Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Zero/positive capacities of two-dimensional runlength-constrained arrays

A binary sequence satisfies a one-dimensional (d/sub 1/,k/sub 1/,d/sub 2/,k/sub 2/) runlength constraint if every run of zeros has length at least d/sub 1/ and at most k/sub 1/ and every run of ones has length at least d/sub 2/ and at most k/sub 2/. A two-dimensional binary array is (d/sub 1/,k/sub 1/,d/sub 2/,k/sub 2/;d/sub 3/,k/sub 3/,d/sub 4/,k/sub 4/)-constrained if it satisfies the one-dimensional (d/sub 1/,k/sub 1/,d/sub 2/,k/sub 2/) runlength constraint horizontally and the one-dimensional (d/sub 3/,k/sub 3/,d/sub 4/,k/sub 4/) runlength constraint vertically. For given d/sub 1/,k/sub 1/,d/sub 2/,k/sub 2/,d/sub 3/,k/sub 3/,d/sub 4/,k/sub 4/, the two-dimensional capacity is defined as C(d/sub 1/,k/sub 1/,d/sub 2/,k/sub 2/;d/sub 3/,k/sub 3/,d/sub 4/,k/sub 4/) = lim/m,n/spl rarr//spl infin/ log/sub 2/ N(m,n|d/sub 1/,k/sub 1/,d/sub 2/,k/sub 2/;d/sub 3/,k/sub 3/,d/sub 4/,k/sub 4/)/mn where N(m,n|d/sub 1/,k/sub 1/,d/sub 2/,k/sub 2/;d/sub 3/,k/sub 3/,d/sub 4/,k/sub 4/)denotes the number of m/spl times/n binary arrays that are (d/sub 1/,k/sub 1/,d/sub 2/,k/sub 2/;d/sub 3/,k/sub 3/,d/sub 4/,k/sub 4/)-constrained. Such constrained systems may have applications in digital storage applications. We consider the question for which values of d/sub i/ and k/sub i/ is the capacity C(d/sub 1/,k/sub 1/,d/sub 2/,k/sub 2/;d/sub 3/,k/sub 3/,d/sub 4/,k/sub 4/) positive and for which values is the capacity zero. The question is answered for many choices of the d/sub i/ and the k/sub i/.
Förderung von deutschen Sprachkompetenzen bei Kindern aus zugewanderten und sozial benachteiligten Familien. Evaluationskonzeption für das Jacobs-Sommercamp Projekt

Eine zentrale Hurde fur den schulischen Erfolg von Schulerinnen und Schulern mit Migrationshintergrund besteht im Erwerb von deutschen Sprachkompetenzen. In Deutschland liegen jedoch kaum empirische Befunde zur Wirksamkeit von Masnahmen der Forderung von Deutsch als Zweitsprache vor. Anknupfend an die Literatur zum Summer Learning wurde ein Ferienprogramm zur Forderung deutscher Sprachkompetenzen fur Grundschulkinder entwickelt und evaluiert. Dabei wurde ein experimentelles Design mit Zufallszuweisung zu den Untersuchungsbedingungen verwendet. Mit einer ausfuhrlichen Beschreibung der Konzeption und Umsetzung des Designs soll in diesem Beitrag illustriert werden, wie die Forderung nach besser kontrollierten Studien in der Padagogik eingelost werden kann. (DIPF/Orig.) A major hurdle in the school careers of students with migration background lies in the acquisition of German language skills. In Germany, however, hardly any findings are available concerning the efficiency of measures taken in order to promote German as a second language. Referring to literature on summer learning, a summer program for the promotion of German language skills among elementary school children was developed and evaluated using an experimental design with random assignment to treatment groups. On the basis of a comprehensive description of the conception and implementation of the design, the authors illustrate how the demand for more strictly controlled studies in education may be met. (DIPF/Orig.)
2-Heptyl-Formononetin Increases Cholesterol and Induces Hepatic Steatosis in Mice

Consumption of isoflavones may prevent adiposity, hepatic steatosis, and dyslipidaemia. However, studies in the area are few and primarily with genistein. This study investigated the effects of formononetin and its synthetic analogue, 2-heptyl-formononetin (C7F), on lipid and cholesterol metabolism in C57BL/6J mice. The mice were fed a cholesterol-enriched diet for five weeks to induce hypercholesterolemia and were then fed either the cholesterol-enriched diet or the cholesterol-enriched diet-supplemented formononetin or C7F for three weeks. Body weight and composition, glucose homeostasis, and plasma lipids were compared. In another experiment, mice were fed the above diets for five weeks, and hepatic triglyceride accumulation and gene expression and histology of adipose tissue and liver were examined. Supplementation with C7F increased plasma HDL-cholesterol thereby increasing the plasma level of total cholesterol. Supplementation with formononetin did not affect plasma cholesterol but increased plasma triglycerides levels. Supplementation with formononetin and C7F induced hepatic steatosis. However, formononetin decreased markers of inflammation and liver injury. The development of hepatic steatosis was associated with deregulated expression of hepatic genes involved in lipid and lipoprotein metabolism. In conclusion, supplementation with formononetin and C7F to a cholesterol-enriched diet adversely affected lipid and lipoprotein metabolism in C57BL/6J mice.
[On sarcoidosis].

Sarcoidosis is an inflammatory disease, first identified over 100 years ago, which can affect almost any body organ, although it usually starts in the lungs or lymph nodes. The cause remains unknown, and the disease can appear and disappear suddenly, or develop gradually with fluctuating symptoms that can persist throughout life. As the disease progresses, small lumps, termed granulomas, appear in the affected tissues. In the majority of cases, these granulomas clear up, either with or without treatment. However, in some cases, they do not remit and there is ongoing tissue inflammation that leads to scarring (fibrosis). The USA National Institute of Health (NIH) notes: &quot;Sarcoidosis is currently thought to be associated with an abnormal immune response. Whether a foreign substance is the trigger; whether that trigger is a chemical, drug, virus, or some other substance; and how exactly the immune disturbance is caused are not known. &quot; ( [1] ) CNS sarcoidosis has been reported in approximately 5% of patients with sarcoidosis ( [2] ; [3] )
Mechanism-based sirtuin enzyme activation

Sirtuin enzymes are NAD+-dependent protein deacylases that play a central role in the regulation of healthspan and lifespan in organisms ranging from yeast to mammals. There is intense interest in the activation of the seven mammalian sirtuins (SIRT1-7) in order to extend mammalian healthspan and lifespan. However, there is currently no understanding of how to design sirtuin-activating compounds beyond allosteric activators of SIRT1-catalyzed reactions that are limited to particular substrates. Moreover, across all families of enzymes, only a dozen or so distinct classes of non-natural small molecule activators have been characterized, with only four known modes of activation among them. None of these modes of activation are based on the unique catalytic reaction mechanisms of the target enzymes. Here, we report a general mode of sirtuin activation that is distinct from the known modes of enzyme activation. Based on the conserved mechanism of sirtuin-catalyzed deacylation reactions, we establish biophysical properties of small molecule modulators that can in principle result in enzyme activation for diverse sirtuins and substrates. Building upon this framework, we propose strategies for the identification, characterization and evolution of hits for mechanism-based enzyme activating compounds. We characterize several small molecules reported in the literature to activate sirtuins besides SIRT1, using a variety of biochemical and biophysical techniques including label-free and labeled kinetic and thermodynamic assays with multiple substrates and protocols for the identification of false positives. We provide evidence indicating that several of these small molecules reported in the published literature are false positives, and identify others as hit compounds for the design of compounds that can activate sirtuins through the proposed mechanism-based mode of action.
Biochemical characteristics of C‐terminal region of recombinant chitinase from Bacillus licheniformis– implication of necessity for enzyme properties

The functional and structural significance of the C‐terminal region of Bacillus licheniformis chitinase was explored using C‐terminal truncation mutagenesis. Comparative studies between full‐length and truncated mutant molecules included initial rate kinetics, fluorescence and CD spectrometric properties, substrate binding and hydrolysis abilities, thermostability, and thermodenaturation kinetics. Kinetic analyses revealed that the overall catalytic efficiency, kcat/Km, was slightly increased for the truncated enzymes toward the soluble 4‐methylumbelliferyl‐N‐N′‐diacetyl chitobiose or 4‐methylumbelliferyl‐N‐N″‐N‴‐triacetyl chitotriose or insoluble α‐chitin substrate. By contrast, changes to substrate affinity, Km, and turnover rate, kcat, varied considerably for both types of chitin substrates between the full‐length and truncated enzymes. Both truncated enzymes exhibited significantly higher thermostabilities than the full‐length enzyme. The truncated mutants retained similar substrate‐binding specificities and abilities against the insoluble substrate but only had approximately 75% of the hydrolyzing efficiency of the full‐length chitinase molecule. Fluorescence spectroscopy indicated that both C‐terminal deletion mutants retained an active folding conformation similar to the full‐length enzyme. However, a CD melting unfolding study was able to distinguish between the full‐length and truncated mutant molecules by the two phases of apparent transition temperatures in the mutants. These results indicate that up to 145 amino acid residues, including the putative C‐terminal chitin‐binding region and the fibronectin (III) motif of B. licheniformis chitinase, could be removed without causing a seriously aberrant change in structure and a dramatic decrease in insoluble chitin hydrolysis. The results of the present study provide evidence demonstrating that the binding and hydrolyzing of insoluble chitin substrate for B. licheniformis chitinase was not dependent solely on the putative C‐terminal chitin‐binding region and the fibronectin (III) motif.
Work, Family, and Accounts of Mothers’ Lives Using Discourse to Navigate Intensive Mothering Ideals

Despite the dramatic increase in women’s employment since the 1970s, mothers’ decisions about work remain closely scrutinized. The intensive mothering ethos in which “good” mothers are highly involved in the minutiae of their children’s lives, continues to be the prevailing parenting paradigm in the United States. This article asks: How do women use discourse to navigate the demands of intensive motherhood? First, this article reviews literature on ideologies of intensive mothering. The article then considers research on how accounts are used to navigate the moral dilemmas surrounding women’s work and motherhood. This article provides us with a better understanding of how traditional gender divides remain culturally relevant, how people use discourse to expand cultural schemas to fit their own social location, and how the process of expanding the framework of a schema through this negotiation process can allow traditional gender schemas to remain salient even while different actions are incorporated.
Confirmatory Factor Analysis of the Maslach Burnout Inventory

Abstract Although the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) is widely used to assess burnout in human service workers, doubt has been cast on the usefulness of the conceptualization on which it is based and the independence of its subscales. A confirmatory factor analysis using the methodology employed in a previous study of child welfare workers revealed that the final model had only a minimally adequate fit and the constructs of emotional exhaustion and depersonalization were not separate and unique. The findings suggest that research in child welfare settings should avoid continued reliance on the MBI for the assessment of burnout. Scales that are balanced in terms of positive and negative items and where each dimension represents a distinct construct need to be developed.
Cognitive Impairment in Bipolar Disorder: Treatment and Prevention Strategies

Abstract Over the last decade, there has been a growing appreciation of the importance of identifying and treating cognitive impairment associated with bipolar disorder, since it persists in remission periods. Evidence indicates that neurocognitive dysfunction may significantly influence patients’ psychosocial outcomes. An ever-increasing body of research seeks to achieve a better understanding of potential moderators contributing to cognitive impairment in bipolar disorder in order to develop prevention strategies and effective treatments. This review provides an overview of the available data from studies examining treatments for cognitive dysfunction in bipolar disorder as well as potential novel treatments, from both pharmacological and psychological perspectives. All these data encourage the development of further studies to find effective strategies to prevent and treat cognitive impairment associated with bipolar disorder. These efforts may ultimately lead to an improvement of psychosocial functioning in these patients.
Static-stretching vs. contract-relax - proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation stretching: study the effect on muscle response using tensiomyography

This study used tensiomyography to examine the changes observed in the response of the biceps femoris muscle of the dominant leg of ten young female gymnasts (Mean age ± SD: 13.2 ± 1.8 years, height: 153.9 ± 6.0 cm, body mass: 42.0 ± 5.3 kg) after performing two different stretching protocols: contract-relax (CR) and static-stretching (SS). Results revealed change of muscle response immediately after warm-up: increased velocity of deformation (V3mm), stiffness, holding time (Ts) and reduced relaxation time (Tr). The changes were most evident in the first three minutes after applying the two stretching protocols, being more evident in CR than in SS. The results suggests that athletes who include stretching in their warm-up will find the post warm-up mechanical response less impaired after the first three minutes and more so when using the techniques based on working with static-stretching, compared to techniques based in contract-relax.
Reprogramming Suppresses Premature Senescence Phenotypes of Werner Syndrome Cells and Maintains Chromosomal Stability over Long-Term Culture

Werner syndrome (WS) is a premature aging disorder characterized by chromosomal instability and cancer predisposition. Mutations in WRN are responsible for the disease and cause telomere dysfunction, resulting in accelerated aging. Recent studies have revealed that cells from WS patients can be successfully reprogrammed into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). In the present study, we describe the effects of long-term culture on WS iPSCs, which acquired and maintained infinite proliferative potential for self-renewal over 2 years. After long-term cultures, WS iPSCs exhibited stable undifferentiated states and differentiation capacity, and premature upregulation of senescence-associated genes in WS cells was completely suppressed in WS iPSCs despite WRN deficiency. WS iPSCs also showed recapitulation of the phenotypes during differentiation. Furthermore, karyotype analysis indicated that WS iPSCs were stable, and half of the descendant clones had chromosomal profiles that were similar to those of parental cells. These unexpected properties might be achieved by induced expression of endogenous telomerase gene during reprogramming, which trigger telomerase reactivation leading to suppression of both replicative senescence and telomere dysfunction in WS cells. These findings demonstrated that reprogramming suppressed premature senescence phenotypes in WS cells and WS iPSCs could lead to chromosomal stability over the long term. WS iPSCs will provide opportunities to identify affected lineages in WS and to develop a new strategy for the treatment of WS.
Effective Optical Properties of Plasmonic Nanocomposites

Plasmonic nanocomposites find many applications, such as nanometric coatings in emerging fields, such as optotronics, photovoltaics or integrated optics. To make use of their ability to affect light propagation in an unprecedented manner, plasmonic nanocomposites should consist of densely packed metallic nanoparticles. This causes a major challenge for their theoretical description, since the reliable assignment of effective optical properties with established effective medium theories is no longer possible. Established theories, e.g., the Maxwell-Garnett formalism, are only applicable for strongly diluted nanocomposites. This effective description, however, is a prerequisite to consider plasmonic nanocomposites in the design of optical devices. Here, we mitigate this problem and use full wave optical simulations to assign effective properties to plasmonic nanocomposites with filling fractions close to the percolation threshold. We show that these effective properties can be used to properly predict the optical action of functional devices that contain nanocomposites in their design. With this contribution we pave the way to consider plasmonic nanocomposites comparably to ordinary materials in the design of optical elements.
Anaerobic Membrane Bioreactor Treatment of Synthetic Municipal Wastewater at Ambient Temperature

The performance of a crossflow anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR) to treat synthetic municipal wastewater was investigated at different hydraulic retention times (HRTs). The AnMBR was operated at chemical oxygen demand (COD) loading rates of 1 to 2 kg COD/m3·d for 280 days. The permeate COD concentration was always lower than 40 mg/L, and no noticeable volatile fatty acids were detected, regardless of HRT variations, while soluble COD (SCOD) was accumulated in the reactor with decreases in HRT. The particle size reduction was relatively lower than other studies reported, even after a long operation time resulting from the low operation crossflow velocity. Approximately 30% of COD was not available for methane recovery, irrespective of applied HRTs, as a result of the COD loss by dissolved methane, sulfate reduction, and untreated COD in the permeate. The fraction of methane recovered from the synthetic municipal wastewater decreased from 48 to 35%, with the decrease of HRT from 12 to 6 hours, as a result of the increase of mixed‐liquor SCOD, which was rejected and accumulated in the AnMBR. Therefore, AnMBR operation with relatively long HRTs and SRTs may be favorable, to enhance methane recovery and reduce or eliminate sludge production.
Dynamic Knee Alignment and Collateral Knee Laxity and Its Variations in Normal Humans

Alignment of normal, arthritic, and replaced human knees is a much debated subject as is the collateral ligamentous laxity. Traditional quantitative values have been challenged. Methods used to measure these are also not without flaws. Authors review the recent literature and a novel method of measurement of these values has been included. This method includes use of computer navigation technique in clinic setting for assessment of the normal or affected knee before the surgery. Computer navigation has been known for achievement of alignment accuracy during knee surgery. Now its use in clinic setting has added to the inventory of measurement methods. Authors dispel the common myth of straight mechanical axis in normal knees and also look at quantification of amount of collateral knee laxity. Based on the scientific studies, it has been shown that the mean alignment is in varus in normal knees. It changes from lying non-weight-bearing position to standing weight-bearing position in both coronal and the sagittal planes. It also varies with gender and race. The collateral laxity is also different for males and females. Further studies are needed to define the ideal alignment and collateral laxity which the surgeon should aim for individual knees.
Anomalies: Risk Aversion

Economists ubiquitously employ a simple and elegant explanation for risk aversion: It derives from the concavity of the utility-of-wealth function within the expected-utility framework. We show that this explanation is not plausible in most applications, since anything more than economically negligible risk aversion over moderate stakes requires a utility-of-wealth function that is so concave that it predicts absurdly severe risk aversion over very large stakes. We present examples of how the expected-utility framework has misled economists, and why we believe a better explanation for risk aversion must incorporate loss aversion and mental accounting.
The unity of intellect and will: Vygotsky and Spinoza

Jerome Bruner points out in his prologue to the first volume of the English translation of The Collected Works that Vygotsky flirts with the idea that language creates free will. This article attempts to consider the influence of the Dutch seventeenth‐century philosopher Spinoza on Vygotsky. An account of Spinoza's anti‐Cartesian conception of will is given, to which Vygotsky recognizes his indebtedness. We will consider elements of Spinoza's philosophy that were important to Vygotsky's theory of the development of intellect, and claim that an appreciation of the philosophy informing Vygotsky's theory of the development of intellect is necessary if the full implications of his project are to be grasped.
THE WORKPLACE SPIRITUALITY AND AFFECTIVE COMMITMENT AMONG AUDITORS IN BIG FOUR ACCOUNTING FIRMS: DOES IT MATTER?

The paper aims to study the impact of four dimensions of workplace spirituality (the team’s sense of community, alignment between organizational and individual values, sense of contribution to the society and enjoyment at work) on affective commitment. Specifically, we predicted the positive contribution of workplace spirituality to affective commitment. A sample of 153 auditors was drawn from big four public accounting firms in the northern region of Malaysia. Simple random sampling was used in this study. A multiple regression analysis had been carried out and the result had shown that the team’s sense of community, sense of contribution to the society and enjoyment at work have had the major influences to the organizational affective commitment. The findings help the employers to realize the importance of the three aspects of workplace spirituality and consequently, have encouraged the employers to instill this sense of workplace spirituality in order to enhance their employees’ affective commitment. This, in turn will ultimately increase the positive outcomes such as honesty, creativity, trust and commitment and further improve the organizational performance and long term organizational success.
Understanding the Dark Side of Costly Punishment: The Impact of Individual Differences in Everyday Sadism and Existential Threat

In public goods situations, a specific destructive behaviour reliably emerges when individuals face the possibility of costly punishing others: antisocial punishment, that is, costly punishing cooperative individuals. So far, however, little is known about the individual differences and situational factors that are associated with the dark side of costly punishment. This research deals with this shortcoming. We argue that antisocial punishment reflects the basic characteristics of sadism, namely, aggressive behaviour to dominate and to harm other individuals. We further argue that antisocial punishment may reflect a type of behaviour that allows for the maintenance of self–esteem (through aggressively dominating others). Therefore, we expect that individuals who report a disposition for everyday sadism are particularly likely to engage in antisocial punishment when their self has been threatened (by thinking about one's own death). In a study (N = 99), we found empirical support for this assumption. The present research contributes to a better understanding of antisocial punishment and suggests that sadistic tendencies play a crucial role, especially when the self is (existentially) threatened. Copyright © 2015 European Association of Personality Psychology