Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Memory score discrepancies by healthy middle-aged and older individuals: The contributions of age and education

Abstract The aim of this study was to examine discrepancies between immediate/delayed recall and recall/working memory in middle-aged and older persons by age and education. Participants were 322 healthy individuals from the community who were stratified into three age and three education groups. Immediate and delayed recall distributions of WMS-III Logical Memory (LM) scores approximated normal curves, and LM savings scores showed a significant, but small, effect of age. LM (immediate, delayed) and Letter-Number Sequencing (LNS) discrepancies varied as a function of age and education. The difference between LM and LNS was not significant in the younger and less educated participants, but increased with age in the most educated group, and in the oldest group LNS exceeded LM (immediate and delayed). The results indicate deterioration in encoding and retrieval, rather than storage, with age, and show a differential, but small, effect of age and education on the memory measures. Working memory was resistant to age-related decline relative to immediate and delayed recall in the oldest, most educated group. Delayed recall–working memory discrepancy is relatively stable with age and education and may be a useful index of the onset of memory pathology across different ages and levels of education. (JINS, 2009, 15, 963–972.)
Effects of resistance training on cardiovascular responses to lower body negative pressure in the elderly.

The purpose of the present study was to determine whether resistance training alters the cardiovascular responses to submaximal lower body negative pressure (LBNP) in the elderly. Twenty-one subjects were randomized into a control (C: n=10; 70 +/- 3 years, mean +/- SD) or a resistance training (TR: n=11; 67 +/- 7 years) group. Subjects in the TR underwent 12 weeks of training consisting of three sets of 8-12 contractions at approximately 60-80% of their initial maximal one repetition, three times per week, on 10 different machines. Before (Pre) and after (Post) training, all subjects underwent exposures of LBNP of -10, -20 and -40 Torr and muscle biopsy sampling at the vastus lateralis. TR increased (P< or =0.05) knee extension (Pre=379 +/- 140 N, Post=534 +/- 182 N) and chest press (Pre=349 +/- 137 N, Post=480 +/- 192 N) strength. Neither body weight nor percentage body fat were altered (P >0.05) by training. Resistance training increased (P< or =0.05) cross-sectional area in both Type I (4203 +/- 1196 to 5248 +/- 1728 microm2) and Type II (3375 +/- 1027 to 4286 +/- 1892 microm2) muscle fibres. Forearm blood flow, forearm vascular conductance, mean arterial pressure, and heart-rate responses to LBNP were not altered by the training. These data suggest that the cardiovascular responses of elderly to LBNP are unaffected by 12 weeks of whole-body resistance training despite increases in muscle strength and size.
The utility of the non‐human primate model for studying gene by environment interactions in behavioral research

Variation in the serotonin transporter gene‐linked polymorphic region (5‐HTTLPR) has been associated with anxiety and harm avoidance and is weakly associated with a number of neuropsychiatric disorders, including Type II alcoholism, which has a high rate of comorbidity with antisocial personality disorder. Studies have also demonstrated interactions between 5‐HTTLPR variation and environmental stress on the incidence of depression. As in humans, there is a serotonin transporter gene promoter length polymorphism in rhesus macaques that produces similar decreases in transcriptional efficiency. Macaques with histories of early‐life stress have been shown to exhibit impulsive aggression, incompetent social behavior and increased behavioral and endocrine responsivity to stress. In this paper, we review studies performed previously in our lab and present preliminary data examininng interactions between early rearing and serotonin transporter gene promoter variation on the incidences of play behavior and aggression in infant rhesus macaques. The data presented here highlight the importance of considering gene‐environment interactions when studying childhood risk factors for aggression, anxiety and related neuropsychiatric disorders and support the use of the nonhuman primate for studing gene by environment interactions in behavioral research.
Maternal vitamin D status in gestational diabetes mellitus.

BACKGROUND Vitamin D deficiency has long been suspected as a risk factor for glucose intolerance. This study compared serum levels of 25-hydroxy vitamin D(3) in pregnant women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), and non-GDM control subjects. METHODS In this case-control study, 54 women with diagnosed GDM and 39 women with IGT (1 abnormal oral glucose tolerance test) were compared with 111 non-GDM control women in whom GDM were excluded by glucose challenge test. Controls were matched in gestational age, age, and body mass index with IGT and GDM groups. RESULTS Maternal serum 25-hydroxy vitamin D(3) concentration in GDM and IGT groups at 24-28 weeks of gestation were significantly lower than non-GDM controls (P = .001). A total of 83.3% of GDM compared with 71.2% of the control group had plasma 25-hydroxy vitamin D(3) concentrations consistent with a diagnosis of vitamin D deficiency (<20 ng/mL; P = .03). Women with GDM had a 2.66-fold increased risk of deficient status (25-hydroxy vitamin D(3) <15 ng/mL) compared with control group. CONCLUSIONS These results suggested that rates of vitamin D deficiency are higher among women with IGT/GDM, and the relationship between vitamin D status and glucose tolerance in pregnancy needs further study.
Effective Orbital Volume and Eyeball Position: An MRI Study

Purpose: Previous studies have examined factors affecting the position of the eyeball to the orbit. This study examined the role of effective orbital volume (EOV), defined as the difference between orbital and eyeball volume, as a determinant of eyeball position, using MRI scans. Methods: Forty-six patients were recruited from the Department of Ophthalmology of the University Hospital of Heraklion, Crete Greece. Patients with a history of orbital disease were excluded. Distances between eyeball poles and orbital landmarks were measured in T1 weighted transverse, sagittal and coronal orbital images. The protrusion of the eyeball in the sagittal and transverse planes was recorded. The volume of the eyeball and bony orbit, the EOV, the volume of the extraocular muscles as well as clinical information (age, gender, Hertel exophthalmometry) were also recorded. Results: EOV was significantly associated with orbital volume but not with eyeball volume. EOV was also significantly associated with transverse and sagittal globe ptotrusions. Females displayed significantly lower orbital and eyeball volumes as well as EOV than males but higher transverse globe protrusion than males. Conclusions: Variations in EOV are associated with orbital volume rather than with eyeball volume. EOV is associated with globe protrusion and may be taken into account in the planning of various procedures, including orbital decompression, treatment of enophthalmos or the size of orbital implants following enucleation.
Tetrapyrrole biosynthetic enzyme protoporphyrinogen IX oxidase 1 is required for plastid RNA editing

Significance Both posttranscriptional RNA editing and tetrapyrrole metabolism are important processes in land plants and animals. A direct link between these two distinct programs had hitherto not been established. This study reveals an unexpected function for protoporphyrinogen IX oxidase 1 from model plant Arabidopsis thaliana in regulating plastid RNA editing through interacting with and modulating the stability of multiple organellar RNA editing factors. In addition to furthering our knowledge of the composition of the plant organellar editing apparatus, this research provides insight into both the conserved and divergent roles of enzymes in the tetrapyrrole metabolism during evolution. RNA editing is a posttranscriptional process that covalently alters the sequence of RNA molecules and plays important biological roles in both animals and land plants. In flowering plants, RNA editing converts specific cytidine residues to uridine in both plastid and mitochondrial transcripts. Previous studies identified pentatricopeptide repeat (PPR) motif-containing proteins as site-specific recognition factors for cytidine targets in RNA sequences. However, the regulatory mechanism underlying RNA editing was largely unknown. Here, we report that protoporphyrinogen IX oxidase 1 (PPO1), an enzyme that catalyzes protoporphyrinogen IX into protoporphyrin IX in the tetrapyrrole biosynthetic pathway, plays an unexpected role in editing multiple sites of plastid RNA transcripts, most of which encode subunits of the NADH dehydrogenase-like complex (NDH), in the reference plant Arabidopsis thaliana. We identified multiple organellar RNA editing factors (MORFs), including MORF2, MORF8, and MORF9, that interact with PPO1. We found that two conserved motifs within the 22-aa region at the N terminus of PPO1 are essential for its interaction with MORFs, its RNA editing function, and subsequently, its effect on NDH activity. However, transgenic plants lacking key domains for the tetrapyrrole biosynthetic activity of PPO1 exhibit normal RNA editing. Furthermore, MORF2 and MORF9 interact with three PPRs or related proteins required for editing of ndhB and ndhD sites. These results reveal that the tetrapyrrole biosynthetic enzyme PPO1 is required for plastid RNA editing, acting as a regulator that promotes the stability of MORF proteins through physical interaction.
An ex vivo co‐culture model system to evaluate stromal–epithelial interactions in breast cancer

Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among women worldwide. High breast cancer incidence and mortality rates, especially in obese patients, emphasize the need for a better biological understanding of this disease. Previous studies provide substantial evidence for a vital role of the local extracellular environment in multiple steps of tumor progression, including proliferation and invasion. Current evidence supports the role of adipocytes as an endocrine organ, which produces steroid hormones, pro‐inflammatory cytokines and adipokines, such as leptin. To further define the role of the mammary microenvironment on tumorigenesis, we have developed an adipose‐tumor epithelial cell co‐culture system designed to reproduce the in vivo mammary environment. We validate this model through use of coherent anti‐Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) microscopy, a label‐free vibrational imaging technique. CARS analysis demonstrates the sustained viability of the adipocytes, and that mammary cancer cell morphology parallels that of tumors in vivo. Also, characterized was the influence of mammary adipose tissue on tumor cell growth and migration. Adipose tissue co‐cultured with mammary tumor epithelial cells, in the absence of any serum or supplemental growth factors, resulted in substantial increases in growth and migration of tumor cells. In conclusion, this novel co‐culture system provides an ideal model to study epithelial–stromal interactions in the mammary gland. Understanding the relationship between adipose tissue, the most abundant and least studied component of the breast stroma and tumor epithelial cells is critical to clarifying the influence of obesity on the development, progression and prognosis of breast cancer.
Paraneoplastic pemphigus associated with corneal perforation and cutaneous alternariosis: A case report and review of cases treated with rituximab

Hisashi KOKUBA, Masakazu TAKAHARA, Bungo OHYAMA, Takashi HASHIMOTO, Masutaka FURUE Department of Dermatology, Hiroshima Red Cross Hospital, Atomic-bomb Survivors Hospital, Hiroshima, Department of Dermatology, Kyushu Central Hospital, Department of Dermatology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, and Department of Dermatology, Kurume University School of Medicine, Fukuoka, Japan
Displaying landmarks and the user's surroundings in indoor pedestrian navigation systems

In this paper a holistic approach for developing indoor pedestrian navigation systems is described: first of all, a map modeling toolkit is introduced that allows for the simple and fast creation of environment models and calculation of preference-based routes in various indoor areas. Furthermore, it is shown that landmarks can be easily derived from this model. The landmark selection is based on three user studies that show that “functional” landmarks like doors and stairs are suitable for navigation. The main study was conducted with 64 participants to evaluate different depictions of the user’s surroundings including landmarks. For this purpose an abstract graph-like navigation prototype that uses the data of the modeling toolkit was compared to a depiction additionally showing a mobile map. Results indicate that especially users with a good sense of direction perform significantly better with the graph-like interface in terms of task completion time.
Clinical, bacteriological, and serological aspects of Klebsiella infections and their spondylarthropathic sequelae

Since Friedlander in 1883 first demonstrated capsulated rodshaped bacteria in the lungs of patients dying of pneumonia, Klebsiella has been known to physicians primarily as the pathogencausing“Friedlander’spneumonia. ”Theproductionofenormous amounts of capsular polysaccharides in vivo as well as on agar medium is characteristic of bacteria of this genus and is unique among the members of the family Enterobacteriaceae, to which Klebsiella belongs. Despite the discovery of other virulence factors such as fimbriae, siderophores, and O antigens (104), the efforts to clarify the pathogenic mechanisms of Klebsiella mainly focus on their capsular antigens, which are considered to be the ultimate determinants of their pathogenicity. Thus, Klebsiella is regarded as a paradigm for systemic infections caused by capsulated bacteria. In contrast to other capsulated pathogens such as Streptococcus pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenzae, however, Klebsiella spp. are not closely adapted and restricted to the host habitat but are rather widespread in nature and can be found in water and soil as well as on plants.
Packet Processing on the GPU

Packet processing in routers is traditionally implemented in hardware; specialized ASICs are employed to forward packets at line rates of up to 100 Gbps. Recently, however, improving hardware and an interest in complex packet processing has prompted the networking community to explore software routers; though they are more flexible and easier to program, achieving forwarding rates comparable to hardware routers is challenging. Given the highly parallel nature of packet processing, a GPU-based router architecture is an inviting option (and one which the community has begun to explore). In this project, we explore the pitfalls and payoffs of implementing a GPU-based software router.
Food habits of two Vancouver Island wolf packs: a preliminary study.

The food habits of two packs of Vancouver Island wolves were studied between February and November 1978. Analysis of guard hairs in 616 scats showed that the major food of these wolves was black-tailed deer, Roosevelt elk, and beaver, respectively. Seasonal variation in the wolves' use of these three prey species and of different age-classes of ungulates were found. Composition of scats from den and rendezvous sites were significantly different from scats collected during equivalent periods along logging road and trails.
Spherically symmetric inhomogeneous bianisotropic media: Wave propagation and light scattering

We develop a technique for ﬁnding closed-form expressions for electromagnetic ﬁelds in radially inhomogeneous bianisotropic media, both the solutions of the Maxwell equations and material tensors being deﬁned by the set of auxiliary two-dimensional matrices. The approach is applied to determine the scattering cross-sections by spherical particles, the ﬁelds inside which correspond to the Airy-exponential waves.
Development of Caspofungin Resistance following Prolonged Therapy for Invasive Candidiasis Secondary to Candida glabrata Infection

ABSTRACT We report a case of Candida glabrata invasive candidiasis that developed reduced susceptibility to caspofungin during prolonged therapy. Pre- and posttreatment isolates were confirmed to be isogenic, and sequencing of hot spots known to confer echinocandin resistance revealed an F659V substitution within the FKS2 region of the glucan synthase complex.
Influence of design parameters on cogging torque in directly driven permanent magnet synchronous wind generators

This paper investigates the influence of some parameters on the cogging torque developed by directly driven permanent magnet synchronous wind generators. It is shown that many parameters have the influence on cogging torque and the slot and pole number combination has a significant effect on cogging torque. A simple factor has been introduced to indicate the effect of the slot and pole number combination. The simulation and experiment results verify the effect of the proposed method.
The effect of decreasing amounts of live virus, while antigen content remains constant, on immunogenicity of Oka/Merck varicella vaccine.

The purpose of the study was to establish the minimum immunizing dose of stored Oka/Merck varicella vaccine and mimic effects of prolonged storage of vaccine at freezer temperatures. Ninety children were randomized to one of three groups: group A (1770 pfu/dose), group B (400-500 pfu/dose), or group C (80-160 pfu/dose). Seroconversion rates for groups A-C were 97%, 96%, and 92%, respectively. Group A and B vaccinees had higher antibody titers at 1 year than did group C subjects (P = .01). The difference between groups B and C approached significance (P = .058). At 1 year after immunization, 73%, 83%, and 80% in groups A-C, respectively, demonstrated cell-mediated responses. Since freshly reconstituted vaccine contains 1770 pfu/dose, vaccine failure from loss of potency is unlikely if vaccine is stored properly and administered promptly after reconstitution.
Effects of low levels of lead on growth and reproduction of the Asian earthworm Perionyx excavatus (Oligochaeta).

The effects of sublethal concentrations of lead nitrate on growth and reproduction of the Asian composting earthworm species Perionyx excavatus was studied experimentally by exposing worms in an organic substrate to lead nitrate-contaminated food over a period of 76 days. The results revealed that growth was affected negatively by the presence of lead while maturation rate and cocoon production was not affected. In agreement with other studies on Eisenia fetida, cocoon viability was affected negatively by lead, making this a sensitive toxicity endpoint. Lead accumulation was of the same order of magnitude as for other previously studied species.
Transcriptional Regulation of the Gene Coding for Human Protein C (*)

The promoter for the gene coding for human protein C has been characterized as to nucleotide sequences that regulate the synthesis of mRNA. The major transcription start site was found 65 nucleotides upstream from the first intron/exon boundary along with two minor sites. Functional characterization of 1528 base pairs at the 5′-end of the gene was then carried out by chloramphenicol acetyltransferase reporter assays, protection from DNase I digestion, and electrophoretic mobility shift assays employing HepG2 and HeLa cells. One of the upstream regions (nucleotides −25 to +9) contained binding sites for at least two different transcription factors, including a hepatic nuclear factor 1-binding site (−10 to +9) and two overlapping and oppositely oriented hepatic nuclear factor 3-binding sites (−25 to −11). A second major region (PCE1) (+12 to +30) appeared to be a unique, liver-specific regulatory sequence. An Sp1-binding site in exon I (+58 to +65) was also recognized by cotransfection experiments with an Sp1 expression plasmid. Specific mutations in these promoter elements reduced transcriptional activity and abolished the binding of hepatic nuclear proteins. Finally, a strong silencer element (PCS1) (between −162 and −82) and two possible liver-specific enhancer regions (PCE2 and PCE3), which interact coordinately with the promoter elements, were also found (between −1462 and −162).
Cofilin 1 induces the epithelial-mesenchymal transition of gastric cancer cells by promoting cytoskeletal rearrangement

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is an important biological process whereby malignant tumor cells obtain the ability to migrate, invade, resist apoptosis and degrade the extracellular matrix. We found that Cofilin1 (CFL1) expression was elevated in clinical gastric cancer specimens and correlated with biomarkers of EMT in BGC-823 gastric cancer cells. BGC-823 cells exhibited EMT phenotypes and increased metastatic ability when induced by TGF-β1. By contrast, BGC-823 cells transfected with Lv-siRNA-CFL1 did not exhibit EMT phenotypes under the same inducing conditions. As CFL1 expression increased, EMT cell filopodia stretched out. In addition, the ultrastructures observed using transmission electron microscopy indicated that silencing of CFL1 markedly inhibited depolymerization of fibrous actin and cytoskeletal reorganization during EMT. Similar results were obtained in vivo. These findings demonstrate that CFL1 induces EMT by promoting cytoskeletal rearrangement. Our results may provide the basis for developing new anticancer drugs to inhibit CFL1.
Association of family history with cancer recurrence and survival in patients with gastric cancer.

PURPOSE Family history of gastric cancer is a major risk factor for the disease. In this study, we investigated the prognoses of patients with gastric cancer with a family history. PATIENTS AND METHODS We retrospectively reviewed data from 1,273 patients with gastric adenocarcinoma who had undergone gastrectomy between 2001 and 2005 at a tertiary cancer center hospital. A positive family history was defined as a self-reported history of cancer in first- or second-degree relatives. Patients were followed up until December 2009 for death or recurrence. Clinicopathologic characteristics were compared by family history. Kaplan-Meier plots and Cox proportional hazards regressions were applied for disease-free survival (DFS), recurrence-free survival (RFS), and overall survival (OS). RESULTS Of 1,273 patients, 263 patients (20.6%) had first-degree relatives with a history of gastric cancer. First-degree family history of gastric cancer was associated with better DFS, RFS, and OS (P = .012, .006, and .005, respectively). In patients with stage I or II gastric cancer, first-degree family history was not associated with survival. However, it was associated with a reduced risk of recurrence or mortality in patients with stage III or IV gastric cancer. Compared with patients without a family history, the adjusted hazard ratios for those with a first-degree family history of gastric cancer were 0.49 (95% CI, 0.29 to 0.84) for DFS, 0.51 (95% CI, 0.30 to 0.87) for RFS, and 0.47 (95% CI, 0.26 to 0.84) for OS in patients with stage III or IV gastric cancer. CONCLUSION A first-degree family history of gastric cancer is associated with improved survival after curative-intent surgery in patients with stage III or IV gastric cancer.