Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
β-site specific intrabodies to decrease and prevent generation of Alzheimer's Aβ peptide

Endoproteolysis of the β-amyloid precursor protein (APP) by β- and γ-secretases generates the toxic amyloid β-peptide (Aβ), which accumulates in the brain of Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients. Here, we established a novel approach to regulate production of Aβ based on intracellular expression of single chain antibodies (intrabodies) raised to an epitope adjacent to the β-secretase cleavage site of human APP. The intrabodies rapidly associated, within the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), with newly synthesized APP. One intrabody remained associated during APP transport along the secretory line, shielded the β-secretase cleavage site and facilitated the alternative, innocuous cleavage operated by α-secretase. Another killer intrabody with an ER retention sequence triggered APP disposal from the ER. The first intrabody drastically inhibited and the second almost abolished generation of Aβ. Intrabodies association with specific substrates rather than with enzymes, may modulate intracellular processes linked to disease with highest specificity and may become instrumental to investigate molecular mechanisms of cellular events.
Understanding College Student Attitudes toward LGBT Individuals

While past research has certainly investigated a variety of correlates of attitudes toward LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) individuals, the current study is one of the first that examines attitudes toward each of these groups separately. This is especially important because efforts to understand prejudices are likely to be most successful if they are based in research that explores how correlates of attitudes are both similar and different across specified targets of prejudice. In the current study, I investigated attitudes toward LGBT individuals using a college sample from the southern United States (n = 775) and a diverse set of predictors to better understand the correlates of these attitudes. Results indicated that sexual orientation, measures of LGBT affiliations, and beliefs about sexuality were nearly universal predictors of attitudes toward each of these groups. In addition, being female was positively related to attitudes toward gay men and transgender individuals but negatively related to attitudes toward lesbians. Results suggest that future sociological studies should incorporate measures that explore specific targets of prejudice when investigating stereotypes in order to better understand attitudes toward marginalized groups.
Assessment of Etest as an Alternative to Agar Dilution for Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing of Neisseria gonorrhoeae

ABSTRACT We studied whether the Etest can be used as an alternative to agar dilution to determine antimicrobial susceptibilities of ceftriaxone, cefixime, and cefpodoxime in Neisseria gonorrhoeae surveillance. One hundred fifteen clinical and laboratory isolates of N. gonorrhoeae were tested following the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA)-approved CLSI standard agar dilution method and, separately, by the Etest according to the manufacturer's recommendations. The MICs were determined and compared. Ten laboratory-generated mutants were used to simulate substantially nonsusceptible specimens. The Etest and agar dilution methods were well correlated. Statistical tests produced regression R 2 values of 88%, 82%, and 85% and Pearson correlation coefficients of 92%, 91%, and 92% for ceftriaxone, cefixime, and cefpodoxime, respectively. When paired comparisons were made, the two tests were 88.7%, 80%, and 87% within 1 log2 dilution from each other for ceftriaxone, cefixime, and cefpodoxime, respectively. The within-2-log2 agreements were 99.1%, 98.3%, and 94.8% for ceftriaxone, cefixime, and cefpodoxime, respectively. Notwithstanding the good correlations and the within-2-log2 general agreement, the Etest results produced slightly lower MICs than the agar dilution results. In conclusion, we found that the Etest can be effectively used as an alternative to agar dilution testing to determine the susceptibility of N. gonorrhoeae to ceftriaxone, cefixime, and cefpodoxime, although we recommend further research into extremely resistant isolates. For isolates within the typical range of clinical MICs, reexamination of the Etest interpretation of susceptible and nonsusceptible categories would likely allow for successful transition from agar dilution to the Etest.
Family, socialization, and development in Spain: A cross-national comparison with the United States

This paper empirically examines the causal relationships that occur between the values and attitudes that children learn during the process of socialization and the developmental process, which has taken place in Spain and the United States. When learned at an early age, values and attitudes such as responsibility, imagination, or perseverance constitute an important support for the future developmental processes of a society, if taken globally as extended values among a country's population. The data for this analysis came from the 1995 World Values Survey. The dependent variable in the causal analysis is the tendency in each of these countries towards the service sector. As independent variables we have used family values and attitudes, as well as structural characteristics of families and the various values taught to kids within the home. The varying effects of socialization on development were studied through principal components analysis, and also path analysis. The conclusions manifest that the different values taught in the two countries in their processes of socialization determine differing degrees and levels of development.
Adhesion mechanisms at soft polymer interfaces

Based on several significant examples, we analyse the adhesion mechanisms at soft polymer interfaces with a special emphasis first on the role of connector molecules, that is, polymer chains bound to the interface and which transmit stress through a stretching and extraction mechanism, and second on the necessary relay that must be taken by additional dissipation mechanisms acting at larger scales if one wants to reach typical fracture toughnesses in the range of a few 10 J m−2. Examples of such bulk dissipation mechanisms will be discussed for interfaces between polymer melts and for pressure-sensitive adhesives in contact with a solid surface. We shall particularly point out the fact that the level of adhesion results from a competition between adhesive failure usually driven by both the interactions and the friction properties of the interface and bulk strong deformations which take place in the bulk of the adhesive layer. Controlling the friction properties of the interface then becomes a tool to finely tune adhesive properties.
Generating quality dominating sets for sensor network

We consider the problem of generating dominating sets for applications in information communication and sensor network. Known algorithms for solving this problem consider number of nodes in the dominating set as the sole criteria. We report algorithms for generating dominating sets by considering diameter and interference as the additional factors. Experimental investigation shows that the proposed algorithms can generate diameter reduced and interference aware dominating sets without increasing the size of the solution.
Preservation of Cognitive Performance with Age during Exertional Heat Stress under Low and High Air Velocity

Older adults may be at greater risk for occupational injuries given their reduced capacity to dissipate heat, leading to greater thermal strain and potentially cognitive decrements. Purpose. To examine the effects of age and increased air velocity, during exercise in humid heat, on information processing and attention. Methods. Nine young (24 ± 1 years) and 9 older (59 ± 1 years) males cycled 4 × 15 min (separated by 15 min rest) at a fixed rate of heat production (400 W) in humid heat (35°C, 60% relative humidity) under 0.5 (low) and 3.0 (high) m·s−1 air velocity wearing coveralls. At rest, immediately following exercise (end exercise), and after the final recovery, participants performed an abbreviated paced auditory serial addition task (PASAT, 2 sec pace). Results. PASAT numbers of correct responses at end exercise were similar for young (low = 49 ± 3; high = 51 ± 3) and older (low = 46 ± 5; high = 47 ± 4) males and across air velocity conditions, and when scored relative to age norms. Psychological sweating, or an increased sweat rate with the administration of the PASAT, was observed in both age groups in the high condition. Conclusion. No significant decrements in attention and speeded information processing were observed, with age or altered air velocity, following intermittent exercise in humid heat.
Adenoviral vector‐mediated glucagon‐like peptide 1 gene therapy improves glucose homeostasis in Zucker diabetic fatty rats

Glucagon‐like peptide‐1 (GLP‐1) is a gut‐derived incretin hormone that plays an important role in glucose homeostasis. Its functions include glucose‐stimulated insulin secretion, suppression of glucagon secretion, deceleration of gastric emptying, and reduction in appetite and food intake. Despite the numerous antidiabetic properties of GLP‐1, its therapeutic potential is limited by its short biological half‐life due to rapid enzymatic degradation by dipeptidyl peptidase IV. The present study aimed to demonstrate the therapeutic effects of constitutively expressed GLP‐1 in an overt type 2 diabetic animal model using an adenoviral vector system.
Curriculum constructions of ability: enhancing learning through Teaching Games for Understanding (TGfU) as a curriculum model

This article examines the curricular constructions that influence our perceptions of learner ‘ability’ within games education. Games education has both inherent and intrinsic value for learners, and within this context, teachers make important choices about what they believe will be of most value and interest for students. This in turn impacts the way that the curriculum is constructed and developed. Extrinsic cultural and social values have also had an impact upon the discipline. These values have been usefully summarized by Jewett as five value orientations: (1) disciplinary mastery, (2) self-actualization, (3) social reconstruction, (4) learning process and (5) ecological integration. Identification of the philosophical principles which underpin the curriculum allows the reflective part of the praxis to take place. These five value orientations provide critical reference points for my exploration of the different ways in which two curricula constructions frame ability. Teaching Games for Understanding (TGfU) and the more familiar model of Technique-Based or Direct Instruction are considered, not to further the methodology debate, but to illustrate how each frames ability differently. This will be achieved by examining the context and culture within which each has developed. Finally, a closer examination will be made of the TGfU curriculum model in terms of the ways in which it defines learner ability. It is suggested that, TGfU offers a more inclusive way to think about ability in PE by employing a range of value orientations. As teachers encourage learners to invent their own games, they help them to develop respect for equal justice and for free and open inquiry (social reconstruction). In this way, learners come to appreciate and understand their responsibility to protect individual and collective rights and freedoms. When it comes to teaching democracy, it is clearly important to pay close attention to the entire context in which learning takes place, since by definition, the notion of democracy applies to individuals as they operate within community. The TGfU approach lends itself to the teaching of democracy in schools, since it empowers both teacher and learner and invites them to question the status quo (ecological integration). In this way, players focus on creating play as a shared experience, not just on being winners.
The Influence of Applicant Communication Style and Interviewer Characteristics on Hiring Decisions

Examined the influence on hiring decisions of (1) gender and communication style of job applicants and (2) gender and sex-role stereotyping (SRS) of interviewers. 32 male and 24 female personnel officers viewed simulated employment interviews, in which male and female candidates used aggressive, assertive, or nonassertive styles of communication. Ss were most likely to employ assertive applicants. Ss who were low in SRS were more likely to hire a nonassertive than an aggressive candidate, while Ss with higher levels of SRS were more likely to hire aggressive candidates. For assertive candidates, Ss' judgments of the perceived similarity of the candidate to themselves and their liking for the applicant influenced their decision to hire the candidate. For aggressive and nonassertive candidates, the Ss' liking toward the candidate mediated the relationship between perceived similarity and hiring decisions.
The Narrative Construction of Reality

Surely since the Enlightenment, if not before, the study of mind has centered principally on how man achieves a "true" knowledge of the world. Emphasis in this pursuit has varied, of course: empiricists have concentrated on the mind's interplay with an external world of nature, hoping to find the key in the association of sensations and ideas, while rationalists have looked inward to the powers of mind itself for the principles of right reason. The objective, in either case, has been to discover how we achieve "reality," that is to say, how we get a reliable fix on the world, a world that is, as it were, assumed to be immutable and, as it were, "there to be observed. " This quest has, of course, had a profound effect on the development of psychology, and the empiricist and rationalist traditions have dominated our conceptions of how the mind grows and how it gets its grasp on the "real world. " Indeed, at midcentury Gestalt theory represented the rationalist wing of this enterprise and American learning theory the empiricist. Both gave accounts of mental development as proceeding in some more or less linear and uniform fashion from an initial incompetence in grasping reality to a final competence, in one case attributing it to the working out of internal processes or mental organization, and in the other to some unspecified principle of reflection by which—whether through reinforcement, association, or conditioning—we came to respond to the world "as it is. " There have always been dissidents who
Curvilinearity and Religious Types: A Second Look at Intrinsic, Extrinsic, and Quest Relations

The relation between Allport's intrinsic (I) and extrinsic (E) religious orientations, although of central conceptual importance, has never been clearly demonstrated. Allport (1960, 1966) initially hypothesized I and E to be endpoints of a bipolar continuum. Allport and Ross (1967) and subsequent researchers', however, failed to find consistent evidence for an inverse linear relation. Many researchers thus concluded that I and E—and later, Batson's (1976) quest orientation (Q)—are orthogonal. Study 1 demonstrates that I, E, and Q are not orthogonal, but inversely and curvilinearity related, offering some support for the use of religious types. Study 2 demonstrates that these types differ predictably on such dimensions as impression management, self-deception, and introjective depression. Conceptual and methodological implications for the study of religious orientation are discussed.
Reading abilities of nonspeaking students: Two case studies

Reading difficulties are commonly reported in the nonspeaking cerebral palsy population. Such difficulties may be related to deficits in perceptual functioning, language skills, or learning experiences. This paper presents case reports of two nonspeaking children whose reading abilities are within the normal range and examines their performance in other skill areas. It is suggested that important factors contributing to their success in reading are: relative strengths in language competence; support for reading in the home environment; their physical independence; and motivation for reading practice. Implications for further research are suggested.
The Effect of Target Status on Witnesses' Reactions to Confrontations of Bias

Although interpersonal confrontations can be effective in reducing expressions of bias (Czopp, Monteith, & Mark, 2006), target group members (e.g., Blacks) may be less effective in their confrontations than nontargets (e.g., Whites) because they are perceived as complainers (e.g., Czopp & Monteith, 2003). This study extends previous research beyond the confrontation dyad and examines evaluations of third parties who witness a biased response and its confrontation by a target or nontarget. In addition, to determine the absolute (rather than relative) effectiveness of target versus nontarget confrontations, this study included a no-confrontation control condition. White participants watched a video debate between two students in which a White speaker expressed negative race-related comments and was either confronted or not by a White or Black speaker. The nontarget's confrontation was rated as more persuasive and increased perceptions of the White speaker's level of bias, whereas the target's confrontation was rated as rude and increased participants' agreement with the initial biased response.
A transactional and sociocultural view of response in a fourth‐grade literature discussion group

Abstract This study brings together a transactional theory of response and a sociocultural view of learning in an examination of the ways elementary students respond in literature discussion groups. The analyses describe how five fourth‐grade students and a teacher transacted with text and with each other as they talked about books. The analyses also describe how patterns of talk within the group impacted on personal response. The findings indicate that elementary students' response to literature is not limited to movements among text and personal experiences but also includes movements among improvisations stimulated by the text and related texts such as other books and movies. In addition, the findings document ways that the responses of individuals are used as scaffolds for the responses of other group members.
‘What is geography?’ an analysis of definitions provided by prospective teachers of the subject

105 postgraduate students with Honours degrees in geography who joined the specialist geography teacher‐training group at the University of Cambridge, England, in the period 1990–1994 were asked to provide a short definition of ‘geography’ at the start of their course. The definitions were analysed and considered in the light of possible ways in which they might be categorised, and in relation to previous classifications of geography which have been suggested by scholars. A new classification was developed. The largest proportion of students are identified as ‘Interactionists’, stressing the linkage of physical and human environmental study in their definitions. Smaller proportions of students are identified as ‘Synthesisers’, ‘Spatialists’ and ‘Placeists’. It is suggested that further research on the way in which teachers’ view of geography influence their own pedagogy and curriculum planning would be fruitful.
Who Controls East Asian Corporations?

The authors identify the ultimate ownership structure for 2,980 corporations in nine East Asian countries. They find that: A) More than half of those firms are controlled be a single shareholder. B) Smaller firms and older firms are more likely to be family-controlled. C) Patterns of controlling ownership stakes differ across countries. The concentration of control generally diminishes with higher economic and institutional development. D) In many countries control is enhanced though pyramid structures and deviations from one-share-one-vote rules. As a result, voting rights exceed cash-flow rights. E) Management is rarely separated from ownership control, and management in two thirds of the firms that are not widely held is related to management of the controlling shareholder. F) In some countries, wealth is very concentrated and links between government and business are extensive, so the legal system has probably been influenced by the prevailing ownership structure.
Continuing education in a lifelong learning society: the Hong Kong model

This paper examines the role and position of continuing education in the lifelong learning society of Hong Kong. The first section describes the basic components of Hong Kong's lifelong learning system, which is composed of two interconnected sub‐systems—namely, conventional education and continuing education—integrated under a common qualifications framework. The second section illustrates the contribution of the Federation for Continuing Education in Tertiary Institutions, an organisational alliance formed among key continuing education providers to assure quality in the sector; enhance communication among government, industries and the professional bodies; map strategies for developing human capital; and widen access to higher education by providing high‐quality continuing education programs. In the final section, the HKU SPACE case study highlights ‘sharing of quality education resources with overseas collaborators’, ‘achieving self‐financing status through economies of scale’, and the ‘provision of flexible, multiple‐level, well articulated and quality education services’ as key features of the Hong Kong model of continuing education.
Assessment of nerve excitability in toxic and metabolic neuropathies

Abstract Measurement of nerve excitability by threshold tracking provides complementary information to conventional nerve conduction studies and may be used to infer the activity of a variety of ion channels, energy‐dependent pumps, and ion exchange processes activated during the process of impulse conduction. This review highlights recent clinical excitability studies that have suggested mechanisms for nerve involvement in a range of metabolic and toxic neuropathies. While clinical nerve excitability studies are still in their infancy, and it is too early to know whether they have diagnostic value, there is growing evidence of their utility to provide novel insights into the pathophysiological mechanisms involved in a variety of neuropathic disturbances.
‘She’s White and She’s Hot, So She Can’t Be Guilty’: Female Criminality, Penal Spectatorship, and White Protectionism

Despite mainstream criminology’s burgeoning interest in issues of race, class, and gender, very little scholarship has examined whiteness and its attendant privileges in understanding public discourse on criminal offenders. This paper examines the role of penal spectatorship as a discursive mechanism by which white, female offenders are protected in public spaces by virtue of their racial and gender identity. Using a content analysis of comments posted on the mug shot images of white women on a popular ‘mug shot website,’ we find that these women are viewed as victims of circumstance deserving of empathy and redemption rather than as criminals. We offer ‘white protectionism’ as a means by which whites extend privilege and protection to other whites who transverse the boundaries of whiteness through criminality to guard against ‘deviant’ or ‘criminal’ designations. These findings add to our understandings of penal spectatorship as yet another tool of white supremacy operating in the Post-Civil Rights era of mass incarceration.