Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Zinc-binding motif acts as an oxidative stress sensor to regulate TRPM7 channel activity

TRPM7 channel activity is negatively regulated by intracellular Mg2+. We previously reported that TRPM7 was inhibited by oxidative stress due to an enhancement of the inhibition by intracellular Mg2+. In the present study, we aimed to clarify the precise mechanism underlying the TRPM7 inhibition by oxidative stress induced by hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Site-directed mutagenesis on full-length TRPM7 revealed that none of the cysteines other than C1809 and C1813 within the zinc-binding motif of the TRPM7 kinase domain was involved in the H2O2-induced TRPM7 inhibition. When C1809 or C1813 was mutated, full-length TRPM7 failed to be expressed on the plasmamembrane. We therefore developed a novel approach in which the full-length TRPM7 is functionally reconstituted by co-expressing the TRPM7 channel domain (M7cd) and the TRPM7 kinase domain (M7kd) as separate individual proteins in HEK293 cells. When M7cd was expressed alone, the current was inhibited by intracellular Mg2+ stronger than in full-length TRPM7. Co-expression of M7cd and M7kd attenuated the current inhibition by intracellular Mg2+, and the current was sensitive to oxidative stress, indicating a successful reconstitution of a full-length TRPM7-like current. A similar current reconstitution was observed when M7cd co-expressed with the kinase inactive mutant M7kd-K1645R. Thus, it was suggested that the kinase activity might not be essential for the reconstitution. Co-expression of M7cd and M7kd carrying a mutation at C1809 or C1813 failed to restore the full-length TRPM7-like current. No reconstitution was also observed with M7kd carrying a mutation at H1750 and H1807, which are involved in the zinc-binding motif formation together with C1809 and C1813. These data suggest that the zinc-binding motif is essential for the intracellular Mg2+-dependent regulation of the TRPM7 channel activity by M7kd, and the cysteines in the zinc-binding motif might play a role in the oxidative stress response of TRPM7.
Movement patterns of adult peacock bass Cichla temensis between tributaries of the middle Negro River basin (Amazonas – Brazil): an otolith geochemical analysis

Geological heterogeneity in the Negro River basin creates differences in isotopic and elemental composition of rivers. Recent studies indicate that 87Sr/86Sr, Sr/Ca and Ba/Ca can be used to determine the natal origins of peacock bass Cichla temensis (Humboldt) and reconstruct individual movement histories. This method was used to analyse otoliths from adult C. temensis collected from two locations on the mainstem Negro River and six tributaries around these core areas. Applying discriminant functions derived from young-of-year reference otolith data to determine natal origins of adults indicated that 42% of adults sampled were collected from the same area in which they were spawned. However, variation in 87Sr/86Sr isotope values along the axis of otoliths indicated that C. temensis movements are much more dynamic than previously concluded. This new information on the spatial distribution of C. temensis can be used to support effective strategies for fishery management in the Negro River basin.
Online Learning Before, During and After COVID-19: Observations Over 20 Years

Natalie Wieland has been delivering online learning for over 15 years as both a lecturer and workplace trainer. In her paper, she reflects on how digital learning has evolved from the days of moving PowerPoints to the highly polished and produced modules with an equally high price. Natalie reviews the first response during COVID-19 when so many rushed to deliver their content online, using tools such as Zoom. Natalie also provides her thoughts on what we have learned during this period, including the need to provide synchronous and asynchronous learning, the need to include the educator in the process and empower them with digital tools to create online content and the need to make online learning authentic and not over produced. It is still content and design that is critical. She also offers some predictions around what the future will look like with digital learning in the workplace, with lessons we have all learned.
Sensitivity and response of Eucalyptus grandis × E. nitens cuttings to auxin treatment for rooting is consistent with, and can be predicted by in vitro morphogenesis

Summary The ability of Eucalyptus cuttings to root is paramount for any successful clonal forest establishment programme. However, the common practice of inducing rooting by dipping the shoots in Seradix®, containing indole-3-butyric acid (IBA), before planting proved ineffective for many clones. The responses and sensitivities of three E. grandis × nitens clones to auxins, both as cuttings and in vitro, were investigated. Varying the IBA concentration in the dip revealed dissimilar sensitivities to exogenous auxin among the three Eucalyptus clones. Increasing the IBA concentration, from 0.5 g IBA kg–1 dustable powder (Seradix® 0.5) to 8.0 g IBA kg–1 dustable powder (Seradix® No. 3), decreased the percentage of cutting survival in clone 1 from 70% to 6% and in clone 2 from 83% to 33%, but had a slightly positive effect in clone 3 (from 75% to 80%), and generally did not affect rooting. In vitro, all shoots elongated on media containing 0.37 mg l–1 indoleacetic acid (IAA; a weak auxin), while only 62% of clone 1, 28% of clone 2, and 23% of clone 3 shoots elongated on media containing 0.35 mg l–1 αnaphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) plus 0.05 mg l–1 IBA. Shoots that elongated on medium containing IAA had significantly higher survival percentages, and hence yields of rooted shoots. These results indicated that, while clones may vary in their sensitivity to the exogenous application of an auxin, a supra-optimal auxin concentration (whether applied in vitro or on cuttings) was detrimental to the yield of rooted shoots.
Characteristics and Analysis of Echolocation Calls by Coelops frithi

The echolocation calls of Coelops frithi were recorded during free flight using an ultrasonic detector U30, and were analyzed using the software Batsound 3.0. Our results showed that C. frithi emitted high frequency (145.4±10.9 kHz), broad bandwidth (62.6±9.2 kHz), and short (1.67±0.4 ms) frequency-modulated (FM) calls with 2 harmonics, which suggested polymorphic echolocation calls in Hipposideridae because other hipposiderid species emitted constant frequency (CF) calls. The analysis of the cranial measurements of C. frithi indicated that it was a nasal emitter like other hipposiderids, which suggested the single emitting form in this family. We considered that C. frithi emitted FM calls mainly due to the selection pressure of evolution and the adaptability between wing morphology and echolocation calls.
Special Issue: Engaging with Open Science in Learning and Teaching

Technology has impacted almost all aspects of our lives today, and education is no exception. Technology enhanced learning and teaching (TELT) has changed the way universities, in general, and learning and teaching specifically, operate today. The increasing adoption of TELT coupled with emerging philosophies of openness have brought additional opportunities and challenges to learning and teaching around the world. Openness is an overarching concept or philosophy that is characterised by an emphasis on transparency and free, unrestricted access to knowledge and information, as well as collaborative or cooperative management and decision-making rather than a central authority (Peters & Britez, 2008). This new philosophy has encouraged the development of an open culture that is reaching scales never imagined before. Today, many stakeholders in education, such as governments, researchers, educators and students, have engaged in developing open initiatives, including open policies, open content, open education, open source software and so forth. Educators and learners have access to a large volume of open resources. Researchers have also benefited from having access to large volumes of data available in open access repositories all over the world – data that was previously held by only a few, now can reach anyone interested in using them and thus making new discoveries not only in science, medicine, but also in learning and teaching (European Commission, 2016; European Union, 2014). One important element of openness is open science, which is the movement to make scientific research, data, process and dissemination accessible to all levels of an inquiring society, amateur or professional (Bartling & Friesike, 2014a, 2014b). It encompasses practices such as publishing open research, campaigning for open access, encouraging scientists to practice open notebook science, and generally making it easier to publish and communicate scientific knowledge. Although open science is
Compact Models for Periocular Verification Through Knowledge Distillation

Despite the wide use of deep neural network for periocular verification, achieving smaller deep learning models with high performance that can be deployed on low computational powered devices remains a challenge. In term of computation cost, we present in this paper a lightweight deep learning model with only 1.1m of trainable parameters, DenseNet-20, based on DenseNet architecture. Further, we present an approach to enhance the verification performance of DenseNet-20 via knowledge distillation. With the experiments on VISPI dataset captured with two different smartphones, iPhone and Nokia, we show that introducing knowledge distillation to DenseNet-20 training phase outperforms the same model trained without knowledge distillation where the Equal Error Rate (EER) reduces from 8.36% to 4.56% EER on iPhone data, from 5.33% to 4.64% EER on Nokia data, and from 20.98% to 15.54% EER on cross-smartphone data.
Exploring the role of ERβ2 at different subcellular locations in breast cancer

Two estrogen receptors exist, ERα and ERβ. ERα is often over-expressed in breast cancers, frequently coupled with ERβ downregulation. The complex function of ERβ is not fully understood. There are 5 ERβ isoforms, ERβ1-5, and three are present in breast tissue (ERβ1, -2 and -5). Knowledge surrounding the role of the ERβ2 in breast cancer is limited; however its cellular location has been demonstrated to have predictive prognostic ability; nuclear expression was associated with better prognosis and cytoplasmic with poorer prognosis. Aside from acting as a repressor of ERα in breast cancer cells, little is known about the function of ERβ2. The aim of this thesis was to improve our understanding of ERβ2 and its potential role in breast cancer. ERβ2 expression was characterised in a range of breast cancer cell lines representative of five major molecular subgroups where it was expressed in both the nucleus and cytoplasm. Nuclear ERβ2 was largely expressed in a speckled pattern while cytoplasmic ERβ2 colocalised with mitochondria in all cell lines. ERβ nuclear speckles were explored further by immunofluorescence. ERβ2 speckles did not colocalise with other known nuclear speckled proteins, including nuclear speckles, PML and cajal bodies. Speckle numbers changed in response to 4-OHT, DPN and genistein treatment but not E2, and disappeared following transcriptional or translational inhibition with actinomycin D and cyclohexamide respectively. Numbers of ERβ2 speckles decreased during G2/M phase of the cell cycle. The physiological function of ERβ2 was explored by overexpressing ERβ2 in luminal and triple negative cell lines. ERβ2 overexpression resulted in suppression of proliferation in luminal cells whereas in triple negative cells, proliferative response was cell line-dependent. Cell migration was decreased in all cell lines. ERβ2 overexpression additionally influenced gene transcription of some nuclear genes i.e. BCL-2, CDK6, S100A7 and RIP140 and also some mitochondrially transcribed genes i.e. ND1, ND2, CYB and ATP6. In summary, ERβ2 was expressed in the nucleus as speckles; dynamic structures which changed in number in response to external stimuli. Cytoplasmically expressed ERβ2 colocalised with the mitochondria may influence transcription of some mitochondrial genes.
The Breeding and Identification of Haploid Inducer with High Frequ ency Parthenogenesis in Maize

Through successive testcrosses and selections in subsequent generations of a hybrid between haploid inducer Stock6 and Beijing High Oil population (BHO), we have developed the first parthenogenesis haploid inducer CAU Inducer in China. In sixteen testcrosses with CAU Inducer as pollinator, the induced haploid percentages were determined. The frequency of haploid induced from inbred 411 was the highest (9.2%), and that from inbred H4 was the lowest (1.92%). The average percentage of haploid induced from all of the sixteen materials was 5.34%. With virescent inbred line Syn695yg as haploid tester, the percentage of haploid induced by CAU Inducer was 5.8%, about six times as that induced by Stock6. Apart from more obvious Navajo marker than that of Stock6, CAU Inducer also has purple plant marker conditioned by ABPl genes and large germ face. Moreover, with its large pollen shedding and easy propagation, CAU Inducer is a good material for parthenogenesis haploid inducing.
Evaluation of insecticides against insect pest complex of Okra

The ready mixture of indoxacarb 14.5SC + acetamiprid 7.7SC @ 300 and 400 ml/ha when applied twice were found more effective against the pests of okra. The above treatments were as good as indoxacarb 14.5SC @ 500 ml/ha, cypermethrin 5EC + chlorpyriphos 50EC @ 100 ml/ha, oxydemeton methyl 25EC @ 650 ml/ha and acetamiprid 20SP @ 200g/ha against sucking pests; and indoxacarb 14.5SC @ 500 ml/ha and cypermethrin 5EC + chlorpyriphos 50EC @ 100 ml/ha against fruit borer.
PHYSICO-CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL HARACTERISTICS OF CAMEL MILK

The present study was carried out to investigate some of the physical and principal chemical components of milk from the camel (Camelus dromedarius). A wide variation was observed in the components of raw camel milk. The average contents of physical parameters were 6.70 for pH, 0.19 % acidity, 1.029 specific gravity. The chemical components were 11.30 % total solids, 4.40 % fat, 8.12 % solids not fat, 2.91 % protein, 3.18 % lactose and 0.90 % ash. The highest level of glutamic acid was detected in camel milk, while it had a lower ratio of lysine than that of cow milk. There were noticeably higher levels of proline, aspartic, therionine, valine and leucine, respectively, while a lower values of cystine and methionine in camel milk. Gas liquid chromatography analysis of camel milk fat indicated that the short chain-fatty acids (C4-C12) were present in very low percentages, while the concentration of long chain-fatty acids were high such as saturated fatty acids (C14, C16 and C18) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (mainly C18:1). Also, the fatty acids in camel milk showed a higher degree of unsaturation, with especially relative high quantities of the essential fatty acids like linolenic (C18:3) and linoleic (C18:2) acids.
The link between environmental, social and corporate governance disclosure and the cost of capital in South Africa

Orientation: Ignoring environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) aspects exposes firms to risks that diminish value, shrink returns and even lead to failure. Firms considering ESG aspects are perceived as less risky by capital providers. Such capital suppliers accept lower returns and lending rates when providing capital to firms with superior ESG practices and disclosure. Research purpose: To investigate the link between ESG disclosure and the cost of capital. Motivation for the study: Although there has been a growing interest in responsible corporate practices in emerging markets, limited research on ESG has been conducted in South Africa. Research approach/design and method: A positivistic paradigm was employed. A sample of 68 firms from six Johannesburg Stock Exchange sectors over the period 2011–2018 (478 firm-year observations) was examined using panel regression analyses. Main findings: A significant negative relationship was observed between composite ESG disclosure scores and weighted average cost of capital (WACC) for both consumer goods and consumer services sectors. In addition, a significant positive regression coefficient was obtained between composite ESG disclosure scores and WACC for firms from the industrials sector. Practical/managerial implications: A growing number of capital providers consider a firm’s ESG practices and disclosures which could offer a firm the opportunity to raise additional sources of capital. Contribution/value-add: Local firms that had improved ESG disclosure seemed to benefit from a lower overall WACC and cost of debt. Equity capital providers, however, seem to perceive increased ESG disclosure as additional risk and require a higher return from such firms in South Africa.
Effects of Nitrobenzene and Chlorobenzene on Seed Germination and Biological Characters of Wheat

Effects of different concentrations of nitrobenzene and chlorobenzene on seed germination and biological characters of wheat were studied. The results showed that seed germination and growth of wheat were refrained when the concentration of nitrobenzene and chlorobenzene were more than 10 mg/L. Also, fresh weight and dry weight were inhibited. In addition, roots were more sensitive to nitrobenzene and chlorobenzene than shoots. The seed germination was stopped by 50 mg/L of nitrobenzene. The concentration of 10 mg/L was discovered to be the optimal concentration for chlorophyll. In a specific range of nitrobenzene and chlorobenzene stress, the activity of peroxidase and the concentration malondialdehyde increased with increasing nitrobenzene and chlorobenzene concentrations, however, enzymatic activity and malondialdehyde decreased when the nitrobenzene and chlorobenzene stress was overwhelmed.
Using Think-Alouds to Uncover Expert-Novice Gaps in AAC Intervention Planning Skills

Because few studies have explored preservice speech-language pathologists’ (SLP’s) learning outcomes in augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) coursework and clinical practica, there is a need to investigate student learning in this area. This article represents a portion of a larger study that explored the expert-novice gap in planning for intervention with children who use AAC. The companion article reports clinical reasoning skills, whereas the present study revealed intervention planning skills. The methods are the consistent with those reported in the companion article. In summary, eight novice (i.e. preservice) SLPs and eight expert SLPs completed think-aloud tasks while they developed intervention plans. Verbal data were transcribed and analyzed qualitatively. Eight intervention planning skills emerged from the data: selecting treatment style, planning activities, selecting or developing materials, planning teaching strategies, selecting targets, goal setting, collecting data, and feature matching. Considerable overlap across expert and novice performance was observed in some areas, while minor differences were noted in other skills. Expert-novice gaps were identified in two areas, developing a treatment style and feature matching. Familiarity with expert-novice gaps in intervention planning has implications for preservice instruction in AAC.
Biochemical and Molecular Actions of Nutrients Garlic (Allium sativum L.) Modulates Cytokine Expression in Lipopolysaccharide-Activated Human Blood Thereby Inhibiting NF- B Activity

Garlic is proposed to have immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory properties. This paper shows that garlic powder extracts (GPE) and single garlic metabolites modulate lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced cytokine levels in human whole blood. GPE-altered cytokine levels in human blood sample supernatants reduced nuclear factor (NF)B activity in human cells exposed to these samples. Pretreatment with GPE (100 mg/L) reduced LPS-induced production of proinflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-1 from 15.7 5.1 to 6.2 1.2 g/L and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)from 8.8 2.4 to 3.9 0.8 g/L, respectively, whereas the expression of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 was unchanged. The garlic metabolite diallydisulfide (1–100 mol/L) also significantly reduced IL-1 and TNF. Interestingly, exposure of human embryonic kidney cell line (HEK293) cells to GPE-treated blood sample supernatants (10 or 100 mg/L) reduced NFB activity compared with cells exposed to untreated blood supernatants as measured by a NFB-driven luciferase reporter gene assay. Blood samples treated with extract obtained from unfertilized garlic (100 mg/L) reduced NFB activity by 25%, whereas blood samples treated with sulfur-fertilized garlic extracts (100 mg/L) lowered NFB activity by 41%. In summary, garlic may indeed promote an anti-inflammatory environment by cytokine modulation in human blood that leads to an overall inhibition of NFB activity in the surrounding tissue. J. Nutr. 133: 2171–2175, 2003.
Energy Costs of Walking and Running Gaits and Their Aerobic Limits in Golden-Mantled Ground Squirrels

We studied locomotion of field-caught golden-mantled ground squirrels (Spermophilus saturatus) on a motorized treadmill that was incorporated into a respirometry system. The animals shifted gaits, from walking to trotting, at about 0.8 m/s and from trotting to galloping at 1.2 m/s; they ran as fast as 3 m/s (10.8 km/h) on our treadmill. Because we were able to determine oxygen consumption instantaneously, we observed rates of energy expenditure that accompany brief bouts of locomotion at speeds higher than those of previous studies. The slope of equations describing oxygen consumption (V̇o2, in ml/g· h) in relation to speed (m/s) differ significantly (P < .02) for walking and running (running = trot and gallop combined): walking (V̇o2 = 2.91 + 3.80 × speed), running (V̇o2 = 5.76 + 1.41 × speed). The animals thereby experience less incremental increase in rate of energy expenditure with increased speed when running than when walking. We conclude that with a maximum aerobic metabolic rate (V̇o2max) of about 10 ml/g · h, which occurs at a speed of 3 m/s, most of the spontaneous running by the ground squirrels observed under natural conditions should occur without the use of anaerobic respiration.
Emergence and dimensions of undergraduate-students’ perceptions of themselves as teachers through teaching practice: an exploratory study

This paper examines the empirical data of a broader study concerning the views of the undergraduate students of the Department of Educational Science and Early Childhood Education (DESECE) of the University of Patras, Greece (n=144) in regards to how they perceive and describe themselves as teachers during their teaching practice at schools. The paper analyzes the challenges that the students have dealt with, through an experiential approach of the teacher's profession, which appears to influence and shape their perception as teachers. The findings span nine axes and the analysis further indicates that these axes relate with both how closely the undergraduate students perceive themselves as teachers and how the teaching practice itself influences and contributes to how the undergraduate students perceive themselves as teachers.