Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Membrane Localization of Motility, Signaling, and Polyketide Synthetase Proteins in Myxococcus xanthus

ABSTRACT Myxococcus xanthus cells coordinate cellular motility, biofilm formation, and development through the use of cell signaling pathways. In an effort to understand the mechanisms underlying these processes, the inner membrane (IM) and outer membrane (OM) of strain DK1622 were fractionated to examine protein localization. Membranes were enriched from spheroplasts of vegetative cells and then separated into three peaks on a three-step sucrose gradient. The high-density fraction corresponded to the putative IM, the medium-density fraction corresponded to a putative hybrid membrane (HM), and the low-density fraction corresponded to the putative OM. Each fraction was subjected to further separation on discontinuous sucrose gradients, which resulted in discrete protein peaks for each major fraction. The purity and origin of each peak were assessed by using succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) activity as the IM marker and reactivities to lipopolysaccharide core and O-antigen monoclonal antibodies as the OM markers. As previously reported, the OM markers localized to the low-density membrane fractions, while SDH localized to high-density fractions. Immunoblotting was used to localize important motility and signaling proteins within the protein peaks. CsgA, the C-signal-producing protein, and FibA, a fibril-associated protease, were localized in the IM (density, 1.17 to 1.24 g cm−3). Tgl and Cgl lipoproteins were localized in the OM, which contained areas of high buoyant density (1.21 to 1.24 g cm−3) and low buoyant density (1.169 to 1.171 g cm−3). FrzCD, a methyl-accepting chemotaxis protein, was predominantly located in the IM, although smaller amounts were found in the OM. The HM peaks showed twofold enrichment for the type IV pilin protein PilA, suggesting that this fraction contained cell poles. Two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis revealed the presence of proteins that were unique to the IM and OM. Characterization of proteins in an unusually low-density membrane peak (1.072 to 1.094 g cm−3) showed the presence of Ta-1 polyketide synthetase, which synthesizes the antibiotic myxovirescin A.
Modeling the acceptance of socially interactive robotics: Social presence in human–robot interaction

Based on an integrated theoretical framework, this study analyzes user acceptance behavior toward socially interactive robots focusing on the variables that influence the users’ attitudes and intentions to adopt robots. Individuals’ responses to questions about attitude and intention to use robots were collected and analyzed according to different factors modified from a variety of theories. The results of the proposed model explain that social presence is key to the behavioral intention to accept social robots. The proposed model shows the significant roles of perceived adaptivity and sociability, both of which affect attitude as well as influence perceived usefulness and perceived enjoyment, respectively. These factors can be key features of users’ expectations of social robots, which can give practical implications for designing and developing meaningful social interaction between robots and humans. The new set of variables is specific to social robots, acting as factors that enhance attitudes and behavioral intentions in human–robot interactions. Keywords: Robot acceptance model; Socially interactive robots; Social robots; Social presence
In Search of Explanations for Bank Performance — Some Finnish Data

In this paper, our purpose is to discover the processes which generate bank performance. The study was carried out in two phases among banks of the SKOPBANK Group in Finland. The first phase is based on cross-sectional data consisting of a sample of 79 banks at the beginning of the 1980s. In this phase we have identified three different performance groups and found specific features characterizing them. The second phase is based on sixteen case banks representing these three performance groups. The data there comprise the documented development of the studied banks, and the interview data on the work histories of their managers. Our aim is to broaden and understand the findings based on the analysis of the cross-sectional data, and to develop more dynamic explanations for the variations in bank performance. The major finding of the statistical part of the study is that despite significant differences, there is no combination of environmental and organizational variables leading directly to superior or inferior performance. Based on the case analysis it was concluded, instead, that the performance of the banks studied is highly 'path-dependent'. The four distinct performance paths outlined turned out to have their own particular cycle of events, which was responsible for the observable performance variations and differences. Thus this study suggests that explanations of bank performance are more dynamic and context dependent than most of the previous studies indicate.
Speaking Up Competently: A Comparison of Perceived Competence in Upward Dissent Strategies

Recent dissent research indicates that employees report using several different strategies for expressing their dissent to management and supervisors (i.e., upward dissent). The purpose of this study was to compare previously recognized upward dissent strategies in terms of perceived competence. Employees completed a survey instrument that asked them to assess the competence of different upward dissent strategies. Results indicate that employees perceived solution presentation to be the most competent upward dissent strategy, followed by direct-factual appeal, repetition, and circumvention. Threatening resignation was perceived as the least competent upward dissent strategy.
ATP Hydrolyzing Salivary Enzymes of Caterpillars Suppress Plant Defenses

The oral secretions of herbivores are important recognition cues that can be used by plants to mediate induced defenses. In this study, a degradation of adenosine-5′-triphosphate (ATP) in tomato leaves was detected after treatment with Helicoverpa zea saliva. Correspondingly, a high level of ATPase activity in saliva was detected and three ATP hydrolyzing enzymes: apyrase, ATP synthase and ATPase 13A1 were identified in salivary glands. To determine the functions of these proteins in mediating defenses, they were cloned from H. zea and expressed in Escherichia coli. By applying the purified expressed apyrase, ATP synthase or ATPase 13A1 to wounded tomato leaves, it was determined that these ATP hydrolyzing enzymes suppressed the defensive genes regulated by the jasmonic acid and ethylene pathways in tomato plant. Suppression of glandular trichome production was also observed after treatment. Blood-feeding arthropods employ 5′-nucleotidase family of apyrases to circumvent host responses and the H. zea apyrase, is also a member of this family. The comparatively high degree of sequence similarity of the H. zea salivary apyrase with mosquito apyrases suggests a broader evolutionary role for salivary apyrases than previously envisioned.
Social perception in adults with Parkinson's disease.

OBJECTIVE Our study assessed how nondemented patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) interpret the affective and mental states of others from spoken language (adopt a "theory of mind") in ecologically valid social contexts. A secondary goal was to examine the relationship between emotion processing, mentalizing, and executive functions in PD during interpersonal communication. METHOD Fifteen adults with PD and 16 healthy adults completed The Awareness of Social Inference Test, a standardized tool comprised of videotaped vignettes of everyday social interactions (McDonald, Flanagan, Rollins, & Kinch, 2003). Individual subtests assessed participants' ability to recognize basic emotions and to infer speaker intentions (sincerity, lies, sarcasm) from verbal and nonverbal cues, and to judge speaker knowledge, beliefs, and feelings. A comprehensive neuropsychological evaluation was also conducted. RESULTS Patients with mild-moderate PD were impaired in the ability to infer "enriched" social intentions, such as sarcasm or lies, from nonliteral remarks; in contrast, adults with and without PD showed a similar capacity to recognize emotions and social intentions meant to be literal. In the PD group, difficulties using theory of mind to draw complex social inferences were significantly correlated with limitations in working memory and executive functioning. CONCLUSIONS In early PD, functional compromise of the frontal-striatal-dorsal system yields impairments in social perception and understanding nonliteral speaker intentions that draw upon cognitive theory of mind. Deficits in social perception in PD are exacerbated by a decline in executive resources, which could hamper the strategic deployment of attention to multiple information sources necessary to infer social intentions.
Stage‐dependent changes in the modulation of spinal nociceptive neuronal activity during the course of inflammation

Spinal and supraspinal controls can tonically or phasically modulate the output of spinal nociceptive neurons. Alterations of these modulatory systems have been described during the acute stage of inflammation. In the present study in the rat, tonic descending controls were assessed during acute (24–48 h) and chronic (3–4 weeks) stages of monoarthritis of the ankle. The electrophysiological properties of spinal convergent neurons with ankle input were compared before and after spinalization. In a parallel series of experiments, spinal convergent neurons were recorded from the normal side in order to assess the propriospinal and supraspinal inhibitory controls triggered by nociceptive stimulation of the inflamed ankle. Tonic descending inhibition of convergent neurons with input from the inflamed ankle was enhanced during the acute stage and then decreased during the chronic stage of monoarthritis. Contralateral‐induced inhibitions exhibited a similar temporal evolution. Time‐dependent changes in the spinal transmission of nociceptive signals were shown by removing descending modulation in animals with monoarthritis; sensitization of spinal neurons with input from the inflamed ankle was demonstrated during the acute stage of monoarthritis, whereas a crossed transmission between inflamed and normal sides was observed during the chronic stage of the disease. These results show that dynamic and stage‐dependent modifications of descending controls tend to dampen the central changes associated with inflammation.
Getting Spearman off the Skyhook: One More in a Century (Since Thomson, 1916) of Attempts to Vanquish g

We provide seven responses to Kovacs and Conway's wide-ranging theory of intelligence differences. In the first six, we: reflect on the past theories that can be heard in this new one and how they have fared; discuss whether, in their present state, cognitive processes inferred from mental tests can be considered isomorphic with brain processes and can bear explanatory weight in theories of intelligence; and suggest that the positive manifold might be a formative biological latent trait while probably being a reflective psychological one. In the seventh, we attempt to test some hypotheses from Process Overlap Theory in our own Lothian Birth Cohort 1936 data.
Phospholipid class and fatty acid composition of golgi apparatus isolated from rat liver and comparison with other cell fractions.

Rough endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus, and plasma membrane rich cell fractions were isolated from livers of rats under similar conditions of age and diet for analysis of phospholipid classes and fatty acid composition. Phosphatidylcholine was the major phospholipid of all membrane types. Golgi apparatus was intermediate between endoplasmic reticulum and plasma membrane with respect to levels of phosphatidylcholine and sphingomyelin. Endoplasmic reticulum was highest in phosphatidylcholine and lowest in sphingomyelin. Levels of lysophosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylserine, phosphatidylinositol, and phosphatidylethanolamine were relatively constant comparing endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus, and plasma membrane. Lysophosphatidylethanolamine was detected in Golgi apparatus and plasma membrane but not in endoplasmic reticulum. Neutral lipids represented 15 x of the total extractable lipids of endoplasmic reticulum, 38 of the total extractable lipids of plasma membrane, and 46 x of the total extractable lipids of Golgi apparatus. Neutral lipid fractions were composed mainly of cholesterol, free fatty acids, and triglycerides with P recise knowledge on the composition of components comprising the cytoplasmic membrane system of mammalian cells (nuclear envelope, endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus, secretory vesicles, and plasma membranes) is limited. However, during the last decade development of suitable methods for isolation have permitted detailed characterization of lipids from rat liver plasma membranes (Emmelot et al., 1964; Takeuchi an;d Terayama, 1965; Skipski et al., 1965; Ashworth and Green, 1966; Dod and Grey, 1968; Pfleger et al., 1968) and rough endoplasmic reticulum membranes (Dallner et al., 1966; Glauman and Dallner, 1968). More recently, methods for the reproducible isolation of a highly purified Golgi apparatus fraction of useful quantity have become available (MorrC et al., 1969b), and it is now possible to make detailed comparisons of the lipid composition of Golgi apparatus with those of rough endoplasmic reticulum and plasma membranes as a first step in relating morphological differences among these cell components (Sjostrand, 1963,1968) to differences in membrane constituents. Such comparisons are of importance not only in view of the essential role played by lipids in the structure and function of membranes (Green and Tzagoloff, 1966) but also from the standpoint of clarification of the pro-
Constraints on Energy Spectra of Blazars based on Recent EBL Limits from Galaxy Counts

We combine the recent estimate of the contribution of galaxies to the 3.6 μm intensity of the extragalactic background light (EBL) with optical and near-infrared (IR) galaxy counts to set new limits on intrinsic spectra of some of the most distant TeV blazars, 1ES 0229+200, 1ES 1218+30.4, and 1ES 1101–232, located at redshifts 0.1396, 0.182, and 0.186, respectively. The new lower limit on the 3.6 μm EBL intensity is significantly higher than the previous one set by the cumulative emission from resolved Spitzer galaxies. Correcting for attenuation by the revised EBL, we show that the differential spectral index of the intrinsic spectrum of the three blazars is 1.28 ± 0.20 or harder. These results present blazar emission models with the challenge of producing extremely hard intrinsic spectra in the sub-TeV to multi-TeV regime. These results also question the reliability of recently derived upper limits on the near-IR EBL intensity that are solely based on the assumption that intrinsic blazar spectra should not be harder than 1.50.
Development of thermotolerance in Neurospora crassa by heat shock and other stresses eliciting peroxidase induction

Hyperthermia, CdCl2, sodium arsenite, and H2O2 led to the rapid appearance of high levels of peroxidase in Neurospora crassa cultures and induced tolerance toward normally lethal temperatures in 60-h-old colonies. Intracellular superoxide dismutase levels did not correlate with the development of thermotolerance.
Attenuation of Responses to Endotoxin by the Triggering Receptor Expressed on Myeloid Cells-1 Inhibitor LR12 in Nonhuman Primate

Background:The triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells-1 is an immunoreceptor that amplifies the inflammatory response mediated by toll-like receptors engagement. Triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells-1 inhibitory peptides such LR12 have been shown to prevent hyperresponsiveness and death in several experimental models of septic shock. Methods:Twelve adult male Cynomolgus (Macaca fascicularis) monkeys exposed to an intravenous bolus of endotoxin (10 &mgr;g/kg) were randomized to receive LR12 or placebo (n = 6 per group) as an initial intravenous bolus followed by an 8-h continuous intravenous infusion. An additional group of four only received vehicle infusion. Vital signs were monitored for 8 h. Blood was sampled at H0, 1, 2, 4, and 8 for analysis of clinical chemistries, leukocyte count, coagulation parameters, and cytokine plasma concentration. Results:LR12 showed no effect on heart rate and body temperature. By contrast to the placebo group, which experienced a 25 to 40% blood pressure decrease after endotoxin administration, LR12-treated monkeys remained normotensive. Endotoxin induced leukopenia at 2 h (mean leukocyte count, 7.62 g/l vs. 21.1 at H0), which was attenuated by LR12. LR12 also attenuated cytokine production. Conclusions:The triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells-1 inhibitor LR12 is able to mitigate endotoxin-associated clinical and biological alterations, with no obvious side effects. This study paves the way for future phases Ia and Ib trials in humans.
Psychological Empowerment as a Multidimensional Construct: A Test of Construct Validity

The construct validity of scores on Spreitzer’s Psychological Empowerment scale was examined. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) of data from a sample of 160 nurses showed substantial support for Spreitzer’s four empowerment dimensions: meaning, competence, self-determination, and impact. In contrast to Spreitzer’s findings, the results of this study indicated that self-determination is a precursor of impact. This finding was cross-validated with data from a subset of the same sample 1 year later, after implementation of a job redesign program. In addition, results from structural equation modeling (SEM) demonstrated job characteristics to relate differentially to the empowerment dimensions, providing evidence for both convergent and discriminant validity of scores on the four empowerment dimensions. Finally, this study found that the four empowerment dimensions differentially related to organizational commitment and career intentions, providing evidence for the predictive validity of the Empowerment scale scores.
The Effect of Intensive Diabetes Treatment on Resting Heart Rate in Type 1 Diabetes

OBJECTIVE—Cardiovascular disease is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in individuals with type 1 diabetes. Resting heart rate (RHR) is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease in the general population, and case-control studies have reported a higher RHR in individuals with type 1 diabetes. In individuals with type 1 diabetes, there is a positive correlation between A1C and RHR; however, no prospective studies have examined whether a causal relationship exists between A1C and RHR. We hypothesized that intensive diabetes treatment aimed to achieve normal A1C levels has an effect on RHR in individuals with type 1 diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS—A total of 1,441 individuals with type 1 diabetes who participated in the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial (DCCT) had their RHR measured biennially by an electrocardiogram during the DCCT and annually for 10 years during the Epidemiology of Diabetes Interventions and Complications (EDIC) follow-up study. RESULTS—During the DCCT, intensive treatment was associated with lower mean RHR than conventional treatment, both in adolescents (69.0 vs. 72.0 bpm [95% CI 62.8–75.7 and 65.7–78.9, respectively], P = 0.013) and adults (66.8 vs. 68.2 [65.3–68.4 and 66.6–69.8, respectively], P = 0.0014). During follow-up in the EDIC, the difference in RHR between the treatment groups persisted for at least 10 years (P < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS—Compared with conventional therapy, intensive diabetes management is associated with lower RHR in type 1 diabetes. The lower RHR with intensive therapy may explain, in part, its effect in reducing cardiovascular disease, recently demonstrated in type 1 diabetes.
Quercetin Induces Oxidative Stress and Potentiates the Apoptotic Action of 2-Methoxyestradiol in Human Hepatoma Cells

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the leading cause of cancer mortality in Asia. This study evaluated the growth inhibition effect of quercetin and 2-methoxyestradiol in vitro in human HCC cell lines. Combination treatment enhanced the cytotoxic effect in HA22T/VGH and HepG2 cell lines as compared with quercetin or 2-methoxyestradiol alone. The cell population of sub-G0/G1 phase and the level of annexin V binding were increased synergistically after combination treatment with quercetin and 2-methoxyestradiol in both cell lines. Moreover, quercetin combined with 2-methoxyestradiol increased superoxide levels, mitochondrial superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) in mRNA, protein levels, and SOD activity. Finally, we also found the mitochondrial membrane potential was decreased after combination treatment. The changes of reactive oxygen species and mitochondrial disruption were likely to be involved in the mechanism for the synergistic cytotoxicity effects of combination treatment in human hepatoma cells. These results provided a basis for further study of the potential usage of quercetin combination with hormonal agents for the treatment of human hepatoma.
STUDENTS' EXPERIENCES WHEN NOT INITIALLY MOTIVATED FOR LITERACY LEARNING

This report of an intepretive case study, conducted in a 5th/6th grade whole language classroom, provides (1) insights about students' thoughts, feelings, and actions when not initially motivated for literacy tasks, and (2) ways in which some of those students were able to become intrinsically interested. Students participated as co-researchers and reported their subjective experiences in three different motivational situations. Students in Situation I were initially not motivated but became so by combining empowering ways of thinking (e.g., searching for worthwhileness or self-regulating attention) with the completion of an activity. Students in Situation II lacked motivation throughout the particular activities but managed to complete the activity. That group focused on external purpose, and did not use metacognitive strategies. Their primary desire was to "get it over with. " Students in Situation III lacked motivation, used avoidance strategies, and/or felt paralyzed, and did not complete the tasks.
Is the significance of race declining in the political arena? Yes, and no

The significance of class is increasing in the USA, in the sense that economic inequality is rising within the black and Latino populations as well as among whites. Growing inequality is associated with increasing disparities in lived experiences. Is class also increasingly significant in political life? Survey evidence shows that the answer is yes: compared with previous decades, well-off blacks and Latinos are less strongly liberal in some policy preferences and feel more politically efficacious, while poor blacks and Latinos tend to move in the opposite direction. Well-off non-whites have not, however, lost any commitment to racial justice or identity, so the USA is not becoming ‘post-racial’. Given the complex patterns of change and persistence in opinions, Wilson's arguments about when and how race is significant remain as important and controversial as when first expressed.