Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Disruption of the SH2-B Gene Causes Age-Dependent Insulin Resistance and Glucose Intolerance

ABSTRACT Insulin regulates glucose homeostasis by binding and activating the insulin receptor, and defects in insulin responses (insulin resistance) induce type 2 diabetes. SH2-B, an Src homology 2 (SH2) and pleckstrin homology domain-containing adaptor protein, binds via its SH2 domain to insulin receptor in response to insulin; however, its physiological role remains unclear. Here we show that SH2-B was expressed in the liver, skeletal muscle, and fat. Systemic deletion of SH2-B impaired insulin receptor activation and signaling in the liver, skeletal muscle, and fat, including tyrosine phosphorylation of insulin receptor substrate 1 (IRS1) and IRS2 and activation of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt and the Erk1/2 pathways. Consequently, SH2-B−/− knockout mice developed age-dependent hyperinsulinemia, hyperglycemia, and glucose intolerance. Moreover, SH2-B directly enhanced autophosphorylation of insulin receptor and tyrosine phosphorylation of IRS1 and IRS2 in an SH2 domain-dependent manner in cultured cells. Our data suggest that SH2-B is a physiological enhancer of insulin receptor activation and is required for maintaining normal insulin sensitivity and glucose homeostasis during aging.
A network of autonomous surface ozone monitors in Antarctica: technical description and first results

Abstract. A suite of 10 autonomous ozone monitoring units, each powered using renewable energy, was developed and built to study surface ozone in Antarctica during the International Polar Year (2007–2009). The monitoring systems were deployed in a network around the Weddell Sea sector of coastal Antarctica with a transect up onto the Antarctic Plateau. The aim was to measure for a full year, thus gaining a much-improved broader view of boundary layer ozone seasonality at different locations as well as of factors affecting the budget of surface ozone in Antarctica. Ozone mixing ratios were measured based on UV photometry using a modified version of the commercial 2B Technologies Inc. Model 202 instrument. All but one of the autonomous units measured successfully within its predefined duty cycle throughout the year, with some differences in performance dependent on power availability and ambient temperature. Mean data recovery after removal of outliers was on average 70% (range 44–83%) and precision varied between 1.5 and 8 ppbv, thus was sufficiently good to resolve year-round the main ozone features of scientific interest. We conclude that, with adequate power, and noting a minor communication problem, our units would be able to operate successfully at ambient temperatures down to −60 °C. Systems such as the one described in this paper, or derivatives of it, could therefore be deployed either as local or regional networks elsewhere in the Arctic or Antarctic. Here we present technical information and first results from the experiment.
The homocysteine hypothesis: Still relevant to the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease?

Although evidence suggests that the homocysteine hypothesis is still relevant as a predictor of cardiovascular risk, we cannot conclude that measuring the homocysteine level is useful in guiding treatment. Furthermore, studies of primary and secondary prevention show no evidence that taking folic acid or other B vitamins lowers the risk of cardiovascular events. Elevated homocysteine is a risk factor, and vitamins lower homocysteine levels. But does vitamin supplementation prevent cardiovascular events?
On the axial bearing capacity of composite concrete-filled steel tubes based on the unified theory

According to the Unified Theory with concrete-filled steel tube,the paper introduces the method for counting the strength of the composite concrete-filled steel tubes under axial compression.Performance and mechanism of composite concrete-filled steel tubular column under axial compression are analyzed.On account of different sections of inner and outer tubes,the equivalent hooping coefficient is calculated.Then the strength is analyzed for both solid and hollow columns.Formula solutions are testified by test results of references.The result shows that the formulas of the Unified Theory can be applied to the composite concrete-filled steel tubes under proper effect of steel ratio,equivalent hooping coefficient and hollow ratio.It is a new approach to calculate the axial bearing capacity of composite concrete-filled steel tubes.
A novel pathway for receptor-mediated post-translational activation of inducible nitric oxide synthase

Inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) is a major source of nitric oxide during inflammation whose activity is thought to be controlled primarily at the expression level. The B1 kinin receptor (B1R) post‐translationally activates iNOS beyond its basal activity via extracellular signal regulated kinase (ERK)‐mediated phosphorylation of Ser745. Here we identified the signalling pathway causing iNOS activation in cytokine‐treated endothelial cells or HEK293 cells transfected with iNOS and B1R. To allow kinetic measurements of nitric oxide release, we used a sensitive porphyrinic microsensor (response time = 10 msec.; 1 nM detection limit). B1Rs signalled through Gαi coupling as ERK and iNOS activation were inhibited by pertussis toxin. Furthermore, transfection of constitutively active mutant Gαi Q204L but not Gαq Q209L resulted in high basal iNOS‐derived nitric oxide. G‐βγ subunits were also necessary as transfection with the β‐adrenergic receptor kinase C‐terminus inhibited the response. B1R‐dependent iNOS activation was also inhibited by Src family kinase inhibitor PP2 and trans‐fection with dominant negative Src. Other ERK‐MAP kinase members were involved as the response was inhibited by dominant negative H‐Ras, Raf kinase inhibitor, ERK activation inhibitor and MEK inhibitor PD98059. In contrast, PI3 kinase inhibitor LY94002, calcium chelator 1,2‐bis‐(o‐Aminophenoxy)‐ethane‐N,N,N′,N′‐tetraacetic acid, tetraacetoxymethyl ester (BAPTA‐AM), protein kinase C inhibitor calphostin C and protein kinase C activator PMA had no effect. Angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor enalaprilat also directly activated B1Rs to generate high output nitric oxide via the same pathway. These studies reveal a new mechanism for generating receptor‐regulated high output nitric oxide in inflamed endothelium that may play an important role in the development of vascular inflammation.
Observation of nonlinear shear wave propagation using magnetic resonance elastography

MR elastography (MRE) is an MRI modality that is increasingly being used to image tissue elasticity throughout the body. One MRE technique that has received a great deal of attention is based on visualizing shear waves, which reveal stiffness by virtue of their local wavelength. However, the shape of propagating shear waves can also provide valuable information about the nonlinear stress–strain behavior of tissue. Here an experiment is proposed that allows the observation of nonlinear wave propagation based on spatial‐temporal phase contrast images. A theoretical description of the wave propagation was developed that reflects typical MRE excitation, which involves excitation modes both parallel and perpendicular to B0. Based on this model, it is shown that both odd and even higher harmonics are produced with their amplitudes dependent on the details of the actuator, imaging geometry, and the nonlinear tissue properties. With appropriate motion encoding, harmonic vibrations arising from nonlinear tissue response can be detected. The effect is demonstrated on an agarose gel phantom using a sinusoidal shear vibration of 150 Hz, and clearly shows the presence of harmonics at 600 and 750 Hz. Using an estimate of the strain energy of the phantom, we were able to determine the nonlinear tissue properties. Magn Reson Med 52:842–850, 2004. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Developing Routinized Information Processing Capabilities for Operational Agility: Insights from China

Operational agility, which reflects the agile practices at business process level, is increasingly deemed as a significant determinant of business success in a turbulent business environment. Despite its importance, how operational agility can be attained is not answered by existing research. Drawing on the classic organization theory— information processing view of firms, the main contribution of this study is that it provides a process model of developing routinized information processing capabilities for operational agility in a turbulent business environment which fulfills this theoretical gap. It indicates the significant roles played by IT-enabled information processing networks and organizational controls during the process. It also identifies three routinized information processing capabilities including information sensitivity, information fluidity, and information decomposability. This is achieved by conducting a case study of Haier, one of the largest producers of household appliances in China. This paper concludes with a discussion of potential theoretical and practical contributions.
Constructing initial design patterns for online social network-based applications

Social network websites are currently highly popular. The number of users and amount of data is increasing rapidly. Many researchers or developers that want to use that data for analysis and determining relationships in the data, as well as analyzing behavioral data of such websites' users. Connecting to the application programming interface of each social network website, as well as the properties of the data, has different characteristics, and requires a long time to understand before data requests may be performed and the data may be applied to use. This research presents initial design patterns for social networking applications that can identify the basic requirements of connecting to the application programming interface of social network websites, as well as propose approaches for retrieving information from social networks, as an approach for application.
Using pre-requirements tracing to investigate requirements based on tactic knowledge

Pre-requirements specification tracing concerns the identification and maintenance of relationships between requirements and the knowledge and information used by analysts to inform the requirements’ formulation. However, such tracing is often not performed as it is a time-consuming process. This paper presents a tool for retrospectively identifying pre-requirements traces by working backwards from requirements to the documented records of the elicitation process such as interview transcripts or ethnographic reports. We present a preliminary evaluation of our tools performance using a case study. One of the key goals of our work is to identify requirements that have weak relationships with the source material. There are many possible reasons for this, but one is that they embody tacit knowledge. Although we do not investigate the nature of tacit knowledge in RE we believe that even helping to identify the probable presence of tacit knowledge is useful. This is particularly true for circumstances when requirements’ sources need to be understood during, for example, the handling of change requests.
Analysis of Phytophthora parasitica by retrotransposon-derived DNA fingerprinting

Phytophthora parasitica, being able to attack a wide variety of plants, is a very important plant pathogen in Taiwan. It has been shown that isolates of P parasitica from tobacco, dieffenbachia, and loquat differed significantly from other isolates in morphology and pathogenicity and were recognized as ”atypical” types of the fungus. In the current study, a partial sequence of the reverse transcriptase gene of a Tyl-copia retrotransposon was cloned from P. parasitica and used as the probe, designated herein as G2Ty-1, for genomic Southern hybridization analyses of P. parasitica. It was demonstrated that G2Ty-1 existed as a moderately repetitive sequence in the genome of P. parasitica. The banding pattern of G2Ty-1 was mitotically stable for at least five consecutive asexual generations. DNA fingerprint analysis of P. parasitica using G2Ty-1 as the probe demonstrated that the banding patterns of G2Ty-1 were highly polymorphic among the isolates analyzed. “Atypical” strains from tobacco, dieffenbachia, and loquat, nonetheless, displayed host-specific banding patterns. Phylogram generated by cluster analysis demonstrated that isolates from tobacco and dieffenbachia were well separated from each other and from all other isolates of P. parasitica. These results provided a genetic basis for distinguishing these isolates from others and validate the use of retrotransposon as a genetic marker to study phylogeny in Phytophthora parasitica.
Choosing and Using Climate‐Change Scenarios for Ecological‐Impact Assessments and Conservation Decisions

Increased concern over climate change is demonstrated by the many efforts to assess climate effects and develop adaptation strategies. Scientists, resource managers, and decision makers are increasingly expected to use climate information, but they struggle with its uncertainty. With the current proliferation of climate simulations and downscaling methods, scientifically credible strategies for selecting a subset for analysis and decision making are needed. Drawing on a rich literature in climate science and impact assessment and on experience working with natural resource scientists and decision makers, we devised guidelines for choosing climate‐change scenarios for ecological impact assessment that recognize irreducible uncertainty in climate projections and address common misconceptions about this uncertainty. This approach involves identifying primary local climate drivers by climate sensitivity of the biological system of interest; determining appropriate sources of information for future changes in those drivers; considering how well processes controlling local climate are spatially resolved; and selecting scenarios based on considering observed emission trends, relative importance of natural climate variability, and risk tolerance and time horizon of the associated decision. The most appropriate scenarios for a particular analysis will not necessarily be the most appropriate for another due to differences in local climate drivers, biophysical linkages to climate, decision characteristics, and how well a model simulates the climate parameters and processes of interest. Given these complexities, we recommend interaction among climate scientists, natural and physical scientists, and decision makers throughout the process of choosing and using climate‐change scenarios for ecological impact assessment.
A Contrastive Analysis of the American and Persian Newspaper Editorials.

Based on the principles of critical discourse analysis this contrastive study sought to investigate the effect of culture on the journalistic style and the strategies used to report news in the American and Persian newspaper editorials. To this end, articles were selected from the New York Times, the Washington Post, Kayhan and Ettelaat, taking Iran’s nuclear dispute as the tertium comparationis for the selection of the articles. The analysis involved primarily a demarcation of the micro genres of the selected texts. Based on the principles of the newly developed appraisal theory, patterns of interpersonal rhetoric, devised in the texts to shape public opinion, were investigated. Attitudinal lexis and naming choices and expressions were also examined to discover the different strategies used in the editorials of the two languages to communicate their evaluations of the specified subject matter. Using a Chi-square test, no statistically significant difference was found between the editorials of the two languages for the selected criteria. Given the war of words between the two nations, the selected editorials were found to utilize quite similar strategies to perpetuate their own ideologies and to diminish the effects of the rival newspapers, leaving no room for culture to affect their strategies.
Integrative taxonomy of Acrapex stem borers (Lepidoptera : Noctuidae : Apameini): combining morphology and Poisson Tree Process analyses

Abstract. Ten morphologically similar species of Acrapex from eastern and south-eastern Africa belonging to the A. stygiata and A. albivena groups are reviewed. Six species are described as new: A. brunneella, A. mitiwa, A. mpika, A. salmona, A. sporobola and A. yakoba. The Poaceae host plants of eight species are recorded; four species, A. mitiwa. A. subalbissima, A. syscia and A. yakoba, were found developing exclusively on Imperata cylindrica (L.) Beauv. , (Andropogoneae); two species, A. sporobola and A. salmona, on I. cylindrica and Sporobolus macranthelus Chiov. (Zoysieae); and A. albivena on I. cylindrica, Miscanthus capensis (Nees) Andersson (Andropogoneae) and Cymbopogon sp. (Andropogoneae). Acrapex stygiata larvae developed on M. capensis and Cymbopogon sp. The host plants of A. brunneella and A. mpika remain unknown. We also conducted molecular phylogenetics and molecular species delimitation analyses on a comprehensive sample of 49 specimens belonging to nine of the studied species. Molecular phylogenetics and molecular species delimitation analyses provided additional evidence of the validity of the six newly described species but also suggested a level of hidden biodiversity for one of them.
Digital In-Line Holography for the 3 D-vizualization of inclusions in a droplet

We have developed models that allow the description of digital in-line holography experiments with complex imaging systems, in terms of optical transfer matrices. The objects can be opaque, transparent or semitransparent circular particles. In this presentation, we present the description of non-uniform objects whose transmission coefficient is decomposed on a basis of Zernike polynomials. Analytical expressions of the holograms are obtained. Digital holograms are reconstructed using the 2-dimensional fractional-order Fourier transform. The formalism is used to extract the 3D position of micrometric opaque and transparent inclusions in a suspended millimetric droplet. In a second step, a long-exposure time set-up is used. From the recorded holograms, the reconstruction of sections of the trajectories of a micronic particle within the droplet, using a sole hologram and a sole reconstruction, are shown. The exposure time is optimized in order to conserve a sufficient Signal to Noise ratio. In a last experiment, 50 nm SiO2 nanoparticles are inserted in the droplet. A heating point is created in the droplet using a frequency-doubled Nd:YAG laser. A layer of vapor is then created around the nanometric inclusion. It grows into a cavitation air bubble of several micrometers whose position will be detected and reconstructed using our digital-holography set-up, and the formalism that we have developed. These developments should have important applications for the detection of nanoparticles, or for the visualization of freezing processes in a droplet.
Quantification in simultaneous 99mTc/123I brain SPECT using generalized spectral factor analysis: a Monte Carlo study

In SPECT, simultaneous 99mTc/123I acquisitions allow comparison of the distribution of two radiotracers in the same physiological state, without any image misregistration, but images can be severely distorted due to cross-talk between the two isotopes. We propose a generalized spectral factor analysis (GSFA) method for solving the cross-talk issue in simultaneous 99mTc/123I SPECT. In GSFA, the energy spectrum of the photons in any pixel is expressed as a linear combination of five common spectra: 99mTc and 123I photopeaks and three scatter spectra. These basis spectra are estimated from a factor analysis of all spectra using physical priors (e.g. Klein–Nishina distributions). GSFA was evaluated on 99mTc/123I Monte Carlo simulated data and compared to images obtained using recommended spectral windows (WIN) and to the gold standard (GS) images (scatter-free, cross-talk-free and noise-free). Using GSFA, activity concentration differed by less than 9% compared to GS values against differences from −23% to 110% with WIN in the 123I and 99mTc images respectively. Using GSFA, simultaneous 99mTc/123I imaging can yield images of similar quantitative accuracy as when using sequential and scatter-free 99mTc/123I imaging in brain SPECT.
Cost-effectiveness of longer-term versus shorter-term provision of antibiotics in patients with persistent symptoms attributed to Lyme disease

Background The treatment of persistent symptoms attributed to Lyme disease remains controversial. Recently, the PLEASE study did not demonstrate any additional clinical benefit of longer-term versus shorter-term antibiotic treatment. However, the economic impact of the antibiotic strategies has not been investigated. Methods This prospective economic evaluation, adhering a societal perspective, was performed alongside the PLEASE study, a multicenter, placebo-controlled, double-blind 1:1:1 randomized clinical trial in which all patients received open-label intravenous ceftriaxone for two weeks before the 12-week randomized blinded oral antibiotic regimen (doxycycline, clarithromycin plus hydroxychloroquine, or placebo). Between 2010 and 2013, patients (n = 271) with borreliosis-attributed persistent symptoms were enrolled and followed for one year. Main outcomes were costs, quality-adjusted life years, and incremental net monetary benefit of longer-term versus shorter-term antibiotic therapy. Results Mean quality-adjusted life years (95% CI) were not significantly different (p = 0.96): 0.82 (0.77–0.88) for ceftriaxone/doxycycline (n = 82), 0.81 (0.76–0.88) for ceftriaxone/clarithromycin-hydroxychloroquine (n = 93), and 0.81 (0.76–0.86) for ceftriaxone/placebo (n = 96). Total societal costs per patient (95% CI) were not significantly different either (p = 0.35): €11,995 (€8,823-€15,670) for ceftriaxone/doxycycline, €12,202 (€9,572-€15,253) for ceftriaxone/clarithromycin-hydroxychloroquine, and €15,249 (€11,294-€19,781) for ceftriaxone/placebo. Incremental net monetary benefit (95% CI) for ceftriaxone/doxycycline compared to ceftriaxone/placebo varied from €3,317 (-€2,199-€8,998) to €4,285 (-€6,085-€14,524) over the willingness-to-pay range, and that of ceftriaxone/clarithromycin-hydroxychloroquine compared to ceftriaxone/placebo from €3,098 (-€888-€7,172) to €3,710 (-€4,254-€11,651). For every willingness-to-pay threshold, the incremental net monetary benefits did not significantly differ from zero. Conclusion The longer-term treatments were similar with regard to costs, effectiveness and cost-effectiveness compared to shorter-term treatment in patients with borreliosis-attributed persistent symptoms after one year of follow-up. Given the results of this study, and taking into account the external costs associated with antibiotic resistance, the shorter-term treatment is the antibiotic regimen of first choice.
Neurocognitive deficit in schizophrenia: a quantitative review of the evidence.

The neurocognitive literature on test performance in schizophrenia is reviewed quantitatively. The authors report 22 mean effect sizes from 204 studies to index schizophrenia versus control differences in global and selective verbal memory, nonverbal memory, bilateral and unilateral motor performance, visual and auditory attention, general intelligence, spatial ability, executive function, language, and interhemispheric tactile-transfer test performance. Moderate to large raw effect sizes (d > .60) were obtained for all 22 neurocognitive test variables, and none of the associated confidence intervals included zero. The results indicate that schizophrenia is characterized by a broadly based cognitive impairment, with varying degrees of deficit in all ability domains measured by standard clinical tests.