Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Genetic Ablation of the c-Cbl Ubiquitin Ligase Domain Results in Increased Energy Expenditure and Improved Insulin Action

Casitas b-lineage lymphoma (c-Cbl) is a multiadaptor protein with E3-ubiquitin ligase activity residing within its RING finger domain. We have previously reported that c-Cbl–deficient mice exhibit elevated energy expenditure, reduced adiposity, and improved insulin action. In this study, we examined mice expressing c-Cbl protein with a loss-of-function mutation within the RING finger domain (c-CblA/− mice). Compared with control animals, c-CblA/− mice display a phenotype that includes reduced adiposity, despite greater food intake; reduced circulating insulin, leptin, and triglyceride levels; and improved glucose tolerance. c-CblA/− mice also display elevated oxygen consumption (13%) and are protected against high-fat diet–induced obesity and insulin resistance. Unlike c-CblA/− mice, mice expressing a mutant c-Cbl with the phosphatidylinositol (PI) 3-kinase binding domain ablated (c-CblF/F mice) exhibited an insulin sensitivity, body composition, and energy expenditure similar to that of wild-type animals. These results indicate that c-Cbl ubiquitin ligase activity, but not c-Cbl–dependent activation of PI 3-kinase, plays a key role in the regulation of whole-body energy metabolism.
Electrodeposition and Characterization of Ni-Mo-ZrO2 Composite Coatings

The Ni-Mo-ZrO2 composite coatings produced by electrodeposition from citrate electrolyte which containing Zirconium Oxide (ZrO2) nanopowder. The influence of the concentration of ZrO2 nanopowder, and Molybdenum content is investigated. The surface structure and corrosion properties of the composite coatings is examined through Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Linear Polarization Resistance (LPR) test. The increment in Molybdenum content during electrodeposition reduces the ZrO2 in the coating. The presence of ZrO2 changes the surface texture of the material matrix of the coating. The ZrO2 also increases corrosion current density in which improves corrosion resistance overall.
CALIBRATING CERRADO PHYSIOGNOMIES USING SAR AND OPTICAL IMAGES IN BRAZIL

The objective of this study is to evaluate the potential use of L-band SAR images, comparing to optical images, to separate the physiognomic gradient of the Cerrado biome. The field data come from a project from the BIOTA/FAPESP Program which visited several remnants between 1999 and 2002. That project studied 206 Cerrado polygons within the state of São Paulo – Brazil, in order to discriminate their physiognomies and their conservation stages. This study started in one pilot area located in a Conservation Unit (CU) which presents all Cerrado physiognomies. Thus, the vegetation classes within the CU were analyzed using Landsat TM/ETM+ and Terra-MODIS images, and then compared with the JERS-1/SAR images. After the classification of the physiognomies found in the pilot area the same procedure were done for 206 polygons all over the São Paulo state. Thus, the NDVI LANDSAT images were obtained from 1999 to 2002 (combined with field trip) and the NDVI MODIS images were obtained 2000 to 2002. Through those NDVI classes, the backscattering ( ) of JERS-1 images from 1995 to 1997, were analyzed and showed the predominance of dense type of vegetation in most of the remnants. This images observations corroborated the information found in the field by a botany team, who also found predominantly forest type physiognomies. The results obtained for JERS-1image analyses were: campo cerrado around –13 dB; cerrado s.s. from –12 dB to –10 dB; cerradão from –9 dB to –8 dB; and rainforest from –8 dB to –7 dB, are similar to those obtained for Cerrado and tropical rainforests according to the literature.
Sixty years of quantitative communication research summarized: lessons from 149 meta-analyses

ABSTRACT In an effort to better understand the state of knowledge production in the field of Communication, we examine the results of 149 meta-analyses exploring human communication phenomena. The meta-analyses summarize more than 60 years of quantitative research involving more than 8 million participants. The mean effect estimate is r = . 21, and three-quarters of the meta-analyses reported an estimate of less than r = . 29. Several trends in the findings from the meta-analyses are examined. The results underscore the notion that communication is a complex and highly contingent phenomenon and highlight some specific instances in which communication variables and processes produce (in)substantial effects. Taken as a whole, this project offers insights about the status of quantitative communication research and the collective efforts of scholars working in our discipline.
Ceratocystis neglecta sp . nov . , infecting Eucalyptus trees in

Commercial plantation forestry utilising species of non-native Eucalyptus trees forms an important industry in Colombia. These trees are, however, threatened by fungal diseases. In recent years a number of reports of Ceratocystis fimbriata s.l. , causing wilt and death of Eucalyptus spp. have emerged from African and South American countries. In Colombia, the fungus is a serious pathogen of coffee, cacao and citrus where it enters wounds and causes a severe canker stain disease. Ceratocystis fimbriata has, however, not been found on Eucalyptus spp. in Colombia and the aim of this study was to consider whether it might infect wounds on these trees in the country. Eucalyptus grandis trees were artificially wounded in three different geographic zones of Colombia and a Ceratocystis sp. was commonly isolated from these wounds. Isolates of the fungus were identified based on morphology and through comparisons of sequences for the ITS regions of the rDNA operon. Morphological and DNA sequence comparisons showed that isolates from E. grandis in Colombia represent a new species of Ceratocystis, closely resembling C. fimbriata s.s. and for which the name C. neglecta sp. nov. is given. To determine the possible impact of C. neglecta on commercial forestry operations, two isolates were used in field pathogenicity trials on different clones of E. grandis. Isolates were shown to differ in their ability to cause lesions on E. grandis, with one isolate being highly pathogenic. The different clones of E. grandis also differed in their susceptibility to infection by the fungus.
Evaluation of medical research performance – position paper of the Association of the Scientific Medical Societies in Germany (AWMF)

Objective: The evaluation of medical research performance is a key prerequisite for the systematic advancement of medical faculties, research foci, academic departments, and individual scientists’ careers. However, it is often based on vaguely defined aims and questionable methods and can thereby lead to unwanted regulatory effects. The current paper aims at defining the position of German academic medicine toward the aims, methods, and consequences of its evaluation. Methods: During the Berlin Forum of the Association of the Scientific Medical Societies in Germany (AWMF) held on 18 October 2013, international experts presented data on methods for evaluating medical research performance. Subsequent discussions among representatives of relevant scientific organizations and within three ad-hoc writing groups led to a first draft of this article. Further discussions within the AWMF Committee for Evaluation of Performance in Research and Teaching and the AWMF Executive Board resulted in the final consented version presented here. Results: The AWMF recommends modifications to the current system of evaluating medical research performance. Evaluations should follow clearly defined and communicated aims and consist of both summative and formative components. Informed peer reviews are valuable but feasible in longer time intervals only. They can be complemented by objective indicators. However, the Journal Impact Factor is not an appropriate measure for evaluating individual publications or their authors. The scientific “impact” rather requires multidimensional evaluation. Indicators of potential relevance in this context may include, e.g., normalized citation rates of scientific publications, other forms of reception by the scientific community and the public, and activities in scientific organizations, research synthesis and science communication. In addition, differentiated recommendations are made for evaluating the acquisition of third-party funds and the promotion of junior scientists. Conclusions: With the explicit recommendations presented in the current position paper, the AWMF suggests enhancements to the practice of evaluating medical research performance by faculties, ministries and research funding organizations.
Oxygen Pathway Modeling Estimates High Reactive Oxygen Species Production above the Highest Permanent Human Habitation

The production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) from the inner mitochondrial membrane is one of many fundamental processes governing the balance between health and disease. It is well known that ROS are necessary signaling molecules in gene expression, yet when expressed at high levels, ROS may cause oxidative stress and cell damage. Both hypoxia and hyperoxia may alter ROS production by changing mitochondrial Po 2 (). Because depends on the balance between O2 transport and utilization, we formulated an integrative mathematical model of O2 transport and utilization in skeletal muscle to predict conditions to cause abnormally high ROS generation. Simulations using data from healthy subjects during maximal exercise at sea level reveal little mitochondrial ROS production. However, altitude triggers high mitochondrial ROS production in muscle regions with high metabolic capacity but limited O2 delivery. This altitude roughly coincides with the highest location of permanent human habitation. Above 25,000 ft. , more than 90% of exercising muscle is predicted to produce abnormally high levels of ROS, corresponding to the “death zone” in mountaineering.
Pathologies of impacted teeth: A cone-beam computed tomography diagnosis

An impacted tooth is the one which fails to erupt into its anatomic position due to various factors such as malposition, lack of space, or other impediments. The prevalence of impacted tooth varies with geographic locations and has been estimated to be between 8% and 38%. An impacted tooth can be a nidus for dental caries, infection, destruction of adjacent teeth, periodontal disease, and even oral and maxillofacial cysts or tumors. Therefore, careful evaluation of the history and the clinical and radiographic findings and knowledge about the various maxillofacial cysts and tumors help a clinician to arrive at early diagnosis and render proper treatment to a patient. The recent advancements made in the field of radiology, especially the cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT), is a boon to dentistry. The three-dimensional imaging has made CBCT the preferential imaging modality for the evaluation of unerupted/impacted or supernumerary teeth and also in the evaluation of odontogenic and nonodontogenic cysts/tumors of the jaws. The varied radiographic appearances of cysts/tumors in the maxillofacial region help in precise differentiation of the pathology and prompt the clinicians to arrive at an accurate early diagnosis. This article discusses three case reports of maxillofacial cysts/tumors associated with an impacted tooth where radiology plays an important role in the diagnosis of the lesions.
Multiple environmental stressors confine the ecological niche of the rotifer Cephalodella acidophila

The planktonic food web in extremely acidic mining lakes is restricted to a few species that are either acidophilic or acidotolerant. Common metazoans inhabiting acidic mining lakes with a pH below 3 include rotifers in the genera Cephalodella and Elosa. The life history response of Cephalodella acidophila to three environmental key factors, pH (2, 3.5, 5.0 and 7.0), temperature (10, 17.5 and 25 °C) and food concentration (10 000, 35 000 and 50 000 algal cells per mL), was investigated in a full factorial design using life-table experiments. The effect of each of the three environmental variables investigated on the rotifer life cycle parameters (life span, fecundity and population growth rate) differed. C. acidophila is a stenoecious species with a pH optimum in the range 3–4 and a comparably high food threshold. Combining the laboratory results with field data, we conclude that C. acidophila is severely growth limited in its natural habitat. However, low pH alone is not harmful as long as temperatures are moderate to warm and food is abundant. The population of C. acidophila in the field is maintained mainly due to release from competitors and predators.
“People See Me, But They Don’t See Me”: An Intersectional Study of College Students With Physical Disabilities

Abstract:This critical disability and intersectional narrative inquiry critiques the relationship between intersectional ableism and the experiences of college students with physical disabilities. Participants experienced intersectional erasure as a result of disability being objectified, viewed through an accommodation lens, and perceived additively, as well as survival necessitating they downplay disability. Participants resisted intersectional erasure by searching for homes in their physical bodies and spaces. Implications include the importance of moving from accommodation to inclusion, treating disability as a social identity, respecting the socially constructed and physical realities of disabled bodies, and amplifying disabled students’ resistance to ableism.
Detection of Epileptic Seizure Using Wavelet Analysis based Shannon Entropy, Logarithmic Energy Entropy and Support Vector Machine

Epilepsy is a prevalent condition, mainly affecting the nervous system of the human body. Electroencephalogram (EEG) is used to evaluate and examine the seizures caused due to epilepsy. The issue of low precision and poor comprehensiveness is worked upon using dual tree- complex wavelet transform (DT-CWT), rather than discrete wavelet transform (DWT). Here, Logarithmic energy entropy (LogEn) and Shannon entropy (ShanEn) are taken as input features. These features are fed to Linear Support Vector Machine (L-SVM) Classifier. For LogEn, accuracy of 100% for A-E, 99.34% for AB-E, and 98.67% for AC-E is achieved. While ShanEn combinations give accuracy of 96.67% for AB-E and 95.5% for ABC-E. These results showcase that our methodology is suitable for overcoming the problem and can become an alternate option for clinical diagnosis.
A prospective study of complications associated with cuffed, tunnelled haemodialysis catheters.

BACKGROUND Despite the US Dialysis Outcome Quality Initiative )DOQI( guidelines, for various reasons, increasing numbers of end-stage renal disease patients are becoming dependent on cuffed haemodialysis catheters (HCs) for chronic haemodialysis access. Their use is complicated by frequent failure due to thrombosis and catheter-related sepsis. In our unit, all HCs are put in place by the radiology department. METHODS In a prospective study we looked at the outcome of all HCs over a three-year period, during which time 573 consecutive HCs were placed in 336 patients. Each line was followed individually until it was removed or until the end of the study. RESULTS In a survival analysis of those HCs removed following HC failure, HC half-life was 312 days and one-year HC survival was 47.5%. The most frequent indications for HC removal were non-function (36.6%), clinical suspicion of line sepsis (16.4%) and patient death (14.4%). Using a Cox proportional hazards model, catheter number in a given patient and the presence of diabetes mellitus were found to be independent predictors of HC failure. The total incidence of HC-related sepsis was 1.3 episodes/1000 catheter days. The probability of developing bacteraemic HC-related sepsis was 27.5% at one year. CONCLUSIONS Less than half of the HCs were removed electively because of availability of a more permanent mode of renal replacement, thereby illustrating the level of dependence that has developed on them as permanent access. Consequently, their limitations (infection and malfunction) are placing an ever increasing burden on the healthcare services.
Störungen der frühen Affektregulation: Klinische und extraklinische Annäherungen an ADHS

Wohl kaum eine Debatte in der Geschichte der Kinderpsychiatrie wurde so heftig gefuhrt wie die Kontroverse um Ursachen, Erklarungsmodelle und Behandlungsmoglichkeiten der sogenannten Aufmerksamkeits-Defizit-Hyperaktivitats-Storung (ADHS). Nur wenige Psychoanalytiker haben sich in diese Debatte eingebracht. In dieser Arbeit werden verschiedene theoretische Annaherungen der heutigen pluralistischen Psychoanalyse an dieses Storungsbild skizziert. Die Konzeptualisierung der Frankfurter Praventionsstudie beruhte, wie anschliesend diskutiert wird, auf solchen psychoanalytischen und interdisziplinaren Diskursen zur Genese, Pravention und Behandlung von Kindern mit einer fruhen Affektregulationsstorung. Einige ihrer Ergebnisse werden vorgestellt. Zwei ausfuhrliche Fallbeispiele dienen als Pladoyer fur eine psychoanalytische Behandlung von sogenannten »ADHS«-Kindern, da sie, so die These der Autoren, eine nachhaltige psychische und psychosoziale Veranderung bewirken kann.
Using concept mapping to measure changes in interdisciplinary learning during high school

How, when and what kind of learning takes place are key questions in all educational environments. School graduates are expected to have reached a development level whereby they have, among many fundamental skills, the ability to think critically, to plan their studies and their future, and to integrate knowledge across disciplines. However, it is challenging to develop these skills in schools. Following existing curricula, disciplines are often taught separately and by different teachers, making it difficult for students to connect knowledge studied and learned from one discipline to that of another discipline. The Next Generation Science Standards on teaching and learning natural science in the United States point out important crosscutting concepts in science education (NGSS, 2013). In Estonia, similar trends are leading to an emphasis on the need to further develop scientific literacy skills and interdisciplinary learning in students. The changing environment around us must be reflected in changes in our school system. In this paper, we report on research that intends to answer the questions: (a) “How much do Estonian students develop an interdisciplinary understanding of science throughout their high school education? ”, and (b) “Is their thinking more interdisciplinary after two years of studies in an Estonian high school? ” Additionally, we analyzed the results based on the type of school the students attended, and we examined the use concept mapping to assess interdisciplinary learning. This research is part of an overall study that involved students from 44 Estonian high schools taking a science test similar to the three-dimensional Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) test (hereafter called PISA-like multidimensional test) as well as constructing concept maps, while in 10th and 12th grade. In this paper, we report on the analysis of the results for 182 of the students, concentrating on the analysis of the concept maps they constructed. The results suggest that there were changes in the students’ interdisciplinary knowledge, but these were small and varied depending on the students’ school type. They also suggest that changes may be needed in the Estonian educational system to increase the students’ level of interdisciplinary understanding of science. https://doi.org/10.34105/j.kmel. 2018.10. 001
Suprascapular Nerve Pathology: A Review of the Literature

Background: Suprascapular nerve pathology is a rare diagnosis that is increasingly gaining popularity among the conditions that cause shoulder pain and dysfunction. The suprascapular nerve passes through several osseoligamentous structures and can be compressed in several locations. Methods: A thorough literature search was performed using online available databases in order to carefully define the pathophysiology and to guide diagnosis and treatment. Results: Suprascapular neuropathy diagnosis is based on a careful history and a thorough clinical and radiological examination. Although the incidence and prevalence of the condition remain unknown, it is highly diagnosed in specific groups (overhead athletes, patients with a massive rotator cuff tear) probably due to higher interest. The location and the etiology of the compression are those that define the treatment modality. Conclusion: Suprascapular neuropathy diagnosis is based on a careful history and a thorough clinical and radiological examination. The purpose of this article is to describe the anatomy of the suprascapular nerve, to define the pathophysiology of suprascapular neuropathy and to present methodically the current diagnostic and treatment strategies.
Mutations in the RNase H Primer Grip Domain of Murine Leukemia Virus Reverse Transcriptase Decrease Efficiency and Accuracy of Plus-Strand DNA Transfer

ABSTRACT The RNase H primer grip of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) reverse transcriptase (RT) contacts the DNA primer strand and positions the template strand near the RNase H active site, influencing RNase H cleavage efficiency and specificity. Sequence alignments show that 6 of the 11 residues that constitute the RNase H primer grip have functional equivalents in murine leukemia virus (MLV) RT. We previously showed that a Y586F substitution in the MLV RNase H primer grip resulted in a 17-fold increase in substitutions within 18 nucleotides of adenine-thymine tracts, which are associated with a bent DNA conformation. To further determine the effects of the MLV RNase H primer grip on replication fidelity and viral replication, we performed additional mutational analysis. Using either β-galactosidase (lacZ) or green fluorescent protein (GFP) reporter genes, we found that S557A, A558V, and Q559L substitutions resulted in statistically significant increases in viral mutation rates, ranging from 2.1- to 3.8-fold. DNA sequencing analysis of nonfluorescent GFP clones indicated that the mutations in RNase H primer grip significantly increased the frequency of deletions between the primer-binding site (PBS) and sequences downstream of the PBS. In addition, quantitative real-time PCR analysis of reverse transcription products revealed that the mutant RTs were substantially inefficient in plus-strand DNA transfer relative to the wild-type control. These results indicate that the MLV RNase H primer grip is an important determinant of in vivo fidelity of DNA synthesis and suggest that the mutant RT was unable to copy through the DNA-RNA junction of the minus-strand DNA and the tRNA because of its bent conformation resulting in error-prone plus-strand DNA transfer.
A maximum-likelihood based feedback carrier synchronizer for turbo-coded systems

This contribution considers the estimation of a time-varying carrier phase from coded signals at low operating SNR. ML estimation theory is used to derive an iterative code-aided feedback phase-tracker that is well suited for application in receivers with iterative MAP detection. Simulation results for a turbo-coded system indicate that, in the presence of carrier frequency offsets and phase noise that cannot be handled by a feedforward synchronizer, the proposed synchronizer yields only a small BER degradation as compared to a perfectly synchronized receiver.