Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Regulation of Murine Cardiac 20S Proteasomes: Role of Associating Partners

Our recent studies have provided a proteomic blueprint of the 26S proteasome complexes in the heart, among which 20S proteasomes were found to contain cylinder-shaped structures consisting of both α and β subunits. These proteasomes exhibit a number of features unique to the myocardium, including striking differences in post-translational modifications (PTMs) of individual subunits and novel PTMs that have not been previously reported. To date, mechanisms contributing to the regulation of this myocardial proteolytic core system remain largely undefined; in particular, little is known regarding PTM-dependent regulation of cardiac proteasomes. In this investigation, we seek to elucidate the function and regulation of 20S proteasome complexes in the heart. Functionally viable murine cardiac 20S proteasomes were purified. Tandem mass spectrometry analyses, combined with native gel electrophoresis, immunoprecipitation, and immunoblotting, revealed the identification of 2 previously unrecognized functional partners in the endogenous intact cardiac 20S complexes: protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A), and protein kinase A (PKA). Furthermore, our results demonstrated that PP2A and PKA profoundly impact the proteolytic function of 20S proteasomes: phosphorylation of 20S complexes enhances the peptidase activity of individual subunits in a substrate-specific fashion. Moreover, inhibition of PP2A or the addition of PKA significantly modified both the serine- and threonine-phosphorylation profile of proteasomes; multiple individual subunits of 20S (eg, α1 and β2) were targets of PP2A and PKA. Taken together, these studies provide the first demonstration that the function of cardiac 20S proteasomes is modulated by associating partners and that phosphorylation may serve as a key mechanism for regulation.
Expression of the Cytolethal Distending Toxin (Cdt) Operon in Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans: Evidence That the CdtB Protein Is Responsible for G2 Arrest of the Cell Cycle in Human T Cells1

We have previously shown that Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans produces an immunosuppressive factor that is encoded by the cdtB gene, which is homologous to a family of cytolethal distending toxins (Cdt) expressed by several Gram-negative bacteria. In this study, we report that the cdt locus in A. actinomycetemcomitans is composed of five open reading frames, designated orf1, orf2, cdtA, cdtB, and cdtC. The deduced amino acid sequences of the five open reading frames are highly conserved among A. actinomycetemcomitans strains 652, Y4, 29522, and HK1651. There is also strong homology with the Cdt proteins of Haemophilus ducreyi (87–91%), but only partial homology with that of Campylobacter jejuni and Escherichia coli (29–48%). Analysis of A. actinomycetemcomitans mRNA by RT-PCR suggests that the two small open reading frames upstream of cdtA are coexpressed with cdtA, cdtB, and cdtC. We next utilized a series of plasmids that express various combinations of the cdt genes to determine their requirement for expression of immunoinhibitory activity. Cell extracts of E. coli transformed with each of the plasmids were tested for their capacity to induce G2 arrest in the cell cycle of PHA-activated human T cells. These experiments suggest that expression of cdtB alone is sufficient to induce G2 arrest in human T cells, but do not exclude the possibility that cdtC also contributes to cell cycle arrest. The implications of our results with respect to the function of the individual Cdt proteins are discussed.
Observed Differences in Social Behaviors Exhibited in Peer Interactions between Youth with Spina Bifida and Their Peers: Neuropsychological Correlates Shriners Hospitals for Children – Chicago, And

Objective To identify differences in social behaviors in observed peer interactions between children with spina bifida (SB) and peers, and to examine neuropsychological correlates of these differences. Method A total of 100 youth (aged 8–15 years) with SB and peers participated in video-recorded interaction tasks, which were coded for interaction style, affect, and collaboration. Children with SB also completed a neuropsychological test battery. Results Children with SB demonstrated less adaptive social behaviors in peer interactions, particularly within the interaction style domain. Observational items found to be different between children with SB and their peers were best predicted by social language and attention abilities. Conclusions Children with SB exhibit a less adaptive interaction style and lower levels of social dominance but are comparable with typically developing peers on other social behaviors. The observed group differences may have a neuropsychological basis. Since the 1970s, children's peer relations have received much attention by psychological researchers (Ladd, 1999). Positive peer relationships have been linked to multiple short-term and long-term outcomes, including higher Peer relationships are also important because they allow children and adolescents to learn and practice adaptive social skills (Bukowski, 2001). Children with chronic health conditions may be at risk for poorer peer relationships due to difficulties coping with health-related stress, the stigma accompanying visible physical disabilities, various types of neurological impairments , and higher rates of adjustment difficulties (Lavigne & Faier-Routman, 1992; Wallander & Varni, 1998). In fact, a growing body of research suggests that children with chronic health conditions experience poorer peer relationships and lower social competence compared with healthy youth (Pinquart & Teubert, 2012). A recent meta-analysis of 57 studies found support for varying levels of social impairment across pediatric health populations , with the greatest deficits found in children with conditions of the central nervous system (CNS; Martinez, Carter, & Legato, 2011). Children and adolescents with spina bifida (SB), a birth defect involving the CNS that occurs in approximately 3 of every 10,000 live births (National Birth Defects Prevention Network, 2013), have been shown to have difficulties with their peer interactions (Devine, Gayes,
Deficiency of Large Equivalent Width Lyα Emission in Luminous Lyman Break Galaxies at z ~ 5-6?

We report a deficiency of luminous Lyman break galaxies (LBGs) with a large rest-frame equivalent width (EWrest) of Lyα emission at z ~ 5-6. Combining our spectroscopic sample of LBGs at z ~ 5 and those from the literature, we found that luminous LBGs at z ~ 5-6 generally show weak Lyα emissions, while faint LBGs show a wide range of Lyα EWrest and tend to have strong (EWrest ≳ 20 Å) Lyα emissions; i.e., there is a deficiency of strong Lyα emission in luminous LBGs. There seems to be a threshold UV luminosity for the deficiency; it is M1400 = -21.5 to -21.0 mag, which is close to or somewhat brighter than the M* of the UV luminosity function at z ~ 5 and 6. Since the large EWrest of Lyα emission can be seen among the faint LBGs, the ratio of Lyα emitters to LBGs may change rather abruptly with the UV luminosity. If the weakness of Lyα emission is due to dust absorption, the deficiency suggests that luminous LBGs at z = 5-6 tend to be in dusty and more chemically evolved environments and that they begin star formation earlier than faint LBGs, although other causes cannot be ruled out.
Radiation from Condensed Surface of Magnetic Neutron Stars

Recent observations show that the thermal X-ray spectra of many isolated neutron stars are featureless and in some cases (e.g., RX J1856.5-3754) well fit by a blackbody. Such a perfect blackbody spectrum is puzzling since radiative transport through typical neutron star atmospheres causes noticeable deviation from blackbody. Previous studies have shown that in a strong magnetic field, the outermost layer of the neutron star may be in a condensed solid or liquid form because of the greatly enhanced cohesive energy of the condensed matter. The critical temperature of condensation increases with the magnetic field strength and can be as high as 106 K (for Fe surface at B ~ 1013 G or H surface at B ~ a few × 1014 G). Thus the thermal radiation can directly emerge from the degenerate metallic condensed surface without going through a gaseous atmosphere. Here we calculate the emission properties (spectrum and polarization) of the condensed Fe and H surfaces of magnetic neutron stars in the regimes in which such condensation may be possible. For a smooth condensed surface, the overall emission is reduced from the blackbody by less than a factor of 2. The spectrum exhibits modest deviation from blackbody across a wide energy range and shows mild absorption features associated with the ion cyclotron frequency and the electron plasma frequency in the condensed matter. The roughness of the solid condensate (in the Fe case) tends to decrease the reflectivity of the surface and make the emission spectrum even closer to blackbody. We discuss the implications of our results for observations of dim, isolated neutron stars and magnetars.
Field studies investigating anthelmintic resistance in young cattle on five farms in New Zealand

Abstract AIM: To investigate the efficacy of pour-on anthelmintics against field strains of parasitic nematodes in young cattle on five farms in New Zealand. METHODS: Faecal nematode egg count (FEC) reduction (FECR) tests were carried out on five calf-rearing farms using pour-on formulations of levamisole, ivermectin, eprinomectin, and the simultaneous administration of levamisole and ivermec- tin. Faecal samples were collected per rectum before treatment and about 7, 14, 21 and 28 days after treatment, for FEC and faecal nematode larval culture. RESULTS: Resistance (i.e. <95% reduction in FEC) of Cooperia oncophora to ivermectin and eprinomectin was identified on all five farms. There was limited evidence of possible emerging resistance in Ostertagia spp to ivermectin but not eprinomectin, in short-tailed larvae of Cooperia spp to ivermectin and eprinomec- tin, and in Trichostrongylus spp to ivermectin, eprinomectin and levamisole used separately. Levamisole was effective against C. oncophora, but had variable efficacy against Ostertagia spp in the calves in this study. Simultaneous treatment with levamisole and ivermectin pour-on formulations were effective against all genera on all farms. CONCLUSIONS: To effectively manage roundworm parasites in their calves farmers need to be aware of the resistance status of the parasites on their farms. Levamisole is likely to be an effective anthelmintic on most farms at times of the year when the impact of Ostertagia spp is not high. Simultaneous administration of levamisole and ivermectin pour-on anthelmintics to cattle is likely to control both ML-resistant C. oncophora and stages of Ostertagia spp that are not controlled by levamisole alone.
Integration-independent Transgenic Huntington Disease Fragment Mouse Models Reveal Distinct Phenotypes and Life Span in Vivo*

Background: Huntington disease is characterized by the generation of mutant huntingtin fragments, which correlate with disease progression. Results: The transgenic mice N171-Q148 and N552-Q148 display a significantly accelerated phenotype and shortened life span when compared with N463-Q148, N536-Q148, and N586-Q148 transgenic mice. Conclusion: Some HTT proteolysis fragments have distinct neurotoxicity. Significance: Reducing proteolysis of huntingtin is a viable therapeutic treatment for Huntington disease. The cascade of events that lead to cognitive decline, motor deficits, and psychiatric symptoms in patients with Huntington disease (HD) is triggered by a polyglutamine expansion in the N-terminal region of the huntingtin (HTT) protein. A significant mechanism in HD is the generation of mutant HTT fragments, which are generally more toxic than the full-length HTT. The protein fragments observed in human HD tissue and mouse models of HD are formed by proteolysis or aberrant splicing of HTT. To systematically investigate the relative contribution of the various HTT protein proteolysis events observed in vivo, we generated transgenic mouse models of HD representing five distinct proteolysis fragments ending at amino acids 171, 463, 536, 552, and 586 with a polyglutamine length of 148. All lines contain a single integration at the ROSA26 locus, with expression of the fragments driven by the chicken β-actin promoter at nearly identical levels. The transgenic mice N171-Q148 and N552-Q148 display significantly accelerated phenotypes and a shortened life span when compared with N463-Q148, N536-Q148, and N586-Q148 transgenic mice. We hypothesized that the accelerated phenotype was due to altered HTT protein interactions/complexes that accumulate with age. We found evidence for altered HTT complexes in caspase-2 fragment transgenic mice (N552-Q148) and a stronger interaction with the endogenous HTT protein. These findings correlate with an altered HTT molecular complex and distinct proteins in the HTT interactome set identified by mass spectrometry. In particular, we identified HSP90AA1 (HSP86) as a potential modulator of the distinct neurotoxicity of the caspase-2 fragment mice (N552-Q148) when compared with the caspase-6 transgenic mice (N586-Q148).
Lower Esophageal Sphincter Pressure and Distal Esophageal Body Function Between Hispanic Americans and Non-Hispanic Whites are Equivalent

Objective Esophageal manometry (EM) is the gold standard examination for diagnosis of esophageal motor disorders. Normal values for EM among ethnic groups are not presently available in the literature. The aim of this study was to obtain normal values of EM in adult Hispanic American (HA) volunteers and compare these with those obtained in non-Hispanic white (nHw) volunteers. Methods Healthy HA and nHw were recruited from the Albuquerque metropolitan area. Ethnicity was self-reported. Exclusion criteria were symptoms suggestive of esophageal disease, medication use, or concurrent illness that could affect EM. All underwent EM using a solid-state system with wet swallows. Resting lower esophageal sphincter pressure, percent peristaltic contractions, esophageal body contraction velocity, distal esophageal body contraction amplitude, and distal esophageal body contraction duration were measured at end expiration. Results Forty HA and 24 nHw were enrolled. All subjects completed EM without difficulty. Esophageal body contraction velocity was significantly lower in HA (3.5 cm/s+0.1) than nHw (4+0.1, P=0.01). There were no differences in resting lower esophageal sphincter pressure, percent peristaltic contractions, distal esophageal body contraction amplitude, and distal esophageal body contraction duration. Conclusions Esophageal body contraction velocity is slower in normal HA compared with nHw; other EM measures are equivalent between groups. Presently accepted normal values of EM obtained from nHw may be used for HA.
DCAP: Improving the Capacity of WiFi Networks with Distributed Cooperative Access Points

This paper presents the Distributed Cooperative Access Points (DCAP) system that can simultaneously serve multiple clients using <italic>cooperative beamforming</italic> to increase the capacity of WiFi-type wireless networks. The distributed APs are connected by Ethernet and driven by independent low-cost local oscillators. To facilitate cooperative beamforming, we address three major challenges: the phase synchronization, the channel state information (CSI) measurement, and the user selection. Specifically, we develop 1) a cooperative tracking scheme to track signal phase drifts at symbol level without adding extra hardware complexity; 2) an incremental CSI estimation mechanism that removes the per-frame CSI measurement overhead of previous approaches; and 3) a simple random user selection algorithm that scales the network capacity linearly and delivers over <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$70$</tex-math> <alternatives><inline-graphic xlink:href="yang-ieq1-2709743.gif"/></alternatives></inline-formula> percent performance compared to the optimal but complex greedy algorithm. We implement DCAP on the Sora software radio platform and evaluate it in a wireless network with nine nodes. Experimental results show that the cooperative beamforming is feasible in practice, and our cooperative phase tracking can ensure strict phase alignment (<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\leq$</tex-math><alternatives><inline-graphic xlink:href="yang-ieq2-2709743.gif"/> </alternatives></inline-formula> 0.03 radian) among APs during the entire beamforming period (1.2 ms). Otherwise, without tracking, phases may drift by 0.3 radian over merely 600 <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\mu$ </tex-math><alternatives><inline-graphic xlink:href="yang-ieq3-2709743.gif"/></alternatives></inline-formula>s, causing that the symbol SNR decreases as large as 20 dB.
Software process: a roadmap

Software process research deals with the methods and technologies used to assess, support, and improve software development activities. The field has grown up during the 80s to address the increasing complexity and criticality of software development activities. This paper aims to briefly present the history and achievements of software process research, some critical evaluation of the results produced so far, and possible directions for future work.
Farmers perception on sheep production constraints in the communal grazing areas of the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa

The study was conducted to identify farmers’ perception and ranking of the most important constraints to sheep production at Sinqumeni administrative area, in Ngcobo local municipality of the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. Data was collected using semi-structured questionnaire. The results showed that 72.6% of the surveyed farmers were males and 62.5% of the farmers were between the ages of 52-80 years. The most important challenges of sheep production perceived by the farmers were disease and parasites (27%), shortage of feed (16.7%), lack of infrastructure (16%), organized market access (14.7%), lack of water availability (10.1%), high cost of drugs/vaccines (9.8%), stock theft (5.7%) respectively. Thus, there is a need to forge strategic partnership with various stakeholders to control the identified challenges through on-going training of farmers using a demonstration approach rather than an oral presentation, formation of cooperatives to minimise the cost of drugs; and conservation of feed and rain water harvesting in preparation for dry season can be a sustainable way of overcoming the constraints experienced by small-scale sheep producers. Key words: Constraints, feed, disease, sheep, small-scale.
Clusterin/Akt Up-Regulation Is Critical for GATA-4 Mediated Cytoprotection of Mesenchymal Stem Cells against Ischemia Injury

Background Clusterin (Clu) is a stress-responding protein with multiple biological functions. Our preliminary microarray studies show that clusterin was prominently upregulated in mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) overexpressing GATA-4 (MSCGATA-4). We hypothesized that the upregulation of clusterin is involved in overexpression of GATA-4 mediated cytoprotection. Methods MSCs harvested from bone marrow of rats were transduced with GATA-4. The expression of clusterin in MSCs was further confirmed by real-time PCR and western blotting. Simulation of ischemia was achieved by exposure of MSCs to a hypoxic environment. Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) released from MSCs was served as a biomarker of cell injury and MTs uptake was used to estimate cell viability. Mitochondrial function was evaluated by measuring mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm) and caspase 3/7 activity. Results (1) Clusterin expression was up-regulated in MSCGATA-4 compared to control MSCs transfected with empty-vector (MSCNull). MSCGATA-4 were tolerant to 72 h hypoxia exposure as shown by reduced LDH release and higher MTs uptake. This protection was abrogated by transfecting Clu-siRNA into MSCGATA-4. (2) Exogenous clusterin significantly decreased LDH release and increased MSC survival in hypoxic environment. Moreover, ΔΨm was maintained and caspase 3/7 activity was reduced by clusterin in a concentration-dependent manner. (3) p-Akt expression in MSCs was upregulated following pre-treatment with clusterin, with no change in total Akt. Moreover, cytoprotection mediated by clusterin was partially abrogated by Akt inhibitor LY294002. Conclusions Clusterin/Akt signaling pathway is involved in GATA-4 mediated cytoprotection against hypoxia stress. It is suggested that clusterin may be therapeutically exploited in MSC based therapy for cardiovascular diseases.
Effects of Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor Ligands, Bezafibrate and Fenofibrate, on Adiponectin Level

Objective—Adiponectin is adipose-specific secretory protein and acts as anti-diabetic and anti-atherosclerotic molecule. We previously found peroxisome proliferators response element in adiponectin promoter region, suggesting that peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) ligands elevate adiponectin. Fibrates are known to be PPARα ligands and were shown to reduce risks of diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Effect of fibrates on adiponectin has not been clarified, whereas thiazolidinediones enhance adiponectin. Thus, we explored the possibility and mechanism that fibrates enhance adiponectin in humans, mice, and cells. Methods and Results—Significant increase of serum adiponectin was observed in bezafibrate-treated subjects compared with placebo group in patients enrolled in The Bezafibrate Infarction Prevention study. Higher baseline adiponectin levels were strongly associated with reduced risk of new diabetes. Fibrates, bezafibrate and fenofibrate, significantly elevated adiponectin levels in wild-type mice and 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Such an effect was not observed in PPARα-deficient mice and adipocytes. Fibrates activated adiponectin promoter but failed to enhance its activity when the point mutation occurred in peroxisome proliferators response element site and the endogenous PPARα was knocked down by PPARα-RNAi. Conclusions—Our results suggest that fibrates enhance adiponectin partly through adipose PPARα and measurement of adiponectin might be a useful tool for searching subjects at high risk for diabetes.
Ion Beam Irradiation-Induced Amorphization of Nano-Sized KxLnyTa2O7-v Tantalate Pyrochlore

Nano-sized (~10-15 nm) tantalate pyrochlores KxLnyTa2O7-v (Ln = Gd, Y, and Lu) were irradiated with 1 MeV Kr2+ beams at different temperatures and their radiation response behaviors were studied by in-situ TEM observations. All of these nano-sized KxLnyTa2O7-v pyrochlores are sensitive to radiation-induced amorphization with low critical doses (~0.12 dpa) at room temperature and high critical amorphization temperatures above 1160 K. The K+ plays a key role in determining the radiation response of tantalate pyrochlores, in which the K+-rich KLuTa2O7 displays greater amorphization susceptibility than K0.8GdTa2O6. 9 and K0.8YTa2O6. 9 with lower K+ occupancy at the A-site. The reduced amorphization tolerance of the composition with a greater K+ content is consistent with the prominently larger K+/Ta5+ cationic radius ratio, which may result in more structural deviation from the parent fluorite structure and less capability to accommodate radiation induced defects. An empirical correlation between critical amorphization temperature and ionic size was derived, generally describing the dominant effect of ionic sizes in controlling radiation response of a wide range of pyrochlore compounds as potential nuclear waste forms. The results of the tantalate pyrochlore in this work highlight that nanostructured pyrochlores are not intrinsically radiation tolerant and their responses are highly compositional dependent.