Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Insulin-like Growth Factor-I Extends in VitroReplicative Life Span of Skeletal Muscle Satellite Cells by Enhancing G1/S Cell Cycle Progression via the Activation of Phosphatidylinositol 3′-Kinase/Akt Signaling Pathway*

Interest is growing in methods to extend replicative life span of non-immortalized stem cells. Using the insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) transgenic mouse in which the IGF-I transgene is expressed during skeletal muscle development and maturation prior to isolation and during culture of satellite cells (the myogenic stem cells of mature skeletal muscle fibers) as a model system, we elucidated the underlying molecular mechanisms of IGF-I-mediated enhancement of proliferative potential of these cells. Satellite cells from IGF-I transgenic muscles achieved at least five additional population doublings above the maximum that was attained by wild type satellite cells. This IGF-I-induced increase in proliferative potential was mediated via activation of the phosphatidylinositol 3′-kinase/Akt pathway, independent of mitogen-activated protein kinase activity, facilitating G1/S cell cycle progression via a down-regulation of p27 Kip1 . Adenovirally mediated ectopic overexpression of p27 Kip1 in exponentially growing IGF-I transgenic satellite cells reversed the increase in cyclin E-cdk2 kinase activity, pRb phosphorylation, and cyclin A protein abundance, thereby implicating an important role for p27 Kip1 in promoting satellite cell senescence. These observations provide a more complete dissection of molecular events by which increased local expression of a growth factor in mature skeletal muscle fibers extends replicative life span of primary stem cells than previously known.
Ambiguity and Awareness: A Coherent Multiple Priors Model

Abstract Ambiguity in the ordinary language sense means that available information is open to multiple interpretations. We model this by assuming that individuals are unaware of some possibilities relevant to the outcome of their decisions and that multiple probabilities may arise over an individual’s subjective state space depending on which of these possibilities are realized. We formalize a notion of coherent multiple priors and derive a representation result that with full awareness corresponds to the usual unique (Bayesian) prior but with less than full awareness generates multiple priors. When information is received with no change in awareness, each element of the set of priors is updated in the standard Bayesian fashion (that is, full Bayesian updating). An increase in awareness, however, leads to an expansion of the individual’s subjective state and (in general) a contraction in the set of priors under consideration.
Specific oligonucleotide primers for the identification ofPseudomonas syringaepv.pisiyield one of two possible DNA fragments by PCR amplification: evidence for phylogenetic divergence

Two unique DNA fragments, generated by RAPD-PCR, were used as probes against dot-blots of representative isolates of the seven races ofPseudomonas syringaepv.pisi. DNA from each isolate hybridized only to one of the two probes. Fragments identified from isolates 1691 (race 7) and 203 (race 2), were cloned into pUC18 and sequenced. The resulting sequences were used to design two pairs of oligonucleotide primers which when used in PCR reactions withP. syringaepv.pisicells gave specific amplification products (either a 272 bp or a 132 bp fragment) corresponding to the original cloned fragments. When all four primers were used in combination with specific DNA amplification reactions in 51 isolates ofP. syringaepv.pisithey produced one of the two PCR bands. No bands were detected in a range of closely relatedP. syringaepathovars following PCR amplification. These results suggest thatP. syringaepv.pisican be unambiguously identified using specific oligonucleotide primers and that isolates can be classified into two phylogenetic groups, I and II.
Regional Climate Sensitivity of Climate Extremes in CMIP6 Versus CMIP5 Multimodel Ensembles

We analyze projected changes in climate extremes (extreme temperatures and heavy precipitation) in the multimodel ensembles of the fifth and sixth Coupled Model Intercomparison Projects (CMIP5 and CMIP6). The results reveal close similarity between both ensembles in the regional climate sensitivity of the projected multimodel mean changes in climate extremes, that is, their projected changes as a function of global warming. This stands in contrast to widely reported divergences in global (transient and equilibrium) climate sensitivity in the two multimodel ensembles. Some exceptions include higher warming in the South America monsoon region, lower warming in Southern Asia and Central Africa, and higher increases in heavy precipitation in Western Africa and the Sahel region in the CMIP6 ensemble. The multimodel spread in regional climate sensitivity is found to be large in both ensembles. In particular, it contributes more to intermodel spread in projected regional climate extremes compared with the intermodel spread in global climate sensitivity in CMIP6. Our results highlight the need to consider regional climate sensitivity as a distinct feature of Earth system models and a key determinant of projected regional impacts, which is largely independent of the models' response in global climate sensitivity.
THE DISTRIBUTION, ABUNDANCE AND SELECTED PREY OF THE HARBOR SEAL, PHOCA VITULINA CONCOLOR, IN SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND

The seasonal distribution and abundance of harbor seals occurring south of Maine were documented by counting the number of seals at traditional haulout locations. The average number of seals counted during each survey in Massachusetts and New Hampshire was 3,560 ± 255 (95% CI), 1983–1987. The maximum number of seals counted on any individual survey was 4,736 individuals. Fifty percent of all the surveys since January 1985 have resulted in counts greater than 4,000 seals reflecting a 27% increase in the abundance of seals in our study area since that date. Seventy-five percent of the seals in southern New England are located at haulout sites on Cape Cod and Nantucket Island. The largest aggregation of seals in the eastern United States occurs mid-winter at Monomoy Island and adjacent shoals. A single high count of 1,672 seals occurred at this site during the study period. An additional 271–374 seals were also counted in Rhode Island, Connecticut and eastern Long Island Sound during surveys conducted in March 1986 and 1987. The American sandlance Ammodytes americanus was the single dominant prey item of harbor seals in waters adjacent to Cape Cod based on the modified frequency of occurrence of each prey species in scat samples collected from three haulout sites on Cape Cod between 1984–1987. During January and February sandlance was the near exclusive prey item at Monomoy (99%, n= 80). During March and April, the frequency of Atlantic herring Clupea harengus increased in the scat samples at this site. Regional differences in the diet of seals reflect distinct prey communities throughout the study area. Since 1986, the percent occurrence and importance of sandlance in the diet of seals has decreased, reflecting an overall decrease in abundance of this prey species in waters adjacent to Cape Cod. In spite of fluctuations in abundance, and regional differences in the diet of seals throughout the study area, sandlance still comprised a minimum 55% of the total prey species of harbor seals throughout the study area.
Bantu βs cluster haplotype predominates among Brazilian Blacks

We describe the combination of polymorphic restriction-enzyme sites in the β globin gene cluster (haplotypes) for 74 chromosomes from Brazilian Blacks bearing the sickle hemoglobin gene (βs). The three most common African βs haplotypes account for 67 chromosomes: 49/74 (66.2%) were identified as Central African Republic (CAR or Bantu) type, 17 (23.0%) as Benin, and one as Senegal; seven chromosomes (9.5%) had minor atypical haplotypes. This distribution is different from that observed in the United States or Jamaica, where the Benin haplotype predominates, and results from different patterns of slave trades to North and South Americas. Since the βs gene cluster polymorphisms modulate the severity of sickle cell anemia, this heterogeneity may explain differences of the clinical behavior of the disease in the United States and South America, and should also be considered in relation to other features and diseases. © 1992 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Shape memory alloy tube actuators inherently enable internal fluidic cooling for a robotic finger under force control

This paper presents the design, control and evaluation of a novel robotic finger actuated by shape memory alloy (SMA) tubes which intrinsically afford an internal conduit for fluidic cooling. The SMA tubes are thermomechanically programmed to flex the robotic finger when Joule heated. A superelastic SMA plate provides a spring return motion to extend the finger when cooling liquid is pumped through the internal channel of the SMA tube actuators. The mechanical design and nonlinear force controller are presented for this unique robotic finger. Sinusoidal and step response experiments demonstrate excellent error minimization when operated below the bandwidth which was empirically determined to be 6 rad s−1. Disturbance rejection experiments are also performed to demonstrate the potential to minimize externally applied forces. This method of internal liquid cooling of Joule heated SMA tubes simultaneously increases the system bandwidth and expands the potential uses of SMA actuators for robotic applications. The results show that this novel robotic finger is capable of precise force control and has a high strength to weight ratio. The finger can apply a force of 4.35 N and has a mass of 30 g. Implementing this design into wearable prosthetic devices could enable lightweight, high strength applications previously not achievable.
Interactions Between Bacteria, Protozoa and Nematodes in Soil

Bacteria, protozoa and nematodes interact closely in soil ecosystems. Protozoa and nematodes eat bacteria (and occasionally each other), while bacteria defend themselves using chemical substances, resistant cell walls, irregular shapes and motility. Protozoa and nematodes are very different types of organisms, and hence apply very different feeding mechanisms; thus many protozoa can pick and choose individual bacterial cells, whereas nematodes ingest bacterial patches more uncritically. Protozoa and nematode are both aquatic organisms whose activity depends on available soil water, but differences in size, motility, resting stages and reproductive strategies mean that the soil physico-chemical environment influences the activity of protozoa and nematodes differently. For example, the relative importance of protozoa compared to nematodes may shift towards protozoa in very clay-rich soils. The interactions between the three organism groups have major ecological consequences such as modification of the bacterial communities and increased nitrogen mineralisation, both of which affect plant growth. Increased nitrogen mineralisation will usually be beneficial for plant growth, whereas the grazing induced changes in the bacterial communities can be both beneficial and detrimental to plants. Selective protozoan grazing can favour plant inhibiting bacteria. This may be a problem in clay rich soils where protozoa have better life conditions than nematodes.
Discussing the Populist Features of Anti-refugee Discourses on Social Media: An Anti-Syrian Hashtag in Turkish Twitter

This article discusses whether it is possible to frame anti-refugee discourse on social media as a form of populism by analysing the case study of the hashtag #ülkemdesuriyeliistemiyorum (#IdontwantSyriansinmycountry), which emerged on Twitter in Turkey in 2016. Both network analysis and discourse analysis are used in order to delineate the characteristics of the tropes associated with the hashtag, to identify the existence of populist elements, as well as to scrutinize the linkage of the hashtag with the broader political context. The study shows that some elements of a populist discourse clearly exist (simple and popular discourse, anti-foreigner), while some others are missing (the existence of a leader). Most importantly, the discussion of the other elements (dichotomous views, othering and anti-elite) highlight the need to better conceptualize and contextualize these features to understand the connection between anti-elite (populism) and anti-foreigner discourses (nativism), the impact of tagged tropes such as a hashtag that can poke holes in echo chambers and the distinction between the concepts of anti-elitism and anti-establishment (especially in specific political contexts such as Turkey).
Field screening of chickpea genotypes against pod borer

Twenty genotypes (14 lines and 6 released varieties) of chickpea were evaluated in natural infestation condition at the Regional Agricultural Research Station, Ishurdi, Pahna, Bangladesh during the rabi season of 2003-04. The parameters used for evaluating these genotypes were relative pest pressure index (RPPI), relative intensity of damage index (RPPI), relative productivity index (RPI), and yield. None of the genotypes could exhibit complete resistance to pod borer, Helicoverpa armigera (Hubner). Considering overall performance ICCV-98939, ICCV-95138, ICCV-96020, ICCV-97004, BCX-91042-3, and BCX-91040-3 rated a more tolerant to pod borer attack in comparison to check (BARI Chola-5). Of them, ICCV-95138 was the best considering resistance and yield. ICC-4918 was the most susceptible.
Denitrifying Bioreactor Woodchip Recharge: Media Properties after Nine Years

HighlightsWood media harvested from a nine-year-old denitrifying bioreactor were evaluated.Media physical changes had multiple causes and effects.Impacts of the physical changes may have been exacerbated by development of preferential flow.LCIs > 0.6 showed C quality declined but media still supported N removal.Abstract. There is a lack of information on denitrifying bioreactors treating subsurface drainage water at the end of their initial design life due to the relative newness of the technology and the relatively long estimated life. A denitrifying bioreactor (15 m L × 7.6 m W × 1.1 m D) installed in August 2008 in Greene County, Iowa, was recharged with new woodchips in November 2017 (age 9.25 years), providing the opportunity to evaluate the properties of the wood media at the end of design life. The objective was to pair a battery of physical, chemical, and nitrate-N removal tests on the wood media harvested from the bioreactor with field observations to assess likely reasons why denitrifying bioreactors treating tile drainage may need to be recharged. The two types of wood media harvested from the bioreactor (termed woodchips and mixed shreds) had median particle sizes (D50) of 12.1 and 7.7 mm, respectively, and saturated hydraulic conductivities of 4.2 ±3.0 and 3.1 ±1.0 cm s-1 (mean ± standard deviation), which were within the range of reported values for woodchips, albeit at the low end. The wood media carbon content and quality had degraded (e.g., lignocellulose indices of 0.63 to 0.74, nearing the range of decomposition stabilization), although batch tests suggested the robustness of wood as a carbon source to support nitrate removal (e.g., 65% nitrate concentration reduction in drainage water). Woodchip degradation along with sedimentation from the drainage system likely reduced conductivities over time. Development of preferential flow paths through the bioreactor was indicated by low bioreactor outflow rates (i.e., reduced permeability) and reduced hydraulic efficiency based on conservative tracer testing. These changes in media properties and linked impacts resulted in the need to recharge this bioreactor after nine years. Keywords: Denitrifying bioreactor, Hydraulic conductivity, Nitrate, Water quality.
Effective Current Limitation for Multifrequency Current Control With Distortion-Free Voltage Saturation and Antiwindup

In three-phase converters, it is frequently important to control current components other than the positive-sequence fundamental. Adequate voltage saturation and antiwindup (VSA) should also be included to prevent malfunction under output-voltage saturation due to, e.g., large voltage disturbances or dc-link-voltage reduction. A multifrequency VSA technique was recently proposed, based on modifying the current references so that the control output voltage is brought back to within the hexagonal boundary. Thus, it avoids the additional distortion that would arise if the control output surpassed (even partially) the hexagon. However, no current limitation was considered. If the current references demanded by the VSA are saturated, windup of the integrator contained in said VSA scheme may occur. Furthermore, current saturation also causes steady-state overmodulation; then, the actual current differs from that fed back to the control (due to the internal-model-control structure included in the VSA), and hence it is not effectively limited. This article adds current-saturation functionality to the multifrequency VSA by several relevant modifications. Windup of the integrator of the VSA when current saturation occurs is prevented. The actual current is effectively limited to the desired value also when there is steady-state overmodulation. Experimental results with a three-phase permanent-magnet machine are provided.
Inter‐island variation and taxonomy of Seychelles Trachylepis

Abstract Skinks of the genus Trachylepis are geographically widespread and diverse. In the Seychelles islands two species are present, T. sechellensis and T. wrightii. All island populations of these two species were studied in 2000–2003 and the morphology of the populations compared to museum specimens. The two species are distinctive in morphology, although convergence occurs on some small islands occupied by large colonies of breeding sea birds. The taxon ’Mabuya wrightii ilotensis’ represents one example of this and was re‐identified as a form of T. sechellensis. The morphology of this population has changed over the last 67 years, probably as a result of the decline of the sea bird colony on the island. More extreme changes have occurred on other islands where the loss of sea bird colonies has been followed by the replacement of the sea bird specialist T. wrightii by the more generalist T. sechellensis. A reverse process of convergence towards the T. wrightii morphology was observed in recently established T. sechellensis populations on islands with large or increasing sea bird colonies. This highlights the adaptability of some island populations and the need to consider distinct islands as part of a metapopulation.
Species constancy depends on plot size – a problem for vegetation classification and how it can be solved

Question While it is well known that species richness depends on plot size, it is not generally recognised that the same must be true for constancy. Accordingly, many authors use varying plot sizes when classifying vegetation based on the comparison of constancies between groups of plots. We ask whether the constancy-area relationship follows a general rule, how strong the effect of plot sizes is on constancies, and if it is possible to correct constancies for area. Location For empirical evaluation, we use data from plant communities in the Czech Republic, Sweden and Russia. Methods To assess the potential influence of differences in plot size on constancies, we develop a mathematical model. Then, we use series of nested plot species richness data from a wide range of community types (herbaceous and forest) to determine the parameters of the derived function and to test how much the shape of the constancy-area relationship depends on taxa or vegetation types. Results Generally, the constancy-area relationship can be described by C (A)=1-(1-C-0)((A/A0)boolean AND d), with C being constancy, A area, C-0 known constancy on a specific area A(0), and d a damping parameter accounting for spatial autocorrelation. As predicted by this function, constancies in plant communities always varied from values near 0% to near 100% if plot sizes were changed sufficiently. For the studied vegetation types, a two- to fourfold increase in plot size resulted in a change of conventional constancy classes, i.e. an increase of constancy by 20% or more. Conclusions Vegetation classification, which largely relies on constancy values, irrespective of whether traditional or modern fidelity definitions are used, is strongly prone to distorting scale effects when releves of different plot sizes are combined in studies. The constancy-area functions presented allow an approximate transformation of constancies to other plot sizes but are flawed by idiosyncrasies in taxa and vegetation types. Thus, we conclude that the best solution for future surveys is to apply uniform plot sizes within a few a priori delimited formations and to determine diagnostic species only within these formations. Finally, we suggest that more detailed analyses of constancy-area relationships can contribute to a better understanding of species-area relationships because the latter are the summation of the first for all species.
THE ULTRASTRUCTURE OF ACACIA CORNIGERA L. BELTIAN BODY TISSUE

Beltian bodies of Acacia cornigera have evolved as multicellular structures which serve as food for protective ant colonies. At the ultrastructural level, Beltian body cells contain a large amount of protein and lipid that presumably contribute to the ant's nutrition. The nonsoluble protein is aggregated into tubules of two size classes: one is present in both the cytoplasm and nucleoplasm, and has an individual tubule diam of 75 A, while another size class, located in the cytoplasm, has a diam of 280 A. These two classes of protein tubules aggregate into units that occupy a high percentage of a cortical cell's volume. Numerous lipid droplets are present in the cytoplasm, adding an energy source to the ant's diet. Each droplet is surrounded by a single layer of filaments, the molecular composition of which is unknown at this time. This study indicates that the evolutionary development of this tissue has produced a highly desirable food source for the inhabiting ants. BELTIAN BODIES are parenchymatous structures located at the tip of each rachis and pinnule of the leaves of certain neotropical Acacia species. They are named after their discoverer, T. Belt (1874). These structures offer a protein/nitrogen and lipid
An Exploration of the Relationship Between Autonomy Congruence, Perceived Supervisor Individualized Consideration, and Employee Outcomes

Human resource practices requiring employee participation or involvement in work-related decision-making have been commonly believed to be beneficial to work outcomes; however, we suggest that the effects of those practices on work outcomes can be limited by individual preferences, which influence the perceived quality of supervision. Drawing upon prior research on work structure, person–environment (P-E) fit perspective, and perceived organizational support, we examine the joint effects of autonomy and preference for autonomy on employee work outcomes (task performance and organizational citizenship behaviors) that are mediated via perceived supervision (individualized consideration) among U.S. state government employees. The results showed that the congruence between autonomy and preference for autonomy was associated with the highest level of perceived individualized consideration by supervisors, highlighting the important role played by perceptions of the supervisor behavior in promoting employees’ positive attitudes at work.