Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Burnout in academics : the role of humour and optimism as stress buffers

The relationship between university lecturers' perceived stress, use of humour to cope with stress, optimism, pessimism, and burnout was investigated. Participants included 180 lecturers from a range of Perth universities and disciplines. Questionnaire packages were delivered to the participants at their universities and were later returned to the researcher by mail. A principle components analysis was first performed on the Life Orientation TestRevised, a self-report instrument designed to measure optimism, and demonstrated support for a two-dimensional model of optimism and pessimism. A hierarchical multiple regression analysis was subsequently conducted to determine the ability of perceived stress, humour, optimism, and pessimism, followed by the interactions between perceived stress and humour, optimism, and pessimism, and then gender to predict lecturers' burnout. The results revealed that after perceived stress had been accounted for, humour and optimism had a significant main effect on burnout. Pessimism and gender were not significant unique predictors of burnout. The interactions between perceived stress and humour, optimism, and pessimism did not predict burnout. The findings highlight the role of humour and optimism in predicting burnout, and the implications for burnout prevention strategies. Humour and Burnout 3 -
Dynamical Quorum Sensing and Synchronization in Large Populations of Chemical Oscillators

Populations of certain unicellular organisms, such as suspensions of yeast in nutrient solutions, undergo transitions to coordinated activity with increasing cell density. The collective behavior is believed to arise through communication by chemical signaling via the extracellular solution. We studied large, heterogeneous populations of discrete chemical oscillators (∼100,000) with well-defined kinetics to characterize two different types of density-dependent transitions to synchronized oscillatory behavior. For different chemical exchange rates between the oscillators and the surrounding solution, increasing oscillator density led to (i) the gradual synchronization of oscillatory activity, or (ii) the sudden “switching on” of synchronized oscillatory activity. We analyze the roles of oscillator density and exchange rate of signaling species in these transitions with a mathematical model of the interacting chemical oscillators.
LRCH Proteins: A Novel Family of Cytoskeletal Regulators

Background Comparative genomics has revealed an unexpected level of conservation for gene products across the evolution of animal species. However, the molecular function of only a few proteins has been investigated experimentally, and the role of many animal proteins still remains unknown. Here we report the characterization of a novel family of evolutionary conserved proteins, which display specific features of cytoskeletal scaffolding proteins, referred to as LRCHs. Principal Findings Taking advantage of the existence of a single LRCH gene in flies, dLRCH, we explored its function in cultured cells, and show that dLRCH act to stabilize the cell cortex during cell division. dLRCH depletion leads to ectopic cortical blebs and alters positioning of the mitotic spindle. We further examined the consequences of dLRCH deletion throughout development and adult life. Although dLRCH is not essential for cell division in vivo, flies lacking dLRCH display a reduced fertility and fitness, particularly when raised at extreme temperatures. Conclusion/Significance These results support the idea that some cytoskeletal regulators are important to buffer environmental variations and ensure the proper execution of basic cellular processes, such as the control of cell shape, under environmental variations.
Biomass, production and nutrient distribution of a natural oak forest in central Korea

Biomass, production, and nutrient distribution of a pure Quercus variabilis Bl. stand (stand 1) and two mixed Q. variabilis–Q. mongolica Fisch. stands (stand 2 and 3) were investigated in central Korea. Stand 1 naturally occurred on a site with a southern aspect while stand 2 and stand 3 occurred on sites with a northern aspect. Total (overstory + understory vegetation) biomass (t ha-1) and annual production (t ha–1 year–1) were 137.8 and 11.1 for stand 1, 216.2 and 16.6 for stand 2, and 253.3 and 19.7 for stand 3. Nutrient contents (kg ha–1) in the vegetation were distributed as follows: K, 478–860; N, 471–839; Ca, 428–791; Mg, 72–125; Na, 77–141; and P, 37–71, and were greatest in stand 3 followed by stand 2, and stand 1. Stand density influenced the differences in biomass, annual production and nutrient contents in the vegetation. Forest floor dry mass and N content (kg ha–1) were 13 400 and 169 for stand 1, 10 400 and 133 for stand 2, and 11 200 and 127 for stand 3. Total amounts of N, P and Na in the ecosystem were greatest in the upper 40 cm of mineral soil followed by the vegetation and forest floor. However, the vegetation contained a greater amount of K than the mineral soil. It appeared that microenvironments, such as, aspect influenced the distribution of natural oak species within a relatively small area and resulted in differences in biomass, production and nutrient distribution among the stands.
Refactoring test suites versus test behaviour: a TTCN-3 perspective

As a software engineering discipline, refactoring offers the opportunity for reversal of software 'decay' and preservation of a level of software quality. In a recent paper by Zeiss et al. [23], a set of fifteen refactorings were found applicable to Testing and Test Control Notation (TTCN-3) test behaviour and a set of thirteen refactorings to improving the overall structure of a TTCN-3 test suite. All twenty-eight refactorings were taken from the set of seventy-two described in the seminal text by Fowler [10]. An important issue with any refactoring is the testing effort required during implementation of its mechanics. In this paper, we explore the trade-offs between, and the contrasting characteristics of, the two TTCN-3 sets of refactorings from a refactoring mechanics perspective. Firstly, we use a meta-analysis of the same twenty-eight refactorings based on a dependency matrix developed through scrutiny of the mechanics of all seventy-two refactorings in [10] and then an analysis of the refactoring chains emerging from each of the same twenty-eight refactorings. Results suggest that there are compelling reasons for avoiding test suite structure refactorings when the dependencies and chains of the test suite refactorings are considered. Refactoring test behaviour potentially offers a far simpler, less demanding set of tasks required of the developer both from a re-testing and dependency viewpoint.
The serial position effect of free recall

The serial position curve is characterized by a steep, possibly exponential, primacy effect extending over the 1st 3 or 4 words in the list, an S-shaped recency effect extending over the last 8 words in the list, and a horizontal asymptote spanning the primacy and recency effect. The shape of the cu
Non-intubated thoracic surgery-A survey from the European Society of Thoracic Surgeons.

BACKGROUND A survey amongst the European Society of Thoracic Surgeons (ESTS) members has been performed to investigate the currents trends, rates of adoption as well as potential for future expansion of non-intubated thoracic surgery (NITS) performed under spontaneous ventilation. METHODS A 14-question-based questionnaire has been e-mailed to ESTS members. To facilitate the completion of the questionnaire, questions entailed either quantitative or multiple-choice answers. Investigated issues included previous experience with NITS and number of procedures performed, preferred types of anesthesia protocols (i.e., thoracic epidural anesthesia, intercostal or paravertebral blocks, laryngeal mask, use of additional sedation), type of procedures, ideal candidates for NITS, main advantages and technical disadvantages. Non-univocal answer to multiple-choice questions was permitted. RESULTS Out of 105 responders, 62 reported an experience with NITS. The preferred types of anesthesia were intercostal blocks with (59%) or without (50%) sedation, followed by laryngeal mask with sedation (43%) and thoracic epidural anesthesia with sedation (20%). The most frequently performed procedures included thoracoscopic management of recurrent pleural effusion (98%), pleural decortication for empyema thoracis and lung biopsy for interstitial lung disease (26% each); pericardial window and mediastinal biopsy (20% each). More complex procedures such as lobectomy, lung volume reduction surgery and thymectomy have been performed by a minority of responders (2% each). Poor-risk patients due to co-morbidities (70%) and patients with poor pulmonary function (43%) were considered the ideal candidates. Main advantages included faster, recovery (67%), reduced morbidity (59%) and shorter hospital stay with decreased costs (43% each). Reported technical disadvantages included coughing (59%) and poor maneuverability due to diaphragmatic and lung movements (56%). Overall, 69% of responders indicated that NITS procedures will be likely to increase in the near future. CONCLUSIONS Results of this survey, suggest that NITS is already quite widely adopted by ESTS members to perform simple thoracoscopic procedures. A future expanded adoption of this strategy is also hypothesized.
Using Relearning Groups to Help All Students Understand Learning Objectives Before Tests

In this action research study of my 8 grade algebra class, I investigated placing students in relearning groups based on learning objectives. A learning objective is what a learner should be able to do by the end of a learning experience. I was trying to see how this affected test scores, anxiety in the classroom and on tests, and how it affected my teaching. Overall, I discovered that the relearning groups were beneficial. Many students stated the extra practice helped them perform better and feel slightly less nervous than they originally had before a test. I did not discover the best way to group students or what the most effective script would be. However, as a result of the research, I still plan to continue relearning groups to help students fully understand objectives in the future. I also plan to implement some form of these groups in all of my classrooms and further investigate the grouping of students that is best for all students. I would also like to research how to use a script or help students communicate with one another more effectively in these groups.
2 Traditional Approach to Interactive Analysis with the Use of Single Objective Metaheuristics

This chapter describes various approaches to the use of evolutionary algorithms and other metaheuristics in interactive multiobjective optimization. We distinguish the traditional approach to interactive analysis with the use of single objective metaheuristics, the semi-a posteriori approach with interactive selection from a set of solutions generated by a multiobjective metaheuristic, and specialized interactive multiobjective metaheuristics in which the DM’s preferences are interactively expressed during the run of the method. We analyze properties of each of the approaches and give examples from the literature.
Molecular insights into Aβ42 protofibril destabilization with a fluorinated compound D744: A molecular dynamics simulation study

The aggregation of amyloid β‐peptide (Aβ42) into toxic oligomers, fibrils, has been identified as a key process in Alzheimer's disease (AD) progression. The role of halogen‐substituted compounds have been highlighted in the disassembly of Aβ protofibril. However, the underlying inhibitory mechanism of Aβ42 protofibril destabilization remains elusive. In this regard, a combined molecular docking and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were performed to elucidate the inhibitory mechanism of a fluorinated compound, D744, which has been reported previously for potential in vitro and in vivo inhibitory activity against Aβ42 aggregation and reduction in the Aβ‐induced cytotoxicity. The molecular docking analysis highlights that D744 binds and interacts with chain A of the protofibril structure with hydrophobic contacts and orthogonal multipolar interaction. MD simulations reveal destabilization of the protofibril structure in the presence of D744 due to the decrease in β‐sheet content and a concomitant increase of coil and bend structures, increase in the interchain D23‐K28 salt bridge distance, decrease in the number of backbone hydrogen bonds, increase in the average distance between Cα atoms, and decrease in the binding affinity between chains A and B of the protofibril structure. The binding free‐energy analysis between D744 and the protofibril structure with Molecular Mechanics Poisson‐Boltzmann Surface Area (MM‐PBSA) reveal that residues Leu17, Val18, Phe19, Phe20, Ala21, Glu22, Asp23, Leu34, Val36, Gly37, and Gly38 of chain A of the protofibril structure contribute maximum towards binding free energy (ΔGbinding = −44.87 kcal/mol). The insights into the underlying inhibitory mechanism of small molecules that show potential in vitro anti‐aggregation activity against Aβ42 will be beneficial for the current and future AD therapeutic studies.
VALORACIÓN DEL SOMATOTIPO Y PROPORCIONALIDAD DE FUTBOLISTAS UNIVERSITARIOS MEXICANOS RESPECTO A FUTBOLISTAS PROFESIONALES EVALUATION OF THE SOMATOTYPE AND PROPORTIONALITY OF UNIVERSITY SOCCER PLAYERS WITH RESPECT TO PROFESSIONAL SOCCER PLAYERS

El presente trabajo aborda el estudio morfologico de una muestra de atletas universitarios de la disciplina de futbol de sala (rapido), desde la comparacion con el atleta elite sudamericano en el aspecto antropometrico, de composicion corporal, somatotipico y proporcionalidad. Los resultados obtenidos al ser comparados con los atletas elite, muestran que los atletas universitarios evaluados presentan caracteristicas discordantes de la poblacion deportiva elite de su disciplina, con diferencias en edad, estatura y peso, porcentaje de grasa y perfil proporcionalidad. En somatotipo presentan correspondencia en la dominancia de la mesomorfia y la categorizacion de mesomorfo balanceado, pero con diferencias en la endomorfia y la mesomorfia.
Factors Associated with Salmonella Presence in Environmental Samples and Bulk Tank Milk from US Dairies

The objective of this study was to evaluate herd characteristics and management practices associated with presence of Salmonella in the farm environment and in bulk tank milk (BTM) in US dairy herds. Herd management data, environmental culture, BTM and in‐line milk filter polymerase chain reaction results for Salmonella from 260 US dairy herds surveyed during the National Animal Health Monitoring System Dairy 2007 study were analysed. Herd characteristics and management practices were screened by univariate analysis, and selected variables were used to construct a logistic regression model to identify factors associated with the presence of Salmonella in environmental samples. To identify factors associated with the occurrence of Salmonella in BTM and milk filters, a priori selected variables that were related to milking procedures were analysed univariately and a logistic regression model was constructed. The presence of Salmonella in the farm environment was associated with location of the operation in the East (OR = 4.8; CI: 1.9–11.6), not using a broadcast manure spreader (OR = 3.2; CI: 1.4–7.5), use of bovine somatotropin (BST) (OR = 2.7; CI: 1.5–5.0) and use of anionic salts (OR = 2.2; CI: 1.2–3.9). In the final multivariable model, herds with fewer than 100 cows were at decreased odds (OR = 0.3; CI: 0.1–0.7) of being culture positive for Salmonella as were herds with between 100 and 499 cows (OR = 0.4; CI: 0.2–0.8) compared with herds having 500 or more cows. The presence of culture‐positive environmental samples and herd size were significantly associated with Salmonella BTM contamination. The herd‐level factors identified in this study were in agreement with prior studies but also identified other potential factors that can be targeted in Salmonella control programmes.
Proteinuria after injection of human focal segmental glomerulosclerosis factor.

BACKGROUND Recurrent focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) is heralded by proteinuria that may remit after treatment with plasmapheresis or immunoadsorption. Study of recurrent FSGS has been hampered by lack of an animal model that exhibits a pattern of proteinuria that mimics human disease. We have obtained a component of FSGS patient plasma (FSGS factor) that increases glomerular albumin permeability (P(alb)) in vitro and causes transient proteinuria in vivo. METHODS Plasma fractions containing FSGS factor and comparable plasma fractions from normal donors were injected into normal male Sprague-Dawley rats. Urinary protein, albumin, and creatinine were measured at various time points. Additionally, plasma samples from test animals were collected after injection and tested for FS activity defined by increased P(alb). Finally, glomeruli were isolated from animals after injection and P(alb) of these glomeruli tested. RESULTS Proteinuria and albuminuria were increased by 24 hr after injection with FSGS factor, and returned to baseline by 48 hr after injection. Injection with the same fraction of normal plasma had no effect on urinary protein. FSGS factor increased urinary protein in a dose-dependent manner. Serum collected from rats 15 or 60 min after injection with FSGS factor increased P(alb) of glomeruli in vitro, whereas serum collected 3 or more hours after injection had no effect. Glomeruli isolated from rats receiving injections with FSGS factor had increased in vitro P(alb) compared with glomeruli from rats injected with a fraction from normal plasma. CONCLUSIONS We have demonstrated that a single injection of FSGS factor increases P(alb) and, causes transient albuminuria and proteinuria in rats. FS activity in the plasma of recipient rats is also transient. This is the first detailed description of the time course and dose-dependence of proteinuria caused by FSGS factor in an animal model.
Radar Bistatic Configurations for Soil Moisture Retrieval: A Simulation Study

The possible contribution of bistatic radar measurements for bare soil moisture retrieval is investigated in this paper. A simulation study based on well-established electromagnetic models of rough surface scattering (both coherent and incoherent components) has been accomplished for this purpose. The retrieval accuracy has been evaluated by using both the Cramer-Rao lower bound and the error variance of a linear regression estimator, thus considering slightly different assumptions on retrieval conditions. Both methods have allowed us to identify the optimal system configurations in terms of observation directions, polarizations, and frequency. This identification has been carried out for single-polarization and multipolarization receivers and for the case in which bistatic measurements are complemented by monostatic ones, which are expected to be available through already-existing spaceborne synthetic aperture radars. The optimal systems have first been singled out by considering a Gaussian autocorrelation function (ACF) and a constant value of correlation length. Successively, the simulations for an exponential ACF and a variable correlation length have been analyzed, demonstrating that the results substantially remain the same. The comparison between the soil moisture estimation accuracy yielded by the optimal configurations and that provided by the standard monostatic radar has shown that a significant improvement in the quality of retrieval can be achieved by complementing bistatic and monostatic measurements.
E2F1 Has Both Oncogenic and Tumor-Suppressive Properties in a Transgenic Model

ABSTRACT Using a transgenic mouse model expressing the E2F1 gene under the control of a keratin 5 (K5) promoter, we previously demonstrated that increased E2F1 activity can promote tumorigenesis by cooperating with either a v-Ha-ras transgene to induce benign skin papillomas or p53 deficiency to induce spontaneous skin carcinomas. We now report that as K5 E2F1 transgenic mice age, they are predisposed to develop spontaneous tumors in a variety of K5-expressing tissues, including the skin, vagina, forestomach, and odontogenic epithelium. On the other hand, K5 E2F1 transgenic mice are found to be resistant to skin tumor development following a two-stage carcinogenesis protocol. Additional experiments suggest that this tumor-suppressive effect of E2F1 occurs at the promotion stage and may involve the induction of apoptosis. These findings demonstrate that increased E2F1 activity can either promote or inhibit tumorigenesis, dependent upon the experimental context.
Diversity and distribution of diazotrophic communities in the South China Sea deep basin with mesoscale cyclonic eddy perturbations.

The South China Sea (SCS) is an oligotrophic subtropical marginal ocean with a deep basin and a permanently stratified central gyre. Upwelling and nitrogen fixation provide new nitrogen for primary production in the SCS. This study was aimed at an investigation of phylogenetic diversity and quantification of the diazotroph community in the SCS deep basin, which is characterized by frequent mesoscale eddies. The diazotroph community had a relatively low diversity but a distinct spatial heterogeneity of diversity in the SCS deep basin. The potential for nitrogen fixation consistently occurred during cyclonic eddies, although upwelling of nutrient-replete deep water might have alleviated nitrogen limitation in the SCS. However, diazotrophic proteobacteria were dominant, but neither Trichodesmium nor heterocystous cyanobacterial diatom symbionts. Quantitative PCR analysis using probe-primer sets developed in this study revealed that the nif H gene of the two dominant alpha- and gammaproteobacterial groups was at the highest abundance (up to 10(4) to 10(5) copies L(-1) ). Trichodesmium thiebautii was detected with an average density of 10(2) trichomes L(-1) in the euphotic waters, while Richelia intracellularis was observed sporadically under the microscope. The unicellular cyanobacterial groups A and B were not detected in our libraries. Our results suggested that diazotrophic proteobacteria were significant components potentially contributing to nitrogen fixation in this oligotrophic marginal ocean ecosystem.
Identification and characterization of lncRNA mediated transcriptional dysregulation dictates lncRNA roles in glioblastoma

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) modulate gene expression, and lncRNA misregulation is associated with cancer. However, precise functional roles in biological and disease processes have been described for only a few lncRNAs. Identification of genome-wide lncRNA-mediated transcriptional dysregulations may improve cancer treatments. In the present study, we used a computational framework that combined lncRNA and gene expression profiles with transcription factor (TF)-target relationships to comprehensively identify dysregulatory lncRNA-TF-gene triplets. In glioblastoma (GBM), we found that most lncRNAs affect multiple targets and primarily affect TF activity in trans. Six different classes of lncRNA-mediated transcriptional dysregulations were identified, with most lncRNAs either enhancing or attenuating target gene expression. Functional analysis of lncRNAs via their dysregulated targets implicated lncRNA modulators in some hallmarks of cancer, providing a new way to predict lncRNA function. Finally, we identified several lncRNA-TF-gene triplets (including HOTAIR-MXI1-CD58/PRKCE and HOTAIR-ATF5-NCAM1) that are associated with glioblastoma prognosis. The integration of lncRNA modulators into transcriptional regulatory networks will further enhance our understanding of lncRNA functions in cancer.