Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Campus-Wide Study of STEM Courses: New Perspectives on Teaching Practices and Perceptions

Teachers observed 51 university-level science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) courses and collected information on the active-engagement nature of instruction. These results give a comprehensive view of the diversity of STEM instruction and student in-class behavior at a campus-wide level. The authors discuss how these results could be used to design targeted professional development.
Novel Surface Display System for Proteins on Non-Genetically Modified Gram-Positive Bacteria

ABSTRACT A novel display system is described that allows highly efficient immobilization of heterologous proteins on bacterial surfaces in applications for which the use of genetically modified bacteria is less desirable. This system is based on nonliving and non-genetically modified gram-positive bacterial cells, designated gram-positive enhancer matrix (GEM) particles, which are used as substrates to bind externally added heterologous proteins by means of a high-affinity binding domain. This binding domain, the protein anchor (PA), was derived from the Lactococcus lactis peptidoglycan hydrolase AcmA. GEM particles were typically prepared from the innocuous bacterium L. lactis, and various parameters for the optimal preparation of GEM particles and binding of PA fusion proteins were determined. The versatility and flexibility of the display and delivery technology were demonstrated by investigating enzyme immobilization and nasal vaccine applications.
Understanding posttraumatic stress disorder-related symptoms after critical care: The early illness amnesia hypothesis*

Objective:To assess the factual and delusional memories reported by intensive care unit survivors and its relationship with the development of Posttraumatic Stress Syndrome (PTSS). Design:Multicenter observational cohort study. Setting:Nine Portuguese intensive care units, as part of a multicenter study. Methods and Patients:Between January and June 2005, 1,174 patients were admitted across the nine intensive care units. Two hundred thirty-nine patients were excluded, 14 with <18 yrs old and 225 with a length of intensive care stay ≤48 hrs. Thus a total of 935 patients were included in the study. One hundred ninety (20%) patients died in the intensive care unit, 90 (12%) patients died on the ward (30% in-hospital mortality rate), and another 56 (9%) died in the next 6 months after intensive care unit discharge. Results:From the 599 survivors at 6 months, 313 patients answered the questionnaires (52% response rate). From the 313 respondents, 58% (n = 183) were men, median age was 59. The median Simplified Acute Physiology Score II was 37, median intensive care unit length of stay was 8 days, 57% (n = 177) of the patients were admitted for medical reasons. Forty percent (n = 116) of the respondents did not remember their admission to hospital, 48% (n = 142) did not remember the time in the hospital before intensive care unit admission, 73% (n = 220) had factual memories and 39% (n = 118) had delusional memories. Twenty-three percent (n = 66) stated that they had had intrusive memories. A higher number of “adverse” experiences were significantly associated with a higher PTSS-14 score. Eighteen percent (n = 54) of patients had a PTSS-14 score >49, indicating a higher risk of developing posttraumatic stress disorder. A PTSS-14 score >49 was significantly associated with not remembering the hospital stay before intensive care unit admission. Conclusion:Amnesia for the early period of critical illness (early amnesia) was positively associated with the level of posttraumatic stress disorder-related symptoms, which may be a proxy for severity of disease at the time of intensive care unit admission.
Cognitive Change Before, During, and After Short-Term Dynamic and Nondirective Psychotherapies: A Preliminary Growth Modeling Study

As part of a randomized clinical trial, in this preliminary study we investigated the shape, rate, and determinants of change in surface cognitions before, during, and after short-term anxiety-provoking psychotherapy (n = 11) and nondirective psychotherapy (n = 10). Cognitions were assessed repeatedly with the Automatic Thoughts Questionnaire (S. D. Hollon & P. C. Kendall, 1980), and data were analyzed using growth-modeling procedures. Both treatments were 20 sessions long, manualized, and conducted by experienced therapists receiving manual-guided supervision. Results showed that patients in both conditions changed significantly after pretherapy evaluation and diagnostic interviews as well as during the 2nd half of therapy. Patients with major depression did not change after the pretherapy interviews, whereas anxiety patients changed substantially and significantly faster than the depressed patients. This differential response pattern is discussed in light of self-schema theory. Lessons to be learned from this study regarding the design of future studies are highlighted.
The negative cell cycle regulators, p27Kip1, p18Ink4c, and GSK-3, play critical role in maintaining quiescence of adult human pancreatic β-cells and restrict their ability to proliferate

Adult human pancreatic β-cells are primarily quiescent (G0) yet the mechanisms controlling their quiescence are poorly understood. Here, we demonstrate, by immunofluorescence and confocal microscopy, abundant levels of the critical negative cell cycle regulators, p27(Kip1) and p18(Ink4c), 2 key members of cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) inhibitor family, and glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK-3), a serine-threonine protein kinase, in islet β-cells of adult human pancreatic tissue. Our data show that p27(Kip1) localizes primarily in β-cell nuclei, whereas, p18(Ink4c) is mostly present in β-cell cytosol. Additionally, p-p27(S10), a phosphorylated form of p27(Kip1), which was shown to interact with and to sequester cyclinD-CDK4/6 in the cytoplasm, is present in substantial amounts in β-cell cytosol. Our immunofluorescence analysis displays similar distribution pattern of p27(Kip1), p-p27(S10), p18(Ink4c) and GSK-3 in islet β-cells of adult mouse pancreatic tissue. We demonstrate marked interaction of p27(Kip1) with cyclin D3, an abundant D-type cyclin in adult human islets, and vice versa as well as with its cognate kinase partners, CDK4 and CDK6. Likewise, we show marked interaction of p18(Ink4c) with CDK4. The data collectively suggest that inhibition of CDK function by p27(Kip1) and p18(Ink4c) contributes to human β-cell quiescence. Consistent with this, we have found by BrdU incorporation assay that combined treatments of small molecule GSK-3 inhibitor and mitogen/s lead to elevated proliferation of human β-cells, which is caused partly due to p27(Kip1) downregulation. The results altogether suggest that ex vivo expansion of human β-cells is achievable via increased proliferation for β-cell replacement therapy in diabetes.
[Prevention of accidental needle sticks before the Directive 2010/32/EU in a sample of Italian hospitals].

INTRODUCTION Needlesticks and cuts are the most common occupational injuries in healthcare workers (HCWs). Directive 2010/32/EU defines principles and preventive interventions. OBJECTIVES To assess, in hospitals participating in the Italian Study on Occupational Risk of HIV (SIROH) project, which are very active in prevention, the degree of application of the measures provided for by the Directive, prior to its incorporation into Italian law. METHODS An open questionnaire covering the 9 focal points of the Directive, as a guide for a presentation at the SIROH meeting in 2013. RESULTS Of 100 SIROH hospitals, 97% and 96% respectively provide specific information and education initiatives (54% and 73% of which expressly for new employees). All centres reinforce the ban on recapping, and 30 monitor its application by inspecting sharps containers; all hospitals place containers on mobile trolleys and 78 provide operating procedures for their replacement; all introduced at least one needlestick-prevention device (NPD; 4 on average, range 1-11), most frequently intravenous catheters (91%) and winged needles (87%), but 39% only in selected units; 14 centres implemented initiatives to eliminate unnecessary needles. Regarding hepatitis B, all centres screen and vaccinate HCWs but only 78% monitor their response: 89% of HCWs were immunized. Post-exposure management protocols, although based on the same rationale, differ significantly causing considerable differences in costs. CONCLUSIONS Most of the preventive interventions covered by the Directive were implemented in SIROH hospitals. It is necessary to invest in NPD availability and dissemination, elimination of unnecessary needles, and streamline post-exposure protocols. The situation in the remaining Italian facilities should be investigated.
The concepts of depression, anxiety, and neuroticism in questionnaires

In this study, the relations among depression, anxiety, and neuroticism measured by self‐report questionnaires were investigated. Subjects were 207 psychiatric patients. High correlations were found among self‐report scales purporting to measure depression, anxiety, and neuroticism. Results of a content analysis showed considerable overlap among these scales. A division of items into six content categories did not result in lower correlations compared to the original scales.
Functional magnetic resonance imaging using non‐Fourier, spatially selective radiofrequency encoding

A new method for functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) employing non‐Fourier encoding using spatially selective radiofrequency (RF) excitation is presented. The method uses manipulation of spatially selective RF pulses to encode spins in the slice‐select direction. The method has several advantages over standard multislice approaches. It provides a simple means for monitoring irregularly distributed sections throughout a volume without the need to encode the whole volume. It offers the potential for increased signal‐to‐noise ratio if an appropriate basis is used for encoding. With a unique design of excitation pulses, it also appears possible to significantly reduce in‐flow effects. An interleaved echo‐planar imaging (EPI) sequence was adapted for non‐Fourier encoding in the slice‐select direction and was implemented on a conventional 1.5‐Telsa system. The method was then used for functional mapping of the visual and motor areas where significant reduction of in‐flow effect was demonstrated. This approach can be adapted to other imaging sequences that are used for fMRI, such as single‐shot EPI. Magn Reson Med 41:759–766, 1999. © 1999 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Online Gambling Behavior: The Impacts of Cumulative Outcomes, Recent Outcomes, and Prior Use

The objective of this work is to examine various psychological forces underlying the behavior of people's online gambling, an increasingly popular form of entertainment in the gaming industry. Drawing on extant theories, we first developed a model of how cumulative outcomes, recent outcomes, and prior use affect online gambling behavior differently. We empirically tested the model using longitudinal panel data collected over eight months from 22,304 actual users of a gambling website. The results of a multilevel panel data analysis strongly supported our hypotheses. First, consistent with gambling theory, individuals' online gambling was found to increase with any increase in a cumulative net gain or cumulative net loss. Second, as the availability heuristic prescribes, a recent loss reduced online gambling, whereas a recent gain increased it. Third, consistent with the literature on repeated behavior, regular use and extended use moderated the relationship between current and subsequent gambling. Taken together, the present study clarifies how people react differently to immediate and cumulative outcomes and also how regular use and extended use facilitate routine behavior in the context of online gambling. In general, our findings suggest that the three perspectives, i.e., gambling theory, the availability heuristic, and repeated behavior, should be taken into account to understand online gambling, which is in essence a series of risk-taking attempts with the potential of eventually becoming routine behavior. This study is expected to offer valuable insights into other types of online games that could engage people in risking real or cyber money and, at the same time, could be easily enmeshed with everyday life e.g., fantasy sports, online virtual worlds.
Stewardship Theory and Board Structure: a contingency approach

The purpose of this study was to investigate the validity of several theoretical frameworks which make different predictions about the effect of board structures on firm performance. The choice of theories was based on recognition of their prominence in governance research. The empirical analysis first tested board independence hypotheses based on two competing theories: agency and stewardship. Agency theory, with its origins in finance and economics, has received much support in academic circles. However, recently it has been challenged by stewardship theory (Donaldson & Davis 1991), which is derived from the disciplines of sociology and psychology. Stewardship predictions regarding board independence are directly opposed to those of agency theory.
User Evaluation of the Effects of a Text Simplification Algorithm Using Term Familiarity on Perception, Understanding, Learning, and Information Retention

Background Adequate health literacy is important for people to maintain good health and manage diseases and injuries. Educational text, either retrieved from the Internet or provided by a doctor’s office, is a popular method to communicate health-related information. Unfortunately, it is difficult to write text that is easy to understand, and existing approaches, mostly the application of readability formulas, have not convincingly been shown to reduce the difficulty of text. Objective To develop an evidence-based writer support tool to improve perceived and actual text difficulty. To this end, we are developing and testing algorithms that automatically identify difficult sections in text and provide appropriate, easier alternatives; algorithms that effectively reduce text difficulty will be included in the support tool. This work describes the user evaluation with an independent writer of an automated simplification algorithm using term familiarity. Methods Term familiarity indicates how easy words are for readers and is estimated using term frequencies in the Google Web Corpus. Unfamiliar words are algorithmically identified and tagged for potential replacement. Easier alternatives consisting of synonyms, hypernyms, definitions, and semantic types are extracted from WordNet, the Unified Medical Language System (UMLS), and Wiktionary and ranked for a writer to choose from to simplify the text. We conducted a controlled user study with a representative writer who used our simplification algorithm to simplify texts. We tested the impact with representative consumers. The key independent variable of our study is lexical simplification, and we measured its effect on both perceived and actual text difficulty. Participants were recruited from Amazon’s Mechanical Turk website. Perceived difficulty was measured with 1 metric, a 5-point Likert scale. Actual difficulty was measured with 3 metrics: 5 multiple-choice questions alongside each text to measure understanding, 7 multiple-choice questions without the text for learning, and 2 free recall questions for information retention. Results Ninety-nine participants completed the study. We found strong beneficial effects on both perceived and actual difficulty. After simplification, the text was perceived as simpler (P<.001) with simplified text scoring 2.3 and original text 3.2 on the 5-point Likert scale (score 1: easiest). It also led to better understanding of the text (P<.001) with 11% more correct answers with simplified text (63% correct) compared to the original (52% correct). There was more learning with 18% more correct answers after reading simplified text compared to 9% more correct answers after reading the original text (P=.003). There was no significant effect on free recall. Conclusions Term familiarity is a valuable feature in simplifying text. Although the topic of the text influences the effect size, the results were convincing and consistent.
ICT in Universities of the Western Himalayan Region of India II: A Comparative SWOT Analysis

This study presents a comparative SWOT analysis to comprehend the pattern of development of ICT within six universities of western Himalayan region of India. With the objective of achieving quality and excellence in higher education system in the region, this study provides a basis to decision makers to exploit opportunities and minimize the external threats. The SWOT analysis of different universities, placed under three categories, has been undertaken within the four-tier framework used earlier by the authors. Guided by the initiatives of National Mission on Education through ICT (NMEICT) for SWOT analysis, findings of this paper reveal, relative consistency of these three categories of universities, with the earlier study. A few suggestions, as opportunities, with an emphasis on problem solving orientation in higher education, have been made to strengthen the leadership of universities in the field of ICT.
Vorprung durch Logik: The German Analytic Tradition

Although at present analytic philosophy is practiced mainly in the English-speaking world, it is to a considerable part the invention of German speakers. Its emergence owes much to Russell, Moore, and American Pragmatism, but even more to Frege, Wittgenstein, and the logical positivists of the Vienna Circle. No one would think of analytic philosophy as a specifically Anglophone phenomenon, if the Nazis had not driven many of its pioneers out of central Europe.
Concentration dependent effect of calcium on brain mitochondrial bioenergetics and oxidative stress parameters

Mitochondrial dysfunction following traumatic brain and spinal cord injury (TBI and SCI) plays a pivotal role in the development of secondary pathophysiology and subsequent neuronal cell death. Previously, we demonstrated a loss of mitochondrial bioenergetics in the first 24 h following TBI and SCI initiates a rapid and extensive necrotic event at the primary site of injury. Within the mitochondrial derived mechanisms, the cross talk and imbalance amongst the processes of excitotoxicity, Ca2+ cycling/overload, ATP synthesis, free radical production and oxidative damage ultimately lead to mitochondrial damage followed by neuronal cell death. Mitochondria are one of the important organelles that regulate intracellular calcium (Ca2+) homeostasis and are equipped with a tightly regulated Ca2+ transport system. However, owing to the lack of consensus and the link between downstream effects of calcium in published literature, we undertook a systematic in vitro study for measuring concentration dependent effects of calcium (100–1000 nmols/mg mitochondrial protein) on mitochondrial respiration, enzyme activities, reactive oxygen/nitrogen species (ROS/RNS) generation, membrane potential (ΔΨ) and oxidative damage markers in isolated brain mitochondria. We observed a dose- and time-dependent inhibition of mitochondrial respiration by calcium without influencing mitochondrial pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (PDHC) and NADH dehydrogenase (Complex I) enzyme activities. We observed dose-dependent decreased production of hydrogen peroxide and total ROS/RNS species generation by calcium and no significant changes in protein and lipid oxidative damage markers. These results may shed new light on the prevailing dogma of the direct effects of calcium on mitochondrial bioenergetics, free radical production and oxidative stress parameters that are primary regulatory mitochondrial mechanisms following neuronal injury.
Sodium and potassium concentration and transmembrane fluxes in leukocytes.

Reported values for the potassium to sodium ratio in white blood cells range from less than 1 to about 4. This marked variability might be explained by in vitro cation shifts induced by extraordinarily high cation permeability. To test this hypothesis, human leukocytes from 5 ml of blood were maintained in plasma at 37°C and separated by differential centrifugation in specially devised microtubes, within less than 30 min after sampling. Intracellular water content was determined with tritiated water, and trapped plasma with 14C-sucrose. Under these conditions the intracellular concentration of potassium in human leukocytes was 120 SD ± 7 meq/liter cell water and of sodium 16 SD ± 5 meq/liter cell water, and the resultant ratio was higher than 7. Values in the same range were obtained in rabbit leukocytes and in polymorphonuclear granulocytes isolated from peritoneal exudate in guinea pigs. To determine the cation permeability of these white cells, unidirectional fluxes of potassium and sodium were measured with 42K and 22Na. All of these fluxes were in a range from 1.2 to 2.7 meq/liter/min, values more than 50 times faster than those observed in erythrocytes. When active fluxes were inhibited by ouabain, potassium loss and sodium gain occurred at an initial rate of about 0.7 meq/liter/ min. Marked changes also occurred upon incubation at low temperature. These very rapid fluxes demand rigid control of environmental conditions for accurate measurement of intracellular cations in leukocytes.
Foreign Direct Investment in Turkey : Regional Determinants by Joel Deichmann Socrates Karidis

The uneven regional distribution of foreign direct investment (FDI) in Turkey poses an interesting question from the perspective of multinational firms (MNFs) and policymakers alike. This paper focuses on the factors governing the location decision of MNFs within Turkey with specific reference to policy implications. Using a conditional logit model, we find that agglomeration, depth of local financial markets, human capital, and coastal access dominate the location decision for the aggregate sample of foreign investors in Turkey. Our study reveals no evidence that public investment is successful in attracting MNFs to particular regions. Also importantly, the location determinants vary dramatically by broad industrial category, investment composition, and origin country characteristics, including income category and region. J.E. L. classification: F23, R12, R30
Responsive List Construction

Research by Gail Jefferson has established that list construction in conversation can be used to perform a range of interactional tasks. This report provides an extension and application of Jefferson's work to demonstrate how this practice can be used to produce a delicately formulated, multifaceted response. A preliminary characterization of a single case of responsive list construction is presented. Next, the practice of list construction is described. List construction can be used to formulate a class of objects through an inductive procedure by moving from the particular to the general. This feature of list construction can be used to correct an error in an unexposed fashion by recasting a problematic, but possibly complete, remark as merely the first item in a list. These features of list construction are then applied as analytic resources in a further explication of an individual utterance presented at the outset of the report. Responsive list construction can be used to achieve a qualified acceptance of a prior speaker's utterance by incorporating that utterance into a list of related items, thus in effect balancing multiple social concerns.