Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Functional Role of N-Linked Glycosylation in Pseudorabies Virus Glycoprotein gH

ABSTRACT Many viral envelope proteins are modified by asparagine (N)-linked glycosylation, which can influence their structure, physicochemical properties, intracellular transport, and function. Here, we systematically analyzed the functional relevance of N-linked glycans in the alphaherpesvirus pseudorabies virus (PrV) glycoprotein H (gH), which is an essential component of the conserved core herpesvirus fusion machinery. Upon gD-mediated receptor binding, the heterodimeric complex of gH and gL activates gB to mediate fusion of the viral envelope with the host cell membrane for viral entry. gH contains five potential N-linked glycosylation sites at positions 77, 162, 542, 604, and 627, which were inactivated by conservative mutations (asparagine to glutamine) singly or in combination. The mutated proteins were tested for correct expression and fusion activity. Additionally, the mutated gH genes were inserted into the PrV genome for analysis of function during virus infection. Our results demonstrate that all five sites are glycosylated. Inactivation of the PrV-specific N77 or the conserved N627 resulted in significantly reduced in vitro fusion activity, delayed penetration kinetics, and smaller virus plaques. Moreover, substitution of N627 greatly affected transport of gH in transfected cells, resulting in endoplasmic reticulum (ER) retention and reduced surface expression. In contrast, mutation of N604, which is conserved in the Varicellovirus genus, resulted in enhanced in vitro fusion activity and viral cell-to-cell spread. These results demonstrate a role of the N-glycans in proper localization and function of PrV gH. However, even simultaneous inactivation of all five N-glycosylation sites of gH did not severely inhibit formation of infectious virus particles. IMPORTANCE Herpesvirus infection requires fusion of the viral envelope with cellular membranes, which involves the conserved fusion machinery consisting of gB and the heterodimeric gH/gL complex. The bona fide fusion protein gB depends on the presence of the gH/gL complex for activation. Viral envelope glycoproteins, such as gH, usually contain N-glycans, which can have a strong impact on their folding, transport, and functions. Here, we systematically analyzed the functional relevance of all five predicted N-linked glycosylation sites in the alphaherpesvirus pseudorabies virus (PrV) gH. Despite the fact that mutation of specific sites affected gH transport, in vitro fusion activity, and cell-to-cell spread and resulted in delayed penetration kinetics, even simultaneous inactivation of all five N-glycosylation sites of gH did not severely inhibit formation of infectious virus particles. Thus, our results demonstrate a modulatory but nonessential role of N-glycans for gH function.
Neurocognitive Impairments Are More Severe in the Binge-Eating/Purging Anorexia Nervosa Subtype Than in the Restricting Subtype

Objective: To evaluate cognitive function impairment in patients with anorexia nervosa (AN) of either the restricting (ANR) or binge-eating/purging (ANBP) subtype. Method: We administered the Japanese version of the MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery to 22 patients with ANR, 18 patients with ANBP, and 69 healthy control subjects. Our participants were selected from among the patients at the Kobe University Hospital and community residents. Results: Compared to the healthy controls, the ANR group had significantly lower visual learning and social cognition scores, and the ANBP group had significantly lower processing speed, attention/vigilance, visual learning, reasoning/problem-solving, and social cognition scores. Compared to the ANR group, the ANBP group had significantly lower attention/vigilance scores. Discussion: The AN subtypes differed in cognitive function impairments. Participants with ANBP, which is associated with higher mortality rates than ANR, exhibited greater impairment severities, especially in the attention/vigilance domain, confirming the presence of impairments in continuous concentration. This may relate to the impulsivity, an ANBP characteristic reported in the personality research. Future studies can further clarify the cognitive impairments of each subtype by addressing the subtype cognitive functions and personality characteristics.
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN IDENTITY , COGNITIVE , INFORMATION AND AVOIDANCE STYLES WITH EMPATHY AMONG THE STUDENTS OF ISLAMIC AZAD UNIVERSITY , HORASGAN BRANCH

The present study aims to determine the relation between Identity styles and the rate of empathy among the students of Islamic Azad University Khorasgan branch. The research method is quantitative, descriptive and correlation on which 400 university students from different faculties of Khorasgan university have been Selected using random research, branching and multi-stage method. In the present Brozonsky identity style questionnaire has been used for determining identity styles (I992), Joliffe and faring ton fundamental empathy scale for empathy level (2006) data analysis was performed through SPS 20software, descriptive statistics (Frequency, Percentage, Standard deviation)and inferring statistics. Pearson and regression multi variable co-efficient correlation were used. There is a positive significant relation (p) between informative identity and cognitive empathy while having no one with emotional empathy. Normative identity has a significant relation with none of the fundamental empathy factors. (p<0/05) identity has a significant relation with cognitive empathy (p 01) and no significant relation with emotional empathy. Informative and preventive identity styles are orderly positive and negative predictors for self -awareness, self-control, empathy and social skills while informative identity style is" sl.r;t"bl" predictor positively for self-interest.
How Green Self Image Affects Subjective Well-Being: Pro-Environmental Values as a Social Norm

Recent literature has found that individuals holding a greener self-image display higher levels of life satisfaction. We extend the single-country setting of that research to a transnational perspective and explore whether a relationship exists between green self-image (GSI) and life satisfaction (LS), both European-wide and at the national level. In order to explain differences in the GSI-LS relationship across nations and time, we study the role of pro-environmental values as a shared social norm. We find a significantly positive GSI-LS relationship in a pool of 35 European countries and in the majority of individual countries. In addition, we show that the well-being benefit of holding a green self-image is greater in societies that are less divided with respect to environmental attitudes, that is, where being green is a shared social norm.
Cognitive flexibility modulates maturation and music‐training‐related changes in neural sound discrimination

Previous research has demonstrated that musicians show superior neural sound discrimination when compared to non‐musicians, and that these changes emerge with accumulation of training. Our aim was to investigate whether individual differences in executive functions predict training‐related changes in neural sound discrimination. We measured event‐related potentials induced by sound changes coupled with tests for executive functions in musically trained and non‐trained children aged 9–11 years and 13–15 years. High performance in a set‐shifting task, indexing cognitive flexibility, was linked to enhanced maturation of neural sound discrimination in both musically trained and non‐trained children. Specifically, well‐performing musically trained children already showed large mismatch negativity (MMN) responses at a young age as well as at an older age, indicating accurate sound discrimination. In contrast, the musically trained low‐performing children still showed an increase in MMN amplitude with age, suggesting that they were behind their high‐performing peers in the development of sound discrimination. In the non‐trained group, in turn, only the high‐performing children showed evidence of an age‐related increase in MMN amplitude, and the low‐performing children showed a small MMN with no age‐related change. These latter results suggest an advantage in MMN development also for high‐performing non‐trained individuals. For the P3a amplitude, there was an age‐related increase only in the children who performed well in the set‐shifting task, irrespective of music training, indicating enhanced attention‐related processes in these children. Thus, the current study provides the first evidence that, in children, cognitive flexibility may influence age‐related and training‐related plasticity of neural sound discrimination.
Enhancing Clone-and-Own with Systematic Reuse for Developing Software Variants

To keep pace with the increasing demand for custom-tailored software systems, companies often apply a practice called clone-and-own, whereby a new variant of a software system is built by coping and adapting existing variants. Instead of a single and configurable system, clone-and-own leads to ad hoc product portfolios of multiple yet similar variants that soon become impossible to maintain effectively. Clone-and-own has widespread industrial use because it requires no major upfront investments and is intuitive, but it lacks a methodology for systematic reuse. In this work we propose ECCO (Extraction and Composition for Clone-and-Own), a novel approach to enhance clone and-own that actively supports the development and maintenance of software product variants. A software engineer selects the desired features and ECCO finds the proper software artifacts to reuse and then provides guidance during the manual completion by hinting which software artifacts may need adaptation. We evaluated our approach on 6 case studies, covering 402 variants having up to 344KLOC, and found that precision and recall of composed products quickly reach a near optimum (>95% reuse).
Effects of Lidocaine on Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury in In vivo Rabbit Hearts

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the cardioprotective effects of lidocaine administered at three different timings, as indexes of hemodynamics, infarct size, antiarrhythmic action, and changing activation time by electrocardiogram in in vivo rabbit hearts. Methods: Thirty two rabbits received regional ischemia by 30 min of left anterior descending coronary artery occlusion followed 3 hours of reperfusion under ketamine and xylazine anesthesia. The animals were randomly assigned to the following 4 treatment groups: a control group, a lidocaine-preconditioned group, a lidocainepostconditioned group, and a lidocaine-continuous administration group. Results: The ratio of areas at risk revealed no significant difference among all groups. Mean infarct size of the area at risk was significantly less in a lidocaine-continuous administration group than other 3 groups. The incidence of arrhythmias during myocardial ischemia was no significant difference between a control group and other 3 groups. The incidence of arrhythmias during reperfusion was no significant difference among all groups. However, lidocaine depressed the activation time which was prolonged by ischemia.
Descriptive Epidemiology of Sitting Time in Omani Men and Women: A Known Risk Factor for Non-Communicable Diseases.

OBJECTIVES Sedentary behaviors (too much sitting as distinct from too little exercise) are associated with increased risk of non-communicable diseases. Identifying the prevalence and sociodemographic correlates of sitting time can inform public health policy and prevention strategies. METHODS A population-based national survey was carried out among Omani adults in 2008 (n = 2 977) using the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire, which included a measure of total sitting time. Bivariate and regression analyses examined the associations of total sitting time with sociodemographic correlates (gender, age, education, work status, marital status, place of residence, and wealth). RESULTS The proportion who sat for ≥ 7 hours/day was significantly higher in older than in younger adults (men: 22.0% vs. 14.6%, p < 0.010; women: 26.9% vs. 15.2%, p < 0.001, respectively). The odds ratio (OR) for prolonged sitting was half for men who were not working compared to those who were (p < 0.050). For younger women, the OR for sitting ≥ 7 hours/day was nearly a third for educated women compared to least educated (p = 0.035). For older women, the OR for prolonged sitting was more than double for married women compared to unmarried (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS One in five Omani adults was identified as sitting for prolonged periods, at levels understood to have deleterious health consequences. Higher-risk groups include older adults and working men. With sitting time identified as a key behavioral risk to be targeted for the prevention of non-communicable diseases, further research is needed to understand the factors associated with domain-specific sitting time in order to guide prevention programs and broader public health approaches.
Urban Stream Burial Increases Watershed-Scale Nitrate Export

Nitrogen (N) uptake in streams is an important ecosystem service that reduces nutrient loading to downstream ecosystems. Here we synthesize studies that investigated the effects of urban stream burial on N-uptake in two metropolitan areas and use simulation modeling to scale our measurements to the broader watershed scale. We report that nitrate travels on average 18 times farther downstream in buried than in open streams before being removed from the water column, indicating that burial substantially reduces N uptake in streams. Simulation modeling suggests that as burial expands throughout a river network, N uptake rates increase in the remaining open reaches which somewhat offsets reduced N uptake in buried reaches. This is particularly true at low levels of stream burial. At higher levels of stream burial, however, open reaches become rare and cumulative N uptake across all open reaches in the watershed rapidly declines. As a result, watershed-scale N export increases slowly at low levels of stream burial, after which increases in export become more pronounced. Stream burial in the lower, more urbanized portions of the watershed had a greater effect on N export than an equivalent amount of stream burial in the upper watershed. We suggest that stream daylighting (i.e., uncovering buried streams) can increase watershed-scale N retention.
Static Resilience of Large Flexible Engineering Systems: Part I – Axiomatic Design Model

Our modern life has grown to depend on many and nearly ubiquitous large complex engineering systems. In recent years, many disciplines have seemingly come to ask the same question: “In the face of assumed disruption, to what degree will these systems continue to perform and when will they be able to bounce back to normal operation”. This paper seeks to partially fulfill this need with static resilience measures for large flexible engineering systems based upon an axiomatic design model. Given that the measurement of resilience is an indirect measurement process based upon models and formulaic measures, this two part paper is similarly organized. In Part I, the model is developed upon graph theory, axiomatic design for large flexible engineering systems (LFESs), and a tight analogy between mechanical systems and LFESs. Central to the development is the concept of structural degrees of freedom as the available combinations of systems processes and resources which individually describe system capabilities or sequentially give a sense of the skeleton of a system’s behavior. In Part II, the structural degree of freedom model is used to enumerate the service paths through a LFES along which valuable artifacts flow. The work then compares the value and quantity of service paths before and after a disruption as measures of static resilience – or survivability. A full illustrative example from the production system domain is provided. It is followed by a thorough discussion of the proposed resilience measures relative to the recent literature.
Cross-polarized planar reflector for polarimetrie radar calibration at 77 GHz

In this paper, a printed circuit board (PCB)-based planar cross-polarized reflector is designed and fabricated for polarimetric radar calibrations at 77 GHz. The reflecting structure consists of a double-cladded substrate material with an etched strip grid on the front and a ground plane on the back. Initial design and parameter optimization are based on unit cell simulations. Next, a full-wave simulation of a small version of the structure is performed in order to verify the unit cell results and to consider edge effects at the boundaries of the finite surface. Finally, a 24cm × 24cm version of the optimized structure is fabricated and measured in an anechoic chamber with a fully polarimetric radar system operating at 77 GHz. The results are compared to that of a 45°-rotated dihedral. A measured cross-to co-polar isolation of 20 dB in boresight direction in the 76–78 GHz band proves the feasibility of the proposed structure.
Frustum PointNets for 3D Object Detection from RGB-D Data

In this work, we study 3D object detection from RGBD data in both indoor and outdoor scenes. While previous methods focus on images or 3D voxels, often obscuring natural 3D patterns and invariances of 3D data, we directly operate on raw point clouds by popping up RGB-D scans. However, a key challenge of this approach is how to efficiently localize objects in point clouds of large-scale scenes (region proposal). Instead of solely relying on 3D proposals, our method leverages both mature 2D object detectors and advanced 3D deep learning for object localization, achieving efficiency as well as high recall for even small objects. Benefited from learning directly in raw point clouds, our method is also able to precisely estimate 3D bounding boxes even under strong occlusion or with very sparse points. Evaluated on KITTI and SUN RGB-D 3D detection benchmarks, our method outperforms the state of the art by remarkable margins while having real-time capability.
Increased Variability and Asymmetric Expansion of the Hippocampal Spatial Representation in a Distal Cue‐Dependent Memory Task

Place cells in the hippocampus fire at specific positions in space, and distal cues in the environment play critical roles in determining the spatial firing patterns of place cells. Many studies have shown that place fields are influenced by distal cues in foraging animals. However, it is largely unknown whether distal‐cue‐dependent changes in place fields appear in different ways in a memory task if distal cues bear direct significance to achieving goals. We investigated this possibility in this study. Rats were trained to choose different spatial positions in a radial arm in association with distal cue configurations formed by visual cue sets attached to movable curtains around the apparatus. The animals were initially trained to associate readily discernible distal cue configurations (0° vs. 80° angular separation between distal cue sets) with different food‐well positions and then later experienced ambiguous cue configurations (14° and 66°) intermixed with the original cue configurations. Rats showed no difficulty in transferring the associated memory formed for the original cue configurations when similar cue configurations were presented. Place field positions remained at the same locations across different cue configurations, whereas stability and coherence of spatial firing patterns were significantly disrupted when ambiguous cue configurations were introduced. Furthermore, the spatial representation was extended backward and skewed more negatively at the population level when processing ambiguous cue configurations, compared with when processing the original cue configurations only. This effect was more salient for large cue‐separation conditions than for small cue‐separation conditions. No significant rate remapping was observed across distal cue configurations. These findings suggest that place cells in the hippocampus dynamically change their detailed firing characteristics in response to a modified cue environment and that some of the firing properties previously reported in a foraging task might carry more functional weight than others when tested in a distal‐cue‐dependent memory task. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Pharmacokinetics, Pharmacodynamics, and Allometric Scaling of Chloroquine in a Murine Malaria Model

ABSTRACT Chloroquine (CQ) is an important antimalarial drug for the treatment of special patient groups and as a comparator for preclinical testing of new drugs. Pharmacokinetic data for CQ in animal models are limited; thus, we conducted a three-part investigation, comprising (i) pharmacodynamic studies of CQ and CQ plus dihydroartemisinin (DHA) in Plasmodium berghei-infected mice, (ii) pharmacokinetic studies of CQ in healthy and malaria-infected mice, and (iii) interspecies allometric scaling for CQ from 6 animal and 12 human studies. The single-dose pharmacodynamic study (10 to 50 mg CQ/kg of body weight) showed dose-related reduction in parasitemia (5- to >500-fold) and a nadir 2 days after the dose. Multiple-dose regimens (total dose, 50 mg/kg CQ) demonstrated a lower nadir and longer survival time than did the same single dose. The CQ-DHA combination provided an additive effect compared to each drug alone. The elimination half-life (t1/2), clearance (CL), and volume of distribution (V) of CQ were 46.6 h, 9.9 liters/h/kg, and 667 liters/kg, respectively, in healthy mice and 99.3 h, 7.9 liters/h/kg, and 1,122 liters/kg, respectively, in malaria-infected mice. The allometric equations for CQ in healthy mammals (CL = 3.86 × W0.56, V = 230 × W0.94, and t1/2 = 123 × W0.2) were similar to those for malaria-infected groups. CQ showed a delayed dose-response relationship in the murine malaria model and additive efficacy when combined with DHA. The biphasic pharmacokinetic profiles of CQ are similar across mammalian species, and scaling of specific parameters is plausible for preclinical investigations.
Competing with Automata-based Expert Sequences

We consider a general framework of online learning with expert advice where regret is defined with respect to sequences of experts accepted by a weighted automaton. Our framework covers several problems previously studied, including competing against k-shifting experts. We give a series of algorithms for this problem, including an automata-based algorithm extending weighted-majority and more efficient algorithms based on the notion of failure transitions. We further present efficient algorithms based on an approximation of the competitor automaton, in particular n-gram models obtained by minimizing the∞-Rényi divergence, and present an extensive study of the approximation properties of such models. Finally, we also extend our algorithms and results to the framework of sleeping experts.