Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Flexible Eating Behavior Predicts Greater Weight Loss Following a Diet and Exercise Intervention in Older Women

ABSTRACT Eating behaviors (cognitive restraint, flexible and rigid restraint, disinhibition, hunger) have been associated with obesity and weight loss success in middle-aged individuals, but little is known about these relationships in older adults. This study examined relationships between eating behaviors and weight loss in overweight/obese older women (n = 61; 69 ± 3.6 years; body mass index = 31.1 ± 5.0 kg/m2) completed a 6-month behavioral weight loss intervention. Baseline, postintervention, and change measures of eating behaviors (51-items Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire) were assessed for relationships with weight loss. In the final regression model, an increase in flexible restraint accompanied by a decrease in rigid restraint predicted greater weight loss (adjusted R2 = 0.21, Model F (4, 56) = 4.97, P < 0.01). No associations were found with disinhibition or hunger and degree of weight loss (all P > 0.05). Results suggest encouraging a flexible approach to eating behavior and discouraging rigid adherence to a diet may lead to better intentional weight loss for overweight and obese older women.
Loss of c‐Kit and bone marrow failure upon conditional removal of the GATA‐2 C‐terminal zinc finger domain in adult mice

Heterozygous mutations in the transcriptional regulator GATA‐2 associate with multilineage immunodeficiency, myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), and acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The majority of these mutations localize in the zinc finger (ZnF) domains, which mediate GATA‐2 DNA binding. Deregulated hematopoiesis with GATA‐2 mutation frequently develops in adulthood, yet GATA‐2 function in the bone marrow remains unresolved. To investigate this, we conditionally deleted the GATA‐2 C‐terminal ZnF (C‐ZnF) coding sequences in adult mice. Upon Gata2 C‐ZnF deletion, we observed rapid peripheral cytopenia, bone marrow failure, and decreased c‐Kit expression on hematopoietic progenitors. Transplant studies indicated GATA‐2 has a cell‐autonomous role in bone marrow hematopoiesis. Moreover, myeloid lineage populations were particularly sensitive to Gata2 hemizygosity, while molecular assays indicated GATA‐2 regulates c‐Kit expression in multilineage progenitor cells. Enforced c‐Kit expression in Gata2 C‐ZnF‐deficient hematopoietic progenitors enhanced myeloid colony activity, suggesting GATA‐2 sustains myelopoiesis via a cell intrinsic role involving maintenance of c‐Kit expression. Our results provide insight into mechanisms regulating hematopoiesis in bone marrow and may contribute to a better understanding of immunodeficiency and bone marrow failure associated with GATA‐2 mutation.
Properties of pumice aggregate concretes at elevated temperatures and comparison with ANN models

The mechanical properties and thermal conductivity of concretes including pumice aggregate (PA) exposed to elevated temperature were analyzed by thermal conductivity, compressive strength, flexure strength, dynamic elasticity modulus (DEM) and dry unit weight tests. PA concrete specimens were cast by replacing a varying part of the normal aggregate (0–2 mm) with the PA. All concrete samples were prepared and cured at 23 ± 10C lime saturated water for 28 days. Compressive strength of concretes including PA decreased that reductions were 14, 19, 25 and 34% for 25, 50, 75 and 100% PA, respectively. The maximum thermal conductivity of 1.9382 W/mK was observed with the control samples containing normal aggregate. The tests were carried out by subjecting the samples to a temperature of 0, 100, 200, 300, 400 500, 600 and 700 °C for 3 h, then cooling by air cooling or in water method. The results indicated that all concretes exposed to a temperature of 500 and 700 °C occurred a significant decrease in thermal conductivity, compressive strength, flexure strength and DEM. An artificial neural network (ANN) approach was used to model the thermal and mechanical properties of PA concretes. The predicted values of the ANN were in accordance with the experimental data. The results indicate that the model can predict the concrete properties after elevated temperatures with adequate accuracy. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Biomechanical and sensory parameters of the human esophagus at four levels.

The biomechanical and sensory characteristics of the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) and those of the striated and smooth muscle portions of the esophagus have not been compared in humans. Our aim was to determine sensory perception, cross-sectional area (CSA), and biomechanical parameters at different levels of the esophagus. We studied 11 healthy volunteers, using impedance planimetry. Intermittent balloon distensions (5-60 cmH2O) were performed at four sites: 1) the LES, 2) 5 cm above LES (distal), 3) 10 cm above LES (mid), and 4) 5 cm below the upper esophageal sphincter (proximal). During these distensions, CSAs, biomechanical parameters, and sensory responses were measured. The mid-esophagus had a higher ( P < 0.05) CSA than the distal esophagus. The LES had the smallest CSA ( P < 0.05). The LES and the proximal esophagus had greater ( P < 0.05) wall tension and were less ( P < 0.05) deformable than the mid- or distal esophagus. Sensory thresholds were lower ( P < 0.05) in the proximal compared with the mid- or distal esophagus. Biomechanical and sensory parameters are not uniform along the length of the esophagus. The striated muscle portion is more sensitive and less compliant than the smooth muscle portion. These differences could affect the results of balloon distension tests of the esophagus.
Inflammatory mediators in the diagnosis and treatment of acute pancreatitis: pentraxin-3, procalcitonin and myeloperoxidase

Introduction Acute pancreatitis (AP) is the third most common gastrointestinal disease at hospital admission. The etiology and pathogenesis of this disease are not completely clear. Our study was intended to determine the systemic levels of pentraxin-3 (PTX-3), myeloperoxidase (MPO), procalcitonin (PCT), and C-reactive protein (CRP) as prognostic parameters in early stages of AP. We also determined the effects of treatment on PTX-3, MPO, PCT and CRP levels in AP. Material and methods The study group comprised 44 AP patients (22 male, 22 female; age: 49.3 ±16.9 years) referred to our outpatient clinic. Additionally, our investigation included a control group of 30 healthy volunteers (18 male, 12 female; age: 50.8 ±12.6 years). Results Leukocytes, glucose, aspartate aminotransferase (AST (SGOT)), alanine aminotransferase (ALT (SGPT)), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), total and direct bilirubin levels were significantly higher in the AP group (p < 0.05, all). CRP, PTX-3, MPO and PCT were considerably higher in the AP group (p < 0.001, all), and after treatment, CRP, PTX-3, MPO and PCT levels were significantly lower (p < 0.001, all). Conclusions Our findings indicated that the CRP, PTX-3, MPO and PCT levels increase in patients with AP and hence these indicators can be used as diagnostic factors to predict inflammation severity in AP. It was revealed that after treatment, there were significant reductions in biomarker levels. However, further research is needed in order to understand how these biomarkers can help to monitor inflammatory responses in AP.
Short‐term toxicity of 1‐methylnaphthalene to Americamysis bahia and 5 deep‐sea crustaceans

There are few studies that have evaluated hydrocarbon toxicity to vertically migrating deep‐sea micronekton. Crustaceans were collected alive using a 9‐m2 Tucker trawl with a thermally insulated cod end and returned to the laboratory in 10 °C seawater. Toxicity of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon 1‐methylnaphthalene to Americamysis bahia, Janicella spinacauda, Systellaspis debilis, Sergestes sp. , Sergia sp. , and a euphausiid species was assessed in a constant exposure toxicity test utilizing a novel passive dosing toxicity testing protocol. The endpoint of the median lethal concentration tests was mortality, and the results revealed high sensitivity of the deep‐sea micronekton compared with other species for which these data are available. Threshold concentrations were also used to calculate critical target lipid body burdens using the target lipid model. Environ Toxicol Chem 2017;36:3415–3423. © 2017 The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of SETAC
Studying Natural Human-computer Interaction in Immersive Virtual Reality: A Comparison between Actions in the Peripersonal and in the Near-action Space

Interacting in immersive virtual reality is a challenging and open issue in human-computer interaction. Here, we describe a system to evaluate the performance of a low-cost setup, which has not the need of wearing devices to manipulate virtual objects. In particular, we consider the Leap Motion device and we assess its performance into two situations: reaching and grasp in the peripersonal space, and in the near-action space, i.e. when a user stays on foot and can move his own arms to reach objects on a desk. We show how these two situations are similar in terms of user performance, thus indicating a possible use of such device in a wide range of reaching tasks in immersive virtual reality.
Paired D10A Cas9 nickases are sometimes more efficient than individual nucleases for gene disruption

Abstract The use of paired Cas9 nickases instead of Cas9 nuclease drastically reduces off-target effects. Because both nickases must function for a nickase pair to make a double-strand break, the efficiency of paired nickases can intuitively be expected to be lower than that of either corresponding nuclease alone. Here, we carefully compared the gene-disrupting efficiency of Cas9 paired nickases with that of nucleases. Interestingly, the T7E1 assay and deep sequencing showed that on-target efficiency of paired D10A Cas9 nickases was frequently comparable, but sometimes higher than that of either corresponding nucleases in mammalian cells. As the underlying mechanism, we found that the HNH domain, which is preserved in the D10A Cas9 nickase, has higher activity than the RuvC domain in mammalian cells. In this study, we showed: (i) the in vivo cleavage efficiency of the HNH domain of Cas9 in mammalian cells is higher than that of the RuvC domain, (ii) paired Cas9 nickases are sometimes more efficient than individual nucleases for gene disruption. We envision that our findings which were overlooked in previous reports will serve as a new potential guideline for tool selection for CRISPR-Cas9-mediated gene disruption, facilitating efficient and precise genome editing.
Queries in object-oriented databases

A query under an object-oriented data model exhibits characteristics which one finds in a relational query and those which clearly separate it from a relational query. The differences in turn have interesting impacts on the complexity of and strategy for query evaluation in object-oriented databases. The authors develop a model of a query under an object-oriented data model, and analyze the fundamental differences in the semantics of queries in object-oriented databases and relational databases. <<ETX>>
CFD-BASED DESIGN OF TURBOPUMP INLET DUCT FOR REDUCED DYNAMIC LOADS

Numerical simulations have been completed for a variety of designs for a 90 deg elbow duct. The objective is to identify a design that minimizes the dynamic load entering a LOX turbopump located at the elbow exit. Designs simulated to date indicate that simpler duct geometries result in lower losses. Benchmark simulations have verified that the compressible flow codes used in this study are applicable to these incompressible flow simulations. INTRODUCTION Liquid propulsion rocket engines employ ducts to route propellant and oxidizer among the various turbomachinery components. Duct design, including cross sectional shape, area, and amount of bending as a function of axial distance, influences the presence and extent of secondary flows and flow separation near the wall. These phenomena determine the pressure losses generated in the duct. Secondary flows also influence the velocity distribution and dynamic loads experienced by downstream components. The present study was performed in order to identify a duct geometry that reduces the dynamic loads experienced by a LOX turbopump located downstream of a 90 deg elbow. This paper presents the results of a series of numerical simulations for several design geometries of a 90 degree elbow, a common feature in radial-engine turbomachinery. Prior to presenting the LOX duct simulations, results are presented for a benchmark simulation (water flow through a 90 degree elbow) to demonstrate the applicability of compressible flow codes to an incompressible flow. Results are then presented for several duct geometries, including constant as well as varying cross sectional shape and area. NUMERICAL PROCEDURES Ducts do not generally fall into a single class of engine components, e.g., ducts are found both in turbomachinery and combustion devices. Therefore, the: three principal codes used to analyze turbomachinery and combustion devices at MSFC were applied in the current study. This also presented the unique opportunity to cross check the codes. The governing equations in the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis are the timedependent, three-dimensional Reynolds-averaged Nilvier-Stokes equations. Three CFD https://ntrs.nasa. gov/search.jsp? R=20030069001 2019-12-29T01:36:49+00:00Z
Harmonizing Signals and Events with a Lightweight Extension to Java

The current demands for seamless connections with the surrounding environment make software more reactive. For example, such demands are evident in systems consisting of the Internet of Things. Such systems include a set of reactive values that are periodically updated in response to external or internal events to form a dataflow in the sense that such updates are propagated to other reactive values. Two effective approaches for realizing such reactive values have been proposed: the event mechanisms in event-based programming and the signals in functional-reactive programming. These two approaches are now becoming mixed in several languages such as Flapjax and REScala, which makes these languages notably expressive for modularizing the implementation of reactive software. For example, REScala provides a rich API that consists of functions converting events to signals and vice versa. In this paper, we explore another, simpler approach in the design space of reactive programming languages: the event mechanism is harmonized with signals, resulting in a simplified programming interface that is mostly based on signals. Based on this approach, we realize SignalJ, a simple extension of Java with events and signals. Our notable findings are (1) an event can be represented as an update of a signal and (2) such an effectful signal can be represented using annotations instead of introducing types and constructors for signals to further simplify the language. Another contribution of this paper is the formal model of SignalJ. As both mechanisms of events and signals may interfere with each other, this mixing sometimes results in surprising behavior. For example, the functional behavior of signals is affected by the imperative features of events. Thus, understanding the formal model of this mixing is actually important. The core calculus, Featherweight SignalJ (FSJ), was developed as an extension of Featherweight Java, and proofs are provided to ensure the soundness of FSJ.
Magnetic resonance myocardial fiber-orientation mapping with direct histological correlation.

Functional properties of the myocardium are mediated by the tissue structure. Consequently, proper physiological studies and modeling necessitate a precise knowledge of the fiber orientation. Magnetic resonance (MR) diffusion tensor imaging techniques have been used as a nondestructive means to characterize tissue fiber structure; however, the descriptions so far have been mostly qualitative. This study presents a direct, quantitative comparison of high-resolution MR fiber mapping and histology measurements in a block of excised canine myocardium. Results show an excellent correspondence of the measured fiber angles not only on a point-by-point basis (average difference of -2.30 ± 0.98°, n = 239) but also in the transmural rotation of the helix angles (average correlation coefficient of 0.942 ± 0.008 with average false-positive probability of 0.004 ± 0.001, n = 24). These data strongly support the hypothesis that the eigenvector of the largest MR diffusion tensor eigenvalue coincides with the orientation of the local myocardial fibers and underscore the potential of MR imaging as a noninvasive, three-dimensional modality to characterize tissue fiber architecture.
Keratinocyte growth factor stimulates bronchial epithelial cell proliferation in vitro and in vivo.

Airway epithelial cell (AEC) proliferation is crucial to the maintenance of an intact airway surface and the preservation of host defenses. The factors that regulate AEC proliferation are not known. Keratinocyte growth factor (KGF), also known as FGF-7, is a member of the fibroblast growth factor family and a known epithelial cell mitogen. We studied the influence of KGF on the growth of cultured human bronchial epithelial cells and on bronchial cells of rats treated with KGF in vivo. First, we demonstrated the mRNA for the KGF receptor (KGFR) in both normal human bronchial epithelial (NHBE) cells and BEAS-2B cells (a human bronchial epithelial cell line). KGF caused a dose-dependent increase in DNA synthesis, as assessed by thymidine incorporation, in both cell types, with a maximal twofold increase in NHBE cells after 50 ng/ml KGF ( P < 0.001). KGF also induced a doubling in NHBE cell number at 10 ng/ml ( P < 0.001). Finally, we determined the effect of intratracheal administration of KGF to rats on proliferation of AEC in vivo. Measuring bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) incorporation in AEC nuclei, KGF increased BrdU labeling of rat AEC in both large and small airways by approximately threefold compared with PBS-treated controls ( P < 0.001). Thus KGF induces proliferation of bronchial epithelial cells both in vitro and in vivo.
Effect of using polymeric materials in ecological sand‐fixing of Kerqin Sandy Land of China

For the first time, the main characteristics of the polymeric materials are considered for understanding their possible application in ecological sand-fixing. In this investigation, two emulsions, named as E2, a poly(vinyl acetate) emulsion, and E7, a vinyl acetate–ethylene copolymer emulsion, have been selected for a series of tests related to the practical requirements for ecological sand-fixing. Besides the sand-fixing properties and the thermal aging and freeze–thaw stabilities of the emulsions, their effects in increasing the growth of both microbes and plants in sandy lands have been evaluated by field experiments in Kerqin Sandy Land of China, and the relationship between the performance and structure of the two emulsions has also been described. The experimental results show that both emulsions could significantly improve the compressive strength of treated sand and could withstand the changes in temperature of the Kerqin Sandy Land. However, different effects were exhibited in promoting the growth of microbes, in facilitating the accumulation of organic fertilizer and soluble salt, and in increasing the crop yield. All of the differences are attributed to their different molecular chain structures. These findings suggest that the structure of a polymeric emulsion should be the first consideration for the materials used in ecological sand-fixing, and ecological sand-fixing is a successful method for the stabilization of sandy land and the restoration of desertified land in semiarid regions. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016, 133, 44102
Genome-Wide Identification, Expression, and Functional Analysis of the Sugar Transporter Gene Family in Cassava (Manihot esculenta)

The sugar transporter (STP) gene family encodes monosaccharide transporters that contain 12 transmembrane domains and belong to the major facilitator superfamily. STP genes play critical roles in monosaccharide distribution and participate in diverse plant metabolic processes. To investigate the potential roles of STPs in cassava (Manihot esculenta) tuber root growth, genome-wide identification and expression and functional analyses of the STP gene family were performed in this study. A total of 20 MeSTP genes (MeSTP1–20) containing the Sugar_tr conserved motifs were identified from the cassava genome, which could be further classified into four distinct groups in the phylogenetic tree. The expression profiles of the MeSTP genes explored using RNA-seq data showed that most of the MeSTP genes exhibited tissue-specific expression, and 15 out of 20 MeSTP genes were mainly expressed in the early storage root of cassava. qRT-PCR analysis further confirmed that most of the MeSTPs displayed higher expression in roots after 30 and 40 days of growth, suggesting that these genes may be involved in the early growth of tuber roots. Although all the MeSTP proteins exhibited plasma membrane localization, variations in monosaccharide transport activity were found through a complementation analysis in a yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) mutant, defective in monosaccharide uptake. Among them, MeSTP2, MeSTP15, and MeSTP19 were able to efficiently complement the uptake of five monosaccharides in the yeast mutant, while MeSTP3 and MeSTP16 only grew on medium containing galactose, suggesting that these two MeSTP proteins are transporters specific for galactose. This study provides significant insights into the potential functions of MeSTPs in early tuber root growth, which possibly involves the regulation of monosaccharide distribution.
tRNA anticodon loop modifications ensure protein homeostasis and cell morphogenesis in yeast

Using budding yeast, we investigated a negative interaction network among genes for tRNA modifications previously implicated in anticodon-codon interaction: 5-methoxy-carbonyl-methyl-2-thio-uridine (mcm5s2U34: ELP3, URM1), pseudouridine (Ψ38/39: DEG1) and cyclic N6-threonyl-carbamoyl-adenosine (ct6A37: TCD1). In line with functional cross talk between these modifications, we find that combined removal of either ct6A37 or Ψ38/39 and mcm5U34 or s2U34 results in morphologically altered cells with synthetic growth defects. Phenotypic suppression by tRNA overexpression suggests that these defects are caused by malfunction of tRNALysUUU or tRNAGlnUUG, respectively. Indeed, mRNA translation and synthesis of the Gln-rich prion Rnq1 are severely impaired in the absence of Ψ38/39 and mcm5U34 or s2U34, and this defect can be rescued by overexpression of tRNAGlnUUG. Surprisingly, we find that combined modification defects in the anticodon loops of different tRNAs induce similar cell polarity- and nuclear segregation defects that are accompanied by increased aggregation of cellular proteins. Since conditional expression of an artificial aggregation-prone protein triggered similar cytological aberrancies, protein aggregation is likely responsible for loss of morphogenesis and cytokinesis control in mutants with inappropriate tRNA anticodon loop modifications.