Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A meta-analysis of the accuracy of the Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination (ACE) and the Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination-Revised (ACE-R) in the detection of dementia

ABSTRACT Background: The Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination (ACE) and its Revised version (ACE-R) are relatively new screening tools for cognitive impairment that may improve upon the well-known Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and other brief batteries. We systematically reviewed diagnostic accuracy studies of ACE and ACE-R. Methods: Published studies comparing ACE, ACE-R and MMSE were comprehensively sought and critically appraised. A meta-analysis of suitable studies was conducted. Results: Of 61 possible publications identified, meta-analysis of qualifying studies encompassed 5 for ACE (1,090 participants) and 5 for ACE-R (1156 participants); of these, 9 made direct comparisons with the MMSE. Sensitivity and specificity of the ACE were 96.9% (95% CI = 92.7% to 99.4%) and 77.4% (95% CI = 58.3% to 91.8%); and for the ACE-R were 95.7% (95% CI = 92.2% to 98.2%) and 87.5% (95% CI = 63.8% to 99.4%). In a modest prevalence setting, such as primary care or general hospital settings where the prevalence of dementia may be approximately 25%, overall accuracy of the ACE (0.823) was inferior to ACE-R (0.895) and MMSE (0.882). In high prevalence settings such as memory clinics where the prevalence of dementia may be 50% or higher, overall accuracy again favored ACE-R (0.916) over ACE (0.872) and MMSE (0.895). Conclusions: The ACE-R has somewhat superior diagnostic accuracy to the MMSE while the ACE appears to have inferior accuracy. The ACE-R is recommended in both modest and high prevalence settings. Accuracy of newer versions of the ACE remain to be determined.
the Vertebrate Pest Conference Development of seed treatments to control blackbirds

: Bird repellents to protect seeds are a potentially important aspect of integrated vertebrate pest management strategies. Yet, there currently are no repellents registered for seed treatment uses. lhis is due not to lack of effective candidate compounds, but to monetary and regulatory constraints that inhibit commercialization of promising compounds. Two examples of this dilemma are methiocarb and anthraquinone, each of which has considerable potential for bird repellent uses and each of which faces considerable registration hurdles as prospective seed treatment compounds. A concerted, coordinated effort among private industry, producer groups, and state and federal agencies may be the best strategy to bring potentially useful repellents to commercial reality.
Supervised Learning in Spiking Neural Networks with ReSuMe: Sequence Learning, Classification, and Spike Shifting

Learning from instructions or demonstrations is a fundamental property of our brain necessary to acquire new knowledge and develop novel skills or behavioral patterns. This type of learning is thought to be involved in most of our daily routines. Although the concept of instruction-based learning has been studied for several decades, the exact neural mechanisms implementing this process remain unrevealed. One of the central questions in this regard is, How do neurons learn to reproduce template signals (instructions) encoded in precisely timed sequences of spikes? Here we present a model of supervised learning for biologically plausible neurons that addresses this question. In a set of experiments, we demonstrate that our approach enables us to train spiking neurons to reproduce arbitrary template spike patterns in response to given synaptic stimuli even in the presence of various sources of noise. We show that the learning rule can also be used for decision-making tasks. Neurons can be trained to classify categories of input signals based on only a temporal configuration of spikes. The decision is communicated by emitting precisely timed spike trains associated with given input categories. Trained neurons can perform the classification task correctly even if stimuli and corresponding decision times are temporally separated and the relevant information is consequently highly overlapped by the ongoing neural activity. Finally, we demonstrate that neurons can be trained to reproduce sequences of spikes with a controllable time shift with respect to target templates. A reproduced signal can follow or even precede the targets. This surprising result points out that spiking neurons can potentially be applied to forecast the behavior (firing times) of other reference neurons or networks.
Kaposi's Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus Encodes an Ortholog of miR-155

ABSTRACT MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small noncoding RNAs that posttranscriptionally regulate gene expression by binding to 3′-untranslated regions (3′UTRs) of target mRNAs. Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV), a virus linked to malignancies including primary effusion lymphoma (PEL), encodes 12 miRNA genes, but only a few regulatory targets are known. We found that KSHV-miR-K12-11 shares 100% seed sequence homology with hsa-miR-155, an miRNA frequently found to be up-regulated in lymphomas and critically important for B-cell development. Based on this seed sequence homology, we hypothesized that both miRNAs regulate a common set of target genes and, as a result, could have similar biological activities. Examination of five PEL lines showed that PELs do not express miR-155 but do express high levels of miR-K12-11. Bioinformatic tools predicted the transcriptional repressor BACH-1 to be targeted by both miRNAs, and ectopic expression of either miR-155 or miR-K12-11 inhibited a BACH-1 3′UTR-containing reporter. Furthermore, BACH-1 protein levels are low in cells expressing either miRNA. Gene expression profiling of miRNA-expressing stable cell lines revealed 66 genes that were commonly down-regulated. For select genes, miRNA targeting was confirmed by reporter assays. Thus, based on our in silico predictions, reporter assays, and expression profiling data, miR-K12-11 and miR-155 regulate a common set of cellular targets. Given the role of miR-155 during B-cell maturation, we speculate that miR-K12-11 may contribute to the distinct developmental phenotype of PEL cells, which are blocked in a late stage of B-cell development. Together, these findings indicate that KSHV miR-K12-11 is an ortholog of miR-155.
Role of Phosphatidylinositol Clathrin Assembly Lymphoid-Myeloid Leukemia (PICALM) in Intracellular Amyloid Precursor Protein (APP) Processing and Amyloid Plaque Pathogenesis*

Background: Recent GWA studies have demonstrated an association between the endocytic clathrin adaptor PICALM and Alzheimer disease. Results: Manipulation of PICALM expression selectively alters APP endocytosis and Aβ production in neural cells and plaque deposition in APP transgenic mice. Conclusion: PICALM is involved in intracellular APP processing and plaque pathogenesis. Significance: Understanding cellular mechanisms involved in APP processing may reveal novel targets for intervention. One of the pathological hallmarks of Alzheimer disease is the accumulation of amyloid plaques in the extracellular space in the brain. Amyloid plaques are primarily composed of aggregated amyloid β peptide (Aβ), a proteolytic fragment of the transmembrane amyloid precursor protein (APP). For APP to be proteolytically cleaved into Aβ, it must be internalized into the cell and trafficked to endosomes where specific protease complexes can cleave APP. Several recent genome-wide association studies have reported that several single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the phosphatidylinositol clathrin assembly lymphoid-myeloid leukemia (PICALM) gene were significantly associated with Alzheimer disease, suggesting a role in APP endocytosis and Aβ generation. Here, we show that PICALM co-localizes with APP in intracellular vesicles of N2a-APP cells after endocytosis is initiated. PICALM knockdown resulted in reduced APP internalization and Aβ generation. Conversely, PICALM overexpression increased APP internalization and Aβ production. In vivo, PICALM was found to be expressed in neurons and co-localized with APP throughout the cortex and hippocampus in APP/PS1 mice. PICALM expression was altered using AAV8 gene transfer of PICALM shRNA or PICALM cDNA into the hippocampus of 6-month-old APP/PS1 mice. PICALM knockdown decreased soluble and insoluble Aβ levels and amyloid plaque load in the hippocampus. Conversely, PICALM overexpression increased Aβ levels and amyloid plaque load. These data indicate that PICALM, an adaptor protein involved in clathrin-mediated endocytosis, regulates APP internalization and subsequent Aβ generation. PICALM contributes to amyloid plaque load in brain likely via its effect on Aβ metabolism.
Substrate Recognition of tRNA (Guanosine-2′-)-methyltransferase from Thermus thermophilus HB27*

Transfer RNA (guanosine-2′-)-methyltransferase (Gm-methylase, EC 2.1.1.32) from Thermus thermophilus HB27 is one of the tRNA ribose modification enzymes. The broad substrate specificity of Gm-methylase has so far been elucidated using various species of tRNAs from native sources, suggesting that the common structures in tRNAs are recognized by the enzyme. In this study, by using 28 yeast tRNAPhe variants obtained by transcription with T7 RNA polymerase, it was revealed that the nucleotide residues G18 and G19 and the D-stem structure are essentially required for Gm-methylase recognition, and that the key sequence for the substrate is pyrimidine (Py)17G18G19. The other conserved sequences were found not to be essential, but U8, G15, G26, G46, U54, U55, and C56 considerably affected the methylation efficiency. These residues are located within a limited space embedded in the L-shaped three-dimensional structure of tRNA. Therefore, disruption of the three-dimensional structure of the substrate tRNA is necessary for the catalytic center of Gm-methylase to be able to access the target site in the tRNA, suggesting that the interaction of Gm-methylase with tRNA consists of multiple steps. This postulation was confirmed by inhibition experiments using nonsubstrate tRNA variants which functioned as competitive inhibitors against usual substrate tRNAs.
Tuberculosis Treatment Non-Adherence and Lost to Follow Up among TB Patients with or without HIV in Developing Countries: A Systematic Review

Abstract This systematic review intended to combine factors associated with tuberculosis treatment non-adherence and lost to follow up among TB patients with/without HIV in developing countries. Comprehensive remote electronic databases (MEDLINE, (PMC, Pub Med Central), Google scholar and Web of science) search was conducted using the following keywords: Tuberculosis, treatment, compliance, adherence, default, behavioural factors and socioeconomic factors. All types of studies intended to assess TB treatment non-adherence and lost to follow up in developing countries among adult TB patient from 2008 to data extraction date were included. Twenty-six original and one-reviewed articles, which meet inclusion criteria, were reviewed. TB treatment non-adherence and lost to follow up were continued across developing countries. The main factors associated with TB treatment non-adherence and lost to follow up were socioeconomic factors: lack of transportation cost, lack of social support, and patients-health care worker poor communication. Behavioural factors were Feeling better after few weeks of treatments, tobacco and alcohol use, knowledge deficit about duration of treatment and consequences of non-adherence and lost to follow up. TB treatment non-adherence and lost to follow up were continued across developing countries throughout the publication years of reviewed articles. Numerous, socioeconomic and behavioural factors were influencing TB treatment adherence and lost to follow up. Therefore, well understanding and minimizing of the effect of these associated factors is very important to enhance treatment adherence and follow up completion in developing countries.
Role of the brachial somites in the development of the appendicular musculature in rat embryos

DiI, a fluorescent lipophilic dye, was micro‐injected into the brachial somites of 10.5 day rat embryos to determine whether these somites can contribute cells to the development of the fore‐limb bud. The injected embryos were cultured and harvested at the 20–25‐somite stage. The dye did not interfere with somitogenesis because, at the injection site, the DiI‐labelled somites were able to differentiate into dermomyotome and sclerotome. We have analyzed cryo‐sections of 20–21‐somite stage embryos and were unable detect the presence of DiI‐labelled cells in the fore‐limb buds. However, at the 22‐somite stage, a few DiI‐positive cells were found in the proximal region of the limb bud. These labelled cells had migrated into the limb from the lateral border of the dermomyotome. From the 23‐somite stage onwards, there were even more DiI‐positive cells inside the limb. We have performed an additional set of experiments to confirm that the somitic cells do have the ability to invade and colonize the limb bud. This was achieved by first labelling newly formed somites isolated from the caudal region of 10.5 day embryos with DiI and then grafting them into corresponding regions in 8–11‐somite stage hosts. The donor somites were not orientated when they were implanted into the host. However, this did not disrupt their ability to undergo normal somitogenesis. We have detected the presence of DiI‐positive cells in the limb buds of approximately 71% of the 19–30‐somite stage embryos that have been examined. This is similar to what we obtained for the injected embryos. Nevertheless, there is one slight difference and that is the stage the somitic cells begin their invasion of the limb. For the injected embryos, migration began at the 22‐somite stage but in the transplanted embryos, it commenced as early as the 18‐somite stage. We have also investigated the myogenic potential of the fore‐limb bud at various stages of development to ascertain whether there is a correlation between the stage the somitic cells first appear in the limb bud and the stage the bud acquires the capacity to form skeletal muscles. This was realized by culturing fore‐limb buds excised from 18–30‐somite stage embryos conventionally and in the kidney capsules of adult rats. In both methods, bone and cartilage were present in all of the cultures whereas skeletal muscles were only present in cultured explants older than the 21–22‐somite stage. The appearances of skeletal muscles in the cultures correlated exactly with the stage somitic cells began their invasion of limb (as seen in the DiI injected embryos). Based upon the indirect evidence that has been obtained, we tentatively propose that the brachial musculature of the rat embryo is derived from the somites while bone and cartilage are formed by the somatopleure of the limb. © 1993 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Achievement Motivation Among Students

Motivation plays a significant role in students’ academic life. Achievement motivation is the basic need for success or the attainment of excellence. Achievement motivation forms to be the basis for a good life. The present study investigated whether achievement motivation differed on individual variables (disciplines/courses, academic performance and gender). A questionnaire was administered to 656 pure science and applied science under graduate students from Bangalore city. Academic achievement referred to their results in the previous semester. Gender was also considered for the analysis. The tool used for the present study was Deo - Mohan Achievement Motivation scale (n-Ach) (1985). For non-normal variable Mann Whitney U and Kruskal Wallis were used to test various hypotheses of the study. Pure science and applied science course students significantly differed on achievement motivation. There was no significant difference in achievement motivation among high and low academic performance students. Boys and girls differed significantly on achievement motivation.
The influence of different mechanical ventilator settings of peak inspiratory pressure on stroke volume variation in pediatric cardiac surgery patients

Background The usefulness of dynamic parameters derived by heart-lung interaction for fluid responsiveness in pediatric patients has been revealed. However, the effects of peak inspiratory pressure (PIP) that could affect the absolute values and the accuracy in pediatric patients have not been well established. Methods Participants were 30 pediatric patients who underwent ventricular septal defect repair. After completion of surgical procedure and sternum closure, mean arterial blood pressure, heart rate, central venous pressure, cardiac output, cardiac index and stroke volume variation (SVV) were measured at PIP 10 cmH2O (PIP10), at PIP 15 cmH2O (PIP15), at PIP 20 cmH2O (PIP20) and at PIP 25 cmH2O (PIP25). Results SVV at PIP15 was larger than that at PIP10 (13.7 ± 2.9% at PIP10 vs 14.7 ± 2.5% at PIP15, P < 0.001) and SVV at PIP20 was larger than that at PIP10 and PIP15 (13.7 ± 2.9% at PIP10 vs 15.4 ± 2.5% at PIP20, P < 0.001; 14.7 ± 2.5% at PIP15 vs 15.4 ± 2.5% at PIP20, P < 0.001) and SVV at PIP25 was larger than that at PIP10 and PIP15 and PIP20 (13.7 ± 2.9% at PIP10 vs 17.4 ± 2.4% at PIP25, P < 0.001; 14.7 ± 2.5% at PIP15 vs 17.4 ± 2.4% at PIP25, P < 0.001; 15.4 ± 2.5% at PIP20 vs 17.4 ± 2.4% at PIP25, P < 0.001). Conclusions SVV is affected by different levels of PIP in same patient and under same volume status. This finding must be taken into consideration when SVV is used to predict fluid responsiveness in mechanically ventilated pediatric patients.
Rare Events of Intragenus and Intraspecies Horizontal Transfer of the 16S rRNA Gene

Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) of operational genes has been widely reported in prokaryotic organisms. However, informational genes such as those involved in transcription and translation processes are very difficult to be horizontally transferred, as described by Woese’s complexity hypothesis. Here, we analyzed all of the completed prokaryotic genome sequences (2,143 genomes) in the NCBI (National Center for Biotechnology Information) database, scanned for genomes with high intragenomic heterogeneity of 16S rRNA gene copies, and explored potential HGT events of ribosomal RNA genes based on the phylogeny, genomic organization, and secondary structures of the ribosomal RNA genes. Our results revealed 28 genomes with relatively high intragenomic heterogeneity of multiple 16S rRNA gene copies (lowest pairwise identity <98.0%), and further analysis revealed HGT events and potential donors of the heterogeneous copies (such as HGT from Chlamydia suis to Chlamydia trachomatis) and mutation events of some heterogeneous copies (such as Streptococcus suis JS14). Interestingly, HGT of the 16S rRNA gene only occurred at intragenus or intraspecies levels, which is quite different from the HGT of operational genes. Our results improve our understanding regarding the exchange of informational genes.
The Role of Infrared Thermography as a Non-Invasive Tool for the Detection of Lameness in Cattle

The use of infrared thermography for the identification of lameness in cattle has increased in recent years largely because of its non-invasive properties, ease of automation and continued cost reductions. Thermography can be used to identify and determine thermal abnormalities in animals by characterizing an increase or decrease in the surface temperature of their skin. The variation in superficial thermal patterns resulting from changes in blood flow in particular can be used to detect inflammation or injury associated with conditions such as foot lesions. Thermography has been used not only as a diagnostic tool, but also to evaluate routine farm management. Since 2000, 14 peer reviewed papers which discuss the assessment of thermography to identify and manage lameness in cattle have been published. There was a large difference in thermography performance in these reported studies. However, thermography was demonstrated to have utility for the detection of contralateral temperature difference and maximum foot temperature on areas of interest. Also apparent in these publications was that a controlled environment is an important issue that should be considered before image scanning.
Analysis of the familiar psychopathology as a therapeutic tool.

The objective of this study is to find out the degree of psychopathology which patients with an eating disorder present (ED) and to which degree this is accompanied by the presence of psychopathology in mothers and fathers of patients. Three groups of patients with Anorexia Nervosa (AN), Bulimia Nervosa (BN), and eating disorders not otherwise specified (EDNOS) and a control group were selected. Each group had 30 participants (and mothers and fathers). A socio-demographic questionnaire and the SCL-90-R were applied. This scale measured nine dimensions of psychopathology in patients, mothers and fathers. An ANOVA of partially repeated measures with two factors was applied to each dimension of SCL-90-R. Multiple comparisons between groups within each of the repeated measures were carried out with Sidak test. Patients in three clinical groups obtained significant differences in all psychopathological variables compared with the control group, except in phobic anxiety.These clinical results were accompanied by some degree of psychopathology in mothers but not fathers. The presence of high levels of psychopathology in the three groups of patients and mothers has therapeutic implications that indicate the need for psychological intervention in patients and their mothers.
The Antecdents and Consequence of Perceived Customer Value: A Study of Counter Brand Facial Skincare Products in Bangkok

Customer value has been a growing interest in the consumer behavior literature and businesses must consistently provide superior value from customer knowledge to sustain their competitive advantage. Prior studies conducted have paid scant attention to the simultaneous influence of brand trust, advertising, salesperson communication, word-of-mouth communication, and product trial on perceived quality, perceived customer value, and behavioral intentions. There is limited theoretical and empirical support related to the perceived customer value model for counter brand facial skin care products. As such, this study will enhance academics and practitioners’ understanding of perceived customer value in determining customer’s behavioral intentions. The results suggested that perceived customer value plays an important role in predicting behavioral intentions.
Efficacy of schitozim - a herbal medicine in the treatment of schistosoma mansoni infections in experimentally infected balb/c mice

The aim of this study was to test and compare the effectiveness of Schitozim against Praziquantel (PZQ). Six treatment groups of mice were tested for the study: 50 mg, 150 mg and 300 mg Schitozim dosages, PZQ, Infected control(IC) and Naive. Balb/c mice were infected with S. mansoni, treated at week 4 and perfused for worm recovery at week 6. Phytochemical screening of Schitozim revealed the presence of Tannins, Steroids, Flavonoids, Glycosides and Saponins. Worm maturation was 24.4%, and percentages of worm reduction were highest in PZQ (63.93%) and lowest in 150 mg Schotizim dosage (32.79%). The 0-3 hr specific IgG responses were not significantly different among PZQ, IC, 50 mg, 150 mg and 300 mg. SWAP specific IgG responses were not significantly different among PZQ, IC and 300 mg, whereas 50 mg and 150 mg were significantly different from IC. SEA specific IgG responses were not significantly different among PZQ, IC, 150 mg and 300 mg, whereas 50 mg was significantly different from PZQ. Naive group was significantly different from all the other treatment groups (p < 0.05). PZQ had the least cases of liver inflammation and granulomas: 50 mg dosage was most comparable to PZQ. Histopathology results on granulomas showed that PZQ had a low mean whereas IC had the highest: 50 mg was most comparable to PZQ. Cellular reactions in mesenteric lymph nodes were numerous in the 300 mg group and very few in PZQ. Generally, the efficacy of Schitozim was comparable to PZQ in worm reduction, elevation of humoral responses and pathology.