Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Exercise-Induced Changes in Glucose Metabolism Promote Physiological Cardiac Growth

Background: Exercise promotes metabolic remodeling in the heart, which is associated with physiological cardiac growth; however, it is not known whether or how physical activity–induced changes in cardiac metabolism cause myocardial remodeling. In this study, we tested whether exercise-mediated changes in cardiomyocyte glucose metabolism are important for physiological cardiac growth. Methods: We used radiometric, immunologic, metabolomic, and biochemical assays to measure changes in myocardial glucose metabolism in mice subjected to acute and chronic treadmill exercise. To assess the relevance of changes in glycolytic activity, we determined how cardiac-specific expression of mutant forms of 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase/fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase affect cardiac structure, function, metabolism, and gene programs relevant to cardiac remodeling. Metabolomic and transcriptomic screenings were used to identify metabolic pathways and gene sets regulated by glycolytic activity in the heart. Results: Exercise acutely decreased glucose utilization via glycolysis by modulating circulating substrates and reducing phosphofructokinase activity; however, in the recovered state following exercise adaptation, there was an increase in myocardial phosphofructokinase activity and glycolysis. In mice, cardiac-specific expression of a kinase-deficient 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase/fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase transgene (GlycoLo mice) lowered glycolytic rate and regulated the expression of genes known to promote cardiac growth. Hearts of GlycoLo mice had larger myocytes, enhanced cardiac function, and higher capillary-to-myocyte ratios. Expression of phosphatase-deficient 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase/fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase in the heart (GlycoHi mice) increased glucose utilization and promoted a more pathological form of hypertrophy devoid of transcriptional activation of the physiological cardiac growth program. Modulation of phosphofructokinase activity was sufficient to regulate the glucose–fatty acid cycle in the heart; however, metabolic inflexibility caused by invariantly low or high phosphofructokinase activity caused modest mitochondrial damage. Transcriptomic analyses showed that glycolysis regulates the expression of key genes involved in cardiac metabolism and remodeling. Conclusions: Exercise-induced decreases in glycolytic activity stimulate physiological cardiac remodeling, and metabolic flexibility is important for maintaining mitochondrial health in the heart.
GPU-Based Texture Flow Visualization

The current state-of-the-art graphic hardware from world leading 3D industry manufactures offers a way to configure and to control geometry and texture processing pipeline. As a result a possibility to use these video cards as a platform for scientific visualization has risen. The objective of this paper is to present current efforts on developing two texture visualization techniques for unsteady 2D and 3D vector fields, employing graphic processing unit (GPU) with OpenGL extension ARB vertex program. The program that implements suggested GPU-based 2D visualization procedure is presented. Methods presented in this work are a straight-forward extension of the Lagrangian-Eulerian advection technique. GPU exploit allows us to increase method performance and gain higher
Leader Advancement Motive, Political Skill, Leader Behavior, and Effectiveness: A Moderated Mediation Extension of Socioanalytic Theory

We examine socioanalytic theory from a leadership perspective and extend this research to examine the mediating mechanisms through which leader getting ahead motive and social competence influence leader effectiveness outcomes. A first-stage moderated mediation model was tested and supported, positioning the Leader Motive to Get Ahead × Political Skill interaction as influencing perceived institutional effectiveness and follower satisfaction with one’s leader through leader initiating structure behavior. This research both supports the relevance of socioanalytic theory for predicting leadership outcomes and extends socioanalytic theory to examine a mediating mechanism through which the interaction of the leader getting ahead motive and social competencies affects relevant performance outcomes. Contributions, strengths and limitations, directions for future research, and practical implications are discussed.
Creating a social world: a developmental twin study of peer-group deviance.

CONTEXT Peer-group deviance is strongly associated with externalizing behaviors. We have limited knowledge of the sources of individual differences in peer-group deviance. OBJECTIVE To clarify genetic and environmental contributions to peer-group deviance in twins from midchildhood through early adulthood. DESIGN Retrospective assessments using a life-history calendar. Analysis by biometric growth curves. SETTING General community. PARTICIPANTS Members of male-male pairs from the population-based Virginia Twin Registry personally interviewed in 1998-2004 (n = 1802). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE Self-reported peer-group deviance at ages 8 to 11, 12 to 14, 15 to 17, 18 to 21, and 22 to 25 years. RESULTS Mean and variance of peer-group deviance increased substantially with age. Genetic effects on peer-group deviance showed a strong and steady increase over time. Family environment generally declined in importance over time. Individual-specific environmental influences on peer-group deviance levels were stable in the first 3 age periods and then increased as most twins left home. When standardized, the heritability of peer-group deviance is approximately 30% at ages 8 to 11 years and rises to approximately 50% across the last 3 time periods. Both genes and shared environment contributed to individual differences in the developmental trajectory of peer-group deviance. However, while the correlation between childhood peer-group deviance levels and the subsequent slope of peer-group deviance over time resulting from genetic factors was positive, the same relationship resulting from shared environmental factors was negative. CONCLUSIONS As male twins mature and create their own social worlds, genetic factors play an increasingly important role in their choice of peers, while shared environment becomes less influential. The individual-specific environment increases in importance when individuals leave home. Individuals who have deviant peers in childhood, as a result of genetic vs shared environmental influences, have distinct developmental trajectories. Understanding the risk factors for peer-group deviance will help clarify the etiology of a range of externalizing psychopathology.
Hippocampal volume and cognitive performance in long‐standing Type 1 diabetic patients without macrovascular complications

© 2006 The Authors. Journal compilation © 2006 Diabetes UK. Diabetic Medicine , 23 , 1268–1274 the metabolic syndrome were entered as categorical variables (instead of the metabolic syndrome as a single entity), only hypertension and dyslipidaemia ( P < 0.001 for both), along with older age, male sex and smoking history, showed independent associations with incident CVD events (data not shown). In conclusion, these results indicate that the presence of metabolic syndrome is associated with a moderately increased risk of incident CVD events in Type 2 diabetic individuals, independent of a broad spectrum of potential confounders. Thus, the new IDF definition of the syndrome can perform well as a marker for classifying Type 2 diabetic individuals according to their risk for future CVD. Further prospective studies are needed to validate the prognostic value of the new IDF definition in different populations.
Head region of unconventional myosin I family members is responsible for the organ‐specificity of their roles in left–right polarity in Drosophila

In Drosophila, Myosin31DF (Myo31DF), encoding a Myosin ID protein, has crucial roles in left–right (LR) asymmetric development. Loss of Myo31DF function leads to laterality inversion for many organs, including the embryonic gut. Here, we found that Myo31DF was required before LR asymmetric morphogenesis in the hindgut, suggesting it functions in LR patterning instead of directly in hindgut morphological changes. Myosin61F (Myo61F) encodes another Myosin I, and Myo31DF or Myo61F overexpression reverses the laterality of different organs. Myo31DF and Myo61F have domains conserved in Myosin proteins, particularly in the proteins' head regions. We studied the roles of these domains in LR patterning using overexpression analysis. The Actin‐binding and ATP‐binding domains were essential for both proteins, but the IQ domains, binding sites for Myosin light chains, were required only by Myo31DF. Our results also suggest that the organ specificities of the Myo31DF and Myo61F activities depended on their head regions. Developmental Dynamics 237:3528–3537, 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Detailed Quantitative Analysis of Architectural Traits of Basal Roots of Young Seedlings of Bean in Response to Auxin and Ethylene1[W]

Vertical placement of roots within the soil determines their efficiency of acquisition of heterogeneous belowground resources. This study quantifies the architectural traits of seedling basal roots of bean (Phaseolus vulgaris), and shows that the distribution of root tips at different depths results from a combined effect of both basal root growth angle (BRGA) and root length. Based on emergence locations, the basal roots are classified in three zones, upper, middle, and lower, with each zone having distinct architectural traits. The genotypes characterized as shallow on BRGA alone produced basal roots with higher BRGA, greater length, and more vertically distributed roots than deep genotypes, thereby establishing root depth as a robust measure of root architecture. Although endogenous indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) levels were similar in all genotypes, IAA and 1-N-naphthylphthalamic acid treatments showed different root growth responses to auxin because shallow and deep genotypes tended to have optimal and supraoptimal auxin levels, respectively, for root growth in controls. While IAA increased ethylene production, ethylene also increased IAA content. Although differences in acropetal IAA transport to roots of different zones can account for some of the differences in auxin responsiveness among roots of different emergence positions, this study shows that mutually dependent ethylene-auxin interplay regulates BRGA and root growth differently in different genotypes. Root length inhibition by auxin was reversed by an ethylene synthesis inhibitor. However, IAA caused smaller BRGA in deep genotypes, but not in shallow genotypes, which only responded to IAA in the presence of an ethylene inhibitor.
Temporal arrangement of signals in heartbeat discrimination procedures.

Three experiments are reported which were designed to define optimal placements of S+ signals in Whitehead-type discrimination procedures by asking when in the cardiac cycle signals are perceived as most coincident with heartbeats. In Experiment I subjects discriminated signals delayed either 0 or 100 ms from the R-wave from signals delayed 400 ms. In Experiment II subjects chose signals delayed 0, 100, or 200 ms as more synchronous with heartbeats than signals delayed 300 or 400 ms. In Experiment III no central tendency emerged when subjects adjusted a signal through delays of 0, 60, 120, 180, and 240 ms seeking the value most synchronous with heartbeats. It is concluded that subjects can reliably discriminate events in the first quarter second of the cardiac cycle from events occurring later (although the functional significance of this ability remains obscure) and that S+ signals in such procedures should be placed within that time period.
A systems engineering approach to collaborative coordination of UAS in the NAS with safety guarantees

We develop new fundamental methodologies for high performance and provably safe autonomous and collaborative control and operation of autonomous unmanned aerial systems (UAS) in the national airspace (NAS), where both UAS and manned aircraft fly. The proposed framework is model-based, and emphasizes multiple scales in time and space as well as hybrid systems mathematics to capture both the analog and logical components of control functionalities. We develop on-line control laws that allow for multiple UAS agents to reconfigure to different formations with proofs of safety and convergence while navigating in integrated airspace with piloted air vehicles. We demonstrate our results in simulated scenario with both cooperative and uncooperative air vehicles.
Pattern Recognition of 3D CAD Objects: Towards an Electronic Yellow Pages of Mechanical Parts

Industry estimates show that aggressive reuse of existing inventory could reduce the delivered cost of large, complex manufactured systems by as much as 20%. In most cases these savings are not captured, principally because the current technology to locate reusable designs and inventory, which uses taxonomies and other arti cial indices, is too cumbersome. Furthermore, current systems do not address the design phase where opportunities for reuse rst arise. This paper describes a computer-based technology that will be an important step towards solving this problem. For mechanical parts, the modern design phase starts with computer aided design (CAD) packages. Given a prototype design of a solid object, the design engineer should be able to determine whether the part under consideration is already designed or in manufacture. Our system does this by using physical shape as a direct index to existing designs and manufactured components, eliminating time-consuming and error-prone searches of the taxonomy. Other applications of this technology include identi cation of warehoused parts according to scanned shape and e cient management of 3-dimensional objects in computer animation and virtual reality systems. Our system takes a standard digital representation of a solid object, such as in IGES form, and produces a surface triangular mesh representing the boundary of the object. The surface mesh allows a voxel approximation representation of the solid which is computed by ood lling. Zeroth, rst and second order geometrical moments are used to normalize the orientation of the solid. Then a variety of volumetric invariants are computed and used as features. These features determine a hash function which maps similar shapes to closely related feature vectors. Nearby feature vectors identify a small subset of objects which are compared using symmetric di erencing on a voxel by voxel basis. This voxel symmetric di erence gives a rank ordering of similarity between 3-dimensional shapes in the database and the object under consideration. Using this small subset of like-shaped objects, the design engineer can browse a reasonable subset of parts from the complete database. The described research has signi cant applications in industries which seek to reuse existing designs and inventory thereby reducing manufacturing costs. Applications in aerospace, automobile and machine tool industries are most promising and urgent. We expect that this research will lead to the commercial development of software that will enhance existing CAD and database systems.
[Experimental contaminations with americium solutions and their treatment].

Abstract Les contaminations par l'americium sont etudiees sous Tangle de la solubilite dans l'organisme vivant des sels utilises, nitrate et sulfate, suivant la porte d'entree, intraveineuse, intramusculaire ou pulmonaire, et de leur elimination provoquee par le DTPA, administre soit par voie intramusculaire soit par aerosol. Les deux sets ont la meme distribution des fractions absorbees par les principaux organes, et ne different que par la plus grande vitesse de migration du sulfate. Le DTPA est tres ef8cace, meme quand le traitement debute 24 hr aprCS la contamination et n'est repete qu'une fois par semaine, tant pour la decontamination du site d'introduction, dont la charge diminue en 3 mois d'un facteur 3,3 ou 7,3, suivant qu'il s'agisse de muscle ou de poumon, que pour la protection du squelette dont la charge est abaissee d'un facteur 4 ou 8. La meilleure voie d'introduction du DTPA est la voie generate dans tous les cas; pour une contamination pulmonaire l'administration par aerosol est possible, mais la protection de l'os semble moms bonne. Contamination of the body by americium was studied from several points of view: (1) solubility of the salt used in the body, i.e, nitrate and sulfate, (2) mode of contamination i.e. by intraveinous or intramuscular injection or inhalation, (3) elimination after treatment with DTPA, given either intramuscularly or by aerosol. The two salts have the same distribution of the absorbed fraction in bone, liver, kidneys and other organs, but the migration speed of the sulfate from the muscle or lung is greater. Even when administrated 24 hr after contamination and then repeated once a week, DTPA is very effective in increasing the elimination both from the body and from the site of contamination. After 3 months of treatment with DTPA, muscle and lung contamination was decreased by a factor of 3.3 or 7.3 respectively and the skeletal contamination decreased by a factor of 4 or 8. In any case of contamination the best mode of administration of DTPA is by injection. For lung contamination, administration by aerosol gives good results, but is less effective in decontaminating the bone.
Probabilistic prediction of vessel motion at multiple spatial scales for maritime situation awareness

An improved neurobiologically inspired algorithm for situation awareness in the maritime domain takes real-time tracking information and learns motion pattern models based on temporal associations between vessel events enabling conditional probabilities between events to be learned incrementally and locally. These learned weights are used for future vessel location prediction. Improvements in prediction performance are achieved by using multiple spatial scales to represent position, enabling the most relevant spatial scale to be used for local vessel behavior. Features and performance of these updates to the learning system using recorded data are described and compared to previous results.
Mitochondrial and Nuclear Genes Suggest that Stony Corals Are Monophyletic but Most Families of Stony Corals Are Not (Order Scleractinia, Class Anthozoa, Phylum Cnidaria)

Modern hard corals (Class Hexacorallia; Order Scleractinia) are widely studied because of their fundamental role in reef building and their superb fossil record extending back to the Triassic. Nevertheless, interpretations of their evolutionary relationships have been in flux for over a decade. Recent analyses undermine the legitimacy of traditional suborders, families and genera, and suggest that a non-skeletal sister clade (Order Corallimorpharia) might be imbedded within the stony corals. However, these studies either sampled a relatively limited array of taxa or assembled trees from heterogeneous data sets. Here we provide a more comprehensive analysis of Scleractinia (127 species, 75 genera, 17 families) and various outgroups, based on two mitochondrial genes (cytochrome oxidase I, cytochrome b), with analyses of nuclear genes (ß-tubulin, ribosomal DNA) of a subset of taxa to test unexpected relationships. Eleven of 16 families were found to be polyphyletic. Strikingly, over one third of all families as conventionally defined contain representatives from the highly divergent “robust” and “complex” clades. However, the recent suggestion that corallimorpharians are true corals that have lost their skeletons was not upheld. Relationships were supported not only by mitochondrial and nuclear genes, but also often by morphological characters which had been ignored or never noted previously. The concordance of molecular characters and more carefully examined morphological characters suggests a future of greater taxonomic stability, as well as the potential to trace the evolutionary history of this ecologically important group using fossils.
Teachers' perceptions of students' reading abilities: An examination of the relationship between teachers' judgments and students' performance across a continuum of rating methods.

Teacher perceptions about students’ academic abilities are important for several reasons (e.g., instructional decision making, special education entitlement decisions). Not surprisingly, researchers have investigated the accuracy of teachers’ decisions. Although some data reveal that teachers are relatively good judges of academic performance, other findings have suggested otherwise. A likely explanation for conflicting findings is the varying assessment methods (e.g., direct vs. indirect, norm-referenced vs. peer-independent) and different data analysis procedures that have been used across studies. The purpose of this study was to investigate a continuum of teacher-perception assessment methods as they corresponded to students’ oral reading fluency performance. Participants included 10 teachers and 87 first, second, and third grade students from a suburban school in the northeast. Overall results suggested that teachers were generally accurate when estimating students’ performance when students had strong oral reading fluency skills, but teachers had more difficulty judging students with average to low oral reading fluency. Further, data interpretation of teachers’ judgment accuracy differed somewhat depending upon the statistical method employed. Implications, limitations, and suggestions for future research related to this study are discussed.
ELDERLY DEPRESSIVES : USE OF MEDICINES WITH A POTENITAL TO CAUSE DEPRESSION

SUMMARY The prevalence of use of medicines with a known potential to cause depression among 40 elderly depressives and 20 matched controls was studied. Results showed that the prevalence was not significantly different between the two groups. Within the patient group, the prevalence was independent of the variables of sex, nature and severity of depression, and history of previous episodes of affective illness. While the results indicate that depressive illnesses secondary to the use of medicines are not common, the possibility of a medicine rarely inducing depression cannot be ruled out.