Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Impact of media literacy education on knowledge and behavioral intention of adolescents in dealing with media messages according to Stages of Change

Introduction: Mass media influence the health behaviors of adolescents. Evidence shows that traditional strategies such as censorship or limitation are no longer efficient; therefore, teaching media literacy is the best way to protect adolescents from harmful effects. The aim of this pilot study was to evaluate the effects of a media literacy training program on knowledge and behavioral intention of a sample of female students according to the stages of change in dealing with media messages. Methods: The study was conducted based on a pre-test and post-test control group design. Some 198 female students including 101 in the intervention group and 97 in the control group participated in this study. The educational program was run using interactive teaching-learning techniques. Data collection was performed using a validated and reliable self-administered questionnaire in three phases including a pre-test, post-test, 1 and post-test, 2. The research data was analyzed through SPSS statistical software, version 14 using both descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: The results of the study showed a significant increase (p=0.001) in the intervention group’s knowledge mean scores after the training program. On the other hand, the difference was not significant in the control group (p=0.200). A considerable percentage of the participants, in the intervention and control groups, were in pre contemplation and contemplation stages in the pre-test (64 and 61, respectively). After the intervention, however, a significant improvement (p=0.001) was observed in the intervention group’s stages of change compared to that in the control group. The distribution of the control group students regarding the stages of change was similar to that in the pre-test. Conclusion: The study findings revealed that the planned education programs are efficient to improve the adolescents’ knowledge and behavioral intention in dealing with mass media messages.
Understanding newsworthiness of an emerging pandemic: International newspaper coverage of the H1N1 outbreak

During an evolving public health crisis, news organizations disseminate information rapidly, much of which is uncertain, dynamic, and difficult to verify. We examine factors related to international news coverage of H1N1 during the first month after the outbreak in late April 2009 and consider the news media's role as an information source during an emerging pandemic.
The Emergence of Self-Organizing E-Commerce Ecosystems in Remote Villages of China: A Tale of Digital Empowerment for Rural Development

The emergence of Alibaba's Taobao (e-commerce) Villages in remote China has challenged the assumption that rural, underserved communities must always be the recipients of aid to stimulate ICT-enabled development. Based on an in-depth case study of two remote villages in China, this research note shows how ICT (e-commerce) can empower a marginalized community, giving rise to a rural e-commerce ecosystem that can aid self-development. We propose the concept of digital empowerment to explicate our findings in the exploration of community-driven development: first, we identify the critical actors of a rural e-commerce ecosystem and how they use ICTs; second, we illustrate how the same ICT can be used for different affordances by the actors in the evolution of a rural e-commerce ecosystem. The paper also presents unintended consequences of rural e-commerce development. We conclude with suggestions on how to make ICT useful for rural development and, in doing this, challenge some of the prevailing theoretical arguments about this process.
Fixed-frequency Pseudo Sliding Mode control for a Buck-Boost DC-DC converter in mobile applications: A comparison with a linear PID controller

Interest is apparently growing in the four-switch noninverting Buck-Boost converter, which can be effectively used as a power supply for mobile devices. A typical application is a dynamic power supply for third-generation (3G) Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) Power Amplifiers (PA). While several control strategies based on the linear control theory have been proposed recently, there is still room for investigation of nonlinear control techniques. In this paper, a fixed-frequency nonlinear controller based on the sliding mode theory is presented and compared to a classical linear Proportional-Integral-Derivative (PID) implementation. The main differences from the design perspective and in terms of performance are then pointed out and commented. The main advantages of the proposed technique generally include an improvement of the dynamic performance and increased energy efficiency of the conversion. Simulation results are provided in order to evaluate and compare the different control strategies.
Do submucous myoma characteristics affect fertility and menstrual outcomes in patients underwent hysteroscopic myomectomy?

Background: Submucous myomas may be associated with menorrhagia, infertility and dysmenorrhea. Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the long term effects of submucousal myoma resection on menorrhagia and infertility; also to detect whether the type, size, and location of myoma affect the surgical success. Materials and Methods: Totally 98 women referred to hysteroscopy for symptomatic submucousal fibroids (menorrhagia (n=51) and infertility (n=47)) between 2005- 2010 were enrolled in this historical cohort study Pregnancy rates and menstrual improvement rates were compared according to myoma characteristics (size, type and location). Results: After a mean postoperative period of 23±10 months in 51 patients with excessive bleeding, 13 had recurrent menorrhagia (25%). In Other 38 patients excessive bleeding was improved (75%). The improvement rates by location and myoma type: lower segment 100%, fundus 92%, and corpus 63%; type 0) 70%, type 1) 78%, type 2) 80%. The mean sizes of myoma in recurred and improved patients were 23.33 mm and 29.88 mm respectively. 28 of 47 infertile women spontaneously experienced thirty pregnancies (60%). Pregnancy rates according to myoma location and type: lower segment 50%, fundus 57%, and corpus 80%; type 0) 75%, type 1) 62%, type 2) 50%. The mean myoma size in patients who became pregnant was 30.38 mm; in patients who did not conceive was 29.95 mm. Conclusion: The myoma characetesitics do not affect improvement rates after hysteroscopic myomectomy in patients with unexplained infertility or excessive uterine bleeding.
Tec kinase Itk in γδT cells is pivotal for controlling IgE production in vivo

In conventional αβ T cells, the Tec family tyrosine kinase Itk is required for signaling downstream of the T cell receptor (TCR). Itk also regulates αβ T cell development, lineage commitment, and effector function. A well established feature of Itk−/− mice is their inability to generate T helper type 2 (Th2) responses that produce IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13; yet these mice have spontaneously elevated levels of serum IgE and increased numbers of germinal center B cells. Here we show that the source of this phenotype is γδ T cells, as normal IgE levels are observed in Itk−/−Tcrd−/− mice. When stimulated through the γδ TCR, Itk−/− γδ T cells produce high levels of Th2 cytokines, but diminished IFNγ. In addition, activated Itk−/− γδ T cells up-regulate costimulatory molecules important for B cell help, suggesting that they may directly promote B cell activation and Ig class switching. Furthermore, we find that γδ T cells numbers are increased in Itk−/− mice, most notably the Vγ1. 1+Vδ6. 3+ subset that represents the dominant population of γδ NKT cells. Itk−/− γδ NKT cells also have increased expression of PLZF, a transcription factor required for αβ NKT cells, indicating a common molecular program between αβ and γδ NKT cell lineages. Together, these data indicate that Itk signaling regulates γδ T cell lineage development and effector function and is required to control IgE production in vivo.
Measuring Data Abstraction Quality in Multiresolution Visualizations

Data abstraction techniques are widely used in multiresolution visualization systems to reduce visual clutter and facilitate analysis from overview to detail. However, analysts are usually unaware of how well the abstracted data represent the original dataset, which can impact the reliability of results gleaned from the abstractions. In this paper, we define two data abstraction quality measures for computing the degree to which the abstraction conveys the original dataset: the histogram difference measure and the nearest neighbor measure. They have been integrated within XmdvTool, a public-domain multiresolution visualization system for multivariate data analysis that supports sampling as well as clustering to simplify data. Several interactive operations are provided, including adjusting the data abstraction level, changing selected regions, and setting the acceptable data abstraction quality level. Conducting these operations, analysts can select an optimal data abstraction level. Also, analysts can compare different abstraction methods using the measures to see how well relative data density and outliers are maintained, and then select an abstraction method that meets the requirement of their analytic tasks
eCAM: A Closer Look at Clinical Analyses

eCAM continues as it began in its quest for providing linkages and revealing the interdependence of basic science and clinical analyses. If one examines the 50 most cited papers for the month of June 2009, it is difficult to determine what is purely clinical and what is basic science; there is significant overlap and blurring. To clarify, one way is to define as clinical any investigations that use exclusively humans in trials. However, using human cells in culture could be classified as an overlap between basic science and clinical investigations. One would not argue that animal models constitute basic science, or that this category would include products from animals or plants and their role in modulating disease. Taking this stance has provided me, the biologist/immunologist, with a chance to explore those areas that (i) overlap, (ii) are biological, (iii) are immunological, and (iv) have a certain “orientation” or trajectory that renders them intimately pertinent to complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). Clinical evidence-based approaches present unique problems primarily due to human nature and are often difficult to structure, support, plan and complete. We must also examine ethical implications and what may emerge as reputable. It is not always easy to move past single-case reports, which is the base of the hierarchical evidence-based pyramid suggested by Goldrosen and Strauss (1), a paper that has been emphasized as a model as it relates to CAM and immunology and evidence-based analyses (2).
Burkholderia phytofirmans Inoculation-Induced Changes on the Shoot Cell Anatomy and Iron Accumulation Reveal Novel Components of Arabidopsis-Endophyte Interaction that Can Benefit Downstream Biomass Deconstruction

It is known that plant growth promoting bacteria (PGPB) elicit positive effects on plant growth and biomass yield. However, the actual mechanism behind the plant-PGPB interaction is poorly understood, and the literature is scarce regarding the thermochemical pretreatability and enzymatic degradability of biomass derived from PGPB-inoculated plants. Most recent transcriptional analyses of PGPB strain Burkholderia phytofirmans PsJN inoculating potato in literature and Arabidopsis in our present study have revealed the expression of genes for ferritin and the biosynthesis and transport of siderophores (i.e., the molecules with high affinity for iron), respectively. The expression of such genes in the shoots of PsJN-inoculated plants prompted us to propose that PsJN-inoculation can improve the host plant's iron uptake and accumulation, which facilitates the downstream plant biomass pretreatment and conversion to simple sugars. In this study, we employed B. phytofirmans PsJN to inoculate the Arabidopsis thaliana plants, and conducted the first investigation for its effects on the biomass yield, the anatomical organization of stems, the iron accumulation, and the pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis of harvested biomass. The results showed that the strain PsJN stimulated plant growth in the earlier period of plant development and enlarged the cell size of stem piths, and it also indeed enhanced the essential metals uptake and accumulation in host plants. Moreover, we found that the PsJN-inoculated plant biomass released more glucose and xylose after hot water pretreatment and subsequent co-saccharification, which provided a novel insight into development of lignocellulosic biofuels from renewable biomass resources.
The self-distracting mind in the digital age: Investigating the influence of a brief mindfulness intervention on mind wandering

Mind wandering is a pervasive aspect of mental life. Wandering minds often lead to performance decrements during demanding tasks that require concentration, highlighting the need for devising strategies to ward off mind wandering and to mitigate its deleterious effects on task performance. Accordingly, this dissertation investigated whether a brief mindfulness intervention could reduce mind wandering. Experiment 1 examined the influence of the brief mindfulness intervention on mind wandering during an ecologically valid sustained attention task, i.e., learning from a lecture video, and on the disruptive effects of mind wandering on lecture comprehension. Experiment 1 provided no supporting evidence for the beneficial influence of the brief intervention on the occurrence of mind wandering during the lecture video, nor on the disruptive effects of mind wandering on lecture comprehension. Experiment 2 examined whether the brief mindfulness intervention could reduce behavioral indices of mind wandering during a widely-used sustained attention to response task (the SART). Experiment 2 produced no evidence for the beneficial influence of the brief intervention on mind wandering during the SART either. Taken together, the current experiments indicate that the brief mindfulness intervention employed in this dissertation exerted no beneficial effects on attentional control and mind wandering during demanding tasks, underscoring the importance of examining more robust mindfulness interventions in future investigations. The dissertation also examined the mediating role of self-reported trait mindfulness in the relationship between self-reported media multitasking frequency and
Decreased mTOR signalling reduces mitochondrial ROS in brain via accumulation of the telomerase protein TERT within mitochondria

Telomerase in its canonical function maintains telomeres in dividing cells. In addition, the telomerase protein TERT has non-telomeric functions such as shuttling to mitochondria resulting in a decreased oxidative stress, DNA damage and apoptosis. TERT protein persists in adult neurons and can co-localise to mitochondria under various stress conditions. We show here that TERT expression decreased in mouse brain during aging while release of reactive oxygen species (ROS) from the mitochondrial electron transport chain increased. Dietary restriction (DR) caused accumulation of TERT protein in mouse brain mitochondria correlating to decreased ROS release and improved learning and spatial short-term memory. Decreased mTOR signalling is a mediator of DR. Accordingly, feeding mice with rapamycin increased brain mitochondrial TERT and reduced ROS release. Importantly, the beneficial effects of rapamycin on mitochondrial function were absent in brains and fibroblasts from first generation TERT −/− mice, and when TERT shuttling was inhibited by the Src kinase inhibitor bosutinib. Taken together, our data suggests that the mTOR signalling pathway impinges on the mitochondrial localisation of TERT protein, which might in turn contribute to the protection of the brain by DR or rapamycin against age-associated mitochondrial ROS increase and cognitive decline.
Safe, Stable and Intuitive Control for Physical Human-Robot Interaction

For physical human-robot interaction, safety and dependability are of utmost importance due to the potential risk a relatively powerful robot poses for human beings. From the control standpoint, it is possible to increase this level of safety by guaranteeing that the robot will never exhibit any unstable behaviour. However, stability is not the only concern in the design of a controller for such a robot. During human-robot interaction, the resulting cooperative motion should be truly intuitive and should not restrict in any way the human performance. For this purpose, we have designed a new variable admittance control law that guarantees the stability of the robot during constrained motion and also provides a very intuitive human interaction. The first characteristic is provided by the design of a stability observer while the other is based on a variable admittance control scheme that uses the force derivative as a way to predict human intention. The stability observer is based on a previous stability investigation of cooperative motion which implies the knowledge of the interaction stiffness. A method to accurately estimate this stiffness online using the data coming from the encoder and from a multi-axis force sensor at the end effector is also provided. The stability and intuitivity of the control law were verified in a user study during a cooperative drawing task with a 3 degree-of-freedom (dof) parallel robot.
Comparative genomics of Roseobacter clade bacteria isolated from the accessory nidamental gland of Euprymna scolopes

The accessory nidamental gland (ANG) of the female Hawaiian bobtail squid, Euprymna scolopes, houses a consortium of bacteria including members of the Flavobacteriales, Rhizobiales, and Verrucomicrobia but is dominated by members of the Roseobacter clade (Rhodobacterales) within the Alphaproteobacteria. These bacteria are deposited into the jelly coat of the squid’s eggs, however, the function of the ANG and its bacterial symbionts has yet to be elucidated. In order to gain insight into this consortium and its potential role in host reproduction, we cultured 12 Rhodobacterales isolates from ANGs of sexually mature female squid and sequenced their genomes with Illumina sequencing technology. For taxonomic analyses, the ribosomal proteins of 79 genomes representing both roseobacters and non-roseobacters along with a separate MLSA analysis of 33 housekeeping genes from Roseobacter organisms placed all 12 isolates from the ANG within two groups of a single Roseobacter clade. Average nucelotide identity analysis suggests the ANG isolates represent three genera (Leisingera, Ruegeria, and Tateyamaria) comprised of seven putative species groups. All but one of the isolates contains a predicted Type VI secretion system, which has been shown to be important in secreting signaling and/or effector molecules in host–microbe associations and in bacteria–bacteria interactions. All sequenced genomes also show potential for secondary metabolite production, and are predicted to be involved with the production of acyl homoserine lactones (AHLs) and/or siderophores. An AHL bioassay confirmed AHL production in three tested isolates and from whole ANG homogenates. The dominant symbiont, Leisingera sp. ANG1, showed greater viability in iron-limiting conditions compared to other roseobacters, possibly due to higher levels of siderophore production. Future comparisons will try to elucidate novel metabolic pathways of the ANG symbionts to understand their putative role in host development.
Short Communication Stimulus Locking and Feature Selectivity Prevail in Complementary Frequency Ranges of V1 Local ®eld Potentials

The local ®eld potential (LFP) is a population measure of neuronal activity complementary to spike trains. Whereas the response properties of the spiking activity in the visual cortex have been characterized extensively, the responses of the LFP have not been well explored. No coherent picture exists about which frequency ranges exhibit feature tuning or show stimulus locked activity. Addressing this, we recorded LFP in the primary visual cortex of alert cats and calculated the tuning indices for orientation, spatial and temporal frequency. Furthermore, we quanti®ed the locking of the power in different LFP frequency bands to the velocity pro®le of arti®cial and natural stimuli. We found that the LFP in alert animals is well tuned with similar speci®city to orientation, spatial frequency and temporal frequency. Tuning to these features is most prominent in two frequency bands (8±23 Hz and 39±109 Hz). In two complementary frequency bands (23±39 Hz and above 109 Hz) the dynamics of the LFP power is locked tightly to the temporal structure of the stimulus. This locking is furthermore independent of the spatial structure of the stimulus. Together these four frequency bands cover the whole frequency range investigated. In contrast to previous studies, which often reported correlates of visual processing only in a limited frequency range of the LFP, the present results suggest that the entire frequency range of the LFP can be assigned a role in visual processing.
Navigating Ambivalence: Perceived Organizational Prestige–Support Discrepancy and Its Relation to Employee Cynicism and Silence

Drawing on the social identity literature, this study offers theoretical arguments and empirical evidence to understand reactions to divergent perceptions of organizational external prestige (PEP) and organizational support (POS) – two crucial bases of employees’ social worth. Across three studies, using both experimental and field data, we find that PEP‐POS discrepancy contributes to employees’ perceptions of organizational cynicism and silence behaviour, especially when PEP is high and POS is low (rather than the reverse). Consistent with our social identity perspective, we find that ambivalent identification, that is, the simultaneous identification and disidentification of an individual with an organization, is a key mediating mechanism that transfers the interactive relationship of PEP and POS to cynicism and silence. These findings contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the dynamics of individuals’ social worth at work.
Entropy-driven dynamics and robust learning procedures in games

In this paper, we introduce a new class of game dynamics made of a pay-off replicator-like term modulated by an entropy barrier which keeps players away from the boundary of the strategy space. We show that these {\it entropy-driven} dynamics are equivalent to players computing a score as their on-going exponentially discounted cumulative payoff and then using a quantal choice model on the scores to pick an action. This dual perspective on {\it entropy-driven} dynamics helps us to extend the folk theorem on convergence to quantal response equilibria to this case, for potential games. It also provides the main ingredients to design a discrete time effective learning algorithm that is fully distributed and only requires partial information to converge to QRE. This convergence is resilient to stochastic perturbations and observation errors and does not require any synchronization between the players.
SUPER-HORIZON SCALE DYNAMICS OF MULTI-SCALAR INFLATION

We consider the dynamics of a multi-component scalar field on super-horizon scales in the context of inflationary cosmology. We present a method to solve the perturbation equations on super- horizon scales, i.e., in the long wavelength limit, by using only the knowledge of spatially homogeneous background solutions. In doing so, we clarify the relation between the perturbation equations in the long wavelength limit and the background equations. Then as a natural extension of our formalism, we provide a strategy to study super-horizon scale perturbations beyond the standard linear perturbation theory. Namely we reformulate our method so as to take into account the nonlinear dynamics of the scalar field.