Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Rabbit as a Novel Animal Model for Hepatitis E Virus Infection and Vaccine Evaluation

Background The identification of hepatitis E virus (HEV) from rabbits motivated us to assess the possibility of using rabbits as a non-human primate animal model for HEV infection and vaccine evaluation. Methodology/Principal Findings First, 75 rabbits were inoculated with seven strains of genotypes 1, 3, 4, and rabbit HEV, to determine the appropriate strain, administrative route and viral dosage. Second, 15 rabbits were randomly divided into three groups and vaccinated with 0 µg (placebo), 10 µg and 20 µg of HEV candidate vaccine, HEV p179, respectively. After three doses of the vaccination, the rabbits were challenged with 3.3×105 genome equivalents of genotype 4 HEV strain H4-NJ703. The strain of genotype 1 HEV was not found to be infectious for rabbits. However, approximately 80% of the animals were infected by two rabbit HEV strains. All rabbits inoculated with a genotype 3 strain were seroconverted but did not show viremia or fecal viral shedding. Although two genotype 4 strains, H4-NJ153 and H4-NJ112, only resulted in part of rabbits infected, another strain of genotype 4, H4-NJ703, had an infection rate of 100% (five out of five) when administrated intravenously. However, only two out of fifteen rabbits showed virus excretion and seroconversion when inoculated orally with H4-NJ703 of three different dosages. In the vaccine evaluation study, rabbits vaccinated with 20 µg of the HEV p179 produced anti-HEV with titers of 1∶104–1∶105 and were completely protected from infection. Rabbits vaccinated with 10 µg produced anti-HEV with titers of 1∶103–1∶104 and were protected from hepatitis, but two out of the five rabbits showed virus shedding. Conclusions/Significance Rabbits may be served as an alternative to the non-human primate models for HEV infection and vaccine evaluation when certain virus strains, appropriate viral dosages, and the intravenous route of inoculation are selected.
Vigilance behaviors and EEG activity in sustained attention may affect acute pain

During Sustained Attention to stimuli across many modalities neural activity often decreases over time on task, while Errors in task performance increase (Vigilance Decrement). Sustained Attention to pain has rarely been investigated experimentally despite its clinical significance. We have employed a Sustained Attention protocol (Continuous Performance Task, CPT) in which the subject counts painful laser stimuli (targets) when they occur randomly in a prolonged train of nonpainful nontargets. We hypothesize that the magnitude of the poststimulus oscillatory power divided by baseline power (Event-Related Spectral Perturbation, ERSP - scalp EEG) over Frontoparietal structures will decrease at all frequencies with time on task, while Beta ERSP (14-30Hz) will be correlated with Error Rates in performance of the CPT. During the CPT with a painful target ERSP was found in four separate Windows, as defined by both their frequency band and the time after the stimulus. A Vigilance Decrement was found which confirms that Sustained Attention to pain was produced by this CPT. In addition, Error Rates was correlated inversely with laser energy, and with ratings of pain unpleasantness and salience. Error Rates also were related directly to the Beta ERSP Window at scalp EEG electrodes over the central sulcus. Over time on task, the ERSP magnitude decreased in Alpha (8-14Hz) Window, was unchanged in early and late Delta/Theta Windows (0-8Hz), and increased in the Beta Window. The increase in Beta ERSP and a decrease in the Alpha ERSP occurred at the same EEG electrode over the parietal lobe to a significant degree across subjects. Overall, Beta activity increases with time on task, and with higher Error Rates as in the case of other modalities. In the case of pain increased Errors correspond to misidentification of painful and nonpainful stimuli and so modulate the sensation of pain under the influence of Sustained Attention.
Server-storage virtualization: Integration and load balancing in data centers

We describe the design of an agile data center with integrated server and storage virtualization technologies. Such data centers form a key building block for new cloud computing architectures.We also show how to leverage this integrated agility for non-disruptive load balancing in data centers across multiple resource layers - servers, switches, and storage. We propose a novel load balancing algorithm called VectorDot for handling the hierarchical and multi-dimensional resource constraints in such systems. The algorithm, inspired by the successful Toyoda method for multi-dimensional knapsacks, is the first of its kind. We evaluate our system on a range of synthetic and real data center testbeds comprising of VMware ESX servers, IBM SAN Volume Controller, Cisco and Brocade switches. Experiments under varied conditions demonstrate the end-to-end validity of our system and the ability of VectorDot to efficiently remove overloads on server, switch and storage nodes.
Virtual Communities of Practice

Barriers of time, money, and geographic isolation have caused educators and educational leaders to seek alternatives to face-to-face, in-person professional learning. Professional Learning Communities are one means of addressing these issues. This convergent parallel mixed methods case study examined one professional learning model – Virtual Communities of Practice. Qualitative and quantitative analyses of interviews and surveys captured the perceptions of four secondary English teachers and four professional learning facilitators. Further, analyses of lesson plans and guided reflections about the lesson plans added to the lesser-developed and more objective data sets having to do with the impact of teacher professional learning experiences on student learning. Findings indicated that collective efficacy, participant and facilitator vulnerability, and working to solve common problems and issues resulted in a greater sense of community among participants in the Virtual Community of Practice. Additional findings indicated that a focus of inquiry, a recognition of teachers’ diverse needs, and attention to the interstitial space could lead to better and more engaged learning in a virtual community of practice.
Motif‐based fold assignment

Conventional fold recognition techniques rely mainly on the analysis of the entire sequence of a protein. We present an MBA method to improve performance of any conventional sequence‐based fold assignment. The method uses sequence motifs, such as those defined in the Prosite database, and the SwissProt annotation of the fold library. When combined with a simple SDP method, the coverage of MBA is comparable to the results obtained with PSI‐BLAST. However, the set of the MBA predictions is significantly different from that of PSI‐BLAST, leading to a 40% increase of the coverage for the combined MBA/PSI‐BLAST method. The MBA approach can be easily adopted to include the results of sequence‐independent function prediction methods and alternative motif and annotation databases. The method is available through the web server localized at http://www.doe‐mbi.ucla. edu/mba.
Transitioning Adolescents with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders from Most-to-Least Possible Restrictive Environments: Views of Transition Service Providers

ABSTRACT This study examined the transition from most-to-least possible restrictive environments for youth with emotional and behavioral disorders. Components of positive transition experiences were identified from the literature as planning for transition at intake in such a way as to promote continuity of care, family involvement, academic and employment success, and assistance in navigating the adult mental health system and services. In this phenomenological study, transition service providers were interviewed to explore the transition practices currently utilized, and results were compared to recommended practices in the literature. Transition professionals were able to identify consistency, gradual change, individualization, communication between providers, opportunities for community experiences, and youth involvement in the transition as necessary to successful transition.
Economic Growth Centre Working Paper Series A Regime Switching Macro-finance Model of the Term Structure

This paper presents and estimates a regime switching macro- nance model of the term structure with latent and macroeconomic factors. The joint dynamics of the yield and macro factors are examined simultaneously. Both the canonical yields-only model and the macro- nance model capture two regimes in the state equation that relate to a turbulent period and a tranquil period. Statistically, the formal tests indicate signi cant bidirectional linkages between the yield curve and economic activity. I also examine how the yield factors respond to shocks to the macro factors and the feedback of the macro factors to the yield curve. Finally, I nd that the theoretical level implied by the expectations hypothesis is a good approximation of the actual level factor in the regime-shifting macro- nance model framework.
Adversarial Images for Variational Autoencoders

We investigate adversarial attacks for autoencoders. We propose a procedure that distorts the input image to mislead the autoencoder in reconstructing a completely different target image. We attack the internal latent representations, attempting to make the adversarial input produce an internal representation as similar as possible as the target's. We find that autoencoders are much more robust to the attack than classifiers: while some examples have tolerably small input distortion, and reasonable similarity to the target image, there is a quasi-linear trade-off between those aims. We report results on MNIST and SVHN datasets, and also test regular deterministic autoencoders, reaching similar conclusions in all cases. Finally, we show that the usual adversarial attack for classifiers, while being much easier, also presents a direct proportion between distortion on the input, and misdirection on the output. That proportionality however is hidden by the normalization of the output, which maps a linear layer into non-linear probabilities.
We belong together: belonging to the principal’s in-group protects teachers from the negative effects of task conflict on psychological safety

ABSTRACT Psychological safety is the shared belief that the team is safe for interpersonal risk-taking. Critical team events such as conflict and faultlines (hypothetical lines that split a team into subgroups) should impact psychological safety. Previous research has shown the benefits of task conflict on team outcomes under certain conditions and the consistently negative effects of demographic faultline strength on team outcomes. We propose that being close to the principal (what we call belonging to the principal’s in-group) should help attenuate the negative effects of task conflict and faultlines among teachers, because it is associated with a more effective working relationship. In a survey study with 244 teachers from 45 primary schools, we tested the moderating effect of belonging to the principal’s in-group vs. belonging to an out-group on the relationships of task conflict and faultlines on psychological safety. Results of multilevel model tests showed that relationship conflict (but not task conflict) and faultlines decreased psychological safety. However, when teachers belonged to the principal’s in-group as compared to an out-group, task conflict had no negative effect on psychological safety. We present implications to bridge the negative effects due to subgroup presence, so that psychological safety can become a resource for all.
Picture This: The Influence of Emotionally Valenced Images, On Attention, Selection, and Sharing of Social Media News

ABSTRACT Social media platforms have become the primary conduits to news for many consumers, yet little is known about how the content in social media posts is viewed and evaluated by consumers or how it shapes their decisions about selecting and sharing this information. A within-subjects eye-tracking experiment (N = 60), was conducted to examine the influence of image presence and valence on attention to and engagement with news stories on social media. Participants viewed a series of 29 social media posts of news stories, each of which was either paired with no image, a positively valenced image, or a negatively valenced image. Participants attention to the images was captured via eye tracking, and they answered dependent measures to gauge level of emotion and arousal, and intention to click and share. The results show that posts containing positive images elicited a higher level of visual attention than those with negative or no images, which led to higher intentions to click and share posts with positive images. The results provide a deeper understanding of the importance of images in driving news consumption, and offer practical implications for journalists, news organizations and groups using social media to spread a message.
Not All Trust Is Created Equal: Dispositional and History-Based Trust in Human-Automation Interactions

Objective: We provide an empirical demonstration of the importance of attending to human user individual differences in examinations of trust and automation use. Background: Past research has generally supported the notions that machine reliability predicts trust in automation, and trust in turn predicts automation use. However, links between user personality and perceptions of the machine with trust in automation have not been empirically established. Method: On our X-ray screening task, 255 students rated trust and made automation use decisions while visually searching for weapons in X-ray images of luggage. Results: We demonstrate that individual differences affect perceptions of machine characteristics when actual machine characteristics are constant, that perceptions account for 52% of trust variance above the effects of actual characteristics, and that perceptions mediate the effects of actual characteristics on trust. Importantly, we also demonstrate that when administered at different times, the same six trust items reflect two types of trust (dispositional trust and history-based trust) and that these two trust constructs are differentially related to other variables. Interactions were found among user characteristics, machine characteristics, and automation use. Conclusion: Our results suggest that increased specificity in the conceptualization and measurement of trust is required, future researchers should assess user perceptions of machine characteristics in addition to actual machine characteristics, and incorporation of user extraversion and propensity to trust machines can increase prediction of automation use decisions. Application: Potential applications include the design of flexible automation training programs tailored to individuals who differ in systematic ways.
Meta-analysis of leadership effectiveness in times of accelerated competition

Diese Abschlussarbeit untersuchte die Relevanz von Fuhrungsstilen im Kontext aktueller Veranderungen. Dafur wurden Meta-Analysen zu dem Zusammenhang zwischen Charakteristika von Fuhrungskraften und Effektivitatskriterien fur zwei Perioden durchgefuhrt und verglichen (N = 112.913). Uber beide Perioden spiegelten der transformationale Fuhrungsstil (k = 152) und Leader-Member Exchange (k = 173) eine starke Relevanz zu objektiver und subjektiver Leistung, Commitment, Vertrauen, Organizational Citizenship Behaviour und Arbeitszufriedenheit wider. Dabei erhohte sich nur die Korrelation zwischen transformationalen Fuhrungskompetenzen und objektiver Leistung – von 0,25 auf 0,30. Die Relevanz beider Fuhrungsstile blieb bei Commitment, Vertrauen in die Fuhrungskraft und Organizational Citizenship Behaviour etwa auf demselben Niveau. Entgegen der Hypothesen sank der Zusammenhang zu subjektiver Leistung und zu Arbeitszufriedenheit fur beide Fuhrungsstile. Zu den Merkmalen Intelligenz, Emotionaler Intelligenz und zu Substituten von Fuhrung waren nicht ausreichend Daten verfugbar. Schlieslich unterstutzten die Ergebnisse die Aussage von Bernhard Bass (1985) und John Kotter (2012) zur Relevanz transformationaler Fuhrungskompetenzen in Zeiten von Krisen, beschleunigtem Wandel und Leistungsdruck. Generell konnen der transformationale Fuhrungsstil und das Leader-Member Exchange als wichtige Job-Ressourcen fur die heutige Arbeitswelt angesehen werden.
A systematic review of the efficacy of alcohol warning labels: Insights from qualitative and quantitative research in the new millennium

Purpose The placement of warning labels on alcoholic beverages is a policy area with renewed interest, yet a strong evidence base regarding the efficacy of text-based or pictorial warning labels has still to emerge. Increased interest by policymakers has spurred research into potential alcohol warning label designs and messages. The purpose of this article is to draw together recearch in the alcohol warnings literature. Design/methodology/approach The current study seeks to review research that has sought to examine the effectiveness of alcohol warning labels. Searches for English-language articles (since 2000) using the terms “alcohol” and “warning label*” were conducted in 2015 across four databases (Web of Science, PubMed, PsycInfo and Cochrane). Articles were included if they empirically assessed the effectiveness and/or design of alcohol warning labels. Only studies that addressed the targeted individual consumer (consistent with downstream social marketing) were included. A narrative analysis approach was used for the 15 articles identified. Findings Findings are reported on five themes covering the design of the warning, starting with the use of imagery or recommendations, followed by a focus on the warning messages and whether they are specific, use signal words and are based on qualitative or quantitative information. Research limitations/implications Overall, there was little consistency in approach and measures, with very limited research having explored the potential of pictorial warning labels. Numerous research gaps are identified; thus, much more research is needed in this area. The evidence base is weak and caution is needed by policymakers regarding the introduction and implementation of alcohol warning labels. Limitations are discussed. Originality/value The review provides a timely up-to-date evaluation of the alcohol warning labels literature that has seen a recent resurgence but has not been critically reviewed.
Modulation of Airway Inflammation by Immunostimulatory CpG Oligodeoxynucleotides in a Murine Model of Allergic Aspergillosis

ABSTRACT Allergic aspergillosis is a Th2 T-lymphocyte-mediated pulmonary complication in patients with atopic asthma and cystic fibrosis. Therefore, any therapeutic strategy that selectively inhibits Th2 T-cell activation may be useful in downregulating allergic lung inflammation in asthma. In the present study, we developed a CpG oligodeoxynucleotide (ODN)-based immune intervention of allergic inflammation in a mouse model of allergic aspergillosis. Four different groups of mice were used in a short-term immunization protocol. Three experimental groups of animals (groups 1 to 3) were sensitized with Aspergillus fumigatus antigens. Animals in group 1 were immunized with A. fumigatus antigen alone, while those in group 2 were treated with CpG-ODN 1 day before the first antigen immunization, and the animals in group 3 received the first CpG-ODN administration between the antigen treatments. The animals in group 4 served as controls and were given phosphate-buffered saline. Allergen-specific serum immunoglobulins and total immunoglobulin E in different groups of animals were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, while airway remodeling and cytokine production were studied by immunohistochemistry. The results demonstrated that CpG-ODN administration either before (group 2) or between (group 3) antigen treatments resulted in reduced total immunoglobulin E levels and peripheral blood eosinophil numbers compared to A. fumigatus allergen-sensitized group 1 animals. Similarly, treatment with CpG-ODN also downregulated inflammatory cell infiltration, goblet cell hyperplasia, and basement membrane thickening compared to A. fumigatus-sensitized mice. The distinct reduction in peripheral blood eosinophilia and airway remodeling in CpG-ODN-treated mice emphasized its usefulness as an immunomodulating agent for allergic fungal diseases.
Prospective Teachers' Cognitive Constructs Concerning Ideal Teacher Qualifications: A Phenomenological Analysis Based on Repertory Grid Technique

The aim of this study is to identify cognitive constructs of prospective teachers about ideal teacher qualifications. This study was designed as phenomenological pattern which is one of the qualitative research designs. The study was conducted with 36 prospective teachers selected from Yüzüncü Yıl University, Faculty of Education. The study group was determined by using criterion sampling method as one of the purposive sampling methods. As a structured interview technique, 'repertory grid' was used for data collection. As a result of the study, 356 cognitive constructs were produced by prospective teachers about teacher qualifications and these cognitive constructs were grouped under ten categories namely communication skills, student centeredness, innovativeness, sensitivity, humaneness/joviality, teaching pedagogical skills, leadership/guidance, professional content knowledge, personal values and professional values by taking functions and similarities into consideration. Dominant categories of prospective teachers’ cognitive constructs are teaching pedagogical skills, humaneness/joviality, personal and professional values. Their cognitive constructs play an important role in developing conceptual models of ideal teaching.
The Influence of Self-Efficacy Beliefs in the Academic Performance of Latina/o Students in the United States: A Systematic Literature Review

This review had three aims: (a) examine the relationship between self-efficacy (SE) and academic performance (AP) in Latina/o students, (b) identify the types of measures of SE and AP that have been used, and (c) identify the differences between global and specific measures of SE in predicting academic performance in Latina/o students. Twenty-seven articles were included in the analysis. Major findings included the following: (a) significant and positive relationship between self-efficacy and academic performance in Latina/o students, at all educational levels, and through different types of measurements of self-efficacy and academic performance; (b) particular performance domains or content, or task-specific variables, were more favorable in the examination of the relationship between self-efficacy and academic performance than global domains; (c) Latina/o is not a homogeneous group; therefore, acculturation process, immigration status, family’ experience on higher education, affective variables, and parents’ and teachers’ support were also factors that significantly correlated with Latina/os’ academic achievement.