Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Study on the Behavioural Assessment of the Dysexecutive Syndrome (BADS) performance in healthy individuals, Mild Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimer’s disease: A preliminary study

Executive deficits as well as deficits in episodic memory characterize the initial phases of Alzheimer Disease (AD) and are clinically correlated to neuropsychiatric symptoms and functional loss. Patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment present more problems as to inhibitory response control, switching and cognitive flexibility. Objective To compare performance on the BADS with performance on other executive functional tests among patients with mild Alzheimer’s disease, Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment (aMCI) to performance of control individuals and to examine discriminative capacity of BADS among these groups. Methods The BADS was performed by 35 healthy controls, 13 patients with aMCI, and 16 mild probable AD patients. Besides performing the BADS, subjects underwent neuropsychological evaluation which comprised: the Dementia Rating Scale (DRS), verbal fluency by phonemic categories (F.A.S) and Concentrated Attention Test (CA). Results There were no differences among groups by educational level, but performance differed for age (p<0.01). No difference between healthy controls and aMCI patients was found on total scores or subitems of the BADS. A significant difference was observed between aMCI and AD patients (p<0.05) and between controls and AD patients (p<0.05) on total and standard scores. Conclusions Performance on the BADS differed between healthy individuals and mild AD patients. The BADS proved to be a sensitive method for discriminating AD from aMCI.
Multifunction Thesaurus for Russian Word Processing

A new type of thesaurus for word processing is proposed. It comprises 7 semantic and 8 syntagmatic types of links between Russian words and collocations. The original version now includes ca. 76,000 basic dictionary entries, 660,000 semantic and 292,000 syntagmatic links, English interface, and communication with any text editor. Methods of delivery enriching are used based on generic and synonymous links.
Kinematic calibration using the product of exponentials formula

SUMMARY We present a method for kinematic calibration of open chain mechanisms based on the product of exponentials (POE) formula. The POE formula represents the forward kinematics of an open chain as a product of matrix exponentials, and is based on a modern geometric interpretation of classical screw theory. Unlike the kinematic representations based on the Denavit- Hartenberg (D-H) parameters, the kinematic parameters in the POE formula vary smoothly with changes in the joint axes, ad hoc methods designed to address the inherent singularities in the D-H parameters are therefore unnecessary. Another important advantage is that simple closed-form expressions can be obtained for the derivatives of the forward kinematic equations with respect to the kinematic parameters. After introducing the POE formula, we derive a least-squares kinematic calibration algorithm for general open chain mechanisms. Simulation results with a 6-axis open chain are presented.
Draft Genome and Plasmid Sequences of Chlamydia pneumoniae Strain B21 from an Australian Endangered Marsupial, the Western Barred Bandicoot

ABSTRACT Chlamydia pneumoniae is a ubiquitous intracellular pathogen, first associated with human respiratory disease and subsequently detected in a range of mammals, amphibians, and reptiles. Here we report the draft genome sequence for strain B21 of C. pneumoniae, isolated from the endangered Australian marsupial the western barred bandicoot.
Mucosal and systemic immunity to Campylobacter jejuni in rabbits after gastric inoculation

The mucosal and systemic immune responses to Campylobacter jejuni were studied in rabbits receiving gastric inoculation with live organisms. A lavage procedure was used to facilitate repeated monitoring of the intestinal immune response to C. jejuni. Immunity to C. jejuni was determined by secondary challenge by using the removable intestinal tie adult rabbit diarrhea (RITARD) model and monitoring for resistance to colonization and bacteremia. Oral-gastric inoculation of normal rabbits produced a transient intestinal colonization without diarrhea. C. jejuni serotypes differed in their ability to colonize the intestines of rabbits and to stimulate primary intestinal and serum antibody responses. Animals previously colonized were resistant to recolonization and the development of bacteremia after homologous challenge by the RITARD procedure but were not resistant to heterologous challenges. Anticampylobacter intestinal and serum IgA titers before this secondary infection were the most reliable predictors of resistance to colonization and bacteremia.
PHAS: A Prefix Hijack Alert System

In a BGP prefix hijacking event, a router originates a route to a prefix, but does not provide data delivery to the actual prefix. Prefix hijacking events have been widely reported and are a serious problem in the Internet. This paper presents a new Prefix Hijack Alert System (PHAS). PHAS is a real-time notification system that alerts prefix owners when their BGP origin changes. By providing reliable and timely notification of origin AS changes, PHAS allows prefix owners to quickly and easily detect prefix hijacking events and take prompt action to address the problem. We illustrate the effectiveness of PHAS and evaluate its overhead using BGP logs collected from RouteViews. PHAS is light-weight, easy to implement, and readily deployable. In addition to protecting against false BGP origins, the PHAS concept can be extended to detect prefix hijacking events that involve announcing more specific prefixes or modifying the last hop in the path.
An adaptive data gathering strategy for target tracking in cluster-based wireless sensor networks

In a typical cluster-based sensor network, the data is usually gathered and fused on cluster heads. In target tracking applications, a target is often detected by sensor nodes in multiple clusters, leading to redundant data transmissions through multiple paths from the cluster heads to the data sink. To reduce such redundant data transmissions and thus to save energy, this paper proposes an adaptive data gathering strategy, called ADGS. Our novel idea is to adaptively select one node with the most residual energy and the least communication cost from the active nodes around the target. This node is responsible for gathering and aggregating the data from the other active nodes and is therefore called Aggregation Node (AN). The aggregated data is then transmitted only from the AN to the sink. Our experiments demonstrate that the proposed approach achieves a significant reduction in power consumption for data transmission and prolongs the network lifetime by 857.6% and 85.8% compared to two state-of-the-art data gathering approaches.
A nucleolin-DNMT1 regulatory axis in acute myeloid leukemogenesis

Nucleolin overexpression and DNA hypermethylation have been implicated in cancer pathogenesis, but whether and how these aberrations cooperate in controlling leukemia cell fate remain elusive. Here, we provide the first mechanistic insights into the role of nucleolin in leukemogenesis through creating a DNA hypermethylation profile in leukemia cells. We found that, in leukemia patients, nucleolin levels are significantly elevated and nucleolin overexpression strongly associates with DNMT upregulation and shorter survival. Enforced nucleolin expression augmented leukemia cell proliferation, whereas nucleolin dysfunction by RNA interference and inhibitory molecule AS1411 blocked leukemia cell clonogenic potential in vitro and impaired tumorigenesis in vivo. Mechanistic investigations showed that nucleolin directly activates NFκB signaling, and NFκB activates its downstream effector, DNA methylation machinery. Indeed, nucleolin overexpression increased NFκB phosphorylation and upregulated DNMT1 that is followed by DNA hypermethylation; by contrast, nucleolin dysfunction dephosphorylated NFκB and abrogated DNMT1 expression, which resulted in decreased global DNA methylation, restored p15INK4B expression and DNA hypomethylation on p15INK4B promoter. Notably, NFκB inactivation diminished, whereas NFκB overexpression enhanced DNMT1 promoter activity and endogenous DNMT1 expression. Collectively, our studies identify nucleolin as an unconventional epigenetic regulator in leukemia cells and demonstrate nucleolin-NFκB-DNMT1 axis as a new molecular pathway underlying AML leukemogenesis.
Exercise Improves Cognitive Responses to Psychological Stress through Enhancement of Epigenetic Mechanisms and Gene Expression in the Dentate Gyrus

Background We have shown previously that exercise benefits stress resistance and stress coping capabilities. Furthermore, we reported recently that epigenetic changes related to gene transcription are involved in memory formation of stressful events. In view of the enhanced coping capabilities in exercised subjects we investigated epigenetic, gene expression and behavioral changes in 4-weeks voluntarily exercised rats. Methodology/Principal Findings Exercised and control rats coped differently when exposed to a novel environment. Whereas the control rats explored the new cage for the complete 30-min period, exercised animals only did so during the first 15 min after which they returned to sleeping or resting behavior. Both groups of animals showed similar behavioral responses in the initial forced swim session. When re-tested 24 h later however the exercised rats showed significantly more immobility behavior and less struggling and swimming. If rats were killed at 2 h after novelty or the initial swim test, i.e. at the peak of histone H3 phospho-acetylation and c-Fos induction, then the exercised rats showed a significantly higher number of dentate granule neurons expressing the histone modifications and immediate-early gene induction. Conclusions/Significance Thus, irrespective of the behavioral response in the novel cage or initial forced swim session, the impact of the event at the dentate gyrus level was greater in exercised rats than in control animals. Furthermore, in view of our concept that the neuronal response in the dentate gyrus after forced swimming is involved in memory formation of the stressful event, the observations in exercised rats of enhanced neuronal responses as well as higher immobility responses in the re-test are consistent with the reportedly improved cognitive performance in these animals. Thus, improved stress coping in exercised subjects seems to involve enhanced cognitive capabilities possibly resulting from distinct epigenetic mechanisms in dentate gyrus neurons.
Modeling and execution of E-Learning resources

This poster tries to motivate a specific part of a holistic modeling approach for E-Learning with the help of Business Engineering on a technical level. Business Engineering defines generic and holistic methodologies and modeling methods for constructing an organizational memory for a complex environment. Not only aspects of how to run a business from an organizational point of view have to be modeled but also techniques of how to implement business processes technically. Emerging technologies coming from the Semantic Web and Web-Services communities leverage great potential to support the execution of Business Engineering environments especially when thinking of Business-to-Business contracts integrating business and supply-chain flows among several trading partners. With the help of ADVISOR© - an E-Learning modeling platform with a visual modeling interface - a specific part of the engineering lifecycle within an E-Learning scenario can be realized: ADVISOR© is able to transform the modeled learning pool into RDF compliant resources. Prototypical test-beds to process the modeled learning resources with the help of a Web-Services execution environment enable queries of any SOAP enabled requestor - regardless of the platform.
Association of Complement C3 Gene Variants with Renal Transplant Outcome of Deceased Cardiac Dead Donor Kidneys

Local renal complement activation by the donor kidney plays an important role in the pathogenesis of renal injury inherent to kidney transplantation. Contradictory results were reported about the protective effects of the donor C3F allotype on renal allograft outcome. We investigated the influence of the donor C3F allotype on renal transplant outcome, taking all different donor types into account. C3 allotypes of 1265 donor–recipient pairs were determined and divided into four genotypic groups according to the C3F allotype of the donor and the recipient. The four genotypic groups were analyzed for association with primary nonfunction (PNF), delayed graft function, acute rejection, death‐censored graft survival and patient survival. Considering all donor types, multivariable analysis found no association of the donor C3F allotype with renal allograft outcome. Also, for living and deceased brain‐dead donors, no association with allograft outcome was found. Post hoc subgroup analysis within deceased cardiac dead (DCD) donors revealed an independent protective association of donor C3F allotype with PNF. This study shows that the donor C3F allotype is not associated with renal allograft outcome after kidney transplantation. Subgroup analysis within DCD donors revealed an independent protective association of the donor C3F allotype with PNF, which is preliminary and warrants further validation.
Varieties of Increasing

An increasing tree is a labelled rooted tree in which labels along any branch from the root go in increasing order. Under various guises, such trees have surfaced as tree representations of permutations, as data structures in computer science, and as probabilistic models in diverse applications. We present a unified generating function approach to the enumeration of parameters on such trees. The counting generating functions for several basic parameters are shown to be related to a simple ordinary differential equation,-~Y(z) = ~(Y(z)), which is non linear and autonomous. Singularity analysis applied to the intervening generating functions then permits to analyze asymptotically a number of parameters of the trees, like: root degree, number of leaves, path length, and level of nodes. In this way it is found that various models share common features: path length is O(n log n), the distribution of node levels and number of leaves are asymptotically normal, etc.
Worldwide equity risk prediction

Various GARCH models are applied to daily returns of more than 1200 constituents of major stock indices worldwide. The value-at-risk forecast performance is investigated for different markets and industries, considering the test for correct conditional coverage using the false discovery rate (FDR) methodology. For most of the markets and industries, we find the same two conclusions. First, an asymmetric GARCH specification is essential when forecasting the 95% value-at-risk. Second, for both the 95% and 99% value-at-risk, it is crucial that the innovations’ distribution is fat-tailed (e.g. Student-t or – even better – a nonparametric kernel density estimate).
Ionizable Lipid Nanoparticle-Mediated TRAIL mRNA Delivery in the Tumor Microenvironment to Inhibit Colon Cancer Progression

Introduction Immunotherapy has revolutionized cancer treatment by harnessing the immune system to enhance antitumor responses while minimizing off-target effects. Among the promising cancer-specific therapies, tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) has attracted significant attention. Methods Here, we developed an ionizable lipid nanoparticle (LNP) platform to deliver TRAIL mRNA (LNP-TRAIL) directly to the tumor microenvironment (TME) to induce tumor cell death. Our LNP-TRAIL was formulated via microfluidic mixing and the induction of tumor cell death was assessed in vitro. Next, we investigated the ability of LNP-TRAIL to inhibit colon cancer progression in vivo in combination with a TME normalization approach using Losartan (Los) or angiotensin 1–7 (Ang(1–7)) to reduce vascular compression and deposition of extracellular matrix in mice. Results Our results demonstrated that LNP-TRAIL induced tumor cell death in vitro and effectively inhibited colon cancer progression in vivo, particularly when combined with TME normalization induced by treatment Los or Ang(1–7). In addition, potent tumor cell death as well as enhanced apoptosis and necrosis was found in the tumor tissue of a group treated with LNP-TRAIL combined with TME normalization. Discussion Together, our data demonstrate the potential of the LNP to deliver TRAIL mRNA to the TME and to induce tumor cell death, especially when combined with TME normalization. Therefore, these findings provide important insights for the development of novel therapeutic strategies for the immunotherapy of solid tumors.
Caractérisation des sources de polluants atmosphériques et de leurs dépôts sur les bassins versants urbains

"[L]a pollution de l'air [fait] peser une menace importante sur le plan sanitaire partout dans le monde. " L'OMS estime ainsi que, pour l'annee 2012 (OMS, 2014), plus de 3,7 millions de deces prematures dans le monde seraient imputables a la seule pollution de l'air, dont pres de 70% surviendraient en ville. Pourtant la connaissance du depot sec, particulierement en milieu urbain, reste tres parcellaire. L'object de ce travail de these vise a ameliorer la comprehension des mecanismes de depots atmospheriques en milieu urbain. Historiquement, les depots atmospheriques ont ete etudies et modelises sur des couverts vegetaux, plan d'eau ou surface nue, et ce afin d'evaluer, notamment, l'impact sur les ecosystemes des depots acides, ou encore de l'eutrophisation. Or, le milieu urbain est caracterise par une geometrie complexe, et des surfaces variees. Par consequent, ces modeles de depots atmospheriques peuvent ne pas convenir pour simuler les flux de depots dans les zones urbaines.Le modele developpe dans cette these est un modele a longueur de melange. Ces travaux se sont atteles a prendre en compte les principaux processus qui prennent place au sein de la canopee urbaine en modifiant la longueur de melange et en la rendant dependante des caracteristiques morphologiques de la ville. Aussi, le profil des vitesses de vent moyen est directement impactee par ce changement de longueur de melange. Par consequent, ce nouveau modele offre la possibilitede calculer les depots secs en milieu urbain en fonction de quelques parametres representant les principales caracteristiques de la canopee urbaine (hauteur moyenne des bâtiments, largeur moyenne des rues, densite du bâti)
SERSE: Searching for Semantic Web Content

Searching the Semantic Web (SW) for digital content is arguably more complex than searching the current web. In fact, a SW search system must deal with a large number of distributed, heterogeneous resources, that may reference many different ontologies. In order to manage this complexity we have integrated different technologies such as peer-to-peer, ontologies, and multi-agent technology in the design of SERSE, a multi-agent system for searching the SW. In SERSE, agents are organised in a P2P network according to a semantic overlay, where the neighbourhood is determined by the semantic proximity of the ontological definitions that are known to the agents. The integration of these technologies poses some problems. On the one hand, the more ontological knowledge the agents have, the better we can expect the system to perform. On the other hand, global knowledge would constitute a point of centralisation which might potentially degrade the performance of a P2P system. In addition, maintenance of such semantic overlay can also degrade the performance. The paper presents SERSE together with some experimental results that evaluate the performance in response to changes in the size of semantic neighbourhood and an analytical evaluation of the workload of the system due to maintenance activities.
The Comparison of Stress Distribution with Different Implant Numbers and Inclination Angles In All-on-four and Conventional Methods in Maxilla: A Finite Element Analysis

Background and aims. All-on-four technique involves the use of tilted implants to allow for shorter cantilevers. This finite element analysis aimed at investigating the amount and distribution of stress in maxillary bone surrounding the implants with all-on-four vs. frequently used method with six implants technique using different numbers and inclination angles. Materials and methods. A 3D edentulous maxillary model was created and implants were virtually placed anterior to the maxillary sinus and splinted with a superstructure. In total, five models were designed. In the first to the fourth models, four implants were placed with distal implants inclined 0, 15, 30, and 45 degrees, respectively. In the fifth model, six vertical implants were placed. 100 N loading was placed in the left most distal region of the superstructure. Maximum von Mises stress values were evaluated in cancellous and cortical bone. Results. The maximum stress values recorded in cancellous and cortical bone were 7.15 MPa and 51.69 MPa, respectively (model I). The reduction in stress values in models II to V 6%, 18%, 54%, and 24% in cancellous bone and 12%, 36%,62%, and 62% in cortical bone, respectively. Conclusion. Increasing the inclination in posterior implants resulted in reduction of cantilever length and maximum stress decline in both cancellous and cortical bone. The effect of cantilever length seems to be a dominant factor which can diminish stress even with less number of implants.
Interactions of the Type III Secretion Pathway Proteins LcrV and LcrG from Yersinia pestis Are Mediated by Coiled-Coil Domains*

The type III secretion system is used by pathogenic Yersinia to translocate virulence factors into the host cell. A key component is the multifunctional LcrV protein, which is present on the bacterial surface prior to host cell contact and up-regulates translocation by blocking the repressive action of the LcrG protein on the cytosolic side of the secretion apparatus. The functions of LcrV are proposed to involve self-interactions (multimerization) and interactions with other proteins including LcrG. Coiled-coil motifs predicted to be present are thought to play a role in mediating these protein-protein interactions. We have purified recombinant LcrV, LcrG, and site-directed mutants of LcrV and demonstrated the structural integrity of these proteins using circular dichroism spectroscopy. We show that LcrV interacts both with itself and with LcrG and have obtained micromolar and nanomolar affinities for these interactions, respectively. The effects of LcrV mutations upon LcrG binding suggest that coiled-coil interactions indeed play a significant role in complex formation. In addition, comparisons of secretion patterns of effector proteins inYersinia, arising from wild type and mutants of LcrV, support the proposed role of LcrG in titration of LcrV in vivo but also suggest that other factors may be involved.
A Multiscale Agent-based Model of Morphogenesis in Biological Systems

Studying the complex phenomenon of pattern formation created by the gene expression is a big challenge in the field of developmental biology. This spatial self-organisation autonomously emerges from the morphogenetic processes and the hierarchical organisation of biological systems seems to play a crucial role. Being able to reproduce the systems dynamics at different levels of such a hierarchy might be very useful. In this paper we propose the adoption of the agent-based model as an approach capable of capture multi-level dynamics. Each cell is modelled as an agent that absorbs and releases substances, divides, moves and autonomously regulates its gene expression. As a case study we present an agent-based model of Drosophila melanogaster morphogenesis. We then propose a formalisation of the model which clearly describe its main components. We finally show simulation results demonstrating the capability of the model of reproducing the expression pattern of the embryo.