for a class of min-max robust optimization problems where the objective function includes the maximum of a sum of affine functions. From the theoretical point of view, a tractable Lagrangian dual model resulting from a relaxation of the well-known adversarial problem is proposed, providing a new perspective of well-known models, such as the affinely adjustable robust counterpart (AARC) and the dualization technique introduced by Bertsimas and Sim. These results are particularized to lot-sizing problems. From the algorithm point of view, efficient heuristic schemes—which exploit the information based on the interpretation of the Lagrangian multipliers to solve large size robust problems—are proposed, and their performance is evaluated through extensive computational results based on the lot-sizing problem. In particular, a guided iterated local search and a subgradient optimization method are proposed and compared against the dualization approach proposed by Bertsimas and Sim and with several heuristics based on the AARC approach, which include an iterated local search heuristic and a Benders decomposition approach. Computational results show the efficiency of the proposed heuristics, which provide a good compromise between the quality of the robust solutions and the running time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Os comportamentos habituais são repetidos inconscientemente, sem intenção. A medição precisa do hábito é crucial para ajudar os investigadores a desenvolver e aplicar um modelo teórico sobre o hábito, com uma medida empiricamente válida. Desta forma, o objetivo do presente estudo foi testar a validade e a fiabilidade do Self-Report Behavior Automaticity Index numa amostra Portuguesa praticante de exercício físico. Foram recolhidos dados de duas amostras independentes, com um total de 590 adultos (mulheres = 311; homens = 279). Realizou-se uma análise fatorial confirmatória do modelo de medida de quatro itens do Self-Report Behavior Automaticity Index e uma análise de invariância entre duas amostras independentes. Adicionalmente, foi testado um modelo de mediação de forma a analisar o papel mediador da frequência semanal de exercício físico entre a experiência passada e o hábito. O modelo de medida do Self-Report Behavior Automaticity Index demonstrou um ajustamento aceitável em cada uma das amostras e os coeficientes de fiabilidade compósita foram adequados. O modelo de medida revelou ser invariante entre amostras, acrescentando, por isso um maior suporte à sua validade para avaliar o comportamento habitual. A frequência do exercício medeia a relação entre a experiência e o desenvolvimento do hábito, acrescentando evidências à teoria do hábito. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies have investigated the impact of exercisers' perceptions of health professionals' interpersonal behaviors on exercisers' exercise adherence. From these studies, there is increased interest in developing and evaluating programs to improve health professionals' communication skills and interpersonal behavior. In this narrative review, we provide examples of self-determination theory and newer modifications to it, discuss the empirical conditions that foster optimal exerciser motivation, consider the antecedent factors influencing health professionals' behaviors, and offer practical suggestions to health professionals seeking to promote regular exercise practice. Since exercisers perceive and differentiate health professionals' need-supportive, need-thwarting, and need-passive behaviors, health professionals who can critically and consciously distinguish these different types of behavior are more likely to foster supportive climates and suppress the use of need-thwarting and need-indifferent behaviors. The interpersonal interaction between health professionals and exercisers strongly influences how exercisers will regulate their behavior toward persistent exercise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In chronic neurological conditions, wearable/portable devices have potential as innovative tools to detect subtle early disease manifestations and disease fluctuations for the purpose of clinical diagnosis, care and therapeutic development. Huntington's disease (HD) has a unique combination of motor and non-motor features which, combined with recent and anticipated therapeutic progress, gives great potential for such devices to prove useful. The present work aims to provide a comprehensive account of the use of wearable/portable devices in HD and of what they have contributed so far. We conducted a systematic review searching MEDLINE, Embase, and IEEE Xplore. Thirty references were identified. Our results revealed large variability in the types of sensors used, study design, and the measured outcomes. Digital technologies show considerable promise for therapeutic research and clinical management of HD. However, more studies with standardized devices and harmonized protocols are needed to optimize the potential applicability of wearable/portable devices in HD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the relationship between both need frustration and, particularly, need satisfaction and different motivational regulations for exercise has been widely examined in the literature, little is known about the co-occurrence of both need satisfaction and need frustration in the exercise context. Grounded in self-determination theory, the present study aimed to examine the effects of both need satisfaction and frustration on motivational regulations for exercise, by applying a response surface analysis approach. In total, 477 regular exercisers aged 18–54 years participated in this study. The interaction between needs (high on both need satisfaction and frustration) displayed a positive and significant association with amotivation, integrated regulation, and intrinsic motivation. Considering the direction of the discrepancy (high vs. low levels of need satisfaction and frustration) related to the behavioral regulations, results showed that higher need satisfaction relative to need frustration was associated with more self-determined regulations of motivation. Contrarily, higher need satisfaction relative to need frustration was associated with lower scores on amotivation, external, introjected, and identified regulation. Overall, these findings extend previous literature, suggesting that need satisfaction and frustration are distinct factors that can be experienced simultaneously in individuals during exercise and that different degrees of both needs have different associations with behavioral regulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Perceptions of fitness trainers' need‐supportive and need‐thwarting behaviors have been shown to impact exercisers' psychological need satisfaction and frustration. Currently, it is unknown whether an agreement or disagreement between exercisers' and fitness trainers' reported perceptions of these behaviors leads to the satisfaction and/or frustration of psychological needs. Based on self‐determination theory, the present study examined the effect of congruency between fitness trainers' and exercisers' perceptions of need‐supportive and need‐thwarting interpersonal behaviors on basic psychological need satisfaction and frustration. A sample of 130 fitness trainers (43 females; Mage = 31.58 ± 7.65) and a total of 640 gym exercisers (350 females; Mage = 34.23 ± 11.59) participated in this study. Findings suggested that the majority of fitness trainers tended to over‐report their use of need‐supportive behavior and under‐report their need‐thwarting behaviors. Results showed that when there was congruency between fitness trainers' reported use and exercisers' perception of interpersonal behaviors, basic need satisfaction tended to increase. This effect was greater for exercisers that rated their respective fitness trainer high on relatedness support. Fitness trainers should be self‐aware of their interpersonal behaviors when engaging with exercisers and interventions based on self‐determination theory could serve as a promising avenue to improve the quality of exercisers' experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aimed to examine the association between fitness instructors' interpersonal behaviors and motivational climates and exercise adherence. Two studies were conducted: in the first study, the effect of need-supportive and need-thwarting behaviors on basic psychological needs, and consequently on exercise adherence was analyzed; in the second study, the effect of ego and task-involving motivational climates on basic psychological needs, and consequently on exercise adherence was examined. Data was collected from several exercisers engaged in fitness activities in several gym and health clubs in Portugal. The results showed a positive association between need-supportive behaviors, task-involving climate, and basic psychological needs. These needs were respectively positively and significantly correlated with exercise adherence. Contrarily, need-thwarting behaviors displayed a negative, while ego-involving climates no association at all, with basic psychological needs. Overall, the data clearly shows an association between the way the fitness instructor is perceived by the exerciser and the number of accesses that the exerciser will have in the six months following the moment of the initial assessment. Therefore, fitness instructors have a considerable capacity to positively influence the exerciser's adherence, by creating a supportive environment during the training session. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The present study aimed to examine the bright and dark sides of motivation, based on self‐determination theory, as predictors of enjoyment, intention to continue exercising, and exercise persistence. In addition, we analyzed the mediation role of each variable and tested the model invariance between male and female exercisers. Methods: A total of 575 gym exercisers (female = 230) aged between 18 and 65 years (M = 34.07; SD = 11.47) participated in this study. All participants had at least 6 months of regular exercise practice; exercise frequency of the participants ranged from 2 to 7 sessions per week (M = 3.52; SD = 1.28) and training sessions lasted approximately 30 and 120 minutes (M = 61.54; SD = 17.64). Participants completed a multisection questionnaire assessing interpersonal behaviors, basic psychological needs satisfaction and frustration, behavioral regulations, enjoyment, and intentions to continue exercising. Exercise persistence was assessed 6 months after initial assessment using gym computer system attendance records. Several analyses, namely, confirmatory factor analysis, structural equation modeling, serial mediation analysis, and structural invariance testing, were performed to increase theoretical and empirical knowledge. Results: Positive associations were observed among the bright side of motivation, enjoyment, intention to continue exercising, and persistence. On the other hand, the dark side of motivation was negatively associated with the bright side constructs, enjoyment, intention, and exercise persistence. Both measurement [χ2(370) = 1496.708, χ2/df = 4.05; B‐S P <.001, CFI = 0.907, TLI = 0.901, SRMR = 0.056, RMSEA = 0.073 (CI 90% = 0.063, 0.083)] and structural models [χ2(393) = 2484.994, χ2/df = 6.323; B‐S P <.001, CFI = 0.908, TLI = 0.900, SRMR = 0.075, RMSEA = 0.071 (CI 90% = 0.067, 0.075)] displayed acceptable fit to the data. The results also showed that basic psychological needs satisfaction, autonomous motivation, enjoyment, and intention to continue exercising were significant mediators. However, enjoyment had the highest effect on exercise persistence. In addition, structural model invariance was confirmed between male and female exercisers. Conclusion: Motivational determinants have implications for predicting emotional, cognitive, and behavior‐related outcomes. Individuals should perceive exercise instructors as supportive and exercising as a fun activity to endorse long‐term exercise persistence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this edition of the Huntington's Disease Clinical Trials Corner we expand on the UniQure AMT-130 and on the Neurocrine Biosciences KINECT-HD trials, and list all currently registered and ongoing clinical trials in Huntington's disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Investigation of phrenic nerve conduction is a simple and quick test. • Phrenic nerve amplitude probably predicts survival and is probably correlated to forced vital capacity. • This test should be considered to assess respiratory function in ALS. To assess the prognostic value of phrenic nerve conduction (PNC) in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). We conducted a systematic review to identify studies reporting on PNC, and mortality and/or forced vital capacity (FVC) in patients with ALS. We searched Medline, EMBASE, and Web of Science. Two independent authors selected studies and extracted data. Risk of bias was assessed using the QUIPS tool. Hazard-ratios and correlation coefficients were pooled using a random effects generic inverse-variance model. Evidence quality was evaluated with GRADE. In the pooled analysis, patients with CMAP-amplitude equal or below 0.4 mV are 2.021 more likely to die over the studied period (95%CI 1.161–3.522; I 2 = 55.9%; 338 participants). CMAP-amplitude showed a moderate positive correlation with FVC (r = 0.400, 95%CI = 0.226–0.550; I 2 = 69.77%; 381 participants). However, there was a weak negative correlation between CMAP-latency and FVC (r = −0.235; 95%CI = −0.447 to −0.024; I 2 = 15.92%; 112 participants). There is moderate-quality evidence that CMAP-amplitude of the PNC is correlated with FVC. Results favour a predictive value for mortality, but the risk of bias is high. PNC is a simple test that should be considered to assess respiratory function in ALS, especially in patients with bulbar involvement or cognitive impairment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The logocentric theory takes the meaning of a text as established, unchanging, depending on the conscious intentions of the author who wrote it. However, in Translation, it is common the translator to insert aspects of his/her sociocultural context, modifying aspects of the source text to adapt it to the target language. Therefore, this article aims at demonstrating, through the analysis and comparison among three languages (English, Portuguese and Latin) of the Sorting Hat song, in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, that the deconstructive point of view - which brings the meaning mutability idea - has more to offer and fits better in the translation perspective than the notion of immutable meaning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Motivation plays an important role when it comes to regular physical exercise. Hence, low levels of intentions to continue exercising in the future may ultimately lead to higher rates of exercise dropout. The first objective of the present research was to test a theoretical model considering the dark side of motivational determinants on intentions towards exercising in the future. The second objective consisted in comparing groups with different characteristics, as a way to identify individuals with weaker intention, which is believed to be an indicator of a higher dropout risk. In total, 544 (294 female; 250 male) gym exercisers aged between 18 and 58 years (M = 35.00; SD = 11.57) partook in the present research. Participants were engaged in fitness group classes (n = 273) or in cardio/resistance workouts (n = 271), and their exercise experience ranged from 3 to 120 months (M = 47.41; SD = 7.54). Results showed that the measurement and the structural model had an excellent fit. In addition, the structural model was invariant between gender, fitness activities, and exercise experience. Each group displayed different explained variance in intention to continue exercising. Overall, male, young adults and more experienced exercisers had stronger intentions towards exercising. Fitness instructors should be aware of their own thwarting behaviors, especially when interacting with female, young and less experienced exercisers, since they have weaker intentions to exercise in the future, possibly representing an increased risk of withdrawal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to translate and validate the Basic Psychological Need Satisfaction and Frustration Scale for Portuguese exercisers. In addition, we sought to analyze gender invariance. We collected data from two independent samples of Portuguese respondents—a calibration sample with 316 participants and a validation sample with 632 participants. Results from confirmatory factor analysis supported the original six-factor model in both the calibration sample, χ2(237) = 471.814, χ2/ df = 1.99; B–S p <.001, Comparative Fit Index =.935, Tucker–Lewis Index =.924, standard mean root square residual =.047, root mean square error of approximation =.057 (90% confidence interval = [.050,.065]), and the validation sample, χ2(237) = 571.796, χ2/ df = 2.41; B–S p <.001, Comparative Fit Index =.948, Tucker–Lewis Index =.940, standard mean root square residual =.038, root mean square error of approximation =.047 (90% confidence interval = [.042,.052]). Moreover, our analysis revealed acceptable internal consistency, convergent and discriminant validity of the translated version, and invariance between the two samples and between genders, as differences across latent means showed that magnitude effects were trivial between samples and between male and female exercisers. These results support the use of the adapted scale among both male and female exercisers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Sofosbuvir is a new direct-acting pyrimidine nucleotide analogue antiviral drug that has shown remarkable efficacy in the treatment of hepatitis C in clinical trials. However, observational anecdotal data have recently suggested an increased risk of serious bradycardia among patients treated with sofosbuvir and amiodarone.Objective: We aimed to estimate and characterize the cardiac safety of sofosbuvir by performing a systematic review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs).Methods: We conducted a systematic review of RCTs (PROSPERO 2016: CRD42016033109) comparing sofosbuvir and non-sofosbuvir regimens in patients with chronic hepatitis C by searching the MEDLINE, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases up to January 2017. Non-published data were obtained from the sofosbuvir marketing authorization holder. Random-effects meta-analysis was performed to derive pooled estimates of relative risks (RRs) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs).Results: Six trials, enrolling 2346 patients (1625 treated with sofosbuvir), were included. The overall risk of bias across studies was moderate. The risk of reported cardiac events (RR 0.87; 95% CI 0.41-1.85), arrhythmias (RR 0.93; 95% CI 0.34-2.51), bradycardia (RR 0.47; 95% CI 0.04-5.20), and tachycardia (RR 0.91; 95% CI 0.20-4.20) were not significantly different between sofosbuvir and non-sofosbuvir regimens. The risks of reported syncope, presyncope, loss of consciousness, or palpitations were similar among those receiving sofosbuvir regimens and controls.Conclusions: The pooled data from RCTs did not show an increased risk of cardiac outcomes, including arrhythmias (and bradycardia), among sofosbuvir-treated patients, although the overall quality of the evidence supporting this conclusion was very low. Registration: PROSPERO 2016:CRD42016033109 at http://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/ . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Two data fusion approaches for combining time-series with text data are proposed. • Text data is modeled using word embeddings, convolutional layers and attention. • Proposed models are applied to taxi demand prediction in event areas in New York. • Text information about events is shown to significantly reduce prediction error. • Proposed models are shown to substantially outperform traditional approaches. Abstract Accurate time-series forecasting is vital for numerous areas of application such as transportation, energy, finance, economics, etc. However, while modern techniques are able to explore large sets of temporal data to build forecasting models, they typically neglect valuable information that is often available under the form of unstructured text. Although this data is in a radically different format, it often contains contextual explanations for many of the patterns that are observed in the temporal data. In this paper, we propose two deep learning architectures that leverage word embeddings, convolutional layers and attention mechanisms for combining text information with time-series data. We apply these approaches for the problem of taxi demand forecasting in event areas. Using publicly available taxi data from New York, we empirically show that by fusing these two complementary cross-modal sources of information, the proposed models are able to significantly reduce the error in the forecasts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this edition of the Huntington's Disease Clinical Trials Corner we expand on the HD-DBS and on the TRIHEP3 trials, and we list all currently registered and ongoing clinical trials in Huntington's disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multiple targeted therapeutics for Huntington's disease are now in clinical trials, including intrathecally delivered compounds. Previous research suggests that CSF dynamics may be altered in Huntington's disease, which could be of paramount relevance to intrathecal drug delivery to the brain. To test this hypothesis, we conducted a prospective cross‐sectional study comparing people with early stage Huntington's disease with age‐ and gender‐matched healthy controls. CSF peak velocity, mean velocity and mean flow at the level of the cerebral aqueduct, and sub‐arachnoid space in the upper and lower spine, were quantified using phase contrast MRI. We calculated Spearman's rank correlations, and tested inter‐group differences with Wilcoxon rank‐sum test. Ten people with early Huntington's disease, and 10 controls were included. None of the quantified measures was associated with potential modifiers of CSF dynamics (demographics, osmolality, and brain volumes), or by known modifiers of Huntington's disease (age and HTTCAG repeat length); and no significant differences were found between the two studied groups. While external validation is required, the attained results are sufficient to conclude tentatively that a clinically relevant alteration of CSF dynamics – that is, one that would justify dose‐adjustments of intrathecal drugs – is unlikely to exist in Huntington's disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Method for precise bus travel time prediction using deep learning. • Models both cross-link (spatial) and cross-temporal correlations. • Designed for urban areas where congestion, events, etc. highly influence flow. • Empirically evaluated on large dataset from the Greater Copenhagen. • Significantly outperforms the compared baseline methods. Abstract Accurate and reliable travel time predictions in public transport networks are essential for delivering an attractive service that is able to compete with other modes of transport in urban areas. The traditional application of this information, where arrival and departure predictions are displayed on digital boards, is highly visible in the city landscape of most modern metropolises. More recently, the same information has become critical as input for smart-phone trip planners in order to alert passengers about unreachable connections, alternative route choices and prolonged travel times. More sophisticated Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) include the predictions of connection assurance, i.e. an expert system that will decide to hold services to enable passenger exchange, in case one of the services is delayed up to a certain level. In order to operate such systems, and to ensure the confidence of passengers in the systems, the information provided must be accurate and reliable. Traditional methods have trouble with this as congestion, and thus travel time variability, increases in cities, consequently making travel time predictions in urban areas a non-trivial task. This paper presents a system for bus travel time prediction that leverages the non-static spatio-temporal correlations present in urban bus networks, allowing the discovery of complex patterns not captured by traditional methods. The underlying model is a multi-output, multi-time-step, deep neural network that uses a combination of convolutional and long short-term memory (LSTM) layers. The method is empirically evaluated and compared to other popular approaches for link travel time prediction and currently available services, including the currently deployed model at Movia, the regional public transport authority in Greater Copenhagen. We find that the proposed model significantly outperforms all the other methods we compare with, and is able to detect small irregular peaks in bus travel times very quickly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this edition of the Huntington's Disease Clinical Trials Corner we expand on the GENERATION-HD1 and PACE-HD trials, and we list all currently registered and ongoing clinical trials in Huntington's disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to evaluate the growth of micropropagated banana trees cv. BRS FHIA-18 in conditions of greenhouse with use of Basacote® and substrates. For the installation of the experiment, we used banana micropropagated plants cv. BRS FHIA-18. The treatments consisted of Basacote® concentrations (0, 3, 6 and 9 kgm-3 of substrate) and substrates: Plantmax® HT, Plantmax® HT + carbonized rice chaffe (CAC) and subsoil land + CAC. After 90 days of transplanting, we evaluated plant height (cm), root system length (cm), number of roots, and relationship between the dry weight (g) of shoot and roots. Plantmax® HT substrate plus 3 kg m-3 Basacote® is the most suitable for the best growth of banana trees cv. BRS FHIA-18 in the acclimatization phase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Botulinum toxin (BoNT) is the first line therapy for cervical dystonia (CD), with most patients receiving many treatment sessions, and so come to recognize and expect the benefits and harms of BoNT, making it difficult to separate which adverse events (AEs) are driven by BoNT and which come from patients' expectations.Methods: Using the results of three Cochrane systematic reviews of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) we pooled results to calculate the risk of general and specific AEs associated with BoNT, and the proportion of AEs that cannot be pharmacologically attributed to BoNT.Results: Fifteen RCTs, enrolling 1604 patients, were included. BoNT was associated with an increased risk of AEs, but 79% of this increased risk cannot be pharmacologically attributed to BoNT.Conclusions: Patients with CD attach a considerable expectation of harm due to BoNT, reflected in the large proportion of non-pharmacologically-mediated AEs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Heteroscedastic Gaussian processes (HGP) allow modeling uncertainty in traffic data. • Sample size (flow) is highly correlated with the variance in crowdsourced speeds. • Proposed SRC-HGPs explore sample size information (e.g. vehicles per minute). • SRC-HGPs are shown to produce substantially better predictive distributions. • SRC-HGPs outperform state-of-the-art for speed imputation and short-term forecasting. Abstract Accurately modeling traffic speeds is a fundamental part of efficient intelligent transportation systems. Nowadays, with the widespread deployment of GPS-enabled devices, it has become possible to crowdsource the collection of speed information to road users (e.g. through mobile applications or dedicated in-vehicle devices). Despite its rather wide spatial coverage, crowdsourced speed data also brings very important challenges, such as the highly variable measurement noise in the data due to a variety of driving behaviors and sample sizes. When not properly accounted for, this noise can severely compromise any application that relies on accurate traffic data. In this article, we propose the use of heteroscedastic Gaussian processes (HGP) to model the time-varying uncertainty in large-scale crowdsourced traffic data. Furthermore, we develop a HGP conditioned on sample size and traffic regime (SSRC-HGP), which makes use of sample size information (probe vehicles per minute) as well as previous observed speeds, in order to more accurately model the uncertainty in observed speeds. Using 6 months of crowdsourced traffic data from Copenhagen, we empirically show that the proposed heteroscedastic models produce significantly better predictive distributions when compared to current state-of-the-art methods for both speed imputation and short-term forecasting tasks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The age of diagnosis of Huntington's disease (HD) varies among individuals with the same HTT CAG-repeat expansion size. We investigated whether early-life events, like perinatal insults or neurodevelopmental disorders, influence the diagnosis age.Methods: We used data from 13,856 participants from REGISTRY and Enroll-HD, two large international multicenter observational studies. Disease-free survival analyses of mutation carriers with an HTT CAG repeat expansion size above and including 36 were computed through Kaplan-Meier estimates of median time until an HD diagnosis. Comparisons between groups were computed using a Cox proportional hazard survival model adjusted for CAG-repeat expansion length. We also assessed whether the group effect depended on gender and the affected parent.Results: Insults in the perinatal period were associated with an earlier median age of diagnosis of 45.00 years (95%CI: 42.07-47.92) compared to 51.00 years (95%CI: 50.68-51.31) in the reference group, with a CAG-adjusted hazard ratio of 1.61 (95%CI: 1.26-2.06). Neurodevelopmental disorders were also associated with an earlier median age of diagnosis than the reference group of 47.00 years (95% CI: 43.38-50.62) with a CAG-adjusted hazard ratio of 1.42 (95%CI: 1.16-1.75). These associations did not change significantly with gender or affected parent.Conclusions: These results, derived from large observational datasets, show that perinatal insults and neurodevelopmental disorders are associated with earlier ages of diagnosis of magnitudes similar to the effects of known genetic modifiers of HD. Given their clear temporal separation, these early events may be causative of earlier HD onset, but further research is needed to prove causation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]