Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Distinct Oligomeric States of SMAD Proteins in the Transforming Growth Factor-β Pathway*

Protein interactions are critical for the function of SMADs as mediators of transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) signals. TGF-β receptor phosphorylation of SMAD2 or SMAD3 causes their association with SMAD4 and accumulation in the nucleus where the SMAD complex binds cofactors that determine the choice of target genes. We provide evidence that in the basal state, SMADs 2, 3, and 4 form separate, strikingly different complexes. SMAD2 is found mostly as monomer, whereas the closely related SMAD3 exists in multiple oligomeric states. This difference is due to a unique structural element in the MH1 domain of SMAD2 that inhibits protein-protein interactions in the basal state. In contrast to SMAD2 and SMAD3, SMAD4 in the basal state is found mostly as a homo-oligomer, most likely a trimer. Upon cell stimulation with TGF-β, SMAD proteins become engaged in a multitude of complexes ranging in size from SMAD2–SMAD4 heterodimers to assemblies of >650 kDa. The latter display the highest DNA binding affinity for the TGF-β-response elements of JUNB and collagen 7. These observations, all validated with endogenous SMAD proteins, modify previous models regarding the assembly and activity of SMAD complexes in the TGF-β pathway.
Air Traffic Control Interface for Creating 4D Inbound Trajectories

It is to be expected that the task of an air trafﬁc controller will change with the introduction of 4D (space and time) trajectories for aircraft. To support this new work, an interface for the manipulation of 4D trajectories has been created. The interface uses a time-space diagram – which shows progress of the aircraft along its planned track, in which conﬂict zones for conﬂict with other aircraft are presented, and a vertical path display, which presents the altitude along the planned track. In combination with a traditional plan-view display, and additional elements and tools in the displays to create a visual link between the paths displayed in the three displays, the interface enables the modiﬁcation of a 4D planned trajectory for inbound aircraft. An experiment has been performed with a PC-based simulation. Two variants were tested, one in which the aircraft could only be controlled in the current sector, and one in which the speed (but not the path) of aircraft could be modiﬁed some time before these aircraft entered the sector; a practice expected to produce improvement of efﬁciency in small sectors. The results validate that the enhanced interface can be used to manage the air trafﬁc safely and efﬁciently. It was also shown that the ability to manipulate the speed of an aircraft in the adjacent sector can signiﬁcantly increase situation awareness and reduce controller workload.
Validity of Self-reported Solar UVR Exposure Compared with Objectively Measured UVR Exposure

Background: Reliance on verbal self-report of solar exposure in skin cancer prevention and epidemiologic studies may be problematic if self-report data are not valid due to systematic errors in recall, social desirability bias, or other reasons. Methods: This study examines the validity of self-reports of exposure to ultraviolet radiation (UVR) compared to objectively measured exposure among children and adults in outdoor recreation settings in 4 regions of the United States. Objective UVR exposures of 515 participants were measured using polysulfone film badge UVR dosimeters on 2 days. The same subjects provided self-reported UVR exposure data on surveys and 4-day sun exposure diaries, for comparison to their objectively measured exposure. Results: Dosimeter data showed that lifeguards had the greatest UVR exposure (24.5% of weekday ambient UVR), children the next highest exposures (10.3% ambient weekday UVR), and parents had the lowest (6.6% ambient weekday UVR). Similar patterns were observed in self-report data. Correlations between diary reports and dosimeter findings were fair to good and were highest for lifeguards (r = 0.38–0.57), followed by parents (r = 0.28–0.29) and children (r = 0.18–0.34). Correlations between survey and diary measures were moderate to good for lifeguards (r = 0.20–0.54) and children (r = 0.35–0.53). Conclusions: This is the largest study of its kind to date, and supports the utility of self-report measures of solar UVR exposure. Impact: Overall, self-reports of sun exposure produce valid measures of UVR exposure among parents, children, and lifeguards who work outdoors. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 19(12); 3005–12. ©2010 AACR.
Analysis of the Characteristics of Social Enterprises: The Case of Microfinance Institutions and Non-Profit Organizations Benefiting from Microcredit in Burundi

The crisis that Burundi has experienced since October 1993 has led to the emergence of new associative mechanisms at the initiative of Burundian citizens around the same adventure: that of microcredit. Far from being a fad, microcredit has been the single source of financing for poor citizens by enabling them to engage in income-generating activities. For this, beneficiaries who are for the most part without material guarantee must not only group themselves in associations, but also align themselves with the constraints of the lessor. According to the theory of contingency, any organization can increase its performance to the extent that its strategy is in harmony with its environment. Our analysis considers the issue of strategic alignment from a new angle. We conclude that the adjustment of the NPOs members to the modalities of granting loans enables them to benefit from Microfinance Institutions which help to reach their main objectives and to promote a real organizational efficiency.
Studies on analgesics; the time-action curves of morphine, codeine, dilaudid and demerol by various methods of administration; analgesic activity of acetylsalicylic acid and aminopyrine.

1. An adaptation of the Hardy-Wolff-Goodell method for measuring analgesia is described which makes the method suitable for pharmacological investigations on small laboratory animals. With the aid of this technique, it was possible to make some new observations and determinations, viz.: 2. Rats exhibit two reaction patterns. Both patterns are constant in untreated animals. This observation proved useful for determining the pain threshold under varying conditions. Different doses of analgesics influenced the two reaction patterns in different degrees. 3. For purposes of exact comparison, the time-action curves of analgesia for four opiates were determined on the same species (rat) by subcutaneous, intravenous, intraperitoneal, or oral administration. —Subcutaneous administration of any of the four produced the most uniform pattern of action and an effect of longest duration. Medium size doses necessary to produce comparable intensities of analgesia show also comparable parabolic time action curves. —Intravenous injection produced analgesia of significantly shorter duration. Oral administration produced analgesia of variable duration and with high doses only. —Intraperitoneal injection of morphine, dilaudid, or demerol gave a smaller effect than subcutaneous. For codeine, the figures were approximately the same. 4. In a significant number of cases, there followed after intravenous administration a type of analgesia which showed an irregular and intermittent course. 5. For morphine, given by subcutaneous administration, the existence of a maximum analgesic dose has been ascertained. It stands at 20 mgm. /kgm. rat. —With doses lower than 20 mgm. , the total duration of analgesia was proportionate in general to the individual peak intensity reached, while the duration of the peak itself was proportionate to the dose. 6. With each of the opiates used, onset, intensity, and duration of analgesia on the one hand and depression on the other showed different time-sequences. 7. The ratios between the effectiveness of codeine, dilaudid, and demerol on the one hand and that of morphine on the other vary with the degree of pain stimulation. These ratios were established for different pain relief levels by giving the drugs subcutaneously. 8. The activity ratios between several opiates vary with the different routes of administration. 9. Aminopyrine does exert some analgesic action. This, however, is qualitatively different from that of the opiates. 10. The observation previously reported in the literature that acetylsalicylic acid has no analgesic activity was confirmed by our observations.
Virtual reality using gesture recognition for deck operation training

Operation training in simulator environment is an important part of maritime personnel competence building. Offshore simulators provide realistic visualizations which allow the users to immerse within the scenario. However, currently joysticks and keyboards are used as input devices for deck operation training. This approach limits the user experience — the trainees do not practice the gestures that they should be giving to the crane operators. Conversations with operation experts reveal that trying and experiencing the gestures is an important step of the practical training. To address this problem, we are building a gesture recognition system that allows the training participants to use natural gestures: move their body and hands as they would during a real operation. The movement is analyzed and gestures are detected using Microsoft Kinect sensor. We have implemented a prototype of a gesture recognition system, and have recorded data set of 15 people performing the gestures. Currently we are in the process of improving the system by training the recognition algorithms with recorded data. We believe, this is an important step towards high-quality training of maritime deck operations in immersive simulator environment.
The Serum Proteins of the Rat During Development

INTRODUCTION T H E morphological changes which occur during late embryonic and early postnatal life in common laboratory animals are, with one set of exceptions, now well understood. The exception relates to those changes which require the use of physiological, biophysical, or biochemical techniques. Outstanding among these are the changes in the relative concentrations of the serum proteins (Kekwick, 1959). Only for the chicken (Moore, Shen, & Alexander, 1945; Marshall & Deutsch, 1950; Heim & Schechtman, 1954; Weller & Schechtman, 1957) has a reasonably complete picture been built up. In the case of the changes in the relative concentrations of the serum proteins of the late embryonic and early postnatal rat, the various investigations, including the more extensive ones of Jameson, Alvarez-Tostado, & Lew (1948), Shmerling & Uspenskaya (1955), and Gurvich & Karsaevskaya (1956), leave a confusing and contradictory picture due to the use of widely divergent methods and the limited number of stages investigated. In view of this, a systematic survey of the serum proteins of the rat, from the earliest suitable developmental stage to the immediate postnatal stages, was undertaken with the aid of a highly standardized technique. Sera of adult male and female rats were also examined as controls and for purposes of comparison.
A theory of mobile library service delivery

Research indicates there is widespread acceptance that nomadicity of library users is a phenomenon that will continue to increase; however, mobile learning is a resource that relatively few academic libraries appear to be taking advantage of. This paper presents a model developed during an investigation using a grounded theory approach into factors that may contribute to the delivery of library services to mobile technologies. A sample of 42 professionally qualified library staff from the Australasian vocational education and training (VET) sector was investigated to determine how confident and capable library staff believed they were to respond to technology advancement challenges and the training and support required for that response. The resulting theoretical model explains the impact of mobile technologies on library services and highlights the complex factors contributing to mobile technology acceptance at both an organisational and individual level. The presence of a series of catalysing impacts forms a central core and their management can enable an organisation to move from a position of uncertainty to one where the consequences of mobile technologies have been normalised.
Consumer perceptions of genetically modified foods: a mixed-method approach

Purpose This paper aims to examine consumers’ opinions and behavioral intentions toward foods labeled as containing genetically modified (GM) (transgenic) ingredients across plant and animal-based categories. In light of marketplace changes (i.e. labeling requirements), we explore behavioral measures based on labeling options. Design/methodology/approach Three studies, one online projective survey using a convenience sample of consumers and two experiments conducted with Amazon mTurk adult US participants, are included. Findings Consumers have negative associations with GM products vs non-GM and are more likely to purchase unlabeled GM products. GM products may offer positive economic, societal and environmental benefits. However, the need for labeling overshadows these benefits and presence of GM labeling increased avoidance. Furthermore, changes in product opinion mediate consumers’ purchase intention and willingness to pay. Research limitations/implications GM labeling negatively influences consumers’ opinions and behavioral intentions. This is important for legislators and marketers concerned with counter-labeling effects (e.g. Non-GMO Project Verified). Practical implications Debates on efficacy of labeling, inclusion disclosure of ingredients, short-term risks and long-term implications are ongoing globally. Consumer reception and purchase intention can only be changed through governmental and corporate transparency. Social implications Widespread misinformation about GM foods, presence in our food supply, impact on health, economy, environment and the marketplace still exists. The findings reflect consumers’ responses to changes proposed by the 2016 National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard legislation. Originality/value With the paucity of research on consumer response to the release of a GM animal product into the food supply, this work breaks new ground as the first to examine the impact of disclosure of GM animal-based food type.
A brief manualized treatment for problematic caffeine use: A randomized control trial.

OBJECTIVE The goal of the present investigation was to develop and test a brief therapist-guided manualized treatment for problematic caffeine use, including cognitive-behavioral strategies and 5 weeks of progressively decreased consumption. METHOD Individuals seeking treatment for problematic caffeine use (mean daily caffeine consumption of 666 mg at baseline) were randomized using a waitlist-control design to receive immediate treatment (N = 33) or delayed treatment (∼6 weeks later; N = 34). A 1-hr treatment session designed to help individuals quit or reduce caffeine consumption was provided by a trained counselor along with a take-home booklet. After the treatment session, participants completed daily diaries of caffeine consumption for 5 weeks. They returned for follow-up assessments at 6, 12, and 26 weeks and had a telephone interview at 52-weeks posttreatment. RESULTS Treatment resulted in a significant reduction in self-reported caffeine use and salivary caffeine levels. No significant posttreatment increases in caffeine use were observed for up to 1 year follow-up. Comparisons to the waitlist-control condition revealed that reductions in caffeine consumption were due to treatment and not the passing of time, with a treatment effect size of R² = . 35 for the model. CONCLUSION A brief 1-session manualized intervention with follow-up was efficacious at reducing caffeine consumption. Future researchers should replicate and extend these findings, as well as consider factors affecting dissemination of treatment for problematic caffeine use to those in need.
Segmentation of coastal marine demand from a National Recreational Area: Villamil Beach, Ecuador

Tourist demand segmentation can provide important information for creating products tailored to the clusters found. The present empirical work was carried out in situ in Ecuador at the Villamil Beach National Recreation Area, a coastal marine destination within a national recreation area. Factor analysis on responses by tourists to a questionnaire produces two motivational dimensions: 'Ecotourism' and 'Sun and beach'. Three tourist segments are found: 'Beach lovers', who have high motivations for enjoying the sun and the beach, 'Coastal Nature', who have high motivations for enjoying the typical gastronomy, for the sun and the beach, for the tourist attractions and for knowing the flora and fauna and, finally, 'Coastal Passive', who have medium and low motivations in all aspects.
A design of compact 2-port UWB MIMO antenna

This paper presents a compact 2-port multiple-input multiple-output ultra-wideband antenna which consists of two CPW-fed monopole antenna elements and an improved ground-plane. These two antenna elements are symmetrically arranged on the top layer of FR4 substrate. The ground plane is composed three parts which are etched on the beneath of the substrate. Several ground stubs and windows as decoupling structure are inserted between two antenna elements to improve the isolation as well as impedance matching, resulting in wider impedance bandwidth of 2.2-10.6GHz with |S11|≤-10dB and low mutual coupling of less than -20dB over the range of 5.6-10GHz.
Multiple Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Signaling Pathways Connect the Cot Oncoprotein to the c-junPromoter and to Cellular Transformation

ABSTRACT The serine/threonine kinase Cot is a member of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) kinase kinase family implicated in cellular transformation. Enhanced expression of this protein has been shown to activate both the MAPK and the c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) pathways and to stimulate the nuclear factor of activated T cells and NF-κB-dependent transcription. However, the nature of the normal functions of the Cot protein and the molecular mechanisms responsible for its oncogenic potential are still largely unknown. Here, we show that overexpression of the cot proto-oncogene is sufficient to stimulate the expression of c-jun and that, in turn, the activity of c-Jun is required for Cot-induced transformation. These observations prompted us to explore the molecular events by which Cot regulates c-jun expression. We found that Cot potently stimulates the activity of the c-jun promoter utilizing JNK-dependent and -independent pathways, the latter involving two novel members of the MAPK family, p38γ (ERK6) and ERK5. Molecularly, this activity was found to be dependent on the ability of Cot to activate, in vivo, members of each class of the MAPK kinase superfamily, including MEK, SEK, MKK6, and MEK5. Furthermore, the use of dominant interfering molecules revealed that Cot requires JNK, p38s, and ERK5 to stimulate the c-jun promoter fully and to induce neoplastic transformation. These findings indicate that Cot represents the first example of a serine/threonine kinase acting simultaneously on all known MAPK cascades. Moreover, these observations strongly suggest that the transforming ability of Cot results from the coordinated activation of these pathways, which ultimately converge on the regulation of the expression and activity of the product of the c-junproto-oncogene.
, 1989-M 491 k Melk-level stochastic facility location problems /

The Facility Location Problem (FLP) is a Combinatorial Optimization problem in which some facilities must be built to satisfy demands of a set of clients. It has applications in many areas such as health services, transportation, logistics and production. In this thesis, we will discuss approximation algorithms for some generalizations of the FLP: the k-Level FLP (k-LFLP), where facilities are organized hierarchically and clients are satisfied by chains of facilities spanning all levels; the Dynamic and Stochastic FLP (DFLP and SFLP, respectively), where opening costs and client demands change over time; and variations of the k-Level Stochastic FLP (k-LSFLP) that combines elements of both previous problems. We first review results for the k-LFLP, DFLP and SFLP that we later utilize to provide approximation algorithms for the k-LSFLP and the “Stage Constrained” k-LSFLP (k-LSSCFLP). For the k-LSFLP, we obtain a (2k − 1 + o(1))-approximation whose approximation factor is 3.495, 5.157 and 7.034 for, respectively, k = 2, 3 and 4. And, for the k-LSSCFLP, we obtain a (4− o(1))-approximation that has approximation factor of 2.56, 2.68 and 2.95 for k = 2, 3 and 4 respectively.
Abacavir does not affect circulating levels of inflammatory or coagulopathic biomarkers in suppressed HIV: a randomized clinical trial

Objective:The Simplification of antiretroviral therapy with Tenofovir-Emtricitabine or Abacavir-Lamivudine trial (STEAL) study randomized HIV participants to switch existing nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTI) to either abacavir/lamivudine (ABC/3TC; n = 179) or tenofovir/emtricitabine (TDF/FTC; n = 178). An increased risk in cardiovascular disease (CVD) was reported (hazard ratio 7.7, P = 0.048) in ABC/3TC recipients compared with TDF/FTC in the STEAL study. The impact of ABC/3TC treatment on a range of CVD and inflammatory biomarkers was explored. Design and methods:Biomarkers were assessed at 0, 12, 24, and 48 weeks to examine: inflammation – high sensitive C-reactive protein, amyloid-P, amyloid-A, interleukin 6, interleukin 10, interferon α, and macrophage migration inhibitory factor; coagulation – D-dimer and fibrinogen; platelet function – soluble P-selectin; endothelial function – vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 and intercellular adhesion molecule 1; renal function – cystatin C. The primary endpoint was the difference between arms for mean change from baseline to week 12. Secondary analyses were differences between groups for mean change from baseline to weeks 24 and 48, time-weighted change from baseline to week 48, and changes to week 12 stratified by Framingham CVD risk score at baseline. Results:Sera were available from 330 (92%) of 357 participants. At baseline, all biomarkers were similar between treatment arms and when stratified for baseline NRTI exposure. There were no significant differences between treatment arms in the mean change from baseline to week 12 for any biomarkers. No consistent between-group differences were seen in the secondary analyses that could suggest one pathophysiological pathway. Conclusion:A thorough examination of selected biomarkers associated with cardiovascular morbidity and mortality did not reveal associations with the use of ABC/3TC relative to use of TDF/FTC.