Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Salmon in Combination with High Glycemic Index Carbohydrates Increases Diet-Induced Thermogenesis Compared with Salmon with Low Glycemic Index Carbohydrates–An Acute Randomized Cross-Over Meal Test Study

The study investigated the acute effects of meals containing either salmon or veal in combination with carbohydrates with high or low glycemic index (GI) on diet-induced thermogenesis (DIT) (primary endpoint), appetite sensations, and energy intake (EI). Twenty-five overweight men and women ingested four iso-caloric test meals: salmon with mashed potatoes (high GI) (SM), salmon with wholegrain pasta (low GI) (SP), veal with mashed potatoes (VM) and veal with wholegrain pasta (VP). Energy expenditure was measured in the fasting state and six times postprandially for 25 min with 5-min breaks between each measurement. Appetite sensations were measured every 30 min. Blood samples, from arterialized venous blood, were drawn every 20 min until an ad libitum buffet-style lunch was served 3.5 h later. DIT was 40% higher after the SM meal compared to the SP meal (p = 0.002). Prospective food consumption was lower after the SM meal compared with the VP meal (p = 0.01). There were no differences in satiety, hunger, fullness, or ad libitum EI between the test meals (all p > 0.05). In conclusion, salmon with high GI carbohydrates increased DIT compared to salmon with low GI carbohydrates. This indicates that DIT is sensitive to the GI of the carbohydrates after intake of salmon but not veal.
Effect of thermostable mutations on the neurotensin receptor 1 (NTSR1) activation state

Abstract Neurotensin (NTS) is a 13-amino acid neuropeptide with neuroendocrine and vasoactive functions that is widely expressed in the central nervous system and gastrointestinal tract. NTS is sensed by a multiple cell surface proteins including two G protein-coupling receptors (GPCRs): NTS receptors 1 and 2 (NTSR1 and NTSR2). Crystal structures of NTSR1 have successfully elucidated agonist binding within the orthosteric pocket of receptor but have not revealed the full activation state of the receptor. Recent studies have attempted to address this challenge by improving NTSR1 crystal formation via thermostable mutants; unfortunately, these mutations exhibit functional defects in the G protein coupling of NTSR1. Here, we have used molecular dynamics simulations to gain greater insights into how the amino acid substitutions used in these thermostable mutants (E166A, L310A and F358A) impact receptor activation. Our simulations indicate that wild-type NTSR1 in complex with NTS8-13 shows more active-like features including a 17.7 Å shift in TM6, reflecting a network of polar and aromatic interactions orchestrating agonist-induced receptor conformational changes. We also provide evidence indicating that F358 is a precursor to the rotamer change observed in W321, and our collective analysis also suggests that mutations E166A and F358A are less impactful to G protein coupling than L310A. Furthermore, we believe that our findings can be used to design future NTSR1 mutants that do not interfere with agonist-induced conformational changes and downstream G protein coupling and thus produce structures that will allow visualization of the fully activated receptor conformation. Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma
New-Onset Alzheimer’s Disease and Normal Subjects 100% Differentiated by P300

Previous work has suggested that evoked potential analysis might allow the detection of subjects with new-onset Alzheimer’s disease, which would be useful clinically and personally. Here, it is described how subjects with new-onset Alzheimer’s disease have been differentiated from healthy, normal subjects to 100% accuracy, based on the back-projected independent components (BICs) of the P300 peak at the electroencephalogram electrodes in the response to an oddball, auditory-evoked potential paradigm. After artifact removal, clustering, selection, and normalization processes, the BICs were classified using a neural network, a Bayes classifier, and a voting strategy. The technique is general and might be applied for presymptomatic detection and to other conditions and evoked potentials, although further validation with more subjects, preferably in multicenter studies is recommended.
Peptidoglycan Remodeling Enables Escherichia coli To Survive Severe Outer Membrane Assembly Defect

In Gram-negative bacteria, the outer membrane protects the cell against many toxic molecules, and the peptidoglycan layer provides protection against osmotic challenges, allowing bacterial cells to survive in changing environments. Maintaining cell envelope integrity is therefore a question of life or death for a bacterial cell. Here we show that Escherichia coli cells activate the LD-transpeptidase LdtD to introduce 3-3 cross-links in the peptidoglycan layer when the integrity of the outer membrane is compromised, and this response is required to avoid cell lysis. This peptidoglycan remodeling program is a strategy to increase the overall robustness of the bacterial cell envelope in response to defects in the outer membrane. ABSTRACT Gram-negative bacteria have a tripartite cell envelope with the cytoplasmic membrane (CM), a stress-bearing peptidoglycan (PG) layer, and the asymmetric outer membrane (OM) containing lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in the outer leaflet. Cells must tightly coordinate the growth of their complex envelope to maintain cellular integrity and OM permeability barrier function. The biogenesis of PG and LPS relies on specialized macromolecular complexes that span the entire envelope. In this work, we show that Escherichia coli cells are capable of avoiding lysis when the transport of LPS to the OM is compromised, by utilizing LD-transpeptidases (LDTs) to generate 3-3 cross-links in the PG. This PG remodeling program relies mainly on the activities of the stress response LDT, LdtD, together with the major PG synthase PBP1B, its cognate activator LpoB, and the carboxypeptidase PBP6a. Our data support a model according to which these proteins cooperate to strengthen the PG in response to defective OM synthesis. IMPORTANCE In Gram-negative bacteria, the outer membrane protects the cell against many toxic molecules, and the peptidoglycan layer provides protection against osmotic challenges, allowing bacterial cells to survive in changing environments. Maintaining cell envelope integrity is therefore a question of life or death for a bacterial cell. Here we show that Escherichia coli cells activate the LD-transpeptidase LdtD to introduce 3-3 cross-links in the peptidoglycan layer when the integrity of the outer membrane is compromised, and this response is required to avoid cell lysis. This peptidoglycan remodeling program is a strategy to increase the overall robustness of the bacterial cell envelope in response to defects in the outer membrane.
Plant DNA‐barcode library and community phylogeny for a semi‐arid East African savanna

Applications of DNA barcoding include identifying species, inferring ecological and evolutionary relationships between species, and DNA metabarcoding. These applications require reference libraries that are not yet available for many taxa and geographic regions. We collected, identified, and vouchered plant specimens from Mpala Research Center in Laikipia, Kenya, to develop an extensive DNA‐barcode library for a savanna ecosystem in equatorial East Africa. We amassed up to five DNA barcode markers (rbcL, matK, trnL‐F, trnH–psbA, and ITS) for 1,781 specimens representing up to 460 species (~92% of the known flora), increasing the number of plant DNA barcode records for Africa by ~9%. We evaluated the ability of these markers, singly and in combination, to delimit species by calculating intra‐ and interspecific genetic distances. We further estimated a plant community phylogeny and demonstrated its utility by testing if evolutionary relatedness could predict the tendency of members of the Mpala plant community to have or lack “barcode gaps”, defined as disparities between the maximum intra‐ and minimum interspecific genetic distances. We found barcode gaps for 72%–89% of taxa depending on the marker or markers used. With the exception of the markers rbcL and ITS, we found that evolutionary relatedness was an important predictor of barcode‐gap presence or absence for all of the markers in combination and for matK, trnL‐F, and trnH–psbA individually. This plant DNA barcode library and community phylogeny will be a valuable resource for future investigations.
An Age-Friendly University (AFU) assists with technology learning and social engagement among older adults and individuals with developmental disabilities

ABSTRACT As an Age-Friendly University (AFU), University of Akron is striving to support lifelong learning. A collaborative research effort developed between aging researchers at the university and a government-sponsored pilot program aimed to provide learning opportunities for older adults (OA) and engagement for individuals with developmental disabilities (IDD). The present study assessed the success of a pilot program to increase comfort with technology and community engagement. OA and IDD participants met twice a month for 9 months to discuss how to use technology (e.g., an IPad). We assessed satisfaction, perceived changes in comfort with technology, perceived changes in connection with others, and motivations for participating with questionnaires and a structured interview. On average, participants reported very high satisfaction with the group, and moderate increases in comfort with technology and how connected they feel to others as a result of participating in the group. The most common motivations for participation were related to values, strengthening social ties, seeking to learn, and bringing joy to others. These findings suggest that the pilot was successful at improving community engagement. The involvement of the university in the assessment of this pilot program situates the university as an age-friendly partner for community efforts to support lifelong learning.
A small molecule screening to detect potential therapeutic targets in human podocytes.

WIDMEIER E, TAN W, AIRIK M, HILDEBRANDT F A small molecule screening to detect potential therapeutic targets in human podocytes. Am J Physiol Renal Physiol 312: F157-F171, 2017. First published October 19, 2016; doi:10.1152/ajprenal.00386. 2016. Steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome (SRNS) inevitably progresses to end-stage kidney disease, requiring dialysis or transplantation for survival. However, treatment modalities and drug discovery remain limited. Mutations in over 30 genes have been discovered as monogenic causes of SRNS. Most of these genes are predominantly expressed in the glomerular epithelial cell, the podocyte, placing it at the center of the pathogenesis of SRNS. Podocyte migration rate (PMR) represents a relevant intermediate phenotype of disease in monogenic causes of SRNS. We therefore adapted PMR in a high-throughput manner to screen small molecules as potential therapeutic targets for SRNS. We performed a high-throughput drug screening of a National Institutes of Health Clinical Collection (NCC) library (n = 725 compounds) measuring PMR by videomicroscopy. We used the Woundmaker to perform individual 96-well scratch wounds and screened compounds using a quantitative kinetic live cell imaging migration assay using IncuCyte ZOOM technology. Using a normal distribution for the average PMR in wild-type podocytes with a vehicle control (DMSO), we applied a 90% confidence interval to define "distinct" compounds (5% faster/slower PMR) and found that 12 of 725 compounds (at 10 μM) reduced PMR. Clusters of drugs that alter PMR included actin/tubulin modulators such as the azole class of antifungals and antineoplastic vinca-alkaloids. We hereby identify compounds that alter PMR. The PMR assay provides a new avenue to test therapeutics for nephrotic syndrome. Positive results may reveal novel pathways in the study of glomerular diseases such as SRNS.
Submaximal heart rate seems inadequate to prescribe and monitor intensified training

ABSTRACT The aim of this study is to investigate whether the change in (sub)maximal heart rate after intensified training is associated with the change in performance. Thirty subjects were recruited who performed cardiopulmonary exercise tests to exhaustion 2 weeks before (pre), 1 week after (post) and 5 weeks after (follow-up) an 8-day non-competitive amateur cycling event (TFL). The exercise volume during the TFL was 7.7 fold the volume during the preparation period. Heart rate and cardiopulmonary parameters were obtained at standardised absolute submaximal workloads (low, medium and high intensity) and at peak level each test. Subjects were classified as functionally overreached (FOR) or acute fatigued (AF) based on the change in performance. No differences between FOR and AF were observed for heart rate (P = .51). On total group level (AF + FOR), post-TFL heart rate decreased significantly at low (−4.4 beats·min−1, 95% CI [−8.7, −0.1]) and medium (−5.5 beats·min−1 [−8.5, −2.4]), but not at high intensity. Peak heart rate decreased −3.4 beats·min−1 [−6.1, −0.7]. O2pulse was on average 0.49 ml O2·beat−1 [0.09, 0.89] higher at all intensities after intensified training. No changes in ⩒O2 (P = .44) or the ventilatory threshold (P = .21) were observed. Pearson’s correlation coefficients revealed negative associations between heart rate and O2pulse at low (r = −.56, P < .01) and medium intensity (r = −.54, P < .01), but not with ⩒O2 or any other submaximal parameter. (Sub)maximal heart rate decreased after the TFL. However, this decrease is unrelated to the change in performance. Therefore, heart rate seems inadequate to prescribe and monitor intensified training.
The impact of emotional faces on younger and older adults’ attentional blink

ABSTRACT The attentional blink (AB) is the impaired ability to detect a second target (T2) when it follows shortly after the first (T1) among distractors in a rapid serial visual presentation (RSVP). Given questions about the automaticity of age differences in emotion processing, the current study examined whether emotion cues differentially impact the AB elicited in older and younger adults. Twenty-two younger (18–22 years) and 22 older adult participants (62–78 years) reported on the emotional content of target face stimulus pairs embedded in a RSVP of scrambled-face distractor images. Target pairs included photo-realistic faces of angry, happy, and neutral expressions. The order of emotional and neutral stimuli as T1 or T2 and the degree of temporal separation within the RSVP systematically varied. Target detection accuracy was used to operationalise the AB. Although older adults displayed a larger AB than younger adults, no age differences emerged in the impact of emotion on the AB. Angry T1 faces increased the AB of both age groups. Neither emotional T2 attenuated the AB. Negative facial expressions held the attention of younger and older adults in a comparable manner, exacerbating the AB and supporting a negativity bias instead of a positivity effect in older adults.
Topology-Aware GPU Scheduling for Learning Workloads in Cloud Environments

Recent advances in hardware, such as systems with multiple GPUs and their availability in the cloud, are enabling deep learning in various domains including health care, autonomous vehicles, and Internet of Things. Multi-GPU systems exhibit complex connectivity among GPUs and between GPUs and CPUs. Workload schedulers must consider hardware topology and workload communication requirements in order to allocate CPU and GPU resources for optimal execution time and improved utilization in shared cloud environments. This paper presents a new topology-aware workload placement strategy to schedule deep learning jobs on multi-GPU systems. The placement strategy is evaluated with a prototype on a Power8 machine with Tesla P100 cards, showing speedups of up to, ≈ 1.30x compared to state-of-the-art strategies; the proposed algorithm achieves this result by allocating GPUs that satisfy workload requirements while preventing interference. Additionally, a large-scale simulation shows that the proposed strategy provides higher resource utilization and performance in cloud systems. CCS CONCEPTS • Theory of computation → Scheduling algorithms; Graph algorithms analysis; Machine learning theory; • Computer systems organization → Cloud computing;
Principal Component Analysis of the Associations Between Kinetic Variables in Cutting and Jumping, and Cutting Performance Outcome

Abstract Welch, N, Richter, C, Moran, K, and Franklyn-Miller, A. Principal component analysis of the associations between kinetic variables in cutting and jumping, and cutting performance outcome. J Strength Cond Res 35(7): 1848–1855, 2021—The primary aim of this study was to determine which features within the ground reaction force (GRF) trace during cutting are related to performance outcome in different angled cuts. The secondary aim was to understand the relationship between GRF features in a series of maximum strength, explosive strength, and reactive strength tests, and cutting performance outcome. Twenty-five male intercounty Gaelic football players (23.5 ± 4.2 years, 183 ± 6 cm, and 83 ± 6.9 kg) participated in the study. Subjects completed 110 and 45° cutting tasks, single leg squat jumps, drop landings, drop jumps, and isometric midthigh pulls. A principal component (PC) analysis and simulation approach were applied to the data and correlations between PCs and cutting performance outcome measured. Lower vertical to horizontal impulse ratios (r = −0.70 to −0.46) in both cuts and greater forces over the first 50 ms of ground contact (r = −0.44) in the 110° cut correlated with enhanced cutting performance outcomes. Greater reactive strength index and height in the drop jump (r = −0.51 and −0.54) and greater impulses over the first 25 ms of ground contact in the drop landing (r = 0.49 and 0.70) correlated with enhanced cutting performance outcomes. These results highlight the importance of greater horizontal and rapid force production in cutting and greater reactive strength qualities to enhance cutting performance.
Structurally defined signaling in neuro‐glia units in the enteric nervous system

Coordination of gastrointestinal function relies on joint efforts of enteric neurons and glia, whose crosstalk is vital for the integration of their activity. To investigate the signaling mechanisms and to delineate the spatial aspects of enteric neuron‐to‐glia communication within enteric ganglia we developed a method to stimulate single enteric neurons while monitoring the activity of neighboring enteric glial cells. We combined cytosolic calcium uncaging of individual enteric neurons with calcium imaging of enteric glial cells expressing a genetically encoded calcium indicator and demonstrate that enteric neurons signal to enteric glial cells through pannexins using paracrine purinergic pathways. Sparse labeling of enteric neurons and high‐resolution analysis of the structural relation between neuronal cell bodies, varicose release sites and enteric glia uncovered that this form of neuron‐to‐glia communication is contained between the cell body of an enteric neuron and its surrounding enteric glial cells. Our results reveal the spatial and functional foundation of neuro‐glia units as an operational cellular assembly in the enteric nervous system.
A Scoping Review of Foci, Trends, and Gaps in Reviews of Tobacco Control Research.

Introduction The burden of disease associated with tobacco use has prompted a substantial increase in tobacco-related research, but the breadth of this literature has not been comprehensively examined. This review examines the nature of the research addressing the action areas in World Health Organization's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), the populations targeted and how equity-related concepts are integrated. Method A scoping review of published reviews addressing tobacco control within the primary prevention domain. We searched PubMed, Scopus, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Cochrane Library, Educational Resources Information Centre, and PsycInfo from 2004 to 2018. Results The scoping review of reviews offered a "birds-eye-view" of the tobacco control literature. Within the 681 reviews meeting inclusion criteria, there was a strong focus on smoking cessation targeting individuals; less attention has been given to product regulation, packaging, and labeling or sales to minors. Equity-related concepts were addressed in 167/681 (24.5%); few were focused on addressing inequity through structural and systemic root causes. Conclusion This analysis of foci, trends, and gaps in the research pursuant to the FCTC illustrated the particular action areas and populations most frequently addressed in tobacco control research. Further research is needed to address: (1) underlying social influences, (2) particular action areas and with specific populations, and (3) sustained tobacco use through the influence of novel marketing and product innovations by tobacco industry. Implications This scoping review of the breadth of tobacco control research reviews enables a better understanding of which action areas and target populations have been addressed in the research. Our findings alongside recommendations from other reviews suggest prioritizing further research to support policymaking and considering the role of the tobacco industry in circumventing tobacco control efforts. The large amount of research targeting individual cessation would suggest there is a need to move beyond a focus on individual choice and decontextualized behaviors. Also, given the majority of reviews that simply recognize or describe disparity, further research that integrates equity and targets various forms of social exclusion and discrimination is needed and may benefit from working in collaboration with communities where programs can be tailored to need and context.
The Development and Initial Validation of Need Satisfaction Scales Within the Psychology of Working Theory

The psychology of working theory (PWT; Duffy, Blustein, Diemer, & Autin, 2016) provides a framework to understand predictors and outcomes of decent work. Given that basic need satisfaction is hypothesized to be a primary mediator in the link between decent work and well-being, it is essential to have valid and reliable scales that are consistent with the PWT framework. In the current study, we developed the Work Needs Satisfaction Scales, a set of instruments designed to measure satisfaction of survival, social contribution, and self-determination needs from a PWT perspective. In Study 1 (N = 345), a pool of items was developed and exploratory factor analysis was conducted, resulting in five 4-item scales representing survival need satisfaction, social contribution need satisfaction, and three components of self-determination need satisfaction (i.e., autonomy, competence, relatedness). In Study 2 (N = 476), we used confirmatory factor analysis to test 4 different structural models, finding that there were no significant differences between models. Thus, results offer a flexible 5-factor model, the structure of which may be adapted based on theory and researcher needs. Authors provide theory-driven recommendations on how to best use choice of structural models for PWT research. Finally, we demonstrated convergent, discriminant, and concurrent validity for the structural model most consistent with the PWT. Implications for research and practice are discussed.