Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Australian Imaging, Biomarkers and Lifestyle (AIBL) study of aging: methodology and baseline characteristics of 1112 individuals recruited for a longitudinal study of Alzheimer's disease

ABSTRACT Background: The Australian Imaging, Biomarkers and Lifestyle (AIBL) flagship study of aging aimed to recruit 1000 individuals aged over 60 to assist with prospective research into Alzheimer's disease (AD). This paper describes the recruitment of the cohort and gives information about the study methodology, baseline demography, diagnoses, medical comorbidities, medication use, and cognitive function of the participants. Methods: Volunteers underwent a screening interview, had comprehensive cognitive testing, gave 80 ml of blood, and completed health and lifestyle questionnaires. One quarter of the sample also underwent amyloid PET brain imaging with Pittsburgh compound B (PiB PET) and MRI brain imaging, and a subgroup of 10% had ActiGraph activity monitoring and body composition scanning. Results: A total of 1166 volunteers were recruited, 54 of whom were excluded from further study due to comorbid disorders which could affect cognition or because of withdrawal of consent. Participants with AD (211) had neuropsychological profiles which were consistent with AD, and were more impaired than participants with mild cognitive impairment (133) or healthy controls (768), who performed within expected norms for age on neuropsychological testing. PiB PET scans were performed on 287 participants, 100 had DEXA scans and 91 participated in ActiGraph monitoring. Conclusion: The participants comprising the AIBL cohort represent a group of highly motivated and well-characterized individuals who represent a unique resource for the study of AD. They will be reassessed at 18-month intervals in order to determine the predictive utility of various biomarkers, cognitive parameters and lifestyle factors as indicators of AD, and as predictors of future cognitive decline.
Linker DNA bending induced by the core histones of chromatin.

We have previously reported that ionic conditions that stabilize the folding of long chromatin into 30-nm filaments cause linker DNA to bend, bringing the two nucleosomes of a dinucleosome into contact [Yao, J., Lowary, P. T. , & Widom, J. (1990) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 87, 7603-7607]. Dinucleosomes are studied because they allow the unambiguous detection of linker DNA bending through measurement of their nucleosome-nucleosome distance. Because of the large resistance of DNA to bending, the observed compaction must be facilitated by the histones. We have now tested the role of histone H1 (and its variant, H5) in this process. We find that dinucleosomes from which the H1 and H5 have been removed are able to compact to the same extent as native dinucleosomes; the transition is shifted to higher salt concentrations. We conclude that histone H1 is not essential for compacting the chromatin filament. However, H1 contributes to the free energy of compaction, and so it may select a single, ordered, compact state (the 30-nm filament, in long chromatin) from a family of compact states which are possible in its absence.
Quality of care for chronic illnesses.

PURPOSE The purpose of this paper is to discover the extent to which evidence-based practices and computer systems for managing chronic illness are used within Swedish primary health care. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH The methodology was a replication of a similar national USA survey study and an interview study. FINDINGS The findings show large variations and an under-use of a number of evidence-based care management practices and of IT for managing depression, heart disease, asthma, and diabetes in Sweden. Follow-up interview studies with heads of primary care centres gathered their views about the factors which helped and hindered improving care and prevention for these patient groups. RESEARCH LIMITATIONS/IMPLICATIONS The study data identify actions which would significantly improve the quality of care for people suffering from chronic illnesses. Effective prevention and management of chronic illness in primary care can reduce unnecessary patient suffering and lower costs of care. ORIGINALITY/VALUE Evidence of effective methods for managing these illnesses has been reported, but it is not known how widely these methods or information technology are used in primary care outside the USA. The paper gives the first comprehensive nation-wide data on the use of evidence-based practices and computer systems for managing chronic illness in primary care in a European public health care system. It provides information allowing targeted actions which would improve quality of care which are low cost and high cost saving in the long term.
Functional Evaluation of Primary Renal Cell/Biomaterial Neo-Kidney Augment Prototypes for Renal Tissue Engineering

Development of a tissue-engineered neo-kidney augment (NKA) requires evaluation of defined, therapeutically relevant cell and cell/biomaterial composites (NKA constructs) for regenerative potential in mammalian kidney. Previous work identified primary renal cell populations that extended survival and improved renal function in a rodent model of chronic kidney disease (CKD). This study extends that work toward the goal of developing NKA by (i) screening in vivo inflammatory and fibrotic responses to acellular biomaterials delivered to healthy rodent renal parenchyma, (ii) evaluating the functionality of renal cell/biomaterial combinations in vitro, (iii) generating NKA constructs by combining therapeutically relevant cell populations with biocompatible biomaterial, and (iv) evaluating in vivo neokidney tissue development in response to NKA constructs delivered to healthy rodent renal parenchyma. Gelatin and hyaluronic acid (HA)-based hydrogels elicited the least inflammatory and fibrotic responses in renal parenchyma relative to polycaprolactone (PCL) and poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) beads or particles and were associated with neovascularization and cellular infiltration by 4 weeks postimplantation. Renal cell populations seeded onto gelatin or HA-based hydrogels were viable and maintained a tubular epithelial functional phenotype during an in vitro maturation of 3 days as measured by transcriptomic, proteomic, secretomic, and confocal immunofluorescence assays. In vivo delivery of cell-seeded NKA constructs (bioactive renal cells + gelatin hydrogels) to healthy rodent renal parenchyma elicited neokidney tissue formation at 1 week postimplantation. To investigate a potential mechanism by which NKA constructs could impact a disease state, the effect of conditioned media on TGF-β signaling pathways related to tubulo-interstitial fibrosis associated with CKD progression was evaluated. Conditioned medium was observed to attenuate TGF-β-induced epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) in vitro in a human proximal tubular cell line (HK2).
Data partition based reliability modeling

The paper presents an approach to software reliability modeling using data partitions derived from tree based models. We use these data sensitive partitions to group data into clusters with similar failure intensities. The series of data clusters associated with different time segments forms a piecewise linear model for the assessment and short term prediction of reliability. Long term prediction can be provided by the dual model that uses these grouped data as input fitted to some failure count variations of the traditional software reliability growth models. These partition based reliability models can be used effectively to measure and predict the reliability of software systems and can be readily integrated into our strategy of reliability assessment and improvement using tree based modeling.
Shear‐enhanced binding of intestinal colonization factor antigen I of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli

In the intestine, enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli works against peristaltic forces, adhering to the epithelium via the colonization factor antigen I (CFA/I) fimbrial adhesin CfaE. The CfaE adhesin is similar in localization and tertiary (but not primary) structure to FimH, the type 1 fimbrial adhesin of uropathogenic E. coli, which shows shear‐dependent binding to epithelial receptors by an allosteric catch‐bond mechanism. Thus, we speculated that CfaE is also capable of shear‐enhanced binding. Indeed, bovine erythrocytes coursing over immobilized CFA/I fimbriae in flow chambers exhibited low accumulation levels and fast rolling at low shear, but an 80‐fold increase in accumulation and threefold decrease in rolling velocity at elevated shear. This effect was reversible and abolished by pre‐incubation of fimbriae with anti‐CfaE antibody. Erythrocytes bound to whole CfaE in the same shear‐enhanced manner, but to CfaE adhesin domain in a shear‐inhibitable fashion. Residue replacements designed to disrupt CfaE interdomain interaction decreased the shear dependency of adhesion and increased binding under static conditions to human intestinal epithelial cells. These findings indicate that close interaction between adhesive and anchoring pilin domains of CfaE keeps the former in a low‐affinity state that toggles into a high‐affinity state upon separation of two domains, all consistent with an allosteric catch‐bond mechanism of CfaE binding.
Rhesus macaque dendritic cells efficiently transmit primate lentiviruses independently of DC-SIGN

Here, we describe the isolation and characterization of the rhesus macaque homolog for human DC-SIGN, a dendritic cell-specific C-type lectin. mac-DC-SIGN is 92% identical to hu-DC-SIGN. mac-DC-SIGN preserves the virus transmission function of hu-DC-SIGN, capturing and efficiently transducing simian and human immunodeficiency virus to target CD4+ T cells. Surprisingly, however, mac-DC-SIGN plays no discernable role in the ability of rhesus macaque dendritic cells to capture and transmit primate lentiviruses. Expression and neutralization analyses suggest that this process is DC-SIGN independent in macaque, although the participation of other lectin molecules cannot be ruled out. The ability of primate lentiviruses to effectively use human and rhesus dendritic cells in virus transmission without the cells becoming directly infected suggests that these viruses have taken advantage of a conserved dendritic cell mechanism in which DC-SIGN family molecules are significant contributors but not the only participants.
Evaluating popular media and internet-based hospital quality ratings for cancer surgery.

OBJECTIVE We sought to determine whether "best hospitals," as defined by the US News & World Report or HealthGrades, have lower mortality rates than all other American hospitals for cancer surgery. DESIGN Retrospective cross-sectional study. SETTING Medicare database (2005-2006). PATIENTS All patients with a diagnosis of malignancy who underwent pancreatectomy, esophagectomy, and colectomy (n = 82,724). MAIN OUTCOMES MEASURES Risk-adjusted mortality rates at best hospitals according to both the US News & World Report and HealthGrades, was compared with all other US hospitals, adjusting for differences in patient factors and surgical acuity. Risk-adjusted mortality rates between best hospitals and all other hospitals was compared after controlling for differences in hospital volume. RESULTS Risk-adjusted mortality was significantly lower in US News & World Report best hospitals for all 3 procedures: pancreatectomy (odds ratio [OR], 0.42; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.30-0.58), esophagectomy (OR, 0.48; 95% CI, 0.37-0.62), and colectomy (OR, 0.69; 95% CI, 0.55-0.86). Risk-adjusted mortality was significantly lower in HealthGrades best hospitals for colectomy (OR, 0.79; 95% CI, 0.65-0.95). However, after accounting for hospital volume, risk-adjusted mortality was only significantly lower at the US News & World Report best hospitals for colectomy (OR, 0.79; 95% CI, 0.62-0.99) and was not significantly lower at HealthGrades best hospitals for any of the 3 oncologic procedures. CONCLUSIONS Publicly marketed hospital rating systems of surgical quality such as the US News & World Report "America's Best Hospitals" and HealthGrades "Best Hospitals" may identify high-quality hospitals for some oncologic surgeries. However, these ratings fail to identify other high-volume hospitals of equal quality.
Machine Learning Classifier for Internet Traffic from Academic Perspective

The infinite number of websites in the internet world can be classified into different categories in different ways. But if we talk about the educational institutions, websites can be classified into two categories, educational websites and non-educational websites. Educational websites are those websites which are used by the students to acquire knowledge, to explore educational topics, for the research work etc. The noneducational websites are used for entertainment and to keep in touch with people and to get to know more people. In educational institutes for the optimum use of network resources and for the welfare of the students, the use of non-educational websites should be banned while only the educational websites should be allowed to access. Recent trends are use of ML (machine learning) algorithms for internet traffic classification. In this paper, we use three ML classifiers Bayes Net, C4.5 and Radial basis function (RBF) neural network to classify the educational and non-educational websites and compare their performances. Results show that Bayes Net gives best performance for intended classification of internet traffic in terms of classification accuracy, training time of classifiers, recall and precision.
Epidemiological pattern of psoriasis, vitiligo and atopic dermatitis in India: Hospital-based point prevalence

Background: The knowledge of the prevalence of common dermatoses will be useful for optimum use of valuable resources of the country. Aim: The aim of the study is to determine the pattern and prevalence of psoriasis, vitiligo and atopic dermatitis (AD) in India. Materials and Methods: This was a hospital-based study conducted on a single day in one medical college each in four zones of India. Results: The point prevalence of dermatological cases was 9.25%. The point prevalence of psoriasis, vitiligo and AD were 8%, 9.98% and 6.75% respectively. Chronic plaque type psoriasis was the most common (50%) clinical pattern. The most common site of involvement of psoriasis was the palms. Stable type of vitiligo was common which accounted for 65.21%. Lower lip was involved in 75% of mucosal vitiligo. Lower limbs were the most common site of onset of vitiligo. AD was most prevalent in the first decade (40.7%). Personal history of atopy was present in (59.5%) patients. Dry skin was present in 92.5% of patients. Conclusions: Our data correlates with previous hospital-based prevalence studies of psoriasis, vitiligo and AD.
The nature of the ion binding interactions in EF-hand peptide analogs: free energy simulation of Asp to Asn mutations.

The binding of the La3+ ion to a tridecapeptide, which is a model for the EF-hand in calcium-binding proteins, is studied in solution by free energy simulations. The calculations analyze the effect on the La3+ ion binding of the mutation of Asp to Asn for side chains that interact directly with the ion. The results are compared with the measurements of Marsden,B.J., Hodges,R.S. and Sykes,B.D. (1989) Biochemistry, 28, 8839, on the same system. They found that the Asp to Asn mutation has only a small effect on the binding; the observed differences in the free energies on changing one Asp to an Asn are between -0.3 and 1.8 kcal/mol. This result is analyzed by alchemical simulations for the tridecapeptide in the bound (loop) structure and free (extended) form. The free energy changes due to the mutation of an Asp to an Asn are large and positive for both the bound and free forms. However, since the values of the free energy changes are calculated to be similar in the two forms, the difference in the binding free energy of Asp and Asn peptides is found to be small, in agreement with experiment. By use of thermodynamic integration, the various contributions to the free energy changes are estimated. In the complexed form, the Asp to Asn mutation is favored by the reduction in the repulsive interaction with other charged residues of the peptide; it is disfavored by the reduction of the stabilization of the ion and the surrounding water has a small effect. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Frost Formation on Fan-Supplied Tube-Fin Evaporators: A Visual and Numerical Analysis

This paper presents an experimental and numerical study to evaluate the thermal-hydraulic performance of light commercial capacity evaporators operating under frosting conditions. A tube-fin heat exchanger was tested on a closed-loop wind-tunnel considering the fan performance. A visual analysis of the frost formation processes was carried out to compare the frost layer morphology in different conditions. A mathematical model was developed and the numerical results were compared with the experimental accumulated mass of frost, air flow rate and cooling capacity, with all the predictions falling within the experimental band of uncertainties. Based on this comparison, a frost density correlation was proposed for a typical range of light commercial refrigeration applications. The results show evaporator cooling capacity reductions up to 40% due to frost formation process. Moreover, the effects of air flow reduction and low conductivity frost layer on the overall thermal resistance were analyzed, when it was found that the former is the main cause of the cooling capacity reduction under frosting conditions.
In vitro antiviral activity of the 6-substituted 2-(3',4'-dichlorophenoxy)-2H-pyrano[2,3-b]pyridines MDL 20,610, MDL 20,646, and MDL 20,957

The 6-substituted 2-(3',4'-dichlorophenoxy)-2H-pyrano[2,3-b]pyridines MDL 20,610 (6-SO2CH3), MDL 20,646 (6-Br), and MDL 20,957 (6-Cl) are potent antirhinovirus compounds with median plaque 50% inhibitory concentrations (IC1/2s) of 0.03, 0.006, and 0.006 micrograms/ml, respectively, against the 32 serotypes evaluated. The 6-halogenated analogs produced 99% reductions in progeny virion yields at concentrations as low as 0.004 micrograms/ml. However, these analogs perturbated HeLa cell metabolism at lower concentrations (at or above 5 micrograms/ml) than did the 6-methylsulfonyl analog (at or above 20 micrograms/ml). Compound MDL 20,610 was also active against human, simian, and bovine rotaviruses (cytopathic effect IC1/2s of 0.8 to 1.5 micrograms/ml) and possessed variable enterovirus and paramyxovirus activity.
Model-Driven Software Development and Descrete Event Simulation — Concepts and Example

Model-driven software development (MDSD) is a current direction in software engineering that underlines the importance of models in contrast to program code. Since models have always been of central importance in simulation, some aspects of MDSD are especially helpful to support discrete event simulation (DES) studies. In this paper a case study concerning the development of an MDSD-compliant domain architecture for DES is presented. This includes code generation facilities for the object oriented simulation framework DESMO-J based on a new UML profile for DES and using techniques and tools from MDSD. On the basis of these experiences a discussion about general prospects and drawbacks of applying MDSD to the development of simulation models as well as interactive simulation tools is lead. A modeling cycle for building simulation studies that makes the use of model-driven techniques possible is proposed.
Nanosecond-Duration Electric Pulse Delivery In Vitro and In Vivo: Experimental Considerations

Microsecond-duration electric pulses are widely used for research and therapeutic purposes. The most commonly used device for in vitro exposure to electric pulses is a standard electroporation cuvette. The use of nanosecond-duration electric pulses [nanosecond pulsed electromagnetic fields (nsPEFs) or nanopulses] is an emerging technology. For microsecond pulses, some dedicated generators with voltage regulation have been developed and allow one to easily impose a well-known voltage during biological experiments. However, it is not the case for nsPEF. The application of nsPEF thus requires considering the output impedance of the generator used and the impedance of the biological load because both impose the magnitude and the shape of the applied pulses. The model proposed here describes the behavior of the biological sample on a large frequency band (100 Hz to 3 GHz), including or not the exposure device. This model allows predicting the real electric pulses applied to biological samples and highlights the limitations induced by the use of standard electroporation cuvettes. Considering this kind of application device and the use of 10-ns-duration trapezoidal electric pulses, we evaluate the distortion of the pulses and also the impact of the output impedance of the generator on the steepness of the pulse rising and falling edges. This study is then transposed to potato tuber, a model currently used as a homogeneous biological tissue.
Expression of GFP Gene in Gonads of Chicken Embryos by Transfecting Primordial Germ Cells in vitro or in vivo using the PiggyBac Transposon Vector System

In the present study, chicken primordial germ cells (PGCs) were transfected with GFP gene in vitro or in vivo using the piggyBac transposon vector system. PGCs cultured for 465 days were transfected in vitro, and GFP gene expression was observed in 25% of the treated PGCs after culturing for further 42 days. The cultured PGCs expressing GFP gene were transferred to recipient embryos and strong GFP gene expression was observed in the recipient gonads at day 18.5 of incubation. Circulating PGCs were transfected in vivo, and intense GFP gene expression was observed in the gonads of recipient embryos at day 18.5 of incubation. The procedure employed in the present study will contribute to successful gene transfer into chickens.
First World War

By the author of "The Holocaust". This is a history of the Great War that charts the development and horror of the war, week by week, month by month. It covers the battles of the Eastern and Western Fronts, war at sea and in the air. It also records the human experience of war.
Hypermethylation of the suppressor of cytokine signalling‐1 (SOCS‐1) in myelodysplastic syndrome

Transcriptional silencing because of hypermethylation is now recognised to be a hallmark of human tumours. In contrast to acute myeloid leukaemia (AML), comparably little is known about aberrant methylation in myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), a heterogeneous clonal stem cell disorder with a risk of transformation into secondary AML of up to 30%. Recent evidence demonstrates that suppressor of cytokine signalling SOCS‐1, a negative regulator of cytokine pathways, may act as a tumour suppressor gene, and inactivation because of hypermethylation was shown in various malignancies. Employing a newly developed quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction‐based methylation assay we analysed, for the first time, SOCS‐1 methylation in MDS and found disease‐specific hypermethylation in 27 of 86 MDS patients (31%). Demethylation experiments provided direct evidence that aberrant methylation of SOCS‐1 induces transcriptional silencing in myeloid cells. In addition, by analysing the expression of signal transducers and activators of transcription (STAT)‐induced genes we provide for the first time evidence that the activity of the Janus kinase/STAT pathway is increased in primary patient samples showing SOCS‐1 hypermethylation.