Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Genetic Design of Stable Metal-Binding Biomolecules, Oligomeric Metallothioneins

Metallothionein (MT) is a suitable model for investigating molecular interactions relating to the handling of metals in cells. However, the production of functional MT proteins in microorganisms has been limited because of the instability of MT—the thiol group of cysteine is easily oxidized and proteolysis occurs. To increase the binding ability and to stabilize MT, we designed genes for dimeric and tetrameric MT and the genes were successfully overexpressed in Escherichia coli to generate functional oligomeric MTs. A human MT-II (hMT-II) synthesized with prokaryotic codons, a linker encoding a glycine tripeptide, and Met-deficient hMT-II was ligated to create a dimeric MT, from which a tetrameric MT was then constructed. The increased molecular size of the constructs resulted in improved stability and productivity in E. coli. Cells of E. coli carrying the oligomeric MT genes showed resistance toward Zn and Cd toxicity. The oligomeric proteins formed inclusion bodies, which were dissolved with dithiothreitol, and the purified apo-MTs were reconstituted with Cd or Zn ions under reducing conditions. The dimeric and tetrameric MT proteins exhibited both Cd and Zn binding activities that were, respectively, two and four times higher than those of the hMT-II monomer protein. These stable oligomeric MTs have potential as a biomaterial for uses such as detoxification and bioremediation for heavy metals.
On the Occurrence of two Species of Parasites in Equine “Piroplasmosis” or “Biliary Fever.”

“Piroplasmosis,” or “biliary fever” in horses, has hitherto been regarded as a disease due to a distinctive parasite, Piroplasma equi Laveran. We propose to show that there are two specifically distinct parasites concerned in the production of biliary fever, and that consequently two distinct diseases have hitherto been confused under this name and under the name of piroplasmosis.
Global RNA-seq identified FBXL8 as a novel E3 ligase which modulates tumor suppressors to promote BRCA advancement

The initiation and progression of breast cancer (BRCA) is associated with inflammation and immune-overactivation. The E3 ubiquitin ligase is known to subtly balance immune-overactivation and pro-tumorigenesis. Here, by global transcriptional profiling of BRCA patient tissues, we identified a signature expression profile of F-box factors, of which FBXL8 emerged as a novel key component of E3 ligase. Our ex vivo studies (n=1349) indicate that FBXL8 promotes tumorigenesis and its level escalates with BRCA advancement. Knockdown of FBXL8 caused: (i) accumulation of two tumorsuppressors, CCND2 and IRF5, suggesting their collaborative regulation of BRCA status, (ii) intrinsic apoptosis in BRCA, (iii) inhibition of cell migration and invasion and (iv) downregulation of cancer-promoting cytokines/ chemokines; all of these effects curtailed the tumor microenvironment and suppressed cancer progression. Our findings highlight the translational impact of exploiting FBXL8 and its interaction partners (CCND2 and IRF5) for developing anti-cancer strategies and potential therapeutics to limit BRCA progression.
Survey of Rare Plants Within a Calcareous Flatwoods Community and Analysis of Plant-Environmental Relationships

ABSTRACT The Southern Ridge and Valley Calcareous Flatwoods community is represented by a diverse and unique plant association. Atypical edaphic processes may explain the presence of disjunct or nearly endemic species, including several federal/state endangered and rare species. To evaluate this community, we surveyed a 238-ha plot at Berry College (Floyd County, GA) within a known calcareous flatwoods habitat. Contiguous 30 m wide transects were surveyed for 12 focal species in 2018. Canopy photos and soil samples were taken at sites where focal plants were found, as well as at 30 random sites within the plot. Soils were analyzed for pH, lime buffer capacity (LBC), Ca, Mg, P, K, Mn, and Zn. Canopy photos were analyzed for variables related to canopy openness. Of focal species, only Asclepias hirtella (N=52) and Marshallia mohrii (N=12) were found during the survey. Contrary to expectations, this habitat was not uniformly high in Ca (mean 603 ppm) or pH (mean 4.8). Sites where focal species were found differed from random sites in LBC (lower for both species), variables related to canopy openness (higher for A. hirtella), Mg (higher for both species), and K (lower for A. hirtella). A principal components analysis supported these results; A. hirtella was associated with higher canopy openness and Mg, and lower LBC and K. We also report analogous results for nearby sites harboring target species, and demonstrate a probable effect of land cover on soil pH. Our results should inform decisions concerning management of calcareous flatwoods habitats and their characteristic species.
Increased Transgene Expression by Breeding and Selection in White Clover

To determine if standard breeding methodology is applicable to transgenes, phenotypic recurrent selection was used to select for increased transgene expression in white dover, Trifolium repens L. Plants were transformed with nptII and gusA, and selected on 100 mg L -1 of kanamycin. Independently transformed plants were inter-crossed, and the progeny was germinated on 200, 300, or 400 mg L -1 of kanamycin. Those seedlings surviving on 400 mg -1 were in turn intercrossed, and the progeny was selected on 300, 400, or 500 mg L -1 of kanamycin. NPTII levels were measured in each selected population, and Southern blots were made from individuals in each population. The highest-expressing individual in the T 2 had levels of NPTII that were more than four times higher than those in the highest parent. With selection on increasing levels of kanamycin, average expression across each generation went from 0.033 ng μg -1 NPTII in the parents to 0.095 ng μg -1 in the selected T 1 plants to 0.539 ng μg -1 in the selected T 2 plants. Southern hybridization suggested that plants displaying a heightened level of nptII expression in the T 1 and T 2 fell into two categories. The first contained one particular transgenic event, implicating the importance of other genomic factors in modulating gene expression. Alternatively, the plants had an accumulation of various nptll loci, suggesting an association between multiple transgene copies and high expression levels. On the basis of these results, selection for transgene expression appears to be a viable option for plant breeding programs.
Effects of Portulaca oleracea Powder on the Lipid Levels of Rats Fed a Hypercholesterolemia Inducing Diet

This study was initiated to investigate the effects of lyophilized purslane (Portulaca oleracea) powder (5% and 10%) on lipid levels in rats fed a hypercholesterolemia-inducing diet (1% cholesterol). During the four week study, there were no significant differences in either weight change or the food efficiency ratio between the group fed the hypercholesterol diet alone (HC) and the groups fed the purslane powder (HCPO-I and HCPO-II, 5% and 10% purslane, respectively). In serum, the levels of total lipid, total cholesterol and LDL-C decreased significantly for the group fed the 10% purslane powder (HCPO-II) in comparison with the group fed the 5% purslane powder (HCPO-I). The atherogenic index (AI) was reduced by about 51% for the group fed the 10% purslane powder (1.47) in comparison with the HC group (3.03). The activities of GOT, GPT, ALP and LDH decreased significantly for the groups fed the purslane powder in comparison with the HC group. Regarding liver tissue, the levels of total lipid, total cholesterol and triglyceride decreased significantly for the purslane powder-fed rats compared to the HC group. The fecal lipid profiles increased significantly as the amount of purslane powder was increased. Compared to the HC group, the fecal total cholesterol and triglyceride levels were higher in the group fed the 10% purslane powder by about 2.8 times and 2.3 times, respectively. For the serum and liver tissue, the content of lipid peroxide decreased significantly in the groups fed purslane powder compared to the HC group. The data from this experiment show an increase in the lipid levels discharged in feces, suggesting that the supplementation of purslane powder to a hypercholesterolemia-inducing diet reduces lipid levels.
Climate Change Synchronizes Growth and iWUE Across Species in a Temperate-Submediterranean Mixed Oak Forest

Tree species have good tolerance to a range of environmental conditions, though their ability to respond and persist to environmental changes is dramatically reduced at the rear-edge distribution limits. At those edges, gene flow conferring adaptation is impaired due to lack of populations at lower latitudes. Thus, trees mainly rely on phenotypic changes to buffer against long-term environmental changes. Interspecific hybridization may offer an alternative mechanism in the generation of novel genetic recombinants that could be particularly valuable to ensure persistence in geographically isolated forests. In this paper, we take advantage of the longevity of a temperate-submediterranean mixed-oak forest to explore the long-term impact of environmental changes on two different oak species and their hybrid. Individual trees were genetically characterized and classified into three groups: pure Quercus petraea (Matt.), Liebl, pure Q. pyrenaica Willd, and hybrids. We calculated basal area increment and intrinsic water-use efficiency (iWUE) from tree-ring width and δ13C per genetic group, respectively. Tree-growth drivers were assessed using correlation analyses and generalized linear mixed models for two contrasting climatic periods: (1880–1915, colder with [CO2] < 303 ppm; and 1980–2015, warmer with [CO2] > 338 ppm). The three genetic groups have increased radial growth and iWUE during the last decades, being the least drought-tolerant QuPe the most sensitive species to water stress. However, no significant differences were found among genetic groups neither in mean growth rate nor in mean iWUE. Furthermore, little differences were found in the response to climate among groups. Genetic groups only differed in the relationship between δ13C and temperature and precipitation during the earlier period, but such a difference disappeared during the recent decades. Climate change may have promoted species-level convergence as a response to environment-induced growth limitations, which translated in synchronized growth and response to climate as well as a tighter stomatal control and increased iWUE across coexisting oak species.
Response of eastern pygmy possums, Cercartetus nanus, to selective logging in New South Wales: home range, habitat selection and den use

Abstract Context. Selective logging of native forests creates a mosaic of disturbance histories; however, little is known about how different taxa respond to such a mosaic. Aims. We followed adaptive-management principles to test logging and burning impacts on eastern pygmy possums, Cercartetus nanus (Geoffroy and Desmarest, 1817), by undertaking a large-scale field experiment that coincided with harvesting. We predicted that home range would increase after logging because of a reduction in resources (food and/or dens) and because hollows suitable for denning would decrease, resulting in greater use of unlogged patches and alternate dens. Methods. We radio-tracked C. nanus in a before-and-after logging experiment to investigate home range, habitat selection and den use. We tracked 50 possums, some individuals for a maximum of 8 months, within control, recently logged and regrowth (5 years since logging) sites. Key results. Home ranges were variable (0.04–19.5 ha), with males having significantly larger home ranges. We were unable to detect a difference in home-range size between controls and the first year after logging and burning, or regrowth 5 years after logging. Home ranges comprised a mosaic of disturbed and undisturbed areas, and possums did not avoid logged habitat in their home ranges, indicating that logging did not significantly influence habitat selection. We suggest that possums were not sensitive to selective logging and burning because nectar-producing plants are adapted to fire disturbance and because a variety of den sites were used, most commonly in tree hollows and fallen logs, which were commonly left as logging residue. Indeed, possums frequently denned in logged patches, both recently after logging (63% of dens) and in regrowth 5 years after logging (76% of dens). Counts of fallen hollow logs at each site indicated that their density was not reduced by logging, with regrowth sites having the greatest abundance of logs (260 ha–1). Conclusions. The mosaic of disturbance created by selective logging operations did not negatively affect home range or den selection of C. nanus. Implications. Ecologically sustainable logging practices that include a range of mitigation measures to protect biodiversity can be compatible with the management of threatened species. Assessment of the effectiveness of these methods often will rely on scientific research.
Arhgef5 Binds α-Dystrobrevin 1 and Regulates Neuromuscular Junction Integrity

The neuromuscular junctions (NMJs) connect muscle fibers with motor neurons and enable the coordinated contraction of skeletal muscles. The dystrophin-associated glycoprotein complex (DGC) is an essential component of the postsynaptic machinery of the NMJ and is important for the maintenance of NMJ structural integrity. To identify novel proteins that are important for NMJ organization, we performed a mass spectrometry-based screen for interactors of α-dystrobrevin 1 (aDB1), one of the components of the DGC. The guanidine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) Arhgef5 was found to be one of the aDB1 binding partners that is recruited to Tyr-713 in a phospho-dependent manner. We show here that Arhgef5 localizes to the NMJ and that its genetic depletion in the muscle causes the fragmentation of the synapses in conditional knockout mice. Arhgef5 loss in vivo is associated with a reduction in the levels of active GTP-bound RhoA and Cdc42 GTPases, highlighting the importance of actin dynamics regulation for the maintenance of NMJ integrity.
A southern German use of prefield- e ses: Evidence from the corpus and an experimental study

Abstract There is a use of the German third person neuter pronoun e ses in the prefield, known as prefield- e ses, which is characterized by being neither referential, nor an argument of the verb. According to Speyer’s (2008, 2009) optimality theoretic prefield ranking, this should only occur if a sentence contains no alternative element eligible to be moved to the prefield. This paper investigates a so far unnoticed use of e ses in the prefield in combination with a demonstrative pronoun dies and a copula verb ist, which will be referred to as Es ist dies-sentence. This construction is an instance of prefield- e ses, but contravenes the expectations about the use of prefield- e ses postulated by Speyer, since Es ist dies-sentences do contain a suitable candidate to fill the prefield, the demonstrative pronoun dies. In a corpus study, Es ist dies-sentences are compared to a sample of Dies ist-sentences. According to the corpus data, Es ist dies occurs predominantly in southern dialects. Significant differences between the two samples concern 1) the distance to the antecedent of dies and 2) the type of content of the sentence. An online rating study, that compared acceptability judgments of Es ist dies-sentences between speakers from different regions, confirmed that Es ist dies-sentences are a phenomenon of southern dialects. In the light of these results, a modification of Speyer’s (2008, 2009) Stochastic OT model is proposed.
The Dimensionality of the 12-Item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12): Comparisons of Factor Structures and Invariance Across Samples and Time

Because of its brevity, the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) has become one of the most popular and used measure for detecting psychological distress. Originally intended as a unidimensional measure, the majority of subsequent factor-analytic studies have failed to support GHQ-12 as a unitary construct and have instead proposed a plethora of multidimensional structures. In this study, we further examined the factor structure in two different military samples, one consisting of crewmembers from four different frigates deployed in anti-piracy operations and Standing NATO Maritime Group deployments (N = 591) and one consisting of crewmember from three different minehunters/sweepers serving in Standing NATO Mine Counter-Measures Group deployments (N = 196). Results from confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) performed in the first sample supported a bifactor model, consisting of a general factor representing communality among all items and two specific factors reflecting common variance due to wording effects (negatively and positively phrased items). A multi-group CFA further confirmed this structure to be invariant across our second sample. Structural equation modeling also showed that the general factor was strongly associated with symptoms of insomnia and mental health, whereas the specific factors were either non-significantly or considerably weaker associated with the criterion variables. Overall, our results are congruent with the notion that the multidimensionality demonstrated in many previous investigations is most likely an expression of method-specific variance caused by item wording. The explained unique variance associated with these specific factors was further relatively small. Ignoring the multidimensionality and treating GHQ-12 as a unitary construct will therefore most likely introduce minimal bias to most practical applications.
Blue Carbon Stocks and Cross-Habitat Subsidies

Blue carbon ecosystems (including saltmarsh, mangrove, seagrass meadows, and other soft sediment habitats) play a valuable role in aquatic carbon dynamics and contribute significantly to global climate change mitigation. However, these habitats are undergoing rapid and accelerating shifts in extent due to climate change and anthropogenic impacts. Here, we demonstrate that blue carbon stocks vary across habitats and that cross-habitat subsidies of carbon contribute significantly to blue carbon stocks. Using a case study estuary from New Zealand, organic carbon stocks in above ground biomass and sediment to 100 cm varied significantly between habitat types, from saltmarsh (90 t ha–1), to mangrove (46 t ha–1), to seagrass (27 t ha–1) and unvegetated habitats (26 t ha–1). Despite being typically overlooked in blue carbon literature, unvegetated habitats contained the majority of estuarine carbon stocks when adjusted for their large extent within the estuary (occupying 68.4% of the estuarine area and containing 57% of carbon stocks). When carbon stocks were further refined based on δ13C and δ15N mixing model results, coastal vegetation (saltmarsh, mangrove, and seagrass) was found to provide important cross-habitat subsidies of carbon throughout the estuary, including contributing an estimated 41% of organic carbon within unvegetated sediments, and 51% of the total carbon stock throughout the estuary (yet occupying only 31.6% of the estuary). Given the connected nature of blue carbon ecosystems these findings illustrate the importance of considering the contribution and cross-habitat subsidies of both vegetated and unvegetated habitats to blue carbon stocks in estuaries. This provides critical context when assessing the impact of shifts in habitat distributions due to impacts from climate change and anthropogenic stressors.
Plant Community Composition in Two Human-Modified Landscapes, a Powerline Corridor and an Old Field

ABSTRACT Human landscape modification elicits changes in plant community composition due to altered microclimate conditions. We asked the question whether floristic composition, abundance, species richness, and diversity differ between habitat types in two human-modified landscapes, with contrasting management regimes. We measured species richness and cover of all vascular plants in forest, edge, and corridor habitats of a powerline easement, as well as in a nearby old field. Powerline corridor habitat had 21% more species than adjoining forest habitat and was dominated by shrub and herbaceous species. We also found that soil pH and litter depth are significant predictors of species richness along powerline corridor edges and in open old-field habitat. Particularly, we observed maximum species richness in plots with moderately high soil pH of between 5 and 5.5 along powerline corridor edges and in open old-field habitat. Powerline corridor plots with less surface litter also had higher species richness. Invasive species such as Microstegium vimineum and Rosa multiflora were more abundant in the open old-field habitat maintained annually by mowing than in powerline corridor habitat maintained usually every five years by herbicide spraying and selective removal of trees. Our findings indicate that the diverse floristic composition of powerline corridors support organisms at higher trophic levels and hence provide opportunity for conserving biodiversity within human-modified landscapes.
Affective Consequences of Social Comparisons by Women With Breast Cancer: An Experiment

Objective People with severe illness often meet and compare themselves with other patients. Some of these comparison standards do well, others do poorly. Such comparisons could have positive as well as negative consequences depending on whether people identify or contrast from the standard. In the present study, we examine whether patients with breast cancer can benefit from comparisons by engaging in favorable comparison processes. Design 102 women diagnosed with breast cancer were randomly assigned to read a (fictitious) self-report from a well or poorly adjusted breast cancer patient. Main Outcome Measures Participants reported their affective reaction (mood, anxiety, depression) and specified their comparison process (identification or contrast). Results In general, participants engaged in favorable comparison processes by contrasting predominantly with poorly adjusted patients, and identifying with well-adjusted ones. Participants’ Mood Assimilated to the Standard Participants reported more positive mood after having been exposed to the well-adjusted than the poorly adjusted standard. Anxiety and Depression Varied With the Type of Comparison Process It was lower the more they avoided unfavorable comparisons (contrasting with the well-adjusted patient and identifying with the poorly adjusted one). Conclusion Patients adjust their comparison processes to the standard to experience favorable comparisons. Especially avoiding unfavorable comparison processes reduces the risk of negative consequences after encountering other patients. Thus, patients may profit from comparisons as long as they engage in the right process.
Energy Contagion in the COVID-19 Crisis

We investigate the relationship between oil prices and stock markets of selected oil importers and oil exporters at the time of the COVID-19 pandemic. We provide evidence in favour of energy contagion, in terms of significantly higher correlations between oil and stock markets returns during turbulent phases in the oil market, for all countries in our sample. Our results are robust to different crisis datings and consistent across different segments of the assets return distributions.