Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effects of creative and social activity on the health and well-being of socially isolated older people: outcomes from a multi-method observational study

Depression and social isolation affect one in seven people over 65 and there is increasing recognition that social isolation adversely affects long-term health. Research indicates that interventions, which promote active social contact, which encourage creativity, and which use mentoring, are more likely to positively affect health and well-being. The purpose of this study was to evaluate a complex intervention for addressing social isolation in older people, embodying these principles: The Upstream Healthy Living Centre. Mentors delivered a series of individually-tailored activities, with support tailing off over time. Two hundred and twentynine participants were offered the Geriatric Depression Scale, SF12 Health Quality of Life, and Medical Outcomes Social Support scale at baseline, then 6 months and 12 months post intervention. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 26 participants, five carers and four referring health professionals to provide a deeper understanding of outcomes. Data were available for 172 (75%) participants at baseline, 72 (53% of those eligible) at 6 months and 51 (55%) at 12 months. Baseline scores indicated social isolation and high morbidity for mental and physical health. The intervention was successful in engaging this population (80% of referrals were engaged in some form of activity). At 6 months, there were significant improvements in SF12 mental component, and depression scores, but not in perceived physical health or social support. At 12 months, there were significant improvements in depression and social support and a marginally significant improvement in SF12 physical component (p= 0.06), but the SF12 mental component change was not maintained. The qualitative data showed that the intervention was well-received by participants. The data indicated a wide range of responses (both physical and emotional), including increased alertness, social activity, self-worth, optimism about life, and positive changes in health behaviour. Stronger, ‘transformational’ changes were reported by some participants. Individual tailoring seemed to be a key mediator of outcomes, as was overcoming barriers relating to transport and venues. Key processes underlying outcomes were the development of a positive group identity, and building of confidence/self-efficacy. The Upstream model provides a practical way of engaging socially isolated elderly people and generating social networks. The data suggest a range of psychosocial and physical health benefits. Although there are limitations in attributing causality in uncontrolled studies, the data seem to indicate a reversal of the expected downward trends in some aspects of participants’ health, and suggest that this approach is worth further investigation.
Efficient isolation of specific genomic regions by insertional chromatin immunoprecipitation (iChIP) with a second-generation tagged LexA DNA-binding domain

Comprehensive understanding of mechanisms of epigenetic regulation requires identification of molecules bound to genomic regions of interest in vivo. We have developed a novel method, insertional chromatin immunoprecipitatin (iChIP), to isolate specific genomic regions retaining molecular interaction in order to perform non-biased identification of interacting molecules in vivo. Here, we developed a second-generation tagged LexA DNA-binding domain, 3xFNLDD, for the iChIP analysis. 3xFNLDD consists of 3 x FLAG tags, a nuclear localization signal (NLS), the DNA-binding domain (DB) and the dimerization domain of the LexA protein. Expression of 3xFNLDD can be detected by immunoblot analysis as well as flowcytometry. We showed that iChIP using 3xFNLDD is able to consistently isolate more than 10% of input genomic DNA, several-fold more efficient compared to the first-generation tagged LexA DB. 3xFNLDD would be a useful tool to perform the iChIP analysis for locus-specific biochemical epigenetics.
Expression Pattern of a Mini Human PrP Gene Promoter in Transgenic Mice

The prion protein is central to the pathogenesis of prion diseases, although its exact function remains unclear. Although transgenic mice have been widely utilised in prion research, their PrP expression patterns have not been characterised in detail. We have studied the developmental temporal and spatial expression of a 214-bp mini human PrP promoter in transgenic mice. Transgene expression is first detected at embryonic day 12.5, a day earlier than previously reported for endogenous mouse gene by in situ hybridization. The general expression pattern closely mirrors that of the endogenous mouse PrP gene, such that this small and clearly defined transgene cassette can replace the need to use large cosmid based vectors for transgenetic modeling of human and animal prion disease.
Multisensor occlusion reasoning

Most model-based object recognition algorithms attempt to match stored model features to features extracted from imagery. The better the match, the more likely it is that the object is present in the scene. Problems arise when objects are occluded because matches will be incomplete. It is rare for an object recognition algorithm to employ knowledge to explain the absence of occluded features. The work presented here illustrates an approach to object recognition which propagates evidence of occlusion from range to optical sensors and thereby explains missing features.
Serum uric acid and patterns of radiographic osteoarthritis--the Ulm Osteoarthritis Study.

OBJECTIVE To assess the association between uric acid and patterns of osteoarthritis (OA). METHODS OA patterns were studied in 809 patients with arthroplasty due to hip or knee OA. Patients with OA were categorized as having bilateral or generalized OA according to the presence of radiographic OA in the contralateral or different finger joints. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for thirds of serum uric acid and OA patterns were estimated with multivariable logistic regression. RESULTS Eighty-five percent of the participants had bilateral OA and 26% generalized OA. A positive association between serum uric acid and generalized OA was observed in patients with hip OA (highest versus lowest tertile OR=3.5; 95% CI: 1.3-9.1), but not among patients with knee OA (corresponding OR = 1.1). Serum uric acid was not associated with bilateral OA. CONCLUSION Our results suggest a possible role of elevated serum uric acid in the multifactorial etiology of generalized OA.
Analysis of synchronization algorithm for grid connected photovoltaic modular multilevel converter using positive sequence detector and phase locked loop

The paper proposes the modeling and synchronization of grid connected modular multilevel converter (MMC) with proper synchronization technique. The renewable energy is used as energy source to the converter. For the efficient tracking of maximum power from the photovoltaic (PV) system it is necessary to develop a proper converter which acts an interfacing unit between source and the load. The MMC has been proposed as an interfacing converter due to its high voltage and high power application with less harmonic distortion (THD). The main issue considered in this grid connected system is the synchronization. The synchronization is carried using positive sequence detector along with phase locked loop. The working of synchronization algorithm is validated through hardware implementation using TMS320F28335 digital signal processor.
Influence of component ESR on a 4G frequency reconfigurable antenna

In recent years, frequency reconfigurable antennas have been widely studied for mobile phone application. Such structure can be used to cover a wideband in the sub-GHz by tuning the resonance, with a reduced size of the antenna. However, the majorities of this antenna type are narrow band. In this article, a mixed structure is proposed to study the influence of the ESR on frequency reconfigurable antenna.
Long-term effects of premature birth on somatic development in women through adolescence and adulthood

Objectives To evaluate the long-term consequences of preterm birth on anthropometric parameters in women in adolescence and into adulthood. Methods Seventy girls born preterm (age 12.22 ± 1.52 years) and 48 born at term participated in the first stage. Eighteen years later, 13 of the same women participated in a follow-up and were compared with a control group of 27 women. We compared anthropometric results across the two examinations, and in the second stage, also assessed body composition using bioelectrical impedance analysis. Results No significant differences were found in anthropometric parameters or the content of individual components of the body between the preterm-born and control groups. However, the preterm-born group showed a tendency for higher average fat mass and lower fat-free and soft lean mass compared with the control group, and had a significantly higher mean waist–hip ratio. Conclusions Preterm birth does not adversely affect somatic development in girls during adolescence, but shows a correlation with an elevated waist–hip ratio in adulthood.
Proinflammatory effects and molecular mechanisms of interleukin-17 in intestinal epithelial cell line HT-29.

AIM To evaluate the proinflammatory effects and molecular mechanisms of interleukin (IL)-17 in intestinal epithelial cell line HT-29. METHODS HT-29 cells were cultured with IL-17, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, or the combination of both IL-17 and TNF-α. Real-time PCR and Western blot were used to measure the gene expression levels of neutrophil chemokines CXCL1, CXCL2, CXCL5, CXCL6, IL-8 and TH-17 cell chemokine CCL20, the phosphorylation levels of p38 and TNF-α, and the expression level of IL-8, after using the p38 inhibitor in HT-29 cells. The stable Act1 knockdown HT-29 cell line was established to further test the phosphorylation changes of p38, after using IL-17 and TNF-α. RESULTS After HT-29 cells were cultured with IL-17 and TNF-α, the expression levels of neutrophil chemokines (CXCL1, CXCL2, CXCL5, CXCL6, IL-8) and Th17 chemokine (CCL20) significantly improved (24.96 ± 2.53, 28.47 ± 2.87, 38.08 ± 2.72, 33.47 ± 2.41, 31.7 ± 2.38, 44.37 ± 2.73, respectively), and the differences were all statistically significant (P < 0.01). Western blot results showed that IL-17 obviously enhanced the phosphorylation level of p38, which was induced by TNF-α. Compared with the control group, the expression level of IL-8 significantly declined (9.47 ± 1.36 vs 3.06 ± 0.67, P < 0.01) when TH-29 cells were cultured with IL-17 and TNF-α. p38 inhibition assay showed that the p38 pathway played an essential role in the inflammatory response induced by IL-17. p38 phosphorylation levels could not be changed after using IL-17 and TNF-α in the stable Act1 knockdown HT-29 cell line. CONCLUSION IL-17 significantly promoted the gene expression levels of TNF-α-induced neutrophil chemokines and Th17 cell chemokine. It is obvious that IL-17 and TNF-α have synergistic effects on p38.
Backstepping-based current and voltage control strategy for maglev position device

This study mainly focuses on the backstepping control (BSC) strategy design, including a traditional backstepping control (TBSC) and an adaptive backstepping control (ABSC) for a current control and a voltage control scheme in a maglev position control system, respectively. In the ABSC system, an adaptive estimation for the lump uncertainty is proposed to ensure the system stability. On the other hand, to solve the trouble of chattering phenomena caused by a sign function in TBSC law in despite of the utilization of a fixed value or an simple adaptive tuning algorithm for the lumped uncertainty bound. The effectiveness of the proposed control with current and voltage control schemes can be verified in experimental results.
An analytical approach to floorplanning for hierarchical building blocks layout [VLSI]

An analytical approach for the floorplanning of rectangular blocks with constraints on their connection and dimensions that minimize the wire length and area is described. The approach consist of two phases: relative placement places the building blocks in a plane so that the topology of the blocks satisfies the combined goal of short interconnection and small bounding area for a given aspect of ratio. The spacing phase removes the overlap in the floorplan resulting from relative placement by moving and reshaping the blocks. Both phases are modeled heuristically as unconstrained minimization problems. The constraint on the shape of floorplan is met by using a bounding penalty function. Indirect connections between large blocks are taken into account for more efficient area utilization. The floorplanning algorithm has been implemented and shown to be effective for handling floorplanning under various kinds of constraints. >
Do baseline estrogen and testosterone affect lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) prior to or after pharmacologic treatment with tadalafil?

Little is known about how total testosterone and estradiol‐17β influence lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) in men with benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH). We analyzed data from a subset of men aged ≥18 years randomized to tadalafil 5 mg once‐daily or placebo who had ≥6 month history of LUTS and an International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS)≥13 enrolled in one of three randomized, placebo‐controlled tadalafil clinical trials (N = 958). Three specific aims were addressed, as follows: (i) To characterize enrolled men by treatment randomization and testosterone level; (ii) to assess cross‐sectional associations of estradiol‐17β, testosterone, and LUTS prior to treatment with tadalafil; and, (iii) to assess longitudinal associations between baseline estradiol‐17β and testosterone and improvements or worsening of LUTS during a 12‐week period of tadalafil or placebo administration. LUTS were assessed by total IPSS, IPSS voiding sub‐score (IPSS‐V) and IPSS storage sub‐score (IPSS‐S) for cross‐sectional analyses, and change in total IPSS (ΔIPSS), ΔIPSS‐V, and ΔIPSS‐S between baseline and 12‐week visit for longitudinal analyses. Correlation analyses and linear regression examined associations. Baseline testosterone was not significantly associated with IPSS. In contrast, estradiol‐17β was inversely correlated with IPSS (r = −0.08; p < 0.05) and IPSS‐S (r = −0.14; p < 0.05). Tadalafil treatment resulted in greater IPSS improvements in men with lower baseline estradiol‐17β versus those with higher baseline estradiol‐17β. Lower baseline estradiol‐17β was significantly associated with modestly improved ΔIPSS‐V (p = 0.04) and Δtotal IPSS (p = 0.05) but not with ΔIPSS‐S, following treatment which may substantiate the role of bladder dysfunction because of nerve and smooth muscle changes in the bladder in addition to benign prostatic enlargement in LUTS. Circulating baseline testosterone did not predict ΔIPSS. Men with lower baseline estradiol‐17β levels showed greater responsiveness to tadalafil 5 mg treatment than those with higher baseline estradiol‐17β levels when responsiveness was measured using total IPSS and IPSS‐V.
Expression and Localization of GEN1 in Mouse Mammary Epithelial Cells

GEN1, a Holliday junction resolvase, is involved in homologous repair of DNA double strand break and in maintaining centrosome integrity. Although GEN1 mutants have been reported in breast cancer patients and cell lines, little is currently known about the functions of GEN1 in the development and oncogenic transformation of mammary gland. In the present study, we demonstrate that GEN1 expression is correlated with mammary epithelial cell proliferation, differentiation in various physiological stages as well as casein. By immunofluorescence analysis, the centrosomal association of GEN1 is confirmed in mammary epithelial cells. Additionally, GEN1 is likely involved in DNA damage response of breast cancer cell lines. These results suggest that GEN1 may play an important role in the development of mammary gland; its response upon DNA damage indicates that GEN1 gene alteration may contribute to breast cancer formation.
A practical complex BKZ reduction algorithm for near-optimal MIMO SIC detection

The Block Korkine-Zolotareff (BKZ) reduction can trade off between performance and complexity by adjusting the size of the local reduction blocks, and therefore, offers the opportunity to approach the optimal performance achieved by the KZ reduction at a lower cost, when adopted by the lattice reduction (LR) aided successive interference cancellation (SIC) receiver for multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems. In this paper, a novel complex-domain BKZ (CBKZ) reduction algorithm is developed by employing an on-demand complex-domain Schnorr-Euchner (SE) enumeration strategy for local shortest lattice vector searching, and a tailored unimodular transform scheme for basis updating. The sorted-QR decomposition coupled with size reduction is employed for pre-processing, rather than the widely adopted Lenstra-Lenstra-Lovász (LLL) reduction. Simulation results show that the proposed CBKZ reduction achieves close-to-optimal performance by using relatively small block sizes, and at the same time, causes only a small proportion of the overall computations required by its competitors: the complex LLL (CLLL) reduction and CLLL-deep reduction. In addition, a unified mathematical framework is provided to encompass the traditional SIC detection with ordering, the LR-aided SIC detection, and the integer-forcing (IF) SIC detection, under the same umbrella.
Felt age and cognitive-affective depressive symptoms in late life

Objectives: This study examined both cross-sectional and longitudinal relationships between felt age and cognitive-affective symptom dimensions of depression in late life. Method: Data for this study came from two interview waves (T1 and T2) of the National Health and Aging Trend Study. Sample persons (n = 6680) who resided in their own or another's home at T1 were included. At T2 (one year later), 5414 of the original 6680 were interviewed and depressive symptom data were available for 5371 sample persons. The associations between felt age and depressive symptoms were analyzed using stepwise linear regression analyses. Results: At T1, (1) more than 70% of the sample felt younger and 7% felt older than their chronological age; and (2) younger felt age was associated with lower depressive symptoms, and older felt age was associated with higher depressive symptoms. Controlling for T1 depressive symptoms and health conditions, older felt age at T1 also predicted higher depressive symptoms at T2; however, chronological age and felt age explained only a small amount of variance in depressive symptom scores. Conclusion: The self-enhancement or self-protection function of younger felt age at T1 does not appear to extend longitudinally to T2, while the negative depressive effect of older felt age at T1 extends to T2.
A Diabetes Prevention Program Provided by Home Care Nurses to Residents of Public Housing Communities

The purpose of this study was 1) to modify a diabetes prevention program collaboratively with home care nurses, health professionals, and residents of public housing communities; and 2) to evaluate the feasibility (reach, implementation) and the preliminary efficacy of the modified diabetes prevention program provided by home care nurses to adults at-risk for T2D on clinical, behavioral, and psychosocial outcomes compared to an enhanced standard care control group. A mixed-method sequential design was used. The sample (n=67) was primarily female (79%), with a mean age of 40 years, and of diverse race and ethnicity (76% non-White). Home care nurses were able to implement the program in public housing community centers, with a protocol adherence of 83% across classes and groups. There was sub-optimal attendance by participants. In a repeated measure mixed model analysis controlling for gender, race/ethnicity, and baseline score, there was no difference between groups on clinical, behavioral, or psychosocial outcomes. Participants of both groups improved significantly with respect to healthy eating, physical activity, triglycerides, and psychosocial outcomes. Brief, culturally relevant diabetes prevention programs that include behavioral and psychosocial support are greatly needed for residents of public housing communities.
Robust Multimodal Command Interpretation for Human-Multirobot Interaction

In this work, we propose a multimodal interaction framework for robust human-multirobot communication in outdoor environments. In these scenarios, several human or environmental factors can cause errors, noise and wrong interpretations of the commands. The main goal of this work is to improve the robustness of human-robot interaction systems in similar situations. In particular, we propose a multimodal fusion method based on the following steps: for each communication channel, unimodal classifiers are firstly deployed in order to generate unimodal interpretations of the human inputs; the unimodal outcomes are then grouped into different multimodal recognition lines, each representing a possible interpretation of a sequence of multimodal inputs; these lines are finally assessed to recognize the human commands. We discuss the system at work in a real world case study in the SHERPA domain.
Ambient affiliation on twitter: A case study on organic farming

This paper presents a virtual excavation of Twitter, an asymmetric micro-blogging service, aimed at anchoring what is revealed through digital trace data analysis. The specific objective is to assess the potentialities for ambient community formation and cultivation in business-oriented virtual partnerships and web alliances using Twitter. As case study, the work focuses on organic farming and the compelling need for finding up-to-date information, devising plans and coordinating activities at different levels to attain common goals and objectives. It turns out that tweet replies, retweeting and retweet content analysis offer powerful mechanisms for understanding Twitter-enabled cyber-formations.
Modeling and analysis of performances for concurrent multithread applications on multicore and graphics processing unit systems

The capabilities of multicore processors lead them to be widely adopted in systems at any scale, since their are able to provide more computing power at a lower consumption and dissipation cost. System designers are challenged to a deeper understanding of multicore functioning in order to fully exploit them while keeping the optimal balance between cores utilization and optimal throughput, response time and energy usage.
Expression and functions of the high‐affinity IgE receptor on human platelets and megakaryocyte precursors

Platelets can be activated by IgE and are therefore involved in IgE‐mediated effector mechanisms against parasites and in allergic disorders. Here we show that, besides the low‐affinity IgE receptor (FcεRII/CD23), platelets express the high‐affinity receptor for IgE (FcεRI). Flow cytometry analysis revealed the existence of surface FcεRI on platelets with a large heterogeneity among individual donors, and a low proportion of platelets co‐expressing FcεRI and FcεRII/CD23. Northern hybridization and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction confirmed the presence of mRNA encoding the α, β and γ chains of FcεRI in platelets and in their megakaryocytic precursors. Cross‐linking of FcεRI with monoclonal antibody (mAb) to α chain using either the whole molecule or F(ab′)2 triggered platelet cytotoxicity for Schistosoma mansoni larvae. Anti‐FcεRII/CD23 mAb significantly inhibited IgE‐ or FcεRI‐mediated cytotoxicity, indicating down‐regulatory effects of FcεRII/CD23 on FcεRI‐dependent functions. These results demonstrate functional properties for FcεRI on platelets and indicate unsuspected interactions between the low‐ and the high‐affinity IgE receptors.