Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Desmoglein 2 Depletion Leads to Increased Migration and Upregulation of the Chemoattractant Secretoneurin in Melanoma Cells

During development and progression of malignant melanoma, an important role has been attributed to alterations of cell-cell adhesions, in particular, to a “cadherin switch” from E- to N-cadherin. We have previously shown that a subtype of melanoma cells express the desmosomal cadherin desmoglein 2 as non-junction-bound cell surface protein in addition to classical cadherins. To study the role of desmoglein 2 in melanoma cells, melanoma lines containing high endogenous amounts of desmoglein 2 were depleted of the protein by RNA interference. Transwell migration and scratch wounding assays showed markedly increased migration upon desmoglein 2 suppression whereas proliferation and viability remained unaltered. In gene expression profiles, desmoglein 2 depletion was associated with overexpression of migration-related genes. Strongest overexpression was found for secretogranin II which has not been reported in melanoma cells before. The bioactive peptide derived from secretogranin II, secretoneurin, is known to exert chemoattractive functions and was demonstrated here to stimulate melanoma cell migration. In summary, we show that desmoglein 2 expression attenuates migration of melanoma cells. The mechanism of desmoglein 2 impaired cell migration is mediated by downregulation of secretogranin II. Loss of desmoglein 2 increases expression of secretogranin II, followed by an enhanced migratory activity of melanoma cells. Our data add a new pathway of regulating melanoma cell migration related to a desmoglein 2 – secretogranin II axis.
Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Modelled Radiative Forcing of the Direct Aerosol Effect with Multi-observation Evaluation

A high-resolution global aerosol model (Oslo CTM2) driven by meteorological data and allowing a comparison with a variety of aerosol observations is used to simulate radiative forcing (RF) of the direct aerosol effect. The model simulates all main aerosol components, including several secondary components such as nitrate and secondary organic carbon. The model reproduces the main chemical composition and size features observed during large aerosol campaigns. Although the chemical composition compares best with ground-based measurement over land for modelled sulphate, no systematic differences are found for other compounds. The modelled aerosol optical depth (AOD) is compared to remote sensed data from AERONET ground and MODIS and MISR satellite retrievals. To gain confidence in the aerosol modelling, we have tested its ability to reproduce daily variability in the aerosol content, and this is performing well in many regions; however, we also identified some locations where model improvements are needed. The annual mean regional pattern of AOD from the aerosol model is broadly similar to the AERONET and the satellite retrievals (mostly within 10–20%). We notice a significant improvement from MODIS Collection 4 to Collection 5 compared to AERONET data. Satellite derived estimates of aerosol radiative effect over ocean for clear sky conditions differs significantly on regional scales (almost up to a factor two), but also in the global mean. The Oslo CTM2 has an aerosol radiative effect close to the mean of the satellite derived estimates. We derive a radiative forcing (RF) of the direct aerosol effect of −0.35 Wm −2 in our base case. Implementation of a simple approach to consider internal black carbon (BC) mixture results in a total RF of −0.28 Wm −2. Our results highlight the importance of carbonaceous particles , producing stronger individual RF than considered in the recent IPCC estimate; however, net RF is less different. A significant RF from secondary organic aerosols (SOA) is estimated (close to −0.1 Wm −2). The SOA also contributes to a strong domination of secondary aerosol species for the aerosol composition over land. A combination of sensitivity simulations and model evaluation show that the RF is rather robust and unlikely to be much stronger than in our best estimate .
M-learning & Mobile Knowledge Management : Emerging New Stages of e-Learning & Knowledge Management

Prevailing trends in E-learning and Knowledge Management (KM) projects have been enhanced by their increasing relativity in technological arena. The paper analyses and compares different M-learning and Mobile Knowledge Management (MKM) introduction scenarios based on evidence found in various relevant resources. The similarities and differences as identified between MKM and M-learning during the entire course of study are mentioned in details.
Evaluating bioretention hydrology and nutrient removal at three field sites in North Carolina

Three bioretention field sites in North Carolina were examined for pollutant removal abilities and hydrologic performance. The cells varied by fill media type or drainage configuration. The field studies confirmed high annual total nitrogen mass removal rates at two conventionally drained bioretention cells (40% reduction each). Nitrate-nitrogen mass removal rates varied between 75 and 13%, and calculated annual mass removal of zinc, copper, and lead from one Greensboro cell were 98, 99, and 81%, respectively. All high mass removal rates were due to a substantial decrease in outflow volume. The ratio of volume of water leaving the bioretention cell versus that which entered the cell varied from 0.07 (summer) to 0.54 (winter). There was a significant (p<0.05) change in the ratio of outflow volume to inflow volume when comparing warm seasons to winter. Cells using a fill soil media with a lower phosphorus index (P-index), Chapel Hill cell C1 and Greensboro cell G1, had much higher phosphorus removal than Gr.
The Barium Isotopic Abundance in the Metal-Poor Star HD140283

Abstract We derive the mixture of odd to even barium isotopes in the atmosphere of the metal-poor subgiant HD140283 from the analysis of the Ba ii transition at 4554 Å in a high-resolution high signal-to-noise spectrum of the star. The detailed shape of this spectral line depends on the relative contributions of odd and even isotopes via isotopic and hyperfine splitting. We measure the fractional abundance of odd Ba isotopes by modelling the formation of the Ba ii 4554-Å line profile with the use of both a classical 1D hydrostatic and a 3D hydrodynamical model atmosphere of HD140283. We interpret the results in terms of contributions by the slow (s) and rapid (r) neutron-capture processes to the isotopic mix. While the result of the 1D analysis of the Ba ii feature indicates a 64 ± 36% contribution of the r-process to the isotopic mix, the 3D analysis points toward a mere 15 ± 34% contribution from this process, that is consistent with a solar-like mixture of barium isotopes.
Resonances of the confined hydrogenöıd ion and the Dicke effect in non-relativistic quantum electrodynamics

We pursue the spectral analysis of the model describing a system of one dynamical nucleus and one electron together with the quantized electromagnetic field. We impose an ultraviolet cutoff and assume that the fine-structure constant is sufficiently small. Then we prove that the unperturbed eigenvalues turn into resonances when the nucleus and the electron are coupled to the radiation field. Furthermore, a method to calculate the resonances up to all orders in the coupling parameters is given. This analysis is related to the Lamb-Dicke effect.
Wild-gathered fungi for health and rural livelihoods

Fungi are a good source of digestible proteins and fibre, are low in fat and energy and make a useful contribution to vitamin and mineral intake. In terms of current dietary advice, 80 g fungi represent one portion of vegetables. Dried fungi and concentrated extracts are also used as medicines and dietary supplements. Some species show strong anti-tumour and antioxidant activity by enhancing various immune system functions and lowering cholesterol levels. Nevertheless, there are also some safety concerns. Edible species might be mistaken for poisonous ones, high heavy-metal concentrations in wild edible fungi (WEF) are a known source of chronic poisoning and the consumption of WEF can contribute markedly to the radiocaesium intake of human subjects. Some regions of Europe have a strong WEF tradition, especially eastern Europe. In the UK the consumption of wild fungi is considered of minor importance. Only one-third of adults consume fungi (cultivated species and WEF) throughout the UK; the average intake of fungi in the UK is estimated to be 0.12 kg fresh weight per capita per year. At least eighty-two species of wild fungi are recorded as being consumed in the UK, although certain species (e.g. chanterelle (Cantharellus cibarius), cep (Boletus edulis), oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus)) are favoured over others. Although WEF are not essential components in the daily diet, they are a nutritionally-valuable addition to the range of vegetables consumed, and their role in helping to avert food shortages in less-favoured areas should be definitely considered.
Susceptibility of Human Head and Neck Cancer Cells to Combined Inhibition of Glutathione and Thioredoxin Metabolism

Increased glutathione (GSH) and thioredoxin (Trx) metabolism are mechanisms that are widely implicated in resistance of cancer cells to chemotherapy. The current study determined if simultaneous inhibition of GSH and Trx metabolism enhanced cell killing of human head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) cells by a mechanism involving oxidative stress. Inhibition of GSH and Trx metabolism with buthionine sulfoximine (BSO) and auranofin (AUR), respectively, induced significant decreases in clonogenic survival compared to either drug alone in FaDu, Cal-27 and SCC-25 HNSCC cells in vitro and in vivo in Cal-27 xenografts. BSO+AUR significantly increased glutathione and thioredoxin oxidation and suppressed peroxiredoxin activity in vitro. Pre-treatment with N-acetylcysteine completely reversed BSO+AUR-induced cell killing in FaDu and Cal-27 cells, while catalase and selenium supplementation only inhibited BSO+AUR-induced cell killing in FaDu cells. BSO+AUR decreased caspase 3/7 activity in HNSCC cells and significantly reduced the viability of both Bax/Bak double knockout (DKO) and DKO-Bax reconstituted hematopoietic cells suggesting that necrosis was involved. BSO+AUR also significantly sensitized FaDu, Cal-27, SCC-25 and SQ20B cells to cell killing induced by the EGFR inhibitor Erlotinib in vitro. These results support the conclusion that simultaneous inhibition of GSH and Trx metabolism pathways induces oxidative stress and clonogenic killing in HNSCCs and this strategy may be useful in sensitizing HNSCCs to EGFR inhibitors.
Optimalisasi Penerapan Model Pembelajaran Reading Aloud With Comprehension (RAC) untuk Meningkatkan Kemampuan Membaca Permulaan Siswa Sekolah Dasar

Masalah penelitian ini dibatasi pada masalah utama yang muncul dalam pembelajaran membaca permulaan di sekolah dasar. Masalah tersebut adalah kurang terbinanya keterampilan membaca permulaan para siswa. Faktor utama yang menyebabkan hal tersebut adalah belum diterapkannya model pembelajaran membaca permulaan yang tepat bagi siswa. Sejalan dengan masalah ini tujuan penelitian yang hendak dicapai melalui penelitian ini adalah untuk mengetahui, menjelaskan, dan memaparkan (1) perbedaan kemampuan membaca permulaan antara siswa SD yang mendapatkan pembelajaran dengan menggunakan model RAC dan yang tidak menggunakan model RAC dan (2) faktor-faktor utama yang mendukung kemampuan membaca pemahaman siswa sekolah dasar. Penelitian ini dilaksanakan dengan menggunakan metode penelitian campuran tipe eksplanatori. Subjek penelitian ini adalah guru dan siswa sekolah dasar di Kecamatan Cileunyi Kabupaten Bandung dan Kecamatan Ujungberung Kota Bandung. Data Penelitian akan dikumpulkan dengan menggunakan instrumen (1) kuesioner (2) wawancara, (3) penilaian hasil belajar, (4) penilaian proses/keterampilan, (5) catatan lapangan, dan (6) dokumentasi. Data hasil penelitian akan diolah dengan menggunakan teknik pengolahan data kualitatif dan teknik pengolahan data kuantitatif dengan uji statistika. Berdasarkan hasil pengolahan data diketahui bahwa (1) terdapat perbedaan kemampuan membaca permulaan antara siswa SD yang mendapatkan pembelajaran dengan menggunakan model RAC dan yang tidak menggunakan model RAC dan (2) faktor-faktor utama yang mendukung kemampuan membaca pemahaman siswa sekolah dasar adalah faktor intensitas membaca, strategi pembelajaran membaca, dan pengayaan bahan bacaan.
Individual and cultural factors affecting diffusion of innovation

Several research studies attempted to study and analyze the factors that affect innovation diffusion. However, the focus was on the innovation attributes rather than the individual factors that help or prevent innovation acceptance and diffusion. This paper advances a conceptual model that integrates individual and cultural factors that affect acceptance and diffusion of innovations. Individual factors include the roles of lead users and opinion leaders, while cultural factors are represented by uncertainty avoidance and individualism. This model aims to link all factors in order to help managers manage the innovation process optimally in different markets. It is recommended to identify the key groups that would support the process; including lead users (inventors) and opinion leaders (promoters); as well a unique groups that combines both characteristics (champions). Online communities are the contemporary tool that could be used in order to best utilize the above groups. Further, cultural factors, such as individualism and uncertainty avoidance should be considered in order to optimize the efforts and maximize innovation diffusion.
"I Want to Be a Drug Counselor:" Possible Selves in Persons Living with HIV/AIDS

The purpose of this study was to explore PLWHAs’ possible selves (Marcus & Nurius, 1986). A secondary analysis was conducted using data from 36 individuals’ indepth interviews. Participants’ past selves, current selves and feared selves were unearthed. These findings have implications for health educators. Chronic diseases are incurable and a treatment regimen is customary (Siegel & Lekas, 2002). In the United States, HIV/AIDS has transitioned from a terminal illness to a chronic illness since its discovery in 1981 (Siegel & Lekas, 2002). The projected life expectancy for a 30-yearold gay man with a CD4 count above 350 diagnosed HIV-positive in 2010 is now approximately 75 years old (Nakagawa et al., 2012). In North America, 1.4 million individuals are living with HIV compared to 1.1 million in 2001 (Global Report: UNAIDS report on the global AIDS epidemic, 2012). Living with a chronic disease affects the self in a variety of ways. Identity theorists posit that the self is made up of many identities or roles (Serpe & Stryker, 2011). The onset of a chronic disease has been shown to affect aspects of a person’s self including one’s spirituality (Kremer, Ironson, & Kaplan, 2009), intimate relationships (Keegan & Lambert, 2005) and work identity (Thornhill, Lyons, Nouwen & Lip, 2008). However, less is known about what people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHAs) are afraid of becoming or how they see themselves in the future. Because HIV/AIDS is considered a chronic illness, and individuals anticipate living with the disease for an extended period, they might also envision “possible selves” (Marcus & Nurius, 1986, p. 954). Whereas scholars have investigated how HIV/AIDS affects other identities, less is known about People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHAs) and their possible selves. Literature Review The possible selves concept is situated in the self-concept literature and has roots in the field of psychology (Marcus & Nurius, 1986). The subcategories of possible selves include the past self, current self, feared self (a negative future self), hoped for self (an ideal future self), and expected self (a more realistic future self that the person wants to become). A person may possess any number of possible selves (Markus & Nurius, 1986). Possible selves are unique to the individual but influenced by the “individual’s particular sociocultural and historical context. and by the individual’s immediate social experiences” (p. 954).
Telerehabilitation Using a Virtual Environment Improves Upper Extremity Function in Patients With Stroke

In this paper, we describe our experience in designing a virtual environment-based (VE) telerehabilitation system, and the results of a clinical study of the first 11 subjects with stroke to use the system. Our telerehabilitation system allows a therapist to conduct interactive VE treatment sessions remotely with a patient who is located at home. The system, software architecture, and development experience are described. Results of the clinical study on subjects with stroke showed significant improvements in upper extremity function following 30 1-h VE treatment sessions as measured by three standard clinical tests: Fugl-Meyer test of motor recovery (FM) (p<0.0001), Wolf motor test (WMT) (p=0.0097, and shoulder strength (ShS) (p=0.0027). Grip strength (GS) showed a trend toward improvement (p=0.025). These changes were maintained, for the most part, at four-months follow-up (FM +7.6, WMT -18.4 s, ShS, +169%, GS, +53%)
A Functional Screen Identifies miR-34a as a Candidate Neuroblastoma Tumor Suppressor Gene

MicroRNAs are small noncoding RNAs that have critical roles in regulating a number of cellular functions through transcriptional silencing. They have been implicated as oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes (oncomirs) in several human neoplasms. We used an integrated genomics and functional screening strategy to identify potential oncomirs in the pediatric neoplasm neuroblastoma. We first identified microRNAs that map within chromosomal regions that we and others have defined as frequently deleted (1p36, 3p22, and 11q23-24) or gained (17q23) in high-risk neuroblastoma. We then transiently transfected microRNA precursor mimics or inhibitors into a panel of six neuroblastoma cell lines that we characterized for these genomic aberrations. The majority of transfections showed no phenotypic effect, but the miR-34a (1p36) and miR-34c (11q23) mimics showed dramatic growth inhibition in cell lines with 1p36 hemizygous deletion. In contrast, there was no growth inhibition by these mimics in cell lines without 1p36 deletions. Quantitative reverse transcription-PCR showed a perfect correlation of absent miR-34a expression in cell lines with a 1p36 aberration and phenotypic effect after mimetic add-back. Expression of miR-34a was also decreased in primary tumors (n = 54) with 1p36 deletion (P = 0.009), but no mutations were discovered in resequencing of the miR-34a locus in 30 neuroblastoma cell lines. Flow cytometric time series analyses showed that the likely mechanism of miR-34a growth inhibition is through cell cycle arrest followed by apoptosis. BCL2 and MYCN were identified as miR-34a targets and likely mediators of the tumor suppressor phenotypic effect. These data support miR-34a as a tumor suppressor gene in human neuroblastoma. (Mol Cancer Res 2008;6(5):735–42)
HIV Induces TRAIL Sensitivity in Hepatocytes

Background HIV infected patients have an increased susceptibility to liver disease due to Hepatitis B Virus (HBV), Hepatitis C Virus (HCV), alcoholic, and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis. Clinically, this results in limited options for antiretroviral therapy and accelerated rates of liver disease, causing liver disease to be the second leading cause of death for HIV infected patients. The mechanisms causing this propensity for liver dysfunction during HIV remains unknown. Methodology/Principal Findings We demonstrate that HIV and/or the HIV glycoprotein gp120 ligation of CXCR4 on hepatocytes selectively up-regulates TRAIL R2 expression and confers an acquired sensitivity to TRAIL mediated apoptosis which is mediated by JNK II, but not p38 nor G-proteins. Conclusions/Significance These findings suggest that HIV infection renders hepatocytes more susceptible to liver injury during disease states associated with enhanced TRAIL production such as HBV, HCV, or steatohepatitis.
Infants Generalize Representations of Statistically Segmented Words

The acoustic variation in language presents learners with a substantial challenge. To learn by tracking statistical regularities in speech, infants must recognize words across tokens that differ based on characteristics such as the speaker’s voice, affect, or the sentence context. Previous statistical learning studies have not investigated how these types of surface form variation affect learning. The present experiments used tasks tailored to two distinct developmental levels to investigate the robustness of statistical learning to variation. Experiment 1 examined statistical word segmentation in 11-month-olds and found that infants can recognize statistically segmented words across a change in the speaker’s voice from segmentation to testing. The direction of infants’ preferences suggests that recognizing words across a voice change is more difficult than recognizing them in a consistent voice. Experiment 2 tested whether 17-month-olds can generalize the output of statistical learning across variation to support word learning. The infants were successful in their generalization; they associated referents with statistically defined words despite a change in voice from segmentation to label learning. Infants’ learning patterns also indicate that they formed representations of across-word syllable sequences during segmentation. Thus, low probability sequences can act as object labels in some conditions. The findings of these experiments suggest that the units that emerge during statistical learning are not perceptually constrained, but rather are robust to naturalistic acoustic variation.
Formatting and Presentation as Confounds in Online Studies

Participant biases are a well-documented part of psychological research, and accounting for common biases (e.g., participant acquiescence) is now commonplace. However, the role that online survey construction plays in handling or aggravating these biases has not been as deeply investigated. The current research asked participants to complete a simple trait attribution task in the form of an online survey in which the scale type, order of stimuli presentation, and presence of page breaks varied. As hypothesized, these varying presentation features impacted participant responses. Precautions for avoiding these errors are discussed, as well as the possible implications for replicability in social psychology.
Compartment-specific pH monitoring in Bacillus subtilis using fluorescent sensor proteins: a tool to analyze the antibacterial effect of weak organic acids

The internal pH (pHi) of a living cell is one of its most important physiological parameters. To monitor the pH inside Bacillus subtilis during various stages of its life cycle, we constructed an improved version (IpHluorin) of the ratiometric, pH-sensitive fluorescent protein pHluorin by extending it at the 5′ end with the first 24 bp of comGA. The new version, which showed an approximate 40% increase in fluorescence intensity, was expressed from developmental phase-specific, native promoters of B. subtilis that are specifically active during vegetative growth on glucose (PptsG) or during sporulation (PspoIIA, PspoIIID, and PsspE). Our results show strong, compartment-specific expression of IpHluorin that allowed accurate pHi measurements of live cultures during exponential growth, early and late sporulation, spore germination, and during subsequent spore outgrowth. Dormant spores were characterized by an pHi of 6.0 ± 0.3. Upon full germination the pHi rose dependent on the medium to 7.0–7.4. The presence of sorbic acid in the germination medium inhibited a rise in the intracellular pH of germinating spores and inhibited germination. Such effects were absent when acetic was added at identical concentrations.