Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
ATP6V0d2 controls Leishmania parasitophorous vacuole biogenesis via cholesterol homeostasis

V-ATPases are part of the membrane components of pathogen-containing vacuoles, although their function in intracellular infection remains elusive. In addition to organelle acidification, V-ATPases are alternatively implicated in membrane fusion and anti-inflammatory functions controlled by ATP6V0d2, the d subunit variant of the V-ATPase complex. Therefore, we evaluated the role of ATP6V0d2 in the biogenesis of pathogen-containing vacuoles using ATP6V0d2 knock-down macrophages infected with the protozoan parasite Leishmania amazonensis. These parasites survive within IFNγ/LPS-activated inflammatory macrophages, multiplying in large/fusogenic parasitophorous vacuoles (PVs) and inducing ATP6V0d2 upregulation. ATP6V0d2 knock-down decreased macrophage cholesterol levels and inhibited PV enlargement without interfering with parasite multiplication. However, parasites required ATP6V0d2 to resist the influx of oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL)-derived cholesterol, which restored PV enlargement in ATP6V0d2 knock-down macrophages by replenishing macrophage cholesterol pools. Thus, we reveal parasite-mediated subversion of host V-ATPase function toward cholesterol retention, which is required for establishing an inflammation-resistant intracellular parasite niche.
Identification with ancestral culture is associated with fewer internalizing problems among older Naskapi adolescents

The manifestations of externalizing and internalizing behaviors among minority adolescents might best be understood by examining their relation to culturally specific factors, such as cultural identity, as well as to factors that seem to be relevant across cultures, such as age and gender. In this study, we examined the roles of age and gender in moderating the relation between self-reported cultural identity and externalizing and internalizing problems and the interaction between Indigenous and Mainstream cultural identity in relation to problematic behaviors. The participants included 61 students (32 female) with a mean age of 14.5 years (SD = 1.69) from a Naskapi reserve in Quebec, Canada. Age moderated the relation between identification with Indigenous culture and internalizing symptomatology. Indigenous and Mainstream cultural identity did not interact in predicting internalizing or externalizing problems. Consistent with the available evidence regarding the centrality of identity in adolescent development, the magnitude of the inverse relation between identification with Indigenous culture and number of clinical internalizing symptoms appears to increase in significance later in adolescence. The lack of an interaction between Indigenous and Mainstream cultural identity in relation to internalizing and externalizing problems suggests that it is the need to consider both cultures individually without the assumption that one negates the other.
The Development of Commitment at the Initial Stages of International Business to Business Relationships.

Commitment has been found to be a critical component in understanding the strength and success of marketing relationships. Consequently, using a case study method, this research examines how commitment is developed at the initial stages of international business to business relationships. Findings suggest that two types of commitment emerge at the early interaction stage of relationship development: affective and calculative commitment. Affective commitment is seen as the more critical commitment to develop at this stage and is developed by trust, face to face communication and the partners ‘doing the little things’. Calculative commitment is developed by the signing of the contract and expenses incurred by meeting face to face.
Selection of Suitable Reference Genes for RT-qPCR Gene Expression Analysis in Siberian Wild Rye (Elymus sibiricus) under Different Experimental Conditions

Elymus sibiricus, which is a perennial and self-pollinated grass, is the typical species of the genus Elymus, which plays an important role in forage production and ecological restoration. No reports have, so far, systematically described the selection of optimal reference genes for reverse transcriptase quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) analysis in E. sibiricus. The goals of this study were to evaluate the expression stability of 13 candidate reference genes in different experimental conditions, and to determine the appropriate reference genes for gene expression analysis in E. sibiricus. Five methods including Delta Ct (ΔCt), BestKeeper, NormFinder, geNorm, and RefFinder were used to assess the expression stability of 13 potential reference genes. The results of the RefFinder analysis showed that TBP2 and HIS3 were the most stable reference genes in different genotypes. TUA2 and PP2A had the most stable expression in different developmental stages. TBP2 and PP2A were suitable reference genes in different tissues. Under salt stress, ACT2 and TBP2 were identified as the most stable reference genes. ACT2 and TUA2 showed the most stability under heat stress. For cold stress, PP2A and ACT2 presented the highest degree of expression stability. DNAJ and U2AF were considered as the most stable reference genes under osmotic stress. The optimal reference genes were selected to investigate the expression pattern of target gene CSLE6 in different conditions. This study provides suitable reference genes for further gene expression analysis using RT-qPCR in E. sibiricus.
The Relation Between Exposure to Intimate Partner Violence and Childhood Dental Decay: A Scoping Review to Identify Novel Public Health Approaches to Early Intervention.

BACKGROUND Early childhood dental decay or caries (ECC) is common, often painful and costly to the health care system, yet it is largely preventable. A public health approach is needed, especially as socially vulnerable children most at risk for ECC are less likely to access conventional treatment. Exposure to intimate partner violence (IPV) in the family represents an important social vulnerability for children, yet little is known about ECC in this context. We explored the relation between ECC and exposure to IPV as well as opportunities for community-based early interventions to prevent ECC. METHODS We searched 5 electronic databases. All primary research and reviews that focused on childhood decay and exposure to IPV or that referred to community settings (specifically women's shelters) for oral health service delivery were included. RESULTS Of 198 unique documents identified, 12 were included in the analysis. Although limited, our findings suggest a positive relation between exposure to IPV and ECC, the mechanisms of which are not well studied. Women's-shelter-based prevention programs may hold promise in terms of detecting and addressing ECC. Over the time frame of the literature reviewed, we observed a subtle shift in emphasis away from individual behaviours and biological models toward upstream societal structures. CONCLUSIONS The available literature suggests that the issue of ECC and IPV may be poised to embrace a public health approach to early intervention, characterized by community collaboration, interprofessional cooperation between dentistry and social work and an equitable approach to ECC in a socially vulnerable group.
Monocular Odometry for Underwater Vehicles with Online Estimation of the Scale Factor

This paper introduces a new visual odometry method for underwater vehicles. It is based on images grabbed by a monocular video camera, and aided by inertial and pressure measurements. This approach offers several advantages. Firstly, it is compact and runs very fast, even with limited computational resources. This allows to embed it on very small vehicles. Secondly, and probably most importantly, the method is able to estimate online the scale factor of the observed scene, thanks to the combined measures of a low-cost IMU and a pressure sensor. The paper ends with an experimental validation onboard the Leonard underwater vehicle.
Effect of somatic cell count on dairy products: a review -

Somatic cells are the most essential factors naturally present in milk, and somatic cell count (SCC) is used as an indicator of monitoring mastitis incidence in the herd and also to assess the quality of milk. In addition, SCC is frequently used to determine quality payments to dairy producers. The SCC is directly related to get maximum milk production from individual cow and a lower SCC indicates better animal health, as somatic cells originate only from inside the animal's udder. SCC monitoring is important because as the number of somatic cells increases, milk yield is likely to fall, primarily due to the damage to milk-producing tissue in the udder caused by mastitis pathogens and the toxins they produce, particularly when epithelial cells are lost. Keeping low SSC will allow good quality more raw milk and provide a better product to milk processors whether used as fluid milk or converted to milk based products. Somatic cells containing lipolytic and proteolytic enzymes lead to degrade major nutrients fats and proteins, respectively. Elevated SCC is related to udder inflammation, which leads to alter the normal microbial count and physicochemical parameters of milk, as well as the quality of heat treated fluid milk and milk based product. The objective of this review is to discuss on the SSC and endogenous enzymes released from somatic cells in raw milk as well as effect of somatic cells count and their endogenous enzymes in processed milk and milk based products. Asian J. Med. Biol. Res. March 2017, 3(1): 1-9
Can Mobile Learning Be An Opportunity for Undergraduate Teacher Education

The purpose of research is to determine the usability of mobile learning in undergraduate teacher education. In the first part of the study, researches on mobile learning opportunities in undergraduate teacher education and teacher education are examined. In the second part of the study, infrastructure and readiness for mobile learning of prospective teachers are examined in terms of some variables. The research is designed in survey model. The sample of the research is composed of 454 prospective teachers who study in the 1st and 4th grade of Firat University Faculty of Education. Participant demographic form and the readiness scale for mobile learning developed by Lin, Lin, Yeh and Wang (2016) adapted to Turkish by Gokceaslan, Solmaz and Kukul (2016) is used as data collection tool. Statistical techniques such as mean, frequency, percentage, t test, one way anova are used in the analysis of the data. The research findings revealed by examining the relevant researches show that mobile learning offers important opportunities for undergraduate teacher education. Prospective teachers have mobile tools necessary for mobile learning and have opportunities access to internet. It is determined that prospective teachers frequently use mobile tools and use mobile tools partially for educational purposes. It is determined that the level of prospective teachers' readiness for mobile learning has partially high (= 3.60) and the level of prospective teachers' readiness for mobile learning is not differ according to gender, educational level and department variables. But prospective teachers' readiness for mobile learning differs according to the daily average internet usage time. The results of the research show that mobile learning is an approach that should be taken into account for undergraduate teacher education.
Triticum aestivum spp. spelta - the potential for the organic wheat production

Spelt (Triticum aestivum subsp. Spelta) is an ancient wheat that is currently grown marginally and mainly for organic foods. The grain samples were collected from Hungary, Austria and Serbia in order to establish organic field trials. The spelt flours were used to evaluate the chemical composition and the functional properties. The Hungarian spelt population, Eko10 had the highest protein (17.5% d.b.) and the gluten content (46%), whereas the Serbian cultivar Nirvana had the highest gluten index. Parameters obtained by the Mixolab® dough mixer were submitted to determine the single effect of protein and starch qualities on thermo mechanical properties of spelt dough.
GOING GREEN: The Effectiveness of a 40-Day Green Exercise Intervention for Insufficiently Active Adults

Increasing physical activity and reducing sedentary behavior is an economic and health priority. This Green Exercise (GEx) study reports on a 40-day physical activity intervention to increase physical activity that primarily used outdoor recreation activities. Adherence, compliance, blood pressure (BP), total cholesterol, anthropometry, strength, dynamic stability, and cardiovascular fitness were assessed 1 week prior and immediately following the 40-day intervention. The results then were compared with a larger study that used the same methodologies but for the exception of primarily indoor physical activities. Results from this study showed similar improvements in health measures to the comparative indoor-based physical activity program with increased adherence and compliance. Improvements in wellbeing were also noted. This GEx study suggests that exercise programs that seek to increase physical activity levels of insufficiently active adults may benefit from including outdoor recreation activities within the program and may also increase participant mental health and general well-being.
In‐situ oxygen profiling and lignin modification in guts of wood‐feeding termites

Abstract Reports on the capability of wood‐feeding termites (WFTs) in degrading wood particles and on the existence of aerobic environment in the localized guts suggest that their high efficiency of cellulose utilization is not only caused by cellulase, but also by biochemical factors that pretreat lignin. We thus extend the hypothesis that for highly efficient accessibility of cellulose, there should be direct evidence of lignin modification before the hindgut. The lignin degradation/modification is facilitated by the oxygenated environment in intestinal microhabitats. To test our hypothesis, we conducted experiments using a dissolved oxygen microelectrode with a tip diameter < 10 μm to measure oxygen profiles in intestinal microhabitats of both Coptotermes formosanus (Shiraki) and Reticulitermes flavipes (Kollar). Lignin modification during passage through their three gut segments was also analyzed with pyrolysis gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. The data showed relatively high levels of oxygen in the midgut that could have promoted lignin oxidation. Consistent with the oxygen measurements, lignin modifications were also detected. In support of previously proposed hypotheses, these results demonstrate that lignin disruption, which pretreats wood for cellulose utilization, is initiated in the foregut, and continues in the midgut in both termites.
Temporal evolution of long-timescale periodicities in ULX NGC 5408 X-1

Context. NGC 5408 X-1 is one of the few ultraluminous X-ray sources with an extensive monitoring program in X-rays (a temporal baseline of 4.2 yr), making it one of the most suitable candidates to study the long-timescale quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs). Aims. Previous timing analysis of the Swift data of NGC 5408 X-1 led to detection of multiple periodicities ranging from 2.6 d to 230 d. In this paper, we focus on the statistical significance and the temporal evolution of these periodicities. Methods. A time-series analysis technique in the time-frequency domain, the weighted wavelet Z-transform (WWZ), was employed to identify the periodicities and trace their variations with time. Results. Three periodic components were detected from the WWZ periodogram, corresponding to periods of 2.65$\pm$0.01 d, 115.4$\pm$14.4 d and 189.1$\pm$15.2 d. All three have statistical significance higher than 99.74%. The 2.65-d periodicity is quite stable in the majority of the light curve. The 115-d periodicity is the most prominent but appears variable. The 189-d periodicity is persistent across the whole time coverage. It shows a steadily decreasing trend from the beginning (193 d period) to the end (181 d period). Conclusions. The long-timescale periodicities in NGC 5408 X-1 are most likely of super-orbital origin, and are probably associated with the precession of a warped accretion disc. The disc may have been broken into two distinct planes with different precessing periods, i.e. the 189-d and 115-d periodicities corresponding to the outer and inner disc, respectively.
Farmacogenómica en el cáncer colorrectal

La investigación en el proyecto genoma humano va a favorecer en los próximos años el desarrollo farmacoterapias más personalizadas. La Farmacogenómica es una nueva disciplina que se ha desarrollado en los últimos años y cuyos objetivos se dirigen a conocer aquellos mecanismos que permitan explicar cómo la base genética de cada individuo afecta a la respuesta obtenida a las drogas. La posibilidad de predecir qué terapias son más efectivas para un determinado paciente va a constituir una poderosa herramienta médica, particularmente en el ámbito de la oncología. Es probable que estas predicciones deriven de una mejor comprensión de la enfermedad tanto a nivel celular como molecular. Por lo que respecta al cáncer colorrectal, los avances en el conocimiento de la etiología de la enfermedad a nivel molecular no se han asociado con una mejora en el tratamiento del paciente. La eficacia clínica y la toxicidad de las drogas más utilizadas en el tratamiento del cáncer colorrectal de cada paciente son por el momento impredecibles. Entre otras muchas variables, se han descrito determinados polimorfismos en genes implicados en el metabolismo de estas drogas que determinan la variabilidad interindividual tanto en la eficacia terapeútica como en la toxicidad. La investigación de las características moleculares del cáncer colorrectal y el desarrollo de nuevas terapias dirigidas a dianas específicas van a permitir en el futuro predecir la respuesta de la neoplasia y, por tanto, modificar la opción terapeútica buscando aquella que mejor se ajuste al perfil biológico.
The Breuil-Mezard conjecture for non-scalar split residual representations

We prove the Breuil-Mezard conjecture for split non-scalar residual representations of Gal(Qp/Qp) by local methods. Combined with the cases previously proved in [18] and [24], this completes the proof of the conjecture (when p>3). As a consequence, the local restriction in the proof of the Fontaine-Mazur conjecture in [18] is removed.
Modeling the effect of cytoplasm sol-gel transitions on magnetization changes during MRI diffusion experiments in brain gray matter

Reversible sol-gel transitions in the cytoplasm have been proposed to influence the Diffusion Weighted Magnetic Resonance Imaging (DW-MRI) of biological tissue (Branco, 2000). In the present paper, we aim to model the effect of sol-gel cycles on the DW-MRI signal in brain gray matter. This is accomplished by including oscillations of the intracellular apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) in a two compartment model (corresponding to intracellular and extracellular spaces) of the generation of the DW-MRI signal (Vestergaard-Poulsen et al., 2007). Simulations yielded oscillations superimposed to the temporal exponential decay obtained with the Vestergaard-Poulsen model. However, this phenomenon may not be reflected in the usual DW-MRI experiments since it heavily depends on the chosen diffusion time. We conclude that the influence of intracellular ADC  I ADC oscillations on the DW-MRI signal is obscured by the current recording schemes. Therefore, experiments allowing the recording of the magnetization temporal dynamics are necessary for revealing this effect.
Exosomes-Associated DNA—New Marker in Pregnancy Complications?

Despite a large number of studies, the etiology of pregnancy complications remains unknown. The involvement of cell-free DNA or fetal cell-free DNA in the pathogenesis of pregnancy complications is currently being hypothesized. Cell-free DNA occurs in different forms—free; part of neutrophil extracellular traps; or as recently discovered, carried by extracellular vesicles. Cell-free DNA is believed to activate an inflammatory pathway, which could possibly cause pregnancy complications. It could be hypothesized that DNA in its free form could be easily degraded by nucleases to prevent the inflammatory activation. However, recently, there has been a growing interest in the role of exosomes, potential protectors of cell-free DNA, in pregnancy complications. Most of the interest from recent years is directed towards the micro RNA carried by exosomes. However, exosome-associated DNA in relation to pregnancy complications has not been truly studied yet. DNA, as an important cargo of exosomes, has been so far studied mostly in cancer research. This review collects all the known information on the topic of not only exosome-associated DNA but also some information on vesicles-associated DNA and the studies regarding the role of exosomes in pregnancy complications from recent years. It also suggests possible analysis of exosome-associated DNA in pregnancy from plasma and emphasizes the importance of such analysis for future investigations of pregnancy complications. A major obstacle to the advancement in this field is the proper uniformed technique for exosomes isolation. Similarly, the sensitivity of methods analyzing a small fraction of DNA, potentially fetal DNA, carried by exosomes is variable.
An Estimate of Tax Evasion in Croatia

The definition of the underground economy in this work is a legal economic activity that is not reported for the purpose of avoiding the payment of taxation; the tax defaulter thus increasing his own personal benefit. Tax evasion is an unlawful manner of reducing the tax liability: for example, underreporting the income made or by stating inflated business deductions. In the case of tax avoidance, however, the taxpayer simply makes use of the opportunities provided in the law for the reduction of his or her tax liability. The consequence of an increase in evasion is the erosion of the tax base. A shortfall in revenue collected will result in a deficit that can be financed either by a further increase in taxation, which ultimately deepens the size of the underground economy and the inclination to evasion, or by borrowing, placing an extra burden on future taxpayers. The stability of the tax system is an important factor in the reduction of tax evasion. The transitional environment, however, with its dynamics and a number of changes in the tax and economic systems has a negative effect on a reduction in the extent of tax evasion. In the environment of the adjustment of taxation systems to the market economy, the broadening of the tax base, the introduction of new and the abolition of old taxes and of changes in the tax rates, it is hard to make reliable conclusions about the extent of tax evasion. Through a separate analysis of the evasion of some direct and indirect taxes for the 1994-2000 period, two estimates have been obtained: the lower estimate of tax evasion, which approximately follows the trend in the underground economy (UE) as a percentage of GDP, and ranges about 5.5% of GDP; and the upper estimate, which partially follows the trend in the overall tax burden of the economy, and was considerably reduced after 1998 with a reduction of the payroll taxes, that ranges from about 11 to about 7.5% of GDP in 2000. A decision to resort to evasion is very easily taken in an unstable environment, while for an irreversible process, though promising, tax defaulters need a critical mass of positive reforms and a relatively long period of time.