Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Dementia Apraxia Test (DATE): A Brief Tool to Differentiate Behavioral Variant Frontotemporal Dementia from Alzheimer's Dementia Based on Apraxia Profiles.

BACKGROUND Standardized praxis assessments with modern, empirically validated screening tests have substantially improved clinical evaluation of apraxia in patients with stroke. Although apraxia may contribute to early differential diagnosis of Alzheimer's dementia (AD) and behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD), no comparable test is readily available to clinicians for this purpose to date. OBJECTIVE To design a clinically useful apraxia test for the differentiation of AD and bvFTD. METHODS 84 test items pertaining to twelve praxis subdomains were evaluated for their efficacy to discriminate between patients with bvFTD (n = 24), AD (n = 28), and elderly healthy controls (HC; n = 35). Items were then selected based on discriminative value and psychometric properties. RESULTS Items indicative of mild AD comprised spatially complex imitation of hand and finger postures and to a lesser degree, pantomime of common object-use. Buccofacial apraxia including imitation of face postures, emblematic face postures, and repetition of multisyllabic pseudowords differentiated bvFTD from HC and AD. The final test version consisting of 20 items proved highly efficient for the discrimination of biologically confirmed dementia patients from HC (sensitivity 91% , specificity 71%) but also for differential diagnosis of bvFTD and AD (sensitivity 74% , specificity 93%). CONCLUSIONS Assessment of praxis profiles effectively contributes to diagnosis and differential diagnosis of AD and bvFTD. The Dementia Apraxia Test (DATE) is a brief and easy to administer cognitive tool for dementia assessment, has a high inter-rater reliability (Cohen's κ= 0.885) and demonstrates content validity.
Gut Function-Enhancing Properties and Metabolic Effects of Dietary Indigestible Sugars in Rodents and Rabbits

Indigestible sugars (iS) have received particular interest in food and nutrition research due to their prebiotic properties and other health benefits in humans and animals. The main aim of this review article is to summarize the current knowledge regarding digestive and health-enhancing properties of iS such as sugar alcohols, oligosacharides, and polysaccharides, in rodents and rabbits. Besides ameliorating gut health, iS ingestion also elicits laxative effects and stimulate intestinal permeability and fluid secretions, thereby shortening digesta transit time and increasing stool mass and quality. In rodents and rabbits, as hindgut fermenters, consumption of iS leads to an improved nutrient digestibility, too. Cecal fermentation of iS reduces luminal pH and extends wall tissue facilitating absorption of key dietary minerals across hindgut. The microbial fermentation of iS also enhances excessive blood nitrogen (N) flowing into the cecum to be used as N source for bacterial growth, enhancing N retention in cecotrophic animals. This review also highlights the impact of iS on improving lipid metabolism, mainly by lowering cholesterol and triglycerides levels in the blood. The paper serves as an index of the current knowledge of iS effects in rodents and rabbits and also identifies gaps of knowledge that need to be addressed by future research.
A controlled trial comparing ciprofloxacin with mesalazine for the treatment of active Crohn's disease

OBJECTIVE:The aim of this randomized controlled study was to investigate the efficacy of ciprofloxacin compared with mesalazine in treating active Crohn's disease.METHODS:Patients with a mild to moderate flare-up of Crohn's disease (mean Crohn's Disease Activity Index [CDAI]; 217; range, 160–305) were randomized to receive ciprofloxacin 1 g/day or Pentasa 4 g/day for 6 wk. Complete remission was defined at wk 6 as a CDAI ≤ 150 associated with a decrease (Δ) in CDAI > 75. Partial remission was defined as a CDAI ≤ 150 with 50 < Δ CDAI < 75 or a CDAI > 150 with Δ CDAI > 50 at wk 6. Group sequential procedure with triangular continuation regions was used to monitor the trial through the difference in complete remission rates, every 20 patients included.RESULTS:Inclusion of patients was stopped at the second step, i.e., after 40 inclusions, with the conclusion of no difference in complete remission rates between ciprofloxacin- and Pentasa-treated groups. Among the 18 patients taking ciprofloxacin, two decided to stop treatment during the trial and three were considered as treatment failures because of deterioration at wk 3. Among the 22 patients taking mesalazine, one patient was lost to follow-up and eight patients were considered as treatment failures. Complete remission was observed in 10 patients (56%) treated with ciprofloxacin and 12 patients (55%) treated with mesalazine and partial remission was observed in three and one patient, respectively.CONCLUSIONS:This study suggests that ciprofloxacin 1 g/day is as effective as mesalazine 4 g/day in treating mild to moderate flare-up of Crohn's disease.
Human oligodendrocytes are not sensitive to complement. A study of CD59 expression in the human central nervous system.

BACKGROUND One or more components of the oligodendrocyte-myelin unit are the target of immune attack in multiple sclerosis. The role of complement in this process has been suggested by the demonstration in vitro that rat oligodendrocytes are sensitive to lysis by Ab-independent complement attack, partly because of a lack of the complement regulatory protein molecule, CD59. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN This study assessed the sensitivity in vitro of human oligodendrocytes derived from neurosurgical specimens to complement attack and analyzed CD59 expression on their surface. The presence of CD59 was also examined in the human central nervous system during myelination and in both the normal and diseased adult brain. RESULTS Human oligodendrocytes are insensitive in vitro to complement attack in the absence of Ab and using the Ab YTH 53.1 and were shown to possess CD59 on their surface. CD59 is absent from the human central nervous system before myelination, at which stage strong expression occurs in areas of myelin production. CD59 expression is then normally down-regulated but is particularly strong in reactive astrocytes in diseases such as multiple sclerosis. CONCLUSIONS The findings suggest that the previous demonstration of rat oligodendrocyte complement sensitivity and lack of CD59 expression do not extend to the human central nervous system. There may be a role for CD59 in normal human myelination.
Vitamin D deficiency is associated with inflammatory cytokine concentrations in patients with diabetic foot infection

Vitamin D has been recognised as a potent immunomodulator and its deficiency is common in different population groups including patients with diabetic foot infection. Diabetic foot infection reflects the altered immune status of the host. As cytokine regulation plays a significant role in infection and wound-healing processes, the present study aimed to evaluate the association between vitamin D status and inflammatory cytokine profiles in patients with diabetic foot infection. The serum concentrations of vitamin D (25-hydroxyvitamin D), IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α and interferon-γ (IFN-γ) were measured in 112 diabetic foot infection cases and 109 diabetic controls. Severe vitamin D deficiency (25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration < 25 nmol/l) was more common in cases than in controls (48·2 v. 20·5 %). Although age, duration of diabetes, HbA1C (glycosylated Hb) concentration and BMI were similar, cases had significantly higher concentrations of IL-6 (P≤ 0·001), IL-1β (P≤ 0·02) and TNF-α (P≤ 0·006) than controls. A significant negative correlation was also observed between 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration and circulating concentrations of IL-1β (r − 0·323; P≤ 0·001) as well as IL-6 (r − 0·154; P≤ 0·04), but not between 25-hydroxyvitamin D and TNF-α and IFN-γ concentrations. Furthermore, a significant difference in IL-1β (P≤ 0·007) and IL-6 (P≤ 0·02) concentrations was observed in patients with severe 25-hydroxyvitamin D deficiency compared with patients with 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration ≥ 25 nmol/l, and this difference was remarkable for TNF-α. In conclusion, severe vitamin D deficiency is associated with elevated inflammatory cytokine concentrations in diabetic patients, particularly in those with foot infection. A 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration value < 25 nmol/l is suggested as the ‘cut-off’ for such immunological alterations in patients with diabetes mellitus.
Adiponectin isoforms and cardiovascular disease: the epidemiological evidence has just begun.

Adiponectin, also known as Acrp30, AdipoQ, or gelatin-binding protein of 28 kDa (GBP28), is a hormone secreted exclusively by adipocytes.1 Since its discovery in 1995, adiponectin has been the centre of intense debate regarding its prognostic significance for coronary heart disease (CHD) in healthy populations (primary prevention) and in coronary patients (secondary prevention). This is partly due to the apparent paradox between experimental data suggesting a vascular protective effect, and epidemiological evidence failing to confirm this effect and even suggesting an increased risk in some high-risk groups. However, a new research step has just been reached since it is now possible to measure accurately adiponectin isoforms and the high molecular weight (HMW) isoform in particular. This leads to reconsideration of the existing epidemiological evidence of the relationship between adiponectin and cardiovascular disease, heretofore based on total adiponectin. ### Total adiponectin In the context of primary prevention, the inverse association of total adiponectin with CHD was observed in some but not all population-based studies of healthy subjects. In middle-aged men, higher total adiponectin was associated with a significantly decreased risk of myocardial infarction during 6 years in the Physicians Health Professional Study, and of CHD during 18 years in the Augsburg MONICA Survey.2,3 In elderly participants in the Rancho Bernado Study, a cardioprotective effect of total adiponectin was reported, but only in men and only for non-fatal myocardial infarction.4 In contrast, total adiponectin failed to be associated with cardiovascular disease in British middle-aged men, in British elderly women, or in adult American Indians.5–7 Differences in population characteristics, statistical adjustments, or analytical methods might explain part of those apparent discrepancies between studies. In secondary prevention studies, the situation might be even more complex since the results diverged according … *Corresponding author. Tel: +33 1 45 59 51 00, Fax: +33 1 45 59 51 94, Email: empana{at}vjf.inserm. fr
Stability and change of cortisol reactivity to a laboratory stressor from early to middle childhood

Title of Thesis: STABILITY AND CHANGE OF CORTISOL REACTIVITY TO A LABORATORY STRESSOR FROM EARLY TO MIDDLE CHILDHOOD Katherine A. Leppert, Master of Science, 2015 Thesis Directed By: Dr. Lea R. Dougherty, Associate Professor Department of Psychology This study examined the stability and change of children’s cortisol reactivity to a laboratory stressor from early to middle childhood and moderators of change. Ninety-six children completed stress-inducing laboratory tasks and provided five salivary cortisol samples at preschool age (T1; M = 49.88 months, SD = 9.51 months) and three years later (T2; M = 87.44 months, SD = 11.42 months). At T1, parents completed clinical interviews assessing child and parent psychopathology. Cortisol reactivity patterns significantly changed from decreasing to increasing reactivity from early to middle childhood. Moreover, preschool psychopathology moderated this change. Children with fewer preschool psychiatric symptoms demonstrated more stable reactivity patterns, whereas children with preschool psychiatric comorbidity demonstrated more unstable reactivity patterns across assessments. Findings suggest a developmental shift from decreasing to increasing cortisol reactivity from early to middle childhood, and highlight early preschool psychopathology as a moderator of change in cortisol reactivity. STABILITY AND CHANGE OF CORTISOL REACTIVITY TO A LABORATORY STRESSOR FROM EARLY TO MIDDLE CHILDHOOD
Is there a trend in cirrus cloud cover due to aircraft traffic

Abstract. Trends in cirrus cloud cover have been estimated based on 16 years of data from ISCCP (International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project). The results have been spatially correlated with aircraft density data to determine the changes in cirrus cloud cover due to aircraft traffic. The correlations are only moderate, as many other factors have also contributed to changes in cirrus. Still we regard the results to be indicative of an impact of aircraft on cirrus amount. The main emphasis of our study is on the area covered by the METEOSAT satellite to avoid trends in the ISCCP data resulting from changing satellite viewing geometry. In Europe, which is within the METEOSAT region, we find indications of a trend of about 1-2% cloud cover per decade due to aircraft, in reasonable agreement with previous studies. The positive trend in cirrus in areas of high aircraft traffic contrasts with a general negative trend in cirrus. Extrapolation in time to cover the entire period of aircraft operations and in space to cover the global scale yields a mean estimate of 0.03 Wm-2 (lower limit 0.01, upper limit 0.08 Wm-2) for the radiative forcing due to aircraft induced cirrus. The mean is close to the value given by IPCC (1999) as an upper limit.
Probabilistic Formulations for Transferring Inferences from Mathematical Models to Physical Systems

We outline a probabilistic framework for linking mathematical models to the physical systems that they represent, taking account of all sources of uncertainty including model and simulator imperfections. This framework is a necessary precondition for making probabilistic statements about the system on the basis of evaluations of computer simulators. We distinguish simulators according to their quality and the nature of their inputs. Where necessary, we introduce further hypothetical simulators as modelling constructs to account for imperfections in the available simulators and to unify the available simulators with the underlying system.
High‐speed melt spinning of various grades of polylactides

Five kinds of polylactides (PLAs), with different D-lactide contents and tacticities, were subjected to high-speed melt-spinning experiments. In addition to stereochemical purity, the PLA types differed in molecular mass and molecular mass distribution. The properties of the different PLA materials were characterized by thermogravimetry, differential scanning calorimetry, dynamic mechanical analysis, size exclusion chromatography, and 1H-NMR and 13C-NMR spectroscopy. The material was spun with a high-speed spinning process within the range 2000–5000 m/min. The physical and tensile properties of the fibers were determined. The maximum tensile properties of the fibers were a 300 MPa tenacity at an elongation at break of 30% and a tensile modulus of 6.8 GPa. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 91: 800–806, 2004
Physical and functional interactions between Escherichia coli MutL and the Vsr repair endonuclease

DNA mismatch repair (MMR) and very-short patch (VSP) repair are two pathways involved in the repair of T:G mismatches. To learn about competition and cooperation between these two repair pathways, we analyzed the physical and functional interaction between MutL and Vsr using biophysical and biochemical methods. Analytical ultracentrifugation reveals a nucleotide-dependent interaction between Vsr and the N-terminal domain of MutL. Using chemical crosslinking, we mapped the interaction site of MutL for Vsr to a region between the N-terminal domains similar to that described before for the interaction between MutL and the strand discrimination endonuclease MutH of the MMR system. Competition between MutH and Vsr for binding to MutL resulted in inhibition of the mismatch-provoked MutS- and MutL-dependent activation of MutH, which explains the mutagenic effect of Vsr overexpression. Cooperation between MMR and VSP repair was demonstrated by the stimulation of the Vsr endonuclease in a MutS-, MutL- and ATP-hydrolysis-dependent manner, in agreement with the enhancement of VSP repair by MutS and MutL in vivo. These data suggest a mobile MutS–MutL complex in MMR signalling, that leaves the DNA mismatch prior to, or at the time of, activation of downstream effector molecules such as Vsr or MutH.
Mixed-Integer Convex Representability

Motivated by recent advances in solution methods for mixed-integer convex optimization (MICP), we study the fundamental and open question of which sets can be represented exactly as feasible regions of MICP problems. We establish several results in this direction, including the first complete characterization for the mixed-binary case and a simple necessary condition for the general case. We use the latter to derive the first nonrepresentability results for various nonconvex sets, such as the set of rank-1 matrices and the set of prime numbers. Finally, in correspondence with the seminal work on mixed-integer linear representability by Jeroslow and Lowe, we study the representability question under rationality assumptions. Under these rationality assumptions, we establish that representable sets obey strong regularity properties, such as periodicity, and we provide a complete characterization of representable subsets of the natural numbers and of representable compact sets. Interestingly, in the case of subsets of natural numbers, our results provide a clear separation between the mathematical modeling power of mixed-integer linear and mixed-integer convex optimization. In the case of compact sets, our results imply that using unbounded integer variables is necessary only for modeling unbounded sets.
Regulation of Platelet Plasma Membrane Ca2+-ATPase by cAMP-dependent and Tyrosine Phosphorylation*

As a consequence of its central role in the regulation of calcium metabolism in the platelet, the plasma membrane Ca2+-ATPase (PMCA) was assessed for cAMP-dependent and tyrosine phosphorylation. Addition of forskolin or prostaglandin E1, agents known to elevate platelet cAMP and calcium efflux, to platelets pre-labeled with [32P]PO4 resulted in the direct phosphorylation of platelet PMCA. Similarly, addition of the catalytic subunit of protein kinase A to platelet plasma membranes resulted in a 1.4-fold stimulation of activity. Thus, the previously reported inhibition of platelet activation by elevated intracellular cAMP may be accomplished in part by stimulation of PMCA, likely resulting in a decrease in intracellular calcium. Treatment with thrombin evoked tyrosine phosphorylation of platelet PMCA, while PMCA from resting platelets exhibited little tyrosine phosphorylation. Phosphorylation of platelet plasma membranes by pp60 src resulted in 75% inhibition of PMCA activity within 15 min. Similarly, membranes isolated from thrombin-treated platelets exhibited 40% lower PMCA activity than those from resting platelets. Phosphorylation of erythrocyte ghosts and purified PMCA by pp60 src also resulted in up to 75% inhibition of Ca2+-ATPase activity, and inhibition was correlated with tyrosine phosphorylation. Sequencing of a peptide obtained after32P labeling of purified erythrocyte PMCA in vitro showed that tyrosine 1176 of PMCA4b is phosphorylated by pp60 src . These results indicate that tyrosine phosphorylation of platelet PMCA may serve as positive feedback to inhibit PMCA and increase intracellular calcium during platelet activation.
Alternative Samples for Welfare Duration in SIPP : Does Attrition Matter ?

I The survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP) has been an important tool for studying how long people stay on welfare programs (i.e., welfare durations) because it has monthly I data on use of various welfare programs. This paper focuses on the impact of alternate treatment of sample attrition when &fining spells of welfare receipt by unmarried mothers. The analysis compares a sample that excludes those who miss an interview to one that does not exclude such cases. The I latter sample is 60 percent larger. The comparison is based on non-parametric estimates of the probability of remaining on welfare at specified intervals (the survivor function) and hazard models with covariates reflecting the recipient personal characteristics (age, race, education, and children) I and policy variables (AFDC benefit levels and unemployment rates). The comparison shows that, while attrition affects sample means, conditional estimates from behavioral models are less affected. The paper concludes that attrition may not be a large problem for welfare duration models using I SIPP. The paper also compares samples with and without imputation and finds little difference.
Mechanisms of Mitochondria-Neurofilament Interactions

Mitochondria are localized to regions of the cell where ATP consumption is high and are dispersed according to changes in local energy needs. In addition to motion directed by molecular motors, mitochondrial distribution in neuronal cells appears to depend on the docking of mitochondria to microtubules and neurofilaments. We examined interactions between mitochondria and neurofilaments using fluorescence microscopy, dynamic light scattering, atomic force microscopy, and sedimentation assays. Mitochondria-neurofilament interactions depend on mitochondrial membrane potential, as revealed by staining with a membrane potential sensitive dye (JC-1) in the presence of substrates/ADP or uncouplers (valinomycin/carbonyl cyanide p-(trifluoromethoxy)phenylhydrazone) and are affected by the phosphorylation status of neurofilaments and neurofilament sidearms. Antibodies against the neurofilament heavy subunit disrupt binding between mitochondria and neurofilaments, and isolated neurofilament sidearms alone interact with mitochondria, suggesting that they mediate the interactions between the two structures. These data suggest that specific and regulated mitochondrial-neurofilament interactions occur in situ and may contribute to the dynamic distribution of these organelles within the cytoplasm of neurons.
Effect of the dilution rate on microbial competition: r-strategist can win over k-strategist at low substrate concentration

The conditions present in both in vitro and in vivo ecosystems determine the microbial population harbouring it. One commonly accepted theory is that a species with a high substrate affinity and low growth rate (k-strategist) will win the competition against a second species with a lower substrate affinity and higher growth rate (r-strategist) if both species are subjected to low substrate concentrations. In this study two nitrite oxidizing bacteria (NOB), Nitrospira defluvii (k-strategist) and Nitrobacter vulgaris (r-strategist), were cultivated in a continuous reactor systems. The minimal hydraulic retention time (HRT) required for maintaining the slower growing Nitrospira was first determined. A reactor containing Nitrobacter was set to the same HRT and Nitrospira was injected to evaluate the effect of the dilution rate on the competition between both species. By following the microbial population dynamics with qPCR analysis, it was shown that not only the substrate affinity drives the competition between k- and r-strategists but also the dilution rate. Experimental data and numerical simulations both revealed that the washout of Nitrobacter was significantly delayed at dilution rates close to the μmax of Nitrospira. The competition could be even reverted towards Nitrobacter (r-strategist) despite of low nitrite concentrations and dilution rates lower than the μmax of Nitrospira.