Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The POU Factor Ventral Veins Lacking/Drifter Directs the Timing of Metamorphosis through Ecdysteroid and Juvenile Hormone Signaling

Although endocrine changes are known to modulate the timing of major developmental transitions, the genetic mechanisms underlying these changes remain poorly understood. In insects, two developmental hormones, juvenile hormone (JH) and ecdysteroids, are coordinated with each other to induce developmental changes associated with metamorphosis. However, the regulation underlying the coordination of JH and ecdysteroid synthesis remains elusive. Here, we examined the function of a homolog of the vertebrate POU domain protein, Ventral veins lacking (Vvl)/Drifter, in regulating both of these hormonal pathways in the red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum (Tenebrionidae). RNA interference-mediated silencing of vvl expression led to both precocious metamorphosis and inhibition of molting in the larva. Ectopic application of a JH analog on vvl knockdown larvae delayed the onset of metamorphosis and led to a prolonged larval stage, indicating that Vvl acts upstream of JH signaling. Accordingly, vvl knockdown also reduced the expression of a JH biosynthesis gene, JH acid methyltransferase 3 (jhamt3). In addition, ecdysone titer and the expression of the ecdysone response gene, hormone receptor 3 (HR3), were reduced in vvl knockdown larvae. The expression of the ecdysone biosynthesis gene phantom (phm) and spook (spo) were reduced in vvl knockdown larvae in the anterior and posterior halves, respectively, indicating that Vvl might influence ecdysone biosynthesis in both the prothoracic gland and additional endocrine sources. Injection of 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E) into vvl knockdown larvae could restore the expression of HR3 although molting was never restored. These findings suggest that Vvl coordinates both JH and ecdysteroid biosynthesis as well as molting behavior to influence molting and the timing of metamorphosis. Thus, in both vertebrates and insects, POU factors modulate the production of major neuroendocrine regulators during sexual maturation.
Bikinis Instigate Generalized Impatience in Intertemporal Choice

Neuroscientific studies demonstrate that erotic stimuli activate the reward circuitry processing monetary and drug rewards. Theoretically, a general reward system may give rise to nonspecific effects: exposure to “hot stimuli” from one domain may thus affect decisions in a different domain. We show that exposure to sexy cues leads to more impatience in intertemporal choice between monetary rewards. Highlighting the role of a general reward circuitry, we demonstrate that individuals with a sensitive reward system are more susceptible to the effect of sex cues, that the effect generalizes to nonmonetary rewards, and that satiation attenuates the effect.
Glucose-mediated glucose disposal in insulin-resistant normoglycemic relatives of type 2 diabetic patients.

With the aim of investigating glucose-mediated glucose disposal (glucose effectiveness [GE]) in 15 (3 female and 12 male subjects) insulin-resistant normoglycemic relatives of patients with type 2 diabetes (DM2), and 15 age-, sex-, and BMI-matched control subjects without a family history of DM2, we performed 2 studies: 1) a 5-h euglycemic near-normoinsulinemic pancreatic clamp with somatostatin (360 microg/h), insulin (0.25 mU x kg(-1) x min(-1)), glucagon (0.5 ng x kg(-1) x min(-1)), growth hormone (6 ng x kg(-1) x min(-1)), and tritiated glucose infusion and indirect calorimetry; and 2) on a separate day, an identical 5-h clamp but at hyperglycemia (approximately 12 mmol/l) over the last 2 h. Fasting plasma insulin (PI) concentrations were elevated in the relatives compared with control subjects (49 +/- 6 vs. 32 +/- 5 pmol/l, P < 0.04), whereas plasma glucose (PG) was not (5.6 +/- 0.1 vs. 5.5 +/-0.1 mmol/l). At the end (i.e., 4.5-5.0 h) of the euglycemic clamp (PG, 6.1 +/- 0.4 vs. 5.6 +/- 0.1 mmol/l; PI, 78 +/- 5 vs. 73 +/-6 pmol/l), peripheral glucose uptake (Rd(euglycemia)) was decreased in the relatives (2.93 +/- 0.08 vs. 3.70 +/-0.23 mg x min(-1) x kg(-1) fat free mass [FFM], P < 0.005), due to a decreased nonoxidative glucose disposal (0.83 +/-0.21 vs. 1.62 +/- 0.19 mg x min(-1) x kg(-1) FFM, P < 0.01), but hepatic glucose production (HGP) was increased (1.97 +/-0.19 vs. 1.50 +/- 0.13 mg x min(-1) x kg(-1) FFM, P < 0.05). At the matched end of the hyperglycemic clamp (PG, 12.7 +/-0.2 vs. 12.6 +/- 0.2 mmol/l; PI, 87 +/- 5 vs. 78 +/- 7 pmol/l), peripheral glucose disposal (Rd(hyperglycemia)) (5.52 +/- 0.22 vs. 5.92 +/- 0.29 mg x min(-1) x kg(-1) FFM, NS), nonoxidative glucose disposal (2.93 +/- 0.18 vs. 2.78 +/- 0.25 mg x min(-1) x kg(-1) FFM, NS), and HGP(hyperglycemia) (1.20 +/- 0.09 vs. 1.37 +/-0.23 mg x min(-1) x kg(-1) FFM, NS) were all identical. When the effectiveness of glucose itself on glucose uptake and production [(Rd(hyperglycemia) - Rd(euglycemia))/deltaPG and (HGP(euglycemia)- HGP(hyperglycemia))/deltaPG] was calculated, the relatives had a 22% increase in peripheral uptake (0.022 +/- 0.002 vs. 0.018 +/- 0.002 mg x min(-1) x kg(-1) FFM per mg/dl), due to a significantly increased nonoxidative glucose metabolism and enhanced suppression of HGP (0.0076 +/- 0.0021 vs. 0.0011 +/- 0.0022 mg x min(-1) x kg(-1) FFM per mg/dl, P < 0.05). In conclusion, in insulin-resistant relatives of DM2 patients, whole-body glucose-mediated glucose disposal is increased by GE enhancement of the muscle nonoxidative glucose pathway and by GE enhancement of the suppression of HGP. These mechanisms may represent a compensatory mechanism to the ongoing insulin resistance of these relatives.
Extended Lexical-Semantic Classification of English Verbs

Lexical-semantic verb classifications have proved useful in supporting various natural language processing (NLP) tasks. The largest and the most widely deployed classification in English is Levin's (1993) taxonomy of verbs and their classes. While this resource is attractive in being extensive enough for some NLP use, it is not comprehensive. In this paper, we present a substantial extension to Levin's taxonomy which incorporates 57 novel classes for verbs not covered (comprehensively) by Levin. We also introduce 106 novel diathesis alternations, created as a side product of constructing the new classes. We demonstrate the utility of our novel classes by using them to support automatic subcategorization acquisition and show that the resulting extended classification has extensive coverage over the English verb lexicon.
Dual-Polarized Ricean MIMO Channels: Modeling and Performance Assessment

In wireless communication systems, dual-polarized (DP) instead of single-polarized (SP) multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) transmission is used to improve the spectral efficiency under certain conditions on the channel and the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). In order to identify these conditions, we first propose a novel channel model for DP mobile Ricean MIMO channels for which statistical channel parameters are readily obtained from a moment-based channel decomposition. Second, we derive an approximation of the mutual information (MI), which can be expressed as a function of those statistical channel parameters. Based on this approximation, we characterize the required SNR for a DP MIMO system to outperform an SP MIMO system in terms of the MI. Finally, we apply our results to channel measurements at 2.53 GHz. We find that, using the proposed channel decomposition and the approximation of the MI, we are able to reproduce the SNR values above which DP MIMO systems outperform SP MIMO systems.
Molecular Epidemiology of Campylobacter jejuni in Broiler Flocks Using Randomly Amplified Polymorphic DNA-PCR and 23S rRNA-PCR and Role of Litter in Its Transmission

ABSTRACT Poultry has long been cited as a reservoir forCampylobacter spp. , and litter has been implicated as a vehicle in their transmission. Chicks were raised on litter removed from a broiler house positive for Campylobacter jejuni. Litter was removed from the house on days 0, 3, and 9 after birds were removed for slaughter. Chicks were raised on these three litters under controlled conditions in flocks of 25. None of these birds yieldedC. jejuni in their cecal droppings through 7 weeks. Two successive flocks from the same Campylobacter-positive broiler house were monitored for Campylobactercolonization. Campylobacter jejuni prevalence rates were determined for each flock. Randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD)-PCR and 23S rRNA-PCR typing methods were used to group isolates. A high prevalence (60%) of C. jejuni in flock 1 coincided with the presence of an RAPD profile not appearing in flock 2, which had a lower rate of prevalence (28%). A 23S rRNA-PCR typing method was used to determine if strains with different RAPD profiles and different prevalence rates contained different 23S sequences. RAPD profiles detected with higher prevalence rates contained a spacer in the 23S rRNA region 100% of the time, while RAPD profiles found with lower prevalence rates contained an intervening sequence less than 2% of the time. Data suggest varying colonizing potentials of different RAPD profiles and a source other than previously used litter as a means of transmission of C. jejuni. These molecular typing methods demonstrate their usefulness, when used together, in this epidemiologic investigation.
Leptin down‐regulates insulin action through phosphorylation of serine‐318 in insulin receptor substrate 1

Insulin resistance in skeletal muscle is found in obesity and type 2 diabetes. A mechanism for impaired insulin signaling in peripheral tissues is the inhibition of insulin action through serine phosphorylation of insulin receptor substrate (Irs) proteins that abolish the coupling of Irs proteins to the activated insulin receptor. Recently, we described serine‐318 as a protein kinase C (PKC)‐dependent phosphorylation site in Irs1 (Ser‐318) activated by hyperinsulinemia. Here we show in various cell models that the adipose hormone leptin, a putative mediator in obesity‐related insulin resistance, promotes phosphorylation of Ser‐318 in Irs1 by a janus kinase 2, Irs2, and PKC‐dependent pathway. Mutation of Ser‐318 to alanine abrogates the inhibitory effect of leptin on insulin‐induced Irs1 tyrosine phosphorylation and glucose uptake in L6 myoblasts. In C57Bl/6 mice, Ser‐318 phosphorylation levels in muscle tissue were enhanced by leptin and insulin administration in lean animals while in diet‐induced obesity Ser‐318 phosphorylation levels were already up‐regulated in the basal state, and further stimulation was diminished. In analogy, in lymphocytes of obese hyperleptinemic human subjects basal Ser‐318 phosphorylation levels were increased compared to lean individuals. During a hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamp, the increment in Ser‐318 phosphorylation observed in lean individuals was absent in obese. In summary, these data suggest that phosphorylation of Ser‐318 in Irs1 mediates the inhibitory signal of leptin on the insulin‐signaling cascade in obese subjects. —Hennige A. M. , Stefan N. , Kapp K. , Lehmann R. , Weigert C. , Beck A. , Moeschel K. , Mushack J., Schleicher E. , and Häring H. U. Leptin down‐regulates insulin action through phosphorylation of serine‐318 in insulin receptor substrate 1. FASEB J. 20, E381–E389 (2006)
Load-deflection characteristics of superelastic nickel-titanium wires.

OBJECTIVE To determine the mechanical properties of commercially available thermodynamic wires and to classify these wires mathematically into different groups. MATERIALS AND METHODS The samples examined were 48 nickel-titanium (NiTi) alloy orthodontic wires commercially available from five manufacturers. These samples included 0.016-inch, 0.016- x 0.022-inch, 0.017- x 0.025-inch, and 0.018- x 0.025-inch wires. The superelastic properties of the NiTi wires were evaluated by conducting the three-point bending test under uniform testing conditions. The group classification was made under mathematically restricted parameters, and the final classification was according to their clinical plateau length. RESULTS The orthodontic wires tested are classified as follows: (1) true superelastic wires, which presented a clinical plateau length of >/=0.5 mm; (2) borderline superelastic with a clinical plateau length of <0.5 mm and >0.05 mm; and (3) nonsuperelastic, with a clinical plateau length of </=0.05 mm. The results showed that the range of products displays big variations in quantitative and qualitative behavior. A fraction of the tested wires showed weak superelasticity, and others showed no superelasticity. Some of the products showed permanent deformation after the three-point bending test. CONCLUSION A significant fraction of the tested wires showed no or only weak superelasticity. The practitioner should be informed for the load-deflection characteristics of the NiTi orthodontic wires to choose the proper products for the given treatment needs.
O R I G I N a L a R T I C L E Open Access

Production, active staining and gas chromatography assay analysis of recombinant aminopeptidase P from Lactococcus lactis Abstract The aminopeptidase P (PepP, EC 3.4.11.9) gene from Lactococcus lactis ssp. lactis DSM 20481 was cloned, sequenced and expressed recombinantly in E. coli BL21 (DE3) for the first time. PepP is involved in the hydrolysis of proline-rich proteins and, thus, is important for the debittering of protein hydrolysates. For accurate determination of PepP activity, a novel gas chromatographic assay was established. The release of L-leucine during the hydrolysis of L-leucine-L-proline-L-proline (LPP) was examined for determination of PepP activity. Sufficient recombinant PepP production was achieved via bioreactor cultivation at 16 °C, resulting in PepP activity of 90 μkat LPP L culture-1. After automated chromatographic purification by His-tag affinity chromatography followed by desalting, PepP activity of 73.8 μkat LPP L culture-1 was achieved. This was approximately 700-fold higher compared to the purified native PepP produced by Lactococcus lactis ssp. lactis NCDO 763 as described in literature. The molecular weight of PepP was estimated to be ~ 40 kDa via native-PAGE together with a newly developed activity staining method and by SDS-PAGE. Furthermore, the kinetic parameters K m and V max were determined for PepP using three different tripeptide substrates. The purified enzyme showed a pH optimum between 7.0 and 7.5, was most active between 50°C and 60°C and exhibited reasonable stability at 0°C, 20°C and 37°C over 15 days. PepP activity could be increased 6-fold using 8.92 mM MnCl 2 and was inhibited by 1,10-phenanthroline and EDTA.
Superfolder GFP Is Fluorescent in Oxidizing Environments When Targeted via the Sec Translocon

The ability to study proteins in live cells using genetically encoded fluorescent proteins (FPs) has revolutionized cell biology (1–3). Researchers have created numerous FP biosensors and optimized FPs for specific organisms and subcellular environments in a rainbow of colors (4,5). However, expressing FPs in oxidizing environments such as the eukaryotic endoplasmic reticulum (ER) or the bacterial periplasm can impair folding, thereby preventing fluorescence (6,7). A substantial fraction of enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) oligomerizes to form non‐fluorescent mixed disulfides in the ER (6) and EGFP does not fluoresce in the periplasm when targeted via the SecYEG translocon (7). To overcome these obstacles, we exploited the highly efficient folding capability of superfolder GFP (sfGFP) (8). Here, we report sfGFP does not form disulfide‐linked oligomers in the ER and maltose‐binding protein (MBP) signal sequence (peri)‐sfGFP (9) is brightly fluorescent in the periplasm of Escherichia coli. Thus, sfGFP represents an important research tool for studying resident proteins of oxidizing environments.
Chapter IV The School Administrator

Investigations pertaining directly and sometimes indirectly to the school administrator (viewed here as the formally designated leader) are discussed in this chapter in terms of research issues which, in the reviewer's judgment, are particularly significant at the present time. Such a selective approach is perhaps preferable to a more exhaustive but less analytic recital of studies, even if some worthwhile work must be omitted in the process. The following passages refer, with a few exceptions, to studies reported between January 1, 1964, and December 31, 1966.
Observation of horizontal winds in the middle-atmosphere between 30° S and 55° N during the northern winter 2009–2010

Although the links between stratospheric dynamics, climate and weather have been demonstrated, direct observations of stratospheric winds are lacking, in particular at altitudes above 30 km. We report observations of winds between 8 and 0.01 hPa (similar to 35-80 km) from October 2009 to April 2010 by the Superconducting Submillimeter-Wave Limb-Emission Sounder (SMILES) on the International Space Station. The altitude range covers the region between 35-60 km where previous space-borne wind instruments show a lack of sensitivity. Both zonal and meridional wind components were obtained, though not simultaneously, in the latitude range from 30 degrees S to 55 degrees N and with a single profile precision of 7-9 ms(-1) between 8 and 0.6 hPa and better than 20 ms(-1) at altitudes above. The vertical resolution is 5-7 km except in the upper part of the retrieval range (10 km at 0.01 hPa). In the region between 1-0.05 hPa, an absolute value of the mean difference 5 ms(-1)). In the mesosphere, SMILES and ECMWF zonal winds exhibit large differences (>20 ms(-1)), especially in the tropics. We illustrate our results by showing daily and monthly zonal wind variations, namely the semi-annual oscillation in the tropics and reversals of the flow direction between 50-55 degrees N during sudden stratospheric warmings. The daily comparison with ECMWF winds reveals that in the beginning of February, a significantly stronger zonal westward flow is measured in the tropics at 2 hPa compared to the flow computed in the analysis (difference of similar to 20 ms(-1)). The results show that the comparison between SMILES and ECMWF winds is not only relevant for the quality assessment of the new SMILES winds, but it also provides insights on the quality of the ECMWF winds themselves. Although the instrument was not specifically designed for measuring winds, the results demonstrate that space-borne sub-mm wave radiometers have the potential to provide good quality data for improving the stratospheric winds in atmospheric models.
Local Life Circumstances and Offending Specialization/Versatility

Research has consistently indicated that most offenders demonstrate diversity over the life course. Even so, recent work suggests that offenders tend to illustrate specialization in the short-term, though this specialization diminishes as the “time window” for examining an offending career increases. To examine why this pattern emerges, the authors investigate the extent to which opportunity structures, as defined by local life circumstances, predict offense specialization/diversity relative to individuals' enduring propensities to offend. The results suggest that both individual-level propensity, as well as changes in local life circumstances (e.g., employment, marriage, drug and alcohol use), impact patterns of offense specialization/ versatility in the short term. The implications of these results for life-course theories of crime, with a particular focus on integrating opportunity and propensity models of criminal behavior, are discussed.
Steady-State Visually Evoked Potential Topography during Processing of Emotional Valence in Healthy Subjects

The International Affective Picture System (IAPS) is increasingly used in brain imaging studies to examine emotional processes. This task allows valence and arousal content to be systematically investigated; however, previous studies have generally failed to select images that vary in one dimension as well as hold constant the variability on the other dimension. In addition, no studies have investigated the temporal structure associated with the conscious, ongoing processing of emotional stimuli following systematic selection of IAPS images. The aim of the present study was therefore to use steady-state probe topography (SSPT) to examine the steady-state visually evoked potentials (SSVEPs) associated with the processing of pleasant and unpleasant images low in arousal content. Seventy-five IAPS images, categorized as unpleasant, neutral, or pleasant, were presented to 16 healthy subjects while brain activity was recorded from 64 scalp sites. Analysis subtracted the activity associated with the presentation of neutral images from the activity associated with the presentation of pleasant as well as unpleasant images. Results demonstrate that both pleasant and unpleasant valence is associated with transient, widespread, and bilateral frontal SSVEP latency reductions. Unpleasant images were also associated with a transient bilateral anterior frontal amplitude decrease. Latency reductions are interpreted as increases in neural information processing speed, while amplitude reductions are interpreted in the current paper as analogous to an event-related desynchronisation commonly associated with the alpha bandwidth. These key findings support previous literature in terms of there being substantial overlap in frontal neural circuitry when the brain processes pleasant and unpleasant valence relative to neutral valence.
Elite Divers and Wrestlers: A Comparison Between Open- and Closed-skill Athletes

Elite wrestlers (n = 39) and divers (n = 44), representing open- and closed-skill sports, respectively, completed a survey assessing psychological factors associated with training and competition. Of particular interest were factors distinguishing qualifiers from nonqualifiers within and between each sport type. Discriminant analyses and t-tests revealed that as expected self-confidence and concentration distinguished qualifiers from nonqualifiers in both sport groups. Also, as predicted, use of imagery differentiated only the qualifying from the nonqualifying divers. Self-talk items also distinguished the two diving groups on more items than they differentiated the wrestlers. However, when all elite divers were compared with their wrestling counterparts, no differences were found for the imagery scale and self-talk frequency, instruction, and praise items. Anticipatory anxiety patterns for divers and wrestlers were different, with successful divers and less successful wrestlers reporting higher precompet.
Attention Allocation During Manual Movement Preparation and Execution

Three experiments investigated the role of visuospatial attention in the relationship between perception and action. Participants performed goaldirected hand movements in response to central or peripheral visual cues. Identification performance was measured for letters that were briefly presented at different locations and time delays relative to the beginning of movement preparation or execution. Letter identification in the plane of movement varied with concurrent motor planning complexity, but similar hemifield differences were obtained irrespective of whether or not directional planning was required (Experiment 1). Independent of movement direction, identification in the hemifield contralateral to the active hand improved relative to ipsilateral performance (Experiment 2). Peripheral movement cues induced holistic motor planning, but hemifield differences for probe identification persisted (Experiment 3). These results violate predictions of a premotor theory of attention (Rizzolatti, R iggio, & Sheli.