Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Exploring the Impact of Optimum Stimulation Level on Individual Perceptions of IT Innovations: A Trait Hierarchical Model Perspective

Given that IT innovations and their components as well as their characteristics can all be viewed as a stimulus, optimum stimulation level (OSL), a general personality trait that characterizes individuals' general need for stimulation, is a pertinent and important theoretical construct to information systems (IS) research. Despite its significance, OSL has remained seldom studied in the IS discipline. Its impact on individuals' responses in the interaction with IT innovations continues to be largely underexplored. Drawing on OSL theory, this study theorizes the positive effect of OSL on individuals' perceived ease of use (PEOU) and perceived usefulness (PU) of IT innovations. Leveraging the trait hierarchical model and building upon the literature on technology acceptance model (TAM), personal innovativeness in information technology (PIIT), computer self-efficacy (CSE), and OSL theory, this study further theorizes the mediating effects of IT domain-specific traits, namely, PIIT and CSE, on the effect of OSL on PEOU and PU. Analysis of survey data on 383 social networking site users validates the theorized relationships. This study contributes to IS research on personality traits and adds to the trait hierarchical model by theorizing and empirically validating the nomological network of OSL with PIIT and CSE. Moreover, it contributes to the literature on IT adoption and use by linking OSL to TAM constructs. It also advances OSL research by uncovering the influence mechanisms of OSL on PEOU and PU. Furthermore, this study provides a holistic understanding of the relationships among PIIT, CSE, and PEOU.
Comparing dynamics: deep neural networks versus glassy systems

We analyze numerically the training dynamics of deep neural networks (DNN) by using methods developed in statistical physics of glassy systems. The two main issues we address are (1) the complexity of the loss landscape and of the dynamics within it, and (2) to what extent DNNs share similarities with glassy systems. Our findings, obtained for different architectures and datasets, suggest that during the training process the dynamics slows down because of an increasingly large number of flat directions. At large times, when the loss is approaching zero, the system diffuses at the bottom of the landscape. Despite some similarities with the dynamics of mean-field glassy systems, in particular, the absence of barrier crossing, we find distinctive dynamical behaviors in the two cases, showing that the statistical properties of the corresponding loss and energy landscapes are different. In contrast, when the network is under-parametrized we observe a typical glassy behavior, thus suggesting the existence of different phases depending on whether the network is under-parametrized or over-parametrized.
Covalent Strategies for Targeting Messenger and Non-Coding RNAs: An Updated Review on siRNA, miRNA and antimiR Conjugates

Oligonucleotide-based therapy has become an alternative to classical approaches in the search of novel therapeutics involving gene-related diseases. Several mechanisms have been described in which demonstrate the pivotal role of oligonucleotide for modulating gene expression. Antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) and more recently siRNAs and miRNAs have made important contributions either in reducing aberrant protein levels by sequence-specific targeting messenger RNAs (mRNAs) or restoring the anomalous levels of non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) that are involved in a good number of diseases including cancer. In addition to formulation approaches which have contributed to accelerate the presence of ASOs, siRNAs and miRNAs in clinical trials; the covalent linkage between non-viral vectors and nucleic acids has also added value and opened new perspectives to the development of promising nucleic acid-based therapeutics. This review article is mainly focused on the strategies carried out for covalently modifying siRNA and miRNA molecules. Examples involving cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs), carbohydrates, polymers, lipids and aptamers are discussed for the synthesis of siRNA conjugates whereas in the case of miRNA-based drugs, this review article makes special emphasis in using antagomiRs, locked nucleic acids (LNAs), peptide nucleic acids (PNAs) as well as nanoparticles. The biomedical applications of siRNA and miRNA conjugates are also discussed.
Estimates of lay views about reversal multiple intelligences for self and others: Sex and cross‐cultural comparisons

This study focuses on lay conceptions of intelligence. It examined sex and cross-cultural similarities and differences in estimated intelligences and beliefs about intelligence in two countries, Angola and East Timor, within the reversal theory framework. A total of 209 Angolan (109 women and 100 men) and 183 Timorese (89 women and 94 men) students were participated in this study. Participants completed a questionnaire in order to estimate their parents', partners' and own overall intelligence and the 8 reversal multiple intelligences (telic, paratelic, conformist, negativistic, autic mastery, autic sympathy, alloic mastery and alloic sympathy intelligence). Respondents also rated 6 questions about intelligence. Men rated their overall, conformist and autic mastery higher than women. Angolans rated their overall, telic, paratelic, conformist, negativistic, autic mastery, autic sympathy, alloic mastery and alloic sympathy intelligence higher than Timorese. In both countries, fathers have been perceived as more intelligent than mothers, and telic intelligence emerged as a significant predictor of overall intelligence. Principal component analysis of the 8 reversal multiple intelligences yielded one factor. Angolan participants revealed more IQ test experience than Timorese participants. Most of respondents in both countries did not believe in sex differences in intelligence. These findings are discussed by means of cross-cultural literature.
Participation of Myosin Va and Pka Type I in the Regeneration of Neuromuscular Junctions

Background The unconventional motor protein, myosin Va, is crucial for the development of the mouse neuromuscular junction (NMJ) in the early postnatal phase. Furthermore, the cooperative action of protein kinase A (PKA) and myosin Va is essential to maintain the adult NMJ. We here assessed the involvement of myosin Va and PKA in NMJ recovery during muscle regeneration. Methodology/Principal Findings To address a putative role of myosin Va and PKA in the process of muscle regeneration, we used two experimental models the dystrophic mdx mouse and Notexin-induced muscle degeneration/regeneration. We found that in both systems myosin Va and PKA type I accumulate beneath the NMJs in a fiber maturation-dependent manner. Morphologically intact NMJs were found to express stable nicotinic acetylcholine receptors and to accumulate myosin Va and PKA type I in the subsynaptic region. Subsynaptic cAMP signaling was strongly altered in dystrophic muscle, particularly in fibers with severely subverted NMJ morphology. Conclusions/Significance Our data show a correlation between the subsynaptic accumulation of myosin Va and PKA type I on the one hand and NMJ regeneration status and morphology, AChR stability and specificity of subsynaptic cAMP handling on the other hand. This suggests an important role of myosin Va and PKA type I for the maturation of NMJs in regenerating muscle.
Caspase-11 Plays a Protective Role in Pulmonary Acinetobacter baumannii Infection

ABSTRACT Activation of caspase-11 by some Gram-negative bacteria triggers the caspase-1/interleukin 1β (IL-1β) pathway, independent of canonical inflammasomes. Acinetobacter baumannii is a Gram-negative, conditionally pathogenic bacterium that can cause severe pulmonary infection in hospitalized patients. A. baumannii was revealed to activate canonical and noncanonical inflammasome pathways in bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs). Pulmonary infection of caspase-11−/− mice with A. baumannii showed that caspase-11 deficiency impaired A. baumannii clearance, exacerbated pulmonary pathological changes, and enhanced susceptibility to A. baumannii. These data indicate that the caspase-11-mediated innate immune response plays a crucial role in defending against A. baumannii.
An empirical study of bugs in test code

Testing aims at detecting (regression) bugs in production code. However, testing code is just as likely to contain bugs as the code it tests. Buggy test cases can silently miss bugs in the production code or loudly ring false alarms when the production code is correct. We present the first empirical study of bugs in test code to characterize their prevalence and root cause categories. We mine the bug repositories and version control systems of 211 Apache Software Foundation (ASF) projects and find 5,556 test-related bug reports. We (1) compare properties of test bugs with production bugs, such as active time and fixing effort needed, and (2) qualitatively study 443 randomly sampled test bug reports in detail and categorize them based on their impact and root causes. Our results show that (1) around half of all the projects had bugs in their test code; (2) the majority of test bugs are false alarms, i.e., test fails while the production code is correct, while a minority of these bugs result in silent horrors, i.e., test passes while the production code is incorrect; (3) incorrect and missing assertions are the dominant root cause of silent horror bugs; (4) semantic (25%), flaky (21%), environment-related (18%) bugs are the dominant root cause categories of false alarms; (5) the majority of false alarm bugs happen in the exercise portion of the tests, and (6) developers contribute more actively to fixing test bugs and test bugs are fixed sooner compared to production bugs. In addition, we evaluate whether existing bug detection tools can detect bugs in test code.
Oscillating Ferromagnetic Yoke in the Magnetic Field of a Permanent Magnet

This paper deals with axial oscillations of a ferromagnetic yoke above the center of a rotationally symmetric pot-like core, made of magnetically soft steel, with a cylindrical axially poled permanent magnet (PM) in the center. Due to the vibration of the yoke in the static magnetic field of the PM, eddy currents are generated in the yoke. These currents, in turn, generate a dynamic magnetic force counteracting the excitation force and so damping the vibrations. Moreover, static magnetic force is present, which on the one hand limits the oscillatory system performance and on the other changes the dynamics of the oscillations. Simulations are compared with experimental results on a test stand. Good agreement was reached, suggesting correctness of the presented approach to the description of this electromechanical phenomenon.
The Contribution of Different Cortical Regions to the Control of Spatially Decoupled Eye–Hand Coordination

Our brain's ability to flexibly control the communication between the eyes and the hand allows for our successful interaction with the objects located within our environment. This flexibility has been observed in the pattern of neural responses within key regions of the frontoparietal reach network. More specifically, our group has shown how single-unit and oscillatory activity within the dorsal premotor cortex (PMd) and the superior parietal lobule (SPL) change contingent on the level of visuomotor compatibility between the eyes and hand. Reaches that involve a coupling between the eyes and hand toward a common spatial target display a pattern of neural responses that differ from reaches that require eye–hand decoupling. Although previous work examined the altered spiking and oscillatory activity that occurs during different types of eye–hand compatibilities, they did not address how each of these measures of neurological activity interacts with one another. Thus, in an effort to fully characterize the relationship between oscillatory and single-unit activity during different types of eye–hand coordination, we measured the spike–field coherence (SFC) within regions of macaque SPL and PMd. We observed stronger SFC within PMdr and superficial regions of SPL (areas 5/PEc) during decoupled reaches, whereas PMdc and regions within SPL surrounding medial intrapareital sulcus had stronger SFC during coupled reaches. These results were supported by meta-analysis on human fMRI data. Our results support the proposal of altered cortical control during complex eye–hand coordination and highlight the necessity to account for the different eye–hand compatibilities in motor control research.
Differences Between Pediatric and Adult T Cell Responses to In Vitro Staphylococcal Enterotoxin B Stimulation

Toxic shock syndrome (TSS) is capable of inducing life-threatening fever, rash, and systemic organ failure, though the specific mechanisms behind these symptoms remain poorly understood. Staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB) and other superantigens have shown to be important factors in TSS, capable of promoting cross-linking between T cell receptors and major histocompatibility complexes which results in overwhelming T cell activation, proliferation, and cytokine production. The resulting proinflammatory cytokine cascade, often referred to as the “cytokine storm,” seems to be critical to the development of disease. Interestingly, clinical studies have shown that children exhibit less severe TSS-associated morbidity than adults, though the mechanism behind this phenomenon has not been addressed. Indeed, despite the fact that most novel antigen exposure occurs early in life, be it from environmentally acquired pathogens or routine vaccination, normal pediatric T cell immune functions remain critically underexplored. This is largely due to difficulty in obtaining enough samples to explore more than a narrow sliver of the cell-mediated immune compartment. To address this limitation, we optimized a T effector (Teff)/circulating T follicular helper (cTFH) cell mass cytometry panel which allowed us to analyze a wide array of T cell populations and effector functions following in vitro SEB stimulation. We show that T cell activation—as measured by CD69 expression—following SEB stimulation is lower in pediatric participants, increasing throughout childhood, and reaching adult levels by around 15 years old. Further, while individual CD4+ effector memory T cell (TEM) effector molecules show limited age-associated differences following SEB stimulation, multifunctional CD4+ TEM are shown to positively correlate with increasing age through adolescence. Individual CD8+ TEM effectors and multifunctional phenotypes also show very strong age-associated increases following SEB stimulation. SEB stimulation has little impact on cTFH activation or functional cellular markers, regardless of age. These results, coupled with the fact that a robust proinflammatory cytokine response seems critical to developing severe TSS, suggest a possible connection between the significantly reduced T cell activation and multifunctional populations following in vitro SEB stimulation in our pediatric participants and clinical observations relating to reduced TSS mortality in children.
Antibacterial and Antifungal Activities of Spices

Infectious diseases caused by pathogens and food poisoning caused by spoilage microorganisms are threatening human health all over the world. The efficacies of some antimicrobial agents, which are currently used to extend shelf-life and increase the safety of food products in food industry and to inhibit disease-causing microorganisms in medicine, have been weakened by microbial resistance. Therefore, new antimicrobial agents that could overcome this resistance need to be discovered. Many spices—such as clove, oregano, thyme, cinnamon, and cumin—possessed significant antibacterial and antifungal activities against food spoilage bacteria like Bacillus subtilis and Pseudomonas fluorescens, pathogens like Staphylococcus aureus and Vibrio parahaemolyticus, harmful fungi like Aspergillus flavus, even antibiotic resistant microorganisms such as methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Therefore, spices have a great potential to be developed as new and safe antimicrobial agents. This review summarizes scientific studies on the antibacterial and antifungal activities of several spices and their derivatives.
Inhibition, Updating Working Memory, and Shifting Predict Reading Disability Symptoms in a Hybrid Model: Project KIDS

Recent achievement research suggests that executive function (EF), a set of regulatory processes that control both thought and action necessary for goal-directed behavior, is related to typical and atypical reading performance. This project examines the relation of EF, as measured by its components, Inhibition, Updating Working Memory, and Shifting, with a hybrid model of reading disability (RD). Our sample included 420 children who participated in a broader intervention project when they were in KG-third grade (age M = 6.63 years, SD = 1.04 years, range = 4.79–10.40 years). At the time their EF was assessed, using a parent-report Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF), they had a mean age of 13.21 years (SD = 1.54 years; range = 10.47–16.63 years). The hybrid model of RD was operationalized as a composite consisting of four symptoms, and set so that any child could have any one, any two, any three, any four, or none of the symptoms included in the hybrid model. The four symptoms include low word reading achievement, unexpected low word reading achievement, poorer reading comprehension compared to listening comprehension, and dual-discrepancy response-to-intervention, requiring both low achievement and low growth in word reading. The results of our multilevel ordinal logistic regression analyses showed a significant relation between all three components of EF (Inhibition, Updating Working Memory, and Shifting) and the hybrid model of RD, and that the strength of EF’s predictive power for RD classification was the highest when RD was modeled as having at least one or more symptoms. Importantly, the chances of being classified as having RD increased as EF performance worsened and decreased as EF performance improved. The question of whether any one EF component would emerge as a superior predictor was also examined and results showed that Inhibition, Updating Working Memory, and Shifting were equally valuable as predictors of the hybrid model of RD. In total, all EF components were significant and equally effective predictors of RD when RD was operationalized using the hybrid model.
Understanding Routing Dynamics in a Large-Scale Wireless Sensor Network

Routing dynamics are intrinsic characteristics of operational wireless sensor networks (WSNs). We present the measurement and analysis results for routing dynamics in a large-scale WSN. We seek to answer several fundamental questions: How dynamically are current routing protocols performing? What causes routing dynamics? What is the impact of routing dynamics? Answers to the above questions are critical to understanding the interactions among multiple network elements, evaluating protocol design strategies, and improving system performances. However, measurements in large-scale WSNs are challenging due to the lack of dedicated log information (be analogous to configuration files, syslog messages used in Internet). We propose an approach to identify the routing dynamics based on limited information and correlate them with system events to find out the root causes. The key findings of our study include: parent change events mainly affect local nodes, i.e. They do not cause routing instability on far-away nodes, environment dynamics and routing loops have large impact on routing, small portion of parent changes might not be necessary, while a large portion of parent changes are effective in improving network performance.
Management of Cocaine-Induced Myocardial Infarction: 4-Year Experience at an Urban Medical Center

Objectives In 2008, the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology released guidelines for the management of cocaine-induced myocardial infarction (CIMI). We hypothesized that CIMI patients are likely to receive less invasive and more conservative management than patients with MI without history of cocaine use. Methods We conducted a retrospective analysis on patients younger than 65 years presenting with acute MI between April 1, 2008 and December 31, 2012. Patients were classified as cocaine-negative MI or CIMI based on either urine toxicology results or self-reported cocaine use. Categorical and continuous variables were compared using &khgr;2 or t test as appropriate. The primary outcome was cardiac catheterization or stress testing. The secondary outcome was a 30-day readmission rate for major adverse cardiovascular events. Multiple logistic regression models calculated odds ratios (ORs) for the primary outcomes adjusting for patient demographics and comorbidities. Results Of 378 MI patients, 4.2 % had CIMI. CIMI patients were younger (50 vs 54 years; P < 0.01) predominantly African American (56% vs 16%, P < 0.01), and mostly active smokers (88% vs 58%, P = 0.02). They were more likely to receive stress testing (adjusted OR 3.61, 95% confidence interval 1.04–12.53) and less likely to undergo cardiac catheterization (adjusted OR 0.12, 95% confidence interval 0.03–0.45). The 30-day readmission rate for major adverse cardiovascular events was higher in CIMI compared with cocaine-negative MI patients (38% vs 13%; P = 0.03). Conclusions The use of cocaine in patients presenting with acute MI appears to impact management decisions of providers. Patient-centered postdischarge arrangements need better coordination for this patient group to optimize their follow-up care.
Tribological studies on chemically modified rapeseed oil with CuO and CeO2 nanoparticles

The environmental problems that are being caused by the mineral-based lubricants has prompted for exploring the possibility of using vegetable-based oil as a lubricant and this has become a worldwide trend. In the present study, the tribological behavior of the chemically modified rapeseed oil has been studied by using a four-ball tester. The CuO and CeO2 nanoparticles of size less than 50 nm were added to the chemically modified rapeseed oil ranging from 0.1 to 1 wt%. And the friction and antiwear properties were analyzed as per the ASTM standard D4172. The size of the nanoparticles was calculated qualitatively by using Scherrer equation with the help of X-ray diffraction analysis. Tribological results showed that the chemically modified rapeseed oil has good antiwear and friction-reducing properties than the raw rapeseed oil. The addition of oxide nanoparticles at an optimum concentration in the chemically modified rapeseed oil showed the good friction-reducing property nonetheless not good antiwear property. The surface topography of the worn ball surfaces was also studied by using a scanning electron microscope.
"It just seems outside my health": How Patients with Chronic Conditions Perceive Communication Boundaries with Providers

To improve care for the growing number of older adults with multiple chronic conditions, physicians and other healthcare providers need to better understand what is most important in the lives of these patients. In a qualitative study of home visits with patients and family caregivers, we found that patients withhold information from providers when communicating about what they deem important to their health and well-being. We examine the various motivations and factors that explain communication boundaries between patients and their healthcare providers. Patients' disclosures reflected perceptions of what was pertinent to share, assumptions about the consequences of sharing, and the influence of interpersonal relationships with providers. Our findings revealed limitations of existing approaches to support patient-provider communication and identified challenges for the design of systems that honor patient needs and preferences.