Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Passive turning motion of 3D rimless wheel: novel periodic gaits for bipedal curved walking

Passive dynamic walking originally was introduced to describe some natural stable periodic gaits in straight walking. However, in this research, we have extended this notion to curved walking, wherein some novel three-dimensional (3D) periodic gaits with natural stability have been realized. For this aim, the simplest bipedal walking model, i.e. a rimless spoked-wheel, in its general 3D form, has been considered on a straight slope surface. Then, two kinds of stable passive turning, i.e. limited and circular continuous have been discussed. The first kind is actually a transfer among two-dimensional (2D) periodic motions and can be implemented on such straight slope surface. It is shown that the second kind is related to novel 3D periodic motions and can be just recognized on a special surface profile namely ‘helical slope’. The latter are interpreted as 3D fixed points of a Poincare return map. Results not only show asymptotical stability of such periodic motions, but also surprisingly indicate that the stability of a 3D periodic gait (turning) is higher than 2D one (straight walking). Furthermore, the characteristics of passive turning are shown to be firmly connected with the value of the state variables such as the lean angle in each case. Graphical abstract
Age-related changes in the distribution of lean, fat with skin and bones in duck carcases

1. The experimental birds were Pekin ducks (352 and 352) reared to the age of 13 weeks. They were fed standard diets ad libitum. Starting from the second week, 21 males and 21 females were slaughtered every 7 d. Their carcases were divided into the following elements: neck, wings, legs, breast and back, which were then dissected into lean, skin with fat and bones. 2. The body weights of one-day-old ducklings were similar (circa 62 g), but at 5 weeks of age the males were heavier than the females, and at 13 weeks of age their body weights were 3537 g and 2994 g, respectively. 3. In 2-week-old ducks 55·77% of lean was located in the legs, 15·91% in the back part, 2·78% in the wings, 12·47% in the neck and only 13·12% in the breast. 4. Considerable changes in the distribution of lean were noted in the ducks aged 7 weeks. Its percentage decreased in the legs (to 29·34%) and increased in the breast and wings (to 36·86% and 10·96%, respectively). 5. Age-related changes in the distribution of skin with fat were smaller. Its percentage increased in the wings, legs and back, and decreased in the neck and breast. 6. Until the age of 7 weeks the percentage of bones was decreasing quickly in the legs and increasing in the neck and breast, compared with their total weight in the carcase.
Blood Platelets and Schistosome Egg Excretion

Abstract The eggs of helminths of the Schistosoma genus require to be extravasated in order to continue the life cycle of the parasite. The possible mode by which this takes place was investigated in a mouse model. Suppression of platelet activity in Schistosoma mansoni-infected mice by administering rabbit anti-mouse platelet serum or a selection of “antiplatelet drugs’ resulted in a significant reduction of parasite egg excretion. This reduction was best achieved when antiplatelet agents were administered just before the onset of parasite egg excretion. The association between parasite eggs and platelets was illustrated in vivo and in vitro where platelet aggregates on egg surfaces were seen in both light and electron microscopy. In addition, eggs that had been isolated from infected mouse tissues induced platelet aggregation in whole mouse blood, and this was inhibited by preincubation with the β-lactam antibiotic, ticarcillin. Isolated eggs were also capable of inducing ex vivo platelet aggregation in mice, which was dependent on presensitization with eggs. These data suggest a role for platelets in the extravasation and excretion of parasite eggs in schistosomiasis.
THE UV CONTINUUM OF z > 1 STAR-FORMING GALAXIES IN THE HUBBLE ULTRAVIOLET ULTRADEEP FIELD

We estimate the UV continuum slope, β, for 923 galaxies in the range 1 < z < 8 in the Hubble Ultradeep Field (HUDF). These data include 460 galaxies at 1 < z < 2 down to an absolute magnitude ), comparable to dwarf galaxies in the local universe. We combine deep HST/UVIS photometry in F225W, F275W, F336W wavebands (UVUDF) with recent data from HST/WFC3/IR (HUDF12). Galaxies in the range 1 < z < 2 are significantly bluer than local dwarf galaxies. We find their mean (median) values = − 1.382(− 1.830) ± 0.002 (random) ± 0.1 (systematic). We find comparable scatter in β (standard deviation = 0.43) to local dwarf galaxies and 30% larger scatter than z > 2 galaxies. We study the trends of β with redshift and absolute magnitude for binned sub-samples and find a modest color–magnitude relation, dβ/dM = −0.11 ± 0.01, and no evolution in dβ/dM with redshift. A modest increase in dust reddening with redshift and luminosity, ΔE(B − V) ∼ 0.1, and a comparable increase in the dispersion of dust reddening at z < 2, appears likely to explain the observed trends. At z > 2, we find trends that are consistent with previous works; combining our data with the literature in the range 1 < z < 8, we find a color evolution with redshift, dβ/dz = −0.09 ± 0.01 for low luminosity (0.05 ), and dβ/dz = −0.06 ± 0.01 for medium luminosity (0.25 ) galaxies.
The yeast non‐Mendelian factor [ETA+] is a variant of [PSI+], a prion‐like form of release factor eRF3

The yeast non‐Mendelian factor [ETA+] is lethal in the presence of certain mutations in the SUP35 and SUP45 genes, which code for the translational release factors eRF3 and eRF1, respectively. One such mutation, sup35‐2, is now shown to contain a UAG stop codon prior to the essential region of the gene. The non‐Mendelian inheritance of [ETA+] is reminiscent of the yeast [PSI+] element, which is due to a self‐propagating conformation of Sup35p. Here we show that [ETA+] and [PSI+] share many characteristics. Indeed, like [PSI+], the maintenance of [ETA+] requires the N‐terminal region of Sup35p and depends on an appropriate level of the chaperone protein Hsp104. Moreover, [ETA+] can be induced de novo by excess Sup35p, and [ETA+] cells have a weak nonsense suppressor phenotype characteristic of weak [PSI+]. We conclude that [ETA+] is actually a weak, unstable variant of [PSI+]. We find that although some Sup35p aggregates in [ETA+] cells, more Sup35p remains soluble in [ETA+] cells than in isogenic strong [PSI+] cells. Our data suggest that the amount of soluble Sup35p determines the strength of translational nonsense suppression associated with different [PSI+] variants.
Relationships between metabolic status, corticosterone secretion and maintenance of innate and adaptive humoral immunities in fasted re-fed mallards

SUMMARY The prolonged exposure of birds to environmental stressors known to affect energy status and glucocorticoid secretion may have several physiological consequences including a decrease in immunocompetence, further compromising the survival of individuals. However, the relationships between these parameters remain poorly understood. To this end, changes in body energy content, plasma corticosterone, adaptive (total plasma immunoglobulin Y; IgY) and innate (natural antibodies; NAbs) immune systems were assessed in female mallards (Anas plathyrhynchos) throughout prolonged fasts of different intensities and subsequent re-feeding. Plasma IgY and NAb scores were decreased by 36% and 50%, respectively, during phase II of fasting (protein-sparing phase) and by up to 40% and 80%, respectively, during phase III (protein-wasting phase), indicating a selective regulation of immune function. These results are consistent with the hypothesis of a trade-off between immune function and other energy-demanding activities. However, despite full repletion of fuel reserves and NAbs, only 76% of initial IgY levels were recovered, further supporting a trade-off between innate and adaptive branches of immunity. Although fasting induced significant increases in corticosterone levels to up to 6 times higher than baseline levels during phase III, baseline levels were recovered within 1 day of re-feeding. Our data do not support the hypothesis of a direct regulation of immunocompetence by corticosterone, at least during periods of energy repletion. Finally, the mismatch between the kinetics of body fuels and the two arms of the immune system during fasting and re-feeding suggests that variations in immune system components do not strictly covary with body mass under fluctuating food conditions.
Radiobiological responses for two cell lines following continuous low dose-rate (CLDR) and pulsed dose rate (PDR) brachytherapy

The iso-effective irradiation of continuous low-dose-rate (CLDR) irradiation was compared with that of various schedules of pulsed dose rate (PDR) irradiation for cells of two established human lines, T-47D and NHIK 3025. Complete single-dose response curves were obtained for determination of parameters α and β by fitting of the linear quadratic formula. Sublethal damage repair constants µ and T1/2 were determined by split-dose recovery experiments. On basis of the acquired parameters of each cell type the relative effectiveness of the two regimens of irradiation (CLDR and PDR) was calculated by use of Fowler's radiobiological model for iso-effect irradiation for repeated fractions of dose delivered at medium dose rates. For both cell types the predicted and observed relative effectiveness was compared at low and high iso-effect levels. The results indicate that the effect of PDR irradiation predicted by Fowlers model is equal to that of CLDR irradiation for both small and large doses with T-47D cells. With NHIK 3025 cells PDR irradiation induces a larger effect than predicted by the model for small doses, while it induces the predicted effect for high doses. The underlying cause of this difference is unclear, but cell-cycle parameters, like G2-accumulation is tested and found to be the same for the two cell lines.
Nicotine enhances both excitatory and inhibitory synaptic inputs to inspiratory‐activated airway vagal preganglionic neurons

• What is the central question of this study? Airway vagal preganglionic neurons (AVPNs) supply the essential excitatory drive to the postganglionic neurons, which dominate the neural control of the airway physiologically and play critical roles in the pathogenesis of some common airway disorders. AVPNs express multiple subunits of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs), but the influences of exogenous nicotine or endogenous acetylcholine are unknown. • What is the main finding and its importance? Nicotine and endogenous acetylcholine both cause a postsynaptic excitatory current in inspiratory‐ activated AVPNs, and enhance both the excitatory and inhibitory synaptic inputs. The overall effect of nicotine on inspiratory‐activated AVPNs is excitatory. The nicotinic effects on inspiratory‐activated AVPNs are mediated presynaptically by activation of α4β2 type of nAChRs and postsynaptically by activation of multiple nAChRs including α7 and α4β2 types.
The role of Toll-like receptors in health and disease - short review

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are a group of proteins involved in recognition of highly conserved microbial structures and endogenous molecules released during tissue damage, which makes them key players in innate immunity. By activating nuclear factor κB (NFκB), TLRs are also involved in several physiological processes including angiogenesis, apoptosis, and tissue repair. As shown in recent publications, disorder of TLRs signaling pathways as well as abnormalities in their expression may underlie various diseases, such as sepsis, life-threatening infections, tumors. This paper reviews the role of TLRs in innate immune response and consequences of disturbances in their functioning.
Requirement of Borate Cross-Linking of Cell Wall Rhamnogalacturonan II for Arabidopsis Growth

Turgor-driven plant cell growth depends on wall structure. Two allelic l-fucose–deficient Arabidopsis thalianamutants (mur1-1 and 1-2) are dwarfed and their rosette leaves do not grow normally. mur1 leaf cell walls contain normal amounts of the cell wall pectic polysaccharide rhamnogalacturonan II (RG-II), but only half exists as a borate cross-linked dimer. The altered structure of mur1 RG-II reduces the rate of formation and stability of this cross-link. Exogenous aqueous borate rescues the defect. The reduced cross-linking of RG-II in dwarf mur1 plants indicates that plant growth depends on wall pectic polysaccharide organization.
Reservoir Targeted Vaccine for Lyme Borreliosis Induces a Yearlong, Neutralizing Antibody Response to OspA in White-Footed Mice

ABSTRACT Lyme disease is caused by the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi. The enzootic cycle of this pathogen requires that Ixodes spp. acquire B. burgdorferi from infected wildlife reservoirs and transmit it to other uninfected wildlife. At present, there are no effective measures to control B. burgdorferi; there is no human vaccine available, and existing vector control measures are generally not acceptable to the public. However, if B. burgdorferi could be eliminated from its reservoir hosts or from the ticks that feed on them, the enzootic cycle would be broken, and the incidence of Lyme disease would decrease. We developed OspA-RTV, a reservoir targeted bait vaccine (RTV) based on the immunogenic outer surface protein A (OspA) of B. burgdorferi aimed at breaking the natural cycle of this spirochete. White-footed mice, the major reservoir species for this spirochete in nature developed a systemic OspA-specific IgG response as a result of ingestion of the bait formulation. This immune response protected white-footed mice against B. burgdorferi infection upon tick challenge and cleared B. burgdorferi from the tick vector. In performing extensive studies to optimize the OspA-RTV for field deployment, we determined that mice that consumed the vaccine over periods of 1 or 4 months developed a yearlong, neutralizing anti-OspA systemic IgG response. Furthermore, we defined the minimum number of OspA-RTV units needed to induce a protective immune response.
The low prevalence of Clostridium botulinum in the lakes, marshes and waterways of the Camargue

SUMMARY Mud samples collected in June 1975 from the lakes, marshes and waterways of the Camargue were examined for Clostridium botulinum. The Grand Rhône and Petit Rhone were shown to contain types B and E, but of 44 samples taken from well distributed sites on the Ile de la Carmargue, only two (4·5%) were positive and these contained type E alone. The survey indicated a much lower prevalence of Cl. botulinum than any encountered in recent surveys of inland aquatic environments elsewhere.
Blur Adaptation in Myopes

It has been suggested that when subjects with myopia remove their refractive correction, blur adaptation develops to produce an improvement in their visual resolution. The present study measured visual acuity (VA) using high contrast letters and gratings with contrast levels between 2.5% and 40% at 30-minute intervals over the course of a 3-h period during which the subjects remained uncorrected. Twenty-two young subjects with moderate degrees of myopia (mean refractive error, −1.85 D) participated in the study. Immediately after a 1-h period of full correction, subjects spent 3 h without any refractive correction, during which time they watched television and videos at a viewing distance of 5 m. A significant change in letter and grating VA was observed during the course of the 3-h period of sustained blur, with the mean uncorrected letter VA improving from 0.76 (SD, ±0.26) to 0.53 (SD, ±0.23) logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (logMAR). The Snellen equivalent to this change is from 6/35 to 6/20. A significant improvement in grating acuity was also observed. However, no significant change in refractive error, measured using noncycloplegic autorefraction, was found. These results demonstrate significant blur adaptation in subjects with uncorrected myopia, which does not result from a change in refractive state. We hypothesize that the improvement in visual resolution results from perceptual adaptation to the blurred image, which may occur at central sites within the visual cortex.
Bayesian Elastic Net Tobit Quantile Regression

In this article, the problem of parameter estimation and variable selection in the Tobit quantile regression model is considered. A Tobit quantile regression with the elastic net penalty from a Bayesian perspective is proposed. Independent gamma priors are put on the l1 norm penalty parameters. A novel aspect of the Bayesian elastic net Tobit quantile regression is to treat the hyperparameters of the gamma priors as unknowns and let the data estimate them along with other parameters. A Bayesian Tobit quantile regression with the adaptive elastic net penalty is also proposed. The Gibbs sampling computational technique is adapted to simulate the parameters from the posterior distributions. The proposed methods are demonstrated by both simulated and real data examples.
Central Bank Credibility Under Inferential Expectations

The theory of inferential expectations states that “economic agents hold beliefs that are subject to falsification by new information, in much the same way that they are in conventional statistical hypothesis testing. ” We outline the role expectations play in current monetary economic theory by ∗Corresponding author. Contact details: Crawford School of Economics and Government, Australian National University, Canberra ACT 0200, Australia; Tel: +61-2-61255540; Fax: +61-2-61255570; Email: timo.henckel@anu.edu. au.
Antipsychotic-induced weight gain: a comprehensive research synthesis.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to estimate and compare the effects of antipsychotics-both the newer ones and the conventional ones-on body weight. METHOD A comprehensive literature search identified 81 English- and non-English-language articles that included data on weight change in antipsychotic-treated patients. For each agent, a meta-analysis and random effects metaregression estimated the weight change after 10 weeks of treatment at a standard dose. A comprehensive narrative review was also conducted on all articles that did not yield quantitative information but did yield important qualitative information. RESULTS Placebo was associated with a mean weight reduction of 0.74 kg. Among conventional agents, mean weight change ranged from a reduction of 0.39 kg with molindone to an increase of 3.19 kg with thioridazine. Among newer antipsychotic agents, mean increases were as follows: clozapine, 4.45 kg; olanzapine, 4.15 kg; sertindole, 2.92 kg; risperidone, 2.10 kg; and ziprasidone, 0.04 kg. Insufficient data were available to evaluate quetiapine at 10 weeks. CONCLUSIONS Both conventional and newer antipsychotics are associated with weight gain. Among the newer agents, clozapine appears to have the greatest potential to induce weight gain, and ziprasidone the least. The differences among newer agents may affect compliance with medication and health risk.
Factors Affecting the Methanogenic Activity of Methanothrix soehngenii VNBF

Methane production by Methanothrix soehngenii VNBF grown on acetate (50 mM) as the sole carbon and energy source was influenced by the addition of Fe, trace elements, and pesticides. The addition of Fe and trace elements significantly enhanced the rate of CH4 production. The addition of pesticides in the early growth phase caused complete inhibition. However, less inhibition was noted when pesticides were added during early exponential growth phase. Addition to culture tubes of Co, Ni, or Mo at 2 μM produced 64, 41, or 17%, respectively, more CH4 than that produced in tubes lacking the corresponding trace element. A concentration of more than 5 μM of these trace elements in the medium resulted in decreased CH4 production, presumably because of toxic effects.
NM23-H1 Tumor Suppressor and Its Interacting Partner STRAP Activate p53 Function*

p53 plays a critical role in a variety of growth inhibitory responses, including cell cycle arrest, differentiation, and apoptosis, and contributes to tumor suppression. Here we show that NM23-H1 and its binding partner STRAP (serine-threonine kinase receptor-associated protein) interact with p53 and potentiate p53 activity. Both NM23-H1 and STRAP directly interact with the central DNA binding domain within residues 113-290. The use of NM23-H1 and STRAP mutants revealed that Cys145 of NM23-H1 and Cys152 (or Cys270) of STRAP were responsible for p53 binding. Furthermore, Cys176 and Cys135 of p53 were required to bind NM23-H1 and STRAP, respectively. Ectopic expression of wild-type NM23-H1 and STRAP, but not NM23-H1(C145S) and STRAP(C152S/C270S), positively regulated p53-mediated transcription in a dose-dependent manner. Knockdown of endogenous NM23-H1 or STRAP produced an opposite trend and inhibited the p53-mediated transcription. Similarly, NM23-H1 and STRAP stimulated p53-induced apoptosis and growth inhibition, whereas the NM23-H1(C145S) and STRAP(C152S/C270S) mutants had no effect. We also demonstrated that p53 activation by NM23-H1 and STRAP was mediated by removing Mdm2, a negative regulator of p53, from the p53-Mdm2 complex. These results suggest that NM23-H1 and its interacting partner STRAP physically interact with p53 and positively regulate its functions, including p53-induced apoptosis and cell cycle arrest.
Motivating continued knowledge sharing in crowdsourcing: The impact of different types of visual feedback

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of system-generated visual feedback and continued contribution on individuals’ motivation to share knowledge in a crowdsourcing environment. Design/methodology/approach – An experimental setting was designed to investigate participants’ motivation to contribute knowledge in a crowdsourcing environment. Responses from a total of 101 participants were analyzed. The independent variables were visual feedback and time. The dependent variable was the participants’ self-expressed willingness to further contribute in the experimental knowledge-sharing activity. Findings – A significant main effect of time was found, showing overall gains in the mean willingness to participate over time. It was also found that the mean willingness of the control and top assimilation groups were higher than the mean willingness of the rank contrast and status groups. The mean difference obtained for the control group was mainly during the first half of the knowledge-.