Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Differential regulation of SOCS‐1 signalling in B and T lymphocytes by hepatitis C virus core protein

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is characterized by a strong propensity toward chronicity, autoimmune phenomena and lymphomagenesis, supporting a role for lymphocyte dysregulation during persistent viral infection. We have shown that HCV core protein inhibits T‐cell functions through interaction with a complement receptor, gC1qR. Here, we further report that B cells also express gC1qR that can be bound by HCV core protein. Importantly, using flow cytometry, we demonstrated differential regulation of B and T lymphocytes by the HCV core–gC1qR interaction, with down‐regulation of CD69 activation in T cells but up‐regulation of CD69 activation and cell proliferation in B cells. HCV core treatment led to decreased interferon‐γ production in CD8+ T cells but to increased immunoglobulin M and immunoglobulin G production as well as cell surface expression of costimulatory and chemokine receptors, including CD86 (B7‐2), CD154 (CD40L) and CD195 (CCR5), in CD20+ B cells. Finally, we showed down‐regulation of suppressor of cytokine signalling‐1 (SOCS‐1) using real‐time reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction, accompanied by up‐regulation of signal transducer and activator of transcription‐1 (STAT1) phosphorylation in B cells in response to HCV core protein, with the opposite pattern observed in HCV core‐treated T cells. This study demonstrates differential regulation of B and T lymphocytes by HCV core and supports a mechanism by which lymphocyte dysregulation occurs in the course of persistent HCV infection.
Four scenarios for determining the size and reusability of learning objects

The best method for determining the size of learning objects (LOs) so as to optimise their reusability has been a topic of debate for years now. Although there appears to be agreement on basic assumptions, developed guidelines and principles are often in conflict. This study shows that this confusion stems from the fact that in the literature, hardly any attention is paid to different types of reusability. This study not only shows that there are different types of reusability, but also that different types of reusability go together with different principles for developing LOs and for determining LO size. A grounded theory analysis was performed on separate statements on LO development in 71 selected publications from LO literature. This resulted in the development of four scenarios for LO development, each with their own definition of reusability and their own principle for determining the size of LOs. A field test with 11 experts showed that the scenarios are recognisable. In higher education, educational technologists often assist amateur LO developers. Educational technologists can use the scenarios to determine which definition of reusability is applicable to their situation and which principle for determining the size of LOs should be applied.
Improved Models for Analysis of Motor-Cortical Signals

In recent years, devices capable of linking the brain to the external world have been developed. Such devices directly measure the output of multiple neurons simultaneously. One obvious application of this technology is in helping those who are movement impaired; in theory it would be possible to implant such a device in the brain, and use its output to control movement of a robotic prosthetic limb, for instance. However, to achieve this goal, it is necessary to first understand the relationship between movement and neural signals. We consider data collected from rhesus monkeys in experiments, and propose a model for describing this relationship. The model generalizes several previously-considered models from the neuroscience literature, and allows individual neurons to (1) encode different kinematic variables, and (2) to have more general spike count distributions. The proposed model is used to decode cortical signals recorded for 258 neurons in the ventral premotor cortex of rhesus monkeys during an ellipse-drawing task, and we demonstrate that relative to the existing models, a substantial reduction in mean squared error is achieved.
Invisible Writing: An Exploration of Attitudes towards Undergraduate Use of Standard Written English in UK Higher Education

Joan Turner (2004) suggests that for some students language only becomes ‘visible’ as a problem. With the expansion of UK higher education, more students will be discriminated against as their written language becomes visible . Recent scholarship recognises different literacies that students bring to higher education (Lea and Street 2000) and advocates moving away from a skills approach towards one which centres on how writers make meaning. This article endorses this positive progression from the ‘student deficit’ model but argues for an honest assessment of how students who do not already produce Standard Written English (Elbow 2000) can make their writing invisible so that readers are not distracted by ‘surface’ elements of the writing. Using empirical evidence and Pierre Bourdieu’s notion of ‘cultural capital’, it addresses a reluctance or inability to develop pedagogical solutions to a problem which is rooted in a persistently elitist and gate-keeping model of higher education.
Immune Connection in Glioma: Fiction, Fact and Option

After the hypothesis of ‘immune surveillance’ in tumor proposed in 1970, several investigations showed the evidences of its existence where immune system is able to recognize the defects due to tumor onset (MacFarlan Burnet, 1970). But how far this surveillance is effective in the compartmentalized brain in case of glioma still remains a big uncertainty. Glioma is one of the deadliest types of cancer for its rapid growth, invasiveness and short life expectancy of the victim. So, figuring out of the extent of host immune efficiency in glioma is crucial. As glioma is able to create a hostile environment for the immune cells by releasing different soluble factors, expressing death receptors and by receptor camouflaging etc, the working situation for the host immunity becomes more difficult. Therefore, proper assessment of the role of brain immune connection in glioma is crucial to explore the probable level of support that can be extended by the immune defense mechanism against glioma. This immune resistance is also vital to support the present therapeutic modalities including adjuvants used for treating glioma.
Elementary Teachers' Views on the Nature of Scientific Knowledge: A Comparison of Inservice and Preservice Teachers Approach

Nature of science (NOS) refers to the epistemology of science including values and beliefs inherent in science and its development through scientific inquiry. This study examined the differential views on NOS between 348 inservice and 110 preservice elementary teachers, measured by a survey instrument, adopted from the Student Understanding of Science and Scientific Inquiry instrument. Four distinctive scales showed reasonable reliability. It also examined whether preservice teachers' views of NOS change after a science methods class that focuses on inquiry-based science instruction. Preservice teachers before the class did not have different NOS views from inservice teachers. However, after the class, preservice teachers showed significant changes in their views on NOS and their views were significantly different from those of inservice teachers. Inservice teachers' NOS views were not influenced by their preference of teaching science or their experience teaching science using science kits.
Frecuencia de burnout en deportistas jóvenes: estudio exploratorio

With a sample of 33 young tennis players, we will try ro prove the hypothesis held by some authors regarding existence of "burnout" in young sportsmen. The results obtained horn this field work show a high frecuency of appearance of the differential featutes of the syndrome. At the same time, the relationship between "burnout" and the likelihood of an early giving-up of sports practice seems clear, whereas the satisfactions resulting from sport practice do not seem to be related to the syndrome.
Second Primary Cancer Risk among Kidney Cancer Patients in Korea: A Population-Based Cohort Study

Purpose Secondary primary cancers (SPCs) commonly arise in patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC). We designed the present study to estimate the SPC incidence in Korean patients with RCC. Materials and Methods The study cohort was population-based and consisted of 40,347 individuals from the Korean Central Cancer Registry who were diagnosed with primary renal cancer between 1993 and 2013. Standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) for SPCs were estimated for different ages at diagnosis, latencies, diagnostic periods, and treatments. Results For patients with primary RCC, the risk of developing a SPC was higher than the risk of developing cancer in the general population (SIR, 1.13; 95% confidence interval, 1.08 to 1.18). Most cancer types showed higher incidences in patients with RCC than in the general population. However, the relative incidence of gastric cancer as an SPC varied by age. Gastric cancer incidence was elevated in young patients (< 30 years) with RCC, but reduced in older (≥ 30) patients with RCC. Patients with advanced RCC died prematurely, regardless of SPC development. In contrast, those with early-stage RCC survived for longer periods, although SPC development affected their post-RCC survival. After SPC development, women had better survival than men. Conclusion In Korean patients with primary RCC, the incidence of SPC was 13% higher than the incidence of cancer in the general population. These findings may play important roles in the conduct of follow-up evaluations and education for patients with RCC.
MobiFuzzyTrust: An Efficient Fuzzy Trust Inference Mechanism in Mobile Social Networks

Mobile social networks (MSNs) facilitate connections between mobile users and allow them to find other potential users who have similar interests through mobile devices, communicate with them, and benefit from their information. As MSNs are distributed public virtual social spaces, the available information may not be trustworthy to all. Therefore, mobile users are often at risk since they may not have any prior knowledge about others who are socially connected. To address this problem, trust inference plays a critical role for establishing social links between mobile users in MSNs. Taking into account the nonsemantical representation of trust between users of the existing trust models in social networks, this paper proposes a new fuzzy inference mechanism, namely MobiFuzzyTrust, for inferring trust semantically from one mobile user to another that may not be directly connected in the trust graph of MSNs. First, a mobile context including an intersection of prestige of users, location, time, and social context is constructed. Second, a mobile context aware trust model is devised to evaluate the trust value between two mobile users efficiently. Finally, the fuzzy linguistic technique is used to express the trust between two mobile users and enhance the human's understanding of trust. Real-world mobile dataset is adopted to evaluate the performance of the MobiFuzzyTrust inference mechanism. The experimental results demonstrate that MobiFuzzyTrust can efficiently infer trust with a high precision.
THE EFFECTS OF MIDDLE SCHOOL BULLYING AND VICTIMIZATION ON ADJUSTMENT THROUGH HIGH SCHOOL: GROWTH MODELING OF ACHIEVEMENT, SCHOOL ATTENDANCE, AND DISCIPLINARY TRAJECTORIES

The current 5-year longitudinal study examined the effects of middle school bullying and victimization on adolescent academic achievement, disciplinary referrals, and school attendance through high school (N = 2030; 1016 both boys and girls). Greater engagement in bullying behaviors was concurrently associated with lower achievement and school attendance for girls and higher levels of disciplinary problems, and, for girls, predicted increases in disciplinary referrals through high school. Victimization was unrelated to school adjustment difficulties when controlling for bullying. Moreover, academic achievement was longitudinally associated with disciplinary referrals and school attendance. These findings outline concurrent school adjustment difficulties associated with engagement in bullying behavior, the longer-term behavioral ramifications for girls, and the relations of behavioral and academic development from middle school to high school.
Halorhabdus tiamatea: proteogenomics and glycosidase activity measurements identify the first cultivated euryarchaeon from a deep-sea anoxic brine lake as potential polysaccharide degrader

Euryarchaea from the genus Halorhabdus have been found in hypersaline habitats worldwide, yet are represented by only two isolates: Halorhabdus utahensis AX-2T from the shallow Great Salt Lake of Utah, and Halorhabdus tiamatea SARL4BT from the Shaban deep-sea hypersaline anoxic lake (DHAL) in the Red Sea. We sequenced the H. tiamatea genome to elucidate its niche adaptations. Among sequenced archaea, H. tiamatea features the highest number of glycoside hydrolases, the majority of which were expressed in proteome experiments. Annotations and glycosidase activity measurements suggested an adaptation towards recalcitrant algal and plant-derived hemicelluloses. Glycosidase activities were higher at 2% than at 0% or 5% oxygen, supporting a preference for low-oxygen conditions. Likewise, proteomics indicated quinone-mediated electron transport at 2% oxygen, but a notable stress response at 5% oxygen. Halorhabdus tiamatea furthermore encodes proteins characteristic for thermophiles and light-dependent enzymes (e.g. bacteriorhodopsin), suggesting that H. tiamatea evolution was mostly not governed by a cold, dark, anoxic deep-sea habitat. Using enrichment and metagenomics, we could demonstrate presence of similar glycoside hydrolase-rich Halorhabdus members in the Mediterranean DHAL Medee, which supports that Halorhabdus species can occupy a distinct niche as polysaccharide degraders in hypersaline environments.
What We Don't Know About Sex Differences

I can think of few activities more enervating emotionally than to survey the psychological literature on sex differences. I first did so about 15 years ago, soon after the birth of contemporary American feminism, and was taken aback by the gap between the actual, enfeebled state of our knowledge, and the dogmatic self-assertion of so much then being written on the topic. Since that time, things both have and have not changed. What has changed is the sheer quantity of work done or in progress, a dearth having become a glut; what has not changed is our depth of understanding. The abundance of new data has produced no breakthroughs, no new insights, and few bases for changes of heart or mind. If you believed fifteen years ago that sex differences, the important ones, were at bottom biological in origin, you would have no compelling reason to believe otherwise today. If you were a doctrinaire environmentalist then, you would still be so today. In either case, you could muster far more support for your position than previously, as in fact you could for all positions between the extremes. So one major reason to be dispirited is the strong sense one gets of a discipline merely treading water-it is depressing to read through dozens of laborious articles reporting minor variations on this or that empirical theme, to find that in the end they add up to little in the way of enhanced understanding. To some considerable degree, these problems reflect a larger set of problems we find in social science generally: given a complex topic, it is extraordinarily difficult to obtain secure, non-trivial findings, and to articulate compelling or even heuristic theoretical models. The optimism we once had about the powers of social science, our belief that it would soon clarify and help resolve a wide range of social and psychological troubles-that optimism, so strongly felt in the 1950's and 1960's, now seems heady if not utopian. Yet these generic problems are compounded, within the do-
Immunohiostochemical localization of two types of fatty acid‐binding proteins in rat ovaries during postnatal development and in immature rat ovaries treated with gonadotropins

Background: The ovary of adult rats expresses two types of cytoplasmic fatty acid binding proteins (FABP), i.e., Heart FABP (H‐FABP) and intestinal 15 kDa proteins (I‐15p). We studied immunohistochemically the cellular localizations of these FABPs in the ovaries of rts at various postnatal ages and in the ovaries of immature (3‐week‐old)rats treated with pregnant mare serum gonadotropin (PMSG) and human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG).
The effects of Film-based instruction on Japanese students' attitudes toward learning English

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of film-based instruction on Japanese high school students’ attitudes toward learning English. The student subjects consisted of two groups: an experimental group and a control group, and they are Japanese high school students who study at a public high school in Osaka. Preand post questionnaires were conducted to examine the effects of the film-based instruction. Research findings indicate the positive effects on improving learner’s attitudes toward learning English,
Cerebral Palsy in 1-12 Year Old Children in Southern Iran

Objective Cerebral palsy (CP) is a non-progressive CNS disorder due to an insult to the growing brain, usually occurring in the first two years of life. During the recent years, its etiology has been changed; perinatal and postnatal insults are not considered as its main causes in developed countries any more. The aim of this study was to evaluate the causes of CP in children in southern Iran. Materials & Methods Overall, 200 children with CP aged 1-12 yr old referring to Pediatric Neurology Clinic affiliated to Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran between 2012 and 2013 were enrolled. In addition, 200 healthy age and sex-matched children were considered as the control group. Exclusion criteria were isolated movement disorders with no other evidence of CP, progressive neurologic disorders, metabolic disorders, and incomplete or uncertain past history. After collecting the data on pregnancy period, prenatal history and past medical problems, they were analyzed with appropriate statistical methods. Results Maternal age, medical problems during pregnancy period, route of delivery, head circumference at birth, neonatal admission, neonatal jaundice, and prematurity were the main risk factors for CP. Discussion The distribution of risk factors of CP is different from that of developed countries in our region. Pre- and peri-natal etiologies are still among the common causes of CP in Iran.
Linearizability with Ownership Transfer

Linearizability is a commonly accepted notion of correctness for libraries of concurrent algorithms. Unfortunately, it assumes a complete isolation between a library and its client, with interactions limited to passing values of a given data type. This is inappropriate for common programming languages, where libraries and their clients can communicate via the heap, transferring the ownership of data structures, and can even run in a shared address space without any memory protection. In this paper, we present the first definition of linearizability that lifts this limitation and establish an Abstraction Theorem: while proving a property of a client of a concurrent library, we can soundly replace the library by its abstract implementation related to the original one by our generalisation of linearizability. This allows abstracting from the details of the library implementation while reasoning about the client. We also prove that linearizability with ownership transfer can be derived from the classical one if the library does not access some of data structures transferred to it by the client.
α‐1‐Antitrypsin is an endogenous inhibitor of proinflammatory cytokine production in whole blood

Several observations suggest endogenous suppressors of inflammatory mediators are present in human blood. α‐1‐Antitrypsin (AAT) is the most abundant serine protease inhibitor in blood, and AAT possesses anti‐inflammatory activity in vitro and in vivo. Here, we show that in vitro stimulation of whole blood from persons with a genetic AAT deficiency resulted in enhanced cytokine production compared with blood from healthy subjects. Using whole blood from healthy subjects, dilution of blood with RPMI tissue‐culture medium, followed by incubation for 18 h, increased spontaneous production of IL‐8, TNF‐α, IL‐1β, and IL‐1R antagonist (IL‐1Ra) significantly, compared with undiluted blood. Dilution‐induced cytokine production suggested the presence of one or more circulating inhibitors of cytokine synthesis present in blood. Serially diluting blood with tissue‐culture medium in the presence of cytokine stimulation with heat‐killed Staphylococcus epidermidis (S. epi) resulted in 1.2‐ to 55‐fold increases in cytokine production compared with S. epi stimulation alone. Diluting blood with autologous plasma did not increase the production of IL‐8, TNF‐α, IL‐1β, or IL‐1Ra, suggesting that the endogenous, inhibitory activity of blood resided in plasma. In whole blood, diluted and stimulated with S. epi, exogenous AAT inhibited IL‐8, IL‐6, TNF‐α, and IL‐1β significantly but did not suppress induction of the anti‐inflammatory cytokines IL‐1Ra and IL‐10. These ex vivo and in vitro observations suggest that endogenous AAT in blood contributes to the suppression of proinflammatory cytokine synthesis.
Tight Bounds for Bandit Combinatorial Optimization

We revisit the study of optimal regret rates in bandit combinatorial optimization---a fundamental framework for sequential decision making under uncertainty that abstracts numerous combinatorial prediction problems. We prove that the attainable regret in this setting grows as $\widetilde{\Theta}(k^{3/2}\sqrt{dT})$ where $d$ is the dimension of the problem and $k$ is a bound over the maximal instantaneous loss, disproving a conjecture of Audibert, Bubeck, and Lugosi (2013) who argued that the optimal rate should be of the form $\widetilde{\Theta}(k\sqrt{dT})$. Our bounds apply to several important instances of the framework, and in particular, imply a tight bound for the well-studied bandit shortest path problem. By that, we also resolve an open problem posed by Cesa-Bianchi and Lugosi (2012).
Using Univariate Bezier Distributions to Model Simulation Input Processes

In this paper we describe a graphical, interactive technique for modeling univariate simulation input processes with a distribution family based on Bezier curves. This family has an open-ended parameterization and is capable of accurately representing an unlimited variety of distributional shapes. Our input-modeling technique is implemented in a self-contained, Windows-based software system called PRIME-PRobabilistic Input Modeling Environment. Several examples illustrate the application of this technique.