pdf2markdown

Usage

A script that converts structured pdf to markdown style text with headers and bullet points.

The first line on each page is by default the header. Lines broken up due to a narrow column are merged. Special characters at the beginning of lines, if any, are converted to bullet points ("-").

Instructions:

It can be run with two options:

1. automatic output:

• enter filename, (password), skip unwanted lines if they contain specific characters (e.g., page label "3 / 10", name of the presenter), and whether you want to modify the text formatting. It then outputs the processed result for the entire pdf file.

2. manual specification:

• enter the parameters above for each page, check output, and continue to next page if you're satisfied with the output.

Example output:

The somatic motor system controls skeletal muscles

Output systems of the nervous system

• (somatic) motor system: controls contraction of skeletal muscles, enables movements
• autonomic nervous system: controls contraction of smooth and cardiac muscles, regulates function of inner organs Neural centers responsible for movement 4 distinct but interactive subsystems for motor control

1. Spinal cord and brainstem circuits

• Reflexive or voluntary movement (“final common path”)
• Coordination between different muscle groups, even with isolated spinal cord

2. Upper motor neurons

• Cell bodies in brainstem or cortex, synapses to local circuit neurons or lower motor neurons
• Cortex: Initiation of voluntary movements, complex spatio-temporal sequences of skilled movements
• Brainstem: regulation of muscle tone, orienting 3-4 Basal ganglia and cerebellum
• No direct access to local circuit neurons or lower motor neurons
• Cerebellum: attenuation of motor error (real-time and long-term)
• Basal ganglia: movement initiation