Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Two-dimensional gel analysis of the heat-shock response in marine snails (genus Tegula): interspecific variation in protein expression and acclimation ability

SUMMARY The degree to which temperature acclimation modifies the acute synthesis of the entire heat-shock protein (Hsp) complement is still unknown, but it may constitute an important mechanism for understanding the differences in acclimation ability among closely related ectothermic species that occupy widely varying thermal environments. In general, eurythermal (heat-tolerant) species modify physiological function in response to an increase in acclimation temperature to a greater extent than stenothermal (heat-sensitive) species. In the present work I used 35S-labelled amino acids and two-dimensional gel electrophoresis to test this assumption for how acclimation affects acute Hsp expression (referred to as phenotypic plasticity) in two heat-sensitive, low-intertidal to subtidal zone turban snails, Tegula brunnea and T. montereyi, in comparison to a heat-tolerant, mid- to low-intertidal zone congener, T. funebralis. I was able (i) to detect the synthesis of over 30 proteins in gill tissue, primarily in the 70 kDa range, in response to an increase in temperature (13°C, 24°C, 27°C and 30°C), (ii) to assess the effect of acclimation (13°C vs 22°C) on acute Hsp synthesis, and (iii) to compare this effect among the three Tegula congeners. After increasing acclimation temperature from 13°C to 22°C, synthesis of the most highly expressed Hsps decreased more in T. brunnea and T. montereyi than in T. funebralis. Two highly expressed proteins of molecular mass 71 and 74 kDa, however, were also synthesized constitutively at 13°C and changed with increasing acclimation temperature in all three species. Although similar in phenotypic plasticity, T. brunnea and T. montereyi synthesized either a 76 or a 72 kDa cluster of proteins, respectively, and differed in how acclimation affected the acute synthesis of several 77 kDa proteins. Thus, in Tegula, the effect of acclimation on Hsp expression is (i) Hsp-specific, (ii) dependent on a protein's expression pattern (constitutive and inducible vs only inducible), (iii) and is actually limited in the more eurythermal mid- to low-intertidal congener. These results contradict the general assumption that greater heat tolerance correlates with an increased ability to modify physiological function in response to acclimation.
Age and Social Support Seeking: Understanding the Role of Perceived Social Costs to Others

We examined age differences in the use of different types of social support and the reasons for these differences. We found that older adults (age 60+) seek explicit social support less compared with young adults (age 18-25), but there is no difference in implicit social support seeking. Concerns about the potential social costs of seeking explicit support mediate the age differences in explicit social support seeking. Whereas young adults view this strategy as conferring more benefits than costs, older adults have a more balanced view of the costs and benefits of explicit social support seeking. Older and young adults do not differ in perceptions of the relative costs versus benefits of implicit social support seeking. Finally, we found older adults benefit more from implicit (vs. explicit) social support emotionally than young adults, which further explains why age groups differ in their use of explicit versus implicit social support.
Ptc6 Is Required for Proper Rapamycin-Induced Down-Regulation of the Genes Coding for Ribosomal and rRNA Processing Proteins in S. cerevisiae

Ptc6 is one of the seven components (Ptc1-Ptc7) of the protein phosphatase 2C family in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In contrast to other type 2C phosphatases, the cellular role of this isoform is poorly understood. We present here a comprehensive characterization of this gene product. Cells lacking Ptc6 are sensitive to zinc ions, and somewhat tolerant to cell-wall damaging agents and to Li+. Ptc6 mutants are sensitive to rapamycin, albeit to lesser extent than ptc1 cells. This phenotype is not rescued by overexpression of PTC1 and mutation of ptc6 does not reproduce the characteristic genetic interactions of the ptc1 mutation with components of the TOR pathway, thus suggesting different cellular roles for both isoforms. We show here that the rapamycin-sensitive phenotype of ptc6 cells is unrelated to the reported role of Pt6 in controlling pyruvate dehydrogenase activity. Lack of Ptc6 results in substantial attenuation of the transcriptional response to rapamycin, particularly in the subset of repressed genes encoding ribosomal proteins or involved in rRNA processing. In contrast, repressed genes involved in translation are Ptc6-independent. These effects cannot be attributed to the regulation of the Sch9 kinase, but they could involve modulation of the binding of the Ifh1 co-activator to specific gene promoters.
Facial asymmetry in the resting state reflects anxiety status on young males

ABSTRACT Facial asymmetry is considered a marker of psychological, emotional and physiological distress, while anxiety is a behavioural, psychological and physiological response to a threat to well-being. Since individuals respond to anxiety with specific patterns (e.g., muscular tension), it is reasonable to hypothesize that anxiety could contribute to facial tension and therefore facial asymmetry. Instead, since facial asymmetry is perceived as “unpleasant” from peers, its presence may be a hindrance to social adaptation contributing to generate anxiety. In this study, we investigated whether resting facial asymmetry and anxiety are associated in young population. Full frontal facial photographs of 56 Caucasian males were taken in resting state to obtain indices of asymmetry in six facial landmarks. Anxiety status was assessed using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-Y). Analysis of the face showed that asymmetry and laterality of specific facial landmarks were associated with anxiety. State anxiety was associated with eyebrow and lateral angle of the eye, while trait anxiety was associated with eyebrow and lateral angle of the mouth. Moreover, as compared with contralateral landmarks, the left landmarks were lifted/expanded in subjects with elevated trait/state anxiety, whereas the right landmarks were lifted/expanded in subjects with low-trait/state anxiety.
Statin Use, Serum Lipids, and Prostate Inflammation in Men with a Negative Prostate Biopsy: Results from the REDUCE Trial

Statin use is associated with lower advanced prostate cancer risk. In addition to cholesterol lowering, statins have systemic anti-inflammatory properties. However, their effect on histologic prostate inflammation is not well understood, particularly among men at increased prostate cancer risk but with a negative prostate biopsy. We examined associations between serum lipid levels, statin use, and histologic prostate inflammation using data from 6,655 men with a negative baseline prostate biopsy in the REduction by DUtasteride of prostate Cancer Events (REDUCE) trial. Statin use and lipid levels [total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), triglycerides] were assessed at baseline. Inflammation was assessed by central review. Logistic regression was used to examine the effects of lipids and statin use on presence and extent of chronic and acute prostate inflammation [none, moderate (<20%), severe (≥20% biopsy cores)]. Chronic and acute inflammation affected 77% and 15% of men, respectively. Men with high HDL (≥60 vs. <40 mg/dL) had reduced presence of acute inflammation [OR, 0.79; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.63–0.99] and were less likely to have severe acute inflammation (OR, 0.66; 95% CI, 0.45–0.97), but there were no other associations between lipids and inflammation. Statin users had reduced presence of chronic inflammation (OR, 0.81; 95% CI, 0.69–0.95) and were less likely to have severe chronic (OR, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.68–0.95) and severe acute inflammation (OR, 0.73; 95% CI, 0.53–1.00), relative to non-users. Given the possible role for inflammation in prostate cancer, the inverse association between statins and prostate inflammation suggests a mechanism linking statins with lower advanced prostate cancer risk. Cancer Prev Res; 10(6); 319–26. ©2017 AACR.
Sex-Specific Heterogeneity in Fixed Morphological Traits Influences Individual Fitness in a Monogamous Bird Population

Theoretical work has emphasized the important role of individual traits on population dynamics, but empirical models are often based on average or stage-dependent demographic rates. In this study on a monogamous bird, the Eurasian hoopoe (Upupa epops), we show how the interactions between male and female fixed and dynamic heterogeneity influence demographic rates and population dynamics. We built an integral projection model including individual sex, age, condition (reflecting dynamic heterogeneity), and fixed morphology (reflecting fixed heterogeneity). Fixed morphology was derived from a principal component analysis of six morphological traits. Our results revealed that reproductive success and survival were linked to fixed heterogeneity, whereas dynamic heterogeneity influenced mainly the timing of reproduction. Fixed heterogeneity had major consequences for the population growth rate, but interestingly, its effect on population dynamics differed between the sexes. Female fixed morphology was directly linked to annual reproductive success, whereas male fixed morphology also influenced annual survival, being twice higher in large than in small males. Even in a monogamous bird with shared parental care, large males can reach 10% higher fitness than females. Including the dynamics of male and female individual traits in population models refines our understanding of the individual mechanisms that influence demographic rates and population dynamics and can help in identifying differences in sex-specific strategies.
Chronic Kidney Disease in Pregnancy

Abstract With the increasing prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) worldwide, the number of pregnant women with various degrees of renal dysfunction is expected to increase. There is a bidirectional relation between CKD and pregnancy in which renal dysfunction negatively affects pregnancy outcomes, and the pregnancy can have a deleterious impact on various aspects of kidney disease. It has been shown that even mild renal dysfunction can increase considerably the risk of adverse maternal and fetal outcomes. Moreover, data suggest that a history of recovery from acute kidney injury is associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes. In addition to kidney dysfunction, maternal hypertension and proteinuria predispose women to negative outcomes and are important factors to consider in preconception counseling and the process of risk stratification. In this review, we provide an overview of the physiologic renal changes during pregnancy as well as available data regarding CKD and pregnancy outcomes. We also highlight the important management strategies in women with certain selected renal conditions that are seen commonly during the childbearing years. We call for future research on underexplored areas such as the concept of renal functional reserve to develop a potential clinical tool for prognostication and risk stratification of women at higher risk for complications during pregnancy.
Not Just in it for the Money: A Qualitative Investigation of Workers' Perceived Benefits of Micro-task Crowdsourcing

Micro-task crowd sourcing fosters a labor relation in which large volumes of small, simple tasks are completed at low cost by self-selected online workers. The growth of micro-task crowd sourcing, characterized by apparently low remuneration, begs the question how individual participants perceive the benefits of such micro work. In response we conducted a survey on Amazon's Mechanical Turk, a premier micro-task crowd sourcing platform. The sample included workers in the US and India. Through open-ended questions we inquired about perceived benefits of participants' work. A thematic analysis of responses revealed many benefits: monetary compensation, self-improvement, time management, emotional rewards, and benefits related to the characteristics of micro-tasking. Workers compartmentalized money earned from micro work into different non-fungible mental accounts for different purposes. American and Indian workers differed in non-monetary benefit perceptions. Indian workers valued self-improvement benefits, whereas American workers valued emotional benefits. Our results suggest that workers' recognize a diverse portfolio of benefits through micro work.
Development of Material Models and Acquisition of Model Parameters for Metal Cutting Simulations

Aalto University, P.O. Box 11000, FI-00076 Aalto www.aalto. fi Author Sampsa Laakso Name of the doctoral dissertation Development of Material Models and Acquisition of Model Parameters for Metal Cutting Simulations Publisher School of Engineering Unit Engineering Design and Production Series Aalto University publication series DOCTORAL DISSERTATIONS 190/2015 Field of research Production Engineering Manuscript submitted 28 August 2015 Date of the defence 18 December 2015 Permission to publish granted (date) 29 October 2015 Language English Monograph Article dissertation (summary + original articles)
Body size and social dominance influence breeding dispersal in male Pachydiplax longipennis (Odonata)

1. Dispersal behaviour can be affected by an individual's phenotype, by the environmental or social context they experience, and by interactions between these factors. Differential dispersal propensities between individuals may also be an important modifier of functional connectivity between populations. To assess how a key trait, body size, affected both social interactions and dispersal behaviour, this study examined the relationship between body size, antagonistic interactions, and breeding dispersal in male dragonflies (Pachydiplax longipennis) across a seasonal decline in adult body size.
Cloud-Aided Edge Caching with Wireless Multicast Fronthauling in Fog Radio Access Networks

In this paper, we investigate the total delivery latency across the fronthaul and wireless segments of a Fog Radio Access Network (F-RAN) under the assumption that cloud processor and edge nodes (ENs) are connected by a multicast fronthaul link. The total delivery latency is assessed via the Normalized Delivery Time (NDT) metric which provides a high signal-to- noise ratio (SNR) measure of the relative delivery worst-case latency with respect to an interference-free system. We derive upper and lower bounds on the achievable NDT for a F-RAN with two ENs and two users as a function of cache and fronthaul resources. The upper bound is obtained by studying the NDT achieved by delivery strategies that encompass both coded and uncoded multicast strategies on the fronthaul. The lower bound is instead derived by leveraging information theoretic converse arguments. Upper and lower bounds are shown to coincide, hence characterizing the minimum NDT, for a large range of problem parameters. Among the conclusions of this study, we demonstrate that coded multicasting is not useful for reducing the NDT for the mentioned range of parameters.
Antihypertensive treatment based on blood pressure measurement at home or in the physician's office: a randomized controlled trial.

CONTEXT Self-measurement of blood pressure is increasingly used in clinical practice, but how it affects the treatment of hypertension requires further study. OBJECTIVE To compare use of blood pressure (BP) measurements taken in physicians' offices and at home in the treatment of patients with hypertension. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS Blinded randomized controlled trial conducted from March 1997 to April 2002 at 56 primary care practices and 3 hospital-based outpatient clinics in Belgium and 1 specialized hypertension clinic in Dublin, Ireland. Four hundred participants with a diastolic BP (DBP) of 95 mm Hg or more as measured at physicians' offices were enrolled and followed up for 1 year. INTERVENTIONS Antihypertensive drug treatment was adjusted in a stepwise fashion based on either the self-measured DBP at home (average of 6 measurements per day during 1 week; n = 203) or the average of 3 sitting DBP readings at the physician's office (n = 197). If the DBP guiding treatment was above (>89 mm Hg), at (80-89 mm Hg), or below (<80 mm Hg) target, a physician blinded to randomization intensified antihypertensive treatment, left it unchanged, or reduced it, respectively. MEAN OUTCOME MEASURES Office and home BP levels, 24-hour ambulatory BP, intensity of drug treatment, electrocardiographic and echocardiographic left ventricular mass, symptoms reported by questionnaire, and costs of treatment. RESULTS At the end of the study (median follow-up, 350 days; interquartile range, 326-409 days), more home BP than office BP patients had stopped antihypertensive drug treatment (25.6% vs 11.3%; P<.001) with no significant difference in the proportions of patients progressing to multiple-drug treatment (38.7% vs 45.1%; P =.14). The final office, home, and 24-hour ambulatory BP measurements were higher (P<.001) in the home BP group than in the office BP group. The mean baseline-adjusted systolic/diastolic differences between the home and office BP groups averaged 6.8/3.5 mm Hg, 4.9/2.9 mm Hg, and 4.9/2.9 mm Hg, respectively. Left ventricular mass and reported symptoms were similar in the 2 groups. Costs per 100 patients followed up for 1 month were only slightly lower in the home BP group (3875 vs 3522 [4921 dollars vs 4473 dollars]; P =.04). CONCLUSIONS Adjustment of antihypertensive treatment based on home BP instead of office BP led to less intensive drug treatment and marginally lower costs but also to less BP control, with no differences in general well-being or left ventricular mass. Self-measurement allowed identification of patients with white-coat hypertension. Our findings support a stepwise strategy for the evaluation of BP in which self-measurement and ambulatory monitoring are complementary to conventional office measurement and highlight the need for prospective outcome studies to establish the normal range of home-measured BP.
Beyond Naive Cue Combination: Salience and Social Cues in Early Word Learning

Children learn their earliest words through social interaction, but it is unknown how much they rely on social information. Some theories argue that word learning is fundamentally social from its outset, with even the youngest infants understanding intentions and using them to infer a social partner's target of reference. In contrast, other theories argue that early word learning is largely a perceptual process in which young children map words onto salient objects. One way of unifying these accounts is to model word learning as weighted cue combination, in which children attend to many potential cues to reference, but only gradually learn the correct weight to assign each cue. We tested four predictions of this kind of naïve cue combination account, using an eye-tracking paradigm that combines social word teaching and two-alternative forced-choice testing. None of the predictions were supported. We thus propose an alternative unifying account: children are sensitive to social information early, but their ability to gather and deploy this information is constrained by domain-general cognitive processes. Developmental changes in children's use of social cues emerge not from learning the predictive power of social cues, but from the gradual development of attention, memory, and speed of information processing.
Microtubule organization in presynaptic boutons relies on the formin DAAM

ABSTRACT Regulation of the cytoskeleton is fundamental to the development and function of synaptic terminals, such as neuromuscular junctions. Despite the identification of numerous proteins that regulate synaptic actin and microtubule dynamics, the mechanisms of cytoskeletal control during terminal arbor formation have remained largely elusive. Here, we show that DAAM, a member of the formin family of cytoskeleton organizing factors, is an important presynaptic regulator of neuromuscular junction development in Drosophila. We demonstrate that the actin filament assembly activity of DAAM plays a negligible role in terminal formation; rather, DAAM is necessary for synaptic microtubule organization. Genetic interaction studies consistently link DAAM with the Wg/Ank2/Futsch module of microtubule regulation and bouton formation. Finally, we provide evidence that DAAM is tightly associated with the synaptic active zone scaffold, and electrophysiological data point to a role in the modulation of synaptic vesicle release. Based on these results, we propose that DAAM is an important cytoskeletal effector element of the Wg/Ank2 pathway involved in the determination of basic synaptic structures, and, additionally, that DAAM may couple the active zone scaffold to the presynaptic cytoskeleton. Summary: In addition to a role in terminal arbor development in association with Wg/Ank2/Futsch, Drosophila DAAM has a modulatory function in synaptic transmission associated with its Brp-dependent recruitment to the active zone scaffold.
RhoC maintains vascular homeostasis by regulating VEGF-induced signaling in endothelial cells

ABSTRACT Vasculogenesis and angiogenesis are controlled by vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A). Dysregulation of these physiological processes contributes to the pathologies of heart disease, cancer and stroke. Rho GTPase proteins play an integral role in VEGF-mediated formation and maintenance of blood vessels. The regulatory functions of RhoA and RhoB in vasculogenesis and angiogenesis are well defined, whereas the purpose of RhoC remains poorly understood. Here, we describe how RhoC promotes vascular homeostasis by modulating endothelial cell migration, proliferation and permeability. RhoC stimulates proliferation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) by stabilizing nuclear β-catenin, which promotes transcription of cyclin D1 and subsequently drives cell cycle progression. RhoC negatively regulates endothelial cell migration through MAPKs and downstream MLC2 signaling, and decreases vascular permeability through downregulation of the phospholipase Cγ (PLCγ)–Ca2+–eNOS cascade in HUVECs. Using a VEGF-inducible zebrafish (Danio rerio) model, we observed significantly less vascular permeability in RhoC morpholino (MO)-injected zebrafish than control MO-injected zebrafish. Taken together, our findings suggest that RhoC is a key regulator of vascular homeostasis in endothelial cells. Highlighted Article: RhoC maintains vascular homeostasis in endothelial cells yet is dispensable for vascular development. Inhibition of RhoC represents an attractive therapeutic approach to prevent cancer metastasis.