Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Why do some people look older than they should?

BACKGROUND As a component of studies on biological age, the age of subjects from their appearance (perceived age) was estimated. OBJECTIVE To determine the factors associated with looking older. METHODS Cross sectional study of London civil servants (318 men, 129 women) in the Department of the Environment study. Perceived age was recorded by an observer and the difference between this age and chronological age was analysed according to 20 different variables. RESULTS Men had an average perceived age of 0.37 years older than their actual age and women a perceived age of 0.54 years younger. In men, looking older was related to greying of the hair, grade of arcus senilis, and grade of baldness. Less expected, looking older was positively related to total serum cholesterol (p=0.03) and blood haemoglobin (p<0.01). In women, looking older was related to greying of the hair, positively to blood erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and negatively to serum bilirubin (p=0.01). Looking older was not related to alcohol consumption, employment grade, serum high density lipoprotein cholesterol, glucose, albumin, and calcium in either sex. CONCLUSION The relationships between looking older and total cholesterol and haemoglobin in men and ESR and bilirubin in women, require further investigation. Key points In men looking older than you should is related to a high serum cholesterol and haemoglobin. In women looking older may be related to a high ESR and a low serum bilirubin. Predictably looking older was related to baldness, greying of the hair, arcus senilis, and skin inelasticity.
Fertility in Gyr Cows (Bos indicus) with Fixed Time Artificial Insemination and Visual Estrus Detection Using a Classification Table

The aim of this research was to compare two artificial insemination protocols (AIP): hormonal synchronization with fixed time artificial insemination (SC-FTAI) and the use of a table based on visual observation of estrus signs (VO) in order to identify cows in natural or spontaneous estrus being assigned to AI (NSE-IA). Two groups were formed: in the first group 109 cows were assigned to SC-FTAI, in which a commercial protocol is used; the second one included 108 randomly chosen cows, which were assigned to NSE-AI and in this group a modified table was used. Response variable was first service fertility rate (FSF), which was coded 1 for pregnant and 0 for empty. Predictor variables were AIP, postpartum anestrus, daily milk yield, body condition score at AI and calving number. Statistical analyses included association chi-square tests and logistic regression. Results showed an overall 41.94% FSF and a significant association was detected (P < 0.05) between FSF and daily milk yield; pregnancy rates were 42.20% and 41.67% for the SC-FTAI and NSE-IA groups, respectively (P > 0.05). The odds ratio for the effect of AIP was only 1.050, suggesting no differences in FSF between groups. The NSE-AI protocol can enhance both the technique of VO and reproductive efficiency. Further validation of the table is required.
Artificial Intelligence, Smart Classrooms and Online Education in the 21st Century: Implications for Human Development

The advent of artificial intelligence (AI) technology in the education sector has largely taken over conventional classrooms and revolutionized the way education is conducted to the admiration of many. Other scholars however, believe that such early celebration of AI benefits is unfounded and inimical to the education sector since the adoption of modern AI teaching systems now raises long-term issues about the relevance of teachers and their classrooms in 21st Century AI education. The Marxian Alienation Theory was adopted for the article. The Ex-post factor method and Derrida's critical method of analysis was utilized for attaining the objectives of the article. The article faults recent attempts at eulogizing the impact of AI innovations in the education sector and on human development. Extensive research is proposed as necessary for contemporary scholars of AI and education technologist before proper appropriation can be made about its gains in education and on human development.
Concept mapping vs. web page hyperlinks as an information retrieval interface: preferences of postgraduate culturally diverse learners

The principal objective of this research project was to determine if and to what extent cultural factors prescribe interface choices by learners. Concept mapping and standard hyperlinks were offered as choices for information retrieval interfaces. The methods employed were to identify a set of culturally divisive factors, and then to test two different interfaces with a group of culturally diverse, advanced learners. Some of the results had to be ignored due to small sample sizes. The remaining results indicated that most choices, almost irrespective of culture divisive factors, were made in favour of the concept mapping interface. This finding confirmed that of another author in the field. The primary conclusion reached is that concept mapping should be considered as the interface of choice to a knowledge repository to be used by Master's students in Information management.
PENGARUH SIKLUS BELAJAR 5E TERHADAP KEMAMPUANLITERASI SAINS SISWA KELAS XI SMA NEGERI 2 BANTULPADA MATERI SISTEM SARAF MANUSIA

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui (1) ada tidaknya pengaruh penerapan siklus belajar 5E terhadap kemampuan literasi sains siswa, (2) ada tidaknya pengaruh penerapan siklus belajar 5E terhadap hasil belajar, dan (3) hubungan antara kemampuan literasi sains dan hasil belajar siswa kelas XI SMA Negeri 2 Bantul pada materi sistem saraf manusia. Jenis penelitian ini adalah quasi experiment dengan control group pretestposttest design. Penelitian ini dilakukan di SMA Negeri 2 Bantul. Sampel yang digunakan adalah siswa kelas XI IPA 4 sebanyak 31 siswa sebagai kelas kontrol dan XI IPA 7, sebanyak 28 sebagai kelas eksperimen. Instrumen yang digunakan antara lain: instrumen pengambilan data berupa Rencana Pelaksanaan Pembelajaran dan Lembar Kegiatan Siswa; keterlaksanaan pembelajaran dengan siklus belajar 5E berupa lembar observasi; kemampuan literasi sains dan hasil belajar berupa tes pretes dan postes. Teknik pengujian persyaratan analisis menggunakan uji normalitas dan homogenitas, uji hipotesis menggunakan uji-t, uji analisis covariance (ANCOVA) dan uji korelasi Pearson. Hasil dari penelitian ini menunjukkan bahwa (1) siklus belajar 5E berpengaruh terhadap kemampuan literasi sains pada materi sistem saraf manusia, (2) siklus belajar 5E berpengaruh terhadap hasil belajar siswa pada materi sistem saraf manusia, dan (3) terdapat hubungan positif antara kemampuan literasi sains dengan hasil belajar siswa, semakin tinggi kemampuan literasi sains siswa maka semakin tinggi pula hasil belajar yang diperoleh siswa.
Center for Policy Research Working Paper No . 145 HOW DIFFERENT ARE THE WAGE CURVES FOR FORMAL AND INFORMAL WORKERS ? EVIDENCE FROM TURKEY

This paper presents wage curves for formal and informal workers using a rich individual level data for Turkey over the period 2005-2009. The wage curve is an empirical regularity describing a negative relationship between regional unemployment rates and individuals' real wages. While this relationship has been well documented for a number of countries including Turkey, less attention has focused on how this relationship differs for informal versus formal employment. This is of utmost importance for less developed countries where informal employment plays a significant role in the economy. Using the Turkish Household Labor Force Survey for the period 2005-2009 observed over 26 NUTS-2 regions, we find that real hourly wages of informal workers in Turkey are more sensitive to variations in regional unemployment rates than wages of formal workers. This is true for all workers as well as for different gender
Some approximations in Model Checking and Testing

Model checking and testing are two areas with a similar goal: to verify that a system satisfies a property. They start with different hypothesis on the systems and develop many techniques with different notions of approximation, when an exact verification may be computationally too hard. We present some notions of approximation with their logic and statistics backgrounds, which yield several techniques for model checking and testing: Bounded Model Checking, Approximate Model Checking, Approximate Black-Box Checking, Approximate Model-based Testing and Approximate Probabilistic Model Checking. All these methods guarantee some quality and efficiency of the verification.
Greedy rule generation from discrete data and its use in neural network rule extraction

This paper proposes GRG (greedy rule generation) algorithm for generating classification rules from a data set with discrete attributes. The algorithm is "greedy" in the sense that at every iteration, it searches for the best rule to generate. The criteria for the best rule include the number of samples that it covers, the number of attributes involved in the rule, and the size of the input subspace it covers. This method is applied for extracting rules from neural networks that have been trained and pruned for solving classification problems. Neural networks with one hidden layer are trained and the proposed GRG algorithm is applied to their discretized hidden unit activation values. Our results show that rule extraction with the GRG method produces rule sets that are more accurate and concise compared to those obtained by a decision tree method and an existing neural network rule extraction method.
Taming subsystems: capabilities as universal resource access control in L4

The embedded and mobile computing market with its wide range of innovations is expected to remain growing in the foreseeable future. Recent developments in the embedded computing technology offer more performance thereby facilitating applications of unprecedented utility. Open systems, such as Linux, provide access to a huge software base. Nevertheless, these systems have to coexist with critical device infrastructure that insists on stringent timing and security properties. In this paper, we will present a capability-based software architecture, featuring enforceable security policies. The architecture aims to support current and future requirements of embedded computing systems, such as running versatile third-party applications on general purpose and open operating systems side by side with security sensitive programs.
Unsupervised retrieval of attack profiles in collaborative recommender systems

Trust, reputation and recommendation are key components of successful e-commerce systems. However, e-commerce systems are also vulnerable in this respect because there are opportunities for sellers to gain advantage through manipulation of reputation and recommendation. One such vulnerability is the use of fraudulent user profiles to boost (or damage) the ratings of items in an online recommender system. In this paper we cast this problem as a problem of detecting anomalous structure in network analysis and propose a novel mechanism for detecting this anomalous structure. We present an evaluation that shows that this approach is effective at uncovering the types of recommender systems attack described in the literature.
MACHINE LEARNING TECHNIQUES FOR BRAIN-COMPUTER INTERFACES

This review discusses machine learning methods and their application to Brain-Computer Interfacing. A particular focus is placed on feature selection. We also point out common ﬂaws when validating machine learning methods in the context of BCI. Finally we provide a brief overview on the Berlin-Brain Computer Interface (BBCI)
Advances in Medical Education and Practice Dovepress Powerpoint or Chalk and Talk: Perceptions of Medical Students versus Dental Students in a Medical College in India

Purpose: To assess students' perceptions of the impact of PowerPoint (PPT) presentations in lectures in comparison to the traditional chalk and talk method and lectures using transparencies and overhead projector (TOHP). The study analyzes the preferences for teaching aids of medical students versus dental students. Methods: Second year medical and dental undergraduates were asked to fill in a nine-item questionnaire about their perceptions of the three lecture delivery methods. Following analysis of the questionnaire the students were interviewed further. The results were analyzed separately for medical and dental students to see if there was any difference in their perceptions. Results: The majority of the medical students (65.33%) preferred PPT presentations, while 15.16% of students preferred the lectures using chalkboard, and 19.51% preferred TOHP for teaching (P , 0.001). Of the dental students: 41.84% preferred chalkboard, 31.21% preferred TOHP, and 25.85% students preferred PPT presentations in the lectures (P , 0.05). Some important comments of the students were also recorded on interview which could be valuable for the medical teachers. Conclusion: The medical students clearly preferred the use of PPT presentations while the dental students did not. The study does not bring out evidence based superiority of any lecture delivery method. It appears that in the hands of a trained teacher any teaching aid would be appropriate and effective. This highlights the need for formal training in teaching technologies to develop good presentation skills and thus motivate the students.
Gastrin and gastrin receptor activation: an early event in the adenoma-carcinoma sequence

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Gastrin and the cholecystokinin type B/gastrin receptor (CCKBR) have been shown to be expressed in colorectal adenocarcinoma. Both exogenous and autocrine gastrin have been demonstrated to stimulate growth of colorectal cancer but it is not known if gastrin affects the growth of colonic polyps. The purpose of this study was to determine if gastrin and CCKBR are expressed in human colonic polyps and to determine at which stage of progression this occurs. METHODS A range of human colonic polyps was assessed for gastrin and CCKBR gene and protein expression. RESULTS Normal colonic mucosa did not express gastrin or CCKBR. Gastrin and CCKBR reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction products were detected and verified by specific hybridisation with an oligo probe on Southern blots. Gastrin and CCKBR were expressed in 78% and 81% of polyps, respectively. Both genes were coexpressed in 97% of cases. Immunohistochemistry identified progastrin in 91%, glycine extended gastrin 17 in 80%, and amidated gastrin 17 in only 47% of polyps. CCKBR was present in 96% of polyps. Expression of gastrin and CCKBR was seen in all histological types and sizes of polyps. CONCLUSIONS This study is the first to show widespread expression of both gastrin and its receptor in colorectal polyps. Their activation occurs early in the adenoma-carcinoma sequence. Gastrin may promote progression through the adenoma-carcinoma sequence.
Alström Syndrome: Genetics and Clinical Overview

Alström syndrome is a rare autosomal recessive genetic disorder characterized by cone-rod dystrophy, hearing loss, childhood truncal obesity, insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia, type 2 diabetes, hypertriglyceridemia, short stature in adulthood, cardiomyopathy, and progressive pulmonary, hepatic, and renal dysfunction. Symptoms first appear in infancy and progressive development of multi-organ pathology leads to a reduced life expectancy. Variability in age of onset and severity of clinical symptoms, even within families, is likely due to genetic background. Alström syndrome is caused by mutations in ALMS1, a large gene comprised of 23 exons and coding for a protein of 4,169 amino acids. In general, ALMS1 gene defects include insertions, deletions, and nonsense mutations leading to protein truncations and found primarily in exons 8, 10 and 16. Multiple alternate splice forms exist. ALMS1 protein is found in centrosomes, basal bodies, and cytosol of all tissues affected by the disease. The identification of ALMS1 as a ciliary protein explains the range of observed phenotypes and their similarity to those of other ciliopathies such as Bardet-Biedl syndrome. Studies involving murine and cellular models of Alström syndrome have provided insight into the pathogenic mechanisms underlying obesity and type 2 diabetes, and other clinical problems. Ultimately, research into the pathogenesis of Alström syndrome should lead to better management and treatments for individuals, and have potentially important ramifications for other rare ciliopathies, as well as more common causes of obesity and diabetes, and other conditions common in the general population.
NONLINEAR OBSERVERS FOR TIME-VARYING SYSTEMS APPEARING IN DYNAMICAL MACHINE VISION

Abstract Perspective dynamical systems arise in dynamic machine vision. This paper studies a Luenberger-type nonlinear observer for a perspective time-varying linear system in which the number of observing points is more than one. More precisely, assuming a given perspective time-varying linear system to be Lyapunov stable and to satisfy some sort of observability condition, it is shown that the estimation error converges exponentially to zero.
A Type II Supernova Hubble Diagram from the CSP-I, SDSS-II, and SNLS Surveys

The coming era of large photometric wide-field surveys will increase the detection rate of supernovae by orders of magnitude. Such numbers will restrict spectroscopic follow-up in the vast majority of cases, and hence new methods based solely on photometric data must be developed. Here, we construct a complete Hubble diagram of Type II supernovae (SNe II) combining data from three different samples: the Carnegie Supernova Project-I, the Sloan Digital Sky Survey II SN, and the Supernova Legacy Survey. Applying the Photometric Color Method (PCM) to 73 SNe II with a redshift range of 0.01–0.5 and with no spectral information, we derive an intrinsic dispersion of 0.35 mag. A comparison with the Standard Candle Method (SCM) using 61 SNe II is also performed and an intrinsic dispersion in the Hubble diagram of 0.27 mag, i.e., 13% in distance uncertainties, is derived. Due to the lack of good statistics at higher redshifts for both methods, only weak constraints on the cosmological parameters are obtained. However, assuming a flat universe and using the PCM, we derive the universe’s matter density: providing a new independent evidence for dark energy at the level of two sigma.
The Associations of Depression Symptoms, Withdrawal Behaviors, and Withdrawal Cognitions with Intimate Behavior and Pleasure from Partner's Intimate Behaviors Among Clinical Couples

Title of Thesis: THE ASSOCIATIONS OF DEPRESSION SYMPTOMS, WITHDRAWAL BEHAVIORS, AND WITHDRAWAL COGNITIONS WITH INTIMATE BEHAVIOR AND PLEASURE FROM A PARTNER’S INTIMATE BEHAVIOR AMONG CLINICAL COUPLES Nicole M. Finkbeiner, MS, 2008 Thesis Directed By: Professor Norman B. Epstein, Department of Family Science This study examined the association between withdrawing behaviors, withdrawal cognitions, and depression symptoms and both the degree of the individual’s own intimate behavior and his/her pleasure from receiving intimate behavior from a partner. Results indicated that thoughts or cognitions involving the desire to distance oneself from an interaction were significantly related to lower levels of intimate behavior and lower levels of pleasure experienced from a partner’s intimate behavior. Further, there was a trend toward support for the notion that individuals with higher levels of depression symptoms engage in lower levels of intimate behavior. For females, the presence of depression symptoms was associated with less pleasure experienced from a partner’s intimate behavior. In contrast, avoidant behavior during conflict was not found to be associated with the initiation of intimate relationship behavior and was only associated with the amount of pleasure that females experienced from intimate behavior. THE ASSOCIATIONS OF DEPRESSION SYMPTOMS, WITHDRAWAL BEHAVIORS, AND WITHDRAWAL COGNITIONS WITH INTIMATE BEHAVIOR AND PLEASURE FROM PARTNER’S INTIMATE BEHAVIORS AMONG CLINICAL COUPLES
Colloidal graphite/graphene nanostructures using collagen showing enhanced thermal conductivity

In the present study, the exfoliation of natural graphite (GR) directly to colloidal GR/graphene (G) nanostructures using collagen (CL) was studied as a safe and scalable process, akin to numerous natural processes and hence can be termed “biomimetic”. Although the exfoliation and functionalization takes place in just 1 day, it takes about 7 days for the nano GR/G flakes to stabilize. The predominantly aromatic residues of the triple helical CL forms its own special micro and nanoarchitecture in acetic acid dispersions. This, with the help of hydrophobic and electrostatic forces, interacts with GR and breaks it down to nanostructures, forming a stable colloidal dispersion. Surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, photoluminescence, fluorescence, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy of the colloid show the interaction between GR and CL on day 1 and 7. Differential interference contrast images in the liquid state clearly reveal how the GR flakes are entrapped in the CL fibrils, with a corresponding fluorescence image showing the intercalation of CL within GR. Atomic force microscopy of graphene-collagen coated on glass substrates shows an average flake size of 350 nm, and the hexagonal diffraction pattern and thickness contours of the G flakes from transmission electron microscopy confirm ≤ five layers of G. Thermal conductivity of the colloid shows an approximate 17% enhancement for a volume fraction of less than approximately 0.00005 of G. Thus, through the use of CL, this new material and process may improve the use of G in terms of biocompatibility for numerous medical applications that currently employ G, such as internally controlled drug-delivery assisted thermal ablation of carcinoma cells.
Surveillance after colorectal polypectomy; comparison between Japan and U.S.

BACKGROUND Recently, early detection and early treatment of the colorectal cancer have been enabled by the improvement of endoscopic diagnosis and introduction of new techniques. In Japan, although Japan Polyp Study is running, there is no standard strategy concerning the post-polypectomy colonoscopic surveillance yet. Post-polypectomy colonoscopic surveillance is so far entrusted to each institute or each gastroenterologist at present. MATERIAL AND METHOD To analyze the present states of the surveillance after polypectomy in Japan, we performed questionary survey and compared them with the results in U.S. and U.S. Multisociety Task Force on colorectal Cancer. A simple random sample of 132 doctors who engaged in a digestive organ disease in plural institutes was obtained. RESULT Many doctors recommend surveillance every around 1 year regardless of the kind of the polyp. Doctors in Japan tend to recommend postpolypectomy colonoscopic surveillance more frequently than that recommended U.S. Multisociety Task Force on colorectal Cancer. Furthermore in all types of polyps except for 12 mm tubular adenoma with high grade dysplasia, the majority of doctors in Japan recommend post-polypectomy colonoscopic surveillance more frequently than American doctors. Significant difference was found in surveillance of hyperplastic polyp among doctors with 1 to 5 years experience and those with more than 6 years. CONCLUSION It has been shown that surveillance intervals varies substantially in each doctor. The agreement of the surveillance program in Japan is necessary to standardize the strategy for the post-polypectomy surveillance of the colon.