Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Cognitively Stimulating Activities: Effects on Cognition across Four Studies with up to 21 Years of Longitudinal Data

Engagement in cognitively stimulating activities has been considered to maintain or strengthen cognitive skills, thereby minimizing age-related cognitive decline. While the idea that there may be a modifiable behavior that could lower risk for cognitive decline is appealing and potentially empowering for older adults, research findings have not consistently supported the beneficial effects of engaging in cognitively stimulating tasks. Using observational studies of naturalistic cognitive activities, we report a series of mixed effects models that include baseline and change in cognitive activity predicting cognitive outcomes over up to 21 years in four longitudinal studies of aging. Consistent evidence was found for cross-sectional relationships between level of cognitive activity and cognitive test performance. Baseline activity at an earlier age did not, however, predict rate of decline later in life, thus not supporting the concept that engaging in cognitive activity at an earlier point in time increases one's ability to mitigate future age-related cognitive decline. In contrast, change in activity was associated with relative change in cognitive performance. Results therefore suggest that change in cognitive activity from one's previous level has at least a transitory association with cognitive performance measured at the same point in time.
Antisperm response in rams experimentally infected with Brucella ovis

Brucella ovis infection causes chronic epididymitis in rams and may result in the formation of spermatic granulomas and a major reduction in fertility. To study the relationship between bacterial genital infection and antisperm response, 14 adult rams were experimentally inoculated via conjunctival (n  7; G1) or preputial route (n  7; G2) with a B. ovis strain. Serological response to B. ovis was evaluated by means of complement ®xation (CF) and gel diffusion (GD). Autoimmunity was estimated by determination of antisperm antibodies (ASab) and the leukocyte migration inhibition test (MIT) using three different antigens: autologous sperm, ovine testicle, and B. ovis antigen. Immune responses were analyzed in relation to clinical signs, histopathological features, and bacterial isolations from semen and genital organs. Seven non-infected rams served as controls. Speci®c antibody titers were detected by CF during the second week post-inoculation (PI) in 100% of the inoculated rams. The CF values reached a peak during the 8th and 6th week PI for groups G1 and G2, respectively. The percentage of seropositive animals decreased progressively in both groups until weeks 45 and 30 PI. Speci®c antisperm reaction was veri®ed by detection of immobilizing ASab and by MIT. ASab were detected in the serum of 85.7% and 71.4% of rams in G1 and G2, respectively, from week 3 PI onwards. Genital alterations were clinically detected in 71.4% of the inoculated rams. Gross epididymal lesions consisted of multiple caseous masses and cysts with purulent content. In those rams that presented clinical lesions, numerous spermatic granulomas were observed. 80% of these granulomas were located in the epididymis tail. Epididymitis, seminal vesiculitis, and chronic ampullitis were histologically detected in 71.4% of the animals of G1 and G2. B. ovis was isolated from 57% of semen cultures and was recovered from genital tissues in 75% of rams in both G1 and G2. At week 50 PI, four rams from each inoculated group (G1 and G2) received antibiotic treatment with long-acting oxytetracycline. In those animals treated with antibiotics, all semen and tissue cultures became negative to B. ovis at the time of the necropsy. However, cellular immunity was positive for autologous, testicular, and bacterial antigen and all rams demonstrated to be positive for ASab until week 80 PI. These data showed that rams with genital lesions caused by B. ovis developed a long-standing Small Ruminant Research 36 (2000) 7±15 * Corresponding author. Tel. : 54-2266-422040; fax: 54-2266-421756. E-mail address: fpaolicchi@inta.gov. ar (F.A. Paolicchi). 0921-4488/00/$ ± see front matter # 2000 Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved. PII: S 0 9 2 1 4 4 8 8 ( 9 9 ) 0 0 1 0 8 X antisperm immune reaction. This autoimmune process could be signi®cant in the pathogenesis of reduced fertility observed in B. ovis infected rams. # 2000 Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Interaction term of Tsai-Wu theory for laminated veneer

A stochastic-based method of evaluating the interaction parameter (\iF\d1\d2) of the Tsai-Wu strength theory has been presented in this paper. Treating all strength parameters of the strength theory as random variables, the mean and standard deviation of \iF\d1\d2, under plane stress conditions, have been estimated for Douglas-fir laminated veneer. This estimation has been managed through a nonlinear least-squares fit of the parameters to a cumulative probability distribution of off-axis tensile data. For the purpose of comparison, a sample evaluation of \iF\d1\d2 using deterministic methods has been presented. This evaluation showed strong dependence of \iF\d1\d2 on angle to grain. A subsequent sensitivity analysis of the off-axis tests on the value of \iF\d1\d2 indicated that data from 15° off-axis tensile tests were more stable in establishing \iF\d1\d2 than that of other angles tested: 30°, 45°, and 60°.
Performance evaluation of interactive evolutionary computation with tournament-style evaluation

We describe the effectiveness of interactive evolutionary computation (IEC) with tournament-style evaluation to reduce the evaluation load of IEC users. Most previous studies did not clearly demonstrate the effectiveness of the tournament-style evaluation. Therefore, we implemented a tournament-style evaluation for a specific application and inspected the effectiveness of the IEC with tournament-style evaluation using an experiment with real users. We used three evaluation objects: music, animation, and image. We evaluated the performance of the following three methods. The first was a normal IGA (NIGA), which is a conventional 10-stage evaluation. The second was a tournament-style evaluation with two levels (T2), which evaluates only the superiority or inferiority of two candidates at a time. The third was a tournament-style evaluation with four levels (T4), which progressively evaluates the superiority or inferiority of two candidates. We inspected the effectiveness of these methods by simulation using an evaluation agent that imitated human preferences (or Kansei). The simulation results showed that the evolution performances of the NIGA and T2 are higher than those of the T4. Also, we inspected the effectiveness of these methods by an evaluation experiment with 42 subjects in their 20s. The experiment results showed that the satisfaction level for generated candidates were approximately equal among the NIGA, T2, and T4. Moreover, with the T2, it was easiest for test subjects to evaluate solution candidates than with the NIGA in all evaluation objects. And with the T4, it was easier for test subjects to evaluate solution candidates when the evaluation objects were music and image than with the NIGA.
Short Chain Fatty Acids (SCFA) Reprogram Gene Expression in Human Malignant Epithelial and Lymphoid Cells

The effect of short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) on gene expression in human, malignant cell lines was investigated, with a focus on signaling pathways. The commensal microbial flora produce high levels of SCFAs with established physiologic effects in humans. The most abundant SCFA metabolite in the human microflora is n-butyric acid. It is well known to activate endogenous latent Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), that was used as a reference read out system and extended to EBV+ epithelial cancer cell lines. N-butyric acid and its salt induced inflammatory and apoptotic responses in tumor cells of epithelial and lymphoid origin. Epithelial cell migration was inhibited. The n-butyric gene activation was reduced by knock-down of the cell membrane transporters MCT-1 and -4 by siRNA. N-butyric acid show biologically significant effects on several important cellular functions, also with relevance for tumor cell phenotype.
Preliminary results of a low-cost 4-channel time-correlated single photon counting system for time-domain diffuse optical tomography

Time-domain diffuse optical tomography (TD-DOT) provides information-rich data that have not yet been fully exploited for image reconstruction, notably to increase imaging spatial resolution. Current TD-DOT scanners suffer from a very low sensitivity owing to their small number of detection channels. This leads to excessively long acquisition times for in vivo imaging. To obtain a higher number of detection channels, thus increasing detection density, a low-cost time-correlated single photon counting (TCSPC) system dedicated to TD-DOT imaging was designed and developed, resorting solely to off-the-shelf electronic components to reduce costs, in distinction to custom application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) solutions. It features 4 input channels with a 13.02 ps bin width and a 18.1 ps FWHM accuracy throughout a measurement dynamic range of 12.5 ns. Each channel includes a leading-edge discriminator, with a programmable threshold, for direct interfacing with off-the-shelf photodetector modules. A software-programmable delay line was added to the channel signal path to compensate for undesired propagation delays. The system also supports a virtually unlimited number of TCSPC channels using a daisy-chain configuration through an onboard Ethernet switch.
Intracranial Dural Arteriovenous Fistulae with Pial Venous Drainage: Combined Endovascular - Neurosurgical Therapy

ABSTRACT: Background: Intracranial dural arteriovenous fistula with pial venous drainage may present with hemorrhage or focal neurologic deficit and may be difficult to treat. We wish to summarize the therapeutic approaches to these potentially dangerous lesions and to demonstrate how endovascular and neurosurgical therapies may have complimentary roles in their management. Methods: The clinical and radiological records of all patients who presented to our institution with intracranial dural arteriovenous fistula over the last 5 years were reviewed. In those cases demonstrating pial venous drainage, details of presentation, imaging features, endovascular and surgical therapy and outcome were analyzed. Results: We identified 13 patients with these lesions, 7 of whom presented with intracranial hemorrhage. Six patients were treated with embolization alone. Angiographic cure was achieved in 4. There was one complication in this group, a subarachnoid hemorrhage following glue injection. Four patients were treated with embolization followed by surgical occlusion of the pial venous drainage. Angiographic cure was achieved in all 4. There was one complication in this group, a facial nerve palsy following glue injection. Three patients were treated by surgery alone, with no complications and complete cure in all. Conclusion: Endovascular therapy of intracranial dural arteriovenous fistula may be curative but is often complex and carries definite risks. Neurosurgical ligation of pial draining veins, with pre-operative embolization when safe, may be a relatively more controlled method to achieve complete cure.
Intratumor heterogeneity of biomarker expression in breast carcinomas

Small biopsy samples are used increasingly to assess the biomarker expression for prognostic information and for monitoring therapeutic responses prior to and during neoadjuvant therapy. The issue of intratumor heterogeneity of expression of biomarkers, however, has raised questions about the validity of the assessment of biomarker expression based on limited tissue samples. We examined immunohistochemically the expression of HER-2neu (p185erbB-2), epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), Bcl-2, p53, and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) in 30 breast carcinomas using archived, paraffin embedded tissue and determined the extent of intratumor heterogeneity. Each section was divided into four randomly oriented discrete regions, each containing a portion of the infiltrating carcinoma. For each tumor, the entire lesion and four regions were analyzed for the expression of these markers. Scores of both membrane and cytoplasmic staining of HER-2neu and EGFR, scores of cytoplasmic staining of Bcl-2, and scores of nuclear staining of both p53 and PCNA were recorded. The intensity of staining and the proportion of immunostained cells were determined. A semiquantitative immunoscore was calculated by determining the sum of the products of the intensity and corresponding proportion of stained tumor cells. We analyzed both invasive (IDC) and in situ (DCIS) carcinomas. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used for paired comparisons between overall and regional immunoscores and between overall and regional percentages of stained cells. Spearman's correlation coefficients were used to assess the level of agreement of overall biomarker expression with each of the regions. Generalized linear models were used to assess overall and pair-wise differences in the absolute values of percent changes between overall and regional expression of biomarkers. For IDCs, there were no statistically significant differences in the expression of the biomarkers in terms of either the percentage of cells staining or the immunoscores when comparing the entire tumor with each region except for the lower EGFR expression of arbitrarily selected region 1 and lower p53 expression of region 1 compared to that of the entire tumor section. For DCIS, there were no statistically significant differences in the expression of the biomarkers between the entire tumor and each region except in PCNA of region 2 compared to that of entire tumor section. Positive correlation of immunoscores was observed between the entire tumor and each region as well as across all four regions for IDC. Similar observations were noted with DCIS except for HER-2neu and PCNA. No statistically significant differences were observed in the absolute values of percent changes of biomarker expression between overall and the four regions for both DCIS and IDC. Therefore, no significant intratumor heterogeneity in the expression of HER-2neu, Bcl-2, and PCNA was observed in IDC. Minor regional variations were observed for EGFR and p53 in IDC. Similarly, no significant regional variation in the expression of markers was observed in DCIS except for PCNA.
Intrastriatal grafts derived from fetal striatal primordia. I. Phenotypy and modular organization

Fetal striatal grafts display a striking modularity of composition. With acetylcholinesterase (AChE) histochemistry, the tissue of such grafts can be divided into regions with strong AChE staining of the neuropil and regions in which AChE staining of the neuropil is weak. In the experiments reported here, we reexamined the nature of this modularity. Striatal grafts were made by injecting dissociated cells of E15 ganglionic eminence into the striatum of adult rats, which 7 days before had recived intrastriatal deposits of ibotenic acid. Some donors had been exposed to 3H-thymidine at E11-E15. After 9–17 month survivals, the anatomical organization of the grafts was studied by histochemistry, immunohistochemistry, and autoradiography. In every graft, the AChE-rich regions formed patches (P regions) in a larger AChE-poor surround (NP regions). Neurons labeled with 3H-thymidine appeared in both P and NP regions, suggesting that donor cells were distributed in each type of region and that neither type of tissue, P or NP, was composed exclusively of host tissue. In the AChE-rich P regions, markers characteristic of normal perinatal and mature rat striatum were expressed by medium-sized cells: calcium-binding protein (calbindin D28k) immunostaining, metenkephalin (mENK) immunostaining, and, more rarely, somatostatin (SOM) immunostaining. In the NP regions, however, medium-sized cells expressing calbindin and mENK immunostaining were very rare, and there was an abundance of neuronal types not found in normal mature striatal tissue. These included (1) large, multipolar, calbindin-positive neurons with well-ramified, densely stained dendrites, (2) large, SOM-positive neurons with prominent dendritic trees, and (3) mENK-positive cells smaller than typical striatal, medium-sized, mENK-immunoreactive neurons. In Nissl stains, the AChE-rich P regions resembled the normal striatum of mature animals, whereas the AChE-poor NP regions did not. These findings suggest that the P regions of fetal striatal grafts achieve a phenotypy similar to that of normal striatum at maturity and during much of postnatal development. The dominant expression of perikaryal calbindin- like immunoreactivity in the P regions further suggests that these zones have a high proportion of tissue resembling striatal matrix. By contrast, expression of marker antigens in the NP zones of the grafts suggests that these zones are predominantly composed of nonstriatal tissue or that they have the phenotypy of immature striatum intermixed with some nonstriatal cells. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Fully Reflexive Intensional Type Analysis in Type Erasure Semantics

Abstract : Compilers for polymorphic languages must support runtime type analysis over arbitrary source language types for coding applications like garbage collection, dynamic linking, pickling, etc. On the other hand, compilers are increasingly being geared to generate type-safe object code. Therefore, it is important to support runtime type analysis in a framework that generates type correct object code. In this paper we show how to integrate runtime type analysis over all types of a higher order typed source language, including quantified types, into a system that can propagate type information through all compilation phases.
Involvement of an ATP-Dependent Peptide Chaperone in Cross-Presentation After DNA Immunization1

Immunization with plasmid DNA holds promise as a vaccination strategy perhaps useful in situations that currently lack vaccines, since the major means of immune induction may differ from more conventional approach. In the present study, we demonstrate that exposure of macrophages to plasmid DNA encoding viral proteins or OVA generates Ag-specific material that, when presented in vitro by dendritic cells to naive T cells, induces primary CTL response or elicits IL-2 production from an OVA peptide-specific T-T hybridoma. The immunogenic material released was proteinaceous in nature, free of apoptotic bodies, and had an apparent m.w. much larger than a 9–11-aa CTL-recognizable peptide. The macrophage-released factor(s) specifically required a hydrolyzable ATP substrate and was inhibited by procedures that removed or hydrolyzed ATP; in addition, anti-heat-shock protein 70 antiserum abrogated the activity to a large extent. These results indicate the possible involvement of a heat-shock protein 70-linked peptide chaperone in a cross-priming method of immune induction by DNA vaccination. Such a cross-priming process may represent a principal mechanism by which plasmid DNA delivered to cells such as myocytes effectively shuttle Ag to DC or other APC to achieve CTL induction in vivo.
Dementia Care Mapping

What is it? Dementia Care Mapping is an observational tool used to evaluate the wellbeing and emotional state of persons living with dementia. Where does it come from? Psychologists Tom Kitwood and Kathleen Bredin at the University of Bradford developed Dementia Care Mapping (DCM) in the early 1990s. The method itself draws on a value base of respecting personhood and therefore focuses on measuring wellbeing in persons living with dementia. For wellbeing to occur, care and attention must be focused on the uniqueness of the person, their tastes, their abilities and their choices. Crucial to the method is the belief that the social world that surrounds the person can have a positive or negative effect on wellbeing. DCM can help us to understand this world more clearly and assist us to develop care that is person-centred. What does it involve? A trained observer records the activity and quality of life of several residents with dementia and their carers over a period of 4 to 6 hours, making observations every 5 minutes. The observer also notes any negative or positive events that occur in the care environment. What is a dementia care 'map'? The observations give us a 'map' of the resident's care. This identifies what the person is engaged in during their day and the emotional wellbeing or ill-being they experience from moment to moment. From this 'map' we are able to identify areas of care that are working well and areas that can be improved. How is this information used? We use this information in several ways: • To improve the organisation of care towards being more person-centred; • To receive and improve individual care plans of those persons who are observed; • And/or to review the overall progress across time toward the goals of person-centred care. It can also be used to provide feedback to staff about how their actions are affecting the residents in order to assist them to adopt person-centred values and actions.
Cloning of an Enzyme That Synthesizes a Key Nucleotide-Sugar Precursor of Hemicellulose Biosynthesis from Soybean:UDP-Glucose Dehydrogenase

Hemicellulose is a major component of primary plant cell walls. Many of the glycosyl residues found in hemicellulose are derived from the sugar precursor UDP-glucuronic acid, which can be converted into UDP-arabinose, UDP-apiose, UDP-galacturonic acid, and UDP-xylose. The enzyme controlling the biosynthesis of UDP-glucuronic acid, UDP-glucose dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.22), was cloned from soybean (Glycine max [L.] Merr.) by an antibody screening procedure. This enzyme is surprisingly homologous to the bovine sequence, which is the only other eukaryotic UDP-glucose dehydrogenase sequence known. The characteristic motifs of the enzyme, the catalytic center, a NAD-binding site, and two proline residues for main chain bends, are conserved within the prokaryotic and eukaryotic sequences. The soybean full-length cDNA clone encodes a protein of 480 amino acids with a predicted size of 52.9 kD. The enzyme is highly expressed in young roots, but lower expression levels were observed in expanding tissues of the epicotyl and in young leaves. The expression pattern of the enzyme in different developmental stages strengthens the argument that UDP-glucose dehydrogenase is a key regulator for the availability of hemicelluose precursors.
Coupling of plasmon and 3D antireflection quasi-photonic crystal structure for enhancement infrared absorption

In this study, the carbon-matrix Ag wing with a hierarchical sub-micron antireflection quasi-photonic crystal structure (HSAS) was fabricated by a simple and promising method. This method combines chemosynthesis with biomimetic techniques, without the requirement of expensive equipment and energy intensive processes. Here, the Troides helena (Linnaeus) (T. helena) forewing (T_FW) was chosen as the biomimetic template. The carbon-matrix Ag butterfly wing (Ag@C_T_FW) achieves a drastically enhanced infrared absorption over a broad spectral range, especially, over the near infrared region. Here, we report methods to enhance and modify the plasmonic resonances in such structures by strongly coupling plasmonic resonances to HSAS. Using the finite difference time domain (FDTD) method, the absorption spectra and the distribution of the energy density near the Ag NPs surface were simulated. Based on the experiment and simulation results, these findings demonstrate that the enhanced infrared absorption over a broad spectral range is due to the mechanism that the plasmon and the coherent coupling between adjacent resonance systems integrate with the HSAS.