Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Head Impact Exposures In Youth Canadian Football Players Aged 12-14 Do Not Significantly Impair Antisaccade Performance

i Acknowledgments . ii Table of Contents . iii List of Tables . v List of Figures . vi List of Appendices . vii 1 Introduction . 1 1.1 Concussion . 1 1.2 Subconcussion. 2 1.2.1 Subconcussive Impacts . 2 1.2.2 Effects of Subconcussive Impacts in Football Players . 4 1.3 Canadian vs American Football . 4 1.4 Antisaccades . 5 1.4. 1 Executive Function . 5 1.4. 2 Antisaccade Task . 6 1.4. 3 Electrooculography . 6 2 Purpose Statement and Hypothesis . 8 2.1 Purpose Statement . 8 2.2 Hypotheses . 8 3 Methods . 9 3.1 Participants . 9 3.2 gForce Tracker . 9 3.3 Impact Collection . 10 3.3.1 Practices . 10
Toxin-Antitoxin Systems of Staphylococcus aureus

Toxin-antitoxin (TA) systems are small genetic elements found in the majority of prokaryotes. They encode toxin proteins that interfere with vital cellular functions and are counteracted by antitoxins. Dependent on the chemical nature of the antitoxins (protein or RNA) and how they control the activity of the toxin, TA systems are currently divided into six different types. Genes comprising the TA types I, II and III have been identified in Staphylococcus aureus. MazF, the toxin of the mazEF locus is a sequence-specific RNase that cleaves a number of transcripts, including those encoding pathogenicity factors. Two yefM-yoeB paralogs represent two independent, but auto-regulated TA systems that give rise to ribosome-dependent RNases. In addition, omega/epsilon/zeta constitutes a tripartite TA system that supposedly plays a role in the stabilization of resistance factors. The SprA1/SprA1AS and SprF1/SprG1 systems are post-transcriptionally regulated by RNA antitoxins and encode small membrane damaging proteins. TA systems controlled by interaction between toxin protein and antitoxin RNA have been identified in S. aureus in silico, but not yet experimentally proven. A closer inspection of possible links between TA systems and S. aureus pathophysiology will reveal, if these genetic loci may represent druggable targets. The modification of a staphylococcal TA toxin to a cyclopeptide antibiotic highlights the potential of TA systems as rather untapped sources of drug discovery.
SCL: Simplifying Distributed SDN Control Planes

We consider the following question: what consistency model is appropriate for coordinating the actions of a replicated set of SDN controllers? We first argue that the conventional requirement of strong consistency, typically achieved through the use of Paxos or other consensus algorithms, is conceptually unnecessary to handle unplanned network updates. We present an alternate approach, based on the weaker notion of eventual correctness, and describe the design of a simple coordination layer (SCL) that can seamlessly turn a set of singleimage SDN controllers (that obey certain properties) into a distributed SDN system that achieves this goal (whereas traditional consensus mechanisms do not). We then show through analysis and simulation that our approach provides faster responses to network events. While our primary focus is on handling unplanned network updates, our coordination layer also handles policy updates and other situations where consistency is warranted. Thus, contrary to the prevailing wisdom, we argue that distributed SDN control planes need only be slightly more complicated than single-image controllers.
Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor potentiates rituximab in patients with relapsed follicular lymphoma: results of a phase II study.

PURPOSE We hypothesized that granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) could potentiate the clinical activity of rituximab given its individual and cooperative effects on Fc gamma RIIa- and Fc gamma RIIIa-expressing cells. A phase II clinical study combining GM-CSF and rituximab was initiated in patients with relapsed follicular lymphoma (FL) to determine the clinical and biologic responses, as well as safety of the combination. PATIENTS AND METHODS Thirty three patients with relapsed FL were treated with GM-CSF 5 microg/kg/d on days 1 to 8 and rituximab 375 mg/m(2) on day 5 of each 21-day cycle for four cycles. Clinical response and tolerability were examined according to international criteria. Biologic monitoring included evaluation of immune cells involved in rituximab activity. RESULTS Of 33 evaluated patients, a 70% overall response rate (complete response plus complete response unconfirmed, 45%) and a median progression-free survival (PFS) of 16.5 months were achieved. Outcome was influenced by the quality of response and the Follicular Lymphoma International Prognostic Index (FLIPI), where low- and intermediate-risk FLIPI groups were associated with significantly better PFS. After treatment there was a significant increase in granulocyte and monocyte counts. Examination of dendritic cell response showed an overall increase in plasmacytoid dendritic cells, especially in non-complete response patients, after treatment. Addition of GM-CSF did not impair tolerance to rituximab, and adverse events were rare and mild. DISCUSSION GM-CSF plus rituximab results in high response rates, along with a tolerable safety profile in patients with relapsed or progressive FL. The improved efficacy over rituximab monotherapy may be due to increases seen in monocyte, granulocyte, and dendritic cell populations.
Asymmetric Effects of Monetary Policy in the United States

This paper tests for the presence of asymmetric effects of monetary policy on output. The asymmetries that the authors examine are related to the size and sign of monetary policy shocks and are based on economic theory. Using M1 as the basis for measuring monetary policy shocks, they find evidence in line with previous evidence of larger real effects resulting from positive shocks than from negative shocks—although the authors cannot reject symmetry either. However, using the federal funds rate instead, a measure that is more closely related to the actual conduct of monetary policy, they find that only small negative shocks affect real aggregate activity. The results are interpreted in terms of menu-cost models.
Inquiry Based Dialogue in the Visual Art Classroom : Educating the Whole Child

iv Acknowledgement.vi Dedication.vii List of Figures.x Introduction.1 Chapter 1: Are We Educating the Whole Child? 7 Moving Beyond Standardized Examinations.7 Is There a Place for Moral Education? 18 Chapter 2: What Is Art? 31 Aesthetic Theories: From Mimesis to Expression . 31 Aesthetic Theories: From Formalism to Native American Conceptions of Art . 40 Chapter 3: What Past Trends in Visual Art Education Have Had an Impact on the Way the Visual Arts Are Taught Today? 56 Leading up to the Act Relating to Free Drawing Instruction.56 Changing Styles of Visual Art Education: From Walter Smith to Sputnik.63 A Push for Aesthetic Education and the Benefits of Philosophical Practice.74 Chapter 4: What Ought to Be Components of Visual Art Education? 86 Four Necessary Components.87 Art History.89 Art Criticism.93
“Those Comments Last Forever”: Parents and Grandparents of Preschoolers Recount How They Became Aware of Their Own Body Weights as Children

Background Parents' and grandparents' willingness to talk about children's body weights may be influenced by their own childhood experiences of body weight awareness and ‘weight talk’ in the family; however, little is known about how adults describe their recollected weight-related childhood experiences. Aims This paper examines how parents and grandparents of preschoolers describe the emergence of their own body weight awareness in childhood or adolescence. The analysis highlights the sources that participants identify as having instigated their body weight awareness, the feelings and experiences participants associate with the experience of becoming aware of their body weights, and their framings of potential links between childhood experiences and attitudes and practices in adulthood. Methods 49 participants (22 parents, 27 grandparents, 70% women, 60% with overweight/obesity) from sixteen low-income families of children aged 3–5 years (50% girls, 56% with overweight/obesity) in the Pacific Northwest were interviewed. The interviews were videotaped, transcribed, and analyzed qualitatively. Results Twenty-five participants (51%) said they became aware of their body weights in childhood or adolescence. Fourteen participants said their body weight awareness emerged through comments made by others, with the majority citing parents or peers. No participant described the emergence of body weight awareness in positive terms. Four participants directly linked their own negative experiences to the decision not to discuss body weight with their preschoolers. All four cited critical comments from their parents as instigating their own body weight awareness in childhood. Conclusions In most cases, participants associated their emergent awareness of body weight with overtly negative feelings or consequences; some participants said these negative experiences continued to affect them as adults. Since family-based childhood obesity interventions involve open discussion of children's body sizes, the results suggest that clinicians should reframe the discussion to deconstruct obesity stigma and emphasize inclusive, affirmative, and health-focused messages.
A Predictive Cross-Layered Interference Management in a Multichannel MAC with Reactive Routing in VANET

Vehicular ad hoc networks (VANETs) represent a particular mobile technology that permits communication between vehicles, offering security and comfort. Nowadays, distributed mobile wireless computing is becoming a very important communication paradigm, due to its flexibility to adapt to different mobile applications. In this work, an interference aware metric is proposed in order to reduce the level of interference between each pair of nodes at the MAC and routing layer. In particular, this metric with a prediction algorithm is proposed to work in a cross-layered MAC and an on-demand routing scheme in multi-radio vehicular networks, wherein each node is equipped with two multi-channel radio interfaces. The proposed metric is based on the maximization of the average signal-to-interference ratio (SIR) level of the connection between source and destination. In order to relieve the effects of the cochannel interference perceived by mobile nodes, transmission channels are switched on a basis of a periodical SIR evaluation. Our solution has been integrated with an on-demand routing scheme but it can be applied to other routing strategies. Three on-demand interference aware routing schemes integrating IEEE 802.11p Multi-channel MAC have been tested to assess the benefits of the novel metric applied to a vehicular context. NS-3 has been used for implementing and testing the proposed idea, and significant performance improvements were obtained: in particular, the proposed policy has resulted in an enhancement of network performance in terms of throughput and packet delivery ratio.
The future of world oil

This study was conducted and written during the years 1973 and 1975. The point of departure was the major petroleum discoveries made in Norway, of which the writer is a citizen, and the potential of the petroleum sector to become the most important sector of the Norwegian economy. The Norwegian economy would consequently become dependent on the international petroleum market. The international price of petroleum is, however, determined in a most complex fashion owing to the noncompetitive behavior in this market. This book attempts to develop a framework to analyze the implications of the likely degree of noncompetitive behavior in the international petroleum market. The focus is on the market strategies that may be pursued by the worlds oil exporters on a joint or individual basis. The primary target of analysis is thus the price-making power of OPEC and the implications for the worlds oil/energy markets should OPEC continue to exercise this power.
Self-Regulated Dynamical Criticality in Human ECoG

Mounting experimental and theoretical results indicate that neural systems are poised near a critical state. In human subjects, however, most evidence comes from functional MRI studies, an indirect measurement of neuronal activity with poor temporal resolution. Electrocorticography (ECoG) provides a unique window into human brain activity: each electrode records, with high temporal resolution, the activity resulting from the sum of the local field potentials of ∼105 neurons. We show that the human brain ECoG recordings display features of self-regulated dynamical criticality: dynamical modes of activation drift around the critical stability threshold, moving in and out of the unstable region and equilibrating the global dynamical state at a very fast time scale. Moreover, the analysis also reveals differences between the resting state and a motor task, associated with increased stability of a fraction of the dynamical modes.
Drug-Resistance Associated Mutations in Polymerase (P) Gene of Hepatitis B Virus Isolated From Malaysian HBV Carriers

Background: Mutations in the polymerase (P) gene of hepatitis B virus are often associated with drug resistance. The pattern of mutations varies geographically, thus giving rise to genotypes diversity. Objectives: This study was carried out to detect mutations in P gene of hepatitis B virus isolated from Malaysian HBV carriers. Materials and Methods: A total of 58 sera samples were analyzed by PCR and sequencing, of which the P gene of isolated HBV was successfully amplified and sequenced from 40 samples. Results: Genotyping of these samples revealed that the predominant genotype was genotype C (22/40, 55.0%), followed by genotype B (17/40, 42.5%), and only 1 sample showed genotype D (2.5%). A number of significant drug resistant mutations were found in five patients including S202I, N236T, M250L, L180M/V, M204I, A181T, T184G, M250V, and V173L. Of these, L180M/V and M204I were most frequently detected (80%) and associated with lamivudine in combination with emtricitabine and telbivudine drug resistance. Association with age, sex, and clinical symptoms revealed that these patients were all male, mid to elderly age and almost all hadcirrhotic liver disease. Conclusions: Detection and surveillance of the significant sites of mutations in HBV is crucial for clinicians to decide on the choice of antiviral treatment and further management of hepatitis B carriers.
A panel study of the effects of school positions and promotions on absenteeism in the teaching

We hypothesized that being promoted to a supervisory position leads to a reduction in subsequent absence spells and time lost in absences, and that the higher the supervisory level, the more pronounced its negative effect on subsequent absence behaviour. We tested our hypotheses by analysing the government records of 51,974 school teachers in the years 2000 and 2001. Controlling for potential confounding variables, we found that relative to rank-and-file teachers, the higher the level of the supervisory position that a teacher was promoted to, the more pronounced the year-to-year decline in either absence spells or time lost in absences. As hypothesized, for most of the supervisory positions examined, the size of their effect on absence behaviours was lower for veterans than for the newly appointed.
The influence of housing density and urban design on the surface energy balance and local climates of Melbourne, Australia, and the impact of Melbourne's 2030's vision

By the year 2003, 47% of the world’s 6.3 billion inhabitants were living in urban areas, while in more developed countries, 75% of the population (1.2 billion) lived in urban areas (Population Reference Bureau, 2003). As more and more people make their residencies in the heart of the industrial and commercial world, urbanisation will continue to grow. Alterations to the natural environment due to the physical structure of the city, and its artificial energy and pollution emissions, interact to form distinct urban climates (Bridgeman et al., 1995). These urban climates can often be undesirable causing increases in air pollution and aiding the formation of Urban Heat Islands (UHI). Urban warming can have substantial implications on air quality and human health (Stone and Rodgers, 2001). For instance, the UHI effect can exacerbate hot weather conditions and lead to increases in mortality both directly and indirectly, as seen from the European heat wave event in 2003, which is said to have been compounded by the urban environment, and related to 20,000 deaths (Schar et al., 2004). Those with increased vulnerability include the elderly, low income earners, and residents in high density, older housing stock with limited surrounding vegetation (Smoyer-Tomic et al., 2003). The UHI effect can be mitigated via environmental modification, particularly through controlled and structured urban design measures that can reduce heat stress related illnesses. Unfortunately, despite the obvious existence of UHI’s in most cities, few cities have developed comprehensive programs for its mitigation (Stone and Rodgers, 2001).
The departure of η Carinae from axisymmetry and the binary hypothesis

I argue that the large-scale departure from axisymmetry of the η Carinae nebula can be explained by the binary star model of η Carinae. The companion diverts the wind blown by the primary star, by accreting from the wind and possibly by blowing its own collimated fast wind (CFW). The effect of these processes depends on the orbital separation, and hence on the orbital phase of the eccentric orbit. The variation of the mass outflow from the binary system with the orbital phase leads to a large-scale departure from axisymmetry along the equatorial plane, as is observed in η Carinae. I further speculate that such a companion may have accreted a large fraction of the mass that was expelled in the Great Eruption of 1850 and the Lesser Eruption of 1890. The accretion process was likely to form an accretion disc, with the formation of a CFW, or jets, on the two sides of the accretion disc. The CFW may have played a crucial role in the formation of the two lobes.
A General Iterative Shrinkage and Thresholding Algorithm for Non-convex Regularized Optimization Problems

Non-convex sparsity-inducing penalties have recently received considerable attentions in sparse learning. Recent theoretical investigations have demonstrated their superiority over the convex counterparts in several sparse learning settings. However, solving the non-convex optimization problems associated with non-convex penalties remains a big challenge. A commonly used approach is the Multi-Stage (MS) convex relaxation (or DC programming), which relaxes the original non-convex problem to a sequence of convex problems. This approach is usually not very practical for large-scale problems because its computational cost is a multiple of solving a single convex problem. In this paper, we propose a General Iterative Shrinkage and Thresholding (GIST) algorithm to solve the nonconvex optimization problem for a large class of non-convex penalties. The GIST algorithm iteratively solves a proximal operator problem, which in turn has a closed-form solution for many commonly used penalties. At each outer iteration of the algorithm, we use a line search initialized by the Barzilai-Borwein (BB) rule that allows finding an appropriate step size quickly. The paper also presents a detailed convergence analysis of the GIST algorithm. The efficiency of the proposed algorithm is demonstrated by extensive experiments on large-scale data sets.
The BeppoSAX spectrum of the composite galaxy Mrk 609

We present BeppoSAX observations of the starburst/Seyfert composite galaxy Mrk 609. This enigmatic object has an optical spectrum dominated by the features of starburst galaxies, yet its X-ray luminosity (6.3 x 10 4 2 erg s - 1 ) is typical of an active galactic nucleus (AGN). The X-ray spectrum of Mrk 609 can be parametrized by a single-power-law model with a photon index Γ ∼ 1.6 ′ 0.1 and no evidence for significant absorption above the Galactic value. Long-term variability in both the 0.1-2 and 2-10 keV energy bands is detected, again suggesting that the X-ray emission is dominated by an AGN. The observed broad Ha component is a factor of 40 below that predicted by the X-ray flux, implying a deficit of ionizing ultraviolet photons.
Bitcoin: Questions, Answers, and Analysis of Legal Issues [October 13, 2015]

This report has three major sections. The first section answers some basic questions about Bitcoin and the operation of the Bitcoin network and its interaction with the current dollar-based monetary system. The second section summarizes likely reasons for and against widespread Bitcoin adoption. The third section discusses legal and regulatory matters that have been raised by Bitcoin and other digital currencies.
Berberine Attenuates Intestinal Mucosal Barrier Dysfunction in Type 2 Diabetic Rats

Background: Intestinal mucosal barrier dysfunction plays an important role in the development of diabetes mellitus (DM). Berberine (BBR), a kind of isoquinoline alkaloid, is widely known to be effective for both DM and diarrhea. Here, we explored whether the anti-diabetic effect of BBR was related to the intestine mucosal barrier. Methods and Results: The rat model of T2DM was established by high glucose and fat diet feeding and intravenous injection of streptozocin. Then, those diabetic rats were treated with BBR at different concentrations for 9 weeks. The results showed, in addition to hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia, diabetic rats were also characterized by proinflammatory intestinal changes, altered gut-derived hormones, and 2.77-fold increase in intestinal permeability. However, the treatment with BBR significantly reversed the above changes in diabetic rats, presenting as the improvement of the high glucose and triglyceride levels, the relief of the inflammatory changes of intestinal immune system, and the attenuation of the intestinal barrier damage. BBR treatment at a high concentration also decreased the intestinal permeability by 27.5% in diabetic rats. Furthermore, BBR regulated the expressions of the molecules involved in TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathways in intestinal tissue of diabetic rats. Conclusion: The hypoglycemic effects of BBR might be related to the improvement in gut-derived hormones and the attenuation of intestinal mucosal mechanic and immune barrier damages.
Slk19-dependent mid-anaphase pause in kinesin-5-mutated cells

We examined spindle elongation in anaphase in Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells mutated for the kinesin-5 motor proteins Cin8 and Kip1. Cells were deleted for KIP1 and/or expressed one of two motor-domain Cin8 mutants (Cin8-F467A or Cin8-R196K, which differ in their ability to bind microtubules in vitro, with Cin8-F467A having the weakest ability). We found that, in kinesin-5-mutated cells, predominantly in kip1Δ cin8-F467A cells, anaphase spindle elongation was frequently interrupted after the fast phase, resulting in a mid-anaphase pause. Expression of kinesin-5 mutants also caused an asymmetric midzone location and enlarged midzone size, suggesting that proper organization of the midzone is required for continuous spindle elongation. We also examined the effects of components of the FEAR pathway, which is involved in the early-anaphase activation of Cdc14 regulatory phosphatase, on anaphase spindle elongation in kip1Δ cin8-F467A cells. Deletion of SLK19, but not SPO12, eliminated the mid-anaphase pause, caused premature anaphase onset and defects in DNA division during anaphase, and reduced viability in these cells. Finally, overriding of the pre-anaphase checkpoint by overexpression of Cdc20 also eliminated the mid-anaphase pause and caused DNA deformation during anaphase in kip1Δ cin8-F467A cells. We propose that transient activation of the pre-anaphase checkpoint in kinesin-5-mutated cells induces a Slk19-dependent mid-anaphase pause, which might be important for proper DNA segregation.