Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Exploring the structure, function & regulation of the human glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor

YAN HUANG Exploring Structure, Function & Regulation of the Human Glucagon-like Peptide-1 Receptor Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) enhances glucose-dependent insulin secretion and promotes β-cell function via its receptor (GLP-1R), which therefore is a validated target for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. Due to difficulties with peptide therapeutics, it is important to find small-molecule GLP-1R agonists. This leads to a need to understand the structure, function and regulation of the receptor, particularly, differences between agonisms mediated by GLP-1 (orthosteric agonist) and small molecules. The GLP-1R contains a putative N-terminal signal peptide sequence, which is assessed here by recombinantly expressing several epitope-tagged GLP-1R constructs in HEK293 cells. The findings demonstrate that the GLP-1R is expressed predominately at the plasma membrane and also slightly cytosolic. Only fully glycosylated, mature form of the receptor is able to traffic to the cell surface and performs the function. The signal peptide sequence of the GLP-1R is essential for synthesis. After fulfilling the function, this sequence is cleaved and thus not part of the mature protein. The cleavage of signal peptide is critical for processing and trafficking of the GLP-1R. Based on one of these constructs generated here, a cell line (HEK293: GLP-1R-EGFP) with stable expression of the visible GLP-1R is established, which allows observations and determinations for ligand-mediated receptor internalisation in real time. Compound 2 (6,7-dichloro-2-methylsulfonyl-3-N-tert-butylaminoquinoxaline) has been described as a GLP-1R allosteric modulator and agonist. Findings here that compound 2-mediated agonisms on both the wild-type (WT) GLP-1R and the mutant with removal of the N-terminal domain provide direct evidence for the allosteric agonism. Interestingly, compound 2-mediated cAMP response is enhanced by orthosteric antagonist exendin 9-39, but the latter inhibits receptor internalisation mediated by compound 2. Recently, it has been hypothesised that the binding of GLP-1 allows a sequence of NRTFD (Asn 63 -Asp 67 ) in the N-terminus of the GLP-1R to interact with another part of the receptor and cause agonism. This was examined here by generating receptor mutants and synthetic peptides. Findings here that Asp 67 plays a key role in stabilising the Nterminal structure of the GLP-1R and thus is critical for processing and trafficking of the receptor protein do not support such hypothesis although synthetic NRTFD mediates a weak and partial agonism on the WTGLP-1R.
¿Jugamos? Mejora de la interacción humano-robot mediante juegos de mesa

espanolEn el contexto de un robot de servicio o asistencial, y en relacion a su interaccion con un usuario, este trabajo presenta un sistema que permite al robot ofrecer y llevar a cabo partidas de juegos de mesa. El sistema propuesto, que busca ampliar el abanico de actividades que el robot puede compartir con el usuario, se centra en ofrecer una experiencia lo mas similar posible a una partida tradicional entre dos personas. Para ello, el juego se proyecta sobre una mesa mediante un pequeno proyector montado sobre el robot, y un sistema de percepcion visual es empleado para detectar los movimientos del usuario. El sistema propuesto es especialmente interesante para robots asistenciales en entornos residenciales con personas mayores, permitiendo al usuario desarrollar diferentes actividades beneficiosas para su salud (memoria, reflejos, coordinacion, etc.). Para validar el sistema propuesto, se presenta un caso practico con un robot real en un entorno de laboratorio. EnglishIn the context of a service or assistance robot, and in relation to its interaction with the user, this work presents a system that allows the robot to offer and carry out board games. The proposed system, which seeks to expand the range of activities that the robot can share with the user, focuses on ofering an experience as similar as possible to a traditional game between two people. To do this, the game is projected on a table by means of a small projector mounted on the robot, and a visual perception system is used to detect the movements of the user. The system is especially interesting for care robots in residential settings with elderly people, allowing the user to carry out diferent activities beneficial for health (memory, reexes, coordination, etc.). To validate the proposed system, a practical case is presented with a real robot in a laboratory environment.
Degradation in photovoltaic encapsulation strength of attachment: Results of the first PVQAT TG5 artificial weathering study

Delamination of the encapsulant in photovoltaic (PV) module technology results in immediate optical loss and may enable subsequent corrosion or mechanical damage. The effects of artificial weathering were not previously known; therefore, an empirical study was performed to survey the factors most affecting adhesion, including the ultraviolet (UV) source (ie, Xe or fluorescent lamp[s]), the optical filters for the lamp, the chamber temperature, and the relative humidity. Natural weathering was also performed at locations, including the following: Golden, Colorado; Miami, Florida; Phoenix, Arizona; QiongHai, China; Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; and Turpan, China. Specimens were constructed using a laminated glass/poly (ethylene‐co‐vinyl acetate)/glass geometry. The compressive shear test (CST) was used to quantify the mechanical strength of attachment, taken as a proxy for adhesion. The fractography of select specimens (including cross‐sectional optical microscopy) was used to verify the failure mode (delamination or decohesion). Additional analysis of the local solar spectrum as well as the specimen temperature was performed to interpret the results of natural weathering. The goals of this study include to identify the most significant stressors, clarify where strong coupling may occur between stressors, and validate accelerated test results relative to natural weathering. The importance of specimen conditioning (for moisture) and hygrometric degradation as well as the effects of UV degradation are identified in this study.
Thermal and Mechanical Properties of Cement Mortar Composite Containing Recycled Expanded Glass Aggregate and Nano Titanium Dioxide

One of the growing concerns in the construction industry is energy consumption and energy efficiency in residential buildings. Moreover, management of non-degradable solid glass wastes is becoming a critical issue worldwide. Accordingly, incorporation of recycled expanded glass aggregates (EGA) as a substitution for natural fine aggregate in cement composites would be a sustainable solution in terms of energy consumption in the buildings and waste management. This experimental research aims to investigate the effects of EGA on fresh and hardened properties and thermal insulating performance of cement mortar. To enhance the mechanical properties and water resistance of the EGA-mortar, nano titanium dioxide (nTiO2) was used as nanofillers. The results showed an increase in workability and water absorption of the EGA-mortar. In addition, a significant decrease in bulk density and compressive strength observed by incorporating EGA into the cement mortar. The EGA-mortar exhibited a low heat transfer rate and excellent thermal insulation property. Furthermore, inclusion of nTiO2 increased compressive strength and water resistance of EGA-mortar, however, their heat transfer rate was increased. The results demonstrated that EGA-mortar can be integrated into the building envelop or non-load bearing elements such as wall partition as a thermal resistance to reduce the energy consumption in residential buildings.
Fruit: Edible, Inedible, Incredible

Fruit. The word conjures up mouthwatering memories of crunchy apples, luscious strawberries, sweet bananas, succulent melons and juicy pineapples. The well-travelled will also recall the splendid cornucopia of tropical fruits that thrive in the warmer climes of our planet and have now conquered supermarket shelves all over the world. A wonderful gift from nature indeed but providing us with an abundant source of food is not the main reason that plants produce such delicious fruits. We all know that many fruits are not edible and that some are even poisonous. It is therefore quite legitimate to ask what fruits are and why they exist. As will be revealed, fruits are part of a much more elaborate plot. Their true nature is concealed in what is buried in their core: their seeds. Seeds are the most sophisticated and precious organs produced by plants in that they bear the next generation. Fruits and seeds together are responsible for the successful reproduction and dispersal of the species. The key role that fruits and seeds play in the survival of each species explains the manifold dispersal strategies that plants have developed during the course of their evolution. The strategies they pursue, whether they involve wind, water, humans and animals or the plant's own explosive triggers, are reflected in a plethora of different colours, sizes and shapes.
Descobrindo genes expressos na glândula mamária e relacionados à ocorrência e controle da mastite bovina

BoLA-DRB3 is a gene of the Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) in cattle. The product of the BoLA-DRB3 is a protein related to formation of an antigen-antibody complex associated with immune response. Genotyping BoLA-DRB3 gene is relatively complex due to the extensive polymorphism associated with this locus. Current techniques for assignment of genotypes are restriction fragment length polymorphism of DNA amplified fragments (PCR-RFLP), direct sequencing of PCR products, cloningsequencing, and denaturant-gradient gel electrophoresis. These techniques are either time-consuming, do not discriminate all possible alleles, or are not readily reproducible. The objective of this study was genotyping BoLA-DRB3 by use of temperature-gradient gel electrophoresis (TGGE) to separate alleles before sequencing. PCR reactions made out of 28 DNA samples from Gir Dairy cows (Bos indicus Brazilian breed) were submitted to TGGE. New PCR products were generated from separated alleles, purified, and sequenced. Allele separation was possible in 21 out of 26 heterozygote samples (81%). Results indicate that two sequence reads (forward and reverse) were sufficient to accurate genotype BoLA-DRB3 alleles. Separation of alleles by TGGE provides a highthroughput reliable typing of BoLA-DRB3, critical to performing disease association studies in cattle.
Effect of Textural Features in Remote Sensed Data on Rubber Plantation Extraction at Different Levels of Spatial Resolution

The expansion of rubber (Hevea brasiliensis) plantations has been a critical driver for the rapid transformation of tropical forests, especially in Thailand. Rubber plantation mapping provides basic information for surveying resources, updating forest subplot information, logging, and managing the forest. However, due to the diversity of stand structure, complexity of the forest growth environment, and the similarity of spectral characteristics between rubber trees and natural forests, it is difficult to discriminate rubber plantation from natural forest using only spectral information. This study evaluated the validity of textural features for rubber plantation recognition at different spatial resolutions using GaoFen-1 (GF-1), Sentinel-2, and Landsat 8 optical data. C-band Sentinel-1 10 m imagery was first used to map forests (including both rubber plantations and natural forests) and non-forests, then the pixels identified as forests in the Sentinel-1 imagery were compared with GF-1, Sentinel-2, and Landsat 8 images to separate rubber plantations and natural forest using two different approaches: a method based on spectral information characteristics only and a method combining spectral and textural features. In addition, we extracted textural features of different window sizes (3 × 3 to 31 × 31) and analyzed the influence of window size on the separability of rubber plantations and natural forests. Our major findings include: (1) the suitable texture extraction window sizes of GF-1, Sentinel-2, and Landsat 8 are 31 × 31, 11 × 11 to 15 × 15, and 3 × 3 to 7 × 7, respectively; (2) correlation (COR) is a robust textural feature in remote sensing images with different resolutions; and (3) compared with classification by spectral information only, the producer’s accuracy of rubber plantations based on GF-1, Sentinel-2, and Landsat 8 was improved by 8.04%, 9.44%, and 8.74%, respectively, and the user’s accuracy was increased by 4.63%, 4.54%, and 6.75%, respectively, when the textural features were introduced. These results demonstrate that the method combining textural features has great potential in delineating rubber plantations.
An Intelligent Genetic Fuzzy Classifier for Transformer Faults

ABSTRACT Classification of faults in transformers with high accuracy is fundamental to ensuring good power quality with least interruptions. Our current work develops an intelligent genetic algorithm (GA)-tuned fuzzy classifier for transformer fault identification. The proposed classifier is able to segregate all fault types using dissolved gas analysis (DGA) samples from real power transformers of HPSEB (India) and other sources. DGA samples have been pre-processed using the J48 algorithm. We propose to replace the conventional action selection procedure of reinforcement learning by a GA-based optimizer. The classifier is able to garner very high classification accuracy which is higher than the one obtained with benchmark fuzzy Q learning (FQL) and other conventional classifiers. With our approach, the average fault classification rate achieved is 91.85% (FQL) and 97.51% genetic algorithm fuzzy Q-learning (GAFQL) though with a slightly higher computational complexity over the FQL. Our proposed classifier could serve as an important tool in ensuring the healthy operation of power transformers.
Identification of QTLs associated with cold tolerance in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.).

Received: Revised: Accepted: November 14, 2013 December 22, 2013 January 18, 2014 To identify genomic regions, which determine the level of LT tolerance in hexaploid wheat, F2:3 populations produced from the cross spring-type, susceptible parent, Zagros (LT50 =-6oC) and winter-type tolerant parent Norstar (LT50 = -20.7oC) were examined. The result of the phenotypic analysis showed continuous distribution of trait values (LT50 = -1 to -23oC). The relationship between LT tolerance (LT50= Low temperature for 50% killed) and genotypic data was analyzed using composite interval mapping, interval mapping and single marker analysis methods. Twenty SSR from 170 SSR and from 22 combinations AFLP, ten combinations between parents were polymorphic and in total, 75 loci were polymorphic. For all the loci, the deviations from the expected Mendelian ratio were evaluated using the chi-square goodness-of-fit test. Because of deviation from segregation may affect the recombination coefficients, very vague markers, were excluded from analysis. Thus, from 75 markers, 27 markers on six linkage groups with an average distance of 8 cM between adjacent markers were assigned and approximately 224 cM of the wheat genome was covered.
Desempenho econômico-financeiro e valor das ações em um contexto de mudança regulatória: o caso do setor elétrico brasileiro

The objective of this study is to analyze the degree of relationship between economic-financial performance and the value of the stocks of companies in the Brazilian electric sector in the capital market, together with the effects of the economic regulation provided by Provisional Measure No. 579/2012. The theme of this work can be considered relevant as it analyzes aspects of economic regulation and economic-financial performance of an important segment of the Brazilian economy, essential for the country’s economic and social development. The results aim to contribute to the advancement of empirical studies that examine the behavior of the stock market, based on information provided by companies and those available in the market, from firms in regulated segments. The methodological procedures involve a panel econometric regression model comprising 29 concessionaires and permissions electric energy companies listed on the Sao Paulo Stock Exchange (B3) between 2009 and 2016. Regarding the market value of the shares of the electricity companies, the results indicated a negative association with the provisional measure, positive with the ratio between the Current Liquidity Index and negative with the Indebtedness Ratio. The results indicate that the pricing strategy of investors in regulated companies considers effects of regulatory interventions together with typical market variables.
The Effects of Buccal Corridors on Smile Esthetics in Dentists and Orthodontic Patients

Aim: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the influence of the size of buccal corridors on the assessment of smile esthetics by dentists and orthodontic patients. Method: One female individual, who has acceptable micro-esthetic features, was chosen and spontaneous smile was captured by a comical movie. The video image of smiling with maximum visibility of teeth and gingivae was selected. Buccal corridors were modified digitally from 0% to 20% compared with the inner inter-commissural width. Using a visual analog scale, 61 dentists and the 61 orthodontic patients rated the attractiveness of 5 smiles. To compare the distributions of the mean scores between orthodontic patients and dentists, between the male and female raters for each of the rater groups, Student t test was conducted. Results: There was no significant sex difference except for 5% buccal corridor in judging the effects of buccal corridors on the smile attractiveness for both dentists and orthodontic patients. The difference in the evaluation the effects of buccal corridors on smile esthetics between dentists and orthodontic patients was statistically significant only for 5% buccal corridor (p<0.05). The dentists assigned the highest scores to 10% buccal corridors and the orthodontic patients assigned the highest scores 15% buccal corridors. Both dentists and orthodontic patients assigned the lowest scores to 20% buccal corridors. Conclusions: Both dentists and orthodontic patients preferred medium smiles to narrower smiles. Therefore large buccal corridors should be included in the problem list during treatment planning. Keywords: orthodontics, smile, esthetic. Special Issue of Health Sciences DOI: 10.7176/JSTR/6-03-28
Asthma co-morbidities in Nigerian children: prevalence, risk factors and association with disease severity and symptoms control

Introduction Prompt recognition and management of co-morbidities is an important step in ensuring optimal childhood asthma symptoms control. This study sets out to determine the prevalence, predictive factors and association of co-morbidities with asthma severity, lung functions and symptoms control in Nigerian children. Methods Children (aged 2 to 15 years) with physician-diagnosed asthma at the Wesley Guild Hospital, Nigeria were consecutively recruited. Asthma co-morbidities, severity and levels of symptoms control were assessed using standard definitions. Lung functions of children ≥ 6 years were also measured. Factors predictive of asthma co-morbidities and association of co-morbid conditions with asthma severity, lung functions and symptoms control were determined using univariate and multivariate analyses. Results A total of 186 children (male: female 1.4:1) were recruited and the majority (81.0%) had mild intermittent asthma. Forty (21.5%) had suboptimal symptoms control and 112 (60.2%) had associated co-morbidities. Allergic rhinitis and/or conjunctivitis (41.4%) were the most common co-morbidities. Predictors of concomitant presence of allergic rhinitis among the children were older age group ≥ 6 years (OR = 2.488; 95%CI 1.250-4.954; p = 0.036) and lack of exclusive breastfeeding (OR = 2.688; 95%CI 1.199 -5.872; p = 0.020) while obesity/overweight (OR = 6.300; 95%CI 2.040-8.520; p = 0.003) and Allergic rhinitis (OR = 2.414; 95%CI 1.188-6.996; p = 0.049) were determinants of persistent asthma. Suboptimal symptoms control was associated with having concomitant allergic rhinitis (p = 0.018), however no comorbid condition predicted lung function impairment. Conclusion About two-thirds of children with asthma had co-morbidities and allergic rhino-conjunctivitis was the most common. School age group and early introduction to breast milk substitutes predict the presence of these co-morbidities which also affect asthma severity and control.
Secondary Macronutrients Up-Take, Root Development, and Chlorophyll Content of Local Rice Varieties Grown under System of Rice Intensification (SRI) vs. Conventional Methods

A System of Rice Intensification (SRI) create optimal conditions with transplanting widely spaced young single seedlings, organic fertilizer amendment, and water management. In Indonesia the water for irrigating rice is limited, especially in the dry season. An Intermittent irrigation method of rice cultivation aims to reduce water requirements. In Indonesia local rice varieties have the potential to produce high-yielding rice with the intermittent irrigation method to meet food needs. The study aims to determine the suitability of SRI and conventional irrigation techniques on local rice varieties. The research conducted the field experimental with 4 x 2 factorial design, arranged in a Randomized Completely Block Design with three replications. The first factor was rice varieties, which consisted of 4 varieties, i.e., Rojolele, Cianjur, Mentikwangi and Ciherang. The second factor was the method of irrigation consisting of two kinds, i.e., intermittent irrigation and continuous flooding. Analysis of variance and Duncan's Multiple Range Test at α=5% was used. The results showed that rice variety and irrigation were significantly interacts to the secondary macronutrient absorption and root development. Rojolele with SRI irrigation has higher secondary macronutrient absorption than the Cianjur and Mentikwangi. Calcium nutrient absorption of Rojolele and Ciherang with SRI irrigation was higher than other varieties, whereas Magnesium nutrient absorption of Rojolele with SRI irrigation was higher than Ciherang, Cianjur, and Mentikwangi. Rojolele with SRI irrigation had higher Sulfur nutrient absorption than Cianjur and Mentikwangi. In Rojolele and Ciherang, intermittent irrigation SRI produced longer roots at harvest and more wide root surface area than conventional irrigation, but on Mentikwangi, conventional irrigation produced longer roots and more wide root surface area than intermittent SRI irrigation. The chlorophyll b content of the Cianjur and Mentikwangi were greater than Rojolele. The yield of Cianjur was higher than Ciherang's variety.