Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
In Vivo Phosphorylation in Cilia and Ciliary Membranes

The endogenous protein kinases of isolated Paramecium tetraurelia cilia phos- phorylated -30 ciliary polypeptides in vitro . Labeling with (y-"P)ATP was not proportional to the amount of each protein in cilia ; some minor polypeptides (e.g ., 67,000 and 180,000 mol wt) were more heavily labeled than some major polypeptides . Certain of theendogenous substrates for protein kinase were localized in the ciliary membrane (130,000, 86,000, 67,000, and 45,000 mol wt) ; others were found in axonemes or in both fractions . With cilia from bacterized cultures in the undefined Cerophyl medium, the labeling of specific endogenous phosphate acceptors was altered by pH, cyclic AMP, and cyclic GMP, but the labeling pattern was not affected by the presence of Na' or K + (15 mM), Ba ++ (5 mM), Ca++ (10-5 or 10-4 M), or EGTA . Very similar results were obtained with cilia from cells grown axenically in a semidefined medium ; the molecular weights and the extent of phosphorylation of the phosphopolypeptides were comparable to those of cilia from bacterized Cerophyl cultures, although no significant cyclic nucleotide effects were observed in the axenic cilia . Most of the phosphopolypeptides labeled in vitro also turned over rapidly in vitro . The phosphoprotein phosphatase responsible for turnover was partially inhibited by 5 mM NaF . The pattern of ciliary polypeptides labeled in vivo was similar to that observed in the in vitro experiments, although the relative intensities of labeling differed . Six behavioral mutants of Paramecium, known to have defects in the excitable membrane that regulates the ciliary beat, showed normal patterns of ciliary protein phosphorylation in vitro, with and without added cyclic nucleotides, at both pH 6.0 and pH 8.0 . The mutants also had apparently normal phosphoprotein phosphatase . The Paranoiac A mutant, however, showed a reduction in cyclic GMP-stimulated protein kinase activity .
Genetic variation and population structure of the mixed-mating cactus, Melocactus curvispinus (Cactaceae)

Genetic diversity was measured in the mixed-mating cactus, Melocactus curvispinus, in Venezuela. Allozyme diversity was surveyed in 19 putative loci over 18 populations. Compared to other plant taxa, this cactus is rich in polymorphic loci (Ps=89.5%), with high numbers of alleles per polymorphic locus (APs=3.82), but moderate levels of heterozygosity (Hes=0.145). Substantial levels of inbreeding were detected across loci and populations at macrogeographic (FIS=0.348) and regional levels (FIS=0.194–0.402). Moderate levels of genetic differentiation among populations were detected at macrogeographical (FST=0.193) and regional (FST=0.084–0.187) scales, suggesting that gene flow is relatively restricted, but increases within regions without topographic barriers. The population genetic structure observed for this cactus was attributed to, at least, three factors: short-distance pollination and seed dispersal, the mixed-mating condition of the species, and genetic drift. High genetic identities between populations (I=0.942) supported the conspecific nature of all populations surveyed. The levels and patterns of genetic structure observed for M. curvispinus were consistent with its mating system and gene dispersal mechanisms.
Chloride Transport across Syncytiotrophoblast Microvillous Membrane of First Trimester Human Placenta

There are significant changes in the activity of some placental transporters between first trimester and term. However, chloride transport has previously been studied only in the term placenta. Therefore, in this study, we investigated chloride transport mechanisms in syncytiotrophoblast microvillous membrane (MVM) vesicles from first trimester human placentas and compared them with those in vesicles from term placentas.36 Cl- uptake into MVM vesicles was linear up to 45 s and had reached equilibrium by 1 h for both first trimester and term vesicles. In first trimester MVM at 0 mV, 0.1 mM diisothiocyano-2,2′-disulfonic stilbene (DIDS) blocked 25 ± 3% (n = 8) of36 Cl- uptake at 30 s (initial rate), which was similar to the 30 ± 7% (n = 6) inhibition by DIDS in term MVM. In the presence of a 25 mV inside-positive electrical potential difference, induced by imposition of a K+ gradient after preincubation with 200 µM valinomycin, 0.5 mM diphenylamine-2-carboxylate (DPC) significantly blocked 30 ± 4% of 36Cl- uptake at 30 s by first trimester MVM (p < 0.01); 18 ± 5% (n = 8) of total uptake was inhibited by DPC but not by DIDS. There was a similar 15 ± 3% (n = 6) component of 36Cl- uptake by term MVM, which was inhibited by DPC but not by DIDS. Using Western blotting, it was shown that the anion exchanger-1 protein was expressed in first trimester MVM in quantitatively similar amounts to that in term MVM. This study suggests that there is both an anion exchanger and a DPC-sensitive conductance in MVM of first trimester placenta with activity similar to that of term human placenta.
Influence of grazing management practices on vegetation composition, soil organic carbon and greenhouse gas emissions in semi arid grasslands of Makueni County, Kenya

Livestock grazing practices in the rangelands are being recognized as management tools for environmental protection and increased livestock productivity. However, improper livestock grazing practices exploits rangelands hence threatening the sustainability of these ecosystems and the livelihoods of the pastoral. Overgrazing of the rangeland ecosystem has been largely reported to reduce pasture productivity and increase environmental degradation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of grazing practices on vegetation composition in Yoani, a commercial grazing land within Makueni County. The study followed a pseudoreplication design in which there were three treatments: (1) continual grazed, (2) rotational grazed and (3) and ungrazed. Shannon-Wiener‘s diversity index was used to determine species diversity. The Rotationally grazed site had significantly higher (p≤0.05) herbaceous biomass production compared to both continually grazed and ungrazed areas. Biomass yield was significantly higher (p≤0.05) in continual grazing than the ungrazed site. Percentage cover of herbaceous plants was significantly higher under rotationally grazed areas compared to both continually grazed and ungrazed areas which were not significantly different. There was no significant difference in plant species richness between the three sampling blocks (p≤0.05). However, plant species richness was highest in rotationally grazed areas, followed by continually and ungrazed areas with mean species numbers of 13.4±1.82, 11.9±1.74 and 9.67±2.24, respectively. The rotationally grazed site had higher species diversity followed by continual and ungrazed area with mean values of 3.08±0.65, 2.88±. 072 and 2.43±0.02 respectively.
Low complexity MAD prediction algorithms for rate controllable H.264/AVC hardware encoders

This paper presents two low complexity macroblock-level MAD (Mean Absolute Difference) prediction algorithms for H.264/AVC rate control. Both of the algorithms consider the rate-distortion performance and its hardware cost jointly. One of the algorithms predicts the MAD value by observing the motion vector of the surrounding macroblocks (MB), the other one uses numerical analysis to find the best fit weighting factors for the MAD value. These algorithms do not suffer from the MB-pipeline problems which decrease the rate-distortion performance, thus they are suitable for H.264/AVC hardware encoders. Experimental results show that the proposed MAD prediction algorithm can further improve the rate-distortion performance for the rate control scheme. Compared with the JVT-G012 rate control scheme, our algorithms can increase the PSNR to 0.38 dB and 0.35 dB, respectively.
The β-carboline alkaloid harmine inhibits telomerase activity of MCF-7 cells by down-regulating hTERT mRNA expression accompanied by an accelerated senescent phenotype

The end replication problem, which occurs in normal somatic cells inducing replicative senescence, is solved in most cancer cells by activating telomerase. The activity of telomerase is highly associated with carcinogenesis which makes the enzyme an attractive biomarker in cancer diagnosis and treatment. The indole alkaloid harmine has multiple pharmacological properties including DNA intercalation which can lead to frame shift mutations. In this study, harmine was applied to human breast cancer MCF-7 cells. Its activity towards telomerase was analyzed by utilizing the telomeric repeat amplification protocol (TRAP). Our data indicate that harmine exhibits a pronounced cytotoxicity and induces an anti-proliferation state in MCF-7 cells which is accompanied by a significant inhibition of telomerase activity and an induction of an accelerated senescence phenotype by over-expressing elements of the p53/p21 pathway.
Determinants and Experiences of Repeat Pregnancy among HIV-Positive Kenyan Women—A Mixed-Methods Analysis

Objective To identify factors associated with repeat pregnancy subsequent to an index pregnancy among women living with HIV (WLWH) in western Kenya who were enrolled in a 24-month phase-II clinical trial of triple-ART prophylaxis for prevention of mother-to-child transmission, and to contextualize social and cultural influences on WLWH’s reproductive decision making. Methods A mixed-methods approach was used to examine repeat pregnancy within a 24 month period after birth. Counselor-administered questionnaires were collected from 500 WLWH. Forty women (22 with a repeat pregnancy; 18 with no repeat pregnancy) were purposively selected for a qualitative interview (QI). Simple and multiple logistic regression analyses were performed for quantitative data. Thematic coding and saliency analysis were undertaken for qualitative data. Results Eighty-eight (17.6%) women had a repeat pregnancy. Median maternal age was 23 years (range 15-43 years) and median gestational age at enrollment was 34 weeks. In multiple logistic regression analyses, living in the same compound with a husband (adjusted odds ratio (AOR): 2.33; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.14, 4.75) was associated with increased odds of repeat pregnancy (p ≤ 0.05). Being in the 30-43 age group (AOR: 0.25; 95% CI: 0.07, 0.87), having talked to a partner about family planning (FP) use (AOR: 0.53; 95% CI: 0.29, 0.98), and prior usage of FP (AOR: 0.45; 95% CI: 0.25, 0.82) were associated with a decrease in odds of repeat pregnancy. QI findings centered on concerns about modern contraception methods (side effects and views that they ‘ruined the womb’) and a desire to have the right number of children. Religious leaders, family, and the broader community were viewed as reinforcing cultural expectations for married women to have children. Repeat pregnancy was commonly attributed to contraception failure or to lack of knowledge about post-delivery fertility. Conclusions In addition to cultural context, reproductive health programs for WLWH may need to address issues related to living circumstances and the possibility that reproductive-decision making may extend beyond the woman and her partner.
Intermittent Hypoxia Influences Alveolar Bone Proper Microstructure via Hypoxia-Inducible Factor and VEGF Expression in Periodontal Ligaments of Growing Rats

Intermittent hypoxia (IH) recapitulates morphological changes in the maxillofacial bones in children with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Recently, we found that IH increased bone mineral density (BMD) in the inter-radicular alveolar bone (reflecting enhanced osteogenesis) in the mandibular first molar (M1) region in the growing rats, but the underlying mechanism remains unknown. In this study, we focused on the hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) pathway to assess the effect of IH by testing the null hypothesis of no significant differences in the mRNA-expression levels of relevant factors associated with the HIF pathway, between control rats and growing rats with IH. To test the null hypothesis, we investigated how IH enhances mandibular osteogenesis in the alveolar bone proper with respect to HIF-1α and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in periodontal ligament (PDL) tissues. Seven-week-old male Sprague–Dawley rats were exposed to IH for 3 weeks. The microstructure and BMD in the alveolar bone proper of the distal root of the mandibular M1 were evaluated using micro-computed tomography (micro-CT). Expression of HIF-1α and VEGF mRNA in PDL tissues were measured, whereas osteogenesis was evaluated by measuring mRNA levels for alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2). The null hypothesis was rejected: we found an increase in the expression of all of these markers after IH exposure. The results provided the first indication that IH enhanced osteogenesis of the mandibular M1 region in association with PDL angiogenesis during growth via HIF-1α in an animal model.
In Vivo Evidence That TRAF4 Is Required for Central Nervous System Myelin Homeostasis

Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor-Associated Factors (TRAFs) are major signal transducers for the TNF and interleukin-1/Toll-like receptor superfamilies. However, TRAF4 does not fit the paradigm of TRAF function in immune and inflammatory responses. Its physiological and molecular functions remain poorly understood. Behavorial analyses show that TRAF4-deficient mice (TRAF4-KO) exhibit altered locomotion coordination typical of ataxia. TRAF4-KO central nervous system (CNS) ultrastructure shows strong myelin perturbation including disorganized layers and disturbances in paranode organization. TRAF4 was previously reported to be expressed by CNS neurons. Using primary cell culture, we now show that TRAF4 is also expressed by oligodendrocytes, at all stages of their differentiation. Moreover, histology and electron microscopy show degeneration of a high number of Purkinje cells in TRAF4-KO mice, that was confirmed by increased expression of the Bax pro-apoptotic marker (immunofluorescence), TUNEL analysis, and caspase-3 activation and PARP1 cleavage (western blotting). Consistent with this phenotype, MAG and NogoA, two myelin-induced neurite outgrowth inhibitors, and their neuron partners, NgR and p75NTR were overexpressed (Q-RT-PCR and western blotting). The strong increased phosphorylation of Rock2, a RhoA downstream target, indicated that the NgR/p75NTR/RhoA signaling pathway, known to induce actin cytoskeleton rearrangement that favors axon regeneration inhibition and neuron apoptosis, is activated in the absence of TRAF4 (western blotting). Altogether, these results provide conclusive evidence for the pivotal contribution of TRAF4 to myelination and to cerebellar homeostasis, and link the loss of TRAF4 function to demyelinating or neurodegenerative diseases.
Selective enhancement of attentional networks in college table tennis athletes: a preliminary investigation

The purpose of the study was to investigate the characteristics of the attentional network in college table tennis athletes. A total of 65 college students categorized as table tennis athlete group or non-athlete group participated in the study. All participants completed the attentional network test (ANT) which measured the alerting, orienting and executive control networks. The results showed a significant difference between the athlete and non-athlete group for executive control network (p < 0.01), while no differences were observed for alerting (p > 0.05) or orienting (p > 0.05) networks. These results combined suggest that college table tennis athletes exhibited selectively enhanced executive control of attentional networks.
Repeated-Measures Implication of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Biomarkers in Living Donor Liver Transplantation

Objective Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and its recurrence are major problems in living donor liver transplantation (LDLT). Several biomarkers have been used to investigate this event. We conducted a prospective controlled study to determine the activities of the basic fibroblast growth factor (FGF-2), survivin, Ki67, endostatin, and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in different conditions before, early after, and late after LDLT with and without HCC recurrence. Methods Fifty patients with virus-related HCC who underwent LDLT were enrolled in this 2-year cross-sectional study. During the study period, recurrent HCC was identified in 9 patients (study group, n = 9) and 41 patients (control group, n = 41) had no recurrence after LDLT. The mean time to HCC recurrence was 587.11 ± 398.64 days (range, 90–1352 days). Microvascular invasion (MVI) was found in 66.7% (6/9) of the recipients, as determined on pathological examination. The serum biomarkers were investigated by using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay at the different LDLT stages. Results The serum levels of the biomarkers significantly correlated with LDLT and HCC recurrence in the repeated-measures analysis (F = 31.676, P = 0.000). Significant differences were observed in the effects of all biomarkers (F = 85.313, P = 0.000) and the time to HCC recurrence after LDLT (F = 3.178, P = 0.046). The biomarkers, ordered by the observed power of the test for HCC recurrence after LDLT, were FGF-2 (1.000) > survivin (0.999) > Ki67 (0.949) > endostatin (0.411) > VEGF (0.305). Conclusions Different biomarker activities may be implicated in the pathogenesis of HCC recurrence after LDLT. Oncogenes may not exist in the new graft but may still be present in the peripheral blood. The timing of HCC recurrence and impact of MVI in the explanted liver requires confirmation in larger studies with a longer follow-up.
Co-simulation of cyber physical systems with HMI for human in the loop investigations

The development of safety critical Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) is highly dependent on human interaction and cognitive assessment. Despite this dependency, the human in the loop is seldom an integrated part of CPS development or tool chain. In this paper we propose a hybrid co-simulation environment, where hardware, software and models can be interconnected, making it possible to connect a human machine interface with a software representation of a control system and thermodynamic engine models. Scenarios that require user interaction can be formulated and propagate from engine physics through the control system to the engine operator. The environment makes it possible to investigate human interaction during system development and gain more quantitative and evidence based data for designing safety critical CPS with human-machine interaction.
Constructive use of errors in teaching CS1

We developed an approach of learning from errors in CS1, taught in OOP. The approach is based on a set of principles, which include: cognitive conflict, constructivist characteristics, error attribution, self explanation, reflection, and refinement of concept images of fundamental OOP terms and mechanisms. The approach is presented, and some of its activities are illustrated. The developed activities aim at erroneous OOP conceptions that we have observed in a previous study. We applied the approach with CS1 college students, and conducted a comparative study, with an experiment group and a control group. We display a summary of the study's results, together with the students' opinions about the applied approach.
Dynamic Modeling of Exercise Effects on Plasma Glucose and Insulin Levels

Background: Regulation of plasma glucose concentration for type 1 diabetic patients is challenging, and exercise is an added complication. From a metabolic prospective, the significant exercise-induced effects are increased glucose uptake rate by the working tissues, increased hepatic glucose release to maintain overall glucose homeostasis, and decreased plasma insulin concentration. During prolonged exercise, glucose levels drop significantly because of the decrease in hepatic glucose production. With the long-term goal of developing a closed-loop insulin delivery system operating under various physiological conditions, it is necessary to develop a model that is capable of predicting blood glucose concentration at rest and during physical activity. Methods: A minimal model developed previously was extended to include the major effects of exercise on plasma glucose and insulin levels. Differential equations were developed to capture the exercise-induced dynamics of plasma insulin clearance and the elevation of glucose uptake and hepatic glucose production rates. The decreasing liver glucose output resulting from prolonged exercise was modeled using an equation depending on exercise intensity and duration. Results: The exercise model successfully captured the glucose and insulin dynamics during short- and long-term exercise. Model predictions of glucose and insulin dynamics during the postexercise recovery period were also consistent with literature data. Conclusion: The model successfully emulated the physiological effects of exercise on blood glucose and insulin levels. This extended model may provide a new disturbance test platform for the development of closed-loop glucose control algorithms.
How Do Switching Costs Affect Market Concentration and Prices in Network Industries?

I investigate the effects of switching costs on the market outcome in network industries using a dynamic duopoly model of price competition in the presence of an outside option. I find that the role of switching costs depends on network effects and the outside option. Without a viable outside option, high switching costs can neutralize the tendency towards high market concentration associated with network effects, but with a viable outside option, switching costs increase market concentration. Furthermore, switching costs lower prices if network effects are modest and there exists a viable outside option, but generally raise prices otherwise.
Flash Rip Statistics from Video Images

ABSTRACT Floc'h, F. ; Mabiala, G.R. ; Almar, R. ; Castelle, B. ; Hall, N. ; Du Penhoat, Y. , Scott, T. , and Delacourt, C. , 2018. Flash rip statistics from video images. In: Almar, R. ; Almeida, L.P.; Trung Viet, N. , and Sall, M. (eds.), Tropical Coastal and Estuarine Dynamics. Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 81, pp. 100–106. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208. The coast of the Gulf of Guinea is exposed to high-energy waves generating strong nearshore currents both driving erosion and posing a threat to recreational beach goers and fishermen. Along this coast, the coexistence of swash and flash rip currents at Grand-Popo beach (Benin) was evidenced in a previous study using a limited number of Lagrangian drifter measurements. In this paper, a method based on color processing of video images from a permanent station has been developed to detect the presence of rip currents via a change of turbidity. Rip current characteristics and their link with tide and wave forcing over a 7-day period are derived. During this experiment, a total of 434 events has been counted during daylight. The majority of rips occurred at low tide and migrates downdrift. Flash rip activity is maximized for shore-normal wave incidence and mild wave conditions showing that flash rips are not driven by shear instabilities of the longshore current at this site. However, the lack of strong variability in wave forcing throughout the experiment prevents a more thorough wave-rip relationship investigation, which motivates the application of the method for a longer period with a wide wave-tide spectrum.