Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
IGF/mTORC1/S6 Signaling Is Potentiated and Prolonged by Acute Loading of Subtoxicological Manganese Ion

The insulin-like growth factor (IGF)/insulin signaling (IIS) pathway is involved in cellular responses against intracellular divalent manganese ion (Mn2+) accumulation. As a pathway where multiple nodes utilize Mn2+ as a metallic co-factor, how the IIS signaling patterns are affected by Mn2+ overload is unresolved. In our prior studies, acute Mn2+ exposure potentiated IIS kinase activity upon physiological-level stimulation, indicated by elevated phosphorylation of protein kinase B (PKB, also known as AKT). AKT phosphorylation is associated with IIS activity; and provides direct signaling transduction input for the mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) and its downstream target ribosomal protein S6 (S6). Here, to better define the impact of Mn2+ exposure on IIS function, Mn2+-induced IIS activation was evaluated with serial concentrations and temporal endpoints. In the wild-type murine striatal neuronal line STHdh, the acute treatment of Mn2+ with IGF induced a Mn2+ concentration-sensitive phosphorylation of S6 at Ser235/236 to as low as 5 μM extracellular Mn2+. This effect required both the essential amino acids and insulin receptor (IR)/IGF receptor (IGFR) signaling input. Similar to simultaneous stimulation of Mn2+ and IGF, when a steady-state elevation of Mn2+ was established via a 24-h pre-exposure, phosphorylation of S6 also displayed higher sensitivity to sub-cytotoxic Mn2+ when compared to AKT phosphorylation at Ser473. This indicates a synergistic effect of sub-cytotoxic Mn2+ on IIS and mTORC1 signaling. Furthermore, elevated intracellular Mn2+, with both durations, led to a prolonged activation in AKT and S6 upon stimulation. Our data demonstrate that the downstream regulator S6 is a highly sensitive target of elevated Mn2+ and is well below the established acute cytotoxicity thresholds (<50 μM). These findings indicate that the IIS/mTORC1 pathways, in which Mn2+ normally serves as an essential co-factor, are dually responsible for the cellular changes in exposures to real-world Mn2+ concentrations.
Climate Change Effects on Vibrio Bacteria in the Winyah Bay Estuary and the Projected Spread of Vibrio under Future Climatic Scenarios.

v LIST OF TABLES . ix LIST OF FIGURES . x CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION . 1 1.1 LITERATURE REVIEW . 6 1.2 RESEARCH OBJECTIVE . 14 1.3 SIGNIFICANCE . 15 1.4 STUDY SITE DESCRIPTION . 18 CHAPTER 2: MATERIALS AND METHODS . 21 2.1 BACTERIAL IDENTIFICATION . 21 2.2 DNA EXTRACTION FOR ISOLATE CONFIRMATION . 22 2.3 STATISTICAL ANALYSIS . 23 2.4 PREDICTIVE TOOL . 26 CHAPTER 3: RESULTS . 29 3.1 FIELD DATA RESULTS AND DESCRIPTION . 29
Coded aperture and coded exposure photography : an investigation into applications and methods

—This article presents an introduction to the ﬁeld of coded photography, with speciﬁc attention given to coded aperture and coded exposure theory, methods, and applications. A coded aperture is optimized for the task of defocus deblurring, and constructed using a simple cardboard occluding mask. Furthermore, a series of coded aperture photographs are used to capture a 4D light ﬁeld with a standard SLR camera, and the captured light ﬁeld is then used for depth-estimation and refocusing applications. Finally, a coded exposure pattern is optimized for motion deblurring, and coded exposure photographs are captured by controlling the incident illumination of the scene. The coded aperture and exposure methods are shown to be superior to traditional photographic methods in terms of deblurring accuracy, and the captured light ﬁeld is used successfully to produce a stereo depth estimate from a stationary camera, and to produce post-exposure refocused photographs.
Regional Goods Management in Supporting Activity Planning at the Regional Secretariat of Merangin District

Background. The existence of assets at this time gave birth to a paradox in terms of efforts to increase income (PAD). As a result, the great potential that lies ahead is not optimally explored. Instead they found any source of PAD results to be uncertain. Purpose. Assets should be very large areas that are better managed so as to produce optimal profits. It would be nice if the Regional Head from the Regent, Mayor, to the Governor when he is appointed immediately recognizes and understands the exact condition of the assets and then reports back to the community periodically. Method. In this study, researchers used a qualitative descriptive approach. Taking the location which is located in Merangin Regency, Jambi Province with a total sample of 18 people. In carrying out the research conducted using several data collection techniques including interviews, observation, questionnaires. Results. Problems related to the management of goods are also urgent but can still be handled ideally, including at the Secretariat General of the Merangin District Section. Based on the researchers' observations, there are several fundamental problems that have caused the management of goods to not operate effectively and can be used as indicators to support planning activities at the Regional Secretariat Section of Merangin Regency. Goods Management in Support of the General Plan of Activities in Merangin Regency Regional Assets and are still not optimal. Conclusion. Efforts made to overcome obstacles in the Management of Goods in support of activity planning in the Regional Secretariat Section are to improve the technical capabilities of existing personnel management goods, maximize the management of goods to and encourage the process of internal control mechanisms in the General Section to maximize the management of regional property in supporting activities planning.
Do There Any Higher Order Thinking Skills in the Cambridge Primary Mathematics Textbook?

The poor results of national and international assessments make the national curriculum get criticism. Meanwhile, the Cambridge curriculum gets popular because of its quality. Textbooks as curriculum manifestations affect student learning. This study describes Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) and the dominance of its level in the Cambridge Primary Mathematics 4 textbooks which are Teacher's Resources and Learner's Book. This study uses a directed qualitative content analysis method. This research shows that all HOTS levels (analyze, evaluate, and create) are spread across four major themes (number, measure, data handling, and geometry) Teacher's Resource and Learner's Book. Theoretically, HOTS in the Teacher's Resource and Learner's Book can teach critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and communication because the learning content of HOTS in this book uses a student-centered approach and the teacher actively provides scaffolding using open-ended questions, discussions, and group activities. HOTS level creating is dominant in Teacher's Resource and analysis is dominant in Learner's Book. Abstrak Hasil assesmen nasional dan internasional yang konsisten buruk membuat kurikulum nasional menuai kritik. Sementara itu, kurikulum Cambridge diminati sejumlah kalangan karena dianggap lebih berkualitas. Buku teks sebagai manifestasi kurikulum berpengaruh terhadap pembelajaran siswa. Tujuan penelitian ini yaitu mendeskripsikan Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) dan dominasi levelnya dalam buku teks Cambridge Primary Mathematics 4 yang terdiri dari Teacher’s Resources dan Learner’s Book. Penelitian ini menggunakan metode analisis isi kualitatif terarah. Hasil penelitian ini menunjukkan bahwa ketiga level HOTS (menganalisis, mengevaluasi, dan mencipta) tersebar dalam keempat tema besar (number, measure, handling data, dan geometry) Teacher’s Resource dan Learner’s Book. Secara teoretis, HOTS dalam Teacher’s Resource dan Learner’s Book dapat membelajarkan critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, dan communication karena pembelajaran muatan HOTS dalam buku ini terpusat pada siswa dan guru aktif memberikan scaffolding menggunakan pertanyaan open-ended, diskusi, serta aktivitas berkelompok. HOTS dalam Teacher’s Resource didominasi oleh level mencipta, sedangkan Learner’s Book didominasi level menganalisis.
Capturing qualitative reef dynamics across decadal timescales

: Ecosystems such as coral reefs naturally exhibit transitory fluctuations caused by various exogenous factors including seasonality, natural disasters, and other abiotic disturbances. Consequently, the effects of anthropogenic climate change are most observable over decadal timescales. Current popular models, such as ReefMod (Bozec et al., 2022; Ortiz et al., 2014) and CoCoNet (Condie et al., 2018), are adept at capturing the fluctuations of reef processes when calibrated to dense sets of high-dimensional data. However, the availability and reliability of long-term reef-related data is notably inhibited. Consequently, these models can exhibit significant uncertainty in parametrisation across larger timescales, undermining their predictive capacity. Many models are unable to accurately capture the effects of ongoing ecosystem under the assumption of sparse, uncertain data. To address these challenges, we present a novel deterministic modelling framework that describes coral reef dynamics via a system of ordinary differential equations. Bleaching dynamics are captured via a set of discrete state variables that correspond to bleaching states of a coral population. Initially, we calibrated the model to historical coral cover data, under the assumption of a static parametrisation. The resulting parametrisations raised a number of concerns with respect to the practical identifiability of the model. In response to these results, we introduced temporal variance in the parameter that controls the process of bleaching. This was achieved via a rudimentary segmentation algorithm that identified distinct periods of growth and decline in the historical coral cover observations. We used Bayesian inference, implemented via a Markov Chain Monte Carlo algorithm, to recalibrate the model and quantify the uncertainty in the parameters. Parameter distributions were estimated for multiple reefs, spanning the Great Barrier Reef, with sparse data across decadal timescales. Our preliminary findings indicate that, even under an unsophisticated temporal segmentation scheme and calibration to sparse empirical data, this novel modelling framework is able to effectively capture the qualitative variation in reef dynamics under ongoing disturbances, spanning multiple decades
QoE Optimization With User Intent in Software-Defined Heterogeneous Wireless Network

Due to the Quality-of-Experience (QoE) degradation caused by the mismatch of supply and demand rate in heterogeneous wireless network (HWN), we introduce the idea of intent driven network (IDN) to associate the user intent (UI) with the network QoE strategy under a software-defined framework. We specifically construct a UI-aware QoE model to quantify the effect of dynamic request rate on actual QoE. Based on this model, we formulate a QoE maximization problem to adaptively match supply-demand rates. As a multivariable combinatorial optimization problem, we firstly present a robust algorithm based on simulated-annealing (SA) to obtain the approximate optimal solution as much as possible. Moreover, we present a genetic algorithm (GA) on the basis of the initial SA algorithm to improve the search accuracy of each step for more practical application. Compared with three schemes without UI interference, our approaches raise average QoE by at least 42.1%.
Confirming the recessive inheritance of SCN1B mutations in developmental epileptic encephalopathy

Dominant SCN1B mutations are known to cause several epilepsy syndromes in humans. Only 2 epilepsy patients to date have been reported to have recessive mutations in SCN1B as the likely cause of their phenotype. Here, we confirm the recessive inheritance of 2 novel SCN1B mutations in 5 children from 3 families with developmental epileptic encephalopathy. The recessive inheritance and early death in these patients is consistent with the Dravet‐like phenotype observed in Scn1b−/− mice. The ‘negative’ clinical exome in one of these families highlights the need to consider recessive mutations in the interpretation of variants in typically dominant genes.
Response of tomato, cucumber and pepper to root-knot nematodes (Meloidogyne spp.) in greenhouse production.

As a result of intensive and monoculture growing of vegetable crops in greenhouses, rootknot nematodes are among the major pests. In trials conducted during the period 20082009 at Maritsa Vegetable Crops Research Institute the response to root-knot nematodes (Meloidogyne spp.) in three vegetable crops (tomato, cucumber and pepper) grown in midearly production in unheated cultivation facilities was determined. The study was conducted under natural population density of the pest. An evaluation for susceptibility in these crops depending on percentage infested plants and index of infestation was made. The highest percentage of infested plants 64.40% and index of infestation 32.82% were established in tomato variety Belle. In cucumber variety Mirey the percentage of infested plants is 36.20% and index of infestation 20.67%. The lowest values of investigated indicators are in pepper variety Piruet 4.82% and 12.19%.
An Ecosystem Approach to Dead Plant Carbon over 50 years of Old-Field Forest Development

An Ecosystem Approach to Dead Plant Carbon over 50 years of Old-Field Forest Development by Megan Leigh Mobley University Program in Ecology Duke University Date:_______________________ Approved: ___________________________ Daniel deB. Richter, Supervisor ___________________________ Emily S. Bernhardt ___________________________ Norman L. Christensen ___________________________ Daniel Markewitz An abstract of a dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the University Program in Ecology in the Graduate School of Duke University 2011 Copyright by Megan Leigh Mobley 2011
Expected Stock Market Returns and Volatility: Three Decades Later

We replicate the findings of French, Schwert, and Stambaugh (FSS 1987) almost exactly. Consistent with FSS, we find modest evidence of a positive relation between market risk premium and the expected market volatility and strong evidence of a negative relation between market excess returns and the unexpected change in market volatility during 1928-1984. These results persist during 1985-2018 and are robust to alternative data and model specifications. We extend the analysis to 23 developed countries and find qualitatively similar results. We show that the risk-return tradeoff is stronger during expansions than during recessions and does not vary significantly with investor sentiment.
On the SPOT : Question Answering over Temporally Enhanced Structured Data

We investigate the notion of temporal diversity, bringing together two recently active threads of research, namely temporal ranking and diversification of search results. A novel method is developed to determine search results consisting of documents that are relevant to the query and were published at diverse times of interest to the query. Preliminary experiments on twenty years’ worth of newspaper articles from The New York Times demonstrate characteristics of our method and compare it against two baselines.
Regularized Estimation of Main and RF Field Inhomogeneity and Longitudinal Relaxation Rate in Magnetic Resonance Imaging.

Regularized Estimation of Main and RF Field Inhomogeneity a nd Longitudinal Relaxation Rate in Magnetic Resonance Imaging by Amanda K. Funai Chair: Jeffrey A. Fessler In designing pulses and algorithms for magnetic resonance i maging, several simplifications to the Bloch equation are used. However, as magnetic resonan ce (MR) imaging requires higher temporal resolution and faster pulses are used, simp lifications such as uniform main field (B0) strength and uniform radio-frequency (RF) transmit coil fi e d (B + 1 ) strength no longer apply. Ignoring these non-uniformities can cause si gnificant distortions. Accurate maps of the main and RF transmit coil field inhomogeneity are r equired for accurate pulse design and imaging. Standard estimation methods yield nois y maps, particularly in image regions having low spin density, and ignore other important f c ors, such as slice selection effects inB1 mapping andT2 effects inB0 mapping. This thesis uses more accurate signal models for the MR scans to derive iterative regularized esti mators that show improvements over the conventional unregularized methods through Cram é -Rao Bound analysis, simulations, and real MR data. In fast MR imaging with long readout times, field inhomogenei ty causes image distortion and blurring. This thesis first describes regulariz ed methods for estimation of the off-resonance frequency at each voxel from two or more MR sca n having different echo
Comparative Raman study of two laterally fluorinated LC compounds having different terminal chains

ABSTRACT In this article, we present the Raman study of two laterally fluorinated liquid crystal compounds, namely, C3PP(23F)P-NCS and C3PP(23F)PC3. The two compounds have different terminal groups, one with NCS which is more polar than the other which has an alkyl group. The Raman bands were deconvoluted with Lorentzian profiles to get the values of spectral parameters. The main feature of the work is the temperature-dependent behaviour of the spectra profiles of the C–H bending mode, C–F stretching modes and aromatic C–C stretching mode in the vicinity of the phase transitions. The effect on the charge distribution over different bonds of the molecule and the vibrational energy of the bonds due to the presence of the more polar group on the terminal chain is well observed. The contrasting behaviours of the spectral profiles at the Cr–N and N–I transitions were also observed which we have ascribed to some pre-transitional effect associated with the breaking of the orientational order near the N–I transition. Density functional theory using B3LYP exchange correlation with the 6-31G (d,p) basis set was also used to generate a theoretical spectra which were found to be matching with the experimental spectra. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT
Virtual reality-based music attention training for acquired brain injury: A protocol for randomized cross-over trial

Attention training is the primary step in the rehabilitation for patients with acquired brain injury (ABI). While active music performance has been reported to aid neural and functional recovery, its efficacy for patients with ABI remains uncertain due to methodological concerns. The purpose of the study is to develop a virtual reality-based music attention training (VR-MAT), which utilizes a visually guided, bilateral drumming in an immersive environment to train attention and executive functions. We also aims to examine the feasibility and effectiveness of the VR-MAT with a small sample size of participants (3–60 months after ABI, N = 20 approximately). Participants will be randomly assigned to either a waitlist control or music group, in which VR-MAT will take place five times weekly over 4 weeks (randomized crossover design). The evaluation of VR-MAT performance will include accuracy and response time in music responses. Neurocognitive outcome measures will be administered to quantify pre-post changes in attention, working memory, and executive functions. Additionally, functional near-infrared spectroscopy will be employed to explore the relationships between musical behavior, neurocognitive function, and neurophysiological responses.
Effects of Global Warming on the Average Wind Speed Field in Central Japan

The authors compare distributions of annual mean wind speed during 1961–2099 at altitudes of 30–100 m above ground level (AGL) in Central Japan based on several available databases. Wind speed fields are statistically interpolated in time and space using three existing databases: the 333-m resolution local wind field database in Central Japan during 2001–2002 (GWA333), the global reanalysis ECMWF during 1957–2001 (ERA40), and the global multi-model database during 2000–2100 (CMIP3) under the SRES A1B scenario. The interpolated data is validated by available surface observation conducted by the Japan Meteorological Agency, and we confirm that the interpolation shows good agreement with the observations. Results show that domain-averaged wind speeds in 2099 evaluated by the statistical interpolation exceed the wind speeds in 2001 evaluated by GWA333 by about 0.48 m/s at 30 m AGL. Over the coastal and mountainous regions, the wind speed at 30 m AGL increase from 8 m/s in 2001 to 10 m/s in 2099. The gradual increase of the surface wind speed might be completed until the early 21st century. It is concluded that if global warming advances according to the IPCC A1B scenario, the surface wind speed, namely, the wind energy resource in Central Japan is expected to increase gradually during the early 21st century. Keywords: average wind speed, wind energy, global warming.
Mapping the Glymphatic Pathway Using Imaging Advances

The glymphatic system is a newly discovered waste-clearing system that is analogous to the lymphatic system in our central nervous system. Furthermore, disruption in the glymphatic system has also been associated with many neurodegenerative disorders (e.g., Alzheimer’s disease), traumatic brain injury, and subarachnoid hemorrhage. Thus, understanding the function and structure of this system can play a key role in researching the progression and prognoses of these diseases. In this review article, we discuss the current ways to map the glymphatic system and address the advances being made in preclinical mapping. As mentioned, the concept of the glymphatic system is relatively new, and thus, more research needs to be conducted in order to therapeutically intervene via this system.
Soil and water management systems

Conservation Management and the Environment. Distance and Area Measurement. Levels and Leveling. Land Surveys and Mapping Systems. Rainfall and Runoff. Soil Erosion by Water. Upland Water Erosion Control. Channel Flow Erosion Control. Wind Erosion and Control Practices. Water Quality and Supply. Surface Water Storage. Surface Drainage and Wetlands. Subsurface Drainage. Soil Water Relations and Evapotranspiration. Irrigation Principles. Surface Irrigation. Sprinkler Irrigation. Microirrigation. Water Measurement. Glossary of Special Terms. Index.
Effect of the JAK/STAT Inhibitor Tofacitinib on Macrophage Cholesterol Metabolism

The impact of JAK/STAT inhibitors, which are used in various inflammatory diseases, on cardiovascular risk is controversial and has recently raised safety concerns. Our study investigates the direct effects of tofacitinib on macrophage cholesterol metabolism, which is crucial for atherosclerosis plaque development and stability. Cultured human macrophages THP-1 were used to assess the impact of tofacitinib on cell cholesterol efflux and synthesis via radioisotopic methods, and on cholesterol uptake by measuring the cell cholesterol content with a fluorometric assay. The cholesterol acceptors and donors were either standard lipoproteins or sera from patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) and from control subjects. Tofacitinib significantly increased the macrophage cholesterol efflux to all acceptors; it reduced cholesterol uptake from both the normal and hypercholesterolemic sera; and it reduced cholesterol synthesis. The treatment of macrophages with tofacitinib was able to increase the cholesterol efflux and decrease cholesterol uptake when using sera from untreated JIA patients with active disease as cholesterol acceptors and donors, respectively. In conclusion, our in vitro data support the concept that tofacitinib has a favorable impact on macrophage cholesterol metabolism, even in the presence of sera from rheumatologic patients, and suggest that other mechanisms may be responsible for the cardiovascular risk associated with tofacitinib use in selected patient populations.