Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Extracellular Signal-Regulated Kinase 2 Interacts with and Is Negatively Regulated by the LIM-Only Protein FHL2 in Cardiomyocytes

ABSTRACT The mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway regulates diverse biologic functions including cell growth, differentiation, proliferation, and apoptosis. The extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERKs) constitute one branch of the MAPK pathway that has been implicated in the regulation of cardiac differentiated growth, although the downstream mechanisms whereby ERK signaling affects this process are not well characterized. Here we performed a yeast two-hybrid screen with ERK2 bait and a cardiac cDNA library to identify novel proteins involved in regulating ERK signaling in cardiomyocytes. This screen identified the LIM-only factor FHL2 as an ERK interacting protein in both yeast and mammalian cells. In vivo, FHL2 and ERK2 colocalized in the cytoplasm at the level of the Z-line, and interestingly, FHL2 interacted more efficiently with the activated form of ERK2 than with the dephosphorylated form. ERK2 also interacted with FHL1 and FHL3 but not with the muscle LIM protein. Moreover, at least two LIM domains in FHL2 were required to mediate efficient interaction with ERK2. The interaction between ERK2 and FHL2 did not influence ERK1/2 activation, nor was FHL2 directly phosphorylated by ERK2. However, FHL2 inhibited the ability of activated ERK2 to reside within the nucleus, thus blocking ERK-dependent transcriptional responsiveness of ELK-1, GATA4, and the atrial natriuretic factor promoter. Finally, FHL2 partially antagonized the cardiac hypertrophic response induced by activated MEK-1, GATA4, and phenylephrine agonist stimulation. Collectively, these results suggest that FHL2 serves a repressor function in cardiomyocytes through its ability to inhibit ERK1/2 transcriptional coupling.
Influence of plant extracts on the life history and population development of house fly, Musca domestica L. (Diptera: Muscidae).

The present studies examined the use of plant extracts viz., Niaz boo (Ocimum basilicum L.), Gardenia (Gardenia jasminoides (J Ellis), Sanatha (Dodonaea viscosa Jacq.) and Lantana (Lantana camara (Linn.) as oviposition attractant and larval growth promoter/inhibitor on the house fly (Musca domestica L.). The plant chemicals in different final concentrations (25 and 50%) were mixed in a larval media prepared by mixing wheat bran, dried milk and brewer's yeast. D. viscosa acted as strong attractant for house fly with minimum larval duration (5.25 c and 3.5 e days), maximum larval (83.11 b and 77.78 b %) and pupal (73.22 c and 71.11 e %) survival, female sex ratio, intrinsic rate of increase (0.31 and 0.26), maximum biotic potential (0.67 and 0.77) and fecundity (259 and 242.4 eggs female -1 ) in 25 and 50% concentrations, respectively. L. camara was a strong repellent for oviposition and showed a significant larvicidal activity, too. Gardenia showed maximum development time (11.20 days), less intrinsic rate of increase (0.213) and male sex ratio. O. basilicum was repellent for oviposition (92.56 eggs female -1 ) with minimum biotic potential (0.46), intrinsic rate of increase (0.19), less larval and pupal survival (55.56 f and 54.00 e %) at 50% concentration. The reasons for these differences and their role in the development of the house fly are discussed.
Task Allocation on Nonvolatile-Memory-Based Hybrid Main Memory

In this paper, we consider the task allocation problem on a hybrid main memory composed of nonvolatile memory (NVM) and dynamic random access memory (DRAM). Compared to the conventional memory technology DRAM, the emerging NVM has excellent energy performance since it consumes orders of magnitude less leakage power. On the other hand, most types of NVMs come with the disadvantages of much shorter write endurance and longer write latency as opposed to DRAM. By leveraging the energy efficiency of NVM and long write endurance of DRAM, this paper explores task allocation techniques on hybrid memory for multiple objectives such as minimizing the energy consumption, extending the lifetime, and minimizing the memory size. The contributions of this paper are twofold. First, we design the integer linear programming (ILP) formulations that can solve different objectives optimally. Then, we propose two sets of heuristic algorithms including three polynomial time offline heuristics and three online heuristics. Experiments show that compared to the optimal solutions generated by the ILP formulations, the offline heuristics can produce near-optimal results.
Substance use, sexual behaviour and prevention strategies of Vancouver gay and bisexual men who recently attended group sex events

Abstract Group sex events are an epidemiologically important part of some gay and bisexual men’s sexual culture in Canada. Associated with condomless anal intercourse and polysubstance use, such events have been cited as disproportionally contributing to HIV infection rates. We analysed questionnaire data from the Momentum Health Study in Vancouver, Canada, to understand substance use, sexual behaviour, psychosocial variables (Sexual Sensation Seeking, Sexual Escape Motivation, Treatment Optimism) and HIV prevention strategies (sero-sorting, strategic positioning, avoiding anal sex, disclosure, treatment as prevention) of men attending such events, which were defined as group (n ≥ 4 partners) sex parties, blackout events and darkrooms. Analysis by multivariable logistic regression compared men attending group sex events within the past six months (n = 180) with non-attendees (n = 539). Results showed that attendees reported: (1) significantly higher use of sex drugs and alcohol consumption, (2) higher scores on the Sexual Sensation Scale, more anal sex partners, greater odds of any condomless anal sex with sero-discordant partners and greater odds of reporting fisting and sex toy use and (3) different prevention practices that varied by HIV-serostatus. Findings are interpreted in light of the importance of pleasure, sociality and HIV/STI prevention strategies associated with group sex events. Findings contribute to the development of appropriate education and intervention for attendees.
Pervasive and strong effects of plants on soil chemistry: a meta-analysis of individual plant ‘Zinke’ effects

Plant species leave a chemical signature in the soils below them, generating fine-scale spatial variation that drives ecological processes. Since the publication of a seminal paper on plant-mediated soil heterogeneity by Paul Zinke in 1962, a robust literature has developed examining effects of individual plants on their local environments (individual plant effects). Here, we synthesize this work using meta-analysis to show that plant effects are strong and pervasive across ecosystems on six continents. Overall, soil properties beneath individual plants differ from those of neighbours by an average of 41%. Although the magnitudes of individual plant effects exhibit weak relationships with climate and latitude, they are significantly stronger in deserts and tundra than forests, and weaker in intensively managed ecosystems. The ubiquitous effects of plant individuals and species on local soil properties imply that individual plant effects have a role in plant–soil feedbacks, linking individual plants with biogeochemical processes at the ecosystem scale.
Chemical and mechanical bioerosion of boring sponges from Mexican Pacific coral reefs

SUMMARY Species richness (S) and frequency of invasion (IF) by boring sponges on living colonies of Pocillopora spp. from National Park Isla Isabel (México, East Pacific Ocean) are presented. Twelve species belonging to the genera Aka, Cliona, Pione, Thoosa and Spheciospongia were found, and 56% of coral colonies were invaded by boring sponges, with Cliona vermifera Hancock 1867 being the most abundant species (30%). Carbonate dissolution rate and sediment production were quantified for C. vermifera and Cliona flavifodina Rützler 1974. Both species exhibited similar rates of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) dissolution (1.2±0.4 and 0.5±0.2 kg CaCO3 m–2 year–1, respectively, mean ± s.e.m.), and sediment production (3.3±0.6 and 4.6±0.5 kg CaCO3 m–2 year–1), resulting in mean bioerosion rates of 4.5±0.9 and 5.1±0.5 kg CaCO3 m–2 year–1, respectively. These bioerosion rates are close to previous records of coral calcification per unit of area, suggesting that sponge bioerosion alone can promote disequilibrium in the reef accretion/destruction ratio in localities that are heavily invaded by boring sponges. The proportion of dissolved material by C. vermifera and C. flavifodina (27 and 10.2%, respectively) confirms that chemical bioerosion plays an important role in sponge bioerosion and in the CaCO3 cycle in coral reefs.
Use of a Perfusion Co-culture System Consisting of Caco-2 and Hep G2 Cell Compartments for the Kinetic Analysis of Benzo[a]pyrene Toxicity

Conventional cytotoxicity tests cannot usually include various metabolic processes in humans. We therefore developed a physiologically based, multi-compartment perfusion co-culture system, using a Caco-2 cell monolayer on a semi-permeable membrane and a microcarrier-based, three-dimensional culture of Hep G2 cells to mimic permeation across the small intestine and biotransformation of the small intestine and the liver. Stable operations allowed us to maintain various activities of both cells for at least 4 days. Cocultivation improved the growth of Hep G2 cells and enhanced the cytochrome P450 1A1/2 capacities of both Hep G2 and Caco-2 cells. When benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) was loaded on the apical side of the Caco-2 cell layer, the enhanced P450 capacities produced a higher amount of BaP-7,8-hydrodiol, a precursor of the ultimate carcinogen of BaP, BaP-7,8-dihydrodiol-9,10-epoxide (BPDE). These phenomena led to the initially retarded, but later stronger, expression of BaP toxicity in the co-culture system than in pure cultures, which agreed with the actual load of BaP-7.8-hydrodiol to the Hep G2 cells. Because this kind of system can reproduce such complicated phenomena, including those influenced by organ–organ interactions, it is useful as a new in vitro experimental system, for understanding the unknown mechanisms involved in final toxicity in humans and thereby improving physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) simulation models.
Mating-System Variation, Demographic History and Patterns of Nucleotide Diversity in the Tristylous Plant Eichhornia paniculata

Inbreeding in highly selfing populations reduces effective size and, combined with demographic conditions associated with selfing, this can erode genetic diversity and increase population differentiation. Here we investigate the role that variation in mating patterns and demographic history play in shaping the distribution of nucleotide variation within and among populations of the annual neotropical colonizing plant Eichhornia paniculata, a species with wide variation in selfing rates. We sequenced 10 EST-derived nuclear loci in 225 individuals from 25 populations sampled from much of the geographic range and used coalescent simulations to investigate demographic history. Highly selfing populations exhibited moderate reductions in diversity but there was no significant difference in variation between outcrossing and mixed mating populations. Population size interacted strongly with mating system and explained more of the variation in diversity within populations. Bayesian structure analysis revealed strong regional clustering and selfing populations were highly differentiated on the basis of an analysis of Fst. There was no evidence for a significant loss of within-locus linkage disequilibrium within populations, but regional samples revealed greater breakdown in Brazil than in selfing populations from the Caribbean. Coalescent simulations indicate a moderate bottleneck associated with colonization of the Caribbean from Brazil ∼125,000 years before the present. Our results suggest that the recent multiple origins of selfing in E. paniculata from diverse outcrossing populations result in higher diversity than expected under long-term equilibrium.
Influences of soil properties and leaching on copper toxicity to barley root elongation

The relationships developed between soil properties and phytotoxicity threshold values for copper require validation in a wide range of soils with different properties and climate characteristics before they can be applied for regulatory purposes in countries throughout the world. Seventeen soils, which are representative of the major soil types and properties in China, were spiked with Cu chloride. A subset of the Cu‐spiked soils was leached with artificial rain water to compare toxicity with that in unleached soils. Barley root elongation tests were performed under controlled environmental conditions. The concentrations of added Cu causing a 50% inhibitory effect (EC50) ranged from 67 to 1,129 mg/kg in unleached soils and from 88 to 1,255 mg/kg in leached soil. Compared with the unleached toxicity thresholds, the leached EC10 (10% inhibition) and EC50 were higher by an average of 1.43‐ and 1.15‐fold, respectively. Soil leaching significantly (p ≤ 0.05) decreased the toxicity of Cu in approximately 35% of the soils. In this study, no single soil property was found to explain over 35% of the variance in (log transformed) EC50. However, stepwise multiple regressions using soil pH, organic carbon (OC) content, and effective cation exchange capacity (eCEC) were found to explain over 80% of the variance in Cu toxicity across soils. The model developed for Chinese soils based on these factors was found to predict significantly (r2, 0.90) the phytotoxicity of Cu in European soils. These quantitative relationships between Cu toxicity and soil properties are helpful for developing soil‐specific guidance on Cu toxicity thresholds. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 2010;29:835–842. © 2009 SETAC
Serum transferrin receptor as a marker of erythropoiesis suppression in patients on chronic transfusion

In the management of patients requiring chronic transfusion, various parameters may be used to evaluate the degree of erythroid marrow suppression. The aim of our study was to assess which of these parameters provide the most useful assessment of erythropoiesis. We studied 27 chronically transfused patients, 19 with sickle cell disease (SS patients) and 8 with thalassemia. Thirty‐one nonchronically transfused SS patients and 74 healthy children served as controls. We measured serum transferrin receptor levels, reticulocyte counts, hemoglobin (Hb) concentrations and erythropoietin levels. The serum transferrin receptor levels were very elevated in control SS patients and remained significantly elevated in those on transfusion therapy, but were normal in thalassemia patients, indicating a more complete suppression of erythropoiesis. The reticulocyte counts were elevated in all SS patients, even when on chronic transfusion, but were in the normal range in patients with thalassemia. Erythropoietin levels were elevated in patients with thalassemia and in all the SS patients. Hb levels negatively correlated with serum transferrin receptor and erythropoietin in all SS patients. In the transfused SS patients, a higher HbS level correlated with higher reticulocyte counts, transferrin receptor, and erythropoietin levels. In thalassemia patients, erythropoiesis was more completely suppressed, as reflected both by normal reticulocyte counts and near‐normal transferrin receptor levels. Though the reticulocyte counts were not significantly different in the transfused SS patients, the serum transferrin receptor levels were less elevated than in SS patients not on transfusion. The serum transferrin receptor level appears to be the most useful marker of marrow erythropoietic activity in chronically transfused SS patients. We recommend that reticulocyte counts be integrated with periodic measurements of serum transferrin receptor levels. Am. J. Hematol. 60:121–125, 1999. © 1999 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Study on fault diagnosis of blast furnace based on ICA-QNN

Focusing on the fuzziness problem of fault classification borders, and on the diagnostic uncertainty of overlapping data, a fault diagnosis method for furnace state based on independent component analysis (ICA) and quantum neural network (QNN) was presented. Firstly, the fast ICA algorithm was applied successfully to separate the state signals of fault blast furnace and to extract their state features. Secondly, QNN was used together to accomplish the fault diagnosis of furnace state, because it possesses better functions (abilities) of pattern recognition for fault with overlapping classes and uncertainty. The experimental results demonstrate that the ICA-QNN algorithms can recognize the fault pattern of furnace state effectively and accurately. Meanwhile, it also provided a new method with fault diagnosis for blast furnace.
New Economics of Entrepreneurship, Innovation & Institutions: Considerations for Australian Agriculture

Agriculture is often represented as a case study in perfect competition, with a large number of small price-taking producers choosing an optimal input mix from a simple production function to maximize profits. Entrepreneurship and innovation do not seem to enter into this story, and nor do institutions. But this characterization misrepresents the complexity and niche competition in agricultural markets and the opportunities for cooperation. Old models of innovation policy emphasized market failure and recommended more or less direct government support to fund R&D investment. Examples were public funding of agricultural science. But new approaches to economics of innovation emphasise the role of entrepreneurial or market (rather than technical) discovery, and the increasing use of private institutions to solve the innovation problem through pooling innovation resources in the ‘commons’. This shift from market failure to collective action models of the innovation problem, and from government solutions to governance solutions, represents a fundamental shift in modern economic thinking about how industries grow through entrepreneurship and innovation, and the role of government in this process.
Voice conversion system using SVM for vocal tract modification and codebook based model for pitch contour modification

The basic idea of this paper is to design an alternative voice conversion technique using support vector machine (SVM) as a regression tool that, converts the voice of a source speaker to specific standard target speaker. A nonlinear mapping function between the parameters for the acoustic features of the two speakers has been captured in our work. The vocal tract characteristics have been represented by the line spectral frequencies (LSFs). The kernel induced feature space using radial basis function network type SVM with Gaussian basis function have been used in our work. The codebook based technique has been used to modify the intonation characteristic (pitch contour). Mapping of the pitch contour has been achieved at the word level by associating the codebooks derived from the pitch contours of the source and the target speakers. The speech signals for the desired target speaker have been synthesized using the transformed LSFs along with the modified pitch contour and evaluated using both the subjective and the listening tests. The results signify that the proposed model improves the voice conversion performance in terms of capturing the speakerpsilas identity. However, the performance can further be improved by suitably modifying various user defined parameters used in regression analysis and using more training LSF vectors in the training stage.
Combination Therapy (Intratympanic Dexamethasone + High-Dose Prednisone Taper) for the Treatment of Idiopathic Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss

Background: Idiopathic Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss (ISSNHL), commonly defined as greater than 20 dB of unilateral hearing loss in at least 3 frequencies occurring within 3 days, has a reported incidence of 5 to 20 per 100,000 patients per year. Untreated, it has a recovery rate of 32 to 65%. Although accepted therapy is high-dose prednisone taper (HDPT), recent publications suggest that intratympanic dexamethasone (IT-Dex) therapy may improve hearing recovery. Methods: This multicenter, double-blinded, placebo-controlled, randomized study seeks to compare hearing results in ISSNHL patients who have received HDPT alone, IT-Dex alone, or IT-Dex and HDPT (combination therapy). Fifty-one patients with a less than 6-week history of ISSNHL were randomized to 1 of 3 arms and followed prospectively. Group A (17 patients) received IT-Dex therapy with placebo taper, whereas Group B (18 patients) were administered HDPT and placebo intratympanic injections. Patients in Group C (16 patients) were administered IT-Dex and HDPT, otherwise known as combination therapy. Injections (IT-Dex/placebo) and audiograms were performed weekly for 3 weeks, and a final audiogram was obtained 4 weeks after the final injection. Results: Patients receiving combination therapy (IT-Dex + HDPT) in Group C had an average improvement in speech discrimination score of 44 percentage points and a 40-dB improvement in pure-tone average (PTA). Patients in Group C had statistically significant improvements in speech discrimination score compared with Group B patients (HDPT alone; p < 0.05). When defining a significant improvement in PTA as greater than 15 dB, there was a statistically significant difference between the groups in the proportion of patients achieving hearing improvement. Furthermore, the proportion of patients achieving a significant PTA improvement in Group C was statistically greater than patients in Group B (p < 0.02). Logistic regression analysis indicates that patients receiving combination therapy demonstrated better odds of hearing recovery than patients in both of the other groups (p < 0.05), when all 3 groups were adjusted for age, vertigo, initial hearing levels, and time delay between onset of hearing loss and treatment. Lastly, combination therapy patients recovered their hearing more quickly than patients in the other groups (p < 0.05). Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that ISSNHL patients treated with IT-Dex + HDPT (combination therapy) have a higher likelihood of hearing recovery than those treated with HDPT alone.
Bone Tunnel Enlargement After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Replacement

Radiographic increase in the size of tibial and femoral tunnels has been observed. This retrospective study compared tibial tunnel diameter in 56 autograft and 87 allograft patellar tendon bone-tendon-bone anterior cru ciate ligament replacements whose observed tunnel changes were correlated with clinical results at 1 year postoperatively. Tibial tunnel sclerotic margins were measured approximately 1 cm below the joint line. Ex act tunnel dimension was calculated by using a mag nification factor determined by the interference screw of known diameter within the same tunnel. Average al lograft tunnel enlargement was 1.2 mm (-2.5 to 6.0) compared with the autograft tunnel enlargement of 0.26 mm (-2.5 to 2.7); the difference was significant (P> 0.0002). No significant difference was seen in KT-1000 arthrometer measurements between autograft or allograft groups, and no correlation was seen be tween increased tunnel size and clinical outcome as determined by the modified Hughston knee evaluation system. Tunnel measurement reproducibility was con firmed by independent repeated measurements. The significance of this tunnel enlargement is unknown and does not appear to adversely affect clinical outcome of allograft utilization. Possible explanations include an immune response with resorption, stress shielding proximal to the interference screw resulting in resorp tion, or an inflammatory response by synovium in the tunnel.