Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
UPREGULATION OF NEUROGLOBIN PROMOTES TM3 LEYDIG CELL VIABILITY

Globin ailesi proteinlerinden bir tanesi olan Neuroglobin (NGB) sinir sisteminde ifade edilmektedir ve oksidatif stres ve apoptoz kaynakli noron olumunu engellemektedir. Oksidatif stres ve reaktif oksijen turlerine karsi gozlemlenen anti-oksidan aktivite, NGB’nin diger dokulardaki potansiyel koruyucu rolunu gundeme getirmektedir. Testosteron ureten Leydig hucrelerinde NGB’nin fazla ifade edilmesi hipoksi ile iliskili erkek infertilitesi icin bir cozum olabilecektir. Bu calismada , NGB proteinin viral aktarim metodu ile Leydig hucrelerinde asiri ifade ettirilmis ve hucre cogalmasi, gen anlatimi ve anti-oksidan enzim seviyeleri analiz edilmistir. Artan NGB, anti-apoptotik Bcl-2, hucre cogalmasi ve anti-oksidan enzim seviyelerini arttirmis, BAX, p53 ve kaspaz 3 gibi apoptoz genlerinin ifadesini azaltmistir. Ek olarak, H 2 O 2 uygulamasi sonrasinda NGB aktarilan hucreler cogalmis ve apoptotik genlerin ifadesi azalmistir. Sonuc olarak, NGB androjen eksikligine bagli erkek infertilitesi icin hedef olabilir ve gelecekte klinikte kullanilabilir.
Automatic Detection and Classiﬁcation of Brain Hemorrhages

: Computer-aided diagnosis systems have been the focus of many research endeavors. They are based on the idea of processing and analyzing images of different parts of the human body for a quick and accurate diagnosis. In this paper, the aforementioned approach is followed to detect whether a brain hemorrhage exists or not in a Computed Topography (CT) scans of the brain. Moreover, the type of the hemorrhage is identiﬁed. The implemented system consists of several stages that include image preprocessing, image segmentation, feature extraction, and classiﬁcation. The results of the conducted experiments are very promising. A recognition rate of 100% is attained for detecting whether a brain hemorrhage exists or not. For the hemorrhage type classiﬁcation, more than 92% accuracy is achieved.
The design and implementation of ubiquitous haptic device

In this paper, we propose a new type of haptic device named "ubiquitous haptic device". In this idea, several devices in ubiquitous environment have a capability of displaying haptic sensation. And user can interact these devices via sensation of touch and force. This is same as handling the ordinary tools with the feedback of haptic sensation. And we construct simple prototype of ubiquitous haptic device, which has the capability of displaying the sensation of something inside the device. We present the way to construct the ubiquitous haptic device.
Effect of Microbial Phytase in Soybean Meal Based Broiler Diets Containing Low Phosphorous

A six wk feeding experiment was conducted with d-old four hundred broiler chicks (Ven Cobb) to determine the effects of microbial phytase (Allzyme) supplementation in soybean meal based broiler diet containing low phosphorous. These birds were randomly divided into four dietary treatment groups of 100 broilers each. Each treatment group was further sub-divided into five replicates of 25 broilers per replicate. The treatments groups were control; low phosphorus; low phosphorus plus 250 PU phytase/kg diet; low phosphorus plus 500 PU phytase/kg diet. There were significant effects of dietary treatments on body weight, body weight gain, feed intake and feed conversion ratio at 0 to 42 days. The body weight and the body weight gain of the broilers fed the control and low phosphorus plus phytase diet were heavier (p 0.05) by the dietary treatments. Supplemental phytase (500 PU/kg) maintained the same plasma concentration of Ca and P as found in control whereas the concentration of Fe. Mn and Zn was unaffected by the dietary treatments. The percentage of tibia ash, Ca and phosphorus and retention of Ca and P was significantly increased by the addition of microbial phytase to low phosphorus diet. This study demonstrates that microbial phytase can compensate the untoward effect of low phosphorus levels in the soybean meal based broiler diet.
The Role of Gender in Foreign Language Learning Attitudes: Japanese female students' attitudes towards English learning

Originating from a large-scale questionnaire-based study on Japanese high school students' attitudes towards current and long-term English learning, this study attempts to account for one of the findings, female students' superiority in attitudes to English learning over male students. This study problematises the common practice found in questionnaire-based research ending with the statistical identification of gender differences in attitudes without exploring factors influencing those differences. By utilising multidisciplinary extant data and research findings, this study argues that Japanese social elements, such as the status of English as feminised academic and professional choices and women's marginalised status in Japanese mainstream society, underlie many women's positive attitudes towards English learning. This study provides pedagogical implications for those in charge of English-related programmes either in Japan or in English-speaking countries who deal with a significant number of young Japanese female students in the programmes.
Lacroix's European Constitutional Patriotism: A Response

In the course of her interesting discussion of European constitutional patriotism, Justine Lacroix criticises our attempt to find a middle way between communitarian and cosmopolitan views of political allegiance and to apply the resulting cosmopolitan communitarian account to the European Union (Lacroix, 2002, pp. 951–5). She makes two main criticisms of our position. First, she criticises our analysis of the theoretical terrain. She contends that we conflate ‘supranationalists’ and ‘post-nationalists’ by placing them ‘in the same category’ (p. 953) and reduce theoretical debate on European identity to ‘an opposition between proand anti-Europeans’ in which the former are all ‘cosmopolitans’ and the latter all ‘communitarians’ (p. 953). Second, and as a consequence of this faulty analysis, she argues that we misunderstand the Habermasian theory of constitutional patriotism (p. 955). In fact, it is essentially the same as the ‘cosmopolitan communitarian’ perspective we advocate (p. 954), albeit a more sophisticated version. We wish to dispute both these points.
Group behavioural activation and mindfulness therapy for the well-being of non-clinical adults: a preliminary open trial

Abstract Using 16 non-clinical adults from the community, this study examined the effects on well-being of a group intervention consisting of a 4-week behavioural activation component followed by a 3-week mindfulness component, finishing with an integrating closure session. Results from intention-to-treat analyses showed moderate and significant improvements in psychological distress and several indices of well-being after the behavioural activation component. These improvements continued through the mindfulness component of the intervention such that effects were greater after participants had received the complete intervention. Half of the participants reported reliable and clinically significant improvement in the amount of time they felt happy after the intervention and a quarter of participants reported improvement at follow-up. Behavioural activation and mindfulness interventions may provide a useful framework for further research with non-clinical populations who wish to enhance their well-being and learn skills that may protect them against depression and other mental health problems.
Initial Evidence for the Reliability and Validity of the Student Risk Screening Scale for Internalizing and Externalizing Behaviors at the Middle School Level

We reported findings of an exploratory validation study of a revised universal screening instrument: the Student Risk Screening Scale–Internalizing and Externalizing (SRSS-IE) for use with middle school students. Tested initially for use with elementary-age students, the SRSS-IE was adapted to include seven additional items reflecting characteristics of internalizing behaviors. The initial seven items developed by Drummond (1994) were retained, yielding a modified instrument containing 14 items (SRSS-IE14) rated by teachers on the original 4-point, Likert-type scale. First, we examined reliability of SRSS-IE14 scores by analyzing item-level data, internal consistency estimates, and factor structure with a sample of 937 middle school students. Results of a data analytic plan grounded in Classical Test Theory supported retention of five of the new seven items, producing the SRSS-IE12. Second, we established convergent validity of the SRSS-IE12 with the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (Goodman, 1997), a validated screening tool. We offered recommendations for addressing the limitations of this study in future research.
The Regular Education Initiative as Reagan-Bush Education Policy

Proposals for radical reform or integration of special and general education, known as the Regular Education Initiative (REI), are consistent with the Reagan-Bush administration's agenda for education. Such proposals represesent a revolution in basic concepts related to the education of handicapped students that have provided the foundation of special education for over a century. As a political strategy, the REI is consistent with the Reagan-Bush tendency to focus on a small number of highly emotional issues that distract attention from deeper analysis-in this case, the issues of integration, nonlabeling, efficiency, and excellence. The REI is a flawed policy initiative that does not have the support of critical constituencies. Moreover, it rests on illogical premises, ignores the issue of specificity in proposed reforms, and reflects a cavalier attitude toward experimentation and research. Because the REI represents the policy preferences of a popular administration, it is not a dead issue. If meaningful reforms are to be achieved, however, several changes in direction are necessary: obtaining the support of critical constituencies, increasing attention to the effectiveness of educational strategies rather than the place in which they are implemented, and focusing efforts on incremental improvements in the current system.
Posterior retinal folds following vitreoretinal surgery.

We read the article by Larrison et al 1 in the May 1993 issue of theArchiveswith interest and would like to emphasize aspects of subretinal fluid (SRF) drainage and postoperative positioning that substantially eliminate posterior retinal folds. Most of the folds described resulted from retinal distortion by large bubbles along the posterior margin of subtotal detachments, which were incompletely drained. Either a smaller bubble or more complete transvitreal drainage of SRF, as opposed to transscleral drainage, will prevent this disproportion between the size of the bubble and the amount of residual SRF. We have found that interrupting the fluid-gas exchange as soon as the bubble has closed the break(s) to displace SRF into the vitreous space with scleral depression is almost always preferable to transscleral drainage in cases of this kind. Of course, more complete drainage via the retinal break using a flexible cannula, or by means of
Relation of Social-Cognitive Factors to Academic Satisfaction in Engineering Students

Lent (2004) posited a model of domain-specific and overall life satisfaction in which social-cognitive variables (self-efficacy, outcome expectations, environmental supports, and perceived goal progress) play key roles. In this study, the authors examined the relation of these variables to academic satisfaction. Participants were 153 engineering students. Results of structural equation modeling analyses indicated that the social-cognitive model fit the data well overall and that each of the predictors, except for outcome expectations, explained unique variation in students’ academic satisfaction. The authors consider the implications of the findings for further research and practice on academic and work satisfaction.
The Influence of Value Perspectives on Prior Plans, Job Satisfaction, and Turnover Intentions In Nonprofit Agencies

Values are purported to have significant effects on organizational and employee functions. Understanding the link between work-related attitudes and behavior is an important issue that can provide essential insight for the selection of appropriate management practices. In particular, one study of voluntary service organizations (Macy, 2006) suggests that nonprofit organizations depend on personal values for motivation. Although there are many dimensions to values, this research focuses on the dimension of individualism versus collectivism to the degree that it makes assumptions regarding the nature of work and the status of individuals. There are three value perspectives that are the focus of this study: Individual, Collective, and Humanistic. The purpose of this study is to determine the significance of these three value perspectives, how each influences the nonprofit employee to choose to work in the nonprofit sector, and how these value perspectives might in turn influence job satisfaction and future turnover intentions. This research provides important insights on how values alone can impact one’s perception of work and influence worker outcomes.
Role of Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor β/δ and B-Cell Lymphoma-6 in Regulation of Genes Involved in Metastasis and Migration in Pancreatic Cancer Cells

PPARβ/δ is a ligand-activated transcription factor that regulates various cellular functions via induction of target genes directly or in concert with its associated transcriptional repressor, BCL-6. Matrix remodeling proteinases are frequently over-expressed in pancreatic cancer and are involved with metastasis. The present study tested the hypothesis that PPARβ/δ is expressed in human pancreatic cancer cells and that its activation could regulate MMP-9, decreasing cancer cells ability to transverse the basement membrane. In human pancreatic cancer tissue there was significantly higher expression of MMP-9 and PPARβ/δ, and lower levels of BCL-6 mRNA. PPARβ/δ activation reduced the TNFα-induced expression of various genes implicated in metastasis and reduced the invasion through a basement membrane in cell culture models. Through the use of short hairpin RNA inhibitors of PPARβ/δ, BCL-6, and MMP-9, it was evident that PPARβ/δ was responsible for the ligand-dependent effects whereas BCL-6 dissociation upon GW501516 treatment was ultimately responsible for decreasing MMP-9 expression and hence invasion activity. These results suggest that PPARβ/δ plays a role in regulating pancreatic cancer cell invasion through regulation of genes via ligand-dependent release of BCL-6 and that activation of the receptor may provide an alternative therapeutic method for controlling migration and metastasis.
Plasma Folate, Related Genetic Variants, and Colorectal Cancer Risk in EPIC

Background: A potential dual role of folate in colorectal cancer (CRC) is currently subject to debate. We investigate the associations between plasma folate, several relevant folate-related polymorphisms, and CRC risk within the large European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition cohort. Methods: In this nested case-control study, 1,367 incident CRC cases were matched to 2,325 controls for study center, age, and sex. Risk ratios (RR) were estimated with conditional logistic regression and adjusted for smoking, education, physical activity, and intake of alcohol and fiber. Results: Overall analyses did not reveal associations of plasma folate with CRC. The RR (95% confidence interval; Ptrend) for the fifth versus the first quintile of folate status was 0.94 (0.74-1.20; 0.44). The polymorphisms MTHFR677C→T, MTHFR1298A→C, MTR2756A→G, MTRR66A→G, and MTHFD11958G→A were not associated with CRC risk. However, in individuals with the lowest plasma folate concentrations, the MTHFR 677TT genotype showed a statistically nonsignificant increased CRC risk [RR (95% CI; Ptrend) TT versus CC = 1.39 (0.87-2.21); 0.12], whereas those with the highest folate concentrations showed a nonsignificant decreased CRC risk [RR TT versus CC = 0.74 (0.39-1.37); 0.34]. The SLC19A180G→A showed a positive association with CRC risk [RR AA versus GG 1.30 (1.06-1.59); <0.01]. Conclusions: This large European prospective multicenter study did not show an association of CRC risk with plasma folate status nor with MTHFR polymorphisms. Impact: Findings of the present study tend to weaken the evidence that folate plays an important role in CRC carcinogenesis. However, larger sample sizes are needed to adequately address potential gene-environment interactions. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 19(5); 1328–40. ©2010 AACR.
Effects of group and situational factors on pre-adolescent children’s attitudes to school bullying

This study examined the effect on pre-adolescent children’s attitudes to bullying of one group-based variable (group status) and two situational variables (rule legitimacy and rule consistency). Pre-adolescent boys (n 1/4 229) read a story about a group of boys who had high or low (handball) status. The legitimacy (high versus low) of the rules governing the use of a handball court, and the extent to which the group’s claim to the court was consistent with the rules (high versus low), were also manipulated. The participants’ liking, causal attribution, deservingness, and punishment responses to an intergroup bullying episode instigated by the group of boys against children from another class indicated that the participants recognised the import of the situational variables and, at least to some extent, took them into account. Nevertheless, the results indicated that the children favoured the bully group, and that their responses systematically reflected this bias. Possible bases for understanding these effects are discussed.
Effects of Attitudinal Ambivalence on Information Processing and Attitude-Intention Consistency☆

Abstract We hypothesize that, when encountering a new or unfamiliar attitude object that has both positiveandnegative attributes, such evaluatively inconsistent information leads toattitudinal ambivalence,that is, a coexistence of positive and negative evaluation of the particular object. By drawing upon the heuristic-systematic model (Chaiken, Liberman, & Eagly, 1989), we predict that (a) ambivalence decreases the individual's confidence in his or her own attitude toward behaviors involving the object, (b) the decreased confidence evokes systematic processing of relevant information, and (c) systematic processing increases consistency between ambivalent attitudes and pertinent behavioral intentions. To test these hypotheses, ambivalence was manipulated in two experiments by providing participants with either evaluatively inconsistent or consistent information about fictional shampoos. As predicted, in both experiments more consistency between the attitude toward buying the shampoo and the behavioral intention was obtained in the ambivalent condition than in the nonambivalent condition. Experiment 2 also provided data confirming the postulated mediating processes.
Gait Analysis of Low-Cost Flexible-Shank Transtibial Prostheses

The latest lower-limb prosthetic designs have been incorporated with dynamic elastic response (DER) components to enhance prosthesis flexibility, which are suggested to be beneficial to gait. Although DER prosthetic feet are preferred by most transtibial amputees and their benefits to gait are supported by some biomechanical studies, many are still utilizing the simple conventional solid ankle cushioned heel (SACH) designs because of the lower cost. The monolimb, a transtibial prosthesis with the socket and the shank molded from a single piece of thermoplastic material, perhaps is an alternative to DER feet for providing flexibility at the shank. In addition to shank flexibility, low cost and light weight are other characteristics of monolimbs. In spite of the potential benefits, little analysis has been done to examine the simple-structured monolimb prosthesis. The main aim of this study is to evaluate the gait and perception of unilateral transtibial amputees using a flexible elliptical-shank monolimb as compared to a thicker circular-shank monolimb and a conventional rigid-shank prosthesis. Results suggested that a properly designed monolimb may potentially offer similar functional advantages to the relatively expensive DER feet
The Moderating Role of Online Community Participation in the Relationship between Internal Marketing and Organizational Citizenship Behavior

In this study we used hierarchical regression to examine the influence of internal marketing on organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) and how online community participation acted as a moderator on the relationship between internal marketing and OCB. We developed a questionnaire and distributed copies of this to 200 employees in a publicly owned power company in Taiwan. The results indicated that internal marketing had a positive effect on OCB and that online community participation acted as a moderator in the relationship between internal marketing and OCB.
Average Message Delivery Time for Small-World Networks in the Continuum Limit

This paper introduces a new model, the octopus model, for studying small-world networks. The model is proposed for general measure-metric spaces and parametrizes the generation of complex networks in terms of the distribution of long-range connections per node. This model allows for the generation of a wide spectrum of complex networks including the ones possessing the clustering features of the Watts-Strogatz model and those possessing the scale-free features of the Barabási model. Analytical expressions for the average message delivery time in small-world networks as a function of source-target separation are derived. These analytical formulas show that nodes tend to communicate with one another only through their short-range contacts, and the average message delivery time rises linearly when the separation between source and target is small. On the other hand, as this separation increases, long-range connections are more commonly used, and the average message delivery time rapidly saturates to a constant value and stays almost the same for large values of the separation. These results are consistent with previous experimental observations made by Travers and Milgram in 1969, as well as by others. Other somewhat surprising conclusions of the paper are that hubs have a limited effect in reducing the average message delivery time and that the variance of connectivity in small-world networks adversely affects this time.
Early Numeracy and Literacy: Untangling the Relation Between Specific Components

Although it is evident that advanced aspects of numeracy are dependent on the successful acquisition of early skills, this developmental process does not occur in isolation from other academic factors. Early literacy skills are intertwined with the acquisition of early numeracy skills, particularly at the informal numeracy and numeral knowledge phases. However, the localization of these domains’ impact in early numeracy development is unclear. To address this issue, 180 preschool children 3.13 to 5.88 years (51.1% female, 66.7% Caucasian, 14.4% African-American, 4.4% Hispanic, 14.4% other race/ethnicity) were assessed on measures of print knowledge, vocabulary, informal numeracy, and numeral knowledge. Results indicated that the relation between language and numeral knowledge is fully mediated by informal numeracy skills and the relation between informal numeracy skills and numeral knowledge skills is partially mediated by print knowledge. Explanations of the findings, implications for mathematics education, and future directions are discussed.