Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Stability of Different Subtypes of Mild Cognitive Impairment among the Elderly over a 2- to 3-Year Follow-Up Period

Background/Aims: To investigate the longitudinal stability and progression of different subtypes of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in older adults. Methods: We classified 217 individuals with no cognitive impairment (NCI), amnestic MCI (aMCI) based on a single test (aMCI-1) or multiple tests (aMCI-2+), nonamnestic MCI (naMCI) based on a single test (naMCI-1) or multiple tests (naMCI-2+), or amnestic + nonamnestic MCI (a+naMCI), using their baseline neuropsychological test scores, and performed annual follow-up evaluations for up to 3 years. Results: None of the subjects with aMCI-2+ reverted to normal during follow-up, with 50% of these subjects remaining stable and 50% worsening over time. Similarly, less than 20% of subjects with aMCI-2+ and a+naMCI reverted to NCI during the follow-up period, whereas 50% of aMCI-1 and 37% with naMCI-1 reverted to NCI during this same period. Conclusion: Reversion to NCI occurs much more frequently when the diagnosis of MCI is based on the results of a single neuropsychological test than when it is based on the results of more memory tests. In epidemiological studies and clinical trials the diagnosis of MCI will likely be more stable if impairment on more than one test is required for amnestic and/or nonamnestic domains.
Biohydrogen production from used diapers: Evaluation of effect of temperature and substrate conditioning

This research assessed the viability to use disposable diapers as a substrate for the production of biohydrogen, a valuable clean-energy source. The important content of cellulose of disposable diapers indicates that this waste could be an attractive substrate for biofuel production. Two incubation temperatures (35 °C and 55 °C) and three diaper conditioning methods (whole diapers with faeces, urine, and plastics, WD; diapers without plastic components, with urine and faeces, DWP; diapers with urine but without faeces and plastic, MSD) were tested in batch bioreactors. The bioreactors were operated in the solid substrate anaerobic hydrogenogenic fermentation with intermittent venting mode (SSAHF-IV). The batch reactors were loaded with the substrate at ca. 25% of total solids and 10% w/w inoculum. The average cumulative bioH2 production followed the order WD > MSD > DWP. The bio-H2 production using MSD was unexpectedly higher than DWP; the presence of plastics in the first was expected to be associated to lower degradability and H2 yield. BioH2 production at 55 °C was superior to that of 35 °C, probably owing to a more rapid microbial metabolism in the thermophilic regime. The results of this work showed low yields in the production of H2 at both temperatures compared with those reported in the literature for municipal and agricultural organic waste. The studied process could improve the ability to dispose of this residue with H2 generation as the value-added product. Research is ongoing to increase the yield of biohydrogen production from waste disposable diapers.
A mesoscopic evacuation model based on multi-agent and entropy with leading behavior under fire conditions

Existing evacuation models consider less the influence of heterogeneous crowds motion on evacuation efficiency.In this paper,a new mesoscopic evacuation model based on multi-agent and entropy is proposed.The mesoscopic model includes the upper macro multi-objective evacuation path optimization model and lower microscopic pedestrian evacuation model.The concept of evacuation entropy is introduced to construct the evacuation entropy map which reflects the degree of crowds movement disorder and can affect individual behavior.The upper model is a multi-objective optimization model based on quickest flow model,which calculates the global optimal evacuation path for individual.The lower model includes entropy-based grouping behavior model and leading behavior model.The simulation experimental results show that leaders in crowds have significant impact on evacuation efficiency.When the number of leaders increase in crowds,the number of crowded behavior,obstacle avoidance behavior and crowd panic level are reduced.The proposed model can make the evacuation process more orderly and reduce evacuation entropy.
Mechanism for Peroxisome Proliferator-activated Receptor-α Activator-induced Up-regulation of UCP2 mRNA in Rodent Hepatocytes*

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-α (PPARα)activators, fish oil feeding, or fibrate administration up-regulated mitochondrial uncoupling protein (UCP2) mRNA expression in mouse liver by 5–9-fold, whereas tumor necrosis factor-α (TNFα) also up-regulated UCP2 in liver. In this study, the mechanisms for PPARα activators-induced up-regulation of UCP2 mRNA, related to TNFα and reactive oxygen species (ROS), were investigated. PPARα activators-induced UCP2 up-regulation in mouse/rat liver tissues was due to their increases in hepatocytes but not in non-parenchymal cells. Addition of PPARα activators, WY14,643 or fenofibrate, to cultured hepatocytes up-regulated UCP2 mRNA by 5–10-fold. PPARα activators-induced up-regulation of UCP2 mRNA was not due to increased mRNA stability and required cycloheximide-sensitive short term turnover protein(s). However, expression of PPARα/retinoid X receptor-α and PGC-1 was not rate-limiting for WY14,643-induced UCP2 up-regulation. In primary hepatocytes, an exogenous oxidant, tert-butyl-hydroperoxide (TBHP), which increased ROS production, up-regulated UCP2 mRNA, whereas WY14,643 treatment did not produce detectable ROS under the condition that fibrate markedly up-regulated UCP2. In in vivo studies, PPARα activators moderately up-regulated TNFα mRNA expression in mouse liver. An anti-oxidant pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate ammonium salt injection completely prevented their TNFα mRNA increases but did not prevent most of their UCP2 mRNA increases. These data indicate that PPARα activators up-regulate UCP2 expression in hepatocytes through unknown proteins by increased transcription, and neither ROS nor TNFα production are the major causes for PPARα activators-induced UCP2 up-regulation.
Gastrointestinal complications of post-diarrheal hemolytic uremic syndrome.

PURPOSE Whereas gastrointestinal symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain are common in children suffering from the so-called post-diarrheal form (D+) of hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), more serious gastrointestinal complications are rare. We tried to define factors predictive of the severity of gastrointestinal complications post D+ HUS. METHODS We reviewed the files of all children admitted to our hospital for D+ HUS between 1988 and 2000. We retained those cases with gastrointestinal complications and analyzed the consequences of these complications on the evolution of the children's conditions. RESULTS Sixty-five children with D+ HUS were admitted to our hospital during this period. Sixteen children developed gastrointestinal complications involving one or more digestive organs: necrosis of the colon or ileum, hemorrhagic colitis, pancreatitis, transient diabetes, hepatic cytolysis and cholestasis, peritonitis and prolapse of the rectum. One child died. CONCLUSION Gastrointestinal complications of D+ HUS are rare, but they can be lethal, and early surgery may sometimes prove necessary. However, we were not able to demonstrate a correlation between the severity of the gastrointestinal manifestations and the clinical or biological signs accompanying D+ HUS.
Multi-target consensus circle pursuit for multi-agent systems via a distributed multi-flocking method

ABSTRACT This paper studies the multi-target consensus pursuit problem of multi-agent systems. For solving the problem, a distributed multi-flocking method is designed based on the partial information exchange, which is employed to realise the pursuit of multi-target and the uniform distribution of the number of pursuing agents with the dynamic target. Combining with the proposed circle formation control strategy, agents can adaptively choose the target to form the different circle formation groups accomplishing a multi-target pursuit. The speed state of pursuing agents in each group converges to the same value. A Lyapunov approach is utilised to analyse the stability of multi-agent systems. In addition, a sufficient condition is given for achieving the dynamic target consensus pursuit, and which is then analysed. Finally, simulation results verify the effectiveness of the proposed approaches.
HIV-malaria co-infection: effects of malaria on the prevalence of HIV in East sub-Saharan Africa.

OBJECTIVE To examine the association between malaria and HIV prevalence in East sub-Saharan Africa. METHODS Using large nationally representative samples of 19,735 sexually active adults from the 2003-04 HIV/AIDS indicator surveys conducted in Kenya, Malawi and Tanzania, and the atlas malaria project, we analysed the relationship between malaria and HIV prevalence adjusting for important socioeconomic and biological cofactors. RESULTS In adjusted models, individuals who live in areas with high Plasmodium falciparum parasite rate (PfPR > 0.42) had increased estimated odds of being HIV positive than individuals who live in areas with low P. falciparum parasite rate (PfPR ≤ 0.10) [men: estimated odds ratio (OR) 2.24, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.62-3.12; women: estimated OR 2.44, 95% CI 1.85-3.21]. CONCLUSION This is the first study to report malaria as a risk factor of concurrent HIV infection at the population level. According to our results, individuals who live in areas with high P. falciparum parasite rate have about twice the risk of being HIV positive compared with individuals who live in areas with low P. falciparum parasite rate. Our work emphasizes the need for field studies focused on quantifying the interaction among parasitic infections and risk of HIV infection, and studies to explore the impact of control interventions. Programmes focused on reducing malaria transmission will be important to address, especially in HIV-infected individuals.
The Nuclear LIM Domain Interactor NLI Mediates Homo- and Heterodimerization of LIM Domain Transcription Factors*

LIM domain-containing transcription factors are required for embryonic survival and for the determination of many cell types. The combinatorial expression of the LIM homeodomain proteins Isl1, Isl2, Lhx1, and Lhx3 in subsets of developing motor neurons correlates with the future organization of these neurons into motor columns with distinct innervation targets, implying a functional role for LIM homeodomain protein combinations in the specification of neuronal identity. NLI is a widely expressed, dimeric protein that has been shown to specifically interact with the LIM domains of LIM domain-containing transcription factors. The present studies demonstrate that NLI mediates homo- and heteromeric complex formation between LIM domain transcription factors, requiring both the N-terminal dimerization and C-terminal LIM interaction domains of NLI. Although the interaction between most LIM homeodomain proteins is dependent on NLI, a direct interaction between the LIM domains of Lhx3 and the homeodomains of Isl1 and Isl2 was also observed. This interaction was disrupted by NLI, demonstrating that the conformational state of Lhx3-Isl1/Isl2 complexes is modified by NLI. Evidence indicating that NLI facilitates long range enhancer-promoter interactions suggests that NLI-dependent LIM domain transcription factor complexes are involved in communication between transcriptional control elements.
Calcium currents in internally perfused nerve cell bodies of Limnea stagnalis

1. When K+ is removed from both sides of the somal membrane of Limnea neurones, time‐dependent, voltage‐dependent outward currents are observed at positive potentials. These currents can be carried by Tris+ and tetraethylammonium (TEA+), as well as Cs+, but the Cs currents are several times larger. The Cs currents are not affected by external or internal TEA, but are strongly reduced by 4‐aminopyridine (4‐AP) and all Ca blockers tried.
Automating the pipeline of arithmetic datapaths

This article presents the new framework for semi-automatic circuit pipelining that will be used in future releases of the FloPoCo generator. From a single description of an operator or datapath, optimized implementations are obtained automatically for a wide range of FPGA targets and a wide range of frequency/latency trade-offs. Compared to previous versions of FloPoCo, the level of abstraction has been raised, enabling easier development, shorter generator code, and better pipeline optimization. The proposed approach is also more flexible than fully automatic pipelining approaches based on retiming: In the proposed technique, the incremental construction of the pipeline along with the circuit graph enables architectural design decisions that depend on the pipeline.
A molecular scheme based on 23S rRNA gene polymorphisms for rapid identification of Campylobacter and Arcobacter species

23S rRNA gene PCR amplicons from 118 strains representing 15 species of Campylobacter and four species of Arcobacter were consecutively digested with HpaII, CfoI, and HinfI. A reproducible and discriminatory identification scheme based on combined restriction patterns was developed by using reference strains and was applied to the identification of a variety of isolates.
Protective effects of early hypoxic post-conditioning in cultured cortical neurons

Primary objective: Recent evidence suggests that delayed hypoxic post-conditioning is neuroprotective. The aim of the present study was to test whether early post-conditioning applied immediately after hypoxia could protect cultured neurons from hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R)-induced injuries. Methods: Primary cortical neuronal culture depleted of microglia was exposed to H/R. Post-conditioning started immediately after hypoxia and consisted of three cycles of 15-minutes of reoxygenation and 15-minutes of hypoxia. Cell viability assay was performed using Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8). Apoptosis was evaluated by Hoechst 33258 staining, FITC-Annexin V/PI double staining and Western blot assay (testing the cleaved caspase-3 expression). Reactive oxygen species (ROS), intracellular Ca2+ and mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) were examined using confocal laser-scanning microscopy. Main results: H/R significantly reduced cell viability and increased neuronal apoptosis and necrosis. Furthermore, the expression of cleaved caspase-3, ROS production and intracellular Ca2+ were increased. MMP was attenuated. Injuries induced by H/R were substantially attenuated by early hypoxic post-conditioning. Changes in cleaved caspase-3 expression, ROS production, intracellular Ca2+ level and MMP in response to H/R were significantly decreased by the post-conditioning. Conclusions: The findings demonstrated that early hypoxic post-conditioning could protect neurons against H/R-induced injuries independent of microglial cells, possibly by inhibiting ROS over-production and intracellular Ca2+ accumulation and maintaining MMP.
Differences in prevalence, awareness, treatment and control of hypertension between developing and developed countries

Objective To systematically review quantitative differences in the prevalence, awareness, treatment and control of hypertension between developed and developing countries over the past 6 years. Methods We searched Medline [prevalence AND awareness AND treatment AND control AND (hypertension OR high blood pressure)] for population-based surveys. Prevalence, awareness, treatment and control of hypertension were compared between men and women, and between developing and developed countries, adjusting for age. The proportions of awareness, treatment and control were defined relative to the total number of hypertensive patients. Results We identified 248 articles, of which 204 did not fulfill inclusion criteria. The remaining articles reported data from 35 countries. Among men, the mean prevalence, awareness, treatment and control of hypertension were 32.2, 40.6, 29.2 and 9.8%, respectively, in developing countries and 40.8, 49.2, 29.1 and 10.8%, respectively, in developed countries. Among women, the mean prevalence, awareness, treatment and control of hypertension were 30.5, 52.7, 40.5, and 16.2%, respectively, in developing countries and 33.0, 61.7, 40.6 and 17.3%, respectively, in developed countries. After adjusting for age, the prevalence of hypertension among men was lower in developing than in developed countries (difference, −6.5%; 95% confidence interval, −11.3 to −1.8%). Conclusion There were no significant differences in mean prevalence, awareness, treatment and control of hypertension between developed and developing countries, except for a higher prevalence among men in developed countries. The prevalence, awareness, treatment and control of hypertension in developing countries are coming closer to those in developed countries.
Evidence of Reinforcement of Premating Isolation Between Two Species of the Genus Ochthebius (Coleoptera: Hydraenidae)

Abstract The increase in premating reproductive isolation between recently diverged and potentially interbreeding taxa resulting from selection against hybridization (reinforcement) is one of the most contentious issues in evolutionary biology. After many years of debate, its plausibility under various conditions has been shown by theoretical studies and some cases have been documented. At present, interest is arising about the frequency and importance of reinforcement in nature. Ochthebius quadricollis and Ochthebius sp. A are two hydraenid beetles inhabiting marine rock pools in the Mediterranean basin. By molecular analysis of a contact zone between the two species along the Italian Tyrrhenian coast, full reproductive isolation between the two species was evidenced. However, the finding of introgressed specimens at some diagnostic loci suggested that gene flow occurred in the past but then ceased. In this article, by analyzing species composition of mating couples collected in sympatric localities, we show the existence of strong assortative mating between the two species in nature. In laboratory multiple-choice mating trials, sympatric populations showed greater assortative mating than allopatric populations. Reinforcement is suggested as the most parsimonious hypothesis to explain the evolution of discriminative mate recognition systems occurring among O. quadricollis and Ochthebius sp. A under sympatric, but not allopatric, populations.
Role of Ubiquitin Protein Ligase Ring2 in DNA Damage of Human Bronchial Epithelial Cells Exposed to Benzo[a]pyrene

Ubiquitylation of histones plays a pivotal role in DNA repair. The ubiquitin ligase Ring2 was recently shown to be the dominant ubiquitin ligase of histone H2A. In a series of experiments using the human bronchial epithelia cells (16HBE) and small interfering RNA (siRNA)‐Ring2 cells exposed to benzo(a)pyrene (BaP), we measured dynamic changes in the levels of DNA damage, expressions of ubiquitinated histone H2A, and nucleotide excision repair (NER) subunit xeroderma pigmentosum (XP) groups A, C, and F (XPA, XPC, XPF). We found that in vitro exposure to BaP increased DNA damage in a time‐ and dose‐dependent manner in 16HBE and siRNA‐Ring2 cells. The results show that although decrease of Ring2 causes DNA hypersensitivity to BaP, the levels of XPA, XPC, and XPF were not affected. These results indicated that Ring2 may effect the DNA repair through other pathways but not through the expressions of NER protein. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J BiochemMol Toxicol 27:357‐363, 2013; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/jbt.21497
Co‐ligation of mouse complement receptors 1 and 2 with surface IgM rescues splenic B cells and WEHI‐231 cells from anti‐surface IgM‐induced apoptosis

Recent studies have shown that complement receptors play important roles in both T‐dependent and T‐independent B lymphocyte responses to low doses of antigen (Ag) in vivo. Complement activation by either the classical or alternative pathway results in the covalent binding of C3 molecules to Ag in forms that ligate complement receptors type 1 (CR1) and 2 (CR2). We hypothesized that C3‐bound Ag might cross‐link CR2 and/or CR1 with surface (s)IgM and alter the signal that would be transduced through sIgM by Ag binding alone. One result of the altered signal could be the rescue of B lymphocytes from apoptosis that would otherwise be induced by the binding of certain types of Ag alone. We find that co‐cross‐linking of mouse CR2 and CR1 with sIgM rescues both resting B cells and WEHI‐231.7 cells from apoptosis induced by sIgM ligation in a fashion similar to that found using soluble mouse CD40 ligand (mCD40L). Anti‐CR2/CR1‐mediated rescue requires co‐cross‐linking of the receptors with sIgM, and has an additive effect on mCD40L‐mediated apoptosis rescue. Based on these results, it is likely that the CR2/CR1‐derived signal is cooperative with T cell‐derived signals such as CD40L and interleukiin‐4.
An ontology-driven, diagnostic modeling system.

OBJECTIVES To present a system that uses knowledge stored in a medical ontology to automate the development of diagnostic decision support systems. To illustrate its function through an example focused on the development of a tool for diagnosing pneumonia. MATERIALS AND METHODS We developed a system that automates the creation of diagnostic decision-support applications. It relies on a medical ontology to direct the acquisition of clinic data from a clinical data warehouse and uses an automated analytic system to apply a sequence of machine learning algorithms that create applications for diagnostic screening. We refer to this system as the ontology-driven diagnostic modeling system (ODMS). We tested this system using samples of patient data collected in Salt Lake City emergency rooms and stored in Intermountain Healthcare's enterprise data warehouse. RESULTS The system was used in the preliminary development steps of a tool to identify patients with pneumonia in the emergency department. This tool was compared with a manually created diagnostic tool derived from a curated dataset. The manually created tool is currently in clinical use. The automatically created tool had an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.920 (95% CI 0.916 to 0.924), compared with 0.944 (95% CI 0.942 to 0.947) for the manually created tool. DISCUSSION Initial testing of the ODMS demonstrates promising accuracy for the highly automated results and illustrates the route to model improvement. CONCLUSIONS The use of medical knowledge, embedded in ontologies, to direct the initial development of diagnostic computing systems appears feasible.
Effects of extra school‐based physical education on overall physical fitness development – the CHAMPS study DK

First, this study aimed to investigate if four extra physical education (PE) lessons per week improved children's development in physical fitness. Second, to investigate if the extra PE lessons improved development in physical fitness for children with lower levels of fitness at baseline. This study was a longitudinal controlled school‐based study. The study population consisted of 10 Danish public schools with children in preschool to fourth grade (cohorts 0–4) with 2.5‐year follow‐up. Six schools had extra PE and four schools had normal PE. In total 1247 children were included (normal PE = 536, extra PE = 711). Development in fitness was analyzed using a composite z‐score from six fitness tests. Multilevel mixed‐effects linear regression was used to examine the association between school type and development in fitness. Extra PE increased the total development of composite z‐score units among children enrolled in cohort 4 and borderline in cohort 3 with 1.06 (95% confidence interval 0.48–1.65) and 0.52 z‐score units (−0.06 to 1.09), respectively. Children in the lower 50 percentiles increased their development with 0.47 (0.08–0.85) z‐score units. Extra PE in schools improved development in fitness for cohort 4 and borderline for cohort 3 among all children. Extra PE improved fitness development across all cohorts among children with low fitness levels.