Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Identification and Characterization of GIV, a Novel Gαi/s -interacting Protein Found on COPI, Endoplasmic Reticulum-Golgi Transport Vesicles*

In this report, we characterize GIV (Gα-interacting vesicle-associated protein), a novel protein that binds members of the Gαi and Gα subfamilies of heterotrimeric G proteins. The Gαs interaction site was mapped to an 83-amino acid region of GIV that is enriched in highly charged amino acids. BLAST searches revealed two additional mammalian family members, Daple and an uncharacterized protein, FLJ00354. These family members share the highest homology at the Gα binding domain, are homologous at the N terminus and central coiled coil domain but diverge at the C terminus. Using affinity-purified IgG made against two different regions of the protein, we localized GIV to COPI, endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-Golgi transport vesicles concentrated in the Golgi region in GH3 pituitary cells and COS7 cells. Identification as COPI vesicles was based on colocalization with β-COP, a marker for these vesicles. GIV also codistributes in the Golgi region with endogenous calnuc and the KDEL receptor, which are cis Golgi markers and with Gαi3-yellow fluorescent protein expressed in COS7 cells. By immunoelectron microscopy, GIV colocalizes with β-COP and Gαi3 on vesicles found in close proximity to ER exit sites and to cis Golgi cisternae. In cell fractions prepared from rat liver, GIV is concentrated in a carrier vesicle fraction (CV2) enriched in ER-Golgi transport vesicles. β-COP and several Gα subunits (Gαi1–3, Gαs) are also most enriched in CV2. Our results demonstrate the existence of a novel Gα-interacting protein associated with COPI transport vesicles that may play a role in Gα-mediated effects on vesicle trafficking within the Golgi and/or between the ER and the Golgi.
Darwin's “strange inversion of reasoning”

Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection unifies the world of physics with the world of meaning and purpose by proposing a deeply counterintuitive “inversion of reasoning” (according to a 19th century critic): “to make a perfect and beautiful machine, it is not requisite to know how to make it” [MacKenzie RB (1868) (Nisbet & Co., London)]. Turing proposed a similar inversion: to be a perfect and beautiful computing machine, it is not requisite to know what arithmetic is. Together, these ideas help to explain how we human intelligences came to be able to discern the reasons for all of the adaptations of life, including our own.
How Much Does Honesty Cost? Small Bonuses Can Motivate Ethical Behavior

Although people generally try to avoid lying, the lure of potential monetary payoffs often leads to unethical behavior. The current research investigates whether small monetary rewards for honesty help people resist the temptations of larger incentives or whether they backfire and lead to even more dishonesty. Four experiments address these issues. Experiment 1 shows that a $1 bonus led people to act more honestly when they could have lied to obtain $4; an identical bonus, however, did not increase dishonesty. Experiment 2 uses a different context and again shows that a $1 bonus led people to act more honestly; it also finds no evidence that this small payoff crowded out subsequent altruistic behavior. Experiment 3 shows that a $1 bonus increased people’s honesty even when the payoffs for lying increased to $8, $12, and $16, but not when the payoff for lying increased to $20. Experiment 4 finds that smaller bonuses for honesty still had an impact, although it tended to be somewhat weaker. In addition, com.
Do Any Near-Death Experiences Provide Evidence for the Survival of Human Personality after Death? Relevant Features and Illustrative Case Reports

One of the main reasons that near-death experiences have gener- ated so much interest in recent years among the general public is because they seem to provide evidence that consciousness survives the death of the physical body. It is puzzling, therefore, that most researchers - both those interested in NDEs and those interested in survival research - have neglect- ed to address the question of whether NDEs do provide evidence for survival. We describe three features of NDEs - enhanced mentation, the experience of seeing the physical body from a different position in space, and paranor- mal perceptions - that we believe might provide convergent evidence sup- porting the survival hypothesis. We then describe 7 published cases and 7 cases from our own collection that contain all three features. These cases are all - with one possible exception - somewhat deficient with regard to their recording and investigation, but they exemplify the type of case that should be identified earlier and investigated more thoroughly than these have been, and that may then help us decide the extent to which NDEs can contribute to the evidence for survival of consciousness after death.
Cocaine affects prostaglandin production in human umbilical cord cell cultures

Objective: To investigate the possible effects of cocaine on prostacyclin and prostaglandin (PG) E2 production from endothelial cells derived from human umbilical cord. Study design: First-passaged endothelial cells derived from the umbilical vein were incubated with various doses of cocaine, procaine and lidocaine and 24 h later the supernatants were assayed for prostacyclin metabolites 6-keto-PGF1α and PGE2. Cocaine concentrations tested were 0, 10, 100, 500 and 1000 μg/ml. Results: Cocaine produced a dose-dependent reduction in prostacyclin and PGE2 production from endothelial cells (p < 0.05). Acetylcholinesterase (a possible detoxifier of cocaine) abolished the effect of cocaine on prostacyclin production. Procaine, an esterol-type anesthetic, produced a similar effect on prostacyclin production, an effect not observed with lidocaine. Conclusion: It is speculated that, when present in high concentrations, cocaine may affect vascular tone by inhibition of endothelial cell prostacyclin and PGE2 release.
Applications of Flexible Ultrasonic Transducer Array for Defect Detection at 150 °C

In this study, the feasibility of using a one dimensional 16-element flexible ultrasonic transducer (FUT) array for nondestructive testing at 150 °C is demonstrated. The FUT arrays were made by a sol-gel sprayed piezoelectric film technology; a PZT composite film was sprayed on a titanium foil of 75 μm thickness. Since the FUT array is flexible, it was attached to a steel pipe with an outer diameter of 89 mm and a wall thickness of 6.5 mm at 150 °C. Using the ultrasonic pulse-echo mode, pipe thickness measurements could be performed. Moreover, using the ultrasonic pulse-echo and pitch-catch modes of each element of FUT array, the defect detection was performed on an Al alloy block of 30 mm thickness with a side-drilled hole (SDH) of ϕ3 mm at 150 °C. In addition, a post-processing algorithm based on the total focusing method was used to process the full matrix of these A-scan signals of each single transmitter and multi-receivers, and then the phase-array image was obtained to indicate this defect- SDH. Both results show the capability of FUT array being operated at 150 °C for the corrosion and defect detections.
Hammondia heydorni oocysts in the faeces of a greyhound in New Zealand

Abstract AIMS: To identify oocysts found in faecal material of a greyhound. METHODS: Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and DNA sequencing were used to study genomic DNA isolated from oocysts purified from faeces of a greyhound. RESULTS: Database searches with the DNA sequences obtained showed they were derived from Hammondia heydorni. A species-specific PCR was developed to detect H. heydorni DNA. CONCLUSIONS: Light microscopy in conjunction with PCR and DNA sequencing definitively identified the presence of H. heydorni oocysts in faeces of a greyhound. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: This study confirms the presence of H. heydorni in New Zealand and indicates the need to correctly identify similar oocysts from dogs, rather than assume they are Neospora caninum.
Very-short term modeling of global solar radiation and air temperature data using curve fitting methods

The development of renewable energy technologies is an inevitable requirement to cope with environmental, economic and political challenges. Solar energy is regarded as one of the most promising types among renewable energy sources. So, the characterization of solar parameters is a significant process in solar energy installations. In this paper, we use three different curve fitting methods called Fourier, sum of sines and smoothing spline in order to model global solar radiation and air temperature parameters at 10-min intervals over a month. In the stage of accuracy comparison, we computed the coefficient of determination (R2) and the root mean squared error (RMSE) for the mentioned methods. In consequence, the smoothing spline model leads to the best modeling results.
Transcalibur: A Weight Shifting Virtual Reality Controller for 2D Shape Rendering based on Computational Perception Model

Humans can estimate the shape of a wielded object through the illusory feeling of the mass properties of the object obtained using their hands. Even though the shape of hand-held objects influences immersion and realism in virtual reality (VR), it is difficult to design VR controllers for rendering desired shapes according to the perceptions derived from the illusory effects of mass properties and shape perception. We propose Transcalibur, which is a hand-held VR controller that can render a 2D shape by changing its mass properties on a 2D planar area. We built a computational perception model using a data-driven approach from the collected data pairs of mass properties and perceived shapes. This enables Transcalibur to easily and effectively provide convincing shape perception based on complex illusory effects. Our user study showed that the system succeeded in providing the perception of various desired shapes in a virtual environment.
O'nyong-nyong Virus, Chad

We report the first laboratory-confirmed human infection with O'nyong-nyong virus in Chad. This virus was isolated from peripheral blood mononuclear cells of a patient with evidence of a seroconversion to a virus related to Chikungunya virus. Genome sequence was partly determined, and phylogenetic studies were conducted.
Trace metal availability and effects on benthic community structure in floodplain lakes

Effects of contaminants on communities are difficult to assess and poorly understood. We analyzed in situ effects of trace metals and common environmental variables on benthic macroinvertebrate communities in floodplain lakes. Alternative measures of trace metal availability were evaluated, including total metals, metals normalized on organic carbon (OC) or clay, simultaneously extracted metals (SEM), combinations of SEM and acid‐volatile sulfide (AVS), and metals accumulated by detritivore invertebrates (Oligochaeta). Accumulated metal concentrations correlated positively with sediment trace metals and negatively with surface water dissolved OC. Sixty‐eight percent of the variation in benthic community composition was explained by a combination of 11 environmental variables, including sediment, water, and morphological characteristics with trace metals. Metals explained 2 to 6% of the community composition when SEM — AVS or individual SEM concentrations were regarded. In contrast, total, normalized, and accumulated metals were not significantly linked to community composition. We conclude that examination of SEM or SEM — AVS concentrations is useful for risk assessment of trace metals on the community level.
Predictors of behavioural health service use and associated expenditures: Individuals with TBI in Pinellas County

Abstract Objective: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a major public health concern. Such injuries often result in dramatic changes in the individual’s life-course due to the associated complex co-morbidities. Limited research exists on the use and expenditures incurred for behavioural healthcare services post-TBI. This study examined predictors of behavioural service use, incarceration and associated expenditures for individuals with TBI. Methods: Emergency Medical Services and Medicaid Claims data were used to identify individuals diagnosed with a TBI in Pinellas County, Florida, in FY 2005. Ten statewide and local administrative data sets from 2005–2008 were employed to determine subject’s demographic characteristics, criminal justice encounters, behavioural health services use and associated expenditures. Average annual expenditures and use of mental health, substance abuse and criminal justice services over a 3-year period were determined. Results: A total of 1005 individuals diagnosed with TBI were identified and, of these, 910 survived the 3-year period. Study participants were grouped into high and low behavioural health expenditure groups. Those in the high expenditure group were more likely to be male, white and to have received behavioural health services. Conclusions: This study provides new information about predictors of behavioural health service use and Medicaid expenditures for Floridians with TBI.
NMR and SAXS characterization of the denatured state of the chemotactic protein Che Y: Implications for protein folding initiation

The denatured state of a double mutant of the chemotactic protein CheY (F14N/V83T) has been analyzed in the presence of 5 M urea, using small angle X‐ray scattering (SAXS) and heteronuclear magnetic resonance. SAXS studies show that the denatured protein follows a wormlike chain model. Its backbone can be described as a chain composed of rigid elements connected by flexible links. A comparison of the contour length obtained for the chain at 5 M urea with the one expected for a fully expanded chain suggests that ∼25% of the residues are involved in residual structures. Conformational shifts of the α‐protons, heteronuclear 15N‐{1H} NOEs and 15N relaxation properties have been used to identify some regions in the protein that deviate from a random coil behavior. According to these NMR data, the protein can be divided into two subdomains, which largely coincide with the two folding subunits identified in a previous kinetic study of the folding of the protein. The first of these subdomains, spanning residues 1–70, is shown here to exhibit a restricted mobility as compared to the rest of the protein. Two regions, one in each subdomain, were identified as deviating from the random coil chemical shifts. Peptides corresponding to these sequences were characterized by NMR and their backbone 1H chemical shifts were compared to those in the intact protein under identical denaturing conditions. For the region located in the first subdomain, this comparison shows that the observed deviation from random coil parameters is caused by interactions with the rest of the molecule. The restricted flexibility of the first subdomain and the transient collapse detected in that subunit are consistent with the conclusions obtained by applying the protein engineering method to the characterization of the folding reaction transition state.
A 2–11 GHz 7-Bit High-Linearity Phase Rotator Based on Wideband Injection-Locking Multi-Phase Generation for High-Speed Serial Links in 28-nm CMOS FDSOI

Pushed by the ever-increasing demand of internet traffic, high-speed serial interfaces are expected to reach 400-Gb/s aggregate data rates in near future. At receiver (RX) side, phase rotators (PRs) are key blocks to align the phase of the local clock to the transitions of the incoming data and to sample the eye in the optimal position. Small phase step and high linearity are paramount in preserving the horizontal time margin, tightened by the reduced symbol duration at 25 Gb/s and beyond. Interpolation of $\pi $ /4-spaced signals is a viable means of improving linearity at high resolution, provided multi-phase signals with low phase error are available. An injection-locked ring oscillator (ILRO) with a mixed analog and digital calibration loop is proposed for high accuracy multi-phase generation over a wide frequency range and against large voltage and temperature variations. A phase detector (PD) based on two passive mixers measures the quadrature error and continuously tunes the oscillator to achieve low phase error. Concurrently, a window comparator monitors the PD output and drives digital coarse calibration in background. Two test chips have been fabricated in 28-nm CMOS fully depleted silicon on insulator technology. The stand-alone ILRO demonstrates 0.2–11.7 GHz frequency range with better than 1.5° quadrature phase error over ±20% supply and −40 °C to +120 °C temperature variations. Power consumption is scalable from 3 to 15 mW. When the ILRO drives the 7-bit PR, it demonstrates differential and integral non-linearity within 0.5 and 1.1 LSB, respectively, across the 2–11 GHz frequency range with 18.6-mW maximum power dissipation. Measured performances compare favorably against the state of the art and meet the requirements of >25 Gb/s multi-standard I/O RXs.
Preimplantation genetic screening

Preimplantation genetic diagnosis was first successfully performed in 1989 as an alternative to prenatal diagnosis for couples at risk of transmitting a genetic or chromosomal abnormality, such as cystic fibrosis, to their child. From embryos generated in vitro, biopsied cells are genetically tested. From the mid-1990s, this technology has been employed as an embryo selection tool for patients undergoing in vitro fertilisation, screening as many chromosomes as possible, in the hope that selecting chromosomally normal embryos will lead to higher implantation and decreased miscarriage rates. This procedure, preimplantation genetic screening, was initially performed using fluorescent in situ hybridisation, but 11 randomised controlled trials of screening using this technique showed no improvement in in vitro fertilisation delivery rates. Progress in genetic testing has led to the introduction of array comparative genomic hybridisation, quantitative polymerase chain reaction, and next generation sequencing for preimplantation genetic screening, and three small randomised controlled trials of preimplantation genetic screening using these new techniques indicate a modest benefit. Other trials are still in progress but, regardless of their results, preimplantation genetic screening is now being offered globally. In the near future, it is likely that sequencing will be used to screen the full genetic code of the embryo.
DNA Methylation of the Gonadal Aromatase (cyp19a) Promoter Is Involved in Temperature-Dependent Sex Ratio Shifts in the European Sea Bass

Sex ratio shifts in response to temperature are common in fish and reptiles. However, the mechanism linking temperature during early development and sex ratios has remained elusive. We show in the European sea bass (sb), a fish in which temperature effects on sex ratios are maximal before the gonads form, that juvenile males have double the DNA methylation levels of females in the promoter of gonadal aromatase (cyp19a), the enzyme that converts androgens into estrogens. Exposure to high temperature increased the cyp19a promoter methylation levels of females, indicating that induced-masculinization involves DNA methylation-mediated control of aromatase gene expression, with an observed inverse relationship between methylation levels and expression. Although different CpGs within the sb cyp19a promoter exhibited different sensitivity to temperature, we show that the increased methylation of the sb cyp19a promoter, which occurs in the gonads but not in the brain, is not a generalized effect of temperature. Importantly, these effects were also observed in sexually undifferentiated fish and were not altered by estrogen treatment. Thus, methylation of the sb cyp19a promoter is the cause of the lower expression of cyp19a in temperature-masculinized fish. In vitro, induced methylation of the sb cyp19a promoter suppressed the ability of SF-1 and Foxl2 to stimulate transcription. Finally, a CpG differentially methylated by temperature and adjacent to a Sox transcription factor binding site is conserved across species. Thus, DNA methylation of the aromatase promoter may be an essential component of the long-sought-after mechanism connecting environmental temperature and sex ratios in vertebrate species with temperature-dependent sex determination.
Cardiac side population cells have a potential to migrate and differentiate into cardiomyocytes in vitro and in vivo

Side population (SP) cells, which can be identified by their ability to exclude Hoechst 33342 dye, are one of the candidates for somatic stem cells. Although bone marrow SP cells are known to be long-term repopulating hematopoietic stem cells, there is little information about the characteristics of cardiac SP cells (CSPs). When cultured CSPs from neonatal rat hearts were treated with oxytocin or trichostatin A, some CSPs expressed cardiac-specific genes and proteins and showed spontaneous beating. When green fluorescent protein–positive CSPs were intravenously infused into adult rats, many more (∼12-fold) CSPs were migrated and homed in injured heart than in normal heart. CSPs in injured heart differentiated into cardiomyocytes, endothelial cells, or smooth muscle cells (4.4%, 6.7%, and 29% of total CSP-derived cells, respectively). These results suggest that CSPs are intrinsic cardiac stem cells and involved in the regeneration of diseased hearts.
The AIDS dementia complex: I. Clinical features

Of 70 autopsied patients with the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), 46 suffered progressive dementia that was frequently accompanied by motor and behavioral dysfunction. Impaired memory and concentration with psychomotor slowing represented the most common early presentation of this disorder, but in nearly one half of the patients either motor or behavioral changes predominated. Early motor deficits commonly included ataxia, leg weakness, tremor, and loss of fine‐motor coordination, while behavioral disturbances were manifested most commonly as apathy or withdrawal, but occasionally as a frank organic psychosis. The course of the disease was steadily progressive in most patients, and at times was punctuated by an abrupt acceleration. However, in 20% of patients a more protracted indolent course was observed. In the most advanced stage of this disease, patients exhibited a stereotyped picture of severe dementia, mutism, incontinence, paraplegia, and in some cases, myoclonus. The high incidence and unique clinical presentation of this AIDS dementia complex is consistent with the emerging concept that this complication is due to direct brain infection by the retrovirus that causes AIDS.