Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Columnar projections from the cholinergic nucleus isthmi to the optic tectum in chicks (Gallus gallus): A possible substrate for synchronizing tectal channels

The cholinergic division of the avian nucleus isthmi, the homolog of the mammalian nucleus parabigeminalis, is composed of the pars parvocellularis (Ipc) and pars semilunaris (SLu). Ipc and SLu were studied with in vivo and in vitro tracing and intracellular filling methods. 1) Both nuclei have reciprocal homotopic connections with the ipsilateral optic tectum. The SLu connection is more diffuse than that of Ipc. 2) Tectal inputs to Ipc and SLu are Brn3a‐immunoreactive neurons in the inner sublayer of layer 10. Tectal neurons projecting on Ipc possess “shepherd's crook” axons and radial dendritic fields in layers 2–13. 3) Neurons in the mid‐portion of Ipc possess a columnar spiny dendritic field. SLu neurons have a large, nonoriented spiny dendritic field. 4) Ipc terminals form a cylindrical brush‐like arborization (35–50 μm wide) in layers 2–10, with extremely dense boutons in layers 3–6, and a diffuse arborization in layers 11–13. SLu neurons terminate in a wider column (120–180 μm wide) lacking the dust‐like boutonal features of Ipc and extend in layers 4c–13 with dense arborizations in layers 4c, 6, and 9–13. 5) Ipc and SLu contain specialized fast potassium ion channels. We propose that dense arborizations of Ipc axons may be directed to the distal dendritic bottlebrushes of motion detecting tectal ganglion cells (TGCs). They may provide synchronous activation of a group of adjacent bottlebrushes of different TGCs of the same type via their intralaminar processes, and cross channel activation of different types of TGCs within the same column of visual space. J. Comp. Neurol. 494:7–35, 2006. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
On the regulation of recollection: The intentional forgetting of stereotypical memories

Drawing insight from related research on thought control, 2 studies investigated the process through which social perceivers inhibit the retrieval of stereotypic information from long-term memory (i.e., intentional forgetting). Study 1 considered the attentional demands associated with the task of forgetting stereotype-congruent memories; Study 2 examined the efficacy of intentional forgetting under conditions of resource depletion. Confirming the theoretical predictions, the task of inhibiting stereotype-congruent memories made notable demands on participants' attentional resources. The findings are considered in the context of contemporary issues in mental control and stereotype function.
An integrated framework for the conceptualization of consumers’ perceived-risk processing

Research on risk is built on a complex array of diverse and sometimes inconsistent definitions, constructs, models, and outcomes. This study examines various literatures to formulate an integrated framework for the conceptualization of perceived-risk processing. The framework specifies three phases (framing, assessment, and evaluation) and their accompanying outcomes of risk attention, perceived risk, and risk-taking propensity. Explicit linkages are specified between situational and individual characteristics. Perceived-risk evaluation is identified as concepturally distinct from assessment of perceived risk, and the construct of risk-taking propensity is separated from those of risk affinity and perceived risk. The framework further presents points of intersection between the literatures on perceived risk and the literatures on consumer decision-making, information search, and satisfaction. Finally, it serves as an anchor for framing future research to promote conceptual and methodological consistency, and to guide progress in directions that are consistent with some leading edge paradigms outside of marketing.
Researching white mothers of mixed-parentage children: the significance of investigating whiteness

Abstract This article takes as its starting point the increasing number of research studies that pay specific attention to family relationships when investigating mixedness. It draws on the critical study of whiteness to illustrate the significance of examining, in more detail than is usual, white mothers' racialized identity in studies of mixed-parentage families. It is argued that by doing so, understanding of the identity development and sense of belonging of children and young people in mixed-parentage families can be enhanced, as well as understanding of these issues in mixed-parentage families generally. The article explains how kinship relationships and wider social networks are two related areas of investigation that can help to shed light on what happens to whiteness in mixed-parentage families. Both encourage a specific focus on the identity and sense of belonging of mothers, without marginalizing the identities of other family members.
Training Programs for Performance Appraisal: A Review

Twenty-four studies that have researched the effects of rater training on the psychometric quality of performance ratings are reviewed. For comparison, training methods are categorized by (a) content of training; and (b) method used to present training. The results suggest that the most widely used rater training approach is inappropriate for improving rating accuracy. These findings are discussed in terms of Borman's Model of Performance Appraisal (Borman, 1978). Training programs that improve rating accuracy are identified.
Potential infections of H5N1 and H9N2 avian influenza do exist in Guangdong populations of China.

BACKGROUND Southeast China is one of the sites of influenza origin. During 2003--2004, nine avian influenza outbreaks took place in Guangdong Province. But no human case was reported. To examine the status of potential human infection by human influenza (H1N1, H3N2) and avian influenza (H5N1, H7N7, H9N2) in the avian influenza epidemic area of Guangdong Province, China, we conducted a seroepidemiologic survey in the people of this area from April to June of 2004. METHODS Three out of 9 H5N1 avian influenza affected poultry areas in Guangdong were randomly selected, and the population living within 3 kilometers of the affected poultries were chosen as the survey subjects. One thousand two hundred and fourteen people were selected from 3 villages at random. Human and avian influenza antibody titers were determined by hemagglutination-inhibition (HI) test and microneutralization test (MNT). RESULTS The positive rate of antibody to H5N1 was 3.03% in the occupational exposure group and 2.34% in general citizens group; that of H9N2 was 9.52% in the occupational exposure group and 3.76% in the general citizens group. Moreover one case in the occupational exposure group was positive for H7N7. One year later, all previously positive cases had become negative except for one H5N1-positive case. CONCLUSION The observations imply that H5N1 and H9N2 avian influenza silent infections exist in Guangdong populations.
Modeling the Workplace Bullying the Mediator of “Workplace Climate-Employee Health” Relationship

Mobbing is relatively new concept for behavioral scientists, which illustrates in the form of unfriendly behavior of employee at workplace. The objective of the study is to examine the relationship between organizational climate, workplace bullying and workers health in Higher education institutes of Pakistan. In addition, this study investigates how workplace bullying acts as a mediator between organizational climate and workers physical & psychological health. Structural equation modeling and path analysis was conducted using the AMOS software program. The reliability of the questionnaire is measured by Cronbach's coefficient alpha (α). The results from the study show a Cronbach's α score of each dimensional scale: organizational climate has been measured on the basis of 7 factors. Reliability of each factor has been calculated like the first factor leadership has been measure through 4 items. Direct and indirect effects were calculated in order to test the endogenous and exogenous variables. The results derived from seventeen Higher Educational Institutes, which comprises 9 public and 8 private educational institutions of Pakistan that indicates the fitness of the extended model and depicted that workplace bullying mediates the relationship of organizational climate and workers health. Organizational climate causes workplace bullying that affect workers physical and psychological health. The basic cause of bullying at workplace is the organizational climate along with its various elements that can better contribute in making valuable strategies to manage workplace bullying. It is important to emphasize that these findings might be used effectively in order to guide organizational interventions and theoretical developments.
The accuracy of object motion perception during locomotion

Human observers are capable of perceiving the motion of moving objects relative to the stationary world, even while undergoing self-motion. Perceiving world-relative object motion is complicated because the local optical motion of objects is influenced by both observer and object motion, and reflects object motion in observer coordinates. It has been proposed that observers recover world-relative object motion using global optic flow to factor out the influence of self-motion. However, object-motion judgments during simulated self-motion are biased, as if the visual system cannot completely compensate for the influence of self-motion. Recently, Xie et al. demonstrated that humans are capable of accurately judging world-relative object motion when self-motion is real, actively generated by walking, and accompanied by optic flow. However, the conditions used in that study differ from those found in the real world in that the moving object was a small dot with negligible optical expansion that moved at a fixed speed in retinal (rather than world) coordinates and was only visible for 500 ms. The present study investigated the accuracy of object motion perception under more ecologically valid conditions. Subjects judged the trajectory of an object that moved through a virtual environment viewed through a head-mounted display. Judgments exhibited bias in the case of simulated self-motion but were accurate when self-motion was real, actively generated, and accompanied by optic flow. The findings are largely consistent with the conclusions of Xie et al. and demonstrate that observers are capable of accurately perceiving world-relative object motion under ecologically valid conditions.
Plectin-controlled keratin cytoarchitecture affects MAP kinases involved in cellular stress response and migration

Plectin is a major intermediate filament (IF)–based cytolinker protein that stabilizes cells and tissues mechanically, regulates actin filament dynamics, and serves as a scaffolding platform for signaling molecules. In this study, we show that plectin deficiency is a cause of aberrant keratin cytoskeleton organization caused by a lack of orthogonal IF cross-linking. Keratin networks in plectin-deficient cells were more susceptible to osmotic shock–induced retraction from peripheral areas, and their okadaic acid–induced disruption (paralleled by stress-activated MAP kinase p38 activation) proceeded faster. Basal activities of the MAP kinase Erk1/2 and of the membrane-associated upstream protein kinases c-Src and PKCδ were significantly elevated, and increased migration rates, as assessed by in vitro wound-closure assays and time-lapse microscopy, were observed. Forced expression of RACK1, which is the plectin-binding receptor protein for activated PKCδ, in wild-type keratinocytes elevated their migration potential close to that of plectin-null cells. These data establish a link between cytolinker-controlled cytoarchitecture/scaffolding functions of keratin IFs and specific MAP kinase cascades mediating distinct cellular responses.
Trends and developments within corporate communication: an analysis of ten years of CCIJ

Purpose – This paper aims to analyse the trends in the papers which have been published in Corporate Communications: An International Journal (CCIJ) over the past ten years. The analysis will focus on the region of the world the (first) authors come from and on the topics of the paper.Design/methodology/approach – All papers published in Volumes 5 to 14 of CCIJ have been listed and analysed on the country where the first author comes from and the subjects of the paper.Findings – In the first part of the last ten years, authors predominantly come from the Anglo‐Saxon world (UK, USA and Australia); whereas, in the last period 45 per cent of the papers come from authors from continental Europe. The subjects of the papers show a bigger interest in corporate identity, reputations and corporate social responsibility in the last period, whereas internal communication and change communication remain important over the whole last ten years.Originality/value – This overview is the first of its kind to be published .
Endogenous microbial contamination during In vitro culture of sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam): identification and prevention

Endogenous microorganisms mostly bacteria and fungi were observed under microscope. Altogether three bacterial strains and three fungal strains were isolated from the contaminated sweet potato in vitro cultures. Among all the bacterial strains one of them was found to be gram positive and the rest were gram negative. Corynebaterium was identified as the gram positive rod shaped bacteria and two gram negative strains were identified as Klebsiella sp. and Pseudomonas sp. All bacterial strains were found to be susceptible to gentamicin. Tetracycline and Ampicillin were found to be satisfactory. Cent Percent contamination free cultures could be obtained by the use of 250 mg/l gentamicin for one hour. Vancomycin was found to be ineffective for eliminating the contaminated microbes. The best medium for shoot development from callus was MS + 1 mg/l IAA + 2 mg/l BAP and average time required was 20-28 days. The good callus was produced on MS supplemented with kinetin at 2 mg/l and also the best for inducing root and shoot formation.
Reasoning and negotiation about child responsibility in urban Chinese families: Reports from mothers, fathers and children

The study investigates everyday parental practices involved in the transmission of cultural values and extends current literature on parenting in Chinese families. Children aged 6, 8, and 10 years from 240 Beijing families, and both their parents, were asked about ways in which expectations of child responsibility are transmitted through routine requests, reasoning, and negotiation about household work, an area in which Western parents are known to use such practices. Use of a range of parental requests and reasons was reported. Few child age or gender differences were found for reasons related to child responsibility. Child-initiated negotiation was reported as rare and unacceptable, its use restricted to tagging the relative importance of different spheres of child responsibility.
Social Identity and its Influence on Women's Roles in East-Central Europe

An apparent drop in women's presence in the political sphere has spawned debates in the feminist literature over the need and cultural appropriateness of women's political office-holding in East-Central Europe. The author discusses the nature of political participation in light of women's self-definition, social identity, and loci of commitments in these transforming states. Taking their own value orientations and the societal processes they experience as a baseline from which to appraise political and social change, women in East-Central Europe feel disillusioned with the transition to a market economy and the ideological framework out of which it functions. They have, after all, disproportionately borne the ill-effects of the new ideology of efficiency and productivity in the workforce and they perceive the political arena as a narrowly defined arena of partisan rancoring that does not address their needs. Pointing to Dahl's work on moral civic virtue, the author argues that the orientation and values of women in East-Central Europe – i.e. a commitment to justice and preference for localized, pragmatic (not ideological) and particularistic action – are especially conducive to developing the moral civic infrastructure so badly needed in these transitioning countries. The author discusses the merits and drawbacks of three possible scenarios for action for the women of this region: maintaining the status quo; using women's traditional and preferred forms of action to effect change 'from the bottom'; and taking frontal action at the national level against inequities and discriminatory policies.
Integrin up‐regulation in chronic liver disease: relationship with inflammation and fibrosis in chronic hepatitis C

In 94 patients with chronic hepatitis C, the pattern of integrin expression was correlated with firstly, the histological activity index, necro‐inflammatory grade, and stage of fibrosis; secondly, the expression of inflammatory markers including ICAM‐1; and thirdly, the extent and intensity of laminin deposition in the perisinusoidal matrix. Immunohistochemical results were evaluated according to a semi‐quantitative scoring system or by image analysis. Increased β1 expression was observed in 88.2% of cases. The expression of α1 and α5 was increased in 55% and 58.5% of cases, respectively. α6 chain was detected in 78.7% of cases. There were no statistically significant differences in integrin expression level according to Knodell's score, inflammatory grade, or stage of fibrosis. ICAM‐1 expression was higher in patients with high scores for β1 expression, but the differences were not statistically significant. There were significantly more patients with high scores for β1 expression among those with continuous perisinusoidal deposition of laminin. Moreover, a close statistical correlation was observed between α6 induction and perisinusoidal laminin deposition (p<0.001). The results suggest that integrin up‐regulation in chronic hepatitis C is more closely related to the fibrotic process than to the inflammatory lesions. This reinforces the idea that integrin induction in chronic liver disease is part of a coordinated process involved in the progression of liver fibrosis. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
CD4− Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cells (pDCs) Migrate in Lymph Nodes by CpG Inoculation and Represent a Potent Functional Subset of pDCs

We have recently identified two groups of plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) isolated from murine liver based on the expression of CD4 and other cell surface markers uniquely expressed by pDCs. Herein, we describe the identification of both CD4+ and CD4− pDCs that clearly exist in lymph nodes (LNs), spleen, liver, thymus, bone marrow, and lung. Normally, CD4+ pDCs are enriched in LNs. However, after in vivo systemic injection with bacterial CpG, a larger number of CD4− pDCs are recruited to the LNs and local inoculation by CpG drives CD4− pDCs migrating into local sentinel LNs, suggesting that CD4− pDCs are the main subpopulation migrating to the peripheral LNs. Furthermore, although both freshly isolated CD4+ pDCs and CD4− pDCs appear as an immature plasmacytoid cell and develop into a DC morphology following activation, the two subsets have strikingly different immune features, including differences in the production pattern of cytokines stimulated with CpG and in T cell activation.
Contents of extractable and non-extractable polyphenols in the leaves of blueberry.

Cheng A. , Chen X. , Wang W. , Gong Z. , Liu L . (2013): Contents of extractable and non-extractable polyphenols in the leaves of blueberry. Czech J. Food Sci., 31: 275–282. The contents of extractable polyphenols (EPP), non-extractable polyphenols (NEPP), extractable proanthocyanidins (EPAC), non-extractable proanthocyanidins (NEPAC) and extractable anthocyanidins (EAC) in blueberry leaves were investigated. An experiment was conducted to analyse the effect of solvent types (methanol and ethanol), con centration (50 and 70%) and pH (2 and 6) on the extraction of bioactive compounds. Total extractable polyphenols (TEPP), total extractable proanthocyanidins (TEPAC), and total extractable anthocyanidins (TEAC) were analysed in methanol/ethanol/water extracts, NEPP were determined in acidic hydrolysates and NEPAC were quantified by depolymerisation in HCl/butanol. The results showed that ethanol and methanol did not affect the extraction of TEPP, while methanol was better for TEPAC and TEAC. The contents of TEPP and TEAC in 50% solvent were higher than those in 70% solvent. When solvent pH dropped to 2, the contents of EPP and EPAC were increased, while the EAC content was decreased.
A Khaldunian Exemplar for a Historical Sociology for the South

The purpose of this article is to raise certain problems in the study of state formation in parts of the Muslim world and elsewhere as distinctly Khaldunian problems that can be approached by applying a framework that integrates Ibn Khaldūn's theory of state formation with modern concepts in sociology. This is done by selecting a number of historical cases of state formation where a Khaldunian model has potential applicability and which may provide the empirical ground on which to develop a general Khaldunian sociology. An attempt is made to present Ibn Khaldūn's sociology as an exemplar for a sociology of the South by discussing selective applications of his theory to regions and periods outside of his own.
Pitch Perception and Auditory Stream Segregation: Implications for Hearing Loss and Cochlear Implants

Pitch is important for speech and music perception, and may also play a crucial role in our ability to segregate sounds that arrive from different sources. This article reviews some basic aspects of pitch coding in the normal auditory system and explores the implications for pitch perception in people with hearing impairments and cochlear implants. Data from normal-hearing listeners suggest that the low-frequency, low-numbered harmonics within complex tones are of prime importance in pitch perception and in the perceptual segregation of competing sounds. The poorer frequency selectivity experienced by many hearing-impaired listeners leads to less access to individual harmonics, and the coding schemes currently employed in cochlear implants provide little or no representation of individual harmonics. These deficits in the coding of harmonic sounds may underlie some of the difficulties experienced by people with hearing loss and cochlear implants, and may point to future areas where sound representation in auditory prostheses could be improved.
The Relationship between Intelligence and Training Gains Is Moderated by Training Strategy

We examined the relationship between training regimen and fluid intelligence in the learning of a complex video game. Fifty non-game-playing young adults were trained on a game called Space Fortress for 30 hours with one of two training regimens: 1) Hybrid Variable-Priority Training (HVT), with part-task training and a focus on improving specific skills and managing task priorities, and 2) Full Emphasis Training (FET) in which participants practiced the whole game to obtain the highest overall score. Fluid intelligence was measured with the Raven’s Progressive Matrix task before training. With FET, fluid intelligence was positively associated with learning, suggesting that intellectual ability played a substantial role in determining individual differences in training success. In contrast, with HVT, fluid intelligence was not associated with learning, suggesting that individual differences in fluid intelligence do not factor into training success in a regimen that emphasizes component tasks and flexible task coordination. By analyzing training effects in terms of individual differences and training regimens, the current study offers a training approach that minimizes the potentially limiting effect of individual differences.