Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Fructan dynamics in the underground organs of Chresta exsucca (Asteraceae), a dry season flowering species

Climatic seasonality has an infl uence on the phenology of native Cerrado plants. Herbs and subshrubs tend to fl ower in the rainy season, although some species of these habits fl ower in the dry season. Reserve carbohydrates, stored in the underground organs, are used to support phases of high energy-demand, but also may protect plants from damage during periods of environmental limitation. In this study we evaluated variation in fructan levels in the underground organs of fi eld-grown plants of Chresta exsucca among diff erent phenological phases. Chresta exsucca fl owers in the dry season and possesses a diff use underground system, which stores inulin-type fructans. Resprouting was continual during the sampling period. Oligosaccharide content was always higher than polysaccharide content, except during senescence, the only phase with an oligosaccharide: polysaccharide ratio < 1. Fructan accumulation occurred during vegetative growth until fl owering. Fructan mobilization was prominent during resprouting until the beginning of vegetative growth. Fructans stored in the underground organs of C. exsucca serve to fulfi ll the energetic demands of development and maintenance of this complex structure. In this way, fructans are essential to the persistence of this species in the environment of the Cerrado by ensuring reproduction in harsh conditions, such as drought.
The Effects of Temperature on the Kinematics of Rattlesnake Predatory Strikes in Both Captive and Field Environments

Abstract The outcomes of predator–prey interactions between endotherms and ectotherms can be heavily influenced by environmental temperature, owing to the difference in how body temperature affects locomotor performance. However, as elastic energy storage mechanisms can allow ectotherms to maintain high levels of performance at cooler body temperatures, detailed analyses of kinematics are necessary to fully understand how changes in temperature might alter endotherm–ectotherm predator–prey interactions. Viperid snakes are widely distributed ectothermic mesopredators that interact with endotherms both as predator and prey. Although there are numerous studies on the kinematics of viper strikes, surprisingly few have analyzed how this rapid movement is affected by temperature. Here we studied the effects of temperature on the predatory strike performance of rattlesnakes (Crotalus spp.), abundant new world vipers, using both field and captive experimental contexts. We found that the effects of temperature on predatory strike performance are limited, with warmer snakes achieving slightly higher maximum strike acceleration, but similar maximum velocity. Our results suggest that, unlike defensive strikes to predators, rattlesnakes may not attempt to maximize strike speed when attacking prey, and thus the outcomes of predatory strikes may not be heavily influenced by changes in temperature.
Syntax-Sensitive Regions of the Posterior Inferior Frontal Gyrus and the Posterior Temporal Lobe Are Differentially Recruited by Production and Perception

Abstract Matchin and Hickok (2020) proposed that the left posterior inferior frontal gyrus (PIFG) and the left posterior temporal lobe (PTL) both play a role in syntactic processing, broadly construed, attributing distinct functions to these regions with respect to production and perception. Consistent with this hypothesis, functional dissociations between these regions have been demonstrated with respect to lesion–symptom mapping in aphasia. However, neuroimaging studies of syntactic comprehension typically show similar activations in these regions. In order to identify whether these regions show distinct activation patterns with respect to syntactic perception and production, we performed an fMRI study contrasting the subvocal articulation and perception of structured jabberwocky phrases (syntactic), sequences of real words (lexical), and sequences of pseudowords (phonological). We defined two sets of language-selective regions of interest (ROIs) in individual subjects for the PIFG and the PTL using the contrasts [syntactic > lexical] and [syntactic > phonological]. We found robust significant interactions of comprehension and production between these 2 regions at the syntactic level, for both sets of language-selective ROIs. This suggests a core difference in the function of these regions with respect to production and perception, consistent with the lesion literature.
Effects of land-use and climate change on sediment and nutrient retention in Guizhou, China

ABSTRACT Introduction Sediment and nutrient retention have significant impacts on agricultural productivity and water quality. Obvious changes of climate and land-use have deeply affected freshwater ecosystem services in the last several decades. Nevertheless, it is unclear what the differences are in the impact of climate and land-use changes on freshwater ecosystem services. Outcomes The impacts of climate and land-use change on sediment and nutrient retention (two essential freshwater ecosystem services) were evaluated with the help of the Integrated Valuation of Environmental Services and Tradeoffs (InVEST) model. The results from the study area suggest a decreasing trend in sediment and nutrient retention from 1995 to 2015 when climate and land-use were changed simultaneously. A decreasing trend in sediment retention and an increasing trend in nutrient retention were presented under scenario A (climate change from 1995 to 2015 with land-use unchanged), while the sediment exported and nutrient retention exhibited a decreasing trend except sediment retained under scenario B (land-use change from 1995 to 2015 with unchanged climate). Rainfall erosivity and soil erodibility were more sensitive to the output of sediment retention, while retention efficiency produced more of an effect on nutrient retention. Discussion and Conclusion Climate change played a dominant role in the change in sediment retention, while land-use change had a more significant effect on nutrient retention change than climate change. The results of this study provide explicitinformation for land-use managers to reduce the negative effects associated with sediment and nutrient retention.
Activation of Liver X Receptor α Sensitizes Mice to T‐Cell Mediated Hepatitis

Autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) is an inflammatory disease of the liver. Liver X receptors (LXRs), including the α and β isoforms, are previously known for their anti‐inflammatory activities. The goal of this study is to determine whether and how LXR plays a role in AIH. LXRα gain‐of‐function and loss‐of‐function mouse models were used, in conjunction with the concanavalin A (ConA) model of T‐cell mediated hepatitis. We first showed that the hepatic expression of LXRα was decreased in the ConA model of hepatitis and in human patients with AIH. In the ConA model, we were surprised to find that activation of LXRα in the constitutively activated VP‐LXRα whole‐body knock‐in (LXRα‐KI) mice exacerbated ConA‐induced AIH, whereas the LXRα−/− mice showed attenuated ConA‐induced AIH. Interestingly, hepatocyte‐specific activation of LXRα in the fatty acid binding protein–VP‐LXRα transgenic mice did not exacerbate ConA‐induced hepatitis. Mechanistically, the sensitizing effect of the LXRα‐KI allele was invariant natural killer T (iNKT)–cell dependent, because the sensitizing effect was abolished when the LXRα‐KI allele was bred into the NKT‐deficient CD1d−/− background. In addition, LXRα‐enhanced ConA‐induced hepatitis was dependent on interferon gamma. In contrast, adoptive transfer of hepatic iNKT cells isolated from LXRα‐KI mice was sufficient to sensitize CD1d−/− mice to ConA‐induced AIH. Conclusion: Activation of LXRα sensitizes mice to ConA‐induced AIH in iNKT and interferon gamma–dependent manner. Our results suggest that LXRα plays an important role in the development of AIH.
Development of HCV genotyping protocol based on high resolution melting analysis real-time PCR: a pilot study

Determination of HCV genotype is important for the disease prognosis and prediction of treatment outcomes. Several methods of genotyping are commercially available and others are done in-house. Aims for the study were to elucidate nucleotide sequence of local HCV strains and to establish an in-house technique for HCV genotyping using DNA intercalating dye real-time PCR. HCV RNA was extracted and subjected to reverse transcription before amplification using SsoFast EvaGreen mix real-time PCR. Sequence analysis of the 5’UTR revealed two major groups of HCV genotypes (1 and 3). The GC content HCV genotype 1 and 3 were 57.14-58.44% and 55.19-57.14, respectively. HCV RNA was able to be detected with the PCR mix reaction. However, both main genotypes are indiscriminately clustered using high resolution melting analysis and melting temperature analysis. Further modification of the established method could result in better outcomes.
Differences among avian frugivores in seed dispersal to degraded habitats

Vertebrate frugivores enhance tropical forest regeneration by dispersing seeds into degraded areas. However, the importance of individual species as dispersers may vary within a community. Management and restoration would benefit from understanding which species are critical in moving native seeds into degraded habitats. We compared habitat composition of bird start and end locations for movement intervals based on mean gut passage times for the avian frugivore community on the island of Saipan. The proportion of movement intervals that began in intact, native forest varied among species, with Golden White‐eyes having the highest proportion. However, this species tended to remain in intact forest and only rarely crossed into degraded habitats. Bridled White‐eyes and Mariana Fruit Doves exhibited slightly higher rates of crossing from intact forest to degraded habitats, suggesting an ability to disperse native seeds to degraded areas. White‐throated Ground Doves were never recorded crossing from intact forest to degraded habitats. Despite having a low proportion of movement intervals beginning in intact forest, Micronesian Starlings showed a higher proportion and absolute number of movements from intact forest to degraded habitats, due to their propensity to move frequently, across long distances, and across habitat types. In this species‐poor frugivore network, seed dispersal into degraded habitats appears highly dependent on one species within the community. Regeneration of degraded lands may be severely hindered if this key disperser is lost.
Domestication outside of the domestic: shaping technology and child in an educational moral economy

This article explores the usability of domestication theory in an educational setting integrating a wide variety of information and communication technologies (ICTs). More specifically, the article analyses domestication of digital media in the Swedish leisure-time centre (LTC), an institution in which children receive education and care before and after compulsory school. The study draws on qualitative in-depth interviews with 21 teachers as well as observations of LTCs. The article reveals what it means to have limited agency as an educator when ICTs are appropriated, and further illustrates the contradictory fact that mobile phones are objectified as stationary technologies. It also shows how both devices and content are incorporated in ways that are perceived suitable to the LTCs’ educational moral economy. An especially interesting finding is the extent to which domestication theory sheds light on power relations when applied outside of the domestic sphere.
Seepage Mechanism Investigation for the Brick-Soil Foundation of the Xi’an Bell Tower

ABSTRACT The Xi’an Bell Tower in Shaanxi Province, China, has been preserved for more than 600 years. However, due to the deterioration of brick and rammed earth in the bell tower foundation (BTF), the ancient building has suffered serious damages, such as seepage, efflorescence, peeling, and cracking. The seepage causes and mechanisms of the BTF are investigated in this work. The distribution of damages in the BTF is analyzed by on-site investigation, and the moisture filed of the BTF is monitored by in-situ tests and model tests under different types of rainfall and different compaction degree of rammed earth. The results show that: (1) The brick-soil structure within 3.0 m below the top of the BTF and 2.0 m above the bottom of the BTF is seriously affected by rainfall infiltration. (2) Heavy rainfall infiltration, aging of the top anti-seepage layer and the cracking of the side wall in the BTF are the main reasons for the water seepage. The irrigation water for the plantings has no influence on the BTF when the ground around the BTF is hardened. (3) The decreasing of the dry density (or increasing of the pore ratio) of the rammed earth is the second reason for the water seepage. When the dry density of the rammed earth is decreased by 10%, the depth of infiltration can be increased by 40%, and the wetting degree can be increased by 50%. Appropriately increasing the dry density of the rammed earth can effectively reduce the depth and impact of rainfall infiltration.
Investigation of mechanisms for restricting the activity of cyclic-AMP dependent protein kinase

Cyclic AMP (cAMP) is an ancient second messenger that is essential for many cellular processes including synaptic plasticity and control of heart rate and contractility. Cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) is the major intracellular receptor for cAMP. PKA consists of dimeric regulatory (R) subunits that bind and inhibit catalytic (C) subunits. PKA is activated upon binding of cAMP to the R subunits, which leads to the release of C subunits, and phosphorylation of intracellular protein substrates. An enduring challenge in cAMP research is to understand how PKA activity is directed to specific substrates, as the C subunits exhibit only limited substrate specificity in vitro. Elevations of cAMP are controlled in both space and time in the cell. This is achieved by the co-localization of enzymes for both the synthesis (cyclases) and breakdown (phosphodiesterases) of cAMP. Anchoring proteins are also essential for directing PKA to substrates in their immediate vicinity. However, a mechanism is yet to be established to explain how the activity of the C subunit of PKA is restrained following its dissociation from R subunits. This thesis details three parallel investigations that apply novel approaches with the shared aim of understanding how C subunit restraint is achieved. First, using quantitative immunoblotting in conjunction with purified PKA subunits, I investigated PKA subunit stoichiometry, finding that PKA R subunits typically outnumber C subunits by ~15-fold. Second, I developed a novel approach for monitoring R subunit isoform-specific association with C subunits in cells, with temporal precision. Comparative experiments using this approach and measurements with a fluorescent reporter of PKA activity show that only a small portion of C subunits need be dissociated to achieve high PKA activity. Third, I applied and developed a novel cross-linking coupled to mass spectrometry (XL-MS) protocol for analysis of the structure of PKA complexes. Insights include the likely orientation of PKA complexes that contain type II R (RII) subunits towards the membrane, and identification of a possible conformational change in PKA upon binding an anchoring protein. Together these experiments illuminate several aspects of PKA to show how the activity of this critical signalling enzyme is restrained within cells.
Particle modeling of vacuum arc discharges

Metal vapor vacuum arcs (VAs) are widely used in various fields of industry, such as circuit breakers, ion sources, electrical thrusters, and deposition systems. VAs usually originate from metal vapors eroding from the surface of a cathode, where they burn as tiny bright points, hence their name “cathode spots” (CS). Due to their high plasma density, short life span, and micrometer scale, the in situ and non-intrusive diagnostics of CS are a challenge. Numerical simulation is one method used to study CS with the aid of high-performance computing. The well-established particle-in-cell method provides solutions for the spatial-temporal electromagnetic field and the microscopic distribution functions of plasma species in phase space from which the macroscopic parameters of the plasma can be calculated. This Perspective reviews the progress in particle modeling of VAs with an emphasis on the non-stationary and non-local physical processes that are not reproduced by fluid models. Furthermore, a personal outlook on future challenges is provided: the physical modeling of plasma–electrode interactions, the collection and evaluation of collision cross sections, the trade-off between heavy computation cost and predictive ability, and the verification and validation of the simulation code.
Seismic loss analysis of buildings with post-tensioned cross-laminated timber walls

The FEMA P-58 performance-based earthquake engineering methodology was used to assess the economic losses associated with earthquake damage to nonstructural components of two prototype buildings with post-tensioned cross-laminated timber rocking walls. A suite of 22 far-field ground motions were used for nonlinear time history (NLTH) analysis. Truncated incremental dynamic analysis was used to scale the ground motions, and results of the NLTH analyses were used to develop cumulative distribution functions for inter-story drift and peak floor accelerations. The economic factors assessed in the risk analysis included the expected repair cost with respect to spectral acceleration, the probability of exceeding an expected repair cost for selected time periods, and the expected annual loss over different time periods considering various discount factors. It was determined that the ratio of nonstructural repair cost to total building cost at the design earthquake and maximum considered earthquake was lower for the low-rise building than the mid-rise building. However, the probability of nonstructural damage at the service-level earthquake was lower for the mid-rise building than the low-rise building.
Exploration of older prisoner’s social needs, who attended one of two prison initiatives for older people: an inductive phenomenological study

Purpose: The aim of this study was to explore the social needs and experiences of older prisoners who were attending one of two social initiatives in a prison in England. Methodology: An interpretative phenomenological study, conducted in a prison in the South West of England. Older prisoners attending an initiative implemented for those over 55, a purposive activity or a social task group, participated in a focus group, which were audio recorded and thematically analysed. Findings: Two overarching themes were identified. Firstly, the need to feel safe, prisoners felt attending an initiative provided them with a safe haven away from noisy and boisterous younger prisoners, who they perceived as different from them and received preferential treatment. Secondly, being provided with a purpose, prisoners felt they belonged amongst their peers, which motivated them to attend and support group activities. Research limitations/implications: This study was completed in one prison, however both initiatives supported the social needs of older prisoners and enabled them to leave their cells, although they felt unsafe when not attending an initiative. Originality/value: The need remains to support the process of integrating younger and older prisoners, with the provision of both integrated and separate initiatives, with the aim of developing cross-generational bi-direction peer support.
Exchange rate pass-through in the Caucasus and Central Asia

Abstract This article estimates the extent and speed of exchange rate pass-through (ERPT) in seven Caucasus and Central Asia (CCA) countries using monthly data over the January 1995–May 2020 period. The estimations are performed using the local projections method. We find that the average pass-through in the CCA is about 10% on impact and about 25% after 12 months. There is no evidence of asymmetric ERPT with respect to the size and the sign of exchange rate changes. The pass-through is broadly unchanged in fixed versus floating exchange rate regimes. There has been a downward shift in the speed of ERPT in the aftermath of the global financial crisis as CCA countries have entered a relatively low inflation environment. The pass-through estimates could be used by the CCA monetary authorities for inflation projections. The absence of nonlinearities in the pass-through with respect to the exchange rate regime suggests that transition from fixed to floating exchange rate regimes in the region is not likely to impose additional inflationary costs.
Mitotic activity shapes stage-specific histone modification profiles during Xenopus embryogenesis

Forming an embryo from a zygote poses an apparent conflict for epigenetic regulation. On one hand, the de novo induction of cell fate identities requires the establishment and subsequent maintenance of epigenetic information to harnish developmental gene expression. On the other hand, the embryo depends on cell proliferation, and every round of DNA replication dilutes preexisting histone modifications by incorporation of new unmodified histones into chromatin. Here we investigated the possible relationship between the propagation of epigenetic information and the developmental cell proliferation during Xenopus embryogenesis. We systemically inhibited cell proliferation during the G1/S-transition in gastrula embryos and followed their development until the tadpole stage. Comparing wild-type and cell cycle-arrested embryos, we show that the inhibition of cell proliferation is principally compatible with embryo survival and cellular differentiation. In parallel, we quantified by mass spectrometry the abundance of a large set of histone modification states, which reflects the developmental maturation of the embryonic epigenome. The arrested embryos developed abnormal stage-specific histone modification profiles, in which transcriptionally repressive histone marks were overrepresented. Embryos released from the cell cycle block during neurulation reverted back towards normality on morphological, molecular and epigenetic levels. These results indicate that replicational dilution of histone marks has a strong impact on developmental chromatin maturation. We propose that this influence is strong enough to control developmental decisions, specifically in cell populations that switch between resting and proliferating states such as stem cells.