Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Transforming growth factor‐β1 regulation of bone sialoprotein gene transcription: Identification of a TGF‐β activation element in the rat BSP gene promoter

Transforming growth factor‐β (TGF‐β) increases steady‐state mRNA levels of several extracellular matrix proteins in mineralized connective tissues. Bone sialoprotein (BSP) is a major constituent of the bone matrix, thought to initiate and regulate the formation of mineral crystals. To determine the molecular pathways of TGF‐β1 regulation of bone proteins, we have analyzed the effects of the TGF‐β1 on the expression of the BSP in the rat osteosarcoma cell line (ROS 17/2.8). TGF‐β1 at 1 ng/ml, increased BSP mRNA levels in ROS 17/2.8 cells ∼8‐fold; the stimulation was first evident at 3 hr, reached maximal levels at 12 hr and slowly declined thereafter. Since the stability of the BSP mRNA was not significantly affected by TGF‐β1, and nuclear “run‐on” transcription analyses revealed only a ∼2‐fold increase in the transcription of the BSP gene, most of the increase in BSP mRNA appeared to involve a nuclear post‐transcriptional mechanism. Moreover, the effects of TGF‐β1 were indirect, since the increase in BSP mRNA was abrogated by cycloheximide (28 μg/ml). To identify the site of transcriptional regulation by TGF‐β1, transient transfection analyses were performed using BSP gene promoter constructs linked to a luciferase reporter gene. Constructs that included nt −801 to −426 of the promoter sequence were found to enhance transcriptional activity ∼1.8‐fold in cells treated with TGF‐β1. Within this sequence, ∼500 nt upstream of the transcription start site, a putative TGF‐β activation element (TAE) was identified that contained the 5′‐portion of the nuclearfactor‐1 (NF‐1) canonical sequence (TTGGC) overlapping a consensus sequence for activator protein‐2 (AP‐2). The functionality of the TAE was shown by an increased binding of a nuclear protein from TGF‐β1 stimulated cells in gel mobility shift assays and from the attenuation of TGF‐β1‐induced luciferase activity when cells were co‐transfected with a double‐stranded TAE oligonucleotide. Competition gel mobility shift analyses revealed that the nuclear protein that binds to the TAE has similar properties to, but is distinct from, NF‐1 nuclear protein. These studies have therefore identified a TGF‐β activation element (TAE) in the rat BSP gene promoter that mediates the stimulatory effects of TGF‐β1 on BSP gene transcription. J. Cell. Biochem. 65:501–512. © 1997 Wiley‐Liss Inc.
Leucothyreus femoratus (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae): Feeding and Behavioral Activities as an Oil Palm Defoliator

ABSTRACT Leucothyreus femoratus Burmeister (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) is an important insect pest of oil palm plantations, because larvae and adults feed on plant roots and leaves, respectively. This suggests the necessity of comprehending the pest's feeding and behavioral habits for pest management. Food consumption and injury to leaves of Elaeis guineensis Jacq. (Arecales: Arecaceae, African oil palm) by adults of L. femoratus in Colombia were studied. Locomotion of adults was evaluated with respect to 6 behaviors, i.e., emergence, hiding in the ground, walking, flying, feeding, and mating. In addition, larvae were collected from the roots of other plants found in the oil palm plantation in order to determine possible alternative hosts. Leaf consumption per adult L. femoratus was 13 mm2/day/insect (&khgr;2 = 19.33, P < 0.0001). Leaf injury was in the form of squares or rectangles and cumulative defoliation reached 15.5% in 60 days. The insect showed predominantly nocturnal feeding and mating (&khgr;2 = 95.53, P < 0.05; &khgr;2 = 207.01, P < 0.05, respectively). Larvae of L. femoratus were found in abundance on the roots of Croton trinitatis Millsp. (Euphorbiaceae, road side croton) and Imperata cilindrica (L.) P. Beauv. (Poaceae, cogon grass). The feeding habits of larvae and adults of this insect may be main factors in their adaptation to oil palm plantations. The understanding of the feeding habits and behaviors of L. femoratus are important to define strategies for the management of their populations in oil palm plantations.
Phomopsis subordinaria and associated stalk disease in natural-populations of Plantago lanceolata

Natural populations of Plantago lanceolata L. can be infected by the fungus Phomopsis subordinaria (Desm.) Trav. , which causes a stalk disease. Inoculation experiments revealed that the fungus needs a wound to enter the plant tissue. Symptoms of the disease in the field and from inoculation experiments in the greenhouse are described and the taxonomic position of the fungus is discussed. The pathogen could not be isolated from other plant species in heavily infected Pl. lanceolata populations and can be regarded as specialized on Pl. lanceolata. Other species of the genus Plantago differed considerably in their susceptibility to the disease. Comparison of Pl. lanceolata genotypes indicated that there is variation in susceptibility among host genotypes. Because the disease may reduce the production of viable seeds, the possibility of natural selection for resistance in the host is considered.
Impedance Spectroscopy of α-β Tubulin Heterodimer Suspensions

Impedance spectroscopy is a technique that reveals information, such as macromolecular charges and related properties about protein suspensions and other materials. Here we report on impedance measurements over the frequency range of 1 Hz to 1 MHz of α-β tubulin heterodimers suspended in a buffer. These and other polyelectrolyte suspensions show enormous dielectric responses at low frequencies, due both to the motion of charges suspended in the medium and to an electrical double layer that forms at each electrode-medium interface. We propose an equivalent circuit model to minimize electrode polarization effects and extract the intrinsic response of the bulk medium. At megaHertz frequencies, the conductivity increases with concentration below the critical concentration of ∼1 mg/ml for microtubule polymerization, above which the conductivity decreases. This suggests that such measurements can be used to monitor the dynamics of microtubule polymerization. Finally, we obtain the net charge number per tubulin dimer of |Z| = 306 in the saline buffer, which, if maintained as the dimers polymerized, would yield a linear charge density of 3.8 e/A for the assembled microtubules. These results are potentially important for fundamental electrostatic processes in biomolecules and suggest the possibility of developing future bioelectronic applications.
Roses with or without thorns? A theoretical model of workplace friendship

Abstract Previous studies on the effects of workplace friendship on team effectiveness have yielded somewhat inconsistent findings. Despite the inconsistent findings, our understanding of why those inconsistent findings exist are still in a nascent state. Furthermore, beyond group-level task performance, it remains unclear how workplace friendship affects group-level contextual performance, such as organizational citizenship behaviors and workplace deviance behaviors. On the basis of a qualitative review of studies in the existing literature, the authors build a theoretical model highlighting the roles of three contextual factors (i.e., group-level emotional labor demands, team-based rewards, and group members’ average age) in explaining how workplace friendship is related to three aspects of team effectiveness. This proposed model provides theoretical insights to facilitate future empirical studies on workplace friendship.
Crowdfunding innovations in emerging economies: Risk and credit control in peer‐to‐peer lending network platforms

Peer‐to‐peer (P2P) lending has emerged as a network form of crowdfunding that facilitates the loan originations outside the traditional banking model. In China, the combination of imperfect financial development and Internet technology has led to the widespread growth of a P2P network lending market. Using the theoretical lens of information asymmetry, we identify the key sources of risks facing contemporary Chinese P2P companies. Results from our two regression models reveal several factors that can be used as predictors for risk and financial management, including marriage, income, and house property. Our findings also show that collective inference by non‐expert lenders can accurately draw an inference from soft/nonstandard information. The construction of such a predictive system is important for ensuring the good operation of P2P network lending platforms in emerging economies.
Preliminary Study on Physicochemical Properties of Duck Feet Collagen

Duck feet collagen was extracted using 5% lactic acid and examined for their physicochemical properties (chemical composition and amino acid, yield, pH and swelling percentage, color and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy). Chemical composition of duck feet collagen such as moisture, protein, fat and ash content was 5.85, 29.11, 35.43 and 28.60%, respectively. 17 amino acids were detected in duck feet collagen and included 20.46% glysine, 7.73% hydroxyproline and 10.24% proline. The yield of collagen obtained from this treatment was 28.37%. The collagen extracted was light in color with a pH 2.67 (soaking period) and the swelling percentage was 240.50%. Duck feet collagen (DC) possessed similar bands (Amide A, Amide I, Amide II and Amide III) with commercial Fish Collagen (FC) and commercial Cow Collagen (CC) for the FTIR.
Effects of Logging on Size and Age Composition of Juvenile Coho Salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) and Density of Presmolts in Southeast Alaska Streams

Short-term effects of logging on age composition and size of juvenile coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) were studied in 18 streams in Southeast Alaska in 1982 and 1983; studies were in old-growth and clear-cut reaches with or without buffer strips. The number of fry (age 0) in summer and winter was proportionately higher in buffered and clear-cut reaches than in old-growth reaches, and all treatments averaged a 20% decrease in fry from summer to winter. Fry length and condition factor were greater for buffered and clear-cut reaches than for old-growth reaches, whereas parr (age 1 and older) size did not differ among treatments. Fry and parr were larger in the southern than in the northern regions and their length and weight were directly related to peripbyton biomass and benthos density. A higher percentage of large fry remained in buffered reaches than in clear-cut and old-growth reaches; therefore, the density of fry that were potentially large enough to become smolts the next spring (presmolts) was gr.
Entrepreneurial leadership of CEOs and employees’ innovative behavior in high-technology new ventures

ABSTRACT While previous research has underlined entrepreneurial leadership as an effective style of leadership that promotes innovative behavior, little is known about the mechanisms by which CEOs’ entrepreneurial leadership practices influence the innovative behavior of employees. Drawing on social cognitive theory, this study empirically examines whether creative self-efficacy and passion for inventing explain the process by which the entrepreneurial leadership of CEOs influences employees’ innovative behavior in high-technology new ventures. Drawing on data from 310 employees working in 32 Iranian high-technology new ventures, and their respective CEOs, entrepreneurial leadership is found to foster employees’ innovative behavior through the mediating mechanisms of creative self-efficacy and passion for inventing.
A Preliminary Study of Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Outbreak: A Pandemic Leading Crisis in Tourism Industry of Nepal

The aim of this paper is to explore and illuminate the preliminary impacts of novel coronavirus disease (COVID19) in tourism industry of Nepal. Th e spillover impact of pandemic has been seen in almost every sector globally. Many scholars and practitioners have already started rethinking and researching in diff erent disciplines based on issues regarding COVID-19. Some of the disciplines are International tourism, health sector, international economy, global politics, human civilization, sustainability and so on. Th e United Nation World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and World Health Organization (WHO) are closely cooperating for understanding the severe impact of escalation of coronavirus on the human health and damage in the world economy as well as tourism sector (UNWTO, 2020). Th ere are uncountable job losses recorded in tourism industry due to stranded traveler’s mobility aft er many nations including Nepal declared lockdown as a strategy to control the spread of virus Th erefore, devastating Airlines, shuttered borders, halt of transportation means and cancellation of rooms in hotels have a vigorous impact on tourism industry than the COVID-19 outbreak itself. It is Journal of Tourism & Hospitality Educa on (2020) 10, 108-131 Copyright © 2020 Author Published by: AITM School of Hotel Management, Knowledge Village, Khumaltar, Lalitpur, Nepal ISSN 2467-9550 A Preliminary Study of Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Outbreak: A Pandemic Leading Crisis in Tourism Industry of Nepal Nimesh Ulak Lecturer, IST College, Kathmandu nimeshulak@gmail.com
Study of Gene Flow Through a Hybrid Zone in the Common Shrew (Sorex Araneus) Using Microsatellites

The common shrew (Sorex araneus) is subdivided into several chromosomal races. As hybrid zones between them have been characterized, this organism is of particular interest in studying the role of chromosomes in speciation. Six microsatellite loci were used to evaluate the level of gene flow in the S. araneus hybrid zone between the Cordon and Valais races. Most of these loci were very polymorphic, the total number of alleles detected per locus ranging from 3 to 20. Using Mantel tests, we showed that the effect of rivers as barriers to gene flow is less important at this sampling scale. The effect of the chromosomal race is of particular importantance in diminishing gene flow.
The impact of different navigation speeds on cybersickness and stress level in VR

Navigation (or locomotion) techniques refer to the way in which users move within Virtual Reality (VR) environments. A well-known negative side effect of movement in VR is known as cybersickness, which is manifested as a physical feeling of nausea, headache, dizziness and sweating (Rebenitsch & Owen, 2016). This nauseogenic state can be explained as a mismatch between vestibular and oculomotor sensors, meaning that a person perceives movement even though he or she is not actually moving in real space (Golding, 2006). This sensation of illusory movement is known as vection (Keshavarz et al., 2015b; McCauley & Sharkey, 1992). A common example is that of a person sitting on a train and another train starts to move, causing the person to become confused as to which train is actually moving.
Temperature affects Aethina tumida (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae) Development

Summary The effects of temperature on several life history parameters of small hive beetles (SHB), Aethina tumida, were investigated under laboratory conditions. Our results showed that the development, body size and weight of SHB were dependent on temperature. Egg incubation was about two days at higher temperature (34°C) and three days at lower (room) temperature (24–28°C). Exposure of larvae to lower temperature resulted in a 15-day extension to their development to adult emergence with a mean of 36.31 ± 0.08 days as opposed to 20.68 ± 0.08 days at higher temperature (34°C). At lower temperature, the developmental time (first instar to adult emergence) of males was about one-half day longer (36.63 ±0.12 days) than that of females (36.02 ±0.15 days). Higher temperature supported larger (length = 6.30 ± 0.07mm, width = 3.48 ± 0.02mm) and heavier (12.95 ± 0.22mg) adult females than did the lower temperature (length = 5.30 ± 0.04mm, width = 3.39 ± 0.02mm, weight = 11.40 ± 0.20mg). Weight and width similarities between males exposed to higher temperature (weight = 11.53 ±0.14 mg, width = 3.43 ± 0.02mm) and females reared under room temperature (weight = 11.40 ± 0.20mg, width = 3.39 ± 0.02mm) were also observed. From this study, we can deduce that the abundance and impact of SHB on honey bee colonies may be influenced by their rate of development in different thermic regimes. A new technique for rearing individual SHB is also described.
Some questions on optimal inbreeding and biologically adaptive culture

Much clinical and ethnographic evidence suggests that humans, like many other organisms, are selected to avoid close inbreeding because of the fitness costs of inbreeding depression. The proximate mechanism of human inbreeding avoidance seems to be precultural, and to involve the interaction of genetic predispositions and environmental conditions. As first suggested by E. Westermarck, and supported by evidence from Israeli kibbutzim, Chinese sim-pua marriage, and much convergent ethnographic and clinical evidence, humans negatively imprint on intimate associates during a critical period of early childhood (between ages 2 and 6). There is also much evidence that, like other social animals, humans do not seek to maximize outbreeding, but rather to maintain an optimal balance between outbreeding and inbreeding. Close inbreeding reduces fitness through inbreeding depression, but some inbreeding brings the benefits of nepotism. For simple, stateless, horticultural societies, the optimal balance seems to be achieved by a combination of precultural inbreeding avoidance of relatives with an r 2= . 25 and cultural rules of preferential marriage with kin with r «£ . 125. Adjustment of the coefficient of inbreeding to other ecological settings seems to be largely cultural. An interactive model of "culture in nature" is presented, in which culture is seen as coevolving with genes to produce the maximization of individual inclusive fitness.
Linking HEIs with the production sector: A communication approach between key actors in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico

To keep up with rapid evolutions in technical and scientific developments, countries must create competitive dynamics that enable key actors to generate high-tech projects, boosting both a country’s productivity and economic development. Higher education institutions (HEIs), with their intellectual capital and as core generators of knowledge, are one of the main actors in these dynamics, particularly given their societal responsibilities and contributions to intellectual development and technical knowledge in the community. This article aims to identify the relationship patterns required for actors to create a fully participatory and integrative process between HEIs and the production sector (PS). This integrative and linking process generates and improves technical projects in the region. Through a literature review and an analysis of current empirical evidence on the effectiveness of the relationship between these two sectors in the region, an interrelational map has been developed. This map aims to highlight key activities to be considered during the execution of the linkage and to identify an ecosystem of necessary elements to develop a diagnostic evaluation tool. This tool may be used to define the ideal conditions that should lead to project development between the HEIs and the PS. The article presents the region of Ciudad Juárez in Mexico as a case study.
Implementing a species‐specific undergraduate research program

Correspondence CassandraK. Jones,Department ofAnimal Sciences and Industry,Kansas StateUniversity, 1424ClaflinRoad,Manhattan,KS 66506,USA. Email: jonesc@ksu.edu Abstract Undergraduate research experiences have well-established benefits on undergraduate education, such as improved critical thinking, professional development, and increased interest in graduate studies. In addition, the host faculty can benefit by increasing their research impact and gaining exposure to potential graduate candidates. In the production animal science field (study of domestic livestock raised for meat, milk, or fiber), research also allows for additional livestock handling experience outside of the classroom, which is critical for students without agricultural backgrounds. At Kansas State University, the swine (Sus scrofa domesticus) nutrition research group developed a swine-specific undergraduate research program. Several different models for projects are in place to maximize the research experience for students. Steps in the process include recruitment, initial student evaluation, project execution, presentation, evaluation, and post-graduate status update. There are several key roles in this training process. Graduate students serve asmentors and benefit from leadership training and development of interpersonal andmanagerial skills. Evidence collected after students have completed the program reiterates the importance of exposing students to not only the scientific method, but the swine and feed industries. Many of the students who complete projects ultimately pursue graduate or veterinary degrees, whereas those who choose nonresearch-related careers recognize the value of research and appreciate exposure to the swine industry. This case study will outline aspects of a swine-specific undergraduate research program, which can be applied to any life sciences discipline.
SCH 58261: A selective A2A adenosine receptor antagonists

The recent discovery of selective antagonists for the A2A adenosine receptors has been of great help to further research in this field. One compound, SCH 58261, 5‐ amino‐7‐(β‐phenylethyl)‐2‐(8‐furyl)pyrazolo[4,3‐e]‐1,2,4‐triazolo[1,5‐c]pyrimidine, is playing a key part in a variety of studies. This review describes its pharmacological characteristics as they are emerging in various laboratories. The compound has an affinity in the low nM range (Ki value of 1–2 nM) for A2A receptors located on membranes from a variety of tissues and cell types, including rat and bovine brain striatum, human platelets, lymphocytes and neutrophils, porcine coronary arteries, and CHO cells transfected with the cloned human A2A receptors. SCH 58261 has little or no affinity up to the μM range for adenosine A2B, A3, or other G protein‐coupled receptors. Selectivity for A2A vs. A1 receptors varies from 53‐ to 750‐fold, depending on membranes or type of assay. SCH 58261 blocks A2A‐receptor mediated increase of cyclic AMP formation with high potency (e.g., IC50 values between 15 and 20 nM in human white blood cells). The tritiated form of SCH 58261 specifically labels A2A receptors in discrete regions of the rat brain such as caudate‐putamen, nucleus accumbens, and tuberculum olfactorium.