Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Exercise Ameliorates Insulin Resistance via Ca2+ Signals Distinct From Those of Insulin for GLUT4 Translocation in Skeletal Muscles

Muscle contraction and insulin induce glucose uptake in skeletal muscle through GLUT4 membrane translocation. Beneficial effects of exercise on glucose homeostasis in insulin-resistant individuals are known to be due to their distinct mechanism between contraction and insulin action on glucose uptake in skeletal muscle. However, the underlying mechanisms are not clear. Here we show that in skeletal muscle, distinct Ca2+ second messengers regulate GLUT4 translocation by contraction and insulin treatment; d-myo-inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate/nicotinic acid adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NAADP) and cyclic ADP-ribose/NAADP are main players for insulin- and contraction-induced glucose uptake, respectively. Different patterns of phosphorylation of AMPK and Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II were shown in electrical stimuli (ES)- and insulin-induced glucose uptake pathways. ES-induced Ca2+ signals and glucose uptake are dependent on glycolysis, which influences formation of NAD(P)-derived signaling messengers, whereas insulin-induced signals are not. High-fat diet (HFD) induced a defect in only insulin-mediated, but not ES-mediated, Ca2+ signaling for glucose uptake, which is related to a specifically lower NAADP formation. Exercise decreases blood glucose levels in HFD-induced insulin resistance mice via NAADP formation. Thus we conclude that different usage of Ca2+ signaling in contraction/insulin-stimulated glucose uptake in skeletal muscle may account for the mechanism by which exercise ameliorates glucose homeostasis in individuals with type 2 diabetes.
Imitation and contrarian behaviour: hyperbolic bubbles, crashes and chaos

Abstract Imitative and contrarian behaviours are the two typical opposite attitudes of investors in stock markets. We introduce a simple model to investigate their interplay in a stock market where agents can take only two states, bullish or bearish. Each bullish (bearish) agent polls m ‘friends’ and changes her opinion to bearish (bullish) if (i) at least mρ hb (mρ bh ) among the m agents inspected are bearish (bullish) or (ii) at least mρ hh >mρ hb (mρ bb >mρ bh ) among the m agents inspected are bullish (bearish). The condition (i) ((ii)) corresponds to imitative (antagonistic) behaviour. In the limit where the number N of agents is infinite, the dynamics of the fraction of bullish agents is deterministic and exhibits chaotic behaviour in a significant domain of the parameter space {ρ hb ,ρ bh ,ρ hh ,ρ bb ,m}. A typical chaotic trajectory is characterized by intermittent phases of chaos, quasi-periodic behaviour and super-exponentially growing bubbles followed by crashes. A typical bubble starts initially by growing at an exponential rate and then crosses over to a nonlinear power-law growth rate leading to a finite-time singularity. The reinjection mechanism provided by the contrarian behaviour introduces a finite-size effect, rounding off these singularities and leads to chaos. We document the main stylized facts of this model in the symmetric and asymmetric cases. This model is one of the rare agent-based models that give rise to interesting non-periodic complex dynamics in the ‘thermodynamic’ limit (of an infinite number N of agents). We also discuss the case of a finite number of agents, which introduces an endogenous source of noise superimposed on the chaotic dynamics.
Decision-making in the (stressed) brain

Distinct psychological processes have been proposed to unfold in decision-making. The time course of neural mechanisms supporting these processes has not been fully identified. The present MEG study examined spatio-temporal activity related to components of decision-making proposed to support reward valuation, reward prediction, and outcome evaluation. Each trial presented information on reward value (10 or 50 cents) and reward probability (10%, 50%, or 90%). Brain activity related to those inputs and to outcome feedback was evaluated via electromagnetic responses in source space. Distributed dipole activity reflected reward value and reward probability 150-350 ms after information arrival. Neural responses to reward-value information peaked earlier than those to reward-probability information. Results suggest that 2 Four Studies on Decision-Making in the Brain 23 valuation, prediction, and outcome evaluation share neural structures and mechanisms even on a relatively fine time scale.
FacetCube: a framework of incorporating prior knowledge into non-negative tensor factorization

Non-negative tensor factorization (NTF) is a relatively new technique that has been successfully used to extract significant characteristics from polyadic data, such as data in social networks. Because these polyadic data have multiple dimensions (e.g., the author, content, and timestamp of a blog post), NTF fits in naturally and extracts data characteristics jointly from different data dimensions. In the standard NTF, all information comes from the observed data and end users have no control over the outcomes. However, in many applications very often the end users have certain prior knowledge, such as the demographic information about individuals in a social network or a pre-constructed ontology on the contents, and therefore prefer the extracted data characteristics being consistent with such prior knowledge. To allow users' prior knowledge to be naturally incorporated into NTF, in this paper we present a novel framework - FacetCube - that extends the standard non-negative tensor factorization. The new framework allows the end users to control the factorization outputs at three different levels for each of the data dimensions. The proposed framework is intuitively appealing in that it has a close connection to the probabilistic generative models. In addition to introducing the framework, we provide an iterative algorithm for computing the optimal solution to the framework. We also develop an efficient implementation of the algorithm that consists of a series of techniques to make our framework scalable to large data sets. Extensive experimental studies on a paper citation data set and a blog data set demonstrate that our new framework is able to effectively incorporate users' prior knowledge, improves performance over the standard NTF on the task of personalized recommendation, and is scalable to large data sets from real-life applications.
Accuracy Validation in a Cadaver Model of Cranial Neuronavigation Using a Surface Autoregistration Mask

BACKGROUND Image guidance systems are widely used in neurosurgical practice. OBJECTIVE To compare the operational accuracy of a neuronavigation system when registration was accomplished with a commercially available surface-based autoregistration system vs other fiducial-based registrations. METHODS We evaluated the operational accuracy of different registration methods in 20 cadaveric heads. Every specimen was prepared with 10 titanium microscrews functioning as external/internal targets and as bone fiducials. Six scalp fiducials were also affixed to each specimen that was registered with bone, scalp fiducials, and the autoregistration mask. The coordinates of all the target points were measured, first manually on the screen of the navigation system and then by touching the head of the implanted screw on the specimen. The difference between the real and virtual coordinates was calculated. RESULTS Means of the differences for external anterior targets were 1.96, 3.12, and 3.20 mm and 1.95, 3.24, and 3.19 mm for external posterior targets for the bone fiducials, adhesive fiducials, and autoregistration mask, respectively. Means of the differences for internal anterior targets were 2.60, 3.65, and 2.16 mm and 2.91, 3.83, and 2.41 mm for internal posterior targets for the bone fiducials, adhesive fiducials, and autoregistration mask, respectively. CONCLUSION Bone fiducial registration is associated with a statistically greater operational accuracy than scalp adhesive fiducials and the autoregistration mask in reaching anterior and posterior external targets (P < .001). Registration accomplished with the autoregistration mask is associated with a statistically greater operational accuracy in reaching internal targets than adhesive fiducials registration (P < .001) or bone fiducials registration (P < .05 and P < .01 for anterior and posterior targets, respectively).
HIV/AIDS at Year 2000: A Sourcebook for Social Workers

Preface. Acknowledgments. Contributors. I.HIV DISEASE: KEY BIOPSYCHOSOCIAL CONTEXTUAL ISSUES. 1.Dawn Averitt, HIV/AIDS and Social Work: The Medical Context. 2.Ednita M. Wright, The Psychosocial Context. 3.Brian Giddens, Lana Ka'opua, and Evelyn Tomaszwski, Ethical Issues and Dilemmas in HIV/AIDS. II.WHO ARE MOST IMPACTED BY HIV DISEASE IN THE UNITED STATES TODAY? 4.Patricia A. Stewart, HIV/AIDS Issues among African Americans: Oppressed, Gifted, and Black. 5.Susan Taylor-Brown and Lori Wiener, Parents and Their Children: Planning in the Face of Uncertainty. 6.Helen Land, AIDS and Women of Color. 7.Juan Paz, Latinos and HIV. 8.Valerie Gordon-Garofalo, Social Work Treatment with Caregivers: Taking Care of Them, So They Can Take Care of Their Loved One. 9.Leslie-Jayne Goodridge and John Capitman, Adolescents at Risk for HIV Infection: A Growing Concern. 10.Cynthia Cannon Poindexter and Nathan L. Linsk, HIV and Later Life. 11.Peter A. Newman, Safer Sex Maintenance among Gay Men: HIV-Prevention Challenges and Intervention Strategies. 12.Jack B. Stein, The Dual Challenges of HIV and Drug Use: What to Know, What to Do. 13.Cynthia Cannon Poindexter, Common Concerns: Social and Psychological Issues for Persons with HIV. III.ROLES FOR SOCIAL WORK IN HIV/AIDS CARE. 14.Darrell P. Wheeler, HIV/AIDS Prevention. 15.Larry M. Gant, Advocacy and Social Policy Issues. 16.Nathan L. Linsk and Norman Bonk, Adherence to Treatment as Social Work Challenges. 17.Emily Leavitt, Mental Health Issues in HIV Disease. 18.Hugo Kamya, Bereavement Issues and Spirituality. Index.
RSS based indoor localization with limited deployment load

One major bottleneck in the practical implementation of received signal strength (RSS) based indoor localization systems is the extensive deployment load required to construct radio maps through fingerprinting. Several works aimed to employ radio propagation models as alternative to fingerprinting but the different sources of inaccuracies in the generation of these models result in high localization errors. In this paper, we propose an indoor localization scheme that can be directly deployed and employed without building a full radio map of the indoor environment. The proposed scheme employs the information from a radio propagation simulator and limited number of calibration measurements to perform direct localization using manifold alignment. For moving users, we exploit the correlation of their reported observations to improve the localization accuracy. The online performance evaluation shows that our algorithm achieves localization errors in the order of 2.5 to 3 m with as low as 15% – 30 % of the complete fingerprinting load.
Multiple Interacting Factors Influence Adherence, and Outcomes Associated with Surgical Safety Checklists: A Qualitative Study

Objectives The surgical safety checklist (SSC) is meant to enhance patient safety but studies of its impact conflict. This study explored factors that influenced SSC adherence to suggest how its impact could be optimized. Methods Participants were recruited purposively by profession, region, hospital type and time using the SSC. They were asked to describe how the SSC was adopted, associated challenges, perceived impact, and suggestions for improving its use. Grounded theory and thematic analysis were used to collect and analyse data. Findings were interpreted using an implementation fidelity conceptual framework. Results Fifty-one participants were interviewed (29 nurses, 13 surgeons, 9 anaesthetists; 18 small, 14 large and 19 teaching hospitals; 8 regions; 31 had used the SC for ≤12 months, 20 for 13+ months). The SSC was inconsistently reviewed, and often inaccurately documented as complete. Adherence was influenced by multiple issues. Extensive modification to accommodate existing practice patterns eliminated essential interaction at key time points to discuss patient management. Staff were often absent or not paying attention. They did not feel it was relevant to their work given limited evidence of its effectiveness, and because they were not engaged in its implementation. Organizations provided little support for implementation, training, monitoring and feedback, which are needed to overcome these, and other individual and team factors that challenged SSC adherence. Responses were similar across participants with different characteristics. Conclusions Multiple processes and factors influenced SSC adherence. This may explain why, in studies evaluating SSC impact, outcomes were variable. Recommendations included continuing education, time for pilot-testing, and engaging all staff in SSC review. Others may use the implementation fidelity framework to plan SSC implementation or evaluate SSC adherence. Further research is needed to establish which SSC components can be modified without compromising its effectiveness.
Omega-3 fatty acid prevents heart rate variability reductions associated with particulate matter.

CONTEXT Environmental exposure to particulate matter of 2.5 microm or less (PM2.5) has been associated with changes in heart rate variability (HRV). OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effect of supplementation with omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids on the reduction of HRV associated with PM2.5 exposure. DESIGN Randomized double-blind trial. SETTING Mexico City, Mexico. PARTICIPANTS 50 nursing home residents older than 60 yr. INTERVENTION Randomization to either 2 g/d of fish oil versus 2 g/d of soy oil as the control, with 6 mo follow-up (1-mo presupplementation and 5-mo supplementation) or repeated HRV measurements. PM2.5 was monitored indoors and outdoors. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE The association between HRV and 1 SD change in PM2.5 (8 microg/m3). RESULTS In the group receiving fish oil, the reduction in HRV-high-frequency log(10)-transformed associated with a 1-SD change in PM2.5 was -54% (95% confidence interval, -72, -24) in the presupplementation phase, and only -7% (95% confidence interval, -20,+7) in the supplementation phase (p < 0.01 for the effect of supplementation), with changes in other HRV parameters also being significantly less pronounced during supplementation. Small decreases in PM2.5-associated reductions in HRV parameters also occurred in the group receiving soy oil, but these were not significant. Fish oil supplementation was significantly better in preventing the reduction in percentage of successive normal RR intervals differing by more than 50 ms (p = 0.03) and the root square of the mean of the sum of the squares of differences between adjacent intervals (p = 0.05) than soy oil supplementation. INTERPRETATION Supplementation with 2 g/d of fish oil prevented HRV decline related to PM2.5 exposure in the study population.
Meeting video retrieval using dynamic HMM model similarity

Overcoming the semantic-feature gap and adapting to context are two main challenges in content-based retrieval. The problem is even more complicated for unstructured videos such as automated recordings of meetings. To address this problem, we propose a model-based approach to meeting retrieval with user controlled weighting for dynamic similarity comparison. Each video is represented by an HMM, and the similarity between videos is determined by comparing the corresponding models. Users can control the relative importance of temporal and static features by adjusting a weighting parameter in a way similar to content-based image retrieval. Experimental results demonstrate the feasibility and versatility of this approach.
Fully-Reconfigurable Bandpass/Bandstop Filters and Their Coupling-Matrix Representation

A new type of a tunable microwave filtering device with reconfigurable bandpass-filter (BPF) and bandstop-filter (BSF) operational modes is reported. It consists of series-cascaded BPF/BSF stages which are formed by two resonating nodes, one non-resonating node (NRN), and two impedance inverters. Each BPF/BSF stage results in two transmission zeros (TZs) that are generated at the natural frequencies of the constituent resonators, whose spectral locations can be reconfigured by tuning the resonating elements. Thus, multi-TZ BPF/BSF responses can be synthesized in the overall circuit which features fully-controllable performances by means of TZ reallocation. The coupling-matrix representation of the proposed frequency-agile BPF/BSF scheme is demonstrated. Moreover, an S-band two-stage prototype based on frequency-reconfigurable evanescent-mode cavity resonators is fabricated to experimentally validate the predicted behavior.
Time delay and protein modulation analysis in a model of RNA si

RNA silencing is a recently discovered mechanism for posttranscriptional regulation of gene expression. Precisely, in RNA interference, RNAi, endogenous expressed or exogenously induced small RNAs promote and modulate the cleavage of complementary messenger RNA involved in the synthesis of targeted proteins. In this paper we investigated the role of time delay and protein regulation in the posttranslational protein regulation through RNA interference. Towards this end, we used and modified a simple model accounting for RNAi and used qualitative bifurcation analysis, sensitivity analysis and predictive simulations to analyze it. Our results suggest that some processes in the system, like Dicer­mediated mRNA degradation or non specific mRNA degradation, play an important role in the modulation of RNA silencing, whereas silencing seems virtually independent of modulation in other processes.
Parkinson's disease, smoking and family history: meta‐analysis

To estimate the pooled risk of tobacco smoking for Parkinson's disease (PD) in patients with and without PD family history. We conducted systematic searches of Medline, PsycLIT, Embase, Current contents, Best Evidence, Nisc Mexico Biblioline, previous reviews, examination of cited reference sources and personal contact and discussion with several investigators expert in the field. Studies in all languages were considered. Published observational studies on PD and cigarette smoking stratified by PD family history were reviewed. When two or more papers were based on an identical study, the paper that principally investigated the relationship between PD, smoking stratified by PD family history or the paper that was published last was used. Three case–control studies were carried out between 1996 and 2000, of which one reported risk estimates. The risk of ever smoker in patients with positive PD family history was 0.82 (95% confidence interval 0.44–1.53). There was an obvious protective effect in the pooled estimate in patients with negative PD family history [odds ratio 0.77 (95% confidence interval 0.59–1.01)]. Although our pooled estimates show that smoking is inversely associated with the risk of PD only in patients with negative PD family history, further studies evaluating the interaction between smoking and PD family history are strongly needed.
Overhead-Aware Composition of Parallel Components Using Lazy-Parallel Function Calls

Parallel programming languages, APIs and tools available today try to extract as much performance as possible from parallel programs. But when components are parallelized this way, and are composed inside parallelized sections of code, multiple instances of the component are created, each creating more parallel tasks, resulting in much higher overhead. In this paper we propose a method which forces parallel components to execute serially if parallel execution would cause a high overhead of execution. Three variants of the technique are presented, and simulation results used to gain an insight into the efficacy of the different techniques are discussed.
High Speed Digital Image Correlation for Transient-Shock Reliability of Electronics

Electronics may be subjected to shock, vibration, and drop-impact during shipping, handling and during normal usage. Measurement of transient dynamic deformation of the electronics assemblies during the shock and vibration can yield significant insights in understanding the occurrence of failure modes and the development of failure envelopes. Failure-modes include solder-joint failures, pad cratering, chip-cracking, copper trace fracture, and underfill fillet failures. Previous researchers have measured the transient-dynamics of board assemblies with high-speed imaging in conjunction with high-speed image analysis for measurement of relative displacement, angle, velocity, and acceleration. In addition, high-speed data-acquisition systems with discrete strain gages have been used for measurements of transient strain and with accelerometers for measurement of transient acceleration. Development of accurate models requires better understanding of full-field strain deformation in board assemblies. In this paper, the use of digital image correlation (DIC) with ultra high-speed imaging has been used for full-field measurement of transient strain in various board assemblies subjected to shock in various orientations. Measurements have been taken on both the package and the board side of the assemblies. Accuracy of high-speed optical measurement has been compared with that from discrete strain gages. Package architectures examined include-flex ball-grid arrays, tape-array ball-grid arrays, and metal lead-frame packages. Explicit finite-element models have been developed and correlated with experimental data. Models developed include, smeared property models, Timoshenko-beam models, and explicit sub-models. The solder strains have been computed from the explicit finite element models for life prediction in shock.
A multidimensional empirical study on refactoring activity

In this paper we present an empirical study on the refactoring activity in three well-known projects. We have studied five research questions that explore the different types of refactorings applied to different types of sources, the individual contribution of team members on refactoring activities, the alignment of refactoring activity with release dates and testing periods, and the motivation behind the applied refactorings. The studied projects have a history of 12, 7, and 6 years, respectively. We have found that there is very little variation in the types of refactorings applied on test code, since the majority of the refactorings focus on the reorganization and renaming of classes. Additionally, we have identified that the refactoring decision making and application is often performed by individual refactoring "managers". We have found a strong alignment between refactoring activity and release dates. Moreover, we found that the development teams apply a considerable amount of refactorings during testing periods. Finally, we have also found that in addition to code smell resolution the main drivers for applying refactorings are the introduction of extension points, and the resolution of backward compatibility issues.