Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Development of Attention and Its Relations to Language in Infancy and Toddlerhood

We investigated longitudinally the development of attention in two free-play tasks and the relation between attention in those tasks and language ability in toddlerhood. We observed developmental differences in attention from 9 and 31 months both as children investigated a single object and as they investigated multiple objects. Attention in these contexts at 9 months was differentially related to vocabulary at 31 months, but concurrent measures of attention at 31 months were not related to vocabulary at that age. The results are discussed in terms of the potential processes guiding the relation between attention and cognitive outcome and the development of endogenous control of attention.
The Relation Between Psychological Distress, Television Exposure, and Television-Viewing Motives in Crime Victims

This study examines the relation between psychological distress as a result of criminal victimization and television exposure and viewing motives. Participants were 221 recent crime victims who were measured for "common" distress symptoms (Symptoms Check List-90), symptomatology associated with posttraumatic stress disorder (Self Inventarisation List), amount of television exposure, viewing motives, and selection of specific programs. Remarkable gender differences were found in the relation between psychological distress and amount of television exposure and gratifications sought from television. With regard to selective exposure, the results indicate that severity of distress symptoms may be a moderating factor in the affect-dependent stimulus arrangement theory (Zillmann & Bryant, 1985).
Hydroxyapatite coating of cellulose sponges attracts bone-marrow-derived stem cells in rat subcutaneous tissue

The presence of bone-marrow-derived stem cells was investigated in a wound-healing model where subcutaneously implanted cellulose sponges were used to induce granulation tissue formation. When cellulose was coated with hydroxyapatite (HA), the sponges attracted circulating haemopoietic and mesenchymal progenitor cells more efficiently than uncoated cellulose. We hypothesized that the giant cells/macrophages of HA-coated sponges recognize HA as foreign material, phagocyte or hydrolyse it and release calcium ions, which are recognized by the calcium-sensing receptors (CaRs) expressed on many cells including haemopoietic progenitors. Our results showed, indeed, that the HA-coated sponges contained more CaR-positive cells than untreated sponges. The stem cells are, most probably, responsible for the richly vascularized granulation tissue formed in HA-coated sponges. This cell-guiding property of HA-coated cellulose might be useful in clinical situations involving impaired wound repair.
Loneliness: An Exploration of Meaning

Although loneliness is acknowledged as a common human experience and a variable of concern for psychiatric clinicians, the nursing literature has primarily treated it as a social deficit or pathological phenomenon. Loneliness has been studied in conjunction with other variables but rarely as a central focus itself. A review of the literature shows more multifaceted ways of viewing loneliness and thinking about its meaning. Examining dictionary, sacred, philosophical, psychological, and nursing views and theories of loneliness, it is apparent that nurses have only begun to investigate this ubiquitous phenomenon. Consistent with her own research findings of survivor-loneliness following breast cancer, the author suggests that nurses look beyond the contemporary encapsulated meaning of loneliness and begin asking patients to inform them of their understanding about its meaning. J Am Psychiatr Nurses Assoc, 2007; 13(4), 201-209.
Tiny habits in the giant enterprise: understanding the dynamics of a quantified workplace

We offer a reflection on the technology usage for workplace quantification through an in the wild study. Using a prototype Quantified Workplace system equipped with passive and participatory sensing modalities, we collected and visualized different workplace metrics (noise, color, air quality, self reported mood, and self reported activity) in two European offices of a research organization for a period of 4 months. Next we surveyed 70 employees to understand their engagement experience with the system. We then conducted semi-structured interviews with 20 employees in which they explained which workplace metrics are useful and why, how they engage with the system and what privacy concerns they have. Our findings suggest that sense of inclusion acts as the initial incentive for engagement which gradually translates into a habitual routine. We found that incorporation of an anonymous participatory sensing aspect into the system could lead to sustained user engagement. Compared to past studies we observed a shift in the privacy concerns, due to the trust and transparency of our prototype system. We conclude by providing a set of design principles for building future Quantified Workplace systems.
Modeling achievement in mathematics: the role of learner and learning environment characteristics

This study examined a structural model of mathematics achievement among Druze 8th graders in Israel. The model integrates 2 psychosocial theories: goal theory and social learning theory. Variables in the model included gender, father's and mother's education, classroom mastery and performance goal orientation, mathematics self-efficacy and self-regulated learning, mastery and performance goals, and mathematics achievement. Data on learner and learning environment variables and achievement in mathematics were collected from 273 boys and girls. Results indicate appropriate fit of the model for the entire sample. Invariance analysis across gender indicated that only 2 of the 11 path coefficients, mother's education on mathematics achievement and classroom mastery goal orientation on self-regulation, were not invariant across gender. The same pattern of relationships accounted for different amounts of variance in mathematics achievement for boys and girls.
The psychometric properties of the English language version of the Aachen Aphasia Test (EAAT)

This article reports results of a standardization study of the English language version of the Aachen aphasia test (EAAT). The EAAT was administered to 135 speakers with and 93 without aphasia. Aphasic speakers were divided into four groups (n =30) representing EAAT standard syndrome groups (global, amnestic, Broca's and Wernicke's aphasia), and 15 speakers who could not be classified into the standard groups. Without aphasia were 24 nonhospitalized and 41 hospitalized speakers with no history of neurological illness or speech-language disorder and 28 speakers with a history of neurological illness, but no aphasia. Hierarchical cluster analysis (complete linkage) demonstrated the validity of the linguistically motivated construction of the EAAT. This was further confirmed for the main subtests through nonmetric multidimensional scaling (smallest space analysis). The property of increasing complexity across subparts of subtests was also confirmed. Nonparametric discriminant analyses showed the high differential validity of the EAAT for distinguishing between aphasia-no aphasia and acceptably high validity for separating out subgroups of speakers. Consistency coefficients (Cronbach's f) illustrate the high to very high internal consistency of the subtests. We argue for the applicability to the EAAT of the original German reliability studies which showed retest and inter- and intra-rater reliability to be high. We conclude that the EAAT amply meets criterion levels for a psychometrically robust test.
Sex role change and influences on birth intentions.

Samples of college students from two different points in time are drawn and compared in terms of gender role norms and relationships to an array of variables with particular focus on birth intentions. It was found that over time both men and women have become less sex role traditional that these measures of sex role norms do predict birth intentions at both time periods and that the strength of this relationship has also increased over time. (authors)
In vitro reconstitution of mammalian U2 and U5 snRNPs active in splicing: Sm proteins are functionally interchangeable and are essential for the formation of functional U2 and U5 snRNPs.

An in vitro reconstitution/splicing complementation system has been developed which has allowed the investigation of the role of mammalian U2 and U5 snRNP components in splicing. U2 or U5 snRNP cores are first reconstituted from purified native snRNP core proteins and snRNA in the absence of cellular extract and are subsequently added to splicing extracts depleted of either U2 or U5 snRNP. When snRNPs reconstituted with HeLa U2 or U5 snRNA were added to U2‐ or U5‐depleted nuclear extract, splicing was complemented. Addition of naked snRNA, on the other hand, did not restore splicing, demonstrating that the core proteins are essential for both U2 and U5 snRNP functions in splicing. Hybrid U2 or U5 snRNPs, reconstituted with core proteins isolated from U1 or U2 snRNPs, were equally active in splicing complementation, indicating that the snRNP core proteins are functionally interchangeable. U5 snRNPs reconstituted from in vitro transcribed U5 snRNA restored splicing to a level identical to that observed with particles reconstituted from authentic HeLa U5 snRNA. In contrast, splicing could not be restored to U2‐depleted extract by the addition of snRNPs reconstituted from synthetic U2 snRNA, suggesting that U2 snRNA base modifications are essential for U2 snRNP function.
Intermediate-Mass Stars: Updated Models

A new set of stellar models in the mass range 1.2-9 M☉ is presented. The adopted chemical compositions cover the typical Galactic values, namely, 0.0001 ≤ Z ≤ 0.02 and 0.23 ≤ Y ≤ 0.28. A comparison of the most recent compilations of similar stellar models is also discussed. The main conclusion is that the differences among the various evolutionary results are still rather large. For example, we found that the H-burning evolutionary time may differ up to 20%. An even larger disagreement is found for the He-burning phase (up to 40%-50%). Since the connection between the various input physics and the numerical algorithms could amplify or counterbalance the effect of a single ingredient on the resulting stellar model, the origin of these discrepancies is not evident. However most of these discrepancies, which are clearly found in the evolutionary tracks, are reduced on the isochrones. By means of our updated models we show that the ages inferred by the theory of stellar evolution is in excellent agreement with those obtained by using other independent methods applied to the nearby open clusters. Finally, the theoretical initial/final mass relation is revised.
Agreement Reached through Court Mediation Conducted by Social Workers: Impact on the Co-Parenting Relationship

This study queried ninety-six divorcing parents referred to court mediation in Israel. It examined (i) the impact of their reaching agreement on at least one disputed issue on their subsequent co-parenting and (ii) the contribution of select participant, relationship and mediation/mediator characteristics to the number of agreements they reached. The findings show that a measure of agreement reduced spousal hostility and tension, but did not affect their co-parenting behaviours. They also show that the number of agreements was most strongly affected by the participants’ perceptions of the mediation, followed by their tendency to negotiate and their having been referred to mediation on account of their dispute about whether or not to divorce. Young age and better financial status also contributed to the number of agreements. Implications for social work are discussed.
Prospective Genomic Characterization of the German Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O104:H4 Outbreak by Rapid Next Generation Sequencing Technology

An ongoing outbreak of exceptionally virulent Shiga toxin (Stx)-producing Escherichia coli O104:H4 centered in Germany, has caused over 830 cases of hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) and 46 deaths since May 2011. Serotype O104:H4, which has not been detected in animals, has rarely been associated with HUS in the past. To prospectively elucidate the unique characteristics of this strain in the early stages of this outbreak, we applied whole genome sequencing on the Life Technologies Ion Torrent PGM™ sequencer and Optical Mapping to characterize one outbreak isolate (LB226692) and a historic O104:H4 HUS isolate from 2001 (01-09591). Reference guided draft assemblies of both strains were completed with the newly introduced PGM™ within 62 hours. The HUS-associated strains both carried genes typically found in two types of pathogenic E. coli, enteroaggregative E. coli (EAEC) and enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC). Phylogenetic analyses of 1,144 core E. coli genes indicate that the HUS-causing O104:H4 strains and the previously published sequence of the EAEC strain 55989 show a close relationship but are only distantly related to common EHEC serotypes. Though closely related, the outbreak strain differs from the 2001 strain in plasmid content and fimbrial genes. We propose a model in which EAEC 55989 and EHEC O104:H4 strains evolved from a common EHEC O104:H4 progenitor, and suggest that by stepwise gain and loss of chromosomal and plasmid-encoded virulence factors, a highly pathogenic hybrid of EAEC and EHEC emerged as the current outbreak clone. In conclusion, rapid next-generation technologies facilitated prospective whole genome characterization in the early stages of an outbreak.
Anatomy of the insula functional and clinical correlates

Much information has been acquired on the anatomy and function of the insula over the past two decades. The insula has a dynamic cytoarchitectonic arrangement throughout its length. The anterior insula is comprised of an agranular allocortical area which functionally is part of the paralimbic belt. Its cortical connections are predominantly with other allocortical areas. Sub cortical, limbic, and brain stem connections underscore the anterior insula s role in processing and integrating autonomic and visceral information. The posterior insula is comprised of a granular isocortical area which functionally is linked to somatomotor systems. Its cortical connections are predominantly with other neocortical areas. Insular cortical and sub cortical connections, especially with the thalamus and basal ganglia, underscore the posteriorinsula s role in somatosensory, vestibular, and motor integration. The dysgranular insula lying in between the anterior and posterior insula represents an anatomical and functional tr.
The incremental validity of vocational self-efficacy : An examination of interest, self-efficacy, and occupation

The authors examined the incremental validity, beyond vocational interest, of the General Confidence Themes of the Skills Confidence Inventory (N. E. Betz, F. H. Borgen, & L. W. Harmon, 1996a) as measures of vocational self-efficacy in identifying tenured and satisfied membership in 21 occupational groups for 1,105 employed women and men. The General Occupational Themes of the Strong Interest Inventory (L. W. Harmon, J. C. Hansen, F. H. Borgen, & A. L. Hammer, 1994) were used to measure interest. The results replicated T. J. G. Tracey's (1997) finding that self-efficacy and interest form similar structures. Results also demonstrated the explanatory power of self-efficacy and interest and the incremental validity of self-efficacy. The authors suggest that the Skills Confidence Inventory is (a) a valid measure of tenured and satisfied occupational membership, (b) a distinct measure from interest but similar in structure, and (c) a potentially useful career assessment measure.
Efficient creativity: constraint-guided conceptual combination

This paper describes a theory that explains both the creativity and the efficiency of people’s conceptual combination. In the constraint theory, conceptual combination is controlled by three constraints of diagnosticity, plausibility, and informativeness. The constraints derive from the pragmatics of communication as applied to compound phrases. The creativity of combination arises because the constraints can be satisfied in many different ways. The constraint theory yields an algorithmic model of the efficiency of combination. The C model admits the full creativity of combination and yet efficiently settles on the best interpretation for a given phrase. The constraint theory explains many empirical regularities in conceptual combination, and makes various empirically verified predictions. In computer simulations of compound phrase interpretation, the C model has produced results in general agreement with people’s responses to the same phrases.
Reversing the Imbalance of Athletics and Academics

This article criticizes the emphasis at all levels of schooling of sports over academics, particularly the shorter length of the U. S. school year in comparison to other countries. I advocate that adults emphasize academics by setting minimum academic standards as a prerequisite for athletic participation and that students carefully select a college on the basis of characteristics such as graduation rates rather than athletic achievement.
mTOR regulates brain morphogenesis by mediating GSK3 signaling

Balanced control of neural progenitor maintenance and neuron production is crucial in establishing functional neural circuits during brain development, and abnormalities in this process are implicated in many neurological diseases. However, the regulatory mechanisms of neural progenitor homeostasis remain poorly understood. Here, we show that mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) is required for maintaining neural progenitor pools and plays a key role in mediating glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK3) signaling during brain development. First, we generated and characterized conditional mutant mice exhibiting deletion of mTOR in neural progenitors and neurons in the developing brain using Nestin-cre and Nex-cre lines, respectively. The elimination of mTOR resulted in abnormal cell cycle progression of neural progenitors in the developing brain and thereby disruption of progenitor self-renewal. Accordingly, production of intermediate progenitors and postmitotic neurons were markedly suppressed. Next, we discovered that GSK3, a master regulator of neural progenitors, interacts with mTOR and controls its activity in cortical progenitors. Finally, we found that inactivation of mTOR activity suppresses the abnormal proliferation of neural progenitors induced by GSK3 deletion. Our findings reveal that the interaction between mTOR and GSK3 signaling plays an essential role in dynamic homeostasis of neural progenitors during brain development.
Transcriptional Regulation of a Contractile Gene by Mechanical Forces Applied through Integrins in Osteoblasts*

We examined mechanotranscriptional regulation of the contractile gene, α-smooth muscle actin (SMA), in osteoblastic cells. Tensile forces were applied through collagen-coated magnetite beads to ROS17/2.8 cells. These cells were desmin−, vimentin+ and expressed low levels of SMA. After force application (480 piconewton/cell), SMA protein and mRNA were increased but β-actin was unchanged. Beads coated with bovine serum albumin or poly-l-lysine produced no change of SMA. In cells transiently transfected with plasmids containing the SMA promoter fused to β-galactosidase or green fluorescent protein coding sequences, SMA promoter activity was increased by ∼60% after 4 h of force, whereas control (Rous sarcoma virus) promoter activity was unaffected. Transfections with β-galactosidase or green fluorescent protein reporter constructs showed that force-loaded cells exhibited higher β-galactosidase activity than cells without force. Cytochalasin D and latrunculin B inhibited force–induced increases of SMA promoter activity. Deletion analyses showed that SMA promoter activity was increased ∼70% after force with a minimal construct containing 155 bp upstream of the translation start site. The force effect on the SMA promoter was abrogated in cells transfected with CArG-B box mutants. Gel mobility shift analyses of nuclear extracts showed strong binding to the CArG-B motif after force. We conclude that the CArG-B box is a force-responsive element in the SMA promoter.
Enhanced Statistical Estimation of Air Temperature Incorporating Nighttime Light Data

Near surface air temperature (Ta) is one of the most critical variables in climatology, hydrology, epidemiology, and environmental health. In situ measurements are not efficient for characterizing spatially heterogeneous Ta, while remote sensing is a powerful tool to break this limitation. This study proposes a mapping framework for daily mean Ta using an enhanced empirical regression method based on remote sensing data. It differs from previous studies in three aspects. First, nighttime light data is introduced as a predictor (besides land surface temperature, normalized difference vegetation index, impervious surface area, black sky albedo, normalized difference water index, elevation, and duration of daylight) considering the urbanization-induced Ta increase over a large area. Second, independent components are extracted using principal component analysis considering the correlations among the above predictors. Third, a composite sinusoidal coefficient regression is developed considering the dynamic Ta-predictor relationship. This method was performed at 333 weather stations in China during 2001–2012. Evaluation shows overall mean error of −0.01 K, root mean square error (RMSE) of 2.53 K, correlation coefficient (R2) of 0.96, and average uncertainty of 0.21 K. Model inter-comparison shows that this method outperforms six additional empirical regressions that have not incorporated nighttime light data or considered predictor independence or coefficient dynamics (by 0.18–2.60 K in RMSE and 0.00–0.15 in R2).
Histological and chemical characteristics of mechanically deboned meat of broiler chickens.

In evaluation of the suitability of mechanically deboned poultry (MDP) for use in food products, the functional properties of this meat must be taken into consideration. The basic principle of meat separation varies among machines which in turn could affect the functional properties of the MDP produced. The MDP used in this study was produced from broiler carcass, back, wings and necks after commercial cutting. Separation was mechanically performed on a “Beehive” separator, which separates muscular, adipose tissue and skin from cartilage, bone and lymphatic tissues (“offal products”). Histological examination was performed on histological slides, stained with haematoxylin and eosin. Also, analysis of the content of water, lipid, protein, ash and calcium was carried out. Average water content was highest in deboned carcass meat samples (69.14%). Total lipids (20.85%) were highest in deboned back and total proteins (15.57%) in the deboned carcass. In deboned wings the content of total ash was very high (1.65%) as well as the content of calcium (0.29%). In “offal products” the highest average water content was in the whole carcass (59.02%). Total lipids (11.56%) were highest in wings, total proteins (23.88%), total ash (20.19%) and calcium content (7.41%) were highest in the back. Results of chemical analyses confi rmed the results of histological examination. This parallel histological and chemical analytic approach could give relevant insights into raw material content, which directly infl uences the quality