Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
High School Journalists' Perspectives on Tobacco

How issues are covered in the media is an important factor in influencing public opinion, policy, and individual behavior. During the 1990s, the tobacco control movement developed a youth focus, prompted by research showing that most adult smokers begin tobacco use as teens. However, concern has been raised that this youth focus has derailed the overall goal of achieving a smoke-free society. Numerous studies have analyzed tobacco coverage and documented the impacts of media messages on youth. To learn how tobacco is covered in a medium primarily produced by and for youth, we conducted an analysis of tobacco coverage in high school newspapers. High school newspapers, like other media, communicate social messages through both content selection and framing. We surveyed a national sample of high school journalists and conducted content and frames analyses of tobacco articles (n = 257) from their publications. The most commonly used frame was "kids" (46%), followed by "killer" (31 %), "nonsmokers' rights" (10%), and "choice" (5%). "Kids"-framed articles were less likely to mention health effects and less likely to be favorable toward tobacco control policies than "killer"-framed articles. In addition, many "kids" articles included "resistance statements" congruent with viewing tobacco use as rebellion and / or independence. Lack of a consistently used frame has been identified as a barrier to effective tobacco control. Tobacco control media advocacy should focus on developing frames that are easily communicated, consistently used, and compatible with the developmental tasks of adolescents. Youth journalists should also be included in media advocacy efforts.
Interplay between Colistin Resistance, Virulence and Fitness in Acinetobacter baumannii

Acinetobacter baumannii is an important opportunistic nosocomial pathogen often resistant to multiple antibiotics classes. Colistin, an “old” antibiotic, is now considered a last-line treatment option for extremely resistant isolates. In the meantime, resistance to colistin has been reported in clinical A. baumannii strains. Colistin is a cationic peptide that disrupts the outer membrane (OM) of Gram-negative bacteria. Colistin resistance is primarily due to post-translational modification or loss of the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) molecules inserted into the outer leaflet of the OM. LPS modification prevents the binding of polymyxin to the bacterial surface and may lead to alterations in bacterial virulence. Antimicrobial pressure drives the evolution of antimicrobial resistance and resistance is often associated with a reduced bacterial fitness. Therefore, the alterations in LPS may induce changes in the fitness of A. baumannii. However, compensatory mutations in clinical A. baumannii may ameliorate the cost of resistance and may play an important role in the dissemination of colistin-resistant A. baumannii isolates. The focus of this review is to summarize the colistin resistance mechanisms, and understand their impact on the fitness and virulence of bacteria and on the dissemination of colistin-resistant A. baumannii strains.
On the lipid composition of human meibum and tears: comparative analysis of nonpolar lipids.

PURPOSE To qualitatively compare the nonpolar lipids present in meibomian gland (MG) secretions (samples T1) with aqueous tears (AT) collected from the lower tear menisci of healthy, non-dry eye volunteers using either glass microcapillaries (samples T2) or Schirmer test strips (samples T3). METHODS Samples T1 to T3 were analyzed with the use of high-pressure liquid chromatography/positive ion mode atmospheric pressure chemical ionization mass spectrometry. Where possible, the unknown lipids were compared with known standards. RESULTS Samples T1 had the simplest lipid composition among all the tested specimens. Samples T2 and T3 were similar to each other but were noticeably different from samples T1. In addition to all the compounds detected in samples T1, lower molecular weight wax esters and other compounds were found in samples T2 and T3. No appreciable amounts of fatty acid amides (e.g., oleamide), ceramides, or monoacyl glycerols were routinely detected. The occasionally observed minor signals of oleamide (m/z 282) in samples T3 were attributed to the contamination of the samples with common plasticizers routinely found in plastic ware extractives and organic solvents. CONCLUSIONS The MG is a prominent source of lipids for the tear film. However, it would have been a mistake to exclude from consideration other likely sources of lipids such as conjunctiva, cornea, and tears produced by the lacrimal glands. These data showed that lipids in AT are more complex than MG secretions, which necessitates more cautious interpretation of the functions of the latter in the tear film.
Widespread Distribution of a Newly Found Point Mutation in Voltage-Gated Sodium Channel in Pyrethroid-Resistant Aedes aegypti Populations in Vietnam

Background Resistance of Aedes aegypti to photostable pyrethroid insecticides is a major problem for disease-vector control programs. Pyrethroids target the voltage-gated sodium channel on the insects' neurons. Single amino acid substitutions in this channel associated with pyrethroid resistance are one of the main factors that cause knockdown resistance in insects. Although kdr has been observed in several mosquito species, point mutations in the para gene have not been fully characterized in Ae. aegypti populations in Vietnam. The aim of this study was to determine the types and frequencies of mutations in the para gene in Ae. aegypti collected from used tires in Vietnam. Methods and Findings Several point mutations were examined that cause insensitivity of the voltage-gated sodium channel in the insect nervous system due to the replacement of the amino acids L1014F, the most commonly found point mutation in several mosquitoes; I1011M (or V) and V1016G (or I), which have been reported to be associated to knockdown resistance in Ae. aegypti located in segment 6, domain II; and a recently found amino acid replacement in F1269 in Ae. aegypti, located in segment 6, domain III. Among 756 larvae from 70 locations, no I1011M or I1011V nor L1014F mutations were found, and only two heterozygous V1016G mosquitoes were detected. However, F1269C mutations on domain III were distributed widely and with high frequency in 269 individuals among 757 larvae (53 collection sites among 70 locations surveyed). F1269C frequencies were low in the middle to north part of Vietnam but were high in the areas neighboring big cities and in the south of Vietnam, with the exception of the southern mountainous areas located at an elevation of 500–1000 m. Conclusions The overall percentage of homozygous F1269C seems to remain low (7.4%) in the present situation. However, extensive and uncontrolled frequent use of photostable pyrethroids might be a strong selection pressure for this mutation to cause serious problems in the control of dengue fever in Vietnam.
Factors Associated With Increased Risk for Dementia in Individuals Age 80 Years or Older With Congestive Heart Failure

Background and Research Objective:An increasing body of evidence shows that individuals diagnosed with congestive heart failure (CHF) are at a higher risk for dementia. However, the prevalence rate of dementia among persons with CHF in very old individuals has not been previously reported, and little is known about the comorbidities that place old persons with CHF at a higher risk for dementia. The aim of this study was to compare the prevalence of dementia in individuals 80 years or older who have CHF with that in individuals without CHF and to identify factors related to dementia in individuals diagnosed with CHF. Methods:A total of 702 participants from a Swedish population-based longitudinal study (Octogenerian Twin) were included. The group consisted of same-sex twin pairs, age 80 years or older, and 138 participants had CHF. Dementia was diagnosed according to criteria in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Third Edition, Revised. Generalized estimating equations including gender, age and educational level, waist circumference, diabetes, hypertension, smoking, depression, and blood values were used in a case-control analysis. Results:Individuals with CHF had a significantly higher prevalence of vascular dementia, 16% vs 6% (P < 0.001), and of all types of dementia, 40% vs 30% (P < 0.01), than those not diagnosed with CHF. The generalized estimating equation models showed that depression, hypertension, and/or increased levels of homocysteine were all associated with a higher risk for dementia in individuals with CHF. Diabetes was specifically associated with an increased risk for vascular dementia. Conclusions:The prevalence of dementia was higher among individuals with CHF than in those without CHF. Diabetes, depression, and hypertension in patients with CHF require special attention from healthcare professionals because these conditions are associated with an elevated risk for dementia. Higher levels of homocysteine were also found to be a marker of dementia in patients with CHF. Further research is needed to identify the factors related to dementia in individuals 80 years or older diagnosed with CHF.
Fast amortized inference of neural activity from calcium imaging data with variational autoencoders

Calcium imaging permits optical measurement of neural activity. Since intracellular calcium concentration is an indirect measurement of neural activity, computational tools are necessary to infer the true underlying spiking activity from fluorescence measurements. Bayesian model inversion can be used to solve this problem, but typically requires either computationally expensive MCMC sampling, or faster but approximate maximum-a-posteriori optimization. Here, we introduce a flexible algorithmic framework for fast, efficient and accurate extraction of neural spikes from imaging data. Using the framework of variational autoencoders, we propose to amortize inference by training a deep neural network to perform model inversion efficiently. The recognition network is trained to produce samples from the posterior distribution over spike trains. Once trained, performing inference amounts to a fast single forward pass through the network, without the need for iterative optimization or sampling. We show that amortization can be applied flexibly to a wide range of nonlinear generative models and significantly improves upon the state of the art in computation time, while achieving competitive accuracy. Our framework is also able to represent posterior distributions over spike-trains. We demonstrate the generality of our method by proposing the first probabilistic approach for separating backpropagating action potentials from putative synaptic inputs in calcium imaging of dendritic spines.
Effect of Melatonin and 5-Methoxycarbonylamino-N-Acetyltryptamine on the Intraocular Pressure of Normal and Glaucomatous Mice

Melatonin is a neurohormone that is produced not only by the pineal gland but also by several ocular structures. One of the main physiologic roles of melatonin is the reduction of intraocular pressure (IOP). Using both control C57BL/6J and glaucomatous DBA/2J mice as well as TonoLab tonometry, this study evaluated the effect of melatonin and 5-methoxycarbonylamino-N-acetyltryptamine (5-MCA-NAT) when glaucomatous pathology was fully established and compared pharmacological behavior in treated mice versus control mice. In addition, 5-MCA-NAT was tested to determine its effects on ameliorating increased IOP in a glaucoma model. The results demonstrate that melatonin and 5-MCA-NAT can reduce IOP in a concentration-dependent manner. The EC50 values for melatonin in control and glaucomatous animals were 34 µM and 50 µM, respectively. Interestingly, melatonin decreased IOP in 19.4% ± 3.7% and 32.6% ± 6.0% of control and glaucomatous mice, respectively, when the animals were studied at age 12 months. 5-MCA-NAT reduced IOP in the same manner and was able to stop IOP progression in glaucomatous mice. Use of melatonin receptor antagonists showed that hypotensive effects were blocked by the MT2 receptor antagonists luzindole and 4-phenyl-2-propionamidotetralin in the case of melatonin and by only 4-phenyl-2-propionamidotetralin in the case of 5-MCA-NAT. In conclusion, melatonin and 5-MCA-NAT can effectively reduce IOP in a glaucoma model, and their hypotensive effects are more profound in the glaucoma model than in control animals.
Visual Categorization with Aerial Photographs

This article investigates how people process information from aerial photographs to categorize locations. Three cognitive experiments were conducted with human subjects viewing a series of aerial photographs and categorizing the land use for target locations. Reaction time, accuracy, and confidence were considered as dependent variables related to the success of the categorization process. The first experiment considered two categories of land use, the relative size of the visual field, and two rounds of unsupervised learning. Subjects were more successful categorizing higher-order land-use classes than they were lower-order categories. Subjects were significantly more accurate and confident with larger photographs, but not significantly faster. Significant improvements between the rounds indicated unsupervised learning was taking place. The second experiment confirmed the hypothesis that geographers would have more success than nongeographers during a single categorization round. The types of land use considered were significantly related to success. Subjects were again more accurate and confident, but not faster with larger visual fields. A third experiment considered seven rounds of supervised learning, the sex of the subjects, and the amount of experience with photographs. Reaction time and confidence improved with supervised learning, but accuracy did not. Subjects had significantly more success with photographs they viewed more than one time. Male subjects were significantly faster, more accurate, and more confident than female subjects at doing the categorization task. By the seventh learning round the male advantage in reaction time and accuracy was no longer significant, but the male advantage in confidence continued through seven learning rounds.
Relative-pose optimisation for robust and nonlinear control of unmanned aerial manipulators

Recently, the complexity of control systems for autonomous Aerial Manipulators (AMs), i.e. Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) + Robot Manipulator (RM), is growing faster as per our demand of being able to perform more and more complex tasks. In the present work, we go a step forward adding an optimiser to the actual (nonlinear) control strategy, in order to comply with high-level control demands related to safety, accuracy and efficiency of the operational task. The actual strategy combined robust controllers with separate references- for both aerial vehicle and robot manipulator-optimising their shared priorities. Here, we demand the controller to meet an additional feed-forward action, so that the a priori free degree of freedom of the UAV relative-pose reference is optimised in real time according to the aforementioned requirements. In particular, the influence of the UAV relative-pose reference on the capabilities of the AM has been thoroughly analysed, demonstrating among others the benefits of a correct configuration to meet such high-level requirements, while reducing the End-Effector (EE) error, preventing unstability of hazardous situations and increasing the energetic efficiency of the whole system. A complete analysis of realistic simulations on a benchmark AM is reported.
Safety analysis of Bitcoin improvement proposals

Decentralized cryptocurrency systems offer a medium of exchange secured by cryptography, without the need of a centralized banking authority. Among others, Bitcoin is considered as the most mature one. Its popularity lies on the introduction of the concept of the blockchain, a public distributed ledger shared by all participants of the system. Double spending attacks and blockchain forks are two main issues in blockchain-based protocols. The first one refers to the ability of an adversary to use the very same bitcoin more than once, while blockchain forks cause transient inconsistencies in the blockchain. We show through probabilistic analysis that the reliability of recent solutions that exclusively rely on a particular type of Bitcoin actors, called miners, to guarantee the consistency of Bitcoin operations, drastically decreases with the size of the blockchain.
Delayed onset of midline netrin expression in Artemia franciscana coincides with commissural axon growth and provides evidence for homology of midline cells in distantly related arthropods

SUMMARY Although many similarities in arthropod central nervous systems (CNS) development exist, differences in midline cell formation and ventral nerve cord axonogenesis have been noted in arthropods. It is possible that changes in the expression of axon guidance molecules such as Netrin, which functions during commissural axon guidance in Drosophila and many other organisms, may parallel these differences. In this investigation, we analyze this hypothesis by examining Netrin accumulation during development of the brine shrimp Artemia franciscana, a branchiopod crustacean. An Artemia franciscana netrin (afrnet) orthologue was cloned. An antibody to the afrNet protein was generated and used to examine the pattern of afrNet accumulation during Artemia development. Despite differences between Drosophila and Artemia nerve cord development, examination of afrNet accumulation suggests that this protein functions to regulate commissure formation during Artemia CNS development. However, detection of afrNet at the midline and on commissural axons occurs at a relatively later time point in Artemia as compared with Drosophila. Detection of afrNet in a subset of midline cells that closely resemble Netrin‐expressing cells at the Drosophila midline provides evidence for homology of midline cells in arthropods. Expression of Netrins in many other tissues is comparable, suggesting that Netrin proteins may play many conserved roles during arthropod development.
The Robustness of Honesty Effects on Budget Proposals when the Superior has Rejection Authority

ABSTRACT: Rankin, Schwartz, and Young (2008) find experimental evidence that manipulating whether the budget request of the subordinate requires a factual assertion has no effect on budgetary slack when the superior can reject the budget. This calls into question the role of honesty in participative budgeting settings. Using Rankin et al.'s (2008) manipulation to capture honesty effects, we examine the robustness of honesty effects on budget proposals when the superior has rejection authority in two experiments. In Experiment 1, we document that honesty has a strong effect on budgetary slack when the salience of distributional fairness is reduced by withholding the relative pay of the superior from the subordinate. In Experiment 2, we document that honesty continues to have a strong effect on budgetary slack when the salience of reciprocity is increased by giving the superior the ability to set the subordinate's salary. Thus, our evidence suggests that honesty effects on budget proposals are generally rob.
Creationism and innatism of teachers in 26 countries

Analyzing teachers' conceptions in 26 countries, our work identifies correlations between beliefs in creationism and in innatism, as well as correlations with strong believing in God, practising religion and some political opinions (anti-secularism, for a strong central power). We used the questionnaire validated in the BIOHEAD-Citizen project and we added to the data collected by this project (in 18 countries) those then collected in 8 other countries. The sampling is the same in each country: 1/3 primary school teachers; 1/3 biology teachers in secondary schools; 1/3 language teachers in secondary schools; with, into each third, half of in-service and half of pre-service teachers. There are very important differences among the countries, as well for conceptions related to evolution as for conceptions related to genetic determinism, showing interaction between science and society, and interaction between scientific knowledge, values and social practices. Less a country is economically developed, more teachers believe in God, in Creation and in Genetic Determinism. These results are important to be considered when trying to improve biology teaching for more citizenship in primary and secondary schools, as well as in teachers' training.
SEXUAL DIMORPHISM IN LIZARD BODY SHAPE: THE ROLES OF SEXUAL SELECTION AND FECUNDITY SELECTION

Abstract Sexual dimorphism is widespread in lizards, with the most consistently dimorphic traits being head size (males have larger heads) and trunk length (the distance between the front and hind legs is greater in females). These dimorphisms have generally been interpreted as follows: (1) large heads in males evolve through male-male rivalry (sexual selection); and (2) larger interlimb lengths in females provide space for more eggs (fecundity selection). In an Australian lizard (the snow skink, Niveoscincus microlepidotus), we found no evidence for ongoing selection on head size. Trunk length, however, was under positive fecundity selection in females and under negative sexual selection in males. Thus, fecundity selection and sexual selection work in concert to drive the evolution of sexual dimorphism in trunk length in snow skinks.
Svm-Based Method for protein Structural Class Prediction Using Secondary Structural Content and Structural Information of amino acids

The knowledge collated from the known protein structures has revealed that the proteins are usually folded into the four structural classes: all-α, all-β, α/β and α + β. A number of methods have been proposed to predict the protein's structural class from its primary structure; however, it has been observed that these methods fail or perform poorly in the cases of distantly related sequences. In this paper, we propose a new method for protein structural class prediction using low homology (twilight-zone) protein sequences dataset. Since protein structural class prediction is a typical classification problem, we have developed a Support Vector Machine (SVM)-based method for protein structural class prediction that uses features derived from the predicted secondary structure and predicted burial information of amino acid residues. The examination of different individual as well as feature combinations revealed that the combination of secondary structural content, secondary structural and solvent accessibility state frequencies of amino acids gave rise to the best leave-one-out cross-validation accuracy of ~81% which is comparable to the best accuracy reported in the literature so far.
Humour effect on memory and attitude: moderating role of product involvement

This study examined the moderating effects of product involvement on the effects of humour on memory and attitude towards the advertisement by using multi-year survey (1992 to 1997) of responses to commercials shown during the Super Bowl. Positive and significant relationships between humorous advertisements on memory and attitude were found through multiple regression analysis. Furthermore, results show that humorous advertisements are more effective in low-involvement products in terms of memory and attitude towards the advertisement.