A METHOD FOR CLASSIFYING USABILITY FINDINGS TO ENHANCE VALIDATION OF NEW HEURISTICS

Different usability heuristics have been proposed as new application domains arise. Such proposals usually depend on the validation of the new heuristics. However, current validation methods are still biased by subjective comparisons of usability findings. In this paper, we aimed to enhance the process of matching usability finding descriptions and mitigate the bias of such process. To reach our goal, we adopted ontology techniques to extend the User Action Framework for the context of validating new usability heuristics. We tested three hypotheses about the feasibility of our new framework based on a case study with 173 usability findings. These usability findings were retrieved from an online project of a private mobile browser. Our data analysis of supported merging three classification schemes for our framework: User Action Framework, Typical Usability Defects (from ISO) and the heuristics of Nielsen. Finally, we describe a logical process for our method, because some of the contents from the classification schemes are not disjoint

STIM1/Orai1 contributes to sex differences in vascular responses to calcium in spontaneously hypertensive rats. Clin. Sci. (Lond

Sex differences in Ca 2 + -dependent signalling and homoeostasis in the vasculature of hypertensive rats are well characterized. However, sex-related differences in SOCE (store-operated Ca 2 + entry) have been minimally investigated. We hypothesized that vascular protection in females, compared with males, reflects decreased Ca 2 + mobilization due to diminished activation of Orai1/STIM1 (stromal interaction molecule 1). In addition, we investigated whether ovariectomy in females affects the activation of the Orai1/STIM1 pathway. Endothelium-denuded aortic rings from male and female SHRSP (stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats) and WKY (Wistar-Kyoto) rats and from OVX (ovariectomized) or sham female SHRSP and WKY rats were used to functionally evaluate Ca 2 + influx-induced contractions. Compared with females, aorta from male SHRSP displayed: (i) increased contraction during the Ca 2 + -loading period; (ii) similar transient contraction during Ca 2 + release from the intracellular stores; (iii) increased activation of STIM1 and Orai1, as shown by the blockade of STIM1 and Orai1 with neutralizing antibodies, which reversed the sex differences in contraction during the Ca 2 + -loading period; and (iv) increased expression of STIM1 and Orai1. Additionally, we found that aortas from OVX-SHRSP showed increased contraction during the Ca 2 + -loading period and increased Orai1 expression, but no changes in the SR (sarcoplasmic reticulum)-buffering capacity or STIM1 expression. These findings suggest that augmented activation of STIM1/Orai1 in aortas from male SHRSP represents a mechanism that contributes to sex-related impaired control of intracellular Ca 2 + levels. Furthermore, female sex hormones may negatively modulate the STIM/Orai1 pathway, contributing to vascular protection observed in female rats

Genetic regulators of mineral amount in Nelore cattle muscle predicted by a new co-expression and regulatory impact factor approach.

Mineral contents in bovine muscle can affect meat quality, growth, health, and reproductive traits. To better understand the genetic basis of this phenotype in Nelore (Bos indicus) cattle, we analysed genome-wide mRNA and miRNA expression data from 114 muscle samples. The analysis implemented a new application for two complementary algorithms: the partial correlation and information theory (PCIT) and the regulatory impact factor (RIF), in which we included the estimated genomic breeding values (GEBVs) for the phenotypes additionally to the expression levels, originally proposed for these methods. We used PCIT to determine putative regulatory relationships based on significant associations between gene expression and GEBVs for each mineral amount. Then, RIF was adopted to determine the regulatory impact of genes and miRNAs expression over the GEBVs for the mineral amounts. We also investigated over-represented pathways, as well as pieces of evidences from previous studies carried in the same population and in the literature, to determine regulatory genes for the mineral amounts. For example, NOX1 expression level was positively correlated to Zinc and has been described as Zinc-regulated in humans. Based on our approach, we were able to identify genes, miRNAs and pathways not yet described as underlying mineral amount. The results support the hypothesis that extracellular matrix interactions are the core regulator of mineral amount in muscle cells. Putative regulators described here add information to this hypothesis, expanding the knowledge on molecular relationships between gene expression and minerals.Article: 8436

Estudos sobre a nutrição mineral do milho. II. Efeito de doses crescentes de N, P e K no crescimento, produção e composição mineral da variedade Piranão em condições controladas.

O milho, var. Piranao, foi cultivado em solucao nutritiva com niveis crescentes de N, P e K. Houve resposta linear a adicao de N e assintotica as doses de P e de K. A determinacao a atividade da reductase de nitrato se correlacionou melhor com a producao total nas folhas, por sua vez refletiu melhor o estado nutricional que a determinacao de putrescina nas folhas

Growth and functional leaf traits of coppice regrowth of Bertholletia excelsa during an El Niño event in the central Amazon.

The most severe drought of this century in the Amazon rainforest, which was caused by El Niño, occurred from 2015 to 2016. With a focus on the ecophysiology of the regrowth of the Brazil nut tree, Bertholletia excelsa, it was investigated how the progression of the drought of 2015-2016 affected the physiological traits of the coppice regrowth of B. excelsa. The experiment was carried out in a ten-year-old plantation of Brazil nut trees, which had been subjected to thinning and coppice regrowth two years earlier. In the sprouts grown on the stumps of cut trees, the following treatments were applied: (T1) thinning to one sprout per stump; (T2) thinning to two sprouts per stump, and (T3) maintenance of three sprouts per stump. Thinning treatments did not alter the growth and ecophysiological traits of the Brazil nut tree sprouts, though the phosphorus content of the leaves was higher in T1. However, the progression of the drought in 2015-2016 negatively affected the growth (height) and gas exchange of sprouts of all treatments. In addition, an increase of around 37% was observed in the intrinsic wateruse efficiency. Concerning photochemical performance, no alterations were observed. Therefore, drought stress promoted a negative effect on sprout growth and affected traits related to the photosynthesis of the B. excelsa sprouts independently of the number of sprouts per stump. RESUMO A seca mais severa deste século na floresta amazônica, causada por El Niño, ocorreu de 2015 a 2016. Com foco na ecofisiologia da rebrota da castanheira da Amazônia, foi investigado como a progressão da seca de 2015-2016 afetou as características fisiológicas das rebrotas de uma talhadia de B. excelsa. O experimento foi realizado em uma plantação de castanheiras com dez anos, a qual havia sido submetida a um desbaste e rebrota de talhadia dois anos antes. Nas rebrotas crescidas sobre os tocos das árvores cortadas foram aplicados os seguintes tratamentos: (T1) desbrota para manter um broto por cepa; (T2) desbrota para manter dois brotos por cepa; e (T3) manutenção de três brotos por cepa. Os tratamentos de desbrota não alteraram o crescimento e as características ecofisiológicas dos brotos da castanheira, exceto para o teor foliar de fósforo, que foi maior em T1. Porém, a progressão da seca em 2015-2016 afetou negativamente o crescimento em altura e as trocas gasosas dos brotos de todos os tratamentos. Além disso, foi observado um aumento de cerca de 37% na eficiência intrínseca do uso da água. Quanto ao desempenho fotoquímico, não foram observadas alterações. Portanto, o estresse hídrico promoveu efeito negativo no crescimento da brotação e afetou características relacionadas à fotossíntese das brotações de B. excelsa, independentemente do número de brotações por cepa.Título em Português: Crescimento e características funcionais foliares de rebrotas de Bertholletia excelsa durante um evento de El Niño na Amazônia Central

Repressive epigenetic mechanisms, such as the H3K27me3 histone modification, were predicted to affect muscle gene expression and its mineral content in Nelore cattle.

Abstract. Epigenetic repression has been linked to the regulation of different cell states. In this study, we focus on the influence of this repression, mainly by H3K27me3, over gene expression in muscle cells, which may affect mineral content, a phenotype that is relevant to muscle function and beef quality. Based on the inverse relationship between H3K27me3 and gene expression (i.e., epigenetic repression) and on contrasting sample groups, we computationally predicted regulatory genes that affect muscle mineral content. To this end, we applied the TRIAGE predictive method followed by a rank product analysis. This methodology can predict regulatory genes that might be affected by repressive epigenetic regulation related to mineral concentration. Annotation of orthologous genes, between human and bovine, enabled our investigation of gene expression in the Longissimus thoracis muscle of Bos indicus cattle. The animals under study had a contrasting mineral content in their muscle cells. We identified candidate regulatory genes influenced by repressive epigenetic mechanisms, linking histone modification to mineral content in beef samples. The discovered candidate genes take part in multiple biological pathways, i.e., impulse transmission, cell signalling, immunological, and developmental pathways. Some of these genes were previously associated with mineral content or regulatory mechanisms. Our findings indicate that epigenetic repression can partially explain the gene expression profiles observed in muscle samples with contrasting mineral content through the candidate regulators here identified

Early holocenic and historic mtDNA african signatures in the iberian peninsula: The andalusian region as a paradigm

Determining the timing, identity and direction of migrations in the Mediterranean Basin, the role of "migratory routes" in and among regions of Africa, Europe and Asia, and the effects of sex-specific behaviors of population movements have important implications for our understanding of the present human genetic diversity. A crucial component of the Mediterranean world is its westernmost region. Clear features of transcontinental ancient contacts between North African and Iberian populations surrounding the maritime region of Gibraltar Strait have been identified from archeological data. The attempt to discern origin and dates of migration between close geographically related regions has been a challenge in the field of uniparental-based population genetics. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) studies have been focused on surveying the H1, H3 and V lineages when trying to ascertain north-south migrations, and U6 and L in the opposite direction, assuming that those lineages are good proxies for the ancestry of each side of the Mediterranean. To this end, in the present work we have screened entire mtDNA sequences belonging to U6, M1 and L haplogroups in Andalusians--from Huelva and Granada provinces--and Moroccan Berbers. We present here pioneer data and interpretations on the role of NW Africa and the Iberian Peninsula regarding the time of origin, number of founders and expansion directions of these specific markers. The estimated entrance of the North African U6 lineages into Iberia at 10 ky correlates well with other L African clades, indicating that U6 and some L lineages moved together from Africa to Iberia in the Early Holocene. Still, founder analysis highlights that the high sharing of lineages between North Africa and Iberia results from a complex process continued through time, impairing simplistic interpretations. In particular, our work supports the existence of an ancient, frequently denied, bridge connecting the Maghreb and Andalusia.Financial support was provided by the Spanish Ministry of Competitiveness through Research Project CGL2010-15191/BOS granted to RC and International Mobility Program Acciones Integradas Hispano-Portuguesas (PRI-AIBPT-2011-1004) granted to RC (Spain) and LP (Portugal) (http://www.mineco.gob.es/portal/site/mineco/idi). The E.C. Sixth Framework Programme under Contract n° ERAS-CT-2003-980409 (EUROCORES project of the European Science Foundation) also provided financial support to JMD for North African population research. CLH has a predoctoral fellowship granted by Complutense University. PS is supported by FCT Investigator Programme (IF/01641/2013). IPATIMUP (https://www.ipatimup.pt/) integrates the Instituto the Investigação em Saúde (i3S) Research Unit, which is partially supported by FCT, the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology. IPATIMUP is funded by FEDER funds through the Operational Programme for Competitiveness Factors - COMPETE and National Funds through the FCT - under the project PEst-C/SAU/LA0003/2013. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript