Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Actin-Binding Proteins Implicated in the Formation of the Punctate Actin Foci Stimulated by the Self-Incompatibility Response in Papaver1[W]

The actin cytoskeleton is a key target for signaling networks and plays a central role in translating signals into cellular responses in eukaryotic cells. Self-incompatibility (SI) is an important mechanism responsible for preventing self-fertilization. The SI system of Papaver rhoeas pollen involves a Ca2+-dependent signaling network, including massive actin depolymerization as one of the earliest cellular responses, followed by the formation of large actin foci. However, no analysis of these structures, which appear to be aggregates of filamentous (F-)actin based on phalloidin staining, has been carried out to date. Here, we characterize and quantify the formation of F-actin foci in incompatible Papaver pollen tubes over time. The F-actin foci increase in size over time, and we provide evidence that their formation requires actin polymerization. Once formed, these SI-induced structures are unusually stable, being resistant to treatments with latrunculin B. Furthermore, their formation is associated with changes in the intracellular localization of two actin-binding proteins, cyclase-associated protein and actin-depolymerizing factor. Two other regulators of actin dynamics, profilin and fimbrin, do not associate with the F-actin foci. This study provides, to our knowledge, the first insights into the actin-binding proteins and mechanisms involved in the formation of these intriguing structures, which appear to be actively formed during the SI response.
Purification and Biophysical Properties of Acute Haemorrhagic Conjunctivitis Virus

The buoyant density of acute haemorrhagic conjunctivitis virions labeled with either [3H]uridine or [3H]leucine was 1.34 g/ml in CsCl and 1.25 g/ml in sucrose. RNA extracted from the virions gave a sedimentation coefficient of approximately 34S in sucrose, and was found to be sensitive to RNase. Molecular weight of RNA was calculated to be 2.5 × 106 using poliovirus RNA for reference.
Bone marrow from CD18-/- (MAC-1-/-) homozygous deletion recombinant negative mice demonstrates increased longevity in long-term bone marrow culture and decreased contribution to irradiation pulmonary damage.

BACKGROUND Bone marrow macrophage surface expression of CD18 (MAC-1, LFA1) is involved in cellular binding to V-CAM-1 and V-CAM-2 adhesion molecules expressed on endothelial cells. We sought to determine if this interaction affected the growth of marrow in long-term bone marrow cultures (LTBMCs) and macrophage migration to the irradiated lung in pulmonary fibrosis/organizing alveolitis. MATERIALS AND METHODS Continuous bone marrow cultures from CD18-/- and CD18+/+ littermates were established. Bone marrow migration to the irradiated lung was quantitated in CD18+/+ or CD18-/- marrow chimeric mice. Anti-macrophage antibodies were administered to block monocyte/macrophage migration after lung irradiation. RESULTS CD18-/- LTBMCs demonstrated significantly increased longevity (over 20 weeks) of production of multilineage hematopoietic progenitor cells, total non-adherent cells and macrophage progenitors compared to those derived from CD18+/+ littermates (10 weeks). C57BL/6J female mice chimeric for male CD18-/- bone marrow showed improved (50%) survival at 120 days after pulmonary radiation compared to female mice chimeric for male CD18+/+ bone marrow (0.0%). Intraperitoneal injections (daily for 15 days) of an anti-macrophage antibody on days 80-98 after 20 Gy total lung irradiation resulted in reduction of macrophage migration to the lungs and increased survival. CONCLUSION The data demonstrate a complex role of CD18 (MAC-1) in macrophage progenitor and macrophage cellular interaction involving stromal cells of the bone marrow and lung.
Bangla optical character recognition through segmentation using curvature distance and multilayer perceptron algorithm

This paper presents an optical character recognition approach especially for Bangla offline printed characters. Separation of lines, words and individual characters are the main difficulties in printed Bangla character recognition due to different shapes of characters. Different techniques have been applied and performance is examined. It has been studied that no particular algorithm is found for efficient feature extraction. Feature selection is an essential step of optical character recognition. Accurate and distinguable feature plays an important role to leverage the performance of a classifier. A novel feature extraction scheme based on “Discrete Frechet Distance” and “Dynamic Time wrapping” is proposed. Probability of occurrence of the pixels of the given character of different font are calculated which are used to train Multilayer perceptron Neural Network. Experimental results show 100% accuracy for trained characters and overall 90–95% accuracy for all basic characters of the developed method on training and the tests sets respectively.
What Makes a Leader In Construction? An Analysis of Leaders in the UK Construction Industry

A review of the leadership literature reveals that the understanding of construction leadership is somewhat primitive, failing to consider the relatively mature developments of mainstream leadership theories. Furthermore, there is a contemporary debate in mainstream literature that points to the need to examine the development of leaders from broader sociological, psychological, historical and political perspectives, rather than current emphasis on managerial functionalism. The present study involved in-depth interviews with fifteen leading figures of the UK construction industry in an attempt to address this research gap. Preliminary findings found that two issues help shape and drive a leader in the industry. First, there appears to be tipping points in the lives of the leaders interviewed, manifested in key events, people or places that had a great impact in their lives. Second, leaders are motivated strongly by a passion for pursuing personal agenda.
Influence of calcium hydroxide intracanal dressings on the prognosis of teeth with endodontically induced periapical lesions.

AIM This prospective clinical study explored the influence of calcium hydroxide as an interappointment dressing on the healing of periapical lesions associated with pulpless teeth that had not been endodontically treated previously. This was achieved by comparing the prognosis after a two-visit root canal treatment with that following a one-visit treatment. METHODOLOGY Seventy-three patients were recruited having one tooth with an endodontically induced lesion. Of these patients, 67 could be re-examined. Calcium hydroxide was placed in the instrumented root canals of 31 teeth for at least one week and the treatment finished at the second visit. Thirty-six teeth were root canal treated at one visit. The criteria for success were the absence of signs and symptoms indicating an acute phase of periapical periodontitis and radiographically a periodontal ligament space of normal width. Methods for event time analysis were used to evaluate and compare the prognosis of both treatment approaches. RESULTS The probability that complete periapical healing will take place increased continuously with the length of the observation period. In both treatment groups the likelihood that the root canal treatment yields a success within an observation time of five years exceeded 90%. A statistically significant difference between the two treatment groups could not be detected. CONCLUSIONS From a microbiological perspective, one-visit root canal treatment created favourable environmental conditions for periapical repair similar to the two-visit therapy when calcium hydroxide was used as antimicrobial dressing. One-visit root canal treatment is an acceptable alternative to two-visit treatment for pulpless teeth associated with an endodontically induced lesion.
No literacy left behind : addressing information illiteracy in the information age

There is a growing concern in scholarly literature indicating that college students struggle with conducting research and using information effectively (Head, 2013; Lawrence, 2013; Head & Eisenberg, 2011). This research study examines the elements and causes of information illiteracy from a secondary education perspective. The methods used assess the information literacy skill levels of high school juniors, intervene with information literacy instruction, and evaluate the merit of the intervention. The project purpose is threefold: (1) establish a baseline of students’ ability to seek, use, disseminate, and communicate information; (2) determine what instructional strategies (including self-paced resources, collaborative instruction, and assessments) will increase student capacity to locate and integrate information; and (3) measure student and teacher perceptions of the importance of information literacy.Currently, the Common Core State Standards Initiative (2012) treats information literacy as a skill component to be integrated into the curriculum. Since there is not a state-sanctioned assessment examining information literacy within North Carolina, this study will serve as a springboard for capturing data related to information literacy. Whenimplemented at the district level, this intervention method will use existing standards (specifically curriculum) to increase student readiness for career and college-level course work.
Prognostic significance of early serum tumor marker half-life in metastatic testicular teratoma.

PURPOSE To determine whether the initial regression rates of serum tumor marker concentration (alpha-fetoprotein [AFP] and beta-human chorionic gonadotrophin [HCG]) were important prognostic factors after chemotherapy for germ cell tumors. PATIENTS AND METHODS The analysis was confined to patients with at least two precise marker assay results between days 7 and 22 from start of platinum-based combination chemotherapy, with at least 7 days between markers. One hundred eighty-three patients were eligible and marker half-life (MHL) was evaluated for AFP in 142 and for HCG in 111 cases. MHL was calculated from the following formula: MHL = Ln1/2/G, where G was the gradient of the marker slope on a plot of Ln marker concentration versus time. MHL was regarded as prolonged if more than 3 days for HCG or more than 7 days for AFP. RESULTS The median AFP MHL was 6 days (range, 2.7 to 237) and the median HCG MHL was 2.6 days (range, 1.7 to 37.5). Forty-nine of 142 patients (35%) had a prolonged AFP MHL; 39 of 111 patients (35%) had a prolonged HCG-MHL. A prolonged MHL did not identify relapse after front-line chemotherapy. The positive predictive value of MHL tests in identifying patients who progressed after front-line therapy was 18% for HCG, 20% for AFP, and 18% for either marker. A prolonged MHL did indicate a higher risk of mortality (hazards ratio [HR], 2.4; P = .016), but again the positive predictive value of this test was only 23%. CONCLUSION Early evaluation of MHL by this method does not predict patients at higher risk of progression after front-line chemotherapy, and also is a poor guide to long-term prognosis.
A Simple, High-Precision, High-Sensitivity Tracer Assay for N(inf2) Fixation

We describe a simple, precise, and sensitive experimental protocol for direct measurement of N(inf2) fixation using the conversion of (sup15)N(inf2) to organic N. Our protocol greatly reduces the limit of detection for N(inf2) fixation by taking advantage of the high sensitivity of a modern, multiple-collector isotope ratio mass spectrometer. This instrument allowed measurement of N(inf2) fixation by natural assemblages of plankton in incubations lasting several hours in the presence of relatively low-level (ca. 10 atom%) tracer additions of (sup15)N(inf2) to the ambient pool of N(inf2). The sensitivity and precision of this tracer method are comparable to or better than those associated with the C(inf2)H(inf2) reduction assay. Data obtained in a series of experiments in the Gotland Basin of the Baltic Sea showed excellent agreement between (sup15)N(inf2) tracer and C(inf2)H(inf2) reduction measurements, with the largest discrepancies between the methods occurring at very low fixation rates. The ratio of C(inf2)H(inf2) reduced to N(inf2) fixed was 4.68 (plusmn) 0.11 (mean (plusmn) standard error, n = 39). In these experiments, the rate of C(inf2)H(inf2) reduction was relatively insensitive to assay volume. Our results, the first for planktonic diazotroph populations of the Baltic, confirm the validity of the C(inf2)H(inf2) reduction method as a quantitative measure of N(inf2) fixation in this system. Our (sup15)N(inf2) protocols are comparable to standard C(inf2)H(inf2) reduction procedures, which should promote use of direct (sup15)N(inf2) fixation measurements in other systems.
E-cigarette aerosol exposure can cause craniofacial defects in Xenopus laevis embryos and mammalian neural crest cells

Since electronic cigarette (ECIG) introduction to American markets in 2007, vaping has surged in popularity. Many, including women of reproductive age, also believe that ECIG use is safer than traditional tobacco cigarettes and is not hazardous when pregnant. However, there are few studies investigating the effects of ECIG exposure on the developing embryo and nothing is known about potential effects on craniofacial development. Therefore, we have tested the effects of several aerosolized e-cigarette liquids (e-cigAM) in an in vivo craniofacial model, Xenopus laevis, as well as a mammalian neural crest cell line. Results demonstrate that e-cigAM exposure during embryonic development induces a variety of defects, including median facial clefts and midface hypoplasia in two of e-cigAMs tested e-cigAMs. Detailed quantitative analyses of the facial morphology revealed that nicotine is not the main factor in inducing craniofacial defects, but can exacerbate the effects of the other e-liquid components. Additionally, while two different e-cigAMs can have very similar consequences on facial appearances, there are subtle differences that could be due to the differences in e-cigAM components. Further assessment of embryos exposed to these particular e-cigAMs revealed cranial cartilage and muscle defects and a reduction in the blood supply to the face. Finally, the expression of markers for vascular and cartilage differentiation was reduced in a mammalian neural crest cell line corroborating the in vivo effects. Our work is the first to show that ECIG use could pose a potential hazard to the developing embryo and cause craniofacial birth defects. This emphasizes the need for more testing and regulation of this new popular product.
Alveolar vessel behavior in the zone 2 lung inferred from indicator-dilution data.

To gain insight into the changes occurring in alveolar vessels when alveolar pressure exceeds venous pressure at the downstream end of the alveolar vessels (zone 2), we compared the uptake of serotonin and the extravascular volume accessible to 3HOH (Qev) under zone 2 and 3 conditions in isolated dog lung lobes. We also examined the influence of occluding some of the small pulmonary arteries with 58- to 548-micron-diam beads on the serotonin uptake and Qev. We found that, with the bead embolization, both the serotonin uptake and the Qev were reduced, whereas the change from zone 3 to 2 reduced serotonin uptake but did not change Qev. A plausible explanation for these observations is that the beads occluded vessels that were relatively large compared with those in which significant transvascular 3HOH exchange and serotonin uptake take place. Perfusion ceased in the collection of capillaries normally served by the obstructed arteries. Thus the extravascular water and the serotonin uptake sites downstream from the obstructions were not accessible to the indicators during the short time interval of the indicator passage through the lung. On the other hand, the change from zone 3 to zone 2 resulted in the collapse of small individual capillary segments within the alveolar vessel bed. Since the serotonin does not readily diffuse from the vessels through the tissue, it could not reach the endothelial cells of the collapsed capillaries. However, since the distances for diffusion between collapsed capillaries and neighboring perfused capillaries were small, the more highly diffusible 3HOH had access to the same Qev under both zone 2 and 3 conditions. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Validity and Reliability of the PowerCal Device for Estimating Power Output During Cycling Time Trials

Abstract Costa, VP, Guglielmo, LGA, and Paton, CD. Validity and reliability of the PowerCal device for estimating power output during cycling time trials. J Strength Cond Res 31(1): 227–232, 2017—This study assessed the validity and reproducibility of the PowerCal device for estimating power output (PO) during cycling hilly time trials (TTs). Twenty-one well-trained men cyclists performed an incremental exercise test and three 20-km TTs (34.1 ± 10.6 years; 73.2 ± 3.2 kg, 176.8 ± 6.2 cm; maximal PO, 334 ± 31 W; maximal oxygen uptake, 61.0 ± 4.2 ml·kg−1·min−1). The first TT was used for familiarization, and the tests were separated by at least 72 hours. Mean PO over the 20-km TT was significantly greater for the Velotron (282 ± 27 W) than for the PowerCal (242 ± 28 W). The mean power over each kilometer of the trial ranged from 5.8 to 23.4% greater on the Velotron than on the PowerCal. High within-subject variation between the trials was substantially greater for the PowerCal (4.9%) than for the Velotron (1.8%). High coefficients of variation scores for the Velotron test-retest were found to be concentrated in the beginning and final meters of the TT (∼6.0%), whereas the scores were lower in the middle of the trials (∼3.0%). In contrast, the PowerCal test-retest achieved a high coefficient of variation (∼6.0%) in each km over the TT. Thus, the PowerCal device should be used with caution during cycling activities because it is not reliable and underestimates PO.
Fuzzy hypergraph of concepts for semantic annotation of remotely sensed images

Annotation of images is largely studied in the literature and used in many application fields such as in image interpretation, indexation and retrieval. Manually annotating images gives valuable information on the semantic content of images, but is no longer acceptable when dealing with real corpora of images, especially in the era of big data. Content-based approaches had known great success to deal with large datasets, using low-level features such as color, texture, and shape, which are easy to compute automatically. Nonetheless, they suffer from the well known semantic gap problem, since they produce semantically very limited representations of images. In this paper, we propose a semantic image annotation approach that simultaneously handles contextual, spatial and spectral information of the image. We consider a predefined remotely sensed ontology and develop an annotation process that produces semantically rich hypergraphs representing objects in scenes, as well as their spatial and spectral attributes. We apply our approach to build a hypergraph corresponding to the Jasper Ridge AVIRIS image, showing the promising use of such representation in remote sensing.
Promoting Strategic Learning by Postsecondary Students with Learning Disabilities

The research described here investigated the effectiveness of an intervention model designed to promote self-regulated and strategic learning: Strategic Content Learning (SCL). In SCL, rather that focusing on teaching students specific cognitive strategies, instruction focuses on supporting students to develop a strategic approach to learning. The study comprised six parallel case studies embedded within a single-group, pre-post design. Each student chose a task of importance to current or future academic work, and individualized support was provided on those tasks. Participants were adults with learning disabilities (5 women and 1 man, ages 18 to 36 years) enrolled in postsecondary education programs. Results indicated, that students' task performance improved. Additionally, gains in metacognitive knowledge about tasks and strategies, increased perceptions of self-efficacy, and shifts in attributional patterns were observed. Most critically, the evidence suggested that students became more self-regulated in their learning: They were active in developing and modifying strategies, they transferred strategies across contexts, and they began to attack noninstructed tasks strategically. The particular suitability of SCL as an intervention for adults with learning disabilities is described, and implications of the findings for research and practice are discussed.
Satisfaction and Subjective Well-Being of Health Tourists: The Case of Japanese and Korean Tourists

ABSTRACT The purpose of this research is to examine the differences of perception between health tour seekers and non-seekers of subjective well-being (SWE). Relative data were collected from 158 Korean package tourists who traveled to Sapporo, Japan, and from 111 Japanese package tourists who traveled to Busan, Korea. The results indicated that health tourism seekers perceived the level of contribution of the health tour to SWE to be more positive than non-seekers. It also revealed that the satisfaction levels of the tourism activities had a partially significant impact on the SWE of participants and non-participants.
Impaired Regulation of 3-Hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-Coenzyme A Reductase Degradation in Lovastatin-resistant Cells*

L-90 cells were selected to grow in the presence of serum lipoproteins and 90 μm lovastatin, an inhibitor of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase (HMGR). L-90 cells massively accumulate HMGR, a result of >10-fold amplification of the gene and 40-fold rise in mRNA, and also overexpress other enzymes of the mevalonate pathway. Western blot and promoter-luciferase analyses indicate that transcriptional regulation of sterol-responsive genes by 25-hydroxycholesterol or mevalonate is normal. Yet, none of these genes is regulated by lipoproteins, a result of severe impairment in the low density lipoprotein receptor pathway. Moreover, L-90 cells do not accelerate the degradation of HMGR or transfected HMGal chimera in response to 25-hydroxycholesterol or mevalonate. This aberrant phenotype persists when cells are grown without lovastatin for up to 37 days. The inability to regulate HMGR degradation is not due to its overproduction since in LP-90 cells, which were selected for lovastatin resistance in lipoprotein-deficient serum, HMGR is overexpressed, yet its turnover is regulated normally. Also, the rapid degradation of transfected α subunit of T cell receptor is markedly retarded in L-90 cells. These results show that in addition to gene amplification and overexpression of cholesterogenic enzymes, statin resistance can follow loss of regulated HMGR degradation.