Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The BBA01 Protein, a Member of Paralog Family 48 from Borrelia burgdorferi, Is Potentially Interchangeable with the Channel-Forming Protein P13

ABSTRACT The Borrelia burgdorferi genome exhibits redundancy, with many plasmid-carried genes belonging to paralogous gene families. It has been suggested that certain paralogs may be necessary in various environments and that they are differentially expressed in response to different conditions. The chromosomally located p13 gene which codes for a channel-forming protein belongs to paralog family 48, which consists of eight additional genes. Of the paralogous genes from family 48, the BBA01 gene has the highest homology to p13. Herein, we have inactivated the BBA01 gene in B. burgdorferi strain B31-A. This mutant shows no apparent phenotypic difference compared to the wild type. However, analysis of BBA01 in a C-terminal protease A (CtpA)-deficient background revealed that like P13, BBA01 is posttranslationally processed at its C terminus. Elevated BBA01 expression was obtained in strains with the BBA01 gene introduced on the shuttle vector compared to the wild-type strain. We could further demonstrate that BBA01 is a channel-forming protein with properties surprisingly similar to those of P13. The single-channel conductance, of about 3.5 nS, formed by BBA01 is comparable to that of P13, which together with the high degree of sequence similarity suggests that the two proteins may have similar and interchangeable functions. This is further strengthened by the up-regulation of the BBA01 protein and its possible localization in the outer membrane in a p13 knockout strain, thus suggesting that P13 can be replaced by BBA01.
KV4.3 Expression and gating: S2 and S3 acidic and S4 innermost basic residues

Effects of neutralizing individual negatively charged (acidic [E,D]) and innermost positively charged (basic [K,R]) residues in transmembrane segments S2 (D230Q, E240Q), S3 (D263Q) and S4 (K299A/Q, R302A/Q) of the KV4.3 putative voltage sensing domain (VSD) were determined. S2 D230Q generated large macroscopic currents, depolarized steady-state activation ("a4") and isochronal (1 sec) inactivation ("i") relationships, and significantly accelerated kinetics of deactivation and recovery (from both macroscopic and closed state inactivation [CSI]). D230Q thus stabilized non-inactivated closed states. These effects were attributable to structural perturbations, and indicated D230 is not primarily involved in voltage sensing. Both S2 E240Q and S3 D263Q failed to generate measurable ionic currents, suggesting deletion of negative charges at these putatively more intracellular acidic positions were functionally "lethal" to macroscopic KV4.3 function. S4 innermost positive charge deletion mutants K299A/Q and R032A/Q generated functional currents with reduced peak amplitudes. While reduced K299A/Q and R302A/Q currents prevented accurate determination of "a4" and estimates of potential electrostatic perturbations, both sets of mutants: (i) depolarized potentials at which currents could be macroscopically detected, consistent with stabilization of closed states (structural perturbations); and (ii) accelerated macroscopic recovery. These results provide further evidence that: (i) basic residues in S4 are involved not only in regulating KV4.3 activation and deactivation, but also CSI and recovery; and (ii) suggest putative electrostatic interactions between acidic S2/S3 and basic S4 residues may be different in KV4.3 from those proposed to exist in Shaker. Functional implications are discussed.
Beneficial Effect of Two Culture Systems with Small Groups of Embryos on the Development and Quality of In Vitro‐Produced Bovine Embryos

Currently, in vitro‐produced embryos derived by ovum pick up (OPU) and in vitro fertilization (IVF) technologies represent approximately one‐third of the embryos worldwide in cattle. Nevertheless, the culture of small groups of embryos from an individual egg donor is an issue that OPU‐IVF laboratories have to face. In this work, we tested whether the development and quality of the preimplantation embryos in vitro cultured in low numbers (five embryos) could be improved by the addition of epidermal growth factor, insulin, transferrin and selenium (EGF‐ITS) or by the WOW system. With this aim, immature oocytes recovered from slaughtered heifers were in vitro matured and in vitro fertilized. Presumptive zygotes were then randomly cultured in four culture conditions: one large group (LG) (50 embryos/500 μl medium) and three smaller groups [five embryos/50 μl medium without (control) or with EGF‐ITS (EGF‐ITS) and five embryos per microwell in the WOW system (WOW)]. Embryos cultured in LG showed a greater ability to develop to blastocyst stage than embryos cultured in smaller groups, while the blastocyst rate of WOW group was significantly higher than in control. The number of cells/blastocyst in LG was higher than control or WOW, whereas the apoptosis rate per blastocyst was lower. On the other hand, the addition of EGF‐ITS significantly improved both parameters compared to the control and resulted in similar embryo quality to LG. In conclusion, the WOW system improved embryo development, while the addition of EGF‐ITS improved the embryo quality when smaller groups of embryos were cultured.
Effect of weed management on chickpea (Cicer arietinum) + Indian mustard (Brassica juncea) intercropping system under irrigated conditions of Jammu region

A field experiment was carried out during the winter ( rabi) season of 200910 and 201011 at Chatha, Jammu, to assess the yield along with the monetary benefits in chickpea ( Cicer ar ietinum L.) and Indian mustard [ Brassica juncea (L.) Czernj. & Cosson] intercropping system with different weed-management practices. Significantly higher values of plant height of chickpea (63.36 cm) and Indian mustard (174.72 cm), dry-matter accumulation of chickpea (22.13 g/plant) and Indian mustard (117.22 g/plant) were recorded under sole stands of the each crop followed by chickpea + Indian mustard (replacement series) intercropping system. Both the sole crops gave higher yields than chickpea + Indian mustard, when grown in additive and replacement series in the respective order. The highest chickpea-equivalent yield (1.39 t/ha), land-equivalent ratio (1.65), net returns ( 24,415/ha) and benefit: cost (1.63) ratio were obtained in chickpea + Indian mustard intercropping system in additive followed by replace- ment series. Weed management practices not only reduced the density and dry weight of weeds but also in- creased crop production potential of the intercropping system (productivity). Application of pendimethalin @ 1 kg/ ha as pre-emergence recorded the maximum weed-control efficiency (85.16%), net returns ( 20,373/ha) and ben- efit: cost ratio (1.71) followed by the application of fluchloralin @ 1kg/ha.
Monte Carlo role in radiobiological modelling of radiotherapy outcomes

Radiobiological models are essential components of modern radiotherapy. They are increasingly applied to optimize and evaluate the quality of different treatment planning modalities. They are frequently used in designing new radiotherapy clinical trials by estimating the expected therapeutic ratio of new protocols. In radiobiology, the therapeutic ratio is estimated from the expected gain in tumour control probability (TCP) to the risk of normal tissue complication probability (NTCP). However, estimates of TCP/NTCP are currently based on the deterministic and simplistic linear-quadratic formalism with limited prediction power when applied prospectively. Given the complex and stochastic nature of the physical, chemical and biological interactions associated with spatial and temporal radiation induced effects in living tissues, it is conjectured that methods based on Monte Carlo (MC) analysis may provide better estimates of TCP/NTCP for radiotherapy treatment planning and trial design. Indeed, over the past few decades, methods based on MC have demonstrated superior performance for accurate simulation of radiation transport, tumour growth and particle track structures; however, successful application of modelling radiobiological response and outcomes in radiotherapy is still hampered with several challenges. In this review, we provide an overview of some of the main techniques used in radiobiological modelling for radiotherapy, with focus on the MC role as a promising computational vehicle. We highlight the current challenges, issues and future potentials of the MC approach towards a comprehensive systems-based framework in radiobiological modelling for radiotherapy.
Distributed joint source-channel coding of correlated binary sources in wireless sensor networks

In this paper, we present a distributed joint source-channel (DJSC) coding approach for a pair of correlated binary sources transmitted over independent binary symmetric channels. This problem is of interest in wireless sensor network applications, where encoders with low complexity and delay may be required. In the proposed method, a judiciously chosen fraction of information bits and a fraction of parity bits obtained by puncturing the output of a systematic channel code are transmitted for each source. We obtain the achievable rate region for the proposed coding scheme and show that it coincides with the Slepian-Wolf lower bound as the channel error probability approaches zero. Experimental results obtained with a practical implementation based on LDPC codes are also presented which demonstrate that for short coding block lengths (or low delay coding), the proposed DJSC coding method outperforms separate distributed source coding and channel coding.
Enzymes of adenosine metabolism in the brain: diurnal rhythm and the effect of sleep deprivation

Adenosine plays a role in promoting sleep, an effect that is thought to be mediated in the basal forebrain. Adenosine levels vary in this region with prolonged wakefulness in a unique way. The basis for this is unknown. We examined, in rats, the activity of the major metabolic enzymes for adenosine – adenosine deaminase, adenosine kinase, ecto‐ and cytosolic 5′‐nucleotidase – in sleep/wake regulatory regions as well as cerebral cortex, and how the activity varies across the day and with sleep deprivation. There were robust spatial differences for the activity of adenosine deaminase, adenosine kinase, and cytosolic and ecto‐5′‐nucleotidase. However, the basal forebrain was not different from other sleep/wake regulatory regions apart from the tuberomammillary nucleus. All adenosine metabolic enzymes exhibited diurnal variations in their activity, albeit not in all brain regions. Activity of adenosine deaminase increased during the active period in the ventrolateral pre‐optic area but decreased significantly in the basal forebrain. Enzymatic activity of adenosine kinase and cytosolic‐5′‐nucleotidase was higher during the active period in all brain regions tested. However, the activity of ecto‐5′‐nucleotidase was augmented during the active period only in the cerebral cortex. This diurnal variation may play a role in the regulation of adenosine in relationship to sleep and wakefulness across the day. In contrast, we found no changes specifically with sleep deprivation in the activity of any enzyme in any brain region. Thus, changes in adenosine with sleep deprivation are not a consequence of alterations in adenosine enzyme activity.
Political Turbulence: How Social Media Shape Collective Action

As people spend increasing proportions of their daily lives using social media, such as Twitter and Facebook, they are being invited to support myriad political causes by sharing, liking, endorsing, or downloading. Chain reactions caused by these tiny acts of participation form a growing part of collective action today, from neighborhood campaigns to global political movements. Political Turbulence reveals that, in fact, most attempts at collective action online do not succeed, but some give rise to huge mobilizationseven revolutions. Drawing on large-scale data generated from the Internet and real-world events, this book shows how mobilizations that succeed are unpredictable, unstable, and often unsustainable. To better understand this unruly new force in the political world, the authors use experiments that test how social media influence citizens deciding whether or not to participate. They show how different personality types react to social influences and identify which types of people are willing to participate at an early stage in a mobilization when there are few supporters or signals of viability. The authors argue that pluralism is the model of democracy that is emerging in the social media agenot the ordered, organized vision of early pluralists, but a chaotic, turbulent form of politics. This book demonstrates how data science and experimentation with social data can provide a methodological toolkit for understanding, shaping, and perhaps even predicting the outcomes of this democratic turbulence.
Decrease in particle‐induced osteolysis in ovariectomized mice

Postmenopausal osteoporosis is a common disorder that results from increased osteoclastic activity caused by estrogen deficiency. Whether postmenopausal bone remodeling can alter the response to particulate debris is unknown. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the bone response to polyethylene particles in an ovariectomized murine model. Polyethylene particles were implanted onto the calvaria of seven control mice and seven ovariectomized (OVX) mice, as compared with calvaria from sham‐operated and OVX mice. Calvaria were harvested after 14 days. Skulls were analyzed with a high‐resolution micro‐CT and by histomorphometry after staining with Stevenel blue and picrofuschine, and for tartrate‐specific alkaline phosphatase. As assessed by micro‐CT, particle implantation induced a significant decrease in bone thickness in control mice, while bone thickness remained stable in OVX mice. In particle‐implanted animals, the osteoclast number was 2.84 ± 0.3 in control mice and 1.74 ± 0.22 in OVX mice. Mean bone loss was −12% ± 1.9% in control mice and −4.7% ± 1.7% in OVX animals. The reduction of osteolytic response suggests that ovariectomy may have a protective role against particle‐induced bone resorption. © 2009 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 28:178–183, 2010
Nuclear Compartmentalization of N-CoR and Its Interactions with Steroid Receptors

ABSTRACT The repression mechanisms by the nuclear receptor corepressor (N-CoR) of steroid hormone receptor (SHR)-mediated transactivation were examined. Yellow fluorescent protein (YFP)-N-CoR was distributed as intranuclear discrete dots, while coexpression of androgen receptor (AR), glucocorticoid receptor α, and estrogen receptor α ligand-dependently triggered redistribution of YFP-N-CoR. In fluorescence recovery after photobleaching analysis, mobility of the N-CoR was reduced by 5α-dihydrotestosterone (DHT)-bound AR. The middle region of N-CoR mostly contributed to the interaction with agonist-bound SHRs and the suppression of their transactivation function. N-CoR impaired the DHT-induced N-C interaction of AR, and the impaired interaction was dose-dependently recovered by coexpression of SRC-1 and CBP. N-CoR also impaired the intranuclear complete (distinct) focus formation of SHRs. Coexpression of SRC-1 or CBP released YFP-N-CoR or endogenous N-CoR from incomplete foci and simultaneously recovered complete foci of AR-green fluorescent protein. These results indicate that the relative ratio of coactivators and corepressors determines the conformational equilibrium between transcriptionally active and inactive SHRs in the presence of agonists. The intranuclear foci formed by agonist-bound SHRs were completely destroyed by actinomycin D and α-amanitin, indicating that the focus formation does not precede the transcriptional activation. The focus formation may reflect the accumulation of SHR/coactivator complexes released from the transcriptionally active sites and thus be a mirror of transcriptionally active complex formation.
Sustainable Consumption in Chinese Cities: Green Purchasing Intentions of Young Adults Based on the Theory of Consumption Values

The efforts of businesses, governmental and non‐governmental organizations notwithstanding, unsustainable consumption continues to threaten society's vision of sustainable development. Green purchasing, therefore, offers a chance of reducing negative environmental impacts and promoting sustainable development. Yet, the question of how to encourage green purchasing behaviour remains poorly understood. Based on the theory of consumption values, this paper examines the antecedents of green purchasing intentions among young adults in Chinese cities. The structural equation modeling (SEM) technique was applied to data collected from 309 respondents by means of a mall‐intercept survey. The findings indicate that social and emotional values are positively related to young adults’ green purchasing intentions, but functional, conditional and epistemic values are not significantly related to green purchasing intentions. This paper has verified the contribution of the theory of consumption values to the green purchasing intentions of young adults in Chinese cities. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment
d-serine and schizophrenia: an update

Considering the lengthy history of pharmacological treatment of schizophrenia, the development of novel antipsychotic agents targeting the glutamatergic system is relatively new. A glutamatergic deficit has been proposed to underlie many of the symptoms typically observed in schizophrenia, particularly the negative and cognitive symptoms (which are less likely to respond to current treatments). d-serine is an important coagonist of the glutamate NMDA receptor, and accumulating evidence suggests that d-serine levels and/or activity may be dysfunctional in schizophrenia and that facilitation of d-serine transmission could provide a significant therapeutic breakthrough, especially where conventional treatments have fallen short. A summary of the relevant animal data, as well as genetic studies and clinical trials examining d-serine as an adjunct to standard antipsychotic therapy, is provided in this article. Together, the evidence suggests that research on the next generation of antipsychotic agents should include studies on increasing brain levels of d-serine or mimicking its action on the NMDA receptor.
Murine Leukemia Virus Particle Assembly Quantitated by Fluorescence Microscopy: Role of Gag-Gag Interactions and Membrane Association

ABSTRACT In order to track the assembly of murine leukemia virus (MLV), we used fluorescence microscopy to visualize particles containing Gag molecules fused to fluorescent proteins (FPs). Gag-FP chimeras budded from cells to produce fluorescent spots, which passed through the same pore-size filters and sedimented at the same velocity as authentic MLV. N-terminal myristylation of Gag-FPs was necessary for particle formation unless wild-type Gag was coexpressed. By labeling nonmyristylated Gag with yellow FP and wild-type Gag with cyan FP, we could quantitate the coincorporation of two proteins into single particles. This experiment showed that nonmyristylated Gag was incorporated into mixed particles at approximately 50% the efficiency of wild-type Gag. Mutations that inhibit Gag-Gag interactions (K. Alin and S. P. Goff, Virology 216:418-424, 1996; K. Alin and S. P. Goff, Virology 222:339-351, 1996) were then introduced into the capsid (CA) region of Gag-FPs. The mutations P150L and R119C/P133L inhibited fluorescent particle formation by these Gag-FPs, but Gag-FPs containing these mutations could be efficiently incorporated into particles when coexpressed with wild-type Gag. When these mutations were introduced into nonmyristylated Gag-FPs, no incorporation into particles in the presence of wild-type Gag was detected. These data suggest that two independent mechanisms, CA interactions and membrane association following myristylation, cooperate in MLV Gag assembly and budding.
Internalization and Coreceptor Expression Are Critical for TLR2-Mediated Recognition of Lipoteichoic Acid in Human Peripheral Blood

Lipoteichoic acid (LTA), a ubiquitous cell wall component of Gram-positive bacteria, represents a potent immunostimulatory molecule. Because LTA of a mutant Staphylococcus aureus strain lacking lipoproteins (Δlgt-LTA) has been described to be immunobiologically inactive despite a lack of ascertained structural differences to wild-type LTA (wt-LTA), we investigated the functional requirements for the recognition of Δlgt-LTA by human peripheral blood cells. In this study, we demonstrate that Δlgt-LTA–induced immune activation critically depends on the immobilization of LTA and the presence of human serum components, which, to a lesser degree, was also observed for wt-LTA. Under experimental conditions allowing LTA-mediated stimulation, we found no differences between the immunostimulatory capacity of Δlgt-LTA and wt-LTA in human blood cells, arguing for a limited contribution of possible lipoprotein contaminants to wt-LTA–mediated immune activation. In contrast to human blood cells, TLR2-transfected human embryonic kidney 293 cells could be activated only by wt-LTA, whereas activation of these cells by Δlgt-LTA required the additional expression of TLR6 and CD14, suggesting that activation of human embryonic kidney 293 cells expressing solely TLR2 is probably mediated by residual lipoproteins in wt-LTA. Notably, in human peripheral blood, LTA-specific IgG Abs are essential for Δlgt-LTA–mediated immune activation and appear to induce the phagocytic uptake of Δlgt-LTA via engagement of FcγRII. In this study, we have elucidated a novel mechanism of LTA-induced cytokine induction in human peripheral blood cells that involves uptake of LTA and subsequent intracellular recognition driven by TLR2, TLR6, and CD14.
Two Essays on Information Asymmetry

I examine the effect of information in two distinct settings. First, using a unique sample of Twitter posts, also called tweets, I examine the impact of information on social media on the return, volume, and volatility of the stock market using word list and algorithmic content analysis. I show market returns may be predicted using confidence and sentiment levels. Volume is best predicted by confidence. Volatility is most related to sentiment. I examine one dimension of Twitter user characteristics, namely gender. My results show that men are more confident and less optimistic than women when they communicate about stocks. I find differences in the ability of communications by men and women to predict market returns, volume, and volatility. Second, I assess the validity of the dividends signaling hypothesis when accounting for asymmetric information. I find that firms that have higher levels of asymmetric information, both in absolute levels and in relative levels to the firm, are less likely to pay or increase dividends. Dividend changes are not strong predictors of future earnings performance when firms are sorted by asymmetric information. Positive market reactions to dividend increases or initiations are linked to other forces. I do not find support for the dividend signaling hypothesis.