Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Evaluating Biosphere Model Estimates of the Start of the Vegetation Active Season in Boreal Forests by Satellite Observations

The objective of this study was to assess the performance of the simulated start of the photosynthetically active season by a large-scale biosphere model in boreal forests in Finland with remote sensing observations. The start of season for two forest types, evergreen needle- and deciduous broad-leaf, was obtained for the period 2003–2011 from regional JSBACH (Jena Scheme for Biosphere–Atmosphere Hamburg) runs, driven with climate variables from a regional climate model. The satellite-derived start of season was determined from daily Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MODIS) time series of Fractional Snow Cover and the Normalized Difference Water Index by applying methods that were targeted to the two forest types. The accuracy of the satellite-derived start of season in deciduous forest was assessed with bud break observations of birch and a root mean square error of seven days was obtained. The evaluation of JSBACH modelled start of season dates with satellite observations revealed high spatial correspondence. The bias was less than five days for both forest types but showed regional differences that need further consideration. The agreement with satellite observations was slightly better for the evergreen than for the deciduous forest. Nonetheless, comparison with gross primary production (GPP) determined from CO2 flux measurements at two eddy covariance sites in evergreen forest revealed that the JSBACH-simulated GPP was higher in early spring and led to too-early simulated start of season dates. Photosynthetic activity recovers differently in evergreen and deciduous forests. While for the deciduous forest calibration of phenology alone could improve the performance of JSBACH, for the evergreen forest, changes such as seasonality of temperature response, would need to be introduced to the photosynthetic capacity to improve the temporal development of gross primary production.
Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Is Not Required for Human Cytomegalovirus Entry or Signaling

ABSTRACT Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) can bind, fuse, and initiate gene expression in a diverse range of vertebrate cell types. This broad cellular tropism suggests that multiple receptors and/or universally distributed receptors mediate HCMV entry. Our laboratory has recently discovered that certain β1 and β3 integrin heterodimers are critical mediators of HCMV entry into permissive fibroblasts (A. L. Feire, H. Koss, and T. Compton, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 101:15470-15475, 2004). It has also been reported that epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is necessary for HCMV-mediated signaling and entry (X. Wang, S. M. Huong, M. L. Chiu, N. Raab-Traub, and E. E. Huang, Nature 424:456-461, 2003). Integrins are known to signal synergistically with growth factor receptors, and this coordination was recently reported for EGFR and β3 integrins in the context of HCMV entry (X. Wang, D. Y. Huang, S. M. Huong, and E. S. Huang, Nat. Med. 11:515-521, 2005). However, EGFR-negative cell lines, such as hematopoietic cells, are known to be infected by HCMV. Therefore, we wished to confirm a role for EGFR in HCMV entry and then examine any interaction between β1 integrins and EGFR during the entry process. Surprisingly, we were unable to detect any role for EGFR in the process of HCMV entry into fibroblast, epithelial, or endothelial cell lines. Additionally, HCMV did not activate the EGFR kinase in fibroblast cell lines. We first examined HCMV entry into two EGFR-positive or -negative cell lines but observed no increase in entry when EGFR was expressed to high levels. Physically blocking EGFR with a neutralizing antibody in fibroblast, epithelial, or endothelial cell lines or blocking EGFR kinase signaling with a chemical inhibitor in fibroblast cells did not inhibit virus entry. Lastly, we were unable to detect phosphorylation of EGFR in fibroblasts cells in response to HCMV stimulation. Our findings demonstrate that EGFR does not play a significant role in HCMV entry or signaling. These results suggest that specific integrin heterodimers either act alone as the primary entry receptors or interact in conjunction with an additional receptor(s), other than EGFR, to facilitate virus entry.
Professional Skills and Capabilities of Accounting Graduates: The New Zealand Expectation Gap?

Much has been written about teaching and learning deficiencies in accounting education. Universities have grappled with the challenge and developed a number of strategies to address the concerns raised. Many of the recommended strategies for addressing these deficiencies have included a focus on the development of professional capabilities and skills. This paper reports on a study which has identified the capabilities which are considered to be the most important for successful practice in accountancy during the first years after graduation and identified the extent to which New Zealand universities have focused on these in the delivery of their study programmes. Most attempts to measure the nature and extent of change to accountancy degree programmes have collected data from current or graduating students or from the university itself. This study instead collected feedback from accountancy graduates employed in public practice with three to five years post graduation professional experience and from their workplace supervisors. This paper reports on the results of the graduate feedback, provides a useful insight into where progress has been made and identifies where further improvement is necessary.
A Novel Membrane-associated Metalloprotease, Ste24p, Is Required for the First Step of NH2-terminal Processing of the Yeast a-Factor Precursor

Many secreted bioactive signaling molecules, including the yeast mating pheromones a-factor and α-factor, are initially synthesized as precursors requiring multiple intracellular processing enzymes to generate their mature forms. To identify new gene products involved in the biogenesis of a-factor in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, we carried out a screen for MAT a-specific, mating-defective mutants. We have identified a new mutant, ste24, in addition to previously known sterile mutants. During its biogenesis in a wild-type strain, the a-factor precursor undergoes a series of COOH-terminal CAAX modifications, two sequential NH2-terminal cleavage events, and export from the cell. Identification of the a-factor biosynthetic intermediate that accumulates in the ste24 mutant revealed that STE24 is required for the first NH2-terminal proteolytic processing event within the a-factor precursor, which takes place after COOH-terminal CAAX modification is complete. The STE24 gene product contains multiple predicted membrane spans, a zinc metalloprotease motif (HEXXH), and a COOH-terminal ER retrieval signal (KKXX). The HEXXH protease motif is critical for STE24 activity, since STE24 fails to function when conserved residues within this motif are mutated. The identification of Ste24p homologues in a diverse group of organisms, including Escherichia coli, Schizosaccharomyces pombe, Haemophilus influenzae, and Homo sapiens, indicates that Ste24p has been highly conserved throughout evolution. Ste24p and the proteins related to it define a new subfamily of proteins that are likely to function as intracellular, membrane-associated zinc metalloproteases.
The Evolution of Luz: A Case Study of Gendered Tensions of Romance and Domesticity in the Life of a Former Migrant, Chicana College Student

This paper is a case study of a Chicana former migrant in her first year of college through CAMP (College Assistance Migrant Program), and how she negotiated the challenges of family, romance, and the desire to reach her goals. Through narrative analysis, the authors examine the thoughts, words, and experiences of Luz’s life to provide insight to the complex world of vacillating identities across cultural borders and gender role expectations of community, school, and society. Este manuscrito es el estudio de un caso de una emigrante Chicana en su primer año de universidad a través del CAMP (Programa de Asistencia Universitaria para Emigrantes) y como ella negoció los retos de familia, romance, y el deseo de alcanzar sus metas. A través de análisis narrativo los autores examinan los pensamientos, palabras, y experiencias de la vida de Luz para proporcionar una visión interior al complejo mundo de identidades vacilantes que cruzan fronteras culturales y expectativas comunitarias, escolares y de la sociedad en cuanto a las funciones de género.
The prevalence of cutaneous hypersensitivity and its relationship to Pseudomonas colonization and outcome in cystic fibrosis

Forty‐seven patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) studied in 1977 have been followed up and reviewed, with respect to the development of immediate cutaneous hypersensitivty to Aspergillus fumigatus and other allergens, and the date of Pseudomonas aernginosa colonization. The prevalence of cutaneous hypersensitivity to inhaled allergens in CF increases with longer allergen exposure, to the extent that the CF patients develop a prevalence of atopy greater than normal controls. Allergen‐sensitive patients were found to develop Pseudomonas colonization later, but to have a shorter survival subsequently; there was no relationship between skin tests and overall survival.
Gifted Education at a Crossroads: The Program Status Study

The program status study was designed to examine the status of local programs for students with high abilities and the reasons to which educators and key personnel attributed the status of these programs. This descriptive ex post facto research, completed in a purposive sample of 19 states, was completed in two phases. Phase 1 included a mail survey to approximately 3,000 local teachers, coordinators, and/or principals who were responsible for programs for students with high abilities. Phase 2 included interviews with key personnel (state directors of gifted education, presidents of state advocacy organizations, school superintendents, chairpersons of local boards) and was designed to triangulate the findings from Phase 1. Results indicated that programs in states with mandates and in good economic health are intact and expanded; programs in all other groups of states (states with mandates and in poor economic health, states without mandates and in good economic health, states without mandates in poor economic health) are being threatened, reduced, and eliminated. More than half of the respondents from states with mandates and in good economic health attributed their expanded or intact status to the mandate and advocacy efforts. About half of the districts from states without mandates attributed their jeopardized status to a decline in state and local funds.
Synaptic vesicle recycling: steps and principles

Synaptic vesicle recycling is one of the best‐studied cellular pathways. Many of the proteins involved are known, and their interactions are becoming increasingly clear. However, as for many other pathways, it is still difficult to understand synaptic vesicle recycling as a whole. While it is generally possible to point out how synaptic reactions take place, it is not always easy to understand what triggers or controls them. Also, it is often difficult to understand how the availability of the reaction partners is controlled: how the reaction partners manage to find each other in the right place, at the right time. I present here an overview of synaptic vesicle recycling, discussing the mechanisms that trigger different reactions, and those that ensure the availability of reaction partners. A central argument is that synaptic vesicles bind soluble cofactor proteins, with low affinity, and thus control their availability in the synapse, forming a buffer for cofactor proteins. The availability of cofactor proteins, in turn, regulates the different synaptic reactions. Similar mechanisms, in which one of the reaction partners buffers another, may apply to many other processes, from the biogenesis to the degradation of the synaptic vesicle.
A daily diary study

We collected daily diary data from 165 couples (N = 330) in romantic relationships to examine how working to change the relationship and relational uncertainty influence positive relationship quality (i.e., closeness, satisfaction, and commitment). We used concepts from the investment model and literature on relationship maintenance and relational uncertainty. As hypothesized, we found a positive association between working to change the relationship and relationship quality. Further, this association was stronger on days in which individuals reported lower relational uncertainty, but significantly weaker on days in which individuals reported higher relational uncertainty. We discuss what it means for individuals to report more positive relationship quality when they make more relational investments and feel more certain about their relationship.
Hollywood's Triumph and Parents' Loss: An Examination of the PG-13 Rating

This study is an examination of the Motion Picture Association of America's (MPAA's) use of the PG-13 rating through a content analysis of ratings descriptions-sentences used by the MPAA to explain why PG-13 was assigned to a movie-for the years 2000 to 2002. It is hypothesized that during the period, rating descriptions will indicate increases in overall adult content (H1), sex (H2), and violence (H3). The hypotheses received various levels of support. Overall, adult content in PG-13-rated movies has increased; sexual content showed a marginal increase from 2001 to 2002; and violence, when mentioned, was described as more "intense" over the 3-year period. Implications of PG-13, the effects of sex and violence on adolescents, study limitations, and future research suggestions are all discussed.
‘That child is smart because he’s rich’: the impact of poverty on young children’s experiences of school

There is little information about, and understanding of, how children from families living in poverty experience school, as opposed to children from better‐off families. This paper is based on the views of children aged 5–11 in schools across Northern Ireland, UK. It argues that family poverty impacts on every aspect of a child’s experience of school from the earliest years of primary school and, therefore, that policy interventions to improve educational outcomes are unlikely to be effective unless they are accompanied by far broader social policy initiatives to reduce poverty and inequality.
Rethinking the concept of consent for anti-sexual violence activism and education

Sexual violence prevention has shifted from centering around a message of ‘no means no’ toward a message of ‘get consent. ’ This paper explores how young adults conceptualise consent in relation to how they talked about expressing a willingness to participate in sex. The analysis here argues that understandings of consent are disconnected from how young people understand communication about sex. Consent is viewed as a formal minimum requirement for ‘ok’ sex. At the same time, young people were more sophisticated when discussing how they understand and communicate a willingness to have sex. Implications for sexual violence prevention education and research on sexual consent are discussed.
Immediate-Early Genes and Synaptic Function

Classical studies have demonstrated a role for protein synthesis in long-term memory. The focus of our research is to identify the proteins that are essential for memory and to discover how they contribute to activity-dependent neuronal plasticity. We have developed whole-animal models that maximize the induction of activity-dependent genes and have used differential cloning techniques to identify a set of novel, neuronal immediate-early genes (IEGs). Neuronal IEGs encode transcription factors, cytoskeletal proteins, growth factors, metabolic enzymes, and proteins involved in signal transduction. The biochemical and cell biological properties of these molecules provide important insights into mechanisms that contribute to neuronal plasticity. Recently, we identified a subset of IEGs that appear to function at the synapse. These molecules extend the functional repertoire of IEGs and may provide insight into how IEGs can contribute to synapse-specific plasticity.
In vitro microleakage of composite restorations prepared by Er:YAG/Er,Cr:YSGG lasers and conventional drills associated with two adhesive systems.

PURPOSE The objective of this in vitro study was to compare the degree of microleakage of composite restorations performed by lasers and conventional drills associated with two adhesive systems. MATERIALS AND METHODS Sixty bovine teeth were divided into 6 groups (n = 10). The preparations were performed in groups 1 and 2 with a high-speed drill (HD), in groups 3 and 5 with Er:YAG laser, and in groups 4 and 6 with Er,Cr:YSGG laser. The specimens were restored with resin composite associated with an etch-and-rinse two-step adhesive system (Single Bond 2 [SB]) (groups 1, 3, 4) and a self-etching adhesive (One-Up Bond F [OB]) (groups 2, 5, 6). After storage, the specimens were polished, thermocycled, immersed in 50% silver nitrate tracer solution, and then sectioned longitudinally. The specimens were placed under a stereomicroscope (25X) and digital images were obtained. These were evaluated by three blinded evaluators who assigned a microleakage score (0 to 3). The original data were submitted to Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney statistical tests. RESULTS The occlusal/enamel margins demonstrated no differences in microleakage for all treatments (p > 0.05). The gingival/dentin margins presented similar microleakage in cavities prepared with Er:YAG, Er,Cr:YSGG, and HD using the etch-and-rinse two-step adhesive system (SB) (p > 0.05); otherwise, both Er:YAG and Er,Cr:YSGG lasers demonstrated lower microleakage scores with OB than SB adhesive (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION The microleakage score at gingival margins is dependent on the interaction of the hard tissue removal tool and the adhesive system used. The self-etching adhesive system had a lower microleakage score at dentin margins for cavities prepared with Er:YAG and Er,Cr:YSGG than the etch-and-rinse two-step adhesive system.
A Hemodynamic Technic for the Detection of Hypertrophic Subaortic Stenosis

In the presence of valvular aortic stenosis or of discrete subvalvular stenosis, the narrowed orifice is constant and its size is not altered by changes in the force of ventricular contraction. In hypertrophic subaortic stenosis the orifice narrows during systolic contraction of the hypertrophied muscle in the left ventricular outflow tract and the orifice size therefore is a function of the force of left ventricular contraction. In 75 patients, proved to have the discrete, "fixed" type of aortic or subaortic stenosis the beats following the compensatory pause after a premature contraction were always characterized by higher left ventricular systolic pressures and larger systemic arterial pulse pressures than the normal beats, i.e., arterial pulse pressure varied directly with left ventricular systolic pressure and with the duration of diastole. In 12 patients proved to have hypertrophic subaortic stenosis, the beats following premature contractions always exhibited lower arterial pulse pressures than did the normal beats, i.e., arterial pulse pressure varied inversely with left ventricular systolic pressure and with the duration of diastole. The distinction between these two types of obstruction to left ventricular outflow may be established with confidence by this analysis of the effects of premature ventricular contractions on either the simultaneously recorded left ventricular and arterial pressure pulses, or on the arterial pressure pulses alone. The recognition of hypertrophic subaortic stenosis is essential in formulating a rational plan of treatment for all patients with obstruction to left ventricular outflow, and the hemodynamic technic described affords a simple but reliable diagnostic approach.
Does “No” Really Mean “No” After You Say “Yes”?

The current study examined how participant (i.e., gender) and situational (i.e., couple-specific sexual intercourse history) factors influence attributions about stranger, early dating, late dating, and marital rape. Two hundred undergraduates were randomly assigned to read one of four levels of victim-perpetrator relationship vignettes. In addition, within the two dating relationship conditions, the couple's sexual intercourse history was manipulated. As the degree of acquaintance between the perpetrator and victim increased, the participants incorporated more rape-supportive and sex role stereotypical attributions. Participants also made more negative attributions about the date rapes when the couple was thought to have previously engaged in consensual sexual intercourse. There were no differences in attributions across the date and marital rape conditions when the participants were informed that the dating couples had previously engaged in sexual intercourse, and several gender differences were obtained in these comparisons. The social and legal implications of these findings are discussed.
Teaching in Violent Communities: The Contribution of Meaning Made of Stress on Psychiatric Distress and Burnout

Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena, CaliforniaTeachers in violent communities are at risk for breakdowns in global mean-ing, burnout, and a number of psychiatric consequences. Using a Spanishversion of the Integration of Stressful Life Experiences Scale (ISLES-S), thisstudy provided a preliminary test of the instrument and examined the role ofmeaning made of a salient stressor among a sample of 257 teachers from ElSalvador who had experienced a variety of possible traumas and stressful lifeevents. Study participants completed a one-time questionnaire with theISLES-S, history of violence exposure and other background concerns, and anumber of related constructs from the positive psychology and spiritualityliteratures. Psychometric results indicted evidence of concurrent validity andsupported a two-factor structure for the ISLES-S with items loading on botha Comprehensibility factor (gauging meaning made via assimilative pro-cesses) and a Footing in the World factor (gauging meaning made viaaccommodative processes). In addition, when controlling for demographicfactors, violence exposure, and related constructs, teachers’ ability to make
Hospital‐related morbidity among childhood cancer survivors in British Columbia, Canada: Report of the childhood, adolescent, young adult cancer survivors (CAYACS) program

Our study examines inpatient, hospital‐related morbidity in a geographically‐defined cohort of long‐term cancer survivors diagnosed before age 20 years in the province of British Columbia (BC), Canada. A total of 1374 survivors diagnosed from 1981 to 1995 surviving at least 5‐years postdiagnosis, and a matched sample of 13,740 BC residents, were identified from population registers, and linked to provincial hospitalization records from 1986 to 2000. Logistic regression was used to assess relative risk and effect of sociodemographic, clinical, and temporal factors on risk. Approximately 41% of survivors vs. 17% of the population sample had at least one type of hospitalization‐related late morbidity in the observation period (adjusted RR 4.1, 95% CI 3.7–4.5). Those at highest risk were survivors of leukemia (RR 4.8, 95% CI 4.0–5.8), central nervous system tumors (RR 4.8, 95% CI 4.0–5.8), bone and soft tissue sarcomas (RR 4.9, 95% CI 3.8–6.2), and kidney cancer (RR 4.9, 95% CI 3.4–7.0). Adjusted relative risk was elevated for all types of morbidity except pregnancy and birth complications, and highest for neoplasms (including second primary cancers) (RR 21.7, 95% CI 16.3–28.7). Morbidity was elevated for all combinations of primary treatment and highest for those with previous radiation, chemotherapy, and surgery (RR 7.1, 95% CI 5.5–9.0). Over time, morbidity for late effects other than neoplasms became more prevalent. These results suggest that survivors are at increased ongoing risk of many types of hospital‐related late morbidity, implying that long‐term monitoring for multiple health problems is warranted.