Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Temperature-Sensitive Chinese Hamster Fibroblast Mutant with a Defect in RNA Metabolism

We describe a new temperature-sensitive mutant of Chinese hamster cell fibroblasts. After a shift to the nonpermissive temperature of 40.5°C, the rates of DNA, RNA, and protein synthesis declined rapidly (to ≤50% within 12 h) and the progression of unsynchronized cells through the cell cycle was affected. We believe that DNA synthesis came to a halt after a short time, because cells no longer entered the S phase. The decrease in protein synthesis at 40.5°C was shown to be a consequence of a decrease in the number of polysomes, whereas free 80S ribosomes accumulated. We concluded that the components of the protein biosynthetic machinery were intact (ribosomes and soluble factors), but synthesis was limited by a shortage of mRNA. The decline in mRNA production had a significant effect on the synthesis of proteins (e.g., heat shock proteins) translated from short-lived messages. We observed that both polyadenylated and nonpolyadenylated RNA syntheses declined at 40.5°C, whereas the synthesis of small RNAs (4 to 5S) was less reduced. The argument is made that the temperature-sensitive phenotype is the result of a defect affecting mRNA synthesis.
Prolidase activity and oxidative stress parameters in patients with nasal polyps.

BACKGROUND AND AIM Oxidative stress is believed to have a role in the development of nasal polyps (NPs). It is also known that prolidase activity increases secondary to chronic inflammation. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the association between prolidase activity and oxidative stress parameters in patients with NPs. MATERIALS AND METHODS Sixty patients with NPs, septal deviations and the concha hypertrophies were recruited to the study. Patients were divided into two groups; group 1 (n=30) consisted of patients with NPs, and group 2 (n=30) included patients with septal deviations and concha hypertrophies. Polyp specimens were taken from all patients who underwent endoscopic surgery for NPs. Control specimens were acquired from patients who underwent an operation for septoplasty or concha hypertrophy. Blood and tissue samples were obtained to assess lipid hydroperoxide (LOOH), catalase (CAT) and prolidase activity. RESULTS Compared to group 2, group 1 had significantly higher LOOH and prolidase levels, and lower CAT levels both in serum and tissue samples (p<0.05 for all). Prolidase activity was correlated with increased LOOH and decreased CAT levels (r = 0.507 p = 0.004; r = - 0.579, p = 0.001, respectively). CONCLUSIONS Our study demonstrated that oxidative stress and prolidase activity, both in serum and the tissue in patients with NPs, were higher than in patients without NPs.
Limitation of Unloading in the Developing Grains Is a Possible Cause Responsible for Low Stem Non-structural Carbohydrate Translocation and Poor Grain Yield Formation in Rice through Verification of Recombinant Inbred Lines

Remobilisation of non-structural carbohydrates (NSC) from leaves and stems and unloading into developing grains are essential for yield formation of rice. In present study, three recombinant inbred lines of rice, R91, R156 and R201 have been tested for source-flow-sink related attributes determining the nature of NSC accumulation and translocation at two nitrogen levels in the field. Compared to R91 and R156, R201 had lower grain filling percentage, harvest index, and grain yield. Meanwhile, R201 had significantly lower stem NSC translocation during grain filling stage. Grain filling percentage, harvest index, and grain yield showed the consistent trend with stem NSC translocation among the three lines. In comparison with R91 and R156, R201 had similarity in leaf area index, specific leaf weight, stem NSC concentration at heading, biomass, panicles m-2, spikelets per panicle, remobilization capability of assimilation in stems, sink capacity, sink activity, number and cross sectional area of small vascular bundles, greater number and cross sectional area of large vascular bundles, and higher SPAD, suggesting that source, flow, and sink were not the limiting factors for low stem NSC translocation and grain filling percentage of R201. However, R201 had significant higher stem and rachis NSC concentrations at maturity, which implied that unloading in the developing grains might result in low NSC translocation in R201. The results indicate that stem NSC translocation could be beneficial for enhancement of grain yield potential, and poor unloading into caryopsis may be the possible cause of low stem NSC translocation, poor grain filling and yield formation in R201.
THE ROLE OF FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT IN TESTING ENVIRONMENTAL KUZNETS CURVE IN KUWAIT: EVIDENCE FROM ARDL BOUND TESTING APPROACH

The aim of the current investigates the relationship of energy utilization and financial management & expansion in influencing environmental degradation of Kuwait. The current study used time series data from 1981 to 2017. The results of ARDL bound testing confirm that economic growth, square of economic growth, energy consumption and financial management are the valid determinants of environmental degradation in Kuwait. Moreover, the results attest that financial management have a positive outcome on environmental degradation in Kuwait which suggests that the financial management is one of the main sources of increasing environmental degradation in Kuwait over the long run. Likewise, it tends to be discussed that all components including economic growth, energy consumption and financial management assume a noteworthy contributor to worsening the environmental condition in Kuwait and confirm the EKC in Kuwait. The empirical findings of the examination help the policy makers in identification and the awareness regarding the specific link of power consumption with rising ecological adversity in Kuwait. Also, our study elaborates the policy makers in capturing the efficiency of financial management in addressing the critical issue of rising carbon-di-oxide emission in the country.
Accelerometer signal-based human activity recognition using augmented autoregressive model coefficients and artificial neural nets

Automatic recognition of human activities is one of the important and challenging research areas in proactive and ubiquitous computing. In this work, we present some preliminary results of recognizing human activities using augmented features extracted from the activity signals measured using a single triaxial accelerometer sensor and artificial neural nets. The features include autoregressive (AR) modeling coefficients of activity signals, signal magnitude areas (SMA), and title angles (TA). We have recognized four human activities using AR coefficients (ARC) only, ARC with SMA, and ARC with SMA and TA. With the last augmented features, we have achieved the recognition rate above 99% for all four activities including lying, standing, walking, and running. With our proposed technique, real time recognition of some human activities is possible.
Differential expression of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), ß actin and hypoxanthine phosphoribosyltransferase (HPRT) in postnatal rabbit sclera

Purpose. GAPDH, ß-actin, HPRT and 18S rRNA are constitutively expressed in all mammalian cells. In accordance with the nature of invariant control, these genes have been used to standardize genes of interest in expression studies. Recent studies have suggested that GAPDH, ß-actin and HPRT in special situations may come under temporary regulatory control, but that 18S rRNA may be more likely to remain constitutive. However, little is known about the quantitative expression of these genes in fibroblasts and in particular during early postnatal development, a time of rapid changes in cell metabolism. In this study we have examined the differential expression of these genes in association with scleral development from an early postnatal age up to young adult status. Methods. GAPDH, ß-actin, HPRT, and 18S rRNA gene expression were analyzed in the rabbit sclera from 1 day to 8 weeks postnatally by real-time, comparative PCR. Results. Real-time PCR analysis showed that the expression levels of GAPDH, ß-actin, and HPRT were higher in the first postnatal week and then declined. However, from 2 to 8 weeks, the mRNA levels of these three genes underwent significant variations (P < 0.01) in their levels of expression. In contrast, the expression level of 18S rRNA showed no significant variation (P = 0.5) over this time period. Conclusions. The present study shows that GAPDH, ß actin and HPRT gene were differentially expressed in early postnatal scleral development. It also suggests that these gene products could be implicated in the developmental process and have a crucial role in the early postnatal period. This study demonstrates that 18S rRNA may be preferable to normalize genes of interest in studies of early development.
Development and Characterization of a Conditional Mitochondrial Complex I Assembly System*

We developed a conditional complex I assembly system in a Chinese hamster fibroblast mutant line, CCL16-B2, that does not express the NDUFA1 gene (encoding the MWFE protein). In this mutant, a hemagglutinin (HA) epitope-tagged MWFE protein was expressed from a doxycycline-inducible promoter. The expression of the protein was absolutely dependent on the presence of doxycycline, and the gene could be turned off completely by removal of doxycycline. These experiments demonstrated a key role of MWFE in the pathway of complex I assembly. Upon induction the MWFE·HA protein reached steady-state levels within 24 h, but the appearance of fully active complex I was delayed by another ∼24 h. The MWFE appeared in a precomplex that probably includes one or more subunits encoded by mtDNA. The fate of MWFE and the stability of complex I were themselves very tightly linked to the activity of mitochondrial protein synthesis and to the assembly of subunits encoded by mtDNA (ND1–6 and ND4L). This novel conditional system can shed light not only on the mechanism of complex I assembly but emphasizes the role of subunits previously thought of as “accessory. ” It promises to have broader applications in the study of cellular energy metabolism and production of reactive oxygen species and related processes.
Optimized Spectrum Constrained Crest Factor Reduction Technique Using Polynomials

This paper proposes a new peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR) reduction technique using a polynomial soft clipping function identified through a nonlinear constrained optimization. The power efficiency optimization problem of a linearized power amplifier can be considered as the minimization of the PAPR constrained by meeting the spectral mask requirements of the signal standard. It is demonstrated that the proposed approach can reduce the PAPR from 9.9 to 5.5 dB while meeting the spectral mask of the wideband code-division multiple-access standard. To compare the results with the traditional clipping and filtering method, the 5.5-dB PAPR clipped signal using the clipping and filtering technique was compared with the soft clipped signal. With the same efficiency, the error vector magnitude (EVM) for the soft clipped signal improved from 4.5% to 1.3% using post-compensation. Later, clipping and filtering are combined with the soft clipping technique. It is shown that the combined structure can reduce the PAPR to 3.4 dB while passing the adjacent channel power ratio and EVM requirements. The performance of the proposed method in the presence of additive white Gaussian noise and fading channels has been evaluated for 64QAM modulations using orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing modulated symbols.
Slowed Exercise-Onset Vo2 Kinetics During Submaximal Endurance Exercise in Subjects With Multiple Sclerosis

Background. Low physical activity levels in persons with multiple sclerosis (MS) may reduce skeletal muscle oxidative capacity. Rehabilitation strategies might be altered by a measure of capacity that did not require invasive techniques or maximal exercise testing. For this purpose, we measured exercise onset and offset oxygen uptake (Vo2) kinetics during endurance exercise. Objective. This study compared exercise-onset and -offset Vo2 kinetics in mildly affected persons with MS with healthy matched participants. Methods. From 38 MS patients who had a mean Expanded Disability Status Scale of 3.1 and 16 healthy participants, exercise-onset and -offset Vo2 kinetics (mean response time [MRT]) were determined during two 6-minute submaximal bouts of exercise separated by a 6-minute recovery interval. Blood lactate, heart rate, expiratory volume, and Borg ratings of perceived exertion were assessed during exercise and compared between groups. Relationships between clinical characteristics and MRT were assessed. Results. During exercise, blood lactate, heart rate, and expiratory volume did not differ between groups (P > .05), but exercise-onset MRT was significantly slower in MS versus healthy participants (P = .007). Exercise-onset MRT was independently related to having MS (P = .02). Exercise-offset MRT was not different between groups or was independently related to having MS (P > .05). No independent relationships between clinical characteristics of MS and exercise-onset or -offset MRT were found. Conclusions. Exercise-onset Vo2 kinetics during submaximal endurance exercise are significantly slowed in mildly disabled persons with MS, suggesting low skeletal muscle oxidative capacity. Using mean response time testing, rehabilitation interventions for this reduction in exercise capacity can be assessed and targeted.
Isolation of mannan-protein complexes from viable cells of Saccharomyces cerevisiae X2180-1A wild type and Saccharomyces cerevisiae X2180-1 A-5 mutant strains by the action of Zymolyase-60,000

The viable whole cells of Saccharomyces cerevisiae X2180-1A wild type and its mannan mutant strain S. cerevisiae X2180-1A-5, were treated with an Arthrobacter sp. beta-1,3-glucanase in the presence of a serine protease inhibitor, phenyl-methylsulfonyl fluoride. Fractionation of the solubilized materials of each strain with Cetavlon (cetyltrimethylammonium bromide) yielded one mannan-protein complex. Molecular weights of these complexes were almost the same as that of the mannoprotein of the mutant strain prepared by Nakajima and Ballou, which had a molecular weight of 133,000 and were approximately three times larger than those of the mannans isolated from the same cells by hot-water extraction. Each mannan-protein complex contained up to 2% glucose residue, which was not removed by specific precipitation with anti-mannan sera or by affinity chromatography on a column of concanavalin A-Sepharose. Treatment of these complexes with alkaline NaBH4 produced peptide-free mannan containing small amounts of glucose nearly identical to those of the parent complexes. The above findings provide evidence that the glucose residues exist in a covalently linked form to the mannan moiety. Fractionation of the mannan-protein complex of the S. cerevisiae wild-type strain by DEAE-Sephadex chromatography yielded five subfractions of different phosphate content, indicating that these highly intact mannan-protein complexes were of heterogeneous material consisting of many molecular species of different phosphate content.
Effect of measurement CO(2) concentration on sugar maple root respiration.

Accurate estimates of root respiration are crucial to predicting belowground C cycling in forest ecosystems. Inhibition of respiration has been reported as a short-term response of plant tissue to elevated measurement [CO(2)]. We sought to determine if measurement [CO(2)] affected root respiration in samples from mature sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh.) forests and to assess possible errors associated with root respiration measurements made at [CO(2)]s lower than that typical of the soil atmosphere. Root respiration was measured as both CO(2) production and O(2) consumption on excised fine roots (</= 1.0 mm) at [CO(2)]s ranging from 350 to > 20,000 micro l l(-1). Root respiration was significantly affected by the [CO(2)] at which measurements were made for both CO(2) production and O(2) consumption. Root respiration was most sensitive to [CO(2)] near and below normal soil concentrations (< 1500 micro l l(-1)). Respiration rates changed little at [CO(2)]s above 3000 micro l l(-1) and were essentially constant above 6000 micro l l(-1) CO(2). These findings call into question estimates of root respiration made at or near atmospheric [CO(2)], suggesting that they overestimate actual rates in the soil. Our results indicate that sugar maple root respiration at atmospheric [CO(2)] (350 micro l l(-1)) is about 139% of that at soil [CO(2)]. Although the causal mechanism remains unknown, the increase in root respiration at low measurement [CO(2)] is significant and should be accounted for when estimating or modeling root respiration. Until the direct effect of [CO(2)] on root respiration is fully understood, we recommend making measurements at a [CO(2)] representative of, or higher than, soil [CO(2)]. In all cases, the [CO(2)] at which measurements are made and the [CO(2)] typical of the soil atmosphere should be reported.
A cyclic adenosine 3′,5′‐monophosphate‐induced tyrosine phosphorylation of syk protein tyrosine kinase in the flagella of boar spermatozoa

A cyclic adenosine 3′,5′‐monophosphate (cAMP)‐dependent protein tyrosine phosphorylation is involved in the expression of fertilizing ability in mammalian spermatozoa. However, there are only limited data concerning the identification of protein tyrosine kinase (PTK) that is activated by the cAMP signaling. In this study, we have shown data supporting that boar sperm flagellum possesses a unique cAMP–protein kinase A (PKA) signaling cascade leading to phosphorylation of Syk PTK at the tyrosine residues of the activation loop. Ejaculated spermatozoa were washed and then incubated in a modified Krebs–Ringer HEPES medium (mKRH) containing polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) plus 0.1 mM cBiMPS (a cell‐permeable cAMP analog), 0.25 mM sodium orthovanadate (Na3VO4) (a protein tyrosine phosphatase (PTP) inhibitor) or both at 38.5°C for 180 min. Aliquots of the sperm suspensions were recovered before and after incubation and then used to detect sperm tyrosine‐phosphorylated proteins by Western blotting and indirect immunofluorescence. In the Western blotting, the anti‐phosphotyrosine monoclonal antibody (4G10) recognized several bands including 72‐kDa protein in the protein extracts from spermatozoa that were incubated solely with cBiMPS. The tyrosine phosphorylation in these sperm proteins was dependent on cBiMPS and enhanced by the addition of Na3VO4. The 72‐kDa tyrosine‐phosphorylated protein was apparently reacted with the anti‐phospho‐Syk antibody (Tyr525/526). Indirect immunofluorescence revealed that the connecting and principal pieces of spermatozoa incubated with cBiMPS and Na3VO4 were stained with the anti‐phospho‐Syk antibody. However, the reactivity of the 72‐kDa protein with the anti‐phospho‐Syk antibody was reduced by the addition of H‐89 (a PKA inhibitor, 0.01–0.1 mM) to the sperm suspensions but not affected by the pretreatment of spermatozoa with BAPTA‐AM (an intracellular Ca2+ chelator, 0.1 mM). Fractionation of phosphorylated proteins from the spermatozoa with a detergent Nonidet P‐40 suggested that the 72‐kDa tyrosine‐phosphorylated protein might be a cytoskeletal component. Based on these findings, we have concluded that the cAMP–PKA signaling is linked to the Ca2+‐independent tyrosine phosphorylation of Syk in the connecting and principal pieces of boar spermatozoa. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 69: 436–447, 2004. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Dealing with competing risks: testing covariates and calculating sample size

It is universally agreed that Kaplan–Meier estimates overestimate the probability of the event of interest in the presence of competing risks. Kalbfleisch and Prentice recommend using the cumulative incidence as an estimate of the probability of an event of interest. However, there is no consensus on how to test the effect of a covariate in the presence of competing risks. Using simulations, this paper illustrates that the Cox proportional hazards model gives valid results when employed in testing the effect of a covariate on the hazard rate and when estimating the hazard ratio. A method to calculate the sample size for testing the effect of a covariate on outcome in the presence of competing risks is also provided. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Binding of Double-stranded RNA to Protein Kinase PKR Is Required for Dimerization and Promotes Critical Autophosphorylation Events in the Activation Loop*

Protein kinase PKR is activated by double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) and phosphorylates translation initiation factor 2α to inhibit protein synthesis in virus-infected mammalian cells. PKR contains two dsRNA binding motifs (DRBMs I and II) required for activation by dsRNA. There is strong evidence that PKR activation requires dimerization, but the role of dsRNA in dimer formation is controversial. By making alanine substitutions predicted to remove increasing numbers of side chain contacts between the DRBMs and dsRNA, we found that dimerization of full-length PKR in yeast was impaired by the minimal combinations of mutations required to impair dsRNA bindingin vitro. Mutation of Ala-67 to Glu in DRBM-I, reported to abolish dimerization without affecting dsRNA binding, destroyed both activities in our assays. By contrast, deletion of a second dimerization region that overlaps the kinase domain had no effect on PKR dimerization in yeast. Human PKR contains at least 15 autophosphorylation sites, but only Thr-446 and Thr-451 in the activation loop were found here to be critical for kinase activity in yeast. Using an antibody specific for phosphorylated Thr-451, we showed that Thr-451 phosphorylation is stimulated by dsRNA binding. Our results provide strong evidence that dsRNA binding is required for dimerization of full-length PKR molecules in vivo, leading to autophosphorylation in the activation loop and stimulation of the eIF2α kinase function of PKR.
The Physics of Toppling and Regaining Balance during a Pirouette

One of the most common movements in dance is a turn around a vertical axis with one supporting foot on the floor—a pirouette. If the pirouette is not performed with the body on balance, it is not consid-ered successful. Dancers are often taught to perform successful pirouettes by beginning the movement on balance and then keeping the body in that configuration, as opposed to correcting for an imbalance with small adjustments during the turn. Many, even advanced, dancers have significant difficulty performing more than two or three turns in a pirouette before losing balance, despite continued trial and error efforts to improve. To describe the mechanics of toppling and control of toppling during a pirouette, a theoretical model of a dancer in standard pirouette position was created, and an experimental study of real dancers performing pirouettes was conducted. Body segment parameters for the model (mass, length, etc.) were based on anatomical data and adjusted for sex, total body mass, and height. The principal moments of inertia were determined for several hypothetical dancers, and rigid body equations of motion numerically solved to express topple angle vs. time. When dancers reach too large a topple angle, they are forced to compensate by either hopping on the supporting foot in an attempt to regain