Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Moderators in the Adoption of E-Learning: An Investigation of the Role of Gender

Past research has hypothesized and empirically supported a model for learners’ acceptance of e-learning. To further investigate the influence of gender on e-learning acceptance, data were collected from a sample of 259 Taiwanese undergraduates that were relatively balanced between genders. Comparisons of means and multiple-group Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) with LISREL were used to analyze the data. Examining t-test results indicated that differences in construct means between males and females occurred only for some of the model predictors. Specifically, men have more confidence in using the technology, more Internet experience, a higher perception of system interactivity, and higher beliefs of usefulness and ease of use than women. However there is no significant difference in their intentions to use the e-learning system. In addition, multiple-group SEMs revealed that gender moderated some of the relationships between the hypothesized determinants and intentions to use the e-learning system. In particular, women’s adoption intention for distance education purposes is more strongly influenced by system interactivity. Women’s perception of e-learning usefulness is negatively influenced by self-efficacy. Some implications for practical purposes are addressed.
MET and Small-Cell Lung Cancer

Small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) is one of the most aggressive lung tumors. The majority of patients with SCLC are diagnosed at an advanced stage. This tumor type is highly sensitive to chemo-radiation treatment, with very high response rates, but invariably relapses. At this time, treatment options are still limited and the prognosis of these patients is poor. A better knowledge of the molecular biology of SCLC allowed us to identify potential druggable targets. Among these, the MET/HGF axis seems to be one of the most aberrant signaling pathways involved in SCLC invasiveness and progression. In this review, we describe briefly all recent literature on the different molecular profiling in SCLC; in particular, we discuss the specific alterations involving c-MET gene and their implications as a potential target in SCLC.
Dynamic range estimation for nonlinear systems

It has been widely recognized that the dynamic range information of an application can be exploited to reduce the datapath bitwidth of either processors or ASICs, and therefore the overall circuit area, delay and power consumption. While recent advances in analytical dynamic range estimation can deliver results accurate enough to account for both spatial and temporal correlation, the reported methods are only valid for linear systems. In this paper, we use a powerful mathematical tool, called polynomial chaos, which enables not only the orthogonal decomposition of random processes, but also the propagation of random processes through nonlinear systems with difficult constructs such as multiplications, divisions and conditionals. We show that when applied to interesting nonlinear applications such as adaptive filters, polynomial filters and rational filters, this method can produce complete, accurate statistics of each internal variable, thereby allowing the synthesis of bitwidth with the desired tradeoff between circuit performance and signal-to-noise ratio.
STUDIES OF SULFOBROMOPHTHALEIN SODIUM (BSP) METABOLISM IN MAN. 3. DEMONSTRATION OF A TRANSPORT MAXIMUM (TM) FOR BILIARY EXCRETION OF BSP.

Convincing direct evidence that in dogs the secretion of BSP into bile is limited by a maximal rate, similar to the transport maximum (Tm) for certain substances secreted by the renal tubules, has been provided by Wheeler and co-workers (1, 2). They also showed that the Tm for BSP may be estimated from observations on peripheral plasma concentrations during different rates of constant infusion without resort to bile collections, hepatic venous sampling, or measurement of hepatic blood flow. The colorimetrically determined maximal output of BSP in dog bile was equal, on the average, to 87.57o% of the estimated Tm. The existence of a rate-limited BSP transport mechanism in man was inferred from the achievement of a state in which the hepatic removal rate was independent of the absolute plasma concentration and related only to the rate of change of plasma concentration. Utilizing the constant-infusion technic, estimations of Tm in man, analogous to those in the dog, have been reported by Wheeler and his group and by workers in other laboratories as well (3, 4). The experiments reported herein were performed on a person with complete obstruction of the distal common bile duct due to cancer of the pancreas; a T-tube had been placed in his bile duct without an attempt to remove the obstructing lesion. This circumstance provided an opportunity to obtain evidence supporting the concept of a transport maximum for biliary excretion of BSP in man, even though there was mild (presumably secondary) hepatic damage.
Foot Pad Skin Biopsy in Mouse Models of Hereditary Neuropathy

Numerous transgenic and knockout mouse models of human hereditary neuropathies have become available over the past decade. We describe a simple, reproducible, and safe biopsy of mouse skin for histopathological evaluation of the peripheral nervous system (PNS) in models of hereditary neuropathies. We compared the diagnostic outcome between sciatic nerve and dermal nerves found in skin biopsy (SB) from the hind foot. A total of five animal models of different Charcot‐Marie‐Tooth neuropathies, and one model of congenital muscular dystrophy associated neuropathy were examined. In wild type mice, dermal nerve fibers were readily identified by immunohistochemistry, light, and electron microscopy and they appeared similar to myelinated fibers in sciatic nerve. In mutant mice, SB manifested myelin abnormalities similar to those observed in sciatic nerves, including hypomyelination, onion bulbs, myelin outfolding, redundant loops, and tomacula. In many strains, however, SB showed additional abnormalities—fiber loss, dense neurofilament packing with lower phosphorylation status, and axonal degeneration—undetected in sciatic nerve, possibly because SB samples distal nerves. SB, a reliable technique to investigate peripheral neuropathies in human beings, is also useful to investigate animal models of hereditary neuropathies. Our data indicate that SB may reveal distal axonal pathology in mouse models and permits sequential follow‐up of the neuropathy in an individual mouse, thereby reducing the number of mice necessary to document pathology of the PNS. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Effect of the Serotonin Receptor Agonist, Buspirone, on Immune Function in HIV-Infected Individuals: A Six-Month Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial

Abstract Purpose: Previous studies have shown that agents modulating the cAMP/PKA pathway have a beneficial effect on immune reconstitution in HIV-infected individuals. Here we evaluate the effect of buspirone on immune function as measured by CD4 and CD8 T-cell counts, CD4/CD8 T-cell ratio, HIV viral load, and response to pokeweed mitogen (PWM) in antiretroviral naive HIV-1-infected individuals. Method: Twenty-three HIV-infected patients with CD4 T-cell counts above 300 per μL were enrolled in a 6-month double-blinded placebo controlled trial. No patients received antiretroviral therapy during the study. Blood samples were drawn prior to treatment, after 1 week, 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months, and as a follow-up sample 1 month after completion of study. Results: A significant decrease in CD8 + T-cell counts (p = .02) and an increase in CD4/CD8 ratio (p = .0003) in buspirone-treated patients compared to placebo-treated patients was observed. There were no significant differences in CD4 T-cell counts, HIV viral load, or proliferative response to PWM between those receiving placebo and those receiving buspirone. Conclusion: Buspirone treatment leads to significant changes in CD8 T-cell count and in CD4/CD8 ratio. Thus, agents affecting the adenosine 3', 5'-cyclic monophosphate/protein kinase A type 1 (cAMP/PKA-1) pathway may be candidates for positive immune modulation in patients with HIV-1 infection.
Physical Activity and School Engagement in Youth: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Physical activity is associated with numerous health benefits in youth; however, these benefits could extend further than health, into education. Our aim was to systematically review and combine in meta-analyses evidence concerning the association between physical activity and the dimensions of school engagement, including behavior (e.g., time-on-task), emotions (e.g., lesson enjoyment), and cognition (e.g., self-regulated learning). We conducted meta-analyses using structural equation modeling on results from 38 studies. Overall, physical activity had a small, positive association with school engagement (d = .28, I2 = .86), 95% confidence interval [. 12, . 46]. This association was moderated by study design, with significant associations shown in randomized controlled trials but not in studies employing other designs. Risk of bias was also a significant effect moderator, as studies with a low risk of bias showed significant associations but not high risk of bias studies. Altogether, these results suggest that physical activity could improve school engagement.
Role of astrocytes in the control of developing retinal vessels.

PURPOSE To assess the role of astrocytes in controlling the growth of developing retinal vessels. METHODS Growth of retinal vessels in the neonatal rat retina was examined in three conditions: normal development, cyclic hyperoxia, and normoxia (1 day 70% to 75% oxygen, 1 day room air for up to seven cycles from birth, and room air for up to 16 days), and direct hypoxia (10% oxygen from postnatal day 3 [P3]). Retinas were examined as wholemounts labeled for astrocytes, microglia, and blood vessels and in some experiments for the fragmentation of DNA characteristic of apoptosis. RESULTS In normoxia, superficial retinal vessels formed to the processes of astrocytes. In cyclic hyperoxia, the depletion of superficial retinal vessels and subsequent neovascularization described by others were confirmed. The neovascularization was preceded by the depletion by apoptotic death of the astrocyte population, first between vessels but eventually breaching the glia limitans along vessels. The earliest forms of neovascularization resembled microaneurysms, each protruding through a defect in the glia limitans of a capillary. Neurons of the ganglion cell layer survived. Direct hypoxia from P3 caused hypertrophy of superficial vessels. Between P3 and P6, some vessels accelerated past the still-spreading astrocytes, often growing out of the retina into the vitreous humor. Direct hypoxia also caused astrocyte degeneration, but capillaries retained astrocyte investment and were not the site of vascular damage. By P8, breaches in the astrocytic glia limitans became prominent but were restricted to large veins. At such breaches, bleeding into the vitreous humor was common. CONCLUSIONS Retinal vessels normally develop in close association with astrocytes. Where that association is broken, preretinal vessels may grow or bleed into the vitreous humor. Astrocytes play important roles in constraining retinal vessels to the retina and in maintaining their integrity.
Is Mild Cognitive Impairment Prodromal for Vascular Dementia Like Alzheimer’s Disease?

Background and Purpose Individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) are at increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and probably other forms of dementia. Some subtypes of vascular dementia (VaD) may possess minor neuropathological changes of AD that may contribute to cognitive impairments. It was posited that MCI, identified by criteria described here, might present as a prodrome for VaD and AD. Methods— Serial Mini-Mental State Examination was administered at 3- to 6-month intervals, and neuroimaging was performed annually. Subtle cognitive dysfunctions were weighted and measured according to MCI criteria defined here. Subjects identified with MCI were then followed up for an additional 3.88±3.01 years. Diagnoses of VaD and AD were made according to established criteria. Results— During 3.72±2.94 years of follow-up of the original normative subjects, 73 of 291 (25.1%) developed MCI. Of the 27 subjects who developed VaD, 15 (55.6%) had prodromal MCI. Of these, two thirds were subclassified as having small-vessel dementia. The remaining 12 patients with VaD (44.4%) were diagnosed directly from a cognitively normal status without preceding MCI. These were predominantly multi-infarct or strategic-infarct dementia (66.7%). An additional 35 MCI subjects (47.9%) developed AD. Both VaD and AD diagnosed after MCI prodromes manifested similar spectral domains of cognitive impairments, which included memory, during their MCI stages. Conclusions— In some VaD subtypes, particularly those caused by subcortical microvascular disease, dementia may be preceded by MCI, which has similar domains of cognitive impairment and a similar progressive course that may mimic AD.
Recurrent and Alternating Pisa Syndrome

ObjectivesThe aims of the study were to report the case of a male patient who developed a first episode of Pisa syndrome (PS) to the right side and a second episode to the left side and to discuss the hypothesis that states that denervation is one of the main mechanisms implicated in the development of PS. MethodsWe report on the case of a 71-year-old patient with Parkinson disease who developed PS to the right side while on dopaminergic treatment with pramipexol and levodopa. The dopamine agonist was discontinued and the postural abnormality was corrected increasing the levodopa dose. Six years later, while on ropinirole and levodopa, he developed PS again but this time the lean was to the left. Even though the dopamine agonist was discontinued, this condition failed to improve. ConclusionsMechanisms other than denervation and its relationship with the more or less affected side contribute to the development of the syndrome.This is the first report of a case of recurrent alternating PS and highlights the need for research on this topic to better understand this disorder.
Visual Object Tracking for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles: A Benchmark and New Motion Models

Despite recent advances in the visual tracking community, most studies so far have focused on the observation model. As another important component in the tracking system, the motion model is much less well-explored especially for some extreme scenarios. In this paper, we consider one such scenario in which the camera is mounted on an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) or drone. We build a benchmark dataset of high diversity, consisting of 70 videos captured by drone cameras. To address the challenging issue of severe camera motion, we devise simple baselines to model the camera motion by geometric transformation based on background feature points. An extensive comparison of recent state-of-the-art trackers and their motion model variants on our drone tracking dataset validates both the necessity of the dataset and the effectiveness of the proposed methods. Our aim for this work is to lay the foundation for further research in the UAV tracking area.
Kidney Injury Molecule-1 Is Up-Regulated in Renal Epithelial Cells in Response to Oxalate In Vitro and in Renal Tissues in Response to Hyperoxaluria In Vivo

Oxalate is a metabolic end product excreted by the kidney. Mild increases in urinary oxalate are most commonly associated with Nephrolithiasis. Chronically high levels of urinary oxalate, as seen in patients with primary hyperoxaluria, are driving factor for recurrent renal stones, and ultimately lead to renal failure, calcification of soft tissue and premature death. In previous studies others and we have demonstrated that high levels of oxalate promote injury of renal epithelial cells. However, methods to monitor oxalate induced renal injury are limited. In the present study we evaluated changes in expression of Kidney Injury Molecule-1 (KIM-1) in response to oxalate in human renal cells (HK2 cells) in culture and in renal tissue and urine samples in hyperoxaluric animals which mimic in vitro and in vivo models of hyper-oxaluria. Results presented, herein demonstrate that oxalate exposure resulted in increased expression of KIM-1 m RNA as well as protein in HK2 cells. These effects were rapid and concentration dependent. Using in vivo models of hyperoxaluria we observed elevated expression of KIM-1 in renal tissues of hyperoxaluric rats as compared to normal controls. The increase in KIM-1 was both at protein and mRNA level, suggesting transcriptional activation of KIM-1 in response to oxalate exposure. Interestingly, in addition to increased KIM-1 expression, we observed increased levels of the ectodomain of KIM-1 in urine collected from hyperoxaluric rats. To the best of our knowledge our studies are the first direct demonstration of regulation of KIM-1 in response to oxalate exposure in renal epithelial cells in vitro and in vivo. Our results suggest that detection of KIM-1 over-expression and measurement of the ectodomain of KIM-1 in urine may hold promise as a marker to monitor oxalate nephrotoxicity in hyperoxaluria.
Modelling Error Rates in Temporal Pointing

We present a novel model to predict error rates in temporal pointing. With temporal pointing, a target is about to appear within a limited time window for selection. Unlike in spatial pointing, there is no movement to control in the temporal domain; the user can only determine when to launch the response. Although this task is common in interactions requiring temporal precision, rhythm, or synchrony, no previous HCI model predicts error rates as a function of task properties. Our model assumes that users have an implicit point of aim but their ability to elicit the input event at that time is hampered by variability in three processes: 1) an internal time-keeping process, 2) a response-execution stage, and 3) input processing in the computer. We derive a mathematical model with two parameters from these assumptions. High fit is shown for user performance with two task types, including a rapidly paced game. The model can explain previous findings showing that touchscreens are much worse in temporal pointing than physical input devices. It also has novel implications for design that extend beyond the conventional wisdom of minimising latency.
Queuing Models of Airport Departure Processes for Emissions Reduction

Aircraft taxiing on the surface contribute significantly to the fuel burn and emissions at airports. This paper investigates the possibility of reducing fuel burn and emissions from surface operations through a reduction of the taxi times of departing aircraft. A novel approach is proposed that models the aircraft departure process as a queuing system, and attempts to reduce taxi times and emissions through improved queue management strategies. The departure taxi (taxi-out) time of an aircraft is represented as a sum of three components, namely, the unimpeded taxi-out time, the time spent in the departure queue, and the congestion delay due to ramp and taxiway interactions. The dependence of the taxi-out time on these factors is analyzed and modeled. The performance of the model is validated through a comparison of its predictions with observed data at Boston’s Logan International Airport (BOS). The reductions in taxi-out times from the proposed queue management strategy are translated to reductions in fuel burn and emissions using ICAO engine models for the taxi phase of the flight profile.
Validation and utility of a computerized South Asian names and group recognition algorithm in ascertaining South Asian ethnicity in the national renal registry.

BACKGROUND The UK Renal Registry (UKRR) reports on equity and quality of renal replacement therapy (RRT). Ethnic origin is a key variable, but it is only recorded for 76% patients overall in the UKRR and there is wide variation in the degree of its completeness between renal centres. Most South Asians have distinctive names. AIM To test the relative performance of a computerized name recognition algorithm (SANGRA) in identifying South Asian names using the UKRR database. DESIGN Cross-sectional study of patients (n = 27 832) starting RRT in 50 renal centres in England and Wales from 1997 to 2005. METHODS Kappa statistics were used to assess the degree of agreement of SANGRA coding with existing ethnicity information in UKRR centres. RESULTS In 12 centres outside London (number of patients = 7555) with 11% (n = 747) self-ascribed South Asian ethnicity, the level of agreement between SANGRA and self-ascribed ethnicity was high (kappa=0.91, 95% CI 0.90-0.93). In two London centres (n = 779) with 21% (n = 165) self-ascribed South Asian ethnicity, SANGRA's agreement with self-ascribed ethnicity was lower (kappa=0.60, 95% CI 0.54-0.67), primarily due to difficulties in distinguishing between South Asian ethnicity and other non-White ethnic minorities. Use of SANGRA increased numbers defined as South Asian from 1650 to 2076 with no overall change in percentage of South Asians. Kappa values showed no obvious association with degree of missing data returns to the UKRR. CONCLUSION SANGRA's use, taking into account its lower validity in London, allows increased power and generalizability for both ethnic specific analyses and for analyses where adjustment for ethnic origin is important.
Metabolic pathway analysis of a recombinant yeast for rational strain development.

Elementary mode analysis has been used to study a metabolic pathway model of a recombinant Saccharomyces cerevisiae system that was genetically engineered to produce the bacterial storage compound poly-beta-hydroxybutyrate (PHB). The model includes biochemical reactions from the intermediary metabolism and takes into account cellular compartmentalization as well as the reversibility/irreversibility of the reactions. The reaction network connects the production and/or consumption of eight external metabolites including glucose, acetate, glycerol, ethanol, PHB, CO(2), succinate, and adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Elementary mode analysis of the wild-type S. cerevisiae system reveals 241 unique reaction combinations that balance the eight external metabolites. When the recombinant PHB pathway is included, and when the reaction model is altered to simulate the experimental conditions when PHB accumulates, the analysis reveals 20 unique elementary modes. Of these 20 modes, 7 produce PHB with the optimal mode having a theoretical PHB carbon yield of 0.67. Elementary mode analysis was also used to analyze the possible effects of biochemical network modifications and altered culturing conditions. When the natively absent ATP citrate-lyase activity is added to the recombinant reaction network, the number of unique modes increases from 20 to 496, with 314 of these modes producing PHB. With this topological modification, the maximum theoretical PHB carbon yield increases from 0.67 to 0.83. Adding a transhydrogenase reaction to the model also improves the theoretical conversion of substrate into PHB. The recombinant system with the transhydrogenase reaction but without the ATP citrate-lyase reaction has an increase in PHB carbon yield from 0.67 to 0.71. When the model includes both the ATP citrate-lyase reaction and the transhydrogenase reaction, the maximum theoretical carbon yield increases to 0.84. The reaction model was also used to explore the possibility of producing PHB under anaerobic conditions. In the absence of oxygen, the recombinant reaction network possesses two elementary modes capable of producing PHB. Interestingly, both modes also produce ethanol. Elementary mode analysis provides a means of deconstructing complex metabolic networks into their basic functional units. This information can be used for analyzing existing pathways and for the rational design of further modifications that could improve the system's conversion of substrate into product.