Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Proximate bases of silver color in anhinga (Anhinga anhinga) feathers

Colors of living organisms are produced by selective light absorption from pigments and/or by light scattering from highly ordered nanostructures (i.e., structural color). While the physical bases of metallic colors of arthropods and fish are fairly well‐known, those of birds are not. Here we examine structurally based silver color and its production in feathers of the waterbird species Anhinga. This achromatic color is distinguished from grey by high specular reflectance, from white by low diffuse reflectance, and from both by high gloss. Light and electron microscopy revealed three modifications of feathers likely leading to silver color. First, proximal barbules were highly elongated and contained glossy black color at their base and white color at their pennulum. Second, this glossy black portion contained a single outer layer of keratin weakly bounded by melanosomes. Finally, the white portion contained a disordered amorphous matrix of keratin and air. Optical analyzes suggest that these structures produce, respectively, glossy black color through thin‐film interference and white color through incoherent light scattering. Silver color likely results from the combined reflectance of these adjacent structures. This represents a distinct mechanism for attaining silver colors that may have been partially derived through selection for display, thermoregulation or decreased hydrophobicity. J. Morphol. , 2011. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Lobbying in the European Union: From sui generis to a comparative perspective

Abstract This article reviews the literature on lobbying in the European Union. After initial surveys of the landscape of non-governmental actor participation, theoretical investigations have focused on the modes of network governance and later on the phenomenon of Europeanization. Yet studies have increasingly moved away from considering EU lobbying as a sui generis phenomenon. Normalizing the study of interest group participation in the EU and understanding the opportunities and constraints that are characteristic for it has led more and more scholars to adopt a comparative perspective. The most interesting parallels exist between Washington and Brussels, but unfortunately there have been very few attempts to explore the connection between the American literature on lobbying and EU studies. This article makes a first step towards such a comparison and points to concepts common in comparative politics that could provide considerable insight into the study of EU lobbying.
DBSCANI: Noise-Resistant Method for Missing Value Imputation

Abstract The quality of data is an important task in the data mining. The validity of mining algorithms is reduced if data is not of good quality. The quality of data can be assessed in terms of missing values (MV) as well as noise present in the data set. Various imputation techniques have been studied in MV study, but little attention has been given on noise in earlier work. Moreover, to the best of knowledge, no one has used density-based spatial clustering of applications with noise (DBSCAN) clustering for MV imputation. This paper proposes a novel technique density-based imputation (DBSCANI) built on density-based clustering to deal with incomplete values in the presence of noise. Density-based clustering algorithm proposed by Kriegal groups the objects according to their density in spatial data bases. The high-density regions are known as clusters, and the low-density regions refer to the noise objects in the data set. A lot of experiments have been performed on the Iris data set from life science domain and Jain’s (2D) data set from shape data sets. The performance of the proposed method is evaluated using root mean square error (RMSE) as well as it is compared with existing K-means imputation (KMI). Results show that our method is more noise resistant than KMI on data sets used under study.
How activated receptors couple to G proteins

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are involved in the control of every aspect of our behavior and physiology. This is the largest class of receptors, with several hundred GPCRs identified thus far. Examples are receptors for hormones such as calcitonin and luteinizing hormone or neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine. G protein-coupled receptors can be involved in pathological processes as well and are linked to numerous diseases, including cardiovascular and mental disorders, retinal degeneration, cancer, and AIDS. More than half of all drugs target GPCRs and either activate or inactivate them. Binding of specific ligands, such as hormones, neurotransmitters, chemokines, lipids, and glycoproteins, activates GPCRs by inducing or stabilizing a new conformation in the receptor (1, 2). Activated receptors (R*) can then activate heterotrimeric G proteins (composed of α.GDP, β, and γ subunits) on the inner surface of the cell membrane (3–5).
The Symptom Experience of Patients with Parkinson's Disease

Abstract: Studying the symptom experience of persons with Parkinson's disease (PD) could aid in determining the extent to which particular symptoms and symptom dimensions pose a problem and could assist in determining which of these to target for interventions. A descriptive correlational design with face‐to‐face interviews was used to study the extent of distress related to 13 symptoms of PD and relationships among symptom intensity, frequency, duration, and distress in 85 persons with PD. The mean number of symptoms reported was 7. The most distressing symptom was off time, followed by freezing gait, postural instability, sleep disturbance, and difficulty concentrating. Mean symptom distress scores ranged from slightly less to more than moderately. Symptom intensity and distress were strongly correlated, whereas the relationships of symptom frequency and duration to distress varied by symptom. Symptoms found in this study to be most distressing should be considered when interventions are being developed. It is likely that distress does make symptoms worse, so it is important to assess symptom intensity, duration, and frequency as well as distress when interventions to reduce distress are evaluated.
Enterococcus faecalis metalloprotease compromises epithelial barrier and contributes to intestinal inflammation.

BACKGROUND & AIMS Matrix metalloproteases (MMPs) mediate pathogenesis of chronic intestinal inflammation. We characterized the role of the gelatinase (GelE), a metalloprotease from Enterococcus faecalis, in the development of colitis in mice. METHODS Germ-free, interleukin-10-deficient (IL-10(-/-)) mice were monoassociated with the colitogenic E faecalis strain OG1RF and isogenic, GelE-mutant strains. Barrier function was determined by measuring E-cadherin expression, transepithelial electrical resistance (TER), and translocation of permeability markers in colonic epithelial cells and colon segments from IL-10(-/-) and TNF(ΔARE/Wt) mice. GelE specificity was shown with the MMP inhibitor marimastat. RESULTS Histologic analysis (score 0-4) of E faecalis monoassociated IL-10(-/-) mice revealed a significant reduction in colonic tissue inflammation in the absence of bacteria-derived GelE. We identified cleavage sites for GelE in the sequence of recombinant mouse E-cadherin, indicating that it might be degraded by GelE. Experiments with Ussing chambers and purified GelE revealed the loss of barrier function and extracellular E-cadherin in mice susceptible to intestinal inflammation (IL-10(-/-) and TNF(ΔARE/Wt) mice) before inflammation developed. Colonic epithelial cells had reduced TER and increased translocation of permeability markers after stimulation with GelE from OG1RF or strains of E faecalis isolated from patients with Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. CONCLUSIONS The metalloprotease GelE, produced by commensal strains of E faecalis, contributes to development of chronic intestinal inflammation in mice that are susceptible to intestinal inflammation (IL-10(-/-) and TNF(ΔARE/Wt) mice) by impairing epithelial barrier integrity.
Minimally Verbal School‐Aged Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: The Neglected End of the Spectrum

It is currently estimated that about 30% of children with autism spectrum disorder remain minimally verbal, even after receiving years of interventions and a range of educational opportunities. Very little is known about the individuals at this end of the autism spectrum, in part because this is a highly variable population with no single set of defining characteristics or patterns of skills or deficits, and in part because it is extremely challenging to provide reliable or valid assessments of their developmental functioning. In this paper, we summarize current knowledge based on research including minimally verbal children. We review promising new novel methods for assessing the verbal and nonverbal abilities of minimally verbal school‐aged children, including eye‐tracking and brain‐imaging methods that do not require overt responses. We then review what is known about interventions that may be effective in improving language and communication skills, including discussion of both nonaugmentative and augmentative methods. In the final section of the paper, we discuss the gaps in the literature and needs for future research. Autism Res 2013, 6: 468–478. © 2013 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Failure to find evidence for linkage or association between the dopamine D3 receptor gene and schizophrenia.

OBJECTIVE This study was performed to assess the possible involvement of the dopamine D3 receptor gene (DRD3) in the etiology of schizophrenia. The authors' approach included a population study and a family study using both parametric (lod score) and nonparametric (affected pedigree member) methods of linkage analysis. METHOD Two different DNA markers were studied at the DRD3 locus. The family study included 35 multiplex families of schizophrenic subjects for the linkage analyses. The population study involved 50 unrelated schizophrenic subjects and 50 normal comparison subjects from the same ethnic and geographic origin. RESULTS Whichever clinical classification was used to define the pathological phenotype (schizophrenia or schizophrenia spectrum), the results of the lod score and affected pedigree member studies did not provide any evidence of linkage of the DRD3 gene to the illness. The negative results of the association study reinforce these results. CONCLUSIONS The hypothesis that the DRD3 gene has a predisposing role in schizophrenia was not supported by these population and family studies. However, the possibility that this gene has a role in the etiology of the disease cannot be definitely excluded because of the intrinsic limitations of the methods of analysis and the number of subjects studied.
A nonfunctional approach to system integrity

Systems provide integrity protection by ensuring that there is no unauthorized modification of information. Traditional models of protection tend to define integrity in terms of ad hoc authorization techniques whose effectiveness is justified more on the basis of experience and "best practice," rather than on any common theoretical foundation. A formal definition of integrity is proposed that is independent of any particular implementation mechanism. A series of simple examples is used to demonstrate that existing integrity mechanisms such as separation of duties, well-formed transactions, and so forth, can be regarded as implementation techniques for achieving integrity. The proposed characterization of integrity is nonfunctional, that is, it falls into the same category of properties as noninterference and its relatives. As a consequence, validating that a system has integrity can be expected to be as challenging as validating that a system upholds noninterference.
Crevice‐forming mutants of bovine pancreatic trypsin inhibitor: Stability changes and new hydrophobic surface

Four mutants of bovine pancreatic trypsin inhibitor (BPTI) with replacements in the rigid core result in the creation of deep crevices on the surface of the protein. Other than crevices at the site of the mutation, few other differences are observed in the crystal structures of wild‐type BPTI and the mutants F22A, Y23A, N43G, and F45A. These mutants are highly destabilized relative to wild type (WT). The differences between WT and mutants in the free energy change associated with cooperative folding/unfolding, ΔΔG0(WT→mut), have been measured by calorimetry, and they are in good agreement with ΔΔG0(WT→mut) values from hydrogen exchange rates. For F22A the change in free energy difference is about 1.7 kcal/mol at 25 °C; for the other three mutants it is in the range of 5–7 kcal/mol at 25 °C. The experimental ΔΔG0(WT→mut) values of F22A, Y23A, and F45A are reasonably well accounted for as the sum of two terms: the difference in transfer free energy change, and a contribution from exposure to solvent of new surface (Eriksson, A.E., et al., 1992, Science 255, 178–183), if the recently corrected transfer free energies and surface hydrophobicities (De Young, L. & Dill, K., 1990, J. Phys. Chem. 94, 801–809; Sharp, K.A., et al., 1991a, Science 252, 106–109) are used and only nonpolar surface is taken into account. In N43G, three protein–protein hydrogen bonds are replaced by protein–water hydrogen bonds. The value of ΔΔG0(WT→mut) computed from model transfer free energies and surface hydrophobicities is 4.0 kcal/mol less than observed, consistent with reports that one hydrogen bond contributes about 1.3 kcal/mol of stabilizing free energy (Shirley, B.A., et al., 1992, Biochemistry 31, 725–732).
Investigation of work function and temperature of germanium FinFETs

In this paper, we study the effects of two important parameters such as work function of gate material and the temperature, on behavior of FinFET device. The investigation is carried out on Germanium based FinFET device. Working device shows improve current drivability in terms of high on current (ION), less leakage current (IOFF), high value of (ION/IOFF), and have good control on short channel effects (SCEs). Most interestingly, a sub-60 mV/dec of Subthreshold Swing value is found for ambient temperature.
Aggresome Formation in Neuropathy Models Based on Peripheral Myelin Protein 22 Mutations

Alterations in peripheral myelin protein 22 (PMP22) gene expression are associated with demyelinating peripheral neuropathies. Overexpression of wild type (wt) PMP22 or inhibition of proteasomal degradation lead to the formation of aggresomes, intracellular ubiquitinated PMP22 aggregates. Aggresome formation has now been observed with two mutant PMP22s, the Tr- and TrJ-PMP22 when the proteasome is inhibited. The formation of these aggresomes required intact microtubules and involved the recruitment of chaperones, including Hsp40, Hsp70, and alphaB-crystallin. Spontaneously formed ubiquitinated PMP22 aggregates were also observed in Schwann cells of homozygous TrJ mice. Significant upregulation of both the ubiquitin-proteasomal and lysosomal pathways occurred in affected nerves suggesting that two pathways of PMP22 degradation are present. Thus, the presence of aggresomes appears to be a common finding in neuropathy models of PMP22 overexpression and of some point mutations known to cause neuropathy in mice and humans.
Bisimilarity Problems Requiring Exponential Time ( Extended Abstract ) Michele Boreale ? and

We study the complexity of deciding bisimilarity between non-deterministic processes. In particular, we consider a calculus with recursive definitions of processes, value passing (i.e. input/output of data) and an equality test over data. We show that the bisimilarity problem is EXP-complete over this calculus and thus that exponential time is provably necessary in order to solve it. We then prove that, if we add a parallel composition operator to the calculus, and we impose that parallel composition is never used inside recursive definitions, then the bisimilarity problem is still EXP-complete, thus no harder than in the fragment without parallel composition.
Suppression of TNF-α Mediated Apoptosis by EGF in TNF-α Sensitive Human Cervical Carcinoma Cell Line

The tumor suppressor protein p53 is the most frequently mutated gene in human cancer. The function of p53 is not restricted to “guarding” against oncogenic stress, but also p53 can guard against the presence of DNA damage. One of the principal mechanisms by which cells achieve this is by regulating the p53 protein level although its phosphorylation and cellular localization also contribute to the regulation of its function. Since many tumors secrete growth factor(s) that inhibit apoptosis and support the growth of cancer cells, we investigated the effects of human epidermal growth factor (EGF) on human TNF-α-mediated induction of p53 and its transcriptional target, p21 in TNF-α sensitive human cervical carcinoma cell line, ME180S. We found that TNF-α can increase the cellular levels of p53, p21 and induce apoptosis in ME180S cells. However, pretreatment of cells with EGF can suppress all these effects of TNF-α. To determine which kinase(s) pathway was utilized by EGF to show these suppressive effects, cells were pretreated with inhibitors of MAPK, PI3K and PKC pathways. Among these only PKC inhibitor reversed all the suppressive effects of EGF. We also found that ME180S cells express only ζ, λ, ϵ, ι, δ, θ, β PKC subtypes and among these EGF treatment activate only PKC-δ redistribution to the membrane from the cytosol. An inhibitor of PKC, GF 109203X inhibited EGF-mediated suppression of TNF-α-induced accumulation of p53, p21 and induction of apoptosis. In summary, we concluded that EGF can protect ME180S cells from TNF-α-induced apoptosis through activation of PKC-δ.
The effect of hyperventilation on pulmonary surface activity.

SUMMARY The effect of IPPV with and without hyperventilation was studied in five groups of living anaesthetized guineapigs. The respiratory frequency used was in all cases 32 per min and the tidal volume was equal to either 15 per cent of the predicted vital capacity for a period of 15 min or to 75 per cent of the predicted vital capacity for a period of 2 breaths, 5 min, 10 min, or 15 min. Pressure/volume manoeuvres were done on the lungs of each animal at the end of the ventilation period and samples of lung tissue taken for measurement of the stability ratio of expressed lung bubbles. There was a small but non-significant fall in lung compliance and lung stability index following normal ventilation for 15 min. Hyperventilation reduced lung compliance, lung stability index, total lung volume and the bubble stability ratio to a degree which was related to the duration of ventilation. The opening pressure of the lungs and the pressure required to maximally inflate the lungs were increased following hyperventlation.
Metabolic Modulation of Transport Coupling Ratio in Yeast Plasma Membrane H+-ATPase (*)

The plasma membrane proton pump (H+-ATPase) of yeast energizes solute uptake by secondary transporters and regulates cytoplasmic pH. The addition of glucose to yeast cells stimulates proton efflux mediated by the H+-ATPase. A >50-fold increase in proton extrusion from yeast cells is observed in vivo, whereas the ATPase activity of purified plasma membranes is increased maximally 8-fold after glucose treatment (Serrano, R.(1983) FEBS Lett. 156, 11-14). The low capacity of yeast cells for proton extrusion in the absence of glucose can be explained by the finding that, in H+-ATPase isolated from glucose-starved cells, ATP hydrolysis is essentially uncoupled from proton pumping. The number of protons transported per ATP hydrolyzed is significantly increased after glucose activation. We suggest that intrinsic uncoupling is an important mechanism for regulation of pump activity.
Size relationships between the parasitic copepod, Lernanthropus cynoscicola, and its fish host, Cynoscion guatucupa

The effects of the size of Cynoscion guatucupa on the size and demographic parameters of their parasitic copepod Lernanthropus cynoscicola were evaluated. Prevalence of copepods increased with host size up to fish of intermediate length, then it decreased, probably because changes in size of gill filaments affect their attachment capability, enhancing the possibility of being detached by respiratory currents. Body length of copepods was significantly correlated with host length, indicating that only parasites of an ‘adequate’ size can be securely attached to a fish of a given size. The absence of relationship between the coefficient of variability in copepod length and both host length and number of conspecifics, together with the host-size dependence of both male and juvenile female sizes, prevent to interpret this relationship as a phenomenon of developmental plasticity. Therefore, the observed peak of prevalence could reflect the distribution of size frequencies in the population of copepods, with more individuals near the average length. Concluding, the ‘optimum’ host size for L. cynoscicola could merely be the adequate size for most individuals in the population, depending, therefore, on a populational attribute of parasites. However, its location along the host size range could be determined by a balance between fecundity and number of available hosts, which increases and decreases, respectively, with both host and parasite size.
Tales from a thousand and one phages

The sequencing of marine metagenomic fosmids led to the discovery of several new complete phage genomes. Among the 21 major sequence groups, 10 totally novel groups of marine phages could be identified. Some of these represent the first phages infecting large marine prokaryotic phyla, such as the Verrucomicrobia and the recently described Ca. Actinomarinales. Coming from a single deep photic zone sample the diversity of phages found is astonishing, and the comparison with a metavirome from the same location indicates that only 2% of the real diversity was recovered. In addition to this large macro-diversity, rich micro-diversity was also found, affecting host-recognition modules, mirroring the variation of cell surface components in their host marine microbes.
Nutrient and fiber utilization responses of supplemental xylanase in broiler chickens fed wheat based diets are independent of the adaptation period to test diets2

ABSTRACT The effects of adaptation (AD) to xylanase‐supplemented diets on nutrient and fiber utilization in 21‐d‐old broilers were investigated. Six treatments, arranged in two levels of AD (starting at d 0 or d 14 of age) and three levels of xylanase (0 or 2,500 or 5,000 xylanase units/kg feed) were used. All diets had 500 phytase U/kg and 0.3% TiO2 as indigestible marker. A total of 384 d old male broiler (Ross 308) chicks were divided into two groups. The first group was assigned on weight basis to 24 cages (8 chicks per cage) and randomly allocated to the diets from d 0. Birds in the second group were reared on a commercial starter diet in the same room for 13 d. On d 14, the birds were individually weighed, assigned on weight basis to 24 cages (8 chicks per cage), and randomly allocated to the diets. Birds had free access to experimental diets and water. Excreta samples were collected from d 18 to 21. On d 21, all birds were euthanized to access ileal digesta. There was no interaction (P > 0.05) between AD and xylanase on the apparent ileal digestibility (AID) and apparent retention (AR) of components. The main effect of AD was such that the birds exposed to diets for 7 d (d 14 to 21) had higher (P < 0.01) AID of energy than those exposed for 21 d (d 0 to 21). In contrast, birds exposed to diets for 21 d had higher (P < 0.05) AMEn and AR of neutral detergent fiber. Xylanase improvements (P < 0.01) in the AID of energy and AMEn were dose dependent and coincided with linear improvements (P < 0.05) in the AID of nitrogen, fat, and starch. In conclusion, xylanase improvements on retention of fiber and nutrients were independent of AD (7 or 21 d) suggesting that the xylanase effects are not transitional. Greater retention of fiber with longer AD is suggestive of possible microbial adaptation.