Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Acercamiento a las concepciones sobre la escritura y el aprendizaje: patrones de creencias de los universitarios y la calidad de su redacción académica

Introduction. In this study, the conceptions of learning and writing of a group of undergraduates enrolled in a teacher education programme were identified. The relationship between them were analysed, and a set of patterns of beliefs about learning and writing were defined. Finally, the relation between these patterns and the quality of a text written during an examination situation were discussed. Method. Fifty-two undergraduates from a large public Spanish university have taken part, most of them women (86%), with a mean age of 21.39 years. They filled a questionnaire on writing conceptions and another on learning conceptions. Moreover, they compose an informative text about the development of identity during adolescence. Results. The results support the existence of two dimensions as regards the conceptions of writing (cognitive and motivational) and three factors related to the conceptions of learning (rote, interpretative and deep). Discussion and Conclusion. The relationship between them is not completely consistent. However, the deeper and positive motivational beliefs are related to better results in text quality, while the reproductive and negative motivational beliefs are related to worse results in text quality.
Machine Learning, Deepest Learning: Statistical Data Assimilation Problems

We formulate a strong equivalence between machine learning, artificial intelligence methods and the formulation of statistical data assimilation as used widely in physical and biological sciences. The correspondence is that layer number in the artificial network setting is the analog of time in the data assimilation setting. Within the discussion of this equivalence we show that adding more layers (making the network deeper) is analogous to adding temporal resolution in a data assimilation framework. How one can find a candidate for the global minimum of the cost functions in the machine learning context using a method from data assimilation is discussed. Calculations on simple models from each side of the equivalence are reported. Also discussed is a framework in which the time or layer label is taken to be continuous, providing a differential equation, the Euler-Lagrange equation, which shows that the problem being solved is a two point boundary value problem familiar in the discussion of variational methods. The use of continuous layers is denoted "deepest learning". These problems respect a symplectic symmetry in continuous time/layer phase space. Both Lagrangian versions and Hamiltonian versions of these problems are presented. Their well-studied implementation in a discrete time/layer, while respected the symplectic structure, is addressed. The Hamiltonian version provides a direct rationale for back propagation as a solution method for the canonical momentum.
THE ROLE OF CHILD SOCIAL COGNITIVE BIASES ON CHILD SOCIAL FUNCTIONING DIFFICULTIES WITHIN A MOTHER-CHILD INTERACTION

Children with high levels of ADHD symptoms and conduct problems have difficulties developing social relationships with their peers, and these difficulties have been linked to certain social cognitive biases. The study examined the role of social cognitive biases for these children’s social behaviour within mother-child interactions. 38 children (9-12 years, 63% male) and their mothers participated. Severity of ADHD symptoms and conduct problems varied across children. Social cognitive bias measures included assessment of hostile attribution bias and positive illusory bias. Child social functioning difficulties were observed during mother-child play session. Hierarchical regression models indicated only the positive illusory bias was related to social functioning difficulties among children with high levels of ADHD symptoms and conduct problems (ps < .05). This study extends previous research by demonstrating that the positive illusory bias contributes to child social functioning difficulties within the family among children with high levels of ADHD symptoms and conduct problems.
Smart Data Pricing (SDP): Economic Solutions to Network Congestion

Advances in Internet technologies have resulted in an unprecedented growth in demand for data. In particular, the demand in the mobile Internet sector is doubling every year [1]. Given the limited wireless spectrum availability, the rate of growth in the supply of wireless capacity (per dollar of investment) is unlikely to match the rate of growth in demand in the long run. Internet Service Providers (ISPs) are therefore turning to new pricing and penalty schemes in an effort to manage the demand on their network, while also matching their prices to cost. But changes in pricing and accounting mechanisms, if not done carefully, can have significant consequences for the entire network ecosystem. Multiple stakeholders in this ecosystem, including operators, consumers, regulators, content providers, hardware and software developers, and architects of network technologies, have all been tackling these issues of charging and allocating limited network resources. Even back in 1974, while writing about the future challenges of computer communication networks, Leonard Kleinrock [2] noted:
A Gelsolin-like Protein from Papaver rhoeas Pollen (PrABP80) Stimulates Calcium-regulated Severing and Depolymerization of Actin Filaments*

The cytoskeleton is a key regulator of plant morphogenesis, sexual reproduction, and cellular responses to extracellular stimuli. During the self-incompatibility response of Papaver rhoeas L. (field poppy) pollen, the actin filament network is rapidly depolymerized by a flood of cytosolic free Ca2+ that results in cessation of tip growth and prevention of fertilization. Attempts to model this dramatic cytoskeletal response with known pollen actin-binding proteins (ABPs) revealed that the major G-actin-binding protein profilin can account for only a small percentage of the measured depolymerization. We have identified an 80-kDa, Ca2+-regulated ABP from poppy pollen (PrABP80) and characterized its biochemical properties in vitro. Sequence determination by mass spectrometry revealed that PrABP80 is related to gelsolin and villin. The molecular weight, lack of filament cross-linking activity, and a potent severing activity are all consistent with PrABP80 being a plant gelsolin. Kinetic analysis of actin assembly/disassembly reactions revealed that substoichiometric amounts of PrABP80 can nucleate actin polymerization from monomers, block the assembly of profilin-actin complex onto actin filament ends, and enhance profilin-mediated actin depolymerization. Fluorescence microscopy of individual actin filaments provided compelling, direct evidence for filament severing and confirmed the actin nucleation and barbed end capping properties. This is the first direct evidence for a plant gelsolin and the first example of efficient severing by a plant ABP. We propose that PrABP80 functions at the center of the self-incompatibility response by creating new filament pointed ends for disassembly and by blocking barbed ends from profilin-actin assembly.
Analysis of the greedy approach in problems of maximum k‐coverage

In this paper, we consider a general covering problem in which k subsets are to be selected such that their union covers as large a weight of objects from a universal set of elements as possible. Each subset selected must satisfy some structural constraints. We analyze the quality of a k-stage covering algorithm that relies, at each stage, on greedily selecting a subset that gives maximum improvement in terms of overall coverage. We show that such greedily constructed solutions are guaranteed to be within a factor of 1 − 1/e of the optimal solution. In some cases, selecting a best solution at each stage may itself be difficult; we show that if a β-approximate best solution is chosen at each stage, then the overall solution constructed is guaranteed to be within a factor of 1 − 1/eβ of the optimal. Our results also yield a simple proof that the number of subsets used by the greedy approach to achieve entire coverage of the universal set is within a logarithmic factor of the optimal number of subsets. Examples of problems that fall into the family of general covering problems considered, and for which the algorithmic results apply, are discussed. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Naval Research Logistics 45: 615–627, 1998
On the Control and Properties of Supercoiled Polymer Artificial Muscles

Robotics have long sought an actuation technology comparable to or as capable as biological muscle tissue. Natural muscles exhibit a high power-to-weight ratio, inherent compliance and damping, fast action, and a high dynamic range. They also produce joint displacements and forces without the need for gearing or additional hardware. Recently, supercoiled commercially available polymer threads (sewing thread or nylon fishing lines) have been used to create significant mechanical power in a muscle-like form factor. Heating and cooling the polymer threads causes contraction and expansion, which can be utilized for actuation. In this paper, we describe the working principle of supercoiled polymer (SCP) actuation and explore the controllability and properties of these threads. We show that under appropriate environmental conditions, the threads are suitable as a building block for a controllable artificial muscle. We leverage off-the-shelf silver-coated threads to enable rapid electrical heating while the low thermal mass allows for rapid cooling. We utilize both thermal and thermomechanical models for feed-forward and feedback control. The resulting SCP actuator regulates to desired force levels in as little as 28 ms. Together with its inherent stiffness and damping, this is sufficient for a position controller to execute large step movements in under 100 ms. This controllability, high performance, the mechanical properties, and the extremely low material cost are indicative of a viable artificial muscle.
On the Sum-Rate of Uplink MIMO Cellular Systems with Amplify-and-Forward Relaying and Collaborative Base Stations

Cooperation and relaying are emerging technologies as flexible solutions for improving the capacity of cellular systems. Motivated by this, we investigate the asymptotic achievable sum-rate for multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) multiple-access cellular systems in the uplink employing cooperative base stations (BSs) and amplify-and-forward (AF) relaying. In our model, the antennas at the user equipments (UEs), relay terminals, and BSs are correlated and there are direct links between UEs and BSs. Using the replica method, we derive the large-system sum-rate for the uplink system using joint optimal decoding (JOD) as well as separate detection and decoding (SDD) and show that each UE's performance can be characterized by a vector Gaussian channel with an appropriate vector input, an effective channel gain, and a vector Gaussian noise. Based on the asymptotic result, we also devise an efficient algorithm to determine the asymptotic optimum transmit matrices for the UEs and relays that can maximize the sum-rate of the MIMO multiple-access cellular network if the spatial channel covariance information (CCI) is available and exploited at the UEs and the relay terminals.
A Complex Role of Herpes Viruses in the Disease Process of Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the central nervous system (CNS). Neither the antigenic target(s) nor the cell population(s) responsible for CNS tissue destruction in MS have been fully defined. The objective of this study was to simultaneously determine the antigen (Ag)-specificity and phenotype of un-manipulated intrathecal CD4+ and CD8+ T cells of patients with relapsing-remitting and progressive MS compared to subjects with other inflammatory neurological diseases. We applied a novel Ag-recognition assay based on co-cultures of freshly obtained cerebrospinal fluid T cells and autologous dendritic cells pre-loaded with complex candidate Ag's. We observed comparably low T cell responses to complex auto-Ag's including human myelin, brain homogenate, and cell lysates of apoptotically modified oligodendroglial and neuronal cells in all cohorts and both compartments. Conversely, we detected a strong intrathecal enrichment of Epstein-Barr virus- and human herpes virus 6-specific (but not cytomegalovirus-specific) reactivities of the Th1-phenotype throughout all patients. Qualitatively, the intrathecal enrichment of herpes virus reactivities was more pronounced in MS patients. This enrichment was completely reversed by long-term treatment with the IL-2 modulating antibody daclizumab, which strongly inhibits MS disease activity. Finally, we observed a striking discrepancy between diminished intrathecal T cell proliferation and enhanced cytokine production of herpes virus-specific T cells among progressive MS patients, consistent with the phenotype of terminally differentiated cells. The data suggest that intrathecal administration of novel therapeutic agents targeting immune cells outside of the proliferation cycle may be necessary to effectively eliminate intrathecal inflammation in progressive MS.
The genetic epidemiology of schizophrenia in a Finnish twin cohort. A population-based modeling study.

BACKGROUND The magnitude of heritability of schizophrenia remains controversial, due in part to limitations of estimates derived from index twin pairs exclusively. We applied structural equation modeling in a total population of twins to determine the significance and magnitudes of the genetic and environmental contributions to schizophrenia. METHODS All monozygotic (1180 male and 1315 female pairs) and same-sex dizygotic (2765 male and 2613 female pairs) twins born from 1940 to 1957 in Finland were screened for nonorganic psychotic disorder diagnoses as recorded on an inpatient or outpatient basis or from an eligibility review for a disability pension. RESULTS The lifetime prevalence of schizophrenia was 2.0%, with a marginally higher prevalence in men (2.2%) than women (1.8%). Model fitting indicated that 83% of the variance in liability was due to additive genetic factors, and the remaining 17% was due to unique environmental factors. Sex-limitation modeling revealed no evidence of sex-specific genetic effects and no sex difference in the magnitude of heritability. A multiple threshold model incorporating affective and other psychoses as a phenotype intermediate between schizophrenia and no diagnosis was rejected. CONCLUSIONS In a population-based twin study of schizophrenia, heritability was estimated at 83%, with the remaining variance in liability attributed to environmental factors not shared in common among co-twins. Despite the notable limitation of using diagnoses ascertained through treatment contacts, the heritability estimate in this study is almost identical to those reported in recent studies of index pairs using standardized applications of DSM-III or later criteria.
Specific Tandem 3'UTR Patterns and Gene Expression Profiles in Mouse Thy1+ Germline Stem Cells

A recently developed strategy of sequencing alternative polyadenylation (APA) sites (SAPAS) with second-generation sequencing technology can be used to explore complete genome-wide patterns of tandem APA sites and global gene expression profiles. spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) maintain long-term reproductive abilities in male mammals. The detailed mechanisms by which SSCs self-renew and generate mature spermatozoa are not clear. To understand the specific alternative polyadenylation pattern and global gene expression profile of male germline stem cells (GSCs, mainly referred to SSCs here), we isolated and purified mouse Thy1+ cells from testis by magnetic-activated cell sorting (MACS) and then used the SAPAS method for analysis, using pluripotent embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and differentiated mouse embryonic fibroblast cells (MEFs) as controls. As a result, we obtained 99,944 poly(A) sites, approximately 40% of which were newly detected in our experiments. These poly(A) sites originated from three mouse cell types and covered 17,499 genes, including 831 long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) genes. We observed that GSCs tend to have shorter 3'UTR lengths while MEFs tend towards longer 3'UTR lengths. We also identified 1337 genes that were highly expressed in GSCs, and these genes were highly consistent with the functional characteristics of GSCs. Our detailed bioinformatics analysis identified APA site-switching events at 3'UTRs and many new specifically expressed genes in GSCs, which we experimentally confirmed. Furthermore, qRT-PCR was performed to validate several events of the 334 genes with distal-to-proximal poly(A) switch in GSCs. Consistently APA reporter assay confirmed the total 3'UTR shortening in GSCs compared to MEFs. We also analyzed the cis elements around the proximal poly(A) site preferentially used in GSCs and found C-rich elements may contribute to this regulation. Overall, our results identified the expression level and polyadenylation site profiles and these data provide new insights into the processes potentially involved in the GSC life cycle and spermatogenesis.
Regulatory T Cells Limit Vascular Endothelial Injury and Prevent Pulmonary Hypertension

Rationale: Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is an incurable disease associated with viral infections and connective tissue diseases. The relationship between inflammation and disease pathogenesis in these disorders remains poorly understood. Objective: To determine whether immune dysregulation due to absent T-cell populations directly contributes to the development of PAH. Methods and Results: Vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR2) blockade induced significant pulmonary endothelial apoptosis in T-cell-deficient rats but not in immune-reconstituted (IR) rats. T cell–lymphopenia in association with VEGFR2 blockade resulted in periarteriolar inflammation with macrophages, and B cells even prior to vascular remodeling and elevated pulmonary pressures. IR prevented early inflammation and attenuated PAH development. IR with either CD8 T cells alone or with CD4-depleted spleen cells was ineffective in preventing PAH, whereas CD4-depleting immunocompetent euthymic animals increased PAH susceptibility. IR with either CD4+CD25hi or CD4+CD25− T cell subsets prior to vascular injury attenuated the development of PAH. IR limited perivascular inflammation and endothelial apoptosis in rat lungs in association with increased FoxP3+, IL-10- and TGF-&bgr;-expressing CD4 cells, and upregulation of pulmonary bone morphogenetic protein receptor type 2 (BMPR2)–expressing cells, a receptor that activates endothelial cell survival pathways. Conclusions: PAH may arise when regulatory T-cell (Treg) activity fails to control endothelial injury. These studies suggest that regulatory T cells normally function to limit vascular injury and may protect against the development of PAH.
Successive integer-forcing and its sum-rate optimality

Integer-forcing receivers generalize traditional linear receivers for the multiple-input multiple-output channel by decoding integer-linear combinations of the transmitted streams, rather then the streams themselves. Previous works have shown that the additional degree of freedom in choosing the integer coefficients enables this receiver to approach the performance of maximum-likelihood decoding in various scenarios. Nonetheless, even for the optimal choice of integer coefficients, the additive noise at the equalizer's output is still correlated. In this work we study a variant of integer-forcing, termed successive integer-forcing, that exploits these noise correlations to improve performance. This scheme is the integer-forcing counterpart of successive interference cancellation for traditional linear receivers. Similarly to the latter, we show that successive integer-forcing is capacity achieving when it is possible to optimize the rate allocation to the different streams. In comparison to standard successive interference cancellation receivers, the successive integer-forcing receiver offers more possibilities for capacity achieving rate tuples, and in particular, ones that are more balanced.
Environmental Research and Public Health an Overview of the Control of Bacterial Pathogens in Cattle Manure

Cattle manure harbors microbial constituents that make it a potential source of pollution in the environment and infections in humans. Knowledge of, and microbial assessment of, manure is crucial in a bid to prevent public health and environmental hazards through the development of better management practices and policies that should govern manure handling. Physical, chemical and biological methods to reduce pathogen population in manure do exist, but are faced with challenges such as cost, odor pollution, green house gas emission, etc. Consequently, anaerobic digestion of animal manure is currently one of the most widely used treatment method that can help to salvage the above-mentioned adverse effects and in addition, produces biogas that can serve as an alternative/complementary source of energy. However, this method has to be monitored closely as it could be fraught with challenges during operation, caused by the inherent characteristics of the manure. In addition, to further reduce bacterial pathogens to a significant level, anaerobic digestion can be combined with other methods such as thermal, aerobic and physical methods. In this paper, we review the bacterial composition of cattle manure as well as methods engaged in the control of pathogenic microbes present in manure and recommendations that need to be respected and implemented in order to prevent microbial contamination of the environment, animals and humans.
Qualitative variations in personality inventories: subjective understandings of items in a personality inventory

ABSTRACT Most studies using personality inventories do not take individual, subjective understandings of the items into account. The present study is one of the few to have investigated the quality of individuals’ psychological processes when making the Likert-like responses often used in psychological inventories. Respondents were asked to elaborate verbally on their Likert item responses to the 10-item short version of the Big Five Inventory. A common assumption about personality inventories is that there is a relatively homogenous understanding of the items and, in particular, the rating scales across respondents. However, our results suggest that the same item responses to a given item can reflect a variety of qualities across individuals’ understandings. At the same time, similar understandings and ways of relating to an item can lead to different item responses. Such findings have substantial implications for quantitative personality studies as well as quantitative survey or questionnaire studies, in general.
Anxiety Symptoms in African American Youth

This study examined the effects of pubertal status, pubertal timing (actual and perceived), and youth biological sex on symptom dimensions of anxiety (i.e., social, separation, harm avoidance, physical) in African Americans (n = 252; ages 8-12). For girls, results indicated that pubertal status and timing (actual) exerted similar effects for some symptom dimensions of anxiety but not others. Early pubertal timing predicted high levels of physical symptoms, whereas beginning puberty (i.e., no menarche, but either breasts or pubic hair growth) and early pubertal timing predicted high levels of harm avoidance. For boys, only perceived pubertal timing predicted high levels of social, separation, harm avoidance, and physical symptoms. Pubertal effects (status and timing [actual]) on harm avoidance and physical symptoms were stronger for girls than for boys. These findings extend the literature on anxiety in African American youth and may help identify novel, high-risk subgroups of this population for targeted prevention and intervention programs.