Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Speciation and Distribution of Arsenic in the Nonhyperaccumulator Macrophyte Ceratophyllum demersum1[C][W]

X-ray absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy uncover previously unknown differences in As speciation and distribution between lethal and sublethal As toxicity as well as As-induced changes in zinc distribution in plant tissues. Although arsenic (As) is a common pollutant worldwide, many questions about As metabolism in nonhyperaccumulator plants remain. Concentration- and tissue-dependent speciation and distribution of As was analyzed in the aquatic plant Ceratophyllum demersum to understand As metabolism in nonhyperaccumulator plants. Speciation was analyzed chromatographically (high-performance liquid chromatography-[inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry]-[electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry]) in whole-plant extracts and by tissue-resolution confocal x-ray absorption near-edge spectroscopy in intact shock-frozen hydrated leaves, which were also used for analyzing cellular element distribution through x-ray fluorescence. Chromatography revealed up to 20 As-containing species binding more than 60% of accumulated As. Of these, eight were identified as thiol-bound (phytochelatins [PCs], glutathione, and cysteine) species, including three newly identified complexes: Cys-As(III)-PC2, Cys-As-(GS)2, and GS-As(III)-desgly-PC2. Confocal x-ray absorption near-edge spectroscopy showed arsenate, arsenite, As-(GS)3, and As-PCs with varying ratios in various tissues. The epidermis of mature leaves contained the highest proportion of thiol (mostly PC)-bound As, while in younger leaves, a lower proportion of As was thiol bound. At higher As concentrations, the percentage of unbound arsenite increased in the vein and mesophyll of young mature leaves. At the same time, x-ray fluorescence showed an increase of total As in the vein and mesophyll but not in the epidermis of young mature leaves, while this was reversed for zinc distribution. Thus, As toxicity was correlated with a change in As distribution pattern and As species rather than a general increase in many tissues.
Antigenic Mapping of the Hemagglutinin of an H9N2 Avian Influenza Virus Reveals Novel Critical Amino Acid Positions in Antigenic Sites

ABSTRACT H9N2 influenza virus is undergoing extensive genetic and antigenic evolution, warranting detailed antigenic mapping of its hemagglutinin (HA). Through examining antibody escape mutants of an Asian avian H9N2 virus, we identified 9 critical amino acid positions in H9 antigenic sites. Five of these positions, 164, 167, 168, 196, and 207, have not been reported previously and, thus, represent novel molecular markers for monitoring the antigenic change of H9N2 virus.
Characterization of a Fourth Tungsten-Containing Enzyme from the Hyperthermophilic Archaeon Pyrococcus furiosus

ABSTRACT Pyrococcus furiosus grows optimally near 100°C using peptides and carbohydrates as carbon sources, and it reduces elemental sulfur (S0), if present, to H2S. Tungsten (W), an element rarely used in biology, is required for optimal growth, and three different tungsten-containing enzymes have been previously purified from this organism. They all oxidize aldehydes of various types and are thought to play primary roles in the catabolism of sugars or amino acids. Here, the purification of a fourth tungsten-containing enzyme, termed WOR 4, from cell extracts of P. furiosus grown with S0 is described. This was achieved by monitoring through multiple chromatography steps the W that is not associated with the three characterized tungstoenzymes. The N-terminal sequence of WOR 4 and the approximate molecular weight of its subunit determined electrophoretically (69,000) correspond to the product of an ORF (PF1961, wor4) present in the complete genome sequence of P. furiosus. WOR 4 is a homodimer and contains approximately one W, three Fe, three or four acid-labile sulfide, and one Ca atom per subunit. The visible and electron paramagnetic resonance spectra of the oxidized and reduced enzyme indicate the presence of an unusual iron-sulfur chromophore. WOR 4 does not oxidize aliphatic or aromatic aldehydes or hydroxy acids, nor does it reduce keto acids. Consistent with prior microarray data, the protein could not be purified from P. furiosus cells grown in the absence of S0, suggesting that it may have a role in S0 metabolism.
Self-efficacy in first-time mothers: a comparison of younger and older mothers

When compared to adult mothers, adolescent mothers are more prone to parenting challenges (Whitman et al., 2001). Age is considered influential on a mother’s belief in her ability to successfully organize and execute her parenting plan (Bandura, 1999). The purpose of this study was to examine potential predictors of self-efficacy (determinant of parenting) among first-time mothers applying Belsky’s (1984) parenting framework. Maternal age, maternal depression, available social support and infant temperament were all considered to be potential predictors of maternal self-efficacy. A sample of first-time mothers (N = 115) with no other children in the home with an infant between the ages of four and six months was recruited from local alternative high schools, home and center child care facilities, and various other social services agencies and programs that typically serve new mothers. Participants self-reported on the above variables by completing a survey measuring self-efficacy as well as the hypothesized predictors. Responses were analyzed using group mean comparisons between 3 age groups: mothers 19 years and under (23%); mothers 20-26 years of age (29%); and mothers 26 years of age and older (48%). No significant differences in self-efficacy, perceived infant temperament, social support were found between age groups. Age differences in maternal depression fell just below significance. Maternal income level was significantly (and negatively) correlated with maternal depression, therefore was controlled for in additional analyses. Annual income, depression, and self efficacy were significantly correlated to perceived infant temperament. Mothers with lower incomes, who perceived less social support, who reported higher levels of depression, or had lower levels of self-efficacy were found to rate their infants as more temperamentally difficult. Regression analyses demonstrated that level of perceived social support significantly predicted maternal self-efficacy levels across all age groups. Additionally, infant temperament and maternal depression levels predicted self-efficacy. These findings provide evidence to support the importance of equal accessibility and affordability of social support for all new mothers to assist with the positive transition to parenthood. SELF-EFFICACY IN FIRST-TIME MOTHERS
Frog eat frog: exploring variables influencing anurophagy

Background. Frogs are generalist predators of a wide range of typically small prey items. But descriptions of dietary items regularly include other anurans, such that frogs are considered to be among the most important of anuran predators. However, the only existing hypothesis for the inclusion of anurans in the diet of post-metamorphic frogs postulates that it happens more often in bigger frogs. Moreover, this hypothesis has yet to be tested. Methods. We reviewed the literature on frog diet in order to test the size hypothesis and determine whether there are other putative explanations for anurans in the diet of post-metamorphic frogs. In addition to size, we recorded the habitat, the number of other sympatric anuran species, and whether or not the population was invasive. We controlled for taxonomic bias by including the superfamily in our analysis. Results. Around one fifth of the 355 records included anurans as dietary items of populations studied, suggesting that frogs eating anurans is not unusual. Our data showed a clear taxonomic bias with ranids and pipids having a higher proportion of anuran prey than other superfamilies. Accounting for this taxonomic bias, we found that size in addition to being invasive, local anuran diversity, and habitat produced a model that best fitted our data. Large invasive frogs that live in forests with high anuran diversity are most likely to have a higher proportion of anurans in their diet. Conclusions. We confirm the validity of the size hypothesis for anurophagy, but show that there are additional significant variables. The circumstances under which frogs eat frogs are likely to be complex, but our data may help to alert conservationists to the possible dangers of invading frogs entering areas with threatened anuran species.
Ionizing Radiation Changes the Electronic Properties of Melanin and Enhances the Growth of Melanized Fungi

Background Melanin pigments are ubiquitous in nature. Melanized microorganisms are often the dominating species in certain extreme environments, such as soils contaminated with radionuclides, suggesting that the presence of melanin is beneficial in their life cycle. We hypothesized that ionizing radiation could change the electronic properties of melanin and might enhance the growth of melanized microorganisms. Methodology/Principal Findings Ionizing irradiation changed the electron spin resonance (ESR) signal of melanin, consistent with changes in electronic structure. Irradiated melanin manifested a 4-fold increase in its capacity to reduce NADH relative to non-irradiated melanin. HPLC analysis of melanin from fungi grown on different substrates revealed chemical complexity, dependence of melanin composition on the growth substrate and possible influence of melanin composition on its interaction with ionizing radiation. XTT/MTT assays showed increased metabolic activity of melanized C. neoformans cells relative to non-melanized cells, and exposure to ionizing radiation enhanced the electron-transfer properties of melanin in melanized cells. Melanized Wangiella dermatitidis and Cryptococcus neoformans cells exposed to ionizing radiation approximately 500 times higher than background grew significantly faster as indicated by higher CFUs, more dry weight biomass and 3-fold greater incorporation of 14C-acetate than non-irradiated melanized cells or irradiated albino mutants. In addition, radiation enhanced the growth of melanized Cladosporium sphaerospermum cells under limited nutrients conditions. Conclusions/Significance Exposure of melanin to ionizing radiation, and possibly other forms of electromagnetic radiation, changes its electronic properties. Melanized fungal cells manifested increased growth relative to non-melanized cells after exposure to ionizing radiation, raising intriguing questions about a potential role for melanin in energy capture and utilization.
Asunaprevir (BMS-650032) for the treatment of hepatitis C virus

Asunaprevir, a second-generation NS3 protease inhibitor of hepatitis C virus (HCV), exhibits strong antiviral activity against HCV genotypes 1 and 4, but relatively weak activity against genotypes 2 and 3. For chronic HCV infection, asunaprevir with daclatasvir as an interferon-free dual treatment achieves a sustained virologic response of nearly 90% in genotype 1b, and a triple regimen with beclabuvir achieves an sustained virologic response >90%. Asunaprevir and daclatasvir dual treatment can be safely and effectively administered to liver transplant recipients with recurrent HCV. The major drawback of asunaprevir is its low threshold to resistance, which can be overcome by combining it with other direct-acting antivirals. Further studies of asunaprevir in combination with other direct-acting antivirals for the treatment of patients with HCV genotypes 1 or 4 and renal impairment or end-stage renal disease under hemodialysis, HIV-coinfection and liver and/or kidney transplant recipients are warranted.
Ultrasonic scatterer structure classification with the generalized spectrum

Ultrasonic back-scattered shoes resulting from the structures within a scanned object contain information of potential diagnostic value. The most common nondestructive evaluation (NDE) techniques use large-scale changes in the back-scatterer coefficients to reveal boundaries between materials with different density/elasticity properties or defects in homogenous material regions. Less common techniques consider small-scale scatterer characteristics that give rise to textures and other features not readily seen in the A-scan envelope or intensity image. This paper considers applying the generalized spectrum (GS) for classifying small-scale scatterer structures into three broad categories, diffuse, specular, and regular. The GS distinguishes between stationary (diffusion scattering) and certain classes of nonstationary processes based on a statistical characterization of the phase spectrum, and the GS can be normalized to limit variations due to frequency selectivity of the scatterers and the ultrasonic propagation path. This paper explains how the GS can be applied to classify scatterer structures over small sections of the ultrasonic A-scan and demonstrates its classification performance with simulations. The significance of the approach to NDE applications, such as flaw detection in homogenous material and material characterization in more complex material, is also discussed.
On-line locomotion generation based on motion blending

Locomotion such as walking, jogging, and running is one of the most basic forms of daily human motions. However, the previous methods can hardly generate the convincing locomotion of a character following a curved path with a desired speed and style. Based on scattered data interpolation, we propose a novel approach for on-the-fly generation of convincing locomotion, given parameters such as speed, turning angle, and style, on top of others given in the previous approaches. We first present an incremental scheme for timewarping to align the example motion clips of various speeds. Then, we provide a novel scheme for joint angle blending which guarantees similar poses to have similar representations. Finally, we show how to adapt the blended motion to the target character and the environment in an on-line, real-time manner. The resulting motions are not only convincing but also effectively controlled to reflect animator's intention. Our approach is efficient enough for on-line applications such as real-time animation systems and video games.
Mobile WiMAX performance analysis including polar ΣΔ architecture under various environmental conditions

This paper deals with a wireless WiMAX transceiver analysis, including the baseband signal treatment blocks, a polar ΣΔ transmitter architecture and the wireless channel modeled according to the SUI models. The details of digital and analog baseband are described within this paper. The choice of the environmental conditions for the system verification is given in sense of two critical channel models. The obtained bit error rate (BER) and throughput are observed for different configurations and channels. The simulation results allow to identify perspective directions for the better system performance and make an impact for future research phases.
Activation of UBC5 Ubiquitin-conjugating Enzyme by the RING Finger of ROC1 and Assembly of Active Ubiquitin Ligases by All Cullins*

Protein ubiquitination plays an important role in regulating the abundance and conformation of a broad range of eukaryotic proteins. This process involves a cascade of enzymes including ubiquitin-activating enzymes (E1), ubiquitin-conjugating enzymes (E2), and ubiquitin ligases (E3). E1 and E2 represent two families of structurally related proteins and are relatively well characterized. In contrast, the nature and mechanism of E3, proposed to contain activities in catalyzing isopeptide bond formation (ubiquitin ligation) and substrate targeting, remains inadequately understood. Two major families of E3 ubiquitin ligases, the HECT (forhomologous to E6-AP C terminus) family and the RING family, have been identified that utilize distinct mechanisms in promoting isopeptide bond formation. Here, we showed that purified RING finger domain of ROC1, an essential subunit of SKP1-cullin/CDC53-F box protein ubiquitin ligases, was sufficient to activate UBCH5c to synthesize polyubiquitin chains. The sequence flanking the RING finger in ROC1 did not contribute to UBCH5c activation, but was required for binding with CUL1. We demonstrated that all cullins, through their binding with ROC proteins, constituted active ubiquitin ligases, suggesting the existence in vivo of a large number of cullin-RING ubiquitin ligases. These results are consistent with the notion that the RING finger domains allosterically activate E2. We suggest that RING-E2, rather than cullin-RING, constitutes the catalytic core of the ubiquitin ligase and that one major function of the cullin subunit is to assemble the RING-E2 catalytic core and substrates together.
Semantic Kernels for Semantic Parsing

We present an empirical study on the use of semantic information for Concept Segmentation and Labeling (CSL), which is an important step for semantic parsing. We represent the alternative analyses output by a state-of-the-art CSL parser with tree structures, which we rerank with a classifier trained on two types of semantic tree kernels: one processing structures built with words, concepts and Brown clusters, and another one using semantic similarity among the words composing the structure. The results on a corpus from the restaurant domain show that our semantic kernels exploiting similarity measures outperform state-of-the-art rerankers.
Invariance or Noninvariance, That is the Question

Nesselroade, Gerstorf, Hardy, and Ram developed a new and interesting way to enforce invariance at the second-order level in P-technique models, while allowing first-order structure to stray from invariance. We discuss our concerns with this approach under the headings of falsifiability, the nature of manifest variables included in models, and differential emphasis on generators of behavior versus output behavior. We supply a modified idiographic model for P-technique analyses and discuss the utility of this new approach in comparison to the Nesselroade, Gerstorf, Hardy, and Ram procedure.
Does the Type of Political Regime Matter for Trade and Labor Market Policies ?

This article uses cross-country data to examine the link between a country’s type of political regime and its degree of openness and labor market distortion. The analysis indicates that more authoritarian regimes are associated with higher trade protection and greater labor market distortions. This supports the view that political authoritarianism may be counterproductive to development in important respects.
Dyadic sexual communication in pre-menopausal women with self-reported dyspareunia and their partners: associations with sexual function, sexual distress and dyadic adjustment.

INTRODUCTION While there is increasing interest in studying aspects of communication processes in sex research, the association between dyadic sexual communication and relationship and sexuality outcomes has not yet been examined in pre-menopausal women with dyspareunia. AIM To examine the associations between dyadic sexual communication and pain, sexual distress, sexual function and dyadic adjustment in women with self-reported dyspareunia and their male partners. METHODS Pre-menopausal women (n=38; M age=24.92, SD=6.12) with self-reported dyspareunia from a community sample and their partners (n=38; M age=26.71, SD=6.59) completed an online survey. The Actor-Partner Interdependence Model was used in order to investigate both actor and partner effects. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Both members of the couple completed: (i) the Dyadic Sexual Communication Scale and (ii) the Dyadic Adjustment Scale; women also completed (iii) the Female Sexual Function Index, (iv) the Female Sexual Distress Scale, and (v) a Visual Analogue Scale on pain during intercourse; and men also completed (vi) the International Index of Erectile Functioning. RESULTS Controlling for relationship duration, women's better dyadic sexual communication was significantly associated with their higher levels of sexual function (P=0.028), lower levels of sexual distress (P=0.003) and higher levels of dyadic adjustment (P=0.005), but not with their pain or men's sexual function or dyadic adjustment. Controlling for relationship duration, men's better dyadic sexual communication was associated with their higher levels of dyadic adjustment (P=0.027) but not with their sexual function, nor with women's sexual function or dyadic adjustment. CONCLUSIONS These findings contribute to the theoretical knowledge on interaction processes in couples with dyspareunia and suggest that it may be important to enhance open and direct communication about sexual matters in couples with dyspareunia.
Host-guest interaction in a thiourea-dimethyl oxalate (2/1) complex at 300 and 100 K.

The title complex, 2CH4N2S.C4H6O4, is a host-guest system. The asymmetric unit consists of one complete thiourea molecule and one-half of a dimethyl oxalate molecule lying on an inversion centre. The host thiourea molecules are connected to form zigzag chains by N-H.S hydrogen bonds. The guest dimethyl oxalate molecules provide O-atom acceptors for N-H.O hydrogen bonds, thus interconnecting the chains of thiourea molecules to form completely connected sheets. The reduction in temperature from 300 to 100 K leaves the structure unchanged and still isostructural with that previously determined for the analogous thiourea-diethyl oxalate (2/1) complex. It does, however, induce closer packing of the molecules, general shrinkage of the unit cell and shortening of the hydrogen bonds, these last two to the extent of 1-2%.
Mental Health Consequences Associated with Dropping out of High School.

This study examines the mental health consequences of dropping out of high school. It looks at levels of depression, anxiety, and self esteem reported by high school dropouts and graduates during the adolescent to young adult transition. It examines the extent to which family structure and family processes (parental support and transition specific help), as well as adolescent openness to parental support improved the prediction of mental health outcomes at the high school transition and two years later. The study found that young people who drop out of high schools are more likely to be depressed than high school graduates in their early adult years. Failure to find differences between dropouts and graduates in self esteem is consistent with earlier findings by others. Family support had a direct effect on depression for dropouts and graduates. (Contains 6 tables and 20 references.) (JDM) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. Mental Health Consequences Associated with Dropping Out of High School by Joan H. Liem Colleen O'Neill Dillon Susan Gore