Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Recombinant expression, purification, and biophysical characterization of the transmembrane and membrane proximal domains of HIV‐1 gp41

The transmembrane subunit (gp41) of the envelope glycoprotein of HIV‐1 associates noncovalently with the surface subunit (gp120) and together they play essential roles in viral mucosal transmission and infection of target cells. The membrane proximal region (MPR) of gp41 is highly conserved and contains epitopes of broadly neutralizing antibodies. The transmembrane (TM) domain of gp41 not only anchors the envelope glycoprotein complex in the viral membrane but also dynamically affects the interactions of the MPR with the membrane. While high‐resolution X‐ray structures of some segments of the MPR were solved in the past, they represent the post‐fusion forms. Structural information on the TM domain of gp41 is scant and at low resolution. Here we describe the design, expression and purification of a protein construct that includes MPR and the transmembrane domain of gp41 (MPR‐TMTEV‐6His), which reacts with the broadly neutralizing antibodies 2F5 and 4E10 and thereby may represent an immunologically relevant conformation mimicking a prehairpin intermediate of gp41. The expression level of MPR‐TMTEV‐6His was improved by fusion to the C‐terminus of Mistic protein, yielding ∼1 mg of pure protein per liter. The isolated MPR‐TMTEV‐6His protein was biophysically characterized and is a monodisperse candidate for crystallization. This work will enable further investigation into the structure of MPR‐TMTEV‐6His, which will be important for the structure‐based design of a mucosal vaccine against HIV‐1.
Identification of English consonants and vowels insentence-embedded words by professional interpreters and student interpreters

The present research examines phonetic perception (i.e., listening skills) of Japanese professional interpreters and Japanese student interpreters. The research was carried out in order to verify the results of Takahashi (2009) and Takahashi & Ooigawa (2009). In the present research, professional interpreters and student interpreters were asked to identify English consonants and vowels in words embedded in sentences. As in Takahashi & Ooigawa (2009), the results show that there is no significant difference between the two groups. However, there is a significant difference between the results of returnees (i.e., kikoku-shijo in Japanese) and non-returnees. The results suggest that the differences in phonetic perception derive not from the interpreting career, but from the early residential experience.
Spectral Clustering Ensemble Applied to SAR Image Segmentation

Spectral clustering (SC) has been used with success in the field of computer vision for data clustering. In this paper, a new algorithm named SC ensemble (SCE) is proposed for the segmentation of synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images. The gray-level cooccurrence matrix-based statistic features and the energy features from the undecimated wavelet decomposition extracted for each pixel being the input, our algorithm performs segmentation by combining multiple SC results as opposed to using outcomes of a single clustering process in the existing literature. The random subspace, random scaling parameter, and Nystrom approximation for component SC are applied to construct the SCE. This technique provides necessary diversity as well as high quality of component learners for an efficient ensemble. It also overcomes the shortcomings faced by the SC, such as the selection of scaling parameter, and the instability resulted from the Nystrom approximation method in image segmentation. Experimental results show that the proposed method is effective for SAR image segmentation and insensitive to the scaling parameter.
Oxygen Uptake Rate Measurements For Evaluation of Ozonation of Municipal Wastewater

Ozonation has become more frequently used as oxidant to reduce chemical oxygen demand (COD) and toxic substances in wastewater originating from different industrial processes. An ozonation pilot plant followed by two parallel biological filters are used to investigate the possibility to reduce the high concentration of refractory COD in the effluent from a municipal wastewater treatment plant, partly loaded with biologically treated wastewater from a large pharmaceutical industry. COD measurements are used to evaluate the overall reduction of organic matter, oxygen uptake rate (OUR) and volatile fatty acids measurements are used for evaluation of the biodegradability of the remaining COD after ozonation. The impact of the ozone dose on the overall COD degradation and degradability of the remaining COD has been estimated. Biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) measurements confirm that parts of the COD are converted into biodegradable organic matter by ozonation. Biofilters following the ozonation plant secure that any degradable organic matter produced by ozonation is removed, which is confirmed from OUR-measurements.
Bacterial contamination in Thai Ayurveda products

Sir, The usefulness of Ayurveda pharmaceutical products is accepted worldwide. In Thailand, which has received its civilizational moorings from India, the localized practice of Ayurveda, namely Thai Ayurveda medicine is widely in use. [1] With the governmental promotion of Thai Ayurveda medicine, the local production of Thai Ayurveda products can be seen in many local medical centers in Thailand. However, similar to India, an important consideration is the quality control of the manufacturing. In fact, the problem of contamination in the Ayurveda product is reported worldwide. The good example is the lead contamination within the product. [2] Here, the authors analyze the primary data from a two‐year survey of the quality of Thai Ayurveda products manufactured from local district hospital in the southernmost part of Northeast Region of Thailand (survey supported by Thai Department of Medical Science. See referencing data in Dept Med Sci Lett 2013;27:9). The area studied was the border area next to Cambodia. Overall, 101 Thai Ayurveda product samples were collected and studied and it was found that 57.4 % had bacterial contamination over the acceptable Thailand pharmaceutical standards, TP Supplement 2005. [3] According to these standards, acceptable level includes all of the following criteria: (a) Total viable aerobic count ≤5.0 × 105/g or ml. (b) Yeast and molds count ≤5.0 × 103/g or ml. (c) Enterobacteria count ≤103/g or ml. (d) No Salmonella spp. /10 g or ml. (e) No Escherichia coli/g or ml. (f) No Staphylococcus aureus/g or ml. (g) No Clostridium spp. /10 g or ml. [3] Compared to the survey of the locally produced products in India, of which null prevalence of contamination was reported,[4] the high contamination rate in Thailand is a serious problem. Hence, there is an urgent need for quality management of the Ayurveda pharmaceutical product manufacturing process of the local district hospitals.
Human infectious disease burdens decrease with urbanization but not with biodiversity

Infectious disease burdens vary from country to country and year to year due to ecological and economic drivers. Recently, Murray et al. (Murray CJ et al. 2012 Lancet 380, 2197–2223. (doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(12)61689-4)) estimated country-level morbidity and mortality associated with a variety of factors, including infectious diseases, for the years 1990 and 2010. Unlike other databases that report disease prevalence or count outbreaks per country, Murray et al. report health impacts in per-person disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), allowing comparison across diseases with lethal and sublethal health effects. We investigated the spatial and temporal relationships between DALYs lost to infectious disease and potential demographic, economic, environmental and biotic drivers, for the 60 intermediate-sized countries where data were available and comparable. Most drivers had unique associations with each disease. For example, temperature was positively associated with some diseases and negatively associated with others, perhaps due to differences in disease agent thermal optima, transmission modes and host species identities. Biodiverse countries tended to have high disease burdens, consistent with the expectation that high diversity of potential hosts should support high disease transmission. Contrary to the dilution effect hypothesis, increases in biodiversity over time were not correlated with improvements in human health, and increases in forestation over time were actually associated with increased disease burden. Urbanization and wealth were associated with lower burdens for many diseases, a pattern that could arise from increased access to sanitation and healthcare in cities and increased investment in healthcare. The importance of urbanization and wealth helps to explain why most infectious diseases have become less burdensome over the past three decades, and points to possible levers for further progress in improving global public health. This article is part of the themed issue ‘Conservation, biodiversity and infectious disease: scientific evidence and policy implications’.
The Effect of Body Energy Reserve Mobilization on the Fatty Acid Profile of Milk in High-yielding Cows

We investigated the effect of the amount of body condition loss in the dry period and early lactation in 42 high-yielding Holstein-Friesian cows on milk yield and the share of fatty acids in milk fat. Energy reserves were estimated based on the body condition scoring (BCS) and backfat thickness (BFT). Milk yield and milk composition were determined over 305-d lactation. From d 6 to 60 of lactation, the concentrations of 43 fatty acids in milk fat were determined by gas chromatography. Cows were categorized based on body condition loss from the beginning of the dry period to the lowest point of the BCS curve in early lactation into three groups: low condition loss group (L) ≤0.5 points (n = 14); moderate condition loss group (M) 0.75 to 1.0 points (n = 16) and high condition loss group (H) >1.0 points (n = 12). Cows whose body energy reserves were mobilized at 0.8 BCS and 11 mm BFT, produced 12,987 kg ECM over 305-d lactation, i.e. 1,429 kg ECM more than cows whose BCS and BFT decreased by 0.3 and 5 mm, respectively. In group H, milk yield reached 12,818 kg ECM at body fat reserve mobilization of 1.3 BCS and 17 mm BFT. High mobilization of body fat reserves led to a significant (approx. 5%) increase in the concentrations of monounsaturated fatty acids-MUFA (mostly C18:1 cis-9, followed by C18:1 trans-11), a significant decrease in the levels of fatty acids adversely affecting human health, and a drop in the content of linoleic acid, arachidonic acid and docosahexaenoic acid in milk fat. In successive weeks of lactation, an improved energy balance contributed to a decrease in the concentrations of unsaturated fatty acids (UFA) and an increase in the conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) content of milk fat.
Facilitation of beta-tricalcium phosphate-induced alveolar bone regeneration by platelet-rich plasma in beagle dogs: a histologic and histomorphometric study.

PURPOSE The effects of 2 graft materials, beta-tricalcium phosphate (Cerasorb) alone and a combination of Cerasorb and platelet-rich plasma (PRP), on the bone regeneration process were evaluated in the canine mandible. MATERIALS AND METHODS The mandibular premolars of 12 beagle dogs were surgically removed. The extraction sockets were filled with Cerasorb on the control side and a mixture of Cerasorb and PRP on the test side. Bilateral biopsy samples were taken from the graft insertion sites at 6, 12, and 24 weeks after surgery. Sections were prepared from the undecalcified resin-embedded samples. RESULTS Six weeks after grafting, the proliferation of cellular osteogenic mesenchyma was more abundant in the test group. The histomorphometric data revealed a significantly higher percentage of bone area in the test group (45.9%) than in the control group (30.8%) (P < .05). Twelve weeks after grafting, the test group still had some advantage over the control group in terms of bone regeneration (52.5% bone in the test group versus 49.4% in the control group, P < .05). Twenty-four weeks after grafting, bone-forming activity was nearly equal in the 2 groups, and the bone area in the 2 groups did not differ significantly (62.9% and 61.9%, respectively) (P < .05). DISCUSSION The histomorphometric results suggested more intensive bone regeneration in the early healing phase following the topical application of PRP. CONCLUSION The increase in bone density facilitated by grafting with a combination of Cerasorb and PRP requires thorough study in humans.
Determinants of the Profitability of Japanese Manufacturing Affiliates in China and Other Regions: Does Localisation of Procurement, Sales and Management Matter?

Does localization of procurements, sales, and management contribute to the profitability of overseas affiliates? This study examines this question by analyzing the performance of Japanese multinationals' manufacturing affiliates in China using a comprehensive affiliate-level dataset for the period from 1989 to 2002 collected by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI). We find that even though foreign multinationals often seem to enter China for the local market potential, affiliates with a higher local sales ratio tend to be less profitable - a pattern that is conspicuously different from that observed for Japanese affiliates in other regions such as the USA or the ASEAN-4, where local sales orientation has a positive impact on profitability. On the other hand, we find that Japanese affiliates' profitability was positively associated with their local procurement ratio. Using the coefficients of the profit function estimated from data on all Japanese manufacturing affiliates around the world, we can calculate the effect of localization (local sales and local procurements) on profitability by country, controlling for the level of GDP and per-capita GDP. In the case of China, the localization effects are positive following the country's accession to the WTO, suggesting that both local procurement and sales expansion contribute to higher profitability in China.
In vitro human embryonic stem cell hematopoiesis mimics MYB-independent yolk sac hematopoiesis

Although hematopoietic precursor activity can be generated in vitro from human embryonic stem cells, there is no solid evidence for the appearance of multipotent, self-renewing and transplantable hematopoietic stem cells. This could be due to short half-life of hematopoietic stem cells in culture or, alternatively, human embryonic stem cell-initiated hematopoiesis may be hematopoietic stem cell-independent, similar to yolk sac hematopoiesis, generating multipotent progenitors with limited expansion capacity. Since a MYB was reported to be an excellent marker for hematopoietic stem cell-dependent hematopoiesis, we generated a MYB-eGFP reporter human embryonic stem cell line to study formation of hematopoietic progenitor cells in vitro. We found CD34+ hemogenic endothelial cells rounding up and developing into CD43+ hematopoietic cells without expression of MYB-eGFP. MYB-eGFP+ cells appeared relatively late in embryoid body cultures as CD34+CD43+CD45−/lo cells. These MYB-eGFP+ cells were CD33 positive, proliferated in IL-3 containing media and hematopoietic differentiation was restricted to the granulocytic lineage. In agreement with data obtained on murine Myb−/− embryonic stem cells, bright eGFP expression was observed in a subpopulation of cells, during directed myeloid differentiation, which again belonged to the granulocytic lineage. In contrast, CD14+ macrophage cells were consistently eGFP− and were derived from eGFP-precursors only. In summary, no evidence was obtained for in vitro generation of MYB+ hematopoietic stem cells during embryoid body cultures. The observed MYB expression appeared late in culture and was confined to the granulocytic lineage.
Tomosyn Expression Pattern in the Mouse Hippocampus Suggests Both Presynaptic and Postsynaptic Functions

The protein tomosyn decreases synaptic transmission and release probability of vesicles, and is essential for modulating synaptic transmission in neurons. In this study, we provide a detailed description of the expression and localization patterns of tomosyn1 and tomosyn2 in the subareas of the mouse hippocampus. Using confocal and two-photon high-resolution microscopy we demonstrate that tomosyn colocalizes with several pre- and postsynaptic markers and is found mainly in glutamatergic synapses. Specifically, we show that tomosyn1 is differentially distributed in the mouse hippocampus and concentrated mainly in the hilus and mossy fibers. Surprisingly, we found that tomosyn2 is expressed in the subiculum, CA1 and CA2 pyramidal cell bodies, dendrites and spines, and colocalizes with PSD95, suggesting a postsynaptic role. These results suggest that in addition to the well-characterized presynaptic function of tomosyn in neurotransmitter release, tomosyn2 might have a postsynaptic function, and place tomosyn as a more general regulator of synaptic transmission and plasticity.
Polarization Profiles of Scattered Emission Lines. I. General Formalism for Optically Thin Rayleigh Scattering

A general theoretical framework is developed for interpreting spectropolarimetric observations of optically thin emission line scattering from small dust particles. Spatially integrated and spatially resolved line profiles of both scattered intensity and polarization are calculated analytically from a variety of simple kinematic models. These calculations will provide a foundation for further studies of emission line scattering from dust and electrons in such diverse astrophysical environments as Herbig-Haro objects, symbiotic stars, starburst galaxies and active galactic nuclei.
An analysis of 14 Million tweets on hashtag‐oriented spamming*

Over the years, Twitter has become a popular platform for information dissemination and information gathering. However, the popularity of Twitter has attracted not only legitimate users but also spammers who exploit social graphs, popular keywords, and hashtags for malicious purposes. In this paper, we present a detailed analysis of the HSpam14 dataset, which contains 14 million tweets with spam and ham (i.e., nonspam) labels, to understand spamming activities on Twitter. The primary focus of this paper is to analyze various aspects of spam on Twitter based on hashtags, tweet contents, and user profiles, which are useful for both tweet‐level and user‐level spam detection. First, we compare the usage of hashtags in spam and ham tweets based on frequency, position, orthography, and co‐occurrence. Second, for content‐based analysis, we analyze the variations in word usage, metadata, and near‐duplicate tweets. Third, for user‐based analysis, we investigate user profile information. In our study, we validate that spammers use popular hashtags to promote their tweets. We also observe differences in the usage of words in spam and ham tweets. Spam tweets are more likely to be emphasized using exclamation points and capitalized words. Furthermore, we observe that spammers use multiple accounts to post near‐duplicate tweets to promote their services and products. Unlike spammers, legitimate users are likely to provide more information such as their locations and personal descriptions in their profiles. In summary, this study presents a comprehensive analysis of hashtags, tweet contents, and user profiles in Twitter spamming.
Cell Coupling Between Ventricular Myocyte Pairs From Connexin43-Deficient Murine Hearts

Abstract— Mice with cardiac-restricted inactivation of the connexin43 gene (CKO mice) have moderate slowing of ventricular conduction and lethal arrhythmias. Mechanisms through which propagation is maintained in the absence of Cx43 are unknown. We evaluated gap junctional conductance in CKO ventricular pairs using dual patch clamp methods. Junctional coupling was reduced to 4±2 nS (side-to-side) and 11±2 nS (end-to-end), including 21% of cell-pairs with no detectable coupling, compared with 588±104 nS (side-to-side) and 558±92 nS (end-to-end) in control cell-pairs. Voltage dependence of control gap junctions was characteristic of Cx43. CKO conductance showed increased voltage dependence, suggesting low-level expression of other connexin isoforms. From theoretical models, this degree of CKO coupling is not expected to support levels of conduction persisting in vivo, suggesting the possibility that there are additional mechanisms for maintained propagation when gap junctional conductance is severely reduced.
Introspectiveness during adolescence : an investigation of a personality trait and its relationship with psychological well-being : a thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Clinical Psychology, Massey University, Wellington, New Zealand

Historically, introspectiveness as a personality trait has been treated as a unidimensional and simplistic process that operates the same way for everyone. Consequently, the relationship between introspectiveness and psychological well-being has been treated as equally simplistic and universally uniform. This is in spite of research examining other self-focus processes suggesting that this relationship is likely to be considerably more complex. Therefore, the aim of this thesis was to explore introspectiveness more thoroughly and broadly than prior research has, in order to more adequately understand this complex phenomenon and its relationship with psychological well-being. An adolescent sample group was selected given the propensity for introspectiveness during this developmental period. The first study investigated a 12-item introspection instrument (Hansell, Mechanic and Brondolo, 1986, Introspection Scale) to ascertain whether there are distinct types of introspection embedded within it, and whether they would be associated with different types and amounts of self-reported symptoms. A factor analysis revealed three reasonably distinct factors or ‘types’ of introspection, which were identified as Self Analysis, Egocentrism, and Psychological Awareness. These broad types of introspection, as well as individual items on the Introspection scale, were associated with differing types and amounts of self-reported problems, providing support for the hypothesis that introspectiveness is a multi-faceted process with varying implications. In particular, some aspects of Psychological Awareness were generally associated with adaptive attributes, and Self Analysis (or reflecting on the ‘whys’ of life) was associated with problematic attributes. Investigating how these types of introspection relate to emotional symptoms in the context of three important psychological resources (mindfulness, cognitive flexibility and emotional clarity), was investigated in a second study. Path analysis techniques were used to examine these relationships. Support was found for an indirect relationship between introspection and emotional symptoms, through the three psychological resources. This suggested that the relationship between introspection and psychological well-being depends on other intrapersonal or contextual factors, and that therefore, adaptive levels of psychological resources may influence the relationship between introspection and psychological well-being.