Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Association Between Alcoholism and γ‐Amino Butyric Acid α2 Receptor Subtype in a Russian Population

Background: Two recent large genetic studies in the US population have reported association between genetic variation in γ-amino butyric acid α2 receptor subtype (GABRA2) and risk for alcohol dependence. The goal of this study was to test whether GABRA2 is associated with alcohol dependence in a sample of Russian alcohol-dependent men. Methods: A total of 113 Russian alcohol-dependent men and 100 male population control subjects were recruited in St. Petersburg and genotyped for seven GABRA2 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) using real-time PCR (TaqMan). Six SNPs were located in a GABRA2 haplotype block previously associated with alcohol dependence (AD) in the US population. SNPs and haplotypes were tested for an association to AD using χ2 analysis and a likelihood ratio-based statistic implemented in the software COCAPHASE. Results: Significant associations between two SNPs and AD were observed (p < 0.05). In addition, a trend-level association was observed between AD and three adjacent SNPs (p < 0.1). Associated alleles were carried in a haplotype that was present at frequencies of 0.37 and 0.48 in the control and alcohol-dependent populations, respectively (p < 0.06). Tight linkage disequilibrium spanning from the central portion of the gene to the 3′ end was observed in this population. Comparison of the findings to the previously published studies in the US population revealed a highly similar linkage disequilibrium pattern in this population. Conclusions: These findings suggest that genetic variants of GABRA2 increase risk for AD in the Russian population and provide additional support to the hypothesis that polymorphic variation at the GABRA2 locus plays an important role in predisposing to AD at least in European-ancestry populations.
Insulin Receptor Substrate-2 Binds to the Insulin Receptor through Its Phosphotyrosine-binding Domain and through a Newly Identified Domain Comprising Amino Acids 591786 (*)

We compared the interaction between the insulin receptor (IR) and the IR substrate (IRS) proteins (IRS-1 and IRS-2) using the yeast two-hybrid system. Both IRS proteins interact specifically with the cytoplasmic portion of the IR and the related insulin-like growth factor-I receptor, and these interactions require receptor tyrosine kinase activity. Alignment of IRS-1 and IRS-2 revealed two conserved domains at the NH terminus, called IH1 and IH2, which resemble a pleckstrin homology (PH) domain and a phosphotyrosine binding (PTB) domain, respectively. The IH2 binds to the phosphorylated NPXY motif (Tyr-960) in the activated insulin receptor, providing a specific mechanism for the interaction between the receptor and IRS-1. Although the IH2 of IRS-2 also interacts with the NPEY motif of the insulin receptor, it is not essential for the interaction between the insulin receptor and IRS-2 in the yeast two-hybrid system. IRS-2 contains another interaction domain between residues 591 and 786, which is absent in IRS-1. This IRS-2-specific domain is independent of the IH2 and does not require the NPEY motif; however, it requires a functional insulin receptor kinase and the presence of three tyrosine phosphorylation sites in the regulatory loop (Tyr-1146, Tyr-1150, and Tyr-1151). Importantly, this novel domain mediates the association between IRS-2 and insulin receptor lacking the NPXY motif and may provide a mechanism by which the stoichiometry of regulatory loop autophosphorylation enhances IRS-2 phosphorylation.
A practical 3D-printed soft robotic prosthetic hand with multi-articulating capabilities

Soft robotic hands with monolithic structure have shown great potential to be used as prostheses due to their advantages to yield light weight and compact designs as well as its ease of manufacture. However, existing soft prosthetic hands design were often not geared towards addressing some of the practical requirements highlighted in prosthetics research. The gap between the existing designs and the practical requirements significantly hampers the potential to transfer these designs to real-world applications. This work addressed these requirements with the consideration of the trade-off between practicality and performance. These requirements were achieved through exploiting the monolithic 3D printing of soft materials which incorporates membrane enclosed flexure joints in the finger designs, synergy-based thumb motion and cable-driven actuation system in the proposed hand prosthesis. Our systematic design (tentatively named X-Limb) achieves a weight of 253gr, three grasps types (with capability of individual finger movement), power-grip force of 21.5N, finger flexion speed of 1.3sec, a minimum grasping cycles of 45,000 (while maintaining its original functionality) and a bill of material cost of 200 USD (excluding quick disconnect wrist but without factoring in the cost reduction through mass production). A standard Activities Measure for Upper-Limb Amputees benchmark test was carried out to evaluate the capability of X-Limb in performing grasping task required for activities of daily living. The results show that all the practical design requirements are satisfied, and the proposed soft prosthetic hand is able to perform all the real-world grasping tasks of the benchmark tests, showing great potential in improving life quality of individuals with upper limb loss.
Reaction norms for age and size at maturity in response to temperature: A puzzle for life historians.

Ectotherms mature later at smaller size when growth rates are lowered by reductions in food quality but they mature later at larger sizes when growth rate is lowered by reductions in temperature. We argue that this general pattern has been neglected by life history theorists and suggest that an explanation for these strikingly different responses to two environmental cues might be found by considering correlations between the growth coefficient of the Bertalanffy equation and asymptotic size in a model for the evolution of age and size at maturity
Gap-phase regeneration in a tropical forest.

Gap-phase regeneration of trees was described for the first 5-6 yr of regrowth in 30 treefall gaps (20-705 m2) in tropical moist forest on Barro Colorado Island, Panama. Trees were classified as pioneers (saplings found only in gaps) or primary species (saplings found in gaps and in the understory of mature forest). In most of the gaps studied, stem densities rose rapidly after gap formation, then levelled offor declined by years 3-6. This pattern was particularly marked in some large gaps (> 150 m2), where pioneers attained high densities, then experienced heavy mortality. Stem density of primary species did not vary with gap size. In large gaps the mean rate of growth in height was greater for pioneers than for primary species, size-class distribution broadened more for pioneers than for primary species, and early recruits of both regeneration types grew faster than later ones. Gap formation fosters regeneration of pioneer and primary species and, in this forest, produces patches that differ markedly in tree population dynamics, species composition, and growth rate.
“If I was to post something, it would be too vulnerable:” University students and mental health disclosures on instagram

Abstract Objective Assess Instagram use for mental health disclosure in university students to assess the potential for Instagram use as mental health support-seeking. Participants Twenty-one students using mental health services while attending a private, Mid-Atlantic university between 6/2017-12/2017. Methods Collected qualitative interview and Instagram data and analyzed them in parallel. Instagram data supplemented interview themes and were coded and analyzed quantitatively to define features of participants’ Instagram use. Results Participants displayed aversions to posting mental health disclosures on Instagram, citing public and self-stigma as barriers to disclosure. Despite this, participants reported instances in which their Instagram posts directly or indirectly reflected their lived experiences. Some also maintained second anonymous accounts for fuller disclosure. Conclusions Given the benefits of mental health disclosures to well-being and the predilection for social media use in university students, student and university-led initiatives to promote social media environments conducive to disclosures could have widespread mental health benefits.
Efeito do tamanho de partícula e da altura de corte de plantas de milho na dinâmica do processo fermentativo da silagem e no período de desensilagem

The trial aimed to evaluate the effect of particle size (small: from 0.2 to 0.6 cm or large: from 1.0 to 2.0 cm) and cutting height (low cut: 15 cm or high cut: 39 cm) of the corn plant on the dynamics of the silage fermentation process and feed-out period. The treatments were: T1 - small particle size with low cutting height; T2 - large particle size with low cutting height; T3 - small particle size with high cutting height; and T4 - large particle size with high cutting height. A complete randomized blocks design with a factorial arrangement (2 x 2 x 4) in a split-plot was used, with three replications. Factors evaluated were particle size (2), cutting height (2), and feed out evaluation periods (4). Small particle size improved compaction density and reduced temperature gradient between silage mass and environment and pH value of silage during feed-out. Higher deterioration of corn silage occurred at the superior silo stratum, due to temperature elevation and higher pH index and ammoniacal nitrogen compared to inferior stratum.
Germ cell loss in Klinefelter syndrome - when and why?

Klinefelter syndrome (KS) is a quite common disorder with an incidence of 1-2 in 1000 new-born males. Most patients are diagnosed in the light of a clinical check-up when consulting a fertility clinic with an unfulfilled child wish. Infertility in KS patients is caused by a massive germ cell loss, leading to azoospermia in more than 90% of the adult patients. Most seminiferous tubules in the adult KS testis are degenerated or hyalinized and testicular fibrosis can be observed, starting from puberty. However, focal spermatogenesis can be found in the testis of some patients. This offers the opportunity to extract spermatozoa from the testis by testicular sperm extraction. However, TESE is only successful in about half of the KS adults seeking to father children. The reason for the germ cell loss remains unclear. To date, it is still debated whether the testicular tissue changes and the germ cell loss seen in KS is directly caused by an altered X-linked gene expression, the altered somatic environment or a deficiency in the germ cells. In this review, we provide an overview of the current knowledge about the germ cell loss in KS patients.
Role of NF‐κB and DNA Repair Protein Ku on Apoptosis in Pancreatic Acinar Cells

Abstract: Reactive oxygen species have been known to cause DNA damage and induce apoptosis. During DNA damage, DNA repair proteins Ku70 and Ku80 prevent cell death, but severe DNA damage beyond the repair capacity of the DNA repair proteins triggers necrosis or apoptosis. Recent reports have shown that NF‐κB plays a critical role in protecting the cells from apoptosis. We investigated whether glucose oxidase acting on β‐D‐glucose (G/GO), which continuously produces H2O2, induces apoptosis, and whether NF‐κB and Ku are involved in G/GO‐induced apoptosis in pancreatic acinar AR42J cells. Electron microscopic observation showed that apoptotic cells with characteristic nuclear condensation and shrinkage as well as large vacuoles were detected after G/GO treatment. G/GO treatment induced apoptotic cell death, as determined by viable cell count and DNA fragmentation. G/GO‐induced apoptosis was increased in the cells transfected with the Ku‐dominant negative mutant (Ku D/N) and mutated IκBα gene (IκB mt) as compared to the wild‐type cells (Wild) and the cells transfected with the control pcDNA3 vector (pcN‐3). G/GO treatment caused nuclear loss of both Ku70 and Ku80 in Wild cells and pcN‐3 cells. Even without G/GO treatment, nuclear loss of Ku proteins was observed in IκB mt cells. These results suggest that oxidative stress‐induced reduction of nuclear Ku proteins may cause loss of defense against DNA damage and thus induce apoptosis in pancreatic acinar cells. The novel finding is that nuclear translocation of Ku proteins may be mediated by NF‐κB.
Antecedents of Psychological Well-Being among Swedish Audit Firm Employees

The attractiveness of audit firms as employers appears to have decreased in recent years and the audit profession is currently experiencing high employee turnover. A shortage of personnel increases the risk of long-term stress and illness. This paper therefore proposes audit firm employees’ well-being as an important research topic and explores the antecedents of well-being of Swedish audit firm employees in comparison with those of other business professionals. Based on a nationwide survey of members of the Swedish association of business professionals, with a focus on psychological well-being (measured through General Health Questionnaire-12 (GHQ-12)), the study shows that the psychological well-being of the professionals in this study generally aligns with the results from similar studies in a Swedish context. However, the findings indicate that audit industry respondents have the lowest psychological well-being and that employer change, job satisfaction, and life satisfaction were the strongest antecedents of their psychological well-being.
Nitrate leaching from ploughed pasture and the effectiveness of winter catch crops in reducing leaching losses

Abstract The effect of five catch crops (ryecorn, ryegrass, mustard, lupin, bean) on nitrogen (N) leaching following the autumn ploughing of a grass ley was compared with N leaching from bare fallow soil. The concentrations of nitrate N and ammonium N in the drainage water and the quantities of drainage water from the various treatments were measured over a winter period using undisturbed soil monolith lysimeters. Nitrate was the dominant form of N leached. The amount of N leached from soils with the ryegrass catch crop (2.5 kg N/ha) was considerably less than that leached from fallow soil (33 kg N/ha). Nitrate concentrations in the drainage water from soils growing ryecorn and ryegrass were less than 10 mg N/litre, whereas that from lysimeters growing lupins or beans and from the fallow soil exceeded this value. Shoot dry matter yield for mustard (5.91 t/ha) and ryecorn (5.25 t/ ha) was at least twice that of the other crops and very much higher than the 0.49 t/ha produced by the weeds in the fallow trea.
Effect of Calf Calls on Rate of Milk Release of Dairy Cows

Abstract The effect of tape recorded vocalization of young calves on the rate of milk release was studied with 16 dairy cows. The reproduction of the calf calls started just as the cows were entering the milking parlor and ceased when the least teat cup had been placed on the 16th cow. Total stimulation per milking varied from 90 to 120 s. To determine possible changes due to repetition and/or familiarization, the stimulation periods covered 1, 3, or 5 days, interchanging randomly with equally varying periods of nonstimulation. The experiment lasted 108 days and overall included an identical number of days of stimulation and nonstimulation. The measured response was the amount of milk released in the first 2 min of milking. The 2-min milk yields increased slightly with days of stimulation. Variation between cows in their responsiveness to the stimulation, defined as the difference between periods of nonstimulation and stimulation, was relatively small.
Chemical Modification of Amino Groups in Mucor miehei Aspartyl Proteinase, Porcine Pepsin, and Chymosin. II. Conformational Stability

The effects of chemical modification of amino groups on the conformational stability of Mucor miehei proteinase (MMP), porcine pepsin, and chymosin, the latter two being from mammalian sources, were examined using kinetic and thermodynamic analyses. Modification-induced stability reduction of only MMP was observed as demonstrated by a higher rate of guanidine hydrochloride-induced denaturation, lower activation energy, decreased enthalpy of denaturation, and a substantially reduced free energy of denaturation. Results from this study corroborate those of a companion investigation [J. L. Smith et al., Agric. Biol. Chem., 55, 2009 (1991)] indicating that MMP was more susceptible to destabilization by charge alteration than aspartyl proteinases of mammalian origin.
Occupational Health among Swedish Occupational Therapists: A Cross-Sectional Study

The Swedish public sector is facing great challenges in recruiting and retaining healthcare professionals, due to increasing sick leave numbers. The aim of this study was to describe Swedish occupational therapists’ occupational health in terms of risk factors in the social and organizational work environment, occupational balance, and work-related mental health problems. A web survey was emailed to all working members of the Swedish Association of Occupational Therapists (n = 7600) and 3658 answered the survey. The web survey included questions on sociodemographic characteristics, social and organizational environment, occupational balance, and work-related health. The occupational therapists in general rated their workload as high, which was described as leading to increased stress, difficulties doing a good job, and increased job turnover. They also reported having difficulties maintaining occupational balance. Almost a fifth reported having symptoms related to mild incipient exhaustion or a pronounced exhaustion disorder. Almost 60 percent reported having, during the last year, seriously considered seeking new employment as an occupational therapist and 35 percent had seriously intended to leave their profession. In conclusion, there is an urgent need to improve the work situation of occupational therapists. If not, increases in mental health problems, sick leave and job turnover rates may seriously jeopardize the welfare system by eroding healthcare.
Is the Quorum Sensing Type AI-1 System of Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans Involved in its Attachment to Mineral Surfaces?

Biofilm development plays a pivotal role in the bioleaching process. The attachment of the acidophilic chemolithotrophic Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans to mineral surfaces is mediated by extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) involved in biofilm development. Previous work suggests that EPS composition of A. ferrooxidans is adapted to the energy source and, accordingly, the bacterium must be able to sense the surface to which attachment occurs with the consequent triggering of the expression of different EPS-genes. Quorum sensing (QS) is recognized as one of the main regulators of biofilm formation. A. ferrooxidans possesses a functional QS type AI-1 system and the analysis of culture supernatants revealed us that this bacterium is able to synthesize nine different homoserine lactones (AHLs) whose acyl-chain lengths oscillate between 8 and 16 carbons and include an alcohol or a ketone function at the C3 position. The transcription levels of the afeI gene encoding for the AHL synthase are higher in cells grown in sulfur and thiosulfate media than in iron-grown cells, suggesting that biofilm formation in A. ferrooxidans would be regulated by the QS type AI-1 system. In the present study, the effect of several synthetic AHLs and analogues on the attachment of A. ferrooxidans to pyrite was analyzed. Preliminary results suggest that some of these molecules are changing the bacterial attachment to pyrite.
Stimulation strength controls the rate of initiation but not the molecular organisation of TCR-induced signalling

Millions of naïve T cells with different TCRs may interact with a peptide-MHC ligand, but very few will activate. Remarkably, this fine control is orchestrated using a limited set of intracellular machinery. It remains unclear whether changes in stimulation strength alter the programme of signalling events leading to T cell activation. Using mass cytometry to simultaneously measure multiple signalling pathways during activation of murine CD8+ T cells, we found a programme of distal signalling events that is shared, regardless of the strength of TCR stimulation. Moreover, the relationship between transcription of early response genes Nr4a1 and Irf8 and activation of the ribosomal protein S6 is also conserved across stimuli. Instead, we found that stimulation strength dictates the rate with which cells initiate signalling through this network. These data suggest that TCR-induced signalling results in a coordinated activation program, modulated in rate but not organization by stimulation strength.
Correlações genéticas e fenotípicas em duas populações de milho (Zea mays L.) braquítico e suas implicações no melhoramento do teor de óleo no grão

Coeficientes de correlacoes geneticas e fenotipicas foram estimados entre os caracteres: altura da planta (AP); altura da espiga (AE); peso de espigas (PE) e teor de oleo (TO). As estimativas foram obtidas para duas populacoes braquiticas de milho (Piranao VD-2 e Piranao VF-1), baseado em espiga por fileira, utilizando-se testemunha intercalar, onde a cada duas progenies plantava-se uma fileira do hibrido simples AG 305-B. Os valores das correlacoes geneticas aditivas encontradas entre os caracteres altura da planta, altura da espiga e peso de espigas, foram todos positivos. Para o carater teor de oleo, quando correlacionado com os demais caracteres, os valores das correlacoes obtidos foram negativos nas duas populacoes, excecao feita ao peso de espiga correlacionada com teor de oleo, na populacao Piranao VD-2, cujo valor foi positivo e proximo de zero. As respostas correlacionadas obtidas entre os caracteres, quando a selecao e praticada para o carater teor de oleo e vice versa, independente do metodo de selecao empregado, mostram que a selecao para teor de oleo leva a modificacao na estrutura da planta, para as duas populacoes.
Blind Equalization with NARX Neural Networks

This paper presents a study on the blind equalization of Bipolar 2-PAM and 4-QAM signals using NonLinear Autoregressive Exogenous Input (NARX) neural system. The paper can be separated into two sections, the initial segment includes the theoretical issues about the blind equalization and neural equalizers, the subsequent part addresses the problem of software implementation. Also, the paper proposes a blind equalization model that combines the concept of decision-feedback equalizer and the NARX neural networks. Simulations with 2-PAM and 4-QAM signals have been carried out to test the performances of the proposed model.