Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Sarcolipin Regulates the Activity of SERCA1, the Fast-twitch Skeletal Muscle Sarcoplasmic Reticulum Ca2+-ATPase*

The 31-amino acid proteolipid, sarcolipin (SLN), is associated with the fast-twitch skeletal muscle sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase (SERCA1). Constructs of human and rabbit SLN and of rabbit SLN with the FLAG epitope at its N terminus (NF-SLN) or its C terminus (SLN-FC) were coexpressed with SERCA1 in HEK-293 T-cells. Immunohistochemistry was used to demonstrate colocalization of NF-SLN and SERCA1 in the endoplasmic reticulum membrane and to demonstrate the cytosolic orientation of the N terminus of SLN. Coexpression of native rabbit SLN or NF-SLN with SERCA1 decreased the apparent affinity of SERCA1 for Ca2+ but stimulated maximal Ca2+ uptake rates (V max). The N terminus of SLN is not well conserved among species, and the addition of an N-terminal FLAG epitope did not alter SLN function. Anti-FLAG antibody reversed both the inhibition of Ca2+ uptake by NF-SLN at low Ca2+concentrations and the stimulatory effect of NF-SLN onV max. Addition of the FLAG epitope to the highly conserved C terminus decreased the apparent affinity of SERCA1 for Ca2+ relative to native SLN and decreasedV max significantly. Mutations in the C-terminal domain showed that this sequence is critical for SLN function. Mutational analysis of the transmembrane helix, together with the additive regulatory effects of coexpression of both SLN and phospholamban (PLN) with SERCA1, provided evidence for different mechanisms of interaction of SLN and PLN with SERCA molecules. Ca2+ uptake rates in sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles, isolated from rabbit fast-twitch muscle (tibialis anterior) subjected to chronic low frequency stimulation, were reduced by approximately 40% in 3- and 4-day stimulated muscle, with a marginal increase in apparent affinity of SERCA1 for Ca2+. SERCA1 mRNA and protein levels were unaltered after stimulation. In contrast, SLN mRNA was decreased by 15%, and SLN protein was reduced by 40%. Reduced SLN expression could explain the decrease in SERCA1 activity observed in these muscles and might represent an early functional adaptation to chronic low frequency stimulation.
Bison Conservation in Northern Great Plains National Parks: No Need to Panic

Bison (Bison bison) are a keystone species in the North American Great Plains. They are also a species of conservation concern in part because they suffered a severe population bottleneck at the end of the 19th century and now exist in mostly small and isolated populations. Wind Cave National Park introduced 20 bison in 1913–16; Theodore Roosevelt National Park introduced 29 animals to a South Unit in 1956 and subsequently transferred 20 bison from that herd to the park's North Unit in 1962; and Badlands National Park introduced 53 animals in 1963–64 and another 20 in 1984. The four herds are confined within fences, and no known introduction of new bison into the gene pools has occurred. The four herds are routinely culled down to approximately 425, 350, 200, and 700 animals, respectively. I found no evidence of inbreeding depression as measured by annual population growth and reproductive rates. A population viability analysis also failed to find persuasive evidence of inbreeding depression. Under current management scenarios, gene diversity in 100 years should remain above levels currently known to cause inbreeding depression in bison. I found no compelling reason to introduce new bison into the herds or transfer bison between herds in the foreseeable future.
A Distributed Architecture for Interactive Parse Annotation

In this paper we describe a modular system architecture for distributed parse annotation using interactive correction. This involves interactively adding constraints to an existing parse until the returned parse is correct. Using a mixed initiative approach, human annotators interact live with distributed ccg parser servers through an annotation gui. The examples presented to each annotator are selected by an active learning framework to maximise the value of the annotated corpus for machine learners. We report on an initial implementation based on a distributed workflow architecture.
Adenosine and Sleep

Over the last several decades the idea that adenosine (Ado) plays a role in sleep control was postulated due in large part to pharmacological studies that showed the ability of Ado agonists to induce sleep and Ado antagonists to decrease sleep. A second wave of research involving in vitro cellular analytic approaches and subsequently, the use of neurochemical tools such as microdialysis, identified a population of cells within the brainstem and basal forebrain arousal centers, with activity that is both tightly coupled to thalamocortical activation and under tonic inhibitory control by Ado. Most recently, genetic tools have been used to show that Ado receptors regulate a key aspect of sleep, the slow wave activity expressed during slow wave sleep. This review will briefly introduce some of the phenomenology of sleep and then summarize the effect of Ado levels on sleep, the effect of sleep on Ado levels, and recent experiments using mutant mouse models to characterize the role for Ado in sleep control and end with a discussion of which Ado receptors are involved in such control. When taken together, these various experiments suggest that while Ado does play a role in sleep control, it is a specific role with specific functional implications and it is one of many neurotransmitters and neuromodulators affecting the complex behavior of sleep. Finally, since the majority of adenosine-related experiments in the sleep field have focused on SWS, this review will focus largely on SWS; however, the role of adenosine in REM sleep behavior will be addressed.
Formation Timescales of Amorphous Rims on Lunar Grains Derived From ARTEMIS Observations

The weathering of airless bodies exposed to space is a fundamental process in the formation and evolution of planetary surfaces. At the Moon, space weathering induces a variety of physical, chemical, and optical changes including the formation of nanometer‐sized amorphous rims on individual lunar grains. These rims are formed by vapor redeposition from micrometeoroid impacts and ion irradiation‐induced amorphization of the crystalline matrix. For ion irradiation‐induced rims, however, laboratory experiments of the depth and formation timescales of these rims stand in stark disagreement with observations of lunar soil grains. We use observations by the Acceleration, Reconnection, Turbulence, and Electrodynamics of the Moon's Interaction with the Sun (ARTEMIS) spacecraft in orbit around the Moon to compute the mean ion flux to the lunar surface between 10 eV and 5 MeV and convolve this flux with ion irradiation‐induced vacancy production rates as a function of depth calculated using the Stopping Range of Ions in Matter model. By combining these results with laboratory measurements of the critical fluence for charged‐particle amorphization in olivine, we can predict the formation timescale of amorphous rims as a function of depth in olivinic grains. This analysis resolves two outstanding issues: (1) the provenance of >100 nm amorphous rims on lunar grains and (2) the nature of the depth‐age relationship for amorphous rims on lunar grains.
Turbulent and Laminar Flow in Karst Conduits Under Unsteady Flow Conditions: Interpretation of Pumping Tests by Discrete Conduit‐Continuum Modeling

Due to the duality in terms of (1) the groundwater flow field and (2) the discharge conditions, flow patterns of karst aquifer systems are complex. Estimated aquifer parameters may differ by several orders of magnitude from local (borehole) to regional (catchment) scale because of the large contrast in hydraulic parameters between matrix and conduit, their heterogeneity and anisotropy. One approach to deal with the scale effect problem in the estimation of hydraulic parameters of karst aquifers is the application of large‐scale experiments such as long‐term high‐abstraction conduit pumping tests, stimulating measurable groundwater drawdown in both, the karst conduit system as well as the fractured matrix. The numerical discrete conduit‐continuum modeling approach MODFLOW‐2005 Conduit Flow Process Mode 1 (CFPM1) is employed to simulate laminar and nonlaminar conduit flow, induced by large‐scale experiments, in combination with Darcian matrix flow. Effects of large‐scale experiments were simulated for idealized settings. Subsequently, diagnostic plots and analyses of different fluxes are applied to interpret differences in the simulated conduit drawdown and general flow patterns. The main focus is set on the question to which extent different conduit flow regimes will affect the drawdown in conduit and matrix depending on the hydraulic properties of the conduit system, i.e., conduit diameter and relative roughness. In this context, CFPM1 is applied to investigate the importance of considering turbulent conditions for the simulation of karst conduit flow. This work quantifies the relative error that results from assuming laminar conduit flow for the interpretation of a synthetic large‐scale pumping test in karst.
Prosody/Parse Scoring and Its Application in ATIS

Prosodic patterns provide important cues for resolving syntactic ambiguity, and might be used to improve the accuracy of automatic speech understanding. With this goal, we propose a method of scoring syntactic parses in terms of observed prosodic cues, which can be used in ranking sentence hypotheses and associated parses. Specifically, the score is the probability of acoustic features of a hypothesized word sequence given an associated syntactic parse, based on acoustic and "language" (prosody/syntax) models that represent probabilities in terms of abstract prosodic labels. This work reports initial efforts aimed at extending the algorithm to spontaneous speech, specifically the ATIS task, where the prosody/parse score is shown to improve the average rank of the correct sentence hypothesis.
Financial Markets and the Macro Economy

The objective of this paper is to provide a deeper insight into the links between financial markets and the real economy. To that end, we study the short-term anticipation and response of U.S. stock, Treasury, and corporate bond markets to the first release of U.S. macroeconomic information. Specifically, we focus on the impact of these announcements not only on the level, but also on the volatility and comovement of those assets' returns. Forthat purpose, we estimate several extensions of the parsimonious amended GARCH model of Engle (2002) for the excess holding-period returns on seven portfolios of these asset classes. We find that the process of price formation in the U.S. financial markets appears to be driven by fundamentals; yet, "excessive" volatility and comovement play an important role in return dynamics as well. Further, our analysis reveals a statistically and economically significant dichotomy between the reaction of the stock and bond markets to the arrival of unexpected fundamental information. However, we also show that stock and bond returns tend to react to the expected component of these announcements. Overall, the above results often differ from earlier studies where the surprise portion of those releases was not identified, and shed new light on the mechanisms by which information is incorporated into prices.
Three-Dimensional Imaging of Sulfides in Silicate Rocks at Submicron Resolution with Multiphoton Microscopy

Abstract We report the first application of multiphoton microscopy (MPM) to generate three-dimensional (3D) images of natural minerals (micron-sized sulfides) in thick (∼120 μm) rock sections. First, reflection mode (RM) using confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM), combined with differential interference contrast (DIC), was tested on polished sections. Second, two-photon fluorescence (TPF) and second harmonic signal (SHG) images were generated using a femtosecond-laser on the same rock section without impregnation by a fluorescent dye. CSLM results show that the silicate matrix is revealed with DIC and RM, while sulfides can be imaged in 3D at low resolution by RM. Sulfides yield strong autofluorescence from 392 to 715 nm with TPF, while SHG is only produced by the embedding medium. Simultaneous recording of TPF and SHG images enables efficient discrimination between different components of silicate rocks. Image stacks obtained with MPM enable complete reconstruction of the 3D structure of a rock slice and of sulfide morphology at submicron resolution, which has not been previously reported for 3D imaging of minerals. Our work suggests that MPM is a highly efficient tool for 3D studies of microstructures and morphologies of minerals in silicate rocks, which may find other applications in geosciences.
A Longitudinal Analysis of Total 3‐Year Healthcare Costs for Older Adults Who Experience a Fall Requiring Medical Care

OBJECTIVES: To compare longitudinal changes in healthcare costs between fallers admitted to the hospital at the time of the fall (admitted), those not admitted to the hospital (nonadmitted), and nonfaller controls; test hypotheses related to differences in mean costs between and within these groups over time; and estimate the costs attributable to falling.
Mechanical Resilience of Modified Bitumen at Different Cooling Rates: A Rheological and Atomic Force Microscopy Investigation

Due to the wide variation in geographic and climatic conditions, the search for high-performance bituminous materials is becoming more and more urgent to increase the useful life of pavements and reduce the enormous cost of road maintenance. Extensive research has been done by testing various bitumen modifiers, although most of them are petroleum-derived additives, such as polymers, rubbers and plastic, which in turn do not prevent oxidative aging of the binder. Thus, as an alternative to the most common polymeric rheological modifiers, selected binder additives falling in the categories of organosilane (P2KA), polyphosphoric acid (PPA) and food grade phospholipids (LCS) were homogeneously mixed to a base bitumen. The goal was to analyse the micro-morphology of the bitumens (neat and modified) subjected to different cooling rates and to find the corresponding correlations in the mechanical response domain. Therefore, microstructural investigations carried out by Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and fundamental rheological tests based on oscillatory dynamic rheology, were used to evaluate the effect of additives on the bitumen structure and compared with pristine binder as a reference. The tested bitumen additives have been shown to elicit different mechanical behaviours by varying the cooling rate. By comparing rheological data, analysed in the framework of the “weak gel” model, and AFM images, it was found that both P2KA and PPA altered the material structure in a different manner whereas LCS revealed superior performances, acting as “mechanical buffer” in the whole explored range of cooling rates.
Experiences of implementing process management: a multiple-case study

Purpose – Process management is becoming an essential part of contemporary organizations in all industries. However, many organizations experience problems during the implementation of a process management approach. The purpose of this paper is to explore and describe the organizational implications when implementing process management, how to handle the relationship between the functional organization and a process perspective, and the roles of managers, teams, and individuals.Design/methodology/approach – A multiple‐case study approach is used to get an extensive picture of and analyze how three Swedish organizations have worked with process management.Findings – The studied organizations have introduced a process management structure into their functional organizational structure, including the introduction of new management positions such as process owners and process leaders. A discourse is identified in earlier research between those arguing for a full transformation from a functionally oriented to .
Pre‐ and postnatal diagnosis and outcome of fetuses and neonates with esophageal atresia and tracheoesophageal fistula

Clinical symptoms and ultrasound signs during pregnancy could suggest the presence of esophageal atresia (EA). However, most often EA is diagnosed postnatally. The aim of our study is to evaluate the course and outcome for prenatally and postnatally diagnosed EA. In addition, we studied the outcome of isolated versus nonisolated EA.
Reconstruction of Piñon-Juniper Forest Structure to Examine Historic Wildlife Habitat Characteristics in the Davis Mountains, USA

Changes in pinon-juniper (Pinus spp., Juniperusspp.) communities across the southwestern United States have often decreased ecological diversity of the understory and increases of exotic species. Reconstructing age and establishment patterns provides essential understanding to guide treatments and management for anthropogenically-altered forests. The goal of this study was to determine how patterns of pinon and juniper growth in the Davis Mountains, Texas, varied over time and how this pattern influenced wildlife habitat of several indicator species. Establishment patterns and basal area growth progression were identified, canopy cover estimates regressed from pre-developed canopy regression equations to re-construct historic forest stand structure and canopy characteristics in twenty-year intervals and applied to known wildlife habitat requirements of Montezuma quail (Cyrtonyx montezumae), black bear (Ursus americanus) and White-tailed deer/Mule deer (Odocoileus virginianus/O. hemionus). The sites provided habitat for these wildlife species, but the specific habitat provided changed over time. Prescribed burning could promote better forage for black bear while fire exclusion could improve dense cover for escape and denning cover. Montezuma quail would use thinner, less-dense habitats for forage, loafing and escape cover and the denser stand dynamics for cover and shelter. If forage habitat for Montezuma quail is required, the more open habitats found in the early 1900’s could be re-established by prescribed burning and tree removal. Habitat for White-tailed deer transitioned from more open forage, loafing, fawning cover in the early 1900’s to denser thermal, and escape cover in the later 1900’s. Mule deer habitat transitioned from a preferred open habitat to a more dense cover habitat that would be utilized primarily for bedding. Prescribed burning and tree removal to open up the current habitat would benefit Mule deer and white-tailed deer to a lesser degree.
The impact of Zambia’s unconditional child grant on schooling and work: results from a large-scale social experiment

ABSTRACT This article reports on the impact on child schooling and work of the Government of Zambia’s Child Grant Program (CGP), an unconditional cash transfer programme targeted to households with children under age 3 years in three districts of the country. Although the CGP’s focus is on very young children, we look to see if the programme has impacts on older children who are not the explicit target group. We use data from a large-scale social experiment involving 2519 households, half of whom were randomised out to a delayed-entry control group, that was implemented to assess the impact of the programme. We find that the CGP has no discernible impact on school enrolment of children age 7–14. However, when we break the sample by older (11–14) and younger (7–10) children – based on the grade structure of the Zambian schooling system – we find a significant impact among children age 11–14, which coincides with the exact age range where a sharp drop-out begins to occur in Zambia with point estimates in the range of 7–8 percentage points. Finally, we provide evidence on the potential pathways through which the unconditional cash transfer impacts on enrolment. Households in the CGP spend more on education, and in particular on uniforms and shoes, two items cited as key barriers to school enrolment in study areas.
Testing of digital television broadcasting from the stratosphere

Digital TV broadcasting from the stratosphere was tested using an unmanned aerial vehicle, a Pathfinder Plus. A television transmitter installed under the wing transmitted a UHF band signal as the vehicle flew at an altitude of 20 km. The Japanese digital terrestrial broadcasting standard (ISDB-T) was used for transmission. The 13.5-hour flight time included 3 hours of transmission testing. The transmitting equipment worked as expected in spite of the cold and low-atmospheric-pressure environment. Reception at the ground station was satisfactory even when the ISDB-T parameter set used was the one least robust under poor channel conditions.
The mood stabiliser lithium suppresses PIP3 signalling in Dictyostelium and human cells

SUMMARY Bipolar mood disorder (manic depression) is a major psychiatric disorder whose molecular origins are unknown. Mood stabilisers offer patients both acute and prophylactic treatment, and experimentally, they provide a means to probe the underlying biology of the disorder. Lithium and other mood stabilisers deplete intracellular inositol and it has been proposed that bipolar mood disorder arises from aberrant inositol (1,4,5)-trisphosphate [IP3, also known as Ins(1,4,5)P3] signalling. However, there is no definitive evidence to support this or any other proposed target; a problem exacerbated by a lack of good cellular models. Phosphatidylinositol (3,4,5)-trisphosphate [PIP3, also known as PtdIns(3,4,5)P3] is a prominent intracellular signal molecule within the central nervous system (CNS) that regulates neuronal survival, connectivity and synaptic function. By using the genetically tractable organism Dictyostelium, we show that lithium suppresses PIP3-mediated signalling. These effects extend to the human neutrophil cell line HL60. Mechanistically, we show that lithium attenuates phosphoinositide synthesis and that its effects can be reversed by overexpression of inositol monophosphatase (IMPase), consistent with the inositol-depletion hypothesis. These results demonstrate a lithium target that is compatible with our current knowledge of the genetic predisposition for bipolar disorder. They also suggest that lithium therapy might be beneficial for other diseases caused by elevated PIP3 signalling.
Increased Levels of Serum Sulfite in Patients with Acute Pneumonia

Sulfite, a common air pollutant, is toxic for humans, causing hypersensitivity or chronic airway diseases. We previously reported that sulfite is actively produced from neutrophils by stimulation with bacterial endotoxin, lipopolysaccharide (LPS). We also found that the serum sulfite concentration is increased in a rat model of sepsis induced by systemic injection of LPS. However, information on sulfite metabolism in human inflammatory conditions is limited. In the current study, the serum concentration of sulfite was determined in 25 patients with acute pneumonia. Serum sulfite concentration in pneumonia patients was significantly higher than that in control subjects (3.75 ± 0.88 vs. 1.23 ± 0.48 &mgr;M, respectively, P < 0.05). Among 20 patients, serum sulfite was serially determined before and after antibiotic therapy. The levels of serum sulfite were significantly reduced during the recovery phase compared with those during the acute phase (1.34 ± 0.56 vs. 3.65 ± 0.92 &mgr;M, respectively, P < 0.05). Moreover, neutrophils obtained from three patients during the acute phase of pneumonia spontaneously produced higher amounts of sulfite in vitro than those obtained after recovery. There was a close positive correlation (r = 0.71, P < 0.05) between serum sulfite and C-reactive protein (CRP) in patients with pneumonia. Taken together, the current findings suggest that serum sulfite increases during systemic inflammation in humans. Activated neutrophils might be responsible, at least in part, for the up-regulation of sulfite. Given various biological effects reported previously, sulfite may act as a mediator in inflammation.