Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The potential role of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in treating Alzheimer’s disease

Epidemiological studies suggest that long-term use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) may protect against Alzheimer's disease (AD). Despite encouraging evidence, all large, long-term, placebo-controlled clinical trials aimed at reducing inflammation in the brain of AD patients produced negative results. More recently it has been shown that some NSAIDs decrease the production of amyloid-β1-42 (Aβ42), the major component of senile plaques of the AD brain, and counteract the progression of Aβ42 pathology in transgenic mouse models of AD. The proposed mechanism for this activity is an allosteric modulation of γ-secretase activity, the enzyme responsible for the formation of amyloid-β. The inhibition of Aβ42 production is independent from the anti-cyclooxygenase (COX) activity and is related to the chemical structure of the compounds, with some NSAIDs being active (ibuprofen, sulindac, flurbiprofen, indomethacin, diclofenac) and others not (naproxen, aspirin, celecoxib). This could explain the negative results of the large AD trials carried out so far, as they were conducted with compounds (naproxen, hydroxychloroquine, dapsone, prednisone, rofecoxib and celecoxib) that are not able to decrease Aβ42 production. Unfortunately, the use of these NSAIDs in AD is hampered by a significant gastrointestinal toxicity associated with COX inhibition. Thus, new NSAID analogues are being developed with potent and selective inhibitory activity on Aβ42 but with either lack of COX inhibitory activity or reduced gastrointestinal toxicity potential.
Curvature-driven lipid sorting: coarse-grained dynamics simulations of a membrane mimicking a hemifusion intermediate

How membrane curvature influences lipid distribution is under intensive research. In this short report, after a brief review of recent studies, the results of our coarse-grained (CG) molecular dynamics simulations of membranes with “hemifused ribbons” geometry are discussed. When membranes of a binary mixture of (dipalmitoyl-phosphatidylcholine (DPPC) / diol-eoyl-phosphatidylethanolamine (DOPE) were used, DOPE accumulated in the negatively curved region of the monolayer that formed as the proximal monolayers fused (i.e., cis leaflets). However, the enrichment was dependent on the presence of tethering molecules which kept the curvature high (the curvature radius of ~1 nm), placing the cis monolayers ~2-2.5 nm from each other. Simulations in which DOPE was replaced with dioleoyl-phosphatidylcholine (DOPC) showed an insignificant degree of DOPC accumulation, suggesting the importance of lateral interaction among DOPE molecules for the curvature sorting. The above composition was not close to a demixing point and our radial distribution function analysis suggested that the DOPE accumulation was not assisted by the lipid phase separation which has been shown to promote curvature-driven lipid sorting. Relevance of curvature-driven lipid sorting to biological membrane fusion is discussed.
Frequency dependence of seismic wave attenuation in the upper mantle beneath the Australian region

Summary The differential attenuation for upper-mantle paths beneath northern Australia has been estimated using spectral ratio methods, both in a narrow frequency band near 0.6 Hz to obtain stable estimates for subsequent inversion and also over a broad frequency band up to 3–6 Hz to look at the frequency dependence of attenuation. The frequency dependence of the differential attenuation between P- and S-wave arrivals is estimated using a spectral ratio technique based on a power-law relationship between Q and frequency. This approach isolates the intrinsic Q rather than any scattering component. By exploiting nearly 2000 paths crossing the Australian region, which provide a good coverage of the mantle, the geographical variation of the frequency dependence of attenuation for body waves can be mapped. The differential attenuation (δt*sp) between P and S waves in the 0.6 Hz band varies between close to zero for paths wholly within the shield lithosphere to nearly 4 for paths with a long asthenospheric component. A measure of frequency dependence is obtained by fitting the spectral ratio information as a function of frequency using a single power-law relation for the average dependence of the whole path. The estimates of power-law exponents show a strong correlation with qualitative measures of attenuation based on the relative frequency content of P and S. There is a weak frequency dependence in the northwestern part of Australia, especially in the shallow part of the upper mantle where Q is very high. In the eastern part of Australia there is a complex structure in attenuation with a mixture of styles of frequency dependence with exponents approaching 1 for the most attenuative paths.
Developing an approach for conservation of abandoned rural settlements in Turkey

Following the industrial revolution, abandonment and decrease of population in rural areas are common problems that can be faced all around the world, as a result of various factors. As a consequence of implemented policies and radical changes in social life, nowadays large number of rural settlements in Turkey are also in the process of abandonment. However, many of these abandoned rural settlements have invaluable vernacular assets that bear the traces of past rural life and comprise the spirit of these cultural landscape areas. Although rural heritage in depopulated settlements have melted against the natural conditions by time, some settlements succeed to preserve their authenticity and integrity to a certain extent. On the other hand in some villages, which are more crowded and close to the city centers, authenticity and integrity values of traditional architectural heritage has been destroyed by human beings as a result of new construction pressures. This situation accompanies a big dilemma about conservation of traditional architectural heritage. This article aims to discuss reasons of depopulation in countryside, impacts of abandonment, pros and cons of re-evaluation alternatives for rural settlements and to develop proposals not only for preservation of rural architectural heritage in rural regions of Turkey, but also for revitalization and sustainability of livelihoods in there.
Surface profiles of reflow microlenses under the influence of surface tension and gravity

We present a finite-element method to calculate 3-D surface profiles of refractive microlenses fabricated by melting-resist technology (reflow technique). The geometry of the microlenses can be arbitrary. Surface tension and gravity are taken into account. Gravity can have an advantageous influence on the profile form, so that smaller focal spots can be achieved. A simple scaling law is given to estimate the influence of gravity on the profile form for given microlens parameters. We compared various theoretical and measured surface profiles of microlenses fabricated by melting-resist technology and found good agreement. Finally, the usefulness of this method for the design of refractive microstructures for smart masks is shown.
Powder and mechanical properties of microcrystalline cellulose with different degrees of polymerization

This study investigated the influence of the degree of polymerization (DP) of cellulose materials (microcrystalline cellulose [MCC]) on some powder properties and the compression behavior of these materials. The DP was determined by measurements of viscosity (H). The weight average of molecular weight and the weight average of the different DPs were investigated after MCC was modified to cellulose tricarbanilate by light scattering measurements. The DP showed a remarkable influence on the physicochemical properties of the cellulose materials and, consequently, on the behavior of these materials during compression. MCC types with a high DP value showed greater water absorption than the types with a low DP value. No relevant relationship between the crystallinity index and the DP could be observed. DP 190 showed lower compactibility and compressibility parameters than DP 244 and 299. No significant differences could be observed between DP 244 and 299 when the same particle size fraction was compressed. Furthermore, the compressibility was increased by increasing the DP.
Corporate Ownership, Debt, and Expropriation: Evidence from China

We provide direct evidence on the dark side of leverage and offer new insights regarding the role of debt in corporate governance. Using a sample of Chinese state-owned enterprises that have experienced a transfer of controlling rights, we find a positive and significant relationship between expropriation and debt usage. Firms controlled by private block shareholders tend to have higher leverage due to excessive expropriation via debt. The evidence we document provides fresh insights into the impact of debt on the agency problem between the controlling shareholder and minority shareholders, and suggests the presence of expropriation through debt and its conditional effect on corporate ownership.
The role of Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Chlamydia trachomatis in pelvic inflammatory disease and its sequelae in Zimbabwe.

The presence of antibodies to pili of Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Chlamydia trachomatis serovar L2 were assessed in women consecutively hospitalized in Zimbabwe with pelvic inflammatory disease (PID; n = 66), infertility (n = 227), and ectopic pregnancy (n = 60). Women delivering live full-term infants served as controls. Of the infertile women, 60% had secondary infertility; 59% had macroscopic evidence of a tubal abnormality. Women with PID, infertility and tubal disease, and ectopic pregnancy and tubal disease had significantly higher prevalences of antibodies against C. trachomatis and N. gonorrhoeae than did controls or women with infertility or ectopic pregnancy but no macroscopic tubal abnormalities (P less than .001 for all comparisons). The prevalence of antibody to chlamydia increased with age (P = .01), unlike the gonococcal antibody. Antibodies to C. trachomatis were associated with a history of PID, being single, a positive Treponema pallidum hemagglutination assay, and chlamydial antibody. None of the controls had human immunodeficiency virus, unlike 3.9%-7.6% of the other women. Tubal abnormalities were implicated in more than half of the cases of infertility.
The statistical enlargement law for HVDC cable lines part 2: application to the enlargement over cable radius

This paper is the second part of an investigation on the new enlargement law for HVDC cables developed by the authors. The previous Part 1 has illustrated the theoretical derivation of this law and its application to enlargements over cable length. The present Part 2 is dedicated to the enlargement over cable radius and to its noteworthy aspects, that are essentially associated with the complicated function HDC. These aspects are mainly relevant to the role played by cable conductor losses, or equivalently by conductor temperature. They are deeply investigated here via a series of three radial enlargements for HVDC extruded cables, that involve conductor cross-section and insulation thickness only: this enables focusing the attention on the HDC function, that includes the dependence of the enlargement law on the radial cable geometry.
Results from the ML 4 HMT Shared Task on Applying Machine Learning Techniques to Optimise the Division of Labour in Hybrid

We describe the ML4HMT shared task which aims to foster research on improved system combination approaches for MT. Participants of the challenge are requested to build hybrid translations by combining the output of several MT systems of different types. We describe the ML4HMT corpus and the annotation format we have designed for it and briefly summarize the participating systems. Using automated metrics scores and extensive manual evaluation, we discuss the performance of the various systems. An interesting result from the shared task is the fact that we observed different systems winning according to the automated metrics and according to the manual evaluation. We conclude by summarising the first edition of the challenge and give an outlook to future work.
THE DEVELOPMENT OF EARLY EXPRESSIVE VOCABULARY IN CHILDREN WITH DOWN SYNDROME

A delay in expressive language in children with Down Syndrome (DS) is common, and often a major challenge of the condition. This study aimed to investigate the early expressive vocabulary skills of Maltese children with DS, whose first languages were either Maltese or English, while taking into account chronological age. Language preference was further explored in the context of a bilingual environment. A multi-method design was implemented across seven participants whose language abilities ranged from the expression of single words in isolation to simple word combinations. The expressive vocabularies of four boys and three girls between 2;10 and 11;9 years were assessed through caregiver report, picture naming and language sampling. Performance of the children was analysed in relation to local findings on lexical production in typically-developing children. The study revealed that productive vocabularies of Maltese bilingual children with DS escalated with increasing age, notwithstanding inevitable individual variation.
Complementation of the Radiosensitive M059J Cell Line

Abstract Hoppe, B. S. , Jensen, R. B. and Kirchgessner, C.U. Complementation of the Radiosensitive M059J Cell Line. M059J is a radiosensitive cell line established from a human glioblastoma tumor that fails to express the catalytic subunit of DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PKcs, now known as PRKDC). Another cell line, M059K, established from the same tumor is radioresistant. Neither M059J nor M059K cells have been fully characterized, beyond the lack of expression of PRKDC and low expression of ATM in M059J cells. To determine whether its radiosensitive phenotype is due to a defect in the gene that encodes PRKDC, we show here that M059J cells can be complemented with the PRKDC gene by introducing a fragment of human chromosome 8 containing a copy of the human PRKDC gene. Two hybrid cell lines that retain an extra copy of PRKDC display active kinase activity and are radioresistant, demonstrating that the primary defect in M059J cells is in PRKDC. In addition, these cell lines derived from M059J cells provide us with a closer genetic match to M059J than M059K cells in studies to elucidate the function of DNA-PK.
Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA)-Based Population Screening for Prostate Cancer: An Evidence-Based Analysis.

BACKGROUND Prostate cancer (PC) is the most commonly diagnosed non-cutaneous cancer in men and their second or third leading cause of cancer death. Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing for PC has been in common practice for more than 20 years. OBJECTIVES A systematic review of the scientific literature was conducted to determine the effectiveness of PSA-based population screening programs for PC to inform policy decisions in a publicly funded health care system. DATA SOURCES A systematic review of bibliographic databases was performed for systematic reviews or randomized controlled trials (RCT) of PSA-based population screening programs for PC. REVIEW METHODS A broad search strategy was employed to identify studies reporting on key outcomes of PC mortality and all-cause mortality. RESULTS The search identified 5 systematic reviews and 6 RCTs. None of the systematic reviews found a statistically significant reduction in relative risk (RR) of PC mortality or overall mortality with PSA-based screening. PC mortality reductions were found to vary by country, by screening program, and by age of men at study entry. The European Randomized Study of Screening for Prostate Cancer found a statistically significant reduction in RR in PC mortality at 11-year follow-up (0.79; 95% CI, 0.67-0.92), although the absolute risk reduction was small (1.0/10,000 person-years). However, the primary treatment for PCs differed significantly between countries and between trial arms. The American Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial (PLCO) found a statistically non-significant increase in RR for PC mortality with 13-year follow-up (1.09; 95% CI, 0.87-1.36). The degree of opportunistic screening in the control arm of the PLCO trial, however, was high. None of the RCTs found a reduction in all-cause mortality and all found a statistically significant increase in the detection of mainly low-risk, organ-confined PCs in the screening arm. CONCLUSIONS There was no evidence of a PC mortality reduction in the American PLCO trial, which investigated a screening program in a setting where opportunistic screening was already common practice. Given that opportunistic PSA screening practices in Canada are similar, it is unlikely that the introduction of a formal PSA screening program would reduce PC mortality.
Consequences of plant–soil feedbacks in invasion

Plant species can influence soil biota, which in turn can influence the relative performance of plant species. These plant–soil feedbacks (PSFs) have been hypothesized to affect many community‐level dynamics including species coexistence, dominance and invasion. The importance of PSFs in exotic species invasion, although widely hypothesized, has been difficult to determine because invader establishment necessarily precedes invader‐mediated PSFs. Here, we combine a spatial simulation model of invasion that incorporates PSFs with a meta‐analysis that synthesizes published case studies describing feedbacks between pairs of native and exotic species. While our spatial model confirmed the link between positive soil feedbacks (‘home’ advantage) for exotic species and exotic species spread, results were dependent on the initial abundance of the exotic species and the equivalence of dispersal and life history characteristics between exotic and native species. The meta‐analysis of 52 native–exotic pairwise feedback comparisons in 22 studies synthesized measures of native and exotic performance in soils conditioned by native and exotic species. The analysis indicated that the growth responses of native species were often greater in soil conditioned by native species than in soil conditioned exotic species (a ‘home’ advantage). The growth responses of exotic species were variable and not consistently related to species soil‐conditioning effects. Synthesis. Overlaying empirical estimates of pairwise PSFs with spatial simulations, we conclude that the empirically measured PSFs between native and exotic plant species are often not consistent with predictions of the spread of exotic species and mono‐dominance. This is particularly the case when exotic species are initially rare and share similar dispersal and average fitness characteristics with native species. However, disturbance and other processes that increase the abundance of exotic species as well as the inclusion of species dispersal and life history differences can interact with PSF effects to explain the spread of invasive species.
Calcium-dependent Plasma Membrane Binding and Cell Lysis by Perforin Are Mediated through Its C2 Domain

The lymphocyte pore-forming protein perforin is essential for maintaining immune homeostasis and for effective defense against intracellular pathogens. To date, there have been no reported structure-function studies to substantiate the function of any putative domains of perforin, which have been postulated totally on primary sequence similarities with domains in other proteins. In this report, we have used recently developed modalities for expressing full-length perforin and robust functional assays to investigate one of the hallmarks of perforin function: its absolute dependence on calcium for lipid binding and cell lysis. We provide, for the first time, experimental evidence that the predicted C-terminal C2 motif constitutes a functional domain that is responsible for membrane binding of perforin. Whereas conserved aspartate residues at positions 429, 435, 483, and 485 were essential for calcium-dependent plasma membrane binding and cell lysis, the contribution of Asp-491 was limited. Finally, after experimentally verifying an optimized three-dimensional model, we have made predictions on the impact of two inherited perforin mutations of the C2 domain on calcium-dependent lipid binding and cell lysis.
Resting-state and vocabulary tasks distinctively inform on age-related differences in the functional brain connectome

ABSTRACT Most of the current knowledge about age-related differences in brain neurofunctional organisation stems from neuroimaging studies using either a “resting state” paradigm, or cognitive tasks for which performance decreases with age. However, it remains to be known if comparable age-related differences are found when participants engage in cognitive activities for which performance is maintained with age, such as vocabulary knowledge tasks. A functional connectivity analysis was performed on 286 adults ranging from 18 to 80 years old, based on resting state or vocabulary tasks. Increases in connectivity of regions of the language network were observed during task completion. Conversely, only age-related decreases were observed during resting-state. While vocabulary accuracy increased with age, no interaction was found between functional connectivity, age and task accuracy or proxies of cognitive reserve, suggesting that older individuals typically benefits from semantic knowledge accumulated throughout one's life trajectory, without the need for compensatory mechanisms.
Fetal outcome for infants in breech by method of delivery: experiences with a stand-by service system of senior obstetricians and women's choices of mode of delivery

Abstract Objective: To show that the fetal outcome in vaginal deliveries (VD) of breech presentation in a setting of a senior obstetrician stand-by system is as good as in planned cesar- ean sections. Patients and methods: This observational prospective intent-to-treat study (n=211 singleton breech presentation pregnancies of ≥35 weeks of gestation) compared two groups of breech deliveries: planned cesarean sections (PCS, n=126) and intended VD (IVD, n=85) resulting in vaginal deliveries (VD, n=46) as well as secondary cesarean sections (SCS, n=39). Women's informed choice as well as strict pre-selection criteria for vaginally intended breech presentation deliveries was followed. Results: Fetal outcome of vaginal breech deliveries and of primary as well as SCS (45.9% of IVD) was comparable in terms of cord blood pH, base excess, Apgar score, fetal trauma, and transfer to neonatal intensive care unit. Conclusions: Vaginal breech delivery is a safe option in a stand-by system of senior obstetricians with controlled decision-making before labor.
Phonetic Classification in TensorFlow

In this thesis, we present an implementation of two different neural network models for phonetic classification in TensorFlow. TensorFlow is an open-source machine learning library developed at Google. We used this library to create two different models: the Deep Feedforward Neural Network (DFNN) and the Deep Long Short-Term Memory (DLSTM) model. The advantage of using TensorFlow to create these models is that they are highly customizable – a feature that many speech recognition libraries lack. Therefore, the presented models are very suitable for further experimentation. We compare the performance of our models for a number of different settings. We report a frame error rate of 41.55% for the DFNN architecture, and 28.14% for the DLSTM architecture. The estimated phone error rates are 22.02% and 23.67% respectively.
Analysis and Design of D-Band Injection-Locked Frequency Dividers

D-band (110-170 GHz) injection-locked frequency dividers (ILFDs) using the distributed-LC technique are presented. The input frequency, the locking range, and the design considerations for the D-band ILFDs are analyzed. Six ILFDs are fabricated in 65 nm CMOS process. Two of the ILFDs have locking ranges of 107.9-128.8 GHz and 153.3-162.8 GHz. Each ILFD consumes 6.27 mW from a 1.1 V power supply. The chip area is 0.49 × 0.475-mm2 including the pads. The measurement results conform with the theoretical analysis.