Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
HIV-1 Viral Infectivity Factor (Vif) Alters Processive Single-stranded DNA Scanning of the Retroviral Restriction Factor APOBEC3G

Background: Retroviral restriction factor APOBEC3G is inhibited from inducing mutations in HIV-1 proviral DNA in multiple ways by HIV-1 Vif. Results: Vif-mediated inhibition of APOBEC3G deoxycytidine deaminase activity is due to a change in APOBEC3G processive scanning. Conclusion: Altered processivity leads to a decrease in deoxycytidine deamination-induced mutagenesis. Significance: Vif co-encapsidation with APOBEC3G in virions may promote sublethal mutagenesis of proviral DNA. APOBEC3G is a retroviral restriction factor that can inhibit the replication of human immunodeficiency virus, type 1 (HIV-1) in the absence of the viral infectivity factor (Vif) protein. Virion-encapsidated APOBEC3G can deaminate cytosine to uracil in viral (−)DNA, which leads to hypermutation and inactivation of the provirus. APOBEC3G catalyzes these deaminations processively on single-stranded DNA using sliding and jumping movements. Vif is thought to primarily overcome APOBEC3G through an interaction that mediates APOBEC3G ubiquitination and results in its proteasomal degradation. However, Vif may also inhibit APOBEC3G mRNA translation, virion encapsidation, and deamination activity. Here we investigated the molecular mechanism of VifIIIB- and VifHXB2-mediated inhibition of APOBEC3G deamination activity. Biochemical assays using a model HIV-1 replication assay and synthetic single-stranded or partially double-stranded DNA substrates demonstrated that APOBEC3G has an altered processive mechanism in the presence of Vif. Specifically, VifHXB2 inhibited the jumping and VifIIIB inhibited the sliding movements of APOBEC3G. The absence of such an effect by Vif on degradation-resistant APOBEC3G D128K indicates that a Vif-APOBEC3G interaction mediates this effect. That the partially processive APOBEC3G was less effective at inducing mutagenesis in a model HIV-1 replication assay suggests that Vif co-encapsidation with APOBEC3G can promote sublethal mutagenesis of HIV-1 proviral DNA.
Design and test of variable-rate fertilization control device of precision planter for soybean

Utilizing the favorable condition of Heilongjiang reclamation area carrying out the precision agriculture sample, we have developed an automatic control device with the variable rate fertilization. This device adopts industrial control computer is upper machine and variable rate fertilization controller for single chip computer as the core is lower machine, it is to be used to the accompaniment of 6-line soybean precision planter, and it uses an electric control CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission) which controls the transmission ratio of discharging fertilizer system of the planter to change the volume of applying fertilizer. We carried out planting tests of the variable-rate fertilization with this control device on the 852 farm in Heilongjiang province in 2005 and achieved good results.
Complex Non-rigid Motion 3D Reconstruction by Union of Subspaces

The task of estimating complex non-rigid 3D motion through a monocular camera is of increasing interest to the wider scientific community. Assuming one has the 2D point tracks of the non-rigid object in question, the vision community refers to this problem as Non-Rigid Structure from Motion (NRSfM). In this paper we make two contributions. First, we demonstrate empirically that the current state of the art approach to NRSfM (i.e. Dai et al. [5]) exhibits poor reconstruction performance on complex motion (i.e motions involving a sequence of primitive actions such as walk, sit and stand involving a human object). Second, we propose that this limitation can be circumvented by modeling complex motion as a union of subspaces. This does not naturally occur in Dai et al.'s approach which instead makes a less compact summation of subspaces assumption. Experiments on both synthetic and real videos illustrate the benefits of our approach for the complex nonrigid motion analysis.
Hands and Faces: A Preliminary Inventory for Written ASL

American Sign Language (ASL) can be characterized as a face-to-face language; much like other face-to-face languages in Africa and the Americas, ASL has not had a written form. We discuss some characteristics of writing systems, the advantages of writing for a community, and the differences between linguistic transcription and writing for daily use. The remainder of the paper focuses on two aspects of ASL-- handshapes and nonmanual behaviors--that need to be accounted for in any writing system. We discuss the process of selection and classification of items to be represented in a writing system for ASL.
The Synaptic Function of α-Synuclein

α-Synuclein is an abundant neuronal protein which localizes predominantly to presynaptic terminals, and is strongly linked genetically and pathologically to Parkinson’s disease and other neurodegenerative diseases. While the accumulation of α-synuclein in the form of misfolded oligomers and large aggregates defines multiple neurodegenerative diseases called “synucleinopathies”, its cellular function has remained largely unclear, and is the subject of intense investigation. In this review, I focus on the structural characteristics of α-synuclein, its cellular and subcellular localization, and discuss how this relates to its function in neurons, in particular at the neuronal synapse.
Enhancing Coach-Parent Relationships in Youth Sports: Increasing Harmony and Minimizing Hassle

Frank Smoll and his colleagues should be commended on continuing to advance the worthy aim of making youth-sport participation more enjoyable. Indeed, the body of work generated by Smith and Smoll [e.g., 1], along with the more recent contributions of Cumming [e.g., 2], have been highly influential in coaching research and practice over a number of years. In this commentary, we focus on three of the five areas covered by the authors: i) the difference between youth and professional models of sport; ii) the goals of youth sports; and iii) parental responsibilities and challenges.
A Highly Conserved Residue in the C-Terminal Helix of HIV-1 Matrix Is Required for Envelope Incorporation into Virus Particles

ABSTRACT The incorporation of viral envelope (Env) glycoproteins into nascent particles is an essential step in the production of infectious human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1). This process has been shown to require interactions between Env and the matrix (MA) domain of the Gag polyprotein. Previous studies indicate that several residues in the N-terminal region of MA are required for Env incorporation. However, the precise mechanism by which Env proteins are acquired during virus assembly has yet to be fully defined. Here, we examine whether a highly conserved glutamate at position 99 in the C-terminal helix is required for MA function and HIV-1 replication. We analyze a panel of mutant viruses that contain different amino acid substitutions at this position using viral infectivity studies, virus-cell fusion assays, and immunoblotting. We find that E99V mutant viruses are defective for fusion with cell membranes and thus are noninfectious. We show that E99V mutant particles of HIV-1 strains LAI and NL4.3 lack wild-type levels of Env proteins. We identify a compensatory substitution in MA residue 84 and show that it can reverse the E99V-associated defects. Taken together, these results indicate that the C-terminal hydrophobic pocket of MA, which encompasses both residues 84 and 99, has a previously unsuspected and key role in HIV-1 Env incorporation.
Cold face test-induced increases in heart rate variability are abolished by engagement in a social cognition task.

Abstract. The vagus nerve is a major constituent in the bidirectional relationship between the heart and the prefrontal cortex. This study investigated the role of the vagus in social cognition using the cold face test (facial cooling) to stimulate the vagus nerve and increase prefrontal inhibitory control. Heart Rate Variability (HRV) was measured to index parasympathetic outflow while social cognition ability was tested using the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (RMET). Healthy males (n = 25) completed the RMET under two conditions: with and without facial cooling. Results indicated that although facial cooling increased HRV at rest, there was no improvement in the RMET during the facial cooling condition. Interestingly, completing the RMET with facial cooling abolished this increase in HRV, suggesting interference along the vagal reflex arc. These results are consistent with the involvement of a common cortico-subcortical circuit in autonomic and cognitive processes, important for emotion recognition.
Assessing the effect of requirements traceability for software maintenance

Advocates of requirements traceability regularly cite advantages like easier program comprehension and support for software maintenance (i.e., software change). However, despite its growing popularity, there exists no published evaluation about the usefulness of requirements traceability. It is important, if not crucial, to investigate whether the use of requirements traceability can significantly support development tasks to eventually justify its costs. We thus conducted a controlled experiment with 52 subjects performing real maintenance tasks on two third-party development projects: half of the tasks with and the other half without traceability. Our findings show that subjects with traceability performed on average 21% faster on a task and created on average 60% more correct solutions - suggesting that traceability not only saves downstream cost but can profoundly improve software maintenance quality. Furthermore, we aimed for an initial cost-benefit estimation and set the measured time reductions by using traceability in relation to the initial costs for setting-up traceability in the evaluated systems.
Why do Resource Dependent Countries Have Authoritarian Governments ? ¤

This paper explores the impact of natural resource dependence on democratic governance and political instability. I show that when the state institutions are weak and budget procedures either lack transparency or are discretionary, resource windfalls tend to generate and consolidate incumbency advantage and to increase socio-political instability. There is a strong empirical support for my theoretical predictions. I . nd that a robust and statistically signi.cant impact of resource dependence on the probability of “authoritarianism” Since Norway is an outlier according to my statistical . ndings, I explain why oil discoveries generated incumbency advantage and political instability in Nigeria but not in Norway. ¤Preliminary. Comments welcome yI would like to thank Nathan Jensen and Vineeta Yadav for excellent research assistance. I would also like to thank Martin Gilens, Elena Kranoskutskaya, Mathias Hounkpe, Amy Poteete, Chris Udry, James Vreeland and seminar participants at Université Laval and Université de Montréal for comments. The usual caveat applies.
GENDER DIFFERENCES, TREND AND PATTERN RECIDIVISM AMONG INMATES IN SELECTED NIGERIAN PRISONS

The study examined gender perception and the prevalence of recidivism in Nigerian prisons; it ascertained the trend and pattern of crimes by recidivists. This was with a view to establishing the gender differences, their patterns of crime, relationships and behavioural predispositions. Primary and secondary data were generated; the primary data were collected in five purposively selected State Prison Commands. The quantitative data was collected. Quantitative data were collected through questionnaire; a sample of 567 inmates was selected using proportional sampling technique. The quantitative data collected were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The results showed persistent rise in the prevalence of recidivism from 35% in 2007 to 44% in 2008 and 52.4% in 2010. The trend and pattern of recidivism showed that male recidivists constituted 88.5% while females, 11.5% and the prevalence was high among young offenders and within the age groups of 26-35 years (54.0%), 36 -45years (22.2%) and 16 -25 years (21.2%). The trend and patterns of crimes were mostly theft and other minor stealing (20.3%), armed robbery (11.3%) and burglary (9.0%). Female recidivists were convicted for anger related offences such as murder (10.1%) and attempted murder cases (6.2%). The study concluded that there was a constant increase in the prevalence of recidivism; especially among male inmates and that most crimes¸ patterns of relationships and behavioural predispositions were offender specific.
Parental stress increases the effect of traffic-related air pollution on childhood asthma incidence

Exposure to traffic-related pollution (TRP) and tobacco smoke have been associated with new onset asthma in children. Psychosocial stress-related susceptibility has been proposed to explain social disparities in asthma. We investigated whether low socioeconomic status (SES) or high parental stress modified the effect of TRP and in utero tobacco smoke exposure on new onset asthma. We identified 2,497 children aged 5–9 years with no history of asthma or wheeze at study entry (2002–2003) into the Children's Health Study, a prospective cohort study in southern California. The primary outcome was parental report of doctor-diagnosed new onset asthma during 3 years of follow-up. Residential exposure to TRP was assessed using a line source dispersion model. Information about maternal smoking during pregnancy, parental education (a proxy for SES), and parental stress were collected in the study baseline questionnaire. The risk of asthma attributable to TRP was significantly higher for subjects with high parental stress (HR 1.51 across the interquartile range for TRP; 95% CI 1.16–1.96) than for subjects with low parental stress (HR 1.05, 95% CI 0.74–1.49; interaction P value 0.05). Stress also was associated with larger effects of in utero tobacco smoke. A similar pattern of increased risk of asthma was observed among children from low SES families who also were exposed to either TRP or in utero tobacco smoke. These results suggest that children from stressful households are more susceptible to the effects of TRP and in utero tobacco smoke on the development of asthma.
Shifting perspectives on organizational memory: from storage to active remembering

This paper provides a critique of current conceptions of "organizational memory" as presented in a number of recent studies. It briefly reviews some of the rich and varied contributions from both administrative studies and information systems concerning this topic, while at the same time noting the vagueness of the term as it is commonly used. What is of interest is the pervasiveness and perseverance of this nebulous concept across a wide range of disciplinary endeavours. The paper provides an important reformulation of one aspect of "memory" that is implicit if not explicit in most current views (i.e. the notion of memory as a passive store), arguing instead for an active, constructive view of "remembering" that has a long, if forgotten history within psychology and other fields. Some implications of such an approach are discussed, paying particular attention to the need for empirical studies of "memories in use" and the need to focus on the active construction of common information spaces from information repositories and expanding the domain of discourse to include sociological as well as psychological perspectives on concepts such as memory, learning, remembering, talking, etc. in the content of organizations. This reformulation of the issues surrounding organizational memory has significant implications for the kinds of computer support for this phenomenon which might be possible or feasible.
Resource Orchestration and Scheduling Algorithms for Enhancing Distributed Reinforcement Learning

In modern distributed computing, effective resource allocation assumes a paramount role in bolstering application performance. Kubernetes leverages localized scheduling algorithms to ensure astute resource utilization and alignment with application requisites. Nonetheless, the domain of distributed reinforcement learning poses challenges rooted in the intricate landscape of multi-node agent training and environment simulation, which engenders resource contention issues and heightened communication overhead. This paper introduces the LeaderFirst and Batch Tasks Centralized algorithms to counteract these challenges. The LeaderFirst algorithm demonstrates judicious allocation of Learner resources, disentangling reinforcement learning tasks to attain synchronization and proficiently alleviate competitive dynamics. Conversely, the Batch Tasks Centralized algorithm concentrates on the efficient bundling of tasks to maximize resource employment, all while judiciously addressing the mitigation of distributed communication overhead. Through empirical assessment, these algorithms showcase pronounced advantages over their Kubernetes native counterparts.
Traumatic brain injury: Can the consequences be stopped?

Traumatic brain injury is a leading cause of morbidity and death in both industrialized and developing countries. To date, there is no targeted pharmacological treatment that effectively limits the progression of secondary injury. The delayed progression of deterioration of grey and white matter gives hope that a meaningful intervention can be applied in a realistic timeframe following initial trauma. In this review we discuss new insights into the subcellular mechanisms of secondary injury that have highlighted numerous potential targets for intervention.
Mutations in the Proteolipid Subunits of the Vacuolar H+-ATPase Provide Resistance to Indolotryptoline Natural Products

Indolotryptoline natural products represent a small family of structurally unique chromopyrrolic acid-derived antiproliferative agents. Like many prospective anticancer agents before them, the exploration of their potential clinical utility has been hindered by the limited information known about their mechanism of action. To study the mode of action of two closely related indolotryptolines (BE-54017, cladoniamide A), we selected for drug resistant mutants using a multidrug resistance-suppressed (MDR-sup) Schizosaccharomyces pombe strain. As fission yeast maintains many of the basic cancer-relevant cellular processes present in human cells, it represents an appealing model to use in determining the potential molecular target of antiproliferative natural products through resistant mutant screening. Full genome sequencing of resistant mutants identified mutations in the c and c′ subunits of the proteolipid substructure of the vacuolar H+-ATPase complex (V-ATPase). This collection of resistance-conferring mutations maps to a site that is distant from the nucleotide-binding sites of V-ATPase and distinct from sites found to confer resistance to known V-ATPase inhibitors. Acid vacuole staining, cross-resistance studies, and direct c/c′ subunit mutagenesis all suggest that indolotryptolines are likely a structurally novel class of V-ATPase inhibitors. This work demonstrates the general utility of resistant mutant selection using MDR-sup S. pombe as a rapid and potentially systematic approach for studying the modes of action of cytotoxic natural products.
Reflections on Civil Liberties in an Age of Counterterrorism

This article examines the historical origins of civil liberties and shows their importance to systems of government rooted in the principles of representative democracy. It argues that the subject of civil liberties needs to be distinguished from issues related to criminal justice and human rights, and that too broad a deployment of the language of civil liberties can lead to the importance of civil liberties being underappreciated by the wider public. The article considers how the integrity of the language of civil liberties and the representative system of democracy as a whole can be preserved in the face of the strong challenge to these values that has become increasingly apparent since the 9/11 attacks.
A model for ethical decision making in mediation

Mediators are constantly faced with ethical dilemmas in their practice. Many mediators are unfamiliar with the philosophical and theoretical bases for ethical decision making because it is not a part of their training. On the other hand, most mediators utilize a variation of a problem-solving technique in mediation that can be easily adapted to resolving ethical dilemmas. This article explores the sources of conflict (both internal and external to the mediator) resulting in ethical dilemmas. It delineates a problem-solving model for decision making and presents its application to a case.
Teacher Interruptions During Oral Reading Instruction

A brief review of the literature addressing teacher interruption and its influence on student oral reading performance, and previously developed systems for teacher self-monitoring form the background of this article. Within this framework, a system for self-monitoring is proposed in which teachers not only quantify, but also provide explanatory contexts for instances of corrective feedback during oral reading instruction. It is suggested that use of this model will heighten teachers' awareness of the interactional and interdependent aspects of reading instruction.
“Wanted: dead or alive?” A novel use of FFR theory to assess myocardial viability after STEMI

The goal of PCI for STEMI is to keep as much myocardium alive as possible. To what degree this goal is successful is often unknown. Since myocardial viability permits recovery of severely dysfunctional myocardium and predicts the long-term survival in patients after STEMI, this information carries important prognostic implications. It is believed that the degree of preservation of myocardial microcirculatory perfusion determines the degree of myocardial viability and that measuring the microcirculatory response will predict viability.
Some tables for statistically based interpretation of WAIS--R factor scores.

If we are to make clinical use of the findings regarding the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised (WAIS-R) factor structure, then we need information analogous to that available for Full Scale, Verbal, and Performance IQs. This article provides tables for determining (a) confidence intervals around an examinee's Verbal Comprehension, Perceptual Organization, and Memory/Freedom From Distractibility deviation quotients (DQs); (b) the probability that variation in DQs across administrations reflects real change, rather than measurement error; (c) the difference between DQs necessary for statistical significance; and (e) the abnormality of differences between DOs. All statistics were derived from data provided in the WAIS-R manual