Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The CHC22 Clathrin-GLUT4 Transport Pathway Contributes to Skeletal Muscle Regeneration

Mobilization of the GLUT4 glucose transporter from intracellular storage vesicles provides a mechanism for insulin-responsive glucose import into skeletal muscle. In humans, clathrin isoform CHC22 participates in formation of the GLUT4 storage compartment in skeletal muscle and fat. CHC22 function is limited to retrograde endosomal sorting and is restricted in its tissue expression and species distribution compared to the conserved CHC17 isoform that mediates endocytosis and several other membrane traffic pathways. Previously, we noted that CHC22 was expressed at elevated levels in regenerating rat muscle. Here we investigate whether the GLUT4 pathway in which CHC22 participates could play a role in muscle regeneration in humans and we test this possibility using CHC22-transgenic mice, which do not normally express CHC22. We observed that GLUT4 expression is elevated in parallel with that of CHC22 in regenerating skeletal muscle fibers from patients with inflammatory and other myopathies. Regenerating human myofibers displayed concurrent increases in expression of VAMP2, another regulator of GLUT4 transport. Regenerating fibers from wild-type mouse skeletal muscle injected with cardiotoxin also showed increased levels of GLUT4 and VAMP2. We previously demonstrated that transgenic mice expressing CHC22 in their muscle over-sequester GLUT4 and VAMP2 and have defective GLUT4 trafficking leading to diabetic symptoms. In this study, we find that muscle regeneration rates in CHC22 mice were delayed compared to wild-type mice, and myoblasts isolated from these mice did not proliferate in response to glucose. Additionally, CHC22-expressing mouse muscle displayed a fiber type switch from oxidative to glycolytic, similar to that observed in type 2 diabetic patients. These observations implicate the pathway for GLUT4 transport in regeneration of both human and mouse skeletal muscle, and demonstrate a role for this pathway in maintenance of muscle fiber type. Extrapolating these findings, CHC22 and GLUT4 can be considered markers of muscle regeneration in humans.
Improved single image dehazing using guided filter

—Single image dehazing is challenging because it is massively ill-posed. Haze removal based on dark channel prior is effective, but reﬁning the transmission map with closed-form matting is computationally expensive. Recent work discovered that using guided ﬁlter to reﬁne the transmission map is feasible. In this paper, we elaborate single image dehazing by combining dark channel prior and guided image ﬁltering in detail. By analyzing the tradeoffs of this approach, we propose an effective scheme to adapt the parameters. Experiments and comparisons show that our method generates satisfactory dehazed results with low computation.
Decentralized Receding Horizon Control and Coordination of Autonomous Vehicle Formations

This paper describes the application of a novel methodology for high-level control and coordination of autonomous vehicle teams and its demonstration on high-fidelity models of the organic air vehicle developed at Honeywell Laboratories. The scheme employs decentralized receding horizon controllers that reside on each vehicle to achieve coordination among team members. An appropriate graph structure describes the underlying communication topology between the vehicles. On each vehicle, information about neighbors is used to predict their behavior and plan conflict-free trajectories that maintain coordination and achieve team objectives. When feasibility of the decentralized control is lost, collision avoidance is ensured by invoking emergency maneuvers that are computed via invariant set theory.
Data envelopment analysis in the presence of measurement error: case study from the National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators® (NDNQI®)

Data envelopment analysis (DEA) is the most commonly used approach for evaluating healthcare efficiency [B. Hollingsworth, The measurement of efficiency and productivity of health care delivery. Health Economics 17(10) (2008), pp. 1107–1128], but a long-standing concern is that DEA assumes that data are measured without error. This is quite unlikely, and DEA and other efficiency analysis techniques may yield biased efficiency estimates if it is not realized [B.J. Gajewski, R. Lee, M. Bott, U. Piamjariyakul, and R.L. Taunton, On estimating the distribution of data envelopment analysis efficiency scores: an application to nursing homes’ care planning process. Journal of Applied Statistics 36(9) (2009), pp. 933–944; J. Ruggiero, Data envelopment analysis with stochastic data. Journal of the Operational Research Society 55 (2004), pp. 1008–1012]. We propose to address measurement error systematically using a Bayesian method (Bayesian DEA). We will apply Bayesian DEA to data from the National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators® to estimate nursing units’ efficiency. Several external reliability studies inform the posterior distribution of the measurement error on the DEA variables. We will discuss the case of generalizing the approach to situations where an external reliability study is not feasible.
Unsupervised Cross-Domain Transfer in Policy Gradient Reinforcement Learning via Manifold Alignment

The success of applying policy gradient reinforcement learning (RL) to difficult control tasks hinges crucially on the ability to determine a sensible initialization for the policy. Transfer learning methods tackle this problem by reusing knowledge gleaned from solving other related tasks. In the case of multiple task domains, these algorithms require an inter-task mapping to facilitate knowledge transfer across domains. However, there are currently no general methods to learn an inter-task mapping without requiring either background knowledge that is not typically present in RL settings, or an expensive analysis of an exponential number of inter-task mappings in the size of the state and action spaces. This paper introduces an autonomous framework that uses unsupervised manifold alignment to learn inter-task mappings and effectively transfer samples between different task domains. Empirical results on diverse dynamical systems, including an application to quadrotor control, demonstrate its effectiveness for cross-domain transfer in the context of policy gradient RL.
Association between hs-CRP and Hba1c in overweight type 2 diabetic female patients.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE High-sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) is associated with atherosclerosis. Previous studies have shown that hs-CRP is associated with insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes and higher HbA1c levels. As type 2 diabetes is often found in overweight women, the present study investigated the relationship between hs-CRP and HbA1c levels in such patients. MATERIAL AND METHOD This was a retrospective study of type 2 diabetic patients in Rajavithi Hospital from January 2009 until June 2011. All the subjects were females aged 40 years or more who had body mass index (BMI) of more than 25 kilograms per square metre. The patients were examined and blood was collected in order to check hs-CRP and HbA1c levels. RESULTS Data from 75 cases, classified the patients into 2 groups by their levels of hs-CRP and risk of coronary artery disease. Of the 75 patients, 35 had hs-CRP levels less than 1 mg/L, and the remaining 40 patients had hs-CRP levels of 1 mg/ L or more, representing 46.67% and 53.33% respectively, and it was found that hs-CRP values correlated with HbA1c levels. The group with hs-CRP of less than 1 milligram per liter had a mean HbA1c of 7.36 +/- 1.23%, while the group with hs-CRP of 1 mg/L or more had a mean HbA1c of 8.77 +/- 1.78%, with statistical significance at p-value < 0.001. CONCLUSION In the present study of patients with type 2 diabetes, the authors found that hs-CRP levels correlated with HbA1c levels. Mean HbA1c levels were significantly higher in patients who had hs-CRP levels of 1 mg/L or more (p-value < 0.001). Other factors such as age, blood pressure, BMI, LDL-C, serum creatinine were not correlated with hs-CRP level.
Employer Knowledge of and Attitudes toward Employees who Are Blind or Visually Impaired

Introduction The study presented here investigated employers’ knowledge about how persons who are blind or visually impaired perform typical job tasks (that is, use accommodations), how this knowledge relates to employers’ attitudes about these individuals as employees, and where employers seek help with job accommodations. Methods Businesses from four states were contacted by telephone to request participation; surveys were completed by 160 randomly selected businesses and 37 businesses referred by vocational rehabilitation agencies, yielding a total sample of 197. A 5-item instrument measured employers’ knowledge about how blind or visually impaired persons complete typical job tasks, and an 11-item instrument measured employers’ attitudes toward blind or visually impaired persons as employees. Results A majority of employers (67%) could not identify how blind or visually impaired persons perform any of the typical job tasks. Employers referred by vocational rehabilitation agencies were more likely to identify correct strategies than employers in the randomly identified sample. Knowledge levels were associated with attitudes toward blind or visually impaired persons as employees. Only 8.8% of the randomly identified sample cited an appropriate source of information about accommodations; 49.7% cited a secondary source and 41.5% were not able to identify an appropriate source. Discussion Most employers have limited or no knowledge about how blind or visually impaired persons perform routine job tasks. Those employers with greater levels of knowledge also had more positive attitudes toward blind or visually impaired persons as employees. It is encouraging that many employers were aware of an appropriate or secondary source of information about accommodations, and would therefore be likely to find such information if needed. Implications for practitioners Providing education to employers and human resources professionals about job accommodations, including where to find additional information, is necessary and would be an appropriate strategy to use when interacting with employers.
Network coding: Is zero error always possible?

In this work we study zero vs. ε-error capacity in network coding instances. For multicast network coding it is well known that all rates that can be delivered with arbitrarily small error probability can also be delivered with zero error probability; that is, the ε-error multicast capacity region and zero-error multicast capacity region are identical. For general network coding instances in which all sources originate at the same source node, Chan and Grant recently showed [ISIT 2010] that, again, ε-error communication has no rate advantage over zero-error communication. We start by revisiting the setting of co-located sources, where we present an alternative proof to that given by Chan and Grant. While the new proof is based on similar core ideas, our constructive strategy complements the previous argument. We then extend our results to the setting of index coding, which is a special and representative form of network coding that encapsulates the “source coding with side information” problem. Finally, we consider the “edge removal” problem (recently studied by Jalali, Effros, and Ho in [Allerton 2010] and [ITA 2011]) that aims to quantify the loss in capacity associated with removing a single edge from a given network. Using our proof for co-located sources, we tie the “zero vs. ε-error” problem in general network coding instances with the “edge removal” problem. Loosely speaking, we show that the two problem are equivalent.
HF Bistatic Ocean Doppler Spectra: Simulation Versus Experimentation

We simulate the Doppler spectra that can be obtained under experimental conditions from bistatic high-frequency oceanic radar. For this, we combine the bistatic second-order theory with the characteristics of the full radar system, such as antenna patterns, range attenuation, and postprocessing of the received signal. Because of the sharp variation of the bistatic geometry at short range, we show that it is crucial to take these effects into account for the correct interpretation of the first-order Bragg peaks. The second-order spectrum is more robust to the system characteristics but can under some conditions also suffer from its artifacts, especially in the vicinity of the secondary peaks. A comparison is made with experimental spectra acquired recently with a Wellen radar system on the Mediterranean coast. The Wave Watch III model is used to simulate directional wave height spectra after a preliminary validation with in situ buoy measurements. Experimental and simulated Doppler spectra agree generally well, except in the case where the directional wave spectrum has little energy in the line of sight of the radar.
What is the risk that I will transmit nephrotic syndrome to my children, Doctor?

Focal and segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) is a histological entity commonly found in children and adults with steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome (SRNS), with a 10-year renal survival rate in the 40–60% range [1–3]. FSGS has diverse aetiologies, among which genetic, infectious, toxic and inflammatory factors have been identified. In the last few years, significant advances have been made in the identification of genes involved in the development of familial forms of FSGS, thereby revealing molecules which play a central role in podocyte function. Determination of the appropriate genetic diagnosis is crucial, as it allows accurate counselling to be provided for the patients and their families, particularly on the risk of disease transmission.
Trans‐sialidase: a unique enzyme activity discovered in the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi

Trypanosoma cruzi, the agent of Chagas' disease, an ailment characterized by a progressive chronic fibrotic myocarditis and degeneration of tissues that are innervated by the autonomic nervous system, is a voracious sialic acid eater from glycoconjugates of the surrounding medium. This is accomplished through an active trans‐sialidase residing on the surface membrane of the trypomastigote stage, which is the parasite form that invades vertebrate cells. The existence of the enzyme was proposed and established only 7 years ago and yet a flood of information on the subject is already available. Trans‐sialidase is able to reversibly transfer sialic acid α(2å3)‐linked to an external Galβ from the host cell surface sialoglycoconjugates to a terminal Galβ of an appropriate acceptor on the parasite surface. In the absence of an acceptor, the enzyme acts as a hydrolase transferring sialic acid to water. Trans‐sialidase belongs to a highly heterogeneous gene family of surface molecules sharing with each other and with bacterial neuraminidases variable degrees of nucleotide sequence homology and common motifs. It has been proposed that sialylation of the parasite surface catalyzed by trans‐sialidase is necessary for successful invasion of the host cell, but the evidence available is still indirect. Another function could be a protection from lysis by the alternative pathway of complement while the parasite is circulating in the acute phase of the disease. —Colli, W. Trans‐sialidase: a unique enzyme activity discovered in the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi. FASEB J. 7: 1257‐1264; 1993.
Involvement of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in podocyte injury induced by excessive protein accumulation.

BACKGROUND An imbalance between protein load and folding capacity is referred to as endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. As a defense mechanism, cells express ER stress inducible chaperons, such as oxygen-regulated proteins 150 (ORP150) and glucose-regulated proteins (GRPs). While ER stress is important in various diseases, a pathophysiologic role for ER stress in kidney disease remains elusive. Here we investigate expression of ER stress proteins in cultured rat podocytes as well as in our recently developed animal model of abnormal protein retention within the ER of podocytes (i.e., megsin transgenic rat). METHODS The expression of ER stress inducible proteins (ORP150, GRP78, or GRP94) in cultured podocytes treated with tunicamycin, A23187, SNAP, hypoxia, or hyperglycemia, and the renal tissues or isolated glomeruli from megsin transgenic rats was analyzed by Western blotting analysis, immunohistochemistry, or confocal microscopy. RESULTS Cultured podocytes demonstrated that treatment with tunicamycin, A23187, and SNAP, but not hypoxia or hyperglycemia, up-regulate expression of ER stress proteins. Extracts of isolated glomeruli from megsin transgenic rats reveal marked up-regulation of ER stress chaperones in podocytes, which was supported by immunohistochemical analysis. Confocal microscopy revealed that ER stress in podocytes was associated with cellular injury. Podocytes of transgenic rats overexpressing a mutant megsin, without the capacity for polymerization within the ER, do not exhibit ER stress or podocyte damage, suggesting a pathogenic role of ER retention of polymerized megsin. CONCLUSION This paper implicates a crucial role for the accumulation of excessive proteins in the podocyte ER in the induction of ER stress and associated podocyte injury.
Experimental study on the sensitivity of DMLS manufactured Maraging Steel fatigue strength to the build orientation and allowance for machining

This work derives its motivations from the increasing interest towards Additive Manufacturing and the lack of studies, mainly in the field of fatigue. The effect of build orientation and of allowance for machining on DMLS produced Maraging Steel MS1 has been assessed. The experimental results, properly set up by tools of Design of Experiment, have been statistically processed and compared. The outcomes were that, probably due to effect of the thermal treatment, machining and material properties, the aforementioned factors do not have a significant impact on the fatigue response. This made it possible to work out a global curve that accounts for all the results, consisting in a high amount of data points. This can be regarded as one of the most generable and reliable fatigue models being currently available in the literature. Fracture surfaces have been carefully studied as well, individuating the initiation points being usually located at sub-surface porosities. Micrographies along the stacking direction and the build plane have been performed as well.
Making Related Service Decisions for Students with Severe Disabilities: Roles, Criteria, and Authority

Effective delivery of related services requires a shared framework for decision making among educators, related service personnel, and families. This framework may be characterized by (a) the roles of related service professionals, (b) the criteria used to make related service decisions, and (c) the authority for making decisions. Differences among team members regarding roles, criteria, and authority may impede the development of a shared framework, while similarities may provide foundations upon which to advance collaborative efforts and appropriate services. Identification of similarities and differences regarding roles, criteria, and authority were explored using a questionnaire distributed to parents, special education teachers, occupational therapists, physical therapists, and communication specialists who served students with severe disabilities in public schools. Comparisons were made using one-way ANOVA and Scheffé post hoc comparisons. Interpretations of results focus on conceptualizations for viewing roles, criteria, and authority regarding the provision of related services for students with severe disabilities.
Polymorphisms in the MT-ATP6 and MT-CYB genes in in vitro fertilization failure

Abstract The purpose of this study was to investigate whether fertilization failure after in vitro fertilization could be explained by polymorphisms in MT-ATP6 and MT-CYB genes. We performed a prospective comparative study of 111 fresh IVF cycles in Han Chinese between July 2011 and February 2013. Human sperm mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) variants in the MT-CYB and MT-ATP6 genes were screened by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and direct sequencing. Forty-six couples had low fertilization rates (< or =30%) or total fertilization failure, and 65 controls with normal fertilization. One unreported point mutation (A15472G) was found in this study. There were 7 and 3 polymorphic sites in the MT-ATP6 and MT-CYB, respectively. Interestingly, the frequencies of points 8701 and 15301 homozygous variants in study group were significantly higher than those in control group. However, the frequencies of the points 8701, 9075 and 15,301 heterozygous variants in study group were significantly lower than those in control group (4.35% versus 16.92%, 15.22% versus 32.31% and 6.52% versus 33.84%, respectively, p < 0.05). In addition, the frequency in subjects harboring A8701G and G15301A variants in study group was significantly higher than that in control group (63.04% versus 33.85%, p < 0.05). This study suggests that, in part, polymorphisms in the MT-ATP6 and MT-CYB genes may contribute to the unexpected fertilization failure.
Hippocampal loss of tenascin boundaries in Ammon's horn sclerosis

Ammon's horn sclerosis (AHS) is a common finding in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). In addition to selective neuronal cell loss and axonal reorganization, AHS is also characterized by a striking astroglial reaction. However, the functional significance of reactive astrogliosis in the pathogenesis of TLE remains to be determined. Reactive astrocytes produce a variety of cell adhesion molecules and other extracellular matrix (ECM) components with potential effects on axonal growth, axonal branching, and neosynaptogenesis in the central nervous system (CNS). In the present study we describe the distribution of the ECM glycoprotein tenascin/cytotactin (TN‐C) in 44 human hippocampal specimens from patients with TLE. The distribution of TN‐C immunoreactivity was evaluated with the anti‐human TN‐C monoclonal antibody K8 by densitometrical analysis, and TN‐C protein levels were detected by immunoblotting. In the normal human hippocampus, there were distinctive boundaries between areas of high and low TN‐C expression. These border zones demarcated areas with major synaptic input, i.e., the dentate gyrus molecular layer (DG‐ML) and the gray matter of the Ammon's horn. TN‐C and the neurite growth‐associated protein GAP‐43 exhibited a complementary pattern of distribution. Densitometric and protein biochemical analysis showed a significant, 4.3‐fold increase of TN‐C in the hippocampus of TLE patients with AHS compared with normal hippocampus obtained at autopsy. This increase in TN‐C immunoreactivity was accompanied by a loss of TN‐C boundaries and closely correlated with the extent of reactive gliosis, as indicated by immunoreactivity for glial fibrillary acidic protein. Furthermore, a striking colocalization between TN‐C and GAP‐43 was observed in the DG‐ML of patients with AHS. These observations raise the intriguing possibility of pathogenetically relevant glio‐neuronal interactions in human TLE. GLIA 19:35–46, 1997. © 1997 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.