Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Calcium-Responsive Diguanylate Cyclase CasA Drives Cellulose-Dependent Biofilm Formation and Inhibits Motility in Vibrio fischeri

Biofilm formation and motility are often critical behaviors for bacteria to colonize a host organism. Vibrio fischeri is the exclusive colonizer of its host’s symbiotic organ and requires both biofilm formation and motility to initiate successful colonization, providing a relatively simple model to explore complex behaviors. In this study, we determined how the environmental signal calcium alters bacterial behavior through production of the signaling molecule c-di-GMP. ABSTRACT The marine bacterium Vibrio fischeri colonizes its host, the Hawaiian bobtail squid, in a manner requiring both bacterial biofilm formation and motility. The decision to switch between sessile and motile states is often triggered by environmental signals and regulated by the widespread signaling molecule c-di-GMP. Calcium is an environmental signal previously shown to affect both biofilm formation and motility by V. fischeri. In this study, we investigated the link between calcium and c-di-GMP, determining that calcium increases intracellular c-di-GMP dependent on a specific diguanylate cyclase, calcium-sensing protein A (CasA). CasA is activated by calcium, dependent on residues in an N-terminal sensory domain, and synthesizes c-di-GMP through an enzymatic C-terminal domain. CasA is responsible for calcium-dependent inhibition of motility and activation of cellulose-dependent biofilm formation. Calcium regulates cellulose biofilms at the level of transcription, which also requires the transcription factor VpsR. Finally, the Vibrio cholerae CasA homolog, CdgK, is unable to complement CasA and may be inhibited by calcium. Collectively, these results identify CasA as a calcium-responsive regulator, linking an external signal to internal decisions governing behavior, and shed light on divergence between Vibrio spp. IMPORTANCE Biofilm formation and motility are often critical behaviors for bacteria to colonize a host organism. Vibrio fischeri is the exclusive colonizer of its host’s symbiotic organ and requires both biofilm formation and motility to initiate successful colonization, providing a relatively simple model to explore complex behaviors. In this study, we determined how the environmental signal calcium alters bacterial behavior through production of the signaling molecule c-di-GMP. Calcium activates the diguanylate cyclase CasA to synthesize c-di-GMP, resulting in inhibition of motility and activation of cellulose production. These activities depend on residues in CasA’s N-terminal sensory domain and C-terminal enzymatic domain. These findings thus identify calcium as a signal recognized by a specific diguanylate cyclase to control key bacterial phenotypes. Of note, CasA activity is seemingly inverse to that of the homologous V. cholerae protein, CdgK, providing insight into evolutionary divergence between closely related species.
Predicting Table VIII Tank Gunnery Scores from a Test of GUARDFIST I proficiency and Training Matrix Advancement

Abstract : This report describes two investigations of the relationship between performance on the Guard Unit Armory Device Full-Crew Interactive Simulation Trainer-Armor (GUARDFIST I) and live-fire tank gunnery performance. In the first investigation, 19 Army National Guard (ARNG) M1 tank crews completed a GUARDFIST I-based test of gunnery proficiency and then fired tank gunnery Table VIII during annual training. Results showed that crew performance on the GUARDFIST I test was unrelated to performance on Table VIII. The second investigation examined the relationship between aggregate measures of GUARDFIST I training (maximum training matrix advancement and total training time) and Table VIII scores collected 6 months later on eight ARNG M1 tank crews. Results showed that total training time was unrelated to Table VIII scores, but that maximum training matrix advancement was strongly predictive of subsequent Table VIII performance. Findings suggest that brief, one-shot tests of proficiency on GUARDFIST I have limited predictive utility, but that aggregate measures of gunnery proficiency on GUARDFIST I can be used to predict live-fire tank gunnery performance. A larger sample size is needed to substantiate the validity of this predictive relationship. Reserve component, Tank gunnery, Training devices, GUARDFIST I, Armor training, Performance prediction
Adverse Childhood Experiences and Resilience in Native American Families and Communities

Native Americans report high rates of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). ACEs are correlated with a variety of negative outcomes in adulthood and can be attributed in part to historical trauma. Participation in indigenous practices, family support, and social connectedness can contribute to the resilience needed to cope with the adverse impact of ACEs.
Biological traits of wild-caught populations of Aedes aegypti in dengue endemic and non-endemic regions of Kenya

Variation in vector traits can modulate local scale differences in pathogen transmission. Here, we compared seasonal variation in the wing length (proxy for body size) and energy reserves of adult wild-caught Aedes aegypti populations from a dengue endemic (Kilifi) and non-endemic (Isiolo) area of Kenya. Vector sampling in the dengue endemic site was conducted during the dry and wet seasons. In the non-endemic area, it was limited to the dry season which characterizes this ecology where sporadic or no rainfall is commonplace during the year. We found variation by site in the body size of both sexes, with an overall smaller size of Ae. aegypti populations collected from Isiolo than those from Kilifi. Our results show that although total carbohydrates and lipids levels were highest in both sexes during the dry season, they were two-fold higher in males than females. However, we found weak correlations between body size and energy reserves for both sexes, with body size being more sensitive in identifying differences at a population level. These results provide insights into the determinants of the vectoring potential of Ae. aegypti populations in dengue endemic and non-endemic ecologies in Kenya. Journal of Vector Ecology 46 (1): 19-23. 2021. Keyword Index: Energy reserves, body size, Aedes aegypti, dengue, ecological adaptation.
Social diversity in a dense neighbourhood: a socio-psychological study of community opposition to dense developments in Perth, Western Australia

ABSTRACT The surveys of residents living in areas planned for increasing residential density in Perth, Australia (Canning Bridge, Cannington, Wellard activity centres) concluded that the idea of encouraging ‘a diverse mix of people into the precinct’ was not perceived positively by current residents. From a socio-psychological view, the surveys reflect a perceived concern about future demographic change in their neighbourhood following a dense development. This paper solely discusses the results of follow-up in-depth interviews with several residents for investigating the residents’ concerns about demographic change. The thematic analysis of interviews highlights that ‘fear of the unknown’ drove many of the negative perceptions towards demographic change. Many interviewees interpreted ‘diversity’ in relation to cultural background (ethnicity), with their ‘fear’ stemming from their unfamiliarity with people of different cultural backgrounds. The interview results also suggest that the level and quality of current informal and formal socialising among neighbours may be a precursor to overcoming their concerns. The paper concludes that while the dimension of ‘diversity’ is widely embraced by planners it has the potential to be seen negatively by residents who see this quality as a social disruption to their neighbourhood and lifestyle. Further, micro scale social events such as small street get-togethers may have the potential and be more effective than macro/large events for establishing social, cultural context that is required prior to new developments and their incoming residents.
Closing chapters of the past? Rhetorical strategies in political apologies for human rights violations across the world

Abstract Over the past decades, an increasing number of countries have apologized for human rights violations in the recent or distant past. Although this has led to considerable debate about the value and meaning of apologies and their potential as a transformative mechanism, little is known about how countries across the world try to address and redress past wrongdoings in these statements. Relying on a database of apologies that have been offered worldwide by states or state representatives for human rights violations, we identified various rhetorical strategies that diverse countries use—to varying degrees—to (1) break from or acknowledge past wrongdoings, (2) bridge past wrongdoings with future intentions, and (3) bond with the intended recipients of the apology. In this article, we shed light on the strategies we identified in this regard. In doing so, we show how countries and their representatives use apologies not only or necessarily to address the needs of victims or their relatives, but also to portray and understand themselves, whereby there is substantial overlap in the types of rhetorical strategies and scripts that they use to accomplish this.
Unified Framework to Construct Fast Row-Action-Type Iterative CT Reconstruction Methods with Total Variation Using Multi Proximal Splitting

Recently, to realize low-dose scan in CT imaging, a number of iterative reconstruction methods with Total Variation (TV) regularization have been investigated. In particular, reconstruction methods based on proximal splitting framework have been actively researched thanks to the following two reasons. First, they allow to use the TV regularization term, which is known to be a non-differentiable function that cannot be handled with classical optimization methods. Second, using the proximal splitting leads to a new class of iterative reconstruction methods which cannot be found in the literature. The major drawback of existing research in this direction is that most of them use the proximal splitting which divides the cost function into a sum of only two terms like famous Chambolle-Pock algorithm and FISTA. In this paper, we propose a unified framework to construct a class of row-action-type iterative methods which converge very fast using frameworks of multi proximal splitting which divides the cost function into a sum of arbitrary number of sub-cost functions (more than two). The use of multi proximal splitting naturally allows us to construct row-action-type iterative methods converging to an exact minimizer of the cost function very quickly. In mathematical literature, there exist only three different frameworks of multi proximal splitting, which are the Passty splitting, Dykstra-like splitting, and modified Dykstra-like splitting. We develop three new iterative methods, i.e. the Passty iterative method, Dykstra-like iterative method, and modified Dykstra-like iterative method, by using these frameworks, for the case where the cost function is a sum of the standard least-squares data fidelity and the TV regularization term. We have compared the proposed three iterative methods with an empirical standard method using ordered-subset technique called OS-SIRT-TV method. The results demonstrate that the performances of proposed methods significantly outperform OS-SIRT method in terms of image quality with a comparable convergence speed.
Location Classification Based on Tweets

Location classification is used for associating type to locations, to enrich maps and support a plethora of geospatial applications that rely on location types. Classification can be performed by humans, but using machine learning is more efficient and faster to react to changes than human-based classification. Machine learning can be used in lieu of human classification or for supporting it. In this paper we study the use of machine learning for Geosocial Location Classification, where the type of a site, e.g., a building, is discovered based on social-media posts, e.g., tweets. Our goal is to correctly associate a set of tweets posted in a small radius around a given location with the corresponding location type, e.g., school, church, restaurant or museum. We explore two approaches to the problem: (a) a pipeline approach, where each post is first classified, and then the location associated with the set of posts is inferred from the individual post labels; and (b) a joint approach where the individual posts are simultaneously processed to yield the desired location type. We tested the two approaches over a data set of geotagged tweets. Our results demonstrate the superiority of the joint approach. Moreover, we show that due to the unique structure of the problem, where weakly-related messages are jointly processed to yield a single final label, linear classifiers outperform deep neural network alternatives.
Molecular and Mechanical Pathways in Airway Smooth Muscle Relaxation

Chemistry and physics play an important role in relaxing contracted airway smooth muscles (ASM). This work investigates whether combining the two will result in enhanced ASM relaxation. Isolated bovine trachea ASM strips were employed using acetylcholine before undergoing mechanically‐induced length oscillations, consisting of small oscillations superimposed on breathing‐like changes, followed by administration of a broncho‐relaxant agent. The agents used in this work are isoproterenol (ISO), Indomethacin (INDO), SB 203580, or PD 0980590, which are inhibitors of cyclooxygenase extracellular signal‐regulated kinase, 1/2 (ERK1/2), and p38 mitogen‐activated protein kinase, respectively. The ASM reactivity following these treatments is assessed. It is demonstrated that adding one of these agents, Indomethacin, ISO, or SB 203580 enhances the relaxation produced by the oscillation process while it does not work with PD0980590.
Dynamic cytokinin signalling landscapes during lateral root formation in Arabidopsis

Abstract By forming lateral roots, plants expand their root systems to improve anchorage and absorb more water and nutrients from the soil. Each phase of this developmental process in Arabidopsis is tightly regulated by dynamic and continuous signalling of the phytohormones cytokinin and auxin. While the roles of auxin in lateral root organogenesis and spatial accommodation by overlying cell layers have been well studied, insights on the importance of cytokinin is still somewhat limited. Cytokinin is a negative regulator of lateral root formation with versatile modes of action being activated at different root developmental zones. Here, we review the latest progress made towards our understanding of these spatially separated mechanisms of cytokinin-mediated signalling that shape lateral root initiation, outgrowth and emergence and highlight some of the enticing open questions.
Doing the first loop of planning for sustainable urban drainage system retrofits: A case study from Odense, Denmark

The planning and implementation of sustainable urban drainage systems (SUDS) requires intensive collaboration between professions and institutions. To improve the conditions for such practice in Denmark, the first loop of a SUDS-based retrofitting project was completed in Odense over a 6-month period. The project involved officials from the City of Odense and Odense Water Ltd., as well as university researchers. Studies of hydrological, environmental and socio-cultural aspects were developed by disciplinary teams and used to draft integrated solutions for two selected city districts. Albeit sewer surcharge was the initial catalyst, the main driver for the drafted solutions was urban planning. An assessment of the impact 1.5 years after completion indicated that the employed approach is valuable. In Odense, a planning procedure reflecting the loop process has become new practice. The project represents a key reference for the introduction of SUDS in Denmark.
An examination of authentic leadership as an individual and social factor of resilience

Abstract Resilient qualities, which derive from protective factors, enable an individual to balance exposure to vulnerabilities in military service and throughout life. Protective factors arise from within an individual, from social factors, and from an individual's environment. Research on social factors, such as strong leadership and peer relationships, continues to emerge and significantly relate to resilience. Of specific interest to organisations is how perceptions of leadership contribute to resilience as an individual and social protective factor. Knowing more about how soldiers perceive themselves on authentic leadership and resilience would better help researchers and practitioners understand the contribution of leadership on perceived resilience. The current study examined the perception of authentic leadership in self and first-line leaders with resilience in a population of 179 soldiers (N = 179; M = 26.86 years, SD = 6.42). The results noted a significant correlation between the perception of authentic leadership in oneself and resilience (r = 0.506, p < 0.001). A subsequent analysis examining the perception of authentic leadership in one's first-line leader and subordinate resilience was also significant (r = 0.394, p < 0.001), supporting previous findings. These results demonstrate that perceptions of leadership matter as an individual and social factor in military personnel.
Bus encoder design for crosstalk and power reduction in RLC modelled VLSI interconnects

Purpose – This paper aims to reduce the worst-case crosstalk effects for resistance, inductance and capacitance (RLC) interconnects using the bus encoding technique. In current nanoscale technology, power dissipation, propagation delay and crosstalk performance of interconnects determine the overall performance of a chip. Signal integrity issues due to crosstalk in the form of voltage glitches, overshoots, undershoots, undesirable noise, propagation speed ups and downs, etc. are some of the major deterrents for high-performance RLC modelled (VLSI) interconnects. This research paper primarily proposes two novel encoding methods (I and II) for RLC modelled interconnects to reduce the effect of crosstalk, simultaneous switching noise (SSN) and power consumption. Design/methodology/approach – The proposed methods are based on the bus encoding method that is effective and well-suited for the reduction of the crosstalk noise. This method encodes or transforms incoming data in a manner that encoded data contain .
The neonatal microbiome in utero and beyond: perinatal influences and long-term impacts

Abstract The neonatal microbiome offers a valuable model for studying the origins of human health and disease. As the field of metagenomics expands, we also increase our understanding of early life influences on its development. In this review we will describe common techniques used to define and measure the microbiome. We will review in utero influences, normal perinatal development, and known risk factors for abnormal neonatal microbiome development. Finally, we will summarize current evidence that links early life microbial impacts on the development of chronic inflammatory diseases, obesity, and atopy.
Analysis of plated-hull structure strength against hydrostatic and hydrodynamic loads: A case study of 600 TEU container ships

Abstract The assessment of a ship's ability to withstand environmental loads is very crucial. This research focuses on the strength assessment of 600 TEU container ship hulls against hydrostatic and hydrodynamic loads using finite element-based software. Parameter changes in the material types, hull thickness, and ship drafts were performed to compare the structural responses using deformation, strain, and von Mises stress criteria. All of the materials tested were acceptable, where the ASTM A131 Grade AH36 and ASTM A131 Grade AH32 materials have the lowest deformation values and strains. The simulation results regarding plate thickness variation, deformation, strain, and von Mises stress values were smaller as the thickness of the ship structure increased. Moreover, from the draft variation, the structural response due to environmental load was better as the draft of the ship increased.
Mechanical behaviour of precast prestressed reinforced concrete beam–column joints in elevated station platforms subjected to vertical cyclic loading

Abstract Precast-reinforced concrete (RC) structures in urban rail transit projects can provide many advantages over their cast-in-place counterparts. However, lessons learned from past earthquakes show that beam-column joints may be a critical point of these structures and can overestimate the mechanical performance under vertical seismic loadings if not properly understood. This paper presents unbonded and bonded prestressed precast RC beam-column joints for elevated station platforms. Prestressed steel strands are used to provide joints with self-centring capacity. The performance of the proposed joints under vertical cyclic loadings is experimentally investigated and compared to that of monolithic joints in this study. The obtained results demonstrate the good properties of the proposed precast joints in terms of bearing capacity, energy dissipation capacity and ductility control. A comparison with a conventional monolithic beam-column joint indicates the better performance against earthquakes of the proposed precast prestressed joints, and the precast joint with symmetric prestressed steel strands in the top and bottom of the beam exhibits better flexural stiffness and energy dissipation capacity. Graphical abstract
The performance of VLA as a telemetry receiver for Voyager planetary encounters

The Very Large Array (VLA) was proposed for use as a supplement to the Deep Space Network (DSN) for telemetry reception at Voyager 2 Uranus and Neptune encounters. The main problem with the use of VLA for telemetry is that it is not capable of producing a continuous stream of data. Gaps of one millisecond follow every 51 milliseconds of data. The effect of these millisecond gaps on coded telemetry is investigated. An upgapped system of the same aperture as the VLA would be capable of handling data rates of 38.4 kbps at Uranus encounter and 19.2 kbps at Neptune encounter. It is shown that VLA with (7, 1/2) convolutional coding (the baseline coding scheme for Voyager) will support a data rate of 10.8 kbps but not 19.2 kbps at both Uranus and Neptune. It is also shown that by implementing Voyager's concatenated Reed-Solomon/convolutional coding capability, data rates of 38.4 kbps and 19.2 kbps would be achievable at Uranus and Neptune respectively. Concatenation also offers a factor of 2 improvement in overall throughput.