Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Pkn9, a Ser/Thr protein kinase involved in the development of Myxococcus xanthus

The Myxococcus xanthus gene, pkn9, encodes a protein that contains significant homology with eukaryotic Ser/Thr protein kinases. The pkn9 gene was singled out of a previously identified family of kinase genes by amplification techniques that displayed differences in kinase gene expression during selected periods of the M. xanthus life cycle. Pkn9 was constitutively expressed during vegetative growth and upregulated during the aggregation stage of early development. It consists of 589 amino acids, and its N‐terminal 394 residues show 38% identity with both Pkn1 and Pkn2 of M. xanthus. This region also shows 29, 25 and 29% identity with myosin light‐chain kinase, protein kinase C, and cAMP‐dependent protein kinase, respectively. A 22‐residue hydrophobic transmembrane domain separates the kinase domain from the 173‐residue C‐terminal domain that resides on the outside of the inner membrane. The C‐terminal domain contains two sets of tandem repeats of 13 and 10 residues which have no known function. When expressed in Escherichia coli under the T7 promoter, Pkn9 was found to be phosphorylated on serine and threonine residues. Disruption of the pkn9 kinase catalytic subdomains I–III by the insertion of a kanamycin‐resistance gene resulted in slightly delayed, smaller and more‐crowded fruiting bodies, while spore formation was normal. Total deletion of the pkn9 gene caused severely reduced progression through development resulting in light loose mounds that become slightly more compact over time. Development progressed further at the centre than at the edge of the spot, and spore formation was significantly reduced. Two‐dimensional gel analysis revealed that both the disruption and the deletion of pkn9 prevented the expression of five membrane proteins (KREP9‐1‐4). These results suggest that the loss of Pkn9 kinase activity caused altered fruiting‐body formation, the absence of the KREP9 proteins in the membrane, and reduced spore production.
Security and Privacy of Smartphone Messaging Applications 1

In recent years mobile messaging and VoIP applications for smartphones have seen a massive surge in popularity, which has also sparked the interest in research related to the security and privacy of these applications. Various security researchers and institutions have performed in-depth analyses of specific applications or vulnerabilities. This paper gives an overview of the status quo in terms of security for a number of selected applications in comparison to a previous evaluation conducted two years ago, as well as performing an analysis on some new applications. The evaluation methods mostly focus on known vulnerabilities in connection with authentication and validation mechanisms but also describe some newly identified attack vectors. The results show a predominantly positive trend for new applications, which are mostly being developed with robust security and privacy features, while some of the older applications have shown little to no progress in this regard or have even introduced new vulnerabilities in recent versions. In addition, this paper shows privacy implications of smartphone messaging that are not even solved by today’s most sophisticated “secure” smartphone messaging applications, as well as discuss methods for protecting user privacy during the creation of the user network.
Structural and functional social network attributes moderate the association of self-rated health with mental health in midlife and older adults

ABSTRACT Background: Social relationships are multifaceted, and different social network components can operate via different processes to influence well-being. This study examined associations of social network structure and relationship quality (positive and negative social exchanges) with mental health in midlife and older adults. The focus was on both direct associations of network structure and relationship quality with mental health, and whether these social network attributes moderated the association of self-rated health (SRH) with mental health. Methods: Analyses were based on survey data provided by 2001 (Mean age = 65, SD = 8.07) midlife and older adults. We used Latent Class Analysis (LCA) to classify participants into network types based on network structure (partner status, network size, contact frequency, and activity engagement), and used continuous measures of positive and negative social exchanges to operationalize relationship quality. Regression analysis was used to test moderation. Results: LCA revealed network types generally consistent with those reported in previous studies. Participants in more diverse networks reported better mental health than those categorized into a restricted network type after adjustment for age, sex, education, and employment status. Analysis of moderation indicated that those with poorer SRH were less likely to report poorer mental health if they were classified into more diverse networks. A similar moderation effect was also evident for positive exchanges. Conclusions: The findings suggest that both quantity and quality of social relationships can play a role in buffering against the negative implications of physical health decline for mental health.
Photoreceptor Layer Reconstruction in a Rodent Model of Retinal Degeneration

We have examined the potential of retinal cell transplantation to dystrophic retinal degeneration mice as a way of replacing photoreceptors lost because of an intrinsic genetic defect. Early postnatal retinae which had been gently dissociated survived for at least 6 weeks after transplantation to the subretinal space. Over a significant area of distribution, transplanted cells formed outer segments which lay in close apposition to the host retinal pigment epithelial cell layer. The grafts integrated with the remaining host retina, sufficient at least to mediate a simple light-dark preference. A new synaptic layer was seen at the graft-host interface, which contained substantial numbers of photoreceptor synapses. This and the fact that the behavior could be elicited at low luminance levels argue for functional circuit reconstruction between grafted cells and host retina.
Review: Cell wall assembly in yeast

The cell wall of yeast may account for up to 30% of the dry weight of the and therefore represents an important investment by the cell. As the wall is responsible for the mechanical strength of the cell, the wall might superficially be seen as a static structure with a constant composition. This view has partially arisen because most of the earlier research has been carried out with stationary phase cells. This has obscured the highly dynamic nature of the cell wall. For example, we now know that the composition and architecture of the cell wall can vary widely in response to changes in the composition of the culture solution and that the cell wall of batch-grown cells continuously changes during growth. Moreover, when haploid cells meet the pheromone of the opposite mating type, they stop dividing and form a conelike projection with a differently composed cell wall. We shall also see that the wall of the daughter cell continuously changes during the cell cycle.
Characterization of the adaptive response to ionizing radiation induced by low doses of X rays to human lymphocytes.

In previous studies we have shown that low doses of radiation from incorporated tritiated thymidine can make human lymphocytes less susceptible to the genetic damage manifested as chromatid breakage induced by a subsequent high dose of X rays. We have also shown that this adaptive response to ionizing radiation can be induced by very low doses of X rays (0.01 Gy; i.e., 1 rad) delivered during S phase of the cell cycle. To see if a low dose of X rays could induce this response in cells at other phases of the cell cycle, human lymphocytes were irradiated with 0.01 or 0.05 Gy before stimulation by phytohemagglutinin (G0) or with 0.01 Gy at various times after stimulation (G1), followed by 1.5 Gy (150 rad) at G2 phase. Although G0 lymphocytes failed to exhibit an adaptive response, G1 cells irradiated as early as 4 h after stimulation did show the response. Experiments were also carried out to determine how long the adaptive response induced by 0.01 Gy could persist. A 0.01-Gy dose was delivered to lymphocytes in the first S phase, followed by 1.5 Gy in the same or subsequent cell cycles. Lymphocytes receiving a 1.5-Gy dose at 40, 48, or 66 h after stimulation exhibited an adaptive response, whereas those receiving a 1.5-Gy dose at 90 or 114 h did not. Duplicate cultures containing bromodeoxyuridine showed that at 40 h all the lymphocytes were in their first cell cycle after stimulation, at 48 h half of the lymphocytes were in their first cell cycle and half in their second, and at 66 h 80% of the lymphocytes were in their third cell cycle. Thus the adaptive response persists for at least three cell cycles after it is induced by 0.01 Gy of X rays. In other experiments, the time necessary for maximal expression of the adaptive response was determined by delivering 0.01 Gy at hourly intervals 1-6 h before the 1.5-Gy dose. While a 4-h interval was enough for expression of the adaptive response, shorter intervals were not.
Fuzzy Comprehensive Evaluation of River Health Using (1/2, 2) EM Method

In this paper, river health evaluation is decomposed into a hierarchical structure. Weights for each index of each grade are determined with the (1/2,2) EM method. The relative membership degree of different evaluation grade standards is then calculated with a fuzzy comprehensive evaluation based on fuzzy theory. The results present a comprehensive evaluation of river health and a scientific basis for river health management.
Effects of Aquatic Intervention on Gross Motor Skills in Children with Cerebral Palsy: A Systematic Review

ABSTRACT Aims: To review the literature on the effects of aquatic intervention on gross motor skills for children with cerebral palsy (CP). Data sources: Six databases were searched from inception to January 2016. Review methods: Aquatic studies for children aged 1–21 years with any type or CP classification and at least one outcome measuring gross motor skills were included. Information was extracted on study design, outcomes, and aquatic program type, frequency, duration, and intensity. Quality was rated using the Centre of Evidence-Based Medicine: Levels of Evidence and the PEDro scale. Results: Of the 11 studies which met inclusion criteria, only two used randomized control trial design, and the results were mixed. Quality of evidence was rated as moderate to high for only one study. Most studies used quasi-experimental designs and reported improvements in gross motor skills for within group analyses after aquatic programs were held for two to three times per week and lasting for 6–16 weeks. Participants were classified according to the Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) levels I–V, and were aged 3–21 years. Mild to no adverse reactions were reported. Conclusions: Evidence on aquatic interventions for ambulatory children with CP is limited. Aquatic exercise is feasible and adverse effects are minimal; however, dosing parameters are unclear. Further research is needed to determine aquatic intervention effectiveness and exercise dosing across age categories and GMFCS levels.
"Red flag" evaluation yield in irritable bowel syndrome.

BACKGROUND The diagnosis of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is based on clinical criteria. Further diagnostic testing is advised for certain "red flag" alarm or warning signs. AIM This investigation was designed to examine the yield of testing for "red flags". METHODS Consecutive patients who were prospectively evaluated and met the ROME III criteria for IBS were reviewed for "red flags" which included: 1) rectal bleeding, 2) iron-deficiency anemia (IDA), 3) weight loss, 4) family history of colon cancer, 5) fever, and 6) age of onset after age 50. The evaluations were reviewed for type of testing and findings. Subjects with nocturnal symptoms and fecal soiling, although not traditional warning signs, were also reviewed. RESULTS There were 200 patients who met the IBS criteria; 139 (70%) had a "red flag" alarm symptom or sign. Diarrhea predominant-IBS (D-IBS) was seen in 105, constipation predominant-IBS (C-IBS) in 57, alternating, mixed, or pain predominant-IBS in 38. There were 30 men and 170 women. Testing was not often performed in this setting and, when done, the yield was low with few clinically significant diagnostic findings. CONCLUSION There was a high prevalence of "red flag" symptoms or signs in the prospectively evaluated IBS cohort, but a low frequency of diagnostic testing directed at the investigation of these symptoms or signs. Further systematic study may show that the yield for testing in IBS is low even when "red flags" prompt diagnostic testing.
Experiences of Living With Opioid Dependence: An Interview Study Among Individuals Participating in Medication-Assisted Treatment

In order to describe experiences of living with opioid dependence, thirteen interviews were conducted with people participating in medication-assisted treatment. The results showed that living with opioid dependence is about the two-faced drug. The participant's past was a constant burden in life, and the drug filled a spiritual emptiness. The participant's described a life in chaos and pain, and furthermore, a life without dignity and in alienation. Opioid dependence means great suffering. Having a holistic view and by gaining an understanding of the complexities of opioid dependence, healthcare professionals can provide nonjudgmental and respectful treatment.
Collocation Research Based on Corpora Collected from Secondary School Textbooks in Japan and in the UK

The aim of this paper is to analyze verb-noun English collocations extracted from a history textbook for secondary school pupils used in the UK and from English textbooks for 10th graders in Japan. To conduct the research on collocation, the following research questions are set up: (a) What kind of collocations are used in the history textbook? (b) How many collocations are used in the history textbook? (c) How often do the same collocations appear in the textbook? and (d) What are differences between collocations in the history textbook in the UK and those in English textbooks in Japan? The main finding shows that collocations are disregarded in both textbooks in terms of the kinds and the number of collocations. It may be natural that in history textbooks collocations are not so often used to explain various events in world history. However, English textbooks should much more pay attention to usage of collocations to cultivate learners’ better command of English. In conclusion, English textbooks for 10th graders in Japan should include more variety of collocations to help the learners to develop larger vocabulary as the importance of collocation teaching for learners has been emphasized for the last two decades.
An EEG-based real-time cortical rhythmic activity monitoring system

In the present study, we introduce an electroencephalography (EEG)-based, real-time, cortical rhythmic activity monitoring system which can monitor spatiotemporal changes of cortical rhythmic activity on a subject's cortical surface, not on the subject's scalp surface, with a high temporal resolution. In the monitoring system, a frequency domain inverse operator is preliminarily constructed, considering the subject's anatomical information and sensor configurations, and then the spectral current power at each cortical vertex is calculated for the Fourier transforms of successive sections of continuous data, when a particular frequency band is given. A preliminary offline simulation study using four sets of artifact-free, eye-closed, resting EEG data acquired from two dementia patients and two normal subjects demonstrates that spatiotemporal changes of cortical rhythmic activity can be monitored at the cortical level with a maximal delay time of about 200 ms, when 18 channel EEG data are analyzed under a Pentium4 3.4 GHz environment. The first pilot system is applied to two human experiments—(1) cortical alpha rhythm changes induced by opening and closing eyes and (2) cortical mu rhythm changes originated from the arm movements—and demonstrated the feasibility of the developed system.
High‐resolution mapping of two large‐scale transpressional fault zones in the California Continental Borderland: Santa Cruz‐Catalina Ridge and Ferrelo faults

New mapping of two active transpressional fault zones in the California Continental Borderland, the Santa Cruz‐Catalina Ridge fault and the Ferrelo fault, was carried out to characterize their geometries, using over 4500 line‐km of new multibeam bathymetry data collected in 2010 combined with existing data. Faults identified from seafloor morphology were verified in the subsurface using existing seismic reflection data including single‐channel and multichannel seismic profiles compiled over the past three decades. The two fault systems are parallel and are capable of large lateral offsets and reverse slip during earthquakes. The geometry of the fault systems shows evidence of multiple segments that could experience throughgoing rupture over distances exceeding 100 km. Published earthquake hypocenters from regional seismicity studies further define the lateral and depth extent of the historic fault ruptures. Historical and recent focal mechanisms obtained from first‐motion and moment tensor studies confirm regional strain partitioning dominated by right slip on major throughgoing faults with reverse‐oblique mechanisms on adjacent structures. Transpression on west and northwest trending structures persists as far as 270 km south of the Transverse Ranges; extension persists in the southern Borderland. A logjam model describes the tectonic evolution of crustal blocks bounded by strike‐slip and reverse faults which are restrained from northwest displacement by the Transverse Ranges and the southern San Andreas fault big bend. Because of their potential for dip‐slip rupture, the faults may also be capable of generating local tsunamis that would impact Southern California coastlines, including populated regions in the Channel Islands.
Tension and stress in the rat and rabbit stomach are location‐ and direction‐dependent

Abstract Distension studies in the stomach are very common. It is assumed in pressure–volume (barostat) studies of tone and tension in the gastric fundus that the fundus is a sphere, i.e. that the tension in all directions is identical. However, the complex geometry of the stomach indicates a more complex mechanical behaviour. The aim of this study was to determine uniaxial stress–strain properties of gastric strips obtained from rats (n = 12) and rabbits (n = 10). Furthermore, we aimed to study the gastric zero‐stress state since the stomach is one of the remaining parts of the gastrointestinal tract where residual strain studies have not been conducted. Longitudinal strips (in parallel with the lesser curvature) and circumferential strips (perpendicular to the lesser curvature) were cut from the gastric fundus (glandular part) and forestomach (non‐glandular part). The residual stress was evaluated as bending angles (unit: degree per unit length and negative when bending outwards). The residual strain was computed from the change in length between the zero‐stress state and no‐load state. The stress–strain test was performed using a tensile test machine. The thickness and width of each strip were measured from digital images. The strips data were compared with data obtained in the intact stomach in vitro. Most residual stresses and strains were bigger in the glandular part than in the forestomach, and in general the rat stomach had higher values than the rabbit stomach. The glandular strips were stiffer than the forestomach strips and the longitudinal glandular strips were stiffer than the circumferential glandular strips (P < 0.05). The gastric strips were stiffer in rats than in rabbits (P < 0.01). The data obtained in the intact rat stomach confirmed the strips data and indicated that those were obtained in the physiological range. In conclusion, the biomechanical properties of the gastric strips from the rat and rabbit are location‐dependent, direction‐dependent and species‐dependent. The assumption in physiological pressure–volume studies that the stomach is a sphere with uniform tension is not valid. Three‐dimensional geometric data obtained using imaging technology and mechanical data are needed for evaluation of the stomach function.
Knowledge Sharing in Cross-Functional Teams and its Antecedents: Role of Mutual Trust as a Moderator

Growth and success of an organisation are primarily dependent on its ability to develop, leverage, and utilise its knowledge base. This study developed a model to test the impact of antecedents of knowledge Sharing (KS) on team performance. The antecedents were classified as organisational characteristics (structure, learning culture, employee training, reward system, top management support) and individual characteristic (emotional intelligence). The study is based on data collected with the help of structured questionnaires from 582 team members working under 69 teams in 26 surveyed organisations in India. Results suggest that high emotional intelligence increases the extent of KS and hence, has positive impact on team performance among cross-functional team members. Moreover, mutual trust among team members moderates KS behaviour and team performance. Thus, findings confirm the applicability and predictive power of the proposed model. Furthermore, this model contributes to the literature of predicting KS practices in cross-functional projects.
Anaerobic growth of gonococci does not alter their Opa-mediated interactions with human neutrophils

Gonococci grown anaerobically (anaerobic gonococci) in the presence of nitrite induce the expression of at least three novel outer membrane proteins (PANs 1 to 3). Although PAN 1 is expressed by gonococci during gonorrhea, the function of the PAN proteins remains unknown. In the absence of serum, gonococci possessing opacity-associated (Opa, formerly PII) outer membrane proteins adhere to, stimulate, and are phagocytically killed by human neutrophils. Gonococci lacking Opa proteins demonstrate none of these activities. We investigated whether the PAN proteins, or any other characteristics of anaerobic gonococci, altered the ability of nonpiliated, Opa+ or Opa- gonococci to adhere to, stimulate, or be phagocytically killed by neutrophils. The expression of Opa4 by strain F62, as determined by its relative mobility on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gels, appeared to be unaltered by anaerobic growth, as seen previously (V. L. Clark, L. A. Campbell, D. A. Palermo, T. M. Evans, and K. W. Klimpel, Infect Immun. 55:1359-1364, 1987). Anaerobic and aerobic Opa+ gonococci adhered to and stimulated neutrophils to the same extent. Similarly, anaerobic and aerobic Opa- gonococci adhered to and stimulated neutrophils equally poorly. Finally, anaerobic and aerobic Opa+ gonococci were equally sensitive to phagocytic killing by neutrophils, while anaerobic and aerobic Opa- gonococci were equally resistant to killing. Thus, the role of Opa proteins in mediating the interactions of gonococci with human neutrophils appears unaltered by anaerobic growth, and the PAN proteins, or other cryptic properties of anaerobic gonococci, do not seem to modulate or mediate these phenomena.