Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Detection of a [3Fe-4S] Cluster Intermediate of Cytosolic Aconitase in Yeast Expressing Iron Regulatory Protein 1

Interconversion of iron regulatory protein 1 (IRP1) with cytosolic aconitase (c-aconitase) occurs via assembly/disassembly of a [4Fe-4S] cluster. Recent evidence implicates oxidants in cluster disassembly. We investigated H2O2-initiated Fe-S cluster disassembly in c-aconitase expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. A signal for [3Fe-4S] c-aconitase was detected by whole-cell EPR of aerobically grown, aco1 yeast expressing wild-type IRP1 or a S138A-IRP1 mutant (IRP1S138A), providing the first direct evidence of a 3Fe intermediate in vivo. Exposure of yeast to H2O2 increased this 3Fe c-aconitase signal up to 5-fold, coincident with inhibition of c-aconitase activity. Untreated yeast expressing IRP1S138D or IRP1S138E, which mimic phosphorylated IRP1, failed to give a 3Fe signal. H2O2 produced a weak 3Fe signal in yeast expressing IRP1S138D. Yeast expressing IRP1S138D or IRP1S138E were the most sensitive to inhibition of aconitase-dependent growth by H2O2 and were more responsive to changes in media iron status. Ferricyanide oxidation of anaerobically reconstituted c-aconitase yielded a strong 3Fe EPR signal with wild-type and S138A c-aconitases. Only a weak 3Fe signal was obtained with S138D c-aconitase, and no signal was obtained with S138E c-aconitase. This, paired with loss of c-aconitase activity, strongly argues that the Fe-S clusters of these phosphomimetic c-aconitase mutants undergo more complete disassembly upon oxidation. Our results demonstrate that 3Fe c-aconitase is an intermediate in H2O2-initiated Fe-S cluster disassemblyin vivo and suggest that cluster assembly/disassembly in IRP1 is a dynamic process in aerobically growing yeast. Further, our results support the view that phosphorylation of IRP1 can modulate its response to iron through effects on Fe-S cluster stability and turnover.
The conception of force and motion of students aged between 10 and 15 years: an interview study designed to guide instruction

An interview study with 36 students aged 10‐15 was conducted to identify features of the students' reasoning about horizontal and vertical motion. Seven tasks were used in the interviews. Each task presented the students with an example of motion in a particular context. Students' descriptions and explanations of the motions were explored. Commonly occurring features in students' reasoning about motion were identified. These are reported in this paper. In most respects the prior conceptions identified in the study correspond with those reported elsewhere (for example the conception of a force ‘in’ a moving object). Reasoning about vertical motion appeared to differ in some respects from horizontal motion. Acceleration and deceleration phases of motion appeared to require different kinds of explanation by students. There was little evidence for any change with age in the conceptions used.
Towards a Trans-national Turn in Italian Studies?

As Paul Jay states in the opening to his 2010 volume Global Matters: The Transnational Turn in Literary Studies: ‘Since the rise of critical theory in the 1970s, nothing has reshaped literary and cultural studies more than its embrace of transnationalism’. 1 What the present article sets out to do is examine to what extent this (rather bold) statement holds true in the Italian context, and to analyze three further things in particular: how the trans-national, as an interpretative lens, has been employed to date in Italian cultural and literary studies; what new approaches towards the trans-national are being enacted in this field; and, finally, what the Italian case might potentially bring that is new or innovative to trans-national enquiry as a global phenomenon. On this last point, it is interesting to note the deliberate juxtaposition of the terms ‘global’ and ‘transnational’ in the title of Jay’s book, and indeed, how much of his analysis necessarily engages with processes of — both economic and cultural — globalization. But as this article will go on to argue, there are significant nuances of the term trans-national, which should surely problematize such a conflation, since ‘global’ and ‘globalized’ mean very different things in cultural terms (and in different cultural contexts). And indeed, in the Italian field of literary and cultural studies, there has been a much greater use of the term ‘global’ (‘globale’, ‘mondiale’, or ‘mondo’), primarily along the lines of a Weltliteratur model of Goethian inspiratio n, than a sustained critical engagement with the real-life processes of trans-nationalism or globalization itself. A ‘world’ categorization of cultural production often assumes a perspective of broad overview, or distant reading of Morettian inspiration,2 that will also become evident within the brief survey of some recent volumes on the topic in Italian cultural and literary studies which is to follow.
Heterosubtypic Immunity to Influenza A Virus Infection Requires a Properly Diversified Antibody Repertoire

ABSTRACT Heterosubtypic immunity (HSI) is defined as cross-protection to infection with an influenza A virus serotype other than the one used for primary infection. Although HSI has been thought to be mediated by serotype cross-reactive cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) that recognize conserved epitopes of structural proteins, recent studies suggest that antibodies (Abs) may make a significant contribution. In this study, we provide further evidence for the role of Abs in HSI using transgenic mice lacking terminal deoxyribonucleotidyltransferase (TdT), which adds N nucleotides to V-D and D-J junctions of the complementary determining region 3 (CDR3) (TdT−/−) and mice with altered Ab repertoires due to replacement of the complete locus of heavy chain diversity segments (DH) with an altered DH segment (namely, ΔD-iD). Both types of mice failed to generate complete HSI, although they were able to mount protective immunity to a homologous challenge. Lower levels of virus-specific antibodies along with more severely impaired HSI were observed in TdT−/− mice compared to those in ΔD-iD mice, while CTL activity remained unchanged in both types of mice. These findings indicate that a properly diversified antibody repertoire is required for HSI and that N addition by TdT is a more effective mechanism in the induction of a properly diversified antibody repertoire and, therefore, complete HSI. The results suggest that the diversity of the antibody repertoire as determined by the composition of the D region of HCDR3 and by N addition are among the mechanisms selected for in evolution to create a favorable environment to resolve infections with mutated viruses.
The Social Nature of Private Speech of Preschoolers During Problem Solving

Extending Vygotsky's theory, young children's private speech during problem solving is conceptualised as having a dual nature; as a reaction to the task and as, at the same time, an indirect appeal to a potentially helpful person. The interactional function of private speech is elaborated within a developmental pragmatic frame of explanation. Based on the dual nature conceptualisation of private speech, the hypothesis was tested that children would produce more private speech during problem solving following interaction with a collaborative adult than following interaction with a non-collaborative adult, the adult being non-actively present during the child's execution of the cognitive task. Twenty-two children (ages: 4 years 2 months to 4 years 10 months) participated in the experiment. Support was found for the main hypothesis. No reliable relationship was found between the amount of private speech produced and the quality of task performance. Results are discussed in relation to other studies of private speech, two of which are re-interpreted in accordance with a dual nature conceptualisation of private speech. The role of private speech in the regulation of non-verbal task performance is critically analysed. It is emphasised that private speech should be studied while taking into account the interactional framework in which the child has been functioning.
Mossy fiber potentiation and long‐term potentiation involve different expression mechanisms

Two lines of recent work show that induction of long-lasting otentiation in the mossy fiber synapses in field CA3 of ip ocampus involves cellular events quite different than Rg t ose responsible for inducing long-term potentiation (LTP). First, antagonists of the NMDA receptor have no effect on any phase of mossy-fiber potentiation (MFP) (Harris and Cotman, 1986) but block all forms of potentiation lasting more than a few seconds in field CA1 (Collingridge et al., 1983; Larson and Lynch, 1988). Second, inactivation of G proteins with pertussis toxin is reported to block the induction of MFP without detectably affecting LTP in syna ses between pyramidal cells (Ito et al., 1988). Whi f e these results establish that the sequence of transient events leading to MFP is not the same as that which produces LTP, it is not known whether the final modifications that express the two forms of potentiation are also different. Here we report that MFP is accompanied by a significant change in paired-pulse facilitation, an alteration that does not occur with LTP (McNaughton, 1982; Muller and Lynch 1989). It would appear that MFP and LTP have little in common in terms of induction or ex ression mechanisms. Elices of hippocampus were prepared from male Sprague-Dawley rats (1 75-225 g) as described elsewhere and maintained in an interface chamber at 34 2 1°C. The perfusion medium contained (in mM): NaCl 124, KCl 3, KH,PO, 1.25, MgS04 2.5, CaClz 3.4, NaHCO, 26, D-glucose 10, and L-ascorbate 3. The upper surfaces of the slices were exposed to humidified 95% 02/5% COz. Two stimulating electrodes were placed under visual guidance into the infragranular zone of the dorsal leaf of the dentate gyrus near the boundary between dorsal and ventral leaves. An extracellular recording pipette was positioned in stratum lucidum of field CA3b. Figure 1C shows t pica1 records obtained with single-pulse stimulation. ryhe slope and amplitude of the evoked potentials were calculated on-line with a small computer and distized responses stored on disk. EPSP slope measurements were much more variable than peak amplitude measures; thus the latter were used as indices of synaptic efficacy. Stimulus intensity was set to evoke relatively small responses during testing (<0.5 mV) to minimize contamination with population s ikes. Stimulation intensity remained con-
Atendimento a tentativas de suicídio por serviço de atenção pré-hospitalar

Objective: To investigate the characteristics of the victims of suicide attempts treated in pre-hospital services and the time intervals consumed in this phase of care. Methods: Cross-sectional study, which used data from pre-hospital care to victims of suicide attempts occurred in the town of Arapiraca, in 2011. For data analysis, Fisher’s exact test, Student’s t test and multiple logistic regression were performed. Results: A total of 80 victims of suicide attempts were treated by pre-hospital care service. Women over the age of men were the most attempted suicide victims (n = 44, 55%) and drug intoxication was the most used method (n = 44, 55%). Suicide attempts occurred more frequently in autumn (n = 29, 36.25%), on Sunday (n = 18, 22.5%), mainly in the afternoon (n = 33, 41.25%). The time spent in the pre-hospital care varied between 34.4 and 40.5 minutes. The variables that were associated with suicide attempts by sex were: age (p = 0.03) and the transportation time (p = 0.01). Conclusion: It was found that there were differences between the sexes of the victims of suicide attempts treated by pre-hospital attendance. Women were older than men and the transportation time was higher in male victims, suggesting greater severity in suicide attempts committed by this particular group.
The Impact of Context on Readings of Teaching Portfolios

This study explored the experiences of readers of portfolios created in either formative or summative micro‐contexts. Interviews were conducted with three readers in the formative context (mentors on a graduate certificate in higher education programme), and three readers in the summative context (senior staff committee members reading portfolios created for promotion or confirmation). As expected, thematic analysis of the interview transcripts showed discernible differences in the ways developmental and summative portfolios were read. However, the parallels in the issues raised suggested the strong influence of the macro‐context—an institution with a policy providing for the summative use of teaching portfolios—on the way portfolios in both micro‐contexts are read. Cette étude explore les expériences de lecteurs de portfolios produits dans des micro‐contextes soit formatifs, soit certificatifs. Des entretiens ont été effectués auprès de trois lecteurs dans un contexte formatif (tous mentors dans le cadre d’un programme de certificat postgradué en enseignement supérieur) et de trois lecteurs dans un contexte certificatif (tous membres seniors de comités de personnel évaluant les portfolios créés en vue d’une promotion ou d’une confirmation). Tel qu’envisagé, une analyse thématique de la transcription des entretiens tend à démontrer des différences perceptibles dans la façon selon laquelle les portfolios visant le développement et les portfolios visant la certification ont été lus. Toutefois, les problèmes relevés parallèlement laissent croire à une influence considérable du macro‐contexte—une institution dont les politiques favorisent l’usage certificatif des portfolios—sur la façon selon laquelle les portfolios sont lus dans leur micro‐contexte.
THE STABILITY OF CHILDREN'S LATERALITY PREVALENCES AND THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO MEASURES OF PERFORMANCE

Summary. A national sample of over 11,000 children, from the National Child Development Study, was the basis for a study of laterality prevalences, consistencies and changes from 7 to 11 years of age. Consistency and changes in handedness were related to levels of ability and attainment at age 11. Approximately 86 per cent of children were consistent in their hand preference from 7 to 11; and most children who changed were mixed-handed at 7. There were clear differences between boys and girls in the incidence of non-right-handedness. At age 11 the group of consistent left-handers had lower ability and attainment scores than average, although the very small group of left-handers who changed from being right-handed at 7 were well above average.
Methyl (2E)-2-[(2,4-dioxo-1,3-thiazolidin-3-yl)methyl]-3-phenylprop-2-enoate

In the title compound, C14H13NO4S, the thiazolidine ring is essentially planar [maximum deviation = 0.010 (2) Å for the carbonyl C atom between the N and S atoms] and is oriented at a dihedral angle of 60.1 (1)° with respect to the benzene ring. In the crystal, molecules are linked into zigzag chains running along the c axis by C—H⋯O hydrogen bonds. The crystal packing is further stabilized by C—H⋯π interactions involving the benzene ring.
miRNAs in pregnancy-related complications

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) constitute a highly conserved class of small non-coding RNAs, involved in post-transcriptional regulation processes by modifying the expression of specific mRNAs. During placental development, cell differentiation, adhesion, migration, apoptosis and angiogenesis are regulated by specific miRNAs and aberrant expression has been associated with the pathogenesis of pregnancy-related complications. Recent studies focusing on placental and maternal peripheral blood miRNA profiling showed different expression between normal and complicated pregnancies, providing valuable information about the pathophysiological role of miRNAs and identifying potential biomarkers for monitoring pregnancy complications. This review summarizes the current knowledge in the field and presents the possible use of miRNAs as biomarkers for early detection and monitoring of these complications.
Analysis of Mutations in Fibroblast Growth Factor (FGF) and a Pathogenic Mutation in FGF Receptor (FGFR) Provides Direct Evidence for the Symmetric Two-End Model for FGFR Dimerization

ABSTRACT Two competing models for fibroblast growth factor (FGF) receptor (FGFR) dimerization have recently emerged based on ternary FGF-FGFR-heparin crystal structures. In the symmetric two-end model, heparin promotes dimerization of two FGF-FGFR complexes by stabilizing bivalent interactions of the ligand and receptor through primary and secondary sites and by stabilizing direct receptor-receptor contacts. In the asymmetric model, there are no protein-protein contacts between the two FGF-FGFR complexes, which are bridged solely by heparin. To identify the correct mode of FGFR dimerization, we abolished interactions at the secondary ligand-receptor interaction site, which are observed only in the symmetric two-end model, using site-directed mutagenesis. Cellular studies and real-time binding assays, as well as matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight analysis, demonstrate that loss of secondary ligand-receptor interactions results in diminished FGFR activation due to decreased dimerization without affecting FGF-FGFR binding. Additionally, structural and biochemical analysis of an activating FGFR2 mutation resulting in Pfeiffer syndrome confirms the physiological significance of receptor-receptor contacts in the symmetric two-end model and provides a novel mechanism for FGFR gain of function in human skeletal disorders. Taken together, the data validate the symmetric two-end model of FGFR dimerization and argue against the asymmetric model of FGFR dimerization.
DEVELOPMENT OF SEMI‐QUANTITATIVE PCR ASSAYS FOR THE DETECTION AND ENUMERATION OF GAMBIERDISCUS SPECIES (GONYAULACALES, DINOPHYCEAE) 1

Ciguatera fish poisoning (CFP) is a serious health problem in tropical regions and is caused by the bioaccumulation of lipophilic toxins produced by dinoflagellates in the genus Gambierdiscus. Gambierdiscus species are morphologically similar and are difficult to distinguish from one another even when using scanning electron microscopy. Improved identification and detection methods that are sensitive and rapid are needed to identify toxic species and investigate potential distribution and abundance patterns in relation to incidences of CFP. This study presents the first species‐specific, semi‐quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assays that can be used to address these questions. These assays are specific for five Gambierdiscus species and one undescribed ribotype. The assays utilized a SYBR green format and targeted unique sequences found within the SSU, ITS, and the D1/D3 LSU ribosomal domains. Standard curves were constructed using known concentrations of cultured cells and 10‐fold serial dilutions of rDNA PCR amplicons containing the target sequence for each specific assay. Assay sensitivity and accuracy were tested using DNA extracts purified from known concentrations of multiple Gambierdiscus species. The qPCR assays were used to assess Gambierdiscus species diversity and abundance in samples collected from nearshore areas adjacent to Ft. Pierce and Jupiter, Florida USA. The results indicated that the practical limit of detection for each assay was 10 cells per sample. Most interestingly, the qPCR analysis revealed that as many as four species of Gambierdiscus were present in a single macrophyte sample.
HANTAVIRUS ANTIBODY OCCURRENCE IN BANK VOLES (CLETHRIONOMYS GLAREOLUS) DURING A VOLE POPULATION CYCLE

Puumala virus, genus Hantavirus, is the etiologic agent of nephropathia epidemica, a mild form of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome. The bank vole (Clethrionomys glareolus) is the natural reservoir species of this hantavirus. We initiated sampling of bank voles at sites of recently identified human nephropathia epidemica cases and paired control sites in the fall of 1995 in coastal areas of northern Sweden. Sites were trapped annually in spring and fall until 1999. Prevalence of antibody to Puumala virus was similar among local bank vole populations in the two types of sites over time. During peak years, however, the absolute number of bank voles was higher in case sites than control sites. Consequently, the likelihood of Puumala virus exposure was increased at case sites during population highs. This would imply that the risk of Puumala virus exposure to conspecifics and humans is habitat and site dependent with a temporal component.
Pretreatment levels of serum vascular endothelial growth factor do not correlate with outcome in patients with locally advanced cervical cancer.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate pretreatment levels of serum VEGF in locally advanced cervical cancer patients, and assess any association with clinocopathological parameters and response to radiotherapy. METHODS Patients with histologically proven and diagnosed locally advanced cervical cancer or stages IIB-IVA were included in this study. Blood serum was obtained by peripheral venous puncture about 24 hours before the beginning of radiotherapy. All patients were followed up at one and three month intervals from the last day of the complete treatment for evaluating the responses to radiotherapy. RESULTS Mean age of the 40 patients was 52.8 ± 11.1 years. Sixty percent were in stage IIB and 90% had squamous cell carcinoma. The median pretreatment level of serum VEGF was 611.3 pg/ml (0.00-4,067 pg/ml). The pretreatment levels of serum VEGF did not correlate with stage (p=0.75), tumor histology (p=0.91), tumor size (p=0.46) or tumor characteristics (p=0.49). Almost all patients received concurrent chemoradiation as a curative treatment, with a complete response found in 94.9%. Values for patients who were completed response was rather lower than in patients with persistent disease, but without statistical significance (581.4 pg/ml vs 759.6 pg/ml, p=0.37). CONCLUSION Pretreatment levels of serum VEGF do not correlate with clinicopathological factors or response to radiation therapy.
Teacher judgements of the language skills of children in the early years of schooling

Language impairments are often associated with problems in educational attainments and in acquiring literacy, but speech therapy services to school-aged children are not universally available. If teachers are able to reliably identify those children whose language skills place them at risk, then the specialist services offered by speech and language therapists (pathologists) may be used in more productive ways. The current study compared teacher judgements with formal testing of general language ability and phonological awareness. Results indicate that teacher identification compared more favourably with formal test outcomes for pre-primary and Year 1 children than was the case when their judgements of kindergarten children were included.
When does explicit justification impair decision making

The idea that careful analysis leads to better decisions is pervasive in research on decision making. Intriguingly, results raise the possibility that thinking about reasons for decisions before deciding may degrade decision quality. This paper reports the results of a laboratory study which examined whether task characteristics critically influence the effects of thinking about reasons on decision quality. We found that explicit reasoning degraded judgement quality, objectively measured, on an ‘intuitive’ task. However, we also found that explicit reasoning enhanced performance on an ‘analytic’ task. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.