Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Capping protein binding to actin in yeast

The mechanism by which capping protein (CP) binds barbed ends of actin filaments is not understood, and the physiological significance of CP binding to actin is not defined. The CP crystal structure suggests that the COOH-terminal regions of the CP α and β subunits bind to the barbed end. Using purified recombinant mutant yeast CP, we tested this model. CP lacking both COOH-terminal regions did not bind actin. The α COOH-terminal region was more important than that of β. The significance of CP's actin-binding activity in vivo was tested by determining how well CP actin-binding mutants rescued null mutant phenotypes. Rescue correlated well with capping activity, as did localization of CP to actin patches, indicating that capping is a physiological function for CP. Actin filaments of patches appear to be nucleated first, then capped with CP. The binding constants of yeast CP for actin suggest that actin capping in yeast is more dynamic than in vertebrates.
Grasping time does not influence the early adherence of aperture shaping to Weber's law

The “just noticeable difference” (JND) represents the minimum amount by which a stimulus must change to produce a noticeable variation in one's perceptual experience (i.e., Weber's law). Recent work has shown that within-participant standard deviations of grip aperture (i.e., JNDs) increase linearly with increasing object size during the early, but not the late, stages of goal-directed grasping. A visually based explanation for this finding is that the early and late stages of grasping are respectively mediated by relative and absolute visual information and therefore render a time-dependent adherence to Weber's law. Alternatively, a motor-based explanation contends that the larger aperture shaping impulses required for larger objects gives rise to a stochastic increase in the variability of motor output (i.e., impulse-variability hypothesis). To test the second explanation, we had participants grasp differently sized objects in grasping time criteria of 400 and 800 ms. Thus, the 400 ms condition required larger aperture shaping impulses than the 800 ms condition. In line with previous work, JNDs during early aperture shaping (i.e., at the time of peak aperture acceleration and peak aperture velocity) for both the 400 and 800 ms conditions scaled linearly with object size, whereas JNDs later in the response (i.e., at the time of peak grip aperture) did not. Moreover, the 400 and 800 ms conditions produced comparable slopes relating JNDs to object size. In other words, larger aperture shaping impulses did not give rise to a stochastic increase in aperture variability at each object size. As such, the theoretical tenets of the impulse-variability hypothesis do not provide a viable framework for the time-dependent scaling of JNDs to object size. Instead, we propose that a dynamic interplay between relative and absolute visual information gives rise to grasp trajectories that exhibit an early adherence and late violation to Weber's law.
The Effects of Terrorism and Bias against Muslims and Evangelical Christians in an Online Adult Sample: A Test of Terror Management Theory

Considering the sociopolitical events of the past decade, the effect of terrorism on the behavior of others has gathered interest in the field of social psychology. Terror Management Theory has been used to conceptualize responses to individual’s fears of mortality. Because one of the goals of terrorism is to generate fear in a specific population, using Terror Management Theory to conceptualize responses to terrorism is appropriate. The current study attempts to ascertain if participants’ responses to stimuli that are indirectly related to Islam can be conceptualized using Terror Management Theory. The results of the study did not support this interpretation. The findings of the current study are discussed vis-a vis previous Terror Management Theory research and research on implicit attitudes related to race.
Development of a Self-Healing Strategy to Enhance the Overloading Resilience of Islanded Microgrids

This paper proposes a self-healing strategy for two neighboring islanded microgrids (MGs) that are connected together through a normally open interconnecting static switch (ISS). Each MG is expected to support the other during power deficiencies, which is facilitated by the developed self-healing agent. This agent operates based on either a centralized approach, when data communication system is available, or a decentralized approach, when data communication system does not exist or is temporarily unavailable. The necessity and possibility of the MGs interconnection or isolation is determined based on instantaneous power generation of the distributed energy resources in both MGs (in the centralized approach) and local frequency measurements at either side of ISS (in the decentralized approach). The dynamic performance of the MGs with the proposed strategies is evaluated by PSCAD simulation studies. Furthermore, the stability of the system of coupled MGs is investigated through small-signal stability and modal analyses in MATLAB.
Robust 60 GHz 90nm and 40nm CMOS wideband neutralized amplifiers with 23dB gain 4.6dB NF and 24% PAE

A three stage transformer differential cross coupled (CC) LNA and PA with integrated baluns for operation in the 57-66GHz band are presented. The LNA fabricated in a 90nm CMOS process achieves 23dB gain and 4.6dB NF at 13mA and 1.3V supply, with 0.06mm2 in size. The PA, also fabricated in a 90nm CMOS process, has maximum power added efficiency (PAE) of 19.4%, 9.4dBm Psat, and 23dB gain with a 12GHz BW and 0.05mm2 chip size. A 2 stage PA fabricated in a digital 40nm CMOS achieves 19dB gain and a record PAE of 24%. The paper analyzes the advantages of MOScap neutralization feedback compared to metal capacitors and low k transformers for process stability and broadband design. Tuning is added to the CC feedback to compensate for process variations.
Specific photosynthetic rate enhancement by cyanobacteria coated onto paper enables engineering of highly reactive cellular biocomposite “leaves”

We describe a latex wet coalescence extrusive coating method that produces up to 10‐fold specific photosynthetic rate enhancements by nitrate‐limited non‐growing cyanobacteria deposited onto paper, hydrated and placed in the gas‐phase of small tube photobioreactors. These plant leaf‐like biocomposites were used to study the tolerance of cyanobacteria strains to illumination and temperature using a solar simulator. We report sustained CO2 absorption and O2 production for 500 h by hydrated gas‐phase paper coatings of non‐growing Synechococcus PCC7002, Synechocystis PCC6803, Synechocystis PCC6308, and Anabaena PCC7120. Nitrate‐starved cyanobacteria immobilized on the paper surface by the latex binder did not grow out of the coatings into the bulk liquid. The average CO2 consumption rate in Synechococcus coatings is 5.67 mmol m−2 h−1 which is remarkably close to the rate reported in the literature for Arabidopsis thaliana leaves under similar experimental conditions (18 mmol m−2 h−1). We observed average ratios of oxygen production to carbon dioxide consumption (photosynthetic quotient, PQ) between 1.3 and 1.4, which may indicate a strong dependence on nitrate assimilation during growth and was used to develop a non‐growth media formulation for intrinsic kinetics studies. Photosynthetic intensification factors (PIF) (O2 production by nitrate‐limited cyanobacteria in latex coatings/O2 produced by nitrate‐limited cell suspensions) in cyanobacteria biocomposites prepared from wet cell pellets concentrated 100‐ to 300‐fold show 7–10 times higher specific reactivity compared to cells in suspension under identical nitrate‐limited non‐growth conditions. This is the first report of changes of cyanobacteria tolerance to temperature and light intensities after deposition as a thin coating on a porous matrix, which has important implications for gas‐phase photobioreactor design using porous composite materials. Cryo‐fracture SEM and confocal microscopy images of cell coating distribution on the paper biocomposite suggest that the spatial arrangement of the cells in the coating can affect photoreactivity. This technique could be used to fabricate very stable, multi‐organism composite coatings on flexible microfluidic devices in the gas‐phase capable of harvesting light in a broader range of wavelengths, to optimize thermotolerant, desiccation tolerant, or halotolerant cyanobacteria that produce O2 with secretion of liquid‐fuel precursors synthesized from CO2. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2014;111: 1993–2008. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Copy number variation, increased gene expression, and molecular mechanisms of neurofascin in lung cancer

Metastasis and cell adhesion are key aspects of cancer progression. Neurofascin (NFASC) is a member of the immunoglobulin superfamily of adhesion molecules and, while studies on NFASC are inadequate, other members have been indicated pivotal roles in cancer progression and metastasis. This study aimed at increasing the knowledge on the involvement of adhesion molecules in lung cancer progression by studying the regulation and role of NFASC in non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Here, copy number variations in the NFASC gene were analyzed in tumor and non‐tumorous lung tissues of 204 NSCLC patients. Frequent gene amplifications (OR = 4.50, 95%CI: 2.27‐8.92, P ≤ 0.001) and increased expression of NFASC (P = 0.034) were identified in tumors of NSCLC patients. Furthermore, molecular mechanisms of NFASC in lung cancer progression were evaluated by investigating the effects of NFASC silencing on cell proliferation, viability, migration, and invasion using siRNA technology in four NSCLC cell lines. Silencing of NFASC did not affect cell proliferation or viability but rather decreased NSCLC cell migration (P ≤ 0.001) and led to morphological changes, rearrangements in the actin cytoskeleton and changes in F‐actin networks in migrating NSCLC cell lines. This study is the first to report frequent copy number gain and increased expression of NFASC in NSCLC. Moreover, these data suggest that NFASC is a novel regulator of NSCLC cell motility and support a role of NFASC in the regulation of NSCLC progression.
MicroRNA-34a targets epithelial to mesenchymal transition-inducing transcription factors (EMT-TFs) and inhibits breast cancer cell migration and invasion

MicroRNA-34a (miR-34a) plays an essential role against tumorigenesis and progression of cancer metastasis. Here, we analyzed the expression, targets and functional effects of miR-34a on epithelial to mesenchymal transition-inducing transcription factors (EMT-TFs), such as TWIST1, SLUG and ZEB1/2, and an EMT-inducing protein NOTCH1 in breast cancer (BC) cell migration and invasion and its correlation with tumorigenesis and clinical outcomes. Expression of miR-34a is downregulated in human metastatic breast cancers (MBC) compared to normal breast tissues and is negatively correlated with clinicopathological features of MBC patients. Ectopic expression of miR-34a in MBC cell-line BT-549 significantly inhibits cell migration and invasion, but exhibits no clear effect on BC cell growth. We found that miR-34a is able to inactivate EMT signaling pathway with mediatory of NOTCH1, TWIST1, and ZEB1 upon 3′-UTR activity in MBC cell lines, but has no inhibitory effects on SLUG and ZEB2. Furthermore, we investigated the synergistic effects of Thymoquinone (TQ) and miR-34a together on the expression of EMT-associated proteins. Results showed that co-delivery of miR-34a and TQ is able to inactivate EMT signaling pathway by directly targeting TWIST1 and ZEB1 in BT-549 cell line, indicating that they might be a promising therapeutic combination against breast cancer metastasis. Epigenetic inactivation of the EMT-TFs/miR-34a pathway can potentially alter the equilibrium of these regulations, facilitating EMT and metastasis in BC. Altogether, our findings suggest that miR-34a alone could serve as a potential therapeutic agent for MBC, and together with TQ, their therapeutic potential is synergistically enhanced.
Olive Volatiles from Portuguese Cultivars Cobrançosa, Madural and Verdeal Transmontana: Role in Oviposition Preference of Bactrocera oleae (Rossi) (Diptera: Tephritidae)

The olive fly, Bactrocera oleae (Rossi), a serious threat to the olive crop worldwide, displays ovipositon preference for some olive cultivars but the causes are still unclear. In the present work, three Portuguese olive cultivars with different susceptibilities to olive fly (Cobrançosa, Madural, and Verdeal Transmontana) were studied, aiming to determine if the olive volatiles are implicated in this interaction. Olive volatiles were assessed by SPME-GC-MS in the three cultivars during maturation process to observe possible correlations with olive fly infestation levels. Overall, 34 volatiles were identified in the olives, from 7 chemical classes (alcohols, aldehydes, aromatic hydrocarbons, esters, ketones, sesquiterpenes, and terpenes). Generally, total volatile amounts decrease during maturation but toluene, the main compound, increased in all cultivars, particularly in those with higher susceptibility to olive fly. Sesquiterpenes also raised, mainly α-copaene. Toluene and α-copaene, recognized oviposition promoters to olive fly, were correlated with the infestation level of cvs. Madural and Verdeal Trasnmontana (intermediate and highly susceptible cultivars respectively), while no correlations were established with cv. Cobrançosa (less susceptible). No volatiles with inverse correlation were observed. Volatile composition of olives may be a decisive factor in the olive fly choice to oviposit and this could be the basis for the development of new control strategies for this pest.
Elucidation of Binding Sites of Dual Antagonists in the Human Chemokine Receptors CCR2 and CCR5

Design of dual antagonists for the chemokine receptors CCR2 and CCR5 will be greatly facilitated by knowledge of the structural differences of their binding sites. Thus, we computationally predicted the binding site of the dual CCR2/CCR5 antagonist N-dimethyl-N-[4-[[[2-(4-methylphenyl)-6,7-dihydro-5H-benzohepten-8-yl] carbonyl]amino]benzyl]tetrahydro-2H-pyran-4-aminium (TAK-779), and a CCR2-specific antagonist N-(carbamoylmethyl)-3-trifluoromethyl benzamido-parachlorobenzyl 3-aminopyrrolidine (Teijin compound 1) in an ensemble of predicted structures of human CCR2 and CCR5. Based on our predictions of the protein-ligand interactions, we examined the activity of the antagonists for cells expressing thirteen mutants of CCR2 and five mutants of CCR5. The results show that residues Trp982.60 and Thr2927.40 contribute significantly to the efficacy of both TAK-779 and Teijin compound 1, whereas His1213.33 and Ile2636.55 contribute significantly only to the antagonistic effect of Teijin compound 1 at CCR2. Mutation of residues Trp862.60 and Tyr1083.32 adversely affected the efficacy of TAK-779 in antagonizing CCR5-mediated chemotaxis. Y49A1.39 and E291A7.39 mutants of CCR2 showed a complete loss of CCL2 binding and chemotaxis, despite robust cell surface expression, suggesting that these residues are critical in maintaining the correct receptor architecture. Modeling studies support the hypothesis that the residues Tyr491.39, Trp982.60, Tyr1203.32, and Glu2917.39 of CCR2 form a tight network of aromatic cluster and polar contacts between transmembrane helices 1, 2, 3, and 7.
Intra- and Interlayer Electron-Phonon Interactions in 12/12C and 12/13C BiLayer Graphene

Department of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487, USA* Author to whom correspondence should be addressed; E-Mail: paulo.t. araujo@ua.edu;Tel. : +1-205-348-2878; Fax: +1-205-348-5051.Received: 12 March 2014; in revised form: 8 April 2014 / Accepted: 8 April 2014 /Published: 29 April 2014Abstract: This review focuses on intra- and interlayer (IL) electron-phonon interactionsand phonon self-energy renormalizations in twisted and AB-stacked bilayer graphene (2LG)composed either only of
Contrasting a NoC and a Traditional Interconnect Fabric with Layout Awareness

Increasing miniaturization is posing multiple challenges to electronic designers. In the context of multi-processor system-on-chips (MPSoCs), we focus on the problem of implementing efficient interconnect systems for devices which are ever more densely packed with parallel computing cores. Easily seen that traditional buses can not provide enough bandwidth, a revolutionary path to scalability is provided by packet-switched network-on-chips (NoCs), while a more conservative approach dictates the addition of bandwidth-rich components (e.g. crossbars) within the preexisting fabrics. While both alternatives have already been explored, a thorough contrastive analysis is still missing. In this paper, we bring crossbar and NoC designs to the chip layout level in order to highlight the respective strengths and weaknesses in terms of performance, area and power, keeping an eye on future scalability
A patient with multiple blisters in the skin and mucous membranes

A case is presented of a patient who was referred to the rheumatology department with symptoms of systemic lupus erythematosus and bullous disease. A 55-year-old woman with 2 year history of blistering involving the hands and face, presented with new lesions on the thorax, feet, toes, inferior lip, and tongue accompanied by pruritus. The patient also had joint pain without inflammation of the knees, ankles, and hands. After the investigations the patient was diagnosed with a blistering disorder, specifically epidermolysis bullosa acquisita. The patient completely recovered following treatment with topical and oral corticosteroids, and colchicine.
The Effects of Animals on Children's Development of Perspective-Taking Abilities.

Although attention to the effects of child-animal interactions on children's development has increased in the last three decades, developmental psychology has not attended to the importance of the effects of animals on children's development. There is a need to consider the possible impacts of animals as significant social partners for children's socioemotional development. The current study, through survey questionnaires and interview methods, investigated whether interacting with animals, …
Biodegradation during contaminant transport in porous media: 6. Impact of sorption on coupled degradation‐transport behavior

Bioavailability is one of the critical factors influencing the biodegradation and bioremediation of organic compounds. The bioavailability of many organic contaminants is controlled in part by the nature, magnitude, and rate of sorption/desorption processes. This study investigates the impact of sorption and associated retardation on the bioavailability and biodegradation of aromatic hydrocarbons during transport in porous media. Miscible‐displacement experiments were conducted using naphthalene and 2‐naphthol as the model sorbing compounds and salicylate, a degradation product of naphthalene, as a nonsorbing reference compound. Two porous media were used, one (Eustis soil, FL, USA) with moderate sorption capacity and one (quartz sand) with no measurable sorption of the compounds. The porous media were sterilized and inoculated with Pseudomonas putida RB1353, an organism that degrades naphthalene and its derivatives. The biodegradation and transport of all three substrates in quartz sand were significantly influenced by microbial lag, the effects of which were observed within two to three pore volumes (3–4.5 h). This was also true for salicylate transport in the Eustis soil system. Conversely, biodegradation lag effects were not observed for naphthalene or 2‐naphthol in the Eustis soil system. In addition, the masses of naphthalene and 2‐naphthol degraded were significantly greater for the Eustis soil system compared to the quartz sand system. As noted previously, naphthalene and 2‐naphthol were sorbed by the Eustis soil but not the quartz sand, while salicylate was not sorbed by either media. These results indicate that the increased residence time associated with sorption of naphthalene and 2‐naphthol by Eustis soil enhanced overall biodegradation and obviated the impact of lag on observed transport behavior.
Evaluating the effect of gamma radiation on eight different agro-lignocellulose waste materials for the production of oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus eous (Berk.)Sacc.strain P-31)

The influence of 15 kGy dose of gamma radiation on the performance of eight lignocellulose agro-wastes for mushroom (Pleurotus eous, P-31) cultivation was evaluated. The agro-wastes investigated included coconut coir, rice husk, rice straw, banana leaves, cassava peels, corn cobs, elephant grass and sawdust (control). Corn cobs performed overall best with 23.2mm/day, 13 days, 9 days, 0% and very dense for spawn running parameters studied which were the rate of mycelia colonization, time taken to complete colonization, percentage contamination and mycelia density respectively. Also recorded for growth parameters were 95mm for cap diameter, 80mm for stipe length, 52 for number of primordia, 51 for number of fruit bodies, 6.5 for mushroom size and 9days for time between flushes. The biological efficiency (B.E %) was 63%, mushroom yield was 377g and biological yield recorded was 0.63 g/g substrate. The gamma irradiated substrates significantly (p<0.05) influenced both growth and yield of mushroom differently. The results of this study revealed that gamma irradiation could be used as an alternative method for the pretreatment of lignocellulose agro-wastes substrates for mushroom cultivation.
Guidelines for radiologically guided lung biopsy

These guidelines have been developed at the request of the Standards of Care Committee of the British Thoracic Society (BTS) and with the agreement of the Royal College of Radiologists and the British Society of Interventional Radiology, and approval of the Royal College of Pathologists in respect of the pathology recommendations and the Society of Cardiothoracic Surgeons of Great Britain and Ireland. Lung biopsy is a relatively frequently performed procedure with considerable benefit for patient management but it may, on rare occasions, result in the death of the patient. It is a multidisciplinary procedure involving respiratory physicians, surgeons, and radiologists with an interest in chest diseases. The aim of the group was to produce formal evidence based guidelines for subsequent use by those referring patients for the procedure and for those performing it. The areas covered by these guidelines are as follows: The following areas are not covered by these guidelines: ### Validity and grading of recommendations The criteria for assessing the levels of evidence and grading of recommendations were based on those recommended in the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network in 19951 using the Agency of Health Care Policy and Research model used in some other BTS guidelines (tables 1 and 2). View this table: Table 1 Categories of evidence185 View this table: Table 2 Grading of recommendations It should be noted that there are very few randomised trials comparing the various aspects of lung biopsy and, for that reason, more detailed systems of categorisation such as that of the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network published in 2001 were not used.2 The papers selected by searching PubMed and Medline were assessed by the members of the working group and decisions on levels of evidence for each paper were made by …