Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm matrix polysaccharide Psl is regulated transcriptionally by RpoS and post-transcriptionally by RsmA

Extracellular polysaccharides are important components of biofilms. In non‐mucoid Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains, the Pel and Psl polysaccharides are major structural components of the biofilm matrix. In this study, we demonstrate that the alternative σ‐factor RpoS is a positive transcriptional regulator of psl gene expression. Furthermore, we show that psl mRNA has an extensive 5′ untranslated region, to which the post‐transcriptional regulator RsmA binds and represses psl translation. Our observations suggest that upon binding RsmA, the region spanning the ribosome binding site of psl mRNA folds into a secondary stem‐loop structure that blocks the Shine–Dalgarno sequence, preventing ribosome access and protein translation. This constitutes a novel mechanism for translational repression by this family of regulators.
Intravenous Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Reduces Infarct Size and Counterregulates Bax and Bcl-2 Expression After Temporary Focal Cerebral Ischemia

Background and Purpose Pretreatment with intraventricular brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) reduces ischemic damage after focal cerebral ischemia. In this experiment we studied the effect of intravenous BDNF delivered after focal cerebral ischemia on neurological outcome, infarct size, and expression of proapoptotic and antiapoptotic proteins Bax and Bcl-2, respectively. Methods With the use of the suture occlusion technique, the right middle cerebral artery in rats was temporarily occluded for 2 hours. Thirty minutes after vessel occlusion, BDNF (300 &mgr;g/kg per hour in vehicle; n=12) or vehicle alone (n=13) was continuously infused intravenously for 3 hours. After 24 hours the animals were weighed and neurologically assessed on a 5-point scale. The animals were then killed, and brains underwent either 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride staining for assessment of infarct volume or paraffin embedding for morphology and immunohistochemistry (Bax, Bcl-2). Results Physiological parameters (mean arterial blood pressure, Po2, Pco2, pH, body temperature, glucose) and weight revealed no difference between groups. Neurological deficit was improved in BDNF-treated animals versus controls (P <0.05, unpaired, 2-tailed t test). Mean±SD infarct volume was 229.7±97.7 mm3 in controls and 121.3±80.2 mm3 in BDNF-treated animals (P <0.05, unpaired, 2-tailed t test). Cortical infarct volume was 155.5±78.5 mm3 in the placebo group and 69.9±50.2 mm3 in the BDNF-treated group (P <0.05, unpaired, 2-tailed t test). Subcortical infarct volume was 74.1±30.6 mm3 in the placebo group and 51.1±26.8 mm3 in the BDNF-treated group (P =NS). Bax-positive neurons were significantly reduced in the ischemic penumbra in BDNF-treated animals (P <0.05, unpaired, 2-tailed t test), whereas Bcl-2–positive neurons were significantly increased in this area (P <0.001, unpaired, 2-tailed t test). Conclusions This study demonstrates a neuroprotective effect of BDNF when delivered intravenously after onset of focal cerebral ischemia. As shown here, one possible mechanism of action of neuroprotection of BDNF after focal ischemia appears to be counterregulation of Bax/Bcl-2 proteins within the ischemic penumbra.
The amino acid transport system y+L/4F2hc is a heteromultimeric complex

4F2hc is an almost ubiquitous transmembrane protein in mammalian cells; upon expression in Xenopus laevis oocytes, it induces amino acid transport with characteristics of system y+L. Indirect evidence fostered speculation that function requires the association of 4F2hc with another protein endogenous to oocytes and native tissues. We show that expression of system y+L‐like amino acid transport activity by 4F2hc in oocytes is limited by an endogenous factor and that direct covalent modification of external cysteine residue(s) of an oocyte membrane protein blocks system y+ L/4F2hc transport activity, based on the following. 1) Induction of system y+L‐like activity saturates at very low doses of human 4F2hc cRNA (0.1 ng/oocyte). This saturation occurs with very low expression of 4F2hc at the oocyte surface, and further increased expression of the protein at the cell surface does not result in higher induction of system y+L‐like activity. 2) Human 4F2hc contains only two cysteine residues (C109 and C330). We mutated these residues, singly and in combination, to serine (C109S; CS1, C330S; CS2 and C109S‐C330S, Cys‐less). Mutation CS2 had no effect on the expressed system y+ L‐like transport activity, whereas C109S‐containing mutants (CS1 and Cys‐less) retained only partial y+L‐like transport activity (30 to 50% of wild type). 3) Hg2+, the organic mercury compounds pCMB, and the membrane‐impermeant p‐CMBS almost completely inactivated system y+L‐like induced by human 4F2hc wild type and all the mutants studied. This was reversed by β‐mercaptoethanol, indicating that external cysteine residue(s) are the target of this inactivation. 4) Sensitivity to Hg2+ inactivation is increased by pretreatment of oocytes with β‐mercaptoethanol or in the C109S‐containing mutants (CS1 and Cys‐less). The increased Hg2+ reactivity of C109S‐containing mutants supports the possibility that C109 may be linked by a disulfide bond to the Hg2+‐targeted cysteine residue of the associated protein. These results indicate that 4F2hc is intimately associated with a membrane oocyte protein for the expression of system y+L amino acid transport activity. To our knowledge, this is the first direct evidence for a heteromultimeric protein structure of an organic solute carrier in mammals. — Este´vez, R. , Camps, M. , Rojas, A. M. , Testar, X. , Deve ´s, R. , Hediger, M. A. , Zorzano, A. , Palacı´n, M. The amino acid transport system y/L/4F2hc is a heteromultimeric complex. FASEB J. 12, 1319–1329 (1998)
Primary Amine Oxidase of Escherichia coli Is a Metabolic Enzyme that Can Use a Human Leukocyte Molecule as a Substrate

Escherichia coli amine oxidase (ECAO), encoded by the tynA gene, catalyzes the oxidative deamination of aromatic amines into aldehydes through a well-established mechanism, but its exact biological role is unknown. We investigated the role of ECAO by screening environmental and human isolates for tynA and characterizing a tynA-deletion strain using microarray analysis and biochemical studies. The presence of tynA did not correlate with pathogenicity. In tynA+ Escherichia coli strains, ECAO enabled bacterial growth in phenylethylamine, and the resultant H2O2 was released into the growth medium. Some aminoglycoside antibiotics inhibited the enzymatic activity of ECAO, which could affect the growth of tynA+ bacteria. Our results suggest that tynA is a reserve gene used under stringent environmental conditions in which ECAO may, due to its production of H2O2, provide a growth advantage over other bacteria that are unable to manage high levels of this oxidant. In addition, ECAO, which resembles the human homolog hAOC3, is able to process an unknown substrate on human leukocytes.
Ju n 19 98 Applied Symbolic Dynamics ∗

Symbolic dynamics is a coarse-grained description of dynamics. By taking into account the “geometry” of the dynamics, it can be cast into a powerful tool for practitioners in nonlinear science. Detailed symbolic dynamics can be developed not only for one-dimensional mappings, unimodal as well as those with multiple critical points and discontinuities, but also for some two-dimensional mappings. The latter paves the way for symbolic dynamics study of ordinary differential equations via the Poincaré maps. This paper provides an overview of the recent development of the applied aspects of symbolic dynamics. PACS. 05.45 + b Chaotic phenomena.
Understanding the complexities of transnational family language policy

ABSTRACT Traditional notions of family structure and settlement are no longer representative of families that are pursuing global opportunities for different reasons. Transnational families are increasingly more common and their experiences rooted in more frequent or intended translocations are different than those of the immigrant populations. One of the key issues transnational families and individuals must face on an ongoing basis is language: which language to learn, maintain, and use. In this paper, we performed a systematic literature review of peer-reviewed academic articles focusing on cross physical geographic moves, families, and one or more components of family language policy (FLP): ideologies, management, and/or practices. Based on this review, we propose expansions (a) to the language or terminology used when referring to transnationals to allow for greater inclusivity within this diverse group, as well as (b) the FLP conceptual framework to account for the diversity of experiences associated with transnational families. We discuss the impact of the proposed expansion on ideologies, management, and practices and conclude with some practical implications.
Using Translation to Drive Conceptual Development for Students Becoming Literate in English as an Additional Language

Literacy research has not yet revealed how bilingual learners develop coherent and robust theories of language. Translation, however, provides emergent bilinguals (EL students) with opportunities to develop metalinguistic awareness, which can lead to a more complete conceptual framework for thinking about language and literacy. This preliminary research study sought to formulate an instructional approach (TRANSLATE: Teaching Reading and New Strategic Language Approaches to English learners) focused on using translation to ultimately improve ELL students’ reading comprehension. Using design research methods and qualitative analytical techniques, researchers asked middle school students described as struggling readers to work collaboratively and use various strategies to translate key excerpts from their required English literature curriculum into Spanish. Analysis of students’ statements, decision making, and interaction indicated that students’ conceptual understandings about language played an important role in their learning. Students reflected on the nature of vocabulary, syntax, and the ways that different languages communicate ideas. These findings extend conversations in literacy studies concerning the unique affordances of bilingualism to increase metacognitive and metalinguistic awareness, known contributors to higher levels of reading comprehension.
The Influence of a Socially Assistive Robot on Mood, Anxiety, and Arousal in Children

Socially assistive robots (SARs) represent a promising resource for efforts to improve children’s mental health and alleviate suffering on a large scale. However, the effects of SARs on clinically relevant domains are not yet well established. Our goal was therefore to provide a proof-of-concept demonstration of the capacity for SARs to alleviate clinically relevant symptoms in children. Such a demonstration might then serve as the foundation for efforts to establish the role of SARs in mental health care. We examined the influence of interactions with an SAR on mood, anxiety, and arousal in a sample of 87 children between the ages of 6 and 9, following exposure to a stressful task. Participants completed the Trier Social Stress Test for Children before interacting with the SAR, interacting with the SAR turned off, or waiting quietly. Participants completed baseline and posttest measures of state anxiety and mood, and salivary cortisol was collected at 5 time points. Children who interacted with the robot showed greater increases in positive mood than children in either of the two control conditions, but did not differ from control participants in terms of negative mood, anxiety, or arousal. SARs may convey benefits for children’s mental health by augmenting positive mood. Future research should examine the processes through which SARs promote positive emotions and the circumstances under which that effect is most potent. Although preliminary, these findings suggest that SARs may provide a highly efficient way to alleviate clinical symptoms in children by increasing positive mood.
Disaggregated Effects of Device on Score Comparability

The use of tablets for large-scale testing programs has transitioned from concept to reality for many state testing programs. This study extended previous research on score comparability between tablets and computers with high school students to compare score distributions across devices for reading, math, and science and to evaluate device effects for gender and ethnicity subgroups. Results indicated no significant differences between tablets and computers for math and science. For reading, a small device effect favoring tablets was found for the middle to lower part of the score distribution. This effect seemed to be driven by increases in performance for male students when testing on tablets. No interactions of device with ethnicity were observed. Consistent with previous research, this study provides additional evidence for a relatively high degree of comparability between tablets and computers.
Mechanisms for Covalent Immobilization of Horseradish Peroxidase on Ion-Beam-Treated Polyethylene

The surface of polyethylene was modified by plasma immersion ion implantation. Structure changes including carbonization and oxidation were observed. High surface energy of the modified polyethylene was attributed to the presence of free radicals on the surface. The surface energy decay with storage time after treatment was explained by a decay of the free radical concentration while the concentration of oxygen-containing groups increased with storage time. Horseradish peroxidase was covalently attached onto the modified surface by the reaction with free radicals. Appropriate blocking agents can block this reaction. All aminoacid residues can take part in the covalent attachment process, providing a universal mechanism of attachment for all proteins. The native conformation of attached protein is retained due to hydrophilic interactions in the interface region. The enzymatic activity of covalently attached protein remained high. The long-term activity of the modified layer to attach protein is explained by stabilisation of unpaired electrons in sp2 carbon structures. A high concentration of free radicals can give multiple covalent bonds to the protein molecule and destroy the native conformation and with it the catalytic activity. The universal mechanism of protein attachment to free radicals could be extended to various methods of radiation damage of polymers.
Neuropsychiatric Effects in Workers with Occupational Exposure to Carbon Disulfide

Neuropsychiatric Effects in Workers with Occupational Exposure to Carbon Disulfide: Srmena Krstev, et al. Clinical Center of Serbia, Institute of Occupational and Radiological Health, Yugoslavia—In a cross‐sectional study, prevalence of dysfunctions of the central nervous system was assessed in 134 male workers exposed to different levels of carbon disulfide (CS2) in a rayon viscose plant and compared to 38 non‐exposed workers. In three groups of workers from the same plant with different levels of CS2 (heavy, intermediate, none) estimated by personal samplers, disorders in the central nervous system were examined by means of psychiatric examination and questionnaire 16 (Q16). Unconditional logistic regression was calculated adjusted for age, alcohol consumption and education. Psychoorganic syndrome was diagnosed significantly more often in workers with heavy CS2 exposure, with adjusted OR of 17.9 (95% CI 2.18–146.73), and insignificantly in workers with intermediate exposure. Prevalence of workers with more than 6 positive answers on the Q16 was higher in the heavily exposed workers (OR=4.76; 95% CI 1.80–12.60). A similar result was found for almost all the questions in the Q16, and the most pronounced psychological symptom was of less interest in sex (adjusted OR=8.14; 95% CI 2.19– 30.22). High correlation was found between symptoms recorded on neuropsychiatric examination and on Q16. Both neuropsychiatric exams and Q16 indicated disturbances in the central nervous system due to the long‐term heavy exposure to CS2. Disorders of the central nervous system were found more often in workers with heavy exposure to CS2. Questionnaire Q16 is a valuable means for selecting workers for further neuropsychiatric testing.
Meanings of military ranks

Abstract This paper studies what kinds of meanings reserve officers ascribe to military ranks. The study builds on existing literature on reserve forces and hypothesizes that military ranks among reserve officers are subject to rendering the ranks with multiple meanings, and which are bound to create ambiguity of interpretation. To elaborate these theoretical insights a survey among Finnish reserve officers was conducted (N = 6193). The data was analyzed using factor analysis and correlation analysis. The results show that military ranks are ascribed, in addition to the functionalistic, hierarchical meaning, also with meanings of prestige, proficiency, and identity. The main theoretical contribution of the paper is in complementing the previous literature on ambiguity of military ranks by specifying four different meanings in the interpretation of the ranks.
Adaptive simultaneous stabilization of two Port-Controlled Hamiltonian systems subject to actuator saturation

This paper investigates the adaptive parallel simultaneous stabilization (APSS) of two multi-input nonlinear Port-Controlled Hamiltonian (PCH) systems subject to actuator saturation, and proposes a number of results on the design of the APSS controllers. Using both the dissipative Hamiltonian structural and saturated actuator properties, the two systems are combined to generate an augmented PCH system subject to actuator saturation, with which some results on the control designs are then obtained. Study of an illustrative example with simulations shows that the APSS controller obtained in this paper is effective.
Social Determinants of Alcohol Use and Heaving Episodic Drinking Among Hispanic Young Adults

Background: Although there are numerous preventive measures in the literature, a vast percentage of Hispanic young adults continue to engage in alcohol use and heavy episodic drinking. The purpose of the study was to examine social determinants of recent alcohol use and heavy episodic drinking among Hispanic young adults 18-25 years of age. Methods: In 2016, a secondary analysis (N = 3,452) was performed of 2012 National Survey on Drug Use and Health data. A series of logistic regression analyses were performed to determine whether recent alcohol use and heavy episodic drinking differed based on sex, education level, family income, employment status, location of residence (type of metro area), self-reported health status, first use of alcohol before age 21, first use of tobacco before age 21 and first use of marijuana before age 21. Results: Regarding alcohol use, 51.8% of Hispanic young adults reported that they had consumed alcohol in the past month and 35.0% reported that they had engaged in heavy episodic drinking. Hispanic young adults at highest risk for recent alcohol use were male, had some college or more, had high family income, were employed, lived in a large metropolitan area, had excellent/very good health status, and had early initiation of substance use. Those at highest risk for heavy episodic drinking were male, were employed, and had early initiation of substance use. Discussion: The present study found that a sizeable percentage of Hispanic young adults are involved in recent alcohol use and heavy episodic drinking. Since Hispanic young adults are disproportionately at risk for substance use and scarce resources are available to effectively address the needs of this population, further interventions are warranted. Findings may aid prevention scientists in developing, implementing and evaluating alcohol use programs for this population.
ASYMPTOTIC VARIANCE-BASED SAMPLING FOR SIMULATING CYCLE TIME-THROUGHPUT CURVES

Simulation can be used to estimate a cycle time-throughput (CT-TH) curve of a manufacturing or service system model at several different traffic intensities. Cycle time variance increases rapidly as throughput approaches system capacity; thus, naïve sampling, which expends an equal amount of simulation effort at each traffic intensity being considered, leads to widely differing precision along the curve. In a manufacturing setting, the simulated CT-TH curve can aid in making startrate decisions so it is reasonable to assume that widely differing precision along the curve is an undesirable quality. The research presented here addresses this issue and suggests a fixed-budget variance-based sampling strategy that strives to achieve nearly equal absolute or relative precision. The proposed method determines the allocation of effort for each design point prior to any simulation effort being expended. Allocations are based on the asymptotic variance approximation at each design point relative to the asymptotic variance approximations at all design points investigated.
Routing on Mini-Gabriel graphs in Wireless Sensor Networks

Routing and topology control for Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) are significantly important to achieve the following: 1) energy efficiency in resource constrained WSN and 2) High speed packet delivery. In this paper, we propose a framework for WSN which combines three design approaches: 1) clustering, 2) routing, and 3) topology control. In this framework, we implement an energy efficient zone-based topology and routing protocol. Afterwards, we propose for this framework a new set of graphs referred to as the Mini Gabriel (MG) graphs. The simulation results show that the framework based on the new set of graphs outperforms an existing geometric graph. This is in terms of the transmission energy consumptions of the network and the end-to-end data transmission delay. In addition, the proposed framework generally demonstrates the best performance in terms of the network energy consumption. Moreover, the MG demonstrates that it achieves the connectivity property. Achieving this property is critical for WSNs.
What’s missing from Ostrom? Combining design principles with the theory of sociocultural viability

ABSTRACT Since 1990, Elinor Ostrom’s design principles for common property resource (CPR) institutions have been highly influential, offering a counter to pessimistic arguments about resource users’ prospects of cooperating to manage CPRs sustainably. However, the theoretical underpinnings of Ostrom’s theory have been criticised: as unfairly negative towards macro-level interventions; as utilising an overly narrow conceptualisation of rationality; and under appreciative of the role of power. These criticisms are examined using insights drawn from the theory of sociocultural viability (cultural theory, for short), a theory of plural rationality related to context. Utilising the case of Faroese whaling, the research aim is to assess the extent that cultural theory ameliorates criticisms laid at Ostrom’s design principles. It finds that Ostrom’s research trajectory was reaching the limits of methodological individualism’s ability to grasp rational behaviour and suggests the design principles may in effect be integrated with cultural theory.
Practicing Counselors, Vicarious Trauma, and Subthreshold PTSD: Implications for Counselor Educators

The purpose of this study was to gain an understanding of the relationship between vicarious trauma (VT) symptoms and subthreshold post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms among practicing counselors. The researchers determined the frequency of VT symptoms and subthreshold PTSD symptoms experienced among practicing counselors and common contributing factors that participants felt contributed to the development of VT symptoms. Implications are presented for counselor educators to determine how they best can prepare students.