Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
EVOLUTIONARY SIGNIFICANCE OF GEOGRAPHIC VARIATION IN A PLUMAGE‐BASED FORAGING ADAPTATION: AN EXPERIMENTAL TEST IN THE SLATE‐THROATED REDSTART (MYIOBORUS MINIATUS)

Abstract Geographic variation in the plumage pattern of birds is widespread but poorly understood, and in very few cases has its evolutionary significance been investigated experimentally. Neotropical warblers of the genus Myioborus use their contrasting black‐and‐white plumage to flush insect prey during animated foraging displays. Although previous experimental work has demonstrated that white plumage patches are critical to flush‐pursuit foraging success, the amount of white in the plumage shows considerable interspecific and intraspecific geographic variation. We investigated the evolutionary significance of this geographic variation by experimentally decreasing or increasing the amount of white in the tail fo slate‐throated redstarts (Myioborus miniatus comptus) from Monteverde, Costa Rica, to mimic the natural extremes of tail pattern variation in this species. In addition to measuring the effects of plumage manipulation on foraging performance, we performed field experiments measuring the escape response of a common insect prey species (an asilid fly) using model redstarts representing four different Myioborus plumage patterns. Our experiments were designed to test four hypotheses that could explain geographic variation in plumage pattern. Compared to controls, experimental birds with reduced‐white tails that mimic the plumage pattern of miniatus hellmayri of Guatemala showed significant reductions in flush‐pursuit foraging performance. In contrast, the addition of white to the tail to mimic the plumage pattern of M. miniatus verticalis of Bolivia had no significant effect on foraging performance of Costa Rican redstarts. In field experiments with asilid flies, model redstarts simulating the plumage of M. miniatus comptus of Costa Rica and M. miniatus verticalis of Bolivia elicited greater responses than did models of other Myioborus taxa with either less or more white in the plumage. The results of our experiments with both birds and insects allow us to reject two hypotheses for geographic variation in plumage pattern: (1) that geographic variation is a nonadaptive result of genetic drift, and (2) that selection for enhanced flush‐pursuit foraging performance generally favors increased white in the plumage, but evolutionary trade‐offs constrain the evolution of extensive patches of white in some geographic regions. Instead, our results suggest that geographic variation in the plumage pattern of Myioborus redstarts reflects adaptation to regional habitat characteristics that enhances flush‐pursuit foraging performance.
Deciphering the conserved genetic loci implicated in plant disease control through comparative genomics of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens subsp. plantarum

To understand the growth-promoting and disease-inhibiting activities of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) strains, the genomes of 12 Bacillus subtilis group strains with PGPR activity were sequenced and analyzed. These B. subtilis strains exhibited high genomic diversity, whereas the genomes of B. amyloliquefaciens strains (a member of the B. subtilis group) are highly conserved. A pairwise BLASTp matrix revealed that gene family similarity among Bacillus genomes ranges from 32 to 90%, with 2839 genes within the core genome of B. amyloliquefaciens subsp. plantarum. Comparative genomic analyses of B. amyloliquefaciens strains identified genes that are linked with biological control and colonization of roots and/or leaves, including 73 genes uniquely associated with subsp. plantarum strains that have predicted functions related to signaling, transportation, secondary metabolite production, and carbon source utilization. Although B. amyloliquefaciens subsp. plantarum strains contain gene clusters that encode many different secondary metabolites, only polyketide biosynthetic clusters that encode difficidin and macrolactin are conserved within this subspecies. To evaluate their role in plant pathogen biocontrol, genes involved in secondary metabolite biosynthesis were deleted in a B. amyloliquefaciens subsp. plantarum strain, revealing that difficidin expression is critical in reducing the severity of disease, caused by Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. vesicatoria in tomato plants. This study defines genomic features of PGPR strains and links them with biocontrol activity and with host colonization.
Behavioural Sleep Disorders across the Developmental Age Span: An Overview of Causes, Consequences and Treatment Modalities

Behavioural sleep problems, that is, sleep problems that do not have a physiological aetiology, but rather a behavioural or psychological aetiology, are reported in between 20% - 40% of children and adolescents. These sleep disorders are categorised as Behavioural Insomnia of Childhood (BIC) in the International Classification of Sleep Disorders. BIC can result in short sleep duration and poor quality sleep and can have wide ranging effects on mental and physical health, cognitive and social functioning and development in infants, pre-schoolers, school aged children and adolescents. Each age group have a particular set of behaviourally based sleep disorders. This paper presents a broad overview of BIC and covers essential information about these sleep disorders, their aetiologies, effects on development and non medical treatment modalities.
Weisheit als Gegenstand psychologischer Forschung

(LANG=en) Wisdom, a concept rich in meaning and cultural history, is introduced as a topic of psychological research. The focus is on presenting an empirical paradigm for the assessment of wisdom-related performance. Similarities and differences of this paradigm with analyses of the cultural-historical wisdom literature, and other psychological approaches to the study of wisdom are discussed. In the present paradigm, wisdom is defined as expertise in the fundamental pragmatics of life and operationalized as high-level knowledge and judgment with regard to difficult problems of life planning, life management, and life review. Five wisdom-related criteria (rich factual and procedural knowledge about life, life-span contextualism, value relativism, awareness and management of uncertainty
Nanoprecipitation versus emulsion-based techniques for the encapsulation of proteins into biodegradable nanoparticles and process-related stability issues

The goal of this study was to investigate the entrapment of 3 different model proteins (tetanus toxoid, lysozyme, and insulin) into poly(D,L-lactic acid) and poly(D,L-lactic-co-glycolic acid) nanoparticles and to address process-related stability issues. For that purpose, a modified nanoprecipitation method as well as 2 emulsion-based encapsulation techniques (ie, a solid-in oil-in water (s/o/w) and a double emulsion (w1/o/w2) method) were used. The main modification of nanoprecipitation involved the use of a wide range of miscible organic solvents such as dimethylsulfoxide and ethanol instead of the common acetone and water. The results obtained showed that tetanus toxoid and lysozyme were efficiently incorporated by the double emulsion procedure when ethyl acetate was used as solvent (>80% entrapment efficiency), whereas it was necessary to use methylene chloride to achieve high insulin entrapment efficiencies. The use of the s/o/w method or the formation of a more hydrophobic protein-surfactant ion pair did not improve protein loading. The nanoprecipitation method led to a homogenous population of small nanoparticles (with size ranging from ≈130 to 560 nm) and in some cases also improved experimental drug loadings, especially for lysozyme (entrapment efficiency >90%). With respect to drug content determination, a simple and quick matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) method provided results very close to those obtained by reverse phase-high-performance liquid chromatography. With respect to protein stability, the duration and intensity of sonication were not a concern for tetanus toxoid, which retained more than 95% of its antigenicity after treatment for 1 minute. Only a high methylene chloride:water ratio was shown to slightly decrease toxoid antigenicity. Finally, no more than 3.3% of A21 desamido insulin and only traces of covalent insulin dimer were detected in nanoparticles. In conclusion, both the double emulsion and nanoprecipitation methods allowed efficient protein encapsulation. MALDI-TOF MS allowed accurate drug content determination. The manufacturing processes evaluated did not damage the primary structure of insulin.
An Arabidopsis gene encoding an α-xylosyltransferase involved in xyloglucan biosynthesis

Microsomal membranes catalyze the formation of xyloglucan from UDP-Glc and UDP-Xyl by cooperative action of α-xylosyltransferase and β-glucan synthase activities. Here we report that etiolated pea microsomes contain an α-xylosyltransferase that catalyzes the transfer of xylose from UDP-[14C]xylose onto β(1,4)-linked glucan chains. The solubilized enzyme had the capacity to transfer xylosyl residues onto cello-oligosaccharides having 5 or more glucose residues. Analysis of the data from these biochemical assays led to the identification of a group of Arabidopsis genes and the hypothesis that one or more members of this group may encode α-xylosyltransferases involved in xyloglucan biosynthesis. To evaluate this hypothesis, the candidate genes were expressed in Pichia pastoris and their activities measured with the biochemical assay described above. One of the candidate genes showed cello-oligosaccharide-dependent xylosyltransferase activity. Characterization of the radiolabeled products obtained with cellopentaose as acceptor indicated that the pea and the Arabidopsis enzymes transfer the 14C-labeled xylose mainly to the second glucose residue from the nonreducing end. Enzymatic digestion of these radiolabeled products produced results that would be expected if the xylose was attached in an α(1,6)-linkage to the glucan chain. We conclude that this Arabidopsis gene encodes an α-xylosyltransferase activity involved in xyloglucan biosynthesis.
F -center production in alkali halide crystals by monochromatic x-ray and ultraviolet radiation.

The spectral dependence of the F-italic-center production efficiency was observed in the hard-x-ray region at the K-italic edge of bromine in KBr and in the near-ultraviolet part of the spectrum corresponding to the exciton region of several alkali halides. Evidence of a definite increase at the core threshold was observed as well as a significant wavelength dependence of the F-italic-center production efficiency in the near-uv region. These studies were made possible by the development of an extremely sensitive method of detecting F-italic centers in ultralow concentrations, which utilizes the luminescent properties of these centers.
Formalizing planning algorithms : a logical framework for the research on extending the classical planning approach �

In this work we show how a planner implemented as an abductive reasoning process can have the same performance and behavior as classical planning algorithms. We demonstrate this result by considering three different versions of an abductive event calculus planner on reproducing some important comparative analyses of planning algorithms found in the literature. We argue that a logic-based planner, defined as the application of general purpose theorem proving techniques to a general purpose action formalism, can be a very solid base for the research on extending the classical planning ap-
Congestion Prediction Algorithm for Network on Chip

Network on chip (NoC) traffic congestion was one of the important reasons for the data transmission performance degradation. In this paper, we presented a congestion judgment algorithm, which was based on neural network. The congestion control algorithm firstly used the hamming network to compute the NoC's link buffer congestion state, secondly used the competitive network to find the worst congestion node, and then adopted avoiding congested node routing policy to improve the NoC’s transmission performance. In this paper, the congestion control algorithm can make the data stream as far as possible evenly distributed in the NoC’s nodes and links and reduce the transmission resource competition. The simulation results showed that the congestion control algorithm could achieve better network throughput and average transmission delay. DOI: http://dx.doi. org/10.11591/telkomnika.v11i12. 3987
Ca2+-Permeable AMPA Receptors Regulate Growth of Human Glioblastoma via Akt Activation

Evidence has been accumulated that glioblastoma cells release and exploit glutamate for proliferation and migration by autocrine or paracrine loops through Ca2+-permeable AMPA-type glutamate receptors. Here, we show that Ca2+ signaling mediated by AMPA receptor regulates the growth and motility of glioblastoma cells via activation of Akt. Ca2+ supplied through Ca2+-permeable AMPA receptor phosphorylated Akt at Ser-473, thereby facilitating proliferation and mobility. A dominant-negative form of Akt inhibited cell proliferation and migration accelerated by overexpression of Ca2+-permeable AMPA receptor. In contrast, introduction of a constitutively active form of Akt rescued tumor cells from apoptosis induced by the conversion of Ca2+-permeable AMPA receptor to Ca2+-impermeable receptors by the delivery of GluR2 cDNA. Therefore, Akt functions as downstream effectors for Ca2+-signaling mediated by AMPA receptor in glioblastoma cells. The activation of the glutamate-AMPA receptor-Akt pathway may contribute to the high degree of anaplasia and invasive growth of human glioblastoma. This novel pathway might give an alternative therapeutic target.
Personality Dispositions and Job Satisfaction

Interactional explanations of job satisfaction are generally accepted, but the relative weight attached to dispositional and situational aspects is a matter of debate. Relationships of two negative affectivity, two positive affectivity, and one bipolar affective measure, as well as a sense of coherence scale, to intrinsic, extrinsic, total and global job satisfaction were investigated. Three samples of, respectively, 118 student nurses, 88 professional, managerial and administrative employees of the property investments division of an insurance company, and 117 artisans in a public utility participated. Correlations between intrinsic and extrinsic scores were unacceptably high (0.64–0.72). There was some support for the view that dispositions and job satisfaction are related: weakly for negative affectivity, somewhat stronger for positive affectivity, still stronger for the bipolar measure, and strongest for the sense of coherence. As in similar studies, the significant correlations were only moderate, ranging from 0.21 to 0.47. It was, however, argued that personality (and also situational) variables are likely to be, at best, modest predictors of job satisfaction, in view of the number and complexity of co-producers and the product.
Assessment of a training programme for the prevention of ventilator-associated pneumonia

Background Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is the most frequent nosocomial infection in intensive care units (ICUs). Most published studies have analysed nurses' theoretical knowledge about a specific procedure; however, the transfer of this knowledge to the practice has received little attention. Aim To assess the impact of training session on nurses' knowledge regarding VAP, compliance with VAP preventive measures, VAP incidence and determining whether nursing workload affects compliance. Method A prospective, quasiexperimental, pre- and post-study of the nursing team in a 16-bed medical/surgical ICU. Pre-intervention phase: a questionnaire to assess nurses' knowledge of VAP prevention measures, direct observation and review of clinical records to assess compliance. Intervention phase: eight training sessions for nurses. The post-intervention phase mirrored the pre-intervention phase. Findings Nurses answered more questions correctly on the post-intervention questionnaire than on the pre-intervention (17·87 ± 2·69 versus 15·91 ± 2·68, p = 0·002). Compliance with the following measures was better during the post-intervention period (p = 0·001): use of the smallest possible nasogastric tube, controlled aspiration of subglottic secretions and endotracheal tube cuff pressure, use of oral chlorhexidine and recording the endotracheal tube fixation number. VAP incidence remained unchanged throughout the study. However, a trend towards lower incidence of late (>4 days after intubation) VAP was observed (4·6 versus 3·1 episodes/1000 ventilation days, p = 0·37). Conclusion The programme improved both knowledge of and compliance with VAP preventive measures, although improved knowledge did not always result in improved compliance.
Solution Structure of RING Finger-like Domain of Retinoblastoma-binding Protein-6 (RBBP6) Suggests It Functions as a U-box*

Background: U-box-containing proteins cooperate with chaperones in ubiquitinating irreversibly unfolded proteins. Results: Retinoblastoma binding protein-6 (RBBP6) contains a zinc-binding U-box-like domain and interacts directly with chaperones. Conclusion: RBBP6 may play a role in protein quality control. Significance: U-boxes should be classified in terms of their interaction with chaperones and not their zinc binding properties. Retinoblastoma-binding protein-6 (RBBP6) plays a facilitating role, through its RING finger-like domain, in the ubiquitination of p53 by Hdm2 that is suggestive of E4-like activity. Although the presence of eight conserved cysteine residues makes it highly probable that the RING finger-like domain coordinates two zinc ions, analysis of the primary sequence suggests an alternative classification as a member of the U-box family, the members of which do not bind zinc ions. We show here that despite binding two zinc ions, the domain adopts a homodimeric structure highly similar to those of a number of U-boxes. Zinc ions could be replaced by cadmium ions without significantly disrupting the structure or the stability of the domain, although the rate of substitution was an order of magnitude slower than any previous measurement, suggesting that the structure is particularly stable, a conclusion supported by the high thermal stability of the domain. A hallmark of U-box-containing proteins is their association with chaperones, with which they cooperate in eliminating irretrievably unfolded proteins by tagging them for degradation by the proteasome. Using a yeast two-hybrid screen, we show that RBBP6 interacts with chaperones Hsp70 and Hsp40 through its N-terminal ubiquitin-like domain. Taken together with the structural similarities to U-box-containing proteins, our data suggest that RBBP6 plays a role in chaperone-mediated ubiquitination and possibly in protein quality control.
The role of prosecutorial independence and prosecutorial accountability in domestic human rights trials

ABSTRACT A prosecutorial organ is always in charge of the investigation and prosecution of crime, which makes this institution a key gatekeeper to the courts. Empowered with prosecutorial discretion, a prosecutorial organ dictates what, when, and whom to prosecute. The institutional design of the prosecutorial organ varies across time and across countries, which raises an important, yet quite understudied question: Does institutional design matter for how states respond to human rights violations and, if so, how? In this article, I develop a theoretical framework that highlights the importance of prosecutorial independence and prosecutorial accountability. I argue that understanding the factors that impact the use of prosecutorial discretion in human rights cases can potentially provide a more complete understanding of why and when states fail to investigate, to prosecute, and to punish human rights violations committed by state agents.
Experimental validation of a critical domain size in reaction–diffusion systems with Escherichia coli populations

In a one-variable, finite size reaction–diffusion system, the existence of a minimal domain size required for the existence of a non-zero steady state is predicted, provided that the reaction–diffusion variable has a fixed value of zero at the boundaries of the domain (Dirichlet boundary conditions). This type of reaction diffusion model can be applied in population biology, in which the finite domain of the system represents a refuge where individuals can live normally immersed in a desert, or region where the conditions are so unfavourable that individuals cannot live in it. Building on a suggestion by Kenkre and Kuperman, and using non-chemotactic E. coli populations and a quasi-one-dimensional experimental design, we were able to find a minimal size (approximately 0.8 cm) for a refuge immersed in a region irradiated with intense UV light. The observed minimal size is in reasonable agreement with theory.
Workplace exposures and oesophageal cancer

OBJECTIVES To describe the relation between oesophageal cancer and many occupational circumstances with data from a population based case-control study. METHODS Cases were 99 histologically confirmed incident cases of cancer of the oesophagus, 63 of which were squamous cell carcinomas. Various control groups were available; for the present analysis a group was used that comprised 533 population controls and 533 patients with other types of cancer. Detailed job histories were elicited from all subjects and were translated by a team of chemists and hygienists for evidence of exposure to 294 occupational agents. Based on preliminary results and a review of literature, a set of 35 occupational agents and 19 occupations and industry titles were selected for this analysis. Logistic regression analyses were adjusted for age, birthplace, education, respondent (self or proxy), smoking, alcohol, and β-carotene intake. RESULTS Sulphuric acid and carbon black showed the strongest evidence of an association with oesophageal cancer, particularly squamous cell carcinoma. Other substances showed excess risks, but the evidence was more equivocal—namely chrysotile asbestos, alumina, mineral spirits, toluene, synthetic adhesives, other paints and varnishes, iron compounds, and mild steel dust. There was considerable overlap in occupational exposure patterns and results for some of these substances may be mutually confounded. None of the occupations or industry titles showed a clear excess risk; the strongest hints were for warehouse workers, food services workers, and workers from the miscellaneous food industry. CONCLUSIONS The data provide some support for an association between oesophageal cancer and a handful of occupational exposures, particularly sulphuric acid and carbon black. Many of the associations found have never been examined before and warrant further investigation.