Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Silencing β1,2-xylosyltransferase in Transgenic Tomato Fruits Reveals xylose as Constitutive Component of Ige-Binding Epitopes

Complex plant N-glycans containing β1,2-xylose and core α1,3-fucose are regarded as the major class of the so-called “carbohydrate cross-reactive determinants” reactive with IgE antibodies in sera of many allergic patients, but their clinical relevance is still under debate. Plant glycosyltransferases, β1,2-xylosyltransferase (XylT), and core α1,3-fucosyltransferase (FucT) are responsible for the transfer of β1,2-linked xylose and core α1,3-linked fucose residues to N-glycans of glycoproteins, respectively. To test the clinical relevance of β1,2-xylose-containing epitopes, expression of the tomato β1,2-xylosyltransferase was down-regulated by RNA interference (RNAi) in transgenic plants. Fruits harvested from these transgenic plants were analyzed for accumulation of XylT mRNA, abundance of β1,2-xylose epitopes and their allergenic potential. Based on quantitative real-time PCR analysis XylT mRNA levels were reduced up to 10-fold in independent transgenic lines as compared to untransformed control, whereas no xylosylated N-glycans could be revealed by MS analysis. Immunoblotting using anti-xylose-specific IgG antibodies revealed a strong reduction of β1,2-xylose-containing epitopes. Incubating protein extracts from untransformed controls and XylT_RNAi plants with sera from tomato allergic patients showed a patient-specific reduction in IgE-binding, indicating a reduced allergenic potential of XylT_RNAi tomato fruits, in vitro. To elucidate the clinical relevance of β1,2-xylose-containing complex N-glycans skin prick tests were performed demonstrating a reduced responsiveness of tomato allergic patients, in vivo. This study provides strong evidence for the clinical relevance of β1,2-xylose-containing epitopes in vivo.
Proton MR Spectroscopy in the Evaluation of Cerebral Metabolism in Patients with Fibromyalgia: Comparison with Healthy Controls and Correlation with Symptom Severity

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Widespread pain sensitivity in patients with fibromyalgia (FM) suggests a central nervous system (CNS)-processing problem. Therefore, it is conceivable that metabolic alterations exist in pain-processing brain regions of people with FM compared with healthy controls (HC) and that such metabolic data could correlate with clinical symptoms. The purpose of this study was to test these hypotheses using proton MR spectroscopy (1H-MR spectroscopy). Materials and METHODS: There were 21 patients with FM and 27 HC who underwent conventional structural MR imaging and additional 2D-chemical shift imaging (CSI) MR-spectroscopy sequences. For the 2D-CSI spectroscopy, larger volumes of interest (VOIs) were centered at the level of the basal ganglia and the supraventricular white matter. Within these larger areas, 16 smaller voxels were placed in a number of regions previously implicated in pain processing. N-acetylaspartate (NAA)/creatine(Cr), choline (Cho)/Cr and NAA/Cho ratios were calculated for each voxel. Subjects underwent clinical and experimental pain assessment. RESULTS: Mean metabolite ratios and ratio variability for each region were analyzed by using repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA). Correlations between clinical symptoms and metabolite ratios were assessed. Cho/Cr variability in the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) was significantly different in the 2 groups; a significant correlation between Cho/Cr in this location and clinical pain was present in the FM group. Evoked pain threshold correlated significantly with NAA/Cho ratios in the left insula and left basal ganglia. CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that there are baseline differences in the variability of brain metabolite relative concentrations between patients with FM and HC, especially in the right DLPFC. Furthermore, there are significant correlations between metabolite ratios and clinical and experimental pain parameters in patients with FM.
The Psychology of Sub-Culture in Sport and Physical Activity : Critical perspectives

Section I: Sociocultural Dimensions of Inclusion/Exclusion in Sport 1. Introduction, Kerry R. McGannon & Robert J. Schinke 2. Applying a Critical Ecological Approach to the Issue of Athlete Abuse in Sport, Gretchen A. Kerr & Ashley E. Stirling 3. A Post-Structuralist Approach to Hazing in Sport, Jennifer J. Waldron 3. Gender Nonconformity, Sex Variation, and Sport, Vikki Krane 4. The Dark Side' and Beyond: Narrative Inquiry in Professional Golf, Kitrina Douglas and David Carless 5. UltraEmpowering Women: A Feminist Analysis of the Ultramarathoning Culture, Cindra S. Kamphoff & Kelsey Timm Section II: Critiques of the Medical Model, Sport Culture and Sport Research 6. Disability, Sport, and Impaired Bodies: A Critical Approach, Brett Smith and Marie-Josee Perrier 7. A Few Good Men: Male Athlete Eating Disorders, Medical Supremacy and the Silencing of a Sporting Minority, Anthony Papthomas 7. Sport-related Concussion: Critical Issues Moving Forward, Anthony P. Kontos and Erin Reynolds Section III: Self-Reflection and Reflexivity in Sport Psychology Practice and Research 8. BE-KNOW-DO Model of Consulting: An Exploration of How Experiences with Soldiers Affected Me and How My Notions of Self Affected Soldiers' Experiences, Shannon M. Baird 9. "Standing in the Question": Teaching a Critical Perspective to Developing Sport Psychology Consultants, Leslee A. Fisher and Alicia J. Johnson 10. Caged Quandaries: Mixed Martial Arts and the Politics of Research, Matthew A. Masucci and Ted M. Butryn 11. Confessions of the Disc: A Foucauldian Analysis of Ethics within Ultimate Frisbee, Hamish Crockett
The is and ought of the Ethics of Neuroenhancement: Mind the Gap

Ethical perspectives on the use of stimulants to enhance human cognitive performance (neuroenhancement) are polarized between conservative and liberal theories offering opposing advice on whether individuals have a right to use neuroenhancers and what the social outcomes of neuroenhancement might be. Meanwhile, empirical evidence shows modest prevalence and guarded public attitudes toward the neuroenhancement use of stimulants. In this Perspective, we argue that the dissonance between the prescriptions of ethical theories (what ought to be) and empirical evidence (what is) has impaired our understanding of neuroenhancement practices. This dissonance is a result of three common errors in research on the ethics of neuroenhancement: (1) expecting that public perspectives will conform to a prescriptive ethical framework; (2) ignoring the socio-economic infrastructures that influence individuals’ decisions on whether or not to use neuroenhancement; and (3) overlooking conflicts between fundamental ethical values namely, safety of neuroenhancement and autonomy. We argue that in order to understand neuroenhancement practices it is essential to recognize which values affect individual decisions to use or refuse to use neuroenhancement. Future research on the ethics of neuroenhancement should assess the morally significant values for stakeholders. This will fill the gap between what ought to be done and what is done with an improved understanding of what can be done within a particular context. Clarifying conflicts between competing moral values is critical in conducting research on the efficacy of substances putatively used for neuroenhancement and also on neuroenhancement practices within academic, professional and social environments.
Dynamic Assessment of IELTS Writing Task One through Mobile Learning in the Context of Iranian EFL Learners

Dynamic assessment is an approach primarily based on sociocultural theory of mind with the objective of combining instruction and assessment. In this approach learners’ development is simultaneously assessed regarding their Zone of Proximal Development. The present study was intended to investigate the effect of Mobile-Assisted Dynamic Assessment (MADA) on IELTS writing task one and also the EFL learners' perception to such approaches toward language learning. In order to achieve the aim of this quasi-experimental study, a social networking application, namely Telegram was applied on mobile phones. Based on the scores on the Oxford Quick Placement Test, twenty-three Iranian advanced-level EFL learners out of a population of 40 students participated in this study. An intact group went through a pre-test- treatment-post-test process. In the end, the participants were interviewed for their perceptions on mobile assisted dynamic assessment which was used to assess their writing skill. The results of the data analysis revealed that the participants experienced improvement in their writing after the treatment and obtained a significant increase in their scores of the post-test, and they benefited from the process of dynamic assessment through online mobile-learning environment. They further had a positive perception towards MADA.
Radar Observations of Convective System Variability in Relationship to African Easterly Waves during the 2006 AMMA Special Observing Period

Abstract A radar-based analysis of the structure, motion, and rainfall variability of westward-propagating squall-line mesoscale convective systems (SLMCSs) in Niamey, Niger, during the African Monsoon Multidisciplinary Activities (AMMA) 2006 special observing period is combined with an analysis of 700-mb (hPa) winds and relative vorticity to study the relationship between SLMCSs and African easterly waves (AEWs). Radar results show that SLMCSs were the most important rainmakers in Niamey and accounted for about 90% of the rainfall despite being present less than 17% of the time. Analysis of the 700-mb synoptic-scale flow revealed that during the 2006 West African monsoon season the African easterly jet vacillated between about 10° and 15°N on time scales of 1–2 weeks. AEWs followed the jet as it vacillated north and south, thereby producing two preferred paths for AEWs propagating past Niamey’s longitude, a northern track along 8°–16°N and a southern track along 2°–6°N. It was found that Niamey SLMCSs oc.
Alternative splice isoforms of small conductance calcium-activated SK2 channels differ in molecular interactions and surface levels

Small conductance Ca2+-sensitive potassium (SK2) channels are voltage-independent, Ca2+-activated ion channels that conduct potassium cations and thereby modulate the intrinsic excitability and synaptic transmission of neurons and sensory hair cells. In the cochlea, SK2 channels are functionally coupled to the highly Ca2+ permeant α9/10-nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) at olivocochlear postsynaptic sites. SK2 activation leads to outer hair cell hyperpolarization and frequency-selective suppression of afferent sound transmission. These inhibitory responses are essential for normal regulation of sound sensitivity, frequency selectivity, and suppression of background noise. However, little is known about the molecular interactions of these key functional channels. Here we show that SK2 channels co-precipitate with α9/10-nAChRs and with the actin-binding protein α-actinin-1. SK2 alternative splicing, resulting in a 3 amino acid insertion in the intracellular 3′ terminus, modulates these interactions. Further, relative abundance of the SK2 splice variants changes during developmental stages of synapse maturation in both the avian cochlea and the mammalian forebrain. Using heterologous cell expression to separately study the 2 distinct isoforms, we show that the variants differ in protein interactions and surface expression levels, and that Ca2+ and Ca2+-bound calmodulin differentially regulate their protein interactions. Our findings suggest that the SK2 isoforms may be distinctly modulated by activity-induced Ca2+ influx. Alternative splicing of SK2 may serve as a novel mechanism to differentially regulate the maturation and function of olivocochlear and neuronal synapses.
Price Stability with Imperfect Financial Integration

This Paper evaluates the welfare implications of policy rules when international financial markets are incomplete. Using a two-country dynamic general equilibrium model with incomplete markets, price stickiness and monopolistic competition, one finds that an allocation in which the producer inflation rates in both countries are stabilized to zero reproduces the flexible-price allocation. This allocation, however, is sub-optimal with deadweight losses evaluated at around 0.05 percent of a permanent shift in steady-state consumption. A state-contingent producer inflation policy is the feasible first-best. The gains from pursuing this policy instead of price stability are, however, small in terms of reduction in the deadweight losses. Therefore, under incomplete markets, price stability is a good approximation of the feasible first best policy.
The Impact of Resilience and Grit on Inductive and Deductive Reasoning Following Exposure to Combat-Like Environments

The Impact of Resilience and Grit on Inductive and Deductive Reasoning Following Exposure to Combat-Like Environments Vasiliki Georgoulas-Sherry Cognitive processes have been shown to be severely affected by exposure to combat and war. While the negative impact of war on cognitive performance is apparent through numerous soldier narratives, the scientific investigation of this phenomenon is limited. Furthermore, the moderating influence of an individual‘s resilience and grit on cognitive functions following combat environments is unknown. Understanding this interaction is essential in further understanding individual cognitive performance. Because the psychological wounds inflicted by combat situations affect individuals‘ mental health, studying how such environments influence cognitive processes and performance can improve the training of our soldiers. This dissertation focuses on assessing how combat-like environments influence an individual‘s ability to effectively and efficiently reason, and further examines whether an individual‘s grit and resilience affect deductive and inductive reasoning in stressful environments. Participants were recruited from a private US military academy. The study used a pretestposttest mixed design to investigate possible cognitive decrements in individuals‘ ability to reason following exposure to war-like environments simulated by immersive and non-immersive technologies. Dependent measures included both inductive and deductive reasoning (as measured by The Letter Sets Test and Overton‘s (1990) version of the Wason Selection Task, respectively) by placing participants into the immersive or non-immersive conditions. Self-reported resilience and grit were tested for interaction effects to examine how an individual‘s resilience and grit influences an individual‘s ability to reason in war-like environments. These findings might give a richer understanding of the ways in which cognitive mechanisms are affected by stressful environments like
Cosmic ray decreases affect atmospheric aerosols and clouds

Close passages of coronal mass ejections from the sun are signaled at the Earth's surface by Forbush decreases in cosmic ray counts. We find that low clouds contain less liquid water following Forbush decreases, and for the most influential events the liquid water in the oceanic atmosphere can diminish by as much as 7%. Cloud water content as gauged by the Special Sensor Microwave/Imager (SSM/I) reaches a minimum ≈7 days after the Forbush minimum in cosmic rays, and so does the fraction of low clouds seen by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and in the International Satellite Cloud Climate Project (ISCCP). Parallel observations by the aerosol robotic network AERONET reveal falls in the relative abundance of fine aerosol particles which, in normal circumstances, could have evolved into cloud condensation nuclei. Thus a link between the sun, cosmic rays, aerosols, and liquid‐water clouds appears to exist on a global scale.
Minimizing Total Busy Time for Energy-Aware Virtual Machine Allocation Problems

This paper investigates the energy-aware virtual machine (VM) allocation problems in clouds along characteristics: multiple resources, fixed interval time and non-preemption of virtual machines. Many previous works have been proposed to use a minimum number of physical machines; however, this is not necessarily a good solution to minimize total energy consumption in the VM placement with multiple resources, fixed interval time and non-preemption. We observed that minimizing the sum of total busy time of all physical machines implies minimizing total energy consumption of physical machines. In addition to, if mapping of a VM onto physical machines have the same total busy time then the best mapping has physical machine's remaining available resource minimizing. Based on these observations, we proposed heuristic-based EM algorithm to solve the energy-aware VM allocation with fixed starting time and duration time. In addition, this work studies some heuristics for sorting the list of virtual machines (e.g., sorting by the earliest starting time, or latest finishing time, or the longest duration time first, etc.) to allocate VM. We evaluate the EM using CloudSim toolkit and jobs log-traces in the Feitelson's Parallel Workloads Archive. Simulation's results show that all of EM-ST, EM-LFT and EM-LDTF algorithms could reduce total energy consumption compared to state-of-the-art of power-aware VM allocation algorithms. (e.g. Power-Aware Best-Fit Decreasing (PABFD) [7])).
Somatosensory cortical input to the striatum

The information from whiskers is processed in layer IV of the cortex by groups of neurones arranged in discrete functional units known as barrels. Each barrel processes input obtained from a single whisker. The barrel cortex can be differentiated into the cytochrome rich barrel centres and the septal cells surrounding the barrels. Previous work in the laboratory had established two cortical inputs to striatum from the barrel cortex. One of these arises from septal cells and is bilateral and composed of thin calibre fibres. The other route involves the barrel centres, is only unilaterally represented and is composed of topographically arranged, thick fibres. Based on these morphological differences, the postsynaptic targets of the two pathways with reference to the two output pathways of the striatum were examined. A method was also developed to examine the physiological consequences of stimulation of the two pathways upon the striatal output cells of the anaesthetised rat in both normal and dopamine-depleted animals. An anatomical study of the cortical input to the GABAergic intemeurones was also undertaken as these cells strongly modulate the output of striatal neurones. The pathways differ in their connectivity, with the bilateral pathway contacting the neurones of the striatopallidal pathway more often than the fibres of the topographic system. The stimulation of the two pathways can depolarise striatal cells and give rise to EPSPs, which can be differentiated based on their rise times. EPSPs in response to whisker pad stimulation have a rapid rise time, while the contralateral cortically derived EPSPs are slower to rise and the spike initiation latency more variable. Both pathways interacted at the level of a single striatal cell and gave rise to a summation of EPSPs at a time interval of 10ms, followed by a period of inhibition, the extent of which was dependent on the order and source of the stimuli. This pattern of interaction was not seen in cortical neurones. In dopamine depleted animals both stimuli were also able to depolarise the spiny neurones to their firing threshold. However the EPSPs to whisker pad stimulation were significantly slower to rise compared to control animals and were similar to the rise times of EPSPs in response to contralateral cortical stimulation. The interaction of the two pathways was also affected by the loss of dopamine and the summation of EPSP amplitude observed when stimuli were delivered 1 Oms apart in control animals was no longer present. The anatomical study revealed that GABAergic intemeurones receive convergent cortical input from both motor and sensory cortices and that their pattern of innervation is different from the cortical innervation of striatal output
Global Prevalence of Double Benioff Zones

Double Benioff zones provide opportunities for insight into seismogenesis because the underlying mechanism must explain two layers of deep earthquakes and the separation between them. We characterize layer separation inside subducting plates with a coordinate rotation to calculate the slab-normal distribution of earthquakes. Benchmark tests on well-established examples confirm that layer separation is accurately quantified with global seismicity catalogs alone. Global analysis reveals double Benioff zones in 30 segments, including all 16 subduction zones investigated, with varying subducting plate ages and stress orientations, which implies that they are inherent in subducting plates. Layer separation increases with age and is more consistent with dehydration of antigorite than chlorite.
Sensorimotor Modulations by Cognitive Processes During Accurate Speech Discrimination: An EEG Investigation of Dorsal Stream Processing

Internal models mediate the transmission of information between anterior and posterior regions of the dorsal stream in support of speech perception, though it remains unclear how this mechanism responds to cognitive processes in service of task demands. The purpose of the current study was to identify the influences of attention and working memory on sensorimotor activity across the dorsal stream during speech discrimination, with set size and signal clarity employed to modulate stimulus predictability and the time course of increased task demands, respectively. Independent Component Analysis of 64–channel EEG data identified bilateral sensorimotor mu and auditory alpha components from a cohort of 42 participants, indexing activity from anterior (mu) and posterior (auditory) aspects of the dorsal stream. Time frequency (ERSP) analysis evaluated task-related changes in focal activation patterns with phase coherence measures employed to track patterns of information flow across the dorsal stream. ERSP decomposition of mu clusters revealed event-related desynchronization (ERD) in beta and alpha bands, which were interpreted as evidence of forward (beta) and inverse (alpha) internal modeling across the time course of perception events. Stronger pre-stimulus mu alpha ERD in small set discrimination tasks was interpreted as more efficient attentional allocation due to the reduced sensory search space enabled by predictable stimuli. Mu-alpha and mu-beta ERD in peri- and post-stimulus periods were interpreted within the framework of Analysis by Synthesis as evidence of working memory activity for stimulus processing and maintenance, with weaker activity in degraded conditions suggesting that covert rehearsal mechanisms are sensitive to the quality of the stimulus being retained in working memory. Similar ERSP patterns across conditions despite the differences in stimulus predictability and clarity, suggest that subjects may have adapted to tasks. In light of this, future studies of sensorimotor processing should consider the ecological validity of the tasks employed, as well as the larger cognitive environment in which tasks are performed. The absence of interpretable patterns of mu-auditory coherence modulation across the time course of speech discrimination highlights the need for more sensitive analyses to probe dorsal stream connectivity.