Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The prevention and treatment of cognitive decline and dementia: An overview of recent research on experimental treatments

The prevention and treatment of cognitive impairment in the elderly has assumed increasing importance in an aging population. This article presents a qualitative review of recent research on experimental interventions for the prevention and treatment of mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease in elderly subjects. Interventions addressed range from lifestyle measures to pharmacological treatments. Epidemiological studies suggest that dietary measures, physical exercise, and mental activity may reduce the risk of cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease in elderly subjects. Statins may protect against incident dementia, and lithium may convey similar benefits to bipolar patients. Ginkgo appears ineffective as a primary preventive measure. Donepezil but not Vitamin E may benefit persons with mild cognitive impairment. Experimental treatments potentially useful for Alzheimer's disease include dimebon, PBT2 and etanercept; the safety and efficacy of the Alzheimer's vaccine remains to be proven, and growth hormone secretagogue and tarenflurbil are likely ineffective. Herbal treatments merit study in elderly subjects with cognitive syndromes.
The differentiation and movement of presomitic mesoderm progenitor cells are controlled by Mesogenin 1

Somites are formed from the presomitic mesoderm (PSM) and give rise to the axial skeleton and skeletal muscles. The PSM is dynamic; somites are generated at the anterior end, while the posterior end is continually renewed with new cells entering from the tailbud progenitor region. Which genes control the conversion of tailbud progenitors into PSM and how is this process coordinated with cell movement? Using loss- and gain-of-function experiments and heat-shock transgenics we show in zebrafish that the transcription factor Mesogenin 1 (Msgn1), acting with Spadetail (Spt), has a central role. Msgn1 allows progression of the PSM differentiation program by switching off the progenitor maintenance genes ntl, wnt3a, wnt8 and fgf8 in the future PSM cells as they exit from the tailbud, and subsequently induces expression of PSM markers such as tbx24. msgn1 is itself positively regulated by Ntl/Wnt/Fgf, creating a negative-feedback loop that might be crucial to regulate homeostasis of the progenitor population until somitogenesis ends. Msgn1 drives not only the changes in gene expression in the nascent PSM cells but also the movements by which they stream out of the tailbud into the PSM. Loss of Msgn1 reduces the flux of cells out of the tailbud, producing smaller somites and an enlarged tailbud, and, by delaying exhaustion of the progenitor population, results in supernumerary tail somites. Through its combined effects on gene expression and cell movement, Msgn1 (with Spt) plays a key role both in genesis of the paraxial mesoderm and in maintenance of the progenitor population from which it derives.
THE EFFECT OF DIETARY E VITAMIN ON FATTY ACID COMPOSITION AND LIPID OXIDATIVE STABILITY IN PIGS : A REVIEW

The pork meat is the most frequently consumed meat in the Czech Republic. The quality of pork meat mainly depends on the genotype, age, slaughter weight and nutrition in pigs. Lipid oxidation in meat is an important responsible factor for quality losses including flavour, texture, nutritive value and colour. Dietary vitamin E has positive effect on oxidative stability of fresh and stored meat and products.
Psychosocial correlates of Hungarian women ’ s mental health : focusing on the life-course perspective

Budapest 2004 INTRODUCTION Good mental health is an important resource for individuals, families, communities and nations. Mental health is an obscure part of general health, reflecting an equilibrium between the individual and environment. Mental health basically has two dimensions, positive and negative mental health. According to the WHO World Health Report 2001 determinants of mental health problems on a large scale are poverty, female gender, age, conflicts and disasters, major physical diseases, family and environmental factors. Depression occurs more frequently among women and is the leading cause of years of life lived in disability (YLDs) which was estimated to cause 14.0-18.6% of disability in 2000. Panic disorder ranked twentieth place among the causes of disability among women of all ages, but ranked ninth among women of 15-44 years of age. (World Health Organization, 2001). The prevalence of health damaging behavior is rising among women. In the European Union smoking is responsible for 5% of the overall mortality (European Commission, 1997). Mental and behavioral disorders caused by excessive alcohol consumption rank fifteenth among causes of disability in the 15-44 years old group. Women's mental health can be influenced by different protective and risk factors than men's, partly due to different biological make up, but also because of the different social position women assume in society. Among some of the risk factors that have been associated with the prevalence of depression, anxiety, and health damaging behavior among women are social disadvantage (e.g. low educational level, unemployment), role strain, physical, sexual, and psychological abuse, and the use of emotion oriented coping strategies. Studying mental health is important according to the life-course perspective because of the different stressors affecting younger and older women's lives. According to certain studies age itself is not a risk factor for depression (Blazer, 2003), and argue that loneliness is the key factor for older women, while among young women role strain (Lee & Powers, 2002) and/or domestic violence (Wainwright & Surtees, 2002) increases the risk. The knowledge of psychosocial determinants of mental health is crucial for health policy makers, health professionals, and the whole society in order to promote mental health and to prevent mental disorders, thus increasing quality of life, the physical, psychological, and social well-being of women. A higher effectiveness of mental health interventions could be reached if they are planned by taking age-groups into consideration even in adulthood. The primary aim of my study was to …
Transfer Functions on a Logarithmic Scale for Volume Rendering

Manual opacity transfer function editing for volume rendering can be a difficult and counter-intuitive process. This paper proposes a logarithmically scaled editor, and argues that such a scale relates the height of the transfer function to the rendered intensity of a region of particular density in the volume almost directly, resulting in much improved, simpler manual transfer function editing.
The Role of Promoting Agricultural and Food Products Certified with European Union Quality Schemes

This study delves into the effectiveness of digital marketing strategies in promoting local agricultural and food products in Romania, certified with European Union quality schemes. By examining consumer profiles, preferences, and their awareness of EU quality labels, the research uncovers the motivations driving purchasing decisions and the influence of digital marketing on these choices. Utilizing quantitative methods, including a comprehensive survey across 903 respondents, the study identifies four distinct consumer segments: Eco−Advocates, Les Connaisseurs, Price−Sensitives, and Traditionalists. These segments exhibit unique behaviors and attitudes toward certified products. The research highlights the potential of digital marketing to significantly alter consumer behavior toward EU-certified products, underscoring the importance of tailored communication strategies. It contributes to the understanding of consumer segmentation in the context of European Union quality schemes, providing valuable insights for policymakers, marketers, and producers. The findings advocate for enhanced digital marketing efforts to increase awareness and appreciation of these certified products, thereby supporting the broader objectives of quality and certification in the European agricultural and food product sector.
Eolian sand and loess deposits indicate west-northwest paleowinds during the Late Pleistocene in western Wisconsin, USA

Abstract Our study adds to the Quaternary history of eolian systems and deposits in western Wisconsin, USA, primarily within the lower Chippewa River valley. Thickness and textural patterns of loess deposits in the region indicate transport by west-northwesterly and westerly winds. Loess is thickest and coarsest on the southeastern flanks of large bedrock ridges and uplands, similar in some ways to shadow dunes. In many areas, sand was transported up and onto the western flanks of bedrock ridges as sand ramps, presumably as loess was deposited in their lee. Long, linear dunes, common on the sandy lowlands of the Chippewa valley, also trend to the east-southeast. Small depressional blowouts are widespread here as well and often lie immediately upwind of small parabolic dunes. Finally, in areas where sediment was being exposed by erosion along cutbanks of the Chippewa River, sand appears to have been transported up and onto the terrace treads, forming cliff-top dunes. Luminescence data indicate that this activity has continued throughout the latest Pleistocene and into the mid-Holocene. Together, these landforms and sediments paint a picture of a locally destabilized landscape with widespread eolian activity throughout much of the postglacial period.
A Reservoir Species for the Emerging Amphibian Pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis Thrives in a Landscape Decimated by Disease

Chytridiomycosis, a disease caused by the fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), is driving amphibian declines and extinctions in protected areas globally. The introduction of invasive reservoir species has been implicated in the spread of Bd but does not explain the appearance of the pathogen in remote protected areas. In the high elevation (>1500 m) Sierra Nevada of California, the native Pacific chorus frog, Pseudacris regilla, appears unaffected by chytridiomycosis while sympatric species experience catastrophic declines. We investigated whether P. regilla is a reservoir of Bd by comparing habitat occupancy before and after a major Bd outbreak and measuring infection in P. regilla in the field, monitoring susceptibility of P. regilla to Bd in the laboratory, examining tissues with histology to determine patterns of infection, and using an innovative soak technique to determine individual output of Bd zoospores in water. Pseudacris regilla persists at 100% of sites where a sympatric species has been extirpated from 72% in synchrony with a wave of Bd. In the laboratory, P. regilla carried loads of Bd as much as an order of magnitude higher than loads found lethal to sympatric species. Histology shows heavy Bd infection in patchy areas next to normal skin, a possible mechanism for tolerance. The soak technique was 77.8% effective at detecting Bd in water and showed an average output of 68 zoospores per minute per individual. The results of this study suggest P. regilla should act as a Bd reservoir and provide evidence of a tolerance mechanism in a reservoir species.
InfoGallery: informative art services for physical library spaces

Much focus in digital libraries research has been devoted to new online services rather than services for the visitors in the physical library. This paper describes InfoGallery, which is a Web-based infrastructure for enriching the physical library space with informative art "exhibitions" of digital library material and other relevant information, such as RSS news streams, event announcements etc. InfoGallery presents information in an aesthetically attractive manner on a variety of surfaces in the library, including cylindrical displays and floors. The infrastructure consists of a server structure, an editor application and a variety of display clients. The paper discusses the design of the infrastructure and its utilization of RSS, podcasts and manually edited news. Applications in the library domain are described and the experiences are discussed
Diagnosing emerging and reemerging infectious diseases: the pivotal role of the pathologist.

CONTEXT Molecular diagnostics continues to evolve very rapidly, and its impact in the diagnosis of infectious diseases is undeniable. Molecular tools have played a pivotal role in discovering and characterizing several emerging infectious agents and have now become the gold standard for the diagnosis of infectious diseases caused by fastidious or uncultivable agents. Multiple challenges still remain for the widespread use of cost-effective, validated, and commercially available molecular tools. Automated instruments capable of sample processing and multiplex nucleic acid amplification and postamplification analysis have already been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in the clinical setting. Nanobiotechnology is beginning to impact laboratory diagnostics in the clinical setting. OBJECTIVE To address current nucleic acid techniques used in the clinical laboratory for diagnosis of infectious diseases. FDA-approved tests are listed, as well as molecular techniques (amplification and postamplification analysis). A comprehensive list of emerging pathogens during the last 4 decades is also presented. Biosurveillance systems are discussed in the context of molecular tools. The rapidly evolving field of nanobiotechnology is briefly addressed. DATA SOURCES Original publications, major reviews, and book chapters were used to present a comprehensive, yet short, review of molecular diagnostics in infectious diseases. CONCLUSIONS We will continue to witness an exponential growth of molecular techniques used for the initial diagnosis of infectious diseases. Molecular tools will also continue to have an impact on disease prognosis and response to therapeutic interventions. Automation, multiplexing, and miniaturization will continue to be driving forces in the development of new instruments.
A new multiport measurement-method using a two-port network analyzer

A new method is presented how to characterize multiport devices using a two-port vector network-analyzer (VNA). Up to now, at least one of the port terminations had to be fully known to measure the S-parameters of the device. Our new measurement method overcomes this restriction. All of the device parameters and all of the port terminations are calculated from the device measurements.
Multidimensional online tracking

We propose and study a new class of online problems, which we call <i>online tracking</i>. Suppose an observer, say Alice, observes a multivalued function <i>f</i>: Z<sup>+</sup> → Z<i><sup>d</sup></i> over time in an online fashion, that is, she only sees <i>f</i>(<i>t</i>) for <i>t≤t<sub>now</sub></i> where <i>t<sub>now</sub></i> is the current time. She would like to keep a tracker, say Bob, informed of the current value of <i>f</i> at all times. Under this setting, Alice could send new values of <i>f</i> to Bob from time to time, so that the current value of <i>f</i> is always within a distance of Δ to the last value received by Bob. We give competitive online algorithms whose communication costs are compared with the optimal offline algorithm that knows the entire <i>f</i> in advance. We also consider variations of the problem where Alice is allowed to send predictions to Bob, to further reduce communication for well-behaved functions. These online tracking problems have a variety of application, ranging from sensor monitoring, location-based services, to publish/subscribe systems.
The scarce representation of women university professors in research groups

Women university teachers in Spain simultaneously have teaching and research careers that interrelate to develop their competencies in both fields. However, as in other fields, there is not yet gender equality in representation and leadership. This paper presents a descriptive analysis of the presence and role of female university teachers-researchers in the different research groups of public universities in the Autonomous Community of Andalusia that apply for competitive calls for projects, according to the different fields of knowledge to which they belong. A total of 2,445 research groups in nine universities were identified. The largest number of groups belonging to the Humanities field. Among the members of all the groups, there is a lower presence of women compared to men. There is also a negative gender gap in the roles of responsibility and management of research groups, which is reflected in both horizontal and vertical segregation and the existence of a glass ceiling for Andalusian female teachers.
Optimal Pricing Effect on Equilibrium Behaviors of Delay-Sensitive Users in Cognitive Radio Networks

This paper studies price-based spectrum access control in cognitive radio networks, which characterizes network operators' service provisions to delay-sensitive secondary users (SUs) via pricing strategies. Based on the two paradigms of shared-use and exclusive-use dynamic spectrum access (DSA), we examine three network scenarios corresponding to three types of secondary markets. In the first monopoly market with one operator using opportunistic shared-use DSA, we study the operator's pricing effect on the equilibrium behaviors of self-optimizing SUs in a queueing system. We provide a queueing delay analysis with the general distributions of the SU service time and PU traffic using the renewal theory. In terms of SUs, we show that there exists a unique Nash equilibrium in a non-cooperative game where SUs are players employing individual optimal strategies. We also provide a sufficient condition and iteraIntive algorithms for equilibrium convergence. In terms of operators, two pricing mechanisms are proposed with different goals: revenue maximization and social welfare maximization. In the second monopoly market, an operator exploiting exclusive-use DSA has many channels that will be allocated separately to each entering SU. We also analyze the pricing effect on the equilibrium behaviors of the SUs and the revenue-optimal and socially-optimal pricing strategies of the operator in this market. In the third duopoly market, we study a price competition between two operators employing shared-use and exclusive-use DSA, respectively, as a two-stage Stackelberg game. Using a backward induction method, we show that there exists a unique equilibrium for this game and investigate the equilibrium convergence.
Hand Gesture Controlling of Objects in the 3 D Virtual Space

A 3D virtual space consists of non-movable and movable objects to provide more real environment, where movable objects can be transformed by translating, rotating and scaling. In most systems, the movement of objects can be performed by mice and keyboards. In this paper, we propose a controlling interface scheme for transforming the objects in the 3D virtual space based on gestures of left and right hands.
How Rio 2016 satisfied its sponsors while leaving room for the people

Every four years, one city takes on the gargantuan project of hosting the summer Olympic Games. This mega-event comes loaded with expectations and obligations for the host city that are dictated by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and enshrined in the form of the “host city contract”. As part of this contract, host cities must give up control over trading laws, sponsorship and the use of public spaces, and put special rules in place to meet the IOC’s strict brand protection requirements and ensure the games run smoothly. Such laws have a big impact on the way urban areas are used: they cordon off public spaces, enforce strict security measures and prevent local businesses from making the most of the influx of visitors to the city. This does not just apply to the areas where the venues, roads, athletes’ village and training areas are built – though the “legacy” of these developments are controversial for displacing local residents in Beijing, London and Rio.
Glycosylation of Glycolipids in Cancer: Basis for Development of Novel Therapeutic Approaches

Altered networks of gene regulation underlie many pathologies, including cancer. There are several proteins in cancer cells that are turned either on or off, which dramatically alters the metabolism and the overall activity of the cell, with the complex machinery of enzymes involved in the metabolism of glycolipids not being an exception. The aberrant glycosylation of glycolipids on the surface of the majority of cancer cells, associated with increasing evidence about the functional role of these molecules in a number of cellular physiological pathways, has received considerable attention as a convenient immunotherapeutic target for cancer treatment. This has resulted in the development of a substantial number of passive and active immunotherapies, which have shown promising results in clinical trials. More recently, antibodies to glycolipids have also emerged as an attractive tool for the targeted delivery of cytotoxic agents, thereby providing a rationale for future therapeutic interventions in cancer. This review first summarizes the cellular and molecular bases involved in the metabolic pathway and expression of glycolipids, both in normal and tumor cells, paying particular attention to sialosylated glycolipids (gangliosides). The current strategies in the battle against cancer in which glycolipids are key players are then described.
Multi-agents adaptive estimation and coverage control using Gaussian regression

We consider a scenario where the aim of a group of agents is to perform the optimal coverage of a region according to a sensory function. In particular, centroidal Voronoi partitions have to be computed. The difficulty of the task is that the sensory function is unknown and has to be reconstructed on line from noisy measurements. Hence, estimation and coverage needs to be performed at the same time. We cast the problem in a Bayesian regression framework, where the sensory function is seen as a Gaussian random field. Then, we design a set of control inputs which try to find a good balance between coverage and estimation, also discussing convergence properties of the algorithm. Numerical experiments show the effectiveness of the new approach.
Análisis tafonómico y zooarqueológico de los huesos de aves de Parador QB, (Parque Nacional Islote Lobos, provincia de Río Negro, Argentina)

Durante las primeras excavaciones realizadas en el Parador QB (Parque Nacional Islote Lobos, costa Rionegrina) se recuperaron huesos de aves en los conjuntos zooarqueológicos. Al igual que en otras localidades arqueológicas del litoral Nordpatagónico, la representación de este taxón es escasa, aunque los huesos presentan buen estado de preservación. Con el objetivo de explorar el papel de las aves en la subsistencia de las sociedades cazadoras-recolectoras que ocuparon este litoral durante el Holoceno tardío, desarrollamos un estudio tafonómico para establecer si la depositación de sus huesos se debe a la acción antrópica o a causas naturales. La evaluación tafonómica de los restos avifaunísticos es fundamental dado que actualmente existen áreas de nidificación de diversas aves marino-costeras próximas a los sitios arqueológicos, por lo que sería factible la “contaminación ósea” -o mezcla de huesos naturales y materiales arqueológicos. Se concluye que los huesos de aves de los tres loci tienen trayectorias tafonómicas similares, mientras que la mezcla de restos óseos de diferente origen se registró principalmente en el caso de los pingüinos de Magallanes. Por último, señalar que, aunque las aves no son tan abundantes, tuvieron un lugar importante en el repertorio de presas de los cazadores-recolectores de la región.