Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Hydrogen bonds in Zif268 proteins – a theoretical perspective

The aim of the work was to elucidate the presence of different hydrogen bond (H-bond) in five Zif268 proteins (1A1F, 1A1G, 1A1H, 1A1I and 1A1K). For this purpose, we have performed the QM/MM and molecular dynamics (MD) studies, the results of which reveal that H-bonds depend on the amino acid sequence and orientation of the H-bond donor atoms. Further, high specificity of Arg and Asn is observed for guanine and adenine, respectively. Furthermore, both conventional and non-conventional hydrogen bond also exists in the proteins, among them N–H⋯O H-bonds are the strongest. Besides, the non-conventional bonds play a role in the protein folding and DNA stacking. From the QSAR properties, amino acids such as asparagine and aspartic acids are the major reactive sites in the Zif268 protein. The electron affinities of Zif268 proteins are high, so the charge transfer occurs from the DNA to the protein molecules. NBO analysis indicates the majority of charge transfer occurs from DNA to the corresponding anti-bonding orbital of the peptides. Root mean square deviation and Rg (radius of gyration) show that 1A1F is more compact and in native state during MD simulation. The minimum Rg leads to the large number of hydrogen bonds formation in 1A1F. Higher solvent accessible surface area in 1A1I indicates that the cavity inside the protein is large.
Effects of Plyometric Training Volume and Training Surface on Explosive Strength

Abstract Campillo, RR, Andrade, DC, and Izquierdo, M. Effects of plyometric training volume and training surface on explosive strength. J Strength Cond Res 27(10): 2714–2722, 2013—The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of different volume and training surfaces during a short-term plyometric training program on neuromuscular performance. Twenty-nine subjects were randomly assigned to 4 groups: control group (CG, n = 5), moderate volume group (MVG, n = 9, 780 jumps), moderate volume hard surface group (MVGHS, n = 8, 780 jumps), and high volume group (HVG, n = 7, 1,560 jumps). A series of tests were performed by the subjects before and after 7 weeks of plyometric training. These tests were measurement of maximum strength (5 maximum repetitions [5RMs]), drop jumps (DJs) of varying heights (20, 40, and 60 cm), squat and countermovement jumps (SJ and CMJ, respectively), timed 20-m sprint, agility, body weight, and height. The results of the present study suggest that high training volume leads to a significant increase in explosive performance that requires fast stretch-shortening cycle (SSC) actions (such as DJ and sprint) in comparison to what is observed after a moderate training volume regimen. Second, when plyometric training is performed on a hard training surface (high-impact reaction force), a moderate training volume induces optimal stimulus to increase explosive performance requiring fast SSC actions (e.g., DJ), maximal dynamic strength enhancement, and higher training efficiency. Thus, a finding of interest in the study was that after 7 weeks of plyometric training, performance enhancement in maximal strength and in actions requiring fast SSC (such as DJ and sprint) were dependent on the volume of training and the surface on which it was performed. This must be taken into account when using plyometric training on different surfaces.
Comparing strategic human resource development approaches for tourism and hospitality workforce planning

ABSTRACT This study compared two approaches for strategic human resource development planning at a macro-level. This was done to develop an understanding of the impact of external change on current and future human resource needs in tourism and hospitality organizations. Using strategic human resource development planning theory, this article examined the application of a qualitative environmental scanning approach compared against quantitative labor market projections for the future workforce for tourism and hospitality occupations in one U.S. state. Interview data collected from a sample of tourism industry leaders in Minnesota identified changes in the economic, demographic, political and legislative, and technology sectors and the possible impact to current and future human resources employed. Data from labor market analysis highlighted future changes in the size and characteristics of the workforce and needed educational levels for workers in tourism and hospitality. Comparing results from both approaches showed each workforce planning method produced different types of data to assist human resource managers with future staffing decisions. Recommendations for practice include using a combined approach to make projections on the size, composition, and human resource development needs of the tourism and hospitality workforce.
The challenges of cross-cultural research and teaching in primary care

Received 8 March 2016; Accepted 8 March 2016 Introduction This special issue of Family Medicine and Community Health is focused on some of the challenges that we face when undertaking cross-cultural academic studies in primary care. It includes both research and teaching studies conducted in several different countries around the world. It highlights some of the challenges we need to address when undertaking such academic work in widely different contexts and cultures. The authors have used a wide variety of methods – chosen to match not only the questions they have asked but also the methods they have chosen which take into account the context in which the studies have been undertaken. The context in which a piece of work has been undertaken differs, of course, in the detail, but in principle, all of the authors in this special issue of Family Medicine and Community Health have faced the same general challenge of ensuring the best quality for their academic work. To do this they have, for example, tried to ensure that the study design chosen is the most appropriate one to answer the individual questions they have asked. In addition, to ensure the highest rigor in their work, they have recognized the importance of using suitable data collection and analysis methods and adopting dissemination strategies which are matched to the different health and educational systems in which they work. However, when reading the articles in this issue, the attentive reader will want to ask himself or herself “how do I decide whether the issues raised by this particular study are applicable in my own situation? ”
Providing Access to Physical Activity: The Intersection of Teaching, Outreach, and Scholarship

The School of Kinesiology at Auburn University unites teaching, research, and outreach efforts to provide access to physical activity for local, statewide, and global communities. This paper provides a brief overview of the programs as well as strategies to mobilize efforts for physical activity outreach within an academic setting. School-wide efforts include youth initiatives, physical activity assessments offered through our TigerFit program, and the United States Olympic Team Handball training center. All programs provide service-learning opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students as well as outreach outcomes. Furthermore, the programs provide a platform for scholarship in the form of publications, partnerships for grant submissions, and student research projects. Merging teaching, outreach, and scholarship has provided longevity for the programs, thereby establishing long-term social ties to the community and providing continued access to physical activity to promote public health.
Effects of the previous pulse shift and filter on the symbol synchronizer PLL

We will study the effects of the shift of the previous pulse temporal position (between P1 and P2) on the symbol synchronizers jitter behavior. Each pulse temporal position (P1 and P2), with the same previous filter, forms a group with four different carrier PLL (phase lock loop) namely the analog, hybrid, combinational and sequential. The main objective is to study the synchronizers output jitter UIRMS (unit interval root mean squared) as function of the input SNR (signal to noise ratio).
Map3k8 Modulates Monocyte State and Atherogenesis in ApoE−/− Mice

Objective— Map3k8 (Cot/Tpl2) activates the MKK1/2-ERK1/2, MAPK pathway downstream from interleukin-1R, tumor necrosis factor-&agr;R, NOD-2R (nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like 2R), adiponectinR, and Toll-like receptors. Map3k8 plays a key role in innate and adaptive immunity and influences inflammatory processes by modulating the functions of different cell types. However, its role in atherogenesis remains unknown. In this study, we analyzed the role of this kinase in this pathology. Approach and Results— We show here that Map3k8 deficiency results in smaller numbers of Ly6ChighCD11clow and Ly6ClowCD11chigh monocytes in ApoE−/− mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD). Map3k8−/−ApoE−/− monocytes displayed high rates of apoptosis and reduced amounts of Nr4a1, a transcription factor known to modulate apoptosis in Ly6ClowCD11chigh monocytes. Map3k8−/−ApoE−/− splenocytes and macrophages showed irregular patterns of cytokine and chemokine expression. Map3k8 deficiency altered cell adhesion and migration in vivo and decreased CCR2 expression, a determinant chemokine receptor for monocyte mobilization, on circulating Ly6ChighCD11clow monocytes. Map3k8−/−ApoE−/− mice fed an HFD showed decreased cellular infiltration in the atherosclerotic plaque, with low lipid content. Lesions had similar size after Map3k8+/+ApoE−/− bone marrow transplant into Map3k8−/−ApoE−/− and Map3k8+/+ApoE−/− mice fed an HFD, whereas smaller plaques were observed after the transplantation of bone marrow lacking both ApoE and Map3k8. Conclusions— Map3k8 decreases apoptosis of monocytes and enhances CCR2 expression on Ly6ChighCD11clow monocytes of ApoE−/− mice fed an HFD. These findings explain the smaller aortic lesions in ApoE−/− mice with Map3k8−/−ApoE−/− bone marrow cells fed an HFD, supporting further studies of Map3k8 as an antiatherosclerotic target.
Effects of envelope discontinuities on perceptual restoration of amplitude-compressed speech.

An interrupted signal may be perceptually restored and, as a result, perceived as continuous, when the interruptions are filled with loud noise bursts. Additionally, when the signal is speech, an improvement in intelligibility may be observed. The perceived continuity of interrupted tones is reduced when the signal level is ramped down and up before and after the noise burst, respectively--an effect that has been attributed to envelope discontinuities at the tone-noise interface [Bregman, A. S. , and Dannenbring, G. L. (1977). Can. J. Psychiatry 31, 151-159]. The hypothesis of the present study was that the perceptual restoration of speech would also be reduced with similar envelope discontinuities that may occur in real life due to the release time constants of hearing-aid compression. In an effort to make the conditions more relevant to hearing aids, speech was amplitude-compressed and normal-hearing listeners of varying ages were recruited. Envelope amplitude ramps were placed at the onsets/offsets of speech segments of interrupted sentences and the restoration effect was measured in two ways: objectively as the improvement in intelligibility when noise was added in the gaps and subjectively through the perceived continuity measured by subjects' own reporting. Both measures showed a reduction as the ramp duration increased--a trend observed for subjects of all ages and for all ramp configurations. These findings can be attributed to envelope discontinuities, with an additional contribution from reduced speech information due to ramping and temporal masking from loud noise bursts.
Involvement of gshAB in the Interspecies Competition within Oral Biofilm

Although Streptococcus sanguinis has been reported to produce H2O2 to gain a competitive edge over Streptococcus mutans, the molecular mechanisms evolved by S. mutans to counter this “peer stress” are still to be identified. The current study was designed to investigate the ecological role of glutathione synthetase (gshAB) in the interspecies interaction between S. mutans and S. sanguinis. A gshAB in-frame deletion strain of S. mutans was constructed, and its phenotypic traits were characterized. The spatio-temporal interaction of the gshAB mutant with S. sanguinis was further investigated in a dual-species biofilm model by fluorescence in situ hybridization. We found that, although less tolerant for H2O2, the gshAB mutant produced more extracellular polysaccharides by up-regulating gtfs expression, so as to cluster as condensed microcolonies. In addition, the mutant was more susceptible to the conditioned medium of S. sanguinis, and its competitiveness was significantly compromised. Taken together, we believe that gshAB is essential for the competitiveness and prevalence of S. mutans through detoxifying the H2O2 produced by S. sanguinis. Given the ecological importance of bacterial equilibrium within the oral biofilm, gshAB may represent a promising target to modulate the S. mutans/S. sanguinis ratio under cariogenic conditions, thus contributing to the management of dental caries.
Fairness-Throughput Tradeoff in Full-Duplex WiFi Networks

Recently, some CSMA/CD-alike protocols have been proposed for full-duplex (FD) WiFi networks, in which users are able to monitor the channel and transmit data simultaneously so as to avoid data collisions and improve the spectrum efficiency. However, along with its benefits, the residual self- interference (RSI) brought by FD becomes a new challenge for the network. As the RSI increases with the transmit power, the sensing performance degrades. Thus, on the one hand, increased transmit power of individual user will promote the system throughput. On the other hand, as the user who raises its transmit power suffers from more detection failure, its transmit probability will be higher and leads to a suppression of that of other users, so the system fairness may decrease. Consequently, a tradeoff between the system throughput and fairness emerges. In this paper, we provide theoretical analysis of the system throughput and fairness, and reveal their relationship with the power profile of users in FD WiFi networks. We formulate the power control problem in FD WiFi networks as a non-cooperative game, for which we propose a distributed power control mechanism considering both system throughput and fairness. Simulation results validate the fairness-throughput tradeoff for the proposed power control mechanism.
Proteomic and functional analysis of the suite of Ysp proteins exported by the Ysa type III secretion system of Yersinia enterocolitica Biovar 1B

Full virulence of Yersinia enterocolitica Biovar 1B requires two distinct and distantly related contact‐dependent type III secretion (T3S) systems. The plasmid‐encoded Ysc T3S system is essential for systemic stages of infection and the Yop effector proteins it translocates have been extensively studied. The chromosome‐encoded Ysa T3S system contributes to gastrointestinal stages of infection, but the suite of Ysp effectors proteins it translocates into host cells remains obscure. Using a proteomics‐based approach, the Ysa T3S system was analysed revealing a complex set of 15 secreted Ysp proteins. Seven of these proteins were previously described (YspA, YspB, YspC, YspD, YopE, YopN and YopP). Eight of these Ysps (YspK, YspI, YspE, YspF, YspP, YspY, YspN and YspL) had not previously been characterized. Several of the new Ysps are homologous to other virulence factors, including YspP with similarity to the Yersinia protein tyrosine phosphatase YopH and YspK with similarity to the Shigella serine/threonine kinase OspG. Biochemical analysis of purified hexa‐histidine tagged YspK and YspP established that these proteins have kinase and phosphatase activity respectively. Infection of eukaryotic cells with Y. enterocolitica strains expressing a Ysp‐CyaA chimeric protein resulted in Ysa T3S system‐dependent increases in cytosolic levels of cAMP for six Ysps (YspK, YspI, YspE, YspF, YspP and YspL), but not two others (YspY and YspN). YspN, however, was required for translocation of effector proteins into eukaryotic cells by the Ysa T3S system. Competition assays in BALB/c mice revealed that mutants defective for the production of an individual Ysp are affected for colonization of gastrointestinal tissues. Collectively, the results of this study support the hypothesis that the Ysa T3S system targets a complex suite of effector proteins into host cells to affect the outcome of an infection. Identification of the suite of effectors delivered by the Ysa T3S system reveals that host cell signalling pathways are the probable targets of several Ysp effectors.
Hemispheric Preference and Progressive-Part or Whole Practice in Beginning Typewriting

This investigation explored the interaction of progressive-part versus whole methods of practice with hemispheric preference for processing information and the impact of each upon high school students' speed and accuracy in beginning typewriting. Zenhausern's Differential Hemispheric Activation Test was scored in such a way that it was possible to plot the scores along a continuum. Analysis of variance gave significant F ratios on 3 of the 4 testing days. The continuous scores were divided into five categories: middle, left moderates, right moderates, extreme rights, and extreme lefts. The moderate-left group speed was consistently the fastest group, and the extreme rights were consistently the slowest group. This difference was significant for all four testing days with the moderate-left mean speed varying between 4 to 6 words per minute faster each testing day. The extreme rights were consistently the most accurate, even though not statistically significantly so. There was no significant difference between method of practice and typewriting speed or between method of practice and typewriting accuracy; however, on all four testing days the mean gross speed of the whole practice learning group was 0.73 to 0.99 words per minute faster than the progressive-part group. A two-way analysis of variance indicated no interaction between method of practice and hemispheric preference.
Direct Model Predictive Control: A Review of Strategies That Achieve Long Prediction Intervals for Power Electronics

Direct model predictive control (MPC) strategies that achieve long prediction horizons with a modest computational complexity are reviewed in this article, focusing on power electronics applications. In many MPC problems, a long prediction horizon is required to ensure an adequate closed-loop performance in steady state and to avoid stability issues. However, the computational effort of solving the optimization problem underlying MPC problems with long prediction horizons is often very great, making the implementation of such schemes in real time a difficult and challenging task. To overcome this difficulty, three established methodologies are surveyed that yield long prediction horizons with a modest computational burden. Case studies are investigated to substantiate the merits of these schemes. More specifically, for dc? dc boost converters, a move blocking strategy is reviewed, and for ac medium-voltage (MV) drives, both an extrapolation and an event-based horizon strategy are examined.
Efficacy of Spinal Manipulation/Mobilization Therapy: A Meta-Analysis

A quantitative review (meta-analysis) was undertaken to (1) synthesize existing evidence on the efficacy of joint mobilization and manipulation and (2) expose consumers of rehabilitation research to the methods and procedures of quantitative reviewing. Potentially relevant studies were obtained through a computer-assisted bibliographic search of the index Medicus data base and through examination of references contained in retrieved studies. A total of 57 titles were potentially relevant to manipulation/mobilization, but only nine met the prespecified criteria for inclusion in the quantitative review. Data analysis indicated that studies not employing random assignment were more likely to produce results supporting the use of manipulation/mobilization therapies. The effects in favor of manipulation and mobilization were greater when manual therapy was provided in conjunction with other forms of treatment and were also greater when the treatment effects were measured immediately following therapy. In addition, hypotheses tests appearing in journals published in the United States showed manipulation/mobilization less effective in comparison with reports appearing in English language journals published outside the United States. The results provided only limited empirical support for spinal mobilization and manipulation when used to treat pain, flexibility limitations, and impairment in physical activity.
Participant Perception of Recovery as Criterion to Establish Importance of Improvement for Constraint-Induced Movement Therapy Outcome Measures: A Preliminary Study

Background and Purpose Changes in function following constraint-induced movement therapy (CIMT) are characterized primarily by improvements in performance; however, the importance of these outcome measures to the participant may be unclear. The primary purpose of this study was to determine whether either change scores or raw follow-up scores for the Motor Activity Log amount scale (MALa) and the Wolf Motor Function Test (WMFT) predicted participants' self-reports of recovery of upper-extremity function at 4 to 6 months after starting CIMT. Subjects and Methods This study was a secondary analysis of a cohort of subjects (N=46) who participated in CIMT trials. Subjects completed measures at baseline and 4 to 6 months later. Hierarchical regression models determined whether change scores or raw follow-up scores of CIMT outcome measures were predictive of perceived recovery. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves determined cutoff scores for measures that significantly contributed to participants' reports of perceived recovery. Results The regression models indicated that raw follow-up MALa scores (β=0.80, P=.024) and WMFT scores (β=−0.37, P=.03) contributed to perceived recovery. Proposed cutoff scores for the MALa scores were less than 1.15 (negative likelihood ratio [LR]=0.17) for predicting less than 50% recovery and greater than 2.50 (positive LR=2.75) for predicting 50% or greater recovery. Proposed cutoff scores for follow-up WMFT scores were greater than 34.0 seconds (negative LR=0.24) for predicting less than 50% recovery and less than 11.0 seconds (positive LR=5.96) for predicting 50% or greater recovery. Discussion and Conclusion Raw follow-up scores for the MALa and WMFT were better predictors of self-report of recovery in comparison with change scores. These data also serve as a starting point for developing cutoff scores that accurately predict self-report of recovery.
Measurement of fast neutrons produced by high-energy X-ray beams of medical electron accelerators.

The fast neutron contamination associated with the 25 MV X-ray beam of a clinical linear accelerator and with the 19 MV X-ray beam of a betatron has been measured at the patient treatment location, using both fission fragment track detectors and silicon diode dosemeters. Measurements are made of the neutron fluence and dose, both in and out of the primary photon beam, at distances up to 60 cm from the central axis. Neutron distributions are similar for the linac and the betatron, with approximately ten times greater neutron dose in the X-ray field than at 20 cm outside it.
Student Learning & Teaching: Who's Assessing Whom?

At the launch of the Carrick Institute for Learning and Teaching in Higher Education in August 2004, the Minister for Education, Brendan Nelson said 'The quality of teaching in Australian universities (needs) to be judged by students and for students' assessment of the quality of teaching itself to be published. ' His statement clearly signals the Government's intention to give student evaluations of learning and teaching a big role in both policy formulation and funding of Australian universities. Policy & Research Officer, Paul Kniest reports.