Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Apolipoprotein L1 confers pH-switchable ion permeability to phospholipid vesicles

Apolipoprotein L1 (ApoL1) is a human serum protein conferring resistance to African trypanosomes, and certain ApoL1 variants increase susceptibility to some progressive kidney diseases. ApoL1 has been hypothesized to function like a pore-forming colicin and has been reported to have permeability effects on both intracellular and plasma membranes. Here, to gain insight into how ApoL1 may function in vivo, we used vesicle-based ion permeability, direct membrane association, and intrinsic fluorescence to study the activities of purified recombinant ApoL1. We found that ApoL1 confers chloride-selective permeability to preformed phospholipid vesicles and that this selectivity is strongly pH-sensitive, with maximal activity at pH 5 and little activity above pH 7. When ApoL1 and lipid were allowed to interact at low pH and were then brought to neutral pH, chloride permeability was suppressed, and potassium permeability was activated. Both chloride and potassium permeability linearly correlated with the mass of ApoL1 in the reaction mixture, and both exhibited lipid selectivity, requiring the presence of negatively charged lipids for activity. Potassium, but not chloride, permease activity required the presence of calcium ions in both the association and activation steps. Direct assessment of ApoL1–lipid associations confirmed that ApoL1 stably associates with phospholipid vesicles, requiring low pH and the presence of negatively charged phospholipids for maximal binding. Intrinsic fluorescence of ApoL1 supported the presence of a significant structural transition when ApoL1 is mixed with lipids at low pH. This pH-switchable ion-selective permeability may explain the different effects of ApoL1 reported in intracellular and plasma membrane environments.
Differential effects of caveolin-1 and -2 knockdown on aqueous outflow and altered extracellular matrix turnover in caveolin-silenced trabecular meshwork cells.

PURPOSE A single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) identified between caveolin-1 (CAV1) and caveolin-2 (CAV2) on chromosome 7 is associated with glaucoma. One function of CAVs is endocytosis and recycling of extracellular matrix (ECM) components. Here, we generated CAV-silencing lentivirus to evaluate the effects on ECM turnover by trabecular meshwork (TM) cells and to measure the effect on outflow facility in anterior segment perfusion culture. METHODS Short hairpin CAV1 and CAV2 silencing and control lentivirus were generated, characterized, and applied to anterior segments in perfusion culture. Colocalization of CAVs with various ECM molecules in TM cells was investigated using immunofluorescence and confocal microscopy. Western immunoblotting and fluorogenic-based enzyme activity assays were used to investigate ECM protein levels and degradation, respectively. RESULTS Endogenous CAVs colocalized with cortactin at podosome- or invadopodia-like structures (PILS), which are areas of focal ECM degradation. In perfusion culture, outflow rates increased significantly in CAV1-silenced anterior segments, whereas outflow significantly decreased in CAV2-silenced anterior segments. Matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)2 and MMP14, and a disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin motifs-4 (ADAMTS4) colocalized with both CAVs in TM cells. Protein levels and enzyme activities of MMP/ADAMTS4, fibronectin protein levels, actin stress fibers, and α-smooth muscle actin were all increased in CAV-silenced cells. CONCLUSIONS Caveolin-mediated endocytosis is one mechanism by which TM cells can alter the physiological catabolism of ECM in order to change the composition of the outflow channels in the TM to regulate aqueous outflow resistance. Dysregulation of CAV function could contribute to the pathological changes in ECM that are observed in glaucoma.
Interaction of pollinators and herbivores on plant fitness suggests a pathway for correlated evolution of mutualism- and antagonism-related traits

Different kinds of plant–animal interactions are ordinarily studied in isolation, yet considering the combined fitness effects of mutualistic and antagonistic interactions is essential to understanding plant character evolution. Functional, structural, or phylogenetic associations between attractive and defensive traits may be nonadaptive or result from correlational selection on sets of herbivory- and pollination-linked traits. Nonadditivity of fitness effects of mutualists and antagonists, a requisite for correlational selection, was experimentally tested in the field. We created experimental populations of the insect-pollinated perennial herb, Helleborus foetidus, at 16 different locations distributed among three regions in the Iberian Peninsula. Plants experienced one of four possible selective regimes generated by independently weakening the effects of pollinators and herbivores (flower and fruit predators) according to a two-way fully factorial design. Effects were assessed in terms of number of next-generation offspring recruited per mother plant under natural field conditions. Differences among H. foetidus plants in the strength of their interactions with pollinators and herbivores translated into differential fitness, as measured in terms of recruited offspring, and subsequent changes in plant population densities. A strong, geographically consistent nonadditivity in the fitness consequences of pollinators and herbivores was found also. Plants possessing the particular combination of “traits” simultaneously enhancing pollination and escape from herbivores enjoyed a disproportionate fitness advantage over plants possessing any of the other three possible “trait” combinations. Results suggest a simple, possibly widespread ecological pathway favoring the adaptive correlated evolution of mutualism- and antagonism-related plant traits in pollinator-dependent plants suffering intense flower and fruit herbivory.
Electrospun polyester/cyclodextrin nanofibers for entrapment of volatile organic compounds

Polyester (PET) nanofibers incorporating cyclodextrins (CD) were obtained via electrospinning. a-CD, b-CD, and c-CD were used to functionalize PET nanofibers. Beadfree PET/CD nanofibers were obtained from lower polymer concentration indicating that the incorporation of CD in polymer solution improved the electrospinnability of the PET nanofibers. XRD studies indicated that CD were distributed into nanofiber without forming crystalline aggregates. FTIR peak shift was observed possibly due to interaction between CD and PET. TGA confirmed that initial CD loading (25%, w/w) in the polymer solution was preserved for the PET/CD nanofibers. The presence of most of CD on the surface of PET/CD nanofibers was confirmed by XPS analysis and contact angle measurement. DMA results indicated that incorporation of CD improved the mechanical property of the nanofibers. Our studies showed that PET/CD nanofibers can effectively entrap aniline vapor as a model volatile organic compound (VOC) from surrounding owing to their very large surface area and inclusion complexation capability of CD. The entrapment efficiency of aniline vapor was found to be better for PET/c-CD nanofibers compared to PET/a-CD and PET/b-CD nanofibers. Our findings suggested that electrospun PET nanofibers functionalized with CD may be used as filtering material for removal of VOC in air filtration. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 54:2970–2978, 2014. V C 2014 Society of Plastics Engineers
Myocardial protection by the leukotriene synthesis inhibitor BAY X1005: importance of transcellular biosynthesis of cysteinyl-leukotrienes.

Perfusion of the isolated rabbit heart with 5 x 10(6) human polymorphonuclear leukocytes, under recirculating conditions (50 ml), and challenge with A-23187 (0.5 microM) caused an increase in coronary perfusion pressure (from a prechallenge value of 46 +/- 1.1 to 176.2 +/- 29.7 mm Hg, 30 min after challenge, n = 6-4), which was linearly correlated (P < .006) with formation of cysteinyl leukotrienes (29.7 +/- 7.3 pmol/ml, 30 min after challenge). Pretreatment with the leukotriene synthesis inhibitor BAY X1005 (1 microM) (n = 6) resulted in significant protection against the increase in coronary perfusion pressure (76.7 +/- 12.8 mm Hg, 30 min after challenge) and in almost complete inhibition of sulfidopeptide leukotriene synthesis (3.2 +/- 1.7 pmol/ml, 30 min after challenge). In in vivo experiments, ligation of the left anterior descending coronary artery in the rabbit (n = 10) resulted in acute myocardial infarction marked by a mortality rate of 60% compared with sham-operated animals (n = 10). Intravenous treatment of the rabbits with BAY X1005 (10 mg/kg/h, for 2 h) (n = 10) markedly reduced the mortality rate (20%), protected the rabbits against the marked electrocardiogram derangement and abolished the significant increase in plasma creatine phosphokinase activity and cardiac tissue myeloperoxidase activity induced by coronary artery ligation. BAY X1005 exerts a significant cardioprotection and suggests that specific leukotriene synthesis inhibitors may lead to innovative therapy in myocardial ischemia.
CULTURAL MARKETING IN EUROPE AND ITS IMPACT ON LITERATURE. CASE STUDY: SYLVIA PLATH

The present article aims to discuss the impact of marketing techniques on culture. Nowadays, not only goods are sold but ideas, images, feelings become available for trading. Still, it is not easy for culture to compete against other fields and sell its goods. As it is, cultural marketing is promoting all that is related to verbal communication, culture and arts. In order to understand the impact of marketing in the 20th century on culture we chose one of the poets that understood the importance of creating a cultural product that sells - Sylvia Plath and studied her beliefs on selling art.
Online Learning and Teacher Practice

The purpose of the research was to explore the experiences of a group of 3 ELA teachers as they participated in online professional development using a social learning network. Utilizing case study methodology, the researcher examined how an online social learning network could be used to impact instructional practices amongst ELA teachers participating in hybrid professional development during implementation of a writing curriculum. Employing social constructivism as the dominant framework for analysis, the researcher explored the extent to which professional development delivered online combined with face-to-face supports impacted teacher instructional practices in the classroom. Findings indicate that in order to be effective, professional learning should emphasize the learning of content and pedagogy and how technology can enhance instructional practices. Factors such as convenience, flexibility and ubiquitous access to resources and peers were cited as benefits to participating in hybrid professional development models.
Access to formal healthcare services in rural Uganda: why non-medical social resources matter

Since the 1978 Alma Ata Declaration, there has been growing consensus that the solutions to the challenges of access to formal healthcare in low income countries are as social as they are medical. However, there is limited consensus on how to translate this knowledge into locally adapted solutions that enable vulnerable populations access formal healthcare services. Based on ethnographic fieldwork conducted between 2012 and 2014 in a rural community in central Uganda, this dissertation analyses the contribution of the non-medical resources that enable people to meet the direct and indirect costs of formal healthcare. People’s comments on longstanding friendships, village savings and loan associations, informal transport providers and mobilizing each other to help the needy indicated that these practices help in overcoming problems of poverty and accessing distant health facilities. Terms such as “twekolamu omulimu”, translated as “we mobilize ourselves”, were used to refer to a sense of collective mobilization of resources for meeting the costs of healthcare access especially for those members considered unable to meet health related costs. The idea of “twekolamu omulimu” unfolds a novel perspective on the embeddedness of formal healthcare seeking practices in rural Uganda. The effectiveness of these processes in tackling the everyday obstacles to formal healthcare is premised on their natural characteristics and ability to trigger grassroots initiatives, whereby healthcare access barriers are solved as other problems are solved through social networks. Although these processes lie outside the traditional boundaries of the formal healthcare system, they nonetheless present opportunities for a people-centered approach towards improving access to formal healthcare.
Criminological Research in

The organization and funding of almost any area of research might be described, in the aggregate, as falling somewhere along a continuum from a highly planned, unitary, focused research program to an unplanned laissez-faire--even anarchistic-situation without an identifiable focus. Any single portion of this aggregate, for example, within a research institution or within a funding agency, might be expected to be located closer to the "unitary focus" end of the continuum than would be the aggregate. The issue that I explore in this essay will relate largely to the possibility of shifts in the aggregate, in Canada, in the direction of a more unitary focus.
The relationship between marijuana initiation and dropping out of high school.

The prevalence of marijuana use among young people has risen rapidly in recent years, causing concern over the potential impact on academic performance of such use. While recent studies have examined the effect of alcohol use on educational attainment, they have largely ignored the potential negative effects of other substances, such as marijuana. This paper examines whether the relationship between the initiation of marijuana use and the decision to drop out of high school varies with the age of dropout or with multiple substance use. Data are from a longitudinal survey of 1392 adolescents aged 16-18 years. The results suggest that marijuana initiation is positively related to dropping out of high school. Although the magnitude and significance of this relationship varies with age of dropout and with other substances used, it is concluded that the effect of marijuana initiation on the probability of subsequent high school dropout is relatively stable, with marijuana users' odds of dropping out being about 2.3 times that of non-users. Implications of these conclusions are considered for both policy makers and researchers.
The Use of Tobacco, E-Cigarettes, and Methods to Quit Smoking in Germany.

BACKGROUND Current data on tobacco use are a necessary prerequisite for the study of the implementation of tobacco control measures in the general population. The German Study on Tobacco Use (Deutsche Befragung zum Rauchverhalten, DEBRA) provides previously lacking data on key indicators of smoking behavior and on the consumption of new products such as e-cigarettes. The continual acquisition and accumulation of data permits the analysis of trends and precise statistical evaluation. METHODS Data were obtained by repeated face-to-face interviews, at 2-month intervals, of representative samples of approximately 2000 persons across Germany aged 14 years and above. For this article, data from 12 273 persons that were acquired in 6 waves of the survey (June/July 2016 to April/May 2017) were aggregated and weighted. RESULTS The one-year prevalence of current tobacco consumption was 28.3% (95% confidence interval: [27.5; 29.1]) in the overall survey population and 11.9% [8.9; 14.9] among persons under age 18. Higher tobacco consumption was correlated with lower educational attainment and lower income. 28.1% of the smokers had tried to quit smoking in the past year; the most commonly used method of quitting was e-cigarettes (9.1%). Brief physician advice or pharmacotherapy for smoking cessation were tried by 6.1% and 7.0%, respectively. 1.9% of the overall survey population but only 0.3% of persons who had never smoked were current consumers of e-cigarettes. CONCLUSION Tobacco consumption is very high in Germany compared to other countries in Western and Northern Europe, and its distribution across the population is markedly uneven, with a heavy influence of socioeconomic status.
Properties of Human Trabecular Bone Cells from Elderly Women: Implications for Cell-Based Bone Engraftment

Tissue-engineered bone regeneration offers new therapeutic options in the treatment of patients with fractures. Due to the changes in the hormone levels, elderly women are most affected by bone fractures and thus constitute one of the future target groups of cell-based bone therapy. For designing cell-based therapy approaches, a better understanding of individual-dependent variations in bone-derived cells of the host is required. In this study, a simple, high-yield procedure is described for the collection of cells from bone tissue of a high number of elderly women. The cultured cells display stem cell characteristics indicated by the presence of aCD13+, CD44+, CD90+, CD147+, CD14–, CD34–, CD45– and CD144– cell populations and by a stable undifferentiatedphenotype as well as by the ability to proliferate extensivelywhile retaining the potential to differentiate along the osteoblastic lineage even after 27 cell doublings. A high variability in the number of cell-forming units (CFUs) within a donor population of 34 samples, in the morphology within 50 donors, in the expression of alkaline phosphatase within 15 samples and in the responsiveness to BMP-2 was evident, but no age-related correlation could be found. In conclusion, the data indicate that individual variations in cell number, cell morphology and in the osteogenic potential of progenitor cells of the patient may be relevant for a successful treatment of bone fractures in the elderly by cell-based therapy approaches.
Evidence of Association of Interleukin-1 Receptor-Like 1 Gene Polymorphisms with Chronic Rhinosinusitis

Background Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is a common complex respiratory disease, with a potential genetic component to its development. The protein encoded by the Interleukin-1 receptor-like 1 (IL1RL1) gene is an important effector molecule of T-helper type 2 responses and may potentially be involved in the persistent inflammatory process observed in CRS. We investigated whether certain polymorphisms in the IL1RL1 gene are differentially present in patients with surgery-unresponsive CRS and in control subjects. Methods DNA extracted from an existing population of 206 adult patients with surgery-unresponsive CRS and 196 postal-code-matched controls was used. A set of 15 tagging single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) was selected from the HapMap data set and genotyped. DNA sequencing was performed in a subgroup of 15 CRS patients. Results Statistically significant allelic associations with CRS were noted for 5 SNPs (rs10204137, p = 0.04; rs10208293, p = 0.03; rs13431828, p = 0.008; rs2160203, p = 0.03, and rs4988957, p = 0.03). The analysis showed a consistent significant protective effect against CRS for all the SNPs, yielding an odds ratio (OR) ranging from 0.56 to 0.72. The loci rs13431828 showed the highest association with CRS (p = 0.008; OR = 0.56; 95% CI, 0.36–0.86). A subanalysis revealed that the observed associations were stronger among patients with more severe disease. Sequencing identified five additional known nonsynonymous coding SNPs in linkage disequilibrium with genotyped SNPs. Conclusion Pending replication of these results, this study suggests that polymorphisms within the IL1RL1 gene may be associated with CRS, conferring a protective effect, particularly among those with severe disease.
Attitude Estimation Based on Arrays of Passive RFID Tags

In this paper, a method to estimate the attitude of an object using uniform arrays of radio frequency Identification (RFID) tags is presented. This technique is based on using the multiple signal classification algorithm with the phase measurements of the signals backscattered by the RFID tags of the array. Two array topologies have been studied (uniform linear arrays and uniform circular arrays). The performance of the system has been assessed by means of simulations and measurements in a controlled environment and in an indoor scenario. Results show that, after calibration, the attitude can be estimated with an error of a few degrees for a large range of orientations as long as the signals sent by the RFID reader do not imping the tags at grazing angles.
ADFG: a scheduling synthesis tool for dataflow graphs in real-time systems

This paper presents a synthesis tool of real-time system scheduling parameters: ADFG computes task periods and buffer sizes of systems as signal processing applications, resulting in a trade-off between throughput maximization and buffer size minimization. ADFG synthesizes systems modeled by ultimately cyclo-static dataflow (UCSDF) graphs, an extension of the standard CSDF model. Two new synthesis algorithms are also introduced and evaluated.
Chronic exposure to U18666A is associated with oxidative stress in cultured murine cortical neurons

Findings that antioxidant treatment may be beneficial in Alzheimer's disease indicate that oxidative stress is an important factor in its pathogenesis. Studies have also suggested that cholesterol imbalance in the brain might be related to the development of neurological disorders. Previously, we have reported that U18666A, a cholesterol transport‐inhibiting agent, leads to apoptosis and intracellular cholesterol accumulation in primary cortical neurons. In this study, we found that neuronal apoptosis mediated by U18666A is associated with oxidative stress in the treated cortical neurons. Cortical neurons treated with U18666A also showed decreased secretion and increased intraneuronal accumulation of β‐amyloid. The association of neuronal apoptosis with oxidative stress and Aβ accumulation may provide clues to the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease, as well as the role oxidative stress plays in other neurodegenerative diseases.
In vitro monitoring of surface mechanical properties of poly(L‐lactic acid) using microhardness

Poly(L-lactic acid) (PLLA) was immersed in a simulated body fluid (SBF) solution at 37.58C for distinct times. The variation of the surface mechanical properties of PLLA samples with immersion time was followed by microhardness. These measurements showed that PLLA microhardness decreased significantly (� 60%) after only 30 days of immersion. The results were explained in terms of hydrolytic degradation of the samples. The dependence of microhardness with the applied dwell time was also an- alyzed. The creep curves were successfully described by a power law. A decrease of the creep constant k as the immersion time increased was found. Differential scanning calorimetry was also used to analyze the changes in the physical properties of PLLA, namely in crystallinity degree (Xc) and glass transition temperature (Tg), as a function of the immersion time in SBF. A significant variation in the crystallinity degree of PLLA, initially nearly amorphous (Xc 5 9%), was detected after only 3 days of immersion (Xc 5 37%). The interpretation of this behavior was based on the hydrolysis process suffered by PLLA. 2007 Wiley
[Progress in Cre/lox site-specific recombination system in higher eukaryotes].

Cre/lox system derived from P1 bacteriaphage can quickly and effectively achieve gene insertion, deletion, replacement, and inversion by means of site-specific recombination. As one of the most important tools for gene targeting at present, Cre/lox system has been widely used in Arabidopsis thaliana, Oryza sativa L. , Mus musculus, Drosophila melanogaster, Danio rerio, and other higher eukaryotic organisms. This review roundly described the basic profile of Cre/lox system, and its application in higher eukaryotes. In addition, we also discussed the main problems and developmental trend of the Cre/lox system in this review, which can be a good reference for using Cre/lox system to realize the gene manipulations of the different high eukaryotic organisms.