Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Specific reduction of G 6 PT may contribute to downregulation of hepatic 11 b-HSD 1 in diabetic mice

Pre-receptor activation of glucocorticoids via 11b-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (11b-HSD1 (HSD11B1)) has been identified as an important mediator of the metabolic syndrome. Hexose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (H6PDH) mediates 11b-HSD1 amplifying tissue glucocorticoid production by driving intracellular NADPH exposure to 11b-HSD1 and requires glucose-6-phosphate transporter (G6PT (SLC37A4)) to maintain its activity. However, the potential effects of G6PT on tissue glucocorticoid production in type 2 diabetes and obesity have not yet been defined. Here, we evaluated the possible role of G6PT antisense oligonucleotides (G6PT ASO) in the pre-receptor metabolism of glucocorticoids as related to glucose homeostasis and insulin tolerance by examining the production of 11b-HSD1 and H6PDH in both male db/C and db/db mouse liver tissue. We observed that G6PT ASO treatment of db/db mice markedly reduced hepatic G6PT mRNA and protein levels and substantially diminished the activation of hepatic 11b-HSD1 and H6PDH. Reduction of G6pt expression was correlated with the suppression of both hepatic gluconeogenic enzymes G6Pase and PEPCK and corresponded to the improvement of hyperglycemia and insulin resistance in db/db mice. Addition of G6PT ASO to mouse hepa1–6 cells led to a dosedependent decrease in 11B-Hsd1 production. Knockdown of G6PT with RNA interference also impaired 11B-Hsd1 expression and showed comparable effects to H6pdh siRNA on silencing of H6pdh and 11B-Hsd1 expression in these intact cells. These findings suggest that G6PT plays an important role in the modulation of pre-receptor activation of glucocorticoids and provides new insights into the role of G6PT in the development of type 2 diabetes. Key Words
Vega-Lite : A Language for Interactive Visualization

While computers can help us manage data, human judgment and domain expertise is what turns it into understanding. Meeting the challenges of increasingly large and complex data requires methods that richly integrate the capabilities of both people and machines. In response to these challenges, my systems research combines methods from visualization, data management, human-computer interaction, and programming languages to enable effective methods for data analysis and communication.
Increased levels of total P-Cresylsulphate and indoxyl sulphate are associated with coronary artery disease in patients with diabetic nephropathy.

BACKGROUND Indoxyl sulphate (IS) and p-cresylsulphate (PCS) are uremic toxins with similar protein-binding, dialytic clearance, and proinflammatory features. Few studies have evaluated the possible associations between these solutes and coronary artery disease (CAD) in type 2 diabetes (T2D) patients. METHODS A hospital-based case control study was performed. A total of 209 T2D patients were divided into two groups based on the presence/absence of significant CAD (≥50% luminal reduction). Serum total PCS and IS levels were measured using the Ultra Performance LC System. The relationship between total PCS and IS levels were investigated. Coronary calcium scores and the modified Gensini score were analyzed. RESULTS Serum total PCS and IS levels were significantly higher in patients with both T2D and significant CAD, than in non-diabetic control subjects and T2D patients without CAD (all p < 0.05). Logistic regression analysis revealed independent and significant associations between the two solutes and CAD status. Serum total PCS, IS, and numbers of diseased vessels were elevated in groups with estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) of 60-89 ml/min/1.73 m2 and below. Also, serum total PCS and IS levels were significantly associated with eGFR, coronary calcium scores, Gensini score, adipocytokines (adiponectin, visfatin, and leptin), and total white blood cell count. CONCLUSIONS Serum total PCS and IS levels were elevated in patients with T2D and CAD. These increases were associated with renal function deterioration, inflammation, and coronary atherosclerosis.
Energy Efficient Topology Control for WLANS Yalemzewd

Wireless LANs employing the IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n standard operate in the unlicensed frequency bands. Their deployment has seen an exponential growth since their introduction. It is very common to find a wireless LAN in most buildings and houses around the world. These infrastructurebased WLANs are deployed to meet certain connectivity requirements and are usually deployed randomly. This random deployment has made the networks to be collectively unmanaged leading to the existence of larger interference areas. Power is lost because the access points usually operate with their factory default configurations that use the maximum authorized power level. This leads the access points to cover an area beyond required leading to the formation of larger interference areas that affects the performance of the networks. In this paper we study the power control problem in these networks using computation geometry and coalition formation game theory. We first analyze a coalition formation game between two neighboring access points for transmit power optimization. Then we set the requirements for other access points to join the coalition and investigate if a stable coalition can be formed. We finally show that by forming a coalition of up to five access points an optimal radio range assignment scheme exists that minimizes the total transmit power in the network substantially while meeting the requirements of network coverage.
Association of Fat Mass and Adipokines With Foot Pain in a Community Cohort

To determine, first, if fat mass index (FMI) or fat‐free mass index (FFMI) and serum adipokines tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and interleukin‐6 (IL‐6) are associated with prevalent (stage 2) foot pain, and, second, if they are predictive of future (stage 3) foot pain.
OPINION Embryonic stem-cell gametes: the new frontier in human reproduction

As infertility increases and gamete donations decline, an alternate source of sex cells may prove valuable for research and infertility treatment. This article examines the social and scientific value of gametes derived from the differentiation of established human embryonic stem (ES)-cell lines (ES-cell-derived gametes) and customized gametes created using nuclear transfer technologies to contain a haploid set of genes creating children genetically related to parent(s). ES-cell-derived gametes may be valuable as a resource for biomedical research, instruction and training in assisted reproductive technologies and perhaps for creating children. The creation of children by ES-cell-derived and customized gametes may not result in psychological harm to children but customized gametes may lead to physical harm to children or an accumulation of gene mutations in a population. Although the creation of new types of children using ES-cell gametes provides more reproductive choices to both fertile and infertile individuals, the risk or physical harm to children from customized gametes may be so severe that the scope of reproductive liberty must be limited. Further scientific and ethical analysis of the creation of children by ES-cell gametes is required.
Regulation of ion channels by muscarinic receptors

The excitable behaviour of neurons is determined by the activity of their endogenous membrane ion channels. Since muscarinic receptors are not themselves ion channels, the acute effects of muscarinic receptor stimulation on neuronal function are governed by the effects of the receptors on these endogenous neuronal ion channels. This review considers some principles and factors determining the interaction between subtypes and classes of muscarinic receptors with neuronal ion channels, and summarizes the effects of muscarinic receptor stimulation on a number of different channels, the mechanisms of receptor – channel transduction and their direct consequences for neuronal activity. Ion channels considered include potassium channels (voltage-gated, inward rectifier and calcium activated), voltage-gated calcium channels, cation channels and chloride channels.
Clinical efficacy comparison of rosuvastatinwith atorvastatinin high-risk chinese dyslipidemic patients

Purpose: The study aimed to compare the cholesterol-lowering efficacy of Rosuvastatin with Atorvastatin in high risk Chinese dyslipidemicpatients. Methods: This randomized open-label study enrolled 90 high-risk dyslipidemic patients who were hospitalized in the fourth affiliated hospital of Harbin medical college from December 2013 to July 2014, and diagnosed according to the China Adult Dyslipidemia Prevention Guide criteria (2007 Edition). These patients were randomized into Atorvastatin and Rosuvastatin groups, which were medicated on Atorvastatin 20 mg/day and Rosuvastatin 20 mg/day for 8 weeks, respectively. The effects of Atorvastatin and Rosuvastatin on serum low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), total cholesterol (TC), and triglyceride (TG) were evaluated between the two groups. Moreover, the goal attainment rates of LDL-C or TC in the two groups were assessed, respectively. Results: Rosuvastatin achieved a significantly better reduction of LDL-C (45.3% vs. 39.2%, P<0.05) and TC (35.2% vs. 29%, P<0.05) than Atorvastatin. Besides, Rosuvastatin group had a higher percentage of patients achieving the recommended goal of LDL-C and TC than the Atorvastatin group (55.1% vs. 40%, 51.2% vs. 36.2%). Conclusion: Rosuvastatin had stronger lipid-reducing efficacy than Atorvastatin in high risk hyperlipidemic patients in China.
An EV battery charger with power factor corrected bridgeless zeta converter topology

An EV (Electric Vehicle) is becoming more popular these days in transport sector due to its environment friendly operation as well as availability at reduced cost. The battery charging process is the prominent matter of concern in an EV because of power quality issues in the input current drawn by the charger. These issues are generated mainly because of the nonlinear nature of the diode bridge rectifier (DBR), used at the input side of the charger for AC-DC conversion. The abovementioned problem is minimized if the DBR is eliminated at the input, along with added advantage of reduced conduction loss in the circuit. Therefore, this paper proposes a bridgeless isolated PFC (Power Factor Corrected) based EV battery charger with a zeta converter topology which uses constant current/constant voltage mode control for the battery charging. The proposed bridgeless converter is designed to follow IEC-61000-3-2 PQ (Power Quality) standard i.e. it draws a perfect sinusoidal input current with low THD from AC mains with all the advantages of zeta converter topology like low output ripple voltage, a non-inverted output, stable output response and effective control. Therefore, the overall efficiency is improved for the proposed front end bridgeless converter. MATLAB/Simulink based model is developed which is used to verify the performance of the proposed bridgeless zeta converter at rated condition as well as fluctuations in the supply voltage. The converter' performance is evaluated with a 48V 100Ah lead acid battery being used in EV which exhibit an improved power quality indices for the source current that is well within international PQ limits.
Ground Night Nesting in Chimpanzees: New Insights from Central Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes troglodytes) in South-East Cameroon

Some chimpanzee populations exhibit ground night nesting, which occurs in different habitat types, is driven by a variety of interconnected factors, and may reflect cultural or social differences. This has important implications for ape conservation management, given that accurate nest builder identification is required to estimate density, crucial in monitoring, and allows inferences about environmental and social factors that may have contributed to the transition from tree to ground sleeping in early hominins. We conducted a 24-month marked nest count survey in La Belgique, Cameroon, and recorded the occurrence of chimpanzee tree and ground night nests, temperature and rainfall, predator and large mammal abundance, human activities, nesting tree species, and Uapaca spp. consumption. Ground night nesting occurred at a rate of 3.47% (n = 1,008), with more in swamps, in the dry season and with increasing human activities. We found no influence of leopard/elephant presence, but a possible influence of lack of nesting trees. We suggest chimpanzees visit swamps in the dry season (low water levels) for relief from hunting pressure and to consume Uapaca spp. fruits. Ground nesting may be enabled due to high abundance of terrestrial herbaceous vegetation, and may be favoured for inconspicuousness and safety from gun hunters.
A pr 2 01 8 On statistical models on super trees

A.S. Gorsky, S.K. Nechaev, and A.F. Valov 1Institute for Information Transmission Problems of RAS, Moscow, Russian Federation 2Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Dolgoprudny, Russian Federation 3Interdisciplinary Scientific Center Poncelet (CNRS UMI 2615), Moscow, Russian Federation 4P.N. Lebedev Physical Institute of RAS, Moscow, Russian Federation 5N.N. Semenov Institute of Chemical Physics of RAS, Moscow, Russian Federation
Post-earthquake Damage Detection Using Embedded Electro-mechanical Impedance Sensors for Concrete Dams

In present paper, a novel methodology is proposed to detect the post-earthquake damage in concrete dams by using of embedded electro-mechanical impedance (EMI) sensors. Firstly, PZT was embedded in the concrete to form a small cylinder, which is the earthquake damage sensor and then is placed inside the concrete dam during the construction. The variations in the impedance spectral of the sensors before and after earthquake were extracted as the damage-sensitive features and utilized to detect the damage quantitatively. To verify the proposed method, a scale model of a high concrete dam was fabricated and shaking table tests were carried out. The experimental results demonstrate that the embedded EMI sensors are sensitive enough to detect the incipient damages, which provides a promising tool to detect the structural damages after the earthquake for the concrete dams.
tructural characterization of polysaccharide obtained from red seaweed racilaria caudata ( J Agardh ) rancisco

Seaweeds are considered an important source of bioactive molecules. In this work the marine red alga Gracilaria caudata was submitted to aqueous extraction of their polysaccharides for 2 h at 100 ◦C. The polysaccharide fraction (PGC) presented a recovery of 32.8%. The sulfate content of PGC, calculated by S%, is 1 ± 0.2% and the degree of sulfation accounts for 0.13 ± 0.2. High-Performance Size-Exclusion Chromatog-
Polymorphisms and colorectal tumor risk.

BACKGROUND & AIMS Increasingly, studies of the relationship between common genetic variants and colorectal tumor risk are being proposed. To assess the evidence that any of these confers a risk, a systematic review and meta-analysis of published studies was undertaken. METHODS Fifty studies of the effect of common alleles of 13 genes on risk were identified. To clarify the impact of individual polymorphisms on risk, pooled analyses were performed. RESULTS Of the 50 studies identified, significant associations were seen in 16, but only 3 were reported in more than one study. Pooling studies, significant associations were only seen for 3 of the polymorphisms: adenomatosis polyposis coli (APC)-I1307K (odds ratio [OR] = 1.58, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.21-2.07); Harvey ras-1 variable number tandem repeat polymorphism (HRAS1-VNTR; OR = 2.50, 95% CI: 1.54-4.05); and methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR)(Val/Val) (OR = 0.76, 95% CI: 0.62-0.92). For tumor protein 53 (TP53), N-acetyl transferase 1 (NAT1), NAT2, glutathione-S transferase Mu (GSTM1), glutathione-S transferase Theta (GSTT1), and glutathione-S transferase Pi (GSTP1) polymorphisms, the best estimates are sufficient to exclude a 1.7-fold increase in risk of colorectal cancer. CONCLUSIONS APC-I1307K, HRAS1-VNTR, and MTHFR variants represent the strongest candidates for low penetrance susceptibility alleles identified to date. Although their genotypic risks are modest, their high frequency in the population implies that they may well have considerable impact on colorectal cancer incidence. Determining precise risk estimates associated with other variants and gene-gene and gene-environment interactions will be contingent on further studies with sample sizes larger than typically used to date.
miRNA sensitivity to Drosha levels correlates with pre-miRNA secondary structure

In this paper, the authors analyze how the secondary structure of primary microRNAs (pri-miRNAs) affects their processing by the Microprocessor. They show that pri-miRNAs with central mismatches in the upper stem are more sensitive to changes in Drosha level. They conclude that the secondary structure of pri-miRNA affects Drosha processing efficiency when Drosha is limiting. This raises the possibility that differentiating cells may use this as a means of miRNA regulation.
Pituitary-adrenal-system regulation and psychopathology during amitriptyline treatment in elderly depressed patients and normal comparison subjects.

OBJECTIVE This study was done to compare the effects of 6-week treatment with amitriptyline on hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) regulation in elderly depressed patients and age-matched comparison subjects. METHOD A combined dexamethasone-suppression/CRH-stimulation (dexamethasone/CRH) test was administered before initiation of amitriptyline treatment and at the end of weeks 1, 3, and 6 of treatment. Thirty-nine depressed inpatients, mean age = 69 years, completed the study. Fourteen normal volunteers, mean age = 67 years, served as comparison subjects. RESULTS In relation to the comparison subjects, the depressed patients had a profoundly abnormal HPA response, in particular an exaggerated cortisol release in the dexamethasone/CRH test. This abnormality began to disappear after 1 week of treatment with amitriptyline. In contrast, amitriptyline did not affect neuroendocrine regulation in the comparison subjects at any time during the test period. CONCLUSIONS The data suggest that amitriptyline affects HPA regulation in hypercortisolemic depression only, and they raise the possibility that normalization of its feedback control is related to the antidepressive effect of amitriptyline.
A NONSTATIONARY UNCERTAINTY FRAMEWORK FOR CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACT PROJECTIONS – TRADING SPACE-FOR-TIME TO UNDERSTAND STREAMFLOW ELASTICITY

Watershed models are used to simulate the streamflow for a given climatic scenarios and also for ungauged basins. They have become increasingly important to predict the behavior of watersheds under the expected climate change where the watersheds will experience climates which will be much different from their historical climate. Most of the waterheds models require a simulation based approach to arrive at optimal parameter sets. One of the major problems is dependence of watershed models on calibration, whose outcome is dependent on the climatic regime of the calibration data, or on a priori parameter estimates, which often perform poorly even in reproducing historical data. In addition there is an urgent need to for the estimation of uncertainty in climate change impact assessment. Streamflow elasticity is defined as the percent change in streamflow for a percent change in precipitation or temperature. It is an indicator of the sensitivity of streamflow to climate change. Elasticity can be derived from historical observations or from watershed model simulations. In this study we develop a new uncertainty framework utilizing trading-space-fortime to establish model constraints that reduce predictive uncertainty while accounting for the impact of climate nonstationarity on parameter estimates. The driving hypothesis is that observed spatial gradients in watershed signatures such as runoff ratio, baseflow index etc can be used as a proxy for temporal gradients. Thus, relationships developed over vast spatial extent spanning a variety of watersheds and climate, can be used to predict the nature of a watershed as it moves to climates that it never experienced before. The main conclusion of the study is that as we move towards more extreme climates, the importance of including nonstationarity in parameters increases. Moreover, drier climates are more sensitive to climate change than wetter climates for most of the watersheds considered in the study. The latter scenario is likely to be the case for many less developed countries, which typically already lie in regions where water availability is lower and climate variability is higher. The results shown here suggest that previously used frameworks will likely underestimate the hydrologically-controled risks posed by climate change!
Modeling Crop Choices in the United States : Soil Quality , Climate , and Cultivar Characteristics ∗

We propose an econometric model of crop choice in which a farmer’s profit-maximizing crop depends on physiological crop attributes interacted with local soil and climate characteristics. We estimate the model using county-level data on average crop choices for 1986–2008. We find that the observed physiological attributes of crops explain much of the geographic variation in crop choices. For example, crops that use water efficiently tend to be grown in dry regions, while crops with long growing seasons tend to be grown in warmer climates. The model allows us to forecast, based on revealed historical crop choices, the adoption of two leading bioenergy crops, switchgrass and miscanthus, that do not yet exist in the historical data but whose attributes are known. At the scale of production mandated by the federal Renewable Fuel Standard, we find that switchgrass would tend to displace a wider range of major food crops, whereas miscanthus would have smaller effects on corn, alfalfa, and especially soybeans, tending instead to displace cotton and Conservation Reserve Program land. Thus, the use of miscanthus would likely have milder impacts on world food prices. Our results could be used to validate the findings of simulation models or to help parameterize a model of U.S. crop supply, while our overall approach could easily be extended to include additional crops and countries. JEL classification numbers: Q1, Q2, Q4
A Post‐Hoc Comparison of the Utility of Sanger Sequencing and Exome Sequencing for the Diagnosis of Heterogeneous Diseases

The advent of massive parallel sequencing is rapidly changing the strategies employed for the genetic diagnosis and research of rare diseases that involve a large number of genes. So far it is not clear whether these approaches perform significantly better than conventional single gene testing as requested by clinicians. The current yield of this traditional diagnostic approach depends on a complex of factors that include gene‐specific phenotype traits, and the relative frequency of the involvement of specific genes. To gauge the impact of the paradigm shift that is occurring in molecular diagnostics, we assessed traditional Sanger‐based sequencing (in 2011) and exome sequencing followed by targeted bioinformatics analysis (in 2012) for five different conditions that are highly heterogeneous, and for which our center provides molecular diagnosis. We find that exome sequencing has a much higher diagnostic yield than Sanger sequencing for deafness, blindness, mitochondrial disease, and movement disorders. For microsatellite‐stable colorectal cancer, this was low under both strategies. Even if all genes that could have been ordered by physicians had been tested, the larger number of genes captured by the exome would still have led to a clearly superior diagnostic yield at a fraction of the cost.