Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Preservice teachers’ self efficacy and knowledge of emotional and behavioural disorders

This research examined preservice teachers’ knowledge of emotional and behavioural disorders (EBD) and their sense of efficacy. The participants included a convenience sample of 230 undergraduate general education and special education preservice teachers enrolled in teacher education classes. The age of the participants ranged from 19 to 51 with a mean age of 23.37 years (SD = 6.8 years). The Teacher Self Efficacy Scale (TSES) (long form) and Knowledge of Emotional and Behavioural Disorders questionnaire were administered. The participants had higher efficacy in instructional strategies, classroom management, and instructional abilities than in student engagement. There was no significant correlation between field experience, additional coursework, and familiarity with a child with EBD and the preservice teachers’ knowledge of EBD or self efficacy. This information is relevant to teacher programme coordinators indicating that further efforts should be made to increase preservice teachers’ knowledge of EBD, and to provide strategies for identifying and working with students with EBD in classrooms.
Biologic therapies for inflammatory eye disease

The era of biologic medical therapies provides new options for patients with treatment‐resistant inflammatory eye disease. In this review, the authors summarize current published experience in a rapidly progressing clinical field, including the use of biologics, such as the tumour necrosis factor blockers, daclizumab and rituximab, and related agents, interferons and intravenous immunoglobulin, for the treatment of uveitis, scleritis and orbital inflammation. Reports of dramatic recoveries in patients with recalcitrant ocular inflammation who have received such therapies must be balanced against the high cost of biologics and the potential for serious, and at times unanticipated, complications of this treatment.
Power spectral analysis of heart rate variability in Type As and Type Bs during mental workload.

&NA; Recently several studies have suggested that there are differences in autonomic balance between Type As and Type Bs. This study evaluates a sympathovagal interaction in Type A (n = 8) and Type B (n = 11) male students during a mental arithmetic task by power spectral analysis of heart rate variability. The low‐frequency component to high‐frequency component ratio was significantly greater in Type As than in Type Bs during a resting period. No significant differences were found in heart rate changes and blood pressure between the two kinds of subject groups. The present findings indicate that there was a significant difference in sympathovagal balance between Type As and Bs. Type As showed dominant sympathetic activity.
Mini ReviewRole of Hepatocyte Nuclear Factors in Growth Hormone-regulated, Sexually Dimorphic Expression of Liver Cytochromes P450*

The liver is a sexually dimorphic organ in many species, including humans. In rodent models, dramatic sex differences characterize the expression of numerous plasma proteins, receptors and other signaling molecules, and enzymes of steroid and foreign compound metabolism, including members of the cytochrome P450 (CYP) superfamily. The sexual dimorphism of liver gene expression is dictated by the temporal pattern of plasma growth hormone (GH) stimulation, which is intermittent and highly pulsatile in males and more frequent in females. Many liver-specific genes, including CYP genes, are regulated by the coordinated action of multiple hepatic nuclear factors (HNFs) through a complex transcriptional hierarchy. These HNFs are proposed to collaborate with the GH pulse-activated latent cytoplasmic transcription factor STAT5b to regulate the sex-dependent expression of liver CYPs. This hypothesis is supported by the finding that certain HNFs are regulated by GH and exhibit a differential responsiveness to the sex-specific pattern of GH secretion. In particular, recent studies of an HNF4α-deficient mouse model demonstrate an essential role for this nuclear receptor in regulating several liver-enriched transcription factors and sexually dimorphic CYPs in liver in vivo. Further studies on the mechanisms by which HNF4α and other liver factors respond to GH may expand our understanding of the mechanisms by which GH, via the coordinated action of HNFs and STAT5b, regulate sexually dimorphic liver gene expression.
Type B Phosphatidylinositol-4-Phosphate 5-Kinases Mediate Arabidopsis and Nicotiana tabacum Pollen Tube Growth by Regulating Apical Pectin Secretion[W]

Phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate [PtdIns(4,5)P2] occurs in the apical plasma membrane of growing pollen tubes. Because enzymes responsible for PtdIns(4,5)P2 production at that location are uncharacterized, functions of PtdIns(4,5)P2 in pollen tube tip growth are unresolved. Two candidate genes encoding pollen-expressed Arabidopsis thaliana phosphatidylinositol-4-phosphate 5-kinases (PI4P 5-kinases) of Arabidopsis subfamily B were identified (PIP5K4 and PIP5K5), and their recombinant proteins were characterized as being PI4P 5-kinases. Pollen of T-DNA insertion lines deficient in both PIP5K4 and PIP5K5 exhibited reduced pollen germination and defects in pollen tube elongation. Fluorescence-tagged PIP5K4 and PIP5K5 localized to an apical plasma membrane microdomain in Arabidopsis and tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) pollen tubes, and overexpression of either PIP5K4 or PIP5K5 triggered multiple tip branching events. Further studies using the tobacco system revealed that overexpression caused massive apical pectin deposition accompanied by plasma membrane invaginations. By contrast, callose deposition and cytoskeletal structures were unaltered in the overexpressors. Morphological effects depended on PtdIns(4,5)P2 production, as an inactive enzyme variant did not produce any effects. The data indicate that excessive PtdIns(4,5)P2 production by type B PI4P 5-kinases disturbs the balance of membrane trafficking and apical pectin deposition. Polar tip growth of pollen tubes may thus be modulated by PtdIns(4,5)P2 via regulatory effects on membrane trafficking and/or apical pectin deposition.
Log-likelihood values and Monte Carlo simulation - some fundamental results

The purpose of this paper is twofold: We derive some fundamental properties of log-likelihood ratio (LLR) values and propose two novel “soft-decision” Monte Carlo simulation techniques based on probabilities or LLR values. Specifically, we prove that the pdf of LLR values is exponential symmetric and demonstrate that soft-decision simulation outperforms conventional bit error rate simulations with respect to accuracy and/or simulation time.
Intestinal and Hepatic Niemann-Pick C1-Like 1

Polytopic transmembrane protein, Niemann-Pick C1-Like 1 (NPC1L1) is localized at the apical membrane of enterocytes and the canalicular membrane of hepatocytes. It mediates intestinal cholesterol absorption and prevents extensive loss of cholesterol by transporting biliary cholesterol into hepatocytes. NPC1L1 is a molecular target of ezetimibe, an agent for hypercholesterolemia. Recently, NPC1L1 inhibition has been shown to prevent metabolic disorders such as fatty liver disease, obesity, diabetes, and atherosclerosis. In this review, the identification and characterization of NPC1L1, NPC1L1-dependent cholesterol transport, the relationship with pathogenesis of metabolic disease and its newly introduced function for virus entry are discussed.
Analysis of the Regulation of the S. Cerevisiae Gene PIR3 by Non-coding Intergenic Transcription

Genome-wide studies have identified pervasive noncoding transcription across prokaryotic and eukaryotic genomes. Although many of these noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) are likely the result of transcriptional noise, important regulatory functions have been elucidated for some of these transcripts. Previous studies in our lab have elucidated a regulatory mechanism in which transcription of the noncoding RNA, SRG1, regulates expression of the adjacent gene SER3 by directing nucleosome occupancy across the SER3 promoter, thereby blocking access of activators that induce transcription. A significant portion of noncoding transcription near promoters of protein-coding genes suggests a possible role in the regulation of transcription and initiation of these genes. In this investigation, I describe the identification of a new site of gene regulation by intergenic transcription at Saccharomyce cerevisiaePIR3 (Proteins with Internal Repeats 3), a gene encoding a cell wall protein identified from RNA pol II genome-wide data. I use a new method of disrupting transcription to assess the effect that loss of intergenic transcription has on PIR3 expression. This led to the identification of a repressive function for intergenic transcription in cis at PIR3. Regulatory functions by ncRNAs have implications in human disease and development, which is often the result of epigenetic changes leading to altered chromatin states. Particu- larly, investigations of gene expression related to various cancers have provided examples of ncRNAs that can be used as biomarkers in predicting the likelihood of metastasis and silence tumor suppressor genes through epigenetic modifications. From a public health standpoint, studying the mechanisms by which ncRNAs regulate gene expression or the manner in which 3 epigenetic misregulation leads to disease will allow for more targeted therapies. Additionally, identification of ncRNA is useful in itself as a source of biomarkers in cancer and genetic diseases. This study has additional importance for the development of improved antifun- gals in the fight against resistant pathogenic strains of yeast, an increasing public health problem, particularly among immunocompromised patients. S. cerevisiae is a good model for pathogenic strains of yeast in terms of studying genes and proteins involved in cell wall regulation and biosynthesis which could aid in identifying effective therapies.
Glioblastoma Patients Exhibit Circulating Tumor-Specific CD8+ T Cells

Purpose: There is growing interest in developing cellular immune therapies for glioblastoma multiforme, but little is known about tumor-specific T-cell responses. A glioblastoma multiforme–specific T-cell assay was developed using monocyte-derived dendritic cells to present tumor antigens from the established glioblastoma multiforme cell line U118. Experimental Design: Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and tumor cells were obtained from nine patients with newly diagnosed brain tumors: five glioblastoma multiforme, two oligodendroglioma, one ependymoma, and one astrocytoma. PBMCs were incubated overnight with autologous tumor cells or autologous dendritic cells loaded with a U118 cell lysate, and responses were detected by IFN-γ ELISPOT and cytokine flow cytometry assays. Results: PBMCs from all glioblastoma multiforme patients exhibited IFN-γ responses to autologous tumor but not to HLA-mismatched U118 cells. Glioblastoma multiforme–specific IFN-γ responses were primarily mediated by CD8+ T cells and represented ∼2% of total CD8+ T cells. Additionally, all glioblastoma multiforme patients responded to autologous dendritic cells loaded with U118 lysate but not with low-grade astrocytoma cell lysates. PBMCs from four patients with other brain tumor types and one normal donor failed to respond to U118 lysate–loaded autologous dendritic cells. These data indicate that the IFN-γ responses to U118 lysate–loaded autologous dendritic cells are glioblastoma multiforme specific. Moreover, PBMCs stimulated 1 to 2 weeks with U118 lysate–loaded dendritic cells exhibited MHC class I–restricted cytotoxicity against autologous tumor cells. Conclusions: Glioblastoma multiforme patients exhibit circulating tumor-specific CD8+ T cells that recognize shared tumor antigens from the glioblastoma multiforme cell line U118. These data show that glioblastoma multiformes are immunogenic and support the development of immunotherapy trials.
Leadership and diversity: theory and research

Diversity has become a ubiquitous term within education, often harnessed with a second concept, that of inclusion. Despite heightened interest, theorists in education leadership have remained relatively uninterested in multiple aspects of identity and diversity. This article explores the epistemological and methodological implications of moving forward by considering the symbiosis of how diversity is theorised and researched, and how this relates to existing and future leadership power structures. It suggests that both theory and methodology are currently impoverished and a possible remedy of adopting theoretical and methodological interdisciplinarity. It also explores the structural impediments to progress in the orientation of researchers, practitioners, and those who mandate qualifications and fund research. Finally, it suggests that a concerted and determined effort at multiple levels to move diversity from the periphery to the centre might stand some chance of denting the embedded and disabling exclusion which currently prevails.
Adaptive Workflow = Web Services + Agents

Workflow management systems exactly enact business processes described in a process description language. Unfortunately, such strict adherence to the prescribed workflow makes it impossible for the system to adapt to unforeseen circumstances. In this paper we propose that workflow description languages and their associated design tools can be used to specify a multiagent system. Specifically, we advance the idea that the Business Process Execution Language for Web Services can be used as a specification language for expressing the initial social order of a multiagent system, which can then intelligently adapt to changing environmental conditions. keywords: workflow enactment, coordination technology, multiagent systems, process description languages
Impact of crossover and mutation on reproduction in evolutionary test model learning

Automation in the software test design process has a significant impact on the software testing process and therefore also on the overall software development in the industry. The focus of this paper is on the automation of test case design via model-based testing for automotive embedded software. A method based on an evolutionary algorithm for acquiring the necessary test model automatically from sample test cases and additional sources of information is briefly described. This paper further investigates the impact of reproduction configuration on the evolutionary learning method.
Two-Group Dynamic Conflict Scenarios: 'Toy Model' with a Severity Index

This article draws on several research domains and disciplines –social psychology, models of complex systems, and planning scenario analysis – to propose a “toy” model of the dynamics of inter-group conflicts. The ingroup-outgroup conflict literature supports the notion that inside groups in conflict there are subgroups of intransigents seeking to “fight it out,” and flexibles seeking avenues for settlements. There is also support for the intransigents and flexibles in the two groups being susceptible to each other’s goading to escalate conflicts or entreaties to reach agreement. However, since two-group conflicts are embedded in complex systems with which they interact, it is difficult to predict outcomes and to assess the chances that intervention strategies might succeed or fail. We propose to use the model of two-group conflicts based on the mutual usceptibilities of flexibles and intransigents (Kaufman & Kaufman, 2013) to construct toy-model scenarios of possible conflict trajectories. For each scenario we compute a Severity Index for Conflicts (SIC) that captures the likelihood that it will end in confrontation (rather than agreement). We offer some examples of intra-national and international conflicts and show how the scenarios can be analyzed qualitatively to explore the range of possible outcomes. Further developments will include sensitivity analyses for various assumptions, and asking “what if” questions that can inform strategies of response and intervention.
Motion-invariant photography

Object motion during camera exposure often leads to noticeable blurring artifacts. Proper elimination of this blur is challenging because the blur kernel is unknown, varies over the image as a function of object velocity, and destroys high frequencies. In the case of motions along a 1D direction (e.g. horizontal) we show that these challenges can be addressed using a camera that moves during the exposure. Through the analysis of motion blur as space-time integration, we show that a parabolic integration (corresponding to constant sensor acceleration) leads to motion blur that is invariant to object velocity. Thus, a single deconvolution kernel can be used to remove blur and create sharp images of scenes with objects moving at different speeds, without requiring any segmentation and without knowledge of the object speeds. Apart from motion invariance, we prove that the derived parabolic motion preserves image frequency content nearly optimally. That is, while static objects are degraded relative to their image from a static camera, a reliable reconstruction of all moving objects within a given velocities range is made possible. We have built a prototype camera and present successful deblurring results over a wide variety of human motions.
The Reportage and Images of Africa in Six U.S. News and Opinion Magazines: a Comparative Study

national media systems, and the need to attach greater importance to attempts at reducing the deleterious imbalance in news tlow among nations. Markul is not alone in making this cri du coeur. and, thus, tacitly expressing thmecci for restructuring the content of the international news system. Hach ten ,2 Schramrn,3 3 Ht~stcr,‘~ 4 Schiller,’ and Lent,’ inter alios, remarked that there has been the consistent domination of the international media systems by the developed nations. What is perhaps even more distressing is the betrayal of an exhortation made some two and one-half decades ago by the International Press Institute that media contcnt should emphasize more human interest (foreign ) news. ’ Steinberg, in a testament to the disheartening trend in the Ameri-
Activation and Inhibition of Adenylyl Cyclase Isoforms by Forskolin Analogs

Adenylyl cyclase (AC) isoforms 1 to 9 are differentially expressed in tissues and constitute an interesting drug target. ACs 1 to 8 are activated by the diterpene, forskolin (FS). It is unfortunate that there is a paucity of AC isoform-selective activators. To develop such compounds, an understanding of the structure/activity relationships of diterpenes is necessary. Therefore, we examined the effects of FS and nine FS analogs on ACs 1, 2, and 5 expressed in Spodoptera frugiperda insect cells. Diterpenes showed the highest potencies at AC1 and the lowest potencies at AC2. We identified full agonists, partial agonists, antagonists, and inverse agonists, i.e., diterpenes that reduced basal AC activity. Each AC isoform exhibited a distinct pharmacological profile. AC2 showed the highest basal activity of all AC isoforms and highest sensitivity to inverse agonistic effects of 1-deoxy-forskolin, 7-deacetyl-1,9-dideoxy-forskolin, and, particularly, BODIPY-forskolin. In contrast, BODIPY-forskolin acted as partial agonist at the other ACs. 1-Deoxy-forskolin analogs were devoid of agonistic activity at ACs but antagonized the effects of FS in a mixed competitive/noncompetitive manner. At purified catalytic AC subunits, BODIPY-forskolin acted as weak partial agonist/strong partial antagonist. Molecular modeling revealed that the BODIPY group rotates promiscuously outside of the FS-binding site. Collectively, ACs are not uniformly activated and inhibited by FS and FS analogs, demonstrating the feasibility to design isoform-selective FS analogs. The two- and multiple-state models, originally developed to conceptualize ligand effects at G-protein-coupled receptors, can be applied to ACs to explain certain experimental data.
Spatial data cube: provides better support for spatial data mining

Spatial data mining is a promising technique that deals with extraction of implicit knowledge or other interesting patterns from large amount of spatial data. Though most data mining systems work with data stored in flat files or operational database, it has been recognized that mining in a data warehouse usually result in better information. Because data are usually cleansed before they are stored into data warehouse. Furthermore, data warehouse provides data with different levels of summarization for the clients, which will lead to fruitful data mining. However, current techniques of data warehouse can not handle spatial data well. Both dimensions and measures in the data model of data warehouse are nonspatial data. In this paper, we propose a new data model called spatial data cube for data warehouse. Spatial data cube supports both spatial and nonspatial data. We also introduce how to construct a spatial data cube that can answer queries efficiently by selective materialization. We believe that the spatial data cube can provide better support for spatial data mining.
Prenatal alcohol exposure results in long-term serotonin neuron deficits in female rats: modulatory role of ovarian steroids.

BACKGROUND Previous studies on male rodents found that prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) decreases the number of serotonin immunoreactive (5-HT-ir) neurons in the brainstem. However, data on the effects of PAE in females are lacking. In light of known sex differences in responsiveness of the 5-HT system and known effects of estrogen (E2 ) and progesterone (P4 ) in the brain, we hypothesized that sex steroids will modulate the adverse effects of PAE on 5-HT neurons in adult females. METHODS Adult females from 3 prenatal groups (Prenatal alcohol-exposed [PAE], Pair-fed [PF], and ad libitum-fed Controls [C]) were ovariectomized (OVX), with or without hormone replacement, or underwent Sham OVX. 5-HT-ir cells were examined in key brainstem areas. RESULTS Our data support the hypothesis that PAE has long-term effects on the 5-HT system of females and that ovarian steroids have a modulatory role in these effects. Intact (Sham OVX) PAE females had marginally lower numbers of 5-HT-ir neurons in the dorsal raphe nucleus of the brainstem compared with PF and C females. This marginal difference became significant following removal of hormones by OVX. Replacement with E2 restored the number of 5-HT-ir neurons in PAE females to control levels, while P4 reversed the effects of E2 . Importantly, despite these differential responses of the 5-HT system to ovarian steroids, there were no differences in E2 and P4 levels among prenatal treatment groups. CONCLUSIONS These data demonstrate long-term, adverse effects of PAE on the 5-HT system of females, as well as differential sensitivity of PAE compared with control females to the modulatory effects of ovarian steroids on 5-HT neurons. Our findings have important implications for understanding sex differences in 5-HT dysfunction in depression/anxiety disorders and the higher rates of these mental health problems in individuals with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder.