Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Somatostatin Receptor Type 2 Antagonism Improves Glucagon and Corticosterone Counterregulatory Responses to Hypoglycemia in Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Rats

Diminished responsiveness to hypoglycemia contributes to defective counterregulation in diabetes. Pancreatic and/or circulating somatostatin are elevated in diabetes, which may inhibit counterregulatory hormone release during hypoglycemia. Thus, a selective somatostatin receptor type 2 antagonist (SSTR2a) should improve hormone counterregulation to hypoglycemia. Nondiabetic (N) and streptozotocin-induced diabetic (D) rats underwent 4-h infusion of saline or SSTR2a with insulin-induced hypoglycemia clamped at 2.5 ± 0.5 mmol/L. To evaluate the effect of the SSTR2a in the absence of hypoglycemia, rats underwent a 4-h infusion of saline (Ctrl:N, Ctrl:D) or SSTR2a (Ctrl:D+SSTR2a) only. The attenuated glucagon response to hypoglycemia in D (P < 0.0002) was fully restored by SSTR2a (P < 0.0001). Furthermore, the attenuated corticosterone response in D (P < 0.002) was also enhanced by SSTR2a (P < 0.05). In the absence of hypoglycemia, SSTR2a did not alter basal blood glucose levels. D exhibited 62% more pancreatic somatostatin than N after hypoglycemia. In N rats, SSTR2a did not augment the glucagon or corticosterone response to hypoglycemia. Thus, somatostatin may contribute to impaired glucagon responsiveness to hypoglycemia in diabetes. We demonstrate that SSTR2 antagonism enhances hypoglycemia-stimulated glucagon and corticosterone release in D but not in N rats. SSTR2 antagonism does not affect basal glycemia in D rats.
Multiobjective H2/H∞ control design for a VSTOL flight model

In this paper, an application of a multiobjective optimal controller design approach on a multivariable vertical short take-off and landing (VSTOL) aircraft system is presented. To achieve good performance subject to white noises, bounded power disturbances, and to model uncertainties, and to have an acceptable reference tracking, combination of both H2(LQG) and H∞ methods is used. This method uses a time domain game approach for H2/H∞ design. It's required to solve the corresponding set of coupled algebraic Riccati equations to gain multiobjective controller.
Prediction of the physiologic severity of coronary lesions using 3D IVUS: Validation by direct coronary pressure measurements

This study was performed to determine whether three‐dimensional intravascular ultrasound (3D IVUS) could predict the physiologic significance of coronary lesions. Seventeen lesions were evaluated by means of 3D IVUS, pressure measurements, and quantitative coronary angiography. Physiologic parameters were calculated from the 3D IVUS measures using established equations and compared to values measured by pressure guidewire. IVUS minimum lumen area (MLA) correlated with fractional flow reserve (FFR; R2 = 0.55, P = 0.003) and pressure gradient (R2 = 0.52, P = 0.003). Lesion length (L) had a positive correlation with pressure gradient (R2 = 0.45, P = 0.007). By multivariate analysis, the only significant independent determinant of FFR was MLA/L measured by IVUS. The IVUS‐predicted pressure gradient and FFR were well correlated with values measured directly (R2 = 0.88, P < 0.001; R2 = 0.90, P < 0.001, respectively). The physiologic severity of coronary lesions is primarily influenced by lumen area and lesion length and can be established by 3D IVUS. Cathet Cardiovasc Intervent 2001;53:48–55. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Evaluation of a specialized yoga program for persons with a spinal cord injury: a pilot randomized controlled trial

Objectives The purpose of this randomized controlled trial was to evaluate the effects of a specialized yoga program for individuals with a spinal cord injury (SCI) on pain, psychological, and mindfulness variables. Materials and methods Participants with SCI (n=23) were outpatients or community members affiliated with a rehabilitation hospital. Participants were randomized to an Iyengar yoga (IY; n=11) group or to a 6-week wait-list control (WLC; n=12) group. The IY group participated in a twice-weekly 6-week seated IY program; the WLC group participated in the same yoga program, after the IY group’s yoga program had ended. Pain, psychological, and mindfulness measures were collected at two time points for both groups (within 1–2 weeks before and after program 1 and at a third time point for the WLC group (within 1 week after program 2). Results Linear mixed-effect growth models were conducted to evaluate the main effects of group at T2 (postintervention), controlling for T1 (preintervention) scores. T2 depression scores were lower (F1,18=6.1, P<0.05) and T2 self-compassion scores higher (F1,18=6.57, P< 0.05) in the IY group compared to the WLC group. To increase sample size and power, the two groups were combined and analyzed across time by comparing pre- and postintervention scores. Main effects of time were found for depression scores, (F1,14.83=6.62, P<0.05), self-compassion, (F1,16.6=4.49, P<0.05), mindfulness (F1,16.79=5.42, P<0.05), mindful observing (F1,19.82=5.06, P<0.05), and mindful nonreactivity, (F1,16.53=4.92, P<0.05), all showing improvement after the intervention. Discussion The results indicated that a specialized 6-week yoga intervention reduced depressive symptoms and increased self-compassion in individuals with SCI, and may also have fostered greater mindfulness.
Younger and older adults' beliefs about the experience and expression of emotions across the life span.

OBJECTIVES Although theorists acknowledge that beliefs about emotions may play a role in age-related emotion behavior, no research has explored these beliefs. This research examined beliefs about the experience and expression of emotions across the life span, especially across the adult years. METHODS Younger and older adults rated the extent to which infants, children, adolescents, young adults, middle-aged adults, and older adults were likely to experience and express a range of emotions. RESULTS Younger and older adults held similar beliefs about the course of emotions across the life span. Moreover, these beliefs differed across emotion categories. In particular, although older adults were believed to experience and express fewer highly charged, negative emotions, they were expected to be more likely to experience and express positive, low arousal emotions, as well as negative, low arousal emotions. The experience and expression of positive, high arousal emotions were seen as more characteristic of very young age groups as opposed to older age groups. DISCUSSION These findings beg questions about if and how beliefs about emotion may affect age-related emotion regulation strategies and other everyday emotion-focused behaviors, as well as social reactions to older adults observed experiencing and expressing particular types of emotions.
Comprehensive RNAi-based screening of human and mouse TLR pathways identifies species-specific preferences in signaling protein use

Comparative analysis of mouse and human macrophages reveals conserved and species-specific use of Toll-like receptor signaling components. Species-specific TLR signaling Whether mice are a good model for the study of innate immune responses in humans is a topic of some debate. Sun et al. used an RNA interference (RNAi)–based screen to compare the responses of mouse and human macrophage reporter cell lines to various ligands of Toll-like receptors (TLRs), which are pattern recognition receptors that stimulate innate immune responses. In addition to confirming the conservation of many TLR signaling components between the two species, the study revealed important differences in how mouse and human macrophages use members of the IRAK family of kinases, findings that have implications for the study and treatment of human autoimmune diseases. Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are a major class of pattern recognition receptors, which mediate the responses of innate immune cells to microbial stimuli. To systematically determine the roles of proteins in canonical TLR signaling pathways, we conducted an RNA interference (RNAi)–based screen in human and mouse macrophages. We observed a pattern of conserved signaling module dependencies across species, but found notable species-specific requirements at the level of individual proteins. Among these, we identified unexpected differences in the involvement of members of the interleukin-1 receptor–associated kinase (IRAK) family between the human and mouse TLR pathways. Whereas TLR signaling in mouse macrophages depended primarily on IRAK4 and IRAK2, with little or no role for IRAK1, TLR signaling and proinflammatory cytokine production in human macrophages depended on IRAK1, with knockdown of IRAK4 or IRAK2 having less of an effect. Consistent with species-specific roles for these kinases, IRAK4 orthologs failed to rescue signaling in IRAK4-deficient macrophages from the other species, and only mouse macrophages required the kinase activity of IRAK4 to mediate TLR responses. The identification of a critical role for IRAK1 in TLR signaling in humans could potentially explain the association of IRAK1 with several autoimmune diseases. Furthermore, this study demonstrated how systematic screening can be used to identify important characteristics of innate immune responses across species, which could optimize therapeutic targeting to manipulate human TLR-dependent outputs.
Expression of both types of human interleukin‐8 receptors on mature neutrophils, monocytes, and natural killer cells

cDNA cloning revealed the presence of two related but distinct types of human interleukin‐8 (IL‐8) receptors, type I (type A) and type II (type B). By immunizing rabbits with glutathione‐S‐transferase fused with the NH2‐terminal domain of each type of IL‐8 receptor, we prepared polyclonal antibodies that specifically recognized the NH2‐terminal domain of each type of IL‐8 receptor. Immunofluorescence analysis of human peripheral blood leukocytes demonstrated that mature granulocytes except eosinophils express both types of IL‐8 receptors. A majority of monocytes and CD16+ natural killer (NK) cells in peripheral blood were stained with both antibodies, whereas CD3+ T or CD20+ B lymphocytes in peripheral blood or CD34+ cells in cord blood were not stained with either antibody. These results suggest that both types of human IL‐8 receptors were coordinately and selectively expressed in mature granulocytes, monocytes, and CD16+ NK cells. J. Leukoc. Biol. 57: 180–187; 1995.
Biophysical mechanisms of myelin‐induced water frequency shifts

In his insightful letter (1), Jeff Duyn discusses different mechanisms that might affect gradient echo MRI signal from white matter (WM) and is trying to reconcile experimental data with our recently developed theoretical model (2) as well as those of Wharton and Bowtell (3) and Sati et al (4). Duyn focuses attention mostly on anisotropic properties of myelin layers that might create a rather peculiar MR signal frequency dependence on the orientation of the external magnetic field with respect to the direction of WM fibers. The anisotropy of such a behavior was first predicted by He and Yablonskiy (5) who introduced a generalized Lorentzian approach that takes into account the effects of the structure anisotropy of WM fibers. The possibility of WM magnetic susceptibility anisotropy was then suggested by Lee et al (6) and Liu (7). A multicompartment-based theory of the influence of the anisotropic structure of myelin layers on signal frequency was proposed by Wharton and Bowtell (3) by introducing a hollow cylinder model and predicting a very interesting effect of MR signal frequency shift in the hollow (intracellular axonal) space due to the radial distribution of long lipoprotein chains in the body of the cylinder (myelin layer). A similar model was also explored by Sati et al (4) by means of numerical computer simulations. In our paper (2), we also took into account the radial distribution of long lipoprotein chains and arrived at the following expressions for the myelin-induced frequency shifts of the MR signal from the water in the axon and myelin sheath with respect to the extracellular space (see Fig. 1 and notations therein):
Diffusion in Cells with Stochastically Gated Gap Junctions

We analyze a one-dimensional (1D) model of molecules diffusing along a line of $N$ cells that are connected via stochastically gated gap junctions. Each gate switches between an open $(n=0)$ and a closed $(n=1$) state according to a two-state Markov process, and the gates are treated as statistically independent. We proceed by spatially discretizing the stochastic diffusion equation using finite differences and constructing the Chapman--Kolmogorov (CK) equation for the resulting finite-dimensional stochastic hybrid system. We thus generate a hierarchy of equations for the $r$th-order moments of the stochastic concentration, which in the continuum limit take the form of $r$-dimensional parabolic PDEs. We explicitly solve the first-order moment equations for $N=2$ and calculate the effective permeability of the gap junction. For $N>2$ (more than one gap junction), we show that the $N$-cell network has a completely different effective single-gate permeability when each particle (rather than each gate) indepe.
Assessment and Content Authoring in Semantic Virtual Environments

Virtual environments (VEs) provide an appealing vehicle for training complex skills, particularly for domains where real-world practice incurs significant time, expense, or risk. Two impediments currently block widespread use of intelligent training tools for VEs. The first impediment is that techniques for assessing performance focus on algorithmic skills that force learners to follow rigid solution paths. The second impediment is the high cost of authoring the models that drive intelligent training capabilities. This paper presents an approach to training in VEs that directly addresses these challenges and summarizes its application to a weapons maintenance task. With our approach, a learner’s actions are recorded as he completes training exercises in a semantically instrumented VE. An example-tracing methodology, in which the learner’s actions are compared to a predefined solution model, is used to generate assessment information with contextually relevant feedback. Novel graph-matching technology, grounded in edit-distance optimization, aligns student actions with solution models while tolerating significant deviation. With this robustness to learner mistakes, assessment can support exploratory learning processes rather than forcing learners down fixed solution paths. Our approach to content creation leverages predefined ontologies, enabling authoring by domain experts rather than technology experts. A semantic mark-up framework supports authors in overlaying ontologies onto VE elements and in specifying actions with their effects. Drawing on these semantics, exercises and their solutions are created through end-user programming techniques: a domain expert demonstrates one or more solutions to a task and then annotates those solutions to define a generalized solution model. A concept validation study shows that users are comfortable with this approach and can apply it to create quality solution models.
Latent sensitivity to Fas-mediated apoptosis after CD40 ligation may explain activity of CD154 gene therapy in chronic lymphocytic leukemia

Patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) treated with adenovirus (Ad)-CD154 (CD40L) gene therapy experience reductions in leukemia cell counts and lymph node size associated with induction of the death receptor Fas (CD95). CD4 T cell lines can induce apoptosis of CD40-activated CLL cells via a CD95 ligand (CD95-L)-dependent mechanism. To examine whether CD95-L was sufficient to induce cytolysis of CD40-activated CLL cells, we used Chinese hamster ovary cells transfected with CD95-L as cytotoxic effector cells. CD40-activated CLL cells were initially resistant to CD95-mediated apoptosis despite high-level expression of CD95. However, after 72 h, CLL cells from seven of seven patients became increasingly sensitive to CD95-mediated apoptosis. This sensitivity correlated with a progressive decline in Flice-inhibitory protein (FLIP), which was induced within 24 h of CD40 ligation. Down-regulation of FLIP with an antisense oligonucleotide or a pharmacologic agent, however, was not sufficient to render CLL cells sensitive to CD95-mediated apoptosis in the 24–72 h after CD40 activation. Although the levels of pro-Caspase-8 appeared sufficient, inadequate levels of Fas-associated death domain protein (FADD) and DAP3 may preclude assembly of the death-inducing signaling complex. Seventy-two hours after CD40 ligation, sensitivity to CD95 and a progressive increase in FADD and DAP3 were associated with the acquired ability of FADD and FLIP to coimmunoprecipitate with the death-inducing signaling complex after CD95 ligation. Collectively, these studies reveal that CD40 ligation on CLL B cells induces a programmed series of events in which the cells initially are protected and then sensitized to CD95-mediated apoptosis through shifts in the balance of the anti- and proapoptotic proteins FLIP and FADD.
The evaluation of control strategies for Auxiliary Resonant Commutated Pole inverter

Auxiliary Resonant Commutated Pole (ARCP) is a suitable ZVS soft-switching inverter topology in the UPS application. The control strategies may affect the ARCP inverter's reliability and efficiency performances. This paper compared the fixed timing control and variable timing control strategies for ARCP inverter. Current stress and loss distributions with different controls are given. The evaluation is well verified on a 2kW/20kHz ARCP inverter prototype. Experimental efficiency and waveforms with different control strategies are presented.
Ureteroscopic Lithotripsy Using Swiss Lithoclast for Treatment of Ureteral Calculi: 12-Years Experience

Ureteroscopic lithotripsy using Swiss Lithoclast was performed in 411 cases from January 1996 to September 2007 in a single hospital. Medical records of 341 cases, in which Swiss Lithoclast was successfully applied, were available for this retrospective study. We used 9.5Fr and 10Fr Storz rigid ureteroscopes. A success was defined as being free of stone-related symptoms and residual stones larger than 2 mm. Sixty one stones were located in the upper ureter, 49 stones were in the mid ureter, and 231 stones were in the lower ureter. The overall success rate was 93.5%. The success rate of upper ureter stone (80.3%) was significantly lower compared with those of mid (93.8%) and lower (96.9%) ureter stones (P=0.001). The higher the calculi was located within the ureter, the more chance of upward migration there was (P<0.001). The success rate in male patients was lower than in female patients without a statistical significance (P=0.068). The success rate decreased as the size of the stone increased (P<0.001), and as the degree of hydronephrosis increased (P=0.03). Perforation rates were 4.9%, 4.1%, and 2.6% from upper to lower ureter stone group. Ureteroscopic lithotripsy using Swiss Lithoclast is a safe and useful treatment modality for ureteral calculi.
Levothyroxine Replacement Therapy in Central Hypothyroidism: A Practice Report

Because of lack of well‐documented laboratory criteria, we assessed the usefulness of measuring free thyroxine (FT4) levels for monitoring levothyroxine replacement therapy in patients with central hypothyroidism. This consisted of a retrospective review from 1991–1997 of patient profiles extracted into a Macintosh 4th Dimension data base from the medical information system at a tertiary care biomedical research facility. Information was also retrieved from medical records of 135 ambulatory patients treated by 42 endocrinology practitioners, and 52 ambulatory patients treated by 20 endocrinology practitioners for central and primary hypothyroidism, respectively. Patient profiles were reviewed for most recent thyroid function test results and levothyroxine dosing information. Of 112 (83%) patients with central hypothyroidism who had FT4 levels within the laboratory's reference interval, only 2 had a dosage change. The FT4 concentration was concordant with physician‐assessed thyroid status in 65 (82%) of 79 patients (95% CI 72–90, p<0.02) for whom clinical assessment was available in medical records. Thyrotropin, total thyroxine, and triiodothyronine levels were not significantly associated with clinical status (p>0.12) in patients with central hypothyroidism. Despite similar demographic and levothyroxine dosing profiles, patients with central hypothyroidism had significantly lower serum FT4 and thyrotropin concentrations than those with primary hypothyroidism. The appropriateness of levothyroxine replacement therapy in most patients with central hypothyroidism is reflected by a normal FT4 concentration measured with a valid assay. Whether midnormal or upper normal values are necessary for optimal therapy, and whether the therapeutic goal should be different in children than in adults, require prospective studies with independent, objective assessment of thyroid status.
Status of underrepresented minority and female faculty at medical schools located within Historically Black Colleges and in Puerto Rico

Background and objectives To assess the impact of medical school location in Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) and Puerto Rico (PR) on the proportion of underrepresented minorities in medicine (URMM) and women hired in faculty and leadership positions at academic medical institutions. Method AAMC 2013 faculty roster data for allopathic medical schools were used to compare the racial/ethnic and gender composition of faculty and chair positions at medical schools located within HBCU and PR to that of other medical schools in the United States. Data were compared using independent sample t-tests. Results Women were more highly represented in HBCU faculty (mean HBCU 43.5% vs. non-HBCU 36.5%, p=0.024) and chair (mean HBCU 30.1% vs. non-HBCU 15.6%, p=0.005) positions and in PR chair positions (mean PR 38.23% vs. non-PR 15.38%, p=0.016) compared with other allopathic institutions. HBCU were associated with increased African American representation in faculty (mean HBCU 59.5% vs. non-HBCU 2.6%, p=0.011) and chair (mean HBCU 73.1% vs. non-HBCU 2.2%, p≤0.001) positions. PR designation was associated with increased faculty (mean PR 75.40% vs. non-PR 3.72%, p≤0.001) and chair (mean PR 75.00% vs. non-PR 3.54%, p≤0.001) positions filled by Latinos/Hispanics. Conclusions Women and African Americans are better represented in faculty and leadership positions at HBCU, and women and Latino/Hispanics at PR medical schools, than they are at allopathic peer institutions.