Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The offloading model for dynein function

During mitosis in budding yeast, dynein moves the mitotic spindle into the mother-bud neck. We have proposed an offloading model to explain how dynein works. Dynein is targeted to the dynamic plus end of a cytoplasmic microtubule, offloads to the cortex, becomes anchored and activated, and then pulls on the microtubule. Here, we perform functional studies of dynein intermediate chain (IC) and light intermediate chain (LIC). IC/Pac11 and LIC/Dyn3 are both essential for dynein function, similar to the heavy chain (HC/Dyn1). IC and LIC are targeted to the distal plus ends of dynamic cytoplasmic microtubules, as is HC, and their targeting depends on HC. Targeting of HC to the plus end depends on IC, but not LIC. IC also localizes as stationary dots at the cell cortex, the presumed result of offloading in our model, as does HC, but not LIC. Localization of HC to cortical dots depends on both IC and LIC. Thus, the IC and LIC accessory chains have different but essential roles in dynein function, providing new insight into the offloading model.
Differences in Actual and Perceived Online Skills: The Role of Gender*

The literature on gender and technology use finds that women and men differ significantly in their attitudes toward their technological abilities. Concurrently, existing work on science and math abilities of students suggests that such perceived differences do not always translate into actual disparities. We examine the yet-neglected area concerning gender differences with respect to Internet-use ability. In particular, we test how self-perceived abilities are related to actual abilities and how these may differ by gender. Copyright (c) 2006 Southwestern Social Science Association.
Enzyme profile of the cytoplasmic droplet from bovine epididymal spermatozoa.

Cytoplasmic droplets have been isolated from bovine epididymal spermatozoa by centrifugation of sperm on a discontinuous sucrose gradient. Once-washed droplets are free of sperm and essentially free of contaminating soluble and particulate enzymes found in the medium which had been perfused through the distal caudal epididymis. Examination of the enzyme content of bovine cytoplasmic droplets indicates that they are rich in hydrolase enzymes which operate over a wide pH range. Droplets contain low activities of some enzymes linked to the intermediary metabolism of carbohydrates but appear to be metabolically inert organelles. High levels of hydrolase activity are also found in a particle-free supernatant of the medium which had been perfused through the epididymis. This fraction contains low levels of enzymes associated with intermediary metabolism, some of which are not observed in droplets. A light particulate fraction containing small granules, vesicles, and membrane profiles has been separated from droplets. This fraction contains hydrolase activity but no enzymes associated with intermediary metabolism. The presence of a magnesium-dependent flucleotide phosphatase of high specific activity in this fraction differentiates it from droplets and particle-free supernatant. Possible interrelationships and origins of enzyme activities in these fractions are discussed.
Assessing Protective Factors of Youth Who Sexually Offended in Singapore

Sexual offending has attracted increasing public concern because of its long-term effects. Although there is an increasing amount of research on the risk factors for recidivism among youth who have sexually offended, there is a dearth of research on the protective factors for desistence from recidivism. The current study investigated the associations between protective factors and recidivism among 97 Singaporean youth who sexually offended (YSO). In addition, the predictive validity with regard to two new measures of protective factors—the Desistence for Adolescents Who Sexually Harm (DASH-13), and Structured Assessment of Protective Factors for Violence Risk (SAPROF)—were also evaluated. Results indicated that both the DASH-13 and the SAPROF were inversely related to the Estimate of Risk of Adolescent Sexual Offense Recidivism (ERASOR). However, neither the DASH-13 nor the SAPROF were found to have adequate predictive validity or incremental validity for sexual or nonsexual recidivism. The implications for the assessment and management of YSO are discussed.
Drosophila Nemo antagonizes BMP signaling by phosphorylation of Mad and inhibition of its nuclear accumulation

Drosophila Nemo is the founding member of the Nemo-like kinase (Nlk) family of serine/threonine protein kinases that are involved in several Wnt signal transduction pathways. Here we report a novel function for Nemo in the inhibition of bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling. Genetic interaction studies demonstrate that nemo can antagonize BMP signaling and can inhibit the expression of BMP target genes during wing development. Nemo can bind to and phosphorylate the BMP effector Mad. In cell culture, phosphorylation by Nemo blocks the nuclear accumulation of Mad by promoting export of Mad from the nucleus in a kinase-dependent manner. This is the first example of the inhibition of Drosophila BMP signaling by a MAPK and represents a novel mechanism of Smad inhibition through the phosphorylation of a conserved serine residue within the MH1 domain of Mad.
Adsorption Mechanism of Chloroacetanilide Herbicides to Modified Montmorillonite

This study was undertaken to characterize the adsorption mechanism of alachlor and metolachlor on montmorillonite modified with cationic surfactants. Adsorbed amounts of cationic surfactant on montmorillonite surfaces were determined by CNHSO analyzer. Equilibrium concentrations of alachlor and metolachlor were determined by GC and adsorption results were fit to a linear regression equation. The slope of the isotherms (Kd) was normalized to the fraction of organic carbon on montmorillonite complexes to produce corresponding Koc. Adsorption of surfactants fit very well to Langmuir equation. Increased basal spacing indicates that surfactant molecules could penetrate through the interlayer spacing and arrange themselves in different ways. Equilibrium data of alachlor and metolachlor suggest that adsorption may occur via physical or chemical bonds. Koc values of alachlor or metolachlor decreased as the fraction of the organic carbon increased in montmorillonite complexes indicating independent adsorption process. Changes of the molar free energy of the adsorption reactions were in the range of physical adsorption, indicating that adsorption reactions are spontaneous and the molecules either adsorb on the surface or penetrate into the inter‐layers of montmorillonite‐surfactant complex. Careful investigation of the adsorption data suggests that interaction may occur via the active groups such as carbonyl group (–C˭O), anilidic (C–N) group and/or phenyl rings. This information may provide better understanding on adsorption mechanism and be useful in designing ecologically acceptable herbicide formulations.
Target Firm-Specific Information and Acquisition Efficiency

This study investigates whether firm-specific information about targets improves acquisition efficiency. We define acquisition efficiency as the total surplus generated by an acquisition (Vickrey 1961; Milgrom 1989) and measure it as the difference in the value of the merged firm and the sum of the two firms operating separately. We find a positive association between target firm-specific information and acquisition efficiency that is driven mainly by diversifying acquisitions. Additional evidence suggests that both the likelihood of the withdrawal of an announced acquisition and the likelihood of a future divestiture of a target decrease with target firm-specific information. Taken together, our findings suggest that the availability of this information improves merger and acquisitions efficiency.
Enzyme Histochemistry of Rabbit Aorta, in Spontaneous Lesions and After Acute Exercise.∗

Summary 1. The activities of succinic dehydrogenase, nonspecific esterase, cholinesterase, glucose-6-phosphatase, alkaline phosphatase, cytochrome oxidase, DPN diaphorase, TPN diaphorase, phosphorylase and leucine aminopeptidase in the frozen sections of adrenal, liver, kidney, lung, spleen, pancreas, heart, striated muscle, small arteries and aorta of acutely exercised and sedentary rabbits were studied histochemically. 2. There were no enzymatic changes attributable to the acute exercise in any organs. 3. TPN diaphorase is present in the intima, medial muscle fibers and adventitia of the aorta. 4. Phophorylase is present in the medial muscle fibers of the aorta. 5. Leucine aminopeptidase is absent in all parts of the aorta. 6. In the spontaneous lesions, TPN diaphorase and phosphorylase are decreased as the medial muscle fibers are degenerated.
Energy-distortion tradeoff for the gaussian broadcast channel with feedback

This work focuses on the minimum transmission energy required for communicating a pair of correlated Gaussian sources over a two-user Gaussian broadcast channel with noiseless and causal channel output feedback (GBCF). We study the fundamental limit on the required transmission energy for broadcasting a pair of source samples, such that each source can be reconstructed at its respective receiver to within a target distortion, when the source-channel bandwidth ratio is not restricted. We derive a lower bound and three distinct upper bounds on the minimum required energy. For the upper bounds we analyze three transmission schemes: Two schemes are based on separate source-channel coding, and apply coding over multiple samples of source pairs. The third scheme is based on joint source-channel coding obtained by extending the Ozarow-Leung (OL) transmission scheme, which applies uncoded linear transmission. Numerical simulations show that despite its simplicity, the energy-distortion tradeoff of the OL-based scheme is close to that of the better separation-based scheme, which indicates that the OL scheme is attractive for energy-efficient source transmission over GBCFs.
The combined effects of pre‐ and post‐copulatory processes are masking sexual conflict over mating rate in Gerris buenoi

In polygynandrous animals, post‐copulatory processes likely interfere with precopulatory sexual selection. In water striders, sexual conflict over mating rate and post‐copulatory processes are well documented, but their combined effect on reproductive success has seldom been investigated. We combine genetic parentage analyses and behavioural observations conducted in a competitive reproductive environment to investigate how pre‐ and post‐copulatory processes influence reproductive success in Gerris buenoi Kirkaldy. Precopulatory struggles had antagonistic effects on male and female reproductive success: efficiently gaining copulations was beneficial for males, whereas efficiently avoiding copulations was profitable for females. Also, high mating rates and an intermediate optimal resistance level of females supported the hypothesis of convenience polyandry. Contrary to formal predictions, high mating rates (i.e. the number of copulations) did not increase reproductive success in males or decrease reproductive success in females. Instead, the reproductive success of both sexes was higher when offspring were produced with several partners and when there were few unnecessary matings. Thus, male and female G. buenoi displayed different interests in reproduction, but post‐copulatory processes were masking the effects of copulatory mating success on reproductive success. Given the high mating rates observed, sperm competition could easily counter the effect of mating rates, perhaps in interaction with cryptic female choice and/or fecundity selection. Our study presents a complex but realistic overview of sexual selection forces at work in a model organism for the study of sexual conflict, confirming that insights are gained from investigating all episodes in the reproduction cycle of polygynandrous animals.
Primosomal Proteins DnaD and DnaB Are Recruited to Chromosomal Regions Bound by DnaA in Bacillus subtilis

ABSTRACT The initiation of DNA replication requires the binding of the initiator protein, DnaA, to specific binding sites in the chromosomal origin of replication, oriC. DnaA also binds to many sites around the chromosome, outside oriC, and acts as a transcription factor at several of these. In low-G+C Gram-positive bacteria, the primosomal proteins DnaD and DnaB, in conjunction with loader ATPase DnaI, load the replicative helicase at oriC, and this depends on DnaA. DnaD and DnaB also are required to load the replicative helicase outside oriC during replication restart, independently of DnaA. Using chromatin immunoprecipitation, we found that DnaD and DnaB, but not the replicative helicase, are associated with many of the chromosomal regions bound by DnaA in Bacillus subtilis. This association was dependent on DnaA, and the order of recruitment was the same as that at oriC, but it was independent of a functional oriC and suggests that DnaD and DnaB do not require open complex formation for the stable association with DNA. These secondary binding regions for DnaA could be serving as a reservoir for excess DnaA, DnaD, and DnaB to help properly regulate replication initiation and perhaps are analogous to the proposed function of the datA locus in Escherichia coli. Alternatively, DnaD and DnaB might modulate the activity of DnaA at the secondary binding regions. All three of these proteins are widely conserved and likely have similar functions in a range of organisms.
Host Defense Peptides as Effector Molecules of the Innate Immune Response: A Sledgehammer for Drug Resistance?

Host defense peptides can modulate the innate immune response and boost infection-resolving immunity, while dampening potentially harmful pro-inflammatory (septic) responses. Both antimicrobial and/or immunomodulatory activities are an integral part of the process of innate immunity, which itself has many of the hallmarks of successful anti-infective therapies, namely rapid action and broad-spectrum antimicrobial activities. This gives these peptides the potential to become an entirely new therapeutic approach against bacterial infections. This review details the role and activities of these peptides, and examines their applicability as development candidates for use against bacterial infections.
Randomized algorithms

This tutorial will illustrate the power of randomization in algorithms. The history of algorithms begins with deterministic algorithms. Deterministic algorithms are more natural, are usually easier to analyze, and are usually easier to understand by students. The question is: why insert randomization into something as organized as algorithms? At the end of the seventies computer scientists came to realize of several important advantages of randomized algorithms. These algorithms can be much simpler as well as provably faster. An even more substantial issue is that of foiling an adversary. While it is easy to design bad instances for a deterministic algorithm by choosing its worst input, typically a randomized algorithm has the same or roughly the same expected running time over all inputs. In some cases the only known polynomial algorithm is a randomized one. For some problems in parallel algorithms it is possible to prove the existence of an exponential gap between the best deterministic and the best randomized algorithm.
New Hypervariable SSR Markers for Diversity Analysis, Hybrid Purity Testing and Trait Mapping in Pigeonpea [Cajanus cajan (L.) Millspaugh]

Draft genome sequence in pigeonpea offers unprecedented opportunities for genomics assisted crop improvement via enabling access to genome-wide genetic markers. In the present study, 421 hypervariable simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers from the pigeonpea genome were screened on a panel of eight pigeonpea genotypes yielding marker validation and polymorphism percentages of 95.24 and 54.11%, respectively. The SSR marker assay uncovered a total of 570 alleles with three as an average number of alleles per marker. Similarly, the mean values for gene diversity and PIC were 0.44 and 0.37, respectively. The number of polymorphic markers ranged from 39 to 89 for different parental combinations. Further, 60 of these SSRs were assayed on 94 genotypes, and model based clustering using STRUCTURE resulted in the identification of the two subpopulations (K = 2). This remained in close agreement with the clustering patterns inferred from genetic distance (GD)-based approaches i.e., dendrogram, factorial and principal coordinate analysis (PCoA). The AMOVA accounted majority of the genetic variation within groups (89%) in comparison to the variation existing between the groups (11%). A subset of these markers was implicated for hybrid purity testing. We also demonstrated utility of these SSR markers in trait mapping through association and bi-parental linkage analyses. The general linear (GLM) and mixed linear (MLM) models both detected a single SSR marker (CcGM03681) with R2 = 16.4 as associated with the resistance to Fusarium wilt variant 2. Similarly, by using SSR data in a segregating backcross population, the corresponding restorer-of-fertility (Rf) locus was putatively mapped at 39 cM with the marker CcGM08896. However, The marker-trait associations (MTAs) detected here represent a very preliminary type and hence demand deeper investigations for conclusive evidence. Given their ability to reveal polymorphism in simple agarose gels, the hypervariable SSRs are valuable genomic resource for pigeonpea research community, particularly in South Asia and East Africa where pigeonpea is primarily grown.
Low power design and analysis of fundamental logics using adiabatic array logic

With the advent of adiabatic logic, the MOS-based digital circuit design has shown improvement by leaps and bounds in terms of reducing power. In the same quest, an adiabatic logic family called the Adiabatic Array Logic is used to design some fundamental logic gates- NOT, NAND, NOR and XOR, which shows significant improvement in power dissipation over the static CMOS logic style. Moreover, these proposed circuits also show lesser power dissipation than a very recently developed adiabatic logic called the Two Phase Clocked Adiabatic Static CMOS Logic (2PASCL). The simulation is carried out in NI-Multisim software at 0. 18μm, 1.8V CMOS standard process technology over a frequency range of 200-800 MHz.
On Random Transformations for Changeable Face Verification

The generation of changeable and privacy-preserving biometric templates is important for the pervasive deployment of biometric technology in a wide variety of applications. This paper presents a systematic analysis of random transformation-based methods for addressing the changeability and privacy problems in biometrics-based verification systems. The proposed methods transform the original biometric feature vectors using random transformations, and the sorted index numbers (SIN) of the resulting vectors in the transformed domain are stored as the biometric templates. Three types of random transformations, namely, random additive transform, random multiplicative transform, and random projection, are discussed and analyzed. The random transformations, in combination with the SIN approach, constitute repeatable and noninvertible transformations; hence, the generated templates are changeable and provide privacy protection. The effectiveness of the proposed methods is well supported by both detailed analysis and extensive experimentation on a face verification problem.
SurfaceSlide: A Multitouch Digital Pathology Platform

Background Digital pathology provides a digital environment for the management and interpretation of pathological images and associated data. It is becoming increasing popular to use modern computer based tools and applications in pathological education, tissue based research and clinical diagnosis. Uptake of this new technology is stymied by its single user orientation and its prerequisite and cumbersome combination of mouse and keyboard for navigation and annotation. Methodology In this study we developed SurfaceSlide, a dedicated viewing platform which enables the navigation and annotation of gigapixel digitised pathological images using fingertip touch. SurfaceSlide was developed using the Microsoft Surface, a 30 inch multitouch tabletop computing platform. SurfaceSlide users can perform direct panning and zooming operations on digitised slide images. These images are downloaded onto the Microsoft Surface platform from a remote server on-demand. Users can also draw annotations and key in texts using an on-screen virtual keyboard. We also developed a smart caching protocol which caches the surrounding regions of a field of view in multi-resolutions thus providing a smooth and vivid user experience and reducing the delay for image downloading from the internet. We compared the usability of SurfaceSlide against Aperio ImageScope and PathXL online viewer. Conclusion SurfaceSlide is intuitive, fast and easy to use. SurfaceSlide represents the most direct, effective and intimate human–digital slide interaction experience. It is expected that SurfaceSlide will significantly enhance digital pathology tools and applications in education and clinical practice.
Phylogenetic analysis of novel G12 rotaviruses in the United States: A molecular search for the origin of a new strain

Rotavirus serotype G12 was initially identified in the Philippines in 1987 and was not described again until it reemerged more than 13 years later. G12 strains were first detected in the United States in 2002 and have recently assumed a worldwide distribution. The high similarity between the sequence of the major outer capsid VP7 gene of human G12 strains and the single porcine G12 isolate raised the prospect that human strains may have arisen through reassortment with porcine strains or, alternatively, that the porcine strain originally came from humans. We sequenced portions of the remaining 10 segments of two human G12 strains (G12P[8] and G12P[6]) and a currently circulating common strain (G1P[8]) identified during the 2005–2006 surveillance season and compared the sequences with those of strains available through GenBank. By comparison, the three strains were all Wa‐like and not porcine‐like. A newly outlined classification system proposed genotypes for each gene segment based on nucleotide similarity. Using this approach, gene segments VP1–3, VP6 and NSP1–5 grouped within the same genotype, indicating that the three strains analyzed were closely related. These results suggest that the novel G12P[8] strain could have been formed by the solitary introduction of a VP7 gene into a globally common rotavirus strain, G1P[8]. Classifying rotavirus strains based only on VP7 (G) and VP4 (P) genotype potentially underestimates diversity and sequence analysis of the other segments is required to assess the complete genetic relationships between strains. J. Med. Virol. 81:736–746, 2009 © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.