Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Persistent organochlorine pollutants and toxaphene congener profiles in bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) frequenting the Turtle/Brunswick River Estuary, Georgia, USA

Although the Turtle/Brunswick River Estuary (TBRE) in coastal Georgia (USA) is severely contaminated by persistent organochlorine pollutants (POPs), little information regarding POPs in higher‐trophic‐level biota in this system is available. In the present study, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), organochlorine pesticides (OCPs; including DDTs, chlordanes, and mirex), and chlorinated monoterpenes (toxaphene) were measured using gas chromatography with electron‐capture detection and gas chromatography with electron‐capture negative ion mass spectrometry (GC‐ECNI‐MS) in blubber of free‐ranging and stranded bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). Mean total PCBs (78.6 ± 32.4 μg/g lipid) and toxaphene (11.7 ± 9.3 μg/g lipid) were significantly higher in dolphins sampled in the TBRE than in dolphins stranded near Savannah (GA, USA) 80 to 100 km to the north. Levels of OCPs were several‐fold lower than levels of PCBs; moreover, PCBs comprised 81 and 67% of the total POP burden in TBRE and non‐TBRE dolphins, respectively. Analyses with GC‐ECNI‐MS revealed that 2,2,5‐endo,6‐exo,8,8,9,10‐octachlorobornane (P‐42a), a major component in technical toxaphene and a major residue congener in local estuarine fish species, was the most abundant chlorobornane in both sets of blubber samples. Mean total POP concentrations (sum of PCBs, OCPs, and toxaphene) approached 100 μg/g lipid for the TBRE animals, well above published total PCB thresholds at which immunosuppresion and/or reproductive anomalies are thought to occur. These results indicate extended utilization of the highly contaminated TBRE as habitat for a group of coastal estuarine dolphins, and they further suggest that these animals may be at risk because of elevated POP concentrations.
Spirituality and the Idea of Transcendence

Spirituality is typically defined as a form of experience or understanding which has to do with the realm of the transcendent. Indeed, at a popular level at least, 'spiritual' and 'transcendent' are virtually synonymous as descriptive of that which is lofty, idealistic, elevated or pious. It is in the focus upon feelings and experiences of transcendence that we touch base with what appears to be a central theme in recent attempts to understand the spiritual dimension. This article explores the relationship between experiences of transcendence and spiritual experiences and attempts to map out what should be understood by these terms. It is argued, contrary to popular conceptions, that we need to draw a careful distinction between experiences of 'transcendence' and 'spiritual' experience. The implications of this distinction are considered within the context of educational priorities and concerns.
‘I can do it, and how!’ Student experience in access and equity pathways to higher education

Alternative pathways and enabling courses such as foundation programmes are well-established in some tertiary institutions and are likely to be broadened and enhanced across the sector. If such a course is designed along the lines of Biggs’ constructive alignment, it would be hoped that students would be likely to adopt a ‘deep approach’ to learning through their course of study. In addition, it is often assumed (but rarely properly demonstrated) that such courses promote the confidence of students to achieve well in their academic studies. This study explored changes in approaches to learning and academic self-efficacy in the first topic of a Foundation Course, using Biggs’ R-SPQ-2F and a newly developed academic self-efficacy scale. While the findings on approaches to learning were inconclusive, analysis showed a substantial and statistically significant increase in academic self-efficacy.
High Frequency Soft Magnetic Performance on Magnetically Isotropic Co-Al-N Films in External Bias Field

We have investigated the high frequency soft magnetic properties (μ - <i>f</i> properties) of magnetically isotropic Co<sub>76</sub>Al<sub>11</sub>N<sub>13</sub> films with an external bias field (<i>H</i><sub>ex</sub>) applied in various directions. The films are prepared by <i>rf</i> sputtering and consist of fine Co grains 5 nm in diameter in an amorphous AlN matrix. The films have relatively large magnetic anisotropy perpendicular to the film plane and are magnetically soft. The initial magnetization curve in the film plane varies slightly with changes in the direction of the magnetizing field. A clear peak of permeability (μ<sup>''</sup>) was found at a resonance frequency (<i>fr</i>) around 2.5 GHz when the film had been magnetically saturated normal to the <i>rf</i>-field (<i>H</i><sub>rf</sub>) in the film plane before measurement. After being magnetically saturated parallel to <i>H</i><sub>rf</sub>, the film shows a broad peak in μ<sup>''</sup> around 9 GHz; however <i>fr</i> decreases to 2.5 GHz with increasing <i>H</i><sub>ex</sub> normal to the film plane. Control of <i>fr</i> between 2.5-9.65 GHz was achieved by changing the direction of <i>H</i><sub>ex</sub>, which is attributed to the direction changes in magnetic moments of a magnetically isotropic film.
SENSORY CHARACTERISTICS AND CONSUMER LIKING FOR CEREAL BAR SNACK FOODS

This study examined sensory aspects of cereal bar snacks for their relative importance to consumer perception and degree of like (DOL). Principal components analysis of conventional profiling data showed a distinct location of each bar type in multivariate space, separation being based on textural aspects for the hard crunchy bar and flavor dimensions (cereal, nutty versus chocolate. sweet, fruit) for others. A consumer panel (n=56) examined a subset of the bars according to a balanced incomplete block design. Analysis of variance showed that the chewy, nutty and chocolate bars were liked most (p<0.01) and this was linked to ideal levels of filling flavor and quantity, chewy and crunchy textures and sweetness. The majority of consumers ranked ‘taste’ as the most important characteristic influencing their purchase intent, followed by textural features, ‘price’ and ‘appearance’ . The ‘healthy image’ aspect was relatively less important. Analysis of the relationship between the sensory measures and DOL, using partial least squares regression, confirmed the above segregation of preference, with sensory aromas and flavors having most influence on consumer liking.
Publishing Search Logs—A Comparative Study of Privacy Guarantees

Search engine companies collect the “database of intentions,” the histories of their users' search queries. These search logs are a gold mine for researchers. Search engine companies, however, are wary of publishing search logs in order not to disclose sensitive information. In this paper, we analyze algorithms for publishing frequent keywords, queries, and clicks of a search log. We first show how methods that achieve variants of k-anonymity are vulnerable to active attacks. We then demonstrate that the stronger guarantee ensured by ε-differential privacy unfortunately does not provide any utility for this problem. We then propose an algorithm ZEALOUS and show how to set its parameters to achieve (ε, δ)-probabilistic privacy. We also contrast our analysis of ZEALOUS with an analysis by Korolova et al. [17] that achieves (ε',δ')-indistinguishability. Our paper concludes with a large experimental study using real applications where we compare ZEALOUS and previous work that achieves k-anonymity in search log publishing. Our results show that ZEALOUS yields comparable utility to k-anonymity while at the same time achieving much stronger privacy guarantees.
Encouraging and equipping students to engage critically with science in the news: what can we learn from the literature?

Many educational reforms have as one of their key goals the promotion of scientific literacy and they encourage engagement with science in the news as one aspect of this. The research indicates teachers using the news do so for a variety of reasons, sometimes with tangential links to the promotion of scientific literacy. Demonstrating the relevance of science to the world beyond the classroom or making links to socio-scientific issues and promoting discussion on ethical dilemmas are all seen as potential reasons for engaging with science–related news. However, media related issues are often not addressed. Increasingly the need for a more comprehensive approach, including, for example, teaching about media awareness in the context of science reporting, is highlighted. The steady growth of literature describing the use of science-related news along with research studies charting students’ responses to science news media has stimulated discussion and study of pedagogical issues and prompted this review. Key literature relevant to students’ engagement with science-related news reports has been contextualised and reviewed to identify core issues for teachers, teacher educators and curriculum planners. These are listed under the headings of curriculum, pedagogy and assessment, the implications are considered and directions for further research suggested.
Mapping the Pleasures and Risks of Supervision

Good supervision is central to successful graduate research, yet it is a pedagogy that is poorly understood. This may be one reason why it is often experienced as problematic, especially by students. To address these concerns, in this paper I delineate a map of supervision which is informed by contemporary theories of education. As I describe the layers of the map, I will attempt to show traces of each layer in some texts from the supervision of a master's student. The fruit of my analysis is a view of supervision as a complex and unstable process, one filled with pleasures and risks. This view is potentially useful for informing the practices of supervisors, students and the academic advisors who work with them.
Are there gender differences in verbal and visuospatial working-memory resources?

Whereas women generally outperform men in episodic-memory tasks, little is known as to how the genders compare with respect to basic working-memory operations. In reference to Baddeley's (1986) model, the present study searched for possible gender differences in terms of accuracy (but not speed) of working-memory processes. Men and women completed series of working-memory tasks respectively involving verbal and visuospatial information, as well as a double-span task involving both classes of information. Control measures included verbal fluency and mental rotation tasks in which gender differences are frequently obtained. In these tasks, the results showed several of the expected gender contrasts. However, men and women were not found to differ significantly in any type of working memory save in the double-span task where women surpassed men. The patterns of task intercorrelation were largely similar in both genders. Discussion emphasises the manifestation, based on the present exploration, of an almost identical working-memory architecture in men and women.
Self-Concept and Brand Preference

The basic purpose of this research is to empirically test one of the "self-evident" truths in contemporary theorizing about consumer behavior-that people go about purchasing one thing or another only if these things are consistent with, enhance, or in some other way fit well with the conception they have of themselves. Secondarily, the research seeks to distinguish the role of two different modes of self-concept as they relate to consumer behavior-"actual self-concept," the way a person actually ("really") sees himself to be, and "ideal selfconcept," the way a person would ideally ("like to") be.
Does the Chinese construct of guan export to the West

This study reverses the usual process of assessing universality by examining whether a construct originating in non-western cultures has functional relevance in the West. The construct of guan or “training” was proposed by Chao (1994) as reflecting important Chinese parenting practices also shared by other Confucian cultures. She proposed that this construct is more relevant to the understanding of outcomes among Asian-American youth than constructs that have been developed in the West, such as “authoritative” parenting. The association among the behaviours incorporated in this construct and other “universal” parenting styles such as parental warmth has not been previously reported. Nor has there been a previous report of the prevalence and perceived desirability of guan behaviours from Western individuals. Participants in the present study were US (N = 118), Hong Kong (N = 171) and Pakistani (N = 98) nursing students. In all three cultures, guan items had adequate internal consistency (Cronbach's alphas .
The Alzheimer Disease Protective Mutation A2T Modulates Kinetic and Thermodynamic Properties of Amyloid-β (Aβ) Aggregation*

Background: Familial mutations in amyloid precursor protein (APP) increase amyloid-β peptide generation and aggregation leading to Alzheimer disease (AD). Results: A protective A2T mutation impairs not only β-secretase-mediated APP cleavage but also, unexpectedly, Aβ aggregation. Conclusion: The protective mutation modulates amyloid formation. Significance: The interpretation that a lifelong suppression of β-secretase is sufficient to protect against AD is not supported by these novel data. Missense mutations in alanine 673 of the amyloid precursor protein (APP), which corresponds to the second alanine of the amyloid β (Aβ) sequence, have dramatic impact on the risk for Alzheimer disease; A2V is causative, and A2T is protective. Assuming a crucial role of amyloid-Aβ in neurodegeneration, we hypothesized that both A2V and A2T mutations cause distinct changes in Aβ properties that may at least partially explain these completely different phenotypes. Using human APP-overexpressing primary neurons, we observed significantly decreased Aβ production in the A2T mutant along with an enhanced Aβ generation in the A2V mutant confirming earlier data from non-neuronal cell lines. More importantly, thioflavin T fluorescence assays revealed that the mutations, while having little effect on Aβ42 peptide aggregation, dramatically change the properties of the Aβ40 pool with A2V accelerating and A2T delaying aggregation of the Aβ peptides. In line with the kinetic data, Aβ A2T demonstrated an increase in the solubility at equilibrium, an effect that was also observed in all mixtures of the A2T mutant with the wild type Aβ40. We propose that in addition to the reduced β-secretase cleavage of APP, the impaired propensity to aggregate may be part of the protective effect conferred by A2T substitution. The interpretation of the protective effect of this mutation is thus much more complicated than proposed previously.
The growth and the control of human immunodeficiency virus in the lung: implications for highly active antiretroviral therapy

In recent years, it has become apparent that the lung is an important niche for the proliferation of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which may have implications for highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). The lung itself is a major site for the opportunistic infections associated with the progression to acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), specifically Pneumocystis carinii, Myobacterium tuberculosis and pyogenic bacteria. These cases of active pulmonary complications are direct indicators of enhanced progression to AIDS‐defining illness and increased morbidity and mortality. It is therefore essential that the interaction between the lung and HIV is fully understood. Recent research indicates the lung may be a major sanctuary for the virus, with distinct evolution and replication in contrast to other target organs for HIV. In this review, we will discuss the recent findings of HIV infection, evolution, host factors involved in the control of HIV within the lung and the impact this may have on current therapy.
Design of Decorated Self-Assembling Peptide Hydrogels as Architecture for Mesenchymal Stem Cells

Hydrogels from self-assembling ionic complementary peptides have been receiving a lot of interest from the scientific community as mimetic of the extracellular matrix that can offer three-dimensional supports for cell growth or can become vehicles for the delivery of stem cells, drugs or bioactive proteins. In order to develop a 3D “architecture” for mesenchymal stem cells, we propose the introduction in the hydrogel of conjugates obtained by chemoselective ligation between a ionic-complementary self-assembling peptide (called EAK) and three different bioactive molecules: an adhesive sequence with 4 Glycine-Arginine-Glycine-Aspartic Acid-Serine-Proline (GRGDSP) motifs per chain, an adhesive peptide mapped on h-Vitronectin and the growth factor Insulin-like Growth Factor-1 (IGF-1). The mesenchymal stem cell adhesion assays showed a significant increase in adhesion and proliferation for the hydrogels decorated with each of the synthesized conjugates; moreover, such functionalized 3D hydrogels support cell spreading and elongation, validating the use of this class of self-assembly peptides-based material as very promising 3D model scaffolds for cell cultures, at variance of the less realistic 2D ones. Furthermore, small amplitude oscillatory shear tests showed that the presence of IGF-1-conjugate did not alter significantly the viscoelastic properties of the hydrogels even though differences were observed in the nanoscale structure of the scaffolds obtained by changing their composition, ranging from long, well-defined fibers for conjugates with adhesion sequences to the compact and dense film for the IGF-1-conjugate.
Two Movements in Emotions: Communication and Reflection

In understanding the degree of choice we have in our emotions, we benefit from the Stoics’ analysis into first and second movements: appraisals and reappraisals. The Stoics were concerned to avoid the harm that emotions can cause, but their idea of working on goals, rather than on emotions as such, generalizes beyond their concerns. For modern people, the problem of taking responsibility for our emotional life becomes less paradoxical when we consider interpersonal issues.
Superior–Subordinate Communication Dimensions and Working Relationship: Gender Preferences in a Malaysian Organization

This paper attempts to investigate the Western proposition on the communication preferences of male and female employees in a Malaysian organization. Based on the literature, Western scholars suggest that male employees prefer working communication with their superior that will allow them to accomplish their jobs. On the other hand, female employees prefer relationship communication with their superior in order to maintain and develop their relationship with their superior. Our findings show the combinations of working and relationship communication emerging from Malaysian male and female respondents. The consequences of these findings are discussed and elaborated.
Neurobehavioral alterations in male rats exposed to Sodium Benzoate

The recent research studied the effect of different doses of exposure to sodium benzoate on levels of anxiety and fear, depression and antisocial behavior in male rats. Oral administration of 0%, 0.5 %(low dose) and, 2% (high dose). sodium benzoate to 45 male Wistar rats randomly, allotted into three groups of 15,were performed daily for 12 weeks treatment period. The animals were observed for neurobehavioral disturbance. Anxiogenic effect of sodium benzoate was evidently observed during EPM (elevated plus maze) and dark light transition tests. Moreover, noticeable effect of sodium benzoate on depression is expressed by prolonged immobilization during forced swim test. Impairment of social interaction test was also detected in treated rats. Our results strongly provides sufficient scientific evidence that a causal link truly exists between sodium benzoate and inflection of anxiety, depression-like behaviors and antisocial behavior in rats and points to the hazardous impact of sodium benzoate on public health. [Mervat M.Kamel and Abeer H. Abd El Razek. Neurobehavioral alterations in male rats exposed to Sodium Benzoate. Life Sci. J. 2013; 10(2):722-726]. (ISSN: 1097-8135). http://www.lifesciencesite. com. 100
Non-fluent aphasia in Ibero-Romance: a review of morphosyntactic deficits

Background: Castilian-Spanish, Catalan, Galician, and European Portuguese are the most widely spoken languages of the Ibero-Romance group. An increasing number of authors have addressed the impact of aphasia on the morphosyntax of these varieties. However, accurate linguistic characterisations are scarce and the different sources of data have not been yet compiled. Aims: To stimulate state-of-the-art research, we provided a comprehensive summary of morphosyntactic aspects of Ibero-Romance and a review of how these are affected in non-fluent aphasia. The topics we dealt with are the use of verb argument structure and morphology, sentential negation and word order, definite articles, personal and reflexive pronouns, passives, topicalised constructions, questions, and relative clauses. Methods & Procedures: An exhaustive fieldwork and search of PubMed, Web of Science, and Medline records were performed to retrieve studies focused on morphosyntactic issues concerning the Ibero-Romance varieties. A total of 27 studies produced by 46 authors of varying background emerged. We did not review studies of category-specific deficits and aspects related to bilingual aphasia, although we assume that most speakers of Galician and Catalan are bilingual. Studies of spontaneous speech were included when no controlled experimental tasks were available. Outcomes & Results: The morphosyntactic commonalities of Ibero-Romance have been tackled from different theoretical perspectives. There exist asymmetries in findings which we explain with the use of different tasks (and task complexity) and individual differences between participants. Conclusions: Discourse-linking factors as well as deviations from the canonical pattern are recurrent answers to these asymmetries. A comprehensive theory of impairments in non-fluent aphasia integrating relevant aspects of both structural and processing accounts seems necessary.
Using On-the-Move Mining for Mobile Crowdsensing

In this paper, we propose and develop a platform to support data collection for mobile crowdsensing from mobile device sensors that is under-pinned by real-time mobile data stream mining. We experimentally show that mobile data mining provides an efficient and scalable approach for data collection for mobile crowdsensing. Our approach results in reducing the amount of data sent, as well as the energy usage on the mobile phone, while providing comparable levels of accuracy to traditional models of intermittent/continuous sensing and sending. We have implemented our Context-Aware Real-time Open Mobile Miner (CAROMM) to facilitate data collection from mobile users for crowdsensing applications. CAROMM also collects and correlates this real-time sensory information with social media data from both Twitter and Facebook. CAROMM supports delivering real-time information to mobile users for queries that pertain to specific locations of interest. We have evaluated our framework by collecting real-time data over a period of days from mobile users and experimentally demonstrated that mobile data mining is an effective and efficient strategy for mobile crowdsensing.