Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A study on the short-term effect of cafeteria diet and pioglitazone on insulin resistance and serum levels of adiponectin and ghrelin

The interaction between ghrelin and adiponectin is still controversial. We investigated the effect of cafeteria diet and pioglitazone on body weight, insulin resistance, and adiponectin/ghrelin levels in an experimental study on male Wistar rats. The animals were divided into four groups of 6 rats each, and received balanced chow with saline (CHOW-O) or pioglitazone (CHOW-P), or a cafeteria diet with saline (CAFE-O) or pioglitazone (CAFE-P). The chow/cafeteria diets were administered for 35 days, and saline/pioglitazone (10 mg·kg body weight−1·day−1) was added in the last 14 days prior to euthanasia. CAFE-O animals had a higher mean final weight (372.5 ± 21.01 g) than CHOW-O (317.66 ± 25.11 g, P = 0.017) and CHOW-P (322.66 ± 28.42 g, P = 0.035) animals. Serum adiponectin levels were significantly higher in CHOW-P (55.91 ± 20.62 ng/mL) than in CHOW-O (30.52 ± 6.97 ng/mL, P = 0.014) and CAFE-O (32.54 ± 9.03 ng/mL, P = 0.027) but not in CAFE-P. Higher total serum ghrelin levels were observed in CAFE-P compared to CHOW-P animals (1.65 ± 0.69 vs 0.65 ± 0.36 ng/mL, P = 0.006). Likewise, acylated ghrelin levels were higher in CAFE-P (471.52 ± 195.09 pg/mL) than in CHOW-P (193.01 ± 87.61 pg/mL, P = 0.009) and CAFE-O (259.44 ± 86.36 pg/mL, P = 0.047) animals. In conclusion, a cafeteria diet can lead to a significant weight gain. Although CAFE-P animals exhibited higher ghrelin levels, this was probably related to food deprivation rather than to a direct pharmacological effect, possibly attenuating the increase in adiponectin levels.
RAPL: Memory power estimation and capping

The drive for higher performance and energy efficiency in data-centers has influenced trends toward increased power and cooling requirements in the facilities. Since enterprise servers rarely operate at their peak capacity, efficient power capping is deemed as a critical component of modern enterprise computing environments. In this paper we propose a new power measurement and power limiting architecture for main memory. Specifically, we describe a new approach for measuring memory power and demonstrate its applicability to a novel power limiting algorithm. We implement and evaluate our approach in the modern servers and show that we achieve up to 40% lower performance impact when compared to the state-of-art baseline across the power limiting range.
Synaptic Effects of Munc18-1 Alternative Splicing in Excitatory Hippocampal Neurons

The munc18-1 gene encodes two splice-variants that vary at the C-terminus of the protein and are expressed at different levels in different regions of the adult mammalian brain. Here, we investigated the expression pattern of these splice variants within the brainstem and tested whether they are functionally different. Munc18-1a is expressed in specific nuclei of the brainstem including the LRN, VII and SOC, while Munc18-1b expression is relatively low/absent in these regions. Furthermore, Munc18-1a is the major splice variant in the Calyx of Held. Synaptic transmission was analyzed in autaptic hippocampal munc18-1 KO neurons re-expressing either Munc18-1a or Munc18-1b. The two splice variants supported synaptic transmission to a similar extent, but Munc18-1b was slightly more potent in sustaining synchronous release during high frequency stimulation. Our data suggest that alternative splicing of Munc18-1 support synaptic transmission to a similar extent, but could modulate presynaptic short-term plasticity.
Choosing strategies that work from the start: A mixed methods study to understand effective development of community–academic partnerships

Community–academic partnerships are believed to increase the effectiveness and feasibility of action research. While factors facilitating and hindering community–academic partnerships have been identified, their influence on the collaborative process is unknown, especially during community–academic partnership initiation and development. This explanatory sequential mixed methods study (quantitative→QUALITATIVE) evaluated perspectives of members in an autism community–academic partnership to determine frequently endorsed and influential factors facilitating and hindering the collaborative process during the community–academic partnership’s development. Participants (n = 11; community stakeholders, implementation scientist, and researchers) endorsed and ranked the importance of factors present in the formation of the community–academic partnership then completed a semi-structured qualitative interview to elaborate on survey responses. Interviews were coded using a coding, comparison, and consensus method and analyzed using the Rapid Assessment Process for frequency and salience of themes across interviews. Integrating mixed methods yielded ranked factors that were perceived to facilitate and hinder the development of the community–academic partnership, and highlighted the relative influence of interpersonal factors on the facilitation of community–academic partnership processes and organizational factors on the hindrance of community–academic partnership processes during development. Some discrepancies emerged between community and academic partners. Results may assist to improve the development of community–academic partnerships, which is becoming increasingly important in healthcare services research, dissemination, and implementation.
A review of literature on mediators and moderators of workplace bullying

During the past 26 years, there has been a phenomenal growth in the literature on workplace bullying. The purpose of this paper is to review and synthesize the extant empirical studies on underlying and intervening mechanisms in antecedents–bullying and bullying–outcomes relationships. ,In total, 53 studies on mediators and moderators in antecedents–bullying and bullying–outcomes relationships (2001-2016) were selected from academic databases (Google Scholar, Research Gate, Emerald Insight, Science Direct, etc.),The review suggests that while a reasonable number of studies examine the role of mediators and moderators in bullying–outcomes relationships, such efforts are meager in antecedents–bullying relationships. The paper concludes by proposing some potential variables that can explain the underlying mechanisms in the bullying phenomenon and alleviate/aggravate the antecedents–bullying–outcomes relationships. ,To the best of authors’ knowledge, this is the first review on mediators and moderators of workplace bullying.
The Breakdown of Democratic Regimes

New Democracies, which Democracies ? LOSS OF LEGITIMACY AND THE BREAKDOWN OF DEMOCRATIC REGIMES : THE CASE OF THE FOURTH REPUBLICPolitics, Society, And Democracy Latin AmericaChallenges of Democracy in the 21st CenturyThe Breakdown of Democratic Regimes, EuropeNon-Democratic RegimesThe Breakdown of Democratic RegimesThe Breakdown of Democratic RegimesCrafting State-NationsThe Breakdown of Democratic RegimesThe Breakdown of Democratic RegimesThe Breakdown of Democratic RegimesThe Breakdown of Democratic RegimesHow Democracies DieThe Breakdown of Democratic RegimesThe Breakdown of Democratic RegimesMass Mobilization and the Breakdown of Democratic RegimesThe Breakdown of Democratic RegimesRegression of Democracy? Crisis and Breakdown of NonDemocratic RegimesLoss of legitimacy and the breakdown of democratic regimesProblems Confronting Contemporary DemocraciesThe Breakdown of Democratic RegimesThe Breakdown of Democratic RegimesWie konsolidiert ist die Demokratie Polens nach dem Konzept von Linz und Stepan? The Breakdown of Democratic RegimesThe Breakdown of Democratic RegimesThe breakdown of democratic regimes. 4. ChileEuropeDemocracies in DangerChile; The breakdown of democratic regimesProblems of Democratic Transition and ConsolidationWhy is Economic Policy Different in New Democracies? Radicals, Reformers, and ReactionariesConsolidating the Third Wave DemocraciesWhen Democracies CollapseCrisis, Breakdown & ReequilibrationDer Zerfall der DemokratieThe Failure of Presidential DemocracyReaction papers for course “The institutional structure of democratic regimes”
Intracellular pH-regulating mechanism of the squid axon. Relation between the external Na+ and HCO-3 dependences

The intracellular pH-regulating mechanism of the squid axon was examined for its dependence on the concentrations of external Na+ and HCO3-, always at an external pH (pHo) of 8.0. Axons having an initial intracellular pH (pHi) of approximately 7.4 were internally dialyzed with a solution of pH 6.5 that contained 400 mM Cl- and no Na+. After pHi had fallen to approximately 6.6, dialysis was halted, thereby returning control of pHi to the axon. With external Na+ and HCO-3 present, intracellular pH (pHi) increased because of the activity of the pHi-regulating system. The acid extrusion rate (i.e., equivalent efflux of H+, JH) is the product of the pHi recovery rate, intracellular buffering power, and the volume-to-surface ratio. The [HCO3-]o dependence of JH was examined at three fixed levels of [Na+]o: 425, 212, and 106 mM. In all three cases, the apparent Jmax was approximately 19 pmol X cm-2 X s-1. However, the apparent Km (HCO3-) was approximately inversely proportional to [Na+]o, rising from 2.6 to 5.4 to 9.7 mM as [Na+]o was lowered from 425 to 212 to 106 mM, respectively. The [Na+]o dependence of JH was similarly examined at three fixed levels of [HCO3-]o: 12, 6, and 3 mM. The Jmax values did not vary significantly from those in the first series of experiments. The apparent Km (Na+), however, was approximately inversely related to [HCO3-]o, rising from 71 to 174 to 261 mM as [HCO3-]o was lowered from 12 to 6 to 3 mM, respectively. These results agree with the predictions of the ion-pair model of acid extrusion, which has external Na+ and CO3= combining to form the ion pair NaCO3-, which then exchanges for internal Cl-. When the JH data are replotted as a function of [NaCO3- ]o, data from all six groups of experiments fall along the same Michaelis-Menten curve, with an apparent Km (NaCO3-) of 80 microM. The ordered and random binding of Na+ and CO3= cannot be ruled out as possible models, but are restricted in allowable combinations of rate constants.
A Moving Balls Approximation Method for a Class of Smooth Constrained Minimization Problems

We introduce a new algorithm for a class of smooth constrained minimization problems which is an iterative scheme that generates a sequence of feasible points that approximates the constraints set by a sequence of balls and is accordingly called the Moving Balls Approximation algorithm (MBA). The computational simplicity of MBA, which uses first order data information, makes it suitable for large scale problems. Theoretical and computational properties of MBA in its primal and dual forms are studied, and convergence and global rate of convergence results are established for nonconvex and convex problems. We then introduce a variant of MBA that includes an active set technique and is particularly suitable for problems with a large number of constraints. This variant is as simple as MBA and is proven to preserve the convergence properties of MBA. Extension of MBA is also developed for a class of variational inequalities. Initial numerical experiments on quadratically constrained problems demonstrate the viability and performance of our methods when compared to some existing state-of-the-art optimization methods/software such as a sequential quadratic programming solver from the IMSL Library and the CVXOPT software package for convex optimization.
Herschel-ATLAS/GAMA: spatial clustering of low-redshift submm galaxies†

We have measured the clustering properties of low-redshift (z < 0.3) submm galaxies detected at 250 μm in the Herschel-ATLAS science demonstration phase field. We selected a sample for which we have high-quality spectroscopic redshifts, obtained from reliably matching the 250-μm sources to a complete (for r < 19.4) sample of galaxies from the GAMA data base. Both the angular and spatial clustering strength are measured for all z < 0.3 sources as well as for five redshift slices with thickness Δz = 0.05 in the range 0.05 < z < 0.3. Our measured spatial clustering length r0 is comparable to that of optically selected, moderately star-forming (blue) galaxies: we find values around 5 Mpc. One of the redshift bins contains an interesting structure, at z = 0.164.
Commodities inventory effect

Asymmetric GARCH models were developped for equity stocks to take into account the larger response of the conditional variance to negative price shocks. We show that these asymmetric GARCH models are also relevant for modelling commodity prices. Contrary to the equity case, positive shocks are the main contributors to the conditional variance of commodity prices. The theory of storage, by relating the state of the inventories of a commodity to its conditional variance, is a serious candidate to explain the phenomenon, as positive price shocks for commodities usually serve as proxies for the deterioration of the inventories. We find that this inverse leverage effect, or “inventory effect”, is relatively robust, for different subsamples, for diverse types of commodities and for different ways of specifying the asymmetry, though weaker than the leverage effect for equity stocks. Appropriately specifying the asymmetric conditional variance of commodities could improve risk management, hedging strategies or Value-at-Risk estimates. Incidentally, the inventory effect sheds some new light on the debate about the origin of the leverage effect.
The “Good Enough” Parent: Perfectionism and Relationship Satisfaction Among Parents and Nonparents

Relationship satisfaction has profound implications for psychological and physical well-being, yet it significantly decreases while couples are raising children. Perfectionism—the tendency to expect perfection from oneself, others, and/or to perceive expectations of perfection as coming from others—has generally been associated with lower relationship satisfaction. In a sample of 382 married and/or cohabitating U.S. adults, this study found that the interpersonal dimensions of perfectionism (partner-oriented perfectionism and partner-prescribed perfectionism) were negatively associated with relationship satisfaction, while self-oriented perfectionism was positively associated with relationship satisfaction. Raising children was negatively associated with relationship satisfaction, and moderated the association between partner-prescribed perfectionism and relationship satisfaction; the negative association was significant for both groups, but stronger for those raising children than those not raising children. This study highlights the importance of addressing perfectionism in intimate relationships, particularly for couples raising children, and informs possible interventions with couples and families.
Superstrings in type IIB R-R plane-wave in semi-light-cone gauge and conformal invariance

We reconsider the analysis done by Kazama and Yokoi in arXiv:0801.1561 (hep-th). We find that although the right vacuum of the theory is the one associated to massless normal ordering (MNO), phase space normal ordering (PNO) plays crucial role in the analysis in the following way. While defining the quantum energy-momentum (EM) tensor one needs to take into account the field redefinition relating the space-time field and the corresponding world-sheet coupling. We argue that for a simple off-shell ansatz for the background this field redefinition can be taken to be identity if the interaction term is ordered according to PNO. This definition reproduces the correct physical spectrum when the background is on-shell. We further show that the right way to extract the effective equation of motion from the Virasoro anomaly is to first order the anomaly terms according to PNO at a finite regularization parameter ǫ and then take the ǫ → 0 limit. This prescription fixes an ambiguity in taking the limit for certain bosonic and fermionic contributions to the Virasoro anomaly and is the natural one to consider given the above definition of the EM tensor.
Perspectives from graduate students on effective teaching methods: a case study from a Vietnamese Transnational University

Abstract Vietnam is emerging as an accelerated economic and political society with an increased global presence; thus, increased attention has been given to producing qualified college graduates who can contribute to the growing global economy. Yet challenges exist due to lack of educational infrastructure and ineffective teaching practices. As a result, the Vietnamese government embraces international collaborations in higher education as a way to address educational needs; however, although research exists on policy implications and government priorities, very little is known about how students perceive the teaching methods provided at these collaborative transnational universities. The purpose of this qualitative case study is to examine graduate students’ perceived effectiveness of teaching methods at Vietnamese-German University (VGU), a predominantly technology and engineering university that is an international collaboration between Vietnam and Germany. We seek to answer the research question of, ‘how is the use of student-centred practices effective in an international learning environment? ’ Findings from graduate students indicate that collaborative learning, specifically through group work and modified flipped classrooms, are effective ways to maximise student learning. Implications for practice and future research are discussed as ways to emphasise the benefits of student-centred teaching and learning at transnational collaborative universities.
The Relationship between Teachers' Educational Beliefs and Teaching-Learning Conceptions: A Mixed Method Study

The aim of this study is; determining the relationship between teachers’ education beliefs and their teaching-learning conceptions. A mixed method has been used to reach the overall aim of the research. In the study, explanatory sequential design was used as mixed method design. In this context, quantitative data were collected and analysed at the first stage. In the second stage, qualitative data were collected to help explain the findings obtained after the analysis of the quantitative data. The study group of the quantitative dimension of the study constitutes 301 high school teachers who are working in secondary education institutions in the provincial centers of Mersin province during the 2015-2016 educational year and voluntarily participating in the research. The qualitative study group consists of 45 teachers from the quantitative dimension. Education Beliefs Scale, Teaching-Lerning Conceptions Questionnaire and Interview Form were used in collecting research data. In the study, the analysis of the data was carried out in two stages: analysis of quantitative data and analysis of qualitative data. Anova was used to examine whether the educational beliefs of teachers and their teaching-learning conceptions differed according to the service year variable and t-test was used to see if it varied according to the gender variable. The relationship between teachers' educational beliefs and teaching-learning conceptions was examined by Pearson's correlation coefficient. Multiple linear regression analysis has been used to determine how teachers perceive their teaching-learning conception of educational beliefs. Content analysis was used for the analysis of qualitative data. It has been determined in the research that there is a significant relationship between teachers' educational beliefs and teaching-learning conceptions. In the study, it was determined that teachers' educational beliefs were a significant predictor of constructivist and traditional teaching-learning conceptions.
Peer reactions to non-suicidal self-injury disclosures: a thematic analysis

ABSTRACT Emerging adults who engage in non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) tend to share such experiences with peers. Thus, peers may represent a vital avenue for accessing recovery support and further help (e.g. encouraging professional help-seeking). With little known about how university students respond to NSSI disclosures from peers, the present study attempted to examine these experiences from the vantage point of disclosure recipients. Responses were gathered from a sample of undergraduate students who received an NSSI disclosure from a friend. Specifically, 104, primarily white female, emerging adults (M = 18.29 years of age, SD = .80) were recruited from a Canadian university. Demographics and open-ended questions asking about experiences receiving an NSSI disclosure from a friend were collected via online survey. Responses to the open-ended qualitative questions were examined using a thematic analysis. Responses fell broadly into four domains (intense emotional reactions, supportive responding, impact on peer relationship, and perceived insight about NSSI), which were each composed of two to four themes. Overall, findings point to several implications for researchers (e.g. developing accessible resources for peers of those who self-injure) and counselors (e.g. helping people who self-injure to understand the reactions of their peers).
Identification of Protein Markers in Patients Infected with Plasmodium knowlesi, Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax

Malaria is caused by parasitic protozoans of the genus Plasmodium and is one of the most prevalent infectious diseases in tropical and subtropical regions. For this reason, effective and practical diagnostic methods are urgently needed to control the spread of malaria. The aim of the current study was to identify a panel of new malarial markers, which could be used to diagnose patients infected with various Plasmodium species, including P. knowlesi, P. vivax and P. falciparum. Sera from malaria-infected patients were pooled and compared to control sera obtained from healthy individuals using the isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ) technique. Mass spectrometry was used to identify serum proteins and quantify their relative abundance. We found that the levels of several proteins were increased in pooled serum from infected patients, including cell adhesion molecule-4 and C-reactive protein. In contrast, the serum concentration of haptoglobin was reduced in malaria-infected individuals, which we verified by western blot assay. Therefore, these proteins might represent infectious markers of malaria, which could be used to develop novel diagnostic tools for detecting P. knowlesi, P. vivax and P. falciparum. However, these potential malarial markers will need to be validated in a larger population of infected individuals.