Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Student‐Teachers' Ability to Read Nature: Reflections on their own learning in ecology

This paper addresses student‐teachers' ability to read nature in a woodland habitat before and after a 10‐week ecology course. Reading nature is our definition of the ability to observe, describe and explain basic ecology in the field. Data consists of field‐based pre‐course and post‐course interviews followed up by metacognitive interviews where students analyse their own learning. A bi‐dimensional coding scheme is adopted to examine the range and development of students' ability to read nature. Students find it important to know the ecology of a few key species and they recognize the importance of having learned the language of ecology — ecologish — helping them to describe and discuss ecology. Students generally recognize the excursions as key learning situations in ecology education but they give different reasons for finding excursions so important. This variation will be elaborated in the paper together with the implications for teaching ecology.
A study of retrieval algorithms of sparse messages in networks of neural cliques

Associative memories are data structures addressed using part of the content rather than an index. They offer good fault reliability and biological plausibility. Among different families of associative memories, sparse ones are known to offer the best efficiency (ratio of the amount of bits stored to that of bits used by the network itself). Their retrieval process performance has been shown to benefit from the use of iterations. However classical algorithms require having prior knowledge about the data to retrieve such as the number of nonzero symbols. We introduce several families of algorithms to enhance the retrieval process performance in recently proposed sparse associative memories based on binary neural networks. We show that these algorithms provide better performance, along with better plausibility than existing techniques. We also analyze the required number of iterations and derive corresponding curves.
Chemokines and angiogenesis

Chemokines mediate the ingress of leukocytes, including neutrophils and monocytes, into the inflamed synovium. Among the four known chemokine families, C-X-C and C-C chemokines seem to be of outstanding importance in this process. Angiogenesis, the formation of new vessels, is also important in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis. In this review, the authors discuss the role of the most important chemokines in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid synovitis. The most relevant angiogenic factors and angiogenesis inhibitors involved in rheumatoid arthritis are also discussed. Because certain chemokines may also play a role in neovascularization, chemokines and the process of angiogenesis are described in this context as well. Apart from discussing the pathogenic role of these factors, the authors also review the important relevance of chemokines and angiogenesis for therapeutic intervention.
Attenuated effects of opiates in adolescent vs. adult male rats: Reinforcement, relapse, and withdrawal

Adolescence in humans is a vulnerable period for illicit drug use, and teenage onset of drug use is associated with long-term addiction. Adolescent sensitivity to drug reinforcement, relapse, and withdrawal has not been explored thoroughly in animal models, especially considering opiate drugs such as morphine and heroin. The present series of studies profiles adolescent sensitivity to opiates using adolescent and adult male rats to test for age differences in opiate selfadministration, reinstatement, withdrawal signs, locomotor sensitization, and even brain activation during drug-seeking. To test for acute sensitivity to the reinforcing effects of morphine or heroin, we compared patterns of self-administration by adolescent vs. adult male rats on various schedules of reinforcement, drug doses, and daily access conditions. Using fixed ratio schedules and short daily access, adolescents self-administered less morphine than adults, an effect commonly interpreted as higher drug sensitivity. In contrast, escalation of morphine intake under long access conditions was similar across ages, as was heroin intake using fixed or progressive ratio schedules of reinforcement. To test for enduring effects of opiates, we compared opiateseeking in the absence of the drug in tests of extinction responding and cue-induced reinstatement. Regardless of the acute effects of morphine or heroin, all adolescent treatment groups showed attenuated opiate-seeking compared to adults. Next we considered behavioral correlates of reinforcement, drug withdrawal and locomotor sensitization, during and after escalating doses of experimenter-administered heroin. Consistent with attenuated opiate-seeking, adolescents exhibited attenuated somatic and locomotor signs of withdrawal compared with adults, although locomotor sensitization was similar across ages. Finally, the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) is a brain region heavily implicated in drug reinforcement, so we used tissue levels of Fos-like immunoreactivity to compare activation of this region by heroin-seeking. Indeed mPFC activation was absent in rats that self-administered heroin as adolescents, but robust in adults. Together these behavioral and neuroanatomical results surprisingly suggest that adolescent male rats are less sensitive than adults to some acute and enduring effects of opiates, and may predict better response profiles among younger human addicts. Through future studies, adolescent rats may provide a new model to help identify treatments for drug abuse. INDEX WORDS: Adolescence . Periadolescence . Opioid . Immediate early gene, Rodent, Cueinduced . Extinction . Incubation . Addiction. Sensitization. Sprague-Dawley, Narcotic, in vivo, Ontogeny, Extended access, Limited access, Drug loading ATTENUATED EFFECTS OF OPIATES IN ADOLESCENT VS. ADULT MALE RATS: REINFORCEMENT, RELAPSE, AND WITHDRAWAL
Potential aerosol indirect effects on atmospheric circulation and radiative forcing through deep convection

Aerosol indirect effects, i.e., the interactions of aerosols with clouds by serving as cloud condensation nuclei or ice nuclei constitute the largest uncertainty in climate forcing and projection. Previous IPCC reported negative aerosol indirect forcing, which does not account for aerosol‐convective cloud interactions because the complex processes involved are poorly understood and represented in climate models. Here we elucidated how aerosols change convective intensity, diabatic heating, and regional circulation under different environmental conditions. We found that aerosol indirect effect on deep convective cloud systems could lead to enhanced regional convergence and a strong top‐of‐atmosphere warming. Aerosol invigoration effect occurs mainly in warmed‐based convection with weak shear. This could result in a strong radiative warming in the atmosphere (up to +5.6 W m−2), a lofted latent heating, and a reduced diurnal temperature difference, all of which could potentially impact regional circulation and modify weather systems. The positive aerosol radiative forcing on deep clouds could offset the negative aerosol radiative forcing on low clouds to an unknown extent.
An Evidence-Based Review of Acute and Long-Term Effects of Cannabis Use on Executive Cognitive Functions

Cannabis use may impair cognitive functions on a number of levels—from basic motor coordination to more complex executive function tasks, such as the ability to plan, organize, solve problems, make decisions, remember, and control emotions and behavior. These deficits differ in severity depending on the quantity, recency, age of onset, and duration of marijuana use. Understanding how cannabis use impairs executive function is important for clinicians. Individuals with cannabis-related impairment in executive functions have been found to have trouble learning and applying the skills required for successful recovery, putting them at increased risk for relapse to cannabis use. Here, we review the research on the acute, residual, and long-term effects of cannabis use on executive functions and discuss the implications for treatment.
Triamcinolone acetonide–Eudragit® RS100 nanofibers and nanobeads: Morphological and physicochemical characterization

Context and objective: The aim of the present research was to fabricate triamcinolone acetonide (TA)-Eudragit® RS100 nanostructures using the electrospraying method. Materials and methods: The physicochemical properties of the electrosprayed formulations as well as drug release patterns were assessed. The particle size and morphology were evaluated using scanning electron microscopy. X-ray crystallography and differential scanning calorimetry were also conducted to investigate the crystallinity and polymorphic alterations of the drug in the formulations. Probable chemical interactions between the drug and the carrier during the preparation process were analyzed using FT-IR spectroscopy. The drug release kinetic was also considered to predict the release mechanism. Results and discussion: Increasing the concentration of injected polymer solution resulted in the formation of more fibers and fewer beads, with the particle diameter ranging from 60 nm to a few micrometers based on the drug: polymer ratio. The drug crystallinity was notably decreased during the electrospraying process; however, no interaction between drug and polymer was detected. The electrosprayed formulations with 1:10 drug: polymer ratio showed an almost similar drug release rate compared to the pure drug, while those with 1:5 ratio revealed slower release profiles. The release data were best fitted to the Weibull model, so that the corresponding shape factor values of the Weibull model were less than 0.75, indicating the diffusion controlled release mechanism. Conclusion: Our findings revealed that TA loaded Eudragit® RS100 nanofibers and nanobeads were properly prepared by the electrospraying method, which is a simple, surfactant-free and cost effective technique for producing drug: polymer nanostructures.
Ambiguity in portfolio selection

In this paper, we consider the problem of finding optimal portfolios in cases when the underlying probability model is not perfectly known. For the sake of robustness, a maximin approach is applied which uses a ‘confidence set’ for the probability distribution. The approach shows the tradeoff between return, risk and robustness in view of the model ambiguity. As a consequence, a monetary value of information in the model can be determined.
An altered redox balance mediates the hypersensitivity of Cockayne syndrome primary fibroblasts to oxidative stress

Cockayne syndrome (CS) is a rare hereditary multisystem disease characterized by neurological and development impairment, and premature aging. Cockayne syndrome cells are hypersensitive to oxidative stress, but the molecular mechanisms involved remain unresolved. Here we provide the first evidence that primary fibroblasts derived from patients with CS‐A and CS‐B present an altered redox balance with increased steady‐state levels of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) and basal and induced DNA oxidative damage, loss of the mitochondrial membrane potential, and a significant decrease in the rate of basal oxidative phosphorylation. The Na/K‐ATPase, a relevant target of oxidative stress, is also affected with reduced transcription in CS fibroblasts and normal protein levels restored upon complementation with wild‐type genes. High‐resolution magnetic resonance spectroscopy revealed a significantly perturbed metabolic profile in CS‐A and CS‐B primary fibroblasts compared with normal cells in agreement with increased oxidative stress and alterations in cell bioenergetics. The affected processes include oxidative metabolism, glycolysis, choline phospholipid metabolism, and osmoregulation. The alterations in intracellular ROS content, oxidative DNA damage, and metabolic profile were partially rescued by the addition of an antioxidant in the culture medium suggesting that the continuous oxidative stress that characterizes CS cells plays a causative role in the underlying pathophysiology. The changes of oxidative and energy metabolism offer a clue for the clinical features of patients with CS and provide novel tools valuable for both diagnosis and therapy.
Strategies for spatial organization in adults and children

People have a tendency to organize space by extracting meaningful shapes from the configuration of elements. However, research on spatial correspondence in children suggests that when configural processing is difficult, individuation of elements may be critical. To begin to address the distinction between the use of configurations and individuation, and changes associated with age, we relied upon perceptual grouping and manipulated the colour of the displays—promoting either extraction of configural information (monochromatic) or individuation of elements (multicoloured). In a layout reproduction task (Experiments 1 and 2), children showed a robust advantage for multicoloured arrays, whereas adults showed an attenuated advantage for monochromatic displays. Visual discrimination in adults (Experiment 3) revealed that the influence of the display type occurs at the level of perception. Taken together, these results suggest that there are (at least) two routes to establishing spatial correspondence in arrays of elements, with differential dependence over development.
The Mesh of Civilizations in the Global Network of Digital Communication

Conflicts fueled by popular religious mobilization have rekindled the controversy surrounding Samuel Huntington’s theory of changing international alignments in the Post-Cold War era. In The Clash of Civilizations, Huntington challenged Fukuyama’s “end of history” thesis that liberal democracy had emerged victorious out of Post-war ideological and economic rivalries. Based on a top-down analysis of the alignments of nation states, Huntington famously concluded that the axes of international geo-political conflicts had reverted to the ancient cultural divisions that had characterized most of human history. Until recently, however, the debate has had to rely more on polemics than empirical evidence. Moreover, Huntington made this prediction in 1993, before social media connected the world’s population. Do digital communications attenuate or echo the cultural, religious, and ethnic “fault lines” posited by Huntington prior to the global diffusion of social media? We revisit Huntington's thesis using hundreds of millions of anonymized email and Twitter communications among tens of millions of worldwide users to map the global alignment of interpersonal relations. Contrary to the supposedly borderless world of cyberspace, a bottom-up analysis confirms the persistence of the eight culturally differentiated civilizations posited by Huntington, with the divisions corresponding to differences in language, religion, economic development, and spatial distance.
Discrimination between panic disorder and generalized anxiety disorder by 35% carbon dioxide challenge.

OBJECTIVE The authors' goal was to determine whether 35% carbon dioxide (CO2) challenge would discriminate between patients with panic disorder and patients with other anxiety disorders. METHOD Nine patients with panic disorder and nine with generalized anxiety disorder underwent the 35% CO2 challenge. RESULTS Patients with panic disorder experienced a significantly stronger increase in subjective anxiety than patients with generalized anxiety disorder. However, increases in panic symptom scores were high in both groups. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that a large increase in subjective anxiety due to the CO2 challenge is specific for patients with panic disorder but that an increase in panic symptoms is not.
The impact of disrespect on prisoners’ aggression: outcomes of experimentally inducing violence-supportive cognitions

Abstract Self-report research suggests that much violence is triggered by perceived insults and disrespect. This may be particularly true in the context of a prison or another environment of acute deprivation, whereby individuals have little other recourse to means of reputation enhancement. This paper presents the findings of two studies conducted with prisoner volunteers inside a Category C (minimum security) prison in England. In the first study, the authors randomly assigned a sample of 89 prisoners to one of two conditions: the experimental group were asked to discuss times they have been disrespected by authority figures inside and outside the prison; the control group were asked more neutral questions. Both groups then completed several measures of cognitive beliefs, distortions, and hostile attribution biases. None of the measures differed across the two groups except the measure of excuse and justification acceptance. Controlling for other factors, the experimental group endorsed these rationalisations at a significantly higher rate than the control group. This finding suggests that raising the salience of disrespect – reminding prisoners of times they have been made to feel unworthy of consideration – may raise the risk that prisoners will engage in violence by providing prisoners with justifications or excuses for actions they might not otherwise endorse. These findings received some additional validation in the second study, a qualitative analysis of offender accounts of violence and aggression within the prison. Implications for reducing violence within prisons are discussed.
3-D imaging using row–column-addressed arrays with integrated apodization— part ii: transducer fabrication and experimental results

This paper demonstrates the fabrication, characterization, and experimental imaging results of a 62+62 element λ/2-pitch row-column-addressed capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer (CMUT) array with integrated apodization. A new fabrication process was used to manufacture a 26.3 mm by 26.3 mm array using five lithography steps. The array includes an integrated apodization, presented in detail in Part I of this paper, which is designed to reduce the amplitude of the ghost echoes that are otherwise prominent for row-column-addressed arrays. Custom front-end electronics were produced with the capability of transmitting and receiving on all elements, and the option of disabling the integrated apodization. The center frequency and -6-dB fractional bandwidth of the array elements were 2.77 ± 0.26 MHz and 102 ± 10%, respectively. The surface transmit pressure at 2.5 MHz was 590 ± 73 kPa, and the sensitivity was 0.299 ± 0.090 V/Pa. The nearest neighbor crosstalk level was -23.9 ± 3.7 dB, while the transmit-to-receive-elements crosstalk level was -40.2 ± 3.5 dB. Imaging of a 0.3-mm-diameter steel wire using synthetic transmit focusing with 62 single-element emissions demonstrated axial and lateral FWHMs of 0.71 mm and 1.79 mm (f-number: 1.4), respectively, compared with simulated axial and lateral FWHMs of 0.69 mm and 1.76 mm. The dominant ghost echo was reduced by 15.8 dB in measurements using the integrated apodization compared with the disabled configuration. The effect was reproduced in simulations, showing a ghost echo reduction of 18.9 dB.
Relationship between single nucleotide polymorphism of interleukin‐18 and susceptibility to pulmonary tuberculosis in the Chinese Han population

Interleukin‐18 (IL‐18) is a multi‐functional cytokine capable of inducing either Th1 or Th2 polarization depending on the immunologic milieu. IL‐18 may influence the host response to Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb) infection. To investigate the relationship between single nucleotide polymorphisms of the IL‐18 and susceptibility to pulmonary tuberculosis in the Chinese Han population, the IL‐18 gene was sequenced to detect polymorphisms and to examine the genotype frequencies in 300 patients and 702 healthy controls. DNA sequencing revealed three IL‐18 variants: rs1946518, rs5744247, and rs549908. It also revealed that allele A of rs1946518 confers a 1.47‐fold increased risk of developing tuberculosis (TB) (P= 0.0001, OR [95%CI]= 1.47 [1.21–1.78]), and that the C allele of rs5744247 confers a 0.77‐fold decreased risk of disease (P= 0.01, R [95%CI]= 0.77 [0.632–0.937]). The genotypes rs1946518, rs5744247 and rs549908 were found to be significantly associated with TB. Estimation of the frequencies of haplotypes revealed a potential risk haplotype AGA (P= 0.01, OR [95%CI]= 1.41 [1.15–1.72]) and a protective haplotype CCA (P= 0.01, OR [95%CI]= 0.70 [0.57–0.85]) for TB. The present findings suggest that polymorphisms in the IL‐18 gene may affect susceptibility to TB and increase the risk of developing the disease in the Chinese Han population.
Studies in Retroactive Inhibition: II. Relationships between Temporal Point of Interpolation, Length of Interval, and Amount of Retroactive Inhibition

Resume On a fait des comparaisons entre les quantites d'inhibition retroactive produites par l'intercalation immediatement apres le premier apprentissage et immediatement avant le reapprentissage, avec des intervalles de 20 minutes, d'une heure, de 24, de 48, et de 144 heures. Tous les sujets ont appris une liste de 10 adjectifs par la methode d'anticipation a un critere de trois epreuves parfaites successives et l'ont apprise encore une fois au meme critere. Soixante sujets n'ont rien appris dan le laboratoire pendant les intervalles; quarante autres ont eu 10 presentations d'une seconde liste immediatement apres l'apprentissage parfait de la premiere; vingt autres ont eu 10 presentations de la seconde liste immediatement avant le reapprentissage. L'inhibition retroactive tend a etre plus grande apres 20 minutes, une heure, 48 et 144 heures, quand l'apprentissage intercale a lieu immediatement avant le reapprentissage que quand il est immediatement subsequent a l'apprentissage. Les differences apres l'in.
Quality of Life of Children with Learning Disabilities: A Comparison of Self–Reports and Proxy Reports

This study aimed to explore how children with learning disabilities (LD) perceive their quality of life (QoL) and to compare self–reports and proxy reports regarding their QoL. Children with LD, their typically developing peers, their parents and teachers responded to the child, parent, and teacher forms of KINDLR Questionnaire for Measuring Health–Related Quality of Life (Ravens–Sieberer & Bullinger, 1998). Findings showed that children with LD reported significantly lower QoL scores than those reported by typically developing peers. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) and t–test results showed that agreement between child reports and parent–proxy reports was either low or moderate on each QoL dimension. Findings of the study may be used to raise awareness regarding the social and educational needs of children with LD in Turkey.