Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
LIN, a Novel Type of U-Box/WD40 Protein, Controls Early Infection by Rhizobia in Legumes1[C][W][OA]

The formation of a nitrogen-fixing nodule requires the coordinated development of rhizobial colonization and nodule organogenesis. Based on its mutant phenotype, lumpy infections (lin), LIN functions at an early stage of the rhizobial symbiotic process, required for both infection thread growth in root hair cells and the further development of nodule primordia. We show that spontaneous nodulation activated by the calcium- and calmodulin-dependent protein kinase is independent of LIN; thus, LIN is not necessary for nodule organogenesis. From this, we infer that LIN predominantly functions during rhizobial colonization and that the abortion of this process in lin mutants leads to a suppression of nodule development. Here, we identify the LIN gene in Medicago truncatula and Lotus japonicus, showing that it codes for a predicted E3 ubiquitin ligase containing a highly conserved U-box and WD40 repeat domains. Ubiquitin-mediated protein degradation is a universal mechanism to regulate many biological processes by eliminating rate-limiting enzymes and key components such as transcription factors. We propose that LIN is a regulator of the component(s) of the nodulation factor signal transduction pathway and that its function is required for correct temporal and spatial activity of the target protein(s).
Acute effect of static and dynamic stretching exercise on sprint and flexibility of amateur soccer players

The main aim of the study was to examine the acute effects of static and dynamic stretching during warm-up on the sprinting speed of amateur soccer players. The secondary aim was to determine the acute effect of stretching on the lower extremities flexibility. Eighteen adult athletes participated in the study, randomly performing 3 distinct flexibility protocols on non-consecutive training sessions. The first protocol comprised of 10min of soccer warm-up exercises, flexibility and sprint assessment, followed by 5min of static stretching and sprints. The second protocol was akin to the first one, except for the static stretching exercises, which were substituted for calisthenics, performed in a limited range of motion (ROM). The third protocol was similar to the second, but calisthenics were performed in a full ROM. Stretches were held for 10’’ and were repeated once more. Passive ROM was measured during hip flexion, hip extension, hip abduction, knee flexion and ankle dorsiflexion in the right side of the body, with the use of a flexometer. The duration of the sprint was measured with photocells. Statistical analysis revealed that the static stretching protocol significantly reduced the sprint speed of soccer players (p<0.01) whereas the two dynamic protocols significantly improved sprint speed of participants (p<0.05 to p<0.01). On the other hand, static stretching and calisthenics, performed in a full ROM induced significant increases (p<0.001) in lower extremities joint flexibility of soccer players, whereas calisthenics exercises performed in limited ROM induced a significant increase (p<0.05) only on the knee dorsiflexion. The findings indicate that the type of stretching performed prior to exercise, affects sprint capacity and lower extremity flexibility.
Seismic Strain rate along the Middle America Trench reveals significant differences between Cocos—North America and Cocos—Caribbean convergence

SUMMARY Centroid-moment tensor solutions for thrust-faulting earthquakes in the last 27 yr are used to obtain and compare seismic strain rate associated to the subduction process along the Cocos‐North America and along the Cocos‐Caribbean convergent margins. In both cases, the eigenvectors of the strain-rate tensor align along radial and tangential directions with respect to their respective Euler Pole. Seismic strain rate along the Cocos‐North America plate boundary is about 2.8 × 10 −7 yr −1 , a value close to those previously found along the Japan and Aegean convergent margins. Strain rate along the Cocos‐Caribbean margin is one order of magnitude smaller, namely 3.7 × 10 −8 yr −1 . The relative plate velocity is also calculated using seismic moment tensors. We find a relative plate convergence of 1.13 ◦ Myr −1 for the Cocos‐North America plate margin, and 0.13 ◦ Myr −1 for Cocos‐Caribbean. This means that 80 per cent of the plate motion along the Cocos‐North America plate margin is expressed as thrust-faulting earthquakes, as compared to the velocity given by global plate motion models. In contrast, only about 10 per cent of the Cocos‐Caribbean relative motion is translated into thrusting events. Similar results are obtained when a 102-yr earthquake database is used. We suggest that differences in strain rate and percentage of plate motion are due to differences in the behaviour of the overriding plate and/or the Central America forearc sliver being detached from the Caribbean Plate and being incorporated into the Cocos Plate.
New Approaches to Candida and Oral Mycotic Infections

This workshop reviewed aspects of the following: oral fungal disease in HIV-infected patients and the predictive value of oral mucosal disease in HIV progression; the role of the oral biofilms in mucosal disease; microbial virulence factors and the pseudomembranous oral mucosal disease process; the role that oral mucosal disease may have in HIV transmission; and the available topical antifungal treatment. This article summarizes the ensuing discussions and raises pertinent problems and potential research directions associated with oral fungal disease in HIV-infected patients, including the frequency of oral candidosis, the role of the intraoral biofilm in the development of oral mucosal disease, and host-pathogen interactions, as well as the development of the fetal oral mucosa, neonatal nutrition, and the role of oral candidosis in this setting. Finally, discussions are summarized on the use of inexpensive effective antifungal mouthwashes in resource-poor countries, the potential stigmata that may be associated with their use, as well as novel topical medications that may have clinical applicability in managing oral candidal infections in HIV-infected patients.
Randomised study of three non-surgical treatments in mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnoea

Background: Patients with mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) may be managed with different treatment options. This study compared the effectiveness of three commonly used non-surgical treatment modalities. Methods: Subjects with mild to moderate OSA were randomised to one of three treatment groups for 10 weeks: conservative measures (sleep hygiene) only, continuous positive airways pressure (CPAP) in addition to conservative measures or an oral appliance in addition to conservative measures. All overweight subjects were referred to a weight-reduction class. OSA was assessed by polysomnography. Blood pressure was recorded in the morning and evening in the sleep laboratory. Daytime sleepiness was assessed with the Epworth Sleepiness Scale. Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) was assessed with the 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) and Sleep Apnoea Quality of Life Index (SAQLI). Results: 101 subjects with a mean (SEM) apnoea–hypopnoea index (AHI) of 21.4 (1.1) were randomised to one of the three groups. The severity of sleep-disordered breathing was decreased in the CPAP and oral appliance groups compared with the conservative measures group, and the CPAP group was significantly better than the oral appliance group. Relief from sleepiness was significantly better in the CPAP group. CPAP was also better than the oral appliance or conservative measures in improving the “bodily pain” domain, and better than conservative measures in improving the “physical function” domain of SF-36. Both CPAP and the oral appliance were more effective than conservative measures in improving the SAQLI, although no difference was detected between the CPAP and oral appliance groups. CPAP and the oral appliance significantly lowered the morning diastolic blood pressure compared with baseline values, but there was no difference in the changes in blood pressure between the groups. There was also a linear relationship between the changes in AHI and body weight. Conclusion: CPAP produced the best improvement in terms of physiological, symptomatic and HRQOL measures, while the oral appliance was slightly less effective. Weight loss, if achieved, resulted in an improvement in sleep parameters, but weight control alone was not uniformly effective.
Preoperative waiting time increased the risk of periprosthetic infection in patients with femoral neck fracture

Background and purpose Prosthetic joint infection (PJI) remains a devastating complication of arthroplasty. Today, most displaced femoral neck fractures in the elderly are treated with arthroplasty. We estimated the incidence of and risk factors for PJI in primary arthroplasty after femoral neck fracture. Patients and methods Patients admitted for a femoral neck fracture in 2008 and 2009 were registered prospectively. We studied clinical, operative, and infection data in 184 consecutive patients. Results 9% of the patients developed a PJI. Coagulase-negative staphylococci and Staphylococcus aureus were the most frequently isolated organisms. We found that preoperative waiting time was associated with PJI and also with urinary tract infection. The median preoperative waiting time was 37 (11–136) h in the infection group as opposed to 26 (4–133) h in the group with no infection (p = 0.04). The difference remained statistically significant after adjusted analysis. The success of treatment with debridement and retention of the prosthesis was limited, and 5 of the 17 patients with PJI ended up with a resection arthroplasty. The 1-year mortality rate was 21% in the patients with no infection, and it was 47% in the infection group (p = 0.03). Interpretation We found a high incidence of PJI in this elderly population treated with arthroplasty after hip fracture, with possibly devastating outcome. The length of stay preoperatively increased the risk of developing PJI.
Impact of Climate Change on Reservoir Flood Control in the Upstream Area of the Beijiang River Basin, South China

AbstractOne of the potential impacts of global warming is likely to be experienced through changes in flood frequency and magnitude, which poses a potential threat to the downstream reservoir flood control system. In this paper, the downscaling results of the multimodel dataset from phases 3 and 5 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP3 and CMIP5, respectively) were coupled with the Variable Infiltration Capacity (VIC) model to evaluate the impact of climate change on the Feilaixia reservoir flood control in the Beijiang River basin for the first time. Four emissions scenarios [A1B and representative concentration pathway (RCP) scenarios RCP2.6, RCP4.5, and RCP8.5] were chosen. Results indicate that annual distribution and interannual variability of temperature and precipitation are well simulated by the downscaling results of the CMIP3 and CMIP5 multimodel dataset. The VIC model, which performs reasonably well in simulating runoff processes with high model efficiency and low relative error, i.
Identification of Biological Activity Profiles Using Substructural Analysis and Genetic Algorithms

A substructural analysis approach is used to calculate biological activity profiles, which contain weights that describe the differential occurrences of generic features (specifically, the numbers of hydrogen-bond donors and acceptors, the numbers of rotatable bonds and aromatic rings, the molecular weights, and the 2 kappa alpha descriptors) in active molecules taken from the World Drug Index and in (presumed) inactive molecules taken from the SPRESI database. Even with such simple structural descriptors, the profiles discriminate effectively between active and inactive compounds. The effectiveness of the approach is further increased by using a genetic algorithm for the calculation of the weights comprising a profile. The methods have been successfully applied to a number of different data sets.
WAVE PROPAGATION OVER POSIDONIA OCEANICA: LARGE SCALE EXPERIMENTS

Posidonia oceanica meadows are considered to be of high importance to the environmental conservation in the Mediterranean Sea, supporting a highly biodiverse habitat and protecting from coastal erosion. In the CIEM wave flume of LIM/UPC (Barcelona, Spain) large scale experiments have been conducted for measuring wave attenuation, transmission and energy dissipation over artificial P. oceanica in intermediate and shallow waters. The effects of submergence ratio hs/D (hs = height of seagrass, D = water depth) and seagrass density (number of stems per squared meter) on the above characteristics are investigated. Mean velocities above and within the simulated P. oceanica are measured and the wave induced flow within the seagrass, which influences processes such as nutrient uptake, waste removal and larval dispersion, is estimated. A meadow with a total length of 10.70 m was constructed using polypropylene artificial plants. Measurements of wave height at different locations along the meadow indicate attenuation of waves for three different submergence ratios (hs/D), two seagrass densities (stems/m2) and various wave conditions. Results are also analysed with regard to the wave induced flow within the field and the effects of hs/D and seagrass density on mean flow characteristics are investigated based on measurements of mean velocities taken within the meadow.
Décollement processes at the Nankai accretionary margin, southeast Japan: Propagation, deformation, and dewatering

The decollement zone, expressed on seismic profiles and observed in drill cores from the Nankai accretionary margin off the southeast coast of Japan, reveals several unique characteristics which appear to distinguish it from thrust faults identified in the same setting. Physical manifestations of these include evidence for the asymmetric distribution of deformation structures about the decollement, the extension of this fault zone well in front of the tectonic deformation front, and the absence of features indicative of precursory shear, for example, folded sediments, shear bands, and penetrative mineral fabrics. These characteristics suggest that the mode of formation and evolution of this decollement zone may be unique from that of most thrust faults. We propose that the decollement zone propagates not as a shear fracture controlled by tectonic stress conditions but rather as a subhorizontal tension fracture propagating under high pore pressures. To test this possibility, physical property measurements and clay mineral fabrics were obtained for several samples from the Nankai decollement zone using computed tomography and X ray texture methods. Our findings suggest that deformation within the decollement zone is partitioned into a volumetric component, preserved as reduced porosities within coherent fragments, and a localized shear component, evidenced by mineral preferred orientations along discrete slip surfaces. We suggest that the reduced porosities result from the destruction of “cementation” in the sediments during the early stages of deformation and may arise from cyclic fatiguing of the sediment induced by fluctuating pore pressures. The nonpenetrative shear fabrics probably develop as the tectonic deformation front migrates seaward, and the weakened protodecollement subsequently accommodates shear displacements along discrete fractures.
Cyberbullying detection using parent-child relationship between comments

Cyberbullying is a underlying problem in social networking service, threatening users' mental and physical health. Previous research on automated cyberbullying detection is mostly textual or social based methods. Cyberbullying content is identified through a set of textual features within the content in the former method and through social information surrounding the content in the latter method. Those methods can not cater different cyberbullying standard for individual SNS user since each content is evaluated using same features. Therefore, in this article we propose a automated cyberbullying detection method that utilises the parent-child relationship between comments to capture the reaction from a third party to detect cyberbullying comments. We were able to improve the effectiveness of cyberbullying detection using only publicly available data.
Applications of iron nanoparticles for groundwater remediation

Iron nanoparticles are increasingly being applied in site remediation and hazardous waste treatment. Nearly a decade after it was first proposed in 1996, the iron nanoparticle technology is at a critical stage of its developmental process. Significant research innovations have been made in terms of synthetic methods, surface property modification, and enhancement for field delivery and reactions. Extensive laboratory studies have demonstrated that nanoscale iron particles are effective for the treatment of a wide array of common groundwater contaminants such as chlorinated organic solvents, organochlorine pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), organic dyes, and various inorganic compounds. Several field tests have also demonstrated the promising prospective for in situ remediation. Nonetheless, there are still considerable knowledge gaps on many fundamental scientific issues (e.g., fate, transport, and environmental impact) and economic hurdles, which could determine the acceptance of the technology within the academic community as well as by regulators and the private sector. An overview of the iron nanoparticle technology is provided in this article, beginning with a description of the process fundamentals. This is followed by a discussion of the synthetic schemes for the nanoparticle types developed at Lehigh University. Next, a summary of the major research findings is provided, highlighting the key characteristics and remediation-related advantages of the iron nanoparticle technology versus the granular/microscale iron technology. A discussion of challenges related to its future directions and environmental impact is presented. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Particle displacements on the wall of a borehole from incident plane waves

Particle displacements from incident plane waves at the wall of a fluid‐filled borehole are formulated by applying the seismic reciprocity theorem to far‐field displacement fields. Such displacement fields are due to point forces acting on a fluid‐filled borehole under the assumption of long wavelengths. The displacement fields are analyzed to examine the effect of the borehole on seismic wave propagation, particularly for vertical seismic profiling (VSP) measurements. When the shortest wavelength of interest is approximately 25 times longer than the borehole’s diameter, the scattered displacements are proportional to the first power of incident frequency and borehole diameter. The maximum scattered energy occurs when an incident P‐wave propagates perpendicular to the borehole. Borehole effects on VSP measurements, such as waveform distortion, amplitude variation, and time delay, have been analyzed using the concept of a transfer function. When the shortest wavelength of interest is about 40 times longer .
p150 expression and its prognostic value in squamous‐cell carcinoma of the esophagus

To investigate p150, a recently cloned protein, and its prognostic value in esophageal squamous‐cell carcinoma, 100 samples were analyzed immunohistochemically and 30 fresh samples by the immunoblot method. All 100 patients, from Northern China, over‐expressed p150 as compared with controls in the immunohistochemical study, and the same was found for the tumors of the 30 patients analyzed by Western‐blot analysis. A close correlation could be observed between p150 over‐expression and the state of differentiation, since well‐differentiated cancers showed high p150 expression, and vice‐versa (p < 0.0001). In addition, patients with high p150 expression had significantly fewer tumor metastases (local or distant, p < 0.005). Furthermore, and prognostically more relevant, survival analysis showed that patients with high p150 expression had significantly better overall survival (p < 0.0026). This somehow unexpected result may, however, be typical for squamous carcinoma, since in human cervical carcinoma, another squamous carcinoma, the p150 values were reported to rise early in all tumors, to stay high in patients with longer survival as well. In addition, patients with regional lymph‐node metastasis and high p150 expression survived longer than those with regional lymph‐node metastasis and lower p150 expression (p < 0.0066). Multivariate analysis showed that p150 is an independent factor for predicting patient survival. The results suggest that p150 may be a new biomarker for squamous‐cell carcinoma of the esophagus, with specific prognostic value. Int. J. Cancer (Pred. Oncol.) 84:95–100, 1999. © 1999 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The magic angle effect: A source of artifact, determinant of image contrast, and technique for imaging

This review provides a formalism for understanding magic angle effects in clinical studies. It involves consideration of the fiber‐to‐field angle for linear structures such as tendons, ligaments, and peripheral nerves, disc‐like and circular structures such as menisci and labra, as well as complex three‐dimensional structures. There may be one or more fiber types with different orientations within each of these tissues. The orientation of these fibers to B0 is crucial in determining their magic angle effect. Tissues may show a variety of appearances depending on their baseline T2, as well as the increase in T2 produced by the magic angle effect. The appearances are affected by TE, which affects both the general tissue signal level and the change in signal produced by the magic angle effect, fiber‐to‐slice orientation, and partial volume effects. Deliberate positioning of structures and tissues at particular orientations to B0 can be used to increase the signal from tissues such as tendons and ligaments and so allow them to be imaged with conventional sequences. The technique can also be used to produce contrast between tissues with fibers that have different orientations to B0. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.