Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Failure to Modulate Attentional Control in Advanced Aging Linked to White Matter Pathology

Advanced aging is associated with reduced attentional control and less flexible information processing. Here, the origins of these cognitive effects were explored using a functional magnetic resonance imaging task that systematically varied demands to shift attention and inhibit irrelevant information across task blocks. Prefrontal and parietal regions previously implicated in attentional control were recruited by the task and most so for the most demanding task configurations. A subset of older individuals did not modulate activity in frontal and parietal regions in response to changing task requirements. Older adults who did not dynamically modulate activity underperformed their peers and scored more poorly on neuropsychological measures of executive function and speed of processing. Examining 2 markers of preclinical pathology in older adults revealed that white matter hyperintensities (WMHs), but not high amyloid burden, were associated with failure to modulate activity in response to changing task demands. In contrast, high amyloid burden was associated with alterations in default network activity. These results suggest failure to modulate frontal and parietal activity reflects a disruptive process in advanced aging associated with specific neuropathologic processes.
Development of a novel porous scaffold : assessment of its suitability for cardiac muscle engineering

Cellular transplantation, a current therapy for cardiac failure, does not consider the need for a physical support or biochemical factors required by the cardiomyocyte. The aim of this project was to establish the Extra Cellular Matrix (ECM), architectural and mechanical properties of a flexible scaffold to assist the maintenance of a cardiac cell line cultured under mechanical stimuli. Previously, mechanical stimulation has been proved to have an effect in cardiomyocytes similar to that of growth factors on other cells and promotes protein expression, differentiation and survival [1]. Poly-(1,8-octanediol-co-citric acid) [POC] is an elastomer that can be processed into scaffolds for tissue engineering. Mechanical properties of the POC were compared at different porosity, storage method and strain rate. POC, with an ultimate elongation of 60-160%, did support cardiac cell attachment when coated with fibronectin. Seeding strategies were evaluated to find optimal conditions and static seeding resulted more favourable for cell adhesion and survival than other dynamics approaches. In collaboration with the University of Leeds, cardiomyocytes were cultured in a dynamic bioreactor, Tencell, under continuous and discontinuous stretching regimes. Mechano-stimulation of cardiac constructs encouraged cell survival in the discontinuous regime and up-regulated the expression of actc1 and nppa genes regardless of the treatments. It was concluded that although mechanical stimulation had a positive effect on cell survival and gene expression, tissue formation was not promoted.
Effect of elastane linear density and draft ratio on the physical and mechanical properties of core-spun cotton yarns

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of elastane linear density and draft ratio on the physical and mechanical properties of core-spun yarns. Twenty yarn samples were prepared on industrial scale in a spinning mill with two different yarn linear densities, each with different two elastane deniers and five draft ratios. It was found that core-spun yarn’s tenacity, elongation and hairiness are affected not only by the overall yarn linear density but also by the elastane linear density and the draft ratio. However, the effect of elastane linear density and draft ratio was not found to be statistically significant on the yarn mass variations and total imperfections, which are only affected by the overall yarn liner density. A statistically significant interaction for yarn elongation at break was found between the yarn liner density and the elastane linear density concluding that elastane linear density used in the core must be compatible with the overall yarn liner density for attaining the best yarn elongation.
Nanosilver: an inorganic nanoparticle with myriad potential applications

Abstract Bionanotechnology is the field dealing with the synthesis and application of different nanomaterials. Nanoparticles usually form the core of nanobiomaterials. For the past decade, a variety of inorganic nanoparticles have been newly created to provide superior material properties. Nowadays, synthesis of nanoparticles is the area of interest due to their physical, chemical, optical, electronic properties, and most importantly their larger surface area-to-volume ratio. Synthesis of inorganic nanoparticles is done by various physical and chemical processes, but biological route of synthesis is gaining more importance due to their eco-friendly nature. Bioactivity of nanoparticles broadly involves the wide range of nanoparticles and their biological application. They have been used as new tools not only for investigation of biological processes but also for sensing and treating diseases. In this respect, they are appearing to be novel antimicrobial agents even against drug-resistant microorganisms. On the other side at higher concentration, they show toxicity to the humans and ecosystem. Therefore, in the present review, we have briefly described the synthesis of different metal nanoparticles by different approaches mainly paying attention to their biosynthesis, antimicrobial activity, and cytotoxicity. As silver nanoparticles are finding many applications among all of the inorganic nanoparticles, we paid special attention to them, too.
and-assisted laparoscopic spleen-preserving distal pancreatectomy ombined with laparoscopic distal gastrectomy for the treatment of ancreatic neuroendocrine tumor with early gastric cancer : Report of case

INTRODUCTION: In a distal pancreatectomy combined with a distal gastrectomy, the splenic artery and vein must be conserved. However, it is not easy in pure laparoscopic surgery. We performed a hand-assisted laparoscopic spleen-preserving distal pancreatectomy (HALS-SPDP) combined with a laparoscopic distal gastrectomy (LDG) for the treatment of a pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor (NET) with early gastric cancer. PRESENTATION OF CASE: A 67-year-old male was hospitalized with no complaint. He was diagnosed with a pancreatic tail tumor (1.5 cm in diameter) and early gastric cancer. He had undergone an endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD). The pathohistology of the dissected tissue demonstrated that the histology was moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma, and the depth of the gastric cancer was pT1b2 (submucosal layer ∼1000 m). First, a pancreatectomy was performed extracorporeally under direct vision after detaching the spleen and the distal pancreas from the retroperitoneum under a hand-assisted astric cancer ase report laparoscopy. After the distal pancreatectomy, an LDG with a D1 lymphadenectomy was performed intracorporeally. The postoperative course was not eventful. Six months after surgery, an enhanced computed tomography (CT) scan revealed the patency of the splenic artery. CONCLUSION: An HALS-SPDP combined with an LDG is beneficial and safe for the patients who have a pancreatic benign or low-grade malignant tumor and gastric cancer. © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of IJS Publishing Group Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
Macromolecular assembly of the adaptor SLP-65 at intracellular vesicles in resting B cells

Optimal B cell activation requires the recruitment of a vesicle-associated adaptor protein to the B cell receptor complex. Vesicular Delivery of an Adaptor in B Cells Stimulation of a complex and ordered network of protein-protein interactions is necessary for B cell activation and antibody-mediated immunity. Engelke et al. found a role for protein-lipid interactions in this process. The cytosolic adaptor protein SLP-65 was associated with intracellular vesicles in unstimulated B cells and required residues in its N terminus for this vesicular association. Activation of the B cell receptor stimulated the translocation of vesicles carrying SLP-65 to the receptor complex to ensure optimal B cell signaling. The traditional view of how intracellular effector proteins are recruited to the B cell antigen receptor (BCR) complex at the plasma membrane is based on the occurrence of direct protein-protein interactions, as exemplified by the recruitment of the tyrosine kinase Syk (spleen tyrosine kinase) to phosphorylated motifs in BCR signaling subunits. By contrast, the subcellular targeting of the cytosolic adaptor protein SLP-65 (Src homology 2 domain–containing leukocyte adaptor protein of 65 kD), which serves as a proximal Syk substrate, is unclear. We showed that SLP-65 activation required its association at vesicular compartments in resting B cells. A module of ~50 amino acid residues located at the amino terminus of SLP-65 anchored SLP-65 to the vesicles. Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy showed that the SLP-65 amino terminus was structurally disordered in solution but could bind in a structured manner to noncharged lipid components of cellular membranes. Our finding that preformed vesicular signaling scaffolds are required for B cell activation indicates that vesicles may deliver preassembled signaling cargo to sites of BCR activation.
The Role of Cognition, Personality, and Trust in Fraud Victimization in Older Adults

Older adults are more at risk to become a victim of consumer fraud than any other type of crime (Carcach et al., 2001) but the research on the psychological profiles of senior fraud victims is lacking. To bridge this significant gap, we surveyed 151 (120 female, 111 Caucasian) community-dwelling older adults in Southern Ontario between 60 and 90 years of age about their experiences with fraud. Participants had not been diagnosed with cognitive impairment or a neurological disorder by their doctor and looked after their own finances. We assessed their self-reported cognitive abilities using the MASQ, personality on the 60-item HEXACO Personality Inventory, and trust tendencies using a scale from the World Values Survey. There were no demographic differences between victims and non-victims. We found that victims exhibit lower levels of cognitive ability, lower honesty-humility, and lower conscientiousness than non-victims. Victims and non-victims did not differ in reported levels of interpersonal trust. Subsequent regression analyses showed that cognition is an important component in victimization over and above other social factors. The present findings suggest that fraud prevention programs should focus on improving adults’ overall cognitive functioning. Further investigation is needed to understand how age-related cognitive changes affect vulnerability to fraud and which cognitive processes are most important for preventing fraud victimization.
Enol form of uracil in the GU "wobble" pair. NMR evidence

GU "wobble" pair may contain either the enol form of uracil and the keto form of guanine or the enol form of guanine and the keto form of uracil. A direct proof of uracil existence in enol form can be obtained by using NMR spectroscopy. In HNN-COSY experiments the GU pair imitates the GC pair due to the enolization of uracil.
Low-Complexity Multiple Description Coding of Video Based on 3D Block Transforms

The paper presents a multiple description (MD) video coder based on three-dimensional (3D) transforms. Two balanced descriptions are created from a video sequence. In the encoder, video sequence is represented in a form of coarse sequence approximation (shaper) included in both descriptions and residual sequence (details) which is split between two descriptions. The shaper is obtained by block-wise pruned 3D-DCT. The residual sequence is coded by 3D-DCT or hybrid, LOT+DCT, 3D-transform. The coding scheme is targeted to mobile devices. It has low computational complexity and improved robustness of transmission over unreliable networks. The coder is able to work at very low redundancies. The coding scheme is simple, yet it outperforms some MD coders based on motion-compensated prediction, especially in the low-redundancy region. The margin is up to 3 dB for reconstruction from one description.
Interpreting NK Cell Transcripts Versus T Cell Transcripts in Renal Transplant Biopsies

NK cell transcripts are increased in biopsies with antibody‐mediated rejection, whereas T cell transcripts are increased in T cell‐mediated rejection. However, NK and T cells share many features, creating potential ambiguity. Therefore to estimate the NK‐ versus T cell transcript burdens separately, we defined nonoverlapping transcripts selective for NK cells (N = 4) or T cells (N = 5). We compared NK‐ versus T cell transcript burdens in microarrays from 403 kidney transplant biopsies (182 early, 221 late). In late biopsies, high NK‐cell transcript expression was associated with antibody‐mediated rejection, correlating with microvascular inflammation and donor specific HLA antibody. However, some early biopsies with T cell‐mediated rejection had high NK‐cell transcript expression, as well as T cell transcripts, without evidence of antibody‐mediated rejection or DSA, correlating with interstitial inflammation and tubulitis. Both NK‐cell and T cell transcripts were moderately increased in many kidneys with inflammation secondary to injury or atrophy scarring. These results support the distinct role of NK cells in late antibody‐mediated rejection, but indicate a role for NK‐transcript expressing cells (NK cells or T cells with NK features) both in T cell‐mediated rejection and in inflammation associated with injury and atrophy scarring.
Do Stock Price Bubbles Influence Corporate Investment?

Building on recent developments in behavioral asset pricing, we develop a model in which dispersion of investor beliefs under short-selling constraints drives a firm's stock price above its fundamental value. Managers optimally respond to the stock market bubble by issuing new equity. The bubble reduces the user-cost of capital and increase real investment. Using the variance of analysts' earnings forecasts as a proxy for the dispersion of investor beliefs, we find strong empirical support for the model's key prediction that increases in dispersion cause increases in new equity issuance, Tobin's Q, and real investment.
Field Performance of Ground Anchors in Taichung Basin

This research carried out field tests on nine vertical anchors to investigate their behavior in gravel of Taichung Basin. An anchor can be categorized as a deep anchor when the free length Z exceeds 8D (D is the diameter of the anchor). The shape of the heave on the ground surface of a shallow anchor is similar to a normal distribution curve. The extended diameter of the heave was between 170 and 300 cm, which could be divided into two zones, primary and secondary, based on the failure mode of the ground. As the fixed length of a shallow anchor increased, the extended diameter also increased. The ultimate load of an anchor increased with the free length and, to a greater degree, with the fixed length of an anchor: a fixed length of only 3 m (D = 0.12 m) generated an ultimate load of over 1100 kN.
CD4+ T-Lymphocyte and Immunoglobulin G2 Responses in Calves Immunized with Anaplasma marginale Outer Membranes and Protected against Homologous Challenge

ABSTRACT Protective immunity against the ehrlichial pathogenAnaplasma marginale has been hypothesized to require induction of immunoglobulin G2 (IgG2) antibody against outer membrane protein epitopes and coordinated activation of macrophages for phagocytosis and killing. In the present study, cell-mediated immune responses, including induction of IgG isotype switching, were characterized in calves immunized with purified outer membranes of the Florida strain of A. marginale. Importantly, these calves were subsequently shown to be protected upon experimental challenge with the Florida strain, and calves which developed the highest IgG2 titers were completely protected against infection. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) obtained after immunization proliferated strongly in response to both whole A. marginale homogenates and purified outer membranes, and this responsiveness persisted until the time of challenge. Responding cells were shown to be CD4+ T cells, and CD4+ T-cell lines cultured for 2 to 4 weeks also proliferated specifically in response to A. marginale and produced high titers of gamma interferon. The helper T-cell response included recognition of conserved epitopes, as PBMC proliferation was stimulated by the homologous Florida strain, four genetically distinct A. marginale strains, and Anaplasma ovis. The outer membrane proteins stimulating the PBMC responses in protected calves included major surface proteins (MSPs) MSP-1, MSP-2, and MSP-3, which were previously shown to induce partial protection against infection. These studies demonstrate, for the first time, potent helper T-cell responses in cattle protectively immunized with outer membranes against A. marginale challenge and identify three MSPs that are recognized by immune T cells. These experiments provide the basis for subsequent identification of the helper T-cell epitopes on MSP-1, MSP-2, and MSP-3 that are needed to evoke anamnestic antibody and effector T-cell responses elicited by protein or nucleic acid immunization.
Hierarchical Question Answering for Long Documents

We present a framework for question answering that can efficiently scale to longer documents while maintaining or even improving performance of state-of-the-art models. While most successful approaches for reading comprehension rely on recurrent neural networks (RNNs), running them over long documents is prohibitively slow because it is difficult to parallelize over sequences. Inspired by how people first skim the document, identify relevant parts, and carefully read these parts to produce an answer, we combine a coarse, fast model for selecting relevant sentences and a more expensive RNN for producing the answer from those sentences. We treat sentence selection as a latent variable trained jointly from the answer only using reinforcement learning. Experiments demonstrate the state of the art performance on a challenging subset of the Wikireading and on a new dataset, while speeding up the model by 3.5x-6.7x.
Brazil On Structural Optimization Using Constraint Aggregation

1. Abstract This paper explores different methods of constraint aggregation for numerical optimization. The main motive is the aggregation of stress constraints in structural weight minimization problems in order to reduce the cost of adjoint sensitivity calculations and hence the overall cost of the optimization. We analyze existing approaches such as considering all constraints individually, taking the maximum of the constraints and using the Kreisselmeier–Steinhauser function. A new adaptive approach based on the Kreisselmeier–Steinhauser function is proposed and is shown to significantly increase the accuracy of the results when a large number of constraints is active at the optimum.
Evaluation of pulmonary hypertension in COPD patients with diabetes.

PURPOSE to assess pulmonary hypertension (PH) in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) plus diabetes mellitus (DM) using transcutaneous Doppler right jugular venous echo (tDErjv). MATERIAL AND METHODS We examined 5 groups of patients and control group (30 healthy subjects). The 1st group consisted of 55 COPD in-patients in exacerbation with type II DM (DM2). The 2nd group' was formed of 40 in-patients with sole COPD in exacerbation. 30 patients with sole DM2 were included in the 3rd group. The 4th group consisted of 15 COPD in-patients with type I DM (DM1). The 5th group was formed of 18 patients with DM1. The following parameters, using tDErjv, were determined: direction of flow (antegrade or retrograde), velocities of systolic (Sf) and diastolic flows (Df), which are in the strong correlation with the mean pulmonary artery pressure (mPAP). If the flow was biphasic, the ratio of velocities (Df/Sf) and mPAP were calculated. RESULTS Antegrade biphasic flow was revealed in all patients. Sf>Df and Df/Sf <l were detected in the 3rd and control groups. While, in the 1st and 2rd groups Sf<Df (1.14 +/- 0.12 and 0.90 +/- 0.07 in the Ist and 2rd groups respectively; p < 0.05 vs control). In the 2nd group patients with Df=Sf the value of the mPAP approximately 25 mmHg was detected, whereas in the 1st group with Df/Sf >1, this value was >35 mmHg. CONCLUSIONS PH was more severe in COPD plus DM2 as compared with COPD only. tDErjv allowed determining mPAP in all COPD patients, even with the severe emphysema.
Constrained Multi-user Multi-server Max-Min Fair Queuing

In this paper, a multi-user multi-server queuing system is studied in which each user is constrained to get service from a subset of servers. In the studied system, rate allocation in the sense of max-min fairness results in multi-level fair rates. To achieve such fair rates, we propose $CM^4FQ$ algorithm. In this algorithm users are chosen for service on a packet by packet basis. The priority of each user $i$ to be chosen at time $t$ is determined based on a parameter known as service tag (representing the amount of work counted for user $i$ till time $t$). Hence, a free server will choose to serve an eligible user with the minimum service tag. Based on such simple selection criterion, $CM^4FQ$ aims at guaranteed fair throughput for each demanding user without explicit knowledge of each server service rate. We argue that $CM^4FQ$ can be applied in a variety of practical queuing systems specially in mobile cloud computing architecture.
Prediction of Beta Sheets in Proteins

Most current methods for prediction of protein secondary structure use a small window of the protein sequence to predict the structure of the central amino acid. We describe a new method for prediction of the non-local structure called β-sheet, which consists of two or more β-strands that are connected by hydrogen bonds. Since β-strands are often widely separated in the protein chain, a network with two windows is introduced. After training on a set of proteins the network predicts the sheets well, but there are many false positives. By using a global energy function the β-sheet prediction is combined with a local prediction of the three secondary structures α-helix, β-strand and coil. The energy function is minimized using simulated annealing to give a final prediction.
Joint frequency-domain adaptive equalization and interference cancellation for multi-user space-time block-coded systems

We develop an efficient adaptive receiver for joint equalization and interference cancellation for multi-user space-time block-coded transmissions. The receiver exploits the rich code structure and allows multiple user transmissions over frequency-selective fading channels with reduced complexity and lower system overhead. The adaptation scheme is based on a recursive least-squares implementation for faster convergence; nevertheless, it exploits the code structure to attain RLS performance at LMS complexity.