Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Regionally Distinct Alterations in the Composition of the Gut Microbiota in Rats with Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetes

The aim of this study was to map the microbiota distribution along the gut and establish whether colon/faecal samples from diabetic rats adequately reflect the diabetic alterations in the microbiome. Streptozotocin-treated rats were used to model type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1D). Segments of the duodenum, ileum and colon were dissected, and the microbiome of the lumen material was analysed by using next-generation DNA sequencing, from phylum to genus level. The intestinal luminal contents were compared between diabetic, insulin-treated diabetic and healthy control rats. No significant differences in bacterial composition were found in the luminal contents from the duodenum of the experimental animal groups, whereas distinct patterns were seen in the ileum and colon, depending on the history of the luminal samples. Ileal samples from diabetic rats exhibited particularly striking alterations, while the richness and diversity obscured some of the modifications in the colon. Characteristic rearrangements in microbiome composition and diversity were detected after insulin treatment, though the normal gut flora was not restored. The Proteobacteria displayed more pronounced shifts than those of the predominant phyla (Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes) in the rat model of T1D. Diabetes and insulin replacement affect the composition of the gut microbiota in different, gut region-specific manners. The luminal samples from the ileum appear more suitable for diagnostic purposes than the colon/faeces. The Proteobacteria should be at the focus of diagnosis and potential therapy. Klebsiella are recommended as biomarkers of T1D.
Spindle assembly and cytokinesis in the absence of chromosomes during Drosophila male meiosis

Alarge body of work indicates that chromosomes play a key role in the assembly of both acentrosomal and centrosome-containing spindles. In animal systems, the absence of chromosomes either prevents spindle formation or allows the assembly of a metaphase-like spindle that fails to evolve into an ana-telophase spindle. Here, we show that Drosophila secondary spermatocytes can assemble morphologically normal spindles in the absence of chromosomes. The Drosophila mutants fusolo and solofuso are severely defective in chromosome segregation and produce secondary spermatocytes that are devoid of chromosomes. The centrosomes of these anucleated cells form robust asters that give rise to bipolar spindles that undergo the same ana-telophase morphological transformations that characterize normal spindles. The cells containing chromosome-free spindles are also able to assemble regular cytokinetic structures and cleave normally. In addition, chromosome-free spindles normally accumulate the Aurora B kinase at their midzones. This suggests that the association of Aurora B with chromosomes is not a prerequisite for its accumulation at the central spindle, or for its function during cytokinesis.
Brand Logo Placements in Violent Games

With the general aggression model and presence (i.e., sense of "being there") theory as frameworks, this study investigates the effects of violence cues (blood and screams of pain) and players' individual differences in aggression (trait aggression) on brand logo memory and on attitude change in a violent first-person shooter game (Half-Life 2). Physiological arousal (skin conductance levels) was assessed during game play and participants reported their sense of presence in the game. Results indicate that violence cues influence brand logo memory through engagement and affect attitude change via arousal. Although physiological arousal led to positive change in brand attitude, it does not significantly influence logo memory. Conversely, although higher levels of spatial presence led to better logo memory, there was a corresponding reduction in attitude change for highly recognized brands. We consider the possibility that increased memory but negative attitude change with higher presence in violent video games could deter advertisers from placing their messages inside violent games.
Multi-resource Fair Sharing for Datacenter Jobs with Placement Constraints

Providing quality-of-service guarantees by means of fair sharing has never been more challenging in datacenters. Due to the heterogeneity of machine configurations, datacenter jobs frequently specify placement constraints, restricting them to run on a particular class of machines meeting specific hardware/software requirements. In addition, jobs have diverse demands across multiple resource types, and may saturate any of the CPU, memory, or storage resources. Despite the rich body of recent work on datacenter scheduling, it remains unclear how multi-resource fair sharing is defined and achieved for jobs with placement constraints. In this paper, we propose a new sharing policy called Task Share Fairness (TSF). With TSF, jobs are better off sharing the datacenter, and are better off reporting demands and constraints truthfully. We have prototyped TSF on Apache Mesos and confirmed its service guarantees in a 50-node EC2 cluster. Trace-driven simulations have further revealed that TSF speeds up 60% of tasks over existing fair schedulers.
Enhanced Gravitropism of Roots with a Disrupted Cap Actin Cytoskeleton1

The actin cytoskeleton has been proposed to be a major player in plant gravitropism. However, understanding the role of actin in this process is far from complete. To address this problem, we conducted an analysis of the effect of Latrunculin B (Lat B), a potent actin-disrupting drug, on root gravitropism using various parameters that included detailed curvature kinetics, estimation of gravitropic sensitivity, and monitoring of curvature development after extended clinorotation. Lat B treatment resulted in a promotion of root curvature after a 90° reorientation in three plant species tested. More significantly, the sensitivity of maize (Zea mays) roots to gravity was enhanced after actin disruption, as determined from a comparison of presentation time of Lat B-treated versus untreated roots. A short 10-min gravistimulus followed by extended rotation on a 1-rpm clinostat resulted in extensive gravitropic responses, manifested as curvature that often exceeded 90°. Application of Lat B to the cap or elongation zone of maize roots resulted in the disruption of the actin cytoskeleton, which was confined to the area of localized Lat B application. Only roots with Lat B applied to the cap displayed the strong curvature responses after extended clinorotation. Our study demonstrates that disrupting the actin cytoskeleton in the cap leads to the persistence of a signal established by a previous gravistimulus. Therefore, actin could function in root gravitropism by providing a mechanism to regulate the proliferation of a gravitropic signal originating from the cap to allow the root to attain its correct orientation or set point angle.
Latinos and the Skin Color Paradox: Skin Color, National Origin, and Political Attitudes

For African Americans and Latinos, skin color is a significant predictor of many social and economic stratification variables including income, education, housing, occupational status, spousal status, poverty rates, criminal justice sentencing, and rates of depression. Given these patterns, some scholars have surprisingly found that skin color is not a significant predictor of many political attitudes for African Americans, and called this phenomenon the “skin color paradox. ” This article investigates the role of skin color, race, and national origin in predicting political marginality and political commonality among Latinos. The models suggest that skin color is not a significant predictor of political attitudes, consistent with the skin color paradox theory but that national origin does predict some political attitudes.
Stress exposure, secure base scriptedness, psychosocial needs satisfaction and behavioral problems among at-risk urban adolescents

Approved By: __ Advisor Date ii ACKNOLEDGEMENTS This project was made possible by the dedication and support of many people. Special thanks goes out to my advisor, Douglas Barnett, and committee members, Valerie Simon and Christopher Trentacosta. Also key to the implementation of this project were several graduate and undergraduate students in the Wayne State University Psychology Department, with an extra special thanks to my co-pilot, Patricia Richardson, and project coordinators, Robyn Ankawi and Segilola Ayeni. Thanks to the Wayne State Psychology Department and Graduate School and the General Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine Clinic of the Children's Hospital of Michigan for their financial and logistical support. Sincere thanks to all of the adolescents and caregivers who generously agreed to participate in this study. And finally, a heartfelt thanks to Laura Sala-Hamrick, Kimberley Hamrick, and many other friends and family members for their continuing love, support, and encouragement.
The psychological management of chronic tinnitus : a cognitive-behavioral approach

Most chapters end with "Conclusion. " Foreword. Preface. 1.Tinnitus-Features, Causes, and Interventions. Epidemiological Aspects of Tinnitus. Characteristics of Tinnitus. Causes of Tinnitus. Medical Treatments. Audiological Approaches. Tinnitus Retraining Therapy. Psychological Approaches. 2.Psychological Aspects of Chronic Tinnitus. Common Problems Experienced by People with Tinnitus. Personality Features of Tinnitus Patients. Relationship between Subjective Severity of Tinnitus and Objective Audiological Parameters. The Relationship between Distress and Psychological Variables. Cognitive-Behavioral Models of Tinnitus Distress or Handicap. Tinnitus and Pain. 3.Psychometric Assessment of Tinnitus Problems. Specific Questionnaires for Distress, Impairment, and Handicap. Measures of Cognitions and Coping Strategies. Other Tinnitus-Specific Scales. Daily Monitoring of Tinnitus. Measures of Depression and Anxiety. Ancillary Measures. 4.Interviewing the Tinnitus Patient: A Cognitive-Behavioral Analysis of Tinnitus Problems. Perceived Role of the Psychologist. Aspects of the Interview. 5.Cognitive-Behavior Therapy for Tinnitus. The Aim of Psychological Treatment. Information and Education. Cognitive Restructuring. Attention Control. Imagery Training. Relaxation Training. Some General Comments. 6.A Cognitive-Behavioral Group Therapy Program for Tinnitus. Sessions 1-8. 7.Relapse Prevention Following Psychological Management of Tinnitus. Relapse Prevention: The Work of Marlatt. Causes of Relapse. A Tinnitus Relapse Prevention Program. Sessions 1-5. 8.Psychological Interventions in the Management of Chronic Tinnitus: Efficacy of Treatment. Tinnitus Retraining Therapy. Hypnosis. Biofeedback. Relaxation Training. Cognitive-Behavior Therapy. References. Index. List of Figures.
Investigation of hip abductor activation in subjects with clinical unilateral hip osteoarthritis

Objectives: (a) To compare the magnitude of gluteus medius and tensor fascia lata activation between a group of subjects with clinical unilateral hip osteoarthritis and a group of healthy older adults. (b) To compare the magnitude of activation of the gluteus medius and tensor fascia lata between sides in a group of subjects with clinical unilateral hip osteoarthritis and a group of healthy older adults. Methods: 19 subjects with clinical unilateral hip osteoarthritis and 19 healthy controls were investigated. The subjects performed a stepping task during which recordings were obtained using surface electromyograms from the hip abductors, and kinetic data were obtained from a dual force platform. Results: Subjects with clinical hip osteoarthritis had higher gluteus medius activation than the healthy older adults (p=0.037). In addition, there were no differences in the magnitude of gluteus medius activation between the sides (p=0.733). There was no difference in the force platform data between the groups (p=0.078). Conclusions: The increased magnitude of gluteus medius activation in the group with hip osteoarthritis is evidence of a muscular dysfunction associated with hip disease. This has implications for the progressive nature of the disease and for its conservative management.
Age-related hearing loss: prevention of threshold declines, cell loss and apoptosis in spiral ganglion neurons

Age-related hearing loss (ARHL) -presbycusis - is the most prevalent neurodegenerative disease and number one communication disorder of our aged population; and affects hundreds of millions of people worldwide. Its prevalence is close to that of cardiovascular disease and arthritis, and can be a precursor to dementia. The auditory perceptual dysfunction is well understood, but knowledge of the biological bases of ARHL is still somewhat lacking. Surprisingly, there are no FDA-approved drugs for treatment. Based on our previous studies of human subjects, where we discovered relations between serum aldosterone levels and the severity of ARHL, we treated middle age mice with aldosterone, which normally declines with age in all mammals. We found that hearing thresholds and suprathreshold responses significantly improved in the aldosterone-treated mice compared to the non-treatment group. In terms of cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying this therapeutic effect, additional experiments revealed that spiral ganglion cell survival was significantly improved, mineralocorticoid receptors were upregulated via post-translational protein modifications, and age-related intrinsic and extrinsic apoptotic pathways were blocked by the aldosterone therapy. Taken together, these novel findings pave the way for translational drug development towards the first medication to prevent the progression of ARHL.
Current Trends in History and Social Studies Textbook Research (SPECIAL ISSUE : Comparative Perspectives on Textbook Research and Their Implications for Quality Education)

This essay gives an overview of major trends in history and social studies textbook research focusing on issues such as textbook revision, identity construction, methodology, textbooks and other educational media, textbooks and society, and the theory and history of educational media. Since textbook research does not exist as a specific academic field it seems to be more correct to speak of textbookrelated research that encompasses a wealth of diverse forms. Its high research output and methodological plurality stands in contrast to its low institutional basis in universities and other academic institutions. The main deficit of the current literature of textbook-related research is the lack of empirical findings on the usage, reception, and effects of textbooks in the classroom and a widespread atheoretical approach to textbook analysis. However, the field is expanding which is reflected by a variety of research approaches conducted from different disciplinary perspectives.
Annotation of URLs: more than the sum of parts

Recently a number of studies have demonstrated that search engine logfiles are an important resource to determine the relevance relation between URLs and query terms. We hypothesized that the queries associated with a URL could also be presented as useful URL metadata in a search engine result list, e.g. for helping to determine the semantic category of a URL. We evaluated this hypothesis by a classification experiment based on the DMOZ dataset. Our method can also annotate URLs that have no associated queries.
Construction of Manifolds via Compatible Sparse Representations

Manifold is an important technique to model geometric objects with arbitrary topology. In this article, we propose a novel approach for constructing manifolds from discrete meshes based on sparse optimization. The local geometry for each chart is sparsely represented by a set of redundant atom functions, which have the flexibility to represent various geometries with varying smoothness. A global optimization is then proposed to guarantee compatible sparse representations in the overlapping regions of different charts. Our method can construct manifolds of varying smoothness including sharp features (creases, darts, or cusps). As an application, we can easily construct a skinning manifold surface from a given curve network. Examples show that our approach has much flexibility to generate manifold surfaces with good quality.
Should we use cortical bone screws for cortical bone trajectory?

OBJECT In 2009, Santoni et al. reported cortical bone trajectory (CBT) as a method of inserting pedicle screws to obtain more solid fixation, and proposed the use of cortical trajectory screws with a more closely placed thread (cortical screws) for CBT. Since the entry trajectory in CBT differs from that in the traditional trajectory, it is unclear whether the increased strength derives from the specific trajectory or the shape of the screw thread in contact with the cortical bone. Whether the use of cortical screws is always required with CBT thus remains unclear. The authors therefore investigated the relationship between screw entry trajectory and screw thread characteristics and pullout strength in animal experiments. METHODS Lumbar vertebrae (L1-L4) from 4-month-old female pigs were randomly assigned to one of 4 groups, with cancellous screws or cortical screws inserted via the traditional trajectory or CBT. For pullout strength testing, the screw was pulled out vertically against the direction of insertion. Rod pullout testing (toggle testing) was also performed, and the peak breaking strength was measured. RESULTS The maximum pullout strength was significantly greater for CBT using cortical screws than for the traditional trajectory using cancellous screws. Pullout strength tended to be higher when cortical screws were used in both CBT and the traditional trajectory, although the difference was not significant. Toggle testing showed no significant differences among the 4 groups. CONCLUSIONS The specific unconventional trajectory seemed to have a major impact on the increased strength obtained with CBT.
Implementation of Wireless Vision Sensor Node for Characterization of Particles in Fluids

Wireless vision sensor networks (WVSNs) have a number of wireless vision sensor nodes (VSNs), often spread over a large geographical area. Each node has an image capturing unit, a battery or alternative energy source, a memory unit, a light source, a wireless link, and a processing unit. The challenges associated with WVSNs include low energy consumption, low bandwidth, limited memory, and processing capabilities. In order to meet these challenges, our paper is focused on the exploration of energy-efficient reconfigurable architectures for VSN. In this paper, the design and research challenges associated with the implementation of VSN on different computational platforms, such as microcontroller, field-programmable gate arrays, and server, are explored. In relation to this, the effect on the energy consumption and the design complexity at the node, when the functionality is moved from one platform to another, are analyzed. Based on the implementation of the VSN on embedded platforms, the lifetime of the VSN is predicted using the measured energy values of the platforms for different implementation strategies. The implementation results show that an architecture, where the compressed images after pixel-based operation are transmitted, realize a WVSN system with low energy consumption. Moreover, the complex postprocessing tasks are moved to a server which has less constraints.
Optimal coercivity inequalities in W1,p(Ω)

This paper describes the characterization of optimal constants for some coercivity inequalities in W1,p(Ω), 1 < p < ∞. A general result involving inequalities of p-homogeneous forms on a reflexive Banach space is first proved. The constants are shown to be the least eigenvalues of certain eigenproblems with equality holding for the corresponding eigenfunctions. This result is applied to three different classes of coercivity results on W1,p(Ω). The inequalities include very general versions of the Friedrichs and Poincaré inequalities. Scaling laws for the inequalities are also described.
Non–Oberbeck-Boussinesq effects in two-dimensional Rayleigh-Bénard convection in glycerol

We numerically analyze Non–Oberbeck-Boussinesq (NOB) effects in two-dimensional Rayleigh-Bénard flow in glycerol, which shows a dramatic change in the viscosity with temperature. The results are presented both as functions of the Rayleigh number Ra up to 108 (for fixed temperature difference Δ between the top and bottom plates) and as functions of Δ (“non-Oberbeck-Boussinesqness” or “NOBness”) up to 50 K (for fixed Ra). For this large NOBness the center temperature Tc is more than 5 K larger than the arithmetic mean temperature Tm between top and bottom plate and only weakly depends on Ra. To physically account for the NOB deviations of the Nusselt numbers from its Oberbeck-Boussinesq values, we apply the decomposition of NuNOB/NuOB into the product of two effects, namely first the change in the sum of the top and bottom thermal BL thicknesses, and second the shift of the center temperature Tc as compared to Tm. While for water the origin of the Nu deviation is totally dominated by the second effect (cf. Ahlers G. et al., J. Fluid Mech., 569 (2006) 409) for glycerol the first effect is dominating, in spite of the large increase of Tc as compared to Tm.
Caroli's Disease: A Magnetic Resonance Cholangiopancreatography Diagnosis

Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) has received much attention in the recent literature as a noninvasive alternative to endoscopic retrograde cholangiography, primarily for biliary calculus disease, but also for the less common indication of evaluation of biliary anomalies. We present a case of Caroli's disease in which the diagnosis can be clearly inferred by MRCP. The findings of MRCP and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography are similar. This new procedure could be a noninvasive alternative to direct cholangiography and perhaps will become the first-choice imaging technique for diagnosing Caroli's disease.
COMPUTATIONAL AND APPLIED MATHEMATICS Eﬃcient Solution of the Schroedinger-Poisson Equations In Layered Semiconductor Devices

In this paper we present several mathematical models that can be used to create approximate solutions of the three dimensional Schroedinger-Poisson equation in layered semiconductor devices. A general algorithmic strategy that can be used to create eﬃcient solution procedures for each of these models is described. Computational results demonstrating the accuracy and eﬃciency that can be obtained with the use of these models is presented.
The Internal Process of Therapeutic Touch

Therapeutic Touch (TT) is a complementary healing modality used by health care providers to reduce anxiety, accelerate relaxation, decrease pain, and enhance immunity. Research studies report outcomes of TT treatments, but few describe the specific process. This qualitative research study was conducted to describe the nature of the core process of TT in adults and full term infants as practiced by five professional nurses, each treating one adult and one infant. Analysis of data obtained from interviews and focused participant observations was conducted. Findings provide empirical data to depict an overall process divided into three phases: (a) preparation, (b) treatment, and (c) termination, that adheres to the standard process as described by Krieger. It expands on the description of each phase, including two new subcomponents, orienting and disengagement, not previously seen in the literature. Lastly, the study describes the modification of the TT process with infants compared to adults.