Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of a Low-Calorie Diet on Restoration of Normoglycemia in Obese subjects with Type 2 Diabetes

Introduction: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is considered to be an inevitably progressive disease. Complex therapies add to the financial and psychological burden. Very low-calorie diets (LCDs) are emerging as an option in the management of type 2 diabetes. Methods: We performed a clinical audit of patients with T2DM who received 12 weeks of LCD. Results: This case series documents that 6 out of 12 participants (median baseline HbA1c 9%) achieved HbA1c level in nondiabetes range with LCD despite stopping all antidiabetes medications. There was an improvement in serum triglycerides, HDL cholesterol, total cholesterol, C-Reactive protein, urine microalbumin, liver transaminases, liver fat and the indices of insulin resistance, beta cell secretory capacity, and insulin sensitivity. Conclusion: If long-term follow-up proves sustained benefits, such dietary restriction may be an alternative to more drastic options for reversal of type 2 diabetes. This may also help in changing the treatment perspective of a newly detected T2DM from an incurable and inevitably progressive disease to a potentially reversible disease.
Sex role orientations of female national collegiate athletic association championship gymnasts

S u m w y . 8 4 female gymnasts at the 1982 National Collegiate Athletic Association National Gymnastics Championships completed the Bem Sex-role Inventory. The data were compared with previously published data on sexrole orientations of female athletes and nonathletes. The gymnasts' sex-role orientations were significantly different from both the normative sample of college students and the previously published sex-role orientations of track and field athletes. These results support the hypothesis that sex-role orientation may be a major determinant in the choice to participate in some women's sports.
First Principles Study of Polyatomic Clusters of AlN, GaN, and InN. 1. Structure, Stability, Vibrations, and Ionization

First principles calculations based on the nonlocal density approximation to the density functional theory were performed to study structures, stabilities, and vibrational properties of small (monomer, triatomic, and dimer) neutral and ionized clusters of AlN, GaN, and InN. As a general trend, triatomic isomers prefer doublet spin states, whereas triplets are predicted for the monomer and the linear dimer clusters. Both nitrogenexcess and metal-excess triatomic clusters show minimum energy configurations to be approximately linear. The most stable isomer of Al2N2 and Ga2N2 is a rhombus with a singlet spin state, though In 2N2 is predicted not to be stable against dissociation into In 2 and N2. A strong dominance of the N-N bond over the metalnitrogen and metal-metal bonds appears to control the structural skeletons and the chemistry of these clusters. This is manifested in the dissociation of neutral and singly-ionized clusters, where the loss of metal atoms is shown to be the most likely fragmentation channel, except in the case of the dimer, in which the formation of two homonuclear diatomics is favored. The vibrational modes and frequencies are also explained in terms of the different bond strengths found in the diatomic clusters.
The Unifying Moral Dyad

Do moral disagreements regarding specific issues (e.g., patriotism, chastity) reflect deep cognitive differences (i.e., distinct cognitive mechanisms) between liberals and conservatives? Dyadic morality suggests that the answer is “no.” Despite moral diversity, we reveal that moral cognition—in both liberals and conservatives—is rooted in a harm-based template. A dyadic template suggests that harm should be central within moral cognition, an idea tested—and confirmed—through six specific hypotheses. Studies suggest that moral judgment occurs via dyadic comparison, in which counter-normative acts are compared with a prototype of harm. Dyadic comparison explains why harm is the most accessible and important of moral content, why harm organizes—and overlaps with—diverse moral content, and why harm best translates across moral content. Dyadic morality suggests that various moral content (e.g., loyalty, purity) are varieties of perceived harm and that past research has substantially exaggerated moral differences between liberals and conservatives.
Clathrin and Membrane Microdomains Cooperatively Regulate RbohD Dynamics and Activity in Arabidopsis[C][W]

This work used single-particle tracking analysis to detect the dynamics of GFP-RbohD in Arabidopsis. GFP-RbohD spots were found to be mobile with high heterogeneity at the plasma membrane and preferentially assembled into clusters when activated. The results also demonstrated that the internalization of GFP-RbohD occurred via multiple endocytic pathways. Arabidopsis thaliana respiratory burst oxidase homolog D (RbohD) functions as an essential regulator of reactive oxygen species (ROS). However, our understanding of the regulation of RbohD remains limited. By variable-angle total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy, we demonstrate that green fluorescent protein (GFP)-RbohD organizes into dynamic spots at the plasma membrane. These RbohD spots have heterogeneous diffusion coefficients and oligomerization states, as measured by photobleaching techniques. Stimulation with ionomycin and calyculin A, which activate the ROS-producing enzymatic activity of RbohD, increases the diffusion and oligomerization of RbohD. Abscisic acid and flg22 treatments also increase the diffusion coefficient and clustering of GFP-RbohD. Single-particle analysis in clathrin heavy chain2 mutants and a Flotillin1 artificial microRNA line demonstrated that clathrin- and microdomain-dependent endocytic pathways cooperatively regulate RbohD dynamics. Under salt stress, GFP-RbohD assembles into clusters and then internalizes into the cytoplasm. Dual-color fluorescence cross-correlation spectroscopy analysis further showed that salt stress stimulates RbohD endocytosis via membrane microdomains. We demonstrate that microdomain-associated RbohD spots diffuse at the membrane with high heterogeneity, and these dynamics closely relate to RbohD activity. Our results provide insight into the regulation of RbohD activity by clustering and endocytosis, which facilitate the activation of redox signaling pathways.
A Comparison of the Effects of the First Impression and the Last Impression in a Selling Context

A plethora of studies in psychology, communication and advertising indicate that the first and last phases of an event are predominant in customer evaluations. Many practitioners also argue that the first and the last impressions made by an advisor in a selling context have the most important influence on clients' evaluations. However, few researchers have studied this phenomenon in the marketing literature. We conducted a survey of more than 500 clients. Following structural equation modeling analyses, our results indicate that perceived quality and trust were found to be influenced by the initial impression, whereas satisfaction was mostly impacted by the final impression. Several managerial recommendations and research avenues are presented in this article.
Distinguishing Informational Cascades from Herd Behavior in the Laboratory

This paper reports an experimental test of how individuals learn from the behavior of others. By using techniques only available in the laboratory, we elicit subjects' beliefs. This allows us to distinguish informational cascades from herd behavior. By adding a setup with continuous signal and discrete action, we enrich the ball-andurn observational learning experiments paradigm of Lisa R. Anderson and Charles Holt (1997). We attempt to understand subjects' behavior by estimating a model that allows for the possibility of errors in earlier decisions.
Personality predictors of artistic preferences as a function of the emotional valence and perceived complexity of paintings.

This study explored associations among the Big Five personality factors, unconventionality, selected demographics, and preference for 4 distinct visual art genres (portraiture, abstract art, geometric art, and impressionism). In total, 3,254 participants completed an online survey assessing individual difference and preference ratings for different paintings. Participants were also asked to rate each observed painting for emotional liking and perceived complexity, which enabled examination of whether personality could predict artistic preferences when the latter was classified on the basis of consensual, rather than researcher-led or art historical, taxonomies. Correlations and structural equation models showed that the correlates and predictors of artistic preferences were stronger when art was classified using consensual ratings (particularly in the case of complex art) than according to researcher-led or art historical taxonomies. Although these findings are somewhat exploratory and more comprehensive measures of individual differences and art preferences could be employed, they suggest that trait-congruent classifications of aesthetic stimuli may improve prediction and understanding of individual differences in artistic preferences.
Age-related prevalence and characteristics of Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans in periodontitis patients living in Sweden

ABSTRACT Background: The presence of Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans in patients with periodontitis has been extensively studied for decades. Objective: To study the prevalence of A. actinomycetemcomitans in younger and older periodontitis patients and to genetically characterize isolates of this bacterium. Design: Data from microbiological analyses of 3459 subgingival plaque samples collected from 1445 patients, 337 ‘younger’ patients (≤35 yrs) and 1108 ‘older’ patients (>35 yrs) during 15 years (2000–2014), has been summerized. Isolates of A. actinomycetemcomitans were serotyped, leukotoxin promoter typed (JP2 and non JP2) and arbitrarily primed PCR (AP-PCR) genotyped. The origin of the JP2 genotype detected in the study population was determined. Results: The prevalence of A. actinomycetemcomitans was higher among younger than older patients and samples from the younger patients contained higher proportions of the bacterium. Serotype b was more prevalent among younger patients and the majorty of these isolates was from the same AP-PCR genotype. The JP2 genotype was detected in 1.2% of the patients, and the majority of these carriers were of non-African origin. Conslusions: For presence and charcteristics of A. actinomycetemcomitans in clinical samples the age of the carriers were a discriminating factor. Additional, apparently non-African carriers of the JP2 genotype of A. actinomycetemcomitans were identified.
Home and School: Children's Lived Experience of Literacy *

The proposed research forms the next phase of an ethnographic study on Singapore children’s literacy experience carried out by the principal investigator (first author). In the earlier study, currently on-going and entitled ‘Malay Children’s Lived Experience of Literacy’ (henceforth referred to as MCLEL), the focus is on Malay children. The study, started in January 2005, examines the literacy development of eight Malay children in and out of school in kindergarten and subsequently in primary one. As the research unfolds, the principal investigator becomes increasingly aware of the importance of undertaking a similar study on Chinese children given that no comparable study on these children has been done thus far. This, at the moment, is a regrettable gap, more so given the heavily socially stratified nature of this group.
Gpr125 modulates Dishevelled distribution and planar cell polarity signaling

During vertebrate gastrulation, Wnt/planar cell polarity (PCP) signaling orchestrates polarized cell behaviors underlying convergence and extension (C&E) movements to narrow embryonic tissues mediolaterally and lengthen them anteroposteriorly. Here, we have identified Gpr125, an adhesion G protein-coupled receptor, as a novel modulator of the Wnt/PCP signaling system. Excess Gpr125 impaired C&E movements and the underlying cell and molecular polarities. Reduced Gpr125 function exacerbated the C&E and facial branchiomotor neuron (FBMN) migration defects of embryos with reduced Wnt/PCP signaling. At the molecular level, Gpr125 recruited Dishevelled to the cell membrane, a prerequisite for Wnt/PCP activation. Moreover, Gpr125 and Dvl mutually clustered one another to form discrete membrane subdomains, and the Gpr125 intracellular domain directly interacted with Dvl in pull-down assays. Intriguingly, Dvl and Gpr125 were able to recruit a subset of PCP components into membrane subdomains, suggesting that Gpr125 may modulate the composition of Wnt/PCP membrane complexes. Our study reveals a role for Gpr125 in PCP-mediated processes and provides mechanistic insight into Wnt/PCP signaling.
Effect of plant extract denture cleansing on heat-cured acrylic denture base resin: An in vitro study

Aim: Various chemical solutions have been recommended for denture disinfection; however, the immersion effect on the properties of denture base resin may also have effect on strength of the resin material. The purpose of this in vitro study was to compare and evaluate the flexural strength of heat-cure acrylic denture base resin by combination method of denture cleansing and plant extract immersion. Materials and Methods: In this study, ninety specimens of heat-cure acrylic denture base resin material were fabricated with dimensions of 65 mm × 10 mm × 3.3 mm. The specimens were divided into three groups, namely, Group I–III of thirty specimens each and were immersed in distilled water, denture cleanser, and thyme essential oil, respectively. The flexural strength of specimen was evaluated. Results: Natural plant extract showed better flexural strength than immersed in denture cleanser and control group but statistically was not significant. Conclusion: The study concluded that plant extract, namely, thyme essential oil, showed better flexural strength than combination method and can be used as denture cleanser.
The characteristic site-specific reactivation phenotypes of HSV-1 and HSV-2 depend upon the latency-associated transcript region

After replication at sites of initial inoculation, herpes simplex virus type 1 and 2 (HSV-1 and HSV-2) establish lifelong latent infections of the sensory and autonomic neurons of the ganglia serving those sites. Periodically, the virus reactivates from these neurons, and travels centripetally along the neuronal axon to cause recurrent epithelial infection. The major clinically observed difference between infections with herpes simplex virus type 1 and type 2 is the anatomic site specificity of recurrence. HSV-1 reactivates most efficiently and frequently from trigeminal ganglia, causing recurrent ocular and oral- facial lesions, while HSV-2 reactivates primarily from sacral ganglia causing recurrent genital lesions. An intertypic recombinant virus was constructed and evaluated in animal models of recurrent ocular and genital herpes. Substitution of a 2.8-kbp region from the HSV-1 latency- associated transcript (LAT) for native HSV-2 sequences caused HSV-2 to reactivate with an HSV-1 phenotype in both animal models. The HSV-2 phenotype was restored by replacing the mutated sequences with wild- type HSV-2 LAT-region sequences. These sequences or their products must act specifically in the cellular environments of trigeminal and sacral neurons to promote the reactivation patterns characteristic of each virus.
A study of the turbulence structures of wall-bounded shear flows

This project extends the study of the structure of wall-bounded flows using the topological properties of eddying motions as developed by Chong et al. (1990), Soria et al. (1992, 1994), and as recently extended by Blackburn et al. (1996) and Chacin et al. (1996). In these works, regions of flow which are focal in nature are identified by being enclosed by an isosurface of a positive small value of the discriminant of the velocity gradient tensor. These regions resemble the attached vortex loops suggested first by Theodorsen (1955). Such loops are incorporated in the attached eddy model versions of Perry & Chong (1982), Perry et al. (1986), and Perry & Marusic (1995), which are extensions of a model first formulated by Townsend (1976). The DNS data of wall bounded flows studied here are from the zero pressure gradient flow of Spalart (1988) and the boundary layer with separation and reattachment of Na & Moin (1996). The flow structures are examined from the viewpoint of the attached eddy hypothesis.
A Comparison of Exposure Control Procedures in CATs Using the GPC Model

The current study compares the progressive-restricted standard error (PR-SE) exposure control method with the Sympson-Hetter, randomesque, and no exposure control (maximum information) procedures using the generalized partial credit model with fixed- and variable-length CATs and two item pools. The PR-SE method administered the entire item pool for all conditions; whereas the Sympson-Hetter and randomesque procedures did not administer 27%–28% and 14%, respectively, of item pool 1 and about 45%–50% and 27%–29% of item pool 2, respectively, of the items that were not administered. PR-SE also resulted in the smallest amount of mean item overlap averaged across replications. These results were obtained with similar measurement precision compared to the other methods while improving on the utilization of the item pools, except for very low theta levels (less than −2) for item pool 2, where a mismatch with the trait distribution occurs.
Cardiac Rehabilitation Programs Markedly Improve High-Risk Profiles in Coronary Patients with High Psychological Distress

Objectives: Adverse behavioral profiles, particularly depression and hostility, increase the risk of coronary artery disease (CAD) and affect recovery after CAD events. We sought to determine the effects of outpatient phase II cardiac rehabilitation and exercise training (CRET) programs in CAD patients with high levels of psychological distress. Methods: We studied 500 consecutive patients both before and after phase II CRET programs and compared 109 patients with the highest quintile of psychological distress (HD) with 115 patients with the lowest quintile of psychological distress (LD). Results: At baseline, patients with HD were younger (P < 0.001), had higher weight (+11%; P < 0.001), body mass indices (BMI) (+9%; P < 0.01), triglycerides (+66%; P < 0.0001), and glycosylated hemoglobin (+9%; P = 0.03), and had higher scores for depression, hostility, anxiety, and somatization (all P < 0.0001), but had lower values for exercise capacity(−15%; P = 0.02), high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (−10%; P < 0.01), and total quality of life (QoL) (−26%; P < 0.0001), and all 6 major components of QoL compared with LD. After CRET, patients with HD had significant reductions in weight (−2%; P < 0.01), % fat (−6%; P < 0.001), BMI (−2%, P < 0.01), and scores for anxiety (−49%), depression (−47%), somatization (−34%) and hostility (−38%) (all P < 0.0001), and increases in exercise capacity (+54%; P < 0.0001), HDL cholesterol (+10%; P < 0.0001), and total QoL (+23%; P < 0.0001), and the 6 components of QoL studied. Compared with patients with LD, those with HD had statistically greater improvements in HDL (P = 0.03), triglycerides (P = 0.03), BMI (P = 0.02), as well as all behavioral characteristics and QoL (P < 0.0001), and had similar improvements in all other factors assessed. Conclusions: These data support the routine assessment of high-risk behavioral characteristics in patients with CAD and demonstrate the marked improvements that occur after phase II CRET programs in CAD patients with high psychological distress.
The Rx-like homeobox gene (Rx-L) is necessary for normal photoreceptor development.

PURPOSE The retinal homeobox (Rx) gene plays an essential role in retinal development. An Rx-like (Rx-L) gene from Xenopus laevis has been identified. The purpose of this study was to analyze the function of Rx-L in the developing retina. METHODS DNA-binding properties of Rx-L were analyzed by electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA), with in vitro-translated proteins and radiolabeled oligonucleotide probe. The Rx-L expression pattern was analyzed by in situ hybridization using whole or sectioned embryos and digoxigenin-labeled antisense riboprobes. Rx-L loss of function was studied by using antisense morpholino oligonucleotides targeted to the Rx-L translation initiation site. Embryos injected with control or Rx-L morpholinos were analyzed at stage 41 or 45. RESULTS Rx-L shares homology with Rx at the homeo-, OAR, and Rx domains, but lacks an octapeptide motif. Rx-L is expressed in the developing retina beginning in the early tailbud stage. In the maturing retina, Rx-L expression is restricted primarily to the developing photoreceptor layer and the ciliary marginal zone. Rx-L can bind a photoreceptor conserved element-1 (PCE-1) oligonucleotide, an element conserved among all known photoreceptor gene promoters. In a promoter activity assay, Rx-L functions as a stronger transcriptional activator than Rx. Antisense morpholino-mediated knockdown of Rx-L expression resulted in a decrease in rhodopsin and red cone opsin expression levels in Xenopus retinas. Injection of the Rx-L antisense morpholino oligonucleotide also resulted in a decrease in the length of both rod and cone outer segments. CONCLUSIONS The results suggest that Rx-L functions to regulate rod and cone development by activating photoreceptor-specific gene expression.
An Sp1 Modulated Regulatory Region Unique to Higher Primates Regulates Human Androgen Receptor Promoter Activity in Prostate Cancer Cells

Androgen receptor (AR) mediated signalling is necessary for normal development of the prostate gland and also drives prostate cancer (PCa) cell growth and survival, with many studies showing a correlation between increased receptor levels and therapy resistance with progression to fatal castrate recurrent PCa (CRPC). Although it has been held for some time that the transcription factor Sp1 is the main stimulator of AR gene transcription, comprehensive knowledge of the regulation of the AR gene remains incomplete. Here we describe and characterise in detail two novel active regulatory elements in the 5’UTR of the human AR gene. Both of these elements contain overlapping binding sites for the positive transcription factor Sp1 and the repressor protein pur-α. Aberrant cell signalling is characteristic of PCa and the transcriptional activity of the AR promoter in PCa cells is dependent upon the relative amounts of the two transcription factors. Together with our corroboration of the dominant role of Sp1, the findings support the rationale of targeting this transcription factor to inhibit tumour progression. This should be of particular therapeutic relevance in CRPC where the levels of the repressor pur-α are reduced.
Performance Evaluation Tests for Environmental Research (Peter): Spoke Tasks

Two Spoke Tasks were evaluated for their qualifications for use in repeated-measures experiments. Fashioned after the Reitan Trail Making Test (Form A), the Experimental Task showed linear trends in means and homogeneous variances from the first day. Differential stability was indicated by statistical analysis from the first day with reliability of 0.43; however, graphical analysis indicated increasing reliability and differential instability for later trials. From the first day, the Control Task showed linear trends in means, homogeneous variances, and differential stability with reliability of 0.80. The Control Task was recommended for inclusion in test batteries for repeated-measures applications.