Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Methylation and carbamylation of human γ‐crystallins

Accessible sulfhydryls of cysteine residues are likely sites of reaction in long‐lived proteins such as human lens crystallins. Disulfide bonding between cysteines is a major contributor to intermolecular cross‐linking and aggregation of crystallins. A recently reported modification of γS‐crystallins, S‐methylation of cysteine residues, can prevent disulfide formation. The aim of this study was to determine whether cysteines in γC‐, γD‐, and γB‐crystallins are also S‐methylated. Our data show that all the γ‐crystallins are S‐methylated, but only at specific cysteines. In γD‐crystallin, methylation is exclusively at Cys 110, whereas in γC‐ and γB‐crystallins, the principal methylation site is Cys 22 with minor methylation at Cys 79. γD‐crystallin is the most heavily methylated γ‐crystallin. γD‐Crystallins from adult lenses are 37%–70% methylated, whereas γC and γB are ∼12% methylated. The specificity of γ‐crystallin methylation and its occurrence in young clear lenses supports the idea that inhibition of disulfide bonding by S‐methylation may play a protective role against cataract. Another modification, not reported previously, is carbamylation of the N termini of γB‐, γC‐, γD‐crystallins. N‐terminal carbamylation is likely a developmentally related modification that does not negatively impact crystallin function.
Trophic Level Isotopic Enrichment of Carbon and Nitrogen in Bone Collagen: Case Studies from Recent and Ancient Terrestrial Ecosystems

Prey-predator collagen enrichment values for carbon and nitrogen isotopic compositions are investigated. New enrichment values are given for the well-monitored ecosystem of Bialowieza primeval forest (Poland) for lynx and wolf. The impact of using different approximations in calculating such enrichment values is discussed. Several case studies of ancient vertebrate communities from Upper Palaeolithic sites in southwestern France are presented to check whether the enrichment values estimated for these past ecosystems are consistent with those measured in well-monitored modern ecosystems. The use of ranges of values rather than average ones is recommended, tentatively 0 to 2‰ for δ13C and 3 to 5‰ for δ15N. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Immunomodulation by shiga toxin 2

The Shiga-like toxins have DNA sequence homology to the toxins accountable for the dysentery brought about by the Shigella species. Escherichia coli which encode and produce shiga-like toxins are referred to as shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC). Upon infection with STEC, humans may develop a variety of clinical symptoms ranging in severity from bloody diarrhea to life threatening hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). Hemolytic uremic syndrome is the most fatal disease manifestation for humans and has been documented to occur in up to 20% of patients upon STEC infection [29]. The Shiga toxins (Shiga toxin 1 and 2) are regarded as the principal virulence factor of STEC and are responsible for the clinical manifestations during HUS in humans [49]. Cattle are the primary non-human reservoir for STEC and therefore represent an attractive target for pre-slaughter intervention as a means to reduce human infections. To date, vaccination with secreted proteins including Shiga toxin 2 (Stx2), has reduced the numbers of bacteria shed in feces [3]. Even though published data exists supporting vaccination in cattle as a means to reduce STEC, commercially available vaccines are not being used by farms and STEC remain a significant zoonotic pathogen of humans causing disease and death. To further our knowledge about STEC pathogenesis in cattle, we examined the effect of Shiga toxin 2 on bovine immune responses. Bovine lymphocyte function was determined in the presence of Shiga toxin 2 and the magnitude of bovine immunological responses was measure after immunization with Shiga toxin 2. In general, results suggest that Shiga toxin 2 downregulates bovine immune responses suggesting vaccination with effector molecules that exclude Shiga toxin 2 may induce a better immunological response and improve vaccine efficacy. To examine the possibility that Stx2 modulates bovine immune responses, we investigated lymphocyte function in the presence of Stx2. Menge et al [70] have reported that bovine lymphocytes express the Stx receptor and that Shiga toxin 1 inhibits lymphocyte proliferation in vitro. We isolated two populations of lymphocytes, peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and ileal Peyer’s patch lymphocytes (IPPL) and compared lymphocyte function in the presence and absence of Stx2. We found that Stx2 did not affect
A study of the diatoms of the Ouse Estuary, Sussex I. The movement of the mud-flat diatoms in response to some chemical and physical changes

The analysis shows that the diatom community resides mainly in the top 2 mm of the mud and when in bright light the community moves less than 1 mm towards the surface of the estuarine mud, although the colour of the mud changes noticeably. The fine mud supports more diatoms than the coarse mud, and the community in fine mud is nearer to the mud surface, but this is probably caused by the more rapid extinction of light in fine mud than in the coarse mud, while also large spaces between the coarse mud particles may offer less protection from the effect of tidal scour than in fine mud, this giving contributory explanation for the less abundant community in coarse mud.
Behavioural and chemosensory responses of the turnip root fly (Delia floralis) to glucosinolates

This study investigates the behavioural and neural mechanisms involved in the oviposition behaviour of the turnip root fly, Delia floralis (Fallen). Behavioural studies showed that glucosinolates modulated the oviposition behaviour of the flies on artificial leaves as well as the number of eggs laid in the soil at the base of these leaves. Electrophysiological responses to glucosinolates were obtained from type A and type D sensilla on the prothoracic and mesothoracic tarsi, as well as from the long contact sensilla on the labellum. The neural responses from these sensilla were positively correlated with the oviposition behaviour of the flies and with the number of eggs laid. Of the eleven glucosinolates tested in the behavioural and electrophysiological tests, the flies were most responsive to glucobrassicanapin, gluconapin and glucobrassicin. The type D tarsal sensilla were more responsive to the glucosinolates than either the type A tarsal sensilla or the labellar sensilla. The structure‐activity investigations showed that slight modifications to the chemical composition of the glucosinolates resulted in changes in neural activity.
General empirical models for estimating nutrient load limits for Florida's estuaries and inland waters

We developed empirical models that can predict maximum allowable, nutrient loading rates or load limits (LM) for maintenance of mesotrophy in Florida’s fresh and estuarine waters. Water residence time (tw) explains most of the variation in LM previously set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Florida’s environmental agencies for total phosphorus (TP) and for total nitrogen (TN). We found that a single model for TP and for TN fit data from both estuarine and freshwater systems. Further, we show that the models are consistent with or analogous to the critical loading model of the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD 1982): Lc = [TP or TN]c x z/Τw(1 + Τw0.5). The LM ‐ Τw model for TP is sufficiently similar to the OECD model as to indicate that either model could provide a reasonable fit to mesotrophy in both temperate and subtropical systems. The models can facilitate the development of total maximum daily loads for estuaries and inland waters of Florida and may have broader regional utility. They may also aid the development of nutrient concentration criteria.
Exploiting Quality Scalability in Scalable Video Coding (SVC) for Effective Power Management in Video Playback

미디어 플레이어에서의 디코딩 과정은 많은 연산을 필요로 하며, CPU로부터 높은 소비전력을 초래한다. 디코딩 연산을 줄이는 것은 CPU 소비 전력을 감소시킬 수 있지만 사용자로부터 비디오 품질을 저하시키게 된다. 본 논문에서는 H. 264의 품질 확장성을 이용하여 새로운 CPU 전력 관리 기법을 제안한다. 첫째, VQM(Video Quality Metric)을 사용하여 계층적 비디오 코딩의 서로 다른 양자화 인자를 고려한 새로운 비디오 품질 모델을 제안한다. 그리고 이전 디코딩 시간과 프레임 크기를 선택적으로 융합한 디코딩 시간 예측기법에 기반한 새로운 동적 전압 기법을 제안한다. 최신 스마트폰에서 구현하였고, 사용자 테스트를 수행하였다. 제안한 기법을 실제 측정에 적용하였을 때 리눅스 동적 전압 및 주파수 조절(DVFS) 거버너에 비해 34%의 에너지 감소를 보였고 사용자 테스트를 통해 실험 영상의 품질 하락을 사용자는 인지하지 못하거나 용인될 수 있음을 확인하였다.
FOLIAGE CONSUMPTION BY THE VARIABLE OAK LEAF CATERPILLAR, HETEROCAMPA MANTEO (LEPIDOPTERA: NOTODONTIDAE), ITS USE IN DEFOLIATION PREDICTIONS

Abstract Total foliage consumption per larva of Heterocampa manteo (Doubleday) was 334 ± 49.3 cm2 of leaf area. Approximately 85% of the consumption occurred during the fifth larval stadium. There was no significant difference in consumption by H. manteo when fed northern red oak, Quercus rubra L. , or white oak, Quercus alba L. Foliage consumption at 27 °C, 24 °C, and 21 °C did not differ significantly; but larvae reared at 15.5 °C consumed 42.6% less foliage. Larvae parasitized by Diradops bethunei (Cresson) consumed 61.3% less foliage than non-parasitized larvae reared at the same temperature. Two methods of predicting defoliation are discussed based upon larval foliage consumption data.
The Use of Stand-downs in New Zealand Schools: What are the Issues?

In 2013, schools in New Zealand stood-down nearly 12,000 students as a result of behavioural difficulties. Research indicates that rather than improving behaviour, stand-downs can reinforce inappropriate behaviour and potentially put students at-risk. This paper overviews the use of stand-downs in New Zealand schools, discussing the nature and extent of their use. Using examples from a small case study based around two secondary school students who had recently been stood-down, the potential adverse effects and impacts of school stand-down are discussed, and arguments put forward for finding alternatives to the practice.
Tractus génital des vaches zébus ( Bos indicus ) au Niger

The anatomical characteristics, and the ovarian and pathological structures of the genital tract of 500 zebu ( Bos indicus ) females belonging to four breeds (Azawak, Bororo, Djelli, Goudali) were studied at Niamey’s slaughterhouse in Niger from August 15 to December 15, 2011. Each animal was examined before slaughter. The cows and heifers were on average 8 ± 2.5 years old. Their mean body condition score was 1.6 ± 0.6 and mean carcass weight 113 ± 21 kg. The anatomical characteristics of the genital tract did not show differences between breeds (p > 0.05). The following characteristics were observed: cervix diameter 3.4 ± 1.1 cm, cervix length 8.1 ± 2.5 cm, horn length 21.6 ± 5.2 cm, horn diameter 1.6 ± 0.5 cm, length and width of the right ovary 19.8 ± 4.4 and 11.2 ± 3.8 mm, of the left ovary 18.8 ± 4.5 and 10.2 ± 3.3 mm, and weight of the right and left ovaries 2.9 ± 1.8 and 2.5 ± 1.6 g, respectively. A corpus luteum was identified in only 14% cases and no visible follicles were found on the surface of the ovaries in 32% cases. These characteristics were significantly (p < 0.05) influenced by the age of the animal. Among the examined females, 7.4% were confirmed pregnant. Various genital tract diseases (cysts, uterine infection, free martinism, pyometra.) were observed in 10.4% of the genital tracts.
Hydrilla, a new noxious aquatic weed in California

Abstract Not Available – First paragraph follows: Since about 1776 California has been continually plagued by the inadvertent introduction of foreign plants that spread rapidly and become weeds. Examples include crabgrass (both smooth and hairy), yellow starthistle, oxalis, bermudagrass, and johnsongrass.
Fixed or random contemporary groups in genetic evaluation for litter size in pigs using a single trait repeatability animal model

Summary The importance of using fixed or random contemporary groups in the genetic evaluation of litter size in pigs was analysed by using farm and simulated data. Farm data were from four Spanish pig breeding populations, two Landrace (13 084 and 13 619 records) and two Large White (2762 and 8455 records). A simulated population (200 sows and 10 boars) selected for litter size, in which litter size was simulated using a repeatability animal model with random herd–year–season (HYS), was used to obtain simulated data. With farm data, the goodness-of-fit and the predictive ability of a repeatability animal model were calculated under several definitions of the HYS effect. A residual maximum likelihood estimator of the HYS variance in each population was obtained as well. In this sense, HYS was considered as either fixed or random with different number of individuals per level. Results from farm data showed that HYS variance was small in relation to the total variance (ranging from 0.01 to 0.04). The treatment of HYS effect as fixed, reduced the residual variance but the size of HYS levels does not explain by itself the goodness-of-fit of the model. The results obtained by simulation showed that the predictive ability of the model is better for random than for fixed HYS models. However, the improvement of predictive ability does not lead to a significant increase of the genetic response. Finally, results showed that random HYS models biased the estimates of genetic response when there is an environmental trend.
Modulation of Cardiac Na+ Channel Expression in Xenopus Oocytes by β1 Subunits (*)

Voltage-gated Na+ channels consist of a large α subunit of 260 kDa associated with β1 and/or β2 subunits of 36 and 33 kDa, respectively. α subunits of rat cardiac Na+ channels (rH1) are functional when expressed alone in Xenopus oocytes or mammalian cells. β1 subunits are present in the heart, and localization of β1 subunit mRNA by in situ hybridization shows expression in the perinuclear cytoplasm of cardiac myocytes. Coexpression of β1 subunits with rH1 α subunits in Xenopus oocytes increases Na+ currents up to 6-fold in a concentration-dependent manner. However, no effects of β1 subunit coexpression on the kinetics or voltage dependence of the rH1 Na+ current were detected. Increased expression of Na+ currents is not observed when an equivalent mRNA encoding a nonfunctional mutant β1 subunit is coexpressed. Our results show that β1 subunits are expressed in cardiac muscle cells and that they interact with α subunits to increase the expression of cardiac Na+ channels in Xenopus oocytes, suggesting that β1 subunits are important determinants of the level of excitability of cardiac myocytes in vivo.
Is It Worth Trusting Your Manager

Recent work has emphasized that trust between parties may sustain relational governance, but we need further understanding and empirical evidence of the role of trust in principal-agent relationships. Our paper contributes to the literature by focusing on the asymmetry of trust between an owner and a manager, which may for example arise because owners and managers come from regions with different trust levels. We find that a firm does almost equally well when the owner and the managers come from regions with equal trust (equal trust) and when the owner comes from a region with higher trust (over-trust). However, firm performance is significantly lower when the owner comes from a region with lower trust than that of the manager (under-trust). Moreover, this negative effect is particularly strong when communication between an owner and a manager is more difficult and when the difference in trust is less evident up front.
Effect of the infection of Callosobruchus maculatus (Fab.) on the weight Loss of Stored Cowpea ( Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp)

Market survey and laboratory experiments were conducted to obtain more reliable estimates of cowpea weight loss caused by individual Callosobruchus maculatus . In both the market survey and laboratory experiments, a highly significant inverse linear relationship existed between C. maculatus feeding/emergence holes and cowpea weight loss (P r ) = -0.322, -0.959, and -0.921, for the market survey, laboratory experiments 1 and 2, respectively). Cowpea weight losses were 0.026g, 0.015g, and 0.016g per individual C. maculatus in the market survey, laboratory experiments 1 and 2, respectively while the highest number of C. maculatus feeding/emergence holes was 188, 1669, and 2028 per 200 cowpea seeds for the market survey, laboratory experiments 1 and 2, respectively. This is an important component in the establishment of an Economic Injury Level (EIL) for C. maculatus on V. unguiculata . Journal of Applied Sciences and Environmental Management Vol. 9(1) 2005: 169-172
The Determinants of Economic Growth in The Countries of the Organization of the Eastern Caribbean States

Although the countries of the Organization of the Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) have registered some appreciable degrees of success concerning poverty reduction, education or schooling achievement, and economic growth, in many instances, much needs to be done in terms of poverty reduction, high external debt and overall development. The present paper reexamines the issue of the determinants of economic growth in the countries of the OECS in the period 1980-2011. Specifically, the paper answers two questions. What are the determinants of economic growth in the countries of the OECS? What are their short-run and long-run impacts? To this end, the paper uses the cointegration autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) approach at the country level to draw conclusions concerning each country individually and the region as a whole. Overall, it is found that external debt, natural increase rate, and private consumption are the main drags to economic growth in the region in the short and long runs, and trade openness positively impacts economic growth. For any significant determinant, the long-run impact is in general far bigger than the short-run impact. Of note, natural disasters have negative impacts on economic growth, but only in a handful of countries. The negative impact of budget deficit shows up in one country with a complete data set. These results have policy implications.
Effects of deferoxamine in patients of spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage

Objective To explore the therapeutic results of deferoxamine in the treatment of spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (SICH). Methods A total of 29 spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage patients were collected from 4 clinical centers in Shanghai and Ningbo City.Nineteen cases received deferoxamine treatment as the treatment group,and l0 cases received routine therapy as the control group.Deferoxamine was given after the onset of stroke for a consecutive of 3 days.All cases had brain MRI T2WI and T2 * WI scanning at the 1st,7th and 14th days after the onset.The image features were recorded and image analysis was performed by the software of Image J.The neurological function was evaluated at the 7th,14th and 90th days after the stroke.Results Patients in the treatment group didn't show any drug related side effect.The cerebral edema in the treatment group patients with at the 1st、7th and 14th days (1.08 ±0.57、1.37 ±0.68、1.52 ±0.69) were lighter than those in the control group(1.89 ±0.77、2.03 ± 0.71、2.07 ±0.87) (P ＜0.05). The hematoma volumes of the treatment group patients at the 7th and 14th days (0.96 ±0.21、0.89 ±0.23) were smaller than those in the control group (1.16 ±0.23、1.24 ±0.49) (P ＜0.05). The neurological function in the treatment group patients at the 7th and 14th days after SICH (11.7 ± 4.1、7.4 ± 2.6) was better than that in the control group (15.1 ± 4.9、11.8 ± 5.6) (P ＜ 0.05). Conclusion Deferoxamine had obvious therapeutic effect on the clinical treatment of patients with SICH. Key words: Intracerebralhemorrhage; Iron; Deferoxamine; Magnetic resonance imaging
Genital damage in the orb-web spider Argiope bruennichi (Araneae: Araneidae) increases paternity success

The morphology of male genitalia often suggests functions besides sperm transfer that may have evolved under natural or sexual selection. In several species of sexually cannibalistic spiders, males damage their paired genitalia during mating, limiting them to one copulation per pedipalp. Using a triple-mating experiment, we tested if genital damage in the orb-web spider Argiope bruennichi increases male fitness either through facilitating his escape from an aggressive female or by obstructing the female's insemination ducts against future copulation attempts from other males. We found no survival advantage for males damaging their pedipalps; however, copulations into a previously used insemination duct were significantly shorter when the previous male had left parts of his genitalia inside the insemination duct. Because copulation duration determines paternity in this species, our result suggests that male genital damage in A. bruennichi is sexually selected. By breaking off parts of their intromittent organs inside a virgin female, males can reduce sperm competition and thereby increase their paternity success. Copyright 2007.
The Roommate's Dilemma: An Experimental Analysis of Choice Bracketing in Games

A subject brackets two decisions if she \choose(s) an option in each case without full regard to the other" (Rabin and Weizsacker, 2009). Although in most situations such behavior is unlikely to be optimal, it is well documented in experiments where subjects make decisions in the absence of strategic considerations. This paper uses an eco- nomic experiment to investigate whether subjects also bracket their decisions in games. Subjects played two Volunteer's Dilemmas (the \Roommate's Dilemma") at the same time, with the payos from both games added to their earnings. In a lottery task, subjects were gen- erally revealed to be risk-averse narrow bracketers. Aggregate play in the Roommate's Dilemma is not consistent with predictions made by assuming all subjects either narrowly or broadly bracket. On the indi- vidual level, structural modeling suggests that most subjects bracket narrowly in the game.
Effect of summer irrigation on seasonal changes in taproot reserves and the expression of winter dormancy/activity in four contrasting lucerne cultivars

In the summer dry environment of cool temperate Tasmania, summer irrigation is used to maximise forage production. For lucerne (Medicago sativa L.) this irrigation is likely to interact with winter-dormancy genotypes to influence seasonal changes in taproot reserves and thus, the process of cold acclimation. To test this hypothesis four lucerne cultivars with contrasting levels of winter dormancy (DuPuits: winter-dormant; Grasslands Kaituna: semi winter-dormant; SARDI 7: winter-active: SARDI 10, highly winter-active) were grown in small plots at Elliott, Tasmania, under irrigated or dryland conditions. At each defoliation taproots were sampled and assayed for the concentration of soluble sugars, starch, amino acids, soluble protein, the abundance of vegetative storage proteins (VSP), and the abundance of mRNA transcripts associated with cold acclimation and VSP. Taproot-soluble protein concentrations in DuPuits significantly increased from summer to autumn when plants were grown under dryland conditions. When grown under irrigated conditions, taproot-soluble protein concentrations decreased over summer and increased in autumn for all cultivars. The abundance of VSP increased in summer in all cultivars grown under dryland conditions. Taproot-soluble sugar concentrations increased and starch decreased in autumn for all cultivars grown under both water regimes. Plants grown under dryland conditions showed little change in RNA transcript abundance of cold acclimation genes across all cultivars and sampling dates, while in those plants grown under irrigated conditions, transcript abundance was influenced by sampling date, and for some genes, by cultivar. There was a clear carry-over effect from the exposure of summer drought on the winter-dormancy response. The expression of winter dormancy at an agronomic and molecular level was greater under dryland conditions.