Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Pathways Mediating the Nuclear Import of Histones H3 and H4 in Yeast*

The correct assembly of chromatin is necessary for the maintenance of genomic stability in eukaryotic cells. A critical step in the assembly of new chromatin is the cell cycle-regulated synthesis and nuclear import of core histones. Here we demonstrate that the nuclear import pathway of histones H3 and H4 is mediated by at least two karyopherins/importins, Kap123p and Kap121p. Cytosolic H4 is found associated with Kap123p and H3. Kap121p is also present in the H4-PrA-associated fractions, albeit in lesser amounts than Kap123p, suggesting that this Kap serves as an additional import receptor. We further demonstrate that cytosolic Kap123p is associated with acetylated H3 and H4. H3 and H4 each contain a nuclear localization signal (NLS) in their amino-terminal domains. These amino-terminal domains were found to be essential for the nuclear accumulation of H3 and H4-green fluorescent protein reporters. Each NLS mediated direct binding to Kap123p and Kap121p, and decreased nuclear accumulation of H3 and H4 NLS-green fluorescent protein reporters was observed in specific kap mutant strains. H3 and H4 are the first histones to be assembled onto DNA, and these results show that their import is mediated by at least two import pathways.
An Extracellular Signal-Regulated Kinase 1- and 2-Dependent Program of Chromatin Trafficking of c-Fos and Fra-1 Is Required for Cyclin D1 Expression during Cell Cycle Reentry

ABSTRACT Mitogens activate cell signaling and gene expression cascades that culminate in expression of cyclin D1 during the G0-to-G1 transition of the cell cycle. Using cell cycle arrest in response to oxidative stress, we have delineated a dynamic program of chromatin trafficking of c-Fos and Fra-1 required for cyclin D1 expression during cell cycle reentry. In serum-stimulated lung epithelial cells, c-Fos was expressed, recruited to chromatin, phosphorylated at extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1- and 2 (ERK1,2)-dependent sites, and degraded prior to prolonged recruitment of Fra-1 to chromatin. Immunostaining showed that expression of nuclear c-Fos and that of cyclin D1 are mutually exclusive, whereas nuclear Fra-1 and cyclin D1 are coexpressed as cells traverse G1. Oxidative stress prolonged the accumulation of phospho-ERK1,2 and phospho-c-Fos on chromatin, inhibited entry of Fra-1 into the nucleus, and blocked cyclin D1 expression. After induction of the immediate-early gene response in the presence of oxidative stress, inhibition of ERK1,2 signaling promoted degradation of c-Fos, recruitment of Fra-1 to chromatin, and expression of cyclin D1. Our data indicate that termination of nuclear ERK1,2 signaling is required for an exchange of Fra-1 for c-Fos on chromatin and initiation of cyclin D1 expression at the G0-to-G1 transition of the cell cycle.
Axial gradients of rhodopsin in light-exposed retinal rods of the toad

Exposure of an intact vertebrate eye to light bleaches the rhodopsin in the photoreceptor outer segments in spatially nonuniform patterns. Some axial bleaching patterns produced in toad rods were determined using microspectrophotometric techniques. More rhodopsin was bleached at the base of the outer segment than at the distal tip. The shape of the bleaching gradient varied with the extent of bleach and with the spectral content of the illuminant. Monochromatic light at the lambda max of the rhodopsin gave rise to the steepest bleaching gradients and induced the greatest changes in the form of the gradient with increasing extent of bleach. These results were consistent with a mathematical model for pigment bleaching in an unstirred sample. The model did not fit bleaching patterns resulting from special lighting conditions that promoted the photoregeneration of rhodopsin from the intermediates of bleaching. Prolonged light adaptation of toads could also produce axial rhodopsin gradients that were not fit by the bleaching model. Under certain conditions the axial gradient of rhodopsin in a rod outer segment reversed with time in the light: the rhodopsin content became highest at the base. This result could be explained by an interaction between the pattern of bleaching and the intracellular topography of regeneration.
Directional organization and shape formation: new illusions and Helmholtz's Square

According to Helmholtz's Square illusion, a square appears wider when it is filled with vertical lines and higher when filled with horizontal lines (Helmholtz von, 1866). Recently, Pinna (2010a) demonstrated that the grouping of small squares on the basis of the similarity principle influences also perception of their shape and of the whole emerging shapes. The direction imparted by grouping is the main attribute that influences the shape by polarizing it in the same direction both globally and locally. The rectangle illusion is opposite to what expected on the basis of Helmholtz's Square illusion. Aim of this work is to solve the antinomy between the two sets of illusions and to demonstrate a common explanation based on the interaction between different sources of directional organization. This was accomplished by introducing some new phenomena and through phenomenological experiments proving the role played by the directional shape organization in shape formation. According to our results, Helmholtz's square illusion shows at least two synergistic sources of directional organization: the direction of the grouping of the lines due to their similarity of the luminance contrast and the direction of the grouping of the lines due to the good continuation.
Life Satisfaction, Self-Esteem, and Loneliness Among LGB Adults and Heterosexual Adults in China

ABSTRACT Low levels of life satisfaction have been linked to low self-esteem and loneliness, but this association has never been tested directly in LGB (lesbian/gay/bisexual) populations. We compared 275 Chinese LGB adults to 275 demographic-matched Chinese heterosexual controls on life satisfaction, self-esteem, and loneliness. LGB adults reported lower levels of self-esteem and higher levels of loneliness than heterosexuals, but similar levels of overall life satisfaction. Self-esteem partially mediated (but did not moderate) the relationship between loneliness and life satisfaction in both groups. Hierarchical regressions indicated that demographic variables, loneliness, and self-esteem can predict life satisfaction in both LGB and heterosexual adults, but explained more variance of life satisfaction in the LGB group. Thus self-esteem and loneliness play a more important role in life satisfaction for LGB rather than heterosexual Chinese adults.
Thermodynamics of solutions IV: Solvation of ketoprofen in comparison with other NSAIDs.

The present work discusses the characteristics of solvation (Gibbs energy, enthalpic and entropic terms of Gibbs energy) for ketoprofen together with other nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in aliphatic alcohols. Ketoprofen was studied by classical thermoanalytical methods of sublimation calorimetry, solution calorimetry, and solubility. Temperature dependence of the saturated vapor pressure was determined, and the sublimation enthalpy, delta H(sub) (0) and sublimation entropy, delta S(sub)(0), as well as their respective relative fractions in the total process were calculated. The parameters yielded for ketoprofen were compared with the respective literature data of other benzophenone derivatives. The Gibbs energy of solvation as well as enthalpic and entropic terms thereof in aliphatic alcohols were also studied for ketoprofen and compared with the properties of model substances and other NSAIDs (benzoic acid, diflunisal, flurbiprofen, and naproxen). In all cases, the major driving force of the solvation process is enthalpy. Correlations were derived between Gibbs energy of solvation in octanol, delta G(solv)(oct), and the transfer Gibbs energy from water to octanol, delta G(tr)(0).
Optimization of Uniaxial Multilayer Cylinders Used for Invisible Cloak Realization

Uniaxial cylindrical cloaks have recently been proposed to prevent scattering of electromagnetic waves, i.e., to render objects invisible. While it is possible to achieve that the rays follow the proper path inside the cloak, the proposed cloaks with reduced variation of constitutive parameters suffer from nonzero reflectance. The purpose of this paper is to improve invisibility performance of the original cloak structure in terms of total scattering width reduction and the operating frequency bandwidth. Therefore, the program for analyzing uniaxial cylindrical structures is merged with the global optimization program based on the particle swarm optimization algorithm. The results show that it is possible either to obtain the “perfect” cloak at the expense of bandwidth or to improve the operating frequency bandwidth at the expense of limited reduction of total scattering width.
Cardiac left ventricular volumes prediction method based on atlas location and deep learning

In this paper, we proposed a novel left ventricular volumes prediction method. This method is a cascade architecture which is based on multi-scale LV atlas location and deep convolutional neural networks (CNN). Firstly, we adopted LV atlas mapping method to achieve accurate location of LV region in cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) images. And then, the CNN were used to train an end-to-end LV volumes prediction model to achieve the direct prediction. What's more, the large number of CMR images data (1140 subjects, more than 1026000 images) make the proposed deep CNN have relatively better feature representation and robust prediction ability. The experiment results on the large-scale CMR datasets prove that the proposed method has higher accuracy than the state-of-the-art prediction methods in terms of the end-diastole volumes (EDV), the end-systole volumes (ESV), and the ejection fraction (EF). Besides, we make the proposed method open accessible to public for wide application in other biomedical image processing fields.
Influence of Prior Influenza Vaccination on Antibody and B-Cell Responses

Currently two vaccines, trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine (TIV) and live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV), are licensed in the USA. Despite previous studies on immune responses induced by these two vaccines, a comparative study of the influence of prior influenza vaccination on serum antibody and B-cell responses to new LAIV or TIV vaccination has not been reported. During the 2005/6 influenza season, we quantified the serum antibody and B-cell responses to LAIV or TIV in adults with differing influenza vaccination histories in the prior year: LAIV, TIV, or neither. Blood samples were collected on days 0, 7–9 and 21–35 after immunization and used for serum HAI assay and B-cell assays. Total and influenza-specific circulating IgG and IgA antibody secreting cells (ASC) in PBMC were detected by direct ELISPOT assay. Memory B cells were also tested by ELISPOT after polyclonal stimulation of PBMC in vitro. Serum antibody, effector, and memory B-cell responses were greater in TIV recipients than LAIV recipients. Prior year TIV recipients had significantly higher baseline HAI titers, but lower HAI response after vaccination with either TIV or LAIV, and lower IgA ASC response after vaccination with TIV than prior year LAIV or no vaccination recipients. Lower levels of baseline HAI titer were associated with a greater fold-increase of HAI titer and ASC number after vaccination, which also differed by type of vaccine. Our findings suggest that the type of vaccine received in the prior year affects the serum antibody and the B-cell responses to subsequent vaccination. In particular, prior year TIV vaccination is associated with sustained higher HAI titer one year later but lower antibody response to new LAIV or TIV vaccination, and a lower effector B-cell response to new TIV but not LAIV vaccination.
Smart flashlight: map navigation using a bike-mounted projector

While mobile phones affect our behavior and tend to separate us from our physical environment, this very environment could instead become a responsive part of the information domain. For navigation using a map while cycling in an urban environment, we studied two alternative solutions: smartphone display and projection on the road. This paper firstly demonstrates by proof-of-concept a GPS-based map navigation using a bike-mounted projector. Secondly, it implements a prototype using both a projector and a smartphone mounted on a bike, comparing them for use in a navigation system for nighttime cycling. Thirdly, it examines how visuo-spatial factors influence navigation. We believe that our findings will be useful for designing navigation systems for bikes and even for cars, helping cyclists and drivers be more attentive to their environment while navigating, and to provide useful information while moving.
Ethnicity and Ethnic Conflict in Pakistan

There is hardly any state in the world, which is not ethnically plural. Pakistan is also no exception in this regard. Pakistan is a country with unique ethnic diversity. This present study focuses on the concept of ethnicity and different variables such as religion, language, territory and caste, which have potential to give birth violent conflicts among different ethnic identities of Pakistan. Process of national integration can be secured only when ethnic identities would be given adequate representation according to the constitution to decide their future themselves and opportunities to flourish their specific cultural identity. Ethnic identities come into conflict when they face imbalance in the society. Economic resources should be judiciously distributed among different ethnic identities. Political system should have capability to articulate social capital on the proper place according to their intellectual level. System should have capability to generate resources and to utilize these resources in the best interest of various segment of society. Political system should initiate various economic, social and political measures to curb ethnic conflict.
Hadron spectrum of QCD with one quark flavor

The hadron spectrum of one flavor QCD is studied by Monte Carlo simulations. The Symanzik tree-level-improved Wilson action is used for the gauge fiel d and the Wilson action for the fermion. The theory is simulated by a polynomial hybrid Monte Carlo algorithm (PHMC). The mass spectrum of hadronic bound states is investigated at two different lattice spacings: a ' 0.37 r0 and a ' 0.27 r0, corresponding to ' 0.19 fm and ' 0.13 fm in ordinary QCD. The lattice extension is fixed to L ' 4.4 r0 (' 2.2 fm). The lightest simulated quark mass corresponds to a pion with mass » 270 MeV. Properties of the theory are analyzed by making use of the ideas of partially quenched chiral perturbation theory (PQChPT). The symmetry of the single flavor theory can be artificially enhanced by adding extra valence q uarks, which can be interpreted as u and d quarks. Operators in the valence pion sector can be built. Masses and decay constants are analyzed by using PQChPT formulae at next-to-leading order.
Who Can You Trust? Behavioral and Neural Differences Between Perceptual and Memory-Based Influences

Decisions about whether to trust someone can be influenced by competing sources of information, such as analysis of facial features versus remembering specific information about the person. We hypothesized that such sources can differentially influence trustworthiness judgments depending on the circumstances in which judgments are made. In our experiments, subjects first learned face-word associations. Stimuli were trustworthy and untrustworthy faces, selected on the basis of consensus judgments, and personality attributes that carried either the same valence (consistent with face) or the opposite valence (inconsistent with face). Subsequently, subjects rated the trustworthiness of each face. Both learned and perceptual information influenced ratings, but learned information was less influential under speeded than under non-speeded conditions. EEG data further revealed neural evidence of the processing of these two competing sources. Perceptual influences were apparent earlier than memory influences, substantiating the conclusion that time pressure can selectively disrupt memory retrieval relevant to trustworthiness attributions.
Monolith Or Mosaic: Using Demographics And Detailed Surveys To Understand The Many And Varied Dimensions Of First Year Female Engineering Students

The observation of substantially different retention rates of men versus women in a required first-year, two-course “Introduction to Engineering Systems” sequence at the University of Notre Dame motivated an examination of demographic and survey data to assess retention patterns. In the course of examining these data, it became evident that different sub-groups of women exhibit different retention patterns. We have used demographic data such as SAT scores and intended major for several years to establish baseline characteristics of first-year engineering students. We have used resultsoriented data such as exam scores and GPAs to establish how well students or groups of students perform in the class. More recently, a series of three surveys conducted during the two-course sequence has provided a wealth of information that further informs the significance of the demographic and results-oriented data. Longitudinal comparison of the data also helps to identify key differences from one year to another. As an example of the utility of these data sources for improving retention, we consider the retention of women within the first-year engineering sequence. By reviewing the original student applications for admission to Notre Dame, we observed that women who identified engineering as an intended major were retained at a rate that closely resembled the retention rate of men, while women who indicated a non-engineering major but nevertheless enrolled in the two-course sequence were historically retained at a significantly lower rate. Yet, in examining results-oriented data such as standardized test scores or course grades, we observed no significant difference between engineering intents and non-engineering intents. These observations led to the conclusion that, because the two groups possess similar entry-level skills and perform similarly well in class, other, less tangible factors impact retention. Adding the three in-class surveys has allowed us to identify a number of areas of statistically significant differences between these two groups, including: their motivations for considering the study of engineering; their pre-college engineering-related experiences; their initial post-graduate plans; and their concerns over roadblocks to completing the engineering degree. In developing and assessing retention efforts, these data help us to go beyond simply counting
Early irreversible osteonecrosis versus transient lesions of the femoral condyles: prognostic value of subchondral bone and marrow changes on MR imaging.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to determine the MR imaging features that enable differentiation between early irreversible osteonecrosis and transient lesions in nontraumatic lesions of the femoral condyle having the "bone marrow edema" pattern on MR imaging. MATERIALS AND METHODS We reviewed 23 nontraumatic painful lesions of the femoral condyle in 23 patients (12 men and 11 women; mean age, 62 years). All patients had undergone radiography of the knee with findings that were normal or inconclusive. Also, all patients underwent MR imaging that revealed the bone marrow edema pattern in a condyle. Lesions observed after trauma, surgery, or glucocorticoid medication, or with epiphyseal collapse or degenerative joint disease on initial plain radiographs, were excluded from this study. Of the 23 lesions, 14 showed complete resolution (and were designated as transient epiphyseal lesions). The remaining nine lesions were irreversible and, on follow-up radiographic and MR imaging studies, evolved to collapsed osteonecrosis (and were designated as early osteonecrosis). The presence and size of the subchondral features observed by two radiologists on initial MR studies were compared for both irreversible and transient epiphyseal lesions. RESULTS Initial MR imaging characteristics indicative of an early irreversible osteonecrosis included a subchondral area of low signal intensity on T2-weighted images with a thickness of more than 4 mm (sensitivity, 100% and 100%; specificity, 82% and 74% for the two observers) or a length of more than 14 mm (sensitivity, 89% and 88%; specificity, 93% and 87% for the two observers), focal epiphyseal contour depressions, and lines of low signal intensity located deep in the affected condyle. The extent of edema was similar for both transient epiphyseal lesions and early osteonecrosis. CONCLUSION Careful assessment of MR imaging changes occurring in the subchondral area can enable confident differentiation between transient epiphyseal lesions and early irreversible osteonecrosis of the femoral condyle.
Thermodynamics of the formation of sulfuric acid dimers in the binary (H 2 SO 4 –H 2 O) and ternary (H 2 SO 4 –H 2 O–NH 3 ) system

Abstract. Sulfuric acid is an important gas influencing atmospheric new particle formation (NPF). Both the binary (H2SO4–H2O) system and the ternary system involving ammonia (H2SO4–H2O–NH3) may be important in the free troposphere. An essential step in the nucleation of aerosol particles from gas-phase precursors is the formation of a dimer, so an understanding of the thermodynamics of dimer formation over a wide range of atmospheric conditions is essential to describe NPF. We have used the CLOUD chamber to conduct nucleation experiments for these systems at temperatures from 208 to 248 K. Neutral monomer and dimer concentrations of sulfuric acid were measured using a chemical ionization mass spectrometer (CIMS). From these measurements, dimer evaporation rates in the binary system were derived for temperatures of 208 and 223 K. We compare these results to literature data from a previous study that was conducted at higher temperatures but is in good agreement with the present study. For the ternary system the formation of H2SO4·NH3 is very likely an essential step in the formation of sulfuric acid dimers, which were measured at 210, 223, and 248 K. We estimate the thermodynamic properties (dH and dS) of the H2SO4·NH3 cluster using a simple heuristic model and the measured data. Furthermore, we report the first measurements of large neutral sulfuric acid clusters containing as many as 10 sulfuric acid molecules for the binary system using chemical ionization–atmospheric pressure interface time-of-flight (CI-APi-TOF) mass spectrometry.
Is the Short Rate Drift Actually Nonlinear

Ait-Sahalia (1996) and Stanton (1997) use nonparametric estimators applied to short-term interest rate data to conclude that the drift function contains important nonlinearities. We study the finite-sample properties of their estimators by applying them to simulated sample paths of a square-root diffusion. Although the drift function is linear, both estimators suggest nonlinearities of the type and magnitude reported in Ait-Sahalia (1996) and Stanton (1997). Combined with the results of a weighted least squares estimator, this evidence implies that nonlinearity of the short rate drift is not a robust stylized fact. Copyright The American Finance Association 2000.