Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Cognitive enrichment in old age: Web-based training programs.

Lifestyles with high levels of cognitive activity have been linked to weaker declines in cognitive abilities with aging. Hence, computer-based cognitive training programs that facilitate intense, daily, cognitive practice may help older adults to maintain and improve their cognitive functioning. We present the rationale for and implementation of an internet-based training environment that includes tasks of perceptual speed, episodic memory, and working memory. It was implemented as platform-independent internet-based testing software and used in the COGITO study to investigate intraindividual variability and plasticity in 101 younger (age 20–31) and 103 older (age 65–80) adults across an average of 100 daily practice sessions. Observations from this study and retrospective self-report evaluations demonstrate the program’s feasibility and acceptance among participants.
Pseudo-B12 Joins the Cofactor Family

Over 50 years ago, a deadly autoimmune disease known as pernicious anemia, which is characterized by neurological and hematological abnormalities, had no known cure. The isolation of the anti-pernicious anemia factor from liver extracts by Folkers and Smith in 1948 represented a breakthrough in the treatment of this disease (21, 25). Named vitamin B12, this compound could be isolated as pure, red crystals from various animal and microbial sources, and the X-ray crystal structure of this complex molecule, one of the largest nonpolymeric natural compounds, was determined in the 1950s by Dorothy Hodgkin et al. (Fig. ​(Fig.1A)1A) (8). Since that time, thousands of researchers have identified and characterized a variety of enzymes that utilize B12 cofactors, determined the complex pathway for B12 absorption in humans, and elucidated the microbial pathways for B12 biosynthesis. Other forms of vitamin B12 have been found in nature, but their functions are not fully understood. In this issue of the Journal of Bacteriology, Anderson et al. provide evidence that a form of B12 known as “pseudo-B12” (Fig. ​(Fig.1B)1B) is a physiologically important form of B12 in Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (1). FIG. 1. Corrinoids produced by S. enterica. Cobalamin (A) and pseudo-B12 (B) differ in their α-axial ligands. The β-axial ligand (R) is 5′-deoxyadenosine or -CH3 in B12 cofactors and -CN in vitamin B12. Collectively, these molecules are . Unlike all other vitamins, vitamin B12 is not produced by plants; rather, its biosynthesis is restricted to certain prokaryotes (23). Animals obtain B12 from food or, in some cases, directly from resident B12-producing microbes (28). S. enterica has long been used as a model organism for studying B12 biosynthesis (23).
A Field Uniformity Study of a TEM Cell by Using a Short Wire Scatterer

TEM cells are widely used for EMC/EMI measurements. However, the electric field strength only at the center point of the cell is roughly estimated. By introducing a passive scatterer into the cell, such as a straight wire, the echo fields can be detected by the deviation of the reflection coefficient from that of the empty cell. This deviation is related to the incident electric field at the location of the scatterer. In this paper, the electric field uniformity of a TEM cell for the dominant and orthogonal polarizations is investigated by the measurement.
The living experience of emotions and workplace learning : a relational view

In academic literature the interplay between emotions and workplace learning is a largely neglected topic which, this thesis argues, is nonetheless very important in order to better understand both phenomena. Indeed learning and emotions are vital and pervasive aspects of individual and organisational life, and their interplay appears to have considerable social importance. Thus, the thesis challenges the over-rational portrayal of organisational life, arguing that emotions are key pointers to human learning, and the denial of emotions is the denial of learning. By taking a relational view, derived from a hermeneutical-pragmatist research approach, the thesis argues that emotions and learning are powerful sources of meaning and direction, supporting or inhibiting individuals and organisations in their attempts to re-define reality and find their place in it (Antonacopoulou and Gabriel, 2001). The study uses interviews and observation to examine the interplay between emotions and learning in a professional workplace setting. It aims to contribute to knowledge developing this complex connection, exploring how learning and emotions are experienced by human resource development professionals at the micro-level of their day-to-day practices, in the context of the socio-cultural processes of their working life. The empirical data indicate that emotions and workplace learning are contextual, embodied and relational phenomena. They also indicate that these phenomena are essential elements of our being-in-the-world, that is of our living and changing (becoming), and of our being intertwined in sociocultural contexts. Thus, this thesis contributes to the scholarly literature on the interplay between emotions and workplace learning, and establishes a relational understanding of how such phenomena can be elements of constructing human resource development professionals‟ emergent and complex identities at work.
Body Size and Blood Pressure: An Analysis of Africans and the African Diaspora

Background: Blood pressure is directly and causally associated with body mass index (BMI) in populations worldwide. However, the relationship may vary across BMI in populations of African origin. Methods: We compared the relationship between blood pressure and BMI in populations of African origin, using 13 samples from Africa, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom and the United States. We had access to data from individual participants for age, height, weight, blood pressure, and treatment of hypertension. Analysis was restricted to 18,072 participants (age 35–64 years; 44% men). We carried out multivariate regression analysis to estimate the relationship between blood pressure and BMI by country and by sex. The use of antihypertensive treatment was taken into account by exclusion and by sensitivity analysis. Results: There was a positive relationship between both systolic and diastolic blood pressure and BMI. In men the slopes for systolic blood pressure varied from 0.27 mm Hg per kg/m2 (95% confidence interval = −0.01 to 0.56) in the United States to 1.72 mm Hg per kg/m2 (95% confidence interval = 0.92 to 2.53) in Ghana (Kumasi). In women, the slopes varied from 0.08 (−0.54 to 0.72) in South Africa to 1.32 (0.98 to 1.66) in the Republic of Congo. Similar variation in trends was seen for diastolic blood pressure. The higher the BMI, the shallower the slopes [−0.10 (−0.15 to −0.06) for systolic, −0.09 (−0.12 to −0.06) for diastolic]. No differences were seen after excluding persons who were being treated for hypertension. Conclusions: Blood pressure and BMI levels vary among populations of the African diaspora. The effect of BMI on blood pressure levels diminishes as BMI increases. These results suggest a complex relationship among excess body weight, adiposity, and energy expenditure.
HiLight: hiding bits in pixel translucency changes

We present HiLight, a new form of screen-camera communication without the need of any coded images (e.g. barcodes) for off-the-shelf smart devices. HiLight hides information underlying any images shown on a LED or an OLED screen, so that camera-equipped smart devices can fetch the information by turning their cameras to the screen. HiLight achieves this by leveraging the orthogonal transparency (alpha) channel, a well-known concept in computer graphics, to embed bits into pixel translucency changes without the need of modifying pixel color (RGB) values. We demonstrated HiLight's feasibility using smartphones. By offering an unobtrusive, flexible, and lightweight communication channel between screens and cameras, HiLight opens up opportunities for new HCI and context-aware applications to emerge, e.g. smart glass communicates with screens for additional personalized information to realize augmented reality.
Cooperativity in the binding of echinomycin to DNA fragments containing closely spaced CpG sites.

Quantitative footprinting has been used to investigate cooperative binding of the antitumor antibiotic echinomycin to DNA fragments containing closely spaced CpG steps. The sequences of the designed DNA fragments contained two pairs of strong echinomycin binding sites: a pair of ACGT sites together with an ACGT site and a TCGA site, either directly adjacent or separated by two or four A.T base pairs. The results demonstrate that the binding of echinomycin to the sequences ACGTACGT and TCGAACGT is highly cooperative. The extent of cooperativity depends on the nature of the sequences clamped by the antibiotic and diminishes as the distance between the binding sites is increased. Various methods of extracting the information necessary to establish cooperativity have been compared. Beyond the specific interest in echinomycin-DNA interaction, the present quantitative footprinting study provides a model that may be generally applicable for designing investigations into cooperativity in drug-DNA recognition.
Remote web-based execution of IEC 61499 function blocks

This work describes a system based on a web application that allows the remote execution of IEC 61499 function blocks using the input parameters entered by a user in the web interface. The results obtained from executing the function block are sent to the field device using simple communication interfaces. The system is developed based on a hierarchical architecture that defines the components interconnections, their functions and communication patterns for the information exchange. An evaluation of the implemented prototype is also presented.
Utilization in vitro of [U 14C]glucose, [U 14C]fructose, L [U 14C]alanine and [3H]water in adipose tissue fragments from Bar Harbor obese hyperglycaemic mice

Decreased glucose uptake by the adipose tissue of obese hyperglycaemic mice, developing in the face of gross hyperinsulinism, was accompanied by increased lipogenesis de novo, and low α glycerophosphate synthesis from glycolysis and glyceroneogenesis. There was also some indication of a derangement of the flow of endogenous carbon utilizable for fatty acid synthesis.
Structured Development of Problem Solving Methods

Problem solving methods (PSMs) describe the reasoning components of knowledge-based systems as patterns of behavior that can be reused across applications. While the availability of extensive problem solving method libraries and the emerging consensus on problem solving method specification languages indicate the maturity of the field, a number of important research issues are still open. In particular, very little progress has been achieved on foundational and methodological issues. Hence, despite the number of libraries which have been developed, it is still not clear what organization principles should be adopted to construct truly comprehensive libraries, covering large numbers of applications and encompassing both task-specific and task-independent problem solving methods. In this paper, we address these "fundamental" issues and present a comprehensive and detailed framework for characterizing problem solving methods and their development process. In particular, we suggest that PSM development consists of introducing assumptions and commitments along a three-dimensional space defined in terms of problem-solving strategy, task commitments, and domain (knowledge) assumptions. Individual moves through this space can be formally described by means of adapters. In the paper, we illustrate our approach and argue that our architecture provides answers to three fundamental problems related to research in problem solving methods: 1) what is the epistemological structure and what are the modeling primitives of PSMs? 2) how can we model the PSM development process? and 3) how can we develop and organize truly comprehensive and manageable libraries of problem solving methods?
Comparison of the effect of betamethasone versus dexamethasone on the amniotic fluid index in the women at risk of preterm labor

Background: The aim of this study was to compare the biophysical profile parameters (BPP), especially amniotic fluid index (AFI), before and after administration of corticosteroids (dexamethasone and betamethasone) and these two groups with each other. Materials and Methods: This double-blind clinical trial study was done on 70 patients for 28-34 weeks women having at least one preterm labor in their previous pregnancy has been submitted in Al Zahra and Shahid Beheshti clinic in 2012-2013. 70 women were randomly allocated in two groups. The first group were received 8 mg each 12 h for 4 doses dexamethasone when the patient at risk of preterm labor admitted in clinic or hospitalized and the second group were received 12 mg betamethasone each 24 h similarly. Nonstress test (NST) and BPP and sonography AFI were done in all cases, and then NST was done in the before and 3 days after intervention. Data were analyzed by SPSS software version 20 using t-test, Chi-square, and Fisher's test. Results: There was no significant difference between the range of AFI before and after the drug intervention (P > 0.05). Two groups had no significant difference in AFI before and after administration of corticosteroids. No significant difference was seen in NST acceleration tests between the two groups before and after corticosteroids administration. Conclusion: Biophysical profile had a significant difference in dexamethasone group respect to that of betamethasone group. Furthermore, the biophysical profile had a significant difference before and after the administration of corticosteroids in two groups. It is noted that AFI had no role in this matter.
Patient physiological status during emergency care and rapid response team or cardiac arrest team activation during early hospital admission

Objectives The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between rapid response team (RRT) or cardiac arrest team (CAT) activation within 72 h of emergency admission and (i) physiological status in the emergency department (ED) and (ii) risk for ICU admission and in-hospital mortality. Methods A retrospective matched cohort study was conducted in three hospitals in Melbourne, Australia. The exposed cohort (n=660) included randomly selected adults admitted to the medical or surgical ward through the ED who had RRT or CAT activation within 72 h of admission. Unexposed matched controls (n=1320) did not have RRT or CAT activation. Results The exposed cohort was more likely to have physiological abnormalities fulfilling hospital RRT activation criteria during ED care (36.7 vs. 23.8%, P<0.001). After adjusting for confounders, tachypnoea (adjusted odds ratio=1.92, 95% confidence interval: 1.38–2.67) or hypotension (AOR=1.43, 95% confidence interval: 1.00–2.03), fulfilling RRT activation criteria during ED care, was associated with RRT or CAT activation within 72 h of admission. The exposed cohort had more in-hospital deaths (16.5 vs. 3.6%, P<0.001), more unexpected in-hospital deaths (2.05 vs. 0.2%, P<0.001), more ICU admissions (11.8 vs. 0.7%, P<0.001) and longer lengths of hospital stay (median=8 vs. 5 days, P<0.001). Conclusion CAT/RRT activations within 72 h of emergency admission are associated with higher mortality and increased length of stay. Factors associated with CAT/RRT activation in the wards are often identifiable when patients are in the ED. Further studies are required to determine whether early identification and intervention in patients at risk for RRT or CAT activation can improve their eventual outcomes.
A Review on Clustering Techniques used in Web Usage Mining

— The World Wide Web continues to grow repository of web pages and links at an exponential rate which makes exploiting all useful information a standing challenge. It has recently a wide range of applications in E-commerce web site and E-services such as building interactive marketing strategies, Web recommendation and Web personalization. Web usage mining is the process of extracting useful usage patterns from the web data. Web personalization uses web usage mining technique for the process of knowledge acquisition done by analysing the user navigational patterns interest. Nowadays, the Web is an important source of information retrieval, and the users accessing the Web are from different backgrounds. The usage information about users is recorded in web logs. Analysing web log files to extract useful patterns is called Web Usage Mining. Web usage mining approaches include clustering, association rule mining, sequential pattern mining etc. This article provides a survey of the available literature on Web usage mining and reviews the research and application issues in web usage mining.
[Analysis of antibiotic consumption in the pediatric population of Castile and León (Spain) from 2001 to 2005].

OBJECTIVES To analyze trends in antibiotic use among the pediatric population of Castile and León from 2001 to 2005. MATERIAL AND METHODS The antibiotics prescribed to the pediatric population in primary care were processed using the CONCYLIA database. The technical unit of measurement was the defined daily dose (DDD) and the comparative indicator used was the DDD per 1000 inhabitants/day (DID). RESULTS Overall consumption was high (21.21 DID). Throughout the 5 years of the study we observed substantial variations, especially in 2005, the year in which consumption was highest (25.05 DID). The therapeutic subgroups most frequently prescribed were wide-spectrum penicillins (8.08 DID) and penicillins associated with beta-lactamase inhibitors (7.29 DID), followed by cephalosporins (2.81 DHD) and macrolides (2.52 DHD). The percentage of wide-spectrum penicillin prescription was higher than that of penicillins associated with beta-lactamase inhibitors between 2001 and 2002. These percentages were similar in 2003, and the percentage of wide-spectrum penicillin prescription was lower than that of penicillins associated with beta-lactamase inhibitors in the last 2 years of the study. CONCLUSIONS Marked differences in consumption were observed over the study period. Changes in patterns of use were found, with an increase in the use of penicillins associated with beta-lactamase inhibitors in the last 2 years of the study.
Conservation of core complex subunits shaped the structure and function of photosystem I in the secondary endosymbiont alga Nannochloropsis gaditana

Summary Photosystem I (PSI) is a pigment protein complex catalyzing the light‐driven electron transport from plastocyanin to ferredoxin in oxygenic photosynthetic organisms. Several PSI subunits are highly conserved in cyanobacteria, algae and plants, whereas others are distributed differentially in the various organisms. Here we characterized the structural and functional properties of PSI purified from the heterokont alga Nannochloropsis gaditana, showing that it is organized as a supercomplex including a core complex and an outer antenna, as in plants and other eukaryotic algae. Differently from all known organisms, the N. gaditana PSI supercomplex contains five peripheral antenna proteins, identified by proteome analysis as type‐R light‐harvesting complexes (LHCr4‐8). Two antenna subunits are bound in a conserved position, as in PSI in plants, whereas three additional antennae are associated with the core on the other side. This peculiar antenna association correlates with the presence of PsaF/J and the absence of PsaH, G and K in the N. gaditana genome and proteome. Excitation energy transfer in the supercomplex is highly efficient, leading to a very high trapping efficiency as observed in all other PSI eukaryotes, showing that although the supramolecular organization of PSI changed during evolution, fundamental functional properties such as trapping efficiency were maintained.
[Effects of simulated weightlessness on ultrastructure of soleus muscle spindle in rats].

OBJECTIVE To study changes in ultrastructure of soleus muscle spindle induced by simulated weightlessness in rats. METHOD Weightlessness was simulated by tail suspension in female rats. The ultrastructure of isolated soleus muscle spindle were observed in 4 d, 7 d, 14 d tail-suspended and 14 d recovered rats. RESULT Chaotic myofibril, hyperplasia of mitochondria, and enlargement of terminal cisterna were found in the ultrastructure of isolated soleus muscle spindle in 4 d tail-suspended rats. The ultrastructure of isolated soleus muscle spindle in 7 d tail-suspended rats showed more distinct changes, while that in 14 d tail-suspended rats showed obvious retrograde changes. The ultrastructure of isolated muscle spindle in 14 d recovered rats after 14 d tail-suspension were similar to that of control group. CONCLUSION Simulated weightlessness could induce time-related and reversible changes in ultrastructure of soleus muscle spindle in rats.
Minimizing the Electromagnetic Exposure Using Hybrid (DVB-H/UMTS) Networks

A hybrid mobile communication network as considered in this paper consists of a point-to-point network (UMTS) and a point-to-multipoint network (DVB-H). The benefit of combining these two networks is an optimized transfer of data by collecting several user requests for a single response via the broadcast network. Thus, capacity can be saved, UMTS cells can be unloaded and the mean response time of the system can be reduced. Besides these advantages, hybrid networks can be applied to decrease electromagnetic exposure, especially at hot spot areas. In this paper, it is analysed how the hybrid network structure influences the electromagnetic exposure. Therefore, different scenarios have been developed consisting of different user behavior and different network structures. In order to evaluate the grade of exposure, criteria have been defined. These criteria have been used for comparing a hybrid network with a single UMTS network in terms of electromagnetic exposure. The results are shown for the different network structures and network configurations
Variations in the myocilin gene in patients with open-angle glaucoma.

OBJECTIVE To determine the prevalence and associated phenotype of myocilin (MYOC) coding sequence variations and a specific promoter polymorphism (MYOC.mt1) in patients with glaucoma and glaucoma suspects. METHODS A consecutive, unselected series of 779 patients (652 with open-angle glaucoma and 127 glaucoma suspects) were recruited from a university medical center and clinically characterized. The coding sequences of the MYOC gene and the MYOC.mt1 locus in the promoter region were screened for sequence variations. We determined the prevalence of MYOC coding sequence mutations and the MYOC.mt1 promoter polymorphism. We also compared the clinical features of individuals with and without mutations and the MYOC.mt1 promoter polymorphism. RESULTS Plausible disease-causing sequence variations (DCVs) in the MYOC gene were found in 3.0% of the entire group. Such variations were found in patients with most forms of open-angle glaucoma studied. Patients with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) who harbored coding sequence DCVs were clinically similar to patients without them. Patients who harbored the rarer allele of the MYOC.mt1 promoter polymorphism were no different in any measure of disease severity from those who harbored the more common allele. CONCLUSIONS MYOC DCVs were found in approximately 3% of patients with glaucoma and glaucoma suspects. The 2 alleles of the MYOC.mt1 promoter polymorphism were equally distributed among patients with POAG and healthy control subjects. Patients with POAG who harbored the rarer allele of the MYOC.mt1 promoter polymorphism were no different from those with the more common variant in any measure of disease severity. CLINICAL RELEVANCE Testing for the MYOC.mt1 promoter polymorphism appears to be of no value in the evaluation of patients with glaucoma.