Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
ORP2 IS A STEROL RECEPTOR THAT REGULATES CELLULAR LIPID METABOLISM

Oxysterol binding protein-related protein 2 (ORP2) is a member of mammalian oxysterol binding protein (OSBP)-related protein/gene family, which is found in almost every eukaryotic organism. Their function is still unclear, but studies on yeast and mammalian cells have suggested that they are players in cellular lipid metabolism, vesicle trafficking and cellular signaling. ORP2 is a cytosolic protein that is ubiquitously expressed and most abundant in brain. In previous studies employing stable cell lines with constitutive ORP2 overexpression ORP2 was shown to affect cellular cholesterol metabolism. The aim of this study was to characterize the properties and function of ORP2 further. Since the previous studies have shown that ORPs bind sterols and phosphoinositides, the binding of those lipids was also tested using purified ORP2 in in vitro binding assays. As expected, ORP2 was shown to bind several oxysterols and cholesterol, the highest affinity ligand being 22(R)hydroxycholesterol. In addition, affinity to anionic membrane phospholipids, phosphatidylinositol phosphates was observed, which may assist in the membrane targeting of ORP2. Intracellular localization of ORP2 was investigated to obtain clues to the function of ORP2. ORP2 was observed on the surface of cytoplasmic lipid droplets, which are storage organelles for neutral lipids. Lipid droplet targeting of ORP2 was inhibited when 22(R)hydroxycholesterol was added to the cells or when the N-terminal FFAT-motif of ORP2 was mutated, suggesting that oxysterols and the N-terminus of ORP2 regulate the localization and thereby also the function of ORP2. The role of ORP2 in cellular lipid metabolism was studied using HeLa cell lines that can be induced to overexpress ORP2. In that way the acute effects of protein overexpression can be detected. Overexpression of ORP2 was shown to enhance cholesterol efflux from the cells resulting in a decreased amount of cellular free cholesterol. ORP2 overexpressing cells responded to the loss of cholesterol by upregulating the cholesterol synthesis and uptake. Intriguingly, cholesterol esterification was increased in ORP2 overexpressing cells. These results may be explained by the ability of ORP2 to bind and thus transport cholesterol, which most likely leads to changes in cholesterol metabolism when ORP2 is overexpressed. ORP2 function was also investigated using an opposite approach, silencing of endogenous ORP2 expression with short interfering RNAs (siRNA) in A431 cells. Silencing of ORP2 led to a delayed break-down of triglycerides under lipolytic conditions and an increased amount of cholesteryl esters in the presence of excess triglycerides. Together these results suggest that ORP2 is a sterol-regulated protein that functions on the surface of cytoplasmic lipid droplets to regulate the metabolism of triglycerides and cholesteryl esters. Although the exact mechanism of ORP2 function still remains unclear, this study serves as a good basis to investigate the molecular mechanisms and possible cell type specific functions of ORP2.
Comparing Long-Term Placement Outcomes of Residential and Family Foster Care: A Meta-Analysis

This study presents findings from three separate meta-analyses investigating differences between children placed in residential care and in family foster care with regard to three outcomes: internalizing behaviors, externalizing behaviors, and perception of care. Based on publications from the last 20 years, a total of 23 studies were included. The total sample consisted of 13,630 children in care, with 7,469 from foster care and 6,161 from residential care. The results from this study indicated that children in foster care had consistently better experiences and less problems across the three outcomes as compared to children in residential care. Analyses did not reveal evidence of publication bias, and sensitivity analyses also suggested that results were not influenced by individual studies. Additionally, moderation analyses revealed that the differences between foster and residential care could vary depending on certain factors such as the publication year, the gross domestic product of the country, and the length of care. The implications of differences in outcomes between the two placements are discussed.
The Impact of Iranian Teachers Cultural Values on Computer Technology Acceptance.

This study was conducted with the aim of testing the technology acceptance model and the impact of Hofstede cultural values (masculinity/femininity, uncertainty avoidance, individualism/collectivism, and power distance) on computer technology acceptance among teachers at Urmia city (Iran) using the structural equation modeling approach. From among these teachers, 275 were sampled. Research results suggested that masculinity/femininity cultural values have a positive impact on variables of the technology acceptance model (perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use). The effect of uncertainty avoidance on these variables was also negative. Individualism/collectivism produced a positive effect on perceived usefulness but power distance created a negative impact on perceived usefulness and ease of use. Also the effect of individualism/collectivism on perceived ease of use wasn't significant. Research results and implications are discussed in the paper.
TISSUE–SPECIFIC STEM CELLS Regulation of Trachebronchial Tissue-Specific Stem Cell Pool Size

Tissue-specific stem cell (TSC) number is tightly regulated in normal individuals but can change following severe injury. We previously showed that tracheobronchial epithelial TSC number increased after severe naphthalene (NA) injury and then returned to normal. This study focused on the fate of the supernumerary TSC and the signals that regulate TSC pool size. We used the Keratin 5-rTA/Histone 2B:green fluorescent protein (GFP) model to purify basal cells that proliferated infrequently (GFP) or frequently (GFP) after NA injury. Both populations contained TSC but TSCs were 8.5-fold more abundant in the GFP population. Interestingly, both populations also contained a unipotential basal progenitor (UPB), a mitotic basal cell subtype whose daughters were terminally differentiated basal cells. The ratio of TSC to UPB was 5:1 in the GFP population and 1:5 in the GFP population. These data suggested that TSC proliferation in vivo promoted TSC-to-UPB differentiation. To evaluate this question, we cloned TSC from the GFP and GFP populations and passaged the clones seven times. We found that TSC number decreased and UPB number increased at each passage. Reciprocal changes in TSC and UPB frequency were more dramatic in the GFP lineage. Gene expression analysis showed that bcatenin and Notch pathway genes were differentially expressed in freshly isolated TSC derived from GFP and GFP populations. We conclude that (a) TSC and UPB are members of a single lineage; (b) TSC proliferation in vivo or in vitro promotes TSC-to-UPB differentiation; and (c) an interaction between the b-catenin and Notch pathways regulates the TSC-to-UPB differentiation process. STEM CELLS 2013;31:2767–2778 Disclosure of potential conflicts of interest is found at the end of this article.
Functional mapping of Autographa california nuclear polyhedrosis virus genes required for late gene expression

A plasmid containing the bacterial chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) gene under the control of an Autographa california nuclear polyhedrosis virus (AcNPV) late gene promoter was constructed. This plasmid (pL2cat) also contained the AcNPV hr5 enhancer element. Transient-expression assay experiments indicated that the late promoter was active in Spodoptera frugiperda cells cotransfected with pL2cat and AcNPV DNA but not when pL2cat was transfected alone. Low levels of CAT activity were observed in cells cotransfected with pL2cat and pIE-1 DNAs. However, CAT activity was not induced in a similar plasmid which lacked the cis-linked enhancer element, indicating that the enhancer was required for expression of the late gene. Cotransfection mapping of pPstI clones of AcNPV DNA indicated that the pPstI-G clone of viral DNA contained a factor which further stimulated late gene expression 3- to 10-fold. Transient-expression assay analysis of subclones of pPstI-G localized the trans-active factor to a 3.0-kilobase XbaI fragment. The nucleotide sequence of this fragment was determined and found to contain three potential open reading frames. A computer-assisted search of a protein database revealed no closely related proteins. One of the predicted amino acid sequences contained potential metal-binding domains similar to those found in nucleic acid-binding proteins. Subcloning and subsequent CAT assay indicated that two of the open reading frames were required for the activation of pL2cat. Nuclease S1 mapping of infected and transfected RNAs indicated that the two open reading frames were transcribed as delayed-early genes. Quantitative nuclease S1 analysis and differential DNA digestion of recovered plasmids indicated that the activation of pL2cat was not due to an increase in steady-state levels of mRNA replication of the viral DNA.
Compact coupled-fed printed antenna for eight-band WWAN/WLAN/ WiMAX internal mobile phone

A coupled-fed printed antenna for eight-band covering WWAN/WLAN/WiMAX operation in the mobile phone is presented. The proposed antenna consists of a long radiating strip, a short-circuited inductive shorting strip, and a coupling strip to capacitively excite the radiating strip. By using the capacitive excitation, the long radiating strip with the shorting strip can generate a wide lower band to cover the GSM850/900 operation, and the coupling strip can also form a wide upper band to cover GSM850/900/1800/1900/UMTS2100, WLAN2400, and WiMAX2300/2500 operations. The antenna is well suited to be placed on a small non-ground board space (15 × 45 mm2) of the system circuit board and encased by an L-shaped system ground plane of the mobile phone. A universal series bus (USB) connector for the data port of the mobile phone is accommodated on the protruding ground of the L-shaped system ground plane. Details of the proposed antenna are described, and the obtained results are presented and discussed.
The case of Mary Dean: Sex, poisoning and gender relations in Australia

The genre of biography is, by nature, imprecise and limited. Real lives are lived synchronously and diversely; they do not divide spontaneously into chapters, subjects or themes. All biographers construct stories, in the process forcing the disordered complexity of an actual life into a neat literary form. This doctoral submission comprises a book length creative work, Poisoned: The Trials of Mary Dean, and a reflective written component on that creative work, Writing Fictionalised Biography. Poisoned is a biography of Mary Dean, who, although repeatedly poisoned by her husband at the end of the nineteenth century, did not die. This biography, presented in the form of a first-person memoir, is based closely on historical evidence and is supported with discursive notes and a select bibliography. The reflective written component, Writing Fictionalised Biography, outlines the process and challenges of writing a biography when the source material available is inadequate and unreliable. In writing Poisoned my genre solution has been fictionalised biography biography which is historically diligent while utilising fictional writing strategies and incorporating fictional passages. This written component reflectively discusses how I arrived at that solution. It includes discussion of the sources I utilised in writing Poisoned, including the limitations of trial transcripts and other court records as biographical evidence; useful precursors to the form; the process wherein I located both a form for my fictionalised biography and a voice for my biographical subject; possible models I considered; how I distinguished established fact from speculative supposition in the text; as well as some of the ambivalences and ethical concerns such a narrative process implies.
Synergistic Effect of the Microbial Consortium Degrading Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons

The synergistic effect of microbial consortium S3 (including S3-1, S3-2, S3-3 and S3-4), which has the ability of degrading Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons was studied by solid phenanthrene as the sole source of carbon and energy. The research showed that only S3-1 had the characteristics of phenanthrene-degrading and other three strains could use the metabolites of S3-1 in different degree. It was found that S3-3 had the distinct ability of producing biosurfactants. The microbial consortium S3 had a faster degradation rate compared with S3-1, it was conjectured that there were two reasons: (1) other three strains might reduce the inhibitory action by using their metabolites and promote the degradation rate of phenanthrene; (2) the biosurfanctants secreted by S3-3 advanced the phenanthrene uptake by S3-1. The biosurfactants in broth could emulsify crude oil and make the surface tension of fermentation broth decrease from 45.76 to 29.67 mN/m. Preliminary identification of the biosurfactants by TLC and FT-IR indicated that it might be rhamnolipid.
Android-based application for real time energy monitoring of domestic electricity

The electricity demand keeps on increasing year by year. In Malaysia, energy consumption has increased rapidly from an average of 5% in 1980s and 12% in 2009. Due to this increasing trend, government has encouraged users to reduce their electricity consumption. One of the way is by introducing the smart meter as a solution, where the smart meter device is used to display the total of energy consumption by users. In this context, we have developed an online-based energy smart monitoring system for domestic electricity consumption. This system offers a beneficial feature, where the user is able to monitor which part of a house consumes more power energy than others. In recording the electricity usage, smart meter microcontroller is installed to continually measure data for different areas of a house. The captured electricity usage data is uploaded by the microcontroller to an online database, which can then be viewed by users on their Android devices. Through this monitoring system, the objectives are achieved such that the users are able to know how much energy are being consumed for a particular area in the house. The Android application provides an interface to show the analysis of electricity consumption for different areas of a house in terms of voltage, current, power consumption and the corresponding pricing for a specified duration.
Dilution assessment of cervicovaginal secretions collected by vaginal washing to evaluate mucosal shedding of free human immunodeficiency virus

A 10 mM concentration of lithium does not interfere with reverse transcription (RT) or PCR. Sampling of cervicovaginal fluid by vaginal washing, with lithium (10 mM) in the washing buffer as a marker of dilution, may be utilized to accurately determine in HIV-infected women, by quantitative RT-PCR, the genital shedding of acellular HIV RNA at the level of the mucosa itself.
The Capsule Polymerase CslB of Neisseria meningitidis Serogroup L Catalyzes the Synthesis of a Complex Trimeric Repeating Unit Comprising Glycosidic and Phosphodiester Linkages*

Background: The trimeric repeating unit forming the capsular polysaccharide of Neisseria meningitidis serogroup L comprises glycosidic and phosphodiester bonds. Results: We identified the two-domain capsule polymerase CslB of N. meningitidis serogroup L to assemble this complex trimer with UDP-GlcNAc as substrate. Conclusion: CslB represents a unique capsule polymerase in group 2 capsule expressing bacteria. Significance: Understanding capsule biosynthesis is mandatory for combatting encapsulated bacterial pathogens. Neisseria meningitidis is a human pathogen causing bacterial meningitis and sepsis. The capsular polysaccharide surrounding N. meningitidis is a major virulence factor. The capsular polysaccharide consists of polyhexosamine phosphates in N. meningitidis serogroups A and X. The capsule polymerases (CPs) of these serogroups are members of the Stealth protein family comprising d-hexose-1-phosphate transferases from bacterial and protozoan pathogens. CslA, one of two putative CPs of the pathophysiologically less relevant N. meningitidis serogroup L, is one of the smallest known Stealth proteins and caught our attention for structure-function analyses. Because the N. meningitidis serogroup L capsule polymer consists of a trimeric repeating unit ([→3)-β-d-GlcNAc-(1→3)-β-d-GlcNAc-(1→3)-α-d-GlcNAc-(1→OPO3→]n), we speculated that the two predicted CPs (CslA and CslB) work together in polymer production. Consequently, both enzymes were cloned, overexpressed, and purified as recombinant proteins. Contrary to our expectation, enzymatic testing identified CslB to be sufficient to catalyze the synthesis of the complex trimeric N. meningitidis serogroup L capsule polymer repeating unit. No polymerase activity was detected for CslA, although the enzyme facilitated the hydrolysis of UDP-GlcNAc. Bioinformatics analyses identified two glycosyltransferase (GT) domains in CslB. The N-terminal domain modeled with 100% confidence onto a number of GT-A folded proteins, whereas the C-terminal domain modeled with 100% confidence onto TagF, a GT-B folded teichoic acid polymerase from Staphylococcus epidermidis. Amino acid positions known to have critical catalytic functions in the template proteins were conserved in CslB, and their point mutation abolished enzyme activity. CslB represents an enzyme of so far unique complexity regarding both the catalyzed reaction and enzyme architecture.
Study of modulation recognition based on HOCs and SVM

The paper presents a new algorithm for modulation recognition of digital communication signals based on higher order cumulants (HOCs) and support vector machines (SVM). The fourth and sixth order cumulants of the received signal are used as the input classification feature vector to the SVM. The SVM maps the input vectors nonlinearly into a high dimensional feature space, constructs the optimum separating hyperplane in that space and makes the non-separable data separable. This method is robust to Gaussian noise and constellation rotation due to the initial phase of the signal and avoids the overfitting and local minimum in a neural network. The high performance and robustness of the algorithms are proved by computer simulation.
Numerical Approximation of Multidimensional Parabolic Partial Differential Equations Arising in Financial Mathematics

A large number of financial option pricing models give rise to PDEs which turn out to be very difficult to solve by classical analytic tools. In this article, we study the numerical approximation in space of the solution of the Cauchy problem for a multidimensional linear parabolic PDE of second order, with time and space-dependent coefficients. Making use of the L2 theory of solvability in Sobolev spaces, the solution of the PDE problem is approximated in space, with finite-difference methods. The rate of convergence is estimated.
Anti-inflammatory effects of Gualou Guizhi decoction in transient focal cerebral ischemic brains

The aim of the present study was to explore the neuroprotective effects of Gualou Guizhi decoction (GLGZD) in a rat model of middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into three groups: Sham (no MCAO), MCAO (MCAO with no GLGZD treatment) and GLGZD (MCAO with GLGZD treatment). Rats in the MCAO and GLGZD groups were subjected to permanent occlusion of the left middle cerebral artery. Neurological function and infarct volume were measured. Microglial activation and inflammatory cell accumulation were measured using immunohistochemistry. mRNA and protein expression of inflammatory mediators were examined using reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction and an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The expression of proteins associated with the nuclear factor κ-B (NF-κB) inflammation signaling pathway was analyzed using western blotting. The results of the present study suggested that infarct size was significantly reduced and neurological behavior function was improved in rats with MCAO treated with GLGZD compared with rats in the MCAO group. Amoeboid microglial expansion and inflammatory cell migration were observed in the infarcted areas of rats in the GLGZD group and were not identified in those of the MCAO group. Target mRNA and protein levels, and inflammatory cell infiltration were significantly reduced in the GLGZD group compared with the MCAO model group. Notably, GLGZD treatment induced neuroprotective effects, reducing inflammation and inhibiting NF-κB signaling compared with the MCAO group. Therefore, GLGZD may exhibit anti‐inflammatory effects against ischemia‐reperfusion brain injury and may be a therapeutic target for ischemic stroke.
Speech and phoneme segmentation under noisy environment through spectrogram image analysis

This paper presents a new algorithm for speech segmentation based on image analysis of the spectrogram of the signal. The algorithm works in two loops: the first segments the sound in search for the speech signal. The segmented speech returns to the algorithm for phoneme segmentation. For evaluation, the algorithm was applied to TIMIT speech signals with correct speech segmentation of every tested signal, including signals under real-world noise.
Design and Security Simulation of Wi-Fi Networks

Wireless networks milieu is sprouting into the market, and it is the principal way of accessing the internet. Design and security of these networks for an organization need to be considered to ensure mobility is accomplished. In this study simulation results of 802.1X with flexible authentication via secure tunnelling was performed. Opportunistic key caching which is preferred by many vendors was used transit the session information from the posterior access point to the prior access point to minimize the hand-off latency to allow continuous connectivity to avoid poor network performance. The simulation process was applied throughout the write up of this article without setting up the pricy real lab-test. After the successful modelling of the network, the outcome will be transferred to the real-life environment. The network simulator software was used to illustrate roaming while Cisco Packet Tracer was engaged in the layout design of the wireless nodes. This research applies to network administrators and engineers worldwide to save time and the cost of the network appliances. Index Terms – Simulation, Security, EAP-FAST, 802.1X, EAP Types, WLAN, RADIUS.
The Mitochondrial Ornithine Transporter

Two isoforms of the human ornithine carrier, ORC1 and ORC2, have been identified by overexpression of the proteins in bacteria and by study of the transport properties of the purified proteins reconstituted into liposomes. Both transport l-isomers of ornithine, lysine, arginine, and citrulline by exchange and by unidirectional mechanisms, and they are inactivated by the same inhibitors. ORC2 has a broader specificity than ORC1, and l- and d-histidine, l-homoarginine, and d-isomers of ornithine, lysine, and ornithine are all substrates. Both proteins are expressed in a wide range of human tissues, but ORC1 is the predominant form. The highest levels of expression of both isoforms are in the liver. Five mutant forms of ORC1 associated with the human disease hyperornithinemia-hyperammonemia-homocitrullinuria were also made. The mutations abolish the transport properties of the protein. In patients with hyperornithinemia-hyperammonemia-homocitrullinuria, isoform ORC2 is unmodified, and its presence compensates partially for defective ORC1.