Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Dual Regulation of Glycogen Synthase Kinase-3

Catecholamines, acting through adrenergic receptors, play an important role in modulating the effects of insulin on glucose metabolism. Insulin activation of glycogen synthesis is mediated in part by the inhibitory phosphorylation of glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK-3). In this study, catecholamine regulation of GSK-3 was investigated in Rat-1 fibroblasts stably expressing the 1Aadrenergic receptor. Treatment of these cells with either insulin or phenylephrine (PE), an 1-adrenergic receptor agonist, induced Ser-9 phosphorylation of GSK-3 and inhibited GSK-3 activity. Insulin-induced GSK-3 phosphorylation is mediated by the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt signaling pathway. PE treatment does not activate phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase or Akt (Ballou, L. M., Cross, M. E., Huang, S., McReynolds, E. M., Zhang, B. X., and Lin, R. Z. (2000) J. Biol. Chem. 275, 4803–4809), but instead inhibits insulin-induced Akt activation and GSK-3 phosphorylation. Experiments using protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitors suggest that phorbol ester-sensitive novel PKC and Gö 6983-sensitive atypical PKC isoforms are involved in the PE-induced phosphorylation of GSK-3 . Indeed, PE treatment of Rat-1 cells increased the activity of atypical PKC , and expression of PKC in COS-7 cells stimulated GSK-3 Ser-9 phosphorylation. In addition, PE-induced GSK-3 phosphorylation was reduced in Rat-1 cells treated with a cell-permeable PKC pseudosubstrate peptide inhibitor. These results suggest that the 1A-adrenergic receptor regulates GSK-3 through two signaling pathways. One pathway inhibits insulin-induced GSK-3 phosphorylation by blocking insulin activation of Akt. The second pathway stimulates Ser-9 phosphorylation of GSK3 , probably via PKC.
Microbial shelf life quality assessment of a sensory evaluated ready-to-serve Momordica charantia L . ( Bitter Gourd ) drink

The bitter gourd, Momordica charantia L. (MC), is used to prepare a ready-to-serve (RTS) drink. The objective is to evaluate the sensory characteristics of the drink according to consumer acceptability and to investigate its microbial shelf life when prepared using untreated and boiled water and stored at different temperatures. MC was used to prepare five concentrations of RTS drink (0.58, 0.70, 0.80, 0.90, and 1.00 g/mL) by water extraction of juice added with selected ingredients. The samples were given to 40 untrained panelists and are rated on a 7-point hedonic scale. Total plate count, enumeration of yeasts and molds and presumptive tests for coliform count and Escherichia coli were used in assessing the microbial quality. From the sensory evaluation, the most accepted concentration of the RTS drink is 0.80 g/mL with an average score of 4.09. High amount of microbial growth exceeding 4 log CFU/mL was found after 24 h when stored at 28 ± 2°C. Mold growth was visible when stored at 28 ± 2°C after 48 h. E. coli was presumptively present in the sample but not in water used for preparation. This formulation of RTS drink can be beneficial for targeted consumers and ensuring the microbial safety through proper production and storage.
Development of an analytical method for fumonisin B1 in porcine tissues and body uids using UHPLC-MS/MS

High-precision analytical methods to detect fumonisin B1 (FB1) in a limited range of biological samples have recently been reported. Here an analytical method for FB1 for use in a wider range of tissue and body fluid samples, such as the plasma, kidney, liver, urine, and bile was developed. Pigs were used in this investigation and administered with FB1 via osmotic pumps. Samples were extracted with a formic acid/acetonitrile/water mixture, purified on a phospholipid removal solid-phase extraction column, and analyzed by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization/tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-ESI/MS/MS). The mean recovery of FB1 in the plasma, kidney, liver, and urine ranged from 80%–115%, and the corresponding relative standard deviation (RSD) was below 10%. The matrix effects resulted in ionization suppression in the bile samples, but these effects were stable and constant, and could be accounted for; the mean recovery and RSD for the bile samples was 10% and < 10%, respectively. Using this analytical method, FB1 was precisely detected in pigs and its levels decreased in the order of urine > bile > kidney = liver > plasma, which implied fast excretion. The detection and quantitation limits (1 and 3 ng g − , respectively) alongside the other results indicated that this method was suitable for the analysis of FB1 in various types of biological samples.
Inter-generational Transitions of Family Businesses using Private Equity: Lessons for China and Australia from Chinese Family-owned Enterprises in Singapore

Citation SEET, Pi Shen; GRAVES, Christopher; and TAN, Wee Liang. Inter-generational Transitions of Family Businesses using Private Equity: Lessons for China and Australia from Chinese Family-owned Enterprises in Singapore. (2016). China’s Changing Economy: Trends, Impacts and the Future. 110-135. Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business. Available at: https://ink.library. smu.edu. sg/lkcsb_research/4787
Mathematical Modelling of Wildland Fires Initiation and Spread Using a Coupled Atmosphere-Forest Fire Setting

The coupled atmosphere/crown fire behaviour model is based on conservation of mass, momentum, species and energy. The system of differential equations for crown canopy was integrated with respect to the vertical coordinate because horizontal sizes of forest are much greater than the heights of trees. As a result, it is used two systems of equations for boundary layer of atmosphere and crown canopy. These equations are solved numerically for turbulent flow with the use of diffusion equations for chemical components and equations of energy conservation for gaseous and condensed phases. The method of finite volume is used to obtain discrete analogies. The boundary-value problem is solved numerically using the method of splitting according to physical processes. It allows investigating dynamics of forest fire initiation and spreading under influence of various external conditions. In this context, a study mathematical modelling of the conditions of forest fire spreading that would make it possible to obtain a detailed picture of the change in the temperature and component concentration fields with time and allows determining the total CO and CO2 emissions into the atmosphere during the spread of forest fire.
Object Estimator Image Decoder Object Encoder Objects Fuser

Despite significant recent progress on generative models, controlled generation of images depicting multiple and complex object layouts is still a difficult problem. Among the core challenges are the diversity of appearance a given object may possess and, as a result, exponential set of images consistent with a specified layout. To address these challenges, we propose a novel approach for layout-based image generation; we call it Layout2Im. Given the coarse spatial layout (bounding boxes + object categories), our model can generate a set of realistic images which have the correct objects in the desired locations. The representation of each object is disentangled into a specified/certain part (category) and an unspecified/uncertain part (appearance). The category is encoded using a word embedding and the appearance is distilled into a low-dimensional vector sampled from a normal distribution. Individual object representations are composed together using convolutional LSTM, to obtain an encoding of the complete layout, and then decoded to an image. Several loss terms are introduced to encourage accurate and diverse image generation. The proposed Layout2Im model significantly outperforms the previous state-of-the-art, boosting the best reported inception score by 24.66% and 28.57% on the very challenging COCO-Stuff and Visual Genome datasets, respectively. Extensive experiments also demonstrate our model’s ability to generate complex and diverse images with many objects.
MAIZE RESPONSE TO SOIL-APPLIED HUMIC SUBSTANCES AND FOLIAR FERTILIZATION WITH POTASSIUM

Application of some compounds stimulating growth and physiological processes may have favourable effect on maize productivity. The study aimed to assess the response of maize germination and initial growth to soil-applied humic substances, and the effect of these substances and foliar potassium fertilizer on the maize grain yield. The study was based on a single-factorial field experiment conducted over 2006-2008 in Poland, (17o35′ E; 53o09′ N), on soil classified as mesic Typic Hapludalf, in a randomized block design, in four replications. The effect of the following was evaluated: humus preparation Humistar (12% humic acids and 3% fulvic acids), applied pre-sowing into soil, at a rate of 40 dm3 ha-1 (T1), foliar fertilizer Drakar (25.7% K and 3% N), applied at BBCH 16 and 17, at a rate of 2 dm3 ha-1 (T2), combined application of Humistar and Drakar (T3), and the control (T4). Humistar application resulted in an increase in germination energy, but it did not affect germination capacity or seedlings weight of maize. Humistar or Drakar caused an increase in cob weight, grain proportion in the cob weight and grain yield, as compared with the control. The increase in grain yield in individual years of the study after Humistar application ranged from 1.21 to 8.41% (140-620 kg ha-1), whereas after Drakar from 0.35 to 5.8% (40-430 kg ha-1). Combined application of these preparations caused an increase in grain yield on average from the years in relation to control (by 2.1%), but there was no difference in yield as compared with the application of Humistar or Drakar only. Further studies are necessary to evaluate the effect of these preparations in weak soils with low content of organic matter and nutrients.
stabilityofthevapAICD operonofthe facultative intracellular pathogenRhodococcus equi

The gene encoding virulence associated protein A (VapA) is clustered with three vapA homologues (vapICD) within the pathogenicity island of the virulence plasmid of Rhodococcus equi. Northern blot analysis showed a vapA transcript of c. 700 nucleotides (nt) suggesting that vapA is a monocistronic transcript. However, using the more sensitive RT-PCR, it was shown that vapA is cotranscribed with the downstream vapICD genes forming a 2.3-kb operon. This initial transcript is subsequently processed to give rise to a 700 nt vapA transcript with a half-life of 7.5 min. In contrast, the vapI, vapC and vapD transcripts have an average half-life of 1.8 min, identical to that of the five cistronic virR operon located upstream of the vapA operon. It is speculated that the need for differential gene expression arises from the different localisation of the Vap proteins. VapA is tethered to the surface of the cell wall, whereas VapC and VapD are secreted, diffusable proteins. The intercistronic region between vapC and vapD harbours two short ORFs (OrfA, OrfB). These ORFs are translationally coupled to vapC and vapD in which the start codon overlaps the stop codon of the preceding gene.
Logos Universality Mentality Education Novelty: Political Sciences and European Studies

2 Bachelor Student, Faculty of Sociology and Social Work, University of Bucharest, Bucharest, Romania, diana.bancov@mail.ru Abstract: This research focuses on the presence of stereotypes regarding age and gender, using as case study the book Cities for people, by Jan Gehl. Recognized worldwide as one of the most important supporters for the rapprochement of the public urban space towards its citizens, Jan Gehl dedicated most of his career to the importance of the human factor in the planning of cities. This study represents a content analysis of the ways in which the characters from the Cities for people book are being presented according to gender and age. The research represents a quantitative analysis of all the images in the book, comprising individuals or groups of people (collective characters) involved in different types of actions. The results of the study highlight an a relatively equal presence of both genders (48.8% feminine characters and 51.2% masculine characters). Most of the images present individual characters, which gives us the opportunity to clearly see their general image, socio-demographic characteristics (relative age and gender) or carried actions. However, there is a significant percentage of nearly 21% of the images in which the characters are presented as part of a crowd, as collective characters, which causes an increased degree of un-individualization. Even in these cases, non the less, there can be frequently observed a relatively homogeneous mass of people, most of them male adults. The biggest discrepancy highlighted by the study of the images of this book is with regard to the distribution of the main age categories (children, adolescents, adults and seniors). When it comes to these categories, Cities for people gives a greater attention to the adults, a category of people which is present in nearly 50% of the images. The other 50% is divided between children, adolescents and seniors, the most disadvantaged of them being, surprisingly, the children’s category (present in only 12.1% of the images).
Inﬂuence of age and run training on cardiac Na (cid:1) /Ca 2 (cid:1) exchange

Inﬂuence of age and run training on cardiac Na (cid:1) Ca 2 (cid:1) exchange. 1994–2003, Effects of age and training on myocardial Na (cid:1) /Ca 2 (cid:1) exchange were examined in young sedentary (YS; 14–15 mo), aged sedentary (AS; 27–31 mo), and aged trained (AT; 8- to 11-wk treadmill run training) male Fischer Brown Norway rats. Whole heart performance and isolated cardiocyte Na (cid:1) / Ca 2 (cid:1) exchange characteristics were measured. At the whole heart level, a small but signiﬁcant slowing of late isovolumic left ventricular (LV) relaxation, which may be indicative of altered Na (cid:1) /Ca 2 (cid:1) exchange activity, was seen in hearts from AS rats. This subtle impairment in relaxation was not observed in hearts from AT rats. At the single-cardiocyte level, late action potential duration was prolonged, resting membrane potential was more positive, and overshoot potential was greater in cardiocytes from AS rats than from YS rats ( P (cid:2) 0.05). Training did not inﬂuence any of these age-related action potential characteristics. In electrically paced cardiocytes, neither shortening nor intracellular Ca 2 (cid:1) concentration ([Ca 2 (cid:1) ] i ) dynamics was inﬂuenced by age or training. Similarly, neither age nor training inﬂuenced the rate of [Ca 2 (cid:1) ] i clearance via forward (Na in (cid:1) /Ca out2 (cid:1) ) Na (cid:1) /Ca 2 (cid:1) exchange after caffeine-induced Ca 2 (cid:1) release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum or cardiac Na (cid:1) /Ca 2 (cid:1) exchanger protein (NCX1) expression. However, when whole cell patch-clamp techniques combined with ﬂuorescence microscopy were used to evaluate the ability of Na (cid:1) /Ca 2 (cid:1) exchange to alter cytosolic [Ca 2 (cid:1) ] ([Ca 2 (cid:1) ] c ) under conditions where membrane potential ( V m ) and internal and external [Na (cid:1) ] and [Ca 2 (cid:1) ] could be controlled, we observed age-associated increases in forward Na (cid:1) /Ca 2 (cid:1) exchange-mediated [Ca 2 (cid:1) ] c clearance ( P (cid:2) 0.05) that were not inﬂuenced by training. The age-related increase in forward Na (cid:1) /Ca 2 (cid:1) exchange activity provides a hypothetical explanation for the late action potential prolongation observed in this study. ately /Ca 2 (cid:1) exchange. In single LV cardiocytes studied under highly controlled conditions, we found evidence of an increase in forward Na (cid:1) /Ca 2 (cid:1) exchange activity that was uninﬂuenced by exercise training. This occurred in the absence of age-or training-induced changes in NCX1 expression in any region of the heart. The increases in Na (cid:1) /Ca 2 (cid:1) exchange activity that we observed were associated with, and provide a possible explanation for, late phase action potential prolongation in advanced age.
EFFECT OF 1-MCP ON ETHYLENE REGULATION AND QUALITY OF APPLE , APRICOT AND ASPARAGUS

The effect of 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) on fruits and vegetables has always been a topic of interest. The current study was conducted to investigate the effect of 1-MCP on ethylene production and on quality of apple (Malus domestica) during ripening, of Japanese apricot (Prunus mume) harvested at green and yellow stages, of and asparagus (Asparagus officinalis) spears. The apple fruit, Japanese apricot fruit, and asparagus spears were treated with 1-MCP for 24 h. Ethylene, CO2, color, firmness, and upward growth (bending upward when stored at a horizontal position due to negative geotropism) of the asparagus spears were measured sequentially at the laboratory of Tropical Horticulture, Department of International Agricultural Development, Tokyo University of Agriculture (Setagaya campus) from 2014-2015. Ethylene production reduced significantly in apple, was unaffected in Japanese apricot, and increased in asparagus. Respiration significantly decreased in apple and Japanese apricot during green and yellow stages, but no significant changes were observed in asparagus spears. Quality parameters, such as color, firmness and weight loss (apple) have improved in all the tested fruits and vegetable, suggesting that 1-MCP could maintain quality during storage under ambient conditions. Asparagus spears in a horizontal position stopped upward growth when these were treated with 1-MCP, suggesting it could improve asparagus post-harvest quality
On The Goodness of Four Types of Organic Fertilizers Using the Split Plot Design and the Two-Way Block Design with Interactions

This study investigated the goodness of four (4) different types of organic fertilizers on crop (maize) yield. Data on kilograms of maize yield for the 2014/2015 planting season from four separate farms in which the four (4) different types of organic fertilizer (poultry droppings, piggery manure, extract from farm product and cassava sediment) were applied were collected from the Department of Soil Science, Akwa Ibom State University. SPLIT PLOT DESIGN and TWO-WAY ANOVA WITH INTERACTIONS models were used in carrying out the analysis. Hypothesis that was tested to ascertain whether there was a significant effect of the four types of organic fertilizer on maize yield indicated that, for both models, there was significant effect. When a pair-wise comparison via Least Significant Difference (LSD) was carried out to determine which of the four types of organic fertilizer was the best. For both models, results showed that extract from farm product was the best.
www.econstor.eu Electoral Competition with Rationally Inattentive Voters

How do voters allocate costly attention to alternative political issues? And how does selective ignorance of voters interact with policy design by politicians? We address these questions by developing a model of electoral competition with rationally inattentive voters. Rational inattention amplifies the effects of preference intensity, because voters pay more attention where stakes are higher. The model has many potential applications, and those that we discuss in more detail imply that extremist voters are more attentive and inuential, public goods are underprovided, divisive issues receive more attention, and less transparent candidates choose more extreme policies. Endogenous attention can also lead to multiple equilibria, explaining how poor voters in developing countries can be politically empowered by welfare programs. JEL-Codes: D830, D720.
Application of Bayesian network modelling to predict food fraud products from China

Food fraud is prevalent in China and the increasing number of reported cases undermined the credibility of food safety authorities and the agri-food industry. Food scandals have caused Chinese consumers to be anxious and distrustful of local food products. Urban consumers have resorted to domestic risk mitigating strategies to identify fraudulent food products. This study aims to investigate the risk mitigating strategies against food fraud adopted by urban and rural consumers. Semi-structured interviews (n = 31) were conducted to collect data from urban and rural consumers in Beijing and Hebei, China. Three thematic domains and nine sub-themes were identified from the data set. There was a general sense of insecurity, anxiety and disapproval about the state of food products in the country. This has driven distrust in the food system, hence Chinese consumers have developed risk mitigating strategies against purchasing and consuming fraudulent food products. The three main coping approaches include purchasing decision making, information searching & sharing and daily self-preservation strategies. This is the first study to provide new empirical findings on rural consumers’ experiences in dealing with fraudulent products and their risk mitigating strategies against food fraud.
Alternative Therapies in Person-centered Care for Persons with Dementia in Nursing Homes

Increasing numbers of people are living with dementia in every part of the globe. Curative options are unavailable through traditional medical model; alternative therapeutic approaches are required urgently. Using a grounded theory methodology, this study seeks to build an understanding of the barriers and facilitators to person-centered care (PCC) approaches and the integration of complementary and alternative approaches for people living with dementia (PLWD) and residing in nursing homes throughout the state of Georgia. This study will generate implications for implementing PCC and culture change, its barriers, facilitators and how PCC can improve the daily lives of persons living with dementia in an institutional setting. This study will describe different engagement activities and alternative therapies which promote relaxation and improve quality of life of those individuals. This knowledge of the landscape of activities will help us identify and improve strategies for supporting PLWD at a deeper, more meaningful level. INDEX WORDS: Dementia, Person-centered care, Barriers, Facilitators, Alternative therapies ALTERNATIVE THERAPIES IN PERSON-CENTERED CARE FOR PERSONS WITH DEMENTIA IN NURSING HOMES
Reminiscences From a Career in Geomicrobiology

This is a memoir relating how the author became a geomicrobiologist and how he practiced his specialty. Born in Germany and receiving his early schooling in Berlin, he completed his secondary education, followed by college and graduate school training, after emigration to the United States in 1940. After attaining a PhD degree in 1951, he spent his entire professional career as a faculty member of the Department of Biology at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in Troy, New York. He was introduced to geomicrobiology in 1959 by a question from a colleague in the Department of Geology at RPI concerning the recent discovery of acidophilic ironoxidizing, autotrophic bacteria in acid coal mine drainage. This led him to investigate bacterial interaction with metal sulfides, Mn(II) and Mn(IV) on land and in the sea, chromate, and bauxite; to teach a course in geomicrobiology; and to write a textbook on the subject, first published in 1981. 1 A nn u. R ev . E ar th P la ne t. Sc i. 20 12 . 4 0: 121 . D ow nl oa de d fr om w w w . a nn ua lr ev ie w s. or g A cc es s pr ov id ed b y 20 7. 24 1. 22 5. 22 7 on 0 5/ 07 /2 0. F or p er so na l u se o nl y. EA40CH01-Ehrlich ARI 23 March 2012 9:53