Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Transport and Sorting of the Solanum tuberosum Sucrose Transporter SUT1 Is Affected by Posttranslational Modification[W]

The plant sucrose transporter SUT1 from Solanum tuberosum revealed a dramatic redox-dependent increase in sucrose transport activity when heterologously expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Plant plasma membrane vesicles do not show any change in proton flux across the plasma membrane in the presence of redox reagents, indicating a SUT1-specific effect of redox reagents. Redox-dependent sucrose transport activity was confirmed electrophysiologically in Xenopus laevis oocytes with SUT1 from maize (Zea mays). Localization studies of green fluorescent protein fusion constructs showed that an oxidative environment increased the targeting of SUT1 to the plasma membrane where the protein concentrates in 200- to 300-nm raft-like microdomains. Using plant plasma membranes, St SUT1 can be detected in the detergent-resistant membrane fraction. Importantly, in yeast and in plants, oxidative reagents induced a shift in the monomer to dimer equilibrium of the St SUT1 protein and increased the fraction of dimer. Biochemical methods confirmed the capacity of SUT1 to form a dimer in plants and yeast cells in a redox-dependent manner. Blue native PAGE, chemical cross-linking, and immunoprecipitation, as well as the analysis of transgenic plants with reduced expression of St SUT1, confirmed the dimerization of St SUT1 and Sl SUT1 (from Solanum lycopersicum) in planta. The ability to form homodimers in plant cells was analyzed by the split yellow fluorescent protein technique in transiently transformed tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) leaves and protoplasts. Oligomerization seems to be cell type specific since under native-like conditions, a phloem-specific reduction of the dimeric form of the St SUT1 protein was detectable in SUT1 antisense plants, whereas constitutively inhibited antisense plants showed reduction only of the monomeric form. The role of redox control of sucrose transport in plants is discussed.
Current Concepts: Mouse Models of Sjögren's Syndrome

Sjögren's syndrome (SjS) is a complex chronic autoimmune disease of unknown etiology which primarily targets the exocrine glands, resulting in eventual loss of secretory function. The disease can present as either primary SjS or secondary SjS, the latter of which occurs concomitantly with another autoimmune disease such as rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, scleroderma, or primary biliary cirrhosis. Current advancements in therapeutic prevention and treatment for SjS are impeded by lack of understanding in the pathophysiological and clinical progression of the disease. Development of appropriate mouse models for both primary and secondary SjS is needed in order to advance knowledge of this disease. This paper details important features, advantages, and pitfalls of current animal models of SjS, including spontaneous, transgenic, knockout, immunization, and transplantation chimera mouse models, and emphasizes the need for a better model in representing the human SjS phenotype.
Selection of Working Correlation Structure in Weighted Generalized Estimating Equation Method for Incomplete Longitudinal Data

The weighted generalized estimating equation (WGEE), an extension of the generalized estimating equation (GEE) method, is a method for analyzing incomplete longitudinal data. An inappropriate specification of the working correlation structure results in the loss of efficiency of the GEE estimation. In this study, we evaluated the efficiency of WGEE estimation for incomplete longitudinal data when the working correlation structure was misspecified. As a result, we found that the efficiency of the WGEE estimation was lower when an improper working correlation structure was selected, similar to the case of the GEE method. Furthermore, we modified the criterion proposed by Gosho et al. (2011) for selecting a working correlation structure, such that the GEE and WGEE methods can be applied to incomplete longitudinal data, and we investigated the performance of the modified criterion. The results revealed that when the modified criterion was adopted, the proportion that the true correlation structure was selected was likely higher than that in the case of adopting other competing approaches.
Induction of ectopic taste buds by SHH reveals the competency and plasticity of adult lingual epithelium

Taste buds are assemblies of elongated epithelial cells, which are innervated by gustatory nerves that transmit taste information to the brain stem. Taste cells are continuously renewed throughout life via proliferation of epithelial progenitors, but the molecular regulation of this process remains unknown. During embryogenesis, sonic hedgehog (SHH) negatively regulates taste bud patterning, such that inhibition of SHH causes the formation of more and larger taste bud primordia, including in regions of the tongue normally devoid of taste buds. Here, using a Cre-lox system to drive constitutive expression of SHH, we identify the effects of SHH on the lingual epithelium of adult mice. We show that misexpression of SHH transforms lingual epithelial cell fate, such that daughter cells of lingual epithelial progenitors form cell type-replete, onion-shaped taste buds, rather than non-taste, pseudostratified epithelium. These SHH-induced ectopic taste buds are found in regions of the adult tongue previously thought incapable of generating taste organs. The ectopic buds are composed of all taste cell types, including support cells and detectors of sweet, bitter, umami, salt and sour, and recapitulate the molecular differentiation process of endogenous taste buds. In contrast to the well-established nerve dependence of endogenous taste buds, however, ectopic taste buds form independently of both gustatory and somatosensory innervation. As innervation is required for SHH expression by endogenous taste buds, our data suggest that SHH can replace the need for innervation to drive the entire program of taste bud differentiation.
Control design for open-loop unstable quadratic systems

This work addresses the problem of designing a state feedback control law for locally stabilizing open-loop unstable quadratic systems with a guaranteed stability domain. Firstly, for some polytopic region of the state-space containing the origin, a method is derived to design a nonlinear static state feedback controller which maximizes the size of the closed-loop system stability domain. Then, the proposed method is extended to handle systems disturbed by energy-bounded signals. The controller designs are tailored via a finite set of state-dependent linear matrix inequalities. Numerical examples are given to illustrate the potentials of the proposed control designs.
Design of efficient routing method for USN based Large-scale Glass Greenhouses

Wireless communication technology and state-of-the-art miniaturization have enabled the wireless sensor network with smart environmental sensors. The sensor network is a new field which has been vigorously researched in the ubiquitous computing and ad hoc network. How efficiently use the limited energy in this USN (ubiquitous sensor network) has been debated. Utilizing the directed diffusion and gossiping algorithm which is based on the large-scale glass greenhouses, we present a method to prolong the lifespan of the sensor network by transmitting the relevant control packet on an aperiodic basis. In the paper, we present a method to minimize the energy consumption of sensor nodes within glass greenhouses and ensure stable network operation at the same time through energy efficient routing between sensor nodes.
Insect lipoprotein follows a transferrin-like recycling pathway that is mediated by the insect LDL receptor homologue

The lipoprotein of insects, high-density lipophorin (HDLp), is homologous to that of mammalian low-density lipoprotein (LDL) with respect to its apolipoprotein structure. Moreover, an endocytic receptor for HDLp has been identified (insect lipophorin receptor, iLR) that is homologus to the LDL receptor. We transfected LDL-receptor-expressing CHO cells with iLR cDNA to study the endocytic uptake and intracellular pathways of LDL and HDLp simultaneously. Our studies provide evidence that these mammalian and insect lipoproteins follow distinct intracellular routes after receptor-mediated endocytosis. Multicolour imaging and immunofluorescence was used to visualize the intracellular trafficking of fluorescently labeled ligands in these cells. Upon internalization, which can be completely inhibited by human receptor-associated protein (RAP), mammalian and insect lipoproteins share endocytic vesicles. Subsequently, however, HDLp evacuates the LDL-containing endosomes. In contrast to LDL, which is completely degraded in lysosomes after dissociating from its receptor, both HDLp and iLR converge in a nonlysosomal juxtanuclear compartment. Colocalization studies with transferrin identified this organelle as the endocytic recycling compartment via which iron-depleted transferrin exits the cell. Fluorescently labeled RAP is also transported to this recycling organelle upon receptor-mediated endocytosis by iLR. Internalized HDLp eventually exits the cell via the recycling compartment, a process that can be blocked by monensin, and is re-secreted with a t½ of ∼13 minutes. From these observations, we conclude that HDLp is the first non-exchangeable apolipoprotein-containing lipoprotein that follows a transferrin-like recycling pathway despite the similarities between mammalian and insect lipoproteins and their receptors.
Occupational therapists' health literacy interventions for children with disordered sleep and/or pain

Aims: To gain an understanding of occupational therapists' practices for promoting health literacy of children with disordered sleep and/or pain and their parents/caregivers, and to identify challenges to providing these interventions. Method: A postal questionnaire with mixed responses. Findings: Paediatric therapists reported 21.5 % of their patients had disordered sleep and 5.5% pain. Few interventions and a number of organizational, knowledge-based and resource challenges were identified. Conclusions: Occupational therapy effectiveness may be hindered by undetected and untreated disordered sleep and/or pain in the paediatric population. Sleep and pain health literacy interventions for children is an emerging area of practice for occupational therapists and attention to the evidence to clinical practice gap is indicated.
Prospective ECG-Triggered Coronary CT Angiography: Clinical Value of Noise-Based Tube Current Reduction Method with Iterative Reconstruction

Objectives To evaluate the clinical value of noise-based tube current reduction method with iterative reconstruction for obtaining consistent image quality with dose optimization in prospective electrocardiogram (ECG)-triggered coronary CT angiography (CCTA). Materials and Methods We performed a prospective randomized study evaluating 338 patients undergoing CCTA with prospective ECG-triggering. Patients were randomly assigned to fixed tube current with filtered back projection (Group 1, n = 113), noise-based tube current with filtered back projection (Group 2, n = 109) or with iterative reconstruction (Group 3, n = 116). Tube voltage was fixed at 120 kV. Qualitative image quality was rated on a 5-point scale (1 = impaired, to 5 = excellent, with 3–5 defined as diagnostic). Image noise and signal intensity were measured; signal-to-noise ratio was calculated; radiation dose parameters were recorded. Statistical analyses included one-way analysis of variance, chi-square test, Kruskal-Wallis test and multivariable linear regression. Results Image noise was maintained at the target value of 35HU with small interquartile range for Group 2 (35.00–35.03HU) and Group 3 (34.99–35.02HU), while from 28.73 to 37.87HU for Group 1. All images in the three groups were acceptable for diagnosis. A relative 20% and 51% reduction in effective dose for Group 2 (2.9 mSv) and Group 3 (1.8 mSv) were achieved compared with Group 1 (3.7 mSv). After adjustment for scan characteristics, iterative reconstruction was associated with 26% reduction in effective dose. Conclusion Noise-based tube current reduction method with iterative reconstruction maintains image noise precisely at the desired level and achieves consistent image quality. Meanwhile, effective dose can be reduced by more than 50%.
Cytokine mRNA profiles in mononuclear cells in acute aseptic meningoencephalitis

Cytokines are important modulators of inflammation and immune responses. Using in situ hybridization with radiolabelled cDNA oligonucleotide probes, we studied the expression of mRNA encoding the cytokines gamma interferon (IFN-gamma), interleukin 4 (IL-4), IL-6, IL-10, transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), lymphotoxin, and perforin in mononuclear cells (MNC) from blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients with acute aseptic meningoencephalitis (AM) and from blood of healthy controls. Patients in the acute phase of AM had elevated numbers of IFN-gamma mRNA-expressing cells in the blood compared with that of controls and higher numbers of IFN-gamma mRNA-expressing cells in their CSF compared with that of convalescent-phase patients, which is in accordance with the antiviral effects of this cytokine. Upregulation of IL-4, IL-6, and IL-10 was found in convalescent-phase patients, which is consistent with the longstanding B-cell response found in AM. TGF-beta and perforin were upregulated in both stages of AM, while the numbers of blood and CSF MNC expressing cytokine mRNA of the TNF family (TNF-alpha and lymphotoxin) did not differ between patients with AM and controls. An even higher elevation in CSF was noticed for MNC expressing most of the cytokines, particularly IL-4 and TGF-beta, reflecting the autonomy of the immune response in the CSF. The definition of cytokine profiles in AM, a self-limiting and benign disease, provides a foundation for future comparisons with other infectious and inflammatory nervous system diseases.
Comparative Genomic Analysis of 45 Type Strains of the Genus Bifidobacterium: A Snapshot of Its Genetic Diversity and Evolution

Bifidobacteria are well known for their human health-promoting effects and are therefore widely applied in the food industry. Members of the Bifidobacterium genus were first identified from the human gastrointestinal tract and were then found to be widely distributed across various ecological niches. Although the genetic diversity of Bifidobacterium has been determined based on several marker genes or a few genomes, the global diversity and evolution scenario for the entire genus remain unresolved. The present study comparatively analyzed the genomes of 45 type strains. We built a robust genealogy for Bifidobacterium based on 402 core genes and defined its root according to the phylogeny of the tree of bacteria. Our results support that all human isolates are of younger lineages, and although species isolated from bees dominate the more ancient lineages, the bee was not necessarily the original host for bifidobacteria. Moreover, the species isolated from different hosts are enriched with specific gene sets, suggesting host-specific adaptation. Notably, bee-specific genes are strongly associated with respiratory metabolism and are potential in helping those bacteria adapt to the oxygen-rich gut environment in bees. This study provides a snapshot of the genetic diversity and evolution of Bifidobacterium, paving the way for future studies on the taxonomy and functional genomics of the genus.
A survey of biometric recognition methods

Biometric recognition refers to an automatic recognition of individuals based on a feature vector (s) derived from their physiological and/or behavioral characteristic. Biometric recognition systems should provide a reliable personal recognition schemes to either confirm or determine the identity of an individual. Applications of such a system include computer systems security, secure electronic banking, mobile phones, credit cards, secure access to buildings, health and social services. By using biometrics a person could be identified based on "who she/he is" rather then "what she/he has" (card, token, key) or "what she/he knows" (password, PIN). In this paper, a brief overview of biometric methods, both unimodal and multimodal, and their advantages and disadvantages, will be presented.
MEMORY HYBRID GUARANTEED COST CONTROL FOR UNCERTAIN NONLINEAR TIME-DELAY SYSTEMS

Abstract. This paper deals with the problem of guaranteed cost control for a class of uncertain nonlinear time-delay systems. A new memory hybrid guaranteed cost controller is adopted to make the resulting closed-loop system asymptotically stable and cost function have a lower upper bound. The closed-loop system with such memory hybrid guaranteed cost controller can be regarded as a switched system. Based on multiple Lyapunov function and linear matrix inequality(LMI) approach, some sufficient conditions of the existence of such controller are presented. Moreover, a convex optimization problem is formulated to solve an optimal memory hybrid guaranteed cost controller which minimizes the upper bound of cost function. The advantage of controller presented in this paper is illustrated by an example.
School Culture as an Object of Research.

Though the exploration of school culture is laborious, researchers have been endeavouring to empirically apprehend it since the 1960s. Various research jobs have been carried out, of diverse starting points, ways of materialization, and conclusions. The presented text indicates a way of classifying these studies according to the purposes they had been performed for. Though the list of examples is not entirely complete nor is the classification definite, a conclusion seem to be clear and evident: in most cases, school culture is not explored in order to grasp such culture itself. Much more often, school culture is examined as a starting point, a pre-condition, or a tool to explore another object of the researchers interest outside the culture itself, such as the quality and judgement of the schools performance, the quality of the learning process, or the schools development potential.
Four hundred and sixty brands of e-cigarettes and counting: implications for product regulation

Introduction E-cigarettes are largely unregulated and internet sales are substantial. This study examines how the online market for e-cigarettes has changed over time: in product design and in marketing messages appearing on websites. Methods Comprehensive internet searches of English-language websites from May–August 2012 and December 2013–January 2014 identified brands, models, flavours, nicotine strengths, ingredients and product claims. Brands were divided into older and newer groups (by the two searches) for comparison. Results By January 2014 there were 466 brands (each with its own website) and 7764 unique flavours. In the 17 months between the searches, there was a net increase of 10.5 brands and 242 new flavours per month. Older brands were more likely than newer brands to offer cigalikes (86.9% vs 52.1%, p<0.01), and newer brands more likely to offer the more versatile eGos and mods (75.3% vs 57.8%, p<0.01). Older brands were significantly more likely to claim that they were healthier and cheaper than cigarettes, were good substitutes where smoking was banned and were effective smoking cessation aids. Newer brands offered more flavours per brand (49 vs 32, p<0.01) and were less likely to compare themselves with conventional cigarettes. Conclusions The number of e-cigarette brands is large and has been increasing. Older brands tend to highlight their advantages over conventional cigarettes while newer brands emphasise consumer choice in multiple flavours and product versatility. These results can serve as a benchmark for future research on the impact of upcoming regulations on product design and advertising messages of e-cigarettes.
Cancer burden in the HIV-infected population in the United States.

BACKGROUND Effective antiretroviral therapy has reduced the risk of AIDS and dramatically prolonged the survival of HIV-infected people in the United States. Consequently, an increasing number of HIV-infected people are at risk of non-AIDS-defining cancers that typically occur at older ages. We estimated the annual number of cancers in the HIV-infected population, both with and without AIDS, in the United States. METHODS Incidence rates for individual cancer types were obtained from the HIV/AIDS Cancer Match Study by linking 15 HIV and cancer registries in the United States. Estimated counts of the US HIV-infected and AIDS populations were obtained from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention surveillance data. We obtained estimated counts of AIDS-defining (ie, Kaposi sarcoma, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and cervical cancer) and non-AIDS-defining cancers in the US AIDS population during 1991-2005 by multiplying cancer incidence rates and AIDS population counts, stratified by year, age, sex, race and ethnicity, transmission category, and AIDS-relative time. We tested trends in counts and standardized incidence rates using linear regression models. We multiplied overall cancer rates and HIV-only (HIV infected, without AIDS) population counts, available from 34 US states during 2004-2007, to estimate cancers in the HIV-only population. All statistical tests were two-sided. RESULTS The US AIDS population expanded fourfold from 1991 to 2005 (96,179 to 413,080) largely because of an increase in the number of people aged 40 years or older. During 1991-2005, an estimated 79 656 cancers occurred in the AIDS population. From 1991-1995 to 2001-2005, the estimated number of AIDS-defining cancers decreased by greater than threefold (34,587 to 10,325 cancers; P(trend) < . 001), whereas non-AIDS-defining cancers increased by approximately threefold (3193 to 10,059 cancers; P(trend) < . 001). From 1991-1995 to 2001-2005, estimated counts increased for anal (206 to 1564 cancers), liver (116 to 583 cancers), prostate (87 to 759 cancers), and lung cancers (875 to 1882 cancers), and Hodgkin lymphoma (426 to 897 cancers). In the HIV-only population in 34 US states, an estimated 2191 non-AIDS-defining cancers occurred during 2004-2007, including 454 lung, 166 breast, and 154 anal cancers. CONCLUSIONS Over a 15-year period (1991-2005), increases in non-AIDS-defining cancers were mainly driven by growth and aging of the AIDS population. This growing burden requires targeted cancer prevention and treatment strategies.