Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Constructing togetherness throughout the phases of dementia: a qualitative study exploring how spouses maintain relationships with partners with dementia who live in institutional care.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES To explore and describe how spouses involve themselves in the relationship with their partners with dementia who live in institutional care. BACKGROUND Positive reciprocity between partners has been proven to be significant for spouses with partners living with dementia at home. However, little is known about spousal involvement after placement of a partner in an institutional setting. This subject was therefore the focus of this study. DESIGN Constructivist grounded theory was used to develop meaningful concepts considering the relational processes experienced and described by the spouses. METHODS Interviews were conducted with 15 spouses (eight women and seven men ranging in age from 64-90 years) of dementia-afflicted persons living in institutional care. Theoretical sampling, constant comparison and memo-writing guided the data collection and analysis. RESULTS The analysis showed how the spouses adopted different visiting routines to preserve continuity in their relationship throughout the phases of dementia. Three categories described how these visiting routines were used and adapted along with their partners' dementia progressions in the process of constructing togetherness: 'maintaining involvement and intimacy to preserve continuity in their relationship,' 'structuring visits to facilitate interaction and communication' and 'pursuing moments of mutuality to preserve continuity in a deteriorating relationship. ' CONCLUSIONS Being involved and experiencing continuity in the relationship seemed important to the spouses after their partners' placement in institutional care. In the process of constructing togetherness, visiting routines were used to facilitate situations in which they could connect with their partners. These routines were continuously adjusted throughout the phases of dementia. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE There is a need for a systematic approach to provide sufficient support to spouses throughout their partners' dementia progressions to assist their ongoing involvement.
An electron microscope study of kidney basement membrane changes in the mouse by lipoteichoic acid from Streptococcus pyogenes.

Mice injected repeatedly, intraperitoneally or intravenously, for approximately 1 month with a total of 1.04 mg lipoteichoic acid from a nephritogenic strain of Streptococcus pyogenes lost weight. Analysis by electron microscopy revealed that they also exhibited extensive kidney changes in basement membrane morphology which resembled, in part, those observed in human poststreptococcal glomerulonephritis. For example, the glomerular basement membrane became electron dense and exhibited at least a twofold increase in width sporadically within the same preparation after exposure to lipoteichoic acid. Also, whereas appreciable loss or reduction in epithelial foot processes as a result of fusion was clearly evident, epithelial slits and slit membranes or diaphragms between normal foot processes were not selectively affected. In addition, another mostly thickened, highly coiled or serpentinelike basement membrane with amorphous nodules appeared in these preparations. This type membrane was not observed surrounding the capillary lumina and was the most pronounced abnormality apparent in almost all preparations from mice exposed to lipoteichoic acid. Likewise, the proximal tubular basement membrane became variable in width and increased in electron density in mice given lipoteichoic acid as compared with controls. In addition, this membrane was often punctuated with various morphological protrusions originating from only its thickened areas and which extended away from, and not into, the capillary space. This change was only associated with the basement membrane of the proximal tubular capillaries. All membrane changes persisted but gradually subsided, with normal kidney membrane morphology reappearing on the 4th day following the last injection of lipoteichoic acid. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Contamination of paper machine press fabric materials by ASA studied with a new deposition tester

The contamination of paper machine press fabric materials by alkenyl succinic anhydride (ASA) in different environments was studied using a new deposition tester. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), infrared spectroscopy and contact angle measurements were performed to analyze clean and contaminated press fabrics. The results showed that the use of ASA or calcium carbonate filler alone did not result in especially severe contamination. However, when both ASA and calcium carbonate were present, fouling was drastically increased. Also, introducing Ca-ions with ASA in weakly alkaline solutions (pH 8.5) resulted in notable contamination, whereas this was not clearly seen in acid solutions (pH 4.0). Thus, the main mechanism behind the remarkable contamination by ASA at alkaline conditions could be associated with the formation of metal soaps of ASA. The results obtained with the new laboratory tester indicated trends similar to those observed in more fundamental laboratory experiments. As the tester can also be used to evaluate surface material performance on production scale by performing mill trials using paper machine by-pass flows, it provides a direct connection from fundamental interactions to mill scale applications in contamination testing.
Drugs with anticholinergic properties: a current perspective on use and safety

Introduction: Many commonly used drugs have primary or secondary anticholinergic effects contributing to adverse outcomes ranging from mild-to-severe to potentially lethal. Anticholinergic adverse effects frequently occur with medications prescribed with other intended mechanisms of action, including antihistamines, antidepressants, and antipsychotics. Anticholinergic drugs are also the principal treatments of clinical conditions, such as urinary incontinence, that tend to occur in the elderly. Older patients and those with mental illness are particularly vulnerable to the adverse neuropsychiatric effects of anticholinergics as they may already have cognitive impairment. Areas covered: Medline and Pubmed literature searches (1966 – the present) were performed using ‘anticholinergic’ and ‘drug safety’. Abstracts were assessed and references scanned for appropriate articles. Here, the authors i) describe the neural pathways of the cholinergic system; ii) outline the main clinical uses and adverse effects of anticholinergic agents with a focus on cognitive impairment; and iii) discuss anticholinergic safety monitoring. Expert opinion: Prescribers need to be vigilant for adverse anticholinergic effects, particularly in older patients. The symptoms may range from subtle cognitive impairment to delirium and may be due to the cumulative effect of multiple medications of modest antimuscarinic activity. The Anticholinergic Drug Scale and tables listing drugs with known anticholinergic properties may help in guiding clinical decision-making to reduce anticholinergic burden.
p.Q223R leptin receptor polymorphism associated with obesity in Brazilian multiethnic subjects

Several genes play a major role in obese phenotypes, and studies suggest that genetic variations among individuals, as well as their lifestyles, may bring about different body compositions. Among these genes, LEP, which codifies leptin, and the LEPR gene encoding its receptor were extensively studied for variants that could explain the obese phenotype. The LEPR p.Q223R gene polymorphism was analyzed in a sample of obese and nonobese individuals from Brazil to evaluate the role of this polymorphism in the obese phenotype in the population. Two hundred obese patients (60 males, 140 females, body mass index (BMI) >30 kg/m2) were screened, together with 150 lean or normal healthy individuals (63 males, 87 females, BMI <24 kg/m2). Genomic DNA was extracted and amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). PCR products were digested with the restriction of endonuclease MspI, and separated by electrophoresis through an 8% polyacrilamide gel stained with silver nitrate. There was a significant difference in LEPR p.Q223R polymorphism frequency when comparing obese and lean subjects, with an odds ratio of 1.92 and a 95% confidence interval of 1.15–3.22 (P = 0.013). There is a strong association of the LEPR p.Q223R gene polymorphism with obesity in Brazil. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 18:448–453, 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
A Statistics-Based Method for Video Semantic Analysis

Based on statistics theory, a generic framework for video semantic content analysis is proposed in this paper. Multilayer semantic analysis and multimodal information fusion are unified in the same modal. Firstly, frame-segment key-frame strategy and attention selection model are used to concisely represent video content. With pattern classification technique, the basic visual semantics are recognized. Then, a multilayer structure modal is used to extract multi-level visual semantics. After that, an audio semantic analysis scheme is presented with the spectrum feature extracted by Fourier transform algorithm. Finally, a bionic multimodal fusion method with two level structures for video semantic concept analysis is proposed. Experiment results demonstrate the framework could fuse multimodal feature, extract semantic in different granularity and bridge semantic gap to some extent.
The correct interpretation of sperm DNA fragmentation test

We read the commentary by Dr. Ferlin with interest (1). The author first stated the drawbacks of semen analysis in the diagnosis of male infertility and the need for sperm function tests. It is followed by illustrating the limitation of the current evidence in supporting the routine use of sperm DNA fragmentation (SDF) testing in clinical practice.
GABAA and GABAB receptors of distinct properties affect oppositely the proliferation of mouse embryonic stem cells through synergistic elevation of intracellular Ca2+

Gamma‐amminobutyric acid (GABA), the major inhibitory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system of vertebrates, serves as an autocrine/ paracrine signaling molecule during development, modulating a number of calcium (Ca2+)‐dependent processes, including proliferation, migration, and differentiation, acting via 2 types of GABA receptors (GABARs): ionotropic GABAARs and metabotropic GABABRs. Here, we demonstrate that mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs), which possess the capacity for virtually unlimited self‐renewal and pluripotency’ synthesize GABA and express functional GABAARs and GABABRs, as well as voltage‐gated calcium channels (VGCCs), ryanodine receptors (RyRs), and inwardly rectifying potassium (GIRK) channels. On activation, both GABAR types triggered synergistically intracellular calcium rise. Muscimol (a GABAAR agonist) induced single Ca2+ transients involving both VGCC‐mediated Ca2+ influx and intracellular stores, while baclofen (a GABABR agonist) evoked Ca2+ transients followed by intercellular Ca2+ waves and oscillations that were resistant to antagonists and entirely dependent on Ca2+ release from intracellular stores. Prolonged treatment with muscimol slightly inhibited, while baclofen or SR95531 (a GABAAR antagonist) significantly facilitated, mESC proliferation. GABAAR‐specific ligands also induced morphological and gene expression changes indicating a differentiation shift. Our data suggest that the interplay between GABARs and downstream (coupled) effectors differentially modulates mESC proliferation/differentiation through selective activation of second messenger signaling cascades. — Schwirtlich, M. , Emri, Z. , Antal, K. , Maté, Z. , Katarova, Z. , Szabo, G. GABAA and GABAB receptors of distinct properties affect oppositely the proliferation of mouse embryonic stem cells through synergistic elevation of intracellular Ca2+. FASEB J. 24, 1218–1228 (2010). www.fasebj. org
RENEWABLE SOURCES OF ENERGY: HYDRO-ELECTRICITY IN SLOVENIA

Obnovljivi izvori energije: hidro elektricna energija u Sloveniji Izvorni znanstveni clanak Ponuda elektricne energije u Sloveniji znacajno je ovisna o tradicionalnim ne-obnovljivim izvorima elektricne energije. Bez obzira na određene napore da se promijeni izvore ponude elektricne energije, nisu postignute znacajnije promjene od tradicionalnih neobnovljivih fosilnih izvora elektricne energije na obnovljive izvore elektricne energije. Ponuda elektricne energije iz hidro izvora ovisna je o prirodnim uvjetima pa je znacajno ovisna i o promjenjivim vremenskim uvjetima. Promjene u vremenskim uvjetima između kisnih i suncanih razdoblja su razlog za potrebnu diversifikaciju ponude elektricne energije iz hidro obnovljivih izvora energije u kombinaciji sa solarnom energijom i koprodukciju energije iz biomase i ostalih obnovljivih izvora energije. Potrebne su promjene u ponudi zelene elektricne energije ne samo u pravcu hidro izvora, nego posebice u pravcu ostalih obnovljivih izvora elektricne energije kao sto su energija sunca, biomase, termalne vode, vjetra i bio plina. Kljucne rijeci: obnovljivi izvori energije, ponuda elektricne energije, hidro energija, Slovenija
Prolonged survival of kidney xenografts in leucopenic rabbits.

Rabbits rendered leucopenic by means of nitrogen mustard reject kidney xenografts more slowly than normal controls It is therefore probable that polymorphonuclear leucocytes play an important role in the acute rejection of xenografts. The previously reported complement requirement for xenograft rejection was also confirmed in this work, by depleting the graft recipients of C3 with cobra venom factor.
Fuzzy Sequential Patterns for Quantitative Data Mining

The explosive growth of collected and stored data has generated a need for new techniques transforming these large amounts of data into useful comprehensible knowledge. Among these techniques, referred to as data mining, sequential pattern approaches handle sequence databases, extracting frequently occurring patterns related to time. Since most real-world databases consist of historical and quantitative data, some works have been done for mining the quantitative information stored within such sequence databases, uncovering fuzzy sequential patterns. In this chapter, we first introduce the various fuzzy sequential pattern approaches and the general principles they are based on. Then, we focus on a complete framework for mining fuzzy sequential patterns handling different levels of consideration of quantitative information. This framework is then applied to two real-life data sets: Web access logs and a textual database. We conclude on a discussion about future trends in fuzzy pattern mining.
Impact of Ultra Wide Band (UWB) on Macrocell Downlink of DCS-1800 and GSM-900 Systems

The effect of UWB interference on the DCS-1800 and GSM-900 downlink is studied for different UWB power density. For high UWB power density (-70 dBm/MHz), the effect of UWB signals is very high when the distance bet- ween UWB transmitter and DCS-1800 receiver is less than 1 m. For low UWB power density (-100 dBm/MHz), the effect of the UWB signals is quasi null even if the distance between the UWB transmitter and the DCS-1800 receiver is 0.5 m. It is found that the spectrum mask proposed by the FCC for indoor application (-53 dBm/MHz in the DCS- 1800 band and -41 dBm/MHz in the GSM-900 band) is very high to be tolerated by the two mobile systems and we have to propose another spectrum mask with lower UWB power density.
Dual cell protective mechanisms activated by differing levels of oxidative stress in HT22 murine hippocampal cells

Oxidative stress is recognized as one of the pathogenic mechanisms involved in neurodegenerative disease. However, recent evidence has suggested that regulation of cellular fate in response to oxidative stress appears to be dependent on the stress levels. In this study, using HT22 cells, we attempted to understand how an alteration in the oxidative stress levels would influence neuronal cell fate. HT22 cell viability was reduced with exposure to high levels of oxidative stress, whereas, low levels of oxidative stress promoted cell survival. Erk1/2 activation induced by a low level of oxidative stress played a role in this cell protective effect. Intriguingly, subtoxic level of H2O2 induced expression of a growth factor, progranulin (PGRN), and exogenous PGRN pretreatment attenuated HT22 cell death induced by high concentrations of H2O2 in Erk1/2-dependent manner. Together, our study indicates that two different cell protection mechanisms are activated by differing levels of oxidative stress in HT22 cells. Graphical Abstract Two distinct cell-protective mechanisms are activated in response to different levels of oxidative stress in HT22 cells.
Phylogenetic relationships within the class Spirotrichea (Ciliophora) inferred from small subunit rRNA gene sequences.

The small subunit rDNAs of five species belonging to the Euplotidae and eight species of the Oxytrichidae were sequenced to obtain a more detailed picture of the phylogenetic relationships within the Spirotrichea (Ciliophora). Various tree reconstruction algorhythms yielded nearly identical topologies. All Euplotidae were separated from the other Spirotrichea by a deep split. Further, a large genetic distance between the marine genus Moneuplotes and the freshwater species of Euplotoides was found. Differences between the methods used occurred only within the Oxytrichidae. Whereas the monophyly of the Stylonychinae was supported in all trees, the monophyly of the Oxytrichinae was not. However, the molecular data support the morphological and ontogenetic evidence that the pattern of 18 frontal-ventral-transversal cirri evolved in the stemline of the Oxytrichidae and was modified several times independently. Our results are also in agreement with taxonomic revisions: the separation of both Sterkiella nova from Oxytricha and Tetmemena pustulata from Stylonychia.
Voltage dependent pricing in DC distribution grids

A dominance of fluctuating renewable energy resources requires changes in the electric power system. The introduction of nodal variable prices to balance supply and demand is one option that requires the price to be known to all devices. In this paper a new method to determine the price based on the local nodal voltage is introduced. As more and more devices use direct current (DC) internally, the advantages of DC distribution grids are used. They allow a straight forward implementation of micro-grids, increasing reliability with distributed generation. Two different price curves are introduced: The 1/U price curve removes the loss-based market distortion in the grid but needs an additional nominal price for proper operation. It can be used in transmission and distribution grids. Secondly a linear price curve is introduced. The advantage of this price curve is that no additional communication is needed. It can be used in households as single price signal for hybrid AC/DC devices with only little additional costs.
Cross‐linking of MHC class I molecules on human NK cells inhibits NK cell function, segregates MHC I from the NK cell synapse, and induces intracellular phosphotyrosines

Engagement of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I molecules on immune cells, where they are usually highly expressed, induces signal transduction events of unclear significance. We show here that antibody‐mediated cross‐linking of MHC‐I molecules on human natural killer (NK) cells inhibits their cytotoxic activity against tumor target cells. Inhibition by anti‐MHC class I monoclonal antibody exhibits molecular specificity and is an isotype and Fc‐independent process. Physical hindrance of specific molecular recognition, induction of apoptosis, or reciprocal NK cell killing, which could be induced by cross‐linking of MHC I molecules, has also been ruled out as putative mechanisms of inhibition. Confocal microscopy analysis revealed that MHC class I molecules on the surface of NK cells colocalize constitutively with GM1, a marker of lipid rafts. Cross‐linking of MHC class I resulted in the asymmetric redistribution of GM1‐enriched raft domains, which are concentrated to the immunological synapse, and MHC I molecules, which segregate to the opposite pole. Also, the cross‐linking of MHC I on NK cells induced intracellular tyrosine phosphorylations. These results suggest that MHC I molecules on NK cells could transmit inhibitory signals upon engagement with putative ligands expressed on the surface of those cells that need to be protected from natural cytotoxicity.
Assessing vulnerability to cascading outages

This paper addresses the testing and implementation of a fast process for sequential contingency simulation in order to identify potential cascading modes due to thermal overloads. It also presents computation of the vulnerability index of cascading, based on the estimated likelihood and consequences of cascading outages. The approach described in this paper offers a unique capability to automatically identify initiating events that may lead to cascading outages. It predicts the development of cascading events by automatically identifying and visualizing potential cascading tiers. The proposed approach was implemented using a 50,000-bus Eastern Interconnection power system network. The results of the study indicate that initiating events and possible cascading chains may be quickly identified, ranked and visualized in on-line and offline environments. This approach may be used to improve the reliability of a transmission grid and reduce its vulnerability to cascading outages. It may be added to the existing contingency analysis tools to assess the impact of cascading events in both on-line and off-line environments.
Run-time mapping for dynamic reconfiguration management in embedded systems

Dynamic reconfiguration provides attractive features such as hardware flexibility and adaptability. Unfortunately, the lack of programming tools to manage it has limited its use in current SoC. This paper presents a method to abstract dynamic reconfiguration management at design time. Dynamic hardware multiplexing is a generic principle based on a scheduler dedicated to the management of reconfigurable resources at run-time. Formal background, implementation, simulation results and validations are exposed to illustrate the contribution of this study.
Green Geotechnics in practice and theory

W artykule przedstawiono analize wykorzystania materialow antropogenicznych (glownie ubocznych produktow spalania) w drogownictwie na przykladzie Polski. Glowny nacisk polozono na analize technologii w aspekcie emisyjności CO2. Zdaniem autorow technologie niskoemisyjne powinny miec priorytet ''stosowalności'' - zwlaszcza w świetle ustalen tzw. Protokolu z Kioto 2005. Geotechnika przyjazna środowisku, czyli tzw. Zielona Geotechnika, jest koniecznością w XXI wieku.