Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mitogen- and Stress-Activated Protein Kinase 1 Activity and Histone H3 Phosphorylation in Oncogene-Transformed Mouse Fibroblasts

Activation of the Ras-Raf-mitogen-activated protein/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) kinase-ERK signal transduction pathway or the SAPK2/p38 pathway results in the activation of mitogen- and stress-activated protein kinase 1 (MSK1). This activation of MSK1 leads to a rapid phosphorylation of histone H3 at Ser10. Previously, we had demonstrated that Ser10 phosphorylated H3 was elevated in Ciras-3 (c-Ha-ras–transformed 10T1 2) mouse fibroblasts and that H3 phosphatase activity was similar in Ciras-3 and 10T1 2 cells. Here, we demonstrate that the activities of ERK and MSK1, but not p38, are elevated in Ciras-3 cells relative to these activities in the parental 10T1 2 cells. Analyses of the subcellular distribution of MSK1 showed that the H3 kinase was similarly distributed in Ciras-3 and 10T1 2 cells, with most MSK1 being present in the nucleus. In contrast to many other chromatin modifying enzymes, MSK1 was loosely bound in the nucleus and was not a component of the nuclear matrix. Our results provide evidence that oncogene-mediated activation of the Ras-mitogen-activated protein kinase signal transduction pathway elevates the activity of MSK1, resulting in the increased steady-state levels of phosphorylated H3, which may contribute to the chromatin decondensation and aberrant gene expression observed in these cells.
Evidence that the KIR2DS5 gene codes for a surface receptor triggering natural killer cell function

In this study, after immunization with NK cells from a KIR2DS5+ donor and screening on cell transfectants expressing different members of the killer immunoglobulin‐like receptor (KIR) family, we generated a mAb, DF200, reacting with several KIR2D receptors including KIR2DL1/L2/L3, KIR2DS1/S2 and KIR2DS5. By the analysis of peripheral blood NK cells and in vitro derived NK cell clones, we have demonstrated for the first time that KIR2DS5 is expressed at the cell surface in discrete subsets of NK cells and, after DF200 mAb‐mediated engagement, can induce both cytotoxicity and cytokine release. Using co‐transfection and co‐immunoprecipitation, we found that KIR2DS5 associates with the DAP12 signaling polypeptide. Finally, soluble KIR2DS5‐Fc fusion protein does not bind to cell transfectants expressing different HLA‐C alleles, suggesting that, if KIR2DS5 does recognize HLA‐C molecules, this may only occur in the presence of certain peptides.
Influence of pressure-driven gas permeation on the quasi-steady burning of porous energetic materials

A theoretical two-phase-flow analysis is developed to describe the quasi-steady propagation, across a pressure jump, of a multi-phase deflagration in confined porous energetic materials. The difference, or overpressure, between the upstream (unburned) and downstream (burned) gas pressure leads to a more complex structure than that which is obtained for an unconfined deflagration in which the pressure across the multi-phase flame region is approximately constant. In particular, the structure of such a wave is shown by asymptotic methods to consist of a thin boundary layer characterized by gas permeation into the unburned solid, followed by a liquid/gas flame region, common to both types of problems, in which the melted material is preheated further and ultimately converted to gaseous products. The effect of gas flow relative to the condensed material is shown to be significant, both in the porous unburned solid as well as in the exothermic liquid/gas melt layer, and is, in turn, strongly affected by the overpressure. Indeed, all quantities of interest, including the burned temperature, gas velocity and the propagation speed, depend on this pressure difference, leading to a significant enhancement of the burning rate with increasing overpressure. In the limit that the overpressure becomes small, the pressure gradient is insufficient to drive gas produced in the reaction zone in the upstream direction, and all gas flow relative to the condensed material is directed in the downstream direction, as in the case of an unconfined deflagration. The present analysis is particularly applicable to those types of porous energetic solids, such as degraded nitramine propellants, that can experience significant gas flow in the solid preheat region and which are characterized by the presence of exothermic reactions in a bubbling melt layer at their surfaces. 7 refs., 6 figs.
Modelling the Members’ Intentions to Give

Public broadcast stations in the USA are often dependent on effective fundraising for their survival. Raising money from audiences has become an important avenue through which those non-profit broadcasting organizations build their budgets. Listener/viewer support of these stations has plateaued or declined in recent years. As a result, it may help to examine how psychology theories might be used to inform our understanding of public donation behaviour. This case study involving 983 US public broadcasting donors explored the potential for using the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) to model their donation intentions from three perspectives: (a) public broadcasting donors in general, (b) public radio donors, and (c) public television donors. Additionally, an extended model of the TPB incorporating guilt was tested. Results suggested that not all factors of the traditional TPB contributed to the donation intentions for the different modes of public broadcasting. The addition of guilt to the model increased the explanatory power of the TPB model. Findings indicate the TPB could be a useful tool for understanding the behaviour of donors to non-profit or public broadcasting organizations and has the potential to inform campaign strategies and message development.
New tools for phenotypic analysis in Candida albicans: the WAR1 gene confers resistance to sorbate

Availability of the complete sequence of the Candida albicans genome allows for global gene analysis. We designed a gene deletion method to facilitate such studies. First, we constructed C. albicans strains that are both Δura3 and Δtrp1. Second, we designed a system that relies on in vitro recombination, using the Gateway® technology, for efficient generation of deletion cassettes. They are generated in two steps: (a) upstream and downstream DNA fragments of the chromosomal region to be deleted are amplified by PCR and introduced into two separate entry vectors; (b) the second step involves a quadruple recombination event including the two entry vectors, a plasmid bearing a marker of interest and a destination vector, in order to generate a plasmid containing the deletion cassette. The deletion plasmid contains very rare restriction sites for convenient excision of the knockout cassette. Selection in C. albicans can be performed with one of the following markers: the C. albicans URA3 gene, a modified S. cerevisiae TRP1 gene or the mycophenolic acid resistance (MPAR) gene. Upon integration into the genome, these markers can be removed by the use of 5‐fluoroorotic acid (URA3), 5‐fluoroanthranilic acid (TRP1) or the FLP recombinase (MPAR). Using this approach, we show that removal of the C. albicans orf19.1035 gene results in sensitivity to the weak acid sorbate, while its overexpression increases resistance to this compound. We named it WAR1, in analogy to its S. cerevisiae orthologue. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology the Need to Explain

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The effects of pay satisfaction and affective commitment on turnover intention

One of the antecedents of turnover and turnover intention is job attitude. Among the job attitudes in the organizations, many researchers have focused on satisfaction and organizational commitment as the factors affecting turnover intention. Meta-analysis studies have noted that correlation between turnover intentions is higher relative to its relationship with satisfaction which indicates the possibility of mediation relationship. One facet of satisfaction which is important in predicting turnover intention is pay satisfaction. Only a few studies have been conducted to test the mediation relationship among the variables. This study aimed to examine the direct and indirect effect of pay satisfaction on turnover intention, which is mediated by affective commitment. Instruments used in this study were the Indonesian version of Pay Satisfaction Questionnaire (Heneman & Schwab, 1985), Affective Commitment Scale (Allen & Meyer, 1990), and Turnover Intention Scale, which were delivered to 183 employees of an automotive manufacture company in Indonesia. The data of 150 respondents involved were analyzed using path analysis with latent variables. The result showed that turnover intention was significantly predicted by both pay satisfaction ( γ 1 = -0.19, p < 0.05) and affective commitment ( β = -0.77, p < 0.05), while affective commitment was significantly predicted by pay satisfaction ( γ 2 = 0.32, p < 0.05). The model supported for a partial mediation and that there were both direct and indirect effects of pay satisfaction on turnover. Affective commitment played an effective role in mediating the relationship between pay satisfaction and turnover intention.
N-methyl-N-nitrosourea-induced retinal degeneration in mice is independent of the p53 gene

Purpose A single systemic administration of N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (MNU) causes retinal degeneration involving photoreceptor cell loss within 7 days. MNU-induced photoreceptor cell loss is due to apoptosis and is a reliable animal model for human retinitis pigmentosa. The purpose of this study was to determine if p53 contributes to the development of MNU-induced retinal degeneration in mice. Methods Eight-week-old p53−/−, p53+/−, and p53+/+ mice received an intraperitoneal injection of 60 mg/kg bodyweight of MNU. Age-matched p53+/+ mice received the vehicle only (physiologic saline containing 0.05% acetic acid). Mice were sacrificed and necropsied 7 days after the treatment. Both eyes were examined histologically and morphometrically to determine retinal thickness, photoreceptor cell ratio, and retinal damage ratio. Results No mice died during the experiment, but the p53 null mice treated with MNU had a statistically significant weight loss compared to the other groups. Histologically, all MNU-treated mice, regardless of p53 gene status, experienced retinal degeneration characterized by photoreceptor cell loss (the disappearance of the outer nuclear layer and photoreceptor layer) in both the central and peripheral retina. All MNU-treated mice had significantly decreased retinal thickness and photoreceptor cell ratios at the central and peripheral retina and an increased retinal damage ratio compared to the vehicle-treated control. The retinal changes caused by MNU in p53+/+, p53+/−, and p53−/− mice were not significantly different and hence were related to a p53-independent apoptotic mechanism. Conclusions Because the absence of p53 did not prevent photoreceptor cell loss, we conclude that p53 is not essential for MNU-mediated photoreceptor cell degeneration.
Spontaneous abortion following mid‐trimester amniocentesis. Clinical significance of placental perforation and blood‐stained amniotic fluid

Summary. The clinical significance of placental perforation and bloodstained amniotic fluid was studied in a group of 7238 Danish women undergoing mid‐trimester amniocentesis for prenatal diagnosis under ultrasound guidance. The risk of spontaneous abortion was significantly increased both in pregnancies where the placenta was perforated and in those with blood‐stained amniotic fluid. The risk estimate nearly doubled after placental perforation and more than doubled with a bloody tap. It is concluded that for women at relatively low risk of a fetal genetic abnormality, the indication of the amniocentesis should be reconsidered if a placental perforation is unavoidable.
Computers and ‘The Mind’: An Intervention Study

The purpose of this study was to examine the relation between computer use and the development of social metacognition in young children by using an intervention design. Fifty-nine preschool children were given three false-belief tasks, and the results showed a significant and positive correlation between computer use and false-belief understanding. The children were then put into one of three groups. Those who did not have a computer at home and failed the false-belief tasks were matched on birth-order and number of siblings and put into either an intervention or control group. All of the other children formed an age-comparison group. Children in the intervention group were provided with a home computer for a period of two and one-half months and then both this group and the controls were re-tested on the false-belief tasks. The controls then received the computers for a period of six weeks, and both groups were again re-tested. Children in the intervention group did not make greater gains on false-belief tasks when compared with the controls. Analysis of the computer time-interval data showed that gains for both groups were associated with the average interaction time, which probably represents interactive quality. This suggests that it is the communicational requirements of computer interaction that may foster the development of false-belief understanding in young children.
Self-Enhancement and Self-Stability Predict School Achievement at the National Level

This article uses as a starting point S. Heine's hypothesis that higher self-enhancement correlates with self-stability and the combination of the two may predict lower interest in some types of self-improvement. This hypothesis is tested at the ecological level. World Values Survey items are used to demonstrate that there exists a bipolar cultural dimension with two main strongly correlated facets. One of them captures some aspects of self-enhancement versus selfeffacement, whereas the other taps self-stability and self-consistency versus self-flexibility. The dimension is statistically and conceptually very close to the previously reported Confucian Dynamism or Long-Term Orientation. It predicts national educational achievement as measured by Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), and national illiteracy rates, and the effect is strong even after controlling for gross domestic product (GDP) per person.
Identification and purification of natural killer cell stimulatory factor (NKSF), a cytokine with multiple biologic effects on human lymphocytes

We have identified and purified a novel cytokine, NK cell stimulatory factor (NKSF), from the cell-free supernatant fluid of the phorbol diester-induced EBV-transformed human B lymphoblastoid cell line RPMI 8866. NKSF activity is mostly associated to a 70-kD anionic glycoprotein. The purified 70-kD protein, isolated from an SDS-PAGE gel, yields upon reduction two small species of molecular masses of 40 and 35 kD, suggesting that this cytokine is a heterodimer. When added to human PBL, purified NKSF preparations induce IFN-gamma production and synergize with rIL-2 in this activity, augment the NK cell-mediated cytotoxicity of PBL preparations against both NK-sensitive and NK- resistant target cell lines, and enhance the mitogenic response of T cells to mitogenic lectins and phorbol diesters. The three activities remain associated through different purification steps resulting in a 9,200-fold purification, and purified NKSF mediates the three biological activities at concentrations in the range of 0.1-10 pM. These data strongly suggest that the same molecule mediates these three activities, although the presence of traces of contaminant peptides even in the most purified NKSF preparations does not allow us to exclude the possibility that distinct biologically active molecules have been co-purified. The absence of other known cytokines in the purified NKSF preparations, the unusual molecular conformation of NKSF, the high specific activity of the purified protein, and the spectrum of biological activities distinguish NKSF from other previously described cytokines.
Facilitative Transfer in Prose Learning over an Extended Time Perioda

Recent studies by Royer and Cable demonstrated that an initial prose passage which established a relevant knowledge structure into which difficult to learn second passage material could be assimilated would enhance the learning of the second passage material. The purpose of the present study was to determine if this facilitative transfer would occur over a time interval. Subjects read a treatment or control passage and then studied and were tested on a second passage immediately, after two days, or one week later. The results indicated that the previously found facilitative transfer effect did not diminish with time.
Allocentrism and friendship satisfaction : The mediating roles of disclosure and closeness

Suivant la theorie de l'interdependance et du modele de processus interpersonnel d'intimite les attributs, les perceptions, les cognitions et l'affect personnels individuels devraient avoir une incidence sur les attentes dans une relation. La revelation de soi est une forme d'interdependance comportementale et englobe les perceptions de la revelation du partenaire. Ces comportements (sa propre revelation) et les perceptions (la revelation percue du partenaire) devraient avoir une incidence sur la connaissance de soi et du partenaire (compatibilite cognitive) et l'affect au sujet de la relation (la satisfaction). Les attributs personnels determinent aussi la facon de reagir des personnes. L'allocentrisme, un attribut personnel, refere a l'orientation d'une personne supposant des liens et une dependance emotive sur les autres. Une etude faisant appel a des amities entre personnes de sexe different a permis de tester si l'allocentrisme predisait la revelation de soi, la revelation de soi predisait la revelation percue de l'ami, qui predisait la compatibilite et en dernier lieu la satisfaction predite de compatibilite. Une serie de regressions hierarchiques sont venues a l'appui de ces relations et representaient 23 % de l'ecart de satisfaction.
A Version of the EM Algorithm for Proportional Hazard Model with Random Effects

Proportional hazard models with multivariate random effects (frailties) acting multiplicatively on the baseline hazard have recently become a topic of an intensive research. One of the main practical problems related to the models is the estimation of parameters. To this aim, several approaches based on the EM algorithm have been proposed. The major difference between these approaches is the method of the computation of conditional expectations required at the E‐step. In this paper an alternative implementation of the EM algorithm is proposed, in which the expected values are computed with the use of the Laplace approximation. The method is computationally less demanding than the approaches developed previously. Its performance is assessed based on a simulation study and compared to a non‐EM based estimation approach proposed by Ripatti and Palmgren (2000). (© 2005 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Ownership Status Influences the Degree of Joint Facilitatory Behavior

When engaging in joint activities, humans tend to sacrifice some of their own sensorimotor comfort and efficiency to facilitate a partner’s performance. In the two experiments reported here, we investigated whether ownership—a socioculturally based nonphysical feature ascribed to objects—influenced facilitatory motor behavior in joint action. Participants passed mugs that differed in ownership status across a table to a partner. We found that participants oriented handles less toward their partners when passing their own mugs than when passing mugs owned by their partners (Experiment 1) and mugs owned by the experimenter (Experiment 2). These findings indicate that individuals plan and execute actions that assist their partners but do so to a smaller degree if it is the individuals’ own property that the partners intend to manipulate. We discuss these findings in terms of underlying variables associated with ownership and conclude that a self-other distinction can be found in the human sensorimotor system.
Multirate signal processing concepts in digital communications

Multirate systems are building blocks commonly used in digital signal processing (DSP). Their function is to alter the rate of the discrete-time signals, by adding or deleting a portion of the signal samples. They are essential in various standard signal processing techniques such as signal analysis, denoising, compression and so forth. During the last decade, however, they have increasingly found applications in new and emerging areas of signal processing, as well as in several neighboring disciplines such as digital communications. The main contribution of this thesis is aimed towards a better understanding of multirate systems and their use in modern communication systems. To this end, we first study a property of linear systems appearing in certain multirate structures. This property is called biorthogonal partnership and represents a terminology introduced recently to address a need for a descriptive term for such class of filters. In the thesis we especially focus on the extensions of this simple idea to the case of vector signals (MIMO biorthogonal partners) and to accommodate for nonintegral decimation ratios (fractional biorthogonal partners). The main results developed here study the properties of biorthogonal partners, e.g., the conditions for the existence of stable and of finite impulse response (FIR) partners. In this context we develop the parameterization of FIR solutions, which makes the search for the best partner in a given application analytically tractable. This proves very useful in their central application, namely, channel equalization in digital communications with signal oversampling at the receiver. A good channel equalizer in this context is one that helps neutralize the distortion on the signal introduced by the channel propagation but not at the expense of amplifying the channel noise. In the second part of the thesis, we focus on another class of multirate systems, used at the transmitter side in order to introduce redundancy in the data stream. This redundancy generally serves to facilitate the equalization process by forcing certain structure on the transmitted signal. We first consider the transmission systems that introduce the redundancy in the form of a cyclic prefix. The examples of such systems include the discrete multitone (DMT) and the orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) systems. We study the signal precoding in such systems, aimed at improving the performance by minimizing the noise power at the receiver. We also consider a different class of communication systems with signal redundancy, namely, the multiuser systems based on code division multiple access (CDMA). We specifically focus on the special class of CDMA systems called `a mutually orthogonal usercode receiver' (AMOUR). We show how to find the best equalizer from the class of zero-forcing solutions in such systems, and then increase the size of this class by employing alternative sampling strategies at the receiver.