Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Behavioral and Brain Functions

Background: Although several promising studies on neurofeedback training in Attention Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) have been performed in recent years, the specificity of positive treatment effects continues to be challenged. Methods: To evaluate the specificity of a neurofeedback training of slow cortical potentials, a twofold strategy was pursued: First, the efficacy of neurofeedback training was compared to a group training program for children with ADHD. Secondly, the extent of improvements observed in the neurofeedback group in relation to successful regulation of cortical activation was examined. Parents and teachers rated children's behaviour and executive functions before and after treatment. In addition, children underwent neuropsychological testing before and after training. Results: According to parents' and teachers' ratings, children of the neurofeedback training group improved more than children who had participated in a group therapy program, particularly in attention and cognition related domains. On neuropsychological measures children of both groups showed similar improvements. However, only about half of the neurofeedback group learned to regulate cortical activation during a transfer condition without direct feedback. Behavioural improvements of this subgroup were moderately related to neurofeedback training performance, whereas effective parental support accounted better for some advantages of neurofeedback training compared to group therapy according to parents' and teachers' ratings. Conclusion: There is a specific training effect of neurofeedback of slow cortical potentials due to enhanced cortical control. However, non-specific factors, such as parental support, may also contribute to the positive behavioural effects induced by the neurofeedback training. Published: 26 July 2007 Behavioral and Brain Functions 2007, 3:35 doi:10.1186/1744-9081-3-35 Received: 2 April 2007 Accepted: 26 July 2007 This article is available from: http://www.behavioralandbrainfunctions. com/content/3/1/35 © 2007 Drechsler et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
PACAP Inhibits β-cell Mass Expansion in a Mouse Model of Type II Diabetes: Persistent Suppressive Effects on Islet Density

Pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) is a potent insulinotropic G-protein-coupled receptor ligand, for which morphoregulative roles in pancreatic islets have recently been suggested. Here, we evaluated the effects of pancreatic overexpression of PACAP on morphometric changes of islets in a severe type II diabetes model. Following cross-breeding of obese-diabetic model KKAy mice with mice overexpressing PACAP in their pancreatic β-cells, the resulting KKAy mice with or without PACAP transgene (PACAP/+:Ay/+ or Ay/+ mice) were fed with a high-fat diet up to the age of 11 months. Pancreatic sections from 5- to 11-month-old littermates were examined. Histomorphometric analyses revealed significant suppression of islet mass expansion in PACAP/+:Ay/+ mice compared with Ay/+ mice at 11 months, but no significant difference between PACAP/+ and +/+ (wild-type) mice, as previously reported. The suppressed islet mass in PACAP/+:Ay/+ mice was due to a decrease in islet density but not islet size. In addition, the density of tiny islets (<0.001 mm2) and of insulin-positive clusters in ductal structures were markedly decreased in PACAP/+:Ay/+ mice compared with Ay/+ mice at 5 months of age. In contrast, PACAP overexpression caused no significant effects on the level of aldehyde-fuchsin reagent staining (a measure of β-cell granulation) or the volume and localization of glucagon-positive cells in the pancreas. These results support previously reported inhibitory effects of PACAP on pancreatic islet mass expansion, and suggest it has persistent suppressive effects on pancreatic islet density which may be related with ductal cell-associated islet neogenesis in type II diabetes.
EL LIBRO DE COCINA: UN ESTUDIO TEÓRICO-DESCRIPTIVO DE EL LIBRO DE DOÑA PETRONA

When concerning cookbooks, it is to note that genre studies have often considered the material for folklore studies, anthropology and history, and not as objects themselves. The best known example is The Raw and the Cooked , Levi-Strauss. It is yet necessary a linguistic approach to give account of the nature of the various genres used in the transmission and teaching of culinary practices in different societies and cultures. In this work we will take some contributions made by the textual linguistics studies to explore the nature of the 'cookbook' as distinct from the 'recipe'. To do so, we have chosen a paradigmatic work in the Argentine cookery as it is El libro de Dona Petrona .
Amyloid-β Peptides and Tau Protein as Biomarkers in Cerebrospinal and Interstitial Fluid Following Traumatic Brain Injury: A Review of Experimental and Clinical Studies

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) survivors frequently suffer from life-long deficits in cognitive functions and a reduced quality of life. Axonal injury, observed in many severe TBI patients, results in accumulation of amyloid precursor protein (APP). Post-injury enzymatic cleavage of APP can generate amyloid-β (Aβ) peptides, a hallmark finding in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). At autopsy, brains of AD and a subset of TBI victims display some similarities including accumulation of Aβ peptides and neurofibrillary tangles of hyperphosphorylated tau proteins. Most epidemiological evidence suggests a link between TBI and AD, implying that TBI has neurodegenerative sequelae. Aβ peptides and tau may be used as biomarkers in interstitial fluid (ISF) using cerebral microdialysis and/or cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) following clinical TBI. In the present review, the available clinical and experimental literature on Aβ peptides and tau as potential biomarkers following TBI is comprehensively analyzed. Elevated CSF and ISF tau protein levels have been observed following severe TBI and suggested to correlate with clinical outcome. Although Aβ peptides are produced by normal neuronal metabolism, high levels of long and/or fibrillary Aβ peptides may be neurotoxic. Increased CSF and/or ISF Aβ levels post-injury may be related to neuronal activity and/or the presence of axonal injury. The heterogeneity of animal models, clinical cohorts, analytical techniques, and the complexity of TBI in the available studies make the clinical value of tau and Aβ as biomarkers uncertain at present. Additionally, the link between early post-injury changes in tau and Aβ peptides and the future risk of developing AD remains unclear. Future studies using methods such as rapid biomarker sampling combined with enhanced analytical techniques and/or novel pharmacological tools could provide additional information on the importance of Aβ peptides and tau protein in both the acute pathophysiology and long-term consequences of TBI.
The detection of classical enterotoxins of Staphylococcus aureus in raw cow milk using the ELISA method

Milk and dairy products are frequently contaminated with exterotoxigenic Staphylococcus aureus, which is oft en involved in Staphylococcal food poisoning. Th e aim of the present study is to investigate the presence of classical enterotoxins of S. aureus in raw milk that was produced in Isfahan, Iran. For this purpose, 72 milk samples were collected from the bulk milk tanks of 12 milking farms during 3 diff erent seasons (winter, spring, and summer) and tested for the presence of staphylococcal enterotoxins (SEs) using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method. Out of 72 samples studied, 15 samples (20.8%) were positive for at least 1 SE. Of these, 12 (16.7%) were positive for SEA, 9 (12.5%) for SED, and 6 (8.3%) for SEC. None of the samples was positive for SEB or SEE. Statistical evaluation showed that there were not any signifi cant diff erences (P > 0.05) between the presence of SEs in the milk samples tested in winter, spring, and summer. Further studies should be carried out to investigate the presence of these toxins in diff erent foods and their roles in food poisoning.
Prospective Study of Plasma Carotenoids and Tocopherols in Relation to Risk of Ischemic Stroke

Background and Purpose— Intake of fruits and vegetables has been related to lower risk of ischemic stroke, but nutrients responsible for this apparent benefit remain ill-defined. Tocopherols (vitamin E) have also been proposed to be protective. Methods— We conducted a prospective, nested case-control analysis among male physicians without diagnosed cardiovascular disease followed-up for up to 13 years in the Physicians’ Health Study. Samples from 297 physicians with ischemic stroke were analyzed with paired controls, matched for age and smoking, for 5 major carotenoids (&agr;- and β-carotene, β-cryptoxanthin, lutein, and lycopene), retinol, and &agr;- and γ-tocopherol. Results— Baseline plasma levels of &agr;-carotene and β-carotene and lycopene tended to be inversely related to risk of ischemic stroke with an apparent threshold effect. As compared with men whose plasma levels were in the lowest quintile, the multivariate adjusted odds ratios (ORs) of ischemic stroke among men with levels in the second through fifth quintiles were 0.59 (95% CI, 0.36 to 0.98) for &agr;-carotene, 0.62 (95% CI, 0.38 to 1.01) for β-carotene, and 0.61 (95% CI, 0.37 to 1.00) for lycopene. A tendency toward an inverse association was found for β-cryptoxanthin, but the result was not statistically significant. No association was found for lutein, retinol, and tocopherols. Conclusion— Our data suggest that higher plasma levels of carotenoids, as markers of fruit and vegetable intake, are inversely related to risk of ischemic stroke and provide support for recommendations to consume fruits and vegetables regularly.
Race but Not Age Affects Erythromycin Breath Test Results in Older Hypertensive Men

Erythromycin breath tests (ERBT) were performed to determine age and racial effects on CYP3A4‐mediated hepatic clearance in hypertensive men (n = 43) in the clinical setting. Older hypertensive African American men (n = 19: 71 ± 8 years, mean ± SD) had faster ERBT clearance compared with Caucasian (n = 20:72 ± 6 years) hypertensive men (at 20 minutes after dosing: 0.042 ± 0.01 percent dose/min exhaled vs. 0.033 ± 0.013; at 60 minutes after dosing: 0.030 ± 0.05 vs. 0.023 ± 0.007percent dose/min exhaled; ANOVA, p = 0.007), while age, smoking, and reported alcohol intake did not affect ERBT. The data suggest faster hepatic CYP3A‐mediated clearance in African American men compared with Caucasian men, and that race may significantly affect CYP3A‐mediated hepatic clearance in patients treated for hypertension.
Long-term prognosis after recovery from primary intracerebral hemorrhage

Background Little is known about the long-term outcome for patients who recover from a primary intracerebral hemorrhage. The authors examined the rate of recurrence, vascular events, and death in survivors of a primary intracerebral hemorrhage and the factors related to the long-term prognosis. Methods All 243 patients admitted to one of three hospitals with a primary intracerebral hemorrhage who regained independence were interviewed about vascular events after the index hemorrhage. The authors used the Kaplan–Meier method to estimate the event-free survival and Cox proportional hazards regression analysis to identify predictors of recurrence, any vascular event, or death. Results During a mean follow-up of 5.5 years, the annual rates of recurrent primary intracerebral hemorrhage, vascular events, and vascular death were 2.1% (95% CI, 1.4 to 3.3%), 5.9% (95% CI, 4.5 to 7.7%), and 3.2% (95% CI, 2.2 to 4.5%). Age of 65 years or older was the only predictor of a recurrence (hazard ratio [HR], 2.8; 95% CI, 1.3 to 6.1) and vascular death (HR, 3.7; 95% CI, 2.0 to 7.0). In addition to age, male sex predicted the occurrence of vascular events (HR, 1.8; 95% CI, 1.1 to 3.0). Use of anticoagulation after the index bleeding tripled the risk of hemorrhagic events (HR, 3.0; 95% CI, 1.3 to 7.2). Conclusion Patients who recovered from a primary intracerebral hemorrhage had a 2.1% to 5.9% annual rate of recurrence, vascular death, or vascular events. Age of 65 years or older more than doubled the risk of recurrence, vascular event, or death. The risk of vascular events in men was increased twofold.
S-band koch snowflake fractal antenna for cubesats

This paper presents the design, simulation and implementation of a novel Koch curve fractal antenna, developed according to the second iteration of the Koch snowflake fractal for 2.3 GHz, 2.4 GHz and 2.45 GHz. The measurements of the simulated and fabricated antenna show good agreement for the operating frequencies and desirable performance in gain, bandwidth and VSWR parameters. Being a compact antenna, it has a size, geometry and characteristics that go in accord to CubeSat's structure standards. The antenna was fabricated on a 1.5 mm thick FR-4 substrate. The VSWR achieved values are lower than 1.4 for the frequencies used. Additionally, the simulated radiation pattern is omnidirectional and shows good gain and directivity. A maximum gain of 4.39 dBi was achieved.
Design Philosophy 1 . 1 Extensibility , Reusability and Scalability

A new network simulator, called SENSE, has been developed for simulating wireless sensor networks. The primary design goal is to address such factors as extensibility, reusability, and scalability, and to take into account the needs of different users. The recent progresses in component-based simulation, namely the component-port model and the simulation component classification, provided a sound theoretical foundation for the simulator. Practical issues, such as efficient memory usage, sensor network specific models, were also considered. Consequently, SENSE becomes an ease-of-use and efficient simulator for sensor network research.
Cooperative Learning: Theory, Research and Practice

Preface. I. COOPERATIVE LEARNING THEORY. 1. An Introduction to Cooperative Learning. 2. Cooperative Learning and Student Achievement. 3. Cooperative Learning and Outcomes Other Than Achievement. II. PRACTICAL GUIDES TO COOPERATIVE LEARNING METHODS. 4. STAD and TGT. 5. TAI and CIRC. 6. Task Specialization Methods. 7. Other Cooperative Learning Methods and Resources. References. Appendixes. Index.
A Cost Effective Smart Antenna for Mobile Broadband Systems

A cost effective implementation of a ‘Smart Antenna’ is limited due to the number and high cost of RF array elements, RF distribution as well as phasing elements. Shaped Dielectric Lenses perform the task of collimation, to obtain multiple beams in a fixed set of directions. Lenses are inherently broadband, lower in cost, easy to fabricate, have lower dimensional tolerances, and act as a radome for the electrically small primary radiators that are embedded inside or placed behind the lens.
Stem cell‐derived astrocytes: are they physiologically credible?

Astrocytes are now increasingly acknowledged as having fundamental and sophisticated roles in brain function and dysfunction. Unravelling the complex mechanisms that underlie human brain astrocyte–neuron interactions is therefore an essential step on the way to understanding how the brain operates. Insights into astrocyte function to date have almost exclusively been derived from studies conducted using murine or rodent models. Whilst these have led to significant discoveries, preliminary work with human astrocytes has revealed a hitherto unknown range of astrocyte types with potentially greater functional complexity and increased neuronal interaction with respect to animal astrocytes. It is becoming apparent, therefore, that many important functions of astrocytes will only be discovered by direct physiological interrogation of human astrocytes. Recent advancements in the field of stem cell biology have provided a source of human‐based models. These will provide a platform to facilitate our understanding of normal astrocyte functions as well as their role in CNS pathology. A number of recent studies have demonstrated that stem cell‐derived astrocytes exhibit a range of properties, suggesting that they may be functionally equivalent to their in vivo counterparts. Further validation against in vivo models will ultimately confirm the future utility of these stem cell‐based approaches in fulfilling the need for human‐based cellular models for basic and clinical research. In this review we discuss the roles of astrocytes in the brain and highlight the extent to which human stem cell‐derived astrocytes have demonstrated functional activities that are equivalent to those observed in vivo.
Freight transport prediction using electronic waybills and machine learning

A waybill is a document that accompanies the freight during transportation. The document contains essential information such as, origin and destination of the freight, involved actors, and the type of freight being transported. We believe, the information from a waybill, when presented in an electronic format, can be utilized for building knowledge about the freight movement. The knowledge may be helpful for decision makers, e.g., freight transport companies and public authorities. In this paper, the results from a study of a Swedish transport company are presented using order data from a customer ordering database, which is, to a larger extent, similar to the information present in paper waybills. We have used the order data for predicting the type of freight moving between a particular origin and destination. Additionally, we have evaluated a number of different machine learning algorithms based on their prediction performances. The evaluation was based on their weighted average true-positive and false-positive rate, weighted average area under the curve, and weighted average recall values. We conclude, from the results, that the data from a waybill, when available in an electronic format, can be used to improve knowledge about freight transport. Additionally, we conclude that among the algorithms IBk, SMO, and LMT, IBk performed better by predicting the highest number of classes with higher weighted average values for true-positive and false-positive, and recall.
Perspectives on languages for specifying simulation experiments

Domain specific languages have been used in modeling and simulation as tools for model description. In recent years, the efforts toward enabling simulation reproducibility have motivated the use of domain specific languages also as the means with which to express experiment specifications. In simulation areas ranging from computational biology to computer networks, the emerging trend is to treat the experimentation process as a first class object. Domain specific languages serve to specify individual sub-tasks in this process, such as configuration, observation, analysis, and evaluation of experimental results. Additionally, they can be used in a broader scope, for instance, to describe formally the experiment's goals. The research and development of domain specific languages for experiment specification explores all of these and additional possible applications. In this paper, we discuss various existing approaches for defining this type of domain specific languages and present a critical analysis of our findings.
Novel mechanism for endothelial dysfunction: dysregulation of dimethylarginine dimethylaminohydrolase.

BACKGROUND Asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) is an endogenous inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase (NOS). Plasma levels of ADMA are elevated in individuals with hypercholesterolemia or atherosclerosis. We postulated that reduced degradation of ADMA may play a role in the accumulation of ADMA in these individuals. Accordingly, we studied the effects of oxidized LDL (oxLDL) or tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) on the accumulation of ADMA by transformed human umbilical vein endothelial cells (ECV304) and on the enzyme dimethylarginine dimethylaminohydrolase (DDAH), which degrades ADMA. METHODS AND RESULTS ECV304 were incubated with or without native LDL (100 micrograms/mL), oxLDL (100 micrograms/mL), or TNF-alpha (250 U/mL) for 48 hours. The concentration of ADMA in the conditioned medium was determined by high-performance liquid chromatography. Western blotting was performed to evaluate DDAH expression. We assayed DDAH activity by determining L-citrulline formation from ADMA. The addition of oxLDL or TNF-alpha to ECV304 significantly increased the level of ADMA in the conditioned medium. The effect of oxLDL or TNF-alpha was not due to a change in DDAH expression but rather to the reduction of DDAH activity. To determine whether dysregulation of DDAH also occurred in vivo, New Zealand White rabbits were fed normal chow or a high-cholesterol diet. Hypercholesterolemia significantly reduced aortic, renal, and hepatic DDAH activity. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that the endothelial vasodilator dysfunction observed in hypercholesterolemia may be due to reduced degradation of ADMA, the endogenous inhibitor of NOS.
An FPGA implementation of a sparse quadratic programming solver for constrained predictive control

Model predictive control (MPC) is an advanced industrial control technique that relies on the solution of a quadratic programming (QP) problem at every sampling instant to determine the input action required to control the current and future behaviour of a physical system. Its ability in handling large multiple input multiple output (MIMO) systems with physical constraints has led to very successful applications in slow processes, where there is sufficient time for solving the optimization problem between sampling instants. The application of MPC to faster systems, which adds the requirement of greater sampling frequencies, relies on new ways of finding faster solutions to QP problems. Field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) are specially well suited for this application due to the large amount of computation for a small amount of I/O. In addition, unlike a software implementation, an FPGA can provide the precise timing guarantees required for interfacing the controller to the physical system. We present a high-throughput floating-point FPGA implementation that exploits the parallelism inherent in interior-point optimization methods. It is shown that by considering that the QPs come from a control formulation, it is possible to make heavy use of the sparsity in the problem to save computations and reduce memory requirements by 75%. The implementation yields a 6.5x improvement in latency and a 51x improvement in throughput for large problems over a software implementation running on a general purpose microprocessor.