Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Histone deacetylase 3 inhibition improves glycaemia and insulin secretion in obese diabetic rats

Failure of pancreatic β cells to compensate for insulin resistance is a prerequisite for the development of type 2 diabetes. Sustained elevated circulating levels of free fatty acids and glucose contribute to β‐cell failure. Selective inhibition of histone deacetylase (HDAC)‐3 protects pancreatic β cells against inflammatory and metabolic insults in vitro. In the present study, we tested the ability of a selective HDAC3 inhibitor, BRD3308, to reduce hyperglycaemia and increase insulin secretion in a rat model of type 2 diabetes. At diabetes onset, an ambulatory hyperglycaemic clamp was performed. HDAC3 inhibition improved hyperglycaemia over the study period without affecting weight gain. At the end of the hyperglycaemic clamp, circulating insulin levels were significantly higher in BRD3308‐treated rats. Pancreatic insulin staining and contents were also significantly higher. These findings highlight HDAC3 as a key therapeutic target for β‐cell protection in type 2 diabetes.
Mitochondrial respiration in subcutaneous and visceral adipose tissue from patients with morbid obesity

Adipose tissue exerts important endocrine and metabolic functions in health and disease. Yet the bioenergetics of this tissue is not characterized in humans and possible regional differences are not elucidated. Using high resolution respirometry, mitochondrial respiration was quantified in human abdominal subcutaneous and intra‐abdominal visceral (omentum majus) adipose tissue from biopsies obtained in 20 obese patients undergoing bariatric surgery. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and genomic DNA (gDNA) were determined by the PCR technique for estimation of mitochondrial density. Adipose tissue samples were permeabilized and respirometric measurements were performed in duplicate at 37°C. Substrates (glutamate (G) + malate (M) + octanoyl carnitine (O) + succinate (S)) were added sequentially to provide electrons to complex I + II. ADP (D) for state 3 respiration was added after GM. Uncoupled respiration was measured after addition of FCCP. Visceral fat contained more mitochondria per milligram of tissue than subcutaneous fat, but the cells were smaller. Robust, stable oxygen fluxes were found in both tissues, and coupled state 3 (GMOSD) and uncoupled respiration were significantly (P < 0.05) higher in visceral (0.95 ± 0.05 and 1.15 ± 0.06 pmol O2 s−1 mg−1, respectively) compared with subcutaneous (0.76 ± 0.04 and 0.98 ± 0.05 pmol O2 s−1 mg−1, respectively) adipose tissue. Expressed per mtDNA, visceral adipose tissue had significantly (P < 0.05) lower mitochondrial respiration. Substrate control ratios were higher and uncoupling control ratio lower (P < 0.05) in visceral compared with subcutaneous adipose tissue. We conclude that visceral fat is bioenergetically more active and more sensitive to mitochondrial substrate supply than subcutaneous fat. Oxidative phosphorylation has a higher relative activity in visceral compared with subcutaneous adipose tissue.
Suggestions for the quantitative X‐ray microanalysis of thin sections of frozen‐dried and embedded biological tissues

When a microregion in a thin section of frozen‐dried and embedded tissue is analysed by the conventional electron‐probe X‐ray continuum‐normalization method, the measured quantity is in mmol of element per kg of embedded specimen. As each microregion contains an unknown amount of embedding medium, this quantity generally lies indeterminately somewhere within the wide range between mmol of element per kg of hydrated tissue and mmol of element per kg of dehydrated tissue. However, if a ‘tag’ element is incorporated in the embedding medium, the contribution of the medium to the local continuum count in each probed field should be measurable, and the X‐ray data may then unambiguously yield mmol of element per kg of dehydrated tissue. This result should not be affected by shrinkage on freeze‐drying or by incomplete replacement of water by embedding medium.
Load management in smart grids considering harmonic distortion and transformer derating

This paper addresses the important issue of power quality management for smart grids and proposes a load management strategy based on transformer derating for minimizing harmonic distortion in distribution feeders and transformers. Ongoing development of smart grid technologies such as smart metering and smart appliances are creating new opportunities for improving distribution system performance. One area undergoing study is effective control of demand response through (semi)automated load management practices (e.g., smart appliances). Despite these developments, the impact on power quality has not been taken into consideration from a demand side management point of view. Smart grids provide an excellent opportunity to better manage power quality and reduce harmonic distortions present in power networks. In this paper, it is proposed that the impact of harmonics generated by nonlinear loads should be factored into overall load control strategies of smart appliances. This work focuses on the impact on residential distribution transformers which are adversely impacted by harmonic current distortions. A growing concern is the potentially high penetration of plug-in electric vehicles in smart grids. Load management of electric vehicles is studied for an IEEE 30-bus 23 kV distribution system to demonstrate the benefits of the proposed power quality and load management strategy. This paper proposes computing transformer K-Factor derating to control scheduling of smart appliances/loads to reduce harmonic stresses.
Influence of GABA‐gated bicarbonate conductance on potential, current and intracellular chloride in crayfish muscle fibres.

1. The effects of gamma‐aminobutyric acid (GABA) on membrane potential and conductance as well as on the intracellular Cl‐ activity (aiCl) and intracellular pH (pHi) were studied in crayfish muscle fibres using a three‐microelectrode voltage clamp and ion‐selective microelectrodes. In the presence of CO2‐HCO3‐, the intracellular HCO3‐ activity (aiHCO3) was estimated from pHi. 2. In a nominally HCO3(‐)‐free solution, a near‐saturating concentration of GABA (0.2 mM) produced a marked increase in membrane conductance but little change in potential. In a solution containing 30 mM‐HCO3‐ (equilibrated with 5% CO2 + 95% air; pH 7.4), the GABA‐induced increase in conductance was associated with a depolarization of about 15 mV, with an increase in aiCl and with a decrease in aiHCO3. All these effects were blocked by picrotoxin (PTX). The depolarizing action of GABA was augmented following depletion of extracellular and intracellular Cl‐. 3. The GABA‐induced increase in aiCl which took place in the presence of HCO3‐ was blocked by clamping the membrane potential at its resting level. This indicates that the increase in aiCl was due to passive redistribution of Cl‐. In both the presence and absence of HCO3‐, the GABA‐activated transmembrane flux of Cl‐ showed reversal at the level of the resting potential, which indicates that under steady‐state conditions the Cl‐ equilibrium potential (ECl) is identical to the resting potential. 4. In a Cl(‐)‐free, 30 mM‐HCO3(‐)‐containing solution, 0.5 mM‐GABA produced a PTX‐sensitive increase in conductance which amounted to 15% of the conductance activated in the presence of Cl‐. In the absence of both Cl‐ and HCO3‐, the respective figure was 2.8%. Assuming constant‐field conditions, the conductance data yielded a permeability ratio PHCO3/PCl of 0.42 for the GABA‐activated channels. 5. In a Cl(‐)‐containing, HCO3(‐)‐free solution, the reversal potential of the GABA‐activated current (EGABA) was, by about 1 mV, less negative than the resting membrane potential (RP). In a solution containing Cl‐ and 30 mM‐HCO3‐, EGABA‐RP was 12 mV. Simultaneous measurements of EGABA, aiCl and aiHCO3 (pHi) gave a PHCO3/PCl value of 0.33. 6. In a Cl(‐)‐free, HCO3(‐)‐containing solution EGABA was close to the HCO3‐ equilibrium potential (EHCO3) and an experimental acidosis which produced a negative shift in EHCO3 was associated with a similar shift in EGABA. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Mononeme: A new secretory organelle in Plasmodium falciparum merozoites identified by localization of rhomboid-1 protease

Compartmentalization of proteins into subcellular organelles in eukaryotic cells is a fundamental mechanism of regulating complex cellular functions. Many proteins of Plasmodium falciparum merozoites involved in invasion are compartmentalized into apical organelles. We have identified a new merozoite organelle that contains P. falciparum rhomboid-1 (PfROM1), a protease that cleaves the transmembrane regions of proteins involved in invasion. By immunoconfocal microscopy, PfROM1 was localized to a single, thread-like structure on one side of the merozoites that appears to be in close proximity to the subpellicular microtubules. PfROM1 was not found associated with micronemes, rhoptries, or dense granules, the three identified secretory organelles of invasion. Release of merozoites from schizonts resulted in the movement of PfROM1 from the lateral asymmetric localization to the merozoite apical pole and the posterior pole. We have named this single thread-like organelle in merozoites, the mononeme.
EEG and Behavioral Changes following Neurofeedback Treatment in Learning Disabled Children

Neurofeedback (NFB) is an operant conditioning procedure, by which the subject learns to control his/her EEG activity. On one hand, Learning Disabled (LD) children have higher values of theta EEG absolute and relative power than normal children, and on the other hand, it has been shown that minimum alpha absolute power is necessary for adequate performance. Ten LD children were selected with higher than normal ratios of theta to alpha absolute power (theta/alpha). The Test Of Variables of Attention (TOVA) was applied. Children were divided into two groups in order to maintain similar IQ values, TOVA values, socioeconomical status, and gender for each group. In the experimental group, NFB was applied in the region with highest ratio, triggering a sound each time the ratio fell below a threshold value. Noncontingent reinforcement was given to the other group. Twenty half-hour sessions were applied, at a rate of 2 per week. At the end of the 20 sessions, TOVA, WISC and EEG were obtained. There was significant improvement in WISC performance in the experimental group that was not observed in the control group. EEG absolute power decreased in delta, theta, alpha and beta bands in the experimental group. Control children only showed a decrease in relative power in the delta band. All changes observed in the experimental group and not observed in the control group indicate better cognitive performance and the presence of greater EEG maturation in the experimental group, which suggests that changes were due not only to development but also to NFB treatment.
Trackingwith binary sensors

We present a novel approach to the tracking of piecewise linear trajectories using a network of cheap “binary sensors” i.e. devices that can only detect whether an object is in their sensing range. We show that an object traveling on almost all straight lines, even with an unknown speed, can be tracked by generically placed three binary sensors whose sensing ranges need not intersect with each other, but do intersect the trajectory. We then discuss the implication of these results to pice-wise linear trajectories with potentially unknown speeds. We also present efficient algorithms that simulations and theory verify, achieve good tracking performance, and robustness to sensing errors.
Study of residual background carriers in midinfrared InAs∕GaSb superlattices for uncooled detector operation

The midinfrared 7 ML InAs/8 ML GaSb superlattices (SLs) were grown by molecular beam epitaxy at growth temperatures between 370 and 430°C in order to study the intrinsic characteristic of background carriers. Grown SLs were all residual p type with carrier densities in the low 1011cm−2, and a minimum density of 1.8×1011cm−2 was obtained from the SL grown at 400°C. With increasing growth temperature, the in-plane carrier mobility decreased from 8740to1400cm2∕Vs due to increased interfacial roughness, while the photoluminescence intensity increased sixfold due to a decrease in the nonradiative defect densities.
A low-power current reuse CMOS RF front-end for GPS applications

A very low-power RF front-end based on a new current reuse QLMV cell (Quadrature VCO-LNA-Mixer) is proposed for GPS applications. The front-end, designed in 0. 18µm CMOS technology, provides improved performance characteristics while consuming only 1 mA current. Simulation results are presented and compared with recently published works in the field.
A Meta-Analytic Review of Peer Risk Factors and Adolescent Dating Violence

Objective: Dating violence occurs frequently among adolescents and is associated with negative physical and psychosocial outcomes. Because of the variety of peer risk factors, methodologies, and the evolving literature in adolescent dating violence, a meta-analytic review of these peer influences is needed. Three peer risk factors that appear to be particularly important for adolescent involvement in dating violence include peers’ violent dating behaviors, peers’ aggressive and/or antisocial behavior, and being victimized by peers. Method: Three separate meta-analyses were conducted to synthesize the literature on each of the 3 peer risk factors for adolescent dating violence, incorporating 27 articles and data from 28,491 adolescents. Results: Meta analyses illustrated that peer dating violence (r = .30), peers’ aggressive and/or antisocial behavior (r = .20) and being victimized by peers (r = .22) were all significantly related to adolescent dating violence perpetration and victimization. Moderation analyses showed differential results depending on how sex was analyzed, sampling techniques, and type of peer behaviors. Conclusion: The current study provided a necessary fusion of the literature on 3 distinct peer risk factors for adolescent dating violence. The findings inform current theoretical perspectives that address peer risk factors for adolescent dating violence, inform existing dating violence prevention programs, and provide future research directions for examining relations between peer behaviors and dating violence.
USING RESTORATION-ORIENTED COPING AND THE DUAL PROCESS MODEL WITH BEREAVED UNDERGRADUATES

USING RESTORATION-ORIENTED COPING AND THE DUAL PROCESS MODEL WITH BEREAVED UNDERGRADUATES By Farah J. Aslanzadeh, B.S. A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science at Virginia Commonwealth University Virginia Commonwealth University, 2017 Major Director: Sandra Gramling, Ph.D. Department of Psychology Approximately 60% of college seniors lost at least one family member or friend since beginning college (Cox, Dean, & Kowalski, 2015). Research reveals that bereaved students are more likely than their nonbereaved peers to struggle with academic problems and attrition (Cousins, Servaty-Seib & Lockman, 2017), highlighting the importance of identifying protective factors for this group of individuals. Researchers have identified restoration-oriented coping as a helpful coping mechanism in other samples (Caserta & Lund, 2007; Caserta, Lund, Utza, & de Vries, 2009). Despite qualitative evidence suggesting bereaved undergraduates often employ restoration-oriented coping, no research has formally assessed the effects of restoration-oriented coping in a bereaved undergraduate sample. This study assessed the effects of restoration-oriented coping on students’ (N=420; 68.8% female; 46.7% white) psychological well-being in a longitudinal design. Data were part of a larger study (“Spit 4 Science”) assessing the development of substance use and emotional health outcomes in college students. Students were assessed annually; those who reported a loss, had pre-, and post-loss data were included in analysis. Hierarchical multiple linear regressions were conducted and showed restoration-oriented coping was predictive of better psychological well-being and that this relationship was strengthened by social support quality. Extraversion was also predictive of better psychological well-being, while openness and neuroticism were related to poorer psychological well-being. Moreover, neuroticism mediated the relationship between distress at indication of loss and post-loss follow-up. Further research of restoration-oriented coping efforts among bereaved undergraduates is warranted. Additional resources and support may help to keep students engaged following a loss.
Energy-aware cache assessment of HEVC decoding

This paper presents a thorough analysis of energy consumption of a software HEVC decoder. The evaluation utilizes a framework developed herein specifically to estimate the energy consumption in all levels of cache hierarchies. Our framework is based on analytical models combined with memory profiling; tools. Energy analyses of several cache hierarchies executing HEVC decoding with different input bit streams were carried out. Our results point to the most suited cache parameters for each video resolution. The energy was estimated for a 32nm CMOS technology. Our study includes different tradeoffs between energy efficiency and capacity, associativity, and main memory bandwidth. Our detailed analysis shows that the higher are the cache features, the more efficient is the energy consumption. The main memory bandwidth evaluation shows that the energy consumption increases with the main memory bandwidth requirement. Full HD video resolutions require up to 90 times higher bandwidth and 57 times more energy than class D resolutions.
Vertex-switching, isomorphism, and pseudosimilarity

A vertex-switching G s of a graph G is obtained by deleting from G all edges of G with exactly one end in the set of vertices S, and then adding to G all edges of the complement of G with exactly one end in S. We characterize the situations in which G s is isomorphic to G, a result with application to the vertex-switching reconstruction problem. We use these results to construct pairs of vertex-switching pseudosimilar vertices, nonsimilar vertices u and v in a graph G with G {u} isomorphic to G {v} . We show that every such pair can be constructed by our methods
Redox Fluctuation Structures Microbial Communities in a Wet Tropical Soil

ABSTRACT Frequent high-amplitude redox fluctuation may be a strong selective force on the phylogenetic and physiological composition of soil bacterial communities and may promote metabolic plasticity or redox tolerance mechanisms. To determine effects of fluctuating oxygen regimens, we incubated tropical soils under four treatments: aerobic, anaerobic, 12-h oxic/anoxic fluctuation, and 4-day oxic/anoxic fluctuation. Changes in soil bacterial community structure and diversity were monitored with terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) fingerprints. These profiles were correlated with gross N cycling rates, and a Web-based phylogenetic assignment tool was used to infer putative community composition from multiple fragment patterns. T-RFLP ordinations indicated that bacterial communities from 4-day oxic/anoxic incubations were most similar to field communities, whereas those incubated under consistently aerobic or anaerobic regimens developed distinctly different molecular profiles. Terminal fragments found in field soils persisted either in 4-day fluctuation/aerobic conditions or in anaerobic/12-h treatments but rarely in both. Only 3 of 179 total fragments were ubiquitous in all soils. Soil bacterial communities inferred from in silico phylogenetic assignment appeared to be dominated by Actinobacteria (especially Micrococcus and Streptomycetes), “Bacilli,” “Clostridia,” and Burkholderia and lost significant diversity under consistently or frequently anoxic incubations. Community patterns correlated well with redox-sensitive processes such as nitrification, dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium (DNRA), and denitrification but did not predict patterns of more general functions such as N mineralization and consumption. The results suggest that this soil's indigenous bacteria are highly adapted to fluctuating redox regimens and generally possess physiological tolerance mechanisms which allow them to withstand unfavorable redox periods.
Good performance of p16/ki‐67 dual‐stained cytology for surveillance of women treated for high‐grade CIN

Women treated for high‐grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) are at risk of recurrent CIN Grade 2 or worse (rCIN2+). Currently, posttreatment monitoring is performed using cytology or cytology/high‐risk (hr)HPV cotesting. This study aimed to evaluate the performance of p16/Ki‐67 dual‐stained cytology (p16/Ki‐67) for posttreatment monitoring. Three hundred and twenty‐three women treated for high‐grade CIN in the SIMONATH study underwent close surveillance by cytology, hrHPV and DNA methylation marker testing up to 12 months posttreatment. Histological endpoints were ascertained by colposcopy with biopsy at 6 and/or 12 months. p16/Ki‐67 dual‐staining was performed on residual liquid‐based cytology samples obtained at, or shortly before biopsy collection. Clinical performance estimates of cytology, hrHPV, p16/Ki‐67 testing and combinations thereof for the detection of rCIN2+ were determined and compared to each other. Sensitivity of p16/Ki‐67 for rCIN2+ (69.2%) was nonsignificantly lower than that of cytology (82.1%; ratio 0.84, 95% CI: 0.71–1.01), but significantly lower than that of hrHPV testing (84.6%; ratio 0.82, 95% CI: 0.68–0.99). Specificity of p16/Ki‐67 for rCIN2+ (90.4%) was significantly higher compared to both cytology (70.8%; ratio 1.28, 95% CI: 1.19–1.37) and hrHPV testing (76.2%; ratio 1.19, 95% CI: 1.12–1.26). Overall, hrHPV testing showed very high sensitivity, along with a good specificity. When considering cotesting, combined p16/Ki‐67/hrHPV testing showed rCIN2+ sensitivity comparable to cytology/hrHPV cotesting (87.2% vs. 89.7%; ratio 0.97, 95% CI: 0.92–1.03), but with significantly increased specificity (74.2% vs. 58.1%; ratio 1.28, 95% CI: 1.19–1.38). Thus, when considered in combination with hrHPV, p16/Ki‐67 might be an attractive approach for surveillance of women treated for high‐grade CIN.
Studies on the Purification and Characterization of Human Urinary Plasminogen and Plasmin

Summary A new method is described for the preparation of highly purified human plasminogen and plasmin with specific activity of 32 CTA units per mg of protein. With this method, the purification of the urinary plasminogen + plasmin antigenic materials from patients with chronic glomerulonephritis, disseminated intravascular coagulation syndrome and severe toxemia of pregnancy was performed, and the resulting highly purified proenzyme and enzyme were analyzed by immunoelectrophoresis, separative agar electrophoresis, gel filtration and SDS-gel electrophoresis. Our findings indicated that urinary plasmin reflects more closely the extent of intraglomerular fibrinolysis, while urinary plasminogen reflects non-selective proteinuria in patients with chronic glomerulonephritis or severe toxemia of pregnancy.