Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The γ -Tubulin Complex Protein GCP4 Is Required for Organizing Functional Microtubule Arrays in Arabidopsis thaliana[W]

This study demonstrates that γ -Tubulin Complex Protein 4 plays a crucial role in γ -tubulin–mediated microtubule nucleation and organization during cell division and morphogenesis in Arabidopsis. Microtubule (MT) nucleation and organization depend on the evolutionarily conserved protein γ -tubulin, which forms a complex with GCP2-GCP6 (GCP for γ -Tubulin Complex Protein). To date, it is still unclear how GCP4-GCP6 (the non-core GCPs) may be involved in acentrosomal MT nucleation in plant cells. We found that GCP4 was associated with γ -tubulin in vivo in Arabidopsis thaliana. When GCP4 expression was repressed by an artificial microRNA, transgenic plants exhibited phenotypes of dwarfism and reduced organ size. In mitotic cells, it was observed that the γ -tubulin signal associated with the mitotic spindle, and the phragmoplast was depleted when GCP4 was downregulated. Consequently, MTs failed to converge at unified spindle poles, and the bipolar phragmoplast MT array frequently had discrete bundles with extended minus ends, resulting in failed cytokinesis as reflected by cell wall stubs in leaf epidermal cells. In addition, cortical MTs in swollen guard cells and pavement cells of the leaf epidermis became hyperparallel and bundled, which was likely caused by frequent MT nucleation with shallow angles on the wall of extant MTs. Therefore, our results support the notion that GCP4 is an indispensable component for the function of γ -tubulin in MT nucleation and organization in plant cells.
Intelligent Agent Transparency in Human–Agent Teaming for Multi-UxV Management

Objective: We investigated the effects of level of agent transparency on operator performance, trust, and workload in a context of human–agent teaming for multirobot management. Background: Participants played the role of a heterogeneous unmanned vehicle (UxV) operator and were instructed to complete various missions by giving orders to UxVs through a computer interface. An intelligent agent (IA) assisted the participant by recommending two plans—a top recommendation and a secondary recommendation—for every mission. Method: A within-subjects design with three levels of agent transparency was employed in the present experiment. There were eight missions in each of three experimental blocks, grouped by level of transparency. During each experimental block, the IA was incorrect three out of eight times due to external information (e.g., commander’s intent and intelligence). Operator performance, trust, workload, and usability data were collected. Results: Results indicate that operator performance, trust, and perceived usability increased as a function of transparency level. Subjective and objective workload data indicate that participants’ workload did not increase as a function of transparency. Furthermore, response time did not increase as a function of transparency. Conclusion: Unlike previous research, which showed that increased transparency resulted in increased performance and trust calibration at the cost of greater workload and longer response time, our results support the benefits of transparency for performance effectiveness without additional costs. Application: The current results will facilitate the implementation of IAs in military settings and will provide useful data to the design of heterogeneous UxV teams.
Effects of Tapioca Obtained From Cassava (Manihot utilissima) on the Disintegration and Dissolution Rates of Paracetamol Tablets

Abstract— The properties of tapioca obtained from cassava (Manihot utilissima) have been evaluated. Its binding effect in tablets of paracetamol on the disintegration and dissolution rates was compared with tablets prepared with polyvinylpyrrolidone and gelatin. The nature and amount of the binders were found to alter the disintegration and dissolution rates of the tablets by reducing their wettability as measured by the adhesion tension of water. A linear relationship has been found to exist between the adhesion of water on the tablets and their disintegration and dissolution rates.
A Commensal Bacterium Promotes Virulence of an Opportunistic Pathogen via Cross-Respiration

ABSTRACT Bacteria rarely inhabit infection sites alone, instead residing in diverse, multispecies communities. Despite this fact, bacterial pathogenesis studies primarily focus on monoculture infections, overlooking how community interactions influence the course of disease. In this study, we used global mutant fitness profiling (transposon sequencing [Tn-seq]) to determine the genetic requirements for the pathogenic bacterium Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans to cause disease when coinfecting with the commensal bacterium Streptococcus gordonii. Our results show that S. gordonii extensively alters A. actinomycetemcomitans requirements for virulence factors and biosynthetic pathways during infection. In addition, we discovered that the presence of S. gordonii enhances the bioavailability of oxygen during infection, allowing A. actinomycetemcomitans to shift from a primarily fermentative to a respiratory metabolism that enhances its growth yields and persistence. Mechanistically, respiratory metabolism enhances the fitness of A. actinomycetemcomitans in vivo by increasing ATP yields via central metabolism and creating a proton motive force. Our results reveal that, similar to cross-feeding, where one species provides another species with a nutrient, commensal bacteria can also provide electron acceptors that promote the respiratory growth and fitness of pathogens in vivo, an interaction that we term cross-respiration. IMPORTANCE Commensal bacteria can enhance the virulence of pathogens in mixed-species infections. However, knowledge of the mechanisms underlying this clinically relevant phenomenon is lacking. To bridge this gap, we comprehensively determined the genes a pathogen needs to establish coinfection with a commensal. Our findings show that the metabolism of the pathogen is low-energy-yielding in monoinfection, but in coinfection, the commensal improves the fitness of the pathogen by increasing the bioavailability of oxygen, thereby shifting the pathogen toward a high-energy-yielding metabolism. Similar to cross-feeding, this interaction, which we term cross-respiration, illustrates that commensal bacteria can provide electron acceptors that enhance the virulence of pathogens during infection. Commensal bacteria can enhance the virulence of pathogens in mixed-species infections. However, knowledge of the mechanisms underlying this clinically relevant phenomenon is lacking. To bridge this gap, we comprehensively determined the genes a pathogen needs to establish coinfection with a commensal. Our findings show that the metabolism of the pathogen is low-energy-yielding in monoinfection, but in coinfection, the commensal improves the fitness of the pathogen by increasing the bioavailability of oxygen, thereby shifting the pathogen toward a high-energy-yielding metabolism. Similar to cross-feeding, this interaction, which we term cross-respiration, illustrates that commensal bacteria can provide electron acceptors that enhance the virulence of pathogens during infection.
Translating environmental gradients into discontinuous reaction norms via hormone signalling in a polyphenic butterfly

Polyphenisms—the expression of discrete phenotypic morphs in response to environmental variation—are examples of phenotypic plasticity that may potentially be adaptive in the face of predictable environmental heterogeneity. In the butterfly Bicyclus anynana, we examine the hormonal regulation of phenotypic plasticity that involves divergent developmental trajectories into distinct adult morphs for a suite of traits as an adaptation to contrasting seasonal environments. This polyphenism is induced by temperature during development and mediated by ecdysteroid hormones. We reared larvae at separate temperatures spanning the natural range of seasonal environments and measured reaction norms for ecdysteroids, juvenile hormones (JHs) and adult fitness traits. Timing of peak ecdysteroid, but not JH titres, showed a binary response to the linear temperature gradient. Several adult traits (e.g. relative abdomen mass) responded in a similar, dimorphic manner, while others (e.g. wing pattern) showed a linear response. This study demonstrates that hormone dynamics can translate a linear environmental gradient into a discrete signal and, thus, that polyphenic differences between adult morphs can already be programmed at the stage of hormone signalling during development. The range of phenotypic responses observed within the suite of traits indicates both shared regulation and independent, trait-specific sensitivity to the hormone signal.
Rational Design of Orthogonal Multipolar Interactions with Fluorine in Protein–Ligand Complexes

Multipolar interactions involving fluorine and the protein backbone have been frequently observed in protein–ligand complexes. Such fluorine–backbone interactions may substantially contribute to the high affinity of small molecule inhibitors. Here we found that introduction of trifluoromethyl groups into two different sites in the thienopyrimidine class of menin–MLL inhibitors considerably improved their inhibitory activity. In both cases, trifluoromethyl groups are engaged in short interactions with the backbone of menin. In order to understand the effect of fluorine, we synthesized a series of analogues by systematically changing the number of fluorine atoms, and we determined high-resolution crystal structures of the complexes with menin. We found that introduction of fluorine at favorable geometry for interactions with backbone carbonyls may improve the activity of menin–MLL inhibitors as much as 5- to 10-fold. In order to facilitate the design of multipolar fluorine–backbone interactions in protein–ligand complexes, we developed a computational algorithm named FMAP, which calculates fluorophilic sites in proximity to the protein backbone. We demonstrated that FMAP could be used to rationalize improvement in the activity of known protein inhibitors upon introduction of fluorine. Furthermore, FMAP may also represent a valuable tool for designing new fluorine substitutions and support ligand optimization in drug discovery projects. Analysis of the menin–MLL inhibitor complexes revealed that the backbone in secondary structures is particularly accessible to the interactions with fluorine. Considering that secondary structure elements are frequently exposed at protein interfaces, we postulate that multipolar fluorine–backbone interactions may represent a particularly attractive approach to improve inhibitors of protein–protein interactions.
The Evaluation of Water Sorption/Solubility on Various Acrylic Resins

ABSTRACT Objectives: The absorption of water by acrylic resins is a phenomenon of considerable importance since it is accompanied by dimensional changes, a further undesirable effect of absorbed water in acrylic resins to reduce the tensile strength of the material. Solubility is also an important property because it represents the mass of soluble materials from the polymers. Methods: Ten acrylic resin-based materials were evaluated: two heat cure acrylic resins (De Trey QC-20, Meliodent Heat Cure) and eight self cure acrylic resins (Meliodent Cold, Akrileks, Akribel, Akribel Transparent, Vertex Trayplast, Formatray, Dentalon Plus, Palavit G). To evaluate water sorption and water solubility, thirty square-shaped specimens (20×20×1.5 mm) were fabricated from the wax specimens. One way ANOVA test, Tukey test and Pearson correlation coefficient performed for data. Results: Water sorption mean values varied from 11.33±0.33 to 30.46±0.55 μg/mm3. Water solubility mean values varied from -0.05±0.23 to 3.69±0.12 �g/mm3. There was statistically significant difference between mean values of the materials (P<.05). There was no linear correlation between sorption and solubility values. Conclusions: The results of the water sorption and water solubility values of both self-cured and heat-cured acrylic resins were in accordance with the ISO specification. No correlation found between water sorption and water solubility values. (Eur J Dent 2008;2:191-197)
New Insight into Intrachromosomal Deletions Induced by Chrysotile in the gpt delta Transgenic Mutation Assay

Background Genotoxicity is often a prerequisite to the development of malignancy. Considerable evidence has shown that exposure to asbestos fibers results in the generation of chromosomal aberrations and multilocus mutations using various in vitro approaches. However, there is less evidence to demonstrate the contribution of deletions to the mutagenicity of asbestos fibers in vivo. Objectives In the present study, we investigated the mutant fractions and the patterns induced by chrysotile fibers in gpt delta transgenic mouse primary embryo fibroblasts (MEFs) and compared the results obtained with hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in an attempt to illustrate the role of oxyradicals in fiber mutagenesis. Results Chrysotile fibers induced a dose-dependent increase in mutation yield at the redBA/gam loci in transgenic MEF cells. The number of λ mutants losing both redBA and gam loci induced by chrysotiles at a dose of 1 μg/cm2 increased by > 5-fold relative to nontreated controls (p < 0.005). Mutation spectra analyses showed that the ratio of λ mutants losing the redBA/gam region induced by chrysotiles was similar to those induced by equitoxic doses of H2O2. Moreover, treatment with catalase abrogated the accumulation of γ-H2AX, a biomarker of DNA double-strand breaks, induced by chrysotile fibers. Conclusions Our results provide novel information on the frequencies and types of mutations induced by asbestos fibers in the gpt delta transgenic mouse mutagenic assay, which shows great promise for evaluating fiber/particle mutagenicity in vivo.
Fine-Grained Lexical Semantic Representations and Compositionally-Derived Events in Mandarin Chinese

Current lexical semantic representations for natural language applications view verbs as simple predicates over their arguments. These structures are too coarse-grained to capture many important generalizations about verbal argument structure. In this paper, I specifically defend the following two claims: verbs have rich internal structure expressible in terms of finer-grained primitives of meaning, and at least for some languages, verbal meaning is compositionally derived from these primitive elements. I primarily present evidence from Mandarin Chinese, whose verbal system is very different from that of English. Many empirical facts about the typology of verbs in Mandarin cannot be captured by a "flat" lexical semantic representation. These theoretical results hold important practical consequences for natural language processing applications.
Awareness and consumption of folate-fortified foods by women of childbearing age in Western Australia

Abstract Objectives The introduction of voluntary fortification of some foods with folic acid in Australia has been implemented since evidence of the prevention of neural tube defects with periconceptional folic acid was published. Our objectives were to determine how many women were aware of folate and when they became aware, what was the awareness of labels on foods that mentioned folate, and how much folate-fortified food women ate. Methods To address these objectives we collected data by self-administered questionnaire from a random sample of 578 recently pregnant women in Western Australia between September 1997 and March 2000. Results Overall, 89% of women had heard, seen or read anything about the link between folate and birth defects such as spina bifida, 62% first became aware of the folate message before their recent pregnancy and 42% of women noticed any labels on foods that mention folate before or during their recent pregnancy. Overall, 53% of women were aware of foods that have folate added to them and 33% usually or always read the labels on food packaging. The folate-fortified foods most often consumed by women were cereals (69%), breads (34%) and milk (15%). Of the women who consumed folate-fortified foods (78%), the earlier they became aware of the folate message and noticed labels on food, the more fortified foods they consumed. Conclusions These results indicate that staple foods fortified with folate are consumed by almost 80% of women in the population. Therefore, mandatory fortification of staple foods may reach most women, providing improved opportunity for the prevention of neural tube defects in Australia.
Biases associated with four stream substrate samplers

We compared samples collected from 10 substrates of various compositions with a single-probe freeze-core sampler, a triple-probe freeze-core sampler, a McNeil sampler, and a shovel. The accuracy with which these devices sampled particles larger than 50 mm in diameter varied; they were oversampled by the freeze-core devices, sampled in proportion to their availability by a shovel, and sampled inconsistently by the McNeil sampler. The geometric mean particle size and variance of single-probe freeze-core samples consistently exceeded those of samples collected with the other devices. Most sample means also exceeded the test substrate means. By excluding the proportions of particles larger than 50 mm in diameter in our analyses, we found that proportions of several particles sizes in samples collected by different methods differed significantly from the actual proportions in test substrates. There were few differences between the single- and triple-probe freeze-core samples or between McNeil and shovel sample.
Compressible Distributions for High-Dimensional Statistics

We develop a principled way of identifying probability distributions whose independent and identically distributed realizations are compressible, i.e., can be well approximated as sparse. We focus on Gaussian compressed sensing, an example of underdetermined linear regression, where compressibility is known to ensure the success of estimators exploiting sparse regularization. We prove that many distributions revolving around maximum a posteriori (MAP) interpretation of sparse regularized estimators are in fact incompressible, in the limit of large problem sizes. We especially highlight the Laplace distribution and ^1 regularized estimators such as the Lasso and basis pursuit denoising. We rigorously disprove the myth that the success of ^1 minimization for compressed sensing image reconstruction is a simple corollary of a Laplace model of images combined with Bayesian MAP estimation, and show that in fact quite the reverse is true. To establish this result, we identify nontrivial undersampling regions where the simple least-squares solution almost surely outperforms an oracle sparse solution, when the data are generated from the Laplace distribution. We also provide simple rules of thumb to characterize classes of compressible and incompressible distributions based on their second and fourth moments. Generalized Gaussian and generalized Pareto distributions serve as running examples.
The transiting dust clumps in the evolved disc of the Sun-like UXor RZ Psc

RZ Psc is a young Sun-like star, long associated with the UXor class of variable stars, which is partially or wholly dimmed by dust clumps several times each year. The system has a bright and variable infrared excess, which has been interpreted as evidence that the dimming events are the passage of asteroidal fragments in front of the host star. Here, we present a decade of optical photometry of RZ Psc and take a critical look at the asteroid belt interpretation. We show that the distribution of light curve gradients is non-uniform for deep events, which we interpret as possible evidence for an asteroidal fragment-like clump structure. However, the clumps are very likely seen above a high optical depth midplane, so the disc’s bulk clumpiness is not revealed. While circumstantial evidence suggests an asteroid belt is more plausible than a gas-rich transition disc, the evolutionary status remains uncertain. We suggest that the rarity of Sun-like stars showing disc-related variability may arise because (i) any accretion streams are transparent and/or (ii) turbulence above the inner rim is normally shadowed by a flared outer disc.
Comments on "A practical approach to job shop scheduling problems" [and reply]

The author states that, in the original paper (D.L. Hoitomt and P.B. Luh ibid., vol. 9, no. 1, p. 1-13, 1993), the model formulation of the scheduling problem is highly irregular. If one were to consider the formulation by itself it would seem that since neither the precedence nor processing time constraints are linked to time, we could set all /spl delta//sub ijkh/=0 and obtain a feasible solution with jobs overlapping on machines. It is noted that in the subsequent relaxation of the capacity constraint, the binary variables have been set to 1 from start to finish time of the corresponding operation to account for capacity. The need for the model formulation to include such constraints explicitly is discussed, and the original authors discuss the relevance of the comments. The existence of related and similar results in previous works is also considered. >
Quantitative Assessment of Angiographic Restenosis After Sirolimus-Eluting Stent Implantation in Native Coronary Arteries

Background—Sirolimus-eluting stents (SESs) reduce angiographic restenosis in patients with focal, native coronary artery stenoses. This study evaluated the usefulness of SESs in complex native-vessel lesions at high risk for restenosis. Methods and Results—Angiographic follow-up at 240 days was obtained in 701 patients with long (15- to 25-mm) lesions in small-diameter (2.5- to 3.5-mm) native vessels who were randomly assigned to treatment with SESs or bare-metal stents (BMSs) in the SIRIUS trial. Quantitative angiographic measurements of minimal lumen diameter and percent diameter stenosis were obtained within the treated segment, within the stent, and within its 5-mm proximal and distal edges. Patients treated with SESs had lower rates of binary (>50% diameter stenosis) angiographic restenosis within the segment (8.9% versus 36.3% with the BMS; P<0.001) and within the stent (3.2% versus 35.4% with the BMS; P<0.001). SESs were associated with significantly less late lumen loss within the treated segment, within the stent, and within its 5-mm proximal and distal edges (all P<0.001). The reduction of restenosis with the SES was consistent in patients at risk for restenosis, including those with small vessels, long lesions, and diabetes mellitus. The frequency of late aneurysms was similar in the 2 groups. Conclusions—Compared with BMSs, SESs reduced angiographic late lumen loss within the stent and its adjacent 5-mm margins in patients with complex native-vessel lesions.
The value of adaptivity based on cognitive style: an empirical study

Adaptive Hypermedia Systems can be developed to accommodate a variety of individual differences, including learning style and cognitive style. This study investigates the hypothesis that adaptive hypermedia accommodating cognitive styles can be beneficial for the observed learning outcomes. A prototype system, designed to be adapted to individual cognitive styles, was developed as a case study. In order to evaluate the effectiveness of the prototype system, an empirical study was conducted. This paper presents the results of the summative evaluation of the system. Statistical analyses indicated that students in the experimental group performed significantly better than students in a control group. These findings indicate that student performance is mainly affected by adaptivity based on individual cognitive styles.