Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Involvement of VIP36 in Intracellular Transport and Secretion of Glycoproteins in Polarized Madin-Darby Canine Kidney (MDCK) Cells*

VIP36, an intracellular lectin that recognizes high mannose-type glycans (Hara-Kuge, S., Ohkura, T., Seko, A., and Yamashita, K. (1999) Glycobiology 9, 833–839), was shown to localize not only to the early secretory pathway but also to the plasma membrane of Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells. In the plasma membrane, VIP36 exhibited an apical-predominant distribution, the apical/basolateral ratio being ∼2. Like VIP36, plasma membrane glycoproteins recognized by VIP36 were found in the apical and basolateral membranes in the ratio of ∼2 to 1. In addition, secretory glycoproteins recognized by VIP36 were secreted ∼2-fold more efficiently from the apical membrane than from the basolateral membrane. Thus, the apical/basolateral ratio of the transport of VIP36-recognized glycoproteins was correlated with that of VIP36 in MDCK cells. Upon overproduction of VIP36 in MDCK cells, the apical/basolateral ratios of both VIP36 and VIP36-recognized glycoproteins were changed from ∼2 to ∼4, and the secretion of VIP36-recognized glycoproteins was greatly stimulated. In contrast to the overproduction of VIP36, that of a mutant version of VIP36, which has no lectin activity, was of no effect on the distribution of glycoproteins to apical and basolateral membranes and inhibited the secretion of VIP36-recognized glycoproteins. Furthermore, the overproduction of VIP36 greatly stimulated the secretion of a major apical secretory glycoprotein of MDCK cells, clusterin, which was found to carry at least one high mannose-type glycan and to be recognized by VIP36. In contrast to the secretion of clusterin, that of a non-glycosylated apical-secretion protein, galectin-3, was not stimulated through the overproduction of VIP36. These results indicated that VIP36 was involved in the transport and sorting of glycoproteins carrying high mannose-type glycan(s).
Characterization of Pacific golden chanterelle (Cantharellus formosus) genet size using co‐dominant microsatellite markers

We characterized five co‐dominant microsatellite markers and used them to study Pacific golden chanterelle (Cantharellus formosus) genet size and its relation to forest age and disturbance. Fruit‐bodies were mapped in and collected from nine replicate study plots in old‐growth, recently thinned, and unthinned 40–60‐year‐old second‐growth stands dominated by Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii). Information from microsatellite loci, combined with random fragment length polymorphism analysis of the nuclear DNA internal transcribed spacer indicates that putative ‘C. formosus’ fruit‐body collections may include a cryptic chanterelle species. Small genets were characterized for both genetic types with mean maximum widths of 3.2 ± 3.6 m for C. formosus and 1.5 ± 1.7 m for the alternative genetic group. Variance in genet size was high and some multilocus genotypes were observed on multiple plots separated by 0.3 km or more, indicating that genets were not fully resolved by the loci described here. There was no evidence that genet size differed across the three disturbance treatments.
Phylogeny of Stemphylium spp. based on ITS and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase gene sequences

The phylogenetic relationships among 44 isolates representing 16 species of Stemphylium were inferred from ITS and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (gpd) sequence data. The results generally agree with morphological species concepts. There was strong support for monophyly of the genus Stemphylium. Analysis of the gpd fragment in particular was useful for establishing well-supported relationships among the species and isolates of Stemphylium. Species of Stemphylium that appear to have lost the ability to produce a sexual state are scattered among the species with the ability to reproduce sexually (Pleospora spp.). Species that are pathogenic to alfalfa are resolved into two groups. Stemphylium botryosum and two isolates with morphological characters similar to S. globuliferum had identical sequences at both loci. These two loci in S. vesicarium, S. alfalfae and S. herbarum are nearly identical but differ from S. botryosum. The separation of S. vesicarium, S. herbarum and S. alfalfae into separate species by morphometric evidence was not supported by the molecular data. Morphological and developmental characters such as size and shape of conidia, conidiophores, and ascospores, and size and time of maturation of pseudothecia are useful for diagnosing species. However, other morphological characters such as septum development and small variations in conidial wall ornamentation are not as useful.
The measurement of Ascaris suum protein by radioimmunoassay in sera from patients with helminthiasis and with gastrointestinal diseases

SUMMARY In this study, we have developed a reliable radioimmunoassay (RIA) for Ascaris suum protein (Asp) and have measured the serum concentration of Asp in control subjects and in patients with helminthiasis and a variety of gastrointestinal diseases. The cross-reactivities of Asp antibody with other helminth worm antigens were also measured by RIA. Ascaris lumbricoides contained approximately the same amount of Asp antigenic substance as did Ascaris suum. Toxocara canis had a high concentration of a substance partially cross-reactive with Asp. Small amounts of substance cross-reacting with Asp were also exhibited by Anisakis larvae, Schistosoma japonicum and Taenia saginata. However, no cross-reactivities of Fasciola hepatica and Paragonimus westermani with Asp were observed in this study. Almost all the serum levels of Asp from normal control subjects were below the sensitivity of this RIA (10 ng/ml). High concentrations of Asp were observed in sera from patients with ascariasis (64.5±18.8 ng/ml: mean ± S.E.), anisakiasis (75.2±28.0 ng/ml), toxocariasis (78.4±31.3 ng/ml) and schistosomiasis japonica (14.3±3.4 ng/ml). Asp levels in sera from patients with other helminthiasis were not significantly high. From these findings, it was suggested that RIA for Asp may not be specific for diagnosis of ascariasis, but might be a suitable screening method for patients with some kinds of helminthiasis. Interestingly, high concentrations of Asp were also observed in sera from patients with ulcerative colitis (24.8±2.5 ng/ml) and Crohn's disease (19.8±5.2 ng/ml), but Asp levels from 7 other gastrointestinal diseases seemed not to be significantly high. These findings remain unexplained but may derive from cross-reactivities between helminthic and gut mucosal antigens.
Molecular view of an electron transfer process essential for iron–sulfur protein biogenesis

Biogenesis of iron–sulfur cluster proteins is a highly regulated process that requires complex protein machineries. In the cytosolic iron–sulfur protein assembly machinery, two human key proteins—NADPH-dependent diflavin oxidoreductase 1 (Ndor1) and anamorsin—form a stable complex in vivo that was proposed to provide electrons for assembling cytosolic iron–sulfur cluster proteins. The Ndor1–anamorsin interaction was also suggested to be implicated in the regulation of cell survival/death mechanisms. In the present work we unravel the molecular basis of recognition between Ndor1 and anamorsin and of the electron transfer process. This is based on the structural characterization of the two partner proteins, the investigation of the electron transfer process, and the identification of those protein regions involved in complex formation and those involved in electron transfer. We found that an unstructured region of anamorsin is essential for the formation of a specific and stable protein complex with Ndor1, whereas the C-terminal region of anamorsin, containing the [2Fe-2S] redox center, transiently interacts through complementary charged residues with the FMN-binding site region of Ndor1 to perform electron transfer. Our results propose a molecular model of the electron transfer process that is crucial for understanding the functional role of this interaction in human cells.
The Peopling of New Guinea: Evidence from Class I Human Leukocyte Antigen

This study utilizes newly developed direct DNA typing methods for human leukocyte antigens (HLA) to provide new information about the peopling of New Guinea. The complete polymorphism of eight Melanesian populations was examined. The groups included were highlanders, northern and southern highlands fringe populations, a Sepik population, northern and southern coastal New Guinea populations, and populations from the Bismarck Archipelago and New Caledonia. The study concluded that, based on HLA and other evidence, Melanesians are likely to have evolved largely from the same ancestral stock as Aboriginal Australians but to have since differentiated. Highlanders are likely to be descendants of earlier migrations who have been isolated for a long period of time. Northern highlands fringe and Sepik populations are likely to share a closer common ancestry but to have differentiated due to long term isolation and the relative proximity to the coast of the Sepik. Southern fringe populations are likely to have a different origin, possibly from the Gulf region, although there may be some admixture with neighboring groups. Coastal populations have a wider range of polymorphisms because of the genetic trail left by later population movement along the coast from Asia that did not reach Australia or remote Oceania. Other polymorphisms found in these populations may have been introduced by the movement of Austronesian-speaking and other more recent groups of people into the Pacific, because they share many polymorphisms with contemporary southeast Asians, Polynesians, and Micronesians that are not found in highlanders or Aboriginal Australians. There is evidence suggestive of later migration to Melanesia from Polynesia and Micronesia.
Expression of a Familial Alzheimer's Disease-Linked Presenilin-1 Variant Enhances Perforant Pathway Lesion-Induced Neuronal Loss in the Entorhinal Cortex

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by neuronal loss in the hippocampus and entorhinal cortex that is manifested by progressive memory impairment and cognitive decline. Autosomal-dominant, familial forms of AD (FAD) are caused by mutations in genes encoding amyloid precursor protein, presenilin-1 (PS1), and presenilin 2. Although it is established that expression of mutant PS1 variants leads to increased production of highly fibrillogenic amyloidβ42 (Aβ42) peptides that deposit in the brains of patients with AD, the mechanism(s) by which Aβ deposition and expression of mutant genes induce lamina- and region-specific vulnerability of neuronal populations is not known. We have examined the hypothesis that expression of transgene-encoded FAD-linked mutant PS1 variants in entorhinal cortex neurons exacerbates the vulnerability of these cells to lesion-induced neuronal loss. To test this notion, we transected the perforant pathway (PP) of transgenic mice harboring either wild-type human PS1 (PS1HWT) or the FAD-linked mutant PS1ΔE9 variant and examined neuronal survival in layer II of the entorhinal cortex (ECL2). Remarkably, PP transections lead to marked reductions in the numbers of ECL2 neurons in the ECL2 of mice expressing mutant PS1, compared with ECL2 neurons in PP-lesioned PS1HWT mice. Finally, and in contrast to studies in nontransgenic mice and in mice expressing PS1HWT, ECL2 neurons that express mutant PS1 and the calcium binding protein calbindin-D28k in ECL2 are also susceptible to lesion-induced neuronal loss. We conclude that expression of FAD-linked mutant PS1 variants enhances the vulnerability of neurons in the entorhinal cortex to PP lesion-induced cytotoxicity.
Facial anthropometric differences among gender, ethnicity, and age groups.

OBJECTIVES The impact of race/ethnicity upon facial anthropometric data in the US workforce, on the development of personal protective equipment, has not been investigated to any significant degree. The proliferation of minority populations in the US workforce has increased the need to investigate differences in facial dimensions among these workers. The objective of this study was to determine the face shape and size differences among race and age groups from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health survey of 3997 US civilian workers. METHODS Survey participants were divided into two gender groups, four racial/ethnic groups, and three age groups. Measurements of height, weight, neck circumference, and 18 facial dimensions were collected using traditional anthropometric techniques. A multivariate analysis of the data was performed using Principal Component Analysis. An exploratory analysis to determine the effect of different demographic factors had on anthropometric features was assessed via a linear model. The 21 anthropometric measurements, body mass index, and the first and second principal component scores were dependent variables, while gender, ethnicity, age, occupation, weight, and height served as independent variables. RESULTS Gender significantly contributes to size for 19 of 24 dependent variables. African-Americans have statistically shorter, wider, and shallower noses than Caucasians. Hispanic workers have 14 facial features that are significantly larger than Caucasians, while their nose protrusion, height, and head length are significantly shorter. The other ethnic group was composed primarily of Asian subjects and has statistically different dimensions from Caucasians for 16 anthropometric values. Nineteen anthropometric values for subjects at least 45 years of age are statistically different from those measured for subjects between 18 and 29 years of age. Workers employed in manufacturing, fire fighting, healthcare, law enforcement, and other occupational groups have facial features that differ significantly than those in construction. CONCLUSIONS Statistically significant differences in facial anthropometric dimensions (P < 0.05) were noted between males and females, all racial/ethnic groups, and the subjects who were at least 45 years old when compared to workers between 18 and 29 years of age. These findings could be important to the design and manufacture of respirators, as well as employers responsible for supplying respiratory protective equipment to their employees.
New Efficient Indoor Cooperative Localization Algorithm With Empirical Ranging Error Model

Cooperative localization can improve both the availability and accuracy of positioning systems, and distributed belief propagation is a promising enabling technology. Difficulties with belief propagation lie in achieving high accuracy without causing high communication overhead and computational complexity. This limits its application in practical systems with mobile nodes that have limited battery size and processing capabilities. In this paper, we propose an efficient cooperative localization algorithm that can be applied to a real indoor localization system with a nonGaussian ranging error distribution. We first propose an asymmetric double exponential ranging error model based on empirical ranging data. An efficient cooperative localization algorithm based on distributed belief propagation is then proposed. The communication and computational cost is reduced by passing approximate beliefs represented by Gaussian distributions between neighbours and by using an analytical approximation to compute peer-to-peer messages. An extension of the proposed algorithm is also proposed for tracking dynamic nodes. The proposed algorithms are validated on an indoor localization system deployed with 28 nodes covering 8000 m2, and are shown to outperform existing algorithms. In particular, the fraction of nodes located to one-meter accuracy is doubled using the proposed ranging error model and localization algorithm.
Superstars, Uncertainty of Outcome, and PGA Tour Television Ratings

Using 2010–2013 television ratings data for 33 Professional Golfers’ Association Tour events, this article analyzes determinants of audience size. Only one of six measures of uncertainty of outcome based on the leader’s margin or the number of golfers within five strokes of the leader is found to be positively correlated with ratings. Instead, ratings are strongly related to certain tournaments, particularly The Masters and the U.S. Open, and to the presence of Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson. Ratings are found to increase by about 50% if Woods is in contention.
Vitamin D Levels and Il28B Polymorphisms are Related to Rapid Virological Response to Standard of Care in Genotype 1 Chronic Hepatitis C

Background Genotype 1 (G1) chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients achieving a rapid virological response (RVR) on pegylated interferon (PEG-IFN) plus ribavirin have a high chance of sustained virological response (SVR), influenced by IL28B status, viral load, fibrosis and insulin resistance. We assessed whether 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) serum levels are linked to RVR and can be used together with IL28B to construct a pretreatment model to predict RVR. Methods A total of 117 consecutive patients with G1 CHC were evaluated by biopsy and anthropometric and metabolic measurements. 25(OH)D serum levels were measured by HPLC. IL28B rs12979860 and rs8099917 polymorphisms were also evaluated. All patients underwent antiviral therapy with PEG-IFN-α2a plus ribavirin. HCV RNA was assessed at baseline, week 4, week 12, at the end of therapy and after 6 months of follow-up. Results Mean ±sd 25(OH)D serum levels were 26.3 ±10.6 μg/l (range 8.0–58.0) and 31 (26.5%) patients had the rs12979860 CC polymorphism. RVR was achieved in 35 (29.9%) patients, and 32 (91.4%) of them had an SVR, compared to 26 of 82 (31.7%) without RVR. The rs12979860 CC polymorphism (OR 4.575, 95% CI 1.761, 11.889; P=0.002) and higher 25(OH)D levels (OR 1.055, 95% CI 1.010, 1.101; P=0.01) were independently associated with the achievement of RVR by multivariate analysis. The likelihood of RVR progressively increased from patients in the worst class (vitamin D<26.8 μg/l and TT/TC polymorphism; RVR 14.2%), to those with only one positive predictor (RVR 29.7% and 37.5%), and to those in the best class (vitamin D≥26.8 μg/l and rs12979860 CC polymorphism; RVR 73.3%). Conclusions In patients with G1 CHC, 25(OH)D serum levels and IL28B status are independently associated with the likelihood to achieve RVR and SVR. When incorporated into a pretreatment predictive model they can assist in further discriminating patients with a high likelihood of achieving RVR and SVR.
Determinants of knowledge seeking in professional virtual communities

As knowledge management systems within organisations, professional virtual communities (PVCs) are popular knowledge-seeking tools, which bring together geographically dispersed members from outside of the organisations. An increasing number of employees use PVCs for knowledge seeking, knowledge exchange and problem solving at work. Why do members choose to receive knowledge from other community members in PVCs needs to be understood. This paper extends Ajzen's [1991. The theory of planned behaviour. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 50 (2), 179–211] theory of planned behaviour to elicit external beliefs in terms of personal motivation, as well as technological and social factors, and to examine the relative importance of these factors. According to this study's online survey of 323 members in three PVCs, the results show that the significance of beliefs, such as system quality, compatibility, trust, knowledge growth and knowledge quality, in creating positive attitudes towards knowledge seeking. Community identification is shown as a salient belief for the subjective norms of knowledge seeking. System quality and resource availability are revealed as important determinants for perceived behavioural control of knowledge seeking. Knowledge-seeking intention is based on the attitude towards knowledge seeking and the subjective norm of knowledge seeking, whereas knowledge-seeking behaviour is solely determined by knowledge-seeking intention. Implications for research and practice are discussed.
Is the ATAR a useful predictor of success in ICT?: an empirical study

The Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) is a measure of a student's overall pre-tertiary academic achievement. For most tertiary degree programs across Australia, the selection of year 12 domestic applicants is based on an ATAR, on the premise that selection based on a student's overall academic achievement prior to university is a predictor of success for tertiary study. This paper is an empirical analysis into whether the ATAR and prior study in programming or mathematics can be used to predict student success in an Information and Communication Technology (ICT) degree. Our study has four key findings: the ATAR is not a significant indicator that a student will graduate on schedule from our ICT degree; the ATAR can be used as significant indicator that a student will successfully complete the first year of our ICT degree; the ATAR can be used as a significant indicator that a student will successfully complete our first-year introductory programming course; and finally, prior learning of ICT-related material is not a significant indicator of whether a student will pass or fail our introductory programming course on their first attempt.
Wood Charcoal Supply to Addis Ababa City and its Effect on the Environment

Charcoal is a major source of energy for cooking, heating and lightening in sub-Saharan African countries. The livelihood of many rural and urban people also depends on the proceeds obtained from the sell of charcoal. Thus this, study was conducted with the objective to quantify the amount of charcoal supplied to Addis Ababa city, the capital of Ethiopia and its means of transportation. It is a result of a one week follow up study on the inlet of charcoal into the city. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and SAS software. The result indicated that about 7,549 different sizes and weights of bags of charcoal were supplied to the city in a day, suggesting an equivalent of about 68,886 tones of charcoal per year and about 899, 818 trees to being cut to this supply, releasing about 125,717 – 167,623 tones of carbon to the atmosphere. About 35% of the total charcoal flowing into the city enters in the morning between 6:00 a.m. and 11:59 a.m. While, about 34%, 21% and 10% enters the city in the afternoon, during the night and evening, respectively. Of the 9,822 vehicles encountered, entering in to the city in a day, about 2,148 of them were coming with loads of charcoal, Isuzus and heavy Trucks such as tank Truck, daf Tractor, Mercedes-Benz Truck etc. being the major ones. The finding of the study also indicated, the high dependency of the city on charcoal as an energy source, negatively affecting the environment.